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6
PLAT AT MONTE CARLO.
Two RocKs of Monaco And Its
Gambling Resorts.
Only the Stranger Is Allowed to Play,
And He Must Pass Inspection—The
Game Is a Square One And Gener
ous to the Player, But it Wins Uni
versally—The System That Will In
jure Returns to the Venturesome
Has Not Vet Been Devised—Roulette
Amateurs of Europe.
From the Chicago Times.
Nice, Jan. 6.—The principality of Mo
naco consists of two great rooks Extend
ing nut into the Mediterranean- The,
little bay bet ween them forms the port.
A narrow strip of mainland backing up
the (jay connects the rocky promontories,
and ao they form a figure like the letter
O', ’t’hc western top of this letter Vis
Monaco, the eastern top is Monte Carlo.
iCThe gambling establishment of Monte
Carlo overlooks the sea from a considera
ble elevation. Iu its gardens there are
palms, acacia trees, and flowers and flew-,
ering shrubs. From its terrace there is
an enchanting view. The blue rippling
surface of the sea, lazy, undulating,
limitless, fills in the horizon and
a deeper value to the dark greens,
sage-gray, white, and salmon shades
of pines and olives, distant villages, and
rocky promontories. There is no noise.
Now and the perfect stillness which its
so upon the beauty of tho 'scene is
broken by the sliarp crack of a gun. It
is the pigeon shooting. Other than this
there is scarcely more than the crackling
gravel under the heel of some day-dream
ing promenader or the distant plaints of
donkey-drovers far below alone tho i>ort.
As beiits a place of destiny the bank at
Monte Carlo hangs high above a sea the
most historic, in its own place, serene,
implacable, alone.
V THOSE WHO ARE BARRED.
; Entrance to the Casino is forbidden fo
the inhabitants of the principality of Mo
naco and of the adjoining French depart
ment of the maritime Alps, of which Nice
is the capital. This rule, which is rigidly
epforced against the whole commercial
class and all below it, bears relaxation in
favor of such mea of means and independ
ence as choose to ask the privilege, in
evert’ case upon a special application.
There is a double reason for the regula
tion. The bank cannot afford to have its
s*lons choked up with a crowd of clerics
aad artisans. And the manaeemnt has its
morality. It refuses to ailow the acci
dent of its proximity to obsess and over
influence innocent people, especially de
pendents. To gamble at Monte i arlo you
must travel to Monte Carlo. The place must
offer no temptations to the people living
constantly around it. On oue day only of
each year the rank and file of Monaco and
Nice have free permission to go in and
gamble. This is the prince’s nameday.
Nov. 4, the feast of St. Charles Borromeo,
who invented Sunday schools. At every
other time these honest foik must be con
tent to take the crumbs which fall from
the Continual feast around them. There
are pickings of some kind for all, if it be
only sending out your little girls to beg
with flowers.
Two other classes are refused. Army
and navy officers in uniform are not al
lowed to pass the doors. Ibis rule is for
the benefit of the French garrisons along
the coast and the great naval slatiou of
Toulon. An officer in mufti is supposed
tp have permission to attend from his
superior. Domestic servants, whether
those of residents or transient visitors,
arc absolutely prohibited tho entree!
Governesses, lady’s maids, companions,
tutors, valets, no matter how relined or
well dressed they may be, are barred if
they are known. .
The difficulty of enforcing these re
strictions is not so great as might appear.
To enter the casino every one must run
the gauntlet of the secretary's clerks. A
pink card of admission, good for one day
only, with your name inscribed, is given
you. The next day you must hand it in,
go through tho same inspection, and ob
tain another card. Detectives and in
spectors linger everywhere. Thus, if a
Nicois clerk should manage to slip in and
out for a short time his ultimate discov
ery and refusal is regularly inevitable.
All respectably dressed strangers are ad
mitted on the presentation of their visit
ing cards. They do not ask a stranger's
rank in life. A clerk upon his travels is
a voyager like any other.
Whero, as at a gambling table, every
thing depends upon inspection the sceue
of inspection constantly refines itself and
so produces marvelous results. Ibis is
peculiarly exemplified in the viaticum.
SENDING BROKEN PLATERS AWAY.
The viaticum is that sum of money,
varying according the circumstances
which the bank at Monte Carlo never re,
fuses to a bona fide player who is •'broke.”
You step up to the desk aud tell your
loss. You are confronted by the croupi
ers and inspectors of the table whero you
played. Their memories seldom play
them false. If the story of your loss ap
proximates their recollection you will be
loaned a sum based on your loss and ne
cessities. Even where the secretary has
his doubts his instructions are to err upon
the side of humanity. Two acquain
tances of mine have gone through this
experience. One was a Belgian gentle
man. quite young, fresh from the univer
sity. On his arrival he wont immedi
ately into the casino. Before mid
night of the samo day he had
hausted his letter of credit, some $2,000.
'The secretary paid his hotel bill and
loaned him *2OO to pet back to Brussels.
The other was a I'arisienne of the com
mercial ( lass, the owner of a small shop,
a widow well along in .years. She, too,
was on her first vacation, the first sho
had aljowed herself for fifteen years
She dropped her little all. about S4OO.
The secretary loaned her the price of a
third-class ticket back to Paris. This
lady's name is still upon the book. She
never paid the secretary back. The viati
cum is still against her name. She is pro
hibited the entree ipso facto.
Two games are played in the luxurious
salons of the casino at Monte Carlo. The
first is roulette, the second treute et qua
rante. Trente et quarante, which iB also
called rouge et notr, differs so infinitesim
ally from the "single chances” Of the rou
lette in its results that it will bo sufficient
to deal only with that latter, better
known game
At Monte Carlo, where there are but
two tables for the trente et quarante.
there are eleven for the roulette, each one
of which is double, i. e., with a separate
tapis (lay-out) each side of the wheel.
ROULETTE THE POPULAR GAME.
For several reasons the roulette is the
more popular. Its minimum stake is sl,
while its maximum on single chances is
•1,200. Tho smallest stake allowed at
trente et quarante is $4, while its maxi
mum is not four times as great as that of
the roulette, but only twi< e, *2.400. Thus
there appears to be a greater liberality at
the roulette. Beginning with the uoilar
stake, the inan of stubbornness (and cap
ital) may go on doubling eleven times to
get it buck-thus: 1,2, 4,8, 16, 32, 64, 128.
256, 512, 1,024, —before ho strikes the
limit which the bank has made for its
protection. Whereas, around the more
aristocratic table you begin with *4. und
soinav double only ten times: 4,8, if,, :(5,
64. 128.256, 512, 1,024, 2,048. However
little this may influence average Play tho
smaller miuimum of the roulette is a real
boon to the majority. Every "system”
which will bear tuc slightest mathemati
cal inspection must take cognizance of some
progression. To hear inspection is one
•king, to find a system which will win ,
-substantial sums with probability, of
course, is something else. However this
may be the average player wants to
double or increase his stake at will, and
this depends as much upon his pocket as
his courage To go on doubling from *1
is iess terrifying to the average man.
Few people who have not sat long at
tables will believe that the little ivory
ball is capable of falling any hour of the
day into the "black’' compartments
eleven times hand running. Yes. and
more. The limit of the bank at the rou
lette allows eleven doublings, and they
could give you’ twelve or fifteen even, if
they had, say., twice as many clients play
ing constantly against them. There is a
charmingdemaiistrattou which bears di
rectly on this point in Prof. Kichnrd
Proctor's.book of ‘"Chance and Duck,’.*
the chapter which contains the "Russian
Lottery.”
The roulette is also popular for other
reasons. It gives quicker results. Its
mechanical contrivance of a wheel and
ball attracts newcomers. It affords a
multitude of combinations and long bets.
Lastly, all of Europe is packed full of
amateurs of roulefite, each with his little
po.-ket wheel to spin at home. The ques
tion with them all is to devise a means to
heat the wheel. The most of them,
of course, do not expect to win the
rock of Monaco a.id everything upon it.
I have a friend who thinks he would
be glad to make a daily winning of
sl2 with a $5,000 capital, which is
about the Jimit of his patrimony.
While playing, through the winter
season only, he woul i live frugally upon
fl 50 a day, to keep his head clear and his
nerves in hand. Then, with his accumu
lations, he would tak® a little villa by the
river Marne just wjhere it meets tho
Seine at Charenton, and occupy himself
canoeing until July 1, Upon the Ist of
each July he would betake himsolf to
Trouville, whero he would stay until Oc
tober. There he woui 1 walk the board
walk in a bright blue sash the afternoons
and take sea baths the mornings. Oct.
15 he would return to Monte Carlo to col
lect his revenues.
But first, mv friend desires to find a
system which is not a broken reed. He
says he knows 200 systems, each of them
"a dangerous mirage,” no one of them
without its "fatal jump.” His procedure
should be recommended to tho youth of
every land. By day he is a clerk in a de
partment of the ministry of war in Paris.
By night he is a pilgrim of the roulette.
He has his own small wheel; he,sits
alone and plays against himself in his
own room. Conceiving himsx lf to have
in otgby ease a capital of 25,000 francs, he
plays against a bank, to which he gener
ously concedes 1.000,000 francs of capital.
By playing every system with true pa"
tience, he has never failed to see the
25,000 merge into the 1,000,000 soon or
,]ate, as surely its a smaller piece Of wood
upon the surface of a bucketful o t water
will be drawn to a larger piece of wood in
that same bucket when all is quiet and
calm. So he has never played the game
pf roulette for keeps.
FAIRNESS OF THE MONTE CARLO WHEEL.
Thus amateurs prefer the roulette at
Monte Carlo because they are habituated
,to its combinations in their private
"studies.”
The Monte Carlo wheel is much more
fair than many others. It has but the
zero and not the "00” which may some
times be seen in other countries. When
this-one zero wins the stakes upon the
nuhibers and columns are claimed by the
bank, as elsowhere, but all the bets on
the simple chances (e. g., red or black or
odd or even) are only put "in prison.”
You have played red and zero comes.
Your stake upon the red must stay there
till the next turn. Should red than win
you get your money back, not doubled, as
you would in other cases. You will
have neither won nor lost. Should black
halve comeinstead of red you would have
lost, as in an ordinary play.
Each roulette table In full swing from
II o'clock a. m. till midnight will make
about 659 turns. in doing this tho
croupiers will change twelve times in
four relays. Each table has six crou
piers, whose business it is to rake in
grains aad push out lesses with their
delicate long-ham led hoes. Beside, these
six each table will have two inspectors
on high chairs to preserve order and to
settle all disputes. Should two men
claim the same stake (unless a steal is
obvious) the bank pays both. But let
each man thus paid beware of any future
errors. They will fiag him; lie will be
side-tracked in his progress toward an
easy life; he will be shown tho door; his
name will be inscribed upon a book.
the Croupiers’ calls.
When a turn is about to be made upon
the Monte Carlo roulette the croupier in
charge calls out: "Messieurs, make your
game.” He sets the disk in motion aud
he sets the hall in motion. When tho
mbtion of the ball commences to slacken
the same croupier cries: “The game is
in.” This is to inform the players that
stakes can still be accepted for the
moment. When the ball strikes against
one of the small nickel-plated obstacles
which are placed to check its dying on
ward motion, so that it will fail, the
croupier adds: “Rien ne va plus,” which
means exactly, '‘No more goes ”. The
croupier then calls out tho winning num
ber, with the three single chances which
depend on it, as: "Rouge (red), pair (even
nuitjbers), passe (the last eighteen).”
The maximums allowed at Monte Carlo
roulette (naming only the simpler bets)
are these: On red or black, odd, even,
first or last eighteen, you are allowed to
bet *1,200; on single dozens .you may bet
*600: on single numbers you may bet *36.
Betting $36 on a single number, which
pays 35 to 1, a winner gets *1.260, which
approximates the limit which the bank
has made on single chances, such as the
red or black. Ail other limits are ar
ranged the same. The Monte Carlo rou
lette will never lose to any single pla.ye r
more than *1,200, or as near as may be.
What may be dono by combinations or
conspiracies among a coterie of players is
another story—a story which every well
appearing stranger will have whispered
in'his ear by old offenders in every stage
of pocket, up from obvious povery. to
seeming affluence or real. It is all blague.
The arguments of some of these are
highly plausible.
COMBINATION ri.YYKRS
“There are some candid enough to say
to me,” one of them Tias written in a
touting brochure. ‘“Since your method is
so sure, why do you not put it in pradtice
lor your own account;’ Although this
objection has its naivete and shows a
complete ignorance of the question of
play, 1 will ask t vou how long it has it is
since the architect who conceives the
plan of a house has been obliged to build
it by himself? Must lie not have the as
sistance of a crowd of arms? The same
with play.
“Every solitray player does the follow
ing trade—lt is full of comedy ; At each
table there are eight employes, who
come in four relays, which makes thirty
two croupiers, l'rosh and alert. There
fore the solitary player is one against
forty chiefs of a party counting
the supervising inspectors. All these
forces should produce a result.
Ho is really one against fifty, taking ac
count of disturbing elements, and if ho
wins he wins against 100 or 1,006 on tho
score of capital—for the bank will not he
discouraged, while he, without support,
wi 1 teoatne demoralized and will throw
up t(ie came, if he is not ruined actually.
Tbb time to recoup himself will come
just at the moment when lie is excited.
Pity the foolish man who believes that
with a few thousand francs ho cun
struggle alone against an army aud un
limited capital.”
if you stop here in listening to the
tempter he will have given good advice.
. Sterling lleilio.
Colliiigwood-Say Tllllnizhast. didn’t you
tel) me ‘.hut Miss LJderkin was an arlisU
I illinghast No: 1 said she was a work of
•rtf—Detroit t ree Press.
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 4. 1891.
THE COLONEL'S WIFE.
From London Truth-
Mrs. Grundy always put the worst pos
sible construction upon her actions, but
then Mrs. Grundy had suffered much at
her hands, and was prejudiced against
her. You see, she had the courage of her
opinions, and was unconventional and in
dependent enough to steer her own course
according to her own ideas. Moreover,
she was extremely good looking, and
had a bad habit of annexing all the men
vvho cape within reach.
She was over 30. said Mrs, Grundy, who
nbver loses sight of a woman's age. and
old enough to know better. Furthermore,
she had a husband, and surely that ought
to be enough for her. It was high time
that she settled dowD into a sober British
matron, ahd left flirting and dan
cing and lawn tennis and all such
frivolous festivities to the younger gener
ation. i
But she did not see things in that light,
and in spite of Mrs. Grundy’s growls, con
tinued to flirt and dance and otherwise
enjoy herself with as much zest as if only
twenty instead of more than thirty years
had passed over her golden head. She
possessed an immense capacity for enjoy
ing life, and she could not be brought to
see why she should not exercise that ca
pacity. Men could not see it either, and
they helped her to exercise it to the best
of their ability, while women looked on
and shrugged their sholuders. But she
did not care for women any more than
she cared for Mrs. Grundy, and so pur
sued the even tenor of her way, regard
less of their black looks and disapproving
frowns.
She committed a good many unpardon
able sins, or rather sms that were unpar
donable in the eyes of the world. Such
sifis, for instance, as wearing gowns that
were calculated to fIU the heart of the
feminine beholder with envy, hatred,
malice and all uncharitableness; or at
tracting more than her share of admira
tion and? attention; or dancing gayly all
eveniug while rows of dejected wall
flowers adorned the benches provided for
their chaperons. But the biggest, black
est, most unforgivable sin of all was the
one whose history I am going to relate.
Why did she want to Interfere between
Gerald Maitland and Mrs. O’Connor? the
world asked, indignantly. It was such a
suitable match in every way. Why could
not she leave the lovers alone, and let
them marry and live happily ever after?
But she bad no intention of letting them
marry, and she. soon inade that fact clear
to everybody.
Gerard Maitland was a subaltern of the
regiment that her husband commanded—
one of those good looking, generous,
thoughtless, happy-go-lucky men who al
ways make friends wherever they go.
Every one liked him. His senior officers
smiled indulgently at his little irregulari
ties; his brother subordinates voted.hirn
one of the best fellows going; and women
combined together to spoil him. Not that
there were many Women in the neighbor
hood of the —th's somewhat isolated
q uarters on the Irish coast. Still, th are
were a few, and several of the officers of
the rezimeut were married men.
Gerald flirted with them in his boyish
inconsequent way, and spent half his pay
on flowers and bonbons, and all went well
until Mrs. O’Connor appeared upon the
scene as the guest of the senior captain’s
wife. After her arrival thiugs began to
change, and before long it became evi
dent to the meanest capacity that Gerard
was in earnest; or, as the other subs put
it, moant business this time.
Mrs. O’Connor was a youthful widow,
with lovely Irish eyes and Just enough
brogue to make her manner deliciously
quaint, and she stormed and carried the
fortress ot Gerald’s susceptible heart with
quite remarkable rapidity. Hitherto he
had only made love, now he loved, and
the state of affairs was patent to the
world at large. It seemed a most desira
ble aad suitable match. Both were young
and good-looking, and of equal social
standing, and if Mrs. O’Connor’s face was
almost her only fortune it was such a
charming face that no one could find fault
with that, and Gerald had enough and to
spare of this world’s goods. Mrs. Grundy
smiled benignly, and took the young peo
ple under her especial protection, and "all
went merry as a marriage bell.”
Then suddenly the colonel’s wife threw
horself into tho breach. Why she did it
no one knew. It was rather a strange
proceeding, oven for her, and what made
it more surprising was the fact that up
to that time she alone had held rather
aloof from Gerald. She alone had not
flirted with him, or allowed him to flirt
with her. She seemed to like him, and
was much given to watching him with
those great, thoughtful eyes of hers, but
when he once made an attempt to include
her in his impartial love-making, she gave
him clearly to understand that his atten
tions were unwelcome. Gerald felt a
good deal puzzled and a little sore on the
subject, for he was not used to that kind
of thing: but he accepted the hint good
humoredly enough, and afterward always
treated her with scrupulous deference
and distant politeuess.
Therefore, when sho suddenly changed
her tactics, aud began to hid for his
favor, so to speak, Mrs. Grundy and the
world looked on in amazement. Of course,
they put it down to insatiable vanity and
love of conquest, and amazement was
rapidly merged in indignation.
Gerald, bye the bye, was more amazed
than them all, ’but he was flattered, too.
The colouel's wife cared not two straws
what Mrs. Crt'uqdy thought, or what the
world thought, or what Gerald Maitland
thought. She had a point to gain, and
she meant to gain It, and she was pre
pared to wage war single-handed against
any odds whatsoever.
When Mrs. O’Connor fully grasped the
situation she faced it gallantly, and then
the fight began in right earnest. Both the
combatants did all they knew, which was
nalu,little, aud Mrs. O'Connor rose to
the occasion in such very superior style
that iu tho first instance it seemed as if
ultimate victory must lie with her. But
tho colonel’s wife was one too many for
her. Sho was a clever woman, and sho
had not made an exhaustive study of the
male sex for nothing. Her experience—
it was a wide and varied one—stood her
in good stead on this occasion. After a
desperate struggle she routed the enemy,
aud carried off her trophy with flying
colors.
Than popular feeling ran very high in
deed, aud popular indignation knew no
bounds The world, led by Mrs. Grundy,
found nothing too bad to say of the colo
uel's wife. Stones of every dimension
were freely cast at her. and some hit
while others missed their mark.
But tho colonel s wife had, to use a
common expression, other fish to fry, und
she troubled no more about the stones
than if they had been so many sugar
plums. Sho had gained her point and
won her prize by force of sheer pluck and
perseverance, and not unnaturally she
felt elated, but her elation was of a very
different kind from that which the world
attributed to her.
When the inevitable climax came, and
Gerald poured a flood of passionate pray
ers and protests into her ear, she heard
him through iu silence to the end.
‘ And you love me,” he finished trium
phantly, "you must love me. or you would
not have behaved as you have done.”
She turned to him and then laid her
baud on his arm. "No, Gerald,” she
said, very gently. "I don’t love you. I
certainly had a reason for actiug in the
way I have acted with regard to you, and
aud it was a good one—but it was not for
love. ”
Gerald felt as if someone had suddenly
dashed a pall of cold water over film it
was an odd sensation It began at the
back of his neck aud traveled all down
his spine, and made him feel very creepy
and uncomfortable. "But—why—why—
why—” he stammered, after a perplexed
pause.
“Why did I take such pains to separate
you and Mrs. O'Connor;” said the
colonel’s wife, calmly. "Ah 1 thereby
hangs a tale. '■> She leaned her head on
her hand, and looked him full In the face
with her thoughtful eyes. "Kow long is
it since you heard of Muriel Vernon f”
she asked, suddenly.
Gerald’s law dropjx-d.
“Muriel Vernon:” he echoed, blankly,
“Muriel Vernon” l
For Muriel Vernon was the girl whom
he had loved and aekod to marry nim two
years ago, .and he had almost forgotten
her existence and the pretty summer idyl
in which she had played her part.
It all came. baeK to him now, though,
and a rush of awakened memories flooded
his heart. Once more ho was back in the
narrow winding country lane, with its
high green hanks and rose-starred hedges;
onoe more he felt the fresh perfumed -air
of the Juno evening upon his face, and
saw the love-Jlght iu the ’eyes uplifted to
his. Ah 1 those eves -pure and tender
and steadfast; he had seen nothing like
them of iaty. Why, oh,-why had he for
gotten thugi! Why, oh, why had he
allowed other less worthy interests and
amusements to blot out the memory of
the truest love and purest heart that it
ever fell to the lot of man to win?
The colonel's wife was still looking at
him.
”1 know Muriel Vernop,” she said, “she
is a good apd true woman, a better woman
than any man deserves to win—and she
loves you. But if it jiad net beeu for me
you would have lost her.”
The paused, and Gerald bowed his head
on his hands.
"I am not good enough for her.” he said
in a smothered tone.
"No,” returned tho colonel’s wife; "I
quite agree with you; you are not good
enough for her —but you may become so.
You are only thoughtless and impulsive—
there is no real harm in you; aud she
loves .you.”
She paused again, looking at him re
flectively ; then a smile crossed her face,
and brought all her pretty dimples into
play.
"i am afraid my character is irretriev
ably lost this time,” she laughed. "Our
good friends here have torn it into shreds
and scattered it to the winds of heaven.
But 1 don’t mind that I don’t
mind any thing so long as I have saved
you, Gerald; for Mrs. O’Connor may pose
as an angel, aud may deceive the world,
but she can’t deceive me. I know more
about her than the world knows, and I
know that you ought to go down on your
knees and thank heaven for your escape.
Never mind how I acquired my knowledge
—I did acquire it, and 1 have used it in
your interests. That woman is heartless
and worthless; she is incapable of caring
for anyone but herseif, aad she lias not a
thought beyond her own gain and ad
vancement. She played a deep game, aad
she newly won it; but I—well,1 —well, 1 knew a
little too irnwh-for her, aud I was able to
turn what I kne wdo good account. Thank
heayen for that.”
“Thank heaven,” echoed Gerald.
She held put her hand to him, still smil
ing,
"You are my prizo. Gerald,” she said.
“I fought for you, and I won you, and
now 1 give you back to Muriel Vernon. It
is not too late. She loves you still, and
if you tell her all tho truth she will for
give you and go on loving .you.- I can wish
you no better fate,’*
There was a queer sort of lump in Ger
ald's throat, but he choked it down some
how, as he grasped her hand and wrung
it hard, with all his impetuous boyish
heart shining in his eyes.
"5l can’t thank you,” he cried, “so it’s
no gqod trying. Tho English language
doesn’t contain the proper words. But
I'll prove myself worthy of, ail you have
ddhe for mb,' ahd 6T 'MUffel’s love. I
promise. On my honor.”
The colonel’s wife Smiled again.
'T believe you,” she said.
“One thing more*” said Gerald; “tell
me why you took all this trouble for me.
What am I to you that you should risk so
much for my sake;” .
The smile faded then, and a soft, sad
look crept into her eyes—a look that the
world had never seen there.
“You are the son of the only man I ever
cared for,” she answered in a low tone.
“He cared for me, too; but —but we met
too late. He was married, and so
was 1, and —and . Well, It's
no good thinking about it now. But you
are just like him, and you look at me
with his eyes and speak to mo
with his voice, and so I could not see you
sacrificed. There only oue way to
save you, and I took it, and risked tho
rest. I did it for tho sake of the past,
Gerald. A good many versions of the
story will be told; very unpleasant ver
sions, and every one will pity Mrs. O'Con
nor and say hard things of me; but wo
will keep our secret, you and I. We know
the true version, and we know that 1 did
my best for you, according to iny lights
not so much for your own sake, as for the
sake of Auld Lang Syne.”
“NUMBER SIXTEEN.”
A Romance of Wild Life in tho Cana
dian Northwest.
From the St. John Globe.
A few evenings ago tho writer and sev
eral friends were cozjiy nestled around
the fire. One of the company was a med
ical man who had spent twelve years or
so in the Canadian northwest territories.
Outside tho atmosphere was chilly, and
the indications favored colder weather.
“if you could ho transported from St.
John to the prairies on such a day as we
had to-day,” remarked the doctor, “and
were ignorant of the changes that a few
hours bring in that climate, two surprises
would greet , you. To-day you observe
dotted in countless numbers over the vast
stretches of prairie sluices or small ponds,
whose placid waters would remind you of
so many mirrors set in rustic frames.
To-morrow moruiug, as you again
looked over the prariea, the whole face of
the country would seem to be beanged.
Protruding from every sluice would see
cones made of grass, etc. These are the
winter houses of the muskrat—roared,
finished, and occupied in a single night;
as if these fragrant little creatures pos
sessed the power of the Wizard Pancra
tes.
“That night the the sluices would be
sure to freeze, and the muskrats would
live in peace until the spring, when the
Indiaus make their rounds, pluuget a
spear down through the cones and thus
capture numbers of,the occupants. The
rats are in prime order in tho spriug
after their long rest. The flesh is eaten
and the skins are taken care of bv the
squaws.
These skins, as well as all others, are a
kind of legal tender, and it’s a common
occurrence for the Indian to visit a store,
make his purchase, take a bundle of rat
skins from under his arm, and count them
out as 5-cent pieces.
The Indian department displays much
energy to suppress small pox, which often
creates great havoc among the natives of
the plains. Doctors are sent out regularly
to vaccinate tho Indians. The doctor
makes his rounds with the agent who
pa.vs the bounties. A large tent is
pitched, aud the tribe is requested to ap
pear. The stipulation is that all must be
vaccinated before receiving the money.
“The Indians are distinguished by num
bers as well as names, and, As they are
paid so much per head, every member of
a family must be produced and pass
through the agent's tent. Before being
paid tiiose requiring it arc vaccinated.
■ One day,” said tho doctor. “1 was
vaccinating a tribe of Croes, when a
womau approached with a couple of chil
dren. Slie had a rich, melodious voice,
with a Scotch accent. When she spoke 1
stopped for a moment aud told her to
step ihto the next tent and I would at
tend to her in a few moments. I saw sha
was not a squaw, and thought she was
the wife of a Hudson's Bay Company em
ploye who wanted to get vaccinated at
the expense of the government.
“While I was speaking the clerk shouted
out: ‘No. 10.’ and the woman said in a
low voice,‘l am NO. TO.’ She bared her
arm, and both she aud the children were
attended to. She passed on. received her
bounty, and then out among the herd of
Indians
“The face and voire of that woman
haunted me the rest of the day while I
kept scratching the arms of braves,
squaws and pappooses.
“At last the day's work was over and
instrments laid aside, \fter supper I set
about to satisfy my curiosity as to the
history of No. 16. A few inquiries enabled
me to loi ato the shack where she put up,
and thither I bent my way.
"The shack, I may say, is a small hut,
built of clay or mud. A fire can be made
in the shack. The place is so constructed
that the squaw stands the sticks of wood
on their ends so that the fire is fed as if
from a self-feeder. No. 16 related to me
bow and why she occupied the shack. It
was rather a romantic story, but yet one
full of sadness from beginning to end.
“ ‘My father,’ said No. 16, iu a voice
full of pathos, ‘is a Scotchman, and is
factor of Fort Pelley, belonging to the
Hudson Bay Company. Before the north
west territories were taken over he ruled
the country for hundreds of miles around.
He was a magistrate, too, and, of course,
administered the law.’
“When No. 16 reached a certain age
she was sent to Scotland in one of the
company’s ships, which leave for New
York or Fort Nelson a couple of times
each year. This was no easy trip in those
days. For hundreds of miles she had to
cross prairies and then by canoe and
other conveyances tho great rivers were
traversed until Hudson’s Bay was
reached, where embarkation took place,
it took some months to do this.
"When Scotland was reached she en
tered a university and remained there
until she graduated. These were pleas
ant days for the young western girl. She
became acquainted with an intelligent
,\*>ung Scotchman, and the attachment
became so strong on both sides that be
fore sho left the land of heather for the
wilds of Canada tuey had plighted vows.
"One of the company's ships bore her
away from her pleasant Associations in
Scotland to the higher latitudes of Davis
Straits and the Hudson's Bay. where the
iceberg is familiar in August, there again
to rough it over fords and stretches of
swamps, up vast water courses, and
along bewildering trails, in company with
the trappers and porters of the company
for months, until Fort Pelley was again
reached.
The journey was made in safety. Of
course it was understood that her .young
Scotch lover would leave the land of
cakes and follow her to the northwest,
where she pictured to herself the kind
reception he would receive from her pa
rents, and where the battle of life would
be commenced in the married state. But
this dream was never to be realized. Aye,
the golden web was to be shattered be
fore it was nearly completed.
"After due time the father was in
formed of her attachment to the young
man in Scotland, of her intention to
marry him, and how he was coming out
for that purpose. The father became an
gry and would not consent. He already
had a husband chosen for her. The per
son was an employee of the company, ana
was stationed at Fort Garry.
"Here was an obstacle that she did not
count upon She debated the subject
with her father, and finally asserted her
prerogative of accepting as her husband
the man she had chosen, while the father
was just as determined that she should
marry the man he had chosen.
"Thus matters stood fora long time. It
was impossible for her to let the young
man in Scotlant know how matter were.
In the meantime, however, he had deter
mined to reach the Northwest.
“He came out to Chicago, and from
there made his way to Fort Garry, where
he joined a party who were going to Fort
Pelley. The journey between the two
forts—some 300 or 400 miles—was made,
but his reception at Fort Pelley was a
cold one. The father would not ailow him
to see his daughter. He was ordered to
leave the country at once. This order was
supreme, and had to be obeyed.
"He could not reside in the country an
hour without the factor’s knowledge.
Even if he could, there was no means for
a young man like him to gain a livelihood.
The forts held all the necessaries of life,
and none could be purchased elsewhere.
Then, again, there was the danger of be
ing killed by straggling bands of Indians.
"With reluctance he turned his back to
Fort Pelley and all it contained that was
dear to him. He retraced his steps as
best he could, and reached the bonier of
the United States, where all trace of him
was lost forever, so far as No. 16 was con
cerned.
"By some means she learned that her
transatlantic lover had been in the coun
try, the reception he had received, *id
how he had been banished by her father.
This, of course, caused her a good deal of
grief, atm consequently widened the
breech between herself and father.
"At this time Fort Pelley contained a
large number of employes belonging to the
Hudson’s Bay Company, and the factor
lived like a baron of feudal times. Meals
were served in a large hall, while butlers
attended to the ordinary duties.
“One morning, after the factor and his
retinue had taken their places at the
breakfast table, it was noticed that the
daughter s chair was vacant. The mother
was asked tho reason, and she replied that
the girl was ill and she was unable to
leave her room.
“The father, suspecting that she had
heard of his actions toward the young
Scotchman, and that sho was feigning
sickness, determined to show her that he
was not to be trifled with. The mother
was requested to tell her to come down,
and the daughter oba.ved the summons.
When she entered the hail it was quite
evident that she had rcx'ently been weep
ing. The father, letting his passion get
the better of decorum, upbraided his
daughter before the employes, using the
most harsh language toward the young
Scotchman.
“For a time the daughter listened to
him meekly, but the climax was reached
where patience ceased to be a virtue.
She arose, and, tossing back her loose
hair, stood before him in defiance. Look
ing straight at her father, she said with
much bitterness and determination:
‘Before forty-eight hours I will disgrace
you!’ With that she rushed from this
dining hall. The meal proceeded, and af
terward the employes went about their
usual vocations.
“The futher thought the affair of the
morning would soon quiet down as far as
his daughter was concerned, and even
tually she would come around to his way
of thinking. But he was mistaken.
“The young woman left the fort. It
was no use for her to try to leave the
country, for she was too far away from
civilization, and she also knew that none
of tho employes dare assist her. She,
therefore; made her way to a tribe of
Creo Indians, ft did not take her long to
make up her mlud What to do. It was a
terrible sacrifice, but she was determined
to thwart her father's plans, and in order
to do this she became the ‘pale-faced
squaw' of a full-blooded Cree.
"Although, witn her husband, she
ofteu encamped near the fort, her father
never noticed her afterward. Her mother
used to send her articles from the fort,
but that was the only intercourse she had
with her parents. In order to distinguish
her busbuud and family she had them as
sume the name of Moizcod.
“Tho woman’* story affocted me very
much," said the speaker, "and 1 was glad
when my work was over, but the sacri
fice No. 16 made ha* never left my mem
ory.”
__ CLOTHING.
WITHOUT BLOW 61 BRAG
WE CLAIM
■ 11! HI W
are now being sold for less than
THE ORDINARY KIND
is sold for.
Money refunded should you find to the
contrary.
FALK CLOTHING CO.
FAMILIES OFJJLiY EATERS.
A Valley in Which, Times, Olay is
the Only Food of the Inhabitants.
From the St. Louis Republic.
Parkersburg, W. Va., Jan. 23.—The
correspondent, who was attached to a
corps of engineers, geologists, and natu
ralists who were making a tour of inves
tigation through the wilderness of the
Smoky Mountain region of North Caro
lina several years since, when near the
watershed which drains westward into
the New River in West Virginia and the
head waters of the Big Sandy, was in
formed by resident mountaineers that
about twenty miles away there was a
neighborhood in which every resident
was said to be a clay eater. Accompa
nied by Capt. Denton, a mountain guide,
and a negro servant, we crossed the hinge
through a narrow gap and descended, a,f
ter a ten-mile ride, upon a narrow creek
which subdivided a little valley between
two parallel mountains. Here we struck
the first cabin in a strung-out settlement
of perhaps forty or fifty families.
"Every pusson on this yer crick is a
clay eater,” said the guide, as we ap
proached a low roofed log cabin, the door
of whiob stood wide open, facing the
stream.
A tall, sallow, stoop-shouldered man of
40 or 50 stood near the door, from which,
on our approach, streamed nearly a dozen
bareheaded, barefooted children, ranging
from 2to 18 years of age. The man was
clad in a coarse, hempen shirt and pants.
Like the children, he was bareheaded and
barefooted.
Oiyf guide spoke to the man, calling him
by name, "Dinker,” and abruptly intro
duced the subject of our call.
“Dinker,” said he, "they-uns have rid
oyer the mount’n jes to see sum uv you-uns
eel clay. They-uns sez they-uns don't
b’leev we-uus kin eet it.”
"You-uns ’lite and kum rite in,” said
Dinker. "Morg.” turning to one of the
largest boys, "tek off’n they-uns’ saddl’s
an’ bridles an’ turn they-uns’ hosses inter
the paster.”
The boy took charge of the animals and
led them into a small patch of ground
fenced in with a brush fence.
We declined to enter the house, giving
as an excuse that it was much pleasanter
under the shade of a big tree which stood
near the door. At our request Dinker
sent one of his boys, a sallow-faced, tow
headed boy of 15 or 16, after some of the
clay which was said to be edible. The
guide and myself accompanied him to the
creek, where he stopped in front of a
layer or ledge of bluish gray clay several
inches in thickness. The stuff, when
taken in hand and moistened, felt pliable,
soft, and oily, like putty, ana bore much
the same general appearance. The boy
carried a handful of the clay to his
father, who, after taking it, gave it
another wetting; then, rolling it into a
ball, began manipulating it as a painter
preparing putty for use. Ho rolled,
pressed it out, and manipulated it until
the greasy, slippery mass became soft,
pliable and tenacious. Then he separated
it into pills, or boluses, from the size of a
bullet to that of an ordinary marble, with
two or three as large almost as a walnut.
He gave the smaller children several of
the smallest balls or pills and the larger
ones the balance, reserving to himself two
of the biggest balls of clay.
The boys, girls, and the man then put
the balls of clay in their mouths, when,
by constant chewing and the aid of tho
secretions, they converted them into
soft, mucilaginous masses, which, with
no apparent difficulty, they swallowed.
For fear that there might be some
slight-of-hand hocus-pocus about the
affair I determined to try the clay my
self. I took a piece about the size of a
bullet and put it into my mouth. In a
short time, without chewing or manipu
lating it at all, I found that the saliva
had completely dissolved the mass.
There were no gritty particles apparent,
but, on the contrary, the Btuff left an
oily feeling, but without semblance of
taste.
I didn’t swallow the stuff, but could
have easily done so but for tho repugnance
1 naturally felt towards eating dirt.
After the cla.v had all been swallowed
by the man and children I said:
“Does this stuff satisfy your hunger?”
"Sartin; the.y’s why we-uns eet it. A
feller kin oet nuff to las’ throe or foh
days, but this yer bunch’ll only last till
to-morrow.”
"Doesn’t the stuff make you sick?
Doesn't it affect you some way when you
make what you call a meal of it?”
“Never heered uv nobody get tin’ sick
on it, but thar’s some ez say it makes
they-un weak.”
“Does anybody else in this neighbor
hood eat clay?”
“ 'Bout all of'they-un do. We-uns don't
eet it all uv the time. We eet it when
we-uns’ short uv grub an’ thar’s no game.
Summer an’ fall thar’s plenty of grub, an’
then we don’t tech the clay.
Shortly after we left and continued our
ascent of the creek to another cabin, a
prototype of the first, even to the appear
and number of the family. They were
all lank, cadaverous and bluish looking,
with dull, leaden eyes and a physical ap
pearance of partial paralyzation. Thev
were slow in movement and obtuse, and
to my mind apparently mentally deficient.
At this cabin the same questions were
asked and the same admissions made as
to the custom of clay eating, and the
same process of manipulation was gone
with in preparing the stuff.
We tried three or four other cabins, and
found a family of clay eaters in each one,
and not one ap|>eared to think anything
strange or unusual in the custom. They
said that the habit had beeu Inherited
from generation to generation, extending
so far back th it the origin of the nabit
was unknown to them. I found by inter
rogation that wherever one clay eater
was found there were always others in
the same neighborhood. They were gen
erally found In little communities, like
the one above mentioned. The explana
tion of this lay probably in ostracism
by those to whom the habit was disguat
luf.
What there is in the stuff to support
life Ido not know, and, although I ha™
tulked witn many well-informed person,
who know of these people, not one ha.
yet been able to give a scientific explana*
tion. Some well-informed persons be
lieve that the clay contains some highly
nutritive properties in condensed form
but they were unable to give an analysis
of these supposed properties. In fact all
of tho thoones, suppositions and opinions,
when summed up, amount to little or
nothing.
That there is some nutritive property
in the ela.y referred to must bo true, from
the undisputed fact that people who use
it often go for days at a time without
other food than that which they dig out
of the banks of their creeks.
A MONKEY ON A SPREE.
He Wrecked His Owner’s Saloon, and
Was Taken to Jail by Two Police,
men.
From the Now York Sun.
Elmira, Jan. 30. -Two policemen con.
ducting a drunken monkey to jail was one
of the unusual sights seen Sunday. The
monkey is a member of Dod Backer’s cir
cus, but has been occupying winter quar
ters as a side attraction at Elston’s saloon
on East Water street, apd wa3 left
chained during the temporary absence of
the proprietor. He managed, however,
to free himself, and walked over behind
the bar. He glanced in the big looking
glass back of the row of colored bottle*,
and, seeing another fellow of his own size,
picked up a decanter and let it go with
his right, and Mr. Elston's S2OO glass was
a wreck. His opponent having been got
rid of, the monkey proceeded to test the
various liquid refreshments on hand. He
turned on the beer and took a long, deep
draught. Then he sampled the whiskv,
?in, wine, and various kinds of bitters,
t wasn’t long until he was roaring drank.
Then he tackled the cigar case and de
molished that, throwing the cigars about
the room in handfuls.
The monkey’s screams and the noise of
shattered glass attracted a crowd about
the front of the saloon, but the door was
locked and there was no way to get in.
Finally two policemen came and boosted
a bold young fellow through the transom.
After a lively tussle he managed to gets
rope around the drunken monkey, and he
was hoisted through the window and es
corted by the two policemen, one on each
side, to jail, and lodged in a cell. The
next morning the prisoner was very sick
and held his head between his paws. Al
though it was his second offense the re
corder suspended sentence, and he was
led back to the saloon and chained up.
The next time he gets drunk the owner
will send him to the Keeley cure at Bing
hamton.
PROPOSALS.
it! f Mill
Proposals will bo received by the under 1
signed until noon of SATURDAY, Feb. 10,
1594. for rebuilding and restoring the Savan
nah anil Atlantic Railway (commonly known
astheTybee Railroad), Plans and specifi
cations may be seen upon application at the
office of the Chief Engineer of the Ceatral
Railroad. The work contracted for will be
paid in certificates of the receivers of said
Savannah and Atlantio Railway Company,
bearing seven per cent, interest, and conatl
tuting a tlrst lien upon the property. The
right is reserved to issue certificates herafter
upon the said property to the extent of
fifteen thousand dollars in addition to the
certificates Issued for the payment of the
work contracted for hereunder, which addi
tional Issue of certificates shall be of equal
dignity and lien with the first.
WILLIAM HUNTER,
Chief Eng. M. of W. Central Railroad.
Savannah. Ga., Feb. 3, 1891.
LEGAL SALES.
UNITED STATES MARSHAL'S SALE.
UNDER and by virtue of a writ of venditioni
exponas issued out of the district court
of the United States for the Lastorn division
of the Southern District of Georgia on the
7th day of reptember. 1800. and in the cause
of H. M. Comer, receiver of tho Ocean Steam
ship Company, of Savannah, et. al., libellants
against the schooner Joseph Souther, her
tackle, apparel and furniture and cargo of
yellow pine lumber, and in obedience to the
sentence and decree of the said court, it win
expose for sale at public outcry, and will seu
to the highest bidder for cash, on thcslH
DAY OF FEBRUARY, A. D. 1804. between
the hours of 10 o clock a. m. and 4 o'clock p.
m. of said day, la front of the United States
court houso door, in the c.ty of Savannah,
Ga., the schooner Joseph Souther, her tackle,
apparel and furniture, as ehe now lies in the
Savanuahriver, in the port of Savannah. OJj
Also her cargo, consisting of two hundrea
and eighty seven thousand (287,000) feet or
yellow pine iuml er, be the same more or lees,
as the same is now stored on board the sain
schooner. The purchaser of said cargo wi.i
be allowed reasonable time to remove the
same.
Dated at Savannah, Ga., the this 28th day
of January, A. D. ISM. ___
FRANK LEVERITT,
U. S. Marshal.
By W. A. BUCKS*®,
Deputy
Lawton & Cunningham.
Proctors for Llbellants.^^
RECEIVER’S SALE.
C. F. LAW, Itecelver,
Will sell Ladles' and Gentlemen's
SHOES-AT COST-SHOES,
—STOCK OF
BUTLER & MORRISSEY.
Great Bargalnsl
No Disappointment.