The Appeal. [volume], April 22, 1899, Image 1

About The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??

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KCTRAORDINA1RY AFFAIR IN' THUS
HE9AHT OF MONTANA.
teH2w,
involution Into a Tartar of Shy
Indian BrideParting or Billy
Morse and Isabel Bmr-Wslking
Over-the-Hlll When the Breaking
Point CameSimple Exit of the
Hnlf-BreedTaming- of the Indian
ShrewRales Her With a Onto.
Not long" after rumor said that Billy
Morse and Isabel Bear-walklng-over-the-
hill were tofee-married, the tour hundred
of the reservationthat is to say, the
squawraen and the English-speaking half
Ibreedsreceived written invitations to at
tend the ceremony and the danoe to be
given in honor of the event. The notes
were deciphered with some effort and
were found to read:
Your hereby Invite to a Dance in debatin hall
next chuesday evenin, if you want to see us
git Marri com? to the mission at 4 clock
dancin begins at 7.
Billy MGTSB,
Isabel Bear Walkin Over the Hill.
The debating hall was a large, barn
like structure which had been built by
popular subscription. The full-blooded In
dians had" borne their share of the ex
pense, but had been frozen out by the
four hundred. At the appointed time the
latter were ail there in good season, the
women sitting demurely on benches
ranged along one side of the hall, the
snen occupying similar seats on the other
side. Some fiill-bloods were there, too,
perhaps relatives or friends of the bride,
but they stood outside and looked in
through the windows.
The women, of course, wore their best
gowns of 'bright-hued calico or gingham.
Their long black braid of hair were fas
tened at the ends with huge bows of red
ribbon. Many had on shoes, in which t-hsy
moved about rather awkwardly the
others wore embroidered moccasins. The
mem were dressed in sack suits of somber
colorblack or brown. Their boots were
of that high, pointed heel pattern so dear
to the people of the plains. Some wore
white shirts and collars some, white
shirts without collars. The rest had on
soft neglige shirts of wool, but, white or
wool shirted, .collared or collarless, each
one displayed a necktie offlamingred
and magnificent dimensions. Their short,
stiff hair, so difficult to part and keep
parted, was plastered with liberal quanti
ties of oil. The stifling odor of musk
filled the room. (Thus runs a New York
Sun story from Blackfeet Reservation.
Monit.) Three musicians occupied the ros
trum at the far end of the hall. The two
violins had been tuned to the key of the
Accordion, and it lacked but the presence
of the bride and bridegroom for the dance
to begin* The women whispered to one
another and giggled, or sat staring at
the floor in stolid silence. The men, more
at ease,..conversed ".together loudly about
their everyday' affairs. One could hear
such fragmentary remarks as: "Worst
bronco I ever see." "Yes, quarter-circle
bar is his brand." "Found her and her
calf yesterday"
Presently the door opened and the brWi
and bridegroom appeared. At the sud
den hush which ensued as every on*
turned to stare at them, they stopped
hesitatingly on the threshold for an in
stant, and then the bride, with a shawl
over her head held so as to conceal all
her features except the eyes, walked
swiftly to the nearest bench and sax
down. The bridegroom, a handsome
young fellow, neatly dressed, was not in
the least disconcerted. As he advanced
down the hall he called out loudly:
"Howdy, fellers! Glad to see yer all
here to-night. Musicians, let 'er rin.
Take yer pardnere fer a quadrille, boys."
The men crossed to the other side of the
hall with a rush, secured their partners
and formed the sets. The bridegroom
stationed himself by the musicians to
call off, and as they atrjek up a lively
tune he shouted: "Balance all!" The
dance was on.
One of the young men chose the bride
for his partner. In vain she protested
and held back he took the shawl from
her anS hurried her to a place in the
nearest seat. Being a full-blood, this was
her first appearance in society. Through
her half-breed husiband she was now en
titled to be numbered among the Pour
Hundred. She had never danced, but
sometiow, by being pushed this way and
told to go that way, she got along very
well. The shuffling of heavy boots and
the" clank and jingle of spurs, which some
men still wore, drowned all sound of the
music at times, but that didn't matter
the dancers managed to catch enough of
It to go through each figure in unison.
And such dancing! When the order was
given, "Balance to your partners," or
"Balance all," the men danced jigs or
double shuffles with such energy that the
perspiration streamed from their faces,
and to wind up they seized their partners
by the waist, whirled them off their feet
and dropped them into their places as the
Sdese
usi ceased. During one of the inter
In a dance a tall, bespurred indl
vmuai, tne exuoerance ot ms joy,
Jle
umped high in fihe air with a yell, and as
came down shouted out: "Dis is the
best time I'm never had. What!"
The supper, whic had been piled up in
a corner behind the stove, was served in
tin dis&ies and cups at midnight. It con
sisted of canned salmon, tongue, ham,
apricots, strawberries and crackers. Full
iast
usticc was done to it, and when the very
can had been opened, the last crack
er devoured, dancing was at once re
sumed, and continued until dawn. The
rising sun saw the dancers tired but
happy, speeding over the plain on horse
back or in wagons, on'their way home.
The bride and bridegroom, in a brand
new ibuckboard, drawn by a pair of spot
ted ponies, were just passing the brow
f the long hill whidh loped down t
Bear oreek, by the side of which stream
their unpretentious cabin had been built.
As time passed on the women began to
whisper about that in marrying Isabel
Bear-Walking-Over-the-Hill Billy Morse
had caug'ht a tartar that she was always
sulky and trying to quarrel with him.
At first this, was thought to be mere
women's gossip it didn't seem possible
that any one could quarrel with Billy.
He was the most popular, young man on
the reservation. Every one, from the
United States Indian agent down to the
humblest full-blood met (Mm with a smile
and a hearty shake of the band he was
so light-hearted, so good-tempered, so
generous and obliging, no one could help
liking hta*. People were slow to believe,
too,, that his vourog wife, a slender, pleas
&ntr<face slip of a girl, could be quarrel
some. Since hi*, marriage Billy had spent
all his little savings and earnings in im
proving his ranch nd providing food and
elothtog for himself and his wife. If his
cabin WAS small and plainly furnished
It was at least warm and comfortable.
Food there was in plenty, and his wife
was the best dressed woman on the res
ervation. What more could a woman
want?
One Sunday Billy, with his wife, drove
over to visit\hia friend, Tom Abbot Ar
riving at the ranch they were hospitably
received, and while jth* women sostatoad
Werner their JUtle affairs, Billy
^r*nd,.IBd Tomabout puttoth,eof afternoon playing
talking their boyhood
v-
'iWi^WsJiL
VOL. 15, NO. 16 ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS.
always been
mto- 'rney
i"3f
naM
sc
fas* friends. The day was pleasantly
passed and after an early supper the
young couple started homeward. Tom
and his wife promising to return the visit
on the following Sunday.
When the day came they drove over to
Biily place and arrived there about noon
He came out to greet them, told his man
Jim-^n indian-to care for the horses and
vshered them into the house. Isabel was
sitting on the edge of a bench looking
very solemn and|she neither spoke/ nor
^L^
said pleasant,
Mi
Abba
ly. Good day, dear: You see, we've
come as.we promised." The situation was
embarrassing, but Billy pretended not to
notice
itL^yed,i
some remarks to Mrs
an talkeudt jested wTtFinally
liVed
TZ Then Billy
wagon and drovean
Tom
kln
^K^
na woul not talk
a tand
who a
?rh
Biry whittled some shavings "and started
a fire .saying-to his wife-
ner
^o"rh^
some'din
el
tl^S'
W
7Kt lok up, con
honse He?hSbeSS
tinuing to concentrate her traze on ti
*E*?
th
Wal
1
TtteZir^rT**^
4i
bourse
i
woman seems to be a n+
tie out of humor to-day
picked' un*? Z
wife,
hi
SitUns
and th^S
a *WPr to shield Ms fac
ana then slyly pressedrl his wife's foot
iP
S
afhS^liv
-Sftiwne S
8
1
6
waronththe
IT^ S.-^HS
water on the stove. "There Isabel v,
now like a good girl and do thl rest?
must chop a little wood
He was no sooner out of sight than Isa
feel went over to the stove, lifted the ket
tie and dashed its contents into the fire
potatoes and all. Smoke, sTeani and asIS
flHed the room. Tom nudged his wife
iTrelu^ S* ta the rf
in return. Both were struggling so hard
to keep from laughing that thly^eS
^seat *& ~2^
ner seat on the bench. Presentlv Bill?
came in, his arms full of wood. When &
saw the kettle inverted over the grate
the smoke andsteam^ still aW ael
fen ?roT6hdi
tUrn
ovin^E
^^t
S
1
cras*d-ht Goint
a
over to where his wife sat, he erasnei
her firmly by the arms and, fftSJ hel
up, carried her out of doors He wis no
sooner inside again than sh cantl at
him, crying out in her W lang^Lre-
"I'm small but I'm not afraid yoS?''
Billy again picked her up
andSov
put her
outsde, this time closing th door and
her gom
hear a
after she had made some ineffectual at-'
Tt
in
the
ab0U
t0
S6
up
thel%
valley crying and wailing to where
GT
whSflsabS
go somen dinner for Ms
friends, but all the pleasure of the day
was spoiled, and atshsoon as they could
Tom and his wifen started homewlrd?
The next daty Billy and Ms man Jim
yar
fey her moth
owne
rov.Sittinl^h
0U
a
teaa
w"
W
er. xWuhout a word she went, into the
house and began wto-tar.wi^eviry--aovr
able thingin It. Bedding, dishwTcrock
ery, provisions, trunks, were brought out
one after another, and piled into the
wagon Billy never noticed her. Having
stripped the house, she went to the sta
ble, and as soon, as she was out of sight
Jim took some bedding and provisions
from the p.le in the
wagon,t
away.
Having mer.dfcd the harness, the two
hlKhfS
u
field. All this time Billy had never said
a word. Jim hadn't, either, but he was
doing a lot of thinking and wishing that
Isabel was his wife for about ten min
utes. He chuckled as in thought he held
her by the hair and belabored her shoul
ders with a club. All the long, hot morn
ing they worked in the hay field, and at
nooa returned to the ranch for dinner and
& rest. The bedding and provisions
which Jim had hidden in the brush were
gone. All the stovepipe had been taken,
too the stove alode stood in its place
in the bare and empty cabin. The wom
an bad even taken her husband's cloth
ing: all he possessed in the world was on
his back.
"Well, what aro we going to do now?"
Jim asked. "We can't stay here and
starve."
"No." "Let's hitch up again and go up to my
uncle's?"
"All right."
"Snd wC-1 take the stove? If we don't
she'll have that, too, as soon as she can
find some one to help he/ lift it."
"All right."
The next day people saw Billy Morse
riding westward toward the Kootenai
trail. A rifle was slung across his sad
dle, and he led a pack horse heavily
laden. That was years ago. He has
never been seen or heard of since. And
Isabel? Why, Jim finally married her,
and rules her with a club.
FOUND A SUGAR-CURED BEAR.
How a Gatherer of Maple Syrup Ran
Across a Real Surprise.
Dedham (Me.) Correspondence New
York Sun: As soon as the sap begins to
climb up under the bark of the rock
maple trees and the smell of boiling syrup
spreads through the woods the lean old
bears and the active ones that have slept
lightly through the winter rub their eyes
and snarl in their dreams for a day or
two, and then come out hungry for the
sweets which their nostrils have detected.
For this reason no wise ap gatherer ever
goes into the Maine woods without taking
his rifle and bear traps.
The best sap orchard in Eastern Maine
is owned and operated 'by Fred King, a
Veazie Frenchman. It is on the south
side of Black's mountain, four miles from
Dedham tannery. King tapped his first
tree on St. Valentine's day. A week later
when he began boiling, two bears came
out to pay him a friendly evening call.
He had just piled some hardwood sticks
under the great iron kettle and was nod
ding on* to sleep when he heard-the "oof!
oof!" of an old bear. Presently a dead
limb cracked among the trees on the hill
side. Then he heard the soft patter of
feet on the new snow, and looking up
saw two bears emerge from a woods road
and walk into the circle of light. They
sat up on their haunches -for fully five
minutes, sampling the air with their noses
and running out their tongues in anticipa
tion of a feast. The big bear then walked
over to the little one, touched noses, anl
nodded in the direction of the kettle, tell
ing him in pantomime to go ahead and
help himself. When the small one held
back and impiied that age should *M*
precedence, the old one snarled savagely
and walked forward a yard or two in the
direction of the kettle. He then beckoned
to the youthful 'bear, who came up and
renewed the argument.
This forward movement placed a hem
lock tree between King and the beam and
enabled him to crawl back to camp and
secure hto rifle. Though he was not gone
five minutes, when he crept back behind
the hemlock to take aim both bears had
left As it was a moonlight night King
put on his suoeshoes and gave chase. The
tracks led around to the north side of the
mountain and then down the slope to a
pond, where the bears had parted com
pany., Believing the large bear the more
profitable to. follow, King tracked him
over the- hills into the town of Otis. On
the. nprthjBide, .of the hill the bear sained
4-. i
pereeptimy, but on the south side, where
the snow was soft, King more than made
up for his losses. He saw the bear more
than a dozen times, and fired at him
twice, the second time bringing blood and
angry grunts. At 2 o'clock in the morn
ing, when King felt himself sure of tails
game and was wondering how he should
take the body out of the woods, the bear
sought shelter in a cave on the side of
Beech Hill, and King retraced Ms steps
to camp, ten miles away.
The fire which had been left blazing un
der the huge kettle was burned down to
gray ashes when King crept into his bunk
with his wet clothes on. He slept until
the bluejays came around the camp clam
oring for breakfast. Being tired and dis
appointed, he was in no hurry to begin
work. Along in,.the middle of the fore
noon, when he came in from the woods
with a pail of sap, he looked in the kettle
and saw something which nearly took his
breath away. On the snow about the fire
pit and daubed against the sides of the
kettle were shapeless masses of dirty
maple sugar, while inside the kettle,
soldered and sealed'lfast lh~aT matrix of
sugar, was a dead bear cub weighing
nearly 100 pounds. The young bear seen
by King had returned to camp after get
ting rid of his companion. He had waited
until the fire was out, and then climbed
the forked sticks to the pole above the
kettle. While gorging himself with
sweets he had evidently slipped from the
pole and became immersed in the cooling
syrup.
Two days later King was In Bangor ask
ing war times prices for sugar-cured bear
meat.
A. Democratic Forecast.
Mobile Register: The people are marching
elowly but surely out of the gloom of 1806,
and are entering the land of the sunlight once
more. Bryan may stand on the hilltop eon
fronting the great luminary of national great
ness, and, with closed eyes, cry again and
again that it is night and that those who say
it ia day are traitors to the cause but, hour
by hour, there are more and more of the de
luded ones whose souls are pierced by tha ruu
-r"i5sS^SP'**''
lTa
th
an- cached
them in the brush behind the house Pres
ently she
returnedd
climbed into the
drov
or trutn aa Imd that they must move forward
or lose step with the march of the ages. W
can easily foresee the end of Bryan.* He can
never change. With him there Is a conviction
similar to the Inspired ones of old. His sin
cerity ie his worst trait it prevents his ever
seeing what others see, namely, that the world
lives and learns. The political organization
Bryan leads will go up once more, but in great
ly diminished numbers, to the sacrifice on the
mount, and will again be cast down. This is
inevitable. Even the most enthusiastic mem
ber can give no reason for the slightest hope
for a contrary result. They go, however, as
devotees of a holy cause, and as such are ready
to suffer martyrdom. Then will come the dis-
solutionBryafe and the faitnful few et'll
standing in the clouds of their own creation,
shouting to the disbanding horde to come back
and fight again for the sainted fiction of bi
metallism. There will be no answer. The party
organization will be dead.
:V The Tovngeat Told Him.
London Tid-Bits: A school inspector was ex
amining a class, in grammar and trying to ex
plain the relations of adjectives and nouns by
telling an example.
"Now,, for instance," he eaid, "what am I?**
That was an easy question, and all the chil
dren shouted, "A man'." and and then, look
ing around triumphantly, as much as to say,
"Ask another."
"Yes, but what elseT' said the inspector.
This was not eo easy, but after a pause a
boy ventured to suggest "A little man."
"Yes, but thare Is something more than
that."
This was 'a poser for the youngsters, but,
after a moment's puzzled silence, an infant
phenomenon almost leaped from his seat In bit
sagerness, and cried to the inspector:
"Please, Blr, I knowah ugly little manP*
iKpI^
-V:V,
^Mim-y She. Made, a-Mistake.
The London Telegraph tells this Monto Carlo
story: "A woman, entered the salle while a
Prince, and in such luck, too!' she exclaimed
3weeping style that seemed destined to" break
fully defied the effects of thirty-six winterT I UlS*
AS TO THE SPAHI8H NOTARY
-6'
A*
SHORft OF HIS GB ABTD FEES
In the New Poaefilons, Is Thin
Powerful Offlcial-^nclent Pre-
roffaitlvesBstorMonate Fees.
Nothing has brought 'more forcibly to
the minds of the masses in the new
American possessions jhe significance of
the change politically |UB the iconoclastic
blow that has been sttubk by- the Amer
ican military goYerntfvents to one of
Spain's'oldest and most solid institutions,
the notary. The notary of Spain and of
Latin countries is quite a different per
sonage from the nota|y pfubKc that we
know In the states. TMe latter is a crea
tune of limrted-powerfe which are con*
fined torthe taking of pMKs and acknowl
edgments. Kis fees ar|f seldom sufficient
to buy cigars for an average smoker. The
Spanish notary can be compared with the
American one only inlname.'Who do.es
not remember the notary in the comic
opera where a Barnabee or a Frothing
ham essayed the pompous' part?
The notary is the sine qua non of Spain.
He and the priest aret associated with
every act, private or jiublic, in the life
of the Spaniard worth^ of remembrance
or record. The one rules through the
cross, the other by the ?qnUI..-,Th notaries
in Porto Rico had an easy berth, it is re
corded in a San Juanjletter to the New
York Tribune. The b^rth was such ""a
good one that often jthrifty statesmen
preferred the quiet, notarial office to the
brilliant salas ofthe palace. Appoint
ment to these places was usually looked
forward to after retirement from a suc
cessful political career|,or as the reward
for services rendered by a powerful poli-
AND THE CAP FITS.
acian TO ins parry, me id.-vorn.ea or Mie
palaces of Madrid and San Juan pre
ferred this plum to all the clusters of
tropical fruit.
Until autonomy was granted in 1897 to
Porto Rico, notaries were appointed by
the minister of ultramar (colonies) at
Madrid, but since that time they had
been appointed by the governor general
and the secretary of justice. The num
ber of appointments depended only upon
the local demands or the fancy of the
appointing, power. At the tine of the
American occupation there were two no
taries at San Juan and fifteen on the
island.
The Spanish law provided that notaries
should be twerety-rflve years of age, law
yers, and subjected to an examination be
fore the supreme court as to fitness but
like all other provisions of the Spanish
code, these were elastic ones and did not
stand In the way of favoritism. When
he received his commission the notary
said farewell to care and settled himself
down to the enjoyment of an easy exist
ence, for his appointment was for the
term of his life.
His duties were manifold and important
but the labor was performed by his
scrivener or secretary. The law and the
clients simply wanted the notary's signa
ture and seal, which would be forthcom
ing artter a delay sufficient to give Im
portance and dignity to the act. By law
and in popular theory he was supposed
to be present at the execution of dowries,
articles of marriage, wills, contracts,
mortgages, deeds, powers of attorney.
leases and alproceedingsr the othe complexoand
d^Xer&
the bank. am so glad to see you here Wed tonotary
Prince, and in such luck, too!' sh exclaimed.
rul
Do tell me a lucky number it is rare to win. *CUraen always DOTS a taoosin*
& S SJaWoT^&SSS toblhS
erously placeedT a pile of gold lota before*2l
the!-"L'W-*1was^sai*T*
vivacious lady, whose beauty had racc! M^LJ*"e1peao
^?,vv?t
and said: 'Put it all on number of your Sf84
2!2fIthe
JSKS^ISiL^
y my age^and fainted on the spot"
teeal known the
code where private parties en
tato agreements which were re
be written and recorded. As a
*& was not seen, but the
aten rnZZLT*^ "Td Th ***y }J?&*
e'
0n
one
reflected, hesitated, and then placed the pu i thereafter together with an additional
on twenty-seven. An instant later the enwoW I allowance ofuTmi rZt *e V??f?ffff?r7r
lang out, "Thirty-six red winel' 2ba ta* I r*ZZ \2*J?Li *g"^5* W*"*
muttered, 'Ah mon D!eu: thlM,*fa JJg fi^L 225
n5*
s-r
waflour- al-
notary'^e
*^L^Li*f
ftnr
any 4 O
centnt^*ar6
-fo
eacr
pag
in~ was al
uwed peso the first pagepapeevery of bond wU or of
to
25*'dei ^.demande* and OXten
Defective Page
origffial agreement' was recorded and
signed upon a record of the notary, which
h kept fa his office and which be
o*n his property.
He gave a bond of from H.000 to $2,000
for the preservation of, the same. But no
one could procure a copy of this rboord
unless he was a party fo ^he^^J^^*lna^
agreement. Or unless authorized by court,
ahe parties to an agreement obtained
only copies of the* notary's record.
In a recent report of an American ofll
oer, an aid to Gen. Henry, it was stated
that "the practice among- notaries la to
charge-ail they can get, which they hare
succeeded in, except where an American
desired his services." The American*
have refused to pay the exorbitant
charges demanded, and the wily official
has usually accepted what the American
offered, in order to save his sinecure from
the reforms instituted since* the change
of government. It is a matter of general
information that each of the two notaries
at San Juan has made $1,000 a month.
It can thus be seen what desirable
places these soft berths were in Spanish
times. In fact, they were like, a British
consol of a United States bond,-negotiable
and assignable ..upon payment of thetroops
value, considering perquisites and premi
um. No better wedding gift could be
made by-a rich man to his son-in-law
than the purchase of such a place. They
were also a desirable security for loans
should the incumbent become involved by
speculation or political extortion.
But now-much of this is changed. The
military government has attacked this
venerable imstttutioh, rich with many as
sociations and more numerous fees. The
fees have been reduced to a fair equiva
lent for''the services performed, and it Is
the purpose of the authorities, supported
by the insular cabinet, to make these
officials- simply the ministerial officers
that they are in the United States. Here
tofore they have been the lawyer, the
scrivener, the notary and oftentimes the
judge, all combined. By the new order of
Gen. Henry the notantaa asru nam allows]
$1.50 a page for Qocumenjts where the
consideration Is under $1,000 (pesos). In
documents where the consideration Is In
excess of 1,000 pesos, they will be allowed
one-half of 1 per cent upon the amount.
Acknowledgments alone will now cost
but 50 oenitavos, where before they" cost
several pesos. Until this reform was
brought.about, the free exchange of prop
erty and the transaction of business re
quiring a notary's services was threaten
ed. Americans oftentimes asserted that
the demands of the notary amounted to
a practical appropriation of the property
or a partnership in the enterprise.
The story is current here of an Amer
ican who had ooeasiou to consult a notary
in San Juan before the. occupation. The
notary drew up the papers relating to an
option on a large tract of land in the
island, and after the execution and copy
of the same, in accordance with the Span
ish law, presented a bill for his fees. The
American almost fainted when he saw
that the bill amounted to nearly one
fourth of the value of the land. As no
relief could then be obtained from the
Spanish authorities, the victim decided to
take the notaryy into partnership, and
he gave him a share in the enterprise in
consideration of his fees. The deal proved
snccessiful, and the notary made a fee
that many of the greatest American law
yers would envy.
Not long ago an American received a
letter from a laywre in British Colum
bia, asking for a copy of the will of an
Englishman who died a ew years ago in
a small town on the west coast of the
the island. He left a valuable estate
and several heirs. The latter wanted a
copy of the will, which was recorded in
the place of the death, together with a
certificate of the death and boreal. When
the American wrote to the notary.who
had a copy of the will, asking for a copy
thereof and tendering the 'fees, he re
ceived a reply that, inasmuch as neither
he nor the parties whom he represented
were mentioned In the win, it was imand
possible under the Spanish laws to fur
nish him with the desired copies, the
K^neral public was not auxxxuuwi to fcar
i
MIN$:. SATUBDAY.,APRIL 22 1899. 2.40 PER YEAH.
NOT FLOURISHING AS IN DAYS OF
YORE.
Business, Abolished Since the
American Occupation Murder,
Kidnaping- and Arson Formerly
Done for HireOf the Two .Great
Leaders, One Ha* Taken Hi* Band
to San Domingo and the Other
Has Reformed"Black Hands"
and "Red Hands" in La Cantera.
The death knell of brigandage in Porto
flico was sounded when the American
landed at Ouanica last summer.
Up to that time brigands had been5
^uWagflaWffroflMggjeJWCaeJBwOTittiWTOf wiff*
WTefn
OULD yon wealth obtain, my friend
To seouie which some folks steel*
emn obtain ithonestly, too,
I yon adretiee THE APPEAL.
PORTO RICO'S BRIGANDS
active.
Now few if any, remain.' Since-early last
January there has been no indication
whatever, of their existence, and the band
that made a, manifestation then was be
lieved to be the only one that had not yet
quit business. Its experience on that oc
casion was such as to discourage it. The
brigands had no sooner begun operations
than word was sent to the military post
at Arecibo about them. A squad of sharp
shooters from the Forty-seventh New
York volunteers was imediately detailed
to look after them. The soldiers soon
came up with them and opened lire. The
brigands were far in advance at the time
and were mounted on the swift-footed lit
tle mountain ponies which Porto Rico
produces. They therefore escaped, but
the incident opened their eyes to the fact
that American troops have a different
and far more unpleasant way of dealing
with such things than^ the old Spanish
civil guard.
Prior to this, from the beginning of the
American occupation, there had been few
and poorly organized raids. Indeed, it
long ago became evident that the great
leaders or captains of the bandits of
Porto Rico had forsaken their calling.
The overthrow of Spanish sovereignty
was sufficient to rid the island of them,
says the New York Sun. At the coming
of the American-troops they dug up their
gold and silver and other valuables and
fled from the island. There are holes to
be-seen in the ground and mounds where
holes have been dug and Slien refilled near
some of the caves in the Ponce district,
the former hotbed of Porto Rican brigan
dage, and the country people say that at
these spots was hidden the plunder of
these outlaws prior to the American in
vasion.
They were brigands' in every sense of
the word, not merely petty malefactors,
but robbers, kidnapers, cutthroats arid
footpads. They waylaid travelers, levied
blackmail on planters, pillageds
homes,
killed for pay and even made descents
upon villages for booty. Some of them
made a specialty of removing hated per
sons, receiving for their services sums
ranging from $100 to $500, according to
the financial ability of the person hiring
them and the prominence of the intended
victim or his fighting ability The people
of Porto "Rico teli to-day witfi a ueertaln
pride that these cutthroats never be
trayed a patron. The two most famous
leaders in the business up to the time
of the American capture of the island
were Pan Blanco, or "White Bread," and
Agmila Blanca, or "White Eagle." When
the city of Ponce fell into the hands of
the American troops Pan Blancofledin
continently. His record was so bad that
he could expect no mercy. Aguila Blanca
stood his ground and decided to see what
the Americanos were like. The result of
the scrutiny was favorable, so he came
into the city, said he wanted to lead a
better life and would reform, if the Amer
icans would permit him, and asked for
and received a sort of safe conduct.
When Pan Blanco fled he took his en
tire band with him. It is variously esti
mated that thus the island was rid of
from fifteen to twenty-five rascals. Pan
Blanco took them to the island of San
Domingo. This explanation of hie name
wasrgiven
by a resident:
"The good gentleman lived an appar
ently open life in Poncethe city, not the
districtwhich he protested was decent,
respectable and virtuous. Moreover, the
authorities never molested him, yet no
body in Ponce with eyes to see and ears
to hear could help but know that a more
dangerous character did not exist. But
as nothing is more harmless than white
bread, Pan Blanco became his name by
sarcasm and common consent."
They say that he took a" large sum with
him to San Domdngo. He is a Spaniard
who went to Porto Rico in his teens as
a clerk. He took to gambling, and pres
ently opened a hotd, which develop:d.
into a resort for the worst criminals. He
knew them better than they knew them
selves and could pick out the best man in
Ponce for any given work better than
anybody else. At first he made his rec
ommendations without thought of pecuni
ary benefit to himself. Then he contract
ed to hav jobs done. He collected the
?100 or $500 and sent Pancho or Pepe or
Juanito, or any of the other hangers-on
about his place, out to abduct the child,
fire the house, kill the man, or do what
ever else the commission called for. Often
these fellows had tb do the work for noth
ing, and when Pan Blanco paid them it
was rarely more than $10. Being a Span
iard, Pan Blanco, had an advantage over
the native bandits. The authorities
winked at his business.' They merely re
quired him to offend public decencies as
little as possible in other words, to con
duct his agency for assassination, mur
der, kidnaping, arson and the like quietly.
Vfany an official, moreover, was wont to
can on Pan Blanco ln moments of finan
cial stress and effect loans which he was
very careless about repaying, and which
Pan Blanco never bothered himself about
collecting. Thus Pan Blanco conducted
his profitable business for three decades
.without official annoyance. He also had
highly profitable connections with the
outlaws of the mountains.
He was a
fence' for them, and to their retreats he
often found it necessary, in order to allay
public indignation, to send some of his
more notorious henchmen. He must be
about fifty-five now. When the Amer
icans landed be went from Ponce to San
Domingo, but it is believed that from
there he made his way back to his native
Spain, there to lead a life of leisure in his
old age.
Ogudla Blanca is a far more picturesque
and romantic figure among the bandits of
Porto Rico than Pan Blanco. He received
his name because he was hard to oatcii.
"Many a time we have approached to
within a dozen yards of him," said a
former civil guard, "and yet, throughout
his long career as a brigand he.has never
once been arrested, but I have reason to
believe that he has been wounded many
times. Once we surprised him on the
road leading ,to. Juana Diaz. We were
slx strong, and Immediately we opened
fire on him. I have never missed a pigeon
at that distance. I must certainly, have
hit him. There were other men in the
party who swore they could not have
missed him. However, Aguila Blanca
did not fall into our hands. He dashed
away with the wings of an eagle and
flew we never knew whither. We looked
for blood, and saw. some damp spots on
the ground where Aguila Blanca had
stood when we leveled our guns at him
fired. We came to the conclusion
that it was' Impossible to capture him
alive or dead.
Aguila Blanca's life is exemplary to-day, -ofTitT.
fully justifying the safe
Gen. Henry gave him,
uianca asked for It he wrote that he had
been a man of the woods out of undying
implacable hatred for Spaniards that
now that they had been driven from the
island he had no further incentive to war
against authority and therefore he de
sired to return to civilized life and be a
law-abiding citizen of his beloved native
island. There was some correspondence
and Gen. Henry at length granted the
passport on condition that Aguila Blanca
should assist the military and police au
thorities in the work of ridding the island
of brigands. Aguila Blanca*s father was
ruined by a Spaniard with whom he had
been in business in Ponce. Aguila Blanca
was a boy When he started in to avenge
his father's wrongs. Chance made him
a brigand. One day he got into an al
tercation with a Spanish boy his own size
and killed him. He was arrested, but
the court decided that .he was too young
to suffer capital punishment and that he
should be held for sentence until' he
should attain his majority. Before that
time he escaped and became an outlaw.
No account of brigandage In Porto
would be complete without mention of
the Cantera, or Quarry, or Ponce, the
part of the city to which the lawless were
wont to repair when they came to town.
There they caroused and fought. Once
a band known as La Mano Negrathe
Black Bandheld sway in La Cantera.
Then another band developedLa Mano
Rojathe Red Hand. The Black Hands
had to lower their colors, and were at
length exterminated, "every man was
killed, but it cost the Red Hands many
a number. American methods have puri
fied La Cantera.
A STOWAWAY ON THE TEXAS.
Tommy 'Watson In the Battle of San.
tiaa-o, Is Now a Naval Apprentice.
New York Sun: At the training station at
Newport is a boy who is a naval apprentice in
one of the lowest divisions and yet a veteran
of the Spanish war. He 1B fourteen years ot
age, and yet was in the battle of Santiago.
He heard Commodore Philip, of the Texas,
when he said to his crew: "Don't cheer, boys
the poor devils are dying." The lad. while not
on the department's rolls, was a member of
the Texas' crew ah the time of the fight, and in
fact all through the war.
The boy is Thomas Watson. He had a
brother in the crew and when the ship was
about to sail to the front he smuggled himself
aboard. He was cared for in concealment for
Borne days, until, stowaway-like, he made his
appearance on deck. Once at the front he
might as well be kept on the Texas as any
other ship of the fighting line, so the officers
accepted the situation.
The boy soon became profiicient in such du
ties as his strength would permit his perform
ing, "and being a bright fellow, It was early
seen that he would not prove a hindrance in
case of action. In fact there is evidence that
he conducted himself in a praiseworthy man
ner. He admits that he was scared at times
during the action. Upon the return of the ship
to New York he was taken for enlistment in
the navy in regular order, and had it been nec
essary the entire ship's company would have
vouched for him. To-day he is probably igrt
better fitted for filling a number in the ship
crew than any other boy at the training sta
tion. He may be expected to secure rapid pro
motion from class to class.
Only One Way.
Tit-Bits: "A story is tdld of a judge Who
could not control his temper and so could not
control other people. One day there was un
usual disorder In the court room and at last
the judge could endure it no longer.
"It is impossible to allow this persistent con
tempt of court to go on," he exclaimed, "and
I shall be forced to go to the extreme length
of taking the one step that will stop it."
There was along silence then one of the
leading counsel rose, and, with the trace of a
smile, Inquired: "If it please your honor, from
what date will your resignation take effect?"
"Well?" "Then she broke the engagement because ahe
found out that when he looked that way he
wasn't thinking at all."
THE AMERICAN CHILD.
''Kids'' in Onr Congresg and in the
British House of Commons.
Kansas City Star: A Washington corre
spondent in speaking of the differences
in the ways of the British house of com
mons and the American house of repre
sentatives, notes that in the house of com
mons children are neither seen nor heard,
while in our own house of representatives
it is not uncommon for a member to
bring his little boy or girl upon the floor.
One little fellow of six or seven years
of age, this writer goes on to say, was
accustomed to visit the recent congress
quite frequently, and found the great hall
of legislation an admirable playroom. One
day he found his way to the neighborhooe
of the speaker's chair, and the big man
who presided over the deliberations of the
house was radiant with smiles as he fon
dled and chatted with this young person,
who finally rushed away to the house
lobby to play with the telephone, calling
up his friends at several hotels. "The
American mind and the American heart,"
says this writer, "are very easily domi
nated by a child."
This is all true, and this is one of the
reasons why the American childboy or
girlis one of the most independent and
Intelligent of human beings. The young
American is appreciated, and is not, as
a rule, snubbed for youthfulness, nor
made to feel a sense of shame or guilt
for not being born earlier. Thus the
American boy and girl of average condi
tions, lacks the shyness of sullen and
reticent stupidity to be"found in children
of the same age elsewhere. The Amer
ican man usually speaks to a boy as if
he were a man, and receives a man's re
ply. The characteristic of youthful Amer
icans is self-possession, which is one of
the requisites of good breeding.
The general principles of the Declara
tion of Independence are acquired by
American children, rather than instilled
into them. That all men are equal in a
political sense is a matter with them of
observation. American children hear no
man called lord, and o call no man such.
They hear nothing about being respect
ful to their superiors, or being content in
the state or condition where God has been
pleased to place them, and so servile rev
erence for anything that walks about on
two feet is not a distinguishing character
istic of American children.
The gieat mass of American boys and
girls are travelers. By the time they
reach ihe age of ten or twelve they have
taken extensive journeys within the lim
its of their own country, and oerhaps of
foreign lands. They acquire familiarity
with the ways of travel. The youth- of
five who observed that in traveling t^
"generally took a sleeper," wa a specimen
of a common type.
The American child is the production of
the. institutions of his country. He is no
villager. He is the youthful citizen of a
great and wide country. Thefirsthe
hears of that country is Its immense ex
tent, and he.- soon learns the fact by
traveling about it. Quite early he hears
that his father and himself are the equals
of any two male persons they may meet
that they are not required to give more
than half the road to anybody, or to pull
their caps off and "lowly bo*r" to any
thing born of woman. There is probably
no other country where so many boys are
on terms of friendship with men or girls
with women as in the United States. The
American learns in his earliest years to
occupy his place as a sovereign citizen in
a free country. Youth is a prelude to(
manhood and its duties and responsible
ties re prepared for beforehand.0._
^feS** f "i Mi
Prof. Langley, secretary of the SmHhsonfiufk
Institution, was recently shown a criticism oft
one of his theories and asked what he thought
emplar to-day of it "I do not care 'for it myself," he re
conduct which pHed, "but I am worried foe fear Kmax tiw
WheK^knui'n ale my mother." jlLT?
-Trt3