Daily press. [volume], August 14, 1898, Image 1

About Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
PAGES
5 TO 8
VOL 111, NO. 194.
A WOMANBOOMER.
SHE ATTRACTS EMIGRANTS AND CAP?
ITAL TO HER STATE.
A Failure at Millinery but a Success In
Let-luring for California Railroads?'Tin
Suid Mie Call Ilooin Wostern Land WllH
Mure Gllhness Than it Hook Agent.
California has a novelly in woman?
hood. She is Mrs. Janet Macdonald.
whose business is to go about the coun?
try lecturing to attract emigrants and
capital to the Pacific coast, it is said
that she can boom Western land with
more glibness than a book agent can
boom a book. Mrs. Macdonald is an
excellent speaker, and her lectures de?
scribing the natural resources and ad?
vantages of California are illustrated
with kinetoscope pictures taken direct?
ly under her supervision. She owns
frankly that .she was a failure as a
milliner and says she'd rather, talk up
California than do anything else she
ever tried. Avcord'.ng to Chicago Tri
btine, her bread-winning road has not
always been so easy to travel as it is
since the railroad companies employed
her. When asked to talk about her
work Mis. Macdonald said:
"1 went to California""when 1 was
12 years old. riding horseback all the
way from Council Bluffs with my fa?
ther, who was captain of the wagon
train. We set onl on .May 1. and ar?
rived in Carson Ci'.y, where we made
our first considerable stop, sept einher
15. Thilly years later I came back,
and on a solidly restibiiletl train, mak?
ing the trip entirely across the con?
tinent in five days. The railroad fol?
lows for a great part of the way the
old wagon trail, and as. 1 traveled
bai k I could recognize many land?
marks around our old camping spots.
"i began to earn my own living a
few months before my twenty-first
birthday, a widow with three children
to support, and having had the advan?
tage of six months' schooling. When
my husband died 1 realized I must
earn my living and raise my child?
ren. 1 knew of but three occupations
open "to women In nfy position?sew?
ing, millinery, and keeping a hoard?
ing house. 1 selected millinery. Fur
six months I struggled and made my
one failure. 1 thought then, and I
know now. that my friends bought my
goods only from sympathy, so of
course 1 did not have heavy sales.
1 became discouraged, and one day
when 'blue' said in the presence of a
man friend that 1 was willing to do
anything by which 1 could earn an
honorable living lor my children. He
said: 'Why don't you canvass for
hooks? You could make money, hands
up, for you are just the woman for
the place.' -. ?
"To make a long story short, I began
to canvass for books, and in the first
two weeks made $iiO. So I gave up my
millinery store and devoted myself to
canvassing. My relatives weie horri?
fied, and had 1 been a leper they could
not have avoided me more carefully.
That treatment aroused my pride and
I worked all tin- harder. .Many a day
I have glitten up with the sun. gone,
out after a lieht breakfast, and worked
until black daik without having time
for dinner or lunch. in' course, it' 1
had mil possessed an 'iron Constitution'
I would have died, so 1 would Ly a.ll
means advise women against such ex?
tremes.
"As 1 traveled about the country it
occurred to me that 1 might make a
good thing by writing newspaper let?
ters. So in the morning i would can?
vass the towns for my hooks and in the
afternoon drive on: lo different points
of interest I'.ir my letters. You may
imagine how I fell. when, in please
my friends, I accepted a position in tin
mint at $75 a month. After the firsf
mouth I gave it up and wen:, hack to
my old profession. How could 1 live
and educate my children on $75 a
month after being used to hundreds?
Well, canvassing for books, like
many other occupations, became less
remunerative as the faciliiics for travel
increased, so in lime 1 got a place to
travel in the interest of several of the
largest hol eis in San Francisco. Then
the railroads wanted me, and finally
here I am, sent out in the interest of
the state itself. Illustrating with
kinetoscope pictures is an idea of my
own. It impressed me that the best
way to make an audience realize the
size of our big trees was to show them
a team passing through one, or-to lei
them see thirty-six couples dancing on
a stump. To make them understand
the great amount of work dome by a
giant harvester the lie-.; way was to
Bhow its progtess from Hie time it en?
tered the field of growing grain until
it left, the grain cut, threshed, sacked,
weighed, measured, stamped and idled
for shipment.
"It was difficult to net the pictures.
The first machine 1 tool; out West for'
the purpose of making the photographs
was faulty in some wax1, ami the pic?
tures proved a failuie, ;:o I had to come
East again and go to the trouble and
expense of getting another. You may
be sure 1 had it thoroughly tested be?
fore going bai k. I failed as a milliner,
but I am not going lo fail as a scien?
tific photographer. I have never, not
one single time, worked for smallei
wages than a man would have received
for the same work. I would neve;
lend my aid to cheapen woman'::
work."
Recipe for Wretr.lirdnest.
Tf you should wish to be miserable
you must think about yourself?-about
what, you want, what you like, what re
spect people ought to pay to you, and
then to you nothing will he pure. Ym.
will spoil everything you touch; you
will make sin and misery for yourself
out of everything which God sends
you- you will ueas wretched au yoc
choose ?Charles rUngsley.
o ? . * ' , ,
RAILROADS IN SPAIN.
Totul Mileage 13<nm1 toOno of Our W?t
ern Coui]iaiit4!h.
There 13 not much celebration of
anything in Spain this year, but if
there was. she might celebrate the
semi-centennial anniversary of the
opening of the fli'Ht railroad in that
kingdom., lit 18-IS the Barcelona Rail?
road, so called, extending eighteen
miles from Barcelona to Mataro, was
opened to traffic. Mataro is a smalt
town on tlie Mediterranean northeast
of Barcelona, ami these eighteen miles
of road constituted at that time Spain's
only contribution to the railroad mile?
age of the world, the neighboring
country. France, having at the same
period a railroad mileage cd' 1,500 and
Groat Uritain 3.000. Since then there
has been a slowly intermittent increase
of what is sniuelittiea grandiosely call?
ed "The Railroad System" of Spain,
two obstacles to the development of
which have been the unbusinesslike
met hods of the inhabitants and enor?
mous engineei ing difficulties. Spain
hits been wholly demttlcd of forests at
the headwaters of rivers, and as a
consequence tin re are frequent over?
flows, carrying with then; railroad
bridges, trestles; and embankments to
the constant peril am! annoyance of
There are now in Spain T.??ti miles
of railroad, less than one-third of the
number in Great lirilain, France, or
Russia, and loss than one-fourth of the
number In Italy. The relative insigni?
ficance of the Spanish railroad "sys?
tem" appear -, best in comparison with
American railroads, a single line, the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, hav?
ing :;ti aggregate mileage of 7,400,
owned, operated, or , out rolled, or near?
ly as much as till the railroad? of Spain
combined. Spanish roll reads are pro?
verbially slow, the rate of "express"
trains being twenty-five tulles an hour
and of way passenger trains from
twelve to fifteen. They seldom run on
scheduled time, and i1 is the testimony
of all travellers that they never make
connections. The amount of baggage
allowed each first-class passenger on a
Spanish railroad is sixty-six pounds,
but the railroads are not responsible
for its loss, nor are their officials re?
sponsible for its identification. The
charges on Spanish mil roads are re?
markably high, bi'iiig at the rate of
5 cents a niilo on first-class trains,
and ". cents a mile on second-class
trains, about donl In the American average.
The railroad lines of Spain were
built partly by private capital, partly
from the proceeds of governmental
subsidies. These subsidies have ;
amounted to over $200,000,000 (1,000,
000,000, pesetas). Although , Mm. rail,
roads of Spain are directly ??<5<!*- me
control of the Government, and al?
though about one-third of their con?
struction was paid by the Government,
they are owned by private companies,
and about three-fifihs of tlie stock of
the Spanish railroads is owned in
France. French investors have grad?
ually absorbed the securities, which,
sold at a depreciation, pay a high rate
of interest. French and English en?
gineers supervised generally the con?
struction of Spanish railroads, but the
".stations," or terminal facilities <>f the
companies are the products of domestic
industry, as anj observant but forbear?
ing traveller will admit.
The railroads of the United States
carry in a year about (jliO.000,000 pas?
sengers, and they transport about S00,
000.000 tons of fr? iglii. There ;tre Mi!
per cent, more teas of freight carried
than there are imliviilti:;! passengers.
?The Spanish railtoads, despite the in?
ferior facilities which they offer to
travellers, depend innre upon passen?
ger, than lipon freight tra'flic, carrying
in :i year a muc.ii lariier number of
passengers than tltey ?lo tons of
freight. In 1 i,:?T the Spanish rail?
roads carried 27.000.000 passengers, but |
they carried only 12,000.000 tons of
freight.
The difficulties of passenger traflic
"on Spanish railroads are enhanced In
some particulars which are rather
amusing titan serious. Passengers are
expected, to arrive til the station at
least If.ill" an hour before the train
leaves, in order thai sufficient allow?
ance may be made fot the dilatory pro?
ceeding,-, of the railway oificials. Dur?
ing part of each day (and in some cit?
ies the larger part of each day), the
railway stations are closed and the
ticket offices do not open until an hour
before the time scheduled for the de?
parture of the train, closing a quarter
of an hour before it is ?lue.
The hapless tourist, in compliance
with Spanish railroad custom, must
have his ticket before he is permitted
to enter the wailing room, and as this
ticket must be bought fifteen minutes,
at least, before the train starts and as
the train may he anywhere from an
hour to three hours late, his oppor?
tunities for reasonable complaint are
numerous and are not diminished by
knowledge of the fact that he is pay?
ing more for his ticket, according to
the distance travelled, than is the rule
on American or English railways.
Om> peculiarity of railroad travel in
Spain is I . he found in the fact that
employees of the railroad company are
entitled, as a matter of right, to the
best seats, even regardless of the tick?
ets so!?l passengers. In what is some?
times called "cheap" railroad travel in
Spain many of the passengers ride on
Ihe roofs of the cars, but whether it is
to enable them to tee the country to
better advantage or to enjoy greater
comfort and better ventilation is not
known. In some Spnnish railroad sta?
tions, notwithstanding the meagreness
of'their accommodations, an admission
fee is charged, similar to a theatre, it
being the theory of some of the Span?
ish railroad officiate that the eagerness
of some persons to find solace on the
wooden benches of railway stations is
an item of available revenue not to be
disregarded.
NEWPORT NEW
WHAT TO WEAR AND HOW TO MAKE IT
May Munton's Hints Ilcsardiiis; Seasonable
Toilettes.
?'?"T^"TE%^v.t?i-j'^-~ir."."-.? -? B?i?i-?
brown silk ribbon velvet made tlii;
handsome dress, the yoke and coljat
being of very line linen batiste that
conies all ready tucked for '.his pur?
pose.
The simple and stylish arrangement
of this costume recommends it u
mothers who do their own sew in;:, it
being well adapted to the making ovet
that has so often to be done where
the family is-large. A yoke of velvet
silk or other contrasting material, with
the fitting portions of the sleeves to
match, will eke out short material
while the rows of velvet will cover up
joints that are unavoidable when add?
ing to the length id' buth .skirt ami
waist.
A sash worn around the waist gives
added style to this otherwise np-to
late costume. The blouse waist is ar?
ranged over fitted linings, the yoke be?
ing cut square.in Pompadour style, ami
the closing Is. made invisible in centre
back.
' Square cornered epnulett.es turn hack
I stylishly from the yoke, bands of vel
I vet forming a pretty trimming. The
five-gored skirt' is gathered in the.
back and the top is sewed to tit,- low?
er edge of the waist, tlie sash being
tied in a small looped bow in centre
back. This style is as well adapted
to cotton as to woolen labile.-; and will
lie found easy to launder if the epau?
lettes ate made adjustable and the
lower edge of puffs arranged on a draw
siring.
To make this gown for a girl of eight
years will require three yards of 41
inch material.
Lady's lllnuso Wulst.
French organdy, showing a bluet de?
sign with green leaves on a white
ground is here tastefully decora led with
blue baby ribbon and while lace. The
full waist has the front and had;
shaped in one portion will) a perfect?
ly straight upper edge. This i-t gaih
<itc-l la iivc cvcUiy spar.eu rows which
I are distributed over lh- pseit of the
'S, VA., SUNDAY,
glove fitteil iinuig wiiicr. supports me
fulness.
Smooth undcr-nrm gores separate the
full frouts and back and the lining
elos.es the centre front.
The full waist has the front and bad;
shaped in one portion with a perfectly
?straight upper edge. This is gathered
in the evenly spaced rows which arc
distributed ?.ver the neck of the glovo
filied lining which supports the ful?
ness. .
Smooth under-firm cores separate the
full fr.s and back and the lining
closes the centre front..
The full waist may close at the left
shoulder and utidor-arm seam, or Ute
more practical centre front closing is
tpiitfl possible and an be readily made
invisible, if so preferred.
The full waist can be cut off at the,
lower line of perforations and the
smooth yoke only used as shown in the
small sketch:
To make t'tiis waist for a lady of me?
dium size two and a half yards of ma?
terial, 1-1 inches wide, will , be ro
tpiired.
Mi-, d lsn. ro Mnrrin.l.
Evangelina Cisinern was married at
Baltimore to C. P. Carbonel, who as?
sisted In rescuing tier from a Havana
prison.
RiCE AND PEA COAL.
Tu l'ae tlia Material in Dirt Ile/tpi of Ilia
Coal lU-glmis.
Quite a large quantity of rice coal
is now going to market. It costs at
the mines 2F> cents a ton. It is the
cheapest fuel in the woi hi of its kind,
but the railroad companies charge $1.35
a ton to haul it fifty or one bundled
miles.
Rice coal is the product of the dirt i
banks. Mountains of coal dirt ob?
struct the anthracite regions near the
collieries, and men have set up big
washeries where the water supply is
adequate, and wash out ami screen j
out the line particles of coal until the
pure fuel, as small as rice, clean and
burnished, comes to the surface on, big
platforms, and is dried for the market.
The washers can produce this rice coal
at about 15 cents a ton, and their profit
is lb cents a ton. . The washers are
satisfied with the profit, but they are
hampered by high freight rates.
Rice coal is a modern size entirely.
So is buckwheat, the next size to rice.
These two sizes were not known in the
commercial market until men began to
wash out the mountains of coal tort,
supposed to be so much dead waste.
Commercial sizes <>l" coal are: Rice,
buckwheat, pea, chestnut, stove, bro?
ken, .steamboat and lump. The uses
of lump and steamboat coal, large size ;
for ship... air- well understood. Stove
and egg, or broken, ate used for cellar
beaters, and chestnut for kitchen
ranges. Many people do not under
stand tin.' uses of oca coal, and at this
iiir.o when winter buying is tnougtu u;
tlie siiiily of pea coal is Interesting.
A tew years'ago very little pea was
sold. People said it was dirt. Now
they have small pea and large pea.
Ilnth sir.es have sprung into a very
large demand and the sales are in?
creasing as (he subject is understood.
There are hundreds of families in this
country who bam pea coal in their cel?
lar heaters. Some who understand fir?
ing a heater use pea coal exclusively.
Others mix pea and stove ot^.egg to-.:j
quently pea coal is spread out on top
of the large coal to koop the combus?
tion well confined and to preserve the
heat where it belongs- in the house.
Very few families within a radius of
thirty-live miles from the anthracite
coal regions burn the old-time chest?
nut coal in their kitchen ranges. They
save $2 a ton and buy pea coal, which
goes further than chestnut, because
pea packs nunc compactly, and docs
not burn away so fast. There are coal
dealers who say this is not so, but
successful and experienced housewives
?say it is a fact. Pea coal for keeping
a fire all nigh! in tlie kitchen is just
the thing.
Bituminous coal is not used for do?
mestic purposes generally, but the peo?
ple are turning attention to it, right
in the anthracite coal country here,
because soft coal can he bought at $2
a ton, delivered, and there is more heat
in a ton of soft coai than in two tons
of buckwheat, or one and a half Ions of
good pea. which costs $?,.,10 a ton.
Were it not for the smoke nuisance
housekeepers would surely follow the
manufacturers, slop using hard coal
entirely and take up soft coal for lite
kitchen range and cellar heater. Those
manufacturers who arc using rice and
buckwheat mix i; with bituminous coal.
r:t'::ng together, says the minister to
"Sir, do you eve: make mistakes in
pleading?"
"X do," says the lawyer.
"And what dri you d,> with mis?
takes'.'" inquired the minister.
"Why, sir. if large ones, 1 mend
them; it small ones, I let them go,"
said the lawyer. "And pray, sir," con
ilined he, "do you ever make mistakes
In pr car hing?"
"Yes, sir; i have."
"And what do you do with mis
lakes'.'" said the lawyer.
"Why. sir, 1 dispose of them In the
same manner as y-uii do. Not Ic-ftg
s'nee," continued he, "as 1 was preach?
ing, 1 me.tui to observe that the devil
was the father of Hats, hut made a
mistake, and said Ihe father of law?
yers. The misBike was so ?mall that
1 let it go."
On Sen ' Hilly.
It Is related of an Irish recruit on
sentry duty at i'iii ikanuing-u one night
that he challenged ?: figure in the dark?
ness with the usual "Who goes there?"
The reply, "The officer of lite day,"
was something he was not. prepared
for, so he responded, '.'Then piiat the
divil are ye/, doin' out here, ai night?"
An Irish sentinel of the Fifth Mis?
souri at Chickatnauge was sharply re?
proved by the officer or the day for per?
mitting persons to approach without
giving the countersign. The Irishman
listened patiently and was then about
I o walk away when Ihe officer called
sharply: "Well, you haven't asked me
for that countersign yet." Quick as a
Mash the soldier thrust his bayonet
point uncomfortably close to the of?
ficer's breast, whih he- grimly ejaculat?
ed: "l.'avc us have that countersign
thin, and be dorn quick about it."
PKK
STURGEON FISHING. i
Capturing Hull.Ion FUlte* Ib No Pinlinolc
Kvcrenl Ion.
I saw a sturgeon in Victoria, on the
cannery floor, says a writer in the To?
ronto Gl?he, .measuring twelve feet by
the tape anil weighing more than six
hundred pounds. Any one wishing to
deceive the public by aid of a prevari?
cating camera should pose beside this
twelve-foot fish. The men who skil?
fully and laboriously reduced it to sec?
tions with an axe said it was not an
uncommon lish, though the biggest on
the Hour: tliat they often found them
far larger and weighing as much as.
twelve hundred pounds.
.Two men lifting a half-ton fish into
their boat is the exciting feature of
sturgeon fishing. The sturgeon, if not
fastened in his thick hide, is apt to
resent it. Ht> sluikes Iiis head in em?
phatic dissent; and a head three feet
long anil as big as a log. when vigor?
ously shaken by a half-ton body, is a
thing to be avoided. The tail, too. is a
source of danger, for it not only slaps
with energy, but can cover a largo sur?
ra,-e with one application. The man
new tit the business is apt to get hurt
the first time lie helps to coax a wrig?
gling sturgeon of standard size over a
tut the door of the cannery the stur?
geon is a great inert mass, of fbh. The
first operation of the butcher Is to chop
oil the head and tail with an axe, and
for these Ii,-,- gifts of nature the In?
dians and Chinanu u are eagerly wait?
ing at.the door. The fins ate cut off
with a knife, and these are not allowed
i to go to waste. As the refuse is shuv
elltd along the planks to the river
there is little allowed to pass the cos-;',
native and his cousin of the braided
hair. Chinamen putter around the
place and help to clear away the ref?
use for the sake of what they can
glean, anil have a weakness for taking
p.ut-; not Intended for the river. When
such Mongolian tricks are discovered
the Chinamen are all driven out with
more noise than ceremony, but they
take their expulsion with Oriental lu
diffeience, and in a few minutes are all
back again.
Im, - ???-*? ii.v: Invent Inn?.
Carpets, rugs, etc., are kept In place
on the Hoot- by a perforated plate
Which has ti number of sharp points set
in its surface to hold the edges of the
carpet after the plate is screwed down
to the floor.
I .\ handy seam-ripping device is
formed of a wire handle with the ends
of the wire brought.close together and
rounded off, a sharp blade being set a
along.
In an improved collar button a two
part expansible shank is fastened on
the flat bead, with shoulders on the
shank to hold a small slotted plate,
which fastens the collar in place, a loop
on the plate retaining the necktie to
prevent its slipping aver the top of the
co liar.
Porcelain is to be used for monu?
ments and tombstones, the stone being
hollow and filled willi concrete, after a
tablet lias been inserted In an open
face on one side, having a Hange cut
around the edge to prevent removal
from the outside.
Kettles, saucepans, etc., are provided
with covers closed at the bottom to
prevent steam gathering inside the
cover ami scalding the hands when
the cover is lilted, the steam passing
around a flanged rim at the top of the
kettle and out through a curved spout.
Stovepipe sections tire securely
locked by a new fastener which is made
by cutting a V-shaped tongue on one.
end of the pipe ami a slit in the con?
necting end of the. next pipe, the sec?
tions being turned around until the
tongue lit.-, in the slit.
Itoot liliick Supplies. '
A business that has sprung up in
New- York in recent yenis is that of
bootblack supplies. It owes its origin
to the growth of the city, the multi?
plication of bojul black stands, and the
introduction and extensive use of col?
ored shoes. There are now a number
of concerns, small but complete estab?
lishments, devoted to this business,
that supply everything a bootblack re?
quites, and his requirements nre great-?)
er than they formerly were.
At one place there are kept on hand
sixty-live varieties of shoe blacking or
polish, for shoes of all kinds and col?
ors,, including blackings and polishes
in boxes and bottles, and imported
blackings as well as domestic, and wa?
terproof blackings and oil. There are
sold here cans tor. oil and for water;
! blacking pans, the small round pans
I made to hold a linger quantity of
blacking than would be contained In a
I blacking box; brushes of all kinds, in
| eluding daubers, dust brushes, and
' blacking brushes, whisk brooms and
I shoestrings of various kinds and col
Some of these establishments fiend
oul supply wagons, which regulativ
make ihe rounds of their customers
' at hoot blacking stands all over the city
i and supply their wants, whatever they
: may 1 e, on the spot.
<rt Iml i?, Tiikc.
"Doctor," said the man who worries
about his health, "when symptoms of
sluggishness assett themselves, in a
season like this, wfcat's a good thing to
take?"
And the physician, who is sometimes
absent-minded, but always patriotic,
l' av.sweied with emphasis:
i' ??Havana!"
t '? Tom?1 must nduiii. that I have been
quite attentive to botn girls, but of
J course I can't msiiy them both.
I Dick (cheerfuil! >?Of course not.
| There': -? notation In that.
5 to a,
3e
SINGLE COPY. TWO CENTS
ONE WEEK. TEN CENTS.
DOESN'T MIND SNAKES'
MME. LE PLONGEON'S ADVENTURES
AND EXPLORATIONS IN YUCATAN.
Spent llor Honeymoon StuAylnc Sp?ni?b,
Then Mad Yellow Fever? Archaeologies
??March? With Her Husband ta a Can
tral American Forest.
Archaeology is the last thing oni
would think of in connection -witi
Mine. Le Plongeon. There is no Qavoi ?
of ruins and antiquities about her; ox
the contrary, she is modern to her fing?
er tips; yet she has endured untob)
discomforts and dared a host of dan.
gers In the Interests of science, and sh?
talks or prehistoric peoples and of Yu.
catan has rellers as familiarly as mom
women talk of clothes.
She wti3 not born to archaeologyi
but married it. in the person of Dr
Le Plongeon. when she was a girl cn
Ii?. Or. Le Plongeon had spent mam
years in the study of American an?
tiquities, and his stories of the life and
work made his bride look upon arch
neology as a most fascinating pursuit
Later, she cultivated the serious zeal
of the antiquarian; but, when am
hears her tell of her years in Yucatan
and Honduras, with their dilflcultiei
and dangers, their discomforts and de?
lights, one cannot help thinking thai
it was the poetic, picturesque side ol
the experience that appealed mosl
strongly to her. though she made rev?
erent obeisance to the ugly gods which
her husband unearthed.
At the time of his marriage, Dr. Ia
Plongeon was planning an examination
of the ancient ruins of Yucatan, but th?
honeymoon was spent in New York in
order that Mine. Le Plongeon might
learn Spanish. Yucatan is only two
hours' sail from Cuba, and has recent?
ly made long strides In progress; but
when the Le Plongeons arrived in Mer
ida in ISTi; the town was far from im?
posing, and the smaller places wen
painfully primitive. The first us?
Mine. Le Plongeon made of her oppor?
tunity for acquiring new experienct
was to fall ill with yellow fever. Th?
natives cheerfully insisted that shi
could not live, and made preparation!
for her burial on the sixth day; but
thanks to the fact that her husband
was a physician as well as an archae?
ologist, she pulled through, and on
Joyed the proud distinction of being
the only white victim of that particulai
epidemic who escaped the undertaker.
When she had recovered from her ill?
ness, the delayed expedition started;
and for eleven years the husband and
wife worked earnestly, undauntedly to*
,,w.a.rd ajsp'hUoiiL^J^
Chiclien.
"The life was hard," said Mme.
Plongeon. "There were fatiguing
journeys, uncomfortable quarters,
troublesome insects, omnipresent dirt,
frequent dangers, and often gnawing
hunger. Sometimes we would be
where we could not get supplies, not
even the mouldy tortillas and black
beans which were our usual resource.
We would hunt for deer or other game,
but somehow or other game always
eludes a starving man. I've seen the
time when 1 was so hungry that I was
in abject despair because a rattle?
snake escaped me."
"I'd call that a cause for thanksgiv?
ing," said the reporter.
"But I wanted a rattlesnake stew.
Oh, you needn't look disgusted. It's
very good. 1 assure you; and a rattle?
snake is much handsomer than an eel,
if you are looking at the aesthetic
side of the question. Then, a rattle?
snake's escape would be no special
cause for thanksgiving, anyway. They
are amiable creatures."
The reporter looked dubious and re?
marked: "I've always understood that
they had a few little peculiarities that
were annoying."
"Not at all." Mme. Le Plongeon in?
sisted. "A rattlesnake never bothers
any one if he isn't insulted. There were
hundreds of them down in Yucatan,
and I never had a moment's disagree?
ment with one except I wanted it for
stew. I remember we were once going
through the forest in search of deer.
Dr. Le Plongeon was ahead, I cama
next, and an Indian lad followed. I
stopped to examine a gigantic toad?
stool, and was hungrily wishing it wa3
a self-respecting mushroom, when the
Indian shouted. 'Go away!' I sup?
posed he thought the toadstool was
poisonous and I would touch it; so I
reassured him on that point, but ha
kept on saying. 'Go away!' and looked
up so frightened that I hurried on to
join my husband. When I stopped to
look back I saw, just beside the toad?
stool, a huge rattlesnake coiled. I
must have been touching him where I
stood. He wa's moving his head back
and forth and darting out hi3 tongue
in a peevish way. as though he meant
to say: 'Now, get out of this. You're
bothering me.' I apologized to him
and went away. You see, he wasn't
vicious. For that matter. I never saw
a snake that was. and yet the country
down there abounds in poisonous va
rleties. I still feel rather creepy over
an angleworm, but I got so that I
didn't fear snakes at all. Some of them
were beautiful. One day among the
ruins, I was just stepping down from a
big stone when out from under it came
a superb snake about five feet long and
marked with alternate rings of Jet
black and bright total. He had his
head in the air. and we looked at one
another with mutual tespect. I bowed
and said, 'After you!' and he politely
glided away, putting on a few extra
graces and curves. 1 fancied, because
he knew I was watching him. The
venom of the "little coral snake is
deadly; but I've sometimes had to
chase three or four of the pretty thingg
out of ray room before I could 20 to
bed." . ,_ .. . ?