Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Eugene City guard. (Eugene City, Or.) 1870-1899 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1881)
jfce TfMwWi Escapf. When the ill-starred Condor mine wss J opened in 1809, Nat Reines, for manyy"" a teamster in part0f Arizona, undertook to team the engine Anion. "iUmpe, and other lU&acLineryVtogether with SWrom . place called Great Bend 4,r along the overland stage route; and ft. writer, at that Ume, was in his em JjTlnU I wMhfa nephew. VMs will better account for my emi Djr to inch a country. For any C who recollocta what the popula tion of Arizona wm twelve yean ago Jill think that a man ought perhaps to itUiactorily explain how he came to be The mine above mentioned waa situ ated in the range north of the Gila, from nrtv to fifty miles above the point where tie took the machinery from the trans- PUncieVatPMn to have fonr thousand dollars in gold for hauling op an outfit, la offor liberal, certainly, and such as anlr could be made in Arizona. But of course he had to run his own risks and Jake his chances of the Apaches getting hU scalp, as indeed we all did in those No one was safe outside the forts, or ould even guess with any certainty .here the savages would strike thoir next blow. They wore out continually, eoonring the whole territory, and living on plunder. We had three six-mule teams. It was supposed that to complote the con tract it would take four round trips about a month's work altogether. There were, beside myself, two other teamsters, "Old Bube Floods," as we called him, and a Mexican nicknamed "Lonze," with two spare hands, brothers, from Missouri, named We drivers rode or walked as the case demanded, and had each, in addition to his knife and cart-whip, a Henry rifle, which we were expected to be ready to use at a moment's notioe. Uncle Nat had associated with him then a Texan, one Dan Lowell, as a partner. They two rode at the head of the teams, with their rifles and re volvers; and theirs were the only horses in the traip. ' No one who has not been through the Southwest can begin to imagine just what a strange, half-finished looking country Arizona is at least some parts -of it. . The hills and mountains have a singu larly rugged, dark aspect. Then there came stretches of course blue gravel, where there isn't bo much as a weed growing, for miles and miles. When there is grass, it is curious, coarse, out landish stuff. The woods are as peculiar as the grass; thorn thickets, or brown jungles of jrrssse-wood and meskit. These latter jrrow mostly along the river-bottoms, or in the arroyas, or gullfcs of brooks. Then, to crown all, come the great clumsy cactuses, with huge seamed trunks and broad, thick limbs, or leaves, covered with thorns growing out of dry gravel-hills and among ledges and rocks where no other living thing could draw moisture sufficient to live. Our ronte ud from the Gila lay much jif it tlirnncrh a desert of this sort. It took ns three days to make the trip to the mine, and two book. On our first trio we houled the boiler. "We had fourteen mules, heavy ones, too, to draw it. and two spare spans for hard places. It was a ponderous load, but we cot it safelv throueh. Then came the stamps, battery and other gear. The load for the third trip was sup plies of all sorts beef, flour, corn, min ing tools, eto. There were also eight or ten kens of powder and three heavy boxes, which, I remember, were quite a puzzle to us, as to what was in them. They were branded "Nobel's Blasting Oil;' and when handled and jolted; there sifted out of the craoks of the boxes, fine, white powder, like flour. Nobel's blasting oil is nothing more nor less than nitro-glycerine. That was the name it was used, under for a time 4Uter its discovery, or rather its practical application to blasting, by Alfred Nobel, in 1863. Dvnamite which is nitro-glycerine put in a dry form by mixing it" with sili--cious earth was not devised till six or seven years later. The law at one time required that, for transportation, nitro-glycerine should be put np in tin cans, and these pacxea in plaster of pans in boxes or cases. Under ordinary circumstances, how ever, there is little danger of accidt'utnl explosions from nitro-glycerine, either from light shocks or from fire. To ex plode charges of nitro-glycerine it is necessary to inclose within them consid erable charges of powder, fired by a common safety fuse, or else, a powerful detonating cap, fired also by a fuse. Electricity can be employed for this purpose. Nitro-glycerine may be set oh nre with a match, or a lighted snaving, and will burn slowlv without exploding. On the second day ont, upon this third trip, we were attacked by the Apaches. A band of them, under a chiof well- known in that part of the Territory as Old Coochies,' waylaid us at one of the arroyas, or gullies. Thirtv or forty of them were hidden in the ravine; and as we came up to cross it, they swarmed ont both abow ns and below, yelling and shooting their arrows ana guns. Jto doubt they haa Deenaog fiins onr trail for a dar or two. Uncle Nat and Powell were ahead and had just ridden up to the arroyas and topped. The first we teamsters knew of the presence of the savages was from a vuurua of their screecnes, ouiu j nail a dozen rifle-shots. Seeing their numbers, our two leaders wheeled about, after firing, and galloped tack to us, Uncle Nat Shouting: "Down off them wagons with yer guns and beat em off 1" But the Apaches were upon us before we could even look to our carbines. They charged on ns at once. Shots cracked harp and hot, but there was little stop ping for aim. Then it waa hand to hand with them. Uncle Nat and Powell got out of it their horses took them off. The two Stroud aly boys, on the hind team, cut lose each mule and tried to escape, but were both run down and shot. Old Babe was killed on the seat of the wagon, before he dropped his reins. As for myself I jumped down and fired one shot, then clubbed by gun. But a lance thrust from one of the mounted Apaches wou turuuifu mv ciomes ana tore .10 through the skin alone mv ribs, with inch force that it poked me headlong, partly Liouunm uio wagon. Ihree or lour others drove their lances at me as I lay there, and arrows struck into the ground close beside mv chock. The mulos ware iumninir. too. and I barely escspod the heavy wheels. ino instant the wagons moved from over me, I was seized by two or three of yelling savages at once. That my lost hour had come I bad no doubt. But in stead of dispatching me, they tied my uauus ueuinu my oacx ana lei me get np saving me from torture, it mav be. or possibly for ransom. iuo cniei, a stalwart, ludeous-lacod old rascal, seemed to give some order, when three others came dragging the Mexican, Lonze, out where I stood, lie was severely wounded, one arm hung helpless, and an arrow was sticking' in one of his logs. An Apache caught hold of it and jerked it out. Oh, how the poor fellow screamodl They tied ns two together with about four feet of rope slack betwixt ns. The samges seemed jubilant over their prize, particularly the powder; and no doubt all the supplies wero very accept-, able to them. They whooped and dancod and squall ed extravagantly; and, as soon as tho party came back from pursuing after Powell and Uncle Nat, the whole band set off toward the mountains, in the northeast, driving the three wagons along with them. The Mexican and I hod to plod be hind, tied together. Poor Lonze was in sorry plight, and groaned at almost every step. .As for myself, I was not much hurt; ont I thought our chances looked poor indeed. In this way we went on for an hour or two; but about an hour before Bundown the band baited, and, after some consul tation, the chief with all but eight of the party set off on another expedition. These eight then continued on witn the wagons and with us in charge. We prosunied they were going to some one of their villages; and what sort of recep tion there was In store for us when we reached it was not hard to guess. Night fell. By this time we hod en tered among cliffs and mountains. Still we kept on, hour after hour, till it must have been past midnight. I concluded we were to travel all night, but at length onr captors halted the horses and turned the mules loose. They then tied me fast with my back to the hind whoel of one of the wagons so that I stood back to the outer side of the wheel. Lonze they served in a simi lar way at the forward wagon. Without kindling a fire or preparing food, the Indians lay down near by and seemed to oo to slneu. xt was not a pleasant situation, stunu- ing there, tiod in that way. The night was dark, but I oonld see that we were in a deep gorge, with high crags and rocks on both sides, jjonze was groaning aim saying his Cathoho prayers. On account of his broken arm, the say aces had not tied him as they had mo, Later on, he slipped his sound arm out, and; untying himself, crept along where I was. But he was so sick and faint hearted that I could not persuade him to nnbind me. He seemed not to dare to; and he did not understand what I said in English very well. While I was whispering to him, order ing him in no gentle tones to cut my rope, one of the Indians started up. On that, Lonze slunk baok to his wheel, and would not again stir irom it. 1 was bo angry with this poor spirited fellow that I could almost have seen him tortured witli a rnliali. Not Ions after it began to get Iigut, and the Indians, waking np. built a Are of brush-wood, and for some time sat warming themselves by it; for the morn ing air was very chilly. Then toward sunrise they knocked open one of the iur harmlH. ar.d cottinff out some of the salt junk, set it roasting on a stake siuc slank wise over their fire. While this was in progress two or Hir nf them were overhauling the con' tents of the farthest wagon, while the mat Rat round the fire. Irom where stood I could see what they were about very well, though the distance back to the fire was fifty or sixty yards. After a while I saw one of them with hia liatohnl break onen one of the blast ing oil boxes. It was full of what limited to lie flour or plaster; but packed in it were bright tin cans as large as a quart moi-mr'1. . ti. i. linn looked at them cunously theu lie out one pon with his ax and tasted the contents. He did not seem to know what to make of the stuff, and car riod it to the others. TTnilr anv other circumstances alinnld havo lantrhed to see them taste it and spit and jabber about it. They out nnon novai-iil i-ans. tasted the oil. and threw them down. Then another took out i, Q k,t vimt looked, from where is wait? " , was. like a bundle of rat s tails prob ar1v fnopfl. I saw one of them chew the end of one of these then spit it out. Meantiino, an Atimr tiad taken out of the box a handful of smaller cans, not more than an inch . ton in diameter, but eieht or nine inches loh'g, each with one of those rats' tails stuck in the end. I did not myself then know what they were, or I should have watched the pro ceedings with very different feelings. looked at these, held them before each other by the toils, then they began to laugh, and, from laughing, began to throw them at each other, and that led to a regular frolic They ran AnAcrtA around the wagon and round i, flM nflltin? each other with these ana Just then, right in the midst of the game there came the awfullest explosion I ever heard. "Twaa tremendaoas! It blew everything! flat all around. Even out where I waa the force was so great that it blew the wagon fifteen or twenty feet landed it on one side, with the wheel I was tied to up in the air. It seemed to give the whole thing a hoist bodily off the ground. For a moment or two I was stunned. I did not know any thing. When I came to consciousness I saw several rocks were tumbling down the Bide of the ra- Tl Recovering my wito a little. I managed to squirm around, and looked out toward the fire. There was a Prodigious dust and smoke. Just then 1 saw one of the Indians jump from the ground and run I down the ravine, as if wild animal was 'after him, with both hands holding on ii tnn nt him hAii. Then I bcean calling to Lonze. and after some minutes got him to come and cnt me loose from the wheel. We looked about. It was hard telling how many of the Indins were killed for some of them were blown all to pieces. I think they were all killed, except the one I saw run off. Still, we did not stop long to investi gate the matter. I recollect seeing a hole blown in the earth where their fire had been, which looked to be about six or seven foet deep. I searched for a minute, hoping to find a gun but every thing seemed to have been literally blown to pieces. Several of the mules had been feeding at no great distance; but now they had all taken to their heels frightened by the explosion. We started down the canon, keeping a sharp lockout for the Apache who had run away, but saw nothing 01 him. Following back along our last night's trail for six or seven miles, I sighted the peak back of the Condor mine, off to southwest, and made for it, reaching the works early in the afternoon. Lonze 1 had been obliged to leave bohind me at a spring we came to during the lore- noon. They tent out from the mine for him at nightfall, and he was brought in to ward morning, in bad plight, but he got well in the course of a month. It tuxes a great deal to really kill one of those Mexican "creasers. Nothing was ever recovered from the captured wagons. Ola Tines. It is really not very long since pros- porous business men were satisfied with anartments which would hardly suit well- to-do workingmen now. J. nai, now ever, says a aew iork correspondent, was before we got into the area 01 great millionaires. There are lots of folks still among us who remember very woll when the possession of $200,000 made a man a nabob. Astor was the only actual millionaire in the city. Back in those times it was the custom of rich men to live in apartmonts over their places of business. That was when the stores were all below Canal street, and Murray Hill away out in the country. The mor chants and lawyers who livod over their stores and offices were quite as comiort- able there as the richer men of to-day livincr in $100,000 mansions uptown. The elite of the city could be found in the neighborhood of Bowl ins Green, and the Battery had greater charms than Central Park has now. Between riohos now and riches then the difference is enormous. One of our present millionaires, with an extrav agant family, spends as mnoh money in a year as would have made a permanent lumilv lund in tue oiu iiuies. 11 jh uui - - . . .. I A? X. i an uncommon thing for such a man to lay out $40,000 between New Year's and the next Christmas. In the times speak of the man who could command $40,000 all told was considered rich for life. An income of $2000 or $JUOU a year was thought enough for any family not given to downngnt extravagnnco. nvo or six times that will hardly suffice for a fashionable family now. Ihe world has changed indeed, and nowhere more than in Gotham. But in these slow old times orreat corporations were unknown, and no man could put millions in his pocket by the simple procoss of watering stock. Irish Hardships. The nrinciolos of the Land Act of 1870 are much talked about but littlo under stood. They are briefly these : a landlord in the absence 01 a lease may eject a wu ant from his farm without giving any reason, but if he does it is in the eye of the law a "disturbance, wnicn entities the tenant to a compensation, according to a sliding scale, in no case exceeding seven years rent.or a maximum 01 vitou. 1JUL HUB OD1V UIJUUUB IU UIUUWIVI uuuo $500 annual rental, and does not apply to anv tenants who have leases for thirty-one years or upwards. The land lord mav always eiect a tenant for non payment of rent, but should he do so, he must pay him lor uis nnexnauswu im nrovemcnts. and no landlord of a farm of which the rent is over $250, can con tract himself out of the operation of the Act. Moreover, if the rent demanded, which the tenant is unable to pay, and for non-payment of which he has boon ejected, is in the opinion 01 tne court ex orbitant, it will be held to be a "dis- tnrbance." entitling the tenant to com nnnoation absolutely, whether he has anv unexhausted improvements or not, In addition to this, the Act makes legal in those parts of the country in which it already prevailed tho Ulster custom, or . r 1 a .1 41.- nnnnt Via tenant ngnt, wuiuu tjavo mo iv u riirht to sell the trood will of the farm, even in the absence of a lease. But the irooa of this has been largely neutral fzed in practice by the landlord's right lo raise the rent on the incoming tenant, and thus destroy the value of tho good will, so that it is absolutely necessary to establish tome tribunal competent to de cide what a fair rent is. Lemons. To be "twelve miles from a lemon, may be as muoh of a misfortune, after all, as Gail Hamilton represented it, fine of our exchanges publishes the fol lowing list of "uses" which would make the fruit almost a panacea and a cos- mntia besides. The lemon is a native of Asia, si though it is cultivated in Italy, Port ugal and the south of France. In Europe, however, it seldom exceeds the dimensions of the smallest tree, whilo in its native State it grows ninety feet in height. Every part of this tree is valuable medicine, though we rarely employ any of it but its fruit, and that is the lomon itself; and every one knows how to em ploy this, as in lemonade: Squeeze the juice in cold water, that is the shortest way, or to cut it in slices and boil it; either way is good. Lemonade is one of the best and safest dritks for any per son, whether in health or not. It is suitable to all stomach diseases, is excel lent in sickness, in cases of jaundice, gravel, liver complaint and fevers. It is a specifio against worms and akin com plaints. Lemon jnice is the best anti-scorbutio remedy known. It not only cures the disease, but prevents it. It also pre vents chilblains. Lemon is used in in termittent fevers, mixed with hot black tea or coffee, without sugar. 1 That U the late Oar. Tersons who have read "The Iuno cents Abroad," by Mark Twain, will re call his description of the meeting be tween the Emperor of Russia and the touriitts on the Qaaker City. This was in 1807. His description was exagger ated and intended to present only the funny side of everything. A gentleman who was with the party on that occasion, though not one of the excursionists, fur nishes a mstter-of-fact account of tho event, which, though not so funny as r . rr- : ... -1 . v Aiara inn u no uouut muuu nearer the truth. The Emperor had been no tified by the American consul at Odessa that a party of Americans wished to visit im, and an interview bad boon granted, to take place at Livadia. whero the Em peror had a summer palace. Shortly after the party had reached the appoint ed place the tmporor made bis appear ance, accompanied by the Empress, his only dsughtor, the prosont Duohess of Edingburg, and his two youngest sons, Sergius and Paul. The consul explained the object of thoir coming, introduced the tourists, and read the add boss. At the conclusion of the reading the Em peror took tho doonmont, thanked the company very cordially for their kindly feelings, and presented to them the Em press and his three children in the following words : "This is my wife, this is my daughter : these are my two youngest sons." The Empress talked with the ladies, and the Lmneror con versed with quite a numbor of the visi tors. After some time spent in this man ner, he said: "Uentlemen, would you like to see my house?" The answer, of oourse.was that nothing could give them greater pleasure. The Emperor and Empress led the way, passing through the (litlerent rooms, explaining every thing as they went on. After visiting the chspel, the inspection of the resi dence was finished in the imperial study, wIiam tin mi'iI "Tliia is tliA rnnm in which I do my work. This is the por trait of my father; that is the portrait of my eldest son, now dead; the oue oppo site is of my eldest living son. After a few words more he took leave of them, saying: "Perhaps you would like to visit my son's house." Prince Dolgo- rouky, formerly Minister of War.and two other gentlemon accompanied tueni. When that visit was over, the Americans were told that the Grand Duke Michael would like to soe them. All set out for Orlianda. the Grand Duke's rosidenoe He met them outside the house. All took off their hats, upon which he said. "Put on your hats, please, but come in.' Shortly after they entered the house lun cheon was served, the Grand Duke and wife passing from one table to another, conversing in English, and doing all in their power to make the guests feel at home. The visitors were charmed by tho refined hospitality and simple manners of their royal hosts, and especially with the fact that they were received on terms of perfeot equality, just as they would have been by auy well-bred American citizen. The incident is only one of many showing the warm and sincere re gard entertained by the royal family of llussia for America and Americans. Trials of Chinese Pupil. In Cincinnati there is a class of thirty Sunday-school pupils, all 01 whom are Chinese. At a recent festival an address was given by one of them, in which he pointed out how hard a thing going to school is in China: We have more letters in the alphabe in our language than you oould oount but only use from three thousand to three thousand five hundred, that is all. We do not commence to learn the alpha bet first, but learn it as we go along in our reading. The first thing we study is to read Confucius, our religion. The children who first start to school take but very few lessons from Con fucius. They are instructed by their teachers how to behave and what they ought to do for their parents, and how to pay good respect to strangers. The school-teacher bos lull cuarge 01 the children, and the parents have very little to do with them after they com mence to attend the school. After the first six months they begin to study Confuoius, and they study until they get through the lour lungs, rer haps the children can get through Con fucius and the lour ilings in turee or four years. Thenthevco to college if they can afford it. The four Kings are written by the disciples of Confucius. He had sev entv two where Christ had twelve. After breakfast we practice writing two hours. Then the writing-books are taken no to the teacher. We are not allowed to play or talk to any one in the school We all study out loud at the same time sons. and on different les- The teachers are very strict, and when it gets late and one cannot see to read, then school is ont. We are not allowed to ston on the way home, and if we do not do as the teaeher says, then we get a arood thrashing? with a number of small switohes tied together. . Yon will notioe that the Chinese when they pass along the street go quietly and mind their own business. It is be cause thov were brouaht np in that way. President Garfield two eldor sons Harry and James, are stalwart young western ftllows, and exceedingly intelli gent. They are studying energetically, with a tutor in a quiet room in tne w nne House, and are to enter Williams Col lege next September. Their Bister Mollie ia a clever vountr lady of fourteen, bright, yet a little ehv, and the possessor of a remarkably handsome pair of large expressive eyes. She is fond of music, and the sound of her piano sometimes penetrates pleasantly into tne room haunted by the dismal and anxious office seeaers. Those who have seen Miss Genevieve Ward noon the stacre in the character of "Stechania" have a very good idea of I how the Empress Eugenie looked in the days before her rich hair became white and the wrinkles traced by sorrow be came deen. The resemblance is a mar velous one. Tha nnhanov widow of I Louis Napoleon ia said to have grows gravely sedate; her enowy hair is gath ered back smoothly over her forehead, and her dress is the simplest and plainest imaginable. Hope is ever young. Hope ia always represented as woman. Geor(e Harris. Uncle Tom's Cabin" is a story famil iar to almost every household in the land. For years children have Borrowed over the treatment of the poor old slave, wept that tho good little Eva should dio, and shuddered with horror at the heartless oruolty of Simon Lgroe. It will be of genoral interest doubtless, to state that the man to whom Mrs. Stoweis indebtod for the incidents of the famous story is iu the citr. He is Mr Lewis George Clarke, of Oberin, Ohio, and he wast he original of George Harris, the slave in Uncle Tom a Cabin, who escaped irom the cruel task -masters and made his way North. Mr. Clarke, is a mulatto bright and intelligent and about sixty-six years of ago. His slave life was spent in Kentucky; sold at puuuo auc tion, he made his escape, experiencing many of the adventures detailed in the novel. He made his way to Massachu setts, and for several yeara lived with Mr. A. U. Stafford,' a relative of Mrs. Btowe's at Cambridgoport. Here he met the novelist in 1843. tihe talked to him frequently of his formor Ufa of servitude and learnod irom him many inioresuug facta of slave life intheSonth. From the information thus gleaned, tho world famous story of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was written, and its immortal cnaiaoters eruatod. Mr. Clarke says that Mrs. Stowe did not reproduce in hor book any one character entire from his story, but with the iermiBsable freedom 0! the novelist, ned the traits and characteristics of several people of whom he had told her into one person. Thus while the cruel Simon Legree did not exist in real lifo just as he was pictured, thore were sev eral hard-hearted siave ownors 01 wuum ha told her. who did everything that Legree does in the novel. The men who togothor furnished the material for this charactor were "Uevu Adams, 01 iioca castle county. Ky. : Tom Kennedy, John Gill and William and Archy Woods, of Garrett county. The sad adventures 01 unoio 10m wera oxoenonoed py turee sisTe u agod negro named Tom, owned by J, Bunton. of Kontuckv: Be v. Josiah Hen son. now a well known colored preacher, and Sam Peter, a slave who was actually whipped to doath. VI the late 01 i'cier, Mr. Clarke claims to have positive knowlodce and proof. For the kind master Kt. Clair. Mrs. Stow wss indebt ed to stories of Mr. Caldwell Campboll, James Spillman, J. H. Letcher, Joseph Letohor. lNixon i'ainier ana w 1111am Beard! all native born Kontuckians, ex oept the latter, who was an Irishman . . . ..- as' '11 l. the best lnsuinan, said air. iiare, I ever knew." Children will be glad to of the two little girls loam that one whose kind hearts and angolio natures made little Eva happy still lives. She is now the Widow Logan, of Stanford, Ky She was Mary Ann Banton. ' The other little Eva, long since dead, was Annie Campbell, sister of Caldwell Campbell. Said Mr. Clarke: "Thore was a Topsy on every plantation in the South; there was no dearth of material for such a character." One Topsy. of whom he talked to Mrs. Stowe, was house ser vant in the family where he was owned, Her mistress was in the habit of bump- iu? the eirl's head against the stone door jamb for minor offenses, and the bruises resulting afleotod her iieauu, anu sue finally died from their effects. Cinoln nati Commercial. Luck fur Two. About 10 o'olook yesterday morning an officer walked an old vag to tne cen tral Station to have his case attended to, and he was locked np with a prisoner arrested at an earlier hour. The two looked at each other pretty hard for a minute, and then the lust arrival said: "Mv name ia Htevens. "And mine is Thomas," replied the other. . . 'Well, Thomas, what are you in here for?" Vauranev " "No! Ho m I. I was awfully afraid you were in here for somo high-toned offense and would not care ior mj ouw pany. How'a your clothes? " verv roor. "Goodf Soaremino. nave you got any money? SO." 'Neither have I. Will anybody help you out?" "JNO. "Snlondidl We'll both go up togother. Have you had a good washing yet this "Not a wasu. "Neither have I. Hanged if .there i.n't a bond of svmnathv between us! What will you do after we get out of the cooler? "I'm coin or to tramp "Are you? That's my line exactly, and we'll 00 snooks and work' alternate houses. Soy-Thomasl" "Yes!" "We're in luck. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred one of us would have turned out to be a bank-defaulter or an embezzling clerk who'd have snoered at our clothing, found fault with our Eng lish, and wanted to wash tnreeumesa day. Say, Thomas, lets embrace and go halvos on tobacco." Thomas lieing willing, thoy embraced and made a fuir division 01 the last cnew Detroit Free Press, 11- The Sinuosities of Washington Et qiujitc. Knnutnr fthernian's wife returned to her old reception day. Thurrday, prompt ly after her husband again became a sen ator. During his four years' service in the cabinet she received on Wednesdays. Mrs. Blaine and Mrs. Sherman have acain ex changed reception days. While Mr. Blaine was Speaker his w.fe received . . - . en WH and than Mr. n her man was a senator, so his wife received on Thursdays. . When Mr. Sherman entered the cabinet and Mr. Blaine the senate, their wives changed their reception days, and now that their positions are again re versed, the exchange has again been made. Both ladies laugh merrily over mM changes in their positions in regpAct etci, other they havo under gone in Washington in eighteen years without their friendship altering at all. The absurdity of Washington et iquette in the matter of first calls can not be better illustrated than by men tioning bow these two ladies have sev eral times reversed their positions with respect to which should make the first call on the other. When Mr. Elaine first came hare he was a member of the Ilousa of Representatives, and Mr. Sherman a Senator, so Mrs. Blaine had to make the first call each year on Mrs. Bhernian. When Mr. Blaine be came Speuker it was Mrs. bherraau duty to call first on Mrs. Blaine. When he ceased to be Speaker and was still a member of the Uouse, the old omur 01 things was restored. Then Mr. Blaine went into tht Benate and Mr. Sherman Into tha cabinet, and the order for first calls was again reversed, and now.as Mr. Blaine is in the cabinet and Air. oner man in the Senate, it again became Mrs. Blaine's duty to make a call on Mrs. Hherman. This she promptly did, and Mrs. Shormau returned it on Mrs. Blaine's first reception day as the wife of a cabinet officer. Miss Grundy's letter to Philadelphia l imns. Night been In the flower;. No part of New York ia more pictur esque at night than the Bowery, with its fruit stands ugntea oy Daring tamp, w beer gardens, its multitudinous drinking shops, iU small hotels with big signs, its pawn shops, and street venders 01 an kinds. It is the groat thoroughfare and markot place for a large proportion of the foreign born population 01 new York, and one hears from the passers-by strange mingling of foreign tongnes. A large majority of tho shop signs bear Gorman names. Thore is also a lartre French element in the Bowery, which, togother with tha German, has developed the idea ot cafe lifo. The bills of fare at the entranoes of tho cafes, with prlcoH annoxed, show .. . . . if. 1. i. .1.1. that lood anu unun obd imj uuiuh within at very moderate prioos. There are also establishment where one can order an expensive meal, cooked by ex perts 01 Parisian training; put tue mora modest places attract the majority of Bowery purses. On a Saturday night the Bowery is in its best trim for the sight-Beer. As soon as it grows dusk, the fruit wagons and othcV "stands" begin to show thoir flar ing torches of smoky kerosono, and tne venders shout forth descriptions of their wares, and extol the wondorful cheap- ness. Here you win unci ruiuuuun ui oranges, lemons, eto., (oft ovor from the diiv'i business in the down-town markets closing oat at anysaorifioe, in view of the fact that low of them woum aeep over Sunday; and here and thore vendors of all aorta 01 patent soaps, quaoa meui cines, eto., each holding forth to a curi ous knot of customers, whose faces wear a singular aspect in the glare ot theker- oseiio lights. Among the attractions 01 tue Dowory iirA tliA various "museums, wnere au gorts of queer and monstrous curiosities Minted for the special delight of the small boy. There may be Been tue well-known fat woman of portentoua size, the Circassian girl with her wonder ful head of hair, dwarfs, man-axe apes, monkeys, pioturos of thrilling and im possible adventures, while theatrical rep resentations and musical performanoea very the entertainment. These places are generally well patronized, and the visi tor is well repaid who goes in to Btudy he money audiences. uaryui a, What a Sailor Said His Honor had before him at the Cen- 1 tral Station Court, a long-leggod, bow back man with a high-pitohed voice who said he was a sailor. . , what are vou sailing around here for, before navigation has oponed?" Well, you see, my nameisruuv. Got that down?" "Yes." "Well, my first name is Sam. You can spell Sam, I suppose?" ..ir' . ' . Ulln an1 T nAll xes; you aro ouu uuii, both names." ... Well. I was up the lakeonopping wood. The other day I got tired 01 that work and came down to Bee what the prospects were. Says I to myself 'May be there'll be work and maybe there won't be work, but we'll glide down to Detroit. " And you glid?" Yes, and whon I got hore I says: 'Twon't be no time lost, lor u you don't get work you can get on a nig drunk" "And so you got drunk? "Yes. And when I found I was get ting drunk I Bays to Sam Flint: 'Sam, mv boy. they charge as muou ior unw drunk os a big one,' and bo Sam got a And what did you Bayr Well, whon I was hauled in I says to myself: 'Samuol, you are booked lor thirty days or I'm a gost, but you will save railroad fare and be handy by whoa the season opens.' .... ., "And did Bam say anyunnj i" vu" "Not a word, yor Honor, but ho grin ned and looked pleased. If I wero you I'd lift him for a montn. But His Honor wpuldn't. He turnod him ont in the spring slush to go baok to his chopping. The Fire Temples or the Parsers. In a recent article on India, Prof. Monior Williams says: Th nrlnninal fire temnles I visited at Bombay, Surut and Poona did not differ extornally from . smull private houses surroundod by their compounds. I was not allowed to View tueir exierum -rongements, but was told that an or dinary temple consists of two oblong quadrangular rooms set apart by a parti tion, one room being set apart for the fire sanctuary, or holy 01 nones, anu mo other assigned to lay worshipers. In the large temples there are oiten omer rooms for the performance of certain cer emonies. The sanctum sanctorum has a large central stone, on whioh rests the iirA AAniiip friii ill 1 ii 1 11 v 1.1 in (MM, a uia f, hnrnin and fed 1 u,r . ; , Ha arm mimic witn imoriUKa w m- wood and gums, such as sandal-wood, benjamin and frankincense. Sometimes a goat is killed, not saorinoially, but for the sake of its fat, which ia dried and throwi into, the embers, on special occa sions, to produce a brilliant flame. The priests, called Mobeds, who ate always present in the sanctuary, have a pieoe or fine linen oloth (called Penom.or Panam) tied in front of the nostrils and mouth, to prevent the risk of polluting the fire by their breath or saliva while reciting the customary prayers. Of a miserly man somebody wrote: His bead gave way, but his hand never did. His brain eoftened, but his heart eonldn't.