The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 25, 1899, Page 18

i TSR ABOUT - Tow % Death o+; tge Cc;emona violin is considered the foun- 11 instrumental structure, I put forth the plea that some concerted action FTER studying the violin be taken by those interested to five vears, and he violin. In doing this all in- thousand dol played with the bow will, of be improved, as their funda- are identical. >p in the solution of tion,"” eaid to me an s rece experienc ntly, “the fact confron this me, as well as the musical world, t yanden all the misinforma- there is not on earth to-day a pe tion ¢ 1 in the books on violin viclin, Most of the old Cremonas ext also the advice of the violin 1 bave tested, but as these have all had airers, for these men all to be rebared and renecked in t consequently not one name has been or ever bring them up i em s0 long these to modern ements, they hav ve nec of their gross stu- following these de- hould posi- hese but they e be weak. be enougt quality tiful ton. re KKK R E KR KR X F KK R KE R ® : RACING PIGEONS PR is not a cheap sport to indu in, but it is said that the e ment {8 greater even than a prize-fight. That is, for those who care for the E XX E K ow KKK KK KK KK FR KK KK KRR R OMING pigeon races are the lat- It sport. There are some people who like the game of chess and there are some who do not. Several thousand well known sports- men of Chicago have already taken up pigeon racing. To those who are not interested in the sport it seems as if the greatest part of the fun must come in making mathematical calculations. There is 2 good deal of this to be done est among Eastern sportsmen. when it nece ry to calculate the time occupied by a pigeon in crossing from one point on the map to another. In pige ces the distances to take ation are not small ones, they even run up to This style of race, however, is not popular because the sportsmen are a little worried as to how much time to allow a certain bird for feed and water, to say nothing of sleep. There are a number of pigeon fan- cfers in California and it is said that a big race is to be held very soon. At into consider In some instanc a thousand miles. PIGEON USED FOR RACING. THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 1899. AN FRANCISCO is all right. I've been here now just two days, and am almost ready to swear off on New York. I got in Thursday night, tired and, as naturally follows, cross. Kate and Jack came over to meet me at a close-to-town station they call Sixteenth street. Jack is Kate's bro- ther, but I am not going to weary you writing about him. A shrimp, my dear; looks 20, is in reality 28; a feeble imitation of one of our ‘chappies”— let's dismiss him. Kate looks awfully well. She is twenty-six. I wonder how she man- ages i{t? It must be the hills and the climate and the flowers and the tactful scarcity of chaperons—and the com- fort. There is nothing like these homes. A little gaudy and overcrowded as to furnishings, but all electric buttons and telephones. Why, you can “hello” all day and never feel the expense. You don’t expect me to describe the place. Descriptions are not in my line. Anyhow, the only thing I noticed was the unlimited number of cable cars. But I tell you what I am going to do— turn historian. Kate's uncle entertains me at ner with the history of all the neighbors. It is absorbingly interest_ ing. They haven’t a grandmother to share among them. Kate's people have a family album, but I learned to- day that the uncle, with his well-dusted memory, made all his money in a mar- ket poultry stand. I have seen any number of mutual W) ~ X 20w upon me. She does wear well. Kate says she is really engaged to Fred Nim- rod, but that they dare not get mar- ried. Fred has a lady friend who owns a gun and they fear to publish the bans until she loses that weapon. Jennie brought her mother with her, and I tell you I admire that girl’s cour- age. She never turned a hair when her mother told me of her coming-out party and how she and the “Cap’ain” had de- cided to do things right and ordered champagne. “The first glass I tasted I felt sure I was bunkoed!” she ex- plained. “I called to Jennle and said: ‘It tickles up your nose, just like sody water. Is that all right, child?” Jennie sald it was and we pald the bill. Emma and Francis have been asking after all the girls. Tell them for me, will you? I am told Frances is never seen without golf sticks. Gone over to athletics completely. How do you think they made their money? But never mind; it's a dead subject. I am going to-morrow evening to Liz- zle Brighter's for dinner. She still wears beautiful gowns, but hideous hats. And you should see Billle. He is more shriveled than ever. I really don't blame her for making friends with the handsome Baron. Only she shouldn’t drag her sister into it. She Is such a sweet, pretty girl; but the disfigsuring trace of the cup that cheers and inebri- ates is heginning to show itself. 1 hear that Lizzle’'s mother wants to marry Brighter senior. Lizzie favors the plan, and T believe they might bring this about if it wasn’t for a most common person, my dear—a milliner, who won't give her consent at all. 1 just caught a passing glimpse of Walter, looking so stout and fatherly. How he has changed in everything but his love for horses! There is not much fun though in being his wife. Cooper down on the ranch with babies! I won- der if it is really true that she was in love with an impecunious army man and that money conquer Kate is going to a dinner to-night. Peter is to be the host. I wish he had known I was coming out here; he would have surely asked me. Say, he has had the town talking, but that won't aston- ish you. He gave a dinner some little time ago to an off-color theater lady. All the girls went without chaperons. A few days after the dinner some old busybody had to discover that the diva was a lady with a very interesting past.” Oh, what a hot time there fice had she granted all the requests made 7 s NON EST DISPyres for money within a perfod of forty-two DE GusTIBY SPUTAN days. She kept all the begging letters re- o ceived during that time, added together the amounts they asked for, and then dis- € OAT oF ARMS Foonp SAN FRANCISCOY # v - friends. The first man I bumped Herman, looking rubicund as usual place, little girl” he take you 'round and show you sor it before you go home. Some d: when you feel gay I'll take you up to Tamal- pais. If T were Mrs. wear a life pres € s faller into rman 1'd make him Don’t you know anted each ind she would have hundred t it rememb: What the to for a e million And this rs. be d of six weeks, short per have amounted vear e may ly be im . All her fortune would have been given to the poor. Few of us ry e to what extent ihls promiscuous g by letter is carried Everyt r—the education of hildren g of institutions, tho rchase r clothes retimes o nd cert fas expresses {t- made to of doing self, pr thir certaln missionary’s da > to say that as green did not - parlor she hoped that a red tablecloth would be sent next time, and also that the flavor of the soap would be changed Houdini in His Weirdest Trick of Chewing Needles. they say he he into another and = altogether different He never ol \ mentioned the accident to me at all {nat yiU sutded just referred to a friend from the stic illusion ever South with blazing hair and asked if I wonderful jug- did not think Anna was a swe 8 ! India Writing of blazing hair re ' Put a handful of needles ir Jennie was one of the first giris to call i o SRR e —— ow them c th tien. 1 take this decided stand only jn & long piece of sewing thread, swallow ”";1 hope of l\;mt'l; the art of music, it judigiou until only a tiny bi and ,conseque . the interests of thou- s T e i sands of musical ‘artists, some of whom ©One end remains in the mouth; are obscure and needy only they a few minutes d look wise—then can get no instrument capable of exhibit- catch the end of the thread with the ing their skill R and drawine i “I am not content to accept an Amati, I goraming it a S varius or a Guarnerius as the the needles un- highest standard possible. I want some- threaded That thing better than ever prodwpeced In 2O e uree the workshops of Cremon nd ¥ know d R Rou e g You that concerted intel can pro- needle going astray duce it stem once in a while and —_———— loating dually around to play Cu- WHAT SHE SPENT [N CHARITY. hins sirew in your heart LADY living less than a day’s jou HoudIng Mthefwonden Bhosasibeen ney from New Yor setting the police agof by s Femarle curiosity the other day able handcuff escape and a few other certain calculations in order to hair-r has performed this trick see how large a part of her prop- for e committee of seekers into erty she would have had to sacri- sterious. The whole illusion was F R KKK X K KR ) with his audience close round him and in the face of a camera as well as an instrument not subject to hypnotic influenc The materials entirely le and fur- audience, R KK AKX KN nished brifhe o the tri was done with the hands kept P the owners are training their on a level with the shoulders and away bird nd are quite well satisfied with the resuits. The fanciers who live i Oakland and Alameda are the m tive in the work and have been t aining for several weeks. The work of training begins by tak- ing the young birds from their lofts a short distance into the country. The ased and allowed to fly home. do with the greatest ed, opping for anything. After a e hirds wer ken on one of the ferry-boats and released in the middle of the bay. This is always somewhat confusing to the young birds and for some minutes they fly around aimlessly before starting home. It is l]i_fl'l('u]t to make calculations on this kind of a 1 ce, as there is no telling how much time the bird may consume before making the start. After the birds are well trained it is the intention of the fanciers from this part of the St.te to make a long dis- . tance test. he hirds will first be taken to Fresno and released at a certain time. which will be telegraphed to the fanciers who are waiting at the lofts for the birds to return. This waiting is very exciting to those interested and all sorts of bets can be made as to which bird will come in first. In making the final calculations.of the time occupied by the birds it will be necessary to make all sorts of meas- urements. A sort of logarithm of the course will be made and on this will be based all t rest. Win vill also have to be considered. If this is against the birds they will have to be given a time allowance in accordance with its veloci- ty. It is calculated that the birds will cover the distance between Fresno and this city in about an hour and a half. If the race from Fresno proves a suc- cess the birds will be taken farther south, and after a few more trials as far as Los Angeles or San Diego. The sport bids fair to become most popular here, and in a few years may rival the East, as the conditions here are much more favorabla. Hondinl's Needle Trick, Which Surpasses Any- thing He Did at thz Or- pheum. ) 4 N = MAKES HE R Fl i "1 Pormip THE B ANB . + o A regular mothers’ meeting to find out if possible what these wives of fathers bad been thinking of. though, The dinner to- to a military man, KR KKK KR FE MILY OF R night, is “"ERAL GO was born In >y, the young of several dhildren. He recei.... up to his cighteen.h year instruction in th pri- mary branches of learning, after which RST pDASH AT altogether proper, so T suppose there won’t be very much fun. Kate knows she is not pretty, and she is going to try and establish r herself a record as a story-teller. She is in the next room buzzing away try- ing to get that story “by heart.” Here it is,"exactly as she is going to tell it: He had struck it rich in the gold flelds of Alaska. and had returned to San Francisco after a year's absence. Hungry, and determined to get a square meal, he went to a fi class taurant and bellowed out: “Waiter, bring me a first-class meal—ju; like the Four Hundred eat. Make it swell and darn the expense.” With an obsequious bow and a display of unwonted activity the waliter began with a plate of llent consomme. Parvenue made short worlk of the soup and reached for the bunch of celery which had been placed on the table. He ate the celery with a grimace and the waiter then appeared with a boiled lobster, garnished with lettuce. He was about to place it before the guest, when the miner waved him aside and shouted: ‘“Say, I ordered a swell dinner, .and this can’t go much further. I have swallowed the dish- water, I ate the bokay, but I'll be —— if T'll eat that bedbug!” I have not dared to spell the big D out. She is going to say it out. I won- der if they will laugh? Belle's waist is getting smaller every day. She mustn’t wear more than a No. 17 now. They tell an awful good story about her. She went to the theater (he other night with Fred, quita unexpectedly, and she had a calling gown on. After the show he insisted upon some supper. The girls saw her at the grill room, and would you believe it, she could not get her fork more than half way to her mouth. A succulent bivalve trembled upon it, but it nev reached her pearly teeth. Her dress was-too tight. She told May later that she always wears a “dinner frock” to the show, and that the dressmaker 21- ways allows a half-inch in the corsage of a gown she is supposed to wear and eat in. Julia is back from Paris and has brought with her just the sweetest frocks. She says In the wicked capital they are again speaking of Madame Mackay’'s row with the late Meissonier. It was not a question of money at all. He painted her with hands like those God gave. She wanted hands like a Queen. Gold couldn’'t make the brush of UTICKLES MY woax. sy LIKE sopman the great man lie—and that is the true side of the story. I am afraid I am writing nothing but scandal. It is a bad habit. I really must stop. Don’t worry at all about that dreadful oath I have tdken to bring a husband home with me. I won’t be able to carry out my threat. There is not & man on the place, only kids. It is the fashion, I know, to wed a fellow years your junior, but I want a boy who at least has been once shaved. Don’t tell anybody anything I have told you, although you might mention to Mrs. Herman the accident to her husband and that I have heard unkind remarks about the 20-cents-a-yard Not- tingham that adorns the windows of the mansion out here. HERERL XXX LR R R KRR R LR R LELEEXERERRRRSER GEN. GOMEZ THE CUBAN PATRIOT. x ¥ % XK ERE R H TR R R R RN R LR XX R XL TR ENNRRR he returned to his father’s plantation with no other ambition than to lead a planter’s life, but the yoke of Hayti was becoming more and more intoler- able and the nativ~- of San Domingo were beginning to rebel against the tyranny of General Boyer, then Presi- dent of Hayti. It was not long before the love of justice and ' ependence in the lad, then less than 20, were fully aroused, and July 5, 1855, found him in the f ranks rt the battle of Sabana de San Tome. When San Domingo was annexed to Spain, General Gomez was a ca, tain of the Dominican army, which after- ward became the “Reserves” of the country at the service of the new gov- ernment, and when after the war, Spain withdrew from San Domingo to Cuba, it was disbanded—leaving neral Gomez and the rest of the Dominican officers on Cuban soil with- Uul emplogment. Then TOT tha first time he began to realize the sufferings of the Cubans. His pride was out- ed and his heart consumed with un- ng passion, and he took an oath to Ter his life in any cause against Spain, His opportunity came with the decla- ration of the ten years’ war and he seized {t. He was given a commission as a captain in the Cuban army. Fate offered a stimulant to his z and valor in the person of Senori Benarda Toro, with whom he fell deeply in love and to whom he was marired. Peace declared, General Gomez was made, with universal approbation, command- ing general of the Cuban army. His natural love of home and country propmted an early return to San Do- mingo, where ideall, happy, surrounded by his wife and family, four sons and two daughters, he lived until the late and last war, in which, as all the world knows, he again distinguished himself. He expressed himself as much aver: to any demonstrations of honor or ap- plause. He does not care for state, pomp nor splendor. At the magnificent but neglected palace known as the Quinta de los Molinos he lives in the simplest manner. His one desire Is Cuban liberty and self-government. When that day comes he will go home. He says he is not a statesman nor a diplomat, but to the limit of his ability he will care for the affairs of the peo- ple and arrange matters between them and the people of the United States, to whom for services and bravery he sends thanks and congratulations. GENERAL GOMEZ AND HIS FAMILY. from the body—thus precluding any palming or getting rid of the needles in the clothe: Houdini takes from the audience any number of needles they may fit; places them in his mouth and proceeds to crunch them. You can hear the steel crush and snap under his iron teeth. A light is held close to h ce in order that no detail of the trick may escape the committee. He opens his mouth and the needles have disappeared. He is then given a long piece of white linen thread, peculiarly knotted by some one of the committee for future identification; one end of this he places in his mouth and begins swallowing. This operation is continued until only the smallest particle of an end is visible in his throat. Then with open mouth and in the rlare of a bright light, ht catches the end o the thread and ly draws forth not only th- knotted thread, but on this thread are strung the identical number and kind of needles given him by h ndges. Of course it is a . .ere trick—so says Houdini—but how does he do it? It is claimed by some who profess to know, that by filling the stomach with breadstufis, needles may be actually and safely eaten, and after the trick is over a little drink of ipecac does the rest. But if Houdini does really swal- low the needles, how does he manage to palm a reserve supply—to say noth- ing of duplicating a marked string and further bringing up the string with the needles all neatly threaded. 5 Houdini has a remarkable anatomy anyway, besides his skill as a magician. Just as a bit of pastime he showed the committee a vanishing pencil trick that would beat the nroverbial small boy with a bean up his nose. He takes a pencil two.inches long, places it in his month and’ presto! the pencil has dis- appeared. This trick he kindly ex- plained. The pencil really goes up the nose passage at the back of the throat IN TH GHURGHYARD. BY STEP};EN GWYNN. The plumed black horses pacing g¢ In formal, hideous pomp of woe. Lo, this man’s mother there: So must my mother fare. Rough hireling hands, that huve known Her living, lift the coffin down, And ed on either hand, Strangers and kin, we stand. not They there, we here, and she between. So near me T could almost lean And touch her bed; vet thus Remote— how far?—from us. All changed, all passing; save her hair Death sets no sign of lordship there. Years frosted it before, Now it shall change no more. That cold, unsightly, pitiless box Never again unseals, uniocks. How close clamped edges fit! Valn to press lips on it. Hark! the first clay in handfuls thrown And then the reader’s monotone. Out under heaven here It scarce arrests the ear. It stops. With dreadful instant speed Men fall to work, as if indeed There were a life to save By filling up a grave. and upon close examination the end can be seen hanging over the throat. The act is a reverse ord swallow. this extra receptacle the necdle trick? en she bore I more and more; hed has br Still shovel veling on the dead, And then. one stroke with back of spade ) show that all is done, e carned and resting won. Kind hands range flowers on the loose clay hothouse blossoms they, Tarnished alreac Has touched them with his breath. Is there no more, no more to do? No no more; s her due. n; ve her, come home ag: cold here in the rain. Leave her to Nature In that blind bo Her se With 'tis best ‘Where Nature strikes the And soon the sod together Her balm is L We for remembra And as each breath men dying draw Rebels against the falling law, And with a kind of rage Heaves up its bony cage, So strive we when on Death we think Not into nothingne to sink. Ah! if none soothe us, still Nature is kind: Death will.