The Billings gazette. [volume], February 17, 1899, Semi-weekly, Page 3, Image 3

About The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
B-NOW EATIM MANIA.
A PECULIAR HABIT THAT ,DEVELOP
. IN'THE KLONDIKE.
T'he Appetite. When Once Acquire..
. Is Extremely Dflleult 'to, eontiol.
and to Indulge It Means a Short
Cut to the Grave.
Every great discovery in the world's
history has brought with it an accom
panying affliction, and it remained for
the Klondike to develop a peculiar mania
that threatens to outrival opium eating.
Among the residents of the far north it
is known as the "snow habit," and it
is said to be incurable. A returned
Klondiker tells the strange story.
"There are many strange things in
the Klondike," said the narrator. "but
perhaps the strangest and that about
which nothing has been written so far.
is the dissipation caused by eating
snow. In the north, when the ther
mometer reaches 80 to 40 degrees below
zero, .a mouthful of snow is like molten
metal. It brings an inflammation to the
Sspalate and tongue and it is impossible
to quench the thirst. The first advice
an old timer offers a newcomer in the
region Is 'Don't eat snow.' There are
men in that country, once hearty, ro
bust miners, now weak, effeminate crea:
tares, whose fall can be traced directly
to the time they began munching snow.
"The matter has been but little in
vestigated, but the scientists who have
examined the subject say that the wa
ters of the north are rich with mineral
deposits which are being constantly
washed down from the mountains. A
certain per cent of this mineral is taken
into the air when vapor rises, and the
snow becomes impregnated with it.
There have been several falls of red
snow near Point Barrow, the deposit
being of a reddish brown color, due en
tirely to minerals. Thus it can be seen
that a person eating large qbantities of
the snow takes into his system a corre
sponding amount of minerals. "
While coming down the Copper river
last spring the narrator came upon a
party of miners where one was dying
from the effects of eating snow. He had
been a hard drinker, but had run short
of whisky. His thirst became unendur
able and as water was scarce in mid
winter he had taken to eating snow.
Soon he claimed it relieved his appetite
for the liquor, but his companions no
ticed that his appetite for the snow in
creased until he was consuming enor
mous quantities. Gradually his skin,
which was a dark bronze, grew light,
his rugged stature became bent, and
even his harsh voice changed to the
effeminate squeak of an old woman.
His strength gave .way, and his com
panions tried to break him of the habit.
He would lie on his pallet and moan
pitifully for a mouthful of snow and
when opportunity offered would steal
unobserved to the doorway and gulp
down huge handfuls. At last, seeing
death was inevitable, his companions
allowed him the snow, hoping to pro
long his life. It proved unavailing,
however, and one morning the man was
found dead.
There are some spots on the Coppe
4 river where the snow, when melted an
strained through a cloth, shows percer
tible signs of minerals, and often gol
is found plentifully intermixed, but c
course not in paying quantities. Wher
this comes from is a mystery, but i
may be brought from the far north b:
the heavy winter gales that sweep ove
this part of the .country. It has beel
said that if the snow could be meltei
away it would leave deposits of million
of dollars in gold dust on the ground.
The narrator had a close callhimsel
from falling a victim to the snow habit
"It was in the winter of 1896-7," he
said, "and I was new to the country
An old miner near Dawson had warnee
me against eating snow, but I, with m3
partner, had gone back into the hills of
a prospecting tour and had got caughi
in a blizzard. We were shy qf pro
visions and on our way up lost the
package containing our cooking uten
sils. This we remedied by broiling ou
cooked foods, but we had nothing it
which to melt the snow.. It is claimed
that melted snow is harmless, as the
metallic dep&sits it contains sink to the
bottom of the receptacle.
"We decided to try it 'raw,' and we
did. Whether it was the food br the
snow I don't know, but during the
week we waited for a chance to get out
we had an ever increasing thirst, until,
when we were finally able to strike the
trail, we, were consuming snow at a
frightful rate. When we reached our
companions, we attempted to assuage
our thirst with water, but it did no
good. We had acquired a taste for the
frozen water, and it seemed to have in
vigorating qualities. At night we could
not sleep unless we took our snow.
"'We were fast approaching the de
generate stage when I reached a realis
ing sense of our condition and under
took to break of I began by degrees
and worked down, but up to the very
moment I left the country the sight of
the snow always raised in me an inor
dinate craving. It hoet me many sleep
less nights and weary days to restrain
myselL Had I given way to the habit
I would, Ilke many another poor fellow.
have lost all ambition and filled an un
known grave in that froen wilderness.'
-Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Dv.inlte.
SDynamite eaplodes so rapidly that its
lre is eaeted in the direction from
whlehtdhe pear stgplrrgcsnrco That
Tpd o the psi, oe. Is down I it
al he agaanee a ll its ftore at
he tahe wali if it be hmag udes an
**od its etoae is upward
*I o eaiens t that e aw psatese
ua Mirw thrla th iv eter when
hm4m uad a wrB
Mrº M ini NN~~dr3 L~r
wxpert Swimnnews.
The Siamese spend three-fourths of
their existence in the water. Their first
act on awakening is to bathe. They
bathe at 11 o'clock, again at 8 and
again at sunset. There is scarcely an
hour in the day when bathers may not
be seen in all the creeks. even the shal
lowest and muddiest. Boys go to play
in the river just as our children go to
play in the street. A traveler tells of a
Siamese woman sitting on the lowest
step of a landing place. while, by . a
girdle. she held in the water her infant
of a few months. Were not the Siamese
expert swimmers many lives would be
lost. for the tide flows so swiftly that
it requires the greatest skill and care to
prevent boats from running foul of one
another.
A story is told of an English boat
running down b small native canoe
containing a woman and two children.
In an instant they all disappeared. The
Englishmen were on the point of jump
ing to their rescue when they bobbed
up, and the woman, upon recovering
her breath. poured forth a volley of
abuse. Having thus relieved ber.mind,
she righted her canoe, ladled out some
of the water and bundled in the chil
dren who had been composedly swim
ming around her. regarding with min
gled fear and curiosity the barbarians
who had caused the mishap.
He Knew Chester.
Mr. Gladstone had a nice taste in hot
mutton pies. One of the Wesleyan jour
nals recalls a conversation which R. W.
Perks had with Mr. Gladstone at a pub
lic dinner in London, when the ex
premier asked all sorts of questions on
matters pertaining to Methodism. A
man who happened to sit exactly op
posite, wishing to divert the conversa
tion into another channel, asked, "Do
you know Chester, Mr. Gladstone?"
"Yes, a little," was the answer, an
ominous smile .playing about -the
mouth. "Do you know Chester, Mr.
"Not very well." said the unwary
questioner.
"Well, if you go to the city of Ches
ter you will find A confectioner's shop
in such a street," giving the number.
"Go into that shop, and you can buy a
hot mutton pie. deliciously hot, " and
here Mr. Gladstone screwed up his eyes,
and his face beamed with delight as he
recalled the taste and' smell of those
savory pies, "and all for threepence."
Then, turning to Mr. Perks, in deep,
earnest tones he said. "Let us resume
where we left off."
There was no further interruption
from the opposite side of the table. -
St. James Gazette.
Beau Nash as a Gambler.
When the late Earl of T--d was a
youth. he was passionately fond of play
and never better pleased than with
having Mr. Nash for his antagonist.
P Nash saw with concern his lordship'b
9 foible and undertook to cure him.
9 though by a very disagreeable remedy.
Conscious of his own superior skill he
determined to engage him in single play
9 for a very nsiderable sum. His lord
ship, in pl ortion as he lost his game.
lost his tnaper, too, and as he ap
proached, the gulf seemed still more
eager for ruin.
He lost his estate. Some writings
were put into the winner's possession.
His very equipage was offered as a last
stake, and he lost that also. But when
our generous gamester had found his
lordship sufficiently punished for his
temerity he returned all, only stipulat
ing that he should be paid £5,000
whenever he should think proper to
make the demand. However, he never
made any such demand during his lord
ship's lifetime, but some time after his
decease, Mr. Nash's affairs being in
(sic) the wane, he demanded the money
of his lordship's heirs, who honorably
paid it without any hesitation.--"His
tory of Gambling in England. "
Absolute Indifference.
A woman who has been a victim of
indigestion and is kept to dyspeptics'
diet most of the time was recently in
vited to a dinner, which she was anx
ious to attend.
She went to her telephone and, trust
ing to a somewhat unreliable memory,
she asked to be connected by the ever'
obliging "central" with telephone 2894.
When the connection had been made,
she began her plaintive query, without
any prefatory, "Is that you, doctor?"
"I want very much to go to a little
dinner tomorrow night," she began
rapidly, "and do you think it'would
hurt me if I ate just a taste of soup.
and perhaps a little fish or the least 1
trifle of game and a bit of salad or ice ?
I really think my stomach"- -
Here she was interrupted by a voice
from the other end of the wire.
"Madam, " it said coldly, "eat what
ever you please. This is the Meteor
Rubber company. "-Youth's Compan- '
ion.
One of Toole's Jokes.
One of Toole's greatest practical jokes I
was as follows: He once gave a supper
to 80 of his friends and wrote a note to i
each of them privately beforehand, ask- *
ing him whether he would be so good c
as to say grace, as no clergyman would
be present. It is said that the, faes of
those 80 men as they rose in a body *
when Toole tapped on the table as a
signal for grace was a sight which will
ever be forgotten.
"areata Deeks. a
Yes, itwa the afrst time shehoade a
been on board a warship "And this," J
the Ulieitant went on to as, 'is the a
quarter dea. " "And that deash ove
7oso , " she exaolmed, inai.utlag the a
wueastle with a preia t es a W ' "is a
that the 6 aat desk oa the o oast
shtk"-Dstrols Jo.maas
s leasts whens saW uasftUuu
t. tathl se aests of htb
M a ue tvu is Ma a
I t whas the do se0set a lM
S*tows hee a bes Ml u e
CAMELS HARBOR HATRED.
Will Wait DntJl am Oprt ertunity As
rives 6r', Revenge.
The Arab who has angered a came
will throw his clothes ipon the ground
and the infuriated beast, after Itaml
tng on them and tearing them asunde
with his teeth, goes on his way. an
the driver is thereafter quite safe. as i
seems to be an axiom with the cami
that no man shall be put in peril of lii
twice for one offense.
The camel is stupid, save when angry
and then seems to become almost pre
ternatural in carrying out its vengefa
designs. Palgrave relates.the followin,
story of a camel's revenge, which serve
to illustrate this point: "A lad of 1
had conducted a large camel laden wit,
wood from one village to another at
half hour's distance. As the anime
loitered or turned out of the way it
conductor struck it repeatedly an
harder than it seemed to have though
he had a right to do. But not flndinj
the occasion favorable for taking imme
diate quits it 'bode its time.' That tim
was not long in coming.
"A few days later the same lad ha,
to reconduct the beast, but unladen, t
his own village. When they were abou
half way on the road and at some die
tance from any habitation, the came
suddenly stopped, looked deliberatel,
round in every direction to assure it
self that no one was in sight and, find
ing the road clear of passersby, made i
step forward, seized the unlucky boy'i
head in its monstrous mouth, and, lift
ing him up in the air, flung him dowi
again on the earth with the upper par
of his skull completely torn off.
"Having' thus satisfied his revenge
the brute quietly resumed its pace to
ward the village. as though nothini
were the matter, till some men, whc
had observed the whole, though, unfor
tunately at too great a distance to be
able to afford timely help, came up ant
killed it. "-London Telegraph.
NOT THE ONLY ONE.
Spencers In That Locality Were as
Thick as Blackberries.
A half yearly meeting of the directors
who manage the'Northampton private
asylum had just broken up, and Lord
Spencer, a member of that body, desir.
ing to reach Althorp Park somewhal
more quickly than customarily, deter.
mined to return home by a route which
intersects the grounds of the asylum
and which is rarely used save as a sum
mer parade for the unfortunate lunatics.
Arrived at the gate which separates the
asylum from the outer world, Lord
Spencer. much to his annoyance and
disgust, found it securely locked. A
keeper. however, happening to come in
sight just at that moment Lord Spencer
lost no time in explaining to him the
nature of his wishes.
The man surlily replied that his or
ders were to the effect that no one
should pass through that gate except
due notice were given to him to the
contrary by the authorities, and that,
being a married man with a wife and
a large family, he failed to understand
what special advantage was to be gain
ed by transgressing the rules and thus
placing his situation in jeopardy. Ob
ierving that the fellow was growing ob
lurate, Lord Spencer thought it best to
reveal his name and rank, imagining
that a knowledge of the same would re
,all the man to his senses. Nothing of
~he sort happened, however.
T'he stolid features of the keeper sim
xly relaxed into a broad grin, and as he
inrned to depart he gently explained
hat Lord Spencers in that particular
ocality were as plentiful as blackber
iee in tlihe autumn time. Explanations
xnd expostulations were useless, the dis
omfited earl being forced to return the
vay he had come.-Wit and Wisdom.
Too Much of It.
A high army officer whose fad wa
ventilation was one day making an in
spection of a frontier post which wa
much in need of repair. In some place
the roof showed the blue sky overhear
and the walls were ornamented wit_
gaps.
The brigadier general was escorted
through the building by the colonel ii
charge, a sergeant going on before, as
is the custom, to warn the men to stand
at attention in honor of the general.
As they proceeded the general asked
"And how is the ventilation, colo
nel?'"
Before the colonel could reply the old
sergeant, with a familiarity born of
long service, said:
"Sure, general, and the ventilation is
bad, sorr. verra bad, sorr. The place is
all full of holes. sorr. "-Detroit Free
Press
Her Opinion.
" 'Mandy. " said Farmer Corntoesel,
who had been reading the back pages
of a magazine, "ef a cannon ball goin
at the rate of 60 miles an hour was
shot from the back of a train goin 60
miles ab hour. where would the cannon
ball light?"
"I dunno exactly where 'twould
light," she answered. "but I kin proph
esy that it 'ud do a lot o' damage. It
couldn't hit nowheres without hurtin
a lot o' people that was standin around
without anything better to do than
speckle-ate on jes' sech doin's. "-Wash
ingtha Star.
Jav.ilo Dlplmae.r,
Motbri-I gave each of you boys an
angs Charlie, you said you wouldn't
eat yours until aft, dinne. And you.
Jack. said the same Bave you dIoeived
mee
Chadl.--No motber; we didn't eat
our owna I ae Jack's and he
ae% .aas-6ydq Town and COmty
1 mame ow" l M.
Two wG hmw ~ g lNA m tha
W8atebl t utgelw iulsea w, ob
sswelm pewr aage br get sal
With agh intithw5Abbo
Pollties. Indeed.
"There is a rather crusty old gentle.
man attending my church," says a De.
troit clergyman, "and his absence foi
several weeks led me to call upon him.
He is not a communicant, and I am
afraid at times that he is slightly skep
tical. He is very pronounced in his po
litical views. and as conversational ma+
terial ran rather short I sought to in
terest him by asking, 'How's politicst'
" 'How's politics?' he repeated with'
out a change of countenance. 'How's
politics? That's a pretty question for
you to ask when you know that I
haven't heard' you preach for the last
seven Sundays.' "-Exchange.
The Story of a Letter.
The National Advertiser tells a story
'of an old bachelor who bought a pair of
socks and found attached to one pof them
a slip of paper with these words : "I am
a young lady of 20 and wfdld like to
correspond with a lachelor with a view
to matrimony. " Name. and address
were given
The bachelor wrote, and in a few
days got this letter: "Mamma wasmar
ried 20 years ago. The merchant you
bought those socks from evidently did
not advertise or he would 'have sold
them long ago. Mamma handed me your
letter and said possibly I might suit
you. I am 18 years old."
For Insomnia.
A curious remedy for sleeplessness is
used by the inhabitants of the Samoan
islands. They confine a snake in a hol
low bamboo. and the hissing sound
emitted by the reptile is said to quickly
induce slumber.
"Ladies and gentlemen," said an
Irish manager to an audience of three,
"as there is nobody here, I'll dismiss
you all. The performance of this night
will not b performed, but will be re
peated tomorrow evening."
Eggs from Australia are landed in
London in such perfect preservation
that they are sold as new laid.
Willln.t BlaZck's Characters.
Sir Wemyss Reid notes that William
Black seldom allowed himself to be
drawn into conversatipn about his work.
One of Reid's recollections runs thus:
"One day, in the faroff past, I was
walking along the sea front with Black.
at Brighton, when he said abruptly and
with reference to nothing that had been
passing between us: 'We are not all en
gaged in 'running away with other
men's wives. There are some of us who
are not the victims of mental disease or
moral deformity. I do not even know
bhat anybody of my acquaintance has
committed a murder or a forgery. Yet
people are angry with me because I do
not make my characters in my books
)dious in this fashion. I prefer to write
about sane, people and honest people.
and I imagine that they are, after all.
n a ma.oritv in thA whnrlA "
Some Went to Glory.
I once asked a district nurse, says
writer in The Cornhill Magazine. ho:
the various sick cases had been going of
during my absence from the parish. A
once the look'which I knew so wel
crossed her face, but her natural pro
fessional pride strove for the master.
with the due unctuousness which shy
considered necessary for the occasion
'At last she evolved the following'strange
mixture. "Middling well, sir' some o
'em's gone straight to glory, but I an
glad to say others are nicely on the
mend. '"
Starting Him Right.
"Ah I" sighed the sentimental youth.
"Would that I might install .a senti
inent in your loyal heart"-
"Sir. " interrupted the practical
maid. "I'd have you understand thai
my heart is no installment concern. "
Chicago News.
Distinetions.
"'Did our friend retire from politics ?'
"Well. " answered the practical work
er. "it wasn't what you'd call a 're
tire.' It was a knockout."-Washing
ton Star.
The chief ingredients in the com
position of those qualities that gain es
teem and praise are good nature, truth.
good sense and good breeding.
The skins of animals were the earliest
forms of money. Sheep and oxen among
the old R'r ,..n. took the place of money
Does This Strike You ?
Muddy complexions, nauseating
breaths come from chronic constipation.
Karl's Clover Root Tea is an absolute
cure and has been sold for fifty years on
an absolute guarantee. Price 25 cts.
and 50 cts. Sold by Chapple Drug Co.
ERVITA, E igres VITALIT'Y,
LOST VIGOR
AND MANHOOD
'ures Impotency, Night Emissionb and
vasting diseases, all effects of self
abuse, or excess and indis
cretion. Anerve tonicand
blood builder. Brings the
pink glow to pale cheeks an'
restores the fire of youth
By mail.Oe per box; 6 boxe'
for .a0; with a wrtt.i. guarn n
teeto ea o or re~lnd the meon"
NERVITA MEDICAL CO.
in*t adomeaon Wa.. aIIoAao, IU
oir saae br
Uebrg, Helmsse tAalNema, DwrugisMJ
1.10.4' illiugs. Mmienea.
Wholesale Dealer in =.{ . Agenyob"
LIQaORS and
-IGARS iWhite Ro4
KNOW
Job Department
Turns out a better class of
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- establishment in the Yellow
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J We are prepared to do any
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/. . BR&r. ILLA