Newspaper Page Text
The First Grandchild.
“Grandmother F’ called the farmer, and there
came
Out through the vine wreathed porch a blush
ing dame,
Surprised and eager at the strange new
name.
The clock within rang forth the chime for
eight,
“A message? Read it—quick—how can you
wait?"
Her husband, smiling, leaned upon the gate,
At arm’s length holding in his trembling
hand
The crisp, white sheet, while he the writing
scanned,
Then road once more, with voice almost un
manned :
“ ‘Thy granddaughter salutes tli9o, ‘‘Baby
BeU,”’
Mother and child, thank God, are doing
well.”
A moment’s silence on the proud twain fell.
She broke it soon, “Grandfather I con
grat”—
“What, me?” the good man cried, lifting his
hat—
Grandfather?-—me? I hadn’t thought of
that I”
—Anna A. Preston, in Harper’s.
IN THE NICK OF TIME.
Miss Lily Somer3, night telegraph
operator at the Floodwood station, sat
before her table on which the telegraph
instrument clicked busily, a thoughtful
expression on her face.
A face whose expression was its
charm, that never could be called pret
ty, but that, nevertheless, suggested a
possibility—only a possibility—of being
handsome. For there is a vast differ
ence between pretty and handsome.
Pretty people seldom know very much;
but to be handsome a person must have
brains, an inner as well as an outer
beauty.
Floodwood was a forlornly desolate
spot, and one where any woman, except
Lily, would have been afraid to come,
much less to stay alone all night with
nothing but the wind sadly sighing
through the wires overhead and the shrill
shrieks of the wild cats away up on the
mountain side to keep her company
through her nightly vigils, But to her
there was something fascinating in the
very desolation of the place. From ear
ly childhood she had been accustomed
to commune with nature in her wilder
scenes, and played and wandered at will
in the mountain glens and canons. With
no foolish old woman or silly nurse girl
to frighten her childish senses with sto
ries of hideous ghosts and monstrous
goblins, she had grown to womanhood
naturally brave and fearless, In truth
she did not understand the meaning of
the word fear.
Her office was nothing more than a
roughly built shanty, seven or eight feet
square, with a small window in each end
and one in the door which faced the
railroad track. It had been hurriedly
put together with green lumber while
the road was in course of construction,
with the intention of only using it
temporarily until a better one could be
built, but, as usual in such cases, it had
done duty for its original purpose ever
since.
The rough, unpainted boards were
badly warped and shrunken by long ex
posiyo to the elements, and in many
places large knots had fallen completely
out.
No doubt in the winter time the bleak
mountain wind cheerily whistled through
those many apertures, and while one
side of the unhappy operator was being
nicely browned like a piece of toast by
the red-hot stove the other side would
be refrigerated like a frozen rabbit.
It was about 1 o’clock In the morning
■when Lily leccived an order from the
train dispatcher, which read as follows:
To Operator, Floodwood:—H old No. 21
until No. 23 arrives. E. K. C.
On receipt of this order she immedi
ately displayed the red signal light,
which is furnished all telegraph stations
for this purpose, in a conspicuous place,
in plain sight of passing trains, and also
where it could be seon *rom the office
window.
The necessity for this order and posi
tion of the two trains, briefly stated, aro
as follows:
No. 22 had arrived at Silver Creek,
ten miles west of Floodwood, a few
m
minutes after No. 21 had pasicd Red
wood, which was thirteen miles east of
Floodwood. As No. 22 was late and
could go no futhcr on tho schedule, ac
cording to the rules of tho road, they
would be compelled to lay at Silver
Creek until No. 21 arrived there, unless
they could get orders by telegraph to
meet them at some other station. Flood
wood being the only intervening tele
graph office between tho two trains, the
SCHLEY COUNTY NEWS.
dispatcher gave the above order to that
station, and as soon as it was properly
acknowledged by Lily he sent another
order to No. 22 at Silver Creek, which
read in this manner:
To Conductor and Engineer No. 22:—
Meet No. 21 at Floodwood. Approach care
fully. E. K. C.
The intelligent reader will readily un
derstand that by means of these orders
the two trains would meet each other at
Floodwood in perfect safety, notwith
standing that one of them knew noth
ing of the arrangement.
To explain: If No. 21 should arrive
first, they would be stopped by the red
light, which showed that there were or
ders for them at this station. The con
ductor and engineer would immediately
proceed to the telegraph office, where
the operator -would deliver them a copy
of the order to hold them for No. 22.
This would be sufficient, and they
would wait until No. 22 arrived. If
No. 22 should arrive first, the execution
of the order would be yet more simple.
No. 22 would take siding,
and as soon as they were
clear Lily would be at liberty to
take down the red signal lantern, and
allow No. 21 to pass without stopping.
No. 22 having arrived, the object of the
order was already fulfilled. If both
trains should happen to arrive at the
same time, the red signal would stop
No. 21,and as No. 22 had instructions to
“approach carefully,” they would do so,
expecting to find No. 21 occupying the
main track.
Lily perfectly understood the import
ance of the order she had just received,
and during the long hour which wore
slowly away she kept careful watch of
the signal light which, however, con
tinued to burn as brightly as ever. At
last she heard a rumbling noise away in
the west which gradually became louder
and louder and more distinct. By this
time she knew that No. 22 was coming
and would probably get in on the siding
before No. 21 should arrive.
The rumbling became louder and
louder each moment; the earth began to
tremble, and the peculiar vibration in
the air which gives warning of a yapidly
approaching train hummed loudly in her
cars.
She began to feel anxious, as they
were evidently coming at a high rate of
speed, and not approaching as carefully
as their order had instructed them; she
also had not heard the whistle which is
always sounded by trains -when ap
proaching a station, and this omission
increased her fears that something was
wrong.
But she was given no time for fur
ther reflection, as the train now dashed
around a curve not a hundred yards dis
tant, running at full speed.
Lily flew out and stood between the
rails swinging her hand lamp wildly
across the track and shouting at the top
of her clear young voice. But no at
tention was paid to her signal, the train
coming madly on, with such a rattle and
clash that it drowued the sound of her
voice.
The roaring, rushing train was now
upon her, and she barely had time to
spring from the track and escape with
her life. With a rattling crash and an
awful rush, of air the hissing, throbbing
monster sped swiftly past her, while the
clang, clank of the car wheels passing
over a loose splice near by was so rapid
that it resembled the rapid hammering
on the anvil in a blacksmith shop.
For a moment Lily was unnerved and
bewildered, but suddenly arousing her
self to action she rushed into the office,
and seizing a piece of firebrick that did
duty for a stovo leg, sho turned and
hurled it through tho window of the
cabooso that was just passing. An in
stant later the red lights in tho rear end
of tho train had disappeared around a
curve in the cut, and the rattle of the run
away train quickly lessened in the dis
tance.
Lily's heart throbb ed painfullyand she
was seized with a sudden fit of shiver
ing, which most persons of delicate or
ganizations aro subject to when under
great excitement. As soon as she had
somewhat recovered she went into the
office, and calling the train dispatcher,
who answered at once, sho said:
“No 22 passed at full speed and No.
21 not yet arrived!"
“My God!” telegraphed back tho dis
patcher as swiftly as his frightened fin
gers could form tho letters, “the crew
must be asleep. They will striko in that
cut and pile up fifty feet high! Heav
ens! This is horrible!”
Lily then went on to explain that sha
had attempted to awaken them by
throwing a brick through a caboose wiu-
dow and on hearing this the dispatchei
opened his key without waiting for her
to finish and said excitedly:
“Bun to the east end of the siding,
and, if you see them backing them up,
throw the switch and let them in on the
siding. No. 21 is not due here five
minutes, and there is a chance for them
yet.”
“I have no switch key,* 1 said Lily.
“Break the lock with a hammer, a
rock, or anything,” was the quick reply,
“Run, fly 1”
Lily seized an old ax that was lying
handy, and, with a vague idea that she
might also need the red light, she took
it into her other hand and flew up the
the track with speed of the wind, at the
imminent risk of falling and breaking
her neck in the inky darkness.
Once she stumbled and fell, and the
lantern was dashed from her hand and
went roiling along the ground far be
yond her reach by the sudden impetus
which her fall had given it, but without
pausing to regain it she sprang to her
feet and bounded on.
The switch at the end ol the siding
was fully half a mile from the office,
and about the same distance from the
beginning of the cut. If No. 22 could
back in on the siding in time they would
be safe, but if they attempted to back
down the main track past the telegraph
office they were liable to be overtaken
by No. 21 before going half the dis
tance, as, according to the dispatcher’s
figures, No. 21 should now be very
close.
As Lily reached the switch a pair of
gleaming red lights suddenly appeared
around the curve in the cut, and she
knew that the train was already rapidly
backing up, and that she had not a mo
ment to lose.
Feeling for the lock in the darkness,
she then struck it several heavy blows
with the ax, which she still retained.
Luckily, one of the blows taking effect,
the broken lock dropped to the ground.
She then grasped the switch lever and
lied to throw it over, but it resisted her
utmost efforts to move it.
The train was now only a short dis
tance away, and with the energy of de
spair she braced her feet against the
switch standard, and, putting forth her
strength in one mighty effort, the ob
stinate lever came over with a sudden
jerk and No. 22 glided safely in on the
siding.
The shrill scream of a whistle was
now heard in the cut, and as soon as the
train was clear she again exerted all her
strength and threw the switch back to
its former position.
A headlight now flashed around the
curve, and a moment later No. 21 rushed
roaring along.
Lily, by her bravery, promptness and
presence of mind, had averted a terrible
calamity.
At 1he official investigation which
took place a few days later the entire
crew of the runaway train acknowledged
that they wero asleep, and that the con
ductor had been awakened by a brick
thrown in at the cabooso window.
The only excuse they had for their
neglect of duty was that thoy had been
on the road for thirty-two consecutive
hours without sleep or rest, and that
they were completely -worn out.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
management of the road was responsible
for requiring the men to run the long
double trip, the entire crow ware sum
marily discharged for neglect of duty,
as though man's enduranco was an infal
ible bank, to be drawn on at pleasure!
Grim Humor.
It was at Tonquiu. The young Count
do T-, who was serving as a private
in a light infantry Frdnch regiment, had
his skull fractured by a bullet during an
engagement with the Black Flags. He
was taken up for dead, and removed to
the ambulance. “He won’t recover,”
said the surgeon-major; “one can see
tho brain.” At this word, the patient
suddenly opened both his eyes. “You
can see my brain?" ho asked; “I beseech
you, major, write at once to apprise me
father of the fact; he made me join the
army, because he pretended I had no
brains.” — Argonaut,
Not an Intentional Smile.
Miss May Morningside—I’m very sor
ry to hear of your brother’s death, Mr.
Villers; but you’ll p rdon me if I say
that I see no reason to smile over it!
3lr. Yorke Villers—Oil, doar, no! Fta
not smiling, don’t you know! It>—iw
must be this eyeglass I'm trying w taep
in!
A sign writer—The stotwqjraptac.
BURMESE CUSTOMS.
ideal Love-Making and Simple
Marriage Ceremonies,
An Inveterate Habit with Men,
Women and Children.
I bought two cigars to-day of a
woman in the bazaar, writes Trank G.
Carpenter from Rangoon, Burmah.
They are each a foot long, and one
looks for all the world like a pooily de
veloped ear of corn with the husk on.
They are vcr y mild . and have little to '
bacco in them > Being made of owher
lcaves in connection with the tobacco.
All of the Burmese people smoke—men,
women and children. I have not yet
seen any babies leave the breast for a
whiff of a cigarette, as the books on
Burmah state they do, but I see many
three and four year old children smok
ing, and the Burmese maiden learns to
smoke as soon as she can walk. All of
the girls are adepts in rolling cheroots,
and in Burmese courting the girl gives
her lover cheroots rolled with her
own bands and the two take, I doubt
not, whiffs about in the smoking of
them. It is common to pass the cigar
from one friend to another, and in a
group of three girls, whom I watched
having their fortunes told under the
shadow of the great golden pagoda, I
saw that one cigar did for the trio.
The Burmese do not court iu the day
time. Love making goes on during the
evening, and the lover never calls until
the old folks have gone to bed. He
always brings a friend with him, and the
maiden dresses herself in her best and
paints and powders for the occasion.
Elopements are common and the lovers
are so romantic that they undertake
them many times when there is no oppo
sition on the part of the parents. After
remaining away for several weeks they
come back and ask for forgiveness, and
the marriage is then often celebrated,
though not before.
The Burmese marriage is a very slm
pie affair. It consists ordinarily of the
eating rice together in the presence of
friends and of saying that the two pro
pose to live together as man and wife.
The matches are sometimes made by the
parents and sometimes by professional
match-makers. The most common
method, however, is by the young peo
ple fixing the arrangement for them
selves and carrying on their billing and
cooing the same as we do at home. The
Burmese groom furnishes the wedding
breakfast, and lie carries it to the bouse
oi the bri le. After the marriage rice is
thrown after the couple and they are ex
pected to pass seven days in seclusion,
though this is not common. The newly
married pair live with the bride’s
parents for several years at least, and in
case that one of these parents dies the
other becomes an inmate of the family
for lifetime. It is presumptuous for a
young man to set up housekeeping im
mediately after marriage, and he is sup
posed to work for a certain time for his
wife.
The favorite time for marrying is in
April and May, and most of the Burmese
are married le'ore they are twenty. As
to property rights, the woman’s money is
kept apart from the man’s, and she has
an equal right with her husband in the
property earned during married life. In
case of a divorce she gets back all of the
money she brought into the family and
half of the earnings. She has a right to
her own earnings, and the laws of
divorce are more iu favor of her than her
husband. She can get a divorce if her
husband is poor and unable to support
her, or if he is idle and luzy. If he is
always ailing or if he becomes a cripple
after marriage, she may bo divorced,
and on the other hand the man may get
a divorce for three reasons. The first is
if his wife has no sons. Tho second is if
she does not love him, and tho third is
if she persists in going where lie forbids
her. In addition to this, divorces are
permissible by mutual agreement. They
are not common, however, not reputa
ble, and it is a Burmese saying that a
divorced woman needs small wooing.
Another Burmese saying is that:
“Monks are beautiful when they are
loan, four-footed animals when they are
fat, men when they are learned and
women when they are married.”
Burmese women are treated well in
the family and they are the equals of the
men in family affairs. They have their
say in all business matters and the only
place in which their inferiority is notice
able is in religion. Tho Burmese are
Buddhists, and a Buddhist woman has
no chance to go to heaven save by her
soul at death passing into the body of ■
man. If she is wonderfully pious dur
ing thii life, such a transmigration may
take place, and I note that the chief
worshippers at the pagodas here are
women. Buddhist teachers put woman
much lower in the scale of morality than
man, and they maintain that the sins of
one woman are equal to the sins of 3000
of the worst men that ever lived. There
are about two hundred million Bud
dhist women in the world and none of
these have any other hope of immortality
than this.
Living as they do, the Burmese can
not have much of home life. The houses
of the great majority tire more like tents
than anything else. They are made of
plaited bamboo walls thatched with
palm leaves, which are pinned to the
rafters of bamboo the size of fishing
poles. The most of the houses are of
one story, and this is built upon piles so
high above the ground that you can
walk under the floor without stooping.
Under the house the live stock of the
family is kept, and there is sometimes a
work-room inside this lower foundation.
The house has no furniture in an Ameri
can sense; the family sleep upon mats
and they keep their heads off the floor
by resting them upon bamboo pillows.
Still they are ■wonderfully civilized, con
sidering their surroundings. They are
the kindest and most manly people I
have met since leaving Japan, and their
women are bright, intelligent, and in the
cases of the younger ones, beautiful.
The Cheerful Coyote.
J. T. Beckwith and a few other live
neighbors of the Santiam bottoms, near
Jefferson, clubbed together recently and
expended $50 for the purchase of two
fine foxhounds, and the result has been
the slaughter of eight ravenous coyotes
in the last two or three weeks. These
hounds have already almost paid for
themselves in scalp bounty, while there
is no telling how many dollars -worth of
animals they have saved. There is a
little joke on these same enterprising
farmers of “the bottoms” which is worth
telling. Some months ago Mr. Beck
with, G. G. Glean, Mr. Steiver and
others organized a club of 25 members
for the extermination of the wily brutes,
and when one of its members killed a
coyote he received $1 from each mem
ber of the club in addition to the
bounty. This arrangement worked to a
charm until one member more deter
mined than the rest became enthusiastic
in the chase, followed a big fellow with
such perseverance that he chased him to
his hole and there found and captured
the two old ones and a litter of eight on
the high road to development. Then
came the demand for $10 from each
member of the club, which made some
of the quiet farmers belonging to it take
a tight grip on their wallets and refuse
to pouy up, and the club issued a mani
festo of repudiation and burst—dis
solved partnership and withdrew its dec
larations of organized warfare.
A Puzzled Porker.
Out on a Yolo county ranch a few
years ago a small band of hogs were
confined in a lot fenced iu with logs.
In one part of the fence there was a
hollow log, shaped something like a
joint of stopepipe, one opening being
inside the lot and the other outside.
One day an intelligent porker discovered
this fact and thereafter went out and re
turned at his own pleasure. The owner
of the ranch happened to witness the
mode of egress of the hog one day and
decided to put up a job on him. By
slewing tho log around a little he so
contrived as to place both openings of
the log inside the lot. In a few mo
ments the hog ran up to his usual exit
and passed through the log. Imagine
his surprise when he walked out the
other end of the log and found himself
still inside the lot. He looked about
him in a puzzled way, scratched his car,
and tried again. Same result. “Well.
I’ll be hanged,” grunted the bog,
Again he ran into the log and ran out
again with the same result. He became
wild with rage and dashed through the
log so often and so fast that the smoke
began to issue from the cracks. Then
he gave it up as a bad job, and, so the
owner of the hog says, never went near
the fence until tho day of his death.
Willing to Divide.
Presti ligitateur (during his grand
gold-piece act)—“I could take $20 gold
pieces from your pockets all night. ”
Seedy Individual—“Go ahead, pard;
I’ll give ye half.”