Evening star., 1898-04-16
1liI1RefRtlhsSSs sHtE5AeR}o
WStu 0EEh'

nau packed up about everything ] thought
l should need, much of which had to drop
by the wayside soon after, asked me If
there was anything else that could think
of that l would need. In an apoIogizing
kind of way ] said yss. that would like a
box of mustard for use in casA.I ever got
the pneumonia, such as I dreamed of, for
forgot to say 1 dreamed that after / was
dead mustard plaster on my side cured
my pain. When l looked into my KNAPP
sack l found it SO full of STUFF that could
not ind place for the box of mustard,
and thought would havs to leave 1t. My
mother, however, said she would manage
IT, That night started out to conquer the
wnoie Yankee army, and just as l was
struck me in my side, exactly the place at
fectsd In the attack of pneumonia from
which had my dream death. 1t passed off
IN an instant. not. however, until had
for the mustard She told me she could
rot find space in my knapsack, but that she
had sewed up a bundle of mustard in q
parchment bag in ths lining of my over
| coat carried that overcoat four years
and had felt the mustard sewed up In the
breast lining hundreds of times but never
supposed would have to use it.
1t was four ysar5 to day from the
GATE OF my enlistment, when I was taken
SICK. and with me a man in my company,
for by that time was an officer we were
bundled off to a field hospital, neither one
OF US having any idea what was the matter
geon Of South Carolina regiment, visited
us. He told US bluntly that We were suf-
fering from pneumonia and that the chances
were all against US. II could put a mus
tard plaster on you 1 could save you both, >
he said, but as you know, mustard is q
rare possession In this part Of th3 south
now. 81 ain of it equaling In value a grain
of gold. and scarce at that All of a sudd IN
the lining of my overcoat came to my mind,
and asked if my coat was handy. 1 was
told 1t was. and in few moments the doc
tor had it ripped open. Mixing it up with
some bad bran, he divided 1t up at my re-
quest into two plasters, and my comrade
and myself have been able to eat three
square meals every day since, barring the
remainder Of the war, when we were rather
nigh toned and only indulged in one regu-
lar meal day, and ate the rest In our
minds. Though pneumonia killed me in my
dream, the same dream furnished me with
the ammunition which baffied death when
he attacked us. My mother went to heaven
without knowing that the bag of mustard
she sewed in my coat saved my life and
that Of my comrade."
* X X
THE shoe trade is rather perplexed just
now" explained the drummer of a leading
shoe mandatory to Star reporter, "over
the coming scale Of prices for rubbers. 1t
has been the practice for many years to
announce the prices of rubbers for the year
on April !, but this year the rubber making
firms said to the retail and jobbing trade
that they would not be able to give the
prices until May 1, one month later than
the custom. Though there are fourteen
rubber shoe manufactures in this country
they are members of what is termed the
United States Rubber Company, which is a
trade trust pure and simple, and was or
ganized for business purposes. Rubber Is a
scarce article of late years. the supply by
no means keeping up with the demand.
which is increasing enormously. According
to the latest English cables there are only
sixty tons available in the English mar
kets, which control the trade of the world
The shoe trade does not know exactly
whether 1t will be safer to buy at last
years prices or hold OF until the prices for
this year are announced. As there Is no
must be paid. While there is plenty Of
competition in leather and its products
there is as said before. none in the rubber
branch Of the trade. This explains why
there are plenty of cut prices in leather
shoes, but none as far as rubber shoes are
concerned. The scarcity OF the product
VIII, In my opinion, add to the coming
prices for rubber shoes, though 1t NAV not
affect consumers to very marked degree
1t may do SO, however Anyhow 1t keeps
the shoe trade guessing The shoe trade
proper Is also interested in disposing of a
large stock Of razor-pointed shoes made a
couple OF years ago. when sharp points
were fashionable. "Toothpick' toes made
up to sell at $3.50 per pair can now be pur-
chased In large lots at prices which would
enable the wearer to get them at Sl25:
put even at that rate there is no bowling
taa Demand for them. The only hope Of the
trade Is to work them of In southern coun-
try towns at cut prices"
4 X r
The generally accepted idea among the
People at large Is that life insurance com.
ranies grab up avery applicant who offers
himself. said an insurance writer to a
star reported, but there never was q more
erroneous impression. OF course. won't
go into details. give names or instances,
but 1t is In my knowledge that there Ia a
very large number of men in this as well
as IN other cities who are clamorin9 for
NE policies. endowments. etc., but who can
not get them at any price. By an agree
nient among thu leading companies the
names OF re5ec Is are passed around. an well
as the reasons therefor. for mutual protec-
uon. IL does not help out an applicant who
Is rejected by one company to apply to an
othsr company. for ths information that he
has been rejected has got there ahead of
MIN. MIN: One out Of every six applicants last
every two hundred who were insured dur-
Ing the year died"
An Arab Proverb With . Point.
From the Cairo egypt Sprinx.
Who can affirm that the mule entered the
jug?
This proverb Is frequently quoted to show
That. though one may conscientiously be-
Heve In thing which may seem extraya-
giant In itself. 1t is better not to repeat 1t
from fear Of being disbelieved It arises
from the following Arabic legend: An Arab
VINO denied the existence of genii bought a
mule and took 1t home. When performing
Ills evening ablutions he saw the mule enter
a jug. and this SO scared him that he ran
shouting to the neighbors and told them
what he had seen. they, thinking him mad.
endeaVored to appease him. but all In vain:
ne vociferated more and more SO that the
authorities sent him to the madhouse.
Wien the doctor came to see him he re-
peated the account Of what he had seen
whereupon the doctor ordered him to be de-
tanned. He continued, upon each visit of
tne doctor, to repeat his statement until
that. II he wished to regain his freedom. he
must recant; this he did, and the doctor set