Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, July 28, 1895, Page 9

STABLISHED JUNE 19, 1871, — OMAIIA NGLE (C MILLIONS 1N MOONSHINE Tllicit 8till Worm Turns a Handsome Trick on Uncle Sam, CONTRABAND BOOZE A MONEY MAK;R Mountain Dew Jugged in the Large Citlew ax Well ax in the Sonth— orles of Stilly and Crooked Distillers, (Copyright, 1865, by Frank G. Carpenter) This I8 the first of a series of letters which 1 propose to write showing some of the curi- oun ways in which Uncle Sam Is robbed. He does one of the biggest businesses In the world, His ordinary exp ures have for years between $300,000,000 and $400,000, €00 annually. He has on hand here today in Washington, in the shape of bonds, bank notes and bulllon, more than $800,000,000, and the gold and silver coin stacked up in the treasury cellars weighs 5,000 tons. The sums in which he deals are big enough to tempt the wildest dreams of criminal avarice, and thousands of men are plotting how they can In some way break in and carry away a part of the pile. This money is surrounded, how- ever, both by day and by night by trusty watchmen, whose revolvers are always ready. The strongest of wrought iron and of welded steel inclose his bags of gold and silver, and the heavy doors which form the entrances to his vaults have time locks which defy the most expert of burglars. The ordinary thief has little chance here. The checks on the treasury are legion and the ®heif money stolen from the government is slipped out in other ways. And yet there is no doubt but that vast sums are stoten. Uncle Sam's re- ceipts amount to almost a million dollars a day, ani he undoubtedly loses millions of dollars in one way or another every year, MILLIONS IN MOONSHINE. Take the matter of the whisky tax. Since its increase to $1.10 a gallon moonshine stills have been epringing up like weeds In all parts of the country. They have flourished for years in the mountains of thd south but they ame now beginning to sprout up in the big cities of the north. Within the past few weeks a number of illicit stills have been discovered In New York and Philade phia. The business is being carried on by Poiish Jews in attics and cellars. They are making - whisky from black strap molasses, for which they pay In bulk about 4 cents per gallon. It probably costs them less than 25 cents to make a gallon of whisky, ard thelr profits are from 400 to 500 per cent. This business is_entirely different from that of the moonshiners. Colonel W. W Colquitt, the chief of the special agents of the Treasury department, has given me the details, and I have before me the drawing of one of these northern whisky stills, which has just been received by the Treasury de- pastm The etill was captured only a few s ago in one of the big cities of the east. It is of the sort used in Russla, and It consists of two galvanized iron boxes or barrels, with fire boxes bentath them The molasses is mixed with water and is fermented into a kind of sugar beer. It is then put into these boilers and cooked into a vapor. This Is conducted through pipes fnto a second still, and cold water from the clty water works acts as the condenser. The sugar beer after two distillations comes out in the shape of whigky, and as such it 18 ready for the market. Such a till costs but a few dollars. It makes practically no smell, and it can be put up In any room where there are water works. The only ways that the treasury detectives can know of its existence are through the selling of the whisky and the purchasing of the molasses and yeast. A large amount of yeast has to be used to ferment the beer, and the yeast factories of all the big eastern cities are now being watched by treasury deteclives. Every one who buys much yeast has to give an account of himself, and all susplcious purchasers are carefully shadowed The whisky robbers use all kinds of means to escape the detectives. A week or so ago one of the treasury agents saw a Jew buy a lazge bundle of yeast. He took it from the factory and walked off with It und; his arm. The detective followed. He saw the veast given to another man, who carried it through several alleys and gave it to a third man, who, took it Into a cellar. About fifteen minutes later this man came out with what seemed to be four base ball clubs wrapped in brown paper in his arms. This was the yeast, which he had molded up in this way to avold suspicion. As he walked off the detective followed him, and he finally traced him to an attic where some Polish Jews had a distillery, which was making many gallons of whisky a day, WHISKY IN MILK CANS. Another of the stills was discovered only & few weeks ago, which was being operated under the disguise of a dair¥. This was located just outside of Brooklyn. The whisky robber had bought the dairy. He had on hand about 100 cows, and he had his regular milk route, which was mostly confined to the salcons of Brooklyn and New York. The ‘revenue sples knew that there was a large amount of illicit whisky on the market. They could not trace it until they noted that gome 0! the saloons secmed to be getting large quantities of milk. One day they followed the milkman and they found the still. At least half of his cans had been flled with whisky, which was delivered to the saloons, while the milk went to his ordipary customers. In capturing the still the revenue agents took charge of the dairy end confiscated the cows on the part of Unele Sam, The Increase of illicit distilling In the southern mountains during the past year is enormous. The stills are scattered throngh the mountain districts of every southern state, and the revenue department has never had its hands so full as now. The commls- sloner of internal revenue tells me that the agents have never heen #0 well organized, and they have never done so good work as they are now doing. Cofonel Colquitt, the chief of this branch, was for years in the field as a special agent. He has the moonshine qis- tricts mapped out, and there fs a black list at the Treasury department containing the names of the suspected characters. Congress has set aside $30,000 a year for the pay of sples and bired fuformers, and Uncle Sam is now spending, all told, about $500,000 an nually to put down the business. Still the are more stills now than ever before. The outlook s that there will be nearly 2000 wiped out during the coming year, and the number destroyed last month was 164, 1t s hard to estimate the loss which Uncle Sam sustains from these moonshine stills, A few days ugo a wagon load of whisky, containing 100 gullons of liquor, was captured near Greenville, 8. C. The tax on this alone would have been §110. Suppose the 2,008 stills which will be captured this year to continue in operation. It is a small still which will not produce five gallons of whisky daly. These 2,000 stills would produce 10,000 gallons a day, on which tho would be $11,000. Eleven thousand dollars a day is more than $4,000,000 per year. This will be the saving in revenue by the breaking up of these stills. There arc. however, in all probabllity, hundreds which are never dis- covered and®ie loss 15 incaleulabl HOW THE MOONSHINERS WORK. 1 asked Colonel Colquiit to give me some fdea of the shine stills of the south Heo replied: ““They are rude affairs, and the avorage still does not cost more than $50. It usually consists of two barrels, one of which contains a coll ofcopper pipe econ- nected with o boiler an oven, Jike a bake oven, ne . the othe barrel the mash fs . This mash Is made of cornmeal. I8 fermented foto a Kind of beer. This beer s put futo the oller, und as It gels warm it vises In vapor futo the pipe and flows off 1nto the coli, Cold water from a mountain. stream Is kept run- alog through the barrel over the coil, and as it falls upon It it coudenses the vapor inio Hguor. 'The whisky has to be distilled twice before it fa ready for use. It costs Guly a fow cents a gallon, and it requives no capital 1o speak of to make it. The moun- taineers bring their corn to (ke still wnd trade,it for whisky. They receive a gallon of whisky for a bushel of corn. The moon- shiner can make three gallons out of every bushel, and he has two gallons of clear profit This he sells to his fellow mountaineers at $1 per gallon. S0 you see the profits are large. When we discover a still we chop it In pleces. It we find a wagon load of whisky we break the barrels ani let the liquor run out upon the ground, We locate the still by means of spies, and the revenue agents have a standing price of $10 for each still that is pointed out to them, Ten dol- lars s a great deal of money in the southern mountains, and sooner or later the mo shiner is bound to have some one inform o him. The business is very dangerous, how ever, Now and the the moonshiners fight the rev e officers, and the man who follows them takes his life in his hands, I ha been shot at a number of times, but so far | have escaped being hit. The moonshiners hate the spies worse than they do us They will kiil them if they can discover them Still, some of our informers continue their work for years and they are not discovered. Some follow the businesd because they wish to wipe it out rather than for the money. One of the most re markah informe I ever knew was a guide named Roper, The moonshiners suspected him They caught him, carried him to well and threw him in This well was fitty-five fect deep, and after he had reached the bottom they began to fire upon him He was hit twice in the heai by their bul- lets, He remained three days in that well without food, and when we got him out he was almost ad from starvation and loss of blood. He recovered, however, and Is alive today. . THE NOTORIOUS REDMOND, “Who is the most notorious moonshiner you have on the records of the Treasury department, Colonel Colquitt?” T asked. “I don't know replied the chief of the revenue agents, “One man who has had a great deal of. newspaper notorlety was a fellow named Redmond, who operated in the South Carolina mountains. , He had been making mocnshine whisky afd had had quite a career when a newspaper reporter spent a week with him at one of his stills in the mountains. — Redmond had killed two men, and he claimed to have done a great deal more. He gave this man the story of his adventures, and this was published n the Charleston newspapers. This seemed to set Redmond crazy. He committed the most daring acts after that to get his name in the newspapers. He was finally caught and sent on. I do not know whether he is alive today or not.”” “The average moonshiner,” continued Colonel Colquitt, “does not think his business Is wrong. He argues that every man has the right to sell what he makes as long as he does not steal or trample upon the rights of others. He has the sympathy of the mcountaineers, and today our greatest trouble 1s to get the courts of the south to deal out Justice to this cla. of criminals. THE GREAT SIMMS TRAGEDY. “Who was the most curious moonshiner you ever had to deal with, Colonel Colquitt?" sald 1. ““One of the queerest,” replied the chief, “‘was old Bob Simms, who lived near Bladon Springs, not far from Mobile, Simms was a religious fanatic, and he had a large number of followers. His people locked upon him as a kind of a savior and a prophet. They had gathered about him and he had estab- lished a colony of his believers. He had a pecuiiar religion, one of the tenets of which was that all 'men had equal rights, and that 1o one could equitably prevent another from doing what he pleased. He said that the law of the land was the ‘devil's law," and that 10 respect ought to paid to it. It was this devil's law that taxed whisky. The law of God, which he (Simms) laid down, provided that a man could make and sell what he pleased, and Simms said he had a perfect right to make whisky out of his corn, and that God would protect him. He defled the government; he built his still out in plain sight in front of his cabin, and had a wide road runving up to it. When we sent a warrant for his arrest he tcok it from the hands of the deputy who served it, tore it up and spat in the deputy's face. There were a number of men with Simms at this time, and the deputy did not dare to arrest him. We then sent a posse after him. Simms saw that our force was greater than his, and he was taken. He refused to walk to fail, however. He said we might carry him, but he would not go of his own accord. Upoy, this he was picked up, put into 'a cart and taken to Bladon Springs This is a sort of su T resort, much fre- quented by the citizens of Alabama. It has no good jail facilities and Simms was put into an outhouse and guarded during the day, preparatory to carrying him else- where. ' He was handeuff He showed no disposition to be ugly, however, and when dinner time came our revenue agents went into the dining rcom of the hot leaving Simms in the charge of only one officer. It was dark, the people were eat ing when three men rushed to the cottage, shot the officer in charge, killed a_doctor who had called in at the time to see Simms and allowed Simms to escape. The men who did the shooting were Simms' two brothers and his son, Ballly Simms. One of brothers was shot as he ran away and the son of the old man was also Killed,” FROM PROPHET TO DEMON. “Bob Simms, however, got away,” Colonel Colquitt continued, “He took to the woods and lived there for some time. But he soon began to commit such outrages that the people rose up against him and he was lynch-d. Before his arrest by the govern- ment he had modeled his life on the bible and he tried to follow out some of its teach. ings, cspeclally £o in one place, where it says: ‘If a man strike you on the right cheek you must turn the other to him and let him smite you on that’ His arrest and the death of his sen changed his na- ture. He went in for revenge and vengeance against all who were against him. Every- thing that was angelie in his nature turned to gall. He became a very demon and there was nothing too mean and cruel for him to do. The act which capped the climax was the killing of a merchant who in times past had been a friend of his. After his escape Simms' house, with his goods in it was comparatively unprotected, he merchant had a bill against him, and, with- out process of law he went to Simms’ house and took a wagon load of furniture to satisfy this bill. He was told at the time that he was doing a dangerous thing, but he laughed and suggested that Sinms' re- ligious nature would not permit him to r taliate, He was much mistaken. As soon as the matter was reportsd to Simms he be- came euraged. He took a band of his fol- lowers_and ope dark night surrounded the merchint’s house. He then set fire to it and as the merchant's wife and children ran out o escape the flames he fired upon them and killed them. This created a great sensa- tie “A lynching party was organized. They surrounded Simms and his follow:rs, and he, fii ing that he was bound to be overpowered, told them that if they would choose twenty-five men and allow him to choose twenty-five men who would assure himi that he would have a fair trial and be | 1 guagl for him he would give himself up This was agreed to and Simms threw down his arms and came out he fifty men sur- rounded him, but the Iy pretended to protect him. In reality they gave him up to the mob and within an hour afterward | he. with four of his followers, were hanged ms' defense of himself,” Colonel Col- nt on, ““was very brave. He bad his n his house, and near Is was a little which prevented the lynchers from surrounding him. 1f this could be burned it would enablo them to close in around bim and capture the house. One of the Iynchers slipped up and set fire to it. Simm came out with a water bucket, and, with- out regard to the bullets which were flying about him, and protectel bis friends in the house, who were firing to keep back the lynchers, he put out the fire. HOW ONE STILL WAS CAPTURED. During my talk with Colonel Colquitt one Gof the most famous of the special revenue ugents eame {o from the flell. This was Colorel Chapman, who has been conneeted with the detectiye service of e department for twenty years, and who Is now operating u the mountaing Georgla and Alabama His whoie life har been one of fight'ng He was & teutenant colonel under Mosby during the lgte wivil war and had five horses killed Ui At that time. He has been ba to some extent by | tered up a number of times by the moon- shiners, but has never been dangerously wounded. At one time he was shot through the wrist, and he showed me today the scar which marked the spot where the ball went through. ““We were capturing a still,” said he, “in the Alabama mountains, Our posse had surrounded the men when one of them fired at me, and the ball struck me In the left wrist. My hand was hanging at my side, and I thought at first that I had knocked my crazy bone against a tree. A moment later it felt as though a red hot fron was being run through my wrist, and I knew that I had been shot. The man after shooting me ran. T aimed at him with my pistol and sent a ball flying after him. [ am a good shot, but in some way or other I missed him. “The circumstances of capturing that s were rather curious,” Colonel Chapman went on. “I had three men with me, and we were riding along the road when we met a wagon loaded with barrels of whisky. We came upon the man at a turn of the corner and seized the whisky in the name of the governme We chopped up the barrels ind let it run out on ‘the ground, The men who owned it were very angry. We con- cluded to follow the trail of the wagon and see if we could not find the siill. We d 0, and about a mile or so_away we su prised the men at work. Three of them staried to run, and one got behind a tre and blazed away at me. The men in charge { the wagon also ran. 1 did not dare to get on my horse and go after them, for I was not sure of one of the men who was with me, and our guide hal deserted us on the capturing of the wagon. The result was we destroyed this still and then went on to others.™ QW“K l\s CKAA[M ———— s coms TENNYSON'S DEATH. Written for The Ree. The Taureate sank beneath the tide of dreams In that calm hour when through the silent ckies Come angels in their snowy-winged guise For hearts aweary of the noonday dreams, The Laureate sank—but turned his charmed In’ full souled inspiration to the east, And mused, perchancs on being <o released Jus the moon rose through the autumn How he had loved the soft October night, Full many a dream was dreamed in just such wiiy And sadly Tost its beauty with the day When all its softened shadows saw the light. He of the earnest meditative heart Had been a dreamer since his eariiest days When all the world had worn Byronie w ays And every one had voice and grief apart. And wh B ed poet lay in death “Byrol 1" was writ upon the sand And on ‘great oaks he carved it with his hand, And murmured it all day beneath his oreath, Men always felt as he did coneeal A grief which was too e for the pen, Though ever and anon they in The deeps that called to deeps in some appeal Ah, if the songs the poets have not sung, But only feit in thelr great hearts as mute, Were kiiown to men, the murmuring dulcet ute \\'mi- tuneless with the magic music flung, TRe Liurcaté sank—and death so softly swept Its eable pinlons o'er the moonlit bed, They hardly knew his heart was stilled and ead, And by his side their lonely vigil kept. Omaha., KATHRYN RUSH, e R GIOUS, rehbishop Chapelle will be formally in- vested with the pallium at the cathedral in Santa Fe, N. M., on October 17, by Cardinal Gibbons, In twenty-five years the Presbyterian women of the parent Woman's Board have raised $2,600,956, and have 163 missionaries and 1,100 native readers and teachers now in the fleld. Joseph Cook affirms that nine-tenths of the contributions to missions come from one- tenth of the members of our churches. John Wesley’s private library s included in a collection which Willlam Deerirg has given to the Garrett Biblical institute of Evans- ton, IIL. Rev. Leonard Woolsey Bacon, nearly 70. and a famous Nutmeg state cleric, took a fourteen-mile spin on his bicycle from Nor- wich to New London Monday. The Waldensfans in Italy are having a re- merkable revival of religious life all through r congregations, with almost daily meet- Ings in many districts of their parishes. Orders have been sent to London for 5,000 bibles, 5000 hymn books, and 5,000 cate- chisms, to be sold in the Fiji islands. The Fiji {slanders gave nearly $25,000 to foreign missions last year. Rev. John Jasper of the Sixth Mount Zion church,” Richmond, who is strongly of the opinion that the ‘“sun do move,” can get a gait on himself. It is said that he has a record of baptizing 300 persons in two hours Seven hundred and eleven female mission- aries are at work in India. During the last two years these visited 40,513 heathen families and instructed 62,414 heathen girls in the dif- ferent mission schools. Mrs. Bertha Welch of San Francisco has glven more than $150,000 in the last four years to St. Ignatius church In that city. Her charities outside of the church are nu- merous. ——— PRATTLE OF THE YOUNGSTERS. A middle-fged lady one day calling on a friend was much amused at a little girl, aged 4 years, who, after prattling to her for some time, asked: “How old are '00, dear?" The lady, much taken back at the ques- tion, replied: “How old should you think I am?" “Well," said the'little girl, after several moments of thought, ** '00's rather crumple me finks '00 must be a hundred!” Sunday School Teacher (to little gi Do YOu say your prayers every night before going to bed? Little Girl (promptly)—No, ma'am. Sunday School Teacher—Are you not afrald to go to sleep without asking God {p watch over you during the darkness? Litile Girl—No, ma'am, I'm not afraid, *cause 1 sleep in the middle, “Willle,”” said the boy's father, “you have been about as bad a boy as ypu know how, I'm afrald.” " Well, there's ane thing you ougth to give me credit for, anyhow,'” was the contrite reply » What is that “I haven't run away from school late “Papa, T know what I'm going to buy for your next birthday.” “Well, what?" “A nice, painted shaving mug.” “But I've got a fine one now.” O, I've just broken that.” “HI, Jimmy, wot's de matter?" “Back’s blistered."” “Swimmin' or lickin'?"* Beth," “Sugar,” remarked as he lifted several lumps to his open face, “has reached the top notch, and a drop may xpected FRIENDSHIPS, Written for The Bre. The fresh, sweet buds entwined ‘mid fdir, soft curls, Through night of pleasure worn, Myrtle and jasmine, orange flower and Yo Fall withered by the morn, But simple immortelles for loved ones and rain and summer And winter snows defy. Thus gilded friendships, born of pleasure Fad joy's scenes have passed; But b chains by pain and sorrow Throukh theckered years shall last Omaha. -J. LAWLER. 0 %o M AG How a Revolutionary Fort Ticonderoga. Hero Helped to Take R ground, sir?” was the reply as they dark figures, and each man carrying showed above it a face resolute and gate of the fort, y were well-to-do, patri | port, and it you will look close ¢ people, who 4 you will se called the “outside world," news came and much of this the garrison see him, b saw loom up before him the staltvart figure a continental colonel lad who loved outdoor sport the lake and r the barracks, sleeping garrison where he intended to excitement, whose fathers were barracks doors as &oon designated by the farmer boy and in a little the outpost, to the cosy to the roof. As the doors fell the white-faced garrison hands of the resolute Ameri commander clutchimg Nathan's way to his quarters? a deep slumber and was a tug- his shoulder. “We will find him with Mme. Delaplace. Hel L AL LA To the commander’s quarters, ting bolt upright in bed and even before he [ “'Kfit)an sprang to the statrway that led to Delaplace’s sleeping room, and the : the heavy sword of Colonel Allen was thundering at the door. ““He will break in the door with his sword the American mggher what had happened, “You are wanted in believe that the room below. the patriots bave come prise the fort across the lake. “To surprise Fort Ticonderoga?"’ han sprang from as rapldly as possible, while his mother went strong and colonel is," thought Nathan. | tly there came from the room beyond a sound of feet and the door was opened. There stood Colonel Delaplace nd behind him his young and fright- and dressed | as soon as “Who has come to try to take the fort?” tha.Bliotelam boy anked hifselt The American colonel and the British com- mander were old friends and the wonder of the latter may be imagined as he looked into the face of a friend—but an enemy also- door of Fort Ticonderoga at that hour, wanted?” asked demand the surrender of Ticonderoga,” was the reply. Mme. Delaplace uttered a short cry and her gazo fell upon Nathan Beman. “By whose authority?" Then Ethan Allen has_rendered ventful night in May, “In the name of the Continental Congress! would neves do for a simple colonel in the King's army to question such authority famous from - that reat Jehovah and the fearless man and that of bayonets as the glimmer of stars, the surrender of ever caught was taking an fnventory of articles se by the bold enterpri of powder, stacks of muskets, heaps of pork, and, in short, just the very things which the men of Lexington needed. It was daylight when a boat pulled across and landed Nathan Vermont side. He had parted with Colonel Allen at the gate of the fort and the big, rough hand of commander had r Your father tells me you know ‘all about the who would attempt to do such a thing, but I will take a look at him.” is my boy,” said Farmer Beman, as ast round of the ladder and presented himself in the light of the candle to his father and a good-looking, smooth-faced man, who was dressed.in uniform and wore “1 don't see how we could have got along than left the I think the country mother that I am she and Shoreham shoulds be proud of home safely Nathan knew that hg had never seen the officzr before, though he had heard that the colonies had ‘rebelled, and that the battle of Lexington had been fought. In another moment the officer was ‘ooking Mountain boy, noted that he had keen, plercing eyes he thought, eould be as gentle as Nathan blushed to the temples and passed to the boat amid the glowering looks of some of the red-ccated prisoners, who felt that he had been an important factor in the capture of the stronghold. Back once more among the farmer boy Your father tells me that you know all “the Ticonderoga war the title clung to him tenaciously. his name linked with one of the The lad glanced at his faificr. “l have told the gentlen its to the fort,” said the farmer, n that you n Thus encouraged, the boy told the officer of his trips to the fort, an good deal about the freedom of the plage for had occurred to Nathan the officer who had come to surprise the and to wrest it from the British. Colonel Ethan Allen,” said the the head of a 1.t of Green Mountain boys, and we want to know into the fort.” ‘“you are going to try to take Ticonderoga “We are going to take it my boy we are here for, and it that you can do your country a good turn by becoming my guide."” Nathan at that moment caught his mother's oceurs to me “T'll go it mother says so,” sail he could show you how to get into Your mother’s heart is with the cause of liberty,” spoke up the father. her, and Nuthan will g0 with “I am willing are ou'side, and will get to work as soon as possible, fur The Shoreham boy took his hat from wooden peg and turmed to the office where the best landing place is, don't you?" I have played up and down be- that May night, he had seen the confederacy ou anywhere. American freedom It was @ night which pramised to help the re hidden by clouds. than Allen ‘and his Gregn M hed a long distance for the purpo ing a strong blow ggainst the king's | Ticonderoga Ticonderoga cclones with continued resistance. AND noYy. ammunition AND BOY just the things opening ot needed badly by the patriots er with a Wildeat was another officer destined at another day to cover his | Philip Gore was the son of Thomas Gore, was an ardent patriot, and English gold had connected his name treason of West Point. Owing to the lack of beats, the little force had brought had to be divided, and the cros: of Pearl river bin, which was the upper wate As earl yas 1809 the Gore | traders, and for some years it was the only place in that lonely regicn wh lodging could be had, or, in case of accident who could do thing, from mending a wagon to dressing a broken leg or arm. Philip was the only child 15 his mother died was time to do the work by a quick surprise or see the whole expedition Nathan Beman had guided the first boat near the grim old fort waiting for the signal later his father a distant settlement in search of an- leaving the youth to keep house € words werg Now, Phil, be particular to keep old Tiger {tkat was tre dog's name) in the house with He'll wake you up if any- bedy or anythiug co It may seen scaicely credible to us, living s we do now, that a boy barely 16 would be ve the companionghip , far away from ation, surrounded by forests infest:d with hungry wild beasts and open to the will of the savage wild men, but was nothing uncomrion in those Allen and Arnold held a short council, an2 wondered what under the watchful stars We are ready for the wurk,"” sald a voice at the boy's elbow, and Nathan looked up into the firm face of the Vermont and his part Show us the way to the sally port.” Eager to have a hand exciting affalr, sprang away and saw (he two officers close at his hecls, what promised | willing to siay al of a dog) in an isoiated cabi y How can I, when I know every inch of Indeed, he doubtless rather liked it. With a gun and plenty of ammunition, all the provisions he needed and Tiger, the big dog, for company, he could see no cause for com- plaint. In mid-February the weather is rarely cold In Mississippi, but Mr. Gore had not been gone twenty-four hours when a norther began to blow, bringing frost, rain and then an inch of ‘snow, the temperature falling below the freezing point. Philip could scarcely dceep the cabin comtortable, for the foy wind ng through every crack in the rude walls. To make things worse, a sudden blast blew the stick-and-dirt chimney down, so that it was almost {mpossible to keep a fire on the wide clay hearth But Philip and Tiger were of a happy dis- position; they took the situation with phil- osophic amiability, and went about their usual duties and pastimes as became brave and hardy ploneers, until one night they were violently disturbed by an uninvited and very disagreeable visitor It happened that Philip was up in the loft of the cabin getting some bed covers that had been stowed away there. His ascent had been made by a row of pegs set in the wall, and he was just ready to go down again Using cold steel, when Tiger, the dog, rushed out through the doorway, growling savagely, and began a fight with some animal, which quickly got the better of him and drove him howling back into the room. Nor was this the end. Right after the pogr dog in rushed a full-grown panther. Philip knew what it was almost at the first glance, for on the hearth a bit of fat pine wood flamed brightly, giving a strong light which filled the room. This was about an hour after nightfall and out of doors it was pitch dggk. The panther leaped upon the poor dog and killed him in short order. Philip, crouching in the little loft, felt a chill of awful fear run through his blood. His situation was, indeed, apparently hope- less, for his gun was in the rack over the door; he dared not descend and yet he knew that at one bound the panther would reach the loft. It was, in fact, already glaring up- ward at him, evidently preparing to leap. Gven in this extremity of danger, Philip felt a pang of sympathy and sorrow, seeing poor, faithful Tiger stretched on the floor, bleeding and gasping his last. But there was 1o time for grief or regret; the panther, an enormous brute, thoroughly enraged by the dog's attack and rendered ravenous by a smack of blood, was in no mood to delay his murderous work. Philip, like nearly all the pioneer boys, had the bump of resistance largely de- veloped, and although he saw no possible way of helping himself, he could not tamely give up and die without a struggle. His mind was clear as a sflver bell and his thoughts flashed upon every method of de- fense known to the backwoods people in moments of terrible emergency. Instinct- ively he groped for something with which he might ate least hit his gssailant one blow, if but a light and ineffectual tap. And quick as a flash he remembered that his father's broadaxe was sticking behind a rafter near at hand. He sprang and clutched this heavy implement just as the panther came up through the air and landed wl its forelegs upon the floor of the loft with a mighty crash and scramble and a cry, half half scream, peculiarly blood-curd- i, If you have ever seen an old-fashioned broadaxe, with its wide blade and short, lopsided helve, you know what an awkward weapon it 1s. Made to hew timber with, it serves that turn admirably, but It would not be chosen by any reasonable person as suitable to a rough and tumble fight with a panther. Philip, however, did not take time to consider his newly found weapon, but used it forthwith and furiously, There was not room in that part of the loft to stand upright; Philip. had to rest on his knees and the huge beast when it reached the landing, quickly wriggled to its feet. With all his might Philip swung the axe and it hit with a solid whack which told that the blade had cut well. So heavy was the blow that the panther went tumbling down to the floor below, snarling savagely. And, worst of all, the axe flew out of Philip's hand and fell aleo, leaving him without a weapon, while back to the loft leaped the wounded and terribly furious beast, now really more dangerous than ever. It ‘seems to me that no finer instance of courage, will power and presence of mind can be found in history than is afforded by Philip Gore’s act at the moment of the panther's return to the loft.. The exigency required instantancous strategic movement and the boy was equal to the demand, for as the panther sprang up he leaped down and unintentionally the two met in mid- &ir. - The collision was as violent as unex- pected, but Philip, although dashed back- ward into a corner of the room, did not lose his presence of mind. He foll to the floor and at the same time scrambled to the broadaxe, and seizing it with both hands once more swung it vigorously against his antagonist. This time the wide, keen blade cut open the side of the panther's head smashing the bone and putting out an eye Again and again Philip struck, laying into the blows all the energy called up by tho | desperate situation. What seems most won- derful is the fact that not a scratch did the boy receive and he killed the panther, fairly chupping it to pieces after he had sufficlently erippled 1t In a quaint letter written long after- ward by Philip is the follow passage, which 1 copy from a sheet of foolscap yel- low with age: “And that paynter wayed at leest three hundred powns and that brodax never was no count no more, sbycos 1 broke the age cft on the paynter'shed w it ove tho 1. The letter was written to Philip's half brother, who was afterward killed in the fight at Vicksburg. munocence and Wit, Memphis Scimitar: Laura,” sald the young lady's mother, not unkindly, “it seems to me that you had the gas turued rather low last evening." “It was solely for economy, mamma,” the malden answer ‘““There is no use trylng to beat the gas that the shutting off of the gas s always followed by a corresponding Increase of pres- | eol the eves of t “Well, that lessens the waist, doesn't it, |is 1o the enly time to live INGRHORG A¥DREWS. sure." mamma, dear?” replied the artlevs girl, THE OUAINT DANISH CAPITa. @limpses of Life in Copenhagen by Day and Night, GOSSIPING GROUPS OF IDLERS AND OGLERS servative City, Conspie Narrow Streets, Horse Cars, | gars and Easy- —Activity COPENHAGEN, ce of The Bec ticed in Coj first thing 1 nos narrowness of nd the third, tully clean pavement old city, which accounts for boulevards laid embankmen row, crooked streets pade (East street), two wagons (o pass each oth main street being barely wide enough and not alone are painfully careful ing streets; the matter of cro hardly a day passes without some aceldent by being run over, and even the small boys who push the twa wheeled delivery c budge an inch, well and quickly choice between o as you can, glving you the wiing under and jumping And yet people are never in a hurry. as at home, see men and women rush- ing down the strevt, utterly oblivious of any- save the distant obj never hurry. time for a chat thing and evel of their haste. Even the busine on the corner with a friend or a look at s men have stréets of American cities are pla People’ go to take a just to “look &t people.” F it must be admitted % good Copenhagencrs are extremely fond of AT PEOPLE.” the main stre two noteworthy places, hours dozens of gen- , while scrutinizing and criticlzing especially the fair ones. How on earth they get time for this idling I don't the passers b the Danes as a rule for pleasure and is at certain to overflowing with ever their station in life As for Ostergade, it hours of the day out for their promenade. in their white University students pretty girls in velvet and chiffon, martial officers with well waxed mus- , the hardsome, fat act- ors whom all the young girls adore, forelgn tourists, especially Germans, navy officers and sailors from { mingle in a fast moving stream which seems ready to burst the narrow thoroughfare, everybody seens to be bo: noted actres ing 1o everybody the extreme the greeting. ed “at_all from home, the gentlemen's hats al- swept the ground as they politely bow looks delightfully courteons, and at first one s charmed to see the gentlemen just as polite toward one of their own sex s to the fair ones, but after awhile you are disgusted at prescribe the pitiable, walking. almost through the streete, as is a fact in the smailer towns where everybody knows you. to wonder why people used handkerchiefs the #ize of small sheets, but T understand it now. Buropeans are head, as at the rules that well-known old gentle- bare-headed for the Swedes If you enter a shop ¢ are disgusting, I think. n Sweden and in too, for that matter you are bowed in ‘thank you™ 'd and ‘it ‘ed until you and bowed out you please” 'd and “‘gocd-day’ ashamed of yourself. MARKET PLACES. bootblacks in the streets, and at is why the streets 80 quiet. And Instead of our famous news- There are no no peddlers s in a timid, humble sort of way. and the like, Old women play an lmportant part in the street life of Copenhagen. sell violets, lilies of the the corners, of old women ley and, roses at u wish to see a colony Just take a look at “Amager- There one cannot comp for the shouting is deafening. ders of vegetables, Most are ven- come from island_connected with city by bridges, and are strikinzly pleturesquo in their half Dutch costumies. cendants of farmers called to Denmar! ch the Danes gardening unpicturesque Amager, a small I'am told that colony of Dutch many generations and extensive vocabulary. They shout to the once in a while have a pleasant little twssle buy flowers, bouquets of dricd grasses, colored purple and trudging a long distance in the heavy baskets or morning with arts, standing all the fore- in the glaring sun and having still & trokes from the church tower bid them depart. Not one elec Some omnibuses run betw , lumbering af- with seats on the top for smokers. The stations and you pay 10 r a trip from one south end and the weather scores o £0 that If you are not of the clhowing have to wait an hour, wait at these sort you will prok walk after all, N number of passengers are allowed, cared for, have to tug and pull cruell the heavy omnibuses have more tha e-story cars have only one, | burry you will g | taster by v to your destina they go from house to house, looking at you to drive them away. and childzen offering for sale we bher balls, and the i aode, for 1t fs not the shop windows are a e that never close till late heunts come all o whule day. those who have work®d hard t company, my daugbter. 1 have noticed | and fro Sopenhagener,