The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 2, 1898, Page 32

32 BEWARE OF THE MISHY SHRIMPS "Poison From Swamps Under the Crusta- cean’s Shell. The Crusade Against the New Enemy Begins To-Day. The Little Shell Fish Coming From San Bruno Is Tabooed. MAY CAUSE AN EPIDEMIC. Prompt Measures Taken by the Board of Health to Prevent Dis- ease. One by one are the pleasures of the epicure drifting from us. What with the germ theory, microbes and the bacteriologist all combining against the good things of life, man will soon become the slave to medical knowl- #dge and have his table set by a drug- Scientists the lu the land; now want to take away cious shrimp. They have found er guilty of murder in Scot- therefore the shrimp, that piece de resistance of ench restaurants and means of livelihood of numerous Chinamen, has been selected as the special enemy of San Franciscans. Docker he of numerous title after more germs to conquer, and has selected the poor little shrimp as his latest victim. From tuberculous cows to typhoid shrimps is a long jump, but the Health Department did not balk. ‘When the note of alarm w ounded “by. Dr. Clinton there was no hesitancy. The shrimp was the smallest thing that could be found, and it had to suf- fer. ‘When science decided that germs of disease were carried by kissing there awas almost a revolution. But the agi- tation was quieted and the people gave ‘$emi-acquiescence. But now the limit af éndurance has been reached. Man can do without Kkissing, but when it comes to a quatantine against shrimps science goes too far and the revolt is | oys is sure to come. To-day Inspector Dockery will begin | his crusz and as the water cress | which es in-the swamps of the | Potrero has been tabooed from the salad dish, so, too, must the shrimp | ¢ from the San Bruno road district suffer | -:the ignominy of being under the ban, | Yor the shrimp of the San Bruno road i eless in its diet, and there is - that it may carry the dread ! germs of typhoid fever from the refuse of the soap factories and packing houses into the homes of the people of San Francisco. True, there has been no epidemic of such malady in the ecity, but just think what might occur in the future. ‘When the fearful epidemic of Glasgow is remembered, where hundreds died from typhoid fever contracted through eating oysters, and when it is recalled that Honolulu was almost depopulated | with cholera which started from eat- ing crabs, then will the work of Dr. v be appreciated. It is not pre: that are to beguarded against, that we know not of. But there is a gleam of hope piercing the cloud of gloom which now threat- ens the gourmets. There is but one society of shrimps that is to be ta- booed. The crustaceans of the San Bruno road have been designated as “mushy.” That ought to settle the whole matter. A “mushy” shrimp has no rights that a health officer is bound to respect. They are not only mushy, but they are also “white.” Now a white shrimp is something that in it- self carries its own condemnation. When it is both white and mushy it naturally follows that if it hasn’'t con- tracted disease the health officer is not to blame for it. Hereafter the crustaceans of San Pablo Bay will have the proud dis- tinction of being the elite of shrimp so- ciety and the only ones that are of sufficient tone to mix in the mids humanity. Just how the unwar housewife is to know whether the shrimps offered from the basket of the peripatetic vendor really come from the hallowed precincts of San Pablo or from the condemned purlieus of San Bruno swamps is a question that has not yet been definitely decided. Po: bly the Health Department will utilize Dr. Jordan’s seal brand idea, and then none but branded shrimps will be con- sidered as fit for polite society. Dr. Morse of the Board of Health is a gentleman of recognized erudition and profound thought, and since he coincides with the opinion of his learn ed much the colleagues across the Atlantic consideration will be given to grave danger that has so long the citizens who eat nce the whole medical fra- ernity is unit in this matter, v that germs of disease can I carried by crustaceans a mammals, it might be well i who are fond of the enticing were to see to it that their are neither “white” nor “‘mushy. ORPHANS MADE HAPPY. The Inmates of the Maria Kip Orphanage Had a Week of Joy and Good Cheer. Sister Anna, the matron of the Maria Kip Orphanage out in the Richmond, had a busy week of it with her little tots. The hundred inmates, who look upon the good ster Anna as their mother and their all, were treat- ed to the usual Christmas dinner and tree with its load of offerings in the | evening. As this was the first Christ- mas in the new home, the good Sister Anna and her assistants almost outdid themselves in making this festival an impressive one on the minds of their young wards. In this they were not unappreciated as the innocent little ones were filled with joy and gratitude as they beheld an overloaded table containing all the good things that can be produced in California for a Christ- mas festival. This, with a kind and maternal feeling on the part of the gentle matron toward her innocent little charges filled their baby hearts full of thanks for Christmas and what it brings to the Christian world. The week following Christmas was one long to be remembered by the in- mates of the Maria Kip Orphanage. as they had been invited to the Chutes, to Sutro’s, to the Cliff, to the park, and SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, JANUARY in fact to all the good places in and about the city. Hence it is needless to add that they will carry with them to “their oldest days the remembrance of their first Christmas in the Maria Kip Orphanage in the Richmond district. ————— A CONSUMPTIVE'S DESPAIR. George O'Neil Ends His Life With a Pistol Bullet. With the dread fangs of consumption fastened upon him, George O'Neil, a letter carrier, residing at 140 Sanchez street, vesterday afterncon ended his life with a pistol bullet. O'Neil has been suffering with con- sumption for a long time and as he felt his life slowly ebbing away he grew more and more despondent. Yes- terday afternoon he was alone in his room, and at about 1 o'clock his sister was startled by hearing a pistol shot in the house. Suspecting what had happened, she at once rushed into his room and found him seated in a chair in front of a looking-glass with a smoking revolver in his hand. Dr. Barnham was immediately summoned but found the man past mortal aid, and at once notified the Coroner. Deputy Coroner J. L. McCormack ited the house, but seeing that the case was clearly suicide, did not re- move the body. O'Neil was 28 years of age and un- married. He was well known in the city and highly respected by all his friends. SING IV AID OF THE SUFFERERS Children’s Hospital Benefit at the Tivoli a Pronounced Success. | N early One Thousand Dollars Real- ized—Kindness of Mrs. Kreling and the Opera Company. The Children’s Hospital ' will profit nearly $1000 as a result of the benefit performance of “Maother Goose” given vesterday by the Tivoli Opera Com- pany at the well-known place of amusement. Recognizing the difficulties under which charitable institutions often labor to procure funds sufficient to carry them along, Mrs. Ernestine Krel- ing, the proprietress of the Tivoli, re- cently consulted the members of her company and a result the benefit was arranged, the singers entering thoroughly into the spirit of the affair and making every effort to render the affair a success, artistically as well as financiaily. The public was more than usually generous in its patronage and the big opera house was full. The entire re- ceipts, including the income from the flower and programme privileges, went into the benefit fund, the result being a denation of $973 to the hospital fund. Treasurer Krause will forward a check for that amount to the officials of the institution to-morrow. — e His Last Journey. John Donovan was discharged from the Almshouse vesterday at his own request, and a short while afterward he was found lifeless in a ditch on a road back of the Spring Valley reservoir by some boys. The body removed to the Morgue. The dead man was about 6 years old and had evidently dropped in the ditch and expired of heart disease while on his way into town. An autopsy will prob- ably settle the cause of death more de- initely. HALE BROS. + RELIABLE DOMESTICS. Goods that embody the require- ments of wear, good taste and satisfaction. Our Domes- tic Depart- 4’ ment is the =S largest and busiestin =<7 San Fran- 4 cisco, be-F= cause our = every effort 1s bent toward satisfying a demand for ~eliable merchandise. BIEACHED PURE LINEN TABLE DAMASK—Every thread pure flax, satin damask finish, evenly and closely woven, good patterns and in every way thor- oughly desirable. n. S0¢ -in. S¢ yd $1 yd (extra) ROLLER TOWELING—A good solid huck toweling. well Dleached, closely woven and leavy; built to wear anl sat- isty 15- inch 7 15¢ Yard 17-inch, Five cascs of fine FLANNEL- ETTES, in pretty light color- ings. On sale all week at...... MARSEILLES SPREADS—Full double- hed size, well hemmed, good patterns, ready to use. HALE'S SPECIAL . OUR LEADER EXTRA FINE . SATIN FINISH . THE VERY BEST . > $3 2% We are leaders in Blankets. Ribbons and Embr;i(rery. FANCY NECK RIBBONS—All silk ribbons in stripes, plaids and Roman siripe glace, 3% to 4 inches wide: just the thing to make the latest fad, viz., fringed neck scarfs. At Hale's. Yard (‘AMBRN‘MEMHROHVHRY- Fine open-worl patts vith fast 1 Bxen: 8 to B inch ta12ic sale this week . Yard YV UTTTTUUTOUTTT T UPTU PR RO A asassccad S R e S S S R R e R e e e e e A A R e A e e e a R e e as We want your trade if it is mutually profitable. o =S 1898.. HALE BROS. NEW DRESS GOODS. Twentieth | century ideas |pouring in. iThe latest conceits in the world of dress goods. Every bolt a bolt of attrac- tiveness, ev- ery yard a money-saving chance. PEKIN STRIPE TAFFETA SILK—White satin stripes on black taffeta grounds; some fashionable combinations in 12 different stripes, from % to 1 inch in width; pretty for walsts or suits. 20 inches wide. yard 21 inches wide. .$1 yard | NAVY BLUE SERGE—A strictly all-wool fabric, 49 inches wide; the most serviceable winter dress | fabric we know of; the best dye. | WORSTED AND MOHAIR SUIT y new designs in swell creations in dings HALE'S FAMOUS BLACK SATIN BROCADES—Every thread silk, the best dye (a deep lustrous jet black); small, medium or large ll’lDSe is hosi- HALE BROS. forts have fairly pric We stand ti facts in a serious consideration. Our statements are written to be believed and relied upon. We want your confidence if our methods deserve it. HALE BROS. (Incorporated), 937, 939, 941, 943, 945 Market Street. g ; 0 a prosperous year we bid adieu. has been a year of liberal patronage on your part. A year of prosperous mer- cantile movements on our part. world produces rightly represented and beyond a fair comparison, and are under obligations to no one but our customers. year, n§ dry goods merchants, quoting our prices, briefly describing, stating HALE BROS. + It Our ef- been to offer the best that the ed. We have asked no favors 0-day, at the dawn of the new clear-cut business manner for 404040 Some solid Stocking sense. Good hose is ho- siery econ- omy. Poor ery extrava- gance. We will not sell poor hose to any one at any price. If you buy your hose here you know they are right. Direct importers. FAMOUS “KAST IRON" L _STOCKINGS—Don’t rip or tear, hard to wear out; firm, close weave and heavy rib: double knee, double heel, double HALE'S SCHOO! 15¢ winter wear. ingle Fleece, very fine.. Double Fleece, extra heavy IMPORTED BLACK CASHMERE HOSE—Imported by our Coli- 25¢ patr 13 pair fornia fllfi\‘es direct from ;:xfr}; many; ermsdorf dye, ¥ TOHCE heela. dgable. mile and DOC toes; a perfect stocking...... Pair | designs, T5c, $100 and.. i | 'Silk and Lace Fans. $15 00 Fans now..$10 00| $3 @ Fans 12 00 $35 00 Fans now..$20 00/ $9 00 Fans (INCORPORATED ] | $10 00 Fans now..$5 e 3100 | 52 Fans now. 315 00|37 50 Fans . 1 0 Fans $ 600 $2 00, Fans $1.00 $2 'ans now. 50 Fans 937-945 MARKET STREET | :;m Fana now..3 § 00| §1 75 Fans .$1 00 | $18 00 Fans now..§12 00| $5 00 Fans SAN FRANCISCO. $500 Fans now..$ 3 00|$1 00 Fans s0c | $10 00 Fans now..$7 00| 40c Fans e e e e e e S R e e R e e A e e e R AR A eSS 25c A Sacrifice of Fine Opera Fans. Deep cuts throughout our entire line of Opera and Ball-Room |Fans. We positively guarantee every reduction to be bona fide. ! The old prices are still on the goods. Sale begins to-morrow. Ostrich Feather Fans. WEARABLE HOSIERY.| WA toe; sizes 6 to 10. For School.... Pair LADIES' _SANITARY WINTER STOCKINGS—Pure wool, natural gray, plain or ribbed, double Merino heels and_toes jor winter hose, ““":,‘1. - tiworouzhly omicrtable; a_ goo Tomst Bt Susckine At ‘Hiles 20C fer g Pair | LADIES BLACK FLEECED HOSE—Made of the ninest vombed Maco yarn, high spliced heels, doubl: sole and toes, warm fleeced for | A e e e e e e e e e e e S RM WET WEATHER Dry Goods | for wet weath. er. Our Wrap Departmen t | shows a bewil- dering array of Winter Wraps. Our pricesaretyp./ / "/ ical of our store. The goods are right. New, stylish. comparison. As usual, we ask T $ DOUBLE- S MACKINTOSH —Velvet collar, fancy plaid in- ing, full-sweep double cape; heretofore, we have been unable HALE'S GR CAPE LADY to supply the demand: another shipment has just arrived Ready Dblue for sale to: $5° Each or black. motrow -. CHILDREN'S MACKINTOSHES —With _detachable cape and hood; the best child's maekin- tosh in this city and the only one of this description. Plain_Blue. Tan Mixtu | | OUR $3 CAPE MACKINTOSHES FOR LADIES—Wide-wale mili- tary cape, full sweep | EXTRA'FINE MACKINTOSHES FOR LADIES—F double cape, fancy S tra-heavy garment inter storms. At 70 Each pretty little o basket, "contain- ing a small bottle’ of per- | fumery; our 24c kind. 1Sc On sale at Each (INCORPORATED) 937-945 MARKET STREET, SAN FRANCISCO. R R R e S e e e R R R e e e e e e R S R R e RS RS S S S S e L L vvPPrIveRYY THeet s Defied the Whole ' French Fleet. Continued from Page Eighteen. Slowly, slowly up, foot by foot, | ard, until one-third of the dis- climbed! ‘cup. suspense and strain were immeas- | urable; it like bringing the Charming | Nancy rough a gale with a wind- + ward tide, while she yaws and quivers | aver twice the length of her buge: or it | was like watching - straining under a L vi | Zdanyards and port flying and no | knowing when the great machine would | Ay from her carriage and make havoc of | i the ship and the crew. But he struggled | “.on and-on, and now at last he had reach- | “‘ed a jutting piece of rock with a sort of ! fiytng pinnacle, like a hook for the gods “to 'hang their shields on, if shlelds they | carried. Here Antoine ventured to look below. ".He half expected to see Minois, but there J v the white sand, and the only ‘sound was the jong wash of the gulf. He dréw the horn of arrack from his pocket :and drank. He had two hundred feet ‘more to climb, and the next hundred— that would test him, that would be the | “ordeal! There was no time to lose. While he | " hung there a musket shot could pick “him off from below, and there was no | telling how soon his desertion would be ‘discovered. He hoped it would not be till morning. He started again. This was | “travail indeed. His rough fingers, his ‘tocs. which were aim- st like horn, began t0 bleed. Once cr twice he swung quite | clear of the wall, hanging by his fingers | to catch a surer foothold to right or left, | and just getting it by an inch, or less, sometimes. The strain and tension | were terrible. His head appeared | to swell and fil with blood; on| itop it hurt him so much that it| :“géemed to him it must burst. His neck . was aching horribly with the constant | . looking up, the skin of his knees was | “ gone, his ankles were bruised. But he | ~.must keep on till he got to the top, or | until he fell. : . He was fighting on in a kind of dream, which was quite apart from all usual feelings of this world. The earth itself seemed far away, and he was toiling | among vastnesses, himself a giant with | ‘immense frame and huge sprawling Timibs. It was like the dreams which | me in sleep, when the body is an elu- | ., stupendous mass that falls into space after a confused struggle with im- nsities. It was all mechanical, vague, -almost numb—this effort to overcome a mountain. Yet it was precise and hugely expert, too; for though there was a “strange mist on the brain, the body felt < way with a singular certainty, as { mnight some molluscan dweller of the sea, swhich is sensitive like a plant with in- ““fuitipn like an animal. Yet sometimes it seemed that this vast body overcoming the mountain would let go its hold and de away into the darkness of the depths. There was a strange, convulsive shiver in every nerve. ‘Gad have mercy, the time was come now! i v . --.No, not yet. At the very instant when it seemed this panting flesh and blood would be shaken off by the granite force _répelling it, the fingers like great an- tennae touched horns of rock, jutting out “from ledges,-on the third escarpment of the wall. Here was-the last point of the second and worst stage of the journey. Slowly, heavily the body drew up to the shelf of limestone, and crouched in an inert bundle. There it lay for a long time. . While the long minutes went by, a :-voice kept calling up from below—call- ing, calling at first eagerly, then anxi- “ously, then with terror. By and by the bundle of life stirred, took shape, raised | exhaustion, the | and strife which had itself, and was changed again, a thinking. conscious being, who now understood the meaning of this sound coming up from the earth—or was it the sea?—below. It was a human voice which had at last pierced the awful deadly labor, the peril numbed the brain of a man, while the body in its instinct for existence still clung to the rocky ledges. It had called the man back to earth—he was no longer a great animal, and the rock a monster with skin and scales of stone. ““Antoine! . Antoine! called the voice. w he knew. He answered down: “All right! All right, Minoi “Are vou at the top?” ‘No, but the rest is eas “Hurry, hurry, Antoine! If they should come before you reach the top “I'll soon be there. Ah, but Minois, it was awful!” “Are you hurt, Antoine?"” “No, but my fingers are in rags. going now, a bi'tot!” “Antoine! *“’Sh! do not speak. I am starting.” There was a silence for what seemed hours to the girl below. Foot by foot the man climbed on, no less cautious be- cause the ascent was easier, for he had become weaker. But he was on the Ah, Antoine!” monster’s neck now, and soon he should | set his heel shaken off. At last the victorious moment came. Over a jutting ledge he drew himself up by sheer strength and the grip of his lacerated fingers, body, legs, knees, and now he lay flat and breathless upon the ground. How soft and cool it was! This was long, sweet grass that touched his face, which made a couch like down for the battered, wearied body. Surely thi travail had been almost more than mortal. ing over his head, this million-voiced discord round him, like the and cries of spirits who welcome another to their torment? He raised his head and laughed in triumph. These were the cormorants, gulls and gannets on the Perce Rock. Antoine Robichon had done what man had never done before him; he had done it in the night, with only the moon to lighten the monstrous labor of his in- credible adventure; he had accomplished it without help of any mortal sort. Legions of birds circled over him with wild cries, so shrill and scolding that at first he did not hear Minois’ voice calling up to him. At last, however, remember- ing, he leaned over the cliff and saw her standing in the moonlight far below. Her voice came up to him indistinctly because of the clatter of the birds—‘An- toine, Antoine!” She could not see him, for this part of the rock was in shadow. “Ah, ba, all right,” he said, and tak- ing hold of one end of the twine he had brought, he let the roll fall. It dropped almost at Minois’ feet. Snhe fastened the rope she had got at the post to the end of it, and cailed to Afitoine. He drew it up quickly. She had found no rope long enough, so she had tied three together. Antoine must splice them perfectly. Once more he let down the twine, and she fastened it to his blanket. It was a heavy strain on the twine, but the blanket and the food inclosed were got up safely. She called for him to lower again, and this time he hauled up to- bacco, tea, matches, needles, cotton, a knife and & horn of rum. Now she called for him to splice the ropes properly. There was no time to do that, but he tied them firmly together and let the great coil down. This time was drawn up a musket and ammunition and an- other blanket. Again it was let down, and he dréw up a crowbar, a handspike and some tin dishes, which rattled against the side of the great rock de- risively. Again the rope went down, and two bundles of sticks and faggots were attached, with flint and steel, also a small roll of coarse cotton and a bear- skin. Last of all came a small tent and a bundle of woman’s clothes. on it—he was not to be into a man | Iam | rubber-like | And what was this vast flutter- | buffetings | The rope did not come down again at once. “Antoine, Antoine!” called the girl. He was untying the bundle of woman's clothes and trying to make out what they were by holding them up in the moonlight. Suddenly he dropped them with an exclamation of surprise. “'Oh my good!” he said. “Oh dame du guiable!” ‘“‘Antoine! Antoine! Antoine, mechant,” she called. ‘“Sh, ’sh! swered. Let down the rope; I'm coming up,” she said “You can’t get up,” he answered. “You'll help pull me up—quick, rope!” “My hands are bleeding.” ‘“‘Buzard—black buzard!" she cried, an- gril “You lied to me!” “I'll let down your clothes to you,” he Not such a row!” he an- the. f you don’t let down the rope I'll climb up without it, and if I fall and break my neck it'll be your fault. Quick, for I'm going to start!” | This frightened him. He tied the ropes still more firmly together, made a loop, and let the coil drop slowly. The loop fell into Minois’' hands. “‘Don’t start yet,” he called down. pull when it's all ready.” He fell back from the edge to a place in the grass | Where, tying the rope round his body, he could seat himself and brace his feet on the rope. Minois began climbing, and Antoine pulled steadily. Twice he felt the rope | suddenly jerk when she lost her footing, | but still it came in steadily, and he used a nose of rock as a sort of winch. He knew when she was more than one-third of the way up by the great weight upon the rope, by the more frequent jerking | when she slipped. Yet this was no labor and monstrous struggle such as An- | toine’s climbing—this was the scaling of a conquered wall by the legions of the victorious, | She was nearly two-thirds of the way up when a cannon shot boomed out over the water, frightening again the vast coveys of birds, which shrieked and honked till the air was a maelstrom of cries. Then came another cannon shot. Antoine’s desertion was discovered. Upon the other side of the rock boats were putting out toward the shore. An- toine knew perfectly each movement as | well as if he were watching them. The | fight was begun between a single fisher- man and a fleet of French warships. His strength, however, could not last much longer. Every muscle of his body had been strained and tortured, and even this easier task tried him beyond endur- ance. His legs stiffened against the ledge of the rock, the tension on his arms made them numb—he wondered how near she was 'to the top. Suddenly there was a pause, and then a jerk. Love of God! the rope was shooting through his fin- gers, his legs were giving way. He gath- ered himself together, and then with teeth, hands, and body rigid with enor- mous effort, he pulled and pulled. He could not see. A mist swam before his eyes. ‘Everything grew black; but he pulled on and on! He never knew just when she reached the top. But when the mist cleared away from his eyes she was bending over him, putting rum to his. lips as he sat just where he had stiffened with effort. “What a cat I was!" she sald. “What a wildcat I was to make you haul me up! I didn’t know it was so bad. It was bad for me, with the rope round me—it must have been awful for you, my poor esmanus—my poor scarecrow, Antoine!" Scarecrow indeed he looked. His clothes were nearly gone, his hair was tossed and matted, his eyes were bloodshot, his huge hands were like pleces of raw meat, his feet were covered with blooa. “My poor scarecrow!" she said, and against a ledge of rock. Then he pulled | she tenderly wiped the blood from his face where his hands had touched it. Meanwhile bugle calls of command came to them, and in the first light of morning they could see the ‘and the Carnavals hurrying to and fro. ‘When da; me clear and bright it was known that Minois, as well as Antoine, had vanished. OI' man Cargaval was in as great a rage as the French admiral, who was as keen to hunt down one Jer- sey-Englishman as he had ever been to attack an English fleet—more so, per- haps. Meanwhile the birds kept up a wild tur- moil and shieking. Never before had any | one heard them so clamorous. More than once o'’ man Carnaval had looked at Perce Rock curiously, but whenever the thought of it as a refuge occurred to him he put it away. No, it was impossible. No human being since the world began ever stood on that mysterious, lonely and impregnable place, sacred to the birds and the invisible dwellers of the air. Yet what was that? His heart thumped under his coat. There were two people on the lofty island wall-a man and a woman. He caught the arm of the French officer near him. “Look! look!" he said. The officer raised his glass and looked. “It's the gunner!” he cried, and hand- ed the glass to the old man. “It's my Minois!" said Carn: a moment, in a hoarse voice. But it's not possible—it's not possible!” he added. ““Nobody was ever there. My God! look at it—look at it!" Jt was a picture, indeed. A man and a woman were outlined against the clear air, putting up a tent as calmly as if it were on a lawn, thousands of Dbirds wheeling over their heads, with quer- ulous, fantastic cries. A few moments later o’ man Carna- val was being rowed swiftly to the French flagship, where the admiral him- self was swearing viciously as he looked through his telescope. He had recognized the gunner. He had prepared to bombard the fishing P and wipe it out of existence if Car- naval-did not produce Antoine. Well, here was Antoine produced and insult- ingly setting up a tent on this sheer rock, “with some snippet of the devil,” sald the admiral, and defying the whole French fleet! He would set his gunners to work. If he had as good a marksman as Antoine himself the deserter should drop at the first shot—‘“death and the devil take his impudent face!” He was just about to give the order when Carnaval was brought to him. The old man’'s story amazed him beyond measure. “It is no man, then!” said the admiral, when Carnaval had done, and an officer had added that all sides of the rock pre- sented an almost perpendicular face. “He must be a damned fly to do it! And the girl—sacre moi! he drew her up after him! TN have him down out of that, though, or throw up my flag,” he added, and, turning fiercely, gave his orders. For hours the French ships bombarded the lonely rock from the north. The white tent was carried away, but the cannon-balls flew over or merely bat- tered the s=olid rock, the shells were thrown beyond, and no harm was done. But now and again the figure of An‘oine appeared, and a half-dozen times he took aim coolly with hjs musket at the French soldiers on the shore. Twice his shots took effect—one man was wounded and one killed.. Then whole companies of marines returned a musketry fire at him, to no purpose. At his ease he hid himself in the long grass at the edge of the cliff and picked off two more men. Here was a ridiculous thing—one man and a slip of a girl fighting and defying a whole squadron! The smoke of battle covered miles of the great gulf. Even the sea birds shrieked in ridicule. This went on for three days at inter- vals. With a fine chagrin the admiral and his fleet saw a bright camp-fire lighted on the rock, and knew that An- toine and his girl were cooking their meals in peace. A flagstaff, too, was set up, and a red petticoat waved defiantly in the breeze. At last the admiral, who had watched the business from the deck of the Invincible, burst out laughing at the absurd humor of the situation. He sent for o' man Carnaval. 1, after “I've had enough,” said he. “How long can he last up there?” “He will have birds' eggs in plenty; there’s wild berries, too, besides ground rats and all them. If I know my girl, too, there's rations gone aloft,” and he shook his head ruefully. ““They're not married, either,” said the admiral, maliciously. The old man shook his head again, sadly. “A fleet of the French republic blushes for such shamelessness!” said the ad- miral, with mock indignation on his red | face and a twinkle of the eye. *Come, T've had enough.” He gave orders to stop firing. When the roar of cannon had ceased he said: “Sacre moi! There never was a wilder Jest, and T'll not spoil the joke. - He has us on his toasting-fork. I shall give him the honor of a flag of truce, and he must come down. The scoundrel shall marry your daughter, fisherman, or we’ll know the reason wh; He was a fat, coarse, high-living admiral, and his sensual lower lip shook with laughter. And =0 it was that a French fleet sent a flag of truce to the foot of Perce Rock, and a French officer, calling up, gave the word of honor of his admiral that An- toine should suffer nothing at the hands of a court-martial and that he should be treated as a prisoner of war. “‘As a prisoner of war,” quoth Antoine. That meant that he was to be treated like an English belligerent and not like a French deserter. He hemmed and hawed, and backed and filled, and made a function of the business, and insisted on this as a condition and that as a con- cession; but at last he accepted the terms, though Minois stormed and said that she would stay in spite of all. At last she would go only on condition that she also should be treated as a prisoner in Antoine's company. Antoine was easily able to make these terms, and she was lowered by the rope. Antoine then fastened the rope end to one point of rock and then to another, and himself descended and was conducted with Minois to the admiral with all the honors of war. There was no court-martial. After An- toine had told the tale of the ascent at the admiral's command, all the officers standing near, his fate was pronounced The admiral said: “No one but an Englishman would be fool enough to attempt such a thing, and enough to succeed. You have prov: gunner, that you are no Frenchma “Then I am no deserter, Exceflency,” said Antoine. “You are a fool; but even a fool can get a woman to follow him, and so this flyaway followed you, gunner. But we will have no more lewdness "twixt heaven and earth, and—" “Minois flew at the admiral as though to scratch his eyes out, but Antoine held her back. “And you are condemned, gunner, con- tinued the admiral, dryly, “‘to marry the maid before sundown or be carried out to sea a prisoner of war.” So saying, he laughed silently and bade them begone to .me .wed.dlng_. . d, And it was done as the admiral com- manded, and the fishing post of Perce was saved to England and Antoine and Minois sailed the sea in the Charm- ing Nancy for many a year. The End. —_——— The beak of the mosquitc is simply a tool box wherein the mosquito keeps six miniature surgical instruments in perfect working order. Two of these instruments are exact counterparts of the surgeon’s lance. One is a spear with a double barbed head, the fourth is a needle of exquisite fineness, a saw and a pump going to make up the com- plement. ————— Stop that cough with Low's Horehound Cough Syrup; price 10c. 417 Sansome st. * no one but a fool could have been lucky | | People Who Vow Not to Speak. That any human being should be so wanting in sense as to record a vow to remain dumb during the rest of | his life seems at first sight an almost | Strange purpose and returned to inconceivable thing, for of all human gifts speech is perhaps the one to be prized, if not most of all, at least very highly, and yet it is a well- known fact that there have been seve- ral cases of men and women who have vowed on certain occasions never to speak again and who have kept their pledges rigidly. Only a few weeks ago a man died in one of the Western States of America with the curious record of never hav- ing spoken a word for twenty-five years. It occurred thus: One morning he asked his wife to sign a certain document in connection with some property which he owned, but she, for some reason or other, refused. The man thereupon swore that he would never speak to her again, and further than that, would never utter a word to any living soul as long as he lived. He kept his word to the letter. Every direction which he had to give either at home or in his office was done in writing, and, as he was a man of inde- pendent income, his strange behavior did not, of course, interfere with his means of livelihood. At the end of twenty-five years he died of gastric fever, having maintained -absolute si- lence during the quarter of a century in question. Another extraordinary ease, equal in eccentricity to the preceding . one, comes from France. Some years ago great discontent arose in one of the villages owing to certain harsh meas- | ures being adopted by the local gov- ernment, and, after many meetings held to protest against the same, a young man, renowned for his elo- | quence and talent, was deputed to ap- | proach the authorities with a view to persuading them to remove or modify the tyrannical regulations. He entered into his mission with great spirit, and in due course discharged it, but with- out success. When he returned to the villagers and announced his failure, so far from sympathizing with him, they turned on him in a body and denounced him as a simpleton, saying that managed the business properly success must have attended his efforts. Mad- dened with his failure and heart- broken by the ingratitude of the peo- | ple, he swore that never again would he use his lips for the purpose of speech, since those lips when exerted for the common good had but brought upon him hatred and contumely. The poor fellow, however, did not have to exercise his abstinence from speech for very long, as six months later he was drowned while fording a stream, but during that period he ‘was never heard to breathe a single word. Ladies are commonly supposed to, be so fond of using their tongues that it will surprise many people to hear that women also have taken vows to ab- stain from speech, but such is the case. A young lady residing in Northamp- ton was so disgusted with the brutality of her husbana that she declared she would never speak to him as long as she lived, whereupon he brutally and cynically remarked that perhaps it would be as well if she never spoke to any one, since he considered her voice the most repulsive sound on earth. had he | | Hearing this she burst into tears, but | said nothing, and from that moment onward she never spoke, though every means was tried by her husband to make her break her resolution. For ten years she remained in this | condition, and it was only on her spouse’s death that she set aside her the ways of ordinary mortals as regards speech. It was then noticed by those who knew her that her voice was per- fectly changed and that it had the loud, monotonous intonation such as is observed in the voices of deaf people. —_—————— Mrs. Hooley: ould you give me something to prevent my husband from talking in his sleep?” Doctor: “Give him a chance to say something in the day time.” NEW TO-DAY. “THE CREDIT HOUSE.” Six Stories High. | | Cobbler seat easy rocker, in solid oak. High back, a bit of carv- ing; broad arms..$1.756 Chamber Suite—bed, bureau, table, rocker and two chairs.....$9.50 Large Extension Dining-Table, 6 feet, for 8 or 10 persons.........$2. Four-room Outfit, complete— parlor, bedroom, dining-room and kitchen... ..$75.00 CARPET DEP’T. New Carpet stock for the New Year— variety greater, stock larger, assortment more complete. M. FRIEDMAN & CO. 233-935-237 Post Strect. 130-132-134 Morton Street. Near Stockton. Open Evenings. AR Radway's Ready Relief for Sprains, Bruises," Sore Muscles, Cramps, Burns, Sunburns, Bare: ache, Headache, Toothache, Rheumatism, Neu- 1 ralgia, Lumbago. Internally for all Bowel Paine. Colic, Diarrhoes, Dysentery, Cholera Morbus and Si Nausea, etc. All -