Iuka reporter., 1889-10-31

{x M hold him down. He and
" his elder brother were
playing few yards from the house
when tha wolf attacked them, lacerat-
ing their faces and hands, the Younger
poy, however, receiving the deepest
wounds. A Mexican herder lassoed the
vol, throwing the maddened beast to
the ground, and having no knife. tight
ened the rope and strangled it to death.
AN inquiry has been addressed to me- re-
gardlng the weather Plant, and am
asked to give particulars of this botani-
Cal curiousity, says writer in the Lon
don Graphic. The plant in question
seems to be related to the sensitive
plants, or Mimosr, and, like them. it's
leaves bend readily The plant is said
70 indicate the approach of atmospheric
disturbances by changes in or move
ments of its leaves. This is no new
thing in plant life. The SO. called hy-
groscopic property is we'll known as a
feature OF vegetable life, and consists
essentially in the production Of changes
IN the form, size, or position of plant
organs, such changes depending on the
absortion or loss Of moisture. The avn
OF the wild oat is twisted below, for ex-
ample. and, on the slightest approach
0t moisture, moves and twines as if en-
dowedsWith active vitality. Mr.. Francis
Darwin has paid special attention to
such phenomena in plants. If we can
imagine one set of the delicate sells in
one side Of leaf being longer and pos
sessing thinner walls than those of the
other side, We can easily see how the
thin-walled cells will not only absorb
water more easily, but will also dry
more quickly than the others. Such q
disposition OF matters must necessarily
be attended by alterations in the shape
OF the leaf and it is such changes of
form which have long been noticed in
plants and which have been credited
with fcreshadowing weather changes,
and even more mystical events still.
A LARGE amount of treasure has been
discovered in the ruins OF an old build
ing, st. Augustine, Fla, owned by the
Countess De Mountioy, who married
abroad, and who is now at Cairo, Egypt.
A gang Of colored workmen who were
moving away the rubbish preparatory
W AOO O5tluc uCiOSS u Vi
god doubloons and half doubloons.
The news spread, aud in few minutes
a crowd of excited citizens were on the
ground digging like mad, and gathering
the coin by handfuls. The contractors,
hearing Of the discovery, called uron
tho authorities and succeeded in clear
ing away the crowd, and by sitting the
rubbish foundkupward of $1,000. The
rubbish was being carted away to fill
street in the suburbs, and one workman,
who was employed to levelup the earth,
and who had much secretiveness about
him, worked the bonanza for all it was
worth. "A cart which had been loaded
when the find was made was dumped,
and was found to be rich in the shining
metal The dates are from 1720 to 1926,
1t which date the house, an old stone
structursS was owned by Father Crosby,
a wealthy priest.
THERF are great number Of gaunt,
fiarce.l looking cats around the New York
Tomle, and they are held in esteem
because they wage a bitter warfare
against the rats and keep their numbers
down to some reasonable limit. At
times when the rats are unusually shy
or scarce these cats grow very hungry,
and they gre compelled to transfer their
attention;to the pigeons which fly about
the gloomy structure in great numbers.
Nobody eyer disturbs these pigeons,
and they would probably increase SO as
to become o nuisance if it were not for
the cats. THE pigeons frequently fly
down intofthe prison yard in search Of
food, md they are daily visitors at the
pump. The cats crouch in the shadow
Of the walls, or behind some box or bar
rel, and watch for hours without q mo-
tion. Finally pigeon, lulled to
sense Of security by the apparently /
cat, will approach within
reacho Of a spring, and in the twinkling |
Of an eye the cat is upon her. One Of
Che keepers said that scores of these |
prison birds are killed every year by the
cats.
SPEAKING Of the crew Of her Majesty's
ship Tourmaline, recently in the harbor
of New York, the New York Times says:
"a fine looking set of fellows are the
men Of the Tourmaline great lusty
b'ue-jackete, finely set up, 1.-THE, and
we'll built marines, and sharp, smart |
lookinG officers: 250 personsal 1 told. All
hands looked as if they had been doing
some active cruising, for not a man but
is Drowned like cocoanut. Add to
this the contrast Of the heavy, back
beaftls which most of the top men wear
and the effect is striking. 1t is not gen
eralG xhown that the men Of the Brit
ish navy, officers included, are prohib-
tied from wearing boards on their faces,
except in accordance with the regulation
cut:. The rule is that every man must /
either wear beard or go smooth shayen.
In wearing beard permission Is given
TO out three finger gang way; that is,
70 cut out as much hair under the
lower lip.as can be covered by the tips
Of three fingers, One never sees Brit
ish tar wearing . mussache or goatee."
Al RESIDENT Of Charlestown, Mass,
4 4 great iancier OF fowls. A day or
40 ago, when he turned out his last
hrocd TO scratch for themselves, one Of
Ma chicks ran across . pickle bottle
and soueezed itself through the neck
With some difficulty and could not get
onf kQain. When morning came the
oid len missed her chick and wentin
search II il Having found II, and not
ba;nr able to extricate it from its I'M
-, 4l'l.l ~ c.os1v,d like p000. 1