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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe East Huron Gazette, 1892-01-14, Page 7orT- nent 0ffi N. deovern- 1on peo- rmitting the frac- ts of the ork Sun, law and ukase to een pent ign legis - In people of men." 1. Polo - the dis- R;oorsk, Tenement A pea - axes was e village neck by rder that amt in the >ody was tired and Polosbin Tarassov ing there Bred the afore the otter told It do it amen t on brted in 'Ent of the lrkootsk ,err, i e., ''ese their iccording 'petite for t inflict 'When he n rariably bats over rtim- One :sk a man in. He k him for tdown, a. sere ice ? have Leman : I ' the man :meed up ,Ito in the Guard, -five hot st kind Ye'business, nmerited ore dead ortunity $4,000, - es. e cheap 11 horses. ling tele - are not sent a from Jer- rs, in four world is Germany, I miles per 'ever car, [retry con- lai cars on 1s are be - managers ended en- rs ordered ted States 1 make a passenger 'TUO miles s, issioaers persons d on the f the kil- ted a sys- tilize the arae ; that Impressing Iii can be kill of the active u1? ;'Union Pae for remov- Idelivered nozzle at c nage inch. ash cush- th remov- tue which with sub - his shop. eet, ingra- of course That vas the new , and that on the ge. ; " did in a collar sheep at he defend - el a halef ose fellers e, aff you dose noos- he smiled the Court, " Is it pos- se the ma- dvertising the Cheap ugly- " t, istian IX. of t will cele - May next. ad heartily couple are in Iceland, he demands igration and kt the whole, and Queen baggy, and distinction e a Peiuc WEB WILL, A sTOR- , OF THE WOOLY WEST. Not to hate seen and known Custer City would, so recently as six years ago, have been looked upon as a seri- ous defect in a Western man's educa- tion. Never to have met Wild Will would at once have stamped one as a .?hnderfoot.' Wild Will, fLwt. His real name was J. B. Hickock ; eat this had long been forgotten, and his famous sobriquet' stuck to him more closely than his shirt. His reputation as the greatest scout in the West was s. read far- and wide ; but Western seotits, like ma:ar- lty of mountain guides, do not amount to much. They are great in the 'per; sonal reminiscence way, and can drink deeply with impunity, or with any one who invites them ; but in other res- pects they are generally of the class described as frauds, Wild Will, how- ever, was one of the few whose deeds overshadow their words, His supreme courage and physical strength had endeared him to the roughminers and cowboys, who regarded hien as a he- ro, and rendered his name a word of terror to every red man west of the great Missouri. Custer City lies in the Deadwood region of the famous Black Hills, and is pleasantly situated in an open park, hemmed in on all sides by gradually rising hills, rock-ribbed, and crested with dark towering pines. At the time of which I write the streets were regularly laid out ; and the buildings chiefly constructed of logs or 'r®ugh boards taken from the hill -side for- ests, might be roughly estimated at about one thousand in number. It looked like a promise of good things to come ; but the greater attractions. of Deadwood nipped it in the ,.bud, and, from a mining town, Custer sank into a centre for supnlles- Life in the wild Black Hills is more real and earnest than is stagnation in the schools and banks of the old coun- try, as many a former 'varsity man, or sometimes dapper clerk, has dis- covered ; while its wholesome stern- ness somewhat compensates for its not infrequent brevity. Even parsons are apt to develop 'clear grit' in the bracing atmosphere of the Hills. A clerical friend of the writer's cheerfully pursues his duty at Lead City, Dako- ta, notwithstanding that his immedi- ate predecessor was shot dead in the street by a drunken Indian, and that he himself weekly finds 'drink -checks' and cartridges figured in the collec- tion pldte. This last eccentricity is only the way of the boys, who do not hesitate to play practical jokes upon the man for whom they would die, so gentle is he with the victims of the 'accidents' which are constantly oc- curring in a mining camp. The God of Custer was whisky, and his temples in the shape of saloons were In every street. The principal one of these was kept by High -priest Moriarty, an Irishman, red-headed, red -armed, and red-hot. The crowd had assembled at Moriarty's after mining hours in order to drink and see the fun. There was a scuffle in the large bar -room. A slightly -built lad of not more than eighteen or twenty years of age, was struggling in the vice -like grasp of a muscular, brutal - looking miner of . twice his age. It was plainly only a question of min- ates when the burly ruffian ` would Brush his youthful opponent. But before the older man eould free him- self from his delicate -looking but agile antagonist, the youngster got in a nasty blow, drawing streams of blood Prom his opponent's face. The throng laughed at this. Stung by the sound of mockery, the irritated recipient, quick as lightning, drew a pistol from his belt and levelled ft. The Iad's• fate seemed certain. At this moment some rine stepped swiftly through the half - ripen door, laid his hand upon the brawny desperado's shoulder, and, without apparent effort, sent him reeling to the farther end of the bar. Wild Will !' The words ran in whis- pered admiration round the room: The miners clustered more closely to- gether ; the more timid, or, possibly, more prudent, of Moriarty's custom ers withdrew. There was certain to be some free shooting after what had occurred, and both parties were re- puted handy with their shooting -irons. The new -comer stood -some six. feet two inches in height. and was exceed- ingly powerfully built. His face was open and highly intelligent ; his flax- en hair fell in long thick ringlets up- on his broad shoulders ; his eyes, blue and laughing in expression, looked one straight in the face while he spoke ; and his thin, closely-comnressed lips were partly covered by a heavy blonde moustache. He seemed such a one as women and children world instinct- ively cling to in the moment of dan- ger. This hero, who appeared strangely out of place in a Western bar -room, wore a costume which was a curious combination of the attire of a prairie ranger with that of a fash- ionable dandy. From underneath the skirts of his elaborately embroidered, buckskin coat gleamed the butts of a pair of silver -mounted revolvers, which were his inseparable companions. < The bully speedily recovered him- self. Staggering to his feet, he started 'back toward his assailant. only to re- eoil with dismay from the dark'mime zle of a revolver, and the calm mis- chievous eye which gleamed coldly and cruelly behind it. 'Drop that shoot - in' iron at once. sires' The pistol fell with a crash upon the floor. `Curse, you, Wild !' growled the fel- low, as his hand moved stealthily to- wards his belt. 'What do you interfere for ? 'Tisn't no business- o' vourn.' 'Hands up, Jack—sharp f or -I sh40t.' `Will means business.' `I say, mate, that lad's in luelk' 'Send I may die but Iwouldn't stand in old Colorado Jack's shoes forenarv' red cent.' Such were some of the remarks white& the miners addressed one to the other. Clearly Wild Will was a prime fav- orite in Custer City. 'The quarrelsome ruffians who had been called 'Colorado Sack.' felt • this, and knew thait he stood practically friendless and done in the crowd. He shifted uneasily, first on one leg,- - and -then on the.='other, . and at len -n an- aged,to.b1ua gout : 'It isn't -thee first --time. Iva how. et,- that you've spoiled my game ; but it's got to be the :lad;. One of us shall be wined out. and 1 don't much care <which.' faintest possible flush suffusing his fair face.—`You hear frim, gentlemen. I aeeeptthe challenge.' t, Then we'll settle this little hilliness here and now.' - `No, but you don't !' thundered Mor- iarty, snatching up a Winchester re- peating rifle- `I'll have no bloodshed in:my plaee.—Go outside and do what you like ; but you shan't bring the Sheriff or the Vigilance ,here ; sol tell yon plain, Jack.' 'Hold !' The word rano out like a buglenote. It was 'Wald Will who had spoken. -He..eontinued $ firmly and coldly: 'AdI ani the challenged person. it is , my right ,to -select both place of Meeting and w.pogs. There is no need for further interruption of the evening's amusement. Coldey, you will act for me.—Moriarty, I stand drinks round.' 'Hurrah ! for -:Wild Wilde the bravest scout, and the dashint est Injin fight- er in the hills 1' - - So the coninany shouted as they -clustered around- the par • and nrenar- ed to drink at their threatened hero's expense. This openly evinced partisanship was more than Colorado Jack could en- dure, so he scowlingly withdrew from those who no longer desired his pre- sence. As the meanest of living things would seem to have some parasite, so it was with hien. He was followed by a low-browed, bandy-legged villainous - looking Mexican, who was known in Custer City : by the name of 'Chuckhal- ter.' The fellow had acquired this name from his once having narrowly escaped hanging for -the _unpardona- ble crime of horse -stealing; at the hands of justly incensed Arizona cow- boys. When the -into worth;"es`had-got well out of sight of Moria'ty's, Jack turn- ed round to his . follower, and inquir- ed : `Well, Chuckhalter, what have you got to -sag.?' _ 'You should have wiped him out,' answered the Mexican. 'I would have given a hundred onzas to have seen it done.' - ` Ah, rremember, _ nate, you've felt the ,weight o' the skunk's hand too. 'Tain't a light 'un.' The Mexican twisted his features into an ugly grin ; but he answered nothing. -Well, I'm waitin', Chuckhaiter. You see, it couldn't be done ; or I'd 'a done it, surely. But how's the job to be finished off now. ? What do you say —shall it be knife or pistols ?' '11 you are wise, neither. You are 110 match for him whom you call Wild Will. I say watch, and wipe him out with a snap -shot as he goes to his diggings.' 'What ! and be lynched ? The boys 'ud be certain to spot me.—No ; not that game, old boy, anyway.' 'Take your own course, my friend ; only, don't expect me to bury your carcass.' `All right ; cease your croaking, can't you r > Perhaps Colorado Jack saw the an- gry flush mount to his companion's brow ; anyway he proceeded more quietly : `You go, Chuckhalter, and see that old dunderhead, Coldey, and arrange this affair for me. Tell him I select bowies across a handkerchief to -.night, in one of Moriartedie rooms.' The Mexican looked at his ',compan- ion with a glance equally composed of surprise and admiration, as he re- plied : 'It shall be done. Apd I hope you will come safely out of it ; that I do, Jack, with all nay heart.' `I- don't care much ; . but I'll take good care that he shan't.—Go now, and remember that I have entrusted my honour -into your hands.' Hgnour i How easily may the lit- tle word be degraded ! Meanwhile Wild Will and his friend Colonel Coldey had been talking to- gether in a low tone. The Colonel was a Virginian, and therefore a gentle- mar;. He had seen service, having been severely wounded under Beauregard, at the battle of Bull Run. Like an old war-horse, he felt his blood quicken at the -prospect of a fight. Wild Will was speaking. He said : 'I scarcely- know what to suggest, Colonel. You understand these mat- ters as well as I do ; only be good enough to consult me before deciding anything, for I should not like to take a mean advantage of even such a coy- ote as Colorado Jack.'_ 'Let your mind be easy, my' friend,' answered the old soldier ; 'your in- terests -will not suffer inemy hands.' Just then the Mexican, Chuckhalter, sheepishly approached and requested an interview with the Colonel on be- half of his principal. This was imme- diately granted, and Wild Will with- drew, 'Capital p chuckled - the warrior cheerily as he listened to the Mexican's proposals. Neat, close, and about fair for both men. Your fellow is pinky, too. Dash my wig ! I had hardly expected it of him. To meet Will with the bowie. H'm ! Rather he than me.'- 'Then we may look upon it as settled that they fight it out. here to -night ?' °Not so fast. I- had nearly forgotten. I must speak to my man first, but there is no doubt he will agree:', 'He must do so,' responded the Mexican, 'or else Jack will publicly cowhide him into dog's -meat.' 'Tush, tush:, Donk rave ; Jack would not :dare do any such -thing. However, just wait half a minute.' The colonel unceremoniously adjourned - the meeting in order that he nught confer with Wild Wild- - The principal -listened in silence until his. second ; had concluded; 'then . decisively shaking_ his head-, he said: `No, old friend; it wouldn't do at all;' t must 'refuse.' The colonel, with .a look of surprise, fell: back. Had he, after all;' over -rated Wird Will's courage? :;'Na;yI meas` no offence,- least of alt to yon; but hear ore I ask you now, square- ly, are Jack's terms fair?' 'They are bold ones. Re certainly is no. coward,' the colonel responded. ` It is not that. See!' And the famous scout raised himself to his fuli height as he astid: 'I ;once fought four Indians at -once when: only armed with a bowie' knife. I am able to hit a dollar with it at thirty feet There is man in territory ye fe asnotquicka and handthe .I as sure=aa miwhosene=4se:- Nvi= wvoret=meet the; fellow so, itl"wou d:, be sim'nly nnlyder,'. 'Brit 'l lie tau are tlf Iris O t l oosing.'. `What does 'that signify? I an' -the ebailenged one. If I meet Colorado Jack in deadly strife, it must be on equal -terms.' - t' lokauasoeite fWtile- . k ow_it !x . -So,say- -ing, the veteran clasped the scout in his manly arms. `These, then, my trusty comrade, are the only terms' on-'tvhich r will consent to meet hiin;'- and Will went on to speak earnestly in it low, brit animated, tone. `Good: But think, -lad, you will be run- ning an awful risk.' 'It cannot be helped. It is ab`but 'the only fair way that I can think of.' -The Mexican _emissary ;of Colorado Jack was .beginni Is to grow when liis restlessness was checked by the col- onel's- return. Colonel Coldey's first words- were: 'I have to inform yon, sir, that my prin- cipal iieclines your proposition.' The .Mexican sprang eaeitedly from his :hair, 'But he cannot. He is bound'— ` Excuse the interruption,' interjected the old soldier; 'we are the challenged party, and so have the right of 'choice. ifere is'our proposal. Let your principal be on the prairie ou the southern side of the city in an hour from now. You and 1 sir, must: be there" somewhat earlier. The weapons will be named on the ground.' 'Sir! I really mast refuse'— 'Pardon. I think, Mr. — Eh ! Ahem 1 our conference is ended; and as i have a pressing engagement, I must request that you will excuse me.' So saying, Colonel Coldey-withdrew, leaving Chuckhalter to digest his- chagrin as best, he could. The peat prairie to the south of.Cus- ter City was infested . with prairie -dogs, a kind of marmot whose deep burrows constitute a constant source of danger to cowboys and - horsemen generally. These burrows are favorite places 'of re- sort for the deadly rattlesnake ('Crotalus horrridus'e, which, sa the miners and trap- pers believe, dwells_in pace with its mar- mot host. The sun was setting, a great red ball, in the west; the long shadows of the hills lay athwart the prairie when the seconds met. The two spoke together for a few- seconds, and the Mexican laughed convulsively as if at some singu:ar pleas- antry. -Then they wandered into the thick sagebusli and :were busily engag- ed poking aimlessly into the holes of the prairie -dogs, wlieir the two men, who were intent upon a deed. of blood were Been approaeh-iug from opposite direc- tions. ' - The four men met. The principals bow- ed in silence. The seconds withdrew a little apart, then returned, and the colonel spoke. He said: `Gentlemen, we need not waste any time. Unless ..lack wiit apolo- gize and Withdraw his challenge, we mat as well 'proceed to business. The light, is already failing.' ' At this Colorado Jack could not con- tain himself; but with a saturnine laugh, exclaimed! 'I apologize i Welt. 'by the jumping Jehosophat, but that's cool. I only hope Will here won't down on his marrow -bones, the white -livered cur.' Even the Mexican had the grace to look ashamed at this outburst, and Iaid his hand noon the arm of his brutal prin- cipaI. 'Don't let us.etalk like children, - interposed the scout, 'when we ought to act as men.' The colonel only ignored the vulgarity, and said: 'Thep_ are the terms of the duel. We,- as -yr seconds.and_ guardians of: you honoi', have mutually agreed up- on weapons. Colorado 'Jack,' he continu ed, tur-ting towards the man whom he addressed. 'it is well, known to us that you are not Wild Will's_ equal either 'with pistol or knife; so, in order to make the chances square, we have decided that you two shall each place your bared arm un to the shoulder in the hole ot a prairie dog, such hole being selected by us as seconds; the one who escapes being bit- ten by a snake to be the victor.' `Strike me blind if I do!' yelled Col orado Jack. • Wild Will smiled, and said simply : ' I a_gree.' `Gentlemen, exclaimed the colonel, 'you will do exactly as we have arranged; or —he paused significantly—'1 shoot the one who refuses.' He went on: 'You will draw for choice of holes. Now, Jack. you first. Obseive1 Itt-is black for the right, white for the left.' lack sullenly reached out his hand. `Ali ! you have the black. • I wish you luck. Half an hour is the- time, gentle- men. The participants in this singular duel were then placedin position. Colorado Jack, with white ince and trembling limbs, threw himself, upon the sward and thrust his arm into the awful orifice. Wild Will, having first lighted a cigar, calmly followed -his onpoueat's example. So the two remained for :the space of half -an hour. The .two seconds meanwhile looked on, quietly smoking as only . Western _ nien can and do. At length the allotted time expired. The signal Was given,and Wild Will rose calm- ly to his feet. Colorado Jack did not stir. -When they raised him he was dead. Yet his arm was uninjured. - ` How do you suppose it was, pard- ner ?' inquired a miner- the next day of the Mexican, Chuckhalter. '' They say as how old Jack wasn't bitten by any o' the warmints.' ` I can't tell how it was,' replied the other. Then, lowering his voice: 'Madre Se Dios, do you think that there really is a God ? . Surely there must be, for when that old firebrand soldier was not looking, I tried to do our friend a good, turn, and made sure that there wag no snake in his hole. But it was of no use, yon see, mate ; he got wiped out all the same.' ` And Wild Will is the hero of the' hour.' ' Yea; but let him watch : Jack= has left friends- behind who will avenge his death.' Not -long after this Wild Will visited ibe new mining rearm" at Deadwood He was sitting at a table playing, earls, when an assassin came up,behind, put a revol- ver - evolver' to- his head and fired,' killing him instantly. A dozen hands flew to as many -pistols; butthe murderer had gain- ed ained the door ; • turning for a moment, he •displayed the features of the Mexican, Chuckhalter then he threw himself ilpon' a fleet horse, and galloping off, was lost in the darkness. The next okay the great scout was buri- ed. Beside 'the dead man lay his rifle. and pistols, "',which, were to be buried :along --with him: The funeral service was -brief but impressive,. and at the close of the ceremony the mourners walked in low- ly procession. past the pit of death, each one taking a last, long, sad look at the spot: where -their hero lay buried. When the last` had gone,. the sextons dill their ._work, and filled in the first grave in Deadwood. MORO IOEBE1GIL A''fraveller Talks. -Very Pleasantleaatina- Alaskan Trip. Dr. Parker,:of`Boston, who has just re- turned from a trip to British Columbia and Alaska, gives the following account of his journey. Says the Doctor Think of sitting down to a breakfast of juicy stakes and roll !, in the month 'of -August with _icebergs all around you ! Impossible as this may seem to .Le, Dr. M. G., Parker says that he ate' several morning meals under those circum- stances this summer, and heartily enjoyed himself, too. That was in Alaskan waters. That territory was purchased by the Unite& States in 1867 from Russia• for the sum of $7,500,000. In some sections of the States there is a great deal of talk over the pur- chase even to this day. When the doctor left Lowell iu the middle of July he went to New York, where he was joined by Mr. John R. Reed, of Charleston„ S. C. and the two sailed up the Hudson river, across Lake Champlain, thence up the St. Law- rence, across Lakes Huron and Superior, where at Port Arthur they took the cars and after a pleasant journey over the_conti- nent and through the Rockies, reached Vancouver, in which city he found con- siderable enterprise, and a place of great future promise. A week was spent in the cities around Puget Sound and then they took passageon the steamer Queen at Tacoma'for the Alaska trip. Dr. Parker then says of the journey : The steamer that was to be our hotel for the next 14 days was a strongly built craft, about 500 feet long and with a cabin capacity of 250 passengers. We were a merry party from all partsof the country, warmly clad and ready for any- thing. We were soon steaming out on the dull of Georgia, and after a delightful voy- age arrived at the first place in Alaska ter- ritory, Fort Tonus. As we go up the Clarence Strait to Fort Wrangle, the scen- ery begins to assume a grandeur that keeps us on deck the greater part of the time. From Fort Wrangle we go to Juneau, and land opposite at Douglas island, where in the Treadwell gold mine we see the largest stamp mill in the world. And now as we go - further north we begin to pass the glaciers, great fields -of fee coming slowly but surely from the mountains. At Tuku glacier we obtain a supply of ice for the steamer. Finally we arrive at the Muir glacier, which is an abrupt wall of ice a mile and a quarter w.de, 300 feet above the water and 2,000 feet beneath the surface ; with white pinnacled top from long exposure to the sun, but of a deep, brilliant blue, where the last iceberg has broken off. This process is constantly going on, Ice Ails on an average every five minutes. The straits are now full of icebergs, some of them the size of a house, others half a mile in extent. Their colors are brilliant in the extreme. On one side they are from bine to white, on another emer- ald green to white, while a ray of the sun coming through another icy prism shows all the colors ot the rainbow. The steamer works its way cautiously among them, forc- ing a passage where none is clear, for the Iast boat was obliged to turn back at this point. Although we are surrounded by ice the thermometer does not register below 35 degrees and the water, sheltered by the mountains, is as smooth as glass. The sun, too, is very kind at this season of the year, for it shines from 3 o'clock ,in the morning until 9 o'clock at night. The vege- tation is worthy of notice, We have al- ways been led to suppose that in Alaska there is plenty of moss and a few stunted trees. This is true in the mountains but in the valleys everything grows luxuriantly. The trees growtoa height of 200 feet, clover leaves are the size of our - oak leaves, and berries are five times their usual size. I have also gathered flowers on the top of a glacier, when they have found sand enough in which to grow. As we travelled north we found the bays full of whales, seals and bay salmon. The Indians have an ingeni- ous way of shooting a seal. They tie their canoe to a detached piece of iceberg, and thus concealed push it near enough to the animal to be able to hit it. At Fort < Simpson we found an Indian band that played God Save the Queen and Hail Columbia, and at Sitka we attended a full dress ball in the town hall. In Glacier 13.-y we were treated to a mirage twenty miles in extent. Chilcat was the point farthest north that we reached, and here we found the natives living on fish, ber- ries and sea moss. We returned south by a different route, stopping t Fort Wrangle, where we had previously left Sir Richard Musgrave hunting bears. We found him on the lookout for the steamer, and when we asked him if he had any luck, he pointed to four heavy skins. There is not one of us who will ever forget that pleasant trip. It was one every person anxious to see the grandest scenery of the continent, that along the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Rockies, should take This route is certain to become a very popular one with tourists and the travelling public generally. " Thomas "occurs, on the average, thirty- nine times in every 1,000 names, The finer the nature the more flaws it will show through the clearness of it ; and it is a law of this universe that the best things shall be seldomest seen in their best form. -- [Ruskin. The amount of the Paris fund over which the two Irish factions are fighting is $173,- 000. It wassubscribed mostly by the Irish_ of America ie aid of the home -rule move• ment andfor the support of evicted tenants. Itwas deposited with the Monroes in Paris by the trustees of -the Irfish'1',arliamentary party. -:Parnell, Biggar, and McCarthy. Mc- Carthy is the only surviving trustee. He has sued for the funds, pledging himself to devote`them to the use of the Irish evicted tenants. ' -Mrs: Parnell hearse -ad -Air them as heir-at-law=of Mr. Parnell, In her suitshe has etnploye-d an attorney attached to the British Embassy at Paris, and this has aroused the ire of the Irish Nationalists, who are, moredver, desirous -that the money ;shall ,be obtained . for the: . evicted- tenants." 911: around itis an,ugty mess. , It will be noticed- how tenaciously our contemporary, clings, to the hope of better times. . But the trust is illusive, for, unfor- tunately, even a revival in"`ship-building would bebut a drop-in the bucket, im- plying as . it would, a growth of imports rather than of exports. If it were English goods that were •A being carried in English ships all would be well, but it is foreign goods shipped outward through English houses ' and foreign goods brought inward from foreign houses. If the mother country could retain its status as the world's distributing mart all might yet be fairly well, but every ygar, German shipping in- terests, for instance, are growing, signiiyieg all too plainlythat in the time to come, European goods will be carried in European bottoms and American goods in American bottoms. Aed, then, what? If British statesmen e entinue to wilfully ` shut their eyes to:the inevitable, the Future will all too plainly answer for itself. .MI=11111111 - The 03ea11no Longer Trackless. We speak of the ocean as " trackless." It is so no .0 -.ger. Ii - two vessels sail from Necv York for Calcutta they will, if intelli- gently navigated, follow so nearly the same course that their paths, if plotted on -a chart, will hardly diverge by fifty miles at any point. The same is true of every other route. Let us consider the case of a vessel bound to New York from Liverpool. Her` captain might, if prepared for a constant" battle against adverse winds and currents and -winter gales, select a route not -very different from that followed by ocean steam- ers between those ports. Otherwise' he would follow the southern route laid down by the sailing directory, and, after beating to the westward a few hundred miles to make sure of clearing the coast of Spain, would shape a course to the southward, passing as far west of Madeira as the wester- ly winds of these latitudes will permit. Be- tween Madeira and the Canaries, but a few hundred miles to the westward of both, he would fan his way accroasthebaffling"calms of Cancer," and pick up thenortheast trades With these astern and freshening every, mile, he would sweep down to thesouth and west, and, when well over toward the West Indies, haul up to the northward toward Ber- muda. Here he would have to work again across the calms of Cancer, _and then, with the uncertain but probably westerly winds of our Atlantic coast and with the Gulf stream in his favor, he R mild stand on and make his port, baying sailed 4,500 miles between two ports less than 3,000 miles apart, but with winds and current almost uniformly favorable, and with fine and bracing weath- er. A Surprise for a Yankee. An American stopping at a well-known hotel in Southampton, was continually boasting about the superiority of everything in the States, and depreciating the produc- tions of Old England. The landlord at length, getting rather tired of - his sort of thing, determined to be even with the man. Producinghalfa dozen fine, healthy and active crabs from Hamble, be poured then into the Yank's bed, and telling his guest his bed was ready, he lighted a candle and escorted him upstairs. Upon reaching the door the landlord managed to put out the light, which of course didn't make much difference to the American, who undressed himself and jumped in to bed. Immediate- ly he gave a terrific yell and cried : " Landlord ! Come here ! What are these things in my bed ?" The landlord was outside the door, and anticipating what would follow had relit the candle, and going and looking at the bed, coolly remarked : " Them's fleas ; can you beat them in the States ?" The Dee. I swam the wetsome river Dee, Because beyond the rolling sea There lives a maid of high degree. This maid's degree is very high, Her father is a Russian " ski,'' The more should I have gone there dry. I heard the birds sing in the trees, I smelled the perfume on the breeze, But what cared I for this or these? And what did I receive for this'? A Russian maiden's rapturous • kiss? My whole adventures went amiss. For she had no recompense; She simply said, " You may go hence And hang yourself across the fence. " What ! hang myself up there to dry ? No ! maiden with the haughty eye, Not that for any Russian 'ski."' Then back I swam across the Dee, And told my neighbor, Bessie Lee, "I've swam across and back for thee !" [New York Advertiser, 41111--.11110.40.411111. hearing a Perusal. Fangle—What are you cutting that piece out of the paper for ? Cumso - I'm going to take the paper home and I'm very anxious for my wife to read the article, as it is on economy in dress. if I merely take the uncut paper home won't see it. Fangle—But I don't see how she's going to see it if you take the paper with the item cut out. Cumso—Well, when she sees the place where the article was she'll be so curious to know what was cut out that she'll send and get another copy. Considerable difficulty was experienced recently by the Frenchmen who -paid the King of Dahomey his annual pension of 20,- 000franes, because he could count only as high as one hundred. Eventually the silver•,. in which the pension was paid, was done up in packages of twenty five -franc pieces each, rand these packages, : were deliver- ed one by one to the forty chieftains whom the king had summoned to see that he was not swindled. Upon the delivery of each package, the chieftan who kept books laid aside a shell. When forty shells had been laid aside, the bookkeeper indicated to the other chieftains that the payment was complete, and all then affixed crosses to the receipt presented by the French agent. An amusing story is told by the Fancier's Gazette of two Newfoundland clogs which made an attempt to rescue a roan from the water, who in their, opinion required their assistance. The dogs were accompanying their masters on either side of a river, and, seeiug a man in .the water, both sprang in to the rescue. Unfortunately, however, for the man, each dog wanted -to convey its capture to its owner, the consequence being that it was a case of " pull devil, pull baker." In the end the.man's,coat tails,gave way and the dogs returned in triumph to either side of the river carrying itiii� their mouths a por- tion of the fractured.garnient. The water being shallow, the manLstepped out, only too thankful that his would -be -rescuers had departed. "The end of November is:the time when the outlookifor thewintercan be fairly de - [made andattentionis elined=;::arid-attention-in drawn to it by the fact that in Middlesbrough- the outlook is not favourable. There has been a sudden increase in the number of attplicants for poor law relief, and there are similar reports in many unions north of the Tees. In the iron trade the position is distinctly worse than it was a year ago, the furnaces in employ- ment being fewer, and the forges and roll- ing mills working less regularly. In the coal trade there is visible a considerable fall in the price of coal -steam, -gas, and manufac- turing alike=whilst if household coal main- tains its price it is more through force than reason. In the chemical trade less employ- ment is afforded ; and shipbuilding—though it promises much better—is at the time worse -than it was a year ago. Its revival wilIvndoubtedlyinfluence for the better the two allied industries of iron and coal, but probably pot to any great extent this wa- ter. DEATH OF A DUKE. Elevation ofthe Marquis of Hst►liagtoa to Ills Father's Estates_ . _ The Duke of Devonshire. who has for a long time been lying ill and near to death's door at his residence, balker hall, Milne- thorpe, died on Monday evening. B his death his eldest son, the Marquis of Hart- ington, succeeds to the peerage, thus leav- ing a vacancy intheHoose of Commons for the North-east division of Lanehire. The late duke had never fully recoverbd from theshoek caused by the tragic death of his son, : Lord Frederick Cavern/Isla-who on May 6, 1882, shortly after being appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland, was ' assassina- ted in Phcenix park, Dublin with Under Secretary Thomas IL Burke. , The Duke of Devonshire (William Caven- dish) has not been a prominent figure in English politics for many years, although he was at one time. Re was born in 1808, educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, and in 1828 was returned as one of the members for the University of Cambridge. As Lord Cavendish be represented North Derbyshire from 1832 until be succeeded to the title of the Earl of Burlington in 1834. Chaneellor of the University of London from 1836 to 1855, he succeeded his cousin to the Devon- shire dukedom in 1858. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire in 1858, and succeeded the Prince Consort as Chancellor of the Univesity of Cambridge in 1862. 1Mf late years he has attended much to the tie- velopment of his estates taking little 'art in politics, though he recently accepted the position of chairman of the Irish Loyal and Patriotic Union: -He has been a great pa- tron of fine arts and literature. Lord Hartington has always been an im- portant figure in- English politics, and his influence will be greatly increased by his accession to the title of Duke of Devonshire. Up to the formation of Mr. Gladstone's Home Rule Cabinet in 1886 be was an ardent adniirerand discipleof-the grand old man, and held imndrtant positions in the Liberal cabinets. Then he became the leader of the Liberal Unionists, and as such he is classed to -day. The Duke of Devonshire tramesehis descent to William Cavendish•, whose services dur- ing the reign of -Henry VIII- were rewarded by a baronetcy and some rich church lands. His second son was made a baron, which entitled Mm to a seat in the House of Lords, and he afterward received an earldom. The fourth earl rendered good services to Charles IL and James IL, which, however, did not prevent him from corresponding afterward with William of Orange and in- viting the Holland monarch over to Eng- land. For these " loyal " services he was created a duke by William III. Since that time the family was more engrossed in snak- ing goodmatchesthan giving its services to the state, and at the death of the sixth duke the enormous possessions of the Cavendishes, Boyles, Cliffords, Hardwicks and Spencer-Comptons became the heritage of the present and seventh duke. The family has always been known as the great, Whig house in English politics. Their im- mense wealth gave them proportional power. The family owns 220,335 acres of land in England and Ireland, of which 193- 322 acres belong to the duke as hereditary estates. The duke has seven seats—Chats- worth, Hacker, Hardwick, Balton Abbey, Compton Place, Lismore castle and Devon- shire house in London. [ Perhaps the most beautiful of the T1cvon- shire seats is that of Chatsworth, in the count of Derbyshire, about 12 milee from the busy manufacturing town nt- Sheffield. Chatsworth's gardens are, perhaps the most famous in England. The grand conserva- tory is 300 feet long, 145 feet broad and 65 feet high, comprising on area of about an acre, traversed in the centre by a carriage road. The great glass house of the Victoria Regina Lilly was built under the direction of Sir Joseph Paxton, who designed the Crys- tal palace. The park is about nine miles in circum- ference. The mansion is about 180 feet square, and is built round an open quad- rangular court-, with terraces in front 1,200 feet long. The interior corresponds fully to the beauty of the exterior. It is adorned with sculptures by Canova, Thorwaldsen, W estinacott and Chantrey, end paintings by Murillo, Rembrandt. Titian and Land - seer. Chatsworth was for 13 years the prison of Mary Queen of Scots. While in captivity she carved a legend out on the walls of the dungeon, Lord Frederick Cavendish. who was the second son of the Duke of Devon- shire, one of the victims of the Phoenix park murders, is buried in the little churchyard near the palace. British Columbia Timber. The Timber Trades' Journal has the fol- lowing reference to the specimens of timber brought home by Mr. Burall, of NVisbech, from British Columbia : " We have re- ceived from Mr. W. T. Burall, of Wisbech, who has lately returned from British Col- umbia, a section of a piece of piling timber, honeycombed by teredos, after being in the water two years. The timber was round wood, andthe perforations are confined to the inside, the outer 'crust apparently not being touched. These destructive worms seem to follow the grain and thread their way along, almost hollowing out the tree. Mr. Buret, speaking of- the immense growth of trees in Vancouver, says he saw timber being cut in the saw mills 6 feet square and 118 feet in length. We have a specimen of these pines in the cargo from Puget Sound which G.F. Neame & Co. are now lauding. Amongst the arri- vals in the Surrey Commercial Docks the i Saratoga, from Puget Sound, has a full cargo of Oregon pine, a wood which is rapidly growing in favor for all purposes for which great strength, durability and extra- ordinary dimensions are esteemed. The cargo referred to will, we anticipate, add to the reputation of this timber, and as a curi- osity we may mention that it contains a few pieces of waney board pine 24 in. up to 28 in. square, and 37 ft. to 43 ft. in length. We often bear of the giants of the American forests, and a sight of these enormous planks will probably assist the trade here in becoming a little: less credulous on this sub- ject than they are at present.' The persutittoneh at the Christian mis- sionaries in China are now having to endure seems to be chiefly caused by malicious false statements that are made concerning the character of the religion that they teach and practise. The Chinese people have been led by statements and native publica- tions to believe, just as the peoplain Europe acentury or two ago were brought to be- lieve concerning the Jews, that the Christ- ian missionaries are not thoroit immoral people, but that it is a part of their creed to kidnap and kill little children. Ordinar- ily, the Chinese are entirely indifferent as to religious professions, but the fear that the lives of their children are endangered arouses them to a high pitch of excitement, under the influences of which they have no hesita- tion in putting to death any Christ am mis- sionaries upon Shorn they css lay oheis hands R a