Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1899 — Page 6

HIS BEST bAY. "I know a boy likes Chris'mas best ’Cos Santa Claus comes then; Be Ukes to hang his stocking up, As’ take It down again, As' count his pretents. out—but I—rdrutber have It Fourth July, o •That other boy likes Cbris'mas beat ’Cos o' the Chris'mas trees Ve Sunday schools —an' things to eat, An' when t bey's been a freeze, He Ukes to slide and skate, but my! ,What*a that longside o' Fourth July? »*Chris'raas Is good, but Fourth July! That day’s the best of all— O my I I wlsht could- be the Fourth All summer an’ all fall! Co other time begins to be > good as Fourth July to me! **l hope ’at when the Fourth Ia here Hr mother'll think Its right To let me creep down stairs an’ Are My crackers off 'fore light, i'll blow my horn, and shoot my gual An’ wake up pa! an' have such funl "At dark I’ll Are my shooting stars, An' let my rockets glare. An' set my Roman candles off— Whlssl Rush I Bass! Bang! Pop! Flare I ChrU'mas Is good 'nough, but myl I’drather have It Fourth July! I wlsht 'twas always Fourth July!” —Womankind.

A Fireworks Capture.

ROUBLE raged on the Irrigation v Jf ditch. The upper gang and the iowv* er gang were at outs. The former had loot a horse and the lower gang was •opposed to include the thief. “It just means a fight," exclaimed Mack to Simpson, as the two members of the lower gang rode over the plains one summer night. “There cau't be any horse stealing around these parts and not have fighting." "No; and the feeling ign’t any too good already," added the other. The ponies loped easily, and turning down the trail went swiftly into the thick sunflowers of a ravine. It was nearly sunset and the tall weeds seemed to be almost like young saplings. Suddenly the horses stopped; ahead was an unusual sight, a white-topped prairie schooner. “A one-horse rig, too,” exclaimed Simpson, looking at the thills that were on the front of the wagon, f "And deserted, too,” and Matt drew nearer to the strange outfit. “Well, what do you think of a man that will do this?" lie pulled the curtains aside and showed the sleeping form of a boy perhaps 7 years old. The little fellow looked peaked and helpless and the sympathies of both the men were aroused by the sight. "Well, he’s a rascal," was the reply at last and the curtain was dropped. “He ain't a rascal," came from the inside of the wagon. “My papa is good to me." "Hello, there, what are you doing here?" asked Matt. “Waiting for fireworks; papa has gone after them. He always gets them for me on the Fo’ther July." “What did he say?” asked Matt. “Says his father has gone after fireworks—a likely story. The boy’s hungry; that is what is the matter with him.” “Well, let’s feed him. I’ll go over and get him something from the camp. And, •ay, I’ll bring him some fireworks, too. I'd forgot It, but to-day is the Fourth of July, and the boss has a lot of rockets and things ready to fire off. All the men are out hunting for the horse thief and they have forgotten all about it. I can steal a few.” Away rode Matt in the gathering darkness, and although the pony went very fast, and the man did not stay in camp more than a few moments, the wait seemed a long one to the watcher in the ravine with the boy. The child was hungry and nervous and confided to the man that he had been “awful sick.” Simpson felt exceedingly sorry for the little one, and was more and more indignant at the actions of the man who had forsakeu such a precious charge. "Here he comes,” he said at last, when the rattle of horse’s hoofs was heard on the prairie sod. Matt came down the ravine and had some ditliculty in finding the wagon hidden in the sunflowers. At last he opened the package of food and laid the fireworks on the grass beside the boy. “Supper first,” was the order from Simpson, and the three ate the generous supply that had been brought. “Good thing not to take the kid to the ranch,” said Matt. “The men will have a rough time there to-night, and they wouldn’t spare the boy.” “Now for the fun,” and away went one •f the rockets into the darkness, scattering its splendor over the level plains that spread from the edge of the ravine. The Jack rabbits and the prairie owls saw it —~ and wondered what it could be. Somebody else saw it, for away'off to the south, where its light was visible only as a faint glimmer, there was a company •f horsemen, and they turned their animals in that direction. “Hark!” said Matt, as the fun was at its height. "Somebody’s coming." . The light of the last rocket had given a passing view of a man on horseback at the crest of a ravine. In a moment the man was near them and he was accompanied by a large number. In the midst of the party, with his head bound in a large red handkerchief, was seen the figure of a man tied on a horse. “We have got the thief,” said the leader of the newcomers. "Well,” replied Matt, “what are you bringing him here for?” “We kind of lost our way and we thought this was the camp. But we are going to settle with the rascal right here, anyhow. It might not be best to take him to the camp, after all.” “Sure it is the man?” ' “Bound to be —got the horse." In the dim light of the little fire of sunflower stalks that somebody bad kindled the prisoner was brought forth. He presented a pitiful appearance and the men almost felt sorry for him. Still, they knew the unwritten law. “What have you there?” remarked one of the newcomers, pointing to the boy who stood by, looking with open-mouthed astonishment on the weird scene. "Nothing but a kid that we picked up,” answered Matt. “Let him alone, will you?” “Say, fellows,” went on the visitor, “what's the matter with letting the boy fire some of his rockets and make a respectable illumination for this proceedThe others agreed, and the child was placed ia position at the head of the two Unea that had formed and had ia bis hand a Mg rocket that waa to be fired at the

A CRACKER-JACK

1. Jack Rabbit—Polly, want a cracker? Poll—Not on your life, Jacky. I’rs sworn off smoking. Jack—Then let’s have a Fourth of July race. I'm a regular crackerjack at sprinting.

8. Humph! This looks like one on me.

5. Folly—How’a that for a cracker, Jack?

signal, and then the bands were to be taken from the prisoner and he could be hit by any one who was quick enough. It was thought that be would get enough punishment to prevent him from ever returning to that section again. He evidently thought so, too, for he was trying his best to escape. “All ready,” called Matt. “Go!” The bandage was dropped from the man’s eyes and the ropes came from off his feet and arms. A dozen whips were raised to strike, but before they could be used a dramatic scene followed. The boy who was to fire the rocket dropped the signal in the grass and the bunches of fire went skurryfng away In the tall sunflowers. For himself, the little fellow made one leap, and before a whip descended he was clinging to the man’s neck with both arms around the same in an embrace that meant a great deal. “Oh, it’s papa!” he cried, and the man, instead of running, stood holding the child to his breast. “Well, this is a go,” said Matt “What have you men been doing?” “Make him run,” called one of the more excitable ones among them. He raised his whip again, but Simpson stood between and would have received the blow on his own shoulders. “You have captured the wrong man,” said the stranger. “Bht you didn’t say so.” “How could I when yon had put a yard of cotton over my mouth? I was looking for something to eat, and you made a rush and got me tied before I could get word to you. I tried not to let you get me, though.” “Yes, you fought like a tiger.” “My boy and 1 are traveling back eagt,” went on the man. “One of our horses gave out back here a ways, and we had to get along with one. The boy’s mother died in the mountains, and I must take him to my folks. We are very poor, but we ars honest.” “Then how did you get the horss that belongs to the gang?” “I did not get the horse. This is my own horse.” “We’ll see about that. Come on, boys,” said the leader, and they went toward tj»e ranehe house, where the men had their headquarters. “Bring little fireworks and his pli.ythiugs,” called one of the men, and they gathered up the remainder of the rockets. On the way the boy tired several, and their path was thus marked with fire and shouting, for the men enjoyed the sight as well as he. As they came into camp they saw all the upper gang men and the remainder of tha lower gang employes gathered there. This

-'-Minneapolis Journal.

HURRAH FOR THE FOURTH!

2. Poll—l’ll go you. But won’t yoo hats a cracker, Jack? Do have on* om me.

4. Tut! tut! What’a this? I smell powder.

6. Zip! Kerzoom! End of the Tals. —San Francisco Examiner.

unwonted sight made them afraid that! trouble was in the air. “We have got your horse,” called Matt, as they drew nearer. “So have we,” came the strange answer. 1 Sure enough, as they entered tha camp there was brought a horse with a place of picket rope tied to his neck, and when they stood him beside the horse ridden by the stranger the two animals looked like as twins. f “But this is the right one,” explained one of the men, pointing to the rope. “He bad been in the tall weeds and was tangled by his rope.” “Seems to me that we owe yon an apology,” said Matt, addressing the stranger. “Let’s celebrate it,” added the happy Simpson. “If it hadn't been for the boy we would have given the man pretty bad treatment. Let him fire his rockets.” So the remainder of the fireworks went into the dark and illuminated the scene that was so unusual on the plains. “While we are about it,” went on Simpson, “let’s shake hands and be friends again.” The men of both gangs liked the suggestion and spent a huppy evening together. When the boy and the emigrant drove on east a few days afterward they were seated behind two horses, and the g*oo4 wishes of both camps went with thenL-* Chicago Record.

Racing Tern[?]

“They’re off In a bunch.”

The Modern Casabianca.

The bgt stood on the backyard tones, Whejoe all but him had fled; The flnwe* that lit hit father’s barn Bhona round him o'er the sheA. A bunco of crackers In his hand, Two ethers In his hat— With piteous accents loud he cried, “I noi er thought of that!” The flgmes flew wide, flew thick, flew hot. They lit upon the brat; They Used those crackers In his hand. And s'en those In his hat. There oame a burst of thunder sonnd-s The boy! Oh, where was he? Ask the winds that strewed around His fragments on the lea! A top, < knife, three marbles and Bomp flsh hooka and some yarn— The rvllfs of that dreadful boy Who burnt his father's barn! -Vim.

OLD-TIME DOCTORS.

There Was Little Rest Healing Virtue in All Their Me’dicatucnta. The Dutch West India Company, which colonized the island of Manhattan, enjoined upon the colonists to support a minister and a schoolmaster, and also to appoint Zieckeutroosters (comforters of the sick). Sometimes the offices of pedagogue and “comforter” were united in one person, be being “pious, well-qualified and diligent.” Usually the comforter of the sick was a safer attendant than the doctor of those days, whose conception of disease and remedies was a confused theory of humors, sympathetlcs and antagonlstlcs.

“The whole ground of physic,” say* a medical authority of 1657, “Is comprehended In these two words, sympathy and antipathy. The one cures by strengthening the parts of the body afflicted, the other by resisting the malady afflicting.” Certain simples and compounds, with a few mineral remedies, were made up Into unguents, plasters, liniments, pills, boluses and decoctions. Armed with these, and with herbs gathered at certain phases of the moon or conjunctions of the planets, and above all with the lancet, the seventeenth century doctors waged war with disease. They had no intelligent conception of the causes or processes of disease, nor of the true action of drugs; yet they thought they cured disease. No wonder the Dutch of New York appointed “comforters of the sick!”

The author of an essay entitled, “The Doctor in Old New York,” published in the “Half-Moon Papers,” himself n physician, says that the remedies of the most eminent physician of his time in Europe, whose patients were Henry IV. and Louis XIII. of France, and James I. and Charles I. of England, were calomel, sugar of lead, pulverized human bones, raspings of an nnburied human skull and a balsam of bats. We sneer at the remedies of Chinese doctors, whose error is that they stopped learning three hundred years ago, whereas their English brethren went on from one medical discovery to another, and often set aside the teachings which were twenty years old as obsolete. Doubtless the personality of these doctors had much more to do with their success, whatever it was, than tlielr practice had. They sought to make themselves Impressive; they carried gold-headed canes and wore wigs with two or three pigtails—so elaborately dressed that they went hatless to call on their patients. A silk coat and stockings, silver buckles and a muff were essential to a well-dressed doctor of the seventeenth century. “Up to the days of Charles 11. he made his visits on horseback, riding sideways, after the fashion of women; but after that time he rode In his coach drawn by two, and sometimes four or even six, horses.”

What Lincoln “Could Not Help.” In some interesting reminiscences of Lincoln, related by J. B. Montgomery, a story of Lincoln’s mercifulness, told by Gen. Moorhead of Pennsylvania, is repeated. As Gen. Moorhead was once entering the White House, he saw a woman, almost overcome with excitement, hurrying out. Within he found President Lincoln pacing his, room in a manner so distracted that the Congressman feared he had lost his reason. ‘Mr. President,” Gen. Moorhead exclaimed, “what is the matter?” “Matter enough!” answered Lincoln. “This is Black Friday; It is shooting day in the army. The boy of that woman who has just gone out was going to be shot to-day; he Avas found sleeping on his post. He ought never to have l>een enlisted; he was hardly sixteen years old. I pardoned him. I shall I>e denounced by the generals for demoralizing the army, but I could not help it—l could not help it!” There is a general agreement that Mr. Lincoln's frequent merciful interference with the disciplinary orders of the generals of the army did have a certain demoralizing effect, but it has not lowered the world’s estimation of him as a man, and It Is not likely, as Mr. Montgomery says In telling "this story, to count against him in “the great account.”

A Flag of Truce.

Such occurrences as this are Inevitable. The father is a veteran of the civil war, and the son helped settle tfiings in Cuba. “You don’t know what war |s,” said the old gentleman at dinner the other day. “It’s nothing to go over and clean out a lot of half-breeds and heathen. We fought as brave a lot of men as ever strapped on a knapsack or pulled a trigger, and we didn’t come home kicking because our bill of fare wasn't np to that of a $5-a-day hotel.” “O, I guess you did your share of kicking, from what I read. And I guess you didn't strike anything much hotter than ft was going up that hill at Santiago.” “Papa,” said little Johnny, from near the foot of the table, “do you mean tbht a man that was wounded or killed in your war was any more woundeder or killeder than they was In Brother Ike’s war?” The older veteran simply hoisted Ills napkin on his fork, and the Cuban hero smilingly acknowledged the surrender. —Detroit Free Press.

Prince Henry Studies Chinese.

Prince Henry of Prussia, brother of the Kaiser, became so delighted with the Chinese language during his visit to the Flowery Land that he has taken up the study of the tongue, and thinks ijt superior to any other, ancient or modern. There is one thing young men should remember: if they contract good habits when young, they will be of the greatest assistance to them in middle age. Good habits are as strong as bad habits. Everything worth having in this life tomes as a result of good habit*.

WOMEN

MEANING OF MOTHERHOOD. 66 yideal motherhood is the work II not of instinct, but of enliglit”ened knowledge conscientiously acquired and carefully digested,” writes Helen Watterson Moody in the Ladies’ Home Journal. “If maternity is an Instinct, motherhood is a profession; and yet many a girl undertakes It with less understanding of its duties and less anxiety for their discharge than she gives to the selection of the tailor who Is to make her new gowns, or the costumes of the bridesmaids in her wedding procession. It is quite the fashion nowadays, in well-to-do families, to provide the daughters with some special training by means of which they could earn their own bread and hotter If the family fortunes should suddenly fail. It is held to be altogether wise and proper to educate a daughter for a possible profession In a remote contingency, yet while nineteen out of twenty of our girls marry and become mothers, no training whatever for the real profession of tlielr lives is thought to be necessary. Any practicing physician will tell you that four-fifths of the illness among children could be avoided by proper knowledge and care on the part of the mothers, and yet our girls feel that they must take up college settlement work and scientific whist and the banjo to get a little excitement into their lackluster lives until the great excitement of marriage comes.”

Won a Wife by Wire. A happy marriage resulted from a courtship conducted exclusively by wire. Wilbur F. Cannon, the Colorado Congressman and wealthy manufacturer, proposed to Miss Fairchild, a church organist of Jersey City, in fifteen minutes after first meeting her.

MR. AND MRS. W. F. CANNON.

Of course, it was rather sudden, and as the train bore Miss Fairchild away from Denver, the persistent Cannon began shooting love missiles at her by electricity. Miss- Fairchild entered Into the romance of the original though costly scheme of love-making. They were happily married after a courtship conducted exclusively by wire.

Fhe's a Globe Trotter. Miss Edith Van Buren, great granddaughter of President Van Buren, is famous as a globe trotter and Klondike

MISS VAN BUREN.

Sandwich islands. Social triumphs Miss Van Buren quitted last year for untrammeled life in the Klondike. She walked over the White pass. She roughed it like the miners. She staked a claim. She slept in a tent, trudged through snowdrifts la bloomers and rubber boots, visited dance halls and variety shows, and gave dinners with a pine box for a table, a piece of mosquito net for a table cloth, and a tin can filled with wild flowers by way of decorations.

' Factory Slavery. A mill owner not long ago issued tbe order that the girls in his employ should not wear laced shoes. The reason he gave was that each one’s boot became untied at least five times a day, and took at least five seconds to retie. When these twenty-five seconds were multiplied by 800—the number of girls In his employ—the loss of time was, he said, too serious to submit to. Another mill owner, talking over this case, said that he had forbidden visitors, because each of his “hands” turned her head to look at them. Computing twenty visitors a day and two seconds for the head-turnings of each of his 600 employes, made over six hours dally wasted In that gesture.— Chicago News.

Fashion Trifles. Quantities of lace. White pique collars. Neck ribbons by the score. Shirt waists one wants still $2. Shirt waist materials reduced in price. Buckles and buckles and more buckles. Buttoned skirts until one Is awfully tired of them. Pretty white ties to take the place of stiff collars. Shirt waists with yokes back and front very common. A Pretty Petticoat. Silk underskirts of the handsomer variety are expensive luxuries, but the woman who is handy with her needle can fashion one for about $5 that would cost her three times that mnch If bought In the stores. The petticoat itself Is made of plain taffeta, in any tint, and It Is trimmed with escalloped ruffles that are finished at the edges with a heavy button hole stitch In

explorer. She has been twice around the world and to Japan four times. She is one of the best known American women in the court circles of Europe, is known In the holy land, In jungles of India, in Australia ancl-ln the

black. Polka dots of the black, also, are worked In the ruffles. The effect Is very dainty, and distinctly new.

A Girl’s Darios.

If Miss Ruth Beardsley, of Derby, Conn., had realized the notoriety which she was to gain through riding her bl-

cycle across the railroad trestle from Shelton to East Derby, nearly a mile la length, she would not have attempted the remarkable fe(s of daring. Miss Beardsley Is modest. She wanted to prove to

MISS BEARDSLEY.

her young girl friends that a woman could do what a man had done. Four years ago Edward J. Keeler, an expert wheelman, rode over the trestle, but no other wheelman has since dared to attempt the feat, and Keeler says he couldn’t be hired to do It again. “It was soley to prove that a woman could ride the trestle that I attempted the feat,” said Miss Beardsley.

Keantj Hint*. Drink pure water. Don’t drink tea or coffee. Don’t eat much animal food. Eat an orange every day or so. Walk two or three miles a day. Eat a few salted almonds daily. Eat grapes, apples, raisins and figs. Don’t fret, don’t worry; be calm and quiet. Bathe the whole body daily in tepid water. An egg or two a day, soft boiled, Instead of meat. A Practical Idea. “It seems strange,” says a sensible* New York woman, “that more women! who are forced to earn their own llv-l lngs do not open lunchrooms of somei kind. The first thought of a womani who has to support herself seems to be that she must do something of wblchj she knows nothing and which required a long apprenticeship and a special education.” Unnsnal Gallantry. A new phase in street car etiquette* has broken out in New York. Recent-; ly a lady who was standing was asked by a young man occupying a seat If be might hold her package for her.) She allowed him the privilege andj strange to say, not at the expense of losing her bundle. It was a piece of, alloyed politeness not often met with.

Helps tbe Distressed. Princess Marie of Bavaria has never felt any inclination for the usual pursuits of princesses, but spends her time

In succoring the distressed. Her husband, Duke Carl Theodore, has converted part of his beautiful castle Into a free eye hospital, and is assisted in his work by the Duchess, who frequently helps with some particularly deli-

cate operation, and is a very capable assistant.

The Helen Goulil Carnation. It is said that Miss Helen Gould shares the general enthusiasm for carnations, and has in her greenhouses at 4 Lyndhurst many varieties. There is one which shows stripes of red and white in particularly beautiful effects. It is named Helen Gould. There is not, however, any reason for supposing that the flower originated in the Gould conservatory.—New York Tribune.

Kllen Terry's Hobby. Ellen Terry’s favorite hobby is the collecting of eyeglasses worn by celeb- * ritles, and whenever she makes a request for a pair—a request never refused—she gets the wearer to ■write his or her name on one of the lenses. The collection is kept in a special cabinet in her house in South Kensington. John Brown. Colonel T. W. Higginson, in his autobiography, “Cheerful Yesterdays,” 1 thus characterizes John Brown: “I saw before me a man whose mere appear- 1 ance and bearing refpted in advance! some of the strange perversions which have found their way into many books., In his thin, worn, resolute face there were signs of a fire which might wear him out, and practically did so, but nothing of pettiness or baseness; and ■ his talk was calm, persuasive, and coherent He was simply a high-mind-ed, unselfish, belated Covenanter; he had that religious elevation, which it Itself a kind of refinement; he lived, as he finally died, absolutely absorbed in one idea; and it is as a pure enthusiast —fanatic, if you please—that he is t» be judged.” t A. Bablnoff, a native Russian and prominent at the Chicago bar, owns » copy of the terrible “Code of Alexis.O promulgated by the early Romanoffs over 200 years ago. This Is said to be, the only genuine copy extant outside of Russia, where It is very rare. In every city or town in the Nether- j lands you will find a Rosemary street. % In olden days only undertakers lived In them, the rosemary being, in the language of flowers, specially dedicated d the dead. I The healthiest spot in the world ] seems to be a little hamlet in Franca j named Aumone. There are only forty W inhabitants, twenty-five of whom are \ 80 years of age, and one is over 100. m The almighty dollar resembles some 1 men; it talks without saying anything; | v/* .»/•

MARIE.