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Thought Odors.
Not what we do, net what we say, speaks
for us
j. To lino souls here, or to the Throne of
Light,
The words and acts be fair, gods will abhor
us
And men distrust, if our hearts are not
right.
Our secret aim, our bidden wish or longing,
Ocr silent thoughts of men or worlds
above—
Those are tiie toll-tales forces that como
thronging
■ To point to us as on r s to loathe or love.
Our thoughts are odors, and we cannot seal
them,
So close with actions but they will creep
out;
And delicately fashions I souls will feel
* them,
And know them sweet or vile beyond a
doubt.
Good deed* fall dead if selfish causes guide
them,
Good words fall flat that but from lips
have birth;
And eloquent and noble seems, beside them,
The silence or inaction of true worth.
—Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Withdrawn Correspondence.
BY C. ,M. JIAUGKR.
Jlorton Frazier belonged to the staff
of one of those ambitious western sheets
—the Garten Daily Gazette. To be
sure, be was only the Dobbvillc corres¬
pondent of the paper, but lie was as
proud of even that slight connection
with its pages as though he had a snug
place in the editorial chair.
Morton’s communications wero always
headed by the editor (who was also
proof-reader, business manager, and
local rustler) “Dobbville Dots, from our
special correspondent.”
Morton had hard work to keep from
crying with admiration over that al¬
literative heading, tho first time it
adorned his l terary effort; but at last he
became used to it and it did not worry
him or unduly elate his susceptiblo heart
and brain. His signature was “Wander¬
ing Mac,” and lie was known by that
title almost as well ns by his own name,
for he lull acted as tho Gazette’s
“special correspondent’’ for many years,
lid went around to tho little rural parties
and pleasure meetings with a woudrously
wise and knowing look upon his face,
as though tho destinies of the natioh de¬
pended upon Ins beck and call.
Tho editor of tho Gazitte hal im¬
pressed it upon him that tho paper
must liavo tho news. “Everything,”
he lind remarked, in stcutorian tones,
when one day Jlorton had tremblingly
entered tho stuffy little sanctum at Gar¬
ten. “Everything hinges upon getting
(he news, and getting it quick.”
This admonishment so impressed the
youug aspirant for journalistic fame,
that a week after the visit he uniled a
tidi ng obituary of a scrim ly ill
'child, not expected to live an hour,
to the paper, trusting that the in¬
fant would die bob re the paper was
issued. The child, however, recovered,
and is alive today, a roistering lad who
delights to show that tender tribute to
his memory (and it is a touching one)
ondiug: “Tho bereaved parents have
the sympathy of their scores of friends
in this, their great sorrow, but of such
is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Tho way
the editor of the Gazette unbent him¬
self to rail at Morton after that “break”
made him more careful thereafter.
Fourth of July in Dobbville, iu 1S7S,
■was an occasion that still lives in the
memory of those who wero fortunato
enough to be citizens of the town at
that eventful period. Not only was the
lotion’s birthday anniversary properly
celebrated, but a circus held forth upon
the prairie north of the Montezuma Ho¬
tel. When two such great events coin¬
cide, it is enough to turn the heads of
any people.
It would have been hard to find a
happier man that day than “Waudcring
Mac.” lie had been graciously present¬
ed with two “comps” for tho circus by
the manager, who had soon found out
what Morton was, and when at seven
o’clock he stepped into tho parlor of
his betrothed, Miss Marion Reneal, it
was with a perfectly self-satisfied air.
Marion added to the perfection of tha
state of his mind by allowing him to
kiss her delicately-blushing cheek—yes,
she did more; she kissed him in return,
and what more could a young man ask?
This particular young nun might
have asked for a repetition of the per¬
formance had it not been that Roy, the
scapegrace brother, came tearing into
the room just at that moment, with all
hi* 16-year-old vehemence.
“Ob, say, sis,” he cried excitedly.
“Where's my collar and cleaa shirt?"
“I ( know Up stairs I guess,”
was tl e mi Tt rej • and then the
sis ted
“1 . ails Roy, today.
He has been g bti,. •verything of his
together in his room. It’s the Fourth,
too. ”
She looked inquiringly at her lover,
but he was a l miring her face, and not
thinking of romping brothers, so there
was no answer there, Twice during
the evening did she speak of Roy’s
queer actions; once while the clown was
perpetrating some of his hideous jokes,
and once while she and Jlorton were
sitting on the piazn with arms en
twined.
The first time she had apparently not
been heard and the second she had been
answered with a kiss, so she was no
wiser than before.
Jlorton Frazier thought of it though,
the next day, for the events of the night
were such as to bring the circumstance
vividly to his mind.
About 3 o’clock on the morning of
the 5th, a fire broke out in the great
Rockwell block. Jlore than $50,000
went up in smoke, The whole town
was out to see the sight, and to lielp
lessly mourn the event, The Rockwell
block had been built in the “boom”
days, two years before, and though it
was out of all proportion to the town,
everybody was sorry to see it destroyed.
“Wandering JIac” was among the
first on the ground, and as soon as he
had seen the lire well under way he had
roused up the telegraph operator and
scut this message, which appeared as a
“special” in tho morning’s Gazette:
Dobbville, July 5th.—A terrible fire
took place hero this morning. It startel in
Rockwell’s store an J burned into Fry’s gro¬
cery; then into the insurance company’s
office. The flames leaped 40 or 50 feet in
height. Everything is excitement.
The next morning revealed several
things worthy of mention in this narra¬
tion. The smoking ruins wero sur¬
rounded by scores of men and boys,
busy discussing tho cause of the fire.
Ami they told of the probability that it
was an act of incendiarism; that it
started in an out-of-the-way place; that
but one theory was hold regarding the
firebugs; and their conversation always
carno rouud to the mysterious word—
“Spearmen. ”
Then somebody would explain that
the Spearmen was a body o: rough boys
and young men who gathered in un¬
canny places at night to plan deeds of
miscli ef and meanness. Another
would add that the Spearmen had a
particular spite against Rockwell for
having them arrested once for a trivial
offence. A third had heard Itoy Reneal
boast that he would “get even.” A
fourth had just found that Roy had not
been homo tho night before, and was
yet missing, though his widowed mother
and his sister wero searching every¬
where).
All these scraps of information were
united into a complete history, and the
news went over town that Roy Reneal
had set fire to the Rockwell block to
“get even” with tho proprietor for ar¬
resting the Spearmen, and had Ifced the
country.
Jlorton Frazier was in despair. At
ten o’cl >ck he was met on the street by
the Western Union messenger boy, who
handed him a dispatch, lie tried not
to look self-conscious ns he read it, but
the effort was a failure. It said:
Garten, July 5.
Morton Frazier, Dobbville:—Sand full
account of tiro by mail at noon. Insurance,
loss, cause and everything. Gazette.
1 say Frazier was in despair, lie had,
of course, heard the reports in circula¬
tion regarding his brother-to-be Roy,
and yet how could he blast the boy's
good name by sending the rumor to the
Gazette. He must decide quickly, for
the only mail train that could get his
letter to tho paper iu time for its next
issue left at uoon, and now it was past
eleven.
While he sat in his office, pondering
over the matter, there was a great bat¬
tle fought between his great love for
news and his great love for Marion.
Added to the first was the stentorian,
“We want the news and all the news,”
of the editor, and to the second, the
fair features of his sweetheart, Which
should he obey, Cupid or Mammon?
He reflected that the Daily Hazard, the
Gazette's rival, would “scoop” its
competitor, unless he furnished the re¬
quired information, and resolutely put
his pea to paper, and ground out a
heaft-rending account of the conflagra.
tion and of the ugly rumors that were
reported around the city. The noon
train carried the correspondence to Gar¬
ten. »•*
When the train had gone, he sat in
hia offico studying over the matter.
Had he done right} Perhaps the boy
was really innocent. If so, he had done
the worst thing he could have to harm
him; he had committed the sin that lies
at the door of every newspaper writer's
sanctum, the shattering of a fellow
being’s peace of mind and perhaps repu¬
tation, by a careless word or phrase or a
bit of unsubstantial rumor, glowingly
written up.
As he pored over the matter there was
a tap at the door, and upon opening it
lie was greeted by JIarion, her face
wreathed with smiles, and such evi¬
dently kissable lips that he had no
hesitancy in—well, it is not necessary
to go into details.
“Oh, Mort,” she gasped, after a
moment, “where have you been today?
I wanted to see you so much.”
Frazier remembered that he had not
been to the home of his betrothed, and
knew that it was because he doubted
her brother’s innocence.
“You don’t know,” she rattled on,
without giving him time to respond,
“how worried mother and I have oeen.
Itoy was not to be fouud, and that hor¬
rid old maid, Miss Semert, came over
with the most awful twaddle about his
being suspected of setting the Rockwell
block on tire, and all that.’’ (Her lis¬
tener felt his cheeks grow pale, hut
Marion did not notice it.) “Of course
we knew he was all right, and, sure
enough, he came in at dinner time. He*
went home with Uncle Rudolph out in
the country after the show last night
and only just got back. He took all
his clothes, for he’s going to work for
Uncle Rudolph to earn some money, I
was down town, and thought I'd teli
you so that you could say so to the
men.” There was a wistful look in the
girl s eyes that told how thoughtful she
was for her brother s reputation, and
how much she depended upon her lover
to set things right.
As she took her departure, Morton
realized that he must do some quick
work. First, he must kill that con*
respondence, which was by this time in
the Gazette's forms ready to go to press.
Second, he must have some good excuse
to give the editor for doing so.
From what ho knew of the Gazette's
publication hour, he judged that he had
half an hour for investigation. Like a
madman he tore arounl the streets—an
animated interrogation point—asking
every man he met what had been heard
of the incendiaries. All started cut
with the old story about “They say the
Spearmen but they were shut oil
with, “That’s all a lie,” and rushed on.
It was no uso. lie must simply with¬
draw the correspondence, When he
had but ten minutes more he stepped
into the telegraph office an l sent these
words:
Dobbville, July 5.
Gazette, Garten.—Don t publish Dobbvilu
correspondence. Roy li neal is innocent.
M. Frazier.
The editor of the Gazette was too
good a newspaper man not to obey such
a summons even with the chance of get¬
ting “scooped.” The correspondence
did not appear nor did the Hazard have
a word regarding the matter.
Two months alter, a quiet wedding
took place at Dobbvillc and “Wander¬
ing Mac” and Marion were chief par¬
ticipants in the ceremony. In the same
issue of the Gazette that contained the
very flowery account of their marriage
(Morton wrote it) there appeared the
confession of a tramp arrested in a
neighboring city. He was dying, and
before breathing his last owned up to
having &t on fire the Rockwell block,
having accompanied the circus.
Morton read the confession to hia
bride on the second day of the honey¬
moon, and told her the story of hi*
withdrawn correspondence.
“Oh, Morton,” said the lady, re¬
proachfully, “if that had been published
1 would never have married you.”
“I knew it, dear,” returned he, plac¬
idly, and I think the Gae.tte editor do
serves a piece of wedding cake for kill¬
ing it, don t you?”
She did; and the Gazette force ad¬
journed for fifteen minutes the next day
to munch fruit cake, macaroons and an¬
gel food.— Yankee Blade.
Bntl and Bugs.
“Look at that beautiful young rose,
bud with a lot of old bugs swarming
around her," remarked Brown, as sever¬
al old boys were flirting with a young
lady at a ball.
“Yes, but those are gold bugs, so the
rosebud don't mind it,” said Jones.
THE BIRCH TREE.
The Various Substances That
Are Derived From It.
dstilling Therefrom the Fra¬
grant Oil of Wintergreen.
A casual glance at the surroundings
of any timber country, notably along
the creeks and ravines, reveals the fact
that at least some biich twigs have
wjthstood the onslaught of country
pedagogues, who from times remote
have been identified with the legend of
birch oil and elbow grease as an aceelera
tor to the sluggish school boy as he
stumbles along over the obstacles on
the side of science hill. Many twigs
remain, and outside their legendary his¬
toric value suggested in the foregoing,
the twigs and bark of the common
birch (Betula alba) have really an in¬
trinsic value not second to many of the
most valuable plants.
Even the leaves and young shoots
secrete a resinous substance, having an
acid reaction, which, under the long
legged names of the pharmacist, is sold
as a medicinal preparation for as high
as $16 per fluid ounce. The inner bark
secretes a bitterish alkaloid not unlike
cinchona in its nature, and is used
largely as an adulterant for quinine in
many parts of Europe. The so-called
“Cinchona Mixture” has been found by
analysts to consist, in many instances,
of the alkaloid found in the inner bark
of the humble birch tree.
The outer bark, subjected to dry dis¬
tillation, yields a peculiar empyreumatic
oil, having the peculiar odor of Russia
leather, and the secret of preparing
skins, and that, too, of the very poores
quaiity of skins, being taken from cat,
tie that have perished on those barrent
desolate plains, is the only obstacle,
thus far, to prevent American artisans
competing with Russia and Austria in
fine leather goods.
It is not necessary, however, to go
into chemical technicalities and details
in order to arrive at a profitable solution
of the uses of birch twigs and birch
bark, when the larger timber is being
cut away and hauled to the sawmill or
the turning lathe. When it is stated
that the oil of wintergreen (Oleum
gaulthoria), so useful, fragrant and ex¬
pensive, is nearly always adulterated
with birch oil; much of it even is birch
oil, pure and simple, but is sold as win¬
tergreen oil, and is wintergreen oil to
all intents and purposes, having, when
properly prepared and refined, the same
propertes, viz., specific gravity, 1.173;
boiling point, 412 degrees, and mixes
readily with alcohol, chloroform, ate.
The appliances necessary for the
preparation of this oil are neither intri¬
cate nor costly, being simply a large
tub supplied with a coil and steam con¬
nection. Of course we are not expected
to go into all the details of manufac¬
ture. Only brief outlines can be given.
The birch limbs, twigs, bark and
even the leaves, if a mere commercial
oil is to be made, are gathered and
placed in this large tub containing the
coil for steam heating and as fast as the
mass accumulates it is kept eovered
with water, and the tub, being sup¬
plied with a tight-fitting lid or man¬
hole, should be opened as lit¬
tle as possible. After becoming nearly
full, steam is turned on, and the batch
kept about blood warm for 24 hours.
This will dissolve nearly all the oil and
resinous matters, which, being precipi¬
tated, causes the mass to assume a very
•ticky consistency. Steam may now be
turned on, and the mass brought to a
boil for a moment or two. With a
wooden connection, with a small barrel
or keg, the tank is made tight and
brought to a boil; the steam, having
previously dissolved the oils, etc., will
now- vaporize them, and will condense
in the last-named keg. After a few
hours the job is done, the keg is bunged
or corked up, and is ready for shipment
as commercial wintergreen oil, though
made from birch refuse continually in
the way.— Lumber Trade Journal.
Americans in China.
Charles Den by, who represent* the
United States at Peking, reports offi¬
cially a compilation of the reports of
American consuls in China showing the
number and, partially, the occupation
of Americans resident in China. The
total is but 1022, as against probably
100,000 Chinamen in the United States.
More than half the Americans in China
are missionaries—only twenty-three are
merchant*.
Remarkable Will Power.
Three stories were told over after
dinner cigars the other day showing the
power of man’s will, One was of a
young officer in the English army, who
was peculiarly stubborn and irascible.
He had been confined to his bed after a
severe attack of tbo heart and was un¬
able to move. His physician asked one
of his fellow-officers to warn him that
he ■would never get out of bed again,
that he might arrange his affairs before
death. When the sick man was told
what the doctor had said he arose in his
bed excitedly anl said: “I will never
get up again, eh? I will walk to the
doctor myself and show him. ” He
jumped to the floor, walked across the
room and fell dead.
The other was about a Sheriff out
West, who, when arresting a man, was
stabbed through the heart. He seized
the man by the shoulders after the blade
had struck him, pressed him to the
ground, drew his revolver, and deliber¬
ately thrusting it down the struggling
prisoner’s throat, pulled the trigger the
instant he himsel f died.
The third story was regarding anoth¬
er officer who was hunting down a
thief. The man thought he had given,
his pursuer the slip, but just as he en¬
tered one door of a railroad car the offi
cer appeared in the other, The thief
instantly fired, the bullet penetrating
his pursuer’s brain. The officer, how
ever, returned the shot, bringing his
man to the ground. He then dragged
himself along the aisle of the car, firing
as he crawled, until his revolver was
empty. He was dead when he was
picked up, a second after he ceased to
shoot.— Boston Gazette.
The Pueblo Indians.
There are in existence nineteen
“tribes” of Pueblo Indians, and ail live
in the northern half of Hew Mexico ex¬
cept the Moquis, who are just over the
line in northeast Arizona—490 miles
east of Fort Yuma. Pueblo is a tribe
name as much as Ute, and is never ap¬
plied to any other tribe. There is not
in the whole southwest an ignoramus so
monumental as to class Navajoes,
Apaches, or Yumas, as of the Pueblos.
No Pueblo ever dwelt in a wooden hut
or “tepee.” They dwell in adobe or
stone houses, and very neat, wholesome,
and comfortable ones. They are the
only Indians in the country who do.
They have not abandoned any social
laws. No American community in ex¬
istence is so well governed as a Pueblo
town. There is no such thing among
them—nor ever has been—as a chief.
They elect their officers by ballot yearly.
The Pueblos are not paupers in a land
of wealth, but are invariably in com¬
fortable circumstances. The population
of the villages runs from 100 to 1,500
and each village owns from 15,000 to
150,000 acres of land, the arable part
being held in severalty. UndeT the
sacred pledges of the treaty of Guada¬
lupe Hidalgo these people are entitled
to full citizenship. They are the best
class of people in the territory. They
are short, as a rule, but almost invaria¬
bly of superb physique, and, as for
brains, the average tourist certainly
does not oversize them. They are al¬
ways modestly and picturesquely
clothed and a more modest race doe»
not dwell in the two Americas.
A Newspaper Rack.
For this rack two boards are required,
the one forming the back a size larger
than the other. The smaller one should
be larger than a medium-sized newspa¬
per, folded as bought. Cover one side
of each board with satin or plush of any
shade liked, and work on smaller board
some pretty design. Line with a con¬
trasting shade of satine. Put brass
headed tacks or small ring3 at equal
distance apart, in at the side3, and
fasten the boards together by narrow
ribbon laced back and forth. Suspend
with a strong gilt cord attached to a
brass ring fastened at each upper cor¬
ner. If liked, a gilt cord may be used
for lacing instead of the ribbon.—
Yankee Blade.
The Beards Our Ancestors Wore.
Our Saxon ancestors delighted ia
wearing long, forked beards; the Nor¬
mans, on the contrary, at the period of
the conquest, not only shaved theii
chins but also the back part of their
he*ls. They had not, however, been
long established in England before they
permitted their beards to grow to ex¬
travagant dimensions.
An assistant secretary might be called
an underwriter.