Evening Star Newspaper, September 3, 1898, Page 15

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1898-24 PAGES. HOME OF A COFFEE PLANTER. NATURE RUNS RIOT Porto Rico is Rich in All Forms of Tropical Vegetation. NO LIMIT 10 IS PRODUCTIVENESS Palm Trees That Supply a Poor Man's Every Need. ee WEALTH IN COFFEE RAISING Written fer The Evening Star. N A WORD, IT might be sald that the products of Porto Rico are those of the West Indies in gen- eral, and cover the entire range of tropi- cal agriculture and horticulture. Nature has singularly bless- ed this beautiful island, giving it, in the first place, emi- nence of location, right in the heart of an system, between the Atlantic the Ant and the Caribbean sea, making it strategi- cally important. as well as endowing it with a delightful climate. In the second pl: » its physical con- figuration is s ch that, though situated within the tropics, its great mountain range, culminating in Luquillo, 41,000 feet in height, renders available the cooler temperature of the temperate zone, by merely a change of altitude. As in Mexico, With its three different zones of climate and vegetation, in Porto Rico we find the same conditi preva ing. Along the coast is the lowland of the “tierra caliente,” or the hot region; next comes the “tierra templad: or delightful tempe e zone, ly, well up the mountain sides, the “tierra fria,” colder zone. Hable Land. Not that we find in Porto Rico, with its hundred miles’ length and approximate forty of average width, with total area of 3,60 squ. mil climatic zones so | vastly displayed or so distinctly defined as in Mexico; but we do have here those phy ieal features as modified by I while other is- i mountains far- the same general , climate and production: nene so universally cultivable From sea to mountain t orest iine, anyway, pes of its thousand hills may be cul- As to leys and rol r fer- yng been known and appreciated, d by the investments of foreign jomestic capital, in the cultiva- ar cane. view of this which will soon come within the jurisdi jon of the United States, we will begin at and note the prominent produc- not common in our own Sand islets, like those rida, are frequently bor- 1 with the curious mangrove, perched its long, spider-like legs: of no pa except as a land-builder, 2 its adventitious shoots it’ ex- in shallow waters, and is thus courier of terrené extension. Mangroves and Cocoa Palms. The mangrove stands with its fzet in salt water, filling muddy bays and falets; but farther back on the shore, yet well within waves in time of storms, rising from banks of pure sand, is the cocua palm, forming a living barrier b a and cu lands. Broad 3 h along the and extend oward the biils; of sugar cane, bordered cocoa palms. here territory coast of F icularly on ievel plams and ys with slight ion, the cocoa palm is usually found rear the shore. Its ran ward from the equator 28 di be found ja, but it will not flourish degrees 4 minutes north her: though long accli- growing in Fl la abov from Ceylon and always near the ts fall into the waves and ery part of the world, and shore in climates favorable to root and grow to sturdy trees. The Im at- tains a height, when in g rn, of fr = sald, a hun- ed nuts annu: for man. It is @ poor man's tree, from whie' not only drink and sustenanc but ms for his ay ©” palm logs, tcned w the spathes that nuts, are cool, cle -suffice for th 4 palm leaves or yp the clusters of cheaply made, and needs of provaniy two-thirds of th> dwellers jn tropic countries. Our soldiers in Cuba have probably become ac- quainted with the cooling water contained in the ivory chambers of green cocoanuts, : Stify to lis refreshing qualities, Cocoa water is the safest beverage for the morning tipple, as well as for any time of when one is not overheated. Those resided a long time in the trop- have become bibulously inclined, their morning “eye-opener” by ing ““Q. S.” of gin or native rum. There is then a regative. virtue in those liquors, Mnasmuch as they will not hurt you as ™much as though taken raw. Paim Tree Bohios. All other species of palm grow here, most of them introduced, but some of them na- tive. The most noticeable of native species, in fact, of any species of tree whatever, is the glerious royal palm, which is indi- genous here, as well as in Cuba. the hevses, aesthetic ‘werth at | the native ku value, a full-grown tree by the wa: to distin, tentious house: are known under the generic “casa.” The palm athes, are cailed - name which poles tied loosely together. and can be erected ima day or two. Another native palm, found farther up, its | It dots fields and stands fn groups about the and has a commercial as well as being ast $10 for its lumber. Most of are roofed with the great, this palm, which are ix feet long and three broad. “bo- uish them from more pre- framed and tiled, which of fall from the tree after the seeds are ripe, are pressed out flat, laid in rows over a frame- work of poles and kept in place by other A palm tree behto costs nothing more than the labor necessary to make it, assuming -the trees to belong to the land on which it is built, in the hills and mountains, is the beauti- ful “oreodoxa,” tallest of the tribe, and which sometimes attains a height of 150 feet. All the palms, and particularly this oreo ‘a. are celebrated for their “‘cab- bage.” of terminal bud, which {fs a deli- cious morsel, when divested of its outer wrappings and boiled like cauliflower or cabbage. It’s ytilization in the domestic economy implies, of course, the destruc- tion of the tree; but that Is a matter of little consequence to a hungry native, with a forest full of palms, and who only con- siders the labor necessary to cut down the tree, and noi the he does to the landscape. This vandalism is not confined to the Spanish ts ither, for there was once a planter in the English island of Barbados who, when the question arose as to the height of a magnificent palm on his estate, ordered it cut down, that he might ascertain to a certainty. He wagered that it would measure over 150 feet; he won the wager, but he lost the palm. A Valuable Tree. Another product of the palm sometimes adorns the native's table, and that is a luscious fat grub of the palm beetle, which is occasionally found burrowing in the heart of the tree. This is roasted and eaten as a bonne bouche of great excel- lence. There are also other palms, as the mountain and “gri-gris."" which are native, while all the foreign varteties, as the sago, date and areca, are to be found in cultiva- Group of Royal Palms. tion. All are useful, and doubtless, with improved methods of cultivation and horti- culture, and with the experiments that | Yankee proprietors will mtroduce, they will | Yield vastly more in the future than they have yielded yet. The cecoa palm alone s been made to jcontribute to commerce, and more th 100,000, the ste re shipped from Porto Rico r the young planter, who may go to this island with the intention of settling there there can be no better side product than what may eventually be derived from the planting of xa palms. A nut, a hole in the sand, nty of salt water and a little care after- ard is all that is needed to make a be- ginning, with patient waiting, of course, for t or ten years; after that the returns = sure, and the crop is increasing an- nually ‘Then there are banana il over the lowland co up the hills. » Which flourish t region and far According to the last avail- able statistics, 200,000,000 bananas are ship- ped annually from this island, and there &re no plants requiring less attention and les: e than bananas and plantains. All varieties may be grown here, and there is no reason why Porto Rico, under American protection and with the stimulus of Amer- ican enterprise, shall not rival Jamaica in its production of these delicious fruits. One planting of a banana shoot will last for years, as it practically renews itself, and after the «econd year the owner of a ba- nana plantation has only to pick and ship the fruit, and await the returns in cash. With Little Cultivation. Oranges, limes, lemons—all products of the citrus family, in fact—flourish here with little cultivation, and have not yet been considered of sufficient importance to merit attention; but there is no doubt that they can be made y profitable. There are no frosts here, as occasionally in Florida; transportation to our eastern seaboard, being by ship and steamer, would be less than railroad freights from California; so far as known there is no obstacle to the free cultivation of all these fruits. The same may be said of pineapples—an uncer- tain crop in frosty countries—which grow almost spontaneously here, and to enor- mous size, With delicious flavor. The pine is indigenous here, having been found in cultivation by the natives when Columbus and Ponce de Leon came here plundering and killing. Would you know what fruits may be raised here? Well, besides those already mentioned, the grape. melon, date, fig, sap- adilla, shaddock, citron, guava, mango, pomegranate, avocado pear, plum, tamar- ind, “cherry,” star apple, mamie apple, granadilla, water lemon, bread fruit, cus- tard apple, sugar apple, sour sop and oth- ers which grow wild, as the beach plum, the sea grape, etc., etc. The native vegetables are the yam, eddoe, sweet potato, cassava, cucumber, pea, beans, carrot, egg plant, tomato, corn (maize), ochra, yucca, pumpkin arrow root; in the higher regions, potatoes, straw- berries, cabbages, etc. As a rule, northern vegetables do not do well here, unless high up the hills, and then should be raised from northern-grown seeds. Products of the Lowlands. But tle vegetable kingdom is rich enough in plants, native and introduced, which grow perfectly well in a tropical climate, without going far afield for other cultiva- tions. The main products of the lowlands, sugar and tobacco require such skill, cap- ital and attention that a novice would very likely fail if he were to attempt their cul- tivation, let alone the probable impossibil- ity of obtaining the necessary lands; for Porto Rico is not a wild country sparsely populated, but has a rather dense popula- tion, of about 800,000, which at present oc- cupies, if it does not utilize, the greater portion of its 3,600 miles of area. The meth- ods of cultivation, so far as sugar is con- cerned, are those in vogue in Cuba; but there are fewer great “‘ingenios,” with per- fect appliances for crystallizing and refin- ing, and more of the “trapiche de bue or one-ox mills, here. StiM, the annual ex- port of sugar rises to 70,009 tons, with great opportunity, when peace reigns, for ex- pansion of territory cultivated and of out- put. The annual export of tobacco reaches 7,000,000 pounds, and the two staples con- stitute 85 per cent of the island's exports. Experts say that there is no reason so far known why Porto Rico cannot produce to- bacco of as good a quality as Cuba, even in the Vuelta Abajo region, so famous throughout the world. But tobacco is ‘‘ca- prichioso"’—capricious—the Spaniards say, and the right combination of soil and cl! mate can be found only by experimentation. The Porto Rican products thus far men- tioned are those of the lowland region along the coast and at the foot hills, in the zone of the “tierra caliente.” Here, of course, is the largest proportion of cultiva- ble and arable land; but it does not follow that here, also, lies the best soil for spe- cial cultivations. Ascend, now, toward the edntral ridge of mountains, or climb the bench of fertile land above Mayaguez,-on the west coast. All the way you are accom- panied by the bamboos, whose feathery- foliaged lances, like great spears clashing in the wind, are now elements in the West Indian landscape which are purely tropical in character. The bamboos serve a variety of uses, and are especially valuable in hut building and in fencing, their long poles, sometimes sixty feet in length, being al- most as strong as iron and smooth as glass. The bread fruit was introduced into the West Indies about a century ago, but has not become so abundant as in the French and English islands. It is a hill lover, like the bamboo, and its fruit is one of the most delightful and satisfactory foods that hun- gry man could desire. The hill region is the natural home of all aromatic spices, such as cinnamon, clove, pimento, and of coffee, cacao, vanilla, nutmeg; while the arrow root grows here, and the aloes, log- wood and mahogany. Plants from which tinctures and dyes are obtained and trees valuable for industrial purposes are abund- ant, both in the littoral forests and in the uplands. A common but now neglected plant is the arnatto—the bixa orellana— which is in such repute with some farmers for coloring their butter, and which was used by the ancient Indians to color their skins. The arnatto shrub grows to the size of a quince tree, has heart-shaped leaves and pretty rosy flowers, followed by bristly pods, something like chestnut burrs, and which burst open when ripe, displaying a crimson pulp, containing numerous seeds. This pulp is immersed in water a few weeks, strained, then boiled to a paste and formed into cakes, which are dried in the sun, The Cacao Tree. Another shrub which now practically runs wild is the guava, from which the delicious Jelly is made. An old or neglected plar tion soon becomes covered with guava bushes, which bear abundantly and migat be made very profitable. But the hill coun- try products are chiefly cacao and coffee, the former hardly cultivated here and -he latter not to its full capacity. Cacao is a native of tropical America, and was known to the aboriginal inhabitants of this island, probably, as stones have been discovered which were evidently used for crushing the ecaczo bean, or chocolate. The tree grows well in the coast country, but best in ele- vated valleys, where it can get abundant moisture and the washings of the hills. It reaches a height of twenty or thirty feet, but should be car>fully pruned and thinned, so that it can be kept within bounds. When in bearing the cacao pods grow from the limbs and branches, and also directly from the trunk itself, looking at a distance like great, swollen, red and purple rats climbing up the trees. Th> seed, from which the chocolate ts obtained, are contained inside this pod, in a sweetish pulp, sometimes to the number of thirty or forty. It is easily separable, and the cultivation of the cacao—taking one, as it does, to the fragrant valleys of the high>r hills—would seem a very desir- able occupation. At least one island, which was nearly ruined by clinging to the old- fashfoned methods of sugar cultivation, was saved and eventually became wealthy by abandoning sugar and taking to cacao. This island is Grenada, In the southern West Indies, and there seems to be no rea- son why any other should not be equally benefitted by following the same course. F tunes in Coffee. There is, hcwever, one cultivation that surpasses the cacao, and that is coffee. It seems very strange that we should almost simultaneously quire two or three islands in different parts of the world which pro- duce just what we cannot raise at home. We cannot grow coffee in any portion of the continental United States, but in Ha- aii, Cuba and Porto Rico it is perfectly naturalized. And in all these islands the cultiv ion of coffee takes one to the most beautiful and healthful regions, above the heat and fevers of the coast. Coffee grows best at a height of fifte: hundred feet above the sea or thereabouts. It is not, like the cacao, native to the West Indies, but was brought here in the last century from Africa by the of Martinique. Its cultivation was almost abandoned during slavery times, when labor was cheap, but now it begins to assert its suprem: The Mocha was first cultivated, which does best between one and two thousand feet above the sea but in the English islands the Li berian ¥ st results and at lo n three to five years only the coffee planter has to wait for re- turns, and afier that his profits are cer- tain and steadily augmented. If one can endure the enforced isolation and find com- pensation in beautiful scenery, pure air and a charming industry he can do no bet- ter than to try coffee cultivation either in Hawaii, Cuba or Porto Rico. The annual export from the last-named island has been about 17,000 tons, which amount can doubt- less be greatly increased. In the High Woods. Reaching an altitude greater than 2,000 feet above the sea all agricultural ope: tions cease, except for the primitive “pro- vision grounds'"—as they are called in the English Antilles—of the poor natives, where they grow small fruits and vege- tables. But, from the height of about 1,000 feet to the mountain tops we have the glorious vegetation of the “high woods.” Tree ferns wave their beautiful, lace-like leaves; mountain palms thrust their fronds through green masses of epiphytic plants, and gigantic gum trees tower aloft wreath: ed in mile-long lianas. There will, doubtless, be some delightful experiences in tropical mountain climbing when we have secured and pacified the i Date Palm. lands of Cuba and Porto Rico. The Blue mountains. of Jamaica are famous, but Lu- quillo and Tarquino, it is believed, will eclipse them in the glories they will soon reveal. Caves abounding in stalactites, springs of hot and mineral waters and streams containing rare fish are said to be hidden there, in the mountainous region of both islands. Mineral Wealth. The natural resources of Porto Rico are by no means confined to the vegetable kingdom, for anciently mines of gold were worked, copper, iron, zinc and coal have been found, while the littoral lands abound in salt mines, the shores in sponges and fish. There will be an opportunity for American prospectors when the restrictions against foreigners have been removed to revel in the delights of golden dreams and float on clouds with silver linings. At all events, if little gold reward the adventurer in Porto Rico’s mountains he will not be subjected to the rigors of an arctic climate, or have to endure the severities atten upon a trip to the KIxndike. He will be able to work all the year through, if so in- clined; the worst of his foes being mainly avoidable, such as malarial fevers, poison- ous insects, torrential rains and an inimi- cal native population. F. A. OBER. —_e—_—_ Living and show. From the New York Weekly. Foreign Visitor—“Does it cost much to live in New York?” Host—‘‘No, sir; it doesn’t cost much to live in this city, but it costs like Sam Hill to keep up appearances.” TO One hundred and nire thousand locomo- tives are at present running in various countries. Europe has 63,000; America, 40,- tee Asia, 3,3€9; Australia, 2,000 and Africa, PASSING OF SOAPY Personal Recollections of a Once Famous Gun-Player. LIGHT WENT OUT IN THE KLONDIRE f 6 Was Known in Creede as a Man to Be Avoided. ——— ae DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON Written for The Evening Star by Cy Warman. ‘A thousand burdened burros fille ‘The narrow, winding, wriggling trail; A hundred settlers came to build, ‘Each day, new houses in the vale; A hundred gamblera came to feed On the same settlers—that was Creede. Slanting Annie, Gambling Joe ‘And "Bad" Bob Ford, “Sapolio,”* Or “Soapy” Smnith, as he was known, Ran games peculiarly their own; For everything was open wide, ‘And men drank absinthe on the side. This was the running record of Creede Camp as set down at the tim2, A. D: 1892. With a press franchise, a force of print- ers, a lead pencil and a power press, the writer had gone to the booming camp to establish a morning paper, with a telegraph service, in a town that had been in exist- ence but three short moons and was not yet definitely located on the mans. It was March, and that means midwinter in the mountains, efght or ten thousand feet above tide water. The snow was blus- tering down Windy Gulch and fiecking the felt hats that covered the heads of the motley multitude that was buying lots from the state land board that had come up from Denver to s2ll the school lands upon which the town had been built. Lots sold at auction for a hundred, a thousand and even five thousand dollars, that had been werth nothing a year before, and were werth little more than notaing a year after th sale. The water washing down the dumps was bad, the whisky worse, and many men were sick. Having secur2d a lot by the side of the little rivar chat ran through the camp, the first payment upon which was 2 hundred dollars, we turn24, tired, cold, homesick and hungry, to walk away In a little bushless spot by the roadside was a board shanty, upon the door of which was tacked a tin beer sign. Inside half a dozen workingmen—laborers or miners they might be—were sitting 3n woodsn penches about the stove. They aad been in ani- mated conversation, but iusned it as they noted the entrance of a newcomer. One small man with pale, lusizriess hair and cold, gray eyes, was recogn the shell man—"Trouolesome they called him. I had seen a carp pause at Tom's three-legged stool that day, Watch the game for a moment, then slowly shde his tool-bag from his shoulder to th ground, put five dollars ov the table and pounce upon orie of the shells. He jost this five and two more, called the shell man a thief and demanded his money back “Yes,” said the man,-with his cold eyes fixed upon the top of the mountain, “I pre- sume that’s what you wanted with my money—to give it back." Now the carpenter ‘was pushed aside by a man who could guess. This man was able to win three times out of tive. Seeing that the game could be bea merchant from Denver put down ten, tried again and lost. Crumpling a fifty-co!lar bill in his left hand the merchant watched the two half shells for a moment end U made a grab. “Turn jit o tura it o he demanded, excit>dly, dropping the crum- pled bill, Tom turned it over, but there was nothing in it—nothitig ior the mer- chant. “Why didn’t you turn it yo en a £2” said & man with a southern accentand a full black beard, “that fellow’sa shark. * ‘The merchant glanced at his questioner, fished another bill and watched the shells. Suddenly he natled one of them. “Take yo" Looks off that shell,” said the dark man to Tom, “and let the ‘gentleman turn it over.” “I don’t see any money,” said Troubls- some Torn. “There's my money,” ‘safd the merchant, dropping the bill. “You bet fifty? “I bet the bill,” answered the merchant. Now the shell-man moved his hand from the shell and allowed it to hover over the new note. ‘The man turned the shell, slow! but the pea was not there. Even as he turned it Tom's veivet fingers closed on the one-hun- dred-dollar bill. Now this same man with the Georgia pro- nunctation came from behind the pine bar and spoke to m2. He had no whiskers, but I could swear that this was the man that had helped the merchant play off the hun- dred. “Yo' th’ a’tist that’s goin’ to staht the daily papah, eh?” “Yes,” I answered, and as my eyes wan- dered over t faces of the company my mind went back to Denver. ‘Good-bye, Colonel Arkins of the News had said; “when you come’ back you'll be wearing a wooden overcoat.” There was something In tha air of this place that recalled the colonel’s prophecy. “Goin’ to make wah’ on the gamblahs?” asked the dark man. Not for gambling.”* “What fo’, then?” “Sand bags, six shooters and masks,” was the reply. “Wel, seh, if that’s yo’ gait we can gal- lop in the same heat,’ said he, enthusias- tically, offering ms his hand. “My name is Smith—Soapy Smith—an’ when yo’ In trou- ble say go an’ I'll help yo’.” That is the way we became acquainted. Later, when Bob Ford, the slayer of Jesse James, got gay and shot up the town, caus- ing John R. Spears to jump into the dormi- tory of ths Beebe House and frighten the servant girls almost to death, the Chronicle reasted Ford. Ford said he would go kill Taber, the local man, for criticising his conduct, Hartigan, the city editor, for printing it, and the editor for running such a paper. Now came Soapy of his own mo- tion, standing for the editor, who was un- armed, and the desp2rado was awed into quiet. And that is the way they became friends. Gambler Joe Simmens, one of Soapy’s “working men,” died suddenly two days be- fore the first issu2 of the Chronicle, and Soapy gave him a big funeral. ,Standing at the open grave, he opened champagne, pour- ing some into the grave, and drank some, saying as he did so: ‘‘Here’s to Joe’s sout over there, if there is any over there,” and passed the bottle to his next friend. The description of that funeral, which Hartigan wrote for the first issue, gave the Chronicle a start and made it welcome at the exchang2 table before it was two days old. It’s 4 mistake to assume that gam- blers do no good. Joe Simmens helped make a Chsontcle: va Sees ne day a man caéme Creek to burn a lot of mi dust received for a°group of claims. At when he entered the Chronicle office his trousers were stuffed like the trousers of a foot bull player—stuffed with money. His face was flushed and his eyes dancing. He was a miner by‘ profession, a gambler by instinct and a deep dtinker. He told Taber frankly that he had expected a re- Porter would find him out’ at the hotel, but seeing the paper way shy~on enterprise he had come in to givg up the news of the Chalk Creek district. He™hinted that see- ing his name repeatéd in’the paper would help him over at the new.camp where he was mayor, magistrate, postmaster and no- tary public. “If that likeness could go on the first page,” he said sliding a photo- graph over to the réportel, “I'd be willing to pay for the cut.” He offered to “open wine” for the gang, printers and all, if they would join him at the Albany for a midnight feed In the twilight of the following day he called again. He was not nearly so frisky. The stuffing was gone from his trousers and the twinkle from his eye. Pulling a chair up to the reporter's desk he began to pour out the story of his undoing. Harti- gan, seeing a smile beginning to play about the smooth face of the reporter, went over to give Taber an assignment, and Vaughn, the master mechanic (and ‘general man- ager in the editor's absence) came in from the back room. Half an hour later the man, went out. “Say,” he called back from the door; “you don’t need to menticn names, but I'll stand by the paper if you give the outfit a good roast.” Taber had written the heading for the expose in the presence of the Chalk Creeker, and he had cheered and applauded it. When he picked up the paper on che ver from Chalk yney that he had following morning he was delighted to see ‘that it had not been changed or softened: “CONSPIRACY.” A DEEP LAID PLOT TO DO A MAN OF MONEY. Business Men to Form a Union to Protect Themselves Against the Sharks.” And there was the miner's “likeness’* on the front page, top cf the column and right up against pure reading matter. The miner had admitted, in the interview, that he had been in the habit of bucking the tiger at the Orleans Club, kept by one Sapolio Smythe, and that he nad dropped several small wads there. Finally, one of his men up at the mines, who uscd to deal faro at El Pesa, said he could beat Soapy game, but it would take time and money. For $500 to him in hand paid this Texas man would go down to Creede, get a job dealing at the club and allow his friend to break the bank. It was so simple and easy, that the miner, finding himself heeled, gave the Texas min the money, the man got the job (he could deal brace) and down came the tim hern to tap the till. The Texas man was “honest,” but Soapy, leoking in the mirror, saw the new man fcoling with the box, and when game open- ed had another switched in. At first the Chalk Creek man lost heavy- ily, but he cared no more for his money then the Texas man did for his life, and laughed as he unloaded. His roll w gone before he won a bet. Now he joking and began to watch the dealer. In a little while his money was flowing into the till again, and he began to double up. There was no improvement. The miner hitched a six-shooter round so that the Texas man could see it, and the Texas man’s mouth began to twitch. Reaching into a drawer the dealer lifted a revolver and laid it near his right nand. “I call you,” said he, in a voice soft and low, and without more ado the Chalk Creek man reached for his gun. Instantly Soapy was between them. ‘O, gentlemen, gentlemen The two men put awa dealer took the chair on. 5 Scapy signed to the Texas man to ap- proach the bar. ‘Here's a hundred for your week’s work. Get a drink and a cigar and take the trail for Texas.” “Why—what's up, Soapy “Oh—nothing much, only if you’re here when that sucker goes broke he'll kill you. He thinks you been robbin’ ‘im, an’ if you haven't you've been crooked with me, an’ in that case the rules 0’ the house make it my duty to put your light out m’se’f, see?” A few minutes later a cigar went burning along the trail that lay by the banks of the Rio Grande. That, in substance, was the story told by the miner, verified by “Sapolio” and printed in the morning Chronicle. * said he. their guns, a new nd the game went A few weeks later Soapy came in one afternoon wi-h two revolvers, a rifle and a shotgun. “Fellah’s jumped yo’ claim,"’ said he, leaning the shotgun against the editor's desk. “I just brought th things along in case you all might be shy®en fightin’ iors. “How's that?” asked the editor. “Why, that fellah Streepy’s druy pilin’ in the riveh. built a house on ‘em an’ tu'ned the riveh thu’ yo’ lot.” “Well, what can we do about it?” “Do? why, make the dam’ houn’ out th’ windeh an’ take the house.” jump “Oh, yes, he'll fight, but you all must go heeled or not go at all. If you want me Till go along just for the excitement.” After consulting Vaughn, the foreman, who had lived a great deal in the mines, the editcr concluded to let the lot go, and Soapy, taking up his arsenal, went out. At the end cf 1892 the historian added another stanza to the running record cf Creede Camp. The Autumn winds b The sighing, qui About the sun Joe, And Sleeping there, Strawberries were 50 cents a box in Den- ver. Lafe Pence, candidate for Congre. had brought a box home for his family and himself, s the future fam congre tan passed into his yard he glanced over the low fence and saw kis neighbor's boys sitting on the scant lawn, each with a pox of berries between bis knees. When they had eaten ell they could hold, they played Indian by painting each other's faces with ripe berries, and gave what was left to the “poor’’ children who lived in the block. As the coming congressman stood watch- ing the boys the gentleman who lived next door came home to luncheon. The two men exchanged “good morning,” and the pro- spective legislator said that he had been asked to name a democrat in his ward for judge of election. If his neighbor would be good enough to give his name, the candi- date would be pleased to hand it in, and he made ready with pencil and note beok. “You're a democrat, I presume, Mr.—Mis- ter—' “oO erough, beys. “And wouid you be willing to serve, Mis- ter—" ! “Smith,” said the man smiling! son Randolph Smith, jr., called ‘So: short.” The man dropped his pencil and note bock as Soapy went laughing across the lawn leading his little children by the hand. Pence had not dreamed that the notorious short-card, shell man and all-round smooth Eph. was the head of the quiet and ap- parently hapoy family next door. es, I’m a democrat all right said the father of the strawberry nt traveling, and favored the writer with some odd and interesting lette, ‘The first came from South Amer- ica, nearly two years ago, another from Havana and still another from Juneau. I answered that one and asked for the truth about the Klonaike, for I could rely upon what Soapy said, and he answered from New Orleans. A few weeks later he walked into the of- fice of a New York magazine in which he bad read many of my stories, introduced himself and asked for me. The next news I had of him was from Skaguay, inclosing the following: Later Soapy wi NOTICE. TO THE SKAGUAY MILITARY CO. Gents: A meeting was called for the 22d, but has been postponed till Tuesday, the 29th of March, 1898. All members will be notified where to report. Respectfully, JEFF. R. SMITH, Capt. JOHN FOLEY, First Lieut. It seemed to me that this thoughtful- ness on the part of a man who had once stood for me at a killing, and offered to do it again, deserved a reply. So I wrote him briefly, concluding: “Write me when there {s anything that will make a story, and be sure to wire me when they hang you, which will doubtless occur during the coming summer.” This letter probably never reached him, as no wire came back. On the 7th of June a miner lost a bag of gold in “Jeff Smith's Parlors,” at Ska@guay. The man made a noise about it, the citizens got together, Soapy got drunk and went out to fight them all. Ar- riving at the place where an indignation meeting was being held, Soapy found five men guarding the entrance. He rapped Frank Reid, the city engineer, over the head with a rifle. Refd snapped his pistol at Soapy, and Soapy shot him in the groin. Standing on one foot, Reid put three bul- lets into Soapy, killing him instantly. Soapy must have lived altogether about forty years. He had made many friends and about as many enemies. He got his name, Soepy, because of a quiet little busi- ness he used to drive in Denver. He would take a number of square bits of soap, wrap them in soft paper, inclosing in some (but not in all) five, ten, twenty and fifty-doller bills, then for a sum of money, fixed by himself, he would allow any man in the audience to guess which of the little pack- ages had money. Very often the thing was blank, but the manipulator always allowed the stranger to keep the soap. Hundreds of others have done the same thing, but no man ever did it as smoothly as the original Soapy. He had won many a fortuné, and. like most gamblers, probably died poor. So far as the knowledge of the writer extends, he never killed a man, but, like all men who are inclined to be gunny and bad, he died suddenly, awfully and with his boots on. —_——__ One on the Bookkeeper. From the Chicago Record. “I told my wife I had to stay down town late to get a balance.” “What did she say?” “She said I seemed to have lost it before I got home.” IN THE CHURCHES Almost as much interest is felt in Wash- ington as in Baltimore regarding the thi teenth annual convention of the Brother- hood of St. Andrew, which meets in the latter city during the present month. From cne thousand to two thousand delegates are expected to attend the convention. Last year an international convention of the order was held at Buffalo. ing will attract to Baltimore the prominent lay members of the Protestant Episcopal Chureh, with which the order is ‘affiliated. It will also call together a number of dis- tinguished clergy. Among the men who will participate in the convention are James L. Houghteling, a Chicago banker, who was the founder of the society; Rev. William A. Guerry, chup- lain of the University of the South; Rev. Endicott Peabody, headmaster of Groton School, Massachusetis; Bishop Hall of Ver- ment, Bishop Gaines of Shanghai, China; Bishop Doane of Albany, N. Y.; Bishop Satterlee of Washington, ‘Bishop Paret of Maryland, Bishop Lawrence of Massachu- setts, Bishop Randolph of southern Vir- ginia and Bishop Rowe of Alaska. Rev. Dr. William S. Rainsford of St. George's Church, New York, whose adv cacy of legalizing the liquor traffic ma him the target of fierce criticism, will tend the convention. Much inte: attached to the coming of John C. Patte son of Dayton, Ohio; Jacob A. Riis of Xork and R. Fulton Cutting of New York. They will lead in the discussion of indus- trial ethics; in which the worker, the em- ployer and the consumer will be considered r. Patterson is president of the Natic h Register Company and has become prominent in imiroducing co-operative and profit-sharing features in treating his em- ployes. Mr. Riis is a New York newspaper man, who devotes much of his time to Problems affecting the working man. He was the starter of the public-play-grounds movement for children. Mr. Cutting is a leading New York banker, who has been a close student of industrial conditions. The Brotherhood of St. Andrew works in and for the Protestant Episcopal Church and is missionary in its character, having for its object the bringing of men into the church. It arted in ISS3. On St Andrew's day at Year a dozen young men of St. James Church, Chicago, agreed to pr at- will be daily for the spread of Christ's kingdom among youag men and to make an earnest effort each week to bring at least one young man within hearing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. > are the two rules of p rand service which throughout its hisiory have characterized the brotherhood. The missions proved so effective that the pters began to multi- and 1 been formed in the United Stat membership of about 15,010, here are sixty chapter: Japan, two ada, i there are a number in Australia. red cross na black field is the insignia of the brother- hood nd is worn on a button by the mem- several months the local > been a ng for the meeting, and the program -has been completed. The con- Yeation will open Wednesday, September 28, and he closing exercises will be held ctober 2. For the convention Hall has becn engaged, and the prin- cipal meetings will be held in ‘tl nin hall, while the smaller hall for conferen ad commi: The he convention program { Wednesday, September P-m., “Quiet Hours,” conducted by Rev. A. S. Crapsey of St. Andrew's Church, Roch. ester, N. Y.: 8 to 10 nformal rece tion in the main assembly room of th Music Hall pea eas Thursday. 10:30 Emanuel Chureh, op service anil charge by Right Rey. Al . Randolph, bishop of southern Virgin © ) p.m., Music Hai nvention and reading of report of the council: % p.m. ferenc>, subject, ‘minute dise P.m.. voluntar Sectional confe Which persons interested in spe the work of the order may meet o study the best methods: 8 p.m., di in prepar holy comm cted by Rev. William A. Guerry chaplain of the |. Org zonual genera! cor - University of the South. Friday, September 30—€:30 am., St Paul's Church, the corporate celebra: fon of the holy communion, celebrant, Right R Williain Paret, bishop of Maryland: 10:30 a.m., Music Hall, business session’ Teport of treasurer, repo: of standing committees ard r address by Rev. E lutions; 11 cott Peabody miaster of Groton School, Massachu subject, “The Brotherhood Men of th ture.” followed by a general 12:30 p.m., recess; 2:30 p. business session; eral conference, Christ,” address on “ t” Rev. C. H. Brent, 2's Church, Bosto: ) p.m., vol- sectional conferences; 8 p.m.) Mu- sic Hall, public mectin, to Be a Churchman, ire . Arthur C. A. Hail, bishop of Ve Heritage of the Past nd vice president of t t. Andrew, on “The Re- quirements of the Present Saturday, October 1-10 erence, sul t mont, and by Si m., Music Hall, “The Be This Yea with general discussion from the floor in five-minute talks; 12 p-m., Music Hall, p-m., Music Hall, ject, “The Cause dress by James L. president of the and Discipline,” with a discussion from tke floor: 4:30 p.m., voluntary sectio: ferences; 8 p.m., Music Hall, public meet- ing, chairman, Right Rev. Peter T. Rowe, “The Desire of Nations,” with addresses by Right Frederick R, Graves, bishoy of Shang- China, and Robert E. Spear of the student volunteer movement for fore'gr: missions. Sunday, October 2 a. holy _commu- nion in city chur 9:15 a.m., Emanuel Chureh, anniversary sermon by Rey. Dr. William 8. Rainsford of St. George’s Church, New York: 11 a.m., services in the city churches, with sermons by visiting cergy; 3:30 p.m., Music Hall, public meet- irg, subject, “Industrial Ethics, dre: by John C. Patterson of Da: Ohio, on “For the Worke Jacob A. Ri New York, “For the npleyer;” R. Ful. ton Cutting of New York, “For the Con- sumer,” p-m., Music Hall, public meeting, chairman, Right Rev. Henry Y Satterlee, bishop of Washington, subject, “Our Responsibility as a Church in t Life of the Nation,” with addresses by Right Rev. William Lawrence, bishop of Massachusetts; George Wharton Pepper of Philadelphia and Right Rev. William Crosswell Doane. +2» of Atbany, N. Y.; ) p.m., fgeewell meeting, led by James L. Houghteliz g. The relic of St. Augustine, which was brought from Rome by Rev. Father Dough- erty, is being exposed for the veneration of the congregation on the fenst of St. Au- gustine. The relic consists of a small piece of bone taken from one of the saint's fin- gers. The relic rests upon a green founda- tion, which is surrounded by cardinal sat- in, ornamented by nine gold bar: Be- neath the relic is the inscription, . Au- gus, E. D.” (St. Augustine, bishop and doctor). The relic is inclosed in an oval filagree silver reliquary, which is kept in a Russia-leather case, lined with cardinal satin. The relic was accompanied by a document in Latin, which says this relic was given for the honor and glory of God and was taken from authentic relics. Au- thority is given for its pulic exposition. The document is signed bY the Most Rev. Archbishop Piffiri, O. S. A., archbishop of Porphyry and sacristan of the Vatican. Changes in the Christian Brothers in the various parishes of this archdiocese have been announced as follows: Brother Denis (not Brother Deais, the president of Cal- vert Hall) will go to St. John’s College, Washington, D. C.; Brother Gregory of Calvert Hail will go to Orange, N. J.; Brother Frederick of Jersey City, N. J., will replace Brother Denis at Calvert Hall; Brother Austin of Rock Hill College will replace Brother Gregory at Calvert Hall; Brother Elwarn of Rock Hill College will go to La Salle College, Philadelphi: Brother Anthenian of Washington, D. ©., will take his place at Rock Hill; Brother Dennis Ambrose will go from Rock Hill to La Salle and Brother Leo of La Salle will take his place; Brother Drotheus of Rock Hill will go to Washington, D. C., and Brother George of La Salle will take his place; Brother Condidian returns from St. Thomas’, Scranton, Fa., to become director of the Immaculate Conception, Baltimore, and he is replaced by Brother Ambrose of Orange, N. J.; Brother Steven, director of the Immaculate Conception, goes to Jersey City; Brother Gregory of St Vincent's, to the Ryan Protectory, in Phil- adelphia; Brother John of St. John's goes to St. Ann’s School, Philadelphia; Brother Basilian (a ,Baltimorean) of La Salle will be director of St. James’, Philadelphia; Brother Timothy of Paterson, N. J., will go to Germantown, N. J.; Brother Ambrose general conferenc: of Christ,’ Houghteling of Chicago Brothe: on * bishop of Alaska, subject, All pn, The gather- | of Germantown goes to Jersey City; Brother Decaln will be the director at Newark, N. J.: Brother Undeliniru goes from Jersey City to Paterson, N. J.; Broth- er Cantidus will be director of the new Ryan Protectory, in Philadelphia, which Will be opened the 4th of next November. Twelve brothers will be sent to assist him A noted Catholic priest, Very “Rev, Adel- heim Cédermatt of Oregon, is expected to visit Washington soon for the Purpose of collecting fun's for the rcbuiid ng of his @onastery, which was burned to the ground several years ago. Father Ode matt is very popular, and for twenty-five years has been one of the bestgkuown ec- cesiastics in this western part of the cou try. He is a member of the Benedictine Order, which has no monastery in this vicinity, but which fs one of the four great crders founded early Christians. He Wears the imposing habit of his order, Which is a long black robe, accordion plait- ed in front, and to which is fastened the black cow! Father Odermatt personally is said to be very pleasing, and his appeal are made in a mos: touch’ manner. The entire Christian world has been touched with sorrow by the tragic deaths recently of Miss Belle J. Allen and Miss Maud E. Simon, foreign missionaries, who were supported by the Baltimore confer- ence, M. E. Church and who were killed in an accident in the harbor of Yokohama. Miss Allen went out six years ago and had returned once on furlough. Miss Simon entered upon her work in the orient eight years ago, and had not since returned to this countr The missionary careers of the two young women, who, since childhood, had been fast triends, have interwoven in many interest- ing incidents. They entered the work to- st the wishes of their friends from their class rooms ersity together and enter- ining 201 in ISG. As they had graduated together in Chio so they stood side by side for a second time to rece their diplomas. The orient was their chosen fieid, a1.d soon after Miss Alien began her duties at Nagasaki, Japan, re she wat sent six months after she tered the teld. Miss Simon was sent la At Nagasaki they worked t rs be- fore their paths separated et again a year later. During the past five years they had located at neighboring nission schoo!s, and, while never for any lergth of time in the same village, they were in close communication. The young friends scemed destined to remain ever cl: to one another, and when death came, by the merest chance, they were killed side by side before the eyes of their friends, to whom they had just bade tareweil. Miss Allen had gone tc Yokohama to watch the departure of some irlends who were sailing for America by the Empress of Japan. As the steamship was about to leave the harbor she and Miss Simon boarded a launch for store. ‘They had ba’ left the ship's side when a junk, which was running rapidly before the wind, | collided with the launch, and both women were struck by the Junk’s bows: acca WEALTH OF LABRADOR, It Scems Destined to Turn Out Rich Mines and Forests. | From the Vancouver News Advertiser. More is being heard now of Labrador, that land to which legends of giants an curiously deformed men are attached. Du: ing the last two or three years there ha been a growing belief that Labrador, tha “great and terrible wilderne hat’“Hel ” or region of naked rocks, as the old Norseman called {t, is destined to turn out a rich mining region. As th ngible proof of this; bi xplored in ny ve been ascended, t several points, rit. yet is no t has t en that it has attrac attention than before, and is no longer regarded as a de e p of rocks, un for the purpc of civilized men. Mr. e has told us of its vast fe and tors from various lands he brought back so miny specimens of minerals that > a great mining field > word gold has been whispered with it; and the possibility of rn Klondike being discovered uken possession of the minds of number of explorers. Its forma mble those of the real specimens hi been found which the keen-eyed hunters of that metal regard as peculiarly promising. The result is that no fewer than seven explor- aid to re Klondike, and gol in have made this year for of these were organized in Halifax, one left from Boston and the seventh has just started from St. John’s. In another respect Labrador is attract- ention, Though the coast is a suc- of grim rock not without a wild auty of their own and almost tree- et at the heads of so: f the bays lets there are large areas covered timber of a large siz y spruce. adapted n -~one of them for timber limits, some quare miles, have been made t¢ and the same number of our government, licenses to cut tim! been granted, so that a ve amount of capital is likely have, I understand y considerab to be invest eased here, and this will furnish i em- pioyment to the people. Labrador hithe bas been famous only for the fish wealt of its seas; now it would seem as if th ures of the land were to be turnec ecount. Its dimensions are enormous The Atlantic coast line is over 1,000 miles in length, and the area of the entire penin- sula not less than 420,000 square miles, ae A PHILIPPINE VOLCANO. tion of the Crater of ne, the Arctic Hero. Daring Expio Taecl by Dr. K From the Century. It was at Luzon, the largest of the Phil- ippine Islands, that Dr. Kane's adventur- ous spirit, though under a scientific impulse, passed the limits of prudence in his far- famed exploration of the crater of Tael, a volcano on the Pacific coast of the island in a region inhabited only by savages. Crossing over the capital city of the tsl- and during one of the long delays of Chi- se diplomacy, he procured an escort of hatives from ihe archbishop of Manila (b means of letters from American prelat which he had secured before leaving hom and, in company with his friend, Bar Loe, a relative of Metternich, penetrated the country to the asphaltic lake in which the island volcano is situated. Both gen- tlemen at first descended te until they reached a precipice ov.rha cavernous gulf of the crater, baron saw further progress to be imp: But the doctor, in spite of the remon- strances of the whole party, insisted upon being lowered over the ledge by means of a rope made of bamboos and held im the hands of the natives, under the baron's di- rections, until he reached the bottom, two hundred feet below. Loosing himself from the cord, he forced his way downward ‘through ‘the sulphurous vapors, over the hot ashes to the green, boiling lake, dipped his specimen bottle into its waters, return- ed to the rope, several times stumbling, al- most stifled, and with one of his boote charred to a coal, but succeeded in again fastening himself, and was hauled up by his assistants and received into their hands exhausted and almost insensible. Remedies brought from the neighboring hermitage were applied, and he was so far restored that they could proceed on their journey. But rumors spfead before them among the pigmy savages om the island of the pro- fane invasion which had been made into the mysteries of the Tael, and an angry mob gathered about them, which was only dispersed by one or two pistol shots and the timely arrival of the padres. The trophies of this expedition were some valu- able mineral specimens, a bottle of sul- phur water, a series of graphic views from recollection in his sketch book and a writ- ten description of the volcano by one of the friars, which, after many wanderings, Wes put in his hands as he sat at the home dinner table, twelve years afterward. bia te aeameemating A Fly-Catching Scheme. From Pearson's Weekly. “Joe, I'm sadly afraid you have been idling about in my absence,” said a young and clientless solicitor, just returned from his honeymoon, to his office boy. “This typewriter hasn't been touched the whole tim “Indeed, sir, I was working it only two hours ago,” replied the iad. “Then how comes it that a spider has spun its web across the keys?” asked the solicitor, pointing to a flimsy network which almost covered the keyboard. “Why, sir, I caught that spider and put him there myself,” explained the boy, after a@ scarcely perceptible pause. “There's a fly buzzing about in the of the type- writer, and as 1 didn't alone, sir, and that fly will be no time.”