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Show came suspected - mitt witn superstitious people suspicion is more convincing than confirmation - that a certain long box that was lowered into the hold just before sailing contained a corpse. As the crew could not see the ship's pipers and so satisfy themselves of the identity of the defunct passenger, they weut back to their imaginations to supply the missing link, and. in a way that can not be explained, it was believed that the box contained the body of an American pirate who had left a large sum of money to a hospital, conditioned on the trustees keeping his body going around the world for H10 years and a day, and it was to be buried whether on sea or on land when ever the day was up. The sailor who hatched this story, if he but knew it, could have made fame and fortune as an originator of sensations on many of the great dailies of New York. The Orion had been at sea a week, and a very stormy week it was. without any dis turbance from the gentleman in the box though the sailors placed the storm to his credit. One day when the sun came cm and the wind went down, the hatches were opened to ventilate the hold, and the crew on watch were sent down to adjust such parts of the cargo as had shifted. Nothing appeared to be disturbed but the long box, which had been moved from the port to the starboard side. There was nothing particularly startling in this perhaps, but the gentleman had left tne box and was sitting on top of it, coolly smoking a pipe, when the iight of the lanterns flashed in his face. The sailors did not wait to investigate One shouted, "Holy smokel" withnoalln sion to the pipe, however, and the others shot out more profane exclamations, and ran ou deck to report that ''the Vankee'ri got out o' the boxl" Captain McDonald went down and made a survey. He found the box all right, but a careful search of the hold revealed no one else below. There was, however, a decided smell of tobacco smoke down there, and every man Jack of the crew believed that "the gent had got inter his bunk again.'' For the next ten days shouts, groans and horrible noises rang through the ship, and even the captain feared to eo below, while the sailors lost their appetites, stopped swearing, and were firmly convinced they had seen their last of land. It was not till the Orion reached New York and the customs officers searched the hold that the cause of all the trouble waa found in the person of one Jackson Brown, of Chicago, who, finding himself stranded in ixmdon, had managed to get into the hold in that box, with supplies and water enough to see him to the other side. SOME ODD STOJIIES. INTERESTING INCIDENTS . RELATED BY ALFRED R. CALHOUN. feter the Great, the Founder ot St. Petersburg, Was Truly a Democratic Ciar- Here la an Anecdote About Hliu Which Was Told ly a Polyglot Guide. Copyright, 18U2, by American Press Association.! Associa-tion.! The Russians are not all monarchists, but I never met one who was not proud of the wondrous capital in which the Great White Czar holds his court. Stately churches, magnificent palaces, artistic monuments and schools and public building build-ing without end distinguish the imperial i-ity. which rises like the work of the genii along the low banks of the Neva. lint dearer than any or all of these splendid structures to the heart of the true Russian, whether noble or mnjik, is the iittle three room cottage, still religiously reli-giously preserved, in which the city's founder dwelt while the Neva swamps were being made habitable, Ky all nieaus visit Peter's cottage when yon go to St. Petersburg, and if you do so within the next ten years it is possible that you may fall in with the polyglot guide who told me this story: Pwler Wits very anxious to make St. Petersburg a great commercial port, and learning this a thrifty Dutch skipper loaded his vessel with a cargo of assorted merchandise and setsail. Hiswasthe first merchant vessel that had ever cast anchor before the embryo city, and his arrival was preeu-d with a salvo of artillery from the little mild forts from Cronstadt up. The enieror. dressed as a mechanic, was ou the dock when the Dutch captain made fast, and in that spirit of Titanic fun that distinguished him even when he was most serious, he determined to conceal his iden tity and to have some amusement with the sailor. He accordingly told the captain of the port to send the Hollander to the eot-tnjreand eot-tnjreand to represent that the owner of that humble abode was a prosperous merchant mer-chant who had recently come lo the city and was anxious for trade. Peter told his empress, (Catherine, what he was about to do, and to "humor the joke" she put ou a dress in keeping with the humble dwelling and awaited the com ing of the Dutch captain. After looking over the cottage, the ap pointments of which were extremely plain, the captain said: "Over in Holland we believe that the shop has a great deal to do with selling goods; so, my son, if you and the good frau want to make money you'll have to get a finer shop than this." "Oh, we will," said Peter. "I'm going to have a place after a bit that you won't be ashamed to come to; meanwhile I can pay cash for whatever i buy." At this juncture a woman entered with - a bottle of brandy, some roe sandwiches and pipes, and she was introduced as the Russian merchant's wife. A Keason for Pardon. During the siege of Paris by the Germans Ger-mans the discipline, always Btrict under the command of Von Moltke, became posi tively harsh, and to Americana it would have been unendurable. - Drinking was prohibited, and the pickets in the direction of the doomed city were the veterans of the army. One night a picket was discovered drunk, but at his post, and the unfortunate unfor-tunate man, who was a Bavarian attached to the army of the crown prince, waa sent to the rear under guard. The next morning he was promptly conrt martialed and as promptly sentenced to be shot. The man's past record was excellent. He was a veteran of the Danish aud An 9 trian campait;ns, and had shown his valor in the present war. The crown prince chanced in at the trial, and after the man had been sentenced, he asked: "Can yon give any reason why you should not die at the hands of the friends you have betrayed?" "Only these badges of honor from my foes, your excellency," said the man, and point ing to a sword cut on his cheek he added, "Sleswick." Then he tore open his shirt, disclosing the purple track of a bullet across his breast, and whispered. "Sa-dowa!" "Sa-dowa!" There were tears in the eyesof the prince as he strode forward and seized the vet er an's hand and said: "Comrade, the fatherland has still need of men like thee. Go back to thy regi ment, hut never drink again in the prea ence of the enemy." w A Bright Hoy. "Yes," said the old Georgia colonel, "I think that np to the age of fourteen the colored children learn quite as well as the white, better perhaps, but there they seem to come to a halt. "I recall a boy I owned before the war who was as sharp as a steel trap aud a great pet of myself and family At the time of the incident I am about to relate he was about teu years of age and so full of mischief that it bubbled out of him. "Whenever he broke out of bounds and got unbearable I sent him with a note to the overseer, with instructions to flog him, always indicating the weight and number of stripes. ''Seeing the unfavorable consequences of car.ying that bit of paper to the overseer he said to me one day: 'Maussa, ken dat papah talk?' ' 'It can,' I replied. 'It tells when yoa are idle and won't work.' " 'But you don't nebbah work, ez I seez. he said. " 'Oh,' I replied. 'I work with my head, and that is the hardest kind of work. "The next time 1 gave the boy a note to take to the overseer, he went otf stroking his forehead. "I soon learned that he had destroved tbe pa ier instead of delivering it. So called hi n up and a.sked him why he had not oleyed me. ' 'Wa'al. maussa.' said the boy with a twinkle in his eyes, Tase done been doin some t'inkin fo' myse'f, an I'ze allowed az how I'd etart in and work wid my head tool' " Jtl.KSKNTED IIER PLUMP CHKKK. "She s a right fine looking woman,'' said the skipper, "and I've brought her up a iiuie present for herself." And thereupon be took from a bag a cheese and a roll of linen. "By all the sainu In the calendar, Kate!" ried Peter, an lie examined the cloth, "you can now wear as line shifts as the em press. Well, theie in truth in the Lith yauian proverb that it is better to be born iucky than uorn rich. Come, my friend, 1st us drink to the health of all good wires aud tbe success of the uew city." The skipper, who had already taken a stout bumper, drank again; then, emboldened embold-ened by the liquor, he said, "1 must have a brotherly kiss from the lady as a pledge of our better acquaintance." And the empress, with becoming coy ness. presented her plump cheek to his btvmled lips. At tul moment Prince Meuzikoff, the prime minister, entered, in full uniforrc and decorated with all his orders, and stood uncovered before the emperor. Per ceiving that the skipper was amazed, Peter signaled for the officer to withdraw, which he did promptly. "Von appear to know some . of tbe swells here," said the skipper. "Yes, and so may you after a bit. I think I can get you in the way of selling to thtm. But now let us sit down and talk about your cargo." They had another drink, lit their pipes and wereabout to lookoverthe ship's bills, when an officer of the guard came in, and after saluting said: "I am about to change the guard, and fctve corns to your imperial majesty for orders." The Hatchraan saw through the situation situa-tion in an instant, aud he would have thrown himself on his knees had not Peter, now laughing till the tears came, held him back. 'Hereafter," he said, "you may kiss my KaU's hand, nor will she or I object; but f d have you bear in mind, good friend, that her lips anil cheeks are exclusively the royal preserves." Thereupon the skipper, with a ready gallantry for which the Hollander is not famed, kissed the hand of the empress. This was the beginning of his fortune. The skipper became the wealthiest merchant mer-chant iu St. Petersburg, and today the blood of the Dutch Von Koyters flows in the veins of the Great White Czar. A Good Excuse. Let us call hiin Judge Frankfort. Il will auswer as well for those who are uot personally acquainted with one of the ablest and most eccentric mea on the bench of New York state. The judge's wife, as his friends know, is a regular Xantippe. While away from home he is a man among men, but he sinks into second in command once his own threshold is entered. Tlmt he does not enjoy his domestic bondage this veritable story will illustrate. He was recently sitting on the bench be fore the regular opening of court when a number of men appeared to ask to be ex cused from jury duty. The judge is very strict on this point, and he refused to let any one off till there was but one man left. ' This poor fellow looked pale and dls consolate, and when he appeared the judge asked: "Well, sir, what is your excuse?" "A great domestic affliction." sobbed tbe man. "Ah. indeed; child sick?" "No, your honor, my dear wife is dead1' groaned the unhappy man. "Surely and truly dead'' "Yes. sir." "Well, my friend," said the judge, with k sigh of envy, "that is an excellent excuse, and I only wish that 1 had the same to offer. of-fer. You are at liberty to remain away, sir till she's safely buried." ALFRBn R Cai.bouti A Bad Hoi. The "tramp" steamer Orion sailed from rBrion for New York April, 1S90, with a crew of thirty men. Captain .McDonald commanding. It is said that gamblers are the most superstitious people in the world, but an exception should be made in favor of sailors. sail-ors. It is well known that they do not like' to have clergymen, whom they call "Jonahs," "Jo-nahs," aboard, and the very thought of being be-ing on a ship that carries a corpse in the' liold gives the bravest of them constant "creeps." Although an effort was made to keep the et from the crew of the Orion. It soon be- |