c ( ' T ..p.
V
-
VOL. IX,
LEXINGTON, N. C, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1891.
NO. 8.
. UOYiN 1EE FLUME.
THRILLING VOYAGE FROM THE 8NOW
UNE OF THE SlERRAs,
Wka lt Tlwmt ta-YlM wtVNk
A Itamw Mtmrt Twtwu tp4
Om am laallaa-Tke tjnua Saaaarr
tad mt tk Trip.
' Aft a slow and wearisome climb, and
. as it betrnn to grow dusk, not team, tired
and dunty, drove into Camp Sequoia.
The flume extends from the high mow
line la the 8ierru to the plain, 68 miles
dm taut It ie bailt of inch and a quarter
planks, and at the start, where the grade
is steepest, ia 4S inchea acroae the top.
Tlua width ia increased, however, when
the decreaae in the grade necessitates a
larger volume of water to float the hinv
ber, and at the lower end reaches an extreme-
wdth of 61 inchea. A each
increase in the aiie of the flame mora
. "water must be added to the stream.
i The first head of water comet from
- Lake Sequoia, and the supply, is aug
mented by imall atreama at four dif-
. ferent places between the mill and King's
Hirer. To preeerre a fairly regular grade
- ia constructing this flume enormously
high tree ties were found necessary to
: carry the flumes across canons, chasms,
i and around sharp spun of mountains.
The first 27 miles built took over 6,000,
000 feet of lumber to construct, and most
- of this lumber had to be packed on the
shoulders of men. It has taken about
D,000,000 feet of lumber, all told, to com
plete the flume. ,
But to return to the head of the flume,
, around which our little parly of tour
was clustered, our spirits dropping as
- rapidly as the mercury during a cold
, snap, and our hearts seeking the aeolu-
sion of our boo(s. Coming down a flume
when you are at the bottom and look up
is a very different proposition to going
. down a flume when you are at the top
and look down. Stories of former trips
that resulted most disastrously flashed
through our minds. ' If It had not been
for the crowd of onlookers that stood
around ready to cheer if we started, or
jeer if we didn't, we would have backed
i eut, one and all. There was no help for
: it, and with a last despairing look at the
. beautiful bright world around us that
i we were leaving perhaps forever we
: solemnly climbed into the flume boat
' and shook hands sdly with those that
. . were not going. ; ? 'v : . .
The boat that was to carry us down
1 the flume resembles nothing so much as
. a bog trough with one end missing.
..The flume being built V shape and at a
Tight angle, the boat is constructed like-
' wise, but at what would be the bow end
' of an ordinary boat there is no end at all.
v, it being purposely left open, In order to
v-provMa means lax the water that backs
up into the boat to escape. On examina
tion we found our boat to be 16 feet long
with 14 inch plank running the length
of the boat, thus making a false bottom.
to raise us from reach I the water.
On this plank rested four amall wooden
tools, one for each of the party.
i After taking seats, with many misgiv
' " ings and balancing ourselves, the order
to cast off was given, the spikes holding
'" our frail craft to the flume side were
v, pulled out, and our craft shot on with the
current on its Journey to the plains. The
vormation was exactly as if the bottom
- had dropped out of the universe and we
i ' bad dropped with it. -. . A
"Watch out I" yelled the man in front,
, throwing himself hack on the man be-
,. ; hind him. K; j 'jy.-
It was just in time. The sudden shock
threw us all flat on our backs and the
boat 'sipped'' under a projecting beam
. that would have decapitated the whole
outfit . Cautiously regaining an upright
. position we took a look at the scenery
around us. As far ahead as one oould
.,. see stretched the flume, looking a thin.
spidery thread , stretching down the
mountain side. On either side gloomy
rooks and forest trees flashed past in an
indistinguishable blur when the flume
lay near the ground, but when it rose on
' trestles to cross some canon or ravine
, - we seemed suspended, like Mohammed's
,. coffin, "twixt heaven and earth,''
In the meantime 'our speed had been
increasing. Not a member of the party
v-poke a word, but in dumb amassment
neld a firm grip to the seat Our boat
; had proceeded but half a mile when im-
mediately before us oould be seen what
we subsequently learned to be one of the
steepest inclines of the whole course of
the flume a drop of 250 yards, with a
grade of 1,200 feet to the mile. It was
v but a few momenta when our boat was
-"at the head of this incline. Pieces of
. timber could be wen on the mountain
aide below us, tlieae pieces having been
hurled out of the flume during their
course. The sight was not very assuring
to us, but there was no such tiling as
stopping or turning back at this stage of
. tlie Journey. Holding our respective
treat) is, and offering meuUl prayers for
our own safety, we consigned ourselves
to our fate. The boat stopped for au
iiihtnnt at the head of the chute, pitched
' over the curve, and shot out into what
seeinod to La mere space.
A dim pt'rra i ion of fleeing forests,
dunning wildjy t t a wall of rocks for a
fow seconds, the m ' yv.a u of the waters
t Mud us, after aJ of v.Uch we found
r -Ives at tha bottom of the Incline
s t i
.. 1
cou. ,
n our brfatlu It was
'y, too. l'unwn nrvc
a (i!i)oJ t'.e s'raiu mu l
, long- r. i itli
rate of s, t
e'Hiit chaiifci) t i t
il . 'y hugging
of t'.e rocky got, ,
B!v. 1 t'.e sharp p.
ir wi.y screes wide ca-.
i i if :,, v H only t e k
f I i , woik belwi
'y nnluix J
1 to a cin-
!n-ry, bow
?
tlie lower 1
1 a ttiatwh:
"i :ce.
f .r;'ns, h
x li.",!
tft.
. f
ft 1
A KKMOKT. '
Sens mar fbrtt Uw swasthsart oI4
Thy knaw wha 11X. was roaog;
But ihaas th txi b oflea told,
. Tb. sane b ofies svoc
Th. om lo whmi I smv sty bsart
I eaa remember nt
rVhitf h&u -ncrMul lMr4roDi starV
Ah, who wuald Im forgU f
,Tb vwy day wan I smpossd, ,
Th vary hoar, th plana,
Tha wajr sha kmkad.hBt half-oompaaad
Tha hlaiaa oa bar (moo; ,
. Tha-bat.aarhapa.II battartoU '
Thaaaerat. Ob By Ufa -1
nawmbar bar so vary wvlV. ' ,
fiooaua aba Is ay wlf at V- '
LaC
Owing to the complications of modem
life, and the large increase in the list of
creature comforts which polite people
have come to regard aa necessaries, mar
riage has become a vastly more serious
undertaking than it used to be, and is
deferred untu a later period of, life.
People In cities who have been used to
wear good clothes, and to have servants
to wait on them, and to go out of town
In summer, no longer marry when the
girl is 18 and the man 22. The man is
apt to be nearing 80 before his income
will stand the matrimonial strain, and
fie lady is proportionately experienced.
It would not be quite accurate to say
that, though it is harder to get married
than it was, it is aa easy as ever to be
come engaged. That would not be quite
true. The difficulty of getting income
enough to marry does defer, and even
prevent, s great many betrothals; never
theless, engagements do often happen
when the prospect of marriage is remote.
and a reasonable percentage of them last
until marriage ends them. Long en
gagements are not popular, but enough
of them are running to make the be
havior of their beneficiaries a fit subject
for comment in tie interest of human
happiness. -
All the world loves a lover, but lovers
make a serious mistake when they pre
sume too far on the strength of the
world's regard for them. The polite
world loves its lovers exactly so long aa
they are Interesting and agreeable. When
they cease to be so its sentiments toward
them- take the form of anxiety to have
them married, which may indeed be so
extreme aa to result In practical, efforts
to put them in the way of pairing, but
which is more apt to take the form oi
what is vulgarly known as the cold
shoulder. Lovers who are intelligent
and who are disposed to make them
selves agreeable ought to be exception
ally charming. They are enveloped in a
pleasant blase of sentiment which makes
them interesting. So long as they are
nice, all kind people are in a conspiracy
to indulge them and make them think
that life is lurid Vith rose tints. Their
politeness is the more appreciated be
cause 'it is thought to involve especial
self sacriflo, and whatever they do for the
community's amusement is rated above
its ordinary . valua because they have
done it.
AU the worse, then, when lover rq
gard themselves aa temporarily exempt
from the ordinary obligations of polite
ness, and abandon themselves to spoon
ing and mutual absorption. ; The sort of
Courtship that goes on for hours behind
closed doom, that insists upon seclusion
and resents a third person, that thinks
first of the beloved object and not at all
of any one else this may do for a six
weeks' intermission between maidenhood
and marriage; but' long engagements
should be conducted on radically differ
ent lines. .Was there ever a dearer sweet
heart than Loroa Doone, whose maidenly
reserve allowed John Bidd one kiss a day.
and no spooning whatever! And do you
remember Mary Garth, so true to her not
any too eligible Fred, and yet so straight
and strict with herseur Jtngaged or not,
she must surely have beim a welcome
companion in any house, Fred or no Fred,
And again that dame in silver gray who
married John Halifax be sura that her
betrothal was a modest and unselfish one.
Scribner's Magazine.
The Oraat Sams af On Japaa.sa Slavs'.
The attention of naval and military
authorities has been strongly drawn of
late to the remarkable difference in the
effective power of the heavy guns of
English made and those of the French.
The 110 ton guns of the English navy
constructed at immense cost, represent
the latest and most formidable type of
armament which Britain has produced
If the calculations of the makers could
be realized in practice, the power of these
guns would be astonishing. They are 43
feet 8 inches long, 16 inch bore, intended
to sustain a charge of SCO pounds of
powder, carry a projectile of 1,800
pounds, with a muzzle velocity of 8,128
feet per second, equal to penetration of
almost 84 inches of wrought iron. Sev
eral trials of these guns have been made
with charges much below the maximum,
and in every instance the guns have been
so much injured aa to render it dangerous
to subject them to full tests. The latest
trial was that of the 110 ton gun of the
war ship Sans Pareil, at Shoeburyness,
with a moderate charge of powder. The
mult was the bore of the run was found
to Ik -n drrrod, and also to have become
luU-i.i - y ( u-ted. This Is much to be
regretted, f r the gun is a magnificent
siiecimen of nwhanlcal construction, i
In France t a preat Company known
as the Forgo r t Chanters du la, MU
trranee, at Havre, undor contract with
the Japanese government, have produced
soma Uuye caiivt pmia for the war vnwls
of ti.at ti.. ton, .u.h must be conceded
to F und at '' rn nt time in the front
rank. Jai'.in imy be said to beat tl
wot'J in t- ie a ' i I power of her heavy
r .us. l.iyl.Aveb. n !; I'd to the
t t
lilt
, I
4 I
P
tor
i r
'V r t.uom sure
I.I C.d
1
! 1
8 i
$155,000,000 IN GRAPES.
AN AREA OF 400,000 ACRES IN VINES
IN THE UNITED 8TATE3. ,
. Pragma mt ,0,e Oallama af
VVIna SM.ees Taws mt TaMa
Grapaa Statl.ttaa Oatfcara Car tha
Pti-rt Tlata-Odirarmiai tb ato
Ua mt ka Tla. ; "
"I have no doubt that it will sur
prise even grape and wine growers them
selves to know that there are invested in
vineyards and wine cellars in the United
States over $150,000,000, " said Colonel H.
Gardener, special, agent of the census
office for the collection of statistics re
lating to viticulture, a branch of agricult
ure which has never before received any
official attention to this country. I find
by statistics, which are now collected for
tlie first time, that there are in round
numbers 400,000 acres, of land in this
country planted to vineyards, of which
800,000 will be in bearing this year. This
is an increase of 280,000 acres in vineyard
area during the past 10 years and an in
crease of over $10,000,000 a year in the
capital invested. , Of the area of bearing
vines in the country California alone has
150,000 acres, including 85,000 acres of
raisin grapes. : That State also has of the
total investment of capital nearly $78,
000,000. . Between 80,000,000 and 40,000,
000 gallons of wine will be made in the
United States this year, of which Cali
fornia will produce more uian half.
Seven-eighths of the grapes of California
go to the wine press. , Four-fifths of the
grapes grown in all the rest of the United
States are for table use. California alone
grows the raisin grape.
"I spent three months in California this
season, giving official attention to its viti
cultural interests. Although every county
in the State produces grapes, the princi
pal counties of the vine are Napa, So
noma, Fresno, Santa Clara, San Diego,
Son Bamardine, and Los Angeles, al
though there are many others of more or
less importance. . The counties of Fresno,
San Barnardino, San Diego, and Tulare
comprise the great raisin district, and
will cure 9,000,000 boxes this fall, a prod
uct worth at least $8,000,000. The grapes
grown for raisins are the Muscat of
Alexandria and the Muscat del Oardo
Blanco. These counties grow' large
qunuties of wine grapes also, and the
sweet wines of California come princi
pally from that district, rresno county
has 85,000 acres of vineyards, Sonoma
H,uoo, and apa 10,000.
The grapes grown in California to-day
Include every variety that have made the
vineyards of Europe famous. The culti
vation of the grape in California dates
hack to the days of the old Spanish friars,
the' Franciscan fathers, who brought
with them from their native land cut
tings of a grape popular there. 'Just
what the true name of the grape was no-'
body seems to know now, and very few
care, for while there are in bearing to-day
some of the vineyards or vines set out by
the jolly Franciscans century or more
ago, the grape is not in high esteem now.
adays. It has always been known as the
mission grape.. The old mission vineyard
supplied grapes for the table and the
wine press in California until' a compara
tively short time ago. Then a Hungarian
grape known as the Zinfandel was intro
duced. This newcomer was handsome,
proved to be a generous producer, and
took the popular heart, - '
"It proved to be an unfortunate one.
for it seemed so easy to grow the' Zin
fandel that everybody planted vineyards.
When they began to bear they bore with
a vengeance. The market became choked
with grapes, and pricee went down to
disastrous figures. It became apparent
that tlie Zinfandel was an inferior grape
after all, and to cap tile climax the
phylloxera came down on the Hungarian
Importion and bore it away, vineyard
after vineyard. No new vineyards were
replanted with the Zinfandel, and the
vine is being replaced (with the choicest
nd hardiest varieties of wine grapes
from the famous districts of . Europe, in
cluding Cabernet Sauvignon, Carbanet
Franc, Malbock, Tarnat, Merlot, and St.
Laurent grapes from the Bordeaux dis
tricts; Mataros grapes from Palos; So-
mlllons and Saungnons from Sauteme;
rMnot and Petite Sirrah grape from the
Burgundy districts) Johnnisbergers,
Traminers and Franken Rieslings from
the storied Rhine) Chasselos grapes from
A-kiace Lorraine, and the rich Burgers
from Moselle, '..'
"California has the largest vineyard in
the world. The vineyard is in Tahama
county, on Senator Iceland Stanford s
famous 50,000 acre farm; It contains
4,000 acres. Senator Stanford also has a
wine cellar on his vineyard of notable
capacity. There are now stored in it
1,000,000 gallons of wine and 800,000 gal'
Ions of brandy. They hare been now in
storage four years. The government tax
an tlie brandy alone was 1270,000, which
had to be paid before it left tlie still. A
more remarkable case of persistent
atorage of brandy is that of the estate of
the late General Nagle, who was one of
the pioneer wine growers of California,
The cellars have held 00,000 gallons of
orandy in store since 1871. This brandy,
including cost of making, tax, shrinking,
and Interest, now represents a cost of $14
a gallon. The largext wine cellar in the
world ia owned by Baume ft Wino, near
St Helena, theiroapacity being 8,500,000
gallons. Thirteen tunnels extend 250
ieet into tlie side hill from the maia
ouilding. They are sixteen foot wide
4ii d eleven high. The building is 400
feet long and 80 wide, built of volcanic
tone.
"Among the curiosities of the Call
fomia prune region is a vineyard that
may weil lie called the smallest in the
world as repirdg uumtxir of vines, for it
.im lint one vine. That is a most re-
I. otio, however, for itn htmie
j1... I o ti' of 12,1. 0 f-i't, tlie
( mi I ir ; a fit in r. Unci
f i .1 ' y vine is (iv r ' I y hi o I m I
v i mi ftinii M' I) !i ri
1 a n v. it I t I
.' " : y y.Mf I ,( II V .'i 1, . . f '
.1
Kdaiaatlm i Ortaia. '
It is stated in one year ttiere were re
ceived into the Eastern Penitentiary of
Pennsylvania 487 ounvicta. Of these 83
had never attended schools of any kind ;
five are reported to have attended oollegs
for an average of six years, one of them
having attended for 10 and another foi
seven years ; seven are said to have at
tended a public high school for an aver
age of little over two years; 12 were
said to have been educated at private
schools for an average time of seven
yean and a quarter; 890 had attended
public schools, 1A9 of them advancing to
the grammar grade, the average age at
leaving school being 14, and the average
time they remained at school being set
down at five yean. Out of 571 convicts
received at the Western Pemtentiary of
Pennsylvania during the years 1879 and
1880, only three are set down by the
prison author! tiefe'ue puaMning what they
called a superior education- The two
Pennsylvania penitentiaries in 1879 re
ceived 799 prisoners, of whom 114 were
wholly illiterate; to 1880 there were 722
convicts, of whom 151 were wholly illit
erate; to two years there were 1,521 con
victs,' with 65 illiterates, v Thus it is
found that one-sixth of the crime of th
State is committed by its illiterate citi
sens, although the illiterates in all are
only one-thirtieth of the whole popula
tion. There were also 273 convicts whe
could barely read or write and had re
ceived no education beyond that point.'
ine document from which these figures
are taken is published by the Bureau of
juiucaaon at w a&jngton, and it la there
stated that the ret-rts of 20 other States
show a simular experience to that of
Pennsylvania. . With this testimony the
following conclusions are reached :
"(1) That about oruHuith of all the
crime in the country is committed by
persons wholly illiterate.
(2) That about one-third of it is com
mitted by persons practically illiterate. '
(a) that the proportion of criminals
among the illiterate is about 10 times as
great as among th use who have been in
structed in the eluuents of a common
school education or beyond." ; ; . -
These facts, while they are a satis
factory answer to the charge that the
system of free publio education actually
promotes crime, do not give that system
due credit for its work in diminishing
crime. To get at the troth we should
consider the history of all those criminals
who are alleged to have received a public
school education. In many cases it
would be found that they were exceed
ingly irregular attendants at school, per
sistent truants, and in a state of constant
rebellion against the school, authorities.
And at the best the pupils are under the
care of their teachers, on an average,
only about one-fourth of the hours of
the day and scarcely mora than one-
worm or the days in the year."; it fre
quently follows that the good influences
of the school are neutralized by the bad
Influences of the street and sometimes of
home, - On the whole, there is ground
for the belief that in the United States
and Canada the system of free publio
education has been a preventive of
enme. Toronto Globe, . ,
' !Tba 'W"ya af Old Tl Bastoa.
Visiting in Boston seems in old times
to have been -attended with some diffi
culties, and if the influences which cue
would naturally draw from certain en
tries in the old records are correct, the
authorities of the town were not accus
tomed to be over given to the encourage
ment of hospitality, whatever may have
been the case with individuals. -For a
meeting of the selectmen of the town
held on November 19, 1740, for instance,
the record begins as follows : i
"Mrs. Rebekah Young, Appearing In
forms that She with One Child Is lately
come into this Town, from Harwich to
Visit her Sister, that She intends to re
turn in the spring, ft that She hath
brought with her to the value of Two
Hundred Pounds in Money and House
hold Goods.
"Liberty is Granted her to tarry until
the Spring and then to return to Harwich
with her Child, or give Security to in
demnify the Town. "
The good folk of Boston were in a per
petual panic in those days lest they
should get upon their hands to take caro
of paupers that really belonged to some
other community t and it is very likely
that they had good reason for their fear
and their precautions. One would sup
pose, however, that a woman who could
bring with her a couple of hundred pounds
in gold and gear might be of sufficient
importance to be spared the formality of
appearing before the selectmen of the
town. - It would be interesting to know
how small an amount of belongings
would have admitted her to the privilege
of passing the winter with her sister.
A Faaalfcla Jtegllsn Ralar. -
The court and the publio generally are
regarding Princess Margaret of Prussia,
who accompanies her imperial mother to
England, with a good deal of curiosity.
It is hinted, somewhat openly, that one
object of the Empress Frederick's visit
here is to do her best to arrange a mar
riage for Albert Victor, duke of Clarence,
and her daughter, his first cousin, despite
the fact that the Prince of Wales's eldest
son is undoubtedly in love with his
second cousin, Princess. May of Took, and
has apparently his father's permission to
continue so. However, the queen can
not got over the fact that Princess May
is the daughter of that Mary of C am
bricl -a of whom she was SO jealous in
the days when the kite Prince Alliert first
came a courting; and so, as young Albert
Victor has no spirit of his own, it Is not
unlikely that tlie announcement' of his
encngement with the Princees Margtiret
will come to us Imfore the empreHS has
roin Hided her viuit hare. Slarpiret of
I nn ..a seems to be a delightful and
I 1 'y eli . A yo-ti woman, hut there
Ih i
Out
'. t
r ii-
t 1. ts a will of he
x 1
i li
i . r and rm'nl
' c ' n t
i i f 7 ti
a j -i
r l
'1 i t
BIG FIND OP MUMMIES.
IMPORTANT DISCOVERY OF AN EGYP
TIAN CRYPT.
RiHtr.u ISMwartpts Tfcatr Da
atphartaa axaf B.rtaTa tmm lal
LaaralBs; mt Za7 Cmriama Q,awa
U.ai thmt A wall SalaUaa.
A letter from Cairo to the New York
Tribunt announces the discovery near
tlie Templ of Hatssu, in Egypt, of a
crypt containing mummies and manu
scripts that have never before been dis
turbed. The discovery is considered as
important ss that in Der el Bahari, in
1871, when the mummies of Barneses the
Great, the Chief oppressor of the Israel
ites, and of ThotLmes I, II, and III,
8eti I, and Amenhutep I, were recovered.
The hidden Oombs at Der el Bahari had
been preyed' Upon for 10 years by the
shrewd Arab who discovered them. He
had opened mummy cases and sold
jewels and manuscripts to travelers, and
many manuscripts were destroyed, but
Others were decipherable. , . .
These manuscripts threw much light
upon the customs of the Egyptians, their
daily life, and the extent of then? learn
ing in medicine and law. The historical
references have never been very useful.
except to fix dates, as the records are
merely boasting of kings written in tha
most florid style. Truth about kings was
smothered. The learned men of Egypt
formed a vast organization for keeping
knowledge within the bounds they had
fixed. . The discovery of a subterranean
tomb or crypt near the temple of Queen
natasu, at Thebes, was made by an Arab,
who reported it to the government, and
received a proper reward for his faith-
fulness. The temple stands under a bluff
of limestone at some distance from the
Nile. Near the temple the opening of a
perpendicular shaft in the solid rock was
found. ; This shaft upon : exploration
proved to be 45 feet deep, and at the bot
tom was a doorway, which had been
walled up.: The f, 'lowing description of
the underground ijmbem is from the
Quro letter: r., -v-..-: -s-j'y.'-
'Passing through the doorway, the ex
plorers entered a level corridor running
north and south, about 250 feet long.
From this a flight of steps ted downward
about 18 feet, and then came another
corridor nearly 40 feet long. At the
ends of this second corridor were two
mortuary chambers. Still a third cor-'
ridor was found, starting from the top of
the stairway and extending 175 feet
The mummies were found piled about in
all parts of these room and corridors in
such a way as to favor the theory that
they were hastily removed thither from
their original resting place." -
up to February IB about 160 mum
mies had been removed to the Boiilak
Museum.' Itis the opinion of the Egypt
ologists who are in charge of the ex
amination of the mummies and manu
scripts that the most recent belong to
the twenty-first dynasty. That dynasty
was established by a priest who possessed
great influence. Many of the mummies
are those of priests, About the corridors
are hollow wooden images containing
manuscripts, and other manuscripts have
been found upon piles of mummy cases.
It is believed that these writings were
hidden by priests after the mummies
were removed to the underground
chambers, r The hasty disposal of the
mummy oases and manuscriptB leads to
the conclusion that they were originally
deposited in the temple of Hatasuand
removed before a threatened invasion.
The painting on the cases, although at
least 8,000 yean old, is brilliant in color
and apparently unchanged. The elabo
rate decorations indicate that the dead
were persons of oonsequenoe. The forms
of some of the mummy cases are new to
Egyptologists and new forms of hiero
glyphics appear in the manuscripts.
This may be accounted for by the fact.
recorded by Rawlinsun, that Herhor of
the twenty-first dynasty had formed al
liances with outside nations and had a
wife of Semitic raoa, who was not a
princess. Herhor was known as Si-Am
mon or' son of Amnion. If the new
records can be deciphered, the history of
Egypt may be rewritten. - It would be
a singular and interesting outcome, if, 1
at this late day, all of the lost learning
of Egypt should be restored, -
The civilization of ancient Egypt had a
vast influence upon the world, chiefly
through the captivity of the Israelites.
The Egyptians devoted a great part of
their energies and their fortunes to prep
arations for a future life. Their belief
in the literal resurrection of the body has
had its influence upon all religious beliefs.
Whatever modern antiquarians believe,
they have not respected the belief of the
Egyptians; for the Egyptian dead have
been scattered and destroyed, ship load
of mummies having been brought to Eng
land and the United States to be ground
into paint The vast cemeteries have
been pillaged for relics of the past Still
the resurrection of the body is one of the
cardinal doctrines of to-day. The Egyp
tians held it necessary to aid in that
resurrection by preparing the body for it.
The moderns hold that the power which
can raise the body to an immortal' life is
great enough to bring together the scat
tered fragments after dissolution. The
belief in the resurrection of the body was
shared by the Incas f Peru as Well as by
the Egyptians, and Peruvian mummies
are almost as common in our museums
as those from the land of the Nile. The
pyramids of Mexico and the mummies of
Peru are the best evidences yet adduced
to show that there whs formerly a con
necting land between A fries and America.
The story of the lost Atlantis came from
Erypt, and discoveries in America go far
toward confirming it. Theqnostion now
Is, Did the civilization of J'Vypt have ita
rine in America or AM. a? A re the pyra
mids of Mexico oldor tlian tlie pyramids
of IVyptJ Are tlie miimi( of 1'uiuoltU
than the mummios ' 2 ; ; t?
Y. i i y
f.in I e ne
1
i 1
r 1
The first or second day of every term.
when the whole school has returned, St
sort of slave market ia held in each boose.
at which the upper boys have the privi
lege of choosing from among the lower
boys their own particular fag for the
next three months or so. In some houses.
where the lower boys that is, boys who
have not reached the fifth form are
numerous, an upper boy may have two
such servitors for his own exclusive use,
if he thinks he wants them.
The right of selection is exercised ac
cording to seniority, the boys known to
be the quickest and best servants being
snapped up first, except ia the case of
new boys, when looks have to be taken
as credentials as often as not, to the ulti
mate disgust of tha fagmaster, for the
smartest looking boys are often the great
est duffers at their work, . ' - ."
The duties of sa Eton fag are many
and various. Not a few of them would
be declined by their own, fathers' ser
vants at home as far too menial to suit
the dignity of the modern James de la
Pluche. The fag is responsible for get
ting his master out of bed in time for
early school a dangerous and thankless
task to perform on a big boy. who is a
hard sleeper, free with his fists, and quick
at flinging boots when once awakened;
School over, the fag has to prepare his
master's breakfast Be lays tha cloth,
makes the tea and toast-HVoe betide him
if tlie latter be burned or cut too thick
boils the eggs, and fries any extra lux
uries in the way of rashers or sand
wiches his master may send him to pur
chase in the town. 1 1
The meal prepared, the fag Is by no
means free to go and get his own break
fast, as he has to wait at table, be ready
to fetch hot water from the kitchen, and,
if ordered, fly ofi! np town to one of the
"sock shocks for a pot of jam or mar
malade. He is a lucky boy if he can
snatch a clear 10 minutes for his break
fast before the chapel bell begins to ring.
The same round of duty has to be
gone through again at tea time, the only
difference being that there is more time
to do it in, and fagmasters are generally
in a better temper when school for the
day is over. But fagging at meals is by
no means the only service which, the
lower boy has to render. He has to
scrape the mud off his master's football
boots, to put his clothes away after
cricketing or running with the beagles.
and takes notes to other boys in other
housep.
In addition to their regular daily work
for their own, master, the lower boys
have to fag in a desultory way for any
upper boy who may want them. At the
cry of "Lower boyl" shouted by any fel
low above the lower division of the fifth
form, every boy below the fifth , has to
scamper out in answer to the summons.
and tlie mnderraost in the race ia gener
ally ordered off for whatever duty has
to be performed.
This is rather a hardship when a boy is
busy preparing his lessons for school, but
he would rather run the risk of getting
into trouble m school than incur the
wrath of a boy very little older than
himself by "skulking." The head mas
ter's birch does not inflict such wounds
as the vigorously applied toasting fork of
an Incensed fagmaster. ' ,
On the whole, Eton boys do not
to mind fagging much, and the system
at any rate has tlie advantage of being
the same for alt Every boy knows that
though he has to fag at present he is cer
tain to be able to fag others in time.
' Taa Russia Kaapress Daaf.
The czarina is almost entirely deaf.
When a courier, carrying messages from
her majesty, Augusta Victoria, appeared
before the czarina, a lady in waiting
secretly wrote down his message on a
piece of pasteboard, which was handed
to her majesty under cover of a fan, and
after she had read it she answered in
quite an unconcerned manner.
It seems that the royal comedy which
was onoe jilayed by the blind George of
Hanover, who endeavored by sundry
trie.lra to keen hla terrihlfl krrlicHnn a
secret, is to be repeated to-day at Feters-
hof and Gatschina. In Russian court
circles it is whispered that her deafness
is the result of the terrible railroad acci
dent of Borkum, when the detonation of
the explosives which were intended to
destroy Alexander and his family in
jured her ears. But then her sister, the
Princess of Wales, ia likewise affected
with deafness, which leaves the suspicion
that the trouble is hereditary.
' Tha Daeay af Wavada.
Talk almut deserted mining towns, or
rather of deserted oil towns back in Penn
sylvania, why some of the oldtime cities
of Nevada are to-day almost forgotten.
In Austin, portions of the main street.
which in yean past were the scenes of
large business transactions and mining
excitements, have in the past three years
absolutely grown up with sage brush.
When tlie moon rises an observer would
be led to believe that here and there
large stores with stone fronts, once occu
pied by prosperous merchants, were
brilliantly lighted, only to find on pass
ing that the roofs of the buildings have
fallen, and the rays of the moon gleam
through the still intact doors across the
shadowed sidewalks with sepulchral ef
fect Sun r rancuico Letter.
: Haw Victoria Prepared.
" Apropos of royal marriages, I heard
pretty story concerning that of Queeu
Victoria the other day. On tlie day that
the young queen announced to parliiv
nient her betrothal to Prince Altiert, her
aunt, the lluchess of Gloucester, ei.il
her if she had not t-'t greatly etnh-ir-russed
on that orcncMin. "f.iit bull ho
nin h, dear aunt," v. ', " I
did Viti ii It ' id i ,i I
ccpt my li.'in.l." 1 'f a I : v i
y r-.- I I ,
1
THE QUEEN "AT HOr
PLEASANT PICTURE O" THE DO
MESTIC LIFE OF HER MAJESTY.
tartas CWraataHrtla mt tha BHtltk '
aralw-aa Will Un Aaywaara
amt la EMtiasr-A Day a Wlstor
K.Utlvathla Fasslaa. .
Once upon a time there was a charm
ing little blonde princess, with large blue
eyes and golden tresses, who was known
as Mayflower, because she was born in
that beautiful spring month, and bar
father, holding her up before the loras
and ladies who hastened to see the b&l y,
said to them t "Look at her well, for she
will be queen of England!" The sr 1
of the year 1819 is far sff now; the i v
rose has changed into the Chr' inus to.--, ;
tha Uttieprlncess hn become ti e d "
of the sovereigna of Europe, : I t -
people honor ia her half acu:-.. 7.I'
reign which, In the words of tlie n&UotiU
anthem, has been "happy and glorious,"
and distinguished by her majesty's great
virtues and devotion to tha public weaL
After being softened by the Joys and
griefs of her crowned romance, the pub
lic venerates the grandmother who, from
the throne, has made the nation admire
sentiments which are moat dear to it
The one place where the queen is never
to be found is her good town of London.
Whether it be that Buckingham Palace
is displeasing to her majesty (as it might :
well be), or whether the air and noise of
the capital are injurious to -lies health,
one thing is certain that .she avoids
London like the pestilence, leaving to
her charming daughter in law, the Prin
cess of Wales, and to the extremely pop
ular heir apparent, tha-duty of repre
senting her on all official oooasioQs. Si nce
Princess Beatrice s marriage, and espe
cially since the extraordinary manifesta
tions which marked her Jubilee, the queen
has shown herself a littla mors to art
liege subjects, . . . .
There is also mors animation in the
palace. Her majesty has commanded
artistes to appear at court, and has en
couraged her entourage to get up ama
teur theatricals. The fact is that
Princess Beatrice has married a Prince
Charming, from whom one wishes to
banish all ennni, and, as he can not be
sent over to Germany to hunt and shoov
every week, the domestic hearth is made
as attractive as possible. With the ex
ception of a few weeks spent at some
health resort the queen divides her time
almost equally between Windsor, Os
borne, and Balmoral. Windsor, tlie
immense fuedal palace of William the
Conqueror and Edward III, is the actual
official residence of the queen, and neve,
has monarch had a more stately home.
It is to Windsor that her majesty in
vites those whom she wishes to entertain.
The invitations are usually to dinner, the
guests arriving at the castle in time to
dress, and spending the night at the castlo.
The queen's day begins a little later now
than formerly, the rheumatic affection
from which she suffers having dimin
ished her strength, although she st'l
works very hard. . Rising between 8 and
9 o clock she breakfasts alone in her
apartment, but . occasionally invites
Princess Beatrice or some other member
of the royal family. Often, in fine
weather, she drives to Frogmore, and
when it is warm enough she- breakfasts
in a tent erected in the gardens. From
10 to 2 her majesty works. One of tlie
ministers is always at hand, but the
queen seldom presides over a council,
except on soma very exceptional occa
sion. Every day there are 20 or 83
packets of dispatches for her majesty to
look through. Everything comes under
her eyes. Prince Albert used to say tha
queen ought to be the best informed
person in the realm. ' "Ministers go out
tiie queen remains," said the prince.
Her majesty has an embarraa de chotx,
for of the 50 children and grandchildren
that Providence has granted her (with
out counting tha . fourth ' generation,
which treads upon the heels of the others),
there remain 42, As, beside, the queen
is allied more or less closely to ail who
reign, have reigned, or will reign in Eu
rope, one willingly abstains from at
tempting to classify those related to her
majesty. For the queen, however, the
disentangling process is a pastime; hex
majesty never gets confused over it and
good humoredly pretends to be surpriwa
that everybody is not so clever as her
self.' After lunch there Is a short walk,
and at 4 o'clock, no matter what tits
weather . may be, tha queen goes for a
drive, generally accompanied by Princess
Beatrice, the lady in waiting, and somi
other fair Invitee. Dinner is at o'clock.
Should a reigning prince be present, t
queen takes his arm; if not, she v a
into the dining room alone. Before I
majesty comes down, the gentleman i i
waiting acquaints all the male f
with the name of tha lady t' y are t
take in. . .
During the day there b eomp' ' i !
erty for all, yet there is nuna
sociability which chain : '
country house Ufa. 1 e
never been a time of r" ; . ,
palace. Charles C rev i
UulL The queen u 1 f
a large round kiUe a '. t i
became more or 1 u
the queen go f i i i ;
addressing to f - 'i a '
et bannli s 1 i
When os i
are i t i .
oil her i
V': - , (' -an
1 s