The Red Cloud chief., 1890-08-29
a-aerAl.vonovs smavss.


= 8eooe 8Aae 1Asesso - Co0pss Cseoa
asa Osa Pc iasA
Prot 0cAeluisrh. the well-ksovR
naturalist q nasasia. while travelling
WITH ~ Stanley sxpsditioe In the
heart q Afriea. ss3cea . plast With .
pscsl1Ae sseelcoloesd foliage. aad -
0xa0jnafoai &c vas found that the ahraA.
altAosSA growing like other plaats frum
TIE sell was peaotieslly eoWpoosa e
irua. Tho leaves. although very thin.
were heat With great dimcalty. and ~
twtGD aAA besnehes resisted pressure
With . loece ahost equal % the saoo
amount Of isoo, sad . secure Q leaf e
~ SosaA neceasasy 70 separate IL from
the hush With . Ala.
While Prof. Schelwisch vas digxing st
the base Of this plant for the purpoas OF
making a examinatios Of ita roots. the
natives crowded around him In great
numbers, g~csticulstinG in . menaeine
msaner. The Professor desisted from
his work and the interpreter vas ssne
ioe. He explained that this was . holy
tsee, and woeshiped BY tho natives in
their fetch religion - . god plant snd
that 70 dig ~ up would bring ruin md
desolatioa upos the whole village and
surrounding country.
Prof. Schelwisch oYefed to buy the
plant and. taking out . handful Of cop
per coins, gave them 20 the sava9eA
Who gladly accepted the money and
distributed IL among themselves. The
Professor then returned to the work OF
digging mp the unique plant, but had
not made any great prOgress when the
natives again set upon him. Through
tho interpreter the Professor informed
them that he had legally bought the
plant and intended to remove il A.
soon - this message MAS made known
TO b savagcs every one who had re-
ceived . coin came and dropped it in
the hole at tho base Of the shrub. Prof.
6chelwisch allowed tho coins 70 remain
In tho hole and walked away toward the
mountain to hunt another specimen.
Next day. - the party were preparing
70 continue tho march, the Professor
was curious 10 know II the coins had re-
NAMED undisturbed during tho night
by tho supefstitiOus nativeA and on ap-
preaching the metal plant was aston
ished 70 find IL had changed its color
Instead Of being . beauti-
full steel color, tho stem, leaves and
what WAS exposed Of the roots presented
the appearance Of newly-coined copper
coins, and glittered In the morning sun-
light like polished gold. Upon exam
II Vas ascsrtained that during
the night the arrange plant had alb
sOrbed nearly all the copper coins. with
the result Of completely changing ttA
color.
What was left Of the coins in the hole !
that they were more than half |
eaten away or absorbed by the roots Of !
the metal plant Not only was thu !
changed. but the texture Ut the /;
plant had undergone . similar transfor- I
1t was found that tho thin ivy |;
leaves were now easily bent !
around the fingers. would retain any l
shape given. and could DO readily u
with any ordinary pair OF scissors.
Prof. Schclwisch succeeded in surrepti- !
securing several branches Of this
metal eating plant, and wss
also successful in obtaining . good
Of IL. No further trace Of
the existence Of the metal plant was
found until the expedition reached tho
Uniamesi country. when At the base Of
the NkOmabakosi Mountains . perfect
forest Of this curious plant was found.
This being q uninhabited region. NO
.lificulty was encountered in securing
specimens to take hack to England.
A great fire was built about the tree.
but it would not burn the least little ,
BIZ. -Philadelphia Times.