Evening Star Newspaper, December 26, 1891, Page 8

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8 D.C. SATURDAY, @ECEMPER 26, 1891—SIXTEEN PAGES. === = = DUCKS AND GUNS. The Way the Wary Water Fowl Are Bagged on the Potomac. THE RUSES OF HUNTERS. ‘The Kind of Ducks Found on the River and fm the Creeks and Marshee—Pot Hunters and the Destruction They Work With Big THE SNEAK Bost. ‘The early spring is the best time for bor ig. River blinds are of no use. This is not the case, however, with point blinds. They erected at poiuts slong the shore, hidden with sage grass. Decoys are used and results are always sa! a Mallard, widgeon, teal, &c., are not consid- ered river ducks, as they usually feed in the small creeks. Among hunters they are known ae marsh ducks. They are hunted principally by big gunners, who sneak on them at night oF early in the morning and bang into them with swivel gun, killing many ata shot and erip- pling many more. anita thie crippling that destroys the duck ing. ‘san ill wind that blows nobody good” rune the familiar quotation, and the eagles are heartily in accord with the methods pursued by the big gunners. It is not generally known, Dut there are hundreds of eagles along the river and are daring in their attacks on the ducks. The “cripplers’ are easy victims, but the sound ones dive to get away and give Mr. Eagles peck of trouble. ‘The first canvas back the writer ever shot was stolen from him by the great American) bird of prey. He was hunting at Whistlewing Cove and stationed in a river blind when a flight of canvas backs came by with a whirr. Bang, bang went the gun at the swiftly movin; bodies. One dropped a hundred yarde off an: went floating off with the tide. The shore man had evidently strayed and all the yelling the writer could do did not bring him back. rk ing toward the spot where the duck dropped he was horrified to see a large bald eagle swoop down, grab the duck and carry him off toward Virginia, sight of the Capitol. Years ago there was no = better hunting ground, but the march of civilization and the unre- strained pot hunter have scared the birds and now they only tarry long enough to rest. But this brief stop furnishes considerable sport and all of the lodges down the river are occupied these days with sportsmen anxious to got a shot at © fleeting mallard or a wary cam vas back. Washingtonians are not the only ones who enjoy the sport the Potomac furnishes. There are several club houses owned by rich New Yorkers and Philadelphians on both shores of the river, and in the hunting season they are scarcely ever found empty. Thus far the shooting has been poor. oF: tinued warm weather is bad for ducks. Sum northwester, however, followed by some rough weather ‘ill soon right matiers and there will be an abundance of rt. That is if the sportsmen combine, as they have been talking of doing, and run the big gunners and the steam launches off the river. ‘The steam launches referred to are not thi ocent little ones that ply the river for armed like a war ship, the nd will not decoy and it is impossible to sneak on them. ‘Then there are the big gun- Ss ners, who steal the ducks at night and ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES. hundreds sometimes at @ ——_ po eg ‘The “big gunner,” as this un-|Seme Truths About the Reptiles Which Grow in the United States. 66])D YOU EVER SEE AN ALLIGATOR catch flies?” asked a naturalist of a Stan writer. “Ihave watched the performance by the hour. The saurian lies on a muddy bank in the sun, with his mouth wide open. Winged insects, attracted by the saliva of the beast, gather in swarms upon its tongue, just as though it were ashect of fly paper. Whena sufficient number has collected it closes its jaws suddenly, and with a gulp the little tor- ments have disappeared, affording at once re- venge and an agreeable flavor. You have often heard, I dare say, of the little bird that enters the mouth of the crocodile without fear, in order to pluck therefrom certain parasites which the reptiles could not otherwise get rid of. That is a fact, although it failed to be the | recognized as such’ by science for # long e. short stern sheet, there is a crutch-like arrangement made to accommodate the butt of an immense | ‘On many occasions I have had opportuni- ties of observing lligators in pursuit of prey. ‘They will eat meat in any shape, from water fowl to fisbes. Sometimes they moor them. selves by their tails to the shore, with mouths agape, and silently absorb shoals of mullet and other comparatively small fry which pass along shallows. But a favorite of m the surface of the water and quietly gobble any ducks or other animals that come within reach. Their heads are so constructed that when they are thus floating only their eyes and the tip end of the nose are above the surface. Thus they are able to breathe and to see at the same time, without ex- posing themselves to any extent. A snap, and all is over with the victim. “Perhaps I have seemed to confuse the alli- gator and the crocodile. In fact, there are two Kinds of crocodiles in the United States—the true crocodile and the alligator. The former is very rare, indeed, and it can only be distin- from the latter by a difference in the of the head. Alligators have been found in rivers and estuari far north as North Carolina, though not within recent years. For a long time past hunters have sought them so persistently and have slain them so recklessly that they are rapidly becoming extinct. At resent their numbers in Florida and on the Garr coast are few. In the unexplored Ever- glades and other great swamps of those regions mall bore gun to * He pays little Ms nd these ‘wou however, jcreatures swim away only tostarve shore. This mode of shooting this slaughter would cease. they still survive in numbers, awaiting the crack of the sportsman’s rifle to announce their demise, preliminarily to sending their hides and tecth to northern markets. “In times past and to this day, according to current tradition, alligators have been credited with being very ferocious; but the fact seems to be that they are sluggish and timid. In South America the natives often wade into the water where they are and pull them out by the tails. So it is said, at all events. When winter approaches,they embed themselves in the mud of the shallows, where they hibernate and lie dormant until spring. They breed in April and May, when the female secks 9 sheltered spot ona bank and constructs a small mound ofmud and other material, in which she de- ite her eggs, tothe number of 100 or 200. Firet he laye upon the ground « stratum of mud and grass, on which she deposits a layer of eggs; on this she another stratum of rassand mud, then more eggs, and #0 on. Tieeggs are hatched by the sup, assisted by the heat which the decomposing vegetable ma- terial generates. As soon as they are hatched the infant alligators scramble for the water. “Alligator leather is becoming dearer nowa- days on accountof animals. hide teeth are of an excellent quality of ivory, from which trinkets are carved. Of late there has arrived # fashion of making the skin of the feet, with the claws attached, into pocket books and hand satchels. ‘The leather has the grea vantage of being absolutely water proof. From in the lower jaw musk is obtained. It is not of very quality, but it serves as a basis for certain perfumes. il, obtained from the fat, is supposed to have medicinal quali- ties. Hundreds of thousand of years ago there were crocidiles waich measured as much as fifty feet in length, but there are no such giants in these days.” ‘PRE THREE KIXas. The Potomae boasts of all the well-known varieties of ducks. First of all there is the canvas back, the recognized king of game fowl. ‘This luscious duck is known the world over as delicacies and prized more when killed on the Potomac than anywhere else. The reason of this doubtless is on account of the wild celery which grows in great profusion in the Potomac and its tributa- Ties and whieh forms the principal food of the canvas back. It improves the quality of the meat and produces a large amount of fat. Too much cannot be sail of this duek when prop- erly cooked, and this js an art in itself, for of late by representatives from New York, who go down thé river and buy up all the ducks. There are many cunning devices arranged to the wily canvas back, red head, mallard an jacks. By far the most common is CAUGHT A TALKER, A Voluble Sales: Paral; a my nan Faralyzcs @ Country From the Lewiston Journal. securely hidden from the game, the hunter sits. In front of the blind ooo yiased the decoy ducks, arranged ins natural manner, while on shore s man awaits with » boat to pick up the @ucks after they are shot A good Chesapeake bay dog properly trained answers the purpose equally as well. bead clerk who ie a most accomplished sales- man and is kept busy from morn till eve by customers desirous of being waited upon by him. Not long ago he was highly compli- mented He had s countryman in the store and was showing him « very handsome Bo he dashed ahead in fine style, praising the richness of the pattern, extolled the texture of the fabric, held it up to favorable light, vouched ite ultra-fashionableness for years to come and, in short, let loose a torrent of elo- quence in which it was dificult to distinguish which was most flattered, the good taste of the admiring rustic or the quality of the magnif- cent stuif. The man’s eyes flashed with pride ‘THE BLAND. at complimentary Cac bo —— oo Should the dey be clou: storm brew- | Unconcealed astonishment a velopmen pgs chanese L. are pert are good, but | of beauty in the goods and fluency in the sales. sunsbiny and ter calm the | mau. : chenece are poor, for the ducks bunch out ia Catebing our friend by thearm he exclaimed: the river and apparently sleep all day. A few | “Stay right here one minute!” and rushed out. dushels of corn thrown fn around the at) VE eanee saaes still, « » Hetle bothered, distance it forty to holding goods sci draw the ‘ducks. ‘One old tetiow’ | ids it po just as t frozen im the attitude pyar a thiy impressed the ‘to thoroughly Faral gentleman. Meanwhile this lastmen- tioned individual whisked two bouncing girls out of seseryail that stood tn front of the pushing, them, scocghe dam we te ent el tier Sie oe vecGaly tana there: right there, Sally. And ‘Gs ly. now, maar susie tenn. fan vant tee i tf H gs fel was utter! And for at least « atteranee, to the great disappointme father and daughters. ‘Ihe man bough! piece of goods and no doubt will always with regret what thecaughters missed. ——_~ee- Hi overwhelmed with his F 7 { 58 F Hf H F i ? ff i it q Ft th E i I f i § zt HE i mails.” oop mills Sour! Every pound One of Waterville’s dry goods houses has | {i Bale to bear you. It is aimoet needless to say that our friend emotions it once in his life failed im his i of both it the think Stringtown Grocer—‘Got the best there is.” take the entire product of the Jimtown ” make goes to CUTTING THE HAIR. Curious Customs in Regard to It in Different Countries, THE TOP KNOT IN SIAM. The Ceremony of Ite Seing Cut From the Head of a Prince Described by an Eye Wit- Rese—Why Alexander Made His Soldiers Shave Their Heads. Written for The Rventng ter. ‘AIR FROM BEMOTEST AGES AND émong all nations has occupied a certain amount of prominence, embracing all classes, that has by no means disappeared at the pres- ent day, as exemplified in the cherished scalp lock of the American Indian, the pig tail of the Celestial, the bangs and frizzes of the fashion- able dame and the sacred top knot of the Siamese. The development of the beard bas beens matter of no small importance, and the crop- ping of Louis VII's chin brought on three cen- turies of ‘bloodshed. Pedro IV of Dragon | As tho (1351), found himself compelled to probibit bis Catalonian subjects from wearing false beards, but the most singular substitute was the golden beards worn by the kings of Persia. The kings of France of the first dynasty wore beards entwined with gold threads. WHY THE SOLDIER'S BEARD WAS SHAVED. The custom of shaving the beard was en- forced by Alexander of Macedon, not for the sake of fashion, but for a practical end. He knew that the soldiers of India, when they en- countered their foes, had the habit of grasping them by the beard, and so he or his soldiers to shave. Afterward Sevieg was practiced in the Macedonian army. The Ro- Mans imitated the Greeks in this practice, as they did many other things, and spread it to the different European nations yet barbaric. In the middle ages, at the time of the renais- sance, shaving was introduced and the habit retained, though classicism gave place to ro- ‘and that in its turn, was replaced by realin The beard was a source of trouble to Peter the Great, who, simultaneously with the introduction of his great reforms in Russia, tried to induce his people to imitate the shav- ing nations. This innovation was resisted by his subjects and they preferred to pay a heavy er than suffer disfigurement, as they believed, of the ir of To the Russians of olden times the beard wasasymbol of lib- e YORMER VALUE OF THE BEARD. In olden times when every part of the body had its price the beard was valued at twenty shillings—a large sum for the time—while the Joss of a leg was only estimated at twelve shi 8. Beards were at various times taxed in Eng- d, and the sheriff of Canterbury paid three shillings and four ponee for wearing « beard. In the first year of Elisabeth’s reign eve: beard of above a fortnight’s growth was tax three shillings and sixpence, but the law was too absurd to be enforced. Peter the Great imposed «tax of aruble upon beards, but it Was soon caucelled. To descend toa comparatively modern date. In 1841 George C. Badger, then Secretary of the Navy, issued a general order regulating th uniform of officers attached to that service, in ich was included his celebrated instructions: ‘The hair of all persons belonging to the navy is to be kept short, and no part of the beard isto be worn long excepting the whiskers, which shall not descend more than one inch below the tip of the car, and thence in @ line toward the corners of the mouth.” These were nicknamed “Badger whiskers,” and caused one officer (afterward celebrated in the civil war), who had a full beard under the ebin, but could aise uo hair on the upper part, of his face, to Wittily remark: “That his whiskers began just where the regulation ended and he would have to be content with a smooth face.” Midahipmen, who in. the thirties were wont to return from the Mediterranean with Euro- pean ideas concerning dress, were in the habit of wearing their hair very long, with Andalusian hints surrounded by a goid band, causing them to look like brigands. “Gold bands beinj asa partof naval uniform were sported. with great freedom and caused a newspaper to re- mark: “Never had been seen so much hair and gold lace in the streets of Boston. In Europe and a portion of Asia beards pre- vail until we go beyond India, when graduall beards disappear, as is the case with the CI nese, Japanese and Siamese. THE \MESE TOP KNOT. ‘The Siamese have a quaint and picturesque custom, which is celebrated in every family pretending to wealth and fashion, whon achild becomes of age of cutting the top knot. ‘This top knot isa round patch of hair allowed to grow on the top of the head. while the rest of the head is closely shaved. Tho locks aro wound round into & eoil, fastened with a pin and surrounded on festive occasions by a tiny chaplet of sweet-scented white flow- ers. It is worn until the boy is to become im a measure independent, or in the case of girls ull their marriageable age begins to draw near. The date isregulated by the fancy of the family. controlled in some instances by the family soothsayer, and ranges 6 e from nine, eleven and thirteen years; but even numbers are avoided as less propitious. But when the day does come, the top-knot cut- ting is a Lape and ee. an ‘sonage operated upon is a “Chow Fa,” Pe celestial ince, the rite is elaborate and splendid, But when the heir apparent to the crown of Siam takes his turn at the hair crop- ping. the whole festal resources of the palace and the kingdom are exhausted in doing honor to the event, which occupies a week and more of the undivided attention of every prince and magnate within ‘Some years ago it wasthe good fortune of the ss Cy e = —— coré- monies attending the important service of shearing the top knot from the head of the Crown Prince of Siam. Asa curious custom and one seldom witnessed by Europeans brief description of the brilliant spectacle may not be devoid of interest. 4 NOTABLE occasion. There were assembled in the Siamese capital all the pendatory vassals of big most Buddhist majesty the Rajah of Kedah, the sultans of Potani, Kelastan and 0, the governors of Singona, Renong and Kroh and all th Bro inces of first, second and third grade. y all brought soggen ood g sou te for the prince. ‘The fete was ushered in, like most others in Siam, by formal state processions, and a Si- ‘amese procession is in itself a marvel and a wonder. The royal srown alone, worn by the ing in his palanquin, is one mass of blazing jewels worth a fabulous sum. His jeweled uni- form would run = lions, and the crown of the dark-eyed prince would go far toward making an American fi happy and independent for life. Many thousands of pounds of pure gold garnish tho belteand court uniforms of the odd-looking nobles and nota- she different states, either subject to Siam og fgnmeted i som oay itt barack bond cy or fifty, marching four abreast, sported the che dress of their country, and ‘the funeral black of the tall, lithe Shans, Sy came vast with the brilliant wes con! ottormn of the Mave of the fc elegance z f [ i i Ls HE oF ie is | i h HE » | 3 i i é a ni 5 i ual il i rounded brown ‘white robes with tall conical ik and white bate, sprightly youths of hi rank in ‘Glase-fitting costumes of scarlet and accouter- ments blazing with precious stones. Then close at bah heels followed the So ae colad gorgeous trappings carefully al tended by 4 servants. The male x came next in tative uniforms, which had ipowg ? made a sensation in court circles and tickled the royal fancy. There were dark-skinned highlanders in kilts and trews, stumpy little grenadi ap- | ange’ ho heavy neath their bearskin head gear. Sappers and miners in the uniform of Prussian army, Goorkhas in national rig and Sepoys in fanciful regimentala, with scores of costumes and uniforms copied from all arms of militaty services and representing all thi incipal nations of Europe. The uniform of United States armed forces was conspicuous by its absence. His majesty of Siam had evi- dently tossed the plates contemtnously aside as too tame and unpretentious for Siamose tastes. Surrounded by the royal body guard was borne the royal palanquin, followed by white- clad angels crowned with ringed and pointed erowns and bearing « sort of thyreus repre- senting gold and silver flowers. A cloud of drummers, pipers and trumpeters were inter- spersed at intervals, making the air resound with their efforts, and haif a dozen brass bands ren- dered European airs at appropriate occasions. For three days in succession the processions accompanied the king and prince to the most sacred of the paluce temples only to wen to the consecrating lectures of the priest. But on the fourth day, starting earlier, they filled the palace yard before noon. king and his son took their seats on reised thrones in the central facade of the pa- [wy hee scene was both grand and unique. The entire space in front was occupied by the foreign ministers, in full uniform, together with naval officers and invited guests, all in full rig. THE PRINCE'S TOP KNOT CUT. As the Siamese national anthem pealed through the crowded space the king and rince passed into the pagoda, followed by the Siner princes of the blood. ‘The lock: Somer 4 the crown prince's top kuot were severed wit consecrated shears, and the prince—now no longer a child—was ready for the remaining formalities. At the far end of the pzlace courtyard oppo- site the pagoda had been constructed an artifi- cial mountain glittering with imaginary snows of Himaphan. Upon its peaks and ridges were seen angels and demons; the fabulous tree of Kalpapruk, bearing gold, silver and precious pes and grandos, ‘and at the base, as well peaked pagodas, carved, littering with golden scales, mount the prince had to curtained and ‘To the foot of tl trudge after his top knot had been shorn off. In the sacred Lake of Anodak he takes a plunge and is carefully dried by the venerable head priest. He is then arrayed iu regal attire and conducted by Vishun to the top of thehill to be eoeived by tira, Here the prince receives the five insignia of royalty-—the sword, the crown, the fan, the slippers and the white atoreyed umbrella. Then follows the smaller procession thrice around the mountain, from left to right; and at length the poor fellow, pale with fatigue and excitement, is carried back after his father to the staircase of the grand palace. This completes the pageant and ceremony of clipping the crown prince's top knot, and as the bauds discourse various airs the spectators withdraw from the royal grounds. — PEOPLE WHO BORROW. They Rarely Return What is Lent Them and Are an Annoyance in the World. WO THINGS IN THIS WORLD ONE should never think of borrowing—a razor or a shirt, When a philosopher like Tubbs makes such a remark as that there must be some reason init, and so the other fellows at the little drinking table near the club window became attentive while he went on to say: “Both of those articles are too intimately associated with one’s person, don’t you know. One man will utterly disorgunize another's shaving tools in # single operation and for some reason a borrowed shirt is never returned.” yr anything else that is borrowed usu- ,” observed Noodles. ry Very true,” admitted Tubbs. ~ “Some peo- ple who borrow do really mean to return what is lent them, but it is comparatively rarely that they fulfili the intention. How much of the money that you have loaned in your life hag ever been paid back? Not 25 per cent, I will venture to say. A man came to me yesterday and asked me for €2 for twenty-four hours. He invested the cash in stimulants, and today he applied to me for 25 cents to sober up with. Fubaons whe drink to-eneees are, in my notion, the most interesting of borrowers. ‘They always make light of what they call their firmity,’ seem to regard it cheerfully, as if it were quite excusable and evidently conside that they have a right to be supplied. by other with the means of inebriation. There is no end to the cheek of borrowers enerally. Sir Walter Scott speaks in hi onal of hisexperience with undergradu- atea at Cambridge and Oxford, who, having out- grown their allowances, would, though quite unknown to him, write and ask him for the Joan of small sums, from five to fifty pounds. One stranger, an army officer, informed him by letter that he bad dreamed that Sir Walter lent him £300, to which the author replied that this was an illustration of the well-known that dreams always went by contraries. I haye understood that the President of the members of the cabinet, Con- nd other persons high in oficial Position at Washington are constantly re- quested for loans. ‘The case of the dynamiter in New York the other day, who demanded €1,200,000 of Russell Sage, is merely an ex- treme 01 “I have lent money on frequent oceasions simply for the purpose of getting rid of the borrower, there being no such sure way of making him avoid you afterward. I have kmown «great many men who made a regular business of securing small loans from every fresh acquaintance. How familiar is the good fellow of the type Ihave just described, who goes through the world soliciting trifling con- tributions from whoever ho can get a decent introduction to, never hesitating to sacrifice a You find that ‘idual at his lowest notch when he te down to 5 cents asthe amount solicited. sy that time he has abandoned ali serious at- tempts to appear respectable or to conceal his character as a beat. “The most unique borrower I have met with lately was employed asa servant in my houxe- hold for twenty-four hours. On the afternoon of her arrival she concluded that she was too fatigued to clean up the kitchen and so retired to her room, having obtained from her mistress the loan of a book of poems for perusal. The next morning she waked mo up by pounding on my door and informed me that, inasmuch as her own beg had not arrived, she would be lad if would lend her my comb and tooth- rush. On the other hand, I have known women to borrow money from their servanta. lonce had a colored man who was accustomed to borrow my dress suit whenever he attended ball {only found itout through the acci- dent of discovering one night that the gar- ments were gone, when I was attiring myself for a party. “The sort of neighbors who borrow are suf- ficiently well known. ‘They obtain tho loan of cut glass, silver ware, jewelry and other finery, for the yurpose of making’ display on ocea- sions, wer down in life they sand next door Press. An uptown minister's wife was reading to to him one evening last week. “Am average man of fifty has 3,000 days or nearly twenty years in aid. it 6, p,"" ae “Read that again, my dear,” he said inter- estedly. She “That accounts,” he said dreamily, “for some of the things I notice during my sermons,” and she smflod ‘and continued her reading. From Judge. SECRETS OF ‘STATE. How Certain Important Government Matters Are Kept From the Public. APRESIDENT'S MESSAGE THAT WAS STOLEN AXD PURLISUED IN ADVANCE—THE CARE TAKEN IN SETTING THR MESSAGE IN TYPE—PROOF READER BROWN AND HIS BEVISION OF THE DICTIONARY. we PRESIDENT HARRISON'S RE- cont message was finally published a weight of anxiety was lifted from the minds of the public printer and his foreman. The an- nual addresses of the chief executive to Con- gross are always nightmares to the government printing office, and until they are formally re- ceived by the national legislature there is no sound sleep for the officials in charge. Their task is like the guarding of a treasure, for the Powseasion of which a few houra in advance eager newspapers are ready to pay a fortune. Once, and only once, was a message stolen, and the incident has passed into history. Sixteen picked compositors set up the last mesange. They were chosen as usuai for their trustworthiness. So secret was their task that if one of them had even said when the job was done, “I have been working on the President's Message today,” discovery of the fact would have caused his discha: Four hours were required for putting the document into type, and during that time the seleoted men, grouped by themselves, were held under the watchful eye of the foreman. The copy, received in type sgript from the White House, was cut u into ‘@es" so small that no individual coul make head or tail of his own. No one was al- lowed to see any proof of other takes than those which he himself handled, and all the im- perfect proofs taken were gathered into a bag 4s carefully as if they had been so much gold, and burned in the furnace. Not a scrap was permitted to escape. GALLEYS PUT IN A SAFE. The galleys full of type, as fast as they were made up, were placed on shelves in an iron room builtlikeasafs. Whenever one was taken out a receipt was given for it, which was torn up when it was put back. Not less than two men were permitted to movea galley. Two Proofs were taken finally of the completed mes: sage—one for the office and the other on fin paper for the President. The final proof w read by ArthurH. Brown. “Dictionary Brown he is called, because of his marvelous accuracy about words. Sometimes compositors in the government printin office have kicked at Brown's corr of their work. Repeatedly they have called his attention to the dictionary aud havo shown him that Webster indorsed their own judgment. So it docs,” Brown would say, calmly. Then he would correct the dictionary with en and ink. | His corrections were al- ways right, too. Once he sent about twenty of them to the publishers of the dictionary, who accepted all of them and made him a present of an clegansly bound copy. He suggested, it is id, several emendations in Mr. Harrison's Tecent message and they were adopted by the thor. Any President is fortunate in having such a critic of his work before it reaches the public. When Mr. Arthur was President Public Printer Rounds was so auxious about the secrecy of the message that he took one of the cases himself. under orders from his own fore- man. On the occasion referred to the manu- script of the address to Congress came into the office in scraps. It kept arriving piecemeal from Baturday afternoon to Monday morning. ‘The chief magistrate presumubly wanted to see how it looked when prettily printed, as he proceeded with his composition. Wich 'kindly consideration for the printers, he provided them, while they were engaged upon the task, with what they described ay “elegant grub,” sending his own steward from the Executive Mansion to serve it. THE STOLEN MESSAGE OF HAYES. The message which was stolen was the last one written by President Hayes. It was not obtained from the government printing office. For the sake of extra precauti was set up in the braneh offiec of the Treasury Depart- ment. Rumors that it would be obtainable in vance got about Newspaper Kow someh and combinations were formed to purchas in case it should be offered for sale. ‘The price in such an event would necessarily be large and it was worth while to divide it One of these combinations was formed by the New York Times, Cincinnati Commercial Garette and Chicago Tines, On the afternoon of the Saturday before the Monday on which the message was to be placed in the hands of Congress the correspondent of the New York Times was sitting in his office on the row read- ing the evening papor. He had pretty well made up his mind by that time that there was nothing in the report wiich hud been cir- culated. A young man, but slightly known as a news- aper correspondent, walked in and asked in a Jocatar way what was the laters intelligence about the message. “Nothing that know of,” was the reply. “Do you care to buy it?” asked the youth. ‘Ishouldn't mind,” said the Tunes man, imagining that the visitor was joking. ‘To his surprise the young man drew out from his pocket « package, which proved on inspec- tion to be the much-desired document. “How much do you want for this?” was asked. “How much will you give?” said the youth. “Ill give you « thousand dollars for it,” said the Times correspondent. ‘The young man saidthat he thought he could get more than that, and, after u brief haggle. €1,500 was agreed upon as the priec. It was understood that the money should be paid only on condition that the message reached no other bunds. No time was lost in communicating with the correspondents of the Cincinnati Commercial- Gazette and Chicago Ti the representa- tives of the three papers hired a room in the Ebbitt House, procuring telegraph instruments to send the dispatches from ras done with the utmost secrecy, nm ing breathed to anybody, for fear lest some untoward accident should spoil the biggest scoop that was ever made from Washington. So far as this end of the business was con- cerned things wentadmirably. During all that evening the telegraph instruments were busily ticking in the room at the Ebbitt House and the message was sent flying simultaneously to three cities. None of the other correspond- ents here had any notion of what was going on, but in New York word got out in some way at the message was coming over the wires, No one could tell what paper was getting it,but the rumor set the correspondents there on tho alert. The men who represented Chicago papers in the metropolis wired to the home offices a warning. ‘to prevent the happening of just what did occur the New York Times was held back from the presses for forty-five minutes after the usual time. As quickly as it was issued, however, it was seized and the en- tire message of the President, covering more than page and a half, was telegraphed to the Chicago Tribune, the’ Inter-Oocsn and ‘other dailies in the same city. It is not surprising that the Chicago Times, finding its hoped-for ‘ scoop gobbled by its rivals, should have de- ined to pay its own share, $500, of the sum due as purchase money for the message. Of course there was tremendous official agi- tation in Washington over the occurrence. It was proposed to prosecute the newspaper cor- respondents concerned as accessories after tho theft, but that fell through. Skilled detecti were employed upon the case, and they de- clared that the printer in the’ treasury office who took the proofs of the m was the uilty party. There was never very much evi- nce against him, and, although he was dis- ove ‘at the time, he was subsequently rein- stated. Very likely the truth at the bottom of the affair will nevor be known, but there is no less interest on that account in the story of how the President's addresa to Congress once reached the people of the United States almost thirty-six hours before it was given to the national Si ‘The Mind's Mysterious Workings, From the London Truth. “ooincidences” which Dr. Weatherly isatmuch pains to explain away: | ment’s POST OFFICE MONEY ORDERS. Some Curious Things About Them With ‘Which Every One is Not Familiar. OSTMASTER GENERAL WANAMAKER Proposes almost immediately to double the number of money order post offices in the United States. He is going to extend the sye- tem eo as to include all points where post- masters are paid 2200 a year or over. This will add about 10,000 post offices to the system, which now embraces only 10,342 post offices. There does not seem to be any prospect that the money order business ean be made to pay ® profit to Uncle Sam in future. It was started in 1865 with an appropriation by Congress of $100,000, and during the first eight months there was loss of more than $7,000, As the system grew it became more remunerative to the government, until it began to show a mar- gin of gain about ten years ago. For the Inst three yoars, however, there has been a loss on it, mainly because the average sum sont by moncy order has diminished. The average cost to the governmentof amoney order, whether for a smail or @ large amount, is x trifle over 10 cents, while the average foe’ paid is now only a fraction more than 8 cents. Tlowever, the loss. on domestic money orders is made up to some extent by a profit on international money orders, During the last fiscal year the Post Office Department cleared $189,000 on the pur- chase gf bills of exchange to settle balances with foreign countries on account of money orders issned. DRAIN FROM AMERICA TO EUROPE. The enormous sums of money sent abroad from this country annually by money orders show whats big drain of cash there is out of the United States to impoverished Europa. Great Britain receives from us in this shape 5,500,000 yearly, while only about $000,000 is Teturned in the same way to these shores. Ire- land, of course, gets most of the great sum named. Germany comes next in reapect to the amount sent over from this side of the water Nearly $3,000,000 are sent thither from America evers year to help the folks at home and to as- sist them to emigrate. On the other hand the Germans help out their relatives on this side with very considerable remittancos, forwarding from thé fatherland nearly #1.500,000 annually to the United States by money or {tixacuri- ous and interesting fact that nearly three times as much money was sent to Ireland by money orders during’ the last fiscal year a8 was con- tributed through the same channel in the year 1880-1881. Of all the countries with which’ cle 8am has money order relations the least amount of business was done last year with ‘Tasmania, whither was sent $505, for €3,775 re- ceived. A convention for the exchange of money orders with Chile signed by M Wanamaker several months ago, but that go ernment has not ratified it yet. THE HEART OF THE SYSTEM, New York city is the beartof the money order system, the post office there being the central depository of funds. At many post offices in different parts of the country there is an excess of payments on money orders over receipts. In such cases the postmasters cast of the Rocky mountains are allowed to draw upon the postmaster at New York, while on the Pacific slope they are similarly supplied from San Francisco and Portland. Postal notes are not 80 popular as they used to be. They are Very convenient for sending small sums of money by mail, particularly where odd cents are concerned, and they have great usefulness in sections where silver almost wholly takes the Place of paper as currency, but. they afford no security, and people are apt to be reluctant to accept them as cash. OLD MONEY ORDERS. Sometimes money orders as much as twenty Fears old are sent into the Post Office Depart- ment to be cashed. Queer people stow them away in desks or other hiding pl leaving them to be discovered in the course of time by heirs. Of course they are invalid after one year from the date of issue, but dup! always issued and paid’ upon application. Actors, and particularly cireus people, have way of utilizing the money order system sort of banking and safe deposit concern, While traveling about tho country, for exam- ple, a player will buy a money order for $100 on New York, making himself the payee. Thus he puts away the sum ina place where no one else can possibly get it. Before the year is out he may draw the money and buy another postal order with it, and so on, thus keeping the cash secure for an indefinite period. It be should get on aspree he cannot be robbed. Recently a cirens clown was arrested in a town out west with 25.000 worth of money order re- wipts in his clothes. Had they been stolen from him he could easily have got duplicates. sane eaoa DEPARTMENT PRINTING OFFICES. They Have Important Work to Do, Par- ticularly With Government secrets, EVERAL OF THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE printing shops of their own, which are branches of the government printing office. ‘The biggest of them is attached tothe treasury, employing eighty men and women. Others are annexed to the War, Navy and Interior. The Department of State has the smallest of all, with only about a dozen employes. This last. however, does much important work of secret nature, setting type fora great many documents which are kept most strictly from the view of the public. ‘The Department of State is the great deposi- tory of the secrets of the government. It does and knows many things which are not commu- nicated to the people nor even to Congress. Obviously, there are numerous instances where the publication of diplomatic business would frustrate the purposes in view. For example, when negotiations were set on foot for the pur- chase of Alaska it would never have done to tell the reporters for the press what was the nature of Prince Gortschakoff's confidential reply to Mr. Seward’s preliminary overtures. ‘That might have spoiled the whole affair. Pend- ing treaty matters even the Senate is not per- mitted to have knowledge of, di One function of the Department of State is ta maintain the peace of nations, With a view to this end it usuaily preserves silence respecting breaches of diplomatic faith. Many s time when the United States has been treated with want of courtesy and even dishonesty by foreign overnments all knowledge of the injury done ws been kept from tho public. The printing Of the facts in such cases would merely have aroused popular indignation and inspired an unhealthy sentiment of hostility. On theother hand, Uncle Sam has more than once treaied other nations with unfairness, and they have said nothing. He really purchased the Island of St. Thomas from Denmark a few years ago, the bargain being so far completed that the residents unfurled the American flay; but he crawled out of it rather discreditably at the end. Nevertheless, Denmark took it quietly and made no fuss whatever. Whatever has been written or printed on such subjects re- mains buried in the secret archives of the State Department. The bony whether there could occur a case where the Secretary of State would feel obliged to refuse in forma- tion demanded by Congress has been disputed, Probably he would be able to escape the di- lemma bY diplomatic in peda A rather important part o! to te rinting is th system of consular re- orts. It is not generally realized that this ranch of the government employs on its staff the finest corps of ems in existence. The) are scattered over parts of the globe, an being constantly in communication by tele- graph with the cfice at W n, they are ie to combine, at a moment's notice, in giv- ing information on any conceivable sub; Av the consuls, consuls genera} and even our ministers abroad are instructed to regerd this asa portion of their duty, and thus Mr. Blaine is coset wet Cash eypeed of ony is early on whatever topics may as tealculated to aiford useful information, ‘most of them being of commercial interest. pe Bat Ss aa Ivy on Walls, From Mcehan's Monthly. A friend recently ealled attention to a case which he thought subverted our view, that the ivy growing on walls tended to make them dry rather than damp. On looking at the case, we find that the wall was covered with the am- 5, IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. But Keacued by Hie Own Troops From Im- priconment In Kebeldom. From the Boston Giote. It was while I was out on a foraging expedi- tion during the war that I met face to face with Mrs. Grant Wetherbeo, once Kate Cornell, an old fiame of mine, who had almost broken my heart when she married, five years before, ‘When she invited me to enter the plantation for tea I forgot at once that I was in the enemy's country and readily accepted, sending my men away. The toa was dispatched and we returned to the parlor, but my fair hostess would not bear me speak of departure yet. I ‘must play one game of chess and drink some of that superb sherry I was wont to praise five years before, when it made part of her father's cellar. Chess and sherry, with one of the most beau- tiful women south of sfason and Dixon's line. I was but s man and Iyielded, though I knew —_ our le Fooved, on and that I should ave a hard an baps, a risky gallop to overtake them. 8 ! . ‘The chess had advanced but a little way and I was conscious of spending piest hours of m: ‘be room in which we sat was thrown open five gentlemen in the uniform of officers of the confederate service entered. As quick as lightning I glanced into the faces of the three Indics who were tertainers and xs quichiy I became coi they were innoceut. Fortunately, I was en- abled to preserve my presence of mind, when Mrs. Wetherbee suid, “Capt. Foote, me to present Col. Ashb; taking nced a low T rose quickly and, jod: appy to meet one of whom I have beara 80 much.” Then, with an introduction to the others the party, wo became seated. I cannot h admitting that there wasa momentary cmbu rassment with all the party, and for @ minute nobody spoke. It required the tact of women to rectify thi it was rectified instantly, and the conversation flowed smoothly. Our chess was dropped, but our sherry was discussed, as well as every topic but that of war. This was a tabooed subject, and not one word was uttered upon either side that would have lod the most careful listener to believe that we were soldiers warring against each other. __It would be uselegs to deny that during this time my mind was running on all things besides those upon which I was talking. I knew that I was Col. Ashby's prisoner, though there was Just the shadow of a doubt ‘whether he meant to enforce the forfeit. At last the time came when I must bring the Matter to au issue, and I arose to depart, Whatever the end might be, Idid not intend that Ashby or his friends should sce it in my face or iu my manner of taking leave that I for an instant suspected such @ termination to our interview. In fact Thad made up my mind not to be taken without « struggle; and it was but a few nights before that two of our officers bad been captured while upon & visit to some fair ones outside our lines, and the incident had served for some hard jokes on the now imprisoned amoratos, J bade my fair entertainers good night, re- Gretting that it would be so loug ere I should wee them again, and advanced to do the same by Col. Ashby and his friends, but found them on their fect and preparing also to depart. T shall never forget the minute that it took Us to reach the piazza. It seemed a: age. I had picked up my sword by the way, baving unbuckled and stood it in a corner of the room when I sat down to chess, and grasped it lightly by the soabbard in my left hand, pre- pared to use it on the slightest demonstration. My horse stood fastened within a few feot, and I felt that if I once got over his back I had no fear of the whole party. Tt was just dark and we all stood an instant looking out upon the landscape. Every mo- ment lexpected the words, “Captain, you are my prisoner,” when I noticed a look of intelli- Bence pase Letween the colonel and his adju- taut. I grasped my sword tighter and looked in the — x sree of their eyes, and wi & great bound of the heart eaw my own men coming slowly u toward the house. te Whether they were deceived and believed them « squad of their own in the dim light, or really knew what they were and trusted 10 my generosity, Icould not tell, but after they had “fairly emerged into the road I turned toward jy companior a, with one glance into their inscrutable faces, I extended my hand to Ashby. “i must bid you good night, colonel; I see a file of my men com: T thank you!” was all & moment I was on my y men, who had re- at they might warn me of severcd wandering partics of “rebs” they knew to be out, aud prevent ine from being picked up. ———— +e. — EMPEKOR OF ETHIPOIT. An Enlightened Prince Who Can Work and Who Prays Two Hours Daily. From the New York Tribune. Count Pietro Antonelli,a member of the Italian parliament who bas spent several years in Ethopia and has been sent many times as Italian ambassador to Emperor Menelik, has given an interesting account of that monarch in a recent issue of the Kiforma of Rome. Menelik, says the count, who was marri the Princess Taitu in 1883, is now forty-eight years old. He is a man of medium height and powerful body, with dark brown skin and coarse although not irregular features. He is not naturally cruel, and the signing of death warrants often makes him sorrowful and re- fleetive. He understands his people and is able to gain their love and rule them wisely. Although he now bears the title of Emperor of Ethipoit, commands an army of 130,000 men with 60,000 guns and displays at times oriental splendor, he is not ashamed to subject himecif to physical labor. He saws wood, makes house models and ——— the construction of buildings A sbort time ago a terrible disease carried away many of the oxen, and Menelik and his courtiers used rakes and spades in yrder to prepare the fields for the reception of He worked also three months as stone mason on a church which he ordered built not long ago. He understands the main facts about railroads and steamships and the principles of telegraphy. He would gladly acquaint his people with the technical advances in science and the arts, but his advisers will not consent wit. Bince the carly eighties, adds the eount, Meneltk has kept up his connection with Eu: rope. In mercantile affairs he is the equal of experienced tradeemen. In diplomatic matters he well understands the art of prolonging the discussion until he has reached @ decision, One who has to on business with him must be obscrvant and attentive. The em- peror takes great interest in European news- papers. He is fond of talking with Ei SF! VANDERBILT'S CRADLE The OM Commodore Himself Was Rocked From the New York World. In the home of Mr. and Mra. Bdward @. Lyons of No. 137 Broadway are two articles of furniture of small intrinsic value, but which ae relics are highly primed by the owners and could command a large sum. Poth of the arti- cles, if gifted with specch, could no doubt tell strange and interesting stories. One is cradie in which Commodore Vander- bilt, when «child, was rocked to sleep. This picce of furniture i¥ of mahogany and is built in the swinging pattern of cradles. ‘There are two upright posts connected with each other by asquare piece which runs horizontally be- neath the cradle. This piece sets inte grovves cut in the posts, and the whole thing ean be taken apart by a ebild ‘The cradle iteclf has a mahogany frame with cuned sides. It is four and a haif feet long and sixteen inches wide. Al end ise small piece of round trot wre flat picve Shich i# fastened to the frame of the eradie. ojecting round pieces fit nicely into ‘paces in the posts and these form the means of Winging the cradle. A suall piece of wood was at one time attached to the bottom of the cradle. This kept it in a stationary position when further rocking or swinging was to be dis werd with. tis said that the cradle is one Lundred and twenty-three years oid, and its appearance leaves no room to donbt thie, It was brought to this country from Rolland, where it was con structed. The history of it, as far as can be learned, is that it came ito the Vanderbilt | family through the mother of the commodore. After cach member of the family wee rocked to thin it and eventually grew up the ora- io was lad away, to be given to ughter after she became » mother. way it descended from mother to eldest daugh- ter until at last Mrs. Kimble, « third cousin of late William H. Vanderbilt, who resided in lyn, e@ ite owner. In 188) Mrs. when about to move from lirooklyn, cradle with Mra Lyons, who was to oop it until Mrs, Kimbie sent for it About the same time Mrs. Lyons purchased 8 e0fs from Mrs. Kimble that is said to have been im the Vanderbilt family for sixty-five years. It was presented to Mra Kimble by ilham H. Vanderbilt as « wedding gift. Com- Torewood, it must at one time have een & Very pretty piece of furniture. Since it came into the possession of Mra, Lyons it bas been covered with material fashioned after the pattern of a crazy quilt. The original covering was of @ coarse sort of cloth, which to the touch feels like hair cloth, but is of @ material and texture rarcly seen nowadays It is intended to piace both articles on exbi- bition at the world’s fair in Chicago. BIG RAK HEAD. A Gory Landmark of Early Kentucky Days Destroyed by Lightuing. From @ Louisville Letter. In conversaiion with some friends at the Louisville Hotel the other night Mr. Joba Young Brown spoke of « famous oak tree in Webster county, Ky., that was from 3811 till 1860 the object that marked the corner of Hen- derson, Union and Hopkins countics. The tree bas a history. About the beginning of this century two men and three women came into Kentucky from North Carolina, The men were the brothers Harpe, Micajat and Wiley. ‘The elder wat a man of gigantic stature, raw-boned, museular and athletic; the younger rather small in size, but agile in his movements and hardy of hysical constitution. Both were fieudish in isporition, passionate, ferocious and blood- thirsty. Robbery was their trade and murder their amusement. ‘The women who accom panied them wore wives—“Big” Har, ° elder was called, having two, and “Little Harpe, the younger, one Atew days afvcr their advent into Kentucky, on the Upper Green river, they murdered = man named Langford, for 10 reuson that was ever discowered except their passion for shed- ding human blood. ‘They were apprehended for the crume and lodged im jail at Danville, from whith they managed toescape, Boon after they murdered a «mall mill boy in Adair y, soa of Col. Trabue. Pursuing their way to western Kentucky, they murdered in succession three meu—Deoley, Gilmore and Hadgeon, Finally they murdered « whole family of and children named Stigall and a guest of the family, one Love, and sot fire to the building. A pose under the lead af Capt. powerful and fearless man, pursued Ja shot from per's rite troughs big’ Har near the root of the tree mentioned by Mr. Brown. He was desperate! wounded, when Stigall, te head of the family murdered by the miscreants, came up and dis- patched Lim. The younger escaped and was afterward apprehended and hanged for @ murder be bad committed in Missisappi. “Big” Harpe's head was severed from bis body, and some one ascending the tree spoken of, then @ tender sapling, severed the trunk near the top, and, sharpening the stands shaft, stuck the head of the dead miscrean where it remained for years. The tree Was at or near the pomt where the roads from ville and Morganticld m= tersect, and the piace is called “‘barpe's Huad” to this day. Soon after the head was gibbeted some one ascended the tree and carved the head of s man under Harpe’s head, and the efigy yet remains. About four years ago the tree was struck by lightning and’ nearly all ite branches destroyed. “Some mouths ago it was again strickon by lightning and the current eet it afiro and all that remains of it is a charred trunk, # shaft twenty or thirty feet high, with the curved eftigy still plainly to be se TEN YEARS IN A REFRIGERATOR. In That Time Mr. Bell's Tarkey Lost Flaver. From the New York Times. It is not ordinarily considered to be in good form to cook and servea fowl that has been dead longer than two week, but the guests at a dinner given in this city a few days ago ato a turkey that was killed ten years ago. The most singular thing about it, too, was the fect that the turkey looked as fresh as the tenderest bird of the class of ‘91 and was otherwise tike any other recently killed turkey, except that the flesh bad lost its flavor. ‘The dinner was given by Edward Bell, the broker. Ten yearsago Mr. Dell acquired a Vermont turkey and took it to Knapp & Ven Nostrand, 208 Wash: street, and asked them to put it on ice, He exprossod # desire to experiment in refrigeration with the view of ascertaining how long fresh meat could be kept on ice. It was agreed between Mr. Bell and Knapp & Van Nostrand that the turkey was to be kept on ice for ten years and then eaten. Accordingly the turkey was bung 0; in the back part of the big refrigerator 1s was a sinall bird, weighing cight or nine poun Also, in order to increase his knowledge of ut rope. He always receives ina friondly and flattering manner. Ava rule the emperor breaks bis night's rest at3o'clock in the morning. He prays then for two hours. From 5 o'clock to 7 he dictates letters to his secretaries. At 7 o'clock he and had been killed by cutting inte the neck. ‘The bead was not severed and the fowl was not “drawn.” In the retri ‘that turkey dangled from 1981 to 18¥1. At long intervals i epeey i ' -

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