The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-02
The May Magazines.


| The May number concludes the 4Sth vol
ume Of this sterling magazine. The Illus
trated articles are, "a Naturalist in the Heart
of Africa" "The Flower Mission" and "Ihe
Fur Seal on the Pribylov Islands" The
flower mission is the motion" of some very
benevolent people in Boston, and is so noble
in conception and thoroughly christian in
execution as almost to revolutionze the com
mon idea of Boston selfShness and greed
Quite large company of people have banded
themselves together into society, the sole
object to gather flowers for distribution
among the sick, poor, and the other poverty
stricken thousands who never get time to
visit the places where the flowers grow. The
flowers are solicited from all quarters and
gathered at several churches in Boston,
where hundreds of ladies meet, make them
up in to bouquets and then distributed them
among the hospitals, factories, &c.
If any one doubts the bcneficenco, the sub
tie influence, of this apparently trivial chart
ty, they should follow the ladies of the Flow
or Mission through the wards of the Belle
vue, for instance; they should hear the hear
lty "Thank you, ladies'" the earnest "God
bless your and sec, too, the eager hands out
stretched for the bright blossoms-thc smiles
that tor moment chase away the look of
pain as the color and fragrance of myriad
flowers flood the room with beauty and life,
Us the summer sunshine with warmth and
light.
! The good effect in the PRISON, jails, and
other reformatory institutions can not be ex-
aggerated. While we would not lessen the
Instrumentation Of sin, the penalty of wrong
doing the rebuke of bad habits and PERM
cious customs, we would add 10 the com
mand "Do not this thing" positive elements
of refining influence, elevating by every
means within our reach the taste of the
young (as susceptible to good as to eviD, by
educating the sentiment of the beautiful, by
providing innocent and attractive recreations.
Having driven out the evil spirit, care should
be taken not to leave the chamber empty
swept and garnished, lest seven others, more
wicked enter in
One thing of special note in connection with
Flower Mission is, that none having put their
hand to the pillow seen. to look back or loose
their hold. Sooner or later we trust every
town and city, every country village, will
have its Flower Mission.
The article of Mr.. Elliot, on the fur seal of
Alaska, is deeply interesting, giving us new
ideas in reference to an animal of which the
world Rad known comparatively little. The
world is dependent for the beautiful seal furs
upon the product of two small islands off the
coast OF Alaska, where they have gathered
for ages past in such numbers as TO
defy counting. Only those seals known as
Notwithstanding without matcs-are allow
ed TO be killed.
To the right and left Ofthe breeding grounds
stretch sand beaches, or some convenient
landing, upon which the "holluschickic," or
the bachelor seals, lie by tens of thousands,
extended in every attitude assumed by them
in fitiul 5 eep or animated sport, and down
from the village to these "haulng grounds
come the natives, who, after making survey ,
Of the swarming myriads, step in among ,
them and turn aside from the masses two or
three thousand of the most eligible ANIMALS !
usually males of not over four years old and
not under two THIS Grove which they have |
selected is driven to the village as flock of
sheep would be, the animals moving in Il sue
cesslon of sudden starts, with frequent rest
ing spells, at the rate of about half u mile |
an hour, provided the weather is cool and |
toggy and the ground hard. Seals can be
driven al the rate of a mile an hour under
peculiarly favorable weather; but the loss of
life is great in large drove so many falling
sensclcss, casping and palpjtating some to
rise again with a few hoes, and Others diving
at once.
Only four or five men are required 10 cap
turc in this way drove of from one 10 even
fifty thousand, did they ever want SO many;
and the labor of driving them overland To the |
salt-houscs near the village is light. as the
seals move without resistance and require but |
little urging, only it should be constant and |
gentle They string themselves out in long |
files as they travel, and II drove of four or
five thousand will stretch over path more
than mile in length.
Moncurc Conway concludes his survey off
llkcy with "Reminiscences OF Robert Coli
ycr's early days, appropriately illustrated \
comprehensive review of the remarkable !
career of John cf Barncveld is contributed
by H. II. StoddaId. Mrs Craik's and Mr.
DeMinc, serials are.continucd. There are
few short stories and some poems. DIR. Os-
good presents an array of mOrtuary statistics,
and ChaS Dcshler makes an appeal in behalf
Of the Defective Glasses of New York. Ed
itorial Departments, Drawer, &c, conclude Il
number rrplctc with entertainment and in
struciion.
>cribner's.
\ new volume begins with the May num-
Der. Jules Verne's new story The Mys,c- /.