Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-10-24

cally . wilderness. died in abject poverty
No taxes had been paid, and the land
was sold to satisfy them. 1t was bought
in by son of the couple. who now holds
tax title to the property.
IT has been discovered that man who
for years has held q place in the life-sav-
ing service of Toronto, Ontario, cannot
swim. and he has been thrown out Of his
Office in consequence. 1t is alleged that
he has distinctly asserted several times
that he could float on the water like a
duck, and that he claimed some months
ago that he had Owed eighty feet in the
bay. When he refused to dive in fifteen
feet of water to recover the body of q
drowned young man, suspicion was ex-
cited. and investigation revealed his
long continued deception. But he has
done some excellent work since his ap.
pointment on the force as lookout man,
and at times his courage in the boat
bordcrcd on recklessness.
A BERLIN correspondent sends sug-
gc,tive account of the way in which a
German detachment, operating in East
Africa, was routed by swarm of bees.
They-the soldiers, not the bees-were
reasoning with native chieftain by
means of grenades. The native levies
fled, but swarm of bees, terrified or ex-
asperated by the blaze of fire. sailed out
to avenge the honor of the flag. Their
stings drove the assailants in all dircc-
tions and nearly killed an unfortunate
sergeant who had been left behind.
These insects would be an exceedingly
cheap defense of African nations, if they
could be made amenable to command.
BY a proper understanding with the
locusts. the centipedes, the giant beetles
and the giant ants of Africa. they might
succeed in keeping very extensive
sphere Of influence entirely to them
selves.
DR.. II. c. MCBRIDE writes letter to
the CourierJournal giving an interest
ing account of team Of wild geese he
has on his farm in Virginia. He became
possessed of pair, from which he raised
eleven more. While very young he be-
gan training them to drive fastened to-
gether. He harnessed them up to little
wagon which they soon learned to pull
about the yard. He then hitched them
to light skiff. which he made them
drag over n pond near his house, first
swimming and afterward flying. He
says that where they took to the wing
they could carry him along at the rate o.
a mile minute In the winter he har.
messed them to an ice boat, with which
they made wonderful speed. He is now
building a balloon, which will just carry
his weight, and he proposes, when it is
finished. to hitch his geese to it and go
on visit to the worlds fair through the
air. He estimates that he can make 30
miles an hour in the face of q 25-mile
wind. He is going to offer his aerial
team to Captain Symmcs for his Arctic
trip, and thinks that after he has gone
as far north as his ship can CARRY him,
he can utilize the birds to make little
trips of 800 or 400 miles in various
directions between breakfast and sup
per.
BERT BARNES is lineman in the en-
ploy of the Sunset Telephone Company
in Los Angeles, Cal. The other day he
was sent to the San Fernando Valley to
make some repairs on the line. Having
climbed to the top of telegraph pole and
finished the repairing, he started to de-
scend when he heard scream. Looking
around, Barnes was startled to see an
eagle of immense size swoop down to-
wards him. Dropping ever ything but
hammer, he prepared for fight. The
eagle darted upon him and struck at
him fiercely with talons and beak The
lineman welded his hammer with such
effect as to finally drive the bird away,
leaving him bleeding from the claw
wounds and almost exhausted. Barnes
was preparing to descend from his battle
ground when he saw the bird swoop
down for second attack. He waited
until the bird was right on him, when he
struck it blow with the hammer that
stunned it. and it fell to the ground,
where it was bound before it recovered.
Fortunately the mans eyes escaped in
jury. but his face and shoulders bear
evidence of the ferocity of the bird,
which is of tremendous size.
A PARIS municipal councillor, NJ.
Georges Berry, has been exploring all
sorts of out -of-the-way places with q
view OF presenting to the council re
port on beggars and begging in the
French capital, says the London Daily
NNc"'. NuNOA OOSStHs
devotes special chapter to those strange
trades which really come under that head
ing, and he has also much to say about
the people who, while not actually
going begging themselves, get their
living out of those who do. Near the
Ecole dc Medicine NJ. Berry found a
woman who sells sets of addresses of
the charitably disposed to begging
letter impostors. She sells two sorts,
the big set and the little Set The little
set is 5 francs and comprises 200 ad
dresses; for Is francs one can have the
big set of $50 addresses, sufficient, said
the vender, to enable any one starting
in the business to earn his living for q
year. As NJ. Berry bought copy of
each set, doubtless the council will give
useful warning to the persons whose
addresses are given. Ordinary street
begging in Paris, it appears. is reckoned
to bring in an average of at least a
shilling an hour. Many of the beggars
sleep in the neighborhood of the Jardin
des Plantes. A man in that neighbor-
hood makes n LARGE income nv affor.};po