Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1893 — Sad Fate of a Conversationist. [ARTICLE]

Sad Fate of a Conversationist.

If the Senate and House don’t settle the silver question soon how can Cleveland issue a Thanksgiving proclamation? A German botanist has been discovering bacteria in tobacco and the fact has been used as a startling argument agaist the use of the weed. Really, though, it seems quite natural. Where else should we look for bacteria if not in “baccy. ” It is not easy to tell the truth and to lie at the same instant and with the same words, yet a Philadelphia journalist accomplished that feat by the simple announcement: “Cheaper Gas in Sight.” Gas, we all know, is invisible, yet the statement was true, as it was intended to convey the iniformation that there was a prospect for cheaper gas. Daniel Defoe, a lineal descendant of the author of Robinson Crusoe, is now a British sailor’s apprentice, with six months to serve. He was in New York harbor last week and when found by a Sun reporter, had been detailed as a cook. He is a sensible youth of nineteen, and declares his intention of abandoning the sea at the expiration of his apprenticeship.

The “record” has been broken so many /times of late that it would seem £o be beyond repair. The last offender in this particular is the Lucania, the Cunarder steamer, which beat all former performances between New York and Liverpool >y fifty-nine minutes, having arrived at the dock in New York harbor, on the 6th, in 5 days, 13 hours and 25 minutes out from Liverpool. Rev. Irl B. Hicks, tbe alleged weather prophet, rushed into print in the latter part of September with a complete programme of the weather for October, but lost-the opportunity of his life by failing to predict the great storm on the Gulf coast, on the Ist and 2d insts. Such a signal failure will not inspire confidence in his superior wisdom even if his predictions should be fullfiled.

Lizzie Borden, the celebrated young lady, of Fall River, Mass., who stood trial for the murder of hex' father and step-mother, and was so triumphantly acquitted, has with her sister Emma, come into possession of her father’s estate. The sisters will have a combined fortune of $400,000 and have built a new cottage costing about three thousand dollars, into which they have moved almost all of the furniture from the old home so tragically famous. The gold districts of Colorado begin to feel the impetus that Will naturally follow from the decline in the output of silver. The law of supply and demand will work in the mountains as well as on the great prairies, and miners are beginning to be able to see this truth. There has been a great influx [of miners into the Cripple Creek region, known to be rich in gold. Many new and valuable strikes are reported. Old claims are being reworked and the outlook is very hopeful.

The feline tribe in Brooklyn appear to be badly demoralized by the electric cars. Large numbers of cats have been perishing under the wheels, so many, in fact, that people seem to believe the animals commit suicide. Motormen testify that they seem to be dazed when the car approaches and appear unable to move. Possibly the well known electric qualities of Thomas aet as a conductor of the'fluid between the trolley wires and rails and paralyze him to such an extent that he is unable to escape. A common sense decision that will be of general interest throughout the State was made by Judge Everett of the LaFayette Superior Court a few days ago. An action liad been brought to compel the county treasurer to pay a county ord’er without regard to the fact whether the holder of the ’ order owed the county taxes or stood clear on the books. The court held that the custom heretofore generally adhered to by county treasurers, of deducting the amount of taxes or other sums due the county from county orders presented, was correct and legal. A man out in Washington State was badly “stuck ’ on a whale he bought of a lucky fisherman who captured it The enterprising citixen saw great possibilities in the fish for exhibition purposes and made some money that way. But

Jonah’s companion in J the great transformation scene we read of,died, and what was worse —smelled bad. The amateur showman spent his profits in coal oil trying to burn the ‘ ‘retnains, ” but the body was apparently constructed of asbestos and refused to “combust.” —The town is rampant and urgent in its demand that- the carcass shall be peremptorily. removed, but at last reports per? fumcry was still in active demand.

Ex-Senator Fair, of California, a short time ago loaned his son $70,000 to set up as a race horse owner. The dashing youth proceeded to possess a string of a dozen horses in short order, for which he paid liberal pritees. The stable was taken to Chicago in the spring, and some preliminary races were run at St. Louis, to which circumstance is attributed the sickness of all the animals and the entire failure of the son and heir to make his “pile” by the success of his venture in horse flesh. The “old man” got angry and attached the establishment to secure what he could from the wreck of the project to apply on the 170,000 loan and arbitrarily ordered his darling boy to be locked up in his hotel at San Francisco, which was done.

Theosophical devotees annually meet at Onset Bay, Mass., and indulge in ventilating their peculiar ideas. This year Henry B. Foulke has set up as a “Messiah.” He proclaims that a new order of things will begin within a year, and indorses Prof. Tottens’ figures interpreting prophecies of Isaiah and other scriptural writers. He says that Mme. Blavatsky was a re-incar-nation of John the Baptist and a Messiah —a man in the form of woman —and states that he is her successor. Mr. Foulke believes in reincarnation and remembers distinctly seven previous embodiments, but refuses to state what positions he formerly occupied. He states that Theosophists know who Grover Cleve land, Lincoln, Napoleon and Jay Gould were in former states, but positively refuses to divulge a secret that all would be glad to discover We are inclined to believe that Mr. Foulke is a very selfish or very foolish man. If he knows so much he should give the World the benefit of his knowledge.

Franz Ferdinand, of the House of Hapsburg, heir to the Austrian throne, and an Archduke with a string of titles and decorations of remarkable length and splendor, has been in Chicago doing the Fair incog. But the Stock Yardsupper ten were on the look out for his ’ighness, and arranged a reception in the Austrian section of the Fine Arts building, and a select few “layed” for the Archduke, arrayed in the best style known to American society. After a weary wait the heir-presumptive was “steered” into the section which had been especially draped and curtained off for the occasion, and the master of ceremonies rushed forward with all the cordiality at his command to greet the royal stranger. But the Archduke paid no attention to the official nor tho, assembled guests, and strode abruptly through the section. Not as much notice was given the waiting “upper tens” aS was bestowed on the statuary, [and the royal party only paused to salute the bust of Emperor Franz Josef and passed out. To add insult to injury the guards refused to permit the guests to leave the apartment until after ten minutes had elapsed, as the Archduke had given such an order for fear of being followed. The reigning families of Chicago and the reigning families of Eurbpe do not appear to get on well together during this Columbian year for some reason. It must be admitted that the representative of the House of Hapsburg gave the stockyards magnates a very “cold shake.”

Detroit Free Press. The man was walking along Woodward avenue carrying a parrot in a cage. “What you got there?” asked a friend. “Parrot. I’m taking it home to my wife. She always wanted one.” “I hope you’ll have better luck than I did with one I gave my wife.” “What happened tcrit?” “Don't know my wife, do you?” “No.” “Neither did the parrot. It wanted to talk during the day jtimc and couldn’t get a chance while my wife was around, so it staid awake at night to co its talking, and the poor thing died of insomnia before two weeks.”