Evening Star Newspaper, September 6, 1890, Page 13

THE EVENING *. 13 WORKS OF SAVAGE ART Wonderful Carvings in Slate by the Haida Indians, pean eee SOME VERY QUEER MYTHS. New Stories of the Creation and the Fiood—Toten Poles and the Surprising Tales They Te —Drinks of the Country, —_ In respect to art the most highly developed of ail known savages are the Haida Indians of the t, regarding whom the northwest cos Smithsonian J on has recently completed &@ most interest tion, the results of which are about to be published, There is now to be seen at the National Museum a collection well worth studying of carvings executed in » by these people which are simply » in their execution. In fact they are works of art in an ele¥ated sense of the term. Not the least interest attaching to them, how- ever, is due to the circumstance that they all have a significance—representing pictograph- jeally, a8 it were, the wonderful myths of the Haida, « You will notice that among these carvings the raven is conspicnons asa subject, This is so hecau according to Haifa belief, the creator of all things aud the benefactor of man was a great raven called Yetl, which had many human attributes an also the power of transforming himself into any shape that he se. He existed before his own birth, never grows old and wili never die. Numwrous are the stories of his adven- tures in peopling world and giving to man the earth, fi fresh water, fish, game and so forth. Mankind sprang from acockle-shell. Yetl was lonely finding a cockle-shell upon the beach he considered it earnestly for d: while sh fora and by he heard a faint and presently there came out female child, which quickly grew imarried the raven. From ame ail the Indians of that re- t first lived in darkness and want, t as he could, however, Yetl endowed de. Uae. all these things were in pos- uncle, who was the great Evil od raven was obliged to ae- y Luckily for Yetl, he d the magic crane, whose skin enabled the wearer to fly,and hed also slain the big diving bird, with whose skin he i water; for his uncle tried rey nly excaped by means On one occasion the wicked avun- r relative, who was lord of the tides, caused the ocean to rise so high that the raven was compelled to to the sky, which he p with bis beak an hung to unt ter which it subsic the I. This Haida version of the uni- When the sun shone imprisoned by h we the people were frightened ection) for the first ti and ran in al, c Some fled to the mountains, some to the woods and some into the v and all of these were transformed oO animals according to the hidi places they chose Fire was obtamed by the raven fr: island far away in the sea. He reached there by the help of hia magic bird s nd seizing » burning brand in his beak started back. But the journey was so long that nearly all the wood burned up, and even the point of the raven’s bill was scorched mains to this day. black, as it re- So he let the brand drop and the sparks flew over the ground in all di- recti From that time both wood and stone have contained fire, which can be obtained from the one by striking it and from the other by rubbing. FAMILY TREES. The so-called ‘totem columns” of wood, h are often ignor: mistaken for idols, reality the anc 1 columns of the ry Hadas. None but rich men can srd to erect these columns, n in front of his the column is mounted by the totem or dic bearing of the man. It may be @ bear or a beaver or what not, each clan having i own totem. B sented the tote clan, while the other designs may rate some legend connected with the totem of the owner. Many of the columns are almost holly legendary. In the illus- tration the top group represents European with and long black flanked by two chil- dren in sitting posture. It repre- sents a legend, which may have sprung from ‘an actual occur- rence, of the kidnapping of two vhildren of the owner's clan by white traders long ago. The figure next to the top with the instrament in ite claws the crane, which was formerly an ex- with tools, but they were Stolen m and ever since he has been his fate. “I want my tools!” ery which the crane now gure below is Hoots, the his paws the butter- . when Yetl was looking i for man to occupy, the butterfly d over his bead as he flew. When they cume to the country now occupied by the Haida the butterfly pointed with his proboscis to the good lands and said: “Where the bear is there are salmon, herbs and good living.” So that as why Haida came to Queen Charlotte's Islands and why bears sre so abundant there. The next figure is the giant spider killing a man by sucking the mischie rod. O} the adventures of ots demon who etole the crane’s tools was a battle with the giant spider, which Was a mortal my toman. The demon over- came the spider and threw him into the fire, but instead of burning he shriveled up and es- caped as ® mosquito, carrying away with him small coal of fire in his proboscis. Now, in lace of killing men, he can only suck a little lood. but in revenge he leaves a coal of fire in the bite. TOTEM RIDICULING CHRISTIANITY. Another totem column, shown in the illus- tr: m, stands m front of the feast house of the famous chief, Skowl, who was the most bit- ter opponent whom the missionaries from Kussia encountered on the northwest coast. Skowl's crest, the eugie, tops the column. Just below it is the carved figure of a man, With right hand uplifted and index finger pointing to the sky. It significs at im the heaveus the God of t fe man dwells. Below this is representation of an angel, as meeived by the Indians from the tion of the whites, and then the figure of a Kussian priest uth hands piously folded ucross his breast. This whole group of the missionary, the angel aud the figure with uplifted hand commemo- fates the fu:lure of the priests to ouvert Skowl's people to their faith and was erected in ridicule a de- onof the religion of the white man. Beneath the group is a mag- Bificent carving of « spread eagle end atthe bottom of the column a figure intended to picture one of the early traders on the coast. The mouse is the judge by which the ckness and death. When any one is taken iil er dies a wood mouse is caught and put in a little cage, which is set Bpon « raised platform in front of three judges chosen for the purpose. The little mouse, frightened, retires S @ corner of its cage and ‘hey then begin to ni cted per- 885d pooneatty the little mouse nods ite head, victim has to pay money or blankets to get clear. Punishment of people accused of witeh- craft used to be so common among Alaska In- dians that several villages had to be bombarded a des db; n-of-war stationed up there Batare the practice oould be broken up’? \ | ist. CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE. Among these people any crime whatever may be compounded for by payment. A murderer acquits himself of all blame by simply giving an indemnity to his victim's relatives. The same principle is applied in the case of the be- trayal of a young woman. If discoverea her lover is bound to make money reparation to her parents. A failure to do this would cause her family to use force to back up their de- mand. No blame is visited upon the girl, but the offender is simply regarded as a robber who has committed depredations on their merchan- ¢ ‘This indemnity system is carried toa mové astonishing point. For instance, an In- diun at Sitka broke into the room of two wivers m their abscnce, emptied a demijobn of their liqadr and died in Konpear geen The relatives of the robber demanded payment from the miners, who were obliged to give it. Aschooner in a gale on one occasion rescued two Indians from a sinking canoe. The cance Was nearly long as the schooner and could not be carried or towed, seeing which the In- dians themselves cut the craft adritt When the humane captain landed the rescued men at their village he was astonished by a peremptory demand for payment for the canoe, backed by threats, Some curious customs among certain Alaska Indians relate to child birth. The husband on such an occasion takes to his bed and is treated as if an invalid, while the wife is dri out of the house and left to her fate, being shanned by everybody as unclean. Alcohol is the pre- vailing curse of ali the natives in that region. In certain regions, liquor being obtained in quantities either by distillation from molasses or by purchase from traders, a regular system of getting drunk in detachments is practiced, Itis the duty of those sober in the village to look out for the drunk and attend to the houschold duties, canoes and children. When the first detachment has sobered up the others take their turn, A favorite drink is from potatoes distilled in a kerosene can with worm made from the stems of the giant kelp. This “-hoochinoo, it is called, is drunk raw from the impro stili and creates immediate madness, Ensign Niclack, U.S.N., who has conductod this in- gation regarding the Haida Indians, says what the traders sell in that region for whisky derives its strength almost wholly from vitriol and nitric acid, ‘The siate in which the carvings spoken of are made is quarried out im a soft state, so that it is easily worked with tools, becoming hard with time. Eyes of the creatures repre Seated are usually disks of mother-of-pearl. Such art works as these place the Haida easily at the head of the savage tribes of the world, pseu es FREAKS FOR THE TABLE. as ed Utensils and Ornaments That Puzzle the Uninitiated. HEY say that Mrs, Levi P. Morton had a melan- choly experience re- cently, such as was well calculated to afflict a house keeper, even though she were the wife of a Vice President of the United Stetes. A guest dining at her house, though a man of no little political distinction, was unacquainted with the uses of the modern doyhies, which is a thing intended purely for decorative purposes and not for util Mrs. Morton had just had imported from Paris a set of these luxuries of table ornament, most costly for the reason that each one was hand-painted in water colors by askilled and proportionately high-priced art- On the occasion referred to the doylies in question were displayed for the first time at dessert under the finger bowls, Imagine the hostess’ horror at seeing her guest, so famous as a legislator and yet so ignorant of social ions, coolly dip his fingers deep in nd wipe them with the greatest non- chulance upon one of her precious new works of art on filmy bolting cloth, ‘The Vice L'resident's wife was not equal in this emergency to the philosophy of Mrs Whitney, who, when a guest of hers smashed most precious tea cup, calmly picked up an- othcr and fractured it, saying, “Aren't they absurdly brittle?” But, of course, she was too well bred to make any remark, and was obliged to content herself with mournfully describing the melancholy incident to sympathetic friends, It is a funny thing, though not so very sur- prising after all, that this mietake about the decorative doyly is only too frequently made. Not very loug since the thing so provided with the dessert was intended for use, and not merely for beauty, and go it does occur that people not up to the latest social fashions right often commit the solecism of wiping their wet paws upon the morsels of embroiderd and decorated fabric. One has always sympathized with the man—and he must have come along many a time—who drank out of his finger bowl and observed that it was ‘devilish poor lemon- ade.” Obviously, the best thing to do when one is in doubt about anything at a dinner party is to watch the others, But there are so many strange fixings—new ones, at all events—to be found at the tables of the rich in these da that the inexperienced may well be feeling puzzled occasionally. A true ory ia told of a western Congressman from an agricul- tural district who found himself a g: not long ago at adinner given by a cabinet officer from his state. He discovered a miniature silver hay fork at the side of his plate, the likenesses of which he saw the other people use for their oysters, He did the sume and was so far all right, help- ing himself to salt with a very small gold spade provided for the purpose. It reminded him of the tool he had employed many a timo to dig potatoes with, save for the metal. Of potatoes themselves, mashed, be was presently helped toaportion, and he found that his fellow- guests utilized aninstrument, the like of which he was also supplied with, to push the voge. table upon their forks. Subsequently b learned that the instrament was called a “pusher,” but at the time it seemed to him nothing more nor less than a diminutive hoe, in the exact shape of which it was undeniably constructed, But there was one utensil that made him ex- tremely nervous, inasmuch as he could not im- agine for what purpose it was intended, and he Was carefully guarding himself against’ possi- ble faux pas. For course after course he watched his fellow guests to see when they would bring the curious tool into play. It waa not, however, until the asparagus came on that he saw an eminent diplomat who sat opposite Pick up the silver bay rake from beside his plate and employ it to convey the vegetable to his mough, “Well, I'm d—d!” ejaculated the Congress- “So that's what the man under his breath. But why in blazes, if we're goin’ thing is for! into farming for the dinner table, dont we have a threshing machine to make the beef- steak tender and a mowing machine to clear off the crumbs.” to REBELLING AGAINST TROUSERS. Some Very Funny 1 Things Done in Mexico. From the New York Star, “We do funny things down in Mexico, and the most ridiculous act that I ever knew, even down there, occurred the day before I left home. Tho speaker was Manuel Ramon of the City of Mexico, who arrived in New York on Mon- day. ou know all the common people there Wear cotton drawers instead of trousers,” said Mr. Ramon, “‘and it had always been consid- ered quite proper until the advent of the many Americans, who always comment upon it. Bo for several years there has been a growing feel- ng that everybody should wear trousers—that is to say, every man. This feeling culminated the night before I started for New York, when the city council solemnly resolved that the proper way fora man to hide his legs was in orthodox pantaloons. The action had been debated for some time and with some little warmth, but it finally passed by a narrow ma- jority. Many persons doubt the constitutional right to change by force what may justly be considered the national dress, but they are met with the statement that it is not intended to use force. The trousers advocates say that it 1s only hoped to devise some legal means by which trousers will be universally worn. The formal act of the city council was the appoint- ment of acommittee to study the question, with instructions to devise some means of in- ducing the change. The report of that com- mittee will be awaited by the public with © good deal of interest, and it will create s com- motion if it suggests forcing trousers down the throats, or on the legs, of the working — A Popslar uprising is not among the Deserving of Smypathy. From the Detroit Free Press. Tramp—‘Can you give me just a little bite of something? I don't seem to have any luck finding work around here.” rp eealemtre Se seracpow ime tare Tramp (cating pie)— ‘ku my ie, madam,” ATTRACTIVE HOMES. How s Simple Divan May Beautify An Odd Corner. WORK FOR WILLING HANDS. A Pretty Cover Made of Cheap Mate- Finls—Getting a Design From Natare— A Novelty in Pin Cushions—Draping @ Bureau. ees OME ideas have been asked for on the subject of a divan by a northern friend who has been kind enough to say that “Attractive Homes” have been of use to her in suggestions heretofore. While through illustrations and descriptions the va- rious forms and foundations are familiar, sho wishes some special ideas to suit the room and place where she intends to put the lounge. It is all to be home made, and as the household is exciusively feminine a dry goods box is to be the ready made framework. The room is not very large and the wall spaces pretty well oc- cupied as it is, in consequence of which tho divan is to be placed under the mantel, which is purely an ornamental structure and has no connection with heating the room, for the house is not modern and a big stove in a cor- ner takes the place of a radiator. Tho mantel is of wood, ‘painted gray like the rest of tho woodwork, and gray portieres are at two door- ways. The general tone of the room is brown and gray, though no scheme of coloring has been carried out. There is, however, nothing of any decided shade to clash with yellow, so that color will be effective introduced in the small bits of decoration. A piazza shades two win- dows and only one other is in the room, making a rather dark apartment, and yellow will lighten the tone of the whole. With these ata,” therefore, to guide I think (as economy is an object) that brown denim would be more suitable in color than any inexpensive mate- rial I know of for the covering of the projected divan, The frame should set across the jambs and two large pillows, stutled to make them thick, must be set up at the back just to fill in the wail space below the shelf, which is covered with wall paper. Accord around this with the corners slizhtly rounded is all the oraament necessary, aud as silk cord would look unsuited to the denim one might be made of heavy brown twine with several strands twisted together. A box-plaited vaianee reaching to the floor will be the proper finish for front and sides of the box and the top is to bo stuffed with excclsior covered over with npholsterer's moss and the denim tightly drawn over and fastened under- neath the valance. Brass nails, square headed and dull finished, should be put two in each plait of the valance to hold and ornament thom, about two inches below the scat. ‘lwo or three pil- lows of different sizes and styles should be also on the divan to be adjusted as wanted, while the two large ones are stationary. AN ECONOMICAL covER. Still, in accordance with the idea of economy, Iwould suggest that one should be covered with the bright yellow Japanese cotton crepe, which is at once artistic and inexpensive. This pillow should have a full puff or double rutile all around it. Another might be of the same gray linen momie cloth as the portieres, with anall-over patiern of yellow flax turead. finished plainly on the edge without cord or ruffle. Stil, another sma e would be pretty of the yellow crep design applied of leaves im golden elvet or piush, and the veining und edge of gold thread couched on; or, if that is more work than is wished, an out- line pattern may be couched of golden brown flax thrend. ‘Ihe crepe is too thin and stretchy to work through it ag successfully aaa couching can be put on. There is a revolving desk chair in the room,with cane seat and back and walnut frame, This could be improved and made to harmonize by putting a plain cushion of the momie cloth on the seat, and one also on the back, Cut to fit the rounding shape and outlincd or worked half solid in yellow linen floss. ‘The windows aro already prettily trimmed with long curtains of white and sash curtains of figured silkoline, but some toucbes of yellow in chair backs and cushions and another chair covered in brown denim to correspond with the lounge will be found to give a brighter, prettior effect than when only the natural toncs prevail, Another suggestion I would make {is to put two rather narrow bands of the yellow crepe on the gray portieres, which aro untrimmed now. Zhe top turns over some 15 inches and is fringed, and two two-inch bands above this fringe, caught with crow's feey in brown floss, would give more character with but little work, The old gold bolting sheeting would be See for bands also, perhaps better than the right yellow of the crepe, A YELLOW PILLOW. I will give a rather more explicit description of my idea of the yellow pillow with brown leaves, for it may suit other tastes and places as wellas the one for which it was thought of, If one 18 im the country now, where grapes row, oue crn make her own design thus: fake a large perfect leaf and lay it on a sheet of paper and draw the outline, then lay this on the back of the velvet or plush and draw an outline in chalk, and cut four such leaves ont. These must be arranged then on the crepe—or whatever is chosen for the pillow—so that the tip of each leaf is in @ corner of the square, while the stems come together in the middle. ‘The leaves can be lightly touched with a drop of mucilage here and there to hold them in place until they can be carefully basted on tho edges, When the natural leaf is copied on paper the veining should also be put in as a guide for the gold thread, which should be put on _ double—two strands at a time that is. After the leaves are basted on the material some curling tendri can be drawn to fill in some of the spaces by tween the leaves with cither chalk or lead pen- cil. These should be couched on before the edge of gold thread is put on, so the ends of the thread may be concealed under it. All the gold thread should be couched on two strands ata time, and the leaves should be so large ag to nearly cover the cushion as they meet in the center. The stems may be of four strands of old thread just coming together, or, if it is Fixea, better @ rosette of the ground of the illow may conceal their joining, Before I leave the subject of sofa pillows I will describe one Isawrecently. Itwas rather small and square, of down, covered with silk crepe of a lovely soft pinkish red. ‘The crepe was Agured with @ spray of fiowers so far apart that only four of them showed on tho cushion. Of these two were left in their natural state, while two were worked rin floss of the same color, with long stitches, not closely set either, Gold thread had then been put on a single strand at once, but with another so Close beside it as to leave them lesa than a quarter of an inch apart | These sepa- rated strands were couched on soas to form five stripes up and down the pillow, and though they scarcely showed a little way off,a soft gicam as they caught the light no Oriental effect which was very good. ‘The gold was put onin anartistio manner; for instance, one stripe was put on in straight lines, another waved slightly and a third was arranged so the es curved, almost meeting at the con- cave of each curve and parting so as to form an ellipse very long and narrow. This all scarcely suggested any design anywhere, but it gave a decidedly Japanesque effect, and with so little work was as artistic as anything I have seen of late, A NOVELTY IN PIN CUSHIONS, A novelty in pin cushions is one in size fif- teen by eight inches, perhaps. It is covered with figured yellow India silk and tied around, as twine would be tied around any square package; is wide yellow ribbon, tied in a bow on top where the ribbons meet in crossing each other, in the place where the twine would be tied on the package to carry out thet com- oD. A PRETTY BAG. A pretty way to make s small bag for scraps or as = hair receiver in a bed room is as fol- lows: A pillow-case-shaped bag is made of gray Mnen, twilled, crash or any such matorial one prefer, It iscut long enough to havea flap turn over four inch: in yellow and brown rope silk. Around the top a narrow facing is run on the inside and throug thie a whale bone is run, which keeps the bag open ina circular shape and makes it convenient asa receptacle. Yellow silk cords with tassels fringed out at the ends on for hanging it up. ‘This very easily constructed bag is a good model for pa A by To hold werk it might be made of India silk with white ground and gay little pompadour lined with pi | ssa consrilg bel an tint, with the turne ; Ape 2 wing this, and cords the same color, It ldthen make » most dainty bag fora of embroidery or any and a gift could not fail to please. DRAPEAY FOR A BUREAU. Bureaus or dressers, especially in guest rooms, look well draped in figured Indie silk te correspond with the prevailing color of the gracefal in It is not every woman who has the al to embroider a bureau spread even of simple design. Almost any womaniy however, are capable of taking two yards of soft silk and puckering it here and catching it there, holding it with a cushion in one place and a vase in another, until a pretty effect is obtained. EE THE WEEK IN NEW YORK. What Folks in the Metropolis Are Talking About. THE YACHT RACE ON LABOR DAY—TRE TERRIBLE INFANT OF GOTHAM AND HIS DRINKING HABITS —HOW AN OCEAN HORROR WAS AVERTED—WEY PRICES ARE AID TO BE GOING UP. Correspondence of Tam EVENIxG Stan. New York, Sept. 4 Besides all sorts of parades by all sorts of societies, lodges and unions, composed of all sorts and conditions of men, Labor day in New York was signalized by a grand yacht race in the bay, in which there were nearly one hun- dred and fifty entries. We arose laboriously at 6 o'clock a.m. in order not to miss the start, and as the start was an hour and a half late we were fully in time, and in company with thou- sands of other spectators courtesied on the short swells till we began to regret having lunched so heartilyon clam chowder. The chill of the morning, which had made winter “garments seem none too heavy for a day on the water, succumbed to the sun, and by noon the blue waters of the bay, the white sails of the yachts and placid Liberty holding up her torch were ail swimming in a haze of heat. The late John Milton is supposed to have had in mind a sail boat manned by amateurs when he spoke of ‘*that fatal and pertidious bark.” But this censure did not touch our craft, for we enjoyed the courtesy of Capt. Norton on one of his non-sinkable yachts with a non-sink- able life boat in tow. However, when finally the gallant yachts crept over the line, some of them having been siowly rowed ito position, with flapping sails reflected in a glassy sea, wo felt that special precautions against a watery grave were a httle superfluous. The sea at peace is such & cooing, gentle thing. but under- neath this demureness it has such a frightful temper. We could hardly realize as we sat on the deck of the littie yacht that a few months aco she had ridden out a wintery hurricane off Hatteras. But just as the start was made a little breath of wind good nutaredly fanned the dainty little ships and sent them skimming the blue floor of the bay toward the Narrows, looking, as they dwindled in the distance, like a flock of great white sea gulls slowly flapping their wings over the summer sea. They got back, 1 understand, some time that night, so we were able to read who beat next day in the morning papers. A TERRIBLE INFANT. The possibility of patronage for such an im- mense number of liquor saloons as are seen here is explained when one observes how early the young New Yorker's education in drinking habits is begun, In the tenement house dis- tricts no toddler who can walk at ail is con- sidered too young to be sent out with pitcher or pail for the family supply of beer, and one reads of whole families—fathers, mothers and children of various ages—all getting sociabiy drunk together. There are indeed laws against these abuses, but thatdoes not seem to prevent them, A mother has been arrested this week for giving winsky to a child of three, which reminds me of an incident which excited the pity, not unmixed with amusement, of the passengers on one of the Atian- tie steamers this summer. Among _ the passengers was a — gentleman from the far west, a smart, prosperous man whose education had not kept pace with his fortune. He had with him hia wife and son of two years of age. ‘This youth was being trained by the liberal hand of his indulgent parent in a man- ner to make the effete civilization of Europe open its eyes even wider than they already are, if that were possibic, at the possibility of recocity the American small boy. The ine of steamers on which they traveled is noted for its long and elaborate dinners, but this iifant phenomenon stood up to them like & Man, Omitting not one of the numerous courses, taking his glass of champagne and topping off with black coffee. On one occa- sion he began his lunch with such a stiff glass of beer that he soon rolled off his sea “What's the matter with y ie?” in- quired his parent, surprised and somewhat an- noyed tnat his son should not carry his liqu in amore manly fashion, *‘Can’t ye set still’ In the smoking room this very young Ameri- cau held his own with the rest of the men as far as drinks were concerned, When his father, with western generosity, was treating the crowd and they all ordered whisky sling, be in- quired casually of his offspring: “What'll you take, Willie?” “I tate‘a whisty s'ing,” piped up the baby voice, What he will find to take by the time he is twenty-one is @ mystery. But, perhaps, it will be an even greater mystery if the poor little tot ever sees twenty-one. A MISS OF AN INCE. What came within an ace of being a fright- ful tragedy of the sea was the fire in the hold of the splendid great greyhound Majestic on Tuesday morning, her sailing day. Somehow aspark touched her cargo of cotton, and 1a few minutes a telltale wreath of smoke informed the alert watchman that the ship was on fire. Thanks to the early alarm and to the fact that the vessel was within reach of a city's fire de- partment the flames were subdued before they gathered head and strength. But suppose the fire had smouldered a few hours till the great ship was speeding along at cea, breaking the record, lt is only afew weeksago that the Queen met such a fate. her cargo of cotton mysteriously catching fire in midocean. It will be remembered that all efforts to subdue the flames were then useless, and that the crew only escaped by the helpof chance neighbors in the ocean lane. When last heard from the Queen was still drifting, a charred hulk on the ocean’s currents, anda like tate might havo befalien the Majestic; nor could such a vessel have been destroyed by fire without an appal- ling loss of life. SPECTACULAR PARE POLICE. ‘The park mounted police are engaged in no more warlike occupation than that of stopping runaway horses, checking fast driving and fiercely heading for the nearest exit an occa- sional plebeian beer wagon or grocer’s cart which Tes intruded itself among the victorias and landaus of the drive. But in spite of their peaceful ayocations they now present a dis- tinctly martial appearance. Their new autumn outfit consists of Whitman saddles and Prussian army bite for the horses’ bridles, and tight ri ing breeches and top boots for the riders. Thus equipped they pose as cavalry officers and sternly make the way of the transgressor even harder than of old, POWDERLY’S INCREDIBLE FOLLY. The leading feature of the Central strike has been the amazing correspondence which Pow- derly volantarily put in evidence. This acton his part has completed his ruin as s leador of men, and the universal expression is, ‘How is it ossible that he could be such a fool?” If any- ing had been necessary to fortify the road in its attitude this correspondence supplied the I now on his voyage home, ‘ine strikers hope that his will keep them out, but the contempt- ous silence with which he treated the cable- gram of the knights would not indicate that he is disposed to be more lenient than the other officers. He would not be apt to be so after Powderly'’s scheme for '92 was published. 4 TIME OF HIG PRICES. Prices are going up, Three causes are men- tioned as principally responsible—the slight increase in the value of imported articles, due to the customs administrative act, the expected passage of the McKinley tariff bill and the high price of silver. Ceti crops are also in- cluded in that they e purchasers willing to buy. Whatever the reason the fact is indis- putable, and of course it is not a palatable one to the salaried, classes and to those who can earn at best only a livelihood. The staples in food and clothing nearly all feel the upward movement, es] in lines that are impo: or that are protected from the rivalry of for- eign marke’ Heyer R oT, ————+e0—____— Height of Buildings in London. From the st. James Gazette, Henceforth no building within the jurisdic- tion of the London county council can exceed 90 feet in aor So the lords’ committec on the council bill has ordained, and its decision is eminently sensible. The limit of 70 feet, which the council wished to fix, would have been too low; in 90 there is nothing to complain of. We cannot afford to build more Queen Anne mansions 140 feet high, nor to imitate the enormously high blocks of buildings which are insuch favor ‘They may be America, all well in streets as wide asthe Nevsky Pr it, but in our nerrow Lee pe cand i of the New York type would shut ont un an . Even our newest streets, such as Northumberland avenue, are not wide, while, to take more recent instances, Bhaftebury ave- nue is ly narrow. pce Boon Somewhat Paradoxical From the Baltimore American. People who say sharp things get the repute- tion of being bland THE CEDAR SHELL. Reasons for the Decadence of Paper and the Popularity of Wood. ‘From the New York Star. How surely fashions change with the lapse of years. When back in the sixties paper racing | boats were first introduced they immediately attained to such favor that no oarsman thought of using a cedar shell when a paper one was to be had. To such a height did popular enthusi- asm run over the novelty that some apparently serious-minded men actually announced, as their opinion, that a mediocre man in a paper boat could defeat a more skillful opponent iu a wooden sheil. Such declarations were on their face mere twaddle, but as builders had not then learned the secret of constructing wooden shells on lines as they now do, the paper boats. which presented a much smoother surface and finer lines, were undoubtedly faster, While progression in paper boat building, however, has for years been ata standstil, | the cedar craft builders have rapidiy been im- roving in their art until finaliy the adoption | by Ruddock of the system of constracting on | iron molds or frames has finally placed wooden | boatson an equal basis with paper shells, When this point was reached the decline of the paper boat became merely a matter of time. Single scullers were the first to desert the new idol for the improved old one. All the praise bestowed on it could not change the fact thatthe paper boat was “dead” in the water and quite without the “life” of the cedar shoil, and that it was far heavier. The conse- quence is that for some years back no scullers, single or double, would” dream of rowing an important Tace in a paper boat, lowly it has beon ceasing upon oarsmen that if a cedar single is faster than a paper single the same must be equally true of fours and cights, and in the last year or two the con- vietion has grown upon all thinking minds that the wooden bout is much the faster of the two. The decadence of paper boats may in a moas- ure be ascribed to the carelessness with which they have lately been built. Greedy in the monopoly of a flourishing and profitable busi- ness, the manufacturer has become indifferent in his endeavor to keep up with the demand and turned out boats before they were properly dried and seasoned. The result, of course, has been that they soon softened and lost their shape, in many instances making it necessary to patch them within # yoar or two of their purchase, The fittings have been ernde and badly put together, the models not carefuily followed, and altogether it has been a case of killing the gold-egg-bearing goose, For long a factor against the general adoption of wooden fours and eights has been that in the old days of de- fective boat building the shells were not prop- erly “stayed,” consequently in the severe strain of « raco the eggshell skin was very apt to be eplit, and the beaks gained a bad name for their want of durability. From this it was feared that nothing but paper would answe: but experience shows that the modern wooden racing boats, so far as actuai resistance to row- ing strain goes. are quite as hardy as their Raper rivals, AS to spced there cau be no joubt of their superiority. The consensus of opinion of rowing authori- ties plainly awards the palm for speed to the cedar boat, In these days of fast rowing it is folly to face the starter unless boated and titted with the best materials that can be obtained. A second wins or lusex a race and when at the lowest computation the wooden boxt is the faster by ten seconds to the mile, durable or not, it ia boat that wil be used in the future, and within five years the paper racing boat of today will be relegated to the rank ot practice tubs, while the light and lively cedar takes the Place of the usurper. Treasure Hunting. From the Youth's Companion. Itis doubtfulif the search for buried treasure along the Atlantic coast of North America and the Spanish main willever cease. The solitary treasure-hunter, who often believes himself guided by some supernatural means, is not an unfamiliar figure on the New England coast. Here and there at certain pomts in Maine, on the shores of Narragansett bay and on the Sea Islands of Georgia freshly piled up heaps of sand are often found, which indic more seeker for the lost treasure of has been at work with pick and shovel. At Dungeon Rock, within the limits of the city of Lynn, Mass., a deep and tortuousiy winding shaft, blasted out far into the depths of a ledge of porphyry, is shown to visitors, where one Marvel and his son worged for many years to find the treasure of a pirate. Tho spirits had told Marvel, so he said, that a pirate chief had untold treasure in a cuve in this ledge and was overwhelmed thera with his plunder by an earthquake. Marvel died with- out finding any treasure. In the town of Medford, Mass., not many years ago, an unknown man asked permission to dig a hole on the side of a hill jooking out upon the Mystic river. The permission was given, Next morning the proprietor found a deep hole in the side of the hill and at the bot- tom of the excavation wasasmall, round, smooth hole, which looked as if an earthen jar might have exactly fitted in it. Upon the side of the excavation, near the smaller hole, a large flat stone had been thrown up. ‘The digger had disappeared, but many peo- ple in the neighborhood believe that he took with him a long-buried jar containing treasure, Cumberland Island, on the Georgia coast, is believed by many of the people who live near it to contain Capt. Kidd's treasure. There is even in existence a formula for its discovery, very much like the formula in Poe's story of “The Gold Bug,” but if any treasure has been discovered by its aid the fact has not become known. One of the most important of treasure-seck- ing expeditions has lately been conducted to the Island of Trinidad—an English possession off the coast of Venezuela. According to a well-accepted account a band of corsairs, no longer ago than 1828, plundered certain churches in Peru of their plate and other treasures to an iminense value and trans- orted their spoils to Trinidad. There they bonse their booty, intending to dig it up and sell it after the noise of their exploit had passed away. Some months afterward Admiral Lord Coch- ran captured these bYigands and hanged them, but no trace of their plunder was found, Sofie months ago a number of Englishmen having come into possession of some informa- tion which led them to suppose that they could locate the site where this booty was buried filled out a well equipped expedition to seek it. A party of men Were sentto Trinidad and set to wor! It was work indeed, for these treasure-hun- ters dug to a great depth and shoveled some 12,000 tons of sand, and all without result. The expedition finally returned to England and the money which was invested in it was a A CHEROKEE ROMANCE, How a Wealthy Peansylvania Girl Won an Indian Chief, From the 8t. Louis Globe Democrat. Ona prominent eminence in the overlooking the town of Tablequah, LT., has been asolitary grave for sixteen yeara It contained the remains of Mary Downing, th: wife of @ full-blood Cherokee chief, Louis Downing. At the tims of her death the piace was her home, anditwas her dying request that sho should be buried on the summit of the hill. Since then the property bas passed into strange hands, and the grave has been in the midst ofa corn field. The present owner, a gentleman from Georgia, hearing that she was achief's wife, thought it was due ber to rest in @ more sacred place. So her remains were exhumed recently and taken to the Tahlequah Cemetery. Her maiden name was Mary Aver. She war born in Bethlehem, Pa., was highly educated and accomplishe: and a woman of wealth. She bad very roman tic ideas, and her infatuation for Indi extreme. In 1865 Chief Lewis Downin sent to Washington, D, C., on business for the Cherokees. Though a full-blood, he spoke English quite weil. While at Washington be bad occasion to visit Bethlehem, and accident- ally met Miss Ayer; who fell desperately in love ; “ith him, The chief lingered ionger in Beth- lehem than he had intended, not being able to tear himself away from the charms of so fair a lady, and ere his departure had won her con- sent to be his bride and share a place in his wigwam. It was d between the two that she would follow him to the territory and be married at the capital. She required six months to dispose of her property and convert her valuables into eash. Chief Downing re- turned to his nation, and with him it proved “out of sight out of mind.” The ardor of his love for Miss Ayer soon cooled, and he wrote hdrawing bis engagement. She, after reading his letter, remarked that “ittook two to make @ contract and two to break it,” and so wrote him. Before this letter reached the chief he had married « dusky maiden of his own tribe. Miss Ayer having gotten everything in readiness started for territory. According to contract whe arrived at Tablequah, and on hearing of his marriage made up her mind to make ber home among his people, devoting her life to their advance- ment. Years elapsed and the chiet’s wife died. Miss Ayer being still single, he renewed his beekon vows anh ae again ‘accepted. They were married and went to the home she had built, The life she had so long dreamed of was realized, but not long wasshe permitted to fill his house with light and love ere death claimed her. On her deathbed she told the chief that on the third evening after her buriai | she would return to Lim at her home. But he, inheriting the superstition of his race, closed the house after the funeral and returned to his home, about thirty miles distant, on Grand river, It is said that on the third night after her burial lights were seen moving from window to window and the Indians firmly be- lieve to this day that she reappeared on that night, A Homing Race by Bees. Interview in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, How insects, especially bees and ants, find their way back home is one of the marvels of naturel history, My wife keeps bees aud my little boy has a taste for entomology and ia al- | ways, making ments of one kind or | been trying to tind out how far away a bee can be taken and not get lost, but has not yet suc- ceeded. [live in the country, fourteen miles from the court hous nd during the summer t boy has been in town with me ozen times, and on each occasion he cht some bees along in a little tin box, He colored their wings with violet ink, #0 that he would know the insects again and let them goin the heart of the city. The first time he did it he relensed six beos at the Biddle street market aud 1 believe they zot home before we did, because they were ali ou band atteading to business the next morning, just a8 though they took a fourteen-mile journey every day. Occasionaily a bee failstocome back, but in instance they return in # few | hours, Once he let five, whose wings lind been colored red, out of their box at 6 o'clock in the morning, on the cor- ner of 4th and Suidie, while his little sister watched the hive at home. One arrived, tired almost to death, and dropped at the door of the hive little before 2, and three more came before 5 in the evening. all apparently much fatigued. His experiments with a nest of large black ante have been equally satisfactory, for some marked ante have found their way home a(ter being released more than a mile distant from the hollow tree in which they lived. How they do it is tion, but they generally do, and y the travels of both ants and bees are much wider than is generally supposed. Can Gold Be Manufactured? Professor P. T. Austen in the North American Review. “With the gods and the chemists all things are possible,” said the illustrious chemist, Hor- mann. Nor does the statement. seem much overdrawn when one considers the stupendous results obtained during the last quarter of a century by chemical investigatora. The ex- traordinary researches of Newlands Mendelejeff and Myer have shown that the atomic weights of the chemical elements, of which ail matter is composed, occupy definite and unchange- able positions in a geometric fig- ure, and that the properties of matter may be considered as mathematical functions of numbers, These discoveries throw open for investigation a territory that contains treasures beyond the power of the imagination to describe, Wellsbach, following these investi- gators, split up the metal didyminm into two other elements, proving—what bad long been suspected by chemiste—that some of the heavy metals could be resolved into simpler elements had we the requisite forces wherewith to break them up; and, as the conclusive demonstration of his discovery, he then reunited the new elements, dymium and hemodymium, and gave us back the compound substance, didymium. Crookos published a series of brillant experiments on the metal yttrium, similarly breaking up this element into a number of substances, which he reunited again to reproduce the original yttrium, Last comes Gruenwald, who infers from spectroscopic investigations that all our elements can be reduced to but two primal forme of matter. i ‘Now that this field has been opened to inves- tigation, there can be no limit sssigned to the discoveries that may follow. The forces at our contro] are growing daily more powerful and more munageable. Victor Myer bas been able to heat iodine until it existe in its atomic con- dition. What the next condition will beno one dead loss, Picturesque Francis Marion. John Fiske in September Atlantic. Of all the picturesque characters of our rev- olutionary period there is perhaps no one who, in the memory of the people, is so closely asso- ciated with romantic adventure as Francis Marion, He belonged to that gallant race of men of whose services France had been for- ever deprived when Louis XIV revoked the edict of Nantes. His father hadbeerra pianter near Georgetown, on the coast, and the son, while following the game occupation, had been called off to the western frontier by the Cher- okee war of 1759, in the course of which he had made himself an adept in woodland strategy. He was forty-seven F imei old, a man of few words and modest demeanor, small in stature and slight in frame, delicately organized, but endowed with wonderful nervous energy and sleepless intelligence. Like a woman in quick- ness of sympathy, he was a knight in courtesy, seutatalsans wud ‘courage. The brightness of his fame was never sullied by an act of cruelty. “Never shall a house be burned by one of =“ people,” said he; “to distress poor women an Phitdren is whatI detest.” To distress the onemy in legitimate warfare was, on the other hand, a business in which few partisan com- manders have excelled him. For swiftness and secrecy was unequaled, and the boldness of his exploits seemed almost incredi ble when compared with the meagerness o his resources. His force sometimes consisted of less than twenty men and seldom exceeded seventy. To arm them he was obliged to take the saws from saw millsand have them wrought into rude swords at the country forge, while wter mugs and spoons were cast into bullets. ith such equipment he would attack and overwhelm parties of more than two hundred tories, or he would even swoop upon a column of British regulars on their march, throw them into disorder, set free their prisoners, slay and disarm a score or two, and plunge out of sight im the darklii forest as swiftly and mysteri- ously as he come, suas RB Sa How to Select Bananas. Asteamer steward interviewed by the St Louis Globe-Democrat says: Not one frurt buyer an tell, % ‘These facts, and many others that could be iven, make it probable that the so-called chem- ical elements are not really elements, but com- pounds, which in time we shall be able to sep- arate into their constituonts, and, conversely, to reproduce by combining other substances. Among the heavy elements—and hence those that would be expected to yield to the search- ing attacks of the chemist—is gold. It is not improbable that in time it will become possible to make gold in large quantities—an event which would throw it out of use as a standard of value, 60 far as it derives its own value from its rarity. The Country Mail. From tho Boston Transcript. The United States mail service is rather limited in the village of A——. Three times a week a lumbering stage coach, ‘‘with its heavily swaying and rocking load,” stops before the little one-story building and the driver tosses outaleather pouch to the postmaster, which contains all the messages of me oes fear for the people for miles around, ‘sorting’ the mail and keeping only what be! to this locality the bag is tosses it back into the horses and drives on. locked again and the driver coach, whistles to his ie jer eagerly sround the counter and listen for their name to be read out by the postmaster, who, with his glasses awry, often studies several moments over a doubtful superscription before giving it to the public ear, “James Grant.” he call out ence for @ moment. Thi echoes from the back of the store. been up for as much asa week, but nol nerd down that way tomorrow, and I'll take it ~~ Give it here,” and “Jim's” letter is ive me all the Another man says, “You ken mail for the upper deestrict, for I'm going to hitch up and go to the mill after a load of ‘but ends’ soon’s dinve! In a like manner of “special ery” all the letters ultima’ reach their destination, The men finish thi — Se oe eer an ceadag bain ee r, read Ehurch fair and the weekly prayer meeting and disperse. OVERWORKING THE BRAIN, Some of the Early Signs Which Indicate Danger of Mental Collapse. Some brain workers toil on year after year contenting themselves with the relaxation of dayor two now and then, says the Bostoe Herald, They have no real vacations, and the brief intervals that they are away from their duties do them but little good, not being long enough for them to forget their work and vex- ations and getoutof the groove they have been running There comes at inst to these men atime when memory weakens, when it ie hard for them to fix the mind upon one snbe jectand their work seems to grow more and more irksome. And in conversation there tse slight tendeney to incoherence. It is rather dificult for them at times to express them- selves cleariy; the suitable words do not come to them as readily es ther once did. When conversing they start in well, but after a short time their id ate somewhat confused and they are obliged to maki cone siderable effort to keep their attention fixed upon the subject that they are discussing. In writing there is especially on long Words or sentences. They are obliged to stop and think, seeming to drop the thread that they menial In this have been holding. These are signs failure which must not be disregarded. condition of brain exhaustion net on reasoning faculties siugcish, but x is required trom the weakened attention fixed. Good mental work fs then at the ex complished only nse of the brain, which is still fur ther weakened by every intense effort. The time has now come when mental rest is im perative. And it should be as complete as possible. A long vacation should be taken— short rests are not likely to do any good. A 808 vorage promises the greatest good to the weakening brain worker. On shipboard he t entirely out of his old oui not be of less thane 1 it ought to run on for several month: to take the needed fest insanity is very likely to be the penalty. In occasional instances where the hver i nt fault medicines are of doing goc@ But such cases are exceptional, and asa eral rule they would do indefinitely more ‘The liver is orten bi when guiltless of any fault, It is quite the custom to it every little derangement of digestion, and t to whip it into line with laxatives, aperients and “liver medicines.” In very many instances the real trouble is els-- where and the liver ix doing its work weil, in most of the others thet mu is simply suffering from exhan by overwork. In oniya few ca: called biliourness does th @ spur in the shape of medi Very few people show any this most important and faithful organ. They are not only gluttons, but indulge im foods which the liver must work early and late to nd when at last it is exhausted, timulate it with drags, showiug as y as does the man who belabors his horse which is literally tired out. What the liver needs in most cascee@! biliousness is rest, and it can only be enjoyed when proper foods areeaten. If he with refractory liver will only lighten its work occasionally and let drugs slone, he will ha: but little, if any cause for complaint. If a child has a convulsion, whatever be the cause, every possible precaution should be taken to prevent a second attack. Very often convulsions occur iu infancy in consequence of indigestible foods and various Tr causes and yet are never suffered from in after life, But where several co ha n, induced f the so- liver actually peed vonaideration for ulsio! i: exhibit a history childhood. It is utterly impossible to discriminate between those attacks m children which are simply accidental and not likely to ain and those wh meucement of « ii Hence, in all mark the com- every precaut should be taken against their recurrenc yond doubt there are clildren born with epileptic tendency who escape the terrible | malady, the credit being parents Who so | care for them that tus and the nerve system brought degree of strength. Some ch are doomed to a hop:less moment they enter the wor able to suppose that the born with the conv cover from it were r popular a Contrary to th n. the free use of good. ripe froit im sam os not give rise to bowel troubles, ytends to proe vent them, Frat luiged, are easy of digestion the health of the organs which " pt intestinal canal free and open. Oi coarse, wi | ripe or spoiled fraits aren menace and lial to excite summer compiait, but bevond dou! this is far the most often caused by milk aud meats which have undergone poiscuods changes, ‘The fact is universally recognized that flesh of all kinds decomposes very rapidiy ou keeping in hot weather. It cannot be as well known that the same kinds of food also decompose more quickly within the body daring that season than they do in cold weather. Ihe poison which resaite from decomposition acts powerfully, both a& anemetic and # purgative. In a word, it causes a severe cholera morbus. Fortunately, the liver 18 able to destroy some of this poison, There is, however, a limit to such power, and if too much enters or is generated within system, the liver cannot turn it all back, but tome passes into the general circulation, where it does serious mischicf. To forego meats en- | tirely and live upon vegetables and farinaceous foods, is infinitely the wisest and eafest plan to follow during the hot season. Acurtous phenomenon which is sometimes met with is the so-called phantom tumor. It appears in the abdomen and fecls under ti hand exactly like atruc abdominal tumor. This occurs almost exclusively in very nervous, hys- terical women and is the result of muscular spasm of the abdominal walls, and possibly the intestines. In some cases it persists for a long time, in others it remains only for a short tim then disappears, very likely to return ag: Charlatans occasionally tell of their marvel cures of ovarian tumors, which they have caused to melt away under their wonderful etic influence. When itis known that their subjects were hysterical women aud their so-called tamors were muscular contractions the mysterious element disappeare and leaves nothing for the pretender to boast of. A very smali quantity of alcohol taken at the time of eating will usually act asa spur to di- gestion and quicken it, But the quantity can scarcely be greater than a teaspoonful, What as an ordinary drink of brandy or whisky would be quite certain to retard digestion mn- less the indulger bedastomach whose func tions had been perverted by an intemperate use of such drinks. Taking Oue onthe Sly. Lemuel yher (ina whisper)—‘That feller's whole-hearted, Mindy. He murt’r knowed we've jest been married, t’ be willin’ t hide bis head once in a while, an’ give us a chance.” epee Wasted Pity. From the Pittsburg Dispaton. Atraveler in a backwoods community, at tracted by a noise in a cabin pot fur from the roadside, stopped and, eddresting a boy that satonafence, said: © “Yon live about here, I suppose?”