T &l)c Cosmic <&alc. FDBLISHED WEEKLY AT IKK A, - - MISSISSIPPI. FORTUNES IN A MBEBGRIS. A Prise for Which Whaler* are Constantly on the Lookout. Ambergris is a peculiar secretion found in a deceased sperm whale, and is worth its weight in gold. It is not a buoyant article, and is only obtained by killing the whale, or the whale’s dying and drifting ashore, when the lump of ambergis washes upon the beach after the carcass is decomposed. The amltergris whales are usually found near the land, and when the stuff is picked up on shoro the carcass of a dead whale is usually somewhere in the vicinity. When an apparently healthy whale is killed and on examination ap pears to have very little oil, a search for ambergris is immediately made. In ap pearance it is a dark-gray substance, and very vile smelling. It is princi pally used in making perfume to “set the odor,” and as a refiner. Province town whalers have always been fortun ate in finding this valuable article, either in large or in small quantities, and have certainly had their share with whale men from other ports. It is related that on one clear, calm afternoon, a number of years ago, the schooner Gage Phillips of Provincctown was drifting along on the whaling grounds, when the man on the look-out in the crow’s nest hailed the deck, as is customary when anything is discovered on the water, and reported to the officers on deck that a small, peculiar-looking substance was floating off the port quar ter, and said it looked something like beeswax, which is often round Homing in those waters. The captain was im mediately called, and looking at it care fully through his glass, ordered a boat lowered to get it. It was taken on deck, and after a careful examination by the crew pronounced to bo some peculiar kind of West Indian gum, something they had never seen before. After being kicked about the deck for some days it was thrown carelessly iuto the stern boat and soon forgotten. It was not long, however, before the Phillips fell in with another Province town whaler, and the crews exchanged visits. While the two captains were seated in the Phillips’s stern boat spin ning yarns and talking of home, the vis iting captain suddenly espied the lump : of so-called “gum,” and with much sur- : prise asked: ! “ What are you letting that lay around in that style for (” The answer was: “Why, it is ho good, only wax that I am taking home for some j of the boys. ” “Nogood!” said tho other captain; “why, it is ambergris, and is worth its j weight in gold, and you had better take j care of it.” I It is needless to say that it ivns taken care of, and when tho vessel arrived 1 homo tho sale of that little lump of I ' “gum” added $6,000 to tho general stock ' of the voyage. : 0 Another captain of a merchant ves" eel, while lying at anchor off one of tho ; small islands in tho West Indite, dis- I „ covered a lump os large as his two fists 1 w in the possession of a negro, who, not j p, knowing its value, sold it to the Cap- | j j tain for oue flannel shirt nud an old j w pair, of pantaloons. It was sold in tho \ s, is told of aProvinoetown | * Sfe -,.':#rhaling crew who lost their prize when s ^ almost secured. Tho whale had been 1 SESp killed atld towed to tho vessel when one ; * mtf'" of the sailors discovered some peculiar- 1 ! W looking particle's floating ou tho water , alongside the boat. Ho took them up , with a dip-net, and after examining I them said they lookod like ambergris. , It was deemed wise to make ft sea-ch. , On sticking a sharp spear into tho part where ambergris is usually found a liard substance was struck. Immedi ately all was ex* t<*in<*nt. The whale was cut in two mid n dark-gray mass about tho size of a half barrel was dis covered. Guy rojies were made fast nnd an attempt was made to haul it in on deck, but it proved too much for tho men at the ropes. A boat was then lowered and hauled to the spot, and guy rnnea warn thrown to the men ill the boat. Before they could catch the ropes the leadlike mass shot down into the bottomless sea and at least $50,000 slipped neatly away, leaving behind a mad Captain and a mad crew. There .are living in Provincotown many retired whalers who have made fortunes in the finding of ambergris, and seldom a season passes without some of her Captains returning wealthy men. Dubing the late war General Lee needed most desperately to have a cer tain bridge built within a limited time. ' He had his engineer and his builder \ meet at headquarters and sketched be fore them wl^at ho wanted. The two men went their ways, tho former to draft the working plans and the latter to get together his materials. In oourso of weet~ the general became impatient and sent fo urge on the work. He got tho builder's answer first:, “General, I have 1 not seen the picture* vet, but the lridge u built." r The Argaiui Lamp. Argand, a poor Swiss, invented a lamp with a wiek fitted into a hollow cylinder, up which a current of air was { allowed to pass, thus giving a supply of oxygen to the interior as well as to the exterior of the circular frame. At first Argand used the lamp without a glass 1 chimney. One day he was busy in his workroom, and sitting before the burn ing lamp. His little brother was amus ing himself bv placing a bottomless oil * flask over different articles. Suddenly he placed it upon the flame of the lamp, NEWSY PARAGRAPHS. A FEW ITEMS OF NORTHERN INTER EST cARFPfcfcv cn.i.En. The Con Hen f.e.1 News by Mali, Wire AnH Otherwise. The court, house at Louisa Court House, Va., and about-20 houses, were recently destroyed by fire. Samuel Belir, aged 37, a merchant of Montgomery, Ala., committed suicide in his store by cutting his throat. Atlanta's new morning daily is getting licked into shape. Leaning prohibition ists arc freely subscribing to the stock. 1 Mr. Joseph C. Jejtson, a prominent citizen of Columbus, On., died recently. He was f>5 yeais old, and one of the first settlers of Columbus. Ms j. AV. M. Jcndone, one of the most brilliant lawyers in Texas, committed suicide the other afternoon by stabbing himself in the bowels. Under an ordinance adopted by the City Council of Atlanta, Ga., any man arrested twice for being drunk is “black listed;” it will cost a dealer $500 if liquot is sold to him. Ben Burton, a fireman, of Atlanta, Ga., has been arrested charged with having wives in Homer, Ga., Easley, S C., An derson county, S. C., and Atlanta. He is only 22 years of age. James Cawthom, a young man from Tilton, Ga., was on a freight train of the AV. & A. Railroad, learning the duties of a brakemau, and slipping between two cars at Big Shanty, was killed. Three of the notorious Reeves gang at Glasgow, Ky., received sentences aggre gating thirty-one years imprisonment each, for various burglaries and burning the court house at Tompkinsville, Ky. Lafayette Carrington, an aged and highly esteemed citizen of Milledgevillc, Ga., recently died. He was for many years clerk of the House of Representa tives, and tilled that position with honor. Dr. James J. Waring, a prominent physician and citizen, Savannah, Ga., is dead. He had been in poor health for a year, but the immediate cause of his death was a congestive chill. Dr. War ing leaves a large estate. Over 500 ex-Confederates have received pensions under the wounded soldier act of Georgia. Two of these men, who lost both eyes in the service, and five who lost one eye, were pensioned. The former will receive $100 a year, the latter $15 a year each. A freight train on the New River di vision of the Norfolk & Western Railroad ran into a rock slide, twenty-seven miles from Central the other night. The engine jumped the track and ran into the river and disappeared. The engineer was drowned at his post. The fireman was also killed and twenty-five loaded cars were demolished. At the annual camp fire of (he local Grand Army po‘t at Jacksonville. Fla., Vfaj. Gen. Schofield, United States army, nude a patriotic and fraternal speech to he WKcmb’ed Federal and Confederate j i femes, and had a dramatic meeting I ,'ith Gen. W. S. Walker, of the Confed- I rate army, who was in the Mexican war ith Gen. Schofield. The dwelling house of Plunk Mayo, a ell known drayman of Augusta, Ga., j lio runs a dozen drays, was destroyed ( tire, llis loss will reach about $t,000. e seems ill-fated, for not more than a eok before, his large stables were do- 1 royed in the as me manner, lie is, how rev, a plucky fellow, and is certnin to ' recced in the end. r A large and enthusiastic meeting of the 1 fading colored citizens was held in Au- I ;usta, Ga., for the purpose of devising neans for the completion of Arrangements lor the colored department of the Augus ta National Exposition. Upwards of $400 was subscribed, making a total of $1,000 so far subscribed hv colored people. Rev. J. S. Johnson was consecrated at Trinity church, in Mobile, Ala., as Mis sionary Bishop of Western Texas, Bishop Wilmer was chief conscenttor, assisted by Bishops Harris of Michigan,and Dudley, of Kentucky. Among others present were Bishops Galleher, of Louisiana, and Thompson, of Mississippi, with eight other clergy men. . .Apparently the whole city of Charles ton, S. C.. is up in arms against the mu itw-innl liooneo ovcfnin lJi*w Pltl’ council passed the usual license hill, and, although there had been an effort to abolish it, everybody thought the matter was settled. However, a peti tion and protest has been circulated, ex tensively signed, to be presented to the council. Miss Fannie Gillem, of Chattanooga, T< r>n., was carrying a bucket of water from a spring, near her home, to the house, she was shot in the face by her eleven-year-old brother. Thfrty-two shot struck her in the face and head, and she is thought to be fatally hurt, The little fellow was playing with a double-barrell ed r-l\Ot gun, which he thought was not loaded. Mr. Holmes, the transfer mail agent at the union depot in Birmingham, Ala., was robbed of 19 registered packages while he was asleep on a truck in the ear shod. Postmaster Inspector Williamson arrested Thomas W. Petect, a young man who has been living by his wits some time. Petect was intimate with Holmes and was seen about the depot on the night of the robbery. A boiler in Worthio & Son’s mills, in Jonesboro, N. C., burst, instantly killing Richard Mclver, Colored, fireman, and jeriously injuriug Henry Dark and Peter Mclver. The fireman had chained the safety valve down to prevent the loss of (team and filled the furnace full of pine knots. He was blown through a nonse, a distance of seventy-five feet,and his body was torn into fragments. JAMES NOBLES, SB. The funeral of James Noble. Sr., took place at Anniston, Ala., from Grace Church, attended by a large eoncourse of sorrowing friends. There were near one hundred of his direct descendants pres ent. All the pall-bearers wore youDg men, grandsons of the deceased. Work iss been suspended at most of the facto ries since the death, and all of the opor itires attended the funeral, HOUSEHOLD AFFAIRS. Homo Vegetables. Spinach has been called by a French physician the “broom of the stomach,"’ and if the busy housew ife wnVd only use this broom as often as she Aes the one neatness requires, there would be less stomach troubles in the land, and adver tisements of stomach bitters would not greet one on every side. Spinach as it. is often served, is far from inviting, but properly prepared it is a delicious vege table. Have the water boiling very strong before you put the spinacn in it, and keep stirring the spinach occasion ally, so that it will not get into a lump. A very few minutes will suffice to cook it. As soon as the stalk is soft take up the spinach, press every drop of water out of it, then put it on a board and chop it with a very sharp knife until it is almost pulp. Then sea son it with salt and a teaspoonful of sugar, moisten it with a little cream or milk, add a small piece of butter, and place it where it will get hot, but not boil. The chopping is a little tiresome and takes some time, but nothing is ac complished without some trouble. It is not a generally acceded fart, but cooks as a class are very unselfish, and unless they arc, success never really crowns their ef forts. Unselfishness is as necessary as skill, because the cook rarely or ever can eat tho viands she prepares, and all the labor is for those more fortunate ones who have only to enjoy them. A large per cent, of iron enters into the make-up of carrots, and those whose vitality is low, and those who sutler from poverty of the blood, should eat this vegetable in season and out of season. It is a very palatable way of obsorbing iron into the system, and it will not necessitate a visit and a conse quent bill from the dentist, as iron in variably does when taken in a liquid form. flnlnrv conked nr uncooked, is a specific against rheumatism, and toma toes for purifying the blood have no rival. Asparagus helps, and in some cases prevents kidney trouble To preserve the flavor and appearance of vegetables, they should be keep in a cool, clean, dark place, but in any house that is heated by a furnace, a cool, dark place is somewhat very difficult to find. Even if you have not a very good place to keep vegetables always buy them by the bushel; this quantity will certainly keep and will save you many a penny. Look them over carefully from time to time, and as soofr' as any of them show signs of decaf" 'emove them, and use the one nearest to them for the next meal. No matter how cool a jdace you may have, a constant supervision is necessary, because an apple may have been bruised by falling, and unless it is thrown away in time it will be a source of eoutagion to the rest. The same holds good with all other vegetables. — Hr okbjn Citizen. Useful Hints. The most useful kitchen utensil is a . sharp knife. i The covers of the range should never t be allowed to get red hot. t A hot shovel held over varnished fur- f niturc will fake out white spots. I Clean the zinee under the kitchen J store with a woolen cloth saturated in kerosene. . - " Buckwheat and hominy should be lought. in small quantities and kept in a :ovcred tub. Baking soda dissolved in spirits of !" :amphor and applied to corns night and ” Horning will entirely remove them. . ’’ For a s >rc throat, cut slices of fat, boneless bacon, pepper thickly and tie 1 around the throat with a flannel cloth. " tMadeha vines can be kept growing j Upright, and bright and beautiful all j ■Winter, and they will help to beautify an uns’ghtly corner of a room wonder fli 11 tv •va.Aj • Soap should never be rubbed on flan nels, but they should be washed in warm suds and rinsed in water of ■ the same temperature as that in which they are washed. A little bluing in the second water will improve their color. An tipple grated and stewed with meat Of any sort will insure its being tender. Vinegar or lemon juice is also useful in removing the strong flavor from beef kidney. If sliced and soaked for a time in the acid it becomes almost as mild as Sometimes the lamp wick will obsti nately refuse to be turned up in an or derly manner. It will seem firmly wedged at one side, while the other will run up in a point, causing a weariness and vexation of spirit. To overcome this depravity, take a new wick, draw out it single thread near the selvage, and the wick will be found quite tractable when introduced into the burner. The cogs will take it up properly, and it will appear in good form and give an even flame when lighted. A Trick in Rifle Shooting. “Nt), sir, I do not claim to be an ex pert at rifle shooting,” said ( apt. Jack Crawford, in answer to the Arounder's inquiry. “There is too much trickery— a sort of sleigh'.-of hand business con nected with it. I do pretend to be h crack shot, and to excel in accuracy and rapidity with a Winchester rifle. The Winchester Arms Company have offered repeatedly to back me for $5,000 against any man iu the world for that sort of skill. I have fired twelve shots in three and a half seconds. But here, let me enlighten you as to one of the neat little tricks used in many shots.” Here the scout produced what appeared to be, as . he held it at a distance, a brass shell tipped with a leaden ball. “Looks like a bullet, don’t, it?” he said with a laugh. “Well, it isn’t. It is sirapty a papier mache protuberance appropriately colored to look like lead. Now I’ll show you what’s behind it.” Picking open the cl*1 he disclosed to view a quantity of shot—about 200 he said were in the shell, with just enongh powder at the butt to do the work. “How are these used? You have probably witnessed the feat of cracking glass balls thrown in the air by shooting at them with a Winches ter, and while riding a horse going at a gallop. Well, that’s the kind of a ‘ball’ cartridge that is used, and the spectators look on with wonder and admiration, supposing that it is done with a single ball; and that is something, my boy, that no man in the world has ever done or will do, because it is a physical impos ijbility.”—Courier. WASHINGTON CHAT. IMIING* AN 11 HAYING* AT OI K NAT ION A I, * * PITA I,. rii«* (ioNNip nt lhr Vnriottft Drpn rl iiiriilw— lloinit* of thr Nation** Law MakerN. Ainun»» the nominations sent to the Senate by the President were the follow ng postmasters: Robert M. Gardner, 'twistiansbnrg, Va.; C. L. Jack, Fer laudina, Fla.; Wm. T. Broyles, Dayton, I'enn. Memorials were presented by Mr. illair in favor of a national prohibitory constitutional amendment. One by Mr. [lour agaimt the admission of Utah as a state so long as its local power is in the lands of the Mormon priesthood. Also, several in favor of the Blair educational aill. A bill was introduced by Mr- Hoar to provide for a world's exposition at the national capital in 1892, and thereafter of a permanent exposition of three Americas in honor of a four hundredth anniversary t»f the discovery of America. Referred to the select committee on the centennial celebration. Mr. Mitchell then called up the joint resolution introduced by him on December 12th, for tiie appointment of a commission to select a site for a naval station on the Pacific coast, and addressed the Senate in advocacy of it. Mr. Dolph also spoke in favor of the same resolu tion. The Senate then, at 2.tin, took up tiie Rlair educational hill as unfinished business. The report (unanimous) of the committee on education and labor was then read, after which Mr. Blairsaid that ius the bill had been long before the country, and had twice passed the Senate, the friends of the measure thought it proper to yield the floor to those opposed to it. Mr. Reagan opposed the bill. He argued in detail that the Southern states were not in need of Federal aid for tiie DU|)[)uri ui iiuir cuimuuu sruuuia, «uu showed that in the state of Texas the school fund for this year was $0,100,000. Mr. Vest obtained the floor, but yielded to Mr. Plumb, who offered an amend ment to the second section providing that the money shall be distributed among the several states and terri tories in proportion to their popula tion, according to the census of 1880. The following bills were introduced in the House and referred: By Mr. E. B. Taylor, of Ohio, for tlie preservation of tlie woods and forests of tlie national do main adjacent to sources of navigable rivers; also to restore the rate of duty on imported wool. By Mr. Stewart, of Georgia, authorizing national banks to take liens on real estate for loans of money. By Mr. Collins, of Massachusetts, to establish a marine signal board of the United States with a view to tlie adop tion of tlie code and system of marine and fog signals; also for the prevention if cruelty to animals. The Speaker then mnounced the committees. Mr. Plumb suggested the inquiry wheth ■r the object in giving the list was an ipprehension that any of tlie Senators vho had voted for the bill might get way. Mr. Blair read letters from edu atioual authorities in Texas complaining f a want of funds there and urging the assage of th'1 bill. The, Senate then rocecded to the consideration of exeeu- i vc business. At 5:10, the doors were a.iponed and the Senate adjourned. gossip. 1 President and Mrs. Cleveland have * sen formally invited to attend tlie open- ( g of the Sub-Tropical Exposition at , vcksonville, Fla. Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, Secretary of the ntevior, has resigned his position, to void embarrassment to the Government, lending his confirmation as judge on the iupremc Court bench. Appearances now ndicate he will be confirmed as judge. Sherbune G. Hopkins, tlie young news- , lajier reporter, who some weeks ago sent i sham infernal machine to Chief Justice IVaite, for the purpose of creating a sen sation and selling news, plea'd guilty in tlie police court to the charge of attempt ing to obtain money upon false pretenses, and was fined $100. Tlie first of the annual series of presi dential state dinners was given at. the White House to members of the cabinet. Tlie public parlors were handsomely deco raieu wiui paims, pmiru |ii«uu.-, Bowers, while festoons of.smilax were entwined around the chandeliers. All the lower part of the house was brilliantly lighted. Tlie dinner table was adorned with a floral centre piece consisting of a bank of red roses three, feet or more in length, and a tower of ruses standing at each end, while the whole was set off by missive shining candelabra. HCHOONEKH l.OST. The consignees of the two masted schooner Mary S. Tibbetts, ('apt. Keen, bound from Virginia to Philadelphia with pine wood, fear that she lias been lost with all hands. She has not been heard from since leaving Hampton Roads. The missing vessel sailed from Hampton Roads with the schooners C. G. Cram mer, I). & E. Kciley and W. AY. Pharro. All of these, vessels were caught in a ter rific hurricane the following day. The two latter were lost. Crammer got into port with the assistance of the revenue cutter Hamilton, having, six feet of water in her hold, and otherwise badly damaged. It is feared the Tibbetts went down with all hands. _ _ IN TIIE TOIIiH. J. C. Hamilton, marshal, of Tennille. R3a., caught Cordy Harris, a negro, in the ret of placing an iron rail across the track, at the 138 mile post, on the Cen tral Railroad in AVest Cut. The up night freight* No. 105, passed about ten miu atesTafter the rail was removed, and was going at a fearfully rapid rate. Had it struck the rail the whole train, no doubt, would have been wrecked. 1 he case was worked up by a colored detective, Robert Paine, and the proof against Harris is positive. This is the second ittempt at wrecking the train at this place, besides several instances of trains being rocked while passing the cut. Hairis is a man about 40 years old, and has long borne n shady reputation in the oounty. The Supreme Court of Iowa has decided in favor of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad in a suit brought against it by the the Milwaukee Malt Extract Company for I refusing to transport new beer in tut State. AN INDIAN SHOW DANCE. ITS PERFORMANCES AT STANDING ROCK AGENCY IN DAKOTA. A GrdtPsqiiP Sight in a Eng Hotisf —Indian Cmirting-Kaglc Feath ers— Hunting Without Guns. I had long been wanting to see at Indian “snow dance,” when one Satur day, after the usual bi-monthly issue o rations, it was rumored that there win to be an unusually large one about fou miles from the post. It was a clear cold winter night, with the mereur; standing at twenty-eight degrees belov zero. The members of our little part; were soon snugly nestling in the strav at Iho bottom of n Government sleigh and we were traveling toward the dane as fast as four good mules could drav us. The danec was held in a low log house about forty feet long and eighteen fee wide. The doorand windows were open and the house, which was not divide' into rooms, was lighted by two kerosen lamps. We entered during a lull in th festivities. In one end of the room squatting on the ground close to the wall were thirty-five or forty squaws, drcssci in their usual calico dresses and woolc shaw ls. Around the walls at the othe end sat the mule guests, each with hi blanket or sheet drawn over him. Inon corner of the bucks’ end of the room wa a tom-tom, or Indian drum, arouni which were seated just as many oli bucks as could crowd into the little cit cle. Near the middle of the room at th squaws’ end was another drum, cquall well provided with musicians. Nea these was a small stove, in w'hich wrinkled old buck was keeping up a fir by feeding it with twigs. We range ourselves along the wall near the dooi and, although our entrance was notice by all, they gave no indication ui it u look or word. Boon after our entrance the old fellow around (lie tom-toms began to beat ther with measured cadence, at the same tim accompanying the sound by crooning weird song. Suddenly one buck three off liis sheet, and springing to his fee began to dance. He was quickly fol lowed by the others, and in a momen our brains were almost whirling at th grotesque sight. The dancing consiste of a series of horrible contort ions of bod and face, accompanied by the mos blood-curdling shrieks and yells, th feet, meantime, keeping accurately th cadence of the drums. The Indians wer painted in the most striking manne from head to foot. Each had a head dress or bonnet of colored buffalo bait with a fringe of eagle feathers runniuj down the back. Brass bracelets am anklets and strings of beads also adornei many of them. The description of th decorations of one of them will serve fo all. In addition to the adornment above mentioned he had a double strinj of sleigh bells running from his ankle ti ii strap passed around the leg at the knee At the small of his back, and attached t< his girdle, was an immense buncl }{ long, colored buffalo hair. His face ivas painted saffron yellow, with a largi •ed spot on either cheek, and horizonta •ed lines running across the forehead, lis eyebrows and the edges of the lid) vere painted a duzziing white. His iody was red, and his arms and legs wen light blue, with occasional bauds if yellow. In one hand he brandished a omahawk, highly ornamented with col ■red horse hair and porcupine quills, anc us appearance was truly hideous as h< wistett himself into almost impossihb positions and gave his blood-curdlin' yell. After the dancing had been goin; an ten or fifteen minutes the tom-tom ceased, and he retired to his place by th wall and covered his steaming body wit’ a cotton sheet, lie had probably walkci a mile through the snow with the thei mometer 28 degrees below zero, wit only that cotton sheet to protect hn from the cold. Each dance was termir Sited by the old dime-novel war whooj which the small boy imitates by yellin' and at the same time vibrating his han before his mouth. Once in every hour the squaws are a lowed to take part in the dancing whi the bucks rest. They join hands an form a circle about their tom-tom, an their daneim/ consists of a series of sic hitdie-i to the left, accompanied by sin; ing. They slowly travel around tl circle. Should any buck come ne; enough to the circle, the squaw neare seizes his hand, and he is compelled I join the squaw dance and make his ca| tor a present at its close. At intervals during the dance we ha noticed two squaws enter, carrying b twen them an iron pot slung on a pol The pot was deposited near the stov and the squaws disappeared only to r pcutcdly return with other similar bu dens. The contents of the pots, we di covered, constituted the refreshments, had the curiosity to look into one of tl pots, and was horrified to find it till* with a muddy liquid, out of which wi protruding the grinning head of a goo* sized dog] Jt had been killed by a bio on the head and thrown us it was in the pot to boil. Each guest brings wi) him to the dance atm cup with which 1 helps himself to the soup at the prop time. Fearing that we might be call* to join the feast, we beat a hasty rctrea our brains whirling with the stran; scene l,eft behind. At these dances tl Indians even now work themselves in a perfect frenzy, and it has always bei a custom with them to engage in a dan before going to war or on the eve of battle. For this reason they arc allow* to dance only on certain stated occasion A scene accompanying nearly eve dance is the Indian “courting.” As the case amo^; civilized people, some the maidens are more sought after tin others, and it frequently happens th eight or ten bucks will be seeking tl hand of the same girl. They wait in tl vicinity of the dance until she appeal when one of them approaches her, thro* half of his blanket over her should* places his arm around her waist, at walks away a short distance with he telling her of his mad devotion for he of his wealth and prospects, and ho many ponies he is willing to give h father for her. hand. He then retur with her, and the next buck goes throut the same scene, and so on until all ha' proposed. She then consults her fathe anti’, if all is satisfactory, when the dan is over she goes home with the accept* lover, and without further ceremony th* are man and wife. I spoke above] of the ornament*1 ■v m -- i 1 eagle feathers. Those are the half white, half I black feathers from the eagle s » wings, and are greatly prized by thp jjS Indians, who consider them -‘good medi- * cine.” But in order to be acceptable to || the Indians, the feathers must have been fjl taken from an eagle whose blood lias not been spil ed. In order to accomplish this, the Indian goes to a place near some \ eagle’s nest and digs a cylindrical hole in j the ground innsrkct price for an eagle killed in this, , w iy is two young ponies, t The Sioux Indians have all been dis , anued, and depend entirely upon their 1 skill as huntsmen and their bows and ai 3 rows for game. The buffaloes are all 3 gone, and ?t is seldom that they are able to bag an antelope. Every morning after a snow storm numbers of Indians in pairs. 1 go out aft er jack rabbits. They arm them i selves with only a club, and follow the r rabbit’s tracks stealthily until lie is found s resting behind a clump of sage or in a 5 hole il the snow. Then a quick blow ol , the club and-the rabbit is bagged. I have 1 known two Indians to kill as many as nve 1 of them in one morning. Foxes and wolves the Indians poison, b using their red paint for that purpose. j They eat poisoned loxes and wolves and r consider uum ““ i. i dogs. . B The constant tendency among these In t dians is, however, to leave the chase and turn to civilization; and when one re { members that only ten years ago many r of the Indians who now own little farms scorned the thought of manual labor as g degrading, the out look fortliem is cer j tainly better than some pessimists would e have us believe.—New Yorlc Sun. * WISE WORDS. r 'i ' - . One good act done to-day is worth a j. thousand in contemplation for some fu ture time. _ j | No man can bo provident of his time ^ i who is not prudent in the ehoiee ol ins l ; company. 3 J Manage all your actions and thoughts b i in such a manner as if you were just go 3 j ingout of the world, r ! Talents archest matured in solitude; - ; character is best formed in tlic stormy ■ billows of the world. > 1 Order is the sanity of the mind, the health of the body, the peace of the city, | j the security of the State. „ Many men claim to be firm in their 9 principles when really they are only ob r stinate in their prejudices. > There are often rare abilities lost to the world that are but ill-bestowed on those , who do not know how to employ them to [ advantage. j The bee, though it. finds every rose has i I a thorn, comes back loaded with honey j from his rambles, and why should not | other tourists do the same, j An accession of wealth is a dangerous predicament for a man. At first he is stunned, if the accession be sudden; he ! is verv humble and very grateful. Then i he begins to speak a little louder, people j think him more sensible, and soon he ! thinks himself so. The Christinas Tree. ; o, ■ the i Christ, 3 mas t ree ! r.o bright and green, \ * awaits O 1 d Ran t a Claus. 1 And the chiin a ney plajoall swept and clean gapes wide its ponderous jaws. ’ The little stockings are all hung up, and baby’s :l just makes four. Won't Old Santa Claus be surprised when he finds there is no more. There’s an elegant place up in the e tree to hang Johnny’s gun, and a d place for May and one for Kate to ri leave their dolls upon. But for little baby blue eyes a lower branch he must e choose, where she may reach and find the r. i.t..«• .in.tr cl./vu! Turn e down the light a little, now, s