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SUNDAY MORNING.
HER BRIEF
HOUR OF TRIUMPH
‘
•‘V #♦ -
f A ROMANCE OF THE HOP-FIELDS.
BY MARGUERITE STABLER.
{ £ /'—> AY, Mollie,” nald Nolan, lu
lip an off-hand manner,
Kafe'iLJ “'"'hafs that fellow lit the
r loggings doin' up here - :''
' The sun had passed the meridian.
Bud the shadows were lieginning to
fall eh Nolan's side. The bop-field code
tit courtesy demands Hint when u man
•I* picking with ii "lady" lie give her
always the shady side, tint Nolan. In
We perturbation of mind, forgot Ills
manners.
. ■ "‘Nothin',*’ came Indifferently from
Idollie, feeling tho rays pelting down
dpttn her head, and remembering the
thoughtfulness of the l i!,.v,- in the
leggings in pulling the fullest vines
down on her side.
4 “Say, Mollie,” naked Nolan, persua
sively, after ti half-hour's silence, dur
ing Which time several couples h;,<!
■.-hanged sides so that the girl might
have the benefit of l7ie shade, “wlmt
was be hangiu’ round you all mornln’
>1
f ’'Nothin’ 1”. The black eyes were j
stubbornly glued to their work, while
bead* ofpprsplnition stood out Oil the
rot*ad, ta fined cheeks.
Thereafter, vine after vine was
reached and stripped In oppressive
Biteaco. At length, after having de
cided to adopt a course of moody
.aitcuee, which should break tbe
.haughty spirit of this girl, and make
jitter hang upon bis slightest word,
heard himself say, before he
.knew it. lu tender, coaxing tones:
Hpjir,;:Mr what was ho talkin’ to
' yottjf .it, . i.-vay?”
; T -'ollie'a chin went Into
Wic air, and ' ips snapped together
Like the blades of a jack-knife. The
of perspiration had grown into
; : t,h!it trickled from nose to
Mn splashed into the basket.
n of the field rode by sev
cval times, find notir-ed gratefully there
and more work being
the two tlmu ustuil,
f ftbd.wbw-fit last the slpul.iv. M grew so
b ; •' matter . v y Inch side of
on. amf"tbe sun begun
jfpd rtj/ffl.ni behind a hank'd smoke and
CflWt, the joyful sound of ii*.- quitting
bell pealed over tbe fields. jp
Arms Just lifted to reach a vine,
bands In the act Of stripping a” branch,
Singers Just crooked to pick a last
hop, stopped and fell empty at the,
sound of that first tap. The unhappy
Nolr.o conbl not stop his thoughts sol
quickly, nor resist a last appealing.
“Say, Mollie, what’s the matter with
you, anyway?”
Ilut the-maid only threw a defiant
•‘Nothin’!” over her shoulder ns site*
.was joined at the end of the row by n
tall fellow In leggings. The black eyes
lost their d< 'nee, the lips rippled Into
smiles as *- • flushed her sun-bonnet
back and looked up into the laughing
face under the sombrero.
“Great place. Isn’t it?” the tall fel
low said, half to himself, as he
watered the pickers filing by—f’hina
-b’-’T Indians, .Taps, and whites of ev
pvy brand, and ult sorts of condition*.
There was the objectionable element
iif “hobos," of course, in plenUtudo.
but tbe majority of the pickers were
the men who, after harvesting their
own meagre little hay crops, packed
their wtfgons, loaded in their families,
whistled to their dogs, and started oft
for a three or four weeks’ camp in the
hop-fields. With tit. 'sc families it is
n regular Institution, and the one in
teresting occasion of the year. Here
new acquaintances are made, foot-hill
gossip exchanged for tule district scan
dais, flirtations and romances spring
tip. flourish, and die, with the hops,
and most of the back country hellos
date their social debut front the Sat
urday night dances.
1 Mollie stole n one-sided glance at
the fellow In the leggings, and took
in every detail as his , yes followed the
crowd. She held her head just n trifle
'higher than usual when familiar faces
looked up and saw her chatting with
this stylish looking fellow In the cor
duroy knii kora, in fact, when some
of her Coon Creek friends canto along,
she found it Inconvenient to look the'.,
way. lor she felt that ill refined society
their Hello Mol."' would not he con
sideted good form.
“How, long have yon worked hero';”
Hie utR fellow asked her. shortening his
s stride to fall in with her little trip,
f Mollie, delighted to be called upon
tor information. gurgled out everything
IJilifefe-koew about the bop-fields; the ad
.vantage of being paid by the piece
r of Hie day, the amount Hie
fivesage picker could make a day. the
1.-“ Weighing in the baskets, the me, essim
■t, 14 Tbe kiln, the pressing and halite;,
ami the joys of the dance given every
SSattirds.v night. Adding, for she could
|§H|j£¥Scty believe this distiumiishod-lot
jjijßj perswaijge could be a common
mtKmft <Mkc Mike Nolan and Finny
fpWfi find the rest of them: ‘‘Are
d’fib visiting fit Hr.ptown7”
gPP*, , '.tie fellow jsogii. and. -rm c-it
sjSbw*. If 1 Citfl fit find these beastly
■pars. For tiff hex; f. w v.-. ks in
Hp'fif the soli in < :.i >;t! c-, ; ,i
MRkffC’-.s tafi&e nest Sell'.'- • 'J his
Mpftt.xftlMied the dil.v :ig
Bi.jm.ck eves 1- .111.1 Vin-.
Htejag. jputlied Short Pivu* :■ t"
■KnM tfylfh this college senior.
' jgßyt,':fbcy neared the car,!, site was
fi double row <>t .tv:.ms
HBpyMMrin# at her from u:i !-:• teat
BMj|upttlt jpfking her chin up into
|J|f 'raeifflj. ftjppat nliy. as if sh,. ami this
|rjgeW'friend were alone in a wiklenu-.-s.
■ Before niekma-ttuu- the next morn
Rf ■' c
lug It was thoroughly understood by
all the tenters on Mollle’s side of thb
field that Nolan’s race was run, and
that Mollie had A. hew “steady” from
•‘below,” a# the southern counties are
termed by the inhabitants of tbe north
ern.
Nolan, his wroth cooled by a night’s
repose, became aware of this fact tvnen
he waited at. the usual trystmg place
by the first: row of poles, and saw the
tan sombrero looming up In the wake
of the blue sun-bonnet. The rest of the
day be was pursued by the cheerful
Jibes of his friends about being thrown
down for a city “guy.” Poor Mike,
even his dauntless good humor went
down under their clumsy efforts at
consolation.
But Mike Nolan was not the only one
suddenly effaced from tins girl’s fickle
memory. There were Pinny, and Spike
and Big Terry. Into whose young and
susceptible hearts her black eyes had
burned l>lg holes, now not eveu sceu
when they passed her on the row.
The eyes under the sombrero lost
nothing of tbe situation. This little
girl was undoubtedly pretty after a
sort of wil.l-rosc type, sit,' certainly
was the only oue In the field who could
help to make the long hot days en
durable to bln). Her eyes had u way of
widening when he talked to her, which
was highly agreeable to him, and lie
spam! no opportunity to produce that
effect. Her cheeks, too. had a frank
little way of going pink—sometimes
red- when the allusion was direct
enough—and altogether her open ad
miration put. n fine gilt edge on Uls
self-esteem,
“Is if possible you have never been
td R%n Francisco?” he asked her, oue
doyfljgL
“No49’Ve never been there," she ad-
“apologetically, "but,” she
hastened to add, in order to dispel any
Idea of rusticity that admission might
have saren, “I’ve been twice to Bed
Bluff,jl| we live only nine miles from
flripk.’; 3L.
"Have yoti oter thought you might
....
big up to pnir.lown a cut vine from the
pole. Hlg glance was very direct this
time, and his tones full of meaning.
It was pretty to see her eyes nnd
checks glow with n deeper hue, so In
tent was he on noting the effect lie
could produce with the slightest touch.
He did hot wait for an answer, but
went on. “Wouldn’t yon like ”
Hut just then the Sacramento train
Blundered by on the trestle, drowning
hi words, but not the look In Ills eyes.
And Ou, the the heels of that, the noon
bell rang, at which everybody quit
work, nnd they walked up to the set
tlement: together in silence lit lie M,d
He’s feet touching the ground only In
high places, her foolish little head
way ux) In the clouds, the mini's
thoughts'miles away from the scehe
about bint, and the hope of his heart
centred eti getting on the ’varsity foot
ball team.
By the end of the season Miss Mol
lie's social ctrt'lc had narrowed down
to few more thru, her own family, nnd
"ii,' tall matt. Him had discovered her
tastes to bo of the climbing variety,
•'l'd had reached the fatal conclusion
'hat not one of her ci.i Yrieuds at Coon
* ’reek possessed a particle of culture
■
for another year, the pickers prepared
to give a grand ball in bailor of the
wind-up of the hop-season/! Mollie de
termined to show them the sire of the
gulf that now yawned between her
self nnd them.
These hop-pickers' dances are open
to every one, so there are not tunny
lines of social distinction drawn. The
men exchange tileir bandana neck
kerchiefs for stiff celluloid collars, and
the girls wash out a sprigged lawn
frock, and arc radiant and ready for
thi> frolic. But Mollie, with a reck
less- slash info her summer's earnings,
burst upon the scene, on the eventful
evening, an animated billow of frills,
alil flounces, and furbelows.
As the frolic progressed, the tall
fellow with His sombrero under Ids
arm, watched thft scene from the door,
way with an nmc.sea, vvqudering smile.
The big dtnitig voohvtbai seated 300
hungry pickers lir.-e • times.q day had
been transformed in less then ;m hour
into a daubing ball. TtaeJtflWps km!
been hoisted to the ceiling by, stout
| bale ropes, where they were seAti-ed to
the rafters, while the shelf that rati
the length of the room on HotH sides,
was studded at regular intervals with
empty bottles, into each of which was
stuck a tallow candle.
After the good old-fashioned custom.
T’inny Smith, with a girl iu a yellow
frock. led off tho grand march, after
which there were polkas, quadrilles,
schottisches. and dances bis town-bred
feet had forgotten, or never learned.
When his eye caught MollJeV, he
(Tossed the room to ask her for a
(iance. From the cppo&ite doorway
Spike had starred toward her at the
same time. She held her fan—n gauzy,
flimsy thing that represented the price
of several long days’ picking, so she
■flight not seem to notice Spike—and
her breath iu fear lest he should reach
her first. The fellow in the leggings
was so interested In his surroundings
he walked slowly, and Spike, she saw.
was gaining. In a second he would be
within speaking range and fill would
be lost. The next instant she rose to
her feet, turned her back on the crest
fai!eu Spike, and reached her hand
toward the tall fellow, approaching iu
his leisurely, indifferent maimer.
When the accordion began to wall
but “The Blue and the Gray,” the man
found to his surprise this little back
woods beauty could dance. She didn't
hop, nor “scrape matches,” nor stiffen
like a poker in his arms; *he dubecd
with tlmt lithe free grace With wb!cN
ft bird flies-, or a flslt swims, because 11
WaS the natural expression of her
bubbling, lightsome spirits.
But, all too soon the music was
stopped, find there was a mad stam
pede for the counter, over which pink
lemonade nnd CooklfeS were sold. The
leggifted fellow, however, led the ra
diant little girl out Into the moonlight,
which had transformed the denuded
redwood hop-poles iDto endless colon
nade*. Regardless of her slippers nnd
flounces, everything hut the dominat
ing presence of the ttiatt beside her, she
strolled down‘the row ou the rough
bare ground. When they regained the
ball room pro tern., the music bad
struck into tbe long, swinging lit rains
of “Creole Belles,” Again they circled
'round and 'round, never pausing 'l'or a
breath until the music stopped.
Happy little Mollie! This was het
brief hour of triumph, nnd she can-led
it off with a high band. Her Coor
Creek friends, who were not toe
dazzled by her airs nnd graces, cauit
up ns usual and asked her for a dance,
but the next one was always engaged
Nolan looked a moment longingly Ir
her direction when lie caught the first
bar of "The Honeysuckle and tho Bee,’
but having heard of the treatment ac
corded the other fellows, he turned
and consoled himself with tbe Hen
easy girls.
When at last the dance was over
when the accordion bad wheezed out
the plaintive strains of ir Home, Sweet
Home,” and Ihe lmppy dancers paired
off It* twos for tbe best part of the
evening’s fun—the walk home In the
lpoonllght—Mollie wondered, In her
simple little soul, If henven could lu
any better than this.
Her companion did not tell her t list 1
he was going away the next mornin-.
until they had reached her own tent
door. He had fancied she might bo
sorry, but had not Imagined she would
rare so much. He was sorry the moon
was not brighter, for bo knew he was
missing nip eh of the tell-tale play oi
expression tn her eyes and cheeks. And
when, after repented protestations ol
remembering her until his dying day
and promises of coming up to Coon
Creek to visit Uncle Bv’s dairy ran it
the very first elm ace he got, hr- took
her hand to fay “good-by” and bent sc
low her cheeks flamed tip as red as
her lips. But she could not have been
so angry as she pretended to be, be
cause, after tlie lights were out ail uf
nnd down the line, they Were still
saying "good-by.”
It, was not a long walk to 1-loptown
station, aud next day tho tall youug
fellow, again lu tweeds aud a Panama
hat, tramped up nnd down tin- pint
form, impatient to be back Into the stir
and bustle of the life he had left, and
recounting to himself for the hun
dredth time his chances of getting on
the ’varsity team as half-back. - ■
“Hello, old man!” he shouted, as he
Jumped ou (lie step, wondering at till?
gathering of the clans. - -&
"Hello! Hello!” a volley of voices
echoed as he cuternl the ear. “Just
coming down from Shasta,” one of the
fellows explained; "my sister and,some
friends of hers in the ear. Come on!”
The train moved slowly when St
crossed the trestle, Mollie lmd counted
on that, ami hurried to tho end of the
hop-field so she might get a last smiling
adieu from the ear window. Four, five,
six windows slipped by. and her heart
began to fail, but at the eighth, there
he was, looking toward her, too. The
black eyes widened ns tin: window
came hUreast of her fern e-post. Yes,
ids bend was turned In her direction,
but why, oil Xvby, did he not see her
handkerchief waving wildly i him:
The nosi moment brought Into view a
fair-haired girl in the s al behind hint,
and the sable look, the same smile she
bad lived upon oil these weeks were
bent Upon Ihe new face. It could not
It.i t*.\o. i1.1., l lie . 1> .. 1... ! u,... 1.
be possible that lie bad forgotten her
already! thill, trusting little Mollie
waved he:- handkerchief, and then her
bonnet. His head was turned iu her
direction, but lie had eyes for no one
hut this trim-looking girl with the
dotted veil. A moment; WUM til'’
train was g-me. the rear afiljfl fif tils!
till B was out of sigiit.-^'Jll
little
back to the imp-field, o grfau dry feat
in her throat and an empty ache In her
heart, the one or two Coon Creek peo
ple she nipt let her see they had Unmet!
t h£,V were in a expected to speak to her.
At a turn iu the romi shy passed a
hilarious group of picket-.* ’ex eh an gin a
tin-type; with hearty promises of meet
ins again next year. Finny was there,
lavishing peanuts nnd gum on the
crowd, nud though he saw her, lie ‘lid
not look up. She drew her bonnet
down over her eyes and told hersell
she didn’t care. But as she walked pj:
the long, hot nveutte alone, she met
Nolan, his high spirits restored, walk
big home with the red-haired Uenessj
girl.—San Francisco Argonaut.
The Tallest foru.
The number of formers in Missouri
Kansas and Oklahoma who this seaeot
raised the tallest corn is equalled only
by ihe total number of farmers whi
planted that corn, and the tallest stalk:
have not been able to equal the ortli
uarily tall stories told about them
General agreement, however, seems tt
give to Johu Martin, of riatte County
Missouri, the honor of raising the tail
cat corn. He has exhibited stalks sev
enteen feet high. They were grovvr
from seed that had been sent to bin:
from Mexico. The only trouble abow
this corn was that it boro no ears. It al
ran to length. Possibly on this account
It must be put out. of tlie reckoning.—
New York Commercial-Advertiser.
Prisoners when arrested in Morocct
are required to pay the policeman fi
his trouble in taking them to jail,
The Brunswick daily news.
TRAPPER CALLS GRIZZLY BEAR -dt>
•<jt> “MOST PEACEABLE OF CRITTERS.”
i* TinJjly Advici to Banters Who Wish to Try a
i Shot at the Monarch oi the Western Plains -i
Y Best Way to Use Horses For Bait. y
Criirreflpoiidente* the 5eW York Time#.l
SAN BERNARDINO, Cal.-“ The
most absurd thing that East
ern people believe they know
about grizzly bears,” said Cap
tain Harvey Deddfiin, the most famous
veteran trappdr and hunter in Califor
nia nowadays, J, IS that they are the
most ft-roCiou3 beasts on foot in Amer
ica. The fact is that a grizzly is about
tbe most peaceable of critters. 1 have
killed over 200 of then), nnd thousands
of smaller wild game, in my forty
years In the Sierras. Now, a grizzly
never picks a quarrel, and never at
tacks anybody, except when it is
wounded, and I have even known a
grizzly smarting with a rifle ball to
get up and run away, However, When
a wounded grizzly charges straight at
Its foe, it Is generally a most terrify
ing thing in furs and claws. Imagine,
If you can, the sensations which a lone
hunter has when he Is charged upon
by a half-ton beast that comes hound
ing straight at him, with swaying head
and open mouth, uttering a deep roar
at every hound. Consider how the
hunter feels when he knows that a
ball must instantly be planted In a
very vital spot In the bear’s anatomy
If he would save himself front being
torn into shreds by the infuriated
beast.
“There are very few grlkzly bears In
Southern California. I have not seen
one In this region for a dozen years,
but, taken ns a whole, there are about
as many black nnd grizzly bears
among the Sierras and Coast Range
Mountains ns there were twenty-five
years ago. Tho beasts have retired
further back among the canons and up
on the mountain sides. It seems like
a foolish statement, but the clearing of
timber from the mountains lias helped
the Increase of the bruin tribe. IVhen
the timber was thick the bears were
compelled to skirmish more for food,
and bad to depend to a great degree
on roots and bark nnd on the rather
acanty supplies which the pigpens and
eheepfolds of the scattered ranches
afforded them. The clearing of the
Woods has been followed by the ap
pearance of all kinds of berry bushes,
the fruit of-which forms the favorite
food of the hears, At the same time
the-cutting of the timber has not dis
turbed the character of the dense
chaparrals, in the confines of which
the bears flud safe places for breed
lug. The l-of-lty ledges, with their ra
vines and caverns, still remain al
most. unvisifed by man, and there the
Shaggy 'critters find winter lairs as se
cure and comfortable as when tbe
finest grew above them.
SIZE OF THE GttIZZI.T.
"How big are grizzly bears? The size
varies according to the length of the
summer season and abundance of food
in tbe locality in which they arc found.
I believe the largest grizzlies are those
in California, where long hibernation is
not accessary, and where there is good
bear food any month tbe year round.
Now, the Rocky Mountain grizzlies In
Montana and Idaho are generally 200
aud 300 pounds lighter than their Cali
fornia cousins. The Montana and
Idaho grizzlies hibernate at least four
teen weeks, and when they coiuc out In
tho spring they have to rustle over
hundreds of square miles for food amid
the molting snows. Bo they soon be
come skin and bones. It Is a heavy
setback every year for the beasts, espe
cially the cubs. Now, the California
and Arizona grizzlies don't have any
such climatic conditions lo light. Tin
average weight of a full-grown Cali
fornia grizzly is 900 pounds. 1 have
killed a few that weut even to 1200
pounds. I have read stories of 1000-
pound grizzlies, but there are no such
beasts. When you consider that an
ordinary milch cow weighs 700 pounds,
you see that 000 pounds or bear, when
that bear is maddened, roaring and
clawing, is a mighty awing creature to
face, because a grizzly, for ail of its
clumsy appearance, is as quick as a cat,
and Is the most powerful of American
wild animals
ADVICE ron HCNIBUS.
“M.v advice to the hunter who wants
to add the pelt of a- great American
monarch of wild beasts to his collection
of sportsmanlike trophies, is to seek his
game in the early summer months.
On tbe Pacific Coast a grizzly’s akin
Is the best in June-. In Rocky Moun
tain regions it is best a month later.
In the autumn, even up to tho time
they retire for the winter, their fur is
not prime, and, again, having become
rolling fat by gorging themselves on
berries, they move about very little,
and that mostly at night, so that a
hunter might be in a good locality for
them for weeks aud never see more of
them than their tracks. But iu the
spring, the minute a bear leaves his
winter quarters he begins a ceaseless
tramp for food Then the wise hunter
will procure three of four old erippied
horses and kill them in some favorite
places among tbe foothills, where bruin
Is likely to travel. If oue has three
baits, they should be placed about
five miles apart, aud camp made with
in a mile or two of tbe middle oue.
Early in the morning, and again at
evening, the nearest bait can be visited
afoot, and the other baits can be
watched on alternate days, a ten-mile
horseback ride being just good exercise
for the very weakest tenderfoot. Great
care should be taken In placing the
horse baits. If possible, find a small
WU entirely bare of timber or brush,
which dopes steeply down to the west,
at tbe foot of which is some heavy pine
timber and brush, also water. Kill
the horse so that he will lie about fifty
yards below the brow of tbe hill, and,
If you wish, cut three or four stunted
pines and stick them side by side oil
the brow of the bill so that they will
afford a good screen wheri approaching
the bait, or when sitting and watching
for the hear to appear. As on this
east slope of tin* Sierras the wind is
always blowing from the west, and as
the bear, once having found the bait,
will put in his time between gorges
lying in the thick timber at the foot of
the hill, there will be no danger of his
getting wind of the hunter aud light
ing out for parts unknown. Having
once found (lie bait, n grizzly will go
to it four or five times a day, and eat
until he can hold ho more, aud when
not eating he will lie in the nearest
thick timber to It.
BEARS AS FIGHTERS.
“It doesn’t lake a grizzly long to eat
up a horse. Several years ago a guide
went on a spring bear hunt with a New
York sportsman. They killed a horse
for bait on the side of a Hill as just do- _
scribed, and going to it tbe next morn
ing found that two-thirds of it had
been eaten during the night. They sat
behind the screen of pines to watch,
and in less than an hour three fine
grizzlies mine out from JHo pines and
sauntered up the biil to the Halt. The
first shot tile hunter fired took oue of
them in the brain, and lie sank down
without a kick, while the others sat on
their haunches and gazed stupidly
around. The next shot brained an
other one, and the remaining one, nnd
the largest of them nil, started to run.
But a ball through the heart keeled
him over, and so in less than a minute
they had three fine grizzlies, all of
good size aud wearing thick coats of
prime fur.
“A bear chase is often a long and
tiresome piece of work, for when a
bear finds tlmt it Is tracked It picks
out the most tangled paths. It often
leads the hunter twenty miles over
mountains and through valleys, where
the brush and briars are harassing,
and tbe swamps almost inaccessible to
man, although the bear shuffles along
with his clumsy geit as rapidly ns if
ou the best of roads. I once followed
a bear thirty miles in a day and a
moonlight night, I never knew such a
cute beast as she was-. She would
hide behind rocks aud boulders as
well as any boy seeking escape, and
run ns fast when she knew I had a
chance to fire at her. At la-st she got
away h.v dodging into some boulders,
when I was too tired to I'ollpw her
longer.
“A bear hunter's outfit Is simple: A
good up-to-date rifle, heavy boots, thick
trousers, a light hunting nxc In a belt,
a pistol, and a long blailed knife for
emergencies. If a hunter Is anxious
to bo put on his mettle while on the
hunt, let Him give the licav a scent of
him. Then the bear will take a course
which will require nerve, wind, and a
tough sklri to follow. When the Sttow
is deep, a bear chase is generally slow
nnd tedious. With a light fall and
a fresh track, however, there Is no
sport so exciting, and eveu an amateur
hunter will find himself going milea
on a good stiff trot. It is no hard mat
ter to kill a bear if The dogs understand
their business when the bear is brought
to bay, for it will give all Its attemion
to the dogs that are yelping around It,
while the hunter stands off and fills
him with lend. But there are times
when a bear will brace himself for a
tight from the word *go,' and then if
the hunter does not kill at Ihe first
fire, he Is apt to have about as lively a
time as he ever dreamed of. No story
of a hoar fight that was ever told can
be much ahead of the incidents that
occur during a fight if it is a good
one.”
Trc as Rain TeHer*.
It is true that people ofteu say that
tlie turning up of leaves is a sign of
rain, says the Weather Review. I
have beard the remark many times,
but as far as my observation go, tbe
sign does not seetu to be a very sure
one. There arc many kinds of trees,
like tbe silver leaf poplars, in fJet all
poplars, the maple and some of the
oaks, which turn their leaves up when
ever there is a fairly strong, steady
wind, but they do it as much lu* clear
weather as in rainy. It has been sug
gested to me that possibly the belief
may have arisen from the fact that
wiuds capable of turning leaves over
very often precede or follow rain
storms, and as people are usually on
the alert when the general atmospheric
conditions favor rain, looking for signs
to confirm the general feeling they
have that it is going to rain, it might
l>e that tlie turning up of the leaves
would be especially noted at such
times.
Siam Xlenitcrtl.
Fearful rumors from the north of
Siam continue pouring in. aud the gov
erunreut authorities here are simply
transfixed at the awful reports cur
rent of the havoc aud loss of life that
is being wrought by the armed Shans
who are bursting over the Burma
frontier. If the flame once catches
the Malay states by some stray spark,
a general conflagration may be antici
pated aud then “finis” might safely
be written to the history of Siam.—
Bangkok Siam Free Press. . ,
household
Matters
Popular Bedspreads.
Bedspreads of flowered organdie are
much liked, accompanied by bureau,
chlffonnier and washstnnd cover to
match; for bedrooms of dainty debut
antes. A pattern should be chosen of
large design nud quite deep tint, as
It loses in tint when spread over white
Three breadths are necessary for the
bedcover, run together so the flowers
will match, and finished in valance
effect by a deep ruffle. An under ruf
fle of thin; Inexpensive lawn or tam
bour muslin is necessary to prevent
its being transparent. It should be
sufficiently long to cover the round
bolster at the top and should have the
ruffle opened and hemmed at each side
at the bottom to allow it to hang
straight down around rite bedposts.
J)en Decoration.
An odd decoration for a “den” is in
the form of a good-sized drapery of
fine leather, soft brown in shade and
having a design of pine-tree limbs cut
out upon it. The peculiar feature of
Ihe decoration Is that, let in behind
the branches, is satin, colored to sug
gest a sunset sky. The tints are red
dish brown, harmonizing with the
leather, yet warm enough to suggest
a rich sunset tone. The leather is in
closed in a scroll of etching work, col
ored in brownish olive tones, and at
the top of the simulated flame has
been placed a cluster of pine cones in
burnt work. The pine-tree limbs are
also shaded in pyrographlc effects.
The “skin” hangs upon the door, and
lends an artistic decorative touch to
the apartment.
Tn Japan..# EflVct.
For the Japanese corner—the latest
fad—matting nnd bamboo are prime
requisites. The matting is used to
cover seats and form a sort of wains
coting. Bamboo forms the framework
of the corner and the same pliable ma
terial Is utilized for the simple fur
nishings nnd wall decorations. Singa
pore lattice, fish nets and like materials
are utilized for drapery, and while the
decorative objects, such as tennis
racquets, golf appurtenances, etc., are
supposed to reflect the taste of the
owner of the den or corner, distinct
ively Japanese decorations must bo
conspicuous if tbe character of the
corner would be maintained. Cushions
whose covers display all the brilliancy
characteristic of Oriental productions
must be piled In profusion on the com
fortable seat which is an inseparable
adjunct of tbe furnisblugs of this Jap
anese corner.
New rictnre Hnnging;**
There tea new way of hanging pic
tures this season which adds the
good effect of freshly-paperei* walls.
It is used with the clasps which clutch
the picture rail to avoid peppering the
wall-paper with nails and tacks.
The new way does away with the old
method of making a triangle of wire
from the top of the picture to the rail
and clasp: Two wires are used for
each picture in place of the single
long one. The wires nre fastened at
the outer and upper edge of the
frames. The wires go straight up and
are fastened to the rail Instead, of
converging at a point midway above
the picture frame.
To avoid a short end of wire use a 1
piece extra long, which could go i
straight up over the corners and cross
in a right angle turn, which should
be invisible, and continue on to the
corresponding clasp which clutches
the rail on the other side, and then to
descend in an unbroken line to the
other upper and outer edge of the
picture frame. The effect is very
pleasing.—New York American.
. ; RECIPES : r T
Turkey Hash—Mince one pint of told
turkey: add one-lmlf cup of turkey
stock. Ileat it very hot in a saucepan.
Lay a large spoonful on a round ol
toasted bread: continue, until all is
used. Put a sprig of parsley on the
top of each one and serve.
Pickled Grapes—Pick the grapes
from stems, put them in jars; to seven
pounds of grapes allow one quart of
vinegar, three pounds of sugar, one
tablespoon of whole cloves and one
tablespoon of cinnamon; let these cook
for fifteen minutes; let cool, and while
a little warm pour over the grapes and
serve.
Cheese Cakes—Rub one and one-half
cupfuls of cottage cheese through a
strainer: beat tbe yolks of three eggs;
add them to the cheese with three
tablespoonfuls of milk, half a cupful
of sugar, rind and juice of one lemou
and one tablespoon of melted butter;
beat this mixture well: line a pic plate
with rich pie crust, turn iu the cheese
and bake twenty-five minutes
In a moderate oven.
Potato Gems—To one cup of warm
mashed potato add one tablespoon of
butter, one tablespoon of salt, the
yolks of three eggs well beaten aud
one cupful of milk; pour this over one
and one-balf cupfuls of flour; beat
well and add the whites of the eggs
beaten stiff, and ‘two and one-UaU
level teaspoonfuls of baking powder;
fill greased gem pans two-thirds full;
bake in a quick oven twenty minutes.
Omelet Souffle—Beat the whites of
three eggs very stiff; heat tbe yolks
until thick, add them to tbe whites,
then add one aud one-half tablespoon
fuls of powdered sugar and the juice
of half a small lemon; put these ingre
dients together very carefully and
heap by the spoonful into a buttered
dish or into buttered paper cases with
powdered sugar and bake iu a mod
erate oven a golden brown; twelve
minutes should be ihe time to bake;
serve a* soon a* removed from oven. ,
DECEMBER 21
DETECTION OF FORGERY.
(I-ns Of Fraud That Appear Ouly t
Trained Eyes*
Avery curious fact about the phli<s
iophy of handwriting is this. That a
tnau never writes his name twice in
exactly the same way, or, in other
words, one signature is never a fac
simile of any other. So that, if an ex
pert finds among some genuine signa
ture tfne. tha f ' corresponds in every de
tail with it disputed signature —and
such a thing ha's happened several
times—he is absolutely certain, first,
that the letter really is bogus, and, sec
ond, that lie has before him the very
model used by the forger. All detec
tives of the inkpot agree that the dis
covery Of two signatures ts inch, on
being .superimposed and held to the
light, (ire identical, seem ns one, is a
Conclusive proof that there has been
tracing. ' , .
Such are the leading principles of the
expert’s profession. How are they ap
plied? In‘some oases they, are not ap
plied at oil. The paper itself, the
stamp, if there is one. may proclaim a
document to be a forgery. Then the
microscope and other appliances will
sometimes show whether a signature
is fraudulent Swindlers commonly
write a name in pencil and then ink it
over. If the expert has reason to be
lieve that this method has been accept
ed—and it is not difficult to detect, be
cause. for one thing, the signature
looks duller than the other writing—lie
has only to put a drop of acid on one
of the letters, ami, presto! the ink dis
appears, revealing the glistening plum
bago beneath. But it is practically im
possible to obtain by any mode of trac
ing a sign-manual that will success
fully bear the closest scrutiny. In fol
lowing the model, whether that be a
fae-simile in pencil or carbon, or a
genuine signature held to the light,
the pen hesitates, giving the writing a
zigzag appearance, which, although
not visible to the naked eye, can be
clearly seen with aid of a microscope.
The most useful ally of the. expert,
however, is the camera, which has no
equal for showing signs of erasure,
correction and pen hesitancy.
In one way or another, then, a docu
ment may be pronounced a forgery
without any comparison of writing.
Rarely is this so when Die work of a
really accomplished professional pen
man comes to hand. He generally
practices a signature till he can imitate
it. closely enough to deceive any bank
cashier, when he dashes it off at the
foot (ft a check with greater fluency,
perhaps, than could its owner. Til this
art Jim the I’enman was an adept—tin
greatest adept in the annals of crime.
No tracing or boggling for him, no rub
bing out or touching up; he wrote at
once exactly what was wanted, imitat
ing the most difficult hand with a free
dom, an ease and a perfection that
were marvelous.—Cassell’s Journal.
lamming nd Age.
Men of thought hare always boon
distinguished for tlicir ago. Colon, So
phocles, Pindar, Anacreon and Xeno
phon. were octogenarians. Kant. But
ton; Goethe, Pontenelle and Newton
■were over eighty. Miehaolangclo and
Titian were eighty-nine and ninety
nine, respectively. Harvey, the dis
coverer of the circulation of the blood,
lived to be eighty. Many men have
done excellent work after they have
passed eighty years. Landor wrote
liis “Imaginary Conversation” when
eighty-five; Isaak Walton wielded a
ready pen at ninety. Hahnemann
married at eighty, and was still work
ing at ninety-one. Miebifelangelo was
still painting liis giant canvasses at
eighty-nine, and Titian at ninety
worked with the vigor of his early
years. Fontenclle was as light heart
ed at ninety-eight ns at forty, and
Newton at eighty-tliree worked as hard
as he did in middle life. Coroaro was
in far better health at ninety-five than
at thirty and as happy as a sandboy.
At Hanover Dr. Du Bolsy, was still
practicing as a physician in 3807, going
his daily rounds at the age of 103.
William Reynold Salmon, M. It. C. S.,
of Cambridge, Glamorganshire, died
on March 11, 1807. at the age of 100.
At the time of liis death he was the
oldest known individual of indisputa
bly authenticated age. the oldest phy
sician and the oldest nieuiher of the
Royal College of Surgeons. England.—
Chambers’ Journal.
A Kecord in Stacks.
The longest authentic period for
which a wheat stack has been kept
nuthrnshed is forty years. The story
of this forty-year-old stack is briefly
as follows; The crop of which the
stack was built was grown in 1856.
This stack and another belong to two
brothers, both farmers, who lived in
tile neighborhood of Harrogate. In
March of the preceding year the Cri
mean War broke out, and the price of
wheat rose by leaps and bounds.
Shortly after the stacks were built
the price of wheat, rose to 975. per
quarter, and at this price one of the
brothers sold out. The other, however,
determined not to sell until the price
rose to £5. Js>
In March. 1850, the war terminated.
ami the price of wheat fell. The farm
er. however, stuck to his resolution
and refused to sell. He kept his stack
until 180.', when the farm
the hands of a v■ bretfc-
then thrashed it cut. During tke whole
forty years of its exist#t}ce it had en
joyed perfect immunity. front 1-atjg, but
had been the abode '< of
spiders. It yielded oajßuunrters
of wheat, loir the u;-
rendered • '• \
Probably the oldest oat tHEtras
that which lie!.- Mr.
ler. near I>o\ i~. in
thrashed our aSUfI
twenty telle V. ; ’lt-.
Xho Corr Population.
A Ffetich statistician < -;
number
e.,s. .
thO ;■ -••v- a y*’