Evening Star Newspaper, December 10, 1892, Page 7

ata, D al THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D. Cc. SATURDAY. = — Pie atl rceMBER 10, 1892-SIXTEEN PAGES. = sg! “Well, what are you doing here?” he replied, It does not come in ¢ of our duty; it is Bot what we ars pan! Armstrong, of eur compar y of put- ting the case, use? to ray we had but to ieiee And « man with Bat, i» do that, deed, wh: tment, the recruit ep into Bis mental ‘They find ont if he walk, ride and run, but they never | fay to bim: “Can you think?” If they did the Commissioned side might have a higher opinion of us th think Sometimes the | that is, when a and you sit on 2 camp iw snugly agh with the fen man on a r the wind Blows all ways at once the smoke gets in alkali dust down kk with ashes, t for us and he most inaccessible ty, the jumpin; ization stopp. of there. be window and saw the ade. “Hi! here | cor and shove: t re Bo} ow the alphabet and | the cards that his dead I However, him, beth as a eoldier didn’t k the # irtaall | tention. to the first geant was start “em out to- + man came back and ad-led: to go let # I ther or no, for it's « why thet measly ded this tume of Bate to wend the dirty piece of b | cutting w parade. a row between the matter. His gait were explained. | crack comp the | in the f the | wore a} n he was not. therefore, | led to man’s considera- ‘Twobars carried out hisideaas would Jet him, and there was tabling between be” The col- t, and would not ubor dinate when sition. And the | hose quiet men whe fight always from a sense of fed an inch and in time | the Lene am: ton and rexpee far as the col t ibis was the colonel’s Was not nest on the and this was an extra ht it an im-| Twobars | ring a while to ve to break up { id look that way. of extras, the | ssh for enlisted he know anything about | weeled us all, till Arm- he was one ¥ because no |} ‘ibed. He | man, and skitehen girl’ So st bim he bl ans f kitchen to the parlor, nels private ear. He gets it. Take wai at | ‘ don't tell all you the girl you love. You'll rue rgeant?” said Hakkerson, want T haven't made the | it's volunteers or victims. aud yawned. “I'll go, for | one,” maid be much for Christ- | mar, anyway. a! aid as soon have it o1 place as anotbe He looked meaningly at | Gutter, and the & a said be ‘ { This | ary way, and also | te ma ; ud not Ding and cursing the duty that out of bis squad was tb bim, a Loa jetasier, want me that be the rest of the os T shoatd 4 to say at gth how we print, and might be t will be enough to tably as we could. officer to enforce along the nt plenty, and in the tall pecan trees by and rabbits were all abo with water ke; without oantry, looked for we had we would not they. Every Kus inrther fre a wagon roads, ob, it was a wild goose 6, so far as any fnaterial benefit Tsuppose it was good disci- © weetpuied many sins, vicarious ted the length of the marches to our P ily over the dry, 6 in eheltered, grassy Chrivtinas day when arrows of the canon | down which we were bound. and saw the pool | amile sbead of us It shone in the sun so de- | ceptively that Guiter was confident it was the ated ~oof of # house and that the comfortable ding iteif would be found behind « rise of | ground. In bis tender inexperience Gutter | Tad made many absurd mistakes during the | marek, bat none that appeared to us older sol- cers wo laughable as this—a slated oof, « ¢ivil- | led house, when we were the only men within | marched up to the | elarge circle Then w epring, amd there stood a man holding a rifle ching us, and by his side across bis arm end little boy. By “man” I mean a white man. an American. | If i bad meant an Indian or a greaser I would have sald so.” Dut here was a white man, and | apparently not overjoved to see us, was strange. | Plaine people are generally glad to see = haman face. even asoldier’s. It is some Gus lo task to, some one to listen to some one —= } Srmetrong if he could. ward to shake hands and said: 0 get tobacco from. But this man was for- pidding. He would have dried up the spring And when our sergeant went for- boy and Armstrong. They had not moved, ex- cept that the boy nodded his head in answer to somehing Armetrong said. Bat while he looked Armstrong arose and came toward the camp leading tbo bor by the hand. And his face’ lighted up in the sun's last rays with a Jook that made us think of the little prayer the a makes at the end—“The that passeth all understanding”—you know how it goes. Some made an involuntary motion to Temove their hats. ‘The man turned then and put his rifle on the stack we had made, “Till atay,” said he. Armstrong looked none the less peacefully happy when ho found that the man’s repellent humor had given way. He smiled as gently as a woman might, with both eyes and lips; and yet he was a’ man whom one would say had TOBACCO IN PARIS. |The Profitable Monopoly of the French Government. SMOKING IN PUBLIC. ‘The Three Regies Whére Imported Tobacce Js Sold—Profits of the Manufacture Des Tabacs—The Deadly Cigarette Among the Pate as nothing of the woman about him. And as | 2¥euth—They Have No Fears of the Paper. “That's none of your business.” a eee — toward ie boy, i _ is wi lo —1 | winningly pleasant to the man, wonders af the opring and to And iin so estiye He hada | the mingling of discordant elements in, his | Cofreapcadence of The Evening tar. small hat which was nothing but a hole dug in | Mature; for my mind went back to the night Panis, November 12, 1892. the hiliside, with a little level place in front | broke the bauk of Mexico Charley—a most da: OU CANNOT CHOOSE shaded by growing cavtus. This showed he | 8¢Tous thing to do, * * © jTow he played had been there some time, a settled inhabitant of a country that is shunned. And the wonder- | ing little boy was with him. | st smiled, and said | “Hello, kid! Merry Christmas! mas gift, The man quickly camo between the pair, and taking the cartridges from the boy, forced them back upon Armstrong. | “Dea't give bim thom,” said he, want to kill bim’ “They're no good,” said Armstrong. “They | wouldn't burt him.” Then he and the mai stood looking at each other for » little, til seemed that they might have cried out “I know you!” For the look on Armstrong's face | passed from anger at the interference into doubting surprise, and then into a depth of ten | derness, as it did sometimes when he sat alone on the barrack porch looking back beyond the horizon and the evening sun shone on him. And he said, soft “Where is his mother?” ‘hat's none of your——” ‘The man opped by an effort and visibly trembled. Then, hoarse “Do you sake, talk to him about church nonsense! He don't know Christmas nor Sunday; he only knows night and day, and he’s happy!” Then they talked together « Ite time, the sergeant and all the rest having gone on to es- tablish the camp. Armstrong put questions and the mun replied, sometimes with a gesture like denial. Finally’ the man said: Well, you see what I've come to.” “Yes, and look at me,” said Armstrong. For ne niomenta the two faced each other in silence. Then Armstrong put out bis hand, saying: “I¥'s been bard enough on both of us; and now we've come to this!” He seemed to choke in his utterance as he recognized and admitted the fact that whatever it was fate had denied him for the sake of this other the gift had not brought happiness with it. The other grasped bis hand, and fora moment they stood th: n Armstrong came over toward the camping spot, as nonchalant, as carelessly active,as ever, whistling a gay air as he came. It was but an assumption of indifference, but it was well a It prevented our ‘questioning bim. ‘Though a good comrade he had to his intimacies. Armstrong was strangely diferent from the Tun of enlisted men. He had education; he | thought. But he did not make a parade of his ; | learning before the poor devils who could only | put « finger to the pen while someone else made | the mark. Armstrong wrote a good hand and might Lave been headquarters clerk if he would. We didn't know anything about him; he never talked of his past, as men ordinarily do. When he first came among us he picked up the drill so fast that it was rumored he was a deserter from somo other regiment; but when the first ser- geant hinted as much to Iwobars he was snubbed for his pains, Another thing: It was pretty well understood that “Armstrong” was but an assumed name— half the time he seemed not to recognize the name when spoken to. But that was nothing against him in a community where the majority ames that they au- swered to any at ran And he chummed in with all, was pleasant, self-reliant, never did a m trick, and we all liked him. ‘He gambled and drank—too mueb, probably, but he seemed sake or for the sness of spirit. He . Armstrong!” called one of the men, Pointing toward the pool. Armstrong looked around quickly and saw the boy following him hing aloud, Le caught the boy up in his arms then put him down carefully. He sat down on the ground and began to talk to the youngster. “How old are you?” said be. The boy made uo reply, but looked at him with an unteught childs fearless interest in a new face. “How loug have you been here?” said Arm- strong. “Six times,” said the boy. ‘Times what?” “It's come hot weather six times,” said the . explaining. ‘And what have you done in all that tim “Nothing. Dadhunte. Sometimes! go with him. I bad a fawn, but it ran away.” The boy had absolutely no fear of his new acquaintance. We all noticed it, and Hakxer- son grunted out gentl; “Did you ever see an: dren and dogs take to bo thing like the way chil- im?” When in garrison’ was usually followed by a troop of eurs who found in him their only abandons friend. But Armstrong's gentle eye fell upon the boy with a pitying glance. “You stay here alone! You go hunting! Why, you are not much over six years old at the ~ ‘Then he sat silent, not seeing anything. with his hand on the boy's head, till the little fellow stirred uneasily. as though hungry for a familiar word: “Tell me, what ix your name?” But the boy replic “What did you call me?” ng gathered himself from his dreamy called you—what? Why, ‘kid,’ wasn't ‘After that. The next you said?” “I don't remember—nothing, I guess. Only, I said, ‘Merry Christmas. “That's it. It ain't my name, you know. ded queer. What is it?” Then it was that Armstrong perceived a du not of @ military nature, develoving upon him. But be was not the mau to shrink from any duty. We all knew that, and we all knew our unworthiness to hear what be woyld say. Per- haps Haikerson felt this the most keenly of any, for he started first, and, with commenda- ole thoughtfulness, pulled “Gutter, who was staring round-eyed and omitted to swear at all. Armstrong, left alone with the boy, put hisarm about him and looked into bis eyes. “My boy.” said he, “don’t you know what Merry Christmas means?” ‘The boy shook hin head. “Did you never hear of Christ?” The boy nodded. “I hear dad ay it when * mad.” Armstrong got up quickly and walked a few paces back and forth. “I'm not the worst of men, but I'm a bad sample. I never knew It tmueb of this, and what I did know I've tried to | forget. And now that this should come to me to be done —ber child—bat I'll do what I can and God help me!” He bad raised his hand as | though taking an oath. Then he sat down again and we saw that he took off his battered old hat. And he spoke, but in a voice so low, so tender, that none but the boy could hear. ‘And the sight softened all cur bearte—for it was Christmas day and Christmas recollections were crowding upon each of us—and we ceased to dwell grumblingly upon the comforts we had left bebind at the post, We became good comrades again and warmed toward each other. so that Gutter took a needle and thread to Hakkervon's torn blouse and Hakkerson showed Gutter how to heal a blist- ered foot overnight, and the sergeant’s com- tands were more like requests and the cook put extra coffee in the pot, and the teamster did not kick his mules to make them stand around. And from time to time glances were shot at the place where a common soldier, as Tough as any, sat telling in a feoble way a love story as old as Christianity to a little child. It ‘as upon this scene that the te level rays, And the father oj a, coming up from the west, threw his long, blacic shadow across the camp. | It fell short of that absorbed pair. Once he looked at them and made a step as though to tear away the child. But be would not have done Hakkerson noted his movement, divined his thought and carelessly interposed himself, » strong defender of the church, ‘Then the reclose suddenly aware Christin sentiment, that ie rea ee As the sergeant stood talking with this man | we drove past with the wagon to a good bit of camping ground. And as the men on foot rode past singly, Armstrong looked at the boy, | Uaharmed, he bore his clinking treasure ont to and he drew from his pocket a couple of defective cartridges and tossed them to the boy asa sort of Christ ‘Don't, for God's | finite limits | | The visitor turned and saw two barefooted | ayear | his companion, whom he carefully laid on the | | he stepped on a busted bottle in de park and ‘Then he recovered and said, | your own cigars in France. ‘The French government is in the tobacco business and will not tolerate a rival. Every one smokes the government tobacco, and what marks out the French monopoly from those of other Euro- pean countries is this— it cannot be evaded. In Spain the govern- ment tobacco works at Seville are one of the | sights of the city. ‘The operators are women, many of them young and extremely pretty. They aregipsies and half gipsies, full of arte and wiles, with the biggest and blackest eyes and with months like damask roses. Tourists should not miss this glory of Seville. There is compensation for the rankness of Spanish cigarettes; but France makes her cigarettes by machinery. No dimpled Andalusian fingers have patted the tobacco into shape, and no white gipsy teeth haye bitten off the ends. One single contrivance can turn out 18,000 in a day. It cuts paper, rolls cigarettes, closes them at one end and places them in boxes ready to be delivered for consumption. Again, Spain has Cuba, and one may have in the great cities unlimited choice of all. the Cuban cigars; while in Madrid hotel waiters aro permitted to do @ small trade in |awinning game out of pure luck at cards and | recklessness of spirit, in a room fullof envious, | malignant Greasers ‘and desperate southwes | ern human drift, all of whom hated Armstrong | primarily for the soldicr’s blouse he wore so garly defiant. * * * And how afterward, | the street, though ev him that night with ev mitted murder for a less stake—had done £0, | many of them. * * © ‘And how, once out: side, he had flung the whole, by’ handfuls, broadly into the air, and as {t rattled down jong the crowd had shouted: “Scramble for I've had the fun! You can have the money!” Then walked to tho post, alone, un- scathed. None of us saw that affair, The little negro barber told of it the next day when he came to the post to shave the officers, He asserted that he tried to slip a razor into Armstrong's hand |ashe left the gaming table, so that he might not be entirely defenseless, bat that Armstrong would not have it. By his fearlessness he daunted the mob. And the contrast forced it self upon me—bis present softened man * © © And if there were not tear the firelight was very deceptive. Bes tion he was, or had been,a gentleman, Such do sometimes drop into the ranks of the blue. Long after we had turned in for the night — it was warm and clear, and we slept with the | tent wall raised—I awoke, and looking out saw Armstrong walking in the starlight. It was a| | night to remember. * © * Not a breath of | | wind —the air like a clear crystal, and tho earth | lighted by the rays refracted through it from | al | thore infinite, brilliant points set im a sky of | contraband eastern tobacco. In Vienna and | unclouded blue. The eastern shepherds might | Budapest hotel waiters will sell you the costliest | have journeyed to the manger under such a| Egyptian cigurettes at outrageous prices, and in nop¥. Thenanothershape came ont from the | Italian ports one can always have a few cigars adow—that of the man, the strange recluse, | sub ross. But in Paris, the center of the | and joined Armstrong. Together they walked | world, there is the Regie and the Regie only. | back and forth, talking. And before they sep- THE PARISIAN REGIE. arated Armstrong had walked with him to the| ‘The Regie is n government shop for the sale ‘y man who looked at eyes would have com- } i | | | cave in the hiliside and gone within—I knew it r was to look upon the boy sleeping. Then he | °f imported tobacco. It is the only concession came back and slipped under his blanket | made to foreignersand to Frenchmen who do Sons to disturb no one, and I breathed ly as any sleepe: marching ont along alkali roads, over wept plains. had been unwilling instru ments; but the work we did was such as soldiers seldom have a chance to do, It was Christmas | work—comething for the cross, For the man id the boy came back with us from the wilder- | ness and an old trouble was healed on Christ | , and life was made more worth the living well, to two men. cribner's Magazine, ee BORE PAIN, not like the ordinary government products, ‘There are thousands of regular shops in Paris where the state tobacco is wold, but the Regie has only three offices in Paris ‘and one in each of the other large cities of France, Its most frequented Paris output is under the Grand Hotel, on the Boulevard des Capuicines, Here at any hour of the day you may see groups of Englishmen and Americans inside searching for the nearest substitute for their favorite brand and outside denouncing the French govern- ment and its monopoly. The hardship con- sists quite as much in the loss of time in run- ning to this one shop as in the limited choice of tobacco offered by it to the stranger who is used to other things. The Regie service is far from perfect, although there are more than enough employes to attend to everybod: wants. If it is not the triumph of Prench bu- reaucracy it is a good example of it. There is one government clerk at the cashier's desk. He only receives money. There are three sales men who unlock the cigara from their glass cases and conduct you to the bookkeepers; then there are these bookkeepers, tarce again, who act as checks upon each ot Lastly, there ix the clerk who follows you to the cashier and announces the price of what you buy. Thero- fore each teparate sale requires the attention of six government clerks—one salesman, three bookkeepers, one clerk and one cashier, THE SMALL VARIETY OF BRANDS. The Regie carries in stock a dozen or more brands of Havana cigars and several grades of Spanish cigars—native and Manilla—all of which are fold at reasonable prices. It has two grades of Turkish pipe and cigarette to- bacco. one of which is very good, put villain ously highin price. There are three grades of ‘Turkish cigarettes, and one each of Egyptian, Greek and Spanish. ‘The three latter are of in= ferior quality. ‘There are three kinds of light Virginia pipe and cigarette tobacco. All three burn the mouth, but ure otherwise good. Finally, there are two kinds of American cigar- etter, ivhich, curiously enough, are smoked more by Englishmen than by Americans, ‘The Regie employes hold government posi- tions, they feel that the shop is the property of the state and their movements in attending to customers are formal and without any enthusi- asm. They exhibit none of the tact and cheer- fulness #0 noteworthy in Paria shopkeepers. Not very long ago their fnsolence caused « great ery to goup from Americans and English- mon in Paris, letters were written to the Pari Herald and to the Galignani Messenger and ing, an’ nam in s ~ Geo. I. Put- HOW H The Newsboy Had a Good Nerve, Whiie Fireman Hadn't, From the New York Tribune. Late one evening a man was seated in the ce- | ceiving room of one of the dispensaries in the lower part of the city. He was talking to a young surgeon who had charge of the room, nd the conversation turned to the subject of the courage shown by young folks as compared with that of adults. “It's all bosh, suid the visitor, “about a child’s standing pain better than aman, Why, it stands to reason——" “Hulio!” said the surgeon, “It’s me.” “What's this?” urchins, one about eight and the other perhaps nger. The elder camo in carrying lounge. ‘Then he raised himwelf and said: “Me and Dannie ‘re newsboys and just now | cut his foot. “And you carried him all the way*from the park here on your back?” ‘Yhe doctor had washed the blood from the foot and disclosed a deep. ragged cut abcut three inches long. He carefully washed and ‘dreseed it aud was about to thread his needle to take a few needed stitches, when the patient spoke for the first time. “Are you goin’ to sew it, doc?” “Yes, my little man; it can’t heal without it.” h-hh!” He lay back and after one half-suppressed | Broan, the tears which trickled down his cheeks | | alone told the story of the pain. The sole of | the foot of an ordinary New York newsboy it y thing “for even the sbarpess ce und the pain of the operation wed. | While it was going on a | w York tire patrol eutere was much ine member of the and, seating himself in chair, waited with dent impatience for his turn to arrive. to this branch of tho service. A complete change was made in the personnel of the shop, so that now its only defect is the lethargy of the salesmen. Such clerks would ruin any pri- vate business, The Regie’s chief patrons are foreigners and wealthy Frenchmen. Down by the bourse it is patronized by the stock operators and brokers, where strangers seldom come. Here there are only three clerks in all. Over by the chamber of ‘deputies there is the third and last of the Regie outpats in Paris, It is for the benefit of the legislators and the denizens of the Faubourg St. Germain and has three clerks. Thus lew than twenty clerks yell all the imported tobacco consumed in a city of 2,500,000 inhabitants and ten could really do it.’ The French are content with their own tobacco, The sewing finished, the foot was bandaged and the | young Styrax took up his burden. “How far have you to go?” asked the doctor. “Over to Oliver street.” It was full a half mile to Oliver street, but the youth took up his burden cheerfully. “Well, sir. what can Ido for you?” said the surgeon to the man. trolman Was a magnificent specimen | manhood, tall, broad and muscular. Iwas hitclin’ up the bosses ed and threw me down. I fell on “he ndded, as he held out,the It was considerably swoolen. ‘To uses member. find the cause of the swelling the doctor began to run his tingers along the injured part, but he THE GOVERNMENT MONOPOLY. bdrm Dropping the Regie, wo come to the regular gan when his wrist was seized in lik coe operation of the French government monopoly. |” eladel ccc gh ide. diya preter” Its theory is simple, and o long as tho nativ Mecourse it dk but I have to find out | endure it foreigners have no standpoint from | what's the matter.” Again he tried, and again he was prevented. | “How do you think I can fix your hand when | You won't let me find out what's the matter with it?” “I know that, bat I can’t stand it,” he began. | “Hold his arm, a couple of you.” said the | surgeon to the attendants, who had come in, attracted by the noise. The man's arm was | held and it was found that the band had been | Merely sprained. which to criticise it, The government tells the people that they will not feel this indirect tax So much as they would if the money were taken from them in another form, It relieves the rich, who are severely taxed already, and i lows the poor to bear a share in the govern- ments expenses without hardship und without inconvenience. Simply oze branch of trade is stricken off the list of French industries. There is no loss to lubor, because the tobacco workers must be employed whether by the government or by private business houses and manufacto- ries. Tobacco is no dearer than private enter- prise would make it, while the state’s profit, drawn from all the smokers of France, is enor- mous. The only objection is that well-to-do smokers have not the variety of choice enjoyed in other lands, THE MANUPACTURE DES TABACS. From the budget of 1891 it appears that the total receipts from the three monopolies of matches, tobacco and gunpowder were 480,- . while the expenses of these mo- nopolies were 72,000,000 francs. The profit on tobacco is 300,000,000 franes and on gunpowder and matches 55,000,000 francs. The Mannfac- ture des Tabace occupies immense buildings, five stories high, erected for the purpose in 1827. ‘They are situated on the Seine, to the east of the Esplanade des Invalides, on thi Quai d'Orsay. Ite plore, 2,200 persons and manufactures over 12,500,000 pounds of tobacco annually. The ingenieurs aux tabacs, or high officials, are educated at the Polytechnic School and study two years at the Ecoie Sines soe The Curtosity Slaker, ‘From the New York Truth, the French government's attention was directed | cheap tobacco, up by its agents in dif- ferent countries. st eevett Gare as about twenty grades, differing in size and qual- . Some are with mouthpieces and some are without, Tesemble strong Turkish to- bacco and iven Turkish names, and some are made of wana, and come in packages which imitate the Cuban brands, TRE FAVORITE CAPORAL. ‘The favorite pipe and cigarette tobacco is called Caporal—not Sweet Caporal, but some- -thing very different. It is.as black as ink and tastes more like our American Perique than any other growth. Itis bitter and heary, yet children smoke it, I have beenin a restauran’ seated next toa Parisian with bis little son o' twelve years. After dinner the boy took a Bussian leather case from his handed his father a cigarette and lit one in the most matter-of-course way. Chewing tobacco is not common; snuff is said to be fashion, but one sees vers little of it, like many fashions supposed to originate in Paris, CIGARETTE SMOKING. One of the most startling sights to the good American abrosd is the universality of the vice of cigarette smoking. The French are given over toit. At home itis the custom to cry against the cigarette—‘‘the meanest and most despicable of stiraulants”—according to a late American publication. I was instructing a young Parisian from ite oat “the miecent of a cigar is lasting enough to be compa: thy of food, But there is no food effect about a digarette.” He remarked that reasoning of this charactor must account for the prevalence of alcoholic drunkenness in the United States. People attempt to transform a stimulant into a food by taking it in Inrger doses, In America the individual cigarette smoker is or used to be adude. But f the good American can oaly swell with amazement as he sits in the Cafe de ls Paix amid its cigarette smoke. An- other evidence of the despicable sensuality of an effete civilization. ey drink absinthe, too. And if you don't ace them drunk it's be- cause they are too stingy. Look at their men, None of them are as big as Sullivan or Corbett. Therefore, the cigarette is deadly, q. ©. d. IN THE anuy, So far as the cigarette is concerned it ia only necessary to mention two facts. The French army regulations are excessively severe and the greatest care is taken of the men. Recently when foot racing for long distances became the Tage it was a favorite pastime of the soldiers. But au order came prohibiting those foot races. It was thought to be injurious if carried to ex- cess. No such order hus ever come with ro- gard to cigarette smoking. Scarcely a com- mon soldier is without Lis cigarettes. Again, the army is very jealous of ita euascription, for all youths under a certain phvsical standard have to be rejected. Yet the s:ate for many years has freely sold cigurettes to bos the French army continues to boast th marching endurance in.Europe. The French have no fear of the cigarette, nor the English, the Spanish, the Italian Austrians, the Russians, the Germans, the Belgians, the Dutch, nor even the Scandinavians, But over here America is regarded as the country of reforms. Ench new movement, from the ioe of the corset to the suj pression of the cigarette, is eagerly noted in the Paris journals. BUT LITTLE PIPE SMOKING, re is very little pipe smoking in Paris. Your Frenchman will accumulate a magnificent collection of the pipes of al! nations, but he will not smoke them overmuch. Nevertheless the pipe shope of the Boulevard contain wonderful reasures of meerschaum, brier, violet wood, amber and onyx. Several of the largest of them exhibit in special glass cases show pipos of meerschaum elaborately carved and valued as high as 8,000 francs apiece. large for use. Twenty-five dollars is no un- common price for a plain long stick of amber for cigarettes, and carved French briers, for every-day use, run up to $50 each. Stran; should be warned, however, against the fraudu- lent practices in some of the best of these Boule- vard shops, where one is charged whatever the dealers think he will pay. For meerechaums the tourist can always do better in Vienna. ONE EFFECT OF THE FRANCO-RUSSIAN ALLIANCE. Some of the latest and prettiest things for smokers’ use have come to Paris in the wake of the Franco-Russian alliance. Several shops have been opened by Moscow houses, where enameled jewelry, cigarette cases, cigar and cigaretie holders, match boxes, as well as lac- juered ware and malachite work, are displayed. ‘igarette and cigar cases and tubes lend them- selves particularly well to, the brilliant Russian enameling, which keeps closely to good Byzan- tine patterns. Even in workmanship they seem superior to similar decorations as commonly found. These manufacturers have their own secrets of chemicals and their own traditions of color and contrast. It may be taken, there- fore, that these products of the alliance have come to stay—none the less because their prices are outrageously high. THERE ARE TWO OTHER SPECIES OF DEALERS in smokers’ nydterials in Paris—the Turkieh, Persian and other oriental bazaaraof the Rue de Rivoli and the regular antiquity shops of the Rue Lafayette and tho Rue Laffitte and all Paris in general. The oriental dealers will bear a great deal of watching, as among their really remarkable wares they Mingle a great deal of factory-made clap-trap which is dear at any price. Some of the daintiest semi-oriental smokers’ conceits are to be seen, rather cnri- ously, at the exposition of women’s arts at the Palais d'Industrie. They aro exhibits of the overnment schools of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geackabio cigar and cigarette holders and casop ate shown in plum, pear, ebony and violet wood, inerusted with silver in oriental and Breantine designs. ‘Ihe Austrian govern- ment is endeavoring to revive these old handi- craft arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and they will be seen in variety at the Chicago expo- sition, OLD SNUFF BOXES. The antiquity dealers of Paris run rather to enuff bores than to pipes. These shops are full of snuff boxes in silver, gold, ebony, ivory and onyx, with miniatures on their lids which give them their chief value. On the Rue Laffitte you can pick up by the half dozen boxes with miniatures attributed to Boucher and other joy- ous painters of the dissolute Louls Quinze pe- tiod. Tho balance of their stock in trade, in- teresting to smokers, consists in German pipe: Dresden and Nuremberg work of two centuries reguently metal, of the ‘ago, and French pipes, Napoleonic era. TOBACCO IX PUBLIC. With regard to etiquette in the use of tobacco in public places there ts not much to say— smoke is as free asair. This is in accordance with the universal European custom. Men smoke in restaurants, cafes and at most of the hotel tables. Women do not smoke publicly. Whether or not the: joke in private is a matter for each man's experience. I have never ecen a Prench lady smoke. Once, in Dresden, I saw a married lady puff a cigarette after dinner in a fashionable restaurant; and once I saw two English girls, seemingly of the upper middle clase, smoking cigarettes in a railroad carriage, whore they were alone. Here my knowledge ends. The demoiselles of the Moulin Rouge and the Casino are not permitted to smoke in those temples of light amusement and the girls of the Boulevard do not smoke in the cafes, At the Cafe Anglais, which is still nearly as chic as ever. smoking is not permitted until after 8 p.m. But rules like are resented and scarcely ever enforced. Stenixa Heo. —— Gold in the Wichita Mountains, The gold excitement in the Wichita mount- sins is increasing. The only obstacle met with in connection with the boom is the fact that the new Eldorado lies within the forbidden territ belo: to the Kiowa and Comanche ists tag The only —_ er g' coming into |” THE DEPOT AUTOCRAT The Duties and Experiences of the Depot Master Graphically Told. eNOS ESE ee |ALWAYS ON THE JUMP. Handling Crowds and Notables With a Strong Will and Steady Hand—All Sorts and Conditions of People Who, While Travel- ing, Are Hard to Please. a XCEPTING THE PAS- senger conductor, the depot master is the best known railroader that the traveling public has dealings with. He it is that supervises the rangements for trains in the depot and also sees that they depart on. time. He is here, there and everywhere at the same time. Now in bis office looking over the makeup of the many different train crows, then listening to complaints or replying to # series of vexatious questions, then out and down the platform he goes on the jump as his trained eye tells him that a scheduled train appears to be slowly making up and may perhaps be delayed, and then to the yard to ascertain why a special train that bas been ordered is not shifted to- gether so as to leave promptly at the time speci- fied. He has supervision over not only the depot building and immediate grounds, but is eu; posed to know everything avout the various de- artments and what goes on in them. Besides looking after the trains as they depart or arrive he must listen to long complaints from and deal out information to travelers regarding their baggage, their tickets, where they want to go and what particular car will take them there. The maggage men, gatemen, platform men, train inspectors, in fact, everybody, reports to and receives instructions from him. NOTABLE PASSENGERS HANDLED. “Haven't you handled many notable person- ages?” was one of the questions asked a local depot master by an Eve xtNo Star reporter one day recently. “Ob, yes,” he replied. “This city ts the greatest in the United States for that. They ean be said to come here almost in droves. You know our President, his cabinet and repre- sentatives of the people up at the Capitol are common every-day afluire, but lords, dukes and counts, while not seen #o frequently, alight from the cars in my depot almost” ‘weekly. They attract but little notice, and but for their numerous servants would be taken for ordinary travelers. I never bave had much to do with the latter class. They get on and off the cars and go about their business like any other people.” The position of depot master is one of the prominent and responsible offices connected With railroad management that is not much sought after by those to whom the post is available. The place carries considerable honor with it, but the responsibility and consequent worry overcomes the desire to appear conspic- uous at the sacrifice of a hard-earned record and @ not corresponding increase on the pay roll. The position has been looked upon by the conductors as one that belongs to them through promotion, but when the time comes for them to desert the moving trains that have been their stamping ground for many years seyeral are known to have refused the proffered advancement on account of settling down toa stationary routine avocation. Then, again, the temperament of the man selected for promotion must be considered, as patience will be found to bea virtue in the new role, and, in fact, surly person would not last out a month, While the position paysa little more than that of the passenger conductor, the running of extra trains advances the conductor's salary, while the D, M.'at that time will be working his hardest and solely for glory. During the ordinary business the role of de- pot matter does not appear to be a trying one, vat what it lacks in life and bustle is made up in being absolutely correct andontime. Regu- Jar tracke running into the depot of which be is master are assigned to regular trains, but when a delay occurs it calls for a complete re~ adjustment of the tracks and consequent or- ders to that effect to the dierent switchmen. For instance, take the busy hours of the after- noon, when eeveral trains are due to leave and es many to arrive. The tracks are them, but an accident occurs out on ike time that a cool-headed in: considerable luster. He will personally super- vise the arrival of the trains, and what appeared to be an insurmountable obstacle gradually dwindles down toan easy problem, at least it will appear so to the novice in railroading, but im less experienced hands would have caused considerable delay. HARD AND CONSTANT WORK. The retelling of the experiences of the travel- ing public around the depots in Washington during @ presidential inauguration would be an old story, but bad as those experiences are they would be ten fold worse were it not for the cool guiding hand of the master in charge. It is at such times that his worth and usefulness are gauged at their real worth. Their working hours are generally twelve, from 7 to 7 or 6 till 6, and to say that their breath is hardly their own during these hours at such times is only a elight exaggeration. Facilities tripled to what they are now would not accommodate the crush, and all the railroad companies ask of them is to do the very best they can under the circum- stances, and this they do. Of course, the Amer- ican traveling public generally take the dis- comforts in good humor, and many « kind word is vouchsafed the depot master by those people who have become veterans at railroad traveling and comprehend the difficulties that surround the office. ‘Tho one thing enjoyable about the position is that be is absolutely master of the situation. This means a great deal to many men, as to be their own bosses is a situation devoutly wished for, but rarely attained. ‘The superintendent of the road, of course, is his superior, but as long as the trains go out on schedule time and no luckless traveler is maimed or killed he will rarely bear from him. But many men are un- der bim aud the responsibility of his position anifeste itself through the misdoings of these subordinates. No matter how small the breach of duty is, be will hear of it, and a satisfactory explanation is always expected and generelly given. For the study of the large varieties of human nature his position divides honors with that of the ticket seller. He bas dealings with the Polish miner on his way, with his family, to the mines of Georgia or Virginia; the troublesome countryman who has come to Washington sober as a judge and is drifting homeward ina troublesome state of intoxication; the com- mutor who has lost bis ticket and wants to be carried to his destination free, and the woman with a child who is going west or south to join her husband and inquires every few minates when her train will mates This are qo2uld be stretched out toa pr i . but easily illustrate the wide range of characters he ha to deal with, ae “What ¢ passe give you the most trouble” was asked by the reporter. ‘WHO GIVE THE MOST TROUBLE, “When Icome to think of it, I believe the theatrical people cause the most worry,” he re- idual shines wit ‘that will now the onslaught of eag: hunters isa ‘slo ot Uncle ae blue coate with mee les Tabacs. Yet the cigars and cigarettes ey produce, in spite of their learning or be- cause of it, ‘are like no others in the world. They are very strong, all of them, and without aroma. And they bear the same relation to the tobacco Produced by private enterprise in other countries that the formal services of gov- ernment employes bear to the alacrity of pri- vate clerks, THE ORDINARY TOBACCO SHOPS are scattered thickly throughout Paris. They are small affairs, which may be known at night by the red light over their doors. Behind the 1. Heavy Body (the dangerous T stranger)—‘Say, I wanter know what's box. “See? I wanter know.” fixed bayonets, Point of View. E Fijes i F & 2 ! Fi ft i i i rf H | people when it comes i “rhese_ people are, given & i i a tei 3 { i 5 Li i ti Abii ed Pocd, and the schedule is disarranged. It is at | | from the superintendent urging all hands to | hustle trains so as to be on time, which demon- strates that they have also complained at head- “The commercial traveler is also a great | kicker, but be does it principally to attract at- | tention and draw around him, so that it he handles a certain line of the finest in the world, “One of the pleasures of my office is the re- turning of lost articles to their owners. Our force around the depot is exceptionally honest, | when their circumstances are considered, and j it is rare, indeed, that an article left in the cars | by anegligent traveler docs not find ite war to my office if {thas escaped the eves of a dis | honest co-traveler in | turned pocket books te poor peo} | manifestly deeply embarrassed over their low, {and the pleasure of their glad looks would re- } Pay any one with an honest hear: and a clear jeonscience, Lhave never yet come across the | wealthy man who had lost valuable papers or | money who bas not been profnse in his thanks and rewarded the finder in the most liberal | manner. They nodoabt know the value of money, but have also the good, common sense to appreciate honesty at its full worth.” ALMOST ANGELS. serene, their spirits always rule the scene, no matter how great the noise or confusion may be. Even when the turmoil is so great that you can hardly hear yourself think ask what the news is and his anewer nine times out of verything is quiet.” This is the result of having grown up with the roar and becoming accustomed to it. men out as practical reiiroaders who eerved their apprenticeship in the freight train service. first as a brakeman and then came grad- Passonger serv: men and trains around the depot. “Tell me something about your pest life and how you camo to be selected for this position,” the reporter said to one of these day recently. “You are a public charactor, and the reading people always like to hear of persons they come in contact with. ” “Well, I'd rather not,” he replied ina quiet manner. “I've got bere the same as many good men before me, and by attending to my busi- ness I hope to retain my berth.” characteristic railroader’s reply, surely. sisted the reporter. autocrat of the depot erage of once a week some’ egg is of meat and would read well in priat come under my observation for years occurred right outside my window, over there near the entrance gate to the platform, about «ix months orsoago. Your paper bad to tell them to one of your men. nessed some touching scenes in my time, but this incident comes back to my mind persist- ently and at close intervals, a D, SAD STORY. man about thirty years of age, apparently in the best of health, walking up and down outside my window and frequently glancing up at the big clock. From his appearance I concluded that be was of foreign birth, and subsequent evidently awaiting the arrival of some one on the train then due, but which was half an hour late. He accosted the depot officers about every ten minutes as to the arrival of the trait ‘Finally the train came puffing into the lower end of the shed, and the man glued his face and body to the iron fence near the outlet gate. All was confusion and bustle, and as it was @ heavy train many passengers came troop- ing down ‘the platform. All of = sudden I noticed the man's face light up with «glad look, and following his glance I discovered that it alighted on the face of a pretty woman of about twenty-five years, and then to three happy, healthy-looking children at her side. They were poorly dressed as to quality, but were amply protected from the frosty air. ‘Soon the recoguition was mutual and glad cries came from the mother and little ones and were answered back by the happs father. ‘The next moment the busband and wife were ineach other's arms, and the greeting was #0 earnest and endearing that many of the yetanders eup- yressed the smile that was creeping over their faces and looks of sympathy took its The couple at last finally disentangled their arms from around each other and the father bent down to kiss the eldest child, a sweet-faced little girl. He had but imprinted the kiss upon the littie one’s rosy, pouting lips, when be put out his hand and grasped at one of the iron rods in the fence near which the group had collected. A cry of pain came from between bis half-open lips and his tace took on the color of death. His wife made a movement toward him, but before one step had been taken the poor fellow sank to his knecs and then rolled over on his side with one hand clutching at his breast. ‘Not a cry came from the mother and little ones until the wife, bending over ber busband and had placed her hand to his heart, found it silent in death. May I never again’ hear the wail of despair that came from the woman's lips and the pitiful cries that followed from the children. “A doctor bappened near by, and after a hasty examination pronounced it a case of heart failure, brought on by excitement. “I took the woman into my office to question about her relatives,but the terrible despair that was pictured in her face almost made me shrink trom the task. “She spoke a broken.French and was hardly intelligible, but was evidently well educated. Her voice was clear and sweet; that the brok: sobs and gasps could not mar. The children clung to her ekirts and the chair she was sitting on,the eldest one moaning piteously, but the others, | ‘too young to realize the situation, were looking at me in open-eyed wonder. “From her story I learned that she was from @ large town named Chalons, some distance out of Paris: that her husband was « stone cutter and had come to this country six months previous and secured work and bad sent money regularly to her to support the family. Finally, both by stinting themselves had These autocrats of the depot come about as near to being angelsasmancan be that is employed around railroads. Always calm and It is w very close guess to make to pick these | have | ually up through the higher positions of the ger corse to thet of the master of the| men one | “To that question I will reply yos,” said the | nm! “I suppose that on an transpires | around this depot that is as full of news asan | ever ‘About the most impressive incident that has | stoall paragraph | about it, but the details were lacking. owing, no | 5 doubt, to the fact that no one took the trouble i have wit- ‘On the morning in question I noticed » developments confirmed my surmise, He was acroms a was dash nible suddennoss and 7 raliel cave wherein the cup of from a woman's lips with «ach deepening rewalte Here as a woman and happy children just Ianded tm strange country expecting man’ years of bap- piness and comfort, bi instead © lapse of these hopes was the rude awakening from their pleasant dream.” } Po! Prov he New ¥ “Well, how a dave yards of ribb Against the counter “Doing, and Tare simply bo |Just back from a TWo YounG = MNLAIVERS, and Pogey Tell of the Ways by Witch ‘They Prosperea. and Polly getting on these, inquire! the clerk, measuring off a doze ora rosy choeked gir: leaning replied the shopper. “why Pally ming. that's all, Weare i op through the | Oranges and brought home $900 worth of trade with t,” emi “The story Parcels Tam tm sburry, b rooms t youreelf ‘That & foun | tory of their nu | rant, an | taste in | think of it as Now, & bt jooan’t.” “Of course no | first mow linery ber nothing, and figured of bettering our ee woman in our ‘How about your experience with travelers? | b You see all sorts of poopie, and they must fur- | wom: nish incidents that are out of the usual run of things, and consequently interesting.” per- | her a offer it, my p country observed priva’ “Bi jw «ine led 0 | getting-ready tea f and I wore our bes [we ke {help advertise ur “‘so that pretty | in w tidy litte Tule to study the tomers and never let catered for, so that increased Beametresers do by to the little towns al tumn and trip has netted us homes. era, feathers, &c. with the stuff. up trade and solicit could have seen the that we bro working up tomers. We secure This jew York city. From the Boston Trans ished; late life; messenger, mmply whose become callous: | lights and inatte with inferior n with much lea t members of the fa | feelings of «uch |sensitive. Their | not on complain it ¢, but because would be unavaihag. d to | they have learned in the hard se i an At €200 between ing ms n't You foal | et that’ any amater nt out of office hours was taken up filling rders the visitor, “how did you over your steady pay for aa x cheeky,” P have had the courage ed to get patronage. j out circulars to every woman we k | them personally, OU ope sted of ris trimmed all those good e w how tobe and begged our guests to saming ber narrative. ‘and in time that led up to regular season visite ticketed and packed in big pastebourd home and are busy into second-best hate for alter frames, stiffen and «mooth bons, and do up crushed velvet almost the part of the business thet for when a woman does not have to material she ts willing to Inbor of doing them over.” nd then, you see,” end every opening of fashionable pencil, and can in a few strokes jot need to guide us in copying novelties. Later on Tclaborate these sketches, mail them to the country, and rarely fai to get new commissions in consequence. We keep excellent of our patrons, we study their style and ing, make oursclves useful to them ine bundre@ ways, and very seldom lose @ customer. | no epecial purpose stantly egpected by them, Some people seem te think that the sensibilities of sach old people aly galling to the last in exclaimed her friend, leaning over to the girl, gathering up her . ng to tell here and you come up to our wball bear all about it, and may by get some ideas about going inte business of two powers Pinched erino= dations and told the bis began, “when papa died insurance bad rum reelves and awfully voung and igno- : Tebedantd E chewed te did | happen to areelf with the be it work goes down with the t interrupted, “for i ston ontinned, some way Treomed to be king Up mew ideas, and, temmed hate f for baif mourning. aud before long every lly replied, “and an oid hadn't offered us the use We were to have it free very week, and then I tell We sent om, we and were weeks That function ing bonn ough to com 7 ‘ocks, were hospitable aa “And they did it nobt; individual tastes of our cus a bat box go home without a civil note of thanks. These things sound like trifles, but they scemed to please the people we day by day our orders *Then we conceived the idea of going cut as the day,” said Polly, re- nly we trimmed bate, out New York. This au- ‘inter we have been more than ever, and, as Peggy told you, er $900, “The way is to go toa place for three or four days and while there visit our patrons in They turn over to usall their old flows which we look At drum new orders. I wish you muase of balf-worn AH feathers, press, zit Tieeti “pay tiberally Peggy, “Polly bg i am pretty all we — The Protection of Aged Parents, There is no more pathetic object in life than. an old, dependent person, whose life work is fin= who lives from day to day with or ambition to stimu- waiting for the grim certain call is com they are indifferent te thet ther con pat ap dations and few comf enience than the y. But instead | think the = om ae dependent condition degree, if they vot from indiffer- they know complaining The lessons of patience of life save sufficient money to bring herself and little stand thesa i) good stead im this final trial, Ie children to America. The woman had no | relatives nor knew no one in this country. “Her story affected me so that I believe if I after I'd made her marry me there and then. | ened by a cloud and Tcomprised on taking up collection among the railroad men around the depot, which, to- gether with her busband’s effects, neited enough iv sieearat te eo tasesed her free transportation to New York. : “In all my years’ experience as a rail- roader, said the depot story and above his head warned him that several trains were nearly due to arrive, “I have never come ONE OF LIFE’S it not enougt | painful that cid persons must bear the puaciotisness that ife is about overs that the once vigor. us body has become feeble hadn't bad a wife and family at home to look and inactive; the quick mental faculties dark | that charmed th { the that all this of the beautin | neoded is \ touch of coe? bon over the ocean and car fare | out being mace to ferl that there t* no weloome spot or willing care for them in life? tection of aged parents by their children is one and just claims of nature. master, conctuding his the son or daughter who, through greed matting on his Svercoat, as the clock | selfishness, refuses to bestow such care whem Ungrateful and unuatural excep» | tion in the human family. the physeal besuty eye. has withered af Ils tt not be borne, The pro- bene aos uf - + FAILURES.