Union gazette., March 09, 1900, Image 4

(H . ABE AN ODD PEOPLE.
TZIGANES OF HUNGARY HAVE
NO COUNTERPARTS.
Retain the Habits of Barbarian in
Spite of Remonstrances Kaiment
, More Scant than Strict Decency Dic
; tatesTheir Keclamation Abandoned.
! Among the many races which make
up the population of that heterogeneous
geographical expression termed the
Austro-Hungarlan empire certainly the
most Interesting are those curious peo
ple called Tziganes In Hungary, bohe
mlans In France and gypsies In England
and the United States. Hungary Is the
home of the Tziganes, In so far as they
have any home. In all other European
countries they were persecuted for cen
turies as being emissaries of the evil
one and enemies of Christianity, but
Hungary took pity on them and treated
the wanderers like lost children. There
are now about 150,000 of these Tziganes
In Hungary.
One of the favorite abodes of these
strange people Is near the frontier of
Croatia. It Is there that the typical
Tziganes may best be seen. Their
"camps" are always set up at some dis
tance from the nearest town or village;
often In close proximity to some forest.
The Tzigane huts for they are nothing
more consist of a single room, unless
the owner Is extremely well to do, and
are generally devoid of furniture. The
Tziganes., eat and sleep on the bare
boards. At all times of the day there Is
a. smoldering fire In the hut, over which
hangs a sandstone pot, for the Tzigane
has no fixed hour for his meals, but eats
whenever he feels hungry. The ordi
nary bill of fare consists of potatoes,
stews, milk and lard. On festive occa
sions such titbits are indulged In as
hedgehogs, foxes and squirrels. Cats
are considered by the Tziganes a prince
ly diet and they train dogs to hunt
hedgehogs and foxes.
Tzigane women, as a rule, go about
half naked, the young girls wearing
nothing but a small apron, excepting
when they go to the neighboring town.
The men wear but little clothing, and
until the time of their marriage (be
tween 12 and 15 years of age) they also
go about almost naked. After mar
riage, however, they attire themselves
In the gaudy Hungarian national cos
tume, of which they are very proud.
Cast-off garments of some Magyar no
bleman they particularly, prize, and
.when they are able to obtain a bright
red coat their satisfaction Is complete.
The Tziganes have a horror of work or
restraint of any kind. Even those who
have a fixed residence like to roam
about when they feel so inclined. So
strong is this wandering instinct with
them that they have no word in their
language to signify "remain." Most of
the trades they adopt are suitable for a
nomadic life. They are either horse
dealers, blacksmiths, sheep shearers or,
and above all, beggars. It is quite Im
possible to take a country drive
through some provinces of Hungary
without coming across a band of Tzi
ganes, some one of whom will surely
follow a carriage for half an hour or
more until he has received a coin. The
Tziganes have given themselves the
nickname of "poor men" and the habit
of begging is so thoroughly rooted in
them that even well-to-do members of
their race, whom one occasionally meets
in Buda-Pesth, driving pure-blooded
horses and wearing costly Jewels, can
not resist the temptation of asking for
money. "
i Many unsuccessful attempts have
been made to restrain the vagabond pro
pensities of the Tziganes. Emperor Jo
seph II. once tried to compel them to
have a fixed residence, and alloted them
land, distributed agricultural Imple
ments among them and ordered them to
cultivate their acres. But Instead of
taking up their residence In the com
fortable homes they had been presented
with the Tziganes turned the bouses
into stables for their horses and cows
and set up tents near by for their own
nse. To prevent the corn given them
for seed from sprouting they boiled it.
But the Emperor was not discouraged.
He abolished the Tzigane language, as
he had. already done away with the
Magyar language; did away with the
very name of Tzigane, and finally took
their children from them to be educated
by German and Hungarian farmers,
who were to bring them up according to
a strict code of discipline. But the little
Tziganes grew up with all the Instincts
of their race, and at the first opportuni
ty escaped and rejoined their parents.
A few years ago a Tzigane who had
been adopted as a child In an Austrian
family entered the army and rose to the
rank of captain. One day, without any
warning, he disappeared, and six
months later he was found among a
band of wandering Tziganes. Liszt, the
great pianist, once tried to tame a young
Tzigane. He took the boy to Paris,
gave him teachers and tried to bring
him up in a conventional manner, but
the effort was useless and the young
bohemian had to be sent back to his
native land. There are a few excep
tions which prove the rule, for In Tran
sylvania some peasants are Tziganes
and enjoy a well-deserved reputation
for thrift and intelligence. Others In
Transylvania have become wood carv
ers, masons and dentists. Home Jour
nal. .
I ELEVATORS IN THE CAPITOL.
Persona to Whom la Due the Credit of
Their Introduction.
"I came here," said the veteran ex
member of Congress, "when elevators
were unknown. Not long afterward
they made their appearance In several
of the large cities. They were consid
ered an expensive luxury, and nobody
dreamed of placing them in the cap
ltoL . Singular as It may seem, the first
man to propose and advocate their in
troduction was a member from Texas.
- He was the heaviest man in the House,
' and represented the San Antonio 'dis
trict. His name, was Gustave Schlei
ger, and he was born In Germany. At
the time of his Introduction of a reso
lution providing for an elevator In the
south wing Watchdog Holman was
chairman of the committee on appro
priations. He fought the resolution,
tooth and nail, on the score of economy.
He regarded it as the acme of extrava
gance. Schlelger, however, was per
sistent. He fought Holman to a stand
still, and was finally beaten by the
strategy so characteristic of the Hoo
sier statesman. Even the city mem
bers voted against the resolution. The
big German, however, had attracted
the attention of the whole country.
This pleased his constituents, and he
was re-elected. He came back to the
Forty-fifth Congress and continued the
agitation for an elevator. He died near
the close of the third session, much re
gretted. 1
"In the Forty-sixth Congress Robert
Klotz of Mauch Chunk, a Pennsylvania
Dutchman, championed Schlelger' a
bobby. He was so persistent in advo
cating it that one of bis colleagues salti
to him one day: 'You want to be hoist
ed to your seat, do you? Well, the peo
ple will hoist you next fall. Ton will
get all the hoisting you want then.
The prediction failed. Mr. Klotz was
returned to Congress, after he had suc
ceeded in securing an appropriation for
an elevator. It was made In the Forty
sixth Congress In the sundry civil bill.
Holman was no longer chairman of the
committee on appropriations. His suc
cessor was the Hon. John De Witt Clin
ton' Atkins of Tennessee. The fact re
mains, however, that the Introduction
of the elevators in the capitol was due
to the efforts of two statesmen of Ger
man extraction." Washington corre
spondent Philadelphia Record.
TO FIGHT AGAINST THE BOER.
Lord Strathcona Will Equip a Force
of Canadian Rough Eiders.
The offer of . Lord Strathcona, Cana
dian high commissioner in London, to
equip at his own expense a corps of
400 mounted volunteers, for service
with the English in their war against
the Boers, has attracted considerable
attention. This splendid offer has been
accepted by the Dominion government
and picked men will be recruited from
the northwest and Manitoba. The es
timated cost of the force even for a
short campaign will be over $500,000
and If the war lasts unusually long the
figures may reach $2,000,000 or $3,000,-
000. This act crowns many princely
donations made by Lord Strathcona to
various philanthropic and educational
enterprises In the Dominion.
Sir Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona,
was born in Scotland 78 years ago. He
emigrated to Canada at an early age
and reached this side of the Atlantic
with but little money in his pocket. He
was of an adventurous disposition,
however, and plunged into the life of a
pioneer In the undeveloped Canadian
West. He grew up with the country
and amassed a fortune. He has long
been one f the wealthiest men In Can
ada and Is President of the greatest
concern In the Dominion, the Montreal
Bank. He Is also President of that
great corporation, the Hudson Bay
Company. As a director of the Cana
dian Pacific Railway and one of the
largest stockholders of that railroad,
he has been an Important factor In de
veloping the West. Sir Donald has
been for nearly forty-years connected
with Canadian politics and has been
during the greater part of that tlpie
one of the most prominent figures in
Canadian national life, both as -a
shrewd, practical politician and a great
financial power. As a patriotic Cana
dian and distinguished philanthropist
Sir Donald stands without a peer in
the Dominion.
CALLED HIM DOWN,
But One Little Circumstance Made It a
Waste of Words.
Jones was staying at home for a
day's rest, and Mrs. Jones thought she
might as well make him useful.
"I wish you would go to the back
door," she said, "and, if that's the gro
cer knocking, I wish you'd tell him that
I've sent down for that soap three
times already, and if it doesn't come
to-day I shall go to the store myself
and complain."
"There's no use in wasting words,
Mary," said Jones, briskly. "I know
how to bring such people to time. I'll
attend to the man so that you'll have
no more trouble."
. He went to the back door and con
fronted the man with a pleasant but
firm expression of countenance.
"Now, look here!" he said, with de
cision. "This thing has been going on
long enough. Mrs. Jones can't afford
to await your pleasure in the matter of
soap, or anything else. This delay has
caused her much annoyance, and It is
entirely Inexcusable on your part. It
isn't possible that an establishment like
the one for which you work shouldn't
be provided with soap enough for all
its customers. I see plainly that the
fault lies with you; you've neglected to
give the order. Now, I've only one
thing to say If our trade isn't worth
your employer's while, we'll go some
where else. I'm a man of few words!
Unless the soap comes this morning,
Mrs. Jones will order from Smith and
Brown In the future.
The man looked confused, but said
nothing, while Jones paused for breath.
"Come, come," said Jones, "have you
any excuse to offer any reason to give
for your failure to bring the soap?"
"I don't know as I have, sir," said
the man, slowly, "except that I'm the
milkman, and I've come to collect this
little bill for the month of December."
How to Cook Unsbands.
' A good many husbands are entirely
spoiled by mismanagement in cooking,
and so are not tender and good. Some
women keep them too constantly in hot
water; others freeze them, others roast
them, others put them constantly in 'a
pickle. It cannot be supposed that any
husband will be good and tender man
aged in this way, but, as a class, hus
bands are really delicious when prop
erly treated. In selecting your hus
band you should not be guided by the
silvery appearance, as in buying mack
erel; nor by the golden tint, as if you
wanted salmon. Be sure and select
him yourself, as tastes differ. Do not
go to the market for him, as those
brought to the door are always best.
It is far better to have none than not to
know how to cook them properly. It
does not make so much difference what
you cook him in as how you cook him.
See that the linen in which he Is
wrapped Is white and nicely mended,
with the required number of strings
and buttons. -Don't keep him in the
kettle by force; he will stay there him
self If proper care Is taken. If he sput
ters or fizzes do not be anxious. Some
husbands do this; add a little sugar in
the form of what confectioners call
kisses, but no vinegar or pepper on any
account. A little spice improves them,
but It must be used with Judgment.
Do not try him with anything sharp to
see If he is becoming tender. Stir him
gently the while, lest he stay too long
in the kettle and become fiat and taste
less. If thus treated you will find him
very digestible, agreeing nicely with
you, and he will keep" as long as you
want, Philadelphia Telegraph.
Action and reaction are not equal In
the stock market,
LOBD STBATHCONA.
TALKS ON HANDSHAKING.
Scientific Custom that Dates Back to
the Beginning: of Time.
"It Is said by ancient astrologers that
shaking hands is a scientific custom
which dates back to the beginning of
rtime." ' There is all the difference In the
world between the various modes of
shaking the hand of stranger or friend
as to the resulting impression obtained
by and through that operation, con
sciously or unconsciously." said a so
ciety woman at a select afternoon tea
yesterday. "1 claim that the results
depend upon the proper position taken
by the two hands clasped, although a
mere touch will tell much. We shake
hands in order to form a connection
between us which will result in the ex
change of planetary vibrations which
notify us whether we have met a friend
or foe. Few people go Into such an ex
act scientific analysis of the reasons,
but perhaps think that they do It be
cause other people do It; that it is the
custom of the country, or because the
person met offers the band. It remains
an indisputable fact, however, that we
form likes and dislikes upon touching
the hands of strangers, and that friend
ships or dislikes often start at that
point, whether we reallze. lt or not
The exchange of Impression is strong
at the moment of contact of the palm.
It makes us unhappy to touch some
people, and we will not If we can help
it
"The most effective handshake Is not
the close clasp in all cases, although It
may be In many, but varies accordins
to the sizes and shapes of the twi
hands which clasp each other. How
ever they may meet, there is one spot
which is the magnetic center of the en
tire being the mount of the suu, speak
ing from the standpoint of palmistry
which has the most direct nerve con
tact with the brain and also most di
rect blood connection with the heart,
and Is, therefore, called the ring fin
ger! with the magnetic pole at Its
base.
. "The physical and mental strength
are there united in the strongest mag
netic center of the body. If the two
hands thus clasped are "placed with
their magnetic centers in close contact,
no matter where the -rest of the palm
may be, I Insist that there Is a strong
magnetic current established between
these two people.
"It may be Intensified In effect if the
mounts at the bases of the other fin
gers also be brought Into as close con
tact with each other, thus bringing the
minor magnetic poles -also together.
Then. If the third, or Ting finger. curls
around the mount of Venus astrolog
ically situated at the base of the little
finger, above the heart line and trav
ersed by the marriage line or lines
and the thumb extends across the back
of each friend's hand to the" knuckle
at the base of the 'ring finger,' clasp
ing those chief magnetic poles the more
closely, the law of magnetics is carried
out to complete perfection, the effects
are most pronounced, and we enjoy the
pleasurable interchange of vlbratlous,
whether we know the "whys and
wherefores or not.
"In all probability, we do not care
why we only know -that we enjoyed
the handclasp." New York Tribune.
THOUGHT HE HAD A FINE RISK.
Enterprising Insurance Agent Lost a
Day Looking for a Patron,
"I wish that people wouldn't try to
be so funny with me!" snapped the life
insurance agent "Life is a serious
business. That Is why 1 spend so
much of my time trying to impress
upon people that some of my unex
celled life Insurance Is necessary for
their happiness. Here I have lost a
whole day and been put to considerable
expense, when I might have used both
to better advantage, and all because
people look upon me as a tit subject for
their practical Jokes.
. "The other day I chanced to step Into
a hotel to see what was going on, and
while there I jtruck up an acquaint
ance with a man who looked to be
about 00 years of age. It wasn't long
before I discovered that he carried no
Insurance, and as he looked like a
splendid risk I lost no time In telling
him all about the celebrated Insurance
that I handle. He looked a little bored
before I was half through, but 1 didn't
let .that bother me, as 1 bad him In a
corner where he couldn't escape. Final
ly, through an oversight on my part,
he managed to get in a word.
" 'See here,' said be, 'I have the heart
disease and couldn't get my life insured
if I wanted to. But I have a son who
is as sound as a dollar. Why not talk
to him?
"Where Is her said I.
" 'He is out at my home about thirty
miles from here. It will be worth your
time to see him.'
" 'I'll see him at once,' I answered.
"Well. I got the address and took the
first train out there. I found- the bouse
all right and rang the belL A woman
answered me, and I asked if Mr.
Blank's son was at home.
" 'He is,' she answered, looking at
me rather queerly.
" 'May I see him? 1 asked.
. " 'You may,' she answered, and led
the way inside. She disappeared for a
moment, and then reappeared upon the
scene with a 6-months-old baby in her
arms and I collapsed." Detroit Free
Press.
No Answer Ready.
He had discoursed learnedly, If some
what wearingly, 'to bis friend on the
Influence of food upon character.
"Tell me," said be. In summing up,
"tell me what a man eats and 1 will
tell you what he Is."
His friend, though fatigued, was evi
dently interested.
"There is only one question I wish to
ask you," he said.
"Ask it," replied the discourser, mag
nanimously, with an air that said very
clearly: "Give me a hard one while
you are at it, and I'll show you bow
smart I am."
"It Is this," replied the fatigued
friend: "How much sage tea would you
have to drink to make a wise man of
yourself?"
No answer being promptly forthcom
ing, the conference broke up.
Solidified Alcohol.
The solidified alcohol which a Berlin
firm has been sending out in a tin ves
sel intended to serve as a pocket lamp
and stove, is reported to consist essen
tially of 62 per cent of alcohol, 20 of
soap and 18 of water. A similar prod
uct is readily made by dissolving tallow
soap in warm alcohol.
Cost of Big Canals.
Canals, and particularly ship canals,
are costly undertakings. The Suez
Canal cost $100,000,000, the Manchester
Ship Canal $90,000,000, the North Sea
Canal $35,500,000, the North Holland
and the Corinth Canals $15,000,000
each.
Healthiest Town.
- The healthiest spot in the world
seems to be a little hamlet In France
named Aumone. There are only forty
inhabitants, twenty-five of whom art
SO year of age and one Is over 100.
TITANS OF THE IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES AT WAR.
goooxxocxa
A recent revelations made as to the
' the financial head and Mr. Frick
X fx'
ft ! 4 SM ' -
two fortunate men has never been questioned, bat that it had reached the volume which Mr. Frick asserts it has, no
one not even intimate friends dreamed. Men gape at each other when they read the figures. An annual profit of from
5 to 12 per cent anyone was willing to concede the magnates, but not profits of 40, 50, 75 and 100 per cent :Yet these
latter figures are the ones with which Mr. Frick deals. '
Briefly told, Mr. Frick's suit is a prayer, filed in the common pleas court to restrain Mr. Carnegie from forcing him to
sell out his interest in the steel company except at Jiis own terms. . In support of his prayer he states: The profits of the
Carnegie Steel Company, Limited, for 1899 were $21,000,000 above all expenses. The net profit's for 1900 have been esti
mated by Mr. Carnegie at $40,000,000 and by Mr. Frick at $42,500,000. Mr. Frick's interest in the company, according
to his own calculations, is $16,238,000; according to Mr. Carnegie but $6,000,000. The number of partners in the com
pany is forty. The total value of the property under ordinary conditions is $250,000,000; in prosperous times at home a
nd abroad, $500,000,000. The capital stock of the steel company is but $25,000,000, of which Mr. Carnegie owns 58 per
cent and Frick 6 per cent. In May, 1899, Mr. Carnegie received in cash $1,170,000 given him as a bonus for his nine
ty days' option to sell his 58 per cent in the steel company for $157,950,000. Mr. Frick's 6 per cent of stock on that
basis would be worth $16,238,000. Mr. Frick in. his prayer avers fraud on the part of Mr. Carnegie. He declares the
latter drove him out of the chairmanship of the steel company last December through malice, that he intends to run the
business himself, and that he will thereby cause great loss. ....... ' i
:Andrew Carnegie is the epitome of Scotch thrift, Irish volubility and American perseverance. Henry C. Frick Is the
embodiment of Dutch acquisitiveness and taciturnity and English tenacity. - Chance worked more for the winning of Mr.
Carnegie's fortune than in the case of any other living Americas multimillionaire. Necessity brought Mr. . Frick info
Mr. Carnegie's service. Opportunity gave Mr. Frick his wealth. Favorable legislation and judicious nursing increased
,Mr. Carnegie's wealth. Mr. .Carnegie professes to believe in the human race and in the success of human endeavor. Mr.
Frick is little concerned in the human race, save as it is a buyer in his market. Mr. Carnegie is not bold or' daring. Mr
Frick is both. Mr. Carnegie thinks wealth should add to wealth, but that it should be disposed of before death. Mr.
Frick doesn't care get all, hold all, is his creed. M. Carnegie says he owes a debt to humanity. Mr. Frick says it is not
due to humanity, but to himself. Mr.' Carnegie gives away a library every time he feels democratic. Mr. Frick relinquishes
nothing. Both men have gained millions by methods open to intelligent discussion.- Neither man can avoid death.
The Famous Homestead Outbreak and Cause from Which It Originated.
Henry C Erick owned a name of national prominence at the end of the year 1892. For years prior to the events of
that time labor-saving machinery had been introduced at the mills in Homestead, which greatly increased the output,
lessened the labor and increased the wages of a small number of employes known as the "tonnage men." These men
were paid at certain fixed rates per ton of product and with the improved machinery used they were enabled in many
cases to double their earnings beyond the figures contemplated by the union scale, and also beyond that paid by com
peting mills. Mr. Frick insisted when it came to arranging a new scale that allowance be made for the improved machinery
used. The "tonnage men" refused to listen to him, and many useless conferences were held. The men were stubborn
and Mr. Frick cold. There does not appear to have been much tact used on either side. Mr. Frick finally prepared a
new scale and submitted it to the workmen direct without consulting the officers of their unions. A strike was ordered
by the union officers and followed. ' Mr. Frick imported Pinkerton men to protect his property, and., they , were en
trapped on river barges and shot down by the strikers. The presence of the Pinkerton men really appears to have precipi
tated rioting which otherwise might not have taken place. The National Guaid of Pennsylvania was called out and Home
stead put under martial law. While the excitement was at its height Alexander Bergman, an anarchist from New
' York, called at Mr.-Frick's private office in Pittsburg, shot him four times and stabbed him. seven. Nevertheless Mr.
Frick recovered and Bergman was sent to the penitentiary for a long term of years. Congress appointed a committee to
investigate the cause of the Homestead riots and it did so, but no practical good came from' the Investigation. The rioting
ended as quickly as it began, and since that time the Carnegie works have had no serious trouble with their labor. A kind
of a civil service is maintained in the works by which men of steady service may be promoted.
COLLEGE GOOD-FELLOWSHIP.
Alma Mater Attachments that Last a
Whole Life Long.
A prime advantage of a university ed
ucation, says the Kansas City Star, is
the assimilation of what Is called the
college spirit This is worth quite as
much to the student as the technical
knowledge which he masters In his
academic course. .
. At any first-class Institution of learn
ing the students meet young men of
good . breeding aud antecedents from
every part of the country. They form
acquaintances and associations which
yield enjoyment to them for the re
mainder of their lives. They are given
the opportunity of measuring them
selves as to Intellectual power, and,
what Is as fully important, in point of
manner and development, with the best
American types. The assemblage of
thousands of youths from the most cul
tivated families in the land opens the
way for the assimilation and imitation
by each of ail that Is most admirable in
the others.
College friendships. In many In
stances, lead the students into wholly
new fields of social observation and
thus greatly broaden the education of
the student. The Western boy at Yale
or Harvard goes home to visit with his
Eastern chum, and sees life which Is
essentially different from that to which
he has been accustomed. The Eastern
chap comes to the West, and fairly
revels in the cordiality and freedom
which are notable in Eastern society
for their absence. The advantage is
great and as valuable on one side as on
the other. This feeling of good fellow
ship has built up what may be called
a vast college order all over the coun
try. RISTORI AT 78.
Terrib'e Vengeance Which Dumas Fere
, Took on Rachel.
So long has Ristori been off the stage
that many people think her dead, says
the New Orleans Times-Democrat The
last scene in life's drama, though, has
not yet come for the great tragedienne.
She is living quietly in her home in
Italy, spending part of her winters In
Rome, and watching with interest all
the current events in the dramatic
world. '
, Writing of Ristori, Kate Field once
said: "Romance seems to have presided
over her birth, and to have strewn her
path with as many incidents as flow
ers. Born a dramatic gypsy,
she made her first appearance on the
stage when two months old. Introduced
In a basket, the unconscious infant did
not on this occasion give any evidence
of dramatic ability. Four years later,
when la piccola Ristori became a reg
ular member of the company, large
audiences greeted her whenever she
appeared in a child's part and even
then RIstori's salary was greater than
that of her parents, who were acting
with her."
Of her debut in Paris in 1855, after
she had already . bee une famous
GREAT HOMESTEAD STEEL MILLS.
annual nrn(it nf the Carneeie Steel Comnnnv. Limited, of which Mr. Carneeie is
(Until recently) the active manager. That
throughout Italy, Miss Field wrote:
"The play was 'Francesca da Rimini.'
The great Rossi played Paolo, bat crit
ical Paris saw only Ristori. Some had
gone to scoff they remained to bring
Francesca back to life by recalling her
three times before the curtain. The au
dience was not large, for Italian form
meant nothing in France; but that au
dience made haste to proclaim the
coming of a new prophet to whom they
gave papers of naturalization and called
'Notre Ristori.'
"Dumas pere made haste to write:
'Last night I was at the representation
of "Francesca da Rimini." 1
looked around the theater, but did not
see Rachel. I beg that she will go and
see how the' death scene Is performed.'
Rachel would not play Dumas. Here
was the author's terrible venegance
unkind and undeserved, but none the
less cutting to the great tragedienne
who for fifteen years had, undisputed,
worn her crown."
OUTRAGED OFFICIAL DIGNITY.
Sad Mistake of a Machinery Drummer
in Central America.
"It takes some time to learn the social
ropes In Central America," remarked a
gentleman in the banana trade, "and a
stranger is very apt to put his foot in
it The first time I ever went into the
country myself was as the representa
tive of an American machinery house.
There was a good field for us in one of
the republics, but the tariff was prohib
itive, and 1 concluded to go over to the
capital and have an Interview with the
minister of agriculcure, hoping to per
suade him to recommend a reduction.
I spoke pretty fair Ollendorf Spanish,
but was otherwise green as a gourd,
and as soon as 1 arrived made a bee
line for the administration building. "
"While I was cooling my heels In an
ante-room, waiting for a chance to
speak to somebody in authority and
ascertain how the minister could be
seen, a very black, fat little negro wad
dled in, wearing what I took to be a
species of livery. He had exactly the
air of an Impudent overfed bouse ser
vant and be looked me over in a way
that made my blood boil. 'HI, boy!" 1
said sharply, 'how long must I wait
here?" 'How should 1 know?" he re
plied In Spanish; 'If it doesn't suit you
get out' He chuckled as be spoke and
his answer so Infuriated me that I lost
my head.
"Jumping up, I seized him by the col
lar and the slack of his absurd em
broidered trousers and propelled him,
turkey fashion, through the open door.
There, you black scoundrel V I ex
claimed, 'Go and send somebody after
my card!' The little fat darky was so
amazed he couldn't utter a word. He
simply gasped and disappeared. Half
a minute laterasquadof soldiers rushed
in and placed me under arrest and
then I learned that my friend in the
embroidered pantaloons was the min
ister of public Instruction.
"I will leave you to Imagine my feel
ings. It took three hours of solid talk
S-.--J.i-.
wealth nutold has poured in upon these
from both the American and British
consuls to get me out of the scrape,
and. Incidentally, I made a groveling
apology.- Of course, I didn't dare to
Introduce the machinery proposition
after such a debut so my . trip was a
flat failure. As I said before, it takes
some time for a stranger to grasp the
etiquette of those parts." New Orleans
Times-Democrat
Vortex Motion in Atmosphere..
Vortex : motion In the atmosphere,
though seldom obtrusively patent in
England,, must certainly be reckoned
with, and all ascending currents, from
whatever cause, appear of this nature,
says the National Review. Dust whirls
In spring, and twisting columns of dry
leaves or' bay in summer and autumn
are evidences of the existence of such
upward currents. But the aeronaut
can detect them on a larger scale and
penetrating sometimes far aloft This
is only what might be expected from
statistics relating to such phenomena
where they occur in greater earnest la
other parts of the globe.
It is classical history how dust show
ers have arisen In the west coast of
Africa and descended again on vessels
far out on the Atlantic; how Scotland
has been visited by a storm of pumice
debris which was supposed to have
had its origin in Vesuvius; how show
ers of fish or of frogs have descended
from the sky, having been swept into
lofty regions entangled in the bosom
of a windwbirl sufficient to bear them
whither it listed. The dust of Kraka
tao, committed to the lofty winds by
.the force of Its own eruption In 1883,
traveled over the globe in outward
courses almost without ' limit before
settling to earth weeks or months or
possibly years afterward."'
Ostrich Eggs in an Incubator. -
For several years attempts have been
made at Omaha and Los Angeles to
hatch the egg of the Ostrich artificially,
but so far these attempts have been
unsuccessful, the ditficulty being the
application of moisture. Now, however,
an ostrich farm in Florida can boast of
the first incubator-batched ostrich in
the United States. The incubator re
quired forty-one days of careful watch
ing; the thermometer was kept at 110
degrees and the moisture was applied
at intervals.
Lakit and Uiverk.
The average reader will be amazed to
learn that little New Hampshire, with
less than 10,000 square miles, has no
less than 406 lakes and ponds, 154
brooks, 58 rivers, and 204 mountains.
Colorado, a big State, has 556 creeks.
Texas has comparatively few rivers,
lakes and creeks. Alabama' has 663
creeks aud 87 rivers. Minnesota has 222
lakes and 140 rivers. New York Press.
There goes a fellow who always takes
things easy." "Ib that so? Who is her'
"A pickpocket" Chicago Times-Herald,
..'...'".. -
CARRIED OFF THE BRIDE.
fitrange Misadventure that Befell a
Chinese Damsel.
The way of Oriental brides would
scarcely suit their Occidental sisters.
In China a bride usually rides in a rich
ly embroidered red sedan chair, decor
ated with flowers, and hired for the
occasion.
Not long ago In Canton city a man
hired a chair to carry his bride -to his
homestead In the suburbs. The dis
tance was great and the hour late.
When the four chair coolies and the lan
tern bearers arrived at their destina
tion the chair containing the bride was
deposited outside the doorway to await,
the auspicious hour selected for open
ing the door to admit the bride and the
coolies adjourned to an opium den; and,
as they had traveled a long way and
were tired, they soon fell asleep. How
long they dozed they knew not, but ou
awakening they returned and found
the bridal qhalr outside the doorway.
They came to the not unnatural conclu
sion that the bride had already entered
the household and that the chair was
left there for them to take back to the
city. Since they had all received their
pay In advance they did not stop to
make further Inquiries, but hurraed
borne with the chair, put it in a. loft
and, rolling themselves up in their beds,
slept the sleep of the Just. In the
meantime the bridegroom heard the
bridal party arrive, but had to await
the stroke of the auspicious hour before
welcoming the bride. At last the can
dles were lit. Incense sticks were light
ed, the new rice and viands for enter-,
talnlng the bride were served, the
parents-ln-law put on their best suits
and so did the bridegroom and, with
much pomp and ceremony, the door
was thrown wide open; but as far as
the lanterns' light would reach, lo!
there was not a face of the bridal
chair or bride, nor a single soul to be
seen, v Great was their consternation,
and It became greater still as they con
cluded that bandits must have kid
naped the bride and would hold her for
ransom. The district officer was.
aroused.' the case was reported tg. the,
village justice of the peace and search
parties were sent out in every direction.
The bridegroom, though distracted, had
sense enough to rush to the city and
make Inquiries of the chair bearers.
The coolies were dumfounded and ex
plained what they had done. Together
they climbed to the loft, opened ; the
door of the chair and found the demure
looking bride, long Imprisoned and half
starved, but still appearing to her best
advantage in her beautiful bridal
gown. The bride appeared to have
known that she was being carried
backward and forward, but could not
protest because it is the custom for
brides not to open their lips till the
marriage ceremony is performed.
Hence all the trouble.
ALL WERE SELF-CONVICTED.
Georrfa Lawyers Handed Over Their
Guns with Singular Unanimity.
Georgia has a stringent law forbid
ding its citizens to carry pistols on pain
of forfeiting the weapons and paying
a fine of $50 or being Imprisoned for
thirty days. Shortly after the passage
of this enactment Judge Lester was
holding court In a little town, when
suddenly be suspended the trial of. a
case by ordering the sheriff to lock" tire
doors of the courthouse.
"Gentlemen," said the Judge when
the doors were closed, "I have Just seen
a pistol on a man in this room and I
cannot reconcile it to my sense of duty
to let such a violation of this law pass
unnoticed. I ought perhaps to go be
fore the grand jury and indict him, but
If that man will walk up to this stand
and lay his pistol and a fine of $1 down
here I will let him off this time." ;
The Judge paused, and a lawyer sit
ting just before him got up, slipped his
hand into a hip pocket drew out. a
neat ivory-handled six-shooter and laid
It with a dollar down upon the stand.
"This is all right" said the Judge,
"but you are not the man I saw with
the pistol."
Upon this another lawyer arose and
laid dov.-n a Colt's revolver and a dollar
bill before the Judge, who repeated his
former observation. The process went
on until nineteen pis -Is of all, kinds
and sizes and shapes lay upon the
stand, together with nineteen dollars by
their side. The Judge laughed as be
complimented the nineteen delinquents
upon being men of business, but added
that the man whom he had seen with
the pistol had not come up and, glanc
ing at the far side of the court be con
tinued: "I will give him one minute to accept
my proposition, and if he fails I will
hand him over to the sheriff."
Immediately two men from the back
of the court rose and began to move to
ward the Judge's stand. Once they
stopped to look at each Other, and then,
coming slowly forward, laid down
their pistols and their dollars. As they
turned their backs the Judge said:
"This man with the black whiskers
Is the one that I originally saw." New
York Press.
Reading Manuscripts.
It would be a revelation to the
young writers who complain that every
word of their stories is not read, to see
how fast an experienced and conscien
tious editor can, at times, go through
a big pile of essays, stories or poems.
The title Is often enough, and he would
say, "We don't want an article on that
subject" The next article begins with
a page or two of commonplace Intro
duction, and that is thrown aside in
half a minute's Inspection, Without
turning more than the next page. The
next Is written in the first person, and
peppered with "I's.," "We don't want
that egotistical stuff." The first verse
of this poem has false meter and is
tossed aside. The next begins in school
girl style, with "dove" and "love;" it is
not read through. Of the next the
editor reads ten lines. It Is simply a
dull description of a stream In a forest
not wanted. The next poem begins
In a fresh way, seems to be constructed
according to the rules. Is pretty good.
It to put one side to sea If other better
: i DISCOVERY OF THE BRIDE.
poems will crowd it out The next !
a story. The first page Is promising,
but the second shows a coarse strain,
and the readlnz stops there. Another
I story follows.. The . beginning. Is not
promising, but a glance at the middle
and end shows a marked improvement
and It Is laid aside for a more critical
examination. In half an hour twenty
articles are passed upon, and with suf
ficient good judgment, for a minute to
a manuscript is often more than it
needs.
A Rhinoceros at Large.
A rhinoceros that can dance Is not,
like a dancing bear, a familiar sight
Naturally such a rhinoceros created a
sensation when, while being unloaded
from a railroad car at Philadelphia, It
escaped Into the street.
The beast was sent to the Zoological
Garden and arrived In good health and
spirits. Twenty employes of the ex
press company stood about to prevent
its getting away, but when the animal
started they all fled down Seventeenth
street.
The rhinoceros went to Market street,
the men after it, thence to Sixteenth
and back to Filbert. In the short Jour
ney It passed probably a hundred peo
ple, and put them all to flight. An Ital
ian, grinding out a merry tune on his
organ, got a shock that he will not soon
forget.
The beast ' has been with a circua
and can dance and do a cake walk. At
Sixteenth and Filbert streets it. heard
the sound of the music, and began to
dance.
The Italian did not ' know whal
brought the crowd, but ''he kept on turn
ing bis crank until suddenly there waa
a roar of laughter, and he turned to
find the beast standing still, solemnly
looking at him. With a terrific yell, h
dropped the crank and ran. The ani
mal was caught and put back into the
cage with little difficulty. .
, Everybody Plays the Guitar. V'
In Portugal men play upon the guitar -as
naturally as Yankees -whistle. The
peasants are universally given to th
instrument chiefly as an - accompani
ment to the voice. In towns and vil
lages the artisans are' often expert
guitar players and walk In groups to
and from their work, enlivening the
journey with music and song. The car
penter who comes to your house to exe
cute a small job brings-his guitar with
his tools and the blacksmith is a far
better performer on the guitar than the
anvil. .... , :; - ..'..-.,:
When Portuguese day laborer or
workman has finished his long day's
toll he does not hie him to a wine shop
to squander the few cents "he has
earned; he does not even lean against
a post and smoke, nor whittle a stick
while swapping yarns with his fellows.
If he did not bring his guitar with him
be goes straight home and gets It rests
and comforts himself .with the music
while supper Is being prepared. After
ward he spends the eveninar ' slnelnir
doggerel songs to a strumping accom
paniment tilted back In a chair against
his own house wall or on the doorstep
of a neighbor.
" Virginia's Natural Bridge.
The famous natural bridge of Vir
ginia Is situated in Rockbridge County
and spans the mountain chasm In which
flows the little stream called Cedar
creek, the bed of which Is more than
two hundred feet below the surface of
the plain. The middle of the arch Is
forty-five feet In perpendicular thick
ness, which increases to sixty feet at
Its juncture with the vast abutments.
It Is sixty feet wide, and Its span Is
almost ninety feet Across the top Is
a public road. For many years the
name of Washington, cut in the rock
forming one of the abutments when
the Father of his Country was a lad.
stood high above all others; but in 1818
a student of Washington College. Vir
ginia, Ilper by name, climbed from the
foot to the top of the rock, and placed
his name above that of Washington.
A Story of Bismarck.
Bismarck was for. some time an of
ficial reporter for one of the courts of
justice. Upon one occasion, when
questioning a witness, the latter made
an impudent retort whereupon the em
bryo Chancellor exclaimed, angrily:
ir you are not more respectful. 1 shall
kick you out of the room!" "Young
man," said the Judge, Interrupting the
proceedings, "I would have you under
stand that this Is a dignified court of
justice, and that If there Is any kicking
to be done the .court will do it!" "Ah,
you see," said Bismarck to the" witness,
if you are not more respectful to me,
the court will kick you out of the room.
So be careful, very careful, slrl"
i
Testinx the Cle nness of Air.
Prof. Dewar has recently devised a
new method of testing the contamina
tion of air. A short time ago be exhib
ited before, the Royal Institution two
samples of liquid air In glass tubes
one was made from air which bad been
washed to purify It from dust soot
carbonic acid and other Impurities.
This, when condensed, was a pale blue
liquid. The other sample was made by '
condensing the air of the lecture-room -
In which the audience was assembled.
and was an opaque, blackish fluid, re
sembling soup In appearance. -.-.
"Folly Con."
An old lady lately - asked President
Hadlcy of Yale he tells the story him
selfwhat he was teaching. To his re
ply, "Economics," she said, thought
fully: 'Oh, you teach the students to be
economical. That Is good. When I
was a young lady they never learned to
be economical until they got married."
. . The 'Jtrue Condition. .
Brlggs Do you Delieve that the world
is divided Into two classes those who
borrow and those who lend?
Griggs No, sir! My .experience Is
that two other classes are much more
prevalent those who want to borrow:
and those who won't lend. Pittsburg
Dispatch. mtrfpal