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- In this subject the cameraman takes us through the Hawaiian Island sugar plantations and gives us many very interesting studies of the natives of that far away possession of Uncle Sam.
- A magician and his assistants run a household by magic.
- Jack Stevens, a young man from New York, is spending a short vacation at the Housetop I Ranch, owned by Mrs. Elliott, a widow. The cowboys treat him cordially and the widow's daughter, Elsie, is his constant companion. The boys start for the round-up and Jack expresses a wish to Elsie to see this interesting phase of Western life. His opportunity comes some time later, when Mrs. Elliott asks him to take the money for the pay roll to the foreman at the round-up. En route, he passes through the town and sees a sign posted by the Sheriff, offering $5000 reward for the capture of Rattlesnake Ike, a dangerous bandit that has been terrorizing the ranchmen of the country. After a conversation with the sheriff, Jack is given a map of a short cut to the camp. He starts out again and follows a fence as indicated in the map. A half-hour later, he is back at his starting point. Puzzled, he places his handkerchief on a post near the gate and once more completes the circuit of the circular fence, coming back to the gate. He passes through the gate, making his way to a hut to study his map and get his bearings. Rattlesnake Ike, hidden among some rocks, sees the stranger pass, and follows him with the intention of robbing him. Jack arrives at the hut, and hanging his gun on his saddle, gets his pack and starts to open it. Rattlesnake Ike comes up and engages him in conversation. Jack asks him the way to the round-up, explaining that he has the pay roll. Ike covers him with his gun, and robbing him of the money and map, escapes on Jack's horse. He rides back over the trail and inadvertently gets inside the circular fence. Like his predecessor, he makes the circuit of the fence, coming back to his starting point. He hangs Jack's gun on the gate and starts out again. Jack, making his way back over the trail on foot, finds the gun hanging on the gate, and securing it, conceals himself, knowing that when Ike has completed the circuit, he will surely pass the place again. Twenty minutes later he holds up the thief and recovers the money. He then forces Rattlesnake Ike to enter the noose of the lasso and starts for town at a brisk trot and Ike is compelled to follow. When Jack arrives in town he turns over his prisoner to the sheriff, and is much surprised to learn that his erstwhile bandit is the notorious Rattlesnake Ike and that he has earned the $5,000 reward. Elsie Elliott is very much pleased with his exploit, and agrees to become Mrs. Jack Stevens.
- Ed Newton gets into trouble with the ranch men as soon as he starts surveying for a big dam. Tom Daniels rides up and informs him that Bill Dolan, one of the wealthiest ranch men, wishes to see him. He goes and is told by Dolan that the work must be stopped at once. Dolan tries to impress upon Newton, but without effect, the fact that his reservoir meets all the requirements. Here, Newton meets Margaret, the ranch man's daughter. After the surveying has been completed and the work begun, the arrogant ranch men attack the workers of the dam, in which battle Ed Newton and Bill Dolan are seriously injured. Hostilities having ended, the injured engineer is cared for at the Dolan home. During his stay there, he and Margaret have fallen in love, much to the disgust of Tom Daniels, who thought that he would be the one to win her hand. So Daniels swears revenge. When the big dam is finished Ed shows Margaret over the place. In the tower they discover a bomb which had been placed there by Daniels. Margaret throws it into the river. A fierce struggle ensues between Daniels and Newton, in which Daniels is finally bested and thrown into the river below.
- This film reproduces the beautiful landscape through which the railroad passes in the Valley of Albula. This road, built from 1897 to 1908, has opened the Haute Engandine to international service. It may be compared to that of St. Gothard, except that it is shorter. Following this road we run along the mountain, around the plain of Campi, through tunnels and over viaducts, all of which afford a splendid view of Albula and its vicinity.
- A most interesting series of views of winter games, races by ice-boats and bob-sleds, scenes of ice skating and sports on the snow have always been very popular and this reel is exceptionally well made.
- Laura is pretty. She is also impatient. At her window, she glanced up and down the street to see if her handsome captain who was to take her for a horse-back ride could be seen. The children, playing in the street, noticed her impatience, and being well aware of the cause of it, they decided to play a good joke on her. The captain finally arrived with the horses, and leaving a boy in charge of them, entered the house. While the captain was busy loving and caressing the young lady within, the boys on the outside were not idle, and Willy, the leader of the mischievous band, dug up a very clever idea. Seeing that the boy left to mind the horses had fallen asleep, Willy proceeded to replace the captain's horses with two wooden ones. Soon the young lady came out in her riding habit prepared to take a nice ride. Picture her amazement at seeing two dummy horses instead of the thoroughbreds she expected. She turned furiously upon the captain, suspecting him of playing the trick on her, and administered a good beating, driving him from her presence. Willy and the other children had a good laugh on the side.
- Willy is a persistent little rascal. While visiting a store with his nurse, the youngster saw a fine wooden hobby horse. He wanted it whether or not the price was too much and the nurse insisted that he come along home and not think of it. But Willy did think of that "hobby" and when he found a fine lot of clothes, beautiful wraps and hats, in his home, left in a room by the guests at a reception his mother was giving, Willy hurried away to the pawnbroker with the entire lot. He replaced the fine things with some old ones secured from the pawnbroker and then started to buy his "hobby" with the money he had secured. But justice was moving swiftly and before the little mischief maker reached the store he was captured and his father administered one of those good old-fashioned "spankings," which are said to be the best of medicine.
- Poor Gontran! Maltreated by his wife and worried sick by an irascible mother-in-law, he led a very miserable existence. Happening to see a young lady charming a serpent by the aid of the sweet strains of a flute, a bright idea entered his mind. If "music" charms serpents, why wouldn't it tame his mother-in-law? Inquiring of the young snake charmer what method, she employed to tame her serpent, and what melody she used, he went forth and purchased an enormous musical instrument. The experiment proved a grand success and, at the conclusion of our story, the former nagging wife and the ferocious mother-in-law were completely subdued and Gontran reigned once more as master of his home.
- The leaves are gathered four times a year, the tea prepared from the first or Spring gathering being the most delicate in color and flavor. The leaves are heated in drying pans, then rolled by hand on a wooden table, and at the end of three or four hours they are tossed about and beaten by the hand until they become soft. The two classes of tea, green and black, are each subdivided into a variety of kinds, known in commerce by particular names.
- Mr. Ducormier, a professor of the violin, is married to an extremely jealous woman. He flirts with Miss Lucette, one of his pupils, and Mrs. Ducormier, thinking that the lessons are too numerous, suspects her husband. One day she finds a letter from Lucette that Mr. Ducormier had forgotten, in the violin case. Naturally, she doubts him no more. Lucette, believing that Mrs. Ducormier is suspicious, disguises her servant as her father, and as an old invalid. Mrs. Ducormier calls on Lucette and is assured that she is mistaken, but the servant, thinking that he is not paid well enough for his services, writes an anonymous letter, and even calls on her and explains everything to her. Without losing any time, Mrs. Ducormier goes to Lucette and finds her husband, who in the absence of the servant, and hearing that his wife is here waiting to be admitted, disguises himself as the old invalid. But all in vain, he is recognized. Luckily Mrs. Ducormier is fond of jewelry and consents to forgive and forget everything when her husband presents her with a beautiful bit of jewelry. They return home and Mr. Ducormier promises to be good for ever more.
- Tachkent has been the capital of Turkestan since 1867. The city is comprised of two sections, the old and the new. The new Russian town, with its beautiful gardens, presents the appearance of an immense park. The ancient part of the city is almost entirely surrounded by a great, crumbling wall. Mutton, wool and camel's hair are among the many articles produced here.
- Here we find the views of one of the most beautiful spots on old Mother Earth, a lake in the tropical island of Ceylon. The views shown are proof of the artistic eye of the camera man doing the work.
- This particularly entertaining and instructive film gives a very comprehensive idea of Arabian architecture, which is entirely different from all others. The mausoleums which the Arabians erect for their departed rulers are most beautiful. Each one of them is an everlasting monument to the Mohammedan belief of the immortality of the soul. Each stone that is used in the construction of these tombs is inscribed with extracts from the Koran, which is their Bible. It is in the Mosques that the peculiarity of their art of building is most forcibly portrayed. The roofs of these are huge domes, which resemble an enormous inverted bowl. Surrounding them are countless spires or minarets as they are called. From these the famous "call to prayer" is given by the priests. The Arabian sunsets, which are almost sublime, gild the domes and minarets of the mosques until they look like huge balls and tongues of fire.
- These most interesting views, taken in this most beautiful province in Spain, are delightful to the eye.
- John Stevens, lieutenant in the regular army, U.S.A., arrives at his Southern home just before the war, when brave and intelligent men all over the land were at the parting of the ways. Every conceivable influence is brought to bear upon him to renounce allegiance and faith long established by his vocation and mature development. A mother pleads; a father reasons; a sweetheart entreats; and their welfare as well as their desires concern him deeply. They have all habitually influenced his mind, but he cannot be turned from what his own moral sense has pronounced to be his duty. He might shrink from any violation of a principle from purely benevolent purposes under ordinary circumstances and reach a decision without effort, but here is a case with much to approve on both sides, with a great preponderance of affection on the rebellious one. It takes the highest form of courage for him to renounce all that he holds dear for a principle, but his strength of character decides for him and he leaves to join the company in which he belongs at the moment war is declared. The drama of conscience settled, that of actual war begins, and its tragedies are glimpsed as the struggle between Brothers of the North with Brothers of the South becomes more bitter towards the end of that terrible conflict which exhibited as much as any period of our history the unwisdom of violence in adjusting the affairs of men or nations. Older men are drawn into the fray, and among them Colonel Stevens. We are given realistic scenes of actual warfare, artillery operations, infantry movements and cavalry charges at a time when the action nears the Stevens homestead, when father and son appear in the opposing forces. On one side the blue lines are drawing in with inflexible purpose, that of ending the bloody struggle at any cost; on the other is shown the desperate resistance of men in gray who have fought, hungered and thirsted for long years with hardly a decisive victory to animate and inspire them. The real soldiers on both sides were sick of the devastating and destroying fight, but were pressing fiercely to a conclusion from the North with consciousness of duty nobly done and resisting from the South with the almost invincible valor of those who prefer to die where they stand than yield an inch of precious territory. A detachment of Union soldiers appears near the Stevens house; they were working their way forward as skirmishers, and effect a deployment with a final line to the hostile front, but they are subject to a murderous fire at times and suddenly discover that some concealed sharpshooter is picking off the officers at headquarters with leisurely indifference of consequences. This small detail delays the movement so seriously that a squad is sent in search of the Rebel who is sending rifle ball after rifle ball into vital spots without discovery or punishment. The squad proceeds slowly and with caution through woods and thickets unfamiliar, where any one of them may be shot down by an unseen foe posted in some strategic point of impenetrable concealment. Step by step they advance, searching every mound and tree as they go, but at last they are guided by the sharp crack of a rifle, the sharpshooter has not perceived them, and creep up to dislodge the nervy warrior. It is no one else than a younger brother of John Stevens. Not having been trained in loyalty to the flag, he knows only that of family. Besides, his old dad has gone out to fight the bluecoats, and why should not he. The spirit of war fires his brave little heart; he secures a rifle used, for hunting, posts himself in a tree having a wide view of the field of action, and there he rests his gun while he picks off the flower of the opposing detachment, the one in which his big brother is doing his duty. The little boy delivers his last fatal shot when the squad of searching soldiers discovers him. They fire in volley and bring him down like a fluttering pigeon. This affords the most thrilling small incident in the drama. The boy apparently, and probably, does drop from the high perch in the branches with a fall that is enough to kill him. How he is saved to play some other part is the director's secret, but he drops down and is apparently killed on the spot. The men bear his body away in pity; he is mortally wounded, and take him to where his brother is in action. John recognizes the boy and the poor little fellow pays the bitter price of patriotism. The intense and passionate character of the true Southerner is well shown in the ferocity of this child. Now come the scenes that followed the end of the conflict, when those who had fought nobly in vain, who had fought for their cherished ideas against heavy odds, were to enter a long period of humiliating self-denial if not actual starvation. They did not march home with bands playing and flags flying, but quietly dispersed to take up the after-burden of war in a devastated country and attempt to restore a semblance of its former beauty and fertility. The saddest stories of military history are those of the defeated, those who endured and achieved only to begin a longer and even more hopeless battle for mere existence. In "Sundered Ties," this part of the picture is relieved by a comedy element, in which a negro butler and fat negress play the leading roles. They are both fat, though the members of Colonel Stevens' family seem to be down to hoecake and water. Colonel Stevens is destitute and his plantation is in ruins, so he is compelled to seek aid at the house of John Stevens' ante-bellum sweetheart. Her people are not much better off, but the fat butler and the fat cook indicate some secret source of food supply. When the Stevens family come over to dinner in a neighborly way, two feeble and discouraged old Southern people, with the family of Irene, she is the sweetheart that was, the fat butler goes out on a foraging expedition and cops a plump chicken from the coop of a more fortunate neighbor. As it goes, the fat butler gets caught red-handed while stealing a chicken for dinner, and it would go hard with him but for the timely arrival of John Stevens. The latter, having vindicated his stand and done service for his country as he had sworn to do, is returning to heal old wounds and bind up the sundered ties when he comes upon the frightened butler under arrest. He manages to liberate the fat coon by paying double for the chicken, and enters upon a secret plan to provide a feast for his own family as well as that of Irene. He buys a great supply of good things and sends them to Irene's house by the predatory butler. There is a scene of almost Christmas rejoicing in the old kitchen when the fat cook lays hands on the first ample supply of provender she has seen since the good old days "befo de wah." She and the gay butler make merry in their preparations while the crushed old white martyrs gather to what they expect to be more of a feast of the soul than of the body. The dinner is served amid amusement and rejoicing; we are treated to a view of simple happiness, then John Stevens appears, hesitating at the threshold. His mother is first to give him warm welcome, his sweetheart next, and the old Colonel yields in a tender final scene.
- Mabel and her sweetheart go to the beach and play a trick on the boyfriend's father.
- Marius Capistrol had always expected a big legacy when his aunt died but was greatly disappointed when he received nothing but an old clock. In order to raise enough money to pay the interest on the mortgage of his little farm, Marius offers to sell some of his furniture to a wealthy neighbor farmer, named Mathias. But Mathias did not want any of the furniture except the old clock, which Marius was loathe to give away, having become much attached to it. One day Marius receives a letter from a notary in a distant town saying that a relative in Java had died and left him his entire fortune. He shows the letter to Mathias and asks him to advance him enough money to go to the city and back. Mathias gives him the money with the stipulation that should he fail to pay him back within twenty-four hours, the old clock would revert to him. In the city Marius finds that he must wait two hours for the notary. During that time he goes out and buys many valuable things, all of which is to be paid for at 5 o'clock at the Golden Hen Hotel. When he meets the notary he is informed that there was a mistake in reading the legatee's name, and Marius has to return all the purchases he has made. He arrives home just as Mathias is taking the clock from the wall. He attacks the old farmer and in the struggle the clock falls to the ground, disclosing a large number of bank bills and gold. Marius pays the old farmer what he owes him, and he and his wife settle down to a long life of happiness.
- During the raid on an emigrant train the girl and her brother, the only survivors, are attacked by the villain who kidnaps the girl and takes her to the camp of Calamity Anne, who takes a liking to the girl and becomes her guardian angel. The girl's brother is killed and a ranger takes the locket containing the girl's picture from his neck and recognizes the girl in Calamity Anne's camp. Later, Calamity Anne holds the villain and his band at bay and the girl and the ranger make their escape. The girl and the ranger come to the spot where the girl's brother is buried and here she asks the ranger if he is going to leave her there alone. His answer is to take her into his arms.
- Captain Stanton, an officer stationed in a Western fort is accused of cowardice.
- An army sergeant befriends an orphan boy.
- When Captain Ronchon received a letter from Mrs. Desgranges, saving that she would be pleased to see him at Nice and listen to his proposal of marriage, he immediately prepares to start for that city. He, therefore, grants his servant a week's holiday. The valet, however, starts for Nice ahead of his master. As soon as he arrives there he starts frequenting the most fashionable restaurants and in one of them makes the acquaintance of a young woman, to whom he gives his name as Captain Ronchon. A short time after that be finds himself in trouble with an American major, who is also making love to this same lady. The Major challenges Jean to a duel, but the best he receives is a dish of ice cream in his face. When Jean's holiday comes to an end and Captain Ronchon arrives at Nice, he finds affairs in a pretty mess. When he goes to call on Mrs. Desgranges, she exclaims, "This cannot be Captain Ronchon. He is a different looking man from you." She then catches sight of the Captain's valet, who had been hiding behind him during all this excitement, pointing to him said, "Why. this is Captain Ronchon." The Captain turns around and asks his valet for an explanation. Of course, Jean has all kinds of excuses to offer and things are finally getting straightened out, when just at this moment the Captain's card is brought in from the Major, and on it is written a note in which he calls him a coward. The Captain, not stopping to find out how the card came in the Major's possession, rushes out to search for him. He finally locates the man who has insulted him and they immediately start to fight a duel. However while the duel is going on between the Captain and the Major, Mrs. Desgranges decides that she likes the valet better than the Captain and they go to secure their marriage papers. When Captain Ronchon returns, he finds that he has been jilted by the widow in his absence.
- Warner is an old veteran in love with the widow Simpson. His rival is an old farmer, named Burns. Warner stands in front of the old soldiers' home, telling a crowd of old veterans of the battles he took part in, and as he unfolds the tales the scenes are depicted in the film. Burns, with rake in his hand, listens doubtfully, makes a few sarcastic remarks and walks away. Meeting the widow Simpson he dallies awhile, and she shows him an article in the newspaper regarding the coming arrangements for the big G.A.R. parade. Burns tells her he is an old veteran, and relates the thrilling experiences he had in the army, which are shown on the screen. Warner comes up and drives Burns away. The day of the parade arrives. Warner, arrayed in all the splendor of a faded uniform exhibits upon his breast a dozen medals. Meeting Mrs. Simpson be takes his coat off and lays it on top of a cannon while he points to each medal and explains how he won it. He discovers that one of the medals is missing, and runs pell-mell back to the home to look for it, leaving his coat behind. Mrs. Simpson saunters off and Burns comes on. The coat gives him an idea, and quickly donning it he secures a cap and goes to the parade. Warner comes back with the missing medal, and is enraged to learn that his coat has been stolen. The street parade is then shown, with the soldiers, bands, Zouaves, etc., and the old veterans, cheered by thousands of spectators along the line of march. Burns takes his place in the ranks, with his chest thrown out and carrying two small flags in his hands. Mrs. Simpson occupies a conspicuous position in the grand stand and cheers the supposed veteran as he struts by. Warner suspects that Burns has his coat and looks for him at the parade. He interrupts the marchers and becomes involved with the marshals, but he finally spies Burns and makes a dive for him. Burns sees him and dodges in and out of the parade, with Warner hot on his trail. He finally runs back to the soldiers' home, where he divests himself of the coat, when Warner comes panting up with his heavy cane in his hand. He attempts to strike Burns, who heroically protects himself by placing the flag on his chest. Mrs. Simpson comes along and by clever coquetry manages to subdue the two angry old men and to make them shake hands.
- The sheriff lives with his sister, and is engaged in running down an unknown bandit who has been quite active in the district. It develops that Jim Brown, a poor miner, who has lost his wife and is in straitened circumstances, has become embittered at the world and is the bandit, living alone with his little boy, Tom. Exciting scenes are shown as the sheriff finally trails his man to the cabin. Brown sees the posse coming and gets away, but is captured later. Touched by the grief of the little boy, the sheriff takes Tom home and gives him a home. The boy tosses in his bed, unable to sleep as he thinks of his father in jail. He cautiously gets up and, securing a rope, a file and his father's belt and pistols, makes his way to the barred window and manages to hand them to his father. Securing his horse he gallops away, riding hard all night. The devotion of his boy, and the big-heartedness of the sheriff have shamed him beyond measure, and he writes the sheriff a letter telling him that henceforth he will follow the right path, and when he has redeemed himself he will send for Tom.
- Young Hazel Phillips is courted by two young men, Evans and Porter, in a Western town. She favors Porter, and the two are married. Evans conceals his chagrin and jealousy, and continues as a friend of the young couple. One day a prospector comes into town with a bag of gold dust and nuggets, and tells an interested crowd of the big strike made in the southwest. Evans decides to seek his fortune there, and persuades Porter to accompany him. Hazel consents, and bids her husband an affectionate farewell. The two men strike through the desert, and after months of hardship and privation Porter finally finds gold. His extreme jealousy has made Evans content to have Porter with him, as he gloated to himself that he was keeping him away from Hazel. When Porter runs in with the glad news, Evans becomes madly angered, as he realizes that Porter will go back to his wife with a fortune. An insane rage, seizes him as he realizes how happy they will be. Before the astonished Porter can defend himself, Evans leaps upon him and strikes him to the earth with the butt of his pistol. The injured man staggers to his feet, but is no match for the infuriated Evans, who rains blow after blow upon his partner's head. Porter sinks to the ground, and Evans leaves him for dead. Evans goes to Hazel and tells her a false story of how Porter died of illness, how he nursed him through it all, and how he had come to convey her husband's dying message to her. Porter is found by a tribe of Indians and nursed back to life. He recovers his health and strength but his memory is a blank, and he is adopted into the tribe. Evans goes back to the gold mine and works it. Knowing that Hazel will soon be in want, having lost her parents and with a baby to support, he sets his trap cunningly. When he goes back to ask her to marry him he finally wins her consent by persuading her it is for the good of her baby, and she accompanies him back to the wild, western country, where he has built a cabin. A few days after her arrival, the baby wanders off into the woods and is playing on the banks of a brook when it is taken by Indians. As they are hurrying away with the child Porter appears, and the sight of the innocent baby arouses him. Not knowing that it is his own child, he makes them set her free, and she runs home with a tale which her mother believes is only childish imagination. Silently and noiselessly, Porter watches the woman through the window, and the sight of her face touches his slumbering memory, but does not awaken it. Troubled, he goes back to the camp, unable to untangle the confused thoughts which crowd upon his brain. At this time the government agent, accompanied by an escort of soldiers, calls upon the Indians and serves notice on them to vacate the land and move to a reservation. The Indians resent the order, and wild disorder prevails in the village. Somebody strikes a blow, ready weapons spring forth, and in a moment an avalanche of redskins throw themselves upon the soldiers. Porter is struck on the head with the butt of a rifle, and the shock instantly clears his mind. The face of the woman in the cabin comes before him, and he knows it is Hazel. The soldiers put up a futile resistance, and are soon dispatched. Porter knows that it is but the beginning, that the Indians will go on the warpath, that they will hurl themselves upon the emigrants and settlers, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake, and he thinks of Hazel and the baby. He rushes away, hoping to reach the cabin before the rest of the tribe arrive, and succeeds. With the lapse of years, in his paint and feathers, he is not recognized by Hazel at first. From the window they see the long line of Indians thundering toward them. There is no time to be lost, so Porter throws a table behind the door, crowds Hazel and the baby behind it, and stands there unconcernedly. The Indians rush in and demolish and steal everything, but are adroitly kept from discovering the woman and child. Evans comes home. The Indians hide, and as he approaches the cabin he is attacked and killed, his body stripped of his clothes, and the Indians go on. In the meantime the soldiers have been rushed to the scene of warfare, and corner the redskins engaging them in a terrific fight, in which the Indians are badly defeated. Porter, with the cunning learned from the Indians, has managed to bring his wife and child to a place of safety, and the reunion is splendidly acted. The last scene shows the vengeance of fate, the dilapidated cabin, with Evans' lying in front, around which coyotes are sniffing.
- Willy wasnt very proud when he arrived home, for once again he was at the bottom of his class. As punishment his parents informed him that he would not be allowed to see the Conjuror, who was to entertain them that evening, nor would he be given any cakes from the little tea party. But while his parents were receiving the guests, Willy, who had been put to bed, made up his mind that he would attend the party. He climbed through the window and managed to hide himself under the table in the drawing-room, just before the Conjuror arrived and the guests came into the room. The Conjuror took a watch and informed the party that he would make it disappear. Willy managed to get his hands on the timepiece without being noticed and it did disappear. The guests applauded, but the Conjuror was quite perplexed. Willy managed to perform several other tricks for the magician, much to the entertainment of the guests and to the discomfiture of the mystified maker of magic. When the Conjuror took a chair and placed it, ready to sit down, the chair suddenly moved out from under him, and then the table began to move across the room. There was a scramble on the part of the entire party to get out of the room as soon as possible. In a short time, however, they returned, but they could find no trace of anything supernatural about the table, The Conjuror then announced that he would have Old Nick himself appear. It happened that Willy found a Chinese mask hanging near and putting it on he made his appearance before the startled party as a vision brought by the magician. All the guests made a hurried exit and the vision, holding the magician by the coat pulled him into the dining-room, where the two enjoyed the dinner which had been prepared by Willys parents. Recovering their courage, the guests returned, armed with guns and sticks. When they found the two culprits eating up all the good things, an explanation was demanded. The Conjuror was dismissed and Willy was given a good thrashing. -- Moving Picture World synopsis
- The Cingalese peasants are known to be the most civilized people of India. The tillers of the soil, tradesmen and artisans are very industrious people. While some of them are waiting for the next crop, others make palm mats to cover the houses. In this most entertaining and instructive subject we see typical blacksmiths shoeing buffaloes and other peasants preparing the crops for the market. The Cingalese peasants send their children to school as soon as they can walk and the attention they pay to the teachers is wonderful. The older children are taught gymnastics and dancing occupies a great part of their time.
- Moirac, a notary, and Landron, a retired army surgeon, who have been friends since boyhood, live in the same village. The daughter of the notary is, at the same time, the god-child of the surgeon and they both love her very tenderly. The young girl, who is a student at college, is about to make a visit to her father and the surgeon, which to them is a very happy event. They decide to go fishing, after a while there is a bite, and behold, the surgeon has just caught a large fish, while the notary catches, only an old shoe. They receive a hearty laugh from the onlookers which greatly vexes the notary, but the major cannot refrain from laughing also. The notary becomes very angry; they quarrel and leave one another, vowing never to meet again. Sad and furious at the same time, the notary arrives home. But thinking what his daughter will say when she does not see her godfather, he becomes very perplexed. When Helene, his daughter, arrives and hears the sad news, she feels very sorry and thinks of nothing else but to reconcile the two good friends, so dear to her. She arranges to have them meet. They bow to each other and are very willing to make up and become friends again. But an unhappy word from the surgeon starts the quarrel again, and there they are, worse enemies than before. The notary seeks revenge, and knowing that the surgeon is a hunter, tricks him into shooting a stuffed rabbit. The surgeon easily guesses who is the guilty one and it is utterly useless to think about a reconciliation any more. Helene, very sorry to have been unable to reconcile her father and godfather, reasons out another stratagem. She will cause her father to believe that she is very ill. The old servant goes and fetches the notary from his club, "Sir, come back immediately, Miss Helene is very ill." "What is the trouble?" "I don't know. She fell down in the garden, a nervous wreck. In fact, Miss Helene appears to be very ill. What is to be done?" "If I was going to fetch the surgeon," suggested the servant. "Never. This man must never enter this house." But Helene feigns to be worse and the father decides to ask the godfather to come. Here the two men are, face to face, greeting each other very coolly. New crisis of the false sick girl. They approach her and speak more amiably. She is better and they shake hands. Helene must laugh. They look at her and understand that she has been baffling them. Are they going to quarrel again? Without giving them an opportunity, Helene says, "I forbid you to quarrel," and kisses them gently.
- The electric machine, called a "static machine," which will produce the electricity necessary for our experiments, is composed of two discs of glass turning in opposite directions, and fitted with small copper plates. Metallic brushes touch the copper plates and electrify them; conductors or "combs" fitted with points collect the electricity developed by the passage of the brushes on the copper plates and vivid sparks appear between the balls of the machine. In the experiment of the "Tourniquet," needles with points, which are curved, turn in opposite directions to the points: this is a phenomenon due to the repulsion caused by the electricity passing through these points. An experiment made by Benjamin Franklin is also depicted in this film: A kite, fitted with a metal point, ascends to gather atmospheric electricity from the clouds. If, at the base of the metal cord attached to the kite, we hang a key, the approach of another key causes large sparks to appear. In America, after Franklin's discovery, exaggeration was so great, that umbrellas were fitted with lightning conductors connected with the ground by a metal chain. Another experiment from Faraday is also depicted here: A little bird is protected from the electric discharge, its cage being entirely of metal, by attaching it to the ground with a connecting wire as a conductor. The lightning conductor which leads the electric spark into the earth was discovered by Benjamin Franklin in 1753.
- Old man Harding has a palatial residence, keeping a number of servants, including a French butler and chef. He is called away one day, expecting to be gone for several weeks, and the ambitious butler unfolds a plan to the chef by which he hopes to marry a wealthy girl. A widow and her daughter have just taken a house nearby, and the butler sends the chef with a note inviting them to dinner, signed with the name of a fictitious count. The women accept the invitation, and the butler arrays himself in the frock coat of his master and prepares to receive them. He secures the co-operation of the other servants, whom he has promised to reward handsomely if he wins the rich girl's hand. Everything goes well until the bogus count begins to think he is really a great man, and his arrogance towards the chef arouses that worthy's ire, and he decides to spoil the butler's plan. He gets one of the servants to attire himself in another suit of their master, and he comes upon the scene. Much comedy results and a duel is fought with table knives. Into the midst of this melee Harding comes home, and the crestfallen servants are discharged.
- Mrs. Smith is married to a man who is such an inveterate flirt that he not only causes continual annoyance to his wife, but is in danger of being beaten by the husbands and sweethearts of the women he annoys. After Smith has made himself obnoxious to a couple of his wife's friends, whom he has not met before, they decide to lay a trap for him and teach him a lesson. They flirt with him deliberately, and go to the park with him. Here one manages to make her escape, and runs back to Mrs. Smith. The other makes a fool out of him, and finally gets him to play "Blind Man's Buff" and ties a handkerchief over his eyes. As he is groping about for his fair companion, Mrs. Smith slips into his arms. He tears the handkerchief from his eyes and faces the music.
- After-dinner speeches are being made, and the toastmaster calls upon a man named Allen, who, while apparently young in years, has snow-white hair, and he tells how his hair turned white in one night. As he speaks the scenes he describes are shown in the film. John Allen, his father, joined the gold rush with a partner. After many hardships they finally located a good claim and worked it, securing gold beyond their wildest dreams. The partner went hunting one day and was killed by Indians, and Allen received the news from a trapper who found the body. Saddened, he resolved to come home, and sent a letter to his wife and son that he would join them in a few months. The mine caved in and buried him alive. Allen heard no further word from his father, and as time elapsed his mother died. Alone in the world he went west to search for his father, and one night as he sat alone at his camp fire a vision of the dead man appeared. The next day his hair had turned white. The spirit of his father guided him to the mine, where he secured assistance and dug out the dead man. This scene is very cleverly shown taken from the interior, and showing the picks and shovels breaking through, permitting ever widening rays of light to lighten up the inside of the mine.
- Funnicus was too proud to bear the humiliations attached to an empty pocketbook, and therefore decided to put an end to his troubles, by killing himself. He then reviewed in his mind, one after the other, the different ways by which he might kill himself. He thought that stabbing himself would not succeed, as the only knife in reach was a badly sharpened and vulgar kitchen knife, which would only tear his poor skin. What about drowning? It was nice spring weather. As we see our unhappy Funnicus melancholy, and reviewing the different ways by which he might end this awful life, a group of students, also without a cent in their pockets, and on the lookout for pleasure and laughter, and realizing that the bigger the crowd the merrier the time, take with them one of the "dummies" stationed at the door of a tailor. Funnicus, not heeding all this excitement, still paced up and down, nursing his troubles, and contemplating suicide. After the students had dragged their "cardboard" comrade from door to door, they became tired of it, and resolved to get rid of it by throwing the dummy in the river. Funnicus decided at the same time to leap overboard, dashed to the river. Much to the alarm of this crowd of foolish boys, he jumped in also. The boys screamed, "Help! Help!" and ran in the direction of the drowning. A crowd quickly gathered to help the drowning man, but as fate would have it, the current pulled him to the other side of the river. But the suicide was delayed by the fact, that when poor Funnicus was contemplating drowning himself, he saw the leap into the river of the "dummy" and thinking it was a man, decided to do one redeeming act of charity before dying, and save this unfortunate. That is why he also leaped into the river, pursuing this drowning object, and succeeded in bringing it to the other side of the river. But, when he proceeded to give it in charge of the villagers, he was laughed at and then arrested.
- Following the disappearance of hubby, the mother and daughter quarrel, each blaming the other for his having departed so suddenly. Finally mother promises that she will bring hubby back, but hubby does not care for his mother-in-law's society, and there is a thrilling chase through the beautiful city of Nice, in which mother-in-law overcomes many difficulties in trying to reach the unhappy Gaston. We find Gaston hiding himself in a hotel from a woman who desires to see him, he thinking this inquisitive lady is his mother-in-law. It develops that it is his wife, and when the two are reunited they are very happy until mother-in-law breaks in on the scene and starts the trouble all over again, because Gaston immediately makes a hurried departure. The young couple arrive home and are apparently very happy and contented again until notified that Susie's mother is coming. It looks like trouble for a minute, but this time mother-in-law is as gentle as a lamb and promises Gaston that she will never quarrel again.
- A most interesting and instructive series of views taken in beautiful Ceylon. The luxurious vegetation and the wondrous trees of this gorgeous island make possible some magnificent backgrounds which have been admirably selected. The promenade through the coconut palms would enchant the most prosaic of travelers. There are many other exceptionally beautiful, natural settings. The means of transportation in this far away country are many and varied. Coolies, buffaloes, horses, elephants and zebras are used.
- The Indians are on the warpath, and their depredations have reached such a length that the government has massed its troops and after much difficulty surrounded them. The Indians are defeated. In one of the tepees Col. Ward finds a little girl about 10 years old, grief-stricken over the loss of her parents. He brings her back to the fort, and he and his wife adopt her. The Indians lay down their arms, and at a peace conference a treaty is solemnly signed by which the Indians agree not to venture beyond certain boundaries, which the government agrees to protect from further intrusion and settlement, Mary, the child, is sent to an eastern boarding school. One morning the Indians get excited over the appearance of a long wagon train which wends its way into their territory. The emigrants prepare to settle down. Wild consternation prevails among the Indians. A delegation is appointed to call at the fort in protest against the invasion of their hunting ground. Colonel Ward sees the justice of the Indians' protest, and receives them kindly. He promises to take the matter up with the Washington officials. The Indians insist upon the emigrants being removed, and to this the Colonel turns a deaf ear. Mary has just come home from college. The Indians meet her in the yard, and the attraction of race overcomes the years of education and civilization. These are her people, her brothers, and she listens to their impassioned recital of their wrongs, and then bids them wall while she intercedes for them. Mary eloquently pleads the cause of the Indians to the Colonel, but he is helpless in the premises and can only promise to do his best. It is the first time Mary has ever asked anything which was not granted her by her doting foster-parent, and she feels it keenly The Indians appeal to the government agent, and as they become excited he orders them from his office. They refuse to move. Angered, he draws his revolver and in the scuffle that ensues the weapon is discharged and he falls to the floor mortally wounded. The Indian police and soldiers rush in and arrest the chief. A court-martial is held and the Indian is sentenced to be shot. Mary has overheard the trial and determines to save the chief. She secures permission to visit him in his cell and unfolds to him her plan, which is to remove the bullets from the guns and replace them with blank: cartridges. When the soldiers fire he is to fall and feign death, and, when his body is turned over to his tribe, to continue the deception until he is safely away. That day at midnight, Mary makes her way to the library and extracts the bullets, replacing them with blank cartridges. In her excitement she drops one of the guns. It awakens the Colonel, who starts to investigate. Mary listens a moment, and hearing nothing goes on with her work. The Colonel sees the dark form moving in the room and fires. Hastily lighting a candle he picks up the dead body and sees who it is. Mrs. Ward is frantic with grief, and the Colonel with difficulty controls himself, a glance at the guns explains the situation, and he replaces the bullets and decides to conceal Mary's death until after the execution. The next morning the fort is surrounded by hordes of Indians. The Chief, confident that Mary has carried out her plan, boldly takes his place facing the firing squad. With a dozen bullets in his body he drops like a log. The Indians laugh merrily at what they consider his clever acting. He is placed on a stretcher and given to his tribe. When they think they have reached a safe distance from the soldiers they draw back the blanket which covers their chief, and then, for the first time, they learn that he is dead.