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THE BUFFALO.
Raising the Large-Headed Bo
vine for Domestic Use.
A Veteran Hunter Tells of His
Success in the Business.
*
C. J- Jones, the veteran builalo hun
ter, recently sold a one-half interest in
bis Buffalo herd iu Kansas. He is the
-gentleman who fathers the ideaofrais
iug the buffalo for domestic purposes,
and in an interview gave some interest
ing facts relating to his early days as a
hunter and his pet hobby of doinesti
i S ting this now almost extinct race of
bovines.
“I began hunting the buffalo in 1871.
I have killed from 40 to 60 buffaloes in
one hunt. I figured out a plan of my
own to corral them upon the prairie. 1
made an effort to get in front of the
herd when they were traveling, so that
they would come within about 20 yards
of me in passing. I then shot the leader
through the heart and dropped her iu
her tracks. The leader was generally a
cow, the old bulls being lazy and usual
ly lagging behind. The herd would
fall back in the direction from which
they came about 100 yards, stopping to
turn around and look for danger. Iu a
few minutes one of the cows led out to
go around on one side or the other and
I would drop her as I did the first.
They would again fall back a short dis
tance and huddle up together. After a
short pause another cow might under
take to go around on the other side and
invariably met the same fate ns the
ether two. The herd after this was sure
to form a close group upon the ground,
where they halted after the first, shot,
as buffaloes never retrace thoir steps but
a short distance. Now, they had
trouble oa three sides aud on the other
was their back track, and I was free to
shoot down as many as I wanted, pro
vided I did not fire too rapilly and
alarm them. Whenever one would at
temp‘ to lead away I made sure to kill
it, all J this taught the others that it was
sure death to the leaders. To bo sure
it was very cruel, but I could hear the
crack of guus on every side, and I
tlsought I wouldmv share. I soon
realized th.it ifk ose animals would soon
be.extinct, Jpd 1 in 1884 1 began to gather
up the cytres to atone for my slaughter,
It waara very difficult < matter to raise
C'Oni, and at first l lost fifty per cent of
them, but after a littb experience I
could save ninety per c ait. Tue calves
when caught over three months old
cannot be raised—the cage breaks their
heart and they give up in disgust. I
-continued my efforts, howevc, and
soon had a fine stock of calves on my
ranch, ncarGirden City. At the close
of 1884 I had only succeeded in raising
four, the next year seven aud the next
twenty two, and this year 1 have
twenty-one full blooded calves aud my
herd today number nearly one hundred.
“I bought the famous Man itoba herd,
consisting of 60 full blood< and 20
i rosses, io 1887.
“1 h ive sold a great many bulls to
shows and menageries at prices ranging
from $300 to $700.
“The buffalo has a very fine, long
coat of hair, which it sheds every year.
and 1 tun saving this, which averages
about ten pounds per year, intending to
have it made into cloth, by way of cx
pertinent. The buffalo grow much
larger in northern climates, the bulls
reaching a weight of 2500 pounds, with
magnificent heads, which aro eagerly
sought for by the museums, and for
which they have to pay from $200 to
$500 apiece when mounted.
“The meat of the domesticated buf
falo is as tender as the finest beef and
has a delicious flavor. It is not like the
the old tough “run down” bull meat,
which we used to get and which was
nothing but muscle and sinews, The
vows are more valuable than the bulls, a
number of the former having just been
sold in Utah at prices ranging from
$500 to $800. The half-breeds are uot
*>o good as the three-quarter or seven
e’ghttw. The lalter are splendid ani
mals, carrying a fine coat of hair.
“With the view of perpetuating the
race of American buffalo, a syndicate
has been organized in Ogden, composed
of several well known gentlemen. A
zoological farm will bo started and com
pleted as rapidly as possible. Nego
tiations for the purchase of a half in
terest in my herd have l>eeu going on
for some time, whicit were concluded
last week, the price being $75,000. I
anticipate no difficulty j a moving the
animals, as I had none in bringing the
Manitoba herd into Kansas.”
A Japanese Flower Holiday.
From an article by the artist Wores
in the Century we quote the following:
The love of flowers m Japan amounts
almost to adoration. They are insepar
able from the life, art and literature of
the people, and to deprive the Japanese
of them would be to take the sunshine
out of their lives. On one occasion 1
received through my young frieud an
invitation from his parents to accom
pany them on a visit to a very celebrat
ed grove of plum trees that were then
in full bloom. After an hour's ride in
a “jinrikisha, ” or ‘ kuruma,” as these
little man-carriages arc more commonly
ca led, we arrived at our destination,
where great numbers of people were
flecking from all points.
‘■The trees were one mass of fra
grant and delicate pink blossom*. Hun
dreds of visitors in holiday attire were
stro.ling about under the branches with
extreme delight depicted oa their coun
tenances. Others again had spread
rugs under the trees, where they were
served with delicious tea from the
neighboring tea house. Tho brightly
clad children were dancing and frolick
ing in the shade of tho blossoms and a
more perfect picture of sunshine and
happiness can hardly be imagined. In
numerable little strips of paper flutter
ing amidst the blossoms attracted my
attention. Miss Okiku informed me
that it was the happy custom of the peo
ple to give vent to their delight on these
occasions by inscribing poetic senti
ments, too brief, perhaps, to be called
poems, and hanging them up in the
boughs. Aud, sure enough, as I looked
about me, I obseived several persons
w.th paper and pocket inkstands in
hand engaged in composing these little
sonnets in praise of the blossoms.
“Yasumaru was at some pains to ex
plain to me that these poetic effusions
were supposed to be composed on the
spot—that the expression, the form of
the idea, was derived from the inspira
tion of the scene; but his father added,
with a twinkle in his eye, that many
came with their poems already prepared.
1 was honest enough to confess to the
old gentleman that this proceeding was
not altogether different from the habit
of our after-dinner orators who surprise
their fiiends with impromptus com
posed, as the French put it a loisir; that
is to say, at their ease. Some months
later I painted a picture entitled
•Springs Inspiration,’ in which two
young girls are represented walking over
the hu ^ e stepping-stones through a
grove of blossoming plum trees and
reading these pcetns; for, although it is
not recorded that the Japanese lover
takes this means of praising bis Rosa
lind, none the less do Japanese maidens
delight in passing from tree to tree per
using the fluttering inscriptions.”
The First Cannou.
The first cannon which came into use
after ihe discovery of the explosive
properties of gunpowder, during the
four eenth century, were called bom
bards. They consisted of iron bars
bound together with hoops of the same
metal. Tile first cannon balls fired from
these primitive weipons were round
stones. It is a mistake to suppose that
breech-loading guus were not tried till
recently. They were made when can
non first came into use, but were soon
abandoned because no one knew how to
make them strong enough. Among the
early cannon were Culverins, which
were made four times the length of a
man, the early artillerists having con
ccivcd the idea that the longer tiie gun
the further it would carry.
Windmills.
The census report of 1880 shows that
in that year there were 69 windmill es
tablishments in the Union, of which
California claimed 11. paying out a to
tal of $244,197 in wages and producing
windmills to tho value of $1,010,542.
Since that time the manufacture of these
articles has largely increased,and though
the competition of in >re powerful and
tractable motors is also increasing, it
may sa fely be said that the days of the
American windmill are by no mean?
numbered and that they will be used
for many years with economy and sue
cess. _ gm Frandsc > Chronicle.
Dr. Oscar Montelius estimates that
the Stone Ago ended 3500 years ago in
Sweden, where it reached a very high
development.
SCHLEY COUNTY NEWS.
COFFEE PLANTING.
An Interesting Talk with an
India Coffee Raiser.
Picking the Berry, and It’s Prep
aration for Shipment.
Responding to the request of a re
porter of the Detroit Free Press for
information concerning the culture of
the coffee plant. Georgs Auderson, an
India coffee planter, at preset stayiug
in Detroit, said coffee plants or tw> e8 nre
planted five l'ect apart. Tne tops 0 f
the coffee shrubs are cut to force them
to shoot out horozontally, instead of into
the air. But the coffee bushes on a
plantation arc not the only adjunct of
the business which requires cultivation.
On account of the drought and the
torrid suns, every inch of the plantation
must be fully protected by shade trees.
Where this is not dene the fruit shrivels
up and becomes worthless without
ripening. Experience has taught us in
India that the only really desirable trees
for shade purposes arc the silver leafed
variety. The rays of the suu seem to
penetrate all others and the labor of
cultivating them is wasted. We gener
ally shade our coffee p’antations with
part or all of the eighteen, or twenty
varieties of fig trees indigenous to
tho couutry. Where these trees
are not properly located, they
must be planted and cultivated. No
branches are allowed within 25 or 30
feet of the ground,an I annual trimming
and pruning of both the coffee trees
and the big trees which shade them ave
absolutely necessary. You can doubt
less form some idea of the immense
amount of labor which this process en
tails. There is no more beautiful sight,
however, than a properly cared for cof
fee plantation after it lias reached ma
turity. The green bushes in regular
rows below and the equally green trees
towering above them with projecting
arms form a very pretty picture. In
May the coffee bushes are in full bloom,
the white blossoms, something after
the mignonette order, causing the per
spective to resemble a waving, palpitat
ing field of virgin snow. The
picking of the berries begins
in November and continues
until February. The process is natu
rally a tedious one, but labor is cheap
in India. If such were not the case,
coffee would bo a luxury which few
would bo able to afford.
‘■What does the collie berry resemble
before it is plucked from the bushes?”
was asked.
“I fear you would have some d ffi
culty in recognizing it at that stage of
the proceedings,” he replied. “In
color it is a brilliant red, looking very
much like a large ripe cherry. The
berries of which the beverage is made
arc, in reality, the stone of tho fruit.
The pulpy substance by which they are
surrounded is sweet in taste, but has
never been utilize 1 for any purpose.
At one time a sort of liquor was manu
factur'd from it, but it failed to win its
way into public favor. After tast
ing it, you would not be surprised
that such was the case. Two
coffee berries are contained in each of
these cherries or fruit bulbs. After
being plucked from the bushes the fruit
is placed in vats and a process of fer
mentation ta es place which separates
the pulp from the berry. The latter is
then subjected to more mechanical de
vices which removes the remaining film.
When the product reaches the coast, a
sort of scouring process is undergone
which places it in the condition for mar
ket—a condition with which you are
familiar."
“What is the average yic’d of a coffee
bush?”
“One pound of the prepared berry is
a very fair average per bush. The yield
more often falls under that figure than
goes above it.”
Discoveries in Babylonia.
Professor Ililprecht, one of the Baby
lonian expedition sent out by the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, has returned
and brought with him a big collection
of antiquities which the expedition dug
up by the historic Euphrates. The
professor visited the Nabo el Kolb, or
River of the Dogs. Where this river
empties into the Mediterranean the rocks
are very high aud are covered with in
iciiptions, forming, as he culled it, “a
veritable album of the natives.” Here
Prof. Ililprecht copied tho famous in
scription of King Esserhaddcn of As
syria. To do this he had to climb up
on a crazy ladder tilted against the
rock, hold his magnifying glass in one
hand and prevent himself from fallinr*
with the otherr Over head the sun beat
down with terrific force, and the heat
reflected from the face of tho rock camo
against him as though it was out of a
furnace. This inscription, he says,
Layard ascribed to Sennacherib, but he
is positive it was by Esserhaddcn,
because the word Memphis occurs in it,
and this is the King who made war iu
Egypt.
The expedition went to Niffir, which
is about 22 miles southeast from Baby
Ion. Niffir is one of the oldest ruined
cities iu Babylonia. It is cloie to tho
Euphrates, and when that river over
its banks the water comes close up
to the sof the ancient town, The
beat there is v, n qg c On March 7 it
was 106 degrees iu* ho shade> and (hey
had to stop work in middle of
April. Some of the members o« .i, e
pedition were stricken with fever,
with care they all recovered.
In the rums of a temple at Niffir, be
tween two bricks iu the wall, the ex
plorers found a duck’s eggtha^had been
laid there while the temple was build
ing, at least a thousand years before
Christ. They passed through
several times, and the Professor says
that what is held to be the remains of
the tower of Babel is 180 feet high even
now. Some of the walls are still stand
ing. The bricks at the top bear the
stamp, “I am King Nebuchadnezzar.”
—New York Sun.
Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt's Romance.
A romance that has the charm of fic
tion about it, is told of Mrs. Willie K.
Vanderbilt, the wife of the famous New
York millionaire. She was at Newport,
R. I., after her father had lost his
money, with some friends, when the
announcement that the rich son of Wil
liam H. Vanderbilt would arrive that
evening was made. Of gowns she had
but few—most of them had been worn,
and she did not think that she could
make an impression on any man if only
she had a frock to wear. One of her
trends volunteered to lend her a yellow
silk. With great delight it was ac
cepted; but the beauty’s eyes filled with
tears, and her lips quivered with disap
pointment, when she discovered that on
one side of the bodice and far down on
the skirt extended a white stain. But
was this to daunt a spirited girl? Cer
tainly not. When the time came, and
the gown was put on, she took a black
lace shawl, that by some mistake had
been put among her things, draped it
about her iu Spanish fashion, fastening
it about the heal aud on one shoulder
with amber pins. An admirer had sent
her a bunch of yellow roses, and with
these and her black fan her costume
was complete. She came, she saw, and
she conquered. The wicked friend
never forgave her her success in hiding
the defects of the gown, or the lovely
picture she. preseated when she stood
before Mr. Vanderbilt, anl the lookers
on could read the admiration in his
eyei. I don’t know whether this story
is true or not; it was told me and
vouched for, and I like to think that,
Cinderella like, the maid of the nine
teenth century can, if she will, find her
Prince .—New York Graphic.
The Loss from Smoke.
Efforts to solve the problem of con
suming smoke are said to have met with
considerable success in London. Tests
made have shown that the value of coal
wasted in smoko from the domestic fire
places in that city amounts to $11,282,-
500 annually, xvhile the aggregate waste
ol unconsumed carbon is $13,000,000 a
year,and the damage to property caused
by the smoky atmosphere i3 put down
at $10,000, 000.
The effect upon human life and health
of an enormous volume of hydro-carbon
and carbonic oxide gase3 pouring into
tho atmosphere daily is fearful to* con
template. Both from this point and
that of economy, the gam that would
arise from preventing the waste of uncon -
sumed carbon would be tremendous. It
is not too much to hope from the exper
iments already made that this end will
yet be attained.
A gain of over onc-half lias been
made by the use of stoves instead of the
open hearths in general use even for
cooking purposes in the early part of
this century, and the still further im
provement in stoves and other methods
of disseminating heat is going on all
the time. Perhaps in time we shall get
rid of coal altogether in privute houses,
at least, and use gas and elect ricity. —•
DIAMOND FIELDS.
A Natal Millionaire Tells About
the Precious Stones.
Their First Discovery, and How
They are Obtained.
John Agnew, a wealthy resident of
Natal, who rec ntly arrived in t ds coun
try, gave a reporter for the New York
Times an interesting account of life and
business iu the diamond fields, 4 -The
centre of business in tho diamond fields,”
he said, “is K imberly, a city of over
60,000 inhabitants, It has excellent
police and sanitary regulations, and is
situated on table laud in tho midst of a
stbrile sandy plain, about 5,000 feet
above the level of the sea. The climate
is exceedingly cold in winter, and it is
not unusual to find Kaffirs who have
been drinking heavily at night frozen
^ath in is surrounded the streets in tho morning.
J by the four prin
Otd De Beers, mincs —the Kimberly, the
w Dut0ll g aud the
Bulfantmo. r
“Evcrbody in and abou
in the diamond business. Tim
agriculture, Provisions are bio..
from Natal or Cape Town or by the
Boers in wagons three or four hundred
miles overland. Go ng there from
Natal you travel about 300 miles by rail
and 300 miles by wagon. Nobody is
allowed to soli diamonds in Kimbery
without a license, and nobody is allowed
to buy them without a permit, If a
stranger is found with a rough diamond
in his possession without a permit he is
arrested, taken .before a magistrate and
is liable to be sent to jail for three
years. I came very near being caught
that way myself on my first visit. I
had bought a nine -carat diamond from
a broker whom 1 knew very well, when
he asked me if I had a permit. I told
li>m no and he replied: “Hero is
your money; give me back the diamond.
We will both get into trouble.’ Then
I got a permit. The diamonds are
taken now from a stratum of blue clay
800 feet below the surface. This clay,
which is always as hard as a rock, is
brought up in blocks and broken upon
vast uncovered platforms. Sotno of the
larger diamonds arc found in the break
ing up. The work is done by natives,
who are divided into gangs of six, with
a white overseer for each gang. Both
the overseers and the men get a per
centage on the diamonds they find, as
well as fixed wages. When tho natives
quit work or come up from the mines
they are stripped and searched, and even
their mouths are examined. After the
clay has been brokeu upon the platform
it is sprinkled with water and allowed
to dry in tho sun. Then it crumbles
and i3 taken to th e washers.
“ You remember, of course, how the
diamond fields were discovered. It was
in I860, I think, or thereabouts, that a
Hottentot child playing in the sand
found a bright stone. Its father carried
the stone to a Dutch trader near the
coast, who gavo him an old wagon,
some oxen and goats for it. The Dutch
man carried it io Cape Town and sold
it for £5000. That stoue was tho fa
mous Star of Africa, afterward pur
chased by the Prince of Wales for, 1
think, £30,000. It was found on tho
plains about thirty miles from Kimberly.
J. B. Robertson, now one of the richest
men in South Africa, was then a ped
dler. He went into the interior shortly
after the discovery of that stone
and returned with handfuls of dia
monds. Then followed the rush to tho
diamond fields.”
Pay of Chinese Servants.
A rich man’s servant in China gets no
salary, yet many are the applicants;
while big salaries are paid to servants of
the common people, but few make ap
plications. The perquisites of the for
mer often more than triple the salaries
of the latter, which is the sole reason of
these differences. To encourage honesty
and sincerity confidential clerks and
salesmen in all branches of industry re
ceive an annual net percentage of the
firm’s business, l e sides their regular
salary.
How Art Helps Nature.
Miss Violet Wilde (wandering in the
woods)—IIow glorious it is to gaze on
this wild scenery, and behold nature in
all her primitive maj -sty !
Mr. Arden Faxon—Il’m, yc-es! Es
pecially when there’s a good comforta
ble hotel only a couple of miles away.
The man who is right is seldom loft.