Newspaper Page Text
I ■ASHINuTON society.
1 I,lt Im: I“I' KS TO ' VU,CH
1 1,0,1 *li ,!■ :i..' OIIKUIUM'E.
1 I , „.G' K.;.T..|.-A Imml of
1 I ~l t. \alloiia!
I ■ .1 Society nml Other
Bint
■ I r, „l <.c<rnl Intercut.
?■ ■ n • of the Morning News.
■ I in- i - Tlle demands o! the
.9 ■" Society, upon her vota-
M nfiii capital are many,‘and
S iinm liable as the laws ot the
S ‘ 4K J Persians. In order to take
I ' Washington ••swim,” one
■ | the am,.-honored social cus-
Ut l of o a ' citeis, or read them back
-9 £ Wai.se fashion. For example:
SB f 1 ” the stranger in a strange
1 I "o', sto nt- ailed upon, but according
■ # ,I.a .eUe of our republican court,
■ nu#: noke the first call upon the peo
■ ‘ Wlww . a quamtanee he desires, or re-
B ", . , au.le till doomsday. The only
■ s ons .MihW thls rU;e are those
H n [h( , very topmost round of the lad-
I Lof' icc President’s family, the eabi
■ [ rente court and congress. And
B ions ihese favored few are divers inex-
B hie rues of precedence the neglect of
B * o ti wall. I lie the admit one’s self
B ; WS ;> gauche. If you are a lady of
B ‘ class, your social duties are
I ,0 a n i easy, or may be shirked alto
i G if Inc.illation d,ctaies; but not so
w lose husbands or fathers have
.enrkvted servants of the people. For
lie re can be no shirking and society
''murals her dues like a Shylock. Imme
,Jleiy after arriving in Washington, it is
ur oounden duty to cal- first upon the
I , ve , of ihe senators and 11. C.’s from
: roftn st lie, and then upon other people
those acquaintance you wish to make, in
lading the round ot cab.net and diplomat
! ,jfcies Having ascertained their re-
J..Yv- reception days, you present your
rf with tne crowd during regulation
r 9 taking care to leave at each house
card, bearing your address and the day,
ribere |, e anv in particular, on which you
‘.j be "a; home” to similar courtesies
Whatever your social status, though you
kfiong to the grand army of working-wo
or be pour as Job’s typical turkey—
iue time the call will be returned; or,
hai amounts to the same thing in socie
tvs eyes-an elegant equippage will some
iay dash to your boarding-house door and
He liveried footman will hand in a bit
of pasteboard, upon which is inscribed the
Lame of some star of first magnitude on
khe social horizon, or maybe that of some
litled diplomat. In the Washington book
of etiquette it fe a fixed law that those In
official life mult return all formal calls,
and from it none are exempt except the
President and hia wife. The custom smacks
beautifully of the free-and-equal spirit of
our republic, but It must be a mighty tax
upon its victims, who are thus, in a man
ner, at the mercy of the populace. Im
agine it! In this city of 200,000 inhabit
ants-not to mention the transient multi
tudes of winter from the remotest comers
of the country, all naturally desiring to
oee the people about whom they have read
and heard so much—lt means a mob in the
bouses of officials on the weekly reception
days and a very dog’s life for their ladies
In the ceaseless effort to “keep even” with
each an enormous social debt. The cus
tom falls heaviest upon the cabinet and
dip.omatic families, for those of senators,
representatives and suprerfie court
Justices, while obliged to return
ail calls they actualy receive,
may set their reception days
at longer intervals than once a week or
even decline to have them at all for the
general public, with the blessed privilege
of a "not at home” when disinclined to
aee people. The cabinet ladies are also
compelled to make the first calls at the
beginning of each season upon the wi/r-s
of all the senators and justices. Just
why this should be none can tell, and
many futile attempts have been made to
overthrow the custom. One would think
it should be reversed if only for the sake
of conveniences, for while the cabinet
families number less than a dozen and all
have fixed places of abode, those of the
Senate are legion and proverbially migra
tory in their habits. It springs from the
old question of precedence which since
time out of mind has so disquieted the
heart of the capital and afflicts not only
ail branches of official life, but the small
est twigs thereof, engendering endless
squabbles. It is amusing to note, how
ever, what a complete resolution of opin
ion concerning social right takes place
ki the female mind when the relative po
sitions are shifted—that is, when a sena
tor becomes a cabinet officer, or an ex
oiember of the cabinet Is elected to the
Senate, as frequently happens in the ka
ledoscopic changes of American politics.
She who lamented most bitterly the “first
call” business when her husband was in
the cabinet, now rigorously Insists upon
her rights in this regard; or should tne
situation be reversed, complains as do.or
ously at having to hunt up senatorial
families a n over the D.strict of Columbia.
The wives of the supreme court Justices
aiil of army and navy officers hold
their public receptions ’on Mondays; of tho
diplomats and cabinet officers on Wednes
days, senators on Thursdays. Most of tho
representatives’ wives receive on Tues
days, and unofficial upper tendom on Fr’
days. Before the Cleveland adminlstra
'i°n, *t had been the custom since lime
out of mind, for the lady of the white
house to give a reception to the public
dp n every Saturday afternoon during a
di’rslon of congress, and very grateful vis
iting strangers were for the privilege of
rhaking hands informally with the first
‘ady of the land. It is a pity that the
K si nt custom is not l.kely to soon be re
rb'd, for if robust Mrs. Cleveland could
do l stand the strain, certainly Mrs. Mc-
Rinby, always a semi-invalid, cannot.
•us may be imagined, visiting cards lor
ft singi,, Washington season are no In
consei, rate of exp c nsei an ,j Bills tor
carr.age hire are simply appalling. Many
u I"i: whom the obligation falls heaviest
01 'aliming hundreds of calls every week
make a practice of employing two or
tnr.'e carriages during the regulation
..""rs of every afternoon, except that of
r own reception. The list of social
i is divided up and distributed among
ft' various members of the family; and
. a lakes her carr.age and acts out on
’ 'pp .luted route, leaving the cards of
" l ' tamily, male and female, at every
“ft 1 The visit by proxy, so to speak, Is
*' V t 0 the credit side of the absent
members; and thus by indefatigable hard
ft. the numerous social debts may be
! to the uttermost farthing. Among
various little quirks about which there
,/ ; be do mistake is the correct time
call.ng— remembering that here it is
' ay.- "morning" until after the 7 o'clock
a >’>■ l.tlquette says that official
, , ft * m y he visited between the hours
- ? nd s - from 3 < O’clock Is tho
1 .1 ceremonious calls upon private
, ' ' \ a 'f : lrom 4 to 5 i seml-oeremon,-
~’ 111,1 from 5 to fi sans oereraonic.
pY ! T * h e unofficial mob goes calling,
, ft’ tally hunts In couples,” so to say
Frequently four or more
■ J„ b ‘Ofiether, hiring a carriage by
month, or season and sharing the ex
, one respect a marked change
-rown during the last few years In
manner of cabinet and other iarge re
, ‘' ns. mthfft o the wives of prominent
set out a free lunch for
mass- s once or twice a week, and
I '"•> trioes went up. Abuses,
'•••’ Vi elsewhere, sprang out of
*
" y ls more woustomeruu than that ot
any other city of America. There are
genteel, well-dressed "beats" here, male
and female, such as are found nowhere
else—waiting lor claims to be allowed,
hoping to obtain office, or for something
to turn up in their favor—numan barna
cles and hangers-on to the hem of re
spectability, with no fixed places of abode.
They rent cheap rooms somewhere (and
frequently tind it convenient to make a
change just before pay-day), and forage
for subsistence upon the world at iarge.
The feminine contingent take in all the
receptions where refreshments are served,
while the men haunt those other free
iunch establishments where a square meal
is thrown in with a 5-vent drink. Every
day in the week thcra is a reception
somewhere to which these parasites can
go. They pay their respects to the host
ess— v. ho, of course doesn't know them
and couldn't protect herself against them
if she did; and presently they wander to
the lunch-table. ’’Thank you, I do not
care for refreshments, but I will take a
cup of chocolate, or a bit of salad”—they
invariably murmur to the ladies who pre
side over that branch of the enterta.n
ment; but after several of the modest
creatures have taken their bit and cup,
the table looks as if a cyclone had pass
ed over. The only remedy for this impo
sition is the sensible resolution before
mentioned, which now-days in many
houses does away with the refreshment
table altogether, except for specially in
v.ted guests.
Former Presidents have given at least
three evening receptions every winter,
duly announced before hand in the news
papers, to which all the world was in
vited. The Clevelands have cut down the
number of public evening receptions at
the white house to one a year. But
there are several annual official functions
which no President can forego. The list
of them for the last few months of the
present administration is as follows: Cab
inet dinner, Jan. 7; diplomatic reception,
9 p. m. to 11 p. m., Jan. 14; diplomatic
dinner, Jan. 21; congressional and judi
cial recept.on, 9 p. m. to 11 p. m., Jan. 28;
supreme court dinner, Feb. 4; Mrs. Cleve
land's reception, 3 p. m. to 5 p. m., Feb.
6; army, navy and marine corps' recep
tion, 9 p. m. to 11 p. m., Feb. 11; public
reception, 9 p. m. to 11 p. m., Feb. 18. An
invitation to a state dinner at the white
house overrules all the engagements. It
is always sent ten days in advance, and
nothing short of death or serious illness
Will excuse one from attending. For cab
inet and other official dinners eight days
is considered ample time in which to pre
pare one’s gaud and gear. Another point
upon which the bug-bear of etiquette
bears heavily is the proper application of
titles. In conversation with the execu
tive, he is always addressed as "Mr. Pres
ident;” a member of the cabinet, as "Mr.
Secretary,” with two exceptions, those
of "Mr. Attorney General,” and "Mr.
Postmaster General.” To Mr. Stevenson
you must say "Mr. Vice President,” and
to the speaker of the House, ‘‘Mr. Speak
er,” whether in official or unofficial ca
pacity. Mr. Melville Weston Fuller must
be spoken to as "Mr. Chief Justice,” and
each of his associates on the supreme
bench as "Mr. Justice.” A member of the
Senate is always introduced as
Senator so and so; a representative
as the Honorable Mr. this and that—as if
the honor of congress was confined to the
lower house. The fashion of writing Mrs.
Secretary Smith and Mrs. Justice Brown
and Mrs. Senator Jones still obtains to
some extent, because of its convenience,
but the line of the ludicrous is dangerously
near. In the writing of formal notes, even
more ceremony must be observed. All
civic, military and naval titles must be
.written out in full, as "Mr. President of
the United States,” "The Honorable Sec
retary of Agriculture,” and so on down.
In long diplomatic titles that spread over
half a sheet of paper—such, for example,
as "The Right Honorable Sir Julian
Pauncefote, G. C. B. G. C. M. G., Ambas
sador Extraordinary and Minister Pleni
potentiary, British Embassy,” it is al
lowable to curtail a portion of the al
phabet on minor occasions. Perhaps my
readers may like to hear of some of the
costumes which graced the opening re
ception of the season at the white house.
Mrs. Cleveland, whose figure never was
trimmer than at present, wore the sim
plest and yet the most becoming gown
she has ever appeared in on a similar oc
casion. It was of silver gray woolen cloth,
made with plain, flaring skirt, and a quan
tity of silver passamenterle, set with
rhinestones on the bodice, producing a
bolero jacket effect. Around the throat
was a high stock of silver-gray silk, with
a guard of diamonds fastened beneath the
chin to one side of the jacket, a big bunch
of Parma violets in her belt, and her thick,
bright hair brushed plainly back, with dia
mond-studded side-combs in the natural
waves. slrs. Stevenson appeared in a
rich costume of black velvet, skirl and
bodice handsomely trimmed with Jet and
steel, a vest of white satin veiled with
mousseline de soie. Mrs. Olney wore a
superb gown of black velvet, high velvet
ruff, with exquisite old polnt-lace and
handsome jewels. Mrs. Carlisle, dark
heliotrope satin, with vest of pink and
reveres of purple velvet; Mrs. Lamont,
black and white striped silk, the bodice
of white, veiled in Brussels net, embroid
ered in steel and silver; Mrs. Francis, who
made her first appearance in the cabinet
circle, wore a youthful and very becom
ing toilette of pink moire antique, the
waist with a round yoke of white satin un
dears pears passamenteries and pearl or
naments; Mrs. Harmon, a Paris “creation”
of leaf-green velvet, with a bodice of pale
blue covered with cream lace, stock and
belt of pale blue velvet; Miss Herbert,
white moire; Miss Morton, black silk, bro
caded with gold. So much for the cabi
net. The diplomatic ladies were all in ele
gant visiting toilettes and tiny bonnets—
with the sole exception of the Chinese min
ister's wife, Mrs. Yang Yu, who is con
sidered by many to be the prettiest woman
in Washington. She is certainly the
quaintest when arranged in all her finery
—her little painted face like a doll-baby's,
with its glittering black eyes set in slight
ly on the bias, a nosegay of artificial
flowers stuck behind either ear ’and pro
truding in front. She wore a straight, stiff
gown of sapphire-blue satin, elaborately
embroidered in gold and crimson, pink and
white, and in it her plump body looked
like a gorgeous sofa pillow. Her tiny feet
were encased in scarlet-satin shoes set
up on two high stilts. The wife of the
Japanese minister, Mrs. Toru lloshl, is
much less picturesque, gowned like Amer
ican ladies, but is a prime favorite in
Washington. The spacious and handsome
Japanese legation is the scene of many
brilliant festivities, and always a crush
on reception days. Brigham.
—The Paris correspondent of a Brussels
paper, in giving an account of his recent
pedestrian tour through a part of France,
draws a melancholy pic’ure of the de
cadence of the village life in the eastern
provinces of that country. This is evi
denced by the number of dwellings aban
doned and falling Into ruin, and the pov
erty-stricken appearance of the habita
tions of those who draw their means of
livelihood from the soil. Even the better
class of the peasant proprietary live in
homes where wooden floors are more oft
en supplanted by the bare ground. The
farmer’s chief diet is bread and cheese,
aVI his drink water tinged with wine.
Twcntv years ago the wolf had disappear
ed from the East of France; to-day large
numbers are seen in outlylt., districts.
The writer ascribes all these ills to the
"curse of milltar.sm," the enforced result
of the present armed peace which weighs
upon Europe.
-Consideration.— Smith—Brown was go
ing to publish that book anonymous y, but
I advised hint not to do it. Jones—Why
not? Smith—You wouldn't want to have
ids friends express their opinions of it in
Brown's presence?—Puck. .
THE MOUSING NEWS: SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 1897.
The Lucky Man
Is the one who sees a good
thing and takes it. Scores of
such men are buying our Suits
and Overcoats.
Men’s Suits worth $7.50, sale price
$4.44.
Men’s Suits worth $9.00, sale price
$5.55.
Men’s All Wool Cheviot Suits
worth $12.00; sale price $6.66.
Men’s All Wool Cassimere Suits
worth $15.00, sale price SB.BB.
Men’s Fine Worsted Suits worth
SIB.OO, sale price SIO.OO.
Men’s Finest Dress Worsted Suits
worth S2O and $22.50, sale price $13.75.
You will save money if you buy
your Overcoat here.
UNDERWEAR UNDER ALL
SI.OO Underwear now <“ '£ 5
1.50 Underwear now 53
2.00 U i .erwear .tow 1.^5
We can lit your ueati m a
Hat and save you from $1 to $2. Try
US.
THE WRETCHED MURAD.
la It a Case of the Man In the Iron
Hank Over Again.
Ex-Attache, in New York Tribune.
A key to the secret of the continued re
fusal of the sultan to yield to the demands
of the foreign powers is to be found in the
announcement that the Shelkh-Ul-Islam
is confined to his bed, dying with cancer.
His life may be prolonged for some weeks,
nay, even months, but his condition is
hopeless, and he will no longer be able to
fulfil the duties of his office. Inasmuch
as for some time past he has been living
in quasi-captivity within the precincts of
the imperial palace, and as moreover no
one is allowed to have access to him on
the ground that he Is too ill to receive vis
its, the sultan is for the moment secure
from the danger of deposition which he
dreads more than any other, knowing that
from the moment It is pronounced his life
would not be worth an hour’s purchase.
There ls only one personage in the length
and breadth of the entire Ottoman em
pire who has the right and authority as
the principal ecclesiastical dignitary of the
realm to pronounce this decree of deposi
tion of a sultan, and that is the Sheik h-
Ul-Isiam. and since the latter has been
rendered powerless to take any step, Ab
dul Hamid considers himself safe.
Then, too, the sultan is under the Im
pression that he can rely upon the sup
port of the Emperor of Germany if mat
ters ever come to an extremity. That this
belief ls not without some basis ls shown
by the fact that by virtue of some private
arrangement between the Yild'c kiosk and
the court of Berlin a German syndicate
has Just received a concession for the con
struction of a most elaborate system of
harbor works, docks and quays at Tripoli
wnlch, when completed, w;l) rival those
of Alexandria and surpass those of Con
stantinople. Inasmuch as the sultan has
no monov available to pay Ihe contractors,
the syndicate Is to recoup Itself for the
expenses by means of a long lease of the
docks to be constructed, which will be
equivalent to converting Tripoli into a
German port—a very important considera
tion in view of the eventual collapse and
partition of tho Turkish empire, and one
which cannot fail to give rise to a serious
estrangement between Germany and Italy,
the latter country having long looked upon
Tripoli as its own particular share of the
Ottoman dominions when the moment ar
rives for their division and distribution.
Moreover the sultan’s fears have been
set at rest with regard to his elder brother
Murad the report of whose escape fright
ened him out of his wits, until he received
satisfactory assurances that the unfortu
nate man was still safely under lock and
key. it Is difficult to conceive anything
more tragical than this sequestration for
more than twenty years of this man if, as
many believe, he is considerably saner
than his younger brother, now on the
throne. Indeed, the affair, under this
view, is a species of nineteenth century
re-enactment of the romantic story of the
“Man with the Iron Mask,” For no one
except his lailers are permitted to see him,
and do communications from the outer
world of any kind are allowed to reach
him, every precaution being taken
bar him from ail knowledge of wWit has.
taken place beyond his prison wails dur
ing the last eighteen years. Yet in spite
of this there is reason to believe that his
numerous friends and adherents through
out the empire and abroad have found
means of keeping up communication with
him, and that when the moment comes he
will be found ready to assume the leader
ship of the party in Ottoman polities,
known as that of "Young Turkey,” which
aims at saving the empire by bringing its
government abreast of the civilization
and enlightment of the nineteenth cen
tury. For its members have adopted his
name as their watchword, and they open
ly proclaim their intention of restoring
him to the throne, which from a religious
as well as secular standpoint is his, the
very moment that he has ceased to be de
mented.
In the opinion of some, it is exceedingly
doubtful whether Murad ever really has
been Insane, and probably the worst that
can be said of him in this respect ls that
at the time of his deposition he was suf
fering from a fit of delirium tremens,
brought on by an abuse of stimulants.
The Turks are not familiar with this pe
culiarly western and Christian form of
malady, and naturally, when they perceiv
ed the padishah was bereft of his senses
to the extent of neglecting his religious
duties, and of seeing goblins, snakes and
the rest of the drunkard’s menagerie hov
ering around him, they took It for granted
that his mind was permanently affocted,
and brought the matter before the Sheikh-
Ul-Isiam of that day. The latter now
dead) was a gloomy old fanatic, opposed
to all foreign Innovations, and greatly
alarmed by the exceedingly progressive
and unorthodox Ideas of Sultan Murad,
which he saw were a grave menace, not
only to the power and Influence, but also
to the vast possessions of the Mahometan
clergy. He therefore gladly availed him
self of the opportunity to remove Murad
from the throne by Issuing an ecclesias
tical “Fetvah,” or decree, of deposition on
the ground of insanity.
The course of the late Sheikh-Ul-Islam
iq not surprising when it is borne in mind
that Murad showed himself during his six
months’ reign to be the most advanced
and progressive Turk that has ever sat
upon the throne pf Othman. Before he
was deposed he had actually declared
himself In favor of temale suffrage, and
of woman's rights, and had announced his
intention of establishing a thoroughly
constitutional form of government. He
likewise surrendered to the national treas
ury two-thirds of his civil list, cut down
the palace expenses by at least 50 per
cent, and Instituted steps In the direction
of a radical reform of the Mahometan re
ligion. Whether he was qualified to af
fect the latter Is open to question. Inas
much as he had openly profe-ied hlm
aelf an atheist, and repeatedly heaped rid
icule upon the faith of the prophet, es
pecially when in his pups. Bur be this as
It may, there is no doubt that had he
remained on the throne and been cured
of his 'ondness for brandy and cham
pagne, the Turkish empire would be to
day in a vastly different position, econom-
THE GREAT
CLEARANCE
Clothing Sale!
which started Jan. 2, will continue
until entire stock is disposed of.
Every article in the house will be
sold regardless of cost or value.
The high character of our goods,
comprising as it does only the new
est, best and very latest merchan
dise in every department, will make
this sale one of particular interest to
every one in Savannah and neigh
boring towns.
We stake our reputation on the
reliability of this sale being exactly
as advertised.
MEINfMD
—AND—
APPEL & SCHfIUI.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS
GREAT CLEARANCE SALE.
JOIN THE CROWDS THAT
THRONG OUR STORE.
ically and politically, from what It ls at
n-esent, namely, the plague-spot of Eu
rope.
For the first few months after his de
position Murad was confined, together
with his mother and his Belgian wife, at
ihe palace of Dolma Baghtche. But be
fore a year had elapsed a daring but un
successful attempt had been mode by All
Sauvl Pacha to free him and to restore
him to the throne, whereupon he was
transferred to the gloomy palace of Chera
gan, the access to which was closely
guarded by sentinels, who had orders to
shoot down any stranger who showed a
disposition to loiter around the lofty walls.
By some means or another, probably
through the corruption of the guards, the
Belgian wife of Murad managed to secure
the attendance of a Greek specialist, who
was introduced into the palace by means
of underground galleries,and who succeed
ed, it Is said, in restoring the ex-sultan to
health. The alleged Improvement in the
latter's condition was brought to the ears
of his brother and successor, and the dili
gent watch instituted in consequence
thereof eventually resulted in the discov
ery of the Greek’3 doctor’s visits, which
were at once stopped, A few years ag>
Murad’s mother died, and since then bit
only companion has been his Belgian wife,
whose early years were spent carrying
coal in a colliery near Namur, whose fam
ily name is Coffin, and who first came to
Constantinople in the capacity of a milli
ner’s assistant.
Murad’s reported escape has led to his
recent transfer from the Palace of Chera
j gan to the so-called Malta Kiosk In the
' grounds of the Yildiz Kiosk, which is sur
j rounded by lofty walls giving It the aspect
of a fort. He was transferred from Cher
agan by water at night. But in spite of
the rigid surveillance exercised, he was
seen as lie passed In his caique by several
foreigners, who declare that although he
is a man of aged and haggard appe- trance,
his two-score years of close captivity havo
not robbed him of the majesty of his
mien, and that he presents the appear
ance of being a man In the full enjoyment
of all his mental faculties. Now that he
has been removed from the Cheragan pal
ace, his adherents, the members of the
young Turkey party, declare that they
have been able to keep up communica
tions with him throughout his captivity
by means of the Ta> :m water supply fur
nished to the palace. Letters In small
rubber envelopes were thrown into the
water, and were carried by the stream to
the palace. Murad holds, like his relative,
the late Prince Halim of Egypt, a very
h.gh degree in Masonry. Inasmuch as
his deposition was pronounced only be
cause of his alleged insanity, it naturally
follows that he is legitimately entitled to
resume his throne from the moment he
has recovered his Intellectual faculties.
With the Shelkh-Ui-Islam and Murad
both confined within the precincts of his
palace, In his power and within his reach,
Abdul Hamid considers himself secure for
the present from deposl’ion—whiie he re
lies upon the friendship and support <>f
the German emperor to safeguard his em
pire from partition by the foreign powers.
That Is the secret of the bold front which
h is now presenting to civilized Europe.
SI,OOO FOR A FIGHTING COCK.
Probably the Costliest Bit of Poul
try Anywhere.
From the New York Press.
Both had seen better days—not days In
which they were healthier or wealthier
or happier; but days In which they were
stronger and more Impetuous, more eager
for the fiercer sports which arouse ail the
animal that is in man. Both were well
groomed, prosperous looking. There
scarcely was the suggestion of advantage
about them, although each had from each.
And the eyes of both brightened. The
question thrilled them. It unloosed a flood
of reminiscence and for the time foot
ball and racing passed the half-century
mark. They had been classmates in col
lege. They had been foremost in ath
letlo games. Often they met, as they did
an evening or two ago, in an uptown club,
lust to talk over and live over some of the
contests and maddest escapades of the
days when for them there was no to- !
morrow.
“Seen a cocking ' main recently?" was
the query of a friend who Joined them.
‘‘lt seems like a thousand years since I
saw a main, good or bad," was the reply
that came, and boxing and running had
to give way to recollections of stolen
trips sometimes Into the woods, some
times to a deserted shanty, but more fre
quently to some well regulated roadhouse
where wine flowed fast, money was plen
tiful and the game cocks did battle until
one of them could not raise his head from
the pit floor—or, as It sometimes happen
ed, until both were dead.
“It was brutal, but it was thrilling,”
was the verdict passed in a tone such as a 1
man adopts when he has done something
not quite proper, but for which, right or
wrong, he can have no regret. “It may
be—l suppose it was wrong,” continued the
speaker, ‘‘but tho spiritual part of man
is not his strongest part. And when a
man sees two good cocks sparring, with
all the skill of a clover boxer and fighting
bravely to the death, the animal takes
possession of him and for the moment he
is dead to everything but the issue of the
contest.” s >
"Let me give another turn to your
thoughts,” said the man who introduced
the übject. "I have seen a few mains I
myself, although not many of recent I
years, and I have seen some big money i
bet on them. 1 have yet to hear though, |
of any phenomenal prices being paid by 1
local fanciers. Some weeks ago. at a
poultry show, In Birmingham. England, i
Capt. Heaton of Worsley, Manchester, j
acting for the Karl of Ellesmere, paid SI,OOO j
for a black-red game cock. The price ,
struck me as being a record breaker. I
certainly never heard of any such figure
being paid on this side of the Atlantic.
The experts consider this bird to be one of
the soundest colored ones ever reared. One
of his best points is his tall. He has a
magnificent reach and in size and shape |
is remarkable.” j
The old-timers thought a minute. They
Nothing Too Good
for our coming men. See that the
boy is provided with a good Suit or
Overcoat.
Children’s Reefer Suits, age 3 to 8
worth $3; sale price $1.95.
Children’s Reefer Suits, nicely made
and trimmed, worth $4.50; sale price
$2 98.
Boys’ Short Pants Suits, age 5 to 14,
worth $2.50; sale price $1.39.
Boys’ Short Pants Suits, worth $3;
sale price $1.95.
Boys’ Short Pants Suits, worth $4;
sale price $2.49.
Boys’ Short Pants Suits, worth $5;
sale price $2.98.
Boys’ Short Pants, worth $6.50;
sale price $4.15.
Boys’ Long Pants Suits, age 13 to
19, worth $6; sale price $3.98.
Boys’ Long Pants Suits, black and
blue Cheviots, worth $8.50; sale price
$5.62.
Boys’ Finest Worsted and Cassiinere
Suits, worth sls; sale price $9.90.
Don’t let this opportunity go by of securing
a big bargain in a B CVCLE SuiT or PANTS.
Men's Cheviot Bicycle Suits, worth $7, sale price $3.98
Men's All Wool Bicycle Suits, worth $8.50. sale price.. 4.88
Men's Finest Bicycle Suits, worth $lO. sale price 6.88
Men’s All Wool Bicycle Hants, worth $2.50, now 1.38
Men’s Fine Cheviot Bicycle Hants, worth $3, now... 1.68
Men’s Finest Scotch Tweed Bicycle
Pants, wort® $4. now.. 2.18
MEN'S BICYCLE HOSE.-Heavy Black Ribbed Bi
cycle Hose, worth 50c and 60c, now 33c; All Wool Bicycle
Hose, worth sl, now 58c; Finest All Wool Bicycle Hose,
worth $1.25. now 69c.
delved into their memories for a trace o*
a gamecock who had been sold for (1.000.
"If any bird In this country ever com
manded such a price,” one of them Anally
said, "my memory does not recall the
bird or the price. But at the pit-side I
have heard men offer as high as SSOO for
a bird, the transfer to be made on the In
[ slant. Asa rule, however, the men who
made such offers were gamblers, with big
; money at stake.
‘‘While we have not paid much money
for our game cocks, we have spent a lot
of money on them. I have known $5,000
and more to be at stake upon the Issue of
a main, and when passions arose, as us
ually they do rise In men gathered around
a pit, the wagers were limited only by the
amount of money which each spectator
had in his clothes.
"Those were the days when Philadelphia
and New York and New York and Long
Island birds did battle. And such mains! I
would give a year of my life to experience
the sensations which were mine when I
thought so much of a good main that I
would make a day’s Journey to see It.”
Americans do not pay the fancy prices
which gamecocks command in England.
They do not bet their money as they did
once, nor do they take the same Interest
in the sport. Cocking mains are extreme
, ly rare In the east. They have lost that
semi-respectable patronage which once
they commanded, and the end of the game
cock seems to be not far distant.
There is an old roadhouse within gun
shot of the Harlem, one at Perth Amboy
and two other places In New Jersey, and
two or three on Long Island where pits
are dug and mains witnessed once or
twice a year. But beyond these places
the gamecock as a tighter has no home
in or about the greater New York.
Cockfighting is brutal—the most brutal
of all sports. The present generation
wastes little love upon a main. It takas
to healthier and cleaner and belter forma
of sport.
It Is Just as well, perhaps, that there are
few sl,oti*t birds in America.
—“Who calls me a blind old beggar?”
asked the aged mendicant.
“Heed them not. Homer," said one of the
bystanders. “They are merely thoughtless
schoolboys.”
“Then I will be revenged on the whole
race of schoolboys!" retorted Homer,
trembling with rage. And groping his way
to the nearest typewriter, he dictated the
Iliad.—Chicago Tribune.
—Very Stout Lady (watching tho lions
fed) —'Pears to me, mister, that ain’t a
very big piece o’ meat for sech an animal.
Attendant (with the most stupendous
show of politeness)—l s’pose it does seem
like a tittle meat to you, ma'am, but it's
enough for the lion.—Household Words. >
pnps< 64-Page Medical Reference
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rors of youth, contagious diseases, female
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5