Evening Star Newspaper, November 10, 1894, Page 21

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10, SSS SSS eee 1894—TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. TO TRAIN NURSES A Valuable Feature Introduced in Freedman’s Hospital. NEW VOCATION FOR COLGRED WOMEN Some of the Plans for Work in the Future. A TALK WITH DR. WILLIAMS O NE OF TH MOST interesting in stitu- tions tn Washington is the Freedman’s Hospital, interesting not only because it was established for the use of colored People, but also be- cause it has been managed by men of that race, and pretty well managed,too. As the hospital stands today it contains eight wards with over 300 beds, and the number of patients received annually is in the neighberhood of 3,000, fully four-fifths The annual appro- port exceed $50,000, Amorg the features introduced by Dr. Williams, who recently succeeded Dr. Pur- vis as surgeon-in-chief, are seyeral that are sure to commend themselves to popular favor. One of these is a training school for colored women, which gives promise of do- ing a great good work. Whea the time came to make a chunge, in looking for a surgeon competent to ad- minister the affairs of an institution so important, the Secretary of the Intertor de- cided to appoint Dr. Daniel H. Williams, a colored man of Chicago, well known as a Burgeon and as manager of the Provident Hospttal in that city. Dr. Williams Is thirty-six years of age, and came to his larger field of labor here well equipped by training and practice. He graduated from the Chicago Medical School in 1883, and be- gan practice in Chicago. He founded Provi- dent Hospital Training School for Nurses in 1890, was surgeon-in-chief, and con- tributed largely of his means to its main- tenance. This is spoken of as a model lit- tle hospital. Dr. Williams ts very enthusiastic in work, and especially ty. In talking about 0 & representative of The Star “Yes, 1 have come down here to take charge of Freedmen’s Hospital. Jn doing so I have made some sacrifices of my practice in Chicago and of my business interests there, but I think I see an op- portunity to doa reat deal of good here. it ls my aim to introduce several modern scientific methods and to bring this hos- Pital up to such.a high state of efficiency that it will be second to none in the coun- try. I also want to see the nurses’ train- The Street Costume. {ng schoo! open to colored women of educa- tion and ability, put on a firm foundation. It will also be my constant atm to afford the Howard medical faculty and students every facility which a large and well equip- hospital can furnish. In order to do is some changes in methods of work have been considered necessary. These changes either have been made or will be made as soon as practicable. The Secre- tary of the Interior and the District Com- palssioners take a very lively interest in the pital. They are thoroughly in accord with my plans and have given me every- thing asked for. Both the Commissioners and the Secretary are very favorably im- Pressed with the nurses’ training school and will aid in its maintenance in every Way in their power. “Few medical schools anywhere have the facilities we have here. With more than 225 obstetrical cases a year, surgical cases in endless number and of every description and thousands of medical cases, we think this claim can be verified. We shall follow the most approved methods in aseptic sur- gery. The chart system to be kept by the trained nurses will enable us to exhibit a complete history and record of each case, surgical and medical. The patient will get the benefit of tne very best treatment and the most skillful nursing. The student can study to advantage any case in the hos- pital The advantage of the trained nurses Howard Medical College is obvious.” A New Department. The nurses’ training school has just been organized by Miss Hilyer, who comes to this work well equipped by a course of training at Provident Hospital, Chicago. Besides her hospital training, Miss Hilyer has had considerable experierce in outside nursing and at other hospitals. The training school, aside from its man- ffest advantages to the hospital and the medical college, is a very valuable addition to the educational facilities of the colored eople. It is the intention to have about forty pupil nurses ir the training school. It ts to be national in character, the pupils being selectad from the most eligible ap- plicants from all sections of the Union. ‘The pumber already received is twenty, but there are 200 applicaticns yet to be acted Lpon as sooa as quarters can be pro- vided for the add'tional twenty. Miss Hiiyer will intreduce the most ap- proved methods in scientific nursing. The course extends over eighteen months, and includes practical nursing in the wards, tha care of the sick room, ete., besides lec- tures and examinations in physiology, anatomy, hygi2ne and the nurse’s materia medica. They are taught to read prescrip- tions and to know the Usual effect of med- icines. They are to receive a thorough knowledge of aseptics, disinfectants and the bandaging and cressing of wounds. In the wards these trained nurses have taken the places of the “experienced” nurses heretefcre employed there. Some of these “experienced” nurses had been at Freed- men's Hospital since {ts foundation, but they have had to give way to the trained nurse The pupil rirses will receive their board and costumes anda small cash pay- ment while in the horpital. ‘The opportun- ity thus opencd to colored women has been eagerly seized by some of the best-known coloret women, including Mrs. Fleetwood, Miss Antoinette Ricks of Cleveland, Ohio; Miss Waugh of Spellman University, At- lanta, Ga.; Miss Annie Simms of Hagers- town, Md., and Mrs. Jennie Cook of Nash- ville, Tenn. Some of the Improvements. Besides the establishment of the nurses’ training school and the chart system for making a complete history of each case, including temperature, breathing, pulse, medicines given and their effects, several other important changes have recently been made. A room in the morgue been specially fitted up for autopsies, under the direction of Dr, Lamb, The wards have been rearranged, separating patients ac- cording to the best scientific methods, each ward being put in charge of a specialist. A corps of internes has. been ized as assistants to the surgecn-in-chief. In each department rooms have been prepared for special work, being fitted with the usual aseptic appliances. Some of these: rooms show that their designer has some aesthetic taste. They are clean, neat and tastefully arranged. A room has been fitted out in the main building for surgical work by Dr. Williams in special and emergency cases, In this room everything is snow white and cleanliness is the first law, as, indeed, it is everywhere. It has long been a just cause of complaint that patients requiring to be operated upon must be carried to and from the ward to the operating room, a long dis- tance, In the open air, exposed to the weath- er. This ts to be remedied. A closed pass- ageway is now being constructed from the wards to the main building. Dr. Wiliiams was compelled to be absent from the city during the whole of last sum- mer on account of a painful accident. While he was away Dr. John R. Francis of this city was made acting surgeon-in-chief, and managed the hospital. Much credit is also due Dr. Francis and Dr. Shadd, the house surgeon, for the order and efficiency of the entire hospital force when Dr. Williams took charge in September. Dr. Shadd has been connected with the hospital for thir- teen years and is thoroughly cognizant with its affairs. There are about 150 stu- dents in the medical college and altogether affairs at Freedmen’s Hospital and Howard Medical College are in a very satisfactory condiiion indeed. PRE aete ret: PASSING OF THE BOOT. Trade Effects of the Increased Use of Shoes by Me: From the Shoe and Leather Reporter. The diminished use of boots is a matter of concern to the manufacturers of them and to the producers of heavy leather and heavy calf skins. Twenty years ago the calf boot industry was a leading one in New Eng- land. Whole towns were studded with fac- tories which produced calf buots exclusive- ly. For a decade the sale has been gradu- ally falling off, and today !t is of hardly any importance. A few manufacturers of shoes include boots as a specialty, but the demand is too light to amount to much. When calf boots were more in vogue manu- facturers consulted the partialities of the cowboys, to whom price was a secondary consideration. The legs were frequently corded with silk stitching. The star and ®rescent and other fanciful ornamentations were inlaid on the legs of the boots; there were high heels and the boots were strik- ing specimens of mechanical art. The soles were inlaid with copyer, zinc and brass nails. The cowboys no longer pay $13 or $20 for a pair of boots. They want eub- stance instead of show. Isut they were not the only wearers of calf hoots. They were extensively worn. Many men pfefer. them today, though the number is growing less. The old-fashioned stoga boots were iormer- ly sold in large quantities; they are well- nigh obsolete. There followed a demand for a lighter and more stlyish article. A kip boot of finer texture was produced, about equal in appearance to the best caif boot, but this, too, has fallen somewhat into dis- use, anf the sales this season are scarcely over one-half the usual amouat. Where there were twenty factories producing boots exclusively, ‘there 1s now not one, Even the farmers are using heavy shoes instead of boots, and if it becomes a necessity to wear long-legged boots, they buy rubber. Twenty years ago the entire product of Salem and Peabody was heavy boot and brogan leather. Today there are less than half a dozen tanners making it. Brogans and plow shoes are indispensable in many sections of country, but there are compara- tively few exclusive manufacturers of these now. The Creedmor, Dom Pedro, English ties and Creole congress ure supplanting them. The decline in the consumption of calf boots affects the tanners of calf skins. It is a question what Is to be done with heavy skins. The tanners must necessarily buy more or less of them. They cannot select light and medium weights exclusive- ly, and if they tan them, they feel no cer- tainty of being able to dispose of them in the finished state. There Is, nevertheless, a use in this world for whatever ts good for anything, and there will be some way of disposing of heavy calf skins, though for the moment it appears difficult to point out the direction into which they will be moved. Destroyed Its Own Identity. From the New York Herald. One step from the sublime to the ridicu- lovs. This is an old truism. It might be sald also that comedy and tragedy are very rear to each other. At least, so ar- gued that prince of gcod fellows, Nat Good- win. Seated in Delmonico’s Cafe one day re- cently, Goodwin was entertaining a num- ber of friends with personal reminiscences of a European trip. In a delightfully In- genucus manner he made himself the butt in eoch story, and convulsed his auditors with laughter. Firally he sald: “I was walking down street the other day--that is, I was or an- other fellow was, It doesn’t make any dif- ference—you don't want to spoil a story on technicalities. Anyhow, I or the other fel- low vas walking down street, and chanced to pass an express office. “The expressman was loading his wagon preparatory for his afternoon round. Of a sudden the forwarding agent or whatever you call him came out with a small ddg. “Where's he going? asked the driver. “I don’t know.” jon't_ know? w.” hy the — don't you know? ‘Now don’t get previous,’ sald the for- warding agent. ‘I don't know an’ It don’t know an’ nobody knows. It’s et up its tag, that’s the reason.’ His auditors laughed, but Goodwin drew = long face.» “I say it's pathetic,” he re- marked. “Think of the position’ of that deg. In a thoughtless moment he destroy- ed his own Identity. It’s @ tragedy in real Re The Missing Dog. From Truth. Laurence—Mr. Glanville must be recon- ciled to you; I don’t see his vicious bulldog around his place any more. Allan—No; I bet a policeman $10 the dog wasn't mad. ———_-+. A Fresh Bit of Scandal. From Life. DAY OF THANKS The Puritans Choose a Season of Re- joicing Instead of Penance. PUMPKIN PIE AND WILD TURKEY Some of the Funny Incidents Con- nected With Early Celebrations. THE DAY ESTABLISHED Written Exclusively for The Evening Star. HAN KSGIVING! The word suggests a feast of fat things, and yet fasting, rath- er than feasting, brought it into fash- jon in this country. It is not altogether an American produc- tion, though we have so individualized it that it seems one of our own institutions. The Puritans perpe- trated a mild sort of Plagiarism the ancients of the earth when the counted their blessings, and, find- ing five grains of corn to the head, con- cluded to “praise God for his manifold mercies.” There is something in the sturdy pluck of those Puritan pioneers that stirs the blood and warms the heart each time we read about them. On that dreary Oc- tober night, 273 years ago—and only those who have endured an October night on the bleak New England coast, with the east wind driving the rain in sheets over the shore, can have any conception of the aw- ful gloom surrounding it—the handful of pil- grims met to consider the situation. ‘Four of the more than five score of us who dis- embarked from the Mayflower last Decem- ber,” said one of the men present at the little house where they met, “do not half now sleep on Cole’s hill, and once more on the verge of what we know by dire expert- ence to be a bitter new world winter, our crops are scant—" but he never got any further. A woman stopped him. A woman, widowed by an Indian arrow, and deprived of a son and then a daughter, sacrifices to the inclement climate which left her chiid- less, had it yet left in her hungry heart to say, “Thy will be done,” and she said tt out loud. It had been suggested that a day of fasting and penance be proclaimed, as an explation for the seeming visitation of heavenly wrath. But the widowed and childless woman could not see things in that light. “Are we not now permitted to worship Him in spirit and in truth, such as has not been our privilege for many a day before? Have we not homes? And though the harvest be scant, yet have ye not faith that the Lord will maintain His promise and provide for His own, even as He hath al- ready done in guiding us hither? So, in view of these many graces, a day of thanks- giving seems to me more meet than a day of penance.” The Famous Pampkin Pie. So it was Thanksgiving instead of a day of penance that came down to us from the Puritans, and all because of the cheery op- timism of a gentle Christian woman. In- spired by her utterances, Governor Brad- ford arose, and, in the gallant language of the day, complimented her on her brave heart, and said that it would not do for them to be shamed by a woman, and the yorng men must go out into the forests that abounded and hunt game and wild tur- keys to grace the Thanksgiving feast. And that is how we came to have Thanksgiving and turkey together. Pumpkin ple ts also one oi the concornitants of a well-ordered Thanksgiving dinner, but as concocted in Puritan kitchens, it couldn’t have been a very desirable article of diet. Listen to this: “Take about halfe a Pound of Pumpion for the Pye and slice it; a handful of Tyme, a little Rosemary, Pars- ley, and sweet Marjoram slipped off the Stallkes, and chop them small and beat them, then mix them and Beat them alto- gether, and put in as much Sugar as you think fit, then Frye them like froiz. After it is fryed, let it stand til it be cold, then fill your Pye. Take sliced Apples, thinne rounde-ways, and lay a row of the Frotz and a layer of Apples, with Currans be- twixt the myers while your Pye ts fitted,and put in a gocd deal of sweet Butter before you close it. When the Pye is baked take sixteen yelks of Eggs, some White Wine or Vergis, and make a Caudle of this, but not too Thicke, cut up the Lidd and put it in, stir wel together whilst the Eggs and Pum ions be not perceived, and so serve it up. The Puritans had few vegetables, and re- garded potatces as bad for the morais. When one of the preachers—Jonathan Hub- bard—raised twenty bushels one year they nearly white-capped him, but on his promis- ing to never so err again they forgave him and permitted him to remain. If the tooth- some “early rose” was served up now as its progenitors were In Puritan times one could more easily understand the present outcry against eating the tuter. Here is one of the messes that certainly must have had its ef- fect on the morals of the eater, it ought to incite him to suicide: “Take of Potatces as many as do sult your purpose, and Boile them, when proceed to Blanch. Season, then, with so much of nutmeg, Cinnamo) Pepper, and salt, that have Been. previously mixed with eringo roots, Dates, lemon and whole Mace as pleases your Taste. Cover with butter and sprinkle with Sugher and bake til done. Then pore over it some Grape verjuice and Rosewater that has been alsoe Sughered.”” The First Thanksgiving. At the first Thanksgiving held under those depressing circumstances the ninety In- dians of Massasoit’s band were invited to rarticipate, and {it seems quite fitting that the aborigines should have had a hand tn the feasting. That there was any other method of returning thanks does not ap- pear in history, and they kept up the festival for a week,the Indians taking a har@ in furnishing deer meat and wild turkey. Two years later, in July, when a long con- tinued drouth had scorched the corn and burned up the beans, starvation began to stare them in the face, and the clergy or- dered a day of fasting and prayer Nine hours the elect wrestled even as Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord, and their prayers were copiously answered by the dripping clouds even before they got away from their house of worship. Hi- lariously happy, they !mmediately decided to have another Thanksyiving, and they had it right off, in July, thinking that it would be basest “ingratitude if they smothered up ‘their revived feelings.” One would almost las soon think of wearing a straw hat at Christmas as observing Thanksgiving in this age before the “frost is on the pump- kin,” but in that second new world Thanks- giving was marred by no such scruples. The Harvest Home. The festival of thanks was never regular- ly observed until within the last half a cen- tury. It was a movable feast, celebrated only on great occasions, and not always was it made the medium of a tribute to divine interference in behalf of the col- onists. Days of thanks were set in grati- tude for and observance of great political and military events, for victories over th Indians, for the accessions of kings, for the prospect of royal heir®@ to the throne, for the discovery of consptracy, for the dis- sipation of pirates, for the abatement of diseases, for the safe arrival of persons of special use and quality, as well as in grati- tude for plentiful harvests. These thanks- giving “bees” were held in every month of the year during the first century and a half of the country’s history, but finally, because of the harvest observance of such @ day, it came to be held, as a general thing, in the fall. There are some funny stories told of those early Thanksgivings; at least they seem funny now, but at the time they were prob- ably fraught with deadly purpose to those who were making history. Once, when the governor of one of the colonies ordered a certain day for giving thanks, the denizens of Colchester deferred their observance of such a day for a whole week, until the ship from New York arrived with the belated provisions that were to help set forth the va of mo- e Colchester dames to make up into “pyes.”” A whole chapter in one of the colonial histories is devoted to a story of @ man who on the day Lrg Behe geaawid ing with oe at top of = hill aad Pliner em wagon the keg of sgiving treacle,which rolled down the hill, distributing Its Sweetness all along the Foute; much toy mage of his wife's temper and hig o iscomfiture. “Sweet- enin’” seems to been scarce in those early years, and some of the makeshifts for “sugher” are realty quite comical. The First Poclamntion. ‘The first Than ing proclamation that was ever printed .s @ copy of it is in’ ‘collection of the Mas- sachusetts State_Historical Society. Dur- ing the revolutionary times many Thanks- giving days were red, and Congress al- ways adjourned on day set. Gen. Wash- ington issued a Thanksgiving proclamation to the continental army Thursday, Decem- ber 18, 1777, and ,agajn at Valley Forge on May 7, 1778. Eleven‘years later, as Presi- dent of the United States, he issued the first national Thanksgiving proclamation, a document whic! now in possession of Rey. J. A. Wellman, who inherited it from ! his grandfather. Congress discussed with the seriousness of the times the advisability © (costing the President to issue Uns proclamation, and many were the objections raised. Elias Boudinot, Representative, precipi- tated the discussion by moving that the Hse request the President to recommen a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, in | acknowledgr ent of the many signal fa- vors ef Almighty God, and especially His affording them the opportunity, peaceably, to establish a constitution of ‘government for their safety and happiness.” The mo- tion seems to have raised a pretty dis- turbance. Roger Sherman of Connecticut favored the resolution. Burke of South Carolina opposed it, because he professed not to like “this mimicking European cus- toms.” tucker of Virginia interposed his objec- tion to such hurried action, and sugg2sted that it would be quite as well to wait unti? the boasted constitutional government had had a fair trial before returning thanks for it, and, anyhow, in his opinion, the states ought to be left to issue such procla- mation for themselves, if they desired so to do. In spite of objection the President was requested to issue the national procla- mation, and 1d so, appointing as Thanks- giving ay Thursday, November 26, 1789. Since Lincoln’s Administration. <The Rook of Common Prayer, revised in 1789 for the use of the Protestant Epls- copal Church in America,directed “A form of prayer and thanksgiving to Almighty God for the fruits of the earth, and all the other blessings of His merciful providence; to be used yearly on the first Thursday in No- vember, or on such other day as shall be ap- pointed by the civil authority.” It stands today, as it did then. From Washington's time to Lincoln the issuance of a thanksgiving proclamation was of an intermittent character. Some- times a President thought of It, but more often he did not. Quite frequently gov- ernors of states issued a request for a gen- eral observance of some one day in the year.as one of thanksgiving and prayer in their particular commonwealths, but it was not until 1868 that such a proclamation be- came a settled national feature. President | Linco, after the battle of Gettysburg, is- sued a proclamation recommending the peo- ple to set apart the 6th day of August “to be observed as a day of national thanks- giving, praise end prayer to Almighty God.” ‘The next year he issued another proclama- tion, and since then no President has neglected to Issue am annual thanksgiving Jamation for “All the blessings of the fields, All the stores thé garc_n yields, Flocks that whiteh all the plain, Yellow sheaves ‘ofripened grain. Peace, prosperity’ and health, Private bliss and public wealth, Knowledge, with its gladdening streams, And pure religion's holier beams.” CONSOLATION Fig PLUMP WOMEN. aS 9 STi Usually Pusses: Fegphness. Do not worry ff happen to be a little above the degree umpness in the mat- ter of flesh, says,a“writer in the Detroit Free Press. We #f@ told of a down-east girl who grew, motldd ever her increasing flesh and set ab@ut reducing her dimen- sions. She secoaapiiines the attenuation of her full and sweeping proportions in an incredtbly short space of time, but at what a sacrifice! Hep ‘glorious head of chestnut hair fell itt, leaving but a few locks; her eyes Jost. their brilliancy and strength, and to a great extent their lashes; her once firmly arched, rosy lips became not only pale and flabby, but the prey to a very obstinate sort of eczema; and instead of becoming more “graceful” this foolish girl, who had been by no means unwieldy, barely escaped losing the use of her legs altogether. She was threatened with @ very trying disease of the knee pan, by which it detaches itself and slips down the leg—an affection commoner than Is general- ly believed and traceable often to malnu- trition and a collapse of the general sys- tem. Corpulency is not desirable; but it is bet- ter to become a trifle over-plump if thereby one preserves bloom and freshness. The women of Europe frequently retain their attractiveness of person well into old wo- manhood; but they generally grow plumper as they grow older. “Skip the dining room,” Mme. Nellie Melba said one day last winter speaking about flesh, “and you can welgh what you like. Eating is a fascinating vice. I may go to a dinner or a lunch party with a pledge done up in a £50 note that I will not eat a morsel. Do 1? Of course. Nothing but a muzzle or a gag could check my ap- petite. I can’t sing unless I am well; my health 1s half my talent, and my face and figure depend upon my health; and yet I don’t trust myself at a dinner table. I know the foods to let alone, and I let them alone. I eat in my own room, and that’s my salvation.” ‘The fiery Mile. Calve weighs probably 160 pounds, She has height enough, however, to carry her flesh, but all that keeps it down is her stotcal resistance of tempta- tions, She even denies herself the gfter- noon tea, and takes only two meals a day —dinner and a breakfast of coffee and roll. Her bed room occupies a sulte—one room for the bed and the other for the fresh air. A fire is never made in her apartment. She dislikes society affairs because of the bad atmosphere that prevails. Her theory 1s that a woman or an artist can live very well on a small quantity of food provided the lungs and the blood have abundant pure air. They Bloom and ————-+e+ The Apple as an Article of Food. From the Christian, Dr. Stotzer Buetzer, In one of the foreign medical reviews, writes as follows on the medicinal and hygienic properties of the apple: “Apples eaten immediately before bed time promote the health generally. Its dietetical as well as alimentary substance 1s of the highest. order. It contains more phosphoric acid in an easily digestible com- bination than any other vegetable product. It ts (1) good brain food; (2) excites the functions of the livery (3) promotes a sound and quiet sleep; (4) @isinfects the mouth; ©) agglutinates the ‘surplus acids of the stomach; (6) paralygzes hemorrhoidal dis- turbances; (7) helps‘the secretions of the kidneys and prevents calculus concretion; (8) obviates indigestion; and (9) Is a good preventive against diseares of the throat.” Ripe apples, raw or eooked, eaten in mod- eration, as food, and not stuffed down in quantities when the* stomach {s already full, are quite as g0od as many medicines, and vastly cheaper and more pleasant to take. Fruit was man’s first God-given food; and while under tke ¢urse frults often fail, d man is forced''to’ make use of Inferior articles of food, and eat his bread in the sweat of his face, yet it is a strange {llus- tration of human“folly to see bushels of excellent apples rotting on the ground, while none are seen on the owner's table, and the poor victim of a perverted appetite sits down to feed at his ill-spread board on salt pork, washed down with hard cider. ———__+e+___—_ He Hadn’t Anything to Say. From the New York Times. A small New York girl, who {s only seven years old, one day last week gave tit for tat In a very neat way. She was trudging to school, carrying her luncheon in a little covered basket, when a schoolmate, a boy of nine, overtook her. He must have been in rather a bad humor, for his very first remark was: “Say, I wouldn't carry my lunch In a fish basket, anyway.” The little miss turned and looked at him. He had his sandwiches and cake in a tin tox, under his arm. “Well,” she sald, quickly, carry mine in a bait box.” nothing to say. “I wouldn’t And the boy issued in 1677, and | | though living close to one another, ne AN ENVIABLE EASTERN POTENTATE. Prince Nicholas of Montenegro and His People. ‘T. W. Lagh in the Pall Mall Magazine. “Cettinge, the Montenegrin capital, fs, as every one knows, the smallest metropolis in Europe, and resembles a village in the Scottish bighlands, in reduced circum- stances, raure than anything else. It con- tains about 1,500 inhabitants, and possesses few objects of arch‘tectura} interest. There is a miniature palace, an ancient convent, a tower up-n which, until recent years, the dezanitated heads of Turks were exposed to view, an empty mvseum, a singularly in- ferior inn, and a prison. The prisoners are | generally on view outside this bvilding, smoking and conversing with their friends; some of them are heavily manacied, but many are unincumbered and apparently unguarded. However, they seldom or never attempt to escape, and eppear on the whole not discontented with their lot. Within « very small space are situated the palace, the inn, the public offices and the residences of the foreign representa- tives. Possibly in order to vary their some- | what monotonous existence, the latter inter- change the most ¢laborate formalities; and, meet without exclamaticns of joyful sur. prise, or separate without expressions of the highest mutual esteem. For my part, 1 used to effusively shake hands with each of my acquaintances at lecst a dozen times in the course of the day. With the laudable intention of deriving some mental profit from my visit, I called one day upon the minister of finance. This gentleman, habited in a gorgeous costume of white and green, I found making up the nations! aecounts, withr a loaded revolver by his side. Finance, as a rule, is uot a fascinating study; but the Montenegrin system is engaging by reason of its delight- ful simplicity. The country is divided into various districts under “captains;” these captains collect the taxcs and send their respective certributions into the capital once a year on horseback. The minister of finance locks the whole amount up in a big box, the prince then appropriates what- ever sum he considers necessary, and the remainder goes to pay the salaries of offi- cials and to meet the ordinary expenses of a government. What more practical ar- rangement could be devised? The whole revenue of Montenegro, includ- ing an annual Russian subsidy, which is be- lieved to ammount to abcut £5,000, is only about £40,000 a year; and it is stated that on one occasion, when the prince round it necessary to withdraw a large proportion for traveling expenses atroad, the cash re- maining in the national treasury did not exceed £20. I visited also the Mor teregrin supreme court of justice—a bare room where stal- wart peasants wrargied vigorously with the three judges, who try everything, from an assault case to an action for divorce, There are no counsel, no clerks and no solicitors in the whole country, nor did I learn that the absence of these persunages is ever felt or reg ed. Most perscns of a practical dispositioa who are involved in legal diil- culties pr2fer to be dealt with by the prince, who occasionally sits under a tree outside his pal and administers paternal justice with an even hand. Prince Nicholas, in- deed, is the most interesting institution in Montenegro, and it would be almost impos- sible to discover any person so well adapted for the part which he plays. For my part I look upon the ezur’s “only friend’ as one of the most enviable potentates in exist- ence. True, his territory is exigvous, but then ve one wants to take it from him; he is not rich, but his expenses are small, and the court could probably be run comfort- ably upon £1,000 a year; his big neighbors, the emperor of Austria ard the sultan, cul- tivate his friendship in consequence of the trouble which he is capable of inflicting upon them; he benefits by every rearrange- ment of the map of Europe; he has no house of commons or representative institutions of any kind to reckon with; is his own prime minister,commander-in-chief and lord chancellor; and there exists no irreverent press to criticise his actions. In a word, he is master in his own house. What more can the heart of man desire? Prince Nicholas is a fine, handsome man, of well-preserved middle age and dignified presence, whose stalwart preportions are well set off by the national costume. Edu- cated in Paris, he speaks excellent French and has admirable manrers. That he pos- sesses exceptional political skill is shown not only by the perfect peace and order which prevall throughout his realm and by the large accessions of territory which Montenegro has obtained of late years, but also by his relations with his netghbors. The Sclavs in the surrounding countries look to him as their natural leader; the czar lends him money and his protection; the Austrian government treats him with profounl respect; while his natural enemy, the sultan, anxious for propitiation at any price, lavishes upon him gifts of the most costly description, from jewels and palaces on the Bosphorus to boxes of cigarettes. Just before my visit a complete equipment for a squadron of cavalry, with instructors inte the bargain, had arrived as a present from Constantinople, the sultan being ap- parently quite indifferent to the fact that his gift would inevitably be used against himself. Prince Nicholas, however, is not merely a politician, but cultivates literary and ar- tistic tastes, writes poetry, inspires sub- jects for painters and sculptors, and com- poses tragedies, which meet with much suc- cess when given at tinge. Who, indeed, ever heard of an autocrat proving an artis- tic or literary failure? Life at the Montenegrin court, like every- thing else in the country, is free and un- constrained. In the summer time, when the great heat of the day is over, the prince and his family betake themselves to the palace garden, and receive the diplomatic corps and the principal native personages. A casual remark of mine at one of the gatherings enabled us to witness a display of Prince Nicholas’ physical powers. Hav- ing dispatched an official of high rank to fetch a huge stone, he proceeded to hurl it about In almost professional style, and then commanded the assembled company to do the same. Instantly ministers, officers of high rank and the foreign representatives were all busily engaged in attempting the feat, with more or less success; and I. ob- served, without surprise, that the only per- son who had the ill grace to surpass the ruler’s throw was the envoy of a republic. Amongst his other accomplishments, Prince Nicholas is a notably good shot,and described to me how in former years he was in the habit of shooting cigarettes from his subjects’ lips at a distance of nearly a hun- dred yards. “But that," he added negligently, “is nothing to what I can do with a cannon; during the Turkish war I annihilated whole ecmpanies.” With a little encouragement I believe he would have exercised his skill by shooting apples off the heads of his ministers. But it is to be feared that the prosperity of Montenegro {s scarcely well assured at the present mcment. Since the Russo-Turk- ish war of 1877, and the decisions of the Berlin congress, the condition of the coun- try has greatly changed. Prior to that per- fod the Montenegrins may be said to have been merely a horde of mountaineers, who possessed little but their own barren rocks. They tived in a state of perpetual warfare with the Turks, and practically followed no occupation but that of fighting. Now, under the awards ofthe Berlin treaty, they possess large districts of fertile territory which formerly belonged to the Turks, and they have also acquired the two seaports of Antivari and Dulcigno. All things con- sidered,the Montenegrins have been exceed- ingly well treated by Europe—too well,many people think—but owing to various causes, and to the fuss made over the ridiculous Dulcigno affair, which gave them an ex- aggerated !dea’ of thelr own tmportance, they expected even more. Consequently the occupation by Austria of Bosnia and the Herzegovina was a severe blow to the na- tional aspirations. These two provinces had always in the past formed the happy hunt- ing grounds of Montenegrin filibusters, and by force of habit they had come to look upon them as their natural heritage. Now at one fell swoop this agreeable illusion dis- appeared, In all probability for ever. It is difficult to pronounce an opinion of any value with respect to a country where commerce can scarcely be said to exist, and where no statistics of any kind are to be obtained; but it may be safely predicted that the Montenegrins are not likely to be the losers in any future partition of ter- ritory in southeastern Europe. Whether deservedly or not, Prince Nicholas will prob- ably be presented with more Albanian ter- ritory and more industrious Albanian sub- jects whenever the sick man’s European ssessions are once more divided amongst is neighbors, and by these means the diffi- culties of his country will be again tided ° ver. Meanwhile, people with a taste for travel might do worse than pay a visit to Monte- negro; they will not meet with luxurious accommodation, but at all events they will find perfect security, a picturesque coun- try, an interesting and attractive race, and —what is becoming a rapidly increasing rarity—a paternal autocracy in full working order, SHORT SWORDS FOR TWO. A Story of What Might Have Been Among Old-Time Senators. From the New Orleans Picayune. An entire-Sunday edition might be filled With stories connected with the late Judge L.'Q. C. Lamar. Mr. Lamar possessed @ remarkable peculiarity. Unusual excitement seemed to act upon his nerves like an opiate and put him to sleep. ‘This was strongly ex- emplified after “his remarkable verbal en- counter with the great New Yorker, Mr. Conkling. Mr. Lamar, after scarifying Conkling for Mfe, leaving him with burning yet deferential resentment, closed as fol- lows: “I.gpologize to the Senate for this seem- ing unparliamentary language” (advancing to the New Yorker and throwing his index finger full in his face); “language that no man, good man, deserves, and no brave man will wear.” Immediately Mr, Lamar walk- ed to the cloak room on the democratic side, lay down on a sofa, and in three minutes was slecping as calmly as a babe, There Was great excitement. It was believed Mr. Conkling would not submit to the language applied to him, and that, while he probably would not challenge Lamar, being an ath- lete, he. would meet him on ‘the streets and assault him, The late Senator Zeb Vance, a Hercules in stature, who was devoted to Mr. Lamar, without the knowledge of that gentleman ‘or of any other human being, shadowed Mr. Lamar for some days, ex- § afterward that if Conkling ever Lamar he intended to beat him to Mr. Vance, however, did not know what those intimately acquainted with Mr. Lamar knew. In all probability Mr. Lamar could have whipped them both. He prided himself upon his muscle, and has often said to the writer, “I believe | am better fitted for a prize fighter than I am for a Sena- tor.” It was apprehended by some that Conkling would challenge Mr. Lamar. Conkling was known to be an expert with the short sword. Mr, Lamar said afterward to an Intimate friend in discussing the mat- ter: “If Mr. Conkling. had sent me a chal- lenge I should have chosen short swords.” Why, Mr. Lamar,” replied his friend, “Conkling is an expert with the short sword.’ “I Know that,” replied the Senator, “but I took some lessons with the short ‘sword myself when I was in Paris the time that I was sent by the confederacy on a mission to Russta,”” ei “Why, Senator,” the friend replied, “you have not had a short sword in your hand in twenty-five years.” “I know that,” coolly replied the Sena: “but I should have chosen short sword: fret Rin i DONT BITE YOUR NAILS. There Are Many Reasons Why, but Don’t Do It. From the Youth's Companion. ‘The practice of nibbling at the finger nails 1s to be condemned, first, on the ground that the nails are thereby rendered brittle and unsightly, and, secordly, be- cause It isa senseless habit, which makes the practice of it a source of constant irri- tation to the friends of any one who has the habit, The habit is usuaily acquired at school in early childhood, and steps should at once be taken to break it uv. This may be done in various ways. It is usually sufficient to explain to the child the perniclousness of the habit, requiring him to he constantly watchful against it in himself, and to discourage the practice in every one else. Punishment is usually un- called for. Strategy may be resorted to in case t! habit 1s well established. The finger ends may be dipped in some harmless prepara- tion of a disagveeable or bitter nature, which will serve to remind the child what he is doing. A French investigator has lately pub- lished the results of an elaborate study of the subject, chiefly in reference to the im- portance of the habit as an indication of nervous disease, His investigations have been pursued among the school children of Paris, among whom he found the habit widely prevalent. Of the total number of children examined, about one-third were given to the practice, the greater proportion being among the girls. The age it which the habit was most common was found to be between twelve and fifteen years. ‘The Investigator thinks he has discovered a remarkable relation between nail-biting da defective, or at least an Impaired, stability of mind and character, as all the teachers united in saying that’ the pupils addicted to nall-biting were the poorest stu- dents. The boys were inclined to effemi- nacy and the girls to slackness. Both sexes showed a lessened ability to sustain the at- tention, and were consequently the hardest pupils to teach. According to this French student, the habit is best corrected by endeavoring to transform the unconscious act into a con- scious one. thereby counteracting the ten- dency to a confirmed habit. It 1s doubtful if nall-bitirg 1s indicative of anything more serious than a nervous temperament, which should be treated on general principles. A FORGOTTEN STATESMAN. Senator Mangum of North Carolina Once of National Fame. From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. The fleeting character of political fame in the United States is well illustrated by the case of a once well-known statesman whose life, according to the announcement of a prominent publishing house, fs now in course of preparation. This is Willie P. Mangum. The biographer is Prof, Stephen B. Weeks, of the bureau of education at Washington, who asks for information of any sort on his subject's career. It is scarcely probable that anything of value concerning him can be obtained now, ex- cept in the files of the newspapers of his day. Comparatively few persons who were old enough in nis time to take an intelli- gent interest in his career are living, and to the general public he is not even a name. Not many of the generation of thirty-five or under, except the students of political history, know anything about him, or have ever’even heard of him. And oa! for a fifth of a century or over Willie ®. Mangum was as potent and promi- nent a personality as Reed, Hill, McKin- ley, Carlisle, Allison, Gorman, or any other American statesman of our day outside of the presidency. For more than half a gen- eration he was the most conspicuous citizen of North Carolina, and in that day the old north state had some big figures in the national legislature, Haywood, Thomas L. Clingman, George B. Badger, and other celebrities of the time, who, however, are also forgotten in this day. Mangum’s career on the national stage began in 1823, when he entered the House of Representatives, and lasted until 1853, when he retired from the Senate. He was not continuously in Congress all t time, though, but for a few years was judge in one of the high courts of his state. During the whig party's existence he was one of the leaders of that organiza- tion. Although a resident of a slave state he was opposed to slavery. Indeed, he was a more eutspoken foe of the “peculiar insti- tution” than were some of his party friends in the north. Mangum figures creditably in the earlier series of the “Biglow Papers,” which was deemed to be something of an honor in his day, and to offer a fair promise of immortality, in a sort of controversy with John C. Calhoun, on the “white slaves” of the northern states. see. THE PIN PUZZLE. It Looks Innocent, but is a Veritable Bri Tormentor. This innocent looking brain tormentor ts called the pin puzzleand anybody can make one for himself with a bit of paper and pencil and six pins. Here is the diagram: PPDPX<P< PPPPPI REPPPY b<p<P< The object is to stick six pins on six of the black dots in such a manner that no two pins shall be on the same line, either horizontal, vertical or diagonal. a FoR lack of a nail the shoe was lost , For lack of a shoe the horse was lost , For lack of the horse the rider was lost; All for the want of a little horse-shoe nail.” For lack of care the health was lost ; For lack of health the life was lost, through Bright's disease. Headaches, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, despondency, pe- culiar pains—all these things were the warnings of this great modern disease, which should not have been neglected. If the only known remedy for Bright's disease, kidney troubles, and all female and urinary difficulties — Warner's Safe Cure—had been taken in time, there would have been no disaster. ° Will you be warned in seae son? QUIT WINNER, AS USUAL. THE PEOPLE, God bless them, know a GOOD ‘THING when they ser (t, and seeinr so MANY GOOD THINGS upon our counters, it is no great marvel that they buy quickly apd Uberally. In all our business experience we mever had a better Week than the one previous, and yet the HOWL of HAKD TIMES and DULL BUSINESS from the mercantile world is ear-splitting, brain-torturing and soul-harrowing. such as William H." WHY DON’T YOU SELL SHORT PANTS FOR BOYS AT ide. A PAIR, AS WE DO? WHY DON’T YOU SELL SUITS OF CLUTHES FOR MEN, All wool, Double and Single-breasted Sack Goats and Regent Frock Coats, at ~ $7.60 A SUIT, AS WE DO? WHY DON'T YOU SELL MEN'S OVERCOATS, . Kerseys, Cheviots, ‘Tiger Silk Mixtures, Tyeeds and Cassimeres, AT $7.50 A GARMENT, 48 WE DO? WHY DON'T YOU SELL MEN'S SUITS ‘That were $18.75, $17.50, $16.50, $15, $14.75 and $13.50, AT $10 A SUIT, AS WE DO? WHY DON'T YOU SELL MEN'S OVERCOATS, Campbell's Kerseys (buckskin weave), Bedford Cord, English Serge, Black Beaver and Oxford Mixtures, AT $10 A COAT, AS WE DO? WHY DON'T YOU SELL BOYS’ SHORT PANTS SUITS, Gray Melton, AT $1.50 A SUIT; Navy Blue and Black Cheviot, AT §2 A SUIT, AS WE DO? WHY DON’T YOU SELL MEN'S PANTALOONS That were $7.50 AT $3.98 A PAIR, AS WE DO? We've spent ten years of our Mfe trying teach you HOW to do business, only to find you haven't the mental capacity to grasp utilize the idea. No wonder TH PEOPLE come to US to do trading. bEe VICTOR E. ADLER'S 10 PER CENT CLOTHING HOUSER, 927 ard 929 7th st. nw., corner Massachusetts avenue. STRICTLY ONE PRICE Open Evenings until 7. Saturday unt 11 p.m 1004, Potomac Water At this season contains many tmparities, and to drink it so is to invite disease, It ts always safe to use @ Filter, And then you can drink the water with out fear of taking disease germs inte the system. ‘The celebrated Natural Stone Jewett. Filters Are always reliable. STONE FILTERS FROM §3 UP. JEWETT'S, $4.75 TO $13. Ask to be shown the new “MASCOT” GAS HEATER. None better. M. W. Beveridge, HOUSEFURNISIIINGS, &e., 1215 F and 1214 G ste, VV 484 Watches, Solid Silver, $8.65. If you're in need of a good, service- able Watch you should call” apd see those we are Selling this week for $8.65. They're solid silver, in Elgin or Wal- tham movement—any size, in plain or fancy cases. We've reduced their price | from $10, $12 and $15—watch is ubout 50 per cent cheaper (han prices elae- { vhere. “EP Gold-filled Watches, with written guarantee, $9.45. Pl. Schuster, Goods laid aside for Xmas on small deposit, ‘717 Market Space. nol-3m Po eatin aa TT J.W. Boteler& So Have their LATEST IMPORTA- TION of DINNER, TEA and GAMB SETS, TABLE CUTLERY, PLATED WARE, RICH, HEAVY CUT and EN- GRAVED GLASSWARE, BRIC-A-BRAG and GOODS ultable for WEDDING PEESENTS, PIANO and BANQUET LAMPS. Sole ageuts for McCONNELL’S GERM-PROOF FILTERS. J. W. BOTELER & SON, 923 Penna. Ave. N.W. . Painless Operations on Bunions, Corns, Ingrowing and Club Nails our specialty. Prof. J. J. GEORGES & SON, Foot Specialists, parlors 1115 Pa. ave. a.w., 8 to @ p.m, Sundays, 9 to 1. ey