I
moment to the prospector's heart, and
that of the Blue Bird' had been evolved
only after long and labored thought.
"I was thinkin-," the old manrepiied,
"with the same 'thoughtful slowness i4ef
it's all the same to you, pardner of. con
solidating the names likewise into 'The
Blue Bird's Last Chance,' and so a-lettin'
of Silver sMoirntin know this: here thing
bet wixt me -arid, you and Jimmy and Sam
is done-settled, now and fur good.:"'
As the old man concluded he exte nded
his hand to Uncle Jimmy. The; ".-hake''
' that. sealed the compac t then went round.
And so; despite the torn trees and drifted
devastation, the sun set in peace on silver
Mountain. J "outht Co:iiKiniwi. ' ;.'
The "Toddy Palm' I
" When I was down in' Washington .the
ether day,1- lemarked a Western : politi
cian at t he St. James, ' "they showed me
a wonderful Indian "palm in the botanical.
garden They call it the caryota urews,
and it: cut s a, bigger figure in the world as
an Intoxicant than all the distilleries of
the United States. Just in proportion as.
the followers of Brahma and Buddha in
Ind ia are far more . numerous, than the
Christian - population of the United
-Statesman the same proportion does that
Valm treesurpass all "Our appliances for
making an'intoxicant. It is a beautiful
tree, with a trunk something over afoot
in diameter;, grows to the height of about
sixty feet, and is surmounted by an ele
gant crown of gracefully c urved leaves.
The flower spikes are ten or twelve feet
long, and. issue from the trunk at the
base of the leaves, hanging down like a
horse's tail. They arc not produced till
the tree has arrived at its full period of
.growth,' and the manner in which the
n numerous spikes succeed each other is
rather singular. The first .-..spike issues
from the top of the tree, and after it has
done flowering another comes out below
it, and so on. a liower spike being pro
duced from the angle .of each leaf stalk,
or from the circular scar, left by leaves i
that have fallen away from the trunk,
until the process of .flowering reaches the
ground, when the tree is exhausted and
dies. . ; ';
"The English in India ;gave it ' the
name of Toddy Palm, because they traced
a kinship betyyeen their old home toddy
andithe juice of the tree. The natives
work.it in this fashion : When the spikes
are in th'3 bud they cut them off, and the
sap that would have flowed into the bud
is caught by them in a gourd and used as
a liquor. It's very powerful, and pro
duces a fine crop -of delirium tremens in
India. They expect this Oriental dis
tillery to flow some time this fall. Yes,
it's the onlv Toddy Palm in this coun-
try.'1 New Yo rk.ti 'in. , - .
"--Thing Seen in Paris.
Economicar.cpuntry in point of wrap
ping .-paper.':' - No clean paper bags in gro
cery like oursU Old newspapers used to
wrap your sugar, etc:, in. French print
ing ink very strong of tar, turpentine
and other stickiness. Your butter and
cheese wrapped in bits of Old ledgers.
No tramps. Beggars authorized some
how by law. Carry a bundle of checks
or colored slips of . paper. Give one a
penny,;: and he or she gives you a check.
For services .; rendered somehow. Very
common and cheap coffee. When sold
poured out of a black bottle. 'As.black
as the bottle. .'Tastes like shoe blacking
warmed over..; Only a , counterfeit of
coffee. Ginger 1 iread abundant. No
ginger in it. Exclusive lotteries and fairs
for selling gingerbread. . Made in
chunks two feet long .and three' finches
thick. Ditto in molds of gingerbread
k i ngs and (preens t wo feet . long. Bend
like India rubber.. Tastes like ditto. Is
carried all over j France from fair to fair.
Piled by the curb iii the sun. Exposed
to various weathers. Stale if not mouldy.
Sometimes 'stuffed with boiled chestnuts.
Which makes i it worse. Kept at gro
cery stores. Set out i:i front, along with
tubs, '--pails and brooms., Dogs smell of
it. Children finger 'it. .during, their age
of stickiness. Cats run over it. Alice
nibble It. Dust works- through it.
Should see the old feather broom the
shopman sweeps it which every morning.
Gingerbread king held by the foot very
pliable!. Will bend nearly double. Saw
one so carried by ladv in street car. Gih
gerbread,auctions ami lotteries. ' Lottery
man attracts crowd by baiting hook and
line with hunk of gingerbread. Sweeps
it
over
crowd of small b
who !
iiiUt-catji'h ' it in their mouths. Marks i
cacn piece w ith ena k to correspond Jwith !
lottery ; ticket - dealt
hands it to winner,
chalk on aged pair of
out. hen
won
oil
first rubbing
p;.f
; tuloons
1
ti'J
A QUEER ALBU3I.
VRITIXG" A lioGRAPHS ON A
HTM AX SKULL.
1.
Texan Lady's Odd Fancy Some
of t he Conceits of t he Con
tributors to the
Collect ion.
An El Passo i Texas)
letter to the San"'
Francisco Chron kh d e-scr i be a young
lady's queer autograph, album.' The
album in question is a human skull. It
was originally the property of a Mexi
can, who died on the .-Rio .Grande with
out the benefit of a benediction or a boot
jack, and probably, in its time, -wo e a
jaunty sombiero and held an urn lum
bered quantity of cigarettes -between its
glistening jaws. At present it is simply
a polished white dome of bone, with a
brass standard''' screwed into its medulla
oblongata attaching it to a slab of black
marble. The pieces are held in place by
wire pins at the sutures.; A taxidermist
fixed it up for 5, or seme such trifle.
So much for the album. The ghastly
trinket is regularly sprung upon the
young lady's friends, with -the request
that, they write something appropriate
upon it.. The surface is smooth as glass,
and a little manipulation of an India-ink
j bottle, and a lithographic pen does the
work. The frontal regions are pretty
well covered now and the rear expanse is
left for the back counties not yet heard
from. Some of , the inscriptions are
worthy of chronicle: Between the eyes
is this verse: ,
' ..-;'...---. Where is the patter? .'
. "Where is the clatter? .
'. Where the gray matter,
The vitalized spark
Science erratic, .
Religion dogmatic
Are Ix.th quite emphatic
' An. 1 both in the dark.
Behind this a disgruntled observer of
human nature has penned :
You mind me of Jlacchifivelli
A great hea 1 and no ba -kbone.
A sentimentalist leaves his tribute in a
line, above the ear, or rather 'where , the
ear was :
- A shell from which
The pearl is gone.
Something in the same vein is another
inscription not far ,.aw'ay';"
Empty scabbard: Where's
- Thy sword.
Directly beneath this another handhas
penned the terse rejoinder ; ;
It has soared.
On the broad, level space on top, as
free from bumps, vicious or intellectual,
as a billiard ball, are these two stanzas: '
Do the thoughts fond, foolish, wise,
That ran wfld once in your brain,
Ever come in spectral guise,
And hold revel there again?
Do they whisper,, soft and low,
Through the empty chamber here,
Songs you loved long, long ago,
Names you once held very dear?
Away over at one side somebody who
had, evidently taken in the contour of the
skull expressed himself in the following
unkind proposition:
I'll wager there is more on the outside of
your head than there ever was on the inside.
A famous oarsman who passed through
Texas not long ago" on his way to the
Pacific coast, was led unwillingly up to
the depository and finally expressed him
self thus:
; I have a weakness for sculls.1
An old gentleman, who declared that
the skull never belonged to a man, but
was once part of the effects of a senorita
and had worn a mantilla many a time,
placed this line above his 'autograph':: ''.
A chatter'-lox, minus the chatter.
A studious friend to whom the auto
graph album was suggestive of Yorrick,
drew on the bard of Avon- for his senti
ment and wrote :
Sans hair, sans
Sans teeth, sans everything.
It' will be observed
that he quoted ad
is a reflection that
UK'" Near this effort!
it probably suggested : ,
J I believe now that
i beauty is only skin
-j - deep.
! The last one is in a-cavitv that
marks
j where a fine bump of veneration is turned
1 inside out, and is brief 'and to the'iVtin-t:-'
.a none or content .on.
: 'I have lots of fun with my skull,"
said, the fair collector' of Signatures, - for
tlie Mexican has to her mind lost .ail pro
prietorship' in it, 'nd I use it ,to get-rid
of silly peo pie wh ' always ' w4 : : t"
f iolidi things.
'IIow do you do that?" asked one of
her victims.
'Easy enough. You see I have an
autograph album also, and I produce,
them both. A bright person prefers the
skull, because there is a subject right
away. But, on the other hand, one of
the sort who write: 'Last but not least.
and 'When this you see remember me,'
get frightened and turn to the. book with
an alt solute sigh of relief. So in that
way I 'keep the skull tolerably select.
Wodd you like to look at the book ?''
"Spare me" said the unhapppy m,Qj
Ancient Mole of Banishinsr .Vermin, 'j
In 174; appeared in the canton of j
Berne, Switzerland, an enormous number i
of grubs: and it was feared that the j
whole crop would be destroyed : there- . j
fore the Council of the Commonwealth I
sent a deputation to the .archbishop of
Lausanne, with the petition to banish the
obnoxious creatures from the canton. Of
course it is not stated that the neighbor
ing cantons had agreed to receive the
grubs, but the Archbishop seems not to
have considered the incongruity of said
petition. He gave an affirmative answer,
and authorized the priest at Berne to im
pose the banishment of the grubs, pro
viding for strict observance of the "cus
toms and laws.'':- After a prayer, an ad
vocate 'for the people was chosen. He
notified the court of his appointment,
and, proposed the citation of the grubs.
On a certain day some of the grubs were
brought before, the court, and their ad
vocate chosen. , The priest, followed by
a large crowd of pious-people in a solemn
procession, went to the cemetery, to the
fields, to the vineyards, and to the banks
of the river, to' serve the summons on the
defendant. He delivered the following
at that time probably courteous ad
dress, as a warning and as citation to the
felons: ; "
"Ye hideous and degraded creatures,
ye grubs! There was nothing like ye in
the ark of Noah. By orders of my au
gust superior, the Archbishop of Lau
sanne, and in obedience to the holy
-church, I command ye all and every one
to disappear, during the next six days,
from every plate where food grows for
man or beast. If ntt obedient, I enjoin
ye to appear on the sixth day, at 1
o'clock, afternoon, at Willisburg be
fore the Archbishop of Lausanne. ,r;
As some righteous people objected be
cause the citation was not exactly inaae
in the manner provided by law, the case
was postponed, and, after a lawful cita
tion, another day was named. Then the
process began- The advocate chosen
for the defendant was Jean PerrodeU a
well known dogmatical and obstinate!
disputant. Perhaps it will appear some
what douhtfulif the nomination of this
advocate fulfilled exactly the demands of
the law. and cu -torn of the time, as rt is
stated that Mr. Perrodet died a short
time before his nomination. Neverthe
less, the case , and the .complaint were
read; and, as ho". defender .appeared, the
judgment was! given' for the plaintiff.
uWe, Bened ictus, ' of Monferrand.
Archbishop of Lausanne, condemn and
excommunicate ye obnoxious worms and
grubs, that-.nothing shall be left of ye,
except such parts as can be 'useful to
man.' Stciss -Coss. ' '
pie
First Banjo Player.
The first man who ever played a banjo
was Joe Sweeney, and his instrument
was an excavated gourd with four strings.
Joe gave his first tunes in public in a
circus tent, lie was a deck hand, work
ing on a canal going, from Kichmond to
Lynchburg, j He afterward was with
negro minstrel companies, and was a
great feature- both in this country and
Europe. lhdtiiwie Anuri in.
Wanted.
A hat for the' hea 1 of a f untain,
A glove for the hand of fate,
A sh-e for the foot, of a mountain,
A link from the chain of leiate.
A spoke from the wheel of fortune,
A chip froni the y-fW of the South,
A drink from the fountain of knowledge,
A word f roui the river's .mouth.
A drop from thr cup of sorrow,
.A look 'from the. face of the storm,
A str ke troin the arni of justice,
A ring for the tin'.-r of wrn.
'.' i ' . : .-. .
'A' knock' .at t.he'bor of re .e. tan :-..
Athrob fro::i th-o,- a:i-i.-irr.
A gla:i ;e frm-tue eye of : i;-:e 11-;, .
' From CUpi-i's Un-a'uari,
A piece f the ":'. - f A
A p:u:i"e f r'-m '-'the win;.
Sf-::y l: -ilk if hyn-i in kin
And I have tio.- :;:iv r!i
Ti:n-
THE LESSON OF LIFE.
Prop follows drop an i swells
With rain the sweeping river.
Word follows word and tolls
A truth that lives forever. .
Flake follows nake like sprites
Whose wins the wm ls ihs.M?ver. ,
Thought follows though: and lights I
The realm of min i torever.
Bim follows larn to chevr
The. Cloud the bo!t might shiver.
Ti. j ob follows throb and fear
Gives p!ace to joy forever.
The drop, the flake, the Warn
Tearh us a leoa t ver.
The word, the thought, the dream
V; Impress the soul forever..-'
Day 'follows day an 1 brings
Manhd and its en leavor.'
Year follows year on i ings ;
That sweep ri dit on forever.
Tsirrht fr.llows nigh.t. we rest
Till fate our -slumbers sever. '
.Morn follows inorn. the test
Of Lie'that lusts' forever. .
Peed follows dee.l, we cheer
The ait and 'art i-t lever.:
Fr:-r.d follows friend, an 1 hiro
We mx-t no 'ntoiv 'forever..
To-day. the night, the -um
iVpart. retiiniing r.ever. "
oouls of the Spirit born.
Will live and live t o:-ven
(Ir it-qe IF. Bungay.
PITH AND POINT.
In the bright lexicon of speculation ; .:;-
fihere is -nothing--so. uncertain as a sure
thing. .
Mau reaps what he'' sows:- but women
ften rips what she sews. L-nuinerauL
it'll' it tit.
Some', men find fault ''because they are
tever lu kv enough to : tind anything else.
-IjoiCiU Citizen. "
''I've got mvseif in an ice-box 1M as
!he butcher' remarked when he found
limself locked up in a fresh-meat re
frigerator. !v tltiU . ..
Johnny's sitting in the corner;
' Pensive is his mien,
; D n't disturb him, he's a mourner
' Causj the fruit was green.
Mrjcliant Traveler.
At a I'estaoranti " Waiter'.this' sal .
men isn't fresh ? " ' . ' How can tliat be.
feir .' It's just off the ice. sir.'' " Then .
it's your ice that "isn't fresh, waiter." '
A tv, o-storv hou-e fell on a Chicago
reporter, and-when they dug him out of
ine cieoris lie nan a inii-imumn hiiril
jiv.itten about the accident.- Nticmnn
Ju 'f iiii. itt.
They were discussing;' 'art... matters.
rllave you ever been done in ll, Mi.
Smith.'1' she a-ked. "Oh, yes, ' lie re
plied. 4Who was the artist:" "He
wasn't an.a.rtist; .lie' was a broker.''
'Guibo.llard'"". visits an -insane asylum :
"I hear that you sometimes meat cerate
people here who are not insane." .-"Oh,
jyes: but that don't matter they invari- '
hble become insane in ie-s -titan a week
here. Pari C' ritnri;
If vou drop vour collar butto!), there
Ss one sure jnethod of finding it. After; .
vou have liaiifel the oureau ".across the
room to ; look under it, then rcplacr- the
furniture Itnd put on a jiair of heavy
shoes.: Start to walk-across the. room,
and before you have taken three step; ;
you will step on the collar 'button and
-mash it all to iece. P"tisf-il . cr.
He sat him down on the circus s-at
beside A a girlhe had not seen before; , ;
He tuou-ht hi nisei' and' hi- style- "oinplvte,''
but she onlv deern "l hiur an arrant Uie,
And lie bought hnn a fan of the pahn l-af
stvle.
He fa uied hinwlf and he fain: -d h-r. too;
And gently the ami. lent hn-'ze di 1 wile:
While 1-oliler.and iMil-ier the. fellow grew
'N'o-.v. what do you th.iik of th- :' Said
the 1m. re.
Hf' nieant l.inis'!f. .bl tins silly fo-)l;
"Cons df ring w- h i e i.ft met f-fore.
I think your farming's de id-l!y ro.""
... " (ijiyhtil Sua. , .
oi-e.of the tr c- of . Ark;iT.s i-' have
pecu lit 'pro;e'rti TLe.fni:t. an-i ro.t.--of
tlrv buckeye are u-fl by bniinn-. mi, -t
h'-'i-r . fi-Uh: g -ex cur-';-' 't: ' -They- put the ,
fiu't ::!:;'.l : !- in a bag.', r.vjijih.-the'y dr.ig
t:.:;,.':-h 'he wat' r. In a a ho.. :r or '- the.. '
h-li'ii-e t.o-.thv.s';n:'--tce l..-:i.-l. r 'attN- -..:e
a:ter eating 't tt:- !rui! -r h a -. Man
t-iU th- fr Jt of the i uv,-piw. b-.i 'hogs
Wn'u'-l. Ho;'.'-- a:! 1 t:v.! a c. ;:utd f-'its' .
1 1 1 k . 'I 1.' f' ;i: :.t d b .rk - : '. ! -r. r.-iv -;.:-..
-s'.ii'p'os,- : .- . - . : ! .: . L- - ' . .-m
l ::; :.: :' v r.