Newspaper Page Text
fcnrgia JU'mts,
W. F, SMITH, Publisher.
VOLUME IX.
1 tHS WIDDF.a IIUDIK
3T lUQEIfK . ItJUJk
>1) fifty, I’.to fair, *' Without a irray hair
A„- I feel test M young az a girt?* ’
Uien I o’ Zcrubabel Lee, I declara
It t-et* V,e all into a whirl.
Last *K g ht lie wus here, an’ I told him to oletr.
my! how surprised he did look t
I'trhapa I wus rash, but lies after my cash-
I see through his plans like a book. ’
Some offers I’ve hod that I cannot call bad
There wus Deacon Philander Ilrer.ee
-1 yeB ’ wh< ‘ tl wanted a kiac.
hr he hadn’t bo flustrated mo.
!t took mo so quick, that it felt like a kick.
i ‘ flew all to pieces at once.
?’! kin *>° J I’ m not needin’ a b®Mi”
I acted I know like a dunce.
z he, ez he rose. “ t hev come to propose”—
I stopped him afore he began - V
iou better hod go an’ see Ilepßibah Btow{
1 won t be tied down to a man.” *
Man&r, ’ Hez he, “ Widder Tompkltn an’ me
Can strike up a bargain, I know.
An sc iu’ ez we (ain’t decide to agree,
'Vy 1 I guess that I batter hed go.”
He picked up hi| hat from the chair where he sat,
An’ he sohriiy started awa _ s
v’ '. a look I’m sure be mistook,
.. .* ° u ’ perfectly welcome to stay—”
my > 9 ”t ez red cz our old wagon shed :
thought fur the land I should me’.t.
bez lie, “ I am done, good-night, lectie one.”
I wish he’d a known V>w I felt.
To-day Isaac Beers, witfi his snickers an’ snoert,
Whose face is eis ugly ez sin,
Dropped in, jest to see about buyin’ my steers.
An’ tickled tho mole on my chin,
a.-s I, ” you jest quit, I don’t like you a bit,
lour manners is rather too free;
* oiiM hotter behave till Jane’s cold in her gravt,
kou can’t come your Bawder on me.”
W hen dear David died, ez I sot by his side,
He komhed up my hand iu his own,
He squeezed it awhile, an’ he sez, with a smile,
‘\eu’U soon lie a widder alon3.
An 1 when I am gone, don’t you fussor tako on
Dike old widder Dorothy Day ;
Look out for your tin ef you marry agin,
Nor throw your affections away.”
My children are grown and got hou-3 o’ thir own.
They re doin’ ek well ez they can,
An’ I’m gettin’ Kick o’ this livin’ alone,
l wouldn’t mind havin’ a mm,
1 ur David hez gone to tho mansions above,
Hi* body is cold in the ground.
Lt you know o’ n man who would marry fur lovo,
Jent find him an’ send him around.
A SWIM FOR LIFE.
.A. Western Kpisode.
** Say, stranger, there’s something
wrong yonder, ain’t there?”
Thus spoke a rough-looking miner on
the outskirts of the camp to a Mexican
who tvas walking hastily past. The
stranger understood but imperfectly the
remark addressed to him, but ho re
plied, “Horses stole,” and proceeded on
his wr.y, his long spurs jingling at every
step.
The miner looked after him anxiously,
and, when he had disappeared down the
hill, turned toward the saloon, mutter
ing something about horse-thieves and
hanging, and strolled, or, as he would
have himself said, “loafed” into the
bar, where an excited assembly was
gathered.
“Wa’ll, they’ve gone clean away;”
cried the owner of the missing animals;
“and my houses nor donkeys don’t stray
by nature. There’s been somo thieves
around, you bet!”
“ Like enough ; but who’s tlie man?
However, if wo ketch him, gentlemen,
we’ll shoot him fair.”
“Give him a trial and rope him—
that’s the cure,” said the owner. “And
now tew business. My treat, gentle
men. Drinks ’round, and then I’ll
follow tho tracks a bit, and let you
know. ”
Such an offer was not to be slighted.
The “ drinks ” having been fully appre
ciated by all present, at the expense of
their health and brains, the owner of
the' missing beasts departed to follow
the trail, which led toward the canon up
the river.
Ogden Smith, or “Soft” Smith, as he
was not unusually called, had that very
morning taken his horses to water down
stream, and left them in a safe place
pending their disposal. Ogden had
been unfortunate in his prospecting.
He was neither quick-witted nor quick
tempered, though ready enough with
his six-shooter when circumstances
seemed to warrant its use. But for this
trait, “Soft” Smith would have been
stamped with a strong variation of the
term “idiot.”
He followed the tracks mechanically,
and after about half a mile, indingtliey
still led up toward tho hills, he returned,
and as ho strode back, breathing venge
ance against his spoilers, he noticed hu
man footprints on the further side of
tho trail—heavy boot and spur-marks.
He felt inclined to tra ‘k these again,
but, knowing the trail would lead to tho
river, thou flooded with melting snows,
lie decided to return to the camp and
enlist the vigilauts in his teause.
It has never been correctly ascertained
why horse-stealing was then, and is
still, regarded as a worse crime than tlie
taking of human life; but that this is
the case in the West is undoubted.
Many a rough digger was permitted to
add to the notches already cut in the
the pistol-butt, but a horse-thief was
hunted down and executed summarily.
Notwithstanding a gathering storm the
men in the saloon, as soon as they had
heard Ogden Smith’s report, determined
to do vengeance on the criminal. The
sufferer, meantime, met with much
sympathy, and “dust” —gold dust, that
passed for currency—was freely shaken
into Ogden’s hat in the bar-room. The
discussion as to whom the thief might
be was waxing warm, when a voice cried:
“ Reckon some Mexican’s had a hand
in this game.”
This suggestion was at once adopted,
and Bill, the miner, said:
“ Aye, then I can show him. I savr
him on the hill alx>ve this morning. Did
you notice anv tracks ?”
•“! did,” replied Smith, eagerly.
“ Large boots and spur marks, too.
That’s the man 1”
“ We’ll go for him. Who knows his
place?” _
&evatd to Indnfctrial Inter it, flw Diffriontt Trat-h, the EsUblisbueit of Justin, asd the Preservation of a People’s CoverißiPnt.
Several present did, and one man add*
ed :
‘ ‘ He’s a mighty quick shot, yon may
depend,”
“ We’re more o! us than him,’’ was
tae answer of the leader. “He can’t fix
us all. Now, gentlemen, we must pro
ceed reg lar. ’Panel a jury, if you please;
but there is no U3e in wasting time.”
The jury was quickly chdseU, and, in
order to avoid Unnecessary delay, horses
were brought out, and the whole party
rode through the driving rain and tem
pest to the Mexican’s hut.
The door was burst open, and, before
the surprised occupant could use liis
weapon, he was seized and bound and
thrown helpless on the floor. Before he
was disabled, however, he managed to
seize and retain a small knife, which he
thrust into his sleeve.
To his questions he got but scant re
plies. The jury were ushered into a
small shed, and told to deliberate upon
their verdict, after a few questions had
been put to the criminal, who protested
his innocence.
One bystander, more humane than the
rest, volunteered to act as prisoner’s ad
vocate, and addressed the jury as a mat
ter of form, for he knew the stranger’s
doom was sealed.
After a pause the jury again retired,
and in a few minutes the self-appointed
Judge, knocking at the door, asked for
the verdict. To the astonishment of
the bystanders, the answer was, “Not
guilty !”
A cry of joy escaped the Mexican;
an exclamation of disappointment was
vented by Ogden Smith. But the Judge
drew his revolver, and, beckoning to the
committee, replied calmly:
“Gentlemen, you’ll have to do better
than that. Try again, and this time at
tend to the evidence.”
He handled his pistol menacingly as
he spoke, and the jury retired again.
They were not long left undisturbed,
for time was passing, the tempest was
increasing in severity, and the commit
tee had some distance to ride that night.
In five minutes tho Judge again called
them, and this time tho obedient twelve
gave the verdict “ Guilty !”
“ Quite correct,” said the Judge. 4i I
approve. It's a verdict. Carry out the
sentence, yew,” he added, to two of his
associates. “ And now, gentlemen, I
think we’ve done our duty. The hosses
wait. Hev ye anything to say ?” he in
quired of the criminal.
The poor man pleaded earnestly for
mercy, and protested his innocence
wildly, but it was useless. The majori
ty of the party then left the hut, and th
two men, placing their unhappy prison
er astride a mule, unbound him, except
for a turn of the rope on his left wrist,
and walked beside him to the place of
execution. There his outer clothing
was taken from him, and his boots—•
those fatal witnesses —laid aside. He
was then fastened to a tree. The place
of execution had been avoll chosen. It
was a low point jutting out into the
river just below the rapdds. The cur
rent was running swiftly, swollen by the
melting snows and the tromendous rain,
which was still descending in torrents.
From this point the river descended
rapidly. Higher up, but then obscured
by the thickly falling rain and mist, was
a high ridge, which projected across the
river, and formed a sort of bow-like in
closure, in the center of which was (and
is) a small wooded island.
Below this eyot the river divides. It
becomes narrower, and passing on the
right side over a small, rocky break
water, or natural barrier, it takes a tre
mendous leap sheer 100 feet over the
rock, spreading out from the base mauy
feet in its descent. On the left side of
the island the stream has worn away the
rock to a greut extent, and on that side
the water hurries down a rapid at a
steep angle, and at tho bottom meets
deep water, which drives in a swift cur
rent over the right shore, to a strip of
beach or low ground—a watering station
for animals. ..
The men charged tfith the execution
had well chosen the place. The prisoner
stood with hands clasped as one of his
guardians was making preparations, and
the other stood ready to fire should the
prisoner attempt to escape. One was
adjusting the cord upon a neighboring
tree, underneath which the mule had
been already led, when an exclamation
from him made the other guardian turn
his head. The quick-eyed Mexican
seized his opportunity. With a swift
sweep of his right hand he severed with
the concealed knife the rope at his wrist,
and with a desperate backward spring
he threw himself into the eddying, boil
ing river. . .
The heavy splash was the first intima
tion that the other men had of the Mexi
can’s escape ; and, with revolver ready,
one waited till the swimmer should re
appear. He rose, and struck out boldly
for the opposite shore. The man raised
the pistol, when his companion atejed
arm. __ . . ■ • j
‘‘ Give him a chance, Bob, he said.
“ You or me may want a good turn some
day ; and beside, I don’t b’lieve he lifted
them animals. Soft Smith s an id jit.
“ Weil, mebbe yer right, replied the
other, as he returned his pistol “ Poor
chap V* he added, with a touch of feeling
to which he had long been a stranger.
“ Poor chap ! the fall will save us the
Hefgone !” replied the other. “He
can’t git over, eh ?”
“You betl” exclaimed his companion.
“ He’s right enough, I do declare ; he 11
frit out now I” . . ...
Meantime the unfortunate fugitive
was struggling vigorously to J? 1 *
center of the stream. He was swimming
strongly, hand over hand, and every
now and then he cast a glance at the
ridge of rocks that fnnged the rapid
Lading to the fall of a sheer hmidred
feet Could he dear this he might be
saved. He ires making good way, out
INDIAN SPRINGS, GEORGIA.
ever being drawn nearer and nearer by
the resistless current to his destruction.
The men on shore watched his progress
with feverish anxiety. Another yard or
two and he would gain the rocky ledge
wliich ended the fall and where the
less-dangerous rapids began. Would he
last *?
The ihen clasped hands in their strong
excitement, and by a simultaneous im
pulse cheered the swimmer on. Tho
poor wretch heard it. It gave him
courage. One minute more and ho
would be clear ; with renewed energy
he strove, and with a despairing effort
clutched the rock. His legs swung for
a second into the milky mass of water
above the cataract. Could he bear the
strain ? A cheer from the shore; a
mighty effort—swung himself over, and
with a long, sweeping stroke dashed
down the rapids and disappeared.
*****
The men turned away, breathing more
freely, and returned as hastily as possi
ble to camp to report. The storm still
continued; the river had run up the
creek, and it was nightfall ere, wet to
tho skin and chilled to tho bones, they
gained the saloon. Here all was con
fusion ; twenty tongues were speaking
at onco, and all condemning “Soft”
Smith. The “Judge ” was present, and
as the two men entered he said, “I’m
kinder sorry we hanged that Mexican.
We’ve done him an injury, boys, I’m
afeard.”
“Save trouble in the end, mebbe, ’
said another. But the Judge shook his
head.
“ Wliat’s the matter ? ” inquired tho
late comers.
“Why, Soft Smith’s a fool. He’s
found liis beasts safe at home, where
they went o’ themselves, having broke
halter. The tracks was the Mexican’s
tracks, but only to his own location.
We’ve done that man a wrong, and I’m
ready to apologize ; I can’t say faker.
Here’s his health I ”
A voice from the doorway replied : “I
drink to that! ” and as all eyes wer®
turned in the direction of the sound, a
ragged, half-naked form, the limbs
bruised and bleeding from deep scratches,
walked up to the bar. Terror sat upon
countenance. The visitor was tho
Mexican.
“Didn’t ye—didn’t ye hang him?”
gasped the sturdy but superstitious
Judge to his deputies.
“ Uuess not,” replied one of the pair
addressed. “He slipped into the river
and swam across the Cataract Rapid.”
“Thunder ! but I’m glad. Here’s my
hat, boys ; fill in your dust now, and lot
him have it.”
No second bidding was needed. Very
soon the heap of gold-dust had reached
a goodly pile, to which Soft Smith was
a most liberal contributor.
Ogden Smith was considerably laughed
at, but the Mexican was regarded as a
hero and prospered. Tlie camp in time
was broken up, but there are many still
alive who remember that swim for lif®
across tlie Small Snake river.
A Troublesome Elephant.
Secretary Kalb, of the Fair Associa
tion, was found in his Chestnut street
office yesterday afternoon, looking very
thoughtfully at a patent padlock lying
before him on his desk. “I don’t know,’’
said he to a Globe-Democrat reporter
who entered, “I don’t know as that
will answer, but 1 think it will.” Then
he fell into a brown study for a few
minutes, that was ended by silently
passing the lock over for examination.
The reporter had no idea what it all
meant, but expressed the opinion that
the padlock was apparently a good one,
and asked the secretary what he had
bought $ for.
“ Well, you know the elephant at the
Zoological Garden P” was the answer.
I’ve got this for her, to make sure that
she don’t get into mischief. We have
always kept her chained up by a shackle
round one leg, but of late she has been
freeing herself every night, and we have
got to try anew scheme. For a long
time the shackle was kept clasped by an
ordinary thumbscrew, but she got an
insight to the way it worked, and would
unscrew it as fast as put on. Then we
tried a small square nut, the same that
you see on carriage bolts. This both
ered her for several weeks, when she
finally managed to get some sort of a
catch on it, and every morning she
would be loose. Then she got in the
way of throwing the nut away and we
could not find it at all. Now, I have
got this padlock, that works with a
small spring on one side, and I am in
clined to think it will puzzle her to get
the best of it.”
“ She’s not ugly?” “Not a bit; but
we don’t like to go out in the morning j
and find her wandering around appa- :
rentlv laughing at you. She is as gen- !
tie as a lamb, and it would do you good
to see her take her bath every evening,
when he takes her from her quarters to
the house for the night. She goes into
the pond all over, diving and swimming
as if it was the best of fun.— St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
Court of Appeals, iu the matter of a
property owner’s petition for injunction
1 n pnmrflTl\ T whioli ViqH
against a telegraph company, which had
put up a pole opposite his premises un
der a permit from the Board of Public
Improvements, it was stated that the
power of the Board to give such per
mits might be so limited as to exclude
the erection of anything unsightly.
The Rochester (N. Y.) Democrat
says that Captain Paul Boy ton sounded
the water below the upper Genesee
Falls recently, and found it over seven
ty feet in depth. He made a search
under the falls for Sam Patch’s bones,
but failed to find even a vestige.
Egypt’s Army.
The Egyptian array was organized
by American officers, and as far as it
has any efficiency it is their creation.
These 'officers—some twenty-five in
number —went to Egypt in 18(17, nearly
all broken in fortune and filled with
high hopes in their new employment.
It was through Gen. Thaddeus P. Mott,
and son of Dr. Valentine Mott, who had
made his way to Constantinople and
there married a Greek lady, that these
gentlemen were induced to enter the
service of the Khedive. Gen. Mott
served in Italy, and afterward rose to
the rank of brigadier-general in the
federal army during the late civil war.
The best known of these Americans
was Gen. Charles P. Stone, w’ho almost
immediately became chief of staff, and
soon after firmly established himself in
a post similar in power and authority
to that of Gen. Von Moltke toward the
German armies. It was not long be
fore the American officers began to feel
hostile pressure from two quarters—
one from the American consul general,
Coi. George 11. Butler, and from the
English influence! prevailing in Cairo
and Alexandria. Then followed some
personal encounters and general bick-
ering disgraceful to all concerned, und
as a body among the Christian colonies
of those two cities these gentlemen
soon lost any collective standing. In
dividually, however, they were soldiers
of established reputation, the larger
proportion being from the Confederate
army, and they have nearly all led very
adventurous careers, both before and
after leaving the Egyptian service.
The most prominent Confederate was
Col. Charles Ilhett, Chief of Staff to
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston during the civil
war. When Col. Ilhett went to Egypt
he was very much disinclined to adopt
the habits of the military in matters of
costume, and, in fact, had no sympathy
with the country at all, and was quite
outspoken in his views. From this cir
cumstance he was never given an im
portant command, but like many others,
was given his pay, according to con
tract, which \va3 an inflexible instru
ment. He was siezed with paralysis
while on a visit to Europe, dying sud
denly. He was the most popular of all
the American officers in ”
An officer of no less note was Loring
Pasha, who, in 1849, performed the
most difficult and painstaking march
known in American military annals. He
conducted a regiment supplied with ar- i
tillery across the Rocky Mountains to !
Oregon —a five months’ tramp. He sub- !
sequently engaged in the Mexican war, j
leaving an arm on the field, but when j
the civil war came he cast his fortunes |
with the South. When he left Egypt, j
where he was commandant of Alexan
dria, the Khedive gave him $50,000,
which it is understood has almost melted
away in disastrous speculation. It was
Gen. Loring who constructed almost all
of the important defenses of Alexan
dria, commanded the disastrous expe
dition against Abyssinia, and whoso
hand is visible in the military organiza- j
tion as it exists to-day. He is living in
New York, engaged upon a book re- j
counting the experiences of his life.
The career of Gen. Charles P. Stone j
is well known to all army officers, and |
had he remained in his original position
on the army list there is scarcely an
officer in the active service that would
now rank him. He was, however, at
the instance of the late Senator Sumner,
sent to Fort Lafayette on charges of
treasonable conduct at the battle of
Ball’s Bluff, and was subsequently dis
missed. This event nearly upset his
reason ; but he rallied, became a mining
engineer, and finally accepted the posi
tion at tbe head of "the Egyptian staff
which he still holds. His conduct in
Egypt has been both highly praised and
severely criticised. One thing is certain.
He was about the only American officer
who was able to hold his place against
all intrigue, first with Islimail Pasha,
the deposed Khedive, and then with his j
son, Tewfik, his successor. Gen. Stone
not only undertook to organize the pres
ent army, to revolutionize the rotten j
methods he found in vogue, but he set |
on foot a comprehensive system of cen
tral African exploration, under Col. C. ;
C. Long, Sparrow Purdy and Majors
Mason, Prout and Dye. The officers
now remaining at the scene of conflict
are Gen. Stone, Col. C. C. Long (notin
the army) and Maj. Mason. Sparrow
Purdy is dead. Among those no longer
living, too, are Col. Jenifer, the invent
or of the Jenifer saddle; Gen. Sibley,
the inventor of the Sibley tenl; Gen.
Reynolds, Col. Frank Reynolds, Mai.
Hunt and Col. Campbell, all ex-Confed
erate officers. Gen. R. E. Colston, who
made ajourney of 1,700 miles on a litter
from equatorial Africa to the Nile, is
now engaged as a military instructor at
an academy on Washington Heights,
i Col. Wood is living quietly at Norfolk.
! It is hardly probable that any of the
! American officers will participate in the
• struggle, with the exception of Gen.
I Stone, and it is extremely doubtful if he
will be permitted to retain any impor
tant command if a religious war grows
out of the present situation.
Few of the officers no w live to see the
fruit of their labors. There is a very
large number of Americans and officers
everywhere who will watch the result of
the fighting a3 an evidence of what our
military task-masters can do with Afri
can material. The army numbers 50,-
000 men, and the troops curry Reming
ton rifles. In all of the local events of
the Soudan the negro troops have proved
themselves better soldiers than the
Egyptians. As to the Bedouin®, there
is the same romance about their fighting
qualities as there is about the North
American Indian in the open field. Like
other nomads they are valiant in am
bush and can produce havoc, but they
do not love modern artillery.— Detroit
Post and Tribune.
Will We Import Meat I
The amount of fresh beef and mutton
now brought from Australia and New
Zealand to Great Britain is very large
and is constantly increasing. The best
scientific skill and inventive talent arc
employed in devising means to produce
low temperatures and to perfect other
means to insure preservation. Large
capital and excellent business ability
are now employed in various enterprises
for supplying Great Britain with meat
produced on the islands that lie in the
South Pacific. The recent experiments
of bringing fresh meat from Sydney to
Glasgow in sailing vessels have been en
tirely successful. Now '.he question is
presented to the business men of this
country, why not bring fresh meat from
South America to supply the cities on
the Atlantic coast? The distance from
South American ports to New York is
less than half that from Australian ports
to Glasgow. The great plains of sev
eral South American countries arc cov
ered with cattle that are now slaught
ered for the hides and tallow they af
ford. It is true that meat is cheaper in
New York Ilian in London, but it is very
dear in the former city. It is also true
that the cattle in Australia are superior
to those in South America, but a few
years’ time will be sufficient to grade
them up to the proper standard. It
costs much more to raise cattle and
sheep in Australia than in South Amer
ica, as most of the grazing land be
longs to individuals or is leased from
the Government. The margin of protit
is much larger for South American meat,
as the cattle can bo obtained cheaper,
the voyage is shorter and the tempera
ture of the ocean over which vessels sail
is more favorable for preservation. —
Chicago Times.
An Intelligent Pug.
In affectionate loyalty to a four-footed
friend, a correspondent in Tarrytown,
who has been annoyed by the chargo o
stupidity preferred against the entire
race of pug dogs in an article copied by
sne Sunday Tribune , very handsomely
vindicates the intelligence of at least one
pug. He writes: “He acknowledged but
one master, that being his mistress, and
seems to be unhappy away from her.
He is delighted to go with her to walk,
as he often does, but never thinks of
asking to go if she takes a bag with her
to go to the city. On occasions, he seems
to know about the time she returns in
the afternoon, and has been known u>
sit on a chair for two hours, looking
from a window, where he could see a
carriage turn toward the house, when he
would manifest his joy by barks and
yelps and rush to the door to receive
her. Wheh she leaves with a trunk for
j a longer time, he shows his grief, not
! only by his countenance, but by shed
| ding tears, which I have seen roll down
his face. He has been taught many
tricks. When living in town, he would
always run to the basement window,
when the postman whistled, to receive
the letters, and would give them only to
his mistross. Once an advertisement
was thrown in, and the cook tossed it in
the coal-scuttle, but he insisted on hav
ing it, and went with it up-stairs. He
will walk on his hind legs, or bark for
his dinner; will sneeze when he wants
to take a walk; will eat nothing that
you tell him has ‘cost money’ until yon
say it is ‘paid for;’ will sit on his hind
legs, with a piece of cake or cracker on
his nose untii five is counted, when he
will eat it; and although he is very fond
of going to walk, he will not go with the
children until he first to his mis
i tress and asks permission.”
A Beautiful Yoicc.
Madam de Stael would have gladly
parted with some of her wit if she could
only have been beautiful. It would not
be strange if the equally famous ‘ ‘ George
Eliot ” felt the same ’ hopeless hunger
for beauty (for she was a remarkably
homely woman). We see how sweet it
was to" her to be praised for a grace that
is akin to beauty.
This little story about George Eliot is
told by a Maine lady, who met the
novelist at a hotel in Switzerland, just
after “Romola” appeared. One day
Mrs. Lewes was reading aloud in French
to a little girl in the garden, and the
American drew near to listen to the
musical tones. Presently Mrs. Lewes
glanced ar the intruder and said :
“ Do you understand ? ”
“I do not care for tbe matter,” an
swered the American; “I only came to
listen to your sweet voice.”
“Do you like it ? ” said Mrs. Lewes,
with some surprise.
The American warmly expressed her
admiration, and George Eliot’s face
lighted with pleasure as she took her
hand, saying :
“I thank you. I would rather you
would compliment my voice than my
‘Romola.’ ” — Youth's Companion.
—How the soul of the utter Oscar
must be harrowed when he reads such
things as this: “Whence Mr. \\ ilde
got his aestheticism we know not. It
was not from that worthy man of
science, his father. His habits were
Hibernian to the core, and * racy of the
soil.’ Dining out one day in Dublin, a
lady, an intimate acquaintance, whom
he took down to dinner, said: ‘Now,
really, Sir William, this is outrageous;
you haven’t washed your hands.’ \\ ith
.r-reat good humor the eminent ocuiLt
replied: ‘I will bet 3*oll that there’s
a dirtier hand than‘that here.’ ‘I
don’t believe it,’ rejoined bis fair com
panion. ‘Well then, there,’ said the
knight, and he held up his other ba'-'t
He spoke truth.” Chicago j
SUBSCRIPTION—SI.SO.
N UMBER 52.
PITH AM) POINT.
—A man who does not know his own
mod is of so little importance that he
iecd not be introduced to it.
—Do not wear your troubles and
misfortunes all on*the outside like an
overcoat, but keep them hidden within,
like a ragged-back vest. — I/)well Citizen.
\ Tennessee paper announces:
“Subscribers sent to jail for the summer
season can have their papers mailed
regularly by notifying us of the change
of address.”
—More than half the newspapers in
the world are printed in the English
language; that is to say, in such En
glish as the writer happens to have on
hand. — Imiisville Courier-Journal.
—They don’t have rains out West.
A cloud just saunters up and examines a
town and then collapses right over it,
Nobody escapes but the newspaper
reporters and the book agents. — Atlanta
Constitution.
—lf isn’t the value we care for when
a neighbor wrings the neck of a chicken
and flings the body over the fence.
What hurts is the fact that he has n
dog which can be poisoned by way ol
getting even.— Detroit Free Press.
—They sat by the tower of Pisa,
And he did what he could to plisa;
lie looked in her eyes,
lie heaved many seyes,
Then .-tuck out his arms for to squlesa.
—Louisville Courier-Journal.
—When you find a newspaper an
nouncing that “Miss Arabella Dash, the
plain-looking, commonly-educated and
passably-tempered daughter of Col.
Dash, is about to wed,” etc., .you will
find an honest journalist —who will get
the bounce within twentv-four hours.
—“Vy, Adolph,” said Mrs. Felder
stoiderberger, at Long Branch, “you
lief been helped tree dimes to dat
sherry pies, und you vill be sicks!”
“Neffer mind,” says Mr. Felderstelder
berger, “I bay four tollar mit a tay and
Adolph is entitled to a whole pie, any
how.”
—“ We have plenty of fresh salt air
here; even our lady boarders wear sol
’taircs in theirctfrs,” said an enthusiastic
seaside laudtord. “Don’t say so,” said
the press guest. “Have you a salt
rheum in the house?” “Yes, sir,” said
the landlord quickly; “a humorous cor
respondent has it just now.” — Chicago
Tribune.
—Teacher —“What is a score?” Pu
pil —“The number of runs made at a
cricket-match.” Teacher—“No, no;
what I mean is how much does a score
signify numerically. What idea does it
give you? That is to say, if 1 were to
Tell you that 1 had a score of horses,
what would you think?” Pupil—
“l‘lea-e, inarm, I should think you was
stuffin’ me.”
Tlie Library at Abbotsford.
The library is the handsomest apart
ment at Abbotsford. It is fifty feet in
length by thirty in breadth, and has an
immenso bay-window that affords a
charming glimpse of the Tweed. The
ceiling is carved after designs from Mel
rose Xbbey. There are twenty thou
sand volumes here and in the study.
The book-cases were made under Sir
Walter’s direction, by his own work
men. Some of them contain rave and
curious old books and MSS. that are
carefully guarded under lock and key.
Here, on the wall, i3 the portrait of Sir
Walter’s eldest son, who was Colonel
of the Fifteenth Hussars. He went out
to Madras in 1839, and was a very pop
ular and efficient officer; but he soon
fell a victim to the fatal climate of India
and died on the return voyage to En
gland, whither he had been ordered on
l ~ C L! n LnnUL U ovn iaa ia fKa
account of his health. Here, too, is the
bust of Sir Walter at the age of forty
nine, by Chantrey. There are chairs
exquisitely wrought, from the Borghese
Palace at Rome, the gift of the Pope; a
silver urn upon a stand of porphyry,
from Lord Byron; and an ebony cabi
net. and set of chairs presented by King
George IV. In a glass case, shielded
from the touch of prof ane fingers, ar®
the purse of Rob Roy; the brooch of his
wife; a note book in green and gold,
once the property of Napoleon I.; and
a gold .-miff-box, also given by King
G corge IV. W hen this royal friend was
Regent, he invited Scott to dine with
him in London, addressing him famil
iarly as “Walter,” and showering upon
him evidences of his esteem; when ho
succeeded to the throne, one of the first
acts of the kingly prerogative wa*' to
•reate him a Baronet.—-Si. Nicholas.
The Center of Population.
In the several States efforts are al
ways made to establish a capital very
near the center, but this is often imprac
ticable. The Massachusetts Legislature
meets at Boston at the cast end of the
State, and our National Capital is also
far to the east and out of the geograph
ical line of the center of population.
The great emigration and the growth of
population^V’est was constantly chang
ing the imaginary point on the map
which indicates that there are equal
numbers North, South, East and West.
According to the census returns in 1870
the center of population was 48 miles
east by north of Cincinnati. In 1880 the
center was near the village of Taylors
ville, in Kentucky, and eight miles west
by south of Cincinnati. It is predicted
that in 1890 the center of population
will be in Jennings County, in South
eastern Indiana. In these days of tele
graph and fast steam travel it does not
much matter where our capitals are lo
cated. The real center of a community
is now where its business is transacted.
There is no danger of Washington be-
Jijt removed to the west of rke Missis
ini in this century at least.— Demo-
Montldy.