Evening Star Newspaper, January 16, 1892, Page 8

8 TERRA DEL FUEGO. Life Among Those Living in King Charles South Land. THEIR CUSTOMS AND HABITS. DiMeulty That the Missionaries Find in Hav- ing Them telligent Th ive In Houses—Women More In- nthe Men Interesting Iteme the Southermost Islands. any months ago, W ve were living in Santi- «go, acard was brought to me, inscribe ” Jose Fagnano, de Ia Mission P Moridinal y, Terra del Fuego, which I recog- nized as that of a wi known Italian Jesuit belon; to t of Hermanos de Caridad, whose mu Work in this far south land has been more suc- osefal than that of any of his predece Protesta holic. Descent ha T fouad a po middle-aged gentler broadeloih cloak of & gown, biack , like our old~ shovet is hnowledg almast as circum- yet in h broken by t fertile valleys, « 000 to 7.000 feet hith, WADITS OF THE PEY The heights ave J everswhere scorim and lava appear. The flora of the island des many strange plant igenons ones are ey toil not, r t almost €: a gobul n the hardiack a IN fore he came here the fe had a in he con- ted the rudest kind of weather breaks of es and brushwood—always. fiv f buts they could be cs to anybo. To this day. says the padre, of ali the missionaries, ev * of her inst rag for a F beads. and stalk he vagh entirely naked. Thi 700 Indians ta te ous kinds of m Charity” have m, how- wand snows which has any case the do ly the win live in a i sort of door in it. In e be taken off its bi ‘ore any Inv Tt is | vessel comes along, particularly of} whore they build a fire upon the rocks and ¢ « around it in the most affectionate man- ner to keep themselves from freezing—itis sur- prising how few of them are ever seon by the humerous veosels that pass regularly through the strait. Bat still more astonishing | TYPICAL ACENERY. it is to note bow rapidly they will collect from all quarters, perhaps a hundred or more boat loads of thems'in few minutes? time, all ready for robbery or murder, whenever # strange it bea small oneorinany waydisabled. Howtherendezrous became known towo many Indiansat once, when not a wretched canoe was in sight, is a mystery. but many shipwrecked mariners have reported the same thing--that signal fires suddenly blazed up all xlong the coasts for milesand from | behind every sheitering rock and out of every tiny creek canoes came shooting swiftly toward the rallying point. Though the Fuegoan is essen- tially « Waterman, his canoe is about the rudest affair thatcan be made to float. Instead o: being hollowed out in a good sbape from the { | trunk of a tree or made of bark like thors of the Canadians, these arerough planks, obtained heaven knows how, tied together with fiber and thongs, without the sligitoet regard for form. « long end sticking up in front like an exaggerated prow. In their motion there ix none of the graceful gliding of the North American or New Zealand canoes, for instead of being propelled by paddies these miserable crafts are rowed with oars made by tying a piece of board or thick bark to theend of « pole. On the bottom of each boat, near the center, some earth is piled, and on it # small fire of sticks is kept burning for the partial comfort of the naked oceupants. On each ride of this fire they huddle, six, eight or more in g, chattering and ap- te of the nstant necessity of taking in bailing out the water that ows in be- tween the imperfectly joined planks. VOLIER-LOOKING MORTALS never breathed. They arearusty iron color, With flat noses, high cheek bones, enormous chias and jaws, crocodile mouths, filled with long yellow teeth, no forehend. extremely wide aces, over which coarse bair falisin matted re squatty and round shoul- the ‘peculiarly bloated, pot- ce of charity orphans who sed on éabbage round bodied, short, slonder and ty probably due to most of their lives equatting in he women are more repulsive, if than the men, and seem to care even fess about covering their dirty bodies with any sort of raiment, and their uncommonly numerous spawn look like young baboons, only the latter are infinitely handsomer. Their intelligence seems to be confined toa knowl- edge of boating and fishing, in both of which pursuits they are very skilful. Their fishing ines are made of grass, their hooks of fish bones, their fishing spears bave a forked end made from the bone of a sealion, and the women's implement is a stout stick or bone, generally notched, saw-tooth fashion, on one edge, for knocking limpete off the rocks. TREIR WEAPONS are bows and lances, the former having strings made of theentrals of animals and arrows tipped with flint: the lauces are long poles with tips of sharpened bone. ives, too, the blades of which mussel shells.a very large spe along these coasts. A shell four or five jong has ita brittle edge chipped off and formed by grinding the shell upo: » rocks, after which it will cut not only jest wood, but bones of fist and and it serves the Fuegoan for every purpose, even to the cuttingof «human throat. itis method of procuring fire is unique. Wher- ver he goes he carries alonga bitol “mundic’ on prtites, which is found upon the in sides all over Terra di This lic when stru The spark ied moss or the p: he tinder is placed withi sted grass, and this being rapidly in circles soon sets the grass in a blaze. as ‘Then it is only necessary to communicate the blaze toa bundle of sticks and the work 1s complete. t all this ix a good deal of troubie, and. that lazy Fue extremely n does not like. Therefore he is eiul of his fire, lighting one on I from that in the boat, and 2 the morning. OTHER POINTS OF DIFFERENCE. Among other striking points of difference between these people and the Patagonians is the fact that while the latter will drink as h “fire water” ay they can nds on always more or less drunk when near « ut, the Finlanders can never be in- the wome: and the eedles strung > gut—is to ns to partially LEIGENT THAN WEN. eis not parti pi Manos de Caridad. who are ture and refinement Ind in these wild beard of « good Cat is sent stly from the brotherhood is not the ce of i there the women Beut than the m discouraging!y © early of the whole a by the Onas, whe, though nary seuse of the s themselves to oe Indians,” about the lowest type of savages on the face « sito drink wine, beer or spirits of auy t quite naked. both mAKE Some little at- nt, the men daub- lies with red and black Wearing necklaces, brace- shells aud fish bones inge- niously joined together. A DoaT LOAD OF SAYATTS. My first xequaintance with a boat load of caine about in this way: While 6 Charlos South Laud in the came to anchor one ad, as was our daily custom, wentout in the captain's boat for a re. Returning in the deepening ght, we found ourselves followed by two woes filled wi . all gesticulating wildly and yelling for“tobac.” Knowing that we were in no danger ev near to tie larger vessel, we waited until the canoes came nyside and then crowded onr boat between hem, in order to get a cloxer view of the ocea~ sort. Though nearly if winter and summer, t! pants by the light of the ship's Janie Sach ; incredibly eirty, squalid, vile-smelling lot wretehes Tk F tO nee again. One wetuiled o'd ¢ s the moment she was bora, commiseration by her vio~ Jent shivering as she cronched close to the fire out the canos with » bit of je. oT gave her my shawi, | rn she presented me witr her afew holiow ber which sole article of wearing ap os strung on a bit of g around ber neck. what I supy Teasy ‘Yhen I tossed her wed was a Chilean coin the value | showed that the de- a goiden sovereign arse of no use to tho F 2 doubtiess have « upon my bi if in- |} Yto have about we « plug Fassix BR Wauv. stead I bad happ of tobacco. Prom the Atian tation. “Can I get sielter here for the night?" asked | the «wndidate for coroner, as he Kicked the oak “Diggers” of the Californian peninscla. Though there are thonsands of them, and they spend all the hours of daylight on ike water, each rude canoe containing » whole family, ore ortwo men with their mother and seve wives and as many children as can | ¢ crowded iu, revurning to shore only when darkne:sfalls, log in the wide fireplace and scat tho sparks flying up the clay chimzey. “L reckon 80.” “Peed for my horse?” “Been long in these parts?” “1 reckon v0. “Seem 10 Lave a very large family around our” ig “I reckon so.” ATTRACTIVE HOMES. Many Suggestions for. Interior Deco- rations at This Season. INGENUITY AND SKILL Can Accomplish Many Improvements in # jure of a Great Written for Tax Kvaxme Gran, OMES NOT MERELY four square walls” was sung long ago, and that barren description would bave been even nearer the reality then than in these days when accessories and superfluities so abound that the framework proper of the house is almostobliterated in the minor details of the fin- ishing and furnishing. The fitting up of a new house should be « prolonged enjoyment if one wishes to get the most possible out of it, and time must be given to find by living in a house what it really needs for comfort or beauty to sot it off to the best advantage. The tempte- tion is strong naturally to have everything fin- ished with as much speed as possible, especially if oue gets into a house just before the winter season opens, when one's friends are at home, and visiting days will bring them all to seo one’s new surroundings. In spite of the in- conveniences ofa lingering period of “settling,” however, one knows much better after being in « house « while what things to order to best suit it and may avoid some mistakes and save some money if haste is made slowly in the matter. Almost invariably opinions cbango about the furnishing ofa new house before and after living in it, and sometimes ideas that have been fiixed and immovable through all the long procecs of building are found much roved by variation, or our even abandoned Rether in favor of something unthought of i family life in the new home developed the wants and so the bost satisfying of it. PREPARATIONS BEFORE MOVING. When « migration from a small tos larger home is contemplated, which is the more usual gradation, and the building of the house af- fords the time, much may be done in the way of small outiittings beforehand, for it is won- derful how many small articles of a decorative nature may be constantly in use if one's pos- sessions in that line allow of it. When one has not the ability or time to do decorative ewbroidery and is not in a way to receive many gifts of that nature, soft India silk, both plain or with some pretty designs, may b> used in various ways to take tie piace of it very effectively. Jake d bed room for instance where pink the color used and one bay no scarfs or doslies to look well and protect ut the same time. Let India silk with white ground and pattern of pink azalia blossoms in bouquets over it be used very much as linen covers wonid be, with pink embroidery upon them. On the bureau or the dressing table, as the case may be, a searf of the silk may be used with just enough extra jength to allow of its being put rather full on top and the foids held down in different H ‘ue china and glass which in various und. e same Way @ scarf may be put on a chiffonier, though if it iw rather high it looks better put on plainly, the ends, which are hanging, being caught up so that they fall in irregular folds. Mantel and bookcase, as well as stall table, may be likewise adorned and a lainty and carelessly pretty effect will be thus obtained. COLORING COMBINATIONS. Old blue and white coloring could be suc- cessfully carried out with the Japanese crepes, while silkoline would do very well where the expense of silk would preclude its use. I saw early this season a charming piece of silkoline with very much the azalia coloring and de- sign which was suggested and so silky in tex- ture as to be quite misleading at first glance. ‘The sachet form may be used instead of the scarf if one prefers and the powder will make a room fragrant for a long time if plentifully used in the inaking. ‘Yo show the durability of the skilkoline I will mention some I have seen in delicate tur- quoise blue coloring, which has Leen in use tor four years and which in a south room has not faded from the sunlight or from washing. ‘This was bought when 1t first appeared in the market a8 « novelty, so pretty aud inexpensive that it became at once popular. The pie speak 3a White ground with a chrysanth mum-shaped figure scattered over it, uot very close Long curtains, shirred of the washstand and a four- fold screen with shirred panels of it look very pretty with the blue wali paper and bed room furniture with enameled fiuish of blue and white, and the deeper tones of the same color m the carpet. It iy an unpretentious little room, but its dainty color has done much toward making it an attractive one. MOUNTING OF PICTURES. Ina room where old pink is the dominating color some prints hate been mounted which look very well and may be suggestive. The pictures are heads, quite large and very pleas- to look at, one being typm a painting of a girl by Burne Jones; the large sheets of paper on which the bends are printed were first tacked to the wall with gimp tacks, ouly a few being necessary, just to hold them in place. A considerable margin of white around the picture i# ailoved to show imside a wide mat cut from pink ridge paper several shades ligiter figured wall paper. which forms frame both, aud which is fastened by copper- headed tacks at each corner, a Little design being formed of them by way of ozuament. Other good prints will be added to thexe, mounted in the same und interspersed among the regularly framed pictures on the walls, which ave all black and white, and nearly ull with wido white mats and narrow white frames. SEVEKAL PRETTY THINGS. Among the small articles for home decora- tion which have lately been accomplished are several pretty things. One is a sofa pillow cover, worked with heavy white linen floss on crash of medium quality and of a slightly gray- | ish tone. Au old Euglisu design which hus been printed by the South Kensington School of Necdiework was selected, aud only a part of it used; two sprays of extremely convention- alized flowers with a ribbon twisted in were drawn on the crash with transfer paper, the Stouts of each crossing the other. This made the npper part of the pattern, and the same sprays arranged di ily opposite rade tho jower part. the ribbon: oming together in tlow. The monogram of the itoy: aol ot Art Neodl bfoided in fins fivgs in the wer Yeft-hand corners, es had veveral different stitches introduced, a showy Iace stitch being most ctfective. ‘This design was worked in on astonishingly short time, the coarse floes quickly filtin; aces, h aud artis ic pillow is the stili undecided, tho choico veen wide frillof white Persian e cord with tassels at the corners; it would be washable, as is neces- and 4 reall Jawn or a in either ca sary in a pillow covered with white’ material. A SOUVENIR SPOON Case. Another small piece of work is a case in which to keep soaveniz *poous for display when not in use. The caso may be made for a Lalf dozen or dozen spoons, and @ pretty example is one made of pale blue plush lined w:th biue China wilk and tied with blae ribbons. Loug ago I spoke of a similar one made of chamo: that was for protection to silver ouly, nothing attractive in ite appearan é making of such * case is very simple; a strip of tho plush is taken #even inches wide, and for a dozen spoons the length would be the width of tho plas, of course & half dozen spoons would take a shorter piece. A piece of China silk the sume size is lined with outing danuel, which is firm and soft. Across the middie lengthwise inch-wide blue ribbon is laid and stitched by machine in spaces so that the handles of the spoons may be slipped through and the spoons lie side by side. ‘Tho outing ‘tauacl gives i THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D.C, SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 1892-SIXTEEN PAGES. used for button bags, but, I never saw one on such a large scalo before.” On the outside was & network of yellow silk, and the double frill which the bags made around the top had a row of silk shelis crocheted directly into the surah. Yellow satin ribbons draw each bag up, ran throngh a shirring. A charming one might be made of the India silk with black ground and ink, blue or yellow flowers onit,andadainticr nt leas useful one could be made of silk with white ground and the gay flowers. ‘The four com- partments to keep one’s embroidery silks in, with the piece of work free from them in the larger bag, is a great convenience, and a pretty one at that. —_—. HIE THANKS WEKE ILLUSTRATED. A Hungry Stranger Enjoyed a Square Meal at the Expense of a Detective. From the New York San. A shabbily drested man, with » lank and un- happy face, stepped deferentially into the cigar store at 6th avenuc and 27th street at an carly hour one night last week, when Dotective Brett of Capt. Reilly's squad happened to be thero, with Detectives Kemp and Murphy. “Tm hungry,” the stranger whispered, gloomily. “Give me a dime to got something to oat.” “I won't give you any money,” said De- fective Brett. “I disapprove of the practice, but I'll get you something to eat.” Turning to Detective Murphy be said: “Take this poor fellow to the eating house next door and tell the proprietor I'l settle for what “Thon Brott wheoled about and continued his chat with the cigar dealer. The stranger with the face was led into the eating house, where Murphy delivored Brott’s message. ‘Three-quartere of an hour later Brett sauntored into the eating house with a smile on his faco. He feit that ho had done a generous ‘Well, did you give that poor man a meui?” he asked, checrily. a “I did, and he weemed to enjoy it hugely, replied ‘the proprietor. “He was hungry, I ‘an tell you. ‘So he sai ‘What's the check.” 1 Brett gasped. “How does it come to that much?” “Why, he had a regular swell meal,” the pro- prietor responded. ‘He begun on # dozen raw oysters; then he had a bone sirloin, with potatoes and coffee, and wound up with a 20-cent cigar. Detective Murphy said to let him have anything he wanted.” Detective Brett whistled, puta dollar note on the counter, dropped the Io cents chango in his pocket and looked thoughifal. Detectives Kemp and Murphy laughed softly and fired this bit of philosophy at their asso- ciate: “Say, pard, 1 guess it would have been a heap cleverer to have given the fellow the dime he asked for and let him buy his own meal.”” ‘A day later the postmun delivered to Deteo- tive Brett a postal card. In one corner was clever pencil drawing of the shabby stranger's lank and unhappy face. In the other corner was a sketch of the same face fattened by good oystersand juicy steak. Acigar protruded from corner of the mouth of the fat face. ‘The drawinge bore the inscriptions ‘‘Before” and “After. Between the sketches was this message: “Detective Brett: “Bless your kind heart for that dinner. ‘A Hocuy May.” The detective has not been able to discover who the hungry stranger is. He told Capt. Reilly that hereafter he was going to do his own ordering for hungry men who excited his sympathy. 00 - SWIMMING IN FULL UNIFORM. An Interesting Part of a German Soldier's Training. From tho Beriin Ilustrirce Zeitun Whilo the swimming service is obligatory on the pioneers and lately on the cavaby it is optional with the membersof the other depart- ments of the army, and the fact that the an- auual subscription list is always more than full 18 9 ploasant indication of the love of spurte among our blue boys. Many an enthusiastic admirer of Neptune must, to his great sorrow, be turned away on account of the great number of applicants, The instruction is given under the direction of lieutenants by under officers. It begins with the regular practice of the swimming strokes, the pupil being supported meanwhile by the so-called fishing rod. When he has learned the movements well enough to be able to support himself above the water he begins to swim on a loose line. At this stage it is often found that those for whom the highest hopes have been entertained lack one quality that is indispensa- Ule for « good swimmer: we mean that Olympic calm, without which the most carefully uc- wired knowledge of the strokes is useles When the pupiiis able to keep himself on the surface sately and quietly he must go into the water without the helping line, but a rod is placed a certain distance above his licad for use ishe must submit to en minutes, then for half an hour, aceompanied by a boat, and then comes the todtentabrt (death trip), which lasts an hou! bitions held at the end of ¢ commanders of the asant festiv: sda ¢ prinees of the reigning bh ighborhood. Classes the summer b talions or regiments those held in Be tended by proficien and diving, and this water exerci larly formed lines, squads and t sight. ne Mo ure of the program, the ¢ y st_ swimmers in Tull mare! aud with beyoucted guns in their hands. They jump trom’a high tower into the cool water, on the surface of which these fully armet sons of Mars atnuse themselves until the command ions, 15 a import ibition of of the oficer im charge calis thera from the damp element. ‘The siamming service of the German art ig an excellent institution, for, besides giving the men healthy exercise, it tests the courage and self-control of the men in time of pence. osition During Sleep, From thi nth Century. ‘Man is, when standing erect, the only anima- that has the thigh ina line with the axis of the vertebral columm, and among his nearest con- gencrs in the animal world the flexed state of the femoral articulation is natural and con stant. As wo go down the seale the angie be- tween the thighs and trank d r aght angle c! T spenk here .2 the atutnds zdopted when the animal 1 at rest.upon ice Jega, tor during sicep there ie in many casca a curious reversiou 10 the position occupied in embryonic life. Thus we ave that a bird roost- ing with its head “under its wing” and the legs drawn up close to the body offers a decided resemblance to the chick in the exg. Thave noticed that young children, when old cnough to shift their limbe, vezy seldom sleep inany but the curled up ‘posidon, and thatas often as not, when unbampered by clothing or other artificial restraints, they sloey in the same attitade as do. man rupeds, viz, with the ebdomeu down and the limbs flexed beneath them. Iam told that negro mothers and nuzees in the West Indice invariably lay their charges down to sleep on their stomachs, and that this custom is also cominoa iu various parts of the world. man is, I believe, the only animal elects to eleep upon his back. Some of the lower savages seem to sleep comfortably on occasion in a crouching position, with the head bentdown upon the Knees, just as all the common tribes of monkeys do. Among the quodrumana it is not until wo come to the iatform building anthropoid types that we Ena a reeum! ition habitually taken inet Adult who ever during sleep. The young orangs and chimpan- Sreathetaey lave banc ihe xoalogioal gar dens slept with the body semi-prone and with the limbs, or ali excoptone arm, which was used asa pillow, curled under thew. This is exactly the position voluntarily adopted by 80 per cent of children between ten and twenty months old which I have had opportunities of watching. I was told by the attendants at the zoological gardens that no ape will sleep flat on his back, as adult man often does. It would be very interesting to ‘e exact ob- servations as tothe habits of all the lower tribes of men with regard to sleeping, for it tag cod upon which a good deal would seem to depend, if, as Tylor and most of our an- ologists’ believe, man's first ideas of a body necessary for tho stitching. After the ribbon is sewed the lining and outside are put together, the silk being hemmed on to the “Bout twenty in all, ain't they?” I reckon 80." “Yes, Treckou so. [never waz much at Siggers, Lut Pm suakeson @ mule trade. Is yore horse & mule?” No One 1s ORDINARY HEALTH need become bald or gray if he will follow sensible treatment. We adv cleaniiness of the scalp and the use of Hall's Hair Renewer. xasporated candidate, | collections of souvenir spoons ything im this world | many instances this would make a protty plush inside with the finest of stitches. The case is filled with the spoonsand folded or rclied together, a blue ribbon tied with bows and ends holding it securely and giving the touch of outside ornament. So many people havo now that in . ‘A CONVEXIEET WoRE Bag. I saw a convenient work bag lately which had pressp hp ~oaaany cane ‘A pasteboard founda- rogracin mean maeacts on was a of the silk, the four small ‘Up into one large one. The mand Idea Wes tee spirit world arose frou dreams. We know that most of our domestic animals dream, as in proved by their movements while asleep, and the same thing has also been observed in mon- keys. The effect of the position of the during sleep upon the character of our dreams is too well known to require comment, for probably every one of my readers nas experi- enced the very disagrecable results of sleeping on the back. Precarious Situation of a Baby. ‘From the Chicago Tribune. Father—“Well, Tommy, how do you think you will like this little follow for a brother?” _ aries Caaperine Rasen amas “Have we. to Papa, or ishe upare PRISONERS FOR LIFE. Some of Them Never Lose an Oppor- tunity to Escape. SAM MOORE’S FUTURE. He Will Go to Albany for the Rest of His Days—Criminals Who Have Laughed ot Bolts and Bars and Got Away From Prison— District Jail Escapes Have Been Very Few. AM MOORE, THE negro slayer of Henry Jandorf, will soon be in New York state, where Le will spend the re- mainder of hw duys on rth, unless the Presi- dent or one of bis suc- cessors interferes and grants an uncondition! pardon. Samcenhardly hope for such clemency in view of hisnarrow escape from death upon the scaffold, and, as is said about many life convicts, he may then de- vote his attention to living up to the privon rules and at the same time devising some moans of escape. Prisoners under life sentence are asually well behaved, bocause they know they have got to make tho best of their home in order to receive propor treatment and prevent being disciplined in a manner that may be uncomfortable for a long period as well asbeing painful for the time being. With the short-time convicts it is dif- ferent. They only oxpect to remain in prison a short while, and if they do not get the good behavior commutation it does not concern them much, for if they have been in the habit of spending or “doing” time in prison, as the crooked people put it, a month oF two! more does not make much difference. if The states havo their own rules for prisons and good bebavior commutation differs in the different states. In New York, where most of the District prisoners are sent, two months are allowed for the first year, four months for the second and eight months for the third year. In a ten years’ sentence the good behavior of the convict would deduct three years and six months. In other words, he would have to serve but six years and six months. JOHN SHEA'S ESCAPE. Even stone and brick walls with heavy iron gratings and armed guards cannot prevent the escape of some of these men, and during the at score of venre many remarkable escapes have been made in various pe? of thecountry. John Shea, who is now und Missouri for killing a St. Louis policeman, probably the moat remarkable crimi- nal at large so far aa prison breaking is concerned, although others had done somo clever work in that direction, and proved that heavy walls and iron bars were not too much fortiem. John Shea cheated the gallows on one occasion and cheated a life sentence later, and when he took French leave of the prison there was no indication of — selfishness about him, for injarranging his plot he took into his confidence other murderers and crimi- nals wno had long sentonees staring them in tho face. Shea his now been out of prison several months and not many weeks ago he came here and visited some of his old friends. With him came a man named Keily, whom Shea had induced to believe that he would col- lect some $300 or £400 from hix old friends and then they could have a good time ou the stake. ‘They roughed it through the west on their way here aud Shea was arrested on one occasion and set at work on a stone pile. JESSE POMEROY'S ATTEMPT. ‘The attempted escape of Jesse Pomeroy from the Massachusetts state priaon some time ago was a smart piece of work and he was only de- tected in his task a short time before he would have effected his escape. Being dangerous and desperate prisoner Jesse wus provided for in aceil where he would not come in contact with other prisoners and the guard paid ospeciul attention to him. It so happened that the prisoner's conduct changed for the better and this change aroused the suspicions of the guard. : Josse was permitted to rend books and durin, the timo that he appeared better than usual he seldom took notice of the guard and wonld remain with his back toward that official all the while the latter waa about the cell. Sub- sequent events proved that as soon asthe guard disappeared the prisoaer inid aside his book and performed what the guards and prikon oiicials thought couid not be done without the tunce of iron tools. ‘The cell was lined with plates, the bolts coming through into the i being held in position by « heavy nut. Jesse ad saved pieces of brown’ bread, which had soaked und made up in form similar to the nuts on the bolts, and in some unexplaiu- able manner he succeeded in removing these nuts and placing the bread imitations in their places. During oddintervals he would remove the plate and climb through into the air shaft, from which be removed ob-tructions from time to time until he had neuriy cieured the way to the roof of the prison, and then he was detected in the cleverest piece of work of the king ever dono. Sing Sing prison in New York ia conaidered one of the best and strongest institutionsin the country, but it is said tuat even that prison has been so operated against by criminals that they have managed to escapo. AN ESCAPE THROUGH A SEWER. In the Baltimore prison three crooks per- fected their plans aud escaped and were so far their absence was noticed that they tured. ‘Their eseape demonstrated 7; Many prison officials and detect- ives that all persons who escape by means of well-laid plans are assisted by persons on the outside. ‘hese prisoners were at work during the day of their disappearance and their ab- sence from tue dinner tavle caused the spread- ing of a gencral alarin over the telephone and. telegraph wires asking for their capture. ‘the men had goue through a trap in the prisoa yard and hed passed through the sewer, going as far as Jones’ Falis and then yet jug. ‘the iroa bars had been removed, show- ing to tho satisfaction of the officers that thero was outside assistance in the case. THE DISTRICT JAIL. ‘The United States jail in this city has a re- merkable record so fer as escapes are con- cerned, and during the many yeurs of its exist- ence but few prisoners have managed to get away. There have been soveral prisoners who have got uway from the guard outside the building when they were intrusted to perform labor of some sort and who got away because thero was not the necessary prison wall around the grounds. The escape of Lum Sewell, one of the Lieut. Tyler diamond robbers, and Joe Buck. who stole the diamonds of Mrs. Sarah Brown Potter, was effected about three years ugo, and in ‘that insiauce it was pretty clearly estabiisbed that there was an outside worker. I'he wide corridor about the prison is thought to be one of its strongest points, and the officers think it would be if there was a sufficient number of guards on duty in the prison at night. ‘The bars in the celis occupied by the prisoners Were cut, as were those in the windows of the outer walls, and there being no prison walls about the grounds and no guards about the outside es- Cape was the easiest matter in the world. Lua Sewell remained in the city and was soon rear- rested, while Buck was not captured for seve eral months, and then he was found in New Orleans. With prisoners who escape from the upper floors of prisons the bed clothing is genorally brought into requisition for the purpose of making rope enough to reach to the ground from the window, and with priaoners of expe- Tience the task is an cesy one and can be ac- complished in a few minutes. Such means have been —— in the District prisons many times, although the prisoners in the work house asa rule have no need toadoptsuch meagures,as they have plenty of opportunities to es: while out on the streets or while working about the farm, and many of them have embraced these opportunities. ‘NO REWARDS OFFERED HERE. In most cities rewards are offered for convicts, as for fugitives generally, but in this city rewards are seldom if ever offered in etthor case, and notwithstanding this tho officers for several years back havo been tracing and capturing crimiaale, Many criminals or ler life sentence in | | to the other butchers. oF some of them have earned good salaries in that way in past becanse tho risk was not 80 groxt as now. In days the bonds were jom forfeited, while now a bond 1s forfeited now and then. When the two notorious female sboplifters were ander arrest here the bnil was fixed at such an amount that they could not secure sureties and it is said that some of their crooked friends: from York came here and offered to put up $1,500 for bond for Anuie Derrigan, who was better known as “Kate Friday,” but no prover’ holder was willing to take the risk. Kate was kept here, tried and sentenced to the peaiten- tiary, but ebe is now at large, having been re- leased from the penitentiary on habeas corpus proceedings, and, although she is much wanted here, the officers are unable to locate her. penctecrsiereion 4 ABOUT THE ASTORS, ‘The Butcher Brothers the Head of the Famous Family. Julian Ralph in Providence Journal. Let me step back s hundred years and tell You about these Astors. I may tell you some things you did not know. When John Jacob Astor worked his way down the Rhine to the seaand shipped to England away from his slothfal, lazy, inn-keeping father.he stopped in London and went to work for his brother, a successful manufacturer of flutes and pianos, and, unless I am very much mistaken, junior partner in what is stili the greatest piano-mak- ing house in England, though there are no Astors in it now. Jolin Jacob was on his way to America, and only went to England to stop awhile to learn English—a feat which be bad not accomplished when he died. When he reached New York city, not very long after the ciose of the revolutionary wat. be bad heard about the fur business and had determined to embark in it, It does not matter whether he peddled alittle before that any more than it matters whether Jay Gould sold rat traps before he vecame a railroad operator. In time John Jacob apprenticed himeelf toa fur desler and learned all the tricks and se- crets of the business. Put in the meantime he had come to this city for the same roason be hnd gone to London—be had brother here. This brother was Henry Astor, aud in those days nobody questioned which would be the more successful of the two, for Henry was a mighty and a cunning man in business, le Was a butcher in the Bowery and lived above his store there. He had married a chubby, rosy German woman, of whom he used to boast: ‘She was der pootiest gal by der Bowery. Now, the Bowery wasno ordinary strect, and Henry was no ordinary buteher. The Bowery was the southern termination of the old Boston post road, and down it came the bulk of the produce of the countryside which was eaten in and shipped from New York. Among other things all the cattle came into town on that road on the hoof to be sold to the butchers. Henry knew that, and so did all the other butchera, but Henry put this knowledge to Practical use. He drove out of town twice a week on market days and met the cattle on che road up the country. There he bought the best of all the steers and cornered tho market. It was he who thereafter set the pricesand sold His young brother, John Jacob, was just as instinct with the speculative spirit, but be had no money to buy with, and 60 he used to bor- row of Henry. Hénry'did not like that, ie distrusted his brother's shrewduess or else he was close with his money. At any rate he loaned it to John Jacob unwillingly, and finally he meta request for a loan with a bluff “No” He said he would not be bothered any more,but this is what he would do. He would give John Jacob the sum of $500 outright as a gift if John Jacob would sign a paper promising never to ask for the loan of another penny from that date forever. John Jacob jumped atthe offer. He: took the £500, and perhaps that had more to do with the foundation of the great Astor fortune than any other sum he got in ail his life. I have heard that there are somo Astors descendant from Henry living up the Hudson river, and that the great and rich Astors have nothing to do with them. I do not know whether that is trae or whether there are | such Astors, but if it is trac it is ail right, for Henry unquestionably parted with the rest of the family deliberately and in cold blood when he paid that sum of money to John Jacob 0 as not to be bothered by his then poor rela- tions any more. John Jacob Astor prospered amazingly. He made muilions when it was something that no- body else unconnected with roy: able to do, except the Rothschilds in Europe. th those millions, made by putting the en- tire continent under a tax for its furs, he estab- lished not only @ landed estate, buts family with a principle, with a fixed purpose. He was of incalculable service in the development of New York, because he went to districts the city had not reached and buils dwellings for per- sons of moderate means. He built them very well, to last as long as possible, and he rented them for a fair return, thus establishing a moderate system of rentals with all tue land- lords of the city. In another generation an unfortunate split occurred and the estate and the fumily have since then gone forward in two parta, much the larger part (nearly two-thirds, I believe,) going to the descendants of the elder son and the smaller part to the descendants of a second | son. William Waldor? Astor now represonts | the bulk of the ¢ nd the little baby, John Sucob, is heir to the smaller part. But the old principle and purpose still live in all th Astors. ‘They etill build and extend the ei they still ask only fair rentals: they still re- frain from gambling, and among the merce: hands which seize our breaisvuffs, our coal, our oil and onr meats in order to raise the prices of our necessities no Astors’ palms are included. ‘This is why we like the Astors. as VICTORIA LIKES: THE NUDE IN ART. But Beaconsficld’s Wife Disapproves a ‘Shocking Picture,” From the Boston Globe. Queen Victoria is clearly not a disciple of Mr. Horsley, R. A. In his book of reminiscences, which has just been published, the Inte Mr. Cope, R. A., mentions a fresco painted by Dyce at Osborne. “Most graciously received and approved of,” he reports. Prince thought it rather nude; the queen, however, said not at all.” The British matron is represented, however, in the royal household, for of the same fresco we read a few pages later: “The nursery maids and French governesses have been sadly standalized by the nudities.es- pecially when bits only of figures were done.” Some readers may remember a story to tne samo effect in a former volume of artistic reminiscences. To some exhibition or other which the queen was to visit, Mulready hed lent several of his studies from the undraped model. Bofore her majesty's visit, one of the ministers went round the rooms to have the best works pointed out tohim so that bemight show them to the queen. The great man was very much shocked by the Mulreadys and left particular orders that the queen was not to be taken into the room where they hung. However, the queen did go, was delighted with the drawings and commissioned Eastlake to tind out if Muiready would sell one. CBee Redgrave, R. A.; a memoir,” page $2. An amusing parallel or contrast to the story about the queen and Prince Albert and the nude fresco ts afforded by the delightful inci- dent of Lord and Lady Beaconstield and an- other nude picture which readers will remem- ber to have been recounted in the Fraser rem- iniscences. It was ut a country house presided over by a chataline of artistic taste and culture that Lady Beaconsfield sturtied her hostess at breakfast by remarking what a shocking picturo that was which hung in their bed room-—she had “kept awake haif the night to prevent Disraeli from looking at it.” +00 —___ Like Other Medicine. ‘From Brooklyn Life. Peneiope—‘I hear you are engaged to Miss Dingbatts at last. Reginald—“Yes; she refused me six times, but I persevered.” “Penelope—“Then you were well shaken be- fore taken."” | | vessels will not be missed, SENATORIAL CUSPIDORS, ‘The Lexurious and Convenient Receptacies for Our Legislators. SOME CURIOUS PROVISIONS FOR TOBACCO CREWERS —A* POREIGNER'S IDEA OF WHAT THE NATIONAL EMBLEM SHOULD BE—soMR THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF PROPORTION. a } song WANTS BUT LITTLE HERE BE- low,” sang Oliver Goldsmith, but that wasabout one hundred and fifty years ago. Nowadays man wants everything in sight and would like to secure an option on all demrable but temporarily invisible possibilities. There &re some men, however, who may keep on wanting things until long atter the cows have come home, but their plans are forever being upset, their calculations never work out to sat- isfactory ‘conclusions, and when life iteelf comes to an end the buffeted authors of count- lens hopes leave for another world laden with « large stock of reasonable but unsatisiied desires. NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS. In this class will be found but few of the United States Senators who live and flourish in these happy days, and none of their disap- pointments can ever be traced to any mean- hess or stinginess on the part of the Senate. ‘Lhe Senator gots what he wants, TRE NATIONAL ‘sTOON. An observant Frenchman who was in and around the Capitol a week or #0 ago said that tho spittoon and mot tho eagle should be the national emblem. Wherever he went he found himself always in close proximity to one or more of those receptacles, which the foreigner, to his credit, knows #0 little of. One of the things he failed to find out was why some of those receptacles were called apittoons while others intended for the same use were sty caspidors, The distinction be noted is carried out even in official documents, no:ab) in tho list of United Stator property now in the keeping of the erg at-arms of the Why should the mittee on enroile 8 rejoice in the poracs- sion of two cuspidors while the com: engrossed bilis has to be content ‘The number of these “nation: "is not small. In alithere are 3 m scat‘cred throughout the Senate © say nothing of the sixty more now shut up in the store room. As to design and color and size there is great variety—ranging from the tall green vases in the Senate chamber through the intermediate stages of hand-painted and delicately Lucd porceiain aud its decorated kin to the common, every-day clay or papier- mache juice holders. ‘There is variety also in the value. Some of the more artistic specimens are worth some- thing like $2 each, while others may be bought for % cents, There are more than four of them—piain or decorated, broken or whole— for each member of the Senate. In the Senate chamber there are just thirty-four spitioons, although in the same hall there are 107 chairs and six leather sufas on which people may sit to eject the surplus which bothers every chower. A few of the unregenerate, however, make use of the ait-iuct exits and the carpet. OUT OF PROPORTION. In some of the rooms the proportion of spit- toons is a trifle disproportionate; not that they re too numerous, but that some other useful articles aro not sufiiciently plentiful. The Senate press gallery is credited with the pos- session of twelve cuspidors, but it has only one comb and one hair brush. “The press gallery is abead of the committee on public lands, though, for while that organization has four spittoons it as without s comb. Local pride will doubtless feel gratified over tho fact that the Senate District commitiec has the largest committee coiiection of spittoons. There are eleven of them altogether and some of the specimons are really fine enough to be designated cuspidors. In the President's room there 1s only one spittoon, but it is tall and of great capecit: brush in this apartment, becwuse the Presi dent only occupies it once & year and he invat iably attends to his toilet before going to the Japitol. ‘here are three brass cuspidors in the Vice President's room and on the mantel is a com- plete comb and brush combination ready for a of any distinguished visitor who may PLENTY OF MAKESHIFTS. The farmers who attend to senatorial agri- culture and forestry have Guly three spittoons available while the committee is in session, but this rather meager suppl helpe: Ship rather meager supply i materially helped commodate haifa dozen active destrovers of | tobacco. The committee on commerce is epit- toouless, but it has five waste-paper baskets. There'are neithe: spittoons nor euspidors in the rooms of the transportation routes commit- tee nor the committee on raies, but in both apartments there are open fireplaces, #0 the ‘Lhe committee on iisheries is also without cuspidorial accommodations and it has not even a wood box to relieve the situation. NOTALLE CHINA CUSP:DORS. Of course there are no spittoons in the ladies’ room, but there are four very fine china cuspidors in the room of the committee on woman's suffrage. These are the most notable china cuspidors on the list. The exception was Probably made becauss of the character of those who do most Luunt the committee room, Among the many things a woman can do if slo wants to is to clew tobacco, and if che elects to so do why should her own particular committee room be without spittoons? Mines and mining also has china spittoons. Six of them are catalogued as “fine” while the other two are “plain,” in the room of the committee it aud elections valuable service is Tenicced tee solitary spittoon by the carpet and the wool box. Finance is strong on hair brushes, having two, but it only one comb, while civil ser- Vice has no comb and only one brush. Against the 369 cuspidors in the Senate wing of the Capitoi there are just sixty-four soap dishes and fifty-four combs and brushes. There are eighty-eigit Senators. —— The Price of Drinks in Japan. ‘From the Oregonian. Four gentiemen surrounded as many bowls of punch in a cafe yesterday, and were chat tung about drinking in different countries and the prices paid. “Yokohama, Japan, is the most uniform town Lever saw,” said one who has traveled 5 deal. “All drinks cost 25 cents, Mexiean money, if you went beer, whisky, apoilinaris sour, cocktail, toddy, a glass of champagne or cham pagne cocktail, it is all the same. ‘The cham- gne sold, which is the best, comes in small ttles. champagne, but they make drinks of whisky, brandy, &c. Japan beer is made by Germans, and is as fine es any made in any piace in the world.” ‘ie ——+eo_____ Senator Gordon's Wound in Battle. From the Pittsburg Dispatch. In speaking abouts wound received in the check at the battle of Sharpsburg, Senator Gordon not iong ago told a curious story, which illustrates afeature of his character which will come into play during his sonatorial career. It is the fact that Gordon never loses his head, and that he can think under an; Said Gen, Gordon: ees “While I lay there wounded mind went through a curious ing. bail, and I said to myself: ‘I have been struck in the bead with a six-pound solid shot. “Ithas carried away my head. I can feel that there is a little piece of the skull left on the left side. But my brains mast be gone entirely. There. fore Lam dead. And yet Iam thinking. And how cana man think with his head stot off? And, if Tam thinking, I cennot be dead. And yet no man Can live after his head is shot off. Still, Imay have consciousness after I am dead, but my body cannot have action. Now, up for it on short onthe ficld my Process of reason- found that was still on, but I reasoned as nA over the matter as though I was head ically office.” There is neither comb nor | t, which is large enough to ac- | Of course, the saloons lose money on | I thonght i had been struck by @ cannon | FACTS ABOUT BANANAB, Where the Luscious Fruit Comes Frem-—-The | * Washington Market, 1 tpn 18 ONE FOREIGN PRODUCT | = that is not affected by the McKinley bill | 8nd tariff reformers of both political parties | Are content to leave it on the free list. It is | the banana, and more of thie luscious fruit te consumed in the United States than in any | country in the world. Washingtonians are | Breas lovers of bananas and it ie anid that more bananas are sold in this city than in New York. Bananas come mostly from Baracoa, » small ort town in Cubs, which claims the dis | «the center of the large fruit | trade with the United States. ‘They also come from Aspinwall, Jamaica and other tropical citicr, Twenty ylars ago bananas were very little known in this country. The Gret big cargo that came to tio United States landed at New York in March, 1870, and previous to that time the bananas which found their way into our markets came along with other fruit, | But the demand became so great that it was de termined to send over a ship laden exclusively with bananas. ‘Tbe first shipment, while rielde ing a fair profit: wos disastrous. “Over 0 per cent rotted om the long journey ‘Ihe growers ‘trans dent that if the borter journey. A Spaniard to rtered a fast American ch bo loaued with bananas began to look al port the fruit, - was the ini merchant vessel, w: and dis; eaauty itched to New York. When it caine to be od it was found thot not more than I the fruit had spoiled. This was beginning of er whi a big bus were necured and ther attention and mom culture of the banana. Two ¥ There are two ped to this coun. try. The long » i the short former, ho for in addition te to raise and mpens other, sg. end trom } facts about the banana is rows on a tree. The aud then dhe me to e bear aja bats the bunches aud travel. ihe local be nue in ihe wil A VISIT 10 THE BANANA srAREER, A repor STAR visited one of the es. tablisime sate the ne Odsemployed by the de an riper fruit. The bananas were foun, lar in five different room sands of bunches hanging from the ce close to) oy room Was fill. d with bananas ready to Ure im this Toom was kept at about 58 wud With tis temperature | The r tuat they be sold at on n was found hundreds of bat of ra Here the e Tanges {rom t deg buncbes were begins It takes trom three to four days to ghiy ripen # green bunch of Dananan tu the reporter's question the dealer stated tha: there was no regular price for the fruit, Everything depeaded upon tho supply nd the weuiher. A buuch of nice ripe ba- anes Was Worth at this time about The number of bananas on « bus [125 to 175, and the retail pri trom 10 cents a peck to 4 ceutsa d | Aspinwall fruit veems to be tue moxt popul | and while the reporter was examining tue {rai several dealers came im and made purchases. | They were the represeutatives of the traveling fruit stands that are to be seen at ry street corner during the year retailing “the nica ripa banan.” ‘Ubey were replenishing their stock 1m trade. } “How do you like the banana business?” asked the reporter of one of them as the latter | Was carefully examining one of the buuches. Verra gooda soma time, it verra much de | pend upona de weather. i sella more banan im | dissacitdan in New Xork. Ona day I sella j fvaabanch, den again J sella not more dana two. Ifa de sun is hot de banan it spoil, De | ladies Likkade banau verra much, but de men no lick much.” —-__ ‘The Miantonomoh, To the Editor of Lie Evening Star In Saturday's Srax there appeared an article | Ob the prospective Chilean war which deserved the highest commendation for the information and good judgment dixpiayed by the writer, more especially in relation to the purely mili- tary aspect of the case. There was, however, fone small error in respect to the Miantonomob | wiich it may be well t9 bave correcte: the more so when an acknowledge: | and w: authority like the committed the same mistak | of its last week's is 1 ment that the Miantoromoh can be submerged | So that her deck wall be tnvisuwle during action. ere is not oniy no provision ut Ht might prove fatal to ber success as a fighter, if not endanger the lives of oiticers and crew. the vessel hase frec board of but three teet—that is to say, ber deck is bat three feet above the water line, She is therefore normally #0 low in the water j as to afford but a small target for an e and furih e would be practically ially when 4 as cou- m of ber hull is “ engines are en tirei¥ below this p The turrets of the Miantonomoh are of an old type andset im openings in thedeck, Letween the tarrets and the edges of such deck openings is # narrow space whick ix protected, so [areas practi- cable, while sailing, but through which the water hes almost free passage when the vessel is tn action. Therefore it isdifficult to fighttheship in a eeaway that would be no incouvenience to the Capitan Prat. The commander of the Miantouomoh will pray for a eee as smooth as | possible the day he mects an enemy, and he would certainly fear the latter less than sub- mergence. for while be may conquer the one, be might not the other. ‘The new or “Hichborn” turret, applied to the new turreted Monterey. Monadnock, Yerror, P Texus, Kaleigh, New York, a ent thing, siuce (amoug other differences) it 18 | provided with a “barbette,” or fixed encircling ‘armored wall, which will prevent access of water to the hold unless the deck should be submerged more than three feet. Tuus this turre: will enable a vessel of low free board to fight ins comparatively deep scaway. sors Sete | Gentlemanly Davy Crockett. From the Dallas Morning News, ‘One of the most fascinating conversationalists jin Texas as Dr. 8. H. Stout of Cisco. The doo- | tor isa Tennesseean from Nashville, “the cen- ter of southern history,” and is biroself brim full of historical reminiscences. Dr. Stout was born at Nashville in 1#22, and in bis boyhood 7 Gen. Jackson, Davy Crockett, Sam Hous ioe ‘and other prominent characters of that day. Inan interview the doctor said: “Davy | Crockett was & giant, intellectually and | ally, and bad he survived the ill-fated he would have made @ far greater |for statesmanship than Bam Hi . Ne, man bes ever been more ‘enricatured than Davy Crockett. (saw bim dressed in the outre | of buckskin shirt and coonskin cap ‘erally represeuted in in our histories, pong 4 auy whe: jozen. TI to the state- { Sey | Sr nobler man never lived.”