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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1904)
THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. PORTLAND. SUNDAY MORNING. DECEMBER U. 1MM. .IIBggBBsaaMaaWBaWe Ssss Tte Strange SI eep-LanJ Experience of Albert and Cousin Betsy i How tke Toys Came to Life and aMisckievous Cousin Was Oavea From tke ratk of a Terrikle African King They Always Agreed With Her. r"ir THEN Cousin Albert came to spend a week W with her, Betsy possessed many toys, among which a red -flannel elephant was chief, six fine dolls in good condition, a set of china dishes and a little piano; but when Albert departed all that remained of her treasures were the ele phant, a battered, bunged-up wreck of a piano, a doll and a toy telephone that had escaped because she had hidden it, as it contained chocolate in the box at its back, The doll had been so hardly i used that nobody but Betsy conld hare recognized it as the waxen beauty she had cherished. Its nose was a mere lump, Al bert having once tested it in the flame of a gae 'burner. One eye was gone, and the remaining orb was aadly upturned as if trying to see how much flaxen hair had been spared to her, for the greater part of that alto had vanished in the blaze. 1 Even the Indestructible red-flannel elephant had not escaped without a memento of the boy's visit, for be bore on his side the letters A. D. V. in black ink and a large and badly-drawn star. Betsy was j musing upon the ways of boys. On such occasions she had always consulted her dolls and found them ' a great comfort, inasmuch aa by keeping silence they had always agreed with her. Betsy rarely consulted the elephant, for, besides knowing that the elephant has more sagacity than any other animal, she sometimes thought that hi shoe-button eyes twinkled as if they were laughing at her. No matter whether he stood, in all his majesty, erect and imposing, or on his back with uplifted leg, those sharp eyes always snapped and glittered, neved missing 'anything that happened. But they never revealed anything of his feelings at all. She could easily tell whether one of the dolls sympathized with her, but never what the ele .phant felt. There was one in that house who did not dread the .elephant's black eyes, and who never hesitated to take a bite out of the flabby skin of red flannel. This was Nip, the cross-eyed bulldog, who belonged 'to Betsy's (fade-Jim. Nip was also about the only thing in the house which had not suffered at Albert's bands, but the boy had never even thought of mak ing free with the bulldog. An ordinary bulldog seems bad enough, but cross-eyed Nip took all the mischief out of Albert by simply looking at him. As she sat there in the twilight Betsy was as silent as they all were, for she was very sleepy, al though bedtime was far off yet The winter wind was tugging at the shutters outside, making Nip bold up his ears and growl, but the fire glowed in the stove before which all four were placed, and the heat made her eyelids heavy. Suddenly Nip growled louder than ever and sat tip, looking toward the door. Then Betsy, too, sat up straight She rubb'etj her eyes and stared, for the door had opened and there stood a creature which she at once knew was an elf, wonder of wonders, a black one! Dressed just as in all of the pictures, and but a few inches in height, yet with a face as black as ebony! Betsy grasped Nip's col lar and held him, while the elf walked toward her with his bat in his hand. "I am sent by Geehaw, King of the elves, to In form you that your cousin Albert is captured by him and held for ransom. If yon can deliver a .hundred stamps that have never been used he will be released, otherwise he will be tortured by bum blebees." "Where Is he?" asked Betsy. "In Africa, whence I came. If you have a geography I'll show you the very spot" replied the black elf. "Goodness! I never can go to Africa! It's miles and miles away!" cried Betsy. "You have an elephant, I perceive,'' remarked the elf. "and that's more than King Geehaw has!" "But he's only a stuffed one I" retorted Betsy. "He's made of red flannel." Frsm the New oTrk Herald. FRESH from the t'nited States mint In Philadelphia comes the Roosevelt "presidential" medal, the latest medal to be Issued In nur no-called "national'' medal series, which possesses the greatest Interest for both numismatist and layman. If everything that has been written r printed concerning this country sud denly were to be destroyed there would till remain a curiously interesting record of United States history. On March IS, 177f, even before the Declara tion of Independence, the Continental congress voted to Washington a medal for hie recapture of Boston, which had been effected eight days before. The medal wee executed In France, the ob verse showing a portrait of Washington, the reveres a representation of the scene, composed from the general's own official report. Thus the medal, a fine specimen of Duvlvlefs ext. commemo rates aa event in American history and the most conspicuous participant In It. -Though not struck until after severs! there which were authorised later, In cluding the one voted to the Chevalier de Fleury, who was with "Mad'' An thoney Wayne In the dash on Stony Point, and hauled down the Brltlah flag with Ms own hands, the Washington piece Is classed aa our first national medal. The medal was the earliest voted, the event commemorated came first la point of time, the man honored was the greatest American. Starting with him, and the retaking of Boston, the series tells In Ha numerous engraved portraits snd spirited representations of battles on land and sea, the story of our military and naval heroea and their ex ploits. Most of the Revoluttonsry heroes, ex cepting, strangely enough. I.Afsyette, were honored with medals. The list In cludes, besides military leaders. John Paul Jones, who criticised, the medal presented to him for hla rupture of the Scrapie after one of the most famous sea flghta In history, because some of the objects In the picture of the battle on the reverse Minor exploits . i. .. , . , i -.tt ; "He has some mystic, perhaps magical, marks on him, however," said the elf, pointing to the let ters on the elephant's side. "It would be easy to put life in him." "Then say a charm yourself," exclaimed Betsy. "If you are an elf, you can make him live, I sup pose." "No, I can't do that, but haven't you any magic salve or something?" Betsy pondered for a moment, and suddenly ex claimed: "There's a bottle of stuff in the bath room that I have been forbidden to taste I" . "Go and get it!" commanded the elf. Betsy brought it to him, and he said: "What are all these marks on it?" "Gracious! I never thought elves were so stupid!" cried the girL "These are letters. Can't you read?" "Certainly not," returned the elf. "Tell me what It says on the bottle." Betsy read the label to him as follows: "SMIRK'S REVIVER AND RENOVATOR. RENEWS THE BODY. RESTORES LOST TISSUE. BUILDS UP THE SYSTEM! This Magic Tonic Compound is Guaranteed to Be Unequaled aa a Revivifier Shake Well Before Using. FIFTY CENTS PER BOTTLE." "That sounds mighty fine!" exclaimed the elf. "I believe you have struck the very stuff, first clip? Try that on your elephant, and see if he doesn't walk around before morning I" Betsy laughed. Suppose he does, what shall I do then?" "Start for Africa at once, and save your cousin from the bumblebees; that's my advice, and don't forget to bring the stamps with you. I will be there before you." "And what is you name?" demanded Betsy. "Dockstader," replied the elf. "Don't fprget the stamps! Good night." Then he slipped out through the half open door Just as Nip broke away from Betsy's grasp, but the dog didn't catch him, although he searched the whole house. Betsy still held the bottle of Reviver, and she drew out the cork and smelled the contents. Then she sprinkled a few drops over the elephant's scarlet body, disfiguring him so that she finally rubbed the brown mixture all over him, and after that she applied a little to Samantha, the doll. I Am Now an Advertising Elephant" Said Tippoo. It actually seemed to her that Tippoo, which was the name of the elephant, wriggled as she laid him aside, but the sound of a bell, faint yet distinct, coming from the closet turned her attention from him, and opening the door she found that the cho colate telephone bell was madly ringing! Holding it to her startled ear, ahe was surprised to hear Al bert's voice, in great distress, say: "Is that you, Betsy? Well, hurry up with them stamps 1 The king has just discovered that Dock stader has been to see you and has taken his funny bone away from him! I am in great danger from the busy no, I mean the bumblebees!" United adroitness were displayed also wers re warded by congress. Though not a medal, strictly speaking, yet classed among the "nationals," Is a silver re pousse pendant, executed In triplicate by a silversmith and presented to I'a Hi ding. Wllllsms and Van Wart for thslr capture of Major Andre In September. 1TS0. A medal not struck to the order of our government, nevertheless Included In the "national" series, Is that commis sioned by the United Netherlands when that government acknowledged the United States. It Is railed the "Libers Soror"" (Free Slater) from the Inscrip tion, 'The two countries sre represented each by a maiden, the Netherlands In breastplate and helmet, holding a staff surmounted by a liberty cap over the head of her companion, an Indian queen, who holda a captive leopard by a chain and plants a foot oif the beast's head. On tha reverse ilea a unicorn, with horn brokeji against a cliff. This medal cer tainly "rubbed It Into" Great Britain and may account for the fact that when It was suggested to present dtipllcstea of our national medals to the heads of of the piece were lp.jKlnd-1 in which courage snd "Where are you?" asked Betsy, for Albert's voice seemed to come from a great distance. "In danger, I said!" replied Albert "Where's that?" asked Betsy. There was no answer. Albert had evidently been cut off by some other subscriber, for even the toy telephone was like all the rest. Betsy laid down the little receiver and sighed. How to assist her cousin she knew not. A slight noise made her turn, and to her amaze ment she saw the red-flannel elephant just disap pearing through thedoor! Samantha had vanished, and Nip was sitting in the middle of the room more cross-eyed than ever from astonishment, as if he had seen something that paralyzed him. A brown track led from the stove to the door. It was the Reviver that had dripped from Tippoo's sides, and while she looked the flowers in the carpet stirred into life and swayed softly in the draught from the open door, all sorts of impossible carpet flowers, the like of which are seen nowhere else. A wondrous scent filled the room. In another instant Nip, recovering his senses, 'darted out of the door and down the stairs with in dignant barks. Betsy soon followed, anxious to save Tippoo from the dog's teeth and to recover Saman tha, but save for the slight traces of the Reviver on the stairs there were no signs of either. From the dark cellar came growls and snarls, and then loud, disappointed barks, for, you know, a dog reveals all shades of feeling in the tones of his voice, and Betsy knew the meaning of every note uttered by Nip. Now, down in the cellar, far in beyond the coal bin, was a sort of arch built of rough stone, a por tion of some former house, so her father had told her mother one day, a deep, mysterious and fas cinating cave-like place, darker than ail else in the cellar, and one which had always held a charm for Betsy, perhaps because she had always been afraid to examine it although Albert had declared that it was only a little, damp hole. She was now quite sure that Nip was in there, and also that he had traced the runaway doll and elephant into its depths, but it was some time be fore she dared follow him down stairs. However, where Nip was, rats and mice were not, and that's all there is to fear in the darkest cellar. So, finally, she went down slowly, ready to run at any moment, of course, and there at the foot of the stairs sat Nip, looking very much surprised. , Betsy also was astonished, for. Instead of a dark and gloomy arch, she saw a stream of bright light coming from an opening in the wall; warm, glow ing sunshine poured into the cellar, although it was night time! Perfumes of unknown flowers and The Black Elf Walked Toward Her. fruits wafter into the place, spicy scents and odor ous breezes stirred the cobwebs on the rafters, and the murmur of rustling palm trees filled the cellar. Convinced that this was surely the result of magic. Betsy decided to advance into the unknown and followed by Nip she entered the tunnel, which terminated at the arch, but before she had taken three steps she found herself out in the open air, in a land of tropical trees, palms, ferns, fruits and flowers, where the air was heavy with warm, fruity perfumes, as if all the spices and essences in all the world had been blended together. It suggested every sort of cake, pie or candy, all at once. Then she heard queer, silly-sounding music, seemingly to come from badly made drums and fiddles, all out of tune and mingling with harsh cries and squeals, coming from a grove of trees, which were no taller than her head, a deep silence fol lowed. Suddenly she caught sight of Tippo, with Sa mantha on his back, browsing along the edge of another grove, and she hastened to capture him, whereupon the music and loud cries broke out again behind her back. But she couldn't catch Tippoo. He fled at her approach and vanished in a great cloud of dust that he kicked up with his heels. She returned to the grove whence the music came, but before "she passed the first grove of palms she saw Dockstader, the little black elf, standing with his finger at his lips to Warn her to keep silence, and beckoning with the other hand for her to follow him. She was sure that Dockstader was a friendly elf, and with Nip to guard her she stole softly to his side. He led her through the trees to a spot where she could tee her cousin Albert bound to a stake, while in wicked cages about him hung thousands of wicked-looking bumblebees, each showing his tting. Betsy shuddered as the howls of glee reached her ears, and she saw hundreds of savage little black elves dancing or strutting about in a circle before one who sat on a throne above them and watched States History m all European governments a hint waa thrown out that It might be delicate to omit his Britannic majesty In the dis tribution. The so railed "Red Jacket" medal In augurates the "Indian" or "presiden tial" set smong our "nationals." This set owes Its origin to the colonist cus tom of presenting to chiefs with whom treaties were concluded medals with the effigy of the reigning British sovereign on the obverss and emblema of peace on the reverse. "Red Jacket." a large and crudely-designed piece, was Issued soon after Washington became president snd wss presented by him to the Beneca chief, Sa-go-ya-wat-ha (Ha Keeps Them Awske), but also known aa Red Jacket. Among the chief's descendants In whose possession it has been wss Oen. Ely S. Parker, a full-blooded Indian, who served on Grant's staff and waa present at Lee's surrender st Appomattox. Beginning with John Adams, the In dian medals hear the effigy of the presi dent under whose administration they were Issued, and on the reverse up to Fillmore inauguration, when the de Jscob s asWssT'BKsfl BBalgsaPllBUjBl r D ga RsVQsUasrM sfesjtfsPflBsBvW J sKJH "You Said Any Albert with glitterjng eyet. He wat glaring wick edly at her coutin, who, ttrange to say, had shrunk in size until he was scarcely larger than the largest elf. The King then shouted: "I la! Play the tom-toms and scrape the fiddles again! Our guest it tad I" "I'm not tad, but I'm mightly sore I " retorted Al bert. "Thit cord it turely cutting me awful! I wish it wat a cord of wood!" "Pah!" exclaimed the King of elves. "Who ever heard of a cord made of wood? You couldn't tie a cord like that." "Well, railroad ties are made of wood!" retorted Albert, 'but I mean another kind of cord." "You don't mean to tay there'a two meanings to a word!" exclaimed the surprised Geehaw. "Pretty nearly alwayt, I guess," replied Albert "Anyway, it't so with a great many words." "Well, I never heard of that before!" said the King. "Perhaps by killing you I am losing a chance to learn something!"' "I wish you'd get those hundred stamps and let me free you!" said Geehaw. "I can't release you without them now." Betsy felt something touch her, and, turning, found Tippoo standing there, but he was covered all over with signs and ttrange words in red and blue lettera. "What on earth does this mean?" she asked.' "Oh, I'm doing something useful!" Tippoo said, with a snort. "I am an advertising elephant. I go all over the country with these signs so that people will know where to buy things." Samantha, on his back, was fanning herself with a palm leaf and smil ing sweetly. "Well, you are stupid, for an elephant!" cried Betsy. "Don't you know these people can't read a word?" Tippoo sat down with a dull, heavy thud. Then he said: "Samantha, take in all the signs. I have been wasting my time, after all!" "You certainly have, and I told you so long ago," replied Samantha, sharply. "It would have been better to have rescued Albert" Tip Sat Down With a Dull Thud. "But rfe melted your nose and singed off your hair!" cried Tippoo. "He's not worth saving, even tor a rainy day! "It will please Miss Betsy, that's enough," re plied the doll. "Do as I advise." "But can you find the hundred unused stamps?" cried Betsy. "Where can you get them?" "I have them here," said the elephant, smiling. "I carry them alwayt with me." He looked to mysterious that Betty wat awed. "I'll go to the King and retcue your coutin, for I do want to be useful as well at ornamental, now that I am alive." "Yet; he't the butiett thing I ever taw," added Samantha. "Can't rett a minute, even to let me do up my hair, which, you will -notice, hat grown beau tifully in this climate." Betsy followed Tippoo, and was delighted to see that his appearance seemed to frighten the King very much, and, as for the rest of the elves, they Medals sign wss changed, the word "Peace" over a crossed tomahawk and calumet, under these two hsnds clssped, and below these the word "Friendship." Ths Jef ferson Indian medal, executed In this country by John Rslch. Is regarded qb a aomewhat noteworthy example of the die sinker's art, because of the fine work shown In the admirable likeness of the president. Since the administration of Benjamin, Harrison the Issue of "Indian" medals has ceased snd "presidential" medals have been lasued In their stead. The most elaborate of the older set wss the Lincoln "Indian" medal, showing on tha reverse an Indian plowing, while his children - are playing near by, and di rectly over the circle In which the scene Is framed an Indian scalping an enemy, while below are a quiver and a bow and pipe, and between these the face of a weeping squaw the whole symbolic of the difference between wsr snd peace. Ths war of I SI 2 produced a whole series of naval medals. Truxton. Law rence (capture or the Peacock) Hull Decstur. Balnbrtdge. McCall (fight with the Frolic), and Perry (victory on Lake Erie), all were thus honored. In writing to President Monroe on the Importance of having the medals awarded by congress artistically exe cuted, Oen. Wlnfleld Scott expressed the opinion that a medal was the highest reward "a free man can receive, ths recorded approbation of hla country." Some years latsr this reward came to Scott In the shape of one of the largest smong our largest national medals. The obverse shows seven battle scenes a msny Scott victories. In the center, Scott, on horseback. Is shown at the capture of the City of Mexico. Six crowns of laurel and oak Intertwined, respectively frame scenes of the battles' of Vera Crus, Cerro Oortfo. Contreras, San Antonio and Cherubuaco. Mollnn del Rey and Chapaltepec. Taylor received a medal of equal slse for Buena vista, snd a Grant medal la equal y large. . When Loubat began gmthertrig dsta for hla monumental work on 'The Med- Jones (capture of ths Frolic,') . I Kind of Stamps!" ran away in complete terror. Tippoo said, as he stepped before the throne: "I have come to pay the ransom for this lad." "Can you give me a hundred stamps that have never been used?" asked the King. "I ask you this, because I depend upon you, as I have never seen a stamp." "Will you solemnly promise to free Albert if you get the stamps?" demanded Tippoo. v- "I surely will, and at once." "Will any kind of atamp do?" inquired the ele- v phant. "Of course. I simply laid stamps," replied the King, tternly. "All right; here they are!" snorted Tippoo, and instantly began to stamp on the ground until he had stamped one hundred times. The King looked amazed, but Dockstader shouted: "You've got 'em. He's given a hundred stamps! The boy is free!" The King scratched his head. Then he asked: "Is this another case of a word having two mean ings ?" Albert replied: "It it, your Majetty, and you aaid, betidet, that any kind of stamps would do, so you must let me go." "Tell me before I release you what I should Jiave said," demanded Geehaw. "Yoaahould have said 'postage stamps,' " replied Betsy, "and I should like to know what you wanted them for, anyway." "I am told they have gum on their backs," an swered the King solemnly. "And why did you want gumK asked Albert in wonder. "To make gum boott with," replied the King tadly. "I will pay you well if you will remain here to instruct me, for, you tee, I really need it." "I gueat I'll stay," said Albert. "I'm so tickled to find somebody more ignorant than myself that it will be fun to teach you." "Be careful," said Tippoo Jo Geehaw, "that he doesn't trjf to find out what you have inside of you. He tried ft on me." Dockstader untied the cord that bound Albert, who rubbed his arms and legs, saying,: "Gee, but that barked my shins!" 'What!" cried Geehaw, "have you got bark on your legs?" "No; but Nip has a bark in his throat." replied the boy, "and I guess we will start in on that for a lesson in words. See, here's a doll, and I'll give her to you for a dollar, and you can pack her in Tip poo's trunk, which is a nose, as everybody knows, arid not a tail, although it looks like one; but there's a tale about it, as it's the only trunk that makes music except, perhaps, a tree trunk, now and then, but he can ring a bell, or wring a towel with it, or make a noise that annoys everybody. And, I wilf add" But poor King Geehaw had fainted, and Tippoo was squirting water over him to restore him, when a tremendous noise echoed through the palm trees like thunder, and Betsy sat up with a movement that bumped her head against something hard. She looked about and saw that she was sitting, on the floor, having slipped from her chair, and in the firelight Tippoo's shoe-button eyes were flicker ing away merrily. The clock in the kitchen struck 6, and then ahe knew that an hour had passed since she had seated herself by the stove, yet in that little space of time she had been clear to Africa. 'She ran downstairs and told her manna all about the wonderful journey, and when her mamma laughed, saying: "It was only a dream, dearie," she answered: "Maybe; but how could I dream all about a lot of words I never knew anything about?" Her mamma replied, with a laugh: "My dear, a girl who could dream about a negro elf could dream anythiifg." WALT M'DOUGALL. a gsptsl alllc History of the United sUetes." which was printed for private distribu tion only, he found that the dlea for aeveral of our most interesting medsls were missing from the mint. With un remitting seal he pursued s quest for these, which led to a discovery of the dies for the Preble Tripoli medale-whlch were being used ss paper wleghts In the navy department Ha also prosecuted his search in France and thus found In the French mint the diss 'of all our medals which were cut tn that cmtrv. It la due to Loubat's Indefatigable ac tivity that the authenticity of several of our "nationals ' waa definitely estab lished. Loubat'a work gave great Im petus to the Interest In our national medelllc art and now the United States mint. In. Philadelphia, la prepared to strike off for sale to collectors 141 medals, moat of them "nationals." hut some of them authorize, i by state lagls lstilres, like the medal voted to Victor Blue by the state of South Caroline for his services st Hsntlsge. I