The Washington critic., 1889-04-25
MATTER WORTH READING.

"That saves me $3.50" said agray-bearded
old gentleman ut the Palmer House yoster-
day morning as he finished reading q dis
patch in the Herald The item was n tele
gram from Marshalltown, Iowa, and gave
the information that test case had been
decided against a bank which held note
given by farmer in payment for guam
tity of bohemian oatsn
''That was the sllckest swindle ever
seen,n said the old granger as he laid his
paper one side, wiped his glasses and ilshcd
cigar from his vest pocket. 81 aint much
Of greenhorn, but they caught me in good
shape. ! have managed to steer clear OF
lightning-rod men, drive well agents aud
barbed-wire suits, but bit like sucker
when those Bohemian oats fellows came
along. They had the greatest scheme you
ever saw. Do you know what Bohemian
oats are? Well, I'll tell you. Some Of
these scientific farmers managed to raise o
brand Of oats without any hulls or husks.
When thrashed out there was nothing but
the pure meat Of the grain. The farmer
papers just went wild over them, aud de-
clared that IL was the greatest triumph
agriculture had ever made. didn't pay
much attention to II until one day when
couple of smooth-loolng chaps came along
and asked me II would not like to buy
some Bohemian oats for seed.
"'What In thunder is Bohemian oats p
said l. They told all about them, and
showed pieces from the papers.
awe are anxious to introduce them,'
said one OF the chaps, 'and will give you
| special inducements. You can have the
seed for $40 bushel, and we will make q
contract to buy your entire crop for $3.50
busbel. In other words, we simply want
| to pay you good price for the use of your
land and get big seed crop
"That struck me as being about the best
snap ! had struck in many year." con-
tinued the old farmer, and bought twenty
five bushels aud give 'em my note for $3.50
| put In the oats and raised a thuuderin'
crop, nearly eight hundred bushels. Thinks
|, 81, 600 amt bad on a $3.50 Investment.
Every day looked for them fellows to-
come around and buy them oats. l had
'em stored away in bin, and the first thing
| knowed they was sweating. One day !
| got word from the bank that l owed em
$3.50 with interest for six months. Went to
/
counted my note for 10 per cent, taken the
money and skipped. My 800 bushels of
oats rotted in the bins. They had no hulls
to protect them, and got SO hot that they
blamed near set my barn on fire, | am
mighty glad that the courts have decided
that we don't have to pay them notes"
--[Chicago Herald.
a Ships Suic ide.
On March 90 last the Uni ted States
Bureau of Navigation was informed by the
German Legation at Washington that the
wreck of an unknown vessel had gone
ashore at Tarawa, one of the Marshall
| group Of islands I'm the Pacific OCEAN. A
number of cases of petroleum were also
found, but until the present time no news
has been obtained that might lead TO the
Identification of the ship. In the fall of
1887 the ship Rock Terrace, New Bruins
wick, Nova Scotia, left Philadelphia bound
to Hiogo, Japan, with a cargo OF coal OIL in
cases. She pursued her voyage in safety
until Off Guam, one of the Caroline Islands,
and there struck a sunken rock, which
caused her to leak. Her captain and crew
abandoned her, made their way to Hong
Kong in the boats and there British court
of inquiry suspended the captains certiil-
cate for six months
|. The strange story of the ultimate fate of
the ship was told to Chronicle reporter by
gentleman who has business connections
in the South Sea Islands.
About August / last the natives of
Tarawa Island saw large'ship approaching
the land. She had three topsails set, aud,
with strong breeze, soon came close on.
AS she drew near the coast the natives
thought that her course would be changed
to enter the bay, but she kept on her way,
and, despite every warning and signal, the
ship crushed right on to the coral reef.
The natives, seeing no people take to the
boats, or any sign Of life on the ship, be-
came frightened and feared to man their
canoes to 60 to the vessel. Soon the break
ers began to break up the ship, washing her
wreckage ashore. A boats stern and other
pieces Of the timber revealed the ships
name. On the boats stern-board were the
letters ok Terrace" while on some Of the
other wreckage was the word Crock" thus
proving her identity. Several hundred
cases, containing coal OIL were also picked
up on the beach.
By reference to the chart 1t was found
that the unfortunate ship had traversed q
distance Of $40 miles north from the place
and time she was abandoned until she was
wrecked, without man on board to trim
her sails or set her course. From March
until August she sailed over the ocean, q
valuable prize for any passing vessel.-[sar
Francisco Chronicle.
Oysters as Food.
Speaking roughly, quart Of oysters con
tains, on the average, about the same guam
tity Of active nutritive substance as quart
of milk, or pound Of very lean beef, OF
pound and-a-half OF Goldfish, or two-thirds
Of pound Of bread. But while the weight
OF the actual nutriment In the different
quantities of food material named is very
nearly the same, the quality is widely DIFF
ferent. That of the very lean meat or cod
fish consists mostly of what are called, IL
chemical language, protein compounds, ol
"iiesh formersn-the substances which
make blood, muscle, tendon, bone, braiI
and other heterogeneous tissues. That o
the bread contains but little of these ant
consists chiefly Of starch, with little fa
and other compounds, which serve the
body as fuel, and supply 1t with heat ant
, muscular power. The nutrtlve substanc
of oysters contains considerable of both tn
llesh-forming and the more especially hea
and forcp-riyinp ingredients OYSTER