Evening Star Newspaper, April 25, 1891, Page 9

WISS PEGGY PRYDE. The Eventsof a Year Form a Life’s History. A CRUEL ROBBER. FATE Pretty Peggy's Mowrnfal Experience—A ter From = Curious Railroad Book— Made Peggy Superstitious and Cal- lous—The Weird Closing of a Strange Talc. (Copyriehted.) BIG BOOKS AT THE HEAD- © great railroad corporation Philadelphia will be found one the cold plain facts, without the n. of the fate of the Pryde fam- 3 THE quarters corporation, with his age and d canses therefor. One of the brothers give up the road and take up other Her word was law and the boys left 4, bat only for # short time, were hardly fit for other work and besides thei former remuneration was a magn Peggy was finally won over and the boys’ former good records enabled them to be reinstated i their old positions as engineers. The summer months sped by, and as both the came in from aa tri time unharmed Peggy brightens erably and began to hope that the fates had een satisfied for many Years to come, but an- other dark cloud of sorrow for Peggy was loom- ing ap and the storm soon broke. JON WAS THE NEXT VicTBE. This time John was the victim and the acci- dent that shut off his life was of the most ordi- nary kind and for which a preventative has not yet been found. If any one will take the trou- ble to examine the base of the floor of the cab of an engine they will find that a heavy plate of iron is fastened thereto directly underneath the engineer's position. This is done to pro- tect him from accident in case the driving rod ld break. But nothing protects the roof of a cab, and while John was working his engine to the top notch to make up lost time, snap ; | went the driver, and as it struck the cross ties male portion of it—father and | bounded back, struck the cabfrom in front and This book is ® curious study. It | above and tore off the whole side. ‘The acci- trance of a person into the | dent. of a necessi Was so sudden that poor John Pryde hardly knew what struck him and his bleeding remains were found some distance and in seven cases out of ten their | from the track, where they had been hurled by the terrific force of the blow. ures i3 the numeroas cases of young their deaths or disability is found. These facts ate the well-known predictions of old ad men that if aman on entering the inharmed his chances for attaining a wage and a position of responsibilty are | i about 50 per cent. E PRYDE FAMILY'S RECORD. letter “I” you will gud that the is quite numerously inscribed 3 the surnames George, George, ohn and William, all plain names, ® pla est and fearless ndex will you to pages 437 the biogri of the Prydes, and josely you will ascer- vear's time the entire group © were wiped out of existence, zh sudden and violent happen- ‘hiladelphia wi t to shown this book by an 1 of the compan located in the office rein these records are kept, and from bim ned the detail: of the calamities eviously the mother of the leaving the father and ung a daughter—Peggy and honor her memory. ut rounding out his six nd strong and good for many more uve duty. His eldest son, Georze, ¥-tive. im came next, at thirt: touching the twenty-eight mark. the hill toward twenty-two, and seen her twentieth birthday. 1 three eldest sons were engineers, gests fireman on the same engine with All the boys, strange to say, were rsand Peggy threatened to followin their single blessedness. They resided -the-Susquehanna, eighty miles ladelphia, occupied a prominent po- aud respected by all who knew BEAUTIFUL PEGGY PRYDE. le was the envy of many of her son account of her good looks ¥# returned one answer, “I'll marry «railroad man,” and as this class ed seven-eighths of the marriageable the town her chances of entering the uial state were very remote. eno reason for her strange decision, ng to it with @ tenacity that seemed supernatural. She was uncommouly . to be sure, neither blonde nor brunette, r, fair skin, a healthy red in her and big brown eyes full of mingled ty and coquetry, the eyes that belonged girl, pure, sweet and true-hearted. ‘the razed their monthly earnings into her lap 4 her, . how they were y some day. As their earnings reached well » the hundreds monthly this did not seem a ote impossibility. FATHER AND WILL CRUSHED BY A TRAIN. Peggy received her first terrible shock, since the death of her mother, one evening in Jan: ary. 74. She was preparing the evening m: im anticipation of her father and young: ther partaking of it,as they were due in m their run that even: ed the kitchen with a staggering over w sank down upon voken i as Jim told Ler slowly, word by w h were sleeping the long sleep but a ies below town. ‘The next few days were bie ones to Peggy, but her brothers came ully to the rescue and managed to some- | blot out th a of the train to which old man Pryde's attached the particulars of the father and son's terrible 3 off was lear The train of forty 8 coming down the hill from the ¢ ward Columbia at tie rate of about thirty ules an hour. when the coupling Lar and chains i tender broke. ihe long bar at the time, the fire so as tocarry them to the use without additional coal, and as the ine shot away from the tender he was As he fell he grasped a this way was dragged the train following His father immedi- ted to his rese asping the chain ling from the fire box door to the roof of the father 2 over and catching menced haul Will's weig! and the work slow. He had him on to the tloor of the engine cab. when the ed weight of the two wrenched the which held the chain above from its a mwere dashed to d_ the entire train passed pieces. train soon caught up to it agai - amen to climb into the cab and me ling the momen- and finally stopping it. The wiles were found some distance back. gi i ap, carried to the caboose and hauled to wad house and then home. u up in the service. d seeing her f ne to go owt i went regularly without bi: become hardened, as it wer on as a matter of course. Ps that robbed ker of a father brother opened her eyes to the possibilities of railroader's life and @ settled meiaucholy Wok possession of her. GEORGE KILLED IN & COLLISION. Midway between Columbia and Philadelphia isa place called the “Gap.” The name marks the summit of a hill, the sides and base of have been the scenes of three-fourth: sents that have nof the road. rge Pryde held the of engine thng a heavy train ith y¥ lumber, aud was the east side of the | These breaks are of | and three times out of delay of only a few | The book of rules in lis for the stoppage of the the train by the use of brakes us six cars, continued on for about two; and then stopped. After waiting some oF fc al from one of the brakemen, ly back to gather in his lost “curve after curve was rounded and hing was seen of the cars George grew im- atat the loss of time and opened the ottle wider and dashed over the rails toward spot where he thought the cars would be 4. Just as he was dashing around the ast curve the rear end, also running at @ clip- ping rate, hove into sight, and the next instant parts of the train came together with a | The front brakeman and tire- | out into the darkness to places of a Pryde never jumps,” was the motto adopted by the Prydes, and George was jt on the ends of the heavy beams and his Life crushed out against the iron work of his They found the body after hours of | work deep down im the wreckage and it tenderly bandied as though i am the shattered aud e1 Very little urging ras necessary on Peggy's 5 ound er- | Patt after this last accident to persuade the re- 6 the company's employ on a cer- | g brother to leave the railroad service, ut it, “he couldn't afford to run letting Peggy alone in the world to fight her own battles,” and warning, and in the face of calamities he thought he better quit. he did. and Me and Peggy went into b | she asa milliner and he as a green groci the future took on a brighter aspect for them | mainin; 1 a month or two later a record of | f., warning was a © three previous eas agreen hand can pull through the | The month of December found both Peggy and Jima prospering in their diiferent business sand happy and contented with each other's society. 31M FOLLOWS THE REST. The night of December 20 found the main street of Columbia crowded with gay coasters. The street made a gradual descent, and at its base the railroad tracks crossed it and com- pelled the coasters to make a shai the street that followed the tracks east and ‘This turn was a hazardous one to make im woull be passing and many nar- pes were occurring constantly. Jim had just closed his store for the night, which treet at the point whereat the coasters generally started their sleds, and Was about starting for home when a number of his friends called to him to join them in a on an immense bob sl After a little pursuasion he joined the and with a merry shout the sled star the bob held about twenty-five persons and was steel shod its velocity increased as on it sped, § Your finger down the index of the | orter of THE STAR upon a recent | fronted on the maii ride down the hill ied with its load of human freight was about twenty yards from the foot of the hill when a great shout went up from the on- lookers that « train was coming. Do all they could the sled could not be stopped, but by great exertion its 3] what, but as it dashed around the corner side by side with the train the sled turned over on Most of the coasterson the sled threw themselves in an opposite direction to the train, m the rest, was burled under the wheels of the train and almost in- stantly killed. As they pulled him out from under the cars and were carrying him into nearby drug store he was heard to gasp the words, “Poor Peggy,” draw along breath and was dead when the hastily summoned physician arrived. Generous to the last his thoughts were on the sister he loved so true and well. Peggy Pryde is stilla maid and has grown callous through misfortune and says that when she desires to commit suicide she will purchase a ticket. board a train and fate and the name of Pryde will do the rest. ——__. MADE THEXM WAIK. A Physician Succesfully Illustrates @ Theory With Ten Men in a Ferry House. was slackened some- nm this railroad borough and | but Jim, slower boys idolized Peggy, and aa they | with joyous frankness and earnest | joing to make her a rich | This curious question was well-known physician who has made a speci study of hypnotism while he and I were awaiting the arrival of a boat at Cortlandt ferry several days ago. I replied in the negati serted that I would not believe his theory or statement until I itnessed propounded by » d kindred subjecte, and further as- continued the physician, “the state- rue. and if you will watch my actiot and those ot the other persons present You see they ai reading papers or their thoughts some subject. Now [ ior of death and her worst fears were | I will do it before five minutes have elapsed. about ten or a dozen belated clerks and business men in the ferry house, all with the same purpose as ourselves. Some ening newspapers, others among themselves and several caning carelessly against the wall, their hands in ‘their pockets, smoking s, while their faces wore that peculiar ression assumed gene joughts are on some incideat of the or business transaction of the morrow. ped his hands behind his back, and with his head bent forward as though in deep thought, he began with a slow step to up and down the room. t first, was apparently paid to his he part of the persons Then a pale, sickly looking without even were perusing the w | of them were he physician elas} young clerk left his seat, and looking in the direction of ‘the p! awalking mate of his own. A florid man about forty years ol who had been engaged in smoking a fragrant cigar while leaning against toned his overcoat and en who had been the gangway turned and began Pacing the floor, at the saine time continuing chers had been reading and these one ts and followed the exam- Every man present had begun to walk up Tlooked at the clock and found that the physician had accomplished his | task and that he did it in four minutes. ‘You are satistied now, I presume?” bodies, grinding and tearing them | 9.4 own the tom ‘Well, wait a moment, and I will The physician strolied out the room, coughed loudly and then walked over to one of the seats and sat down. who appeared to be one who grusp at an id ito the center of ‘of those young men as a drowning man grasps ely followed suit, and in s more every man had resumed the oceupied before the physican be- aordinary experiment. 1 oue young woman physician attentively, ve her seut or to have appar- what had happened. When the physician how it that ke failed to control her as he resent, who regorded the 4 i mquired of “in the first place,” said he, “women lack power of concentration and ’ continuity of ‘ht as a general rule, and for this reason they are more or less conscious of their sur- roundings. A woman is self-conscious and be- eves herself to be, whether she is or not, the person most observed in the room. quently she seldom gets into what is known “brown study’ when in places. A man, on the contrary, when ning somethin; is surroundings. is some strong reason to prevent it, he will toa | certain extent imitate and is uncon- n, unless there actions of others.” I have tried the experiment since with ‘Try it yourself. Mushroom Lore. possible. George Pryde, with his en- | a pe pace ‘~ ened ’ hunting a specialty this summer, and he is cer- Sue for the rear end to come into sight | tain that if there is any section of Maine where there are lovers of this fungus it is right here in Lewiston and Auburn. On his finger he can count scores of men (has to use his fingers twice over and more too, you see,) who fond of them and know how to cook them. al one certain country house in Sunday mushroom dinner is a summer, and my! aren't ! them from toad- A SNAKE EATER. The Story of a Man Whose Appe- tite Has Strange Cravings. WATCHING THE PROCESS. First He Cats Of the Head, Then Skins the Snake and [hen Eats the Meat—Hunger, He Says, First Drove Him to It—A Snake Stew. Correspondence of The Evening Star. Hogans. Nicanaava Canat, Coxs'x Co., Say Juan pet Norte (Grerrown), Nicanagva, March 29, 1891. WE HAD BUT FINISHED DINNER, AND, gathering in our tent, were preparing to undress and get under our mosquito bars and there, protected from the myriad of humming and buzzing insects that were swarming about, have a quict hour's reading before lights were put out. Acold rain had been falling during the day and now the night seemed growing hideous with heavy peals of thunder and vivid flashes of lightning. Inviting indeed seemed the tent and no place ever more snug appeared than our mosquito bars. “Tingles has another snake,” said Humes, one of the occupants of the tent. ‘Now you have a chance to see whether what I told you is true or not.” A SNAKE EATER. This remark referred to the subject discussed at the dinner table—the assertion of a number of laborers that Tingles, a Swiss, employed as ‘® policeman, was a snake eater. The man had drifted into San Juan del Norte; had been hired by the canal company and detailed for duty among the Jamaica negroes who were em- ployed .in the work of building the canal through the swamp. The report was circulated through the complaints of a number of men that Tingles was in the habit of sneaking their tin drinking cups in which to stew the snake meat, and this they objected to with all tho Vigor that asserts itself in a Jamaica negro when he has a grievance. ‘The story had been discredited, it being believed that the man wishing to frighten the negroes for some pur- ‘ose of his own had imposed on their credulity. ve had heard of snake eatersin central Africa, but could connect such a disgusting act only with humanity in its lowest form, while Tin- gles, though of brutal nature and a strange combination of character, was a Caucasian and of ordinary intelligence for a man of his class, though illiterate so far as education was concerned. DAT MAN GOT A DEBIL IN BI} No one had time te reply to Humes’ remark before a couple of wild-eyed negroes came slopping through the mud to our tent and in extreme excitement exclaime: e “Dat ar mann got a debil in ‘im sure’s Satin libes. He's eatin’ snakes agin. We carnt lib in same shack.” There was a crashing peal of thunder at this moment, seeming to give emphasis to the darkey's protestations. Still doubting, but throwing rubber ponchos over tion from the driving rain, we started toward the shack. some hundred yards off, that formed the dormitory for several hundred of the laborers. We soon saw Tingles crouching on the log floor near his cane bed, penknife in hand, and, while half of the slimy skin of a batters —_—s stretched Meg he logs, he was busily engaged in separating the nee from the body, al the while to keep the meat from dri ‘gathered in the farther corner of the ‘shack, filled with fear by the actions of the ““bedebiled mann,” as th skin, which, when cured, could be sold at San Juan fora few dollars ‘to curiosity seekers, who are al HOW HE DID IT. But we now saw him slip out his tongue, lick his lip and then continue a maunching motion of his jaws. The imagination could run no higher than ours now mounted, anda sick feel- ing coming over us seemed to make it advis- able that we retire, but the very hideousness of the scene, heightened by the flickering light of vad the lanterns hung about and the flashing ning and peals of thunder, caused us to stay and see more of the beastial exhibition. ‘Tin- gles looked up with a show of fear lest he might be caused to leave his feast, but con- tinued to busy himself in the skinning process, every now and then chopping off small pieces of the flesk of the repti his mouth on the point of the knife and, with evident relish, bury his teeth in the meat. GLECTED HIS REGULAR MEAL. It appeared that the snake being killed early in the afternoon and, anticipating the meal that he would have with it, he had neglected his plate beans, rice, plantains and beef that the labor- ers have served to them with coffee. The coffee only he had kept and now sipped over his snake feast. The flesh seemed tender and was weil stripped with fat. The reptile was one of the deadly poisonous snakes of this region, | seven feet long and as big about the body as the arm of a fleshy man. ‘The head was flat, that being a characteristic mark of the poison: ous snakes. For a full half hour we stood near the man, lost in astonishment at the sight which wo few have seen and which can only be credited by those who also have witnessed it. Having ac- complished the skinning. he cut off pieces of the meat and placed them safely in an old tin case that had contained sea biscuit. Then. in @ smaller can,he placed a quantity of the meat, poured over a little water, adding a bit of salt and starting a fire in a protected spot outside the shack and away from the kitchen, for the cook would permit none of his bedebling in vicinity, allowed the mixture to boil. As th water was simmering, watched by himself with ger eyes, some one spoke to him for the first HE TOLD HIS sToRY. When he could be induced to talk he gave us his story in broker English. He had been a cook on an English ship, had been engaged for ‘8 cruise to Valparaiso, there deserted and later on worked his passage up to the Central Ameri- can coast, and again leaving his ship at Punta Arenas, Costa Rica. Here he began a tramp's life and started up the mountain road for San Jose, where he lived for a time. ‘Thinking to reach the Atlantic coast and at San Juan ship for England he attempted to go from San Jose to the San Carlos river, where by means of a dugout he could, float down stream, having for companions a couple of natives who were well acquainted with the woods and the river and whom he trusted as guides. They were not long out when, losing their way in the forest during a long spell of rainy weather, they wan- er ut for a couple of weeks before the sun came out and the natives were able to start with certainty in the direction of the river. Their provisions had been scanty and hen they finally, became exhausted the cab- bage palm and a few roots dug from the groun monies ing on the bare ground, constantly wet and al- most famished, their condition was becoming ho They had been unable to secure game of any kind except a young monkey, which had strayed from its mother. The eali of the pavon, the treading noise of the light- footed deer ‘and the howling of the monkeys were but torments to tantalize them from their inability to kill or trap game of any kind. ‘Their weakened condition did not permit them to resort to many means of getting food that are known to the natives. HUNGER DROVE HIM TO IT. It was at this period of their desolation that i dill as a protec- ging inthe mud. A great crowd of negroes. talking excitedly, were called him. Our firs thought was that, having killed the snake, not an un- common occurrence, he was preserving the ways in aufticient numbers to make Did you ever notice the fact that when a| ® market for such things. person's mind is concentrated upon a certain subject that the person will usually, uninten- tionally and unknowingly, imitate the actions of je and raising them to time. “Where did you learn to eat snakes?” he was asked. THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D.C., SATURDAY, always that he knew nothing with which to compare it, that i: was tender and sweet and the best meat he had over eatex. Tingles is a large man, wearing a full beard, and is as sturdy slaborer as can be fount. “Nothing ia knows of his past life, but it is said that ho has made remarks which point to the fact thathis record ‘8 snake eater ante-dates his arrival in Cen- tral America. LEFT IM TO HIS STEW. We finally left the repulsive scene as he was about to commence on his dish of snake stew, and going to our tents rolled rather than lay on our cots until morning dreaming of snakes in a manner that would rival any ordinary case of delirium tremens, and even now so vivid is the recoliection that we would rather be num- bered among the doubting ones who have not seen the exhibition of snake eating than to know that it has oceurred here by the evidence of our eyes. 80 grent was the general disgust with the snake eater that he has since been sent away from the railroad camp. The above story was related by an officer of the company a few evenings ago, and its truth is testified to by a number of witnesses to the scene. CE. K a PLANS FOR SAVING MONEY. Some Club Men Suggest a Few Useful Schemes of Economy. 66] HAVE A LITTLE PLAN OF MY OWN invention for keeping in funds,” sai Poopkins at the Platypus Club last evening. “My. misfortune is that Iam an hereditary spendthrift. To save my life I can't keep a dol- lar in my pocket. Some persons have been was merely an exuberant gerosity, but I know very well that it consists simply in a desire to spend. Ihave known a good many men in my time who were accounted generous by their friends, although their virtue amonnted to nothing more than carclessness in expenditure. Furthermore, asa rule, they were selfish men. You will find a dozen fellows who are lavish in squandering wealth upon others who could never be induced to givea dollar away. To spend is with thema luxury, particularly 60 long as they do not have to earn the cash they distribute. So you see that I don't account my spendthrift inclination a virtue; quite the con- trary, in fact. However, I have lighted upon a scheme that is useful to some extent for avoid: ing the pennilessness which would otherwise overtake me toward the end ‘ot every week. Each Saturday I reduce @ fivedollar bill to change in small silver. Upon reaching home and be- fore going out again I scatter the coins all over the roum with as much carelessness as possible. Following the invariabls manner of coins w der such circumstances they conceal them- selves under the bed and beneath the various articles of furniture. I permit them to remain uugathered, knowing that they are safe, be- cause my landlady herself, whose honesty is absolute, attends to my apartment and she never disturbs anything unless it is necessary. Toward the end of the week my funds are sure to run low and then I begin to look about for stray riches. That is apt to be about Wednes- day morning. though it may be as carly as Tuesday afternoon. A dollar or two satisti my immediate needs and the next day I rak dollar more from under the bed and bureau. By Thursday night Iam obliged to resort to moving the washstand, the etagere and other furniture, and Friday evening usually finds me turning up the edges of the carpet, in hopes of discovering astray dime, which almost invariably reveals itself, as if providentially, to my anxious search. Saturday is pay day again and thus I avoid iencing the pangs of ab- volute necessity, although the method I am obliged to adopt is troublesome and somewhat hard on the knees of my pantaloons.” “I found a plan once that beat yours hollow ana quite without knowing it,” remarked | Boodles, who, as every one knows, had the luck to marry arich girl.” “In my bachelor days I canned fon coesis impecuniousness. I never could keep » dollar nor knew where my money went. Like Poopkins here, I would have frequent spells of poverty, during which Twould go on regular hunts for accidental cash. My searches, however, were limited to my personal clothing. When, by lucky chance, I found quarter or a half or even a dime in an odd corner of pantaloons or waistcoat my heart was gladdened, and well do I remember wl fandango 1executed when, on one needy occasion, I came across a $2 bill starched into the pocket of o white vest that came home from the laundry. It just enabled me to buy theater tickets for myself and the present Mrs. B., to whom I was at that time engaged to be married. During the period of my engage- ment, however, I had a pocket that often served me with such — surprises. It was the right hand one in my overcoat, and even with my carelessness in such matters it frequently etruck me with astonishmen: to find in it a silver dollar or two, or sometimes more, which Ihad no recollection of whatever. But I had become so accustomed to my own ways in this regard that I took the thing [as to the present Mrs. B. as resembling the famous *bag’ belonging to the old lady in the ‘Swiss Family Robinson,’ which was slways ready to diagorge anything that did not grow already upon the Robinson Island, even though it werea house with a mansard roof or a sewing machine. I told her that somehow when I was really hard up this pocket always panned out some coins that I must have put Into it carelessly when I was flush, even to the amount of several dollars. It positively seemed tome, I said, as if some providence were at work, for I had no recollection of placing the tery of the magic man came around and asked if we had any ‘garments’ to sell. ~My wife suggested my old overcoat. but I reminded her that I had an affection for it, because it contained my ‘magic pocket.’ When I mentioned it she turned a quizzical look on me and sax ‘My dear, is it possible that you never knew that Icontrib- ted to that pocket? No; Iam well aware that you did not, you careless boy; but I knew that You were hard up, and I dropped a few silver dollars into your overcoat from time to time, knowing that you would never suspect it.’ Now, itis rather frank for me to teil you fellows a story of that sort; but I think it is a very pretty one, and assure’ you, upon my honor, that until the day she told me I never dreamed that the present Mrs, B. was respousible for my small accessions of fortune.” “Such an opportunity as that for saving wealth has never been granted to me,” said the always sarcastic Sniffkins: “but Idevised a plan recently for hoarding a $10) bill which struck me as rather ingenious. My brother Jim and myself were both going away from town for w vacation about a month ago. We divided the $100 bill in question, which was sum apart from other funds between us. If we had cach taken €50 we should have spent the amount, every cent of it, between us, for we sbare, like Boodles and Poopkins, a spendthrift inclina~ tion; #o, instead of doi: that, I cut the one- hundred dollar note in two with « puir of scis- sors; he took one half and I retained the other. Neither of us was able to negotiate his half of the document, and thus, when we rejoined each other in Washington last week, we had our $100 intact. ‘The plan would have worked admirably in every respect had we not eagh of Usrun somewhat more than §50 in debt on the strength of the saving.” “Thove schemes may all be well enough,” broke in Snoopsby, in his piping voice, “bat the best plan of the kind that I ever heard of was that of a man I was told about who dropped his salary every Saturday night, addressed to himself, into the post office, so that he got it on Monday morning and was able to congratulate himself apon his superior strength of mind and forethought. John, ask these gentlemen what they will have to drink.” ‘Why the Price Kemains the Same, Judge. fact beyond question that the animals of the deep seus live either near the surface or at the bottom, there being no intermediate fauna. ‘The creatures which live in such countless numbers near the surface that they may be said to form a fairly dense layer over all’ the ocean never sink further than is necessary to escape disturbance by the waves above, while the fishes, ctustacea and mollusks that dwell in the depths are obliged to remain there, both for the sake of browsing at the bottom for food and because their structure is such that they could not exist at all in the higher aqueous strata. Their bodies bones being soft. that they mendous pressure of the dep much as two tons to the THALASSAGRAPHY. A New Branch of Science That is In- teresting to Everybody. LIFE ON THE SEA FLOOR. What Sort of Creatures Inhabit the Bottom of the Oceans—They Are Queer Enough to Make s Study of Them Most Interest- ing. [ST=85sT IN THE DEPTHS OF THE ocean and the life which they contain has greatly increased of recent years, owing to development of improved apparatus for mak- ing soundings and fishing up from the deepest watery abyases specimens of the creat- ures inhabiting them. Until very lately no knowledge worth mentioning was bad respect- ing the formation of the sea bottoms, and only the wildest guesses were entertained as to tho number of vertical miles of brine covering | them. Attempts at exploring the marine ; World were made with no better appliances | than hempen ropes and sinkers, science not | having as yet devised the modern dredge and drag net or thought of employing plumb lines | of piano wire. Thalassagraphy. asa branch of charttable enough to imagine that my failing | research, is entirely new and a more fascinat- ing subject for study it is impossible to im- agine. How delightful to be able to map out those portions of the earth's surface. com- | prising by far the major part of the planet's | area, which mankind hitherto has never been able to investigate or learn about, obtaining incidentally an acquaintance with the fauna and flora of the mystcrious aqucous realms! What can be more charming than to read of the cruises of the Challenger, the Blake and other vessels in pursuit of this novel informa- tion, with the stories told in their reports of the | extraordinary animals and vegetables which they hauled up from the depths? How IT 18 DONE. ‘The proper equipment for investigating the life of the ocean depths includes a “dredge,” which is a net inclosed in a wooden frame for dragging over the bottom, with a number of great tails of raveled rope attached. While the net captures such fishes and many other creatures as nay be in the way, the rope tails trailing behind the dredge entangle all sorts of star fish, sea urchins, crabs, corals, sea fans and sponges. ‘Thus the contrivance is hauled to the surface filled with every kind of living things that may be found below. In water of moderate depth a useful appliance is found in a trawi net that travels over the bottom on run ners. However, the object of this sort of re- search is to find and secure specimens not only of the fauna of the great depths, but also of all other murine animals. The surface of the ocean on calm days swarms with mollusks, crustacea, sea urchins, jelly fish, sponges, fora minifera ‘and the like. ‘These are gathered usually by means of a fine net of gauze towed behind a boat moving quite slowly. At the least ripple of wind they sink out of reach of disturbance by the waves to a depth of 100 to 150 fathoms. When they die their remains slowly find their way to the bottom to serve as food for the deep-water animals. A DREARY WASTE. Fifty years ago it was believed that animal life in the ocean was limited to the surface, not extending below 300 fathoms, beneath which no living forms existed of any sort whatsoever. Such, however, is very far from being the cate. Undonbtedly the desolation of the scenery in the submarine depths must be extreme. ‘The most barren of Jandscapes must seem diversified when compared with the vast expanso of aay or greenish ooz2 which covers the deeper bot- toms of the seas, the monotony of the pros- pect being only rélieved by the never-ceasing fall of the dead carcasses of surface creatures. But there is plenty of life in shapes of great variety, although upon the ocean floor it is not found in the saine abundance as along the sub- uqueous slopes of the continents, where long stretches of bottom are carpeted by the most brilliantly colored creatures. The absence of plants in deep water must render the aspect of things indesribably dreary, the place of luxu- riant forests with their accompanying under- brush-and inhabitants being only indifferently supplied by largo growths simulating the veg- etable, though in reality animal, and huge cutie fishes, or nearer shore by sea weeds and forests of giant kelp. In imagination one may observe the contrast as he would pass in a journey from the shore over the richty populated continental slope and down toward the ocean floor, the teeming fatina of the littoral regions gradually diminishing, as it fades into the-calm. cold and dark abysses beyond, where few living creatures dwell save fierce carnivorous fishes, some of them blind and others with huge goggling eyes, alert for prey. GLIMPSES OF FAUNA AND FLORA. In deep-sea explorations are obtained for the first time glimpses of the fauna and flora of nearly three-quarters of the earth's surface, concerning which little was known a few years ago. It had been imagined that the abysses of ocean would be the safest of all retreats, in which animals surviving from former geolog- ical periods must in all likelihood be found. Nevertheless dredging has not brought to light very many of such ancient typea. If any of the monsters of vanished epochs, remains of which have excited the wonder of this age, still linger in these depths it is not_probable that any of them will be brought up, for the obvious reason that the trawl or dredge can hardly capture creatures of such vast bigness. Were it not for the power of emitting light, with which deep- sea animals are so commonly gifted,they would pass their lives altogether in the dark, inas- much as no ray of the sun is able to penetrate the water below 100 fathoms. Not only do the mollusks and sea urchins of the deep produce light of themselves, but the abyssal fishes have usually the same advantage in common with many other forms. It may very well be that the inky caves of ocean are continually and most beautifully illuminated by forests of phos- phorescent alcyonarians, through which the finny monsters of those mysterious regions 88 in endless torchlight processions, some caring brilliant flambeaux on their heads and others gleaming with rows of spots like bull's- eyes on their sides, calculated to attract prey as well as to afford light. Beyond a depth of 500 fathoms the marine fauna exhibits new pes of development. ‘The fishes begin to have enormous eyes, for the purpose of absorbing every available ray; their bodies are slender and their skeletons become much softer. NEAR THE SURFACE OR AT THE BOTTOM. Scientific investigation has established the 25,.1891—SIXTEEN PAGES. —— intensely cold, remaining both winter and sum: mer at a temperature but slightly above freez- ing. The contents of a trawl hauled from the depths at the equator will be found to in- clude mud and ooze so cold as nearly to freeze the hand. In order that it may be understood how the bottom layer of the seas is formed it must be realized that all the rivers of the world are continually pouring out volumes of detri- tus into the oceans. The heavier particles of this detritus are precipitated not far from the mouths of the streams themselves, but the lighter particles are held in suspension and carried thousands of miles from shore before they fall upon the bottom. This process, con- tinued for millions of yeare, makes a deposit of fine mud, with which are mingled the shelly re- mains of the animals that drop from the sur- face. Such is the ooze described—a sort of “broth,” as it has been called, from which the lower types of life can obtain readily digested food. Plenty of food is supplied by the ocean for its inhabitants, and, inasmuch as the abund- ance of life in a region is always in direct ratio with the amount of sustenance available, it is found that many localities in the seas far sur- pass the richest districts of land in the thick- ness of their population. No tropical jungl compares in respect to wealth of mineral and vegetable life with a marine area, such asa coral reef. POWERFUL JAWS AND TEETH. d appendages which serve as acute organs of touch. One may imagine them, when in | search of food, illuminatmg the water around about by their phosphorescent light. Some of | them carry torches at the extremities of their k fins, while others have gleaming plates on their heads, others yet are Tesplendent with in others again long streamers carry lights on their ends or the fins themselves may be in- tensely luminous. Sometimes the whole body is phosphorescent and diffuses a subdued ligitt, as is the case with some of the deep-sea sharks. One species is neurly all mouth, and having al the soft ooze at the bottom, its head alone pro- truding, ready to ingulf’ any prey that inay wander into its cavernous jaws. Nota few of the crustacea of the depthsare very interesting, some of them being of enormous size. Be- worms, ‘h live in tubes and resemble the uiost brilliant of flowers, unless they take abysses composes one great volume in the 200- logical history of the world—a volume which hus scarcely been opened as yet to the study of mankind, see ___-__ CURED OF 4 MISERLY CRAZE, In the Clutches of the Little Tin Bank and ‘Out Again. From the New York Herald. One of those little nickel pocket savings banks, of which the street venders are selling #0 many nowadays, has been the cause of up- setting all the veneration in which I previously held the old adage about taking care of the pennies and letting the dollars take care of themselves. Some weeks ago I first noticed the banks. Hundreds of people wero buying them on the streets. Iknew it wasa craze, an epidemic like the fifteen puzzle and “pigs and wisely kept away. But Dick Smith marked me out for his victim. With Mephistophe! glee he gave me one. Timmediately became interested and wanted to see how it worked. Tt was an innocent lookinglittle tin tube with a slot in one end, which would admit only a ten- cent piece. When full it held just #5 in dimes, and only when filled could the bottom be pushed out and the coin be recovered again. Dick assured me that it was a great savings institution, that by slipping all the dimes I got into it I would never miss them and be €5 ahead of the game before I knew it. In short, he led me to believe thata fortune could be accumlated that way in a very short time and without any percepuble effort. I caught the fever. For a week it engrossed all my spare time. Dime after dime was shoved into its rapacious little tin maw. I jingled it in my pocket, “hefted” it and constantly watched the pro- gress of the accumulation through holes per- forated in the sid Meanwhile I was constantly inconvenienced by a lack of change. Justas I would get to the ticket window during the rush hours on the “L” would recollect that all my change was in that bank and would loose my place in the line while stopping to fish out a bill. Such in- cidents f & habit of profanity upon me. It never occurred to me before that I would consider being deprived of the evening papers as very mach of a hardship, but day after day I suffered agonies of curiosity to know what was in them. It did not seem suitable to offer a a newsboy a bill for one and I never seemed to have anything smaller. All the change that came my way turned, as if by magic, into iimes. Well at last the thing was loaded to the muzzle and consented to be opened. It came tome as happy thought to give the proceeds of this bank to my wife as extra pin mone: Naturally she thought it would be very nici too, and received the five-dollar bill for which Texchanged the handful of dimes with no little satisfaction as the beginning of a regular weekly custoih. When [returned from business that day her face was as long as a December night. She had been shopping. To absol sure ite safety she refrained f pocket book in her hand hopping bag that hung from her waist. the pocket book were $23.68,fineluding the five- dollar hard-hoarded bill, two hairpins, five dress samples, two postage stamps stuck to- gether, part of an “L” ticket and a memoran- dum card. Coming from a crowded bargain counter she noticed that the shopping bag was unclasped. One wild dash of the hand inside assured her that the pocket book was gone, And so after all those dimes that I so. labori- gathered will probably go to buy bock Juck that follows on the heels of an inclination to save I prefer to die a pauper. ‘The litte tin bank is empty no! ——_——_coe—____— Advice to Lady Gardeners. From the Philadelphia Times. Now plant schemes for summer travel. Rake in your husband’s loose change and cut back his superfluous expenses. Cultivate hectic flushes and sick spells, showing the need of fresh air and of transplanting to the seaside. Prepere for summer dresses and get ready books. Saratoga should be out and overhauled. Water the ly doctor with generous fees and cultivate his ideas that the European travel treatment would best suit your case. Begin to mulch your husband with kindness and flattery. It ‘may encourage the growth of his liberality. When he is ripe for picking he should have more fondling and be put into the sunlight of warm affection. This should be kept up until he begins to drop big leaves from his check book. When you have got all you can, turn him out of the pot and throw into a corner to dry off. —_—____soe A New Exp! From the New York Recorder. Rage—“Poor Jags! Ho is full almost all the time Sags—‘‘Yes: he always did read too much.” What has that to do with it?” “Weil, you know Lord Bacon says that maketh a fall man.” i ‘On the Koad. THE COLUMBUS RELICS: The Convent of La Rabida to Be Re- produced in Chicago, MR. CURTIS’ COLLECTION. Portraits to Be Shown— to Have Preceded Him. HERE WILL BE A GREAT MANY VERY interesting exhibits at the world’s fair, but none will be more so than the collection of Co- Iumbiana now being gathered together by Mr. William E. Curtis. Visitors to the fair whose | or "listen. lives are closely intortwined with the mechani- to realize the value of the | | treasures included in the Columbiana aggrega- | tion and the enthusiastic agriculturist may | Pengwyn, which be all Brytish or Welsh words, Histicnsly at ite historical wealth, dw manifostiie shew that it was that countrie at the general public will appreciate the | Which Madoc and his people inhabited. good things which wideawake minds and | d basy hands are preparing for the great display | A model of the house in which Columbus wasy of 1893. The historian will revel in the feast of | born is easily secured, for there is no competi~ | tion as to his birthplace, bat there is going to a renewal of the much-vexed question, | } cal arte may fi One finds the fishes of the occan depths pos- | sessed, ag nrule, of huge and powerful jaws, | § | formidable teeth shaped like lancets, and pro- Ad fat things, and the student of American histo: will have an opportunity to see for himself | be what changes the centuries have wrought since Columbus landed on the western edge of the | ff, Atlantic. Everything connected with the name of Columbus that an enthusiastic collector can secure will be presented to the publ t of the many featu building in which all these relics and facsimiles and models will be bright spots extending along the body, while | most no power of iocomotion, lives buried in | T OF LA RADIDA. This structures to be a perfect replica of the convent of La Rabida, near Palos. Somebod | Wants to know why that building more than many others, That convent is historical. After Columbus had failed to impress the crown with the force of his geographic ment the would-be-voyager his tweive-year-old boy, dey ence of monarchy and moved homeward on foot. His route led him past the door of this convent, and as both he and [iis son were hungry ‘and weary, a the bread and water sides, there are numerous curious kinds of sea | fright and hide in their houses. Of pouips and | cuttle fishes with many arms there is an end- less variety. In short, the life of the ocean | accompanied by parted from the pré tion was made for ‘h is never refused a Itchanced that the prior—one Marchena— saw the couple and he at once recognized the fact that Columbus was a brainy man. ited the footsore rest themselves, e01 thau two years. Now it so hap; . | Marchena had been confessor to Queen Isabella, and when he had heard all of Columbus’ story he decided to push matters along in an eccle- HOW QUEEN ISABELLA WAS WON OVER. He rode tosee the queen and in 4 little the restoration of eured not on Columbus to soverei; Mr. Curtis has a numb photographs of this ‘conv and from carefully wri building will be reprod: the structure, which isa tine specime ish architecttire of the thirteenth centurs, ia complete it will be used as the headquarters of the Latin-American ‘department ‘and as. the temporary home of Columbus osed to place a pano- | or who have witnessed so many of its wondroué , fe of Coltibus. MANY PORTRAITS ON COLUMBUS. of The best historians asert that no likeness of | circle of friends throughout the city, and is Columbus was ever painted, sketched or en- | especially well known on Capitol Hill, having graved; but in spite of those amertions Mr. Curtis has gathered together thirt | traits or alleged | eeiegemed ot - ap S voy Some of these were ovidently drawn to At published ‘descriptions of Columabuc, while | Of Many events that have taken place in the, others must have been painted from memory | District, by men who never saw the distinguished ex- | telling tal For some of these good deal is claimed and with reason, v.fogumony of omembat uncertain kind th e Yanez portrait, now in the national ° ob Madr wan yulekch shee means ot, 1s Oaks a nee story. ‘The first mem- * in from bis second voyage. issimilar from the fi | Yanez canvas is the Venitian M | which shows a Dutch head- | face—crowned with a three-cornered cap. | Bry claims that this portrait was painted from | of 1812. life by order of King Ferdinand. "Washington Irving was a firm believer in the genuineness of the Mosaic picture. In thecollection Colum- bus is represented in many different posture The Jovins picture has De engraved bit rama illustrative of presentations a and styles of garb. him as a mo y length on the represented him as standing the historical egg on end; in the Jo- | mard picture, which it is claimed was painted by Titian,Columbus has a Flemish ruff, pointed and a great gold cbais mt, artist unknown, has the discoverer clad asa familiar of the Inquisition. ‘The variety is Columbus sometimes is clean shaven, sometimes has an angular beard, occa- sionally Wears a mustache and imperial. His another present- at least three prints he wears armor and in one ing vestment trimmed with fur. | Busts are quite plentitul and many of them are | Persico carved out the tigure of | | Columbus which is ou the east front of the | Meet Gen. Lafayette and party, say the result of Mr. Capitol, but histori: Persico’s labors is without real meri no claim to notice. MAPS OF THAT Dax. To some people the photographs of rare maps will be more interesting than the portrait lot- tery. Leonardo da Vinci drew the first map in which the name America was used. Leonardo Was a great artist on his time,but he could not o beer for a pickpocket, If that is the kind of | a "dreaguteman at 000° The and is one of the gems of Queen Victoria’s private collec- \dsor Castle. Ano’ will be that of the famous map drawn by Juan de la Cosa, who was a pilot on Colum- bus’ vessel. Cosa, in this map, represents Columbus as St. Christopher bearing the in fant Christ to the new world. ‘he most important of the earli this hemisphere is the one drawn Pilot Mazstea Cesarea; this portrays the d from Labrador to the n. tion will also be the first en- graved map of America—the first in which the existence of Brazil is indicated. The youngest Tepublic was then known as ‘Tierra Santa Cruz. the Ptolemy map looks # good deal like « misshapen squash. In this America is sadly displaced, having been located in the south- ‘When Columbus sailed from Spain in of the westera land he provide: a small library—a fe ther fac simile as it then ap a fos necks inet ha i cabin. y's Imagine mundi,” marginal remarks written on many of the the handwriting is that of Columbus. name suggestion of the wus publicly made in the Cc duetio, published in 1507. uestion will be A fac simile of the xhibition. 4 WELSHMAN WHO PRECEDED COLUMBUS. It is extremely probable that the great ma- Jority of those who dwell within the limits of | But bicanse this people were not manie, they, | folowed the manery of the land ther came Um! | and used the langage they found there. | Note: This Madoc arriving in that Westerne countrie, unto the which be came, in the yeare | 1170, left most of his people there: and return- |ing backe for more of his owne nation, a0- quaintance and freends, to inhabite that and large countrie, went thither againe with ten sailes, as I find noted by Gutyn Owen. Tam of opinion that the land, whereanto he came, was some part of Mexico: the causes what make me thinke #0 be these 1. The common report of the inhabitants sof” | that countrie, which afirme, that their rulers ‘The Great Discoverer Had Two Graves—Both | descenjed froma rtrange bation, that came of Them to Be Shown Ja Replica—Many | thither from a Zarro ‘countrie: which thing i jeseed by Mutezuma king of that countrie, en ee ae eration made for quieting of ble people, athis submisaion to the King of Castile, Her: nando Curteis being then nt, which ix Latd downe in the Spanish chronicles of the con-_ quest of the West Indies. 2. The Brytish words and names of places, used in that countrie even to this daic, dw) argue the xame: as when they talke togither, they use this Pengw Tland of Corroeso, river of Gwyn TWO TOMMS IN THE FIELD. here was Columbus bariedy’ — Havana) claims the ho 1 so does Santo Domingo, j of the two The coming, ontroversy is am When Don Diego Columb of Sant Domingo he removed to Santo Domingo from Seville. | everybody concedes, remained in their aece Spain turned San Domingo ‘h. “At that time the Spaniarus k what were supposed to be the of Columbus to Havana, sealed them up in the ral walls an erected a suitable | Up to 1877 Havana had an undisputed title, but in that year the cathedral at San Do- workmen discov ywned man, Christopher Columbus.” There n lates the chest. One off ‘The remains of the firet admiral, Don Christopher Columbus.” ‘The other was simply “Alte Cristoval Coie: ‘The Domingo argument, therefore, is that the | Nrong bones—probably those of Christopher '€s | brother, Barthoion were taken to Hay ‘Lhose disinterested persons whe have given the matter careful consideration say that the, real bones are in the casket in the chest now beneath the altar of the cathedral at Santer Domin To see these relics the consent of , the archbishop and three apecified priests be obtained. All these have keys and all the” keys have to be operated simultaneously. ———. eee — —_ LAFAYETYE’S LAST VISIT. « How He Was Twice Escorted to the Ne tional Capital Told by an Old Citizen. IHERE ARE FEW AND VERY FEW OF the old citizens of the District who bave + been residents of this city for so long « time changes as Mr. James Dobbyn, who is now livyy ing on 6th street northenst. He bas « large been born in East Washington in 1806, anc where, with the exception of a very few years, he has always resided. Consequently he knowr | d like all old folks be delights ix, of by-gone days, While converse t ing with a Stan reporter the other day he men- tioned many things that have escaped the } pages of history and would make an interesting orable occurrence to him, he said, was when’ igure on the | he and his mother, with a party of neighbors, « fled to Georgetown Heights while the British / De | Were invading the capital city during the war LAFAYETTE’S VISIT TO WASHINGTON. bad He then spoke of Gen. Lafayette’s last visit + 14 said: “I not only lived here at that time,: the soldicr boys who escorted the great general in and out of the national capital while” company of Wash: borhood of the Capitol building to go out te the District line on the Bladensburg road te ho had beer,” escorted thus far from Baltimore by the™ “Chincapin Hunters” of thatcity. It was «_ brigut summer morning and the entire popu, Jae of the surroanding couatry for ties sag niles around had taken advantage of this and turned out en masse to welcome the general, who had endeared himself to all icans for his noble assixtance during the trying times of the revolutionary war. Though the population was scattered scanty, the roads outside the city limits and then streets in the city along the line were crowded by those eager to see | tinguishod visitor. MISTAKEN FOR THE GENERAL. Commodore Tinley, then commander of Washington navy yard, sut beside Lafayette an open coach, and as he was in full uniform, he was mistaken by many for the nation’s guest. The Chineapin Hunters were | the old continental style, on they were much admired and ilk elite : f f the United States are of opinion that Columbus was the first white man to set foot on this con- —— to hi we