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A WRITER OF SPEECHES. One of Washington’s Re¬ markable Characters. A Man Who Makoi a Living by Writ¬ ing Orations for Oongra^men. “There goes one of the moaV bril¬ liant men of this generation,” said a gentleman, himself distinguished as a writer and a scholar, to a New York Telegram correspondent in Washing¬ ton. A tall, stooping figure was pass¬ ing at a shuffling gait The face was strong, but furrowed by years and dis¬ sipation. An old slouch hat. which at one time might have been presentable, covered tho massive head, but only partially concealed a tangled mass of gray hair, which streamed out hith¬ er and thither in obedience to the com¬ mand of the tickle wind. “That man,” continued my infor¬ mant, “is a remarkable character. If it were not for his unfortunate habit of intoxication, he would have long ago been noted as one of the great men of his time. Now lo >k at him as lie shambles down the avenue. You would not suppose for a moment that he was a man of intellect, and yet it is a fact that he has contributed more pages to the Congressional Record than any living person. Of course much that he writes is pure and una¬ dulterated trash, because the member for whom tho speech was written wants just that kind of material; but on the other hand, I happen to know that he is the author of many brilliant speeches which were bought and paid for by another person. His name is Carter, and he is a char¬ acter. I have heard that at one time he was a member of congress from Virginia, but on that point ! will not be certain. For years and years, how¬ ever, lie has been in Washington ses¬ sion after session, making his living by writing speeches for congressmen. It has come to be matter of business with him. Of course he is obliged to conduct his negotiations with the con¬ gressmen very secretly, but it is only one feature of life behind the scenes in Washington. .So far a3 I know Carter is the only man who actually relies upon his facility in the composi¬ tion of speeches for a living. lie has written them on all conceivable topics. Nearly every important measure which has been before congress dur¬ ing the past quarter of a century has felt the impress of Carter’s pen. The amount of matter that man turns out is something enormous each week. When such a measure as the tariff bill is up he fairly coins money. “Not only does he write speeches to order, but he keeps a stock in hand on the standard topics of the time, such as ‘the tariff,’ ‘need of a new navy,’ ‘civil-service reform,’ etc. There is only one feature of his work which is not generally understood. it fre¬ quently happens that Carter is called in by some of the ablest statesmen of the house and asked to write a speech on this or that topic. The length is specified, the general tenor and heads are given, and, last but not the least to Carter the price is agreed upon. In cases the congressman gives Carter a general idea of what he desires to say, but relies upon the speech-writer to polish it up and fix it into the proper shape for delivery. Many members of known ability found this a very conven¬ ient method of getting rid of a great deal of drudgery. You see. they know that they just as able to write their own speeches as Carter is, but they find it so much easier to engage him to do the work—under their direction, of course—that they are unable to resist. It often happens that a member of congress becomes pressed for time, and finds it absolutely impossible to indite the speech which his constituency will expect from him on the iloor. The Trading-Hat. These interesting rodents are dwel¬ lers in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent hills, and are known among us by various significant names, hj mountain-rat, timber-rat, and trade rat. The first, of course, refers to their native home; the second to tho sound of their gnawing, scarcely to be distinguished from the sawing ot timber; and the last to their peculiar system of barter or exchange, so curious a habit that it is doubtful if any other animal has ever been known to practice it while in a wild or untamed state. These animals are much larger and stronger than the ordinary house-rat— so much so that cats are apparently afraid of them, and cannot be induced to attack them. They are pretty, well formed, have very bright black eyes, prominent, beautifully shaped, pointed ears, and soft gray fur. Their tails are not rat-like, but are more like a squirrel’s, only less bushy, being covered with fur. Such keen, intelligent-looking little creatures are thev that, but for our instinctive dislike to the name of rat we should be strongly tempted to tame them as attractive and teachable pets. Until they learn that they have an enemy in man, they are quite unsus¬ picious, and will allow any one to walk up to them .—Popular Science Monthly, Optional Clvi.ities. Optional civilities, such as saying to one’s inferior, “Do not stand without your hat,” to one’s equal, “Do not rise, I beg of you,” “Do not come out in the rain to put me in my carriage,” natur¬ ally occur to the kind-hearted, but they may be cultivated. It used to be enumerated amongst the uses of for¬ eign travel that a man went away a bear and came home a gentleman. I't is not natural to the Anglo-Saxon race to be overpolite. They have no petit soins. A husband in France moves out of an easy-chair for his wife, and sets a foot-stool for every lady. He hands her the morning pa¬ per, he brings a shawl if there is dan¬ ger of a draught, kisses her hand when lie comes in, and tries to make himself agreeable to her in the the matter of these little optional civilities. It has the most charming effect upon all domestic life, and we find a curious allusion to the politeness observed by French sons toward their mothers and fathers in one Moliere’s comedies where a prodigal son observes to his father, who had come to denounce him, “Fray, sir, take a chair,” says Prodigal, “you could scold me so much more at your ease if you were seated Looking to the Future. She hadn’t made up her mind about it, and they were so widely, oh, so widely separated , -in . tne ,, parlor | from each other; maybe as much as three feet. There was a passive smile fringed with doubt between them. She was engaged in deep meditation with herself and was looking on the tloor, when he said: “Matilda, why not give an answer to my proposal ?' . _ “Why, I was just thinking how you will ook when you get old,” she thoughtfully replied .—Kentucky State Journal. Ablations In Africa. Giving the surplus baggage to a native —one will always appear when wanted— <ve hastened forward and entered the \pwn of Ishore just as the sun was veil ng its face behind the forest line stretch¬ ing across the western sky. No new features were marked in the town; the Rtoie narrow lanes, same mud huis, same general appearance. A few points of difference may be noted. They partake more of the Youruba color—a brown -ather than black, They take on more of the energetic spirit of the Ilouras than the Guinea nations to the west of them. We find a comfortable hat in which to pass the night and to which we are wel¬ comed with true hospitality. This is '■endered more intense by a small dash >f tobacco. A good evening meal is jerved and we throw ourselves down upon a couch of skins, and with Outchie iivhere we c m reach him with a word, we fall off to sleep and dream. The first sun opens our eyes in the morning, and to a novel scene, Outchie gives a short laugh, a cross between a choke and a sneeze, as he sees me with jpen eyes, and attempts to apologize for the freshnesss of the morning custom. It seems two or three members of the family had occupied the room with us and were now engaged in the morning ablution. Standing in a large English bath pan, some three feet in diameter, was an African Pocahontas, enveloped in a cream lather of soap from head to foot. A servant was washing her down, and with soft native sponges made from the shavings of an elastic bark he left her dry and polished as a black marble statue. A full morning bath is a daily necessity In Africa if health and comfort is a de¬ sideratum, and the 3 r. m. bath in some portions of Guinea is an observation seldom departed from except Dy the lo wer classes. Our turn comes next, and at a word from Outchie, Pocahontas and her attendants vanish, and two servants put me through the same refreshing orde d, finishing with the lime juice bath. This fits the skin for perform ng its proper functions during the trying hours of an African mid-day .—Boston Bullet hi. From investigations made by Dr. Alexis A. Julien regarding the life (that is, the period before decay appears), of different stone in this climate, it appears that the life of coarse brown stone is five to fifteen years; laminated brown stone twenty to fifty years; compact fine brown •tone, one hundred to two hundred years; Nova Scotia stone, untried, fifty to two hundred years; Ohio sandstone, from one to many centuries; coarse fos siliferous limestone, twenty to forty years; granite, seventy-five to two hun¬ dred years; gneiss, fifty years to many centuries. If a German account is to be believed the plant world has its living electrical generators as well as the animal king¬ dom. It is stated that on breaking hand a stem of the Phytolacca electrica the receives a shock like that given magnetic by an induction coil, and that the needle is affected to a distance of twenty feet. This energy of the plant is great¬ est at 2 r. m., and almost disappears at nightfall. Three Quotations. When a through man is hanging,cut his pockets him down, then go .—Texas Post. When a man is coughing give him Red Star Cough Cure .—Baltimore News. "When you want to conquer pain, use St. Jacobs Oil .—Philadelphia News. Professor Tyndall has stated that the purest water he ever obtained was from a melted block of pure ice. The watei of the chalk districts of England he con aiders remarkably pure. Iron bars and steel are elongated much, by magnetization, the shortened. latter not so but nickel bars are | Scm 3 Folks i j, ave much difficulty in swallowing the huge, pSr^S'“ e p,“t” j aoh, sick and bilious headache, etc., they have no equal. Their operation is attended with no discomfort whatever. They are sugar-coated and put up in glass vials. The Caroline Islands number five hundred, big and little.__________ The best Ankle, Boot and Collar Pads are I made of zinc and leather. TV?/ them. j Only three years during exceeded the last fifty have tluM-cvenucs of Brazil the expend Bronchitis is cured by frequent small doses of Piso’s Cure for Consumption. Small and steady gains give competency and a tranquil mind. Some Frank Confessions! “Our remedies ere unreliable. ”—Dr. VaV entine Mott. “We have multiplied diseases.”—Dr. Rush* Philadelphia. annually slaughtered in “Thousands are the sick room.”—Dr. Frank. “The science of medicine is founded on con¬ jecture, improved by murder.”—Sir Astley Cooper, M. D. “The medical philosophical practice of the present day is neither nor common sense.”— Dr. Evans, Edinburgh. Scotland. rule Dr. Dio Lewis, who abhors drugs as a and practices hygiene, is frank enough, how¬ ever, to say over his signature “If I found myself the victim of a serious kidney trouble, I I should use Warner’s safe cure because am satisfied it is not injurious. The medical pro¬ fession stands helpless in the presence of more than one such malady.” If dies with¬ An old proverb says: a person out the services of a doctor, then a coroner must be called in and a jury empanelled to of inquire and determine upon the cause death; but if a doctor attended the case, then no coroner and jury are needed as everybody knows why the person died!— Medical Her¬ ald. ________ The winters in Iceland are milder than those in Iowa. This is clue to the Gulf stre am. It is a Fact well established that consumption if attended 10 in its first stages, can be cured. There is, lowever, no true and rational way to cure this disease, which is really scrofulous ulceration of he lungs, except through purifying the blood. Keep the liver in perfect order and pure blood vill be the result. Dr. Pierce’s "Golden Medi¬ al Discovery,” a purely while vegetable compound ioes all this and more: it purifies the blood it also builds up the system, strengthen¬ ing it against future attacks of disease. Ask for Dr. Pierce’s “Golden Medical Discovery.” fake no other. Of druggists. It is said that more money is needed to put Bartholdi’s statue on her last legs. Mensman’s Peptonized beep tonic, the only preparation of beef It containing its blood-making entire nutri¬ tious properties. contains force,generating and iif e-3ustaining properties; iuvaluable prostration, for and indigestion, all dyspepsia, nervous forms of general debility; also, in all enfeebled conditions, whether the result of exhaustion, nervous prostration, over¬ work or acute disease, complaints. particularly if resulting om pulmonary York. Caswell,Hazard & Co., Proprietors, New Sold by druggists. A declaration of war—Throwing old tin cans and other refuse in our neighbor’s yard. The habit of running over boots or shoes corrected with Lyon’s Patent Heel Stiffeners. A polite way of dunning a delinquent is to send him a bouquet of forget-me-nots. ^atiHiactury iivncnce. J. W. Graham, Wholesale Druggist, of Austin, Tex., writes.—I have been handling Dr. Wm. Hack's Balsam for the Lungs for the past year, and have found it one of the most salable medicines I .have ever had in my house for-Coughs, Colds, and even Consumption, al¬ ways giving entire satisfaction. Please send me another gross. Your character cannot be essentially injured except by your own acts. _ Decline ol Man. Mental or organic weakness, nervous debility and kindred delicate diseases, however in¬ duced, speedily and permanently cured. For urge illustrated book of particulars enclose HI cents in stamps and address, World’s Dis¬ pensary Medical Association, G63 Main Street, Buffalo, N . Y. _ Lightning struck a California pear tree and cooked the fruit brown. ELY’S CREAM BALM ** Cleanses tlie Head. f. ELY’S Allays Inflamtnat Ion. mm Heals the Sore*. Re. stores Taste, Smell, the Senses Hearing. of mfeverJ!# A POSITIVE CUltli. Cream Balm has gained an enviable repu¬ tation wherever known, dis¬ placing all other prepara¬ HAY-FEVER tions. A particle nostril; is applied pain; into each no agreeable 60t. to use. circular, Price by mail or at druggist. Send for ELY BROTHERS. Druggist s. Owego. N. Y. 1 CURE sa^ura FITS! merely to stop tnem to» VVhen I i ao not mean or FALLING SICKNESS a life-long study. I warrant my remedy to cure the worst cases. Because others have tailed is no reason for not now receiving a cure. Send M once for a treatise and a Free Bottle of my infalllDla remedy. Give Express and Post Office. It costs yotj The Happy Horn 1 i \ CHAIR HAMMOCK. The most delightful Him U mock ever invented, for sit colors ting or reclining. ornamental. Infancy and Out customers are rapturous t 'would over it. Says buy ore : ‘' $5fl I r~ not min it eonid not get another." Agents wanted. Ask your deal¬ er foi it. Sample shipped to ai y address on receipt ot 5*2 Write for circular. V. Arnold A Non, Honeoye, ILLS and ENCINES BKS P c rtable and Sta U A? ALL SIZES. S f | CINCINN^'t ti : narv. IUustrat L ANE BODJLEY Fr ‘ CO Q Blair’s Pills. G:eat English Gout and Rheumatic Remedy. Oral liox, SLOP: ryaad, 60 eta. rVTIYTTTyj a:»«t WHISKY HABITS cured 11F111 VATO if! V} br' U °° Ga EY. MD, Atlanta. k CO .. Pub*., 1013 Main Street, Richmond, Va.__ Pensions to Soldiers A Heirs. Sendstamp • for Circulars. COL. I* BING¬ HAM. Au’y. Washington, D. O.