Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Lincoln County leader. (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1900)
THE BROOKLET. "Oh, silver brooklet, flowing clear, Foreverspeeding pnst me here. 1 stand, and ponder on thy flow; "Whence eomest thou? Where dost thou go V" "From out the rock's deep heart 1 elide, O'er flowers and moss my course I guide; There floats upon my mirror true, The picture of the heaven's blue. "So, like a child without a care, 1 bound along, I know not where; He will, I trust, my Lender be, AVho from earth's bosom summoned me." Goethe. f I Mrs. Luther Wilkins. I T7$ HE postmaster smiled a little 11 when he passed out the mall, but Luther Wilkins did not notice. He was trying to remember whether It was a yeast cake or a pound of cheese he had meant to get at the store. He went out of the postofliee still )onderlcg and ended by forgetting both articles, his attention being diverted by the sight of two boys playing marbles on the sidewalks. This was the first sign of spring Luther had seen, so It was no wonder that his memory played Li in false. After he had got home and had eaten Ills supper he thought of the mail In his overcoat pocket. He brought it to the tnbld iiiid snt ilmvfl to exn!!!!H !f. Th'VC was the weekly county paper, a poul try journal, an agricultural monthly, .iud last of all a letter. "Well, now." said Luther, picking it up, "I wonder who's been writing to me. I don't know when I've had a let ter." He looked at It eagerly, held It nearer his eyes, then farther off. He removed his glasses and polished them In nerv ous haste. After replacing them on his nose he picked up the letter again and scanned It narrowly, then he looked over his glasses as If at some person and said: "I snum!" He sank Into a reverie, out of which HE STUDIED THE KNVKI.0PK WITH Rh. i NK WED INTKREsT. he roused himself with a start to study the envelope with reuewed Interest. "Mrs. Luther Wilklus," he said, "Mrs. Luther Wilkins. And I an old bach elor who never so much as hardly thought of getting married! Mrs. Lu ther Wilkins, why, where Is she? Aud who Is she?" "Well, I guess I'll see what's In It." He inserted the point of his kulfe under the comer of the envelope flap, then he hesitated. "What business have I opening of lier letters?" he asked himself. "I never did open other folks' letters, and I gue.s I won't begin now." He rose to his feet and carrying It to the mantel piece leaned It up against the clock. He settled himself to his papers, but thoughts of Mrs. Luther AVilklns kept intruding on what he was reading about patent nest-boxes, and, under draining and the news of the village. Thereafter during all his waking "hours, Mrs. Luther Wilkins was often In his thoughts. She even haunted his dreams at times. He wondered what xhe was like, and he thought of the Tdnd of woman he would wish her to lie, aud enjoyed himself very much In Imagining how It would seem to have her meet him at the door when he caino lu from the fields, and how nice It would be not to have to get his own meals. At first he was a little cynical and told himself that the Imagining was much more satisfactory than the real ity would be, but after awhile he changed his mind, and would sigh "heavily when he came Into his lone some house. The letter by the clock, too, began to trouble him. He had a devouring curi osity to see what was In It, and be sides It did not seem Just right to keep It so long before delivering it. One evening In June Luther put on his best clothes and walked three miles to see an old schoolmate who had an unmarried cousin living with him. It seemed to him that Eliza Elliott fitted in exactly with his Idea of Mrs. Luther AVilklns. He came home quite early very much disappointed, Eliza wouldn't do at all. He worked doggedly for a month, Irvine linrd not to think of the dls- ;atlng subject. It was no use, and toward the end of July It was observed that Luther was becoming very neigh borly, lie spent his evenings at dlffer- A SArtPLE OF BOER INTERIOR OF THE JOHANNESBURG FORT. Mr. James Hay, formerly president of the Johannesburg Chamber of Mines, who recently visited London, stated to an interviewer In Cape Town, Borne time previously, that when the Boers have had their first big defeat they will go to Johannesburg and level it with the ground. To do this Oom Paul's faithful burghers will, of course, have to make use of the fort which for so long a time has presented a threatening front to the unarmed and helpless inhabitants of the town. The fort, by the by, was finished in the middle of the year 1S'J7, and its origin is said to have been due to the ever-to-be-lamented Jameson raid. The fort occupies a commanding position on top of a hill. It is rectangular in shape, with two bastions at opposing corners. On each bastion is mounted a 23-eentinieter quick-tiring gun, with two flanking Maxims for enfilade fire. On the side looking toward Barnato Park are four small quick-firing guns. On the opposite side towards Johannesburg Is the entrance which traverses the rampart at an angle of 45 degrees. Right' and left of this, within the court, are stables. Under the bastion on the right are barracks and a magazine, the corresponding position beneath the other bastion being occupied by officers' rooms and an other magazine. Whether these elaborate preparations for the destruction of Johannesburg have W-u made iu vain U at present n uleo speculative puiut. It may be that when the British forces appear before the Gold Reef City Johan nesburg of the nineties will be no more. Illustrated London News. ent neighbors' houses, he accepted in tations to tea, he went to church regu larly and to all Sunday school picnics. And still he could not find a suitable owner for the letter. "I must me terribly fussy," he. sighed. "I've got acquainted with about all the women In town; they're nice women, every one of them, but somehow they don't suit me. I guess I'll have to give up beat." It was one cold, raw day in early No vember that Luther sat at a window making clumsy attempts at mending a pair of very ragged socks. Happening to glance across the road he saw a woman out In Hammond's yard. She was busy raking up the fallen autumn leaves. "Letitla Hammond," Luther com meuted, "Bill Hammond's sister. We don't see much of her lately. She don't even go to church, there's so many of Bill's children to look after, and Bill's wife Is so took up with her clubs and things. It's hard on Letitla, but she never finds a word of fault." The sock he was mending fell to the floor, and the wooden egg inside It struck with such a loud bang that the cat started In bis sleep. Luther did not notice. He was standing at the window staring out. " 'That Is best which lleth nearest,' " he said, solemnly, "What a fool I've been." He found his hat and left the house, almost running across the road. He took the Iron rake away from Letitla gently. "That's too hard work for a lit tle thing like you," he said. Letltia's blue eyes were full of won der, but she yielded up the rake weakly. "You'd better go Into the house, too," said Luther. "It's cold out here." No one had been thoughtful of her before for a long time, and Letitla couldn't understand it. When Luther returned the rake she asked him to let her do something for him. He carried her his best pair of socks. She was horrified at their condition, and mended them In a very artistic man ner. Luther looked at them In wonder and reverence. "I'll never wear 'em," he "that's too bard work for a little thino like you," he said. said, when he was at home again. "I wouldn't have let her do it, only I knew It would make her feel better, and It gave me a chance to see her, too." He found that It was an easy matter to invent excuses for seeing her, and finally, some time In the winter, he asked her, In fear and trembling, If she would be Mrs. Luther Wilklus. At first she was afraid It would not be right to abandon her brother's chil dren, but her scruples melted away be fore the warmth of his eloquence. Then she confessed that she was tired. "It is so long that I have had to take FORTIFICATIONS. t care of other folks, and it will seem like heaven to have some oue to take care of me." So It happened that In a little less than a year the letter to Mrs. Luther Wilkins wtis given to its rightful own er. "Circumstances over which I had no control hare-prevented you from getting It before," Luther said. "Why, It's nothing but nu advertise ment of some preparation of cereals," she said, when she had opened It. Luther looked blai;k. "I see how It Is," sha said, after n moment's thought. "They sent to the different grocers for lists of their cus tomers, and then sent these circulars to their wives." "Let's keep It," said Luther, softly. "If it hadn't been for that " "Yes, we'll keep it," said Letltia, blushing. HOW TO CARE FOP UMBRELLAS. Hints from a Manufacturer Which May Prolong 3 heir Usefulness. Manufacturers and jobbers of um brellas say that there were more um brellas sold during the past year than for the past five jears. Especially is this true lu Baltimore of the finer grades of goods, for which the demuud has been unusually great. Retailers d.d a remarkably large holiday trade, and, of course, the manufacturers and Job bers profited by it. While Baltimore docs not rank high as a manufacturing center for um brellas lu point of numbers, Its reputa tion depends on the fine quality of goods made up In this city. It Is esti nuted that over 500 hands are steadily eugaged In the manufacture of umbrel las lu Baltimore, aud that an average of 5,000 complete umbrellas are turned out every week. During some seasons the figures are greater or less, but thut Is the average production. Like many other articles of manu facture, the mnklng of umbrellas has been reduced to the assembling of the parts and turning out the complete shelter from the rain. One firm makes the stel tubing which nowadays forms the "stick" of the umbrellas, another turns out the ribs, another the various fancy handles and so on through the list. Silks aud other materials for the covers are cut and sewed In the fac tory, where the other parts are brought by the thousand and put together. To such a degree of perfection has the machinery been brought for making the various parts of an umbrella that It Is said that It Is actually cheaper to make a new umbrella than to repair an old one. That Is to say, that In the time taken by a workman to repnlr an um brella he can turn out probably half a dozen new ones complete. Recent sales show that while Baltl moreans prefer the better qualities of silk covering for umbrellas, they favor natural wood handles or those tipped with pearl for ladles umbrellas. For men the demand Is for the combina tions In Ivory handles, next to the natu ral wood sticks and the silver-mounted wood handles. A manufacturer gives three points about the care of. umbrellas which will tend to their lasting longer while In ser vice. In the first place an umbrella should not be tightly rolled and then put In a close cover unless It Is desired to have the silk cut to pieces in every fold. Even when lying In stock It Is said that tightly rolled silk umbrellas will cut out In a few weeks. The other precaution Is to open an umbrella when It has been wet and let dry wb'le spn ad open. This will prevent the water gathering In the folds and rotting the fabric which forms the covering. Bal timore Sua. JAPANESE WRESTLERS. Their Physical Development Is Some thing Truly Remarkable. Although the American is willing to concede to the Japanese the possession of a mental capacity almost. If not quite, equaling that of the majority of white races, he Is apt to form a some what slighting opinion of him as view ed from a physical standpoint. The specimens met with In this country do not tend to convey n favorable impres sion of their athletic powers. After, however, reading an account of the physical measurements of some of the most prominent Japanese wrestlers, a more respectful attitude regardlug the muscular development of these little men will probably be taken. The Jljl Shimpo has recently published a table giving the measurements of six of the foremost Japanese fighters. From this table it is gathered that the most bulky of these modern gladiators weighs at the age of 22 years alwut 800 pounds height, live and a half feet; girth of chest, fifty-eight Inches; lung capacity, 4.4"0 cubic centimeters; upper arm, eighteen Inches. Another one weighs over 2S0 pounds; height, six feet five Inches; girth of chest, forty-eight Inches; lung capacity, 15,000 cubic centimeters; upper arm, six teen Inches. The smallest of these fight ing men weighs more than 200 pounds, measures in height five feet seven indies, while In lung capacity he ex ceeds them all. There are few wrest lers or pugilists In thl9 or any country who attain to these dimensions, and those who have seen some of the best t-Ajioiifuis uf Japn inv-e VVlValoug file willing to back them wheu pitted against the. pick of the European or American experts, ns It Is said that they are as skillful as they are power ful. Medical Record. INDIAN JaCK. Last of the Royal Pllchucks Lives Near Snohomish, Wash. Near Snohomish, Wash., lives "In dian Jack" In calm content. When he dies the Pilchuck Tribe will be extinct, but he watches the passing of day af ter day without a sigh of regret for the past glories of his race or the firm LAST OF TUB ROYAL PII.CHUCK8. leadership he once held over his people. He bears no hatred for the white men, but, on the contrary, has taken n.deep Interest In their affairs, and his keen speeches have often helped to turu the tide of public events. In his old age he has found the philosopher's stone of true happiness. "I am the most con tented of men." he said recently, "be cause I long ago made up my mind It was 'no use crying for split milk,' as you white men say." That Is the phil osophy which has allowed him to b come old. He never worries. Have to Take Her Word. vhnt's your age?" "Thirty years, sir." "Thirty years? Well, well! Can you produce documents to show that you are no older?" "No. sir. You see the church where I was baptized was burned, with all the church records, In 1848!" Der Floh. Indians lake to Mineral Water. Mineral waters have come to take a very promlneut place In national bever ages, especially In the case of those who are suffering more or less from physi cal derangements. In this country the Indians practiced bathing In the heated waters and drinking them long before they taught to the whites the benefits of many springs now famous. It Is within the memory of many Inhabitants of this country how the red man came annually to encamp at Manltou aud other healing springs In the. Rockies, A bachelor says that marriage and the colic both double people up, but, fortunately, the colic J only temporary. v- PRESENTED TO THE QUEEN, i Americnn Woman "Who Originated th Maine Hospital Ship Idea. Mrs. Blow, a former Chicago and Colorado woman, originated the Mains hospital ship Idea for the British, and not long since was formally presented to Queen Victoria at the expressed wlsti of her majesty. Lady Rundolph Churchill and Mrs. Ronalds of New York were received at the same time. Mrs. Blow Is the (laughter of Col. R. E. Uoodell, the Colorado mining man. She Aas born In .Toilet, ill., and spent part of her girlhood In Springfield and Chi cago. Most of her education Avas re ceived abroad In the convents of Paris aud Dresden. She took a flulshlng Mils. 11L0W. course at the Convent of the Visitation In Georgetown, D. C. one of the fash ionable schools In that aristocratic suburb of Washington., After this Mrs. Blow was again taken abroad, and on her return the family went to Lead vllle. where Col. (loodell had gone the previous year and became Interested In mining. It was In Leadvllle that Miss Jennie Ooodell met and married Mr. A. A. Blow, a civil engineer, then mnn ager of the Silver Cord Mining Co. Three years ago Mr. Blow was offered the position of manager of the Interests of one of the richest Kngllsh syndi cates In South Africa. Mr. and Mrs. Blow were given a beautiful home In the midst of beautiful gardens by the company, where Mrs. Blow won a rep utation for herself ns a charming host ess. She created quite a sensation with a unique luncheon she gave to Presi dent Steyn of the Orange Free State, and his staff. In a large chamber of the mine, 1,200 feet below the surface, she served an elaborate lunch to forty guests. The room, the roof of which was seventy-five feet high, was lighted brilliantly with electricity and hand somely decorated for the occasion.-. Chicago Tribune. JOHN BUNYAN'S TOMB. Last Resting Place of the Famous An tuor of the Pilgrim's Progress. Few books, except the Bible, have gone through so many editions as the Pilgrim's Progress, written by John Buuyau. It was written while the au thor was lu Bedford Jail, Englund, suf fering for lllerty of conscience. Bun yan In his early life was a tinker, then a soldier, later becoming a Baptist and TO Mil OF JOHN IHTSVAV. a preacher. While lu Jail, where he spent twelve years, he supported hh wife and children by making tnggi-d laces. After his release he resumed preaching and continued It until his death In London In ltiHS. He wos buried In Bunhlll Fields burying ground, which was opened as a suburban cemetery lu KiliS. Here are burled some famous personoges in their day, Including the novelist, Dan iel Defoe; George Fox, founder of the Quakers, and the mother of John Wes ley. Our Illustration shows Bunyun's tomb at the present time. London's Ancient Uncord. The county council of London, as the successor of the Metropolitan board of works, Is custodian of a number of val uable documents bearing upon the local history of the metropolis. Included In the collection are ninny volumes of minutes of the commissioners of sewers dating buck to the reign of Henry VIII., together with papers and deeds relat ing to important buildings such an Northumberland House, which former ly stood at Charing Cross. These Inter esting documents have hltheito been Inaccessible to the public, but the coun cil bus now decided to publish a selec tion of them in volume. Writer's cramp Is more likely to lie found In tlio stomach than In the wrist. Some men nre so busy trying to avoid work that they have no time t earn breud for their families. y