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About Lincoln County leader. (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1900)
.1 I I'M 1 WHEN PEGGY GOES TO MARKET When Peggy takes her basket up And off to market goes, I'm stupefied with wonder at IIow very much she knows, She makes her way between the stalls And with judicial air Decides that this is "so and so" And that is "pretty fair." She knows if fish are fresh or not, And, wise as any owl, Bhe differentiates between A chicken and a fowl, She thumbs the breastbone of the one And pulls the other's legs; She squints her pretty little eyes To test the new-laid eggs. The veg'tables must be just right, For with a critic's eye She scans them, not inclined to pass Their imperfections by. She calls the market folks by name; Ah, what a lot she knows, When Peggy takes her basket up And off to market goes! When Peggy does the marketing . My heart with pride she fills; I go along, a useless thing, Except to pay the bills. New Orleans Times-Democrat. tit 5 In the Nick of Time, i rjp HE Widow Carney cnme out of ill ner two-room shanty beyond the I dump. She stood erect In the spring sunshine, lookinsr over a npf iwork of railroad tracks, across to the wltckouse where Kathleen had taken J ergus O'llare's dinner. Nellie Carney was still little more than a girl. Her face was arch and sweet, her eyes Drignt, ner hair black and eurly. The wind blew her calico dress away from lier fine figure. " "And you say that she's a widow," John Conover remarked to Fergus. "Not long. I venture." "Three year," said Fergus, panting a little. "Not for any fault of the b'ys. She's a little uppish, Is Nellie Carney. rUil were a fireman an' like to be en gineer wan day, but the greasers down Coyote pass finished him wan night when they attacked the tralu. Com pany gives her the rlnt av the hoose thar, an' she keeps boarders for meals." That Is how John Conover met Nelly Carney. He was getting ready to go to the mines. lie had Just come from the Eastern States and had a claim up about Toby's creek that his brother had left him when he died the year before. He did not say much about himself to anyone. He took his meals with the widow Carney for a week or so, and bunked lu with Fergus O'Hare. He ald he was getting his outfit. Nellie Carney did some sewing for him, and they sat together evenings, while Kath leen slept beside them. One of these evenings John Conover seemed to be very thoughtful. At last he took a sudden resolution. "Nelly," be began, gently, "I'm going tip to a rough place, but I've got a no tion to take you along." "It takes two to make a bargain, Mr. Conover." "Not this bargain. I know you'll go, dear. Tin only wondering If it'll pay you. Jim always stuck to It that creek claim was bound to pan out. If it does, you and Kathleen will be fixed for life. If it don't you might have a tough time. Shall we go dowu to the 'squire to-morrow. Nell?" Nelly took a night's sleep on It, and In the morning consented to go up country with John Conover. They were married one day, and set out the next, taking the little child with them. It seemed a shame to John Conover that he had brought such a pretty crea ture to live In such a wild and lone some spot. She was happy enough, ap parently the same Nelly that he had Been on the dump that spring day. The more he loved her the more he brooded over her sacrifice of a home and friends among civilized people. He worked hard, and the next summer made a good find In a hole and sent her back to San Francisco with a small fortune and Instructions to put Kathleen into a convent, where she could have school ing and lie made a lady of for the fu ture. Life hi a hotel Is a great educator. Day after day Mrs. Conover went About, saw great plays, read novels, visited her child, and enjoyed exist once. She received John's infrequent letters with n positive alarm. Suppose he should send for her to return. She could close her eyes and see the great, dark, snow-topped mountain wall, the rough cabin close under the shadow, the Ju-awllng waters of the mountain torrent. In dreams she heard the thrumming voice of the wind among the pine boughs, the scream of the wild eagles flint was all. She missed John nt first with all the passion of her Im pulsive nature; but, as time went on, the longing grew less fierce, and she felt she would rather never return than to go now when life was so full of gnlety and novelty. Ono day Fergus 0'IIare came to Bee her. The colored servant told her with a grin that the visitor would not write his name on a card, maybe couldn't. Neily flushed, for she knew It was but a little time since she bad been Ignor ant of card formalities. She said Bhe would see him in her own parlor, and the amused bellboy showed up the switchman. He looked rougher and more grimy than ever. "How do you do, Fergus?" she said, with a little condescension. Fergus had stopped In the middle of the little parlor. "Nelly Conover! 01 can't belave It's the same," he said. "It Is," she laughed; then In her warm-hearted way, "'Sit down, Fergus, I'm glad to see you. You should see Kathleen. She's a fine girl now." Fergus would not sit down. He was evidently at a loss what to say. He shifted his hat uneasily. "Nelly Carney, thot was, 01 must hurry my wurrd as Oi've Tim Blake In me place down in the yard. Ol've some wurrd of John Conover from a dirthy Chinese that Ol've befriended wunst or twice. He told me, Nelly Carney, thot John has made his foind at last, an' thot three ov the worst min In San Francisco are to be afther not only phwat he's taken oot alrlddy, but It will be his life for his claim out there beyant." Nelly Conover had risen. All the fine lady dropped from her. She ran to Fergus and caught his hand. "Fergus, Fergus, ye're a friend In deed! Come away with me to John. Get Tim, Denny and Jerry and one of the other boys we can depend on. There's plenty of money. We will go faster than any one; O Fergus, help me for old-time's sake." "We've no tolme thin, to lose," quoth Fergus. "For thot gang Is away three nours noo. Be ready whin I come with the b'ys." An hour or two later Nelly was ready. She had been to the convent to kiss Kathleen, she had dressed herself in her coarse mountain clothing again. The next train north bore the Irishman and Nelly to the little station where she had decided to get off. It was a short cut, rough and dan gerous, that Nelly made up her mind to lead her followers. It was one by which John Conover used to secretly transport his gold. Several times she had tramped with him up and down the pass. She calculated that she could arrive an hour or two after the attack ing party If they pushed forward all night. A terrible energy possessed Nelly. Her eyes shone with terror and anxiety. Could they reach John In time? As they plunged onward In the dark she registered a vow never to leave John Conover again If his life was spared. Toward dawn the party were In sight of Toby's creek. Nelly pointed with shaking finger at the hut near the mountain side. There was a light In the cabin The party crept up stealth ily. Nelly crawled on her hands and knees to the back window. The sight within froze her blood. John Conover was tied and bound before the fire until he was perfectly helpless. Three men were torturing him, Indian fashion, by applying burning sticks to his feet. He would not sign away his claim. Nelly drew back one second and Fer gus took her place. A settled gray look came into the face of the big switch man. He motioned the next man, and all drew their pistols. Fergus crept to the door, motioning Nelly to protect herself. There was a sudden crnsh-ln of the door, three shots and a dash at the window. Nelly fired the pistol that she held straight into the face of the man who came first. John Conover was always a badly crippled man. He had expected no succor, but he knew Nelly well enough to think she would never relinquish the claim only over his own signature, hardly then. He had. resigned himself to die that she might have a fortune. It was a snatch from the grave for him. Every one knows the Conovers on the two continents. The claim was one of the three best In California. Kathleen was such a fabulous heiress she could have married a dozen titles, but she chose a plain American. She had a young half brother, who, strange as It may seem, was called Fergus from the nrst. He was a famous athlete In an Eastern college in the '70s, and mar ried an English girl of family. Nelly Conover, a lovely, white-haired old lady, may often be seen in the picture galleries and pleasure gnrdens of conti nental cities, wnlklng beside the wheel chair of a genial old gentleman. She kept her vow. No time since that awful hour on the mountain side lias she been from John Conover's side. When H nrv Irving Was Hlsseil. "I was hissed every nlcht for n wb when 1 was playing the provinces aliout tnirty-uve yearsago'siid Ilenrv irv-ii... to a writer lu Ainslee's. "I was given an engagement as lending man n n very small theater, and before I made my bow to the audience 1 learned that the man whose place 1 hat taken was very popular In the vicinity, and people strongly disapproved of the way In which the management had forced him to retire, so that when I appearance the nudiem-e showed their disapproval of the manager by strongly hissing the sue.essor to their favorite, nud they kept it up for a week. It was a very unhappy week for me." A Mirewtl Move. Cora What sense can you see in tlm game of golf? Merrltt The sense Is disnlaved hv the players In hnvlng n bo.v to cairv the big bundle of sticks for theui.-Judjje. SAMUEL GOMPERS. Some Characteristics of the Famous American Labor Leader. Samuel Gompers, the American labor leader, Is as conservative as the English leader. Burns. Is radical. Where the latter says strike, Gompers says arbi trate. "I cannot," he once said, "much as I hate oppression, endure the sight of hunger." The nation owes a bigger debt of grat itude to Somuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, than most people Imagine. Had It not been ! for the rock-like firmness with which, for nearly a fortnight, this man stood against a continent-wide strike of sym pathy with the Pullman men, there might have been an uprising of organ ized labor, compared with which the strikes and riots that really did occur would have been mere child's play. Mr. Gompers diplomacy was not loss striking than his wisdom. He at no time said that he would not advise a strike. He simply, by delaying action, gave his followers time to think. When they had thought, they saw the master fulness of his course. Mr. Gompers proved himself to be a general worthy of leading so great an organization as the Federation. Samuel Gompers Is an Amor'can by adoption. He Is of German descent, as his name Indicates, though of English birth. Thirty-eight years ago he was apprenticed to a shoemaker In London. Then he was a lad of 10, with no bright C" prospects, no greater udvuulagea than those of ten thousand other ap prentice boys of the world's metropolis. To-day he Is the executive head of the most extensive combination of labor unions In the world. In this capacity ' SAMUEL GOMfKRS. he wields a constant power by the side or which that of other labor leaders Is nothing. The lad did not like the shoemaker's trade, and, his release being secured. ne learned to make clears, becomlnir proficient by the time he was 13. Then, witn nis father's family, he came to America. Down to the time he began to work In the shoe shops, he attended day school regularly. After that he continued his studies at a night school, where he applied himself so eaeerlv as to excite the especial attention of hla teacners. Upon his arrival In America he Joined a New York clgarmakers' union, and his gift of common sense and his power to express his thouzhts loeleallv nnrt clearly quickly made him a prominent memoer. Later he was repeatedly sent as delegate to the International union. When David B. Hill was Governor, ne wisued to make Mr. Gompers a mem ber of the State Board of Arbitration - a salary of $3,000. The tender was courteously declined. "If I should accept a political an polntment," said Mr. Gompers, "my useiuiness in labor organizations would be entirely and permanently destroyed." In 1S82 Mr. Gompers was nmde presi dent of the American Federation of La bor, and now holds that office. Ills sal ary Is but $1,000 a year, lews than he could earn at his trade In good times, and a far smaller sum than could bo commanded by a man of his unusual natural abilities and self-won acquire ments In the business world. Peculiarity of Snakes. A snake tamer who had trained a serpent to follow him around the house and even out of doors happeued one day to take It with hi m to a strange place. The suake, unused to the locality, seem ed to forget all his training and, escap ing Into the bushes, resisted capture with bites and every indication of wild ness. When cnught It at ouce resumed Its tame habits. This tendency to be come wild Immediately upon obtaining their freedom and to again become tame when caught la said to be a peculiarity of snakes. The American Illrd. The turkey .was first discovered in America, and brought to England in the early part of the sixteenth century. Since then It has been acclimatized la nearly all parts of the world. Why They Wear the Fez. From an Interpretation of a passage in the Koran Moslems are forbidden to have shadea to their eyes, hence the absence of the peak both from the fea and the turban. Number or Ituddhlats. The number of Buddhists Is computed to ba 453,000,000. FIRST CABLE CAR. ftemarkable Canal Between Phillips burs and Newark, N. J. Running from Phllllpsburg, N. J., to Newark, N. J., there Is a canal that Is In many respects the most remarkable in existence. It Is sixty miles long, and was In operation In New Jersey before a railroad existed In the State. Its most remarkable feature Is that in place of the lock system In use on canals the boats are drawn up and down ele- -Ml ' ''' THE SinsT CABLE CAR. vatious on great cars with high sides and open ends on a track eighteen feet wide. These are the original cable cars. The principle by which they are operated, the endless cable, Is exactly the same as that which was utilized for operating cable cars In cities. This method of transportation has been In use on the Morris canal for half a cen tury, and antedates the Introduction of cable cars by at least thirty-live yeans. SETTLED FOR THE DRESS. No Claim Was Made by the Farmer fo. His Wife's Broken Limbs. "Just settled the strangest claim for damages that I ever had," laughed the railroad claim agent. "I Mas called down the road the other day to look up an accident that we had. We had run Into an oid farmer's wife, breaking bo:h of her legs and an arm and using her up generally. I received orders from the general manager to go post haste to the point of the accident and settle for It on the best terms 1 could get. "Just before I left the manager hand ed me a letter and said with a smile that I had better look Into that, too, while I was about it, as it would not take me out of my way. When I was settled for the Journey I took the letter out of my pocket and looked It over. It was a claim for five yards of calico, which the threat that if we didn't settle tor It Immediately suit would be com menced to compel us to. The claim was very vague, no reason being given why we should pay for five yards of calico, and I resolved to look the matter up to satisfy my own curiosity if nothing else. "However, the other case was more serious, so I looked that up first, and as I entered the house the old man, whose wife had been nearly killed, said grimly: " 'So you're here ter settle that thar claim fer damages? Wul, It Is mighty lucky that ye have come, for I waz goln' ter start suit again ye right away. My wife hadn't worn that thar dress more'n twice an' It waz Jes' ez good ez new' "Like a flash It dawned upon me that the two claims were Identical. 1 manag ed to settle with the old man without falling dead, and when I left he shook hands with me cordially and said that he guessed all this talk about robber railroads was mostly newspaper gas for political effect" Detroit Free Press. An Ancient Coin. One of the prized curios of the Phil adelphia mint Is a coin which is 2,000 years old, and which was coined at the ancient mint of that other rhlladelnhln. of the far cast mentioned in the Bible. It Is still In good condition, and the in scription Is perfectly legible. The de sign on the face of the coin bears a striking resemblance to the Goddess of Liberty of our own currency, and un derneath Is the one word, "Demos," which means "the neonle." On the other side is the figure of Diana, with her bow arched, and the inscription, "Diana, Friend of the Phlladelphlans." When this coin was struck off Phllniioi. phla was the most important city of Lydla. Sculpture Should Face South. A group of sculpture should never front to the north, from which point It Is always viewed under unfavornhlo conditions, as the strong southern light is trying to tne eyes and the features of the figures are in such deer, nhnri that they can hardly bo seen certainly not to advantage. Facing the south the conditions are all reversed. Such mis takes, It may be added, are rarely made uy arusis, out sometimes by the direct ing authorities. A case in point Is the statute of Penn, surmounting the City Hall in Philadelphia, which is far too high and faces the wrong way. fipanlnr.la a Charitable People. The Spanish are umone tii t charitable people on earth. Without a poor tax, Spanish communities f tu. va. uv,- 000 self-supporters feed a popuhj population of 0,000 or more. . v- 1 ft i- II. . LITTLE SCHEME the Politician Worked for Pln., Out How the V 'main ' I was greatly puzzled election dar said an amateur politician, "at th ' fidence with which a certain m ff" leader, who Is a particular frleM . mine, gave out the exact character ! the vote polled up to that hour at 0 of the down-town precincts, where I was stationed. 'It stands at present Flower, for Capdevlelle, and ti7 ets scratched,' he said, in reply to 1 question, giving the precise number?, votes, which I have forgotten 0h come, now!' I protested laughingly 'Vnn may have a general idea of the iIT ftf the land, but I can't believe you Unoff exactly how ninny ballots enth candl date has received.' 'it's just like I tPi you,' he replied solemnly. 'Well no ' do you do It?' I asked. 'You are eJrtuto ly not bnsiug your figures on what the voters say, are you?' 'Not ou your shirt studs,' he answered, grinning; Tm too old for such foolishness as that. But I don't mind .putting you on, In' strict confidence. Do you see that window with the blinds half drawn over there? he added, pointing to the fourth story of the house opposite. 'Yes, what of It? ' 'Well, there's a man In the shadow with a pair of strong field glasses. From where he stauds he enn see right dowo Into the open top of the voter's box, and the glasses make It exactly like lookhA; over the fellow's shoulder In side. I don't say lie can t.-Il w but sepa rate names are scratched, but he ran easily enough when any scratching Is being done, and which ticket is stamped if It goes straight. Then he gives me a signal from the window, and I Jot it down in my little book, with possibly the name of the voter just for future reference. There's no chance of a mis take. It's a sure thing.' I glued my eye on the window the next t'me a man went into the booth, and presently 1 saw a movement in the shadow and a flash of glass. Then a hand was waved up and down the left side of the sill. 'That's another scratched ticket,', said my friend, pulling out his little red book." New Orleans Times-Democrat At the Telephone. "Hello, Central?" "What number, please?" "One thousand two hundred and sixty-four," "1 don't catch that" "One thousand two hundred and sixty four." "Try it ouce more, p'ease. "Twelve hundred and sixty-four." "Seven hundred and sixty-four?" "No; twelve hundred and sixty-four one thousand two hundred and sixty-four." "I can't give you two numbers at once( - X Which do you want first?" "I was g!f- Ing you the same number two different ways." "A little louder, please. I can't quite make you out." "I said I was giving you the same number two dif ferent ways." "Oh, yes. Well, what number do you want?" "Twelve hundred and sixty-four." "Suppose i'ou gave me each figure separately, like one, two, three, for Instance." "All right. One, two, three, four, live, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve. Got that?" "Yes." "One, two, three, four, five, six. Got that?" "Yes." "One, two, three, four. Got that?' "Yes?" "You want twelve, six, four, do you?" "Yes, twelve hundred sixty-four. Do you understand now?" "Yes. I understand. Twelve sixty-four Is busy aow. Ring off, please." Harper's Bazar. Don't Care forOyter. Great quantities of crabs and lobsten are annually canned In Russia, yet lob sters are lu little favor, and frogs' legs are regarded with horror. A woman who sold large quantities of crabs, upon being asked for some frogs' legs, replied that she "would not touch one of the horrid things for a ruble." Wherever there Is water in Russia the frogs abound In such quantities that one Is reminded of the noblemen of oth er days who used to send their slaves out to beat the marshes, so that tbey could sleep. Russians never eat rabbits, as they say they nest with ruts, nor will they touch snails or turtles, which are found In great quantities all over the coun try. Only the aristocrats eat kidneys, and then only those of the sheep or lamb. Goose flesh Is little esteemed, though the fat Is used for culinary purposes. Tleklesoine. An Encrllsh tourist, drlvlmr nlong country road In Ireland, drew the driv er's attention to a wretched tatterde malion. "What a shocking thing it Is," laid he, "to see a man in such rags and misery." "Begorro, thin, yer houner," renlled the drlvpr. with the character istically Irish desire to put a good face on everything, "that's not from po erty at all, at all. The truth Is that the man's so tlcklesoine that sorra tailor In the counthry can attempt to take his measure I" She To think that you once declared that von wnnlil Invn inn no lone as yoll lived! And now, hardly a year mar ried, and you care nothing at all aou me! He But you see when I told you ved I wasn't feeling very well, and I rcalij didn't think I would live long.-Bostoo Transcript. f , 'x A bad WnnhiHnn mnr Yin ncnulred u V a day, but it usually takes a UfeUuie to acquire a good one. V7