MIDGE BLADE. )
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WHOLE NUMBER 175.
MORGANTON, N. C SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 1879.
VOL. IV.-NO. 19.
BLUE
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NIGHT AMONG THE HILLS.
-, So still! So still I
The night comes down on vale and bill '.
So strangely still, I cannot close
My eyes in sleep 1 No watchman goes
About the little town to keep
All safe at night' . I cannot sleep !
! So dark! So dark!
Save here aud there a flittering spark,
The firefly's tiny lamp, that makes
The dark more dense. My spii it quakes
With terror Tague and undefined !
I see the hills loom n'p behind.
So near! So near!
Those solemn mountains, grand and drear.
Their rocky summits ! Do they stand
T iw aaminnU ta murd the land f
Or Jailors, ficroe aud trim ao&atern.
To sUut us in till day re.nru
"'" I bear asouna "
A chirp ng faint Ijw on the ground,
A sparrow's nest U there. I know
The hurdlings flew three days ago ;
Yet stiil return each nijjht to rest
And leep in the for nken ntst.
No fear! No fear !
Bleep, timid heart ! Slsep safely here !
A milliun helpltss creatures rest
.Securely on Earth's kindly brea t ;
I While Night lur soemn silence keeps, , f
' He wakes to watoh who never ahepa. i r
Love In a Hood
"Au express package for you, sir," said
into the room where
,rinftlfl Hathawav sat by the cheerful
rra? Are amokiner his evening cigar.
"Indeed 1" said the gentleman, as he took
' it from the porter's hands, mentally wonder
ing who hadaent it ana what it coniameu.
As he untied the outer wrappings of the
package a little note dropped out and Hath
' away Instantly recognized-the address to be
in the handwriting of his favorite cousin
f.Sue. "I hacLquite forgotten that it wants
of Christmas," he said to
. hi.uself. Sue never forgets me when she
: dispenses her gifts." Opening the note he
read as follows:
f Dkak Cousin Regixald. I send you
. these slippers with my best Christmas wish
es. I think they will be a good fit, bf cause
I had them modeled after that old shoe you
left here 'last summer, a reminder of the
pleasant tramps we had together at that
time. Always your loving
Coras Sue.
The irentleman took the cover off the box,
and.- anfoldinz the soft tissue paper which
inclosed the Christmas trift saw not a pair
fcurc mro m my mnt In the matrimonial line
This is certainly very suggestive, but it will
take more than that to make nie give up
my comfortable bachelor quarters and hab
. its." He immediately sat down and wrote :
Dear Sue. I received by express to
night a blue and white hood. I dare say it
would be becoming to some styles of beauty,
but I am entirely too dark for that combina
tion. .Furthermore, it is too small for this
weighty head of mine, so full of legal wis
dom. Ah, Sue! it is in vain to spread a
net in sight of any bird. "Misery loves
company." Because you went and got
married last year, you want your friends to
do the same. A very pat hint, but I must
certainly return the hood, without weaving
! any threads of romance within its soft
meshes. My motto is, "Let well enough
alone," and I am well enough. You mar
ried people say you are happy (except to
your lawyers), and you feed on the madder
of your delusion until your homes are red
(with it. It's right enough you should.
Somebody says something about slaves hug
ging their chains. But to come to the
practical point. 1 suspect you made a mis-
. take, and this hood is intended for one of
.those "dearest, sweetest girls," you used to
rave about in your school days. I shall
await your commands. In the meantime I
shall put it on the topmost, shelf in my
closet so far from sight that it shall not
have an evil influence over me. True as in
' the old days, , Reginald.
The letter was sent in the evening mail,
but the hood was not resigned to the top
shelf until the next morning.
"I suppose the bows are what they call
'gaslight blue, '"he said, as he laid the hood
down in his lap. I wonder what kind of a
face it is intended to grace a blonde, of
course," and the gentleman folded the soft
tissue paper over it, and leaning his head
on the back of his easy chair, resumed his
cigar, and was soon off in a reverie of
smoke a reverie which was very inconsist
ent with the letter he had written.
In a,few days an explanatory letter came
to "h'aad from the Eastern cousin.
.' "That husband of mine,'' she wrote,
"made an awful mistake. . lie sent you the
wrong , box. The hood was intended for
Love Scranton, .who has just moved to
'Denver. She is the embodiment of good
. nesa and loveliness a great deal too good
for you, so you need not be so conceited as
to think I am making a manoeuvre toward
getting up a match for you in that direction.
The slippers have gone to Denver. I have
written to have them returned to you.
Please forgive my blundering matrimonial
alliance, and send the hood on to Love at
Denver."
V The hood was duly returned to the box,
and then Reginald Hathaway began to be
- troubled about the address. Of course her
" real name is not Love, he reasoned; Sue
always gives her friends pet names. It
would be Very presuming in me, a stranger,
to address a lady by her pet name. Just
like a woman ! forget half her traps when
she goes off on a journey. After a half
hour's deliberation, he concluded to leave
off the first name entirely. So the box was
directed to Miss Scranton, Denver, Colo-
- rado.
The next evening, after Reginald received
his express package, another one was deliv
ered at the residence of Elisha Scranton, in
Denver.
"It is for you, Love," said the father,
"as there is no other Miss Scranton in the
house."
'For me, papa!" exclaimed a young
lady, as she left her seat at the piano.
In an instant the outer wrapper was torn
off and the little note accompanying the
box fell on the. floor.
"It is from that dear, good Sue Ashley,"
she said, picking up the note and glancing
m mm " ' . i I vrn-ura IV RRIEC
at the address. Then she read aloud (he
contents. ' j
Deab Lovk. Here is the hood which I
crocheted for you. . I selected blue and
white because you always look as "sweet
as a peach" in those colors. I only wish I
conld kiss'your good face when you get it
on. In haste, your loving mend,
Site Ashley.
Sue is just splendid 1" she exclaimed,
lifting the cover of the box.4 . But in an in
stant more a look of disappointment covered
her face. "There is no hood here, mam
ma," she said.' "Only a. pair of slippers,
and they must be for papa, j Of course they
are a great deal tod big for me; and she
laid a No. 9 slipper on the carpet and
placed her dainty No. 2 foot beside it.
"Yes, they must be for you, father; and
Sue, who is a grand slmoner about Christ
mas time, in her multiplicity of cares while
sending Christmas -gif ts to her friends, has
forgotten to inclose the hood."
"They are too big for me," said Mr.
Scranton, who was a small man; "they
must be intended for some one else. Mrs.
Ashley will find out the mistake and inform
you of it. Meantime do not let our treat
for the evening be interrupted.
And the loving father led his daugnter
hark to the niano. and bade her sing the
good old songs of his boyhood "Bonnie
Doon," "Ingle Side, " and "rvatiueen iiia
vourneen. " Her voice was specially adapt
ed to those songs, because of its peculiar
sweetness.
"I don't care anything about your oper
'aUc songs, Love," he said, "but it does my
heart so much good to hear you sing those
songs which; are so full of 'j pleasant memo
ries of the days that will never come to me. "
The father pressed his darling ciuiQ to
his bosom and imprinted upon her cheek. a
warm, loving kiss. He had always put far
from his thoughts the day that might come
when another should take her from mm.
"Of course, nobody could help loving
her," he said to his wife that evening, after
Love had retired to her room. "But it will
have to be a paragon of perfection in the
shape of a man who will get my consent to
take her away from us and our home. "
In due time -the exchange of express
packages had been made, and "Love"
Scranton looked "sweet enough to kiss" in
her blue and white hood so the young men
of Denver said.
Reginald Hathaway's feet rested every
evening from their daily labors in the com
fortable slippers. The circumstance of the
exrhanre had been almost forgotten by the
gentleman until a few weeks after Christ
mas, when riding home in the street cars
nnn oftpmnon. he found himself in a seat
nnnnsite the identical hood. He was posi
tive that he was right in his conclusion, be
cause he was sure he could swear to the
identity of that hood if he were called upon
the lady as much as he wished a stranger
in a street car. But he was privileged to
pull the bell for her when he saw her mak
ing endeavors to catch the conductor's
attention.
Her (thank you, sir," echoed as sweet
music in his heart after he sat down alone
in his room that evening.
"Where and when shall I ever see her
again?" he said, to himself. "I ought to
have seen where Jier destination was, but,
of course, I would not follow her. "
The next day Reginald Hathaway re
ceived an invitation to a party at Judge
Courtland's. At first he thought to send a
regret, but for policy's sake he knew it was
best for him to accept. He was a rising
young lawyer, and Judge Courtland's atten
tions to him were not to be scorned.
Reginald Hathaway was what the ladies
called a "splendid-looking man, " and when
he entered Judge Court1 and's parlor that
night, with such grace and ease, the artillery
of bright eyes from all corners were leveled
upon him.
"My friend, Miss Scranton, from Den
ver, " said the daughter of the hostess, as
she presented her visitor to the stranger.
Instantly the gentleman recognized the
face he had seen in the horse cars a few
days before. Love Scranton, all unconsci
ous she had ever heard )f the gentleman
before, was perfectly natural in her manner,
and met him as she did all of her friend's
guests. i -
The name had escaped her hearing as
soon as pronounced amid the crowd of
newly-arrived people surrounding her.
Reginald Hathawav had two waltzes with
Love Scranton thaevening, and was fortu
nate enougn to wait upon her to the supper
room. ;
"Do tell me what that gentleman's name
was," said the lady to her friend, Mary
Courtland, after the guests had gone.
"Which one do you mean ?" she asked.
"The one who took me to supper," she
replied.
"Oh! that was Reginald Hathaway.
Isn't he fine looking and entertaining ?"
"Hathaway Hathaway," said Miss
Scranton, "the name sounds familiar. Oh!
I remember now. I think he must be Sue
Ashley's cousin," and then she related the
mistake about the Cliristmas gifts.
"Love in a hood Love in a hood!" ex
claimed Mary Courtland. "What jf a
match should come from that episode,
wouldn't it be romantic V
"Such things always happen in books,"'
replied Ive, "but I never heard of them
in real life. "
"Well, I have," replied her friend. I
could tell you of some romances in real life
that happened among my friends."
'I don't know as I care to weave any
romance about Reginald Hathaway, as you
call him," said Love, Scranton, "especially
to-night, as I am so tired and -sleepy; I
danced in every set this evening."
"The party call," which by the lawyer
was always looked upon as a bore and only
necessary for etiquette's sake iu other cases
in this particular one was an anticipated
pirasunr. n was maae at ms earliest con
venience. There being other callers at the
time, no allusion to the hood and slippers i
were made. ' But the next evening, when
Love Scranton found herself seated bv
Reginald Hathaway at the opera waiting
for the curtain to rise, the story came out.
"I knew that was the identical hood,
when 1 raw it in the horse cars," said the
gentleman. "I had it in my possession,
you know, for nearly a week, and it was a
very pretty ornament in my bachelor quar
ters. I really am sorry I ever parted with
it," . j : . j
When Reginald Hathaway returned from
the opera that night, he acknowledged to
himself, for the first time in his life, that he
was in love madly in love. At the same
time the young lady was confiding to her
friend, Miss Courtland, the fact that she
had never seen a gentleman she thought
half as nice as Mr. Hathaway. So when
Miss Courtland received an invitation for
herSelf and friend to take a moonlight sleigh
ride a few evenings after, she declined with
a woman's never-failing excuse headache
but whispered in Love's ear :
"I have learned to know that two is com
pany, but three is a crowd especially under
certain conditions."
That evening when Reginald Hathaway
helped Love Scranton 'into the Weigh, he
had no intention of love-makingf,but he
little knew that Cuuid had stole march
upon him, and had hidden himself within
the warm folds of the buffalo robes.
Do you know, Miss Scranton,' said the
gentleman, "what a dilemma I was in about
your address, when I received sue s letter
to forward the hood to you. Just like a
woman, she did nif give any Christin
name but 'Love,' and of course I knew that
was her pet name for you, and not a proper
one for a stranger to use toward another
stranger."
"But everybody calls me Love," replied
the lady. "I have been called by that
name ever since I was a child. My real
name is Louise, but it has never been given
to me, only at my christening.
There was something so fascinating in
her eyes and in the tones of her voice, that
Reginald Hathaway almost involuntarily
said :
'If everybody calls you 'Love,' may I
not call you so, too?"
"Of course you may," she replied, look
ing into his face with the sweetest of smiles.
Just then Cupid took advantage of the
position and shot an arrow of love so deep
into the lawyer's heart that he said :
"If everybody calls you 'Love,' may I
not claim a particular privilege and call you
my love? I do not like to have anything
in common with everybody else."
Love Scranton had been influenced by
Cupid's presence in the sleigh as much as
the gentleman, but the situation was getting
to be a serious one. "vynatwouiu papa
say to it all!" She did not answer then,
but she allowed her lover to tase a warm,
loving kiss from the pretty face encased in
the blue and white hood, which was so very
becoming.
"Here, wife, said Mr. hcranton, a iew
days after: "It has come I knew it must
come some time, but I didn't expect it so
soon," and he handed his wife a letter from
Reginald Hathaway, asking the hand of
his daughter, adding that he knew he had
her heart already. "That's the way," said
the father, as he wiped a tear from his eye.
"Thus it is our daughters leave us."
"Here is a letter from Love, too," he
said. ' ' 'Do, dear papa, say yes I know I
can never love anybody else half so we 1 as
I do Reginald. If you refuse to let me
h. i,im T will never marrv anypoav eise.
child from us just as she is old enough to be
uompamonaDie ior us. '
"It is no more than you did twenty years
ago," replied the wife.
"People look at things in different lights
irom ainerent standpoints, though, he
aoaea
The wedding is to come off in April
Love Scranton has gone home to get ready
for the great event. Reginald Hathaway
directs a letter to Denver every day. Cousin
Sue is delighted with the prospect, and says:
"lhat husband of mine tells me that he
made the mistake on purpose, and is de
lighted that his scheme succeeded just as he
intended it should. '
Hotel Deadbeat.
"Yes," said the affable clerk at the Pal
ace, the other day, as he lifted his stomach
up on ine ouice counter, ana selected an
other toothpick, "they are up to all sorts of
dodges these hotel beats and we fellows
have to keep a very sharp lookout for 'em,
net your me. ' .
"Do eh!"
"Now, for instance, about four months
ago a nice old gentleman came in with
rather fast looking youne man. who had
just arrived from New York, he said, and
engaged a handsome suit on the fifth floor.
The old nian took me aside, and said he
was forced to run over to Hong Kong him
self on the next steamer, but that he would
leave his son with us. The latter, he con
fidentially explained, was just then sowing
considerable wild oats by the wayside. 'In
fact, ' said the old gentleman, with much
feeling, 'he is so dissipated I dare not leave
any money with him, and I especially de
sire that none be furnished him by your
casnier not one single cent, remember.
For fear, however, he gets into any real
trouble during my absence I will deposit in
your hands this package of gold notes. Lse
it freely if imperatively necessary, but do
not let him suppose you have any such de
posit, as he would be all the more reckless
and dissipated.' If anything should hap
pen, we were to write to the old party, care
Rothschild's Hong Kong agency."
Vell and then?"
"Well, the young fellow raised merry
Ned around this edifice for about three
months. He beat Smith and I out of $400
at pedro; gave queer little supper parties in
his room; got drunk and tried to hold the
elevator man's head overboard so that the
next landing would cut it off; was chased
round the corridors by some married man
with a pistol nearly every night of his life,
and, in fact, was a regular snorter in every
way."
"Should think so."
"Of course he never paid any board! we
didn't expect this, having his governor's
bundle of securities locked up all right in
the safe. But one day he did something so
blamed outrageous that we couldn't stand
it had a chicken fight in the ladies parlor,
or something so we wrote him a warning
note."
"What did he say?"
"Nothing but ta-ta,' and left the hotel
that very day ; vamosed disappeared. As
we didn't get any remittance from Hong
Kong, we opened the package last week,
and what do you suppose was in it?"
"Dunno counterfeit money?"
' 'Not such luck. Something can be done
with real good ahem! Why, there was
nothing in that bundle but a couple of old
Morning Calls. Think of it, Morning
Calls! Cgh! It makes me sick to think
of it even now," and the genial hotel official
lifted his stomach down again, and went
sadly to his fifth meal.
. William Wilson, of Millville, Mass.,
aged 88 years, was at work In his field
recently, which should set a good
ample to younger men.
ex-
A Good Ham.
"I can't explain what a real good horse
is," said one of the beat natured dealers in
the street. They areas different as men.
In buying a horse, you must look first to
his head and eyes for signs of intelligence,
temper, courage and honesty. Unless a
horse has brains you can't teach him any
thing, any more than you can a half-witted
child. See that tall bay, there, a fine-look
ing animal, fifteen hands high. You can't
teach that horse anything. Why? Well,
I'll show you a difference in heads; but
have a care of his heels. vLook at the brute's
head that rounding nose, that tapering
forehead, that broad, full place below the
eyes. You can't trust him. Kick? Well,
1 guess sn! Put him in a ten-acre lot,
where he's got ' plenty of swing, and he'll
kick the horn off the moon."
The world's treatment of a man and
beast has the tendency to enlarge and in
I tensify bad qualities, if they predominate.
This good-natured phrenologist could not
refrain from slapping in the face the horse
whose character had been so cruelly deline
ated, while he had nothing but the gentlest
caresses for a tall, docile, sleeK-nmDea sor
rel, that pricked her ears forward and look
j . n : . nnn u tnunflaMtaiiH all that I
was being said. ; "That's an awful good
"i,:.' !,' oo tni as thfi
sun. You can see breadth and fullness be-
anH Yon eouldn't
u:. n.. i t anvVwlv ,
The eye should be full, and hazel is a good !
color. I like a small, thin ear, and want a
horse to throw his ears well forward. Look
out for the brute that wants to listen to all
the conversation going on behind him. The
horse that turns back his ears till they al
most meet at the points, take my word for
it, is sure to do something wrong. ee
that straight elegant face. A horse with a
dishing face is cowardly and a cowardly
brute is usually vicious. Then I like a
square muzzle with large nostrils, to let in
plenty of air to the lungs. For the under
side of the head, a good horse should be
well cut under the jowl, with jaw-bones
broad, and wide apart under the throttle.
So much for the head," he continued.
"The next thing to consider is the build of
the animal. Never buy a long-legged, stil
ty horse. Let him have a short, straight
back add a straight rump, and you've got
a gentlen&n's horse. The withers should
be high and the shoulders well set back and
broad : but don't tret them too deep in the
nhpst The fore-leM should be short. Give
me a pretty straight hind-leg with the hock
low down, short pastern joints, and a round
mulish foot. There are all kinds of horses,
but the animal that has these points is al
most sure to be sightly, graceful, good
natured and serviceable. As to color, taste
differs. Bays, browns and chestnuts are
the best. Roans are very fashionable at
nrPHPnt. A erremanv eravs and sorrels
1 '
- " tr
serviceaoie in summer. That circus-horse
behind you is what many people call a calico-horse;
now, I call him a genuine pie
bald. It's a freak of nature and may hap
pen anywhere."
Water Witching.
C. F. Latimer, now in Colorado, is a
water witch. He was recently interviewed
by a reporter who propounded the follow
ing questions :
"How do you propose to proceed ?
Where is your instrument ?"
"Here it is," replied Mr. Latimer, pro
ducing the stick a forked twig, each prong
being about a foot long. "I take a fork of
this stick in each hand, holding the point
upward, and walk over the ground. If
there is water or other substance under
neath near, the point will be attracted to
wards it. It will be attracted by anybody,
by a stove as well as any thing else, as you
may see. " Here the young man undertook
to illustrate the modus operandi upon the
stove and the bewondered reporter saw it
gradually bend over towards the heater
with about the same deliberation which
characterizes the "devil" when he attempts
to rekindle the fire. It went over and at
last pointed towards the warming pan like
the finger of destiny.
' 'Bravo ! " exclaimed the reporter. ' 'Now
can you tell me whether there is silver in
the pile of ore lying on . hat table ?" The
specimens referred to were from the sup
posed new carbonate district in Boulder
county, the character and value of which
are not known.
Mr. Latimer said he thought he could
telL He had not, however, yet had any
experience with ores. He would try. But
he must have silver on the stick in order to
determine the presence of this metal in the
ore before him. Could any one furnish
the necessary silver ? Half a dozen editors
and printers said "certainly," and went
in their pockets, and were all on the eve of
furnishing the requisite piece of coin, when
the office boy, who had taken the hint from
the foreman, returned from the business of
fice with the necessary amount, which was
brand new from the hand of Dr. Linder-
man.
"Some alloy in that," said Wr. Latimer,
"but I guess it will do." So saving, he
placed the dime in a slit at the end of the
rod, and took it in his hands as before.
Gradually, but surely and persistently, the
rod went over with great dignity until the
vortex touched one particular piece of ore
a top rock, and very shabby in appearance.
K
" I here s silver in that piece," said Mr.
Latimer.
"Sure ?"
"Sure as you live. You can bank en
it."
This piece was then' taken out of the pile.
and the rod was held over the remaining
portion, with the same effect, though it
came down more deliberately. "There's
some left," said the experimenter, "but it's
nearly all in 'tother piece."
"Try it on the hammer. The stick went
down, but in going turned toward the ore,
thus carrying out the theory of the manipu
lator, that "like draws like." That's his
motto.
"Can you find water with the rod. as
others boast they can I"
"Every time."
"How can you tell whether it is water
or other matter that attracts ? If you go
into the mineral regions and your diver
goes down, how will you determine but
what the attraction is water?"
"Oh, that's easy enough ; we go on the
ground of affinity. Like attracts like. U
we want to hunt for silver we put silver on
the stick ; if we want gold we put gold on
the stick, and so with iron, copper, etc. No
bait is required to find water or oil, but it is
required in searching for all other articles. "
"How do you account for the influence
which the water or the mineral has upon
the rod?"
"It is electricity or magnetism and noth
ing else, as I can prove to you by standing
upon glass sandals and making the experi
ment. These are non-conductors, and the
switch is not influenced in the least."
"There is then some science about the
divining rod ?"
"Oh. ves : it merely obeys a law of na
ture. Some of these days the divining rod
and the dowser will not be laughed at as
thpv now are. Why. doesn t bdison go
upon the same principle when he talks of
inventing a machine to 'discover the pres-
of on? The Miner lode, m Clear
rwt rvumrv. was discovered by R. A.
Miner, of Illinois, by this means.
"Can you tell the depth of the body you
seek ?"
"Oh, yes ; the switch commences to
turn at an angle of forty-five degrees from
the object. To arrive at the depth requires
but a simple mathematical calculation.
"And how as to the amount ?"
"I believe that that can also be deter
minor! T have an uncle who can tell but
I don't know that I can."
Oatrich-Rantlnir In FatsKanls.
Far-stretching and apparently boundless
plains, of absolute aridity diversified only
by the deceptive glitter of the sahnaa, or
salt lakes over which wander two or three
hunters, witli vagabond instinct and a de
aire to be free from all social obligations,
such is the picture which rises in our minds
when we think of Southern Patagonia.
These dreary pampas, home of the ostrich
and the guanaco, extending uninterrupted
ly for 30 or 40 miles, swept oy nerce wiuus,
with a sterile, sandy soil, covered with
stones, present to the view nothing more
than an occasional tuft of coarse, withered
grafS or a patch of stunted juine bushes,
which furnishes a poor enough nocturnal
shelter. Suddenly, however, the traveler
who has fallen a little in the rear of his
companions will be surprired at their sud
den disappearance, and on following their
frx t?teps will find that the plain has termi
nated abruptly, and that they are descend
ing in a zig-zag and almost vertical preci
pice to another plateau, some hundred feet
below: or it may be that they have reached
one of those grand ravines or canons where
a'.one it is possible to find a stretch of ver
dure or anv alluvial soil. Yet Mr. Beer-
bohm tells us that the sober, hard Patago
nian landscapes, with their impressive still
ness and their grave immensity, had for
him a stronger fascination that the most
gorgeous tropical scenery, and for a time he
'found himself auite able to enter into the
intoxicating fee ijg of ce lght wijh which
te ostrx'i-huntcr shakes off all conventio
nal requirements, and clad in his fur capa,'
with his horses, dogs, and bolas, and one or
two stauch companions, commits himself
noi, tnereiore, love ot lucre, as much as in
ciination tor a free, unstrained life, that
ieaas men to devote themselves to ostrich
nunting. bo prolific, however, are both
the bird itself and the guanaco, which pro
vides me captor with lasso, reins, bolas,
and even shoes, as sustenance that one of
these careless easy-going fellows is able to
obtain everything which he counts as neces
sary, as well as the few luxuries for which
he cares. Mounted on one of his hardy
horses, he fellows his five or six grey-
uounus, wno gire cnase to the prey, and
when within distance swings his bolas round
his head and discharges them with such
precision that they become firmly twisted
round us Doay, ettectually keeping it pri
soner untill he can come up with it, and
give it the coup de grace. The bolas are
either round stones, or pieces of lead cove
red with leather, and united by a thong.
Much skill is required to throw them well.
and not a little cleverness is also needed to
manage the capa, or long fur robe, made
by thellndian women, in which the hunter
wraps himself, and by which he is effec
tually ' protected from the searching winds
oi tne pampas, ine horses, numbers of
wnich roam wild over the plains and are
captured and trained by the Indians, are of
remarkable endurance, 70 or 80 miles a
day being as nothing to them, and at the
end of such a journey they will start off
after an ostrich as gamely as if they had
oeen oniy just saddled. They will rarely,
however, allow themseves to be approached
on foot, even by their owner, and the only
way of catching them is by the lasso, al
though, when once it is bridled, the horse
will stand on one spot for hours, and not
attempt to run away. Saddling in the pam
pas is a serious operation, since bed and
bed-covering are always carried with one.
Two or three folded blankets are first
smoothly laid on the hore's back, to be fol
lowed by the "carona," two thick pieces of
l earner sewn together, upon which is placed
the saodle, firmly secured by a broad
leather girt, and over this, again, are
strapped sheep-skins, furs and other oover-
i ings. A pack-horse convey s the tent, pro
I visions, and cooking utensils. The dogs.
j of which there were 18 in the company to
, wnicn ine writer attached himself, being
! the food-providers,' must of course be tole-
rated; but their thievish propensities, as
well as their tendency to creep dripping wet
lTlfn thoi1 ftW'n Ar o fim An1 a il.n 1 tU A
I hig close nroximitv. do ot lwv.
their owner s furs and
. ' J
them very pleasant companions.
The Mosk-Ox.
The musk-ox measures only about five
and a half feet from the tip of the nose to
the root of the tail, closely approaching in
size the smallest of Highland cattle, but is
much stouter in proportion and more com
pactly built, the structures differing in the
shortness and strength of the bones of the
neck and length of the dorsal processes
which support the ponderous head. The
weight is usually greatly over-estimated by
travelers and writers, being placed approx
imately at 500 pounds; 300 pounds would
probably be nearer the weight of the largest
j This error is doubtless due to the apparent
I size of the animal which owing to the huge
n asi of woo!y hair with which it is covered,
j has given rise to the common statement
i that it rivals in size the largest English bul-
focks. The outer hair or fleece is long and
j thick, brown or black in color, frequently
; decidedly grizzly, and prolonged to the
! kaees, hanging far below the middle of the
! leg. Underneath the shaggy coat, and cov
: ering all parts of the animal, though much
I the heaviest upon the neck and shoulders,
is found a fine soft wool, of exquisite tex
j ture, of a blueish drab or cinerous hue,
capable of being used in the arts and of
forming the most beautiful fabrics.
Another very rich gold, discovery
is reported at Madoc, Ont.
1CUMM un i " " " " -
Charles Samison. and interpreter of Chi
nese and English, born in China, but educa
ted in San Francisco, was married recently.
la China, .to a young cninese gin
named Ah Quy, which, being translated,
..... . . n A. -1 A.a
nuuiH "A HP tne ATI (TBI. Al tUIUI uc
o'clock the female chaperones conducted the
girl in their charge to the rooms or her iu
ture husband, but before she crossed the
threshold of the door they threw a Heavy
handkerchief over her head and shut out
everything from her sight. This, they told
her, was to warn her that in entering the
married state she was- groping in the dark
future; but that, vrith implicit ftutn in tne
husband and relying upon htm to guide her,
ah iiphI not fear msJunir a misstep, sne
was then conducted to the first room an
the room adioining. where she met the man
h wm to become her husband. He was
standing by a bed in the room, and as she
approached the handkerchiel was removeu
from her head and both sat on the edge ot
the bed. In sitting down he intentionally
sat on a portien of the long silken skirt she
wore. 'She made no attempt to remove tne
garment, and by allowing him to remain
abated on it rave proof that she was his
captive and willing to submit to his orders.
Had she, however, drawn the garment to
ward her it would hae been proof that she
would not be submissive, and would not
obey him unless she felt inclined to do so.
The pair then knelt before a small altar,
from which hung ancestral tablets, and eVch
offered a prayer, after which they went into
the other room, where they seated them
selves. One of the chaperones poured tea
into two of Jhe cups and offered these to
the groom and bnde, telling each to tase a
sip. This being done they took the cups
again, mixed the eontents, ano, returning
them to the pair, told them to drink, saying
that as their lips had touched the beverage
they would draw inspiration from each
other by partaking of the mixture. The
bride, accompanied by the chaperones, ioi-
lowed by the groom and some reiauveu,
formed a procession and left the house,
amid the explosion of firecrackers, and
marched through Stout's alley to the res
taurant on Jackson street, where the guests
had assembled and were waiting on the
third floor. As the party ascended the
stairs an orchestra played an air which a
stretch of imagination might construe into
a wedding march. As the bride entered
the room where the guests were assembled
she was supported by the two chaperones,
and had her face hid from view by a large
fan. She was then led around to each of
the guests, and as she approached she cour
ts', ed three times. The gues s returned the
courtesy and then recited a proverb, to
which the bride replied. After having
gone through the ordeal 111 times the party
sat down to a banquet got up in the highest
stvle of Chinese culinary art. The first
iiuujc again. uunng lae evening a
reporter, wno attended the banquet, was
asfeed by the groom to pay a visit to the
bride. On the way to the bride's home the
groom said: "I have been married in the
true Chinese fashion to please my Chinese
menus, ine ceremonies last severa davs
and at the expiration of the seventh dav I
. .. . . ----- - v -
will go before a justice of the peace and be
married in the American fashion." The
reporter having been shown to a seat in the
bridal house was requested to wait a few
minutes until the bride was ready to come.
as she was very bashful. In a few minutes
the bride, supported by an elderly Chinese
female, came from an adjoining room. She
was attired in a new dark silk gown, which
toucneo tne floor and hid her feet fro n view;
on her arms were heavy gold bracelets, and
on tne ringers of her left hand two gold
rings, tier raven black hair was pomaded
and dressed with artificial flowers and gold
pieces. As she entered the room she held
a large fan in front of her face, which she
lowered three times successively, and then
bowed three times to the reporter. The
elderly woman then handed her a tray on
which were several cups of tea. in each of
which was a small rose. This she in turn
presented to the reporter, who took one of
the proffered cups and according to instruc
tions said, "Thank you." She then pre
sented the tray to the groom, who also took
a cup of tea. , The bride then offered some
sweetmeats, which were partaken of.
While the reporter and the groom were sip
ping their tea the bride backed out of the
room, hiding her face from view as she did
so.
"You see," said the groom, "she backs
out of your presence ; that is a sign of res
pect; if she did not respect you she would
have turned her back on you as she left the
room."
inline
A B
Bath.
A young man named Godfried Heider. of
Johnstown, Pa., met with' a horrible acci
dent in the converting department of the
Cambria 8teel Works recently. Mr. Hei
der was employed on the converting plat
form in the steel works, having charge of
the metal troughs which lead from the
cupola to the converters; and while passing
from one vessel to another, over a plank
which was stretched across the pit under
neath the stack, laid there for the conveni
ence of the workmen in repairing the con
verters, a mass of white hot "skull" metal
about twenty feet long, from three to four
inches thick, and weighing nearly two tons,
having become detached from the brick work
by cooling came crashing down noon him
from the mouth of the stack, breaking the
plank on which he stood, and precipitating
him face downward to the bottom of the
pit, when the mass separated into two
pieces, one of which, weighing about a ton,
fell on him, completely covering him from
his head to his feet. While a number of
his fellow-employes were collecting about
him with crow-bars, etc, preparatory to
making an effort to release him from his
frightful situation, those who stooped- down
and looked under ,tne mass of metal could
see that be was enveloped in a bright name,
and witnessed his agonizing efforts to escape
while every movement of his arms, legs,
or body only increased the horrible torture.
In a moment or two, which must have
seemed an age to the imprisoned man who
was slowly burning up before the eyes of
his friend, they got their bars undernett'i
the "skull" and pried it up about a foot,
and he was dragged forth a mass of hiss
ing, seething flesh. Every vestige of cloth
ing was burned from his body, with the
exception of his 'heavy shoes; the hair of
his head was scorched off ; his body from
his bead to his feet was one huge raw
blister, and his left thigh had been broken
by the fall, the bone protruding several
inches. It was a horrible sight, from which
strong men turned away with a shudder.
Iowa has 224 brass bands.
The bullion vilue of onr ttndad "
silver dollar Is now ust$0 837J in gold,
There are $10,000 miles of telegraph
wire under, ground in London. 1
Pius IX witnessed the death of one
hundred Cardinals during hit lift." 1
Mark Twain appears on the) Hart
ford tax-list assessed for $67,860.. . j -
King Humbert haa beea forbidden,
to smoke by phislclans. ;
t
Atlanta, Ga., has 275 female clew
In ber store. ' J.l
The amount of United State frmo- r
tlonal currency outstanding 1 - bouK
$10,000,000. "U..
A dynamite cartridge factory nas
been established In Saginaw county,
Mich. "-
A carrer pigeon made the distance
from Monson to New London, Conn.,
61 miles. In 61 aiinrtes. on Friday.
In London the FishmongerJ Comp
any has given $250 to the Female
School of Art.
The Irish people of Wilkesbarre.
Penn., are raising a fund to erect an
orphans' asylum.
There are.86.96l children of school
age Iu Baltimore, and of this number
46,778 attend school.
The striking glass-blowers of PUt
burg received$5000lnhelp I rota outside
sources.
Austrians smoke more and more.
In 1877 the whole amount paid for to
bacco was 46,000,000 florins, against
58,000,000 last year.
From the debris of the coal mlne,
France" make annuallv 700.000 tons of
excellent fuel, and Belgium 600,000
tons.
The Confederate monument In Au
gusta, Ga., cost $17,500. At each of the
corners of the base stands a marble fig
ure of Lee, Jackson, Walker and Cobb.
The Pennsylvania Railroad, during
the month of April, averaged dally
about five car loads of emigrants for the
West
The amount ot timber rafted to
market this year if estimated at just
double the amount sent last year. The
prices' are only fair.
The vestry of St George's, Hanover
Squaie7 Loii'lon, has resolved, by a
vote of 33 to 20, not to allow a statue of
Byron to be placed In St. James street.
-The potieries In the vicinity of
Trenton, N. J.. are reported as doing a
aood b"8ineas jmt now, ana are ruu
ning full-handed and on full time.
It is proposed In the oil regions or
Pennsylvania to invite the Marqun of
Lome and the Princess Louise to make
a tour of that territory.
-mimim iiiiiwi'i n-iMiinniirit
with them, and the prices received for
the timber were belter than those that
have ruled for many years.
A Corning (X. Y.) man lost a roll
of bills containing $175. An honest
fellow found the money and returned
it to the owner, and lie was rewarded
with a five cent cigar.
The cut of lumber on the Kenne
bec river, in Maine, during the present
season, wi h a mount in the aggregate
to 65,000.000 feet or about 12,000,000
less than the cut of 1878.
Official documents show that the
ratio of deaths per one thousand per
sons employed in England is less In
coal mining than in the nayy by drown
ing, and one-half les-i than on railroads.
The managers of the Woodruff
"cientifle expedition announce a tem
porary abandonment of the grand af
fair. Tnev hsvesnont $10,000 and re
ceived nothing in return.
This year 796,140 men will be call
ed out to do mi II wry service In France.
The number will be distributed at fol
lows : To the active army. 479,100; to
the reserves, 144,570; to the territorial
army, 118,000.
The twejtv-flrst muslcil fentival
of the German Saengerbund of North
America will be held at Springer Mus
ical Hall, in Cincinnati, on the Hth of
June. The grand chorus will
1971 singers, besides 160 instrumental
musicians.
Mr, II. J. Jewett, President of the
Erie railway, receives an annual salarr
of $40,000. Col. Scott's yearly income
a President of seven lines, Vice Presi
dent of eleven, and director of thirty- '
rour, is over $100,000.
For the three months endlnir Varrh
31, 1873, there were imported Into the
U uited States of Iron pig. bar. hooo.
sheet and railroad 7,252 un, and for
ine same period mis year 11,926 tons
being an Increase or imports as between
the two periods of 6,691.
It requires 300.000 eublc feet of th
finest quality of piue lumber to make
the yearly aupply of lucifer-mauhei
for the United States, and It Lakes 100.-
000 cords or fine hard wood to make
our shoe-pegs. It Ukes 40.000,000 ties
to supply our W.UOO miles o railroad.
The City of Par la commenced last
vear the publication of a general inven
tory or the artistic riches contained In
the different municipal edifices of the
capital. Two volumes have already
been issued. The number of edifices In
the twenty arrondissemenU is so great
that the task U far from being termin
ated.
The latest estimates of church ac
comodation in England gie tbe Etab-
lUhed Church 5.500.000 sittings: tbe
Wesleysn MethodUts. 1.702.724: the
Independents, 1.211.101: tbe BaDtiftts.
913,785: tbe Primitive Methodists. 743.-
687. and all other religious bodies a
tout or 1.560.103 making a grand to
tal or 12,531,400. ...
Or potatoes. Ireland produces 23
bushels to ea h Inhabitant; the Ger
man Empire 18.1 bu.hels; Holland 24.5;
Belgium 11.6: trance 10 3 ; Seandiuavla
9.9: Austria-Hungary 8.5: KusU und
Finland 4 5; Great Britain 3 3; lUty
1.1. In'ouier Europeaa Stares this
crop Is quite iuiguidcaut.
One of Charles Dickens's daughters -
in-Liw, Mrs. Alfred Tennyson Dickens,
bas met a terrible death in Australia,
where her huiband has, for several
years, been living and prospering.
Mrs. Dickens was driving out with ber
little daughter, when the horse became
frightened, and, running away, finally
overturned the carriage. Ine child
was killed, aud the young wife was so
dreadfully Injured that she died In a
few hours.
v . .