The Republican journal., 1899-02-02
M I'VE! dies
Short Stories.

A novel business venture was lately in
augurated by two very small Belfast young
ladies. They overheard their parents talk
ing about getting up soap clubs and selling
the soap to their friends. The girls at
once ''caught on and helping themselves
to such soaps as they could find in the
kitchen, laundry or toilet rooms, started
out to sell the same Some persons upon
whom they called bought of them, but
one, suspecting that all was not right,
served and enforced an injunction on the
business by escorting the young misses
home.
Belfast newspaper man tell a good
one on himself. He had not shaved for
some days and had a very short, bristly
growth of beard His little son was play
ing in his lap and began asking questions
about the beard. When the process of
shaving was explained to him and he was
told that the, to him. offensive growth
could be cut off, he exclaimed, ''No! no /!
papa, ldht udu1iltE anu QTlFc IN,
One of the boys of forty years ago, was
from his youth possessed of the poorest
kind of poor luck as a hunter, although a
very good mark sman. One day he got a
fine shot at a large bird on the wing, and
blazed away. The feathers flew, the bird
dropped something from its talons, and
after a few irregular movements sailed
serenely away. The hunter ran and pick
ed up the object dropped by the bird-a
porgy, still with some life in its body. hav-
ing just been brought from its watery
| home. Whenever that hunter attempts to
tell hunting or fishing story in the pres
ence OF any OF his relatives, they ask him
about shooting porgies on the wing.
Some interesting points were brought
out by the visit of sch. Thomas Borden to
this port last week. The schooner is own
ed by the Borden family of Fall River
Mass. a name which has twice been be-
fore the public on account of shocbing
tragedies-the mutiny on board the sch.
Jefferson Borden and the murder of Mr..
and Mrs Borden, for which their dauybter
Lizzie was tried. Capt. Darby speaks in
the highest terms Of the family as ship
owners, they keeping their vessels in first
; class repair, and dealing Justly and liberal
ly with all in their employ. The captain
formerly lived in Belfast and sailed from
here sixteen years, moving to Thomaston
eighteen years ago. Since leaving Belfast
he has been here but once, four wears AGO
when he brought cargo of phosphate.
Capt. Darby is an ardent Freemason. and
when in Baltimore recently visited six
different lodges in as many consecutive
| evenings.
The good coasting of late, attended by
the usual incidents, recalls the narrow es-
cape of boy some years ago. The boys
were sliding on Spring street from the Jail
to Front street, and turning northward
! into the latter. On one trip James Eustis
lost control of his sled and was not able
to make the turn, but kept on into the
Palmer shipyard, where a vessel had Just
been launched. Thinking it safer than to
run down upon the wharf he managed to
run his sled up the bow stage hoping to
stop before he reached the top. He did
not stop, however, but went over and the
sled was broken to splinters in the yard
below. The boy luckily caught hold of
stage pole and held on until he was
rescued.