Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-11-01

Hanging for Small Offences and the
I;astinado Now Abolished.

IiastinadO Now Abolished.
II Turkey - years ago men We're
hanged for trifles; tradeSmen who sold
short weight might be nailed by the ear to
his own door posts, and petty thieves, as
well as men who We're impertinent to
Officials or who refused to pay their taxes
twice over, we're bastinadoed on the soIes
of their feet. This last punishment, by
the way, was light or cruel, according
as the patient was accustomed to go
barefooted or to spend his life in ba-
pouches.
The water carriers porterS, street fruit
sellers and peasants generally, whose
soles were like horn, cared little for 25
cuts with bamboo; but to tradesmen,
clerks, and women the stripes were ex-
cruciatingly painful and brought weeks
of lameness. The present Sultan has
abolished the bastinado in the European
part of his dominions, and practically
done away with capital punishment ex-
cept for brigandage and for attempts at
assassinating high officials. Even brig
ands, however, are only hanged when
they have laid hands on foreigners and
caused an cutlery in the European press
Genuine Turks seldom find their way
into Jail, saving for murder or inability
to pay taxes, and the murders are often
committed under the influence of re-
ligious fanatici-m, when the Mus ,ulman,
driven mad by the fast of the Ramadam
or by the rejoicin IS of Bairam holidays,
runs amuck with a knife among a crowd
of GiaourS. Such offenders, however,
are always leniently dealt with by the
pashas, unless, of course, they happen
to kill foreign Christian, having an
ambassador to avenge him.
A Roots Wonderful Journey for Water.
A story of one of the most interesting
freaks of vegetable life is ted by Ell
wood Cooper, of Santa arbara. AS
coming from him the story can not be
anything but strictly in accordance with
the facts. Through Mr.. Coopers gar
den there ran, some years ago, a sewer
made of redwood timber. This sewer
was again cased by an outside sewer.
Across the sewer there was built a brick
wall many feet high, and in such way
that it was pierced by the inner sewer,
which it inclosed tightly, while the out
side sewer ended abruptly against the
wall. The outSi lie sewer casing had in
course of time decayed and a eucalyp-
tuS tree standing some 60 feet away had
taken advantage of this and sent one of
its roots to the coveted spot in as direct
a line as possible. Here the root entered
the outside sewer and followed its course
as far it could AT last it came to the
wall, which shut IF its course, and it
could so no further, the inside sewer be-
ing perfectly tight.
But on the other side Of the wall the
sewer and its double casing continued,
and this eucalyptus tree evidently knew
how to get there Some three feet high
in the brick wall there was a little hole
an inch or two in diameter, and this the
eucalyptus tree was aware of, as its big
root began to climb the dry wall and
face the sun and wind until it found the
hole, through which it descended on the
other side and entered the sewer again,
and follow ed it along as formerly. How
did the tree knoN of the hole in the wall !!
How did it know that the sewer was on
the other side? Did it smell, and if it
did how could it direct the root to go
and find the place with such precision :?
The roots of any plant grow always and
unerringly in the direction of its food
just as the eucalyptus tree did.-[San
Diego Union.