.
SEALSKINS CHEAPER.
Owing to the Pulling Off In th Da.
mauil.
Bah Franoisoo,' Deo. 21 The sleek
and costly sealskin seems to be some
what oat of fashion. The tula of a
fulliuK demand iu the product of Behr
ing sea and the Paoiflo hat just been
told by the yearly sale at Lainpson's,
London. Telegram) have been re
ceived in thin city, stating tbat the
prioe for the Alaskan fur wan 10 per
cent less than that of last year; that of
Copper inland (Russia) furs 1 per
cent, and that of Coast furs, inoluding
California and Japan, SO per oent lower
than in 1895.
This news oomes as a surpirse to lo
cal tradesmen, for the catch of this
year wag muob lower than that of 181)5.
The entire oat oh of the Canadian seal
ers in Japanese waters and Bebring
sea amounted to 60,077 seals. In
1895, the oatoh of the Canadians
amounted to 74,124, and 1804 to 97,
474 skins. The catuh of the American
pelagio sealers entered at this port
amounted to only 5,040 sen la, as
against 15,000 in 1890. To the former
number, 80,007 skins are added as tbe
catch of the North Amorloau Com
mercial Company on the seal islands.
MINING TOWN BURNED.
Jamestown. Cat., Had No Means of
Fighting Fire.
Sonora, Cal., Deo. 21. The little
town of Jamestown, located right in
tbe heart of the mother lode's richest
section, was risited by a oostly fire this
morning. Tbe fire originated in a
bakery, and tbe whole business section
was at the flames' mercy, and the disor
ganized bucket brigade fought furious
ly but feebly against odds. When it
was seen tbat tbe volunteers were un
albe to successfully cope with tbe fire,
telegrams were sent for assistance to
near-by towns, and many persons re
sponded. Qiant powder was used to
oheok and oonflne the fire when the
limited water supply and crude means
of getting it on the fire failed. Nine
buildings, ell on tbe north side of the
street, were consumed with almost the
entire contents.- The loss is $40,000,
with barely $5,000 insurance. A favor
able breeze saved the town from com
plete destruction.
A HORRIBLE ATROCITY.
Backet of Lye Water Thrown In Face ol
a Woman and Child.
Chillioothe, O., Dec. 21. There is
great exoitement at Bethel, a small
town three miles south of Kingston,
this oonnty, occasioned by a horrible
atrocity whioh oocurred this afternoon.
Two married women named Moon and
Shell got into a quarrel over a trivial
matter, whioh resulted in the Shell
woman throwing a bucket of strong
lye water into the fane of Mrs. Moon
and her infant daughter. Both have
their eyes burned out and tbeir heads
and faces were also horribly burned.
Tbe baby died in a short time, and tbe
mother is in terrible agony, her death
being looked for at any moment.
Mrs. Shell made her escape, but is
being pursued by several hundred nieu
and boys, assisted by dogs, and if cap
tured a lynching will follow. The po
lice of this city have been summoned to
the scene.
Herrmann, the Magician, Dead.
Rochester, N. Y., Deo. 21. Her
mann, tbe magician, died today of
heart disease iu bis private car at
Great Valley, near Salamanca, on his
way to Bradford. His remains will be
forwarded to New York. Hermann
completed his engagement at the Ly
ceum theater in this city last night,
and later was entertained at tbe Ueue
see Valley Club.
(Professor Hermann, whose father
was a' sleigbt-of-baud performer, made
his debut as a magician when he was
but 8 years old. II J has traveled all
over Europe and America and has
amassed a great fortune. Of late years
be has made New York his borne. He
spoke seven diffarent languages fluent
ly, and had traveled around tbe world
three times. He was naturalized in
Boston in 1870.)
Fardoued by Cleveland.
Seattle, Wash., Deo. 21. Today
Sheriff Van de Vanter, of this county,
received notification from Washington,
D. C, tbat Mrs. Margaret Morrison, a
yonng woman of Fort Townsend, had
been granted a conditional pardon by
President Cleveland. She was sen
tenced to eight months' imprisonment
and fined $50 and costs for smuggling
opium from Viotoria. Sbe has now
been in jail five months, and her little
-daughter has been permitted to share
the same cell. President Cleveland
grants toe pardon on condition that the
fine and costs are paid. They now
amount to over $100, but the money
will be subscribed by sympathizers.
Attempted to Blow Up Houae.
Stockton, Cal., Dc 21. An at
tempt was made at 3 o'clock this after
noon to blow up a house in Hunter
street, near the heart of tbe city, oc
cupied by two Japanese women. A
bomb containing two pounds of gun- I
powder and a stick of giant powder i
was thrown through tbe window. Tbe '
fuse wa trampeled out before the ex-
plosion could occur. It is supposed to ,
have been thrown by a bighbinaer. I
Placerville, CaL, Dec. 21. The
stage running between Auburn and
Georgetown was stopped at 4 o'clock
this afternoon between Fenobscott and
Greenwood in tbis county, by one man,
and relieved of the Wella-Fargo ex
press box. Tbe highwayman is de
scribed as being about 5 feet 8 inches
bigb, and weighs about 160 pounds.
He wore a black hat and dark-colored
pantalooDS. He was masked with a
barley sack and carried a muzzle-loading
shotgun.
CUBAN INDEPENDENCE.
Sanat Coimnlttaa Agraad to
Caiuaron Kaolull,n.
K.porl
Wasbignton, Deo. 21. The meeting
of tbe senate oommittee of foreigu re
lations was important in two respects.
It resulted in au agreement to report
the Cameron resolution for the recogni
tion of Cuban independence, and it de
veloped, through the statement of Sec
retary Oluey, the administration's pol
ioy in regard to tbe iusurreution iu
Cuba. The secretary occupied the
greater part of the time of the meeting
answering questions and suggestions
made by tbe oomuiittee. He and Sen
ator Morgan engaged in soveral spirit
ed colloquies. Mr. Oluey mude two
points against tbe Cameron resolution
as follows:
First Tbat the Cnban insurgents
bave established no government
Second That tbe right to recognize
a new state rests with tbe president,
independent of congressional action
He oontended, in elaboration of the
first point, that the pretended govern
ment of the island was without habita
tion. "Suppose yon recognize the in
dependence of the island," said he,
"what are you going to do with it?"
The secretary said tbe story which
bad been very industriously oiroulated
that Consul-Ueueral Lee bad provided
the state department with an elaborate
report on the oondiiton of affairs in
Cuba, was nntrue.
"It is not true," be said. "General
Lee has made no general written re'
port at all. He has made reports on
several special cases, but not on the
sitnation as a whole.
It so developed daring tbe examina
tion that the government bad made no
demand in the case of tbe Competitor
prisoners,! and in other cases of a simi
lar character, beyond requests for in
formation.
All the members of tbe foreign rela
tions oommittee were present today
exoept Gray and Daniel.
The meeting was lield for the . ex
press purpose of continuing the discus
sion of the policy on the Cuban ques
tion to be recommended by tbe oom
mittee. Tbe meeting was strictly pri
vate, Olney being tbe only person not
a member who was admitted.
Tbe oommittee changed the Cameron
resolution so as to make it more em
phatio. The title was ohanged to
read: "A joint resolution aoknowl
edging tbe independence of the repub
lio of Cuba," the words, "the repub
lio" being insorted. Instead of deolar
ing tbe United States "should nse its
mendiy. omoes, the resolution was
made to read that the United States
"will" do so.
The agreement to report the resolu
tion was reached immediately after
Olney left, without a division or an ex
pressed difference of opinion.
One member of the committee said
"Of course Spain will fight, but
there is no danger of other oountries
getting in onr way. No other Euro
pean nation wants to fight us, and we
would wind up the war with Spain in
short order."
The opinion was expressed that
Clevoland would veto the joint resolu
tion. Another member of the commit'
tee said he believed that in case the
president should veto the resolution, it
would pass over the veto, as more than
two-thirds of both the senate and house
favored it.
Senator Cameron's report to aocom
pany the resolution deals at length
with precedents in the matter of reo g
nition of independence and iuterven
tion, beginning with the Greek revolu
tion and coming down to tbe present
lime. Tbe tenatns who heard there
port say it goes over the entire ground.
The Cameron resolution, as modified
and agreed upon by tbe committee, is
as follows:
"Resolved, By the senate and house
of representatives, in congress assem
bled, tbat the independence of the re
publio of Cuba be and the same is here
by acknowledged by the United States
of America.
'Section 8 -Tbat theUilted Statis
will use its friendly offices with tbe
government of Spain to bring to a close
the war between Spain and Cuba."
New Allen Labor Killing.
Buffalo, N. Y., Deo. 21. Immigra
tion Inspector De Barry has received
from Washington notice of a new rul
ing by tbe secretary of the treasury on
the alien labor law. Tbe ruling is on
tbe question that was raised in this
oity two years ago as to whether the
Canadian trained nurses who come to
tbis oountry to work in hospitals do so
in violation of the law. When the
question wag raised before, it was
held tbat they could not be interfered
with, as they were semi-professional
persons. Now, the secretary of tbe
treasury has ruled tbat these nurses
can be deported. Mr. De Barry said
tbat all of these nurses would be de
pot ted. Inspector Estell, of Ogdens
burg, is now at Danville, where be
went to deport five Canadian nurses
who are employed in a sanitarium
there.
j The Paxlllc Kallroad Bill.
Washington, Deo. 21. The Paciflo
' funding railroad bill will be the first
I business in the house after the holiday
reoess. Tbe committee on rules decid
' ed to give the railroad committee tbe
I three days Chairman Powers asked for
I to debate tbe bill. Tbe debate will be
! gin January 5 or 6.
The 'w Indian Conamlaalon.
j Washington, Deo. 21. The house
committee on Indian affairs today au
thorized a favorable report on a bill to
1 abolish the office of commissioner and
assistant commissioner of Indian
affairs, and create in their stead a
board of Indian commissioners of three
members.
In Hermanr and Frannn twentr-fira
per cent of tbe suicides are women:
in JMn th rvrrti i. .m,.; .v,.
per cent.
WEEKLY MARKET LETTER.
Uowplng,
Ilopklua & Co.'f
Trad a.
Kavlaw of
Comparative quietness ruled in wheat
last week, the vuluiue of business fall
ing off largely on account of the
smaller oash demanl and the fact that
some mills have closed down. Tbis
oiroumatanoe was teiiid upon by the
short dealers as an excuse to beat prices
down. They did not stop to consider
that mills in the Northwest sbnt Dp
shop temporarily tbat is tbe mills lo
oated at tbe bead of the lakes did for
the purpose of making some necessary
repairs, and also to get ready for Janu
ary business. However, any excuse
will do for tbe seller to hammer values
down, no matter bow absurd or ridi
culous it may appear. As a result of
this one piece of news from Duluth and
Superior, May wheat in Chioago sold
down to 79.I4C, with, however, a qniok
recovery. Another thing that helped
tbe descent was the continuation of the
December deliveries by elevator people.
Tbey were very light on tbe first of tbe
present month, as is well known by
everybody in tbe trade, but since that
date bave increased to such an extent
as to lead to the impression that ware
housemen wanted to take their profits
and let the wheat go out Outside
holders of December were, of 000 rse,
alarmed over these deliveries, and liqui
dated post haste, thus the wheat found
a final lodging plaoe at point of ori
gination. The foreign news is just as mystify
ing as ever, cablegrams bring only par
tial enoouragemont, quoting prices
weak and depressed one day with ltitle.
or no change, and tbe next day a turn
dearer." Russian shipments were fair
last week. The visible supply for the
week made a good decrease, showing a
reduotion of 2,028,000 bushels. Tbis
was a surprise and in nob. larger -than
the trade expected.
In corn there! is a very interesting
market to report. Prices bave not
ohanged since the last review.
In oats, dullness is the rule. The
market is uninteresting. Quotations
show a loss of about lo.
GENERAL MARKETS.
Portland, Or., Dec. 22, 1800.
Floub Portland, Salem, Cascadia
and Dayton, $4 M); Benton county and
White Lily, $4.40: graham, $3.75; su
perfine, $2 60 per barrel.
Whkat Walla Walla. 7880c; Val
ley, fc3(u84c per bushel.
Oath Choice white. 43(3 45c per bush
el : choice gray, 40(i 42c.
Hay Timothy, 13 00 per ton i cheat,
$0.50(38; clover, $8.10(4 9.00; oat, $8.00
10; wheat. $10.
Babliy Feed barley, $21.00 per ton;
brewing, $22.
Mii.lstctfs Bran. $15.00; ahorts,
$16.50; middlings, J 23. 00; rye, 0c
per cental.
Bottbb Fancv cream erv is Quoted at
60c; faucy dairy, 35c ; fair to good,
J0(22$c.
Potatoes. California, 65c; Oregon,
W(a (0c per sack ; sweets, 2c per pound.
unions boc tier sailc.
Poultry "Chickens. ' mixed. $1.50(3
2.00; broilere, $1.50$ 2 00; geese, $5.00:
turkeys, live, 10c; ducks, $2.00(33.00
per dozen.
Haas Oregon, 30o per dozen.
Chkkbk ureaon, 11c; Young Ameri
ca, 12c per pound.
Tallow Prime, per pound. 2-a(33c:
No.-2 and grease, 2i2Jc.
Wool Valley. 10c, per pound ; East
ern Oregon, 6(fi8c.
Hoi's Aew crop, )Wc.
Bbbv Urots, lop steers, $2.35: cows,
$1.75((2.25 ; dressed beef. 3,5o per
pound.
Motton (jross, best Bbeep, wetbers.
$2.01); ewes, $2.00: dressed mutton. 4c
per pound.
Vbal Net, small, 5c; large, 4)o
per pound.
Roqb Gross, choice, heavy, $3.00(3
3.25 : light and feedeie, $2.60; dressed,
$3.604.00 per cwt.
Skattlk, WaBh., Dec. 22, 1890.
Floub (Jobbing) Patent excellent.
$5.25; Novelty A, $4.75, California
brands $5.b0; Dakota, $5.50; patent.
$0.25: buckwheat tiour, $0.60; per cwt,
$3.50; graham, $4.00 per bbl; 10-1 b
sacks. $2.50 per cwt; rye Hour, $5.00
per bbl ; 10-lo sacks, $2.60 per cwt ; rye
meal, $4.50 per bbl; per cwt. $2.40:
rolledoats, $6.756 per bbl; hominy,
$2.60 per cwt; cracked wheat, $3.25;
rolled wheat, $5.25 per bbl ; whole rolled
wheat flour, $2.60 per cwt; pearl barley,
per 100 lb sacks, $3.00; split peas, 4fcc;
table cornmeal, yellow, $1.65 per cwt in
10-lb sacks; 60s, $1.60; white, 10s, $1.76:
60s, $1.05 ; linked homiuv, $2.50 per keg.
whkat uiicken teed, $27.00 per ton.
Oats Choice, $24(ffii6 per ton.
Bablsy Boiled or ground, $20.00 per
ton.
Cobn Whole. $22 per ton: cracked
$23; feed meal, $23.
AIillbtdffb Bran. $16.00 per ton:
shorts, $10.00.
1 kkd Chopped feed. $19.00 per ton.
middlings, $24; oilcake meal, $28.
Hay meet sound, per ton. $9(310:
Eastern Washington. $13.
bDOAB Oolden U in bbl. 4c per lb:
extra C in bbl, 4c; dry granulated in
bbl, oc; cube, Oc; powdered, bts
spot cash.
Bcttkb Fancy native creamerv.brick
6c; select, 23c; tubs, 21c; ranch, 18c.
Un k ksk. au ve Washington, lOta 1 2c.
Poultby Chickens, live, per pound.
hers, 7c; dressed, Dig 10c; ducks, $2 1
,ou; aressea turkeys, lugiza.
Eggs Freeh ranch. 34ftLc: Eaetern.
25c per doz.
PaovisiONg Hams, larire. 12c: bams.
email. 12)'4c; breakfast bacon. 10c:
rj salt sides, 6c pr lb.
Fkkbii Mkatu Choice dressed beef,
steers, 6c; cows, 4 'c; mutton, sheep, 6c
per pound; lamb, fic; pork, 6c per
pound ; veal, small, 6c.
Sax i .UN-Cisco, Dec. 22, 1890.
Potatoi Garnet Chile, WaHOc;
, saunas tiurbanks, &Ui!75c: fcarlv Koee,
CO(a(jOc; P.iver Burbauks, 25a35c;
sweets, 75c(a $1.10 per cental.
1 Onions 5m4O0c per sack for yellow,
35c for pickle.
I oob litore, 23-a24c; ranch, 30c;
ducks, 25c per dozen.
i Brnaa ranry creamery. 23c: do
; seconds, 2122c; fancy aairy, 21c;
seconds. HfalHc.
, Chbbsb rsncy, mild, new, 1112j
lair to ood. 10c; onn AmeMca,
11'312V; Eastern. 18? 22; per pound.
A RELUCTANT READER. ','
Read fcott'a FuaclnatlnB talcs aa it
In a Ureaiii. V
It Is a very old proverb thntV-ou inn;
loud a horse to water, but yVi can't
make him drink. It might bi added
thut If you could make Is 1 111 you
certainly could not iimku him eujdy the 1 1 true as to'iiallous ns well na Individ
draught. A recent writer In Black-1 la- The French, who are of all poo
wood's Magazine gives tin aiuusIugVao- I1''. perhapsA the most mercurial or
count, which yet bears the linprossof 'tli.dery." are Mso of all races the moat
truth, of hla experience with au honest,
noni-ty, jolly iti'ltlsli schoolboy, appar
ently of good general Intelligence nnd
a good student, whose family began to
worry about hla u version to hooka. He
regarded them na something to be duti
fully at ml led when nt'ceaaiiry, but to be
avoided like tlio plague out of school
hours. At liiat 11 proml.se was extracted
from him to rend one of Scott's novels.
He gave the promise reluctantly In a
hoarse and melancholy whisper, aa he
atood dejectedly staring around a pleas
ant library, but he kept It with entire
fidelity. The volume given him was
"I van hoe," which he volunteered gra
ciously to call 11 "funny name," nnd
this alight observation was regarded
hopefully as a forerunner of Interest.
For a whole month the lad luid devot
ed himself to "Ivanhoe." Such was his
conscientiousness that he never skip
ped a word, and so great bis sense of
the Injury which the Intellectual effort
was Inflicting on his leisure that he
never took a single word In.
"Well, old fellow, how U 'Ivauhoo'
getting on?"
. "Pretty well, thank you."
"How far bnve you got?"
"Oh, I've nearly read" and ho con
sults the top of the page "cue hun
dred aud twenty pages."
"And whom do you like best?
' A hasty glance at the page tosee what
name came handiest. "Oh, Wainba."
(Wamba Is the Jester, or fool.) ' . . ,
He looked so extremely woebegone
over the cross-questioning that the
questioner made a feeble attempt at a
Joke.
"A little fellow-feeling, eh, my boy?"
Blank gaze.
"You don't know what I menu, I sup
pose ?"
"No."
"Well, you know what Wnniba was?"
"Yes," rather dubiously.
"Well, what?"
"One of the chaps In the book."
Now the unwilling reader stood well
nt school In history, bo n week later
they tried him again on n different tack.
"Have you found any old friends In
'Ivanhoe?' "
"No."
"Well, you know King Richard."
"King Richard ?"
"Yes, Richard the First.
"Oh, yes; he was king 1180 to 1109."
"Well, you came across hlui In the
tournament."
"I didn't know It was the same chap."
He was a sincere boy, but he will miss
a great deal of pleasure with n mind bo
Impervious to the chnrnis of literature.
With most young readers the Richard
Coeur-de-Llon of the tournament soon
usurps the throne of the matter-of-fact
Richard of history; nnd it is certainly
a rare youth who prefers the Richard
of plain history to the splendid being
with a battle-axe who rides through
"Ivanhoe."
Quicker than Lightning.
"As quick as lightning" Is a phrase
colloquially used to express the maxi
mum of rapidity. But nccordlng to a
well-known scientist, electricity Itself Is
outstripped by that old-fashioned ma
chine, the human body, by which It
appears powers can, so to speak, bo
generated lu the brain,'' transmitted
through the nerves, nnd developed in
the muscles in an Infinitesimal fraction
of a second. '
It Is stated that a pianist. In playing
a presto of Mendelssohn, played 5,595
notes In four minutes and three seconds.
The striking of each of these, It has
been estimated, Involved two move
ments of the finger and possibly more.
Again, the movements of the wrist, el
bows and anus can scarcely be less
than one movement for each note. As
twenty-four notes were played each
second, and each Involves three move
ments, we would have seventy-two vol
untary movements per second.
Again, the place, the force, the time
and tbe duration of each of these move
ments were controlled. All those mo
tor reactions were conditioned upon a
knowledge of the position of each finger
of each hand before It was moved,
while moving it, as well as of the audi
tory effect to force and pitch, all of
which Involves equally rapid sensory
transmissions.
If we add to this the work of the
memory In placing the notes In their
proper position, as well as the fact that i
the performer at the same time partlcl-!
pates In the emotion the selection de- j
scribes and feels the strength and i
weakness of the performance, we ar-1
rive at a truly bewildering network of j
Impulses, coursing along at Inconcelva- j
bly rapid rates. j
Such estimates show, too. that we arc i
capable of doing many things at once.
The mind Is not a unit, but Is compos- j
ed of higher and lower centers, the i
available fund of attention being dis- :
trlbuted anions them. '
1 ! Vi w Ci n" tn - I.
He Marry inc. dear, aud you shall
want for nothing.
She There! I always heard It said
that marriage put an end to a woman's 1
happinessl Yonkers Statesman.
A man's appearance is a bridegroom
Is his last appearance lor tbe balance
of his life la liUiKrwpr that Is not
patched. ,
Ted She fll 1vm ne. Ned-How
do roil know? TeI -'.then she return
ed my prewniis she p-.jraid tbe express
charges. Harlem M
VWITH HOOK AND LINE.
The EsVltalile Frenchman Con ICxhlblt
a Lot of I'otlcnce.
It Is one of tlio curiosities of human
nature that the most nervous and ex
citable pcAjilu are often the moat pa-
1 'lent fishermen with hook and line. This
extra, vacantly fevotod to angling; and
Paris, their excitable and revolutionary
capital, !s a city of fishermen. A recent
Parisian -vrlter declares that the ama
teur fishermen ure inore numerous now
than ever.
"They form' a i uble wreath of hu-man.'-y
on both sides of the Seine," bo
declare--, "reaching from Charentou
clear to Malson-Lntltte. For them were
created the fortunate Isles of Saint
Cloud nnd Crolssy and the verdurous
shores of Port-Marly and Chatou.
"Isolated there In the midst of tu
mult, calm in the very bosom of agita
tions, the passers-by smile at their as
pect and gibe at their attitude and their
Immobility. They never catch a thing,
the passing skeptics say. What a mis
take! The vulgar laity know naught
of what these fishermen catch besides
fish; for fish are not alone the things
they go far."
This men ns that tho contemplation
which Is In a manner enforced on those
who fish with hook and line, especially
where no flsh are to be found, often
results In the apprehension of Import
ant things which would never have
come If the fishermen had remained
among the distracting scenes of Paris
ian life.
A distinguished French academician
Is accustomed to declare that bo fished
his academical chair out of the Seine
with a hook and line; for the poems
which really won for him his literary
crown came to him while he was court
ing the wary gudgeon on the banks of
the river.
He Is far from being the only author
who has worked In this way. There
are three hundred and more living
dramatists whose works hnve, In some
shape, been brought out on the boards
of the rarls theaters; and out of these,
thirty bnve declared that they should
never have had a single success If they
had not elaborated their dramatic
schemes while angling.
One of these dramatists once came
back, radiant with glee, from a session
of seven steady hours on the banks of
the Seine. On bis way home he met a
friend.
"Well, did you catch anything?" ask
ed the friend.
"Catch anything! Well, I should think
I did! I caught a fifth act lu three
tableaux and a denouement tbat will
draw all Paris!"
But he had not one fish. A somewhat
amusing story Is told of a minister of
the Interior, Monsieur De Corblere,
who was accustomed to get up every
morning very early and go out with a
hook and line to quiet his nerves on
the banks of the Seine., There efime
to Paris a man from the provinces who
had made application for a certain of
fice a sous-prefecture In the country.
The ofllce-seeker had no Influence with
the minister, but in some way he learn
ed where the spot was to which the
minister always went to fish.
Providing himself with "tackle," he
rose still earlier than the minister, and
when Monsieur De Corblere went to
his favorite place he found a stranger
Installed there, paying no attention to
tho minister, and apparently quite Ig
norant of his identity.
The minister went somewhere else,
and got up earlier the next morning;
but 011 arriving nt the" place he found
the same man Installed there. Again
and again this happened. It was use
less to try to forestall the man. He was
nt the spot before the slightest break of
dawn.
At hiKt the minister approached the
mnn and said politely, "You seem to be
very fond of fishing, sir?"
"I am, sir," answered the other; "and
for the present I employ It as a means
of passing the time while I am awaiting
a response to an application which I
have made to the minister of the In
terior." "You are looking for an office?"
"A small prefecture, sir, In the coun
try. I have waited a long time, and
may have to wait still longer; but we
fishermen, sir, know bow to be pa
tient." "Will you kindly give me your name
and address, sir? I have a little Influ
ence, perhaps, at the department, and I
shall be glad to mention your case.
Between fishermen, sir "
"Ah, I thnnk you! Here Is my card."
That evening the ofllce-seeker receiv
ed his appointment nnd went no more
to the banks of the Seine, and the min
ister thereafter fished In peace In bis
accustomed spot.
Adaptable Stomnchn.
It Is well known that North Ameri
can Indians can go an extraordinary
time without food, and on the other
band can cat enormously when the op
portunity serves them. The natives of
Africa display the same adaptability.
Mr. Gregory, speaking of his porters,
says:
Their recklessness about their food Is
a trying characteristic. At the com
mencement of a new stage In the Jour
ney we had to serve out ten days' ra-
tlons, and some of the men would eat
so much In the first few days that by
the end of the week they had none left.
But tbey can go on for great distances
on what appears to be tbe most Insuf
ficient food. Some of my men carried
loads of one hundred and ten pounds
from dawn to dusk, with only aa
hour's rest In the middle of tbe day, on
a pound and a balf of beans or Indian
corn, and sometimes less than that
Whence tbeir "foot-pounds" of energy
wore derived puzzled me, till I noticed
that they became thinner and thinners
Tbey Illustrate tho law of compensa
tion; for the Amount of food they can.
eat, when they have it. Is phenomenal.
When we reached tho Klkuyu coun
try on the return Journey, I owed all
tho men arrears of food, amounting
with one group of men to seveu days'
rations. I offered them beads or wlr
Instead of the excess of food, that they
might buy for themselves any little
delicacies, such as chickens or rlp
bananas; but they refused my offer.
"You owe us seven days' food," they
replied; "seven days' food we will have,
or nothing."
Of course It was given them; but la
the evculng one of them came aa a
delegate from the rest to ask for medi
cine. He complained of severe Internal
pains, and seemed very uncomfortable.
I asked him Avhnt he had been doing,
and what he bad eaten.
He calmly replied that he had don
nothlug, and had only eaten tho food
that had been given him.
Each of the men, having received hist
seven days' rations, had borrowed a
big cooking-pot, made a great fire, and
had cooked and eaten the whole of tbe
ten and a half pounds of beans.
I was somewhat annoyed and de
clined to give medicine, telling the emis
sary that tbe only expedient I could
think of to prevent fatal consequence
was a band of hoop Iron. This we had
not got, so he must tie himself together
with my cllmblng-rope.
Herbert Spencer's new work, th
third volume of "The Principles of So
ciology," Is nearly through tbe press.
F. C. Selous, the mighty hunter oC
big African game, has written a his
tory of recent events in Malnbeleland,
both before and after tbe insurrec
tion. Ernest E. Russell, editor of Publls
Opinion, Is about to publish a radical
purpose novel with the enigmatical ti
tle. "The Renson Why; A Story of Fact
and Fiction."
The Kindergarten Magazine give
thirty pages to an Illustrated article on
the Chicago Normal School, erstwhile
the Normal School belonging to Cook
County and Col. F. W. Parker.
Mrs. William Morris writes from
Keluiscott House In the suburbs of Lon
don asking for tbe loan of all letters;
written by her husband, to be used fa
the compilation of a life of the artist
author, j
The Critic states that Ferdinand BrU
nctlere, the French critic nnd editor of
the Revue des Deux-Mondes, Is to de
liver a course of lectures on Frenck
poetry at the Johns Hopkins Univer
sity next March.
The MncMlllan company announces
"Guesses nt the Riddle of Existence,"
by Prof. Goldwln Smith, the tnlented
Canndlan'cssaylst and publicist. Tho
questions treated In the volume ar
ethical and religious.
The Ladles' Home Journal gives Its
readers some more heart-to-heart talks)
not on pillow shams, but on mar
riage. Mis. A. D. T. Whitney and Dr.
Pnrkhurst treat tho subject from their
respective standpoints.
Over thirty colored men nnd one col
ored woman bave been regulnrly ad
mitted to the Illinois bar and are now
practicing law In Chicago. Judge Jas.
B. Bradwell prints an Interesting bio
graphical article on the subject In the
Chicago Legal News.
Exit Aubrey Beardsley from his sec
ond magazine venture. The Savoy la)
to be discontinued after the Issue of
the eighth number, In December. The
Aubrey Beardsley art Is not the fad It
ouco was, In the brief days when the
Yellow Book flared Into consplculty.
William T. Adams, known as Oliver
Optic to boyish romance lovers, and to
others ns the father-in-law of Sol Smith
Russell, has written more books for
boys than any other mnn living, but at
the age of 80 he has Just returned to his
Boston home from a trip around the
world, laden with fresh literary mater
ials. The prominence of Gen. Lew Wallace
In the St. Louis convention adds Inter-'
est to the rumor that he has begun a
new piece of literary work on the lines
of his "Ben Hur" nnd his "Prince of
India." But as Gen. Wallace Is a slow
and painstaking worker, and very
close-mouthed regarding his unfinished
writings, It will probably be some time
before the public knows even the field
in which he has laid his new plot.
In tbe Harvard Graduates Magazine
Edward Everett Hale writes entertain
ingly of a group of five Harvard presi
dents who were photographed togeth
er at the same table In 1801. They
were Joslah Qulncy, Edward Ever
ett, Jared Sparks, James Walker and
C. C. Felton. "The old Harvard stat
utes were such that no man In his
senses could remain president of Har
vard College for many successive years.
These statutes were changed vhon
President Eliot was elected."
Too Amlttloan.
"Oh, that young man is all right," -said
Gobang. "lie Is Just sowing hi
wild oats."
"Tbe trouble with blm," said Grymes,
"Is tbat he is trying to raise two crop
on the same land." Truth.
In fiRle.
Sbe--I thought you said you were go
ing to stop swearing?
He So I am as soon as I get this um
brella down. Truth.
How soon after marriage a woman
gets reconciled to having her husband
see her In her old clothes!