Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1894 — CRUSOE’S ISLAND. [ARTICLE]

CRUSOE’S ISLAND.

It Is Now Inhabited and Fosseses a Little Town. It is not generally known that Juan Fernandez—the island on which Alexander Selkirk, the Robinson Crusoe of romance, lived so many years—is at the present time inhabited. Two valleys, winding down from different directions, join a short distance back from the shore, and there now stands little village of small huts scattered round a long one-storied building with a veranda running its whole length. In this house lives the man who rents the island from the Chilian Government. and the village is made up of a few German and Chilian families The tiny town is called San .Juan Bautista, and the crater-liKe a m of the sea on which it is situated, and where Alexander Selkirk first landed, is now called Cun b irland Bay. The island is rented for about £2uo a year. The rent is paid partly in dried fish. Cat hingand drying the many varieties of fish an i raising cattle and vegtables wholly occupy the contented settlors, an i much of their little income Is obtained from the cattle and vegetables s dd to passing vessels. At the back of the little town, in the first high cliff, is a row of caves of remarkable appearance hewn into the sandstone. An unused path leads to them, and a short climb brings one to their dark mouths. About forty years ago the Chilian Government thought that a good wav to get rid of its worst criminals would be to transport them to the island of Juan Fernandez. Here, under the direction of Chilian .-oldiers, these poor wretches were made to dig caves to live in. In 1654 t.,ey were taken back again, however, anu.theca.es have since been slowly crumb ing away. The narrow i idge where Selkirk watched is now cal ed “The Saddle,” because at either end of it a rocky hummock rites like a pommel. On one of these is now a large tablet with inscriptions commemorating Alexander Selkirk s long and lonely stay on the island. Itwasplacod there in 18fi8 by the officers of the British ship Topaz. A small excursion steamer now runs from Valparaiso to Juan Fernandez i- land. The round trip, ijfmade in six days, and three of these may be spent on the island in fl hing and visi.ing those lonely, but beautiful, spots which near y 2,0 years ago were the haunts of Robinson Crusoe.

A Grist Mau Avenged. “Do you love life. ” as .ed the big man as he kicked up the sawdust and fell heav.ly into a chair at one of the pincch e tables. “1 suppo e I do,” said the quiet German who kept the place. “Well, then, bring me a schooner of beer, and if there s a collar on it you don t get a cent, see?” 'The big man d-rank the beer at one dripping gulp and than glared unsteadily around the room at the Bock beer sign, Ihe announcement of the Schwaben picnic, the steel engraving of Germania and the picture of Bismarck. “VV ho’s that gazaboy?” “He is te ghreat Bismarck.” ‘ Great nothin’. Heaint init. That’s what he ain’t. ” The proprietor looked at the icepick, and then he changed his mind. “Has a peer, ” said he. “i’ll go you,” sa d the big man. He accepted a third and fourth. On the eighth be fell asleep over the table.. The quiet German went to the door and called in a heavy policeman. “Heie's a goot cigar,” said he. “Take him in. He s peen disorderly. I appear myse f at te station.” Five minutes later two policemen hauled out the big man, whose dragging toes left long, snaky lines along the sawdust. The quiet German dusting the picture, said: “Bismarck is affenged, I pet you.”—Chicago Record. It "Was a Dangerous Toy. _ The fascination which a snake exercised over Nellie, the ;>-year-oid daughter, of Mrs. Fogarty, of Camden, N. J., was almost paid for by her life the other day. The child was playing happily in the yard in the afternoon, while ihe mother wai busied with her household duties. For a while the little one enjoyed her innocent adventures with laries, with e.f men and brownies, conjured up by her child-mind, but in the midst of these fancies there came wriggling ac o s the yard a serpent, a sand viper. Nellie ran after the snake for a time, and then, des ring closer acquaintance, picked it up in her little hands and began to petit. The serpent squirmed an t wriggled, and the child tried by soothing words andcares-es to soothe it into quiet de So well did she succged that in a burst of admiration docility, she put the ugly monster to her 'mouth, intending to kiss it. Then the viper’s cunning unmasked itself. Two little fangs shot out, they pierced the child's li s and the serpent held fast. Attracted by the child's screams the mother came and killed the snake and by hard work the physicians saved the little one’s life.

H * Snored While the Storm Raged. During a voyage across the Atlantic several years ago, says a traveler, a terrific storm arose and it seemed as if our boat would be surely Jost. The passengers crouched in their cabins in mot tai terror, expecting every moment to go down to the bottom. The captain assured them that there was no danger, but all expected that their time had come—all save one. This fellow, who was an inveterate snorer, lay peacefully in his cabin soun 1 asleep in the midst of the uproar. His wife rushed in the cabin crying: “Lucien, O Lucien, the vessel is sinking!" Lucien t rned over, partially awoke, and murmured: “Sinking, are we? (Snore.) Well, let her (snore) sink. What are you (snore) going to do (snore) about; it?” His remarkable coplness partially served to allay our fears and the storm shortly after went down. Wcst?rn Phenomena. In the Western deserts a spot of ground becomes excessively heated, causing the air above to descend. This produces an influx of the atmosphere from all sides, but unequally, the result being a gyratory motion and a sandstorm. Many folks flatter themselves they are fairly good because they are not entirely bad.