Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-08-20

,,.r 20 On their visit to Gray Gables
Ne Cleveland may return TO Washing
~, on the 1st Of September. but Il Is
~ ~ presut intention OF Mrs. Cleye-
isnA 10 leave Gray Gables until the
weather becomes SO chilly as to make il
unpleasant for her to stay there.
A BANK PRESIDENTS HARD
DAYS After this panic is over and
sn,s-iote "reminiscences are told cf the
evnariences Of some Of our banks and
c,pftaists. we shall realize even better
than We are dJing now how great the
strain has been and how. after ALL the
most jealous care has been taken by
banking Institutions Of customers and the
business community" Such was the
bankers Of New York city. and he knew
Of what he WAS talking. since he has been
most prominent in the Councils OF the
clearing house. His comment was sug-
ces;sd by the action of one OF the great
banks last week. One of Is customers
was in dire necessity for large sum Of
currency. The bank itself was not able
10 pay out 50 great a sum upon an in
stants notice. Its president was salts
fled that this customer needed the cash
Tor q heavy pay roll. He authorized some
Of his subOrdinates to 20 into the mar
k4t. and he bought the currency needed.
paying 3 per cent for IL. and paid it to
the customer. not charging him any pre-
MUM. and on the same day this bank
president, In order to have no further
embarrassment. ordered his brokers to
buy from the bank of England $1,000
900 in gold at whatever premium was
demanded which he viii pay our to his
customers according TO their checks, and
without charging a premium when the
gold arrives"
BRECKENRIDGE'S NERvE-Speak-
Ing Of the scandal In which Congressman
breckenridge is involved, Washington
correspondent says a number of people
can now be found who are ready TO re-
late stories about the defendants playing
the part OF a gay LOthOriO for many
years. One story Is told of his last cleo
tion to congress.
1t seems that the masses Of the people
In his district had been informed as to
tue character Of his private life, and
there was consequently a reaction against
him His supporters, fearing that he
would lose the election, called upon him
to defend himself and make u public do
NAL Of the charges.
The representative assented. and great
mass meeting was called. On the eyh-
ing in question the hall was packed, as
the object Of the meeting had been pretty
well understood. SEEKING the splendid
opportunity to Impress his audience Mr..
breckenridge made one of the most bril-
liant speeches Of his career, fairly cleo
trifying his hearers by his eloquence.
Just al the conclusion, In the quickest
and coolest manner, he picked up q box
lying on the table and said:
"My friends, you are acquainted with
some faults Of mine. | should like to pre-
sent this box Of cigars to any man who
will come forward and state that he has
never been guilty Of the same otfense.'
Naturally no one claimed the prize, but
rumor says that a person present fecbly
shouted, 81 don't smoke The nerve
displayed at the time was so much nd.
mirel that his election by large ma
jority was the result.
THE SNAKE WOMAN-There has
recently died well-linown character of
the neighborhood Of Gkolona,. Miss,
known as Aunt Masie Higgins" or
the SNAKE Woman" who lived an $50
lated HE with snakes "a her only friends
She had built herself a hovcl composed
Of branches of trees, clay and other
debris which, though washed down by
the rains, she would build up again.
This novel residence IS said to have
been fairly alive with snakes Of every
local variety, hanginIig from overhead,
lyilg under foot, and creeping from the
chinks in the wall. The woman subsistcd
on the products Of small garden near
her cabin. which she cultivated herself.
With the exception of The necessary inter
course with those fiom whom she pur-
chlsel the few things she required she
was never known for over thirty years
to have held any conversation with any
human being. Size could often he met
after dark walking through the town
with her strange companions twined
about her arms. her neck and nesting
Ia her bosom with their ugly heads pro
tludiuG and kissing at everyone that
passed. Gu these occasions, however,
when hailed or questioned she would
make no reply. Once some boys Of the
neighborhopd providing about her cabin
side and killed them, and before they
were aware of II Aunt AIase appeared
Ia the doorway armed with q shotgun,
which she let fly at the crowd None
of the boys were killed, but one of them
was shot through the ear and the rest
scattered in a hurry. That the womnn's
mind was affected there seems little
IN -.----r--wrs-b- |1r-n-rn--it--
snake and days afterward his swollen
and dlscolored body was found. This
appeared to craze his mother, who left
her home, saying the snakes were call
Ing her to come and live with them
and that in return they would give her
back her boy. She Is said to have come
of a good family and to have been we'll
educated When discovered she had been
dead for days and the snakes were
crawling over the body, but fled on
the appearance of stnngers and have
not been seen near the cabin since. BY
those who have seen. her surrounded by
her queer adopted family it has been
estimated that there must have been
at least two hundred Of them. number
ing among them several yenomous varie-
ties. Tho woman did not claim to have
charmed them. as the saying goes, but
1t Is probable that her perfect fearless
ness tanned them.
THE TEXAS STATE FAIR.
IunurTDlhl ChOM cVuInITc