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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1905)
-:v. THE OREGON SUNDAY JOURNAL. ' PORTLAND. SUNDAY MOIUJIIIQ, MAT.CII . 8. UC1 torn How Little Martin Miller Lost His Long Tte ' Curious Story of His Dlsotea lence Turned Out. ; Locks and Became a Real, Boy. v ana now ;7 "y 1 . ' . . THKR boys yes. and even girls stay up and play out in the street tort, un- - til I o'clock, and Kmitlnu :'. Uteri declared Mania Dai Miller, ' he stood at the foot of th stairs at ' o'clock at , nlxhf i - ' ' y - - "March right up an o to 'boar r- . piled his mother, with sharpness, end Martin mercbeeV--H was almost as tall as hia mother, but ab laede bin wear ' long hair and short "pants" and a white collar bordered with muffle. It was, fn ., fact -only a few months- since she .''. stopped curling his hair,' but still a he treated him in many way as If he were a baby, and this sending him to - bed at 1 o'clock was on of them. She was moat amased that he should even V think of protesting agalnat that custom, - tor Mrs. Miller still thought .of Martin as her baby. .- . : But the boy, talcing off his ; clothes, . murmured - stoutly - as he heard the whoops sad "halloo of his comrades In the street, for It was summer time and -y ' the sun was . hardly behind the hills; yet hre he was. going to bed Ilk a -, year-old Infant, it was bad enough la winter, , but then tt was ' dark early enough to permit him to go to sleep af tr a reasonable time, but to 11 there and hear the flies still bussing briskly, the boys and girls laughing merrily and ' the old folks talking below mad him ' hot all over, -v v.--- . Had he been permitted to tak his lit' tie dog Mike, - who, was half door mat and halt mop,, to bod with him, he would - have been leas ' disconcerted, not his mother shuddered when - ha pleaded for - the dog's) company. Mike would have diverted hOn for hoars; because he fan eied there wr mice behind everything! and spent all -his waking hours sniffling . around busily and watching at Impessl . bJa ,cracks in great' sxoltement every moment when he was awake. -- But, alaa, at T poor Mike also, was ; banished to the woodshed, where eoroe UQes.heltowied and filled Martin's heart with woe. This night he barked sharp ly, as If he fancied somebody . was prowling outside, and after a time Mar tin looked out to see what was causing his excitement, . ; . . There stood Jimmy ' RamsdeU below the -window, smoking a cigarette. Jim my appeared to be watching intently, and looked about somewhat startled when Martin whittled softly, but when he saw who tt was he whispered: - I've been watching two fellers that are sneaking 'round down, the lane. , They're a-goin' to steal a hoes! , Martin lust caught a glimpse of one of them as he vanished around a turn in the road, and told Jimmy what he had seen. Jimmy asked: . ' "Whatcher doln vp there? Tons ain't goln t bed a'reddyl" When ' Martin ' explained that - his mother sent him to bed at that unheard . of hour Jimmy grinned and said: - 1 "Hully " gee! That's flerc! Why don't you shin down that branch there and tak a sneekT Tou can easy get back again any time.' "Mother would b mad," answered Martin, as he looked carefully at the tree branch so close to his window. i "Did 'she ever tell yon not to go out . after you'd . gon to bedr' demanded Jim. "Nope. I guess she's never thought of that" said Martin. ' Then it's all right. Rf she'd forbid den you, 'twould be different, you see. As long as she ain't never said you most stay la bed, It's no harm to get up. again, flee "It doesn't seem light," replied Mar tin, thoughtfully. "Aw. you're a girl-boy, anyway P snorted Jimmy, and walked off In dis gust The sneer on his lips made Mar tin's heart beat with rage, and b- threw tilmaelf on hia bed disgusted with very thing. The moon, which had risen be . fr the sun had set. shone, pale In the twilight oa bis wall, and hs lay there PS i ' Cob' to: Bedr : : : " ":"' $20,000,000: a; Year jfe ' ... i- f I she United States census report I ,. for 100 shows that In that year , JL there Wf re t.lil commercial florists In ths United Ststea Mors than on half of th establish ments have less than three seres, lndl- --tinanat --th 'lawd-etbtrrr than thaltf, lngs Is a small Improved tract- of the total of asres reported. 14,704 acres, sr II. per cent,'' are Improved lend. - ' ' '' - The total-thvestment In land, build , Inrs and other Improvements was 160. tet.tTl. Tb Investment In . Isnd was l2t.IJ4.Tll snd In buildings and ether improvements f 22,(11. t, whlls ths velne ef implements wss 1,1.IT. .. . The total product wss llt.411.tI2. "Or an average ef f MM fossaacb, floriet This Included I7.17T.I4 of .florists' prod oris and lt.4l.l ft miscellaneous produrta The ! sspendlture- for tenor was $.Ua.7t. er lit per cent ot th watching It grow brighter and brighter as darkness fell, but never ' for an in stant feeling like sleeping, only nursing his rage and asvy of Jimmy the tree and the bold,, who was roving the darkened lanes and acting as an amateur detec tive. . . . The lad's advice, although somehow It seemed - to savor of . wrongdoing, ' was, after all, so It looked to Martin, per fectly reasonable, for ss his mother had never told him to remain in bed It would not be dlsobedieno to her if b went forth .for a time. - But the thought of such a daring action quit flustered Mar tin. ' However, after considering it from every possible point, and getting used to the thought very gradually as the night wore on, - Martin found himself debating as to where he should, go ard what he would - do provided he took Jimmy's suggestion seriously. '; The boys had ceased their uproar, the old folks' talk had died away, and now only a rare shout, that mingled with the far-away barks of dog, the distant pip ing of frogs in the pond, and an occa sional complaint from aom wandering cat showed that all the village was get ting ready tor sleep. ' The full moon beamed temptingly and filled all the land with bright light, so that It seemed a sham to wast the hours in sleep. '. "Martin got up for the twcntlsta'tim and put on bis clothes. Even then he only half Intended to venture forth, but as he looked out and saw; that glorious Mm aloft In the heavens, a sudden oourage fllled him. and without knowing how it 'happened he found himself slid ing down the tree that hugged the house i closely, ' ' , h -., Then be stood uncertain 'for ah In stant, half deckled to release Mike for this night-prowl, but the thought that the dog. might betray him by a Joyful bark stopped him at one, and off be slipped alone. - Down the shaded lan where the moonlight fell In sliver bars across the . road . he Hastened, as the clock la tb church solemnly -rang out 1 times. ' Then, as he turned into tb road, he heard Mike whine loudly and he stopped; but no, tt would never do to go back bow I f-. '' Along by the mlllpond where the dark gleaming water reflected the moonlight In a broad path he stole, for the road rad close to the water. How strange the pond looked at night, yet he knew every stone and blade of grass on Its border, - Something suddenly rippled the surface with a Soft swish, and then the sliver ' path of light was broken Into millions of moons dancing In tb water. Perhaps It was a big flslw- perhaps a muskrat swimming away, but It van. tshed Into the deep black shadow of the trees before b could see what It was. Suddenly a deep bellow that startled him immensely cam from almost be neath his feet, He had never heard a bullfrog vole ho near before, but be fore he could run away, another, deeper still, boomed out followed by the shrill piping of hundreds of young ones, that told Martin Just what they were st one. He smiled. at his fright and. walked on, hemmed la by the trees, that lined the road. ' He heard other sharp splashes In the water as he moved slowly, snd everywhere the pond seemed alive with things; mysterious twittering came from tba muddy, grassy shorn, and he thought he saw shadows moving among 'tba flags that grew thr. - He halted, and as he stood motionless out walked two birds as big ss small chickens, but with long yellow bills snd short legs. He could see them plainly on the shtnlng mud. Then followed a surprising spectacle. - On ef them shot up Into the air with a whir, mounting far up toward the silver moon, and then down he dropped ilka a shot to his mat. Up and down, again and again, whlls the other bird tiptoed about peeping softly, and then Martin, watching .close ly, saw that dosens of others were pety forming In the sam manner all along total value of th products, showing a higher ratio among th florists than in most otter lines of agriculture.' . It will thus te readily understood what aa Important stimulus floriculture hsa become . to other trades and busl neaaeaypr Instance, a gew-years -ago lAeT-nvtraifacturers , of glass scarcely give Vrfel florists' trads any considers tiia (Row taers' Is ss much competition for the tlorfsls' trade as there Is for that of oTf64 builders. Then there are th tellermstrs, ot which there are upwards of a score who make only boil ers tor horticultural buildings Miles snd miles of Iron piping Is used for sssb bars at a pries fsr In advance of other kinds. " Then -there are soil, manurs, ce ment paints, oils and packing mstarlaL Msny stebllahments keep their Own carpenters, painters, pipefitters and en gtneers. . .-. . . ' ' .- The quantities of coal necessary to heat these establlshmsnts Is snormoua Several establishments in th neighbor j-'is: t'' v C : tb shore of the pond. It looked lite a bird circus t -The were woodcock. and this ts the bird's courting, bat very few people have ever had tba pleasure of beholding It. I asur you. Martin gleefully hugged himself as he thought of telling about this to. tb otter boys id girls. ' ' Then suddenly every bird vanished. and a moment later he beard a long. blood-curdling shriek coming from the woods. It was so sudden and. so un earthly that be stopped, chilled to the heart; but It cams twice again before be remembered that had heard It far off and faint In the distance, more than one before as he lay in bed. It was ths voloe of th screech owl, but never theless It was enough to startle even a grown-up, so Martin thought as he moved on' along th road. - . -"7 - The- moon had also moved along and lowered somewhat toward the western hUls that showed, black as Ink. against th sky, but h knew that It could not be very late. and. besides he eoold al ways bear the. bell in th steeple and .T3l.'-;c.'V;:7r.l; riowers hood of Chicago are among the largest consumers In the business. . At one of these Immense flower and plant facto ries belonging to a eity alderman there were consumed last season 10,000 tons, ; fvry city. as Its parks where flow ers are extensively grown, at all seasons It may be asked, whj has., the business of floriculture made such -rapid strides, inasmuch as flowers are luxuries T It msy easily be explained the wealth of our country la the main factor..- With out wealth floriculture as a business could not exist. The teste of the peo pl for things beautiful has grown with the wealth and last but not least that Innate love for flowers which extend th world over I largely responsible for the development of th business Enormous prices are paid for tbe con trol of some new roses. During th Ust Is or SO yeara S4.Q00 and 11,000 each have teen paid for five roses, nons of which Is grown today for winter flow J:.r ; ' f y' '.'; VoV Martfai Marched' -'; . ; : ... ;: '-yry, hurry borne whan b wished. At Be - cam to th old rail fence divided th woods from th road. Every thing looked so different from Its usual daylight aspect that he hesitated a ment but as hi knew e-very path, almost every tree, ha climbed over and stroDed along slowly. . 1 , It was pretty dark In there, be willing to admit but still that gave It alt a fearful sort of charm. Her by th creek was th big dead button wood tree where ha had often sat and caught sun fish, and there th flat stone on which the boys cracked nuts. But bow changed everything was, and tba.. curtain of black that hid all things a few feet away, blotting out each fanrlllar object seemed to conceal something that swelled and shrank, swayed and ahifted. In each direction his faltering ayes moved. Ttin was th nam wood, and yet It was not th same! As he tried to gather, oourage te penetrate further something cam scampering past with a rush, almost -brushing against him, and then something els after tt! What they were Martin never knew, but prob ably a pair of frisking rabbits, or maybe a mink chasing a rat or any two of a dosen wood-anlmals that make ths night their feeding time. - At any rate, Martin almoatrtoppled over, la xngnt .. . H heard again -th sereeehewl. hot this time far off In the darkness, ana yet it made him feel faint He promptly sat h1 down on the big flat stone. A second after there cam to his ears th soun4Ut a scuffle amooethe hem locks that h knew stood bank from the path - This r eased after a minute,- and then cams ralnt oreaxnings- ana a utue louder . nattering and rustling of dead leaves, . Suddenly h recollected read ing, only on, Monday, of Russian wotvas, la sTeat famished paeks. scouring th icy steppes and snowbound woods, dash ing' out at travelers l slolgha. with red slavering Jaws and : whit -. teeth, pur suing the alslgh until tn aespainag travelers tossed ' out to them their babies and even their luncheons in order to delay th attack.- His spin seemed to turn, to lee on that warm pleasant night la the dewy woods. Alas, he had no baby, nor even a ham sandwich, to devote to th prowler , that seemed sp p roach tns - -- It was no raring aooui a zew xeev on. for th breathing seemed doe to him. ret h saw no glow of eyes. He toss hastily and grasped th great tree trunk, but It was far too big for him to think ot climbing It and there waa no other near. He waa struck Just then by th awful thought that be was him self th baby of the Miller family, and It, was with a chill that ha tamed to face tb approach of th - unknown thing; bat, whatever It was. It cam no nearer, nor did he hear It after a few momenta of breathless suspense, ' Some sleepy - birds la the bushes nearby ering, as they proved Inferior to exist ing kinds.': , "-;'.-;'..':..;,.';.-.;...-.', Ex tremely " fancy prices have teen quoted as given for seedling carnations. Vot instance. Jt waa stated that 110,000 wsJ paid for. the Mrs. T. W. Lswsoa. but it is wen knows that th price was quite fremried. It Is a fact however, that $10,000 in more than on instance has teen paid te secure a new kind, and there are several transactions recorded where from $4,000 to $(.000 has changed hands, - . - i -!. v" . Ths gulf stream Is Bald to te running so much mors' rapidly 'than formerly that sailing a hi pa cannot make head way against Its. current This WVet-4 In the ocean" Is caused by the waters of ths Gulf of Mexico piling Up, owing to th rotation of th earth, until that evil caluroa . rises . two or-, .tare feet higher - then - Iho waters Is tb mid Atlantic. Florida strait about 00 milea broad, forma ths only bgrsss for the waters, which flow through this nar row, outlet between Key Went and Cuba, at a speed of or 10 miles per nour. ' ' - J , ' - J an - But 0917 for ; a, moment; then began all sorts of queer sounds: twitterings, iuaksv ; sc retchings, . murmuringa. snapping ' and spbMbinga in th .dark creek. It seemed that there was life everywhere about him, put as none ot these sounds seemed to Indicate any thing vary lergs they did not alarm th boy. Tat It seemed .better to be out tn the brighy moonlight , ot some clear space; so be . hastened .away on the back track, bat somehow th moon no longer shone so brightly, and ha turned into th wrong path, which ha followed until be oam to a rail feno bordering a field at -tall, grass that was gently rustling la th night wind, and bora he topped to discover Just where he waa. Far away a dim' light In soma farm hous window, glowed and than vanished as hs looked at It Tb moon was sink ing down behind - th - woods - and th stars wr twinkling! in tb bin vaalt abov a If they were laughing at him. Hs climbed up on th feno to think From the Chicago -Tribune. ,. EVERT one with a grain Of eotn ' mou senee in his makeup can tall ' whtheror not he has a story to tea The proper method of try ing js tojrrlt th story, writ It one, then writ It again, and then rewrite it Then send It to th dltor of a reputa ble magasine. If It oomss. back sand It out again, and again, until. It has teas read by enough men to determine that th first rejection or two were not mat ters ot chsnoe. . . ':' ' -v .. t . ' , Don't get discouraged. Rewrlten the story and send It on Its Journeying agnfi. Write another while th first story Is out and mall that also. This Is the only wsy of getting a verdict on stories. There are bureaufof literary criticism where for 10 cents per MOO words the writer ' may get wxpert opinion snd criticism. Most of them are run by peopl who hav failed at story writ- Aing. Th beginner bad tetter steer clear feebly piped as If In sleep, and th was aUant In th forest 1 . : J-ii- TPSbSe 'i yU " ' v I '' ' ; f ' .The Whits Monster Afaisf ; ifj : ;' t '' ' ? . ' ' f ;;. . V ; ; J I SjaV eSjItjjpijii, maasiswai SmmUji "aA-i ija'wJ hm'is '' J' jjj-T- "'J -Lllrqj i - - ''" y:M MiM It over. Tall blackberry bushes hedged htm all about Ma wondered If black snakes wandered around at Bight, for blackberry bushes always ' do suggest blackanakea to a oountry boy. A whis poorwlll far up In th heaven ' called sadly, and from away off In th black ness cam a reply, faint and plaintive. ."Why did these birds,' wondered Mar tin, "spend tbe night .soaring up there, andwhy did they always complain so persistently r He did not know that this was their busy time, and that they were catching night moths and mos quitoes by. the thousand.. . I .. He was now fairly well satisfied with his .- prowllnga and ready to .return horn: in fact, he began to consider th question -of climbing into. his window again with aom fright Suppose h waa caught by th constable - .'- ' He decided to hasten hotri at ones, and with on- lag .over1 th -ra(l was about to clamber down when, across ths field of rip grass,- h dimly i detected something moving slowly, Strang and misty snap of whit. It cam on in a wavering, uncertain manner, going to on (Id and then another, as If Watch ing, to sea which 'way he would move. Tbea he suddesiy caught th gleam of greenish ayes. Hia heart stopped beat ing. Tremblingly he awaited the ap proach of this awful thing, so ghostly and pale, aa it so slowly cam on. a silently, too. Just, softly broahlag the grass away before tt with a low , awls a. He dared not run back into the black woods, for ho Celt that it would be bet ter, out her where th stars ahon to has to grappl with this thing than m th darkness of the .forest His knees knocked together, - and -sweat broke ovt on his forehead. . . Tbe white thine, aa If trying to head off his escape along th fence, moved sidewis alng th left side of th f Mid and its eyas gleamed even mora dis tinctly. It looked as big as a house! All was deep silence and he could hear hi own heart thumping . wildly as b hjswsjswhjswaasaajpsaisBswBsal sat there paralysed with fright, clutch ing th top rail wildly aa he trembled, while at that awful moment there earn to his mind th toll fore ef his wrong doing.. He now saw, very plainly, that, although hia 'dear mother: had never really forbidden him to rise from his bed, of course she had Intended that h should remain there until morning. He wished most heartily that b had only seen this aa plainly before he started out to explore th night . -- Ths thing earn nearer and nearer, un til, when it was perhaps to feet from him, all hia strength oosed away, and his grip on th top rail loossned, bis back bone became mushy and weak, and with a faint gasp h fell over, crashing back ward Into th blackberry .bushes. Hs heard a sound of 'pounding and ths swishing of tall grass as tb thing earn for him. as be. imagined, but, after h had lain there for a long time, be de cided that it must bars rua away instead ot attacking him. He sat up - and scratched hie neck wlth'th thorns, bat as he was about te rise something cam rushing through tb bashes and pounced upon him wildly, a sold nose waa pushed against him, and a hot. moist tongue began to lick bis faoel -' - "t It was a full second before he recog nised Mike and then hugged the dog to him with a glad cry. . Now he felt quite safe, and up ha got, and with Mike barking so loudly that everything else shut up at one In all th woods for a mil around, they started off for horn. Mik examined every object carefully, stuck his busy nose into every bole, snuffled around each . tree trunk and clamp of grass, and Just aa they turned th bend in th road he stopped. There at th corner of tb f laid stood th pale, whit mpnster again! Mike attacked It fiercely, yet with caution, and aa it put Its head over th fence Martin saw that It was a big whit calf I He stared, and then he laughed, and was very brave st once. He shouted "shoo!" and away of them. If he or ah has a literary friend, it will be a help to get such opin ion on It flut In th end tbe aspirant muat rise or fall on merit and Individual Judgment-'" - : -!,- - ; v .. The writer who has progressed so aa to havf th first story accepted has gone far in the craft Then la th tins for the author to curb his good opinion ot himself and dig all th harder Into his work. The country I full of writers who got on story printed, and, getting careless. with their work, went down to ultimata failure. Oa swallow do not make a summer and on story printed does not make a writer. But the first acceptance Is the first step up the rungs of fame's Udder. It I th breaking of th barriers that sep arate the ahort . story writer . from checks. - It Is not th end ef th whole climb, but It la th beginning ef th end. Many things come easier sftsr.lt; and the nevlc haa more confidence. Thar can b ne ihooslng of the kind th calf bounded with thuds ana swish- . lnv: - 'z:-.-:': This taught him lesson,' He decided he would never be frightened again un- til h was quit sure there was some thing to b afraid of; and, therefore, hia little Journey Into th dark did him good. On they went up the road, past . tb pond turned black and sullen, and . through the dark lane, 1 Mike .In front -and. now very silent and suspicious, for ' he 1 surely scented 4 something ahead. . Martin noticed th change, and began to walk slowly and carefully, aa be did , when they played Tndkens and Settlers" In the woods. The boose across th . street looked ghostly In the starlight,? for th moon had gohe. ' -. Then Martin saw a light, and while he stared It grew into a flam, and be saw two men's figures moving beside Squire Oelwlclfg great grain barn, Tba ' bias flashed up .higher and higher against tb building, and In aa Instant ' Martin saw that the men war setting fir to th barn! ' He could see their bad. and desperate faces In ths light of th blass, and he knew that they must be wicked, 1 dangerous men. but that ' never stopped hia for an Instant " H -1st out a Tn of mrl - Pbrer that startled all the village, and that caused the men to run down th main street Ilk frightened rabbits, with Mike after them. ' , - '. '! ' V' ; , . .... '' :- Martin, while ' h ' shouted TtfV ' wasted no time,' but darting into th . back yard he seised a bucket and swiftly, crossed tba road , to the town, pump, wber h tilled It from the horse trough . la a twinkling, after which be dashed the water on th bias that was creep ing up the side ef th grain bam. Neighbors arrived, halt-dad, la less than -av minute when, ha had refilled hia . buxket for th third time, but th firs was now almost out.. , ,'.'..'' v". ,Whn ' Martin's father arrrradA ha ; found his little long-hatred boy a hero) Th street was faied with peopl prais ing htm. and Mr. Millar swelled with pride when be heard hew Ms "-girl-boy- , bad saved th big barn.' Seeing lights la th barter's shop ha walked Martin over there and said, fa th barber: '"Paul. I -know tt'a after ' bustMsa hours, but ril giv you halt a dollar to eat my boys hair. He's a man sew, and . I want no more carta!" :.u 1 So Paul cut off th long leeks, sad wben Martin went home his mother didn't know him. . '. "Tomorrow he's going to have long pants and suspenders, or my name's not Bill MUlerr said ht fatter. Way. that -boy ought te be tn, the fire depart- . ment Instead of being sent to bed with the chlcksnsr - So that's how Martin became a real boy and the Ilea of the 'Village, also, but his gteatest Joy and satisfaction earns from sitting op until he got really aleepy; and now. when he's a new a paper man. ha tails m that he often remains awake until four or ftv tn th morning Just sitting. around, because he's sever gotten over ths feeling of delight v, . '' The two "fire-bus." aa they call men who set fir to buildings, war captured because Mike mad such an" otrtcryr as -hs chased them, that they htd In a hay stack, where they were found and taken te JalL '"' . ' - ;-. So Mike came In for a lot of praise, snd.waa afterward, ao much prised by the Millers that hs was aUowed to stay In the house, so you will not be sur- , prised to hear that he managed to sleep with Martin very often Indeed. But Mrs. ' Miller, proud as sb was of her brave lad, was a long time getting used to , either her boy with the long pants and ' short hair or the brave dog, whose pants and balr were, both th sam length. . WAX.T MDOCOALU . ; of stories on 'Will writer Each writer " must writs the kind of story that 1 nearest to him or her, the kind -that he er she understands and is Interested in. All ether work Is sur to prove weak and natpld. A to remuneration, the .: average among the- better class of mag- -aslnes Is slightly less than I I cents per word. Perhaps $60 may be placed as a fair eetlmate of th price paid ,for th average ahort atory. After the writer ' haa made something of a reputation higher prices will be offered him. Th writer of reputation can command his own price. '' Consider ttens. . "Do you think that the government ' will undertake to regulate tbe rail reader" .--...! . ,'; -. "I don't know," 'answered the com mercial traveler. "If It does, I hops It will make soma Ahat t could mention get their trains la en time." t
