8
OREGON CITY ENThM'WSK, FKIIY APRIL 29, 1893.
OFFICIAL PAUL PRYS.
Postal sneak thieves op
french government.
THE
t1tat Methods Employed by Them la
Opening Letter With UttU Pstieno
They Onraomt Gam, Sealing Wu or
Metkl Fwtener,
The incident which occurred In the
French chamber concerning the viola
tion of the aeorecT of a letter addressed
io M. Deloaese by a high official of the
tuinistry of marine bai stirred the pub-
lic, which la surprised that such pro
ceeding! take plaoe under the third re
tmblio. Created in 1630, the cabinet
loir was a permanent office under
txmii Philippe and Napoleon III, who
fcsed and abused it in ordei to learn the
tolitical secrets of their opponent. It
as generally believed by the public
that the offioe bad long been suppressed
ty the present government. But after
he incident mentioned those who still
ti lieve in the secrecy of the post, of the
elegraph or of the telephone exhibit an
"credible credulity which is extremely
(are at this fin da siecle. Those who
ire so imprudent as to write their in
rnost thoughts concerning any politician
in power will Le wise no longer to im
agine that a letter which arrive at its
destination apparently unopened baa
tot been read by a third party. As is
veil known, it is also easy for an offi
cial to learn the secrets of the telephone
ty applying bis ear to the receivers at
the central offioe, and by so doing to
Intercept phrases wbf?b are both in
structive and amusing. ' It now appears
that the postofflce officials also give
themselves up to the delicate pleasure
f satisfying their curiosity.
They employ 20 different methods in
Irder to assuage their professional in
Juisitiveness. If an envelope is closed
In the ordinary manner by a thin layer
Cf gum, tbey bave the choice of two
systems when the paper is tough and
strong tbey slip with great precaution
very thin but not cutting blade be
tween the two gummed parts, and with
4 little practice they are soon able to
Separate the paper without any tear;
When the envelope is thin and brit
tle they open it by the primitive and
homely means of steam. These proceed
ings are extremely simple, and the cor
Xcspondence of many masters and mis
tresses has often been slyly treated in
the came way by an inquisitive domes
tic. This industry requires very little
(kill, and the only capital necessary is
a small amount of patience. The more
judicious individuals fasten their let
ters with sealing wax and imagine that
tbey are consequently perfectly safe
from any surreptitious attack. The
officials of the cabinet uoir, however,
tre not so easily defeated. Ey judi
clously bending and twisting the part
Cf tbe paper surrounding the seal they
gradually detach the latter, which final
ly remains unbroken in their bands with
very thin layer of paper adhering to
It. After examining the contents of the
letter tbey replace tbe seal intact at the
xact place which it previously occu
pied, and both tbe sender and receiver
Cf tbe letter remain in blissful Igno
tance of their maneuvers.
Other correspondents, even mere sus
picious, are not satisfied with gum and
wax, but supplement them by a small
metal fastener, which 1b guaranteed by
Cs inventor to render any tampering
with a letter impossible. This, although
fls efficacy is far from that promised by
fiie stationers, certainly complicates tbe
work of tbe intruding officii. 1. lie rises
fc tbe circumstance, bovever, and after
carefully removing the stamp and mak
ing a cross cut on the square from
which it has been removed be intro
duces a email steel instrument with a
special book at tbe extremity. This
book grips a corner of the letter, and by
Carefully twistiug the sheet round the
tern of tbe instrument it can be finally
? traded without any apparent injury,
by cbance tbe note paper is refractory
tnd cannot be twisted owing to its stout
ness, tbe operator cuts tbe entire length
ff one side of the envelope. The con
tents are easily obtained in this man
ner, but tbe reclosing of tbe envelope
acquires much delicacy of workmanship
4ud is, in fact, almost worthy of an
artist. About a millimeter of each of
the cut edges is carefully folded inward,
ffuninied and pressed together until dry.
This phase of tne work, although rather
iifficult to a novice, is boon acquired by
practice.
There are many other tricks employ-
?1, some of which speak volumes for
oman ingenuity. It sometimes hap
tens, nevertheless, that a letter baffles
all tbe skill and experience of the entire
department. In that case their means
jfre rough and ready they suppress it
altogether. The exterior appearance of
tbe letter addressed to AI. Delcasse be
trayed the work of the Cabinet Noir.
this proves not lack of skill of those in
frusted with such an important but un
qerband duty, but simply negligence.
London Globe.
The Critic Answered.
' An acuta critio calls attention to
what he styles an inelegance in a lead
Lig article of The Pilot. It is that in
Thicb the following sentence occurs:
And Paul said, 'But I was born so.' "
.'e are sorry it is inelegant, but it must
and as it is, for it happens to be tbe
act words of the Kew Testament.
apter xxii, verse 28, of the Acts of the
postles. The Pilot never tries to im-
ove upon the language of holy writ.
ome afternoon when we have reformed
1 tbe wrongs in the w orld ami point-
out all tbe faults of all our neighbors
or tbeir reiorniution we may sit down
d revise the New Testament, but it
ill cot be this year nor next year.
oroewhere along abont 1998 we shall
nugurate these important reforms.
loston Pilot.
A Name.
J. "Wbydoyoa call yoor bouse The
blockhead?"
"Simply because it is tbe first in oar
jgow. "Boston Courier.
BEGGING EASIERTHAN WORK
At Least Thft Why On Mm told Oat a
Street Stand.
I ouce got a rather curious confession
from a professional beggar, which if
true, and I believe it was, opened my
eyes to tbe reckless ways in which
American beggars are made. "I bad
been keeping a sidewalk stand for
years, " said be. "I worked bard and
earned from $3 to f i a week. Ou that I
lived. One night when I started to go
borne by the .Mission street oars I found
that my pocket had been picked. It was
too for to walk, so I decided to borrow
a nickel. Tbe first man to whom I told
my story gave me a quarter without
j hesitation. All the way home I thought
it over. A quarter was aa much as I
made olear at my stand many a day. It
all ended by my selling out and going
to begging, always telling my first
story. I bave done pretty well since
then and like the business. "
One day I met him in Union square,
ITT I . ... .
iiow a ousinessr- i asKea. lie was
leaning against a tree, deeply Intent on
some figures In a book. He slipped the
book into his pocket and began to whine.
"J. ever mind your regular Btory," I
said, "I know it. Answer my question
like a man, and you may add a dollar
to your bank account."
After a little preliminary skirmish
ing be waxed confidential
mace it a ruie, ne said, "never
to walk less tban ICO blocks eaob day,
It is a very poor block that doesn't aver
age 8 cents. Two blocks will more
often net me 10 cents." Heoonsulted
the book. "Yes, tbe average of tbe last
six months is $5 a day that is. just 6
cents a block. I bave been on this beat
nearly a year now, and I bave my regu
lar customers. Excuse me a minute. "
He passed through the fog to the other
side of the street and touched his hat
to an elderly acquaintance of mine who
was coming down the broad steps of
the Paciflo Union club. In a moment be
returned with a bright new quarter in
his hand.
"I told him my wife was better to
day," he said, smiling pleasantly, "and
that she prayed for him night and day.
Well, so long 1 Your dollar passes the
limit today and business is over."
Can yon blame him? Five dollars a
day is the wages of a first class mechan
ic. Why should not begging become a
profession wben people are such easy
game? Overland Monthly.
Disraeli' Manner.
I have no doubt Disraeli loses friends
by bis apparent insouciance and the
method in which he walks to his place
witnout looking at anybody but I
surmise from my own experience that it
arises from nearsightedness. I perceive
that be cannot toll what o'clock it is
without using his glass, and somebody
told me lately tbat be saw him bailing
a police van, mistaking it for an omni
bus. His face is often haggard and bis
air weary and disappointed, bnt be bas
tbe brow and eyes of a poet, which are
always pleasant to look upon.
He generally says tbe right thing at
tbe right minute and in the right way,
and be is lustily cheered, but sitting
among the opposition I have abundant
reason to note that he is not completely
trusted. It is said that young Stanley
and other .youngsters of bis class believe
in him and tbat the man who is so taci
turn in parliament is a charming com
panion among bis familiars and is a
gracious and genial host. Some of bis
postprandial mots steal out and, I should
think, make fatal enemies. Somebody
asked him lately if Lord Bobert M. was
not a stupid ass. "No, no," said Benja
min, "not at all; he is a clever ass."
"My Life In Two Hemispheres," Sir
Charles Gavan Duffy.
A Picture of Zola.
This is bow Zola is described by
Stuart Henry in "Hours With Famous
Parisians:" A business man, no emo
tion, no ideals, no imagination, no
poetry, in bis personal intercourse. He
does not try to win or entertain you.
He takes no personal interest in you
and does not expect yon to take any
personal interest in him. He talks
frankly and freely about everything,
but in a secular way. He makes life
seem to you merely a commercial career.
Fiction for him is editions of 100,000
francs a year. His magisterial and mag
nificent panoramas of descriptions, un
equaled for tbeir kind, are all measured
off in bis mind as so many rods of print
ed matter at so much a rod. No personal
magnetism, no sentiment, no perfume,
no rose colors. Life bas been for him a
blunt, rude, brutish thing. He has con
quered merely because he has worked
harder tban any one else. With him
naturalistic literature succeeds only by
the sweat of the brow. What loins of
strength nevertheless I What Titanio
capacities to achieve! He towers over
all his Parisian contemporaries, as Vio
tor Hugo towered over his epoch.
The Elephant Corps.
An English newspaper, in an article
on tbe Siamese army, says: "In one re
spect tbe Siamese army is superior to
every other, and that is in its elephant
corps. Eight hundred of these animals,
which are stronger, though smaller,
tban those of Inaia, are organized into
a special corps, commanded by a retired
Anglo-Indian officer, and tbeir heads,
trunks aud other vulnerable parts are
protected against ballets by india rub
ber armor."
A Costly Dish.
"Ob, mamma, do Christians eat
preachers just like tbe cannibals do?"
"Why, no, my child. What put tbat
notion into your head?"
"I heard Mrs. Ceekon say this morn
ing tbat she was going to have her min
ister for luncb." Brooklyn Life.
It Costs Nothing.
Thackeray tells of a lord who never
saw a vacant place on his estate, but be
took an acorn out of his pocket and
dropped it in. Never lose a cbance of
saying a kind word, of doing a kindly
act It costs nothing.
WHEN YOUR EYES SMILE TOO.
Wba your ryes unit too when your ys
null too.
It's then I know your bidden boart ii laughing
out with you.
It's often I hv mo your Up go Mwrchlng up
Mlltln,
And, oh, 1 eoniehow knew your heart Wat
grieving all the while.
And lh tky wtedark and gloomy and the bird
ongi were o fuw,
And the ran forgot Its ahln Ing till your eyes
Bulled tool
Whrm ?! "mlU to-rl ur ay..
anille too.
Oh, the listen of the willow and the glisten of
th dew I
Oh, the brightness of th meadow and th
tlghtnex of th grain.
And the muslo of the Uttl winds that laugh
along th lane I
Oh, th whisper of th valley and th deepness
of the blue.
And the glory Just of living when your eye
smile tool
-New York Press.
FIRING ON THE MOB.
Th Sosa After th Death Dealing Volley
Umd Dana Its Work.
Uad Done Its Work.
The yelling mass below n eared the
walla. A whistle pierced the tumult.
From the windows jetted swift lines of
flame, and a shattering volley tore the
air.
A crash, and then stillness on tbe
mob, an intense busb, a swift paralysis:
a blue gray smoke cloud floated up the
walls and out over the juilyard. Meu
gasped, then hold their breath. From
their nests in the eaves startled spar
rows flew above the crowd with fright
ened twitterings.
In tbe jail corridor sounded the clink.
clink of empty shells falling to tbe floor
as nervous fingers fumbled at boxes or
shoved fresh cartridges home with a
snap snapping of breechblocks, while
staring eyes were fixed upon the scene
outside.
From below came a new sound, the
noise of agony. Ou tbe outskirts of the
crowd men were running. Tbe mob
surged back from tbe jail walla In tbe
space left clear lay prostrate forms out
stretched or huddled in attitudes of gro
tesque norror on the stone raved wav.
One figure half arose, wavered back
ward and then foil toward the retreat
ing mob with a gasping cry. Men run
ning back from tbe crowd with appre
hensive glanoes at tbe wiudows carried
off tbe limp forms. In tbe crowd men
bore up other men who reeled and stag
gered to and fro.
The corridor was very still. The
guard stood in silence. Here aud there
one drew a long breath, with a slow
heaving of the chest and a lifting of the
shoulders. Turning their eyes with an
effort from tbe mob, they glanced at
each other aa though seeking confirma
tion for their thoughts, to be assured
tbat all this thing had happened, tbat
the dark forms on tbe pavement below
had been a grim reality. A slight, pale
faced private threw his rifle to tbe floor
and turned his face from the window.
with a burst of shuddering sobs. Others
swore apparently at nothing and busied
themselves with their weapons. No one
paid any heed to the private who wept
except tbat his next rank man stooped
and picked up his rifle. The smell of
burned powder bung in the air. H. H.
Bennett in Lippinoott's.
Dog houses and Dog Kennel.
Doghouse is the name applied to a
bouse made for a dog to live in out of
doors; dog kennel to a house or box
built for a dog's quarters indoors. The
doghouse is likely to be for a big dog;
tbe kennel, in private bouses, for a lit
tle dog. There are few doghouses used
in tbe city, and in nronortion to tbe
number of pet dogs not a great many
kennels, bnt still tbe number of kennels
in tbe aggregate is considerable.
Doghouses are made with a sloping
roof to shed rain. No such necessity ex
ists iu tbe case of the kennel, and ken
nels are always made with a flat top.
Things may be placed on top of them.
Tbe kennel is practically an oblong box
made of yellow or white pine or of
whitewood, and customarily painted
white and without ornamentation. The
kennel bas a grated opening in tbe top
for purposes of ventilation, with a cover
to pot over to prevent draft. Former
ly the doors of such kennels were made
of wire cloth; now they are all made
with bars of a very small sized gas pip
ing. The kennel of this kind is so made
tbat it is raised at tbe corners enough
to make the bottom clear tbe floor, aud
it is often mounted on casters, so tbat
it can be conveniently moved about
from room to room. Such kennels are
made by carpenters, and tbey cost 5 to
$10 each, according to the size. New
York Sun.
What "Goes" on th Yukon.
In Tbe Century there is an article on
"Tbe River Trip to the Klondike,"
written by John Sidnoy Webb. Mr.
Webb says:
Alaska is a country of more square
miles tban square meals, and the legend
ary governor of North Carolina would
bave found little else but muddy Yukon
water, assaying CO percent solids to the
liquid ton, in which to quench bis cele
bra ted thirst. "Do as you please" is the
motto. In civilization coats are worn
for various reasons, "on the Yukon"
because it blows up cold or rains. Nap
kins, tablecloths, sheets and pillows do
not "go" on tbe Yukon, or have not
heretofore. Even tbe Klondike million
aire packs bis blankets and takes what
be can get.
Song and Talk.
"What is a song recital, Uncle Chris
topher?" "A song recital? Well, somebody
sings all afternoon, and an audience of
women talk through the whole perform
ance. "Detroit Free Press.
The "Prisoner of Cbillon" did not
suffer in the cause of liberty. He was a
troublesome rogue sent to prison for
mischief making and spent his term
there in making indecent verses.
The vineyards
8,000,000 acre.
of Italy cover nearly
SHOE HIEROGLYPHICS.
Occult Symbols That Hava lUea Devised
to Deeelv Womankind.
"People oftou ask me tbe moaning of
the apparently crasy hieroglyphs aud
figures tbat are ' stamped ou the iuuur
side of the uppers of ready made shoos
nowadays, " said an F street shoe dual
er. "As every shoe manufactory has a
secret stamp code of its own and there
le tllnrfnr tin tu-iuull.1 I it w r9 it .
Dublin loarhinif t...r. than that sunt.
codes exist, I may as well tell you that
the vauity of modern mortals, and es
pecially women, is at tbe bottom of
these peculiar stamped characters and
figures. You'd be surprised to know,
for instance, bow many women there
are who imagine tbat thsy wears No. 8
shoe when in reality their sise Is a
couple of figures larger. A shoe sales
man who understands bis business cau
toll precisely the number of the shoe a
woman customer wears at a glance. But
as often as not a woman whoso foot is a
! v. ll.. t i i . . . '
I nu. a nuns tur a nine a coupiu oi sizes
smauer, ana me mysterious stamped
hieroglyph scheme wus devised for tbe
purpose of eucouraglug her in the belief
that bur foot is a couple of sixes smaller
than it really measures iu shoo leather.
W hen a woman calls for a No. 8 to
fit a No. 0 foot, no shoe sulesmnu of
this era who cares anything for bis job
is going to say, 'Aludam, your foot re
quires a No. 6. ' He simply breaks out a
shoe of the style she requests that he
feels confident will lit bur comfortably
and lets it go at that.
"A wouiuu rarely thinks to inquire
if tbo shoe is really of the sue she asked
for, for she takes it for granted that the
salesman bas given her what she de
manded. But wheu a wouiuu Joes ask,
for instance, 'This is a No. 8, u it?' It's
the salesman s lusiucsa to uublushiugly
reply, 'Ycs'm, it's a No. 8. The wo
man customer might examine the bloro
glyphs inside the uppers for a week
w ithout finding out any different, and
even if she had the key to the puzzle it
would only mnko her feel bad; so what
would be the use?" Washington Star.
ARITHMETIC 1700 B. C.
Sums Over Which Egrptlau Children Pus
(led Their strains.
Probably tbe oldest copy book for
home lessons iu arithmetic was recently
unearthed iu Egypt. .The papyrus, which
was found iu excellent condition, dates
from the period about 1700 il. C tbst
is, about 100 yeurs before the time of
Mores, or almost 8,600 years ago. It
proves that the Egyptians had a thor
ough knowledge of elementary mathe
matics almost to tho exteut of our own.
Tbe papyrus bus a long beading, "Di
rection how to attain the knowledge of
all dark things," etc. Numerous exam
ples show that their principal opera
tions with entire units aud fractious
were made by means of addition aud
multiplication. Subtractions and divi
sions were not known iu their present
form, but correct resells were obtained
nevertheless. .
Equations are also fonnd iu the papy
rus. Among the examples given is tbis
one : Ten measures of barley are to be
divided among . ten persons iu such a
manner that each subsequent person re
ceivea one-eighth of a meusureless thun
the oue before him. Another example
given is: There are seven men, each
one bas seven cats, each cat bas eaten
even mice, each mouse bas eaten seven
grains of barley. Each grain of barley
would, if cultivated, bave yielded seven
measures of barley. How much barley
bas been lost in that way? The papyrus
also contains ralculuiions of area, tbe
calculation of the an a of a circle aud
its transformation iuto a square, aud
finally calculations fit the rubio meas
urements of pyramids. Philadelphia
Record.
Shaking Hands.
Men shake bauds with strangers of
tbeir own sex with fur greater readiness
than do women. Two men, on being
presented to one another, will frequent
ly extend the hand in a grusp of greet
ing, which gives opportunity to form a
general idea of each other's mako up,
and know whether they are attracted oi
repulsed. Occasionally there ia a roan
with sufficient good nature and oonruge
to refuse another man's bund without
causing offense. There are men who
bave been so impressed with the dis
coveries of bacteriology tbat they main
tain handshaking to be tbe cause of dis
semination of disease gorms. Tbe bare
band comes in contact with innumera
ble germs looking for pasturage on some
vulnerable spot of our anatomy. A cut
or abrasion on the band leaves a door
open for tbe admission of the enemy.
Therefore it is with reason that meu
argue against promiscuous handshak
ing out of the home among the meu met
in business life. Science long ago frown
ed upon the practice of promiscuous
kissing, which prevailed among women.
Is the ungloved handshake also doomed?
New York Ledger.
Great Kat Catcher.
According to an account in The Jour
nal d'Hygieue, rats have become so
abundant in Eru.il that a domestic
snake, tbe giboya, which bas about the
circumference of the arm, is sold iu the
market place in Rio Janeiro, to be kept
in tbe bouse us a protection uguinst ro
dents. It would seem that the serpent
pursues its prey more for tbe pleasure
tbat there is in it than from a sense of
hunger, since it is snid it rarely eats
tbe rats caught. Similar in its habits
and attachments to the domostio cat of
our more northern latitudes, the giboya
will, it is said, find its way back to tbo
house of its master even if transported
to a considerable distance.
Tbe seal worn by tbe pope and used
by him ou official documents to which
bis signature is attached has on it the
engraving of a fish, with the cipher of
the wearer. Since the thirteenth centu
ry every pope has worn a ring of this
character, and it is shattered with a
hammer wben the wearer dies to pre
vent its use on a forged document
r REGON CITY
j
New and Enlargod Shop with all appliances for
MACHINE WORK & CASTING
All work executed in tba bent manner possible.
teed on all orders.
RBPAIHING- -
Prices tho lowest to be had in
near Main, Oregon City, Oregon.
J. ROAKE & CO.
WHEN YOU BUY, ALWAYS
GET THE BEST
This applies to real estato as well as other coniculities.
Every family in need of a homo desires tho best location.
SOUTH OREGON CITY
Has the greatest number of advantages to its credit,
of any of tho suburbs of Oregon City. It will pay
you to investigate this property. Good clear lots at
reasonable prices on easy instalments. Call on or
address
T. L. CHARMAN, Trustee.
Charm in Bro's. Block,
llfiiiiiliidir
PORTLAND TO
THE DALLES
By the fiint
and com
modious steamer
Regulator
Leaves Portland daily except
Sunday at 7 a. m.
This is the Great Scenic Route.
All tourist admit that the scenery
on the Middle Columbia is not ex
celled for beauty and grandeur in
the United States. Full informa
tion by addressing or calling on
J. N. HARNEY, Agent,
Tel. 914. Portland, Or.,
Office and wharf, foot of Oak St.
A. W. PHILLIPS,
EXPRESS
AND
DELIVERY
Prompt attention to hauling to any
part of Oregon City.
Moving attended to promptly and
carefully.
Special rates given on hauling to
and from uladatone and 1 ark
place. i:labIlNlieI 105.
CJ.
PIONEER
TfflnjfBr.BndExjfe,
Freight and parcels delivered
to all parts of the city.
RATES - REASONABLE.
w.
nil
IRON WORKS
Promptness guaran
A-SPIOIALTY.
Portland. Shot) on Fourth Street
Oregon City
-j ELI-PI
?
1800 miles of long dis
tance telephone wire in
Oregon and Washington
now in operation by the
Oregon Telephone and Tel
egraph company.
Portland, Seattlo, Spo
kane, Tacotna, Salem,
Walla Walla, Pendleton,
Albany and 90 other towiiB
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lino.
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All the satisfaction of a
Cjrsonal communication,
istance no effect to a
clear understanding. Spo
kane as easily heard aa
Portland.
Oregon City office at
Huntley's Drug Store.
J. H. THATCHER, MANAGER,
Portland, - - Oregon.'
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