Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-07

among his work. and laborers in pionc re a.
| ing, for he is sincerely religious. Often, at
| nlght, ne visits bis wife's tomb, which is con-
cealed by row of expresses, on hiIlock in
/ the park. She died on the Christmas night OF
/ 1908. she was young and charming, and they
appear 10 have been tenderly attached to each
other, although he might have bsen her fl-h ar
! Wherever he arrives at his seat, his first care
prior to entering the house, is to 90 and pray at
her grave.
LIVING IN A SNAKR's DEM Nice Rouss 10
| Lire iR.-Last spring Will Moody moved out Of
bis log house in Union Grove, and IL stood unoc-
cupied ana deEOiate for several weeks, but last
July I'd. Asher purchased the property aad
moved in. The first night in the house there was
great fustbng on The floor, like the patterine
of myliads Of mice, but 1t asn't mice that m ads
the noise; 1t WAS the sound from dozens OF snakes
! as they dragged themselves across the floor. 10
! tue morning mr.. A. used to get up, lake the
! reptiles out of his clothes, grasp a pitchfork,
/ aud pitch the shiny devils out OF doors. liz was
/ no uncommon thing to slaughter half dozen in
the morning. The second and third days were
/ worse than the first. At breakfast one morning
I Mr.. A. felt something crawling uD his leg and
gianclng do"nwards found beautiful little
striped fellow working his way D in the woTl 4.
Another time he found B three foot fellow in
! his overcoat pocket, who greeted him on his
| approaching with friendly hiss. The nuisance
/ became intolerable. The house was old, and the
mortar in the clinkiDg had given way in many
/ places, and in the evening no sooner was the
lamp lighted than serenade OF hisses would
begln, ana nearly every one of the holes would
be ornanented with snakes head. At the end
of the fourth day SIR. Asher grasped his shovel
ana went TO the banking OF the house, mass OF
straw and dirt that had not been moved for sew
eTal years, and there we're their saakeships in
All their glory. 1t was perfect massacre for in
that banking he found and killed an even hun
dred garter snakes. Thirty were found in one
nest-Litehf eld tainn1 Ledger.
How EELs LIvE-Their Hearts in the Ra5 If
their 1dtL-The eel season is now at hand The
recent rains having started them in the Susque-
hanna and all the creeks and streams on their
N ID a..
quence is that large numbers have been eau INT
in different parts of the country within the Dast
rev days. The eel travels mp stream in the
spring, and returns down TO the salt waters in
the fsh, aiW avs going in large schools. There
are great many peculiarities connected with
tne eel that but Few people know of. For in
stance, there are some eight or ten kinds of
them, Of which several never enter into fresh
water. Some or the varieties are, when full
grown, ten or twelve feet in length, weighing
one hundred pounds. The kind here, the COM
mon fresh and salt water eel, Is usually from
twelve to twenty four inches in length. Eels, II
has been proved, have both sexes in one, and
spawn somewhat after the manner OF other fish.
Like the turtle, they can travel out of water
for some distance, from stream to stream, SO
that In almost every rivulet, however small,
they can be found. The gills, or breathing or
gans, are covered up by most delicate curtain,
which acts like valve and a reservoir for
water, thus enabling the fish to take In guam
tity OF water, so 10 speak, to keep its gils moist
during the time it is out of the stream. 1t hasa
heart in its tail, the same as is known 10 exist
IN the salmon, with pulsations at about ninety
four to the minute.
ENFORCE THE Doc LAws.-Sheep raising is
undoubtedly looking up. Wool brings salts
factory prices. Early lambs are In brisk de-
mand, and the market would take a great
many more We can have mutton, at least in
winter, and farmers look cheerful in view of
the profits Of the flock at the close of the wear.
The pastures, where the sheep have been, are
blooming with white clover, and the increase
of grass and the reduction OF brush are strong
points In favor of sheep husbandry. But the
dogs sim worry the hocks, aud kill sheep, not
withstandiDg the legislation, against them.
lection OF sheep. The owners of dogs have TO
pay license for every cur they keep, aud the
money goes into fund to pay for the losses OF
sheep owners made by dogs. This is a great
security. Ii not only reduces the number of
dogs, but pays for the damage they do. What
e now most wanted is the strict enforcement of
the law where one exists. Make every man pay
for his dog, and kill the unlicensed.-Am.rican
Agriculturfst.
1T is wRLL-KNowN that the EngIIsh are won
derfully ignorant Of American geography. but
IL is not often that they confess it. Lord Rose
berg, In recent speech in London, said that
che could walk up to a map in the dark and
put his finger on the site of Cicero's villa, but If
any one asked him where San Francisco was he
should have to think twice." This remark rs-
calls to the tsble-talk editor of the GentIeman's
Magazine similar remark OF MT. Golden.
"These men" said Golden, spe aking of Eng
fsh ambassadors, and Of the necessity OF turn.
ing them into commercial trayelers-Uthese
mel know where the Ilissus Is: but they know
nothing of the Mississippi" 1T was twenty
years ago. 'fYet the Mississippi could float ali
the nsvies of Europe upon its bosom, and it took
me half day to find the nissus when was in
Athens, and then only found the bed of the
river. Half dozen washer-woman had damn
ed up the IlissHs to wash their clothes"
WONDERFUL NATURAL PHRsonREA
Among the many wonderful natural phenomena
In California is q tract of country near the head
waters OF the keweah river, which the indians
call the abiding place OF the Evil Spirit The
country is rugged and mountains, with
deep valleys and PERCEPTIONS cliffs. Snakes and
reptiles OF every description abound in untold
numbers, and, taken In all, it is q wild ard
most uDinvitiDg region. But aside from this
most curious phenomenon exists. The ground
trembles and quakes almost continuously and
the abundant rocks grind and grit together as II
being urged by some terrible influence. FIRE.
quently deep discharges are heard, muffied and
dull, Ike the distant sound Of heavy artillery
At night the sounds seem to be more ndant
| than in the daytime. No Indian can be induced
to venture near the locality, regarding it with
| superstitious horror.
~Babylon and Nineveh are lighted with
American petroleum.
ga San Juan miner who had been prospect
ing In southwestern Colorado has found a whole
forest Of petrited trees, with petrifed birds ait
ing ON the limbs singing petrifed songs.
The amicable settlement of the Formosa
aimcuity between China and Japan still APP