The news=record., September 14, 1907, Image 7

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ME
THE HORRORS OF TRAPPING.
By J. Howard Moore.
"The most of the skins used for furs are
obtained by catching their owners In traps,
and death In some Instances conies at the
close of hours or even of days of Intense
suffering and terror. The principal device
used by professional trappers Is the steel
trap, the most villainous Instrument of ar
rest ever Invented by the human mind. It
Is not an uncommon thine for fk ,.m
JJaws of this monstrous Instrument to bite off the leg of
their would-be captive at a single stroke. If the leg Is
not completely amputated by the snap of the terrible
steel, It Is likely to be so deeply cut as to encourage the
animal to gnaw or twist It off. This latter Is the com
mon mode of escape of many animals. Trappers Bay
that on an average one animal out of every five caught
has only three legs. A trapper told me recently that he
caught a muskrat the past winter that had only one leg.
The poor remnant was caught by the tall.
"In order to guard against the escape of the captive
by the amputation of his own limb trappers are advised
by their guide books to use traps with small 'pans,' so
that the limb of the captive, coming directly In the cen
ter of the trap, will be clutched close up to the body.
No amount of self-mastlcatlon can then free the unfortu
nate. It may gnaw Its fettered foot and In the frenzy of
Its agony break Its teeth on the unyielding steel, but It
can never get away. Here the uuhappy captive must re
main until It starves to death or freezes or perishes
from thirst or pain or until the particular paragon" who
carries on this accursed business comes along and con
fers on It the favor of knocking out Its brains.
CENTRAL AMERICAN TURMOILS MUST CEASE.
By Ma. Edwin C. Hardy.
While It is the habit to ridicule the con
flicts that periodically occur between Central
American countries. It appears that the
present one, Involving Nicaragua and Hon
duras and Salvador, Is regarded somewhat
seriously by those especially who have
financial and business Interests In the coun
tries. Since the outbreak of hostilities the
State Department at Washington hut m.
celved many inquiries In regard to It from all parts of the
United States, Indicating a growing Interest about those
countries and an Increasing Impatience on the part of
many American business men with the recurrence of
these eruptions In the body politic of Central America.
There is undoubtedly now a considerable sentiment that,
sooner or later, our government must exercise more open
ly and firmly Its Influence to defer the Southern peoples
from resorting to arms to settle every trivial difference
which they have. ,
Data regarding the foreign trade and population of the
more Important of the Central American States Is not
without interest Nicaragua has a population, in round
numbers, of 430,000, and Its trade with the world In
general amounts to over ' $5,500,000 a year, about two
thirds of which Is with the United States. The popula
tion of Honduras, according to the census of 1002, is
775,000. The trade with the United States Is more than
ode-half of the total trade of the republic and amounts
to $4,500,000. Salvador has a population of 1,007,000 In
round figures and has a foreign trade of $10,100,000 a
year, of which a little more than one-fourth Is with the
United States, or $2,700,000.
These countries are capable of much greater develop
ment than they have attained, but In order to attract the
population and capital necessary to the development of
their resources peace and order must be assured. This
cannot be had under existing conditions, and there Is no
promise that these will be materially changed In the near
future. What Is manifestly needed Is a union of the
Central American republics and the establishment of one
stable government but all efforts hitherto to bring this
about have been futile, and, while It may eventually be
accomplished, the time of Its attainment la probably
remote.
THEATRICAL STANDARDS.
, By Daniel Prohman.
The standards of the middle and lower
classes so placed from a money point of view
are higher, more sound, more durable and
more In line with a desire for education
The people with less money go to the best
and soundest performances. Light trivial
and flippant plays never succeed outside of
the few large cities. Thus the foundation
and the salvation of drama. rieWnre Ur
Frohman In the Delineator, as well as of the country,
rests in the sound, wholesome taste of the middle classes.
It Is a peculiar fact that while Shakspeare, of all
dramatists, offers the greatest opportunity for scenery,
he also, of all men who ever wrote, can best do with
out it In fact, I believe Shakspeare owes his greatness
In part to the fact that he did not have any scenery. He
had to make everything clear without It ; that Is why his
lines appeal to the mind as well as the action of the
eye. Had he known different, , Shakspeare would not
have been nearly so great because be probably never
would have taken the pains. However, the converse Isn't
would have taken the pains. However, the coverse, isn't
true. We are not hiding any Shakspeares behind scenery
to-day.
WOMAN'S CITIZENSHIP DUTY.
By Herbert W. Ward.
A woman does probably her greatest share
of her duty as a citizen when she makes a
home a safe and happy harbor of refuge
from a stormy world, when she brings up
her children Into noble manhood and wom
anhood, and when she does not destroy her
husband and family by bad cooking and bad
. temper, but that same woman crowns her
career as a citizen when she lntensta hor.
self In and becomes a vital part of some problem of gov
ernment A woman who Is successful In home life Is
desperately needed In civic life, suggesfs'Herbert D.
Ward, In Woman's Home Companion.
There Is where you are needed. There Is where the
value of an Independent, unpolitical organization, of
women comes In an association that Is formed to do
the thing that men will not What Is your problem? Is
It roads or schools? Sidewalks or the preservation of
forests? The development of home Industries or attract
ive school grounds? Make a start at once, no matter
how isolated you are or whether you belong to a woman's
club or not i '
JUST FOB TO-DAY.
Lord, for to-morrow and it; needs
I do not pray ;
Keep me, my Ood, from stain of sin
Just for to-day.
Help me to labor earnestly
And duly pray;
Tiet me be kind in word and deed,
Father, to-day.
Iet ma no wrong or idle word
Unthinking say;
Set thou a seal upon my lips
Through all to-day.
Let me in season. Lord, be grave,
In season gay ;
ILet me be faithful to thy grace,
Dear Lord, to-day,
i
And if, to-day, this life of mine
Should ebb away,
Olve me thy sacrament divine, .
Father, to-day.
"So for to-morrow and its needs
I do not pray;
Still keep me, guide me, love me, Lord,
Through each to-day.
Ernest R. Wilberforce.
A Broker's--
Love Affair
So Barclay set up a matrimonial bu
reau In his private office.
He wonld advertise.
No nonsensical rot about cultured
gent desiring to meet cultured lady, but
a straight business proposition.
It would Involve Immense clerical
"it annoyed uk rear much."
Barclay Asbton, stock broker, had
a reformed look In bis eye.
"I am going to settle down," he said
methodically, calculatingly and firmly.
'I musrget married."
Very punctilious and discreet was
IBarclay. He proposed to get married
Just aa be proposed to buy Brighton
'A." It was a good Investment.
Then he set about It In the most ex
(traordlnary Wall street manner.
"I dont want," said be, "any giddy
beauties, I want a mature, sober, seo
nomical, modest, healthy, good-temper-d,
affectionate, sagacious, loving,
motherly, genteel, sterling woman.
Girls make ma weary."
Wban you gat na of these financial
Intellects regularly to business be
knows what be la about, and he doaant
any mlstaka.
system very well, be would dictate
answers for an hour every morning.
"First thing to do get an extra ste
nographer. Must be business-like girl
girls, bad, but have to put up with
It."
One morning there came to Barclay's
office a girl with a small waist, a pearl
gray pelisse over her shoulders and a
cornelian ring on her finger. ,
'I am a stenographer," said she very
meekly. "I came to answer, an adver
tisement" Barclay was signing checks. It waa
one of the busiest moments of bis life.
Finally be glanced at her.
"Young woman, I want a discreet,
confidential secretary to answer corre
spondence. She'a got to be here early
in the mornlnng, attend to business
strictly. The salary Is $8 a week. Do
you think you can sit down to that
kind of drudgery for that pittance and
keep the business to yourself?"
"Tee, air."
"Now, then," aald Barclay, "the mat
ter for which I bve engaged you la
aside from the regular business. By
the wa. what Is your namel"
"Mary Nelson."
"Well, Miss Nelson, I dont want you
to talk outside this room about any of
the business you have to transact here.
If you do there'll be trouble."
She turned her demure face toward
him and said "Yea, sir," so meekly and
patiently that he noticed her eyes.
So they got along very nicely with
out any nonsense. Barclay would come
in the morning, look to see if the sailor
hat was hanging on the peg, grunt
"Good morning, Miss Nelson," and then
Hit down at his desk.
Ills heart was constructed on solid
clockwork business principles, and one
morning when he came in the sailor
hat was not on the peg. It annoyed
him.
"Where Is that young woman?" No
one knew.
The next day when she came he rep
rimanded her fiercely.
"It annoyed me very much," he said.
"You should have sent me word. It's
lnegular and unbusinesslike."
She looked at him In her meek way.
"My mother Is dying," she said. "I
have neglected ber to-day so as not to
disappoint you."
"Confound It, Miss Nelson !" said
the broker, Jumping up. "What do you
mean by having a mother 111 and not
telling me? What do yon mean by com
ing here to-day? Will you never get
any business in your head?"
- He opened .the door.
"Here. Sam, get a hansom."
And Sam saw the sailor hat In his
hand.
About a week after this the office
bad three baskets of letters In It Bar
clay used to come In, look at the vacant
desk and go away again.
Then the sailor bat reaDoeared. n.
clay shook bands with Miss Nelson,
congratulating her on ber mother's recovery.
"Pshaw, don't mention It my child.
I am about as kind as the average busi
ness man no more, no less. We'ra
a lot of business here."
They both laughed.
For a week the business of the
went on aa nsuaL
It was a Mondsy morning. 8he bad
bung up ber hat and dusted ber sua-
chine, when Barclay said, with a sad
expression of countenance:
"Mist Nelson, you've been a faithful
and eiiicaeluus secretary, and I am sor
ry I've got to lose you. but the fact Is,
I've found the woman 1 want, and, of
course, I shall not need you any more.
"Yes," he went on, "I've actually
picked out the woman who is to be my
wife. You remember all the qualities
that I was fool enough to expect In one
woman?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, I've found most of them."
"I am very glad, sir."
"And you are the woman."
Barclay extended his hands toward
her. "Will you be my wife?"
Mary Nelson dropped her bead.
Then she stammered "No."
A strange, new light came Into her
face. "Mr. Barclay," she said, present
ly. "I am a poor girl and you are a
rich snan. I could not fill your require
ments, as specified In your letters to
other women. Besides I love my Inde
pendence, and no" woman of spirit cares
to be traded In like, shares of stock."
Barclay fell to his knees. "My dear,
you are right."' His big frame shook
with emotion. "I am a wretched,
money-warped, business-soaked dog. I
do not deserve you. But I do love you,
with all my heart. May I pursue this,
the dearest wish of my life? Will you
permit me to prove my worth?"
The haughty, contemptuous smile in
the girl's face quickly gave way to the
usual sweet and earnest expression.
"By this admission," she said, taking
his trembling hand, "I have proof
enough.
"Yes." Kansas Clty World.
SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' ART.
Mllltarr Saloa In Parla to Exhibit
Their Work.
Paris Is to have a salon mllltaire,
or military picture exhibition, which,
it Is said.' will awaken both surprise
and admiration. It Is a strictly offlclnl
affair. It Is to be held in the Grand
Palais, where the regular annual salon
displays take place. 'The honorary
presidents of the management are Gen
eral Piquart, the minister of war; Gas
ton Thompson, the minister of marine,
and M. Dugardln-Beaumetz, who Is un
dersecretary to M. Brland In charge of
the fine arts section of the department
of education.
The hanging committee received
more than 800 exhibits oil paintings,
water colors, sculpture, engravings and
other art products. Edonard Detallle,
the great painter of war pictures, who
Is said to be the moving spirit in the
exhibition, expresses amazement at the
great merit of the work In a majority
of cases. A large majority of the ob
jects sent In will be In the display.
The contributors range from sublieu
tenants to generals. In the marine sec
tion captains In the navy have sent
sea pieces and midshipmen studies of
exotic life and scenery reproduced from
nature In Africa and Indo-Chlnn. Gen
eral Michel, the commander of the Sec
ond army corps, Is represented by a
pen and Ink drawing of the barracks
at Nancy and their picturesque sur
roundings. Colonel Renault of the In
fantry,,, who exhibited a portrait of
Minister Barthon, Is to have one of
General Brugere In the military exhi
bition. Naval Lieutenant Laeaze con
tributes a water color, "Summer Even
ing in Brittany;" Naval Captain Lan
dry, an oil painting, "Near Cherbourg;"
Colonel Inspector Lapaln, a picture,
"Ruins of Chevreuse," and Army Chap
Iain Levegue, studies from still life.
Those who have seen the collection
say that the cavalry artists seem to
run to water colors, the artillery to
painting1 In oils, the engineers to sculp
ture. The Infantry are at home In
every part of the work, Including burnt
wood and miniature painting. In the
sculpture section the work of two offi
cers who have some celebrity In art
circles Is desor!led as specially good.
They are Captains Allouard and
Jacques Fromont-Meurlce of the re
serve staff.
Simultaneously with the exhibition
there will be a "memorial" display of
works by artists who have served In
the army. It will Include the names
of Melhsonler, who served as lieutenant
colonel in 1870, and of Detalllc, who
was an ordnance officer on the staff
of General Appert New York Sun.
'T'help'tT
The Flrat Dancers.
People have danced for thousands of
years and will probably continue to
do so for ages to come. This custom
Is of ancient origin. The first people
to dance were the Curetes, who adopt
ed dancing as a mark of rejoicing In
1543 B. C. In early times the Greeks
combined dancing with tbe drama, and
In 22 B. C. pantomimic dances were
Introduced on the Roman stage. At
the discovery of America the American
Indians were holding their religious,
martial and social- dances.
Practical.
"What did she say when she heard
be was dead in love with her?"
"She wanted to know If he carried
any life insurance." New York Times.
"That was a benutful thought the
minister gave us about being on the
lookout for little unobtrusive ways we
can help ethers, wasn't it?" said Miss
Spears, fervently, to Mrs. Walley, as
the two women walked slowly homo
from church together.
"Um-ni, yes, It's a beautiful thought"
said Mrs. Walley, In a guarded man
ner, "but the last time parson preached
that sermon 'twas five years ago, Just
before you came here It mar's con
siderable trouble In my family.
"Yes," continued Mrs. Wulley, with
an unseeing gaze on the changing fol
iage of the village trees, "Hiram saw
a letter directed to, his Aunt Letltla
lying on the sitting room table, and he
thought he wouldn't wait for me to
ask him to post It same as I always
had to do two or three times before
he remembered.
"That sermon was right fresh In his
mind, and he picked up that letter,
sealed It stamped It and posted It,
all without saying a word to me till
next day. Then he spqke of It real
modest and yet pleased with himself.
" 'I'm going to try to live up nearer
to that sermon than I've been doing,
Maudy,' he said, to me, 'and make
things easier for you ; lift some o' the
little burdens o life offn your shoul
ders.' " 'Well, Hiram,' I said, as soon as I
could speak wlthqut taking his head
right off, for you knoW I'm high-tempered,
excepting for what grace I've
got 'I know you meant well but that
wasn't a letter to your Aunt Letltla
you've sent off.
" That envelope had her old address
on of course you didn't notice that
She'll get It, but It'll make her mad
as a hornet when she sees It and thinks
I've been careless and forgotten tho
new place; and Inside were three ele
gant crochet patterns I was calculat
ing to take over to the minister's wife
to-morrow. I put 'em In that old en
velope for safe-keeping they've been
there niore'n six mouths. I was In
tending tq let the minister's wife copy
them. I laid the envelope out soon as
we got buck from meeting, so I'd re
member. "'Your Aunt Letltla despises fancy
work, so she'll throw them lu the lira
and then sit dowu and write me.'
"So she did," added Mrs. Walley,
grimly, "and It took a good deal of
work tq get her straightened out
"On the whole, there wasn't any
lasting harm done, but I was only
thinking as I sat there this morning,
I was sort of relieved to think Hiram's
cold kep' htm home from church to
day, all things considered."
Those who are Invited to sing at a
(arty, alway rport baring a good tlwa.
MARK TWAIN'S "INSIDE PRICE."
How the Poor Ilookaeller Felt Over
"Dlacounta."
Mark Twalu some time ago told this
story at a dinner given to Tux Commis
sioner Charles 1'utzel at the Freund
schaft Society Clubhouse lu New York :
"1 saw Mr. Putzol twenty-live years
ago In Putnam's book store. I went In
there and asked for George II. Putnam,
and handed In my card. A young man
took It lu, but cume back and suid thut
Mr. Putnam was busy and could not
see me. ( I bud merely gone there on
a social cull and started to leave. As
I was going out my eye was attracted
to a big, fat, interesting-looking book.
It was entitled 'The Invasion of En
gland In the Fourteenth Century by the
Friars.' , I aeked the price of It
" 'Four dollars,' was the answer.
'"What discount do you ullow pub
lishers?' x
" 'Forty per cent off.'
" 'Well,' I said, 'I am a publisher.'
"He put down the figures '40 per
cent' on the card.
"I said : 'Whut discount do you al
low authors?'
"He said: 'Forty per cent'
"'Well,' I said. 'I am the author.
You can put thnt down. What discount
do you ullow the clergy?'
"He said, '20 per cent'
" 'Well," I said, 'I am on the road.'
So I took 20 per cent for that
"Its nut down the figures and never
smiled once. Hero I was working off
all these sclntillutlng brilliancies on
him, and not even a spark of recog
nition. I was almost In despair. I
thought I would try hi in once more, so
I said:
" 'You know I am also a member of
the Human Usee. Would you allow
me 10 jer cent off for that?'
"He set that down never smiled
so I said:
" There Is my card with my address
on It I hnve no money with me. Send
the bill to my home at Hartford.
"I picked up the book and was goinij
away when he said: 'Wait a minute;
there Is 40 cents coming to you.'"
Publisher's Weekly.
Maar.
"But" aald Brlghtley, "If you wars
sure tbe fellow who beat you In the
saloon was a policeman, why didn't
you take bis number?" '
"Well," replied Luscbman, "I er
had had a number too many already."
Philadelphia Press.