Evening Star Newspaper, January 4, 1890, Page 9

Written for Tae Evexrxo Stan. : <fTERS AND POINTERS. Ours Are Now the Best Ones in the World. WUAT SPORTSMEN SAY OF THE NEW DEPARTURE AT THE AMERICAN FIELD TRIALS—TESTING & Dow's QUALITIES FOR FIELD WORK—POINTERS AND SETTERS COMPARED. Atthe trials this year the controversy of fetter against pointer has been more pronounced than ever before; indeed, for some time past the diseussion has almost assumed the dimen- sions of a feud among the kennel clubs. Rec- ognized authorities on field sports like 8. T. Hammond, the kennel editor of Forest and Stream; Mr. Lacy of the Turf, Field and Farm, Mr. Washington A. Costa of the Eastern club and Col. Odell of the Central club, hesitate at pronouncing emphatically om either side, bat it is generaliy admitted that the pointer has how won its way to the front as tho most avail- able dog for all-round field sport, The setter has held the place of honor so long jb: y will regret putting him in the second k. for he is the handsomest dog that ever od ina bunting field. There are three va- Tieties: The English, the Irish and the Gordon . The English is,as a rule, white and liver-colored. The Irish is a deep red, and the Gordon is black on the body with tan marks on head and feet. The coat should be stout on the back body generally and the tail carried cua level with the back and well feathered. Its action in the field should be free and rangy aud tts jimbs should show flexibility of move- For the rest everything depends on the For thick work, or hunting over a rocky ~asetter is best, as its heavy coat pro- t# itfrom the briars and its feet are pro- tected by the feathertng between the toes. WAITING FOR THE WoRD—“PETCR.” Pointers are somewhat slower than their rivals, but are preferable in hot weather and when hunting in an open country where water is searce. The best colors are liver and white and lemon and white. He should be rangy in build, bony and muscular, but never fat; with a deep chest, strong loins, ears set low and close to the cheek; a clean, well arched neck aud throat and a tail tapering toa point and carried on a level with the back. The coat should be close and middling fine, though not delicate in texture. The pointer is not a deli- cate dog, and the only trouble he may be ex- pected to give 18 in becoming foot-sore. This cau be prevented if a little precaution is used. Wash the dog's feetin luke-warm water and dress them with neatsfoot oil and his feet will main well in an ordinary country. I have a Jetter from an authority in England concerning some of our American dogs, in which he says he doesn’t believe that any British kennel can show such dogs. This is probably because we make a point of bringing out their retrieving qualities, and train them eepecially with that view in advance of our field trials, There is no retrieving at the spring trials abroad, as no birds fall to the guns in the close season. American sportsmen enjoy an advan- tage over those of England in holding the field trials in the fall hunting season, when the dogs can be shot over to good purpose. In Britain the trials take place in the spring, a clove season, when the genuine sport is coun- terfeited by the use of blank shells and the real qualities of the dogs are seldom brought out as satisfactorily as here, where the game falls to the crack of every gun and the retriev- ing qualities of the animals can be fully dis- played. The Eastern club trials, which took place at Hyde Park, N.J., were very successful this year and brought out an unusual number of fine dogs. Lexington, N.C., the scene of the Central club trials, has been the rendezvous of hunters and valuable kennels from all parts of the country for nearly a month past, ere has been a new departure in the method gatthe field trials this year, For- the best dogs in a class were run against other in the field, and the best of the were accorded the heat. The trial gen- erally was an hour's hunt. Under the new sys- tem, which has just come into operation, no decision is rendered at the close of the heat. ‘They take a list of dogs and try one against the otber, and out of the whole list that have been run the judges select the most likely animals to compete for the prizes. They cut down the number to five or six to try for the first and second prizes. All the competitions take place over the ordinary out-door ground, throu;h fields, farm-land and stubble. The dogs are shot over just as though they wero hunting in- stead of runuing tor premiums, the only differ- ence being that the greatest care is ex-re:sed their handlers, so a8 to make every possible ut and bring out their fine qualities. I. is that our dogs retrieve better than the ib, from whom they are descended. SPTTER—TEE HANDSOMEST DOG THAT BUSTS. Whatever may be the merits of the new sys- tem it can hardly fail to give better satisfac- tion than the old, under which so many kennel owners complained. The prizes were fre- utly awarded to the merely stylish animals, while the best workers im the field were pass by. Every sportsman knows by experience that it will sometimes happen that where two dogs are working together the dog that cuts out his field in a workmanlike way may be eclipsed by ar less clever mate stumbling upon the covey almost by accident, An award for such work is manifestly unfair and takes uo account of the real merit of the dogs. Every owner of nnel who intends enter- ld trials gives them a e takes them out itches closely to see which bas the better range, looks out sharpest for birds and excels im speed and style. An hour is sutlicient for a test of this kind. To get the best results the weather should beclear and cool. with a light preeze blowing. An open field is the best or a piece of ground with In high winds it is difficult to locate the birds, and the trial will be slow work. The dog that starts out we ranges widely. works out his ground rapidly but systematically and follows this up by finding his birds, standing them in good style and retrieving carefully. is filling all the requirements of a first-class and has fair chance of taking a prize, ould not, ever, dwell too long on an nose and what is known as “bird sense” he will soon determine whether or not a bird is at the other end of the at. There is the widest difference in the style of dogs working in the fields. Of a really good brace oue may range fast and wide and cut out his ground im capital style, but he may have a poor nose, . POINTER—NOW THE FAVORITE. ‘The other may have a weak style end yet, by reason of his better scent, may find his birds quicker. There may be just as widea difference wo-king on single birds as on bevies, One of the best illustrations of this difference in the manner of working of a pair of doge was seen at the Eastern club's for the All- Aged stake a few days ago, when ra Lest pointer that has ever been entere, American trials, was matched againt Count Fauster. another famous pointer, in the third series, ‘They were started on even terms in a —_ stubble field. At the word Rip-rap took the right side and went ‘with all speed to the upper end, where be with a poor nose is apt to | made « short cast toward the center and came back, head weil up, until within one hundred ards of the starting point. where he scented is bevy, and whirled half around and stiffened into a beautiful point. Fauster, meanwhile, had been working slowly on a foot scent in the same direction. but he was still some distance off when Rip-Rap had finished and was stand- ing. Both had doue good work, but that of Rip-Rap was so wuch superior in point of style and finish that it won him the heat. The accompanying drawing will show the working of this famous ~ in the field. “When I wish to try my setters.” said a ken- nel club member to the writer, “‘I take them to a place where I am likely to find birds. There Italk to them kindly and turn them loose, al- lowing them torange some twenty or thirty fe off. Sometimes they will range over one undred or one hundred and fifty yards, but I them closer if possible and sometimes use a check cord. When once they strike the scent they know whether it isa fresh or an old one, and whether to work slowly or uickly. A good dog will follow it up, going slowly and more carefully the closer he gets, and will finally creep tremblingly forward un- til he stops on a point. Generally one front paw will be raised ina wary way, the muzzle will be turned toward the game as if eager to spring forward and the tail will be straight out and quivering with the strain of the excitement. Sometimes he will turn his eyes back toward me, while his mate stands off in the field back- ing the point. At the report of my gun both dogs drop to the groundand remain there un- til given the word to ‘fetch,’ which gives me time to reload. “One of the best accomplishments of the field dog is good retrieving. I have known dogs that at first would not bring in winged birds alive, but by stuffing a dead bird with needles the pup soon learns to bring it in gently enough, " “I begin training my dogs—pointers or set- ters—when they are six or eight weeks old and make it a point, if they are at all stubborn or slow, by giving them their lessons when they FISH THAT ARE RAISED BY HAND. The Carp Ponds Near the Monument and ‘Their Finny Occupants, DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES OF LAST SPRINGS FLOOD@—THE PROSPECTS FOR SHAD—WONDER- FUL STORY OF THE CARP—HATCHING FISH AT THE PONDS—HELPLESS GOLDFISH, The fish hatchery at the base of tho Wash- ington monument has been in mourning ever since last spring. And no wonder, considering that the floods of that direful season swept no fewer than 4,000,000 youthful fishes out of the peaceful nursery ponds into the raging waters of the Potomac. In the annals of fish culture no such disaster has previously been recorded. In the waters that overwhelmed Johnstown thousands were lost, but how feebly does that unpleasant accident compare with this catas- trophe, by which millions of innocent crea- tures, as yet too young to know their dorsal from their ventral fins, were engulfed in an irresistible torrent rushing toward the sea. The shad were all right, of course. Who ever heard of a shad being embarrassed by an awk- ward concatenation of circumstances? Two million baby ones, already precociously de- veloped as to bones, swam out over the river banks without leaving behind them so much as ascale, pour prendre conge, though doubtless many of them will have the politeness to turn up again some other day in the nets of the Po- tomac and Chesapeake fishermen. Carp by myriads broke up the schools they had been attending all winter to take an indefinite vaca- jon. MAYBE THEY WERE ALL RIGHT TOO. But the goldfish—alas! What surmise is to be entertained as to their fate? With only too much certainty can it be guessed at. For, you see, the goldfish has been domesticated for 80 are hungry, as then they will pay better atten- tion. I accustom them to the report of a gun and in eight or ten weeks the dog must be able to point. “When in the field I don’t send a young dog up-wind but diagonally across, It delicate plece of training to teach him to — nicely and to gallop across the wind and wheel at the signal or upon bis own judgment. —_ Part of his early education, too, should be retrieving. many thousands of generations in China and Japan before being brought hither that he no longer knows his enemies. Put into a stream and left to go on his own guileless hook, he will wriggle along, happy and unsuspecting of evil, never tuking the trouble to dodge behind ue when he sees a big tish, until a wide- mouthed monster comes along and, without stopping to shout “Look at the dood!” takes the gilded youth in ata mouthful. As for the exceptionally swell Japanese three-tailed gold- fish—a freak of nature improved upon by arti- ficial selection—it is, like a China woman, 80 fashionable that it can hardly locomote, and furnishes, with its brilliant color and waving caudal fins, a most attractive and helpless bait for the finny deep-water pirates and cannibals, It would be quite safe to bet that, of tne 100,- 000 goldfish that escaped from the ponds last spring, not one is now alive. It is positively painful to consider what must have been the state of miud of Dr. Hessel, the expert in charge of the hatchery, when, after the subsi- dence of the floods, he gazed upon his ponds, which had contained over 4,000,000 inhabitants, and found remaining only a beggarly 40,000 fishes and a few fresh-water turtles. To cap the disgusting climax. he discovered that the floods had restocked the pools with fully 500,000 common river suckers and other worthless specimens, This was, indeed, the irony of misfortune. HOPE AHEAD. But by the time that the robins have nested again the ponds near the monument will once more be agleam with the shiny sides of carp and shad, for in May the hatching time will have arrived, when seine-nets yawn and fish give up their eggs for artificial incubation in glass jars, Then the new-born “fry” will be thrown by myriads into the pools to grow up as tast as they kuow how, so that, when they are big enough they may be disposed of where they will do the most good in American waters, The shad will be scattered by thousands about the Chesapeake and other spots profitable to that fishery. You would believe them needed, too, if you could see one of the tish commission's maps showing how the shores of every bay and estuary are fringed with pound nets and traps, so that it is a wonder how any shad coming from sea to lay her eggs ever escapes at all. As @ matter of fact the fisheries would probably have exhausted the supply of this delicious fish some time ago if it had not been for the efforts of the fish commission. The carp will be dis- tributed in batches of twenty to those who ask for them, “The price of a good setter varies accordin, to its pedigree. A well-broken setter of g: breeding will bring at least $100 or $150. Mr. Lovell gave $2,500 for Petrel. and other gentle- men have given equally high prices for dogs with Jong pedigrees. Pointers are about the same value in the market. They run all the way from $100 to $1.500. Mr, Anthony, the owner of Graphic, paid 21,500 for him. But, of course, these figures are the exception. A brace of really good pointers or setters can be bought for $250. Still, such figures as those last named would not secure dogs comparable in the remotest degree to such famous setters as Cassio, Cincinnatus. Chance. Betty 8., Toledo Blade, or pointers of the class of Rip-Rap, Lady Belle, Bang-Bang, Trick, Fan-Fan, Bounce, Count Fauster and others that took part in the field trials this season. Those trials, by offer- ing handsome purses running all the way from $250 to $1.00, succeeded in bringing out the very best strains of settera and pointers in the couniry.” The ‘coat, which in the setter is fine, silky, but not curling, and crisp to tie touch, thick in body aud long in feather, and in the latter soft, short and not too fine, is valued at fitteen points. The chest, which in the setter is not so widely barreled as in the pointer, four; the BTORY OF THE CARP, Now, of the carp there is a good deal to be said that is quite new. This fish is an immi- grant—an assisted one at that—and sixty-five individuals of the species were brought over from Bohemia in 1875 for planting in the ponds at the foot of the towering needle of Washing- ton, In Germany, you know, the raising of carp is one of the greatest agricultural indus- loias, which ure more arched im the setter, | ‘Ties, $0, many acres of lowland properly situ- While the hips of the vointer are more syin- | “ted, being counted upon as productive of s0 metrical, six points; the shoulders, pretty | ™82Y pounds o Per annual crop, just as much alike in both, six points; quarters, six |S? many bushels of wheat or corn might be cal- culated upon for the same area, ‘The farmer plants # certain number of carp to the acre, at the proper time for scaly sewing, in the same way that he would apportion the reqnisite quantity of seeds for a given space. His ponds he makes artificially by damming the stream that runs through his holding. so that the land he chooses to devote to that purpose is over- flowed. The fish he puts in are propagated with wonderiul rapidity, for the carp 1s enor- mously prolific—it grows to three pounds’ weight in as many years, and a single female points; general outline, three; feet, which in the setter have thick hair between the toes, and in the pointer are round and cat-like, eight; legs, seven; hocks, strong and muscular in both, fi head, which in the setter is smaller than the pointer’s and narrower acros« the ears, ten; nose, the pointer’s being broader ia front with a square ouiline, five; ears, long, soft, thin and carried low and close in each, five. For the rest the general quality of the dog is hope considered in jadging. | In = setter the flag or feather on tail, hocks. legs an : * will produce 800,000 eggs ataspawning. As feet is very important, G. H, Sanpison. the dumand serves the carp are draws from HOW IT SEEMS TO A NOVICE. pet ei eperens sent tomarket. After while they cease to thrive, however, A Stenographic Report of a Football and then the water is drawn off and the land ploughed for vegetable Match —-Things Seen and Heard. From the New York Tribune. produce, and thus the carp are actually made to serve for helping to apply the great agricul- New York is a Frankenstein among cities. New York inspires with life strange things tural principle of rotation of crops. In Ger- many the carp are sold alive in tanks; custom- called fads and crazes;and the first thing New York knows the hoof of a tyrant fad ison her ers go to market, pick them out as they swim and order certain ones sent home, either fresh fair throat, or some monstrous craze haunts her and wil! not down. killed or wrapped al damp vloths with a bit of bread soaked in beer stuck into the When the unfortunate metropolis was pros- trate before her Thanksgiving foot ball craze mouth of each fish to preserve animation, Col. McDonald, the fish commissioner, told a feeble Tribune reporter, with only oue father and one motter, was plucked from his accus- Tae Stax writer that be had found in one place tomed haunts and hurled into the midst of the near Hamburg 5,000 acres, or nearly eight square miles, of carp ponds cultivated to supp); howling polo grounds, without stopping to in- quire why the lagoon and mire which lay be- ihe markets of that city. Because they wisl the fish to be always salable—and they would fore him were known as polo grounds, he took out his note-book and with @ heart heavy with not be so when spawning—the puta responsibility began to take notes of a foot uumber of pike perch into each carp pond, which keep the fish so annoyed that they have bail match. “It was only a little match, but it was his first. He saw tangled masses of high- uo time to think of reproducing their species, colored limbs aud bodies writhing in the mud. Yoeat the minnows, which otherwise would iatten upon the tood of the carp, black bass He saw wild foot races across the quaking mo- rass, He beheld two parallel rows of men have been brought from America and intro- tickling each other's ribs until, like a hare from duced to the poois, overt, an ugly, poor little wind-bag of a bali FUTURE OF THE CARP. The interesting application of these facts is shot out, and they all made after it, like the bounds, and feli upon it, and worried it, and found in the circumstance that the business of rearing carp artificially promises to become before long a great industry in this country. Already the progeny of the original sixty-five finny pilgrims from the fatherland have be- got tangled again. come so numerous, through distribution by the In despair, for he was a stenographic re- | fish commission, that the carp is today—though porter aud felt that this sporting live would | uaknown to America fourteen years ago—one jail him, be opened his ears to hear what his | of the most common and widely distributed well-versed neighbors on the spectators’ | fishes of the United States. There is, in fact, beaches would say ia comment on the evolu- tions taking place in the field. With new-born hope in his bosom, he* trusted to his flying pencil to record by the utterauces of the wise the progress of the game in a realistic und in- ‘ounty of any state in the Union that has not carp, and it ie estimated that its introduc- telligible form, which everybody might read and understand. won has added $1,000,000 annually to our na- tional food supply. It is a new food, too, aod that was a particular idea of the fish com- mission in bringing it over. To introduce to the farmer — edible for bis table was some- When all was over he deciphered the follow- | thing wort! hieving, not to mention the ing remarks among others: mn ete pleasure of contributing enjoyment to the rural “Wow!” “Did you see that head? It was | »mail boy with s taste ior angling. It must be buried in the mud.” ‘There's a fellow laid | owned, however, that the carp 1s not @ fish that out.” “No, he’s on bis pins now.” “Look at them rubbing his back.” “See that chap push his way through there? Isn't it fun?” “Hurray!” “Now, then, watch “They're scrapping, “by jov. thoroughly satisfies the angler. Admiring readers of Sir Isaak Walton, charmed with his praise of the carp a8 a thing to catch, have ouly found disappointment in tackling the coy stranger. He is knowing beyond all other himself—aud “Oucn! Foul! hisses! wow!” "“Woulda't | tishes—Sir Isaak says that muc! you like to see them fall into the deep ater?” | the consequence is that it is almost impossible “My! Charlie's got the ball—Charlic's got the { to deceive him with a bait. If you draw his pool with a seine he mud and avoid the net. ‘The irrigation reservoirs of the west are at present being utilized most profitably in the pagation of carp. Certainly there is money [Femiaine screech.) Qh! he's down,” ee (Screech.} ook at that ball laying in the mud!” “Charlie's laying in mud, too.” Now they're all laying in the mud. [Screech.] Where’s Charlie?” “He's gone under.” (Nascent screech stided.] He'll come out allright!” “Ob!” “Ob!” “Wow! Down went McGin' to the bottom of the sea!” ug! should think they would get very tire. i they fell right in the water.” [Much ughter.} “Oh, there's another hansom.” “Charlie in- vited me to drive ina hansom. I told him I wasn't hansom enough. Tee hee!” [Giggles and squeaks.) ‘Look at him! he's bumped his head against the wall.” *“That was very nicely done.” sent out im lots of twenty to any one who cares “Gosh! What a biff he got in the head with | to ask for them; but, in order that persons not the ball, didn’t “Ob, say. That in earnest shall not take advantage of the gov- with the umbreila’s shouting that time’ ernment’s liberality, o has been made that ” roqeee mee sent through members a 80 con- of to any address in the United States, presage from ths us Mo tho tas. doe- tination. The pottcen. oa tg this by sending ite own cars to different whence Johnuy—-Oh, my prerogatives are the fish are distributed. Hun think Tether Why, siiek 40 30 metas; Sobuny =: | Seeks inaaereab ee perlgt | : maddy. snd they are not to be eaten in sum- Be ae cant one Mr. & Ting ine In the covets nate Wombe wight teak weigh saw a i. in the halt and when Z tsked kim what was | 30 a, doing he said he was only exercising his pre- drawing of the fish ponds is a very rogatives, so of——” interedting spectacle, It is done in October or Bister—‘Pa, will you put Johnny to bed?” November, when, atlow tide, the dams are opened, 80 as to let the water flow out into tha Potomac. The fishare then caught in deep traps and netted out for shipment whitherso- ever they are needed. GATHERING SHAD EGGS. The young shad grown to a fingor’s length in the six-acre pond by the monument are only a few compared with the 150,000,000 rep- resenting the whole number of small fry dis- pases Aare by the fish commission, The great collecting and hatching stations for shad gre on the Susquehanna, Delaware and Potomac rivers, To gather the eggs agents of the com- mission go out in the fishermen’s boats, and, as the nets are drawn, expel the roes the females by passing the hand over the bodies of the fish, so that the eggs are into glass jars, where they are immediately fertilized by milt obtained from the males in like manner. Col. McDonald's men, to save expert labor, have tried to teach the fishermen how to procure and fertilize the eggs them- selves, and with such success that now more than half of the Potomac eggs hatched each ear are sold ready-fertilized to the commission ry the People who make a business of catching shad. The commission pays $20 million for such eggs—a liberal price, considering that the average shad will supply 25,000. On receiving a batch of eggs from a fisherman the agents of the government fish bureau place them in a glass jar, through which a stream of water rans, so that ali the bad eggs and refuse are floated off, and the residue, if in good condi- tion for hatching, is measured twenty-four hours later and paid for. The good eggs hatch out in a week or less, and are either shipped on the commission’s cars to various points for dis- tribution or are first hatched out and the new- born fish consigned to the streams, The bulk of the shad distribution is in the shape of fry. FISH EGGS AND HEN’s EaGs, A shad egg is very much like a ben's egg in the notion governing its structure; but whereas the unborn chick, growing from the germ spot on one side of the yolk, first feeds upon the white of the egg and then the yolk, coming out only after it has consumed both, the embryo fish, when it comes into the world, bas the yolk of its egg still attached to its belly, being equipped in fact with a wock's rations in ade vance, so that it may look around at convenient leisure for a future living. It is very curious to inspect a fish egg three days old under a microscope and see distinctly not only the eyes of the coming animal but the very backbone and the heart itself pulsating visibly. Dr. Hessel has a lot of goldfish even yet in his ponds. and he is very proud of them. They are a species of carp also, you know. Thecom- mission draws upon him for them, as you would draw sight drafts on your banker—if you are so lucky to have one and cash in his hands—and sends these poissons d'or all over the country as gifts. In one of the ponds are a number of big goldfish weighing a pound or more npiece. Such, at any rate, you would say they were; but, in fact, they are not goldfish at all, but ouly the golden ide of the Danube, They are much better than goldfish, however, since they are just about as pretty, and they are also as delicious to eat as trout. THOSE INTERESTING TURTLES. The doctor takes great interest in his turtle pond, which contains fifteen varieties of fresh- water turtles, He exhibits much emotion when he speaks of the intelligent manner in which they lay their eggs, It may be said unquali- fiedly that they beat a hen hollow. Each female turtle in the pool—there have been 200 turtles in it—has been accustomed to walk up on the bank when she felt like it and lay an egg. Her custom invariably was—this speci- men mamma turtle representing the social set in the pond—to dig a hole about three inches deep in the earth with her fore-flappers and then scoop it into the shape of an inverted cone with her tail, In this hole the egg is laid, and, Madame Tortoise would cover up the excava- tion with earth and grass, so that it would look natural, and then slump back into the water again, Next nigkt she would come and re- move the stopper of grass and earth, lay an- other egg, put back the stopper and depart as before, und so on nntil four or five or six eggs, maybe, had been buried. Then she would quit and leave to their fate the young ones, who, quite equal to the exigencies of their case, would diz outof the grovnd in six weeks or so and make for their chosen element, The re- markable thing about it is, however, as Dr. Hessel remarked, that no turtle ever seems to miss its own nest or to interfere with another one’s, Very weird, is it n ———— A JAIL BIRDS’ SUPPER. Members of Parliament Dine With Ex- Thieves. From the London Times, In Little Wild street. Drury Lane—one of the lowest thoroughfares of a particularly low neighborhood—last night the annual supper given by the St. Giles’ Christian mission to members of the criminal classes was held in the presence of several governors of jail, police court magistrates and others well acquaiuted with the habits of law breakers and interested in work directed toward their reclamation, A very large body of men assembled early in the evening and partook of an ample repast, con- sisting of beef, plum pudding and cheese, with tea and coffee, Subsequently there was a general assembly in the chapel belonging to the mission, At this meeting Earl Compton, M.P., presided and was supported, among others, ty, Sir Frederick Abel, Capt, Eyre Massey Shaw, C.B., Mr. Gainsford Bruce, Q. C., P., Mr. Curtis Bennett, Mr, Bag- allay, Mr. Frank Bevan, the Rev. J. Mc- eill and Mr. d’Eyncourt. From the informa- tion which was laid before the ete | aa to the work done by the mission, it appew! that during the year 19,800 prisoners were dis- charged from the four metropolitan prisons, Of these 15,978 accepted invitations to brenk- fast and 4.850 signed the temperance pledge. Besides these, 8,359 men and boys were assisted in other ways. ‘Those connected with the mis- sion congratulated themselves upon the con- tinued marked decrease in the criminal statie- tics—a decrease which had been particularly marked during the twelve years in which the work of the society had been carried on among discharged prisoners. The pening of the pro- bation of it offenders’ act had greatly in- creased the number of the lads sent to the mis- sion by judges and magistrates, and had com- pelled the building of additional premises in order to accommodate ihe cases. The work had been carried out at great expense, and a strong appeal was mado for support from the public. Earl Compton eloquently supported the work &nod aims of the mission and particularly pressed upon his hearers the fearful evils due to excessive driuk- ing. Mr. W.Whestley, the secretary of the mixsion, addressed the men in a very practical speech, m which he earuestly advised those who bad gone astray to endeavor by bard work, sobriety and the avoidance of bad companions toreturn tothe paths of respectability and honesty, He announced that the commis- sionera of police had forwarded £40 and the names of 135 employers who were willing to take on men at his recommendation, Mr. Cur- tis Bennett and other speakers addressed the gathering. ———_——-+040«_____ Novelties in Jewelry. From the Jewelers’ Review, Among the various designs in bracelet pad- locks is one representing a dull gold egg at- tached by a slender chain. A rich and artistic brooch consists of two twist wire interlocked circles, each with a sap- phire and diamond center. Numbered among the fanciful designs in queen chain pendants is a small gold brick with a diamond in each corner, ns Scarf pins composed of jeweled feathers, in which the stones are set with a view to their contrasting hues, are popular. An elaborate bracelet is formed of heavy gold rings linked together, with a diamond, ruby or sapphire in center of each circle, A very beautiful effect is produced by & hairpin to; ie by carefully reproduced lace pia ig , with here and there glittering jewe! A late conception in side-comb headings con- sists of slender gold wires arranged in pyramid — across by slanting rows of Pear! ‘The holidays have been the means of bring- ld umbrella down tos THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D.C., SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1890-TWELVE PAGES. CHASING A NEW YEAR DINNER, The Absent-Minded Contributor’s Pur- suit of a Holiday Feast. SOME APPALLING ADVENTURES THAT HE MEETS WITH ON HIS PILGRIMAGE—DISADVANTAGES OF NOT KNOWING WHO IS YOUR HOST—HE GETS THERE FINALLY, FEELING QUITE CHEERFUL. The time that Tae Sran’s absent-minded contributor had on New Year day was simply immense, and he owes it all to his incurable habit of forgetfulness. By this it is not meant to say that he ever really forgets anything of the vast store of valuable facts accumulated beneath his brain-pan, but merely that in the ab- sorption of literary effort too much of his mental activity is left to the purely mechanical functions of the noddle, so to speak, and fre- quently he fails to take in things of s com- monplace nature, It was on this account that 00 one occasion he went to the wrong funeral, by mistake, and did not discover his error until the coffin was opened at the grave, dis- closing not the o of his maiden aunt, but that of a notably gentleman with a brown wig. In like manner it happened that, having accepted an invitation to dinner for January 1, 1890, he forgot entirely who it was that had extended it. For his life he could not re- member, The situation he felt to be most awkward, and it was with some relief that he made up his mind at length that it must have been his friend Brown—that jovial. hospitable soul—who proffered the seat at his festive board. AN ADVENTURE AT BROWN’S. So, at exactly 2 p.m.—the hour he remembered as having been set for the ban- quet—the absent-minded contributor, attired like McGinty, in his best suit of clothes, rang the bellof a handsome house on Massachu- setts avenue, and, imitating Brutus, paused for reply. Presently » smart maid in a white apron came to the door, and he handed her his card, saying simply: “I have come to dine.” Whereupon he was shown into the parlor and sat down to wait. Five minutes passed, and then he rose to his feet expect- antly, asthe heard a rustle of petticoats along the hallway without; a strange Indy paused for @ moment on the threshold, gazed at him intently for a moment, and disappeared. Another five minutes went by, at the end of which a strange man stepped in, eyed him briefly but fixedly, and likewise departed. This was embarrassing, and his feelings were not relieved when five children of various ages came to the door successively, peeped in, then trotted away, If these were other guests, he thought, they were very unsociable. ‘The maid came scurrying down the entry and went out the front door; but he took no especial notice of this, because by this time he had set himself to composing the introduction to anurticle that he bad in mind. He had just about framed the first sentence satistactorily when a small edition of little Lord Fauatleroy walked in and, standing at a respoctful distance, said: ‘apa's sent for a policeman.” te Policeman, my little man! And why, pray?” _ “Lo take you to the lock-up. He'll be here in a minute.” And the youngster scampered away. THE BOUNCER BROUGHT. The absent-minded contributor was just laughing gently to himself over this infantile jest when who should enter the parlor but an actual policeman, accompanied by the strange man aforementioned. The strange man ap- proached the literary guest and said: “Sir, am equally divided between two sur- mise as to the cause of your coming to my house and announcing that you intended to share my New Year dinner. Either you are insane o= you have read in newspapers that it isa practice popular in Washington to go to entertainments uninvited and you have come on cheek. My wife was convinced from your appearance that you were a dangerous lunatic, and ao, at her earnest request, I procured this policeman, who will attend to your case if nec- essary.” “Good Gad!” exclaimed the absent-minded contributor in astonishment, “You don’t mean to say that this is not Mr. Herbert Brown's house?” “Most assuredly not. There were some peo- ple named Brown here, I believe, two months ago, be: fe moved in,” That settles it oaned the unbidden guest, and without stopping for further explanations he rushed out of the room, escaping a half-me- chanical clutch from the policeman, plucked his hat from the rack in the hall and slammed the front door behind him. An intelligent small boy on the next corner, who was prac- licing with a playmate an ingenious game, the object of which was to determine whether the one or the other could endure the harder licks with a leather strap without crying out, gave information to the effect that Mr. Brown had eoren to such-and-such a number on the next lock, BROWN’S AT LAST. So the absent-minded contributor proceeded in that direction, considering to himself as he went that the adventure he had just had strongly resembled another experience of his own some years back, when he had undertaken to convey a friend who was helplessly intoxi- cated to his (the friend's) lodgings. He knew where the drunken man lived, because he tad been taken up to his room in the third story of a Washington lodging house for a little visit only ten days before. Accordingly, having supported him to the street door, which was unlocked, though it was midnight, he got him in at last and began the serious task of getting him up two long flights of stairs without arous- ing anybody. It took half an hour of arduous labor, Pushing him up one step and pulling him up another, to achieve the top landing. Then it only remaiued to drag the inebriate into his apartment, put him to bed and depart, And for all this his friend never gave him a word of thanks, possibly because, as a matter of fact, he had been turned out of that lodging house a week before for not paying for his room and the landlord, finding him soon after 1 o’clock that fateful night in alcoholic slumber on his old bed, uncharitably kicked him all the way down the stairs and left him to sleep out the night in the gutter, The absent-minded contributor was just smil- ing over his recollection of this woeful denoue- ment as he found himself at the number where Mr. Brown really did live, Of this he was care- fal to make sure by a question atthe door. Then he sat down inthe darkened drawing room and communed with himself until a por- tiere was suddenly thrown aside and firs. Brown, whom he recoguized at once, rushed in and threw herself upon his neck, exclaiming: “Oh, you dear old precious pet!” A TRIFLE AWKWARD. Now, the literary man was a trifle surprised at this, for, although cordial relations had al- ways existed between Mrs. Brown and himself, she had neyer exhibited any special affection for him before. Certainly she had never called him pet, precious or otherwise. manner of welcome was agreeably cordial, contrasted with the cold reception accorded him at the other house, and he did not see how he could meet it with a repulse without positive rude- ness. Nevertheless, he felt nervouslest Mr. Brown should turn up and, hearing that gen- tleman’s footsteps actually coming along the hallway, he made an effort to remove the lady's arms, but, to his alarm, she continued to cling until her husband actually appeared on the threshold and remarked, very naturally; “What in blazes does this mean?” “Why, Herbert,” she exclaimed, “this is my brother Jim, whom I haven't seen for six years, Come here to the light, Jim. What! Why, it isn’t Jim atall. Ob, Mr. Blank,” addressi: the absent-minded contributor, “bow coui you embracing my wife?” “My dear fellow,” said the hapless visitor, “I was on the point of partaking of your New Year dinner. “Indeed! So war sure. Didn't know that Iwas to have pleasure of a #0 I interrupted the “No, Herbert,” sot in ised a iterical laugh. _ was — after all. The servant, whe know thet ies é i 4 better late than never. Simpson's house he —_ never visited before and he remarked that it was a very big one. “Thhope Fm tot too late for dinner.” he said, anxiousiy, when the was thrown wide. The woman servant in and bright rib- = 6 i ‘engi of the room on the biank side 0} ite the win- dows, and took his tard. visitor looked about him and observed to himself that Simp- son must be making « great deal of money in the ing line to afford so spacious a res- idence. Presently looking young man with a feeble mostache and whiskers, who introduced himself very grace- fully and began most affably to converse. TWO FELLOW “GUESTS” ENCOUNTERED. “You are to be a guest here, I presume,” he said, interrogatively. “Ye responded the absent-minded contrib- Cc pcbat I wes very mach afraid lest [should too late.” “You need not have been alarmed,” rejoined the young m “We are not so full as you might suppose. “I think I fail to catch your drift precisely; but perhaps I may ventare to say that, so far as you yourself are concerned—notwithstand- ing the festive occasion-—you do not exhibit any _—— symptoms of baving taken too much.” ach. The mild-looking youth paid no attention to this remark and did not appear to b “We are not very full now,” he “but we shall doubtless be so later on. ever, you must permit me to take this oppor- tunity of introducing yon to the young lady who is now entering this parlor. ‘Fair prin- cess, let me present to you a friend of mine, the king of the Cannibal islands.’ ” The lady bowed gravely in recognition of the introduction and the absent-minded con tributor responded, though not at all compre- hending the pleasantry. “You have come to rescue me, I presume,” she said, ‘from the ogre who keeps this horri- ble castle.” “Oh—ah—that is to say, of course, madam. Indeed, why not?” “Tis well, But you cannot overcome the giant in open combat.” ‘ “No; I think Simpson could whop me, if that's what vou mean.” “Therefore we must have recourse to strata- gem. Be beneath my window at 9 o'clock this —— with @ rope ladder and we will fly er.” “I will fly with her myself,” said the mild- looking young man, apologetically; “but, un- fortunately, I am only put together with glue, and I should be likely to come apart directly warm weather.” 4 PRIVATE LUNATIC ASYLUM. At this moment both he and the young wo- man suddenly jumped up from their seats and ran out of the room, just as there entered by another door a benevolent-looking gentleman with a bald head and white whiskers. “What can I do for you, sir?” he asked. “Tell me where Mr. Simpson is,” answered the visitor perplexed. “Mr. Simpson lives next door,” said the bald headed man. “His old number and our new one being the same, a good many mistakes have been made. This is a private retreat for the insane.” While showing the visitor out the superin- tendent—for such he was—explained that the institution was not quite full at present; the mild-looking youth, he added, was under the impression that the establishment was a hotel. The young man himself, as they d through the hall, looked out from the door of what was evidently the dining room, with a large blot of mustard on the end of his nose. “Is this Mr. Richard W. Simpson's house?” asked the absent-minded contributor a minute later next door. He was informed that it was; also thut dinner was nearly over and that he might find the family in the dining room if he liked, invita- tion being sent down to that effect. The wel- come he met with was hearty anda few re- marks that he ventured about being unavoid- ably late and soon were hushed up at once. Glad to see him, they said they were, at any time. ‘The turkey was brought back and liber- aliy recarved for his benefit. Even soup, a trifle cool, was proffered. Cheered by repeated bumpers of generous wine he gazed with glow- ing peace ¢ upon the ill-disguised courtship that was going on between the eldest daughter anda red-haired young man with a snubby nose. He was even intensely amused when the small boy howled because he couldn't have a third help of pudding and was carried off to be spanked in camera. After Mrs. Simpson left the table, partly for the purpose Gf ged this interesting operation, he and Mr. Simpson lingered over the decanters, smoking and talk- | ing merrily. “GETTING THERE” AT LAST. “It was awfully good of you, old man, to in- vite me here to dine today when you knew my family was out of town,” he said at last, “Why,” replied Mr. Simpson, “I didn’t in- vite you; though, of course, the unexpected- ness of your coming made it all the more de- lightful.” “You didn't invite me.” “Most certainly not, though I should have been charmed. Ee ‘Well, who did invite me then?” “I don’t know, U's sure.” “Goodness me! I've got the problem boiled down now, at all events. It must have been either Kelly, or Peters or Williams. I can't afford to offend any one of them; so I must tod- die off right away—they all live in the immedi- ate neighborhood, fortunately—and offer my excuses,” The absent-minded contributor went to the Peterses’ first and found, to his disgust, that his invitation had not been there. but he consoled himself by imbibing a couple of glasses of neat brandy with Mr, Peters, strictly on the ground that the first day of a new decade comes only ouce in ten years, and should be duly cele- brated. To Mr. Kelly, upon finding that gen- tleman at home with his family. he remarked that be had been having losh of fun during the t few hours, and wished them all a hap’ New Year, over some choice and strongly forti- fied port. Mr. Kelly, however, was not the giver of the dinner invitation. That long- sought personage was discovered at last in Mr. Williams, for whose beuefit the absent-minded contributor tried to recount his adventures, but fell fastasleep in the middle of them, and was carried up stairs to bed by the butler. He was late, but t there just the same, THE POWER OF THE HUMAN EYE, It Fails, However, When Focussed on the Bald Spot on a Snoozer’s Head From the Chicago Mail. “Did you ever try the power of magnetism as expressed through the eye?” asked a friend of mine at the theater recently. “It’s interesting. T've been developing the faculty of late, and have great fun out of it. Last week as I sat over there on the side of the parquet circle I saw several rows of chairs ahead of me a young lady of my acquaintance. She was sitting so that she would have to turn clear around to look at me, and I thought it a good chance to test my power, Icalled the attention of my companion to her, and said: ¢Now watch me make her look around,’ Then I concentrated my gaze on the back of her bonnet and my mind on the idea of controlling her action. By and by she began to look around the house rather nervously, glancing everywhere, and then she tur clear around aud looked straight into my e; I met her afterward and told her about it, and she told me that she didn’t know what caused her to do so unusuale thing but she felt impelled to, and had done it before she thought. e tried it lots of other times. I wasat a musicale the other evening and during one or two painful numbers picked out acquaintances around the house and made them look at me. there entered a mild-/ J 0% Potomac Riven Ls r ah ee ean ORSSS Ring wants ee tar as Nomi Creck, ™, bee 3 RAILROADS. PPE GREAT PHI + our NN EA NOSE wpe tr DOUBLE TRACK. SPLENDID SCENE STERL KAILA | MAGNIFICLAT }QUIPMENR, feet 1, TRAINS LEAVE WaSHiNe fOX, FROM BTA TIO! CORNER 6TH AND B STREE AS POLLS For Pittsburg and the West, chicago a yy Cars at lu Dal 0:50 «. and - daw fhe x Tress, 10:00 pu daily, for Pitiaburg and the W ye throug Sleeper to Prttsbune. ‘and Pitt BALTIMORE AND POTOMAC RATLRO; For, Ae caudate Rice an Nigar Pal except tnday, 8 10am, For, tk, Cactadnigen ued’ hector Qalhy: Ser bub. = tye ~ opt Ry ad Neepia Car rom tg hoe — For’ Wilijansport, Lock Haven a mireed A ven apd Eluire at 10:50 Fok WYORK AND THE vl EW Yo! % and 11:40 am. 210, fe Titgo Wine 2 to 530, ata $3. eve “my 2 ; BR) ithlied ESirees ‘od tor Ges b40 a.m daily, except Sunday, and 100 pe FUL PHLLADELPRIA ONLY. Fast Express 8:10 a.m. week daysand 8 For ues, 8:0 pa, daily. for Bont ut chaugre, 3.20 p.m. every day. For bevokiyn, Ny all through traine comet Jercy Gy with “boats of_broukiyn Anbes, afford tux direct trausier to Fulton street, avoiding double ierrage across New ork City. For Atisutic City, 11:40 aa. week daya, 11:20pm tly For Gaitimore, 6 11:00 and 2:10, 3-2 1G aa ana For topes Creek Line. For Aunapolis, 2°20, 1.00 12.05and 4 ‘or Aunapolis, 7 20, 1:00 am...12 20 daily, except Sunday. Sundaya, 90D om. 416 pm. ALEXANDEIA AND FREDERICKSBURG WAY AND ALERANDIda ADD WasniNetol BKAILWaY iN kFFECT NOVEMBE For Alexandria, 4 am, 120d 10-09 4. noon, Ores ee 10:57 pan. 5 am and 4.55 * 0, 10:57 am ang daily. Accommodsun 4:58 pus week for Was! 6.05, 7:05 0.101511 UF em Lee soe 8-0, 10 dh 10 avand 106 ptm On 10and 11-V7am..2:04 dca Osku ¥.20, LU -S2and 10:42 p.m. ete and iuforaen at the otice, Dortheast cor a, a avd Fenpenivente p+ -—] ie station, wlicre orders can be-left tor te ees baggage to destination trou butels ‘snd —— CEAS. E. PCG, 3. ‘General 121) Gow. Pas Agent, ccs Ass tee ik LROAD, Schedule in eect December Jo, LAND. Leave Washington for station corner of New Jersey veute wud For Chicago - C] @auy, $10 aud 113 For Pitwburg ey Yor Lenuxtor For Luray, 5:40 p For Baitinore, week days, 4:00, 5.00, 6-40, 7 230, v4 12-00, 45 calpuoas Sat 514d maim a8 ye, Ou, 40 uuiutes)” 1b, 4590, 0-26, 7:10, me bundays, 8:370.m.. 4:00 p.m For stations ou the Meiro flo-3U am, o4: va te stations, t7:00p.mq rch train leaves Washington om Supday st 1:20 ibe at all stetions on M-trojouten Brawel, hy 10245, ThA U Raley TSG, TH Be m. “Sundays, 1-10 pan. For Hayerstowa, 111 20am. and $5.30 p.m, wie uErive trom Chicago dauy 11:45 am. US P.tu.; jrow Cuuciunel, and Bt. Louis daily Se id 1.5u pau. ; trom Pittsburg 7:10 an, 6.08 ) PHILADELPHIA DIVISION, - uton, Newark end hilzsbetb, “9°20, *12 00 om, “2 :3u, "4-2u) 0:.0 yum. Butlet parior care On all day sleepin car on the 10:0 pip, opel @ 8:00 pan For Fuiladeipius, Newarl Wiluaugtou apd Cl °4::00, Th 00, “9:20, *12 su em, “2 -Su,* us dew 1100 em, wight. iraing leave Philadel "Belo. *42 10 a.m. t 200 pm. aud “2221 ig for Washington *4. Naot by 4 AU, SOs AT AO pe ty 4-00 mim wid “1200 ma” Same nse 4 OU atu. Bud 12-0 bon, ‘ xcept Duiiday. “Dey. s 5 wage Called ior and checid from hetcle aunt Fame idenevs by Union Irausfer Co. ou oruers Jeit st Uke offices, 619 aud 1351 #a. ave. aud at Depot, dude OBE! ay Gen. Manager. Sg AND DANVILLE RAILHOAD Co, Dehedule in eflect NOVEM, K 24, Insy. 5.30 6.1. —bast Leunessee Mail, daily for Warrem ton, Gordonsville, Charivtiesviile. Sackbans oud stations between Alexandriasnd Lynchburg, Mosueke, AUaute, brsntol, Kuoxt ule. Chattanoogs sud Mempbng, Pui Sleeper Wasiuneton to New Orleans, 31:24 ain — Fast Mail deily for Cupeper, Chare Obio Jottesville, Statious Cuceajeake and outa, mechbi wcky Mount, Dauvilie aud ditions bee tween i yuchburk aud Dutiv.lie, Greeusvoru', Aaieigh, Asbeville, Cluriotte, Columbia, Aus a Barmiuctiaa, Mouwomery. New Orveaua, esas and California. Pullman Siceper New Yor to Atisute, Pullman Sleepers to New Ori dleeper Dauvule to Columbia aud Auguste. Pullman sleepers iuwtOn to Ciuciubat Vis C. abd O, houte. 30 pu —Dely, except Sunday, for Manassa, Fanbuiy aud intermediate «tations. 5:30 pau-—Dally Vie Lynchburg, Bristol and Chat foows., Pula Vestibule nicepers Washington te Menbuie, counsctine thence for gil Arkaume vowie P. estcrh bxpress, tor Mabasaa, Culpeper. Orauxe, Charicticsville, Staunton, Louie Ville, Ciueupuati. “Puliuan Vestibule train Washuuge tou to Cimcunsl with a Fulluan eueeper for Louie ville. 11:00 p.m.—Soutbern Express daily for Lymeiburx, Danville, Kalexh, Asievule, Char ‘Coluuni Auguste Auauis “Moutcauety, New Uri dem ang Caiiforuin, Wasuington to Pols itis Vestibule Car New Urleaus via AUaute aud Montgomery Sleeper Wasuitwtou to Biruingham Ale, vis Atauts sud Geoncs Fuciic raiway, and’ Pullman Washinxion to Asueville and ‘rains oh Washington sud Ohio division leave Wash- inxton Ys A daly except Sunday aud 4:45 pm, Getiy: arrivdiionund Bull 1190 ae wad 7 Sos returniug lewve Bui Hill 6-00 am. daily and te 6 paw. daily gees arriving Washington 8.50 vile and) yuchburg “arrive ip Washiugiun” U2 Tyechvars ot feud 10°30) ue a. aud 10:40 pi; Vie veake aud ‘ule aba Charloitesviile at 2 ivauie ave. aiaut 1 asssnyer sistion Penuaylvenne ‘sve. anal lasssauer I — Palinosd, Oth'and 2 sta” ry JA. L TAYLOR, Gen, Pass, Agent, POTOMAC RIVER BOATS, 10 NOKEULK AND PORT MONKOK Tht FOPLLAK BOLI, THE OLD PAVOMI1 i 5. BAMLK GEORGE SrRivi. DARE. COMPU, E-E rooms at oy fi 'e, LUtb aud Fn. ssid asi iat eae Steam 51! . I and Sly and 135 oS. yy prey 5 Mauger. DENTISTRY. B TEN EXOK, 4