Evening Star Newspaper, December 22, 1894, Page 22

DESERTED CITIES Towns Left to Go to Buin-Havoo Wrought by Wicked Railways. ‘Why Some Places Have Been Deserted When They Gave Promise of Be- coming Flourishing Towns. “Within the last few weeks I have been viewing the remains of many deserted towns,” said Geologist Robert T. Hill to a writer for The Star. “The spectacle they afforded was tone the less dismal because they had been abandoned only recently. Through southwest Kansas and eastern Colorado are scattered hundreds of ten- antless sites of what were prosperous aad busy communities two or three years ago. “For example, I might mention Lake City, Kan. On the latest maps, dated 1803, it appears as a town of considerable size. When I got there, not many days ago, I could find only one house; the rest of the settlement had disappeared. I managed to discover a squatter, to whom I addressed an inquiry on the subject. Said I: “What has become of Lake City?’ “ ‘Moved,’ he replied, simply. “It was the same story I had heard be- fore with relation to other settlements. The town had not gone out of existence— it had changed its location, that was all. Its history merely repeated that of many other communities—hundreds of them might be named—which were moved liter- ally on wheels into the Cherokee Strip when that fertile section was thrown open by the government. At the present time fe will find prosperous towns in the strip, ighted by electricity and furnished with ali modern improvements, which are compos- ed largely of the very same houses that made up the deserted villages I speak of. ‘The whole phenomenon which I am at. tempting to describe represents tho total failure of an attempt at dry farming—a trial of the possibilities of agriculture with- out water. The eastern half of Kansas is fertile and sufficiently watered; the western half, roughly speaking, Is arid and com- paratively worthless. Capitalists in the east of the United States found"much profit in lending money on farms in the fertile portion of Kansas. Later settlers, for want of better land to take up, secured farms in the western part of the state. They found no difficulty in borrowing money on these farms, which had no real value. Thus it came about that tke mortgaging of value- Jess acres in that arid region developed in- to a business and was conducted on a large scale by swindlers. In this way mary mil- lions of dollars have been taken out of the pockets of the money lenders, with whom there ts very little sympathy in the great and growing west. nies eet Ruined by Railroads. “So, In the manner I have described, millions of acres were taken up by settlers, mortgaged, and finally deserted—all within the space of five years. When a part of the Indian territory wi thrown open the mortgage business was about played out, and there was a general exodus. As for deserted towns, you will find them all over southwest Arkansas and northeast Texas. Most of them have been made what they are by railways. It {s usually the interest of @ railroad to avold a town and pass some miles aw: from it, building up a new town of its own and selling the land at profitable prices. A notable example is afforded by* Enid, Oklahoma. The Rock Island road passed through Enid, which Was the lawfully-chosen county seat; {t would not stop its trains there, beca’ it had established a town of its own th miles away, which it desired to build up. Exasperated by this attempt to ruin their Property interests, the people of Enid re- sorted to desperate measures. They com- pelled the trains to stop by force of arms and even threatened dynamite. Finally the railway gave in and the town was saved. ee @ fight purely and simply for sur- “All over the southwest there has been a continual struggle of this sort between the old towns, which preceded the railways, and the new railway towns. In nearly every instance the old town has succumbed. I remember well when Comanche, Texas, was a flourishing community. An act of legislature prescribed that three railways should pass directly through it. Every- body supposed that the place was going to be @ small metropolis. People invested a great deal of mogey there. But the rail Ways entertained different ideas. They de- sired to build t towns of their own, and by @ complicated hocus-pocus they managed things so that the intersecting roads formed ® triangle, of which Comanche was the center. The triangle was so large that Co- manche was not within less than inty miles of the nearest ratlroad. So th wn was ruined, and ever so many enterprising bm oo ee had aren moses and energy uildings up of the country, be Ty, lost all In AM Parts of the Country. “A conspicuous example of a deserted town is Boston, Tex., at one time the most prosperous place in its region. It was situated directly on the old King’s highway, as it was called, which was the main line of travel by immigrants across country. At present, as you may see by @ look at the map, two railways pass with- in three miles of Boston, but none gocs Nearer. Another case in Texas ts that of the town of Washington. It is noticeable that the old towns are well and solidiy built as a rule, whereas the new ones con- structed under railway auspices are apt to be fllmsy and of the ‘pasteboard’ pattern. In the typical deserted village you are Ukely to discover a single buildin; ——_ more or less ancient and always solidly constructed courthouse. “You need not go to the west, however, to seek for deserted towns. Such extinct communities may be found throughout Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia and Louts- fana. In New England you will come across many abandoned towns, which were built on the hilis by the early settlers for the purpose of avoiding ma- laria and other disadvantages of the lowlands. But the railways came along in a later day and chose the more conven- fent valley routes, building up communi- ties in fresh locations on the low levels. In years gone by many forts were erected along what were then the frontiers of civilization, and — them towns grew up. One by one these forts were abandon- ed for lack of usefulness, depredations by Indians having practically ceased. Then the towns vanished, the people who occu- pied them migrating to other parts, and the final chapter in such histories is the despotiment of the fort by persons who tear the property to pleces and carry away the lumber. As examples in point, I might ition old Fort Washita in Indian ter- vitory, and Forts Belknap, Davis and Grif- fin In Texas. In Kansas old Fort Dodge is five miles distant from the thriving Dodge City of today. Scattered all over the rorthwest you will find deserted settle- merts which once were associated with fort is desirable that the fact recognized that all the tillabl United States has been sol? and is now occupied. Only arid desert areas remain. To administer the land office for these un- productive ureas ts a losing business for the government. The best thing that can be Mone ts to cede them to the states.” —_——> -— A Usefal Python From “Three Years With Lobengula. Once,while passing through a Dutch farm, I went up to the house to buy some eggs; standing in front of the door was a large barrel, and while I was passing I careless- ly tilted it up to see what was inside, but promptly let it down again, as there was @ big python underneath. The Dutchman told me he had shot at the snake some months previously, and a few grains enter- ‘ng the head, the reptile appeared to be- come stupefied and unable to move quickly. He then dragged it home, and extracted the | fangs, and it gradually became tame. The python, which measured sixteen feet, was allowed to crawl about the place at night, never attempting to get away or do any damage; in fact, they found it useful for killing rats and vermin. By day it was kept under the berrel. The children fed the snake and played with it. I saw one of the little Dutch boys drag it out, and pour two bottles of milk down its throat, and then gave it six eggs, which it swallowed. When they teased the python, it made a hissing nolse and reared up on its tail; they were not a bit frightened, and would gatch hold of it by the head, and drag it @long the ground over their shoulders. THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1894—TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. ANECDOTE OF LINCOLN. As Related by the Late Rev. Dr. Gur- ley of This City. D. H. Mitchell im the Independent. The Rev. Dr. P. D. Gurley was the minis- ter in charge of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Washington, D. C., during Lincoln's administration. Dr. Gur- ley was Lincoln's pastor and in many mat- ters his confidential adviser, a post he was admirably fitted to fill, being a strong, ro- bust, honest personality and a man of Sweet disposition, great ability and excel- lent judgment. During the meeting of the first general assembly of the Presbyterian church after the war, which convened in St. Louis, Dr. Gurley, who was a delegate, was one day the guest of the Rev. Dr. Niccolls, in whose church the assembly met, and the following anecdote of Lincoln was related by I®. Gurley at dinner in the presence of a num- ber of friends, among whom was the pres- ent writer: “Soon after the outbreak of hostilities a hot-blood«d, fire-eating young man, a son of members of Dr. Gurley’s church, made his way through our lines and enlisted in the confederate army. The fortunes of war threw him into our hands as a prisoner. It was deemed best to make an example of him, and he was consequently court-mar- tialed and sentenced to be shot. Dr. ley interested himself in the young man’s be- half and secured a commutation of the sen- tence. A short time after the father of the boy came to Dr. Gurley and solicited his aid to obtain a pardon. Dr. Gurley strongly advised against the effort. He pointed out that the young man’s life had been saved by the President and that it would be ex- tremely unwise and imprudent to apply for a pardon so soon. The father replied that he felt so himself, but that his wife took on so about her son that he feared she would lose her mind if something were not done. ‘I must,” said he, ‘make the attempt on his mother’s account. It is better to fall than not to try.’ Consequently Dr.@riey signed the petition for a pardon and the father took it to President Lincoln. “When the father made known his er- rand the President became very much ex- cited and fiercely said: ‘I saved the life of your son after he had been condemned to be shot; and now you come here so soon, when you know I am overwhelmed with care and anxiety, asking for his pardon. You should have been content with what I have done. Go; and if you annoy me any more I shall feel it to be my duty to con- sider whether I ought not to recall what I have already done.’ “A few days after the President sent for the father, apologized for the way he had spoken to him, and, to his utter astonish- ment, handed him a pardon. “Not long after, and before knowing what had transpired, Dr. Gurley met the Presi- dent. Havirg transacted his business, he was about to go when Mr. Lincoln sald: “ “By the way, doctor, you signed the pe- tition for Mr. ‘s son's pardon, didn’t you? “The doctor replied that he had done so, but explained that he had advised against making the application at that time, and that he was induced to sign it only by the statement of the father that he feared his wife would lose her mind if something were not done to relieve her. ‘The President then remarked: ‘Well, Mr. came to me with the petition. It made me very angry and I dismissed him roughly. Afterward I felt so ashamed of myself for having lost my temper that I made out a pardon for the man and gave it to him.’ “And then, after a pause and with a broad smile, he added: ““Ah, doctor! these wives of ours have the inside track on us, don’t they?’” nat aera om THE ROOT OF EVIL. It Led a Cool Thief to Carry Off the Contributions, Frem the Philadelphia Times. The First Presbyterian Church, German- town, was crowded with a fashionable con- gregation yesterday morning when the Rev. Dr. Charles Wood preached on “The Love of Money Is the Root of All Evil.” At the conclusion of the service some one stole the contributions, which amounted to about $300. All the congregation had not left the church when the fact that the money was missing was discovered by Treasurer Samuel Dennison. He immedi- ately informed Dr. Wood, who was con- versing with several persons. A search was made immediately by those present. It was thought that possibly the bag which contained it had been misiaid. It could not be found, and the conclusion was reached that it had been carried off by a thief. There was a special collection yesterday for the Sunday school in connection with that which it has been customary to take up every Sunday. After the money was received in the contribution boxes it was dumped into a little bag as has been the practice, and Treasurer Dennison took charge of it. Mr. Dennison has been in the habit of depositing the money in a corner of a pew until service ended and when leaving the church taking {it with him. On this occasion he did not, unfortunately, deviate from what had been his method of attending to his duties for years. The money was carefully laid in a corner of the pew by Mr. Dennison, and while the congregation was leaving after the service was finished he joined in conversation for only a few minutes with several persons. When he went to the pew the money was ne. eWhile Pastor Wood was talking to sev- eral of the parishioners, a man who was a stranger, and who is supposed to have been the thief, stepped up and compil- mented him on his ora’ “For years,” said the stranger, “I have heard repeatedly of the fashionable char- acter of your congregation, of your elo- quence as a minister, and of the mag- nificence of your edifice. I am now con- vinced, after attending service today, that pothing I have heard about this church has been magnifled. Dr. Wood patted the stranger on the back in his customary friendly manner and said he would be glad to have the pleasure of numbering him among his con- gregation. The man’s face beamed with smiles at the reception accorded him by the popular pastor, and after repeating very briefly again his impression of the church, he bowed to those standing close to him and walked out. Several of those who were near the minister remarked that they had never seen the man before. It was after he had left the edifice that ‘Treasurer Dennison informed Pastor Wood that the money was missing. In order to overtake the stranger, who was suspected of being the thief, a courter was dispatched immediately to the fourteenth district sta- tion house. Special Policeman Cairns was detailed on the case and ordered to make an investigation at once, and within one- half hour a description of the man was forwarded to the Central station. A squad of police was sent in search of the man to the several stations on the Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia and Reading rail- roads, but no trace of him could be found. ~~ 400 Paste This in Your Desk. From Demorest Magazine. How many people know how to send a stamp in a letter? Nine pecple out of ten’ stick it so carefully down that the recipi- ent elways loses his temper, and general- ly the stamp, In the effort to release it. It is really more exasperating than when tho sender forgets altogether the stamp he should have inclosed, for then, at least, it 1s not wasted. Even the most extrava- gant of us seldom have souls above sav- ing a stamp, for it is, strangely, far dear- er to us than the two cents it represents. The tenth person sends it loose, which is well enough, providing it does not slip out, unseen, and vanish, a these totaily de- praved small things have a ‘trick of doing. ‘The proper way 1s a very simple one. Cut with a sharp penknife two paralle] slits at the top of your letter, and slip in your stamps, Which will thus travel as safely as if in a special paper case. Perhaps you have been in a country village where money orders and postal notes are un- known, and, for some reason, it becomes necessary to send change in a letter. Cut a piece of light cardboard the size of tho envelope, and from this cut circular pieces the size of your coins. Insert the coins and paste a slip of paper across one or both sides. pee ae George’s Error. Letter to the Boston Transcript. Ethel—‘Mamma, I am afraid that George does not really and truly love me. Mamma—“Not love you? Why, Ethel, what do you mean?” Ethel—“He persists in talking about things in which I am not at all interested.” Mamma—‘As, for instance?” Ethel—“Well, for one thing, he talks too much about himself.” SUFFERING IN ALASKA Frightful Trials Endured This Year by Whalers and Natives. A Severe Epidemic That Nearly De- populated One Village—Dead Left Exposed and Unburied. ° “On the trip to Alaska from- which I have just returned I had an opporturity to make personal note of some of the hard- ships and terrors to which the natives of our arctic province and the whalers in far northern seas are exposed,” said Dr. Shel- don Jackson to a writer for The Star. “During the early part of this summer five whaling vessels were lost in Alaskan waters. Three of the disasters were rot accompanied by loss of life, but the fourth catastrophe resulted in the drowning of more than a score of sailor men. The sur- vivers escaped in boats and floated about from island to island of the Aleutian chain for a month, much of the time having nothing to eat but seaweeds, which, even with the best cookery, do not afford the most luxurious fare. The men in one boat were in such distress before they were rescued that they turned cannibals and ate up two of their number who had died. *“At Point Barrow, which is the most northerly point of Alaska, there are two whaling stations on shore. The men occu: ing these stations try to capture some of the whales that pass by in the spring. Last June three whaling boais belonging to one of the stations were driven out to sea in a gale. Two of them succeeded in regaining the shore, but “ee, third was crushed in the ice. On board $f the crushed boat were two men, a woman and a boy. They took refuge upon a large fragment of an i field, which was driven out to seaw After awhile the fragment was broken up and they sought safety on other pieces of ice. Finally, after being out upon the ice for sixty-one days, they got back to tand, 100 miles south of the place whence they had started. During a part of the involun- tary voyage they had no water to drink and for eight days they were without food. At Point Hope a young Eskimo, while cut hunting for seals, was swept to sea on an icecake. Luckily for him, after a few days the wind changed and brought him back to shore. While floating about he lived on the flesh of three polar bears which he shot. “During July and August of lest year Point Hope was visited by a frightful epi- demic of bronchitis. Going through the native village one afternoon, Dr. Driggs, the missionary, found an old man out in the rain, dying. His family had put him out of the house, so that he might not die indoors. Clese by on the ground was a dead woman, with a piece of tent cloth thrown over her. Hearing a moan from r an adjoining cloth, he lifted it and feund a sick child clinging to its dead mother. On a piece of ground a few feet square were five corpses. Three-fourths of the adult population were sick, and one out of every six died. ‘here were not enough weil people in the village to bury the dead, and the corpses were left out- side of the houses, to be eaten by dogs. Human bones were scattered through the village when I left there; some of them whitening in the stagnant pools, from which the people procure their drinking water. “A white man living in the village with native wife told me that during the epi- lemic he was disturbed on several nights by a noise near his house. Thinking that it was a dog prowling around for some- thing to eat, he got up, and, arming him- self with a club, went out to investigate. Instead of a dog he found a little boy four years old picking up scraps of shoe leather and sealskin to eat. On seeing the man the child fled home. He was fol- lowed, and it was discovered that he and his little brother were the only occupants of the family hut. In the same room with them lay the dead bodies of their father, mother and paternal and maternal grand- fathers. ‘he man took the boys to his own house. “On August 19 last, ice being unusually thick in the Bering strait, the steamer Bear conveyed me to the Teller reindeer station, where we anchored. Since we had left the station, a few weeks previously, the six families of Lapps imported from Lapland to take care of the raindeer, had arrived. Krom there we made a voyage to the Siberian coast, working slowly through heavy fields of drift ice. On Sep- tember 2 we reached Cape Serdze. Our purpose was to buy reindeer for Alaska. We saw three large herds of the animals. A temporary summer village had been set up, consisting of seven tents, which rep- resented eight or nine families. Piled up around these tents I counted more than @ hundred sleighs. In the autumn of each year the natives, who have domesticated the reindeer and depend upon them for their subsistence, drive their herds to the interior, returning to the coast in the spring. In these semi-annual journeys their tents, families and all their belong- ings are loaded upon these sleighs and drawn by reindeer. ‘The movings thus ac- complished sometimes cover a distance of 250 miles. Last spring one hundred and fifty fawns were born to the Alaskan rein- dee? at Port Clarence. While we were at anchor, riding out a storm off Kyak Island, a canoe came from the mainlend bringing the dead bodies of a native husband and wife. It seems that they had both been drinking, when a quar- rel arose, and the man shot the woman. A few hours later he committed suicido. This was only one of numberless crimes in Alaska to be laid to the door of unscrupu- lous traders, who furnish the people with material for the manufacture of intoxicat- ing Hquors. “The mission building at Point Barrow will probably be finished next summer, after nearly five years of waiting and de- lay. At Potnt Hope the two whaling sta- tions secured last spring about 19,000 pounds of marketable whalebone, repre- senting a value of $50,000," a A MAORI TRICK. i. applied Themselves With Bullets by Setting Up a Dummy Soldier. The Duchess of Buckingham, in her “Glimpses of Four Continents,” tells an amusing Maori story belonging to the period when these natives were at war with England. Ali sorts of tricks went on, such as are not only fair, but com- mendable in war. When the Maoris were in want of bullets, they used to show a dummy in the bush; of course, it was im- mediately fired at. A mun in the back- ground pulled it down by a string. “Oh!” thought the British “we've done for him!” Up came the dummy again, cautiously; bang, bang, went the British rifles. Down fell dummy, &nd this went on til some worse marksman than usual cut the dum- my rope. No Maori would go up the treo to splice it, for the exposure meant certain death. The bullets were all taken out of a little earth-bank which the Maoris had made behind the tree where the dummy appeared, and were used over again. It was a long time before this artifice was discovered. —__+e+—_____ Opposed to the Word. From the Detroit Free Press, The Woman—‘Tf there is one word in the language more than another that I am heartily sick and tired of—a word that is the very blcck and obstacle in the path of an argument or reasop—a word that seems to me to have been created out of nothing to fill a vacuum that never existed—a word that all men condemn, and no woman can look upon except as a-constant reminder of her innate lack of logic, that word is “he- cause,” and I wish to goodness it were ex- soldiers, punged from every dictionary in the world.” The Man—“Why?” The Woman—‘‘Oh—er—er—er—because.” ———_- e+ —___ An Euviable Position. From Pack. Mrs. Subbubs—“I do pity our station agent. He appears to work almost twenty- three ‘hours out of the twenty-four—sta- tion agent, ticket seller, flagman, porter, baggage master—why, he must lead a reg- ular dog’s life!” Mr. Subbubs (amazed)—‘A dog’s life! What are you talking about? Why, he is the most envied man for miles around! Just think of it—he lives right over the sta- don. ————_+e+_____ Not Yet Classified. Botanists have not yet found a scientific name for the wall flower. PAID FOR HIS EXPERIENCE. Mr. Arnold's Ignorance of British Pos- tal Laws Cost HimjJust 60 Cen From the Chicago Times, Next time William Arnold wants a back number of some ae weekly he will in- close a $6 bill in an envelope and mail it to the publishers. He has just had a little ex- perience in foreigh trade, which makes bim feel that way. Every Friday when he leaves the bank down town he drops iritd a news store and buys a lot of technical ‘p@pers. His hobby is naval affairs, and he knows more about battle ships and cruisers than many @ naval officer, 4 In an issue of the London paper E—, not long ago, there was @ long article de- scriptive of two new fast steamers, The copies for sale here were gone when Mr, Arnoid called at the news store. Next day he stuck haif a dollar into a hole in & piece of cardboard. He also wrote a note to the London publisher asking for a copy of the pape Then he cov a4 both with an envelope, put a five-cent stamp on the corner and dropped it into a box hung on a lamp-post. ‘The paper costs the Mogiish equivalent to a quarter and Mr. Arnoid believed he was quite liberal in remitting another quarter for expenses and postage. A bulky letter with an English stamp in the corner was dropped on h.s desk by the postman the other day. When he cut the end open a letter, e square of English post- age stamps, and his own envelope dropped out. The envelope was a sight. A big blue cross was penciled on its fac half a dozen stamp prints sh figures and leticrs, On the printed notice covered the f “Caution — Vaivabie never be forwar as they incur if sent in regis tieally safe. greater ereby, While they are prac the view of giving to such packets and t ice fron temptation, all letters unquestionably cv: taining coin, Jewelry, or watches are regi: tered, even though no application has bee made for registration, and in such cases special registration fee of 8 pence is lex This letter has been registered because contains COIN.” When he laid that down he looked at 11 stamps. There were just eleven of ther all stuck together, each of the v one penny. But the letter was a rev After politeiy informing Mr. Arnoid tha the paper was out of print tne writer «x plained: “From the envelope which cover- ed your letter and which T now return yor will see.that we had to pay 1 shilling and 1 penny befor» we could get it from the post office, as it 18 contrary to postal regula ticns in this country to fuclose coin in at: unregistered letter, and the practice of tne post office is to register the letter compul sorily and charge a special fee of 8 pence Your letter was also overweight, and the charge for this was 5 pence, making up, as above stated, 1 shilling and 1 penny. I send you herewith English stamps, value 11 pence, as the balance of the 2 shillings remitted by you.” Mr. Arnold figures that he has received for his half dollar— One letter of explanation. Eleven usele: english stamps. One beautifully marked envelope. One lot of experience. He is looking fer a copy of the paper yet. oe SOWNED THE Dragged Along by Her Bulldog in His Pursuit of a Cat. From the New York Herald. I am not an admiref of that product of canine civilization the toy dog, but when it comes to selecting a companion for a promenade,I am prepared to maintain that for a woman the toy dog is much prefera- ble to the bulldog. That conclusion was arrived at after witnessing something that occurred in 5th avenue the other day. A spinster of the emancipated woman type was leading a bulldog by a chain and evidently enjoying the terror which its presence Inspired among her weaker sis- ters, who were@till bound in the chains of conventionalism. ‘The bulldog, with the Ustless good nature peculfar to its species, paid no attention to anybody or anything until a predatory cat essayed to cross the street a few feet in front of it, If there is one thing more than another that @ bull- dog is death on it is a cat. The situation was instantly reversed. The bulldog was leading the emancipated woman a mad chase across the avenue in pursult of the feline, that stood not a moment on the order of its going. The street was crowded with vehicles, and it was only because that kindly providence which tempers the wind to the shorn lamb and the fall fo the drunken man happened just then to be taking a keen interest in the fate of that woman of advanced views that her life was preserved. As it was, the recording angel must have had a par ticularly busy two minutes taking steno graphic notes of the oaths that were utter- ed by excitable Jehus as they threw their horses*on their haunches. On the opposite side of the street the cat sped down a flight of steps leading to an areaway and hopped onto a window sill, where it was beyond the reach of its less agile fos. ‘Tho woman, either because she wouldn’t or couldn't let go the chain, was lugged down the same steps, narrowly escaping a fall, and for five minutes she stood there tugging vainly at the chain while the dog strained and leaped and barked in fruitless efforts to get within biting distance of puss. Tho crowd that gathered arcund gnjoyed the woman's discomfiture. Not a man of- fered to assist her. “It just serves her right,” remarked a pretty girl to her companion. “She ought to know better than to go around with such a horrid brute.” All the women present were evidently of the same opinion. A policeman, attracted by the crowd, finally came to her rescue, and by main strength pulled the dog up the steps, while the terrifled cat made tracks for parts unknown. And the emancipated woman hadn't sufficient presence of mind left to resent the observation of the repre- sentative of the law that “women ain’t got no right to go foolin’ around with a bull- dog, anyhow.” With unity protect the servants of the post o! se SHE CHASE. a HE SAW THE JOKE. The Remarkable Quickness of an English Traveler. From the Boston Budget. Lord Fitznoodle, the second cousin of Lord Dundreary, had, with his valet, the estimable James Yellowplush, come to America and gone west in the hope of bag- ging a few grizzly bears and buffaloes. Americg and the Americans seemed to the noble lord “beastly vulgar, doncher know,” and this opinion he frankly told those Americans whom he favored with his lord- ly society. Nevertheless, fate compelled him to accept as a traveling companion a rampant American. They were traveling on horseback across the prairies, and one day after a vain search for the settlement in which they were to spend the night, they came to a cross road which boasted a char- coal blacksmith’s hut and a sign post. The sign read: “Mugg's Corner, four miles on the right-hand road. 1f you can't read ask the blacksmith.” Thereat the American laughed long and loud, but the Englishman remained silent and pensive. “I say, me good fellow,” he expostulated, “I cawn’t see the joke, doncher know. What fs it?” “If you don’t see it,’ replied the Ameri- can, “I shan’t tell you. But I tell you what I will do. If you see it before we leave the inn tomorrow I'll pay the bills.” All through tHe rest of the day and even- ing the Englishman remained silent. He was working the brain evolved by five centuries of culture. When the American retired to his straw mattress, there had as yet dawned no gleam of intelligence on the Englishman's face. But in the middle of the night the former was awakened by a loud knock on his door, accompanied by a hearty laugh, “I say, me good man,” came the voice, “it is a good joke, doncher know. Suppose the blacksmith should be out.” RANSOM’S SUCCESSOR| Something About Senator-Elect Marion Butler of North Carolina. He is Prominent in the People’s Party and Favored Fusion in the Late Election, March 4, 1895, Marion Butier will take the seat in the United States Senate which will have been occupied by Senator Matt Ransom twenty-four years, unless death or some unforeseen catastrophe intervenes to prevent it. He was born in Sampson coun- N. C., May 20, 1863, His great grand- er, James Butler, settled in Sampson ounty in 1760, and was a soldier in the revolutionary war. One hundred years ater his father, Wiley Butler, entered the vonfederate army. At the close of the four years’ struggle he was a child in his nother’s arms. He was reared on his fa- her’s farm, eleven miles from the county and was prepared for college by his mother and at Salem High School, a neigh- oring county demy. He entered the th Carolina in iss!, and He had taken the law sity in addition to the t the unive egular co! course, and would have tered the legal profession the same year, ut the sudden death of his father at this me changed the course of his life. He was the oldest boy and had three ounger brothers and three sisters to be -ducated, His father had made sacrifices to educate him from the proceeds of the HE KNEW LOVE’S SIGNS. Monsieur Laments to His Young Cus- tomer Some of the Results of Marriage From the New York Sun. “Bon jour, Monsieur Taylo ‘The person thus saluted Ly the learned barber was a tall, athletic young man, with blond hair and a pointed blond beard. He was dressed with exquisite care, cven to the size of the bunch of white carnations in his buttonhole. His gloves were brand new, the crease in his trousers was almost obtrusive, and his patent leathers shone spotless, although Broadway was muddy. He returned monsieur’s salutation, but scemed preoccupied as he removed his coat and seated himself in monsieur’s chair. It was 4 in the afternoon, and the atelier was deserted save for the young man and the learned barber, the assistants having stepped out for atime. Monsieur looked strangely at bis customer, his expression containing a mixture of amusement and sadness; but Mr. Taylor did not notice this, being buried in his own thoughts. Mon- sieur clicked his shears in a way that in- dicated that he, too, was thinking deeply. Finally he said: : “Monsieur Taylor, let me congratulate you.” Mr. Taylor bounced up in his chair though he had been struck, and his face tlushed. “Wh—what’s that?’ he stammered, “Pardon my familiarity, Monsieur Tay- lor,” said the barber, with’a smile that bad a trace of mockery in it, “but you know we are old friends. 1 merely extended to you congratulations. Dh,” said Mr, Taylor, whose wits were fully re-established, “I—I am much obliged to you, Iam sure; but what do you —I mean how—oh, hang it all, Henri, what are you talking about, anyhow? “I congratulate you, Monsi said the barber, speaking slowly and ac- companying his words with clicks of his shears, “at your possession of the grand passion. I am sure she is worthy of it, and Tam caus!iy sure that you will be suc- cessful. Mon Dieu, it would be a capricious lady indeed that would refuse the suit of a not handsome nan like you, and with such bei 4 “Say, Henri,” interrupted Mr. Taylor, sitting bolt upright, and not certain wheth- er to be angry or not, “stop that nonsense, will you?” “Pardon.me, Monsieur Taylor,” said the barber, gravely and with dignity; “I regret to show He at once went farm. It required no him the line of his duty. home and tock charge of the farm, and, to help educate his brothers and sisters at home, he soon accented the principalship of the neighborhoo emy where he was prepared for college. It was while he was en, n this work in the spring of ISSN that an “organi appeared and asked permission to organize an Alliance lodge at the academy. Mr. Butler. who, gh only a beardless boy, had watched studied the Alliance movement from its inciplency in Texas, at once noi only gave his consent, but his assistance. The next evening a large and strong lodge was organized. One week later the county lodge was organized and Marion Butler was elected president. Ile was at home on the farm when a committee came to notify him of his elec- tion. He epted and threw his_ whole soul and energy into the work. He saw the power of and necessity of newspapers, s0 he rode to the county seat the next day and bought the Clinton Caucasian, a nal] country weekly, which was edited hy two lawyers. From that day the Al- Nance movement bas nowhere in the state been stronger than in Sampson and the adjoining counties. In the State Senate, In 1800 he was elected to the state senate, after a hard fight, as the champion of the railroad commission, Under his leadership the present state railroad commission law was enacted and a movement put on foot to force every corporation in the state to list its property and pay just taxes on the same. It was a hard and bitter fight, but he won. In 1801 he was elected president of the State Alliance of North Carolina to succeed Elias Carr, the present gov- or of the state. In 1892 he was re- acclamation. He was elected president of the National Alllance at To- peka, Kansas, February, 1803. He pre- sided as chairman over the first state con- vention of the people’s party, and would have been nominated for governor if he ad-been thirty years old, the constitution- al age. g He declined to accept any place on the state ticket, but took the position of elec- tor for the state at large. He canvassed the state with practically no assistance, and made one of the hardest fights against tremendous odds ever seen in North Caro- lina. At the Memphis meeting of the Na- tional Alliance he was elected first vice president of the national organization on the first ballot. He atiended the first na- tional meeting at Indianapolis, in 1891, and was a delegate to the St. Louis confer- ence and Memphis meeting in 1892. Favored Fusion. Prior to the late glection, which eculmi- nated in the tremendous majority of over 30,000 for the populists and their allies, the republicans, he suggested “fusion” and organization. He met the republican lead- if | have been misunderstood.” “Oh, hang it, old man,” replied Mr. Tay- lor; “don't get huffy--I don’t ‘ike to jest about-—— “Monsieur, I never jest on sacred sub- Jects.”” ‘There was a concealed twinkle in his eyes that almost belied the assertion, but Mr. ‘Taylor did not see it, and monsieur’ added: “f assure you, monsieur, I was most sin- cere in wishing you success.” There was silence for some moments, and it was evident, from the working of Mr. ‘Taylor's face, that he was doing some rapid thinking. ‘ y voice, “how did you know it “Ah, Monsieur Taylor, I um a student of human nature.” “Gh, come now, tell me the truth. Did you see me with her? Isn't she an angel?’ ‘Undoubtedly, Monsieur Taylor, she is that, ilthoueh T never saw he} * “Well, how in the dickens did you know, then? Nobody knows yet.” ML le barbier leughed heartily. “Monsicur Taylor,” he said, “let me ask you a question. How many times have you bad your beard trimmed in the past month? “1 don't know, I om sure,” said Mr. Tay- = “Not much oftener than usual, have “You are forgetful,” returned the barber. “I will tell you. You have been here five times a week, and sometimes twice in the fame day, Formerly you came once a week. Can anything be plainer?” y Jove! I never thought of that.” “And now, Monsieur Taylor, I will make a prediction. When does the happy event occur?” “Early in February. been fixed yet.” “Very well. Now mark you. You will continue to come here almost every day un- tl then. You will insist that every hair shali be in {ts proper place and proportion, and that the mustache shall have its most &racerul curl. And after you are married you will go on your honeymvon looking like an Apollo, and then you will forget that by yeurs of effort and thought I have furnished yeu with a beard that is a tri- umph of art, an inspiration to the lover of the beautiful. When you return you will come to sce me again, at first once in a weet, then once in two weeks, and after that it will be more likely once in a month, or thereabouts, or possibly you will forget what you owe to me und go to one of those German varbers.”” Monsieur had become very earnest and almost sad, and when Mr. Taylor remon- strated that he was mistaken, he barely heeded nim, but added: “And therefore, Monsieur Taylor, I must tell you, frankly, that I view your ap- proaching happiness with a mingling of pleasure aad regret. Would it not be so with you if you had toiled and striven and seen your work grow more and more beau- fiful under your eyes, and then suddenly, ‘without fault of your own, had seen all that you had accomplished destroyed through the sheer indifference of another? Of course, natures differ. All the world has not my artistic instinct. Do not think 1am ungallant, monsieur, but I cannot help thinking that woman, beautiful and tender as she is, often brings man's test efforts to naught. With a lovely woman in pos- session of your heart and mind, monsieur, it will be impossible for you to remember me, your old friend; but I am accustomed to ingratitude, and-——'t The rest of monsieur’s reflections were lost in the rapid clicking of his shears. 20, A NATURALIST’S WIFE. The daté has not ers at Raleigh and unfolded his plans for carrying the state, which proved success- ful. November 6 he had an agent st every ballot box in the state and a written account of every vote cast was kept. He was determined there should be no “count- ing out” done. About two years ago he married Flor- ence Livingston Faison, daughter of Col. ward Livingston Faison of Faisons, C., one of the most charming and gifted women in the state. Mrs. Butler's family were Wealthy Huguenots. She is a tail, graceful blonde, has much suavity of manner, and is a brilliant conversational- ist. Her femtly was much opposed to her marriage with Mr. Butler, and she Is es- pecially proud that he has more than vin- dicated her judgment of him. She is de- voted to him. She will be one of the youngest and most accomplished women of the incoming senatorial circle. —_—_——_+e+_—__—_ He Got a Job. From Harper's Bazar. A manufacturing firm which was be- sieged with applications for work, hung a sign near the entrance of its establishment with he legend, “No Help Wanted.” One morning there appeared before the head of the house, to whom he was known, L-——, a ne'er do well, who devoted his time to dreams of political glory rather than to books and accounts. “Mr, S—, I want a job. As usual, I’m out of work. Can you give me something te do?’ Mr. S— had formerly employed the ap- plicant, and was compelled to discha: him, not so much for neglect as for general incapacity to knuckle down to good, solid work. “My dear fellow. I'm very sorry; but didn’t you see that sign when you came in?’ said Mr, S—, very kindly. Yes, I saw it,” L— replied, “but you've often told me I’m no help!” L— was erployed. A Conflicting Interest. From Life. City Boarder.—“Don't you see that you could make this place a great deal health- jer by draining that swamp across the road?” Farmer.—‘So the boarders all says; en I'd dew et in er minit ef 'tweren’t fer my son John.” City Boarder.—Why does he object?” Farmer.—‘‘Wal, yer see, he runs ther drug store down tew ther village. THB EVOLUTION OF THE ENGLISH SOVEREIGN. She Has Some Odd Experiences Which Are Duly Recorded. From the Dairy of the Wife of Sir Richard Owen. Richard spent the evening in examining some of the minute worms found in the muscles of a man (trichina spiralis), * * * R. assured me that in comparison to what surgeons had often to meddle with it was sweet. January 5 (1836).—Richard went to Bru- ton street to cut up an ostrich. He is now engaged in writing on the “paper nautilus,” and there is a lovely little specimen in spirits on the table. June 21.—Engaged all day in drawing a wombat’s brain for R. * * * 26th—Fin- ished the wombat’s brain. November 17.—Last night a kangaroo (dead) came to R. from the zoo. December 28.—Wrapped up the tortoise in flannel before I went to bed, and put it in the ceilar. April 11 (887).—Dr. A. Farre and Mr. Darwin here this afternoon. After tea mus- cular fibre and microscope in the drawing room. February 1.—The defuct rhinoceros (late of Wombwell’s menagerie) arrived while R. was out. I told the men to take it right to the end of the long passage, where it now lies. As yet I feel indiiferent, but when the pie is opened—- February 6.—R. still at the rhinoceros. November 21 (18#9).—R. brought back with fim to dinner Dr. Buckland, Prot. Agassiz, and Dr. Mantell, and afterward entertained them to their heart's content with the microscope. They made some experiments in blood globules. Dr. Buck- land’s blood irregular, that of Agassiz reg- ular. Dr. Mantell, who stated that he had a very slow circulation, on examination proved to have blood globules of a decided- ly larger size than the others. Dr. Buck- land was just saying, with that droll look of his, ‘Why, Mantell, you see you have a good deal of the reptile about you,’ when the news was brought in that ‘the queen was safely delivered of a little princess, so the discussion was stopped by all th gentlemen Sonning to her majesty. April 10 (1843).—He dissected a chimpan- zee. Willie watched his father dissecting till he himself smelt like a specimen pre- served in rum. June 11 (1846).—The presence of a portion of the defunct elephant on the premises made me keep all the windows open, e: ecially as the weather is very mild. I got Reto smoke cigars all over the house. February 16.—Found the cook had a queer-looking bit of fish, which R. had brought in and told her to cook for din- ner, There was only part of it in the kitchen, and I did not recognize it. The cook’s chief objection seemed to be the name (Anarrhichas lupus) which her mas- ter kad called it, and she was doubtful if @ fish with such a name could be a fit thing to send up to a table. It turned out to be what they call a “wolf fish,” and R. Geclared it was not at all bad. Wo Tt Now. From the New Orleans Picayune. Death can have no terrors for the King of Siam. He has died too often. . THE DISAPPEARING PIN A Small Thing, but Ingenuity is Required. in Its Manufacture. The Vast Number of Pins That Are Made Each Year—Some Inter- esting Details. nd From the Chicago Record. In a State street store window recently was a hollow glass globe filled with pins, The placard beneath read: “Where Do Alb of the Pins Go? Here's a Pound of Theme How Many in the Globe?” | Then followed an announcement that the lucky guesser would receive 4 necktic. The guesses ranged all the way from 500 to 100,000, a One afternoon a well-dressed young Yankee walked into the store and said: “Are all of the pins in the globe of the same size?’ He was told that they were, At once he said: ‘There are 7,8) pins in the globe,” and he walked out with a bright ved four-in-hand gleaming on his shirt- front. He was a pinmaker and had worked in & factory where fifty machines made &,000 every minute, or nearly 5,000,000 a day. By working 300 days in a year that factory could turn out 1,500,000,000 pins, or about twenty-one for every man,woman and child in the United States. People wonder how it is that pins can be sold so cheap. The reason is found in the fact that machines do the work and turn them out too rapidly for them to be counted. “4 Pins are made of an alloy of copper an@ zinc—-two parts of the first to one part of the second. The metal is first cast in ingots in an iron mold about six feet long, three Inches wide and half as thick. These burs are rolled into sheets about one-eighth of an inch thick. The pressure of the rolis makes the metal inflexible and somewhat brittle, and the bars are annealed or soft- ened by heat and slow cooling several times while being reduced from ingots to sheets. When the she have reached the required thinness they are passed through slitting rolls, which slice up the sheets into rods one-eighth of an inch square, ang these rods are drawn into wire. One erd of the rod is pointed so that it-will pass through a round hole in the steel draw plate. A pair of powerful nippers grasps the pointed end of the rod, and as the nip- pers are on a revolving reel, the rod is drawn through the hole and comes out on the other side a round wire, smaller in dia- meter than the square rod was. The reek of wire is annealed,and then drawn through nother and smaller hole, and this process is continued, the wire being annealed each time, until the size required for the pin ig reached. The metal, though somewhat stiff, is too soft to spring out straight,and as the draw- ing reeis are of a smaller diameter, the wire is kinky and “set” and must be straightened before it is ready for®he pin- making machine. The kinks are taken out of the wire by pulling it through a series of small straightening rolls, with horizontal and vertical roils alternating in the series, The wire is then wound on a large reel which is hung over the wonderful pin making machine. Black and Safety Pins. In this machine the pin is cut from the wire, headed, pointed, sharpened and pole ished. It ts a complicated, interesting com- bination of steel fingers, rollers, cams, tog- gle joints, headers, revolving files and belts, The wire, caught by a pair of rollers, is drawn forward into the machine, and quick as a flash the wire is cut just the right length; then come two raps from a cam an@ toggle and the head is on the pin. A steel finger puts the headed blank on a wheel under the heading dies and the pointl pin is carried down between two revolving steel disks. One of them revolves faster than the other, so that the pin is turned around as it travels forward. Just at this point it comes in contact with four revolv- ing files, which point the pin, and then an emery belt puts the first polish on the household necessity. The pins drop from the machine at the rate of 160 a minute and faster, and fall into a hopper, from which they are taken to the tinning-room. In passing through the pin-making ma- chine the pins become covered with oll and dirt, and this is removed by putting them into a revolving iron barrel with sawdust, where they are tumbled about for ten min- utes and thoroughly scoured. They are then ready to be tinned. For four hours they are boiled tn a preparation of pure tin, and are then washed with strong soapsuds to give them a smooth gqurface. After another tumbling in the sawdust they are ready to be stuck into the papers. The sticking machine is another ingen< ious piece of mechanism, for it crimps the paper and sticks in the pins at the same time. Black or mourning pins are made from iron wire and japanned. The old form of pin was made in two parts. The head was made of two turns of twisted fine wire which was pressed upon the shank under @ die. A length of the fine wire was woun rally upon a steel rod which was jut e size of the pin shank. This long spi was then cut up into sections for the h each section Ing two turns of the wire. After the heads had been softened by an= nealing they were dumped in a heap be- fore a boy, who, taking a number of pin shanks in his fingers, F nna them inte the heaped up heads. Such of the shanks which caught heads were handed to a workman who put them into a die and the head and shank were pressed tightly to- gether under a dropped weight. Since small safety pins were introduced their use has grown enormously and they are taking the place of ordinary pins for many purposes. They are made by may chinery which cuts the spring steel wire to the proper length,twists the pins and spiral spring, bends the guard and completes the pin before it drops from the machine. ——— eee They Agreed. From the Cincinnati Tribune. He—“Get you a real sealskin? Really, my dear, you are asking too much.” She—“Yes, that is so. This makes the third time T have asked you, when ono@ ought to have been enough.’ +e The Little Artist. From Fltegende Blatter. Father—“That picture of our Eulalia would not be so bad if the hair wasn't tle@ tight. And it would be better if she \d something in her hand.” (The next morning.) Duet—“What in the world has happened?”