1988 
Caw. 
“ Every Man is presumed to know the Law; 
Nine-tenths of all Litigation arises from Ig¬ 
norance of Law." 
NOTK DATED ON SUNDAY. 
M. S. L., Williamsport , Pa. —Is a note in¬ 
valid, in this Htate, because it happens to be 
dated on Sunday, delivery having been made 
on another day of the weok? For instance, if a 
note is post-dated by mistake on Sunday, can 
the maker successfully plead this as a defence, 
under the law, wheu he is himself guilty of 
the blunder? 
Ans.—N o. A note is not invalid because it 
happens to be dated on a Sunday. It often 
happens that the average due date of an ac¬ 
count falls on a Sunday, and a note in settle¬ 
ment is given with that date. Only when 
made and delivered on a Sunday in execution 
of a contract that is illegal on that day of the 
week is the fact that the note was givon on a 
Sunday a legal defence. For instance, whore 
horse trading on Sunday is not legal, a note 
made and delivered on that day in purchase 
of a horse would be held invalid if payment 
were refused on that ground. But even in 
that case, if the note were made or delivered 
on some other day of the week, the maker 
would be held liable. 
ILLEGAL CASTRATION OF A BULL. 
S. T. L., Floeter, Mich. —A had an unruly 
bull which broke into B’s pasture and remain¬ 
ed with his cattle some days with A’s knowl¬ 
edge. In the pasture were some high-grade 
heifers and cows, and B, not liking to raise 
scrub stock, castrated the bull. Is he liable 
to a criminal or civil suit fordoing so? 
ANS.— Tho laws of Michigan provide that 
“every person who shall willfully and mali¬ 
ciously kill, maim, or disfigure any horses 
cattle or other beasts of another, shall bo pun¬ 
ished by imprisonment in tho State prison for 
not more than five years, or by fine not ex¬ 
ceeding $1,000 and imprisonment in tho coun¬ 
ty jail for not more than one year.” As the 
offence was committed by B to protect his 
own property, however, and not to injuro A, 
it is doubtful whether the courts would regard 
it as of a criminal nature. The supposition 
is that B despaired of keeping tho bull out of 
his premises owing to its unruly character. 
The public prosecuting attorney alone can 
bring a criminal suit. B is liable for damages 
to A, however, as there was no need of resort¬ 
ing to such harsh measures. 
FRAUD IN A NOTE. 
S. S. M., Newark , Ohio. —A signs a note in 
blank and gives it to B to fill up for $150 and 
negotiate tho same. B makes tho note for 
$500 and sells it to C, an innocent party, for 
value. Who is responsible for tho payment 
of tho note? 
Anh. —Tho rule is that when a fraud 
has been perpetrated,and ono of two innocent 
parties must bear tho loss, the one who con¬ 
fided most in tho guilty third party, so as to 
enable him to practice the fraud, must bear 
the loss. Here A and C are both innocent 
parties; but A by signing tho note in blank 
gave B tho opportunity for committing tho 
fraud, and must therefore suffer. Where, 
however, one of two parties must suffer from 
tho fraud of a third, neither having placed in 
the hands of such third person the means of 
perpetrating tho fraud, then if one exercised 
reasonable care and the other did not, tho lat¬ 
ter must in general bear tho loss. 
INHERITANCE TAX IN NEW YORK. 
M. A'. 'I'., Oswego , N. Y. —A died some time 
back, and bequeathed his property to his 
nephews and nieces. A part of the will, how- 
ovor, gives the use of the interest derived 
from the estate to his sister so long as she 
lives. None of tho estate, which consists prin¬ 
cipally of personal property, goes to tho said 
nephews and nieces during the life-time of the 
sister. Can the County Treasurer compel the 
executors to pay the State taxes on any part 
thereof under the law of inheritance while tho 
sister is living? 
Ans. —The law provides that the value of 
tho life estate shall be fixed by the Surrogate 
and deducted from the appraised value of tho 
whole property, tho tax to bo immediately due 
on tho remainder. If not paid at once the 
interest will run at a high rate until tho estate 
is finally distributed. 
S. S. C., Herkimer , N. Y. —A brought suit 
for divorce against her husband, B, in this 
State, on the usual legal complaint. The pro¬ 
ceedings began on May 20, 1887, and on No¬ 
vember 20, 1887, B deeded all his individual in¬ 
terest in reul estate in a neighboring city to 
C, with the avowed intention of avoiding pay¬ 
ment of alimony aud costs of the suit. B re¬ 
sides in Europe and continues to receive pro¬ 
ceeds of rents, etc. What uro the rights of A? 
THE SUM* *. MEMMT0RKER. 
Ts tho transfer legal, and can tho payment of 
income to B be enjoined? 
Ans.—B had a legal right before judgment 
to make a bona fide transfer of his interest in 
any real estate he owned. Of course, he 
could not give a full title without the signa¬ 
ture of his wife. If the transfer was a sham, 
without consideration and merely to cover up 
the property, the courts will find a quick way 
to reach it for any claim against tho real 
owner. 
r I Mie Mississippi Valley Farmer professes to 
A be published at Memphis, Tennessee; so 
did that other fraud, “tho Cotton Bolt.” The 
former seems to be a legitimate successor of 
the latter. Indeed, tho first page of the issue 
before us is an exact reprint of that of tho 
old Cotton Belt of April 1, 1887, and so is page 
5. It boasts in its alluring advertisements of 
having “already secured a national reputa¬ 
tion on its merits.” How long has it been in 
existence to accomplish this object? The Eye- 
Opener has now before him a complete list of 
every journal and periodical in the country 
last y ear, and no such paper as the M. V. F. 
was then published in Memphis. “Every 
subscriber gets a prize.” “A fortune may be 
yours, if you will stretch forth your hand to 
receive it 1” “Oply 50 cents secures the Far¬ 
mer for six months on trial,” and “a receipt 
good for one present.” The presents range 
from United Htatos Government bonds to gold 
finger rings, scarf pins, etc., etc., etc., etc. 1 1 
—fortunes given away for 50 cents! 1 ! It is 
reported that tho publication of the catch¬ 
penny affair ceased two months ago, but tho 
advertisements still offer an alluring bait to 
gudgeons. The whole fraudulent advertise¬ 
ment looks as if Gardner, or an adept pupil 
of his, had put it together. 
We have had several complaints of tho M. 
& Ij. Health Institute, of Kansas City, Mo. 
It is claimed that Dr. H. A Eberle, “Surgeon 
in Charge,” goes through the country and 
small towns, pretending to cure chronic dis¬ 
eases of all kinds mentioned in a catalogue 
which he widely distributes. He takes cash 
or notes from his patients, ranging in amount 
from one to several hundred dollars, sends on 
medicine by express for a month or two. sells 
tho notes to bankers and note-shavers, and 
doesn’t appear in that section again. His pa¬ 
tients are reported to be never cured, except 
in trivial cases, and seldom much benefited by 
his treatment. 
It is just heart-sickening to see tho gibes and 
jokes and snoers and jeers in tho daily papers 
in this city for tho last few months at the vic¬ 
tims of the “green goods” swindlers. Never 
have these rascals been busier; or at any rate 
never have tho public become so alive to their 
work. Two or three times a week and some¬ 
times every day, batches of them, running 
from two to five, have been arrested, but not 
more than four have been hitherto convicted, 
and there is little hope that the others will get 
their deserts; indeed, most of them have al¬ 
ready been sot at liberty. Their victims were 
engaged in the rascally business of trying to 
secure counterfeit money to be passed off on 
their unsuspicious neighbors at home, and lit¬ 
tle or no credit is given to their evidence, 
while not a bit of sympathy is felt for their 
loss, tho general verdict being “served thorn 
right.” The galling thing is that in nearly 
every case of exposure country people, and in 
nine cases out of ten, people engaged in some 
branch of agriculture, are tho victims. Of 
course, nobody cares a rap for their loss and 
mortification; what irritates tho Eye-Opener 
is that the dishonest greed of these follows 
should afford a pretext to tho yahoos of tho 
press to sneer at tho “honest farmer.” 
To Several Inquirers.— The Historical 
Publishing Company of Philadelphia, has a 
fair rating; but we cannot foretell how it 
will treat its agents,...We have no faith 
whatever in the “very simple remedy” a 
recipo for which is offered free by a Mr. 
Nicholson of this city. All such free recipes 
contain some ingredient for which the party 
must send to tho advertiser, as a name is 
given to the stuff, which is not known to tho 
druggists. Then the advertiser has a good 
chance to charge a big price; and, of course, ho 
never misses the chance. 
Last year Charles Fogle, a farmer living 
near Westminister, Md. bought 25 bushels of 
wheat from a speculative company at $10 a 
bushel, giving his note for $250. In return 
they promised to sell for him, wheu the crop 
was gathered, 50 bushels at the same price. A 
bond was given to this effect; but, of course, 
tho “company” failed to come to time. The 
other day two men representing another 
speculative concern of tho sumo kind, offered 
to take the bond off his hands for his note for 
$150. Thinking that by doing this he was 
canceling tho $250 note, he gladly consented. 
A fow days ago, however, ho learned that 
both notes were out against him, and this 
fact so preyed on his mimd that he blew his 
brains out. For years the Rural has been 
ging away at the exposuro of these frauds 
ohomian Oats, Red Lino Wheat etc. etc. 
Other papers have followed our example; 
several of the States have made dealings in 
any transaction of the sort a criminal offence; 
yet farmers by the thousand are still yearly 
fleeced by the swindlers. 
The rascals who have hitherto defrauded 
farmers in this way have had all—even 
tho technicalities of the law—in their favor; 
but the Supreme Court of Michigan has 
just given them a knock-down blow between 
the eyes. A week ago it reversed the 
decision of the lower Court in the case of 
McNamara us. Gaggett. In 1885 Gaggett pur¬ 
chased Bohemian Gats and gave his note 
therefor to A. A. Griffon, who sold it to 
McNamara. Gaggott refused to pay the note, 
claiming that there had been no adequate 
compensation therefor, and was sued on it, 
the lower Court giving judgment for the note 
and interest against him. Ho appealed to the 
Supreme Court, and on February 8, the Court 
ruled that the contract for which the note 
was given was fraudulent, and, therefore, not 
binding on the defendant. The terms of the 
contract are at war with public policy, says 
the Court, and therefore the note is null and 
void. This decision settles over 100 cases in 
the lower Courts in Michigan, saves hundreds 
of farmers from tho clutches of the swindling 
Bohemian ()ats Company, bursts this atrocious 
fraud up in tho Wolverine State, and should 
stand as a righteous precedent for the Courts 
of every other State in tho Union. 
Woman 5 Work. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
A bright woman, who never seems to 
have any trouble with her help, says that 
tho only special rule she observes is that of 
never saying anything that can provoke the 
maid to answer back. If she ever feels pro- 
vokod enough to speak sharply, she goes up¬ 
stairs for a time, and suggests any correction 
when the feeling of annoyance has passed 
away. She very sensibly says that one inter¬ 
change of disagreeable words between her 
help and herself would make a repetition of 
the trouble so much easier. 
It was Lucretia Mott who said she got along 
with her help by never asking them to do 
anything she knew they wouldn’t do. Both 
her rule and that of the friend first quoted 
may well bo observed in tho family circle. 
They will prevent a good deal of social friction. 
* * * 
A good many women, not only farmers 
wives, will echo Mrs. Wager-Fisher’s remarks 
in a recent Rural relative to tho wife’s 
pocket money. A man who is generous in 
every way, able and willing to give his wife 
money for her own personal expenditure, very 
rarely thinks of doing so, without being ask¬ 
ed for it. And to a sensitive woman this ask¬ 
ing for money is one of the hardest things in 
tho world; doubly hard because her husband 
cannot understand her feeling in tho matter. 
Even where a woman receives so much for 
housekeeping, she is very apt to feel as if she 
ought never to spend any of this money on 
herself. It is certainly the best plan to begin 
married life with a distinct understanding on 
the subject; teach tho newly-made Benedict 
that while the wife does tho duty of a partner 
she expeots the privileges of one. 
* * * 
A clever singing teacher declares that one 
does not require any marked quality of voice 
to sing; she says that any one who knows how 
to talk can sing. The first requisite is to 
breathe properly, and many are deficient in 
this particular though it seems ridiculous to 
say so. But the fact remains that any one 
who breathes with tho mouth open is not 
only breathing incorrectly, but.is laying the 
train for future pulmonary complaints. 
Daily breathing exercise will be found of 
great beuofit in strengthening the chest. For 
this purpose, take a deep breath, not merely a 
chest breath, but inspiro so deeply that it 
seems to fill the entire body. Then read 
something in a clear whisper that is distinct 
all over the room, keeping it up as long as 
possible without taking another breath. Re¬ 
peat this exercise, keeping it up for about 
five minutes every day. Add to this daily 
exorcise with a pair of two-pound dumb 
bells, and many a stooping girl could develop 
her chest, straighten her shoulders, aud im¬ 
prove her voice together. 
* * * 
Ono of our readers asks for a method of 
polishing stoves, so as to secure a good black 
luster intoad of a gray tint. Wo havo found 
a good black load, mixed with vinegar, thor¬ 
oughly satisfactory, but an excellent result is 
secured with less labor by using “Parlor 
Pride” Stove Enamel. It is a liquid, simply 
rubbed on, and then polished with flannel. 
The luster is excellent, and it saves both dirt 
and labor. 
ASPIRATIONS IN HOMESPUN. 
SECOND LETTER. 
N O matter how aspiring a girl may be, or 
how great her longing for a career, she 
is pretty sure to havo one point in common 
with tho most frivolous of her sex, and that 
is tho question of clothes. So when I received 
an invitation to visit a school friend in the 
city my first thought was not so much of the 
intellectual pleasures awaiting me as whether 
1 had anything fit to wear. Of course my 
modest wardrobe hail to go through a regular 
course of overhauling so I may as well tel 
what I did with it, for the benefit of other 
frugal country maids. 
Of course, my best frock was a black silk. 
It was rather old-fashioned in make, with a 
beaded front and a little jet trimming, but 
there was a good deal of material in it, and I 
had enough for a new bodice, though the old 
ono was hardly worn. 
The dress was all ripped apart, sponged 
with luke-warm water containing a few drops 
of ammonia, and ironed on tho wrong side. 
This freshened it up until it was almost new. 
The skirt was then made plain without any 
foot plaiting; in addition to tho ordinary 
lining the skirt was faced with canvas and 
black alpaca. The back breadth was very 
full, in straight side plaits, being hold out by 
two moderate reeds anil a pad at the top, in¬ 
stead of a separate bustle. Instead of a back 
drapery was a long, full sash of black moire 
ribbon. The front drapery waslong and full, 
covering tho front and ono side of tho skirt; 
at the left side whore it was draped high the 
skirt was ornamented by three long, full bows 
of moire ribbon two inches wide. Thg short, 
pointed bodice had cuffs, collar and V-shapod 
plastron of moire. Tho plastron was bor¬ 
dered by narrow revers, so when I wanted to 
smarten up tho gown a little I basted over 
the moire a plaited plastron of cream-white 
surah with a high dog collar of tho same; tho 
revers made it look as if a part of the dress. 
Whon finished, tho silk, though plain, was 
both pretty and becoming. 
An inspiration came to mo, while examin¬ 
ing the discarded bodice: it was not really 
worn, except in tho sleeves, so I cut them out, 
altered the bottom a little, and then cut out 
tho neck in a narrow point, both back and 
front. From tho beaded not which had been 
on the old skirt elbow sleeves were cut, and 
the V at the neck was also filled with it. The 
sleeves were finished with a bead fringe and 
tho neck with a high bead collar, both being 
made from tho remains of tho passementerie 
formerly on the gown. This bodice, worn 
over the silk skirt, made a costume dressy 
enough for small parties or other entertain¬ 
ments. 
My Quakerish, gray cloth gown, which was 
my Sunday best at homo, had to do luty at 
a street suit. It was plainly made in tailor 
stylo—simplicity in dress is always safe. A 
long, tight ulster of gray cloth, and a black 
Alpine hat, trimmed with nothing but bands 
of black moire ribbon and a bunch of black 
cock’s feathers, made a plain but thoroughly 
correct out-door costume. 
After all tho chief matters of one’s ward¬ 
robe are purchased, there is always so much 
to bo spent in such accessories as gloves, col¬ 
lars, and the like. And they are things we 
must have, or look shabby. However, gloves 
will last a long time if they are always pulled 
into shape after wearing, and mended neatly 
when necessary. 
The favorite gloves for street wear this 
winter are of heavy kid in some shade of tan 
or terra-cotta, with broad, black stitching on 
tho back. They have only four or five but¬ 
tons. Mosquetaires are only correct for 
evoning wear. With a gray coat, however, 
we should choose gray gloves with black stitch- 
ing. 
There, what a lot I’ve said on tho frivolous 
subject of clothes! Never mind, it is a thing 
we all havo to think about more or less, and 
it requires real genius to dress becomingly on 
next to nothing a year. cottage maid. 
A LETTER FROM EUNICE WEBSTER. 
Dear Rural: The sisters have finally con¬ 
cluded to give me a rest, and I guess I’ll ap¬ 
pear on the scenes again. I thank tho sisters 
who havo kindly sent me hints and recipes, 
and I would like to say to Bessie Brown that 
I never confessed to skimmed milk. It is 
against the law here to skim tho milk that is 
sent to tho factory. I see one contributor is 
of thtf"opinion that farmers ought to have a 
separate house of abodo for the hired help, 
and not havo him eat with the family where 
he is at work. I would like to know how a 
man who is struggling to get along, can afford 
to build an additional building for the hired 
help? Then again, if none of the farmers 
boarded their hired help,I’m thinking tho men 
would have to travel some distance to got 
their meals, and I’m quite sure that most farm¬ 
ers would object to the loss of time that it would 
| take_the hired inunjto. travel to_and fro^for 
