(31
The Sailg gstotimt.
ASTORIA. OREGON:
SUNDAY AlJ:iL C. 18 to
IIK GOT HIS IKIKK.
An Old Oil-Wcll )xiicr Wlni Wai
TlHiiMiislily Scared.
In the southwestern pari (r York
state, in Cnmlicrlnnd county, is a
great oil field, believed to equal in
productiveness, were it developed,
the Pennsylvania oil region. As there
1 no railroad nearer than fifty miles,
no one hits ever undertaken to ship
the oil. although many successful wells
wore bored years ago. Most of the
land i now owned or leased b the
Standard Oil company, which ha
plugged up the wells and it, holding
the territory in reserve until the
other fields are exhausted, if ever
that day come. Some of the wells
are, however, owned by men whose
means are too limited to handle th'
oil. One great well has been yielding
hundreds of barrel a day for twenty
year. forming a rivulet, which, after
running a short ditance, sinks back
into the iiu-th.
It i remarkable that the first oil well
Kred in America was sunk in this
rich, though yet neglected and prac
tically unknown field. Oil was struck
there under invuliar and amusing cir
cuintance. The "Old American Well' was bored
m CunnVrlnnd county in 1.S2D. and oil
can still be obtained from it. Petro
leum wa then unknown. Salt wai
then very scarce in Kentucky. John
Harnett, a solid and irascible citizen of
Cumlerland county, thought he could
lore a well on his farm and strike salt
water. If so. by boiling the iluid
down he could obtain plenty of salt
He began work, and his neighbors
came to s?e how the job was getting
along. The did not believe that salt
water could be found, and said so.
T11 strike salt water or J'll strike
hell. said irascible old John.
Hi neighbors laughed and old John
KmxhI awa. Day after day, and for
several week, the drilling progressed,
but still there was no salt water. Mr.
Harnett was not at all down cast
They had been boring through solid
rucks, and old John was guiding the
drill himself one day, when it went
through the rock. There was a roar
ing, a-, if the interior of the earth was
in convulsion and a new volcano was
aKmt to burst forth. The drill shot
high in the air and the rude machiu
on wa hurled to one side. A deluge
or ietroleuin wa thrown upward in a
spray and fell in showers to the
gronnd. Then c-iiching lire from a
little blazing heap or log "Mr. Harnett
had built to warm himself by -for it
wjis in winter it whirled upward in a
great tlanie. shooting from the mouth
of the well.
The propulsion of air and oil from
the well had overturned old John and
knocked him half senseless. Gather
ing himelf up, and seeing the long
bin or liiv blazing from the mouth of
the well, he was speechless wilii sur
prise and Tear. Heavy volumes of
lilnck smoke, mingled with the sheets
f fire !cgan to pour forth. Old
John's httir ro'H' up on his scalp. He
secmNl unable to ni-ie or speak. At
length, recovering himself, he sheuted:
""'re struck h.'P! J've struck hell!
My God. have in're on me!
He ran yelling up the valley. Wo
men and children ran to their doors
as he passed, and thought he had gone
mad. When they looked down the valley
and saw the stnv.m of Hanie and the
dense clouds or smoke, they half
fainted with fear, for those were sup
erstitions day. Men left their work
ami ran for the hilltops. They rr
momlered old John's wicked and
lv3ting remark, and thought that he
had brought down upon them the
fiual judgment or the world. 11 was
half a day liefore a few summed up
courage to go U the well and make
an investigation. T!:e a-ure.l the
others that it was a phenomena of
nature, and that his sainnic majesty
had not yet arrived upon earth. Old
John never got entirely over his
Tright, but it had a good effect upon
him. Heforc, his conversation was
interlarded with oath, but he never
swore again. He joined the church,
and died confident that the Lord had
taken him at his word and allowed
hiui to strike hell as a warning in
time.
An AilvcrlNcnieut H-imIv Seemvil.
Opie P. Head, the editor of the
Arkunsair Traveler, is a very big
man. with a tremendous heavy head
ol long, black, unkempt hair. One
da he was passing the office of a well
known hair restorative establishment
on State street, Chicago. Hi part
ner, Mr. Henham. was with him and
said:
We ought to gel an advertisement
oni of this establishment"
Opie looked in and saw a family of
count ry people inside.
"111 get it for you right now," said
he. and in he walked.
The countryman had just taken off
liis hat, and was showing the man
ager how bald he was, and asked if
he thought the hair would ever grow
again on his head. Opie walked up to
the manager, and. putting out his
hand. said.
"My dear sir, 1 have come a long
way to thank you in person, and to
show you what your restorative has
done for me.
Here he took off his old slouch hat,
and shook out his long, wonderfully
thick, fiue hair.
"There, sir." said he, gratefully,
"look at that. Four months ago, you
remember, 1 was as bald as that
electric lamp up there.'
The manager was a liille dazed.
This was rather more than even he
could swallow.
What did you use for it f put in
the interested countryman.
"Used this restorative four dozen
bottles of it according to directions."
The upshot of it was, the country
man took two dozen bottles, and went
his way.
"There," said Opie to his partner,
"now you talk business with this man,
and 1 guess you 11 get a pretty good
advertisement out of him."
When the mauager learned who
Opie was, he said:
"You xnav put me down for the big
gest advertisement in your paper, and
scad in your bill when you please."
A Jackson county, Missouri, man is
eing for a divorce from the woman
be -wedded thirty-eight years ago. He
says his wife made him do the wash
iag and the general housework.
A great influx of immigrants is ex
pected soon and the railroads are al
ready arranging for a division of the
labor ot carrying the newly-arrived
"hordes to their homes in the west.
"Cigarettes for ladies smoking" are
sold in London, provided with spc
cifillv prepared niouthpieces.Thcy are
perflated "with musk and violet, and
they r enjoying a very extensive
TOttERS OF THS SSI.
A ForhieaBse Colony Who Fish
For Barracuda.
Picturesque Scenes in the Ooronado
Islands.
A Primitive "Way of hiving on tlm Shore
Of the Han-en Islets Curing And
Sliipiiinz Pish.
San- Diego, Cat, March 25. Every
morning at two o'clock a bunch of
lights appears for a half hour on the
lowland of the mountainous promon
tory across the foot of the bay from
San Diego, and then as suddenly dis
appears. If it be moonlight the fleet
of small schooners at anchor there
may be seen from the mainland. The
sails are furled, the vessels are iu mo
tion, aud soon dart off iu spectral
proccf-sior. through the "Silver Gate"
aud around Point Loma to the open
sea. It is the colouy of Portuguese
sailors who live at this port and mo
uopdize the fishing industry. They
have entered upon their daily duties
after a hurried breakfast, bnt each
vessel is supplied with enough fre9h
water aud provisions to last a labor
ing man one day. Ten of the schoon
ers are "plungers," or cat-rigged; the
remainder are sloop-rigged. They
are all double euders, twenty-five or
more feet long and seven wide, and
adapted for a high rate of speed.
Their capacity is two aud a half tons.
The body of each craft is a tank for
the reception of the day's anticipated
catch of "top"' fish the barracuda
(apliirnna arytntca) and Spanish
mackerel wombcromoru.s macu
lulus). One man io a boat is the
rule. Ho sits in tho stem with a pipe
iu his mouth. Ho wears a dark llan
uol shirt and heavy suit, a felt hat
and high rubber boots. His skin is
as dark as a Spaniards. His hair,
small eyes and short beard are black.
His upper lip is long and his teeth
prominent. There nre small go,
rings in his ears. The tiller and tho
sail engage his attention. As the
vessels round the boulder-heaped,
surf-shaken headland, night birds fly
in and ont from their nests on the
cliff. The bell buoy tolls in melo
dious and solemn hymnody, while the
whistling buoy down by Mexico's
granite islands groaus like an impris
oned storm.
UCQINN'IN'O WORK
Iii the great forests of kelp that lie
in the bca to windward the schooners
make their first stop, full iu the rays
from the lighthouses white light.
Here a second breakfast ia eatou.
aud the men discuss their prospective
luck. If there is no breeze, they tie
up with several lines to the giant
froinla, sink a scoop net for small fish,
bait and cast a line for rock cod or
codfish. Some of the mariners prefer
tti nan, for they always do with less
than the average length of rest. But
if there be a breeze, the lleet passes
on through the kelp into deep water,
four, mx, and even ten milc3 out.
The fish will begin to bite at daylight,
five Irolliug lines are lied in the
stem i.f the boat at equal distances
and thrown out, reaching from five to
six fathoms behind. On tho further
end is a jig -a white, fish-shapod j
bono that has a barracuda hook fast- j
eu"d on the upper sido of the snout
end. These look like succulent miu-1
hows chasing in the. wake. Aud it is j
a race, for their speed is from six and i
a half to eight knots in a half or
three tpiarters of an hour, due north,
so long as the wind keeps. There
must be enough breeze to agitate the .
bait or the fish will not bite. There j
are days when the weather is propi
tious, but the fish aro not so miuded,
aud tho vessels return empty. Somo-1
times tho fleet is becahuei, and a I
tedious Ashless day is passed by tho ,
helpless men. This may occur three
or fonr days in succession. Tf there
ha3 been a wind from the south for
six days, they ktiow that a harvest is
sure. The men lean far over the rail
in an attitude of expectancy. A line
is pulled taut; it is quickly hauled in, '
baud over hand. It is weighted with
a pike-like fish of slender body, with
i a conical, com pressed head and slen
der snout. The fitst dorsal fiu
bristles with spines. Its body is en
cased in an armor of very small silver ,
scales that darken into blue along tho
back. The fisherman '
SEIZES THE OAUIMTj ,
! Fill of the jig as a handle aud lifts
in his prize. It is a barracuda, and
weighs from four to seven pounds. !
He holds it over the tank, gives the
jig a twirl and the fish drops off.
i There are long ud strong teeth in its
, mouth, some being fang-like. Tho i
fishermau realizes it i he chances to
, get his fingers within reach of their
fangs, for sometimes his hands are
scarred aud torn as if he had bsen
, through a cactus thicket. Another
aud auother, as rapidly as the3T can
' be pulled iu, nre dropped iu the lank,
where they die iu five miuntes. Now
, i3 the height of the barracuda season.
A large fish with an elongated body
and pointed heal, weighing from
1 seven to fourteen pounds, comes
! next. There are eight or nine Unlets
i succeed iug the dorsal and aual fins.
! It is from twenty to twenty-four
i inches loug, and covered with minute
'silvered scales tinged in lustrous
j dnrk blue spots. Its teeth aro strong
J and compressed. This is tho Span
I ish mackerel. It is not abundant
now, but will be in tho fall. This
I and the barracuda are called "clean
skin"' fish, because their scales are so
' easily removed. The larger number
' are generally caught before sunrise.
1 Then, until nine o'clock tho wiud
! dies down, and tho schooners aro
headed south toward Mexico's three
Coronado islands, eighteen miles dis
tant from the bay. Occasionally a
"yellowtail" or silver salmon is cap
tured, and in two months they will be
plentiful. There is another breeze,
aud then ensues another hour or two
of fishing before it subsides. Lunch
is eaten. The scoop nets ore baited
i and dropped near the islands, and
I brought up wriggling with red lob
sters that weigh from four to five
j pounds. There is nnother breeze
l from 1 to 3 p. m., by which time the
fleet has passed between the boats of
j amateur fishers' pleasure yachts and
a few Chinese sails, to its anchor in
! the cove of "Portuguese Town."
i SOEKES IS THE TOWX.
Scores of gray gulls, the scavengers
of the coast, are roosting on the sand
i marsh just below, waiting for their
daily feast. They make a discordant,
' chirping noise, expressive of impa
.tience and hunger. There ore dis-
fnlnrrl tnh3. beavv tnhlfifi. boxes.
1 casks, trays, roofed tanks, wheelbar
rows, nets, old sails and spars lining
tho beach. The land is several feet
higher, and the brush has been
cleared off for a half dozen yards.
Here are long, doable row of table
liko frames driven into tho earth and
slatted with laths, on which to dry
tho fish. There are bales of jute
sacks and ropes, fenders, water casks,
lumber and old skiffs scattered about.
One hundred yards farther up in the
sage-brush, mangle plant, and grease
root, are the eight rude shinties that
constitute tho settlement. Tho lots
they occupv are leased from non-resident
owners from $2.50 to $4 nmonth.
There are three families aud seven
children. Some of the elder ones
run to the water to ask about tho
catch. Tho girls nre neatly dressed
in calico, with led handkerchiefs tied
shawl fashion about their heads.
Each man loads his fish into a skiff
and dip3 iu enough salt water to
rinse them. Some have caught but a
few dozen. Others have one hun
dred, two, three, and even five hun
dred. The boat is slowly propelled
in with one scull to shore the water
is not over a foot deep. The fisher
jumps out, wades to the beach and
carries out a table, to which ho ties
the boat. He rolls up his sleeves,
lifts a fish to the board and with a
short bladed seal knifo rips it up the
bellv from crotch to snout. By a
pecnliar motion of one thumb he
eviscerates it aud pitches tho entrails
into the water. The fish is dipped
down to wash off tho blood and then
dropped into the barrel. Overhead
come the chatteriug gulls, their white
breasts descending like a gust of tho
blizzard belts' suowflakes. Their
hooked beaks snatch tho tender mor
sel from the bay and back they go to
devour it aud return for more. The
order of marine carniverous life is
temporarily reversed, and tho little
fish eat tho big ones, coming up close
to the rubber boots to select their
portions.
SniPPIKO THE CATCH.
At four o'clock a schooner comes
from the San Diego side. Into it are
loaded the fish not split for curing.
Manuel Franz, the colony's agent iu
this city, will get the fish and store
them in a large icetiloset that is built
next his shanty, some four doors
above the wharf. Ventilated boxes
of these fish will be sent on the even
ing train to Colton, Riverside and
San Bernardino. Tho rest are to be
sold to regular customers. A couple
of tons or more are thus disposed of
weekly. Various whites aud Chinese
who peddlo fish through the streets
also get their supplies of tho Portu
guese. These fish bring 3 cents a
pound, or 12J to 15 conts apiece at
wholesale. The middleman gets from
G to 8 cents a pound, or from 25 to 30
cents, or even as high as 50 cents
apiece. Tho lobsters bring3 cents at
wholesale, and retail for G cents a
pound. Back at tho cove tho next
step in fishing is being taken. A
largo wooden tray with handles on
either sido is set on one end of tho
table, and a shallow tub on the other.
Into this the fish are lifted, one at a
time, and the blood thoroughly
scrubbed off with a short whiskbroom
made of split bamboo, after which
they aro piled on the tray. This is
carried finally to the beach aud set
on a table next to a box or fish s.dt
A long, hooped tank, unenclosed at
the upper front side, is just back of
them. Its capacity is just two tons.
One man salts the fish and hands
them to the other, who stands in the
tank nnd packs them down. Several
hoars later the salt and tho liquor
from the fish have resolved them
selves iuto a brine that covers the
contents of the tank. There are five
companies among tho men, and one
tank serves for each oE the groups.
If the catch on succeeding days are
light these fish aro allowed to remain
in tho tank from three to seven days.
If they have luck, the fish are ro
moved and laid skiu down in rows,
tho long way of the racks. Two days
will euro them for home consumption
and export if tho sun remains strong
and steady. The fish nre then
stacked on the ground like cordwood,
and covered with old sails. Thero
arc now two tons on the racks nnd as
much more in the tanks.
PACKIXO COUKD FISU.
When GOO or more fish have bsen
cured they are packed iu gunny sacks,
twenty-four to each, tied with bale
rope, and tho agent's boats pick them
up. They are taken to tho steamship
wharf, weighed nnd loaded on to a
San Francisco steamer nnd consign. I
to auother Portuguese there, who
acts as agent. He pays tuem from (5
to 8 cents n pound. The barracuda
briug a highor price iu tho market
than Alaska codfish. The Spanish
mackerel aro mostly exported to Hon
olulu. Once or twice a week
such n shipment is made. The fish
scalo 112 pounds to tha quintal or
2,210 to the ton. Au average of four
or five tons of cured fish, aud three
and a half of fresh fish is furnished
by tho Portngueso every week. Their
smallest gross profit would therefore
bo 90 for cured nud $75 a ton for
fresh fish. The uet profit is much
less. Shipping costs them $3 a ton;
salt $14 a ton, brought from tho hoad
of the bay. Their time from 2 a. m.
to 2 p. it. daily must he ostimated.
The cost of their vessels is from $250
to S300. and the necessary repairs for
sails, etc., are expensive. Tho accom
panying skiff costs not less than $13.
These boats all como from San Frau
cisco and are supplied on time pay
ment by some well-to-do Portuguese
who aro iu business there. A man
may clear S10 one week aud but $1
the next The average, however, is a
fair living and they lay by several
hundred dollars annually, after all
debts are paid. The most of their
profit is made in the dry weather, for
during the rainy season fish nre less
plentiful, curing is very uncertain
and is nearly impossible. In winter
they go "outside,' provisioned for
two or four days. The fish of that
season are called "bottom" fish, and
lines must be dropped for them.
They are tho cod fi3b, white fish, rock
bass, the huge Jew fish with its large
scales, and the big rock cod. Last
winter they caught a Jew fish that
weighed 500 pounds.
H, E. Ottebsox.
Tlic Kitten Hoax.
The kitten stand is a recent intro
duction in church fairs and socials.
A very charming girl has charge of a
basket of cats, not big cats, just little,
cunning, clawing, teasing kitten-cats.
Young man stops to admire the batch
and charming maiden askes him to in
vest at fifty cents a head. Ho de
clines, but she lifts a tiny morsel of
fluffy, stretching felininity from its
downy bed and holds it up for inspec
tion. He admires, as in duty bound,
and she begins to yell: "Take it please,
quick! it scratches, oh! my arm."
She thrusts the fiendish little cat on
him and'disappears and her comrade
in deception steps tip with: "Yon
bought this of Lily? How land,
thanks. No, I can't cRango a dollar
but here is another cat Good even
ing. Call again."
All tho patent medicines advertised
in this paper, together with the choicest
Eerfuinery, and toilet articles etc. can
e bought at the lowest" prices. at J. W.
Conn's drug store, opposite Occident
hotel, Astoria.
HE COULD MD DID QUIT.
A Story That Blends tie PatMic
itli the Humorous.
HE FIXAItLY STOW Kit MllXKIXG
Tho story opens in 1874, when, on
an April morning, the yellow-haired
"devil" arrived at the office of the
Jack Creek Pizenweed, at 7 o'clock,
and found tho editor in. It w;is so
unusual to find tho editor in at that
hour that the boy whistled in a low
contralto voice, and passed on into
th'news room," leaving the gentle
manly, genial and urbane editor of
the Pizenweed as he had found him,
sitting in his foundered chair, with
his head immersed iu a pile of ex
changes on tho table, and his vener
able Smith & Wesson near by, acting
as a paper-weight The gentlemanly,
genial and urbane editor of the Pizen
weed presented the appearance or a
man engaged in sleepiug of! a long
and aggravated case of druuk. IIi3
hat was on the back of his head, aud
his features were entirely obscured by
the loose papers in which they nestled.
Later on, Elijah P. Beckwith, the
foreman, came in aud fonud tho fol
lowing copy on tho hook, marked
"leaded editorial," and divided it up
iuto "takes" for the yellow-haired
devil and hinself :
"In another column of this issue
will bo found, among the legal notices,
the first publication of a summons in
nn nction for divorce, in which our
wife is plaintiff aud we are made de
fendant While generally depreci
ating the practice of bringing private
matters into public, through the me
dium of tho press, we feel justified in
this instance, inasmuch as the sum
mons sets forth as a causa of action,
that we are, and have been, for the
space of teu years, a confirmed
drunkard without hope of recovery,
and totally unwilliug to provide for,
and maintain our said wife.
"That we have been given to drink,
we do not, at this time, undertake to
deny or in any way controvert, but
that we cannot quit at any lime, we
do most earnestly contend.
"In 1SG7, on "the 4th day or July
we married our wife. It was a joyful
day, aud earth had never looked to us,
so fair or so desirable as a summer
resort as it did that day. The flowers
bloomed, tho air was fresh and exhila
rating, tho little birds and the heus
poured forth their reipeclive lays. It
was a day long to be remembered,
and it seemed as though we had never
seen Nature get up and hump herself
to be so attractive as she did on this
special morning the morning of all
mornings the morning on which we
married our wife."
"Little did we then dream that after
teu years or varying fortune we would
to-day give utterance to this editorial,
or that the steam power pres3 of the
Pizenweed would sqat this legal no
tice for divorce, a cincnlo U Uioro,
into the virgin page of our paper. But
such is the case. Our wife has aban
doned us to our fate, aud has
seen fit to publish the notice in
what we believe to be the spiciest
paper published west of the Missouri
river. It was not necessary that the
notice be published. We were ready
at any lime to admit service, provided
that plaintiff would serve it Avhile we
wero sober. Wo can not agree to ro
maiu sober after 10 o'cleci: a. :.i , in
order to give people a chance to serve
notice on us. But in this case plain
tiff knew the value of advertising, and
she selected a paper that goes to the
better classes all over the Union.
Wheu our wife does anything she does
it right
"For ten years our wire and we have
trudged along together. It has been a
record of errors and failures on our
part; a record or heroic devotion and
forbearauce on the part of our wife. 11
is over now, and with nothing to re
member that is not soaked full of bit
terness, and wrapped up in red linn
nel of remorse we go forth to-day and
herald our shame by publishing to the
world the fact that, as a husband, we
are a depressing failure, while as a red
eyed and a rum soaked ruin and all
around drunkard we are a tropical tri
umph. We print litis wilh.ml egotism
nnd we point to it absolutely without
vainglory.
"All, why were we made the custo
dian of thw fatal gift, while others
were denied? It was about the onlv
talent we had, but have not v,'raptMl
it up in a napkin. Sometimes we have
put a cold wet towel on il, but we .
have newer hidden it under a bushel, j
Wo have put it out at "5 percent a'
month, and it has grown to be a thirst
that is worth coming all the way Trom
Omaha to see. We do not gloat over
it We do not say this to the dispar- j
agemont of other bright young drink j
era, who came here at the same lime, '
and who had equal advantages with j
us. We do not wish to speak lightly
of those whose prospects for filling a
drunkard's grave were at one lime
even brighter than ours. We '
have simply sought to hold our po
sition here" in the grandest galaxy of
extemporaneous inebriates in the wild '
and wooly west We do not wish to
vaunt our own prowess, but we say,
without fear of successful contra- i
diction, that we have done what we -could.
"On the fourth pago of thi3 number i
will bo found, among other announce-,
ments, tho advertisement of our wife, '
who is aliout to open up the old latin-
ury at mo corner oi xmru. anuuuuuu
wood streets, in the Briggs building.
We hope that onr citizens will accord
her a generous patronage, not so much
on her husband's accouut, but because
she is a deserving woman and a good
laundress. We wish that we could
as safely recommend every advertiser i
who patronizes these colnmns as we
can our wire.
"Unkind critics will make cold aud
unfeeling remarks because our wife
has decided to take iu washing;' and
they will look down on her; no doubt,
but she will not mind it, for it will be
a pleasing relaxation to wash, after
the ten years of torchlight procession
andMardi-Gras frolic she has had with
us. It is tiresome, of course, to chase
a pillowcase up and down the wash
board all day, but it is easier and
pleasanter than it is to run a one
horse Inebriate Home for ten years on
credit
"Those who have read the Pizen
weed for the past three years will re
member that it has not been regarded
as an outspoken temperance organ.
We have never claimed that for it
We have simply claimed that so far as
we were personally concerned, we
could take liquor or let it alono. That
has always been our theory. Wesiill
make that claim. Others have said
the same thing, but were unable to do
as they advertised. We have been
taking it right along, between meals,
for ten years. We now propose, and
so state in the prospectus, that we will
let it alone. Wo leave the public to
judge whether or not wo can do what
we claim."
After the foreman had set up the
above editorial he went in to speak
to the editor, but he was still slumber
ing. He shook him mildly, but he
did not wake. Then Elijah took him
by the collar and lifted him up so
that he conld see the editor's face.
It was a pale, still face, firm in its
new resolution to forever "let it alone."
On the temple and under the heavy
sweep of brown hair there ms :i
powder-burned spot and the cruel af- j
fidavitof the "Smith & Wesson" thati
our wire had obtained her decree.
The editor of the Pizenweed had
demonstrated that ho could drink or
he could let it alone.
A SCRAP OF SE0BET HIST0EY.
The Inside Pacts About the Purchase
of Alaska From Eussia.
It has long been known in a gen
eral way that the purchase of Alaska
from Russia during the Lincoln ad
ministration was more a political
than a financial transaction. Fortu
nately, it has turned out to be a good
investment in the latter sense; but at
the time that it was made, the ques
tion of the ultimate value of tho ter
ritory in itself was not seri
ously considered. To bo sure secre
tary Seward pretended to believe that
it was worth a great deal more than
the price paid Tor it; and Mr. Lin
coln, with all his honesty, did not
scruple to humor this view of tho
matter. But in fact the purchase was
au adventure in diplomacy, which in
volved the very existence of the gov
ernment Chief Justico Paxson, of
Pennsylvania, has lately rehearsed all
the facts in au entertaining speech;
aud they serve to recall one of the
gloomiest periods of the war, and to
remiud us how easily that moment
ous struggle might at one time have
had a different ending, but for the
secret aud unsuspected sagacity by
which foreign intervention was pre
vented. Those who were living nt that time
will readily recollect what a protest
went up from tho people when the
Alaska project was announced. It
looked like a wild and culpable
squandering of $7,000,000 when the
government was sorely pressed for
nutans to feed and clothe its soldiers.
The great popular prayer just then
was not for more territory, but for
the re-establishment of the national
authority iu territory already ac
quired. Mr. Seward was denonuced
nnd derided everywhere. But he
went ahead with the trade, neverthe -
jess, ami as soon as it was consum -
mated a fleet of Russian war ship
appeared in our waters. Nobody
knew why they had come except the
president and his cabinet Even the
oincer in commanu ot tuem was ig
nornut ot their purpose, for his in
structioos wero sealed. Wo know
now, however, that had England and
France recognized the confederacy, as
was feared and anticipated, the Rus
sian commander would have opened
his instructions aud found therein an
order to repcri with his splendid fleet
for duty on the Union side. There
is little reason to doubt that the for
eign recognition of the south which
the Lincoln administration appro
bended was averted hv this THroceed-
nig. j'.ugian.i miu cranco mesiuaieu
such interference, unquestionably;
Ulll IMU 11U1U1V upiiiMriiiicu tu
ipearance of u lint -
coast in a friendly at-
siau ilect on onr
titudc was a notice to them which
mey wero wise euongn to neeu.
j, . , -. i
Thii3 we escaped the ouly thing which
conld possibly have turned the scale
against us. We kuow now, as we
could not kuow then, how adroitly
and vigilantly Mr. Seward guarded
our interests in that Jvital point
Perhaps foreign intervention would
not have been fatal to the federal
cause; but it was certainly the great
est danger that hovered in our sky
from first to last, aud we owe ever-
lastiug homage to the memory of the
man who was chielly instrumental in
protecting us against it. 7. Louis
Globe- Pemoi-nit.
IT.HSOXA !..
Drs. D.irrin submit the following
extracts from testimonials of people
cured by electricity. Further com
ment uiinccessarv:
T. L. Milh, 'MW Front street. Portland-
Sorene-vS through the kidneys,
liver and stomach, inflammation of
the prostrate gland and catarrh of the
biadder: restored lo uealth.
jv. i. .Liuti.uu, j.it.iimiii, .inning-
,,. ,.,..,.. n- ,-,-w. ii. ..f iw no-
i..i ... rn....ii: nr .(.:
ion i-uuui;, vi.. "'i"-i iimi.i'i.-. jyui-
nil UiL- uiiinuiK j:u:.- wu iii.i Kill-
n ev and bladder trouble-;: also rheu
matism of thirty years standing.
George B. Henrv, janitor. Odd Fol
lows hall, IU First street, Portland
Chronic catarrh ten years; had de
spaired of ever being cured; has had
no symptoms of it for months.
Mra. Mary Cline, 2.j Second street,
Portland, Or. (formerly ot Sanvie's isl
and, Or.) -Complication of diseases
peculiar to her sex, liver and kidney
trouble, rheumatism and despepsia;
restored.
Truman Butler. The Dalles, Or.--Chronic
rheumatism and contracted
joints and impoverished blood, all of
years standing: given up by all treat
ments until Dr. Darrin cured him.
C. V. Fowler, Yakima, Wash. To
tal deafness in one car; cured in ten
minute. Also a pterygium, or fleshy
growth, was removed from the eye,
which had nearlv rendered him
blind.
Mr. '. V.. TImwv. 'AM V.urhionnih
OblLUlt XUt IJClllVl a111 tuiio till VI CUUllll
debility, heart disease, dyspepsia, liver
coinpkiiut and female troubles in all
its various complications; permanently
cured.
Mrs. S. P. Mclvee, 117 Water street,
Portland, Or. Catarrh eleven years,
scrorulons lumps on neck and throat,
paralysis of the face and optic nerve,
and female troubles in their worst
form.
Mrs. W.H. Austin, 191 Mill street,
Portland Confined to her room nine
months with au eye affliction, called
"nervous abhorence of light," accom
panied with inflammation; cured.
Drs. Darrin can lie consulted daily
at Washington building, corner
Fourth and Washington streets,
Portland, and Hotel Gandolfo, Ta
coma. Hours 10 to 5; evenings, 7 to 8,
Sundays, 10 to 12. All chronic dis
eases, irregularities, of women, blood
taints, loss of vital power and early
indiscretions permanently cured,
though no references are ever made
in the press concerning such
cases, owing to the delicacy
of the patients. Examinations free
to all, and circulars will be sent to
any address. Charges for treatment
according to patient's ability to pay
The poor treated free of charge from
10 to 11 daily. All privato diseases
confidentially treated and cures guar
anteed. Patients at a distance can be
cured by home treatment Medicine
and letters sent without the doctors'
name appearing.
Mrs. Odell, wife of "W. H. Odell, ot
Salem, died last Monday night in
Portland at tho residence of Mr. A.
W. Stowell.
WILL YOU SUFFER with Dyspep
sia and Liver Complaint ? Shiioh's vi
talizer is guaranteed to cure you. J. C.
Dement
A VERY CLOSE SHAYE.
A Narrow Escape Mafle By a Con
iMerate Agent iu Chicago.
Th i'..: -mi'.... t !...::.. cnt ntn
The Liuon Jlihtary Authorities i,ot unto
"
IHm and Tracked IHm to His
Sleeping I lace.
A few vears ago, savs a writer in the
,,. - r ' ...
Minneapolis Journal, I was taking
an after dinner smote in a notei in
Chicago with a gentleman who had
fbeen a colonel in the confederate
army, and had held confidential rela
tions with the Jeff Davis government
We were talking about the changes
since the war, and he said:
"I was in Chicago during the war,
in 1802 or '63. It looked liko a rural
retreat compared with the present
splendid city. Theu, eveu the Cros
by opera house wasn't built, and the
town was largely built of wood."
"Were you a prisoner in Camp
Douglas!" I asked.
"Not much," he replied, "although
I came very near, not only getting in
Camp Douglas, but losing mj head.
I had a decidedly narrow escape. Do
yon want to hear a thrilling episode,
aa the newspapers call it?'
"Certainly."
"Well, I came through tho lines
no matter how on special business,
tho exact nature of which I don't care
to divulge even at this late hour, i
was quite a youngster then, compara
tively speaking, you know, aud had
a good deal of the dare-devil about
mo. I went into the war from tho
start I was one of the first fellows
in New Orleans to mount a blue
i cockade on my hat Those were stir
ring times, my dear fellow! Well, as
I was saying, I came boldly up to
Chicago. Got through tho Union
lines in Kentucky where there were
many facilities for that. The hedge
was full of gaps and letters went reg
ularly through. But I had to be
cautious in my movements. The
federal authorities were on tho look
out for secret emissaries. I oamo to
meet some parties from Canada, nnd
I met them, transacted my business.
, nn(
went around town for several
, Qavs enjoying myself,
( oao morning I received a note
, from a iaQy oE my acquaintance, who
ilfli t-inrilv tMna 4nr thn onnti.
j nti who was well nosted on current
movements. She wrete: 4I loam ou
undoubted authority that you are
known to be in Chicago, and that
they are on tho lookout for you.
When you get this stay where j-ou
are until night, and then go to Mrs.
X's, street, and show her this
note, and I think yon will bo all
right.
" 'Here's a pretty mess,' I said to
myself. However, I determined to
weather the gale. I had been through
many a big battle, but to get iu a
tight place like this was calculated to
, raake aman nervous, as I might he
arrested as a spv and shot. I wasn't
1 n spVi however;but I couldn't prove
that"! wasn't
4I wasn't molested during the dav.
; t
stuck close to my quarters, and.
changing my clothes and putting ou
a slouch hat and pulling it down over
my eyes, I launched ont on tho street
and pursued my way to the address
indicated in the lady's note. The
streets were pretty lively with people,
and a regiment of soldiers was march
ing down Lake street to the Illinois
Central depot to take a train for tho
front Fine, strong young fellows
they were in that regiment, too, with
, n IjjjuQ of mnsjc playing one of tho
popular war songs of tho day. I got
to the house all right, aud found the
lady to bo nn old southern friend au
old friend, but a very young and
handsome lady, tho wife of a very
agreeable Chicago gentleman. 'You'll
bo all right here,' she said, and I
thought so, too. She, her husband
and I had a very pleasant evening to
gether, nnd parted for tho night in
high spirits. I was tired, and went
( to sleep very quickly. Don't know
how long I slept, but I was awakened
1 by a thundering knock at my door.
I sprang up aud found my friend, the
t master of tho household, pale as a
iinqt otjinilinrr in thp hill
i g'losr siauuing in me nan.
ill
'An officer and a guard aro at tho
' ,ln ,1 .. mn. 11T tH
i know where or wo shall all bo ru-
ined.'
' 'Go ahead I said, 'and let them
in. I'll take caro of myself aud yon
shan't ho compromised.'
"It was a desperately rough situa
tion. Just then my friend's wife
came quickly to mo nnd said: 'Como
in here; we must do tho best we can
aud adopt heroic means. Get in here
nnd don't breathe or you're lost.'
"She pointed to her bed.
' 'Get under the mnttreas and lie
still as death, and gei air when you
can.'
"In an instant I saw her plan. The
bed was n largo one. The springs
were large. I pulled up tho mattress.
jumped in on tho springs, nnd pulled ,
tho mattress over me. The ladv then
returned to her bed and quickly laid
down ns naturally as yon please over
me. She wasn't very heavy, but the
mattress was, and tho springs seemed
to have edges cntting into my legs
and side.
"Hardly had wo disposed ourselves
in this nniqne manner when the lieu
tenant and his men wero admitted to
to tho house. We conld hear lond
talking and a deal of profanity ns
they explored tho house from cellar
to garret and looked in every closet
and ran their bayonets into piles of
clothes. At last the door of the room
opened. The officer touched his hat
aud remarked that he couldn't use
much ceremony, as the case was ur
gent. He had been informed and
was convinced that Colonel
was in the house, nnd he meant to
have him.
"Mrs. X pleaded sickness as an
excuse for not rising and aiding the
search, and said: 'Look everywhere,
sir, over the house. There's nobody
here except myself, my husband nnd
the servants. All the closets and
coalbins and everything are at your
disposal. We have nothing to con
ceal.' " 'Oh!' said the officer, 'I've heard
all that many a time. I shall have to
look all through your room, madam.'
"He did.
"He looked in each cleset: called
his men in aud made them run their
bayonets into the wall to he sure there
were no secret closets anywhere.
He'
stooned down, looked under the bed'4 . w
within four feet of me. .Tovel but
was in a cold sweat. Ono movement,
one creak of a spring, ono sneeze.
hard breath would have Detrayed
lint, niter tnree minutes ot suppressed
vitality, the lieutenant withdrew, ;
muttering: 'This is d d strange.'
"Still he lingered down stairs; went
into the cellar again, into the hack
yard, tore up the hoards from the
floors, and ran his bayonets into the
parlor sofas. At last the gang cleared
out, thoroughly dis'asicc. They did
' their duty certainly, and deserved
t nrnmnfinn.
"I waited on those infernal springs
two hours before I moved. I was
afraid they would suddenly como
back. But they didn't The guard
! was kept around the house until ten
j o'clock next morning and then they
withdrew. I spent tho day with my
friends, borrowed aauitof clothesand
i , , ', , . , , ,
i a hat from my friend, shaved my
' mustache off and at eight o'clock in
I the evening, taking leave of my kind
' protectors, I lighted a cigar, stepped
'boldly into the street, and before
j midnight was a good many miles on
f my way to the confederacy. That is
wbat j caI u dogo Jh
KEEN
AND
COMMISSION
insurance and Real Estate Agents
ONEY
ON GOOD
Astoria,
Children's
i i
2
A FINE STOCK
J"0"ST KSCSXXTSD.
I
I PRICES LOWER THAN EVER.
5
The Mew Model Range
CAN HE HAD IN
Agent. Ca". ami Examine U ; You IVlil be rieased. E. 11. JIawes Is also Agent for the
Buck Patent Cooking Stove,
AND OTnEIt FIKST CLASS STOVES.
Furnace Work, Steam Fittings, Etc., a Specialty. A Full Stock on Hani.
W,
a
WROLESxYLE AND
Groceries, Provisions and Mill Feed.
Crockery, Glass Plated Ware.
o
The Largest and finest assortment of
Frssh, Fruits and Vegetables.
Received fresh every Steamer.
BARBOUR'S
HAVE
HflOK'
PRIX
i5pf3 V H 0 USE FOUNDED.' 1784-. ' j-gg
GRAND
XXV
GRAND GROSS OF THE LEGION D'HONNEUR.
They received the
ONLY GOLD MEDAL
For FLAX THREADS at the
London Fisheries
And have been awarded niGHER .PRIZES at the various
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITIONS,
Than the goods of any other
XtXDt MANUFACTURERS
IN THE WORLD,
- ..AiJxOT. -.-. H - .A
l:ExprieflC8u Fishermen Use no Otter.
jr,:;;' HENRY DOYLE & CO..
UrMDV l"WI ET Jb f
m IIbIIII 1 V
5 1 7 and 5 1 9 Market Street. SAN FRANCISCO.
AGENTS FOR PACIFIC COAST.
WOODBERBY SEINE TWINE, HOPE and NET
TING Constantly on Hand. SEINES, POUNDS and
TEAPS Furnished to order
In the stock yards atXawwCSty
mule and a horse engaged in a Jockac
match, and the mule was outJdoked.
The attendants had to turn the hose on
the combatants in order to separate
them.
A tearful widow at Charleston, W.
Va., obtained an order for $1 worth of
groceries from the poor coTriTniiwfon
ers. Next day the provisions were
spread as the refreshments at her wed
ding banquet
ARE YOU MADE miserable by in
digestion, Dizziness. Loss of Appetite
Yellow Skin? Shiioh's Vitallzer is a
positive cure. At J. C. Dement's.
MERCHANTS.
TO LO AMT !
SECURITY.
Oreso
: Carriages
ASTORIA, ONLY OF
mar
RETAIL DEALER IN
GWK
ax Threads
NO EQUAL!
l&sarfy
PARIS
Exhibition 1883.
- M x-i Ti..j.a
-ww wm.
mb M0 4Fhh
at Lowest Factory Friota
!
- it
.-,. i
'-$--