Evening Star Newspaper, August 11, 1894, Page 12

VIEW OF DA Pate) THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1894-TWENTY PAGES, NE’S ISLAND. WELLMAN'S CHANCES The deslasatitn Man Who Nav- igated the Same Seas. pane Se ene RENDEZVOUS «AT DANES ISLAND pee ee ee How the Alliance Escaped From an “Ice Pocket. THE LAPLANDERS IFE OF QWrittes for The Eventng Star. HE RUMORED loss of Walter Well- man and his party of arctic explorers, fol- lowed by the later news of safety and material progress to- war the frozen pole, the loss of the steamer Ragn vaid Jari, and the return to Norway of her captain and crew for another vessel with which to go to the re- [ef of the Wellman party, have all served to create a renewed interest im matters per- taining to the polar regions. In scientific eircies this subject has for several weeks fompletely dwarted even the tariff and labor troubles, and the interest in and bepes for the ultimate success of Mr. Well- man and his daring associates daily in- creases. Men who have at some time or other in their lives visited the frigid zone. Wash- {ington has.contributed many men, either as pilleers, experts or seamen, who have ac- Companiel some one of the many expedi- ticns or relief parties to that region. Among the num ef the greatest enthusiasts fs Mr. William H. King, who left here in Sune, 1s, as assistant engineer of the United States steamship A George H. mmander, in search of the ill- tte expedition. Mr. King is m the Brent- § contrast to al winter, lie "i +3 for market. v ned with a request that ¢ public with something of in- the W ring a y ted to cided views in rela to arctic ex- sald he, after a few moments ¢ thougnt, “and am thoroughly familiar with the pot in which Mr. Wellman’s vessel, snvald Jari, was erushed in the te It was at this very int, latitude wT longitude 19.57, that our com- manier, taking an observation which showed us about fifty miles of clear water head, but ‘an almost sure destruction and Bonsequent loss of life If we entered the cre- Yasse in the ice, gave the order that saved ur vessel from the fate of the Ragnvald farl. You will pardon me if I refer briefly to the trip of our own vessel in speaking f the Wellman expedition. It was believed ¢ the Jeannette party, the rescue A Laplander. “which was our only erra: le, would be found, if alive, the neighberhood of Spitabergen, and our Qourse was therefore directed to that point, Stopping at St. Johns, N. F coded Via Reykjavik and Seidisfjord, to Hammerfest, Norway, where we fpok on two Ice pilots, and proceeded to ear Ish for the purpose of leaving a Gopper plate as a guide to those who might > and at the same time inspect others who had preceded u: . we made several at land being nree mile . rendering . If not alte land- her the ice, for when our the southern Island, in his narrative Mr. King tfolio of sketches at his me show you some that country. Our photographic Norfolk until tw e sailed, and being ch artist aboard, it was my bring back the only views ol the trip. Here ts a sketch o nd, re Mr. Wellman has n logist of his expedi- dat the same time thi ° & @ dreary an @ most ble spot at which to establish beady 3. It ig as well sheltered as @ny of t ds can be, and ts inhabited by edit reind and other food entmai while wolves bear, the only nimais to be feared in that country, sel- om ¢€ visit Dane's Island. Here the rote can remat ed, and ld te is stores, if h . Tather t gave eviden try wh he "3 Island as nd on the south- and found it of De Long ve proceeded %, while coal Is being picked from Brerhead and gathered into the bunkers. pecially is this noticeable among | of | id to the north | somewhere | . from whence | empts | with | away to the west | from | t to | Another thing which seemed strange to me, acd which your readers may feel disposed to question, is the fact that, while in the United States we are ri@ of mosquitoes and other similar pests during the winter months, yet here im Spitzbergen,. with winter all the year round, mosquitoes are both plentiful and enormous, both in appe- tite and size. i What Wellman Has to Meet. “What about Mr. Wellman’s chances for success? Well, to be frank with you, I be- lieve his chances would have been better d he started lator in tac season. The arctic currents are peculiar, and no one can tell much about them. They are seldcm twiee alike in successive season: One thing, however, is reasonably certain. The fields of ice seem to move south during the carly part of the season, and return to tke northward later. In my opinion, Mr. Weil- man is beth a scientific and daring explorer, and will, of course, have the advantage of | the experiments of others who have pre- ceded him. But I think he has made a mis- take in not making his effort to get further north with his vessel at about this season ef the year. You see, it was on the 24th day of May that the Ragnvald Jarl was lost. That vessel does not appear to have been just the best suited for an ice encoun- ter at any season. -But.had he remained farther south until about the Ist or loth of August, then pressed as far north as possi- ble with safety, and waited for an opening in the ica, I believe he could have made 1 bold dash northward and reached*a point some two or three degrees nearer the pole before the ice would ‘have closed in on his | Hammerfest. | vessel. Of course, he would have been | obliged to sacrifice his steamer. But he has done that, anyway, without the advantage he would by the other course have ob- tained. Then, too, at the later season he would have been in a better position to travel northward after taking to the ice. Mr. Weilman is better equipped for a sledge journey than any“of those who have gone before him. Where he was at last reports, | in the vicinity of the group of Seven Is- Jands, the ice will be nearly sta ionary, the islands serving as an ancherage. But wh he gets aw from them a little to t north, the drift will carry him to the and east faster than he can travel ward. The ice ai mill, This was discove arry in 1827, when succeeded in reaching latit but 1 make no progress on the ico, in fact, losing nd ali th that I may be mistak but I predict thit ‘Mr. Welintan has htm- self ere this reached the same conclusions. Hazardous Navigation. ler the most favorable circumstances c ¢ waters is extreme- ly any times we were in clear water today, only to be surrounded mountains of ice on the morrow. On one occasion we sighted a fleet of walrus hunters in latitude 79 or 80, who appeared from our point of observation to be in dan- | Ber of being crushed by the ice. Com- | munder Wadleigh started to rescue them, | offering to tow them out of danger. But | time. I hope tion the daring hunters declined the proffered assistance, and we stecmed- away. Some weeks later we came across a portion, of the Norwegian vessei's ¢eréw at Hammerfest, and le€rned from them that in less than ten Yours after we had left them the ice | had ‘closed around them and crushed their fleet to atoms, the hunters losing every. thing and barely escaping with their lives. Prof. Nordenskjold, you will remember, tied up to an ice anchor for a day in the summer of 1874, and remained there in the pack ice for more than one Year. New discoveries are being made by each suc- cessive party of explorers, but it is ex- tremely doubtful to, my mind whether the value of these discoveries, either to science or to commerce is really worth the sac- rifice they cost. This is an age of progress, avd there fs nothing the American people dare not attempt. But, even though they achieve all they desire in arctic explora- tons, what will be the advantage? It has already been conclusively demonstrated that beyond a certain decree of latitude no {human being can exigt. Then, why sacri- | fice ilfe In efforts to reach the unattaina- jm an Ice Pocket. “An Incident of the trip of the Alliance will illustrate the extreme dangers of arc- tie navigation,” continued Mr. King, re- flectively. “We had left Spitzbergen for home and were bearing away to the west to reach the gulf stream, and supposed we were beyond the reach of danger from the | ice, when suridenly we found ourselves con- fronted with a mountain of glaciers higher than the vessel's masthead and miles in length. Keeping a safe distance away to the east of the obstruction, we headed south, and for several hours that we were in safety. Again imagined the ice | loomed up on our bow, and again the | course of the Alla was changed a little to the east. It suddenly dawned upon our | commander that we were in a pocket of | ice, and lable to be surrounded and forever | | lest. Orders were given to put on all steam, the reserve boilers were brought in . and we made a desperate effort to eave rselves and the ship from destruction. ing close to the ice, that we misht advantage of the first openin: osent itself, thus we hours. The opening | several | th f Al ed out of the pocket, and none too s for even as we slipped through the opening, with a crash which | would well nigh have aroused the dead from | their long sleep, the ice came togeth Had we been two minutes later this int view would ne taken place, and the world would e t have been sending out searching parties to find Commander adleigh and the lost Alliance. I shall never forget the sensation which came over me when I first learned how near we came to being swallowed up In an Ice pocket.” Being pressed to relate something of his experience and observations among the in- habitants of the region of ice, Mr. King continued: “Hammerfest, the last port before leaving irope for the north arctic seas, is the most northerly town in Europe, and when I have said that there ts little more to s: The town stands on the edge us sheet of water, completely islands, and consists plastered inst a steep mountain,some of which, milt on spiles, give the notion of the place having slipped down off the hill into the sea. There is a population at pres- of about 1,200, and the principal b ss is fishing and fitting out fishing fleets. The natives also produce milk, cream—not tter—salad and bad potatoes, which, after i, were what we were most interested in. The Laplanders. “The Laplanders are a peculiar and tn- sting people—pecullar in thelr appear- and in thei pits; interesting that we Americans always find interest everything strange with which we come cortact or about which we hear. It w the streets of Hammerfést that I fi upon one of people. Tar the of the ill-b about it. te in in in | in came I nag ed with sers, faste leer boots c h slip white woolen tunic, yellow stripes, green und the ankles, and rving up at the toes like On her head—for not- trousers it turned out to vas perched a colored cap, round the face“and running k into an overarching peak > this peak Was crammed, a ptece of hollow t a quarter of a pound, h is fitted the wearer's back hair: t perhaps, after all, there does exist a more convenient colffure than 9 Paris | Ponnet. Hardly had I taken off my hat and 4 a thousand apologies for my unin- | tenttc al rudeness to the falr wearer af | the trousers before a couple of Lap gentlemen hove in sight. They were dress- ed pretty much like their companion, ex- cept that an ordinary red night-cap re- placed the queer helmet worn by the lady. ‘The tunics, too, may have been a trifle shorter. None of the three were handsome. High cheek bones, short noses, oblique Mongol eyes, no eyelashes, and enormous mouths, made up a cast of features which their burnt-sienna complexion and hair did not much enhance. Their expression of countenance was not unintelligent, and there was a merry, half-timid, half-cunning twinkle in their eyes which reminded me of foces I had met during my travels in some of the more neglected districts of Europe. Some ethnologists, indeed, are in- clined to reckon the Laplanders as a branch of the Celtic family. Primitive Castoms. “Even at this late day a great propor- tion of this race are pagans, and even the most intelligent among them remain slaves to the grossest superstition. When a cou- ple is to be married, if a priest happens to be in the way they will send for him, per- haps out of compiaisance, but otherwise the young lady’s papa merely strikes a flint and steel together, and the ceremony is not the less irrevocably completed. When they die a hatchet and a flint and steel are in- variably buried with the deceased, in case he should tind himself chilly on his long Journey—an unpecessary precaution many of the orthodox would consider on the part of such lax religionists. When they go bear hunting—the most important business in their lives—it is a sorcerer, with no other Gefense than his incantations, who marches at the head of the procession. In the in- ternal arrangement of their huts it Is not @ room to themselves, but a door to them- selves, that is assigned to their woman- Kind; for woe betide a hunter ii a woman has ever crossed the threshold over which he sallies to the chase; and for three days after the slaughter of his prey he must live apart from -the femaie portion of tis famity in order to appease the evil deity whose familiar he Is supposed to have de- stroyed. It would be usele2s to attempt to recount the innumerable occasiins on which the ancient rites of jumula are still inter- polated among the Christian dbservances they profess to have adopted. “Their manner of life is strange enough. Here and there, as we strolled outside the town, blue wreaths of smoke curling from some little green nook among the rocks would betray their temporary places of abode. In the summer time they live in canvas tents; during winter, when the snow les deep on the ground, the forest Lapps build huts in the branches of trees, and so live like birds. Their tents or huts are usually hexagonal in form, with fire In the center, the smoke from which rises through a hole in the roof. The men and women occupy differeat sides of the same apartment, but a long pole laid across the space between them symbolizes an ideal partition, which, I dare say, is in the end as effectual a defense as lath ond plaster prove in more elvilized countries. At all events, the ladies have a door to themselves, which they doubtless consider a far greater privilege than the seclusion of a separate boudoir. Hunting and fishing are the chief employments of the Lapp tribes, and to slay a bear is the most honorable exploit a Lapp hero can achieve. ‘The flesh of the slaughtered beast becomes the proper not of the man who killed it, but of him who disco hung upon a. pole for the wives of all who took part in the expedition to choot at with eyes bandaged. Fortunate is s arrow pierces the trop! Not only does it become but in the ey of the w setilement her hu looked upon thenceforth as the most f tunaie of men. As long as the chase is on the women are not allo to siir ad; but as vcon as the party have safe- ht home their booty, the whole fe- | Iation issue from t tents, and, rately cl “1 some bark from pecies of alder, they spit the red fu in their husband's faces, typitying the by the blood of the bear, waich has bd shed in an morable manner. ¢ Reindeer for -Neod,. “Although the forests, the rivers and the FE s y them in a great measure with their food, it is upon the reindeer that the Laplander is dependent for other comfort in life. The reindeer is his estate, his horse, his cow, his companion and friend; he has tweuty-two different names for him. His coat, trousers and shoes are made from reindeer skin, stitched with thread manufactured from the nerves and sinews of the same beast. Reindeer miik is the most important item of his diet. Cut of every reindeer horns are mede most of the uten- | sils used in his domestic economy, the reindeer that i drags his sledge. Moreover, so just an ap- preciation has the creature of what is due to bis own merit, that if his owner secks to tax him beyond his strength, he not only becomes restive, but often uctually: turns upon the inconsiderate jehu who has oyer- ériven him. When, therefore, a Lapp is in a great hurry, instead of taking to, his sledge, he puts ‘on a pair of skates twice as long as his own body, and so flies on the wings of the wind. Every Laplander, how- ever poor, has his dozen or two of deer; and the flocks of a Lapp Croesus amount sometimes to two thousand head. As soon a young lady is born—after having been uly rolled in the snow—she is dowered by her father with a certain number of deer, which are immediately branded with her initials, and thenceforth kept apart as her especial property. In proportion as they increase and multiply does her chance im- prove for making a desirable match marriage. ° Lapland Lovemaking. much the same fashion as in other parts of the world. Tae aspirant to a lady's hand, as soon as he discovers that he has lost his heart, gces off in search of a friend and a bottle of brandy. The friend enters the tent of the fair maiden’s parents and opens, si- mulareously, ‘the brandy and his business, while the lover remains outside engaged in hewing wood or some other menial employ- ment. If, after the brandy and proposal have been discussed, the eloquence of the friend prevails, the suitor is himself call into the inclosure, and the young people are owed to rub noses. The bride to be then and the espousals are con- dered concluded. The marriage does not ke place for two or three years after- nd during the interval the service of -hi did Jacob serve for ache is that o out thei his long loved F How true it know but little on the other half e-half the we fellow creatures: A. M. DEWEY. _— ONE GoT The Happy Father U comstances Was From the New York Mercury. Gibbs was a commercial traveler and had gone on a journey to the north, A few days afterward the Gibbs household was ircreased by cne—a boy. As the mother was very ili the doctor was requested to wrfe out a telegram informing Gibbs of the addition to his family, and also his wife’s illness, and asking him to return home with as little deiay as possible. This was done, and the telegram was given to the servant to send off. That in- telligent girl, being unable to read, pui the message in her pocket and forgot all about ft. The next day Gibbs paid a fiying visit home and was gratified to find his wife and the family going on nicely. After sta; ing at home a few hours he took ais di parture without anything having been said about the telegram, which his wife natural- ly supposed he had received. A day or two after he had gone the ser- vant found the message in her pocket, and, after consulting her favorite policeman, she decided to send It off at once without aying a word to any one about the delay. That night Gibbs, upon returning to his hotel, was horrified when the following tele- gram, bearing that day’s date, was placed in his hand: “Another addition; a son; y ill; return at once.” ‘Another!’ he gasped. “Great Jupiter!” He rushed to the station and took the AWAY. jer the Cir- atistied. your wife is v next train home, and, dashing into the | house in a state of frenzy, demanded to krow what had happened. The servant confessed all. The next day there wa a vacancy for an intelligent, honest girl at Gibbs’ establishment. a A Catfish Jonah, the Beattyville Enterprise. : hu Serivner caught a fifteen-pound pike in a rather pecullar manner recently, He had a trout line set in the river about two miles below Beattyville. The line was batted with crawfish. A catfish weighing about a pound swallowed the bait and the pike swallowed the catfish, which spread out the sharp fins on its side and back, im- paling the pike from the inside. The form of the catfish could be plainly ceen in the pike's stomach, red his trail, ang the skin is | in | PP courtships are conducted in pretty | OLD-TIME: ODDITIES Some Curious Wills and Records of Revolutionary Days. VICISSITUDES OF: WASHINGTON'S WILL It Was Lost and Found During the * Civil War. INTERESTING ANESDOTES Written for The Evening Star. N THIS PERIOD OF bustling business life that fills our land with the whir and clang of the cable car and the din and clat- ter of factory wheels and spindles, few of those even in the po- Htical field know much of those ances- tors who laid the foundations cf our government. The slow, staid days of the stage coach and periwig are gone, and we even forget the dim records of other times that He unnoticed in our midst— records that, dusty and yellow with age, seeny still to bear a perfume of the past within their crackled leaves. Down ‘in the quaint little village of Fair- fax,.Va., are preserved many curious writ- ings of those who have won their cquntry’s gratitude. And in the archives of the court house are stored documents that are valued at more than a king’s ransom. Here is the will of Washington, and here are docu- ments bearing the signatures of many of our most famous men, and odd papers that show the customs and usages of colontai days, The will of Washington is a series of note size papers now sewn together in pamphlet form for preservation, and though it is yellow and broken by handling, the writing is as clear as if penned yesterday It is kept in a wooden box about a foot square, and through the glass front the document can be plainly seen. Washingtow's Will. It is not generally known that the fa- mous will of the father of his country came very near destruction on two occa- .sions. At the “beginning of the rebellion it was taken from Fairfax Court House, Va., to Richmond. When the confederaces ev | vated Richmond, the will was acci ly [Jett Behina soldier | sor of the | H ith. is of a re ned It to} ident of proper ot the authori the county » by > will, with ether ments, pras found ts evidently apt appreciaang r f tue willy bearsmugh repet L wills of that pertod ma: who werg slayeholders, ft 's devotion toch. ot ihe make éreat concern for their we he expressly states & emancipated at the he leaves most of 3 valued at that tim | wh w j inventory being attached( to the will. He also expresses great re, that the youth | of, kis country should -be sent to foreign | lands too-be educated, as ahey are ept to contract not only habits of di and | &xtravagance, but principles unfrisndly to jour republican form of goverament. He des for the establishment of a and states that. while his les prevent him from accepttu [kind and flattering offers of com: | for his services to his country during her arduous struggle for freedom, he hopes | Such property as has been offered him may } be donated for the benefit of educational | institutions. | Washington as un inventor. At the old slaughter house near Mt. nop there stood, up to about 184 threshing machine made by Washington, and used on his plantation. It was a rudely constructed affair, and evidently never covered by patent, yet It was no doubt one of the first threshing machines ever built, and worked a good deal on the principle of * the old-fashioned flails, being a wheel turn- irg on a sweep like one of the old brick- meking machines; horse walked around | with the sweep, and the tong amns attached to the wheel came down on the oat or | wheat’ straw, threshing out the grain. Several interesting stories about our first President have been handed down thr the generation: One is tha quarrel with his friend, | Mason forbade his cross und. One morning Washington started out for a ride. It was very muddy, and his | servant cautioned him about Mason's in- | Junction, Handing the servant a pistol, he aid: “If any of Mason's niggers come out, you shoot them. If the old man comes out | UH shoot him.” | In repairing an old | county some fifteen years ago some new: papers and an account bock w | The account book had eviden: house in Fairfax to a Storekeeper with whom Wash ton | It, and in it, about once in every month, t was charged to Wasnington's account fi ons of rum. In the archives at the old court house | at Fairfax, where the will is kept, a y quaint and curious documenis of | y days. Here are preserved the minute | nning back to é : nty | in written | é text, n weil | ss the shows re Wash- | ington presented his comm Ss iieu- | {tenant of his majesty’s pr paratory arting out on the addock | tion, nst him for in failing to keep the and roads through his estates in good re pair for neglecting to turn in his lands and personal prope for taxation in accordance with law, made showing where Washin ministrater, vendor and vei s made under order burt, and as | complainant and defeadant in suits, uh most of which seem to have been amicably settled. Other old and (historical pape are some deeds signed by Washingion, Mason and others as vestrymen cf tho old Pohick Church negr ME Vernon, whe Washington worshiped. These deeds gave title to the pews In the ghurch, and at the sale Washington was tha, tirst to purchase a pew, paying therefor (he highest price given. ‘This old church ‘ts still standing, and has a regular rector ‘fo this da Besides being vestrymah of the church, Washington was af one time one of the ‘gentlemen justices.” ‘The county court at that time was heid By justices of the peace, called “gentlemen, justices.” The system was most satisfactory and lasted down to the time of the vivil war. ‘These justices before being allowed to enter upon the duties of their biice were required to take the following cath, which ts still pre- served amcng the pudl'>/documents: “We do declare that théve 1s no transub- stantiation in the sacrambnt of the Lord’s supper, or in the élemehts of bread and wine at or after the consecration thereof, by any person whatsvever.” ‘Yhomas Bryan Fairfax, Baron of Cam- eron, and Lord Fairfax were at one time among thesa justices. One of the'r duties was to fix the rates to be charged by the crdinary (hotel) keepers. The court held March 20, 1755, settled a scale of rates; | scme of the charges fixed were ag follow ner enivies ure ton acted as ee in public | “For a gallon of rum, 8 shillings. Eng- lish strong beer, 1 shilling, 8 pence. Quart bottle of cider, 4 cong ull of rum made into punch with loaf sugar, 6 pen with fruit, 7 1-2 pence. Same with brown sugar, 412 e, Stable end fodder for horse, ene night or twenty-four hours, 6 pence. For a night's lodging, with clean sheets, 6 pence, otherwise nothing.” Ancient Indictments. During these good old colonial days the laws were far more severe in regard to the conduct of the people than they are at the present time. In those days the stocks and whipping posts were common in some of the colonies, and in Virginia indictments * | a great demand for food. were had against persons for not regularly attending their parish church, for profane swearing and for idle vagrancy, such indict- ments ending with the al “and within the knowledge of two of us.” Tobacco was the common currency at that time, and penaities, judgments and aebts were paid w it. For this reason indictments were had against persons for raising a second crop of tebacco on the same stalks, and the records show that many prominent people were brought into ecurt for this offense. x it is not generally known that after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, and even as late as October of the same year, the public bonds were taken payable to the king, so that from July until October it would seem that there was a great deal of hesitancy about establishing the inde- pendence of the colonies. About this time a meeting was held at Alexandria, at which Washington presided. The meeting was called to take some action on public affairs, and a resolution was framed in tavor of op- Position to the acts of the crown, and in the resolution appears this phrase, “Though Boston submit, we will not. Some Whimsical Wi A few other wills made about the time that Washington’s was placed on record show the spirit and feelings of the times. None of them are of so much interest as relics of bygone days, but many of them are peculiar and full of eccentricities. Most of them show the same devotion to their slaves as does the will of Washington, and the same interest in the weifare of ‘their country. The following quotation is taken from the will of Wililam H. Foote, the owner of “Hayfield,” one of the oldest and most t s of Virginia estates: “I will and bequeath the halance of my real estate to my wife for and during her widowhood, and during her natural life, with the stocks of horses, cattle, sheep, etc. * * * If, however, she should cease to be my widow, and marry again, she must ac- count for the first things, and take her dower at law. It is not my purpose to give to any cur ® sop. “My slaves dre recommended to the cure and kindness of my wife and executor, and 1 direct that they emacipate them, from time to time, may be comport with the welfare of my slaves; they may be hired out or kept upon the farm; in either case, 1 give to the grown ones §20 per annum, being males, and $10 to females. ‘ “I cannot emancipate them in this state, and [I know not where to send them. They raust, therefore, look to my dear wife as their protector, and be true and faithful to their duty. She and my executor will do them justice and friendship. “Rob Foy is one of nature’s nobility; in forty-six years of trust I have never found him in any falsehood or prevarication; for truth, faith and honesty he can have no su- perior; he must reccive $25 per annum from my wife, and end his days where he now ts. Aaron I recommend to the care of my dear wile. He has no words, but has always been honest and faithful. I give him $10 per annum, to oe paid by my wife, All my “e good, trusty and true, and I bid them a long farewell with a’ sorrowful heart. George Mason of Springbank, the grand- sen of George Mason of revolutionary fame, loft.an eccentric will, Amongst other things the following appears: “T will, direct and order, when it shall please Almighty Go@'that I depart this life, that my boay shall be duly only inclosed in a simpie winding sheet after ine good old practice of our ancestors, and shail be placed in # cofiin made from pine plaak cut from my own estate in Mason's Neck, made per- feetly plain without any ornament what- it shall be interred without form mony, in the family ground at n Hall, near the graves of my father that there shall be nothing 1 on it except email head and foot tes With my name and the dates of my th 1 bu And it is my solemn in to them that no member of my gaily shall w When © 4anourning for me. jet is felt, there can be ng need of ayiies dts. vaimoand empty emblems, here it is net, for me, at Jeast, I trust there never wiiiche a ‘Bearing about the mockeries of woe, To midnight dances and the public show One of the most interesting wills cn re 3} ame t those of long ago is that of porge Mason of Gunston Hall. His will as admitted to probate in 172, and con- Ss the following: aint my good friends, the Rev. James, Scott, Rev. Mr. Lee’ Massey, Col. George Washington, * * * whenaver it 1 be necessary to make such estimation, sion and allotment to and among my y legntees, “I hope they Will be so charitable as not to refuse to unde-take this trouble for the sake of a friend, who, when living, would cheerfully have done them any good offi in his power. I recommend to my son: from my own experience in life, to prefer the happiness of Independence ‘or private ation to the troubles and vexation of pub- He business; but if their own inclination or the necessity of the times shall engage them in public affairs, 1 rge them, on a fath- "s blessing, never to let the private interest or ambition induce them to betray, nor the terrors of pove: grace, or the fear of danger or death, dete> them from asserting the liberty of t country, and endeavoring to transmit their poster they th Mr. to y thove sacred rights to which selves were born.” —-oo—__— WALKING AS A PASTIME. It in One of the Very Best Spending a Brief Vaca Eugene Lamb Richards writes a paper in the August number of the Century on “Walking as a Pastime.” He thinks this is one of the most Interesting, healthful and economical ways cf spending a vacation, ard he gives a number of valuable hints to those who have had little experience in tramping. Mr, Richards says: This mode of travel, beside being inde- pendent, has other advantages. No great preparations are needed for a trip. A vaca- tion of a few days can be utilized b; swinging his pack on his back, and into the country. Owing to the continual change of abiding place, in three days it often seems as if the traveler had been at sent a week, Another a tage is the licht expense. In all other traveling trips the « 2 kecomotion is a great item, y the change from place to place is without paying an expressman or hi nd without ery of tho: en. make hought. ge is the tonic ef nd mind. This is due t - and to the natural exercise in the ope which stimulates the appetite and ci The amount of consumed on one of these trips wily three times what Is taken a Ways ot st of a trip on the body free the continual tec gen- home. The stimulating action on the skin, by the ecnstant flushing of the pores in_ con- sequence of the exercise, and the baths required to keep one clean, bring into a | state of healthy activity rt of one’s system generally neglected by those living sedentary lives. In the coldest weather I often find, on closing a my undergarments are wet with perspira tion. Then, too, fatigue brings good sleep. Thus, with exercise, good food, free per- spiration in fresh air and plenty of sleep, a man takes nature's best tontes. It must not be supposed that these tramps exercise only the legs and feet. If one car- ries a pack, the upper part of the body, and especially the muscles which hold the shoul- der blades, are thoroughly exercised. The back and the abdomen come in for their share, so that when the trip ts over, and one goes about without his pack, it is not very hard to walk erect. If a man wishes to begin the practice of tramping, I should advise him to take at first daily walks of at least four miles. After a little hardening of the muscles in this way, he should try the experiment of going for the whole day with a bag or knapsack; and, after a week or more, for three days. With this preliminary training the candidate for walking will be ready for a longer tramp. But, above all thing: the beginner not do too much at once. fter tasting the good effects of walking I am quite sure that if a man has any love for nature in his soul, and any admira- tion for the beauties of scenery, he will not willingly forego the pleasure of tramping whenever he has opportunities to enjoy it. ‘There are certain particulars in the care of the person, both on the tramp and after the walk of the day 1s over, the advan- tages of which I was long in learning. In the first place, on a long tramp I make it a principle to start out early, never doing more than twenty miles the first dey. Walking with novices, I endeavor to begin in the afternoon, if possible, so es to give rest to thelr weary muscles after only a few hotrs of exercise, The third day is always the trying one; it seems to take about seventy-two hourg to get to the critical point of fatigue. I have never known any one to pass the third day, and keep on walking,without making a successful jes trian, and every man 0 has failed in a walk has failed the day, motives cf | or dis- | ».¢ tion with the expenditure of the $25, GIGANTIC COMBINES Trusts That Have Millions Wrapped Up in Them. WHAT SOME OF THEM ARE Large Numbers Came Into Exist- ence With the Year 1890. MYSTIFYING ABBREVIATIONS HE EXCITING times in the Senate and interesting pro- ceedings of the Sen- ate sugar trust in- vestigating commit- tee have brought be- fore the public the great combinations of cipital as they have never been fore. Uut- ride the monied class- es little is known of trusts, their working methods, or their quotations on the stock market. The Stand- ard Oil Company has been the best known for years, as it is about the oldest and strongest, and as a result of its propensity to gobble up anything from a single oll well to a million-dollar refinery, obtained a notoriety not relished by the incorporators of the combine. The same words apply to the sugar trust, with the exception that cheir notoriety is a direct result of dabbling in politi Outside of these two combina- tions very little is known of the methods or titles of the many other combines. It is generally known that a trust is formed for the purpose of controlling pro- duction of certain articles, and if ghis pur- pose is attained success is assured. The ratio of success to faflures is about one-half, demonstrating that it is quite a different matter to conceive a thing and to put it into successful operstion. The very latest failure in the trust line is the umbrella combine. Their first efforts to control the output appeared to be suc- cessful, but their capital proving inadequate they went to the wall with a rush. Another trust fatlure that has proved a boon to the general reading public was that of the book trust, One year ago the average price for a novel from the pen of a reputable novelist was fifty to seventy-five cents, that is, bound in paper, while today the same edi- tions can be bought for ten cents. The more costiy bound books have alco taken a great drop, but as this class of reading matter is generally copyrighted, a standard price pre- At the book stalls one frequently overhears remarks to the effect that it can- | Bet be understood how beoks be sold so low with profit resulting therefrom. It is a well-known fact that one of the pub- | lishers controls a patent press that turns out a book, printed, pasted and bound, at 1 average cost of hot quite two cents. What a nice profit at ten cents, and what a we che at fifty cents. In conve jon with a well-known stock broker, whose office is located up on F street, a reporter of The Evening Star re- cently gleaned considerable information | about trusts an their methods and ca | talization. Among the long list of stocks | quoted daily, and published in The Star, are a number of trusts whose names hardly convey to the uninformed the nature of the combination quoted in the market. The broker said: | “The history of trusts is short, compara- | tively speaking, as prior to INW very few | of the combinations, such as they are now, | were known to those familiar with the | stock exchange bulletin’ bonrds*and quota- | tions. The success of the larger combines | gave a great boom to the idea of controlling production under one head, and as a result trusts became a great fad with would-be | Napoleons of finance. Millions were made | and millions were lost. A. C. O., D. and C. F. Cc, A. S. R, Cordage, National Lead, Edison General, Chicago Gas and several other abbreviated terms do not convey | much meaning to the uninitiated, but they have a world of interpretation to the specu- jJator. These trusts, with the great railroad stocks, make up most of the list daily quoted in The Star's financial column, and buile- tined on ‘change and in the brokerage | offices, and in the larger cities, through the almost omnipresent ‘ticker,’ whose in- telligible ticking winds out the quotations that makes or unmakes men’s fortunes, hinging on margins. The Great Sugar Trast. “About the best known of all trusts at the present time is the American Sugar Refining Company, but few people are aware of the immense amount of money | wrapped up in the concern. This combine | is a New Jersey corporation, with au orig!- nal capital of $50,000,000, divided equally be- | tween the common and preferred stock- hoMers. In January, 1992, an additional $25,100,000 in stock Was voted, making the capital of the trust $75,000,000. This ad- ditional $25,000,000 was Voted to buy up sugar refineries. The stock is a great spec- ulative, being good to buy or sell anywhere from 75 to 100, and many Washington peo- ple will vouch for the correctness of this statem¢ The great Havemeyer, the Spreckels, the Franklin Sugar Company and others are in the trust, which has a tremendous grip on the sugar . producing business of the country east of the Rocky mountains, “Several good, stories are told in connec- 9,000 | additional stock that was voted tn 1892 in Mr, Claus Spreckels figures as the particular star. For many years Sprecke!s has bad a monopoly of t, and all he asked of the that he be left alone. But the rong, and invaded his territory. @ the strong Teutonic blood in reckels and he decided to retaliate in a ter purchasing started ‘he ball of not only built a n-doliar plant, but prepared for a long fight by persuading hundreds of Penn- sylvania farmers to go into the cultivation of sugar b promising to take the entire product at profitable figures. Many farm- ers stopped raising tobacco and went into the sugar beet cultivation, and made money | at it, too. | “Seeing these preparations for a great | fight the trust decided upon a compromise, bul Mr. Spreckels, seeing his great hold on the trust, decided to make them pay for | inaugurating the fight. His plant in Phila- | delphia cost, all told, about $1,500,000, and | to pacify the farmers around that city would take another $500,000. The trust proposed that they vacate the Pacific coast and take the Philadelphia plant off Spreck- els’ hands at $2,000,000, But Spreckels said he was making money in the east and would rather remain. But this proved to be a big bluff. At any rate It went through. Six months later Spreckels was given pos- session of the Pacific coast and something over $3,000,000 to vacate the east. He moved. The history of the big sugar re- finery at Locust Point, near Baltimore, ts praciically the same. A syndicate banded together to squeeze the sugar trust, and, like the Nickel Plate deal, they yanked off the pot. | vail. which petition rolling. The Whisky Trast. “Another trust that Is said to have dab- bled in politics and whose financial strength is almost equal to that of the sugar com- bine, is ‘D. C. or the Distilling and Cat- tle Feeding Company. This combine is a western product, having their headquarters in Peorla, Iil., the greatest whisky-prod ing region in the United States. The trust controls the majority of the distilleries of the corntry. The ‘whisky trust,’ the com- mon name of the trust, is a corporation or- ganized under the laws of linois. When the present concern took form the distil- leries, including the ‘cattle sheds and the distiliers and cattle feeders’ trust, were transferréd to the present multi-million trust, which was organized in 18%). The capital stock, par value, of the company ts $35,000,000. The fluctuations of this stock have been of such a nature during the past year and a half as to attract the attention of the entire United States. From 72 the stock has dropped to 12, and now sells in the neighborhood of 20, with predictions that it will go to 50 before Christmas, but these predictions are nothing else, with very little substantial foundations, ‘D, C. Fv’ is ® Very uncertain stock, as is attested by millions that have change] hands and fortunes that have been wiped out in General’ in the matier cf italization. This is the General Blectric x, @ corporation put on foot under the of - It was organized for the pur- pose of manufacturing all kinds of elec- trical and other with the power to acquire and hold and deal in stocks and Houston International. The combine, as a matter of course, absorbed the major por- tion of the stock of these separate which were allowed to maintain their dividualtty and name in organization. authorized capital of the combine is mililions. In 18¥2 there was listed on New York stock exchange over thirty lions common aad about four millions ferred stock of the combination. rate Al pres- ent internal dissensions exist between the Boston and New York end of the trust, with the Boston group on top. Mr. Edison is no longer connected with the . in an official capacity, having been out by the men from @he east. \ Other Big Trusts. “Coming fourth on the list is the lea@ trust. This concern, or com! con- trols something like thirty extensive lead manufacturing plants in New York, Penn- sylvania, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. The concern produces white jead and Kindred products. The capital stock of the combine is forty-five millions. Of this sum, thirty millions is preferred stock, which was issued on a 7 per cent cumulative It was organized mm Invi, and is a New Jersey corporation, so to “A cannot recall the capitalization of the trust designated as ‘Chicago Gas,’ but to my mind it is as strong, financialiy, . incorporated inois in 1587, to acquire the oft the windy city, and how Purpose of the incorporators is attested by the tact that now has exclusive control of pe tee dg ee hw hgh | avout @ dozen companies, in isue cured the Chicago Gas Light Company, een incorporated away : i aa tH f & sbte something hike one hundred and fifty manufacturing properties, including crude oil milie, refiners tes, lard plants, soap factories, cotton gin- nerles, fertilizing mixture establishments end cotton compressors. “A trust that is up among the leaders as to the size of Its capital, but about which there is really little known, is ‘Consolidated Gas,’ or, to give it its right titie, the Con- sclidated Gus Company of New York. Was organized gin 18S4 and is one of the oldest of the Meat combines and when it Wes organized the leading hight concerns of New York city were gob! capital of thirty-five millions. Another close combination 1s the Le or National Linseed Oil Company, ose in the neighborhood of twenty It was organized in 1ssi, under the laws of Illinois, and controls over one hundred plants. The present concern erew out of the National Linseed Oil Trust, “When the rush came in IXW) to organ- ize big combines, the tobacco field was fot to be left in the lurch, and as a result an- other thirty-five-miliion trust was launched under the stock exchange title of "A. T.C.,* or American Tobacco Company, We hear little of this combine, but to my 'niftid itis” one of the most successful, as it has ac complished what it was organized for- corner the market. Tae trust is Guthoriz: under the laws of New Jersey to do almoot everything pertaining to the manufacture of tobacco, cigars and cigarettes, and has control of something like a score of plants throughout the countty. Its success follows, no doubt,as a result of ‘coppering’ the Stand- ard Oil Company's method in having regu- lar distributing places in every parc of the country. “Covington, Ky., is the headquarters the National Starch Company, another that came Into existence in 18%), for the purpose of monopoleing the manufacture of starch, glucose, cefeals and various com- pounds and preparations. The trust cone trols a score or more of establishments, and has a capital of ten millions and a half, The Cordage Company. “One of the greatest failures in the trust ne is the National Cordcge Company, They started out by creating quite a flure ry in the stock market by the wide range of quotations of their stock, but at pres- ent I don’t think ‘N. C. C.” ts quoted at ali, The collapse of the trust marked one of the most sensational features of the industrial market during the early months of 1sm. Ti company was organized in 18®, with a capital that was watered be- yond redemption. “The very greatest failure in the trust line, to my mind, was the Richmond and West Point Terminal crash. This does not come under the head of an industrial trust, but it was a trust pure and simple. This was a case where a syndicate bit off more than it could masticate and as a result went to the wail. Plerrepont Morgan, the great financial seer, is making the endeavor of his life in trying to untangle the skeins of this great financial ball. “} think there are about a dozen other trusts that I haven't jotted down here on this paper, including the Maltch, the India. Rubber, the Typewriter, the Dressed Beef and the Whip combines, but Dhave given you the greater ones. The Typewriter combine was organized in the nick of time, as sev- eral of the more important patents will run out In a year or two, which, under the new arrangement, will effect the purses of the incorporators, but slightly. As an In- vestment trusts are about the best on the market in prosperous times, but when che dark days of financial depression come, then you want to scoot to cover with your holdings, . —— Sale of the Thousand Islands. From the Montreal (Quebec) Wituess. The government is rejoicing over the sale of the Thousand Island, which, ft appeara, are going off cheap for cash. Over 300 have been sold for the paltry sum of $40,000, or, say, $125 each. The Ontarlo government not given much time to consider their purchase. The Dominion government has had its own way. The “nigger im this woodpile” is yet to be discovered. It is not imaginable that the Dominion govern- ment would part with such a unique ang magnificeat park property merely to save paying the Indians interested $50,000 of $100,000, Just What motive is bebind the determination of the government to sell the islands in spite of public opinion is not evi- dent. Those who remember all the Rykert and other timber-land deals, and who look back over the thirteen years’ record of this most corrupt government, will loolg for revelations in connection with this mate ter some day. From Life. The Court—What do you want? Youth—“T want an injunction.” The Court—"Against whom?” Youth—“Agains: 7 ee ie the fellow who is trying