Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-12-21
Outwitting a Cannibal.

| Outwitting q Cannibal.
One Of the wealtheSt settlers in New Gale
dOnia Is a gentleman from Australia-we will
call him Mr.. Brown, for Short-who went there
some 10 or II years ago with but small capital,
ana I'M mas become enormously rich 9y raising cat
On his way through the bush from one OF his
| outlying cattle stations to another, when he
nightfall, and then came upon large native
| village. Here he was Hospitality entertained
well fed and most deferentialiy treated by the
great chief, whose village 1t was-the chief
Atai, think, whom some persons regard as the
| Chief mover and leader of this years revolt
! against the French. Atai was all courtesy to
! conducted him himself in state to the hut set
! apart for his nights repoSe. Fortunately. Mr..
Brown was acquainted with the customs OF the
! country, and, among them. knew the common
| method OF putting an end to travellers prepara-
| tory to feaSting upon them. 1t Is as follows
The traveller is kindly received; nothing occurs
| to shake his confidence in his host; he is
| allotted cabin to himself to sleep in The
native huts have usually but one opening,
| When the traveller is supposed to be well settled
| in his cabin, this one entrance Is set on fire
Being matched and made altogether OF light
wood, it burns very readily, and the traveller is
cooked, as well as killed Then the feast begins.
Being acquainted with these details of New
CALIFORNIAN life, Mr.. Brown knew the cabin to
| which the venerable Atai so cOurte )uSly led
him might probably become for him both a
| tomb and cooking stove, unless his wits could
save him he entered the cabin of the chief,
| meeting courtesy with courtesy, till they were
| both fairly within. Then Brown. in the prime
| OF lie and athletic, Atai old and tnfirm, the
Engllshman knew he was more than match
| for the savage. He closed the door with the
hut, planted his back firmly against it. and sit
| ting thus with his hand On his revolver and his
other weapons ostentatiOusly displayed, con-
tinued his conversation With the chief The
| situation remained unchanged throughout the
nigiit. A terrible night It was, no doubt, for
the Englishman, and almost as Se6 for the cd
| Chief, who again and again requested permi5-
sion to withdraw, Mr.. Brown as frequently de-
claring he could not part with him-he should
not feel sale except in his company. When
daylight was fully come, Mr.. Brown felt as
sured that Atai would not venture to allow his
| people openly to attack an individual so well
known in the settlement as himself, and both
| issuing forth together from the hut he gladly
| accepted the escort of native guide and was
! safely conducted to the French settlements,
where his adventure was the theme of consider
| able nterest.-ICor. San Francisco Bulletin.
Wines VS.. AlcahOls
| In the current number of IppletOn's Journal
| DR.. George l.. Austin discourseS learnedly OF the
| dietectc use of wines, contending that the nom
saccharne varieties are to BE- pref f to all
| others. He says the best wines for daily use are
| the natural wines, which contain an afcaholic
| only one wine at time should be employed as
the daily drink; and this should be 50 light that
| enough OF it can be drunk to quench the natural
| desire for fluids. He adds:
| The best wines as dieteCtic aids are, first,
| good, sound, red wine from the Bordeaux dis
trict; second, Rhine wines, which are equally
American wine that shall fulfill all the condi-
| lions OF either of the foregoing varieties. Sew
| eral of the wines OF California and Catawba
| wine possess lasting merit
In speaking of American wines, we must not
| be understood as having any reference to what
| are called domestic Wines" and which are so
| extensively formulated by small vintagers
| These beverages, If made in accordance with
cookbook receipts, are not wines at all, but cor
dial5; their percentage of alcohol greatly ex-
CeedS that of natural wines, while the amount
Of unfermented sugar and the deficiency of acids
| which they contain render them totally unit
| for daily consumption. The habitual user of
! such connections may indeed thank fortune If
he incur no severer penalty than an aggravated
| dyspepsia.
In conclusion of what we have heretofore re-
| marked, we do not wish to be misunderstood in
respect of the wide view which we conceive of
| wine. We think that we are able to discrimt-
! nate between proper and improper use of It,
| and that the reader OF this article is likewise
| able. When employed in aid OF other food and
with other food, it is proper; when used as
the principal aliment, or, worse still, as an hour
! ly stimulant. it Is Improper. That the love OF
a., wine leads to the love OF ardent spirits IS be
| yo.-G all reason; the habits OF the people WIN
| live in "lne-orlnl1ng countries oppose such a
| theory, wh.'e tastes Itself denies itsaccuracy.
| The AUTHOR OF THE VAGABoSDs Mr.
| John 7. Trowbrdge, the well-known ltterateur.
| has had as hard q struggle for recognition and
pldCc III lelleIS Us any dutnOf of his Born
| ti1ty-one years ago at the village of ogden, when
| the western part OF his state vas wilderness,
| he had the usual severe fortune OF a pioneer
until at nineteen, with a very limited education,
| he came here with the determination to live by
| his pen. That was a very rash venture thirty
odd years since, Indeed, it has not ceased to be
| rash even to this day. as he shortly learned to
| his extreme discomfort. He wrote for anybody
| and everybody (theSe bodies were not many
! who would pay anything, dollar page being
then regarded as handsome recompense: After
a md Eoan
! ing the coroner from the door by engraving
pencicaseS, in addition to writing, he was often
reduced literally to half a loaf in dreary gar
| ret he went to Boston as less bad market for
his wares. He contributed there to the chief
WeeklieS doing number OF narrowing tales
over the signature of paul Creytonh He
worked SO ZealouSly and studied so diligently
that he finally found himself in demand from
better class Of publishers His first book, Father
and so encouraged, he produced number of
novels that yielded him money and fame. He
got into the atlantic and other magazines, and
has now been able for years to make comfort
able livelihood by great deal of hard work,
which is the ultimate reward of an unusually
clever internationally. Y. Times.
DR. HAMMoND's PRoPosIToN.-Dr Hammond,
formerly surgeon general of the United States
cares himself that he IS not satisfied that MISS
| Faucher (the Brooklyn young lady who is as
serted by her friends not to have eaten any
| solid foodl possesses the faculty commonly
| power OF perception by which the mind, with
| out the assistance of the sense OF vision, is
made cognizant Of things that naturally could
| only reach it through the eye. He makes a
| proposition for very simple test of the plain
fact whether this lady differs from other human
| creatures In this particular. He proposes to
| put in the room with her, In plain envelope,
| check for upwards OF a thousand dollars
which he Will give her If she correctly states its
| date, number, the SUM for which it is drawn,
| upon whom drawn and by whom signed.
! PLUCKY MISS MOODY.-David Hazen is on trial
In Jersey City on charge Of having committed
| robbery at the residence of John Moody, No.
| 81 Cottage street, and assaulted Miss Maggie
| Moody when she attempted to prevent his es-
| from New York on the day of the robbery she
| heard footsteps in the hall. She entered by the
| kitchen door and saw two men, one of whom es-
capped by the front door, While the other ran to-
| wards the rear entrance. She caught the latter
| but he wreSted himself from her grasp, leaving
| his collar and necktie in her hand. The man