Evening Star Newspaper, July 30, 1898, Page 23

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, JULY 30, 1898—24 PAGES. 23 =—— YANKEE SPY IN SPAIN ad How He Was Lionized in Madrid and Cadiz. A GUEST ON CAMARA’S FLEET All the Time He Was Collecting Valuable Information. IF INTERESTING TRUE —_-—__—_- Gibraltar Correspondence of the London News. The following story from Cadiz throws an resting sidelight on ‘the Spanish- American war. It ought to be interesting and ructive to Spanish as well as to xlish readers. My description of the ero is given from personal acquaintance About six or seven weeks ago there ar- ed in Madrid a wealthy Mexican gen- tleman. His speech, manner and dress showed him to belong to that class of and aristocratic Spanish-Ameri- travels about Spain much in the style of English noblemen of st century making the grand tour of continent, Le, accompanied by cour- hiriag whole suites of rooms at ho- nding to prime donne, presents s ants with their largesses, and, in short, throwing the! money broadcast. An “Americano”—a Spanish-American—is looked upon in Spain much in the same manner as lord’? was looked upon People admire him fer his or apparent—and at the same time look upon him as a pigeon plucked, and ¢ him accordingly. a Campo (as i cail him) came to Madrid just after r breke out and hired a suite of rooms on the first floor in ihe first hotel ot pital. He was soon a in Fran grest favorite in society, and was known, by reputation at least, in every Maarid drawing room. He was a man of about thirty sn, good looking, a typical Span- jard, with oval face, raven biack nair, thick black mustache,. black sparkling eyes and firm chin an acter and d The M that Campo. Mexican least by wwe a a friend And on the i lips, showing char- rmination. xican minister to Madrid vowed had never heard of Fernandez del But who will belteve that the minister was unacquaiated, at name, with of the largest in the state of Chinuahua of President Porfirio Diaz? rt of the diplomatist is not 2? Fernandez to this subject et than to write in the “Etoile little too thin that he knew Frenen language—a fact to y—he having spent three ? at the Lycee Napoleon, in t was ment, bee rman equa tiete A Mexican Alliance. e last fortni; Ma rumors had been id abo: United Si time, and I ri articies Iu Mexican all Iw M reading ject. One cial s i on best was, ame the lion of arriva’ a maj enance, of whether Fernan- ppy. and a vferring with will -find C: . I'm afraid,” duke; “but we will do ° you everything. By the way, you would like, of urse, see Admiral Camara. He told he would be happy to you. You call on him ays after th ernandez del ry admiral,” said ad better be my vening.” “Very well,” said Ad- Camara, “but only on condition that th me tnis week. I will ask comp ny to meet you.”” A Joke on Fernandex. versation took place in the hall de Paris, and was witnessed h newspaper correspondent subsequently met Fernandez in 1g room, but the Mexican, Nke a rough gentleman, changed the cohver- sation th ment it referred to military mat You siaying long in Cad Ser ndez?” asked a naval officer wh side the Mexican at Admiral Ca- mar “A few days,” was the reply. a to see your squadron off.” exclaimed the officer: “you mr w weeks. We cannot possibly be realy before a month, and you may take it (hat we shall not sail from Cadiz before six weeks. “Don’t write that to the Etoile Belge, d out another officer, and the whole e laughed at this joke at Fer- dez’s expen: " @ newspaper correspon- whispered a naval officer handed his card to Fernan- z del Campo, with an invitation to honor the officers of the Rapido by dining on poard with them a few days hence. “Fer- nandez,” remarked another, “‘is an officer > Mexican army, and he may soon be >ur camp against the Ameri- have heard all about it from Ma- t Fernandez challenged some of is to play, and he lost a hun- with them at monte. Like a pro. however, he bore his defeat If his friends mentioned their he would entertain them to din- and take a hand at cards with them. ayed and lost again, and his guests to the conclusion that a Mexican, at cards, was no match for a Span- rer on board the Rapido gayly. Fernandez was plendid fast steamer, pur- you may remember, a few days before the war from the Norddeutscher yd by the Spanish government. The confessed they had some difficulty "g such a leviathan, the German who took her out from Bremen diz having refused the most tempting offers to remain on board during the war. “She is very high built,” remarked one of Fernandez’s friends, “and we do not much that woodwork inside her. If a were to touch Fer she would blaze up works.” “But we hope,” remarked © keep the Yankees at a dis- and see our quick-firing “trie ‘ome A Month of Inspection. rnandez del Campo spent upward of a h between Cadiz, the dockyards of Carraca, and the arsenal of San Fernando. At the latter place he went one Sunday to @ bull fight, when a quarrel took place be- tween scldiers and sailors. The army and the naval officers were inclined to side with their own men, when Fernandez del Campo, who had acquaintances in both services, restored peace. He was very nearly giving himself away in an interview with Admiral Aunon, who came down to Cadiz to see the squadron off. He confessed that he was organizing a corps of Mexican guerrillas to harass the United States army in case of war by flank movements. The Spanish minister of marine tried to get a further confession from his visitor, but the latter, who felt he had already said too much, would not be dzawn. The best things in the world pall by repetition. Fernandez told his friends that he was getting tired of Cadiz and wanted to return to Mexico. “Do stop on a& pleaded the Spanish officers. is Friday, and the squadron—we y tell you in’ strict confidence—leaves next Thursday.” There was, however, an- other reason for Fernandez’s anxiety to ce- part. He had been rather extravagant and found that he must retrench, nis hotel bill for a month having come up to $100. How- ever, he stayed. In his last interview with the Duke de Najera the latter spoke of the impudence of certain foreign correspoadents who had just come to Cadiz. Among them he men- tioned the names of Baron von Perfall, cor- respondent. of the Kolnische Zeitung; Dr. Oskar Wolff of the Berliner Borsenblatt and the Daily News correspondent. He had already sent Dr. Oskar Wolff an inti- mation to leave Cadiz within twenty-four hours, and was about to take the same course with regard to the other two corres- pondents. “But you were just telling me, said Fernandez del Campo, “that they hi done little else but walk round the tewn locking at the sights and exchanging im- “My dear sir,” replied the you cannot be too cautious. Sure- ly if these correspondents are spies they will not tell us so. You have no idea of the ruges Yankees will resort to in order to get information.” Fernandez stayed in Cadiz for a day or two after the departure of Admiral Ca- mara’s squadron. He witnessed this event on board one of the admiralty launches. “We keep on the other side of the bay,” re- marked one of the officers, “because those hannels you see on our port beam (point- ing in several directions) are defended with torpedoes in case the Americans come to Cadiz.” Fernandez Suddenly Disappears. One morning three Spanish gentlemen were walking up and down in front of the Hotel de Paris as if they were waiting for somebody. From beneath a movable shut- ter Fernandez popped out his head, but withdrew it almost immediately. The three gentlemen waited for an hour, and then for a second hour. The belis of all the churches of Cadiz rang for 12 o'clock. The three gentlemen entered the hotel and sald they wanted to see Senor Fernandez del Campo. “You should have called an hour ago.” said the waiter, “he is not here. “When is he coming back? We have orders to arrest him.” “He sent all his luggage eerly this morning on board the Tangier steamer, and after paying his bill he walk- ed out alone by the nack door. The steamer left her moorings half an hour ago.” I was at Tangier ‘a week or so age. Short- ly after arriving in Tangier I went up to the terrace of my hotel. In front cf me a man was looking throvgh a telescope, ex- amining the Spanish coast, which that day could be seea distinctly from Gibraltar to San Fernaado, near Cadiz. He turned round, and I recognized the distinguished Mexican. “Halloa, Fernandez, what are yeu doing here? I suppese you are Lack to Cadiz by next steamer?” “I am not going back to Cadiz.” “What is the matter? You speak good English now, and you have caught an American accent.” “I am American."" “I do not mean ‘Americano. “Exactly. I am_a United States citizen, and American officer. I graduated at West Point, and I hold a United States commis- sicn as cap‘ain of the 2d Texas Rangers.” I was dumfounded. All this was said in faultless English, with a genuine American accent, about which there could be no mis- take. As soon as I was able to ak I a “Well, your name is not Fernan- Ge Yes, itis. I am from an old Texaz family. My people have a ranch near Brownsvil and ancti.er one just over the Mexican der, near Matamoros. So I like my mother tongue. In amily, if you trace it far back .ough, is of Mexican descent. But (with a wink) I'm a good American. I have been acting at Cadiz as confidential agent of the United Stat2s government for six weeks. I have gre all the S| Six Weeks of ‘Tall Talk. Fernandez then told me th ‘al points of which were aft med by a man whem I met at Gibral- tar. “What about ycur story of the Me ican guerriilas you told Admiral Aunon ‘It was a le. I was compelled the seve ecom- I mede everything ready What annoyed me most was my 1 required it for 1 yet I was ¢ nandez told me the hiding place. usiness is not to give informa- d not mention it. It nious manner of conceal- did not reed,” he went on, © see the minister of marine, as he could really tell ne nothing I did not know al- ready. Admiral Auncn said to me that th Spanish fleet was in the highest state of ef. fiaenc u unmitigated fool,’ 1 thought to myself, ‘you are trying to hoax a man who knows just as well as yourself what to think of the Spanish fleet.’ I am taking the next steamer for England, and then home I have done a good piece of bus- iness for my country. I sent information home every day. The United States knew of the departure of Admiral Camara’s fleet a week beforehand. They know to a man the ferces on board, in men, arms and am- tion. We know exactly to a ton how much coal the Spaniards have, and, in fact, if my people put me eny questions regard- ing the military and naval situation of Spain, 1 think 1 can answer i see An Island ef Flowers, From the Youth's Companton. The Scilly Islands may very justly be termed flower islands, for a large part of their surface is given up to the cultiva ‘on of flowers, and the great majority of tm people spend their lives in attending to the plants, from which all the wealth of the islands is drawn. ‘The inhabitants have had other occupa- tions before they settled down to flower growing. At one time they were wreckers, and at a later period they went into a more legitimate business and devoted themselves to the raising of early potatoes. ‘There was money to be made out of them, and the islands prospered until prosperity bore its usual fruit in the shape of competition. The Channel Islanders took to growing potatoes, and the potato trade of the Scilly Islands was killed. Thereupon the isiand- ers betook themselves to flower growing, giving the greater part of their attention to the narcissi. In St. Mary's alone nearly a quarter of the cultivated area of the island is da- voted to flowers. In the month of Febru- ary last year 322 tons of flowers were ex- ported from this one Island. About 200 boxes go to the ton, and as each box con- tains from three to twelve spikes of flow- ers, it is easy to see that the number of flowers sent out from the island was not trifling. The inhabitants of these islands area wise people. They do not believe in wast- ing time. As scon as the forcing of the nareissi is over the houses are filled with tomato plants, and for months there is a continuous supply of this popular dainty. ee Occupations of Anierica From Mines and Minerals. Interesting data about the occupations of the American people is given in the bul- letin of the eleventh census recently made public. It shows that the total number cf people engaged in occupations of all kinds in 1890 was 22,735,961. Of the whole num- ber of working people the females form 17.22 per cent. Divided by ciasses the working people of the country are as fol- lows: Agriculture, fisheries and mining, 9,013,336; professional, 944,322; domestic and personal service, 4,360,577; trade 2nd trans- portation, 3,326,122: manufacturing and me- chanical industries, 5,091,298. Considerably more than four-fifths of the illiterate male population of the country and over one- fourth of the illiterate female population are working. Over 59 per cent of the work- ingmen are married, over 27 per cent single, over 3 per cent widowed, and one-quarter of 1 per cent divorced. In manufactures and mechanics the carpenters and joiners, numbering 611,482, make up the greatest element, with dressmakers and milliners following with 499,690. There are a little over 1,000,000 bookkeepers, clerks and sale: men, 690,655 merchants and dealers, 5,281 55T farmers, planters and overseers, ard 3,004,061 agricultural laborers; 349,592 min- ers, and only a little over 60,000 fishermen and oystermen. Professors and teacher: aggregating 347,344, form the meat pumer- ous of the professional classes. Physicians and surgeons, 104,805, come next: then law- yers, $9,630; clergymen, 88,203; government officials, 79,664; musicians, &c., 62,155; —— THE AMERICAN SOLDIER An English Writer Pays Him a Very High Tribute. ‘ Not Much of an Orn. ent, but Intel- ligent and Ready to Fight— Kindly and Lovable. From the London Daily Mail. The American army is not an ornamental institution. The rank and file would not fetch fancy prices as works of art. You may see hundreds of them walking about on the wooden platform sidewalks‘of Key West. They wear brown laced leggins, like their officers; rough blue serge trousers, generally the worse for wear; loose serge shirts of a shade darker blue, and soft felt, broad-brimmed, gray slouch hats, with a narrow, pinched-up fore and aft dent in the crown. They remind you of the men who do the rough work in a circus—hard- faced men, with square jaws and prowling eyes. They smoke incessantly; there is reason to suspect that they chew a good deal; in conversation they incessaatly in- voke a holy name, and every time they in- yoke it they spit. But their average height is five feet eight inches or five feet nine inches, and every man looks an athlete. Afoot they go with great swinging strides: mounted they sit in their saddles as if they had been born there. Physically, they are as fine soldiers as one could wish to see— every man a picture of health and strength. And what of their discipline? These great, big, athletic officers, you say to yourself, and these great, big athictes of the rank and file, are all very weil individ- ually—splendid fellows—but what of them collectively? Isn't their discipline rather lax? Each man you notice seems to wear his hat at any argle which suits his fancy or fits in with his comfort. As they go about town each man seems to walk with the stride which suits his habit and the accommodation of his own legs. The drill sergeant does not scem to have accom- plished his customary uniformity. Hach man—and to the Duropean eye it seems so strange as to be almost ludicrous—each man seems actually to retain something of his own individuality. Every man seems to retain, as well as his individuality, his own intelligence. That, to the European view, seems almost horrible. How, you wonaer, can an officer exercise complete command over an aggregation of Separate individualities? I questioned my lieutenant upon this pcint. “Why, my boy,” said he, “that’s just it—intelligence. The American soldier has more intelligence than any soldier in the world, just because he is expected to have more. He can’t point his toes like a Bos- ton gosling, because he don’t have to. He don’t have to learn any parlor tricks like that, nor to dress himself up in parlor clothes, because he don’t have any kings and emperors to come and amuse them- selves looking at him. But he’s expected to be intelligent, because he needs intel- ligence in his businéss, and he's taught to be a daisy shot and a daisy horse » end if you'll give me an intrencaed position and a regiment of our boys, I'll hold out for a show-down against any infantry yeu can bring against me.” Tu the vitally important evolution of saluting an officer the American soldier, as I have seen a dozen times a day with my own eyes, is very far from perfect. Some- 3 in the street, when an officer passes: hem, the huge, slouch-hatted Zellow will take no notice at all. This morning I saw six feet ef muscle stretched out on the grass under a tree. it had a cigarette in its mouth, its hat brim drawn down over its eyes, and cne knee bent to make a rest for the other leg. An officer came by, and I looked up to see what the soldier would do, He saluted. Isut he saluted without troubling to get up. He just lay there on the flat of his back and saluted. I pointed out this gTave short- coming to my grizzled Heutenant. I regret to say that he failed entirely to see the point. “Why should he ute any more than he dees?” he asked vhat’s the good of it, anyway hat fellow will go through —— and back again if I tell him to. He's done it before yesterday, and he'll do it again after tomorrow, anc so long. as he'll do that I don’t give a rap to have him hitting himself on the eyebrow every time I go by. ; they are nov crnamental, these Amer- ican soldiers, neither officers nor m Bur as an example of a fine, frank, straight, henest, kindly, lovable gentleman, strong and brave and upright, the American offi- cer commands my erthusiastic respect, and as to the men—well, if you searched crea- tion over for a collection of hard-muscled giants with battle fire glittering in their eyes, you couldn't beat them. ——+ e+ —_____ MEXICO AND THE PHILIPPINES. The Latter Territory Was Long a De- -pendency of the Former. From the Contemporary Review. From the foundation of Manila in 1571 up to the year 1819 the colony of the Philip- pine Islands was a dependency of M>2xico. During that long period there was abso- lutely no direct intercourse between the mother country and her far east2rn colony. Everybody and everything destined for the Philippines passed through Mexico until the American colony threw off the Spanish yoke. Thene2forth, for fifty-one years com- munication with Spain was via the Cape of Good Hope. The commercial history of the Philippines would be too long to relate here in extenso; suffice it to say that it is a seri2s of struggles between the colonists, who sought liberty to trade freely with Mexico and China, and the Spanish king and his councillors and the trading com- munity in Spain, who persistently deter- mined to curtail that freedom as much as possible. The policy of the Spanish me2r- chant class was to hold Mexico as their exclusive market. They opposed Philippine traffic with China because this necessitated silver dollars, which they kna3w must come from Mexico surreptitiously, if the island- ers were not openly permitted to give goods in exchange. The famous galleons, which were so frequently interrupted and seized by British privateers from the days of our Queen Elizabeth onward, formed the only connection between Mexico (Acapulco) and Manila. Bye Language. From the Popular Sclence Monthly. No part of the human countenance en- gages our attention so frequently as the eyes. When face to face in conversdtion we do not look at the Hps—although, as a rule, the attention is very quickly taken by any movement—but at the eyes of the person with whom we are speaking. So much is this the case that the habit of many deaf people of watching the mouth always strikes us as peculiar. In fact, one usually feels that there is a sense of in- completeness in the association of mind with mind by means of conversation if there is not a continual interchange of glances making a kind of running com- mentary on the words spoken. The same may be said of ordinary greetings when two people shake hands; unless there is at the same moment a meeting of friendly looks the ceremony loses much of its mean- Sos why is there this continual meeting of eyes accompanying all kinds of human intercourse? Partly, no doubt, it is attrib- utable to certain habits of comparatively recent date. The eye, “the window of the soul,” is a more truthful exponent of the inward thoughts than the tongue, and see- ing that speech is very frequently used not to tell the thoughts, but to conceal them, we look to the eye for confirmation of the reverse of what our ears are tak- ing in. ———__+e+—___ Horses’ Remarkable Journey. From the St. Louls Globe-Demoerat. Nine horses, owned in Ventura, Col., have just made a remarkable journey. A few months ago T. S. Cook took them to Invo county, 300 miles from here, on account of the lack of pasture here. A few days ago they reached home, having escaped from the pasture and traveled the entire distance without driver or herder. They were seen traveling on a trot, and must have covered the first 200 miles or more from the pasture without water, feed or rest, as there is ab- solutely no feed on the way, and water must be bought and paid for at a good RANDOM © VERSE. An Old Family. Hortrait. From Chambers’ Journal. If you could think, if $n cdyld speak. T wonder how your vélee Would. somdf And what opinion you “ould by Of those who idly er@wd aroutd! P Why are your eyes, w:th kaze, xed on us as we luugl weep, As though you seemed to stand aloof And mystic self-commiuniot keep? Can we say and ail are do, And all we ure or might have been, Be naught to you. as theugh we were Unknown, uncrred for and.anseen? ‘Tis ages since the artft's brush Upon a snowy. carvas drew ur features; then revered ‘and loved, Now only known by pame.to few. It_may be ages since you left To cuter on your endless tance; But day by day we love to build Around your face sce fresh romance, ——_+ o-___.. A Knot of Bh W. R. A. Wilson in the Puritan, In olden days, for lady’ A knight went forth 16 war With aims complete, his charger fleet, And pennon fluttering far; While on the field of biazoned shield Hung, pure and fair to view, A simple band from woman’s ‘band— A tiny knet of blue; A true ‘not, a blue knot, A lover's knot of blue. praise, Did foeman bald, or robber's gold, Or Paynim blade appear, “For God, St. Clair and indy fair? — Went forih the ringing cheer. "Mid weapons’ flash and deafening claaby As man and beast he slew, An omen clear aanced ever hear— A tiny knot of blue; A true knot, a blue knot, A lover's knot of blue. L'ENVOL Today your knight goes forth to fight, Oh, love, my love, so tne; God gives him grace his foes to faqs With your sweet knot of blue, A true knot, a blue knot, A lover’s knot of blue. oor Afterwards. O, the glory and the story of «he fight, ‘The dashing of the war steeds in the strifo— The charge und the retreat, And the fing the winding sheat Of faces staring starward from the strife— Lost to life, And the waiting of the motber and the wi FRANK L, STANT! The Women Who Wait. Minna Irving in the Criterion. He went to the war in the morning— The roll of the drvins could be heard. But he paused at the gate with his mother For a kiss and a comforting word, He was full of the drerms and ambitions ‘That youth is so ready to weave, And p-oud of the clank of his saber And the cheyrons of gold on his sleeve, He came from the wa: In the evening— The meadows were sprinkled with snow, The drums wd th» bugles were silent And the steps of the soldiers were slow. He was wrapped in the flag of his country When they laid him away in the mold, With the glittering stars of a captain Replacing the chevrens of gold. With the heroes who sleep on the hillside He lies with a flag at his head, But, blind with the years of her ‘weep‘ng, His mother yet mourns for her dead, ‘The soldiers who fall in the battle ay feel but a moment of pain, the women who wait in the homesteads Must dwell with the ghosts of the slain, +e2— > When the Post Baad Plays. Richard Stillman Powell th’ the Criterion. Ob, the fun Js on the rivery and the sky ts gold and red, 1 And the moon its ght iw gaining in the azure over- ead, And the Band is playin’ ters down, And there's pretty girls stfanf from the quarters and the town. Oh, the sunset guo is boomin’, bles tll In the dim and purple di the bill; And its just a pipe till make your blaz Who wouldu’t be 'a soldier when the Post Band plays? a cy it is lost behind Supper time, so fill and Ob, there's hurry and theye's pustle, and there's forty head of mule To be Icaded in the Cu: coffee couls; And the caissoas are’ bulky, Dlasted steep And there isn’t any wonder whem a Dloke fs half iyss while the steaming and’ thé gangplank’s asleep. Oh, there's orders to go somewhere, and to go there mighty quick; And it’s nothing to tbe orders that the horses rear and kick, x That the stoc ‘8 won't open, that the sergeant’s in a daze; Say, who wouldn't be a soldier when the Post Band plays? car dé Ob, the women they're a-weepin’, same as women always do, And there's hearts a-feelin’ heavy underneath the army blue And there’s shoutin’ and there's cursin’, and the bells a-ringin’ loud, And there's kisses om the mothers and the sweet- hearts in th crowd. ‘Ob, the darned oii band 1s tootin’ and the fife’s a-shrillin’ high, And “The Girl I Left Behind Me’ makes a feller blink bis eye, For we'll not be back, my dearfes, to you all for many days, And seme will be a-missin’ when the Post Band play: oe At School and at Home. Elizabeth L. Gould in St. Nicholas. My teacher doesn’t think I read very special well. always saying, “What was that Last word?’ and makes me spell And then pronounce tt after her, As slow as slow car be. “You'd better tuke # little care'’— But when Um He hands out a book, And lets me choose place to rea And then he'll sit and look At me. and listen, just as pleased! 1 know it from his face. And when I read a great, long word, He'll say, ¥, ttle Grace, You'll have’ to teach our deestrict school Some one o° these bright days! Mother, you come and bear this child,’? ‘That's what my grandpa says. ——~+e2—__ Midsummer. Jerny Terrill Ruprecht in Lippincot! Thine is the sunny tide of languorous sweets, Were poppies flaunt thelr gorgeous silken blooms, And flowers less gay lend quieting perfumes Until the heart of noture softly beats, And dreamy echoes, with thelr low repeats, Grow less, ‘and less, end sink In twilight glooms, Within the silence of Pan's Hcbened rooms, ‘Then rise again, where zephyrs sail thelr fleets Freighted with drowsy murmurs. ‘Thus the days Slip by. till merged in cycles of the past, Not wholly lost. since they baye left a spell Of tender warnith to hide the fickle ways And chirgeful moods of hours that follow fast Enough to hear thy lngering farewell. The Eve Before the Battle. From the Southern Orphan's Journal (1866), “Sing us a song,”’ a soldier, sald; As by the camp fire lying: my grandpa's house, ft He watched the smoke ths lowly curl ‘And the golden sunbeunts aye, “Come, boys, a song, let be gays ‘There's thne enough for: so We leud the charge at earty dawn, ‘And may not sing tomurmw.!": te. 1 ‘Then cut upon the evening alrh ‘There came sweet inusi¢, ringing, Ia silvery cadence loud ang cle And the veteran troops ere Boging: They sang the song of , Sweet Home, pad memory’s faithful Magers e] e's Page ‘to lot ago Where recollection lingers: mo ‘They sang of home by thei Rapidan, When rifle pits were pain But shot and shell were all forgot swell a8 battle's marine. That song recalled familiar scetes, Brought back each genti feeling; Dewn cheeks that battle he'er éould blanch ‘Teardrops were slowly stealing. ‘They saw again thelr own loved homes; Received thel: mother's 4 Warm kisses thrilled upon their a Dear ones were them caressing. Deem them not weak—they “led the charge,” Amid the cannon’s rattle; Yet tears bedewed each manly cheek ‘The eve before the battle. ——— The Sunrise of the Poor. SPORTS ON SHIPBOARD Jack Tar Manages to Have a Good Deal of Fun. Ceremony of Baptism —Slinging the Monkey—Obsiacl> and Wheel- barrow Races. From the Philadelphia Times. There is a general impression that it ts only when Jack Tar gets shore leave that be has any relaxation. Nothing is further from the truth, for che joily sailor lad can always make fun no matter where he is. One of the chief pleasures of the German warships now at Manila with Rear Ad- miral Dewey of the United States navy is the ceremony of baptism. One might sup- pese from this that the German seaman 1s especially pious, ui it is only necessary to see the ceremony to observe that there is more fun than piety in it. After every long voyage it is the evstom to ‘ baptize” the sallor who aas been the “best” during the trip—that is, wno has saved the most money and drank the least grog. If this honor was intended to promote decorum and sobriety it is a most dismal failure. It has just the contrary effect, for every sailor, to avoid the inevitable ducking, spends his earnings and lets no schnapys escape. One object of this custom is to encourage liberality and hail-fellow-well- met spirit among the crew. _ ‘The ceremony of baptism is very inter- esting. Every officer of the American ‘1! at Manila attended it 'f he were lucky enough to get an invitation. A throne ts rigged up for Father Neptune, and an im- mense tub is improvised out of a sail er tarpaulin on the desk. ‘nis 13 filled with water, and around the edges stand varlous- ly dressed peopie in ali sorts of disgaises, mostly like those worn by Calithumpian paraders in the United States. At a given signal the moniter is ordered by Neptune to read a Ist of the offender’s crimes, which usually ccnsist of undue frugality and sobriety. Neptune waves his trident and issues a stern order, which is executed by his groz2sque minions, who catch the luckless wigat, all dressed, by the neck and pitch him head foremost into the big basin, Where he is allowed to flounder around un- il thoroughly soake: \the most interesting athletic game aboard ship 1s the obstacle race. The chief task is to get through life preservers swung from a rope and oscillating with every lurch of the ship. It 1s exceedingty difficult for even a trained athlete to get through one, if the sea is at all nasty, without making most ludicrous failures. “Slinging the monkey” is a name given to a performance that justifies its peculiar name. The legs of the “monkey’’—usually a careful, methodical man—are first of all slung up’ by means of ropes and pulleys. Then the victim is given a piece of chalk, and with this he is expected to lean for- ward and write dictated love letters on the ship's deck; or he may be called upon to show his skill as an artist. At the same u can’t expect fine technique and of outline, considering the circum- for one thing, the draughtsman a free hand. The knowing “mon- hasn't key” will probably wait until the ship has lurched: one way, then he will attempt a Uttle lightning sketching before she has time to right herself. Occasionally it 1s not the chalk, but the artist's nose, which serapes the deck. A delightful uncertainty always attends any function at sea—athietic or otherwise —for the lurch of the ship will give pecu- Har force to the adage that the “best laid schemes.o’ mice an’ men gang aft agle This gives a peculiar zest to the egg spoon race. The starters are placed in a Yow and each is provided with an egg, which is to be carried in a spoon held at arm’s length. The one reaching the win- ning post first with egg intact is declared the winner. Needless to say this race is not necessarily to the swift; rather is it to the adroit and strategic. It is very funny to watch the competitors. One will hold the spoon low down, so that if the egg does fall out it won't get broken; an- other 1 make a frantic dash, trusting ship's steadin: while a deposit the egg in some . Breatly to his disgust. The wheelbarrow race on board ship is ten times as amusing as it is at a country fair. The barrows are in this instance sea- men who do not fear a rush of “brains to the head” and do not mind getting down on their hands while their legs are held high in the air and used to propel the own- er toward the goal. The rolling of the ves- sel pitches the wheelbarrow and pusher together in a heap, convulsing the on- lookers with laughter. HAD TO BE TRANSLATED. The Bowery Boy Mixes Ship Lingo and Slang. From Collter's Weekly. On board men-o'-war all offenders against the rigid discipline of the navy are “brought to the m: There, in the presence of the officer of the deck, the captain hears complaints and awards punishments. The following amusing incident is related by a naval officer us having actually occurred on one of the cruisers now off Havana: “Jes’ like dis, cap’n,” said the Bowery recruit who had been brought to the mast for fighting, “as I trows me divan in de ditch I pipes de spud peeler plantin’ his feelers on me swash can, and—”* “Hold on!—whet's that?” said the cap- tain. “He means to say, captain,” said the of- ficer of the deck, “that, as he was stowing his hammock in the nettings, he saw the cook trying to steal his water bucke “He hangs de bluff agin me dat his‘n,” continued the seaman, ce packing out o’ my peepers squeeze de bone.” “Which is equivalent to saying,” said the officer of the deck, “that the cook would have him believe that the bucket was his own, but the seaman, refusing to be hoodwinked, started to recover his prop- erty.” “I digs him in de stoop wid me stilt, and plants me squeezers in his ticklers, but de guy starts de ki-yi, when I jolts him in de mask. “That is to say,” said the officer of the deck, “that he gave the cook a kick, end commenced to pull his whiskers, when the latter started to yell, w) is “but I digs and goes to “I breaks a brace of tombstones, and lets de geezer free—when he plants a stall agin me wind, and starts de fizz at ine sniffer, and—"” “Stop! stop!” said the captain. “I take it,” said the officer of the deck, “that he knocked two of the couk’s teeth out, and then let him go; but the cook, not being satisfied, commenced to choke the seaman, and gave him a blow which caused his nose to bleed.’ “Well, now, my ma said the captain, “df I hear any more Choctaw spiel like this Til caress the stomach of your jeams in a way that will remind you of a Hindoo skate on the Midway; and in the meantime I'll give you a booble watch, with Lraccicts, in the refrigerator, for a seven spot.” “Which means,” observed tne officer of the deck to the seaman, “that any more mutilation of the English language by you will cause the captain to kick the stufling out of you, and meanwhile you got a week in the brig with handcuffs and shackl: ———__++_____ THE LARGEST BIBLE. It ix the Buddhist Sacred Literature Engraved on Stone. From the Boston Traveler. In 1857 Mindon-min, King of Burma, erected a mcnument near Mandalay called the Kutho-daw. There he built 700 tem- ples, in each, of which there is a slab of white marble. Upon these 700 slabs is engraved the whole of the Buddhist Bible, a vast literature in itself, equal to about six copies of the Holy Scriptures. This marble Bible is engraved in the Pali , thought to be that spoken by Buddha himself 500 B.C. Phowographs of some of the inscriptions have reached Ergland, and Professor Max Mu! haps the greatest linguist in the has examined them. But, alas for‘all this of "the Great a@ vain ambiticn. > by causing it to be noul some of the Burmese characters in which the Pall text is engraved. This is certainly the 1 of any portion of literature. Even National Encyclopedia of “hina tn volumes occupies a comparatively § space. To reach the other end of limits of the printers’ and engravers’ art we need oniy rememi-er the “Smallest Bi; ble in the World,” and the diamond edi- tions of Catullus, Tibullus and Propertius. To engrave the Bible of Buddha on the marble slabs in the temples of Kutho- daw musi have cost many thovsands of dollars, but these sermons in stone are easily cutclassed by a copy of the New Testament, which, beautifully printed, can be bought for 25 cents, and :f carefully cherished will last many genera‘ions. N SAYINGS. t known ccpy the AMERIC Phrases Originated in This Country Which Will Live. From London Truth, “Don't swear; fight!” ring of sound metal. ‘The Amerizan army of invasion «vane- ing vpon Santiago de Cuba was preceded by a body of rough riders, Suddenly the Spaniards, who were lying in ambush, fired a deadly volley, and the startled rough riders replied with an outburst of curses. “Don't swear; fight!” called Col. Wood. The phrase will live. America ‘s a big country; it is destined to become a great country, for there is manli- ness and vigor in the memorable phrases coined by celebrated Americans. It was Stephen Decatur who originated the toast, “Our country, right or wrong.” Henry Clay said, “Sir, I would prefer to be right than be President.” The last words of Na- than Hale were, “I enly regret that 1 have but one life to lose for my country.” Will- iam Penn coined the phrase, “I prefer the honestly simple to the ingenuously wici ed.” And it was Henry Ward Beecher wao uttered the words, “The mother’s heart is the child’s school room.” When nations become artificially refined the phrases which their great men coin are generally either cynical or flippant. Thus to Talleyrand is attributed the phrase,““Mis- trust first impressions, they are always gcod.” Voltaire declared that, “Ideas are like beards; children and women never wear them.” To which might be added, “except when they are monstrosities.” An- toine Rivarole said, “It is an immense ad- vantage to have dene nothing, but one should not abuse it.” Samuel Rogers said, “When I was young I said good-natured things and nobody listened to me; now that I am old I say ill-ratured things, and everybody ‘istens to me.” To Sidney Smith we are indebied for the following ungra- cious description of a fashionable woman: “Do not mind the ceprices of fasnionable women. They are a3 gross as poodles fed on milk and muffins.” Whether Col. Wood uttered them or not, the words, “Don't swear; fight!” will ring for long in the memories of many genera- tions. The phrase bas the ——____+e+ SHAKESPEARE’S CHURCH. Some Interesting Relics Found Dar- ing Work of Restoration. From the St. Jantes’ Gazette. An unusual amount of public Interest 1s just now being shown in the restoration work at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford- on-Avon. Workmen are engaged in taking up the floor of the nave, side aisles and transepts, preparatory to the laying down of new block floors and pavements. Having to excavate some depth for the purpose of filling in with concrete and ce- ment, some curious old vaults, quaint epi- taphs and tombs are being disclosed, and are being treated with the greatest care. A portion of the present church dates back nearly 709 years, ard all authorities agree that upon the same sit older church of the Saxon period. place of sepulcher the site has no been in for 1.00 ye the nave, and particularly the are hone; ombed with vaults, and it will be necessary to lower the crown of the arch of many so as to excavate to the proper depth. As interment churches are not now permitted, vaults will most likely be filled ir are not being entered. but in the ¢ the work coffins, mostly of lead, are g and skulls and bones are being turned up occasionally. These are treated with the utmost reverence and will be reinterred in the church yard. A group of Vaults in the south transept has been exposed. They contain the bodies of the Mason family, the interments dating from 1689. ‘The family is now ex- tinct, but old Stratfordians tell of a re- markable, yet horrible, act of self-destruc- tion committed by one of the M. ily some sixty or se nty years ago. ing into a hovel in the paddock at the back of the house he put together a great quan- tity of straw, and, lying down on top of it, he set the heap on fire and was literally roasted alive. Quaint inscriptions are being brought to light in removing the wooden floors that covered the old stone paving of the tran- septs, and it is satisfactory to know that all will be carefully preserved and shown in the “random pavement” which will bor- der the pe: stood a much As a transepts, al a Light Employment. The Deutsche Zeitung, San Paolo, Brazil, giv some shameful particulars of the “spoils” system as it prevails in that coun- try. One story, translated in the Literary Digest, has an amusing side. Some time ago a general was sent to one of the nerthern states to investigate the management of a government railroad. He belonged to the set of men who have made themselves obnoxious by thelr endeavors in the service of reform, and here are some of his experiences: The very first day he found in one of the rooms of a railroad station a strong young man who was doing nothing. Think- ing the young fellow had come to see him he asked: “Do you wish anything, my friend?” Se! sir. I am employed here. “So! What are your duties?” “I have to fill the water jugs in the office every da The general was a little astonished. In the next room he discovered another able- bodied young man, smoking a cigarette. “Are you an employe?” he asked. “Yes, sir. J am the assistant of the gentleman in the next room. But that was nothing to what was to come. The general had already been in- formed that the road employed eighteen engineers, while only eight were working. He ordered that in future these men should at least take turn about. The next day one of these “engineers,” a beardless youth, came to him and told him that he could not run a locomotive to save his life. “Then how did you get on the pay roll?” “Well, you see, general, it’s this wa: My family are poor, but I wanted to study law. We've got some pull, so I managed to get an appointment as honorary en- gineer, to make a living while I pursue my studies.” SSS Spanish Indifference. From the London Speciator. At Malaga they never welcome you when you come or speed you when ycu go. They are indifferent which you do. You may pay your bill to the cay if you like or leave it if you had rather wait. Nobody will touch a coin cr a valuable if you leave it on your table, but if you lose a pencil or an eyeglass no one will ever find it—it is too much trouble. Never hope to have letters forwarded, for you will see them no more, and few registered parcels escepe the post entire. A year ago—for we -wi.tered twice —I wanted to sead a telegram, and went to the principal office. Malaga is fourth or fifth in importance among Spanish towns. The office was only open twice a day, for an hour or two at a time. Not a clerk could speak anything but so I had to go back to the hotel for the interpreter to translate my message. When I.returned with it I wanted a note for twenty-five pesetas (francs) changed. All the clerks at all the pigeon holes were whole. office could not muster it, so I was left to pay next time. IN THE PYRENEES Some Queer Features of Life Among the Basques, MAINTAIN A CERTAIN INDEPENDENCE Notwithstanding They Are the Sub- jects of Spain. htt saw ngpicte AN ABORIGINAL PEOPLE cement iteeipa From the St. Louls Globe-Demoerat. The most unfavorable sign for the future quiet of Spiin was the arrival a few days ago at the capital of a large and influen- ttal deputation from the Basque provinces. The men who comrpcsed this deputation went to Madrid for the purpose of protest ing against the 20 pe> cent increase in tax- ation which has been announced by -the government as a meens of defraying the expense of che war. The increase was pro- claimed for all the provinces of the king- dem, and distasteful as it is to peopie of every race and class in Spain, is doubly so to the Basques, for these claim the righ: of regulating their cwn taxation, which they stoutly uphold against all aggression. To levy their own taxes and to pay none but those assessed by their own provincial and legislative assemblies is one cf the fueros or privileges which the Basque: have from time immemorial enjoyed. Ever Besque throughout Spain ranks as a Hi- dalgo or nobleman by reason of his birth. No Basque is subject to any laws other than those of his own people, and even in other parts of Spain a Basque committing a crime is not tried by the local tribunal, but is entitled to a hearing before a Basque judge, and at Valladolid and at other points there are Basque courts for the trial of such members of this race as may have transgressed the laws. The three Basque provinces of Guipuzcoa, Vizcaya and Alava are autonomous, electing their own jegisla- tres, their own governors, the! n off cials of every rank and grade, except post- masters, being for all practical pur- poses absolutely independent of the Span- ish government, save that by convention they “contribute” a certain amount to the Spanish revenues. The Vizcayans are not Mable to military duty save when their country is invaded, the conscription is never enforced in the Basque provinces, a Basque arrested for any crime, no matter what, cannot be sent out of Biscay for trial. A Seurce of Annoyance. These fueros have been a source of in- finite annoyance to the government, from the fact that the Vizcayans form thus an independent community in the kingdom and have privileges so exaggerated that the people of other provinces complain bitterly of the immunities enjoyed by the Basques; the latter, they are no better than themselves, and should be placed on the same footing as the rest of Spain's people, both in regard to military duty and taxa- tion. Every attempt, however, that has been made to abolish the fueros has re- sulted in a Basque insurrection, character- ized by so much. vigor that the government finally been forced to yield and pur- chase peace by renewing the fue The people of the Basque provinces are the descendants of the aborigines of the country, who were in 1 when Spain Ss conquered by the Roman: Arciently they were known as Vasceni a relic of this primeval name i and in Vizcaya, the people calling themselves Viz- ayans. When the Romans conquered Spain the aboriginal population retired to the mountains of tt and to the Pyrenees region, and in fortresses rendered impregnable fied all efforts of the « 8 finally concluded a convention them similar to that waich the 8 sovernm has been forced to ma them in the Ro» yths suc hs wi , but the Basque couatry > Spaniards were no inc them thaa were t tons in Franec, th Weish, the Highland Scotch, they have been overrun, but never overcome. Guerrilla Warfare. The country of che Basques is peculiarly suited to guerrilla warfare, and officerd who have conducted operations against them are unanimous in deslaring that, 93 guerrillas, the Basques als. While concentrated in the three provinces ried SO as to © tute the jority of the population, they disseminated throughout — the egion, northern Spain and southern The whole of north Spain is mountainous, the Cantabrian range ng the at a distance of fort breaking up near th branching chains which cover severa! prov- inces. Thus from the Atlaniic to the Medi- terranean there runs an atmost cont rugged chain, densely wooded and ex< ingly difficult for military operations. These mountains are the natural habitat of the Basques, and, whenever an insurrection bas broken out, the inhabitants remove t the mountain fastness2s, and can infinitely prolong the war agains: any force brought to bear upon them. More Than a Million, The last government reports give the Population of the thre: Basques provinces as: Vizcaya, 235,650; Culpuzcosa, 181,845, and Alava, 92,015, a total of over 500,000, but, as a matter of fact, this number does not adequately represent the Basque pcpu- lation, for there a rg* communities in Navarra, and throughout Saragossa, Hu- csca, Lerida and Gerona they almost equally numerous, 59 that the Spanish Viz- cayans are estimated co exceed 1,000,006 in number, and on the other side of the Pyr nees, within the territoriai siniits of Prancs there are probably 250,000 more. The Basque country proper contains only a few important towns. Many years ago the Spanish government complimented the Basques by selecting San Sebastian as the place of summer residence of the court. The Basques expressed their satisfaction, but were not perceptibly conciliated even by the residence of royalty in their midst. Aside from San SebastiaM the only large town of importance is Bilbao, the capital of Vizcaya. It ts a handsome town, for Spain, and, although situated eight miles from sea, on a small stream, and with a bad bar at the mouth, Bilbao has a larger commerce than any other city in Spain excepting Cadiz. It is one of the most pic- turesque spots in the peninsula; in a moun- tain gorge, on both sides of a beautiful stream, spanned by bridges so old that memory of thelr erection has been lost, It is unique both in position and beauty.’ It has a magnificent cathedral, many public buildings in the Moorish style and a mili- tary history extending back hundreds of years, for in every Carlist war it has been held by the Spaniards and successfully de- fended against Carlist attack. Valiant in War. Not alone in their own wars have the Basques proved valiant. As mercenary sol- diers, they were at one time as well known in Europe as the Swiss, their obstinacy, however, making them exceedingly -in- tractable even under their own officers, and a4 Int umber of ¢ mmander who employed them, and, con- squently, they fell into disfavor meg 3 the military men of Europe, and even years ago, only in the direst would any government hire Vizcayans es mercenaries. The Basques are mountaineers, and mountaineers in every country are inde- pendent, liberty-loving and impatient any form of political control es fi : i : tie He z E i