Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-09-06
TIE FATAL CANE.


Years ago / picked up oft a book
stall an Anticipated volume treating
of occult matters. 1t interested me
because had come across u variety
of strange beliefs connected with the
magic art, in the course of my naval
life, and had witnessed things that
gave my European notions more
than one rude shock.
1t is all very we'll to say that
magic and belief in the supernatural
lurking behind natural objects of
simple nature, such as crystals, am
bers, opals and so forth, were the
first ignorant approach to science;
but i would very much like to be
acquainted with the science that
would throw satisfactory light upon
certain curious doings and extra
ordinary occurrences which have
made part of my tropiea, experiences.
The most interesting to me, being
the most personal of these, lam now
going to relate, and it has the only
one did not go in the least bit out
of my way to meet.
In these days we are told of q SYM
pathetic fluid, gas or current that
pervades the whole earth from pole
to pole, and includes all that apper-
tains to earth in it's onward flow.
Very reliable people, Miss Nightin-
gale for one discovered that nervous
restlessness was controlled and sleep
induced by the head of the sufferer
being pooled" not as Absalom was
polled, but with regard to north and
south. This current, then, is believ-
ed by the learned in occult matters
to be the sympathetic medium be-
tween the higher and lower crea-
lures, all, chemically speaking,
wrought out of the same identi-
cal elements.
Suppose all this and then add to it
your knowledge of the mysterious
power of evil working above, below
and around; note how inexplicahle
many events are; how impossible,
with all our experience, to forecast
! the least of them. Observe the enor-
nous power of pure good, and the
hideous power OF determined evil,
| and then, if you please, tell me that
theirs lie really nothing in my tory
but a chain of condolences.
was strolling through Plymuoth
one day, according to my usual hab-
/ it, keeping an eye open for anything
interesting and curious, when | was
attracted by n shop of that hetero-
Z geneous description only to be seen
] in the seaports. Every port in the
known world seemed to have contri
buted toward examining the dirty
windows with objects. Parrots III
cages hung at the door, loves bird
nestled together on the counter in q
cage too small for even tiny forms
saa-shelIs, beads, weapons. bits o
uniform-all that Jack fancies, buys
for his mother and sweetheart ant
sells for drink as soon as the port
eormorants seize him-was there.
Embroideries on leather, linen and
silk, tobacco pouches. and opium
pouches, black wood carvings, ivory
trifes, elephant tooth paper weights
clay figures, brazen idols, slippers
fans, caskets, chessmen, charms
in lunches, coral sponges, q chip o
the great pyramid, Arab Barnousc.
all these and q hundred more monde
script articles we're there. Popped
up in one corner / espied a Matacc;
cane in company with a green sill
umbrella, withits sly, battered, cost
ly, wicked air, but the cane that ar
rested my notice. Firstly, because j
, was not like the others Of it's kind
: being white Malacca, and nearl,
three inches longer between the joint
than any other | had seen; secondly
becauseI was rather on the lookou
for present for an elderl
, gentleman, and / fancied that
well mounted, it would be the yer
thing to give him. / had made u
my mind to buy it, and had taken
step toward the dark doorway crowd
ed with bundles of stuffs, and shaC
owed by q handsome tiger skin, whe
, the owner shuffied out | suppose, t
: hook me in as q likely customer. III
t was an oddlooking little fellow, grim
, and unpleasant enough, whose az
, and nationality no man could CUES
at. felt sure Of two things oily
that his character was the shadies
and that he lived in mole-like fashion
only coming to the surface to grin
and cheat his fellow-creatures. II
: would have been at home, moreovt
, in any quarter Of the globe, alon
{ shore, where blue jackets and beacl
n combers were to be found.
"Hullo! it's you, is it?" Iremarket
5 for / must mention that We had mi
g before, when | happened to haul hi
q out of a little mob of Lascars an
Cinnamon, who seemed to be putin
an end to him. He was one again
= many, and an old man; knives we
: out, 80 brought him off, for whic
T. service, far from appearing gratefr
It | fancied he looked as though