North Carolina Newspapers

MUST AS IT I were a bay agaia, JTtfjiralrings would change from what they f sre " Twwfcat they used (o neem; ThjU? were but a little boy, Ajp from my mother's knee OeTIra And that dear old Fairyland Junt bs it used to be. If wirtbes only were a horse, Ifbw fast away I'd ride Acrprts' the' plains of yesterday, Held comrades by my side; Once more I'd rescue captive maid; Ah! doughty deeds vou d see, Jf were but a hero hold, Just as I used to be. - 'ii i i ai i i.iaj bb mmammtisamam A Grass-Country Incident, By ILGBEKCE BLEDSOE Aud endlos3 stretch of grass cov ered prairie relieved by brilliant patches of many-hued wild flowers; a few gracefully drooping niesquites and yelvety green chapparals; cun ning little prairie dogs capering about their curiously banked up burrows, arid peaceful herds of white-faced Hereford cattle grazing knee-deep in the succulent grass. Over all a splen did June sky flushed with the sun's farewell glimmer, and the picture is complete a grass country landscape done in sweeping lines and gorgeous tints. The brisk prairie breeze blew tan talizingly across the southern plains straight into the faces of two horse men swinging leisurely along the trail -leading up from the sand-dunes near the river that wound its way through the alkali deposit and red sand of the Staked Plains. That the travelers were not plainsmen was evident at a glance. Their "store clothes," stiff hats and "blled shirts" were a sure Sive-away, and the intentness with which they peered across the fast darkening plains bespoke anxiety as to their bearings. The elder of the two a well-groomed, middle-aged mkn with a military moustache and soldierly bearing, gazed long .and -earnestly over the monotony of plains, never ending plains; then tursing to the young man beside him, said: "Philip, I am afraid we are lost on this everlasting prairie! How much farther do yot suppose it Is to the Diamond-bar ranch?" "They told me at Noconah we Votild make it about dark, but to tell the troth. Uncle James, I'm in doubt myself. It's so easy to miss the trail in these sand hills. .It is nearly night and no ranch in sight." "Or anything else but steers, steers, steers! We must be in some big cowman's pasture, Phil." Phil stopped and-studied the brand on a treat white-faced steer that did not throw up his head and gallop off at sight of the strangers. "Yes. That is Nayle's brand. 'We've been in his pasture all the afternoon. It extends ten mile3 up the river. But it seems to me we are on the wrong trail to the Diamond-bar. I wish I kne'F-nnre about this country it's worth learning! But see, hero's a line of wire fence and yonder is a gate. I'm blest if I kuow where we are." "Let's follow the trail, then; it is bound to lead us somewhere," said the old gentleman, resignedly. The two passed through the gate and rode on in silence. The young man's handsome face, usually lighted up with a rare and winning smile, assumed a grave, almost sad, expres sion. His doting old uncle, noting the change and wishing to divert his thoughts into more cheeful channels, ETid: , "Philip, my boy, if this deal turns out favorably it will add a snug sum to your inheritance," and he smiled fomlly on his despondent nephew. .'-Yeu are always goodness itself, dyp uncle; you leave me nothing to wh Tor!" This last with a woeful sigjji. "Except that mad-cap, Milly dem ons, who disappeared from our little world at the fort so mysteriously." 4' Not mysteriously, uncle," replied PJnllp gravely; "it's all quite plain to me,; too plain, alas! She was visiting her cousin at the fort' when I" here pill had the grace to blush. ' "'Fell in love with her, which was natural," added the old man slyly. Philip continued as if saying over a well-learnel lesson: "On her return home she failed to answer my' many letters, and so I took it for granted tlTat she did not care to continue our "Little flirtation," again supplied the uncle. "Not on my part, uncle; it was the passion of my life." "Tut, tut, my boy, put her down with the other flirt3 and remember the old adage about the fish that still remain In the sea. But little Miss Milly did-have a winning way, and I would not have objected to her as a tiiecc." '(Look, uncle!" exclaimed Philip, welcoming a diversion, "yonder is a -wheat field and in it a man driving a harvester. . There must be some one living near-by. What do you think of stopping a while and resting our poof beasts?" "But I see noliouse, Phil!" Philip laughed and said, "I see you fcaven't yet learned to locate a dug ut, uncle," "No, I must confess I am not very familiar with the topography of Llano Kstacado, but I'll soon learn when I ft that ranch." They were approaching what at first glance appeared to be the de tached roof of a house perched upon the cround, but a closer inspection re vested a dug-out the plainsman's aJ L USED TO BE.M With Beanstalk Jack I'd tally forth To giants kill galore; In seven-leagued Loots I'd stride away To that enchanted shore Where ogres dwell, in castles huge, And mermaids' warm the sea; Oh. how I'd love to find them all Just ca they used to be! My little hoy says I'm all wrong That nothing's changed at nil, ' That lie can show ins ogres iieree, And piailts inore than tall; Then, clasping his dear hand in mine, He leads ine forth to see Years drop as leaves; I'm young again, Just as I used to be. Frederick Mitchell Monroe. CROFFORD, OKLAHOMA. primitive home In the heart of Mother Earth. This particular dug-out was scooped out of the south side of a pro tecting sand hill, for the homesteader of the plains always seeks a wind break from the cruel northers that roar across the treeless expanse About one-third of the queer struc ture was above ground, and two tiny windows, at the very top and level with the ground, served to light and ventilate the great burrow. Some one with the soul of an artist had erected a rustic arbor of poles at the entrance, over which had been twined cool green vines whose scarlet blos soms gave a touch of the picturesque to the quaint dwelling. The full moon was flooding the tall sand hills that loomed up so gauntly behind the dug-out, with a radiant whiteness that caused the. thick, scrubby mes- quite bushes to assume shapes gro tesque and fantastic. An old man came out when the travelers rode up and gave the cus tomary "Hello!" of the plainsman. "Won't you-"light and come in, gen tlemen?" heasked with true Western hospitality, as he came down the path to meet them. "Thank you," replied Philip, "we'll stop long enough to rest and water our horses and then push on. Can you tell us how far it is to the Diamond-bar ranch?" "Diamond-bar ranch!" echoed the old man in amaze, "why, you shorely ain't calkerlatin' to reach there to night! It's thirty-five miles from hero if it's one; besides, judgin by the hot, heavy air and the way the breeze is stiffenin", we're goin' to have one of them pesky sand-storms pretty soon. You'd best 'light and stay all night, gentlemen. We ain't got very much to offer in the way of enter tainment, but you're welcome to the best we have." "What do you say to accepting his kindness, Philip?" asked his uncle, who was quite tired. "Well, uncle, I don't think it would be wise to risk your rheumatism out In Ae open tc-night. So if you can take us in, we will be glad to accept your hospitality, Mr. " "Clemons is my name," finished their host. Phil scarted, but replied: "Mine Is Philip McDonald, sir; and this is my uncle; Major James McDonald, from Fort Noconah." "Glad to meet you, gentlemen. Come right along with me to the barn and we'll see to the horses. Tot" to a pretty little barefooted girl "run and tell Mildred to hurry up with supper." Again Phil started. "Heavens!" he thought, "why does everything conspire to bring her back to me in thought? How strange that another bears her name! " Tot ran breathlessly down the dug out steps, exclaiming: "Sister, father saj's hurry up and oh, sister, you'll have to make a pie for supper (the average plainsman's idea of a feast), for two men's come, aud one is so handsome! 1 He looks like that pic ture in your trunk that " "Tot, do hush; your tongue is al ways running away with you ! " said the sweetest little morsel of a girl. She was small and slight, her flushed cheeks but served to emphasize the golden glints in her soft hair; her serious gray eyes were full of unshed tears, but she bravely kept them back, and uncomplainingly took up the burden of drudgery that had only recently fallen upon her young shoul ders. "Now, what can I prepare for sup per!" she exclaimed In despair; "everything is out! Oh, how dread ful it is to be so poor!" Then after a perplexed "pause: "Well, I'll just make muffins, and with butter and eggs and milk I guess the men can manage to make out a meal! Tot, run and tell mother and Jennie to come in and straighten up things." Mother and Jennie hurried in to "straighten up" the one large room that constituted their dwelling. It was divided Into twa apartments by a calico curtain, behind which the most unsightly things were thrust. Ia the fore part a brave attempt had been made to give a habitable and home like air to the red earth interior, and it was pathetic to note the little femi nine touches and artifices to conceal grim, naked poverty. A few articles bore witness of better times, promi nent among which was a bookcase full of very readable books. In . a short time Mr. Clemons and bis guests came in from the barn lots. The table was rolled out in the middle of the front room, and Jennie, emerg ing from behind the curtain, placed sundry appetizing dishes upon it, while still more tempting odora fol lowed in her wake. As the meal pro gressed, guests and host became com municative under the melting influ ence of Mllly's muffins and hot coffee. 44 Have you always lived oat hert 71 17 fll) J In on the Llano T politely inquired Major McDonald. "Oh, no, Major," replied Mr. Clem ons, "we lived near L , on the other side ot Fort Noconah, for many years." " Philip looked up quickly. "I won der where his daughter Mildred an be?" he thought, glancing searchingly around the dug-out. "But . we lost, everything we pos sessed a year ago," Mr. Clemons con tinued, "and we came out here to pre empt land. We are compelled to live very roughly; times are hard," and the old man sighed. They did not notice the little figure that stole qui etly out through the friendly shadows, and when Mr. Clemons asked why Milly did. not appear, Jennie said: "Milly isn't feeling very well, and has just gone outside to get some fresh air." Then the kindly girl, who sus pected the nature of Mllly's bad feel ings, deftly called their attention to some hot muffins, and thus diverted the thoughts of the old man. Outside a sobbing girl walked rest lessly back and forth in the oppres sive darkness, moaning in her pain: "It is Philip, my own dear Philip, whom I have so cruelly wronged. And I love him still. If he sees me he will know all; but he shall not find me out! " she cried vehemently. - The air in the dug-out became in sufferably hot and heavy; the wind came in hard gusts and small par ticles of sand began to fly about. A lurid red cloud spread over the west ern sky at the rim of the salty river it was a sand cloud coming from the river dunes. Then the wind grew wilder and fiercer. Jennie slipped out and besought Milly to come in; she refused at first, but finally con sented when Jennie agreed to arrange the dim light so that she could creep in unobserved while they were intent ly studying the storm clouds. The storm increased in fury, and then the sand commenced to pour in. It literally rained sand. Everything was covered an inch deep with the fine red dust. The western winds were out for a mad revel that night. It seemed as though they would dash the dust to the very stars in their frolic. The women gazed at each other with white, terrified faces when an unusually severe gust of wind struck the frail roof, which rattled and creaked with the strain. The next furious gust swept part of it off. Timbers crashed and women screamed, the lights were blown out, and for a few moments confusion reigned. When some sort of order was restored it was found that no one in the fore-part of the dug-out was injured, and they were beginning to laugh at their sorry plight, when a frightened cry from the back part ot the dug-out came to them above the roar of the storm. "Milly! Milly! where is my child?" the old man shrieked. They rushed with one accord behind the curtain; a light was finally brought, when it was discovered that poor iittle Milly was pinned down under some debris. Philip had rushed forward when the light revealed Milly to his astonished gaze. "Oh, Heavens, am I mad? It is Milly, and she is hurt! " He snatched her up in his arms. Then she opened her eyes and smiled faintly up at him. "Not much only my arm. Aud so you found me in spite of my mysterious disap pearance! " He kissed the bruised arm fervent ly and with never a look of reproach asked her simply: "Why did you re fuse to answer my letters, Milly?" She answered with equal simplicity and truthfulness: "Because I felt in honor bound to give you up after we lost our property. But I acted very foolishly, dear." The Country Gen tleman. How Paper Was Invented. Hundreds of years ago there was no paper! We couldn't get on with out it in these days, could we? We are always wanting it to write up on, to wrap things up in; and, last, but not least, to print our books and newspapers on. It was a clever little Japanese gen tleman who first invented it. This little man was a merchant, and as he had ever so many parcels to send out from his shop every week, he found the silk in which he always wrapped them a rather expensive item. He was always thinking and puzzling his brains to try to invent something that would be cheaper. One day while he was walking in his garden he came across a wasps' nest, and he noticed how wonderfully it was made how the clever wasps had used some kind of wood, softened it into a thin paste with their jaws, and, after carefully shaping it, had left it to dry. "If wasps can do a thing like that," thought the little gentleman to himself, "why can't I? If I could get some kind of wood, form it into a pulp -by means of river water, wouldn't the result be something like the fabric of the wasps' nest? I'll try, anyway, and see what I can do. It would save myself and other peopde quite a lot of money, if my experiment succeed ed." The little Japanese gentleman tried and succeeded, too, in putting into practice the lesson that the wasps had taught him. So that's the way paper was invented years and years ago out in far Japan. New Haven Register. But Suppose Vou Wear Specs. The almost universal habit of turn ing the head in whichever direction you look deprives the eye of the exer cise to which it is entitled. The law of vision is such that, when your eyes are set straight to the front, you can see in almost every direction, except behind your head. Nw York Press. IT DOESN'T BOTHER MAO& VOU . hjmP m IF ... M ' ' Week's cleverest cartoon by Brewertcn, in the Atlanta Journal. DAY OF CHEAP According to Statistics, a Large Part of the Population Will Have to Do Without Un people Eat Less and Less Only 59,3 as Much Per Capita as in 1840 Many Causes Contribute to This Condition. Washington, D. C. That a time is rapidly coming when a large part of the population of this country must go without meat, just as many of the poor do in other countries, ia the fact pointed to in a report on meat tupply and surplus, which ha3 recently been published by direction of Sec retary Wilson, and which was written by George K. Holmes, chief of the division of foreign markets of the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Holmes does-not assert that the day is near when many Americans must go hungry for meat. The facts he has set forth, however, have at tracted much notice among high officials of the Department of Agriculture. They admit that his. statistics tend to show a growing meat scarcity with higher meat prices. Nothing is more common in these days of prosperity than the remark that every one is eating more meat. This is not the case, according to Mr. Holmes. He has made a searching analysis of the census and other figures on meat supply, surplus and the like, tn the country diminishing relative to pee capita declining. Instead of considering cattle, sheep and swine the principal food ani mals, separately, Mr. Holmes, for comparative purposes, has considered them. as merged into a composite animal. He finds that there was 1.043 of a .composite meat animal per capita declined to .860 of a composite animal in 1860, to .838 in 1SS0, rose to 900 In 1890, but fell more decidedly dividual of population in 1900. In other words, by the late enumeration there was in the country about .7 of a composite animal per capita and nearly 50 per cent, more than that in 1840. But the consumption per capita It is shown that exports of meat and its products, especially since 1880, have increased enormously. With a lower supply of meat animals in the country per capita than formerly and with exports of meat growing, the . tendency is for the consumption of meat at home to grow less and less. ' Taking 1840 for comparison and placing the ratio of the consumption of meat animals to population then at 100, the ratio falls to 72.4 in 1880, followed by a rise to 79.4 in 1890, and by a great fall, to 59.3 in 1900. in other words, compared with 1840, each individual in the country is, on the average, eating about three-fifths as much meat. From 1890 to 1900 the domestic consumption stock of meat animals declined almost exactly one-fourth per capita of the population. At the Department of Agriculture there is going on a good deal of study of Mr. Holmes' report, with a view to ascertaining how his facts bear on the present high prices of meat. One of the foremost officials of the department, who has been looking into the meat situation with care, said that the inevitable conclusion was that this country had seen the last of low meat prices; that the tendency of the future would be for meat prices to rise even higher than they were now; that the amount of meat per capita in the country would keep growing lower as the population in creased, and consequently that prices would tend upward, and that more and more the family of small means would have to go without meat, using it much more seldom than at present. This official also pointed out that the difficulty of getting farm help was constantly growing, but that the population of the country was con stantly enlarging. This means a less number of live stock relatively and more people to make a demand on the supply. In addition, high meat prices abroad are drawing an increasing export of meat and meat products away from the country. WOMAN POSED AS MAN'FOR 60 YEARS Once Lived as a Husband, and Only Revealed Secret Just Before Death Ranchman and Bank Clerk Coming to America From France, She Found She Could Cet Work Best in Male Attire. Trindad, Col. Charles Vaubaugh, alias Kalherine Vosbaugh, a woman who for siity years passed as a married man, and was a bank clerk and sheep herder, died at San Rafael Hospital from old age. She was born in France eighty-three years ago, and came to America when eighteen years of age, relying upon her own energies to make her living. She found that she was greatly handicapped because of her sex. After wandering around the country for two years as a woman she adopted male garb and applied for a man's position. She obtained employment In Joplin, Mo., and worked there as a bookkeeper for several years. All this time she kept her secret, and no one doubted that she was a man She possessed an excellent education, and while she was in .Toplm ehe was offered a position in a St. Joseph (Mo.) banking house. She ac cepted this, going to St. Joseph before she was thirty years of age. A few months later a young woman of that town was deserted by the man who had promised to marry her. Miss Vosbaugh sought her out, pro posed marriage and was accepted. To this girl Miss Vosbaugh divulged her sex on a Bible pledge that she would never reveal the secret. After their marriage they came to Trinidad and opened a restaurant A year or twa afterward the "wife" disappeared. The 'hushaiid declared be had been deserted and refused to make any effort to find hei. Miss Vosbaugh Reived Tore or less sympathy at the time, but the incident was "TSSt city life and always fearing her cret would be dtacovered. Miss Vosbaugh forty years ago sought employment at the S am Bro ranrh near Trinchera She asked for work as a sheep neidei, ana mis was Riven to he?, lite she knew that her sex could not be discov- ered except by the greatest of accidents, she accepted work as a camp cook rcarins boo would die M's?0bea"Sd "in down Her wrinkled IffilTA&ta Sen.dadCpar.edg w.th nor secret ,or tha second time in sixty years Viceroy Lord Minto Says It is Im possible to Ignore India's Unrest. Simla, India. The Legislative Council adopted a bill designed to prevent seditious gatherings. It em powers the provincial authorities t prohibit public meetings. Lord Minto, the Viceroy, i a speech In support ot the bill, said it was impossible to Ignore the warn ings of recent months the riots; the insults to Europeans, and the at tempts to inflame racial feelln. YOUR UNCLE SAM. MEAT IS OVER and finds the stock of meat animals the population and the consumption of population in 1840. The ratio to .709 of a composite animal per in Is much below the stock per capita. Insane Soldiers From Philippines Will He Brought to Washington. San Francisco. Seventeen insane patients, belonging to the United States Army, who 'were brought from the Philippine Islands to the Presidio General Hospital, will be taken to the Army Hospital fer the Insane at Washington. Colonel Geo. H. Torney, Deputy Surgeou-Gend-al, will have charge of them. A car has been especially arransea for the convenience t the jjrafien. Household Affairs. . CORNER FOR MATTRESS. If your mattress is a new one, make two white slips, just the right size, with a two-inch lap at one end. On this lap work saveral buttonholes, and on the slip sew the button.?. Then cover your mattress. With these slips the ticking will keep clean as long as the mattress is in use. Hav ing two cases enables you to have one laundered whenever necessary. New York Post. HEMSTITCH BY MACHINE. Pull out the required number of threads as you would if to be done, by hand, then baste down the hem middle way of the spaca where threads are pulled, loosen tension of machine and have medium-length stitch. Stitch on edge of hem. When stitched removed the baste threads and pull the hem to edge of threads. It looks very nice. Good for underskirts and sheets. I also heard of a lady using very fine thread and needle and hemstitching a fine handkerchief the same way. You will be surprised to see how nice it looks on the right side of ' the goods. Edith Bakeman, in the Boston Post. FOR FLOWERS. Frequently, a drooping flower Is caused by some insect eating at the roots. If the ground is dug with a fork and a solution of one pint of tepid water and one teaspoonful of mustard is poured in the flower crock, the bugs will crawl to the surface and can be killed. Ferns are frequently filled with small white worms which are im beded in the roots. The fern will not be injured if taken out of the ground and washed perfectly clean and the parts destroyed cut off with a pair of scissors. Spread out the roots in a natural position and place in fresh earth. New York Journal. A BUTLER'S PANTRY. A man who contributes his house keeping experience to The American Homo Monthly says that one of his greatest helps was a closet in the but ler's pantry, In which was kept a package of each article of food used by the household which could be placed there for an extended length of time without spoiling. The con tents of this closet were a thing quitu apart from the regular supplies, and it was only resorted to when the cook had allowed some article to run out and thought of it only when ready to prepare the dish in which it was need ed. In order not to keep the things in the closet too long they were occa sionally transferred to the kitchen, and fresh supplies put in their place. When the housekeeper found what a success the closet was, he added to the food supplies such things as lamp chimneys and wicks, silver polish, starch, etc. To these were added supplies for unexpected company, such as cans of meat, fish, soups, vegetables and fruit. CARING FOR LINOLEUM. A household economics authority says: ''In caring for linoleum do not use soapsuds as for scrubbing a floor. It stands to reason that soap is going; to injure the varnish and the finish. On a farm where there is plenty of milk, a cloth wrung out of skim milk, is the best means of eaking up the dust and brightening the linoleum. Where milk is scarce, or needed foi food, use lukewarm water, to which has been added half a cupful of kero sene oil or some good furniture pol ish. Wring the cloth rather dry from this, and go over the linoleum after sweeping, and it will be quite new and bright, and the finish unin jured. Most housewives scrub oil cloth and linoleum as though it v.-ere-a bare floor; it is dusty rather than dirty, since everything redains on the top, and for this reason a clean, cloth slightly damp is all that is nec essary. The Country Gentleman, pofcTliio5 to Eai t ZNV new TO Blackberry Tart Arrange tie ber ries in layers in a deep pie tin lined with puff paste, sprinkle sugar thick ly between layers. Take one-halt cupful of sweet milk, stir into it the whites rf two eggs beaten light, a tablespoonful of sugar and a tea spoonful of corn starch; pour over the berries aud bake. Servo cold with powdered sugar sifted over it. Summer Relish Chop fine one dozen tomatoes, three stalks of cel ery, six medium-sized onions, add a heaping tablespoonful of grated horseradish, one-half teaspoonful ot ground cloves, cinnamon, mace and whole mustard seed, one-half cupful of vinegar, one-fourth cupful of sugar, salt to taste. This can be made in large quantities, will keep indefinitely and never requires cook ing. Cheese Straws Roll scraps of puff paste thin, sprinkle with grated cheese, and cayenne peppsr if you. like, roll out, and sprinkle again, and repeat the process. Then place on the ice to harden. When cold, roll into rectangular shape one-eighth of an inch thick; place it on a baking pan and with a pa3try cutter dippt l in hot water, cut into strips four or live inches long aud less than a ni ariar or an men iui'.-.k. uaite an i serf e piled cou-acj ss rasaion.