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THE WORLD TO-DAY IS BETTER. (By Ella Wlicelcr Wilcox.) •h, the earth is full of slnniug And of trouble and of woe, But the devil makes au Innlug Every time you say it's so And the way to set him scowling. And to put him back a pace, Is to stop this stupid growling, And to look things in the face. If you glance at history's pages, In all lands and eras known, Xou will tind the vanished ages Far more wicked tilian our own. As you scau each word and letter, You will realize it more. (That the world to-day is better Than it ever was befoie There is much that needs amending In the present time, no douor, There Is right that utfeds defending. There is wrong needs crushing out And we hear the groans and curses Of the poor who starve and die. While the men with swollen purses In the place of hearts, go bv. But ill spite of all the troul It That obscures the sun to-day. Just remember it was double In the ages pased away. And these wrongs shall all be righted, Good shal dominate the land, For the darkness now is lighted By the torch in Scieuce's hand. Forth from little motes in clmos We have come to what we are, And no evil force can stay us, We shall mount from star to star We shall break away each fetter That has bound us heretofore. And the world to-day is better Than it ever was before. LITTLE WILLIE. 1 "How I do wish we could have a ripple of incident In our dally life!" •aid Mllllcent More, closing her book With a sigh. "Nothing ever happens to us," said ber cousin Catherine, with a smile, as •he "bent forward to pick up a dead leaf, off her pet geranium. MUUcent and Catherine More were girls of 22 and 25—"old maids," the 17-year-oIders called them—who taught •chool and supported themselves com fortably by their own nnaided efforts. MUUcent was pretty, with red lips, a plear, bright complexion and hair touched with the warm auburn gold artists copy and poets rave of, •ad Millicent had not quite given up hit little dream of love and matrimo ny, but Catherine never spoke of such jtjllngs. Catherine was not absolutely {right, but Catherine was small and plain, with ordinary gray eyes, hair like Everybody else's, and not the Ulghtest pretensions to beauty. But the two cousins were very hap py together after their own unpreten tious fashion, Millicent supplying the Sentimental and poetical element and Catherine contentedly devoting her self out of school hours to the house keeping. And upon this particular December Afternoog, just as the girls were de ploring the monotony of their daily life, the. postman tapped at the door With letter. "A letter!" cried Millicent. ."For me?" echoed Catherine.'"^ 'And tjie cousins' read it, with their MtB8~twlned about one another and elr heads very close together. •'Uncle Georgre is dead in Australia." gasped Millicent. '•"Oh, Milly—and he has left «n or phan boy!" added Catherine, the tears brimming into hor eyes. "Wo must adopt him, Milly—we must bring liim up." MUUcent drew back a little. "I don't see why." she said, some what coldly. "Uncle George never did anything for us." "We never asked him to, Milly." "But he knew we were forced to support oui-selvos." "Perhaps, dear, he was even poorer than we. At all events, he is doml now—and this child is left alone in the world. I'll sit down nnd write to the lawyer this minute." "StopI" said Millicent. compressing her Hps. "Do you mean that you real ly intend tuking a great, rough, lialf civilized boy Into this house?" "Certainly I do," saiil Catherine, -earnestly. "Oh, Milly—a motherless Child!" "In that case," said Millicent, "I shall Hot remain here. If you choose to •pen a gratis orphan asylum it is no fMson that my slender income should bo squandered to feed your fancies!" "But, Milly, your salary is larger than mine!" "And I do not mean to scatter It for mere chimera. This child has no tort of claim upon either of us. Let the Australian authorities provide for jblm." And Millicent More could not be per suaded to take any other view of the questloB than this. The next day she told her cousin that she had made ar rangements to secure a home with Ulss Keturah Baylcy, who took "a few Select boarders," in the next street. And then Catherine sat down to con sider ways and means. She had taken the house for a year—there was no re ading from the rent question. "I'll let the lower tory tos Mrs. Hop per, the milliner," said she to herself. "I never used to like the idea of living In half a bouse, but all pride must be laid aside now. I will take the back bedroom myself and little Willie shall have the front room that looks out on the street. I shall have to do without my new silk dress and to countermand my subscription to the 'Illustrated En cyclopedia,' but I shall not mind that I'll discharge Hannuh and engage little Dorcas Brown, ^ylio Is so fond of chil dren and has such a winning way with her. And I know we shall get -along splendidly—though, to be sure, I •hall have to ask Lawyer Goodale for copying to do at home In the evenings, for I must be laying up a little some thing against Willie's future educa tion." For It never occurred to Catherine (lore that she was doing a brave and heroic thing in denying herself for the benefit of one whom she deemed yet poorer and more helpless than herself f-nor to Millicent that she was acting the part of a recreant. The little room in the front of the cottage second story was fitted up prettily for the orphaned Australian boy—Catherine had sold her cabinet rgan to buy the furniture—and Dor las In a clean white apron and rib ons was bustling around, while Mrs. opper bad already arranged her stock of bonnet frames, ribbons and artificial flowers In the lower win dows. vu It was a lovely .Tune day. with tbe Se blue an? %ar as a baby's eyes and air full \ents from the blossom ing buckwlr ^elds, Catherine More, fctvJng. notjjfc/ difficulty, obtain 4 tompc" VauhHtltutft in her school, went to Ktrw York to meet bet new charge in the steamer Harvest Lass, which had been telegraphed from Sandy Hook the day before. "Little Willie will know me", she said to herself, "because I sent my photograph by the last mail. I wauted my face to seem familiar to him, poor lone lamb." She stood ou the pier eagerly scan ning the countenance of every child that landed, her face brightening once or twice as she saw a boy whom slit thought might be Willie, when all of a sudden a ltand was laid lightly on her arm and she found herself look ing up into a handsome, bronzed face far above hor. "Sir!" she cried, starting back "I beg your pardon," said a frank, pleasant voice, "I did not mean to alarm you. Rut is this Miss More?" She inclined her head. "I am your cousin William." And tills time Catheriue started back In more surprise than ever. "Sir." she said, "you are mistaken. William is a little boy." "Hardly," returned the tall stranger, "unless you would call me a little boy. Iear cousin Kitty, no one ever told you I was a child or poor. It was your owu Inference. Thank heaven. I am independent, and wealthy, and as I have come to man's estate, 1 think it is rather my duty to take care of you than to allow you to take care of me." Catherine looked at her handsome cousin in mute amazement This grand upsetting of all her theories and Ideas was more thau she could comprehend just at once. "But. Wil "But. Catherine. Nay, my dear little gray-eyed cousin, the lawyers have told me how willing you were to adopt and care for the homeless orphan, and how my cousin Millicent shrank from the task. And from the bottom of my heart I thank you for what you are ready to do." How Dorcas started wheu she saw what sort of a fellow "little Willie" had proved to be. How Mrs. Hopper giggled behind her bonnet frames when she thought of the little child's crib and the picture books upstairs. "Of course, such an elegant young gentleman as that will go to the ho tel," said Mrs. Hopper. But he did not. He stayed at the cottage, sleeping on the back parlor sofa until other ac commodations could be provided for him. And when Millicent came over with her prettiest smile and outstretch ed hand the young Australian received her with an odd, curt coldness that made her feel excessively uncomfort able. "You see. Cousin Milly," said he, "you didn't want to be bothered with me you thought the Australian au thorities ought to be compelled to pro vide for me." And when Mrs. Hopper heard that little Catherine More was to marry her rich cousin she wasn't at all sur prised. "It's the most natural thing in the world," said she, "only it's a pity that Cathie isn't a little prettier." But Catherine More was satisfied with her lover's declaration thai him her plain face was the swn'ii'n in all the world. Beachcombers of tbe Azores. In nineteen cases out q£ .Xwcuty* beachcomber t)f the 'Xzores is a sailor. His occupation is considered a legiti mate one, and every man is in business for himself, pnd has so much territory which he can call his own. The lights of each arc as well defined and protect ed as in a mining camp. Efforts have often been made by the authorities to abolish beachcombing, or to take it over to themselves but every attempt has stirred up rebelliou. The man may have a bent of five miles, or only of one, according to the trend of the coast. As a rule he knocks up a shanty of some sort about midway of his beat. No capital is required to start in busi ness. and unless the comber strikes luck he is hungry and in rags the most of the time. While the men protect one another to a certain extent, a ".lumper" is certain to turn up about so often. Then it is a deadly fight be tween two desperate meu. The one who survives takes the beat. The body of the one who is killed is not found by the authorities. If a comber makes a rich find his beat is offered to the highest bidder, but there are no pa pers to be passed. The average life of a comber is only a year. If be doesn't hit it and retire by that time, he is pretty sure to be done for by a jumper, or to meet his death in the surf. As In tbe cases of brigands, the native pop ulation stands in with the shore hunt ers, and whatever of value comes ashore finds a safe hiding place until it can be realized on. The average beachcomber has neither honesty nor mercy in his heart, and to protect his salvage will not hesitate to commit murder. Looking for It There is a pateut lawyer* iu town who has a number of very bright chil dren, so bright, indeed, that their fun loving "dad" is invariably forgiven for telling "what my boy said" to the men in his office. Here is the latest: "I've got a tool chest out at my house that would make a carpeuter sick with envy. I've been buying tools for it for twenty years. Of course, I never let the youngsters touch It. "The other day my wife went up stairs and found 'Bookie,' my young est. two and one-half years old, mon keying with that chest. He had tho lid up and his head thrust in under it. 'Bookie,' said my wife, 'what are you looking for?* "And the youngster, knowing that he had been caught, looked up, and with a twinkle in his eye, said: --Lookin'for twouble!'" Filipino Swimmers. Tne courage shown by tbe Filipinos in unttie with American as well as witn Spanish troops long ago proved their natural bravery. An Intelligent native observer, Ramon Reyes Lala, who has received a careful education both in Europe and America, writes thus concerning tbe daring of his countrymen in time of peace: The natives are all excellent swim mers and are absolutely fearless in the water. I have seen groups of boys diving thirty or forty feet for pennies dropped into the sea by foreign naval officers. Many swim miles with the greatest ease, and it is no uncommon sight to sec groups of naked men plunging with drawn daggers amoug a shoal of sharks, with whom they fight with a fierceness that always re sults iu victory. Butter Making in th« United States. It is estimated that there are 11,000, 000 cows in the United States devoted to butter-making, and that their aver age yield Is Y17) pounds of butter a year, or a total of 1,370.000,000 pounds, or about eighteen pounds for each one of t&e population of country. a THANKSGIVIN' IN THE COUNTRY yer coin' to the country, to spend Thanksglvln' there, Jest take along yer appetite, an' sharpen It with care Pur ther's goln' to be a turkey and a chicken pte( I ween, Pertuters, squash an' ouions, too, the finest ever seen An' ther's goln' to be a rnlslu' cake, an' wluce an' pumpkin pie, An' a puddlti' full o' plums, et with sugar Bass, oh, my! An' ye'll cat enough to bust ye, 'fore ye know what yer about: An* ye goln* to get the colic, Ef ye don't watch An* when the dinner's over, on that Thanks glvtn' day, An* tne dlshi*a is nil tidied an* the table cleared away, When tbe old folks in the parlor by the fire are settln' down, An' tbe popcorn, an1 the apples Is a clrcu latin' rouu', Wheu the men Is talkin' politics, tbe women talkln' clo'es, An' grun'ma in her spectacles haB dropped off in doze. While the young folks in the kitchen Is a frolickln' about, Ther's goln' to be some sparkln' Ef ye don't watch out. An' when it's gottln' darker, an* the fire Is tmrnin' low. An' the shaddei-s in tbe corners keep a-wav in* to an' fro, When the wind comes round the corner with a sad an* mournful soun*. An' ye see outside the snownakeg, one by one, a settlln' down, 4Ljaw*t**feF chairs up nearer, as the "twilight's wearln' on An' speak of them 'twas with ye in Thanks glvln's that are gone. When look upon the empty chairs a standin' round about, Then ye'll blubber like the dickens Wh£s"»MMti y&V'j' "MS v*^ Ef ye don't watch out. THANKSGIVING DUEL. IT was Thanksgiving Day, and this is the story as it was told by Miss Pop per, the fine needle worker, at the woman*s boarding house on Tenth street: "You see, my dears," said Miss Pepper, who was like a sweet faded old rose in the group of eager young women about her, "the trouble with Jack Brice was this: He was heels over head In love with my cousin, Margery Lee, but he was too poor to marry. "He lived with bis uucle, Tom Brice, of the Mansion House—old Squire Brice, as all the county called him, though he wasn't more than 50 and naturally when they both came courting Margery, her father favored the squire's suit most. But Margery favored Jack's, and showed it openly. "A man may be as rich as Croesus, but when he's choleric and up in years—none too good in the bargain—he needn't expec: to make much headway with a love sick girl of 20. Long-legged Jack's good looks outweighed the squire's gold, hut when her father found out which way the wiud was blowing he forbade Margy to see him again. She said nothing, for she was not a girl to talk. But every night she wrote him a long letter, that she would hide in a hollow tree stump, and that Jack would eotne and take away. "Sometimes, too, In the early morning, hardly daylight, she would jump on her bay mare, Horuet, and dash two miles down the river to the ford, where Jack would be waiting, and would swim his horse over from the other side, just to have five minutes* talk with her. "Ah, but they were in love, I can tell youl And I never saw a better matched pair—both so good looking both so full of lifel "Whether my uncle ever heard of their goings on I don't know. But he stopped talking against Jack and urging the squire's suit. He only told us, Margy and me both, for I lived with them, that old Tom had him In his power and could ruin him, and now that she wouldn't marry him he was going to take his revenge. "Then he fell sick, nnd seemed likely to die, and my poor cousin waa in a terrible quandary. "She loved Jack, but she loved her father, too. And she felt it was worry that was killing him. "One terrible night, when we were al- MKETINQ AT THE FOHD. most expecting my uncle to breathe his last, Margy fell on her knees and promis ed she'd marry the squire, and he at once began to get better with astonishing quickness. "She wrote Jack one letter, one curt, cold letter, that she sat two days over and that he tore in half nnd sent back to her, and then left the county on top of it. "This loft the field of love open to the squire, and he made the most of it, coming every afternoon to our place, spruced up like a young man, in a light black suit, and with his hair combed over his bald spot. "He would send Margy splendid pres ents, too. And sometimes a love letter, a fine, proper love letter, calling her a red rose with the dew on it, a black-eyed gyp sy, or some such prettiness, all of which you may be sure, though, only I ever md. "IfaftMwhAle the weddln* AH&iiiflBinti j1 V* &f ii a were going on with wicked hurry. My uncle seemed like one possessed to have It over with. And Mnrgy, numb with misery ,and worn to a shadow with long ing for Jack, said nothing. Perhaps she was afraid if too long put off she would lose courage for the sacrifice perhaps she was all the time hoping and praying —as women can pray sometimes—for the very daring thing that did happen. "That night, I remember, it stormed. The wind howled, and all along the coun try road the big oaks swung their arms and creaked as if ready to fall on our rumbling old carriage. "It was Thanksgiving night^a festival not in favor in the South in those days, and we were going to the mansion house to a family dinner. The wedding was only three days off now, and the squire had taken a fancy to keep it in honor of his coming happiness. "When we rolled up to the open door way there he was, magnificent—in a rose- bud satin waistcoat, and with a flower in his buttonhole, for all the world like a be decked old turkey cock! 'Welcome to the Mansion House,' he said, gayly, as I bundled up the stairs first. "And then to Mnrgy, though quite loud enough for me to hear: 'In three short days 1'—meaning, of course, the marriage that was to leave her in his home forever. "She winced as if he had struck her, her face as white as her muslin frock, and I verily believe that if he hadn't walked ber into the dining room on his arm she would have fallen. "What sort of a dinner did they have? glass high in the air, and was echoed by a dreadful laugh. 'To the devil, you mean to the devil, you old villain,' said a voice. 'He gave you money enough to buy a wife, so toast him deep!' Why, the best in the world, you may be sure! "The Mansion House was the finest place in the county—for that matter in n»U South Carolina—nnd the squire knew good living, and the big mahogany table fairly groaned under cut gloss and silver. "Uncle and I were at each side, and Margy was at the foot in the place of honor where, three times a day, she was soon to face old Tom, until death should UP AND AWAY mercifully take one or the other of them out of tho world. None of us talked much none, even my uncle, who was emptying goblet after goblet of wine to drown .his thoughts. And when the squire stood up suddenly with his chumpagne glass to toast the bride—a frozen bride thnt look ed .ready for the tomb—I almost welcomed the interruption that followed. 'To the bride!' repeated the squire, "And there in the middle of the floor, landed by a jump through the flung up window, was Jack, his clothes covered with mud and satan in his eye. "True love poisoned by wounded van ity, you see, my dears, may sleep drug ged for a while, but the time will come when It will fight like a tiger for what it feels its own. "Aud this had been the case with Jack, who was now almost maddened with thinking over the coming wedding. 'You young puppy,' roared the squire, 'didn't I tell you not to come here again?' 'That for your telling,' said Jack, dia bolically cool and with the whirl of a long whip in his hand the squire's uplifted wine glass fell to the floor cut like a fiowei from the sluink! "Then followed a terrible sceue. while we looked on like people in a nightmare. "The two men seemed suddenly to turn Into raging demons, but from the very first I could see Jacl- had the upper hand. "He hold the squire, -squirming and cursing like a trooper, down in his chait as if he had been a child. "'Margy,' he called out over his head, 'did you write me that letter of your own account?' "And getting no answer beyond the de nial )f her death-white face and piteous eyes, his rage knew no bounds. 'Your friend, the devil, gave you money enough to buy a wife,' he kept saying, shaking the squire us a cat would a mouse 'but by heaven it's only over my dead body you'll get her!' 'Defend yourself, you old rascal,' he yelled, 'defend yourself, for, kin or not, we are one too many on earth.' "There was a pair of swords crossed on the wall, slender, murderous dueling swords, &ud, tearing them down, he flung one to his uncle, and in a moment they were fighting like mad, parrying, thrust ing and feinting, with a dexterity sicken ing to see. "For the squire, you must understand, was an experienced swordsman he had pinked his man Id his time but, fired by «»4 mvi vti *1 twutm, Jack was a match for him. One moment it was he who was doing the parrying. The next it was the squire. And presently, as if in a dream, I could see my uncle and Prince, the negro butler, standing on chairs and putting out the candles that were fastened to the antlers of the deer heads against the walls, in the hope that this would stop them. "But It did nothing of the sort it only made them all the more determined to kill each other and directly in the pitch dark, after a moment's groping—groping that sent an icy chill to the roots of my hair— their swords clashed, and we knew that the duel was not yet over. "Mnrgy fell faint across my lap and my uncle began to pray. "All I could think of was to hope that Jack would beat, and with my heart in my mouth I sat staring at the sparks that flew from their swords and waiting for the end. "At last, after an eternity of time, a time made up of appalling silence and mad, blind, loomings together—and again that hideous groping—there was a cry, a fall, and when the frightened negro made a light again, there was the squire, pinned by Jack's sword, through an ear, to the floor, and there outside the window were Jack and Margy clinging to each other on the same horse and ready to dash off into tbe night "Well, my dears," said little Miss Pep per mildly in conclusion of her spirited recital, "of course, they got married and lived happy ever after. "And equally, of course, the squire melt ed in time aird forgave them, and tore up the notes he held against my uncle. "And to tills very day, if any of you should go to Buck Forest, anybody there will tell you how Jack Brice won his bride on Thanksgiving night."—St Louis Re public. SOLDIERS' PUDDING. How the Cook of a Con puny Surprised Hia Comrades. "In November, '02," said Judge Lang bein, who was a drummer boy in the famous Hawkins Zouaves, "we were in camp at Falmouth, directly opposite Fredericksburg, Md., where many of our command fell a little later. We could get nothing but the ordinary rations, bat we liad prepared for that by starting a company fund several months before for the purpose of supplying a Thanksgiving dinner. There must have been somethiug like $40 in the fund, nnd our cook kept the disposal of this fund a profound se cret. It seems ridiculous now, but I don't believe that any child ever waited for the coming of Christmas morning with a keener excitement than we did for that Thanksgiving dinner. When it came at last, we found that the great dish was nothing more nor less than a good old-fashioned plum pudding, rich and savory. I'll uever forgot that pudding, but it was the only thing we had. It had taken all the company fund to buy the flour and other ingredients for the pudding. I tell you, though, it seemed good to our stomachs, which had endur ed a steady diet of hardtack and coffee for weeks. I don't believe that a band of street ragmuffins ever tackled a feast with a keener relish than we poor fellows felt when we devoured that pudding." Pumpkin Pies. Of course you'll make pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving time. It wouldn't be much of a Thanksgiving without them —leastways, our folks would think so, and I find that most people feel the same. Now, if you want to know how to make what I call my best "company" pies, I'll tell you how to do it. They are just prime ones, that would make your mouth water to look at them. Stew just as much pumpkin as you want to make pies. I generally make' up six at a time—they do not have time to grow stale, for they don't last long in our bouse. Then 1 sift and measure it, and for a quart of the pumpkin I stir in a pound of brown sugar, a quart of rich milk, and six now laid eggs that have been beaten up till they are all of a froth. Now I put iu my salt nnd cinnamon, and ginger—a pinch at a time till I get It good and well seasoned. That's the se cret in making them—the seasoning and the baking. You can't slide them into a cool oven and have them first class. The oven has got to be right hot at first, then after they've been in about six minutes check your heat and let your oven cool off a little if you don't the heat will puff them up, and then they'll fall, and your pies will come out as flat as pan cakes.—Exchange. Tho Farmer's Thanksgiving. Mrs. Oatcake—What did you thank the Lord for to-da.v, Silas? Silas Oatcake—Per th' wheat failure in Europe. A Boy on Thanksgiving. Here is a funny little composition writ ten by a boy about Thanksgiviug day: "Thanksgiving was brought over from England by the Puritan fathers iu the year 1020. It has staid here ever since. On Thanksgiviug everybody goes to church iu tbe morning, so as to have ev erything out of the way before dinner. Then you come home and hang around a little while and get awful hungry smell ing the turkey. After dinner Thanksgiv ing is over." The half of the world thut lives on the other Is the* half that does most of mm*mm SUBJECT OF THANKSGIVINGS, Extensive and Highly IntereatlngVol nmc Might lie Compiled on lt» An extensive and highly interesting vol ume might be compiled on the subject of Thnnksgiviug and the events which have signalize! thorn. For instance, on Thanksgiving day, 1783, the British army evacuated New York, while Washington and Clinton marched into the city at the head of the continental army and took formal possession in the name of the young republic. Festivities and a grand display of fireworks closed that memora ble day. Thanksgiving had fallen that year on Dec. 23, and the combination of evacuation day and that festival were long jointly honored in New York. The Thanksgiving day of 1S1G is mem ornble as the occasion upon which an American theater was first illuminated with gas. This event happened in Phil adelphia. The. experiment was a com plete success, and the manager of the affair was Dr. Ivingler. During the war, of the battles and skirmishes fought on Thanksgiving, the most notable was that of Lookout mountain (1SG3). A few odd and distinctive methods of celebrating the great holiday still sur vive in different parts of the United States, although the tendency is toward a uniform manner of rejoicing. In sec tions of Connecticut, for instance, the "Thanksgiving barrel burning" is a time honored institution. For a month before the day Connecticut boj's diligently col lect and store iu a place of security all the barrels, old or new, which they can find. All barrels are regarded as the property of whomsoever can carry them away. On Thanksgiving night the bar rels are piled in a huge heap and iguited. Boys and girls then dance around the bonfire until the very last barrel has gone up in smoke. MMget'fl Thanks:.'fvlnjE. Midget lives all alone with grandma, and grandma pets him so nnuch that he thinks she has no right to notice any one but himself. But at Thanksgiving a whole flock of children came to grand ma's house, and grandma kissed them all, and took Baby Beth on her lap. That was too much for jealous little Midget He hung down his pretty silky tail, and walked Straight out of tbe parlor and up gurret, and sat down In the darkest cor ner and sulked. He could smell the big turkey, roasting in the oven. How he did want his Thanksgiving dinner! But he was too sulky to go down stairs until the children found him moping in tbe dark. They carried him down stairs and gave him the turkey drumstick on a china plate. I think this made him ashamed of his selfishness, for now they are the best of friends.—Youth's Companion. A Thoughtless Remark. "How often," said Miss Miami Brown, "hit do happen dat er thoughtless re mark'll spile de plaisure oh er occasion!" "Yassendeed," replied Erastus Plnkluy. "One o' de gues'es at ouah own table stopped pap right in de middle o' de kyahvin' tor ax 'im whah he got de tur key." In the ontli. Iu the Ssuth Thanksgiving, as an am nual festival, remained practically un known until, in 1855, the curious Vir ginian controversy on the subject was precipitated. This controversy, which is not generally known, deserves a brief notice. The Governor of Virginia at the time was one Johns, a patriotic and broad-iniuded gentleman, who had al ways entertained a reverence for the Puritan anniversary which was by no means common "below Mason and Dix on's line. Gov. Johns, in a letter to the State Legislature, urgently recommended the recognition of Thanksgiving in Vir ginia, and offered, in case his recom mendation proved satisfactory, to at once issue a proclamation. But the Legislature of Washington's State did not look upon the New England holiday with favor. Gov. Johns was ad vised not to make the Thanksgiving proc lamation, and, as he did not do so. the matter was allowed temporarily to drop. But public interest had been awakened, and before long a fierce debate was rag ing in Virginia between the opponents and supporters of the proposed South ern Thanksgiving. At last, in 1857, Gov. Wise—Johns' successor—took the meta phorical bull by tbe horns and issued a proclamation setting apart a day for the feast. His action caused much angry criticism, and several Southern newspa pers declared that Thanksgiving was simply "a relic of Puritauic bigotry." In spite of this, the innovation was warmly welcomed. The hospitable Southerners greeted gladly another holiday, and the Northern feast soon ranked among them as second in importance only to the "glo rious Fourth" itself. In 1858—the year after Wise's proclamation—no less than eight Governors of Southern States pro claimed Thanksgiving In their sections. The Dinners They Had. Tomray-4 had to go to bed for three days after our Thanksgiving dinner. Jobnny«~Huhl I had to take six kinds of wedtolAt afftr Y. Tilth. OOCX)' mipwaiHW (X^»CO(000X00XOCWOCK)COC*OC)Cn^ •jjjefte c§ The Chicago and Northwestern Rail way Company has opened for traffic two of Its new lines Iu Iowa—the Soldier val ley connecting road between Mondamin on the Sioux City and Pacific and the Bo.ver valley, and tho extension of the Audubon line to Harlan. The North western lino from Carroll toward Harlan has been built for years as far as Audu bon. At this point construction stopped on an agreement with the Itock Island road. Now the Northwestern has extend edits line to Harlan and the Rock Island is building from Gowrie into northwest ern Iowa. A Sensational Kscapc. The escape of Yancy, the robber and would-be murderer, from the sheriff al most at the doors of tin* penitentiary, was a sensational affair. Yancy had been sentenced for five years for com plicity in the shooting of Conductor Hicks at Kelly. He was handcuffed to his partner in the crime aud the sheriff had brought them to Fort Madison. They were put in a cab when Yancy suddenly broke the chain and jumped through the cab window. The officer could not pur sue him for fear of losing his other pris oner and by the time the alarm was giv en the escaped man could not be found. A Cane with a History* The editor of the Washington Press has received from A. F. Pay of Huron, S. D., a rattan cane that has a history. The stick was carricd by Gov. ICirkwood in the ICirkwood-Dodge gubernatorial cam paign. Gov. ICirkwood afterward gave it to Senator Harlan, who later gave it to Gov. Gear. By Gov. Gear the stick was transmitted to Lieut. Summers of the Fifth Iowa, who passed it on to Mr. Pay. The latter now gives it to Mr. Burrcll, to be added to his collection of curios. Suspension Bridge Gives Way. Thirty school children were playing on an old suspension bridge near Brush Col lege at Fort Madison, when it gave way, precipitating' the children to the creek," twelve feet below, fatally injuring Bessie Sawyer, aged 18, and seriously hurting seven others, while all sustained bad cuts and bruises. Tumbled Into a Cellar* At Columbus Junction, by tho giving way of a sidewalk 100 people who were watching a parade in honor of the re turned Iowa volunteers were precipitated into a cellar, filling it with a struggling, screaming and moaning mass of human ity. No one was fatally Injured, but all were badly bruised. Brief State Happening** The Catholic Church at Buffalo Center is almost completed. John J. Daly has been appointed a let ter carrier at Burlington. A free dispensary has been opened at Des Moines for deserving poor. Clarion has two damage suits against her an account of defective walks. Chickcu thieves stole over 300 chickens from one man near Clarence recently. During the month of October there were forty-six deaths iu Des Moines. The Illinois Central has begun work on a new $200,000 bridge at Dubuque. The W. T. U. ladies of Toledo will place a library in the Tama county jail. The 3-year-old daughter of Frank Ly man of Ames fell and broke her shoulder blade. Anthfox, or malignant ulcer, (s preva lent among cattle in parts of Plymouth County. Fish Warden Delavan has just plant ed a carload of black bass in West Oko bojl lake. Zttch Middleton had his right arm torn from his body by a corn shredder near Thornburg. A rich coal vein has been struck at a depth of less than 100 feet at the town of Savanna. Dry wood, sawed, is selling on the streets of Harper for 10 cents per hun dred pounds. Jacob Wolff of Council Bluffs had his right foot crushed recently at the Peavey elevator there. The commercial club at Muscatine is considering a proposition for an opera house for thnt city. Rev. J. M. Morris of Buffalo, N. Y., has accepted the call of the Christian Church at Glenwood. A co-operative creamery company has been organized in York township, with capital stock of $3,700. An Illinois Central passenger train ran into a herd of fine cattle near Dunlap, killing thirteen and injuring five. Andrew Eckels of Dubuque, aged 0 years, was run over by a wagon aud kill ed while on his way home from school. Wm. G. Lyon, well-known business man of Victor, has been adjudged insane and taken to Mt. Pleasant for treatment. Mrs. Elza Lorenzen of Muscatine nar rowly escaped death by asphyxiation by breathing gas from a coal stove while asleep. It is reported that the B., C. R. & N. is surveying a route for a proposed exten sion from Germania to Albert Lea and Minneapolis. Fire broke out in the sheds and barns on the fair grounds at Grinnell nnd five valuable horses were burned. Total loss about $3,000, A laborer by the name of James Barnes, working on the new railroad at North Buckingham, dropped dead. He was buried by the county. The Burlington has granted an in crease of $10 a month in wages of switchmen. W. Phillips lost several large barns and machinery by fire on his stock farm near Washington. Grain men throughout tbe State are complaining that cars which should be used for their shipments are Impressed to haul coal for the railroads. Weighmaster Kinney was killed at the West Cleveland coal mines near Charl ton. He fell down the shaft, striking at landing No. 2. and died In fifteen min utes. Fort Dodge sportsmen report that quail are scarce in the vicinity of that town. Monticollo has expended about $4,000 so far this season on street improve ments. A negro laborer at Fort Dodge was run down by a train and it is believed that he will lose both legs in consequence of the injuries received. A. G. Libbje, a telegraph line man working between Ontario and Jordan, was thrown to the ground by a pole breaking, bruising him badly. A derrick used for hoisting beams at the collegiate building at Iowa City broke and in falling struck a workman named Long, severely injuring him. C. J. Fosselman, principal owner of the Waterloo and Cedar Falls street car line and prominent in various financial enterprises in Iowa, died at Waterloo, aged 35 years. Tbe doctors who examined the body of R. C. Crawford, exhumed at Middleton on suspicion of foul play, declare that death was due to apoplexy. The stom ach will be submitted to chemical analy sis. Mrs. Dr. Iloff of Des Moiues has sued that city for $1".0(K) damages. Hor Jiorne ran into a fund hank on a street and 'reniiug, oillitb'd with a passing street car, 1.' win-, he severe in* iurlep v.,' Wilkes S. Lcntz has been commission ed postmuster at Percy. The new Christian Church at Zeat ing is almost completed. The new opera house at Iowa Falls is iu the hands of the decorators. The plans for the new opera house at' Muscatine contemplate a $30,000 struc ture. Newton is complaining of the increase of cigarette smoking among the young boys of that place. The Iowa, Minnesota and Northwest em Railway will put in a depot, stock yards, etc., at Irving. John Dettmer, a farmer residing near Lowden, was struck by a Northwestern train and instantly killed. The Clintou packing house has started up and expects to kill from 500 to 1,000: hogs daily during the season. New Sharon hopes to secure a free reading room and gymnasium for the young men and boys of the town. Appanoose County has a bonded in debtedness of $50,000 and has paid off $20,000 within the past two years. Henry Pentecost of Panora, aged 10, is missing, and his friends have asked the police of Des Moines to aid In the search. Ehvood Ratcliff, while shredding corn at Ewart, had the thumb and fingers torn from his left hand and the hand fearfully lacerated. Because J. S. Carter's dog was shot for trespassing in a cemetery he has filed a claim with the city authorities at Des Moines for $200 damages. Rev. Paul Talbott has resigned the pastorate of the Episcopal Church at Anderson and has accepted the rector ship of the church at Mapleton. The weighing of mails at the Marshall town postofUce for the month of Octo ber showed nn aggregate of 43,322 pounds. This included 203,000 letters. Fire originating in a gasoline explo sion destroyed the building at Fort Dodge occupied by a mllllnvry establish ment. The loss amounted to about $5, 000. William Williams, residing near Hud son, was attacked by three men at Wat erloo and severely bruised. Valuables on his person were not .taken, and the affair is a mystery. A Council Bluffs man is preparing a suit to be brought in the Federal Court which will test the constitutionality of' the present method of assessing special taxes upon the "front foot" basis. Burlington sportsmen, who have brought test casos in the Federal Court to try the constitutionality of tbe Illi nois game laws have been decided against by a ruling of the court at Chi cago. A man named Farmer was run ovev and killed by a Milwaukee switch engine in the yards at North McGregor. The engineer said he first observed the man lying on the trnek just before the engine struck him. A. M. Bryson, a prominent attorney of Iowa FallB, died suddenly at his home. In apparent good health, he was sudden ly stricken at the dinner table and died a feW hours later, the cause of death being apoplexy. The 2-year-old son of Andrew Pearson was Bcalded to death at Denison by fall-. ing into a wash boiler half full of boiling water. The cover waB partly on the boil er and the title fellow climbed up to sit' on the cover and fell in. G. W. Beck's barn, two miles west ot Highland Center, burned. It contained sixty tons of hay and several hundred bushels of grain. But little of the con tents was saved. The insurance of $700 will not cover half the loss. E. S. Riggs, Bon of I. S. Rlggs, an old resident of Eddyvllle and a member of the firm of Riggs & Son, was fatally in-, jured by being caught in the main belt of the engine room of the mill, passing between the belt and fly wheel. Charles Kelly, 47 years of age, was killed at Des Moines. He was riding horseback when the horse became un manageable ou account of spurs and ran away. Kelly's head struck a tree at the side of the street and he was instantly killed. Webster County voted on a proposition to build a new court bouse at the recent election. The proposition carried by a good majority. Now the question of its location has come up. Many of the bus-' iness men and ethers are in favor of a new location. The talk of its removal has raised the question as to the right of the Board of Supervisors to sell the present site. A search of the records shows that the ground would revert to the original owner or his heirs in the event of being used for purposes other than the erection of a court house and jail. The matter may be taken into the courts. It is probably not generally known in the State that there are four private In sane asylums In the State that have with in their walls about 400 insane persons. These institutions are located in Du buque, Council Bluffs, Davenport and Iowa City. The Davenport and Du buque asylums have nearly 150 patients each, the one in Council Bluffs about 125 and the one In Iowa City only 25 or 80. There has never been any trouble about these institutions, no scandals or sensa tions have appeared in the newspapers, but there is nothing to prevent snch things except the good character of the management of the institutions. There is no law allowing the commitment of an insane person to a private institution. Columbus Junction gave its returned soldieps a barbecue, at which two oxen, two sheep and one pig were eaten. The Dubuque iron works has three boats on the ways and is making every effort to complete them sufficiently that they may be taken to Southern waters before the river freezes up. The annual report of the commissioner general of Immigration at Washington shows that of the immigrants who were destined for Iowa, 10 were professional men, 228 skilled mechanics, 404 with mis cellaneous occupations, and 760,Including women and children, with none. Fire in the office of the Fort Madison Democrat threatened for a time to de stroy the building, but was extinguished with but little damage. Samuel Mcpherson of Waterloo waB found unconscious in his bed and though medical assistance was summoned he died died soon afterwards. The attend ing physicians say there were signs of morphine poisoning. John G. Price of Skaguay, Alaska/ who has been chosen as the delegate of Alaska to Congress, Is an Iowa man, having been born of farmer parents In Guthrie Center in 1870. He is a gradu ate of the law department of the Uni versity of Iowa. Frank Morton, a fireman, was struck by a passenger coach while leaning ou( of his cab hi the yards at Fort Dodge and fatally injured. William Evans, aged 8 years, and the only son of David Evans, residing two miles south of Walker, was instantly killed while hunting iu tbe timber a short distance from his home. His com panion at the time of the accident, a boy one year older than himself, says that Evans had set the gun against a tree, and was walking about gazing up Into the branches. In runio uuuiuer the gun was discharged. i»»!l entering under the 1 ..ai u}l. buck of