Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 February 1899 — Page 6

THE TRIBUTE DAY OF LIBERTY AND ENLIGHTENMENT.

WIDOW DARBY’S VALENTINE.

ill E widow Darby, 'fair, plump and lookins far younger than her 45 years, had ridden into town with Jared Kent because her horse had lamed ihimself that morning, and Jared “happened to be going in,” and had asked the widow to ride with him. Jared was what some of the people of the neighborhood called a

“regular born obi bach.” lie had flouted and scorned womanhind most of the fifty years of his life, and had openly set forth his conviction that men were "better off without ’em than with ’em,” particularly when it come to “marrying of 'em.” He hud held to this conviction so long and had proclaimed it so boldly and so eonatnntly that all of the match-makers in the rural neighborhood in which he lived had given him up a hopeless case beyond the pale of their schemes for rnakiug a benedict of him. Jared was not, like most avowed women haters, a crabbed, cross-grained, sneeringly cynical man, which mnde his celibacy all the more unpardonable in the eyes of the match-makers. “He’d mnke a real good husband if he’d try,” they said. “Then he has the nicest farm in the neighborhood, with one of the best houses on it and money out at interest, although lie's not a bit mean and atiugy. He’ll do his full share always for a neighbor in distress. It isn’t because he’s too stingy to support her that Jared doesn't get him n wife.” It was a clear, crisp morning in February when Jared rode to the village with the widow Darby seated beside him in his neat little cutter. The sleighing was fine and the air keen and exhilarating. It gave the widow’s plump cheeks n beautiful crimson glow and made her black eyes sparkle. She was in high spirits and her laugh rang out frequently as merry and rippling as the laugh of a child. But then the widow Darby was proverbially cheery. She had suffered keenly the loss of her husband and both of her children, but time had softened her grief, and she was too wise to spend her life in gloom and grief over the loss of those who were beyond all care and sorrow.

She had a comfortable little home and a few acres of land adjoining Jared Kent’s. She had known Jared ull of her life, but not once had she thought of him as a possible successor to Joel Darby. “Jared will never marry any one,” she bad said. “He isn’t of a marrying disposition. Some men are that way. It’s all they lack to make ’em what God intended they should be. My husband and I used to talk Jared over a good deal, and we did our full share to get him settled for life with a good wife. We used to invite lots of nice girls, young and elderly both, to our house and then have Jared come over to tea and to play croquet with him. He’d be nice and pleasant and all that, but he never came any ways near falling into any of the traps we set for him. We thought once that he did take a kind of a shine to a nice, sweet, real good looking girl of about 30 named Janet Deane from over Shelby way, who was visiting us. She’d of made him an awful good wife, and I sung her praises all the time, but nothing came of it.” “It’s an elegant morning, isn’t it?" said Jared, as he and the widow flew along over the hills and through long lanes in which the snow was drifted almost to the top rails of the fences. “Oh, it’s lovely!” replied the widow. “1 Ike snow.” “So do I. You got much to do in town?” “No; I’ll be through with all of my errands in an hour. I can let something go If you don’t want to stay in town that long.” “Oh, that’ll be none too long for me. Where shall I meet you?” “i’ll be at Smith & Hunscom’s dry goods store, any time you say." “We’ll call it 11 o’clock, then.” It was three minutes after 11 when Jared drove up to the appointed place of meeting. The widow bad stepped into the s|eigh and he was tucking the robes in around her when she said: “There, Jared, I’m just like other women; I’ve forgotten something.” “What is fc?” “I forgot to go around to the postoffice. I know that there’s nothing there for me, because one of the Stone boys brought my mail out last night, and there’s no mail trains in until noon; but poor old-Jane Carr came over just before I left and wanted me to be sure and see it there was • letter for her. Her daughter is very afck out Wtthf. and she hasn’t had a letter for a week, and she’s half wild. I couldn’t iMlf to tell her rid forgotten to go to the •ft won’t bo three blocks out of the way.” Two or three boys stood idling in front

of the postoffice and Jared said to one of them he chanced to know: “Say, Jimmie, run into the office and see if there’s any letter for Mrs. Jane Carr. You needn’t ask for me, for I’ve been around and got my mail.” “You might look in box 184,” said Mrs. Darby. “Mebbc there’s a drop letter for me.” The boy came out a moment later with a very large square white envelope In One hand and a small blue envelope in the other. He grinned ns he handed them to Mrs. Darby. She glanced at the blue envelope and said joyfully: "O here’s a letter for Jane, and it’s from her daughter, I know by the postmark. How glad Jane will be! And here—well, I declare!” She burst into a merry laugh as she looked at the big white, embossed envelope. The boy had told the truth when he hnd gone back to his comrades and said with a titter: “She’s got a valentine!” “Who in the land ever sent me that thing?” said Mrs. Darby, holding the envelope out at arm’s length. “I didn’t even know it was Valentine’s day. If it isn’t the greatest idea that l should get a valentine!” “I don’t know why yon shouldn't,” said Jared. “t)h, ljccause I—but I guess some child sent it.” “Maybe not.” “No one else could have had so little gumption!” said the widow with another laugh. “Maybe there’s one of these comic valentines inside of it —some ridiculous thing about a widow likely.” “Why don’t you open it and see?” “I will.” She burst into another laugh as she drew forth a dainty creation of lace paper, tinsel and bright colored embossed pictures. “How perfectly ridiculous!” she said. “The idea of any one being ninny enough to send an old woman like me a thing like that!” “You’re not an old woman.” “I’m forty-five!” “Well, I’m older than that, and I don't call myself an old man. Many a woman around here would be glad to get a valentine like that if the sender really meant it." “Yes, and if you were the sender.” “I’m not vain enough to think that and not foolish enough to say it if I did think it.” “No, I don’t think that you are, Jared. But I wonder who could have sent me this. The writing on the envelope is evi-

AT JANE CARR’S GATE.

dently disguised, and—O here is something iuside! Let’s see what it says. “ ‘O wilt thou be my valentine Forever and forever aye. And w ilt tbon take this heart of mine. And give me thine to-day?' ” There was another verse, but before she had rend It, the widow Darby cried out: “Jared Kent, that's your handwriting and you need not try to deny it!” “I’m not trying to deny It. You’ll find my name sigued in full to the next verse on the other page.” This was the next verse: “If ‘yes’ my nnswr Is to be. My heart with Joy will fill. If ‘no,'A yet shall be your friend And I shall love you still.” They had reached the outskirts of the town now. Jared brought the horse to a standstill and said: “la it yes or no, Lucy?” She looked at him with shining eyes and laaghipg face for a moment. Then she laid one of her mittened hands on the sleeve of the great for coat he wore and said: “I think it is yes, Jared.” He turned his horse’s head toward the town. “Where are you going?” she asked. “Back to the minister’s. It’s Valentine’s day, you know, and if yon are to be my valentine, I want you to-day.” An hour later they stopped at Jane Carr’a gate. She came skurrying ont for her letter with her apron over her head. “I brought yon a letter, Jane, and I got a valentine,” said Lucy, holding up the big white envelope. “I got one also,” said Jared, as he put an arm aronnd his wife and kissed her.— Detroit Free Press.

Don’t judge A man by the character given him by big next-door neighbor.

WANTED HIS HALF OF THE BERTH

A Good Story Geo. M. Pullman Loved to Tell of Lincoln. There was one story of his career that the late George M. Pullman of sleeping car fame used to tell with manifest delight. It was as follcrws: “One night going out of Chicago, a long, lean, ugly man, with a wart on his cheek, came into the depot. He paid George M. Pullman 50 cents, and a half berth was assigned him. Then he took off his coat and vest and hung them up. and they fitted the peg about as well as they fitted him. Then he kicked off his boots, which were of surprising length, turned into the berth, and, having an easy conscience, was sleeping like a healthy baby before the car left the depot. Along came another passenger and paid his 50 cents. In two minutes he was back at George Pullman. “There’s a man in that berth of mine,” said he, hotly, “and he’s about ten feet high.. How am I going to sleep there, I'd like to know? Go and look at him.” In went Pullman—mad. too. The tall, lank man’s knees were uNer his chin, his arms were stretched across the bed and his feet were stored comfortably—for him. Pullman shook him until he awoke, and then told him if he wanted the whole berth he would have to pay sl. “My dear sir,” said the tall man, “a contract is a contract. I have paid yog 50 cents for half this berth, and as you see, I’m occupying it. There’s the other half,” pointing to a strip about six inches wide. “Sell that and don’t disturb me again.” And, so saying, the man with a wart on his face went to sleep again. He was Abraham Lincoln.

James Parton's Prediction.

In 1802, James Parton, the celebrated biographical writer, made the following prediction in regard to Abraham Lincoln: History will say of Mr. Lincoln that no man of a more genial temperament, a more kindly nature, ever tenanted the White House; that he gave all-his time, his thoughts, his energies, to the discharge of duties of unprecedented magnitude and urgency; that, hating no man, he steadfastly endeavored to win the confidence and love of all the loyal and patriotic, and that, in spite of four chequered years of such responsibility and atyciety as has seldom fallen to the lot of man, he bore away from the Capitol the sunny temper and blithe frankness of his boyhood, returning to mingle with his old neighbors as one with them in heart and in manner, in retirement as in power a happy specimen of the men whom Liberty and Democracy train in the log cabin and by the rudest hearth to guide the counsels of the Republic and influence the destinies of the people.

Lincoln When a Boy.

An exhibition of Lincoln’s practical humanity occurred while a boy. One evening, while returning from a “raising” with a number of companions, he discovered a straying horse, with saddle and bridle upon him. The horse was recognised as belonging to a well-known drunkard, and it was suspected that the owner was not far off. The fellow was found in a perfectly helpless condition up&n the cold ground. Lincoln’s companions intended to leave him to his fate, bnt young Lincoln would not hear of it. At hia demand, the miserable man was lifted to his shoulders, and he actually carried him eighty rqds to the nearest house. He then sent word to his father that he would not be back that night. He nursed the man until morning, and believed that he had saved his life.

Tear It Up.

Secretary Stanton was once greatly vexed because an army officer bad refused to understand an order, or at all events, had not obeyed. “I believe I’ll ait down,” said Stanton, “and give that man a piece of my mind.” “Do so,” said Lincoln, “write it now while you have it on your mind. Make it sharp; cut him all np.” Stanton did not need a second invitation. It was a bone-crasher that he read to the President. “That’s right,” said Abe, “that’s a good one.” “Whom can I get to send it by?” mused the Secretary. “Send it!” replied Lincoln, “send it! Why, don’t send it at all. Tear it np. Yon have freed your mind on the subject, and that is all that is necessary. Tear it np. You never want to send such letters; I never do.*’—Standard.

Lincoln's First Speech.

Judge Bell of Mount Carmel, 111., has a copy of Abraham Lincoln’s first speech as a candidate. It was made near Springfield. and ran as follows: “Gentlemen and Fellow Citizens: I presume you all know who I am. lam humble Abraham Lincoln. I have been welioited by many friends to become a candidate for the Legislature. My politics are short and sweet, like an old woman’s dance. lam in favor of a national bank ; I am In favor of the international improvement system and a high protective tariff. These are my sentiments and political principles. If elected I shall be thankful; if not it wil’ be all the same."

BLOWS ICY BLASTS.

FRIGID WAVE SWEEPS DOWN FROM THE NORTH. t Below-Zero Weather Reported from Various Parta of the Country- Extend* Over Greater Portion of Western States, Causing Much Suffering.

to be affected, temperatures of from 15 to 20 degrees below zero being recorded in many places. Fears have been expressed for the winter wheat, as the cold came when there was but little or no snow on the ground. The following table shows temperatures at various points:

Winnipeg —3O Dodge City 34 Swift Current.. —3O Kansas City 18 Miunedosa —2B Springfield, Mo.. ;24 Qu'Appelle —2B St. Louis 14 Bismarck —2O Cairo 20 Chicago ........ —l3 Denver 44 Duluth ........ —l2:Cheyenne 32 Huron —lOfSalt Lake City.. 48 Marquette —lo| Helena 14 Green 8ay...... —lo|Philadelphia .... 28 Milwaukee —4jWashington .... 32 St. Paul —4|Xew York 22 Des Moines..... 14jBoston 15 Omaha 20; New Orleans.... 52 North Platte..... 22j Jacksonville .... 52 The great differences in temperatures shown in this table were due to the situations of the places with reference to tlic cold waves and a low pressure storm een-

SECRETARY ALGER TESTIFYING BEFORE THE WAR COMMISSION.

ter which had developed in the southwest and brought milderweather as far as it extended.

Even the balmy South did not escape from the wave. A storm swept along the Florida coast, and was attended by precipitation throughout the Southeastern States. In the interior of Alabama and -Georgia the first real snow of the winter fell. New Orleans shivered with the temperature near the freezing point, and residents at Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., plunged through the rain with umbrellas at an angle of 45 degrees to windward. The people of New York got n taste of, the cold wave, and the people of Boston had weather 15 degrees above zero. Only San Francisco and the people beyond the Rockies were safe from intrusion by the cold wave, and San Fraucisco basked in the' sunshine with the temperature at 54 degrees. The cold brought with it great suffering for many people, especially among the poor in the cities. The homeless wanderers of the tramp and “hobo” classes were by no means the worst off, for they collected in the police stations, where they had at least shelter and warmth, even if the quarters were crowded and uncomfortable. But in many poverty stricken homes, where there was no money for fuel and hardly any warm clothes for the protection of the inmates, the suffering was very severe.

Since 1871 only nine lower temperatures in as many years have been noted by the Chicago observers. In December, 1872, the mercury went to 23 degrees below zero. Three years later a minimum three degrees higher was placed on the weather office charts. During the seven other years the story is told in the following figures: 1879,“-18; 1883, -18; 1884, -18; 1885, -17; 1887, -15; 1888, -18; 1895, —ls; 1897. —3O.

FATAL COLORADO SNOWSLIDE.

Woman and Three Children Are Crashed to Death. Mrs. William Rudolph and two children were buried beneath a snowslide and killed at Apex, Pine Creek district, Colorado. The avalanche shattered their cabin. The rescuers dug out the snow and Mrs. Rudolph was found lying on the bed face upward. A large beam rested on the woman’s chest, evidently having crushed her life out instantly. The body of a baby girl was found, close by* horribly mangled and crushed by falling timbers. In the back part of the cabin two boys were discovered buried beneath a mass of timbers.

FALCON ISLAND IS SINKING.

Now Three Fathom* Beww the Surface of the Water. Officers of the British man-of-war Pengain hare discovered that Falcon Island, which arose from beneath the sea level in 1885, ids gradually sinking and is now three fathoms under water. The Penguin has returned to Sydney, N. S. W., after taking soundings between the Island of Longe and Auckland, New Zealand. The same officers alao procured the temperature of the sea at a greater depth than it has ever been taken—at 4,7(52, fathom*.

lIE whole country has experienced a taste of the bitter cold wave which swept down from the frozen regions of the north. Weather reports from various parts of the United States showed great differences in temperature. Telegrams to the Chicago weather office showed the entire middle West

WISCONSIN CONTEST ENDED.

Jobepb V. Quarles, of Milwaukee,Win* the Senatorial Race. After a long and bitter fight Joseph V. Quarles secured the unanimous Republican caucus nomination for United States Senator from Wisconsin and his election by the Legislature was afterward a mere matter of form. Congressman Joseph W. Babcock, chairman of the national Repubr iican congressional committee, who has

J. V. QUARLES.

been one' of the hardest fighters for the plum, threw his forces to Quarles when he saw that his own election was impossible, and Isaac Stephenson, Judge Webb and ex-Congressman Cook, the other candidates, followed suit. It required 100 legislative and caucus "ballots to end the fight.

GOMEZ ASKS $60,000,000.

Refuses to Disband Cuban Army Until This fun Is l>aid. Maximo Gomez, the Cuban commanding general, is determined to retain his alleged army unless the" sum of $60,000,000 is forthcoming from the United States. The insurgent lender is to all appearances uu-

mindful of the fact that Calixto Garcia, the former Cuban commanding general, shortly before, his death agreed while in Washington to have the United States advance 13,000,000 to the insurgents who are still under arms. This amount was to be paid in order to secure the prompt resumption of labor on the plantations of the island. One hundred dollars was to be paid to each of the 30,000 soldiers when the army was disbanded. Gen. Gomez opposes this scheme, which heretofore met with general satisfaction to most of the Cubans. Gomez says he is entitled to SII,OOO for his services as lieutenant general, which he claims is the American pay for that grade. Gonzales Quesada and Robert P. Porter will go to Cuba and endeavor to persuade Gomez that he is wrong.

The Political Pot.

It takes 378 employes to look after the wants of Missouri’s lawmakers. The present State Government of Indiana, executive and judicial, is for the first time in many years Republican. Last year New York State spent nearly $22,000,000 on various public charities," The beneficiaries of this enormous sum numbered 2,500,000 persons. Judge Ross, successor in the Senate of the late Justin S. Morrill, has long flowing white whiskers, surpassing the crop that drew attention to Senator Peffer. San Francisco’s city hall is completed at last. It was begun twenty-seven years ago and the salary of the men in charge of it was sufficient inducement for them to prolong it to the limit: • There are sixty-five Democrats In the lower branch of the Massachusetts Legislature to 105 Republicans, though at last year’s election the Republicans Carried every county in that State and had a popular plurality of 83,000. Ex-Gov. Loedy of Kansas expresses publicly the private opinion that officeholding is unprofitable—for an honest man. Speaking about his late job he says: “It’s only $3,000 a year, and the way they pull a Governor’s leg he has little left.” In order to prevent sneak legislation, Gov. Roosevelt of Ncqr York insists on the lawmakers observing strictly the rule requiring all parts of bills which change existing law shall be printed In italics. .That Is one effective way of checking mischievous legislation.

Advertising stimulates trade.

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

A good many people think Agoncillo ought to be expelled from the country or locked up as a mischief maker. Others believe a mistake was made by not taking him into confidence when he first arrived and making him a useful tool instead of a mischievous enemy. Agoncillo is a very smooth citizen. He possesses all the traditional cunning of the Malay race and has done a great deal of important work without being able to speak the English language. He has an interpreter. He has called upon all of the members of the Committee on For J eign Relations. Some of them received him kindly, others asked to be excused. He has been in constant communication with several members of the Senate who expressed sympathy for Philippine independence and opposed the ratification of the treaty.

Uncle Sam printed just a few postage stamps during the year 1888, number of 2-cent stamps issued during the year was about 2,500,000,000. Such a number, obviously, is beyond the grasp of the human mind, but perhaps the matter may be made more clear by putting it otherwise. An ordinary 2-cent stamp is exactly one inch long. From this face, by a Jittle calculation, it is easy to discover that the number of stamps of this denomination issued in 1898, placed end to end, would extend a distance considerably exceeding 39,000 miles. In other words, they would make a continuous strip of stamps, each one adorned with the head of the father of his country, stretching in a belt more than once and a half around the equator.

In the lowa congressional delegation there are four spellbinders of considerable ability, and whenever it is known they are to addrpss the House the galleries are crowded. These orators are Dolliver, Cousins, Hepburn and Henderson. It would be a difficult matter to say whether Dolliver or Cousins would win the honors in an oratorical contest. Gen. Henderson, the one-legged veteran, is an orator of a different character. He always espouses the cause of the soldier. Hepburn is a clear and incisive debater and he frequently waxes eloquent. Taking the lowa delegation as a whole, it is one of the strongest in Congress.

United States Indian Inspector McConnell has made an agreement with the Klamath Indians of Oregon whereby the Indians will cede to the Government a tract of land comprising about 600,000 acres. The amount they are to receive is about $600,000. This strip has been in dispute for some time. It is settled by whites, but really belonged to the Indians. The Government now makes amends for a mistake in the survey.

At the request of the Treasury Department thetTar Department has issued an order for the Chinese exclusion act to be enforced in Porto Rico the same as in the United States. The Chinese can go back and forth between this country and Porto Rico, but not between Cuba and Porto Rico. The order is for the purpose of circumventing a scheme by which it was intended to flood Porto Rico with Chinese, who would afterward come to this country.

Many petitions are being received from the people for a decrease in the letter postage rate and indorsing a bill which was introduced by Representative Loud of California. They ask that the letter postage be reduced to one cent; that the rate on paper covered novels be advanced from one cent to eight cents per pound, and that the Government departments be' required to pay the net cost of handling' their mail.

For the first time during the war President McKinley exercised executive clemency and spared Captain George V. Lane, Eighth Illinois infantry, from being dis-4 honorably dismissed from the service, by disapproving the sentence of the court! martial. Captain Lane was found guilty 1 of failing to resist mntiny, in violation! of the twenty-third article of war, and! conduct prejudicial to order and military discipline. The postoffice appropriation, reported to the House, makes an appropriation of $300,000 for the rural free delivery servicq during the next fiscal year. In view of this Assistant Postmaster General Perry S. Heath has felt justified in issuing an order increasing the salaries of all the regular free delivery carriers who provide their own horses or other modes of conveyance from S3OO to S4OO per annum. The Canadian members of the high joint commission say they never saw such a stubborn set of men as their American colleagues. The American commissioners say the Canadians are as obstinate as a I whole caravan of mules. The Canadians I insist the Americans are unreasonable in I their demands. The Americans say the I same of the Canadians. And there they I stand. Either there must be anextra session I of Congress or many important measures I must remain unacted upon. While the I party leaders still profess to believe there 1 will be no extra session, among the mem-1 bers there Is a strong and growing belief I that it will be necessary to call one. I President McKinley announces that hel will not appoint any more commissioners! to the Paris exposition for two or three! months. There are twelve vacancies for! which there are several hundred applica-! Rons. “• •* . _ 1 Representative Clark of lowa is the first! member of Congress to take official notice! of the case of Brigham H. Roberta, thJB member-elect from Utah. He introduce* a resolution which declares that no per! son who practices polygamy shall be * member of either house of Congress, nncH shall not be permitted to hold a seat ijfl Congress. There is a disposition manifested in thll Senate to promptly pension widows of thl sailors and soldiers who lost their Uv*l during the Spanish war. |j