Evening Star Newspaper, November 13, 1897, Page 15

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, N OVEMBER 13, 1897-24 PAGES, 15 IN THE SHIP’S BRIG One Spot That is Not Beloved of Sailor Men. FOR If'S THERE THEY ARE CONFINED When They Stray From the Path of Rectitude. —— LOCKED IN DOUBLE IRONS Written for The Evening Star. ‘The “brig” of the navy answers to the guardhouse of the army. But tf you were to look straight into the eye of any old- timer who had put in enlistments and cruises in both outfits and ask him the question, “Which did you find the worst or the best, the brig or the guardhouse?”’ this upon the natural presumption, of course, that he had done his little trick in both—he would in most cases reply emphat- ically that he would take the guardhouse every time. Probably he would be justified in his reply. There is an absence of joy and a permea- tion of gloomy monotony in most man-of- war brigs that is calculated to depress even the casual student of the institution. Not that any unusual cruelties are infilcted, or that the men doing terms in the brig of an American warship are in any wise mal- treated. All the same, bluejackets and marines are never known in the United States navy to attempt to get themselves into the brig for the sake of a rest; where- as slothful soldiers of the United States army quite often make elaborate efforts to have themselves immured in the guard- house in order to escape duty—espectally fatigue duty. On an American man-of-war the brig is almost invariably the most forward com- partment on the berth deck—that is, the main brig, where the comparatively petty offenders, the drunks and disorderlies, the fighters, the duty avolders and the ruck of the bluejackets whom the commanding officer of the ship disposes of at the mast s the periods of confinement that are ted out to them. ‘Then there are indi- vidual brigs, devised for the occupancy of e man, the dunzeons of men-of-war. To get Into one of these a man-of-war's man must be @ pretty hard case, must have committed himself to so serious an extent to be given a thirty-day dose of solitary confinement in a tiny dark cell, on a bread- nd-water diet, and in double or single at that. In Double trons. Even for the man confined in the main, open brig, the double irons are galling enough. For the unfortunate in the soli- tary brig they are almost unendurable. Nearly every man who is sentenced to a term in the main brig has to wear dou- bie irons during his period of confinement. The assistart master at arms removes tkem from his wrists and ankles only at the end of his term. On some ships the brig priscners are allowed to have their wrist irons removed while. they take their meals, but not on all. It is not such a sim- ple matter after ali to in handcuffs. The chain of the cuffs has a bothersome babit of becoming twisted with the } implements of fe: equently very often to be picked up from the deck, if a new attempt ts to he made to make the meal. Then, there are disadvantaces connected with the wearing of the ankle Unless a man is a first-rate the job of walking across the deck of the brig with the an- kles securely held in the irons, when the sea is extremely rough, and the ship is on her beam ends half the time, is some- thing almost inconceivably difficalt. Sleeping in the brig in double irons—for they are not removed at night—is also a ter that requires practice, and by the time the bluejacket or marine masters this thing thoroughly he has got his dis- fron: honorable discharge from the service. which seems a pity. To revert, it was said above that the irons are not removed at night. Well, not very often. But there are masters-at-arms and masters-at-arms Some of them are of calloused nature, hard- ened by much experience. Others—not many. but some—are of a nature that all their bitter years at sea could never harden. These latter—the thing must be whispered— hav n known to creep into the brig after “pipe down” at night, when all lights but the standing ones are out, and quietly unlock the irons on the wrists and ankles of the imprisoned men. Then, before “all hands” in the morning. which is the neigh borhood of 5 o'clock, these tender-hearted sters-at-arms (to whom, greeting or as they are living or dead) just as le, quietly have been known to slip into the brig and clasp the irons or to see that they have been clasped, for the men confined erform this office themselves, to immy Legs” (master-at-arms) out of trouble. should there be any prowl- ing officer of the deck or sergeant of the marine guard. Keys in Their Pockets. The keys are in the charge of the equip- ment yeoman of the ship. This is rot to say that all equipment yeomen, who are chief petty officers, are not perfectly ard entirely incorruptib! But—well, the thing has happened, that upon search of :wenty- three men confined in the-main brig of an American man-of-war, every man-jack of them has been discovered to have a key to his double irons somewhere about his uni- ferm. ere 16 once, on an American man- bluejackets confined to the brig in double irons. It is a story of itself, tha Anyhow, the reason they all got ‘© was that they declined in a body to cept some stores that the p: ter wished to serve out to them. They wot their point finally, but the irons that had ed their wrists and ankles were not of much use after for is ingenuity as well as streng*h in and numbers, and this great body of rec men found means to make the ¢ irons valueless for all time. meas of the men confined in the brig served to them by the strikers of the tive messes to which they lLeione. striker of often as not an bey, and apprentice boys in the vy not notorious for willingness or helpfulness. It is not until they have <d about the world for a few years after their apprenticeship is over—or been ked about by the world, not as much alike ¥ acquire the generos 2 liness of the oider bluejackets, who, to use hrase of the shore, are generally willin jo any old thing for their shipmates in distress. All this is a preliminary ing that the mess strikers have a p. 'y and kind- al grievance, carefully nurtured, over. ths _ AS itd the prisoners’ Meais up ‘orward to them in the brig: they prow about it: th “about it! am make faces about it they quite forget the really enormous sibility and even probabilit themselves at any momer into the brig beside So unwillingly serve. An lucky Once, and not so very Jong ago, either, by some extraordinary mischance, nine chief petty officers of a United States man- of-war were in their ship's brig at one and the same time. The mischance was extra- ordinary in this, that the day before their ship was to leave the United States for foreign waters the whole nine of them went ashoie; and so insidious were the de- lights of the shore, and so oblivious to all the se» and all the ships thereon did the delights of the shore render them, that one and all forgot to come back to the ship until within a few hours before she was scheduled to sail. Now, a man-of-war must have chief petty officers. So the ser- geant of the marine guard was sent ashore to look up these delinquent chief betty offi- cers and to Grag them beck to their duty aboard, drunk or sober, willy nilly. The only reasor the chief master-at-arms was not sent after them—erd it was a chief master-at-arms’ job, for he is the chief lice officer of the ship—was that he Rap- pened to be a member of the hilarious gang of entr-adeing chief petty officers him- self. The sergeant of the guard sent on this dificult quest succeeded in it. He gathered every man in, and sent him off in shore ans pos- y that confronts nt of being cast the unfortunaies they beat or ship's steam cutter to the ship. He got tke dignified chief master-at-arms last, and when the dignified chief master-at- arms finally reached the side of the ship in the custody of the sergeant of the guard it was found necessary to have one man at his head and another at his feet in or- der to get him to the deck. The whole nine of these chief petty officers were in- continently cast into the brig, Ike ordi- nary bluejackets or marines in a state of delinquency, in order that they might have a night's rest and recover their temporarily lost health and spirits. Meanwhile, up came the ship's mudhook, and away she sailed for foreign waters. Im the Brig. When the nine chief petty officers awoke the next morning, feeling, perhaps, of their heads, they found themselves now in a bunch at the forward end of the brig, and now widely scattered all over the brig, for the sea was heavy. But they were in the brig, and they wondered greatly thereat, not remembering very much of how they happened to get there. It should be re- membered that a chief petty officer Is a man In ‘brass buttons, and he is supposed to be an example to the crew. As often as not, he is. This batch of nine was called to the mast to confront the commanding officer at 10 o'clock cn the morning after their incarceration, when their ship was more often on her beam ends than not. It is not | probable that a single one of them will forget the roasting he got at the hands of the “old man,” otherwise the skipper, CANADA IN THE KLONDIKE How the Government Will Control the New Gold Region. A Dramatic Incident in Briti Columbin That May Serve as a Fair Example. Written for The Evening Star. (Copyright, 1897, by Cy Warman.) I have observed that the Canadian has @ great deal of respect for the law of the land and for the rights of the individual. That is distinctly English. ‘The following story, which was told to the writer by one who was an eye witness to some of it, will show how the Canadians have behaved when there was good excuse for hanging some one: Twent: living at Douglas Lake, B. C. Some had ferried it round the Hern and up the selvage of the Pacific. Others nad hauled themselves across the country behind a bull team. They were cattle men, sheep men and farmers. They were all working PRESIDENT McKINI. (Copyright, 1897, by A. Benziger.) otherwise the commanding officer of the ship, on that gray morning. The old gen- tleman was surprised. He was overcome, that men who had had such dignity be-| stowed upon them should so disgrace their uniforms. He had never seen the like of it in his entire naval career, covering thirty- five years, and so on. And he gave the gang ten days each in the brig in double irons. The chief master-at-arms, the un- locker of irons, the feared man aboard by bluejackets, the all-seeing, as all masters- at-arms are, was among the number. _ At any rate, the crew of bluejackets and marines rather enjoyed this thing. They grinned. They it a point to stroll up to the brig when they had nothing else to de—that is, to the entrance to the brig, guarded by marines—and peer in curiously, and make dry remarks. and nudge each | other, and point out individuals among the chief yetty officers with their fingers, and that sort cf thing. And the mess strik- ers very impoliticaily kept up their growl- ing over the job that had been imposed vpon them by the chief petty officers—that of serving their mea!s and of coming after the dishes after the meals were served. ‘Twas a Very Foullsh Thing. ‘The men who did these foolish things did not, in fact, have the senses they were bern with, to use an old-fashioned phrase. They made the exceedingly vacuous error of supposing that ten days was a cruise. The resuit was that when the confined nine chief peity officers came out of their con- finement—well, there was a species of di cipline aboard that ship that has perhaps never been equaled or even approached in the United States navy since men were lashed to stanchicns and given a few dozen on the bare back with the cat. Yet for all the wretchedness of the brig, almost a] enlisted men in the navy would prefer it te the class system, which de- them of the money they have earncd well as their personal liberty. A blue- jacket who for some offense or other gets his name on the fourth conduct class list of his ship, and who is consequently book- ed to remain on board the ship even in rt for the excessively long period of three months, would probably be quite willing to do a ten, or even a twenty, day trick in the brig in double irons to evade such a necessity. There is no estimating the wretchedness which insp‘res the bosom of the ave bluejacket when he sees his | shipi their pockets filled with gold, st ng lightly over the gangway on a libe ‘xeursion, while he himself is compelled by regulations to remain aboard. ——_>—__ A House of Sweets. Frem the Yarmouthport (Me.) Dispatch. Workmen have discovered a large qu: tity of honey in the walls of the old Hawes house here. This house has sheltered many generations of Cape Cod people. It is now undergoing demolition. It was supposed the house had not been occupied for some time, but there was a sound of smothered groans when the work of tearing away began. When an opening had been mace in the walls the occupants proceeded to drive away the intruders, and used their weapons of defense to such ef- fect that the workmen were forced to re- treat. The bees that had sought the quiet of the slumbering walls had been unceremonious- ly aroused from their sleepy existence. There were myriads of them. ‘The work was abandoned unfil the cooler weather, when the honey will be removed. One whole side of the building is solidly packed with honey, and it is expected hun- dreds of pounds will be taken out. J. M. Sears of Boston is the owner of the house. a She Reared Her Husband. From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Mrs. Madison Smith, who died yesterday after passing the century mark, many years ago enjoyed the distinction, it Is claimed, of being the only woman in this section who literally raised her husband. Old man Smith is living yet. He said yes- terday that his mother died when he was but one day old, and thet he was given by his master to Miranda, another slave, to raise. She acted as a mother to him, her own baby having died about the same time. In after years both being manumitted by their master, they removed to the north, and were married at Brooklyn, St. Clair county, in 1850. They have lived happily to- gether ever since. Olid man Smith is six years of age, and enjoys the esteem of all who know him. = be: hard to build a home in a promising coun- try. It was a democratic community. The village blacksmith was mayor cf the town. A Frenchman, who appears to have had money, had gone in ahead of the Canadian colony, roped a squaw and reared a family. After firewater, French blood is the worst thing that can be mixed up with Indians. So the Canadian said, and I belteve hi: tory will bear him out. Between the Frenchman and the squaw four boys were born, and they appear to have been bad koys from the beginning. When the young- est was only fourteen they stole a saddle from one of the cowboys, and they might as well have taken a herd of cattle, for that would not make a cowboy more angry. A warrant was issued for the arrest of the four boys, two other haif-breeds and a squaw, and the gang began to hide out. They evidently concluded that they ought to do something desperate, for, with no ap- parent provocation, they killed an inoffen- sive shepherd and put themselves on the defensive. The constable at Douglas Lake, who had just brought a young wife to this wild country, went after the murderers of the shepherd, and when ne had@found them showed more sand than sense by attempt- ing, single-handed and alone, to stand the seven up. Of course, they killed the con- stable, a brave, indiscreet, but useful cit zen. Now the whole community was up in arms and after the outla It is related of the real Indians that they took their guns and went out to help the people to punish the murderers. They had_ profited by the presence of the pale-faced people, for they had given the Indians work, but they had no use for the half-breeds. The desperadoes started to leave the They called upon one of the bound him fast in his chair, and then helped themselves to whatever they wanted, including hors In front of the door they flourished their firearms and said: “These things (their pistols) wili put all the pale-faces at the left hand of st." The leader, one of the sons of Frenchman, said that, and then they galloped awa. But the people of Douglas Lake an@ their Indian allies galloped after them. The outlaws camped that night in an old cabin, and in the morning woke to find the place surrounded by desperate men—white and red. Occasionally a head would ap- pear at the open window and instantly a bullet would peck at the chinking. If one of the besieged showed himself carelessly the outlaws would take a shot at him to show that they were armed. . Nobody cared to interview the inhabi- tants of the cabin, and the people deter- mined to starve the criminals out. A leader or commander was elected and men were detailed to guard the cabin day and night. Uncomplainingly now the red men of the community stocd watch with the whites. On the third day an Indian left the besiegers and walked deliberately, un- armed, up to the cabin. He did not enter, but called upon the gang to surrender. The half-breeds seemed much surprised that the Indians should help to hunt them out. They doubtless reasoned that if a half- breed could hold no such cussedness, that a whole Indian ought to be beyond re- demption. “Oh!” said the leader. “Here's my old friend, Jim, come with the rest to help hang me.” But Jim was not so good a friend as the half-breeds had thought him. For and in consideration of $100 to him in hand paid, this same Jim had re- vealed to the people of Douglas Lake the plans of the half-breeds, which included the killing off of the entire white popula- tion. This conclusion had been reached ae pated after the killing of the shep- jerd. it was not until the afternoon of the sixth day that the gang came out, emptied their revolvers, tossed them in a heap upon the ground and held up their hands. Hunger and thirst had made even death preferable to such torture, and so the gang surren- dered. Here was material and opportunity for .an interesting lynching. The provoca- tion had been great, but, according to our informant,such a thing was not even sug- gested. Having fed and watered the gang, a deputation of citizens—the constable hav- ing been killed—started across the country, fifty miles, to Westminster, where a whole week was wasted in the trial of the mur- derers. Two of the four brothers and an- other half-breed were hanged. ‘The other three being younger, were imprisoned and the squaw set free. Having spent a con- siderable part of his fortune in a bootiecs effort to save the necks of his more or less unlawful children, the old Frenchman went back to France to try to forget it. ~ And that’s the way the Canadians will do in the Klondike. The dashing = do will not have the honor of being shot. Even the famous reformer, Ri was hanged like a horse thief at the end Tope. Voila. of a | man, as this caught THEIR FEATURES ON CANVAS Portraits of the President and’ the Vico Fi President. Painted at the Order of Mr. Hobart— Py tt, How and Where the Work Was Boxe. The paintings of Presidént McKinley and Vice President Hobart, réproduced m The Star today, belong to the latter, and will adorn tke home of the Vice President in this city or in New Jersey. The portrait of the Presijent is the better known, be- cause the artist did most of the work in the White House, and the progress of his work was frequentlly reported in the news- papers. Mr. A. Benziger, the artist, has studios in Berne, Paris and New York. He never did much work in this’country, however. Several months ago, on feaching New York from Europe, he was engaged to paint a Portrait of Vice President Hobart. His work was so pleasing to the Vice Presi- dent that the latter employed him to paint the President. The portraits are two-thircs life size, and the intenticns and motives of the ar- tist are revealed to a large extent in the reproductions given. Mr. Benziger was engaged several weeks at the White House. The President gave him one sitting each day during the be- ginning of the werk: toward the close in- creasing to two short sittings, sparing 2s much time as possible from the rush of official visitors and office seekers. The portrait cf the President was finished in the studio ot the artist in New York, and the photographs of it were taken there. Mr. Benziger, it is understecd, will make two copics of the painting. One will be for himself and the other wili be used in the White House collection of Presidents if it is ever decided that the portrait deserves that recognition. No portrait of the Pres- ident can be officially piaccd in the White House collection until the President goes out of office. Althoi zh a speaks English wel the man he painted fereigner, Mr. Benziger His impressions of vill be of interest as tending to stow wh he has tried to put in the picture. Talking of President Me- Kinley. Mr. Benziger said to a Star re- porter: A Talk With the Artist. “Jt has been my privilege tO meet many distinguished people, and yet when con- fronted with the task of painting portraits of such busy men as the President and the Vice President of the United Staies in the short ible time, with only such irregular sittings as could be snatched from their important duties, and without the conveniences of one’s own studio, I was, I admit, somewhat disconcerted Everything was done, however, to make my stay at the White House as pleasant as possible. The east room was fitted up ag a studio for the sittings of the Presi- dent, and I was allowed free access to his official apartments, so that I might study him during his audiences and recep- tions. “Of course, I was often obliged to wait the President’s leisure, but when I saw the patience of the hundreds whose very living depended upon meeting him, it would 1teful for me to complain or to ex- ‘appointment at dss of'time. rything interests him, ahd he likes his personal attention to as many stions as pcssible. I do not believe he ever complains of too ‘much’ wofk. His only complaint was, oncé'fn a ‘While, after receiving more than 1,209 peopYe in a day, that he was too tired to ‘stand, and I had to give him a chair. He believps in seeing every one who calls at fhe White House. The more he sees, he says, the better he learns their needs and how to’ help them. One evening, when in the company of some ladies, a discussion begart about the Presi- dent as a husband, and there seemed to be but one opinion—that hé is a.model man, and if it depends on the womey of America his re-election is sure. When, I repeated this next morning to the President and Mrs. McKinley, the lattér said: ‘I hope he will hot be re-elected; there’fs too much work attached to the office, and I did not need to be the wife of thé-President to bé perfectly happy.’ “Before I began the portrait.of the Pres- ident he told me that ‘he had never had a portrait which pleased him, and he had many bad ones. When he gave me his first sitting I realized what a hardship it would be for him to lose his time for another bad picture, and I felt quite sure that if the likeness was not apparent at the second sitting he would not give me a third. “After the second sitting he said to his private secretary, Mr. Porter, ‘I believe those are going to be my eyes.’ Well, I finished the picture after many but short sittings—sittings of ten to twenty minutes —and those whose opinions the President valued were pleased with it. They are Sood enough to say that it shows not only his features, but his soul.” * ———__. Making Wax Lifelike. From the Boston Transeript. “How long does it take to make one of these?” said the manufacturer in response te an inquiry. “Well, it depends entirely upon circumstances. It is not a mechanical operation, the finishing off ef a wax modei as true to life as this,” and he Pointed to the bust of a laughing child, whose rosy neck and bright eyes were framed by clus- tering curls. “To meke these one must have studied anatomy, as well as drawing and modeling. We begin in the same way as a sculptor would to make a statue. After the wax has cooled the eyes are put in, the face is ‘made up,’ as theatrical folks say. and the wig is fastened on, and the wooden body is shaped. We make all our hands and feet from life, and they cost about $10. If we have an order for an entire figure we al yS model ic from. life. The life-size wax figures of infants are among the finest things we manufacture, and they add much to the attractiveness of a show window, as Was illustrated last winter, when a Wash- ington street reta‘l dealer displayed one during the holiday season. The head and shoulders, such as are seen in the milli ner’s windows, cost frem $40 to $45. The wig makes considerable difference in the price, as we use the best hair, and it 1s ex- pensive, especially the natural blond, which is scarce. The children’s heads cost $20, or thereabout. “All the finishing off imaginable,” he con- tinued, “would not make a figure stand the test of a season bebind the glare of a glass unless the wax has a natural pink tinge. The reason some of the models look sc deathly is because the wax is bad and rot properly colored. We use beeswax, slightly ees and flesh tints are put on in addi- tion.” a ee Thought He Was Dend. From the New York Tribune. A Glasgow scientist, who visited Canada a few years ago, made‘&! trip through Al- berta, one of the northwest territories of Canada, and spent some,time.as the guest of a rancher. “I fixed him up as well as 1 could,” the rancher relates, ‘put he com- Plained that he did not dike sleeping with his clothes on. So after; the;first night 1° Stretchtd a cowskin across the shack, and told him he mjght undregs if,e liked. He took off most of his garments. and put on 2 long white night dreas, In the morning my foreman came in while the gentleman was still sleeping. Observing the white night dress, he said, in g whisper, ‘Rather sudden—eh?’ ‘What? I gsked. ‘The death of the old man.’ ‘He's npt dead—he's asleep.” I exclaimed. ‘The what's he wearin’ them b’fled clothes for?’ was the reply. ‘Never saw a chaf laid out in b'iled clothes afore, ‘cept he were dead.’ ” soe Incnbating Peaches. From the Youth’s Companton. Visitors to the new states of the far-west are generally prepared for any phenomenal showing in the line of agriculture, stock- raising and the like, ‘but’ once in awhile they are taken by surprise. An easterner who was spending his sum- mer vacation on the ranch of a relative in Colorado, went out one morning to inspect a large incubator in which the young chicks were hatching. . In one corner of the incubator a neglected seed, encour- aged by the warmth of the atmosphere, ‘had burst, and a tiny sprout several inches jong was growing out of tt. “Great Ceasar!” exclaimed the eastern his eye, “do you hatch out your peaches in this country?” CHAPLAINS IN THE NAVY A Branch of the Service of Which Little is Known. Their Efforts Are for Good and They Stand High With Their Brother Officers. Written for The Evening Star. Very few persors, comparatively, know much concerning the chaplains’ corps in the United States navy. This is not due, however, to the unimportance of the corps. At present every chaplain, with a single exception, is actively employed cither on a man-of-war or at an important shore sta- tion. In a recent conversation with Sec- retary Long he assured me that the work of a chaplain is very highly appreciated on shipboard by most cf the commanding offi- cers, and that the moral effect of their in- fluence upon the men fs noticeably good, and my owr observation confirms this juégment. There are but twer chaplains in the entire service, and m ac- | s quaintance with the personnei of the corps | practice. | in place and mess seats served for pews. A_ semi-circular row of chairs arranged about the barbette of a 13-inch turret ac- commodated the officers. Captain Henry €. Taylor and five or six other officers were present, and gave every evidence of deep interest throughout the service. Not less than @ hundred men were present. and the perfect deccrum observed might shame Many a church congregation. A chief petty oficer—equipment yeoman—presided at the organ, and the singing was inspiring in its intense earnestness and volume. How they did sing “Sunshine” and “Throw Out the Life Line’ The chaplain talked about twenty minutes in a conversational tone, using apt illustrations and keeping close to the lines of simple, earnest gospel truth. The subject was the love of God for His chtidren, and many of the sailor lads prom- ised to trust and obey their great heavenly father. I give the exact order of service as employed by Chaplain Cassard, as it may preve interesting to those who have never enjoyed the noveity of attending di- vine service on board one of Uncle Sam's big me2-of-war. ¥ 1. Hymn; 2. Apest’es’ Creed rec:ted in con- ; 3, prayer by chaplain; 4. responsive reating of psalm; 5, hymn; 6, short sermon or exhortati 7. hymn; 8, Lord’s prayer in concer! benediction. No collection, and the entire lasted exactly one hour. Truly ervice. The aim of the cha Ts to be io raise the standard of morality among cur seamen and to buiid u» Caristian character rather than to emphasize the peculiar tenets of their denomination. And most peopie will that this is good in principle as well as VICE PRESIDENT HOBART. (Copyright, 1897, by A. Benziger.) leads me to believe that the standard ot fitness has been kept high by the appoint- ing power. as The regulations require that an applicant for appointment as chaplain be between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-five years, and a minister in good standing in his denomination. In addition to these qualifications practice requires the hearty and unequivocal indorsement of high eccle- siastical authorities, who are willing to as- sume a good degree of moral responsibility for the appointment. Political influence of a high order may be used to bring the ap- plicant to the attention of the President and Secretary of the Navy, but can avail very little beyond this. The chaplain, once appointed, ranks as a commissioned officer of the staff, messes in the ward room when on shipbgard, and is entitled to a pri- vate state room in the ward room quarte He wears no uniform, and in this is th: sole exception to the rule whfch obtains on all the ships of cur navy, and applies to all officers and enlisted men, from the ad- miral of the tleet to the humblest mess _at- tendant. Nothing invidious is involved in this discrimination, and it is to be pre- sumed that if a majority of the chaplains were to ask for a uniform it would be granted. The chaplains, as a rule, dress In ordinary clerical suits, the coats close- buttoned, and in blouse or frock, according to circumstances. In conducting Divine service, each chaplain is permitted to em- picy the order used in his own denomina- tion, and may also use the vestments of his church, if any. Vari Denominations. The chaplainS at present comprising the corps represent nearly all of the larger denominations of the country, and this“in no uncertain way emphasizes the fact that the government in iis ecclesiastical ap- po:ntments does not propese to encourage any denomination to pose as the state church. The Methodists lead, with eigat chaplains, the Episcopalians are second, with six; Baptists, three; Roman Catholics three; Disciples, two; Presbyterians, one. At present there is one vacancy, for whicn I understand a Preshyterian clergyman, now traveling in Europe, has been nomi- nated. Ii may be noted t the three Roman Catholic chaplains, who, by the y, are highly esteemed in the servi ¢ appointed by Mr. Cleveland during his two tcrms as President. A large number of the enlisted men are adhcrents of the Catholic feith, and it is manifestly fair that this church should have representation in the chaplains’ corps. In the work of the chaplairs the spirit of the Ccnstitution, which guarantees to every man the right to worship God accord- ing to the dictates of his own conscience, is observed, and attendance at religious services upon the part of officers and men is eutirely voluntary. One of the chaplains assured me that he greatly appreciated this fact, as he is sure that his audience is pres- ent by choice, and the probability of mak- ing an impression for good greatly in- creased. Stand Very High. After considerable careful inquiry I find that the chaplains have the respect and conhdence of their brother officers and of tie enlisted men in a very marked degree. They arc mostly college men, and in point of intelligence, piety and minister‘al ability wiil compare faverably with any clerical body of equul size in civil life. They are open to many templat:ons, which might lead to a slizht relaxation of austere piety, bu: if this has occurred in any single in- stance I have failed to hear of it. Being the only men. in the entire navy appointed for the express purpose of teaching morals and exemplifying. religion, they are watched by many keenly critical eyes, and a misstep would be quickly noted and slowly--con- dened Questionible moral acts may be tolerated in a teacher of mathematics, sea- munship or gunnery, but never in a teacher of morality. No one seems to realize this more fully than the chaplains themselves, and any idle stories which may imply the contrary may be set down as “galley yarns” entirely unworthy of credence. While at Fort Monroe recently it was my privilege to attend divine service on board our great battle ship Indiana, the chaplain of which is Rev. W. G. |, who until recently was pastor of the Twelfth Street M. E. Church in this city, and well known to Methodists in Washington. Promptly at 10:30 am. the “church” flag was run up alongside of the and stripes on the quarter deck. The of the church bell next followed, and the hurrying of nimble feet down iron ladders through nu- merous hatchways was heard. JAMAICA’S OPPORTUNITL The Possibilities of Winter Vegetable Growing. Julian Hawthorne in Collier's Weekly. When I lived in the Istand of Jamaica, a British possession, I was greatly impressed with the commercial possibilities of the winter vegetable growing industry. Dur- ing those months when winter fruit and vegetables are practically an impossibility in the markets of our northern and semi- northern cities, they flourish best in Ja- maica—and, of course, in the other istands of the archipelago as well. Jamaica is about 140 miles long and from twenty to fifty miles wide; its surface 1s-mountain- cus, with many valleys and a few plains of moderate extent. Oranges and cofiee are the chief products of the mountainous parts, sugar and bananas of the lower level d valleys. Vegetables are scarce- ly cultivated at ali; the negro population, numbering over 700,000, is lazy and worth- les and cannot be depended on as labor- they grow a few yams on their little clearings and are then content to lie in the shade of their cocoas and mangoes and let the year go by. The coffee industry lan- guish there is hardly any sugar-making worth talking of now soing on; there !s not in the whole island a single orange grove, such by an American culti- all Jamaican oranges 4 wild, and of numerous v: . Some poor, some the best in the world, but all alike jumbied together for export; so that Ja- maica oranges have a bad name. There 1s an American company in control of the banana trade, and the e: rt is as large as the consumption warrants; but no vegeta- bles are exported at all. The steady work on the plantations is done by coolies brought under contract from India, and re- garded with disfavor by-the negroe Now, if 10,000 acres only were set apart for the cultivation of vegetables during the months from December to April, and the produce placed for sale in our’ seaboard cities, the profits, over and avowe all ex- penses and accidents, would be so enor- mous that I shall not state them; the bal- neet has been carefully worked out ed; they would amount to many ions of dollars each season. Why has the enterprise never been attefnpted? Be- cause the cost of the plant required ren- ders it impossible for any ordinary indi- vidual or aggregation of individuals to un- dertake it. You must have, in the first place, a fleet of six or eight freight steam- ers which will make the trip to New Yori inside of three days (the distance is a lit- tle over 1,000 miles). Then you must have wharves and warehouses in the principal cities to receive the cargoes, and men to handle them promptly and skillfully; and shops in the cities where the best of the produce can be sold directly to private buy- ers. Meanwhile, in Jamaica, there must be a large and trained force of cultivators and overseers, with farm tools and buildings of all kinds, and an abundance of facilities for transporting the produce swiftly from the fields to the ports. Altogether the preliminary and working expenses would be very large, but the re- turns would be so large that in two average years the outlay would have been repaid and a clear annual gain of millions could be depended on. I often discussed this matter with the governor of Jamaica, Sir Henry Blake, and he saw as much in it as I did, and proffered the good offices of the government in case a company were or- ganized to work the industry. Jamaica is, at present, the best of the islands for the purpose. simply because it is under English government, and you are assured of peace and quiet. But when Cuba achieves. her independence and has quieted down she will serve better than Jamaica, because she is so much larger and more than a hundred miles nearer us. —$—<o.—__ Unique Japanese Timepicce. Frem the Pittsburg Dispatch. Japan-possesses a remarkable timepiece. It_is contained in a frame three feet wide and five féet ‘long, representing a noonday —- |A MYSTERY OF PARIS The Remarkable Disappearance of an. American Woman. SHOWING THE POWER OF THE POLICE Taken Sick During the Progress of the Exposition SHE WAS SPIRITED AWAY Written for The Evening Star. Paris was like a scrap basket filled to overflowing. From every part of the world people and their baggage were being depos- ited in the attractive catch-all offered them, and, except for a continuous shifting of her contents, in this state Paris was to remain for months until the end of the exposition came to straighten her disorder and empty. her out. Among the many who arrived in Paris at an early period of the exposition was @ Party of three Americans—a mother and her two daughters. It was evident that they had been accustomed to travel much and independently, which might be accounted for by the fact that they had scarcely a ree lation to bind them to one place and not @ relative to offer them a protecting hand, They came after dark and registered at a hotel. “There were only two rooms left, but they were on the same corridor. Madame might like the front room, and the two mademoiselles would perhaps be suited with the other, a few doors away.” Thus said the clerk, and after some inspection the travelers agreed with him. “It is a very good room,” the matron re- marked, leaning back in her chair and watching her daughters, who were busy with the contents of her satchel. “I think, though, that I might enjoy it more if 1 did not feel so wretched. The young ladies reassured her with the reminder that she was tired; she had not yet become accustomed to the climate: as for calling in a physician, she had done that her first night in every new city; sup- pose she try the cure of a long sleep this time. In fact, they fully pe fea her of her foolishness before they left her for the night. In spite of their convincing argu- ments, a speculation as to their mother's health was the first word uttered by the two girls next morning, and they made haste to go to her room. The Mysterious Room. A light knock brought no response. With a satisfied nod to her sister, the younger girl opened the door softly and tipived Into the room. The elder started to follow, but stopped with a little cry. “We are in the wrong place!” she said. “Impossible,” her sister replied. ~This is the only front room there can be on this side of the corridor. But the room was certainly not mother’s. Last night the hangings pering had been green, this morr were red; last night the furniture of oak, now it w; me dark-stained wood; last night the fioor had | carpeted, this morning it was bare exc few rugs; Strangest of all, last night they had left their mother } but now she was gone and the room mpt The two girls surveyed it in silence. One of them went into the hall again ani counted doors. “The fifth one from u: she asserted, “just as we counted last night.” They looked out of the window. The sun was shining down on the same great tree through which they iad seen the street lights the night before. A trim little maid was sweeping the cor- idor, and of her they inquired anxiously: ‘Can you tell us where the lady is who cecupied that room last night? “Oh, ma’mselle,” the maid replied, cross- ing herself. “no one was in that room! “I left my mother there last night,” the rejoinder. “Ma’mselie must be mistaken,” the maid insisted. “No person has slept there for years. It is the order of le propriciaire.” The two girls sent her to summon the proprietor to the spot, waited for him im- patiently, and interrupted his polite greet- ing with the question if this was not the room he had given to their mother the night before. ‘The proprietor surveyed them curiously. “Your mother?” he repeated. “When did madame come?” The sisters stared at him. He had seen them last night. “You arrived alone,” he continu you mean she is to ‘cx want the room for tonight? An impatient explanation came from the elder sister. “We three, my mother, my sister and I, came t night—" The man interrupted her with a gesture. “Pardon, mademoiselle,” he corrected, “you and your sister were the only ones who came.” Her Name Had Disappeared. The girl smiled an annoyed smile and suggested that the hotel lists would cor- roborate her words. But her face paled when the clerk repeated what the propri- etor had said, and she ran her finger un- steadily down the line. Her name, her sis- ter’s, yes—her mother’s was not there! With a growing sense of dread, the two girls demanded the inspector of police. As they waited for him in the reception room, they caught the angry tones of an old man’s voice. The elder sister stopped pac- ing the floor to listen. “TH their was Did y, and you “Such a commotion!” he exclaimed. publish it to ever foreigner in the city, and then where is the reputation of your house?” The soothing murmur of another voice followed. . “Second story front,” was the old man’s reply, “but I'll not stay there tonight if I have to be awaked up by all sorts of noises from the room above me! They might have been tearing the house dcwn!” Still grumbling, he passed the girl to go upstairs. Seized with a sudden idea, she ran lightly up after him and watched him enter his room. Then she came down again. “He went into the room under mother’s,” she said, grasping her sister's arm tightly. “We re not = mist Merciful heavens, what does it mean? Even the inspector of police, the omnis- nt of Paris, could not tell them that. He tcok their evidence gravely, promised them all possible help, and advised them to wait patiently in the same hotel for further de- velopments, With little calmness of mind they finally accepted his advice. It was a Icng, anxious wait for the girls. Weeks passed without bringing any trace of their mother. The exposition was over, and Paris was almost emptied of her crowds before the inspector came to <hem with any definite news. Then, ore duy, the look on his face told them that at last they were to hear, and they listened breathlessly for his explana- tion. The Problem Solved. He began at the beginning. He told them that after they had left their mother that night she felt worse, and, to avoid disturb- ing her daughters, summoned a physician by a messenger. By the time he arrived she was unconscious, and the doctor an- nounced that she had a case of black smallpox. Without any delay she was put into an ambulance and carried to a hos- pital, and there—the inspector told it gently as he could—she died a few days afterward. But all was not yet explained. The room, the maid’s story, the lists? should spread among the great crowds in the city, a panic would follow, financial ruin might ensue, the evil effects would be enormous. The matter must be ki it out