Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1892 — Page 5

■AFTER TUR RATTLE. ’fling banners and cannon and roßeTthiint: shouting of men and the ssarshdlliiig! to! cannon to caunou and earth -struck dumb! Oh, battle, in song, is a glorious thing! Oh, glorious day riding down to the'fight! Oh, glorious b vttle in story and soagl Oh, godlike man to die for the right! Oh, manlike Ood to revenge the wrong! Yes, riding to battle on battle farWby, a soldier is something move than a king! But after the battle? The riding away? Ah, the riding away i« another thing! —[Joaquin Miller.

THE NEW DOCTOR

BY TOM P. MORGAN.

** Gentlemen,” said Colonel Ferguson Pride, addfessiag certuin other prominent citizens of New Chicago then gathered in the single room-of the combined real estate, loan, insurance and collection office and 'bachelor .residence of tlie speaker. M we ore confronted by an epoch. Heretofore .it hits been our policy to welcome immigration with open arias, so to speak, bat mow the time has urtived for the <exereiso of discretion. Wlbat do you think, Eajishuw?" “ I reckon,” returned Air. Hank Famshu'w, sententious^.. “ That's so,” assented Air. Ike Fos'dick. M The mew doctor will have to ««•” Messrs. Banning mnd Benson wagged ■their heads in.affirmation. “ Exactly!” 'resumed the colonel. While working tfor the advancement of ■our .city as.a whole, we must also concider .the best interests of its citizens in the abstract.” “ Shorely!” -said Ike Fosdick, briskty. “An 1 'Weill -stand by Harry. The'new ■doctor will have to go.” “Mebby he’ll.try to -cut up rusty ’began Banning. "Let him cut!” broke in Fosdick. ■“We're able ifor him. ” As the ancient adage has it, two <of u iradetrarely agTee. But.it is Tare dadoed that'Oncofany trade or profession is possessed of partisans -so prejudiced that they will voluntarily take it upon themselves to purge his path of professional rivalry. Equally unprecedented was the determination of these .five prominent citizens of Now .Chicago—--asettlement as yet tiny almost todnsignificenee, but big with hope of future greatness —-to deliberately dqprive its census roll of an addition who might perhaps prove as .prominent as themselves andatfaetor lin the advancement of the hamlet toward that desideratum of all Western-settle-ments—a boom. Then, too, it was littlo short of amazing that Colonel .Pride—a self-convictod legislator in 'embryo — should coolly turn back an untested comer in whom, for all he knew, might be tho material of which active partisans are made. Conflicting representatives of other professions would probably have been left to-settle their differences after the good old fashion of the Kilkennycuts.or otherwise as they might elect. But now that the professional bailiwick of Dr. Harry Wakefield was trespassed upon, ■the matter was not one that, concerned the young physician alone, but his ’friends as well. Should they stand tamely by while an alien interloper was endeavoring to possess himself of the position and practice rightfully belonging to Dr. Harry? They emphatically ‘ reckoned” not. Dr. Harryihad "stood by ’ New Chicago in direst need, and New Chicago, represented by Messrs. Pride, Fosdick, Fanshaw, Banning and Benson, would "stand by” him. t Two years before had come the time of New Chicago’s dire.need. Apoorwretch, ' n deadly terror of dying alone, had drifted thither and thrown himself on the 'tender mercies of .the -settlement. He had kept, his ghastly -secret veil. The 'hamlet, boasted no physician tken, and it was not till his malady manifested its deadly nature so plainly that the tyre could not doubt, that they knew it was -small-ipox. Then it was too late for precautionary measures to avail; the seeds.of the posrtilence had been sown broadcast through the settlement. Then ensued a litile -season of chaos—-when despair reigned, the eve of a grim battle before the prospect of which strong men cowered for a little whileand trembling mothers clasped ■close wondering .children .and -sickened with dread. But inaction ireigned but for a little while, and .then the strong men turned -squarely toward the issue. They voluntarily isolated the -settlement from the world around and begin the grim battle with thepestilenoe. Then hudioame to them young Harry Wiakefield, ,a new-fledged graduate from mn Eastern medical college, who, while seeking a location in .the West for the displaying of his maiden “shingle,” Pad herjrd of New Chicago’s .extremity and flurried thither. What he lacked in experience .he made up in (will. The settlement took Peart, and presently the pestilence was conquered, but not until it Pad claimed for its prey more than one poor soul. And from thenceforth New Chicago called Harry Wakefield blessed, and Pis fame soon extended all over the adjacent county, and sometimes a whole day’s ride wus necessary to bring him to a more remote patient. And now there hud come as alien intent upon trespassing upon Dr. Harry's professional preserves. They knew little about the new-comer, and cared even less. The rising sun of the morning upon ifpich t e conference wus held in Colonel Pride's office had shown them, nailed to the door-frame of a modest cottage, this sign: “J. L. Ransom, ALD.” And that told them all they desired to know. So far ns they:had known, the only coiners to the settlement within tho last few days had been a young woman and an older one —mother and daughter they believed—and it had been rumored that they were to ocoupy alone the cottage which now displayed the offensive ign. No man had thus far been seen about tho cottage. It was now supposed that, the new doctor had arrived during the night and at on?e thrust out his sign. r lhe women were probably his mother and sister. Further than this the prominent citizens neither knew nor cared. A new doctor was there. ‘‘An’ the new doctor must go!” said Fosdick. And the others agreed with him. The women could stay or go, as they might elect. Ike Fosdick was for turning the doctor out headlong and thrusting him from the settlement with scanty ceremony. But the others were a trifle more conservative. It would be well to learn Dr. Harry's wishes in the matter. The interloper might possess paraphernalia that Harry would be glad to purchase, and besides it would be but fair to allow him to witness the downfall of his professional rival. It was dull waiting, especially as Fos-

<ffck continually fretted to he up •send ■doing, and so they decided to meet afar off Dr. Harry, who was expected to be returning from an all night’s visit to a distant patient. They did not meet him coining, and when they found him It was in a desperate plight indeed—lying insensible and bleeding in the grass-fringed prairie road. They understood the situation at a glance—his horse, frightened perhaps at a blowing tumble-weed or the sudden bursting of a jack-rabbit from a clump of iron weeds, had unseated bis master and drugged him cruelly, and perhaps kicked him, before his foot, which had remained fastened in the stirrup, had been released. They here him tenderly to the settlement. up the one short street,and knocked at the door beside which was displayed the offensive sign. "Looks as if the new doctor painted it himself,” growled Ike Fosdick. The yenng woman —now that they saw her bettertbe prominent citizens, knew that she was veryyoung, but just out of her teens —'opened the door. “Bring him right in,” she said,briskly. They did so, and placed poor Harry on the bed that, the young girl indicated. She -began to examine his wounded head im a prompt, business-like way. “We want the mow doctor,” said Ike Fosdick, hastily.

“I am the mew doctor,” answered the girl, without turning her head. “Mother, 'bring me a basim of water, please. I should like t© have one of you gentlemen remain and assist me. The meet will iplease go. Your presence now would hinder ratheir than aid me.” Colonel Pride remained and the others ■shuffled out,-so dumbfounded that, for the moment, they hardly knew whether they ■were'on foot or horseback, as Ik-e Fosdick afterword expressed it. “A girl doctor!" snorted Fosdick, presently. “Girls, as girls, is.all right.; but ns doctors —wuh! I’m a-feared Harry is da mighty poor hands!” Thomthers wore of the same-opinion, but it seemed as if they had done the best they could. They iniiseddejectedfy ■oyer the .matter till Colonel Pride joined 'them au hour later, with 'the information that Harry's right arm was shattered, his head contused, and that in addition to -sundry abrasions there was a possibility that he had sustained internal injuries. “Then -he’ll shore die!” growled Ike Fosdick, impetuously. “Ite good-bye, Harry, poor feller!” “I do not know that,” -said. Colonel Pride. “The young lady seems to understand her business.” When the conference was ended the others went their several ways wagging their heads.

For a week Harry’s life hung in the balance, and during that time the girl hovered over him it seemed almost constantly, and our friends voted unanimously that it was to her constant and untiring ministrations, more than to his own constitution that young Harry owed his life. “Gentlemen,” said Colonel Pride to the other prominent citizens, one day after the crisis was over, “I huve always maintained that woman should not go outside of her proper sphere in life; but —er — Well, there weie tears in her blue eyes when she sot the shattered bones in Harry’s arm.” This was not at all to the point, perhaps, but his hearers did not call him to account. “Yisterday,” said Benson, slowly—he was upver much of a talker—“when I sorto sa’nterod over to see if I couldn’t bo uv of some uSte, I heered suthin’ that kinder set me to thinkin’. I was tiptom’ around tho house as softly as I could, an’ ns I passed tho open winder I heered the girl prayin’ for Harry—jest a homely, earnest prayer to her dear Lord for Harry's life. I dunno as it’s what you might call custopiarv for a doctor to pray for a patient, but, sez I to myself, ‘lf a doctor mixes prayer with medicine I reckon the combination is hard to beat.’ ” ‘‘An’ I say, added Ike Fosdick, “that if a girl wants to be a doctor she’s got just as good a right to as anybody!” “I reckon she has,” agreed Hank Fanshaw. ‘ An’,” continued Benson, in his slow way, “she kept on a-prayin’ kinder ns if she was tellin’ her dear Lord all about it. Harry must live, not only for all that it meant to him, but the much that it meant to her, too. I s’pose she was that tired and worn with watchiu’ that her courage had kinder given out, an’ she felt as if she must tell it all to some one, an’ it seemed, too, as if her dear Lord wus about her only friend. I judged times had gone pretty hard with her, an’ that if she failed to make a livin’ start here, it was all up with her, so to speak. An’ she prayed on an’ on jest as if she was tellin’ all her troubles to a pitvin’ friend, an’ then her head dropped forward oil .her .hands as she knelt iby a ohair, an’—an’ then I come away.” Colonel Pride, never of a retiring disposition,.'had, during the days that followed the accident, made hiirffeelf os familiar .as possible with the antecedents ■of the girl doctor. Her mother, a slender, unworldly -woman, had .been .glad to pour the story into .the sympathetic ears ■of the colonel.

She was very proud. im a meek way, of J earn, and full of quiet faith in tho girl’s future. The past had been full of stern self-denial and brave struggling against privation, but she felt sure that Jean's triumph was not far off. The little widow und the fatherless girl had hoarded their sariugs long and well before Jean could begin her course at the medical college, and though mother and daughter practised self-deuial to a pitiful extent, their little savings were wellnigh exhausted ere the completion of the studies. “<And she worked, oh, so hard!” the little mother said, with moistened eyes. Then, when Jean graduated, they had put their two inexperienced heads together and decided that iu the West was to be found the field wherein Jean would presently win a modest measure of fame and fortune. There were great opportunities in the West, they felt sure, and bo thither they had gone, and by chance and the perusal of one of the grandiloquent and mostly foundationless boom circulars sent out by Colonel Pride, had been led to seek New Chicago. “ And here,” continued the little widow, “we have found friends, and Jean will be appreciated, I feel sure. It has been a long, hard struggle, but I think brighter days are iu store for us.” Then Colonel Pride came away. “ An’ this,” said Benson, slowly, “ is the doctor we air goin’ to run out!” “Who says so ?” demanded Ike Fosdick, briskly. No one answered. When next the prominent citizens met in conference in Colonel Pride’s office it was upon the afternoon that found Dr. Ha ry so far recovered that he had been able to leave Jean’s modest little house and walk weakly over to his own office. Colonel Pride was retieentand ill at ease. Hank Fanshaw taciturn. Banning and Benson well-nigh dumb, and Ike Fosdick grumpy almost to pugnaei*y " Gentlemen,” began the colonol, awk-

wardly, “we have emyraßsoJ tii* thoroughly, and—er —ah—■” “ I reckon,” agreed Fanshaw, “And—er—” continued the colonol, “ have reached the coucluskni that in considering tho interests of our fellowcitizens we—er —cunuot discriminate against the weak in favor of the strong We—er ” “Yep,” encouraged Fanshaw. “The case stands thus,” went on the embryo legislator. “Stands thus—er—” “Stands this a-wav,” broke in Ben-on, steadily. “Poor girl, tryin’ her best to make a livin’ for herself an’ mother —kin do it, too, if it wu’n't for opposition. If she hus to go —I—-er—only her dear Lord knows what’ll become of her an’ the little mother! I—l ” And there he stuck. “But Harry,” said Colonel Pride, in an almost accentless way. “Harry,” ndded Hank Fanshaw. “I reckon we love him!” And Fanshaw never spoke truer words. Love him? Aye! they loved him with the deep quiet love of strong men. “But ” began Colonel Pride. “But Harry’ll have to go!” uttered Ike Fosdick, sternly. And the others wagged their heads. Dr. Harry was not at his office when th-e prominent citizens, marching slowly and dejectedly, reached it. They shuffled solemnly over to Jean Ransom’s cottage. At the gate Colonel Pride, the embryo legislator, held back. They had decided to break it to him gently. “I can’t tell him, boys!” he said hoarsely. “I’ll tell him,” growled Ike Fosdiok, with desperate energy. The oottage door was open. As they ■crowded up to it there was a flutter ■within, and Fosdick’s astonished senses told him that he would have been warranted in taking oath that Dr. Harry’s uninjured arm had beeu around Dr. Jean’s waist. “Boys,” cried Dr. Harry, heartily, the while a decided dash of red shone in his pale cheeks, but less deckled than the red that dyed Jeanie's face, “I am glad you have come. Wc—l should not have told you for some time yet, but now you may as well know the happy news, for I know your congratulations will have the hearty ring of truth. Jeanie has promised to -become my wife. I —■” “ Whoop!" roared the sphinx-like Banning. ‘“That settles it all!” Dr. Harry did not understand him, but was too happy to inquire. “Ladies and gentleman, or —or” began Colonel Pride,grandiloquently,, as Harry, right before them all, placed his hand in that of blushing Jean. “Er—er—dear boy and girL, we do congratulate you, and —or ” “Como away, Prido!” wispered Ike Fosdick, hoarsely. “Come where we kin all yell!” When next the prominent citizens gathered at tho office of Colonel Prido that gentleman felt called upon to say something. “While I have always maintained,” he began, “that woman should not go outside of her proper sphere in life, “But her proper sphere is jest where she blame pleases to go!” broke in Ike Fosdick. “I reckon it is!” agreed Fanshaw. — [Frank Leslie’s.

Finger Tip Evidence.

Further evidence as to the reliability of finger tip impressions for indicating character or establishing indentity, u subject that has of late attracted a great deal of attention, hus been compiled and published by Dr. d’Abundo. After examining tho fingers of seven idiots he found tliut the markings on tho tips of all the fingers on each hand were identical, thus showing a marked difference between those of idiots and of sane people. The thumb tips of one idiot nud the same markings as those of his fingers. There wus tv noticeable smoothness of finger tips in all idiots. In one caso there was a perfect resemblance between the markings on the fingers of an idiot and on those of his mother. Out of twenty cases of imbecility, in four only was one sort of tracing found on all the fingers, in the remaining sixteen a tendency to repetition asserting itself to a considerable extent. In hemiplegia, when the lesion was of old standing, a distinct smoothness of tho finger tips was noticed, which, prevented the obtaining of good impressions. A prominent medical authority is of the opinion that, from a medico-legal point of view, these researches may ultimately have an important bearing an .crimes of a sanguinary nature. For instance, if drawings were taken of .the impression of a hand bathed in blood the markings would bo most clear, more especially if tho criminal had not merely laid his hand on any papers, but had actually fingered them. The evidence of crime would be still more valuable If the criminal had any peculiarity .of finger .tip impressions.—[Courier Journal.

Prehistorie Canals.

Prehistome irrigation canals in Arizona ar.e really worthy of more notice •than is usually given them. The Salt and Gila River valleys are intersected by a vast network of these eanuls, which antedate, at least, the arrival of Coronado in Lf*s2, for he mentions these ruins and the traditions of the Indians regarding a once dense population iu this region. Modern engineers cannot improve upon the lines of these canals, nor in the selection of points of diversion from the rivers. The first irrigation canal in this section, the one that has made Phoenix, with its present population of 20,000, simply followed the lines of one of the>e old canals. Their extent may be appreciated when it is said that in the Salt River Valley alone the land covered by these canals once aggregated over 250,000 acres, nnd the canals themselves, with their laterals, must have exceeded 1,000 miles in length. This country is filled with prehistoric ruins, with walls of stone or adobe, nnd almost every acre contains fragments of pottery, shell ornaments, stone'implements and other remains of a population which can only be estimated in its aggregate. —[Engineering News.

An Impromptu Dress Coat.

“About eight years ago,” said Auditoi Joseph Brown to the St. Louis Chronicle, “I whs in London, England. One day I bought a stall to see Patti at the Royal. A stall corresponds to our boxes. When the evening came I took the ladies around and walked in at the door. But I did not get far. ‘You cannot come in here,’ said the doorkeeper. ‘Why notT’ I asked in surprise;‘here are my seat tickets.’ ‘Well, you cannot enter,’ he replied, decisively; ‘your coat is a frock, and nothing but dress suits are allowed.’ lexpostulated. I told him that my hotel eas a long way off and that the ladios would be greatlv disappointed. I was an American and did not know the rule of the'theatre. Finally he told me to go into the

THE TOP KNOT IN SIAM.

IT IS CUT WHEN A CHILD BECOMES OF AGE. The Ceremony of Its Being Cut From a Prince’s Head Described By an Eye-witness. The Siamese have a quaint and pioturosque custom which is celebrated in every family p oteudiiig to wealth and' fashion, when a child becomes j of age of cutting the top knot. This top knot is a round patch of hair allowed to grow oil the top of tho head, whito tho rest of the head is closely shaved. The looks are wound round into a coil, fastened with a pin and surrounded on festive occasions by a tiny chaplet of swoetscentod white flowers, it is worn until tho boy is to becomo in a measure independent, or in the case of girls till their marriageable age begins to draw near. The date is regulated by the fancy of tho family, controlled in some instances by the family soothsayer, und ranges from nine, eleven and thirteen years; but the even numbers are avoided as less propitious. But when the day does come, tho top-kuot cutting is a groat and gay ceremony. When the personage to be operated upon is a “Chow Fa,” or celestial prince, the rite is elaborate and splendid. But when tho heir apparent to the crown of Siam takes his turn at tho hair cropping, the whole festal resources of the paiaco and the kingdom ure exhausted in doing honor to tho event, which occupies a week and more of tho undivided attention of every prince and magnate within reach. Some years ugo it was the good fortune of tho writer to witness the magnificent ceremonies attending the important service of shearing tho top knot from tho head of the Crown Prince of Siam. As a curious custom and one seldom witnessed by Europeans a brief description of the brilliant spectacle may not be devoid of interest. There were assembled in the Sinmedo capital all the pendutory vassals of his most Buddhist majesty the Rajah of Kedah, the sultans of Potani, Reinstall andTrmgano, the governors of Singona, Reiiong and Kroh and all the provinces of first, second and third grade. They all brought substantial presents for the prince. The fete was ushered in, like most others in Siam, by formal state prooessions, and a Siamese procession is in itself a marvel and & wonder. The royal crown alone, worn by the king in his palanquin, is one mass of blazing jewels worth'a fabulous sum. His jeweled uniform would run up into the millions, and the crown of the dark-eyed prince would go far toward making an American family happy and independent for life. Many thousands of pounds of pure gold garnish the belts und court uniforms of tho odd-looking nobles and notables, while tho display of wealth upon swords, daggers and finely wrought head pieces was sufficient to dazzle und bewilder the imagination. The grouping and mixture of colors and costuinos formed no small purt of tho pageant, and the lord chamberlain or minister of tho palace, aided by numerous drill masters and court costumers, had spent weeks in perfecting this portion of tho ceremony for tlrn honor und glory of the royal family. Tho feature of the procession was the appoarance of battalions, male and femuio, representing tho different stutes, either suhjeot to Siam or connected in some way with her. Each bund of forty or fifty, murcliing four abreast, sportoj the characteristic dress of thoir country, and the funereal black of the tall, lithe Shuns, with thoir black hair reared up into a hideous cockade, wus in striking contrast with tho brilliant uniforms of the Maun girls, the gav colors of the feudatory Malays, and the graceful elegance and handsome dresses of the Siamese themselves. Five hundred girls, all marching in exact time, with a true military swing to thoir gait, formed tho van of the main body, and displayed tho costumes of white, ‘ black and yellow Shans, Loosinns, Pequuns, Muuns, Karens and Malays. Among the battalions of Siamese girls were full-fledged Amazonian warriors, armed with swords und rifles, marching steadily, eyes square to the front and with the bearing of those who had seen uctual service. From four feet and less to nearly or quito five feet in height the ranks passed on in apparently endless array, their bare, noiseless feet seeming to glide over the raat-cov-erod flag stones, their hands joined in suppliant attitude, and one rounded brown shoulder shining out like burnished bronze from the folds of bright scarf or gauzy, undulutiug mantle. In beauty of figure and in the lithe grace of their movements the Siumese maidens excelled all present, and their light, almost classic oostumes, though more subdued in color and adornment than their neighbors’, were in more perfect taste. At the sides of tho procession marched nobles clad in green and blue, soothsayers in flowing white robes with tall conical pink and white hats, sprightly youths of high-born rank in close-fitting costumes of scarlet and accouterments blazing with precious stones. Then close at their heels followed the royal white elephants clad in gorgeous trappings and carefully attended by trained servants. The male phalunx came next in representative uniforms, which had evidently made a sensation in court circles and tickled the royal fancy. There wore dark-skinned highlanders in kilts and trews, stumpy little grenadiers apparently top heavy neath their bearskin head gear. Sappers and miners in the uniform of tho Prussian urmy, Goorkhas iu national rig and Sepoys in fanciful regimentals, with scores of costumes and uniforms copied from all arms of military services and representing ull the principal nations of Europe. The uniform of the United States armed forces was conspicuous by its absence. His majesty of Siam had evidently tossed the plates contemptuously aside as too tamo and unpretentious for Siamese tastes. Surrounded by the royal body guard was borne tho royal palanquin, followed by white-clad angels crowned with ringed and pointed crowns and bearing a sort of thyrsus representing gold and silver flowers. A cloud of drummers, pipers and trumpeters was interspered at intervals, making the air resound with their efforts, nnd half a dozen brass bands rendered European airs at appropriate occasions For three days in succession the processions accompanied the king and prince to the most sacred of the palace temples only to listen to the consecrating lectures of the priests. But on the fourth day, starting eurlier, they filled tho palace yard before noon. As the king nnd his •01. took their seats on raised thrones in the central facade of the pagoda the scene was both grnnd and unique. Tho entire space in front was occupied by the foreign ministers, in full unifonn, together with naval officers and invited guests, all in full rig. As the Siamese national anthem pealed through the crowded space the king and prince passed into the pagoda, followed

by the other princes of the blood. The locks forming the crown prince’s top knot were severed with conseornted shears, and tlio prince—now no longer a child—was ready for tho remaining formalities. At the far end of the palace courtyard opposite the pngoda had been constructed an artificial mountain glittering with imaginary snows of Hlinaphan. Upon Its poaks and ridges were seen angols nnd demons; the fabulous tree of Kalpapruk. bearing gold, silver aud precious stones; mischievous apes and grandos, nnd the evil serpent Nagu; and at the base, as well ns on its summit, were peaked pagodns, carved, curtained and glittering with golded scales. To the foot of the mount the prince had to trudge after his top knot had been shorn off. .In the sacrod lake of Anoduk he tukos a plunge and is carefully dried by the venerable head priest, lie is then arrayed in regal attire and oonduoted by Vishun to the top of the hill to be received by Sira. Here the prince receives tho five insignia of royalty—the sword, tho crown, the fan, the slippers and the white storovod umbrella. Then follows the smaller procession around the mountain, from left to right; and at length tho poor fellow, pale with fatigue nnd excitement, is carried buck ! after his futher to tho staircase of the j grand palace. This completes the pageunt and ceremony of clipping the crown prince’s top knot, und ns tho bands discourse various aiie tho spectators withdraw from the royal grounds.—[Washington Star.

BILL SUDDENLY APPEARED.

A Kodak Man’s Sad Experience with a Long Island Farmer. He wub a young and enthusiustic disciple of the Kodak out to catch up a few scenes on Long Island. Ho reached what his urtistic instinct told him was a wild and picturesque locality, to be accosted by a farmer leaning on the gute with: “No use, mister! We’ve got all the Ynnkoo notions we want.” “But I'm not selliug Yankee notions!” indignantly replied the artist. “Wall, wo don't want no patent medicines, sowing machines, musio-boxes or cloth by the yard.” “1 haven’t any, sir.” “Lightning rods or patent farm-gates, mohbe, but 1 don’t want to dicker. Might us well go right on.” “My dear sir,” softly began the young man, “I suppose you have hoard of the kodak?” “Never did and don't want to.” “But you have heard of artists?” “Mebbo so, but I don't want any. I'm old and lame and no fighter, but my son Bill is cleanin' outs in the barn over thore, nnd you’d better go on afore I call him! Bill’s a great bund to light down on strangers and make ’em tirod.” “You don't seem to understand,” explained the urtist. “This is a photographic instrumen 1 . I am out to take photographs. This is a very picturesque outlook across the hills, and 1 should like 1 your permission to take a few views.” “Can't havo it, stranger. Feilor was ! hero about a mouth ago for that very I thing, and when he went away ho stole I a shoop-skin off the stable door. Ho had a box just like that, and he called hissulf an artist.” “But I nm no thief!” “Mebbo not, but wo have to look out around here. Bettor go on uforo 1 call to Bill. It's seven days now since Bill chawed up a chicken peddler, und bo’s achin’ fur a row.” “I supposo 1 can stand here in the road nnd take a view of your house?” queriod the artist. “Bolter not. The old Woman is lookin’ out of tho window and she'd suspect you was in with a gang of burglars. Hark! You cun hoar Bill singin’ ‘Heaven Is My Home.’ Look out for Bill when you hear him singin' hymns, lie's achin' to chaw somebody up.” “I’d like to get a picture of that cow under the tree,” said the urtist, as he lookod around. “Better let ’em alone!" warned the old man. “I wish I could make you understand my ideu. You must havo bud artists along here before. You must know—” “Yes, 1 do. We’vo bad lots of artists along here. One of ’em stole a sheepskin, us 1 tod you, another went off with fourtocn feet of log-chain, and the one who came last wook got a bad silver dolluroff on the old woman fur his dinner. Bill’s a-ruising his voice all the time, und that means lie smells a fight. Better walk on, stranger!” “Oh, if you are as obstinato and prejudiced as this 1 shun t bother you. You don't own nil of Long Island, however, I suppose ?” "Mebbe not, but I'll usk Bill. He knows where our line is better'n I do. Bill! oh, Bill!” Bill suddenly appeared in the open barn door. Ho appeared to be eleven feet high. As he caught sight of the artist In appeared to cover 21 feet of ground at the first jump. Down the highway flitted a dark shadow carrying a kodak. At his heels was u something bareheaded and in his shirt-sleeves, und yelling at every jump. And the spotted cow under the leafless maple swallowed her cud und switched her tail in token of peace on earth and good will to men, and the picturesque dells and groves and hillsides of Long Island softly gurgled to each other that if Bill’s wind held out for four miles he would bout the game. —[M. Quad, in New York World.

The Biggest Corn.

Judge T. N. Reeves brought us four oars of the Long John and Lemiug varieties. Of the former the best ear contains 1,134 grains, while of the other the ears are fully eleven inches in length and beautifully filled to the end of the cob. The Long John is a white corn nnd the Leming a yellow corn. On eight acres of the white corn bo gathered 504 bushels, or sixty-three bushels to the acre. He has thirty-eight acres in com this year, all of which made a fine yield, averaging over forty bushels to the aere. Judge Reeves’ farm is on the head of Little Bourboise, what is known os mixed ridge and valley land.—[Hteelville (Mo.) Mirror.

Sheep-Eating Panthers.

Lnst night, while S. Schweglerand son Willie were looking for a missing sheep, they came upon two large panthers close to the house, which they killed on the spot. The mutton was about half devoured, aroutfd which traps were set afterwards. In the night panther No. 3 got into one of the traps, broke the chain, und now roams in the trackless forest wit i a handsome bracelet, but manages to muke nights hideous around Mr. Soliwegler’s premises. It is thought that it is the same panther that killed six sheep on Nelson’s and Anderson’s places. —[Cathlamet (Ore.) Gazette.

SHE DEALS IN HORSES.

THE ONLY FEMALE HORSE-TRAD-ER IN THE WORLD. Miss Kittle Wilkins Tells How She Hot Into the Business nnd Gives Interesting Information on Range Breeding. Miss Kittie Wilkins enjoys the distinction of being ti e only woman in the United States whoso solo occupation is horsc-dculing. She is a tall nnd stately blonde, with a profusion of light golden hair, clear blue eyes, regular foatures and n mouth and chin denoting a firmness no doubt acquired in her businoss. “A head for business and an eye on tho world,” one could truthfully say. Her manners arc perfectly lady-like, though somewhat frank; her language is untainted, nnd she possesses a great faculty for conversation. Miss Wilkins, her father and two brothers own one of tho largest ranches in Southwestern Idaho, on Brown River, in Owyhee County. They have now on the ranch, after this season's sale, 2,. r ioo bond of horses nuo 1,500 cattle. Tho horses have none of the mustang, broncho or cnyuse blood in them. They are bred from American mares originally brought from the older States and crossed with Clydesdale, l’erchcron and trotting stullions; and good judges say tho horses formally brought by her to St. Louis aro far above the average Western horses, chiefly from fifteen to sixteen hands high and from IKK) to 1,200 pounds in weight. They are shown and sold in the rough, as not one of them has ever tasted grain or hay until they aro rounded up for shipment. Miss Wilkins, when interviewed by a reporter, said; “Now, I don't soe why it should interest the public one bit to know übouf mo.” She was assured the public was interested, and continued; “1 have boon engaged in the business with father nnd two brother! six yours. They attend to tho work nnd business on the ranch, while 1 mu chiefly engaged in the shipment und sale of both cattle and horses, though 1 haven’t ono hit of uso for cuttle. I have transacted my business in most of the largo cities west of the Mississippi rlvor, also in Chicago, and shall curry it ns far us Now York in the future. “My futherhas always boon engaged in horso dealing, und when I was quite a little girl I commenced going around with him when lie was soiling horses, nnd as the years went by lie found I knew ns much about tho business as he did. I was always independent and I induced him. to let me do the soiling, and they toll me I’m a pretty shrewd judge of the value of a horse. 1 guess I am, for I have learned a great deal, since I adopted this as a profession. “1 have been referred to as the Cattle Queen, rogurdloss of ,my great distaste for oattle. 1 go out to the round-up every spring nnd fall and enjoy myself ever so much. It is a fascinating business and grows upon you. "It was real romantic, tho way l got my first sturt. The way of it was this. Ovor twenty years ago my parents had removed to Oregon und wore returning to San Francisco, when our friends gathered round to give us mementoes of various sorts. When they got to me they snid, ‘Well, now, she's only a little thing’—l was about two yours old—‘we’ll just give hor some money to ho invested for her,’ and they gave me two #2O gold pieces. Shortly after wo wont to Idaho as it offered bettor facilities for stock-raising. Father went to Oregon to buy a lot of horsos fertile ranch. When ho wont to pay over tho money ho bethought himself of my S4O. and seeing a fine little filly yet left offered the owner the S4O for her. Ho at first hesitated as he had asked SBO for hor, but as my father was taking the entlro lot he lot her go at the price mentioned. That was the first horso I ever owned." On the question of range breeding Miss Wilkins said; “Our ranch is about sov-enty-five miles from the range on which we turn our stock uftor tho rounding up and branding is completed. It. is about 8,000 feet above the sea level and gives us a pure, dry atmosphere, which goes a long way in giving the young animal bred out there strong lungs to start with. Thou the wholo country is underlaid with a stratum of limestone which impregnates not only the springs and water ootirscs but even the grass itself, und, of course, this abundance of limo gives plenty of bono, und of good quality. Tho climate is sucli tlmt liorseß aud outdo can run out of doors the your around. It wo wish to iucrcusu tho size of our horses wo secure larger stullions; if our colts become too leggy we employ stout, compact stallions, standing on short legs. When we find wo have sufficient size nnd substance we turn our attention to style and action. I hold that in open-air breeding we can obtain just us good results as thoso who trout their colts like babies. Of course, much can bo done by special preparation, und foroed in the direction of early muturity, and thm is ail very well lor high-priced trotters nnd race-horses. “Now, I will give vou my reasons why I beiieve in range breeding for horsos for every day use. In tho first place they are always in the open air and breathe no impurities und take into their system no germ of discuso and take ail the exercise nature intended. You will, perhaps, understand the principles of this when I tell you in our whole herd we haven't an animal with spavin, ringbone, curb or splint, whilo distemper, pinkeye, epizootic nnd such ailments are equally unknown. lii time, I suppose, this range will be surveyed and divided up, and ultimately this system of growing stock on big ranges will como to an end, but you cun rest assured that by that time the range system will havo produced a stock of horses that will bo found hardy, sound and thoroughly salubie.”— [St. Louis Republic.

A Rest at Any Price.

A story is going the rounds on the South Side which makes a well-known society young man and a millionaire’s pretty daughter the principal characters in a ruther laughable comedy. The young mau, who is noted for his handsome bearing and winning voice, accompanied the young lady to her home on Friday evening, and, as all true lovers do, lingered yet a little while at the gate to have a lover’s tete-a-tete with his fair companion. The night was beautiful, no one near to intrude, and, above all, be loved. Why shouldn't ghe kiss him? With maidenly modesty she refused. He implored. She still withheld from him that which could fill his oup of happiness. The request was repeated several times, and so engrossed did the young man become in wooing that he failed to notice the approach of a parental - step. The old gentleman, who had been there himseit, and did not care to intrude

upon the happiness of the young couple, quietly stepped behind a convenient rosebush nnd waited, thinking the young man would soon leave. In this lie was mistaken. The lover tarried over the roquost until the patience of (he old gentleman was exhausted A voice the young couple well knew aroused them from their huppiness in a tone of impatient anger by saying: “ Alice, kiss the young idiot, and let him go home!”—[Chicago Inter-Ocean.

THE AFRICAN BUSH.

A Land Where Silence and Heat Are Frightful. To sco this land typically ono should outspun one's wagon on the top of d height ou a summer's midday. Not a creature stirs anywhere, ana tho san pours down its rays on the flaccid dustcovered leaves of the bushes. When tho driver bus gone to lio down behind the hushes ami the leader is gone to take-the oxen to water, if you stand up alone on the chest ut the front of the wagon and look out you will see as far as your eye can reach over hills and dales the silent, motionless hot bush stretching. Not a sound is to bo heard, and the heat is so intense your hand blisters on tho tent of the wagon where you liave rested it, only from a clump of bush at your right a cicada sets up its keen, slirill cry, glorying in the heat and solitude of the bush. Not less characteristically do you see it whoa ns a little child you travel through it in the night. The ox wagon creeps slowly along the Hundv road. 'The driver, walking beside it calls at intervals to his tired oxen; wo look out across tho wagon ohest nnd see us tho wagon moves along how the dark outlines of tbo hushes on either sid seem to move, too; a great clump seems coming nearer like a vast animal; the shapes are magnificent by tho dark. We croop closer down behind tho wagon chest and look out across it. Against the dark night, sky to our right, on tho ridge of the hill, are tho gaunt forms of aloes standing like a row of men keeping watch. We remember all tho stories we have heard of Kafir wars and men shot and stabbod as thoy passed along tho hillsides, and of wild animals, and wo creep down lower; then a will-o’-the-wisp comes out from some dried-up torront lied and far before us dances in and out among the clumps of bush, now in sight and now out again. You are glad when tho people in the wagon begin to sing hymns, aud inoro glad yet when at 9.30 the wagon stops, drawn up against a groat clump of luisli at the roadside. The .tired oxen are taken out from tho yoke and every one climbs out und a fire is lighted,uih! you gather from far and wide stumps of dried elephant’s food and euphorbia what you can drag in one bund, and bits of branch , and dry twig, aud throw them on tho tiro: tho flame leaps higher and higher and all sit down beside the ruddy blaze. Away iieliip] another bush tho driver und luador have lighted their tire and are talking to each other in Kafir as they boil the coffee and grill the megt. Tho blaze of your own tiro leaps up and illumes tho great and dusty body of the wugou with its white sails and glints on tliu horns of the tired oxen where they lio tied to their yokos, ohewing the cud, and on the bush with its dark green leaves behind you, and you laugfh aud talk aud forgot the stories of Kafir wars | and the great bush stretching about you. —[Fortnightly Review.

Precocious Criminals of Paris.

Parisian criminals have the credit of being tho “ smartest ” in the world; to that compliment must be added, writes a foreign correspondent, that of being the most precocious, for we are now possessors of an accomplished young forgor of thirteen summers, Rene Rcuponlmusen by nuine. This child was errand boy of one SauHsot, a wool merchant. Having learned the use of a check book through having seen his employer engaged in filling in the forms, Master Rene thought ho would have a try in the same direction. Consequently he filled in one for 5,000 francs and trotted off to the bank to receive the monoy. The cashier examined tho signature carefully and finding it perfeot, puid over the cash, and cautioned tho boy to tnko great care of it, at tho same timo remarking that it was very foolhurdy of M. Hausset to send such a small boy to the bunk to receive so large a sum. The wary youngster assured the cn shier that he could be trusted to take great care of the money, and so It proved, for be immediately proceeded to the nearest railway train station and “levanted" by tho first train quitting tho capital. Feeling possibly that some oxplunutlon of his übsence was due to his inastor, be considerately forwarded him a telegram stating that huving a bad stomuch-uche he had gone home A couple of days elapsed and the boy not having returned M. Hausset communicated with his parents and was astonished to learn that he was not at home, the ingenuous youth having also wired thorn that his master was goiug to Dieppe and taking him with him. Suspicion aroused and the blank check abstracted from the last page in the book being discovered, the bank was communicated with nnd the forgery brought to light. The sac-simile signature is pronounced the most perfect on record and the bank still maintains it to bo genuine. M. Hausset, however, holds a different view, and the French police are now actively enguged in running the young delinquent to earth. When captured, aud it will not be long before M. Gordon’s myrmidons have the juvenile thiof iq safe keeping, ho will be taught the difference between ineum and tuum, and in a manner perhaps which will bo far from palatable. No one can say after this that we are behind the times, even in our criminal annals, for forgers ut thirteen are hard to beat, even in the lundg of the rising or Getting sun, with foggy Albion thrown in to boot.— [Chicugo Herald.

What a Small Ranch Produced.

Reliable figures of profits of Southern California fruit ranches are among the most valuable and effective ammunition with which to assault prejudice against this region, and it is unfortunate that our successful ranchers do not take more pains to supply newspapers with such information. Many muoh more noteworthy instances than the following hare been published from time to time, but this is good enough to repeat A Southern California ranch of nineteen acres near a prosperous town yielded in the year from December, 1888, to December, 1889, 15,568, the product being oranges, lemons, and miscellaneous fruit. After deducting family expenses of ?1,700, the cost or employing two men and other items,the net income brer all expenses was $2,697.83. —[San Diego,Cal., Union. Farming is to he taught st Rutgers College in New Jersey, with the other stud.es.