Evening Star Newspaper, December 14, 1893, Page 12

12 THE EVENING STAR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 18983-SIXTEEN PAGES. LIKE A ROMANCE. Career of Governor Shepherd in His Merican Home. A TRUE AMERICAN BARON. The Delightful Home Circle in the Fortified Castle. LOOKING AHEAD 20 YEARS. ‘The following account of Gov. Shepherd's Uife and work in Mexico, from the Chicago Herald, will be read with interest by every resident of Washington: Among all the romances of the nineteenth century there is not one where the bald truth more completely overshadows the wildest flights of imagination than in the life of Alexander R. Shepherd, better known as “Boss” Shepherd of Washington—full of adventure as that of thé heroes who suc- cessfully fight banditt!, from cover to back, im the yellow-backed literature so dear to the schoolboy’s heart, full of change of scene veaching from the secret counciJrooms of the White House to the Indian and robber infested depths of the cruel Sierra Madre mountains, in far-off Mexico. One day his ‘words of wisdom are eagerly sought for by the President of a nation and hundreds of men at his command are busy beautifying the great capital city of America; the next the scene changes, and, poor in purse and friends, the great “boss” of Washington has been translated into the picturesque “Don Senor Shepherd, uno Americano mas grande” of the land of the Montezuma. The ezarm of political life, the spell of political power is gone, however, and once more the “boss” shakes the dust of Washington off his feet and returns to his own kingdom mever to leave it again, and today he reigns there a petty white king, surrounded by @usky subjects who smile or curse as they eringingly obey his despotic will. Visit to an American King. A few months ago the writer and a friend resolved to pay the old leader a visit and from the first moment began to realize the far-reaching Influence of his power. “Friends of Don Senor Shepherd,” was the “open sesame” at the bank at Chihuahua. ‘The talking wire had notified the baron,who gent back word to wait four days so that he could get an escort to meet us at the end of the stage line. The end of the second day found us at the beginning of the real jour- ney, at “Hacienda No. 1,” where the escort in waiting with six pack mules and a guards and drivers. In order to get Gov. A. R. Shepherd. supplies in and silver bullion out the gover- nor has established stations along the trail every twenty-four miles. At each station is @ rough stone house, strong enough for a fort in case of attack by revolutionists Around each house is a corral, or stone wall faclosure for the animals,with shelter sheds. Each house has three rooms—two large bed Yooms and a dining room. In each house is full supply of dishes, cooking utensils and canned goods, corn and flour. Everything is under lock and key and our guide carries} There is a station keeper at each/| gather hay and fuel and keep the cleaned out and to give the parties local news as they pass through; but it not do to trust him with the keys or ve them unguarded a single hour, for enial thievish temperament of the na- tives could never resist the temptations of canned goods and flour any more than it could that of unlimited gold and diamonds. freight trains of mules make one sta- tion per day; but passengers and express are fushed through two stations per day, and —, by of it = wonder a the ter- ic haste of the “Americanos.” Not a long distance today on the cars, but try it once on the hurricane deck of a Mexican mule, the meanest brute that ever kicked the flies off his rider’s hat, and you will think it the trip of your life. Long before the first day is done you will say that if the vernor had the nerve to break this trail deserves his fortune, yea, verily, two for- tunes and more. Road! There isn’t any. Just dim marks here and there that only the trained eye of the frontiersman can follow Four days of blister and sunburn and the Jong hours of toil were over, we thought, for ‘we were camped at El Cumbre, the summit of the great barranca, and at gray of dawn it was promised us that we should look down into Shepherd's hacienda and before night be at our journey’s end. Alas, what a difference in the morning! <As the clouds rolled away from the ocean of = around us there was revealed at our an enormous gash in the face of mother @arth—a huge rift at right angles, too, and eutting the mountain masses to their very foundations. Four miles across and 9,000 feet deep! A canon rivaling the grand canon of the Colorado! Mountain peak on peak, | Ossa piled on Pelion, pierced the clouds us! Down in the terrific depths be- low a tiny thread of white marked the gourse of the rapid, tormented waters of E} rte. On the bankS two white patches! marked ts that our telescopes separated tmto the “hacienda of Shepherd and the city of Batopilas. Not only is every pack Most carefully adjusted, each saddle, stirrup and hoof minutely examined, but the lazy escorts look with eagerness at each part and isnot of their sandals and tighten their belts, while their countenances grow grave over the task before them. The Americanos are invited at several places to take off their boots and creep around the points of the Precipices where the head grows dizzy and the hands tremble at the depths yawning below. The hours drag slowly by as down We go over slanting rocks steeper than the steepest roofs, along the faces of precipices Uke flies upon a wall, where a slip or the| momentary loss of command of head or| hand means sudden and awful death; over| paths that a self-respecting goat would) shun; down we creep. The temperature, so cool and refreshing | among the peaks, has changed to the torrid, | sweltering, disheartening, smothering breath | of the tropics, for we are down in the “tier-| ¥a caliente,” or hot lands, where the mercu-| ry dances from © degrees at night to 120 @egrees in the shade during the hours of siesta. Exhausted, half flayed, every mus-| cle aching, we hardly notice the straggling | Village, the curious looks at the strangers or the wild river torrent, but take a long breath of relief as our guide stops at the | iron gates that bar entrance to a fort built on the river's edge. | ae le Rene the halt of t! armed sentry, and the words “Americanos,” “amigos,” “Senor Shepherd,” the clang of the huge gates as they swing open, the ride! along shaded walks and do not wake up un- tha Ca hams exclaims: “Get down and ome in, gentlemen, you must be pretty tired by this time.” Then we realize, that ‘we are at last in the presence of our friend, the American baron.” The same com- manding form, the same massive head, but now covered with snow, the same broad shoulders, flashing eye, resolute mouth and the same warm, genial expression so well known to his old friends, and the great- hearted boss reached out his strong arms and half carried us like children into the cool shade of his sitting room. It was com- ing out of the heats of inferno into the cool Gelights of paradise. The Ba Home. | The home of the governor was the first thing to be inspected. Every “hacienda,” Spanish for plantation, has a name, and the Rame of this in full is “Haciendas de San Miguel y San Antonio.” It 1s a veritable fort, for all of the buildings are surrounded by a Stone wall thirty-five feet high and thick enough to resist heaviest artillery. There are corner towers, angles, portholes for can- | Ron, and slits for rifles; nor are the cannon and rifles wanting | There is only one entrance to the fort, and | that is through the huge iron gates, ever | @varded day and night by armed sentinels. | & 3 y 3 : ? Armed guards continually patrol every street of the little city of a hundred acres. The interior of the fort is filled with houses, streets and small parks. The streets are shaded with and the houses have cool, wide porches that ex- tend out into the grateful shade of the trees. ‘The houses are ali one story, of thick walied adobe, ‘in enough on the outside, but homelike comfortable within. The build- irgs include the office, iron barred and ever on a war footing; the private dwelling house, luxurious and home-like; the huge stables, filled with a small army of animals; the hotel for several hundred helpers; the visitors’ house, where wanderers may rest without disturbing the privacy of the family or miting up with the workingmen; the treasury house, grim and defiant; and last, but by no means least, the great mills and ore department, where the ore is crushed and ted, and the silver melted, re- fined and cast into huge bricks of 150 pounds each. it is quite an army that lives ever inside of the walls of the fort without going or caring to go outside except upon rare occa- sions. Everything works under perfect or- ganization, and discipline is as rigidly en- forced as if aboard ship. The Home Circle. Under such circumstances it is no wonder that the home life is also carried on by strict rule, yet by no means in a monoto- nous way. Separated as they are from all civilization by hundreds of miles, with no neighbors, no companionship, it is as neces- Sary to establish a daily routine for work and for physical and mental exercise as it would be if they were locked in the icy fastnesses of the polar regions. The house- hold has its regular oragnization, and each one his, or her, specified duties. The guest may enliven but cannot interfere with the general program. Rising early at gray of dawn, coffee and light refreshments are brought to your room; then the morning bath and a horseback ride for pleasure or business. Then business until 11 o'clock, the hour for breakfast proper, then the hours of lazy siesta while the sun holds full sway until 4 in the afternoon. How Gov. Shepherd Gets His Wood. From 4 until © are schovl hours, for a family gathering for studies that would as- lomisn the Chautauquan. Spanish, of course, but also #rench, German, literature, art, history and science in reguiar courses; and it would certainiy open the eyes of some of the old comrades of Wiliaras Ho- tel to see the life and gest with which their Old boss discusses the questions of the day with kis jovely wife and charming dauga- ter and the rest of the school. ‘The doctor, office lieutenant and guests fill the ciasses to goodly proportions, and earnest, honest work is done in merriesi mood. As the shadow of El Cumbre covers the valley dinner is announced, and all the jokes that could not pass the dignified air of the school room are quickly made cur- rent, and the hour glides only too swiftly by. There are Jersey cows in the stables, an ice machine sends its soul-inspiring erystal blocks, the cellars are stocked with choicest vintage, the resources of every land are drawn upon for all that is dainty and wholesome; and these, united to their own wealth of tropical fruits and to birds, fish and game, enable the table to groan with deiicacies that bewilder the stranger. After supper the evening is spent in vis- iting quietly in the parlor, and how home- like it is. The great parlor, with its library of choicest books; the sweet-toned piano, that was brought all those weary miles on human backs and then let down those hid- eous precipices without accident; the com- fortable chairs and lounges, the soft lights, the distant tinkle of guitar and mandolin, and the lively conversation of the sprightly party, all so conversant with the daily happenings of the home country so far away. It seemed like a dream to think that all around for hundreds of miles lay burn- ing plains and terrifying mountains, in- habited_ only by savage or semi-civilized races. The dream is dispelled for a mo- ment as the daughter springs back quickly from the library, where she was taking a book from the shelves, and quietly says: “A stick, papa, please, it’s a centipede.” The centipede was quietly killed as a mat- ter of every day incident, and exhibited to the visitors. It was not a large one, only a little over a foot long, and each one of its scores of feet full of deadliest venom; but what of that? Were we not in the hot lands, where centipedes, tarantulas, scor- pions and other death-dealing creations will never cease their strivings to become house- hold pets. “You will get used to them after awhile,” is the quiet assurance that does not prevent our frantically tearing our bed to pieces that night. The telegraph key clicks, and we are soon in possession of the principal news published that day in the American papers, for the governor keeps in close touch with the world, receiving the news every morning and night over his private wire to Chihuahua. At 10 o'clock, good night; but in your room you find the latest papers and magazines, brought twice a week by special courier. The servant whispers inquiringly, “El bano, senor?” and leads the way to the bath. What a luxury it is—that great tiled swimming pool, as large as the public bath of a city, that oc- cupies the basement below the office build- ing. Fed from mountain springs, the water is delightfully cool, and many a time dur- ing the day we imitate the baron tn leaving | the office for a quiet plunge into its cooling depths. The walk back to our rooms along the shaded walks, where armed sen- tinels quietly challenge at every turn, brings back the reminder that you are in a fortress, guarded as carefully as the czar of Russia. All night long the throb of the distant stamps, crying, “More silver,” brings dreams of more than Aladdin's wealth. ‘The next day comes a long talk over the past, and the story of the mines is told by the master mind that has worked out this miracle In the wilderness. It was a story modestly told that will some day be retold to the world and prove more fascinating than any of the herofe Itves of the pilgrim fathers or the heroes of "49. A story of how one man, by sheer force of will and of intellect, has overcome poverty and single- handed built up a kinzdom in a savage land, where foes without were scarcely more to be feared than the foes within the camp. Where the revolver had ever to be ready and where the soil breeds envy, strife, intritue, robbery and assassination as it does tarantulas and centipedes. Obstinacy and Diplomacy. Gov. Shepherd is today in some ways one of the most obstinate men that ever lived, but it is a genial, good-natured ob- stinacy that really tickles the other fellow. Two examples will {illustrate this: The sil- ver of the mines was at first sent to Chi- huahua and minted and returned as silver dollars or smaller currency. These vast treasures going over the lonely road every month on the backs of long trains of mules naturally invited attack, and one day the expected came. The heavy armed guard was scattered, the conductor of the train killed, and the silver and the robbers dis- appeared. Then the people found that they had roused the lion to the highest fury. Money was spent like water, officials high and low were given no rest day or night, rewards aroused the cypidity of the ,be- trayer and last all of ‘Re band were col- lected as prisoners at the hacienda. The governor of the state insisted that the pris- | oners should be brought to the capital for trial. This meant untold delay, heavy ex- pense and in all probability failure of jus- tice, but Shepherd at last consented and the prisoners were started over the road under guard of a company of Mexican sol- diers, who cared very little about making the long and tedious ten-day journey. Three days afterward the commanding officer re- ported again at the office of the hacienda. The report was terse, being simply “lex fugitivo, todas la muerte.”"” “The law of the fugitive, all are dead.” So the people gath- ered in groups and whispered: “They say they tried to escape and they shot them all.” and with a shrug of the shoulders the whispers ended in “El Americano uno dia- blo.” All who are familfar with the Span- ish soldiers and the recklessness of the use of “the law of the fugitive” will place the blame where it belongs, on the soldier, and free the American baron of the slightest complicity, but all the same the trains of Hacierda San Miguel y San Antonio have traveled In peace from that day to this. The next step was to introduce the use of paper money, but the banks at the cap- ital placed every obstacle in the way. Then the doughty baron said: “I will print my own money and you must use it, for it wil! be secured by bullion placed In your banks. This was declared to be an impossibility, an offense against the government punish. able by death. “I can and I will. now you see,” said the petty king, and the money was issued. The miserly, silver-hoarding people kicked and said it is “muy malo,” “very bad.” “the rats eat it.” The king sald “good for the rat: and smiled and issued more money. The military com- mander_ threatened vhs and the king said, “Come and take me if you think you can.” The governor of the state sent his | Peremptory orders by mail and by special courier, and was laughed at for his pains. The power of President Diaz was invoked, and his special messenger came and was a carefully entertained guest for several days and de; with his face wreathed with smiles, and it is said that he never stopped smiling and patting his pocket book, even when closeted with Diaz at the Castle of Chepultepec. Then the king received an in- vitation to visit the president, and the glasses of the two are said to have clinked merrily in the halls of Maximillian above the caves of Montezuma. At all events the return trip of the king was that of a con- queror, every one from the private soldier to the minister of war bowing low before the dear friend of Diaz, and every one, from railroad porter to banker, being paid off in the king’s new “shin plasters,” just so they could learn what it looked like, There has been no change in the Mexican laws, but today Shepherd’s greenbacks are current all over Chihuahua and all up and down the coast of the Gulf of California. The governor's Spanish would hardly get him a professor's chair tn one of our uni- versities, for it is of the vigorous get-there style that permits no unruly noun, verb or rule of grammar to interfere, while the in- terjected American expletives are of a char- acter calculated to drive a native to dis- traction or sting him into unwonted ac- tivity. He does not love the language well enough to let it linger on his tongue. To go through the mines is to get a new {dea of his love of power, of systematic work and his affection for big things. For three miles up the canon and for four miles down, from the Hacienda, the sides of the mounta‘ns are honeycombed with mines, all brought under the control of the one master hand. The governor's mind is ever busy with the condition of affairs twenty years ahead, and he cares little for today or tcmorrow. This ts one of his chief mental characteristics, ever look- ing far ahead. Of course it brought him into unending difficulties in Washington, but he laughed and said, “Kick, scold, abuse, villify, my shoulders are broad, and the day will come when you will say that T was right.” That day has come in the east, and he is now given full credit for the foresight and daring spirit that made our capital the rival of Paris in beauty. Will the te gg when the same praise will be ven to his work and plans in Mexico? lere are the facts, judge for yourself. Plans for Twenty Years to Come. We had looked at the hundreds and thou- sands of tons of ore piled up in the min we were looking the: at the ore in the mills where men with rakes and pitchforks were gathering masses of native silver out of the ore and sending it direct to the melting pots, when the Herald representative asked: “How much have you paid in divi- dends, governor?” The answer was some- what startling: “I've paid one dividend, and was a fool for doing it. When we go to the office I will tell you about it,” and in the office his plans for ten, yes, twenty years ahead, were outlined most emphati- cally. I looked at him tn wonder! Twenty years ahead at his age! Yet except for the whiteness of his hair there seems to be lit- tle change during the long years that had passed since he left the states. His form is erect and full of vigor, his eye as keen, his mouth as firm, and it requires close looking to find new wrinkles in the smooth calm of his powerful face. Twenty years ahead by @ man who has lived three full lives. In ibstance his argurrents were as follow! ou have seen the rich ore in mine an mill, great masses of native silver in plates, wires and threads tied together in the white crystallized lime. You have seen th shining black sulphurets of ver and the rich gems of bl red ruby silver that will yield over 70 per cent pure metal, and you have seen them in ton lots. You know that we are taking out now over $250,000 a month, but for every ton of this rich ore that is brought down the mountain, ir mule loads of 300 pounds each, there are tons and tons of ore worth from $100 to $150 per ton that is piled away in the mines. I can't afford to work it yet. When I came here I had roads to build, the trail to keep open, bandits and regiments of revolutionists to fight, machinery to pack in on men’s backs, government officials from top down to win over to my side, and a class of natives to deal with that would have converted Job into a driveling idiot. I saw that the wood supply for twenty miles arcund would be gone in ten years, and it is gone now. Here was water power for a kingdom. I have built the roads and the hard work of the Diaz tunnel and of your Roman aqueduct is done. This work has cost mil- Hons and all the cash has ccme from these mines. That is where the money has gone, and that is where it shall go and not into dividends. How they howled and cried for dividends! Let them hcwl! The great ma- chinery for the great mills to be run by water power will come over the trail all right before long. Then the low grade ores can be dropped down by the train load and then anyone can run these mines and pay dividends regularly for a hundred years to come, without a skip or break,” and the great leader's eyes flashed as he looked at the writer as much as to say: “Do you chi lenge these facts?” Then a deep sigh and the words, “Why n't they see it?” told the story of how the battle had been fought in his own breast, and how his unconquer- able will had been tried. The delight of his life is to construct, to build up, and he cares little about reaping the results per- sonally. A Tribute to the Governor. ‘The governor has been and is worth more to the government of Mexico as a civilizer than an army of school teachers and mis- sionaries, for he has shown them the power of the civilized mind and the benefits of skill and science, while the noble wife and sweet daughter have won the love, respect and admiration of all in the kingdom by their kind-hearted charity and genuine sym- pathy. Governor Shepherd has pounded in- to the dull intellects around him some ap- preciation of what a true American is. As a business man capable of organization on gigantic scales, of ever keeping personally acquainted with all matters most minutely, of allowing no obstacles to stand long in the way, of uniting terrifying firmness to go hand in hand with princely kindness and open-heartedness, of planning far anead, and of being business and meaning business from head to foot, he has given them a practical example that is working, like leaven, slowly but surely. As a family man he has taught them how Americans look upon women and what the words of a kind and indulgent father and loving hus- band mean. As an educated man, by his school work and by his life, he has taught them that power may be acquired by using books. His people must become more civ- flized, and he will see to it that they do if he has to pound it into them with a club. Nor is his influence confined to his own Lit- tle kingdom, but has gone to all portions of toe land. #ankers find their way across the desert to study finance with him; mine owners from England, Germany and Ameri- ca come to study his methods of mining or- ganization and work, and the president counsels with him on affairs of state for the great northwestern part of his storm- tossed republic. His work has made life and property safer, and his pioneering has made the road easier for the crowds that will ever follow. The days glide by as in a dream and the last good-byes are said. ‘There was sorrow on all faces, and husky voices murmured “Adios,” the sweet “God be with you” farewell of the Spaniard, and at 4 o’clock In the morning the mules turn- ed their heads toward El Cumbre. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon we lay breathless at the crest of the Barranca looking down into the great canon. The white-walled nacienda lay shining in the bright sunshine; within it all was beauty, peace, happiness and safety; all around lay the wilderness, cruel and treacherous. Far below lived the strong-souled master, the lovable, genial friend, the foe to be respected and feared, the man born to be a leader anywhere and everywhere, and as we looked we realized that it was a farewell forever, for never more will his hearty voice and genial smile be seen in the land of his birth, never more will he climb wearily up this terrible trail or breathe the cool air of these summits. —seo—_____—_ ELECTRIC TANNING, Remarkable Results Obtained hy a Combination of Carrent and Agitation In a recent lecture delivered at the Royal Institute, London, on the advanced chemi- cal, metallurgical and manufacturing pro- cesses of the present time, Dr. Swinburne made special reference to electrical tanning, and to the remarkable results which had been obtained by means of a combination of the electrical current and mechanical agitation. Though the phenomenon has not yet been theoretically and thoroughly investigated, or. Swinburne is of the opinion that what takes place is electricosmosis; the skins are full of minute interstices, and also of mi- nute cells, and, though the agitation suffices to hasten the penetration of tanning nuid into the interstices, something more subtle ts required to force it through the walls of the cells. Referring to the subject of electrolysis, he showed that of water with a current of about thirty amperes, 100 volts pressure, the current is so powerful that it maintains a brilliant are light under the surface of the water, and even fuses the point of the iron anode. These experiments, it is easy to see, are of an important practical character, NEED OF GOOD ROADS. The Cost Would Be Enormous, but Bad Roads Are More Expensive. From the New York World. ‘The agitation of the question of public highways improvement in America has reached a stage where the desirability of the object sought has been pretty fully es- tablished. Stifi there are many who enter- tain doubts as to the feasibility of a plan which contemplates the building of a sys- tem of stone roads throughout the country, and they meet a plea for better wagonways with “Yes; but can we afford to bulld them?” ‘This question should be answered by ask- ing another: “Can we afford to be without good roads?” It has been estimated that, in addition to the good roads already possessed, in order that a system equal to the best in Europe may be had, it would be necessary to build or rebuild about one millicn miles, a rea- sonable estimate of the cost of which is $4,000 a mile, or $4,000,000,000 for the whole country. Enormous as must be the cost of constructing a system of first-class high- Ways, it would appear that, in their pres- ent deplorable condition, the roads are ex- pensive almost beyond comparison. Ac- cording to the census bureau, there were in the country June 1, 1800, 14,976,017 horses, 2,246,986 mules and 49,109 asses, A promi- nent authority gives 25 cents a day as his estimate of the cost of feed for each ani- mal, Taking this as a basis, the expense of feeding this vast number for a single day aggregates over $4,318,000, or more than $1,576,000,000 in one year. It is said that on the smooth stone roads of certain European countries a dog can move a heavier load than is drawn cn an average in this country by @ horse, and that @ horse there pulls easily three times as heavy loads as equally good American ani- mals move with difficulty. A conclusion which many, no doubt, will draw from this is that about one-third of the present num- ber of horses would give better service with lirst-class wagon roads than is now en- joyed. However, in view of the fact that @ considerable share of these animals is owned in the cities, where there are more or less of good pavements, the number could be reduced only one-half instead of two-thirds. This would mean a lessening of the feed expense of $753,000,000 a year. The average earnings of capital in the United States are about 3 per cent. On this basis the unnecessary expense of $788,UUU,- Q00 in maintaining what would, with good roads, be surplus stock, represents the in- terest on an average investment of more than $26,000,000,000, This is more than six times the investment required for the butid- ing of 1,000,000 miles of good stone roads at @ cost of $4,000 a mile. It is inconceivable to many how the idea can be entertained for a moment that the ecnstruction and maintenance of highways can be safely intrusted to individuals or private corporations for gain. Only a little in advance of this, it is declared, however, is the so-called subdistrict road supervisor system. County control, as @ rule, shows sull marked improvement over the two plans named, and wherever the states have entered into the field of road building with effective legislation an even greater im- provement is noted. But of all roads ever constructed in the United States those which the national government has built unquestionably are or have been the best. A striking illustration of the comparative merits of national and local management of public roads is to be found in Germany. The best roads of that country were bulit by the states whith now constitute the em- pire while they were yet independent king- doms, and were thus the creations of na- tional governments. Absorbed into the em- pire, the states were no longer distinct na- tions. What had been national before to them now sunk to the rank of the provin- cial. The roads had been constantly im- proved previous to the formation of the em- pire. Now narrower and cheaper roads are built, and the highways of the fatherland, excellent as they are, do not compare fa- vorably with those of France, over which national authority is exercised. There was a time when England’s wagon Ways were abominable. Their wretched condition Lord Macauley considered to have been “due to the state of the law, which compelled each parish to maintain its own roads with statute labor.” Again local au- thorities failed in the management of an enterprise in the conduct of whic a na- tional government proved itself marked success. Until recently the inhabitants of cities in this country have generally regarded the building of country roads as an undertak- ing which belonged to the farmer alone, the expense of which he should bear. Of late, through natural causes and the gen- eral agitation of the question, a better un- derstanding has been reached. The mud blockades in various sections of the coun- try in the last few years have served to bring merchants of towns and smaller cit- ies to a realizing sense of what bad roads mean. Three years ago the merchants of an Ohio city of 30,000 inhabitants lost, on account of muddy roads, in two weeks of the holiday season over $100,000 of trade. Smaller cities and towns, of course, suf- fered still more in proportion, being more directly dependent upon the trade which the farmers supplied. Th® subdistrict and township plans of building and maintaining roads have been given ample trial and have sadly disap- pointed those who have favored them. in the light of experience there is a desire to know if it is not time to forsake these worse than wasteful plans and adopt a sys- tem which others have proved eminently successful. The quickest and most satis- factory, and in fact the only sure way to secure good public highways throughout the country, in the opinion of many, is for the national government to step in and ex- ercise its rightful authority. There exists in the country a strong sentiment adverse to the issuing of additional national bonds. Can the roads be built without running the government into debt? By building a rea- sonable portion of the roads each year un- til all shall have been constructed, and by apportioning the expense among the na- tion, the states and territories, the coun- ties, and possibly the townships, it 1s be- Heved it will be found possible to secure the coveted good roads without issuing bonds. Twenty years would be a reason- ably short period for the butiding of 1,v0u,- 000 miles of suitable highways. This would require the construction of 50,000 miles per year. Two hundred millions of dollars would be the annual expense. On the co! venient supposition that the nation at large should bear one-half and that the states and territories, together with the counties and towns, should bear the balance, the general government would be compelled to appropriate annually $100,000,000.. ‘This would not represent a very considerable additional burden, for now three-fourths of that amount is expended by the Postal De- partment on highways. Of the remaining $25,000,000 a large share, say $10,000,000, could be wiped out by employing regular army forces on the roads in those sections where their presence is required. As a rule, it may be said, no less than 20,000 men, who now find army life irksome be- cause of its idle monotony, could be em- ployed to good account on the highways. The majority of the state governments, as well as the counties and townships, it is believed, could also so provide for the ex. pense which they would be expected to bear that the tax burden would not be greatly increased during the period of con- struction. Moreover, the expense could be made even less onerous by the employment of the thousands of criminals in each com- monwealth, and at the same time remove from free labor an objectionable class of competitors. see --___ QUEER COINS. Some of the Pocket Pieces Which Were Bronght Out in Chicago. From the Chicago Times. Among the change for a dollar which the conductor of a North Side car tendered me the other day was a quarter with an odd in- scription. Nicely engraved across the young lady who impersonates the republic on the | br coin in a singularly strained attitude were these words: “Given to Anna Polk, Indian- apolis, 187° It was not merely scratched on, but neatly cut in an easy English script. The conductor noticed the legend, too, and offered to exchange the quarter for another. But the coin seemed good enough, and I declined. This, perhaps, encouraged the conductor to remark that he had han- dled more queer coins, foreign and domestic, ancient and modern, during and since the world’s fair than in all his six years of street railroading previously. “There was a half-dollar I took in o1 day last August,” he said, “which had piece of poetry cut in its face. I forget t other three lines, but the last one was something about ‘You are all my own,’ and there were some letters at the end, the writer's initials, I guess. The words were very small, but so well engzaved that you could read them easily enough. “We had to keep a sharp lookout for for- eign coins, Canadian and English mostly. I never saw so many old silver dollars, quarters and halves as the strangers who came to see the fair turned out.” HE LEARNED SOMETHING. And in the Light of a New Experience He Felt Worried. From the Detroit Free Press. “Excuse me,” said the little man with the Pointed chin whiskers to the man reading @ magazine in the seat across the aisle, “but I’ve been suffering with toothache for the last hour.” “Yes, I suspected It,” was the reply. “And I didn’t know, being you are a drummer, but that you might have some- thing in your grip to alleviate the infernal nuisance.” “Yes, I may have. Let's see. 1 have pep- permint essence, laudanum, Jamaica ginger, painkiller, ammonia, alcohol and—" “I'll try the painkiller, if you'll be so kind.” “Yes. Wait a minute, please.” The man of the grip opened it and took out pencil and paper and wrote a few lines and passed the paper over, with the remark: “Sign that, please. It is simply @ state- ment that you will not hold me or my heirs financially responsible in case anything hap- pens to you through my remedies.” “Rather odd document, that,” said the man behind him as the chap with the tooth- ache sat down to dose his tooth. ‘Well,maybe,” replied the drummer, “but it’s only a matter of prudence, after all. Three years ago down at Medina a stranger ‘came to me on the depot platform suffering with the toothache. It was at night, and 1 had no remedies. handy. I suggested that I tie a string around the aching tooth and pull it out, and after a little he consented.” got @ piece of fishline around that tooth, got a firm hold of the string and then told him to jump off the platform. Oh! That was @ sad night, for me!” “Did th come?” I braced myself for the he jumped, and the next thing 1 his head on the end of that string. — don’t mean that it pulied his head o1 “I certainly do, sir. Yes, pulled his head right off and left it dangling on the string. It was really no affair of mine, but 1 got a doctor apd the coroner and rode in the front hack at‘his funeral and used up nearly a week of my valuable time. And how was 1 rewarded?" “How?" Why, his relatives ought to be eternally grateful to you.” “Y-e-s, I know, but 1 don’t think they will be. His wife sued me for $20,000 damages for holding the string, and after two years of lawing it I settled with her for $¥,0UU. That was the sort of gratitude 1 met with:” “Great Scott, but you don’t mean it?” gasped the man. “Why, that was an out- Tage worthy of the days of Nero.” ‘Yes, but I had to submit. it won't hap- pen again, however. I’m willing to help a sufferer, but he must absolve me from all legal responsibility. I am now about to take a nip of brandy. If you will sign a paper that you took it of your own free will, and that neither you nor your heirs will hold me—" “Thank you, but I Gon’t care for brandy. Jewhittaker—gee, but it wasn’t four hours ago that I advised a man to touch up his liver with old rum, cayenne pepper and vinegar. ‘Sposen it knocks the socks off'n him! Say, please excuse me, won't you? We are just coming to Grafton, and I'll drop off and telegraph him to let nis itver go to blazes and consult a regular doctor. I've learned something, 1 have, and i'll make that telegram so hot it'll set fire to half the poles on the way!” —____+0+—___ ONE MILLION VOLTS. How Prof. Thomson Made Real Light- ning Without Harming Himself. From the Ithaca Journal. This is the way Prof. Elihu Thomson, during his recent lecture in Lynn, was able to obtain 1,000,000 volts of electricity and re- ceive therefrom a shock without harm: ‘The current from the wires from outside the hall pased through a transformer, which raised the 100-volt current to a high- er voltage; then it passed through another coil and a switch, then through a vertical transformer with a core surrounded by many turns of copper wire closely wound, and a 20,000 volt current was obtained. By sending the discharges from the wire through a primary coll and another trans- former, the current was raised to 1,000,000 volts, which was received in a large box of wood, containing oil passing through fifteen turns of large gauge wire within a box, where there was a paralle) coil of 400 turns of smaller wire in a layer on a frame. Two standards with brass balls on the ends furnished the poles. Sending the cur- rents through this, the ends of the stand- ards were covered with blue flame like the pictured thunderbolts in the hand that adorns electric belt advertisements. The poles were separated and a bluish flash with a yellowish tint writhed through the air like a snake. Then it grew larger, as the poles were pushed further apart and a thirty-two inch flash sharp and incisive, like veritable lightning was produced. The longest flash ever produced in this way, Prof. Thomson stated, was at Chicago and measured sixty-four inches. To show. that the effect of the flash was like lightning, a piece of wood was Placed across the poles and the current writhed about this, arching itself into a brilliantly luminous curve of flame. It and splintered the wood with sharp reports and then, with the current again sent through, — the stick. . ‘Then came the most astonishin; ment of all. Prof. Thomson took a ples of metal in his hand and brought it near to one of the poles. There was a flash more than a foot in length. With a lamp in the hand nearest the pole the lumination was secured, and he capped the climax by hold- ing a piece of copper wire in his hand and allowing the discharge rs felt_no severe shock." goose nin ——_+-e+____ RESIDED IN A CAB, How an Eccentric Germa: Professor Heinrich Brugsch of the Uni- versity of Berlin, the most distinguished of siving egyptologists, is publishing “My Life and Wanderings,” which are interesting, not only on account of the revelation of the author’s personality and the reminiscences of celebrated scientists of the earlier half of this century, which they contain, but also by the anecdotes which the great sa- vant has a happy faculty of relating. Oné of them, quoted by the Philadelphia Ledger, may furnish a hint to some of our own “globe trotters.” On Professor Brugsch’'s first visit to Alexandria he lodged with an original by the name of Bauernhorst, by birth a Mecklenburger, and a man of gi- gantic strength and stature, who combined the office of Prussian vice consul with the conduct of a wine shop. He was generally known by the sobriquet of “Father Lang- feld.” He rendered important service in many wayes and Professor Brugsch made him promise that if ever he came to Berlin again he would visit him. Some years afterward Father appeared one morning at the Siren rooms in Berlin. After the customary greet- ings Professor Brugsch inquired: cane are you staying, Father Lang- aan RecrdeP eee hat! In the same house with i? That's a curious coincidence.” = “Not at all. In a cab.” “Ah, you have just come from the station and are looking for a hotel?” “On the contrary; lived in the cab since yesterday.” “What in the name of common sense do you mean? And your luggage?” “Carry it with me,” and with his fat right hand he patted a small bag slung on his shoulder by @ green strap. “Here are = pace) — money,” jut please expl yourself more clearly; I oe oe at Ae “Not mucl explain. Live da; night in the cab; sleep perhaps @ couple 0 of hours in the stable, covered with a horse blanket. Summer, you know! Cabman shows me everything worth seeing—intelli- gent fellow—spares me the expense of a valet de place. Eat and drink well, see everything, hear everything, know every- thing. stops, I get out, receive in- structions, and explore; cabman waits till I get back. If I need linen or anything, buy it; cabman gets all that I cast off. Quite content. No extra luggage to pay for, no hotel bills, no tips, no bundles, no ques- tions; ge: all right. Stay three days longer. Now, Herr Doctor, put on your coat and visit me in my hotel. Let the cab- man drive us whither he will. Very con- heed ra 14 ‘ather ngfel had alre; “don Trieste, Vienna and Prague a ene same fashion, and firmly believed it’ was the only way to see the world. He subsequently ap- plied his system with equal success to Paris and London. It has merits; whether they are not more than counterbalanced by its disadvantages each individual must deter- mine for himself, O8X8X8X8X8XsX8X 8X8 00) Holiday Gift Slippers. | SPAEPSERSEO e EB are & surprise. Lad. $3.50 Shoes, $2.50 wERS KS ij ie 5 2 8 4 z 8 ‘3 8 i age i Hoover & Snyder, “NO BRANCH STOKE,” 3 0. Passat Bae! J x 1217 Pa. Ave. O8XSXSXOXOX SXOXSXIKIO Not to Hang On The Tree. RESENTS FOR MOTHERS— presents for sisters—presents for sons—presents for fathers—pres- ents for everybody. Presents that are useful and seusible—pres- ents that don't cost much. Every de- t is putting on its Holiday Let's suggest a few things— to heip im your quandary. FUR RUGS. te ‘ange size, blacks, grays and whites, $2.50 each. LACE CURTAINS, handsome sir. ‘ODATS for Indies and misses price because we're closing out partment. HOSIERY for women, men and chil- the best 25e. hosiery in this city. TEFS—indies” dren—1 HANDKERCH les’ hand-embroidered 12\¢c. and 25¢.—worth at belt this de- MEN'S SILK HANDKERCHIEFS, ex- = large size, heavy hand-embroidered, Elerant line of Bric-a-Brac, Clocks, Carhart & Leidy, 928 7th St. & 706 K St. 000000 00000000000 0 0 If You’re 20 Penniless O ‘You're in a bad way. Keep your cash and buy on CREDIT. The credit that is as cheap as cash—and a great Geal more accommodating. Equitable Credit System lays caly one restriction— that whatever promise you make you will keep. Then we're ready to give you all the FURNITURE—CARPETS— DEAPERIES-STOVES, &c., you want for s room—a fat— or a mausion. We expect you to pay = little down at the time of purchase—and the ‘Dalance weekly or monthly. ‘You're in possession from the Ddeginning. House & Herrmann, 917-919-921 Ax 923 Tru Sr. ao 836 Mass. Ave DOOOOK OOOOC COOCSSoCocoesoces 910100000000000000000000000000 9101900000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 OSSOcooosos coc]essecooesesses f SE2SSSERLOSE ESSER EROS ERO R ES OSSSo SOSSSSOo= 0000000 l=) cont c A FEAST FOR LADIES. W2 HAVE RECEIVED ANOTHER LARGE LOT OF LADIES’ SAMPLE SHOES AND SLIPPERS OF THE CELEBRATED MAKE OF A F. SMITH, THIS IS THE FINEST LOT OF SAMPLES WE HAVE EVER SHOWN, AND WILL CERTAINLY PLEASE THE LADIES WHO WEAR A 3 OR 3% 4, BOR C Last, 48 USUAL, WE SRALL SELL THESE SAMPLES AT LESS TRAN COST TO MAN- UFACTURE, WHICH WILL BE A SAVING TO YOU OF FROM $1 TO §2 ON EVERY PAIR PURCHASED. THE WARREN SHOE HOUSE (GO. W. RICH), $19 F STREET N.W. 47 The People’s Resort for Genuine Bargains. “Ww. N. Dalton & Co., 919 117TH. @ RB. M. DOBBINS AND M. STRICKLAND. NEAB DUPONT CIRCLE, 1920 N street northwest, CARPENTER SHOP. Old stand of J. T. Waiker, Contractor and Bullder. None but reliable men sent to the house. oc26-2m° . Good Reliable Ingrain, 35 cents a yard. We have always MADE and LAID every yard of Carpet sold by us—and we are DOING IT YET—name another house that Goes as MvcH. We sell a Six-foot Extension Table for $8.50—Forty-pound Hair Mattress, $7— Woren-wire Springs, $1.75. If you need @ MANY & FOOL PASSES FOR A WISE MAN ONLY BECAUSE AB NEVER SPEAKS. We dou't went any such to visit our establish- ent. We Waxt Wise men and women whe are glib of tongue—to come—and examine eur immense stock of READY-TO-PUT-OM WINTER CLOTHING For Men, Youths, Roys and Children. We want them to know that we're going te CLEAN UP, PRUSH UP, POLISH UP, RENO- VATE, DECORATE and REMODEL this grand old building—That we have but THREE WEEKS in which to CLOSE OUT TRE STOCK—That we sball accomplish the marvelous fest in that brief period of time—because we shall sacrifice the goods at ALO) CENTS ON THE DOLLAR—And in that way distribute oue Xmas Gifts To all who may see fit to embrace the opportunity thus aftorded them. STORM ¢ Coats MEN'S OVERCOATS—Tiger Worth $18. BOYS’ CAPE COATS. . $2.50 and $3 BOYS’ TWO-PIECE SUITS—That were §T.75, $7.50, $17, $6.75, $6.50, $6, $5.50 and s5— have been reduced to. MEN'S PANTALO( $4.50 kinds—Now Follow these pointers you'll ‘fina yourself #0 entirely surrounded by tempting bargains that determine you'll be at @ loss to greater. VICTOR E. ADLER'S 927 Asp 929 Tr Sx. N. Wy CORNER MASSACHUSETTS AVE. FTRICILY ONE PRICE which is the Unt J 1, evenings nati pm Satureage ye une it — FURS. L. KRAUSS, IMPORTER AND MANUFACTURER, 72] WEST BALTIMORE 8T., BALTIMORE, MD. of the latest and most elegant de ify THE AMERICAN CATARRN CURE of 26 years’ study and treatment of One bottle convinces the most skeptical. aiways ready for use, needing neither @ouche atomizer. It restores the hear’ng, the ing cough and expectorating, removes ose Ddiceding, increases the eppetite, sound sleep, invigorates the whole ereanes the vitality. It ts impossible for any one to health while suffering from the dropping of ip the throat, which is ever offensive and ip character and polsous every breath taken into the lungs, thereby rende: unbealiby and impure and leading to of the Jungs. Wast a boon to mankind the remedy which will prevent this suffering and restore perfect health. To the many thoneande who have despaired of being cured of this terrible disease we cheerfully recommend the AMERICAN CATARKH CURE. It gives immediate relief. Tye sense of relicf is so great that after twenty- hours’ use the sufferer gladly continues the remedy, fecling and realizing that only perseverance fs needed to restore to health. Jt possesscs wonder ful power in restoring the full vocal power of H g keke ( if if i; till POR SALE ny E. P. MERTZ, COR. 11TH AND F STS., WASHINGTON, D. @ e27-3m,cod IT’S YOURS FREE OF COST!i Tf there is © solitary thing that you nee@ to make your bouse more cheerful and com- fortable GET IT—and get it of US. Your Promise to pay is just as acceptable to ws YOU WANT. upholstered in plush or hair cloth, at $22.60. Our leader in Bed Room Furniture ts a suite fp solid oak, with bevel glass in bureso— nt in coloring’ ss you'll ind ANYWHERE. jendid Brussels Carpet. 50 cents a yard— Stove it’s HERE—any size you want—beat- ing or cooking. Siz Wig double floors of House Furnishings to choose from—and your CREDIT is always GOOD. GROGAN’S MAMMOTH CREDIT MOUSE, $19, 821, 623 TTH ST. N.W., BET. Hi AND I STS, a We close EVERY evening at T