The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-09-02
Gen. Grants Preserver.

On the piazza of the Manhattan Beach
Hotel, at Coney Island, recently, says
1.-The Man About Town" in the New
York Star, came face to face with c. e.
Lockridge, formerly commission mer-
chant in Second street, st. Louis, and
now an important factor in the Iron
Mountain Railway. The recognition
was mutual, and after breaking a bottle
of extra dry" and lighting cigars, Uncle
Cy. said:
81 never smoke now a-days without
thinking that I've saved General Grants
life probably thousand times"
My establishment was too profound to
find utterance in words, and I sat like
one in the meshes of dream while the
old gentleman continued:
ULYSSES and have been friends ever
since the great overflow in the 'Forties.
Time and time again have we gone over
to Papstown-nOw East st. Louis
from our respective homes
across the mississippi To shoot
bullfrogs and swamp snipe. In those
daysI was an inve jerate smoker and Uiys-
ses had never bitten the tip of prime
Havana. Well, one September afternoon
we were over at Long Lake fishing for
bass. The mosquitoes were thicker than
flies in lager-beer saloon, and they con-
cluded to eat Ulysses up. He slapped
and banged and swore until the mud
turtles even refused to bite, and per-
suaded him to take cigar. He protest
ed that he knew nothing about smoking,
but my eloquence on the theme of smoke
| as a mosquito killer won the day, and
the now great man then and there smoked
his maiden cigar. He stood it like a
soldier, did not feel sea-sick, and rated
it goodly portion of heavenly "bliss. :"
But how did you save Gen. Grants
life?'' 1 impatiently asked.
'fBy teaching him to smoke. He took
to the weed as naturally as an American
takes to bluegrass whisky, and in all
times of danger since he has puffed away
and kept his wits about him. Why, if I
had not taught Gen. Grant to smoke, he
| would not have been in the smoking car
during the accident on the railroad "a
| few days ago, and would surely have lost
his life. Waiter, q match, please: my
cigar has gone out
How Japanese Babies are Welcomed.
One curious custom in vogue is the
exhibition of fish on every house where
boy has been born to the family during
the year. This showing is made during
the month of May, and on the 9th of that
month there is high festival held; the
relatives and friends of the family MAX
ing it the occasion for the presentation
of toys and gifts suitable for boys, as
/ well as giving clothing fitting for the
little chap. All sorts of chiId's gear is
TO be seen on exhibition at this time,
and no boy is neglected. The boy is
the pride of the household, the parents
testifying their joy in feasting all comers
who honor them by their remembrances.
The girl babies are not forgotten, but
they are accorded another day and sep
arate festival time, this being the third
day of the third month-the Sd of March.
Then, instead of the fish floating as q
symbol, dolls are to be seen in abun-
dance, and all the toys known
i to the girl world are lavishly
displayed. There is very much OF
pride exhibited on both of these child
| festivals, as the gifts presented are ossen-
tatiously displayed by the fond parents
for the admiration of their friends. Dim
inutive suits of armor, tiny swords and
bows and arrows, toy horses with full
suits of trappings-i in fact, every imag-
Unable thing that goes into the make up
of the Japanese warrior of the olden time
are on parade on the 9Th of May, while
the 3rd of March brings forth all that is
representative of the life and fancies oi
the feminine gender. There are many
who are not content to await the full
advent of the time for the display of the
fish emblem, so that during the latter
part of April it is no uncommon thing to
see an immense fish, sometimes two, SC
constructed that it is filled by the breeze,
floating from bamboo pole, heralding
the glory that has its lodgment in the
; house from which it is exhibited. Il San
Fra ncisco Chronicle.
n. P. Willis once said: .sThe sweetest
thing in life is the unclouded welcome oi
q wife" This is true, indeed; but when
her welcome is clouded with an atmos-
phere of angry words and coal scuttles.
there is something about it that makes a
man want to go out in the woodshed and
Esleep on the ice chest Elk.