Decatur Democrat, Volume 39, Number 29, Decatur, Adams County, 4 October 1895 — Page 5

She DECATUR, IND. M. BLACKBURN, - . . rCTLumi ' Those Chicago water stealers should at least be credited with the bacilli they diverted from the city’s drinking •water. The next Grand Army encampment Is to be held at St. Paul, and about that time the town will taka a new census. Everything comes to Cam who waits. A magazine writer says it is better for authors to remain unmarried. Usually It Is—better for those who otherwise would be dependent on them for support The young woman of the period will have to choose between the bicycle and the corset. The fatal result of a collision In Massachusetts shows that the two can’t travel together in safety. The thief who picked Colonel Bob Ingersoll’s pocket of $250 has not been caught and there Is no clue. This is a case where Colonel Bob’s feelings and his theory of future punishment probably don’t harmonize. Japan has joined the armed peace brotherhood, having decided to spend $25,000,000 for new battle-ships to be built at Glasgow. This is the EuroEan way to cultivate fraternal feelg, and It has been quite successful during the last twenty years. The German Emperor will soon review in the northeastern part of the empire an army of 80,000 men, with 300 pieces of artillery and 15,000 horses. The Kaiser seems to think that the best guarantee of peace is a vast army ready to march at the touch of a button. Miss a railway station agent, saved a train by slipping off her red petticoat and using it as a danger signal. This Is a point for Mrs. Booth. Os course If Miss Gurnee had been a new woman with bloomers on, this heroic act could not have been accomplished.

England will hold the advanced position It has occupied at Chltral with the aid of five or%ix native regiments. It is impossible not to admire the grit of a handful of British soldiers in undertaking such military operations supported only by native troops. Nothing backs up the bluff but the invisible power of England, which savage tribes have learned to dread. The Danes are tnaking the best bacon as well as the best butter in the world, and their export of both articles, at exceptionally high prices, is Increasing rapidly. This result is not accidental. Danish farmers are now carefully educated in their work, and even the nillknjalds of the country are scientific. People Who Iffaru their oughly are-sure of the highest remuneration. » The late Lieut Gov. Charles Anderson, of Ohio, who received 101,000 majority on the Republican ticket In 1863, served as Governor for several months after Brough’s death in Aligust, 1865. Over fifty years ago Anderson, who was a brother of the commander at Fort Sumter, was in his prime as an orator, and he did more to establish free schools in Ohio than any other man. Yet he has been a forgotten figure in politics for twenty-five years. One Lade, a Chicago veterinary surgeon, has been arrested and fined for cruelly beating, pounding and kicking his horse. Fortunately some bystanders fjound him at his brutal work and gave him a taste of the same kind of punishment he was inflicting upon his horse; and then he was arrested, under the auspices of the Humane Society, and fined. The punishment was merely nominal for such infernal cruelty. It Is a pity that he could not have been disbarred from ever again practicing upon horses for their ailments. A man of this kind cannot be trusted, with dumb animals.

In the history of the last twenty-five > years, printed in Scribner’s Magazine, President Andrews of Brown University has more than once made historical mistakes. “Holland,” the well-inform-ed correspondent of the Philadelphia Press, has now notified him of another, due to misinformation. Writing of the convention of 1880 and the third term attempt, President Andrews says that the convention, being desirous to placate Senator Conkling, nominated Gen. Arthur for Vice President. On the contrary, “Holland" says the Senator counseled Arthur not to run and was much displeased when he failed to follow his advice. This is undoubtedly a correct statement of the affair, as “Holland” says that Gen. Arthur after the convention told him “that Senator Conkling was clearly opposed to his accepting the nomination and that he himself said to the Senator that it was a very high honor, one not likely to come a second time to any man; that it was to be tendered in cordiality and Ithat for that reason his own judgment was that he should accept it" The electric currents which pass along the trolley wires are reported to |have done much damage to the water Sipes and mains of Omaha, South Omaa and Florence. Suit has been instituted for the recovery of nges, and an injunction is asked for to prevent the continuance of the system which is alleged to be destroying the utility of the water works System in thoM places. "Eleetroiysis” la the.

term used to describe the action com. plained of. The electric current seeks the metal water pipe for the return portion of its circuit and decomposes the metal principally at the point when It leaves the pipe. Some months ago there was a discussion by experts in regard to the evil and the best means to be used for prevention. But it would seem that those means have not been employed In Omaha, or If used they have proven inadquate. Perhaps it will be found that the trolley must be discontinued or that some other material than iron must be used for water pipes. In the latter case the pressure might have to be taken off the horizontal pipes, or most of them. To Denver belongs the glory. One of her professors has casually and between times made the discovery which has puzzled learned men all their liver and haunted them after death. He has discovered the missing link. He haa it in a bag and it is what is commonly known as the white-faced capuchin monkey. The professor announces that it is the remains of the first man, the origin of the human race. What the public doesn’t like about the Denvei professor is his claim and bold assur. ance. Why dees he insist that the dried-up monkey is the first man? It might easily be tie second or his cousinj the mummy bears no tag testifying that it is the sure-enough-one-and-only, but the prdfessor will not be bluffed out of his original statement. He also has the remains of the first horse, but na turally he does not think so much of a little thing like that. While he is about it he might remember that people would be interested in a mummy of the first kiss, or the premier paid tailor’s bill, or the original ancestor of a Chicago aiderman. It is a matter of regret that this professor does not seem to fully grttsp his opportunities or rise to the occasion.

Considerable speculation has been awakened lately by the recent announcement of some British alienists that so far as concerns the people of Great Britain insanity is increasing. The recently published report of ths commissioners in lunacy for the British kingdom shows a marked increase in the number of the insane. The statistics, indicate that twenty-five years ago the proportion of Insane In the kingdom was 471 to 1,000,000 of population. The figures for the year 1894 show a ratio of 588 to 1,000,000. Were this Increase to be carried on at the same rate it is easy to figure out an alarming number of Insane people and a startling deterioration of the human race a couple of centuries hence. It iq to be remembered, however, that much of this apparent increase is superficial. In the first place, the advance of the alienist’s science has caused the quick, er apprehension of cases which a few years ago would have been ignored ae instances of mere eccentricity. The increased accommodationsoftheasylums, also, have resulted in a more general resort to their use than heretofore. Cases which some years ago would have been set down ai* merely the reaiiit ol

timrmoswMunt. ed as such. Individuals who would formerly have been kept at home and obscured from the public statistician are now sent to the asylum and counted among the serious cases of dementia. Above all, the advance In the methods of collating and recording statistics baa resulted in the counting of many cases which formerly would have escaped notice. Weighing these considerations at their full value, It will be seen that the apparent growth of Insanity In Great Britain may In fact be no growth at all. And as for Insanity in this country, there Is no reason to suppose that It is becoming any more prevalent than in the elder land. The talk about the nervous temperament of Americans and the high tension under which they live and work has had the effect of securing an easy credence for the stories of dangerous tendencies among the people. That there are tendencies Injurious to nerve and mind no one will deny. But, taking all things into consideration and comparing the two conntries— off-setting one peculiarity with another—there is no reason to believe that the growth of Insanity here Is any more a matter for alarm than It Is In Great Britain.

Useless Torpedo-Boats. They have two big white elephants at the New York navy yard just now. If seems that the Navy Department does not know what to do with the torpedo boats built for the battle-ships Texas and Maine. These boats have failed to make the time required for torpedo service, and those designed for the Texas will not be used, find it is probable that those made for the Maine will not go with that ship. These boats cannot make more than eleven or twelve knots an hour, and, in the opinion of naval experts, that speed will be useless in battle. One of the torpedo boats of the Texas will be on exhibition at the Atlanta Exposition. It is probable that all of these torpedo - boats will be used at the Annapolis naval academy by the cadets. _ > The Tobacco Habit Growing. There is a steady increase in the number of cigars and cigarettes smoked in this country and notably in the consumption of cigarettes, according to a tobacco trade journal. During the fiscal year just closed there were sold in the United State* 3,333,845,560 cigarettes and 4,130,440,370 cigars. The Increase in the consumption of cigari over the previous year was 63,522,938. “Did you have any trouble with your French when you were in Paris?” “No, I understood my French well enough, but those measly Parisians didn’t They had all the trouble."—Harper’s Bazar. A Harlem man calls his wife misery J because sbs likes company, ’

\ LOVE AND SORROW. Love and sorrow met in May, Crowned with rue and hawthorn spray, And sorrow smiled. Bearce a bird of all the spring Durst between them pass un i sing, And scarce a child. Love put forth hts hand to take Sorrow’s wreath for sorrow’s sake, Her crown of rue. Borrow cast before her down E’en for love’s sake love’s own crown, Crowned with dew. Winter brea'hed agaia, and spring Cowered and shrank with wounded wing Down out of sight. May, with all her loves laid low, Saw no flowers but flowers of snow That mocked her flight. Love rose up, with crownless head, Smiling down on spring time dead, On wintry May. Sorrow, like a cloud I hat flies, Like a cloud in clearing skies, Passed away. —Pearson’s Weekly.

Tale of a Typewriter. Raymond Rose sat in his comfortable after-breakfast chair reading his afterbreakfast newspaper. All his surroundings denoted comfort. He was a bachelor of thirty-five years. His dark and rather large face beamed with the kindliness which comes of being thoroughly comfortable. He was neither thin nor stout—his frame had just contrived to hit that happy medium which is styled “comfortable.” He felt himself a success—in literature. At thirty-five his position was assured, so he must, at any rate, have been a moderate success. He wrote when and what he pleased. Just now he’ had completed a volume of short stories. In fact, Raymond was one of those felicitous men who iiave in their life everything that they want —save one thing, and they don’t know what that is. So Raymond Rose read his morning paper glanced around his own comfortable apartment, sighed and frowned. Then, bethinking himself of his volume of short stories, turned again to the newspaper and studied the advertisement sheet. Txpkwriting done for authors and others at the rate of Bd. per 1,000 words; paper found. Apply Miss G. Ramsay, 5 Nether-, court Terrace, N. W. “Cheap!" muttered Raymond, “distinctly cheap! Think I’ll try it." Then he began to wonder, in his usual way, as to what Miss G. Ramsay looked like, and whether Nethercourt Terrace was shabbily genteel or dirtily slum-like. “It’s almost like ‘sweating,’ ” he murmured. “I suppose she is hard up. Wants work badly, perhaps. The price does seem fearfully low all the same. Ah! well, ’tis the same for me as for any one else.”

From which it may be deduced that if Raymond’s talents were a little above the average, his philanthropy was quite normal. Not that he was mean. No one ever thought of calling him that. Only his enemies dared to hint that he was “close.”. He was merely the ordinary English business man.' , • M MUVUO ’ Hnn>u; Ux, Miss G. Ramsay, of Netbercourt Terrace. The missive contained a request to be informed whether Miss Ramsay could undertake to type-write Mr. Rose’s “Volume of Short Stories” for immediate publication. Then with eased mind he proceeded to forget all about Miss Ramsay, Nethercourt Terrace, and the exigencies of the hard-pressed typist. Some letters had to be answered, proofs corrected and one newspaper article written. Having accomplished these various tasks, he partook of a light luncheon, walked a little byway of exercise, smoked, and finally, as evening drew on, settled himself comfortably in his comfortable chair and looked over his manuscript stories. One or two required more alteration and addition than be had given them. One, he thought would have to be re-written. The rest were good enough for his purpose, which, after all, was to make an income, so he told himself. They were not great works. Critics would style them “fair, wholesome mediocrity.” Friends would smile and prophecy their deservedly popular reception. - f Then Raymond Rose went to bed and Slept the sleep of the highly respectable. As has been before observed he was a comfortable man, recking little of the future and not at all of the past. . L nrealized hopes, ambitions, aspirations were nothing to him. “They are fulfilled,” be would have told himself, had he recalled them, which he didn’t, “and because

they are not fulfilled in the precise way in ( which T then hoped that they would be I cannot sincerely grieve. Circumstances mould the man. He is a mere puppet, ; swayed by their force. If lam less than I should be blame flattery and fortune, not me. lam but an instrument in their hands.” Which is the way in which many sophistical persons avoid similar conscience-pricking difficulties. The next morning he got up, breakfasted and read the morning paper, as Was his wont. Then he turned once more to his short stories. Did he feel seedy this morning? Had 1 the weather depressed him? or what was : the matter? Certainly his work seemed far less satisfactory than he had ew previ1 ously found it. To his senses, Refreshed 1 by a night's rest, these stories appeared weak and djill. Why had he never noticed these things before? Or, rather, why . should he have noticed them now, at the ! eleventh hour? This sudden consciousness was most inconvenient. “Miss Ramsay, sir,” suddenly said his * housekeeper from the doorway. _ Raymond Rose turned in his chair, 3 none too pleased at the interruption. “Thank you,” he said, and stared l ' stared at his visitor, wondering for the L moment what her business with himwuld be. Mechanically fie placed a chair for 1 “I have come about some typewriting,” >• said she, hesitatingly. i> Raymond started. He remembered 5 now - . This, however, was not the kind or typewriter with whom ho usually dealt.

Two women who bad done work for him were angular and hard-featured, abrupt in manner, and as careworn as they could be. Miss Ramsay was a mere girl, well dressed, slight of figure and prepossessing of face. Her complexion was good, her small mouth prettily formed, her eyes large and lustrous, her hair a pretty brown color. Raymond found himself noting all these points about his new typewriter. Suddenly be awoke to the fact that she was waiting for him to speak. “Yes,” he said, “I require a volume of short stories typewritten. Unfortunately," he added, recalling his thoughts of a few minutes ago, “they are not quite ready. More than one will want doctoring if not rewriting." “I might take them one by one,” suggested Miss Ramsay. “That would save time. If you have one ready” “Yes, that will be our best plan," interrupted Raymond. “And shall I do the work here or at home?” she asked. “Which would be the most convenient for you?" inquired Raymond, trying to stifle bis personal inclinations as regards the matter. “If you will show me your writing—that is, your MS," said she, frankly, “I I can tell you. If it is difficult 1 had best come here; if easy" “It is rather difficult,” returned the other. “Perhaps you had best come and do the work here,” he added, with quite unconscious eagerness. “The mornings would suit ine best.” “Very well,” she said. “Good morning. I will be here to-morrow.” The door closed behind her. Raymond Rose tried to settle down to work again. But he failed—miserably. Thoughts would not come. The pen scratched and spluttered like a thing in a bad temper. Each story as he tackled it grew worse under his alterations. However, he made a desperate effort, and completed one ready for the morrow’s typewriting. Then he got up and went for a walk, wondering what had come to him. The visit of the morning would recur to his mind. Nevertheless, as became a bachelor of thirty, be refused to acknowledge that his comfortableness had been in any way ; disturbed by it. < v ,

“Absurd!” muttered be. “The fact is, ; I want a little change- change of air, : change of scenery, change of people—change of life.” The last was quite an , afterthought. • The next morning Miss G. Ramsay arrived—typewriter and all. Raymond gave her the. story. She read it through and prepared to set to work. , “What do you think of it?” asked Raymond. She laughed—very pleasantly. “At any rate, it is not ’sex-maniacal,”’ she said. “No.” replied he. “I am glad it is not” and began his own work. He thought that she did her typewriting very well. When the story was finished he took the liberty of telling her that the work was more than satisfactory-. She only replied that she was pleased to hear him say so. After her departure he found himself wondering whether the G before her surname. stood for Grace or Georgina. In the days which followed he learned a good deal of her history. She had come to London with her brother, who was a clerk in a broker’s office and received an annual stipend of eighty pounds. On this,

And what "ie could earn————± J common tale, yet Raymond Rose r considered it remarkably interesting. He always asked her what she thought about a story. “Missjßamsay often gave £ him valuable suggestions,” so he told his friends. „ “I think that your stories improve, Observed Miss Ramsay one morning. ' “You seem to probe human nature more than you did, and your sentiment.'ia not a so artificial.” c “That is due to your influence, he re- c plied, gallantly ami sincerely. £ The dark, lustrous eyes looked up at t him, and her face assumed a half fright- ] ened expression. Perhaps she caught the j true inwardness Os his words. At any s rate, that glauce thiew Raymond Rose ( into’ecstacy. No longer did he doubt his , own feeling. , 1 The same evening he pondered deeply. Here was a man. with everything to ommend him; a large income, an ummpeachable character; a kindly disposition, a heart filled to the brim with love. And , she! A typist in straitened circumstances, of quite unknown origin, so far as the world was concerned. True, her brother presented rather an obstacle. ButthenThe picture of the brother faded from his mind. He saw himself wedded to a pretty wife; his old rooms cheered and brightened by her presence; the stale order of things abolished; the opening of new pastures warmed by the dual warmth of kindred souls. Then, moved by a > sudden impulse, he sat down and wrote a

St He wrote of a man, noble and good, to whom honor, fame, riches came like the sweet rain from heaven. The man lived, prospered.and was comfortable. He felt, however, that a void existed m his life; he knew not its nature, nor how to fill it. Then came a woman, pure and beautiful as the dawn, and he knew that it was she who was to fill that void. So he married her and lived happily ever after. By 2 in the morning he bad finished the story. He went to rest, feeling that it was the best and the noblest work he had ever done; although it was the unvarnished tale of an ordinary man’s life. When Miss Ramsay next appeared her pretty eves were red and swollen with weeping’. .Raymond was horror-struck. Tenderly he bade her be seated and inquired the cause”of her grief. The tale was soon told, “brother had suddenly and unexpectedly lost his employment, through no fault of his own. His’ “firm” had coalesced with another nud his services would be no longer required. He was to be paid fifty pounds for his compensation and sent about his

bU “You must let me help you,” exclaimed on a sudden, an idea nasneu mw mind, flooding it with joy. For the firsfe time in bis life he blessed that brother Would not the catastrophe make that task easier? The girl was at this moment I threatened with destitution. He gave not a thought to the ungenerous side of the- . I q said he, eagerly, as Miss R*m«

say wearily began her typewriting. •*! don’t wish you to do that to-day. You are In trouble. Here is a new story. I wrote it last night. I want you to read it and give me your opinion as you always do. I—l want to know whether you consider the ending is good.” Mechanically she took the manuscript from bis hand. She read it at first without understanding its particular import. Then she suddenly became aware that bis eyes were fixed upon her face with a burning, passionate gaze. ’ “You think it good?” he queried, as she finished. “It ends well, does it not? Miss Ramsay, you are reading the story of my life, for I love you.” And he came towards her with eyes aglow, never doubting that his own passion would carry all before it. lie caught her slender wrist and kissed the small hand again and again. But she shrank away from him, while her face grew crimson. “Give me time lo think, Mr. Rose,” cried she, piteously. “I did not know, indeed, I did not know. You are good and kind”

Then Raymond lost his head. He stooped and kissed her lips. “You need no time,” he muttered, fiercely. “You are poor, destitute—and I love you.” “Let me go now, please.” Raymond started at her tone. Then seeing that she was in earnest, he opened the door for her and stood meekly by while she passed out. Whereupon he sat down on a chair with an indistinct sense of having done something very foolish. “I have made a mistake," he said, wearijy to himself. “But she will come round. A sensible woman such as she is will not refuse an offer of that sort.”

But although Raymond bad, written of women, and had made capitarout of his writings, he had quite failed to grasp the fact that the sex is a strangely delicate organism, liable to be thrown out of gear by the faintest discordant movement. Three days later there came a letter— Dear Mr. Rose: I have come to the conclusion that the end of your story was, so far as lam concerned, incorrect. Owing to the kindness of an old friend, my brother has obtained a little work, which will suffice to keep us from starvation. This and other considerations, which you will doubtless understand, induce me to decline your no doubt kindly-meant offer of 1 three days since. Yours sincerely. I Grack Ramsay. I Raymond Rose cast the letter upon the floor and said bad words, cursing in turn the various classes of typists, brothers, and “old friends.” Then he packed a portmanteau and went to Switzerland for his long-contemplated change, of air. He climbed the Matterhorn and sailed down the Lucerne, coming back after one month’s traveling to bis old rooms and to his old comfortable ways,also to some old friends, who declared that he never looked so well in his life.

CONGRESSMAN’S OWL. A Friend Sends Him One for a Mocking Bird. “Didyou ever hear about the Brazilian mocking bird that Congress-man-elect John P. Tracy, of the Springfield (Mo.) district once owned?” asked Jack Carr at the aaueu mirca gerr Texas mocking bird and send it to him. He said his wife had long wished for one, and he thought I could get it for him. I promised to do my best. - “The so-called Texas mocking bird is larger than the northern product and has a lopg scissors-like tail with a large white spot on each division of it. It is much easier to domesticate than the native of the Northern States, and its tones when it sings are more mellofr. When, I struck Paris, Tex., I went to see a friend of mine who had, I knew, several fine specimens. I told him what I wanted, and he showed me several birds and then asked me which one 1 wanted. I told him I wanted the largest one he had. He took me into a rear room and said he would show me a Brazilian bird that beat the Texan all to pieces. Then he brought out a cage in which was the largest owi I ever saw. Every feather on its body was pure white, and when stretched out its wings measured over two and a half feet from tip to tip. I saw the joke and at once decided to send it—the owl —to

I Tracy. T , . . “ I boxed the bird up and took it to the exnrfcss office .Then I decorated the box with all sorts of bottle labels, hieroglyphics of different kinds and other mysterious symbols and sent it to Tracy. He paid $8 or $4 express charges on it—you know it takes double charges to send live stock by express —and took the box home. “Well, he made the best of it and kept the bird, and in time became much attached to it. He had a ball and chain attached to its leg so that it could not fly. It cohld walk easily, however, and for a long time the owl had the freedom of ■ Tracy's house and yard. “One night the bird grew thirsty and hopped on to the edge of a bar- • rel that stood under a spout at a cor- , net of the house. He lost his balance and fell in and the ball followed.He - tried to get out but could not fly with the ball attached to his leg, so he I was drowned. The Congressman has - not yet secured a genuine Texas mocking bird.” ’•*'

As Good as Bullet Proof Shields.)) It appears that the comparatively few losses to which the Japanese troops in the Manchurian engagements in tSe recent war with China, were not altogether due to the bad marksmanship of the Chinese. As a means of protection against the cold, the Japanese wore a quantity of floss silk under their outer clothing, and this acted more or less aa a bullet* proof shield

IT WAS AN OLD STORY. Th* Farmer Had Heard It Many Timas Before. The Wayne County farmer was } smoking his after dinner pipe at his barn yard gate when a wayfarer who didn’t differ in looks from the ordinary tramp came along and passed the time of day and inquired : “Am I speaking to Mr. Blank?” “Yes, my-name is Blank,” was the reply. “And this is your farm?” "Yes, sir ” * ‘Mr. Blank, ” continued the tramp, after looking around him, “you have probably heard of Captain Kidd, the pirate?” “Yes, sir.” “He buried heaps of money.” “Yes.” “Not half of which has ever been found.” “No.” “Has it ever occurred to you that some of the plunder might have been buried right here on your farm?” “No, it never has,” replied the farmer as he threw a club at a hog which was entering the barn behind hinm> “Suppose,” whispered the wayfarer as he dropped his voice and looked around —“suppose I could point out the exact spot on your farm where Captain Kidd buried $40,000 in gold?” “Waal,” calmly queried the farmer. j “Would you be willing to give me a square meal and give me an old coat and pair of shoes?” “Noap—couldn’t do it.” “What! Not in exchange for S4O, 000 in gold 1” , “Noap.” “You don’t want to know where a fortune lies buried within forty rods of where we are standing?” “Noap —don’t keer to know the spot!” - “See here, my friend!” said the wayfarer, “what kind of a man are you?” “Jest a farmer,” was the reply. you don’t want s4o,ooo?’’ “Noap.” “Wouldn’t even give me a dinner if I pointed out the treasure to you?” “Noap. If you want dinner you’ll hev to dig fifty hills of ’taters to earn it.” “And you positively refuse the piratical fortune waiting to be uncovered?” “I dew. Thar’s a hoe, and that's the ’tater field, and if you don’t want to dig you’d better git along!” “Has anyone come along here with this story this summer?”, For answer the farmer pointed to one of the gate posts, on which thir-ty-nine notches were cut, and added : “I “think about as many more had cum along before I begun to keep tally.” “I see!”, replied the wayfarer as his face lengthened a foot or more. “Great Scott, but I was laboring under the impression that I had struck a fresh field and a soft snap! Gimme

A Wonderful Canine. Rev. Downing, of South Pittsburg, Tenn., has a most wonderful dog. He is an ordinary yellow cur named “Bench,” with coarse hair and short legs, but it is said that he can imitate the sounds ofu»ny animal at will. At the word of command he will crow like a cock, neigh like a horse, low like a cow, grunt and squeal like a pig, mew like a cat and repeat the various voices incident to farm life. He could give all the yelps of a pack of hounds in pursuit of a fox and in so realistic a manner that you could scarcely help believing that a hunt was in progress. -The dog was never train§d to do this, but as a puppy picked up the cries ol the farm yard and has added to them the creaking of wagons and the whirring of machinery as made by a thrasher, Downing has been offered fabulous sums for the wonderful dog, but refuses to part with him. Trained animal keepers who have examined “Bench” and become familiar with his mimicry says that it would be an easy matter to teach the dog to articulate words, perhaps to even talk connectedly. No Obstacle At AllA lieutenant, whose debts com—polled—him to leave his fatherland t and service, succeeded in being admitted to the late President Lincoln, and by reason of his commendable and winning deportment and intelligent appearance, was promised a lieutenant’s commission in a cavalry regiment. He was so enraptured with his success, that he deemed It a duty to inform the President that he belonged to one of the oldest noble houses in Germany. “Oh never mind ' that,” said Mr. Lincoln ; ‘‘you will not find that to be an obstacle to I iur advancement.”

A Chinese Tidbit. - w The Berlin Echo has discovered that among the Chinese the “milhi” is priced as the most delicious dish. It consists of new-born mice, still blind. They are dipped in oil and then connoisseurs swallow them very slowly. At the marriage feast of the present Emperor of China not less than 5,000 of these sleek bonbons glistened on the festive board. A Human Arsenal. Otto Neal, 2 years old, of Brownsburg, Ind., is a remarkable child in that he has an abnormal appetite. Recently, while under a physician’s caret, it was learned that he had swallowed several 22-caliber cart-— ridges, a lot of beads and a quantity of passementerie.