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HE FIDDLED ALL NIGHT.
TERRIFYING KXPKHIKM'K OF A
TEXAS STATION AGE AT.
Haile at a Revalaer'a Mnzzlc—Why
••Fiddlin* Jimmie” Gave Ip His
Fiddle and Him.
From the New York Mercury.
He way loner, lank and lean, light-haired,
with pale blue eyes, the product of the
Missouri bottom*, where things sprout up
with such amazing quickness and then
mature with so much deliberation.
When ho dropped from a train at Dodge
City he had an old-fashioned earpet-sa< k
In one hand, and under his other arm was
A fiddle in a faded brown bag. He looked
about him somewhat in wonderment at
the river and the rolling, treeless coun
try merging" into the sky far away to the
south, and then again at the long crowd
ed street on the other side. He looked but
for a moment, however, and then pro
ceeded straight to the office of the South
western Stage Company. His inquiry
there was short and to the point.
••Have ye got airy Job a feller kin do?”
This was years ago, when Dodge City
was the end of the overland cattle drive
and fully entitled to its reputation of a
wild and woolly town. To the south, for a
few miles, was a sprinkle of settlers, and
beyond that all was lonesome and inhos
pitable.
The Southwestern Company always had
vacancies, says the Philadelphia Times.
Along the many routes were certain relay
stations, some of which were sure to lie
In need of keepers. There was one line in
particular, running down to Tascosa, on
the South Canadian, in Texas, a stretch
of two hundred and fifty miles, and just a
little over halfway was a station. No. 13,
where a man was needed at once. Tin
pay was forty dollers a month; the duties
were simply to watch a half dozen mules
and have a team ready for the weekly
bucklioard that performed all the trans
portation, the freight being usually two
of Uncle Sam's mall sacks; the compa
ry supplied a gun anil ammunition. Hour,
coffee, salt and groceries. Truly, it seem
ed a bonanza to our knight of the violin.
There was no haggling over terms anil
Jim Cusenberry. fiddle and carpet bag,
were dulv dispatched the very next morn
pig to the Held of his new labors. And
Jim was duly dubbed Fiddling Jimmie by
clerk, driver and all who came In con
tact with him. . .
Jlntmle had been duly Informed that he
would find things sorter lonesome out at
No. 13, but had responded that he didn't
keer a durn for being by himself: the Ad
dle was plenty of company, so his grub
came regular.
Now, there were certain things about
N’o. 13 that had been discreetly overlooked
In the telling. It was thirty-llvo miles
from the stations on either side and con
sisted of a square hole dug at the ton of
a steep bank overlooking a water hole
In one of those plains creeks, where such
boles occur at long intervals, the remain
der being simply a grass-grown depres
sion. The hole was roofed with cot
tonwood poles upon which dirt had been
thrown—a dugout pure and simple. Thore
was a rude fireplace and a hole for a
chimney. This was Jimmie's residence.
There was a stockade up on the flat for
the mules, and with this you have the
station complete.
No man who knew the country could
be Induced to take No. 13 for love or
money, so the company had to depend
upon the ignorant and the transient. The
country was full of rustlers and cow
thieves. Occasional gangs of Indians from
the nations used to slip along there, bent
on any deviltry that came handy. When
No. 13 was occupied It was a shining
mark for such gentry. The last oveu
pant had been found, not a fortnight
before, lying out on the flat with a bullet
In the back of his head. The man before
him hail had a thirty-mile ride for life
and 8. month in bod from a. broken lt*K
bv a Winchester bullet. On such occa
sions No. 13 had been gutted and the
mules run off. . , .
Hut in blissful Ignorance Jimmie look
possession of his new home. The buck
board rattled away, the driver looking
back, symimthettc. but non-committal.
For some weeks all was, quiet and peace
ful. it was the pleasant season of the early
autumn. Jimmie put a line in the water
bole and had fish whenever he wanted.
Twice he shot antelope coming down to
drink and reveled in fresh meat. He shot
everything of any size that had wings
and feathers, and being unversed as to
what was good, or bad to eat, cooked and
tasted all. Some he ate and some he
threw away. The buckboards came by
with prompt regularity, dumping off a
sack of flour or meal, and the report
came weekly to headquarters that the fel
ler with the fiddle out on Lost creek hadn't
been pestered yet.
The feller put In his days watching his
stock. Ashing, hunting, cooking and eat
ing, and when the chill of the evening
came, after supper he would throw a lit
tle wood on his fire, draw up a soap box
seat and play on the fiddle until he was
sleepy enough to roll un in his blankets
on the clay floor and the sleep of
the man perfect in health and conscience.
But one everting when the shadows had
fallen on all- the valleys and the upland,
when there was buit a lighter shade over
the west to show where the sun had bid
den its daily farewell, there came slinking
up Lost creek Crawling Wolf and seven
of his dirtv, 111-smelling brethren, foul
birds of the night, ready for anything,
from petty larceny up to murder, provided
the situation allowed crime without dan
ger to the criminal.
They had a herd of stolen ponies cor
ralled some miles below and were coming
up to see what No. 13 might afford In the
way of diversion. In single file they flit
ted along, noiselessly as shadows, now
and then stopping, heads up, to listen, as
Is the wont of beasts of prey. Suddenly
Wolf stopped shorter and more suddenly
than usual, giving vent to a startled
grunt. All stopped, rigid as statues to
listen. A faint wind rustled for a mo
ment, died down, and then, from afar,
came an unwonted sound in the wilder
ness. It was the sound of Jimmie's fiddle.
Cautiously the Indians crept closer and
Closer until they reached the foot of the
bank at the water hole. Just above them
shone the light from the dug-out en
trance. The noise of the tortured fiddle
was loud and clear, and at times Jim
mie’s voice was uplifted In old hymns and
camp-meeting songs, reminiscent of other
days back in Missouri. Quiet but swift as
crjhvbng snake's the intruders swept up
th# inclines of the clay bank. A moment
later they swarmed In on the musician.
Jimmie- was sitting at the side of his fire
place and his Winchester was near the
door. Thus he was cut off from his only
weapon.
When those Indians came in, filling up
the little dug-out, I doubt if In all the
world there was a more surprised and
frightened being than the keeper of No.
13. The music stopped. The hand that
wielded the bow dropped as if paralyzed.
Jimmie stared at the apparition, while old
Wolf smiled hypocritically and grunted
‘‘How!” Somewhat reassured by this ap
parent sociability, Jimmie managed u>
gaso out; "Howdy do?”
The sons of the desert deliberately sat
down on the bare floor and old Wolf once
more grunted out:
"Play fiddle more. We like."
Jimmie played something at once, and,
of course, after a while wound up with a
flourish, as performers do, and stopped.
The sombre audience gave no sign of
approval or dislike. They sat perfectly
still, except that their little eyes glittered
and shone in the firelight like diamonds.
But when Jimmie stopped Wolf grunted
again:
More.”
Jimmy played more, and kept on in re
sponse to the request after each cessation.
Finally he lowered the how and protested:
"I’d like to be obliging, but I'm getting
too tired.”
Wolf simply loosened a Winchester from
the folds of a dirty blanket, cocked it and
presented it at the protestor's bodv, grunt
ing again:
"Play more. Much heap. Dam quick.”
There was an immediate revival of mu
sical activity.
And so they kept the frightened fiddler
to his work. He played his whole reper
toire over and over again, the audience
never caring for the repetition. The
night wore on. Far over the flats came
the answering howl of the melancholy
coyotes, quavering and dying away in a
long-drawn not of uttrr lonesomonoss.
but the sound of the fiddle never ceased!
A late moon rose and slowly climbed to
ward the zenith. The Big Dipper In the
northern sky dropped down and around
the Polar star, as though time were not
the essence of the performance. Still
the sound of the constant fiddle vlbrat-d
in the chill air. At last over In the east
came a faint str< ak of light, and then all
creation grew dim and gray. And with
the first light t'rawling Wolf stood up and
shooK himself. Ilia brethren did like
wise. They took Jimmie's rifle and every
thing portable on the premises, never al
lowing him to cease for a moment, then
quietly filed out and disappeared in the
I morning mists.
About lo o'clock the next morning the
keeper of station No. 1, over on the
Beaver, happening to look up, saw some
thing coming very rapidly over the hi!!*
from the southwest. The something soon
resolved itself into a man on the back
of some creature. As It came closer it
was apparent the creature was on a mule
running for dear life, while the man
was using both hands and feet with
great energy. The mule stopped, all
Mown anti wet. in front of the station
and the man fell off In a dead faint. He
had a broken fiddle how in one hand, and
in the other a ruined fiddle, the laxly part
beaten to a frazzle, and the strings flying
atiout in a jierfect maze of tangles.
And the very next driver to arrive at
Dodge City announced to the powers at
the stage office:
“Fiddlin' Jimmie's done quit.”
ARE SNAKES HYPNOTISTSf
A Story From Texas That Offers an
Affirmative Argument.
Sar. DUgo Correspondence Chicago Time*.
A gopher snake as Escondido has been
the cause of much earnest discussion
among local naturalists recently. The
question discussed was "Do Snakes Charm
or Hypnotize Their Frey?" One of the nat
uralists had the unusual but fortunate ex
perience at Escondido of happening upon
a large gopher snake Just as the reptile
was about to overcome a trembling cot
ton rabbit, and envelop the animal in its
deadly coils. For some time the natural
ist watched the snake's movements.
It wax within ten or twelve inches of the
apparently fascinated rabbit. Silently and
almost imperceptibly the snake had worm
ed its way nearer and nearer to its vic
tim. Its eyes glistened with an Intense
brightness. Not a movement did it make
which might alarm 'he timid rabbit. The
forked tongue, which to the eye of a hu
man being is so repulsive and intended to
be terrifying, appeared to exert an en
tirely different influence upon the mind of
the Innocent rabbit.
This darting tongue either excited the
victim's curiosity or caused the animal
to so concentrate Its mind on the snake's
tongue as to throw that tninil into a hyp
notie condition of such strength that it
could not break the spell and run away
from impending death. The forked tongue
darted out of the snake’s mouth almost
as regularly and rapidly as the needle
of a sewing machine rises and falls in the
cloth. The little body crept nearer and
nearer. The rahbit was motionless. Jts
eye was fixed on the piercing eve of the
snake. Even Hie waving of the wind
kissed shrubs about the rabbit failed to
break the spell, and softly and slowly
grim death in snake form wreathed its
folds about the creature. Then was the
spell broken.
But the strong colls of the snake were in
position. Never a rabhlt lived that could
break that embrace of death. Realizing at
last the terrible peril, the terrified rabbit
struggled vainly to escape, and as the
rings of the snake drew closer about the
frail form so tightly that breathing be
came difficult, the rabbit uttered a de
spairing cry almost human in Its intense
ness and sound. It was the rabbit’s last
earthly utterance. An extra twist of the
cruel colls and bunny was no more. Lungs,
heart and hones were literally crushed.
The snake, did not relax the pressure for
fully ten minutes. Unwinding- Itself the
snake dragged the prey under an adjoin
push for dinner. Beg-innlng at the
rabbits head the snake undertook the te
dious task of swallowing the tuiimal
whole.
It seemed impossible that a snake with
a body of about the size of a man's wrist
could stow away in ita stomach a full
grown rabbit. Opening Its mouth the
greedy captor forced the membranes of its
n, l lower Jaws over the rabbit's
head So wide was the mouth when open
ed that the snake appeared to be all
mouth, all semblance of a head having
disappeared. Imperceptibly almost, the
snake made progress. A close watch of
the disappearing rabbit failed to show
any distinct movement of the body, vet it
continued to disappear into the shake
In the course of a few hours the rabbit
was out of sight, and the snake, too
weary and full for utterance, slept at the
scene of the banquet.
To the naturalist who watched the cap
ture of the rabbit it appeared as if the
snake had certainly fascinated the ani
mal. Asa gopher snake is not poison
ous and has no well developed fangs its
VP}* means of killing prey is by constric
tion. J o catch an animal it seems almost
victim 0t th<3 Bnake to fasc inate the
Other naturalists claim that snakes do
",9* po ® 8&88 the power of fascinating
either birds or animals. One man who
ha* klven the matter much study, re
??>nted and no error Is apparently more
which ‘",L he , human m ' nd than that
wnkh attributes to snakes this peculiar
power of fascination." By this power
!hc?t a H e ,f a ad* and to be able so to paralyze
their victims that the birds or animals
are rendered utterly Incapable of move
ment. and wait for the attack of a snake
or even go forward to meet it, In fear
of retaliatlon*' bUt without any power
v.^of
in the eagres in which snakes are kept
in captivity In the hope of seeing this
marvelous power in operation, will be
grievously disappointed. Chickens, rats,
guinea pigs, rabbits, all move about with
"."Tf absence of fear of the snakes.
My belief Is that it is possible to ac
count for the popular belief that snakes
possess a powe- to fascinate for several
reason*. An observer may come on the
scene and find a number of birds mob
bing a snake just as they will mob an
owl or a buzzard. The dashes of the
bird toward the snake and their ttutter
tng round it may easily be put down to
the effect of the snake’s glance while
they are in reality merely attempts of the
birds to drive off the intruder. A mother
bird whose young are uttacked will al
most certainly behave in this wav. and
may herself fall a victim, not to the
power of fascination in the snake, but to
the forco of her maternal feelings It
has been noticed that a hen placed in a
snakes cage will often go toward it and
make a determiner! peck at the snake’s
tongue. A frog has been seen to do the
same thing, w ere this seen to occur in
a wild bird it may easily be put down to
fascination. With regard to snakes that
kil their prey by the injection of poison
it is even more easy to account for the
appearance of the power, for they bite
once and only once. *
It may be the mobbing of the snake bv
the companions of a victim that has been
seized or of a mother whose nest has been
robbed; it may be simply the efTect of
poison already Injected before the observer
has come upon the scene, or it mav he
simple curiosity. In ninety-nine cases out
of a hundred one or the other of these
causes has been at work. What, then, of
the hundredth ease, and what about the
fascination exercised on man, cases of
winch have undoubtedly been recorded 0
The explanation lies in the probability
that It is a case of hypnotism; it mav he
said, however, this Is giving up the whole
argument and admitting that a snake
can fascinate, only it is calling the power
by another name and saying that it can
hypnotize. This is not so. The snake
does not hypnotize. The person is self
mesmerized; the action is purely subject
ive. School boys have a trick of holding
a rooster with its beak pressed against
a table and drawing a chalk line from the
tip of the beak along the table. The bird
will remain in the position it hits been
plated in. though perfectly free to move
In the same way a snake no more exer
cises the power voluntarily than does the
chalk line; position and tactile impress
ion here produce hypnotism, and visual
impression can produce it likewise
It Is an error to suppose that will power
has anything to do with the effect The
matter has been taken up scientifically
by the medical prefession and it has been
found that the hypnotic state of sleep or
trance, or whatever it may he termed can
be produced by looking fixedlv at the oi>-
erator or at a coin or at the tip of one’s
own nose; it is not necessary to go into
the question of how the result is brought
alKiut, but there is a physiological expla
nation. What happens then in the hun
dredth case is thai the man or the ani
mal may be self-hypnotized by gazing
tixediy at the snake, the subject being
thus thrown into a sort of a trance, mak
ing no attempt to move out of danger un
less roused by some exterior influence
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 189t>.
Evidently from the expiaoatlon by this
naturalist the unfortunate Escondido rab
bit was self-hipnotlze 1 although no cases
of people being thrown Into a self-hyp
notic condition caused ny gazing intently
at snakes have yet been recorded here
ftbOlltS.
TH E WO MAN OF FASH ION.
New York, Feb. I.—ln the process of evo
lution from one species to another accord
ing to Darwin's theory, the connecting link
has always been a hideous creation, ugly
and nightmarish to behold, and Its only
object in life seemed to be to turn into the
next higher species as quick as possible,
and get itself off the earth for ever. Let
us hope that such Is the mission of some of
the developing fashions. There is the
"missing link” sleeve for instance, which
looks like a small sleeve Just shedding
its shell. For one thing, such a sleeve is
not honest. It shows that the designer
really wanted to make a small sleeve, and
not having the courage of his convictions
he tried to hide It with a sham. This style
looks something like the familiar "angel
sleeve.”
Then there Is the “freeze out" style
which shrinks from removing the puff all
at once, but keeps crowding it down far
ther and farther until perhaps
by good luck it will fail off
altogether. Such a sleeve is prettiest at
the earliest stage when the puff is only a
couple of inches below the shoulder. This
reveals the outline of the arm where it is
most beautiful—that is. If there is any
beauty about it. One of the prettiest styles
for a summer dress has a plain yoke reach
ing two inches below the shoulder points
and fitting perfectly smooth over the up
per arm. The puff is gathered on with a
small heading and hangs very full around
the elbow. The lower part of the bodice
Is gathered on in a line with the sleove
puffs, giving the dress a decolette effect.
Japanese silk makes up pretty this way.
Another sleeve Is plain for four inches,
then has a four-inch puff running around
the arm wilh a flounce falling over the
large bishop puff beneath. The
bishop puff reaches to the wrist where
there Is another narrow puff lust large
enough to pass over the hand. This sleeve
belonged to a dress that had a trimmed
skirt which, by the way, is another spe
cies In the embryonic stage.
Whether they will succeed or not It Is
hard to say, but the costumers will make
strenuous efforts to introduce trimming
on the new skirts. A few' Parisian skirts
have gore panels with trimming running
up and down besides them. Tills is an
advantage in remodeling an old dress.
Two skirts that harmonize may be put to
gether by this means. There is no end
to the variety of passamenterle and jew
elled trimming that can be had to give
the refurbished gown an appearance of
newness. Speaking of trimming, one can
Inly set pieces of it for yokes to old waists
for about $3.00 which give a very dressy
effect. Ho to the trimming sales and
see what you can get in the way of fes
toons of Jet or Jewels and applique pieces
whets you are wondering what to do with
a dress that Is scuffed but not nearly worn
out.
A remnant which one buys for three or
four dollars may be made up very cheaply
with the trimmings I have been talking
about, and In this way one gets a pret
ty spring dress at very little cost—espec
ially since haircloth is no longer an essen
tial. The new lining that is stiff but very
light is much better than haircloth and
much cheaper too. A skirt nowadays
need not be more than four or five yards
wide. It is lined with cheverette, bound
with velveteen, and finished with a rib
bon ruffle around the Inside. Some of the
evening skirts have velvet trimming. A
Dresden silk gown with a train had an
immense amorphous blue velvet how Just
below the right knee. There were three
or four ostrich tips standing out and up
against the skirt. The bodice had large
blue velvet sleeve puffs with ostrich
feathers and blue velvet bows on the
shoulders and at the waist.
Evening waists are made of Dresden
or other silks and figured or dotted chif
fons. Plain chiffon Is not worn. Pale
blue figured chiffon makes a pretty waist
to wear with a black silk or satin skirt.
Those jewelled belts that fasten rather
loosely about the waist are a great addi
tion to such an evening toilet. The cut
silver belts which many of us received
for Xmas presents will serve very well
for folks that cannot afford jewelled gir
dles.
Not all of us can wear whole chiffon
waists either, more's the pity! We must
be content with a yoke or front or a
bertha of the slimsy, adorable stuff. This
brings us to the subject of collarettes and
fichus.
The new collarettes are split In front,
and perhaps on the shoulders too, which
explains why It Is possible to buy a black
neck trimming with white lace applique
yoke and black chiffon bertha for $4.90.
Another exquisite neck piece is a com
bination of green chiffon and white lace.
There Is a stock of green chiffon with
three little lace pansies peeping over the
top on each side of the chin. To the
stock Is sewed a white lace yoke about
three Inches long, beneath which is a
double bertha of accordeon pleated green
chiffon with a white Valenciennes edge.
Its price, ready made, Is $4.90, but an in
genious woman ought to make one for
herself at a cost of $4 at most. This Is
the style that Is beginning to go out,
though it is still very’ much worn. The
new ones that are split in front have a
V-shaped opening with the point at the
top. A stock with a yoke of ribbon and
Insertion with lace gathered around it
makes a pretty neok trimming that is
cheap hut not especially new.
One variation that can be used to ad
vantage Is to make the stock pointed In
front. A pretty collarette with such a
stock of gold colored ribbon had a full
ruching of white ribbon standing an Inch
above it around the face.
A suitable collarette for second mourn
ing has a yoke of black chiffon with white
lace applique trimming and a double row
of chiffon with a satin edge.
A little later in the season we shall
see embroidery collars out In full force.
Many of them have cuffs to match. Most
of them have collar hands of insertion,
but a few turn in over the band of the
dress, leaving the neck once more visi
ble. This will be a comfortable sum
mer fashion and it 1s to be hoped it will
be popular. A collar like this was made
of white pique with bands of insertion
radiating from the neck, and edged with
three-inch embroidery. The cuffs to match
turn back and are also edged with em
broidery making them nearly four inches
wide.
Cuffs are the correct thing now. The
Marie Antoinette sleeve that is shorter
on the inside seam than it Is on the out
side, lias a cult that flares and is about
four inches wide. A band of trimming
or a puffed piece around the hand Is also
admissible.
Anew thing In the collar line is made
of black satin. It Is a stock with a small
tie attached that appears to come from
the hack of the stock and tie in the small
butterfly bow in front. It has a white
satin cording at the top edge so that there
is no necessity' for a linen collar, though
one can be worn with it if desired. It can
be bought for 95 cents, but made much
cheaper.
In gloves one of the prettiest evening
shades is a red that is almost crimson
Street gloves are not so heavily stitched
as formerly and the stitching matches
the glove. Anew white glove has a white
stitching for its middle line with a black
cha‘n stitch all around it. The new gloves
have five buttons—and by the same token
four button gloves are cheap, and we
that are poor but thrifty are profiting
thereby. Annie Laurie Woods.
FINGER RINGS. ~
The Fashion Siow for Women to
Cover Their Fingers With Jewels.
From the New York Sun.
Two women met in the ring department
of a jewelry' store the other day. One
was tall, stout, and middle-aged, and a
three-caret diamond sparkled as it bob
bed from each of her ears; the other was
small and fair.
“Why, what are you doing here?” the
younger asked the elder. "Christmas shop
ping is all over, and it isn’t near time
to be thinking of Easter presents yet.”
"Oh, I’ve come in to see about having
my earrings made into a finger ring. And
what are you doing here?’’
"Well, I’ve had my earring stones made
Ham Hunting—Give me something to eat. please.
Mrs. Fruit—what do you do for a living?
Ham Hunting—Anybody I kin.
Into rings, and I’ve come in to get them.
It really seems almost like a provision or
Providence that earrings are out just
when rings are most fashionable, doesn't
it?"
"Indeed, H does, and, fortunately for
me, I have seventeen pairs of earrings.
They come in very well now, although I
thought it was foolish in my husband ro
insist on giving me a pair of earrings on
each of our wedding anniversaries. I liked
It well enough for the first four or five
years, and then I began to want a change,
and, no matter how tiandsome the stones
were, and they grew handsomer each year
as his fortune grew, I couldn't help but
feel a little disappointed when I opened
the box at my plate to find another pair
of earrings.
“ 'Oh, Henry,’ I would exclaim, ‘you are
so good, dear, bud what am I to do with
so many earrings? A finger ring would
have done just as well.'
“ ‘No, It wouldn’t,' he would answer. 'A
ring does well enough, hut it's a mighty
good thing to have two of a kind, especial
ly when they are such fine gems as those.
They’ll come in handy enough some day,'
and sure enough they have. I've nearly
enough stones to make a banquet ring,
and you know they are the very latest in
the way of a ring.”
“You don't mean that you have enough
stones in seventeen pairs of earrings for
a banquet ring?” exclaimed the young wo
man; "why. I’ve Just been looking at
some, and the prettiest require over 100
stones."
“Well, we'll see,” answered the elder
with a smile that meant “I'm sure I
have.” “Here comes the head of the ring
department. I’ll show him my collection
and let him decide.”
She unlocked a polished wood casket
and there lay seventeen small Jewelry
boxes. The ones that were given during
the first year of married life, when the
young couple were not over well off, were
of simple white pasteboard, and as the
owner removed the covers she showed
earrings set with small solitaire diamonds.
The stones were very white, however, in
settings not old-fashioned enough to be
valuable and too old to be fashionable.
"Do vou know I value these little stone
more than any I have?" said the owner,
handling them tenderly, "because they
tell of genuine self-sacrifice on the part of
my husband. He had to stint himself and
do without things that he really needed
to buy these, but when he bought the
ones that I have In my ears now,” she
said, touching the three-carat solitaires
and shrugging her shoulders, “he merely
wrote out a check for SIO,OOO and didn’t
have to go without so much as a cigar.”
Next she took out some plush boxes and
opened them one by one, displaying ruby
solitaires set in small diamonds," emeralds
set In diamonds, and diamond solitaires
much larger than the first. Finally, she
dumped out a lot of silk and suede boxes,
showing that they contained the purchases
of recent years.
“Aren't you going to save those in your
ears to wear as they are?” asked the
clerk.
"\\ hy, no." answered the customer.
Earrings aren't worn any more, are
they?”
\es, to some extent,” answered the
authority, "In the evening. One has only
to go to a fashionable function or to the
opera to discover that. In London and
Paris earrings are very fashionable. In
truth, while finger rings are a distinct
fad with not only women, but men also,
nowadays, all jewelry is more worn than
ever before. This Is not because Jewelrv
is more fashionable than it was in the
old days, but because Americans have
more wealth to-day than ever before
and they are putting a larger percentage
of it into precious stones, which always
prove a safe investment. Perhaps an
other thing that gave rise to the idea
that earrings are no longer worn Is the
fact that so many women do as you are
doing—have them made Into finger rings.
The reason for this Is obvious. A hand
some pair of diamond soltaries Is all that
a woman ever needs for her ears, but
for her fingers she must have rings up
to her knuckles. The number is unre
stricted o far as style goes. But to
return to your earring. Nothing could be
handsomer than these banquet rings, and
you have enough handsome stones to
duplicate this one, which is wrought of
diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. You see
it has three immense solitaire diamonds
in the center running straight up and
down; and they are separated from the
top and bottom points and side points,
which are formed of two large emer
alds and two large rubies, by small dia
monds in graduated sizes. The ring cov
ers an entire joint of the finger, and the
setting is two inches in length and a lit
tle. more than that In width. Of course
you know' without my telling you that
such rings are never worn with a glove;
they are designed for dinners and ban
quets, where the hand is bare, and no
other ring, not even a pinkie ring, should
be worn with it.”
"I should say not,” rejoined the Cus
tomer, "for the effect of that ring alone
is simply dazzling, and only to think I
can have one like it! That will take all
of my stones, w'on’t it?”
"Yes, madam, all except one of vour
largest diamonds. You know It has only
three in the center, and that leaves an
odd one. But here are banquet rings in
the form of scrolls, coronets, plumes and
fleurs de 11s. They are wrought with dia
monds, emeralds, rubles, pearls, sap
phires and opals. One of our customers
had two pairs of diamond solitaire ear
rings and a pair of these old-fashioned
hoop earrings set in diamonds. They
were so big that each contained fifty
stones, so out of the four big stones and
the hundred little ones we made her an
exquisite plume ring. The ones with a
few colored stones In addition to the
ever, and are far more gorgeous. The
ever, and are far more gorgeous. The
mass of diamonds are more popular, how
band of the ring is of plain gold, and the
Jewels set in platinum. Most of these
designs come from France, and as any
one can readily see, are just os elaborate
as a finger ring could be made.”
“You may make my gems up Into the
design that you first showed us,” said
the customer. "How much would it cost
If I wrere buying stones and all?”
"Oh, from slfi,ooo to $20,000 vwith such
stones as you have here. Of course, ban
quet rings vary inprice from SSOO up. And
now what can I do for you?” he said, giv
ing his attention to the younger woman.
”1 had two pairs of earrings made into
two finger rings, and I’ve called to get
them,” she replied.
She gave her name, and In a minute
the rings were before her.
“You have two beauties,” said the au
thority glibly, "and your solitaires show
up well, set diagonally on that narrow
round hoop. That Is the most popular
way to set ear stones nowadays, though
many women like them set straight
around or across. I presume this rinjf
is made from pearl solitaires which were
set in diamonds, or did you buy the dia
monds?*’
"Oh. no," she answered. "I didn’t buy
any stone, and I left the setting of this
rin*r to the man who took my order.”
"And he has made you one of the most
fashionable designs,” interrupted the elder
woman. "See, the pearls are set diagon
ally in the center, and fancy split shanks
covered with the small diamonds lead up
to them. Those cross-over rings are so
popular, and yours is a real novelty in
that line.’’
44 “Many women,” continued the authority,
"who have a handsome pair of diamond
earrings, have them set diagonally on a
narrow wire, with a colored stone in the
center, and three shanks, studded with
sroall diamonds, lead up on each side to
the three stones. Again, many women
are far-sighted enough to have their mar
quise finger rings changed into some oth
er style. The marquise setting has had
its day and is rapidly going out for two
reasons. It is imitated to such an extent
in cheap stones, and it is an awkward
style, being too pointed. It is impossible
to wear another ring on the finger with a
marquise. The duchesse setting, which is
a large oval gem, with flat top set in
small stones, is popular, and so are nearly
all cluster rings. Undoubtedly, one of
the handsomest ways to make up ear
rings, where the stones are fine, is to
set from three to seven stones on a nar
row’ hoop.”
"But that leaves an old stone, and what
is one to do with it?” asked the elder wo
man.
"Asa rule, pustomers have a stick pin
made of the left-overs. Women are Just
as fond of stick pins as men. A custo
mer had a large pink pearl left over the
other day and she had it set in diamonds.
The stones were separated from the cen
ter by gold wires, and, of course, there
was considerable space between them, so
the expense was very little and the effect
beautiful. Butterflies and bugs have been
the rage in stick pins for women for sev
eral months, and a great many who have
small diamonds and colored stones left
oyer from resetting their earrings have
them made up in this way. Those of the
red, white, and blue stones are exceed
ingly popular. Lorgnettes hold their own
about as well as anything that has come
out in years, and this season finds them
more elebaroate than ever before.
The handles are rather short, which
gives an opportunity of making them
handsomer. The part that conceals the
glasses is studded with precious stones,
and a favorite style is to have a dia
mond at the top and bottom and a col
ored stone on each side. This gives a
woman a chance to use two pairs of hand
some earrings, and many women take
advantage of it. We made a woman a
beautiful lorgnette out of a pair of old
fashioned earrings recently. They had
hair in the center, set in exquisite whole
pearls. They had come down for genera
tions in her family, but she had more
style than sentiment In her make-up. and
ordered a lorgnette of Burmese gold, and
on one side she had a m.inlature of Jose
phine set in these pearls. Small stones
can also be used to good advantage in
lorgnettes in many other ways, and that
is something a woman can always carry.
"It is an entirely mistaken idea on the
part of women to give up all their ear
rings, however. Of course the most fash
ionable earrings now screw in the ears
the most desirable being, from the point
of value, a pair of diamond solitaires
The proper size is not more than a carat
and a half, and of course smaller ones
are worn. Colored stones set in small
stones, such as rubies, are very much
worn, and suit young ladies better than
the solitaries. To young women with rich
dark skins and dark eyes and hair belong
opals and rubies set in small diamonds
they should beware of emeralds, sap
phires and turquoise, leaving them to
the blondes. Women with gray hair
should affect pearls.”
“What about engagement and wedding
rings?" asked the young woman.
“A solitarie diamond represents the
conventional engagement ring, though
many men buy clusters. It mav cost
from sls up to SIO,OOO. It is not an un
usual thing for us to sell engagement
rings varying in price from $3 to $5 000
And the latest thing in a wedidng ring is
almost perfectly round and very thick
and narrow. If a man asks for a broad
hand the clerks generally set him down
as coming from Jersey.”
“How is it that men have taken such a
sudden fondness for rings?” asked the
elder woman.
“I believe it is because Americans are
growing more aesthetic in their taste. The
rings for men this season are remarka
ble for their fine hand-carved mounting
made in Roman and antique gold the
most fashionable designs being that of
two sphinx heads, bears’ claws, or satyr
heads, holding either one or three gems
The center one is most often a rubv em
erald or sapphire in carboehon style set
deep between two diamonds. Three fine
stones set in Burmese gold in this style
have an ancient look that most men like
Some do not. however, and prefer a'plain
or carved Roman setting, while others
have a fine gem set In twenty-carat eold
of course it is soft and does not wear well’
but it has that beautiful rich, yellow color
that is so desirable. The cat’s-eye is one
of the finest stones for a man’s ring and
is not nearly as popular as it should be
This is because few men appreciate its
beauty and value. The way to test wheth
er a cat’s-eye is valuable or not is to
hold it under a single light; if the rav is
clearly and distinctly defined it is all riirht.
but if dozens of other rays shoot out from
the center of the stone, beware’ These
ft<'ncs range in price from $4 to S7OO, and
look wcsJ between diamonds. The four
claw setting—tooth, some people call it
takes well and is a good style for men
It contains a single gem, which, unlike
deep-set stones, that catch the light onlv
from the top, catches the light on all four
“The latest seal ring is the all gold. It
has a flat, oval, or shield-shaped ton and
upon this a man has his crest engraved
Some like the band carved, while others
prefer it plain. Massive rings with elabo
rately carved shanks are set in the same
manner, with sard, blood stone, topaz and
other seals.”
MPER On all Men's, Boys'
5I! T ' ana Children's Suits
urr and Overcoals.
COLLAT’S.
GAMBLING PERCENTAGES.
ODDS IX FAVOR OF THE BAVK IX
FARO, ROULETTE AXD ROIUE
ET XOIR.
••Square” Games the Exception—The
Dealer Cannot Fall to Wia in the
Long Knn—Cheating at Monte
Carlo.
From the New York World.
Faro, the most distinctively American
gambling game, has this advantage for
the dealer, that when splits occur—ln
other words whenever the card turned up
for the dealer Is of the same denomina
tion as that turned up for the players—
half of the stakes on that card go to the
dealer. This percentage in favor of the
hank, though seemingly small and hardly
noticeable In its effects on a small num
ber of turns, will In the end result in a
large total gain.
To ascertain the exact chances in the
dealer's favor we have only to find how
many two-card combinations can be made
from a full pack, and next see how many
of these combinations will have both cards
of the same denomination. Then divid
ing the latter result by the former we will
get the chance of a SDlit occurring on any
one turn.
We find the number of sets of two
cards each which can be formed from
a full pack by dividing 52 times 51 by 1
times 2. The result is 1,326. Now, to
satisfy the <ndltion that both cards
must be of the same denomination, any
one of the 52 cards may be drawn first,
but the second card must be one of the
three of the same denomination which
were left in the pack. This gives 52
times 3, divided by 1 times 2, or 78 sets
which contain both cards of the same
size. The chance of a split occurring
on any one turn is therefore 78 divided
by 1,326, equalling 1-17. As the hank only
gets half the stakes when a split does
occur the dealer’s actual percentage will
be 1-34, or about 3 per cent.
That is to say, the bank has an ad
vantage of nearly 3 per cent, in a faro
game that is entirely square. But the
average dealer has other resources than
those provided by the odds of the game.
Any one who glances over the pages of
the catalogue of a dealer in so-called
“sporting goods” will observe that faro
boxes are of many kinds, and that their
price varies, not according to their ma
terial or ornamentation, but according
to the degree and kind of unfairness of
which they are capable. A square faro
box can be bought from $5 to sls, while
a "sand-tell" or "needle-tell" box cannot
be obtained for less than $25 to SIOO. As
a matter of fact, more dishonest boxes
than square ones are sold. This gives
some idea of the odds against which
the faro-player goes up.
Roulette Is a less distinctively Amer
ican game than faro, hut it is played here
often. A roulette wheel is divided into
thirty-eight compartments, thirty-six of
which are numbered from one to thirty
six inclusive. The other two being marked
0 (zero) and 00 (double zero), respectively.
Eighteen’ of the numbered spaces are
colored black, the other eighteen being
red, while zero and double zero are both
green. The player may bet on any num
ber of the thirty-six or on the zeroes, and
if the ball lodges in that space he will
receive thirty-five chips for every one he
has staked. Or he may bet on a color
red or black—receiving even money if
the hall should roil into a compartment
of the color that he has backed. In case
zero of double zero turn up all bets on
colors go to the dealer.
It will readily be seen that, since there
are thirty-eight compartments on the
wheel, the odds against the ball lodging
in any one of them are thirty-seven to one.
But the bank only gives 35 to 1 in case you
pick the right number. In other words
on a long series of trials, the hanker will
take in thirty-eight chips for every thirty
six that he pays out. His advantage will,
therefore, he two thirty-eighths of 5*4 per
cent. As regards the colors, the case is
about the same. Whether red or black
turns up the banker pays out on one
color, In the long run, approximately
what he takes in on the other. But, on
the average, zero or double zero will turn
up twice in thirty-eight turns of the wheel,
and then the banker wins everything that
was staked on either color. The advan
tage here is therefore two-thirty-elghths
of 5V4 per cent., the same as on the num
ber bets.
In addition to this advantage, the
wheel can be "fixed.” As with faro boxes
so it is with roulette wheels. An unfair
wheel costs much more, but the extra
expense is a profitable investment, or at
least the dishonest dealer so considers it.
The game which, under the name of
“red and black,” is dealt in most Ameri
can lairs of the tiger must not be con
founded with the more European “rouge
et noir.” In the American game, after
shuffling and cutting the pack, two cards
are dealt out face down, and the third
card is turned up. The color, suit and
size of this third card determine the des
tination of the money previously staked.
Every third card is thus bet upon and
turned up, until the pack has been run
out, when anew shuffile and deal are
necessary.
This gives seventeeen turns to a dea
when only a single pack is In use. Com
monly, however, two or three packs are
shuffled together and dealt from as de
scribed, in order to obviate the necessity
of frequent shuffling and cutting. The
number of packs used in this way affects
the odds of the game.
The player can bet upon either the
suit, size, color, or denomination of the
cards to toe turned up. Should he bet
upon red or black, he gets even money
If he wins. But if a Jack of either color
turns up all bets on the other color would
of course, he lost, and in addition the
banker would take half of the money
staked on the color on which the Jack
belonged. The jack is, therefore, called
the color percentage card. If a player
should pick out the suit of the turned
card he would get 3 to 1 for his money,
subject to the same conditions. That
is to say, If the Jack of diamonds turned
up, all bets on black, clubs, spades and
hearts would be, of course, lost, and
besides that, the dealer would take in
half of the money bet upon red and dia
-IXI Oil os*
As to the side bets, the player mav
bet on either high or low and get even
money if he wins. If a card from the
eight to the king turns up bets o™ high
are won; if a card below seven, ace being
low, occurs, bets on high are lost. If
the seven of any suit turns up the banker
or
The player may also bet as to whether
the turned card will be odd or even re
ceiving even money. Aoe, three. ’ five
seven, nine, Jack are odd, while two, four
six, eight, ten and queen are even In
case the king turns up the banker wins
all bets on either odd or even Or he
may try to pick out the exact denomina
tion of the card, getting ten to one in
case he is successful.
It will be seen at once that of the
several ways of placing money afforded
by this game, some are subject to a high
er percentage. for the bank than are the
others. For example, a bet on either color
or suit will encounter their percentage
card—the Jack—once in thirteen times
and then only half of the bets will be
lost. In this case the advantage is one
twenty-sixth, or nearly 4 per cent. In
the case of odd or even, or high and low
all of the bets are lost the bank
er's card turns up. Here the advantage
is one-thirteenth, or about 7'/b per cent
In picking out the denomination of the
card, the bank offers ten to one, while
the true odds are twelve to one The
advantage Is therefore two-thirteenths or
about 15 per cent.
Rouge et noir Is not so commonly met
with here as are the three games above
spoken of. It Is a more complicated game
to describe and calculate than any of the
others. The table is divided into two
spaces, called rouge and noir respectively
The winning color is decided in the follow
ceiving even money if their color wins
The wining color Is decided In the follow
ing manner: The dealer lays down cards
in the black compartment until th“ num
ber of spots In it amounts to thirty-one
or more, the common cards counting as
numbered and the court cards ten each
He then proceeds in the same manner with
the red compartment. The color wins in
whose compartment the number of spots
is nearest to thirty-one. In each case the
number of spots In each space be the
same the game Is drawn, unless the tie
be at thirty-one.
In this case a "refait trente et un," all
s*akcs must remain on the table and their
destination Is decided, by the result of the
next depi. Kh"u!d black win on this next
deal all money staked on black t
refunded to the player withouf
e *"^° rd, 7l ,nut,on ’ hileall tha^mk";
re< ’ would no to the bank
seen that in case a "refalt trente
does occur the player has -J!! un '
chance of winning. All that
decides is whether the p’.aylr **lß*^l3
tol??t a ZtVZ OUI ,ncre *~ ° r
this xame'^endrel£ C „gthy £rd* , in
OCO a r ab ? ut twenty-two times in " th?! 11
sand deals. As, when the refait lli ~
cur the banker wins on Ih e
the stakes his gain will be
thousandths or 1 1-10 per cent. 1 ' en '
CAXXOT SLEEP FOR THE SILEXCE.
That Is the Way Perfeet Stillness At.
fects Those Used to Xoiae.
From the Chicago Record
Late one evening a South Side man
alighted from a surburban train and start
ed toward his home, which was several
blocks to the west. He had been wo-k
ing hard all day and into the hours of
darkness. Although he tried to dismiss
from his mind the problems that belong
ed in his office they were still with him"
The man was rather worried and exhaust!
ed because he had been under a nervous
strain. It is only when a man finishes
a nard run that he begins to realize how
weak and winded he is. The runner may
lie down and rest, but the one who has
overtaxed his brain finds himself whipped
5/°™f ther exep *lons In spite of him
,s man was, therefore, painfuiiv
and exceedingly
lnJustl T m his throbhine
nead. W hen a man la in this comUtm?
the sudden noise of a slamme?l ]i?,?
frightens him, and then he is angry at liu
own fright. The streets were Very Q mi!
tbe belated South Sider walked home*
w a f d - He reached Cottage Grove avenue
and started across the street, and then
pfo- S l Sl L dd ? n ! y ’ sel *ed with a fe|“
ing that he had lost his way, or th-ir
this street which he had crossed and £
crossed for several years was not th
same. It was a kind of dumb terror and
he hastened to tell himself there was no
rci! se £ or H- Was he losing his senses'’
3i h . y j hou dhe halt and tremble and feel
that danger was Impending? Something
unusual had happened to him, an! h
could not tell what It was. B
"This is nervous collapse,” he W his
pered to himself, and he hurried to th,
drug store and allowed himself to col
lapse on one of the stools, overcome
a vague fear he could not understand r
As he sat there the proprietor waiked
by him, opened the front door, and after
L?i P hi n *-. a 7 , °" le 1 nt ’ “Well, that ca
ble hast) t started up yet.”
The cable! That was it, and the realize
tion came to him in a flash. Of the
dreds of times that he had crossed Got-
J**® avenue he had always heard
beneath him the roll and click of th
moving cable. Whether try day or bv
it had always been the same, until
this noise had become firmly associated in
h)s mind with the crossing of Cottage
Grove avenue. On this night it was the
absence of the noise that gave a shock
to his over sensitive and inflamed nerves
He had been terrorized by an ominous
silence striking him at a time and place
wherein his instinct had told him the-e
should be the clatter of the sliding ca
ble. In view of the explanation, th*
story had a tinge of humor, but the man
who had the experience did not grasp
th© humor at the time.
“When the druggist spoke of the cable
being stopped," said he, “and it all came
to me, I drew a full breath of relief and
realized that I hadn’t gone entirely
crazy."
TTils story, told by the sufTerer him
self, suggested several others. One of the
listeners said he had been affected in
the same way. but not to such an ex
tent.
"I came to my room late one night
and began to read,” said he, “but I was
uncomfortable, and had an oppreesed
feeling. The silence caused me to be un
easy. Then I looked up and saw that
the clock had stopped. I started it again,
and when it began ticking I felt as If
I had a companion. The ticking of a
clock is something that you never hear
until it stops.”
“That reminds me of a friend of mine
who is an electrician,” said another. “He
has a room in an electric light power
house. As long as the machinery is
pounding he can sleep like a top, but
when the machinery stops he is waken
ed In an Instant.”
In the main office of the Western Union
Telegraph Company there are fifty or
more telegraph instruments clicking all
the time. To the untrained ear the noise
is distracting. It would seem impossible
to hear one sounder and turn a deaf ear
to the remainder. That is what the oper
ator does, however. He takes the message
from the—to have noises all around you
and not hear the dots and dashes that are
being clicked off on other sounders all
around him. The amazed stranger hears
only a loud and angry buzz. This Is a
part of the town education—to have
noises all around you and not hear them.
When the trains began running on the
Alley elevated road, between State street
and Wabash avenue, a carriage manufac
turer who had a number of workmen em
ployed at tables next to the alley win
dows decided to have them move to soma
Slace they would not be disturbed.
ie supposed that when the trains began
rushing by the windows and only a few
feet from the building the men would con
stantly have their attention drawn from
their work. For a few days after tho
trains began running it seemed that he
was right. The men would stop work and
watch the train until it had passed. But
in one short week the novelty wore off.
The roar of the passing train became fa
milar and was almost unnoticed. In less
than a month the workmen said the train
did not annoy them at all. As one of them
said: “We forget there are any trains
passing unless someone speaks of it.’
Any hotel clerk will tell you of the trib
ulations of country people who stop at
downtown houses. They cannot sleep un
til the cable cars have ceased their rum
bling and bell-ringing, and then they are
aroused before daybreak by the market
wagons and early cable cars. Often
enough they cannot sleep at all. The rat
tle of a hansom cab in the streets below
will arouse them to full wakefulness, and
the sound of someone passing through
the hallway outside will cause them to
open their eyes and listen intently for
fifteen minutes. Then there is the dread
of fires, which is never conducive to slum
ber. But there is another side to this
story. A Chicago man who has lived at
a down-town hotel for years said he never
awoke before 8 o’clock except when he
was in Chicago.
When he was in town he could sleep for
three hours with cable cars, wagons and
newsboys making all kinds of noises un
der his window, but when he was in the
country he was awakened by the first crow
of a rooster. He could sleep through the
noises to which he had been accustomed,
but anew kind of noise aroused him in
a moment. The farmers cannot hear the
frogs sing, but to the city man the chorus
has the volume of a Thomas concert. The
city man, with an office overlooking Da
Salle street never hears anything in the
street below, unless it be the music of a
brass band or a manhole explosion. His
country cousin, however, will be dazed
by that continuous mumble and rumble.
His head will ache from listening to the
city’s incessant growl, and to him it win
seem the growl of a savage beast, without
sympathy or pity. He will be back on tno
farm for three days before the noise gets
thoroughly out of his ears.
Captain’s Wives at Disadvantage.
From the New York Tribune.
Captain’s wives who sail with their hus
bands have their own trials and * r ° u “ le f’
but there is one in which they will have
the full sympathy of their sisters on shore.
A recent instance of how this particular
trouble comes up has just come to light.
A few day's ago the bark Hattie G. Dixon
arrived at Baltimore from China, ana
Capt. Southard’s wife was compelled to
decline an invitation to dine ashore, be
cause she had been at sea for seten
months, and was afraid that her gowns
and hats were all out of fashion.
Barrels 0%
fun of l / f Jri
KNEE /ill.
PANTS, LUU Fur
COLLAT’S.