The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1877-09-08

A STRANGE STORY.
canary Birls Telling Perfumes.


Several months ago General
Gordon and Colonel b. A. Alston
were walking down Pennsylvania
avenue in Washington city. They
noticed . crowd standing on the
sidewalk, and upon investigation
discovered . portable stand upon
which . grave and speculative
group Of canary birds were ensa-
ged in telling tho fortunes Of the
by-standers. Tho modus operandi
was simple. A stranger would
give one Of the birds . nickel.
| The bird would then hop Oh TO .
basket near By, and PICK MP . little |
envelope in his bill and carry 1t TO |
the expectant customer. In this
|envelope hs would dnd . small
piecs Of paper ON which was print
ed tho history Of his future lifc-
At least 4 canary bird's-cys view Of
Il. !.
Moved BY one Of those unaccoun-
table inAuenccs that operate with
1.-The great Is well - the lowly,
| General Gordon announced his
i purpose Of trying his luck with the
birds. He handed the wisest look
ing canary he could see = carefully
selected nickel and awaited tho re-
suit Tho bird returned with On
envelope, which tile senator open
cd. II announced that the senator
!" talked TOO much, bad 6ve child
/; rem. aud would live to be eighty
six years Of age" The senator
: remarked that the first part Of th'
| fortune was not true, that tho go
] oud was, and no hoped the las
3 might be. Upou this cncouragfn'
resume Colonel Alstou determined
{ to have bis fortune tried; % b
\ chased I nickel into the corner =
|hls brooches pocket, and capturin'
one, handed It to likely lookin
little bird, and requested him :
move ahead with the panorama
The bird looked at tho panoran
j The bird looked at the CoIon'
4 carefully, Us Il he felt that tho ca'
I. / IN hand required his worry hne'
I Judgment, aud then moved on
ia profoundly contcnaplative an
reflective mood. He soon rctur'
I'd with an envelope which he q
=, liyeled 10 the Colonel. Tho "
clause Of tho fortune was I'M
i. "You Invite 100 many people
your housc many Of those y
io,i;e arc not your friends" III
much wss true. Colonel Alstoi
hospitality is as wide and spon'
nsous a. that Of the biblical Sc
tleman who, when he had We
! ding iu his house, felt y 60
lss. about II that he sent ont tho pol
to bent up his eucs's from
bushes and thickcis.
. Bat tho above was . small p
OF the prophecy. The prln'
sljo went on to rccite thAt
Colonel would in . short time
!, !. ccive q large sum Of money
''I 10. folded The scrap Of paper IN
pocket and went 10 Willar'
aud where he met Judge Lochrane'
was showing the paper 70 this 9
tleman when he was inferrup
~. by the exclamation: "Why,
MAN, dear sir, your fortune 10 alre
r left you. l saw this very "a,
the baltimore Sun that Johl
n Aston, Of Drooklyn, had died.
70 had LETT fortune Of about $500
% be divided among his heirs
- relatives in the South. Col
80 Aston then hurried out 10
Tho Baltimore Sun. lie r.
!, however, and the matter drol
u ont OF lis mind. A day Or
afterward Attorney General
n mSn' en- ems asked him II be was On.
=, .1,E - TO J. Il. Alston, Of Brooklyn
g. marking llsat tnAt gentleman
!. tleft I large fortune 10 be div
= among his family. Colonel a
y. replied carelessly. and came
Pp'' 70 Georgia soon afterward,
Shoe had very soon forgotten abou
make clear-sysd csnaries and their
,S, phecy.
to or A Jew days ego, however.
people ceived : printed copy OF tn
ndlng Of John Z. Alston, address
EasrU. /. ~ him Is one Of the heirs Of !
-. - tate. The will bequcathed Y
amounts 10 special heirs, and
.ann. recitcd that tho balance, %
inq to els7, 900, should BE- de
tad to the helrs Il Georgl
80 rs.~n1s... Nhr0mHh fhe