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About The Eugene City guard. (Eugene City, Or.) 1870-1899 | View Entire Issue (July 28, 1883)
TBI OLD WHOLE BW) 0 tli o'.d trani: bed where WUpl ho sbf-t What Moopkd kins mtbt Vilc-M Ire J .; ? The (lory tod o' "'' alam'itr ol miiir. Lit !. I rc-lou ! 13 Ilia Ik. 10 divlli. Tbaqoilui, E-kuIj cvucta, lildJcu 0io (rim ( light. But dilDtllTdrurn from V bMlnt. V. n!t . O, t Drucl dw (til from lh luoi i.ith lr I ' u in qur mil, dear UUle, iruodi b a! O. the old IroniTe bd. whf re I on1rnnj Th"iUirouh Ibewiuduw, Slid lllcu4 "lib Ta lb Jib of the wind- m Ihty irrmbllnily erctK Tbroufb b tree where Uie loaiu rwiu-wi? Wbere I ?eid lb low nmrnurooi cheep tf Uie wren. , And the kmtidld llillf-'y chirrup snln. Till my Auidugrtw to'nl eod wrrt dnwrf'y 1-1 Tbrouf h the mvOf Uie dreaini of lb old uundl Ltd. O.theold trundle bd! 0. Iheold trundl W! Wlln iu plump uiu iuiiuw hi uivi-i""-- pred: t.. .-.... hii. ikon anil lh blarkeuatoT. Smoothed donri tod lucked rounj nb tbe tnucbMiilote; Tbe voice ol my mother to lull me to i'rep Wlih the old firy it-jrles my meionnei k.ep citm hia iIijm iiit hirniin bVr lh bend Onoe botd wlih my owo t'er tb oid triiud'.e bed. TOLD BT A DETECTIVE. In tome of tbe isles of (Le Pacific it is not uncommon for tbe spider, while io tbe act of leiziog and lacking tbe heart's blood of a tender and juicy fly, to Le himself pounced upon by a larger insect peculiar to tbe clime. Laying as keen a jest for raw spider aa tbe spider Las for fresh fly. Nature repeaU it-elf io all its grades and conditions. Unman spiders abonnd among my acquaintance, bnt then, fortunately, the spider devourer occasionally crops np in tbo same class. Sometime this devourer is created by the devourer himself reared aud frit tered like a dreadful and vengeful Frankenstein out of Lis own sin but more often they spring np naturally aa noxious weeds, junt to keep us in ac tivity, or act as a curb on their kind. In passing through one of the fashion able squares oue day about noon, on business which admitted of little delay, I yu surprised to see one of the most cun ning rogues within my km ascend the ateps of a big house and ring the bell as coolly as if the residence Lad been Lis own. I'etei Ilart was ono of those ex - ceediDgly cautious and deep rascals who will flourish and fatten where a fox would starve. lie could never be caught napping or booked for anything like the sentence he deserved, from the fact that be never personally conducted any oper ation which he could conveniently trans fer to a fitting tool. Ilia "cat-paws" might come and go, but it seerueu that Peter's liberty might flow on forever. That was the man whom I saw ascend tbo steps of that fine residence. What Elant was tbo villiau after there? My uiiness was urgent, but the effrontery of the knave pointed so clearly to some carefully-planned crime, that I instinct ively slackened my paco to watch if Le should outer the bouso. Unfortunately, I bad been almost upon biiu bufore aware of his identity, so tiiero wus tic opportunity of conoeitlnient before bis quick eyes, ever on the alert, hud turned round and taken iu Lis position at a glance. Peter's impression probably was that I Lad been following him all the way from his bouse, tie might huvo known me hotter. Had tbo meeting bnon anything but a purely aoci lentul ono I should never have allowod him to get a glimpse, of mo, more especially at that critics' moment. I fully expected I'oter to cavo iu at the first glimpso of mo, and slink off from tbo bouse at his smartest ; out to my sur prise, he only bestowed npoD mo a pat ronizing wink and a confident grin, and stood still to await the answering cf his ring. Ilia coolness did not seem to me that of sheer impudeuco or audacity. It seemed to be boastful and exultant aa much aa if bo Lad said, "Ah, Jim, what a lot of trouble you've bad for nothing. Hero I'm safe from you; just try me and seo." There vus something irritating in the challenge, although it was given only by look, and, iu spite of my auxiety to get away, I determined to wait a little, and post-ibly to do the very thing Le de fled mo to attempt. I therefore only passed on slowly, far enough to Lour the 'door oponed, then I turned, never ex pecting to see him admitted. The cun ning rasoal was watching me all tho time, and possibly guessing my thoughts, for when 1 looked round he wts being admitted by the smart servant, and in the act of disappearing favored me with another exulting grin and wink, which aaid as plainly as words could Lave done, "Sold for once, Jim." I did not believe it, and determined to lot all other business stand that I might aee tbe end of thia adventure. With this object I loitered about, never with in eight of tbe windowa of the bouse, yet always Laving my eyes on tho front door till Teter reappeared. There was no name on the' door of tbe house he Lad entered, but by questioning a servant who passed, I learned thst tbe occupant or owner was Matthew Bannister, who had taken aome degrees at college and was a kind of aavan in chemistry. The gentleman waa well known to me by reputation, and the moment his name waa mentioned I swiftly decided that Peter Hart's visit to the house oould have no connection with him. Mr. Bannis ter Lad a young and beautiful wife, who had bestowed not only herself and her love upon the somewhat elderly aavan, but a fortune as well; but she came of a high family, and I aa emphatically de cided that Peter's visit could have no connection with her. There then re mained only the servants, and. knowing Peter's reputation and his modes of working, I quickly decided that ho was in aoiiusion with aome ol them, and working out aome scheme entirely un known to their employers. Peter did no', remain long in the house possibly ten minutes at the most; and when he did appear I thought best to be out of eight. To my aurpriso he Iiaa no bundle or trace ol one about kim; nor did "Lis person appear more bulky tuan when be had entered. He looked carefully around in every direc tion for me, of course and, apparent ly slightly relieved at seeing no one, started off iu the direction he had eome. Ha made hia way to tbe West Side, where he entered a favorite saloon. Not two minutes later the boy came out with something like a bank note in his hand, and, knowing tbe boy well, I stopped to make inquiries for Peter. "Where are) 70a running to now?" I arelewly asked, not wishing to be too sudden in my questions. . "To gel change for twenty-dollar nn " he smart! v answered, with a pecu liar wink, at the ssrae time opening the fnn note for wv inspection. "We've lots of change, but it's safer to tiy a big note outside." I examined the note carefully aod rmiml it to be netfectlv Pennine. "Yon might have risked it with that one, I said at last, uanuing it w "Who offered it?" "Ah, that's just it," ssld the boy; "even a good note tsnt quite sale irom him; it waa Peter Uart. You'll know him, I guess?" "Oh, indeed. ""I cried, with a start and a thrill of satisfaction. "lie offered this to bs changed, did Le? Then yon needn't bother going any further witu it. 1 particularly want to see Peter." The boy w as quite accnsiomeu 10 sucu events and did not seem surprised. We entered the shop together and tho boy conducted me to the box in which sat Peter. I bad in my hand tbe twenty dollar note. Peter bad in his hand a glass of brandy, which be was in tbe act of raising with manifest gusto to his lips. lie was transfixed in the act, mire by anger it seemed to me than fear. "This is yours, isn't it?" I said pleas antly, whereupon be scowled moot ma lignantly. "Yes, it's mine,'" ho said, with an oath at me which, being quite undeserved, need not bo put down. "What do you want with it? It's good enough, isn't it?" "I believe so. Whero did you get it?" "What's that to you?'' was tbo bully ing response. I folded np the note and put it into my pocket, and then produced my band cuff. "Everything in tbo world," I replied. "You must either answer that to me or put on these before answering it to the judge." Slightly disconcerted, bnt still defiant, Le thought for a moment and then said: "Well, I got it from a gentleman a friend of mine I waa a-calling on this morning." "His name?" Mr. Banuistcr," he auddenly re sponded, after another pause. "I boliove yon! I returned, with marked skepticism. "You had better say no more, for you will have to go with me." Peter lost his temper, and said he would seo me very much altered first, bnt be didn't, llo was foolish enongh to resist, so I got another man, and after much kicking and struggling on Peter s part we landed him at the Central cflice. This resistance seemed so utterly unlike him his usual conduct being cheerful and polite to an irritating degree that I rashly considered that for once I had caught him napping, and that by the merest accident. At tho oll!ce I stated all tbo facts bow I bad seen Peter euteriug the liouso of Mr. Bannister, and watched him lcaviug it, ami knowing bis character and ante cedents had followed him and arretted him pussinj a twenty dollar note, for the possession of which be could not prop erly account. Peter, on being searched, was found to have in Lis possession nearly $20 more in small bills, thus clearly proving that tho changing of tho largo note had been a matter of choice or policy, not ueoessity. However, he boldly declared that ho had got all the nioucy, in the way of business from his very good friend Mr. Bannister, and be wus put in tho cells till I should go over to thaf. gentleman to nuko inquiries. What the "business" was for which ho hud been paid 10 be refused to state, and I concluded that tho business existed only in Peter's imagination. When I reached tho bouse and was shown in thn impression I hud formed was strengthened. Everything iu the place seemed so stately und grand that I could not conctivo how the possessor could be beholden to such a crinie staincd wretch as Peter Ilart. Mr. Ban nister appeared at length, and accom panied by his amiablo young wife, I studied their faces closely as they en tered, and it struck me thut that of the husband was careworn, fearful and anxiously watchful in expression; tHat of the young wife looked teuderly solicitous, and Bomewhat saddened and subdued. "I have called about rather an awk ward business," I at length said, not knowing very well how to begin. I am connected with tho detective Btaff " I would have proceeded to say that I Lad watched and arrested Peter as already described, but I was at that juncture interrupted in a manner alto gether unexpected. The gentleman, who had an appearance at once refined and dignified, started back ut tbe mention of my name, with his face as suddenly changed to a deadly and anguished ex pression as if be Lad been at the moment stabbed to the heart. lie seemed ready to drop to the floor in his pitiful agony, and his wife saw the change even before my eyes had taken it in. "Oh. Matthew I dearest!" she cried, starting forward, with her own face flashing almost as white as his own. "What ia wrong? What is to happen jou?" I scarcely caught his answer, it was so huskily spoken, but it seemed to me something like: "The very worst that could happen me." Then the young wife gave a low moan and fell slowly forward into his arms. She had fainted, and her very helplesa ness, I believe, was all that kept him in his senses. Mr. Bannister rang the bell for a servant and had hia wife removed, and then with a blanched face turned to me and said: "Now, sir, I am ready to attend to you. Will you state your busi ness with me?" "A man named Peter Ilart entered your house this morning, and shortly after left, having in bis possession ?t0 in bills, which he declared had been given him by you. Ia this actually the case?" I had expected Mr. Bannister's face to lighten nu and express astonishment as I proceeded ; but instead it became darker and more troubled. "Why do yon ask?" he at length an swered, in a helpless tone. "Because we know him to be a daring oriminal, and suspect that the money was obtained by robbery and possibly with out your knowledge." "Is that all that brought you hem?" be demanded, with a look of intense re lief. "Did he make no other statement of any kind?" "None, except that we could refer the matter to you for confirmation of his statement, and for that purpose) I have called." "Ob. if that is all " he readily an s we red, looking now positively radiant. "I can readily relieve your anxioty. I did pay him tbe money, freely and will iottly. for work done." "f or work done?" I echoed, a good deal stormed and thoroughly pnzzled "Have you any objection to aay what kind of work it wa7 T have. It i not necessary to go into details," he coldly returned. "You are aware, then, of the character of tlrt man yon have employed?" I con tinued, with undisguised disappoint ment. "I believe him to be a scoundrel," he faintly and somewhat wearily answered. "I know nothing of his private character, and care less." "Then we are to conclude that we have made a mistake in arresting him, and that we have no just cause for de Uioing him," I pursued trying in vain to read in bis face tbe real secret. "Exactly. You hare made a mistake; but it was a natural one on your part, seeing, as you say, that tbe man is a professed criminal," he decidedly re sponded. "By tbe way," ho added with animation, "I wonder that a man like you does not lay such a rascal by tbe heels. Is be too clever for even you':" "That remains to be seen," I dryly re turned. "He will not bo at liberty" one moment longer than I can help it." "I am glad to hear you say that," said the gentleman, shaking me warmly by the hand. "When you do get him, and make certain of bis conviction, come to me aod I will put a $50 note in your band." "Honor among thieves!" waa my con temptuors thought. "There is some bond of villainy between tbe two, and now this man wants to get rid of bis loech. I wonder if I could not take them both?" I left the house, after bidding Mr.Ban nister a not over-gracious farewell, and Peter Hart waa promptly set at liberty, with much crowing and exultation on his part. Tbe next day or two I spent chiefly in trying to guess the nature of the hold which Peter exercised over tbe gentleman. That be was tbe spider and Mr. Bannister the fly I felt certain after making some inquiries regarding the character of the latter. Mr.Bunnister was spoken of by all as the soul of honor and goodness. I was more than disappointed at hsing Peter I was angry; for in leaving be did not scruple to say some nasty things concerning my capacity ,and to hint with lordly fashion that any other attempt to interfere with him would be followed by a letter "from bis lawyer." I replied, in the irritation of the momen.that I should probably inter fere w ith him before long iu such a way that his lawyer would be powerless to help him or injure us. I ought not to havo spoken so rashly, but then I felt so sayage; but as good luck would have it, tho very boldness of my threat added to my reputation when the spider de vourer bad adjusted things nicely in my bands. To tho spider-devourer I now come, though, of course, I did not at first re cognize him in that character. Not many days after Peter's leloaso I wus accosted by a sharp-witted fellow, pretty well knowu to me, named DickMcQueec. Dick was not a thief, bnt one who lived chiefly by billards and cards. He had beau waiter, groom, cab driver, and I knew not what nil by turns, and was nl'ot as keen Ja bludo as it is possible to become by coutinually rubbing edges with others as sharp. He was always poor, and I thiuk was partly supported by relatives at a distance. "I believe you said you'd take Tetcr n.irt before long." he said to me, after sotno of tho preliminary talk which con jurors and men of the w orld use to throw 0110 off his guard. "Did 1?" was my careless reply. "You'll never do it single-handed," he darkly continued, "but, if you could make it worth my while I'm ready to give you the straight tip, which will book hiui for twenty years." "What do you mean?" "Twenty years to him is surely worth $100 to mi'?''1 be suggestively returned. "Perhaps; but I nm not in a position to offer anything; in eed, I'd rather do the work myself." "Yon can't, for Peter's got a gent at bis back who'll stand any amount of bleeding, and be docsn't.need to put out a band now. Now, if yon could only help me to find out who that gent is, I believe he'd stand a pony to get rid of Peter." I watched Dick's face keonly for some moments in silenos. "You don't know who that gent is, then?" I said at last, suspiciously. "No; I've tried hard to find out, and I've watched Peter all over town to no purpose. Ho's too fly for me." "Have you any idea what bold Peter bas upon the gent?" I asked, after a pause to think. Dick bestowed upon me one of tbe most snperlatively cunning winks that humanity could create. "I've an idea," he curtly answered. "Well, what is its nature?" "Look hero, you're a detective, and pretty fly, but you don't come it ao easy over me," he retorted sharply, but with out any anger. "I'll swap secrets with you, there I Nothing could be fairer, could it? You find out tho gent's name and address and gi' me them, and then I'll tell you what hold Peter bas on him." "Is it anything in connection with that hold which is to book Peter for twenty years?" I quietly continued. "Ob.no; that's a different affair alto gather a job Peter did years ago in Bos ton. I was there at the time, and knew all about it, and Pm the only one who has the real tip in his bands." "Why are you so anxious to get rid of rctcr?" I presently inquired. "Have yon quarreled?" "No, not exactly; but Peter cheated me ont of a dolUr months ago, and I've never forgotten it, nor never will." A dollar! Taney a man being threat ened with twenty years entombment probably tbo whole term of his life through cheating a companion out of a miserable dollar! If Peter had only known that a spider-devourer was on his track, would he not have hastened to place a whole heap of dollars at his ene my's disposal, ami have abjectly craved his pardon aa well? I took the proposal of Diek nnder ad visement, and shortly decided to let him have the desired information. J bad first made a visit to Mr. Bannister, and found him not only willing, bnt eager, to pay $100 to any one who would give such information as would lead to Peter's inearceratiou, conditionally, of course, that his name did not spear in the case. I made no conditions, but al lowed Dick to make his own terms. Bo fore I gavo Lim Mr. Bannister's name and address I inistd on being told what hold Peter had upon that gentle man, when Dick readily answered: "Do you know Bell Diamond she who's said to bo Peter's sister, though her name's different? Well. I don't know 11 the onts and ins of it, but Bell is said to be that gent's real and lawful wife." "Neverl" "A fact. I believe. Peter's got all tbe papers aomewbere to prove it. They were married quite young twenty yeara ago, at least when Bell wasn't such a harridan as she looks now." The moment this information was ten dered I regretted my compact. What, thongh I sent Dick to Mr. Bannister and the money was cheerfully paid, if ths ar ret! and imprisonment of the gentloman himself on a charge of bigamy followed? The very execution of my duty would then look, in the eyes of those most in terested, as an act of tho deepest treach ery. There was no going back, however, sad I could ouly hope that Dick had been misled or mistaken. The same af ternoon Dick appeared at tbo office and gave minute details of a daring forgery case in which Peter Hart bad been en gaged some time before. The facts were so striking that we were fora time doubt ful of their reality and telegraphed for information. Tbe answer put at rest every doubt. Two men had been tried, and convicted in connection with the af fair, but they were mere tools and the principal bad escaped. That man waa said to be Peter Hart, changed only in name, and an officer able to identify tbe real culprit was on his way to meet me when the replj had been dispatched. So far Dick's information seemed valu able and accurate, and with tbe greatest alacrity and delight I went for Peter Hart, whom I found sitting at his easo in bis inn the same saloon in which tbe former arrest bad taken pla.-e. He re turned my salutation rather sternly and hauchtily. and resumed his game with the air of a man who was certain to be the last to be "wanted" by me. "I'm waiting on Toe, Peter," I at longth pointedly remarked. "Oh, you are, are you?'' he snappishly and defiantly answered, jumping up with the greatest readiness. "Perhaps you'll tako me to the office and lock me up as you did before, and risk me bringing an action of damages against you and the rest of 'em? Perhaps you'll be kind enough to call iu a policeman to hit me over the head and arms like as he did the last time, eh?" And after this scathing and satirical outburst he paused for breath to pose grandly before his friends, thinking, doubtless, that he had quite cowed and overawed me. "There is a man at the door." Iquietly answered, bringing out my bracelets, "but he won't have to hit you over the bead, unless you act as foolishly as you did the last time. You're not afraid of these?'' "Afraid of them? Not mo. I want them on I want them on badly. See, I'll put them on mysjlf. Now take me away and abuse me, and lock me up, and then take the consequences." Delighted to find that his facetious mood made iiim so pliant, I obeyed him in every particular, and Peter's exultant smile only faded when the first two or three questions had been put to him at the ofiico. The moment "Boston" was mentioned Lis jaw fell, and he fixed npon me a look of hatred most il itteiing and pleasing to me. On searching the lining of Peter's coat, we came npon a flit packet of papers. There were some six or seven letters, and a properly au thenticated certificate of marriage, all proviug that Isabella Diamond had been courted and married some twenty years before by Mathew Bannister. Peter's rage had been working up during the search and he now shouted ont that he knew who set that "bloodhound," as be was pleased to name myself, on bis track, and, after a burst of the most awful lau Riiage, be wound up by accusing Mr. Bannister of having two wives living, and commanded us to go and arrest the gentleman as smartly as wo hail arrested the rogue. When the papers bad been discovered I fully expected to have that disagreea ble task to perform. The whole case seemed clear and tbe proof positive to my mind, for I had seen tho workings of the hidden springs from the first. But the law has certain forms of its own; and I was sent first to Bell Diamond's herself, who was the proper per bou to make the charge. To my sur prise, though she gave vent to rage and vituperation over the capture of Mr. Peter, she most positively refused to charge Mr. Bannister with bigamy; nay, in tbe very face of the discovered papers she swore most positively that she had never been married in ber life, and bad never spoken to Mr. Bannister. My firm conviction, upon bearing this extraor dinary denial, was that Bell bad a spark of generosity in ber breast, low as she bad fallen, and wished to save the man who had once loved ber from the igno miny of a prison; but in that I was very far mistakan. Bell was actuated by a very different motive a desire to get well out oi an awkward plight and a very threatening complication. The secret was partly laid bare by referring to Mr. Bannist-r, but it was not wholly made clear till long after. Mr. Bannister bad really married a girl named Isabella Diamond, who drifted away from him and was lost sight of That lost wife, after sinking lower and lower, died in a lodging house in New York, in which Peter Hart and bis sister at that time lived. Nelly Hart was in trouble and likely tu be taken, and the name of tbe dead woman was boldly given in as Helen Hart, while tbe living owner took the name of Bell Diamond, as well as the papers left by her, and van ished in tbe direction of Chicago. There they remained for aome time, till, by merest accident, they discovered that Mr. Bannister was newly married, and conceived the plan of frightening him into paying backmail, under the idea that his lost wife was still alive. When there is real love there is alwsys perfect trust, and Mr. Bannister had confided the whole story of his life to the devoted girl who had laid ber all at his feet, and it waa this knowledge and ths idea that ths waa to be tors from him foraver which bad caused her terrible agitation and swoon on ths occasion of my first visit to ths hense. n.i tt..i Jul rwpived his sentence of twenty years, and Dtck McQueen, the spider-devourer, as I may name bim, was avenged of bis dolltr, Colonel BranwE. A' very interesting bit ofpersoual and general history, enpeeially to the resi dents of New Mexico and the Rio Grande valley, is the fact that Colonel David Branson, now a resident of this pice, is tbe man who fought the last battle and gave the last order to cease firing at the close of tho war of tho rebel lion, and did it at the mouth of New Mexico's great river, the Bio Grande. The battle was fongbt on May 12 and 13, 18t3. Colonel Branson was sent out from the general camp on Brazos Island with a mixed command of about 300 men from the second Texas cavalry, dis mounted; first Missouri, colored, and tbe twenty-fourth Indiana, to capture a herd of cattle for the une of the troops. While out he was attacked by a force of about 500 Texas cavalry with artillery, under General Slaughter and General Ford. During tbe night a war chip ar rive! off the harbor with tbe ners of the surrender of Kirby Smith, tho last if the confederate force 1 in tho flnl.1 nl nnnsenuentlr the ond of the war. General Barrett, tho commander of of the garrison, ordered Colonel .Branson to cease firing and return, which being impossible on account of tho pressure of a superior force and the well known enmity on their part toward the colored troops and southern white union troops, the engagement was con tinued, though the unionists retired, fighting, toward the island. Gen. Bar rett came to tbe rescue on tho 13th with a small reinforcement, and the fight back to the island occupied all that day. Near sunset, as General Barrett was crossing the ferry with the main body, the attack was renewed npon tbe rear guard, in command of Captain Coffin. Colonel Branson bad just gone back to the guard and the enemy were repulsed; the last battle of the war was over. Then it was that Colonel Branson.who had boon informed of the good tidings rirnnMit ht tlm war shin in the offintr. - - o j 1 " ' and fully comprehending its importance and tl'O historical signincance 01 mat day's work, with himself as a modest thniifh consnicnous fisnre in the closinc scene of the great tragedy, gave the or der to "cease nnng, witn prorjamy deeper feeling than be ever before gave a military order, and gratefully sheathed the sword that bad for five years been tbe symbol cf command through the Moodiest war of the ages, never again, he bepes, to draw it in deadly conflict with his fellow mau. Turning to Capt. Coffin, he scntontiocsly, and with an animation he can never feel again, re marked, "That wiuds up tbe war;-' when tho captain replied, with equal empha ais, "Yes, and I thauk God vie are alive." The impressive scene closed as the sun was hiuking behind tbe sand hills on the western bank of the Bio Grande and the Hulf of Mexico, and wus witnessed by interested crowds of men perched in the rigging i t the eighty men-of-war and other shipping anchored in the ofllng and flying the flags of nearly every nation on earth. Albuquerque Journal. An Electric Sluice Box. We witnessed this morning tho opera tion cf a nev style of sluice box, to bo used on mill tailings and iu washing gravel. The appliance is a new one.tuo patent on which has been applied for by C. II. Wetzel and F. J. Taylor. The sluice box used is the ordinary shape and size, and in the bottom of which are arranged wedge shaped riffles, two abreast, but with the ends reversed in every set, The rilUes are each about a foot long, and all are covered with a sheet of zioo and copper, tho copper be ing next to the wood. The copper plate has the zinc fastened to it so that the zinc is pot allowed to touch either the r.filea or the side of the box. In this w.iy it is claimed that an electric current is generated that precipitates and catches a!l mineral in solution pussiug iff in the tailings, and at the same time a stronger affinity is created between the mineral in its natural state and the plates. The reversed motion given the water and pulp in its passage through tho sluice box, by means of the alternated wedge-shaped rilUes, will.it is conceeded.brirtg every particle of mineral iu transit iu contact with plates, which, being charged with both electricity and quicksilver, will seize and bold tbe same. There is also sus pended in the sluice box with a small wheel with copper arms tnat are also charged. The current of water passing underneath this wheel revolves it, thus again bringing a charged copper surface id contact with the "slimes" and floating mineral in the water. Those two lat ter substances have baffled tbe efforts of millmen in times past to successfully work them. At tbe end of the sluice box is arranged a reservoir, copper-lined, into which all the pulp is emptied. In the center of the reservoir a gate is placed that prevents any pnlp from run ning off into the waste pipe nntil it bas been churned and brought in contact with the metal lining, which gives the apparatus still another chance to seize w hat mineral snar have avoided contact above. Mr. Taylor is making a test of the invention on tailings at the Centen nial mill, and a cumber of mining and milling men who have witnessed its ope ration have high opinions of its merits and speak eonfidently of its success. Inter-Mountain, Butte, M. T. . Joha Brlght's Fan. This gentleman was recently enter tained at big breakfast given in h s honor by his admiring constituents. In return he entertained them with a speech of some two hours' duration. Bather a long breakfast talk, it is true; but he kept the Mayor of Birmingham and some two hundred and fifty guests in peals of laughter throughout. He wts in tbe most exuberant of spirits, hoping that the atmosphere of commendation and praise in which he had been living an en tire week might not impair the simpli city and tbe moderation of character which Le had always although, per haps, not successfully endeavored to preserve. Ho was particularly facetious ia allusions to the So 1 Canal and Chan nel Tunnel; and in hie reference to the Uttr he spoke of "a very remarkable man." J. C. Dyer, an American by birth, bnt who had lived nearly half a century in England, dying . fot , . " Manaheator nt ago n... Dyer had left in, po Bright a package of XStl Mf Mr. Bright says; In thTs ' described his coming ovei - Ln IT" l for the purpose of dispo." g Tl"!1 of some American invent FCOlllJ. that time, 1811, the Amedeaf.'!? great in invention. At thia It 'r ask an American who come great many do, whether or not h.Vu patent. Mr. Dtm ?., k here, and one of his patents f" Jer establishment of steam nSviJaSon r 1 had been intimate with Mr Son ..H' in . the United States, wa th Bru- motor of the gr.at change! and came to the ship-owners and ,t-Jer people in London, and triS I to en?"1 them to take np this patent 2j Mft these boats on tbe Thame . . blul1 Channel He deschre&. successful he wai. He could nnJ 1 any of them to look at it Ad Bg" Englismen were afraid to look throS a hole in the earth, in fear of i Frenoh nniforms and guns " "Wh ? said he "I could draw a picture, i"Ws had not ived over it and through it that would make your LairsUnd on end at the perils we were about to encounter by the establishment of steam navim tion and swift passages across the &tUn tic." Touching upon tho dimension tho tunnel he said: "I do not know ft. width of this room, but that of Uie tan nel could not be much wider; and ft and 33,000,000 of persons in EoS and Ireland-8,000,000 grown meni are afraid to think of it." He asked if the great English nntion. which bas iti arm strotcned all over the globe, was it home a nation cf imbeciles? And poked bis fun at the military authorities in this wiso: "I would advise von never to tai the opinion of high military authorities except on a question of what should be done when you are actually at war." As to tbe Suez matter he said: "I a not at all certain. I believe it possible and probable that if we bad Lad if th government had bad a civilian of con manding character and capacity in the harbor of Alexandria no battle up ths country no slaughter of thres or fonr hundred human beings and then there would have been nobody ennobled and no pensions granted." Uproarons laughter followed this sally, and the pleasant breakfast of many hours at length came to an agreeable end. rigcon Houses on the MIc. Tbo pigeon bouses on the banks of the Nile are a great attraction to travelers. . These breeding places consist of uoth- -ing else than an enormous number of red earthenware vessels, closely resemb ling medium sizod flower pots, placed 03 their sides in a circle, with the mouth inward, and tier upon tier is raised with the assistance of tho tcuacious Nile mod until tbo cone is completed and the dome covered in, a few light branches of trees being introduced on the outside of the fabrics before completion to enable the pigeons to perch and rest themselves at times. Hawks and other birds of prey, not to say cats also, annoy and too often destroy the pigeons hern, and conse quently a trap-door is fitted to the place about half way up the building and worked by a couple of ropes which reach down to tho ground. These on being pulled by tho natives at dawn, allow the pigeons to sally forth and feed gratis during tho day in the adjoining fields, or a little farther off if food is scarce at hand, and soon after sunset, when tho pigeons are all back, the trap-door is let down for the night, to the exclusion of all intruders. There is a long upright pole in the center of the building, with cross pieces of wood on it to serve as a ladder, upon which the owner mounts to catch the birds or clean out the place; and owing to the fa cility for keeping pigeons in Egypt, it is not to be wondered at their being found always in the market at very moderate prices. It is not altogether, however, for the sake of tho birds that people- bete breed them on a large scale, but it is the manure, which is prized for agricultural purposes, especially for raising melons in the spring; and often a fellah, who has no pigeons to depend upon, will send a donkey and boy with a couple of large baskets across the animal's back through the country to buy np all the manure he requires by going from house to house, even where only a few pigeons are kept, paying 50 cents for a quantity that would barely fill a bushel measure. Odd Stories About Animals. In its fright, on being chased by a a hawk, a partridge flew against Joseph Brink of Sullivan county, N. Y., with such force as to break its neck. Charles Hedrick, of Legington, N. C., shot an eagle which bad black back wings snd tail, while its neck and bre8' were as white as snow. It measured seven feet from tip to tip. In a burning cabin in Franklin county, Ga., two colored children per ished, and a dog which had been left with them refused to leave them and was bnrned to death by their aide. A buzzard dined on a lamb that bad been killed by a dog at New Garden, Ga. In some way it got fast in the strap which fastened the bell around the lamb's neck, and has gona jingling about with the bell ever since. For a useful lime wash for wood snd stone this is the proposed preparation: Twenty liters of quioklime are slaked 11 a suitable vessel. One gramme of sul phate of zinc and 5 grammes of common salt are added. Tbe latter causes the lime to dry without making any rck': A very beautiful fawn color is produced by adding to tho mixture 5 grammes of yellow ochre, or if a stone color is dt sired or preferred 2 grammes of umber and 1 of lamp-black may bs substituted. A common brush may be used in apply ing the wash. Oases, 31. Cornn says, may be ab sorbed through the epidermis of the aerial organs of plants. Some of the plant stages in a vinery had been coated by the gardener with aome bad smelling coal-tar. Ths result was that the grapes were spoiled. Tbe root and stems of the vines were outside the house so that the odor of the tar oould not come through them. A curious fact was that tho flavor of tbe tar was stronger in the eenUr of each grape than on or at the skin.