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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 1886)
THE OREGON SCOUT. JONES Ac CHANCIJV, IMllillnhcr. UNION, OREGON. PERSONS AND THINGS. John 1$. uouch has lectured 01 temperance mora than seven thousniu times. Mil. JjI.ovi, who has just noon rem auguratcd governor of Maryland, is lul !13 years old. Sixtv-skvkn members of the Londoi Reform club wlio were in (he List par liament are not in the new one. In Berlin there is a house wind contains 232 compartments unit inhnbited by nenrly 1.000 x;rsons. M. Wii.ua st I. Mohan, the regis trarofthe navy, called at the white house on business .a few days ago, foi. the first time in foily years. IN regard to tho nuke ol Hamburgh's appearance at St. .Tames hall recently as a violinist Labouehere says: "Criti eism would Ijc superfluous, especially i the duke really acts up to his alleged resolution not to lo it again." Mil Jamus Kussi;i.i Lowr.i.r. declines the invitation to bu orator at Lowell's semi-centennial celebration, as he has made arrangements for a three or font months1 visit to Europe and will bo on his way before the date of the celebra tion. Mil W. 1). Howi;i.i.s' daughter is about to try her hand at lietion; William Mack's son writes children's stories, and a boy of Justin McCarthy is going to publish a novel; which is adduced as evidenoo of heredity from literary pro genitors. At Bucharest the ladies adopted r. curious mode of sliowingthcir appreoia turn of Mine. I'atti's singing. Sudden ly during tlw performance" they stood tip and throw white pigeons with ril hons around their necks, on the stage. It was literally covered with them. II. A. Ki:vsi:u, who lectured heforr tho Boston Scion ti Ho socioty a few nights ago, stated that a diamond worth $300,000 is being cut in Amsterdam the chief city in the world for such work and that the gem is to bo given to Queen Victoria on tho fiftieth anniver sary of her ascension to tho throne. "Twkntv years ago," says Henry Bergh, speaking of the changed alti tude of the public toward tho society with which his name is identified. "twenty years ago I had trouble ito get s?.r, but only a few nights ago my door bell rang and .1 was handed u cheek for $25,000 from II. 11. Clallin's estate." Qukkn Victouia's birthday present to the crown princess of Germany win? a "full-dress" carriage. The inferior is lined with blue-silk damask, with good fringe and tasols. The outside h of claret color, with lines of crimson, and all the mountings -are of brass. On tho doors and panels the English and Prussian arms are emblazoned in relief. An unusual spectacle was presented at a wedding in llirminghain, England, tho other day. The bridegroom war so drunk that the bride had to lead him to tho altar, and the otUciatiug clergy man was so disgusted with tho man's appearance that he refused to perform tho ceremony, despite the entreaties of the brfde, who swooned into one of the bridesmaid's, anus when the clergyman ordurd the party out of the church. M. Paul Ginii:it, who has continued his study of hydrophobia in tho lnlMira tory of Koch, writes to the French Academy of Medicine that ho has been absolutely unable to obtain a rabid dog in Berlin, and that the physicians in tho imperial veterinary school in that city statu that they have not seen a rabid dog for nioi-o than three years. M. Giblcr attributes this condition of affairs to the fact that in UerliiVult dogs ara muzzled. A vi:uv realistic nprcsei)tation of M. Sardou's "Theodora" recently took place at Valparaiso. The actor who plays tho part of the executioner was. hopelessly in lovowlth the heroine, and, mad with jealousy, took the opportu nity of putting the cord around tho cm press' neck to try and strangle her In. right earnest. Tho unlucky Theodora's strugglos and contortions wure looked upon as lino acting Ijy the public, who applauded frantically, and it was only through a fellow actor that the real statu of the case was perceived. Theodora was then rescued, well nigh dead. A HKStAitKAUi.i. escape from an alli gator is narrated by Tho Sijh'ania (dtt.) Telephone, A Mr. Oliver and a negro servant were out searching foi hogs, and at tho edgo of a pond dis covered a peculiar looking pile of leaves, which thoy poked luU with a pole, when out leaped an alligator and gave chase. Mr. Oliver took to his heels across tho pond on the Ice, hut slipped mid fell, and tho dreaded reptllo over took him. ' lfo thought his time had certainly wnw,but lit hit- desperation mh1 kU-o'u by tho upper and lower jaws and held its mouth open until the negro caino up ami put a stick in it, thus propping its jaws apart and ren dering II li(lpUws. Thoy then killed the saurian, which measured feoiactfolng ttver six fet iu length. r FARM AND GARDEN. Fncts for 1'nrincrn nnd Those Inter ested in tlio 1'roiluetn of tho Soil. It is claimed that keeping sheep as quiet as possible will tend to fatten them. Corn stalks should never be fed un cut; cvc;i for manure making it is far better to cut tho stalks, It is claimed that wherever wheat nnd com thrive, apples and small fruit can bo grown profitably. While a good plow will do better work than a poor one, it also enables a team to do more of it. Hay should be carefully inspected be fore being fed to cows, as tho bitter fla vor of weeds is sure to bo communica ted to tho butter. Ten counties of New York yielded a total of npples for shipping estimated nt 5,000,000 barrels. Tho fruit was un usually largo and fine. Tlie Ohio Farmer says six or eight weeks for sheep and ten or twelve for cattlo is enough time to crowd their condition for the butcher. Both corn and oats in tho last crop show a greater acreage than ever be fore in the history of the country. Tho average yield was also larger than in the last six years before. A correspondent of tho Gardeners' Movthly, says ho cut 1,200 pears from a Scckel tree in his garden to lighten I ho crop, but found 1,750 pears upon it when ho came to gather tho fruit in Au gust. Never bo tempted to put coarso ma nure close around young trees in tho supposition that such material might be used as a mulch and for winter protec tion. Mice will congregato there and certainly girdle the trees. Mr. L. II. Blossom, of Maine, says he has greatly reduced tho ravages of the apple maggot in his orchard, so that this year his winter fruit was free from the insect, by gathering tho Infec ted fruit and feeding it to swino, come very near tho surface; it is therefore necessary to protect thein against cold or heat by careful mulching. Tho trees also require pruning like any other fruit trees, though this operation is very generally neglected. S. Dili, of Phillips, Mc, writes to the American Cultivator that ho prevents scab oji potatoes by tho free use of wood ashes. J. P. Wyman, of Arling ton, Mass., says ho used wood ashes In the same manuuer, and his po tatoes were the most scabby ho ever grow. Mr. Keith, member of the Maino Penological Society, evaporated 900 bushels of apples in 1881, and ill ids the Baldwin tho best; a bushel of second quality Baldwin will produco live pounds of dried fruit. Tho Roxbury Russet will produco more pounds to tho bushel. Botton corn-cobs are said to bo a val uablo fertilizer on any soil that is defi cient in potash, and their value is much enhanced by bi.'ing rotted with other manure. In cleaning up hog-pens, therefore, care should be taken to col lect all the cobs, and mix them with the other refuse. Onion seed may bo sown very early.in tho spring, in fact as soon as the ground can be made ready lo receive it. Tho soil should bu well plowed, then har rowed, rolled and harrowed again, until thoroughly pulverized. It should then bu raked clean of sticks, stones and clods. It Is claimed that there are double the number of Jersey cows hi-tho United States that thero are in their native ionic, the Island of Jersey. Wo have n tho dill'erent States and Territories 20,000 head; in Jersey there are but 10,000. Tho United States is a Lotter place to select from than tho Island of Jersey. It is tho farmer s business to ralso young colts, and develop thorn Into fuily mature horses. The cost of Its produc tion and keep me comparatively so ellght that the farmer who raises a first- :lass colt is more certain of profit on lis work than the producer of any other kind of young stock.--National Stock man. Tho Wisconsin Experimental Station has been conducting a sorles of experi ments to determine tho relative value of bran resulting from tho roller process of flour Making, compared with that by tho old process, with a rathor.unoxpect cd result, tho advantago being quite de cidedly in favor of that by tho roller process. ; A correspondent of tho Jlural Xcw Yorker tulvlsos tho laying out of the garden in oblong shape, with perma nent fences at tho ends and movable onus at tho sldo, so that when tho gar den is to bo cultivated tho side panels can bo removed, tho land tilled by horse, turning on tho outside of tho garden, and tho feneo restored. Tho Country Gentleman says: It jhould always bo borne in mind in es timating tho value of any fertilizer, that its market price does not show what it may bo worth when applied to land, as thcro are so many controlling influences In cultivation and In tho growth of plants. Tho only practical test Is tho applying it to tho growing crops. Tho benefits of progressive, wido awako farmers' debating clubs is shown by tho town of Fairfield, X. i.., which itauds at the head in tho census reports In tho production of farm crops per aero or per capita, ami this in attributed to the influence of a debating club for mutual improvement, & number, of years ago, in which nearly every farm in town was represented. Tho Western Plowman thinks that one hundred years from now "farmers will live in villages where their families will have the best social and education al ndvantagis. These villages will bo liko tho hub of a wheel, from which will go out in all directions electric railways, which will lake the farmer and his laborers to the farm and bring back the products to market." Let the laying hens run at will in the barnyard. . They find gras3 seeds, par tially digested grain, etc., and so require less feeding. If you expect eggs this cold weather, don't forget to give them a hot msish In the morning. Keep a big Iron pot hidden under tho kitchen table, and into it throw parings of all kinds, all sorts of tablo refuse and fill up with small potatoes. Cook until very soft and keep it on the back of the range all night, in order to have it warm in the morning. Before feeding mash all well, and stir in tho bran, meal or middlings." Poultry World. During tho winter season it will bo found a very good plan, twice or thrice a week, to drop an even teaspoonful of cayenne pepper into, say two gallons of water, given to the fowls for their daily drink. This is a grand tonic, and it works very kindly toward warming tho blood on chilly days. Another ex cellent provision is to place at tho bot tom of tho pail or vessel containing their drink a bit of asafctida. This im pregnates tho fluid with its tonic quali- tics, and it is very wholesomo for fowls in the wintry days 'Says the London (England) Stock Journal: "In regard to overfeeding of stallions wo aro glad to notico that Prof. Williams, of Edinburgh, strongly recommends that draft stallions should bo worked a littlo later in winter. This is not only with a view of preserving tho horso's procreative powers, but his health. As now, when attacked, his or gans are being in a very healthy condi tion, ho is unable to withstand tho usu al veterinary remedies when in trouble, and succumbs suddenly. Tho lato Dr. Drew was of the same opinion, and ev ery springtime ho gave his famous stud horse Princo of Wales good sweating in the chain harrow." Had Cheek and Money. The type-setting contest at ono of tho museums has brought a world-known character to tho front. It is "Jim" Davis, or "Jumbo," as thoy call him. Davis is Barnum's old traveler a soarcher for curios. There is no placo on the planet that Davis has not been. It was ho who went to Burmah to buy, beg, steal or fako a whlto elephant. Now that it is all over, people am sco in Davis's oyo that the- elephant was faked, though ho is too royal to givo it away. Ho was in Egypt; whon Alex andria was bombarded, and was pres ent at Cairo when Arabi Pasha was brought in froniTel-ol-Kober a prisoner. Tho genius of Davis conceived a mighty schciiio then. It was no other than to bring tho great Egyptian rebel to Amer ica to lecture in Barnum's circus. Da vid secured an interview with Arabi, and got him to accept $15,000 in gold for ono year's work in America. His oxponses wero to bo paid, and those of his retinuo. Then Davi3 went to Admi ral Seymour for permission to take tho robol out of tho country. It was, of course, refifscd indignantly. Davis went at onco to Malta, there took tho steamer for Marseilles, and sped across Franco to England. Ho hunted up Minister Lowell, and the very cheek of tho man socured an audience. Davis wanted Lowell to go to Lord Derby and get him to go to Gladstone and havo l'asha's expatriation changod from Cey lon to tho United States. Lowell re ceived him good-naturedly, but laughed, and seemed to enjoy tho joko. IIo did aftorward tell tho story to Gladstone, and both laughed at tho marvelous as suranco of tho ever-present Yankco, with money at his back. Chicago Iler rld. ' Tho Facetious Boston Barber. Ono night Hob full in with a fellow who was "English, you know." Tho latter was borating tho Yankees for do ing all manner of business In their shops and not following tho bettor En glish plan of sticking to ono branch. Tho next da' ho swnggercd in Bob's shop to bo shaved. Bob gavo his faco ar extra good soaping and loft him, at tho oamo tinio seating himsolf to road. Tho Englishman kept quiet for a fow minutes, when, seeing Bob reading, ho blurted out: "Why don't you shavo mo, sir?" "You will havo to go up strcot for your shavo," qulotly replied tho barbor; "wo only lather hox-o." Tho answer took tho vim out of thococknoy. lioslon 'JYa nscrijU. Bob Toombs and Ran Tucker. There is a good story told about Gen eral Tootns, illustrating tho brilliancy of his wit. Ono day a press tolegram announced tho death of Randolph Tuoker of Virginia, and tho noxt day a correction was sent out by tho Virginia statesman. Colonel John Stephens dur ing tho day fell into tho company of General Toombs, and in tho courso of conversation romarked: "Well, Gonoral, I see thatttau Tuoker donles that ho is dead." "Yes," said tho Gonoral, quickly, "I saw that, but lie's suoh a d 1 liar I don't know whether to bullovo it or not I" -Mlanti (fy!Hui9H. s LINCOLN'S SARCASM. How Old Abo Toole Off n Gnllant Ofllccr Ills X,lttlo Speech. Abraham Lincoln, when a represent ative from Illinois in 1847-48, says Ben. Pcrlcy Poorc, used to pass an hour or more every morning in the house post office telling stories, of which ho pos sessed an illimitable fund. While re lating a story his face usually wore an expression of tho deepest gravity, but when he came to the close he would in dulge in a hearty laugh in fact, laugh all over from head to foot and if his listener enjoyed the narrative and mani fested his appreciation of it in a similar manner, Mr, Lincoln would only laugh the more, until his eyes overflowed with tears in tho excess of his enjoyment. Mr. Lincoln made but one long speech, which was listened to with intense in terest by the occupants of the floor and of the galleries of tho house of repre sentatives. This speech was delivered during tho session of congress immedi ately preceding the presidential election, and was in reply to one niado a few days previous by Mr. Iverson. a re pro 1 HCntativc from the state of Georgia. Tho seats in the old hall of representatives at that time were arranged in a soiui l circle and divided by. narrow aisles, , which radiated like t ho spokes of a wheel from tho area, which was partly occupied , by the clerk's desk and the speaker's 'chair. A broad aisle, extending from the center door to tho clerk's desk, di . vided tho hall Into two equal parts. Tho beats on one side of this aisle were oecu- J p;e,i by the members of the democratic party, while on the opposition side sat the "whig" and "free soil" representa tives. Mr. Lincoln's seat was on the outer range and near tho western cn t ranee of the hall. Ilisspccch watfhasti ly written on sheets of foolscap paper, and lay on the desk before him. After speaking a few minutes ho abandoned his notes and trusted to his memory or tho inspiration of tho theme. Becoming excited, ho commenced walking up and down the aisle, his right arm being extended, and his long, bony forefinger pointing toward the op position side oi tho hail to tho occu pants of which his remarks wero espe cially addressed, and by whom he was listened to with the deepest attention, when ho was not interrupted by loud laughter. His left arm was thrown be hind him and partially covered by tho skirts of a black swallow-tail coat, slightly threadbare, which hung loosely from his shoulders. IIo seemed hardly conscious of his movements until ho had crossed the area, and stood faco to faco with his auditors on tho democratic sido of tho hall, when he would suddenly turn and, rapidly walking back to his desk, glance at his manuscript, and then resume his walk. He thus occu pied his allotted hour. "Military Coat tails" was tho subject of his speech. Few speeches comparable to it in witty sarcasm havo ever been delivered in the halls of congress. Tho presidential candidate of tho whig party at this time was Gen. Zaeh ary Tailor, the hero of tiio Mexican war, while that of tho democratic party was Gen. Lewis Case, a senator from Michigan, who was in the military ser vice of tho United States iutho war of 11112, and distinguished himself at the battle of the Thames. In the speech of tho member from Georgia, tho whig party wero said to havo deserted all their principles and taken shelter under tho military coat-tails of Gen. Taylor, in other words, their chief relianco for success was upon tho military reputa tion of their candidate. In tho courso of his speech, Mr. Lincoln undertook to show that tho democratic party wero open to a similar charge, having for nearly a quarter of a century made po litical capital out of the military reputa tion of Gen. Jackson, or "Old Ilicory," as ho was popularly called, and not only making him president out of it tor oijjlit years, but having enough of it loft to mako presidents of several comparatively small men afterward, and still replying upon it to make another. "Tho cam paign papers of tho party, with rudo likenesses of Gen. Jackson upon them," ho said, "proclaimed that Cass nndllut ler were of the 'true hickory stripe, while hickory poles and hickory brooms were there never-ending emblems." Toward tho close of his speech Mr. Lin coln made a humorous and sarcastic commentary upon tho military record of Gon. Cass, quoting at somo length from tho stories then in circulation concern ing his valor at tho battle of theTliomas where, it is said, ho broke his sword in a "lit of desperation," and winding up with tho following narrative of his own exploits as a soldier: "lly tho way, Mr. Speaker, did you know I am a military hero? Yes, sir, In tho days of tho Mack Hawk war I fought, bled, and came away. Speak ing of Gon. Cass' career reminds mo of my own. 1 was not at Stillnian's de feat, but about as near it as Cass was to Hull's surrender, and, like him, I saw the place very soon aftorward. It is quite certain that I did not break my HWord, for 1 had none to break; but I bent a musket pretty badly on ono occa sion. If Cass broke his sword, tho idea is ho broke it in desperation. I bout tho musket by accident. If lie saw any real lighting Indians, it was more than I did; but I had a good many bloody struggles with .the mosquitoss, and, although I never fainted from the loss of blood, I cau truly sy 1 win often very PnPgrr. Mr. Speaker, if I should ever conclude to doll' whatever our democratic friends may suppose there is of black cockado federalism about mc, and thereupon they shall take mo up as their candidato for the presidency, I protest that they shall not mako fun of mc, as they havo of Gen. Cass, by attempting to write me into a military hero." Here the speaker's hammer fell, and Mr. Lincoln returned to his scat amid peals of laughter and demonstrations of applause from the occupants of tho floor and the galleries, and "some min utes elapsed before order was restored and the regular business of the house resumed. Queer Oil "Wells. An Olean, N. Y., correspondent writes: There aro two oil fields in tho middle petroleum district that arc never heard of in tho annals of the trade, but thero is none more curious. One yield? a product which is called tho "Oil of Joy," after T. C. Joy, who discovered the territory. The other field is called tho Grasshopper field, because of the re semblance of the light and primitive walking-beams that pump the oil from the sand (o a lot of huge grasshoppers. The Grasshopper field is between Plcasantvillc and Titusville. Before tho Bradford field was discovered some oper ators drilled a niilo or two in this pecu liar territory for illuminating oil. Tho drill struck a bed of still clay, as blue as indigo, about twenty feet below the sur face. This was drilled through, and a showing of heavy oil found. Tho well was soon abandoned. Somo years after wards tho owner of the property dug a well with pick and shovel down through the bed of blue clay. In under that clay was found a rich lubrieatihg oil sand. The oil taken from the sand at onco commanded $15 a barrel. Tho wells are curbed with hemlock planks, and the oil is pumped by the simplest kind of a sucker-rod. As soon as tho oil was found to be so valuable wells were dug in this district in great numbers. Tho deepest ono is only fifty feet in depth. The oil now commands $10 a barrel at the wells, and is all taken by an oil com pany at Rochester. The yield is about one barrel a day per well. This oil will not congeal in tho lowest temperature, and is a natural lubricator, needing no treatment before using. The oil of Joy territory is near the Grand valley. The oil is found in par allel belts a mile long, and nowhere more than five hundred feet wide. There is a strip of dry territory an eighth of a niilo wide between these belts, of which there are three. The oil lies at a depth of from 40 to 150 feel. The sand is 75 feet in thickness. The wells aro pumped every hour in the day and every day in the week, because of tho unusual accumulation of water. A peculiarity of tho water is that while in all the re gion oft" the oil bolts the water is very hard, tho water from tho wells is ex tremely soft and cold. Three barrels of water are pumped with every barrel of oil that is obtained. Sich Folks. Mrs. Gauleton, who lives on the east fork of Hominy Onnk, has returned from Washington City whither she went a few days ago. Having seen it stated that any ono could call on the wife of a cabinet ofllccr, Mrs. Gauleton called on one. The old lady took out her knit ting and settled horself back for a sea son of enjoyable conversation. Tho Mrs. Cabinet was astounded. "I would'vo brought you a fewaigs," said Mrs. Gauloton, "but the fact is wo have had such pore luck witii the chickens that aigs air scarce. Tho gaps was awful this last spring and it did scorn that all the chickens would die. Let mo know when tho time comes and I'll go out and help you git dinner. Now don't say a word, for I know how you'ro bothered. If you don't mind I'll light my pipe. I havo smoked so long that I kain't very well git along without it now. Now do sit still and not bother yourself on my account." Mrs. Gauleton remained all day and might havo remained all night but for a very suggestive remark niado by Mrs. Cabinet. The old lady when asked how bIio liked Washington said: "Oh tho town is all right but my lands, sich folks. They don't know how to enter tain a body." Arkansaw Traveler. Prevalence of Physical Deformity Artists tell newspaper reporters that it is difficult to find either men or wo mon of sutlieieiitly good figure to poso for portrait models, hnpuro air. smok ing, drinking and other dissipations unlit the men for models, and seden tary habits and bad customs in dress unlit tho women for the artists' purpose. Still tho girls are superior physically to tho men; the best molded forms, it is said, coming from "the roughest and vilest parts of tho city." Whilo this fact is in a measure duo to tho impress ion that it is not quite respectable to poso for tho artist, it is quite possible that the models from tho purlieus have been both conceived nnd reared under less restraint than is found to exist in better society. In tho higher walks of life marriages aro contracted more with a view of social considerations than af fection and attraction; and then in tho homo of competency and wealth life is too artificial to promoto phybical health and beauty. It has boon frequently said that a little learning is a dangerous thing; it is very certain that a littlo civilization is a ilangerous thing. Dr. Foote's Health Monthly. SCIENTIFIC NOTES. Tho Australian Chemist and Drug gist says that essence of peppermint painted on a burn causes tho pain Jo cease at once. Paper rails are made in Russia. They are longer than ordinary rails, and said to have greater adhesiveness in contact with locomotive wheels. The fa niters in tho neighborhood of New London arc excited ovor tho sup posed discovery of petroleum fountains, which, if-it prove true, will interest ge ologists amazingly, as that whole' region is underlaid with primitive granite! The Medical World says that an easy method of removing foreign bodies from the cyo is to placo a grain of llaxsccd under the lower lid and close tho lids. Tho seed becomes quickly surrounded by a thick adherent mucilago which en traps the foreign body and soon carries it out from the angle of the oyo. Dr. Joseph Leidy lately had submitted to him spongy ice from tho vicinity of Morristown, X. J., which contained great quantities of living worms, sonic an inch in 1-sngth. They provodto b3 a new species Of liunbricus' to which tho common earth worm belongs. No liv ing organisms have over been found within clear dense ice, suoh as is usual ly served for drinking purposes. The value of the general triangulation of the country conducted by tho Coast Survey, in order to afford accurate linos, may bo estimated by tho fact that when the best maps of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri aro plot ted together the Mississippi and Ohio rivers become a series of irregular lakes, without any connection, tho local outlines being too inaccurate lo coin cide. Dr. C. C. Abbott's collection of .stone implements of the American Indians, now on exhibition in the Pcabody Muse um of Archajolog', at Cambridge,. Mass., is considered ono of the most im portant of tho kind over brought to gether, one which archaeologists will consult for all timo lo come. It con tains more thanSO.OOOstono implements and several hundred objects niado of bone, clay and copper, and was gath ered almost wholly in the neighborhood of Trenton, N. J. How the Speaker Makes His List. Is it not a wonder to any ono who thinks about it how tho Speaker is able iu a week or ten days to assign 335 men to fifty committees without giving one man too much or omitting to employ somebody? The work is dono so sys tematically, however, that it is only by a gross blunder that anybody is alto gether omitted in the distribution of places. Tho Speaker begins by sotting up a chart ruled ono way for fifty places, and at right angles to those lines are 335 others corresponding to tho number of members and delegates. As a man is assigned a check is made in tho spaeo over tho name and a committee lino in serted. As the work progresses tho Speaker can see at a glanco who has been chosen and who is to be provided for. Whon a change is made, the checks aro rubbed out and the transfer nnvle by more checks in other places. While members are not supposed to ask for places, the' do it. and the expression of preference, though not quite proper, in a strict sense, i.s helpful to tho Speaker in furnishing members with congenial occupation. A certain degree of caution is observed in refusing to put men on committees when they aro too seemingly concerned about pet schemes to como before them. Not His Handwrite. Old man Davidson, in Lcako County, Miss., has a son in Texas. A short timo ago young Davidson got into trouble and was arrested and fined. IIo had no money, ami it was go to jail or raise it by somo means. Ho told tho Sheriff that if ho would wait until ho could writo homo to' his father tho money would be forthcoming as soon as his family were made acquainted with his troubles, and tho mails could bring it. Tho ShorilV suggested that ho telegraph to his father to send him the money by telograpio money order. Ho acted upon this suggestion. When tho telegram reached tho Mississippi olllco tho opera tor had to sond it sovoral miles into tho country to the old man. When Mr. Davidson road it ho was confused and could not understand it, and appealed to his wife to assist him. Sho looked nt tho telegram, and handing it back Baid: "John, that ain't William's handwrite, it's a trick of somo of them town folks to beat you out of $50." Tho old man thought his wife was right William laid in tho Texas jail until ho got a re ply from a letter. Detroit Free Press. Gambling Among ."Women. Ono would hardly credit a statement of tho extent lo which New York ladies gamble, and tho largo bets which somo of them make would stagger amateurs in any other part of tho country. To ker is tho chosen gani3 and is played at a high limit. "Saturday Night Poker Parties" wero started hist winter and havo been continued this year, with many new names added to tho list of players. Theso aro facts which none will fail to deplore. Tho effects of gambling, especially among women, cannot bo other than demoralizing upon society at largo, especially when tho eirclo which is looked upon as reprosen tavo of our best peoplo seta an example; wjilch, is eagerly! followed by their imi tators. Town Topics. V t i