The Brussels Post, 1891-6-26, Page 6THE BRUSSELS POST.
, AN ACCURSED RAU.
Meath Valley, a Meselate Donlan o
Stauted VegietatiOn and Ven-
t/molts Beptiles,
!Cleated:4, Snakri, Scorpions, init Tame.
'Alas 41raW1 On the Smirching Beds or I
lava.
The U. S. Government expedition to
Death valley is bringing forth its first fruits.
Large coneigunteuts of dead creatures. il
/tweeting what it has thus far acoompliehm
in the study of the life of that amazing
region have remelted dm department of
agriculture at Washington. The sol-
i leotions received inelude 2,30a mammals,
1
•
besides numerous birds, reptiles, insecte, ant
other specimens. It is desired by the
scientific authorities in charge to find ou
just what animal and vegetable life is able
to preserve its existence under conditions
so extraordinarily unfavorable as are found
in this desert of horron the like of which is
not found auywhere else in the world.
Of plants there is scarcely anything to be
discovered except cacti, which only represent
O sort of vegetable half-life, and clumps of
ohapparal that are gray instead of green.
One sort ot caetus that grows to be nee or
six feet in height, with extended branches,
is called the "Dead man," becatiso eaoh
stalk in the night looks like a corpse by the
wayside. It the rare spots where water has
gatbeted may be seen a singular fleshy bush
without leaves and with Hoek peen stems.
Such vegetatioa as exists is rank and spiny,
its gray or dull olive hues harmonizing
weirdly with the parched and barrenallpects
of the great alkali sink known as Death
valley—a narrow strip of salt and alkali
crust extendirtg north and south between
two precipitous walls of tnountains, the
Amargosa and Panamint ranges. Those who
have visited it. say that it is beyond human
powers of description, There are vast
stretches ot white plain variegated
'with black lava, the alluring mirages,
the strange appearance of the towering
bills outlined like the backbones of
monstrous beasts against the yellow sky,
the totel absence ot trees, the dearth of
animal life, and the intense beat from
which there is no escape. Here and
there, too, aro pebble -beds tulles in extent,
made up of agate, mossagate, chalcedony,
jasper, and obsidian. This astonishing
desert, however, is by no means so devoid of
life as its aspen by daylight would lead the
observem to insaglue. As won as night falls
it is all aswarm with creatur•es of various
sorts. Countless lizards ootne out of their
burro .vs to look for insect prey, snakes
wriggle ecross the alkali erust, homed toads
Creep about, awl scortions and tatentulas
of elm:ono-as sire sharpen their claws for
combat Rats, mice, anti squirrels trot
about s•eking footaand wildcats and coyotes
oe foredo their lairs on the mountain sides
and roam over the plaits In pursuit of all
sorts of smaller animals. It Is a nocternid
population, simply becanse the heat is 00
great as to forbid going out in the day time.
The Death Valley expedition has not at•
tempted. to encamp upon the desert itself for
the sakeof securing specimens. It huts been
obliged to content itself with pitching tents
about the edge, at the feet of themountains,
making brief expeditions across the torrid
plain, setting tarps, and returning as quiet •
ly as possible, Fly this method the traps
could be emptied and set again without
mtuela loss of time. Time is of consequence
In Death valley, where a num requires two
.gallons of water daily to keep bins from fly.
ing of thirst, and. even then he is it sufferer.
Little traps of very eimple and most admir-
able pattern are employed. for catching the
email animals. Two or three dozen of these
trapecanbeconvenientlycarriedinthepookets
-et one's ooat, and the game coveted can en-
ter from any side. Each one is hardly tnore
than a wire spring, ingeniously contrived,
• so that the victim is not obliged to enter a
hole, aim no danger, and does not dream of
Teri' until he is caught. Corremeal is ern-
;ployed Inc bait aud is found most fetching.
For the large mammals the gun must be
brought into rerptisition, while the reptiles,
usually slow of movement, are readily gath.
ered in. Of birds there are very few in the
neighborhood of Death valley, though the
raven, that funeral fowl, is very plentiful
in the woods that skirt its edge, crying with
'mournful notes for the mealy travelers whose
dried, corpses are scattered over the burning
level.
As quickly as possible after they are
caught the anitnals trapped and shot are
a skinned by the explorers, all of whom are
° skilled taxidermists. No great pains are
taken with the stuffing. A lump of caw
cotton supplies the place of the vitals, and
the tail is extended bye, wire thrust through
its length, Arsenic is sprinkled all over
the inane foe preservative purposes, and
the specimen is stretched. with four pins on
a board to dry. As soon as they have thee
been made 'ready the preserved creatures
are forwarded to Washington. A great
many individuals of each species found are
killed and forwarded because individuals
here and there differ, and it is necessary to
determine where theta individual differ-
enoes end and now species beginto
. For exrt-
ple, one kind of rat may have ears of vavious
eines and different lengths, but 11. 10 requisite
to find out the line of demarkation which
aeparetes this animal front another epecies.
Among the specimens collected are three
species of ground -squirrels, which live in
burrows and feed at night upoit coots, leaves,
and soda plants. One of them often climbs
the stalk for the purpose of getting at the
seeds. At other tittles it stands on its hind
feet, clasps the stem with its fore -paws, fled
'bites off the seed.pods, distending its cheek.
pouches enormously with the food. One
fellow shot by Dr. Iferriam, chief of the
expedition, had thirty-nine unbroken seed -
pods in his pouches.
Another inost interesting animal that in.
habits Meth valley is the "kangaroo rat,'
Which makes its way about by jumping. It
has lone; and powerful hind legs and a atm-
prisingly long tail, Its eolor.ing varies from
light gory to dark brown, mcording 00
whether it frequents alkali or the lava, 00
tore intending to protect it from 'septum by
tbe likeness of its Inie to ita eurrouudings.
The kangaroo rat lives in burrows, as does
likewise a entailer kind that is common
milled Lite " kangaroo mouse." 131111. matter
is in any true sense a mouse or a rat, but
belongs to families quite different,
Nevertheless, there are plenty of real rats
in Death valley, as the expedition has found.
One kind, that lives in the chspnarni, with
bore tails and exquisite soft fur, Is the etaple
food of thc Digger Indlans who dwell In the
mountains thereabout The latter cateh the
beasts with dogs, frightening them out of
their nests, which are made like those of
Squirrele, of great size, in the bushes or
bombe of octane With „respect to the r
kangaroo rats, one extraordinary point
should be mentioned, relating to a eartain t
development of their'
skulls whit:1041ga out a
at the sides in a surprieing Way'. In faot,
no sloth big bulges o.$3 those, which contain r
tbe hearing appendant, are to be found in c
any other known animals,
One of the roost curious sorts of rodents f,
common in befall valley is the "scorpion
mouse," which !Iran almost wholly upon
ecorpions. By ineldnut it has learned whieh
end to teekle its prey lsy. Another creature
in the 8Anie region tint likes nor diens LINO
is the " chapparal COC4, winch go htesthem
by thousands, and is ora less fond of mita
pedes, tarantulas lizards, and horned toads
.Che Met named are too big to swellow at a
gulp, and so the fowl tears them to pieces be.
tore devouring them, Perhaps the most
beautiful monee in ex iste nee is found in Death
valley, known as the " grasshopper mouse,"
It is a los ely beast, fawn -colored in the bank
with a snowy belly and sides, a taloa tail,
tml pretty little ears. Other animals for-
warded are " poeket miee," with pouches
outside their throats to stow proyisions in,
gophers, weasels, shrews, and a newly dun
covered species of lavender -gray fox with
long ears. A mvonderfullr big species of
add thing about this kind of animal Is that
t it is enormously fond of watet melons, but it
has to starve for them out there.
coyote has been found in t te meatiest. Otte
On Treating the Apparently Drowned.
The bathing and swimming season is at
hand and so is the season of many deaths
from drowning. if every man of fair intella
gence were familiar W1 t 11 the most approy
method of reviving vital action in persons
who had bootie dangerous time under water,
many lives might be thereby saved, iVith
the liberal dissemination of instructions on
the method many persons wonld learn and
remember the prooese and would employ
in emergencies. A new method which has
been by medical journals pronounced
superior to the long practiced Sylvester or
Marshall Hall method, has been recently
suggested by Dr. Bowles, of London, Eng
and which has already been noticed in thi5
Journal.
After the body has been removed from the
water, place it Inc a moment with fees
downward, to allow the escape of water
from the mouth and throat 1. turn it on the
side and keepit no that side continuously,
except wheu, about fifteen times a minute,
the body is to Ise rolled, for 01511.' to:colitis,
on the face again. Bo KEEPINU THE soME
8I0E ALWAYS P, the lung on that side be-
comes dear. Turning flrst one and then the
other side up is dangerous because thereby
the partly cleared lung is suddenly flooded
with fluid ftom the lung which was down.
ward. It is better to dear one lung entirely
than to have both half cleared. Each time
the body is turned upon the face Inc the few
seconds, a little more froth and water es-
capes from the moath and nostrils. When
the upper lung has been almost or partly
cleared, it is useful to raise the upper um
above the head, thus drawing up and ex-
pending the ribs mai walls of the chest that
air may enter, am in the Sylvester method,
then bringing the man down fiernly to the
side again, and repeating these arm move-
ments fifteen or twenty times a minute ;
since the entrance of larger quantities of air
fent the lung is now sate. Pressure upon
the back each time the 151.5 10 turned down,
aisizts the escape of water somewhat, anti
hes a good influence on the heart, aidingthe
propukine of the bleed toward the lungs. ,
the continued use of this promalateral
method is said to be an exeellent mode of
keeping the pharynx clear of obstruction,
The artificial respiration process is far
away the most important thing to attend to
first. Not an institnt should be lost before
11 11) commenced,
If there be other assistants besides sidfi•
cient to keep up this process steadily tied
persistemlyfor hours Yoe v tality has been
restored after meta thou ala hours of appar.
ently fruitless effort) wet clothing may be
removed, the body rolled unto warm
blankets and partly wrapped 111 them, end
heat applied to the groins, feet and over the
stomach, by means of hot water in bottles or
woolen clothes. A very hot cloth applied
suddenly and momentarily to the bare skin
over the hettet might help to restore its
action, or an occasional sharp slap or two
with the hand over thia region 'night have
a like effect.
When breathing is restoted, but little
usually remains to he dom. A little hot
drink ov mild stimulant may be required,
with dryness, warmth and quiet rest.
Purther Exploration inSouth Ainerin,
There are portions of South America
which are unknowitand Meccas:nisi°, Intt ex,
pitmen of ulentestiounble ability mitt vented,
have let In floods of light epon regionit wliull
the pains is prone to believe have aleVer
been trodden bynnysave the savants Indian.
1 Stieler's umpa of South Amerioa show at a
glance Whet 18 koown, anti whet unithown.
The continuous Lines of rivers, fov example,
are plotted from the mathematical observe.
dove of competent taavelere, The slotted
lines iodic/de suppoisitional courses, Th
aceuritcy of these maps is astonishing
In a distance of a thousand udies on th
upper Ammon, there exist ouly tbout
lama trifling errors, such tte 0 httle towt
placed ou the weong side of river, D,eou
ondary ehannel mistaken for the meat
(Manuel mound an island, and a rive
emptying into the Ammon at the middle
of a big bend instead of at its end. The
town had mice stood where once repre-
sented on the map, hut beieg burned had
been rebuilt across the river ; and as the
river is subject to rapid changes, owing to
the erosion of its banks, it is possible that
the ot/ter errors would, upon investigation,
prove covrect aocordinl to the latest observe,
the map, .co. few suggestIons will show where
and how the love of exploration and ad.
%%name may Ise gratified with profit to the
explorer and to the world. Eastern, western,
end seuthern Peru are well known, So is
western, middle, and the more important
portions of eastern Ecuador ; all of Bolivia,
except the extreme northern part ; all of
Colombia, except the southeastern portion ;
all of Venezuela, except, the southwestern
and southeastern corners ; the whole of
British and French Guiana; all of Brazil,
except that portion north of the Atnazon
between the Rio Negro and the Rio Peru'.
While there are many extensive areas in
the other portions of those countries which
are only indifferently known, the inform,
tion at band concerning them is suitioient to
reuder possible very accurate reasoning re-
garding the means of develisping their re-
sources. Their general physical aspects aro
comprehended ; we know their 'lateral pro-
ducts, the number and extent of their navi-
gable rivers, the ordinary facilities for coin.
munication the character of their inhabit-
ants, and the presence or absence of organ-
ized government. Southern Colombia and
southern Ecuador, however, offer a rare
field Inc intelligent exploration. Although
O mule road has been in use bettveeu Po-
pstyan end Quito for over 200 yeare, our
knowledge of this region is most obscure. It
has lain out of the route of ordinary
travellers ; landlocked, it has preserved its
eecrets of open passes. of mineral riches, and
romentic landseapes, unbroken to thopresent
day. it is destined. to assume int
penance as the encroaching links
in that system of railroaels, which
will eventually make the dream of a
Pan-Ainerican railroad a fact shall have left
only this apace to be traveteed. A knows
ledge of its topography and resources would
be el. the utmost value. It is a journey
which could be mole in a single summer.
The route lies by way of Panam' a and
Buenaventura en the westeen coast ofCol.
ontbia; thence byrail towacd the mountains,
and across the western range to Cali, in the
valley of the Rio Calmat Mule trains are
constantly passing back and forth from Cali
to Popayau, which latter town is near the
Curio.. valley, in the extreme south of Col-
ombia. It is the eapital of the great state
of Cauca, has long been a city of no little
commercie.1 coma pence, and boasts of a
eathedral and such other public buildings
as are inseparable from it South American
town of 20,000 inhabitants,
6, 1891
TIT -BITS.
Pat Oorreeting hie Master.
'I say, Pat, whet are you aboet sweep
ing out the room?"
" No," answered Pat, ''l'in sweeplag °et
the diets"
011 Time,
" 13vidget," said Barrowe, °ninety, " I
told you to have my hot water the fleet thing
• in the morning."
a "Shure," replied Bridget,1 t, and ain't
o bring it up, and lave it at the door last
! night so as it would. he in time, sir?"
s
Helping the Milkman,
alilkman. "Shall I leave the usual quart
if milk on the front step, ma'am, in the
m caul n 9"
Mstress of the house. " No, I thitia a
pint will be enough, it looks so much late
rRiu,"
ea dons evadable at the etc of pulalication of
it
Under The Earth
The workmen in the deepest mines of
Europe swelter in almost intolerable heat,
and yet they never penetrate over one 7-
1000th part of the distance from the surface
to the centre of the earth.
In the lower levels of some of the Com-
stock mines the men fought scuttling water,
and could labor only three or four hours at
a time until the Sate tunnel pierced the
mines and drew some of the terrible heat,
which had stood. at 120.
The deepest boring ever made, that at,
Sperenberg, near Berlin, penetrates only
4,172 feet, about 1,000 feet deeper than the
famous artesian well at St. Louis.
While borings and mime reveal to us only
a few secrets relating solely to the tempera-
ture and constitution of the earth for a few
thousand feet below tho surface, we are able
by means of volcanoes to form some notion
of what is going on at a greater depth.
There have been many theories about the
causes of volcanoes, but it is now generally
held that, though they are produced by the
intense heat of the interior of the earth, they
are Dot directly conneeted with the molten
mass that lies many utiles below the immeda
ate sources of volcanic energy.
Everybody knows that many rocks are
formed on the floor of the ocean, mot it has
found that a 20th to a 7001 of theit weight
is made up of itnprisoned water. Now,
those rooks are flamed in time under over-
laying strata, which serve as a blanket to
keep the enormous heat of the interior,
This heat turns the water into superheated
steam, which melts the hardest rook, an,
vshen the stream finds it fisSuro in the strati
above it it breaks through to the surface
with terrific energy, and vse have a vol
cams.
We find that these out.pourings that hay
lain for countless ages Luny thousands o
feet below the surface are well adapted a
serve the purposeo of nau. Many to vine
yard flourishes on the vnleatne ashes Motu
Vesuvine, mid volcanic mud has clothed the
hills of New amiland with hue foreste and
its plains with luxuriant verdure.
The most wonderful display of the reeults
of volcanic energy is sets in the north-west-
ern corner of our own landsit region of lofty
'masts and Inc groat fertility,
No Ohoioe 1
Lovely Daughter : "Pa, Mr, Nieefollo
proposed 1.0 1110 lastnight, ana I referred him
to
' 1 "Well, I really don't know much
about the young man, and 111 have
Daughter •` When he cans to see you
about it, you are to receive him kindly—
eel fatherly, remember—and help him along
all you ear, until he asks for itty hand, and
hen you are to look alarmed, end telk
bout what an angel / am, and how many
millionaires and dukes and princes I've
°fused • and then yowl are to reluctantly
onsent and give ban your blessing,"
Oh 11010, am I? Bit, suppose I lion%
bon what ?"
"3. Shall marry him just the same,"
The Season in slurope.
The coroner Inc North-Enab London ready.
ed information of a shocking affair at
Haggerston. It appears blest about three
weeks ago a vouug woman, named Elizabeth
Groom, took°1odgings ab 72 Augrave Street,
}regent on, On Monday and ,Tuesday she
remanted in her room all day, On Thursday
night the suspicions of Mrs. Uunderhill were
aroused, and in company with another lodg.
er they entered Ste bedeocnn, when they
discovered that Groom had given birth to a
male child., which they afterwards found With
a terrible wound in ita throat and quite dead.
The police were immediately communicated
with, end Groom was conveyed in oustody to
Shoreditch Iiffirmary, where she now lies,
t Dr. Jaeltson, divisional surgeon, who Was
also celled in, has received instructions to
. make a post-mortem examination.
Two reload:able maiden ladies have just
7 died, both of Slavonic race, o»o dietiuguisb.
ea for her beauty, and the other as distill.
guished for her itglinessaisPrineess Helena
Sangussko had the reputation of being the
most beautiful woman in Poland, indeed the
tame of her leVelille88 Wee 8,1 one time
European. It was her own fault that she
did not become Empresa of the French.
Louis Napoleon made her an offer of mar-
riage wheit she visited his Imperial Court,
and it 'was not until Maw her rejection of
the splendid position that he turned to the
Conutess Eugenie Idontijo, The Princes
had many suitors among tho high Austrian
nobility bat, she preferred to live and die in
single bleasedness. She was a woinan of wide
culture, and outde her ancestral castle of
Ountniska a veritable museum, Site died in
her fifty-sixth year. Antotthut Demittijew-
na Moiety, " the little ugly countess," was
the most influential maid -of -honour to the
wife of Tsar Alexander 131. She was the
only unmarried daughter of Count Ilindow5
the .Airdassacior of Nicholas I, to 14tiglanct,
and his most trusty councillor, She was
famous for ber keen intellect and her sharp
tongue. alio In combinationwithher father -
confessor Basohanow, exercised a great
Influence through the Htopreile upon Alexatt-
der II., and was much beloved by the
Moscow Nationalists,
In other countries besides Go:aria vege-
tation has been retarded by several weeks of
cold weather, Ott the Continent of Europe,
and especially in Holland, Belguim,(lermany,
France and Italy, the season is very cold and
late, (Lod crops are backward, the pitstures
and meadows are still bare of grass and
there will be no hay crop to speak of. The
London Times, speakieg of the state of
affairs in England nette the end of May,
says:—
" The season is maintaining its imseaeon-
able character, and we are still having win-
try weather, though within a fow days of
Jam. The low temperature, cold rains,
and storms of hail and snow have checked
all vegetation, and the pastures and meadows
are almost as bare as in February. This
means, practically, that we shall have but a
small hay crop, and that extra, food will have
to be provided for stock until the summer.
The hailstorms have done much damage to
fruit trees, and in scone districts in the west
of England it is said that the apple orchards
have been stripped of their blossoms and the
entire promise of the year destroyed. Only
the week before the peospeot was so good for
Ole apple crop that the peke of cider was
reduced. The night frosts have also done
much harm, the early potatoes in many dia.
tricta having been out down as though by a
pada,"
All Places Alike to Him.
C‘uardian (at the pearly gates)—" No ;
there 15 110 place for you here. On earth you
Were to conceited American traveler of the
ordinary kind. Pass du.
Spirit of American Traveler (with a yawn)
—"I don't care particularly about coming
in. I only wanted to write my name some.
where on the gatepost."
And Jennie Blushed,
01(1 flentleman—" Where Is that book
called ',Don't?' Any one know?"
Bobby—"I think it is in the parlor. Yon
were reacting it last night to Mr. Spoontlyke
weren't you, Jennie?
Jettnie—" Why, no, Bobby. What nutkes
you think so ?"
Bobby— " 'Cause I heard you saying
• Don't' a good many titneS.
Had a Great Loss,
Johnson—" Ah, my dear boy, I am sorry
for you—very,"
Dobson—'• Why are you sorry for ine ? '
Johnson—" I see you have a crape band
on yenr hat and conclude you have lost a
relative."
Dobson—" More than that. I have Wei.
eel my last nape of becoming rich. My
uncle was seut to the poor house yesterday
and I had always supposed him to be a per-
fect moneybags."
^
The Poison Racket Worked.
" This is my last drink," said the impe-
cunious customer, as he opened a smell pa.
Per and sprinkled a white powder into the
if Stop! stop !" cried half a dozen bat,
room loungers, as they ran toward him.
" Hands off," he cried, " this is my
potion," and he swallowed it at 0 draught.
" Now, barkeeper, you can collect your
fee from the Coronor."
" Don't die here," shrieked the barkeeper
and ho rushed the wreehed man out on the
street and in five minutes had the place shut
as tight as a bank.
Did the man die? No, he didn't. He
slid round the corner laughing.
"It worked," he chuokled. " I wmddn't
have believed it, but it worked like a 'Mee,"
and again his mellifluous laughter floated out
on the night air.
A GHASTLY FIND.
A Alan Bair Eaten by Vermin F0111113 in the
Woods.
Three boys, out in the woods near Craw-
fordsville, Ind., hunting the other afternoon,
found the body of s man who was, to all ap-
pearance, dead and badly decomposed.
HORSES FOR P001).
Ilatikoso nag. tient 10 Erance am Texas or
Adularia 1410018,
Volta, atom 17.—Seoretary Rusk,
nf the Depaettnesa of Agstoulture, is here,
He atone from Weehington 10 11110011 to Seine
minor mottoes relating to the inepectlon of
meets designed for export. The tiotiretary
is trying to NM dOW11 teportm which have
come to him regarding a peculiar business
(Mae in this city. Tie has been inTormed
that one or more firms are engaged in tho
elaughter of !torsos for fowl purposes. The
tneat is exported, according to informetiott
given to the secretary, to Eueopetut oottn-
teats, to 'bronco chiefly and ill considerable
quantities, According to this information
such hones ton need us may be hail at prices
which make their export for food profitable,
Aftee slaughter and an ocean voyage,
those parts which 100)'be used without de-
tection itro landed m seine toreign m
nelset
and disposed of as prime beef for table use,
The Secretary said there was a call for it in
some pada of France, and at s011ie points
the supplying of it was a oonselereble in-
dustry, but it was manifeetly, impropet to
allow this food product to start, from New
York ea horse flesh ana onto ocean voyage
to be transformed Into pt nee !cams or Mon.
tuna steer.
Caught in His Own Trap,
Two ministers of the Gospel were once
conversing. on extemporaneous preaching.
" Well," said the elder of the two, wax.
ing warm, "you are ruining yourself by
writing your sermonff
s anti reading them o.
You r congregation cannot become in taros ted
in your preaching and if you were called
upon to preach unexpectedly, unless you
(meld got hold of an old sermon, you wortid
be completely confused.
The young divine used ail his eloquence,
but in vain, to convince his brother in the
Lord that the written sermon expressed his
own thoughts and feelings and if called
upon he could preach extemporaneously.
" As we are of the same faith," said he,
" suppose yon try me next S'abbath mim-
ing. On a.seendiag the pulpit you cm hand
ne a text from any part of the Bible and I
will convince you that I eau preach without
laving looked at the text before Istood up.
Likewise, I must be allowed the same priva
ege with you, and we will then see who
will make the best of it."
This idea seemed to delight the elder
preacher end it wm immediately agreed
upon. The following Sobbatla, on mounting
the pulpit, the seaine brother handed the
youngerminister a slip on which was writ•
ten ''And the ass opened, his mouth and
spoke," from which the young divine preach-
ed a gloriously good sermon, cheiniug the
attention of Ins delighted hearers and charm.
ing kis old friend with his eloquence.
Yoe the afternoon the younger minister,
handed a slip to the Wee After rising 00(1opening the flible the old man glanced at
the slip and then in a doleful voice he read
aloud : " Am I not thine ass?" Pausing
a few moments he ran his fingers through
his hale, straightened hie collar, blew his
nose in a nervous, jerking way and read
again : 00 Ari I not thine ass ?' Aeothey
pause, during whioh deadly silence reigned
and again the old divine read in solemn
tones " Am net thine ass?" Then glanc-
ing at his friend, who sat dleectly behind
him, he said Ina sad vuiee : " think 3.
am, brother."
Pussy's Wonder:u1 Leap,
The old saying, A cat has nine lives,'
has a good foundation of fact in the wonder-
ful power of endlirallec sliowti by that Dna
n
Not the least wonderful exploit ceed it -
ed to pussy is the following : l380, when
Otto Washington Monument had reached a
might of one hundred and sixty feet, an ad-
,enturous and patriotic cat had aeconded
he interior of the shaft, by means of the
apes and tubing.
When ehe workmen strayed at the upper
ending tho next morning, and began to
re are for the day's work, pussy took
rig ft, and springing to the outer edge, took
O " header " of one lottolred end sixty feet
to the hard earth below.
In the descent, which wee tvatched closely
by two score of men, the cat spread herself
out like e, flying squirrel, and alighted on all
fours. After turning over on.the ground a
few times in a dozed inauner, she prepared
to leave the grounds, and had proceeded
almost beyond the shadow of the mm
onuent
tvhen a dog belonging to one of the work-
men pounced upon her and killed her, else,
of course, not being in her best running
trim after performing such an extraordinary
fent.
Ono of the men procured the body of the
dead cat, smoothed out Inc silky oottt, and
turned it over to a representative of the
Smithsonian 'institution, tvho mounted the
skin and placed it under a glass cage,
The label on the case tells this wonderful
story in a few words; "This oat, on Sep-
tember 23, 1880, jumped from the top of
Washington's Monument, and lived."
Word was sent to the Poor Farm, a mile 01.
away, and men Catne out with a wagon to I
get the body. When they arrived tt was
tound tbat the Man was yet alive. On an.
tempting to put him in the wagon his clothes
fell front his body, so rotten had they be-
come from long exposure to the rain. The
man's body presented a horrible appearance.
It was covered with WOOCi tiCke and all
kinds of vermin which had feasted upon the
flesh of the live mama intable to offer the
slightest resistance. To his skin were cling.
ing several large leeches and altogether the
condition of the man was sickening. Re was
taken to the Poorhouse and a physician sum-
moned. Here it was learnecl that his name
was James Crook and that lie was an inmate
who had suddenly disappeated Apri128. Elo
had wandered away to the ravine where he
was found. He had been partly paralyzed,
and being in an unfrequented place could
not give an alarm. There in the woods he
had laid for thirty.six days without food or
water, exposed to the action of the elements
and unable to prevent the vermin from may.
ing upon his body. He was being slowly
and surely tortured to death. Parts of his
body were decayed and a loathsome stench
arose from it. To -day the man Seems to be
reviving, bee he can hardly recover from
the shook of his five weeks' exposure.
A MAD DOG IN A. SOHOOL,
The Children Get lint Safely and a Pollee
man Shoots the Animal.
A mad Newfoundland dog entered the
German publio school in Pittsbugh the
other day. The doors of the various rooms
had been left open on account of the warm
weather, The dog stopped at a Mese room
door and looked about. The scholars were
rushed through a side door by the teacher,
The dog ran through the halls, but woe
filially locked up in one of the rooms, and
the principal made an attempt to shoot him,
The principal's aim was not very good, and
he had to give it up. The furious animal
tore around the room, barking, growling,
and foami»g at the mouth. Policeman
Duncan was seat for. At first he was a
little timid in opening the (Igor, The officer
got his revolver ready, opened the door, mid
just then the dog made a spring toward
him.
The sound ofit shot rang throtigh the
building. The dog fell to the floor, The
Millet had broken his right front Mg. The
officer entered the room naul fired another
shot; at the animal, whicb again made a
spring at him. This time the officer struoic
hint with his club. Six bullets were fired
into his body he wag killed. The dog stood
about It feet aigh and weighed marly 100
pounds. During the finale in the school.
room the excitement was in tenth. Tettelints
ran through the building, hurrying the
pupils in the attempts to escape,
Then He Went &way,
About two o'clock the other Morning at
individual went to an up•fown bearding.
house and rang up the people inside.
A head Wes duck out of a second story
window which asked •
" What an you want i"
want to stay here alt night,"
"Vey web. Stay there."
Then, strange to say, he wont off cross.
Some Interesting Returns.
MorranAr.,, June 24.—Rev, J. B. Morin,
the zealous promoter of NortInwest emigre.
tion, has written a most interetting lettet to
Leif onde whiehsome very valuablefigurcs
are giveu. Speaking 01 1.10 fertile valley of
the Saskatchewan, th,e rev, gentletnan gives
a few returns that cannot fail to beef inter-
est to the fanners of Ontario and Quebec;
155 acres sewed in wheat produced 3,552
bushels ; 475 stores sowed in oats gave a
return of 45 bushels to the acre, while the
average voturn for potatoes may be correctly
plaoed at270 bushels per aere, with a pro -
duet of other vegetables altogether un-
precedented in any country. The pastor re
fors likewise on the question of water in the
' minty of the great river mentioned above,
and states that pure and abundtud water
may be had by sinking wells 15 to 25 feet in
any part of the country. Speaking of wood,
Res', Mr. Morin says that with a permit
from the Government agent in the locality
the settler can 0111 1,1000 foot of construction
wood, 2,000 riles and 30 cords of firewood
from the reserves, and this permit will cost
put 25 oents, ROV. Mr. Morin ieab present
located at Bevicherville, 1'. 0., and the ser-
vices which he reoders his oompariots and
alma in providing intending settlers with
all necessary information respecting the
great Cant:diem North-west eannot be over
eseitnated,
True economy is not found iic the pun:than
of a Oleg that can be bought Inc the least
money.
The population of Bengal, which is rettirn-
ed 01 71,000,4117, shows an increase of 4,413,-
004 on tite last census,
A wise soo knowoth his own father, ands,
smart, daughter fincleth out her popper.
"it is a vory commendable thing, no
doubt, 'Inc a donkey to endeavor to talk
himself horse,"
Reciprocal Favors,—" Your book air is
coming down." "Thanks, your front teeth
tnteirrnitrtii;i'sgisantlitte"
sa good deal of interest in
his business," "Never less than JO per
etnit," replied Charlie Cashgo with a sigh.
A SPECTRE SHIP,
THE OLD SEA OAPTAIN'S REMARK-
ABLE TALE.
'Wreeked 'Whaling Vessel That Unapt .
the South sons—The Boma ep
eV the "10niutlY
'Walker,"
" There ain't mama bore, I reckon," CAW
O white baited emptatu to it crowd of listeu-
ers in to small town on the Mninc coast,
" that kin remember when the keel of the
Maethy Walker was lent, but a starer, neat.
es, drier boat, never left alotteeetee harbor,
She 1000 a regalar yacht; plenty of room,
built for the When& business, but built fast,
so that she'd beat the old tttbs they sent out
of New Iledfotel. The first tiip I took cont.
mend, and we went to the northiard, and in
less than two years we tvere back with mors
oil and seal than any two ships in the ;teeth
fleet. That booked her for good luck, Tito
next trip she did the saute, and then we made
a teip to the south, intendini to work over
ado the Paoffic if things held well. We
hail such look 1.1101. 11. looked like alt hands
would make their everlastini fortune, We
sent home theee vessels loaded with oil we
took right off•hand, and had as big a load
on ourselves tie we could crawl under,
Whales were still plenty, 'tad we took a
vote what -we shottld do, and deeided to
make Inc some island and store the cal, and
keep at it ; no weber° away to the south for
land.
" I rockets we'd been goin' to the south -
'aid for a !natter of a tveek When Were
(Mine ell a gale, the like of which Ulmer FM
afore or since. There wasn't nothini that
would stand it, and 1. believe it would have
BLOWN' TUE BUTTONS OFF Mt COATS.
We took in all sail anti let her go and in
three hours she was a solid cake of ice ;
every drop Hatt struck on her &min' solid,
so that the back and jib -stays looked like
the cable of to fouvaleeker and the slitionds
and all the standin' riggin' was froze te tt
solid heap, too. I tried to keep the jib clear
by keeped men there Avith an ex to ehep
away the ice, but she was under water half -
the thne and we gave it up. It blew twelve
hours and fluidly, in the middle of the
night, we come to all at once without any
I:Ismael:tar shook. In the remain' I found
we had run or sill on to an Me -field and
were letd up, for, after we had grounded,
eaother fleld had Settled in around us, and
thure we were, without any chance of gettiid
off till the wind shifted.
Wall, we Batch to her, and when it
cleared we see -we were in the lee of a big
island, and when I fousid the ice 20 foot in
shore frian 110 was 40 foot thick, I made up
my mind we'd uevee git off—end we never
did in the Inig. We stuck to her till the
grub got so low that it was starvatton ; thee
we took to the boat, decked it over'rigged
it as a schooner, and made sail lac Ole cape.
In about 30 days we were picked up by it
home -bound ship, in a, sitarvini condition,
and brought it, ta New liedfotd, and the
owners thought we were lueky yet, as the
brigrAhtmod Fon IlEitsELF FIVE TIME,' 00E0.
" I staid aShOre six months, and then the
owners launched a sister brig to the alarthy
Walker, aud offered me command. I took
it, anti made money out of her Inc ten yearn
rarinothf in the (walla' trade. But one
spring the owuers got it into their heads to
git stle to takeher down south fov a whalini
ip, and I said I'd go, and I did. First we
fooled around the regilar grounds, and some-
how got etigini on down south. To tell the
truth I WM kind of anxious to see the old
Maris, again, just to see if she was these ;
and so it come that we worked to the south-
ard day by day, and in a week or so were
about, as we thought, where we were when
the old Marthy went aground. It was cold
but clear, aud we were havini the best kind
of weather, when, one mornina at daylight,
hoard the lookout sing out Sail, ho' 0'I
Was un deuk in a second, ye kin bet—no
more sliding up on ice•fields for me—but
when I got on deck I see that what the tram
had taken for a sail was a big berg, dead
ahead, with the ice ail incited, so a green
hand would have
TAKEN IT FOB A 00110 E0500 TIME.
"11 was a rouser, four bemired feet high,
and the nearer we got the stranger it look-
ed. The men had never seen nothini like it,
so were(' to windiatal of it, about five thou-
sand feet, it blowin' fresh. It was a sight,
tell ye 1 maga mountain ; and we stood
salookini at it, when the second mete sings
out, " It's aonovin I" Down with the heltn
Haul her on the wind. " Go 'long,"
says L But in a seeotal we see the top a -
/mein," slow like, then faster and faster,
till it seemed gond down like an avalanche.
We got the brig hauled on the wind, hut,
bless ye 1 it wa'n't no use. When that mass
of ice sunk, ae mould have heard it for siim
miles, the noise it made, and we see a sea a-
comitti toward us, fifteeti.foot high. We got
the vessel so it etruok her end for end, but
Inc a minute I thought the masts would go
otttof her. 13ut she met: it tvell and for a few
minutes we were so taken up that I never
looked at the Moberg; then I heard the
second nude say, ' For heaven's sake cap-
tain, thereie
THE 01(080 OF THE MARTHA WALKER 1'
I first thought hett gone crazy but I
looked where los hand was piintifta and
there, two hundred font in the air, was the
old•Mttrthy, sure enough, as natural as life,
standing oat from the me and rieire up till
she name to two hundred and fifey foot, by
my reckonina from water level; and every
man and boy on board saw her just as
plain its they ever saw anything in their
lives, only she looked just like ho spirie ;
kind me if a cloud W149 in between her and
us. BM we see her and she waint no living
craft It was the ghost of the Marthy
Walker. We see her again 40 miles to the
seeettstrd , and she's been seen since, She'll
always be seen Heating about the sottth
PEARLS OP TRUTH.
Tyvanny often defeats its 050-11 aims.
An evil intention perverts the best actions
and makes them sins.
A fool always finds some one more foolish
than he to admire him.
To love is to adinire with the heart ; to
adinire is to love with the mind,
True politeness consists in being easy one's
self, and in making everybody abotteas easy
as one ems,
The heroism that can wear old clothes
until able to bnynew is said to be the most
lonely feeling on eartli,
Do not talk about the lantern that holds
the lamp but make haste, uncover the light,
and make it; shine,
Never truth a man who prelaseds to have
no faith in wooten ; either he ie a foot Nvl10
talks for effect, or he is a libertine who is to
be shunned.
"Ary imolai instincts are always very
strong," ala the policeman, "It gives Inc
int011110 satisfaction t) meet some good
°WWII° fellow."
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