ALMA RECORD
C F. Bkowk, K.dltor snd Publisher.
ALMA,
MICH
Hugh M. Brooks, better known as
Maxwell, the trunk murderer, aston
ished the prisoner in tho St. Louis j
jail the other morning by mak'ng hU
lirst commun'oi anl lu coming a worn
ber of tho Catholic church. Ho was
faultlessly att'red iu a Mack Fr'nee Al
bert suit, and went through the cere
mony with great earnestness. His ease
L still pending before the United States
supreme court on motion for a hearing
on a w rit for grant of error. It is gen
erally conceili-il that the supreme court
can do nothing but affirm the ptdg
ment when the eao is heard. If this
follows, Maxwell will be evented with
in a month after the affirmation. He
has locti busy for several months w rit
ing a psychological treatise of his
crime. It is based on his defence, and
purports to put on paper tho thoughts
that teemed in his brain from the mo
ment he met l'relh r until h s arrest at
Auckland for the awful o Hence f mur-
tiering his friend, robb'ng him and
packing the body in a trunk.
Dr. George J,. Miller of Utica, N Y
has, according to a writer iu -'The
Utica ()b on t r," -H)') acres of pound
in the Mil urbs of Omaha which he has
turned into a park and named Ma
inour park, ar.il the railroad station
there is named Iborf.eM, after the
doctor's old frit nd (Governor Seymour.
He 1;:ls f-omc 4 ','(u trees in the park
many of which c:.me from (iovcrnor
Seymour Mel were planted by his .sug
gestion. Dr. Miller is t rectin,' a hand
some t-tone mansion in the park, tho
walls of which are two feet thick and
tho p:a. :us nre twvUo f ot wide. It
will be ready for cej aney in July
next. Then he will erect a life-size
statue of (ioctnor Seymour in the
centre of the patk lie ha- laid out
beautiful dr.vewavs. has countless
t'juincls and intends bavin:' deer later
on -ad ot which is to the m uiory of
( .ovi ruur Se rco'ir
It is now proposed that
of the Jlaytnarket ;n.s-:ieic
commemorated L tho talh'si
i
isk iu :
the world, to cut .'iOn,v"i A ;pore 1
H-nsihle way W(illd be to provide for J
the famdes of t:;c men w ho died OfWui"'
disabled, but w hen the chief promoter
of the scheme says that 'Chicago ha
the largest grain elevators, the largest
Hoard of Trade, tho largest stock-y ard-.
u.e largest pacing esuiocMuucnis, oas
had the largest tire, and, hav.ng had
the largest Anarchistic riot known to
the world, is properly entitle ! to erect
the largest and most beautiful mono-
lithic obolitk to the memory of tho
.1 1 . . 1 - . . . 1 1 , 1 1. , . i
brave men who fell in quelling that
riot," it will be seen that ho Uses muat
keductive arguments
Gov. I.ico intbna o- tha: life is made
a burden U him by tiio ceaseless tlood
of letters asking tho reieiseof prisoners
confined in tho st ite pr'son. Last
year, a,s the rtsult of over - ' applica
tions, he pardoned si and commuted
tho sentences of two. Ho wil grant no
pardon bceause of tho sicknes, ot
tho prisoner asking it, for the !
e.lTect is t havo tho erimin.-ds to j
induco sicKn:s or else to feign it. (
Great pre.suro has I c n broii-ht to
bear upon the governor with a hope
that he would pardon the N'onis mur- j
derers Clark and Graham, but his i
refusal w tirm and tinal. j
r: . !
The Iowa Agricultural college at its ;
late commencement graduate 1 a class !
of 4t ytning ladies and gentlemen. , to cover tho roots is brough: sm dis
These jrradu ttes, aceonb ng to the his- (tance, insies 1 of got from holes dug
torian of tho c!a.ss, will re-enforce tho j near tho troo. In this way the Mil
industrial and professional callings in ' around tho tree will bi enriched, w th
numbers as follows: Nine tanner ai.d jout impoverishing that closo by wh eh
horticulturists, twelve veterinarian--, tb" feeding roots must soon lill if tho
six civil engineers, three median cal ,treo thrives. Years ago wo knew an
engineers, three lawyers, three tea h- "i-cliar.l planted in the usual way in
crs" two chemists, one pharn.a ist, one I'olo. with a ha!M,os!.el mixture of
dentist, one physician, and one general l,,,osI,,:il4: An'1 uM" ,"'"rrt mlx,,',
, c t i 'with tho earth at tho bottom of tho
bus.ness man. Some estimate tf the ,
, , , .. ... . .1 . ! bole, tli'i ono plaoo whero it would be
practical value of tho training at that i . .
' , . , , . . . . 1 loast convenient lor the tree to beiieht
co ego can bo obta nod by this state- ... . ,. .
J I by it- Aine.riot t tultivUor.
u.cnt. ) t
During 13S7 live hun-lrcd and forty - ! AFortune-Hunt3r' Pad Br-ak.
oneco'.dwavo h gnals were d st ayed. Sweet Girl I-n't Mr foi tnnehun
Of these one hundred and sixteen were ' ter .splendid? He's been such a travel
incorrect. The number of storms an- f r
nounccd waa fifteen hundred and ten. i i c;, Widow -Splendid, udoed! Ibi's
but only four hundred and -. verity- u,c m,,si unmannerly fellow 1 ever
five storms materialized. The ordinary ' meU
weather forecasts, however, were j Unmannerly ?"
almost wholly correct. The s ienco of j He's positively insulting. I never
foretelling storms blizzards and want to speak to him again."
scorchers is as yet merely gac.-s work. I "Oh, Fin sure there's some mistake.
- "- ,. - ... . . ... i What did he say?"
The "old vets of Michigan wi II .... , , , .. . . . .
"Ho askexl mo .f I d ever heard J n-
appreciate Senator l aliner s raumticent 1 4-iv
cift of il V'OO toward tho fotmdmg of I ' .
a bcnelit for them. It is a big star At tho Telegraph OJlo
toward the carrying out of a wisely tt wanl o o
planned project, and it is earnest v Mm nrown al cS.iW.io.i. Her moth
hopti 1 that tho work so auspiciously I f f u not vXaA o ,ivt. a H Tx.
begun will bo f p eddy c irric I to com- ; R9 Kranger to un An,lin telegraph op
plction. Senator Falmor's donation 1 eratr'
ahould remove all doub: as to tho su - I Ooerator takes tho mess .it... sits
ccsa of the scheme.
The mother of the lost Charley Boss,
who devotes & gTeat deal of attention to
charities, is organizing an effort to pur
chase an old Ca'-holic abbey In the City
of Mexico for s girl's orphanage
A GOOD POKER STORY.
Why Culnn Imi 7H on 1 wo
(iood Hunt!.
Last evening there entered a well
known poker club uptown a largo,
rural-looking man of the sort ordinar
ily termed "pio" by expert manipula
tors of cards. Around the principal
table Mat five Cuban ganil lcrs ami one
blondo Yankee. 'J ho largo, rural man
took a hnnd in and the game went
smoothly on for an hour or .so. when
there was a jack pot. K very body pass
cd out until it 'came the turn of the
stranger to speak. He opened the pot
for tho limit, which was ..". Two
I others staid in, until it finally came the
t r ti, ' !,... .j ,.1 ..... 1
kill II VI HIU V llil.lll I..)1. II IIH -.11. II' Al
the rural man and who b. )a-s u in
timated that ho couldn't open the pot.
'1 1 1 m Cuban not oidy si. 'tid in but raided
tin stranger back to the extent of the
limit. 'Jin; large, rural-looking man
consulted his hand an I rain-. I again.
The other players went out and the
Cuban aga U raised to the l in t. The
rural niHU returned the compliment
and tho pa r of them kept ra is ng each
other for sovor.il rounds. Finally t lie)
time ciiiiii! for calling of cards. I'l.o
Cuban "stood pat" and the rural
stranger drew two cards
1 hen they
began to bet. F.nally the Cuban "call
ed." Ho held a Hush and the stranger
podil(d four sevens. Tlie game
went for about half an hour. Tnen
there was another j ickpuL The Cub 01
passed. Tho stranger opened the pot.
The other people remained in. Tho
Cuban, who had passed, raised the
opener. Tho rural utrauger raise. I
again. Tho other two people p is,c I
out. Tho Cuban raised back and the
rural stranger went f..r' him.
Finally, after they had raised each
other a iloeu times, cards were d.:alt.
Again the Cuban "stood pat,"' and
onco more the rural stranger drew two
cards. Tho biting began an I con
tinued for a long timo. Uilimatelv l!io
j Cuban "called." To his wild and in
I credulous astonishment, against his
I own full hand tho rural stranger laid
(down the identical four sevens lie had
! held before. The Cuban glared at his
I imperturbable opponent for -..me in
j menl.s, :tnd then, throwing down his
' ImiihI cilw.l 01 fi.iv I-.. 1, , .. ; 11 ; . , ,r
j ( hec ks and dashed out of the esial.l sh
t!:e v'ct:ms ! uient. The rural stranger turned out
10 1-0 oho or the most oxp-rt power
l,l'"s the Southwest, and on theso
two hands ho won 7uS. - Sen )ur,':.
World.
Planting Trejs 0:1 thj Surtac-j.
j While the tree grows it stands in tho
I soil, and tho natural impulse in trans- j
! planting is to di; a hoio like that from j
which tho trcij was takon and rtis.jt it
,niurli H.lt sl,,.,v.
lhi4 j impracticably and t'10 lesson . n-
f()ICl(, b, SC;IIC ty ()f s,, ; 0:H
; ,as proven of so" great advantage that
! tniny now prefer to plant 01 the sur-
I face, whatever tho character of tho
land
If tl.,. iin'l is (ill I tvilli . mi
water part of tho year, tho surface
j planting gets tho roots out of it. The
1 tree at tho start has al-o tho advantano
of a double tlepth of soil to grow in, as
a mound must bo made around it cor
reipontt tig to the hole that would havo
to be do rr if set tho usual wav. It is
' very poss b!o th it th s m mud in wh'e'i
I th'j tree stands is tho secret of suee. s-
wjth ,,,is w ()f r.lMlill,,. T,
Uvhich falls on it is washed direeilv to I
the extremit es of tho nmt.s, where it
most needed. We have seen many
fruit trees set iu holes with tho poet
next tho trunk tnado lowest, so thl
what little water got into tii.-ni tlowe l
directly to tho bo ly of the tree This
is much the same as if a man was held
'"'H "pright. as a tree s. and given
food or water by pulling the at his
f,.,. t w,n )t. n)j iJ(.lt, , i unU.
jnr trees on tho surface if the tine soil I
down at Ids table and begins to send it
over the w.ies.
"Hold up! Don't give it to her so
fast. Siio's got heart tl flcaso. Go
slow. Break it lo her &eutl." 7'u
tiftingt.
I -n -
Chinos Farmers and China's
Progress.
There are reasons to beliore that the
trade of this country with China will
soon grow to majostio dimemiom. Of
the seven million llvo hundreil thous
aad dollars of exports to China In tho
luwt fiscal 3 car, nearly live million
dollars' worth was of distinctively agri
cultural products, nnd of their manu
facture. Of tho remainder, the largest
share was mineral o I. Tho Chinese
commission in the United States th's
year is charged especially with tho pro
motion of banks, telegraph and tele
phone lines, behind wh ch looms up tho
cxtcntion of canals, the introduction of
railroads, of agricultural machinery,
II) 01)
and of such of our products as China
needs, and she has neod of many. Her
homo products, aside from tea, aro
wheat, millet, garden vegetables, rice,
poor apples, peaches, grapes, etc. Tho
food of Chtna Is mostly vegetables ami
fish the extensive sea coast, rivers and
canals supply ng the latter. Beef is al
most unknown, except in the foreign
settlements, and berries aro rare; mut
ton s plentiful; pork, poultry and eggs
are abundant. Domestic animals, ex
cept dogs, are not common. Horses
aro .scarce, mules aro numerous, cattle
in small numbers, but lloeks ami herds
aro unknown. Tho national habit is
opposed to change, and so tho nat on
of three hundred million souls goes on
In "the jrood old way." Tho United
States broke the spell of centuries in
Japan. It may yet do tho same for
China. We go for trade and progress,
other nat ons for trade and compiest 1
and colonies, juid the Chinese leaders
aro l eg lining to understand this.
A modernized agriculture, and tho
general introduction of railroad and
wagon service, would rejuvenate the
decaying "Flowery Lnd," wh ch is a
bald misnomer for a land dost tute of
Mowers and shrubs, tieeless, and with
a dull herbairo that contrasts stronelv
with tho culture that has made the
American cout nent to "blossom liko
the rose," and b" iie!i in variom pro
ducts that its cntcrpri-o bears to all
parts of the civilized world. --.(?: ?
A'jririillnrisi.
Cost ot ra-s3
"I thought it was economy." smM a
man very inournfuMy tie! other day.
'for .she was bent on see ng the state,
and I thought it would save ra.lrond
fares, but sho has snip!.- mine I not
since she got a free pass all over the
.1 V - 1.1.1 1 :. . 1
piace. sec. ,ou ro.ne I ..n,,,,,, ljllt jf it j4 c Vt.r f 1 it Will
servico to the radroad people, and I ! 0;MV tQ j,lenl fy ;t -j ,,,.,,. u H)
happened to mcitiou that my wftf was ! u, cr (f ho sumo " patl(,ni 7ij7l
go.ngdown s- utii. 1 heu
Here ou are," said tho railroad Cm.,IH never was called upontoa.t
man. "U c ow e urn s,aet hing. H'Tfl ; f(ir a N.;,HlM1 UH lill:lliclttl niHa,er of a
are free passe, for the state for your . n,t;OM;ll (,)m!,;ulv. Tlli, h ujiy
vv I he is known to history as a man of
"I took the bl .m- I th ngs ho,n . and . nv.lin..( hlol0 r,iu
gave th -m to her. I hey began to burn , j : ,.I V lf t v k()WH wh:lt a ,. Iinrt ifl.
her iocket-book rght away. Next n nin; in Sl tt rci0 ariHnil riVt.r pattdi
morning .she said: d gues I'll go to ' (M .Mt fimijIv jt, way t()
San J..so on my free passes. 'AH ; ,i)lliMV n fuJ vvIlL.re tho
r t it i a o. i won l cost mi! i v- 1
tiling.' 'No,' she said, 'su't it lovely
not to ha j to pa. anv fare ?' 'Beauti
ful,' said I. Now. ilear, I want you
to give me ;'"), I really must buy some
clothes to go to San Jose n.1 'Twenty-live
d ba's ?' -Yes. Yon wouldn't
like your wife traveling without any
style, would you?' 'Well.' I said, 'is
it (juile necossarv for you to o to San
Jose ?' 'No; but 1 might as Well, J
don't need to pay anything on tho
train.' An I tho first break that free
pas cost mo $;. Well, ho started
oil-1 a San Jose, and sho concluded sho
would go ou tho bioad-guiuo road. ;
Whn the conductor camo around she,
puiie.l out ner pass, nao u n. 10 pay , f.(,niin(rnm conu.s bv private
her fare. When sho started to come , v( uy ,uu.(, from ft 1:u!aM(l County
back she coucluled shod take the l(iwn. "..wiat two rivers in New Kng-narrow-gaugo
pass and bought licr,.Mi nn,Uf.r a que-fouP
tieUt. Yes ll.H f.eo pass is a very Ho(Jsic alI;1 piV,sMmic."-7. Albam
ecoin.ni cal thing for a woman. Si i Cn,H jrr
Fraurj.o Chromc e. Jjy (;ou,ps atlv;ce lo boys is "Keep
iut of bad company and go to work
Costly I earls. wil!( ft w. Anil if vou can.t k(,cp
Singh? pearls havo been found on out ()f bad company, my boy. do as Jay
this coast valued at 7,o0) end :h). 0J0, ,jm,H aMj w )f, out tl(, company. Dos
but the n:t)st curious pearl discovery ton 'fr an script.
that has been made, either hero or
elsowhere, was made on this coast a
few years aro, when the now famous
Crude Australis or Southern Cross
pearl, wns revealed. This is a perfect
ly natural cross of nine pearls, all iu
one p ec. The finder of this unprece
dented gem was, as often happons. un
aware of its value, and sold it lor $100.
'1 ho purchaser considered himself for
tunate when he was offered $'2,-0 by
four genilomen in Perth. They sent
tho curiosity to Kugland and had it
mounted and exhibited in tho recent
colonial and In 1 an exhibition in Lon
don, where it attracted a great deal of
notice, and was offered for sale at th'f.ecn currents of energy. They grow
advanced prico of 0.). Whether in slz as long as they have opportunity,
a purchaser has yet been found for it is j'J'hev can bo killed, too, though not as
not known. Tho xh bitors hoped
that His Holiness the 1'opo might con
sider it his duty to become tho posses
sor of so marvelous a reproduction of
tho holy tree, and perh aps somo pious
devotee may before now havo purchas
ed it for a jubilee off 'ring to tho pon
tiff Ft.
A Disbeliever.
"Mith Thmith," ho asked, as he
tlrow up his collar and adjusted h s
singlo eye-glass, "do you be.liovo in
Darwinian theory, Iwiieve that a man
is delhcndcd from a monkey ?" "No,
sho repl ed, surveying hiru from head
to foot, "I believe the ?crj revtrsc
I Boston Courier.
SCINTILATION3.
A preat many people nre troubled
with d soase of the I'm. I'uc'c.
Only a 1 ttlo V divides tho specula
tor and tho peculator. Earth.
A man's lifo may bo bko an open
book; but it Is bound to bo closed.
lc fitint.
This is tho season when bartenders
mako thingi hot for their customers.
Hoston Courier.
llase ball is as old tis tho worhl, ns is
proven by tho lirst line in Genesis; Iu
tho big Inning," etc. Texas t-iflinjs.
It a man really desires to discover
' ,,ow ,0i,l,!ar 1,0 5" fts 11 pPea,ktr t him
1 c,,,ar Uil? cwn,s &"liii.-ISto,i
Globe.
Thero is no better cure for dyspep
a'a than the knowledge that thero is
nothing to eat in tho house. Uosion
Courier.
Mr. Xovorzo Bore (reaching for a
button-hole) "What's going on. old !
man?" Mr. Busy Man (dodg ng) "I
im." llurdcttr,
Kilr.iiu ami Smith aro soon to light.
Sympathy should bo extended to tho
victor. Ho is tho fellow Sullivan in
tends to lick. Oinifia Herald.
"Were there any poets among tho
ante-diluv ans?" a writer asks. There
must have been or thero wouldn't havo
been any Hood. llostou Couritr.
Josef Hofmau may bo a miraculous
pianist for a boy ten years old, but ho
should go to school and learn how to
spell Joseph. Boston Trantcripl.
It tiio price of coal keeps going high-
' it wdl be tho ultr.i-fahionab!o thin;
ior people 10 move nieir coal o ns up
iato the parlor. Sumrrvi U Jonrmxl. j
Kentucky has a rooster with three. (
throats and every time a Kentuc kian 1
1 . 1 I..
laK'-s ins iouroon no wishes ho was
tiiat rooster. Fort Worth (Tex.)
(ia'.'-Ve.
A man who has bet n hanged can
very properly bo used to po nt an
argument for prohibition. It is a clear
case of "a drop too much." Jostoi
(ilubr.
A man in Manitoba has sent to New
York for a copy of the "Boulauger
March." He says he wauls to .e if ho
can't dis.-ouragc the blizzards.
'-"' :i '( .
Tne brain of an elephant is some
wi at larger than that of a man, but tho
trunk of an elephant is considerably
smaller than that of a woman. Lowell
( 'nunc.
(i'-r-ter has lost her voice, sure
honey is deposited. I'icayunc. I
T shouldn't care to marry a worn- !
an who knows more than I do." he I
remai ke I. "Oh, Mr. Do Sappy," sho j
replied, "1m afraid you are a con- i
lirme I bachelor." F.joch.
The Boston Transcript asks: "Have
we a SpaitactH among us?" No, aj
a thousand times no! But the canni- J
bal who had eaten his wife said he waa '
glad-ho-ato-her! - olumhtu Journal. ;
An old fr end to a widow in tears j
"I presume your husband had made 1
all preparations to faco his maker?" '
lie had. indeed. Ho wxs insured ill i
n (liil,.ivill companies!" 'arts I
.,,.,, I
Bridget "Fnjoy slape, is it? How
could I, I'd like yez to tell me. Tho
m n't I lay down I'm aslape, an' the
m it t I'm awake I havo to git up.
Where's the time for enjoyin' it to
I'lmifl in?" VhiUidelj hi'i Cult.
Are Stones Alive?
We generally think of minerals as
dead lumps of inactive matter. But
they may be said to be alive, creatures
of vital pulsations, and seperatcd into
individuals as distinct as the p nos of a
forest or the tigers iu a jungle. The
disposition of crystals are as diverse as
those of animals. They throb with un-
c.nsilv as an oak or dog. A strong
clettrie shock discharged through o
crystal will decompose it, very rapidly
if it is of soft structure, cau-ing the
particles to uradually disintegrate in
the reverse order from its growth, until
the poor thing lies a dead, shapeless
ruin.
It is true tho crystal's life is unlike
that of higher creatures. But Ihe dif
ference between vegetable and animal
life is no greater than lhat between
mineral and vegetable life, LInn.Tiis,
tho great Swedish naturalist, defined
tho three kingdoms by haying: "Stones
roWt ,aiils grow and feel, an!
I crw and feel and move,"
animals
J Awake.
Bells.
Of all tho ai t t ies In common rise,
alike Iu our public and private lifo,
thero Is none that appeals to more
emotions than tho boll. There it none
which has figured more prominently
in not a few of tho great tragedies of
history ami in many of the cherished
recollections of childhood. Its history
is full of romance, from tho timo when
tho drops of water Iu the tlcpeydra,
tho water-clock of antiquity, wero made
to sound likoour most d luinutivo bells.
to tho present, when tho largest bell in
tho world, now in actual uso iu Moscow, j faco looks ono vast forest, tho propor
wt ighs 128 tons. It is a story upon ; lion of cleared land being so small. and
which a volume might bo written, for j that so scattered about the plantations
tho historians, tho poets, tho musicians ; that at u distance they aro 'lost to v ew.
and even nursery tales would furnish j It is no wonder that tho tendency is
abundant material. general for tho farmers to move inU
In Kuglaiid, for centuries, tho par-1 town and run their farms by tenants,
ish bell has tolled for tho death of tho ' Boforo tho war they wero' able to keep
poorest and richest alike, ami Ih.s cus- : up largo establ tdimenU. entertain
tout has prevailed to sonvj extent in guests royally, nnd with a retinue of
New Fngland. Thero was one singu- ! servants bid defiance to neighbors or
lar instanco in modern Knglish history the olliees of neighborhood. Now with
when tho bells peeled mingled notes of the change, the country must cither U
triumph and mourning. Tho same settled up by farmers who wdlcomb n
ship that brought tho news of tho in making up neighborhoods, and
great naval victory at Trafalgar con- 1 tablisii the soe al bonds of society, or
veyed also the remains of Nelson, and the plantations w II Uconie estates
w hen it arrived all the Udls rang out managed hv owners or corporal ion
merry peels, broken at intervals by the with a system of tenantr.- as o lio'i
passing toll for tho loss of the hero and dem" oraliz ng its tli.it. of Irel n I.
who had won iL j Land, that produce! no geoeroii-ly
In earlier times two of Hit: most will not be allowed to bo id!. and eith
drcadful tragedies i:i all history wero or small farms and prrsp ;iit.-, or larg
usheie.l in by tho r nging of btdls. It estates and a grinding moocp'y. will
was upon Faster-tide in Uftj that John prc.va'l. American A triculluri:.
of l'roe da hud lived for h s attempt lo
fiee Sicily lrm the French and
Charles of Anjoij. The signal for the
rising and tho onslaught was to b; the
lirst
sound of tho cspcr bells on tho
appo iite.l day. In the massacre that
followed tin.ro than K.OW Frenchmen
perished, and tho event has s. ma; been
known as the S licia Ve-pcrs.
'I he massacre of the Huguenots
oc urred J iu 107, and tho signal for its
commencement was given bv- the ring
ing of a bdi in tho church of St.
Germain 1' Anzerro s, opposite the east
facade of the Louvre.
B -Us, pdeed, pla.ed an important
part n all the strife and turmoil of the
Middle Ages. They rang in cities
taken and given over to pillage, or in
token of ransom by a victor who dared
to be merciful, or by the jo,ful gar
r.soti when from tho r iincoioju red
walls they saw the besiegers d-partirig.
One of the hist ads of a general afo r
capturing a stronghold was to break or
pull down the bells, and if oppoitunitv
ever offered, tho inhabitants never f til
ed to melt down tho cannon of th i
oppressors, in their turn defeated, to
make good their loss.
In Fuiriand, William tho Conqueror
made the curfew bell an instrument of
oppre.s-ion. After Mahomet II. had
taken Constantinople, in Moll, he per
m.tled large bodies of tho Greeks to re
turn to their homes. but he
would never allow their bells to be
rung, knowing how easily they might
be u-ed as a signal for insurrection.
Wli lc tho bell has sounded tho knell
to many hopes it has peeled merilv and
hopefully to many ears. It made the
fortune of Whittington, when it seem
ed to sav:
'Turn ac;t!n, Whit! ntun,
Lord Muvor of buielea."
Moore sang b-aut fully of 'I hose
Kveniug Bells, and Father Front has
celebrated The Bells of Shamlon in '
vet s. s that will live as long as that '
class c river llows. j
The bells that poets and prose writ-
ers ate turning the r attention to in
this happiest period of the year are J
Christmas Bolls, and soon their ch imes j
w ll bo heard to ring in fancy at
least whenever Christmas legend
are known and its customs cherished
Tejaj tifti'ifjs.
Hidden in a Tree.
Says ( haiiib. tj' Juur.ia : Some
woodcutters in tho forest of Drouinilin
made a very strange discover . They
began to fell a venerable oak, which
they soon found to be pii:e hollow.
Being half decayed, it speedily t amo to
the ground with a crash, d.sclosing a
skeleton in excellent preservation; even
the boots, which came above the knees
were perfect. By its side was a powder
horn, a porcelain p'pe-bowl, and a sil
ver watch. The teeth were perfect. It
would seem to be the skeleton of a
man between 30 and 40 )ears of age.
It is conjectured that, while engaged
in hunting, he climbed the trco for
some purposo and slipped into the hol
low trunk, from which there was no re
lease, and he probably died of starva
tion. Another mystery was found
in the heart of an oak. From a
tree of tins kind a largo block about
o ghteen inches in diameter, that has
been knocking about in various yards
and woodsheds, was split up lately,
and in it was found an anger-hoU about
three-fourths of an inch in s ze, con
taining a bunch of human hair done tip
in a piece of printed paper. The hair
was near tho center of the block and
fastened in with a pine plug. It was
apparently put in when tho tree was
quite small, as tho trco had grown over
the plug to the thickness of about four
Inches, with the grain perfectly smooth
and tra;ght.
Assurance.
Gentleman '! don't liko to pay you
for tho jol Uncle Bastus, t il it's done.
You might go back on me." Uncle
Uastus (earnestly)0 'Deed I won't,
boss,' deed I won't. Ise wh U it 1 iil
' cutlud." Sew York Sun.
Needs of the Piedmont Region.
The section of country known as the
Piedmont Ilegiou of the South Atlantie
States, embracing largo port ons of
Virgin'o, North and South Carolina
and Georgin, has many possibilities un
der tho new order bound to prevail ii
that section upon tho tl. vision of tie
laud into small farms, and tho adoption
of a Fystcm of mixed husbandry.
The need of this section is popula
tion. From any point of observation,
tho eye can sweep tho country for
I miles, and tho whole undulating sur-
How to Tell Bridisani Grooms.
"Yes," said an old and ep tience I
hotel clerk testerday. "lean tell a
bride and groom at a l bin (.. For
some reason or other tlcy all seem
ashamed to have it known that they
have just boon married, and they all
try to give the inipie.sion that they :ir
comparatively old stagers, as it wertt,
but it's no uo w.tli mo. I smile when
1 feo thoir old trunks -to com with
brand-now ones, ott know, would b
to advert'-'; the faet thr.t they had jts
been wedded and I lau'iii outright
when I receive a letter from a br.de
groom saying: "Myself arid w fo will
be at your house on Woduosd.ty nilit
between twelve an I one o'clock. Our
luggage will arrive during the afl;r
noon, but wo will not arrive ourselves
until after (lie theater.' Th-m I watch
and s"c them comu in with a bundle of
unihn lias and canes a hat-box and a
couple of valises, whh h I hare no hes'
tancy, of course, in believing they took
, to the pla. with them. How do I tell
a brde and groom? Will, there's
sonieth ng about the ray thoy look at
each other when they are together; ami
when the tie wly-mai t ied man is by him
self I can tell by the manner in which
he uses the two wonts, my w.fe.' He's
not used to the comb nation, and thfy
sound ns unualutal lo mo as they do to
h mself."
Capturing Thorn Unawares.
Mr. Longha'r Aro you the gentle
man who wr.les reading notices which
begin with something of startling in
terest and etitl with a patent-in" licitu
advert sement ?
Wr'tcr I do work of that sort ec
sionallv, s r.
Mr. Longhair Well, I wish yo
woul I get mo up someth'ng about a
prize-light, or a trunk murder, or a
church scandal, or any th ng the public
are especially interested in, and then
spring on them: "Arc jon prepared
to tie?" "What will yu do to 1
saved ?" "Lay not up for your-t ll
treasures upon earth," to. I'm a
tract distributor. I'uc't.
The Coming Great Novalist.
There is ono young lair n this city,
says Th'. Wate t-ur Am rtc-tu, whs
has all the making of a jrool np'lriv
politan newspajx r cojuespondent. Sli
is only 8 yerrs old now an 1 has achan.
to develope. Tho other day she went
to her school-teacher, crying bitterly,
and said sho must go home as ho r
brother was dead.
"When did he die" asked th
teacher.
"Last night," starunierol the the
child between her tears. "He was only
'2 years old. Last n ghi hs started t
follow papa to tho barn. When papa
camo In at 9 o'clock we asked whers
the baby was, and ho said he hadn't
seen him.' Here tho sobj drowned her
words for awhile. Then the tot continu
ed: "Wc went right otit to search then,
and this morning we found him in th
woods with his legs almost eaten off."
Thoughts that Barnum's animals
had up the vdle tilled the teacher's
mind, an I. sho was almost iokoned as
the child went on with the harrowing
tleta Is. "What did you dof" she atk-
cl at length?"
"Called the doctor, but it was n
nc; baby died.,'
"I ho teacher then called the child's
older sister from a neighboring school
room; the child denied tho story in to
la Tho teacher had previously de
tected a glowing imagination in tho
tot, whom sho now ordered to her
eat.
Did Not Like It That Way.
A particular old gon tleman, pulling
something out of his soup that should
not have been included among tho oth
er Ingredients.lhus addressed tho cook:
Josephine, I atu much obliged for
your thonghtfulness. but next lime kind
ly givs it to mo in a lockoU" Judgt,