THE KUADAY OWEGOITLAX, PORTLAXT. 3IAT 21, 1911'
ANGINti IS tvWMlfi ASSESS EMINENT b&AIM JNSCITOT
There Is Much Proof That Dr. SpitzKa
MaKes No Idle Assertion in the Claim That
Hanging Is Barbarous Lynch Law Usually
TaKes This Form of Execution and Among
Many Barbarous or Only Semi-civilized Peo
ple Hanging Is and Has Been a Favorite
Method of Execution New YorK and Some
of the Other States Have Abolished This
Form of Capital Punishment for the Electric
Chair, but Other States Still Adhere to It.
BT a 8nat Tot of 11 to 11 th
Legislator of Pennsylvania ha
Just decided that hanging for th
xt two rearm, at least, la .till to
bo th official method of dealing oat
capital punishment In th Keyston
8 tat a. Tha vote u brought about by
tha Introduction In th Legislature of
a bill abolishing- hanging aa a capital
punishment and replacing this antique
Biathod of execution br electrocution
bow In foro In maar of th atatea
where capital punishment la atlll th
law.
Th bill passed th Hous with fly
ing color br aa unanimous rota but
met Ita defeat, deeplt th support of
Governor Tener. upon third reading In
the Heeat. not oa account of Ita
merits or demerits, bat because a ogre.
ly factional political fight waa at th
laet moment Injected tat It. Thus,
br each petty methods, la Uglslatloa
fnr the beat Interest of th commua
Itr. often defeated. But vn la boss,
ridden Pennsylvania It aeema almost
remarkable that politicians should
hav taken aa act.. d.llnr with th
humane nature of capital punishment,
aa a club with which to work their 111
feeling towarda their political or per
sonal enemies. This. too. after they
had placed themselre upon record aa
unofficially favoring the measure.
The Hoard of Prison Inspector and
the beat Interest of th tat were
Interested la th passage of th act
and among th many efforts which
they made In this direction waa to se
rur th opinion which was laid be
for th Legislator by th author of
th bill. Dr. Edward Anthony 8pmka,
the eminent brain specialist and pro
of anatomy of th Jefferson
Medical College. Philadelphia, aa to
th humanity of hanging.
r lrrtroratloa Best War.
Ir. Spltska'a reputation Is world
wide and his opinion on a subject of
lurh general movement aa capital
THE ADVENTURE OF THE
hands opening and shutting la hi agi
tation. "What do you mean r" h asked, at
last. "If this la bluff npon your part.
Mr. Holme, you hav chosen a bad man
for your experiment.. Let u hav no
more beating about th bush. What do
you mean V
"I will tell you." said Holmea. "and
h reason why I tell yoa 1 that I hop
frankness may bgt frankness. What
my next step may b will depend entire
ly upon th natur of your own de
fense?" "My defense T-
"Tes. slr.-
"My defense against what?"
"Against the charge of killing Mortl
r.rr Tregennta,"
Sterrdale mopped hi forehead with
Ms handkerchief. T'pon my word, yoa
ar getting on." aald h. "Do all your
successes depend upon thla prodlgloua
power of biuffT
"Th bluff." said Holme, sternly, "Is
npon your side. Dr. Leon gterndaja, and
aot upon mine. A a proof I wilt tall
you some ef th facta upon wtilch my
conclusion are baaed. Of your return
from Plymouth, allowing much of your
property to go ea to Africa. I will say
nothing, save that It first Informed
( m that yoa were on of th factors
which had to be taken Into account la
reconstructing thla drama
"I cam back"
T hav heard your reasons and re
gard them as unconvincing and Inade
quate. W will pass that. Ton cam
down her to ask m whom I suspected.
I refused to answer you. Ton then went
to th vicarage, waited oufsld It for
om tlma, and finally returned to your
cottag."
"How do you know that"
7 followed yoa."
"t saw no on."
"That la what yon may expect to see
when I follow you. Too spent a rest
less night at your cottage, and you
formed certain plans, which In th
early morning yoa proceeded to pat
into execution. Leaving your door Just
a day waa breaking, yoa filled your
pocket with some reddish gravel which
wa Ilcg heaped beside your gat."
Fterndale gave a violent start and
looked at Ilolmee la amazement.
"Ton tt-.en walked swiftly for th
mil which separated yoa from th vi
es ra re. Ton were wearing. I may re
mark, th sam pair of ribbed tennia
shoe which are at th present moment
upon your feet. At the vicarage yoa
passed through th orchard and th
side hedge, coming out under th win
dow of th lodger. Tregennla. It was
Bow daylight, but th household was
not yet stirring. Tou drew svm of th
gravel from your pocket, and yea threw
It up at th window abov yoa "
Eteradal sprang to hla feet.
"I believe that yoa are the devil him
self r- he cried.
Holmes smiled at th compliment.
"It took two. or possibly three, hand
fula befor th lodger cam to th win
dow. Too beckoned him to com down.
He dressed hurriedly and descended to
his stttlng-room. Too entered by th
window. There waa aa Interview a
short on during which yoa walked
up and dawn th room. Then yoa
taad out and closed th window,
standing oa th lawn outsld smoking
a cigar and watching what occurred.
Finally, after th death of Tregennla,
you withdrew aa yoa had come. Now,
IV. Steradaie, how do yoa Justify such
conduct, and what war th motives for
punishment should prove of very gen
eral Interest. Particularly Is this tru
where It Is rrai:ed that Dr. Bpltxka la
perhaps the world's greatest authority
on the subject which he has made a
lifelong study.
lie has witnessed 74 executions. B7
electrocutions and 17 hangings. He Is
loud in hla praise of electrocution, and
vehement In Lis denunciation of hang
ing. "If capital punishment must be employed.-
he said during the course of
a recent interview, -then I am heartily
In favor of electrocution. I consider It
the best, yes the very best, method
yet devised for this grewsome purpose.
I regard th execution of criminal by
a method so clumsy, cruel and anti
quated aa hanging aa a blot on our
honor aa a state and a civilised com
munity. In the basic Idea underlying
It. hanging Is a survival of savage
times when the Idea of Inflicting th
death penalty waa aavage revenge. Tha
desire to Inflict aa painful and lanoml
niou a deatii upon th culprit aa pos
sible. "Th vary form of th gallows lent
Itself peculiarly well to La end of
Ignominy and torture. The peoplea of
Old and medieval time wanted th
criminal to die slowly and painfully,
so thsy suspended him by a noose
about th neck and let him dance on
air,' aa th old chronicle are so fond
of describing It. for several minutes
before suffocation put an end to his
misery. They wanted everyone to know
about hla shameful death, so they
hanged htm 'as high aa Ham an.' In a
public place where all could get a good
view of th proceeding.
Hroadcr View Evolved.
"Sine then our Idea and Ideal hav
changed. v no longer hang our crim
inal In public squares, nor does our
beat aoclety turn out to fight for spar
at hanging. Nor la th Idea of th
modern death penalty to Inflict aa much
tortur upon th subject aa possible.
Indeed wa feel quite keenly that-no
unnecessary pain ought to be inflicted
even upon the condemned criminal, and
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
your actions? If yoa prevaricate or
trifle with me. I give yoa my assurance
that th matter will pass out of my
hand for ever."
Our visitor's far bad turned ashen
grey aa he listened to th words of hi
accuser. Now he sat for som time In
thought with his face sunk In his
hands. Then, with a sudden impulsive
gesture, he plucked a photograph from
his breast-pocket and threw It on th
rustic table befor us.
That la why I hav don it," aald
ha
It ahowed th bust and tac of a very
beautiful woman. Holmes stooped over
It. -
"Brenda Tregennis." said he.
Tes. Brenda Tregennls." said our
visitor. "For years t have loved her.
For years aha has loved me. Ther is
th secret of that Cornish seclusion
which people hav marveled at. It has
brought rr.e close to the one thing on
earth that was dear to me. I could
not marry her. for I have a wife who
has left me for years, and yet whom,
by th deplorabl lawa of England, I
oould not divorce. For years Brenda
waited. For years I waited. And this
Is what we hav waited for." A terrible
sob shook his great frame, and he
clutched his throat under his brindled
beard. Then with an effort he mas
tered himself and spok on.
"Th vicar knew. He was In our con.
fldenc. He would tell you that she
waa aa angel npon earth. That waa
why h telegraphed to me and I re
turned. What wa my baggage or
Africa to m when I learned that such
a fat had come upon my darling T
Thar yoa hav th missing clew to my
action. Mr. Holmes.
"Prood." said my friend.
Dr. Sterndal draw from hla pocket
a paper packet and laid It upon th
table. On the outsld waa written
"Radix pedla dlaboll." with a red poison
label beneath It. He pushed It towards
me. "i understand that yoa axe
doctor, sir. Have you ever heard of
tbis preparation "
"Devli's-foot root! No, I hav never
heard of It."
"It la no reflection upon your profes
sloaal knowledge." said h. "for I b
Here that, aav for on sample In a
laboratory at Bud a, ther la do other
specimen In Europe. It has not yet
found its way either Into th pharma
aopcla or Into th literature of toxicol
ogy. The root la shaped like a foot,
half human, half goatlike: heno th
fanciful name given by a, bontanlcal
missionary. It la used aa an ordeal
poison by th medlclne-men In certain
districts of West Africa, and is kept aa
a secret among them. Thla particular
specimen 1 obtained under very ex
traordinary circumstances In the Cban
ghl country." He opened the paper aa
h spoke, and disclosed a heap of red
dish-brown. snuff-Ilk powder.
"Well. sirT" asked Holmes, sternly.
"I am about to tell you, Mr. Holmes,
all that actually occurred, for you al
ready know so much that it Is clearly
to my Interest that you should know
a!L I hav already explained the rela
tionship In which I stood to the Tregen
nls family. For th make of th sister
I waa friendly with the brothers. Ther
was a family quarrel about money
which enraged thla man Mortimer, but
It waa supposed to be mad up, and I
afterwards met him aa I did the oth
ers. He waa a sly. subtle, scheming
men. and several things arose which '
gave me a suspicion of him, but I had
no cause for any positive quarrel.
-"One day. only a couple of weeks
ago. be cam down to my cottage and
I showed him som of my African curl,
osltica Among other things. I exhib
ited thla powder, and I told him of It
trang properties, how It stimulates
those brain centers which control the
emotion of fear, and how either mad
ness or death la the fate of th unhappy
naUv wb la aubjected to th ordeal I
I I'll 1 1 -a P i '! - V t. i VV v ; : X jk ) a ' I w - j
i LU! l): i.-r- .A n 1 ' - k 1 . - . --. -1 ;LV'.f If
. t iJnr&l , S CS- i . , f ' 4 ---sajBaw-. -"'- -f .
many believe that death even In a
painless form, ought to be stricken al
together from our penal statutes.
"Some states and communities having
already gone this far others are sur
to follow soon. In Italy, capital pun
ishment has been abolished altogether
A a result of this growing refinement
of feeling, the theory has been prop
agated, often with tha Indorsement
of medical men. that hanging, aa It Is
done at present. Is a painless mode of
execution. In a vast majority of cases
thla Is not true. Wa have numerous
record of criminal, hanged until they
were considered dead and afterwarda
resusclated. who declared the hanging
process up to the point where they lost
consciousness waa terribly painful.
"Wa have been told that when tha
felon la released by th drop, hi neck
Is broken by th fall and he become
Immediately unconscious. Thla Is not
true. In 1 of the 17 hangings I have
witnessed there were movement,
trusgle. reaching a for th doom
around th neck, everything. In fact,
to indicate consciousness and suffering
until asphyxiation intervened in from
ona to two minutes. The solitary ex
ception waa a Chinaman, a very fat
man. who died of rupture of an artery
in tha brain, corresponding to apoplexy.
In no case waa there rupture of the
vertebra or ligaments of tha apnal
column.
"Contrast this method of exeeutlon.
which leaves the criminal dangling In
agony for several minute with electro
cution. Th man through whom th
current I shot In th electric chair
feel nothing. Ha die Instantly a
though struck by lightning. I have
wltnesaed 7 electrocutions, and In not
one of them waa there a movement, a
tgn of life, or even a bat of th heart
after the current had been turned on. I
DEVIL'S FOOT
by th priest of his tribe. I told hlra
also how powerless European science
would be to detect It. How he took It
I cannot say, for I never left th room,
but ther la no doubt that It waa then,
whll I waa opening cabinets and
stooping to boxes, that be managed to
abstract som of th dvll's-foot root.
I wall remember how be plied m with
questions aa to th amount and th
tlm that wa needed for it effect, but
I little dreamed that he eould hav a
personal reaaon for asking.
"I thought no mor of th matter un
til tha vicar's telegram reached m at
Plymouth. This villain had thought
that I would be at aea befor the. news
could reach me, and that I should b
lost for years In Africa. But I re
turned at one. Of course. I could not
listen to th detail without feeling as
sured that my poison had been used. I
ram round to see you on the chanc
that some other explanation had sug
gested Itself to you. But ther eould
be none. I was convinced that Morti
mer Tregennls waa th murderer; that
for tha sake of money, and with tha
Idea, perhaps, that if the other mem
bers of th family war all insane he
would be th sol guardian of their
Joint property, he bad used the devll's
foot powder upon them, driven two of
them out of their eenaea, and killed hla
alster Brenda, th on human being
whom I hav ever loved or who has
ever loved me. Ther waa hla crime;
what was to be his punishment?
"Should I appeal to th law? Where
were my proofs? I knew that the facts
were true, but could I help to make a
Jury of countrymen believe so fantastic
a story? I might or I might not. But
I could not afford to fall. My soul cried
out for revenge. I have said to you
once before. Mr. Holme, that I have
pent much of my life outside the law.
and that I have come at last to be a
law to myself. Bo It waa new. I de
termined that the fat which he had
given to others should be shared by
oimseix. ciuer tnat. or I would do
Justice upon him with my own hand
In all England there can be no mar
who sets less value upon hla own life
tnan 1 do at the present moment.
"Now I have told yoa all. Tou have
yourself supplied the rest. I did. as
you say. after a restless night, set off
esrly from my cottage. I foreaaw the
difficulty of arousing him. so I gath
ered some gravel from th pile yoa
have mentioned, and I need It to throw
up to his window. He came down and
admitted me through the window et
the sitting-room. I laid his offense be
fore him. I told him that I had come
both -as Judge and executioner. The
wretch sank Into a ohalr paralysed at
th sight of my revolver. I lit th
lamp, put th powder abov It, and
atood outsld th window, ready to
carry out my threat to ahoot blm
should ha try to leav th room. In
five minutes he died. My God I bow
he died! But my heart was flint, for
he endured nothing which mr Inno
rent darling had not felt befor him.
There Is my story. Mr. Holmea Per
haps. If you loved a woman, you would
hav done aa much yourself. At any
rate. I am In your hands. Tou can
take what steps you like. As I hare
already said, there la no man living
who ran fear death less than I do."
Holmea sat for some little time In si
lence.
"What were your planar he asked.
at last.
T had Intended to burr myself In
Central Africa. My work there la but
half finished."
"Go and do the other half." aald
Holmea "t at least, am not prepared
to prevent you."
Dr. Sterndal raised his giant fla-ura
bowed gravely, and walked from the
arbor. Holmes lit his pipe and handed
me his pouch.
"Some fumes which are not poisonous
would be a welcome change." said ti.
I think you must agree, Watson, that
it is not a case In which we are called
upon to Interfere. Our investigation
has been Independent, and our action i
bf t l-Ui -J
-. sea
oTzznr crrB,jR z.jc aucz.-fr
On 45 of these I have performed or wit
nessed autopsies. The complete man
ner In which th electric current dis
organises and kills the nervous and
muscular tissues of th body which
hav been subjected to It cannot fail
to Impress one. Even the reflexes of
shall be so also. Tou would not de
nounce the man?"
"Certainly not," I answered.
"I have never loved, Watson, but If
I did, and If the woman I loved had
met such an end. I might act even aa
our lawless Hon hunter has done. Who
knowa? Well. Watson, I will not of
fend your Intelligence by explaining
what la obvious. The gravel upon the
window aill was, of course, the starting
point of my research. It was unlike
anything In the vicarage garden. Only
when my attention had been drawn to
Dr. Stsrndale and hla cottage did I find
Its counterpart. The lamp ahinlng in
broad daylight and the remains of pow
der upon th shield were successive
links In a fairly obvloua chain. And
now, my dear Watson. I think we may
dismiss the matter from our mind, and
go back with a clear conscience to the
study of those Chaldean roots which
are surely to be traced in the Cornish
branch of the great Celtic speech."
(Copyright. 1911. by the Century Co.)
BARBER TO THE KAISER
Cutting; Royal Jialr la Easy, Bo
ca use Thin, 1m Shown.
New Tork Sun.
A Vienna barber named Durrmana
had the time of hla life when he was
suddenly called to operate on the Em
peror William during the latter' recent
stay In th Austrian capital. Th valet
who usually cuts the Imperial hair, had
Injured hla arm, henoe the substitution.
The Kaiser talked - uninterruptedly
while hla halt was being cut and asked
Durrmann about his former customers.
The barber boasted that he had cut the
balr of Francis Joseph and King Ed
ward, not to mention minor royalties.
"And which Is easier," the Kaiser
asked, "cutting the hair of Kings or
their subjects?"
"With Kings It la easier," th barber
aid.
"Why la that?" the Kaiser asked.
"Because on an average they are old
er and have, less hair to cut," the bar
ber replied.
The Kaiser laughed and said. "Come
to me In Berlin In a few years' time;
I guess you'll have an easy job then."
Durrman waa vastly amused by two
grave vlsaged flunkeys who held In nap
kins the Imperial hairbrush, comb, scis
sors and other accessories. They bowed
solemnly every time an article was tak
ea up for use.
An Ancient City of Arizona.
Chicago Tribune.
Still another "oldest city in the
world" has been discovered. When T.
Hewitt Myrlng found vase in Peru in
ruins which were said to be 7000 years
old, it was Imagined that th remains
of early clvillzationa had been pushed
as far Into antiquity aa they would
ever go. But A. Lafave. a mining en
gineer, has found the relics of a town
In an Arizona tableland near Phoenix
which he insists are at least 10.000
years old. The buildings are on a level
stretch of country where neither silt
nor wash waa possible, and yet the
ruins were covered with 10 feet of
prairie dust, which th discoverer
claims required agea to accumulate.
The buildings of sandstone show great
architectural skill, and in the walls
were found a box of cotton bolls and a
sealed Jar of corn, both well pre-
aerved. The Arlsona climate doea not
permit th growth of cotton In th
present age, so Mr. Lafave assumes
that sufficient time must have elapsed
since the cotton which he found was
grown to have wrought a complete
change In the character of the country.
This period he also gauges as some
thing like 10.000 years. He la satisfied
that the ruins are older than those of
Nineveh or Babylon. He believes that
the race which built this town was pos
sessed of a high civilization from the
abundance of artistically wrought pot
tery, and that it subsequently .was
broken up by Internal dissension, and
possibly degenerated Into th cliff-dwelllna-
tribe.
a man killed by electricity fall to respond-
Death appears to be- absolutely
instantaneous and complete.
"1 referred to the pains of hanging
as described by thos-.who had been
hanged and recovered. No one ever
there are today living hundreds of per
sons who have been shocked insensible
by accident and who recovered. One and
all these say that they felt no pain
and never knew what had struck them
until they recovered and were told.
This seems to me sufficient evidence
DEATH SCENES OF FAMOUS
CIVIL WAR GENERALS
CONTINUED
his lips when Stuart staggered and fell
mortally wounded. Two days later he
lay upon a bed in Richmond with his
wife and friends about him. Death was
rapidly approaching. '
"OeneraL" asked one of the group.
"how do you feel?"
The eyes of the cavalier looked far
away.
"Easy, but wiling to die If God and
my country think I have done my
duty," he aaid slowly. A few moments
later he turned to his wife. "I am go
ing fast now," he said. "I am resigned.
God's will be done."
And so he died, stout hearted to the
last.
Th Bishop Who Became a General.
At th head of the Army of the Mis
sissippi during the series of battle
that occurred from Chattanooga to At
lanta stood the saintly figure of a
priest of the Christian faith General i
Leonldas Polk, who had been Bishop of :
e. who naa dwu .diuoW oi
Louisiana. He had been graduated Confederate lines stood the Com
from West Point, but soon resigned the , , v.i. T vi. .i.k
sword for the robes of the Protestant
Episcopal Church, and. In thta field jf
war. which is spiritual, not PhyslcaU
ne won aisunciion ana .
throughout the West as an unfearing
man of character and principle.
With the oubreak of the war he was
tendered a commission of major general
in the tonieaersie army "
Davie and he announced that be con-
.
sldered it his Christian duty to ngm
tor his State. He waged war against
tha foea of his commonwealth as tena
ciously as he previously had against
th devil, and soon his fame as a oaiue
leader spread throughout the nation.
Tha armies of Sherman and Joseph E.
Johnston were fighting on th slopes of
Kenesaw Mountain In June, 1864. A
lull in tha battle had come ana jonn-
ston. with Generals Polk and Hardee,
mounted their horses and rode up the
side of Pine Mountain to reconnotter
the lines of the Federal artillery.
At the crest they dismounted ana
walked out upon an eminence and mr
" r ..7r;-
J". - L7..V.'T,"' on C of
Parrott gun. Th group of Confed
c-rrntt sun- Th arrouo of Confed-
erate officer could plainly be seen on
Pine Mountain and under General Sher
man's direct orders the guns were
turned upon them. The cannon roared
forth and a few second later the
bishop-warrior of the Confederacy fell
to the ground dead.
The "Stonewall of the Wet-
The last major general to die fighting
for the Union was John B. McPherson,
and the story of his death before At
lanta is as well known to every school
boy as is "Stonewall" Jackson's at
Chancellorsvllle. But how many of the
present generation have ever heard
how died the Confederate leader whose
valor in the battle earned for him the
nickname "Stonewall of the West?"
When he failed to pass the entrance
examinations to the medical depart
ment of Trinity College, Dublin, Pat
rick R. Cleburne enlisted In the Brit
ish army and for the next three years
served In the Indian and Crimean wars.
He returned home after his enlistment
expired only to sail for the United
States, where he engaged in the drug
trad a
When the Civil War broke out Cle
burne was among the first to respond
to the Confederacy's call and was
elected a Captain of the Yell Rifles. His
service In India stood blm in good
stead and be advanced rapidly in the
service, until at the battle of Franklin
be was a Major-General. This battle,
fought in November of 1884, was one of
the most desperate in the West and
It waa here that Patrick R. Cleburne
surpassed even his own record for dar
ing and courage.
After taking the first line of the Fed
eral works Cleburne and General John
Adams led their, troopa to a desperate
that the body of the criminal Is burned,
that the criminal who is shocked to
death feels nothing. It has been com
plained that the body of tne criminal
is burned. It is not true that there
are extensive burns upon these bodies.
Sometimes there are slight burns at the
points where the electrodes touch the
skin, but these can be avoided by care
in keeping the contact points at just
the proper degree of moisture.
"The method of electrocution, too,
recommends it to a civilized people.
There is no erection of a gallows, no
FROM PAGE 2
charge to sweep the Federals from the
field and then to annihilate them as
; they fled In panic toward Nashville,
i But Thomas' men had regained
, strength and met the charge with fear-
ful volleys. Cleburne was but 60 yards
from the enemy's line when a bullet
struck him and he fell from his horse
to the ground dead.
General Adams had started before
Cleburne. His horse was Just leaping
the works into the Federal lines when
Cleburne fell and when the battle had
ceased Adams was found underneath
his charger, whose forefeet were within
the works, while his hind feet hung
over the outside both man and beast
killed instantly.
The Last General Killed.
The story of the last General to be
killed upon either side In the war Is
incidental to the alege of Petersburg.
The grand assault upon that besieged
, .,, . . .... , wlthl
hand General Ambrose P. Hill.
suddenly Lee turned to Hill; there was
,ook Jf lnt8ns anxiety on his face.
n. I. ,M AnnoraJ?" lnoulren T.ce
"Your men seem to be giving way.'
Without a moment's hesitation Hill
mounted his horse and dashed toward
LUC UllWAUH f""" " UCGU .,
i urgent. Already the heada of the Fed
, annearina- from tha far sid
erals were appearing from tha far side
of the lntrenchments and at many
points they were to be seen forcing the
defenders back from the works. Dig
ging his spurs Into the heaving sides
of the horse Hill rode onward. Sud
denly three soldiers in blue stepped
from behind a clump of trees In Hill's
pathway. Hill quickly grasped the sit
uat'on.
"Lay down your arms!" he thun
dered.
The commanding voice failed of Its
strategy. Three flaming streaks cut the
air and General Hill fell to the ground,
dead, as the death-knell of the Confed-
' eracy aounded through the hills and
across the Nation. Petersburg was
filing! Richmond was being evacu-
I ated
Seven days later Grant and Lee
sheathed their swords forever at Ap
pomattox. Peace had come.
(Copyright, 1911. by the Search-Light
Library.)
THACKERAY AND ENGINE
Railway Trains, Even in the Crnde
State, Didn't Suit the Author.
Thackeray Paris Skleches.
The palace at Versailles has been
turned into a bric-a-brac shop of late
years and its time-honored walls, have
been covered with many thousand
yards of the worst pictures that eye
ever looked on. I don t know how
many leagues of battles and sieges
the unhappy visitor is now obliged to
march through, amidst a crowd of
chattering Paris cockneys, who are
never tired of looking at the glories of
the Grenadier Francals; to the chron
icling of whose deeds this old palace
of the kings is now altogether devoted.
A whizzing, screaming steam engine
rushes hither from Paris, bringing
shoals of badaubs in ita wake. The old
coucons are all gone, and their place
knows them no longer, bmooth aspnal-
tum terraces, tawdry lamps and great
hideous Egyptian obelisks, have fright
ened them away from the pleasant sta
tion they used to occupy under the
trees of Champs Elysees; and though
the old coucons were Just the most un
comfortable vehicles that human in
genuity ever constructed, one can't
help looking back to the days of their
existence with a tender regret; for
there was pleasure then in th little
courtyard with Its necessary publicity,
no suegestlveness. no grimness. Th
felon is merely led from his cell to the
chalrroom. possibly only a few steps
through the corridor, seated in a chair
with a wet sponge connected to the
electric generator at his head and right
knee, the current is switched on, and
within a fraction of a second he la
painlessly dead, without a mark of any
kind. As a precautionary measure th
current is usually kept flowing through
the body for nearly a minute, but this
is unnecessary."
trip of three leagues; and whoever had
pleasure in a railway Journey?
Does any reader of this venture to
say that, on such a voyage, he ever
dared to be pleasant? Do the most
hardened stokers Joke with one an
other? I don't believe it. Look into
every single car of the train, and you
will see that every single face is sol
emn. They take their seats gravely
and are silent for the most part dur
ing the journey; they dare not look out
of the window, for fear of being blind
ed by the smoke that comes whizzing
by, or of losing their heads in one of
the windows of the down train; they
ride for miles in utter damp and dark
ness, as the castlron Frankenstein of
an egnine gallops on, puffing and
screaming.
Does any man pretend to say that he
enjoys the Journey? he might as well
say that he enjoyed having his hair
cut; he bears it, but that is all; he will
not allow the world to laugh at him,
for any exhibition of slavish fear; and
pretends, therefore, to be at his ease;
but he is afraid; nay, ought to be, un
der the circumstances. I am sure Han-"
nlbal or Napoleon would be were they
locked suddenly into a car; there kept
close prisoners for a certain number
of hours, and whirled along at this
dizzy pace. You can't stop if you would
you may die, but you can't stop; the
engine may explode upon the road, and
up you go along with it; or, maybe a
bolter and take a fancy to go down a
hill, or into a river. All this you must
bear for the privilege of traveling 20
miles an hour.
When Old Age Is a Curse.
Success Magazine.
When it has lost self-respect.
When the old have not won the re-
SDect. the confidence and the admiration
of relatives and those nearest to them.
When they do not stand lor anything;
in their community.
When their neighbors would not con
sider their departure any loss.
When the Imagination is foul and
the thought Impure.
When all the youthful fires have gone
out and only embers remain.
When the individuality has been
burned out by dissipation.
When all the reserves of energy and
force have been prematurely exhaust
ed by a vicious life.
When the Individual has not learned
the art of self-control and patience.
When young people cannot live with
it with any comfort.
When it has developed only vulgarity,
coarseness and animallty.
When It has left the individual ugly,
disagreeable, touchy, cynical, critical,
uncharitable, unkind.
When the hope and cheer have fled.
When ambition and aspiration ar
dead.
When they have lost the zest tow
life, the desire for usefulness.
When they have no aim in life.
When the sap of life has gone and ,
the individual Is like a Juiceless orange.
When all that is good, sweet and
noble has evaporated and life is empty.
Real Appreciation.
(Saturday Evening Post.)
One of the appurtenances of the
household of Champ Clark is an old
negro woman who can cook like an an
gel a mammy.
Mammy always has been persistent
In her efforts to extort gifts from Mrs.
Clark, and continually asks for new
dresses, new stockings, new apron
and the like. One day when Mrs.
Clark was in St Louis she bonght
Mammy a rather extensive outfit and
when she returned home gav . th
things to her with tha intimation that
perhaps they would hold her for a "
while. A week later Mammy began
asking her mistress for a new dress.
"Why. Mammy, said Mrs. Ularic.
"where are the things I gave you last
week?"
'Sholy. missus, replied Mammy in
great amazement, "you isn't thinkln1
I's a-wine to wear dem. Is you? l'
gwlne to hold dem to be burled in."
Hard to Dlitsnguish.
"My doll was full of sawdust,"
aid
one little girl.
"Maybe it vain t sawdust," replied
the other. "Maybe it was breakfast
food.'V-Wasulagton Star,