Willmar tribune. [volume], January 10, 1906, Image 7

About Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
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I
'Hi
Columbus, O—The man in the pic
tuie, presented in this "Story of a
Strange Life," has been in the public
eye for over half a century. He is
kno vn to hundreds ot thousands of
people in the middle western states
and 10 hundreds ot thousands more in
the other states of the union, for dur
ing almost his entire life, now meas
ured Ly over four score of years, he has
been a wanderer As "the Apostle ot
Truth" he has probably spoken to
more people publicly and ottener than
any clher living man In Ohio, In
diana Il'inois, Michigan and Wiscon
sin ne is known by name and features,
mo.e geneially than any ot the gov
ernors, congressmen, or other public
men and the same la true oi him in
many ot the other states, particularly
in the west
THE STORY OF
A STRANGE LIFE
Let him enter almost any city or
town in these states now and pass
alon^ the public stieets, and, although
he may not have been theie for years,
hunch eds of those whom he met would
recognize him His tall form, marked
features, and long gray locks hanging
down o\er his shoulders, with his
peculianties of manner, would attract
attention He would be stopped and
gieeted by the initials of his Chris
tian name by many ot the men whom
he met and the next ls^ue of the daily
or weakly paper would have in it the
mention of the piesence on the streets
of "the Immoital N, the Philoso
pher and the Statesman." This has
been true of him since the days of the
war of the rebellion It is true of
him now
The Immortal, J. N. Free. One
of the Most Unique Char
acters of His Times.
MIND SHATTERED INHIS YOUNG MANHOOD
Toured the Country as the Demosthenes of
America and Apostle of the Truth and
Was Known by Thousands—
Is Not Dead, But Liveth.
Several times during the last few
years the repoit has gone out that
"the Immortal N. Free is dead," and
it was published many of the news
papers of the country. There are very
many people who, having seen no
contradiction of the statement, now
believe that the report of his death
was true The Immortal N is not
dead, he yet liveth I met him
only a few weeks ago on the streets
of Columbus, O While the strong,
vigorous health of former years nas
gone, he is yet very much alive, and
it is possible that another generation
may come into the world to gaze upon
the old fellow and wonder at his eccen^
tncities, just as their grandfathers
and great-grandfathers have done.
But J. N. is not now the continuous,
rapid wanderer of the years gone by.
Even his iron constitution has yielded
to time's influences. He is broken in
health. But his restless spirit keeps
him on the occasional move. His
mind, more shattered than ever, is now
unable to carry a continuous thought
for more than a few minutes, yet his
memory of faces and names, which
was always one of his remarkable
characteristics, continues good. He
now spends considerable of his time,
when his illness does not permit him
to travel, at the homes of relatives
living in McCutcheonsville, O., and Co
lumbus. He has sisters at both places.
For many years J. N. has been
called "crazy." In a large sense, this
is without doubt true. His mind has
been impaired since a time before the
civil war of the rebellion. His conver
sation and his public speeches were
evidences of this fact. He could not
speak about anything intelligently for
long at a time. For a few sentences
he might give utterance to a brilliant
thought, but then he would wander off
into a maze of words that no one could
follow, or, at least, form into sense.
He would talk about "lifting the veil,"
and "assuming the pressure," etc., and
his theory for solving national ques
tions and party differences, but his au
diences were never given the details
Still Living in Ohio.
of the theory, because his mind flew
off at a tangent before he got to this
part of his speech. He was witty
at times, entertaining at times, but
for the most part his talk was tire
some and his audiences left the hall
or the public places where he was
speaking long before he had finished.
The mind of J. N. was early
wrecked. As a boy and young man he
possessed brilliant mental attainments,
far superior to the youth of his
neighborhood, and it was often said
that the future had in store high
honors and a useful career for Jacob
N Free. He was the son of a farm
er, and was born on a farm near Mc
Cutcneonsville, a small village in Wy
andotte county, Ohio, on the main
road between Tiffin and Upper San
dusky. His father, addition to his
farm duties, followed teaching as a
profession, and taught the country
schools for years in that vicinity. The
old larm home in which J. N. was
born is yet standing along the main
road, pointed out frequently to the
passer-by as the place that gave birth
to the wandering philosopher and
apostle of truth. J. N. was given
every advantage in the way of an early
education, and he improved his oppor
tunities. He attended an academy and
carried off the honors of his class
Then he studied law, was admitted to
the bar, and entered upon the practice
of the profession.
Tried a Murder Case.
There are several stories afloat as
to the circumstances that led to the
dethronement of his reason. One of
them is that it occurred during the
trial, or, rather, just after its close,
of a murder case. Not long after his
admission to the bar he was employed
to defend a man accused of murder.
J. N. believed implicitly that his client
was innocent, and he entered with all
his energies into his defense. For
several weeks before the trial took
place he worked continuously in the
preparation of the testimony and the
law points that would come up at its
hearing.
The trial of the case lasted a week.
During that time N. worked assid
uously, far into the night, giving him
self scarcely any time for sleep. His
speech, the closing one for the defense,
was a master piece of eloquence, and
Free as Student and Orator and Portrait of Him as He Is To-Day.
when he had finished, tired and worn
out, he left the court-room and went
to his hotel to lie down, leaving his co
counsel to be present in the court
when the verdict of the jury was re
turned. Thoroughly exhausted, J. N.
slept for several hours.being awakened
by a knock at the door. To his "come
in" his client walked into the room
The jury had returned a verdict of
not guilty, and the man had hastened
to Free to thank him tor his efforts in
his behalf.
During the conversation he confessed
to the young lawyer that he was really
guilty. Free, indignant and excited,
hastily threw on his coat, grabbed up
his hat, and rushed out of the room
to notify the judge of the terrible
mistake the jury had made. When
he reached the judge's home he was
in a towering rage, hardly able to
explain the nature of his mission.
The shock of the discovery that he
had cleared a guilty murderer ren
dered him insane and threw him into
a violent fever. For weeks he lay
between life and death, and when
finally he recovered sufficiently to be
out, his health was so poorly that his
father thought it best for him to give
up study and the law for awhile, and
go west.
Lost Bis All in a Fire. ,,
About this time. 1849, the 'gold
fever in California was at its height,
and Free went there. He was soon
engaged in a successful business, and
was rapidly on the road to fortune at
Maysville, when, in a single night,
1852, lire practically destroyed the en
tire business section of the town. The
building in which J. N. was "located
was burned, and almost everything he
had was lost. His escape from the
building was miraculous, and' the
night's horrors were of such a na
ture that his reason was again affect
ed. For a few years he sought to
bring fortune's smiles back to him but
was unsuccessful, and he returned to
his old home in Ohio. The condition
of his mind continued to grow worse,
and he was seized with the fancy that
he was the apostle of truth. He be
gan a lecturing tour, rpeaking on gov
ernmental questions and calling him
self then "the Demosthenes of Amer
ica." In the memorable presidential
campaign preceding the war of the re
bellion he took a part, not, however,
as a Republican or a Democrat. He
campaigned independently, speaking
whenever and wherever his wander
ings took him. The breaking out of
the war evolved in his demented mind
his theory for the solution of the dif
ficulties that separated the north and
the south, a theory which, if accepted,
he maintained would bring about
peace. He claimed that both sides
were right, "viewed from their own
standpoints," and both wrong, "viewed
from the standpoint of the other." His
mission was "to lift the veil" and show
each side its error.
His first public speech along this
line was at Tiffin, O. He spoke on
the public square, and he had a great
crowd to listen to him. His utterances
were of such a violent nature that for
his own protection the officials took
him into custody ani placed him in
jail. He was, however, soon released,
and then he went from town to town
through Ohio speaking on his theory
for "staying the bloody hand of war,"
and bombarding the newspapers with
his views.
Visited Lincoln and Davis.
It was some time after this that
he went to Washington. His mission
was to see President Lincoln and ar
range a meeting between him and
President Davis for a peaceable set
tlemsnt of the war, seemingly satis
fied that if he could get the two to
gether that he could end the war.
President Lincoln accorded him an in
terview. To him J. N. unfolded his
theory. He desired Lincoln to pass
him through the army lines so that
he could visit President Davis at Rich
mond. President Lincoln was amused
with his eccentricities, and, seeing the
harmlessness of his madness, fur
nished him with protection through
the lines and a note to Davis.
J. N. reached Richmond and called
on President Davis, to whom he also
explained his theory, and was given
the privilege of "airing his views"
on the streets of Richmond. He was
not slow in doing it. His queer ways
pleased the confederate soldiers for
awhile, but ere long he became a
nuisance, and, on the pretense that he
was a northern spy, he was sent back
through the lines to Washington. He
returned satisfied that he had made con
verts to his theory of both Lincoln and
Davis, and resumed his lecturing tours
through different cities of the north,
posing as "the martyr of truth" and
preaching his theory of "lifting the
veil." Throughout the years since
then he has followed this mission, and
there are few cities and towns, in the
west, particularly, that he has not
spoken in. Now, however, his mind is
so shattered that he never attempts
to make a public speech. So many
know him in every place he wanders
that he always finds those who will
extend him hospitality and help out
of -sympathy.
Never Paid Railroad Fare.
The source of his money supply J.
N. always refused to divulge, as ob
stinately as he refused to tell his age.
He was seemingly never without it
when occasion demanded that he
should fish up a nickel or dime for
lunch, or some obstreperous landlord
or railroad conductor positively re
fused to acknowledge his philosopher's
right to the best without price. As a
rule he travels on a life or yearly
railroad pass, and had free swing at
any hotel he entered.
Occasionally he had some qu'eer
ways of getting out of paying hotel
bills. If the landlord or clerk was
persistent, he would say: "Ton don't
seem to know who I am. I am the Im
mortal J. N., the philosopher." "Oh,
well," finally the man behind the desk
would say, "in that case I will throw
off one-half of your bill." Then J.
N. would straighten up with the dig
nity of a prince and reply in a tone
that could be heard throughout the
hotel olllce^v^.
"My dear sir, I never allow any man
to beat me in liberality. I will meet you.
I'll throw off the other half."
Then, if the hotelkeeper resented
this summary method of settlement, and
protested that he could not stand that
way of dealing J. N. would tell him that
he had better sell out to some one
who could. The landlords knew him
so well that generally his bills were
marked d. b. long before he left the
hotel. He seldom imposed on them in
this manner more than once or twice a
year, and it became a rule among them
to give him the free hand, for he never
remained with them 24 hours at a
time.
He had the same sort of a snap'on
the railroads. There was hardly a
railroad in the country on which he
did rot have a free annual pass, on
some of them life passes. It was a
contribution that he levied on railroad
presidents or superintendents "for the
cause of truth," and there were few
who refused him. Until within the last
several years he carried a pocketful
of passes. Now his supply is limited,
and for this reason, and because of his
advancing years and broken health, he
does not get over the country so much
as he did formerly.
During his lifetime, for a half century,
anyhow, he has been one of the most
continuous travelers in the country.
He seldom remained in a town long
er than a day. He seemed to want to
be on the move all the time. His was
Scenes from Life of J. W. Free.
a restless, wandering natui'e, and he
made towns and cities about as rapidly
as the commercial traveler does, with
the added element that "he was al
ways at it." There were no vacations
with him.
Knew Many Public Men.
J. N. knew and was known by about
every editor in the country, in the
western states, at any rate. About the
first thing he did after getting into
a town was to find his way to a news
paper office to write his own an
nouncements of his meetings and fill
his pockets with exchanges. He
generally heralded his coming with a
postal card, written at some other
town, to the editor. His published
meetings, of late years, failed to ma
terialize. He realized the fact that he
could not hold his audiences, and con
tented himself with the notices that he
got through the newspapers. He al
ways hunted up old friends, however,
and they "stood the pressure" for a
coin of greater or less denomination.
But J. N. never begged he only ac
cepted such sums as contributions to
the cause of truth. His acquaintance
among public men was wide. He knew
about every lawyer and politician in
any town he might v.sit. For many
years he was acquainted with every
president, and most «:f the governors,
senators and congressmen. He never
forgot a face or name. In his visits
of the states if he happened at the
capital when the legislature was in ses
sion, he was asked to address it. There
was seldom a political convention, na
tional or senate, that he did not at
tend, bobbing up at some of them in
recent years, when many of the dele
gates had supposed him to be dead.
Such was the case at Ihe Illinois state
convention which he attended a year
or two ago. At that time it was said
that "it was only the ghost of the Im
mortal J. N."
Legacy He Will Leave.
When J. N. is dead, when with him
this mortality shall have, in reality,
put on immortality, it will be a
strange life record that he will leave
behind—surely not such a one that
in the days of his young manhood lie
had hoped, and had «very promise of
leaving. He was brilliant then, gift
ed, environed by circumstances that
would have led him into positions of
honor. J. N. might lave been a ta
vorite son of Ohio, a governor, a
United States senator, had not his
intellect been early clouded. Such was
the dream of his youth, such was his
ambition when he was admitted to the
bar. Now when death comes to him,
and it cannot be far off, the journal
ists, and the .thousands who knew
him, will speak of him as a crank, a
man who was wedded to a theory that
had nothing practical in it, that "his
life was an aimless, wasted one. They
will Fay that he accomplished nothing,
simply chased a phantom, an Idea
which he was never able to define in
telligibly. This is the legacy the Im
mortal J. N. Free will leave.
FRANK DILDINK.
Funereal Phonograph.
A Sullivan county (Mo.) dead man
sang at his own funeral. A phono
graph was placed on his coffin. When
the religious ceremony was over the
phonograph was turned on and the
church listened to the dead man's
voice rendering one of his f«rortt«
Winter Styles in General
SUMPTUOUS GOWNS FROM ACROSS TH2 WATER.
Walking along the avenue of an aft
ernoon, one might easily think he had
exchanged his everyday clear spectacles
for rose-colored glasses, so many rose
broadcloth garbed maidens does he
meet
Usually for street wear the pinks and
corals are toned down a nttle by acces
sories, dark furs lessen the evening
dress aspect, and are affected by the
lady that has chosen for her tailor suit
anything jis delicate as one of these
rose-colored cloths. If winter gives
true 'promise of spring fashions, the
coming season will assuredly be a col
orful one.
The very latest wrinkle is the plaid
skirt and plain coat, this affected by
young girls. It is a jaunty style, and
when good materials are employed i-e
effect is excellent for a walking suit.
Combinations are very much the thing,
the use of uifferent fabrics velvet and
net we have spoken of several times,
and may have (mentioned the use of
chiffon with broadcloth.
Midwinter styles are sumptuous, rich
materials, voluminous cloaks, furs and
feathers of a magnificence. Our illus
tration shows a trio of gowns designed
In" Paris, and unmistakably Frencny.
But the American women wear them,
and know how to wear them. For aft
ernoon and evening the long skirt holds
sway, and though skirts continue to
outline the figure about the hips it
takes yards and yards to make the
gown of the day. Note the marked fea
Blue and white is ever a clean, pret
ty combination in dress, and especial
ly attractive for a sunny-haired small
girl. The design here pictured of a
child's frock is a blue and white serge,
the model suitable for a girl from six
to eight years old. The skirt is cut
circular and fulled in a little at the
belt. Directly down the middle of the
skirt runs a band of white serge fin
ished, at the bottom with three small
white?* pearl buttons. The neat white
sergeVest is finished at the neck with
a band of blue silk, and the serge
waist *is trimmed with 'bands of white
and the pearl buttons. The sleeve puff
has a box-pleat extending to the el
bow, and shoulder straps of white
bands. The belt is of white.
We must say a word for the oft-neg
lected' misses, for noljody cares to be
well dressed more than the sensitive
young ladies. Fashions for them are
well decided by now, and have turned
out much as was prophesied earlier.
The plain three-quarters and longer
wraps obtain for general wear the
short separate jacket is seldom seen
nowadays, for very dressy wear. Eton
suits lead in favor. There are num
bers of long separate wraps, these do
duty for both utility and "best" The
colors most to the fore are gray, red
and black. For school wear there are
Peter Thompson suits in small plaids,
serges and cheviots.
A word now for the still more neg
lected boy. Boys along from seven to
double that age, take to the jaunty
Norfolk suits. The single-breasted
models with bloomer knickerbockers
lead, bloomers a feature of the present
season. Gray is a favorite color fancy
mixtures are also liked and navy blue,
as usual, has a big following. Browns
are not so mucz: worn as formerly.
The younger lads have remained faith
ful to the Russian blouse,,but the sailor
has advanced very considerably, re
gained much of its former popularity.
Fashions of the' elders creep down
into the children's world, and broad
cloth has been used for the little ones
a great deal this year, as well as for
the big ones. White broadcloth coats
are warm and may be made very fetch
ing. There are broadcloth hoods for
the wee girlies, quaint affairs big in
fro»t and chopped off in the rear. The
neat little silk bonnet is by no means
banished, and forms demure contrast
to poke and bonnet and like headgear.
The* picturesque Greenaway hats fol
low much the same lines as the pic
turesque lingerie hats of last summer,
and may be trimmed with posies as
were these hats. mi&A&
tures of the pictured models the long, worn by the older women, young girls
lines of the gown, the short sleeves, go in for short-waisted empire styles,
the plume hats, the rich quality but The latter are particularly girlish,
Fashions for the Children
what good results it might be repro
duced by the home needlewoman.
Colder and colder grows the weather,
thinner and filmier grow the fashion
able lingerie waists. As"these waists
will continue to be worn next summer
many women are adding considerably
to their stock now and for 'liese we
would mention that short sleeves are
fashionable as ever, and that sleeves
generally are less full than last sea
son.* The finest of materials are liked,
one better economize on quantity oi
trimming and get beautiful goods
When the long sleeve is made, have it
fit close to the elbow, all the fulness
come between elbow and shoulder.
Gowns for dressy occasions are trim
med with lace picked out in gold
thread, the effect often very beautiful.
The Louis coats of brocade silk not in
frequently show tracery of gold thread,
and we may say he?e that these
basqued coats of brocade worn with
plain petticoat are the latest style. A
beautiful costume was seen the other
evening at a restaurant dinner the
petticoat of white net embroidered in
gold thread, the Louis coat of white
velvet, the hat a large white velvet.
In connection with this 'beautiful even
ing gown, we would refer to an equally
charming creation of peach colored
chiffon broadcloth made princess style
and worn with a bolero of Irish crochet
lace.
The Louis coats of rich brocade are
plain disposal of the trimming. Furs more becoming. Liberty satin and cuticle. Football heroes feel comfort
of the day are extremely handsome, the crepe de chine are appropriate mate
great flat muffs most picturesque. We! rials, and the fashionable pink a very
recently had attention called to a appropriate color for the debutante.
broadcloth muff arranged in loose Net over silk is well liked, and sheer
pleats but keeping to the form now fa-' nets trimmed with ribbon are again in
vored, and thought how easily and with vogue.
We saw a sturdy little man walking
along the other day in a trim overcoat
of black astrakhan, and were impressed
by the fact that black, when properly
used is very 'becoming to children.
Box-coat effects are now liked in boys'
FOR GIRL FROM SIX TO EIGHT.
overcoats here, too, we see the Rus
sian blouse pushed back a little by a
rival. The youngsters want clothes
that look like father's, and the box
overcoat makes them supremely happy.
Boys from five to 16 are wearing coats
of about the same cut. Gray is a fa
vorite color in these, and the black
velvet color is often seen. Cord Bran
denbergs are liked for fastenings, and
give a good touch to the otherwise very
plain garments. Caps that can be pulled
down over the ears are preferred for
the very small boy and affected by Ue
larger ones when the weather is pretty
cold. There is something very attrac
tive about a little black-coated laddie
with a -soft white Shetland toboggan
cap on his head such a suggestive
(mixture of man and baby.
In hand coverings, there is a wide
variety to select from and the little
double mittens are as good as any
thing. Probably a girl will like one
pair of kid gloves for ••best," but the
stand-by with children is the warm
mitten. In furs we think there is noth
ing prettier or more becoming than
snowy wiute and one can get very
4* a moderate price.
4 ELLEN OSMONDJB.
KIDNAPED BY AN INDIAN.
Prise Story by a Thirteen-Year-Old
Michigan Girl—A Thrilling
Adventure.
One Sunday afternoon in May Fran
ces Hall and Bessie Meyers thought
they would take a walk to the woods
for flowers. They were just about to
pick seme violets when they heard
yells like those of Indians. Both girls
were very much' frightened, and
neither knew what to do.
Bessie whispered in terror to Fran
ces, "Whatever will Lecome of us?"
But before Frances could speak an
Indiaa sprang from the thicket and
seized her with one hand and Bessie
with the other. Both girls screamed
for help, but no one was near. The
Indian then told them not to be afraid
for he would not harm them but that
did very little to quiet their fears.
At home their fathers were hunting
for Bessie and Frances, while their
mothers were nearly frantic with anxi
ety.
In the meantime Bessie and Fran
ces were being led to the Indian camp,
where the other Indians were prepar
ing their evening meal of potatoes and
bear meat. The Indians were very kind
to the girls. They gave them nuts and
roasted apples to eat The girls were
enjoving themselves so much that
they nearly forgot where they were.
At last they wanted to go home, but
the Indians told them they were going
to take them to Mexico the next day.
When this became l'no\in the little
captives began to t'nnk of some way
of escape, and finally Bessie thought of
a plan
"We will wait until they are all
asleep," she said, "and then run to the
AN INDIAN SPRANG
THICKET
FROM THE
woods, where we will hide in a thicket
until daylight. When we are sure the
Indians are on their way to Mexico we
will come out and go home."
So at night, when the Indians were
sleeping, both girls clipped away into
the woods, which were not far, and
hid, as they had planned. When morn
ing came the Indians awoke and were
very much surprised to find that their
prisoners had escaped They did not
dare to hunt for them for fear they
would be discovered.
When Bessie and ranees were cer
tain that the Indians had started on
their journey, they went home to their
parents, who had been very anxious
about their safety and had been scour
ing the woods all night.—Detroit Free
Press.
The Football Hero.
In sizing up the modern Hercules
of the gridiron, the Detroit Free Press
unsparingly, though, we must admit,
truthfully says: "The football hero is
not nice to gazs upon. As a rule a
bath is a crying warn with him. He
has a surplus of dirt and a minus of
able with less cuticle than any other
heroes. No football hero is fully
dressed, so far as cuticle is concerned.
He leaves most of his epidermis upon
the green sward and the shoes of the
other players. Football players usu
ally wear their noses flatter and broad
er than other people, and their eyes,
as a rule, are more highly colored.
Blacks and blues are very popular this
year. A football player is a hero only
a few weeks. It is well that it is so,
for if he were expected to work as a
hero all the year round he would not
have a face fit to wear. The first day
after Thanksgiving he has his hair cut
and gives his face a vacation, so that
the wounds of the fray may heal.
When his face gets back to work it
is no handsomer than any other man's,
and the football player is not heard
of again until the snow flies. Foot
ball has been said to be a brutal sport.
That is a matter of opinion. A sure
way to avoid the brutalities of foot
ball is to play croquet."
WHEN WINTER COMES.
"Oh, the weather is nipping!"
Cried Billy Binn
And he drew his coat collar
Up to his chin
"Oh, it makes my nose tingle!
Just to see the snow!
This is the loveliest
Weather I know.
With skates and *ith coaster,
Each day brings new joj
And I'm mighty thankful
To be just a boy."
—Brooklyn Eagle.
Explained.
"People are just crazy"to meet that
'\.U~
A SHADOW SHOW AT HONld
Novel Entertainment Which May Bm
Provided for the Christmas
Holidays.
One of the most pleasurable forms oft
entertainment, in which every boy and!
girl takes a delight, is the shadowl
show, and a home-made one can easiljj
be constructed and varied to yout
heart's content, if you are at all in4
genious.
With four pieces of wood, make si
frame about three feet high and foun
feet long, and stretch across it tightly
some white muslin, and tack it neatljj
all around the frame. This is set UR
in a doorway between rooms about
BEHIND THE SCENES.
three feet above the floor, with the
tacked part of the screen on the side}
where the spectators will sit. .,
The rest of the doorway, above and
below, must be screened with curtains^
behind which the exhibitor stands. J$
piece of tape is stretched across the!
bottom of the screen, close to the1
frame. This holds against the frame
the figures used in the show, and a*
the o&me time allows a continuation
of their feet in the cardboard from
which they are cut to project belowj
and so be held by the exhibitor.
By means of these continuations be
low the feet, the exhibitor can make
the scenery, if you wish, by drawing it
on cardboard and cutting it out.
The show may be a pantomime, oq
the exhibitor may speak for the differ*
ent characters. The boy who really
takes an interest in this clever enter-*
tainment will have first one and then
the other and practice will make him
quite an expert exhibitor.
By the picture you can see how tb
Indian may be made to walk directly
into the dragon's mouth. This is mere*
ly a specimen of what may be done
with the figures. Instead of such tragia
and stirring scenes, you may have hu-^
morous ones by cutting grotesque pic
tures out of the newspapers, pasting
them on cardboard and then cutting
out the cardboard. There is hardly any,
end to the amusement you may have
in this way.
All the figures to be used should be
placed on a table or a chair near the,
exhibitor, or held by an assistant.
With a little ingenuity you can make
the figures so that the arms and legs
and head work on pivots, attaching to
them threads so small that they will
not cast a shadow on the screen. Scen
ery for around the top and the sides
of the screen can be cut out, as the
palm in the picture, for instance but
with a little patience you can work
marvels by constructing various queer
WHAT THE AUDIENCE SEES.
animals and creatures and making Up'
different plays.
Curious effects can be produced, such
as little pickaninnies walking into an
alligator's mouth, or a man going down
a chimney, but you will think of lots
of things when you begin to "run the
show." You could not have a more
pleasant entertainment for your friends
when your arrangements have been
completed, says the People's Home
Journal.
You might have a procession to end
your entertainment by providing dupli
cates of the figures you use in it and
gluing them to a piece of tape in an
upright position. The tape should pass
taut around two large spools, one of
hich is provided with a crank. By
having only the upper part of the tape
on a line with the screen no one will
see the lower side, on which the fig
ures are head down.
The tape must be so adjusted that
the shadows will leave the screen be
fore the figures begin to turn down
ward and not appear at the other en£
until they are in a perfectly upright
position.
By turning the crank you can make
the procession move on and on, when
it is really only a few figures winding
round and round the spools.
Any time or labor that you spend on
this shadow show, which came origi
nally from China, will be rewarded by
the fun it will give you and your
friends.
An Eskimo Dainty.
The greatest treat known to the Es
kimo boy and girl is a lump of sugar.
Perhaps you think there is nothing
very strange in that. The strange part
is, the very funny way they have ot
eating the sugar. They roll the sweet
morsel in a piece of tobacco leaf. This
they place in their cheek, and, smack
ing their lips delightedly, hold it there
until it is dissolved. This dainty is
called "laloop" and is the choicest mor
sel known to the little Eskimo stom
ach.
Horses That Fish.
Horses play an important part in the
shrimp fishing along the Belgian coast.
A procession of weather-beaten fisher
men starts from the shore, each man
mounted on the back of a trained
horse, dragging the triangular purse
shaped net, which scoops in the
shrimps as it passes over the sands.
These fishermen on horseback frequent
ly make 'hauls of several hundred
(I
I N
Fret