The New York Times from New York, New York • Page 32

TTTR TTPAV.VOTlTr TIMES. SUNDAY. JULY 12. 1896. FOUK PATiTQ THIIiTY-TWO PAG HI2.

ART OF SLE1GHT.0F.HAND H'RGGOX BECOME A3f ADEPT A A FRETID1CITATEUR. "The Lcft-Haaded Mia-Wkr He Was Ciaassy The Intolerant At Dlfflealty la rsla Sargical In-lriMtBl-Th W.rk Done to Be-eosae AMkldextroa Apprenticeship to Hoadla The Morvaloos Tricks Perfornaed. Tbt speaker was a grave, gray-haired Stan, one with a reputation, for aa a aura-eon he mm well known abroad aa at home. He stood before a glass table, some 4 eet lone; and 2 feet In width, and the slab waa iupoorttd bjr, twin- Iron column. Tea could te ver the table, undet It.

axd. through It. It Invited a tborougn inspection. It waa not fixed, for the professor canted tbe table over, so tbat It stood on two lets, anTnext be moved It backward and forward. It was poslUve that there waa no communication with the floor below, for tbe room waa covered with narrow atrlpa of oak.

Lectur.ng to audiences the' professor bad long practiced, so be neither hummed ncr hawed before, maybe, the twenty-five men and who sat In chairs jomi twenty feet from him. The audience waa what the newspaper man would call elite." which. In this mean well-mannered 'people of a fair amount of Intelligence. Tbe men and. women had coma for amusement ul not for Instruction.

-The professor began his. Introductory speech In this way, and the accuracy of the transcription may be Touched for, he-cause wltb the gentleman's permission a shorthand writer took It down: v- "It may seem to you to be puerile on my part to have occupied my attention with sleight-of-hand tricki hut I tnnv well tell you how, so far aa am concerned. It came about. I was not born left-banded, but with the Inclination to us mv left hnH more frequently than my right one. I sup- sot a great aeai 01 muDblng when waa a child on that account, thouah I never could unlerstand exactly why.

I remember a visit to an aunt, a well-meaning relative who. to cure me of left-hand-edness, tied my left arm to my body so that I could not move It. Having my right hand free. I used -it to smash up taat aunt'a crockery, and on that account waa sent home In disgrace. AS 1 grew older, because I noticed how unusual' it was for my comrades to play marbles or vkii wim tneir leu nanas, i tnea nara to cultivate mv riant hand, but still, when not thinking about It, the left hand would assert iiseii.

Do what I could, when half awake, as drowsy lada will. I found I had dressed myself with my left hand, or at breakfast would use my spoon with mv left hand. It was a period of uncertainty to me. trying to substitute mv rierht hand (or mv left, and 1 never was entirely cured, even when later on i joined a military company, where, in the manual of arms, the right hand plays tbe more Important Dart. I am hot going to annoy you with cere- ormi i unctions, ana tell you now the left portion ot tne Drain is supposed, to work on the right side of the body, or th reverse of It.

but this waa what hannened to me. I might have become by long practice in a measure ambidextrous but then I regretfully came to the conclusion, when I was nineteen or twanty yes -a, that with neither my left nor- my right hand waa I aa deft aa moat people. 1 had stultified my tett nana ana nad not improved my right one. When I nied'cln- and in a tenta tive way essayed dlasectlons, I discovered how clumsy 1 was with the scalpel. I worked aa bard, maybe harder, than most men with my books, and stood well with my professors, and passed a creditable ex- animation, out tata terrible awkwardness with my fingers.

It aoemed to me, would always act as a barrier to my for 1 wanted to be a surgeon wlta a specialty. "I waa graduated at twenty-two, and In my class was a man ot only average ability who had his diploma. One thing he possessed was a wonderful dexterity. If I surpassed him in a diagnosis, if there waa an operation to be performed and I had coached him. he showed the most unerrinr skill with his Instruments.

I may say that to- aay, oy ami ot nara work, be stands at the head of the profession for certain operations where dexterity in manipulation Is a necessity, ana tnat witn a case in his hand I know mr patient la safe. Allow me to reconstruct this 'ast sentence in this way. Twenty-five yeara ago I could not trust myself for the work, and would ai- waya send for him. but now I do not. be cause i nave every reason to suppose that by dint of practice I have acoulrcd that dexterity which I did not possess when I was younger.

How did I do It? by the hardest wora, Dy tne education ot each aistinct and separate flne-er. I am not verv musical. but yet I learned how to play a scale on tne piano or tne violin, i went in ror technique. I noted the difficulties to be found in the third flnaer of the hand, which teems to defy cultivation aa to suppleness or springiness. 1 can even understand how Schumann went through a useless Dera tion so as to flex the ligatures of that un fortunate nnger.

But musical exercises for a nerson who has not much time to devote to auch ac- complishments was bothering. "What I did waa to take to slelrht-of- hand tricks. When I was a stuuont in Paris. I had known Houdln. I took little if any Interest In his mechanical aevlces, but 1 had the assurance from him that by dint ox practico, unless a man arms.

i.va miivj the wbole oould be systematically educated so as to acqui a marvelous amount ot kill. I explained to him my exact conditions. Tou he said. fortunate above most men. for your left hand Is educated.

your right hand partially so. Now bring up your right hand to be as excellent aa your Houdin was a true scientist. Mechanical he said, 'any dunce can buy. but the sleight-of-hand trick Is the only thing. When 1 went among the Arabs, to confound tneir moiians i naraiy had any apparatus with me.

and- wnat I did take was of the commonest kind, auch an la used at any two-penny county fair. What I relied upon were my ten fingers. 1 took lessons of Houdln. and was. terribly clumsy at first, but he never laughed at me.

It required a great deal of courage on my part to keep up what would aocm to many a trivial business, but I hung on to It. always having In view that nicety of touch which I consider the great feature of the operating surgeon, for with certainty there must come celerity. Why hnul I I make a natlent sutler ten min utes when. If tbe surgeon knew his whole business down to his tlnrer tips, one or two minutes, would suffice If any of you htve ever seen a long-uravn-oui operation in a hospital, a patient -suffering excru-rljnnc aironv for a Quarter of an ycu will understand what I mean, for there are many cases where an anaesthetic cannot be administered. I an old enous-h and have worked Ion tnough at my profession to say this to )vi.

i bat for a man to perfect himself in thing all honest means are to be used; so I remember when Houdln said to me: Why do you take lessona In my trick- ery? Do you want to become a professional in your own country in that And my answer was: 'No: I want to be a Then tbat Impulsive Frenchman hugced me and cried over me, saying 1 had glorified his Now, ladies and gentlemen, because I was awkward, all my fingers being thumbs ib beainning of my that la why I taught myself palmistry and all tn tricks of the prestldlgltateur. Tou ma smile when I tell vou that to be ab- eolutely perfect aa a sleight-of-hand man takes a lifetime. Tou might fancy that work -of this Sfr kind only gives suppie- ness to the flngera. But It doea much more haa that. I am now paat my prime, but I doubt If there are many men ot my age, area the all-around athletic men.

-who have a stronger grip than I have. I have no patter of the showman. I never wanted to acquire that. I can't even ive you explanation, for you could not gIIow them. This, however, you must take on my word that all I shall do will be carried out by my hands alone, tor the table la of transparent glass." Then, with a pleasant smile, tbe gentleman occupied the attention of bia audience for a full hour.

One trick was marvelous for Its simplicity. Put Una- his left hand palm downward, on the glass table, on top of that hand ha put a glass ball as big. say, aa a plum. Covering his left hand with his right, then the ball waa gone from the top of his left hand, to oe found under the left band. Then tne trick was reversed.

Prom the bail being placed under the-left hand, it appeared, after a para, on top of the hand. Holding the ball In both ban da. the two hands were rubbt it ihr. and there waa no ball. It had disappeared.

Then, clasping his hands together, out dropped the balL Tou may think It was sent ud mv aleave- twt it is not. because I will turn up my ana my coat sieevea ana gentleman did. and the ball disappeared or appeared again at wui. "Card tricks art monotonous, though Innumerable, but I would be the most dangerous of gamblers, for I could deal myself Just such card as wanted, and could give you all the losing ones. Now.

here Is a pack of cards which I have never seen before. The seal on the packasre has never been disturbed. I shall turn ttieir races to me nresentlv -aa aa to look at them but as they come from the manufacturer in suits, they require mixing. Suppose you do that for and the gentleman banded the unopened pack to a weu-known cmo-man, a conspicuous member of the whist congress. The clubman took the unopened package and dexterously shuffled the carua, remark ing: froressor, tius is tne very paca ot car da I brought you this evening.

The club steward furnifhed me with them, ana I marked the outside of the envelope. I Aa not tninlc anv on haa ooened and. ladles and gentlemen. I give you my word of honor tbat I am not the professors confederate." Then, after Ave minutes' shuf-fllnr. the clubman save the wofessor his cards, who took them, with the faces of tne caras to mm.

Shall It be a game of poker or whist? he asked of tbe audience. Whist," said the majority. And what shall be trumps? he la-quired. A lady present said Hearts." Of course I give the cards." said the professor, and after another shuffle or two. he dealt to four players, when the final trump card was In his hand, asking: Which of the four playera is to have the best hand?" and aomebody said the third hand, or tbe one tbe furthest from the dealer.

I turn then the seven of hearts for the. dealer," tbe professor remarked, after sortie further manipulation, as the last card was put on the table, and with the exception' of this seven of hearts, which I turn, that third hand has every other trump and its thirteenth card la the ace of clubs." Then the hands were turned wltb their facea upward, and the particular one aes-Ignated held all the trumps, save the seven, and there waa the ace of clubs. Poker presents much less difficulties; that is, when Ave play, but it is rather more troublesome when there are six. Let me, however, have those cards for a moment, and you, S.r, may deal and deal as if there were five players, and I will shuffle, but you may cut the cards ana deal them." The clubman dealt, and the professor said: The first hand has four clubs the two. three, four, and live and one heart.

The aecond has three queens and two kings, the third hand three aces and two Jacks, the fourth hand has four tens, the fifth hand nothing at alU Now which one will win?" "The probabilities, according to the late lamented Schenk, are in favor of the four tens," said the clubman. You are mistaken. The first hand stays In and takes its chances. Now give It a card, for It has discarded Its one heart. Now.

what Is the card? It is the six of clubs; so the first hand Is the best, having a royal flush. Houdln taught me that. It is the rapid glance at the cards which is the foundation of the trick, but that would be useless, unless the fingers did the rest Of the work. It Is In some respects a cruel, fatal trick, for those few who have exercised It, with Intent to have Invariably come to sudden death. I never play cards, save piquet with my wife, and ahe Invariably beats The conclusion, then, provea my own ex- fierlences." said the gentleman.

I te-leve to-day that I am ambisextrous: that Is. most persons would so consider ie, but still I think my left hand surpasses my right In cleverness. It does most of the work. Certainly It responds more quickly to my volition, for on the two sides of the body it can be shown that the personal equation differs." THE CESTE-NARY OF LITHOGRAPHY. The Discovery of tbe Art to be Cele-t brated 1st Philadelphia.

From The Philadelphia Ledger. One hundred years ago Aloys Senefelder of Munich, a poor Jack-of-all-trades. working on an Idea that waa to make possible the completion of his education at the University of ingolstadt, scrawled a work list on a smooth stone that he had been polishing In an Ink that he had mixed for an experiment. He wrote on the stone be cause his last bit of paper had been used for drawing proofs of etchings, and paper waa dear and he waa poor. Not many mlnutea later it dawned upon him that he had made a discovery, not quite what he had been working for, but something- tar easier the artjof lithography: The Lithographers Association of Philadelphia will celebrate that discovery.

Monday, July 13. and they have called together, the lithographers of the whole country to attend the congress that will be held to mark the Interesting centenary. There is a National Association of Lithographers, but, aa the organization la not very strong, the Philadelphia association haa taken up the idea of the centennial congress, and Is making enthusiastic preparations for It. Lithographers in this country are not counted by hundreds, and it is thought that hardly more than fifty will be present at the meeting. The affair will be important, nevertheless, for its Interchange of trade ideas, but more than anything else for the collections of historic lithographs that will be gathered in the gallery of Young Maennerchor Hall, where the congress will meet.

The exhibition will comprise about ISO lithographs, showing the development of the art through every decade of the century. Some of the examples shown are -priceless. There will be specimens of the work of Senefelder himself, and of all. the masters of the art whose works are now rare and precious. The Qroller Club of New-York, which held Its exhibition of lithographs in March, haa loaned the whole collection for the occasion, and It has been supplemented by tbe noted collection of Louis Prang of Boston.

John Sartain, who, early in his life, drew on stone, will be present, and will be able to contribute many interesting reminiscences ot lithography In London, early In the century, when Hulmandel led the art, and his new rivals. In Benjamin West's old studio, in Oxford Street, were doing their best to dim his prestige. Louis Prang, the Boston lithographer, who is acknowledged the leader of th art in this country, will be the honorary President of the-congress, the active duties of that officer being discharged by Julius Blen of New-York. Among the papers to be read are The Historic Development of Lithography, Artistic. Commercial, and Technical." The A Is tic Influences of Lithography on the Fine and Tsefui Arts." The Comparative Statis of Lithography In Europe and America." and A Glance Into the Future of Lithography." WINGLESS BIRD OF NEW-ZEALASD.

It Is at Qaeer-Iooklas; Fowl axaxd Feeds Only at Klsiht. From The Saa Francisco Call. E. Harrow, an Englishman, who has lived In New-Zealand for the last fourteen years, arrived on the Mariposa with a fine aoeclmen of the apteryx, or kiwi, the wingless night bird, found only In New-Zealand. The atrange-looklng creature is about the aise of a domestlo fowl.

and Is covered with what Is apparently a hairy coat of mottled brown. This apteryx probably has the honor of being the first one of its kind that has ever breathed the air of America, though live kiwis have been obtained for botanical and soo logical gardens in Europe. If there ever was any foundation in faot for the notorious fUleyloo bird, the kiwi must have furnished the suggestion. It is most active at night, and then It goes a bouy-rapidly thrusting its long, slender bill Into the earth in search ot worms on which It feeds. While thus hunting, it keens up a continuous audible sniffing, its nostrils being situated very near the end of the upper mandible.

The kiwi, for by this name It la best known In New-Zealand, is sluggish in the day time, and seems to have great difficulty In seeing. At night It often catches the large, luminous fire worms, crushes them against the ground and swallows them. During the operation phosphorescent particles adhere to the beak, and the hermit-like bird can be seen in the darkness continuing its search for food. A remarkable thing about the kiwi In addition to the absence of wings and regular feathers, la the great slxe ot the egg it lays. The kiwi egg weighs over twelve ounce, or a quarter of the bulk of the bird Itself.

This kiwi Mr. Harrow long ago accustomed to a meat diet, and that la the reason ha has got it here alive. He hoped to dispose ot It for f'i' to the Park Commissioners, but was told that they would willingly accept it for nothing. Mlemaderst. Froea Tbe Waaategtoa Tim re Doctor, win say ansbsad be able to leeevee-J Oh.

yea. Marts be la sot seriously hart. I waa going ask. If he weald be aha IflE CHICKASAW NATION WHAT CIVILIZATION, IKDISTRT, AXD EXEHGT HAVE DO.E FOR THEM. Ttsbwaataaro the Capital of tbe Katlaax Iv the Indiaa Territory They amber Almost Severn Thoasaad Persoas Maay Ualf Breeds Large Farms, Ilanehea, and Plantations Managed Saceessfally by These Red Men Slse of Beaerratloa, T19ROMIXGO.

Chickasaw Nation. Indian Territory, July 1L This little hamlet, with a population less than 200, is the capital of the Chickasaw Nation. It stands upon a beautiful knoll on the east bank of the Waahlta River. The artist's brush never traced a landscape that would compare, in beauty and charm, with the prospect from the atepa of the rude Capitol of the Chickasaw Nation. For a sweep of twenty miles up and down the winding Waahlta the eye feaats upon a rural picture the equal of which cannot be found In all this Indian country.

Along tbe banks of thla sparkling stream are skirts of heavy timber, while extending out for two or three mllea are bottom lands aa rich and productive as the Valley of the Nile, Then there are occasional, bluffs and hills to relieve the monotony, and back, of these are beautiful stretches of prairie covered with blue stem, a tall, rank grass, which has ripened and rotted, enriching and fertilizing the soil, for untold ages. Many would auppose that In this remote region. Isolated from railroads and the Influences of a -high civilization, the red-man does not realise the extent and appreciate the value of the heritage bequeathed to him by a generous Government. To auch a trip through the Chickasaw Nation would be a revelation. Beautiful and well-cultivated farms, adorned with comfortable homea and outbuildings, herds of fat cattle, mllea of cornfields, hundreds of acres of cotton, and blna and cribs filled to overflowing with last year's corn, are some of the evidences that civilization, industry, and energy have taken deeR root here.

The five civilized tribes of the Indian Territory number about the population of the Chickasaw Nation being at the last count about 8,800. Of these about 5,800 were nominally dressed In the clothing of the whites. There are about 1.800 who are classed aa "mixed blooda," many of whom show but a slight trace of Indian blood, and are among the most prosperous and energetic people found in this country. The largest farms, ranches, and plantations are mauged by these mixed blooda Hundreds of white men have settled In the reservation, married Indian girls, and are now the nominal owners of fine farms, with as good and well-appointed houses aa can be found on the farms In any State in the West. They raise cattle, corn, and stock.

They seldom sell a bushel of corn, but have large and well-arranged feed lots where it is fed to cattle and hogs. These squaw men frequently have fields of corn containing from SOO to 3.000 acres, and store their corn in forty-acre feed lota, well watered and finely equipped for that purpose. They own the finest horses and buggies, and daughters use the most costly pianos. Their farm Implements are purchased by the carload, and their farm products cattle, hogs, and cotton are sent away In like manner. The Chickasaw Reservation contains 4,660,000 acres, only about 70,000 acres of which are unaer cultivation.

On the north lie tbe Seminole and Pottawatomie Reservations and Oklahoma. On the west the reservations of the Wlchitas, Klowas. Comanchea, and Apaches. On the south Texas, and on the east the Choctaw Nag tlon. At least one-half of the ChickasaV country will average with the beat agricultural lands on the continent.

The other half excels the Pan Handle of Texas as a sock country, because there Is an abundance of water, and timber for ahade. Traveling from north to south through this country, one will not see any of the tree moss or mistletoe until the valleys of the Canadian or Washita River are reached. From there to the Texaa line it la common. Ihis is explained by the fact that it Is only found where the atmosphere Is heavily charged with humidity. For this season the Chickasaw Nation receives a bountiful rainfall, and the farmers were never known to fail on a corn or cotton crop.

On any of the lands in the Chickasaw Reservation, If allowed to grow undisturbed, the blue stem grows eight feet in height. On the uplands it Is also very rank, but not so tall, but on any of this land the Texas blue grass will make a fine and permanent growth. If the professional lobbyist who works State Legislatures should wander into this queer Indian capital when he Council is In session he would feel at home. These Indians pattern after the whites in their local government. When the council, which is the lawmaking body, is In session In Tishomingo, all the big chiefs, rulers, and lobbyists are here to exert their Influence in favor of or against the many schemes hatched out by the more intelligent members of thei tribe.

The Nation, as these Indians insist on being denominated, pretend to have a tribal government, and all legislation must go through a certain routine but, as a matter of fact, the head chief or Governor, his Treasurer, and the Judiciary generally constitute the ring," whose suggestions are law. There are two classes' of the thrifty Chickasaws, and the lines are closely drawn. The more intelligent and better educated rule the tribe ana shape political sentiment of the masses. The other clas is engaged In stock raising and controls all the desirable tracts of land. These men are sharp, shrewd, and well posted In the ways of the white men, many of them being graduates of leading educational Institutions.

They are. as a rule, unscrupulous, and have no use for the ways of the white man except in so far aa they will thelr cheai make money. mona- them have, by their ability and shrewdness, gained control of the affairs of tbe Nation" and they make everything contribute to their personal and pecuDlaryadvancement. The head chief "'rIly own and control all the stores and trading posts In the reservation, and it Is an easy matter tor them to bring about condition which place thMre. under their control! T.U!,rChick15?w trtV not different from any of the others.

It la probable that th. tribal affaire of the and Seminoles will show more agravsTed ln-mXXfm thllPOtlc rule. Bui the? aE 1 In about the same condition, aid any Proposition or any modified treaiV wa interfere with the Interests or selfish purooaea either the ruling class or thosenjoylnj special privileges as stock raisers and agrt-culturlate will be bitterly opposed. Under the present system the merchants have only to thelr- dePndent customers how to vote, and that settles the matter And so long as these conditions prevail and these influences continue, these nationa will fight statehood, no matter what may be the provisions of the treaties. The custom of adoption by marriaa-e haa resulted to tbe Indian la unmixed evil.

In the Chlckaaaw Nation there are miny white men who. having taken Indian -wives are regarded aa belonging to the tribe. They are Americans, Germans. Frenchmen, together with a number of Mexicans and some negroes. Tbe better classes of these squaw men are thrifty and prosperous! because they generally marry the souaws for the privilege ot land holding.

Horn, of tbem are outcasts and refugees who have been driven from the State for the commission of grave Crimea Then there are others who are adventurers without caDitai. who hope to make a petty living by speculating on tbe Improvidence of the Indian. Others, again, are the cattlemen, who. by taking wives from the tribe, gain the rleht to hoid their cattle on the I nd I an reserva-tlons. Others by the same right open ud farms and stock ranches.

This latter class constitutes the progressive element of the people la this Nation. Squaw men represent every clasa and quality of men from the educated gentleman, wearied of tbe hollow conventionalities of civilized life, to tbe blood-thirsty rutnan. more debased and degraded than the Indian himself. Confident ot a certain power with and over Indiana, many of the squaw men become tricky politicians. They invariably have some axe to grind, and their Interpretations are- always colored or at least shaded to suit their own ends.

A few yeara ago the Chlckaaaw Nation, then a vast wilderness. lying In the natural pathway between too sroat Central Mis- 'i aourl Vallev eountrv and the Gulf of Mex ico, was Invaded by tbe Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. The construction of this great artery of commerce through the entire length of tbe Chickasaw country was a revelation to the Indolent Indiana, who had barely emerged from the era of breech clouts and blankets. And yet when the first locomotive steamed Into Purcell and Admore, the two principal towns -n the Nation, the noble red man, with his squaw and pappcee-es. was unmoved at the transformation tliat had taken place.

They simply accepted the new conditions as a matter of fact, Many people call this stoicism. They forget that to the average Indian's Ignorance the production of the commonest glass bottle is as Inscrutable aa the sound of thunder. Tbe whirl and clatter of machinery la as far beyond his power of comprehension as that tne Summer's heat should be succeeded by the Winter's snows, lie knows nothir.g of the comparative dlffl-culties of Invention and manufacture, and to him the mechanism of a locomotive is not in any ay. more a cause for surprise than that of a wheelbarrow. During the past ten days the peaceably inclined imtiana living aiong tne eastern border of the Chickasaw Nation have been terrorised by a band of Negro Indiana led by Old King Blue.

This gang of black-skins are In open rebellion against the Government of the Chlckaaaw Nation. They go out on their marauding tours and make lite a burden to the Indians who live on farms. The squaw-men of that region are roughly treated by this band of outlaws. George H. Truax, a peaceable-farmer near Stonewall, waa, with his squaw wife, led from his house a few daya ago, bound with a rope, and held Old King Blue and his men then proceeded to destroy everything in the house.

After the band bad departed neigHbors found Truax ana his wife and released them. These negroes have no right to the Chickasaw lands, and movement Is being organized to drive them out as intruders. King Blue is nearly sixty years oid, very strong physically, and a natural leader of surprising tact, He was chosen King of the negro colony that came Into this reservation at the close ot the civil war, and he exercises an absolute tyranny over his followers. The Indian dance Is one of the religious customs observed In Chickasaw land. There are several kinds of dances, and only a few daya ago throughout the eastern part of this reservation tho full-bloods engaged In a dance entirely different from the green corn, "and other dancea common to all Indian tribes.

At these dancea, held In a dosen different localities, there were present representatives of other tribes In the Territory, unou whom were conferred the rites of the Medawln," which, it is claimed, correspond closely to the ancient order of Masons. The Medawln haa Its several degrees, each degree possessing Its separate and distinct secrets. The sociologists, going further, claim that the grlpa of the order are coincident with those of the Masonic organisation. In another respect, too, they are analogous in their habits to the traditions of the Masons. In the flacing ot their dancing ground a circle laid out, banked around like a circus ring, with openings toward the eaat aai west.

The Indians participating In the dance sit upon tbe earth thus banked l.p. In bad weather, or In the Winter season, a building is especially prepared for tht dances, and this Is also laid out with reference to the east and west. The most interesting feature of these dances is the divorce mill, which grinds out separations without the aid of courts and lawyers. All that Is necessary for an Indian who wants to sever his marriage relatione Is to step Into tbe ring, when the divorce darce is called bv the big chief and dance a certain length of time. This frees him.

The discarded wife gazes philosophically upon her dancing cldevant husband, apparently unmoved. After live day dancing the visiting Indiana return to their various reservations duly qualified snd delegated with full power, to confer the degrees of the Medawln on the members of their own tribes. It will not be many years. until the Chickasaw's reservation will be gridlroned with railroads. Besides the Santa whicn enters the reservation at Purcell.

there has been a charter issued for a road leaving the Santa Fe at or near Coffeyvllle. which will pass through Stillwater, Oklahoma City, and on through the finest country in the Chickasaw Nation. The Kansas City. Oklahoma and Pacific Railway, which was ranged right of way by the recent session cf Congress, will also tap ths Chickasaw country. Purcell Is the principal town in the reservation.

It is situated near the southern boundarv of Oklahoma, on the south side of the Canadian River, It is a genuine frontier town in every respect, Here the settler cannot get a title to his business lot. The laws of the Chickasaw Nation give any member of the tribe the use of all the land he will fence and put to use. A white man by the name of Dr. Byrd, who had married a Chickasaw women with some Indian blood In ber veins; fenced In about 500 acres In this vicinity, and when the Santa Fe built the road through the reservation, he managed to have a town located on his land. He cannot give title, to the land or any portion, but gives the settler, whether for residence or business, a permit to occupy land set apart for his use.

In addition to thia. tbe settler Is liable to a tax of $25 per annum for the privilege of locating or living within the reservation, which tax la paid to the head chief or Governor of the tribe. Dr. Byrd has become quite wealthy from this regular and increasing revenue. But this rather vague shadow of title works a positive prevention of any sort of public Improvements In the town.

No sidewalks or other rtreet Improvements have been made other than such as the citizens have made voluntarily. The main portion of the city Is situated on a high bluff, and tbe approach to it from the railroad and ths river, is very steep. The citizens have by their unorganized efforts, secured one very good roadway leading up to the top of this bluff, but that Is about the extent of the public improvements in this city of several tnourand people, and doing an Immense amount or business. There is no town or city organization, as there are no laws under which one can be conducted. The peace of the city la preserved by one Deputy United States Marshal and -a few assistants when occasion re-mires.

FATHER tiATAZZFS CABEEIt. Recalled by tbe Erection of His Stntne In tbe Eternal City. Rome Letter in The Pall Mall Gazette. The mere naming of the Protestant cemetery of Rome brings back to many English minds scenes touching and mournful, but always from the very nature of Its environment. It Is one of the prettiest spots In tbe Eternal City, full as It is of flowers, birds, and tender green shrubs and trees.

There took place there to-day (June 28) an Important ceremony at which all Protestant Rome was present that is. the unveiling of a. monument to Father Gavazzl. who for half a century strenuously struggled against the Papacy. The monument is gracefully simple, consisting of three steps and a shaft, surmounted by a bust in Carrara marble, by R.

Cotognl. Father Alexander Gavazzl was born In Bologna in 1800. When about sixteen years old he became a Barnablte monk, and was afterward sent as professor to Naples, where Uttle by little his opinions and beliefs changed, and showed themselves contrary to those of his superiors. Ferdinand IL made it understood that the "exalte" monk was not persona grata there, and he was accordingly removed to Rome," as all Liberals on the ascension of Plus to the Papal throne, he became most enthusiastic for the new Pope, and when In 1848 the Insurrection of Milan against Austria took place, he. already celebrated for his preaching, pronounced a discourse over the fallen at the barricades of the famous five which Is yet celebrated.

In the subsequent war with Austria Fa-l-Gvll wearing a red cross over his black gown, preached earnestly for the holy war among the ruins of the Coliseum, and went as chaplain of the Roman volunteers in the Venetian campaign, and his preachinr In Venice caused almost as great a sensation aa that of tbe great monk In Florence in the days gone by Girolamo bavonarola. The beauJful were touched that they threw to him their Jewels and personal trinkets to provide funds to carry on the war of Independence. After when the Jesuits gained the upper hand of the liberal tendencies of Pius EC. he went to Bologna, and was at once arrested and sent to the Corneto Tar-qulnia prison, Tbe Roman Republic opened the doors of his cell, and he flew to Rome to Join Maszinl. Garibaldi, and Saffi In the defense of the liberty of the Eternal City, having as companion the other monk-soldier and friend of Garibaldi.

Ugo Baasi. afterward condemned and shot by the Austrlaas at Bologna. French entered Rome. Gavazzl. expelled from the Barnabite brotherhood! became a Protestant, and went to Kngland and began his wanderings in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States, where, by hie violent denunciations of Catholicism and Ue Pope, he dealt many a blow at the Holy See.

In IStio he followed Garibaldi with the "Thousand" to the conquest of Sicily and the Bourbon Kingdom-spreading abroad his anti-Papal writings, and finally he entered Rome with the troops in llTTO. and fixed his working ground In Piaaaa Castel But' Angelo, facing- the attcaa. as a challenge, and there founded the Italian Free Church on rrotestant principles, where he continued for nineteen rra. until his death, his anti-Papal apoe- ABCfliTECIDKE LO.NG AGJ) THE WOXDERFXIi MAYAS AJTD THEIR EARLY CITILBZATIOX. Tho Saaona of tbo Western Hesml sphere Recent Discoveries of Frank Hamilton Cnahlnar.

tho Ex. atlorer Tho Great Shell Monndn tho Florida Keyo Tho Ancient Cities ot Lxnaal, Chiefcen, Itaaand Other Plnoes tn Taestss. Washinotok. July 1L The recent remarkable discoveries of Mr. Frank Hamilton Cushing.

the explorer sent oat by the United States Bureau of American Ethnology and the University Archaeological Association, have led to some remarkably Interesting conclusions among the archaeologists and other scientific men of thla city, which, connect the mound builders ot the Mississippi Valley with the 1 ancient Inhabitants of Yucatan, the Mayas, and with the prehistoric Island dwellers along the coast and in the Gulf of Mexico. Tbe great shell mounds of the Florida Keys, which Mr. Cushing Investigated, he says, when considered in connection with the serpent-pillared wood and stuccoed buildings ot the early Indians of the Gulf States give a great deal more than a suggestion of the ground plan and of the origin of the flat-top pyramids, chambered atone and stuccoed temples, serpent-pillared porticoes, and other Maya "War God. on Outside Wall of Adoratorkt at Palenqua, pyramids of the ruined cities of Tuca-tan. fit this relation In the early civilization which was known to exist In the outhern portion of this country can be dell-It el abown by the results of Mr.

Cushlngs Investigations and the similarity of the designs on shell and woodwork, a question will be settled which for years has puzzled the keenest of minds among the scientific men of this generation. Certainly some of the shells and Implement which Mr. Cushing- showed to a representative of The Times were remarkable in their similarity to tbe splendid symbolic Yucatecan draw-nga There Is every reason to believe say the scientists here, that this early civilization was very wide and far-reaching In Its Influence, but the world requires something more than mere speculation to settle these points. The strongest reasons for a belief in the power of these men are the splendor of their artistic achievements in sculpture and architecture, in both of which they were daring to a degree, and in the remarkable vitality of tbe race and its language, for the descendants of the ancient Mayas remain to-day a most important element in the population of Yucatan. In 1802 It was estimated that there were nearly or quite pure-blood Indians and perhaps loo.OUO of mixed-blood and whitea using tne Maya tongue.

A remarkable fact Is that many of tbe wbltea and half-breed and Spanish families have forgotten their own tongues end use the Maya altogether in their daily conversation. All scientists unite In saying that the aboriginal culture of the Western Hemisphere attained Its highest development in the land of tbe Mag. Here the Spanish explorers found" cities of peculiar yet noble architecture; a people of great Individuality and native force, yet with refined manners, clothed In woven and dyed cotton stuffs which the Spanish first Imagined, because of Its fineness of texture, were silk. They found a definitely organised system of jrovernment. a literature and history Inscribed on animal and vegeiab parchments, and carved in stone and painted on walla, and even a highly developed calendar! and chronologic system.

The legends uniformly assert that tbe Maya ancestors came from a more northern latitude, the Rising Sun God. Itzamma." conducting the first party from the far Eaat; but. according to the earliest authorities, their civilization is authenticated aa tar back as 800 years before tho conquest, or about the year 700 A. Although Columbus, on one of his voyages, the encountered- some of the Maya people on the Island ot Cuba, it was not until 1517 that the Spaniards, under Francisco Hernandez de Cordova, first landed on the shores of Yucatan. They found the peninsula div.ded Into eighteen or nineteen petty states or provinces, each ruled Jay a hereditary ehlef, the villages in each province having a subordinate organization under a local ruler, frequently a Junior member ot the reigning family.

These early Mayas excelled in architecture and were born builders from a remote epoch. Even at the time of the conquest the stately structures, some ot which still remain at Co pan. Palenque. THo. and other cities, were deserted and covered with a huge primitive forest.

But the cities of UxmaL Chichen, Itxa, and other places were densely populated, showing that the builders of all the towns were Identical. The material of these buildings is hard limestone, polished and carved, and Imbedded in firm mortar. In view of the fact that none of these early masons knew ot the properties of the plumblin or the square, their adjustments are considered to be remarkable. In their sculpture they made wonderful life-size, full-length figures, which they erected on the facades of their edifices, with extensive and intricate symbolic, mythical designs cut In high relief. Some of these sculptures are remarkable in more ways than one.

In our latter-day civilization some of the remarkable Maya drawings of their war, rain, and other gods In the brilliant colors which they employed could not fail to meet with the approval ot tho most fastidious of art censors. The lines are of course primitive and the drawings tbe reverse of realistic." but there are a grace and firmness of line, a harmony of design, and a fine sense tor composition from which modern draughtsmen could get many Inspirations. All ot these carvings were made by these early workmen without metal tools; they aia not even nave tne oronze cmset wnicn the Aztecs are known to have used. Their metal working waa very superior, and gold, sliver, and copper were worked Into the handles of their weapons or Into ornaments which were traded among the tribes to the north, And even to tho people of Cuba. Tbe Mayas were not given to much, travel upon the Gulf or ocean, but -fhey are' known to have been In constant communication with Cuba for purposes ot commerce, and thla was accomplished by means of largo canoes.

Tbe scientific men of the CTnitcd States snd many tn Europe, mostly Ocrraany and France, have glvenmny yeara of time and much money under tbe auspices of various aeientifie societies, both here and abroad, to the Investigation pf the Maya hieroglyphics which cover tho walls of tho remaining buildings. In addition to these records on the wails, a numoer or wxtungs Dy the ancient Mayas on maguey paper were found by the Spaniards, but, fallinr under tbe ban ot tne missionaries, most or tnem were destroyed or secreted and lost. These wrltlna-s or codices, as they are called. are considered to be of special importance as autograpnic records or tne highest aboriginal culture on the Western HemlsDhere. Diego de Landa.

tbe second Bishop of Yucatan, alone burned twenty-seven aboriginal codices, among other articles relating to tne eariy condition or tbe Mayas. Several of these codices, however, are still In existence and have been discovered in dif ferent museums in Europe, where they were said to have found their way accidentally and unnoted. Each codex consists of a long sheet folded backward and forward like a screen or map, or like the ordinary Japanese boo, but, uullke the Oriental books, both sidea of the paper were used and the sheet was not oouna, save by attaching boards outer iotas aa in aisaccted maps. These codices are all drawn in colors, some of which still remain clear and beautiful. The four codices which were discovered SJe as follows: The Dresden Codex, pre- T.

w. "oyat uorary at Dresden uu miriy-nine leaves, or which thirty-five are Inscribed on both aMaani one side only. The Codex Troano, named it possessor, Don uan de Tro Ortolano of Madrid it haa thirty-five leaves. The Codex (VirtonUmn 'rom the family of Cortex, the conqueror irvru in tne Koyai Arcueoioglc Museum at Madrid. Lastly, the Codex Pe-reslanus, of the BibUotheque Natlonale of laris.

named from an inaemtinn aw as luvt aJ i k' .4 word Perez which accompanied wnicn tney supposed to vi me tormer owner. Tuese four hi. n.n.. ft f1 manuscripts written in fh but In characters in- uuuwi vj iu eany missionaries and conquerors, and the records in mur.i in scriptions and sculptures are the only re- uiaju wn.cn tne scientists wno are attempting to decipher the hieroglyphics of the earl Mava h.v. 'jC on.

Although the question haa been a mooted one among the scientists of this country, but little has been accomplished twenty years. mere IS on the aub- nomas of the Bureau of Etbnoloay. Chariea Rau. KiImh tii Brinton have been working on the question here. The characters are quite dif- cu uu wuig ot ancient Most of them have rounded outlines, something like the section of a pebble, and for this reason the name Calculiform has been applied to the writing.

The cblef cause of discussion is the question as to whether the characters are Ideographic or pha-netlc. Various scientists, among whom ytre F. A. De Kochefouauid. 1888, and Cyrus Adams, JW2.

claimed that they had discovered the alphabet, but aubsequent Investigations and -the application of the key further than the tab.ets, upon which these scientists had worked, proved re-less. Mr. Cushing informed the representative of Ths Times that this was one of the unsolved problems which the scientists of the Government were most anx.ous to settle. He did not believe, he said, that the stone Inscriptions on the walls of the temples belonged to alphabets, as some other scientists had supposed, but were rather mytmcal signs. M-nich told the story oi some of tne eariy Maya beliefs in a picturesque and graphic fasmon.

He thought it Impossible to believe that there inscriptions were comprehended and read by, the vast population of the Maya districts in "he early days, but rather that they were only understood by the chief priests and by other persons high up in the councils of the race. Vr Cyrus Thomas haa contributed a valuable work on the Maya calendar. The most primitive of peoples take note of daya or rather of the niahta Kiih activity is arrested, and. the Maya calendar is a most complete one. The calendar la supposed to be built on the same oasis as mat oi Mexico, turning upon the numerals, thirteen, twenty, and four, but the Mayas appear to have had more extended measures for the computation of time than the Aztecs.

BeaiJos the erpln of twenty years, called the Katun, and mar oi nity-iwo years, tney nai tne Afiau Katun, or great cycle of 2UO years. This calendar, as revealed by the codices in the Kuropean libraries, has' been made the subject of a small volume by Dr. Thomas In the publications of tbe Bureau ct Ethnology. In this book Dr. Thotut's purpose has been to demonstrate tbat, rrop-erly Interpreted, the Dresden Codex com- 8 rises records of three hundred and sixty-ve-day yeara A most interesting study of this subject has been made by Mr.

Edward S. Holden. Professor of Mathematics of the United State Naval Observatory here. As early as -August. 1HW, he-determined to Investigate the matter, and to see bow far-the principles of arithmetic, which are successful when applied to ordinary cipher writing, would carry one In the inscriptions of Yucatan.

The difference betaeen an ordinary cipher message and these in-' scriptions, no says, is not so marked as might at first sight appear. Here, however, there has been no Rosta stone to guide any of the' scientists. The chief difficulty in these investigations baa alwaya been the lack of any definite knowledge of the nature of the records of the aborigines. The most patient researches during ail this time have recovered, tut very little of their manners and habits, and one haa constantly to avoid the temDtina sust- of an imagination which baa been or tried by modern Influences. Prof.

Holden has used the records on the stones almost altogether, those on the Palenque tablets in particular, for he thinks them of greater antiquity than the manuscripts and the codices. His method of working, though at first apparently com-flics ted. was itself. Betrinninz-. say, with the Palenquean prroup, bo num bered eacn one ot tne iigurs consecutively, from left to rlaht.

down the tfblet. taking the two sides separately. Then, tailing; tne nri utuir, -u. a. vmii- nurni It carefullv with every other ficure on the tablet, and in cases of identity substituted No.

1 for "the other figure. He then took No. In the same wav. and substituted, wherever an identity vas found. tb No.

3 for the number the fig ure of which was Identical. The tab lets or tne same time were men compared, and the aame system carried through with them, which accomplisned the greatly to be desired result of reducing the number of figures, and consequently the amount of work. A system of nctren- Mara Rain God. Tablet oa Outside Wall ot Addratorlo at Palenque. clature was' thus gradually formed, for every tablet thus received a' number, as did every hieroglyph In each, tablet.

An extensive card catalogue was then made, and on each library card was put tbe number of the hieroglyph, a picture of tbe hieroglyph, or Itself, and tbe number of the tablet from which the hieroglyph was taken. Below, for purposes of comparison, a space was left on the card, in which were to be placed all of the other numbers having the same hleroglypn or chiffre. This card catalogue, when It was finished, contained about l.Suu rla.tfe hieroglyphs, and la now in the possession of the Bureau of -Ethnology, where Mr, Cush-lngs studies are carried on. While this card catalog-ua has as yet dectled nothing in regard to a written language of the Maya people, or a phonetic or other alphabet, the time will certainly come when It will be of great value. For the work of Prof.

Holden has tho advantage of being based upon certainty, and his conclusions, as far aa they go. are tacts, and not based speculation. Mr. Cushlna-aays turn further investigation t-t this subject, baaed on tho lines ut Prof. Hoi-den's investigation, ccinw fail to produce results in deciphering the Uxns which will unfold one of the few stories cf pre-fes-torio America, which- ttnuia unread to American science.

QUEER FOREIGN QUAR MCLBERRT BEXD PARK AXD ITS CIV RIOCS HABITANTS. ef Italy is the Midst of Hew, York Lang-nage, Manners, Dresa. and Cnstonts All Strange Trans mention oC at Wretched Qoarteg Cfclamon Hear By In Pell aa Mott StroetsllVhat Trees aa Grass Mean to These People. Tho step from the sublime to the ridlc. loug la no shorter than from modern New.

York to a locality that might well be In Genoa, Milan, or Rome, where the people, tho signs, tho merchandise, and the cue torn are as purely Italian as any city 1 the All! this the Inhabitants of this town may see any day by passing-eastward from Broadway two or three blocks and sauntering along the east aldo of what Is soon to be transformed Into tho Mulberry Bend Park, but which is now a vast plain of dirt, piled up. with, brlcka rocks, and conduit pipes, in charge of laborers and employes of the city. Surveyors with Instruments mounted oa tripods are taking measurements, laying out paths, locating sites for trees, benches, lights, shrubbery, and generally arranging for the proper and picturesque disposition of a people's pleasure ground, a welcome bit of green nature that will be more than grateful to a. wretched and hopelessly poverty-stricken part of the community, comprising people of various nationalities with scarcely an American among them. Chinamen from the far East abound In this locality; Indeed, they fairly swarm In Mott, and Pell Streets, just around the corner from the new park- There they have theii shops, restaurants, business and residential houses, while the pavements are full of ths curious race, clothed: in their peculiar costume, brought with their customs and traditions from their native land.

Here they congregate In front of tho shops and smoke their native pipes, long and thick of stem and ridiculously small ot bowl, puffing forth Infinitesimal whiffs of smoke. while the owners remain imperturbable grave and solemn of face. Littlo Chinese boys, equally quaint of costume, play It would be hard to Imagine these prematurely aged youngsters at good healthy game bt ball, cricket, or shin- ny, where some real activity would como In play. That they do occasionally laugh or have their boyish fun is within tbo bounds of the probable, but looking at them In these streets it la difficult to Imagino them so occupied. There mav ba a-irla as well, but the average passer-by finds no outward evidence of hex, ail being dressed precisely alike, with the same ex.

preasion oi countenance ana way of arrant-ins; the hair. Brilliant aicna in raiaed letters or gold on black background, with edges of startling vermilion. make highly uevurauv iwii atnunst tne tumoie-aown. i row my orcctt ana tram Diiliainirs. windows full of Oriental roods, euina Dots.

vases, and tableware, or colorful alike ant stuffs are displayed, while tea and spies patison by no means aoaurd when one recalls this quarter, These Industrious foreigners from tho Flowery Kingdom knoca elbows with tho Polish Jew and the Jew of com- -merce, whose clothing shops line the west aid nf til rirlr em good, old-fashioned puller-tn is here, attending strictly to business as of vore. and allcwing no one to pass him without a persuasive wora or a request to buy, eves though the dress and general look of many whose way leads tbem past the shops proclaim them obviously out of anv Doaaibility as customers. But a word costs little, and tnese sons ox Aortutm lose absolutely: no opportunity. i It la. however, on the west aids nf tho park site, along Mulberry Street, that ths place has its most interestingly- foreign aspect, this thoroughfare being quite given up to the Italians.

From Bayard Street oa tne norm to jraric kttrect. lis southern boundary, one realizes bv brilliant mio, nf dress, swarthy complexion, dark hair, and ear-splitting talk of the populace, the presence of. the Latins and by signs over tbe shops, the merchandise offered for sale, and the awful odors abounding every wnere, that the sons and daua-htera of the sunn south are here. It da a whiff of Genoa. lureniv, it reeas or the poor quarters of these It Is hard for tho moment to realize that one Is in New-York.

That children of all area falrlv ran nv each other It is perhaps needless to add. Little mites of girls, barely five or six. toto about babies of two or three months. A single carmen In most cases comprises their wardrobe. Older babies of two or three are left to shift tor themselves, playing in dirt piles or rooting among the refuse of ash barrels and the refuse there Is.

indeed, refuse eatm- odds and ends of rotten fruit and rinH. and such garbage as is thrown away. How they live and thrive la one of the marvels HanJsme young girls, wita-brllllant eye and color, flirt with black-muszled lads, laughingly throwing back-retorts not overelrgant In language, while matrons themselves yet young in years though wizened In face and bedraggled aa to dress haaale and bargain -1 ln macaroni, raits, and breadstuff, dear to the Italian palate; and some of these delicacies are apparently aa Indigestible aa whiUeather. t.iT- mre onnKlnF shops as wall, witbj Italian names, conducted, furnished, deco- t. generally on exactly the same lines aa in the mother country: the slams ara nslnteri in 1 1 of lettering one sees all over Italy, while nui annas, aiiunngiy cheap, are fully announced on the signboards.

The exile may even, purchase drugs and medicines from an Italian pharmacy and dose himself in true Roman inn I the villainous cigars and tobacco, those nigntmares to the American tourist iff the land of Columbus, have been import ed and may be. purchased. If one desires te ny in tne zace ot late and tempt death. Save when engaged ln negotiating a sale, OF In Theatinir iiawh a ti wears a holiday aspect. Laughing, chat- tin as as lnMirtei han at tusiit a.

W.e. a. Mo QntilVI awu giiup A IVIUI aMlt gossip; buy men stretch off on doorsteps, dosing in the sunlight; women, with nurs ing cnuaren, ait on curDstones, in animated conversation, while now and then, a mild- eyed Chinaman Joins the throng, making a purcnaao witn ino utmost aeuoerauoa anu care. In letters Of uncertain nrooortlons and with much tendency to wabble, there is aa announcement oi the Carte Kistorante della d'ltalla, and ln the windows of this subterranean refectory are bottles ot vermouth, with brilliantly- colored labels, flasks of Chlantl in plaited straw, and various alcoholic compounds, beloved by tne sons oi nana, tn iront. jenots ot stal wart men gesticulate wildly and talk furi ously, wane inside at tne comptoir tne paa- rone sits ready to receive tne money as tne customers Imbibe.

Drawn up ln the friendly shade of a corner stands an toe wagon, tho driver stretched full length on tbe seat, fast asleep, though ready at a moment's shaking to rouse himself to commercial activity, while a gray-coated park policeman wanders aimlessly about, seeming out of place among tbe bricks, dirt, and dreariness of tbe Incompleted pleaaure ground. seems gone. No grass is hero aa yet, from which to warn children; no shrubs to preserve from mutilation: no tidy walks to bo kept scrupulous or Weary Walkers to club into waaeruiness. rom too centre oi tno square one solitary dead tree stands hopeless, spreading Its scraggy limbs over remnants of the its leafless branches frowning upon the transition that is turn Ing this acre or two of city wretchedness Into flowering greens, and 11 ring freshness. lake.

From Chambers's Journal. Cake Is the national beveraa-e- of Janan. and until recent years was tho only fermented liquor known la that empire. It la obtained by tho distillation ot the beat kinds Of rice. In appearance it "resembles very pale sherry, though ln taste it Is somewhat acid.

Tho best sake Is white, but there are many varieties, and tho poorer people la Japan bar to content themselves with a v. v. i. ui una -ffw ery function and ceremony of dally life; wuc iu, iv Kiim sous at reusriou cup of sake. At the annual dinner last year vi tna iBvtta uua in uonaon.

at wmca everything was served a la Japanese, a glass of the national beverage was handed round to each guest after tbo repast, with an Intimation that a second could bo fc-vd if desired. It reported, however, that hw means a run on tne eecon seeming to De tar less populaa with Englishmen than with Japanese..