The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-03-26
TRIBUNETS.

When I think over tho tough times that our
forefathers had in living through even the
shorter term of days vouchsafed them. I am
amazed that any number of them survived at
all. Take. for example, the practice of medi-
cine. It was a horror all the way through.
Those who were even slightly indisposed were
dosed with all manner of nauseous and disgust
ing things-many too vile to be mentioned in
print. Mummiss ground to powder and given
in huge doses were comparatively clean and
decent to some of the remedies. Another COM
paratively mild and pleasant remedy were
wood-lice to cure indigestion. or. as the stilted
medical lingo Of the day put it. 81 10 dissolve
the mucilaginous tartar of the body" and
"open the distractions of the Yiscera." Another
favorite remedy for the fever and ague was to
swallow bedbugsa at the beginning of the attack,
and many high medical authorities were I'M
compromisingly certain that this would always
| effect cure. The fathers of the present gen.
! Grafton can tell strange stories of the things
they were compelled to take when children to
cure the measles, a bad cold, even merely
to purify the blood"
sss
The school question is fragrant in Russia. and
has just entered the stage in which it was half
a century ago in the more progressive Western
Europe. That is. the liberals are advocating
that education in the common schools shall be
strictly secular, and religions training be given
elswhere, while the Conservatives demand that
all education shall be in the hands of the
priests.
The proposition to have the bishops wear
gowns does not seem to be meeting with much
favor from influential Methodists.
john p. st. John threatens to bolt the Pro-
hibtion party unless it comes out squarely for
free coinage. This is the least alarming news
have heard for some time. / don't know of
any party that can stand bolt from its ranks
as we'll as the Prohibition.
The ATg0naat tells good story. which is de-
cidedly at the expense of the English. There
was dispute among the Beers as to she color
OF the British flag. At last an old patriarch,
clad in blue shirt and soiled moleskin trowsers,
arose. When he stood up there was a murmur
of SOON Pete" and a respectful pause. THE
English flag" ho said. with an air of perfect
certainty, sis white" There was general
cry of expostulatiou, which had no sort of effect
on the grim old warrior. Don't know?" he
asked gently. '' have seen it-seen it three
times. Once at Majubs, once at Bronkers-
pruit, and once at Doornkop. Each time it
was hoisted, and each time it WAS white" And
that settled it. Those were the places where
the Beers had defeated and captured the Eng
lish.
Pick Me-Up: Pa, amt moths awful hungry,
eating only holes?
Right in the middle Of George yanderbilFs
prineely domains in North Carolina an old
negro owns six acres of land, which ne refuses
to sell at any price, and which Vanderbilt has
at last fenced in. The owner says: "Yes.
sab I've been waitin' 's,een years fo' good
neighbors, an now / got one l don't move. No,
sah.p
Life: see quite a number of policemen ride
bicycles now.
Why not2 The police need exercise as much
as anyone else.
Life: Bobbie-I put one Of those blue buttons
of fathers in the contribution box at Sunday
school.
Mrs. Bingo-Dear me; what did you do that
for?
Bobbie-Father said it represented So.
Is
Cincinnati Enquirer: Young Man-Why do
widows always come out ahead in the race for
husbands?
Miss Anshent-Because they are so much
faster, suppose.