TELEGRAPHIC SUMMARY.
in Epitome of tho Principal Events Now
Attracting Public Interest
A Terrible DlNnxtor.
Chicaoo. The Times' special from
."Forest, Illinois, says : All tho railway
.horrors in tho history of this country
were surpassed three miles oast of
ChaUworth, when an excursion train
on tho Toledo, Peoria it Western road
dropped through a burning bridge,
and over one hundred people killed and
four times that number more or less
wounded. The train was composed
of six sleeping, six day coaches and
chair cars, and three baggage cars. It
wa3 carryiug 900 passengers, all excur
sionists, and was bound for Niagara
Fulls. The train wasso heavy that
two engines were hitched to it, and
when it passed this place was one and
a half hours behind time. Chats
worth, the next station east of here, is
six miles on", and tho run there was
made in seven minutes ; so tho terri
ble momentum of those fifteen coaches
and two heavy engines shooting
through space at tho rate of a mile a
minute can bo understood. No stop
was made at Chatsworth, and on the
heavy train with its living freight, sped
through tho darkness of the night.
Three miles east of Chatsworth is a
little slough, where tho railroad track
crossed a dry run, about ten feet deep
and fifteen wide. Over this was
stretched an ordinary wooden trestle
bridge, and as the train came thun
dering down on it what was tho horror
of the engineer of tho front engine
when ho saw tho bridgo was on iire.
Right before his eyes leaped the bright
Panics, and the next instant ho was
among them. Thero was no chance
to stop. Had there been a warning, it
would have taken a mile to stop that
on-rushing mass of wood, iron and hu
man lives, and tho train was within one
hundred yards of the red-tongued mes
senger of death beforo they flashed
their final signals into tho engineer's
face, but he passed over in safety, the
iiret engine keeping tho rails. As it
went over the bridgo fell beneath it,
iind it could only have been tho ter
rific speed of the train which saved
the lives of the engineer and his lire
man, but the next engine went down,
and instantly the deed of death was
done.
It lacked just five minutes of mid
night. Down in the ditch lay tho sec
ond engine, Engineer McClintock be
headed and Fireman Applegatc badly
injured. On top were piled the three
baggage cars, on top of each other,
like a child's card houso aftor he had
swept it with his hand. Then came
the six day coaches. Tlioy wero tele
scoped as cars never wero before, and
three of them wore pressed in just
apace enough for one. Tho second car
had crashed through tho car ahead of
it, crushing tho woodwork asido like
tinder, and resting on tho tops of tho
seats, while every passenger in the
front car was lying dead and dying un
derneath. Out of that car but four
people came alivo. On top of tho sec
ond car lay tho third, its bottom
smeared with tho blood of its victims.
Tho other three cars were not so badly
crushed, but they wero broken and
twisted in every concoivablo way, and
every timber and boam represented a
crushed human frame or a broken
bone. Instantly tho air was filled with
tho cries of tho wounded and the
shrieks of those about to die. Tho
groans of men and tho screams of wo
men united to make an appall
ing sound, and abovo all could be
heard tho agonizing cries of littlo chil
dren. In somo instances they lay pin
ned alongside of their dead parents.
One man with both legs broken
crawled through tho corn to tho side
of his wife, and feeling her loved fea
tures in the darkness pressed some
brandy to her lips, and asked her how
she felt. A feeble groan was the only
answer, and the next instant sho died.
Tho man felt the forms of his dead
Avifo and child, cried out: "My God,
thero is nothing more for mo to live
for!" and taking a pistol out of his
pocket pulled the trigger. The ball
went straight through his brain, and
the three dead bodies were lain side
by side in Chatsworth until identified.
No sooner had the wreck occurred
than a sceno of robbery commenced.
Homo band of unspeakable- miscreants,
heartloss and criminal, wero on hand.
Like the guerrillas who throng a bat
tlefield the night after tho conflict, to
filch from the dead, so last night did
theo human hyenas plunder tho dead
from the torriblc accident, and took
even tho shoes which covered thoir
feet. They went into tho oar when
tho firo was burning fiercely under
neath, and whon the poor wrotches
who wero pinned thero begged for
God's eako to help them out, stripped
them of their watches and jowelry and
searched thoir pockets. When the
dead bodies wore laid out in tho corn
fields these hyenas turned them over
in their search for valuables. Who
theso wretches aro is not known.
"Whether thoy aro a gang of piokpock
cts who accompanied tho train, 01
somo robber gang who woro lurking
in tho vicinity cannot bo said. Tho
horrible suspicion, however, exists, and
there aro many who give it credence,
that tho nccidont was a deliberately
planned caso of train-wrecking, that
tho bridgo was set on firo by mis
creants who hoped to seize tho opportu
nity offered; and tho fact that the
bridgo was fo far consumed at tho
time tho train camo along, and the
added fact that tho train was an hour
and a half lato, aro pointed out as ovj
dencoof a careful conspiracy.
Oklahama boomers are contomplat
ing another raid into tho Indian Ter
ritory, and U. S. troopi have been sent
to head them oil'.
AGRICULTURAL.
Devoted to the Interests of Fanners
and Stockmen.
Keopliic l'l the (Soil.
In a paper road before a promincn
agricultural association of Canada, Mr.
llobert Braoro of Montreal, says, in the
older and thickly populated countriis
of Europe, where tho toil had become
barren and sterile from long-continuous
cropping, tho attention of tho farmers
was directed to tho fact by scientists
that something must bo done to pre
vent the country from becoming a bar
ren wilderness like ancient Palestine,
which at one time was exceedingly fer
tile. The farmers took with tho idea, and
on tho recommendation of the scien
tists wont into a nioro systematic cul
tivation of tho toil by better tillage,
drainago and rotation of crops. The
expectations of the farmers wore sat
isfied for a time, as this system utilized
a largo quantity of plant food that was
lying-latent in the soil, but after n few
years they wero again abruptly aroused
from this mythical dream by tho fact
that their land was again becoming ex
hausted, showing that this better sys
tem of tillago did not prevent thu de
pletion of tho soil, but only made avail
able tho remainder of tho plant food
that was lying dormant in the soil.
Tho same kind of thing is now on
something of a boom in this country.
Most of tho agricultural papers aro
recommending drainage, more thor
ough culture and rotation of crops as
a means of keeping up the soil. Tho
drainage and thorough tillago may be
classed as a permanent good, bat tho
rotation of crops cannot bo so classed.
It is simply taking from tho soil with
one crop tho plant food not needed by
another, and eventually all these ele
ments will have been exhausted, and
then tho soil will bo poor, indeed. The
rotation creates no new supply of
needed demerits, and hence unless
something bo added to make up tho
losa caused by tho crops removed there
can bo otherwise than nothing to re
movo sooner or later. A supply can
not como without a source.
This failure to keep up tho lands in
Europe on the now plan put tho chem
ists to work, and thev learned that the
soil must contain certain elements of
plant food to be productive, and since
long cropping had exhausted them
thoy must bo supplied, not by mechan
ical means, but by direct application.
This theory is still recognized to bo
quite correct, with tho further theory
that the soil, however fertile, contains
inexhaustible supplies of these essen
tial constituents. With theso facts
staring tho farmer in tho face ho had
either to let his land becomo barren
and sterile, or got a supply of theso in
gredients, in some shapo or other, to
take tho place of tho waste going on.
A new departure was then adopted
in the shapo of mixed farming that
is, keeping a certain number of stock,
principally dairy stock, to utilize all
tho rougher produce of tho farm and
havo it converted into manure and put
back into the land. This was to bo the
great cure-all for tho prevailing evil,
and, indeed, is now considered by a
largo school of our own farmers as be
ing all that is requisite not only to
keep up, but also to restore tho fortuity
of the hardly used soil. Thisisamyth,
and ono science finds it very hard to
eradicate. Tho theory is greatly
strengthened by personal observation,
for in many cases where this method
is fairly woll carried out, tho land be
comes much more productive than it
was when crops wero taken off contin
uously, and although wo are pleased
to admit this fact as far as it goes, yet
we may rest assured history will repeat
itself, r.nd wo have only to look up the
records of some of tho older countries
to find that, with tho most careful sys
tem of mixed farming, whero nothing
is sold ofi' but milk, butter and cheese,
as tho case may be, along with some
beef, tho soil gradually becomes de
pleted of plant food, and although it
may take much longor tinio to accom
plish this end as compared with rais
ing and soiling off crops direct, yet tho
fact remains tho same exhaustion is
just as surely and steadily going on.
As already stated, nothing now is be
ing created. Tho nianurial matter re
turned to tho soil by tho s-tock had
been taken from it by tho stock, and
henco every particle of it not returned
is just that much toward eventual ex
haustion. In a word, tho farmer who ufcs
nothing but farm-yard inanuio pro
duced on the farm from crops grown
on tho farm, is all tho time exhausting
his land.
Mr. Braoro holds that farming found
ed solely on tho use of tho manuro
made on tho farm alone is, economic
ally speaking, against common sense.
Thero is but ono means by which the
soil can bo permanently kept up
something of a suitable character must
bo drawn to it from a source beyond
the farm. Such draft may exhaust at
some other plnco, but tho farmer do
siring to keep up his soil has nothing
to do with that. Business is business,
you know get all you can, honestly,
is tho only lulo that can lead to per
manent prosperity.
Tho Plow,
The plow in somo form doubtless
dates back at least 3,500 or -1,000 years,
as proved by chiseled slabs upon an
cient monumonts. For many centu
ries it was but a crooked limb of a troo.
Ono of tho earliest representations
shows it as being drawn by fwur men,
who took iwrtions of tho branches upon
their shoulders, whilo two other mon
walking behind held it to tho ground
with hand or feot. Tho first plow
drawji by cattlo woro guided by a single
handle, while the plowman, with his
frco hand, sowed the grain. Other men
followed as attendants to ecnru away
birds and prevent thorn from picking
! up tho grain before it should bo eov
I crcd by tho plow.
Tho Greeks believed the plow was tho
, gift of the Goddess Ceres, and proba
i bly would havo considered it a saeri
i lego to improve it by any human in
i genuity. This is doubtless one reason
! why tho ancient plow remained so long
in use without any material improve
I nient in its construction. It was
' sometimes shaped so as to raise the
j soil, as by a fiat wedge; at other times
' tho wedge was turned on edge to movo
j tho soil to ono side and secure an open
furrow for the seed to fall into, but it
was not till tho fifteenth century that
thero was any indication of tho idea of
combining the two forms of tho wedge
into tho twisting mold-board. It was
only a littlo moro than a century ago
I that tho plow began to take tho gen-
oral form of tho plow of tho present
i day. and tho improvements aro duo to
a number of inventors in different
j part of the world. The Dutch of Hol
land gavo the pattern for all our sub
sequent improvements, but to Thomas
Jefferson is due tho discovery and
demonstration of the principle of tho
twist in tho mold-boaid. Webster took
much interest in tho improvement of
plows, but it remained for Governor
Holbrook of Vermont, to givo us tho
perfect plow of the present day.
Celery.
Though a native of tho swamp, when
cultivated celery needs well-drained
land and is very Biisceptiblo to injury
from an excess of moisture. Peter
Henderson says that the soil best suit
ed is a deep, rich loam. Nothing is
better than well-drained meadow or
bottom land. If black and peaty it
will answer, but it is absolutely nccos
sary that it bo freo from too much
moisture. The greatest difficulty in
raising colcry is in starting tho plants,
tho seed being delicate and slow of
germination. Abed of rich soil should
1 bo prepared and the seed sown in the
! drills and lightly Covered. Whon an
l inch high the plants should be thinned
out to an inch or so apart, and when
I threo or four inches high they are
ready to bo transplanted. If tho trench
system is to be followed, ditches should
j bo dug a foot wide, two feet deep and
four feet apart. Into the bottom of
theso trenches should be put ten to
twelve inches of well -decayed stable
manure, thoroughly mixed with soil.
In this the plants should bo set out a
foot apart, and shaded from tho hot
sun when iirst transplanted. In cul
tivation care must bo taken not to
handle the plants when tho dow is on
tho leaves, and dirt must not be al
lowed to reach tho center of tho plant,
or the stalks will rust and bo unfit for
market. Whon tho tallest stalks aro
eighteen inches high tho banking-up
process must bo commenced, but caro
must again bo taken to keep the earth
from the center of tho plant. One
successful grower of the plant states
that he has had good success in
blanching celery by tho uso of sawdust
instead of earth in banking up. Thero
is no danger from rust, and tho stalks
are much whiter and tenderer than
when earth is used.
Tho honey crop in California will
bo only one-tenth of last year's yield.
Cheese-making is a safo business to
stick to, for it is not as liable to bo
overdone as butter-making, and tho
produot will keep longer and bear
transportation better.
The spring litter of pigs should bo
removed from the sow and turned on
the clover. A warm mess in the morn
ing and at night of scalded ground
oats and middlings will cause them to
grow very rapidly, as they will also i-c-cure
a largo share of their food ri the
field.
In twenty days tho eggs of ono hen
would exceed the weight of her body.
So of any bird. Yet the wholo of that
mass of albumen is drawn directly
I from her blood. If stinted in food, of
j course it, would limit tho numler as
well as the size of tho eggs.
Pick out your breeders, tho pigs with
long bodies, broad backs and deep,
round hams. Select a breed that has
hair on it. A good coat of hair counts
on a hog as well as any animal. It is
a protection in summer and in winter.
In pruning trees of any kind it is
better to leavo ono strong branch or
limb than two or three weak ones. It
is bettor to keep limbs thinned out
than to cut back and make too closo
heads. Let tho sun's rays in all
through tho tree.
Young chickens, as soon as weaned,
should bo provided with suitable
porches. Make them low and on a
level. It will bo hotter for their health
to get tho young fowls oft' tho ground
as soon as possible. Do not neglect to
provide a door or blide.
Experiments show that when cut
hay and ground grain aro fed to stock
the cost of feeding is lessened suffi
ciently to pay for labor necessary to pro
paro tho food and grind thu grain, and
that the increased growth of tho stock
is noticeable when compared with
those fed upon wholo grain and uncut
hay.
Farmers residing in tho vicinity of
tho great Shrader gas well near Ko
komb, Indiana, go on record as har
vesting tho first wheat by natural gas
light. A dozen self-binders and men
shocking wheat at tho lonely hour of
midnight, was truly a novel sceno,
which was witnessed by hundreds of
people who surrounded tho fields of
grain in carriages. Tho constant roar
of tho Shrader well can bo heard eight
miles away, whilo tho light can bo Keen
at Utirlingtou, fifteen miles west of
bore. The estimated flow of gas from
this well is 15,000,000 cubic feot every
twenty-four hours.
COAST CULLINGS.
Devoted Principally to "Washington
Territory and CaMornia.
Seatile has ,1,591 children of school
ago.
Clarke county, W. T., has S.000 in
habitant?. Kittitas county, W. T., has a popu
lation of 5,-MU inhabitants.
Spokane Falls, W. T., has a new
$1,S00 hook and ladder wagon.
Tho Salvation Army at Marysville,
Cal., has made a Chineso convert.
Walla Walla countv's assessment
shows property worth .$5,200,000.
Fire at Needles, Cal., destroyed the
principal business portion of tho town.
Tho assessed valuation of Seattle is
$ll,S72,:i2S, and of King county $10,
SO 1,720.
Tho Seattle it West Coast Railroad
is to bo completed to Snohomish by
October 1st.
A faihiro to vaccinate is punished at
Pluenix, A. T., by $300 tine or six
months in jail.
Lightning struck and killed fourteen
cows belonging to Mis. Fred Tollman,
in Colfax county, N. M.
A narrow-gaugo railroad, extending
from Reno, Nevada, northward, will
probably bo built to Susauvillo within
a year.
A now town has been laid out on
the lino of the Spokano it Palouso
Railroad. The company will put up
shops. thero.
An explosion of tho Giant Powder
Works at Berkeley caused tho total de
struction of tho buildings and death
of several Chinamen.
Tho population in California ad
vanced from SO-i.OSli in 1SS0 to 1.117,
952 in lSSll. In the last six mouths it
has gained more rapidly than over.
Win. Rhoades, a pioneer miner, was
found d"'ad in tho Hitter Boot moun
tains, Idaho, recently, lie was buried
in the snow which was fifty feet deep.
Two sons of II. S. Hollingsworth, of
Colfax, were drowned in the mill-race
at that place. They woro aged 12 and
9 years, and wero both good swimmers.
At San Francisco Michael Kennedy
was shot four times and had his throat
cut by a woman named Fanny Hen
dry, who then 6hot herself and outlier
own ihroat.
Ex-Union soldiors of California havo
requested tho Congressional delega
tion of that Stato to present a bill to
allow each prisoner of war $2 for each
day spent in prison.
W. P. Schuslor shot himself doad at
Butte, Montana. Ho had lost somo
$700 on tho Butte races and other gam
bling, and in despair ended his life.
Ho stood high in nearly all tho orders
in tho Territory.
Chief of Police Crowley, of San
Francisco, has sent to every officer on
the police force a circular, btating that
the Police Commissioners havo firmly
determined to dismiss from tho force
any officer whocntors a drinking place
whilo on duty.
A number of prominent citizens of
California havo sent an iuvtation to
Ro8coo Conkling, New York's ex-Senator,
to visit this coast and deliver a
series of speeches and orations, tho
proceeds of which aro to bo forwarded
to tho Grant monument fund. 0
An attempt was mado, presumably
by tramps, to wreck a largo Santa
Monica (Cal.) excursion train, by plac
ing tieB on tho track. Fortunately,
the engineor saw tho obstruction in
time to avert a calamity. Twelve hun
dred peoplo wero on tho train.
Thomas Wilson, captain of tho O.
R. it N. steamer North Pacific, drop
ped dead on tho deck of that vessel at
Port Townsond, W. T. Ho was aged
about -11, has been in the O. R. it N.
employ for many years, and was the
I most popular man in tho sorvico.
Capt. A. H. Payson, United States
onginfcer recommends appropriations
I for next fiscal year's cxpcnditurca as
; follows: San Joaquin river, Cal.,
I $119,000; Mokelumno river, $2,000;
Petaluma creek, $2,000; Sacramento
land Feather rivcis, $10,000; Hum
li.ni.i 1. ....,1 i..... or,nnon
uuiuv inn nui mm ntin, c-.iw,w.
Over $55,000 havo beon contributed
to the relief of tho sullbrers by tho Na-
1 naimo disaster. Tho committee havo
determined to book widows and chil
dren to their original homes, providing
transportation and all incidental ex
penses, and subsequently purchasing
an annuity for them.
Tho salo of tho Camas mino No. 2
in Idaho has been consummated for
$2,750,000 in rash and mortgago bonds,
and $1,250,000 in tho company's stock.
Now Yoik parties aro tho purchasers.
An expert says there aro from twelvo
to twenty feot of quartz, averaging $!1U
in carload lots.
Golden trout aro found in but ono
place in tho world that is in tho
brooks of Mount Whitney, up near tho
banks of ovorlasting snow. Thoy havo
a golden etripo down each side and aro
tho most beautiful fish that swim.
Those who saw tho first specimens of
theso trout that wero brought down
from tho head of Whitney creek
thought that thoy wero mado up for
show that strips of gold-leaf had been
glued to their sides.
At tho Uank of Mnrrny may bo scon
a nuggot recently taken out of 0110 of
tho fow placer claims which aro now
being worked, which woighs XI ounces,
1 pennyweights and 10 grains, being
ovor four ounces larger than any horo
toforo produced in tho Cmur d'Aleno
placers. Ilia not as smooth as most
of the largo nuggots, appearing to havo
beon washed but a short distance. Tho
owner is unwilling to stato whoro it
was found.
OREGON NEWS.
Everything of General Interest in a
Condensed Form.
Clackamas county has 4,5S9 school
children.
Benton county is to build a $50,000
courthouse.
Cougar scalps bring $S bounty in
Columbia county.
A lodge of Odd Fellows is to be in
stituted at Ontario.
A railroad from Baker City to Granito
creek is projected.
Sixty men aro at work in the Mal
heur valley surveying a railroad line.
Tho corner-stone of the new agricul
tural college at Corvallis will bo laid
soon.
Tho Freemasons of Hillsboro laid
the corner stone of the new P. of H.
brick building.
Tho 0. 11. it N. Company aro build
ing an iron bridge across the John Day
rher on their road.
A son of Win. Gregory aged four
teen years, was drowned in Butto
creek, Jackson county.
A forest firo in the coast ranco de
stroyed Jones it Co.'s sawmill at Nes-
tucca and did other damage.
A German sheop-horder named De
mason, was killed by rocks rolling on
him, in tho vicinity of .Mount Hood.
The Douglas county fair will bo hold
on tho fair grounds near Dillard's sta
tion, commencing September 1 Ith and
ending the 17th.
A colony of Illinofs peoplo havo pur
chased o.dUO acres of land 111 Hood
river valley, and will cultivate fruits
largely for outside markets.
A new and rich mineral district has
been discovered near Joseph, Wallowa
county. Somo fine marble quarries
have been discovered there.
A twolvo-year old son of Dob I lager,
of Mikccha, on tho summit of the Blue
mountains, Umatilla county, died from
the effects of a rattlesnake bite.
Since tho institution of tho Order of
Good Templars in this State, 557
lodges havo been chartered up to date.
Of this number only 70 are in exist
ence. Charles Keen, a teamster, employe
of tho Southern Pacific Company, was
shot fatally by C. II. Caldwell, keepor
of a danco house located 111 Bunch
town.
Julius SoHnor, a coal miner intho
Newport mines, was buried under a
mass of coal which fell on him whilo
he was loading his car. Ho was in
stantly killed.
Tho Pendleton it Wallula Railroad
is graded and ready for the rails. Thoy
aro expected in fow days, and tho road
will bo finished in tinio to move gram
this season.
The County Court of Benton has
refused to construct an armory for tho
militia of Corvallis, holding that it is
tho Stato s place to furnish tho money
for such a building.
Groat excitemont has been caused
in Jacksonville over rich strikes in tho
mining district near that city. Oro
assaying soveral thousand dollars per
ton has been found.
Moulds and counterfeit coins havo
been found in an old cabin in tho Bluo
mountains. It is not known who left
them thoro. Parties in Pendleton
havo them at present.
About soventy-fivo men aro at work
on tho jetty at tho mouth of tho Co
lumbia river. It is now out 1,100 feot
Tho results of tho work up to data are
excellent, tho channel being broadened
and deepened.
W. C. Halo shot and killed a largo
pelican from tho courthouse window
with his "pea-gun" that' measured
eight feet live inches from tip to tin.
The bird was on tho lako at a distanco
of soveral hundred yards.
A cougar broke into a calf pen of
Win. Mollingor, of Veronia, and tooK
away a three-mouths' old calf, proba
bly weighing 200 pounds. Tluucoutrar
1 1 ... : ...(l t ;. ..-
mm 10 jump a six-raw icuco in gouing
away, and it only lcnuulc.nl oil' one rail.
A loniporary connootion of tho tele
graph lino between Coos bay and Roeo
burg has been effected at Coos City by
running a wire over tho slough at a
sufficient height to allow vessels to
pass undor. A now oablo for tho
slough is expected shortly.
Tho Farmers' Aliianoo, having head
quarters at Lexington, and composed
of about 900 members, rocontly mado
a freight proposition to tho Oregon Pa
cific so satisfactory lo tho company
that the road, supposed to bo building
to a junction with tho Chicago it
Northwestorn, will probably take in
Lexington on tho way.
Tho body of Wm. C. Hathaway, a
druggist of llalBoy, was found in tho
Bluo river mining camp, whoro ho was
prospecting. Ho left tho camp of Mr.
Goodfollow to go to another camp
about a mile distant. Several days af
ter Mr. Goodfellow learned that ho had
not arrived at his destination, and
search was inslituccd with tho result
abovo stated. Tho body was found
about two miles from the camp. It
is thought ho accidentally shot him
self. A singular and distressing nccidont
happoned recently at tho residonco of
Mr. Potor llondcrsou, on tho John
l)nv. Mrs. Hondcrwm wnnt intn thn
yard for some wood, leaving her four-
. .1... -1.1 .-5-l 1 11 , ,
leeu-muwiwH-uiu gin lying on 1110 ucu,
When sho returned s)io found that tho
hahv had somo wuv rolled off anil ffillnn
head first into a pail of water that
stood ly tho bed. Tho child was
standing on its head stono dead when
found by .its niothor. It was unable
to extricate iUelf, and was drowned in
less than six inches of water.
THE CHLOROFORMISTS. t
A New and Dntigcrnun Itnre of Criminals
Developed In Km nee.
The chloroformists, as they aro
t ailed, aro tho aristocracy of the crim
inal race. They aro generally broken
down society men, and very often med
ical students who havo gone to tho
bad after having learned, in the course
of their studies, tho properties of nar
cotics and an.-vsthetics. Their chief
fields of operation aro tho railway
carriages and the hotels, tho compart
ment sytem of the former giving
them every facility for carrying out
their designs. Their method of pro
ceeding in the last instance is as fol
lows: Ho seeks what is technically
known as his "portfolio" i. e., a rieli.
traveler who affords profitable oppor
tunities for the exercise of his skill.
Ho goes to look for him at the rail
way station of one of tho long
lines, such as the Paris, Lyons &
Mediterranean road. He watches
each person that, approaches tho
ticket officii to buy a ticket,
and scJectA some ono who, shows,
on opening his pocket-book, a goodly
collection of bank notes. Tho chloro
formist buys a ticket for the samu
destination, takes a seat in the same,
compartment, gets into conversation
with his fellow-traveler, and finally
ends by producing a well-filled lunch
basket, lie was to havo been accom
panied by a friend, he says, but at tho
last moment ho received a telegram
(which he produces) announcing that
the friend had beon hindered from de
parting at tho last moment. That is
why he has a supply of provisions for
two persons, two silver cups, etc. Ho
oilers to share his supper with his now
acquaintance. If the offer is accepted,
the wine, which is heavily drugged,
soon sends the traveler to sleep. If,
on the contrary, it is refused, tha
ehloroformist partakes heartily of a
solitary meal, and winds up by light
ing a cigar, offering at tho same tinio
his cigar-ease to his companion, who.
not to seem rude or churlish in tho
presence of such gonial friendliness, al
most, invariably accepts a cigar. It is
"prepared" with a strong narcotic,
as the wine had been, and tho unlucky
traveler is soon plunged in a heavy
stupor. The chloroformist opens his
phial and places it for a fow moments
under the nostrils of die sleeeper, gen
tly applying to the mouth at the samo
time a sheet of lino parchment, known,
as tho ".stiller," and having the shapo
of a carnival mask, its function being
tho exclusion of the outer air. Tho
victim is soon rendered wholly insensi
ble by the vapor of the chloroform.
The thief then commences operations
in perfect safety. Ho takes possession
of tho pocket-book, and empties it of
its bank notes, replacing a few of tho
smallest value. Ho then puts it back
in the pocket from which ho hud taken,
it, removes the parchment mask fiom
the face of the sleeper, and, leaving
the victim's jewelry and coined money
untouched, gets out of tho train at tho
next station. Tho motive of leaving
his victim in possession of his jewel
ry and porlmonnaio is twofold.
If tho traveler, on awakening,
finds that his watch and chain
and his supply of coin are all right, ho
docs not usually investigate his pocket-book,
so the theft has a chance of
remaining undiscovered for sevoraX
hours or even days. Ho may, too, at
tribute the loss of his bank notes to a
piece of carelessness, or to a mistake
on his part. If, on tho other hand, as
often happens, ho docs not wake at all
but dies from tho effects" of tho narcotic?
and tho chloroform, the authorities,
finding themselves in tho presence of
a corpse presenting not tho slightest
trace of violence, and with money, pa
pers and valuables apparently undis
turbed, can only attribute tho deceaso
to natural causes. It is a startling fact
that eases of sudden death in tho earn
of tho great French railways havo o
late become singularly Irequont.
The chloroform that plays so impor
tant a jirt in this form of crinio is.
contained in a very small fiat phial of
black glass, which can easily bo con
cealed and is readily gotten rid of in
ease of capture. According to our au
thor, a band of ehloroformists was ro
eentlv organized in Chicago. Paris
Letter.
To Methods. First Young Wife
"Oh, dear! 1 wish I'd never been
horn." Second Young Wife "What
on oarth is tho niattor now?" "Pvo
just worked and skimped mid turned
dressos and iixed my old bonnets over
and done every thing so as to lutvu
money to make homo pleasant for my
husband, and ho just goes off and
spends nearly every night at thu
club." "Humph! My husband bad
to leavo tho club, mid ho stays at homo,
because ho is ashamed to smoke a pipo
among his old associates, and can't
afford cigars now." "Why, ho has n.
bigger salary than my husband."
"Yes, but it costs nioiioy to keep 1110,
decently dressed, and ho knows It.
Catdi 1110 fixing up old bonnets.'
Uiinvm World.
It is quite noticeablo that a largo
number of teachers all ovor tho coun
try have coased to seek quietness In
the movements of tho children, em
phasizing, rather, prompt, quick
movements. As a matter of fact thuro
is little more noise and no moro dis
turbance than under tho old-tima
tip-too method. Jloston Journal of Ed
ucation, ' '
What li tho loading branch in
your sehoolP" askod a lady of a teach
er. Before the teacher could vouch
Bato a reply, a littlo boy interrupted
the conversation with: "I know-.
"And what is it, littlo boyP" asked tha
lady. "That switch in thof country
ma'am." A'. Y. Lcdaer-