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A Quaint Old Tillage.
A correspondent writing from York
Harbor, Me., speaks of the village,
where the store, the post office, the
blacksmith shop, the two churches—
Congregational and Methodist—stand
in close proximity to a quaintly-built
200-vear old jail and a cemetery equally
old, “where the rude forefathers of the
hamlet sleep.” There back rest in Kiauy whose
date of birth is well the sixteen
hundreds; one, an LL.D., graduate of
Harvard, whose name is found in the
original charter of the We colony, granted by
William and Mary. see many quaint
and some absurd inscriptions graven in
the mossy slabs, all of which are more
or less illegible. An infant dead at one
day old. 1705, has an elaborate epitaph,
setting forth the belief of the sorrowing
parents that “this infant would rise at
the last day, an immortal, corporeal,
spiritual body, like unto Christ and heir
of eternal life.” Another, 1785, attracts
attention from being marked by a huge
boulder, at least seven feet long, placed
directly upon the grave; the idea irre¬
sistibly conveyed to the mind of the be¬
holder is that it was so placed to prevent
the occupant'from getting up. This is
said to be the grave of a reported witch,
which did not prevent the mourning
friends from patting up a slab enumer¬
ating the virtues of the departed—this
possibly to propitiate the spirit of the
witch should it ever get out from under
the boulder.
Close by, upon a great rock, stands
the old jail. Two hundred years, they
say, has it braved the storms of the New
England coast. An old crone occupies
a few rooms in the building, and for a
fee of fifteen cents for two persons shows
it to visitors. We see the deep, dark
dungeon with double oaken doors at
least a foot in thickness, where without
a ray of light or any ventilation, except
when twice each day the narrow iron
barred window w.as opened to pass in
food, the murderer was confined, and
there must lie often have expiated his
crime in this life. An iron ring in the
floor tells its own story. Above, with
the luxury of fire-places and windows,
heavily barred, it is true, the debtors
languish out the weary days. All the
doors are of heavy oak, clamped with
iron, and the bolts so massive that only
a strong man could move them. The
visitor is especially desired to notice the
great stack of chimneys in the centre of
the building.
Tlie Career of a Convict.
Henry Robinson, a convict, who is un¬
der a sentence for 10 years for burglary
in a Georgia prison, is in a dying condi¬
tion in the penitentiary hospital from a
wound lie received while attempting to
escape. Robinson is a professional
cracksman and has led a desperate life
for years.
A chapter of Robinson’s life is a ro¬
mantic one. Several months ago he
gathered together about$2,000 and went
to Florida, resolved to do right. At
Bluff Springs he met a lady who occu¬
pied a fine social position. They loved
and married. They went on a bridal
trip, and when they left got. back to Florida
he had only $25 out of his $2,000.
He realize*! the necessity of raising some
money, going" and, telling his wife that he was
to Georgia to get a legacy, he
came away to meet his doom. He
reached Lagrange, and, after reconnoi¬
tring, decided on what safe to rob. He
got everything in readiness and picked
his night, but his plans were thwarted,
Tlie next niglit he succeeded, but the
robbery successful yielded him only first $18. night Had he he
been on the
would have got $1,700, ns there was that
amount in the safe. He says he in¬
tended to get money, return to Florida,
and live a correct life. Robinson de¬
clares that he would have been able to
get off had he not been “flushed” the
first night. Sinoe he lias been serving
his term here, a lady, who signs herself
Mrs. Wilson, has written several letters
from Bluff Springs, Florida, inquiring
for her husband who is Robinson. She
learned of liis arrest, but did not know
what became of him, Robinson has a
dozen different names. He is about 35
years of age, and has a good face for a
convict. Since being in camp Robinson
has made several attempts to get away.
"When he was turned over to the lessees
he was attired in a genteel suit. and He
wore a white shirt, a nobby cravat,
box-toed boots. His general indicated appearance,
conduct, and his language is ended. good
raising, hut career now
Wonderful shooting.
At the Maine military encampment
the 100 men selected to give an exhibi¬
tion skirmish shoot for the benefit of
visitors did some wonderful shooting
*ud received many compliments from
the visitors. One "thousand shots were
fired, each man firing five shots on ad¬
vance and five on retreat. The distances
were from eighty to 200 yards. The
total hits ou the target (a No. 3) were
960 out of a possible 1,000. The anal¬
ysis shows 76 bulll s-eyes, 363 centres,
336 inners, 195 outers. When it is re¬
membered that the size of the target is
not larger than the space occupied by
two average men standing side by side,#
some conception of the wonderful accur¬
acy of the shooting may be gained.
Ready Made.— In Fairfield, Maine,
is a manufactory of ready made build¬
ings, which is said to be the largest in
the world. It turns out dwellings in
many sizes and shapes, as boots and
shoes are turned out in other parts of
New England. The capabilities of the
hotel, factory range from a shanty fronting to a $50,000 toward
with every room
tlie se»
“Dakota is four times as big as Ohio,”
says an exchange. Yes, and a locomo¬
tive blowing off steam is more’n forty
times as big a ten-months'-old baby,
but when one wants to be quiet and at
rest he gets near the locomotive, doesn’t
he?
A small boy was holding his kitty,
when she began to purr. “Oh, singing!” Dram
mie,’" he exclaimed, “kitty’s “Free blind
“What is kitty singing ?'
mice, I guess."
-NAVAL LIFE AND KODTINE
CONDITIONS OF TIIE SEKVICE
GUADES AND HANKS.
The Htory of a Day on Board Ship—Eti¬
quette and Mode oi Living.
The band on the receiving-ship Colo¬
rado, at the Navy Yard, was playing
“A life on the ocean wave.
A home on t ho rollin g deep,”
a few days ago, when a reporter for the
Evening the Post stepped on the deck of
steamship-of-war Powhatan, and it
occurred to him that the average lands¬
man has little knowledge or apprecia¬
tion .of the daily life and routine on board
a naval vessel, or of the rules, regula¬
tions, disciplines, and practices there
current. He reasons that, tlia naval ser¬
vice is only a higher grade of the mer¬
chant marine, having more of regularity
less and discipline in its operation and much
of hard work and duty, since there
are no cargoes to handle and a multi¬
tude of men to perform what little ser¬
vice may be demanded. He imagines
that the principal difficulty is to find
He employment for the ship’s company.
looks upon the officer’s life as one of
ease, ship, fancying him an autocrat on board
and a petted dandy on shore.
Snell an estimate of this noble and busy
service in the entirely disagrees with the facts
case.
The naval service is not a scool for
idleness, nor is a naval vessel a theatre
lor comedy or farciai performances, or
club-room for the use of aristocratic
young gentlemen. The rules and regu¬
lations of the service are adjusted to a
system of constant and sufficiently ardu¬
ous activity; its discipline is iron; its
duties are never-ending; even its eti¬
quette has practical method and mean¬
ing. Neither do these conditions exist
for the enlisted men of the navy alone.
The officer, whatever his grade, finds al¬
ways some power higher than himself
set over him, to which he must tender
implicit he and only ready obedience, More
over, not lives on board ship
under all the conditions of labor, activity,
and obedience which are imposed upon
the men under him, but he has a call
upon his forces and energies which they
have not— i. e., the exercise of respon¬
sibility. There are, of course, pleasant
and agreeable features in the life of a
naval officer, but as long as he remains
in the service lie is the bondman of dis¬
cipline, and is never allowed to forget
his responsibility or that he is a work¬
ing-bee in the great hive.
BANK AND GBADES.
Few persons understand the matter of
grade and rank in the navy, although
many may be familiar with titles and
partly with their application. Officers
are divided into the “line,” “staff,”
“marine,” and “warrant’ officers. The
line includes, in order, the admirals,
commodores, captains, commanders,
lieutenant-commanders, midshipmen lieutenants, en¬
signs, and having been abolished (the grade of
master last Congress). The staff officers by the
in¬
clude tlie engineer, medical, and pay
corps. With the exception of the' med¬
ical and pay corps, all the above men¬
tioned are graduates receiving of the Naval Acad¬
emy, and, their commissions
directly from the President of the
United States, with the approval of the
Senate, are appointed for life. The
marine officers belong to a distinctive
corps, generally termed “sea soldiers,”
and receive their commissions from the
Secretary of the Navy. They are ap¬
pointed from civil life, although many
memliers of that corps were at one time
midshipmen and failed in their examina¬
tions. The warrant officers are the
boatswains, gunners, carpenters, and and
saiimakers. The boatswains gun¬
ners are generally promoted the to those
positions from among ships, apprentice
boys, enlisted of the training The saiimakers or from the
men. and car
penters are appointed from civil life.
The petty officers form a lengthened
list, and are, in grade, equivalent to the
non-commissioned officers of the army.
They include the master-at-arms, ship’s
eorporals, boatswain’s, gunner’s, car¬
penter’s and snilmaker’s mates; quar¬
termasters, coxswains, captains of the
hold, top, forecastle, and afterguard;
thip’s w-riter, apothecary, machinists,
boilermakers, cooks, stewards, “Jack-of
the-dust,” etc.
DUTIES OF A DAY.
During peace activity on board a
naval vessel begins at dawn of day.
The boatswain blows his whistle at day¬
light and cries, “All bands up all ham¬
mocks.” Within five minutes the sailors
may be seen piling upon deck, each
with his hammock neatly rolled and
lashed, handing it to the stower in the
“netting,” the long, boxlike receptacle
along the rail, where it remains until
sundown, when it- is taken down ou the
berth-deck again and made ready for
occupation. Immediately after the ham¬
mocks are stowed the sailors get a pint
of coffee and then turn to to “lioiy-st-one”
and wash down decks; or, if it is Mon¬
day, the sailors are first piped to “wash
clothes,” and lines may be seen running
fore and aft filled with cleanly washed
white and bine clothes, or scrubbed
white hammocks. At “seven bells’
(7:30 o’clock l the sailors are piped to
breakfast, and those who are to go on
watch at “eight bells” (8 o'clock) must
lie ready at that hour. At eight bells and
tlie ensign is hoisted at the peak, played
“Tlie Star-Spangled Banner” is
by tbe band, if on a flag-ship, or dram
and fife on others than fiag-sliips. At
the same time the boatswain s whistle is
heard, followed by the liellowing: “All
the watoh; hold the reel; pump ship,
and relieve the wheel.” After breakfast
the watch is employed in cleaning tho
brass-work and the guns, coiling ropes,
and generally making the ship clean.
The officers not cn watch do not gen¬
erally rise until 8 o'clock, and then,
after making their toilet, sit down to a
cup of coffee and toast or fruit. At
“two bells” (9 o’clock) the “assembly”
is beat, and for the next two hours the
crew are drilod at great guns or in the
small arm, or sword manual. At “six
bells” (11 o’clock), the officers have
breakfast, a substantial meal From
this time nntil “four bells” in the even¬
ing (six o’clock), the officers not on
watch may occupy their leisure as they
see fit. They may be generally found
poring over their books or working out
some problem, when at sea, to avoid
being rusty for their next examination.
If in port they may stroll on shore. At
“two hells” (5 o’clock), is the officers’
dinner hour, and an hour afterward they
drill the sailors in sea, manship, making,
reefing, furling, bending, or unbending
sails, in boat exercises, or target practice.
NAVAL ETIQUETTE AND WAY OF LIFE.
Rank and rank etiquette are strictly
enforced on hoard ship. None but the
line and staff officers are permitted to
walk on the quarter-deck—the officer of
the deck having the starboard side and
the others the port side, when in har¬
bor, and when at sea the officer of the
deck taking the windward, and the
others the leeward side. The capatin
enjoys the exclusive use of the starboard
side of the poop deck, and the other
commissioned officers the port side.
Forward of the mainmast all the
officers have the exclusive right of way
on the starboard or the windward side
ot the deck, while the sailors must keep
on the opposite side. In leaving or
coming on board ship the same regnla
Iation is observed—the line and staff use
the starboard companionway, while the
warrant officers and crew use the port
ladder. Commissioned officers are re¬
ceived on board with the boatswain’s
pipe as a salute. in the cabin,
The captain messes alone
having his own steward, cook, and waiter,
and unless he invites some of the officers
to dine with him at times (as often hap¬
pens) he lives in this monotonous wav.
The line and staff officers, above the
grade of ensign, constitute the “ward¬
room mess,” and live in the main saloon
of the vessel. The midshipmen and en¬
signs and other officers of assimilated
rank form the “steerage mess,” and the
warrant officers mess by themselves.
The mess expenses of the wardroom will
range from thirty dollars to forty-five
dollars per month, according to the sta¬
tion; those of the other messes about
twenty-five dollars to thirty dollars per
month.
The crew live between decks. They
are divided into messes of about twelve
men each, and, by contributing a small
sum out of their monthly pay, are en¬
abled to purchase a few delicacies to add
to their Government rations of salt beef
or pork, with fresh beef twice a week;
potatoes, flour, pilot-broad, salt, pepper,
molasses, viuegar, butter, coffee, and
tea. On Sunday morning the crew are
called to “quarters” clothing, for general and inspec¬ those
tion of person and
who wish may attend the church ser¬
vices afterward. Saturdays, semi-holidays, after the
general work is done, are mend
when the men lounge about, theii
clothing, read, and otherwise pass away
the time. The pay of the crew ranges
from nine dollars and fifty cents for ap¬
prentice boys to twenty-six dollars per
month for an “able-bodied” seaman.
The petty officers receive higher permitted rates
of pay. The sailors are to
draw monthly money, but a larger pro¬
portion of their pay is retained until the
expiration of their term of enlistment
A Chinese Farmer.
The Portland Oregonian says:---An
intelligent Chinaman, who for several
years conducted an establishment for the
purification and destruction of soiled
linen at the north end, and thereby ac¬
cumulated considerable coin, concluded
last fall to try his luck at fanning. He
.rented a farm up the accustomed valley, and was
seen no more in his haunts
until recently, when he returned, look¬
ing very seedy' as to clothing and very
do wncast. One of his old patrons meet¬
ing him said:
“Well, Lung, how did you make it at
farming?” mnehee good,” replied Lung,
“Not
sadly. “I sow wheat and birds he come
catchee some. Byrne by wheat grow up
and plenty squirrel come and catch heap.
Then, leaping-machine come cut him
and cost too much, and when thasher
man come take all wheat pay him, and
his gang eat up my tlee fat hog and cuss
me ’cause I not give ’em pie tlee time
every day. I no likee farm any more.
I bny washee-house if my fiend lend me
some money.” _
Stewart’s Body.
“ I do not understand,” said a New
York gentleman familiar with the several
efforts to recover the body of A. T.
Stewart, “ the policy which leaves it in
doubt whether or not the body was ever
recovered. The cathedral at Garden
City has been officially opened, but the
ervpt in whioh the hotly was to have lain
is closely guarded from approach. without This
simply continues the mystery
any appreciable benefit to anybody. It
would be a great relief to many persons
to know that the body is there.” “Do
you think it is ? ” “ No, it would have
iieen a public secret, if it were. I do
not believe it was ever recovered, and I
think the secret of its whereabouts died
with the burglar with whom negotiations
were pending when he suddenly ex
pired.
Wouldn’t Help Him.
A crippled man entered the door yard
of a sensible old fellow and asked for
aid: “I am crippled and cannot work,”
he said, “and if you will only give me a
few cents to get something to eat, I will
ever remember yon.”
“I never turn a needy man away from
my door,” said the old fellow shoving
bis hand down his pocket, “How ilia
you get crippled ?"
“I was playing base ball and—”
“What! get blame out of sight this yard or Can’t I'll
cripple you a without worse. seeing
something pick up a about newspaper devilish
your game.
Go ou away or one of these days, when
you are unable to lift your hand, you’ll
look back to the slight ailment which
now affects tbe* you and regard it by con¬
trast as happiest time of your ill- j
spent life .”—A rkaneaw Traveler.
Shadowing.—A conductor on the
Chicago and Alton Railroad had a pri¬
vate detective arrested for following him
about, and a Justice fined the “ spotter”
$10. The managers of the road state*
that, they had discharged a number of
suspected conductors and had employed
detectives to keep certain of them under
surveillance.
TELEGRAPH OPERATORS.
INSIDE GLIMPSES AT THEIR EVERY¬
DAY LIFE.
Fascination ot the Wires— Relative Capa¬
bilities of Men and Women—A Celebrated
Tramp Operator.
“ To become an expert telegraph op¬
erator,” said an old telegrapher to a re¬
porter, “it is absolutely necessary that
a person should enter the business at an
early age. Most of the first class opera¬
tors went into the business at about the
age of fourteen. I have never known a
man to become even a fair telegrapher
who attempted to learn after twenty
years of age. Operators generally start
in as office boys, and gradually master
every detail of the business. A good
common school education is a necessary
qualification. Boys mostly learn in
small towms and become fair operators
in two or three years, although some of
them never master the mysteries of the
dots and dashes.
HABD WOBK.
“As salaries are low in small towns,”
continued the reporter’s informant, “the
newly fledged operator hies himself to
some large city, where there is always a
demand for good operators. Instead whioh he of
the $25 or $30 per month
could earn at home he probably receives
$75 or $80, and is elated accordingly.
But working in a city like New York is
no play. The best operators are put
upon the quadruplex circuits, which are
worked to all the large cities and in the
slang of the profession, are a hundred ‘steady
roast.’ From three to four
messages a day is considered good work.
To send these almost half a million dis¬
tinct motions of the hand and wrist are
necessary. This causes a great strain
on the nerves and in many cases leads to
telegrapher’s paralysis. grip’ I through have known this
men to ‘lose their
cause and become unable to send a
word. They generally manage, how¬
ever, to learn to work with their left
hand and overcome the difficulty. Nu¬
merous physicians have studied this pe¬
culiar effect upon thenerves of operators,
but so far none of them have found a
remedy.”
A STKANGE FASCINATION.
“Why are there so few gray haired
men in the business ?” asked the re¬
porter. is because few operators adopt
“That
the business as a life occupation. Most
of them intend to use it as a means of
getting something better. Very few re¬
main in it after reaching gradually thirty-five years.
Many leave it, but drift back
again to the familiar ‘click, click.’ There
is a fascination about it which is hard
to resist. To lie able to sit down and
converse with friends thousands of miles
away is very captivating. Operators
know each other’s touch upon the key
as accurately as a person can distinguish
different handwriting. Although all
send by the same alphabet yet each has
a way of making it which is distinctively
his own. The female operators are
mostly well educated, intelligent women,
who honor the profession. which They cannot
do the heavy work men perform,
but are very capable on wires where
business is somewhat lighter.”
A CONTBAST.
“There is a world of difference be¬
tween the young man who works a quad¬
ruples instrument in a large city and
a railroad telegraph operator. Tlie
former is a well dressed person, who sits
in Iris chair and rattles off messages
without aparent effort. But the railroad
operator’s life is not a happy one. In
addition to his duties as operator he acts
as ticket agent, handles freight and
sometimes turns the switch. His salary
is also less than that of liis city brother.
The wonder is that more accidents do
not occur on roads where one man has
all these duties to attend to. Thousands
of lives are daily entrusted to his care,
and the omission of a few clicks from
his brass sounder might send scores of
travelers to a horrible death. In small
towns the manager of the telegraph of¬
fice is an important personage. He
ranks with the lawyer and the doctor in
the esteem of his townsfolks. The ar¬
rival of a green operator is a source of
great amusement in some offices. The
fastest sender in the vicinity gets a
newspaper and sends the new arrival
columns of imaginary ‘specials. ’ Ficti¬
tious Chinese cables resembling wash
checks are given to the novice, with
orders to ‘rush it. ’
THE TIUMP OPEBATOB.
“A few years ago there were many
‘tramp’ operators, bnt owing to the in¬
crease of business they have almost dis¬
appeared. Perhaps the best Bogardns, represen¬
tative of that class is Hank
whose name is known in . telegraphic
circles from tbe Atlantic to the 1 acme,
Never working more than a month in
one place he is constantly on the move,
tnd to-day may lie in Portland, Me.,
Mid next week in Utah. Hank took
night report in Omaha a few years ago,
and one night was overcome by sleep
and missed the whole matter, Heawoke
about daylight and realizing the situa¬
tion left the celebrated message for the
manager which has made him famous
among the boys. It was— ‘Cap.; I works
no more. I resigns. Hank.’ He was
next heard of in Canada. But that style
of operator has gradually died out, ami
a tramp telegrapher is a rarity.
a youthful pbodigy.
Levi .Tndkins, son of George Jud¬
kins, operator at the Western Union
office in Claremont, N. H., began to
send and receive dispatches when he
was seven years old, operating Morse en¬
tirely by sound with the
system. In 1877, when Levi was
eight years old, he was referred to in tlie
Journal of the Telegraph, of May 1, as
“probably the youngest telegraph good op¬
erator in tlie country, lieing readily a bv
sender and aide to receive
sound and writing a good hand for a boy
of his age.”
Mr. HnntooD, the manager at White
River Junction, sent for Levi, previous
to the strike, to work a month or six
weeks as he was short of men. Hi* went
there, and during his stay at White
River Junction, after the strike had
taken place, Superintendent Gates, of
the Fourth district, who resides there,
desired to transfer him to Boston, where
he had already placed a dozen of his op¬
erators, but the need of his help at
Claremont during the vacation of the
manager compelled three bim to return, White after
working about weeks at
River Junction.
His duty at White River Junction was
to work the New York wile, upon which
is relayed all the through business for
the mountain hotels and places on the
line of the Passumpsie and Central Ver¬
mont railroads as far hand as Montpelier. record the He
can send with either and
time of transmission with the hand that
may' be idle equally well. Ho takes all
press reports, and a year since received
all the election returns at the Claremont
office. It seems very peculiar to notion
him leave his game of marbles and tak¬
ing his seat at the wire receive by sound
the fastest sending without a break.
Levi is small, and when perched upon
his stool one would little suspect hint of
possessing such remarkable talent. He
will enter the Stevens High School, in
Claremont, in September, to pursue a
scientific course of study.
Sunken Cities.
CUBIOUS LEGENDS OF THE 8UBM2BGKD
CITIES OF IRELAND.
There are nmnerons legends of sunk¬
en cities scattered through Ireland,
Borne of which are of a most romantic
origin. Thus the space now covered by
the Lake of Incliiquin is reported in
former days to have been a populous and
flourishing city; but for some dread¬
ful and unabsolved crime, tradition says,
it was hurie l beneath the deep waters.
The “dark spirit” of its King still re¬
sides in one of the caverns which border
the lake, and onco every forth, seven years, at
midnight, he issues mounted on
his white charger, and makes the com¬
plete circuit of the lake, a performance
which ho is to continue until the silver
hoofs of liia steed are worn out,
when the curse will be removed and the
city reappear once more in all its by¬
gone condition. The peasantry affirm
that even now on a calm night one may
clearly see the towers and spires gleam¬
ing through the clear water. With this
legend we may compare one told by
Burton in his “History of Ireland.”
“In Ulster is a lake 30,000 paces long
and 15,000 broad, out of which ariseth
the noble l iver called Bonn. It is be¬
lieved by the inhabitants that they were
formerly wicked, vicious people who
lived in this place; and there was an old
prophecy in everyone’s mouth that
whenever a well, which was therein and
was continually covered and locked up
carefully, should ho left open, so great
a quantity of water would issue thereout
as would forthwith overflow the whole
adjacent country. It happened that an
old beldame, coming to fetch which, water,
heard her child cry, upon run¬
ning away in haste, she forgot to cover
the spring, and, coming back to it, tho
land was so overrun that it was past her
help; and at length she, her child, and
all the territory was drowned, which
caused this pool, which remains to this
day.”
Giraldns Cambrensis, too, notices the
tradition of Lough Neagh having once
been a fountain which overflowed the
whole country, to which Moore thus al¬
ludes:
On Lough Neagh’s banks, as the fisherman
strays, cold declining,
When the clear, eve’s
He sees the round towers of other days
In the wave beneath him shining.
— Chambers’s Journal.
A Son of a Ileal King.
The Rev. William J. Barnett, pastor
of Shiloh Baptist Church (colored),
Williamsport, Pa., is the son of a once
powerful African king, Dumtoa by name.
He early came to the conclusion that a
trusty trade is a valuable adjunct to
royalty, and so he became a river and
coast pilot at Sierra Leone, and while
thus engaged was converted to Chris¬
tianity and baptised in the Atlantic
Ocean. Then he was New kidnapped and
was being brought oontrived to Orleans as a
slave, when be to escape at
Liverpool. From there he went to
California, and then back to Liverpool.
On Garney his became second visit interested to England, in him, Lord and
had him well educated. In 1862 he
visited New York and Philadelphia, Baptist and
was sent to Sierra Leone as a
missionary. Returning to this country
after a year, he became pastorsnecessive
ly of churches in Philadelphia, Brooklyn,
New York, and New Haven. After the
war he went to Richmond and founded
a strong church on Navy Hill, the site
of the old slave market. After that he
preached at Greenbriar, White Sulphur
Springs, Lexington, Staunton, Char¬
lottesville, Gordonsville, North Danville
and Louisa Court House. In ail these
Virginian towns he bnilt up strong and
prosperous churches. He has been in
Williamsport three years, and has en
j n y e d remarkable success. He is about
forty-three years of age.
A Cat Story.
A Mr. Hawley, of Cincinnati, has
a large tomcat that usually graces his
news stand. He is s trietty carnivorous,
and has a cat’s appetite for birds. He
is old, and not sweet tempered. On
Saturday Mr. Hawley missed him, and
on going to the basement found the old
mouser fledged tenderly that taking had care fallen of a half
sparrow from its
nest under the eaves. The little bird
was cosily nestling in the long fur of old
Tom’s back, and there it stays except at
brief intervals. At night it nestles under
the fur of the old eat, which moves as
carefully as an experienced nurse; ami
when t he cat rises to his feet and walks
about, he does it with the stately liear
ing of a home guard officer. So much
engrossed is he with his pet that he
stays in the basement all the time.
Down in Salem the other day a bright
little girl was sent to get some eggs, and
on her way hack stumbled and fell,
making sad havoc with the contents of
her basket. “Won’t you catch it when
you get home, though !” exclaimed hei
companion. ‘‘No, indeed, I won’t,” she
answered. “I’ve got a grandmother,"
It is estimated that over 500,000 tons
of paper are made in this country every
year, and yet the man who shaves him¬
self has to hunt around tor over fifteen
minutes before he can find a piece that
lie dare wipe his lather upon.
THE NEW OPEKA HOUSE.
Preparations for Opening (be
Biilldlna*
The new Metropolitan Opera Borne »
situated on the block of property bound'
ed by Broadway, 39th, 40th streets and
7th avenue, New York, and occupies the
whole of the square, being 200 feet cat
7tli avenue. It is built in the Italian
renaissance style, of yellow brick, term
cotta and iron, is fire-proof, and present*
to the eye an imposing appearance.
In the general arrangement the now
house is divided into audience- room
proper, with its three gram} entrance*;
cloak-rooms, foyers, vestibules, lot 11
roorn, supper-room, kitchen and corri¬
dors; with stage division proper cut off
hv a massive proscenium wall, and divid¬
ed into stage, dressing-rooms, erchestm*
rooms, ballet and chorus-rooms, carpen¬
ter shop and property-room, with H\xteial
and ample entrances, elevators, ete.
The stage is 76 feet deep from foot¬
lights to dead wall, and 101 feet between
walls, affording ample space for the set¬
ting of the most elaborate of modem
spectacles and the presentation of tin*
largest ensemble with balfei and
chorus.
The audience room has a seating
capacity of 3,064, and some idea of its
magnitude may be Grand formed Opera when it is
stated that the House,
Paris, lias a oapacity only of 2,156.
The tiers are known respectively as
the parterre, first and second tier, and
the first, two are the property of the
stockholders of the Opera House Com¬
pany. Twelve Baignoire nose* under
the parterre and adjoining the stage are
at tlie disposition of the manager.
The most improved safety appliance*
for Hooding the stage have been put in,
and it is said that tlie directors of tire
Berlin Opera House (one of the finest:
structures in the world) have acknowl¬
edged that tlie New Metropolitan Opera
House, in point of safety public and conven¬
ience, is superior to any building
they have. auditorium is five feet longer and
The
three feet wider than that of the far
famed La Scala in Milan.
In the decoration of the house, artistic
elegance has been the only old object. The
general tone of color is gold and
crimson, with hangings and upholstery
to match. The curtaining is of silk,
manufactured expressly for the house, in
special designs and colors, all made in
this country at the Cheney Mills, Conn.
The proscenium arch, which present*
the appearance of a rich frame to the
stage opening, is handsomely aniVehasto
ly embellished with works of art by
Francis enriched Latlirop with and panels Francis in' which Maynard,
and are
appropriate musical designs.
The orchestra, capable built of accommo¬
dating 150 musicians, is in the
shape of a reverberating arch, floored
over, and it is believed that tlie moot
perfect acoustic effects will bo attained
by the relation of the audience roe®*
tones to the stage and orchestra.
A Monster Farm.
Tlie great Fargo. Dalryample farm the is a few
miles west of It was intero
tion of the excursionists on the Northern
Pacific road to make a stop at thin farm
and exhibit 200 reapers in operation, bwi
Mr. Dalrymplo ripe said that th*
wheat was so that he had to eirt it
the week before. Hence the operation
of harvesting could not be exhibited.
“I am now thrashing the wheat at the
rate of 1,000 bushels a day,” said Mr.
Dalryample. “Wo send to DuhitJr
seventy-five carloads a day. And ■ from
there we ship by water to Buffalo. The
wheat is sold in Buffalo. It is all No. I
hard, and we get for it 15 cents a bushel
more than is obtained for wheat grown
in Minnesota. Onrs is all spring wheat
and it is mixed with softer grades and
ground into flour in Buffalo.”
“How many acres have you under cul¬
tivation r”
“About 30,000. Th ere are about 75^,
000 acres in the farm and we are putting
5,000 more acres under cultivation each
year. When 1 caxue here eight y ears
ago we bought the land with Northern
Pacific stock and paid 40 cents an aero
for it. It is worth now ou an average
$25 an acre. Eight years ago we eon Id
go for 400 miles m either direetion on
this prairie without seeing a bonne.
Now you can travel the same distance
without getting out. of sight ol a house.
The available land is now all taken up,
bnt it can be purchased, of course, at as
advance.”
Tlie Northern Pacific Railroad run*
through the miles. Dairymple farm lot « dis¬
tance of six
Fawning Pension Uertilteates.
A pawnbroker Commissioner had a hearing Edmund* before
United States
in Philadelphia on the charge of loaning
money on a pension certilb-atom viola¬
tion of the Jaw. James tiatlevty, a
hunchback and a cripple from rheuma¬
tism. said he was in receipt ol $24 a
month pension, and was in tho habit of
pawning the certificate frequently with
Hamburg Co. He pawned it June 7
for $2.50; received $10 on Jnnrrtl, and
$5 on Aug. 31, and when he drew hie
money lie was handed $12, This mad.
the iuterest, on tho loans, aggregating:
$17.50, $42.50 On several occasions
when the pawnbroker could not accom¬
pany him to the jiensiou office to draw
his money be left his daughter, a girl ot
15, as security, ami she was re teased
when he brought, back tho certificate.
This fact tin witness spoke cl as il it
were in the usual routine ol business.
The daughter Elton- Eugene fwfferty, .
a bright girl, mint that her father and
mother for always spout obtained the pension benefit money
drink, and she no
from it. 8he bad been used an seemed*
several times, and did not seem to i*ok
upon it as a hardship. Once when her
lather handed her over to Hamburg to >
bo locked op until he returned, he m«d:
“Now you are n. prison, you know *"
Hamlierg was held in $500 bad to answer
at the next term oi court.
A Qtnewio*. ~ Among the rietons at
Casamicciola were a Signor awl Bigr
Bonavita, who left property worth
000,000, to which there is no dried heir.
Their relatives, in order to deiewriM
the succession, have petitioned to have
the bodies dismtered, that by an it exam¬ be
ination ot the external injuries died may first.
ascertained it possible, which
