The Topeka state journal., 1905-10-26


Leastways seems to De.
Fhen you struggle to repent
OF your erin way
Can't be much worse punishment
Than rainy day.
Washington star
An Accommodating Witness.
DO you know the prisoner well %
asked the attorney.
witness.
no levity," said the lawyer. ..Now,
sir. did you ever see the prisoner at
the bar?''
Took many a drink with him at
Answer my question, sir roared
the lawyer. How long have you
known the prisoner?"
inches
win the court make the
T have, yer worship said the wit
ness, anticipating the lawyer. ''I have
answered the question. I knowed the
prisoner when he was a boy of two
feet long and man five feet ten
Your honor"
IT'S a fact, yer worship; I'm under
oath" persisted the witness.
The lawyer placed his hands on the
table in front of him, spread his legs
apart, leaned his body over the table,
and said:
"wllI you tell the court what you
know about this case?"
THAT amt his name" replied the
what amt his uame?"
Case.
"Who said it was?''
You did. You wanted to know
what knew about this case. His
your worship" howled the lawyer
plucking his beard out by the roots,
will you make this man answer 2''
Witness, said the magistrate,
you must answer the questions put
Great Scott. hain't I been doin' it :?
Let him fire away. I'm all ready"
''Then." said the lawyer. don't beat
about the bush any more. You and
the prisoner have been friends?''
Never" promptly responded the
what! Weren't you summoned
here as a friend %
mo, sir. was summoned here as
a Presbyterian. Nary one of us was
ever Friends. He's an old-tine Bap-
tist, without drop of Quaker in
'stand down." yelled the lawyer. in
disgust.
.Hey?"
stand down.
cant do it. I'll sit down or stand
s.constable. remove the man from
the box"
Witness retires muttering: "well, If
he amt the thick-headest lawyer I
ever laid eyes ontt'-Galveston Tri-
bune.
. Birds at Work.
Arriving by train at Gifu about
p. m, we chartered what our 'rikisha
coolies called a number one boat,
which proved to be a comfortable
houseboat, for which the usual charge
is ven. In few minutes the artistic
Japs had made it quite festive with
mating, red and white draperies, and
paper lanterns (Gifu is noted for It's
paper lanterns), and we roWed up the
stream to meet the six fishing boats,
thankful that there was no moon to
spoil sport. After waiting for some
time in the shadow Of a cliff, while the
boatmen beguiled the time by smoking
their funny little dolls pipes (kiseru) ,
we saw lights in the far distance, and
soon the boats were abreast of US, and
we drifteds down the river with them
to watch this strange method of catch
ing fish, which has existed for some
twelve hundred years or longer. Each
cormorant (u-kai) wears at the base
of his neck A metal ring, left loose
enough to enable the bird to make its
supper off the small unsaleable fish
that it swallows, but too tight to allow
the larger fish to pass below A blaz-
ing torch is projected from the fore
part OF the boat 10 attract the nsn, ana
then the master boatman lowers his
team Of twelve trained birds into the
water, holding each bird separately by
a string. The ungainly birds immedi-
ately set to work con amore, darting
hither and thither excltedIy In search
of prey, and on this occasion they
caught so many fish that we feared
some of them would choke outright
But when the master boatman saw that
one was sgorged. he skilfuIly shortened
a v1a TiT7n of string lifted the
bird on board, squeezed out the fish.
and before we realized what he had
done, the bird was again at work in the
water.-Calcutta Empress.