Decatur Democrat, Volume 49, Number 11, Decatur, Adams County, 18 May 1905 — Page 6

’ THE OLD PORTAGE ROAD. Built by Pennsylvania With Materiul Brought From England. For gome time prior to 1800 travel across Pennsylvania bad been in canoes and in river barges propelled by poles or along the ( sbores of rivers by horse and foot and by intervening portages on Indian trails, connecting points on the different rivers. The Philadelphia I‘ittsburg national pike was built upon such a substantial basis that wherever undisturbed one still • finds the gracefully modeled arches of solid masonry almost intact after more I than a century has passed. The completion of the Old Portage railroad by the state of Pennsylvania in 1834 put an end to the time honored "coach and six,’’ with the many picturesque and commodious inns and taverns along the line of this broad macadamized toll road, which with its substantial construction was in point of endurance second only to the Homan military roads of Great Britain. This Old Portage road was constructed from material brought from England. The British government sent over experienced engineers to instruct the Americans in the running of the stationary steam engines used upon the inclined planes of the road in the Allegheny mountains. The railroad's highest point was about 2,700 feet above sea level, being only 200 feet lower than the neighboring hill, which is the highest point of the Allegheny mountains in Pennsylvania. The road consisted of ten planes, five of which were on either side of the mountain and intervening levels. In 1835 the canal boats were so constructed that they could be taken in sections and hauled over the mountain on fiat cars without disturbing their cargoes. The rails were secured to stone sleepers, twenty inches square, which were sunk in the ground. On the Old Portage road the best time for the forty miles between Hollidaysburg and Johnstown was twelve hours. Express trains on the Pennsylvania railroad now run a closely parallel distance over ’he Allegheny mountains in a trifle over one hour. The passenger traffic on the road in those days was usually limited to one car each way a day. with a capacity of thirty passengers. In 1854 the Pennsylvania Railroad company bought the Portage road fron. the state of Pennsylvania.—Chicago News. PITH AND POINT. Three-fourths of th things that arput off cou! . be dot. et once. If it is y?ur praise a man is singia; It doesn't make any difference if L can carry the tune or not. In looking back over his past ever man must admit that the sun shone gre.it deal and that lie made little bay Occasionally you find a man who en Joys staying at home so mud: that he will let bis wife sweep all around him The jolly blacksmith and jolly ini. keeper beioug to song and history, but they have got the blues since ventur ing into modern life. In every small town there is some poor old failure of a man with a big family hanging on him of whom it is Baid. He was considered a great catch when he was young."—Atchison Globe. GLOOMY BRIC-A-BRAC. Coffin Plates Once Used at Honne Ornaments In Maine. 11l New England 100 years ago it war by no means uncommon for people t< provide their coffins long before then death and keep the same in theii houses, where they could see them ev ery day. It was perhaps a custom having the same purpose and significants as the skeleton at the feasts of the an cient Greeks, to remind the living i: their hours of levity of the serionsnes.of life and the certainty of death. This was not the idea, however, of a man named Lindsey, whom people now living in Leeds may remember or at least have heard of. lie built his own coffin many years before he died am used to keep it in a chamber of his house. He used it generally to keep beans in. It was a very fine coffin, made of mahogany and nicely finished and polished. Mr. Lindsey made It with his own hands and gave as reasen that if be left the task of providing him with a coffin to his sons it would be just like them to put him in a hemlock one. Perhaps the boys did not relish the implication. At any rate, they did not like to have the coffin about the bouse and took it away one night and threw it into the river. It was found several miles below, considerably broken and ! attered as it went over the rips, and old Lindsey heard about it. drove down and got it and was finally burled in it. Another queer custom that prevailed in this section of Maine down to a . comparatively recent date was that of removing the plate from the coffin after the funeral and just before the body | was lowered into the grave and keeping it in the best room in the house among the ornaments and bric-a-brac. The , writer saw one of these grewsome ex- I hibits on the mantel of a Lincolnville parlor not more than twenty-five year* ago. and we shouldn’t be surprised if quite a number of them could be found in the old houses throughout Maine.— Bangor News. Dlnappolntln*. Rector’s Wife (to viljgge grocer)— Well. I hope you like our new curate. Grocer Yes, ma’am, thank you; we like him very well (pause); not, however, that I think he’s as fluent ae we Rad a right to expect, seeing as his father was an auctioneer.—Landon TeW

THE ENCORE. It Originated In France In the Severn(eenih Century. The beginning of the encore dates back to some time between 1645 and probaldy about 16M), when Louis XU . repetition of retain parts of an opera. The opera was by Corneille. Fontenelle and Boileau. which was sung before his majesty, and the king was so pleased with cer--1 tain parts that he asked to have them repeated. It took fully a century for i the ordinary opera goers to obtain the king's prerogative for themselves. Il came about in this way: Gin k had produced an opera which had been a failure; but, having rewritten the worst parts, be produced it again. One or two songs were accepted by the audience with applause, and one in particular was demanded a second time. The most remarkable encores on record are those which were insisted ujion by the late king of Bavaria. Before be was known to be insane, when merely thought eccentric, be had plays performed before him as the sole auditor, the curtain rising at midnight. If he liked the play he insisted on having it repeated at once. But. unlike most encore fiends, he paid liberally for them. Though our word "encore" is adopted from the French, they themselves do not make use of it in this connection. They call "Bis. bis," and obtain a repetition.—New York Herald. THE RUSSIAN ICON. It Is Simply a Religions Picture Blessed by a Priest. An icon is simply a religious picture, generally of little artistic merit, and the subject usually represented is either a Russian saint, some event in the life of Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary. In the Greek church, as in other Chris tian churches, the worship of graven images is forbidden, but no objection is made to anything reproduced on a flat surface. Therefore icons are permitted in the form of mosaics, paintings. enamels or prints. They play an mportant part in the religious life of the Russians and are to be met with every where—in churches, public offices, private houses and shops. A picture to become an icon must be blessed by a priest, and it is then regarded not only as an ornament, but as an accessory in the worship) of the Greek church Icons are also worn on the person when they take the form of a plaque or a book with two leaves. Almost et try soldier wears one on his bosom, and when be prays be takes out bis icon and, opening it, kneels down be fore it as if it were a portable altar Every regiment has its own icon, which it carries as it would carry its banner when the regiment goes into battle. A FIRE IN BURMA, It Destroyed a I aim. and the In* habitant* Enjoyed It. It is not easy to guess what a native of Burma would think of the quick action and speed of an American fire en gine and its c<.ny. V. liat an Amerean th >ugi * of Burmese custom at such time of need is rt. . :ed by M’ E D. Cuming in his lek. 'ln the Shadow of the l ag i ir. Cum ng was inter ested in a n.iil situated near a smal BuiWcese till p C>i,e : g .. fir, broke out am mg the . - ;t.y built hum boo huts and it., :Jiv -pre:; J I ordered cut the little : ,'i! fire en gine. had the bauds suinm med ;:nd r ;he engine to the burn.ng "i .. g. -. Mr. Cuming. It was mazing as baml>oo and dburi.y tLatcL One house after ;.ii-.-.her ca tight m r id succession. The men at the engii. pumped until they were tired out, a then I called on the villagers to re lieve them. No one moved save to urge others, called again. Au old man who was petty government official, and so prob ably felt a slight responsibility. ros» girded up liis loins and called for mei. His son and one other got up unwili ingly, carefully laid aside their cheroots “nJ took hold of the handies. The rest -r the population squatted and laughed. . turned to and worked, though weak from a long fever. The old man soon pumped himself out. and when he left the others left. I pounced on two men and made them take bold. As they began to work a flight of paddy birdstreamed overhead. The flames gleamed rosy on their white feathers. "Red paddy birds! Look! Red paddy birds!" shouted the population. This was too much for the men at the handles. They squatted on their heels and stared up in delighted astonish ment. I grew desperate. “Whose house is that?” I asked, point ing to one just threatened. 'Your honor, that is the house of Pho Foo." "Where is be?’’ “Here," pointing to one of the men I had driven to pump. He was crouched cu the mot of a tree, smoking. “Is that your house?” I asked him He nodded and smiled pleasantly. "It will be on fire in a moment.” "Yes. your honor. I think so,” be responded affably, looking at his dwelling with a disinterested air. I burst out laughing, and the natives joined, rocking to and fro, roaring with amusement, as if the idea of trying to put out a fire was the greatest joke in the world. I told the men to eoil up the hose and take the engine home, and I resolved not to spoil the innocent pleasure those light hearted people took in witnessing the destruction of their village. Opportunity. “Opportunity comes,” said the old proverb, "with feet of wool, treading soft” You must have the instinct of an artist for the approaches of this good genius. You must listen for it— Samuel Johnson.

| " BUYING A WATCH. Filled Cases. Plated Cases and Good and Bad Movements. “Net many men know how to buy a watch," said a jeweler, "and to a large extent they have to rely on the honesty of the dealer. So complicated is the business that even we g) to the factories ourselves and arrange for special work ill order to get the proper article. for. of course, we could not assay every case we receive. "Now, how many people know the difference between a filled case and one that is plated? A filled case, you see. is a composition that resembles steel, with a plate of gold on each side, that on the outer being thicker than the inside. Such cases are guaranteed not to wear through within five, ten. fifteen or up to twenty-five years, the limit of the guarantee made by the reputable houses. If a man offers you a case warranted for thirty or forty years you are going to be bunkoed if you buy it. When you see watches offered for sale as gold filled for $3 or $4 depend upon it they are plated, and mighty thiniy too. "In the matter of watch movements." be continued, "the buyer is really at the mercy of the dealer. In one big factory about 3,Oii movements are made every day. There is certain to be haste in that sort of output, and the name on the dial does not make up for imperfections. To avoid these a first class jeweh-r arranges for several hundred movements to be delivered a year hence. "A strictly first class movement requires six months exactly in its passage through the factory from the tieginning to the finished product ready to offer for sale. Such goods are then stamped with the name of the firm for which they are made and that firm has to stand sponsor for them. The Swiss watcb, in its higher class, is the best movement in the world today. Os course there are cheap Swiss movements that you can buy for S 3 or $4. but they keep good time."—Kansas City Star. BOOKS. A collection of books is a real uni versity.—Carlyle. Some books are to be tested, others to be swallowed and some few to be c-hewed and digested.—Bacon. A good book is the precious lifeblood of a master spirit embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.—Milton. We can take reproof patiently from a oook. but not from a tongue. The book hurts not our pride: the living reprover does.—T. Adams. If the secret history of books could be written, how many ibsipid volumes would become interesting and dull f-Cs excite the reader! —Thackeray. Os all the privileges we enjoy in this century there is none perhaps for which we ought to Lie more thankful than for the easier access to books.—Lubbock. Women's Cruelty. A society woman at a dinner In Washington adverted to cruelty. “Women can be very cruel." she said. "Some of them can be very cunning too. Some of them can wound you so dextrousiy that before you know you have been wounded their escape is made. "Once I saw a young woman wound a riiirbtly older one in that way. She approached tie older one at a ball. She greeted her with a radiant smile She infll.f d ter wound, and while her victim still thought the wound a compliment she walked away. This is what, in a very loud, clear voice, she said: “ ‘Oh. Helen, dear, that perfect gown! I think it looks lovelier every year.” "—Louisville Courier-Journal. Meteor*. The heights of many meteors have been measured by W. F. Denning, the English astronomer. It appears that the swift meteors become visible at an average height of eighty-four miles and disapjiear at fifty-six miles, while the very slow meteors come in sight at about sixty-five miies and fade away at thirty-eight m les. Os the very slow meteors those that liecome visible at the greatest heights come twenty miles nearer the earth than those of very lew radiant. Lack of Order. It is astonishing Low ail of us ars generally cumbered up with the thou sand and one hindrances and duties which are not such, but which nevertheless wind us about with their spidei threads and fetter the movement ol our wings. It is the lack of order which makes ub slaves. The confusion of today discounts the freedom of tomorrow. When lie Might Call. “I should like to know when you art going to pay that bill. I can't comt here every day it. the week." "What day would suit you best?’ "Saturday.” “Very well. then, you can call every Saturday.”—Petit Parisien. The Pleaxanf Smile. It is a grand gift to be able to smlli as the pleasant man or woman smiles. It is not the stereotyped "duty smile" of society; it is not the patronizing smile of careless tolerance nor thi painful smile of bored politeness. Stotelnna W.nm, VI me Maine. Younger Sister— What is stoicism’ Elder Sister—Stoicism is the ability to congratulate the fiancee of the man you wanted to marry without showing any disappointment—Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words bruise the heart of a child. —Longfellow.

The Little Things. Life is made up of little things—words, acts, duties, pleasures. They come to us one after another, calling us out of ourselves, or seem to rush hurriedly past us. and they leave an Impress on our spirit, and our characters are made or marred by their influence.—Rev. B. Lowry. Took Away Her Opportunity. “What’s the matter with your wife?’ “Oh. I’ve just acknowledged that I made a fool of myself in lending Ham mersley $25. and she’s mad because i there’s no chance to go on arguing about it." —f'bfcseo Record. H°r?ldKilled by Imagination. A workman on the Siberian railway wns accidentally locked into a reirig eratoi car and was afterward founJ | dead. Imagining that he was beir.j | slowly frozen to death, be bad record ed his sufferings with a piece of chalk on the floor. The refrigerating apparatus. however, was out of order, and tbt temperature In the car had not fallen below 50 degrees F. throughout tbt jourr"” — Terrific Race With Death. “Death was fast approaching." wr tes Ralph F. Fernandez, of Tampa Fla . describing his fearful race with death, "as a result of liver trouble and heart disease, which had robbed me of sleep and of all interest in life. | I had tried many diffe ent doctors and several medicines, but got no ’ benefit, until I began to use Electric j Bitters, So wonderful was their effect, that in three days I felt like a new man. and today I am cured of all , tnv troubles " Guaranted at Blackburn I -and Christens Drug Store: price cOc j

10,000 People in I One Week 1 Accepted our offer to pay the druggist one-half the cost of a FULL SIZED BOX of K Nu-tri-ola Blood & Nerve Food I Doubtless many of these thought f-2.00 a box too high bnt it wasn't, and to ■ pre-ve it to them we a box in their hands ai just HALF PRICE. 2suw they know for themselves, what a wonder-worker Nutriola is. W WE NOW EXTEND THIS 1 OFFER TO YOU I To The Nutriola Co.. Chicago. 111. W . Gentlemen:—l have never tried Nutriola B And we go a step .urtner. an( j j accept vour liberal offer to send an We >endy..u an order g««»d order f or ONE-HALF cost of a M for one-half the price of a full as advertised ® sized box of Nutnola. you pay ■ M the other half. After you have S W used it if n<t perfectly sat is tied. Name — K a the cost is nothing to you. The ■ fl druggist wii; band you back _ k M y ‘Ur money on request, and we St. &No H will pav him. Don’t delay for fl ■ this offer is limited. Citv and State I $ THE NUTRIOLA CO.. Chicago, 111. l_—__—— J NUTRIOLA PREPARATION'S are Sold and Guaranteed by SMITH, YAGER & FALK Decatur, Ind

CALIFORNIA Do you want to live where the climate is mild the year round—where labor is never oppressed by stress of weather, and where animal vitality is never lost by mere conflict with cold? Do you want to live in a region where the resources are more varied than in any other equal area in the world, where the division of great ranches affords a fine opportunity to get a small farm that will assure you a competence? Do you want to live where, with a minimum of labor, you can grow profitable crops of grapes and small fruit, oranges, lemons, olives, prunes and almonds, alfalfa and grain, where crops are sure, business is good and capital easily finds profitable investment ? Then go to California, where both health and opportunity await your coming. The Chicago, Union Pacific and North-Western Line is the most direct route to the Pacific Coast, and there are two last through trains daily via this line, over the famous doubletrack railway between Chicago and the Missouri River. .. Special low round-trip rates are in effect via this line throughout the summer to various Pacific Coast points, and ?^n°k ISt O 7n ra . te uone-way tickets will be on sale during Sepc.tob^r» which give an unusual chance for settlers to make the trip at a minimum of expense. berth m a Pullman tourist sleeping car from Chicago costs 2n"y $7 00, Sa the Chicago & North-Western, Union Pacific and Southern Pacific Railways. w. B. KNISKERN, P. T. M. C. & N.-W. Ry., Chicago, 111. FILL IN THIS COUPON bookl “’’ * Dd fuU ANO MAIL IT TO-DAY. 2“ ..J • " ' ■' ■

80-ton, Mass., May V—Fierce foiert fires are raging throughout New England and unless rain comes soon, enormous damage will he done. At Wells Beach, Maine, the territory burned covers thirty square miles. Saved by Dynamite Somtimes. a flaming city is saved by dynamiting a space that the firs can’t cross, Somtimes. a cough hange I on so long, you feel as if nothing but ' dynamite would cure it. Z T. Gray, of Calhoun, Ga., writes: "My wife had a ven-agravated cough, which kept her awake nights. Two physicians ould nut help her: so she took Dr. Kings New Discovery forConsumption Coughs aud Colds, which eased her cough, gave her sleep, anti finally cured her.” Strictly scientific cure for Bronchitis and La Grippe at Blackburns and Christen's drug store, price 50c and SI 00 a Bottle: guarau teed. Trial bottie free Farmers Take Notice. Are your hogsand chickens healthy and in as thriving condition as vou would like to have them, if not. feed them Egyptian Hog and Chicken Cholera Remedy. Put up in gallon end half gallon cans. For sale at the ol reliable drug store. Smith. Yager Fdalk. <Btf Low Rate ol Interest. Money loaned at five per cent, interest, payable annually or semi-an-nually, at option of borrower, with privilege of partial payments at any nterest paying time. No delay in making loans. F. M. Schirmeyer. Decatur. Ind. Stf

Special Low Excursion Rat (s TOLEDO, ST. LOUIS & RAILROAD COMPANY “CLOVER LEAF ROUTE” Season 1905. Round-trip Hum»seekers Fares , the West and Sonthwert on the l.?° nt * >» Tuesdays of April. Mav and JX MII fare* via "Clover Leaf Route.'' UUe Mt to* Special One-Wav Colonist Fares tn » . California. Oreeon. Wasbin* Montana, on sale dally. March u,' 15 aud Sept. 15th to October 31st 1 r°i?’“T stop-overs and delightful side tnp 8 . L B P O E. Annual Meeting BufTain „ July 11-13. Verv low fares, option. S'Tfrotn Toledo via rail or boat, ” roui e Chatauqna. N. Y„ Excurs'ons J U I V 28th. Exceptionally low rates will anii ed by the "Clover Leaf" for' theL n DBm ‘ siofis. Gtcur. San Franeiaco. Lob Angeles and Pnw ore For the various meeting ventions to be held on the Pacific c 0 during the Rummer the Clover iJ.fi> o ’ sl will offer exc p’ionally low rat-- wi,k Ule eTegw r ° UleS ’ S ‘ de trlpSßUd st °P-°’erprlr G. A, R. Fares to Denver. Col. Fxtr.~ low rat* of one cent per mile for tfel.ZS* ’' sale Aug 28 to Sept. 2 Passenger 00 one route and return another eo desirable side trips from Denver y arranged for those attending thi e meetin* Epworth League Convention at Denver » low round trip excursions fares f rom Jn stations to Den.er. on sale June 29 mt a gra”ld rSe rOUteß ’ Btop -° vers >“>o »Me trijj Baltimore. Md., Christen Endeavor <■«„,. tion, July 5-10; rates one tare nlus I* r D ‘ round trip. pms 11 f or Californio, P«c;I Coast Tourtsr ticket, ansale via ail rci ,es. Good s Stopover privleges at pleasure. Pullmo i Poloce Sleeping Cars f~> .. cliningCbair and Case Cars. (Meals e?rvM a la-carte), high back seat coaches through trains. For rates and informatine apply to nearest Ticket Agent, or addre» W. L. ROSS General Passenger Agent. E. L. BROWNE. Toledo. Ohio. Traveling Passenger Agent T. L. MILLER.Agent, Decatur. Ind. Confidential: If vou contemplate a trie » ANY POINT write cs for spgci AL ! MATION. t-xrtß.

PARKER'S HAIR BALSAM [ffeante. Md bawnf.e. the 1 ' T V ver , F, “" V H-’tore or,y BKihS-’Wc®*" ■ c Tou ’~ -- Co'.et. K? r" 1 p,<! ’<'■“• S a h.ir f. JI. |LUU >t KI" O Dr Williams’ Indian Pile AOintmentwiU cure p and Itching t Piles. It absorbs the tumors allays the itching at once, acts as a poultice, gives instant reDr. Williams'lndian Pile Oine t is prepared for Piles and Itchl private parts. Every box is larrauitrd. By druggists, by mail or. receipt of price. 59 cents and Jl.oo. WII 11185 MANUFACTURIHG CO.. Props.. Cleveland. o’wJ Nacbtrieb * Fuelling. rfsar FOR QUICK CASH SAI(S