Evening Star Newspaper, September 7, 1895, Page 15

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1895-TWENTY PAGES. BIG DEATH DEALERS Implements of Destruction Adopted by the Army. SOME OF THE MODERN GUNS Different Kinds of Field Artillery and Siege Cannon. | PROJECTILES AND POWDER Written Exelusty ly fur The Evening Star. A LTHOUGH MUCH is heard of the pro- gressiqgn of ingen- ious inveations in the way of implenients of destruction ad. ed for use in our navy, scareely any notice is given to the strides that have Leen taken by the army {1 offensive and defensive weap- ons and engines of war, covering al- most everything from the huge suns of twelve-inch raliber for seacoast defense down to the Infantry rifle, the bore of Which now mensures but three-tenths of an inch, The old muzzle-loading, cast-iron,smooth- “have given way to sieel guns and mor- h are niarvels of power, enduer- ance and accuracy; the single-loading in- fantry rifle has been succeeded by a mag- azine small arm of smaller bore. havi Rapid-Fire Gun—Six Pounder. higher velocity and consequently greater range and penetration. Powders produc- clouds of smoke are shortly to the smokeless variety The former metho : given way to deii- ceurate devices for iocating the fon of the enemy on land or ine guns have been impro an now deliver 1,80) s Minute by electric power ral guns have been marvelousty developed; a high explosive has bh nvented which can be fired with safety from powder guns; in ws until th fact, the changes that have taken place in all vart of firearms — sit the civil past ten utionizing in their 3 they are wonderful in their con- The Two Classes of Guns, all these improvements, however, the system of artillery in the United States has, in common with other nations, just emerged from the experimental stage. Guns are divided into two general classe: those using fixed or metallic ammunition where the projectile and powder charge are loaded simultaneously, and those in whic shell and charge are loaded separate! the With st are included the infanury @ and revolver, and ma- d Artillery under | ed for the army is of | 0 of an inch 1 is{ agaziné gun," or, which the mag h then deliver reserva the maguzin> iditional in liable to do more ong recommendation that both gun and cart being lig able to carry 1 unds of ammunition iof but heretofore. addition te the changes which have sn place In the small arm proper, the eld style of triangular rod b: Teen succeeded inste I tVice changed to $ . the only differ me mechanism as the ve being that the lat- 1 of 3) inches in ‘ation of import- 2 applied to the army | 2.G-Inch Stect Rifled revolver is the reduction of the bore to the Colt double-acting uined in usi e to the infantr} rifle, nest invariably gun or mitrailleuse, the “Gatling gun.” These ammenition, and are loaded Mortar. 38 means of a belt o objection which has atling gun is that the entirely dependent upon the y for Its supply of drawback when en or at angl sion or e satisfactoril, of a new “p the cartridge plication of means of a belt, and ctric motor se- re which seems to be jurance of the ma- lat ast and most important felneh Siege Breech-Louding Rifle. to the of implements for re gun. metallic 3 nd for e: exclusively tn acoast defensi stop the Vv | w nts being mo- bility in both and ac- curacy in carrying power. The caliber of Quick-fire euns which have recently been te with a view to their adoption by the United States is 4.724 inches. In the navy, however, guns as high as six inches In caliber are included under the same head, the rapidity of their fire averag- ing ten rounds per minute and their weight of projectile forty-five pounds. Field artillery Is divided into three sec- tiors, horse artillery, light artillery and heavy field artillery. The gun employed for the first is very light, In order to ac- company cavairy. The cannon being adopted for the purpose in this country is the new 32-inch steel breech-load- ing field gun, weighing 830 pounds and firing a projectile of pounds with a 7-Inch Siege Howitser and Carriage. charge of 3% pounds. The duty of light is to accompany infantr, and the field plece adopted for this pu pose is the steel 3.6-inch cannon, welgh- ing 1,131 pounds and having a charge of fuur pounds eight ounces, with a twenty- peund projectile. These two guns are in- cluded in the Ust of “rapid-fire field guns’ from the fact that an attempt is being made to adapt them to the use of metallic cartridges. - Heavy field artillery is intended to form batteries for engaging at long range, and delivering vertical fire against troops shel- tered by temporary defenses. For this the inch steel rifled field mortar, weighing 244 pounds and firing a twenty-pound pro- jectile, with a charge of one pound, is The range is about two miles. lege cannon” are intended for attack- ing and defending inland fortifications and the Jand fronts of seacoast fortifications, the term being applied to pieces which, though too heavy for field operations, are still light enough to be transported over common roads upon the carriage from which they are fired. ‘The siege artillery of the United States consists of the five-inch siege gun, the seven-inch siege howitzer, and the seven- inch siege morti The howitzers are short cannon, possessing the caliber of the mortar, and still closely approaching the accuracy of the gun. They are used for high-angle firing and for the demolition of earthworks. During the war all the seacoast guns were cast-iron, smooth-bore muzzle-load- ers, made in one piece. Those for present use In the United States and Europe are entirely of steel, constructed on what is Known as the “‘built-up'’ system, or, in plainer terms, of a series of concentric cylinders or layers, in which the principle of initfal tension Is secured by the method of assemblage. An idea of the size and cost of these massive death engines may be formed from the statement that the twelve-inch breech-loading rifle weighs .680 pounds, that the cost of its forg- ings, Lefore machining and assembling, is close upon $42,000, and that the expense of machining is about 310,600, making a total eost of fully $52,000 for a gun which can be fired orly about 300 rounds before an ad- ditional expense is necessitated by the in- sertion of a new liner. Notwithstanding their immense size, these modern high- field artiller: fi 12-Inch Disappearing Carringe, Load- ing Position. power cannon are go carefully constructed that a variation from the prescribed liameter of more than 3-10u0 of an inch in the bore or the shrinkage surfaces can- not be allowed. The charge of the twelve-inch breech- loading rifle is 450 pounds of powder and a projectile of 1,0). pounds. The required Muzzle velccity is+2,100 feet per second, and with an elevation of twenty degrees the range is eight miles, the cost of each full charge being about 3400. High Explosives, Many attempts to throw shells charged with dynamite from guns fired with gun- pewder have been made, but as the shells usually burst in the guns, owing to the ter- of discharge, the subject of high ves has been giver. special study and attention, and the various experiments form one of the most important and inter- esting series conducted by the government, with the result that a high explosive kas been developed which is almost as power- ful as dynamite, and is capable of being safely fired from large-caliber camion, giv- ing a velocity ‘ond. ‘The lue of the netter ap- preciated that a high explo: t can be fi ey at ranges reali: ve of 10) pounds we Powder. a propelling charee for cannon, pow- r has heen in use for over 200 y the development of high. joading guns has rent empioyment of a different sized grain for In Firing Position. each caliber, and in order to secure the highest Lallhstics it has not only been found desirable to devise a grain of different size for the ditferent cuns, but also of particu- Jar form. The most satisfactory results have been obtained with the grains of pris- matic or hexagonal shape, with a nollow core running longitudmally; the grains be- ing se arranged as to have the hole in each bext that immediately in front and behind, so that when ignited com tion begins in the interior, producing a adily increas: volume of gas as the exterior and lar; surface of the grain is reached. ernment has now under test, with a vi to adoption for our military service, eral Varieties of smokeless powde: ventors and manufac puntry and Europe, the most prom- results obtained thus far being of do- mitted by this me 0 he apparently wellnigh insur- mountable difficulties that has always ¢ isied is the accurate measurement of range, that it has been found necessary to de- yise special instruments for accurately and quickiy locating distant objects. nierful instruments are ty nometrical principle of si apex of which i e line being giv remaining two angl approximat quickly a ee unable Than Firewood. World. universal 1zh good crops are almo: year, Indiana has a from jrought, which will @ heavy losses in me parts of the state. In explanation It aid that in thirty y it has cut away trees from of forest and that it suffers for rain as a re- ult of its lack of timber. The forestry ongress, which meets "next w field, Mi ght to devise persuac e of what forests it still has remaining. very tree that is growing in the right place is Worth more as a climate regulator than the $12 a cord that hardwood brings in the New York market. LP IS ATROPHTED, Om SHINY- ‘ation will restor hair; in all ses Hall's Hair Kenewer will start a WHEN TH bald, no p ghee growta. 2 | Car GOOD AND BAD LUCK Superstitious Beliefs Among Sailors of All Nations. OMENS AND THEIR MEANING Old Tars Are Hard Headed and Strong Believers. MIDNIGHT AND SUNSET SIGNS: Written for The Evening Star ERHAPS IN NO other trade or pro- fession followed by civilized men are so many superstitions so firmly believed and reverently re- garded as among the = seafaring men ofall nations. Some of these su- perstitions of the sea are of such long standing that we of the present cannot trace their origin or argue their reason, while others are easily accounted for by the events of the last two or tHree hun- dred years. In the days when sails were the only mo- tive power, and passages from distant port to port occupied weeks and even months, the sailor felt that he had something in common with the sea birds that hovered over bis ship in the air or with the many fish that surrounded it in the water; and in watching their habits and customs he thought he discovered signs that argued good or ill for him, and these primary superstitions and signs are simple, but in- teresting. To the sailor the beautiful sea gulis that followed the ship for days and weeks In search of food seemed to watch over it and guide it safely to port; and thus the gull became almost sacred to him, and to kill one was a crime which was punished, to his mind, by certain disaster to the ship and crew. This bit of sailor lore has held its own among sailors and almost any rough old tar will seriously ob- ject to any one's injuring a sea gull. This reverence is also extended by many sailors to the little storm petrels, or ‘Mother Cary’s Chickens,” that follow in the wake of ships, and an old legend of the sea claims that the petrels foretell a storm long before anything ts noticeable in sky or weather, by a great chattering and com- motion among their flocks in the wake of the ship. Bad Luck of a Shark. The shark, ‘the maneater of the deep,” comes in for his share of the bad omen, as almost every sailor who has been on salt water “knows” that when a shark persists In following a ship for some time some one is doomed to die on board; and although you may point out dozens of examples to the contrary to the old tar he will persist in his first belief. But let the shark’s bad omen prove true, and some one of the crew die, and then another superstition as firmly believed as the first springs up, and it is “bad luck” toe carry the dead body on board. So firmly is this believed by many sailors that men-o’-war’s men of good character and established bravery in battle and storm have deserted rather than go to sea in a ship that carried a dead body, even though it might be the body of a distin- guished and revered commander on its way to a burial at home from a foreign station. Just why vhistling’’ at sea should be considered an fil omen by Jackey is dif- cult to say, and yet it is an established fa and many an old captain of the sail- ing ships of the merchant marine will put an immediate stop to whistling and often severely punish the man who persists in offending in this regard. Weather Verses. Of sky and sea, and wind and weather, there are enough old sayings and beliefs to fll a volume, some of which may be well to follow, but oftener they seem to be more of a convenient rhyme and doggerel than anything e Sor f these rhymes which seem to be authenticated by long rvation and verification are taught to oung lors of our navy, and are real- re than superstitions, but weather and too uncertain quantities for any rule. One of the t popular of e beliefs in Weather signs is embraced “a rainbow in the morning, Sailors take warning; A rainbow et night Is the sailor's delight.” But the version of this which was given by tie naval cadet of poor memory is equal- ly prophetic, for he gave it: “Sunset in the morning, Sailors take warning; Sunset at night, Sailors delight. A few more doggerel verses which any one may easily prove or disprove by ob- serving the weather are: “The evening red and morning gray Are sure signs of a fine day; But the evening gray and morning red Make the sailor shake his head.” And, “With the rain before the wind Your topsails you must mind; Put when the wind’s before the rain, You may hoist your topsails up again.’ Which any one may verify by observing a few thunder storms. ‘Then again the old sailor will tell you: “When the sun sets in the clear, _ An easterly wind you need not fear.” And if you arise to verify his words {it y be to face a howling easterly gale, at ast in the unsettled seas off our north- eastern coast But one old rhyme the sea captain who sails the azure seas of our West India Is- lands generaily keeps pasted up in his memory, for to him it is invaluable, as it relates to the terrible hurricanes that sweep over these islands, It i: “June, too soon; July, stand August, look out you must; September, remember; Ociober all over!” There are also many rhymes as to the shifting and changing of winds which sea- faring men pin their faith to, often to be appointed. Of all these the most cer- tain is, pechar When the wird shifts against the sun, Trust it not, for back it will run. shifting against the sun” they mean ing from east to north, & instead of vice versa, or “with the sun.’ The ancients saw sometimes at night dur- jing heavy w glowing globes of light jon their m: 2 and yard arms, and leving it to be a divine manifestation \ they called it “St. Eimo’s fire,” a name which it has retained, together with the belief that it was a promise of safety In the storm. ‘ing Dutchman. Of all the superstitions of the sea the weird siory of the “Flying Dutchman” is the most universal, for in a dozen tongues | and,as many lands it has been told by men and fishermen to their children for ‘al hunc vs; since the days of Spanish ure galleons and the h main; and still there are old sail- truthful enough fn ether w: , that r " -e seen the grent ghost in a gale at night, with thin a day their elf upon the rocks le a wreck; for to ing Dutchman” is a ip had piled hi | or gone down in the g% meet the awful “F sure sign of shipw There are numerous versions of the tity of this ghostship, but the English ve ion is that it is the ghost of a Spanish pirate, who went cown with a ship load of ill-gotten treasure, while trying to weather Horn in a terrible gale, and that its gh s patrolled that locality ever since during gales, taking many a good ship to the same fate It suffered years ago. A Spanish Custom. Lying in port with a Spanish man-of- war or sailing in company with her, one notices a queer custom, invariably follow- ed under all conditions of wind and pever weather. Just at sundown every evening the crew swarm/aloft and every block and rope is examfn before they come down on deck agi and the good American sailor will tejf you that they are ‘chasing the rats and[the devil out of the sheive, holes of the blocks in the rigging,” and that it is a Spanish superstition. But in- quiring deep to this strange custom we find that onge~ mutineers on one of the finest Spanis§ ships wedged the ropes in the blocks b@fore a gale, and that when the gale brokt the sails could not be taken in and the was lost. The king of Spain decide lat never again would a ship be lost ust that way, so an edict was publishe dering that every day at sundown th ing should be examined throughout, the order still remains in force, whet ailing ship or steamship, at sea or in port. In another navy of the Latin people, where the church long held sway over the people by preaching the fear of the devil, an order was published that every night at sundown a man should go over each mast head, up one side of the rigging and down the other, thus “chasing the devil over the masthead”—(presumably making him too tired to be active during the night) —and ridiculous as it may seem this cus- tom is still in vogue in that navy. Two English Customs. From the great mutiny in the English navy’s early years, which established the rights of common sailors and stopped many abuses, so that in the end it was a good thing for their navy, we have two customs established that may seem more or less superstitious to us. The signal for that great mutiny was “five bells’ of the even- ing watch (6:30 p.m.), and for many long ye after that terrible night there was no “five bells of the evening watch,” for it was only a reminder of the great mutiny, and then this omitting to strike the five bells grew into a custom, afterwards ad- hered to. On that occasion the officers who resisted or who had been cruel and unjust toward their men were forced to “walk the plank” (i. e., walk overboard blindfolded and with their arms pinioned) over the gangway used only by officers; and after that the other gangway was used by officers, and the one made memorable by the mutiny was always shunned by them. This habit likewise grew into a custom, which is even now rigidly observed. Religious observance has given. other cus- toms aboard ship which seem almost like superstitions; thus in fountries where the Catholic religion is allied to the state the custom of “cockbilling the yards” (a sign of the deepest mourning) is adhered to on Good Friday, in memory of the crucifixion, and as a sign of rejoicing the ship is “dressed” with flags and bunting on Eas- ter morning. What was a well fixed belicf in olden times has given rise to the custom of pay- ing tribute to Neptune when a ship crosses the equator, which is conceded to be the throne of that ruler of the seas. There are many more uncanny beliefs among the old sea dogs, and even the ship itself is invested with a personality by them, for they say that a ship is born “lucky” or “unlucky” and nothing can change it after that. The “lucky” ship escapes storms or rides them out safely; her crew is happy and her life long; while the “unlucky” ship is open to all the dis- asters known to the sea; her crew are discontented and often ill, she is an easy prey to disaster fwd disezse and is at best short lived. It is unlucky, so says the sailor, to give a ship a name that a wrecked or burned v 1 has borne, and it is unlucky to put back into port again after a voyage is begun; and when the rats leave a ship be- fore she sails her fate is sealed, for once let her leave port she will never return. To.the unbeliéver in signs and tokens these omens seem ridiculous, but Jack is hardheaded in his belief, and no amount of argument will change “his mind, though “unlucky” ships by the hundreds may sail on for years in saf and health. — The Wail of the Blase Man. From Harper's Bazar. Tye t 1 ofér the continent; I've traveled o'er San‘Francisean joys, and those of Na- pol I've ret my eyes ow picadores and bulls in sunny Spatuy Tye fished’ the! ‘re moose in Muine Restizouvhe, and hunted I've mo juaw Ive jumy gat; on glaciers I 4 many an Alpine b idl: crags to other crags, like any roads of France; I've sledded the snow, th suadry’ yelp quiman; 1s dogs whose breed was 's shores T've wanilered, he ( I've swing f t Tye don ean Point out a spot I have not seen in China or Japan. Yosemite, and no cne ives who Aud yet—I wonder why It is?-T've never known the Nor Gan’ I ever know it now, that's felt by my nt When at the dinner time he co: And see » With bungry, Pr FES, upon the table set a pair of pumpkin ples. Oh, would I might be young again to taste that Joy f jiis! Ther@S*nothing in the wide, wide world so likened unto bliss. Ya give a decade of my days if I could learn the art Of finding heaven bound within a simple plece of tart ——_—__+e+ — The Tallest Story, Yet. From the Springfield Republican. The Roman Catholics of France intend to erect a building for the Paris exposition of 1900 which, if their plans are carried out, will be the largest and hishest ever heard of. It is to be 1,200 feet long, 1,000 feet wide and 1,000 high. Such an altitude seems preposterous, and there may be some mistake in the description, but there seems no limit to the extrayaxzance of world’s fair architecture. St. Peter's might be set in one corner of such a structure, and the minster of Coiogne in another, leaving a vacant acreage suflicient to ac- commodate all the sainis, relies and other rties the church has accumulated kw years. Such a display would be vhelming, and a part of it interesting. Its presentation of Christian art, from the days of Angelico and Bartolomeo to the present time, would very likely be the impressive ever made. As to the relics which it gathered together, they would be sure to engage the reverent at- tention of the faithful, and those to whom they seemed out of date could easily go around them. In such a colossal structure there would be room for everything illus- trating the history of the church and its great monastic orders from the days of Peter and Paul to those of the present pontiff, and such a display would be one of the most various and prodigious ever made, International fairs are really in- tended to show something else—that is, the preductions of contemporary art and industry—but if the church elects to cele- itself jn this manner there is no doubt that it w make a_ tremendous showing. Its building, if the promise is soar high above all others known, ling the Pyramid and the Tower of , and beside it all the ing con- structions of Paris will look like toys. But it is not done yet, and m. be higher and larger in prophecy than it will be in fact. Elect From the Sketeb, Candidate's Wife—“Well, John, have you been to the poll?” John—“No, my lady, I aren't been te “The Pole,’ but I are been to “The Ancho: IN THE CHAPPARAL A Vegetal Wonderland by the Rio - Grande River. CAC OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Valuable Uses Found for These Curious Plants. SNAKES AND SPIDERS GOVERNMENT EX- pedit'on has just re- turned from the ex- ploration of a veg- etal wonderland. It is qa region totally unlike any other part of the United States —the home of those onstrosities of plant life called cac- tl. The country is known as the “desert of the chapparal,” its extent being from the Nueces river of Texas to the north front of the eastern Sierra Madres of Mex- ico, and from the mouth of the Pecos on both sides of the Rio Grande neariy to the gulf. It has been under’ examination by the geological survey for the purpose of finding water, and many suitable localities for artesian wells have been discovered. “The region is unigue,” said Mr. Robert 'T. Hill of the expedition yesterday. “It is a wide, low-lying plain, through which meanders in a sinuous course the muddy Rio Grande. The country {s covered with a dusty desert soil, on which grows the re- markable vegetation known as ‘chapparal.’ This vegetation embraces many species of plants that are unknown elsewhere in the world, and each one of them is armed with a kind of thorn appropriate for its protec- tion. Here those vegetal freaks, the cactl, :sume an astonishing variety of strange forms, every one of them bristling with de- fensive weapons, that run all the way from needles up to the size of bayonets. The cactus, you know, is a new type of plant on the face of the earth. There is reason to believe that it did not exist anciently at all—anciently, that is to say, from the geo- logical point of view. The tendency to a gradual drying up of the land surfaces of the globe haying brought about desert con- ditions in places, certain plants have adopted modes of growth suitable for the storing of water. At the same time their leaves have become modified into thorns, tor their protection against animals. Though some of them look a3 if scarcely alive, they are found to be juicy enough when cut into, and many of them are use- ful to man. All Sorts of Stick “The chapparal, in a general way, may be described as a dense shrubby vegetation, growing just about hich enough to obstruct the view of a man on horseback. It might be said to be made up of a series of thorny. layel which combined render travel through It extremely arduous and even painful. Under foct, close to the ground, are innumerable cacti of the ‘pincushion’ and ‘Turk’s head’ species. They bristle with keen and sharp thorns, waich easily penetrate the uppers of one's shoes. If you are thirsty, however, you have only to bat- ter in the crown of one of the Turk’s heads, and inside of it you will find a delicious draught of water, cool and fresh. “Just abeve the pincushions, and high enough to stick into the calves of the legs, come the needle-like points of the ‘Spanish or This, too, has its use- » being the great fiber-producing plant cf Mexico. It is a small species of aloe, its thick blade-like leaves terminat- ing in curved needles. Higher again, so as to reach any point between the knee and shoulder of the traveler, is the famous opal.’ This huge variety of prickly pear is the national plant of Mexico, figuring in the coat of arms of that couniry. The de- gn on one side of the Mexican silver dol- ers. lar represents an eagle with 4 snake in its leak rising ovt of a ‘nopa!’ bush. ‘The fruit of this piant is pear-shaped and near- ly as big as a Bartlett pea a de cochineal r. In fact, it was from this kind ef cactus that the insects furnishing the cochineal of commerce used to be ob- tained, before that product was driven out of the market by a coal-tar s D hot summer di eats this inviting fruit. ina high fe jasting, is unpleasant. ere covered with long and ¢ le at the base of each leaf is a group of s Mer and almost invisible needles. The latter, however, inflict wounds which cre apt to be felt for days. Higher yet and above the shoulder reaches the ‘Spanish bayonet,’ a kind of yucca. Standing in a ficwer pot in a garden this plant fs a hand- some and innocent ornament, but in the chapparal its dagger-like points stab through the clothing into the flesh. “Above, forming a dense mat over the head of the traveler, are the thorny shrubs of many species—chiefly the mesquite and its allies, such as the ‘huishache,’ the ‘guaxillo’ aad the ‘cat’s claw.’ Beneath the beautiful and finely cut leayes of these shrubs are fmumerable thorns. The ‘guax- illo’ is a sensitive plant. If you touch one of its leaves gently it will shrink and shrivel up fur the moment. If you attempt to handle the plant roughly, however, the sharp curved claw: led beneath the leaves will make ‘Yy. The ‘guaxillo’ u a huge bean, which, when dry, makes & rattling so like that of a rattlesnake as to frighten anybody who is inexperienced. Thorns Are Useful. “The native Indians, popularly known as ‘Mexicans,’ have uses for every one of these strange plants of the chapparal. From different species they obtain soap, hair tonic, toothbrushes, hairbrushes and even medicines. Along the lower Rio Grande the mesquite beans are made Into Lread. Horses are exceedingly fond of there bea end for them. will abandon the choicest oats at any time. The mesquite leaves ar2 masticated as an antidote for fever. It is said that a traveler can live in that country without water for a con- siderable time by chewing the pulp of the thick leaves of the ‘nopal.’ The latter is utilized as food for cattle, and a baby food made from the juicy pulp has recently been placed on the market. “Many of the plants of the chapparal possess medicinal and economic values un- ognized up to date. Although in a sense a ‘desert,’ the term as applied to this re- gion is a misnomer, for concealed among the thorny vegetation are many bunches of nutritious grasses, while nearly all of the shrubs produce rich crops of beans, on which cattle, goats and sheep thrive mar- velou The vegetation has a peculiar habit of being al ys in fruit—a part of it, that is to s The fruiting is not con- trolled by the seasons, but by rainfall. One often sees a tree bearing flowers and ripe ruit at the same time, whether it be in June or December. The blossoms yield the est quality of honey, and stock raisers in the region have gone largely into the busi- ness of bee keeping. The wood of the mesquite has a hard and close grain, and is valuable for paving. The streets of San Antonio are paved with blocks of this wood. I forgot to say that the natiy make a thick paste from the ‘nopal,’ which they apply all over the body of a person suffering from smallpox. Where Garza Hid. “The chapparal, being armed in the man- ner I have described against intrusion by man or beast, affords effectual concealment for any legged creature that penetrates in- to it. It was in this jungle of cacti that the bandit Garza found safety for so long a defying the combined efforts of the Indian-fighting cavalry,United States shais and Texas rangers, who were bent on his capture. He was caught event- ually, but rot in the chapparal. Disguised as a herder, in sandals and rags, driving a few goats and scabby sheep, he threaded his way in safety through end out of the country. The fauna of the region of the chapparal js as interesting as the flora, and, like it, is peculiar. Here you find the ‘javelina’—a native would not know what you meant if you said ‘peccary’—in immense numbers. ‘This animal is considered the gamiest game that can be found anywhere. It fights to e tion and He will quickly r, which, though The = the death, and when ene individual is wounded its companions usually come to its assistance. Small chance has the hun- ter who finds himself engaged in combat with them under disadvantageous circum- stances. With their razor-like tusks they will tear him literally to pieces. In the United States the armadillo is practically restricted to this region. Rattlesnakes are plenty, lizards of a great variety of species innumerable, and there is no end of centi- pedes, tarantulas and scorpions. The sting of one species of scorpion, known as the ‘vinegaroon,’ is said to be sure death. Gila monsters are reported to be found in the chapparal, but I saw none there. Quail of two very rare species, the black and the blue, are abundant, as well as the ordinary Bob White. There are also wild doves of eS not known elsewhere in this coun- ry. “Most of the region is entirely devoid of surface water. The stream beds are all ‘arroyos'—the Spanish name for waterless gullies. The ranches commonly depend cn subterranean water for their stock, using windmills to pump it to the surface from a depth sometimes exceeding 500 feet. I rode a horse that had been foaled on one of these ranches and had never seen water except in a trough, When we came to a running stream he was so frightened that he would not go near it. Around the edge of the chappural country are many beauti- fuj spring rivers, which burst out of the ground and flow shert distances before they are absorbed by the thirsty. soil. A Rich Region. “The Rio Grande for a long part of its course, from Eagle Pass to Laredo, flows over coal b2ds which will prove ultimately to be of great value. In the midst of the desert a New York company has opened an asphalt mine, from which an unusually rich quality of this product ts shipped to the north to be manufactured into insulating material and for other purposes. The city of Houston is being paved with asphalt from this mine. Geologically speaking, the region is quite remarkable, and from the naturalist’s point of view it is full of in- terest. There are many deposits of the fos- sil bones of camels, mastodons and horses. Along the lower Rio Grande are immense beds of the biggest fossil oysters known. Some of these oysters were over a foot in length, and in shape they resemble the toothsome bivalve so much loved by the epicure today. Orce upon a time Texas was under water, and a large part of its area Was ohe great oyster bed—probably the biggest oyster bed that ever existed. The shells which these oysters left behind form a continuous sheet twenty feet thick and extending nearly half way across the state. The deposit equals in bulk and thick- ness the coal seams of Pennsylvania. These oysters were of a great variety of species long extinct. Some of the shelis bear a re- semblance to the upper part of the human cranium, and are called by the natives ‘skulls.”. The shells of another species weigh as much as ten pounds a pair. Other kinds were shaped like boats, rams’ horns and cocks’ combs. “It. was in the chapparal rezion of which we are speaking that the great grazing in- dustry of this country started. This was the original home of the long-horn steer. After the civil war shrewd Yankees estab- lished ranches, gathered in the innumer- able wild cattle, and branded the maver- icks, thus starting herds which increased 30 rapidly as scon to overflow irto northwe Texas and later on into Montana, un finally Rocky at the whole of the plains and the mountain region were poptilated. Until the era of the barbwire fence arrived —that js to say, up to ten years ago—there was an annual hegira from the country of the chapparal to the northwestern terri- tory, the ‘drive’ often numbering 300,200 head. Those were the days when the cow- boy and the ramger were in full bloom, and the old-time trails leading out of the desert of the cacti are full of romance and story.” RENE BACHE. —— HOW TO WALK EASILY. An Explanation How Any One May Tramp Without Weariness. From the New York Herald. A gentleman of this city who is famous as a scholar and remarkable as a pedes- trian of enormous staying powers ex- plained to me recently that the reason why so many persons seem to be unaole to make long walks is that they do not un- derstand the proper management of their bodies in such efforts. “An ordinary statement concerning the act of: walking,” he said, “is that it con- sists of a series of interrupted falls. In other words, walking depends the action of gravity as it affects the hu- man body while in movement. I discov- ered long ago that walking as it is crdi- narily performed is by no means a series cf interrupted fall “Of course, it is a fact that walking in- cludes interrupted falls, but there is noth- ing either explanatory or profound in the stat r y. The same might be said of standing with the same lucidity, for when one is standing he subject to the law of grav He would fall were bis fall not inte’ his legs. “As a matter of fact, walking fs a mus- cular projection of the body in any direc- tion by means of the legs’ muscular mo ments, the two legs never leaving the walk- ing eat the same time. As we usually walk we siand erect. When that is dene gravity docs not move the body forward. On the contrary, its force is ex- erted down ‘d in a perpendicular iine. The movement of the body forward is se- cured by a rise and push, as, for example, when standing on the left leg the right foot’s heel is raised from the ground and the ball of the foot and its toes yet touch- ing, a push is given, whereby the body is projected forward. The right foot is then carried forward, and serves as the body's support while the left foot’s b in fits turn is raised and the body is moved for- ward by a second push. Gravity is present, naturally, but the walking depends on the pushes as its source and constant Cause. ut while falling is an inconsiderable part in ordinary walking, as we walk in the streets erect and dignified, it may be applied to long-distance walking with won- derful success. But he who cultivates tuch walking must be prepared to give up an elegant appearance for the time being. Some persons seem to be able to walk ex- traordinary distances without extraordi- Yary fatigue. Others seem unable to do so. For my own part I have observed (iat while I can walk only a few miles in the city before I look longingly on the street cars, I can take a twenty-mile walk across ccuntry without disastrous results, save to the lard My method for long-distance walking is as follows: Assume something of a bicycle hump, lean far forward, give no push with the feet; depend altogether for momentum on the force exerted Ly gravity, which, by your interruption of it serves to carry your body forward. You must also bear in mind that sho: rather than long steps are the rule, and also that the advancing foot must never touch the heel first, but always the toes and ball of the foot.’ Indeed, your gait has a sort of shuffle in it and is not pretty, but is tre- mendously effective.” ——--+0+-___ He Loved to Steal. From the New York Herald. A Methodist clergyman had finished read- ing the Scripture lesson in a week-day prayer meeting recently held in a New Jer- sey village. Looking out over the meager audience, he asked Mr. Smith to start some appropriate song. Smith hastily thumbed over the leaves of his hymn book and began in an unknown key: “I love te steal"— This was clearly wrong, and the leader stopped to take a fresh Rold lower down the register and again sang out: “I love to steal"”"—— Again he stopped short. the right pitch. Some of the younger per- sons present tittered and giggled. Smith's face was red, and the perspiration was be. ginning to ooze from every pore. Mopping his face, he made one more effort to grasp the proper note, fairly shouting: “I love to steal He could not get The cler nan, with solemn mien, arose and, gla at the now hopele: confus- ed Smith, sa: “I am very sorry to hear it, brother. Will Mr. Jones kindly lead us in praye: : +e A Misnomer. "From the Chicago Post. “What do you think of Mlle. Julie’s char- acter dance?” “Character dance!” Yes.” “Is that what it’s called?” ss. Why not?” “Well, some of the figures gave me the idea that both she and the dance lacked character.” FOR SICK HEADACHE Take Heorsford’s Acid Phospbate. It removes the cause by stimulating the action be Sie stomach, promoting Cigsrtion su qctoting INSOMNIA. From the Herald, Baltimore, Md. Mrs. Jessie Shea fs a married woman Whose tly Lome is at 855 West Lexington street, Baltimore. For many months Mrs, Shea was @ terrible sufferer from a nervous affection whitch Te:uited In general debility and superinduced that ofttimes incurable malady, insomnia, A Herald Teporter called at her resi recently, and Was shown Into the neatly furnished parlor and told that Mrs. Shea would be down in a few minutes. Soon a light step was heard down the stairway and Mrs. Shea, radiant with beaith and the vigor of young wo: entered the room. When asked if she had used Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills, with a smile which betokened the utmost satisfaction the young Indy replied: “Yes, I have Used them, and had f not heard of them’ I 4oabt it I would’ have been here to answer your call.”* Continuing, she said: “About two months go T had an attack of what the doctors termed nervous Prostration. My appetite left me entirciy, what little sleep I got, and it was very Mitle, I assure you, Was not by any means refreshing. Ou the ‘coatrary, when I awoke frem a nap I had such a Uzed and exbausted fecling that I was loth to try to get to sleev again. 1 continued to lose fess day after day, until I was almost shadow compared with my former self. *As soon as I begta to take the Pink Pitts T commenced to improve. Tam no longer troobied with nervousness. I hare a good appetite, ex- perlenee rene of the feelings Incident to 4 tion, and I sl>>p as sound as a healthy -bild. pilla are certataly all they are repcescated to Be aud, as T belteva T owe my Iife to the fact having used them, I shall always cheerfully recom- mend tem to my friends and other persons Whom on to . sufferiag from the of which ey cured z Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills contain, in a condensed form, sll the elements necessary to give new Hfe and ‘richness to the blood and restore shattered herves. They are also a specific for troubles peeu- liur to females, such as suppressions, ities and all forms of weakness. The; the blo, ‘and restore the glow of bealth to pale and sallow checks. In men they effect a radical cure in all cases arising from mental worry, over work or excesses of whatever nature. Pills are sold in boxes (never in loose bulk) at 50 cents a box, or six boxes for $2.50, ani may be had of all drnggists, or direct by mail from Dr, Williashe” Medicine Company, Schenectady, N. X. The Mad Bull and the Athictic Turneta From Fitegende Blatter.