Evening Star Newspaper, July 4, 1896, Page 14

| they endeavored to work in different sec- “Blessings come in disguise,” commented @ well-known farmer who resides near the Burnt Mills in Maryland, “but we did not think that the hanging of Irvin Ford would Prove beneficial, though such is the case. As the news reached the colored folks eut our way on Friday night that Ford had been harged, it had a wonder- fully depressing influence upon them, and especially upon the women. Since then they have kept pretty well in their homes, for, according to their stories and super- stitions, there is scarcely a farm in the orhood which has not been visited ‘ord’s ghost. The ghost seems to ap- pear in a half dozen piaces at the same lime, and it has been hard since to get the colored women to go to the springs, wells cr milk houses after nightfall. The prev- alence of Ford's ghost has stopped for the tine all the aight prowling, and to that ¢xtent at least It has been a blessing. The men, though they do not see the ghost THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1896—TWENTY-FOUOR iid nthe ee ie | of the gentlemen resides in that state now. Both were candidates for a small ccunty office. and both then, as they are now, were hustiers for anything they were after. They were making a house-to-house can- vass, which was necessary at that time owing to the sparse population, and while tions, they frequently found themselves in the same neighborhood at the same time. The occurrence which I refer to was at a farm about a mile distant from the vil- lage where both candidates were to speak the following day. The candidates kept their eyes pretty well on each other dur- ing the early part of the day, but during the afternoon they started out to do mis- siorary work at farm houses. By a sin- gular circumstance they landed at the same farm, though one did not know the other was there until later on. “The man first referred to, finding that the owner of the farm was absent, devoted himself to the wife, and, of cours», said all kinds of nice things to her, making special inquiry after the children, whether they had caught the measles, which prevailed at the time, etc. The lady seemed charm- ed with the attention shown her, but said she would have to be excused. as she had to milk the cow. The candidate kindly offered to assist in that performance, say- ing that though he could not milk he could keep the ffies off the cow, or at least hold her tail. gs often as do the women, now keep in their quarters pretty well at night.” ** KK * “Hunting diamonds in the dark 1s a new experience with me,” said Col. Frank My- €-3 of the pension office, “but it proved to be successful. A few evenings since some of the ladies_of my family indulged in a spin on their cycles in the circle on the White House lot. During their ride one of them lost a diamond collar button. Of course they did not know at what point they lost it, though they did know that the wearer had the button on when the ride began and did not have it when she stopped. As the circle is a half mile around it seemed to be almost an impossi- ble task to find it, but the ladies persisted ir. the search. Taey secured the assistance of several other riders in the search, and later on three or four more. The Party then started out in single file to make the circuit, and afterward in files of four. In the third trip I was the lucky finder.” xk KKK “Grip poison is the newest in the way of ailments,” observed a 14th street physician, “and during the rainy season of the past two or three weeks I have had three well- ‘Ked cases under treatment. The pa- nts were, of course, gripmen on ihe ca- ble line. It appears that during moist Weather the brass handle on the grip keeps moist nearly all of the time. In case there are scratches or abrasions of any kind on i poison from the vrass is absorb- ed. ailment, however, is not serious, though painful at times. It would not oc- cur did the gripmen wear gloves, but dur- ing the warm weather many of the men ard their gloves. In one of the cases by me the poison was complicated man rubbing his eye, which was affected. The treatment consists & Washes, a: i by alteratives and tonics where the system is in any Way run down.” oe ee “Dog physicians and dog hospitals are rether in this city now,” remark- eda log fancier and kennel owner, e doing a good busi- fine dogs are their cust and they find it to be bet- ter and cheaper to send tneir sick or in- jured dogs to a hospital, where they can be treated and nursed by intelligent and educated physicians, than to give up their own time to them. The mortality of the dog hospitals, however, is rather large as ners, yet, for people generally are not educated up to it, and do not send their dogs for treatment until they have tried all the remedies known to them. By that time the dog is in such a bad shape that there ‘is little hope of recovery. The dog hos- pital,therefore,comes in for the blame, which is undeserving. It is the same way with surgical cases resulting from accidents, bites from other dogs and the like. The hospital is the last resort, and in the majority of cases blood poisoning has set in before the dog is sent for treatment. It is not surprising under the circumstances that the mortality is so large.” x KK KK “Sand diggers were numerous on the Po- tomac some years ago,” said an old-time river man, “and their little scows were always in sight just above the Long bridge. Often a dozen of them could be seen at one time. But this is all past now, and the sand digger is one of the many other things that were. Formerly the sand digger worked at low tide, and gath- ered his load from the bottom of the river with a long spoon-shaped contrivance. He could not work at any other time than low tide and get a prime article of river sand. In the place of the sand digger sand ts now loaded into scows hold. ing three to four nundred cubic yards, by the aid of a hydraulic pump, operated by steam. This machine works in high or low tde and pumps up more sand in an hour from the bed of the river than all the old-fashioned sand diggers com- bined couid gather in a day. The sand is dried and piled up into little mountains in size at the river front at the foot of 1th street. The retail pr! of river sand, delivered, averages about $1 per cart load, which is more than the same quantity of coal costs in the vicinity of coal mines.” * 2 eee “If it is not too early I would like to tell you a campaign story,” remarked the chief of one of the bureaus of a down-town department. “One of the actors in it is today very frequently spoken of as a pos- sible candidate before the Chicago con- vention, though he is by no means the most prominent, and the othet, by a pe- cullar combination of events, bad been spoken of in connection with the nomina- tion as governer of his state. The scene was in a western state, though neither “While engaged in holding the cow’s tail he ventured to ask if his competitor for the office had been around yet. ‘Oh, yes,” answered the wife, ‘he is here now. He is in the back barn and is holding the calf, for this cow will not give down her milk if the calf ts in sight. ee OR KR Wouid it not be well, suggests a wheel- man, to organize a bicycle orchestra; not @ brass band affair, but music produced by the bells. The tinkling of the bells of a party of cyclers is a merry sound, but why not have them ring chimes and play sim- ple tunes? Eight or more persons in a club might have the bells on their ma- chines arranged so as to form a scale, each bell being tuned to the correct note. It should not be difficult to do this. Then with a little practice a pleasing effect might be produced by the players. ee KH A poster on Pennsylvania avenue when first placed in position informed the public that a certain description of stove lining was for sale. It also stated that “it fits any stove,” and was followed by the word “Cheap.” The rains of several months have washed away the ink, erasing all the words but two. These remain in all their pristine freshness. They are: FITS Cheap. | x KOK KX The one with the flowing whiskers greeted him of the florid face familiarly and ioudly: Helle, Max, vere you going?” ‘Me? I go ter riffer town mid de fomly.” Ter riffer tcwn, eh? Vell, Max, tell me dis. Subbose you vife unt you mutter fall in de vater unt you gan safe on’y von; vich von you safe This was evidently a poser to Max, who hesitated a minute and then answered valiantly Ho! I safe b “But T say gan safe on'y von: now vich von voult you safe?” persisted the first. Max hesitated again. The question was a serious one, and he couldn't bring himself to answer it. But he brightened, and had recourse to a refuge his American environ- ment had shown him. “Vich von voult you safe?” he returned, with triumphant emphasis. “Me?” ejaculated the other. “Vy, I'd safe my mutter. [ gan on'y got von mutter unt I gan got vifes by der tuzzen.” Then he laughed loud and long at his jecke, and his fat sides were still shaking when the green baize doors of the beer sa- loon swung open. xk KK * They were speaking of puns, and mention had been made of the fact that Dr. Johnson had asserted that a man who would make @ pun would pick a pocket. “Pun-making,” said a law student, “may not at the present day be a crime, but it was not always so, for in the law books. it is shown that a man actually suffered capital punishment for this sort of pleasantry. In Blackstone, fourth book, chapter on treason, it is related that an inn keeper, whose house was called “The Crown,” once said that he would make his son ‘the heir to The Crown.’ This having come to the ears of the occupant of the throne, the culprit was haled before a court of justice, tried, condemned and sentenced. The punishment was of the sort inflicted upon persons guilty of high treason, and consisted in drawing and quartering.” xe KK OK “It is wonderful to what lengths the force of habit witl carry a person,” remarked the observant citizen. ‘Just look at that lady in bicycle costume crossing the muddy street.” The lady in question had made the mistake of forgetting for the instant that she was not wearing long skirts. xe KOK A discussion arose recently between two ger.tlemen who at one time or another had learned and forgotten more or less about natural philosophy. The question at issue was whether the action of a fan in motion cooled a person by lowering the temperature of the air in his vicinity. It was maintained on one side that such was the case, and on the other that the atmosphere remained unchanged. To settle the point, after a sum had been put up by each party, a ther- mometer was placed directly in front of a revolving electric fan, where the full blast of air could strike it. ‘After it had remained there ten minutes it was found that the temperature recorded by the instrument had not changed a fraction of a degree. ——— When It Hurts. From the Chicago Post. She looked at his new bicycle with con- siderable interest. “It's not very high,” she said. “I shouldn’t think it would hurt to fall from that. “It doesn’t,” he replied tersely. ‘The fall- ing off is perfectly harmless, but it’s differ- ent when you reach the pavement.” ov em.” (Goemnnpstiany “What's ‘er matter, Tom?” “T've swollered a torpeder, an’ I’m askeert I'm goin’ to bus A R T A N D JA R Ti s T s though it will probably be in the Salvation The work at the Corcoran Art School closed with, the end of. last month, Many of thé students’ had dropped their study there soon after the exhibition, out-door work possessing @ greater charm for them than ‘drawing from cast. The -ife class has been kept up, however, though with diminished numbers, and has accomplished considerable. At present it does not look as if the schol would be able to occupy the quarters in the new gallery when work is commenced in the fall. But if the build- ing is rushed rapidly, it will not be long before the students can be installed in the new rooms, and continue work under the more advantageous circumstances which the better lighting and greater capacity of the place will insure. * * Ox Miss Lillian Cook, who is the instructor in the antique and water color classes at the Corcoran School, sails for Europe to- day. She goes first to Paris, but will, in all probability, go to Holland or Venice later on, and do some sketching in ofl and water color. Miss Cook expects to remain abroad for the entire summer, returning in the fall to her work in the school. * * Ok Miss Nellie Stafford has been occupied principally with still-life subjects, a branch of painting to which she has devoted much of her attentien. She cares very little for flowers as subjects for painting, but secs the picturesque qualities of quaint old kitchen utensils, greenish-copper vessels, odd-shaped bottles, and the like, and is fend of grouping these objects with vege- tabies for he? still-life studies. She is not confined to this range of subjects, however, and has done equally good work in por- traiture and landscape, both in pastel and in oil, her favorite medium. Miss Stafford may g0, before long, to Boyd's station, Va., for a short season of sketching. * ** Mr. W. H. Holmes, whose work here is remembered by many, has for some years occupied the position of curator of anthro- pology at the Field Columbian Museum in Chicago. In this capacity he took a trip down into Mexico, making a special study of the ancient architecture of the country, and has recently written on the subject a very interesting book, which he has illug- trated with many of his clever sketches. * - * Several portraits have been occupying Mrs. Annie W. Hoyle’s attention, a pastel of @ young lady being particularly pleas- ing. She was at work during the winter on some pen and ink illustration, and she has done also a number of landscapes in oll, among which a view of the city from Ben- ning !s noteworthy. She hopes to follow up this kind of out-door work’ on the Hudson this summer, or in some picturesque place nearer home. * * Mr. and Mrs. Hobart Nichols have been spending the week up at Paxton, Va., and will not return until some time next week. The place is the sort where pleasant recrea- tion can be combined with serious study, and Mr. Nichols will no doubt bring back a number of interesting sketches. Mr. Wells M. Sawyer returned a short time ago from his wedding trip, which took him out west. He stopped for a while in Chicago, and as he was once a member of the Society of Artists in that city, he found a keen enj yment in talking over old times with the ‘boy: Mr. Sawyer is now out at the old Calvert mansion, Riverdale, and has been painting some of the picturesque spots around there. He plans to make his work this summer more along the line of close painstaking study than hasty sketch- ing. Mr. H. B. Bradford sticks very closely to black and white, and does almost no work in color, his bent being in the direc- | tion of illustration. Of late he has been drawing for several of the comic weeklies, for the most part in pen and ink, in which he has a very independent technique. He has no gift for caricature, and the figures for his illustrations are done carefully and accurately from Hfe. He lays great stress on the drawing of the outline and on a paiastaking blocking out of the main shadows, believing that the form should never be sacrificed to gain freedom of handling. * ** Miss Jane Bridgham Curtis has left for Buckland, Va., where she plans to spend a month in resting and sketching. She will then go to East Gloucester, which seems to be the Mecca of Washington artists. * * * Spencer Nichols returned about a week ago from a short stay in Portsmouth, Me., and he not only had a jolly time, but brought back a number of very good studies. There are a great many interesting motifs to be found along the water front, and he got hold of several quaint bits that can be developed into good pictures. Mr. Nichols is now at work on a landscape which promises to be excellent, though it will take a number of trips into the coun- try to finish it. The composition is quite a simple one, showing a couple of stanch trees on the crest of a hill, and there is op- portunity for a delicate treatment of light and shade in the sunlit foliage. Mr. Nichols has also under way a small figure study in govache and a portrait of Dr. Muncaster, which he is executing in oil. He is spending the Fourth with nis brother up in Paxton, Va * x & Mr. Carl Weller is also avoiding the noise to which the day is given over in the same spot, and there is quite a party of artists up in the Blue Ridge. Mr. Weller has of late been quite busy sketching, and has done a number of good things, one of the best of which is a view of a yellow, tree-bordered roadway, which stretches up to the crest of a hill and disappears over the other side. In a winter scene which he has commenced Mr. Weller has the foundation for a very impressive picture. The scheme of color is based on the gray and russet hues seen in the trees and in the bare ground in the late fall and early winter, and there is a subtle harmony of tone that is very pleas- ing. ———— SALVATIONISTS TO ASSEMBLE HERE A Rally of Officers Next Week to Meet the New Commander. Thovgh not directly connected with the Christian Endeavor convention, one of the most interesting events of that week will be a grand rally of the Salvation Army officers of this division to give a rousing welcome to Commander and Mrs. Booth- Tucker, the newly appointed chiefs of the army in this country, who have been in- vited to make addresses at the meetings of the convention. They have accepted, and so they will make their first appear- ance at the capital at a time of great re- ligious interest. Staff Captain Cox, commander of the di- vision that embraces the District and the states of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, has arranged to mark this event by an u! usual ceremony. She has issued orders to all of the officers of the army under her commend to assemble here Thursday of next week. They will all be here by the evening of that day, it is expected, and there will be a welcome meeting held at Salvation Hall, 930 Pennsylvania avenue, Thursday night. Friday there will be a gathering of the officers to talk over army affairs, “a private council of war,” as Captain Cox expressed herself to a Star re- porter. Friday night there will be an open meet- ing at Wesley Chapel, when Captain Cox will talk on the subject, “‘What the Salva- tion Army is Doing in Many Lands.” This address will be followed by a half night of prayer, lasting from 10 o’clock until 1, or even later, it may be, in the vation Hall, Saturday the officers will, use Captain Cox's expression, “‘flood* the. city.” They will sell “War Cries,” hold corner meetings and in every possible way seek to advance the great cause for which the army is or- ganized. Saturday afternoon Commander Booth-Tucker and his: wife will arrive, and they will be met at the station by the offi- cere and escorted to their quarters. They are scheduled to speak at the evening meetings in Tents Waskington and En- deavor, aud so there will be no army ex- ercises atter their arrival Saturday. Sun- day morning, however, there will be a rousing meeting in a place not yet selected, Hall. The communder and his wife will be present, and will participate in the exer- cies. Sunday afternoon there will be an open meeting froff 3 to 8 o'clock at Masonic ‘Temple, with addresses by the commander and his wife. * dmpanied ig this city. from Now York by companied this city lew Yor ae ‘@ dozen led 9 more headquarters officers, rdobably intfuding Brigadier Evans, son bevthe Brigadier: Evans who accompanied General Boeth to this city a few months ago, and Brigadier Lewis, a woman with an exceptiohally fine voice. Staff Captdin Cox is an old friend of both the commander and Mrs. Booth-Tucker, having seryed with them in India. She was rrivate secretary to Mrs. Booth-Tucker there aboug,seven years ago. She says that the commander is a very fine linguist, having been at one time a judge in the civil service of Indla. Mrs. Booth-Tucker resembles her mother, and ts her father’s favorite daughter. Captain Cox’s force has just been in- creased by the arrival of two new officers from England to fill vacancies. One of them is Capt. Worthington, who left Eng- land only about a fortnight ago. ————— No Antographs for Her. From the Cincinnati! Enquirer. ‘The new girl was a treasure, and the mis- tress of the house Is still quaking over the Parrow escape she had from losing her the other day. On the morning of the day upon which her wages became due her mistress re- quested her to step into the study, where her master was waiting to pay her. In a few moments she rushed from the study to the kitchen, where she had left her mis- tress, and in less time than it takes to nar- rata had given the astonished lady notice that she was going to leave. “But whatever is the matter, Mary?” in- quired her mistress. ‘“‘What has your mas- ter sald or done to annoy you?” “He hasn’t said nuthin’,” replied Mary, as she flourished a check in her mistress’ face, ‘‘but he’s given me this for a month's slavery. Not me; I ain’t no ortygraph col- lector, I ain't. a =e The Undergraduate and the Average Gtei. From Life. We meets her and finds sh intelligence which IN HOTEL “CORRIDORS | satr,caren tan cout aos some | SHORT STORIES BY M QUAD “I was reading a story in The Star about @ mean man,” said A. F. Lieyellan of Lin- coln, Neb., at the Riggs, “and I could not help wishing that the writer of it had met Elfas Wilton of my city. Wilton in- herited considerable property and made some money, after which he removed to Lincoln, and lives as an elegant gentle man of leisure. He loans money at ten per cent a month, ard has in that way succeed- ed in beccming possessed of a fine ward- robe, any article of which, however, he is perfectly willing to sell at any time. But it is not of this I intended to speak. The meanest thing he ever did, and one that I believe entitles him to the title of mean- est man in the United States, was a few days before I left home. Wilton had fallen in love with a young lady from Hastings, who was visiting in Lincoln, and his at- tentions were favorably received up *o the time she returned to Hastings. Wilton concluded to propose. He had no station- ery, and went to a store to get proper paper and envelopes. They asked him three cents, at which he was indignant, remarking that a postal card would do as well, anyway. So on a postal card he wrote his ceclaration of love and proposal of marriage. The missive was answered by the brother of the young lady in per- son, and Wilton will pay full postage on his next love letter.” “One would think that all of the swin- dling dodges had been tried,” said Arthur L. Weed of Peoria, Ill., at the Cochran, “put I ran across a new one inf Pittsburg. In one of the first-class restaurants I sat at the table with a man who was eating a full course dinner. He was a very gentle- manly fellow and a charming conversa- tionalist. I don’t know when I have en- joyed a meal as I did the very modest lunch at the restaurant. Before I was through he courteously bade me good day and left. “When I picked up my check to liquidate accounts, I found I had a bill of $5.75, when I expected one of 25 cents. After a great eal of trouble I succeeded in convincing the restaurant keeper that I was not re- sponsible for the other man’s dinner or the exchange of checks. The next day a friend of mine had a like experience in another cafe, and I knew by his description that the same man had worked the change of checks.” “Talking about pluck and inventive ge- nius,” said C. E. Hooper of Raleigh at the National, “reminds me of a young fellow who settled near Tarboro in my state. He did not have a dollar when he went to the county. He tried to obtain a position as school teacher, but failed. Something had to be done, and he rented a small farm, then borrowed a plow, obtained credit for a yoke of oxen, but could not get a wagon. This he made, and it was the most remark- able vehicle ever in North Carolina. He sawed down a large tree, four disks off the larger end made the wheels, the log split in two formed the bed, and the crossbars and tongue he made from the boughs of the tree. With an ax and a wedge, his only tools, he constructed the wagon, and It was not long before he owned his farm. The wagon is still good, it will outwear any of those manufactured by wagon makers, for the rough mountain countr: Iting mines is not so profitable as it formerly was,” said D. H. Barnes of Phoe- nix, Ariz, at the Metropolitan, “and the men who used to be engaged in the occupa- tion of selling dry holes by the judicious distribution of a little paying quartz have Kone into other lines. One of the most remunerative of these mines is in Arizona. Probably no other state or territory wants first-class mineral springs more than Ari- zona. It seemingly has everything else in abundance, but its springs do not compare with those of New Mexico. Lately severel fine medicinal springs have been discover- One of these I was invited to invest in, ccompanied by several others who were interested, I went to the spring. It was supposed to be as fine as Hunyadi water. It tasted like Hunyadi water. We tcok some of it away and an analysis show- ed it to be of the same properties as Hun- yadi water, and we were about to close the trade when the chemist began making in- quiries, the result being that he assured us such a spring in such a place was impo: sible. We took him with us, and an iffvesti- gation showed that the Spring consisted of @ buried barrel of genuine Hunyadi wate @ pipe from the bottom of the “spring carrying the water into another barrel, so it would not be lost, and a force pump, hidden in a cave conveniently located for the purpose. It was chrewdly arranged, and had not the chemist been a geologist too, we would have paid a good price for the spring. Several have already been sold by similar methods.” Next to the disappearance of the buffalo for remarkably rapid extermination comes the killing of the alligators,” said A. L. Stephens of Jacksonville, Fla., at the Eb- bitt. “There are a good many of the saurians left in a very few localities, but they are becoming scarcer every day, and in ten years, possibly in half that time, there will not be a wild alligator left in the United States, except in impassable swamps like the Everglades. Ten years ago every stream in Florida and many of those in Louisiana were filled with the reptiles, and a common recreation for tourists’ was shooting alligators. Now the St. John’s river, that formerly teemed with them, has not an alligator in it, unless he has’ hap- pened to come from one of the creeks. I have not heard of an alligator having been seen in Louisiana during the past three years, and it is very rare that the tourist through Florida obtains a glimpse of a saurian. They are still being industriously hunted, their hides being valuable, and it cannot take a great while for them to be entirely exterminated.” “The people of New Orleans are fearful as to what course the Mississippi river in- tends to take,” said C. T. Loomis of the crescent city at the Normandie. “Some of the very best engineers claim that the father of waters has grown tired of the route he has traveled for so many years and is very likely to take a short cut to the ocean. Of these there are three, one by the bayou Teche, another by Lakes Allemands and Salvador being very much more direct and with a better fall than the present course of the river. Either route would leave New Orleans from fifty to cre hundred miles from the river, and the Prospects for the river breaking through all bounds and changing its channel in this way are growing every year. The old-time danger of an inundation of New Orleans owing to the city being on lower ground than the river is not nearly so great as that the river will desert it and make it an inland city.”” 'TERESTS OF THE TWO SEXES. Attitude of the Equal Suffragists Compared With Their Opponents. Rachel Foster Avery has written to The Star as follows: “Much is said of the movement toward equality of political rights for women with their brothers, as being an attempt to set men and women against each other. This is a view held only by those outside of the movement, and who fail to comprehend its true meaning. “To those who stand prominently {denti- fied with this great cause it is sacred as the freedom for which our forefathers and fore- mothers sacrificed so much—in fact, to many of us it seems even broader in its in- clusiveness because it affects one entire half of the human race the world over. “Whoever has read the history of the stage, no matter what may be his or her attitude toward it as an educator of the present day, cannot fail to admit that it has now a higher standing both morally and artistically tran in the times when men alone occupied the boards. Then no cne was surprised at a delay once in the production of Romeo and Juliet, when the eaplanation was made from behind the feotlights to his majesty, who was present, that ‘the play vould proceed as soon as Juliet was shaved.’ Think of Shakespeare's dainty heroine personified by a man! “In so many ways, both amusing and pro- voking, men have felt themselves called upon to ‘represent’ women that it is diffi- cult for them to realize any possible ad- vantage to be derived from listening to the ‘woman's side of questions presented by herself, but just as certainly as do the mothers of the Jand take better care of their children than could any number of men trying to ‘represent’ them in this re- lation, just so surely will women do better by making their opinions felt directly upon the polity of the country than by being ‘represented’ by men. It is the anti-suf- fragists who wish to separate the interests of men and women, not the women suffra- gists; the former draw an imaginary line between the Hves of men and women, and wish the two sexes carefully separated, lest thelr influence upon each other should be for evil and not for good; the equal suffra- gists have faith to believe that the Creator made men and women to be together in all walks of life, made them to have a recip- rocally good influence upon each other. They feel that what God hath joined to- gether no man-made laws should put asun- der in the government, any more than in the church, in society or in the home. ears s CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE. Had to Pay the Penalty for Anoth Who Committed the Crime. “Speaking of circumstantial evidence,” said an old attorney to a Star writer, “I am free to confess that I corsidgr it hardly tke thing to hang a man on, though it has been done in maay cases. I can re- call an instance when I was a youngster of twelve or fourteen, in which my father, who was a leading crimiral lawyer, de- fended a man who was harged on merely circumstantial evidence. The facts were as folloy Living just in the edge of our town was a man of wealth, who had a erand old house, occupied only by himself and servants. There were various stories about how rich he was, and what large amounts of money he always kept near him, but he was never disturbed until one nigitt shortly after midnight there was a territic disturbance in the old house, ac- companied by pistol shots, and when the people who came to see what the matter Was, got in, they found the owner dead with a bullet through his eye, and the but- ler with nis hands full of jewelry and watches lying in the doorway of the old «entleman’s room with a bullet somewhere in his head, buc he wasn’t dead. “His revolver lay by his side, and as far as could be seen the whole story was told right there. The butler, who had been in the house only about six months, had attempted to rob his master, had been caught in the act and shot, but had killed the old man in the fight.’ That was the enly translation of it, and there was no other for several days, because the butler had a very serious wound, and was de- lirious for a week. However, it was not fatal, and as soon as he was at himself he made a statement to the effect that he hud been awakened in the night by foot- steps and had taken his pistol, which had only two loads tn it out of- five, and gone down into the hall below to see what the noize was. “He noticed that his master’s door was partly open, at the far end of the hall, and hurried toward it. As he approached it he heard his master speak to some one asking who was there, and with that there was a pistol shot, and he jumped into the room, grabbing a burglar, as he did so, and at the same time getting a shot In the head from his master’s pistol. Beyond that he remembered nothing more. His story was generally disbelieved, for there was no evi- dence of any other person in the house with evil designs, and all the plunder that he had not caught in his hands was lying on the noor about him, so that there was he apparent reason why a burglar should be there. All the doors were found locked by those who came in respcnse io the alarm, and there were absolutely no signs of any burglarizing from the outside. “Another strong point was that the bullet which was found in the butler’s head ex- actly fitted the pistol of his master, show- ing conclusively that it was the master and not ihe burglar who shot him. This was the conditicn of the affair when my father took charge of it, and though he really believed the butler’s story and tried to prove it, he couldn't do it, and the man was finally hanged. A year later a burglar was shot by a policeman in the city near- est to us and he confessed on his death bed that he was the murderer of our rich man. He had hidden in the house early in the evening, had collected all he could of jewelry and other portable valuables and was about getting out when he was caught both by the old gentleman and the but- ler, and that tre builer had got the bullet intended for him, as he had run ints the room just as the old man fired. Dropping everything in his sudden surprise, he had rushed down stairs and hidden in the hall- way, from where he had slipped out as soon as the front door was opened. In the excitement he was not observed, and he got away without any trcuble at all, as the nearness to the city made strangers so common that their presence excited no suspicion. ll never forget that incident, and I'l never be in favor of the death penalty on circumstantial evidence, I don’t care how strong it is. Even lynch law is less unjust,” and the writer felt that the attorney was more than half right. Se IDENTIFIED IN ADVANCE. She Was Convinced the Was Not Her Husband. Notwithstanding she was not a dame of high degree, she was a woman of character, and there was a peculiar aggressiveness in the freckle on her nose, which made the police officers on duty at the station house step around lively when she called on a matter of business. understand,” she said to the sergeant, “that there’s the body of a man waiting to be identified here.” “It is at the morgue, ma'am,” responded the sergeant, but with more suavity than is common. “Well, my husband hasn't been at home for three days, and I thought it might be him. Can you tell me what he looks like?” “Yes; but you could get a good deal more satisfaction by going to the morgue your- self, ma’am.” “I suppose I could,” she sighed as if she felt sure she would not identify the re- mains as those of her husband. “Was he killed?” h, no ma’am,” exclaimed the sergeant. “He died suddenly. The patrolman saw him fall on the street.” “Died sudden, did he?” she asked with interest. “Yes, ma’am.” Her tone indicated that she thought the police were to blame in some way. “Well,” she said, ‘there’s no use in my going to the morgue if that’s the case. It ain’t my husband. He never done anything sudden in his life. He's the slowest man or. earth. Good-bye,” and she walked out of the station house as if she were sorry about something. —— im St. Louis. From the Manhattan. Stranger—“‘Who is the most popular man staying at this hotel now?” Majah—“You mean the man most sought after and with the largest following, sah?” Stranger—“Yes.” Why Man SHORT STORIES BY M. QUAD ‘When the sheriff went over from Golden Mill to Lucky. Valley after Jim Sanders,who was wanted for shooting Dan Williams in @ quarrel over a game of:cards, he didn’t even take a gun along. He found his man in @ saloon and asked hini to step up and take a drink. Jim complied, but kept a Mand on his gun. When they had drunk they sat down, and the sheriff told three or four funny stories. By and by the puzzled Jim broke out with: ry “See yere, Joe, did you come over after me?” “Wall, I thought you might want to jog along back with me,” was the reply. “Not much! I'll never be taken alive!” “Then that settles it, Less hev another arink.” They drank again, and the official told a very funny story about a tenderfoot's ex- perience in Golden City. Jim laughed as loudly as the others, but presently grew serious and said: ‘Say, Joe, ye can’t take me alive! ‘Wall, we won't worry about that, Jim,” was the reply. “Let's hev another mip and then a game of cards.” The game lasted until the sheriff had lost atout $20. Then he ordered drinks and sang a song. When the song was finished he said to Senders: “Jim, heven’t I made things pleasant fur you today?” ‘ou hev, Joe, and no mistake.” ~~ e you like a gentleman, heven’t ou certainly hev.” “That’s my way of doin’ things. want you to treat me like a gent! Go back to the Golden City with me “But I shot Dan Williams over thar’ “Of cours» you did.” ‘And they want to hang me. “Of course they do, but that’s nuthin’ te me. I didn't make the laws. I was sent out arter you, and I want to take you back. I could hev sneaked in and got the drop on ye, but I knowed ‘twould hurt yer pride. Hevn't I bin tender with ye, Jim?” ou kev, Joe, but I don’t want to be hung.” “I s'pose not, but see how nice I’ve used ye. Would any other sheriff hev done it?’ “No, I reckon not.” “Of course not. And if you are hung won't I bess the job and make it as easy as possible? Just come right along te obieege me, Jim.” “Would it be ¢ great favor to you?” “It would, and it would show me that you was a gentieman, to boot. I’m a gen- tleman myself, and I kin appreciate a gen- tleman. “Wall, Joe,” said Jim, after a wegen | thought, “I did say I wouldn't go, and did think I didn’t want to be hung, but re cbleege you and to show these critter: that I know what good manners is, I'll ge along with ye.” And ten days later Mr. Sanders attended a necktie social, and was left behind when the others started for home. Now I an, The Major Beat the Colonel. I sat on the hotel veranda with Major Claxton and he was giving me his ex- perience at the battle of Fair Oaks, when @ negro boy ascended the steps from the street an¢ said: “Majah Claxton, Kurnel Johnson persents his compliments an’ sez he dun hopes yo" want to talk " ut de wah.” ‘He does, « frowled the major. “Boy, compliments to Kurnel Johnson, and tell him to mind his own business The boy crossed the street to a grocery, but was back again before the major had picked up the broken thread, and this time he said “Majah Claxton, Kurnel Johnson presents his compliments an’ sez yo’ wasn't in de battle o' Fair Oaks ‘tall.” “Wasn't I? Wa I? Boy, my compll- ments to Kurnel Johnson, and yo’ tell him he’s no gentleman! Away went the utes had p: again. “Majab Claxton, de compliments of Ku nel Johnson, and he sez yo’ neber heard a gun fired doorin’ de wah, but was right yere at home all de time’ y, boy,” huskiiy exc tan as he rose up. ay compliments ta Kurnel Johnson, and yo" tell him ['ll send my second te aim early tomorrow morn- ing!” The boy darted across the street gene about a minute, and then retur say ‘Majah Claxton, Kurrel Johnson presents his compliments and sez yo’ was a pawe! boy, and not two min- ed before he stood before us imed the old vet- i was ed to fel Nar.” “What! Calls me a Har!” howled the major. “Yes, sah.” Hed me a liar?” the great horn spoon, I'll— I'll hurt him worse than that! my compliments to Kurnel Johnson— courteous, kindly compliments—and add that the stranger is about to ask me to drink, and I won't ring him in on it— hanged if 1! do!” That must have been @ settler, for Colo- nel Johnson, for the boy did not reappear and we heard nothing further from him. — AFTER TOBACCO TA A New Fad Which is Interesting the Boy Collectors. yeu got eny Blue Bird tobacco, inquired a small boy in a cigar the other morning. “No,” replied the clerk; “never heard of it. You don't chew or smoke, do you? “No, sir,” enswered the youngster. wanted to get the tag. Then he walked cut with a popeless look on his face. “That's a great craze,” said the clerk to a customer, who evinced interest in the conversation. “The boys used to collect business cards, and the: they worried the life out of us begging cigarette pictures, but now they bave gone stark made after tobacco tags. The postage stamp mania is nothing to it, and ten boys come in here after tags Low where one asks for an empty cigar box. Some weeks ago a trav- eling salesman left several tags here that were to be used on tobacco not yet on the market. A boy came in asking for tags and I gave them to him. I remember now that one of thera had the name ‘Blue Bird’ on it and a picture of the bird. The lucky boy who got those rare tags has evidently shown them around; other boys have heard of them, and now every boy in town wants one in his collecticn. That boy who came in here would have bought a nickel plug of Blue Bird if I'd had it just for the tag. It beats the dickens what queer fads the youngsters teke up.” —-->-—_ “Hav mister’ store on the avenue From Life. ‘I knew it wouldn’t do for you to take Dick to ball games.” “Why not?” “His prayer last night was: “Forgive us our errors, remember our assists, bring ui > Majah—“The barkeep, sah, by all means, | to the home plate and help those who have sah.” to slide.” —————— THE 7:54 TRAIN, From Life, Fat Visitor—“Charming suburb, my boy, charming; to the station?” “Oh, no, indeed; very often I run.” but, I say, do you always walk