The old resident of Alton takes the
risltor to the river bank In front of
the City Hall and, pointing across the
Mississippi to an Island heavily wood
ed with willows, informs him that there
Is the "Lincoln-Shields Park." On the
22d of September, 18-12. writes Walter
B. Stevens in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat,
the stage coaches rattled down
the long valley through the bluffs of
Alton and unloaded an extraordinary
passenger list at the Plana Hotel. The
people sitting and standing on the wide
double galleries of the three-story,
hipped roof, wooden hotel, looked and
wondered as James Shi4ds, the State
Auditor, accompanied by Col. White
sides and several other well-known
Springfield politicians stepped down
from the coach and went Into the ho
tel. They were amazed when another
vehicle delivered "Abe" Lincoln, the
lawyer; B. II. Borryman and William
Butler. About the same time Elijah
Lott and J. J. Hardin and several oth
ers, well-known public men of Illinois,
ilrove Into town. "Jim" . Shields had
challenged "Abe" Lincoln and they
had challenged "Abe" Lincoln and they
were going across the river to fight on
Missouri soli with "broadswords," the
regulation cavalry sabres of the Uni
ted States Army. Those were the
years of "dragoons" In this country.
As-soon as the ferry reached the Isl
and Mr. Lincoln was taken In one di
rection and Mr. Shields In the other.
They were given scats on logs and left
to themselves while seconds and peace
makers discussed the situation. In a
short time a serious defect In the pro
ceedings on the part of Shields came
to light. The challenge had been sent
prematurely. The mistake Is explained
quite clearly la the Alton., traditions.
Lincoln had amused himself and had
entertained the Whigs by writing fun
ny letters to a Springfield paper about
the Democrats, and signing his epistle
"Aunt Itebeeea." ' Mary Todd, who
afterwards became Mrs. Lincoln, and
Julia Jayne conspired to add to the
gayety of the community by getlng up
an "Aunt Rebecca" letter of their own
composition and sending it to the paper
along with some verses which they
signed "Cathleen." The letter which
the girls wrote went outside of poli
tics and contained a burlesque proposal
of marriage to Auditor Shields. Now,
the Auditor, afterward a United States
Senator from three States, and a brave
general of two wars, was a fiery young
man. While Springfield laughed,
Shields began an Investigation. lie de
manded of the editor the real name of
"Aunt Itebeeea." The girls became
frightened. Bonn, the banker, went
over tti Mr. Lincoln's oflice and said:
' We've got Into an awful fix."
'Nhats the matter?" asked Lincoln
"'Ihe girls have written some poetry
on Shields," said Bunn. "Didn't you
see It In the paper? Well, Shields say?
lie. won t. stand it. What shall we do;
about It?"
''You go back and when you mecl
Shields tell him I wrote it," said Lin
coln. Shields accepted this without verifi
cation and sent the challenge. The
Ieacemakers, hurrying to Alton,
brought Hie true story of the author
ship. The facts came out In the con
ference on the Island, and the seconds
began the interchange of notes. Shields
saw the error of the proceeding further
when he learned that Lincoln was not
the writer. For an, hour or more the
writing and exchanging of notes went
on. Meantime the population of Alton
stood In a dense mass on the river
bank looking across the channel and
having a good view of all of the move
ments. "Bill" Souther, a newspaper
reporter1, kept his eyes on the prin
cipals, lie told that for some time
after the landing Lincoln and Shields
sat quietly on their logs. Lincoln said
nothing, and Souther thought he looked
serious. After awhile something hap
pened, and Souther said that when he
saw It he "nearly blew up." The bun
dle of sabres had (K-en laid down near
the log where Lincoln was sitting. Lin
coln reached out and took up one of
the weapons. lie drew the blade slow
ly from the scabbard, and Souther said
"It looked as long as a fence rail."
Holding the blade by the back, Lincoln
looked closely at the edge, and then
after the manner of one who has been
grinding a scythe or a corn knife, he
' 1 VLjiX t 2 a. 'J C i
sMMM 1 if I
began to feel gingerly the edge with
the ball of his thumb. By this time
"Bill" Souther was tremendously in
terested. Holding the sabre by the
handle, Lincoln stood up and looked
about him. He evidently saw what he
was looking for in a willow tree sev
eral feet away. ..liaising the mighty
weapon with his long arm, Lincoln
reached and clipped one of the topmost
twigs of the Willow. When he had
thoroughly satisfied himself as to the
efficiency of the broadsword ho sat
down. A .few minutes later the corre
spondence was closed on terms "honor
able to both parties."
As the boat put back to Alton the
spectators on the bank were horrified
to see lying prone upon the deck a fig
ure covered with blood, while a well
known Altoniau leaned over the figure
plying a fan vigorously. Not until the
boat was close in shore was it seen that
the figure was a log of wood and that
the "bloody" covering was a red flannel
shirt. Wentworth dropped the fan,
stood up and grinned.
Lincoln was 0 feet and 4 Inches, with
an arm length in proportion. Shields
was 5 feet 0 inches, chunky and short
limbed. "Bill" Souther marveled much
over the willow tree exhibition, and
wondered how long Shields could have
stood up against such odds.
LOVE AND FAME.
I looked for Piinuv .
And Love came flitting by,
But paused a while,
With bated wings, to sigh f ,
Bat still I looked for Fume,
And Love fled by.
Fame came at Inst,
When hope wns almost aped J
Fame came at last,
When youth and joy had fled ;
And then I looked for I.ov,
But Ijove was dead.
-M. T. Marshall.
I
8
$ 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 9 t f
The Gypsy's Gem
The first notes of the Toreador song
called a group of Idlers and sightseers
near and cordial handclapplng followed
the final note of the gypsies' music, for
there were singers In the band who
knew how to use their voices. The
space near the cottage afforded a bril
liant scone these gala days ; there were
always round about those curious ones
who must have their fortunes told
men as well as women, skeptics and
believers alike trying for a peep Into
the future through the eyes of the palm
reader, the horoscope Interpreter and
the wade.
F.lsowhere In the village were merry
doings eating and drinking,, all the
rough diversions of the early days, the
ways that men and women have ever
sought for whlllng away the time. Bo
neath n canopy were Mistress Madgo
nnd prim companions In sewing Indus
try, while near the stile Miss Betsy lin
gered for a word with stalwart Hugh.
Crossing the village green in pairs and
groups were others of the comely maid
ens, and ull the small boys of the town,
scorning more serious pursuits, played
merrily at leap frog, quoits and other
robust games.
Within the public houses were heavj
discourse of the stock, and clinking of
the glasses, and boisterous applause
when one would make attempt at witti
cism. Behind his counter smiled the
rotund keein-r; among the tables and
the benches supple John moved con
stantly with potables and lights. From
all tho meadow land and tenant houses
round, the men were come to share the
village cheer. These moved not at the
notes of any song from near the Hath
away garden, but burled their coarse
faces once again in cup or mug, and
gurgled contemplatively.
These were momentous days. Tim
court was come. In brave array were
courtiers and warriors and sailors bold,
nil picnicking. The servants ran about
lu liveries resplendent, Important per
sonages stalked hither and away In
heavy grandeur. Court ladles and their
maids looked on the village and the
country folk disdainfully In part, but
some took Interest and made acquiht
nee here and there.
The latter, friendly ones, flocked up
to hear the gypsies Blng, and when the
song was ended clapped and sought to
know from members of the band what
go'otl or 111 future held for them. . One
visitor, a youth, a short and sturdy lad,
with bearing and with bronze of open
air and sea, looked in tho faces of the
gypsies and strayed about from place
to place to hear what patrons of the
soothsayers might have learnt.
A gypsy lass made bold to ask him:
"Sir, have your future told for gold; a
bright career 'may wait thee; I'll tell
thee whom for friends to hold, and who
they are that hate thee."
"Nay, lass, but are air the members
of thy company in sight?" he asked.
"All but one. maid who readeth
palms," she answered him.
"Then will I wait," he said, "and
see if she can tell me what I wish to
know. It Is the one who Is the most
demanded that must know the most,
and I will wait to have her peer Into
the dark for me."
' Bvit there were those who were not
so determined, nnd would buy forecasts
indiscriminately, so she left him and
told others pleasant fibs to make them
smile find mostly spared them what of
"T11KN THY PALM IS W KONG."
painful truth she read that fate was
holding back for them.
Then came that one to view who had
been lu demand a riot of the gypsy
colors, with burning eyes that melted
Into mischief In a flash, and teeth and
lips so perfect one could guess they
never would foretell unhapplness.
lie ran to her. "Now read my palm,"
he said, "and I will pay thee well."
"It Is my line," she answered him.
"The good cause neodotu funds, and I
will tell thee truly what the future
holds for thee. I pray thy palni.be
smooth and hard, then hast thou for
tune's high regard. But If It be all
lined and crossed, then shalt thou be
most tempest-tossed."
Together then they sat and, redden
ing, he stretched his hand where Dhe
might see the palm,.
She reached to take It. and showed a
sparkling gem upon her finger. And
wheu he touched the gc-m he thrilled
in all the nerves that carry shivers to
and fro, but whether from her touch or
from the magic of the stone he could
not say.
"Alas." she said, "'tis lined and
varred; thy calHng works thee over
hard. But hard means triumph at the
last ; thou shalt be rich ere years have
passed."
"So rich that I shall own a stone
like that?" he questioned
"There is not -wealth enough to buy
lt'tls my luck stone, lad," she said.
"Now this line here, a bold,, full
curve, denotes a trained and steady
nerve ; It Is of intersections free thou
must a gallant sailor be."
"All but the gallant," he broke In. "I
have never done a gallant thing. The
sailor's life Is one of good, hard toll
nnd sudden perils, If you will, but
landsmen are the ones to whom are
offered chances to conduct themselves
with gallantry.".
"Thou dost not rend thy life and
duties right," she said. "Each time
thou swlngest mid the lofty sails or
flyest up and down the ropes thou com
est nearer to the captaincy, the goal of
thy highest hopes. The stone I wear
upon my finger tells me where thy
thoughts most linger."
A peal of laughter startled them and
they looked up to see more of the .gyp
sies, listening. "She hath a promising
subject," whispered one. "Aye, he has
a simple hand," the second said. "Beth,
fell him true," another counseled, "or
he'll haunt your days. Let him know
the worst and best; clear away the
haze."
And they danced away to other
parts, telling one another of their win
nings and of how they had almost been
trapped by some sharp-witted patron
trying to deceive them with false infor
mation, just to lead them on.
"I read, too, that thou are in trou
ble," said the girl.
"Thou are the first to know It," said
the youth, readily, but wincing In her
sight. "How can a man who Is most
times abroad have troubles? Tell me
that."
"Thy trouble bides at home,", she
softly said.
"Then dost thou truly know," admit
ted the youth. "Now tell me what 1
shall do, for I will not longer sail the
sea In such uncertainty as has cursed
my voyages of late. Inni a man" he
said It as a youngster doth who feels
the blood bounding In him each day
more swiftly than before "I am a
man ; I pray thee bid me take my trou
ble by the throat and strangle It."
"Best take It by the hand and plead
with It," she said, "or look It lu the eye
nud say your Inmost thought."
"Aye, took it In tho eye and be
abashed," he answered. "I cannot say
my Inmost thought without some help.
Is tri'r no firmness or no readiness of
leeeh writ in my palm, dear gypsy?"
"A plain all curley cues and tails the
owner's purpose always falls," sho
hummed.
"A miserable outlook," he said, and
set hts face.
"But thine hath no curleycues nor
talis, nor anything but well-detlued and
proper llneso lifeline long and red
and deep, denoting friendship good to
keep. Thou lovest one who is fickle?"
slu asked pointedly,
"I cannot tell," he said. "I mayhap
should have brought her palm as well?"
"It Is not needed now," the gypsy
said, "Come, here's an arrtw well de
fined, sharp-pointed, short and biuut at
end. What Is the message fate design
ed by this wnr token us to send?"
"The arrow must mean the service
of fhe king," he said promptly. "X am
in 'the navy."
"The arrow means not service." she
returned. - "It signifies, rather, loyalty.
Thou are a loyal man?" she asked.
"Always, everywhere," he boasted.
"Then why seekest thou Information
of thy love affairs of soothsayers " she
persisted. '
"'Tis writ that soothsayers know,"
he answered vehemently, "and I do not.
I cannot tell if I am cherished in her
heart or If in my absence I am half
forgot. I cannot even tell If I am
present in her mind when I am near,
for then converseth she most flngrantly
with other and less worthy men.','
"Less Worthy men. indeed."
"I ileem them so."
"But Is thy Judgment much to be
depended on? Thou seemest but ' a
youth ; thy blood is quick to take of
fense ; thy heart protesteth over trifles
and standeth round in Way of buffet
ing. When thou are older, thou wilt
better know the other sex and realize
that when thou art most flouted thou
art most regarded when thou seemest
most madly to pursue, shouldst thou
hut hesitate, she would run unto thee."
"Thou shouldst know women well,"
lie said, "but how know I that thou
sayest true of what my power will be
come with years?"
"The stone upon my finger tells me
all of thee and of thy maid who Is so
steeled ; how that she seemeth firm as
any wall yet that if thou persist she
shall yield." '
"Thou wouldst counsel firmness and
good hope?"
"As I know the future and the sex."
"So be It, then," he said, "but I much
fear thou knowest gypsy maidens only,
and 'tis no gypsy maiden that hath cast
her charm on me."
"No gypsy maiden? Then thy palm
is wrong. Take back thy fee straight
way and run along."
He shook his head. "She Is no gyp
sy," he explained, "only a makebe
lleve." Buffalo Express.
Wonder of the Wireless
H-M
TIPS IN SCOTLAND. .
An Example of Hon Some Servants
. Win Thetr Waft.
A gentleman was invited to a shoot
In Scotland at two places close togeth
er, lie arrived at the first place, and
immediately after his arrival at the
first house received a telegram calling
him back to town. He, however, 'deter
mined to have one day's shooting and
to proceed to town by the night mail.
At the end of the day he gave the
head keeper 1 and asked him to send
his gun and cartridge bag over to the
other place for which he had an invi
tation and where he proposed proceed
ing in three or four days' time.
On his arrival there after his Visit to
town he found his gun, etc., had not ar
rived, whereupon he wrote to the keep
er, asking him to forward it at once,
and he received a reply stating that
when he (the keeper.) had received the
other 4 to which he wns "entitled"
the gun would be forwarded. It was
detained till payment was made.
The gentleman wrote to the keeper's
master and received a reply that "he
(the' master) never Interfered between
his guests and his servants In the mat
ter of tips." The gentleman ascertain
ed that the master In question paid
the keeper no wages, but left him to
get what he could out of the guests.
London Times.
, A Morl'nl "Immortal."
It may be gathered from an anec
dote found In the Gaulols that there
was a time when some members, at
least, of the French Academy shared
New England's former respect for cor
rect spelling.
One day Bolssler arrived at Renan'a
house with 'a beaming, face.
"Now," he began, "I'll tell you a
piece of news that will take down
your crest. My autograph has fetched
a higher price than yours." -
"That does not surprise me," Renan
said, serenely. "Where did you hear
this?"
Boissier then explained that at an
auction a day or two before a Renan
autograph had sold tor three francs
and one of his own for five.
"Let me tell you the reason," said
Renan. "There were three mistakes in
the spelling of your letter, which is
now lying here on my writing-table.
A friend of mine was at the auctlou
and made a high bid for the letter,
after noticing the artificial gems that
atiorued your prose.
" "He brought it to me in order that I
might return It to you. If it got
abroad." concluded Renan, smiling,
"the public might get a bad impres
sion of the accomplishments of mem
bers of the French Academy."
One Thins He Conld Mot Have
Although there was no sort of top
which could be bought and for which
Harold had expressed x desire that was
not lu hts possession, he still had his
unsatisfied longings. "I know what
I wish I was, mother," he said one day
wheu his own big brother had gone
away ami the little boy across the
street was 111. ;
"Yes. dear." said his mother. "Per
haps you can be it, Harold; mother
will help you. Is it to play soldier?"
"No, Indeed!" said Harold, scornful
ly. "I Just wish I was two little dogs,
so I could play together." Youth's
Companion.
i,"i',!"I,H"i
(Mrs. Blunder has Just received a
telegram from India) What an ad
mirable Invention the telegram Is! she
exclaimed, when you come to consid
er that this message has come a dis
tance of thousands of miles, and the
gum on the envelope isn't dry yet
Tit-Rtf- - !
IIENEVER men formerly went down to the
sea in ships, whether the ships were wooden
whalers or Gloucester fishing smacks ; wheth
er they were long Lucanlas or Oregon-type
battleships, the men who ventured to cut loose
from land, .whether for a period of months
or-days, they cut loose, and they were Iso
lated, were cabined, cribbed, confined. From
New York to Queenstown they heard no world
news, were rimmed by monotonous horizons,
were subject to the chance of burial in mid
ocean, leaving their friends to imagine, never
to know, the manner of their taking off. Wire
less supplies, as it were, a sixth sense. Wire
less suggests the uncanny fourth dimension. ,
Wireless arms a ship with an Immensely ex
tended tentacle that warns, that gives mes
sages and sends them. That insect on the
bosom of the ocean Is no longer lost, is as
much In the world's eye as a London hansom
cab or a car upon Broadway. Wireless, the
mysterious, robs the ..mysterious deep of its most Insidious terror, loneli
ness, isolation. ' " ' ' - - - '
There are DOW SIX aiSU'lci meiuuus nuunu uy iucobhbcb iimj uo
sent between stations without metallic connections. These are: 1. By In
duction, in which the current, raised to a high degree of Intensity,'' Is enabled
to leap, as it were, from one wire to another. In Edison's plan of telegraph
ing from moving trains the current is transmitted by Induction. 2. By con
duction, in which the earth Is employed as the conductor of the message.
3. Mr. Tesla's Invention, which utilizes the earth, supplementing the. ap
paratus producing the current with a conductor running up a pole for . a .
short distance and terminating In n flat metal plate. 4. Another method !
which has been used in Europe and is called the ultra-violet ray metnoa.
By It the ultra-violet rays sent out from an electric arc light at the sending
station constitute the medium whereby at the receiving station sparks are
set free, restoring the current in an interrupted circuit. 5. Still another
method employs either the visible light rays emitted from a searchlight or
their accompanying Invisible heat rays, if being still uncertain which ray Is
actually" the medium of communication. This method is the basis of Prof..
Ben s pnotopnone ana tne raaiopnone oi-rror.. nayes. o. uinany, mere is
1 1 ,T i . , ... . i . 1 1 . x.. , v , r . i
tne jieriz wae nieuiou, wnicn is ine one successiuny operaieu uy miccuu.
In 1SS8 Dr. Hertz of Carlsbad, Germany, discovered that when an im-
..!.!.... . 1. 1.. . I AKn..t. - 1 . ... .M.Millntiul in -
l.jui--5ivt ciiiugt; jrs puK&iug lULugu a. i.uiiuui:iui, cluci nines nic mumicu m
all directions In the space surrounding the conductor, and that these waves
are In all respects slmllai to those of light, except that they are much
longer. These waves move with the same velocity as those of light, and
have the same power of reflection and refraction, etc., as are pos-.
sessed by waves of light. In the Marconi method of wireless teleg-
layuj, lUtUUiB VL tl . liUillUHUlli illUUUlluu Lull, du cam u.
sparks is produced at a gap in an electric circuit, where these Hertzian
waves are emitted iu all directions sidewise from the gap. By means of
one of the sensitive devices known to electricians, these waves can be picked
- i. 1 A. 1 1 ,.1... ,. d' il. 4 J t - At tisk naAifln1
v Y c ii ui imtg moitiirv jy 1 1 vm viae 1 1 auouiii ici , luaivuin muuo vuuvu
points of his method known in 1897, but It was not until March 29, 1899,
that his success in sending messages across the English channel, a distance
of thirty-two miles, called the attention of the world to the possibilities of
wireless telegraphy. ' .
The Japanese government Is waging a
successful war on rats by paying for
every dead one brought in, and giving
each rat slayer a ticket to a lottery
with valuable prizes.
Mrs. Nellie C. Upham was the only
woman delegate at the recent Ameri
can mining congress which met at
Pittsburg. She is the owner of a pay
ing mine, which she manages herself.
The women of- Wisconsin have de
clared their intention of getting every
man and woman in the State who 1
21 or over to sign the petition for wom
an suffrage ich Is to be presented to
the present Congress.
A permanent national exposition at
Madrid, for the promotion of which an
organization has been formed in Spain,
will have for one of Its chief objects
the stimulation of scientific methods in
agriculture and manufacturing. .
On the basis of a bushel of corn pro
ducing 2.5 gallons of alcohol, It has
been figured out that last year's corn
crop In the United States was sufficient
to furnish 20,000,000 horsepower for
ten hours a day for an entire year.
The largest single. Infiltration in tha
world is said to be the one recently
completed for Pittsburg. The sedimen-
latlou basins have a capacity of 120,-
000,000 gaKws, and the filtered water
reservoir room for 50,000,000 gallons.
A new stop watch has been brought
out for use of physicians and nurses in
counting pulse beats. The pressure of
a button starts It and another pressure
Btops It and marks the time when a
given number of beats have been count
ed. fioulsiana is estimated to waste 73,
000,000 cubic feet of natural gas dally,
more than one-twentieth of that con
sumed In the United States, and the
Secretary of the Interior has with
drawn from entry 6,500 acres of nat
ural gas fields.
To avoid the ViVubles besetting com
passes on steel ships, the metil of
which deflects the needle, a German In
ventor has devised a needleless one, In
the form of a gyroscope, the axis of
which always adjusts itself parallel to
the eartu's axis.
British automobile exports now
amount to a value of $22,500,000 a year,
r aetorles are full of orders as a result
of t'je recent automobile show at the
Olyjopla in London. About 80 per cent
cf the ciders are for closed cars, usual
ly of the landaulet type.
Tho new woman In China, instend of
following the example of her English
and American sisters In railing against
tha tyranny of men has revolted
against her relatlons-In-law. One of
the women's clubs In Shanghai pro
claims as its object- "rebellion against
mothers-in law."
Tha price of feed Is so high that the
woman who can make money bv keen
ing a cow this winter, should b en
trusted with the finances of the nation.
. TUMULT IN THE SEA. .
Terrlflo Force of a Marine Upheaval
Off Cape Horn. , - . ,
A sailing ship rounding Cape Horn
was caught in a dead calm, something
almost unprecedented in .that ; stormy
latitude. The sky was filmed with' a
light haze, and the sea was flat and
lead colored. About 10 o'clock on the
morning of the second day the ship
began to shake violently, the masts
whipped and bent like fish poles, and
everything movable above and below
came down with a clatter. It was like
striking a rock, only the shock was
less pronounced at first, but Increased
in violence during th6 thirty seconds
It lasted. The sea heaved In oily
swells with a strange, hoarse murmur,
and it continued to be agitated after
the tremors ceased. ."" ; ; .
Half an hour later fish by the thous
ands began to rise to the surface until
It was covered with them. Forty
seven whales were counted, many cow
fish fully eight feet across, sharks
without number and seals by the hun
dreds. They were evidently stunned
with the force of some terrific marine
upheaval, and when struck with- a
vole b.v one of the sailors showed onlv
faint signs of life. IntysaflTmin
utes after the first fish arose to the
surface they began to drop out of sight
like pieces of lead. WThether they were
stunned and, on recovering, Immediate
ly dived beneath the waves In a panic,
or whether they died from the shock
and, instead of floating as dead fish
do, were drawn under by some sub
marine whirlpool, were scientific ques
tions too deep for the skipper, but half
a dozen of the smaller fish hauled
aboard by the cook for dinner were
quite dead when examined. The calm
continued twenty-four hours longer be
fore the ocean resumed its usual aspect
and a wind from the southeast per
mitted the ship to continue Its course,
New York Press.
. The Narrow Path. . -
There are occasional doubts In th
minds of the elders of the Morse fam
ily as to the quickness of Bobby's wits,
hut there has never been any doubt
that a lesson once learned by him,
howover slowly, Is forever after remem
bered. ' ;, ' ; -
"Won't you shake hands with mo,
Bobby?" asked one of his sister's ad
mirers, but Bobby hung back.
"I don't care to," he said, Tvith ter
rible distinctness.
"Don't you like met' asked the un
wise visitor. ,
"No, I don't," replied Bobby, and
then there was a shocked chorus from
the family.
"Bobby," said his aunt, reproachful
ly, as . she withdrew him from tha
public, saw, "why did you aay such
a rude thing to Mr. Brown ?
"Because, aunty," said her wrlgghng
charge, "I got spanked last week for
not telling the truth, and I sha'n't sev
er take any risks again !" ,
Eaeoaraartav Dream.
To dream that some one bear you
malice foretells a pleasant prospect in
jwir worldly affairs ; and that you will
soon be advanced to some Important
station.