Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-21
BEE LINES.

! A GOOD story has Just reached TINS
| country from the French possessions IN the
Pacific. Those far away Islands do not get
| news OF the outside world until IL is months
old and sometimes when 1t does reach them
It is highly embellished. In such a condl-
tion came the news OF the Anglo-French
war scare. which at once convinced the In
habtants Of Tahiti that their country was
waglng terrible struggle with England.
The transport Anbe being in port, council
of war was held by its commander and
| the governor, with the result that a new
| fort was started at once in pouring rain,
| the ships guns were lightered ashore and
| the work of cartng provisions into the
country began. About that time ship was
seen signaling in the offing Feeling GER
tain that the English were upon them, the
women, children and non-combatants took
to the woods, carrying their valuables with
them. while the shore batteries were manned
and the Anbe taken out into the channel
and made ready TO be sunk. To add to the
CONSERVATION, a shrewd old Yankee skipper
with cargo of lumber came into port at
that juncture, and sizing up the situation,
created ready demand for his timber at
fabulous price by dropping few shrewd
but unreassuring remarks as to the probable
whereabouts of the hostile British fleet.
This news was sent by courier after the
refugees, who at last accounts were hasten
ing night and day farther into the interior.
In the meantime preparations for defense
went rapidly on, until a vessel finally sue
ceeded in getting into port without being
fired on bringing the news that there was
not only no war but no likelihood of one.
But in the meantime the Yankee skipper,
who objected to being caught in a blockaded
port, had sailed, perhaps never to return.
The Boston courts have settled the ques-
tion as to the constitutionality of the or
dinance against splitting in street cars and
public buildings by imposing a fine on the
offender and in default Of payment sending
him to Jail. The decision is altogether
right and 1t is a pity that a similar law is
not better observed in Omaha A lot of
young Arabs are in the habit of congregating
i'm the postofilce at night and amusing them
selves in festoonng the floor with all kinds
of quaint designs in tobacco juice, while
unmistakable evidence that the same filthy
habit prevails elsewhere is afforded in
nearly every public building in the city.
The father of the university student in
jured in the Charter day exercises displayed
spirit of independent manhood all too
uncommon in these days. The commonly
accepted belief is that anything which can
bo secured from the public treasury is
legitimate, regardless whether the bene-
flcary is able to bear the burden himself
or not
Lord Beresford, who is now in this coun-
try, visited Honolulu thirty years ago as
midshipman. One night while on shore
leave his lordship decided that it would be
immense fun to remove the British consul's
sign and place it over butcher shop. The
project was performed with great success
and he was just beginning to enjoy the fun
wien the commander of his ship walked UP
to him and ordered him to take down the
sign and replace it over the consulate which
he did, to the great delight of the assembled
crowd.
The general makeup of the 1899 sea
serpent is not materially different from
the styles of other seasons and is thus de-
scribed by one Lorenzo Woodbury., who de-
poses and says that he saw him with his
own eyes and when not unduly influenced
In his favor by malt spirituous vinous
refreshments: "a long, scaly barnacled
body of whitish appearance, with head
like seal, cleaning eyes, huge fangs and
sizzling BREATH OF course the story
would be preposterous, even though Mr.
Woodbury. was on the Maine coast when
the discovery was made, were it not for the
sizzling breath" which would indicate
that his serpentship's temperature. per-
haps, forced him to make a premature ap-
pearance to prevent spontaneous combus-
ton.
The last issue concludes the first year
of the sarpy County Herald and in COM
menting on that fact Editor Beedle says
that although he has been called an emissary
Of Mark Hanna and his paper campaign
sheet he promises, like Sir Anthony Abso-
Lutte, to live at least thirty or forty years
yet if just to spite his enemies. In con-
cluslon he says:
The Herald is a fixture. It's policy will |
continue, as In the past, straight repub- |
lican-the champion of truth and the fear |
less exposure of fraud and rotten ring rule |
-"hew to the line, let the chips fall where |
they may
If the Herald adheres to that policy it de- |
serves to live not thirty or forty years, but |
indefinitely and it will probably do So
North Coleman has literary society that
is only equaed by that of Bradshaw and
it is with the profoundest regret that its
friends will learn that it was attacked By
the grip just as it was preparing to close
in fercely fought oratorcal contest over
the question as to whether Napoleon or
Caesar was the greater man. At this time
it would, of course, be untimely to express
any opinion on this issue, but it is earnestly
hoped this inconsiderate malady may relax
its grip at an early day and that the cham
pions may be able to show up in fighting
trim at the next regular meeting. Next to
the school and Editor Leedom's poetry the
literary society is the best educational in