Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 June 1883 — Page 7

THE BAD BOY.

“Say, I thought you tu going to try .to lead a different. life,” said the grocery man to the bad boy, as the youth came in with his pockets full of angleworms, and wanted to borrow a bakingpowder can to put them into, while he went fishing, and he held a long angleworm up by the tail and let it wiggle so it frightened a girl that had come in after 2 cents worth of yeast, so she dropped her pitcher and went out of the grocery as though she was chased by an anaconda. “I am going to lead a different life, but a boy can’t change his whole course of life in a minute, can he? Grown persons have to go on probation for six months before they can lead a different life, and half the tune they lose their cud before the six months expire, and have to commence again. When it is so alfired hard for a man that is endowed with sense to break off being bad, you shouldn’t expect too much from a boy. But lam doing as well as could be expected. I ain’t half as bad as I was. Gosh, why don’t you burn a rqg. That yeast that the girl spilled on the floor, smells like it was sick. I should think that bread that was raised with that yeast would smell like this cooking butter you sell to hired girls.” “Well, never you mind the cooking butter. I know my business. If people Want to use poor butter when they have company, and then blow up the grocer before folks, I can stand it if they can. But what is this I hear about your pa fighting a duel with the minister in your back yard, and wounding him in the leg, and then trying to drown himself in the cistern ? One of your new neighbors was in here this morning and told me there was murder in the air at your house last night, and they were going to have the police pull your place as a disorderly house. I think you were at the bottom of the whole business.” “Oh, it’s all a dam lie, and those neighbors will find they better keep still about us, or we will lie about them a little. You see, since pa got tnat blacking on his face he don’t go out any, and to make it pleasant for him ma invited in a few friends to spend the evening. Ma has got up around, and the baby is a daisy, only it smells like a goat, on amount of drinking the goat’s milk. Ma invited the minister, among the rest, and after supper the men went up into pa’s library to talk. O, you think I am bad, don’t you, but of the nine men at our house last night, I am an angel compared with what they were when they were boys. I got in the bathroom to untangle my fish line, and it is next to pa’s room, and I could hear everything they said, but I went away ’cause I thought the conversation would hurt my morals. They would all steal, when they were boys, but darned if I ever stole. Pa has stole over a hundred wagon loads of water-melons, one deacon used to rob orchards, another one shot tame ducks belonging to a farmer, and another tipped over grindstones in front of the village store, at night, and broke them, and run, another used to steal eggs, and go out in the woods and boil them, and the minister was the worst of the lot, ’cause he took a seine, with some other boys, and went to a stream where a neighbor was raising brook trout, and cleaned the stream out, and to ward off suspicion, be went to the man the next day and paid him a dollar to let him fish in the stream, and then kicked because there were no trout, and the owner found the trout were stolen and laid it to some Dutch boys. I wondered, when those men were telling their experience, if they ever thought of it now when they were preaching and praying, and taking up collections. I should think they wouldn’t say a boy was going ,to hell right off ’cause he was a tittle wild now days, when he has such an example. Well, lately, somebody has been burgling our chicken coop, and pa loaded an old musket with rock salt, and said he would fill the fellow full of salt if he caught him, and while they were talking up stairs, ma heard a rooster squawk, and she went to the stairway and told pa there was somebody in the hen house. Pa jumped up and told the visitors to follow him, and they would see a man running down the alley full of salt, and he rushed out with the gun, and the crowd followed him. Pa is shorter than the rest, and he passed under the first wire clothes-line in the yard all right, and was going for the hen-house on a jump, when his neck caught the second wire clothes-line just as the minister and two of the decons caught their necks under the other wire. You know how a wire, hitting a man on the throat, will set him back, head over appetite. Well, sir, I was looking out the back window, and I wouldn’t be positive, but I think they all turned double back summersaults, and struck on their ears. Anyway, pa did, and the gun must have been cocked, or it struck the hammer on a stone, for it went off, and it was pointed toward the house, and three of the visitors got salted. The minister got hit the worst, one piece of salt taking him in the hind leg, and the other in the back, and he yelled as though it was dynamite. I suppose when you shoot a man with salt, it smarts, like when you get corned beef brine on your chopped hands. They all yelled, and pa seemed to have been knocked silly, some way, for he pranced around and seemed to fhink he had killed them. He swore at the wire clothes-line, and then I misssed pa, and heard a splash tike when you throw a oat in the river, and then I thought of the cistern, and I went down .and we took pa by the collar and pulled him out. Oh, he was awful damp. No sir, it was no duel at all, but anaxident, and I didn’t have anything to do with

it. The gun wasn't loaded to kill, and the salt only went through the skin, but those men did yelL May be it was my chum that stirred up the chickens, but I don’t know. He bias not commenced to lead a different life yet, and he might think it- would make our folks sick if nothing occurred to make them pay attention. I think where a family has been having a good deal of exercise, the way ours has, it hurts them to break off too suddenly. But the visitors went home, real quick, after we got pa out of the cistern, and the minister told ma he always felt when he was in our house, as though he was on the verge of a yawning crater, ready to be ingulfed any minute, and he guessed he wouldn’t come any more. Pa changed his clothes and told ma to have them wire clothes lines changed for rope ones. I think it hard to suit pa, don’t you?” “Oh, your pa is all right! What he needs is rest. But why are you not working at the livery-stable? You haven’t been discharged, have you?” And the grocery-man laid a little lump of concentrated lye, that looked tike maple sugar, on a cake of sugar that had been broken, knowing the boy would nibble it.

“No, sir, I was not discharged, but when a livery-man lends me a kicking horse to take my girl out riding, that settles it. I asked the boss if I Couldn’t have a quiet horse that would drive hisself if I wound the lines around the whip, aud he let me have one he said would go all day without driving. You know how it is, when a fellow takes a girl out riding he don’t waqt his mind occupied holding lines. Well, I got my girl in, and we went out on the Whiteflsh-Bay road, and it was just before dark, and we rode along under the trees, and I wound the tines around the whip and put one arm around my girl and patted her under the chin with my other hand, and her mouth looked so good and her blue eyes looked up at me and twinkled as much as to dare me to kiss her, and I was all of a tremble, and then my hand wandered around by her ear and I drew her head up to me and gave her a smack. Say, that was no kind of a horse to give to a young fellow to take a girl out riding. Just as I smacked her I felt as though the buggy had been struck with a pile driver, and when I looked at the horse he was running away and kicking the buggy, and the tines were dragging on the ground. I was scared, I tell you. I wanted to jump out, but my girl threw her arms around my neck and screamed, and said we would die together, and just as we were going to die the buggy struck a fence, and the horse broke loose and went, off, leaving us in the buggy, tumbled down by the dash board, but we were not hurt. The horse stopped and went to chewing grass, and he looked up at me as though he wanted to say ‘philopene.’ I tried to catch him, but he wouldn’t catch, and then we waited till dark and walked home, and I told the livery man what I thought of such treatment, and he said if I had attended to my driving, and not kissed the girl, I would have been all right. He said I ought to have told him I wanted a horse that wouldn’t shy at kissing, but how did I know I was going to get up courage to kiss her. A livery man ought to take it for granted that when a young fellow goes out with a girl ha is going to kiss her, and give him a horse according. But I quit him at once. I won’t work for a man that hasn’t got sense. Gosh! What kind of maple sugar is that? Jerusalem, whew, give me some water. Oh, my! it is taking the skin off my month." The grocery man got him some water and seemed sorry that the boy had taken the lump of concentrated lie by mistake, and when the boy went out the grocery man pounded his hands on his knees and laughed, and presently he went out fin front of the store and found a sign: “Fresh Letis , been picked more’n a week, tuffer’n tripe.” — Peck's Sun.

Old-Fashioned Family Beefsteak.

Soipe people manage very well to broil meat by taking off a stove-lid and placing the gridiron or wire broiler over the hole. With a tittle forethought to let the fire burn down clear in time it does very well. The damper should be turned so as to make a strong draft and draw the smoke and flame up the chimney especially when it is a coal fire. Some of the best hotels have ranges with large openings in the top for the very same purpose, but used especially for toasting bread. The better way is to put a layer of small broken charcoal in the ash-pan and some live coals on top, and cover all except an opening in front with an inverted baking-pan, so that the draft to the fire must pass over the eharcoal under the pan. Take the steak as bought of the butcher and notch the edges to prevent drawing up in cooking, and beat it out more or less with mallet or cleaver, lay it on the gridiron and place it over the glowing coals. Sprinkle eoarse salt on the fire if the flame is troublesome; the salt puts it out and makes the fire clear.

Pretire the gravy while the steak is broiling. Put a quarter pound of butter into a pan with a teaspoonful of black pepper, same of salt and one-half cupful of water. When the steak is sufficiently done on both sides put it into the pan with the butter, etc., and press it and turn it over to thoroughly season it. Bet pan and steak over the fire a minute, and the gravy will presently be found to be as thick as cream. Serve whole on a large, hot dish, with the gravy poured over.

SUGGESTIONS Of VALUE.

Livkb should be placed in hot water before oooking, after being sliced thin, and then broiled or fried. It is well to brush the under cfusfc of pies with the white of an egg before filling with fTuit, to prevent sogginess. The secret of success in growing cacti is water freely while they are growing, and to keep them dry and warm while they are at rest. . Do not put soap in the water with which you wash the glass on your bureau; wash it with clear water with a soft cloth; then polish it with a piece of chamois skin. This removes lint and makes the glass shine. A bit of economy is to save the peel of oranges; dry it, and grate it for flavoring mince pie and orange cakes, and custard, also. If it is dried perfectly, and is kept in a dry closet, there is no danger of its becoming musty. To clean oil or grease spots from carpets, use fullers’ earth and water; spread thickly, cover with paper, and let it remain two days; brush off, and if not removed, make another application. If haste is required, use benzine. Gilded frames of mirrors and picures are beautifully cleaned by applying the white of eggs with a camel’s hair brush. To prevent flies settling upon them, wash in garlic or onion water. Do not fear the odor, as it soon dies away, and brightens the gilt. A teaspoonful of borax ptft in the last water in which clothes are rinsed will whiten them surprisingly. Pound the borax so it will dissolve easily. This is especially good to remove the yellow that time gives to white garments that have been laid aside /or two or three years. A correspondent of the Fruit Recorder says that common tobacco stems placed on the ground round currant bushes in the spring before frost is out will keep off the currant worm and keep the bushes clean. The tobacco is distasteful to the worms, and they will not crawl over it to ascend the bushes.

Boiled hams are much nicer if allowed to stand in the water in which they are boiled until cold: the outside does not then turn black and dry up as it does when taken from the water to cool, consequently there is less waste in preparing them for the ttdale. But always remember to remove the lid of the kettle so that the steam may escape. The occasion for the deprecatory remarks of the household assistant as she views the tarnished appearance of the steel fender and fire-iron, but recently cleaned at great expenditure of physical energy, will at least be partially removed if a mixture of powdered and sifted emery and olive oil is used. An application now and then, followed by polishing with soft leather, will keep them in a brightly reflective condition. Handsome table covers are made of alternate squares or half squares of basket flannel and of velveteen. One made of two shades of brown is very pretty, and one of brown and lemon color is particularly effective. The spread should be lined; it is not necessary that the entire lining should be of expensive material; unbleached factory cloth will answer, providing that the facing was deep. No border is requisite, but, if one prefers to have it, this should be of velveteen, and the facing of a contrasting color. If the blocks are neatly put together, no needle-work is necessary to adorn the spread; but of course this point may be determined according to the taste and means of the maker.

An old black bunting dress may be made to serve a farther period of usefulness by being renovated and nqade a petticoat. The dust shakes out of bunting with so little effort of the wearer thafrit continues tojbe popular year after year. Kip the dress up, select the best for cleaning, buy 5 cents worth of soapbank at any drug store, let it stand in water until dissolved, if it is the pulverized ; if not, von will be obliged to let it soak, and then steep it for a few minutes. Put your bunting in enough lukewarm water to cover it, and turn the preparation in, rinse it up and down until the cloth is saturated with it; then rinse it in clear water, which should be lukewarm. also. The effect upon the goods is remarkable; it cleanses and restores. Black goods of various kinds may be cleaned in the same way.

How to Succeed.

There must be a responsive feeling in a man, or he is not an artist. You hear a story, and it stirs you; and you think that in a certain combination of events that would be tremendous. A spark falls out on the carpet. / It 'aqesn’t burn the woolen rug; but if there had been gunpowder there, the whole house would nave been blown up! How did Shakespeare get up his plays? From what he had seen and heard in real life. He was a great observer of what was. He jollified right along, and he sang his song like a bird. He didn’t need to talk about kings all the time. Common people were of just as much importance. Just the same with Moliere and Cervantes. Shakespeare never sat down and said: “Now I’m going to be original.” No. When he opened his eyes in the mornng he didn’t think of looking at things as Tommy Tinker did. He wrote his play just as I would smoke a cigar or read a book. But you had better believe he was a worker! The fellows who have succeeded have sweated more than others. It is a case of open pores. Most people, in their eternal grasping for gain, keep their pores tightly closed —Boston Transcript.

WORSE THAR APACHES.

Particulars of a Horrible College Outrage at Earlville, Near . Syracuse. - ■ “ Two Victims Inclosed In Barrels, the Inner Surface of Which Had Been Spiked. The Barrels Rolled Around the Hall and Down Stairs—The Town Terrorised.

(Telegram from Syracuse, N. Y.] The Madison University and the Baptist Theological Seminary, where Baptist ministers are turned out annually, is located at Hamilton, a village about twenty miles south of this city. The institutions have always been known as among the moral Hazing has become a very infrequent occurrence, which makes the crqpl and barbarous treatment of two of tke students, last night, all the-more to be deprecated. Early In the day it was decided by several of the students to haze two of their number belonging to the Sophomore olosa About fifty students were let into the secret, and a full line of procedure was determined on. Two young men drove to Earlville, a village six miles distant, and secured Felt Hall, assuring the owner that they were to have some nafml ess exercises, common in college life, and would not require any fire or The keys were therefore placed in their charge. Suppers for fifty werejdso engaged at the hotel, to be served at 2 a. m. After the two students who were to be hazed had retired their rooms were broken open. They were then'ruthlessly compelled to dress, and were bound hand and foot and gagged. A cloae carriage was in waiting, and into this they were thrust, and the horses’ heads turned toward Earlville. The larger part of the participants had gone m advance by carriages. They arrived at their destination about midnight, and immediately took charge of Felt Hall Two large barrels had previously been prepared for the occasion. Sharpened nails haa been driven into them from the outside, so that they protruded nearly an inch on the interior. The two viotims were placed in these barrels after the gags had been removed from their mouths. The ■barrels were then headed up. The floor of the hall was wet down, and a small fire built in the oenter. Tne barrels were then rolled from one end of the hall to the other, and several times around and over the fire. Revolvers were fired and fire-crackers exploded. The terrible din had aroused several of the villagers, who assembled about the hail. The cries of the imprisoned young men oould be heard above all the confusion. A constable demanded admission to the hall, but was threatened with violence He ungallantly retreated. The barrels were finally rolled down the stairs and into the street The heads were knocked in and the two students liberated. They were more dead than alive, and presented a pitiable sight. When the citizens offered to lend aid and call for a physician the firing of revolvers began a seoona time, and all were glad to retreat The young men’s clothing was nearly torn from their bodies, and the blood flowed from the wounds caused by their coming in contact with the sharpened noils, The hazegs were indignant over the interference of the villagers, broke every streetlamp In town, and destroyed other valuable property. “It is alleged that pearly all of them were intoxicated. They left the town at 3a m, Without eating the supper. The young men who were so cruelly tortured wese taken with them. Both are very iIL The faculty will hold a thorough investlSation. They will also settle the damage one at Earlville. The whole affair has caused just Indignation. The names of the students who were hazed are withheld for the present No such treatment has ever been heard of in this State. The high character of the institution makes the night’s work all the more astonishing.

CIVIL SERVICE.

Commissioner Gregory Enthusiastic. [Washington dispatch.] The Civil Service Commissioners have resumed their work in Washington Dr. Gregory says that the different Commissioners have been very successful in organizing boards of examiners in all the cities They have called upon Postmasters and Customs Collectors to designate for the work clerks of sufficient education and of known probity, and they have been successful in securing persons not only qualified for these places, but who are enthunastio in the work. Mr. Gregory says that, as a matter of fact, the postolfices in large cities are conducted in great measure on divll-servioe principles now. The Postmasters, for the most part, receive appropriations for carrying on their offices in bulk sums, and are rea aired to employ the best men they can at le lowest prices. Dr. Gregory finds that the persons engaged in the poetofflees and postal-service are required to de more laboiious and exacting work than those of any other department of the public service, and receive less compensation. He consider! their pay inadequate to the services rendered. The system of checks upon mistakes in the postofflee service he considers as excelleift and says that the country generally very little appreciates the efficiency end value es this branch of the service. The readiness with which the officials in the leading cities everywhere co-operated with the commission was very gratifying, and indicates, Dr. Gregory thinks, the certain suocesrfof the civil-service system.

OUR MENAGERIE.

Caleb Cope’s cow, in Chester county, Pa, has adopted two young lambs. A febocioub wild man is reported to be roaming In the woods of Pulaski county, Va, ana making attacks upon people he encounter* He Is said to be fully six feet tall, very muscular, with long matted hair and beard. He has been pursued by parties, but was too fleet of foot for them. Boston Post: A few days since George, son of John Relchel, an honest and truthful lad, found in the vicinity of the land lighthouse a snake five feet in length, a hydra-headed monster, which had four heads at one extremity and three at the other. The monster was killed, and Is now corked up in a bottle of alcohoL One of the most comical of animals is a dog which belongs to a gentleman living near Drapersville. N. C. Bait, In addition to his ability to perform funny cricks, this dog is also very faithful One day last winter his master, while sitting with his family by the fire, remarked that he would like a rabbit for his breakfast the following morning. The dog went to the door and pawed it, showing that he wanted to go out When the door whs opened he disappeared About an hour afterward he scratched on the outside of the door, and when his master let him In he dronupd a rabbit In his master’s chain Since then the dog has repeated his novel performance on several oocasiona

SEMI-CENTENNIAL

The Fiftieth Anniversary of lowa’S Settlement Commemorated at Burlington. The Oity Gay with Bunting and Flowers— Speeches, Processions and Fireworks. o ' The oelebration in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of lowa, which took place In Burlington on the Ist Inst, proved to be one of the greeted events of this kind which ever occurred in the West The greatest enthusiasm prevailed, and the entire population es the oity and the surrounding country, and the many thousands of gnasta from all parts of the State, including even the remotest seemed to unite In th'e one aim to make the day a successful one. The city, says a Burlington dispatch, woke up deoorated in the roost gorgeous manner. The business part of town was literally covered with the national colors and ornaments of verdure. A large number of banners were hung across tne streets bearing inscriptions suggestive of inoidents of the past-fifty years. It was particularly noticeable that not merely the business houses and public buildings snowed their decorations, but that the residence part of the city was equally adorned. The number of strangers is estimated to have exceeded 120,000. All the railroads had issued half-fare tickets, and the number of people present doubtlessly exceeded that present at the great oentennial celebration in 1870. The exerolseß were opened with free-air concerts from several or the ohuroh steeples, upon which followed a parade of the Fire Department and a subsequent exhibition of the wafer works of the olty. Banda played at all the prominent places in the oity during the forenoon, which was mostly spent in sight-seeing and the visiting of friends, eto. The great parade of the day took place at 1 o'clock, ana uroved one of the most notable features The march began after fifty guns had been fired in Indication of the fiftieth occurrence of the day, ahd moved through the principal streets tq the public park. The procession was about a mile In length, and almost every single society had their own music corps Arrived at the park, where an immense crowd had already gathered, the procession divided around three speakers' Btands which had been erected and very tastefully ornamented, and the exercises then took places Tfie Hon. A a Dodge, sen of Henry Dodge, the first Governor of Wisconsin Territory, and first Senator from the State of lowa to the United States Senate, one of the oldest Inhabitants of the State, In the name of the city of Burlington, addressed the visitors, and extended to them a warm and hearty welcome, which was received with enthusiastic applause. The orator of the day, the Hon John H. Craig, of Keokuk, lowa, was then introduced, and delivered a masterly address, holding his hearers intensely Interested for more than two hours He was followed by the Hon. George W. Jones, the oolleague of Gen. Dodge m the United States Senate when the State was first admitted, and by Prof. Parwin, of lowa City, who entertained the audience with reminiscences of the olden times. The following speakers also delivered orations: The Hon. Wesley 0. Hobbs, Thomas Hedge, Jr., W. B. Culbertson, Dr. a Cole, the Hon. A 0. Adams, the Hon W. W. Belknap, the Hon. Judge Davis, of Lee county; John W. Burdette, Mr. George O. Duffleld, of Keosaqua; Cfol Sanger, of Des Moines; J. D. M. Hamilton, of Fort Madison, and H. M. Clark, of Wayne county. After the exercises in the pork the crowd dispersed to meet soon again on the river shore to witness the regatta, arranged by the Burling ten Boating Association. In the evening a very fine pyrotechnic display was exhibited from barges anchored In the river. A grand ball concluded the festivities and the programme of the day. The anniversary was celebrated at Dubuque by a banquet at one of the hotels. Speeches were made In honor of the event by Senator Allison, B. B. Richards, J. KGraves and D. J. BurriiL The first settlement of the State was at Dubuque, and this fact was largely dwelt upon by the speakers /

WHAT WE OWE.

The June Official Debt Statement. The following ia a recapitulation #f the debt statement iaened «n the ttth inat.: Interest bearing debt— Three and one-half per cents $ 38,184,090 Four and one-half per cents Four per cents 787,684.100 Three per cents 800,180.000 liefunding certificates. 868.000 Navy pension fund 14,000,000 Total Interest-bearing debt $1,838,220, 060 Matured debt 8,988,470 Debt bearing no’lnterest— Lpggl-tender notes. 848,740,090 .Certificatesof deposit 11,806.000 Gold and silver certificate* 108,494,971 Fractional currency 7,003498 Total without Interest 8620,042,890 Total debt (principal) $1,076,210,42$ Total Interest 10,847,<W> Total cash In treasury 917,068.062 Debt, less cash In treasury 1^00489,408 Decrease during May.., 4,890,47$ Decrease of debt *lnoe June 80,1801 110,726,061 Current liabilities— Interest due and unpaid 1,701,405 Debt on which interest has ceased.. 8,938,478 Interest thereon 879,830 Gold and silver certificate* 163,494,271 U. 8. notes held for redemption of certificates of deposit. 11,806,000 Casta balanoe available June 1,1883... 131,649,831 ToW ~1317.868.088 Available assets— Cash m treasury 817,808,089 Bonds Issued to Pacific rail way companies, Interest payable by United States— Principal outstanding 84,623,819 Interest accrued, not yet txUd. 1,292,470 Interest paid by United States 87,283,300 Interest repaid by companies— By transportation service. 18,774,788 By oaeh payments, 8 per cent, net earnings...... 888498 Balanco of Interest paid by tfnited States 39,833,429

ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Seventy-seven towns In Massachusetts have no debt One firm In Dade county, Fla, proposes to * plant 100,000 ooooanut trees. The number of workmen now employed on the new Capitol at Albany Is 1,O0& Sea shells and crawfish are to be found on the top of Lookout mountain, in Arizona William Penn’s house, on Letitin street, Philadelphia, Is to be placed In Faircnouni Park. Wjuitaxeb, the colored cadet discharged from West Point, is now a professor in the Avery Institute, at Charleston, & a A Bbookltn girl, young and pretty, recovered a verdict of SI,OOO against certain parties who alleged she flirted with horse'-cai conductors.