Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1889 — Page 2

A LEGEND OF MEXICO.

Don Pedro de Ycaza, alcalde of Las was a great hunter —handsome and rich. He was quite advanced in life when he made the confession here recorded. Rumer had it that in his life of every social feast, but for many years ne was seldom seen to smile; a gloomy expression was habitual upon his face. It was late in December, as after din* ner Don Pedro sat with two dear and old friends who had just arrived to pay him a long promised visit. They talked of old times, and, among other things, of a certain beautiful marquise. “Oh! Pedro,” said the older guest, “how I tried to marry you to her; such ajmagnificent woman, with such wealth. Why don’t you marry? You are not too old. I have a charming bride for you. Girls always prefer elderly men, you know, and this one is so pretty and so well brought up—just out of a convent and easily moulded to your wished and tastes.

There was a long pause. At last Pedro said: “Well, there are a good m*ny reasons why I should not merry, and good reasons, too. The first is, because—l am married already— ’” , “Manied already!” exclaimed his friends in one breath. “Where, when, and to wham? We never heard of any wife, nor have you ever spoken of her. 'Are you a Moor, that you keep her shut up in a seraglio? “No,” replied the Don sadly. “It is a sad story, but if you do not mind listening and sitting up quite late,, vou will both hear my story and see ms wife. But on one condition, that you do not apeak ( whatever you may witness) either to her or to me after she has gone again. Once a year, this night in December, she is permitted to come and see me. There will just be time enough,” he said, looking at his watch., “for me to tell you, my old friends, how it happened. But you must promise to keep it a secret, as I have for so many years. They both promised and Don Pedro began. I was bear hunting in the most solitary mountains of our wildest regions, nearly eleven years ago, and got separated from my comrades, i wandered about until dark, trying to join my friends, when night came on; for safety I climbed into the tallest tree I could find, leaving my horse .to wonder at will, certain that my call would bring him when I wanted him. I had been asleep some time when I was awakened by the call of a hunting horn, most beautifully played. It was none of our calls, so I looked out cautiously o see what manner of men were hunting at midnight. The night was a very dark one, but the whole place seemed to be lighted up in some mysterious manner. Suddenly out of the darkness stepped the most beautiful woman I ever beheld. She was exquisitely formed, and dressed in some gauzy stuff which showed her figure off to perfection. About a yard from where I was she stopped under another tree and played again a sweet tune upon her horn. And as I watched her I saw all sorts of animals coming in troops one after the other down the mountain paths. There were bears, wolves, wild cats and lynxes, and when they came very near to her I trembled. Ddt she showed no fear; standing with her back to the tree. The wolves crouched at her feet, the cats clawed playfully at her gown, the lynxes rubbed against her, and the bears reared up and laid their jieads upon her shoulders. She caresses each one in turn, and they actually purred with delight. She sat down in the midst of them for a few minutes, talking to them as though they were human. Then she stood up, held out her hands, and dismissed them. When the last one had disappeared the beautiful creature played another tune upon her horn and a flock of goats and deer came cantering along the mountain passes. She fed and petted them, seemed to love them very much, and soon dismissed them, and again blew a long blast. A troop of horses came galloping along the mountain passes, neighing and kicking up their heels as though utterly happy. These performed a sort of dance about the lady, who in turn caressed them and rode on their backs, to the great delight of each. After an hour of what seemed like teaching they wqre dismissed. She sat down under the tree, loosened her long, golden hair, and combed it with a golden comb. At the same time she looked toward the tree where I was hidden, watching her every movement, and suddenly said: “Oh, man, come down from that tree and talk to me.” Then she sung a lovely song, and as she sang I slowly, and utterly against my will and better judgment, got down from the tree and approached her. SI.S seemed to take ne notice of me, but went on singing until I was quite close to her, when she said, “Sit down, don’t toe afraid.” For some time we talked as if ws hap known each other all our lives. But gradually I fell asleep. When I awoke, my lady had vanished. But the remembrance of her never left me, her image never faded from my mind. I was really in love for the first time in my life, and night after night did I go, at the peril of my neck,, to try and again meet her. For months I was unsuccessful, then suddenly I met her in a lonely

mountain pasA My heart gave iTgreaf bound, andj determined to ask her to marry me. I told her I was rich, and would lavish upon her all that wealth could buy; but she gave me a look of scorn, and said: T am as rich and richer than one thing do I require of the man I marry, and that is—” 77 ' I swore to conroly with her wishes; she no longer hesitated. “The man I marry will never utter the name of the Virgin, or cross himself.” “I was so much in love I could not realize all the conditions implied. We were married. She was greatly admired, wherever we went she created a grand sensation. But to all others than myself she was entirely indifferent. To me she was devoted and we were very happy. One curious thing about - her was that she never seemed to wear shoes or stockings. This was very strange to me, and one night, urged by intense curiosity, I looked at her feet when shgwas asleep. What was my horropwifen I found that she had two hopra like a horse, with iron shoes on them. For some time I could not shake off a feeling of dread, but she was so womanly and affectionate in other respect, that after a time I forgot the shock. In the course of two years we had twin sons, who were the joy of our lives. She could hardly let them out of he’- arms, much less cut of her sight. When they were about 4 years old, 1 came in from a grand day’s shooting. The game was thrown in a corner of the largestone dining- room, nmt the dogs lay near to guard it. Suddenly, while we were dining, one Of the pointers gave a loud howl, rushed swiftly around the room, crawled to my feet, and dropped over dead. My wife, afraid that the dog might revive, snatched up our boys and got on a chair. I was very much alarmed, and forgetting mv promise altogether, said, “Santisima Virgin Maria, there is some witchcraft and devil’s work here,” as crossing myself, I stooped down to examine the dog.

I heard a peculiar sound from the other side of the room, which was half a neigh and half a scream. I looked up and beheld my wife changing into a black horse; the children held on to the mane and wings came from the sides. Gradually rising in the air, sbe went up and up, and flew out of the window, carrying the little ones with her. Once a year they camo to see me.and to-night I am expecting them. But make no noise, or speak not when they appear, or something dreadful will happen. The friends of Don Pedro, astonished at this extraordinary story, were quiet, but looked timidly and, anxiously toward the door. They were not kept long in suspense, for very soon after the tale was finished the door of the room opened, and one of the most beautiful women they had ever seen entered the room. Behind her came two 7-year-old colts. The men rose—the strangers retiring to the end of the room. Don Pedro advanced, ami the lady greeted him lovingly, while the two colts rubbed their heads together and gave every sign of joy. “They have grown taller since last year, have they not. Pedro?” their mother asked. “I should hardly have known them again, Nora7’ he replied. The lady called the two colts to her, and as they knelt before her she took them by the tails and pulled off their skins, and in an instant they were two charming little boys. Tne skins were folded up like little coats and laid in the corner of the room. Don Pedro and his wife conversed a long time in an undertone, and the l.ttle boys got tired. Their eyes wandered about the room and at last spied the guests. The children walked directly to them. r “Who are vou, and how do yotfuo?” said they as they held out their little hands. “We are old friends of your papa,who have come a long way to see him. He is very lonely, poor papa,” said one of the gentlemen. “Do you come often to see him?” “We only come once a year; we want to come oftener, but we can’t.” “Why can’t you?” inquired the guest The boy hesitated, and his brother spoke up: “Because no one can speak the charm. We can not ask papa to do it, for it has no effect after the first time, and he has already done it once, when we went away with mamma.” “What is your name, my child?” “Pedro.” . n — w ,--- “And yours?” “Pablo.” “And does it not hurt you whenithat little coat is taken off ?” 9 “Oh, no,” cried Pedro, “mammatakes off our coats every night, and then she eaches us manners, and reading and writing. I wish some one would say the charm pipa said, and then we could stay with papa. It is sometimes very cold outside, when it rains and snows.” The time was growing near to midnight, and at last the beautiful lady said to the children. “We must go.” But the little ones held fast to their father’s friends, and begged: “Oh, say the charm! please say the charm!” I Then the two gentlemen looked at

- ------ - :• \.■ .. - ■ - - each other, and, each holding a child lightly by the hand, eaid, “Santo Virgin Maria,” crossing themselves as they uttered these words. The beautiful, lady, who was standing up near Don Pedro, suddenly staggered back and would have fallen to the ground had her husband not eaught ber in his arms. , / •_ ---- : -<—< ——’ ——- “My time has come, Pedro,” sLe whispered. “Farewell! the children are saved!” and. after heaving one deep sigh, the beautiful lady was dead.

Strange Showers.

ILY. Sun. The story comes from Dakota that the good people of Jamestown have been treated to a shower of frogs. Years ago this interesting visitation would have inspired awe and even fear, but the intelligent frontiersmen of Dakota take a common sense view of the event, A very .lively hurricane was in the neigh? borhood just then, and the people think the frogs were caught up from their place of abode in a slough, had a free ride on the wings of the storm, and were ■ftWnliy dumped into the principal street of the town. This view is certainly more plausible than the old notion on similar occasions, which was that the frogs of some other world were making a tour. Prof. Geike says that falls of frogs and toads are a frequent occurrence in Italy, but it is noticed that the phenomenon always takes place near a wall, and there is a grave suspicion that the little hoppers are merely washed from the roofs and gutters during a heavy fall of rain. A little science and observation usually strips these surprising occur rences of their mysterious aspects. The rain ufblood that'frightunsd The Hague nearly out of its wits in the seventeenth century was caused by an enormous swarm of tiny red water fleas. Other sanguinary showers have had an equally harmless origin, and most of them have certainly been caused by rain falling through very fine red dust from desert regions, which is sometimes carried through the air for hundreds of miles. The peasantry of Andalusia in 1804 witnessed a shower of wheat, and were disposed to think the good old days of the children of Israel had returned, when provisions were Providentially supplied. The explanation was very simple when it was found out. Over in Africa, across the Straits of Gibraltar, gome laborers had been threshing wheat, While they were at their midday meal a hurricane swooped down, swept their threshing floor clean, lifted the grain thousands of feet in air by its mighty suction, and finally sowed it over the streets of a Spanish town. There is a good deal of humor in the pranks nature occasionally plays, though the worid, before it understood nature very well, often thought these sportive freaks were matters of very solemn and portentious import.

The Line-Kiln Club.

D troit Free Press, “Ar’ Brudder Lightfoot in de hall dis evenin’?” asked the President as he looked anxiously around. “Yes, sah,” answered the brother as he bobbed up with energy and dispatch. “Please step dis way, sah. Brudder Lightfoot, I understands dat you has lately been callin’ yo’ self purfesser.” “Yes, sah. I plays on de fiddle.” “Oh, dat’s it? You has also been wearin mightv high collars.” “Yes, sah.” “Got good clothes.” “Y’es,sah.".— _——- —~— “Talkin’ ’bout rentin’ a box in de post offis, I h’r?” “Yes, sah.” “An’ you is smokin’ reg’lar cigars?” “Y-yes, sah.” , “Ar’ dat a dimun pin you has on?” “N not quite, sah.” “Am’ dot watch chain all gold?” “N-not all, sah.” f “Now,, Rr udder Lightfoot. Look-a-yere. Ydu is behind in your rent, head ober heels in debt, an’ your chill’en hain’t got shoes to go to school. I hear of you loafin’ ’bout saloons an’ standin’ on de-co’ners. I’m gwine to gin you jistone week todrap dat purfessor biznessan’ hunt for a job. If you do it, well an’good. If you doan’ do it, dis club kin despense wid your presence. A purfessor ar’all right when he purfeses, but a purfessor who saws a fiddle fur beer while his wife rubs a wash board fur grub am about de moas’ ornery critter on airth. De meetin’ am now disjoumed.”

Wall Street Notes.

Munsey’s Weekly, It is quite as hard for a broker to live on his income as it is for a beggar to live on his outgo. It is eminently proper that a young Napoleon of stock-gambling should meet his Water-100. The early bird catches the worm, but the early spring lamb on Wall street is lucky if he catches any of the mint sauce. If Jay Gould does not go slow in his aqueous career he will rapidly degenerate from a financial to a water power. Young speculators who hold for a rise will do well to sell before the enterprises in which they are interested have entirely gone up. If the worst ernes to the worst a large number of the western railroads will be able to pay off their gold bonds in railroad iron at 5 mills on the dollar. The fondnees of gay young broken for comic-opera troupes is quite excusable when it is remembered that they have been brought upto admire stoss companies. z

FOND OF THE WEED.

Three Celebrated Chewers—Their Methods and Manners. Globe-Democrat. > - One of the most successful pieces of work that po’onel Robert G. Ingersoll Qiu niß Kerr, the gentleman who was recently acquitted bribing some of our city fathers. Crowds daily attended this otherwise dull trial to watch “Bob.” Never had the popular belief in his ability been more clearly shown. Yet it must be admitted that never did a man behave more atrociously in public tian this same apostle of infidelity.

In the morning it was his habit to come into court about ten o’clock. Then he would sit down and stretch himself while-one ot his associates went on with the routine work. His oig body, with its bread shoulders, would be*huddled up so that it looked very much smaller than it really was. After about thirty minutes of quiet the colonel would crack a joke, which invariably convu'sed his hearers, and then he would begin fishing around in bis pockets for his tobacco. His quid was always very email, and almost anybody else could have chewed it without attracting any attention. But the colonel made no attempt at concealment. Five minutes after the quid disappeared into his mouth his jaws were wagging at an awful rate. _ The floor was carpeted and there were cuspidors at convenient distances, but the colonel didn’t bother about them. He expectorated all around, while the high toned and fastidious John Bird, bis-ftseoeiftte,strove vainly to conceal his disgust. The colonel’s own person did not escape the shower of tobacco juice, and once I saw him inadvertently land upon Judge Noah Davis, who sat in front of him. Usually when the colonel got up to address Judge Daniels he would first remove the tobbacco, but occasionally he forgot this, and it somewhat affected the clearness of his remarks.

Whep the colonel threw away his quid he usually did it in installments. Then it was that he convulsed the spectators by drawing an immense jack knife from his pocket and using the blade as a toothpick. The colonel dug away at his teeth with great industry and vigor, and-.it certainly looked as though he would scare some of them if he did not cut his tongue in two. As the colonel usually took between three and four chews a day it may be imagined that he was a detestable object to look at during a large portion of each session. There is another great lawyer, now dead and gone, who was expert in his manipulation of a “chaw.” I refer to Roscoe Conkling. In iemember his appearance in the Hoyt will case when Mary Irene Hoyt was contesting her father’s will. This was one of the most famous cases that ever came into the surrogate’s court, and the daily attendance was always very large. I have seen the ex senator lean against the railing before Surrogate Rollins and make a long argument on some abstruse legal point, punctuating his remarks by streams of tobacco j nice, which he let fly around him with the wildest indifference as to consequences. His "full form, blonde beard and haughty face gave him a striking and refined appearance which made his manners the more startling. Conkling used larger quids and chewed more constantly than Colonel Ingersoll. He appeared, also, to take a keener enjoyment in the habit. The most curious of all chewers is Ben Butler. Nobody,bo far as I have heard, ever saw Ben put any tobacco in his mouth, or take any from it. Neither could I learn that he was ever seen to expectorate. But everybody who saw him was convinced that he did chew tobacco. I saw him argue in a case in the United States Circuit Court in this city about two years ago. He appeared to be blind, his eyes were sunken so far into his fat cheeks. His jaws were constantly in motion and mine grew tired watching them. Up and down went his chops with the regularity of a machine. It was the nearest approach to perpetual motion I ever saw. His face looked for all the world like that of an old German woman who had lost her teeth and chewed snuff. It is curious that none of those three gentlemen were known to chew except when at work. Is it because the habit is conducive to activity of mind? That is a theory I never heard advanced before.

Western Lakes Drying Up.

Winnemucca Silver State. The lakes in Eastern Oregon, as well as in Nevada, are drying up. In some instances the water in the lakes is subsiding because the streams which empty into them have been diverted from their natural channels for purposes of of irrigation, but the continuous drought, doubtless, has had much to do with the low stage of water in them. The Herald, published in the new county of Harney, Ore., says not over four square miles of the original bed of War ner’s Lake is now covered with water, whereas in 1865 there was seven feet of water where the land is now dry, and thia Spring a stack containing 3«0 tons of hay was burned on land which in 1874 was surveyed as Warner Lake. Goose Lake, which once reached Lakeview, Ore., is now five miles away, and Malheur Lalpijn Harney County, is

eight feet lower than at an period within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. In this county Humboldt Lake, which Some years ago comprised a sheet of water sixteen or eighteen miles long and from eight to twelve miles wide, is now only a few miles long and perhaps a milebrtwowide. The Humboldt haa not discharged any water into the lake for several years, and a large area,which was covered several feet with water at one time, is now as dry as any other part of the Humbol It Valley. It is a fact, however, (hat the lake was as low nine or ten years ago as it is to-day, and that five years ago it was as high as it was ever known to be. Immigrants in early days who saw the Humboldt discharge an immense volume of Water into the lake, or sink, as it was called, believed it had a subterranean outffit; but that idea was erroneous, as the volume of water was reduced by evaporaion, not drainage.

THEIR DYING WORDS.

r_ What Some of the World's Great . People Said as They Died. Pizarro—Jesu! Goethe —More light. Knox —Now it is come. Byron—l must sleep now. Arria —My PcetUs, it is not painful. Addison —See how a Christian can die. Chesterfield—Give Day Rolles a chair. Franklin—A dying man can do noth-ing-easy. Louis XVIII. —A king should die standing. William Pitt—o my country, how I love thee! Sir Walter Scott (to his family)—God bless you all! Socrates—Crato, we owe a cock to Aesculapius. Rabelars —Let down the curtain, the farce is over. Napoleon 111 (to Dr. Conneau)—Were you at Sedan? Lady Jane Srey and Tasso also used the same words. Lord Thurlow —I’ll be shot if I don’t believe I’m dying. Columbus—Lord, into Thy hands I commend my spirit. William 111. (of England)—Can this last long? (to his physician ) Gen. Wolfe —What! do they run already! Then I die happv. Jefferson—l resign my spirit to God, my daughter to my country. Cromwell —My desire is to make what haste I may to be gone. Demonax (the philosopher)—You may go home, the show is over. Charles 11. (of England)—Don’t let poor Nelly starve. (Nell Gwynne.) Schiller—Many things are growing plain and clear to my understanding. Fontenelle—l suffer nothing, but feel a sort of difficulty in living longer. Lord Elden—lt matters not where I am going, whether the weather be cold or hot. Dr. Hunter—ls I had strength to hold a pen, I would write down how easy and pleasant a thing it is to die. Marie Antoinette—Farewell, my children, for ever. Igo to your father. Charles Mathews —I am ready, Charles IX. (of France)—Nurse, nurse, what murder! what blood! Oh! I have done wrong, God pardon me. George IV.—Whathy, what is this? It is death, my boy. They have deceived me. (Said to bis page, Sir WathenWaller.) Louis XlV—Why weep ye? Did you think that I would live forever? (Then after a pause)—l thought dying had been harder. ' ■‘

Building a House in Samoa.

From a profusely illustrated series in the May Century we quote thefollowing: The negotiations between the skilled and wily carpenter and the prospective Samoan house owner would amuse, but hardly meet the approval of, the business man of to-day. Under the propitiating influences of kava, the necessary presents are produced to induce the carpenter to undertake the construction of a house. It is begun at once,without any terms of agreement, and the work advances until the carpenter thinks more presents necessary, and he ceases work. Additional gifts being made.the carpenter continues the constru :tion until he deems it necessary to demand another contribution, when he again stops work. If the contribution is not forthcoming, labor is suspended on the incompleted house, never to be undertaken for completion by another of the craft; and forever afterwards it remains unfinished and a public reproach to the good name of the unfortunate owner, who, at the time of its begining, not knowing what may be the ideas of the carpenter as to the cost of its construction, must either call upon the community for aid, which is generally freely extended, pr suffer the humiliation of this unfinished monument. Before the recent wars iu .Chili, the street cars in Valparaisojwere manned with conductors of the male sex; but they were drafted and thinned out so, that it became necessary to employ women. These made themselves so popular that they have held their places, and the fashion has spread. The stranger who travels in the Chilian pities, at first imagines that there is no conductor on board; but he soon perceives bismistake, as a tidy young woman trips down the way . collecting fares. This hint wilt some ifty be taken by our own girls.

NEW AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY.

The Growing of Flax to Supersede - That of Whea—Linen Manufacture. : i- WWiams, the assiatant secretary of agriculture.hadnnder feonsideration a letter from Ireland which, he thinks, may offer a solution of the economic problem: “What shall take the place bt wheat on farms where it cannot longer be raised ata profit 0 ” The writer, who has been familiar with flaxgrowing and linen manufacturing since 1840, says in his interesting communication: “There are only two establishments weaving—one at Webster, Mass., and the other at Appleton, Wis., the latter doing but little and neither weaving anything finer than crash. There is nothing in the climate or soil connecting with the assertion that just as good flax and linen may be produced in every State in the American Union- air~ig~ any country. Germany now spins and weaves the finest linen,' and she has nd essentially different climate from America. Many things become successful in America from the facility with which, the people take up improved processes and appliances, and this may be the salvation of the linen industry,©! the importance of which there is no question. There s every reason why American farmers should produce 1,000,000 acres of flax for both seed and fiber over and above what is now produced, which would give twelve-mil-lion to fifteen million bushels of seed, worth as many millions of dollars, and 2,500,000 tons of flax straw worth $50,000,000, and from which 500,000 tons of flax fiber would be obtained, worth $100,000,000. Once established, American invention would, as in all other industries, soon build up an industry to consume this material. I wish the state department would start experimental farms to grow a small amount in each state and such private farmers as are disposed to do the same. The flax should be shown upon any good, mellow soil which has been well manured the past year, or active chemical fertilizers may be employed to a reasonable extent. The seed should be sown at the rate of two and a half bushels on an acre of land, brushed in, and no other attention is needed, excepting that any large weeds may be removed until the flax has “turned” for half its length, when it should be pulled, cured and cared for to keep it bright, in the same manner as is done with hay. The seed may be taken off by “rippling’ or by ‘doller thrashing’ and there would be a market for all flax straw thus grown at S2O per ton. The crop should give two and a half tons of straw to an acre and twelve to fifteen bushels of seed. The cost of pulling is, in Canada, $5 an acre.” Prof. Willetts has informed the sender that The subject of Bis letter would be earnestly considered-by the department, which would lend its aid to any effort to increase or diversify the agricultural industry of the country.

The Coining Oil Age.

Bos'on Transcript. The English are felicitating themselves upon the possession of oil fields which will throw the Pennsylvania oil wells literally into the shade. As Mr. Charles Marvin, a British authority on tnis subject, expressed it in a recent lecture before the Royal Engineers, “Thanks to the Burmese oil fields, we are is aposition to light all Asia and fuel all Ajsia; and in Canada we have a petroleum supply sufficient to illuminate all America when the United States wells run dry.” The Burmese oil wel s; like the Russion wells (Russia produced 200,000,000 gallons of kerosene in 1887) yields a heavy oil and will not burn in ordinary lamps made for the lighter American oil. Not much is known about the quality of the oil produced in the new Canadian fields of the Athabasca and the River Mackenzie. Both of the Burmese and the Athabasca fields, whatever their eventual productions may amount to, evidently win not very soon come into competition with the Standard Oil (Company, as they are quite remote from means of communication. One point advanced by Mr. Maron in a recent pamphlet is interesting. He says that in London gas is giving piace to oil in ordinary lighting, and quotes the Chairman of the South Metropolitan Gas Company, who tells his directors that petroleum is a more formidable competitor than the electric light. Certain English towns in their public lighting are giving up gas and adopting oil. In general lar&e London hotels and offices electric lights have been replaced by large power petroleum lamps. He predicts that “London will be lit with oil again,” and that Great Britain will be the “boss” of the coming oil age. While the Delaware militia, headedby the Governor of that State, inarched across Forty-second street, during the parade of Tuesday last some impudent urchin in the crowd cried out. “How’s the peach crop, Gov’ner?”—N. Y. World. An old church in Cahokia, 111., that was built in 1684 of cedar logs was torn down a few days ago to make room for a more modern building. There were only two churches in America (at 8L Augustine and Santa Fe) that were older.