The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 16, 1896, Page 24

o >4 4 ‘THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 1896 THE PASSING OF A SPLENDID RACE The Ghinese Brought the Living Death to Hawaii HOPE FOR A SCIENTIFIC LEPROSY REMEDY 2 S | Dr. Winslow Anderson’s Learned, Valuable and Interesting Paper on the Dread Malady The ancient condition of the Hawaiian Islanders was like that of the natives of the South Pacific—especially those of Poly- nesia—to whose race they belonged. It is estimated on the best authority ihat the islands were inhabited as early as 500 A. D., and probably much earlier. | With leprosy. From this time, until shipwrecked Span- | jards were driven by the trade winds to the Islands of Hawaii in 1527, no defi- nite knowlege of the inhabitants has been | obtained. In 1555 the islands were dis- covered by Juan Gaetano, and again by Captain Cook 1n 1778. Captain Cook esti- | mated that in 1778 there were over 400,000 inhabitants. In 1832 there were only 130,- 000; in 1866 the population was reduced to 59,600, and in 1896 there are about 32,000 native Hawaiians. The causes operative in the extermination of this splendid race are diseases such as consumption and measles, brought over by the early sailors and settlers. Oftentimes measles will kill off half of the inhabitants of a village when attacked. Intemperance, syphilis | and other vices are responsible for many | deaths. The native medicine men or “Kahunas” play no small part in killing off these simple-minded men-of-the-sea by | their superstitious and barbarous method | of treating- the sick. The total mortality of leprosy since its introduction into the islands has been only about 5000. Leprosy appeared on the islands for the first time in 1844, at which time several Chinese were found suffering from the disease, It is therefore known to the Ha- waiians as mai pake, or Chinese disease. The first case of leprosy among the native | Hawaiians occurred eight years later (1852). At the present time (1896) there | are about 1200 lepers on the islands, of whom about 760 are males and about 500 are females, mostly native Hawaiians and balf whites. There are a few Chinese, English, Americans, Germans, Portu-| guese, Spanish, South Sea Islanders and | one negro suffering from the disease. During the twenty-six years following | the time leprosy first made its appearance | on the Hawaiian Islands the disease spread | to an alarming extent; accordingly in | 1866, during the reign of Kamehameha V, | a leper hospital was established at Kalihi, | Oanu, for the purpose of segregation and | isolation. Later in the same year a leper colony was founded on the beautiful | isiand of Molokai. Here on the north-| ern siopes, sheltered from the winds, is a festile valley comprising some 5000 acres. This valley is surrounded on the north, east and west by the ocean and en the south by impassable precipitous mount. ains, 2000 to 3000 feet in height, formerly | an extinct voleano. In this garden of the sea, with luxuriant tropical verdure, is | the present site of the Hawaiian leper | colony, where the unfortunate sufferers | are surrounded by all the comforts the | present enlightened Hawaiian Govern- ment can give them. Here they live and die in sunshine and in peace! ORIGIN OF LEPROSY. As with many other diseases and social conditions, it is somewhat difficult to de- | termine when and where leprosy origi- nated. It is probable, however, that leprosy arose in the delta and valley of the Nile in prehistoric times. Leprosy was endemic in Egypt as eariy as 1500 B. and existed in India, Palestine, Arabia and Chine. It was also endemic among the Hebrews when they migrated rom Egypr.—Lev, xii. Leprosy existed in Persia, and the earlier Greek and Latin writers speak of the disease. In Greece and Italy we find it as early as the first century B. C. The disease was probably introduced by the army of Pompey. From there it spread to the Roman colonies in Spain, Gaul and Britain. Charlemagne made laws regu- lating the marriage of lepers in the seventh century. the disease at Canterbury. During the crusades ieprosy -became epidemic in Western Europe. If was estimated that at least 19,000 lepers existed in Europe at this time—1096 to 1271 A. D. Hospitals and lazarettos were estab- lished for the care and isolation of lepers all over infected Europe. Ninety-five such houses are reccrded in England, Scotland and Ireland. Bergen, Norway, established a hospital in 1277, which until late years had 2000 inmates. Leprosy is met with even at the present day in many parts of the civilized world, from the frozen north of Norway and northern Raussia to the sunny south of India and the Pacific islands. Within the last six months a case was discovered on the streets of Paris and sent to the Hospital St. Louis, where there were already sev- eral other patients. The hospitals in San Remo and in Spain and Portugal are never without leprous cases. Turkey and | the Ioman Islands are also infected. | Crole alone has over 500 cases. In British | India it is estimated that there are over 100,000 cases. In Japan there are 100,000 lepers. One hundred thousand cases or more will be found in China. The prov- ince of Canton counts over 10,000 lepers, South America and Africa are infected with leprosy, so that 1t is impossible at present to ascertain the number of per- sons afflicted with the disease. It is safe, however, to estimate that no fewer than from 300,000 to 350,000 cases of leprosy exist at the present time in various parts of the world. Even San Francisco hasa number of cases on hand most of the time. CAUSE OF LEPROSY. Temperature, climate, soil, race, habits and food all have been regarded as predis- posing if not exciting causes of the dis- | bacillus | contracted by inoculation — actual ‘con- | |LIKE BEING SWUNG DOWN | never hereditary, as is generally sup- | their lips are firmly pressed together and | homes where spoons are unknown. | at the leper settlement. | the disease exist, viz., tubercular leprosy, among persons of the most diverse and opposite habits. The theory that a fish diet is a causs of leprosy has been dis- proven by the fact that the disease ap- pears in many parts—such as tbe interior | of Bpain, for instance, where only the; very wealthy can afford fish. i That leprosy originates from cold and exposure and a want of vegetable diet is i also erroneous, begaule the greatest num- ber of cases occur in warm climates, such as India, where clothing is never needed and where a vegetable diet alone is used. The real cause of leprosy is undoubtedly the leprous bacillus, a small, rodlike vegetable micro-organism similar to the tuberculosis. The disease is tact of the mucous membrane or abraded parts of the cutaneous system. It is posed; but children may, and often | do contract the disease from infected | mothers after birth. The most usual manner of inoculation in the Hawaiian Islands is found to be their method of | greeting. When two friends or relations. | meet they first rub noses, them embrace {and kiss. During this kissing process the tongue 1s protruded into each other’s mouth, This form of salutation is no doubt responsible for the spread of the | disease as much if not more than any | other social custom or relation which ex- | ists. Another prominent method of prop- | | acating the disease is found in the man- | ner the Hawaiians care for those afflicted Dr. L. F. Alvarez, in Pacific Medical | Journal, January, 1895, says: | “* * * Ifound an unfortunate woman in a dark, low basement. She was | paralyzed, blind, without fingers or toes and had open ulcers on her arms and legs. Her friends fed her by conveying poi—a native dish not unlike bill-poster’s paste— to her mouth with their fingers, and gave her water by taking a mouthful of it, fit- ting their lips to the leper’s and transfer- ring the water to her mouth. This dis-| gusting manner of giving water to the sick still prevails in many Hawaiian This leper woman was returned to the hospital Since then nine- teen persons of her family and friends have developed leprosy, many of whom had been nursing this woman.” Leprosy undoubtedly occurs from di- rect contagion—transmission of the bacil- lus of Hansen—from an infected person. All animals enjoy perfect immunity from | leprosy, occasionally reported cases to the | contrary notwithstanding, as the bacillus in these so-called leprous animals has never been demonstrated. INCUBATION. The period it takes for the disease to| show itself after incubation averages about six to seven years. DuraATION. The disease proves fatal in from ten to twenty years. 1t is not the object of this article to dis- cuss the pathology of leprosy. Suffice it to say that three well-marked varieties of non-tubercular or anesthetic leprosy, and mixed tubercular and paralytic leprosy. The tubercular variety being the most rao- idly fatal, the patient seldom lives more than from eight to ten years after the dis- ease manifests itself. TREATMENT OF LEPROSY. ! In such a chronic and fatal disease as | leprosy it is small wonder that many dif- ferent kinds of remedies have been tried. Excision of the primary lesion has failed, as it bas in syphilis, becanse the system | is already infected before the primary le- | sion appears. Mercurials and iodide of potassium are worse than useless. Creo- sote, salol, salicylate of soda, gynocardic acid, quinine, arsenic, iron, gurjun oil ana chaulmoogra oil have proven of benefit. Miss La Faille fell. that penetrated the heart of La Faille, but she fell just the same and lay as though she were dead. There was nothing at all unusual about it because Miss La Faille is shot at three days in the week and falls in THE SENSATION IS PLEASANT Embryonic Actresses Say So of Belas- co's Falls BY THE HAIR Hard Floors Have No Terror for Them, and When They Strike They Rise Up Smiling Bang!! There was the report of a pistol yesterday in Belasco’s Lyceum of Acting and a young girl threw up her arms, cast her eyes beavenward in a spasm of agony and fell prostrate—on a soft cushion. Frederick Belasco fired the shot and There was no bullet through the operstion at least twenty times. “There are several kinds of falls,” said Miss La Faille. “When one’s senses reel Irom- sorrow one falls directly backward, the shoulders being the first portion of the body to strike the ground. **A front fall is when one is reduced to the depths of despair. Then the fall is flat on the face, the hands being used to protect the face. ‘‘When one is shot or stabbed there is first a reel and a stagger and then a fall to the side or partially on the back, as the case may be. The hands are then at the side and the eyes are closed. *“Whenever we fall we imagine we are in the midst of some ternfic passionate scene and fall as naturally as we would on such an occasion. “‘At first it produces headache and causes nausea to fall and the tendency is to throw out the arms to protect yourself, but with the right kind of practice this all wears off and it becomes really a pleasur- able sensation. “The first lessons are always on the cushion, but this only continues for about three weeks of daily lessons. After we are thrown down on the hard floor and fall down ourselves on 1t. ‘At home we practice falling down a flight of stairs, and trip ourselves pur- posely to fall, “Itis not always the heaviest women who fall the heaviest. It is all art. A light woman unversed would fall with great weight. We simply relax every muscle and fall as though we had no con- trol whatever over our limbs.” e —— Liongevity of Animals. Rabbits and guineapigs live 7 years, squirrels and hares 8, cats about 10, dogs about 12, foxes 14.to 16, cattle 15 to 18, Frederick Belasco in the Act of Hurling a Fair Pupil to the Floor. a way that makes the observer’s blood curdle. Miss La Faille was not the only aspiring young actress that measured her length on the cushion yesterday; a half-score of others followed her. shot at, either. They were seizad by the hair and burled down by their stern teacher. They were not all One of the most important accomplish- ments of an actress is to be able 1o fall. For external use chrysarobinum, iodine, ichthyo!, iodoform, europhen and pyoleta- nine THE Thi have proven useful. Goto TREATMENT. is consists in bathing daily in hot In the eleventh century we find | | Dr. L. F. Alvarez, in discussing the sub- water in waich are placed bags containing hichiyon bark, taifunshi, sulphur and yoku yaku. Internally he gives seiket- suren pills, tincture chloride of iron, qui- nine, strychnine, iodide of potash, gentien, columbo, carbonate of soda and potash, and Epsom salts, Goto during kis many years of residence in Hawaii failed to cure a single case. “The proof is lacking that cure has been obtained in any case” (Dr. Emerson, Government Physician, Hawaii). ‘“Many of the patients reported by Dr. Goto as almost cured have since died of leprosy.’’ the least. assured I was covered with black and biue spots and sore in every muscle.” They must learn to fall down with a min- iature crash and not yet really injure themselves. It is a hard thing to learn, too. “Idevote an hcur a day,” said Miss Drinkall, “to my falling. I fall on the hard floor now and it does not hurt me in But when I began you may be “There is quite a science attached to the accomplishment of falling. It looks easy, the same as swimming does,” said an- other future debutante, “but when youn come to actually practice it you find it an exceedingly difficalt matter. “It requires nerve, too,”” chimed in an- other coming histrionic heroine, the pos- sessor of a mass of golden curls. “When your head strikes the floor, unless you bears and wolves 20,rhinoceroses 25,the ass and the horse 25 to 30, the lion 30 tc 40, the camel 40. According to Aristotle, Buffon and Cuvier the elephant lives two centuries; some authors say even four or five. After his victory over Porus, Al- exander consecrated to the sun an ele- phant that had fought for the Indian mon- arch and gave it the name of Ajax, and then, having attached an inscription to it, he set it at liberty. The animal was found 350 years later. Buffon says the stag’sage is 85 or 40 years. Fishes, especially the large species, are long-lived. Acccording to Bacon, eels reach 60 years, carp have been known to live at least 150 years, when they seemed as lively and agile as ever. Dolphins, sturgeons and sharks live over a century and attain a huge size. Pike have been known to weigh 1000 pounds, indicating a great age. A pike caught at Kaisers-Lautern was 19 feet long and weighed 350 pounds; this was in the year 1497. It bore in its gills a copper bolt with an inscription stating that it had been put in the pond by the order of Frederick II, that is, 261 years before. Whale-fishers have exterminated the huge whales of the polar seas. Those that were formerly met with were of prodigious (Dr. Alvarez). Several Hawaiian lepers have gone to Japan to be treated at Goto’s leper hospital in Tokio. But ‘several years’ treatment in that institu- | tion, *in some cases without even | amelioration, convinced these Hawsaiians that it was useless to remain in Japan, hence they returned home and were sent to the leper settlement” (Dr. Alvarez, Bacteriologist, Hawaiian Government). | “Dr. Goto’s Japanese treatment has | failed” (Dr. Ashmead). From per- {sonal observation in the Hawaiian {1slands I am satisfied that Goto's so-called treatment is entirely em- pirical, without the slightest scientific foundation, and, as every educated phy- sician who has ever tried it or seen it tried confirms, it is absolutely without any merit in the treatment of leprosy. The so-called temporary benefit resuits merely | from the cleanliness obtsined by the fre- quent bathing and the tonic treatment, which could better be established by scientific medicaments. More recently (August, 1896) a Dr. Thomas Holmes of Brookiyn, N. Y., de- scribed in the daily press as “an aged physician,’”” has discovered a cure (?) for leprosy. He incloses his patient in a glass case, into which he also introduces *‘certain gaseous vapors, intc the composi- tion of which sulphur enters largely.”’ This vapor is supposed to kill the bacilli. When it is remembered that before lep- rosy is discoverable there are already de- structive ulcerations of tne tissues or pathological affections of the nerves the absurdity of the ‘‘cure” isat once manifest. A possible cure for leprosy exists in using the antitoxine —an alka- loidal extract—of the bacillus of leprosy itself. A year or more ago the present bacteriologist of the Hawaiian Islands, ject with the writer concluded to try the antitoxine of the leprous bacilli hypo- dermically at the leper station at Kalihi. This treatment 1 saw carefully and scientifically applied on the islands daur- ing my recent visit, and 1f there are any scientific data for the use of vaccination as a protective against smallpox, Pasteur’s treatment of hydrophobia, Koch’s treat- ment oi tuberculosis, Behring and Roux’s a third. to it.” The Fair Pupil Hurled to the Floor, Lying Prostrate Yet Unharmed. know how to fall, the sensation isnotat all pleasant.” “We all like to fall though,” exclaimed ‘It is real fun when you get used Mr. Belasco took his position at the end of the cushion and catled to one of his pu- pilsto go through the ordeal. Suddenly his genial expression changed to one of suppressed fury. He grasped the young lady by the hair and hurled her with great force to the floor. She fell. The noise of her falling was distinguishable above the din of the wagons on the cob- blestones of Market street. She lay a moment with her eyes closed and then got up, smiled and said: *‘It didn’t hurt me the least bit.” The young lady, who feli with perfect grace and abandon, was fortunate, from the onlooker’s stanapoint, because one or jtreatment of diphtheria, etc., then cer- | tainly leprosy may be benefited and cured | by using the antitoxine of the baciilus it- self. One great obstacle is the separa- tion of the antitoxic from the toxic clements in the leprous toxines extracted from the leper bacilli, but this can be over- come by patient investigation, and I do not despair of finding a scientific remedy for this dreadfnl malady. WissLow ANpERsow, M.D., M.R.C.P., London, M.R.C.S., England. etc. ilgsg.ncific Medical Journal for September, ease. That temperature has no obvious influ- ence on the disease is manifest from the fact that ieprosy prevails alike in Norway and India. That soil and climate are equally inop- erative is shown by the fact that it occurs both on marshy soils and at high eleva- tions, both on the seacoast and inland regions, both on continents and on islands. Race and habits are not specific causes, ®s proven by the existence of the disease l two falls were considered sufficient by her teacher, and she was allowed to sit down and arrange her fallen hair and watch the others. One of the iron-clad rules of this particular lesson is that the pupil remove all the hairpins from his or her hair and allow the tresses to flow as nature in- tended. But it a uovice exhibited the slightest timidity or lack of faith in the softness of the floor and strove to lessen the force of her fall by her arms, she was placed under the ban, and required to go A size. It is supposed, with some prob- ability, that they lived several centuries and that they may even reach the age of 1000 years. It is not known with any degree of pre- cision how long birds live, except that th_o)r longevity is great. An eagle died at Vienna at 103. Buffon says the life of the crow is 108 years, and Hesiod says 1000 years. A paroquet brought to Florence in 1633 by the Princess Provere d’Urbin when she went there to espouse the Grand Duke Ferdinand was then 20 years ola, and it lived fully 100 years after. The cele- brated naturalist Willoughby had certain proof that a goose lived a century, and it 1s conceded that the swan’s is longer yet; some authorities give it two and even three centuries. ———————— For ding a Horse. An ingenious man has invented a device for feeding his horse, and he does it with one of the ordinary alarm clocks. For in- stance, if the horse is to bave its morning feed of grain at 5 o’clock, the alarm is set, and when the morning comes the horse Rets its bn;krm before its owner’s eyes are open. It is so arranged thatthe alarm pulls the siide, lltthl:“dtho grain run through a sluice to a mange! ——————— ‘The tona of & 0 is hen the in- lmmthnotmlwm“ i OBSERVED IN CITY LIBRARIES Strange Story of the Little Woman in Weeds ALL-DAY VISITOR WITHOUT AN OBJECT The Ten-Year-Old Girl Who Reads Pristotle and the “Reflective Woman” Who, Heals by Will In the reading-room of the Pnbilc Li- brary may be seen day after day a slight youneg man, with a pale, refined face. His clothes are neat, but old, and however well kept they will soon become shabby. He comes in every morning at 10 o'clock and leaves about 5. Sometimes he goes out at noon for a few minutes: atother times he remains during the lunch hour, and taking a roll frem his pocket slowly eats it. He reads one paper after another, and seems mostly interested in the adver- tisements. He makes 2 memorandum of some of them, and for the moment his face brightens. Then he takes up the magazines and looks them over with a listless air. Upon rare occasions some one recognizes him and he returns the nod shrinkingly and goes on reading. One of these chance acquaintances in speaking of him said: “Two years ago he had a prosperous lit- tle business in the country. He failed, and his wife persuaded him to come tothe city. He would make a good salesman; he is also a bookkeeper, but he has never been able to obtain a position. He can- vassed for a while, but his sales were few. His modest retiring manner was against him. Once he obtained a position as brakeman on a streetcar, but the work made him ill. Now he goes downtown early every morning, looks for work for an hour or two and then comes here,where he remains until night.” “And his'wife?"’ “Oh, she invested a little money she had laid by in a tiny shop which she tends. She also sews for the factories, and takes care of the baby.”” ““Why, pray, doesn’t he remain home to help her?” ‘‘She prefers that he should not. Tf you happen to ask for him she says: ‘John is downtown. Poorfellow. Heleaves home at 7 o’clock and walks around all day looking for work.” Then the brave little woman sighs, waits on a customer, sews and soothes the fretful baby. With it all she is falling behind and before long the shop must be given up. ‘‘Her husband does not mean to deceive her, but if he went home after two or three hours she might scold and say he did not try. When he comes in at night, tired and dispirited, she says quite cheer- fully, ‘Any news, John:’ And when he answers ‘No,’ she says: ‘Never mind, get up early to-morrow morning and look again.’”’ Another frequenter of this library isa consumptive-looking map of middle age. He comes about 7 in the evening, selects a book, remains reading it until i0 o’clock, and then takes it home. The next night he appears again, takes out another book and proceeds as on the evening before. Evidently he sits up half the night to fin- ish it, for he is engaged during the day in some light occupation that does not over- tax his feeble strength. He is a bachelor and @& most saving man. Books are his only diversion. The only pleasure he has taken in twenty years was his trip to Chi- cago during the exposition. He lives over and over again the delights of that visit, and his conversation is chiefly upon that subject. He tells you between the inter- vals of a hacking cough that in 1900 he in- tends going to Paris, and it is noticeable that the books he reads are all works of travel. Not a possibility of his not sur- viving until then ever crosses his mind, although his frail figure, his halting step, his weak voice, make one doubt whether the next night he will be reading in his accustomed place. The busiest time at this library is after school hours. Then come troopng in the school children, from the tiny tot just be- ginning to read to the boy or girl ready to leave school. Of course they choose books according to their age and taste. Cne lit- tle girl about 10 years old comes regularly twice a week. From her appearance she is evidently the child of poor parents, but she has a bright winsome face, and a thoughtful air far beyond her years. She attracts attention by the books she invari- ably selects. They are always works of philosophy. Asshe was trudging off with ‘*Aristotle’’ the question was put to her: ‘“Are you going to read this book your- self 27 “Yes,” she replied, gravely, “I am going to read it to papa.”’ “But why does not papa read it him- self?” ‘Oh,”” she said, with a sad little smile, “‘papa is blind.” “And mamma?” “Mamma goes out working, and poor papa is lonely until I come home from school. - Then I read to him.” “Don’t you ever read stories ?”" “No; papa doesn’t care for stories. Be- sides he’s going to write a book on Pphiloso- phy some day. He’s going to tell me what he wants to say, and I'll write it down for him. Papa says we’ll make lots of money, and then mamma won’t'need to work.,” And, with & happy smile, the child put the learned volume in her satchel and trotted down the stairs. The Mechanics' Library on Saturday afternoon presents a brighter and livelier aspect than at any other time of the week. Owing to its convenient location it is a sort of rendezvous for ladies, young and old. Here, when bent on shopping tours, visits to the theater, etc., they meet their friends and forth they go together. Many of them return later when the male element appears in the shape of homeward-bound brothers, husbands and husbands-to-be, A regular Saturday visitor there is a lady dressed in deep mourning. She is young and has a refined, spiritual face. There is a strange story connected with her coming. For two she had been in the h'i“ of meeting her husband in the library on Saturday afternoons. He always came a few minutes after 5. When she saw him enter ner face would brighten, she would quickly lay aside her book and, arm in arm, off they would go like two lovers. One Saturday.a few months ago, she sat waiting as usnal. Five o’clock came, | and her eager face, needing only the light of the one prescence to enkindle it to radi- ance, was turned toward the door. A few minutes later a close observer might have noticed that her face blanched, that she half rose from her chair and then sat down with a gasp. But her husband did not appear. Half-past 5, her look had be- come anxious; at 6 it was distressed. The library was now almost empty. Shecould no longer read, butrose and walked about. She went to the outer door and looked up jand down the street for a familiar form. None was in sight. She returned to her seat. Then, asif unable to keep her anx- ious thoughts to berself, she turned toa lady whose kindly face invited confidence and said: “Do you think any accident may have | happened to the Oakland train ?"” “I do not know; but why do you ask?”’ “My husband bad to go to Oakland to- day on business, but he promised to meet me here at the usual time. He has never yet falled to keep his appointment, so I fear something has happened.” ‘‘May not his business Lave detained him longer than he anticipated?” “Possibly. But what worries me is that at the time that he always comes I thought I saw him stagger in deathly pale and holding his hand to his head. Once he said jokingly that, dead or alive, he would surely come.”” 8 The lady waited until 7 o'clock, then said: “T won’t wait any longer. home.” As she passed out she laid her card in the hand of the sympathetic stranger. ‘The Sunday papers were full of a terri- ble accident that had happened the day before at a little after 5 in the afternoon to an Oakland train. Among those who met death was the name of a man corre- sponding to the name on the card. The man had been struck on the head and in- stantly killed. Whether his spirit had kept the appointment or whether it was a fancy of bis wife’s brain the reader may judge. The lady still comes to the library on Saturday afternoons. She sits in an ex- pectant attitude, with her eyes riveted on the door. A little after 5 she leans for- ward, a startled look comes into her eyes, her pale face grows paler, she sighs deep- iy, then rises and goes home alone. The Mercantile Library has a more re- tired air than the other libraries. It is never crewded. The people come and zo softly: they do not congregate in groups to laugh and chat,and there are never many who remain to read. In the recesses, where there are tables and chairs, there is entire privacy. In one of these nooks may frequently be seen a small, middle-aged lady, with deeply set eyes and gentle face shaded by soft gray hair. She always comes in the morning, and, choosing a sunny corner, seats herself at the table, clasps her hands upon her lap ana gazes intently before her. She re- mains thus for hours, and appears to lose consciousness of her surroundings. Her attitude of constant meditation has made her known as the ‘‘reflective lady,” and many are the surmises as to the subjects upon which her thoughtsare centered. One morning her meditations were dis- | turbed by a lady who =at down at the same table and began to read. As she read she passed her hand across her fore- head and gave a slight sigh. The reflec- tive lady noted the movement, and catch- ing the expression of pain said gently: “Excuse me, madame, are you suffer- ing?” The other looked up surprised, not only at the question, but at the sympathetic tone. “Yes,” she replied, dreadfully.” “Let me take your hand,” said the thoughtful lady. *‘Now, think that you bave no headache, shat you are entirely well. Do not allow your mind to wander from this point.” The two sat thus for some time. Then the one who had been suffering said gaily: *“How well I feel. Have you hypnotized me?”’ “Not at all,” was the answer. I have simply cured you by will power. My mind has convinced yours of your error in supposing you had a headache,” *““Well,” said the other laughing, “whether it was an error or a headache, I am relieved and truly grateful. Do you often,” she continued, ‘‘exercise your heal- ing powers?”’ “Yes; I have helped many people. I am helping sufferers in the distance when 1 sit silently here. In this place a peace falls upon my spirit, such as will not ad- mit of the existence of any suffering, physical or mental. This morning I have been treating a man in the Mission who is paralyzed. To-night I will hear how he is. Iam sure he 1s better.” The lady whose headache had been cured opened her purse. “No,” said the other, interrupting the movement, “don’t offer me money. I couldn’t take it.”" “Well, you'll let me thank you, won’t yeu?’ extending her hand, which was warmly pressed, and the two ladies parted. The one who had found relief from the headache went blithely out. The otherre- sumed her former attitude of deep cogita- tion. rn go “my head aches Presidential Autographs. From the Collector it is learned that Presidential years brings out a crop of in- teresting autographs. Sometimes it brings entirely new men into the market, but generally it lifts 25-cent and 50-cent speci- mens to a higher plane. A Republican nomination will carry a 50-cent man to $150, while his election will make it $3. 1f an entirely dark horse should be chosen, his letters might easily be quoted at from $5 to $10, as there would be a great rush for him, and probably an insufficient supply. For a long time Arthur was $10 to $12, but is now $5 to $6. ' Collectors who have complete sets of Presidents desire the new men at once, and their competition drives up the price. As ex-President Harrison generally dic- tates his letters the price of his autograph letter continues very high. The Democratic Convention at Chicago will help the value of some man for a time, but it will probably fall back after November. McKinley’s letters have never been very plentiful and have generally sold at $L. He is already worth $2 and will be higher: later on. The letters of Vice-Presidents are never in very great demand unless for other rea- :lon- :han holaing that office. Itisan of- ce of possibilities and amounts 3 little in itself. < o batch of Cabinet officers and it generall includes several unknown men. gl.t l-pn{ erally months before any of their letters turn up, but they come in time. The autograph fiend is very busy in these times, and his pressing a:ymmuZica- tions form a large part of the mail of each Presidential cundidate. Like the poor, the fiead is always with us; but let us be gentle with him, as often he graduates into a reputable collector. g With the new President comes a new | ISALINAS WINS PROTECTION How. Derelict Public Officials Were Taught TO RESPECT DEMANDS OF THE PEOPLE The Gouncil Disbanded the Fire Department, and the ' Indig- nant Gitizens Reconstructed It Straightway If there is a city which more than any other in this mighty State of California seems assured of a certain steady prosperity it is Salinas. By its very situation it is admirably fitted geographically to be the county seat of Monterey. It is but a few years since Salinas was 2 babe among towns—it has steadily grown into a healthy youth, and is about to attain its majority and enter into the full bloom of manhood. Its mu- nicipal heslth and stability and broad promise bave not been attained without several struggles worthy of a page in the annais of civil government. Itslast and greatest fight for its liberties has been in full accord with its peaceful, rural sur- roundings; it has been a fight for all that is near and dear to every patriotic citi- zen—*"The Home.” Like all incorporated towns the citizens elected their City Council, “from the peo- ple, to serve the people, for the people,” but a factional fight arose within this Counci! of Fathers. Its inception is hard to trace, but the City Council (whether through pique or false notions of economy is immaterial so far as results are con- cerned) disbanded the Fire Department without providing any other means what- ever of protection against the possible ravages of fire. This action, so unex- pected and so menacing to the public safety, took the citizens by surprise. For some days this was the great topic of dis- cussion, on every street corner and at every place of congregation. A public meeting was called and resolutions passed “‘prayizg the Oity Council to take steps to protect the property and lives of its citizens” It wasa fair demand madein a constitutional manner, by the best men and wamen of the city, but for three long weeks this request was ignored, and then two files, claimed to be of incendiary origin {he firebugs are now in jail await- ing trid), awoke the citizens to the neces- sity ofin immediate reconstruction of the Fire Department, and, if necessary, the impeachmert of certain members of the City Cauncil. ‘Withthat swift action which ever char- acterizs the aroused temper of Americans an indgnation mass-meeting was held, at- tended by over 1500 taxpayers, and for three lours the Salinas Pavilion echoed with tle rise and fall of the voices demand- g ingant action for the public weal and safety. This meeting unanimously rein- statedthe old Fire Department, gave back its caitrol to the esteemed Chief, “Tom’” Joy. a young man whom the citizens es- teem for his proved ability in fighting flamei and directing his charges. This meetg even went further and appointed a conmittee of four of its leading citizens to take immediate steps, if found neces- sary,to impeach the derelict members of the Gty Council. Suth then is the brief sketch of a fight for plotection which was fought openly and von honorably in Salinas, the valley city.| When one comes to consider that for three~weeks by a foolish action of the countil hundreds of thousands of dollars’ wortli of property was jeopardized, thousands of lives in danger and a whoie townliable to have its policies canceled — or revritten at much higher rates—one recogizes how miserable itis to see public officeused to satisfy private spleen, and how ommendable was the action of these Salinis citizens in effecting the reform in such} peaceable manner. This action ina gravepublic situation has won the hearty apprdation of the insurance companies espedally and thousands of Californians moregenerally. It i to these citizens that Claus Spreck- els Ins decided to give the largest sugar beet aetory in the world. It is from these peope that this industry is to obtain its latesiand greatest impetus. It is from suchpublic-spirited and loyal actions that the yesent and future welfare of Cali- forni| is to be maintained and strength- ened. Deeliction of duty in public officials eddimmediate reproof, and this lesson in mnicipal correction given by the citi- zens,|f Salinas to its City Council is worthy of entilation by all those who wish pure ment, which defined means the st good for the greatest number. d Facts for the Gurious. toes made their way very slowly opular favor ia England, and were 80 cosly that they were only seen on the tableg of the very rich. Fifty cents per pound was the price of them in the reign of Jales I. Shortly after the restoration the Glvernment and the Royal Society tried jo encourage their cultivation, but progrés was extrem@ly slow and it was not umil nearly the end of tfie eighteenth centuy that the tuber came into general use. Secad-hand- plateglass aealers do a large fusiness in San Francisco and other large pities. Nearly ali of itis bought from msurance companies. The large platesiare insured when putin the win- dow, #1d when any of them is broken sher usually prefers that the insur- ance @mpany should replace the broken plate ‘Rther than that he should be paid i¢. The dealer in the second-hand ntrives to utilize what remains of broken part of the glass, cutting it des of smaller size and disposing of The §mallest tree in the world isthe lind birch. It is only three inches t it covers a radius of nearly three sin France must not only carzy d a lamp, but must have a name- imewhere bearing their full name flress. BRiding on the sidewalk is dwhen the roadway is unaer repair. ——— rd Kipling’s “Letters of Marque,” ons of the old cities of Rajputana, when he was a reporter for the eej will soon be brought outin Lon- don. 'hey were reprinted in pamphlet riindia, but could not be published, ome difficulty about the copy- ich has now been removed,