Kitabı oku: «The Great Round World and What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1, No. 47, September 30, 1897», sayfa 4

Ever since her affliction she has been leading a quiet life at the Palace of Larken, near Brussels.

Her insanity has never assumed a violent or unmanageable character, and her sweet and gentle nature has endeared the unhappy lady to all her attendants.

Her mania lay chiefly in a belief that her husband Maximilian was alive, and she spent her days in hourly expectation of his arrival. She appeared to have forgotten all the troubles which had unbalanced her mind, and to be unaware of the cruel death which he had suffered.

The Palace of Larken, where the ex-Empress passed her life, is beautifully situated in a large park. The gentle Princess would wander over the estate, interesting herself in all the various phases of a country life.

It is said that her one pleasure was her dairy. The King of the Belgians, who endeavored to gratify every wish that she expressed, sent a very fine herd of cows to Larken, and the ex-Empress established a model dairy farm, from which she derived much pleasure.

Another traveller has reached the summit of the Enchanted Mesa.

We told you how Professor Libbey, of Princeton, had successfully scaled the bluff, and had reported that there were no traces of human life on the Mesa-top.

It seems that the scientists were not altogether satisfied with this decision.

It has been the experience of all men who have had any dealings with the red Indians that, no matter how vague and strange their legends may be, they are always founded on fact. Every tribe has an abundance of legends, and it has been found that there is always a leaven of truth in them.

The story of the Enchanted Mesa,—how the roadway which led up to the village on its summit was destroyed in a great storm, and how the people left on the top were starved to death because they could not get down,—exists in one form or another among all the tribes in the vicinity, and therefore several men who are versed in Indian lore have refused to believe Professor Libbey's assertion that there were no traces of life to be found on the Mesa's top.

A representative of the Smithsonian Institution, Mr. F.W. Hodge, has just returned from an expedition to the Enchanted Mesa, and his account is utterly at variance with that of the Professor.

Mr. Hodge ascended the Butte by means of an extension ladder, and once on top proceeded to investigate in a much more thorough and leisurely manner than Professor Libbey had attempted to do.

After a long and careful search, which convinced him that people had once dwelt on this mound, Mr. Hodge began to dig at various points where he thought he had a chance of making a find.

His perseverance was soon rewarded. After a few hours' labor he found two stone axes, a broken fragment of a shell bracelet, a stone arrow-point, and several fragments of pottery.

This proves conclusively that there have been dwellers on the Mesa-top, and it seems a pity that after all his trouble the Professor was not rewarded by some such find.

Mr. Hodge says that Professor Libbey could not have attempted to dig, but must have expected to find the traces he was in search of lying exposed on the surface.

By Mr. Hodge's measurement, the Mesa is 431 feet at its highest point, and 224 feet at its lowest.

He thinks there is not a shadow of doubt that it was once occupied by Indians, and suggests that an expedition be sent out prepared to encamp on the Mesa, and examine it much more thoroughly than he was able to do.

The committee appointed to look into the possibility of establishing a government factory for the manufacture of armor-plate has reported that it will cost about three million dollars.

The committee was also instructed to look about for a desirable site on which to build the works. This raised the hopes of the towns within the iron districts. Delegates from several States have appeared before the board to extol the desirability of their various townships. As yet, however, it is not decided whether the Government will build the works at all, and so the matter of place has not been taken into serious consideration.

It was supposed that the Bethlehem Iron Works and perhaps the Carnegie works might make some offer to the Government by which the works could be under the control of the Government, or the armor could be made at the price the Government offers ($300 per ton). No offer has as yet been made.

A suggestion has, however, come from a man who thoroughly understands the manufacture of armor-plate.

He says that by the use of a new process of making steel the plate can be turned out at a much less cost, and with half the waste that there is in the present method of making it. The plant to make this new-process steel can be built for half the money required for the old-style plant, and moreover the armor-plate can be turned out in a much shorter time.

By the use of this process he asserts that the finest armor-plate can be made at a cost of $150 per ton, and at that price there would be a margin of $50 profit.

The armor factory board has written to him, telling him that they will be ready to consider any proposals from him in a few days, and will inquire into his process.

The manufacturer says that if the Government does not take kindly to his plan, he will start his own factory, and make armor-plate at $150 per ton.

There is little fear that the article which this Mr. Carpenter offers is of an inferior character, for all armor-plate is carefully tested before it is accepted.

The people who have gone to the Klondike gold hunting have found out for themselves the truth of the saying that "all is not gold that glitters."

Day after day news reaches us of the trials and struggles, the hunger and hardships, of those who have hurried off in this mad rush after wealth.

Only a day or two ago a carrier-pigeon reached its home in Portland, Oregon, bearing a message from a party of young men who had set out from that city to seek their fortunes.

Wishing to be able to tell their friends of their safe arrival, the young men took several carrier-pigeons with them. This bird is the first that has arrived. The message it brought was by no means a cheerful one.