Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, November 18, 1894, Page 19

I\ 9 h ey ——— | THE OMAHA.DAILY BEE: SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 18, 1894, N THE NICK OF TINE Adventures A True Story of on the Great Plains in 'BO. There sits in my office while I write a| eteran prospector and miner, Daniel Evans | by name, who, now In his 70th year, is still a Jert and active as are most men of 50. | Unole Dan,” as everyone calls him, is an | intelligent and fairly well educated man, | quite uniike what many people suppose the | ploneers of western travel to be. He for- sook a wandering life more than a quarier century ago, married and settled down in Michigan to enjoy his well earned compe- tence. | Having myself been for many years a Californian and Australlan gold-digger, Dan's reminiscences of those times greatly | interested me; as I trust his last told story | may do my readers. I give it, nearly as possible in his own words, promising that during the whole narrative he never, for | himselt or others, used the uncouth dialect which some imaginative writers are fond | of ascriblng to all the early Californian | gold-soekers, whereas, as a matter of fact, | only the uneducated and rougner class of these men ever spoke in such fashion. But | 0 Dan's story; which, from his well proved weracity, is, I am sure, entirely true: On the 13th of July, 1850, when I was a oung fellow of 26, our overland train, con- “sting of four ‘prairie schooners’ and thirty men, besides our guide, old Bill | Somers, reached the western part of Arizona without haviug lost a man. Early that morning we crossed the Big Sandy, elght or ten miles above its junc- tlon with the Santa Maria, and a little south of Hualapal mountalns, a certain pass through the foothills of which we designed to take. This route, of Bill's own choosing, lay far to the south of that usually followed. Hence we found no trall—no wheelmark nor footprint—to guide us; but, as Somers felt confident of finding the desired short-cut, we did not trouble ourselves about that. On coming to the foothills, however, and inspecting Several ravines in succession, he declared all to be impracticable. “‘But,” sald he to Tom Granger, our captain, “I know therc's a pass hereabouts. 1 went through it alone in ‘49, and I'm bound to hit it off. Keep your train where it is, Tom, while I go ahead and climb one of those cottonwoods, to look around a bit. T'll be back in half an hour sure.” 80, leaving his horse and rifle behind, the guide set oft on foot and quickly disappeared among the quaking asp bushes at the foot of a mountain spur. We all watched the tall cottonwood trees growing higher up, expecting every moment o seo him shinning up ome of them, but we never did. The half hour and another passed away; yet not a sight nor sound of Bill could we Beo or hear. “It’s mighty queer,” at last grumbled Tom Granger. “What on earth can keep the old man?" “Oh, he'il be back directly,” said some one. ' “Likely he's found a pass that looks about right and is tracing it out, to make sure, He's safe enough or we'd have heard a shot or two from his revolyer." | Now, since entering Arizona, we'd had two ugly scrimmages with Apaches, but as we hadn’t seen one, nor an Indian of any | kind, for the last week, we couldn't think of any possible harm happening to our | friend. Any one of us might have lost himself in the foothills, but such an idea in connection with the guide was absurd, Still he didn’t come; it was getting late in the | forenoon, and there we were—loafing around and doing nothing. _With the exception of Abe Johnson, a 45- ybar-old Kentuckian, we were all young men, knowing only so much of Indian ways as we Bad Jearned on our present journey; but Abe had served both in the Seminole and Mexican wars, and was pretty well posted in regard to the ‘varmints'" wiles. When first or-| ganizing we had elected him to the captaincy, an honor which he modestly declined, saying 'that' the young glant, Tom Granger, was far more fit for it than he. Well, when 10 o'clock had come, without | a’sign of Somers, Abe began to suspect mis- chlef. “Stay right here, boys,” he sald, “tinl I make a little scout.”” And oft he went in the direction previously taken by the guide. We saw him at intervals and again lost sight of him, exactly as we had done with Bill; but, uniike the latter, he came safely back In thirty minutes or 50, looking much Aistressed. “Boys,” he quietly sald, “you want to wheel right about and form a corral out on the open plain, forty rods clear of cover. Poor Bill's in the hands of the Indians, sure. The varmints have sneaked up and lassoed him, or struck him down before he could pull' trigger or give the alarm. I saw the trail Where they had hauled him 'way down Into @ pass he'd found, and they're hiding in there | now, waiting for us to come along.” To you think they've Killed Somers?" asked Granger. “No, cap, [ don’t believe he's hurt a mite, for 1 dldn't see a drop of blood anywhere,” Teplied Abe. “The reds have likely choked him senseloss and dragged him oft to be tor- tured to death. And, boys, we've got to re oue him before sundown; for when those devils see that we're not going to fall into the tfrap, they'll begin thelr hellish work just at that time. 'We'll do that, or die,” savagely exclaimed one of our men. ‘“How many of the brutes are there, Abe, and how far off?" “Can’t say; maybe twenty—maybe a hun- dred; but, judging by the sign, no.more than HE STRUCK OUT RIGHT AND LEFT. half & dozen tackled Bill. I don’t know where | the maln crowd is located, but it's sure to| be near the narrowest and bushiest part of tho pass.” “Abe,” sald Tom Granger, “you'd better take command of the party till this thing's settled; and I'll be full private. I want a chance to fight without being bothered giving | orders, Besides you know what ought to be | done, and 1 don't.” All of us seconded Tom's request, and the old soldier finally consented to the arrange- ment. While this talk went on we'd moved away from the foothills, and on reaching a little groek In the vicinily where there was not a tree, shrub or rock to shelter an enemy, we | corraled the wagons, tethered the horses out 1o feed and got our own dinners Then Johnson said: “Boys, 1 want nine- teen volunteers besides myself for this job. Every man of us jumped up on the instant and Abe smilingly continued: ‘“‘Well, since you all want to o, we'll draw lots, 80 as to give every ome an equal chance. I'll put twenty-nine numbered tickets In my hat whake ‘em up, and the fellows that draw the first pineteen will go with me. The other | ten must stay (o guard the camp.” “AN right. That's fair enough. Go ahead, Abe,” we all agrecd. And the littie pieces of pasteboard, cut from an old book cover, wer placed in the hat, each man shutting his oyes, afterward withdrawing one. Both Tom out watching us. | creek’s ‘high | volte: Granger and I were among the lucky nineteen and the disappointed ten submitted gracefully. In addition to his muzzle-loading rifle, each one of us carried a heavy Colt's revolver—a mighty costly weapon at that time—so twenty of us could fire in all 140 shots without re- loading. “riends, captain, “of thoughtfully observed our new urse the redskins have scouts They've marked our change of position and will reckon on us staying right here and sending a squad Into the pass to hunt for our comrade. If we were fools enough to do that not a mon would ever come back. Then they'd try to wipe out the rest of us and capture the stock, about daybreak tomorrow morning. It they don't see us make a move, all the warriors am- bushed in this end of the pass will fall back on the main body before sundown, and not one of the band will ever think of being at- tacked from the further end of the gorge. “Now, here's my plan: The bank of this enough to hide us completely, and we'll sneak along its bed till we get to the timber this side of the Big Sandy. Then we'll work our way round the spurs to the west end of the pass and take the rear. It'll be a twelve or fifteen-mile tramp, I reckon; but nothing else can save Bill Somer: “Do you think we can get there in time, Abe?’ 1 asked. “Hasy enough, Dan,” he rephed. seven hours of daylight left. The way we're going, though impassable for wagons, will likely be not bad to push through on foot, and we ought to reach the far end of the pass in four hours. That'll leave ““There's us three | first pistol volley, and even those few who happened to have their bows in hand never stopped to draw them, all rushing for cover at their topmost speed. As we charged along Tom Granger—six feet threo In height, strong as a bull buffalo and swift of foot as a deer—Ileft the rest of us behind, and raging like a maddened tiger, overtook two of the savages ere they could gain shelter. One fell with a bullet through his brain, but the other suddenly turned and struck with vengeful knife at his pusuer. | Swiftly swerving, Tom avoided the deadly thrust, caught the fellow up fn his arms and contemptuously shouting: “I'll not waste lead on your carcass, dashed him down on a plece of rock, killing him as suddenly as might a_ thunderbolt. By this time not a live Indlan was to be scen; more than one-half. the total force lay dead upon the ground, and many others | had limped away more or less wounded | 8o, giving up the useless pursuit, we turned to free Bill Somers. “That was a mighty close call, boys,” he | coolly said, as we lifted him up. “Which | of you fellows laid out this raid { “Abe Johnson did; the Lord bless him! | I never could have planned it,”" generously | answered Granger. “Well, Abe, I'm everlastiogly beholden to | ye. The oldest Indian-fighter in the whole | west couldn’t have done it better; and ail the boys backed you up like bricks. J'm real proud of the crowd.” | “How was it, Bill?" asked Johnson ‘ “Why, the skunks stole up and lassoed | | me just as 1'd found a good pass. Not thinking there was a red hereabouts, I'd been careless like, and the first thing I | knew, I waked up right here, tied fast hand | and foot.” | “Exactly as I guessed,” rejoined Abe. | | “Here, Bill, take a pull of this,’ handing | | over Nis flask. | “well, T'm mostly a teetotaler, Abe, but | this is rather an extra occasion. 8o here | goes,” and the old guide took''a hearty drink, which, In such a case, was the best possible restoration | On looking around, we found fifty-three ponies knee-haltered in a grassy hollow a | few rods away, while all the lances, war clubs and most of the bows and arrows be- “YOUR REVOLVERS, BOYS!" to creep up on the reds, They can’t be any great distance from the west opesing, but we'll have to crawl like snakes for the last half mile or so. There is sure to be good cover though, and if we get there before sunset we'll save BiHi, even if there's a hundred of the murdering villains. So, stick hunting knives in your belts, recap rifies and pistols; take plenty of grub, and let's start. I'll pocket a flask of brandy in case it should be wanted.” Shaking hands with our stay-at-home com- rades, who were hardly likely to see all of #® again, we entered the bed of the creek, our movenients being perfectly screened by the high-topped wagons until that purpose was served by the bank itself. Sometimes wading in the water, sometimes skirting its edge, we safely gained the tim- er. Then for three hours we struggled through an undergrowth so dense that our progress was necessarily slow; but the sun was still high when we arrived at the end of a pass, which a fresh trail of pony tracks at once proved to be the right one. Carefully examining the telltale hoof marks, Abe said: “There’s from fifty to sixty war- ricrs in this band, boys. Our only hope of saving the guide is in a surprise so sudden and complete that they won't have a chance to kill him, which, if not too busy saving themselves, 'ls the first thing they'd do on being alarmed. “We must, somehow, manage to get within rifle shot before they know it. If we can do that, success is certain. Take to cover now and ‘sneak along quiet as ghosts, for there's no telling how near the redskins may be; but don’t shoot, whatever happens, till I glve the word.’” On either side of the trail, and well up on the slopes of the pass, was a heavy growth of trees and bushes, now in full - leaf. Spreading ourselves out, each ond of us wormed his way along as if all depended upon his individual caution, though the whole twenty of us kept almost within touch of cach other. For two hours, silently as shad- ows, and Intently listening, we crept on and on; ‘but during all that time had probably not advanced over one mile. Then, as it by word of command, the line stopped; for, right before us, the gulch opened out into a kind of amphitheater, nearly bare of undergrowth, and we heard the gen- tle stamping of invisible ponies, and a con- fused murmur of voices from a group of dis- mounted warriors numbering over half a hundred, who seemed to be engaged in an excited discussion. We could see them quite plainly, though completely hidden ourselves in_the dense scrubwood. The sun was now within a few minutes of setting; but the light was still good. Presently 'the arguing Indians had appar- enfly settled some disputed point, and then we saw a sight which drove us nearly mad with flerce impatience for our leader's sig- nal. Four tall warriors disappeared for a moment behind a big rock, and on emerg- ing bore between them the bound and half naked form of our old guide. Meantime two others of the red flends busied themselves in preparing, from green rods, a number of small, pointed stakes, The four braves in charge of Somers then carried him to a clear spot of ground and cut the thongs from his wrists and ankles preparatory to further pro- ceedings. No sooner, however, were the gallant fel- low's limbs free than, uttering a taunting shout, he struck out right and left like light- ning and sent two of his captors headlong to the earth, his evident design being to provoke the crew into killing him at once. But a dozen of the miscreants threw them- selves upon him in a body and bore him down again. Then, while some of the demons held his arms and legs, others drove the sharpened stakes into the ground, and soon the poor fellow, never for a moment ceasing (o revile his enemles as ‘“‘white-livered squaws and cowards,” was stretched out, face up, and securely bound by his extended hands and feet to the stake. The raonsters intended to build & fire upon his stomach and thus owly burn him to death—and all this within fifty yards of where we crouched! Bvery man of us, half crazy for action, hold his rifle ready for instant use; but still there was no signal from Abe, and nothing but our perfect confidence in his judgment prevented an attack. Our cruel wait was nearly ended, however. While the main body of savages, yelling and dancing In hellish delight, formed a great ring around their victim, two braves | approached, one of whom bore an armful of dry twigs and the other a lighted brand. The circle was just opening to let them pass, when, like the trump of doom, there rang out from the lips of our leader the single word, “Now!" 'Twas the last earthly sound heard nearly a score of the bloodthirsty Apaches for a rifie’s bullet flies faster than its re- port, over so short a space, and those who fell dead on the firlug of our simultaneous heard only the signal shout ever was surprise more complete tory more Instantaneous. The four co cuously tall warriors, the two executioners and twelve other braves dropped dead in their tracks, while the survivors, utterly panic stricken, stood for one second in amazed bewilderment, then turned to fly, as above their affrighted ories rose the triumph- ant cheer of the saved prisoner “Revolvers, boys! Give it to them yelled Captain Abe, and, firing as we went, we all dashed forward in pursuit of the sourrylng borde. Three more fell at our or v by | longing to the routed savages had necessarily | been left behind. “About twenty-five of the varmints have got away,” said Somers, as he was hungrily devouring some hardtack and bacon, ‘‘but as they've nothing but knives left, we needn’t bother about them. Al creation couldn’t_coax them to pitch Into this party again! Make a bonfire of all the weapons, boys; then we'll mount a pony apiece, lead the spare ones and push right through the pass to camp. “It fsn’t more than two miles away, and we'll make it before it gets real dark. Of course, the reds'll be watching us, and that's the best of the joke, for they can't meddle with us, and the sight'll be worse than poison to them. Tomorrow we'll come through here witn our whole train just as safely as along a St. Louis street, and in ten days we'll strike the Big Colorado all right.” The ten men left at the corral had heard the firing and were extremely anxious about us. When, therefore, we arrived, with the rescued guide, the string of ponies and with- out a scratch on any of ourselves, there was a perfect jubilee of rejoicing. On passing through the defile next day, not a dead warrior was to be seen; all had been removed during the night; nor did we the remainder of our journey see a single hostile Indian. Best of all, while making our way to tue then small town of San Francisco, we sold the whole herd of cap- tured ponies at a good figure. “What ultimately became of Bill Somers? Do you know, Uncle Dan?" I inquired. “Oh, yes,” replied the veteran, “‘he made a nice little pile, lived to be over $0 and died peacefully in his bed at St. Louis about ‘twenty years ago."” SUN AND SHADOW, . Oliver Wendell Holmes. As I look from the Isle, o'er it green, To the billows of foam-crested blue, Yon bark, that afar in the distance is seen, Half-dreaming me eyes will pursue; Now dark in the shadow, she scatters spray As the ehaff in the stroke of the flall; Now white as the sea gull she glides on way, The sun gleaming bright on her sail. billows of the her Yot ber pilot is thinking of dangers to shun— Of breakers that whiten and roar; How little he cares, if in shadow or sun They see him who gaze from the shore! He looks to the beacon that looms from the reef, To the rock that |s under his lee, As he drifts on the blast, like a wind-wafted eaf, O'er the gulls of the desolate sea. Thus drifting afar to the dim-vaulted caves Where life and its ventures are laid, The dreamers who gaze while we battie the waves May sce us in sunshine or shade; Yet true to our course, though the shadows grow dark, We'll trim our broad sall as before, And stand by the rudder that governs the bark, Nor ask'how we look from the shore! IVPIELIES. The vicar of Pontefract recently preached at a cyclist church parade, taking for his text “The Spirit of the Living Creature Is in the Wheel.” In an East Yorkshire church a new stove was put in and on the following Sunday the text given was: “Aba! 1 am Warm; I Have Seen the Fire, and when the squire gave scarlet cloaks to% dozen old women the clergyman selected as his text “Solomon in All His Glory Was Not Arrayed Like One of These, “1 see,”” said Mrs Wickwire, “that a Chi- cago preacher had been preaching a sermon on boarding houses.” “Well, why shouldn't he?' asked Mr. Wickwire. ““The old style of preaching the miseries of the future life is out of date and 1 suppose he wanted to come as near it as he could.” A girl emigrant writes back to the lady who had helped her as follows: *Dear | Madam: T hope this finds you as well as | it leaves me. 'The ship is in the middle of the Red sea and it is fearfully hot. I am in a terrible state of melting all day long. But, honored madam, I know you will be pleased to hear that I am still a member of the Church of England. Pillar—The people complain that your ser- mons are too long. Clergyman—Indeed! Pillar—Yes. Only last Sunday the or- chestra was compelled to omit two Chopins | | and an impromptu In a :uburban Boston pulpit Sunday morning this notice was read: “The pas tor will preach his last sermon this evening, and the choir has arranged a speclal praise service for the occasfon.” last aa- | eouas0jad | &aomane sjq_ Joj | W'SHuuald omi-A0j | T TX RN ay) N00q S| uj pasoys poyse Sujeq uo puw PUD BYIUW 0APML, PIdOMSUY Koq uQ JUAWEISAL, MON G} U OW §,MOpIM o) | Jo onjua oy} pexsw odom sydnd oy) Auew “40D U| UO[PUIWIVID [00YDS UL B Y | Cregon Kidney Tea cures all kidney ‘vag. bles. Tria) sisze, 25 cents. Al druggists. 1w §,MOpIA | youths and matdens, KING FROST HOLDS COURT Winter Life in Oanada with the Mercury Below Zero, THE ICE CARNIVAL AT QU:BEC Thrilling Assault on the Crystal Deseription of Varlous W —Gayoty and troas— er Spor Buoyancy = | National Trait. | (Copyrighted, 1894, by McClure.) Our first winter in Gamada! What a med- ley of memories It brings up—new experi- ences of many kinds, a new home, new friends, new work, ahd’all associated with | bright skies, an ever-glittering scene of snow and fce, and beyies of eager-faced intent on some one or other of the sports whieh have made Canad- ian winters so famous! “But the cold? DJ yoi not feel the cold very severely?" I heay gome one ask. Well, to that question I can reply with no uncertain sound. - The cold may be severe, the ther- mometer falling onca' or twice during last winter to 26 ‘degrees and 30 degrees below zero at night in Government House gardens; but the fact remains that one does not feel it more cold than, if so cold as, at home. It is of a different quality, and our coach- man, whose opinion may be considered im- partial, as he has frequently to bear night exposure, says he has often felt more chilly when driving on a winter night in Aberdeen- shire than in Canada. Of course one has to adapt one's selt to the climate’s require- ments, but all the arrangements for protec- tion against cold are o complete that there is more likelihood of suffering from too much heat than from cold In the Canadian houses and railways and places of public resort. 8o never let fears of the severity of tho cli- mate Coter anyoue from making their home in Canada. Only, let them come clad in the woolens which wise people wear at home as well as In Canada, and ready to adopt some simple precautions to preserve ears and fin. gers and toes from frost bites. There is a material made in Canada, called blanket cloth, which {s admirably fitted for winter wear: it is, in fact, an adaptation of the blanketing worn by the Indians, and has been greatly in vogue amongst the merry tobogganers. But we are disposed to think that it is not sufficlently appreciated or worn by the general public. We think that the members of the Government House staft never look 0 well as when they turn out in their dark blue blanket suits piped with light blue, or, on very smart occasions, in white, with the same blue, and with many- colored scarves, woven in times gone by, by the French peasants, wound round their waists. It Is a pity that the picture we had taken of our own family could not have been rendered in colors to fllustrate the variety that may be obtained in these cos- tumes—three of the children in bright blue and white, our eldest boy in red and white, his_excellency in dark and light blue, and myself in brown and yellow. But it is to the ice carnival time at Quebec last January that we owe our most picturesque recollec- tion of both blanket-clad snow oers and of the pleasures of a Canadian winter gen- erally, AN ICE CARNIVAL AT QUEBEC. It was the first time that one of these carnivals had been held in the quaint, his- toric old city overhanging the St. Lawrence, and her citizens had determined that the event should be a success. Not only in the main streets, but in the byways, it could be seen that the inhabitants were vieing one with another as to who should do the most for the occasion. Decorations there were in abundance, also all manner of snow for- tresses and bulldings, arches, marvellously carved ice statues of the old heroes of Que- bec, an fce model of a Hon, and to crown all, a fairy ice fortress, bullt of huge blocks of transparent green fcs, with fortifications al around it, and all glittering and shimmer- ing in the sunlight, & constant thing of beauty to all beholders. The reality of the relgn of King Winter was demonsirated on.the day of our arrival by a furious blizzard of snow and hail, which delayed our train for six hours, but which at the samo time gave the finishing touch to the carnival preparations, by frosting over the whole. In spite of the tempest, all the snow-shoe olubs had' sssembled in their many-colored blanket eostumes of white, red, blue and black, brown and green and purple, to receive us at the station, and insisted on themselves dragging our sleigh up the pre- cipitous streets to the finely-designed, newly- erected Chateau Frontenac—the hotel put up by the Canadian Pacific railway, which has the distinction of adding to the beauties of the place instead of delracting from them, as such edifices are wont to do. At-the head of the snow-shooers, as president of the carni- val, was a notable figure, M. Joly de Lot- biniere, an ex-premier of the province, & handsome old gentleman of 70, who proved to be the very life of all the proceedings, checring, encouraging, here, there, and everywhere, forever amongst his “'boys,” as he_called his stalwart army of snow-shoers. He was ably supported by his lieutenants, and all the organizers of the carnival must have been proud of the result of their efforts and of the conduct of the people. Though often waiting for long hours to see the pro- cessions, or the illuminations, or whatever It might be, never did we sea the slightest disorder or any behavior which could cast the least discredit on the character for order- liness and courtesy of the Inhabitants of Quebec—no, not even on the great night of the attack on the ice fortress, followed by a midnight parade of the streets. ASSAULT ON AN ICE FORTRESS. I wish I could give a faint idea of the beauty of that stene. The fortress was lit up from within by a succession of colors— rosy pink, changing to fiery orange, and then again to sca-green, with amethyst gleams flashing across it, as If the garrison within were holding high festival. And then pres- ently came In sight the long defile of the attacking host, some 2,000 in number, each with torch In hand, and at last taking up their position right in front of the walls. A few minutes' suspense, and then poured forth a very shower of fire on the devoted defenders; every manner of firework was launched forth over the fortress, and myriads were the stars of many colors which poured down out of the sky. The fortress answered boldly, afid two little redoubts took their part in answering fire for fire, until at last it appeared as if the wholo fortress was en- veloped in lurid flames, lit from within by crimson lights and deluged with a final vol- leys of rockets. The moment of surrender bhad come. M. de Lotbiniero was ascending the fortress and planting the flag of the conquerors on its turrets, and the fames faded away, leaving the fortress a cold mournful gray. The joyful troop of the jubi- lant snow-shoers filed down through the streets, filling the night with their shouts of triumph thelr songs. o were taken around on a model locomotive belonging to one of the snow-shoe clubs, and which had figured In the great procession of the day before, which I have not space to describe, but in’ which there were over 100 emblematic cars, also typical parties—the voyageurs, the lumbermen, the hunters, and other pioneers in Canada, THE WINTER SPORTS. As for the games and the competitions of all sorts which were going on, I could not attempt to describe them. Hockey, the premier winter game of Canada, was, of course, well to the fore, exciting the wonted enthusiasm of ils devotees, though the roughness which accompanies it when the full excitement of the game Is aroused tends to detract from its charms and from one's adm'ration of the skill with which it is played; curling, another Scottish game adopted so thoroughly by Canadians that they almost consider it thelr own; lacrosse, played for the first time on ice; tobogganing coasting and skating in its perfection. A, what skating! 1f you visit one of the great skating rinks in Canada you will find out what skating means. Waltzing is mere child's play, and dancing the Lancers a pastime; but just wateh the more serious skaters cutting figuros of an impossible na- ture with the utmost grace and ease, dart- | Ing in and out like swallows; and presently, at a signal from the band which is always present on high days, the whole company assembles for what is called '“a mareh,” and twist in and out, and backwards and forwards, and across ome another, with @ precision and A finish _which appear perfection of the art. From time to As on the occasion of this carnival, or for some such special night as we had at Ot tawa, & skating masquerade takes place, and the skaters will appear dressed in character; and sometimes the children get an afternoon devoted to them, and appear as Red Riding- hoods, princes and ' princesses, clowns and sailors, and Red Indians, and so on. These children seem to be brought up on skates, and their little figures in vivid colors flash ing past, skating hand-in-hand, backwards and forwards, make one feel amongst the fairy folk in very deed. At Quebec the bob-sleighs used for tobog- the time, Government House, where we have had many merry gatherings both by day and by night ICE YACHTING. There is another Canadian winter amuse- ment which is seen at its best at Toronto and Kingston, but of which, as yet, we have oniy had a brief experience. But the sensation of fiying along on an lce boat is one that must be felt to be understood. The boat is made in the shape of a large triangle, sur- mounted with sails; the passengers take their places and lle down at full length; the helmsman takes up his position, atl away you go, skidding along at the rate some- times of a mile a minute. It had wings, and one begins to feel on an equality with the birds. We had the further excitement of happening on a crack In the ice, and our progress was brought to an abrupt termination by one side of our trim little vessel being submerged. But no dam age was done; thers was the strong ice on the other side on which to scramble, and soon the sport began again. 1 must leave to some one of more experi- ence to tell about the merry Canadiao win- ter life, of the fishing through the lce-bound waters. the pursuit of the moose, and the methods of winter traveling by means of dog sleighs, adopted by the hardy Hudson Bay company hunters and the devoted missiona- ries of the northwest. I have only been able to give a glimpse of first impressions of the winter's recreations of the townsfolk, and even so, I fear I have not at all conveyed an impression of the condition of things which make this sort of life possible. The sun Is a great factor in a Canadian winter, and Canadians tell us how they miss it when they spend their first winter in England; and then the snow, it is not the wet, pene- trating snow we know, but a dry, crumbling, shimmering substance, in which 1t is a pleas. ure to roll, or to be upset from a toboggan the deep rivers, too, become permanent roads not only for the snow-shoers (with their long, netted snow shoes, which rather look like lawn tennis rackets made in the shape of a flat fish) but for carts and wagons and traflic of all kinds, and in the center of the river you can watch huge blocks of fce being hewn out for the butchers and other provision merchants, who keep all their meat, fish, ete., frozen. BEAUTIES OF THE CANADIAN SPRING. But if the winter is enjoyable, let me add a word to describe the beauties of our first Canadian spring. King Winter had. after all, only reigned three months, from {the béginning of December, when crash! came the end of his power. And by the middle of March the sledges were discarced, and the governor-general could us2 a carriage and four when going to open Parliument the 15th of March. were about that on What a sight the rivers time! With what cracks and groans did the huge masses of ice break up and drift down the waters, aund lLurl themselves over .the rocky neitnis! And then, almost before wo were aware of it, the woods arcund Government house were ore mass of glorious wild flowers; (he Cana- dian robins (a bird of the thrush species, o our own little pert robin friends ars not known there) were singing in the trees and tapping on the lawn for their worin vie- tms, and the lovely littla bluchirds were dilighting us with their sweet notes. We were told that there was no spring in Canada —that we should find that summar succesded winter with a hop, skip and a jump. But I can but record our experience. Certainly, we could never wish for six weeks of more perfect and sustained spring weather than we experienced at Ottatwa from the end of March. A NATIONAL TRAIT IN CANADA. But'I may be asked whether the note of gaiety on which I have dwelt 1s 50 pre- dominant a feature of Canadlan life that it throws all else into the background. — Well, trankly speaking, I think this general gaiety and buoyancy is a national trait in Canada, which impresses the newcomer very vividl: but let it be remembered that in a country like Canada all relaxation and recreation must perforce take its proper place. There is happily no room yet for loafers—it is a young country, where all must work who would live, and this applies not only to the men but to the women; and the young ladies who issue forth in brave array for their amusement in the afternoon or evening are usually very conversant with the details of household work in the morning. If the diffi- culty of finding and retaining good servants has been felt a real hardship and difficuity, yet it has produced a race of mistresses whose glory it is that they can, if the neces- sity arises, be independent of servants alto- gether. And 50 long as there is this back- ground of definite work in the lives of the people, it is surely a matter for rejoicing that there should be that capacity for enjoy- ing simple pleasures, aud for entering heart- ily into healthy outdoor amusements, which tand to give proper balance and development to both mind and body, and fitness to per- form aright the more serious duties of life, 1 can not close this paper without refer- ring to one movement connected with last winter in Canada which wil possess a special interest for women, for it was then that the ‘National Council of Women of Canada” came into being, having as its basis the following formula: ““We, women of Canada, sincerely belleving that the best good of our homes and nation will be advanced by our own greater unity of thought, sympathy and purpose, and that an organized movement of women will best conserve the highest good of the family and the state, do hereby band ourselves together to further the application of the Golden Rule to soclety, custom and law.” This movement was mainly the outcome of the women's congress held at Chicago during the World's fair, which was att:nded by women representing many different na- tions, and at which it was decided that steps should be taken to form a council of women, on the lines of the constitution mentioned above, in every civilized country of the world, and that these councils should in their turn form an international council, meeting once in five years, the first meeting being convened in London in 1898, Many countries have formed National Councils of Women since that time, including France, Germany, Beigium, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Greeee, ete., but I am sure that no country’ has been found more ripe for the step than Canada. There has been a vast amount of religious and philanthropic work carried on by women, but there has been no common center for meeting and union for workers belonging to different creeds and races, having many diverse views, but a common motive in a desire to serve their generation, And it has been a great joy to the pro- moters of the council to find the matter taken up so heartily by the wisest and most earnest women, and to see local councils being rapidly formed in the chief Canadian cities, representing all the different so- cleties and institutions, whether religious, philanthropie, educatlonal, \iterary or artistic, working in tne alstrict, and including Protestants of all dencinina- tions, Roman Catholics and Jewesses. Each of these councils Is occupying “itself not merely with promoting unity and good feel- ing, but also in the furtherance of some work of common importance to the inhabitants And it was a remarkable thing to witness the first annual meeting of the National Coun- ¢il of Women of Canada, composed of del gates from the local councils and from the national soeleties. There we met, and in solemn, silent prayer dedicated the high purpose which we all pledged ourselves to strive to carry out, though it might be by many different means. And then two days were glven up to conference on some of the most important matters touching the condl- tions of Canadian life, especially as they affect women's work., How co-operation in work can be furthered, the relations of par- ents, children, mistresses and servants, wom- en’s’ work amovgst the sick, various scclal reforms, and the use of women's assoclations and clubs—these and other matters were all discussed by papers which falrly astonished the listeners by their ability and weight, and which brought many compliments to their writers from members of Parliament and other spectators who had taken a place in our galleries. At a pubiic meeting held in the evesing the prime minister of Canada, ganing purposes down the steep slopes are rot the usual flat wooden toboggan curved | at one end, but are iron-tipped, and curvad at both ends, But it Is the ordinary tobog- gan which is used on our own slides at is as if one | Sir John Thompson, made a most Eympa: thetio speach, In which he expressed his be- ifef in the good which the Women's Council might work In Canada, and he was followed in the same strain by other public repre- sentative men. Altogether, the women who had thus met together for the first time In Canada parted with a deep feeling of thankfuln de- wick. There was much excitement on boti tralns. all the passengers standing up_and waving handkerchiefs, yelling, etr — Near Gratwick the Erie engine began to galn & little and the rate of speed was high that the train went a couple of blocks too | far and bad to back up to the little statien. The Central traln also stopped, but the time taken by the Erie to back up gave the vies for the way whereby we had been led, and | tory to tho Central. It was & lively race N n O TN O ed re aive | And chused much laughter and.talk. an impuise to all that makes for high pa EDISON'S PEOULIARITIES. triotism, pur! truth, righteousness and & unity in a grand common service of our God |y Has Invented » Cusy Word and Never and country, Truly it gave good reason in Wanted to Know the Tisak ftselt for remembering “our first winter in - Ortadan In addition to the many inventions in electricity which have emanated from 1 T . Thomas A. Edison, thero is a pet cuss word s | which 1s characteristic of the great inventor, e | relates the New York Sun. He was speaking sk ”"l'l“" "‘ "\”'\l“‘:“‘ Y of medita- | he other day of a man who sald that & tion, | certain decision affected all Mr. Edison's in= The while my drea siof el ventio id that they could be used uni- a1, W SIURERY SNUR Ty ""V--r.-.my without compensation to the inven= Unfathomable arches of creation, tor. When the reporter asked him If this I saw falling star; was 80, Mr. Edison fumed a moment and finally blurted out And as my eves swept round the path it} “umhat man is a Himalayan Andesian jacks v o 8 dying, glory of Its glo ass.” \\\l‘n;.msu‘.'l‘-‘n-i\“f‘r‘:}..lli‘.f.';'"| “‘!( r,‘.n.{..‘l:-.q“ At Continuing, he remarked with a tinge of A wish of long ago | bitterness in his tone, that he had never | made a cent out of any of his Inventions A wish that, were It made Of credulous young 1o 0 ran the fancy nd of lnss— As fell a star, by Some Strange necro- manc Woul fly come to pass. And, of itself, the wish, reiterated A ‘thousand times in youth, flashed o'er my brain, And, like the star, as soon obliterated, Dropped info night axain. r my old heart had wished for the un- ending Devotion of a little mald of nine— And that the girl heart, with the woman's blending, Might be forever mine. And so it was, welghty With ripest clusterings of I cried aloud through Katie! Whe with eyellds raised, and orrow's dew, heaven: “O little will my wish come true?" - ABOR NOTES. Detrolt machinists won a strike. Jornice workers' strike in Chicago has been compromised. The electrical car men of Philadelphia have organized a brotherhood. The Milwaukee printers won their strike against the Telegram of that city. The Cotton Workers' Protective union_ has jolned the American Federation of Labor. The Illinols State Liquor league voted unanimously to buy only union made cigars. Girls employed in a mill at Pittsfleld, Mass., won & strike for a b per cent raise. The Waltham Watch company in- creased the wages of 100 of its employes, The cigarmakers' strike In Philadelphia 1s still on and the strikers are in need of assistance. Preparations are being made for a revival of business in the block coal fields of In diana. The total amount collected to date by the American Federation of Labor for the Debs defense fund is $740.45. Jommercial canvassers have organized a unfon in St. Louis, and are affiliated with the local Trades and Labor council. Union taflors in San Francisco are fight- ing against a reduction of wages, ordered by a combination of their employers Buftalo moulders have requested their craft to stay away from that city, as hey are fighting against a reduction of wage The Italian government has broken up all of the socialistic labor socleties in the coun- try and seized all their books and documents. Matt J. Harrington, founder of the Actors Protective union, has been appointed a gen- eral organizer of the American Federation of Labor. Chicago bakers who struck for a shorter workday nearly a year ago are slowly and surely winning, having gaied 160 out of 180 shops. The loss in traffic receipts of the leading railways in Scotland during the fifteen weeks of the rallway men's strike is computed at $1,746,540, The Nashville Times-Standard has given up the fight against the members of the typo- graphical unlon and will hereafter employ union men. The city of Holyoke has adopted an ordi- nance making it compulsory on the part of the city to have all printing done in a strict union office. Fiftcen hundred cigarmakers in and around Tampa, Fla., are out on a strike. They are not members of a union and are nearly all Cubans, The Pacific Co-operative company has been established by workingmen and reformers at Portland, Ore. It is proposed to cover the Pacific states. The carpenters of Lynn, Mass., have se- cured an eight-hour workday, an agreement to that end having been reached between the unfon and employers, There are about 219,000 persons employed in the woolen Industry of this country at wages amounting to $77,000,000 annually, an average of about $251 each. The general executive board of the Ba- kers' and Confectioners' International union has ordered Henry Welsmann to make an agitation tour through Massachusetts, i L B Oregon Kidney Tea cures il kidney trod. bles. Trial size, 25 cents. All druggists, St s Races of Ruilwny Trains, Talk about racing on the Mississippl dur- ing the haleyon days of slavery, gambling and homicide in Dixie land—well, excitement did mot run any higher than may be wit- nessed on the Central-Hudson and Erie rail- roads, which are parallel between Niagara Falls .and _Tovawanda, says the Buffalo Courler. Races are of frequent occurrence, and one of the liveliest took place last even- ing between the trains which left Niagara Falls at 4:50 o'clock. The Central engine poked its nose in front all the way to Grat- in this country Another characteristic reply of the invens tor was his answer to a jowelry firm whieh desired his experience with his first wateh, “I never owned a watch. I never wanted to know the time,” he sald. Mr, Edison works at all hours of the day and night in his private study. He enjoys a dry smoke and chows black clgars after the style of the late General Butler. el 1he Best Cluster. Dampen a plece of flannel with Chamber- lain's pain balm, and bind It over the seat of pain. It s better than any plaster, When the lungs are sore such an applicatjon on tho chest and another on the back, bes tween the shoulder blades, will often prevént pneumonta. There 18 nothing so good for & lame back or a pain in the side. A sor throat can nearly always e cured {n one night by applying a flannel bandage damp- ened with pain balm, — - Of Courso They Do. Indlanapolis Journal: “I wonder,” said the sentimental boarderess, “if the little birds make any plans for thelr homes in the sprin “Ot course 1diot mate The custard pie that the astonished waiter zirl let drop to the floor at this juncture fell on its soft side and, consequently, was deducted from her week's wages, they do,” sald the Cheerful “Don’t they have to make a nest to Ireigation in Cannda, & Northwestern Canada is developing a syse tem of irrigation, and has already thirty ditches fertilizing over 25,000 acres of land, with more in progress, and any amount of water and territory only waiting to be brought together to make the desert blos- som as the rose. All this is the work, of three years, indicating a spirit of enter- prise not generally looked for in Canada. i A postal card recently received by a Cins cinnat! paper contained 3,203 words. Locomoto;' Ataxia, Epilepsy . . .. AND ALL DISEASES OF THE SPINAL CORD FIND READY AMZLIGRATION FROM THE USE OF MEDULLINE THE EXTRACT OF THE SPINAL CORD OF THE OX PREPARED UNDER THE FORMULA OF Dr. WM. A. HAMMOND, IN HI5 LABORATORY AT WASHINGTON, D €, Dose, 5 drops. Price, two drachms, $2.50. Columbia Chemical Co., WASHINGTON, D. C. 8END roR 820R KUHN & CO. AGENTS FOR OMAHA. BAILEY, TAEDENTIST. Paxton Block, 16th and Farnam Sts. Hich-COlas: Teatal Work at Reaco-able Prices Prompt and courtcous treatmeat given 1o all. Palnless oxtraction of toth withoutgns or ehloro- form. Full sct teoth on rubbor $5.00. People Hv= ing away from Omaha waited 1pon the day they aro in the elty. ady attendant. Telephone 1085, German spoken NEW % 4 LIFE . WEQT'S NERVE AND BRAIN TREATMENT is sold under posif written _guarantee, by anthorized agents only, to cure Weak Mer Loss of Brain and Nerve Power: Manheod; uickness; Night Lossce; Kvil Dreame; Lok nfidence; Nervousnees; Lassitude; all Drains; Loss of Powor of the Gonoratiye Organs in either caused by over-exertion, Youthful Ki , oF Excessive Uso of Tobacco, Opium o Liquor, which leads to Misery. ('nn-anuz‘n, n?% ot and Death. By mail, $1 a bo: IJ lor $5; Writton guaranteo o cure or rofund money. Liver !‘!fi‘l, cl‘""ksfgck Hl.(-nduheihzhuonmm iver Complaint, Sour Rtomael psin o G A AN TEEE Lasaed caly by Goodman Drug Co, Omaba. Aty Gl el ot oo o ] A oo B et e FURNITURE. A complete and beautiful line, all new design prices. In our drapery depart nice novelties trade. s at very low art room and ment we show for Christmas EWEY & STONE FURNITURE CO,, 11156-1117 Farnam St. EXACT SIZE PERFECT) THE MERCANTILE IS THE FAVORITE TEN CENT CIGAR. For sale by all First Class Dealers. Manufactured by the F. R. RICE MERCANTILE CICAR CO,, Factory No. 304, St. Loui