The record-union., 1899-03-18
| VERY WARLIkE ARRAY.
COUNTY CLERKS OFFICE PRE-
sENTED TT YESTERDAY.
Maine Prairie Campaign Inaugur-
ated and Sharpshooters De-
part for the Front.

The paraphernalia of CORY war was
much in evidence at the Courthouse
yesterday afternoon, and from the size
of the cOmmissary department diiu
the quantity of ammunition in evidence
the report was whispered around that
another expedition of volunteers Was
about to start for Manila.
A flerce-looking man, clad in cor
duroy uniform, with a hat that ioof.eu
as If it had seen service in the JunSles
along the Pasig River, strobe back ana
forth in the County Clerks office, stop
ping ever and anon to glance over Inc
Elilitary array and take mental III
ventory of the packages OF Io-lncn
(more or less) shells piled up there "A
feverish glare was in his eyes as ne
continued his walk, glancing OCCASION
ally at the clock and mutterlng some
thing about dock somebody, the pen
atty evidently being intended for some
one who was late.
Suddenly, through an open window
came the '.honk. honk'' of a passing
flock of geese The glare died out OIL
his eyes, and they frightened up quick
ly, while a genial smile overspread his
countenance. A spectator who was en-
boldened by the change to approach
nearer discovered the placid features
of County Clerk Billy Hamilton, and
that what had been taken for a Ma
Mia sharpshooters uniform was the
hunting rig in which he takes his an
nual jaunt to the Solano fields.
Every year about the middle of
March a peculiar malady attacks the
County Clerk, and he is seen to gaze
skywards, and assume a listening at
titude. when no reason is apparent for
it. He becomes talkative, and so IN
fectious is the malady that those Win
whom he converses are very often
stricken with it, as is the case with one
of the Superior Judges, a promlnent
attorney. a well-known bank Official
and several others at the present TIME.
Ordinary medicine has no effect on II,
and the only remedy so far discovered
is a change of scene. Neither the
mountains nor the SeaShore, however,
are beneficial in this emergency, the
only landscape that seems Sootnlng 10
the eyes of the sufferer being hat
waste of country, where the view Is
not obstructed by houses and barns.
The disease is known as the Maine
Prairie fever and any one who mas
once had it will always remember the
Maine, if he has been fortunate enough
to have it properly cured The most
effectual cure is to look on pile OF
slain geese, numbering hundreds, anu
then pat the stock of a gun and PROUD
ly exclaim, II did it." In fact, 1t IS
said to be a never failing cure, ana
the person affected always returns
home in his right mind.
Doc" Stewart came up YESTERDAY
and carried off the County Clerk In the
afternoon. and Judge Hughes, who mas
been suffering for a week from COM
bined attack of grip and the fever, ana
Hiram w. johnson and w. f. Gerper'
who have "got it bad," will go down 10
Suisun to-day
The geese are coming in on the shoot
ing grounds at Maine Prairie by tne
thousands, and the sportsmen antlcl-
nate a couple of days Of fine shootlne'
and their friends have already spoken
for several tons of geese. The taies
they win tell on their return VIII no
doubt be marvellous. but they VIII pe
fully corroborated-by each other.