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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1889-9-19, Page 7PERSOXALS. The youngest admiral of the lileglish fleet is Sir Geoffrey Hombie. The eldest ie Sir Provo Wallis, who is 98 yeare old. It is jut eighty.flve years— just the year before Tree falgar--sirce he drat went to 306. And tt is eeventyfaiX years and three menthe since he fought in that famous, sea fight between the English Shannon and the Chesapeake, of Boston—the latest fight between England and her American offspring. Edna Lyall, anther of "We Two," "A Knight Errant," end other semi religious novels. is named in reality Ada Ellen Bay- ley. She is an English woman and has considerable means apart from the earnings from her novels, which have a prodigious sale. She spends much of thia money in charity, and the eatniugs from one of her books last year went into the purchase of a chime of lella for the village church near which she lives, Mre,Harriet Beecher Stowe lives a peculiar existence at present. She eats very little, confining her diet elm est altogether to bread and butter and trait. She deeps well in the day time, but is apt to be wakeful at night. At times she seems to heave a momentary return of her old brilliancy, but as a general thing is mentally apathetic. She is fond of being in the open air and oan walk about a little with a cane. Her tenure cf life is considered remarkable by her physioiane, who say she has the strongest vitality of any Wernan they have ever known. The most extravagant inatesnce of literary relic worship on record is said to be that of an Englishmau of letters, who wears con, stantly around his nook a portion of Shelley's charred skull. It is enclosed in a little gold casket. The bones of Viotor Hugo aro W- ing turned into money, for among the relics exhibited to sight -seers at his former home Is a huge tooth, with this inscription below: "Tooth drawn from Victor Augo by the dentist on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 1871, at Vianden, in the gardens of the house of Mme. Kooh, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.' Pasteur is deeoribed ag a modest, unassum- ing man, a trifle below medium height, with, a elight limp in the right leg. His grey hair is short and his beard, also grey, is short cropped. His fame wears a look of intense thought, which does not relax, even when a smile comes to light it up. As is but just', Pasteur's popularity is great in Paris, and when he stood at the entrance of the institute that bears his name'and with his favourite grandchild, a tiry little girl, -1 etanding by his side, welcomed the repre- sentatives of the universities of every land come to pay homage to the greateet scientist of his time,there broke forth from the ranks of lusty. throated students cries loud and long of " Vivo Pasteur 1" maw' lime, the daughter of Julia Ward Howe, has written a novel ter the" Ladies' Home Journal," which paid her $1,000 for it, and it is to appear ehortly. She writes under her maiden name, but she is in reality Mrs, John Elliot, the wife of the decorative artist. There is a romantic story connected with their marriage, by the way. When the Howes were in Rome some ton years ago they becameacquainted with -the hand- some young American, artiste'• who was copying old masters there, and when he fell sick of the Raman fever with no one to look after him, they, Mali their usual kindneas, nursed and cared for him, and were rather amused When the sueceptible boyfall in love with the handsome Maud while she was putting cold bandages on hie head. She was engaged at the time to Porter; the cel- ebrated potrait painter, whose picture of her had made both sitter and artiet famous, hue they never married ; the engagement was broken and Porter married another very pretty girl. Three years ago young Elliot came back to America with OOMMiSSiMIS from some rich Chicagoans, and found Miss Howe free and becoming known as a nove• list. His passion had not waned a eingle shade, and he persuaded her to think of him more seriously than she did of the pretty, clever boy she had nursed through the fever In Rome. All the World's a Stage. The scene is bright, the actor gay, With a mask of golden gladness; (Oh 1 breaking heart, thy part well play, We reek not of thy sadness.) Dark Tragedy 1 Fair Comedy! Oh 1 neck and neck thy race is; Night's curtain falls on Death and Life, in this play of "Masks and Faces." While laughter ashen within the eye, The tears aro heavy at the heart; Real is tha smile, or real the eigh ? On this world's stage each plays apart ! Fair Comedy 1 Dark Tragedy Oh! neck and neck thy race is; Night's curtain falls n Life and Death, In this play of "Mesita and Faces." —Normt LAtroHnu. Sensations of a Iiian Who Got Into the Em- brace of a Devil Fish "We were lying about half a rnile off the beach at Barbadoe, overhauling the standing rigging," eaid jaenea Gillis, ablo seaman' " when the mate ordered John Webb, au apprentice boy, and myself into the yawl, which had been c:overed and brought around to the port side that sonae painting might be dmie just ablsit the mainmaet. It was a terribly hot day, with the water very warm and the men having lil tle energy. The paint was lowered down to us, and while I ueed the brush the boy held the yawl in position. We had Leen at work for aboul a quarter of an hour when the boy suddenly yelled out in affright, and air 1 turned to him he deolo.red that he had nen a horrible looking objeot pass under the boat, and so on under. the ship. There are plenty of grange creatures floating about in those waters, and a patch of seaweed will sometimes immune a queer shape. I laughed at the boy's fears, but at the nine time saw how pale and frightened he looked. "'What's wanted below there 1' called the mate as he leaned over the rail, having heard Webbni cry of alarm. I—I saw eamething go under the boat, "'0, you did. Well, if you bawl out again you'll feel something go under your jacket." "1 began work again, and had been at it only three or Four minutes when the yawl heaved away from the ship two or three feet, and at the same instant the boy screamed out again. His voice had scarcely reached my ears when something flashed before my eyes, something caught my arm and pulled it down and pinned it fast to my body, and in five seconds more I knew what had happened. A devil fish had flung one of his arms :about me. Webb was screaming at the top of his voice, and, as I gob a look at him, I saw that two of the beast's feelers were clutching him. The arm or feeler Whioh had roaohed me pinned my arm to my side as if in a vise, making a clean wrap around my body, and the extreme end of the feeler crept up along my neck and fan, Talk of pain, I never Nit anything like it. The teeth of a bull -dog couldn't have hurt worse. Li was a burning, biting, blistering sensation, as if a live coal had been laid on the flesh. I added my yells to those of Webb, but before any one came.to the rail I was jerked to my knees in the boat, and saw that the oreature's object was to pull me overboard. I heard the boy go down and thrash about, and then three of the men oame to our assistance. "The devil-fieh had outwitted himself He had gone under the ship and fastened to her bottom or keel, and as soon as he began 'sailing on us, he of course pulled the yawl close egainst the ship's aide. That closed the gap, and he could not pull ue overboard, although I think he would have upset the yawl, for we were both down on her star- board aide and she was almost on her beam ends when the men jumped down. They began to cut and stasis and hack with their knives, and after two or three minutes they had us free—not of the arms, but of the creature. We were hoisted on board howl- ing and groaning, with the feelers still biting, and they had to be cut from us almost by inches. Webb got it far worse than I did, as he wore a thin cotton shirt and was bare- footed. He was bitten on one foot, both hands, and across the breast, and it was a long two weeks before he was on deck again. His face swelled up until one eye was closed, and the poison made me ill for many daye. Wherever one of the cups or suckers took hold, the skin was entirely taken off, and it seemed as if pbas had been stuck into the raw flesh. A native doctor brought me some herbs of which to make a poultice, and, though that relieved the pain and helped me to geb around again, it was months before my face was entirely well., "The devil -fish minded the loss of his three arms for only half an hour, at the and of which time he clutched the empty boat, half.capsfzed her and swam twice around the ship as a defiance to the crew. Two or three musket balls were fired into him, and he sank out of eight to be aeen no more dur- ing our stay."— IN. Y. Sun. Convention of Wheat Growers. Circulars have been issued calling a con. vention of wheat growera to be held in St. Louise in October, for the alleged purpose of considering "new systems of businees and the oombinatione against them." The de- olaration that they are seeking protection from the exaotiors of trusts and pools is taken by some to mean a purpose to attempt to form a trust to control the production of wheat and "to secure better prices for the same by a eysternatio regulation of the sup- ply and demand." Almost any movement among farmers to discuss their interests, and m induce intelligent and united action in meet- ; ing burdens imposed upon them by oombinee, d trusts and monopolies is in a pertinent dir (lotion and hopeful of results ; but the idea of a federation or trust to control produc. tion and regulate the price of wheat is chine orioal. No movement among farmers, however manifestly in their interest, has been able to command any thing like the unit. ed support of the fennel -et in any consider. able locality. If there were a combination in Canada, for instance, among the wheat growers to bursae° the price of their pro. duct by reduction of Acreage, the men in the combine might put a certain percentage of their wheat land ..nto other crops or allow ib to lie idle, but the wheat growerel outside of the trust would plow all night to add to their acreage and take advantage of the suppond opportunity, Au Unruly Arm. A three-year.:old girl liras Tying= the floor the other day pulling theitableeleth, end her father, wile was attlie, table said: tihe cloth." The. little wiieh „instantly replied .thin't pulling it. Yly arm springs out and Makes my fingers shut up." The Astonished Drummer. The Rev. A. E. Donning, D. D., the manager of the Congregationaliat pablishing house and Sabbath -school work, and one of the busiest men in Boston, is an off -hand, approachable rnan with a bright, winning face, easy manner, and personal maguetiem that contribute much to his success. He has none of the outward signs of the clerical calling, but looks more like a business man. He travels nearly all of the time, and he says that in the cars he generally passes ag a drummer, and is recognized by the frater- nity 85 000 of their number, On going into Minneapolis one Saturday evening a smart young fallow approached in a free and easy way: "Going to stop over Sunday ?" "Yes,"replied the dootor. "Stop at the Blank Hotel, I suppose ?" "No, I am going to stop with a friend." Come round to the hotel to morrow afternoon and we'll have a racket. Quite a number ef the boys will be there," "But to -morrow is Sunday." "1 know it, and that's why we oan have such a good time." "0, I think that we fellows who are travelling all the time ought to keep Sun- day," said bhe doctor. "es," assented the drummer, good- naturedy, "but I'll bet you won't i" "1,11 tell you what I'll do; I'll go to church to morrow if you will 1" "111 do it 1 Where shall we go ?" "To the First Congregational. It's the best church in town." " All right. 111 be there, but 111 bet you won't 1" The drummer Was there according to his promise, and could hardly believe his eyes when he 66W his friend of the night before mend, to the pulpit. Dr. Dunning tried to find him after the service, but he had fled. — [Lawietort Journal. Too Modest to be Honest. "Are you the editor of the paper ? "I am, What oan 1 do for you ?" "Well, I just thought I'd step up and see how you are. My wife and I are going to Cape May to -morrow." "Indeed 1" "Yes; but 1 wouldn't have anything odd about it in print, of course. My name is Simpkins—Azaria Simpkins." "Glad to meet you', Mr. Sinipkins, I'm sure." "Now don't go to puttied anything into the paper, about our going away. We start at four o'clock, and I reckon we'll be gone pretty near a month. I need the rest, and Simpkien was gating kind of run down, Of course I know hoer anxious you uowepaper men always are for an iteni, but were plain people and don't want any notoriety. My wife always likes to see 'Simpkins' spelt withal() a 'p,' but the old ashioned Way hi good =ought foe trie. Well, know an editor's tiino le Valuable, ao 111 say good.sle,y„ If / come abrOSS any mur. ders or anything vohile I'm gone I'll let you know about them,"—[Washington Critic, HUNTIiqf Tjr.0 kiTE BEARCHS IE Tho Pribylov Islands belonging to the United States, 'and the Commando Mande belonging to Russia are practically the only seal fitheries in the world. They aro all under the control of an American Cionmann and supply more than 96- per cent, of the annual seal catch. All of these eking tho only valuable part of the seal, are shipped to London, where a very large percentage of them, virtually, indeed, the entire pro. clunt, are first sold in the roma tate and then dyed, The animal about whose preservation eo much has recently been said is probably more widely, and at the same time less in tireatelm know e than any other of nature's creatures. Every woman who wears a seal- skin coat knows in a general way that the thins of which ib is made are searce and hard to procure. Her husband or father knows in a epeoffio way that they are ex- pensive. Bat how many of them know rust why they are wane and expenaive ? How many of them know, for inetance, that thore are two kinds of seal, the hair seal and the fur seal ? that the skin of the.heir eeal is absolutely worthless when compared with that of the fur seal, and is never uncle into elevate? It is coarse and rough and is generally tanned and used for the menu- faoture of pocket books, satchels, hand bags, gloves and coachmen's capes. The hair eeal is found everywhere, while the fur seal is practically confined to the Behring Sea. Hundreds of thousands of hair eon's are captured every year in the Northern At lantic Ocean, while so far as is known the fur nal has never been seen there. There was a time, however, when the fur seal was found almost everywhere else. So meagre is popular information about the fur seal that more than nine -tenths of the pictures of them are entirely incorreot. Landseer, as late as 1848, drew a seal that looked like a walrus, A CENTURY or sLAtioriTER Seals formerly abounded in the Southern seas. -Ships were laden to the water's edge with he ekine only to bring nominal prioes in the glutted markets of the world, but for all that the butchery never stopped until the ;victims were virtually exterminated, so far as the Southern seas ars concerned. Whether those persecuted, helpless crea- tures were all killed off, or whether they took refuge in Behring Sea is not known. Certain it is, however, thab Vitus Behring and his venturesome crew, having been shipwrecked in 1741 on the then unknown Commander Islands found there millions upon millions of seals. Company after company was organised in Russia for the purpose of hunting over these new grounds as soon as the discovery was made known. No restriction was pland upon their slaughter, with the result that ireless than twenty years the seed was well nigh exterminated from the Com- mander Islands. In 1789 the Pribylov Islands were discovered. The, discoverer, Gehrman Pribylov, was the commander of a small sloop named tha St. George, in which he had searched for these islands for three weary years. He named one of them St. George, after hie vessel, and the other St. Paul, after his patron eaint. Here he found the great breeding place of the nal. The slaughter went on for nearly a cen- tury until, in 1868, the Pribylov Mande be. came part of the United States by; virtue of the purchan of Alaska from Russia. Dar- ing this period there had been spasmodic attempts at restrictien both av the Conn mender and at the Pribylov Islands; but it was not until the Alaska Commercial Com- pany was formed in 1870 that a system was adopted which seem to have proved euo- ceesful for the protection of the seal during breeding time. The present arrrangement has been a profitable one for both the Gov- ernment and the lessees. The Government has received during the period covered by the lease over $7,000,00 in taxes and ren- tals, while the Alaska Company has made fortunes for all of its members. ' The natives, too, have profited by it. There are less than four hundred people on both islands, their only means of eupnort being the fieheries. They are patd 40 cents for each skin, and their average wage ise about $500 per annum, not bad when it is remembered that they are idle nine mouths in , the year. The Alaska Commercial Company has also bought from the R11814611 Government the sole right to hill seals in the Commander Islands. From this, source they gather about 45,000 eking annually. Add to this number the 100,000 killed in the Pribylov group and you have practically the whole number of skins collected each year. Ib must not be, supposed that the seals are at the Pribylov Islands during the entire year. They only come there during breeding seagon, which lasts from early in May until late in September. WHERE THEY COME PROM no man knows. The firet to make their appearance on the breeding grounds are the bulls, who come both singly and in droves from about May until the end of the season. They land with perfect confidence and without a show ot fear. Upon their arrival the bulls, which are then as fat as butter, take up their positions as near the water's edge as possible. If they prove strong enough to withstand the attacks of those of their fellows who come after them, they etand where they are; if nob, they must move back—take a back seat, 68 it were. Between June 112 and 14 the first of the cow seal nine up from the deep. Then the long agony of the waiting bulls le oVer, and they signalise it by a period of universal, spasmodia and desperate fighting among themselves. Though they have been quar- relling and fighting for more than a month and continue to do so for the remainder of the season, yet the fighting vvhith takes place upon the arrival of the cows is the bloodiest and most vindictive known to the seal. By far the heaviest percentage of mutilation and death among ,the males oo- ours at this time. With the advent of the cows is presented a strong contrast between the males and females, not only in size and shape, but in disposition. The cow ia sie dove -like and aimiable as the , bull is eaturnine and force dons. Tho cow seal is much mailer and much more shapely in its proportion e than is the bull. They are not more than ono. fourth as large nor au they show any of that Terrible emaciation in the latter part of the season di:Tie/yea' by the bulls. The reason for this lin in their going to SO% every few days, leaving their young te take care of themselves' while they art gone foe sevetal days at a tittle in search of food. Their coat is muoh more beautiful thari that of the bull, being el a Heft steel and inaltSse grey lustre on the back of the head aucl nook and along the Spine, blending, hale al' must a enow white on the chest and alnico, men, The head and eye of fho terrific aro eneedingly beautiful. liter expression Is really attractive, gentle and intelligent, and as'She perellea upal a rock she is the par. feet 'sheave of benignity and satislaction. The seal pup when born, is 14TTLE MITE or A Timm ; but within a few minutes after ita birth finds that it has a powerful voice, which ie ueee In givirm vent th a mon pathetic) and never-ending bint. They receive but libtle attention frofn the mother steal, who only approaohes her offspriug at twenty-four, hour intervalei when the allows it to auelele for a few minutes. She cares but little for it, allowing it to be remeved; or wren killed under her very nose, without a protest. Toe pups, left to themeelves, get together like a great swerm of bee' s and spread out on the ground in what the sealers cail "pods," keeping well away from the water at first, for although the seal is an mnphibi ous anima,l, a pup can swim no better than can a bar of Ned. 11 durieg the first month or two of his exiatence a pup is se'zad by the nape of hie neck and pitcned• out a few rods from the labor° his bullet -like little head will drop below the surface of the water, where suffo. cation instantly 6116MS—the attic creature nor knowing enough to raise it and regain the air. When they are al out six weeks old bite pupa begin to take swimming lessione. Their progress is slow and clumsy, being confined at first to paddling along shore and allowing the aur f to waeh them back as fast as they reach the water's edge. hew THE sxmr Is nEmovEn. The killing completed, the task of skin- ning begins. The labor here iuvolved is very severe, demanding long practice before the manias of the brick and thigh are so developed as to permit a man to bend down to and finish well a fair day's work. The body of the seal preparatory to skinning is rolled over and balanced tquarely on its back. The native?, then make a single swift cat along the belly mom the lower jaw to the root of the tail. A circular incision is then made aroand the flippers. Seizing a flap of the skin. on one side of the abdomen, the workman cuts the thin free from the body, lifting ib as he goes, rolling the body out of theiskin on the sand as the operation pro - ands. A good hand can strip a seal in less than a minute. No akin is left on the carcass save a small patch at the muzzle and tail. The skins all gathered, they are taken from the field to the salt house, where they are lam out one upon the other "hair to fat," with nib profusely spread upon the fleshy sides: Thus they lie for two or three weeks, when they become pickled and are ready for ship- ment. This, however, does not usually begin until the last week of the season, when the skins are corded in packages of two each with the hair outside. These paok- ages are in turn packed into hogsheads' containing twenty to forty skins, in whioh shape they are sent to London to be dyed. There is a popular but very erroneous idea that the skin of the seal has much the same appearance upon the back of its right- ful owner that it has upon that of the fair creature who eventually wears it. Nothing can be further from the truth. Few skins are less attractive than is the sealskin when first taken from the seal. The fur is not visible, but is concealed entirely by a coat of etiff overhair, dull gray brown and grizzled. The process of dyeing them is tedious and expensive, requiring a great amounti of skill and experience. The dye, too is in the main a secret, which is posseseedentirely by English houses. The average price of a raw skin in London is $10. After they are dreesed they will readily bring $25 each. THE PROCESS OF DRESSING them differs, each establishment having its own methods. In the main, however, it is done about at follows :—When the skins are received by dressers they are still in the salt. The skins are first placed upon a beam some- thing like a tanner's beam, the salt is wash ad off and all the fat is removed from the fiesta side with a beaming knife, care being taken that no outs or uneven plans are made in the pelt. The skins are next) washed in water and placed upon the beam with the fur up, after which the grease and water is removed by scraping with a knife. They are then stretched OD, frames and dried in a moderate heat,, after which they are again plunged into water and thoroughly cleaned with soap. The cleansing process completed, the skin passes to the "picker,' who dries the fur by stove heat, the pelt being kept moist. When the fur is dry he places the skin on a beam and while it is warm, re. moves the main coat of hair with a dull shoe knife, grasping the hair between hie thumb and his knife, the thumb being protected by a rubber cob. The hair must he pulled out, not broken. This process is continued until every coarse or outer hair. long or short, is worked out from the pelt, The eking are then dried again amd shaved on the pelt side to a fine even surface. They are next stretched and softened either by a fulling mill or by a workman who throws them into an open hogshead and dances upon them bard aot until they are broken into leather. They are now ready for dyeing, which is done by applying the liquid dye, made ac- cording to the different formulas used by the various firms and pub on with a brush carefully covering the points of the stand ing fur, After lying folded with the points touching each other for some little time, the skins are hung up and dried. The dry dye is then removed, another coat applied, dried a.nd removed, and so on until the re- quired shade is obtained. From eighb to twelve coats aro required to make a good color. HUNTING THE SEA-OTTEE. What raper. If our boys want to underotand and fully appreciate an uadertaking which is the most daugertmo and uncertain known to any hun- ter of the human race, they rattet follow 1110 to Alaska; and there behold and not the Aleutian oea-otter hunter, Turn to your map of Alaska, obsoeve that long, far -extended chain of islands which reaches almost acmes front the Panineula of Alaska to Kamchatka, and that etretch of wild, desolate comb which lies at the foot of the Me St, Eafe Alps and borders flat is- lands sleuth of the Peninsula, It is the sole resent and refuge of the seaiotter today; it is the region which alone shelters that amen, al from extermination by eager hunters both white and dusky.' It protects them by its violent tempests that beat the sea into foam on its bold, cliffs and sunken rooky reefs, by its ohill dense fogs which shroud everything in darkness for weeks at a time, and'by the uwif b running of ocean currents, and dangerous " tide rips." Hero, in the open wenn of the North - Pam& Ocean, never many miles from the shore of land or island, Is the chosen resort of this strange animal, which is so well known to every one who were or notices furs since its pelage is the costliest and the finest fur known to mar ; a single skin some times sells for six hundred dollars. • With the exception of a few rooky island meta and islets of the Kurile chair) north of Japan, this Alaskan refuge is the last resort of the sea -otter in its struggle for existence. It has been exterminated from the Califor- nian, the Oregon, and the entire Northwest coast and Sitkan Archipelago, up as far as the foot of the Mt, Saint Elias Alps; and, OR the Asiatic side, it has been eliminated from the entire Kamohatkan seaboard„where it was first disoove:ed and noted r by white men, towards the end of the seventeenth century. The seamtter is not a very large animal; every boy knows pretty well how big a beaver is and what it looks like. The sea. otter resembles the beaver very closely in size and shape ; its head is rounder, however, and more catlike, while its tail is shorter and covered with dense fur. Like the beaver again, it has broad, palmated hind feet, and small, interior fore hands; but unlike that giant rodent, it is a meat, fish and shell -fish eater, and seldom tastes a vegetable sub- stance. Before the sea otter became an object of supreme value to the white fur -gatherer, it was not much hunted by the human natives of its chosen places of resort in the North Pacific Ocean. At that time it was a common sight for the dusky savages between Califor- nia and Alaska to see it sporting at sea or basking in the sunshine on reefs awash and rocks slightly above the tide level. To -day one is never seen except after th most vigilant search, and then only for an instant. There is abundant reason for this soaroity and wariness of the sea -otter ; and, were all the details of its chase narrated, that story would surpass the most ardent work of fancy. When the Russians and Cossacks first be- came acquainted with its rioh glossy fur, towards the close of the seventeenth century they found the natives north of Kamchatka and Alaska quite indifferent as to its value and willing to part with ali the skins they had for mere trifles in exchange. Then the eager, greedy demand of these Mum:Rookie fur -traders for more skins of the ka,hlan stimulated those Alaskan natives everywhere into the greatest energy and persistency in its capture, until the animal became almost invisible to their search, where it hitherto had been abundant and always in sight. WIRELETS. It is proposed to connect E linburgh and Glasgow hy a ship cannel. Capt. Wissmann has offered a reward of L5,000 for the head of Chief Bashiri. Extensive forest fires are reported near Georgetown, Deer Lodge county, Montana. The strike of the green bottle blowers at Pittsburgh is said to have ended in favor of the men. The City of Paris made her last eastward passage in six days, three hours and fifty- eight minutes. - - The city jail at Fernandina, Florida, was bunted Monday, and a negro prieoner, Nonni Baker, perished. •• Kingston Y. M. CI, A. delegates went to Ogeleneburre on Tuesday and carried off nine out of the fifteen athletic prizes. T b e inhabitants of the village di Vartene, in Armenia, after a desperate struggles haste reptilsed an attack by the brigand Jan. • At° Belvidere, N, J., Farmer Gee. Sitninoris died suddenly ort Tuesday. When told of the tent hie aged wife fell over and died. The rumors of a formal alliance between Russia and Franca' are declared from St. Petersburg to be unfounded. The Methodist, Congregational, Baptist and Preebyterian ministers of Kingston have deoided to work with Messes. Crossley and llunter when they visit the city. A ptominent London correspondent be - Hones there are Wel murder fiends connected with the Whitooh9,ple, crimes, and that the latest victint Wee nob killed and earvedttp by the scientific " Sack the Aipper," the Ponineula and Wands adjeceeti TheY simply camp upon the Wand. They do not iive upon it, became the smell of fires end, refine of a village or villages would alarm and drive every otter from the whole extent of the region now tie favored by the" It may be imagined to what a brings the hardy native hunters' eubj sot teem elveS every winter here, where and ah to for termite at a time they dare not light a tire, evll for cooking, in prevailing northerly le of wind, especially 11 the temperature is lielew zero, 63 it often ie. Before a young Aleuts+ is considered handy and expert enough to join a flea -otter hunt- ing party of his race, he has to prove hia oourage and kill by launching and landing safely in his light skin boat through heavy rollers and foaming surf. He must be o.ble to paddle on his course undeterred by thickest fog or furious winds. He must make 'trim:self well nigh insensible to extremes of cold and dearth of food; and to do all this eo as to be isocepto,ble to the hunters of his tribe involve several years of daily praotice with his kayak or "bidarka," as it is oalled in Alaska. When he at last becomes proficient, nu paddle his canoe with safety in the wildest storms at sea, and oan handle his bird and sea -otter spears withprecieion and effect, he at onoe joins the select circle of tried and, trusty hunters belonging to the hamlet of MS nativity. A sea -otter hunting party in Alaska to -day contains anywhere from ten to fiftymembers, or even more, according to the size of the settlement from which it sets out. The largest parties come from Oonalaalea; Morserovia and Belcovskie. They are brought down to the open hunting grounds of Soonak by little schoenen which belong to the white traders, who have seeress and. poets or warelaousee in every sea -otter haute ing village. They take the native hunters and their canoes down on sailing vessels'so as to save time, and to gain the favor of the succetieful and most daring hunters. White men do not hunt to any great extent, The chase is too laborious for the return—it does not pay them. But they stimulate the natives to the moat) unremitting exertion, and as matters are now conducted, the sea -otters in Alaska do not have a day% rest during the whole year. Parties of native huntera relieve each other in rapid succession, and thus a continual search is maintained. Thus stimulated by the traders, this warfare is rendered still more deadly to the sea -otter, since the best improved breech loading rifles are now being used in addition to the weapons and artifices of the natives themselves. These fire -arms in the hands of the young and ambitions Aleates, in spite of the warn- ings and restraint of the old men, must result sooner or later in the extermination of the ka.hlan, for these same old men, in order to compete successfully with their youthful rivals, have to drop their bone spears and arrows and take up the rifle in self-defence. So the bad work goes on rapidly, although a majority of the natives and the traders up there oppose it. Before we describe the hunting in detail, it may be interesting to have it understood that the whole number of skins now taken annually does not exceed. four thousand, When the Alaskan region was traniferred to us, in 1867, the small catch of only three or four hundred otters annually was all the Russians secured. But the extraordinary stimulus given to the natives by our keen, active, pushing traders has resulted in an increased return far above the results of the old regime. The skins range in value from sixty dollars to one hundred and fifty dollars each, as they grade from the immature to mature samples. Some exceptionally fine skins bring every year the enormous sums of be- tvveen four hundred and six hundred dollara at the London sales, Extravagant as such a sum seems, yet when one of these perfect sea -otter skins is spread out before your eyes, aril passed under your fingers, the rich shimmer of Ha ebony fur, deep, dense, soft mad glossy, appears so strongly, that the firsb objection ot excessive cost is voted down—it le worth the price.—[HENRY W. ELLIOTT ia Youth's Companion. The sea -otter is hunted to -day for our traders in the same manner, and by descend- ants of the tame people who chaeed it for the Russians during the last century. Its range is now restricted, however, almost en. tirely to Alaukan waters. Indeed, were it not for the protection '.elven by bhose furious storms, dense fogs andthoee pitiless rocks and reefs soath of the Aleutian Archipelago and the Peninsula of Alaska, it would have been long, long ego utterly exterminated. But hunting it here calls for hardship and risk of life which the ohase of no other fur - bearing anima/ known to man demands. The sea otter is so alert and shy, so cunning and strong, thab its capture Involves the keenest: tact and utmost endurance of its human captor. The men who make this chase of the sea - otter their sole business are mostly natives of the Aleutian Islands, of Atka and Ooni al saka, and the natives of the Alaskan Penin- sula and Kadiak Island. In general terms they have a striking resemblance to tho Japanese in stature, in physiognomy and disposition, being of a, calm ,and docile na- ture. They are short and- muscular, and the most thorough water -men in the world. They are all Christians, having been con, verted from barbarism by the Russian Greek Catholic priests, who began mission- ary work among them as long ago as 1780. Hence you will notice the presence of a small church or chapel in every one ei the small hamlets where they live. Same of the most successful hunters re- side now in neat frame cottages, but a majority of them are still dwelling in the primitive" barrabkies " or earthern " dug. oub " huts. The most attractIve and intending settle- ment of these people is Borka, on Spirkin Island, andithe least that can be said about the others when contrasted with it, the better, in eci f ar as cleanliness and morality is involved. The richeet hamlets are those of Morserovia and Beloovski, owing to the closer proximity of these villages to the most favored resorts of the kahlan. Morserovia is situated on the extreme end of the Peninsula of Alaska. Forty miles direotly south of ite site are the celebrated Soonak sea -otter hunting grounds, where more than half the entire annual. Alaskan catch is taken every year. &weak Island, islets and reefs, embracing an area of leas than twenty miles square, is the chief 8e8 - otter resent of this vast wild region between Kamchatka. mad Sitkei. The island of Soonak is smabl, vvith a coast circuit of about eighteen miles. Spots' of sand beach are found here and there, lout the major portion of ita sea margin is com- posed of enormond water -worn boulders piled up by the suet The interior is a des gelato, low* rolling, mossy Nadu, or water - sleeked morass, with a rocky ridge elevated le the mitre some eight hundred feet in height. There is no timber here, but plenty of grass, sphagnum and a floors of small fresh. -water ponds, in which multitudes of ducks and geese are found every spring and all. To the southward arid weetward of the is- land, stretching direotly ortt to en, is a sum cession of small islets and reord, whioh are bare only at low tide, rooky shoals and heavy beds of kelp or seamabbage environ- ing them; then again, to the eastward about thirty miles are the Ohornaboor islets and reefs, very Similar to those Of Soonak, and next in foreor with the sea -otter as its feed- ing and refuge ground. To these Islands hunting parties of Aleutes come from Oonalaelta ih the wes6 and the Conga ith the east, as well all from all the batonnecliato sea -otter hunting +Anna On Curious Chinese Habits.. — - When a Chinaman desires a visitor to - dine with him he does not do so, but when he does not wish hien to stay he pats the' question: "Oh 'won't you stay and dine with me, please ?' The visitor will then know he is not wanted. When a Chinaman ex. pects a preeentr and ib does not come, he sends one of lesser value. A rich man's servant gets no salary, yet many are the applicants; while big salaries are paid to the servants of the common people, but few make applications. 'The perquisites of the former often more than triple the salaries of the latter, which is the sole reason of these differences. To encour. age honesty and sincerity, confidential clerks and salesmen in all branches of industry receive en annual net percentage of the firm's business, besides their regular salary. Tho highest ambitioii of a Chinaman is to have a nice coffin and a fine funeral. In China oue can always borrow meeey on the strength of having a son, but nobody woulri advance him a cent if he had a dozen daughters. The former is responsible for the debt of his father for three generations, thit latter is only responsible for the debts of her 'own husband, When a Chinamen meets another he shakes and Egunezes hie own hands, and covers his head. If great friends had not seen each other for a long time they would rob shoulders until they got tired. Instead of asking each other's health they would say: "How is your stomach ?" or "How have you eaten your rice ?" "How old are you?" "Efow much did you pay for your sans daleb' Men wear tong petticoate and carry fans, while the women wear short jackets mei carry canes. Boatel are drawn by horses, carriages move by sails. Old mon play ball and fly kites, while ohildren fold their arms and look on. Old women, instead of young, are the Hole of society. Love making ie only done three days before marriage. It is nob only considered the safesb way to get ahead of a rival, but the surest way to get a wife without losing mirth time. A previous acquaintance between, the mode and female prevents them from marriage. For this reason a man seldom marries a girl of his town. If a Chinaman dukes the death of an enemy, he goes and hange himself upon the enemy's door. It is considered a sure way to kill not only that particular euernyi but numbers of his =tire faintly will be in jeopardy of losing their lives.—Plail and • Express. U1beBureating SYSterni Strikes Muter under free trade and pro. bection alike,. But the low wagee of whieh the Louden 'longshoremen aro complaining are connected with the general economic conditions of England nailer frets trade; and the sweating system agisinet svhioh they are in revolt is one of the direet results of free trade proeesses of cheapening labor, Amerinan workmen, when they organize a labor revolt, do not detnand ho laat periult of the sixpence, Protection exempts them, from starvation wager—tow or TtibUtio.