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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1906-6-21, Page 6p r , northwest MINERAL i Al►iQUS 1►II Ir11AL I DS FAMOUS romantic ' name DISCO/0110$teappor. DISCO/0110$ IN ALL PART$ OF THE WORLD. Creek noticed lire AIi Nu ars round in Australia -- The ltzed g 00winter ' Oliver Martin Chunk—Fiddler's so Mexican Mine, onen atNorisks and from vocation, is so fop prospecting for thaw. possibilities11as that of prospe g iia a tialwhen, minerals and applies with force Lound. This applies the with spec to the pursuit. M the most precious me. tats pad stones. How many stories hove Leen written around tie imaghhary dls• cevery of a large nugget, which, just as things are going very badly with the finder, rescues him from, despair and sets his feetona foundation of gold{ Yet the fictions of the romancer can hardly outstripsolid facts, says the Strand Magazie, The history of nein- Ing is full of instnaces in which, either ebyn accident or stroke of luck Following en hard, deliberate work, a man has' opened his hand and found - wealth 1y- ing in the palm.ll It will be interesting to glance et some of the most remarkable cases. We may fitly start with the royal m ataL Chief among gold nuggets are the Wel. come andtheeinem Stranger. rho first weighing 2 217 ounces was found g at ouncesBallarat, Victoria,in 1858; the Dunolly, Vic- VLF 2,288 18In In weight, at esthe torfa, in 1869. In both cases Iho forte nate discoverer netted more than $40; 000 by a blow of the pick. Another typical instance of gold min - ing luck comes from Mount Alexander, eethe same colony. A gang of five min- era tied sunk several holes unsuabout fully to depths ranging from abort ELT to sixty feet, and were so dishear - Seed that they co r"cid to to give moreup ah- (search for color" atter one at tempt, Before the seventh hole was nine feet deep a rich "pocket" appeared and in a tow hours 120 POUNDS OF PURE GOLD bad been secured. In New South Wales, almost simultaneousl an Australian black shepherd who amused himself wtLterin d seeking happened to notice a glittering speak on the surface of a quartz boulder. He chipped off a piece with his tomahawk, and, lot a mass of gold, scaling120 pounds 9 ounces, lay revealed) The arrival of the nugget in Bathurst produced a gold fever which seemed to deprive hitherto sane men of their senses, and was largely respon- sible for the seof rush' to Aus• Bella from all parts of the world. The early history of the \Vest Ausira-barren. Ilan gold fields is marked by similar smiles Plbarra field, to smiles of fortune. Theowes take an example, owes [tis discovery to a stone which a boy picked up to cast ter i(f size, thea crow. itboys aexamineight d the missile and found that YL contained a quantity of gold. Coolgar a name now so th aently, curiweol us Incident also is ta 1802 Messrs. associated iBay- ley and Ford, starting from Southern • Cross, plunged into the deserts, where they believed gold to exist. Bayley pro- asnd lti ased areturning to -Perth without time eryumuch down In luck when his fortunes were changed in a most casual manner. One night his horse, picketed outside of the tent, became so restless that he went aunt to quiet 11. and on the way tripped - over what he thought at first to be a stone, but which proved on closer in. spection to be a huge nugget. A claim was at once pegged out, and In tour weeks $50,000 had been realized, This Mahn olalm lies at about the centre of Cool- the town created by the con- quent 'rush." We should expect the California gold v;ania of the early '50s to yield its quo- to of ROMANTIC STORIES. The discovery of gold in the Sacramento Valley was made accidentally during the construction of a tail -race for a water mill wheel. The owner of the roti observed some shinning fragments in the banks of the new channel, and thinking that they were only mica or acme other worthless substance, de- bated with himself. for a time whether, :t would be worth while to pick them up. He decided to do so, and to his as- tonishment, found that they were scales of gold. This happened. in 1848. Be- tore a year had passed California, hath- erto a scarcely explored country, It came the focus of an unprecedented 1rn- migration of people of all conditions who poured across the plains and deserts dr came round by sea to San Francis- Meze, determined to stake health and even hie itself on the chances of the pan and sluice. A few made enormous fortunes, a large number secured competencies, but the majority learned by bitter 'x- perlence that Fortune is a'very fickle goddess indeed, Among the lucky miners was one Olt. VOL` Martin. Re and a companion nam• ed Flower had been prospecting 1, r weeks without, toughing gold, and so great were .the hardships endured. that the two men almost died .of exhaustion; While in extremities they were over- talson by a terrible storm, which killed Flower. 1 His comrade, though terribly weakened by hunger and toll, tett 11 bis 'duty 10 give the cat•pse a decent burial end dug a grave at the toot of a tree. As he threw out the earth Its struck n nugget, which under the naive of "The Oliver Martin Chunk" has become fem. ons as the largest ever Lound In the • News World. It weighed 151 pounds, six ounces, and realized $38,270, The episode is truly extraordinary. Flower died in the search for gold, and his death reveals ,the gold he has so ton g etdosought. Martin, reduced to the depths of despondency 1dby 111 uses and the loss of his mate, suddenly finds himself A RICH MAN; all the richer because his companion can no longer olaim a share, Another ease 81 the Irony of luck is furnished by a Frenchman of .Eldora• ln comity, who was so mucin overcome Cy the sudden discovery of a gold lump worth !65,000 that,he went, lfSane. As a contrast may be' mentioned the good tcrtune of a couple et tramps, turned ,. nit a westward bound train because they could not pay theft three. While they stumbles alongon to't - o h y o thee, lisp pelted to fleet a nugget worth 412,750, Evert mora welcoiite than the nugget, • t' may lie far awe to gold, width c y nm other geld. Is Is the discovery of &gold bad or vein. Ms. hwMn ,,e a,r a fit freer. aka Canada furnish some startling of mores of rfoh strikes. None is more than that connected with then dr,nly of George Cormack, a half breect the One meriting, after a night nil pen on the banks of the Bonanza -(es it was afterward called), he among the ashes of his camp the "color" of gold, and soon rear that fartuge'ilad tavorhid him. The of 1896.97 Was lust closing In, that the 250 inhabitants of "F,orty Mile" the nearest mining camp, who at hastened to the creak, were secure invaders until after the next year's M1 winter long the lucky crowd shoe- cited out dirt so. rich that, when the spring cleanup or washing came, as mach as $900 worth of gold was talion, out of a single pan! Some men made money steadily at Ilia rain of $17 a minute. One of Lha most curious epi- sodes of this "strike" eves .the result of an act of sheer laziness. An ex-harlen- der of Forty Mile, being ton sluggish to g0 up to the top of Bonanza Creek to peg out his claim as last comer, e'r • ed aside into a subs scary creek, tho'r)• dcrado• and shuck a deposit000which soh- sequently yielded $3,000,000. Next spring those of the Bennnzs workers who re- turned to San Francisco took with them more than a TON OF GOLD DUST AND NUGGETS, stone up Ln an extraordinary variety of receptacles, ranging tram a deerskin P g t bag to a jam pot, and the gold rushes t of '49 and '51 were repeated to Mon- dike, Any one acquainted with. American mining annals will.at onee think of the marvellous Comstock vein of Nevada, and its Sig Bonanza, the largest body of silver ore ever struck by a miner. The great silver vein was first cut into in 1859 bytwo prosectors, McLaugh. lin and O'iley, who both died poor and broken hearted. Other miners, who stuck to their claims, raised fortunes from the great treasure house of silver, became. "nabobs" and spent their money rc, al! without fear of its giving out, Mexico is a veritable lanof silver, lust as England is a land o[ iron and coal. Its wealth attaracted the Spann- ards under Cortes nearly 400 years ago. But at that time the silver deposits had scarcely been touched, and it was not until the Spanish conquerors brought European mineralogical knowledge to bs¢, on the great slier lodes of So• Hera, Zacatecas Guanajuato and Hld- algo that the real resources of the noun- Sazuma enoraCea mineund owner discovered At in it a middle of the eighteenth century a solid silver mass weighing 2,700 pounds, which was only one of a number of similar finds. The Flores Mine of San Luis Potosi was struck by a poor priest, who for a mare trifle bought up a claim His whiave Lurebeen abandoned asendowed hies with 53,000; 00e worth of silver. in the same region a negro Mater found amon the ashes of his campfire g —a curious parallell to the Cormack opt• code—a button- of silver,. which led 4o his becoming a millionaire. More roc- in 1826, two Indian peasants, so poor that they could not raise money to buy a meal, stumbled on the out• crop of a vein which yielded 628,000. Returning for a moment to the sigh- teenth century, we encounter the elle rte history of muleteer, one Ptere a Tererns, who struck the Reai del A4ouLe deposits In Hidalgo, and at the end of twelve years had AMASSED $15.000,000 Besides being ennobled by the King cit Spain forpecuniary services rendered. In Chile the name of Godoy is as- sociated with great riches. A hunter rf this name was chasing guanacos, and being tired, sat down under the shellac of a large rock, one part of which had a bright color. He cut off pieces with hie knife—the substance of the rock at this point was quite soft --and had it assayed. The substance was recognized as silver lead. Godoy had discovered a vein containing an extraordinary amount of silver. His good fortune was afterwards eclipsed by that of the brothers Bolados, fuel carriers by trade, who found in a crevice opened by an earthquake an enormous block of stn- rer ore worth nearly $1,250,000. In 1700 a boy was fishing in a Virgin- tan stream, when he ran short of bait, and while hunting for more he saw in the bank of the stream a streak of ,black stone, which proved to be rich bituminous coal. Thus was started the soft coal industry of the Sastern States, which to -day has reached such vast proportion, The even more valuable anthracite or hard coal deposits of Pen- usylvania were also disoovered Ly sportsmen. Philip Glnther In 1791 struck the first signs of anthraoite'in the sou- them coal field. This was how it haP paned: Being short of food,' he went out into the woods with his gun to look for deer. A day's hard walkingbrought him no luck, and he was returninghome at nightfall, ver dispirited, whn lie kicked something hard whioh rolled away before him. He stopped and pfoked it up and wondered It this was the coal that he had heard people speak of as likely to exist in that region. Such it proved to be. From the prizes drawn 111 the lotterymy et miningg we may turn to the blanks whiah'tall to the majorit of prospect. y tors. Sometimes good fortune never ,appears at all; at others. it just evades the grasp. of him who, consciously; •er unoohsclously, is ON THE POINT OF IEZENG IT. Petroleum now ranks second to coal as a producer of heat., light and power. More than 5,000,000,000 gallons of this liquid aro raised annually In `siflerent q parts o[_ the worts. 'It was not until the year 1859„ however, that peLtoleum 'he gen to play Its present important part among the commodities whioh- conduce most to the comfort of mankind. In that year Col, E. L. Drake, ferment conductor an the New York and New Haven Railroad, was engaged by David Fletcher and Pater Wilson, two rest. dents at Titusville, Pa., to sink an ail well in the 011 Creek Valley. He was much hampered by quicksands, whioh filled Obs bores as haat es it was drilled, end so he conceived the idea of driaving down iron pipe to keep out intruding eubstences until rock should be reached.. People regarded him as a madman foe trying to draw oil from the earth throe a 3tube "like a boy sucks cider from barrel through a straw." He persevered, nevertheless, and at i depth of thirty -tinea Teat struck hard soak. Operations were continued un- til910,000 had been pent, and then,es p.To no oil ped debts aandah iv h'S die Lai. to pay oft debts and give upthe fit• -,....max n i> a,., r,Kn..»„ w„ "ts•..., this order, on August 26, 1859, tile teal UM, ata depth of sixty-nine [eek, Bud• bandies fell six inches into a crevice of hedges, rock and the bore hole filled with almost to the surface. A pump was rigged and 1,500 gallons a day were at raised and sold tor a dollar a gallon. traverse Thousands of people 11ooked to the spot aerated anger as gold seekers to prat. by the discovery. Farms nil around were leased at enormous prices. The coun• tryslde soon echoed with the sound of many drilling outlets and pit flowed up is in torrents, a largo pert of the yield running to waste for lode of barrels clangorous in which to trumped the ell. Thus 1c gen nn industry which has added $2,000,000,000 to the wealth of the Unit• ea Stales. Yet (Ion. Drake himself missed wealth, In the first place he omitted to patent his lxeli sinking process and so THREW AWAY A. FORTUNE, - a fid lace. an accident set I'm in, the s co Ptomer tit o11 alight and destroyed the pump, with the result thral btot el hadore a another could peedbe ri rigged,tapi p bearing strata and seriously reduced prices. This bad luck seems all the worse because so happened that (bake s oil wan), was the shallowest ever sunk In Pennsylvania! If a thousand wells had been sunk at other spots in fee Creek to a depth of only sprobably feet, every one of them would probably have been 'dry as a powder horn." Still !t is impossible to calculate what oivillz• anon has gained by that happy freak of chance. A single foot more and Pealce would have raised his drill for the last time and the priceless rock ".11 deposits of the United States—perhaps cf the world—might have been untapped for decades. Another striking instance of bad luck Is that of . Porte, a Frenchman wfio, in 1880, exploited a mine at Monte Ca- lint in Tuscany. For seven years he burrowed for Dopper and at last found himself in circumstances so straightened that he sold the mine for the proverbial cid song, The purchasers at once cut Into a mass of ore which returned a Front of $20,000, and Iho mine yielded $200,000 annually for many years, mak- trig the fortunate proprietors million- aires. The fact that he had so narrowly missed a prize so preyed on M. Forte's mind that he died on a brok- en heart: ; and northern England to bled IN of straw to thele fences and iN During the sheeting season on the big Yorkshire moors tali sticks are placed intervals along the pathways that the gorse and ling, and de. with wisps of straw, It is a warning to the peasantry that THE "SPOSiT1VG GENTRY" are out shooting and that there is danger crossing these particular parts, Min- ers frequently warn their coturadee of Purls of the workings by throwing straw about the ground. In Germany, workmen repatrin the roofs of houses hang a bundle of sheeny from the top window as a danger signal to passers-by, while bricklayers In Nor• way and Denmark tie a similar bundle to the Lop of a scaffold -pole to signify that the chimney -pots are set and their work is finished, In England It is cus. 10 fixity fireplaces In now houses, to place 5 raw within the rano. 'I•bis denotes that the masonry Is not sumeiency dry to withstand tie heat of a fire, A bundle of straw left In a field in Sussex Is a sign that the gleaners are g g' not yet allowed to gather the corn left by the reapers. Whon wheat is being sown, a stick, crowned with straw, is Gut up at eacit end of the geld in order to guide the sower and .provent him aping twice over the same ground. Tied to hedges and fences, straw is yet again used by surveyors as 8 guide in measuring allotments. To denote when roads, which are the Property of the Crown, are closed to vehicular traffic, large bundles of straw are suspended at each end of the tier- oughfare. Fastened to a pole stuck in c newly -sown field, a bundle of straw serves as a "scarecrow"; seoured to the roof of a farmhouse In many part of Ireland, It Is an invitation to passers- by to enter and drink the health of THE BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM who are within; and when strewn thick- ly across the street, so that the noise et traffic is deadened, it denotes, as is well known, that a person Is lying dangerously 111 in its vicinity. In the West of England neighbors show their disgust of wife -beaters by tying straw to the door -handles of the house in which such cruel husbands live. The drier of the first caravan of a travailing olrcus invariably throws straw cut at intervnis so that those tollowin g behind shall know which path he has taken. Similarly, when an army is marching to action the advance scouts, provided with bundles of straw, fasten a bunch at each turning, or a little way town the road, so that the ofrcers in charge may know for a certainty the route their scouts have taken. hDessite tthe invention of knitting ma - e e , m y e de ly women in the north of Ireland still carry wisps of straw stuck in their. belts. These form Isst a tfurther stor hnrtoc allianrt sande tint their wearer• is willing to make knitted goods to order. straw, Even especially, ally policemenuse thon ere at• e ht many war sea and ofwhees upon Chale mheats. Providingthemselves with straws about a foot long, many constables place one a beneath immediatelya en atntnd door, other g P places. it the straws have been disturbed or crushed, the know at once that there y Is need for Investigation into the causes. This simple hick has been Lhe dawn- fall of not a few clever housebreakers, .--__.+—__, GIFTS IN ABYSSINLA. Exporlonce of a Stranger Who Wished to Do the Right Thing. An agent of the British government, or years vhlevvisited to eAhyeslheafsosome native (molal bysome suitablepresent. The bestowal of this was, however, a mat- ter quite beyond the knowledge of one brought up in the court circles of West. rn civilization. His experience -was in- structive. "The arrangement was badly hand- led," he says, "and when I arrived sev- eral persons besides the high official were present. After a few light Wines lead been discussed, I mentioned my ab - IBM in making the visit, and as no of- ter was made to dismiss the byst.end ers, I exhibited my donation.h. In an instant. 1 was aware that 1 heel made a [also step. A frown of mingled surprise and indignation clouded the hitherto serene brow, and tonal p of tathomloss integrity declined the 1 co[ rered. gift, while strong inward foundfinnan; a vent in a rocking motionthat "'You have utterly misunderAind me; said he. 'The friendliness which [have shown ,you has been extended solely with pure motivss of kindness to the stranger in the land. Devotirn to aldaliy' ISeninternaltcorsctoua,m,�y re- paotil,ude. Your intentions era rfpubt• loss good, but granter onspere wilt await mo from tLio knowledge that Yell will now recognize how disinterested aonduot has been. a g y Y, "My of war flrrril waved awe and for some period his frame cun- tinned, shaken by inward emotion, L0 the great edification of the bystanders, wis a eyes remained Axed on the round. ground. was undoubtedly very discomfit- in and my apologies for so great a ", mistake were profuse, i declared that I could not quit his (Mode until rester- ed calmness had given me the assurance that his feelings had recovered thel> usual serene hone. As, fortunately, this seta happened, I left, pro fit wi inial ea n6 the miserable mnnai o occasioned the awkwardness. "Naturall,y, 1 consulted a native nu• t�g sotthorny, vitro laid witnessed file trans- action, and lira m(slnko which [ had committed; but ha was so tickled ty the circumstances Ihat 1 extracted, from him for some time little but laughter, Ilis eventual view of hatters was eon' fided in few words: "'Try again; but take more, and hs.ve no witneesese "0n the next oerasion T fmtnd the governor alone„ and when i opened the sribjorb on which my visit wes founded his eyes twinkled, and he said: "'From the first plantant when I SAW you 1 had n presentiment that we were you to be rear friends. 1 do not o g r. these s a !snow if fel repenns he he : , aper• ll Units, huh with 05 they are general, and we do not find then deceptive. You may I. ,vet heard—rind T nm aware 11 is mmeeetiv slated of us by'foretellers-• AND G OLD ENGLAND MERRY LD l.ltfvl, if ABOUT JOHN BULL IN HEWS B MAIL AND HIS PEOPLE, '-" Occurrences In the Land Thal Reigns Supreme in the Commercial %Weld. Iii'. Robert Whitehead, inventor of Lha W'hteleail torpedo, let an estate In la the United Kingdoft valued at £454,000, bil The people of the United Kingdom ti spent £22,200,000 loss for drink In the p last five years than in the five years be. It fore that. Representing some thirty schools, al nearly 4,000 public school volunteers E were engaged the other day at Alder. ri shot in operations, f Only 2 field out o[ 670 members of tlhe o present British Parliament are in fairy of woman's suffrage, accordingto a statement by Mr, IGeir Hardie. St. Michael's Church in the Strand, u London,has been sold for £20,000, v la equal to £5 1s. per square foot, to be et used as a site for business or news- es paper purposes. 1 Linotype machines era Doing lnstal]ed o at the Bank of England, and in future t the addresses on the dividend notices s sent out will be printed instead of wrtt- ten by hand. p The site ditilcul(y at Birkenhead has t at last been surmounted, and so Mr. Carnegie's gift to the town—£15,000 for a central library and £5,000 for s branch libraries—has been secured. It Is 45 years since King- Edward— u then, of course, Prince of Wales— fi bought the Sandringham estate for Y £220,000. He has considerably in - creased the beauty of the estate• by planting innumerable trees. The Welsh National Eisteddfod is the T biggest open-air concert in the world. til bl least 20,000 •people attend it every k year. ' During military manoeuvres at Shef- n field on the 16th ult. a couple of bulls b took part in the proceedings and routed n a party of soldiers, b Major Oswald 14, Ames, who served it nearly 22 years !n the Second Lite i Guards, and is the tallest officer in the t British army, is retiring from the sera t vice. i [t Js officially announced that the King's birthday will be celebrated in London and at all home stations on p June 29th. At all other stations it will beo29t atoll on Nov. 9tlt. The British employer has to pay, on the average, 46 per cent. more for labor then Lha German employer pays, while difference isc191 per int nst the American "Please do not smoke, eat, strew t paper, sit upon the tombstones, pluck (loners in the churchyard, or wheel mail carts," runs a notice posted at the entrance to Whalley church -yard. A comprehensive work enticed °The Laws of England" is being compiled under the general editorship of Lord Halsbury. It is intended to be a coon plate statement of English law, and will occupy eighteen or twenty volumes. Much success has atonies tfle inter- change of letters and postcards between a its in the London County Council pupils and those in schools in the colonies. London boys and girls are put in communication with children in the elementary schools In any part of His \tajesty's dominions from which appli- cations are received, There is In the possession of the Rothschilds a grandfather's stock whichh R practically p' 3 Priceless. It oust origin- ally over £'30,000. The mechanism re- cards the day of the week, the month of the year, the phases of the moon, and strikes strikes eachThe bell, quarters chs hhour. ram thin with these olocics—has a second g. hand, Baroness Burdett-Couts, who is 92 years of age, in early life frequently visiled Lheamorer parts of London, and assisted personally in her airnsglving, and while on these expeditions she was often accomnanted by the novelist, Charles Dickens. —.4...._. TOLD IN STRAW WISPS fYARN[NGS AND MESSAGES DENOT• ED BY STRAW. — There is Quite an Extensive Language in These Signs In the Old Country. When a farm servant in Perthshire and other arts of Scotland is seekingy a new situation he doesn't advertise an the local newspaper, or even apply to farmers in the neighborhood• He lust wails Ior "feeing day, as Lhe market at Lady Day and Michaelmas 1s called. Then with a wisp of straw atther be- Lween itis teeth or in his hat, lie strolls up and down the market place• With- cut a word being uttered •iL is a sumol eat intimation that its bearer is a ploughman, stableman, or other farm- worker- and is seeking employment with a new master. A similar custom still prevails in the North of England p and in some parts of Ireland, says Pear- son's Weekly. Straw, as a sign that certain things are "Por sale" is frequently used. Plait- ed into a horse's tail with the end ourled up, it has such a meaning, but when the plait is partly unwound and allowed to hang dawnwards, it denotes that the horse has recently changed ownership. A wisp of straw fastened to the main- mast of a fishing -boat or a pleasure - yacht, In many districts, is a sign that its owner is desirous of selling it. On the Thames, watermen place straw in the sterns of their craft for male. DEALERS IN FOWLS AND EGGS in the North of Ireland know, without any waste 02 . time, whether farmers have any • of the produce they seek to Buy. Farmers having these for sale erect a pole, with straw tied to Its Lop, on their grounds as near as possible to a public road. Cheeses, when sold at Chester's and other' cheese fairs, can in- stonily be defected by tin hnndlul t i straw on top of them. An even mora popular use or straw is as a warning of danger, When triages are being repaired it is sus- tomary to hang a bundle of straw from an arch so that those passing beneathbody. 1t shall bo warned against falling bricks and such like debris, A few wins tied to a horse's tall de- notes that •it t, a "kicker," while straw for the came purpose, Is fled to Its sten- post in the stable, To warn pedestrians who would cross a pathway running through their fields that a vicious bull is grazing there, Kent farmers taston a bundle oP straw to the gate leadtn to it, Sonia farmers alsogive further warning by tying straw to the horns of the bad-tempered animal, Tramps in the Sottttl of Ireland tight shy of entering farmyards whose gates ere adorned with wisps of straw. It is sufficient notice that tierce watch -dogs are kept for tramps and trespassers, As A WARNING TO SKATERS in the Fen districts straw is strewn about broken and dangerous ice and should there be any holes ©s in its other- wise sound surface these are marked by traw beta stuck Ien tlnwa s Into the g g Y Londoners frequency meet with draw a us a sign at warning, When wood- paving is being repaired, or the path. wayis bean dug up for any purose, g P ' Iron rods, to which a rope is attached, mark oft the dangerous area. Very oh ten a weep of straw is fastened to eabh rad as a further precaution to pedes- inions. Without the straw, if the tackground were dark and the day was dull, short-sighted and absont-minded people might not be aware of their danger till the" ropes were reached. h Straw, too, is frequently hung outside a warehouse to denote that the Crane is being used, and to so warn passers. a by- Herdsmen In the home Celerities knew directly they see straw lied to the tori of a tall red pole 10 ware barbed wire, warn huntin parties off fields naw- gg P ly sown with wlten6 or plover rnola, 11 r la nnarmmnry Ellin with farmers In env- SPEECH AT THE WEDDING FEAST. Very few persons acquit themselves ed - nhsspeeabridegroom an' was dingytin feast it Maiden called upon, as usual, to responthat d to .the ad previously pst, in letade0 lithe tact used- he He roots roBlushie to ng tothe intended hair, he he was .unprepared for speech - making, but, unfortunately, placed his hand upon the bride's shoulder, and looked down at her as he stammered out his opening (and concluding) words:. "This-er—thing has really been thrid upon me:' _� TO SICKEN HER. He : "There is a certain young lady deeply interested in me, and while 1 Like peg, you know, sell I never could love her. I want to put an and to It without breakingthe poor girl's heart• Can you biggest any plan?" she "Do you call there often?" •Ole: "No, Indeed; not any oftener than I can possibly help, She r "Call oftener." _ PROOF. • „ Doctor 1 Have you heard of Mr. Blank's Beath? Friend : ''No. Aro you euro he's dead?" --" „ Indignant Youth t I want you 10 recollect, sir, that I'm a genteman" 011ier Follow : `All right, sir;as a inland of the family T wtli do my beat, but you aro putting my capacity for memory to a fearful tet.' - — that, we are deceitful and avaricious, Do not believe tenet all countries con- tarn bad mon, and your experience has perhaps been unfortunate. But we shall remain always Mends—end what are presents, efter all, but external am- Llems of esteem? 'There were no difficulties on this occasion, Ile was 01)010051y much, plen.sed, and Ovally' said that the Mesa., ,of Providence would be sato to ate Ing tend the =Phone et a men who was c(roum• thoughtful of the and shiners pt pU1CP.3; and he was pooY, very' boor. .e .• 1' FEAT CARIBOU NERDS • MENSE NUI%IBERS OF THEM Ail- u'1tATte SI•M8 NNUALLY, thousand. This erasing ground Is my ono of scores of similar trails. Somewhere about the middle of Sep - ember the migratory tide sets souilh- vard, tate hinds with fawns forming the anguard of the long procession. The zy stags hang on the rear until some arm more severe than ordinary gives n unmistakable earnest of the approach t winter, Then all alike hurry toward the shel- ved districts In the south, taking a freight course, over boulder -strewn mountain heights, through tangled and bdurate masses of timber, across moun- nin torrents and immense lakes. During winters of unusual severity 1.ho nimals often draw quite near to the etlemenls on the south coast; where- on the setters, armed with fearsome rearms, such as sealers used soma nilly cars ago, straightway proceed to deal - ate the the herds with VOLLEYS OF BUCKSHOT. CUSTOMS OF QLD ROUSES SOM(( QUAINT CEIIENIOiNIES 011' THE OLDEN DAYS, he price of caribou venison at such roes in tate city of St. John's has been down to drop to two cents a pound. The foes of the caribou other than man are not numerous. Although the !g gray wolf is still reported on the orthern plains, in considerable num- ers, it is now seldom encountered in the iterior. Having formerly existed in urge packs el, is supposed that a migra- ion must have ocourrad across the win- e ice floes of the Belle Isle Strait to he coast of Labrador. Fvsn such a redoubtable beast of prey as the gray wolf could at no lime make ertain of a successful foray upon an animal endowed with such great speed and endurance as a well -grown caribou. A trustworthy old Newfoundland limp- er says that he once witnessed an me- ting chase by wolves of a couple of prickets, or two-year-old caribou slags. Both sides doubtless were going at heir utmost pace. He measured the bounds of the caribou and Lound them eighteen feet, while the wolves only olea.red fourteen, so that the caribou easit3' gained on them when close pressed. So much ahead were the caribou at Imes that they rolled over on their backs in the snow to cool their panting and Cleaving sides and seemed to galber pea' strength and refreshment from the act. Another enemy to the caribou fawns has of late years quietly replaced the wolf, the stealthy and bloodthirsty Lynx canadensis. The island at this data falrly swarms with these fleece cats. Antlers ere oommon to both sexes 01 Iho caribou. There aro rare occasional slags with short legs and compact bodies, which never carry antlers and show no rudimentary growth, and there also are some few does devoid of horns., A Newfoundland guide tells of seeing a dozen mature caribou in company, and only one, • Lord Slrathcona gives flaps to Guests to War at Alorning Service, 'There are still one or two houses in England where quaint ceremonies of older days are strietiy maintained, Lowther' Caste, Penrith, Is an lustuucu in point, (Inc pialut'esque Inoldeat al- ways talces place mete, evening, even when the Earl and Countess are dining quite alone. Lord Lonsdale drinks ilrst to "The King,' next, addressing Lady Lonsdale, to "The Ladies." He then ails down, and hoe ladyship, rising, pro - 00505, with equal gravity, "Tire (twine - men. LOAD STRATIlCONA'S CUSTOM. Lord and Lady Slrathcona, when staying at their country castle, are also tpbservers of a certain quaint custom. At the service which is held every morn- ing in the private chapel no woman is allowed to be present with head un. covered. Should a visitor, unaware of the rule of tate house, appear bare. headed, she is requested to don the regu- lation cap. There is the less excuse for the omission, as a white cap of the re- quired description Is always placed on the dressing -table of each lady guest be- fore her arrival. There are still heads of old and wealthy Scottish families Who would not on any account allow a billiard table to be placed in their houses. Among these may bo mentioned Lord Mens - field. Though a good sportsman and devoted to country pursuits, especially curling, he will not have a billiard -room fitted up in his magnificent old man- sion, Scone Palace, Perthshire. ALE FOR THE HEIR. A curious coelom in connection with the birth of an heir to the earldom of Carnarvon is still observed at I-Ilghclere Castle. The tradition of the family re - qui es that on such an occasion 500 gal- lons of ale must be brewed, to bo kept in one huge cask, which must rentals unopened until the heir shall attain his majority. The last occasion of this ob- servance was when little Lord Parches - ter was born in 1898. The ale was duly brewed, and a Newbury cooper eon - el meted the cask from an oak grown on the Highclere estate. It was hooped with brass, and bears a coronet and in- scription with the date, and also the name of the butler who was responsible for the brewing. it is said that during the great battle of Blenheim a spaniel followed the Duke • of Marlborough all day long close at heel, never leaving him until the tide of success had turned decisively In favor of the British arms. Tho dunce Look the dog home, and his duchess, the famous Sarah Churchill, cared for it until its death. Thts dog, the story goes, was the progenitor of the well-known Blenheim spaniels. Ever since that time it has been the custom in the Churchill faintly for each duke to present a Blenheim spaniel to his bride when she enters Blenheim Palace for the first time as mistress. A NEARLY WHITE STAG, carried antlers. The caribou is a strong and gallant swimmor. Each limb is like a paddle, the extended hoof answering to the blade. In the winter the frog of these enormous hoofs becomes completely ah - sorbed, so that its shape grows concave, while very sharp, shell-like edges grow well out on the margins, assistiryg the animal immensely in crossing frozen falces and scaling the steep sides. of sllppery rock precipices. It is an interesting sight to watch the herds taking water with as much un- ooncern as wild fowl. The enormous thickness of theirdense coats of hair doubtlesshelps to float their bodies high above the surface, giving a buoyancy almost equal to that of a pork jacket. While swimming. they rest their under - jaws on the water, with nostrils slightly elevated, and carry their white. scuts erect. Should they suddenly catch a whiff of wind from. the hunter they give evidence of their excitement by bounding twine or thrice almost entirely clear of the water, causing a „tremendous com- motion. In their migration they are usually seen to travel on the leads (door paths) in single filo, the stags, as a rule, bringing up the rear, The most forward and alert sentinels of the herds aro the berren does; next ,comes the does- with fawns, always prepared to give warn- ing to thole indolent consorts. All the savannahs of the, interior of Newfound- land are scored by' well-defined leads, which the herds invariably mance for and follow. 6 THE .POET'S HARD LOT. Miss Coyiotgh t "No, Mr, Penwlper, mamma doesn't allow ale to accept pre- sents from young men." Peet: 'Anal 1 had so wished to pre- sent you with a copy of my poems!" "Oh 1 thought le was something of Value." CALLS TIIE HOURS. Those who for the first Limo visit 130, - volt' Cassa, one of the seats of the Duke of Rutland, will witness with surprise a strange repo of medieval limos. All night long a watchman paces the battle- ments with a halberd over his shoulder, and every hour calls aloud the time and the condition of the weather, exactly as the Landon "Charleys" of a century ago used to do. This custom has prevailed ever since the very beginning of the six- teenth century, and until a few years ago the watchmen still retained the Elizabethan costume. This dross has now given way to more convenient modern garments, but the watchman still keeps his nightly guard. COLLECTS HORSESHOES. Another custom, which is better' known, belongs to a former seat of lithe Dukes of Rutland. This is the 'privilege of exacting a horseshoe from every visi- tor to Oakham Castle. Oakham Castle is not at present in the tenancy of the - Manners family, but of the Finches, and round the walls of this twelfth century Mansion ars to be seen no fewer than 142 horseshoes, ranging, iron the ordin- ary size up to a gigantic shoe seven feet in length. The latter was given by George IV., is of solid bronze, and cost £50. The most treasured gems among the collection are shoos given by Queen Elizabeth and by, our present Queen. The shoes are gilded and each is sur- mounted by the coronet proper to the rank its donor. Seeiofgnthat it !s illegal for any sub- ject to retain an armed force, it is not strange that the one exception to this law, timely, the Duke of Athol, jealous- ly guards his privilege of keeping up two companies of retainers. Of one company the height of its members is 6 feet 135 inehas, of the outer 5 teat 10% InchesTho little army, whiahr is Inept at Blair Castle, Perthshire, is regularly inspected by the duke himself. In 1841 the bodyguard was inspected by Queen Victoria and presented with a now set of colors. At an election meeting recently lite candidate was somewhat troubled by a man in the audience, Wito at length became offensively personal, "Is it trio that your mother washes---• he began; bit before he could add the word "dotes the witty candidate called out. smartly: "Of course she does; why, don't you?" This raised a loud laugh ae the disturber's expense; but, still stn• daunted, he returned to the attatec. "You cant deny; he said, ."that your tattier was 8 rag'ans•bone man. 1 e'oft b+mighmofd lothea t so e him thirty " years ago." Acid I see you're Mill wearing ihomi was the candidate's Lightning retort, WHERE IMMENSE ENERGY LiES- Talking before the institution of Elec- trical Engineers at Glasgow, on the un- known energy contained In the chemical elements and the prospect of malting it available, Mr. F. Soddy said that the forces at our disposal compared with those exhibited when stn atone suffere change are of a different and lower order of magnitude. Suppose, he said, that a Way -could b4 found in winch uranium, which disintegrates to the extent of a thousand -millionth part, annually, could be made to disintegrateconmpletely itt the course of a year then from one grain of, uranium 1,000,000,000 calorie could be evolved, which, converted into electric energy, would cuinlce to keep a 82 oandib•power lamp burning oontn- uousiy through the year. By the expen- diture, of about one ton of uraninite, costing leas than $5,000, mare energy would bo derived than is supplied by all the electric supply'stations of London put together.