Mower County transcript. [volume], October 13, 1886, Image 8

About Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915

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kin (who were the men on whose advice
the governor acted) were ready to meet
me the governor's office on the word­
ing of the amendments. 1 went at once
to the governor's office and found there
the attorneys (General Cole and Hon.
John M. Oilman) the governor and Mr.
Chamberlain ana according to my best
recollection, Gen. Sibley. I then and
there wrote out the amendents which
were assented to by .the other parties
present and at once sent up to the house
to .be offered by Col. Hicks. I was in
formed'by Mr. Fletcher land I agreed to
it) that it would not do for me to intro­
duce the amendments that the governor
and his friends must have the honor of
reducing the interest. It is but justice
to Mr. Fletcher and the other gentlemen
named, but especially to Mr. Fletcher, to
say that but for his and their interven­
tion and emphatic action, these amend­
ments could not have been carried
through the house. They did pass the
house and were adopted by the senate and
in pursuance of the agreement the state
officers who issued the bonds fixed the
rate of interest at four and one-half per
cent.
SAVED BY JUDGE WILSON'S AMENDMENTS.
Let us see how much these amend­
ments saved the state and cost the bond­
holders/ The bonds to be issued under
tne bill as above stated were about 84,
300,000. By the bill before the amend­
ments it was absolutely provided and re­
quired that the bonds should draw five
per cent interest. Therefore one-half of
one per cent was saved on the bonds is­
sued, viz: $21,500 annually and (if the
bonds run as long as it is provided they
may,) there will be saved by this amend­
ment to the state $645,000, and by the
other, reducing the interest from seven to
five per cent for a little over two years as
before explained, over $200,000. Indeed
this does not state nearly the full amount
of the gain to the state for by the amend­
ments thus made the state saved interest
from January 1882 to January 1884. Af­
ter this, even if this were all, it could not
lie expected and 1 well knew that the
railroad companies would not look on me
with favor.
Farther, during the former session of
the legislature, when 1 was a member of
the house and senate,the attempts—(gen­
erally successful) to sccure swamp land
grants in aid of railroads were very nu­
merous, and many other bills partial JLo
corporations and granting them special
privileges were introduced and urged, as
the records will show and as any honest
member of the legislature, to whatever
party he may belong, will testify. I op
posed them one and all. Such bills were too
numerous to be referred to particularly,
but I think that 1 may be pardoned for
referring to one or two other transactions
that will explain the feeling towards me
of the railroad companies and the capi­
talists who control them and of corpora
tions generally.
TAXING ItAIIillOAD LANDS.
At the session of the legislature in Jan­
uary, 1881, it being suspected that cxten
sive tracts of land, in reality owned by
private parties, were being held illegally
untaxed, in the name of different railroad
companies, a resolution was offered by
me in the House, for the appointment of
a committee to investigate and report
"whether any lands granted by the state
in aid of the building of any lines of rail­
road have been or are held exempt from
taxation, after the same have been sold or
contracted to be sold, or after tuey have
become the private property of any per­
son or persons, natural or artificial or
whether by any device or subterfuge any
of said lands are held exempt from taxa­
tion, in violation of law."
The resolution having heen adopted,
and the committee appointed, of which I
wasohairman, ipon investigation a.ma­
jority of the committee becainc satisfied
that on a large scale certain persons were
holding their property in the name of
some railroad company, and thus illegally
shielding it from taxation. They there­
fore reported, and recommended that—
"The State Auditor be instructed, by the
House, to cause to be placed on the tax list the
lands granted to the St. Paul & Chicago Rail­
road Co., the 8t. Paul Htoux City Railroad
Co.. Bloux City & St. Paul Railroad Co., the
Stillwater A Fergus Fulls Railroad Co., and
(part of those granted to) the Southern Minne­
sota Railroad Co."
To this report was added, as a conces­
sion to those who opposed the report, a
proviso that the "majority report of the
committee be submitted to the Attorney
General, and that he may in his discretion
stipulate with the different companies
mentioned, for the bringing of test suits
to determine the taxability of the lands in
said report mentioned and in case said
course is agreed upon that the other lands
of such companies, not embraced in such
test suits, may, in Jthe discretion, and on
the direction of the Attorney General,not
be placed on the tax roll until such test
suits are determined." This report and
resolutions were adopted by the House.
Subsequently suits were brought in Hen­
nepin county to enjoin the taxation of the
lands of the St. Paul & Chicago Railroad
Company and a block of the lands of the
St. Paul & Sioux City Railroad Company
but these suits were not decided in the
district court until »tbe winter of 1885,
when that court held in both cases, the
lands exempt from taxation.
At the extra session of the legislature
in the Autumn of 1881, it was understood
that the taxation of these lands would be
resisted on the following among other
grounds, viz:
1. That the resolution of the house afore­
said, not having the force of law, the State
Auditor would not be justified in placing the
lands on the tax list In pursuance to it.
9. That the persons beneficially interested in
the lands not owning the fee, it would be ille­
gal to tax the fee.
!). That there was no law requiring, or justi­
fying the taxation ot their interest in the lands.
I therefore though best to introduce a
bill to obviate these and other possible
objections. It was also deemed necessary
under the sverest penalties, to require
the railroad companies to report to the
State Land Commissioner such transac­
tions as gave to their stockholders, or
other persons, the fee or any fees interest
in such lands.
While to those who were most earnest
in urging the taxation of the lands it did
not then nor does it now, seem that any
further legislation was absolutely neces­
sary, yet to avoid any embarrassment and
to remove any chance for defeat on any
legal technicality or quibble, a bill was
introduced providing that:
"Whenever any railroad company, to which
lands have been granted to aia in the build­
ing of its lines of road in the Territory and
State of Minnesota, (and which lands have
been by law exempted from taxation, until
any estate, right, title, or interest therein, or
thereto, the right, title, estate or interest of
aueh purchaser, assignee, or holder, by what­
ever mode or in whatever form, such sale
transfer or assignment is, or may have been
made, shall become and be taxable and shall
be assessed and taxed as other real property
In this State and the taxes on such right,
title, interest, or estate shall be collected and
enforced as taxes on other real -property.
"That whenever any special stock or land
stoek, or any other writing, or instrument
whatever, is or has been issued by any rail
roeAcompanv, to any person or persons, with
a vftw or intention to thereby grant, transfer,
or secure, to the person to whom such stock,
or Instrument, is issued or delivered, any in­
terest, right, title or estate, in or to any lands
held by such railroad company, the right, title
interest, oa estate of such person holding such
lands to whicn stock or writing is applicable
or refers, shall be held and considered within
the purview of this act-, as subject to taxation
and taxed as aforesaid. "If any railroad com­
pany Shall issue any land stock or special
•lock or any certificate, contract or writing
conveying, granting or giving to the holder
thereof any interest, estate, right or title, in
or to any lands, held by said company and
exempted ffroin taxation as aforesaid, and
•kail flail within sixty days after the issuance
of soldi certificate, stock contract, or writing,
to report the same to the land commissioner,
or auditor of Ihls state: or if having heretofore
lamed such contract, stock certificate, or writ­
ing, shall fail to report the same within sixty
days after the passage of this act, the failure
•o to report, shall be held to be, and to operate
as. a forfeiture by said company, of its corpo­
rate franchises and privileges and the Attor^
ney General of the state shall at once proeeed
agalnst said company to have 'its charter and
franchises declared forfeited."
To this it was supposed there could be
no reasonable objection, for it only pro­
vided that such purchasers should be taxed on
tktir property as ordinary individuals who ac­
quire such an interest in railroad lands or
state lands or school lands are taxed. Nor
was it considered either a hardship or in­
justice to require railroad companies, un­
der severe sanctions, to report such trans­
actions. This bill was drawn with great
care, and in my opinion would have made
impossible, without the connivance of the
taxing officers, the success of such fraud­
ulent schemes in the future.
I?#
The consternation manifested on the
introduction of this hill showed that the
rties interested thought it would effect
purpose for whichit was drawn—the
taxation of their property. It was resist­
ed at every step, and beaten at that ses­
sion. I agpin introduced it atthe session
Of 1883, and it was again beaten. It was
again introduced atthe session of 1885,
on the first day of the session, I believe.
It was senate file .No. 2. It was fought
in the committee, and in the senate at ev­
ery step. Such a lobby was called, and
kept in attendance as 1
have never seen
except that which hovered around the
capitol in aid of the old railroad bond bill.
It passed the senate at the last session,
but the house was not even permitted to consider
it. A few tricksters, influenced, I know
not how, having some knowledge of par­
liamentary rules, succeeded in keeping it
smothered in one committee after another
until the legislature adjourned.
All the bills and resolutions looking
toward the taxation of these lands were
drawn by me, and all the facts exposing
the iniquity gathered by me at an expen­
diture of very much labor and time. But
few appreciate the magnitude of this
iniquity. After a careful examination of
the question I believe that there have
been thus held untaxed not less than two,
perhaps three million acres of land, that
are, legally and equitably, just as muclr
suoject to taxation as any other property
in this state. It is perhaps safe to say
that these lands are worth, on an average,
four dollars per acre, and that the tax on
them annually would not have been less
than fifty to one hundred thousand dol­
lars. This the state has lost. But this
is not the worst of it. These lands lie
largely on the frontier, among the farms
of settlers who have to bear not only the
hardships of frontier life, but often the
pinchings of poverty. In each township
and ccunty the amount of tax to be raised
to build highways, bridges and school
houses, and make such other improve­
ments as are necessary in new country,
is not less because these lands are not
taxed. The fact is that the settlers are
compelled to pay the tax of the owners of the
lands as well as their own.
AN OUTBAGE SYSTEM.
Russell Sage, Selah Chamberlin and a
number of their associates residing in
eastern states, and a large number of the
most wealthy men of our own state, who
are the owners of these lands, have thus,
by a kind of legal legerdemain, com­
pelled and are compelling the most
hardly pressed class of our settlers to pay
their tax. This has been going on for a
period varying from 10 to 15 years and
over. The duty to expose and remedy
this evil 1 therefore felt to be imperative,
and the opposition was such as only rich
and powerful men to command. The
bill having been defeated by the means
stated, and the district court of Minne­
apolis having decided against the State
in the suits which were brought in pur­
suance to the resolution that 1 offered in
1881, they supposed us vanquished. But
the cases being pending on appeal in the
supreme court in 1885, I informed the
Attorney General that 1 would, if he
were willing, assist him in the argument.
He gladly assented and enclosed me a
retainer of one hundred dollars, with a
promise of a farther fee. This money 1
returned and declined to accept any fee
for my services—not wishing to leave it
in the power of any one to intimate that
my action in the legislature was with a
view to personal gain. I argued the case
in the supreme court and that court re­
versed both cases, holding absolutely
that the lands of the St. Paul and Chicago
Company, about four hundred thousand
acres, are taxable, and reversed the judg­
ment in favor of the St. Paul and Sioux
City Company on grounds that in my
judgment settle the question that its
lands are taxable. I am advised too that
on the line of the Southern Minnesota
nearly 50,000 acres have been added to
the tax roll on account of the proceedings
which I may be permitted to say I in­
stituted. I do not wish to claim for my­
self all the credit of this contest or vic­
tory. To very many others the greatest
credit should be given but I do not over­
state the part which 1 took when 1 say
that 1 inaugurated the investigation and
took the leading part in every subsequent
step. I also uncovered the facts that as­
sured Qur final triumph and on me above
and beyond all others the vials of wrath
of the men who thus sought to evade
taxation have been, and doubtless
will continue to be, poured for ex­
posing their disreputable and dishonest
schemes. Every member will bear tes­
timony to this. Any one who will take
pains to examine the figures will see that
in the transaction to which I have re­
ferred, there have been subtracted from
the coffers of these men and added to our
people and the State not less than one
million of dollars.
TWO MILLIONS SAVED.
I venture to assert that when this
qnestion of taxation is fully summed up,
the net profit to the people and loss to
these parties, will not fall much, if at all,
short of two million dollars, it is not
strange therefore that they think me an
unfit man to send to Congress. And
their opposition is doubtless not lessened
by the fact that during the time that I
was so dusily engaged in frustrating
their schemes I was often counselled and
employed as attorney by their compa­
nies. But it is but justice to them to say
that I do not oelieve tbey ever intended
or expected their retainer to affect my
conduct as a citizen or a legislator. The
labors which thus performed gratis and
which have taken from monopolists and
added to our people so much, were great­
er than any one can be made to believe
who did not witness the efforts against
which we had to contend. Not only
have I uniformly while a member of the
Legislature opposed all land grants,
bonuses, subsidies or other special privi­
leges to railroad companies or other cor­
porations, but I have sought to make
such compulsory bonuses or subsidies
impossible. I therefore at the session in
1883 proposed a substitutional amend­
ment providing that "No county, city,
town, township or other subdivision of
the State, shall ever subscribe to the cap­
ital stock of any railroad company or of
any private corporation or make any do­
nation or loan its credit in favor of any
such corporation."
SCITS AGAINST CORPORATIONS.
This I succeeded at that session in get­
ting through the Senate with a slight
amendment but it was beaten in the
House. I again introduced it at the last
session and it passed the Senate without
amendment, but was again killed in the
House, largely through the influence of
bonus and subsidy brokers who wished to
make gain at the expense of the people
and State. Nor is this the length and
breadth of my offending against such
corporations. What they seek aoove all
things is to be freed from the jurisdiction
of our State courts and juries and to get
their litigation into the federal courts.
That their pecuniary interests would be
advanced by this, may be admitted that
it is inconsistent with the interest of the
people, is too clear to admit of question.
The expense of litigation in the latter
court and the delay—especially when the
amount is so great as to give the right of
review to the Supreme Court of -the
United. States—are so great that the re­
moval amounts practically in many cases
to a denial of justice and places poor
litigants at tne mercy of the rich and
especially at the mercy of foreign cor­
porations. Fully impressed with this
view I publicly called uttentien to the
great wrong in a paper which I read
before the bar association some years
since which was widely circulated. And
I have ot all times in the Legislature
voted and acted in such a manner as to,
so far as we could, remedy the evil.
The full and perfect remedy in such
cases can only be reached by the action
of Congress. Furthei, the same men to
whom! have above referred, including
Alexander Mitchell, Russell Sage, Selah
Chamberlain, John M. Burk, M. L.
Sykes and a number of eastern capital­
ists associated with a number of the most
wealthy men of our own State, consti­
tuted the Minnesota Railroad Construc­
tion Company. They were the wealthy
and controlling men of the Milwaukee
and St. Paul and the Chicago and North­
western Railroad Companies. The com­
pany obtained possession legaUv of one
thousand bonds of the city of Winona of
the par value of one hundred thousand
j- i- •&-&/
dollars uid accrued interest. 1 was con­
sulted by the city and gave my opi$rib&
that we had aright of action against it.
I was therefore ordered to proceed
against the company fh, such a manner
as to mie seemed proper. I conducted'
the litigation to a successful conclusion
and the suite growing out of it having
in one form or another been carried
through the State .courts, district and
supreme, and United States Circuit
Court and Supreme Court, and-I obtain­
ed and collected from the company for:
our city over $180,000 for damages, costs
and accrued interest. And the same
company, having obtained the bonds 6f
the city of Lake Citv to the amount of
$75,000, brought suit against that city to
recover, and I was employed to
defend and
did so successfully-recovering a judgment
for the city. The sum which the could
have recovered in that suit would have
been almost $125,000—had they recover­
ed at all.
HEAVY VEnWCTS WOK.
I have also recovered verdicts against
the Northern Pacific Railroad Company
for personal injuries, one for the sum of
$25,000 and one for $20,000. The first
was cut down by the court to $10,000 arid
after being carried through the circuit
court and supreme court of Dakota and
the United States supreme court was af­
firmed for the above sum and interest
and costs, amounting to between $13,000
and $14,000. The other, for $20,000, was
affirmed by the supreme court of the ter­
ritory for the full amount and is now
pending in the supreme court of the
United States, by which I have not the
least doubt it will be affirmed. 1 have
also recovered many verdicts and judg­
ments against other companies of $8,000,
$5,000 and under.
I believe that I can truthfully assert
and prove by the record, that I have col­
lected very much more from the railroad
companies of the state than any other at­
torney in the state. And tne record
shows, too, that in the most important
matters my acts have been unselfish and
without fee or reward except such reward
as I got as a member of the community
and by feeling that I have done my duty
fearlessly.
I do not refer to the several verdicts
judgments to show, nor do 1
claim, that
the railroad companies are always wrong,
but merely to show the reason for their
opposition. While I believe I was right
in each case, I also believe that the coun
sel opposed to me in each was equally
honest and conscientious. Such corpor­
ations have an equal right to justice with
any and every other person. And he is
an unmitigated and shameless dema­
gogue who would assert that it was al­
ways wrong to defend such companies
or bring suits for them. When the rail­
road company is right, it ought to be
defended. When wrong, it ought to be
compelled to respond in damages. The
only test in all such cases should be,
and with honest, honorable and intelli
gent men always will be, did the attor­
ney deport himself honestly and honora­
bly. And any man who will ask support
because he has successfully sued a rail
road company or any other corporation
or one who will try to prejudice an ad­
versary simply because he has counselled
or defended a railroad company, insults
the people by assuming that they are be
nightedly ignorant and prejudiced
Railroad companies area necessary part
of modern civilization. It is not wrong
to either build or operate them. But
inasmuch as concentrated capital has a
power that if improperly used would be
most dangerous to the State and to the
individual members of society, it is prop­
er that that
POWER SHOULD BE MOST CAREFULLY AND
VIGILANTLY GUARDED.
In all countries and under all forms of
government the most important duty of
the government is to protect and defend
the rights of the masses against the ag
gressions of the wealthy and powerful
and especially of corporations and mo
nopolies generally and perhaps this duty
has never been so imperative as now.
Not only does mv record show that I
have sympathized with the people as
against the improper influences and exer­
tions of corporate power and centralized
capital, but I may be permitted to say
that it clearly shows that 1 have, accord­
ing to my best judgmentand ability, dil­
igently and always stood up for the rights
of the people against all forms of attack
by sharpers and those who wish to make
money by their acts at the expense of the
people in disregard of justice.
A few years ago we were overrun by a
swarm of patent right sharks, who, by
all sorts of trickery and fraud, swindled
honest and unsuspecting people. They
attacked the people to-day by one spe­
cies of fraud, to-morrow by another.
Soon after I left the bench I found that
nearly $30,000 of patent right notes of
citizens of Houston, Filmore, Winona
and Omsted were held by a resident of
Winona. They all had been purchased
before they grew due and suit was brought
on a number of. them. They had all
been obtained by some fraudulent prac­
tice. The defendants applied to me for
counsel. 1 tried and won the cases and
not one dollar of the notes was collected.
In all this 1 deserve no credit for it is
just what any intelligent, conscientious
lawyer would have done. But I may be
permitted to say that in one of the suits
carried to the supreme court of our
State (Cummons vs Thompson, 18 Min
nesota Reports, p. 246) certain principles
were settled that greatly crippled that
class of swindlers. But I did not stop
there. 1 drew and carried through the
Legislature, a bill which gave to the de­
fendants in such suits the right to prove
that such notes were obtained by fraud
and thus defeat the action whether the
notes were in the hands of the original
ee or not.
not only drew this bill and got it
through the senate of which I was
member, but I followed it into the house
where it was earnestly opposed by cer­
tain bankers and dealers in such paper
and aided in its passage through that
body. Since that bill became a law, pa
tent right swindlers have rarely been
heaad of in this state, I believe—and it
would be fruitless for them to come here.
I thus practically did away with litiga­
tion on that class of cases, to the great
detriment of those of my professional
brethren and especially of those who are
accustomed to take them "on the halves."
pajpe
SUITS FOR THE FARMERS.
A few years ago our farmers storing
grain in warehouses had only the pe­
cuniary responsibility of the warehouse
men, where the grain was not stored in
a special bin. If the grain was shipped
out by the warehouseman in such case,
he was irresponsible the farmer suffered
the loss. This was a crying evil. I drew
the first bill^offered in the legislature to
make it penal for a warehouseman to
ship out grain stored with him without
the written consent of the owner. This
bill I gave to a member of the legislature
from Winona county to be introduced
and it was by him introduced, it did
not pass that year but the next year it
did in a slightly modified form. Soon
after the bill became a law, in order to
make the danger to warehousemen viola­
ting it apparent and notorious, at the in­
stance of a few of my farmer friends
without fee or reward I prosecuted and
convicted the only man I believe who
has ever been convicted under the law.
He was by Judge Mitchell sentenced to
states prison. This proved a sufficient
warning and 1 have not since heard of
such a crime. I also in the legislature
favored and aided in the passage of the
oleomargarine bill. And to the best of
my ability I aided to pass a, law requir­
ing notice to the owners of land before
the right of a tax title holder should be­
come absolute—so as to make impossible
the acquiring of a tax title without the
knowledge of the owner of the property,
and I refused to consent to accept a re­
tainer to argue in the supreme court in
favor of a construction of the statute' to
the effect that a man could get a valid
tax title in the land of another after the
latter Jiad paid his tax to the proper
officerjWThe records will show that I
have always refused to be retained as an
attorney toWsist any person to deprive
another of hflLland on a tax title. Until
recent years j| was more frequently en­
gaged as an attorney in Wabasha county
than any otbp- attorney outside of the
county. We "half bread tract," so
argely that county and the.
titkaonthst tract have Ijfcen veryd ues
tlonable. I without exception refused
to take ft suit to qnestion or unsettle the
title Of any person who had honestly
purchased and paid for the land-^-even
though the title wis not legally valid
and although many such cases were of­
fered to me.
THE TOTAL SBMKBH? UF.
But I have too king trespassed on your
patience. I, shall therefore not longer
refer to or dwell upon particulars. While
I,have served four aesssions in the legis­
lature your county has had as senators
sind members many witnesses of my acts
—all of them opposed to ine politically,
or at least nominally. I now challenge
any one of those men, for
1 respect them
aU. iorise up and say thatl ever let at­
tachment to party blind me to my duty
as ft citizen or legislator or that have
ever cowered before wealth and power or
hesitated to take the part of the people
against any ftnd every form of attack by
wealth or power or chicanery or that I
have ever let my own personal interest
interfere with the fearless performance
of my.duty as 1 understood it.
Again I go farther, and I challenge any
one of those men to say whether there
was another man in the legislature
whom the monopolists, tax.title sharks,
patent right swindlers, and all that class,
more hated or feared. 1 am told my ad­
versaries have their men investigating
and critically examining my naepr
d. Let
the work proceedv I do not claim to be
perfect or to have been alwaysjright. On
the contrary I know I have often erred.
But this 1 do know, that 1 have neyer by
word or act permitted power or wealth to
deter ine or turn me from the right.
I wish to be elected to Congress, but
only as the representative of the people
—my old friends and neighbors. Those
powers and classes against which lhave
always stood opposed will beyond ft doubt
continue to oppose me—they seem to pre­
fer my opponent over me as they prefer­
red him over Mr. White. And you will
find them resorting to the same means to
defeat me by which they defeated Mr.
White's nomination. I believe they will
not (succeed. The transparent and dis
honest cry of "stop thief" which they
have set up by which it is attempted to
divert attention from their methods,them­
selves and their candidate will not avail
them. I appeal to you—the electors of
the district. See to it that you are not
circumvented, for the canvass made in
the district for the nomination is merely
a foretaste of that which will be made for
the election.
I have no doubt you will candidly look
at the record, the principles and previous
practices of both candidates and judge
them on that. And by that we should
both stand or fall. No man should seek
or secure an office unles his acts have
showri'him worthy of it.
THE DEMOCRATIC BLATFOHM.
We, the Democrats of the First congression­
al district of Minnesota, through their dele-
Sr
ates in convention assembled, send
the people of the district, state and nation,
and congratulate them upon the fact that a
new epoch has at last dawned upon us in the
accession of a Democratleladmlnistration, af­
fording promise of release from the thralldom,
which for so many years has hung over the
nation through Republican misrule.
Resolved, That we fully indorse the admin
tration of President Cleveland. He professes
that which is right and acts upon his Own pro­
fessions. and we again tender our conjgratula
tions, that, though antagonized by all the
baleful influences and power which so man,
years of Republican misrule has engendered,
yet he has accomplished much good that
many useless offices have been abolished and
large sums of treasure saved.
Resolved, That the Republican party, al­
though professing a deep interest in the agri­
culturists, has so-fashioned legislation tnat
the farmer is unable to bear the burdens of the
support of the government, and grievously
taxed him to support a burdensome protective
tariff and Republican monopolies.
Resolved, That the Republican party, al-
fastening upon tne country of a system of con­
vict labor, thereby robbing our own laboring
classes of chances for labor and the right to ob­
tain a living.
Resolved, That industrial and itioral worth,
not wealth, should be the true standard of in­
dustrial and natural greatness that in order
to secure to the laboring class the full enjoy­
ment of the wealth they create, sufficient leis­
ure should be allowed him in which to de­
velop his intellectual, moral and social facul­
ties, and to derive all of the benefits, recrea­
tion, and pleasures of association: in a word,
they should be enabled to share in the gains
and honors of advancing civilization.
Resolved, That the public lands, the heritage
of the people, be reserved for actual settlers—
not another acre for railroads or speculators—
and that all lands :now held for speculative
purposes be taxed at the full value that laws
should be enacted providing for arbitration
between employer and employes and to en­
force the decision of arbitrators that we ab­
hor the hiring of convict labor where it comes
into competition with free labor, and we be­
lieve that the importation of foreign labor un­
der contract should be prohibited.
Resolved, That we are in favor of such legis­
lation as will make the general laws appllca
ble to pensions so broad that all honorably dis­
charged Union soldiers shall be entitled to a
pension from the general government, there­
by doing away wltn all favoritism fay special
legislation that as the rank and file stand
upon common ground in battle, so should they
have an equal chance before the law.
(Adopted at theCongressional convention at
Winona. AUK. 24.)
A fTeeiM Monkey.
Dennis Reagan is now living Ins
flat which overlooks the Lackawanna'
tracks, says the Buffalo Express. Across
the street lives an Italian nobleman in
reduced circumstances who ekes out his
poor existence with the aid of poor
monkey ftnd a worse hftnd organ. To
Gariibaldi comes Dennis one evening,
and, after passing the time of day,
warms up to the subject in hand.
"Av ye plaze, Misther Garibaldi,"
says Dennis in his most unctuous and
wheedling tone, "wud ye have any ob*
jections to loanin' me yer munkey fer
an hour or two ivry mornin'?"
"What-a for you want-a monk?" in­
quired the count.
"Niyer ye mind,1' replied Dennis.
"What wud ye charge a mornin' for the
use av himP"
The count suggested that 10 cents an
hour would be the proper figure, after
vainly attempting to find out what Den­
nis was goingto do with the monkey.
Dennis haggled and tried to beat the
Italian down, but Garibaldi wouldn't
have that way, and the deal was dosed
at his figure. v..
Everything went beautifully for ft few
days. The money was paid promptly
and the monkey was returned regularly
in time not to interfere with the re-
3'o
uirements of the count's profession,
be sure the animal looked «r- little
hollow-eyed and care-worn, butin the
main was in good condition.
finally, however, the Italian's curios­
ity gotthe better of his avarice, and he
tola Dennis that the monkey would not
be loaned any mote. This announce
ment had a most deponing effect on
Dennis. His megathemn intellect rose
to the emergency, though, and he pro­
ceeded to effect me of those masterly
financial coups which dazzle people
who an not familiar with the workings
of the capitalistic mind.
"Ganybaldy," said Denni* "av ye'll
promise to act square and not give the
racket away be after takin' ye into
pardnenihip and gin ye half the profits
lor the use of the munkey.*' .. A
"All-a-right-a," said the Italian.
•t this the newpartners shook hands,
and eaeh took another poll out of the
eaaof beer which Dennis had warily
provided to fabricate the negotistiMUk
Then Dennis in his customary lordly
manner put his arm through the Ita­
lian's^ and together they sauntered over
to the bade yard of the boose where
Dennis lived. -i
"D'ye see thet ther pole, Garry P1 in*
quired Dennis, pointing to a pole some
fifteen feet high, surmounted by a cross
pieoe.
The Italian couldn't very well help
seeing it and remarked that it was
within the range of his virion.
•D'ye know phwat thsr is bey ant the
said Dennis. •TOm's the
railroad thracksi How thin, Gaixy.
this ia the snap: Eady in the momin'
whin the ooel trains begins to eoaae ia
I put the munksy on the pole. The
brakesmin is aQ oit on the ears riddy
the thristlas Ivery motlMrs
of them flings two or thraepieeesof
ooal at the monkey. Tvelaid tin tons
away in the oeBai aa4 dhil a wan o'
th^'ahitthem^lIJPk"
jfc i^s«i^vV
M3MtM%i $
What is the Use?
i-
What is the meof this impetuous hastst
The end is certain. Let us take our time
And hoard the vital forces that we waste
Before our day has reached its tolden
What is the use of rushing with spent breath
.After old age, its furrows, its white hair?
Why need we hurry so to we come Death,
Or go half way, with hands stretched out to
S re
There is no use. Dear hearts, if we but wait
_AU things will find us. Let us pause, I say,
We cannot go beyond the silent gate*
That lies a short day's journey down the
way.
So let us take our time in youth's fair bowers
The summer season is so brief at best.
Let us look on the stars, and pluck the
flowers,
And when our feet grow weary let us rest,
—Ella Wheeler,
The "Grand Old Man."
Shall the tie that is binding us be but a tether—
N a a be an
All the world waits for your answer, whether
We govern by handcuffs or clasping of
bands.
Be not misled by promoters of panie
Be not beguiled by the Brummagem plan
mow that your metal's not falsely BritannifL
But triie in its ring for the "Grand Old
Man."
Well may they dub him the "one man power,**.
Standing alone when there's room but for
one,
In his pride of place like a mountain tower
That catches the rays of a riBiog sunt
We In the valle* of final decision
Gather around'him as close as we can.
To see what he fees on his summit of vision,
Tbe triumph that beckons the "Grand Old
j6m."
—Gerald Massey in Pall Mall Budget.
STOPPED THE STAGE.
A Polite &L*ft Agent and the Bade Ad
Witsf* That
Vm
Taken of Htm.
Capt Long, an army officer, was
staging itbet ween Jules burg and Chey­
enne before the railroad connected the'
two, says the New York
Sun. The
through passengers numbered seven,1
being five men and two ladies, the latter,
being the wives of two of the passengers.'
He Was the only military man aboard.
The two married men were easterners,'
who were going to Cheyenne to set up'
in mercantile business. One of the
others was an artist and correspondent
for a New York illustrated paper, and
the fifth was a stockman. It was but
natural that they should soon strike up
a speaking acquaintance, and the
natural result of this was a general con*,
venation about stage robbers. Those)
chaps were pretty numerous at that,
time, and the chances were at least even,
on the coach being held up before the.
end of the journey. People who regard
themselves in peril often become com-j
municative. These had not been travel
ing half a day before it was known that
the two mercantile men had about $16,-]
000 in greenbacks, and all but $200 was
concealed in the bosoms of their wives.)
The artist had $150 in the lining of his
cap and $30 in his wallet. The stock-*
man had $100 in his wallet and his
bootlegs jammed full of greenbacks.!
Long had $80 in his pocket and not a
dollar elsewhere. The fact of his beingi
an army officer will satisfy all inquiries
as to why he didn't have more. The
next thing was to expect the stage to be
stopped, and to plan what they would
do. They had all read and heard of
such affairs, but no one had been run
through the mill. The five men each
had a trusty revolver, and it was hardly
to be expected that thev should permit
themselves to be robbea by one or twoi
men. It was arranged that in case thel
stage was stopped the ladies should sink
down out of harm's way and give thei
men a chance to show their mettle. As
a matter of course, tbey depended on thei
driver to help them out as he could.
It was about half an hour before sun­
down, and they were skirting the cot
tonwoods along the north fork of the
upper Platte, when the driver suddenly
pulled up. They looked out to see what
nad happened, and a man opened the
right-hand door of the coach and look­
ed in on them. He was about 30 years
of age, light hair, blue eyes, sandy
beard, ana regular features. Indeed,
he was a good-looking man. His dress
^ras half hunter, half gentleman, and
he looked clean and tasty. He had a
cocked revolver in his right hand and
his left held the door open.
••One—three—five—seven," he count­
ed. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am ex­
tremely sorry to put you to any trouble,
but I snail have to request you to alight.
That is, the gentlemen will please step
out, while the ladies can remain in the
coach."
The artist was the first one down, and
his revolver was taken as he reached
the ground, and he was rdered to
,"stand over there." Each one was dis­
armed the same way, and the pietols of
all were flung under the coach. While
no one could say the driver stood in
with the agent, he certainly acted a
contemptible part. He had stopped the
'coach at a gesture, and now sat on his
seat, with face entirely free from anxiety.
He was armed with two revolvers, and
he could have easily shot the agent
through the head, as the latter save
him no attention whatever. Well, there
Stood the five men in line, and the agent
surveyed them, and said:
*'I must have $5,000 out of this crowd.
Captain, place your money on the
'ground. Watches and rings I don't
{care for, and none of you seem to have
wny diamonds."
One threw his wallet down in con­
tempt, and the others followed suit.
:The agent picked them up, selected out
&he greenbacks, and upon counting up
the sum total, lie laughed merrily, ana
observed]
1 "This crowd must be looking for a
Joor-hotise. Now, gents, no more fool­
ing. There's money here, and I'm go­
ing to have it If it isn't in your
pockets it's in the coach. If it isn't in
the coach the ladies have got it Shell
out, or I'll search every one of you."
Then he backed up to the open door of
the stage, leaving them about ten feet
ftway, and still covered with his re­
volver.
"Ladies," he said, in a voice as soft
ft girl's, "I didn't mean to trouble
you, but I've had such poor luck out­
side that I must request a contribution.
Please had out the money you are carry
ingforthese gentlemen."
The women were terribly frightened,
ftnd both at once started to comply with
the order. The husbands saw ruin
Staring them in the face, and the one
next to the captain, whose name was
Travers, breathed so hard that all could
hear him. Suddenly, as if shot from a
cannon, and with tbe agent still cover­
ing them, Travers sprang forward. He
made just two jumps to cover the dis­
tance. The revolver cracked and the
bullet cut a lock of hair from his head,
but the next instant he had seized the
barrel with his right hand, the man's
throat with his left, and was crying for
help. All gave it fast enough, ana in­
side of two minutes had the fellpw dis­
armed and bound.
Three rather able girls are the daugh­
ters of F. A. DrexeX the Philadelphia
banker, each worth $4,000,000, who,
have been brought up to look after!
their own affairs, and to make good1
use of their wealth. They maintain
Se,
at educational charity at Torres-,
Pa., and are said to have a list,
ol 350 pensioners upon their private:
bounty. They live and dress plainly,
rses are about their only dissK
and
tions of the old world and gatner points
for their own guidance in the manage-,
ment of their schooL
Tn South Carolina a landlord may
—evervthing a tenant has for over
dae rent, without preliminary writ or
ind hold ittu
leg^l proceeding,
for jyftvment wnyl replevined.
as security
j-nJT "I
A CUOKOOCWM3K. it-
It Ctmei Considerable Trouble In the
Major's HoiMliold Md Is HoVcMy
Handled.*.
4
The mftjor has always made a spe­
cialty of timepieces. He says there is
nothing.more cheerful than to wake up
at night and hear the dainty machinery
and that if if wasnvlor his'dock he be­
lieves he'd sometimes be desperate
enough to wish he were married. Hia
clock was originally of the alarm species,
and for several years used to'go on with
a whizz, rattle, and bans every morn­
ing at 7 sharp, and get tne majorup for
business, but all of a sudden it got me­
chanical dyspepsia, or had congestion
of the mainspring or something, and
contracted the habit of going off at odd
hours, sometimes in the middle of the
night, and sometimes not until noon
next day, aid so the major either lost
his sleep or missed engagements, and
had no end of trouble. He took it to
the jeweler'8, ahd the expert inserted a
pill box iii his eye and held ah autopsv,
and said he thought he might be able
to remedy the trouble temporarily for
about $7, but if the major wanted steady
comfort he had better spend $3 and get
a new dock. The major, however, con­
cluded to keep it and not wind up the
alarm side in future, but use his pet
merely as a timekeeper, and resorted to
the artifice of leaving his shutters open
so that the sunlight would pour in and
awakon him two hours before break­
fast
Saturday afternoon a mysterious pack­
age came for the major, and after din­
ner he opened it and showed us a clock
built like a Swiss cottage, made to hang
high up oh the wall and run bjr two big
weights and a lot of brass chain. The
major said it was a cuckoo clock, and
said the man who sold it guaranteed
that evenr half hour a cuckoo would ap
sar at tne cottage window, sing sweet
ly, and vanish, and he thought it*would
be just the thing to hang the hall.
So he got the stepladder and drove a
nail near the ceiling, got the cottage in
position, set the hands, and started the
pendulum. The pendulum wigwagged
several times solemnly and stopped.
The major started it again, but to no
purpose, and finally, after two hours'
tinkering, gave it up, and we all went
to bed to be up bright, and early for
Luray. About 11:30 Dick, who had
been at the club, came in, and in grop­
ing along the hall accidentally moved
the weights, and in some mysterious
way started the machinery. In twenty
minutes, just in the middle of a pro­
found silence, we were aroused by tnis:
''Br-r-r-r-r-r-click! Whoopoo-o-o-o!
—br-r-r-r-click!"
Dick thought the baby next door had
colic again, and Bunny was afraid it
was burglars. The major came into
my room with a revolver and wanted to
know if I had heard any one yeljl mur­
der, and we could both hear muffled
conversation proceeding from th& serv­
ants' room in the basement Then we
leaped over the banisters and listened,
and concluded it was a false alarm and
went to bed again, but just as con­
sciousness poised to take her flight the
thing broke loose again, thu$:
"Ber-r-zit! "Whoop-oo! buzz ooploo!
ging! uku! xxz-z-z hoo! zz-z whewplew!
clang! tootoo! xx kim! Kookloo! sizzz!
bloobloo!—whist!" and then the thing
shut up with a vicious snap which seem­
ed to be intended to convey the impres­
sion that there was more comuig by
and by. There was commotion in the
household. Bunny screamed and Dick
came out with a. Trantor, the. major
turned a handspring out of beid and
went down stairs nine at a time, and
distant sounds of slamming shutters
gave hints of a general uprising amoeg
the neighbors. Of Qourse this time the
major nad his suspicions, and after
finding all the doors and windows se­
curely fastened, and ascertaining that
there was no maniacal cat concerned in
the cellar, concluded that something
was wrong with the chronologici)! cot­
tage, ahd after sitting up for half an
hour caught the clock: in the act. It
was too high on the wall to rea^h, and
the*stepladder was out in the backyard,
so Dick reached up and whacked the
pendulum with his cane and succeeded,
in unshipping it, with the satisfactory'
result that the machinery ran si* times
as fast as before, and the cuckoo got
devilish and whooped every five* min­
utes, and it was 2 o'clock before the
weight ran down to where the
1
major
coula grab it, and put us out of itoisery.
Bunny called down and begged the
major not to be too harsh with the clock,
but the major had his dander ujp, and
jerked out about three yards of chain
and six wheels, and said that when a
piece of mechanism got to be as ii umoral
as that clock it wasn't entitled toimercy.
Then the night watchman, who gen­
erally sleeps on our front steps in line
weather, rang the bell and wahted to
know if the nouse was afire, and the
doctor came in from next door toj see if
any one had been taken suddenly ill, so
itwas nearly daylight before weigot to
sleep.—JV. Y. Times.
I
The Opal ah Unlucky Stogie.
The opal is represented to be ^n un
lucky gem. Perhaps it is. He)re is a
little evidence to prove it A young
lad
pin. un tbe wedding trip
covered that the opaTwas left atj home.
It was telegraphed for, to be orought
down to New York by a friencf. The
friend Carried it, as was supposed, but
on his arrival it was not to be fotmd. It
had been mislaid somewhere. iAfter a
season it was found, and next made its
appearance at a "tea," where it i-vas an
adornment of the young lady. Ai-riving
hbme, the opal was found to be mussing.
Search in every possible place aiad ad­
vertising in the newspapers failed to re­
veal its whereabouts for weeks. I It was
at last accidentally discovered jcaught
in the fringe of a Christmas card which
depended from a gas bracket vrliere it
had accidentally caught and swung
around face to the wall in hiding, not
five feet from where itwas passed a
hundred times a day, and not three
inches from the button on the gas-fixt­
ure that was turned daily. The vaca­
tion of the opal was also unique. Tbe
couple went into the mountains with
two trunks. Arriving at the hoteIr one
of the trunks was a wrong trunk, al­
though the right check was present
Some blundering baggage-master en
route had made a wrong transfer, and
the trunk, which was the lady's, had
gone off on its own hook, or its own
check. "Here's a state of things," as
Ko-Ko would remark. The lost trunk
furnished the topic of conversation for
the mountain vidagc, the hotel guests
condoled with the unfortunate losers,
shook their heads lugubriously, and
substantiated their shakes by cheer­
ful stories of lost trunks that they
had known about The telegraph was
put into requisition, and, after many
days, the trunk made its appearance,
and then congratulations, "fireworks in
the evening'" etc. The opal was in
that trunk.—Hartford Post.
Some one with a mathematical mind
has figured it out that all the gold on
earth to-day, in whatever shape—that
is, mined gold, or, to put it plainer, the
Sid
They have just sailed forj
to visit the educational insbto-i
in use in all nations and the pro­
fit of all ages—if welded in one mass,
would be contained in a cube of less
than 30 feet
Out of 100 heroines of elopements,
escapades, and more serious oflenses, a
statistical authority says that seventy
nine axe described' as young and beau
tifnL thirteen as beautiful^ and eight as
occupying high social stations.
41^
INTENTIONAL DUPLICATE EXPOSURE
English Guests.'
Yes, I agree with you that English
ile are capable, somehow, of the
rat bad* manners in' the world.
Have you heard any of the funny
stories, flying about that English cpuple
touring among us awhile a"go---Mr.' stud'
Mrs.-—Tney are both, you know,
public characters, both literary, learned
their gooves, madame {esthetic, mon­
sieur reverend, philanthropic, and a
musical enthusiast
A musical'friend of mine met them
and was sufficiently fascinated by theit:
converse to meditate inviting them to
spend some days at her house. Sh&
mentioned this project to the lady who:
was entertaining them. "I h.ive no*
doubt you would make a visit charming^,
to them," the lady replied, "but before
you ask them, I think I ought, inhos­
pitable as it may seem, to give oil some
account of our experience as hosts."
This visit to us was to begin at lunch
time. It was almost the hour for that
meal when Mr. from whom they
were coming to us, drove hastily to
our door. "Have Mr. and Mrs.
reached here yet?" were almost his first
words*
"No, though I'm looking for them
any moment
"Well, we're at an utter loss what to
do. They left us this morning with no
word as to their luggage, their trunks
are standing open in their rooms, noth­
ing packed up, even their toilet appara­
tus scattered about Are we to have
them packed, do you suppose?"
Just then our" guests came. Saluta­
tions over. "Are/our boxes come?'*
demanded madam. Mr* —r- inter-,
"I have just driven here to ask
about them. As they were open, and
nothingfplcked, we did not understand
your intentions about them."
"Why," returned his lady guest, "I
expected your valet would pack my hus­
band's things, and your wife's maid at­
tend to mine."
"Very good," returned Mr.
"The luggage shall come at once." He
had no valet, and his wife no maid,
but somebody packed the boxes and
speeded them here.
At breakfast next morning we had
unbolted wheat gems. Both our quests
declined them, but Mr. looked very
curiously to see what we should do
with them. When one was broken
open—"Why, they're not meat," he ex­
claimed.
"Oh, nO, they're a hot bread made of
unbolted flour," we said.
"Aw! then I'll try one," ho remarked.
"I think it is very stupid to travel in a
foreign country and shun all the oddi­
ties one encounters! Take one, my
dear," he added presently to his wife
"they're not. so bad as they look."
For dinner we had a turkey—a very
large one. Some of it was grilled for
pper,
ilad a
stand what the dish was, and I said it
was turkey salad. "Aw!" lie answered
me "turkey for dinner, turkey for sup­
per, turkey for lunch no wonder lliey
call the turkey the American bird.
Providence Journal.
supper, and next day we had some in a
salad at lunch. Mr. did not under-
A Fair Exchange.
Away down in Maine, in a region
where the usages remain as primitive as
they are anywhere in the United States,
there is an aged parson who performs
not only the ordinary clerical duties,
preaching to the people of the district,
marrying and burying them, but also
turns an honest penny by cutting their
hair on occasions. The aid parson isn't
exactly an artist in this line, and is dis­
tressingly absent-minded but there is no
barber anywhere in the neighborhood,
and nobody there cares for a Parker
House cut any way.
One day 'Lige Jones, an old codgcr
and jack at all trades of tho neighbor­
hood, came to the parson to get Ins hair
cut and the parson, who was evidently
meditating too deeply his next Sunday's
sermon to note what he was doing, cut
the hair in the most phenomenally rag-
fe
ed and irregular style. In some places
had shorn the hair down to the scalp
and in others left it almost untouched
so that when he had finished his absent
minded task liis subject's head had a
weird and unkempt look that was won­
derful to behold.
1
"What shall I pay ye, parson?" ho
asked.
"O, come and mow the hazel brush
out back of the house to-morrow," said
the parson.
When 'Lige got home his wife ex­
claimed:
"Mercy on rac! What you been a
doin'?"
"Gittin' my hair cut," said 'Lige.
"Laws a me, if the parson didn't do
apurty job this time," said she, "then
there ain't no truth in the Revela­
tion!"
The next day tho parson had a funer­
al to attend to, and when he got homo
he found tho man whoso hair he had
cut the day before just leaving the
place. He had mowed tho hazel brush
so that in one spot the tops had just*
been mowed off, in another it was cut
half way down, in another mowed to
the ground, and another torn up by
the roots. It was the sorriest looking
field that anybody ever saw.
"Why, I declare!" said the parson.
"What have you been doing?"
"Mowin' the hazel," said Ligc.
"Mowin' it? You've been mangiin'
it," said the parson.
'Lige simply took off his hat and pre­
sented his cnaotic crown to the parson's
gaze.
"Well, well," said he, "did I do
that? Well, come into the'house and
I'll cut it for you,'"
The parson did the best work that ho
could tnis time, considering the havoc
he had made the day before, and when
he had finished 'Lige Jones took up his
bush scythe again and—went home.—
Boston Rccord.
Miss Maude Banks, the only daughter
of Gen. N. P. Banks, of Massachusetts,
will make her appearance upon the
stage the coming season. She will ap­
pear in all the smaller cities, but not in
the larger cities until the second year.
Miss Banks is young, a perfect brunette,
with a great deal of expression, flash­
ing eyes and strong emotional power.
Gen. Banks was at one time in his life
an actor, and a good one, so that Miss
Banks is doing nothing strange
adopting the dramatic profession, but
only following in the footsteps of her
father, from whom her talent is inher­
ited. She will play leading roles, in­
cluding Parthenia in "Ingomar," Pau­
line in "Lady of Lyons," and Camille,
and a brilliant future is predicted for
her.
Saved by a Wooden Leg.
A gOod story of the early days of the
Fiji settlements is told by a British
official. A white man who was taken
{eg.
risoner
by an inland tribe had a cork
Noticing that his captors were
fixing up an oven, he became nervous,
and to conceal his fear called for some­
thing to eat. Food being given him,
he used a large jack-knife to cut it up.
Every mouthful or two he stuck his
jack-knife into his leg with such force
that it stood erect Ine natives looked
on in great astonishment* and evident
alarm. After the meal was over he be­
gan to unscrew his leg. That was too
much for the poor savages. They
hadn't the slightest curiosity to see
what he would do next but opened a
passage for him and let him walk away
unmolested. When he reached his
bone the natives began to gather
aronnd, but after mounting he mads a
motion as if to unscrew his head, ftnd
^""^jpectators fled in dismay.—B\
fmaL
-BIRD'S-NESTiyQ.':
After all, it is the ground bird!
ologi
puzzle the human oolbgist Crossing,
brook, I saw what I regarded as:
infallible sighs that a pair of Maryl
yellow-throats had begun to build besif!
it Unless I was entirely at fault, tf
nest must be within a certain twoi
three square yards, and I devoted ha
an hour, more or less, to ransacking
grass and bushes, till I thought
inch of the ground had been gone
but all to no purpose. Continuing
walk, I noticed, after awhile that
male warbler was accompanying met
the hillside^ apparently determined
see me^ialify out of the way. Comii
to the
same
brook again the next:
ing, I halted for another search and]
alfin a moment my eye fell upon
coveted nest, not on the ground,
perhaps eight inches from it^in a lit
clump of young golden-rod
s, which wo*
soon overgrow it completely^!! The
male proprietor was present, ahd nil
fested so much concern that I would JM
tarry, but made rather as if I had
nothing, and passed on. It'was
time before 1 observed that she wi
keeping along beside me, precisely
her male haa done the day before,
innocent creatures, sorely pestered
they were, could hardly be olamed!
such precautions yet it is not plei
to be "shadowed" as a suspicious ehl
acter, even by Maryland yellow-"
This was my first nest of a very
mon warbler, and .1. felt partic
solicitous for its safety hut. alasl.
sooner was the first egg laid than
thing or somebody carried it off, and
afflicted* couple deserted' the house
which they had expended so much
bor and anxiety.
Not far beyond the yellow-throi
brook, and almost directly under onei
the pewees' oaks, was a nest which
ty certainly bad belonged to a pa
chewinks, but which was already fc
saken when I found it though 1 hi
then no inkling of the.fact It CO
tained four eggs, aud everything wasi
perfect order: The mother had goi
away, and had never come back ns
ing fallen a victim, probably, to son
collector, human or inhuman,
tragedy was peculiar and the traj
effect of it was heightened as day
day, for nearly a fortnight at least
cannot sny for how much longer),
beautiful eggs lay there entirely
covered, and yet no skunk, squirrel,
other devourer of such dainties ha]
ed to spy them. It seemed doubly
that so many precious nests should
robbed, while this set of worthless
was loft to spoil.
I have already mentioned the hot
keeping of a couple of chickadees in
low birch slump. Theirs was one
three titmouse nests just then claimlnj
my attention. I visited it frequently
from the time when the pair were hi
at work making the cavity up to
time when the brood was nearly
to shift for themselves. Both birds'
their share o£tho digging, and on
eral occasions I saw one feeding'
other. After the eggs were deposit
the mother (or the sitter) displayed
mirable courage, refusing again
again to quit her post when 1 peered
upon her, and even when with my
I rapped smartly upon the stump,
put my lingers into the hole, howei
she followed them out in hot hi
Even when most seriously disturbed
my attentions 1 lie pair made use of 1
other notes than the common chick
dee, but these they sometimes delivc
in an unnaturally sharp, fault-fiudii
tone.
My two other titmouse nests
both in apple-trees, and one of tl
was in my own door-yard, though
youd con von ion reach without the
of a ladder. Tho owners of this
were interesting for a very deck
change in their behavior after the yc
were hatched, and especially as thei
for tho little ones' exodus drew n«
At lirsfc, notwithstanding their
opened ri^lit upon the street as it
within a rod or two of passing hoi
cars, the father and mother went in
out without the least apparent coneei
as to who might be watching them
when they came to be feeding their
gry offspring, it was almost laughat
to witness the little craftiness to whi
they resorted. They would perch on
of tho outer branches, call chickadi
dee, llv a little nearer, then like
enough go further off, till finally, afi
a Variety of such "false motions," it
the hole they would duck, as if noboi
for tho world must bo allowed to kne
where they had gone. It was reft]
wonderful how expert they grew at
tering quickly. 1 pondered a good de
ovcr.thcir continual calling on such
casions. It seemed foolish and inct
sistcnt half tho time I should have
ed to notice their approach, had 1
only kept still. Toward the end,
ever, when the chicks inside the tr
could bo heard articulating chickac
dee, with perfcct distinctness, it
red to me that possibly all this persl
cnt repetition of the phrase by the
birds had been only or mainly in
way of tuition. At all events, the yc
stcrs had this part of the chickadi
vocabulary right at their tongues' «n
as we say, before making tbeir debut
the great world. —Bradford Torrty,
September Atlantic.
money into the Bowery treasury thfl
any other American performer dum
the same period of time. After a mc
successful career in New York, Bosto
Philadelphia and other cities, he visil
-England in 1836 and performed wi
great applause at the Surrey (London
as also in Dublin and Cork, creating
furor unprecedented even in tbe aani
of the British stage, and almost 11
driving for a time from the boards
favorites as Macready, tbe Woods',
other distinguished performers. WW
in England he married a Miss
stone, the eldest daughter of a foi
manager of the Surrey theater,
soon after returned to his native
try, appearing at Wallack's Nftl
theater, corner of Church and
streets, New York, Oct 17. 1837, in
specialty, the "Virginia Mummy.'*
many years subsequently Mr. Biee
eagerly sought after bv the man
and played as a "star" in nearly
theater in the union. His popul
hoWcwer, waned in bis later
though he appeared, eliciting much
plause, as late as 1854. Stricken fi
with paralysis, his death occurred,
a season of prolonged suffering, in
city of his birth. Sept 19, I860 ftt
age of 52.
Mr. Alfred Bunn, in his "Stage,
Before and Behind the Curtain,"
lished in 1840, referring to Mr.
says: "His success has been o'
by his prudent adhesion to the
tion of one class ot character—
be it remembered, altogether unto
He has chosen for his motto: 'It is
ter to be great in a little thing thai*]
tie in a great thing/ and he hastriumg
antiv acted up the axiom.1'
The first regularly organized band
negro minstrels made their a]
at the Chatham theater, New
Feb. 17, 1843.—Charles T. White, in
New York World.
Gilbert Stuart, the great
once met by a lady on the streeti
ton, who said to him that she had
seen his likeness and had kissed it,
cause it was so much like him. "A3
did it kiss you in return?" he asfcij
"Why. no, was the somewhat start!
answer. "Then it was not like mij
was Mr. Stuart's answer, but the lei
did nTt venture to try again.
Xt%