HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1907-2-7, Page 2++++++++++++++++++++++
1 THE EXILES OF I
SUNDOWN CAMP
The dull boom of a en dish being
beaten with a stick sounded out, in
camp. It, was the signal•for !nester in
the rough mining eettletnent when any
wetter of interest to the community
was to be considered. In a few minutes
all work was suspended, and two -hun-
dred red -started miners were hurrying
from all parts of lhe field to the little
bare patch amidet the rows of while
tens, Which answered toe a village
square, There was a look of expectaacy
on allthe keen, sunburnt faces, for the
call to muster alight mean anything of
interest, from a murder to the announce
-
went of a dance.
"Sydney Jack," .a tall. sltght man, with
wavy fair hair and a curly inoustache,
stood on a box in tho centre of the group
and looked around him. He wns
cleanly -built, dandyish man, with an
taelfnatIon to smart, neallyeeting
clothes and •scarlet sashes. As he
straightened himself up and glanced
quickly at the excited faces in front, ot
, him there was a trace of nervotesnese in
his manner.
"Mates," he said, in a high, shrill
Voice, "I've been robbed.
There was a groan from the crowd,
for in that primitive camp tent robbery
was execrated almost more than murder.
"Yoe Iceow, mates," he went on, "how
last week I bottomed on a teethe of nug-
gets. I didn't allow for there being 51
darned skunk in the camp, so I hid them
In my tent, This morning 1 fouled they
were gone."
The mutineer or disgust that was hooted
showed that the meaner crimes were
more loathed there than in a more civil-
ized conimunIty. The miners could not
believe that one of their number Was
guilty of such knavery.
"What man d'yer suspect?" they
shouted,
• Sydney Jack looleed round the crowd
keenly.
"I don't say I can eptton on to the
right man," be said, "but I saw someone
near the lent late last night."
"fits name?" they shouted together.
Sydney ;lack paused for a moment.
"[Warta Joyce," he said at length.
There was a hush, for. the accused was
the most. respected man in the camp—a
young, energetic Sydney -skier, who with
undaunted enthusiasm had led the rush
from the coast over miles of arid plain
to this golden camp in the desert.
"It's a Ile I" he said, stepping out from
the crowd.
leis virile, clean-shaven face was
turned haughtily to his accuser, and his
Oyes were blazing.
Them was a murmur of excitement
from everyone. As was the custom, a
committee of three miners was chosen
to .search the tents, lite accused man's
evince inspected first. The crowd steed
waiting impatiently. Sydney Jack,
standIng on hes box in the centre, was
the most restless of the group, fidgeting
uneasily with his feet, and seeming in-
tent on gettingback his gold. Ile was
i
not long kept n suspense. Joyce's roll
of blankets were dragged out of his
tent, and there, hidden away, were the
missing nuggets.
The leader of the search party, an old
sunburnt miner who had followed a
dozen rushes to Eldorados, stepped out.
"Now, then, Joyce," he said, "you
know our custom.. We've got no kind
of use for tent robbers here. I give you
an hour's erne lo pack your swag, fill
your water -bottle, and then quit."
Joyce seemed dazed for a moment.
There was an expreseion of bewilder-
ment on his fare, anti the crowd looked
at him, some in disgust and some in
puzzled wonder.
"All right, males," he said. don't
blame you for sending me oa the track,
but there's an almighty bad man in this
camp, and some day you'll (Ind out who
he is."
It was all over. The crowd of red-
shirted miners hurried back to their
work, tuid two. went 5110011,1'to pack
thee' swege—the accused man and his
mate. The mate went as a menu of
(terse, for in the West tneri go only 13y
twos, and a mate sticketh closer than a
brollfee. Clothes evere hurriedly bundled
together and strapped in the blankets,
both neen thinking herd and uttering not
a word, Then Joyce spoke tor the first
time:
"Pill the water -bottle, Jack, and I'll
meet you at the web."
' Ile hurried up between the rows of
toile to where a \\foothill shanty was
built on a hill. A dark-haired girl was
Inning over the verandah rails with
Mars ite her eyes. She was the only girl
in the place, and was theretern the Riot
or the miners, who almost, worshipped
her with a quaint reverential deference.
But Joyce loved her with the consuming
passion of his life.
"Sny you dente believe 11, Kit," he said
impulsively. •
Site tried to affect a cold aloofness.
"'Whe
at am I to believ?" she asked,
"Anything but that I mend do a low-
down trick like that•." he said eneneelly.
"I wouldn't mind taking the track and
'swagging lo the oilier eral of the world
if I knew you believed in me."
Ho fell, her lett was to him51 test
itting, but he passionately wanted her
faith.
"They say gambling drove you to 11,"
she said.
Ile broke from her impatiently.
"I Want, your whole -tweeted belief,"
he saki, "1101 your charitable muse. t
know that you think me guilty in your
hSortie
eart. day perhops Pll prove lo
you that Pin not a slinking env."
He eltiode off, meeting hie mete et the
wall. lea the girl sat 1n her chair
• watching him, her head, bowed down
with trouble. See could have Mend it in
her heart 1.0 forgive him mnny limes
olte, tut IL eves herd le believe him in-
nocent. Iler Tether, the leerier of the
searcel committee, bed Mime/lied against
Mtn billeely. Snell men, 50 saidein the
old deys wetted have been lynreed
out /inlayer; but Sydney Jack hed Men
loyee's peel, In a week, ono -sided kind e1
W51' by /winhe g that probably needed
the money lo pay MI a grantiling fleet,
The two men pushed beck metes the
(Inert, •along the arkl, sun -belted plain,
hry had hodden with ettell peondsing
drearne a feW ellort Menthe before,
They reet the; long, winding camel -train fully trampled, hut that no bones were
teeing supplies out to the camp, lind the •broken. However, the injured Man MS
Afghan drivers Jeered at them for out,- quite unable to wale. There was only
.casls. 11 Wee a drear)', heart -breaking one thing to he donee and that was to
journey. One eight, after lour dayscarry him Into canle•
hard walking, they camped at the side Joyee picked Itim up in hie arms as he
of a wen, utterly worn out from the would a child and etarted'eon the Jour-
lieeslitese of thole swags and the hard- nay. It was a long, painful walk, for he
nese uf the plain, was tired and eis shoulders were tech -
"lee no use, Seek," saki Joyce; "PM Ing with the day's -Wore. The shimmer -
lead beat, We'll have to stop here tor Mg plain seemed to stretch out- for [1111.
11 day or two." less miles, but still he trudged on with
"%Yee, lei, us spry round In the morn- his human bunion, Only once, when ho
tep and do some prospecting." had to lay the man down for a rest, did
'A forlorn hope, Two 'hundred men he speak to nno,
tlaVe passed over this ground." "eViint del you come hen for, Sydney
"Thitt argues nothing. They had thele Jack?" he asked.
°Yes tight glued on something "1 came Lo buy eomethIne,"
out." . "It must !MVO born almighty. impor-
So the next Morning they were nut Mat lo bring you RS 101, as
!heir .al's sifting 1110 5011 alluvial The num pitused.
The dny beought them nothing but "11 was iMP.fWiant," he said elowly;
disappointment, bul they battled on "Ii• Wes 51 ring.
With a 105 1011(5 energy, prospecting here Joyce tricked him up quickly and
end there and wandering away miles walked on, Ilie face was set, und 11
Mom the camp. In the excitement of the
searth Joyce forgot for a time the sense
of shame which had clung to hirn since
leaving Sundown Camp. He had re-
gained Ills old prospector's enthusiasm,
and thought of little else save the mad,
eager quest for gold. ,
One day as ho worked, a "cooee"
sounded out clear and dedinctacross the
Plain. Ile hurried in the direction of
the voice, and found his mate bending
ardently and excitedly over his tin dish.
"Look here," he said, enthusfasecalle,
"whet ceyou make or that?"
"Gold, by all that's holy."
"Gold 1" exclaimed the other. "I guess
It Is. What's more, 1 reckon we've Piet
about struck the richest patch in Wes -
(retie,'
They pegged oute their claims and
went to molt with uncontrolled vigor
and energy. Lench dawn found them
tolling with renewed zeal, and when the
early Australian darkne-ss fell they
grudgingly postponed their labors.
There there was nO doubt that they had
bottomed on a reef such as is rare even
in the Golden West.
The camel -delvers took the story down
te the coast of how two men had struck
it rich, and al once there eves a rush to
the field. In groups they straggled in—
swagmen, camel -riders, and cyclists,
with their water -cylinders strapped to
their machines. It was a queer, motley
throng—clerks from the city, selectors
from their farms, and old, rugged
miners who had exploited a dozen lei-
dorados.
They came all with hope in their eyes,
pushing with tireless courage over the
barren, dry -lipped deseri to their land of
promise. Some had not waited to rid
themselves of the trappings of the city—
linen collars and thin, polished boots.
Some struggled beneath a burden of lux-
uries such as tinned fruits and prepared
fonds, with intent to take the rough edge
off their camp life. All were infused
with the destre to get in first and peg
out the richest claim on the golden field.
In a few shore weeks Joyce and his
mate found their arid strip of desert,
Welled into a little township. Tents shoe
up like mushrooms in the night, and the
day sounded with the clanging of picks
and shovels. A publican :doled out.
drinks al famine prices from a canvas -
covered cart, and a small store was
started in a tent. The evenings were
spent in talking and smoking and laugh-
ter, as the miners sal at ease'undee the
stars and told yarns or swapped auto-
biographies.
It was civilization in its rawest and
crudest stage, but containing phases
wholly delightful. The camel -trains
wandered in casually once a fortnIght,
bringing the mails and supplies from the
coast. The drivers spread the news of
the golden find further out to Sundown
Camp, and disappointed miners necked
from there to the new field. Thoy were
not malicious men, and intended to let
the story of Joyce and the nuggets die
away in the past, but bit by hit it all
leaked out, like oll from a cracked bottle.
A tent robber is re.garded with teeth-
ing in every mining camp in the West.
Joyce (et the miners look at him with
suspicion as he passed, and his sensi-
tive soul was shrivelled, by their glances
as by the breath of a fiery furnace.
"I'll have to tire the game up, Jack,"
he said to his mate. "I'm playing a lone
hand against Fate."
"Battle through with 11, Joyce," the
other said. "It only •wants time, and
you'll come oet waltzing in the end."
So he toiled on, putting all his energy
STORIES OF LATE SHAH
-^
REWARD FOR A MAN WHO Cunno
TooToutim.
His (terbium's Father Wattled lo KUl
a Man atpalBouerrkinglia7
Tho death of Miezaffar-ed-Din, Shah
1 Persia, recently, recalle some amus-
ing Incidents of recent visits to Europe
end England ley himself mid also le' bis
paternal predecessor, Nesse-W-0ln, 111
the Persian throne.
'While Nesse-ee1-1DM was rin henate
barbarian, cruel and autocratic, hie son
and euccesser had aequired some Eu-
ropean taeles,, and his dispomition 10115
mouth Wes Sinn tightly, Fate had placed kindle. Nesse wee. with difficulty por-
tent in a positlan 511011 as MS not geed seeded on one occasion that he louse
not semi one of Ms suite, who had re
Io think abeut, end he preferred not to
think et all, but lo march blindly on. fended him, to be executed in the gate
The lights of the golden township struck den of Duelcingham Paled; end mi-
tten suddenly, and, bracing himself up other time, the subjeCt of pun-
ishment in Persia being under discus-
sion at a state banquet, he proposed
with perfect seriousness to behead one
of his followers In the presence of the
company to Illustrate the process. He
°nee offered an Englishman -of high
rank and title whose wife WAS a cele-
brated beauty X10,0e0 tor the lady, whom
be desfred to add M his harem.
In contrast to this, it is related that
when his son Miraftar, whose death or.
recently, was at Ostend in 1e00
the Belgian police were much exceed
by the appearance In town al three rag-
ged Orientals, armed with revolvers. IL
teas semisoft Unit their purpose was
to kill the Shell, and they were arrest-
ed. They explained, however, that they
were leersia.n merehants. who, becom-
ing destitute in London, where they
had ceme on a bustness venture, and
learning or the proximity of their ruler,
had managed to beg their way to Ss -
tend to ask him for assistance. They
had purchased the revolvers to protect
themselves frorn hostile English and
Belgian tribes on the journey, they de-
clared. Mirzattare on being informed of
their plight, and finding their story to
bre true, at once issued orders that they
be cared for and sent back to Persia.
with renewed vigor, he trumped on over
the hard sand to the camp. Reaching
his lent, he strode in and laid the Injured
man down on his hunk.
The next day the latter wns raving in
a delirium. The pain and the long walt
under the silent sky thinking that he was
left to die alone had acted cm his brain.
Joyce nursed him \elle a bustunaies
patient rare, Indulging his little whims
and eaprices, Gradually he was nur-
tured back to health. Ills camel WU
found docile and subdued, having worn
away its load of temper, and lie was
left free to depart.
The two men parted In silence. For a
moment Sydney Jack hesitated and made
as if he would like lotooksopdkealio ce
Then 50
wrung Jack's hand,Ide eyes,
and some was racing on Ms curael at a
leping trot down the track and out into
the desert beyond.
. • • . • •
Rut his errand was never accom-
plished. Two days after the girl sat in
an easy chair on the verandah at Sun-
down Camp reading a letter,
"Dear Kit," it ran, "it isn'l easy to
write myself down as a low-down
skunk, but that's what 1 triean to do
right here. 1 knew you were fond -of
Joyce, so I hid the nug,gets hi his blan-
kets to get rid of hlm. But I know
you've cared for him right along, and
you're right. He's a while man, if ever
there was one. I am writing to him and
the other boys telling them about it, and
taking six hours' start on my camel.
Good-bye."
The girl's mos were filled with tears.
The mate she loved hod 'been cleared;
and she reit bleteely the weakness ot her
faith. Silently she took up her pen, end
the love in her soul shone out in a letter
or humiliation and impassioned self-
reproacte—Pearson's Weekly.
SEQUEL TO FALSE CLAIM
into his work and striving to live the
tales down. Al night he kept to him-
self, playing euchre with his male or go.
Ing for long walks in the moonlit desert.
The two men wee° rich now beyond
their wildest drenins, tor their claim had
turned out to be what digger's call a
"jeweller's shop." Joyce had wealth in
abundance 10 live In home), on the coast,
but ha continued to eat his heart, out In
loneliness. A. tale had come to him that
back al Sundown Camp 1011 eves to be
seen everywhere riding about. with Syd-
ney Jack.
The story tended to mese a devil in
bim, that he could only conquer by long,
silent walks. Irate had taken away from
him love and honor, and then in a burst,
of satire had heaped upon him its pulley
wealth. lee, the little dark-haired girl,
wits the only prize in life that he fell was
worth winning, and yet he was forced
to stand with his hands tied while lino -
thee nein pined her favor. Ile felt that
sho had cared for him a little in (he old
deys, end he felt, tha1 he could win her
love completely If the cloud was cleared.
One night as he welked along Inc hard
sandy camel -pad he sew a while object
lying by the road -side. As he drew
nearer, he found that it was a man 13,-
M1) sprawled ou1 on the ground groan-
ing erel eavIng. Even al. a distance
Joyce could recognize the lithe, neat
figure of Sydney Jack. lie hurried on
find knell, (Lowe by his eide.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"The( wretched camel," the man mute
teeed ; "It's pommelled me aleno.st to
death."
"Why. In the name re ell thet's holy,
did you turn your back rin it?"
"I got off at the sink to have a drink,
and (Ito brute conic behind me ani
trampled me. down,"
Joyce knew enough about :Sulky ca10.
els to understand Rs way of paying off et
gr
"Ansi how long have yen been here?'
"Since three ceelock thee afterneon, I
mine move. and helleve My back's
• broke."' •
fte tell again to groaning,'and Joyee
exemined hie !Marin itt the Moonlight.
Ile lotted 11101 the body \vas eeeeted With
betesee Where tete angry bereet •hadspihe
ATTEMPT TO SECURE mcnEs oe A
SPANISH MARQUIS.
$50,000,000 Involved—Peiesi, Who
gineered Plol, Gets Eight-
year -term.
An echo of the remarkable case in
which a• blacksmith made a fruitless
claim to the title and millions or the
efarquis do Casa Rim was heard In the
Barcelona (Spain) courts the other day,
when the persons concerned in the claim
were sentenced to various terms of im-
prisonment.
The story is a Spanish counterpart of
the English Tichborne case.
The blacksmith, Pedro Were, learned
from his relatives in youth that 110 WOS
connected with the marquis of the same
name. By some process of reasoteing he
began to think that he WaS the real heir
to the title and the estates, which have
an estimated value of
AT LEAST $50,000,000
Pedro firsi mentioned his olden in
1879, but the marquis refused to see him
or listen to his stery. In 1881 the old
marquis died, and the title passed to his
nephew, Jose, who enjoyed 11 only a few
months, when the estates reverted to
his brothers Alejandro and Gonzales.
In a few years Gonzales died and Ale-
jandeo came into sole possession.
The ointment cleclares that both Ale-
jandro and Gonzales dice some time be-
fore their brother Jose, and that the
holder of the title was really the son of
an old tamtly steward. •
A claim In the 'courts having failed
Pedro mado the acquaintance et Abbe
Gouverd, Emilio Smiler°, and Louis
Prouhet, a genealogiet. The ebbe was
Ilia brains of the piety. He went to
Paris and succeeded 111 'enlisting the
sympathies of severel wealthy men, in-
cluding the Marquis de Diens the 100101'-
0.1 and M. Faure, the
anti-Jewish agitator, who advanced
considerable money.
TO PROVE THE, CASE
false entries Wero made In the municipal
register of Santa Margertle y los Mon-
tres, showing that the death of Gonzales
Bien had been registered before the old
marquis cited. It was alleged also that
the marquis used to lend secureles to
Mme. Ilmitheet le put in her famous safe
in ease the Medals sheuld ever inspect
it.
Several members of the Men •tamily
were also embed wito coneitierehle SUMS,
10 withhold' evidence. In spite of all,
the teems felled entirely,
Soutere 0055 sentenCed te eight Yeare'
pellet servitude for Melting the false
entry In the re/cider. Mamie end Rai -
ado, who nesisted hen, received. shelter
senlenees. eose Meals an accomplice,
En-,
WaS SIISO Seri/011CA la a, teem 01 Im.
prisontncrit,
"Do you' knew your Orders, sentry ?"
not Over hright Irish soldier on gulled -
duly eves aseed," "Yes, see," was the
reply. "Ienow the potties al the 0051-
1)11s0?" centlimeil the ofTIcer, "Yes, sor."
'If you fave the rising sun, yrinr left
lanai would Ise on Me north of you And
vote, eight hiind 10 the ,south at you,
\e'lletwoliel be behind 1007" "ele.knelee
teak, sot',"
DID NOT BOIL IIIM IN OIL.
Nothing could better illustrate the dif-
[entice between Min:stray and the aver-
age Oriental despot, however, than the
Shah's conduct after the attempt by the
Anarchist Salson to assassinate him In
Paris in 1000. Nesse would doubtless
have insisted that the would-be assassin
be buried alive or hailed In oil. Ills
son only asked for Salson's photograph,
and said that the man was probably
crazy. He even expressed sympathy tor
him to Peesident Carnet, who celled et
the Hotel des Souverains to express the
overwhelming regret of France that the
lite of the illustrioes ruler of Pasta
should have been attempted on French
seil.
While NOSS1` WaS net as =oh approv-
Cd as 111S son In European. courts, how-
ever, his visits caused considerably
more arm/se/tient than those of his suc-
cessor. Nesse had a certain frankness
that. was tetreshing and a sense of Im-
mo(' withal. He held himself far above
the /pettiest nebles with whom he came
Ila contact, and treated them with arro-
gance or condescension as his mood
dictated. Wizen dining with the enorm-
ously wealthy Duke of Sutherland, for
Distance, whose royal guest was the
then Prince of Wales, the Shah caught
'the eye or the Prince and then glanced
significantly at the Duke and drew his
hand acrose his throat, his idea being
to convey the suggestion that in Persia
a vassal whose splendor rivalled that
cf Ms sovereign would be disposed of
end his property conflecalld.
INELIGIBLE FOR THE HAREM. '
Once at 0 state ball at Windsor a cer-
tain great lady NV110 had had a reputa-
tion for beauty, but was no tenger In
San first youth, was presented to Nesse-
en-Din, at her own earnest solicitation,
and not much to his satisfaction. The
Persian monarch, who spoke only his
own language and French, inepected
her critically from head to heels thepugh.
Isis spectacles,' and then turned away,
with the remark "Trop lard1"—meaning
that, he had met: her too late in her life
le find her acquaintance valuable.
Nassr attended many state banquets
during his tours of Europe,, but he gen.
orally satIstied his appetite alone before
he came to the table, since he fopnd it
dIfilcult to live up to modern etiquette.
He dated not overeteme the Impulse to
take his food in his lingers; for example,
and he was almost sure to throw ,what
was left on his plate (wee his Shoulder,
when he had eaten all he cared to of
its contents. The story is told that be
was once sitting at the rtght of Queen
victoria, at a formal dinner at Buoke
Ingham Palace, when he bit off the top
ef a piece of asparagus and handed the
remainder to his hostess to finish, as
a particular mark of esteem.
While is distinet improvement on Ins
father as has been suggested, Miezat-
far-ed-Din was by no means an up-to-
date person, He tvae able to handle •a
knife and fork, and to eat properly from
a tablet bttt, when alone, he preferred
to sit On 11 stool with his food on an
elevate») about the same height and else
his fingers.
AFRAID OF MOTOR CARS.
It was a tang time, atso, before the
Shah would venitire his precions per-
son in n motor•ear, though eventnally
ht look several to Persia with him. Al
firet, however, he preleered to watch his
entendiints risk three lives in the devil.
wagons that wore brought, for ids in-
s(1ectIon. Ink) the court -yard ot Ilie
Hotel dos Sonverains, and It was not
unlit they had made 51 StIfilcient num-
ber of journeys without neepieui
be ventured to trust himself in one,
AlthOugh 1 ne 01 the wealthiest sover-
eigns in the world, Mirzaffnr was not
overpart'eu'ar eight the pekinent of his
tichls on his journeys abroad, Ito 71>/1110
ex Inc main piirchases at most of the
Enron, an cries he vi,ited, and ninny of
the 11.0081110(1 NV1111 0110111 115 (105111
5011Sn to regret lb On his second vlsit
to Paris his 11,rene11 erorlitors attacked
bIt haggage and other portalile ))08.504+
`5100&,' Mid bd\\1'0s Wood liquidate
their M . athis. Olt his way to 'Vienna,
the same year, the Shah stopped 0001.
night at Lemberg, he and Ids suite oc-
cUpying forly-stx large and thirty-two
small rooms fat lite leading hotel, hi
the moenIng he was eentletieti a bill foe
about $10,000. 1\111,74155' was furious
and ratee the landlord ns an extortion-
er, but ilio holeekeeper bed him that It
bad cost $1,000 to repair les kitchen in
prepnealton for Ms royal mime and in -
meted on payment. There \ens not suf-
licient money in the iron:owe' to meet the
bill, and the lanelorel refused to accept
jewels as eeeuelly, because he dia not
know whether they were real or not.
Finally o 'tient hanker mune to the res-
cue, accepted a draft un Persia, und
settled the account.
HIGHLY TITLED DENTIST.
During his visit to Parts, in 1000,
Wreathe created something- of n SOM.
lion among Europen royalties by con-
ferring ll•to grand cordon of the Order
of the Lion and the Sun, which bad
hitherto- been confined exclusively to
reignIng soverolgne, 111)021 1111 ArnevIcen
dentist who_had relieved hien of' an ob-
stinate toothache, after many others ei
the craft had felled.
Miteaffar's visits to the Europeen
capitals left a bettee impression than
those of his Miller, in spite of the feet
that Nasse's barbaric display of jewels
'end the Oeiental customs that he lee
fused to modify to suit more cultivated
testes, len1 hint a certain mystery ln
Um eyes of the vulgar. Names religi-
ous principles impose yery dirty habits
upon himself and lite members of his
euile, and his visits were looked leeward
In with positive terror by the custodi-
ans of the palaces In which he was
housed by his royal hosts.
It required weeks of disinfection and
careful cleaning to render habitable
again the Alter Schloss in 13erlin, where
he had occupied the magnificently CP.?.
corated Louis XIV. apartments, lic
was given a suite of rooms' in Duck -
Ingham Palace on the occasion of bis
Rest vide. to England, but was Laken
care of elsewhere 011 his second and third
visits. Indeed, it was said on his second
visit that rich English parvenus vied
with one another in inviting him to their
residences, in the hope tent so signal
an act of devotion to the crown would
smut reward in the form of Ulles, and
that this hope was fulfilled in inorethan
one instance. Nasse's suite fed princi-
pally on mutton, and this was killed m
the living -rooms of the houses they oc-
cupied, which was not conducive to
cleanliness.
TIGER ATE THE PYTHON
TRAGEDY ON BOARD THE STEAM-
SHIP INDRASAMIIA.
lector in Fight Made a Meal of His
Victim—Storm emigre! the
Trouble.'
The biggest python ever brought to
the United Slates was on boarn the
steamship Indrasainha, wine% arrived
recently at, New York from Yokohatna,
Singapore and other ports east of Suez.
Capteln Wilkes, master, sus the
snake is 27 feet long and 3 feet in cir-
cumference. No ono took the trouble to
measure him, but he looked every IV
of the size the captain gave.
There were four other big pythons
when the Indrasarnha sailed front Sing-
apore, besides a royal 13engal tiger that
was the champion man-eater In those
parts before he was captured and sold.
tie looks 81111eas 111118 appetite might be
good ft he only had a chance to spread
himself.
1( 11 hadn't been for the eget' the five
pythons would Save arrived at, New York
Intact. The tiger killed ono of them
after a terrific battle.
STORM 131101011 BOX.
Each•of. 1110 pythons \Vas in a separate
box on the main deck amidships, and
•the tiger was in Hs cage not, far away.
The Indrastunlia ran into a hurricane.
It wasn't an everyday affair by any
means, but one of these that sailors tel1.
about, for years afterwards, tha kind
where the seas tower mountain high on
the weather bow and turn the decks into,
a regular Niagara when they break and
spill their tons ol green water on the
quivering fabric as she labors leanly
able To Rep her head to the sect'the
kind that sweep art, carrying everythIng
movable before them, and end up by go-
ing overboard astern in a swirl that re-
sembles the week's wash In a boiling
cauldeon of soapsuds.
Anyway, It eons blowing sonic, end
the seas did come aboard.. There was
one partioularly tali grey -headed fellow
that got over the side and kicked up Old
Nick. 'flits sea hit the box of one of the
pythons and the box turned over. The
weight ot the python did the rest, and
before anyone knew what had happened
them was some twenty feet of snake at
liberty.
INTO TIGER'S CAGE.
Now, the python didn't seem to know
just whet to do under the.cireumstances.
There WON 011101' waves coming along,
and while perhaps he did not like to haee
hydeophobta, he was averee to a Wet-
ting. The nearest pilule ot safety seem-
ed to be the Ogees cage, end the python
made tor that, Of course there \vele
Members of the creev who could•have het
111111, but the crew was busy doing other
thMgs NHL el. that 15ie. Tint are me
weys things a well ordered clew trmy
Ilnd to do wir:n Were is twelllY feel
more or less,of snake crawling about Ihi
deceit and the sees arc rolling ahoard
mountains high.
But the reyal Dell gal Weber lilce 111,
interloper, Ond SO the python's Itcni
crane through the bees he swelter! it.
The python cento lo in 5 111 in ule or se
end gloried for the ligete The tiger kepi
his port and elarleeird forward lime
Irney, and 11 waen't long before the me
limn eyes out. Then 1110 (ige). pulled hei
Into the ettge.and Miele his Sunday dim
nee on Mimi six and a half feel of 111,
snake,
qtr., and 'Mrs. Blurt: hail 11 .',l 511)
quarrel lest night. I wonder 511ey ar,
on epeeking terms loslay,"
expect Zifl. 111111111 111101 ((I 111)01(10,t!
fore leaving fro, his other can't bbs
his own necktie le save his lila."
•
HARD WORK FIXED HABIT
RICH MAN TRIED TO nmitn, BuT
*WENT nAch: To "OLD GIUND."
IIe pined Away in Retirement—Returns
to Carve the Beef in Imperial
Style.
There is a gresi deal to be said in
Mem. of the happy-go-lucky man In this
life. He, at least, has a good thee
through eonie part of les exestemie.
And that. le, 111010 then can 110 anbd foe
many men who Iced "the strenuous life"
in business for forty years oe eo wlIls
the 1111011 hill of retiring and hiking an
"eitsy Unto of ite at something after
sixty. They generelly end then that,
111011' business hes become so much a
putt of their existence that they cannot,
live without le Leisure is not Mr them.
Life-long habits are not easily broken.
Oilly a year Or two ago there lived in
New Yotec, City a well-known character
of the lime of Hitchcock, who was the
proprietor of a "dtve"—a good old Eng-
lish word, nteantng p. subterranean eat-
ing house.
"COCK110ACH HALL."
His establishment, known for good
reeeem ee.weeeeee 13e11,,, wee
famous for its "sfrikers"—a peculiarly
rich mid oleaginous speeies of ineflin.
The viands were MI the very best pro-
curable 0( 11(030 kind, and the esiablieh-
went, being situated In Park -row, in the
very centre of the New York newspaper
district, 00115 often patronized by jour -
needle celebrities. People like Charles
Dana and Mr. Whitelaw Reid, the pre-
sent Ambassador of the Untied Stales to
Great 81'110111, Weln to be met 101111
there.
1,111050005 was n healthy -built, taci-
turn, rather morose person, with the as-
pect of a diplomatist or elinister of
Slate, presided et the counter, often put -
101) In a working day of sixteen or eigh
Sen hours. 'nen, one day rather late in
Ilfe, he recognized that his years of
manipulation of the carving -knife had
made him 011 exceedingly wealthy man.
DULLNESS OF SPLENDOR.
Ile determined that the' hour had ar-
rived when he could enjoy "ease with
dignity," quitted Cockroech flail, as he
fancily thought, forever, and bought, a
big house In 4 fashionable etreet, fur-
nishIng it• sumptuously. He botighl a
library, a gallery of ,statuary, and a
selection of pictures by Corot and
'Whistler, some of which, it is said, he
hung upside down.
For slx mouths he sat idly among all
tScan splendors, in his shirtsleeves. It
was all very grand and noble, but oh
how dull lie found it.
Ana no 011e was much surprised when
0110 morning he reappeared ot the re-
ceipt of custom In Gocicroach hInil, end
carved the beet in Ms old imperial style.
—44 '
MEA f WAS OXYGENIZED
WAS EIGHT WEEKS OLD AND SMELT
GOOD, TOO.
New Patent Process Which Neill novelle
lionezeT;(alidee. Meat
01 10118 a section of a dead sheep hung -
leg on a meat -hook in -the open ale. It
looked good; it smelt good; end a subse-
quote, test proved 1501 11 tasted good.
And yet, writes the Sydney correspon-
dent of the London Daily Nene the mut-
ton was eight weeks old, and it had not
been frozen nor chilled, 11 had been
preserved by a process which, it is •50-
lieved in many quateces, will 000010.
tiordze the meat trade.
IL lied been oxygenized.
The idea has been patented, and an
iniluentiel syndicate of Sydney people,
evith plenty of money behind ie, has been
[armed in order to exploit the preens.
11 to claimed thal, IL will relegate the
freezing chamber to the limbo of Museum
curiosities, along with the armor of the
Crusaders end other mediaeval and half-
foreollea go.
- telCeNUNItCAL, TOO.
In support of this claim, (1 13 pointed
out 1(1111 11 costs front 605. to 7(5. a ton
lc freeze meal, whereas under the new
peocese the cost or treatment is fronl 8s.
In ilii. a Ion. These figures of them-
selves. Would 'appear to make out e
strong prima facie case. A further im-
portant consIderalion in this connection
Is that while the cost of an oorcultnntait71
freezing mind to do given run
work Is di:20,000, the cost of en oxygen-
izing plant to do iho same anneunt of
work is only £5,000.
The experiments up to date go to show
that meat treated In this way will he
fresh and sweet, and with flavor unite -
mitred at hie end of seventy days. Sonic
has been kept for sixteen weeks.
WHAT PliOCIeSS IS.
The method 13 shnple, and this is held
le he one of the adearitages of the sys-
tem. The carcases are pieced, 151 nn
hermetically sealed. eltamber, which te.
Ilierctimra charged with oxygen gas ni•
11 a certain mrssure. Tills lasts from
hh
six to eigt ours, (wording lo the bulk
nr 1110111 1111(101' 11'011111MM, After
cercases may be shinned as bulk cargo—
and here, again. there is a saving el
money,— Bul it is pectereed thole if 11
rain be contrived euneentently, the meet
-dieted he kept al a temperature of le
h•geoes centigratkl, or (10 degrees Fah,
ronliell. This, however, is net neces,
sees, and 110'1.0 is no danger of denials
Me cargo from Ino breakdown 01 1`5.
eigeenting or other inachthery,
"In Mel," 1(071 ono of the prone:lien
who has booked his belief well his
nioney, "the provese will allow of
Lon, beef, game end esti being placed
'mon (lie nickels ef the Weed In the
;est 0,111111511 mei el e emelt cod, eee
eine be )1011(111m 11 ehipment to (.011(11)11
'n e• \\eyes eine,"
Nil 11.0-e ''1 010 eary lo teethe, pee.
15 d .e, mb 1117 liusband wind, 111!
ealifl• 1 orac,fs, ‘v il 1,115" •
'111i, 1 r.0 .•,, 11,1 5 utile al 1I. Taunt
if he 01111 1 no 5 110111111' 01 01' 1v,1101r.
0001(111: it 011' WOICO ine up,"
THE DUTIES OF BLACK ROD
let NOT A VERY FORMIDABLE LOOK-
ING PERSON.
He Is the Ring's Messenger, Yet Doors
Are Sometimes Slammed in
Ms trace.
Black Rod le, perhaps the mose plc-
ture.sque fu»clionary of Parliament. Ills
Lilies are (Inlet of All the Ushers of
England and Custodian of the Poore of
tho High Court called Preelament. As
such he sits In n box to the right 0( 1110
San in the "House of Lords end controls
the admission or steangers,
But hie chief tele is Messenger of the
Sovereign. When the leIng appears in
Hie House of Lords, .either personally or
Is' commission, the rnemben of both
chatnbers must be present. In his °apa-
ce.), as royal messenger Black Rod bas
to go and summit the Commons.
As he wallcs through the lobbies one of
his ushers heealds his approach with
OPMS of "Black Rod 5 Way for Black
nod I" And the inspector of pollee is
there to see that ho gots all the way he
needs. Yet 11 would seem from his re-
ception at the done 01 1110 lower chamber
Wet he is regarded there with hostility.
Tho moment he Is heard coming, the
sergeant -at -arms springs tram his chair,
which is close to the main entrance to
the chamber, and. rushing la the open
door, not only closes it with an Inhos-
niold,b
ubleuctlapnrogeeheicisi" "II lace (11 Black
rt
SECUREIN TO 801.1' 11.
Presently three faint. Imocks oro
hued. The sergeant -at -arms peers into
the lobby through a grated peephole
with a wooden elot in the stout oaken
door and sees Black Rod.
According to the programme not a
word is spoken. All that is heard Is tha
subdued knocking at the portal.. That
sort and humble request is irresisithle,
anti at a nod frum the Speaker the door
is flung open by the sergeant -at -arms
and in walks the King's messenger.
The post of Bleck Rote it must be ex-
plained, is in the personal get of the
King. IV is invaelably bestowed on old
naval or militaq °Incas, a sailor and a
soldier alternately enjoying Its dignity
and emoluments. The Gentleman
Usher of the Black Red gels £1,000 a
year, and he has a deputy known as
seea'icionriyaiiis U4s51001er of the Black Rod, whose,
But whether he be a soldier or a
sailor, 131acic Boil is not a very formi-
dable lookIng person as he is seen on
his visits to Ilia House of Commons\
On occasions of state. such as the open-
ing or proroguing oi Parliament, he
dons hls full military or naval "fig."
When lie oornos to summon the Com-
mons, in the course of the session, Ito
wears -his 01110101 dress—a bleat: cutaway
tunic, knee breeches, silk stockings and
sliver buckled shoes. —
There is nol the•faIntest suggest:Ion ot
aggressiveness in his appearance, not-
withstanding the sword that dangles by
his side, and the short ebony eod of
office, surmounted by a golden lion tem-
plet, which 110 curries in his timid. ills
message, tore is
ABSOLUTELY BLAMELESS.
When the door et the House of Com-
mons is opened to him, the loud voiced
1101100 preceding him stands at the bar
and cries : "Black Red I" If there be any
business in hand it is ab once inteerup-
led, The Speaker respectfully rises to
receive the message of the soveeeign.
Members retain their seats, blIt Uncover,
Black Rod advances slowly to the table
with solemn mein, as if to show that he
5., becomingly impressed by the dignity
and sanctity of the chamber. 1 -le fur -
thee manite.sis his awe by tnalcing, dur-
ing his progress up the floor, three low
obeisances to the Chair. On reaching the
table, he simply says
'The Lords Commissioners desire the
immediate attendance of this honorable
House in the Hnuse of Peers."
When the leing is personally present
in the House of Lords the message
which Black, nod delivers to the Com-
mons is more peremptorily worded. eIe
runs 5 "The 'King commands this hon-
orable House to attend his Majesty im-
mediately in the House of Peers to hear
the King's speech read."
Having thus said what be was sent'
In say, Black Roil retires etepeethilly
backward, bowing as hee goes, to the
bar, where he mails the Speaker, end
escorts htm, followed by the Ministers,
to the House or Lords. Sometimes so
awestruck is Bleck Rod in the presence
of the mighty Commons that ho forgets
even tho words of his Short and simple
and
. .
INNOCiefe'e MESSAGE. ,
There \vas the"ease of Gen. Sir Michael
13iddulph, ISA. 15 was a brittle& sol-
dier. Ho served through the Crimean
campeign well great distinction. For
his gallant, serviees at tlie occupation of
Candahar in, the Afghan 10)11' he recelved
tho thanks 01 110111 howses of Perliareent.
l'et I have seen Illis gent soldier, who
looked clp.ath in the face a hundred Hines
wIthoet a Mame, sleeking with 111150118'
neSS WIIC11, as Black Rod, he stood at
Ise table to desire the prosence cif the
Commons in the 116use of Peers..
What then is the mennIng of this hos-
tile bonging 011110 door' 01 1110 House OR
Commoner 111 Black Rod's inoffensive
face? Why must Me King's messenger
humbly knoelc three 1111100 100 admission
and etralt stibmissively on lite mat nut-
isillditet ;Mill the remesentatives. of tho
people decide to open thole doors unto
Wo find in this most Inlereeting epee -
lade a demonstrelion of Mc 1(1111 (11 the
reill'eSentatives of Ilus MTN lo conduct
their deliberations In some, should they
deem it neceseary, to elite (Ito doors,'
especially against the meesengers of
sovereigns or Peers, and also a &dare,
tiOn that no stranger, low or bigh, dare
enter their chamber withont permission,
humbly teelm_d_and4e_xpress.! gi•anted.
eyee eohet lonk es it you were en-
joying youmeq, hlry sierbdirr. 1 Wish
ay my Veils 'to be at home. "ern
eine ilsay ,all wish they weft, Mes,
Hostess.' •• '
(Tor lend or it heftily 13 a Wife who
eated balk back but doesn't.