Decatur Democrat, Volume 48, Number 37, Decatur, Adams County, 17 November 1904 — Page 7

COINS OF THE PAST. |K. pieces That Were Once Combut Are Now Rarely Seen. ,’ t mention of the disappearance KT,' #2.50 gold piece from circulation premium this coin commands C urio has set many to rummaging pocketbooks and bottoms of cash . in d drawers in search of odd or of date coins Some have found a Hu) piece, Wet not many. The $3 Hee once quite common, but always a of curiosity, is oftener found, and Hpy have specimens of the little gold representing 25 cents and 50 which were not minted by the Hfcwument and probably have not so K ch gold in them as they represent. _ y used to pass as coin, but were K’ r m general circulation, being so lost that they soon became r ee. One of the handsomest coin seen is a $lO gold piece bearing mint stamp of 1799. It is larger MK n ]'». present $lO piece. The owner K it hung in a band and wears it as on his watch chain. The ownhe refused an offer of $l5O for relic. The old octagonal SSO pieces X re quite common in California in days, when gold dust was largely S as a circulating medium. They iK r ,. made of pure gold, and, while the had not the elegant finish ot the EgKl coins minted by the government these days, many still remember as the handsomest coins they ever Jw. Many people now would consider thus handsome on account of the SSO fn them—New York Tribune. Jburning THE YULE LOG. flie Custom One of Ancient Origin. The Yule Candle. ■The custom of burning a large log Os wood which is known as the Yule Bg is very ancient in its origin. All igh the middle ages every farm■use, cottage and castle in England lurned its Yule log upon the hearth, th. log being dragged in with much ■reniony. WAt Yuletide when the great log flamed Sj chimneypiece and laugh and Jest went round. ■7 word "Yule” itself seems to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon “Geol,” leaning December. Earlier still the fide, or midwinter, feast is seen in its flourishing state among the Norse--01 n. who commemorated the fiery sun wheel with a mighty feast. They beta red that during the twelve nights Bom Dec. 25 to Jan. 6 they could trace tt» actual movements of their great ©■'in. or Odhinn, the god of storms, |n! other deified beings on the earth, ■he Yule log, with its cheery blaze, domes to us across the centuries as a Him memory of the fires lit to celebrate Be setting out of the sun on his northjrard journey toward the light and Warmth of summer. ■ A large candle known as the Yule dandle used also to light the Christmas Sve festivities It was a bad omen If W candle burned out before the evenin„ was at an end.—Detroit Free Press. B ALWAYS BE SANGUINE. Keep to the Highways and Slfun the Baek Alleys of Life. ■ Keep to the broad highways of hope ! Irid cheerfulness. Expect to succeed. j|'Jfrl.iiik success, and you will succeed. | Keep out of the back alleys of gloom f >n<i pessimism. Join the procession ot a <1 e cheerful, the willing B°d the hopefui Be sanguine. Know the pleasures I st living. Enjoy the sunshine of hope. B Keep away from the scavengers an* | Iragpiekers who Infest the back alleys 1 «f life. Your pessimist is your scaren- ' .<er. your ragpicker. He may be a neeMfesiary evil, a boil as it were on the aba!.' social, but too much of him is faHBtal. He never gave the world a smile. H» never contributed to the good eheer of any human being. He never lifted | jtte gloom from any distressed soul. He | ds the antithesis of progress. He is the which in the evolution of life ■■lds continually dragging backward to- ■ Sward the slimy past, resisting the progof development which must go on HSwitli or without him. I Beware of the encroachments of the ■carping, pessimistic spirit. It is a hardy ■plant. It takes root easily in the mind, ’■land, like the thistle, when once it gains f 1® foothold it is well nigh impossible to it, but it cannot live in an atof sunshine and cheerfulness. I Therefore, keep to the highways, eep out of the back alleys.—Exchange. Children’s Weight. Some curious experiments have been ado at one of the royal philanthropic stitutions in Copenhagen. For some sars back the seventy boys and girls i the place have been carefully weighed 'cry day in groups of fifteen and fin!r - Thereby it is proved that the chil‘Pn gain weight mostly in autumn ’d in the early part of December, rom that time till the end of April ere is scarcely any increase in weight. ■More remarkable still, there is a diminution till the end of summer. Hobson’s Choice. ■ Tom— I’ve been bidden to her wed I dmg. but I’m not going. Kk- Dick ~ But your absenee will B urp, y ■be noticed. Do you think you can as- ■ wrd that? B Well, when you can’t afford to ■ have your presents noticed your ab J sence is imperative.-Philadelphla Press. Where It Shonld Bearin. ■ But why do you have your hero ■ marry in the first chapter?” they asked I Because.” replied the author, “it has 6 ways seemed absnrd to me to end a ■ ? Orel nst a man’s troubles real■<y begin. That’s where you should be ■ < ” the story .’’-Chicago Post. ■ When a man tells you that all worn I«m * re dbbisiens nnd snares, it’s dough I 5 s ,0 be has been snared by a E Club

SPENCER’S EAR PLUGS, rhe Way the Gr M t Phllo.opher Hid IliuiNelf of Small Talk. “Years ago," says William 11. Hudson in the North American Review •‘Herbert Spencer found that the es feet of following ordinary conversation became frequently too much for him But he liked to have people about him to watch the play of expression on their faces, to feel that, though lie could not himself share much in the merriment he was, as it were, a part of the normal and healthy social world For this reason he objected to withdrawal into solitude and evolved a plan bj which he might secure the partial isolation which lie required. He bad a circular spring made to go round the back of his head, and this carried pads which fitted firmly upon the ears, effectively deadening the noise about him and reducing the surrounding Chatter to a mere hum. I have often seen him, stretched at length upon his couch, follow with apparent interest the gossip over the afternoon tea cups tip to a certain point and then, reaching under his pillow, draw forth and adjust his instrument, thus suddenly detaching himself from his environment. The effect of this movement with comparative strangers was always to cause an instant cessation of the conversation. But this was precisely what Spencer did not wish. Go on talking,’ he would exclaim, with a quizzical look. ‘I can’t hear what you are saying, you know!’ ” COSTLY LANTERNS. The Fancy Lamp. That I’oMsenaer Conductors Vscd to Carry. Modern railroading has driven the passenger conductor’s lantern almost out of use. Years ago the pride of a passenger conductor was his lantern. Then the cars were not so brilliantly illuminated as they are now, and the ticket taker was obliged to carry his light on his left arm in order to see the pasteboards as he passed through the dimly lighted ear. At one time the conductors indulged in considerable extravagance in the matter of lanterns. Some of them were gold and silver plated. The upper part of the glass globe was colored blue, and the name of the owner was cut in old English letters. At the meetings of the Conductors’ association manufacturers would arrange a great display of costly lights at one of the hotels in the city in which the meeting would be held. Some of the conceits in the lights were unique, and the prices ranged from $25 to ten times that figure. The glass and plating were kept in a highly polished state, and none dared to meddle with this part of the ticket puncher’s equipment.

Conductors still carry their own lan-terns-that is, they are on the train ready for use—but there is nothing like the need of them that formerly existed. -Chicago Tribune. SHELLFISH LANGUAGE. Cnrlouß Clicking Sounds Beard on the Water at Night. Most seamen will tell of curious clicking sounds heard on calm nights at sea, and the origin of the noise seems so al together unaccountable that it has often created some alarm among superstitious fishermen. A distinguished naturalist made a careful study of the sounds on many occasions and found that it was not a sustained note, but made up of a multitude of tiny ones, each clear and distinct in itself and ranging from a high treble down to a bass. When the ear was appl'*d to the gunwale of the boat the sound grew more Intense, and in some places as the boat moved on it eould not be heard at all. On other occasions the sounds resembled the tolling of bells, the booming of guns and the notes of an aeolian harp. For a long time he teas unable to trace the cause, but at length discovered that the sounds were made by shellfish, hundreds of them opening their shells and closing them with sharp snaps. The noise, partly muffled by the water, sounded indescribably weird. lie was finally led to the conclusion that as the shellfish made tne sounds they probably had some meaning and that the clicks might possibly be a warning of danger when the shallow water was disturbed by the boat. Girls Kept In Co ares. It is said that the people of New Britain have a peculiar custom of confining their girls in cages until they reach marriageable age. These cages are built of wood cut from the palm tree and are Inside the rude houses. Outside each house is a fem". 1 of wickerwork made of reeds. The girls are caged at the age of two or three and are never allowed to go out of the house, yet they seem strong and healthy. Where Three la n Crowd. Tom-I suppose you spent a pleasant evening with your best girl. Dick—Pleasant? Huh! A fellow can t make love to bis girl in a crowd. Tom-Oh. was there a crowd there? Dick-Yes. and the chump didn't have sense enough to realize that he wasn't wanted.— Chicago Tribune. Perverse. He- Won’t you let me give you just one kiss before I go? She—Will just one satisfy you. He—Yes, darling. She-Then 1 won't give it to youStandard. . On Sweetly Plea.an* Thonght. . Georgiana-We are nflt old. Juliana--Oh. yes. we nre. my dear Georgiana - Well, we are just as young as any girls of our age in town. —lndianapolis Journal. Some people pick their company-** pieces.—Schoolmaster.

A GROWING TREE. Two ThliiK. That Nnture Invariably Dofiii to Protect It. Nature invariably does two thingi when she tries to grow a tree —sh« protects the bark from hottest sunshine and the roots from severe changes of temperature. Both these Points are almost invariably overlooked by man. Observe a maple or elm or birch as it shoo*, from the ground Its sides are clothed all the way with small twigs unless removed by knife or browsing. Any tree starting in an open lot is thus protected from the sun. Otherwise the extreme heat will rupture cells, and the bark will dry and split. A» far as possible there must be equal development of cells on all sides of ths tree. But care of the coots is even mine important. The feeding of a tree is at unequa. depths, but most of it is near the surface. If the sun be allowed to strike directly on the soil the finer rootlets that do the foraging are destroyed, »nd extreme droughts will affect the roots for a foot in depth. What is worse, the extreme changes of temperature also affect the tree and suck its life away. In some cases such conditions are produced as encourage the development of fungi or other enemies to plant life. Nature guards against this by laying down each an tumn a layer of leaves to mulch her forests or solitary pets. RENEWING THE BODY. The Way Man la Constantly Belay Made Over and Over. It takes but four weeks to completely renew the human epidermis. Y’ou have new eyelashes every five months, yon shed your finger nails in about the same period, and the nails of your toes are entirely renewed annually. The white of the eye, known as the cornea, is in a continual state of renewal, being kept clear and clean by the soft friction of the eyelids. These are a few manifestations of the restorative pow ers retained by man, who is less fortu nate than the lower animals. Crabs can grow fresh limbs; the snail can renew even a large portion of its head; with eyes and feelers lizards do not worry about the loss of a tail, and if you make a cut in the caudal appendage some of these last mentioned creatures they will grow another tail straightway and rejoice in the possession of two. But man still possesses the wonderful restorative little cells which scientific men call leucocytes. They are always coursing through the body to renew and to defend the body from its enemies, the harmful bacteria of various maladies. These cells generate antitoxins to kill our enemies. They do battle for us in hundreds of ways, and tfet the majority of us know nothing of tkese great services rendered by our tiny friends inside. Plano Teat For Engines. Pointing to a piano that was standing in the locomotive roundhouse of the Missouri Pacific railroad near Kansas City, an English visitor remarked, "Ah, I see your road supplies you with musical entertainment” “Guess not,” replied the foreman. “That piano is for testing the engines.” The Englishman thought it a joke, says a writer in the World’s Work, but when a uniformed pianist struck a note which harmonized with the noise of vibration in each part of the locomotive as it was tested he understood that there could be no flaws or cracks in the engine. He was informed that if the noise of the locomotive made a discord with the musical note the locomotive would be thus proved defective. The method lias been discovered to be more accurate than the old way of hammering each part.

Ancient Serpent Superstition. It is popularly believed even in thia day and age of the world that bees die almost immediately after using their stings. This may be true; in fact, I believe that it is so stated on good authority. But what do you think of the idea of a poisonous serpent dying as soon as he has indicted the fatal bite? Pliny, a writer of the first century after Christ, says: “Serpents, no odds how poisonous the variety, can hurt but once; neither kill they many to gether, to say nothing how. When they have bitten or stung a man they die for very grief and sorrow that they have done such a mischief, as if they bad some remorse or conscience afterward.’’ Yet He Wondered. -‘You rash boy,” she said, looking sweetly* up at him as she tendeily drew ills silk scarf about his throat; “you mustn’t go out in the night air without being more cm eful. You are so careless. You ought to have some body to watch over you and keep you from catching your death.” And still he wondered as he went home whether he would lose her friendship forever if he were tQ/date to ask her to be hie when he returned on the following evening.—Chicago Reccrd-Herald. Where She Had Felt. “Se* here!” exclaimed Mr. Clubb upon discovering next morning that all his "change” was gone. “During your talk to me when I came in late las’ night I believe you remarked among other things that ’woman feels where man thinks.’ ” "I did,” replied hl* wife. "You hare no feeling, and’’— , "Well, I merely want to say you re mistaken if you suppose I do my thinking in my pocket*. ”-Cath< Ik Standard a.id Times. No Common Hired Hand. A«ent of Apartment House -When can you go to work? Dignified Person (who has accepted position as janitor of building)—l can enter upon the du j ties of my offlee at ence, sir.-Chicago Tribune.

BAD HABITS. The Womaw Who Didn’t Want Them In Heraielf or Others. Mrs. Jennings looked through her glasses at her sister, Miss Sprawle, with considerable severity. “This neighborhood has got into strange ways the last few years, or else 1 notice it more as I get further along,” she said, “and lest I should get into the same way I want you to remind me now and then, Mary. “If you find me backbiting like that hateful, stingy Annabel Powder or Lucy White, that had better look to her own saucy, bad mannered girl, and her boy, that’s the poorest scholar in No. 1, or if you catch me growing close fisted like the minister’s wife, that has never returned the cupful of granulated sugar she borrowed that time the delegates came, or long wind' ed like Jane Larkin, who interrupted me in the very midst of my telling her about Sally’s twins and went on about her spindling grandson for most fifteen minutes without stopping, I want you should tell me frankly. “And that’s not all,” said Mrs. Jennings as Miss Sprawle opened her mouth to speak. “If you find me getting inquisitive like Helen Lane, that’s asked n.e three times when my birthday comes and what year I was born after my having to go to the town records to find out her age, I want you to mention it freely, and I shall do the same by you. “If folks don’t help each other, what's the good of being set in families? You’ve got a little habit of interrupting, Mary, that’s growing on

you, and I’m going to do what I can to help you break it up.’’—Youth's Companion. A TOUCH OF NATURE. Pathetic Story of a Mother of the Labrador Coast. Writing of the people of the Labrador coast, in Harper's Magazine, Norman Duncan tells a pathetic story of a poor mother whom he met sitting with her child outside the Battle Harbor hospital: “ ‘He’ve always been like that,’ she said. ‘He's wonderful sick. I’ve fetched un out here t’ get the a/r. He doos better in the air, zur,’ she added; ‘much, much better.’ “ ‘He’ll be getting better,’ said I. 'Here in the hos’— “ ‘He'll die,’ she interrupted quickly. “I was glad that he was to die. It would be better for him and for her. She would forget his deformity; she would forever have the memory of him lying warm upon her breast, warm and lovely; for, in this, memory is kind to ■women. “ ‘Y’ou have—another?’ “ ‘No, zur; ‘tis me first.' “The child stirred and complained, flhe lifted him from her lap, rocked him. hushed him, drew him close, rocking him all the time. “ ‘And does he talk?’ I asked. “She looked up in a glow of pride and answered me, flushing gloriously, while she turned her shining eyes once more upon the gasping babe upon her breast: “ ‘He said “mamma,” once!’ “And so the Labrador ‘liveyere’ is kin with the whole wide world.” Women and the Theater. Avowedly women are both directly and Indirectly the best friends of the theatrical manager. If he can please the feminine portion of his audience he Is tolerably sure of success, for when a woman likes a play abe Induces her men folk to go to it. This being so, ought not women to be specially considered In all places of entertainment? But It is precisely on the opposite lines that the manager commonly proceeds. Men are encouraged to push and squeeze past and disturb and inconvenience ladles between the acts because smoking rooms are provided for them In most theaters. Women, on the other hand, are expostulated with and denounced if they wear hats at a matinee.—London World. Newton’s Accuracy, Newton's law of gravitation, which states that two bodies attract each other with a force inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them, was made the subject of an exhaustive investigation by Professor Brown of Haverford college. His calculations show Newton’s laws to represent the motion of our moon to within the one-millionth part of 1 per cent, and be states that no other physical law has ever been expressed with anything like the precision of the simple statement of this one.—London Globe. Punishment by Proxy. A mother recently brought her little boy to. school for his first time, and she said to the teacher: "This little boy is very delicate, as he 1« afther a fit of harmonya on the loongs, but If he does anything bouid, and I know he will, bate the wan next to him an’ ’twill frighten him.”—Chicago Journal. Papila. “Here Is a new pupil,” said the boy’s father, “I’d like you to keep lu your eye.” “I’ve a pupil to each eye already,” replied the pedagogue. “However, I’ll keep this one under the lash at any rate.’’—Catholic Standard and Times. Hl. t’nenvlable PHaht. “So Smuthers finds himself between the devil and the deep sea. does he?” “Well, it amounts to the same thing He’s between an empty furnace and an □upaid coal bill.” —Cincinnati TlmeeStar. ________ A Ca.e of Repeat. Tess— l permitted hint to k’ss me en condition that he wouldn’t mention it to any one. Joss —And did be? Tees VVell-er— be repeated ft the very next afinut..— Philadelphia Press

Railroad Notes. A beautiful map, valuable for reference, printed on heavy paper 42x64 inches mounted on rollers; edged bound in ok th, showing our new island poi sessions. The Trans-Siberian Railway, Pacific Ocean cables, railway lines and other features of Japan, China, Munohuria, Koorea and the Far East. Sent in receipt of 25 cents in stamps by W. B. Kntskern, P. T M., Chicago & North Western R’y, Chicago, 111. $27.50 Hot Springs, S.D . 30.70 Deadwood and Lead and return from Chicago daily, via the Chicago & North Western'Ry. Correspondingly low rates from other points. The Black Hills region the great natural sanitarium of the west, is one of the most picturesque spots in the world and well worth a visit. Information and tickets can be secured from your home agent. Illustrated Black Hills booklet with valuable map mailed on receipt of 4 cent in stamps by W .B . Kniskern. Chicago. Personally conducted excursions once a week via the Clover Leaf and ’Frisco system to the timber and farming lands of Southwest Missouri and Northeast Arkansas. The best corn and wheat lands the great state of Missouri. The soil is black, sandy, alluvial deposit. The climate is healthy and mild, and the water pure. Thousands of acres of alfalfa, the best hay and forage crop known. Cotton pays as high as $75 per acre, and alfalfa as high as $72 per acre. A few small tracts for sale in the Ohio colony of Lilbourn. Other colonies starting. The last great chance to buy as good corn land as Northwestern Ohio lands at a low price. Splendid railroad facilities and good drainage. Excursions start from Toledo over the Clover Leaf route at 5:02 p. m. For rates and full particulars call on or address, W. L. Ross. 623 G irdner Bldg, Toledo, O. E. L. Browne, Toledo. R. B. Hart, 613 ’Frisco Blgd., St. Louis, Mo. Homeseekers' excursions via South ern railroad in connection with the Queen & Cresent route to certain points in Alabama, Georgia, Florida North and South Carolina, Kentucky. Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia on the first and third Tuesdays in each month —May to November, 1904 delusive, at the very low rate of one fare for the round trip, plus ¥2 Tickets are good going 15 days, and for stop-overs south of the Ohio River with final limit for return of 21 days from date of sale. On the same dates one way settlers’ tickets will be sold to points in the same territory at one

has I At proper prices the Snow Agency cka sen your farm or city proper!y. It may be advertised or not, just as you prefer. Yt’UWiLL BE AT N EXPENSE it your property is left with the agency for the time listed We are now otT< ring 1 5 000 ACRES OF I* DIANA FARM LA NDS for sale in t racts of from six to 100 acres each Ae nave some of the best locations to be found on the market. To illustrate—*«<■ 33b is an Bac e tract on the proposed traction line, near ti.e corporation line of Decatur, on stone road and free mail r<’Ute. The improvement* consist of a two-story six room brick with good cellar. A lot of bearing apple, pear a”d other fruit trees, wind pump, garden &c. A number one location and can be bought lor $1,800; or. No 353, which is a95 acre tract on the stone road and free mail route, within one mile of district school or two miles from graded school, chinch, market. &c. This is a produotive farm of which about <ne half is black land It is fairly well drained and fenced. No open ditches: 160 rods of new wire fence s-nie young timber an orchard ordinary buildings, consistmgof sheds edbs. barn, residence Ac. Price $75 an acre. Send for descriptive lists. WE (’AN ALSO FIT YOF OFT with s rood farm of from 40 acres to 6.000 acres of timber or praiiie land in Arkansas. Missouri or Texas, as we now have 90.000 acres on the market. These arms vary in prices ar d improvements, from the ordinary log and plank buildings to the st mod* rn frame or b lckslru tun s To Illustrate—No. 908 is a 55 acre tract of good land, all under fence and seven miles trom the city, with 30 acres under cultivat'on. The improvements consist ot a barn, good three room i lank house. &c. PriceSl.OOO. Or No. 912. which Is a 5 acre tract of first-class sandy loom soil, W 5 acres of which is in a nigh state of cultivation and 100 acres in creek b ttom and partly cleared. This farm is amply fenced, is one and a half nd e from the county seat. < n a public road near a good school and church. Has three acres of orchard and a fine spring of water lhe buildings cons st of a good six room residence with concn te cellar, etc., carriage sh» ds. and a barn 36x 10 and one 36x100 feet in size This farm can he bought for &5.200. J you wish to buy. sell or rent property call and examine our lists and prices. New prop erties put upon the market each week. Phone 230 J. F. SFtfOW Decatur, Ind. Brtable traveliim via e CLOVER LEAF ROUTE K Exposition Line \ \ St Louis WorldsFair I too J|U 'W MEAL S i A LA ’ ®

half first-class rates, plus $2 from Ohio River gateways. For rates schedules and full information, call on your nearest ticket agent, or write J. S. McCullough, N. W. P. A., 225 Dearborn street, Chicago, 111. Special Lew Excursion Rates via CLOVER LEAF ROUTE. Season 1904. To St. Louis World’s Fair, April 30th to November 30th, 19j4. Season tickets good to return until December 15th, one and one-third fare. Fifteen day tickets, one fare plus 82.00. Coach excursion tickets sold every day except Fridays and Saturday, at about 1 cent per mile. Homeseekers to west and southwest, Ist and 3rd Tuesday in each month. Stopover Priveleges of ten days within limit of ticket allowed at St. Louis on all through tickets by depositing with Joint Agencv. Pullman Palace Sleeping Cars, free reclining Chair and Case cars (Meals served a la-carte), high back seat coaches on all through trains, For rates and information apply to nearest Ticket Agent, or address W. L. ROSS, General Passenger Agent Toledo, Ohio. THE GREAT SOUTHWEST. MANY SEEKING HOMES WHERE LANDS AR CHEAP AND CLIMATE IS MILD. Low Rates for Homeseekers and Colonists Twice a Month. Many farmers in the Northern and Eastern states are selling their high priced lands and locating in the Southwest—in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Manv who have been unable to own their homes in the older country are buying land at the low prices prevailing in the new country--85, 810, 815 per acre and up. These lands are mostly cut-over timber lands, some of them possessing a deep rich soil producing corn, wheat, oats, clover cotton, fruit and vegetables. Well improved farms are scattered throughout this country. Many places with small clearings and some improvements can be bought very cheap. Our descriptive literature gives a fairly good idea of this country. It tells about the soil, crops, climate, people, schools, churches, water and health. It contains maps showing locations of counties, towns, railways and streams, and gives names and addresses of real estate dealers in the towns. Reduced rates for homeseekers and colonists are in effect first and third Tuesdays of each month, byway of St. Louis, Cairo or Memphis and the Cotton Belt Route. Let us send you our literature and quote you rates. Address E. W. Laßeaume, Gen. Pass, and Ticket Agent, Cotton Belt Route, St. Louis, Mo.