Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1879 — Page 4

ODDS AND ENDS

'A lady in Bridgetown', N. J., h hair eight feet long. This year is especially productive of Area, and the drainson insurance companies are correspondingly large. Driving belts are made of linen that are more serviceable and durable than leather.

Thirty thousand napkins are wash* e d every night at the Hotel Brighton, Coney Island. _ . The Wisconsin State Normal Schools have dropped Greek, trigonometry, and astronomy from their courses of study. ] The champion checker player of New England, Mr. William R. Barker, is insane, at Cam bridge port, Mgss. The London Truth calls English beer “heady, stupefying and muddy stuff.” The armless and legless man in a Boston side-show has married the proprietor’s daughter. The fee that drunken and crazy men are always well supplied with knives and pistols is a sad feature in the records of crime. Here Auoutte Geib, ayoungHam- ' burg book and prominent Socialist, who lias just died, was followed to burial by 20,000 people.

Gen. Francis Walker is in favor of having ladies, in many places, make the canvass in taking the census. R. B. Woodard, the founder of the celebrated Woodard Gardens, at San Francisco, died last week, and left an estate valued at $2,000,000. Miss Peter drew a revolver from her satchel and shot dead a Toledo hackman who struck her for not paying as much fare as he demanded. , Rev. Mr. Gibbs, colored, of Jersey City, has brought suit under the Civil Rights law against the proprietor of an ice cream saloon, fut refusing to serve him. , Mrs. Grant raid on being introduced to the Empress of Japan: “I have visited many countries, but have seen none so beautiful or charmiDg as Japan.” A New York merchant telegraphed to Shanghai, China, 36,000 miles distant by wire, after breakfast one morning recently, and received an answer before dinner.

An old man in the Hartford (Conn.) county poor house has a well-authenti-cated claim for about SIOO,OOO of the French spoliation fund, and the money isiu the United States Treasury. A Norwich, Connecticut, deacbn has been prosecuted for making midnight sallies into his neighbor’s garden with an empty basket under his arm And returning with it full of cabbages. The pastor of the Methodist Church at Oconto, Wisconsin, has announced to his congregation that he will preach again when they pay enough of his salary to enable him to buy a . decent suit, and not before. Thomas Wilson, a philanthropic Baltimore coal dealer, has left $500,000 to fouud a sanitarium for poor children; aud SIOO,OOO, the interest of which is to be applied to lessening the cost of coal to poor people.

A murder was committed in Smyth’s Hotel at Cardington, Ohio, and the enraged populace formed a vigilance committee and burned the building to the ground. The bar was full of liquors and cigars, but it would have been worth a man’s life to touch either. When the hotel aud contents were past saving, the mob quietly withdrew and went to bed. The guests at the Edge Hill, Pennsylvania, tavern, noticed that George Waterfield was downhearted, and when they found him lying on his face with a wound iu his breast, they supposed he had committed suicide, but being unable to find the knife, an investigation was instituted, and it • was found that the wound was made by a bullet shot from a/nflethree quarters of a mile away.

NEWSLETS

An Indian war is threatened in New Nexico. New Yokk wholesale merchants are busy all day and far into the night. The beet sugar crop is estimated at 1,610,000 tons, against 1,500,000 tons last year. 'The Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky, was sold, the other clay, to a company of New York capitalists for $200,000. The Great Industrial Exposition of New Sopth Wales was opened a day or two ago at Sydney, with immense enthusiasm. _ - .. Rumors of trouble between China and Japan continue. It is reported that both countries are making warlike preparations. * The Ohio Archery Association will have a tournamenti at Cincinnati on the 2d and 3d of October. Fifty ladies will contest for the championship. During last week $9,000,000 in gold was received in this country from Europe, aud oue shipment of $5,000,000 was notified, as dispatched on Saturday. It is thought that the $25,000,000 appropriation made by Congress for the payment of arrears of pensions will be

entirely exhausted by the Ist of November. The sum of $130,000, the next installment in payment of the Mexican debt to the United States, has been forwarded from the City of Mexieo to Washington. The Philadelphia Commercial Exchange has adopted the cental system as a basis foe the purchase and sale of flour, grain and seeds, to take effect January 1, 1880.. The Oneida community in New York have a farm of 700 acres under cultivation. Last year they cleared $70,000 from this farm. -More than SIOO per acre net profit in one year. When Cetywayo was captured he was utterly prostrated. He was taken

to Ulundi. Luring the march eleven of his follow®* tried to escape and six were successful, the other five were shot. Formerly the Turkish Government allowed only 300 Jews to dwell in Jerusalem. Within the last ten yean restrictions have been removed, and now over 13,000 inhabit their ancient capital. It is announced, by authority of Secretary Sherman, that the Treasury Department will soon make arrrangements to exchange gold and silver coin for United States notes at all Ihe SubTreasuries in different parts of the country.

The Bavarian government has forbidden the importation of Austrian cattle into Bavaria, by way of Switzerland, on account of the prevalence of the foot and mouth disease among cattle in the latter country. A meeting on the land question was held at Tipperary, Ireland, the other day, at which 18,000 persons were present. Resolutions were passed calling for the abatement of rents and the establishment of the present property system. Part of the rock on which stands 4jhe castle of Lanpen. at Berne, Switzerland, measuring 18,500 cubic feet, fell recently on the road below, which is completely blocked up, only a few minutes before a passing dilligence full of people. The castle itself remains intact.

The war veterans of Indiana and Illinois, will hold a grand re-union at Camp Harrison, Terre Haute, Oct. 2d, 3d aud 4th, under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Indiana. The programme provides for the grandest meeting of the kind over held in the State. The Society of the Army of the Cumberland meets in Washington November 20, to unveil tbemouument of General Thomas. A committee of arrangements has been appointed, consisting of General Garfield, Congressman Young, of Ohio, and General McCook, of Sherman’s staff. Stringent rules are published in Russia to l»e observed by the universities where lectures have just begun. The students are forbidden to belong to societies of any kind, hold meetings, complain of or orally disapprove the existing regulations, give private lessons or have their lectures printed.

A correspondent at London, Eng., writes: ‘-There is no prospect of the bi-metallic congress which America proposed should be held in London, and to which the British government provisionally, assented, meeting this year. America’s agents have failed so far to obtain the assent of some of the leading nations.” The Russian journals continue their crusade against Germany, and assert, almost unanimously, although of course in different language, that Germany betrayed Russiaduring the negotiations which closed the war by the Berlin conference, arid her policy transferred, at the initiative of England, the fruits of the Russian victoi ies to Austria.

The state Board of Health, of Wisconsin. has done a good thing for the children of that State, by printing for gratuitous distribution an eight-page pamphlet, entitled, “How Infant Mortality Maj- Be I .lessened.” Two of its suggestions are that the babies should have plenty of fresh out-door air, and sleep in “the largest, sunniest, best ventilated room in the nouse.” The F'ree Thinkers, who have just brought their convention at Chatauqua, New York, to a close, unanimously indorse the Liberal League platform of Cincinnati. The principal speakers were George Jacobs, Colonel Ingersoll, Eizur Wright, A. B. Bradford, Judge McCormick, Drs. A. B. Speeneyy of Mississippi, aud Colby, of St. Louis; Professor Tabey and Professor Bell.

Among the exj>orts from New’ York ~fbr the week ending September 16th, were 2,000,000 bushels of wheat, more than 1,000,000 bushels of corn, nearly 6,000,000 pounds of cut meats, 1,500,000 pounds of butter over 3,000,000 pounds of clieese, more than 2,000,000 pounds of lard, and over 6,500,000 gallons of petroleum. Of the $7,000,000 in exports for the week, $749,953 were directed to London, $1,774,24c! to Liverpool, $630,978 to Antwerp, $444,045 to Glasgow’, and about $250,u00 each to Breraeu, Hamburg, Rotterdam and Havre.

The Vjestnik (newspaper) publishes a letter from Keiv, Russia, describing a terrible fire which occurred in that city on the 31 inst. While a furious storm was raging the fire broke out in seven different places. The offices of the fire brigade and the chief police station, a gunpowder magazine and four petroleum stores were simultaneously set on fire. The whole city was wrapped in thick, black clouds of smoke, and every now and then people were terrified by a series of detonations and loud explosions. The entire garrison and firemen of the suburbs aud many inhabitants labored in earnest to extinguish the fire, but despite their efforts it continued until the morning of the second day after it broke out. The loss was enormous. Many lives were lost, including those of several children. •

INDIANA INKLINGS.

The total receipts of the Howard county fair were $2,254.85. An illicit still was seized a few days ago, in Knox county, by the revenue authorities. A great many valuable barus have been destroyed by fire in this State since harvest. An unsuccessful attempt was made to break into the Jail at Peru the other night, for the purpose of releasing the the prisoners.

rado. It has wonderful power on the bowels, liver and* kidneys! What? Kidney Wort. Try it. The military spirit Is up in Hooaierdom, and a great many military companies are organizing. . Four years in the penitentiary waa the mockery of a penalty recently inflicted in a Franklin county verdict for killing a man. Rarah Mosely is the oldest person in Jefferson county, and probably in the State. She is in hsr one hundred and fifth year.

Recently at Wiltshire, Allen county, burglars broke into the store of Henry Althmen and robbed the safe of $4,000 in notes and $1,500 in cash. At New Castle, the other day, three one-year-old colts weighed respectively 1,000 pounds, 1,035 pounds and 1,080 pounds. All three were the progeny of the stallion, Glencairo.'" Three persons—two men and a woman—of the big-foot tribe live near Wabash. The men wear, respectively, numbers fourteen aud thirteen and the woman number ten. Willie Schitler, a seventeen year old boy of Dubois codnty, a member of the Silver Star base ball club, was hit in the temple by a ball and injured so that he died next day. John Nuesbatjm, living a few miles south of Wabash, is 105 years of age. His sight and hearing are good, and he moves about as nimbly as many a young man of seventy or eighty.

A dog that was taken from Peru to Kansas City Mo. last tall, turned around and came home afoot and alone. The journey occupied a week of the faithful dog’s valuable time. Charles Blanchard, of Ripon, Wis., passed through Muncie, the other tlay, following a cart which was propelled by sails and steered by a third wheel. The cart carried his *‘kit,” aud helped to pull him along at the fate of forty miles a day, but he couldn’t ride on it. A year ago one Scully, a pedestrian, gave uu exhibition walk in Indianapolis, ostensibly for the benefit of the yellow fever sufferers, and decamped with the money. A singular coincidence, and one which illustrates the justice of fate, was his death in Memphis recently, of the fever.

The Poetry of Iron.

Burlington Hawkeye. There is a wonderful fascination about iron andiron-workers. Novelists have made them the scenes and heroes of tlieir stories; poets have made them the themes of deathless song. Wesiug of the forge of Tubal Cain, and Hector swore “by the forge that smithied Mars’ helm,” but the other trades are passed over. When did poet, in lofty numbers, sing the carpenter lathing a back room on the second floor? Who chants the brawny arms or the thrilling deeds of a man climbing a four-story ladder with a hod of mortar? Does anybody stand with rapt emotion watching a painterputty upa nail hole? I would not exchange my one hour at midnight in the iron works at Ashland for a whole week of watching a man mix mortar with a hoe. Why, these iron works surround the Asnlauders with enough romance to last a Western community at least six weeks. And yet l suppose there are people about here who never saw a nail made in their lives.

I have known times in my own eminently useful and highly ornamental career, times when I was trying to nail a front gate to a leather hinge, when I wished there had never been a nail made anywhere by anybody. And I watched as they fell from the ponderous machines fast as rain drops, and it seemed to me as I watched them fall, that 1 could hear the dull, treacherous thud of the hammer on the human thumb, the low wall of a woman’s anguish, “the big, big D” of a strong man in his agony. ’These strange, weird feelings and fancies rushed iuto my mind like a torrent I stooped and picked up a brand new nail, as a memento of my visit. Then I laid it down again. Sadly, but not slowly. I have an impresuoi., I know not where I got it, that a new laid nail, like a new laid egg, is warm. And that it is far more percepible in the case of the nail. It may not be so in every instance. I presume there may be some nails laid cold. But the one I picked up was not so everlastingly geewliizzing cold, and I did not investigate any further.

The American Baby.

Save your pity for the unhappy little traveler, American born and white, who is abandoned to tUe tender mercies of nurses. He will be dressed too tightly, perhaps drugged with soothing syrup (or worse), slapped if he cries aud left alone in the dark. He will ride in the carriage with the sun in his eyes, if it is sunny, and with hands and arms uncovered and half frozen ii cold. Flies will be allowed to tickle his fat little nose and pins to stick in his tender little back. Tne strings of his absurd lace cap will choke him until he is black in the face, and he will nearly break his neck falling over the arm of Bridget when she wants to gossip with a crony. His troublesome clothes will be jerked down and twitched around, and he will be laid down, set up, turned over, and arranged any way most convenient to her.. Above all if he dares open his mouth to complain of any of these tortures, his delicate little body will be trotted on her knees till it will be nothing short of a miracle if his Erecious little llie is not worried out of im.

The calm Oriental baby in his tray or basket; the Chinese baby in his cage; the baby of the Burmah, naked or wrapped in silks, smoking at two and married at ten: the bable of the “cradle" and the Foundling asylum of Paris; the Lima baby in its hammock; and the stolid Indian papoose on its boards—each and every one is happier and better off than our poor little mother-abandoned American baby left to ignorant and careless nurses. The “mother-baby" the happy little traveler who Is not left to the mercies of a nurse,whose throne is his mother’s arms, whose pillow is soft, and whose needs are wisely met, he is happiest of all. Fair, fat and hearty, the sorrows of babyhood come not near him. He Is the one “born with a silver spoon in his mouth." The value of a cow depends much more upon the length of the milking season than upon the quality of the milk given fora few weeks.

NATURAL HISTORY.

A paper of unusual interest was presented to the anthropological section by Judge Henderson, or Illinois, on Friday afternoon, concerning the superstitions attached to the rabbit among North American Indians. In nearly all the languages the syllable wa is the prefix of the Indian name for rabbit, wiiile the word for white is wab or wap, indifferently. The writer mentioned many examples, as wap-me-me, “white pigeon.” The Illinois name wabos was probably applied to the Lepus Americans, whose winter coat is white, and hence the connection. The root word wab, however, forms a portion of words of seemingly totally different meaning, but Judge Henderson thought a key was to be found to the whole diversity. White is an emblem of purity and a sacred color, and with it is associated the idea of light, which is of such fructifying power in the earth, and calls forth so many beauties. With it is also associated the idea of heaven and angels of goodness. Black has a contrary significance. Among the Cherokees, Leni-Lenape, and other tribes white was an emblem of peace, friendship, prosperity and holiness; and the Iroquois sacrificed white dogs to the Great Spirit, aud consecrated to him all other albino animals. Among the Apaches of the W est white birds were regarded as possessing souls of divine origin, and to the Plains Indians the white buffalo is a sacred object, like the white elephant of Siam; while some of the California tribes consider a white wolf skin a badge of chieftainship. This was carried to a great extent in the robes of the high priest of the Cherokees, and they also wrapped their dead in pure white deer-skius. Various Estern tribes sent white warn-' pum, feathers and other objects as symbols of peace, just as red was a sign of war; aud tney had “imperial standards” of feathers from the white tail of the bald eagle. Among the Southern Indians the white laurel was the tree of peace, and they spoke of it as spreading its branches over the white ground. Light or white being sacred, therefore it is easy to understand why white animals should also be regarded so. The third brother of the Great Spirit, Wabasso, who fled to the north as soon as be saw the light, and was changed into a white rabbit, under that form became canonized. The name of the great central Deity himself in many languages lias the root “white” in it, as also the word for heaven, and the word for sorcery or “medicine.”

The sacred regard which it was known was paid to the serpent, also, is shown in the fact that in Algonquin the syllable wa occurs in many of the names of reptiles. The three most to the Indians were the hare, the owl, and the serpent, and they are the ones around which cluster a host of myths iu the Old World. The ancient inhabitants of Ireland killed all the hares they found among their cattle on Mayday, believing them witches who had designs on the butter. A Calmuck regards the rabbits in the same light, and many primitive people used them for divination, and refused to eat their flesh. The remaius of the lake-dwellers of Switzerland aud the ancient Danes show no bones of the hare, for example, thus supporting Ctesar’s account of the awful horror in which the animal was held by the Britons of his ‘day. Our Eastern Indiana seem not to have eaten it, but those in the West and North did so. Another curious fact is that the animal was sculptured on the sacrificial stone in ancient Mexico, and was the “sign” of the divine years in the Mexican calendar, while the celebrations aud sacrifices in its honor were the most numerous of all. Superstitions, therefore, seems to have been attached y> this little beast from the lowest stage of primitive savagery up to the present height of civilization. A lively paper, Illustrated by stuffed and live-looking specimens mounted

on trees and placed on the platform, was read by Mr. William F. Harnaday. He reviewed the characteristics of the higher apes, and described perticularly the ourangs of Borneo. The points iu which the anatomy of the various sorts of anthropoid apes approach the structure of the human body were spoken of and compared with each other. The man-like features of the ourangs were well understoDd by the audience, since the speaker had beside him a well-mounted specimen of an adult male of this species grasping the branches of a tree in an upright attitude. He pointed out the ornamental callosi-

ties of the cheeks, peculiar to the male, the bigness of the neck, the baggy skin under the chin, the length ana great strength of the arms, the breadth of the chest, and small pelvis aud w’eak legs. The fingers are usually clenched and the most natural position of the hand, therefore, is a grasping one, so that the orang sleeps safely. The skin in the youbg orang is light-brown in color, hut deepens to black in old specimens, the face and the palms of the hands being of a lighter tint. The hair is brick-red in adults, aud is coarse and long The faces of orangs show as individuality as those of the Mallays or Chinese—each one has as an expression of his own, and very intelligent one. A drawing was shown of a pet infant orang, owned by the speaker, an account of which was given to the audience. This little fellow behaved in all respects like a human baby,exhibiting every .emotion of fear, delight, anger, etc., just as a child would do. The male orangs fight a great deal. All the old ones are covered with scars Inflicted by the formidable canine teeth which these animals use wholly for defense and offense, since they are fruit-eating and hence do not employ them in chewing. Their effort is always to seize the arm or head of an enemy, and draw the fingers or lips into their mouth instead of advancing their own heads to bite.

The genus Simla, to which the orang belongs, inhabits Sumatra and Borneo. A map was shown,and the main haunu were designated. Borneo was chose as the speaker’s hunting-ground and an expedition made into the interior in August. At this season the orangs were along the river courses in the for est and Mr. Homaday’s party pursued them in boats, the banks of the great river being e verwhere flooded. The method was to shoot them on first sight, otherwise they would escape. The presence of these apes was indicated by their nests, of which many were seen* These nests occupy the tops of small trees, into which the orang climbs, breaks the branches out of the center, and piles them upon a thick platform,upon which he sleeps. His pastime is to lie flat upon his back, with his arms a nd legs extending upward, firmly grasping the nearest limbs. The same* nest is occupied several nights, or until the leaves have famn from the branches. This explorer had never seen anything like the huts which these apes have been reputed to build, but he thought it probable that the orangs oovered themselves with leafy branches in stormy weather. His "pet orang, he had noticed, used straw for the same purpose at such times, even when a a roof was overhead. The orang cannot possibly stand erect, never steps

is unable to swim? He is not active or graceful, and Is the most helplew of qaadnunana. His favorite mode of progress Is by swinging along underneath the branches like a gymnast, many entertaining incidents were mentioned in this part of the pap®. The length of the male has never been known to exceed four foot six inches, and It is usually not more than four feet. The reach of the extended arms varies from seven to eight feet, but it does not always happen that the tallest individuals nave the longest arms. The female is much smaller, and the duration of life is thought to be from twenty to twenty-fl ve years. The speaker clewed by insisting upon the very close resemblance to the human race which an intimate acquaintance with these intelligent creatures forces upon

the attention.

Entrapped.

Terre Haute Express. Perhaps one of the richest jokes thit ever was played off on an erring husband, occurred on Main street, in this oitv, on Wednesday of this week. A lady of more than ordinary intellect and natural shrewdness had, for several weeks, been suspicious that her hus band was not living up to his marriage vow, “to love her and no other.” Her suspicions soon ripened into a deep conviction, and she at once took such steps as she thought proper to entrap him. So while he was down at Evansville on business the wife ascertained the number of his letter box and inquired daily if there were any letters for Mr. . On one occasion, as she called for letters, the polite clerk, under Mr. Filbeck, handed her a letter addressed to her husband. She at once opened it and fouud it to be a letter from a girl living near the central and western part of Illinois, and requesting her husband, Mr. , to meet her at a designated place iu Indianapolis on the 16th of September, 1879. The wife answered the letter, in the name of her husband, aud agreed to meet her as suggested, so accordingly on the 16th the wife boarded the vandalia train for Indianapolis and went directly to the designated spot, and received the girl, and at once informed her that Mr. was not able to be present, and had requested her to come up to inform her of that fact, aud to request her tocome to Terre Haute at once, where she c .;;U see Lim. The unsuspecting girl felt a little flattered, and at once consented to her suggestions, and they at the earliest opportunity, took the train for this city, where they arrived just at night. Oh arriving, the wife at once took the girl to .her room, where she remained over night, sleeping with the afflicted wife. During the night she revealed to her rwm mate all the secrets between her and her erring husband. The wife soon gained her entire confi dence, got the key to her trunk, opened it, and there she found several letters in her husband’s handwriting, stating his “unbounded love for her” (the girl). The wife carefully laid them to one side as she read them. Pretty soon she came to one that revealed the fact that not many months ago he had sent the girl a new silk dress and bonnet. She at once examined the contents of the trunk and found the articles mentioned. After getting everything arranged she went for her husband, who had by this time returned from Evansville. He came up, and was much surprised and much embarrassed to find the girl at his wife’s room. As soon, however, as the blood commenced to recede from his face his wife commenced reading to him the letter she had found in the girl’s trunk. As she commenced to read My Dear , the husband’s face grew pale as death, his lips quivered, his knees almcfet smote together, as he sat in breathless silence anti heard his letters read. After one epistle was finished, another was carefully read through. At the end of the reading he hurriedly left the room, and soon after made an assignment of all his property to his wife,and will probably take his lea ve for parts unknown in a short time. The wife in his presence put the new bonnet on and asked him now she looked in it. He was urable to speak, and said not a word. After the husband had left, the girl de{>arted to one of the hotels of this city, olio wed by the enraged wife, whose very soul thirsted for revenge. After the girl got to her room in the , hotel, the wife attacked heriu a violent manner, beating her over the head until she screamed for help, and was rescued by some inmates of the house.

Greeley on Lawyers.

Indianapolis Journal. “Mr. Greeley," said Partridge, “this is Mr. Denslow, a young attorney." Greeley uttered a short grunt of recognition, but did not even look around. I, embarrassed, shrunk away to one eorner and took a chair. He went on around the room looking at (pictures and what not, and in about five minutes, adien his back was turned on me, and I thought he had forgotten me he suddenly, without looking at me, said: “Hem' So you’re an attorney, are you?’’ I confessed it. “I hate lawyers,” he exclaimed emphatically. “I hate lawyers, they do more mischief than their heads are worth!" “I suppose they area necessary evil," I suggested deprecatingly. “Wholly unnecessary," he insisted. “I suppose you will acknowledge,” I said, “that they promote good order and remove impediments to good government," “Just the contrary! just the contrary!" he squeaked, in his odd falsetto; “they cause disorder, and they are the chief obstacles to good government."

I thought the man was crazy. “Perhaps you will tell me," I suggested, “how debts wok Id be collected without lawyers?" “Don’t want ’em collected! don,t want ’em collected!’’ he squeaked; “if A lets B have his property without payment, I don’t see why C, D, E, F, and all the rest of the alphabet should be called on to serve as a police to get it back! No debt should be collected bylaw. It’s monstrous! Let a man trust another imu at his own risk. Even a gambler Jmys his debis that he isn’t legally obliged to pay, and calls them debts of honor; but meu will put their property out of their hands to prevent the legal collection of their grocery bills. Abolish ail laws for the collection of debt, and that would abolish most of you lawyers—good riddance!"

Prayer and Pistc 1.

]From the Pittsburg Commercial.] About one year ago a tramp of no mean-looking appearance appeared at Cochran, Indiana, and from his conversation and actions it was at once seen that he was a l -young man possessing much more shrewdness and intelligence than the ordinary tramp. He stated that he was a painter by trade and was looking for work, but his story was discredited, and he failed to aecure anything to do for some time. Finally he made great rel’gious pretensions, and on one occasion arose in the meeting and made a most feeling and touching address. The Master Car Builder of the Ohio aud Mississippi Railroad was present, and he, believing in the sincerity .of the tramp, at once gave him a position as painter

fat the car-shops at Cochran. He gave his name aa George Whittaker. and ■aW he waa from Boston. He proved to be an excellent workman, and gave complete satisfaction to his employ®. He became an exorter at religious meetings, a Superintendent of Sunday school, a class-leader, and seemingly an earnest Christian worker, but all this time it was known to at least a few that he was a hard drinker. Presently he was seen drunk in public, and a few days since made an exhinition of himself by gettiug on a spree and attempting to outwalk Wilson, the pedestrian on the streets of Aurora. He had been waiting on Miss Fannie Clause for some time, a verv estimable young lady of Cochran, and the family supposing him to be a Christiau young man, his attentions to her were received with favor. Wednesday evening he called at the residence of Mr. Clause, and after some conversation with the family he asked Mr. Clause if he would not pray for hiru. Mr. Clause consented, and Whittaker kneeled down in prayer with the family, the young lady, Miss Fannie kneeling with the rest. The prayer was just closing and the ameu was just on the lips of Mr. Clause, when the sharp report of a pistol rang out, and Whittaker rolled over on the floor dead, almost at the feet of him who had so earnestly prayed for him. He had drawn a revolver, placed the muzzle to his head and fired, the ball entering his right eye and killing him instautly. He died without speaking. No cause Is known for the act, but he was undoubtedly insane. He is not known to have any relatives.

W C. W.

A Wife’s Partnership With Two Husbands.

Pittsburg Commercial Gazette.

Near Prospect, a station on the Chautauqua Lake Railroad, about eight miles northeast of Mayville, resides Mr. Alpha Barns in the old Fish-aud-Barns homestead. Alpha Barns, until the last few years, was always known as “Fish-and-Barns,” from the fact that his mother lived as wife of Hiram Fish and James Barns. Born late in the last century, in Connecticut, Hiram Fish came with his parents to Oneida county. New York, and lived there until 1813. Becoming infatuated with a beautiful young girl uamed Amanda Nobles, aud his youthful affections being crossed by friends, he determined to go West and secure a home, and then return and claim the hand of the object of his affections. He came to Chautauqua county and settled on a large tract of land, about 600 acres in extent, and made preparations for living. Being an active* energetic and industrious youth, he soon made an inviting home, tie started for Rome to claim his plighted beauty. When little more than half the journey was over he was captured by the Indian allies of the British and taken to Canada, where he was detained as a Erisoner until the fall of 1817. What is anxiety must have been these years no one can now know. The chatiugs of confinement, the insolence of captors, were heightened and intensified by fears of the loss of the object <>f bis heart. Immediately on being liberated, he hastened toward Rome, arriving there late in the day, January 26, 1818. No word having been received from him for nearly four years, and supposing Uim to be dead, Amanda had given her hand to James Barns, and on that day (January 26.1818), but a little while before Fish arrived, the indissoluble union had been made. His appearance at that time created the greatest confusion. Amanda declared that she loved Fish and could not live with Bairns. To make the best of an unfortunate circumstance, Barns and Fish agreed to both live with her as their joint wife. In pursuance of that agreement the three, in August, 1818, moved*on the Fish lands in Chautauqua county, and there lived together for fifty years, until the death of Barns, which occurred January 2, 1866, and she and Fish lived together until his death, December 20, 1876. Of a long life but twelve years were devoted of her heart, but those years were of perfect joy. Since Fish’s death she has resided with her children. She is now in her eighty-second year. The children were always known by the neighbors as “Fish and Barns.” In everything a community of interest was had, valuable improvements made, a large fortune accumulated, all of which was willed by the respective decedents to the wife and four children, according to the letter of the agreement made JanUaiy 26, 1818. It is said that through this long and strange life never the want was felt in the home, never a domestic misunderstanding, not even a rash word. The mother always called and spoke of Barns as “Mr Bams,” and it is said never mentioned the name of “Mr. Fish,” and she never spoke of him save with tears. Until Fish’s death her affections remained unchanged, as intense and exclusive for/him as in youth, nor did she conceal her feelings. The children, too, bore Fish all the affection that an indulgent father could ask.

Marrying Chinamen.

New York Herald: The absence of Chinese women in the East has compelled the male to intermarry with the whites. There are in New York at the present time nearly three hundred Chinamen who have white wives. They are mainiy Spanish and Irish women, the Mongolians preferring the latter on account of their skill in domestic labor. Few of them allow their wives to work. This is due to a spirit of gallantly which is visible even In the West. This intermarriage of races commenced about six years ago. Consequently a young ChinoCeltic generation is springing up,, the oldest of whom is about five years of age. As these children are becoming very numerous, they may become an important factor in strengthening the kindly relations between our citizen and Chinese immigrants. In a year or two some of them will be old enough to enter school. Not only have the Chinese married Spanish and Irish women, but at Nol 45 Mott street there lives a Chinaman who married a colored woman. The pair have three fine' looking children.

A Tree With Ton Thousand Oranges.

Tampa (Fla.) Guardian. ~ T ■' - Hillsborough County has the largest orange tree jn South Florida. It measures 6 feet 1 inch in cireumferance, forks 3 feet 11 inches from the giound each fork branches into four large limbs’ and it is 35 feet high and 40 feet from limb to limb. This tree bears 10,008 oranges. William H. Holden, of Osage County, also has a very large orange tree, that measures 4 feet 9inches In cireumferance. Channing: The spirit of liberty is not merely, as multitudes imagine, fa jealousy of our own particular rights, but a respect for the rights_of others and an unwillingness that any man, whether high or low, should be wronged and tramptai under foot. A Brown county postoffice bears the name of Peter Cooper.

A Strange Story.

EranariUe (Ind.) Courier. °“® °. f strangest tales that has °* toe reporter was him n >£ht at the Central station. There are many strange situations in life and death, but none will equal the one narwjft wuh' Abo V t four w «eks ago a Mrs. Williams, of Mt Carmel 11l £ me l° ft! 9 ft* through Illinois street felt a atnuige thrill of surprise and fear creep over “ ft® u P° n the feoe of a youne female that bore a striking reaembTauce to a daughter that she had to. tier grave eighteen ISSVft 8 ®° ■trong was this feeling which forcibly carried to her heart and mind that the young woman the daughter that she vftr Ur followed to her place of abode. For days did she watch the house for glimpses of the young woman, and at last, as she saw her )Mth milk pitcher in hand going toward a neighbor’s, she spoke to her. lbe woman, in her tele, savs there was a mutual recognition. Be that as it may, an intimacy sprang up betweeu tnem, and the young woman who bore so strong a resemblance to the dead w“.?. h tor was a frequent visitor at Mrs. \V jlliams . The girl has been living with a couple of lames in Lama&co. anu visits made by her to Mrs. Williams finally aroused, as she says, their suspicions, and led them, from the persistency with which Mrs. W. sought the girl, to make them wish to avoid her. The feeling increased to such an extent that lhev determined to get away from the object of their avoidance, even if they had to leave the city, and accordingly they made their arrangements for so doing; yesterday being the day set for their departure, Mrs. Williams having a suspicion of what was going on, determined to bnug matters to a focus bv lodging her complaint before the police authorities, telling them that she wanted the women arrested, and that one of them was her daughter who she saw buried. In conversation with the officer making the arrest, she described her daughter and marks upon her person, telling him that if he did not find these marks as she had described them to let the woman go. The marks on the daughter were a mole on her breast, a speck in one of her even and an injured finger, which had been cut nearly off, and, after the severest examination, these marks were found ust as she had accurately described them. Her tale, as she related at the Central Station, is as follows: About eighteen months ago my daughter was taKen sick, and the physician that Icalled in commenced giving her morphine and quinine I saw that she was not improving, but gradually wasting away, and finally the physician pronounced her dead. I would not believe it, as when I felt the body it was l>erfectly warm, and I would not permit her burial, but the doctor said I was crazy, and the burial preparations were hasteued, and she was buried. I saw h r laid away. This is the story as she told it last night. The girl that site claims as her daughter sat weeping iu the station house, and but little that was intelligible could bo obtained from her, further than that she was born about four miles from Garmi. The authorities were of course puzzled as to what course they should pursue, and finally determined to allow the three women and Mrs. Williams to return to their homes on Illinois street, and place a guard over the house until Monday to see that the women did not leave the city, when this most remarkable outa will undergo an investigation. The theory was started that Mrs. Williams was laboring, under that most fearful of gifts, melancholy, but a physician who was present at the scene pronounced her perfectly rational. «he may be on other subjects, but this most singular and unheard-of tale that she so graphically relates : must come from a miud disordered, caused, in all probability, by the death of her daughter. It is a strange hallucination, and one that would puzzle stronger heads thanhers.

Moderation.

Harper’s Magazine: We have heard an intelligent but not a wise politician call the grog shop the poor man’s club, and the question is often asked' why the poor man should not take his whisky if the rich man takes his champagne. But any reasonable orator will see the fallacy of such reasoning. If the whisky be no more noxious than the wine, and the wine be innocent, and if the man can afford it, and if he drink it without excess—in other words, if conditions exist which do not exist—there can be no harm. If the postulate of the temperance orator be in every form of wine as well as of ardent spirits is wholesome, and can not be taken without injury, that it is in face aseductive poison, the use of which every moral and sanitary and social reason condemns, then, of course, there is no degree in the wrong of the use, as there is none in the freshness of an egg. But if the cause is to wait until this point is settled, and it will not advance. Indeed, the merit of Dr. Crosby’s position is that he proposes to punish the disorder which drunkenness produces, while he restrics in the most ..sensible way the sale of dram 8, and meanwhile encourages every appeal to the moral character and resolution of- those whom the tempter tempts. Of course his plan does not discourage 4he efforts of those who are persuaded that the use of wiue or of any beverage but water is morally wrong and physically pernicious. But he says only that if we would prevent the immediate consequences to society of drunkenness, we must agreo that the sale shall be sensibly regulated, and that drunkards shall be made to

pay for the offenses which drunkenness produces. The question of the essential poisonousness of all forms of the juice of the grape, of the iniquity of the least sip, ana of mutual responsibility he leaves to be fully considered. But “moderation" wisely insists that meanwhile the work of regulating the sale and of relieving society «hn|| go on, and it holds it to be a pity to repel the active and earnest co-operation in this good work of those who are very powerful and always sober. It is pleasant to remark the cordial welcome which Mr. W. E. Dodge, a patriarch of abstinence, gives to the movement as a forward step.

A Horse’s Jump.

During a recent horse show in England Mr. Leaman’s hunter, Surrey, made such a splendid jump over the mimic brook as to set the great audience to applauding frantically. The horse, with wild excitement, went right on down the ring, and, rising at the barrier of the amphitheater with one tremendous bound, literally sailed over the bars and five, rows of spectators, alighting in safety and injuring nobody. The distance was measured and proved to be thirty-seven feet, a jumn even more surprising than that made on the steeple-chase course, all things being taken into consideration. 6 iJaKiSP feelings come and go like the line, are undisturbed and stand - : ■‘l ’' i . r '4