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the mmmm.
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i w I
NO. 3, I. I. . 1'.,
Thursday
...In 74 o'clock, Inthe
Fellows', llall. Main
,rt.t Members of theUr
ffaWuivited to attend. Iy order
Hi;iu:rcA ii:c;iti-:i-: 1,01m
NO.
MO. O. 1-., Meets on XjE'
?',.,n.l an. I Fourth lues- iCU
j.v evening ea.-li int , 5BiS
frilows' Hall. Ik-mbursof the Dc
,ri. inxite.l toatti-ii'l.
rroo
l( I.TMIMAI1 I.OIXii: ). I, A.l".
& v M Holds its rcL'nliir coin- &
: munient'ions on tho First ;uul
thr S.iturdiivs in fitch month,
lt;oVloekfroiiithe )th of Sep.
-vmiU-r totho -''Uh ot Msirrh ; and 7 4
9;, !ek from tho IDth of March to the
-do, nf SeptenilxT. I'.rot hri-n in Kuoil
ttaii'lin mviU'it to attenu.
1V nlr of
M.
i r.NC AMi'.-rr.xT xn. 1,1.0.
'i 0. V., Moots at O.hl IVllows' Q Q
ilUllontlio First aTulTh'u .rruos
'd:tv of oaeh month. Patriarchs r '
in "on.l staiiilini; arc invitoil to attend.
n r .v .v k s ft ' a it n v.
.i. Norn
PilVSlCl VN Al St
in: i :.-);
; tl lilies a:d
i a; f.)..i il i :
U-s:d-n ei
air A ;iy.
o:i -it'n
sir. i
tf
DI?. JOl 1 N
D E H T I
G
F :'":r :
v Kit' i n
.1
r I, r.
HUHLAT ci B A GTh A M ,
ATTORN E YS-AT-LAW
I'HTIj M-1 Opit.'.s new brick, "(
Htt si root .
UU !-:!. V CITY Charioan'.s brick, ui
J J H NSO H & till cCO VV ?J
JTT'JRNEVS AM) fOlXSELORS AT-LAW.
Oregon City, '. rerjen.
"Vill praiice in all the Courts of the
special attention givn to cases in
i t ii
1'. S. .and Oltiec at Oregon t ity
5airlS72-t I".
1,. T. A Ti lsT
ATT OR S Y-AT-LAW,
: : on KHOX.
th' Courts of the
Nov. 1. 187"), tf
t win
t Slate.
prnetle1 In all
W. 11. HKJUFIKL1).
Established since '49
One ilonr north of Pojie's Hall.
)hin Strrt, Or:'!ioi City, Orrjou.
Anasiirt iii.'nt if Watches. ,T-wol-rv.Miid
S -Hi Tliomas' Weiirht Clocks
all of Thieh are warranted to le as
ri pr"sctid
done n short notice, and
i '.i i i.vini f,,r ,,;lst patronage
1 l'd for Com nly Orders.
JOHN f liACOX"
1K VI.KR IV
31
lOOKS,
ST.VTIOXVK V,
I 9 I'ieriir.
t-rntnes. toniil
inp ana Miscellaneous i(M)ds.
FRAMES UM)t TO
wrrou t ity, Oregon.
.At tho Post Drtlce
tide.
Main street, rast
novl,7):tf.
a di.AS. Jv?s-I011T,
Y caxuv.okwjhx,
r 1SICIA.N AMJ DRCOOIST
3 a,!'r;rrip,ins c-wfHy Ailed at shor
. ; - ja7:tf.
rvj ILLS,
IUoctiiio, Suvier & Co.
Ore;
City.
MM I !l,.,nM""J"n n:ind fr sale Flour.
Jr.'h'a-o.V"".1 :lndClucken Feed. Parties
Jot) Tl.,,(, mus( tnrriish the sack.
I J. H. S HEPARD,
! Boot and lioo Stove,
I ",,ne d(or north of Ackerinan Bros.
!s arl
snoes n-.ade and
.el.oapesi.
.if
repaired as
1. 1
KY. 'UFaUIT-GaOWERS.
v.
HHKEST MARKET PRICE
''VMS; . i. . .
pay
Mr Tk " ' ti PPI.ES.
r lUc Company.
I'. I. C. IVrOURETTE,
'HcilVPMiv c. . President.
2oa oU; i i ' sro ry .
" ,a VfTj .July ".V, 1ST.5 .tf
1
Twas but a breath
And yot the fair, pooU name was wilted :
And friends once fond prrwcoldand stilted.
And life was worse than death.
One venomed word.
That struck its coward, poisoned blow.
In cran whispers, hushed and low
And yet the wide world heard.
Twas but one whisper one,
That muttered low, for very shame.
The thing the slanderer dare not name
And yet Its work was done.
A hint so slight,
And yet, so mighty in its power,
A human soul in one short hour
. Lies crushed beneath its blight I -
G'ool-Night, Kittie.
It. was away out in the country,
where dissipation was a word almost
without nieani g, and the young
grew up, enjoyed their simple round
of pleasures, grew old and left them
to their children.
But into this quiet tide a sudden,
exciting element had fallen, in the
shape of a gay young girl from a
neighboring town.
Her name was Jennie Mordant,
and she claimed cousinship with
Farmer Mordant's brown-faced and
rather bashful sons, in a daring,
coaxing way, that was new and de
lightful to them, and Jared, the eld
est, catching in his frank, receptive
nature some breath of inspiration
from her, grew more demonstrative
toward others.
There was a little girl living at
Low-hill Pass, as a handful of houses
situated in the valley among the hills
was called, whose name had often
been spoken in connection with .Tnr
ed's, and it was guessed that they
mutually felt a shy fondness for one
another.
They had been to the same chnrch
ever since they could remember; at
last winter's evening school they had
stood side by side in the class, and
twice, when the roads were bad, and
Tared had "been over with his cart,
he had asked her to sit on the front
seat with him.
This had as good as settled their
fate in the minds of the village gos
sips, though no word of special in
terest had been spoken between them
and bp only called her by her formal
Christian name, Katherine, at rare
intervals, an.l then with a sense of
familiarity that made him half
ashamed.
But after Jennie Mordant had ted
his neck-tie, brushed the threads oiT
ns coat, pulled his hair, and called
'litd "a goodish sort of a boy, consid
ering his bronghten up." he escaped
from lior bright eyes and merry ways
and walked to Lowhill with a light
stej).
As he neared the house he saw
Katherine returning lmme from the
Widow Sangster's where she had
been to take the old lady some milk.
"With one leap he scaled the hedge,
and hnrryinsr to the narrow foot-path
he said, softlv: "Don't walk so fast,
Kittie."
The girl stood still, trembling and
blushing; and then, as they walked
slowly on together, she asked, in a
voice scarcely audible, "What made
vou call me that ?"
" "Oh, I don't know." he said, try
ing to speak calmly and indifferently.
"Yon looked like a little grey kitten,
moving so swift in the shadows; and
then, yon know, it is a part of your
name, and you are sorry I said it?"
For she was walking very quietly.
She did not speak, but raised her
eyes with a shy, pleased look, and he
asKou eager ly: uay A cau you so
again ?"
"Yes," she answered, simply, and
lie did now linow how quick her
heart was beating.
And so they went in silence through
the gathering dew and darkness up
to the door.
Farmer Ilnbbel.Katherine's father,
called to Jared that the grey colt
had sprained his shoulder, and while
they talked of hot baths and lini
ments, the girl tied up the rose
branches that a late storm had blown
down, pnt new strings for the morn
ing glories over the cool north win
dow, and waited.
When tho loug horse talk was over
it was time for Jared to leave.
But he slided up to the kitcheti
window, and reaching in, with one
arm on the sill, be dropped a spray
of lilac, as if by accident, and said,
"Good-night, Kittie."
I know when she awoke at mid
night and saw the moonshine quiver
ing on the floor, she blushed and
smiled, as the spring wind, passing
the old tree at the window, whisper
ed. "Good-night, Kittie!"
So the summer passed with a new
glory, and when the even ngs grew
long and cool in autumn, a dancing
school was talked of. in the village.
It was long since they had one,
and old and young joined interests
and determined to make up a series
of cotillion parties.
Two young girl-friends of Miss
Mordant had been spending their
school vacation on the farm, and
three or four artists and students,
roaming about for new views or
tr nting, had stopped long enough
to become somewhat acquainted in
the village.
All these promised to run up from
town occasionally, and so the season
opened far more gaily than nsual.
Then there was to'be a husking at
Farmer Mordant's in the long new
barn.
Long before dark the great piles
of corn filled the bam floor, and the
nihllers walked about with their pet
violins tucked owav in ptppt, Vo-a-
while the kitchen was over-flowing
with food, and a row of cider barrels
lay tapped in the yard,
Katherine Hnbbel came down ear
ly, with her brothers. The candles
were lighted in the sitting room, and
there w as Jared her Jared whose
brown hair and white brow she had
never touched, even with her finger
tips, romping, actually romping, with
OREGON CITY,
Miss Jennie.
She -was standing on her toes to
reach his head, pulliug his hair and
bothering him, when suddenly he
turned, and taking the two little
white hands in his big brown palm,
he held her so firmly that she could
not get away ..though she struggled
and laughed for a minute, and then
stood still, listening iutentlv.
When he let her go she patted his
face, smiled brightly and ran away;
and Katherine could see that Jared
was blushing like a girl.
i She did not go into the sitting
room as if nothing had happened.
She was not actress enough for that.
She went slowly round to the kitch
en door and found their girls; and in
their merry chatter they did not no
tice her silence.
But that Jennie how could she
ever speak to her again ?
' Thirty or forty young men made
fast work of the husking, in spite of
the girls, rather than by help of
them, and then the floor was cleared
and preparations made for dancing.
It was the first dance that was to
decide choice of partners for the
evening, forthe season, perhaps for
life; and Katherine knew it.
She could not flirt, and laugh,
and pretend not to care, as some
could.
Her eyes flashed with anger as she
thought of Jared leading Jennie out
before them all, and creeping away
to Grandma Mordant's room, she
huddled herself up by the tire in a
forlorn little heap.
The old lady was not there, but
she soon came in, and with her was
"that Jennie," talking low and very
earnestly.
"She is always in my way," thought
Katherine, bitterly; but she held her
breath to listen, as Jennie said:
"Jared says he never has a chance
to see her for a minute alone, and
the house is so full of company that
there won t be another quiet spot but
this room. I'll manage to smuggle
him while she is here, and then do
you make an excuse to go out and
leave them; that's a dear.good grand
ma. She is really a sweet little girl,
and Jared is so fond of her. Do you
know he calls her Kittie?"
Tho "swee-t little girl" crouched
lower among the shadows, Jennie
ran away, leaving a kiss on grandma's
withered cheek.
Tho eld lady chuckled pleasantly
to herself, as she went out after a
candle, and when she returned with
it lighted the room was empty.
lint later, ti e harvest moon drop
ped from the deep sky, and the ra
diant stars came near to listen to the
new meaning that echoed in Jared '.s
voice, as he -aid: "Good-night, Kit
tie." Years passer; an old man lay dying
in a handsome home; his gentle, silver-haired
wife stood beside him,
holding his hand.
"It's growing dark come nearer
Good-night, Kittie." And his voice
had hushed forever.
Her hand fell upon his breast, his
lifted arms dropped about her neck;
together thev had gone to the land
of light. "And there shall be
no
light there!"
A Friendly Kick iu Ilroadivaj-.
An old citizen, says the New York
Commercial Advertiser, relates that
many years ago when the late Em
peror of Fiance visited this city, he
made many valuable acquaintances,
among whom most promineut were
the Beekman and Custer boys, who
in those days were rich and fast.
Many an amusing scene was enacted
by this friendly association. One of
the most striking occured as follow s:
They were at the Washington Hotel,
which stood where Stewart's whole
sale store now is. Early in the month
of April a stranger- was passing on
the opposite side of the street, dress
ed in a mid-summer suit, white hat
and pantaloons, claret-colored eoai
and buff vest. The Princo remarked
that "he ought to be kicked." Young
Beekman offered a bet of five dollars
that he would do it. "Done," said
Napoleou, and the money was placed
in "Wash" Custer's hands. Beekman
ran across the street, overtook the
stranger, and saluted him in a very
uncivil manner with the toe of his
boot. The strange gentleman was
much offended, and wheeled around
to resent the insult, when Beekman
caught him familiarly by the hand
and said: "How do you do, Jones!"
"My name is not Jones," was the re
ply T "All! my dear sir," said Beek
man, "I ask a thousand pardons, and
assure you that I thought you were
my dear old friend from Arkansas."
"That may be very naturally so,"
said the stranger, "and I forgive yon
with the advice that you be more
careful who you kiak next time."
The quick conception and prompt
execution of this little farce pleased
Napoleon very much, and it was the
occasion of a game supper that same
night.
The New York Sun gives the fol
lowing simple and inexpensive meth
od of preventing the plague of mos
quitos: "Pour a small quanity of
kerosene oil into tue pools, sinus,
and other receptacles of stagnant
water in which the insects breed.
The oil forms a film upon the sur
face of the water, through whiob
neither the new-born mosquito can
emerwe into the air. nor the adult
female penetrate to lay its eggs. The
result, is that, in a few dtVS the
mosquitos in existence die out, and
their places not being filled, there is
an end of them. The oil in time
evaporates, and must be renewed
occasionally."
' ' T f Ttra ova 4 r of tar . 1 1 1 1 1 whv
don't we have some knowledge of
it?" "Why didn't you have some
knowledge of this world before j-on
came into it?" was the caustic re
tort.
OREGON, FRIDAY, NOV. 17, 187G.
Female Gamblers in tlie West.
The existence of a female gambling
house in this city has been suspected
by some and known to a few favored
ones for some time past in fact ever
since the opening of the institution.
At first it bloomed and flourished
during the winter months as the re
ception apartment of Miss Mary Lan
don and Mme. Burgoine on Main
street, near the Junction. These two
ferninines passed for mother and
daughter, and by their industry and
modest deportment . won their way
into the family acquaintance of the
families in tho city. How or where
they obtained capital enough to fit
up and open their present magnifi
cent establishment is one of those
things the ordinary news-gatherer
fails to find out. But that tho madam
and her quondam daughter have
made money, and lots of it, too, since
they left their rooms near the Junc
tion, it is plainly evident to those
who visit their snug and sylvan re
treat. The police made the first
complaint about these women early
last spring or late in the winter, but
as they soon afterward removed from
the building complained of, no one
cared to inquire where they went.
It was left to an occasional con
tributor of the Times to re-discorer
the retreat of these now notable fe
males and give an idea of the way
in which fast girls and boys pass the.
nights, as some of them say, "out of
town on business."
The secret leaked out through u
colored girl who was recently dis
charged for some irregularity, and
imparted by her to another domestic,
and by her to the person who visited
tho "retreat." They call it the "re
treat" because of its charming priva
cy and apparent obscurity. It is on
Main street, not far from the court
house. The front of the building
would appear to the ordinary observ
er as a building unoccupied. The
windows are darkened above, and,
were it not for the side door, left
open night and day, but which is
seldom used, no one would suppose
the upper part of the building occu
pied. But it is now discovered to
be the popular place of resort for
various classes of people who nightly
assemble to play with and provoke
Dame Fortune as represented by her
most fascinating votaries. But let
the last victim tell his own story:
"We were shown first into a small
but neatly furnished ante-room, light
ed only by the light which penetrat
ed from t lie next room, which, in the
darkness, appeared lirilliantTyHght
ed. Our party was admitted imme
diately on the presentation of cards
previously furnished at the gaming
house we had just left, and a gaily
dressed colored girl admitted us to
the parlors adjoining, where the ma
dame greeted us and engaged us iu
conversation for a few minutes, and
then led tho way to the place we had
come to see the retreat.
"It was a strange sight one that
fairly astounded one at first glance.
Here, in a room gaudilv but not rich
ly decorated and brilliantly lighted.
were assembled at least thirty men
and women, three-fourths of whom
were engaged in the fascination of
games ot chance. At one table sat
the quondam seamstress, Miss Marv
Landon, attired in a loose, white lace
wrapper, her fingers glittering with
pearls. She was dealing faro for tho
amusement of a young merchant of
this city and two women, both stran
gers to me. Four or five persons sat
by the table looking lazily on, smok
ing and sipping refreshments. At
an adjoining table two men and two
women were engaged in a game in
which bright new half-dollars passed
for cheeks, and gold pieces occasion
ally passed current. One of the wo
men, 'a girl of the period,' smoked
her cigar with the nonchalance of an
adept, while her neighbor on the
right, a middle aged woman of means,
kept a record of the game on paper.
They appeared to be playing whist.
At two small tables at the far end of
the room six or seven women with
one or two men were interested in
games of chance, apparently poker
or encher, and money appeared to be
passing freely bnt rattier silently.
Taking down a billiard cue we ac
cepted the challenge of Mme. Bur
goine, and engaged with our friend
and q girl who had just prepared to
start for home, in a friendly game of
billiards. These are a few of the
observations made during a short
visit to a retreat whosa existence is
unknown to even the business men in
its vicinity. You can use these notes
as yon please."
The above statement was handed
in a few days ago by an occasional
contributor to these columns. But
the denouement was so strange no
mention was made -of the existence
of th female gambling house until a
reporter had been sent to investigate
for himself. It was found more diiH
cult to obtain entrance to the place,
as "newspaper men" are tabbooed
the precincts of this pagoda of mis
chief. A deputy, however, obtained
admittance and more than confirmed
the observations of the writer of the
recent communication. A female
gambling house does exist in this
city, to which women, moving in
respectable society, resort, to spend
the evening. No liquors of any kind
other than light Wines are "used.
Women of all shades of virtue come
and go, and tho fascinations of the
game are such that dozens of men
nightly assemble to squander their
money with women old and young,
who deal the cards like adepts, aud
who bet their stakes with the temer
ity of old "sports. It is a strange
but o'er true tale, as many a man
and woman in this citv know to their
cost. Kansas City Times.
It is estimated that the number of
ladies who cannot pass a mirror
without glancing into it averages
twelve to every dozen.
1
COURTESY OF BANCROFT LIBRARY,
TrMTUVPQTTY flT? CALIFORNIA.
Turkish Atrocities.
- There lias been no change of pop
ular sentiment in England, we pre
sume, in relation to the Turkish
question; but a very great change
ha occurred in popular action, as is
plainly manifested by the tone of
the English press and the otit-spok-en
indignation of Mr. Gladstone at
the meeting of his constituents, last
Saturday. Englishmen are cautiuos
about interfering with the policy
of the ministry, who are presumed
to. be the better judges of what is
proper in their relations with for
eign powers; but the preliminary
report of our consul, Mr. Schuyler,
in Constantinople, of the atrocities
committed by the Turks in Bulgaria,
which Mr. Gladstone made the basis
of his speech, has roused up the feel
ings of Protestant-Englishmen to a
degree that must compel the Gov
ernment to a change of policy in
treating the Turkish question. The
report of Mr. Schuyler, which is
made from personal observation and
knowledge, is addressed to our min
ister in Constantinople, Mr. May
nard. It is very full and startling,
from the facts it gives of the savage
cruelties of the Turks; but it is call
ed a "preliminary report," because
his investigations -'had not been
finished nt the time it was written.
It was sufticientl full of horrible
revelations, however, to produce a
very marked effect upon the British
mind, and its specific statements
were accepted as facts, althoug an
official statement was looked for
from Mr. Baring, of the British em
bassy, who left Constantinople at the
same time with Mr. Schuyler for
Bulgaria, for the purpose of making
a report of the true condition of af
fairs. As tho British minister in Con
stantinople is a strong partisan oi
the Turk, it is very probable that
the report of Mr. Earring
will be less horrifying than
that of Mr. Schuyler, bnt the facts
presented hy our consul are accept
ed by the Times as substantially ac
curate, and public sentiment is not
likely to be changed by any subse
quent statements. Undoubted by,
there are many complications, of
which we are ignorant, which must
perplex the minds of English states
men dealing with the Turksh but
there is enough known of the true
relations of England and the other
Christian powers of Europe to the
Sublime Forte for astonishment that
no attempt should have been made
to prevent -tho slaughter of Chris
tians which has taken place since the
outbreak of the war.
The Pope wo lid rather the Turks
should extirminate Christianity in
in Servia than that the Greek Church
should prevail, and Tory England
would sooner see Turkey triumphant
in Bulgaria and Servia than that
Itussia should gain any advantages
bv the defeat of the Mohammedans
in their contest with Christians. The
Turks have undergone no change
during the past four hundred years,
unl Mr. Schuvler s harrowing state
ments read like extracts from Gib
bon's diseriptions of the atrocities
committed by Mohammed the Sec
ond at Constantinople. In describ
ing the attack on Panagurishta, last
mav bv the Bashi-bazouks, Mr.
Schuyler says that three thousand
women and children were massacred;
that the ruffians attacked children of
eight and women of eighty indis
criminately; old men had their eyes
torn out and their limbs cut oft, and
then left to die; that pregnant wom
en were riped open, and the nnboin
babies carried triumphantly on the
points of bayonets and sabers; while
little children were made to bear the
dripping heads of their comrades.
This scene of rapine, lust, and mur
der was continued for three days,
when tho survivors were made to
bury the bodies of the dead. The
perpetrators of these atrocities were
chiefly regular troops, commanded
by Hafiz Pacha.
These atrocities are permitted by
the Catholic powers, from jealousy
of the Greek Church, and by Chris
tian England, from jealousy of Prus
sia. But the recent out buret of pop
ular feeling in England is likely to
call a decided change in the policy
of the Tory ministry, and it has been
intimated that Sir Henry Elliott is to
be supplanted in Constantinople by
Lord Odo Russell, the British minis
ter in Berlin. 77 hincpendcxt.
Truism.
A man can never be made to feel
at home in tight boots.
The best a man can do for his
State is to bo a good citizen.
, Our poor relatives are those who
are rich and of no use to us.
A bad young man is poor material
for making a good old man.
To enjoy life you should have
vonr monogram on your bedstead.
What politicians really want is a
soft position with hard money pay.
The underlying cause of almost all
financial distress is extravagance of
individual distress, personal extrav
agance; of public distress general
extravagance.
A helping hand to one in tronbleis
often like a switch on a railroad
track but one inch between wreck
and smooth rolling prosperity:
We are apt, in onr wonder and onr
applausejatthehighth to which a man
has attained against all odds, to for
get to note whether his steps up the
incline have been clean and justly
taken.
m
"Mr. Thompson," said a young
lady who had been showing off her
wit at the expense of a dangler, "you
remind me of a barometer that is
filled with nothing in the upper
story." "Divine Julia," meekly re
plied her adorer, "in thanking you
for that compliment, let me remind
you that you occupy my upper story."
X
The Pbvnibroliiiig Business.
It appears from the last census
that there were in 1S70 only 381
pawnbrokers in the United v States;
but the actual number must be con
siderably greater. In w York
there are eighty licenced pawnbrok
ers, who must be American citizens,
must have resided in the city one
year, and have paid $50 license and
given bonds of SI, 0(H) before they
were accorded the privilege of con
ducting their business. There are
no doubt many unlicensed pawn
brokers and jewelers and others who
do a monev-lending business sub
rosa. Certainly many persons tn--.
gaged in the business are averse to
having their occupation known.
Pawnbroking has of late years been
considered somewhat disreputable,
notwithstanding that the first pawn
brokers were Italian merchants from
Lombardy, of high standing in their
own country, aud had noble and roy
al customers. Edward I, of England j
pawned the customers of his king
dom, for a heavy loan, and Edward
III and Richard II pledged the
crown jewels. In the sixteenth cen
tury the descendants of the Lombard
pawnbrokers had become so over
bearing and extortionate that they
were expelled from Frauca and Eng
land, and laws .woro enacted to de
liver the 'poor from tleir extortions.
Members of the famous Medici fam
ily w ere foremost among the money
lenders of the middle ages. ".
The pawnbrokers of the present
day are no better than their pre
decessors, from whom they have in
herited their cruel' greed, as they
maintain the trade sign of three gold
balls.derived from the armorial bear
ings of the ancient corporation of
Lombards. But the recent enact
ments in regard to usury have some
what curtailed the profits of the bus
iness. In thirty-three States and
Territories the regular rate of inter
est varies from six to twelve per cent.
In California, Florida, Maine, Mon
tana, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah,
Washington and Wyoming all usury
laws have been abolished and any
rate of interest agreed upon may be
collected. New York has the most
stringent usury laws. Tho maxi
mum rate of interest is fixed at seven
per cent., and violations of the law
are made misdemeanors, punishable
by fine, imprisonment and forfeiture
of the principal. -Nevertheless, ex
orbitant interest is invariably col
lected by roundabout methods, con
trived successfully to evade the law.
The brokers charge for the ticket,
charge for registering, charge for
storage anything, to swell their
profits.
The pawnbrokers of New York do
business chiefly on the Bowery ,Third
and Sixth Avenues, and on the
side streets between Bleecker and
Fourteenth. They are not numerous
in the poorest districts. There are
no less than six of them in three
blocks near tho beginning of Sixth
Avenue, Just now business is live
ly with them. The prevalent de
pression in all trades and industries
has reduced so many hitherto well-to-do
people to absolute want that
the pawn-shops are overstocked with
wearing apparel and household goods
of all kinds, pledged, not unfrequent
Iy to procure a much-needed loaf of
bread. The consequence is that the
brokers are offering very limited
loans, and many of them will not
take anything but jewelry, which
is always marketable and which, as
it is seldom redeemed, is a source of
much gain to them.
The articles most frequently pawn
ed are watches and rings, on which
the money-lenders usually advance
from one half to two thirds of their
value. Clothing is taken in pledge
only at the lower class of pawn-shops
and unless it is new or almost new
very little mouey can be raised on
it. All pledges are kept for one year
and at the end of that time those left
unredeemed become the property of
the broker, whose chief profit comes
from this branch of his trade. It
frequently happens that stolen goods
are pawned by thieves or their agents,
and pawnbrokers are consequently
subject to constant visits by tho po
lice, in search of lost property. Near
ly all of the so-called diamond brok
ers on Broadway and side streets are
pawnbrokers, who surreptitiously
buv all sorts of property and advanca
money on all classes of valuables,
"and no questions asked." They are
under strict police surveillance. The
requirements by law that every per
son offering an article in pledge shall
give his or her name and address is
practically useless, as about eighty
four per cent, of .people so pledging
give assumed names and false ad
dresses, j
The scenes and incidents of pawn
brokers' shops have been so often
and so graphically described, notably
by Mr. Dickens, in his Boz sketches,
that it is not necessary to treat of
them here. As a rule, the shops are
well kept and orderly, and w hatever
grief or trouble may penetrate there
does not disturb the peace. The
sight of men pledging their tools and
women their household utensils for
money wherewith to buy intoxicating
drinks, which is so terribly common
in England, is happily rare among
us. On the other hand, people of
very fair social position, who in Eng
land would not dare enter a pawn
shop, frequent such places here
whenever the necessity arises.
Professional gamblers are, perhaps,
the pawnbrokers' best customers.
They generally wear an abundance
of jewelry, and when bad luck sets
in they part with their baubles one
by one to raise the means to "get
square" again. A large number of
wedding rings are pawned every
year, and more of them redeemed
than of any other kind of jewelry.
The wedding ring is usually the last
i trinket with which a woman will
O. 4.
rart. and if it goes 'tis probably to
restore a dying child to life orto
feed a famishing family. So many
watches have been pawned of late
that the brokers will now advance
on them only the value of the metal,
unless the watch be of a celebrated
make. ' The consequences of this is .
that watches, are cheaper than ever,
aud can be bought in running order
as low as 62. It is very common for '
people to take imitation gold to the
pawnbroker's, with the hope that it
may pass for genuine;, but the hope
is always del usiAe. The money-lender
is too much an adept at getting
the better of others ever to allow any ;
one to get the better of ; him.- He is
always provided with a bottle of.
strong acid and a pair of scales, and
can tell to a fraction the exact value "
of every piece of metal offered him.
Pawnbrokers, more than any other
class of men except sheriff's officers,
profit by tho misfortunes of their
neighbors. As one of them said tho
other day to the writer: "Hard times
or good times don't mako no matter
of difference to us. There is always,
folks wanting money and ready to
get it the best w ay they can. 'ftcca
beus, in Illustrated Weekly, '
Table Etiquettes
The Abbe C-asson, a professor iu
the College Mazarin ' and an accom
plished literalwr, says Mrs.- Duffev's
book on "Behavior," dined, one day .
at. Versailles with the Abbe de Rad
onviliers, i:i company with several
conrtiers and marshals of France.
After dinner, when the talk ran up
on the etiquette and customs of the
table, Abbe Cassou boasted of his in
timate acquaintance with the best
dining-ont usages of society:
The Abbe Delille listened to Cas
son's account of his own good man
ners for awhile, but then interrupted
him and offered to wager that at tho
dinner just served he had commit
ted numberless errors of improprie
ties. "How is it possible?" demanded
the Abbe. "I did exactly like tho
rest of the company."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed the other.
"You did a hundred things which
no one else did. First, when you
sat down at the table, what did you
do with your napkin?"
"My napkin? WI13-, just what ev
erybody else did. I unfolded it and
fastened it in rnv button-hole."
"Ah, my friend," said Delille,
"ou were the only one of the party
that did that. No one hangs his
napkin up in that style. They con
tent themselves with placing it ac
cross their knees. And what did
you do when you were served soup?"
"Like ihe others surely. I took
my spoon in mv right hand and mv
fork in the left"
"Your fork? Who ever saw any
one eat bread out of his soup-plate
with a fork? After your soup what
did vou eat?"
"A fresh egg."
"And what did vou do with the
shell?"
"Handed it to the servant."
"Without breaking it?"
"Yes, without breaking it up of
course."
"Ah, my dear Abbe, nobody ever,
eats an egg without breaking be
shell afterwards." exclaimed Abbe,
Delille. "And after your egg?'
'I asked the Abbe Radonvilliers
to send me a peace of the hen near
him."
"Bless my "soul! A piece of the
hen? One should never speak of the
hens out of the hennery. You shonld
have asked for a piece of fowl or
chicken. But you say nothing
about your manner of asking for
-vino."
'Like the others. I asked for clar
et and champagne."
L.ec me lniorm you -that one
should always ask for claret
wine and champagne wine."
But how did yon eat vonr
bread?" :
"Surely I did that properly, j
cut it with my. knife into sma
mouthfuls and ate with my . fingers."
"Bread should never be cut, btc
always broken with the fingers. Br.:
the coffee how did you manage
that?"
"It was rather too hot, so I rout
ed a little into my saucer and drui.i.
it."
"Well, then, you committed .
greatest error. You should n"-- -pour
coffee or tea into the saucer m .
always let it cool and drink it , i , 1.
the cup."
It is necessary to say that the A
was deeply-mortified at his vi -f
ignorance of the usages of poll'
ciety." -
- ; '
"I understand you make - rv
good cider?" "Yaw," said Co.,
Dutchman; . "Hans, my poy.
bring a mugful. Hans roc
turned with a mug brioiing full,
handed it to the Dutchman
drained it to the bottom at v
drought; then turning to his astd
ished visitor, said, "Dere now,
you dosh not tink dat ish good cite
yoost schmell of te mug."
An Australian has taught a carar
bird to sing "Home, Sweet ITom.
by suspending it before a looking
glass near a music-box which i ' '
formed that melody. Supposing V
bird in the glass was making tj "
mtisic, tho bird firally caught tin
notes, and now warbles the who-e
tune.
Mr. B. L. Garner, of Powder river
valley met with an accident last (k.
He w:as on his way from Umatilla
with freights for S. A. neilner &
Co.,of Baker City, and, while cross
ing a bridge over the Grand Ronde
river the bridge gave way and preci
pitated two of his teams in the river,
upsetting the freight and damaging
i.,-oo-c o-onrjill v. The loss is esti-
luiu- pV--"
! mated at some S5.000.
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