Manchester Democrat. [volume], July 30, 1902, Image 7

About Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930

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By
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CHAPTER XIV.
ySs A ratENDLY CANTEEN.
wo Johnnies got' Into
the boat, putting two
of us, still bound, in
the stern, and crossed
the river then one
brought the bont back
and took over the re
nin Inder of the party,
flrst stowing our car
bine* In the bow under the legs of
man who held a double barreled guu
ready for use. When nil liad crossed,
the boat was hauled up Into the buslics
Just as we had found It on the other
aide. Then we were marched about
half a ntlle from the river to a big log
hut,
"Now, boyi," said my old acquaint
"We'll make you feel as much at
aa we can without beln' unsafe.
We'll onloeae one of you at a time, so
yon can stretch your arms an' cat, an'
we'll eend word to our camp soon ez
.we can for somebody to come an' take
you lone to Richmond."
"We're in no harry to get there, I'm
•ore," sald l.
He looked at me sharply a moment
•ad replied:
"Mebbe they ain't as well fixed .thar
as yon nns at Fort Monroe, where they
tuck ns when we got ketched, but
they'll do the best they can for you.
SeeWes» you'll be exchanged 'fore long,
Just-ar we was/'
It was real kind of him to say this,
and I told him so, but my heart grew
fceavler and' heavier. What would fa
ther and mpther think?' Who would
write them' about my disappearance?
What would the writer say? Could
there be any possible way of getting
word home from Richmond? I asked
ray.old acquaintance this question- and
told h|m 1 was afraid my disappear
ance would kill my parents unless they
knew what had happened.
"That's so, my friend," sale} he. "Just
yen write a scrap to some friend of
yours to yonr catnp, an' I'll see it
reaches hhn InS week. Nuthin'.else,
though, mind, except that you're -cap
tured."
"How will you get It there?" I asked,
with natural curiosity.
me no questions, an' I'll tell you
no Use," stld be. "You give me coffee
one time, don't you refnember? Well,
that's enough."
.As It happened that Just then was my.
turn to be unbound, I got some letters
Mt o'f my breast pocket and found a
blank half sheet of paper, on which 1
(enWed:
Bast Haautop-V. wen raptured by tin ra
•V- Tell mj fefher fkot to worry. Our captors
my WO ka nthurd pretty Booh.
JACK FROST.
Ml old acquaintance looked over my
shoulder while I wrote. When I had
be said:
"Put In a little more. Say 'The man
thit (I gave coffee to .when he was
ketch,ed Is the man that's got me, an'
b* says I'll be well treated or his name
•JntCwy Hillyard.' That ought to make
'em feel easier to home, oughtn't It?"
"ftn sqte it would If they knew
you, said I. "I wrote them a long
letter after that scout in which you
were captured, about how you fixed
fried baeon and hpecake for us that
night and how you showed me how to
parch com in bacon fat I wrote how
awfully hungry I was on that trip, too,
and my mother wrote back that she'd
pimy tor yon every night of her Ufo
for beng kind to her hoy."
"8ho! Ton git outl Is .that so,
theugbP' said my particular Johnny,
Xrith a sheepish look. "Well, mothers
I* all Alike, I s'pose." Then he and one
of bis party began to prepare a meal
Of- bacon and hoecoke, for it was now
netuly dark.
The voma of the cooking diverted
my Noughts from the situation, for we
had started near noon and In such
haste that we had forgotten to bring
our haversacks. The Johnnies evident
ly Intended to feed us, for they were
preparing an immenao quantity of
food.
"Bay, sarge^" remarked my friend to
the large, quiet man who Becmed to be
the leader of the party, "these boys
cayn't eat with their arms tied. S'pose
we tie' their legs instead. They'll be
safe ag*ln runnin' away, an' they'll be
more comfortable/'
The sergeant muttered assent The
change was made, and then, as we sat
on a long, low bench against one wall,
we were bountifully fed. We chatted
freely, our edptor-s being quite willing
to converse, and the conversation ran
as entirely to farming methods as it
iSS
'All I want, i/ou saidl"
8 no war or other special sub­
ject of Interest Two or three hours
after dark the sergeant said to us:
"Now, gentlemen, any of you that
tries to get away '11 be shot like a dog,
but if you behave yourselves you can
sleep as comfortable as If you was at
'home. Just Ue down on the floor where
you are whenever you like, or sit up,
but keep to that side of the room. We'll
keep to this side. If you even put your
hands to your feet you'll be shot, so
don't do It"
I said something to the effect that
we weren't fools. Meanwhile my
friend and the third man dropped upon
the floor, with their guns and our car
bines, while the sergeant sat down
upon a box in front of the fire, cocked
double barreled shotgun and kept his
eyes upon lis. Conversation larigulBli
toua
IBBtiiMiililffii
*r
MEN
HABBERTON.
I ot "H lan's Bibles," "George Washington
GOPYItlQHT, lopl. BX
Etc.
JOHN HABBERTON
your life on suliluioHt provocation. We
exchniifml remarks occasionally with
otic- another, hut they weren't at all
hilarious. I was just dropping asleep,
still sitting on tlie bench, when Braiu
ard .whispered:
"Any water in your cantccn, Jack?"
I hadn't thought before of the cap
tain's canteen of wliisky. Would It be
safe to tell Charley in the hearing of
the guard that the canteen across hiy
shoulder was full of whisky? Suppose
the Johnnies should learn of It, drink
it and get righting mad and kill us? 1
answered lirainard, "No."
Then, reinombering some Jar inscrip
tions that he and I had spelled ont to
gether in our village drug store and
persuaded the druggist to translate, 1
continued, trusting the sergeant did
not understand Latin, "Splritus fru
nientl."
The surprise that gleamed through
Brainard's eyes would have startled
the sergeant bad he seen it. Before 1
dropped 'asleep again the guard was
changed by the sergeant rousing the
man of the three who seemed to
amount to least He was a thin, rath
cr feeble looking fellow, with a stupid
face, the lower half of which had been
left unfinished soon after 'it was be
gun. He threw fresh wood on the fire
so as to keep the room alight, then he
sat down with the gun and yawned so
fearfully that I feared he might fall
asleep with his hand on the trigger and
rouse the house, perhaps to our serious
Injury. Finally, however, he got en
tirely awake, and then he seemed to
feci dismal amid so much silence, so ho
tried to eliat with us. He was a poor
talker, but Brhinard helped him along
to the best of his ability. They drawl
ed along for an hour, and under the
soothing influence of their monotones,
the snoring of the sergeant and the
wheezing of the other Johnny 1 began
to drop asleep again just as the guard
was explaining a lot of bad feelings ho
had from time to time.
"I could cure you, I think, if you
wouldn't get me into trouble," said
Brainard.
"Ef you've got any medicine of any
kind, stranger," said the guard, "fo'
the Lawd's sake, gimme some. I don't
keor what It is. I know' it'll do me
good some way."
"Wouldn't whisky bo tlio very bost
medieiue you could haver Brainard
asked.
The man's face looked like a beatified
saint iu a fourteenth century picture
as he placed a hand on his waist and
murmured "Oh!"
"If I find you some right here with
out stirring, will you promise to leave
me a little of itr* asked Brainard.
"Of eo'se I will," said the guard soft
ly. "But how— Sho! Quit your fool
in\"
"I'm not fooling," said Brainard.
"Tou promise, loo, not to wake your,
friends to help drink it nil? 1 don't be
lieve in whisky except for sickness,j
and your friends don't look or act as'
if they had any bad feelings."
"Stronger," snid tin? guard hoatseljtf
"I'd promise niiythiug, excep' to be a!
Yank or to let you git our, fo' one drlnkl
of whisky."
"All right," said Brainard, taking the
captain's canteen from tuy neck, draw
ing the cork and'holding it out to the
guard.
What Brainard was up to I could
not imagine, aud 1 closed my eyes ns
the guard stepped toward him. I fear
ed Charley had some desperate idea of
seizing the man's guu as ho passed
the canteen. In such case discretion
would bo the better part of valor—for
the rest of us. But there was no scene.
The guard quickly resumed his seat,
and out of a mere slit of my eye I
could see he had his gun ready for ua
with one hand while he raised the can
teen to his mouth with the other.
"AU I want, you said?" he whisper
ed after he had ascertained that it
really was whisky.
"All you want," was the reply, "so
you leave me a little in case of sick
ness."
How that canteen did gurgle for a
full minute! When the drinker was
compelled to stop for breath,, ho held
the canteen in front of him with a
"you have saved my life" expression of
countenance that was really touching.
Then he began again and drank for a
full minute longer, it seemed to me.
As he breathed a long sigh of content
he placed the canteen at his feet and
said:
"Stranger, you're a gentleman. No
body ever done me so much good be
fo\"
"I'm glad to have been of service,"
said Brainard. "My friend here helped
your friend there to a good drinlc of
coffee about three months ago, and I'm
glad to be about even with him."
"You're a gentleman. J.gay It again,
an' I'll say It always."
Evidently whisky really was the
medicine lie needed, for ho began to bo
quite happy, though quiet Then he
fixed his eye on something on the floor.
He appeared to go into a brown study.
Finally he closed his eyes and loosened
his grasp on his gun, which fell softly
across his kuees. I looked toward
Brainard to wink, but to my horror I
saw him loosening the strap at his feet
and motionlug me to do likewise. Then
he rose softly, took the guard's gun,
handed it to me and proceeded to tie
the fellow's feet.
Then I understood what Charley was
up to, and, although I was so frighten
ed that I was afraid I would drop the
gjm, I covered the sergeant and my
rebel friend with it. I wasn't going to
be outdone in appearance of bravery
by any live foot ex-student of theology
alive, even if he happened to be my
particular friend. Nevertheless as I
stood there with that gun I devoutly
praj'cd that the slumbers of the re
cumbent Johnnies might continue to be
very sweet.
Meanwhile Brainard carefully un
bound the two other men of our own
party. I wondered why he didn't wake
them and tell them to loosen them
selves, but I offered no suggestions.'' I
don't believe I could have spoken had
I tried. With the belts taken from our
boys Brainard softly bound, or hob
Wed, the feet of the sleeping grayeoats.
Then he cut the sling strap from our
captain's eauteeu and bound their
hands also. They became somewhat
restive under this operation, and the
sergeant suddenly opened his eyes,
The fire that shot from those eyes
when the sergeant saw me with his
£Hftiajti&i.Doint rondo me tremble, and
wheu he strained at his bonds I.recall
ed the story of Samson.
"We're awfully sorry, sergeant," said
Brainard, "that it had to be done, but
duty is duty, you know/'
The sergeant was speechless. Per
haps 'twas just as well, for I learned
afterward that he was a member of the
church. He did, however, arouse my
old acquaintance by nudging him with
his tied feet, but when that matter of
fact fellow grasped- the situation he
ejaculated, "Well, I'll be ."
Charley took one of our boys and
went out of the hut. They came back
in about half an hour anh .said they
had the boat ready. In the interval my
old acquaintance had exclaimed about
once in five minutes and each time ap
parently after profouud thought, "WelL
I'll bo
I finally told him I hoped not, and It
wasn't his fault, wo had turned the
tables ou him.
"Jest tell me how you done it all,'
said he, "an' 1 won't ask no more."
"Wo didn't do it," said I, thinking to
get off a practical temperance lecture
that might be repeated after the war,
"Wo didn't do it whisky did it" Then
I nodded suggestively toward tbe
guard who had wauted medI6ine.
"Whisky?" exclaimed the questioner,
with a wide eyed look. "An' you didn't
offer me a toothful?" Then he look
ed reproachfully and remarked, "1
wouldn't hev thought it of you."
This made me feel so bad that 1
hastened to say:
"I didn't do it. I never thought of
the whisky. 'Twas given to me to use
in case we got a soaking. I wouldnJt
have thought of it again. I haven't
tasted whisky three times in my life."
The poor fellow looked at me search'
ingly and finally- said: "I've gpt to
b'lieve you. I do b'lieve you. But,say,
whar was you brung up?"
"Score one for the north," said I to
myself, as I shortly answered,* "York
state."
"Now, gentlemen," Bald Brainard,
"we'd .better move before any of yoar
friends drop along and upset our plans.
Two of us will flrst take the sergean
and the firearms across the fiver."
As the sergeant didn't demur Bra i
ard loosened his feet and took Mm
down to the skiff, the other boys stag
gering under all the weapons except
the gun. which I held. In about 15
minutss one came back with the boat,
and the remainder of us crossed* the
disembarkation being covered in tbe
ktavlight by Brainard and a Confeder
ate double barreled gun.
Then we sat or stood, on that river
bank until dawn began to break, Brain
ard having whispered to me that it
would not be safe to approach camp in
the dark. We did not dare to make a
fire, and as we had hot worn our over
coats when wo started the morning be
fore we were chilled to the bone. I sug
gested we should try to warm our
selves with single sips of the -whisky, if
any was left, but Brainard objected,
saying it was no time for experiments.
As for the Johnnies, they dropped upon
the ground and slept as peacefully as if
nothing unusual had occurred.
At the first streak of dawn Brainard
ordered the prisoners into the boat
two of them in the stern and one in the
bow, while ho sat amidships and -row
ed, first cautioning our two boys to
keep along the bank abreast of him and
fire on any prisoner who chanced to
change his position. He suggested that
I, being the commander of the expedi
tion, should hurry on in advance and
report, so that the prisoners should not
be fired at on suspicion that they were
coming on a business errand.
I acted upon his suggestion, and as I
hurried along it occurred to zne that al
though I officially was in command
Brainard had been doing all the plan
ning and work. Why hadn't I instead
of he thought to get that stupid fellow
drunk and thus ptepare the way for
bur escape, Instead of accepting our
fate and dropping unquestionlngly to
sleep? Brainard's head had been alert,
mine in a.daae. That was the only dif
ference, but it was enough to make me
feel uncomfortable. Still, "honor to
whom honor is due." I would-see to it
that Charley got full credit I could be
glad, too, that the man who had been
smarter than I was my dearest friend.
I entered the camp without being
fired at and the captain was as glad to
see me and hear the story as If I had
been his own son. I told everybody
the news, got them all on the river
bank as a reception committee and got
Hamilton to propose "three cheers for
Brainard." Charley himself loosed the
bonds of the Johnnies as our boys
crowded around. My own special John
ny no sooner found his hands free than
he whispered something to Brainard.
"Yes certainly. Thank you for re
minding me." Then ho shook tbe cap
tain's canteen inquiringly and handed
it to the prisoner, who swallowed some
of its contents and passed the remain
der to the sergeant, saying as he point
ed indignantly to the third prisoner:
"Don't leave none for him, durn him!"
"You've done handsomely, corporal,"
said the captain to Brainard.
"'Twasn't I, captain," Charley re
plied, with a salute 'twas your whis
ky that did the business."
There was at leaBt one duty of tbe
expedition remaining in which Brain
ard shouldn't get ahead of me. I took
those prisoners under guard down to
the brush hut where our company cook
had been installed and I provided them
with a big breakfast To my de
light they enjoyed our white bread
and cold corucd beef as heartily as
had enjoyed their bacon and corn bread
three months before. As to coffee, they
nearly emptied the half kettle that bad
been standing since our own boys had
been served half an hour before. When
he could drink no more, my own spe
cial prisoner caressed the place where
he had put the coffee, gazed contem
platively at the kettle and remarked:
"There's always some good luck can
be dug out of trouble ef you'll look at
it right Here I am a prisoner ag*in
but, on t'other hand, I'll have genuine,
sure 'nough coffee twice a day till I'm
exchanged ag*in. Urn-m^ml"
CHAPTER XV.
ON PICKET.
mature delibera
tion upon samples of
sorts of military
service that falls to
lot of cavalry sol
diers we recruits
agreed that plcketduty
salted us better than
anything else. To be
ON T»I01
ihih **°n
UB\
|M dlei
an actual picket was not pleasant wheu
one's turn of duty cam^, during a driv
ing rain or In the middle of a dark
night, but In ordinary weather and at
decent hours it was quite pleasant to
sit on horseback at crossroads, look
about the country and chat with such
farmers as had passes enabling them
to visit the town. Northern and south
ern farmers were radically unlike each
other In some respects during the war,
but they were exactly alike In their
willingness to rein up and have a lon'g
chat with a stranger. I found the aver
ago !V4rgInla farmer had quite as largo
pftib'QCM *fet=-curl08lty, aa bis northern
brother, and generally he was able to
absorb all the family history that a
Yankee soldier might care to unload.
It was great fun for me to be on
post on a prominent road at daybreak,
(or the chances were that a large de
tachment of fugitive slaves would
come in. How these people managed
to travel 80 or 40 miles without being
seen and hounded back by the ene
my's scouts I never could understand,
for instead of coming singly they would
travel in large bodies, all the men, wo
men *and children leaving a plantation
together and not separating during the
trip. Any one would linagiue they
would be discovered, for they always
dressed in their best when they started
toward us, and the colors of some of
their clothing were ns startllug as the
plumage of a tropical bird, besides be
ing more'variegated,, but they never
complained of having been annoyed
while en route. Another mystery was
their knowledge as to where to find
our lines and just where to halt to
wait for daylight They were not al
ways received iu the spirit of tbe eman
cipation proclamation. Some of our
fellowB were In mortal fear of "nigger
equality," so they would order the fu
gitives to return to their masters.
"Yas'r," would be the usual reply*
and the entire gang would retrace their
steps until they reached a friendly
screen of trees. No sooner would the
man on post be changed than the crowd
would come plodding back. As one old
leader told me one day:
"We'se ben tole ter keep a-tryin,
'cause some sojer or udder would let
us in some time ©r udder."
There was nothing funny about these
C'' people unless it was their ex
irravity. They weren't even ex
ci. ..a*. They didn't throw up their
Glials and thank the Lord that at last
they were ou freedom's soil. They sel-
'Only Confederate llpa can ever touch
mine."
guides—'"de woods was full of 'em"—
yet in nearly a year of-prowling about
the woods between the lines I never
once saw a colored man except on
plantation. To this day their "ways are
as mysterious to me as the traditional
'underground railway" was to the
slave hunters of old.
The special delight of picket service,
however, was the privilege of visiting
the few white natives who lived near
by. All of them professed to be Union
ists all, I believe, were earnest Con
federates, but it was policy for them
not to allow any harm to befall a
Union soldier who visited them. So
we never feared that we would be cap
tured by skulking Confederates, much
less shot while In a native's house. To
tell the truth, I think most of us were
about as welcome as we would have
been In any farming community at the
north. We could generally tell them
about much that was going on In the
world, thanks to our steady supply of
newspapers we could give them an
occasional book or magazine, but had
we only our presence to offer it was
gratifying to the people, nearly all of
whose own men were in the Confed
erate army and whose women did not
dare to exchange visits over roads
where they might at any time en
counter marching troops.
At mosrt of the native houses there
were girls, and each girl had about BOO
adorers in our regiment alone, as well
as an equal number In other cavalry
regiments at our post. There was little
or no lovemaking. No man dared ab
sent himself long enough from the
picket reserve to attend to business of
so serious a nature, nor could he easily
find opportunity to Bpeak to a damsc1
alone. If father or mother or grand
parents chanced to be out of the room
for a moment, some other trooper was
almost sure to be present. This was
misery for sentimental young men of
the class that regards lovemaking as
an absolute necessity of daily life.
It was great fun, however, for the
girls. Not one of them would have
married a Yankee had he been Apollo
and Crcesus combined, but It wasn't
unpleaslng to get au adoring, heart
broken glance from one not unhand
some fellow after another and to real
ize that all the sufferers were from the
enemy's ranks. I used to Imagine,
probably correctly, that the southern
girls looked prettier and more vivacious
when we appeared than they possibly
could do at the humdrum routine of
housework. Most of them bad lost
their slaves. ID the usual manner, be
fore our t'owu became a military post,
and they would remind us of this when
anything in the house seemed to them
to lack proper attention or when they
Invited us to sit down with the family
to a dinner or supper, which they as
sured us was not what they would
have given us in other days. They got
Be many compliments, however—some
awkward, but all honest—on the skill
of pretty hands and heads that 1 don't
doubt one of them told the truth when
she said to me in a burst of confldeuce
that she was-more than half glad tliut
the house servants had run away aud
given her and her mother a chance to
have things just as they wanted them.
Some of these southern girls asked in
numerable questions about the duties
and diversions of our mothers and sis
ters, and they heard enough to make
them open their pretty eyes in wondert
But all this had nothing to do with
love. As was natural to suppose, and as
we afterward learned, each of the girls
was already engaged to some good or
bad fellow In the Confederate army.
Their hearts were already disposed of,
so they could laugh at all would he
suitors and break hearts cheerily Willi
the sublime consolation that they were
weakening the enemy In one of his
most vulnerable points. Their maimer
was as proper as that of any northern
girl, as the more Impudent of our fel
lows discovered wheu they .proposed a
kiss at the door. The experience of
one of these fellows was quite inter
esting to every one but himself,
was so handsome that he had mi
great havoc among feminine hearts at
borne and had come to regard himself
iwwBmn#*
ft* irresistible. He asked a little Vir
ginian, pretty enough to break the
heart of au anchorite, for a kiss, but
she replied:
"Only Confederate lips can ever touch
mine."
One day when this man had been on
post the relief found his place vacant
although there was no sign of blood
shed or a struggle. As soon as this
was reported at the,reserve a squad
was sent out to look'for him.
Inquiry was mndefat every house on
the road, and at one we learned from
the heartbreaking beauty just referred
to t|iat he had st-opped there two hours
before and announced that ho was de
serting to the Confederacy.
Almost half a yoar afterward the
rear guafl'd of one ol'. our scouting par
ties was harassed for the last two
miles of its return by shots from a
small mounted force,-which scattered
and took to the woods whenever we
turned and attempted to charge them.
Our commander arranged a strong am
buscade of the advance, with a view
to capturing the entire party, and this
hiddeu force suddenly surrounded
them when they were directly in frout
of the house in which the little beauty
lived. There were only a dozen of the
enemy, and they quickly saw that their
game was up. As we approached them
they recognized the inevitable and
ceased fighting, but one man In gray
suddenly drew a revolver, fired three
shots in rapid succession at the house,
then pointed the weapon at his own
breastCredand fell from hissaddle. We
were upon them in a moment and un
der the cap of the man upon the ground
we saw the face of our handsome de
serter. He gasped belfrre he died that
he was as loyal as ever. He had de
serted in a wild desire to kiss that girl.
Now»
I I 1 .. I.tll I I ...
dom laughed, uud as for joking, one
could get as much response from an
oak stump as from the brightest of
them. They apparently knew just
where to come and just what to ex
pect In fact I afterward learned from
one of them that for 50 miles around
us the -slaves were thoroughly inform
ed about each post and its treatment
of contrabands. They said there were
plenty of colored news carriers and
seeing her at the window, he'had
fired to kill her and hoped he had suc
ceeded. Then he had killed himself
rather than be shot as a traitor.
He had missed the pretty mark he
had aimed at. The girl was unhurt ex
cept from a severe scare. We had lost
more than 20 men uiost unaccountably
from that |iost. all of them violent ad
mirers of that very girl. Somehow her
father's house was burned to the
ground that very night I hope the
pretty girl escaped, but we were told
Bhe did not. Not one of us attended the
funeral. It would bo "hard to tell how
many lives on both sides were lost
thereafter as the result of those two
deaths.
"War Is hell!"
[TO BE CONTINUED.]
WAVES OF WATER.
Slow rivers flow at tbe rate of three
to seven miles an hour.
The amount of water flowing out of
the Nile is sixteen times that of the
Thames.
The English channel is nowhere more
than 000 feet deop. The Irish sea is
2,130 feet deep.
The largest gulf in the world is the
gulf of Mexico—800,000 square miles—
almost twice as big as the bay of Iten
gal.
The Parana of Brazil aud Argentina
Is 2,200 miles in length and after the
Amazon is the largest river In South
America.
The shallowest of nil seas are the
Baltic and the Adriatic, which averago
only forty-three and forty-five yards'
depth respectively.
Askal Chin, in Tibet, Is the lake
which lies at a greater height than any
other, in the world. Its level Is 10.000
feet. The lowest Is the Dead aea—
1,200 feet below sea level.
DISAPPEARING WRITING.
The War a Bis Swindle Wan SncceBM«
fnllr Worked In PnrlK.
A number of Parisian financiers were
recently defrauded of a very consider
able sum of mouey by a swindler who
relied for the success of hist scheme en
tirely upon the peculiar properties of
Iodide of starch. Posing as a man of
considerable wealth, whose money was
tied up iu such a manner that lie could
pot realize without heavy losses and
pretending to have the option of some
valuable concessions in China, lie ob
tained various large amounts of money
In exchange for bills dated to stand
for three mouths.
No one for a moment suspected that
there was anything in the least degree
shady about the man or his transac
tions, and when lie made it public that
be had been successful In selling his
Chinese concession at a large profit his
creditors felt absolutely certain that
he Would meet his bills.
To their immense surprise, however,
when they came to look through their
papers to lind the tills they only fouud
bills with blank spaces In the places
where the swindler's name should have
been and had actually beeil. They
clamored ronnd him for an explanation
of the strange affair, but lie deuied that
he had ever given any of them bills and
defied them to sue iiini for repayment
of the loans, aud the fact that the bills
were devoid of the swindler's signa
ture rendered them absolutely wortb
!8S.
The matter was put Into the hands of
the police, who were able to discover
that in signing the bills the man had
used a solution of Iodide of starch,
which, when flrst used for writing, ap
pears much the same ns ordinary ink,
but completely disappears in the course
of a few weeks, and, although traces
Of the chemical may subsequently be
discovered, nothing can make the writ
ing show up again. Finding that his
victims had discovered his method, the
schemer decamped, despite the fact
that the chances of the police obtain
ing a conviction against him were very
remote indeed.
A Iloyul TraBcdy,
Frederick 1. of Prussia was killed by
fear. His wife was Insane, and one
day she escaped from her keepers and,
dabbling her clothes in blood, rushed
upon her husband while he was dozing
in his chair. King Frederick imagiued
her to be the white lady whose ghost
was believed to appear whenever the
death of a member of the royal family
was to occur, and he was thrown Into a
fever and died in.six weeks.
Tlie Attraction.
Gladstone told Lord ltonald Gowor
tlmt once when he visited Koine lie ac
cidentally met Maenuluy, who intro
duced himself to the statesman. On
Macaul&y's telling him that ho took a
dally walk iu St. Peter's, Gladstone
asked liim what most attracted him in
that place. "The temperature," was
the answer.
CrJtJi'ialiig- F»rtrnit.
Walter Dean, Sr., once hired an artist
to paint his portrait, with the stipula
tion that the picture would not be nc«
cepted and paid for unless it looked
like himself. When the portrait was
completed, It was sent to Mr. Dean,
who did not reeoguize himself and ab
solutely refused to pay the painter.
The painter sued, and Joe Strong, the
artist, was called in to give an expert
opinion.
"You see the portrait of Mr. Dean?"
the lawyer asked.
"No,"
Paid
Mr. Strong, "1 do not."
"There it is," said the lawyer, point
ing to the big canvas.
"I don't call that a portrait. 1 call
that a map of Mr. Dean," said Mr.
Strong.
Two Kanca nna Two Iteanlt..
A large steamer was onoe wrecked
because one of the sailors was named
West. The vessel was outward bound
from ltutlerdam, and the sailor was on
Cork Jnilishina some brasswork. Sud
denly the captain called him and told
lilni to go below. The second officer OB
the bridge heard the captain call out
the man's name and thought it was an
order to change the course of the vessel
to west lie did so, and the result was
that the ship ran on to a dangerous
shoal. That name cost the owners of
the vessel the sinn of $500,000.
IHiring the Afghan war of 1S70 a
small British detachment gained a vic
tory over a large body of the enemy by
a mistaken order. A private named
Vance, who had distinguished himself
by several aets of bravery, was a great
favorite with one of the officers, and
durin:: a skirmish the officer wanted
him to curry a dispatch to the colonel
in comman:l of aiu.iiier detachment.
The mail was only a few yards away,
and he ealied out, "Vance!'' at the top
of his voice. Tlie men thought he had
given the order "Advance!" and imme
diately rushed forward with such dash
and spirit that the enemy broke and
fled.
Mifflsti-nim Force of Tornado..,
Much has been said about electricity
ns a factor for destriictivcness in the
various gyrating storinelouds known
as cyclones, dreclioes and tornadoes.
In all of this voluminous mass of so
ealied seientillc opinions aud deduc
tions one fact seems to have been en
tirely overlooked—viz, the almost re
sistless force of wind when moving
with high velocity. When the veloc
ity is but fifty miles an hour, the pres
sure of air in motion is equal to twelve
pounds to the square foot, and wheD
this velocity rises to a hundred miles
per hour its force rises to the equivalent
of J'J.2 pounds to the square foot, the
Augmentation of force being always
proportional to the square of the ve
locity.
It needs no further elaboration or
amplification of this statement to con
vey to the intelligent reader an idea
of the monstrous mechanical force
which such a rapid traveling mass of
air
111
lis! have, a power groat enough
to tear down any structure that has
yet been built by man or to uproot
whole forests of the largest trees now
growing on the surface of the earth.
Xot:r'i»is the Goa.
One of the odd things the visitor to
nurtna will notice is the large number
of bells about tlio pagodas. These bells
are usually hung on sacred posts a few
feet above the ground.
They are Kweet (oned, as ail Burmese
bells are, but they are not furnished
with tongues. The worshiper who
comes to pray before the pagoda
strikes one of these bells with a w6od
en mallet. This Is to attract the atten
tion of the god.
Sister Sue—In my new play, Mr. Dan
iels. the hero and the villain are to
tight a duel.
Daniels—And who will get the worst
of it?
Brother Tom—The audience.—New
1'ork Times.
Entirely Different.
"It's all very well before a girl's
married for her to get a tiower in her
hair." remarked the observer of events
and things, "hut it'n an entirciv differ
ent matter If. after she's married- she
gets tier hair in the llonr."
If a uiau asks you a question von
ean't answer, make your answer so
long anil shadowy that he will be glad
to forget Ills questiou.—Atchison Globe
IJetter lose your argument than your
friend.—l!8m'8 Horn.
Bronchitis tor Twenty Years.
Mrs. Minerva Smith, of Danville, IU.,
writes: "I had bronchitis for twenty
years and never got relief until I used
Foley's Honey and Tar which Is
sure cure." Sold by Denton & Ward.
An industrial and agricultural school
for colored youths of Maryland
opened last mouth near Laurel, in that
state.
No False Claims.
The proprietors of Foley's Honey and
Tar do not advertise this as a "sure cure
for consumption." They do not claim
it will cure this dreBd complaint in ad
vanced cases, but do positively assert
that it will cure in the earlier staces
and never fails to give comfort and re
lief in the worst cases. Foley's Honey
and Tar is without doubt the greatest
throat and lung remedy.. Refuse sub
stitutes. Sold by Denton & Ward.
A recent report shows that 2,5B0
Christians were murdered in 1001 by
the Turks. In only 01 cases were the
murderers punished, and then with not
more thau four yeare' imprisonment.
A. It. Hase, of MorganBtown, Ind.,
had to get up ten or twelve times in the
night and had severe backache and
painB in tbe kidneys. Was cured by
Foley's Kidney Cure. Sold by Deuton
& Ward.
In France it is Illegal to catch frogs
at night.
1
olay's Kidney Cute purifies tbe blood
by straining out impurities and tones
up the whole system. Cures kidney
and bladder troubles. Sold by Denton
& Ward.
The records left by the Phoeneclans,
Assyrians aud ancient Persians show
that among all thote nations the use of
perfumes was very common.
Treat your Kidnoys lor .Rheumatism.
When you are suffering from rheu
matism, the kidneys muBt be attended
to at once so that they will eliminate
the uric acid from the blood, Foley's
Kidney Cure is the most effective rem
edy for this purpose. R. T. Hopkins,
of Polar, Wis., says, "After unsuccess
fully doctoring three years for rheuma
tism with the best doctors, I tried Fo
ley's Kidney Cure and it cured me. 1
cannot speak too highly of this great
medicine." Sold by Denton & Ward.
A melon patch in a cornfield will
sometimes neutralize the work of the
local Sunday school.
Sound kidneys are safeguards of life.
Make the kidneyB healthy with Foley's
Kidney cure Sold by Denton & Ward.
Meat originally meant Bny kind of
food.
When other medicines have failed
Take Foley's Kidney Cure. It ha* cured
when everything else has
Sold by Denton & Ward,
iJi
Improvement of Corn
"Uncle Henry" Wanace,lg devoting a
good deal of space in his paper Wal
laces' Farmer to tbe improvement of
Iowa Corn. He calls attention to the
fact that while the Iowa Farmer has
been improving his live stock for twen
ty years and more he haB given very
little attention to the great Iowa crop,
corn. Among the many articles which
have appeared in Wallace's Farmer on
this subject has been a series by Prof,
sbamel, of llllnolB, the corn expert,
ana these are illustrated by a number
of photographs showing different va
rieties of corn, perfect and imperfect
ears, the most profitable to raise, etc.
The average Jowa farmer thinks he
knows as much about corn as anybody
does but we miss outguess if he can
not learn a lot from these articles in
allaces' Farmer.
In this connection we wish to
that Wallaces' Farmer Is one of the
best agricultural papers that comes to
this office. It is handsomely printed on
paper of fine quality, filled with at
tractive illustrations, and in addition
to its regular features, Its editorials by
Unci® Henry," its departments of
Dairying, Horticulture, the Hog and
I oultry, Its Home Department, for the
women contains full reports of the
leading fairs, live stock shows, and
sales, agricultural meetings, etc. It is
published weekly at Des Moines, Iowa'
at 81.00 a year, alt subscriptions pay
able in advance and the paper stops
when the time is out We can Bend
Wallaces' Farmer and the Democrat
both one year for only 8.25 and yon get
one of our nice premiums. Apply at
the Democrat oflice.
•):, Vacation Says.
Vacation time Is here and the cbil
dren ate fairly living out of doors,
Thfc»e could be no healthier place for
them. You need only to guanl against
the accidents Incidental to most open
J'fsports. No remedy equals De Witt's
Witch Hazel Salve for quickly stopping
pain or removing danger of serious con
sequences. For cuts, scalds and wounds,
"I used DeWltt's Witch Hazel Salve
for sores, cuts and bruises," says L. B,
Johnson, Swift, Tex. "It is the b«Bt
remedy on the market." Sure cure for
piles and skin diseases. Beware of
counterfeits.—Smith Bros.
The newest lighthouse on the French
coast shows a beam visible at a dis
tance of 39 nautical miles in clear
weather, it Is situated on the Isle
Vierge, off the French coaBt, to the
northeast of CsbBnt, tbe lantern being
244 feet above sea level.
Much Beading for Little Money.
The New York World has got the
coBt of printing down to a minimum.
Its latest offer of its monthly newspa
per-magazine is interesting if from no
other cause than it shows the acme of
"how much for how little." The Month
ly World Is a 32 pBge magazine with
colored cover. Its pageB are about the
size of the pages of tbe Ladies Home
Journal, and it is copiously illustrated
in half-tone. The illustrations are the
results of the beBt artistic skill, aided
by all the latest printing-press appli
ances, making a magazine unrivalled In
the quality of its contents and its ap
pearances. Each issue contains stories
of romance, love, adventure, travel
stories of fiction and fact stories of
things quaint and curious, gathered to
gether from all over the world the re
sults of scientific research, and editor
ial reviews. It numbers among its
contributors the leading literary men
and women of the day. A feature
each month is a fall-page portrait of
the.most famed man or woman of the
moment in tbe public eye. In collect
ing and preparing for publication the
literary matter and art sabjects for the
Monthly World no expense is spared.
The New York World will send six
numbers of this newspaper-magazine
on receipt of fifteen cents in stamps.
Address The World, Pulitzer Building,
New York.
Poisoning the System.
nis through the bowels that'the
body is cleansed of impurities. Consti
pation keeps these poisons In tbe sys
tem, causing headache, dullness and
melancholia at first, then unsightly
eruptions and finally serious illness un
l6?.8., V6?6?*
ls
aPP"®d'
fefeSste
DeWltt's
Little Early Risers prevent this trou
ble by stimulating the liver and pro
mote easy, healthy action of tbe bowels
These little pills dc
but by bI
tbem to
gripe or
!o not act violently
A Little Book of Great Importance.
Do you ever wish for a book that can
be relied upon to answer correctly all
tbe little questions and knotty problems
tbat present themselves day by day—a
book that will quickly decide all argu
ments on all subjects? The 1902 World
Almanac and Encyclopedia, which is
now ready, is exactly this kind of book.
It takes the same position in the world
of facts and figures as does the diction
ary in the world of words,
This little volume contains over 600
pages of well printed agate type, every
line containing some fact that you will
sooner or later want to look up.
Tbe World Almianac Bhould occupy a
prominent place in every progressive
American household.
The 1902 edition is
more complete than any of tbe former
ones. It contains facts on many sub
jects tbat have recently been brought to
the public notice and which every up
to-date person should have at his lin
gers ends.
Among the features of the 1902 Al
manac are:
The millionaires of the United States,
a list giving the names of nearly 4,000
Americans who possess over $1,000,000.
The great American trusts full particu
lars of 163 leading industrial organlza
tins. Organized labor enlarged sta
tistics of the strength of labor unions
and tbe present condition of the labor
movement. The Nicaragua Canal and
the Hay-Pauncefote treaties with Great
Britain. Progress of aerial navigation
in 1901. Complete United States census.
Anarchist statistics ot the United States
and Europe, etc., to the extent of over
1,000 topics.
Tbe 1902 World Almanac and Ency
clopedia is on sale by all newsdealers
throughout the country for 85 cents.
When ordered by mail 10c extra for
postage must be inolosed to the World,
BO YEAR8'
EXPERIENCE
PATENTS
TRADE MARKS
ONIONS
COPYRIGHTS AC.
Anyone sending a sketch and description may
quickly asoertaln our opinion free whether an
uoTfflnotR|SSSS!ftMffi^0 ?auffiS
3i3a5BeSBE«="
Scientific American.
Ahandsoraely Illustrated weekly, tamest olr.
eolation ot any selentiDo loarnal. Terms. $3 a
joy months^lL Sold by all newsdealers.
M. F.LEBOY Prem. H. A. GRANGER Cashier
E. G. BKSNBR, Aast.
Cashier
A. H. BL&KE. Mt. V. President. «&
H.<p></p>First
0. HAEBERLE,
2nd.<p></p>National
1
V. President, g-
BANK,
MANOHESTER. IOWA.
CAPITAL. $50,000
General
Banking
Business
Interest Paid on Time
Trana*oted*
SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES
FOB RENT.
B. B. Boblnsoni
B. K, OUT,
H. A. Qj
H. A. TC
Li I« Hoyt,
cc
iLjLjonftran,
U. F. LflBoy.
X. Beehler,
A.H.Blike,
'OaaMgfierQasj jjjbxtegi.HaebtrleO.H.
FlrotNfttional Bank. Dubuque, low*.
Central National Bank New York citv.
Commerolal National Bank. Ohloaeo, IMI,
.R. W. TIRRILL
Is Loaning iloney as chead
as any person or Corpora
tion.
Compound VaDorand Sham
poo Baths.
Baths
6tf
Most all die
eases are caused
by poisonous sec
rations, which
clog the wheels
of NATURE.
Vapor
and
Shampoo.
n}®*'ria1'
The name and
the symptoms
may be different
but the cause of
disease can us
ually be traced
to the imperlect action ot the millions
of pores of the human body. A bath in
accordance with scientifio require
ments is the best preventative and
remedy known. The methods employ
ed by me are the moBt scientifio ever
Invented or discoveted tor dispelling
disease. Results tell tno storv. Give
This is the Conant system
of baths. A competent lady attendant
in charge of the ladiesdepartment.
Office and bath rooms on Franklin
street, opposite Globe Hotel.
O. D. QATB8.
gOYHTON I J|J'£WEN
HAVE
Ladles and dents dold Watches
in all sizes kinds and styles,
Ladles, dent* and Chrlldrens Rings
from DIAMONDS, OPALS, EMER­
ALDS, PEARLS, ETC., down tO
PLAIN GOLD BANDS.
WEDDING RINGS.
SOLID STERLING SILVER FORES,
TABLE, DESERT and TEA SPOONS,
NAPKIN RINGS, ETC., ETC., ETC.
Also large line of Best Brands of—
SILVER PLATED SPOONS, FORKS.
KNIVES, TEA SETS, WATER SETS
OAKE BASKETS, BUTTER DISHES
ETC., ETC.
CARVING KNIVES
and
FORKS, r,.nn«
GUARD CHAINS, GENTS VEST CHAINS
EMBLEM RINGS, CHARMS, LOCK-'
ETS, GOLD SPECTACLES, MAN­
TEL CLOCKS, SILK UMBRBL
LAS, GOLD PENS.
Come and see the many things we
have not space to list.
BOYNTON & M'EWEN
Delaware County
STATE BANK
Manchester, Iowa.
CAPITAL $60,000
OFFICER:
WM, C. CAWLEY,
President.
R. W. TIERIL,
When you want
Fine Furniture
Ar
iffS
CHAB. J, 8ERD8.
GMhier.
C. W.
Vice President.
KEAGY,
Asi't. Cashier.
—DIRECTORS
WM. C. CAWLEY. H. P. ARNOLD
W.G. KENYON B. W. TIBHI&.
SPYCAKD P. BBB G. W. DUNHAM.
•8EECS'W.KISOY'WILL18T0N'
CUA8. J.
Interest Paid on Time Deposits.
Prompt attention given to all btulneu. Pas
senger tickets from and to alt parts of Eur
ope direct to Manchester, lor tale.
Long Time Mortgage Loans Made
Bought and Sold.
SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES
For the to rage ot valuable papers,
eto. for rent.
Fair Prices
GOJTO
Werkmeister's
AT
Earlville.
Undertaking Solicited
F. WERKMEISTER,
Earlville, Iowa,
n«Wrl
4,
I