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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 24, 1903)
34. THE SUNDAY OREGOKIAN, PORTLAND, MAY 24, 1903. GE"RMAN glTlES N THE PAWNBROKING BUSINESS ,HCW MUNICIPALITIES LEND MONEY ON PERSONAL" EFFECTS AT A LOW RATE OF INTEREST THE GREAT BOOK ESTABLISHMBST, LEIPSIG. UR. CAHPESTEB BUYING RAILROAD TICKET FROM SLOT BOX. THE CITY PAWN-BROKIXO ESTABLISHXE5T, LEIPSIG. EIPSIG. May 14.-(SpecIaJ correspond ence.) I "spent this morning In a pawnbroker's shop. It belongs to the City of Lelpslg and It lcana out houndreds of thousands of dollars a year.' It has a capital of less than $100,000, but It bor rows more from the City Savings Bank at 3fr per cent interest and charges about 8 per cent to Its customers who bring as security, watches, clocks, furniture, old clothes and everything under the sun. Last year it made about 200,000 loans, which, on the average, would be more than one for every family in Lelpslg. In the Loattlns-Roomn, I spent some time watching the pawn brokers tako in the goods and give out the money. The loanlng-rocm is large and divided In half by counters. On one flldo are tb3 pawnbroklng clerks and on the other, at the time of my visit, were about 200 men. women and children, each holding a bundle waiting to get money upon It. They were lined up like the single file before a theater window at an opening night. Each dickered with the clerks, trying to get the moot for his goods. As the articles were placed on the counter their value was estimated by an appraised who gave the owner a check for the amount to be loaned. He took this a little further on to the cashier, who paid out the money and gave him a ticket. Another man then took the goods and bundled them away on a shelf. The amounts wero generally small. Seldom more than $1. Many were for one, two or three marks, or 25 and 75 cents. The. In terest charged was two pfennigs for each mark, or one-half cent for each 23 cents, per month. This pawnshop was established "8 years ago, and since then it has loaned out millions. Its loans increase during hard times and decrease when the times are good. Tho Institution is worked for the benefit of the people. The interest Is kept down to the lowest rate and. the articles arc so valued that practically nothing la lost. Tho most of the articles are redeemed, less than 10 per cent being left for rale at auction. . The auction was going on In another room during my stay, and I went in to watch it. The room was filled with bid ders, and the auctioneer knocked the goods off without delay. I noticed that they sold for a little bit more than thoir valuation. A clock which was marked for J2.60 sold for $3, and other things in proportion. The City Saving; Bank. This pawnbroklng shop is connected with the City Savings Bank which has de posits amounting to about $17,000,000, and new deposits of something like $3,000,000 a year. It pays about 3 per cent interest, and loans Its money out for 3J per cent and upward, tho pawnbrokers branch paying Sis per cent. The bank is not run to make money, but in tho Interests of the people. It has now about 180.000 depositors, and of these more than 70,000 have deposits of less than $15. 2S.O0O have between $15 and $35, and only 35,000 roorl than $142. Much of the depositing is dono by means of stamps. A man can buy a stamp for 10 pfennigs, or less than 2& cents, and deposit this In the penny sav ings bank. Such stamps are saved until they amount to a mark or more, when they are deposited. There are stamp offices all over the city, and one can put away his small change into the savings bank almost as easily as into the beer saloons. German Savings Basic Such savings banks are to be found in nearly all the cities of Germany. That of Berlin has about 100 different branches; its depositors number more than 500.000, and the deposits are about $50,000,000. Dresden has aim cat half as much In her savings bank, and there are a number of other German cities which have as much as ?20,O00.OO0 each. In addition to these city banks there are private savings banks, which are to a certain extent under the supervision of the government. In these the deposits are limited by law to 5,000 marks, and the Interest rate Is fixed annually by the board of directors. It Is usually low, about 3 per cent. In these banks $40 can be checked out on any one day, but a month's notice. must be given for the withdrawal of more than that sum up to 1000 marks, and six months' notice for larger sums. German Malls Help the Farmers. I have written of the modern postal service of Switzerland and France. That of Germany is equally good. The govern ment here works for the people and helps them do their business. Tho postofflce de partment forwards all kinds of express, including farm produce and merchandise. There are regular wagons for such work. I see them at the stations piled high with crates and baskets. When I came into the big depot at Lelpslg yesterday I heard a hen cackling and a duck quacking. By and by a rooster crowed and I looked about for a farmyard in tho heart of this city of a half million people. I found it on tho top of the mall wagons, each of which was driven by a postman In uni form. The wagons were loaded with crates of ducks, chickens and other fowls. One box contained two white pigeons and an other a dozen big turkeys. There were postage stamps on the back of the boxes, and I was told that they bad been sent in from tho country through the post at o much per pound. I took a photograph of the wagons, their helmeted drivers laughing as I did so. The German states, with tho exception of Bavaria and Wurtemburg. are in tho imperial postal service, which is one of the largest In Europe. It has 200,000 em ployes, and about 37,000 offices. It handles 1.000.000.000 copies of printed matter, LOOO, 000,000 postal cards and about 2.OM.0O0.O0O letters every year, and It does it at a profit. Our Postofflce Department an nually runs behind. That of Germany runs ahead. She gives a better service than we do at a lower rate, and at the same times makes a profit of $4,000,0) out of it. Pneumatic Tribes as Letter Carriers. Berlin, for Instance, has a pneumatic tube system superior to any quick de livery system of New York. By it tele grams, letters and postal cards can be sent from one part of the city to another more quickly than by telegraph, at a cost of 6 cents a card or V cents per letter. If you pay 12 cents you can have a pre paid answer. This post is called the rohr, or tube, post. Its offices are distin guished by a red lamp, and are to be found in all parts of Berlin. The telegraph and telephones of Ger- THE POSTOFKICE DOES Alf EXPRESS BUSINESS. many belong to tho government, and con sequently, their charges are lower than ours. Tho rate for all Germany and Austria-Hungary, is 1& cents a word, while that to Belgium. Denmark. Holland and Switzerland Is only 2& cents. You can send a dispatch to England, Norway or Italy for lees than 4 cents per word, and to almost any placo in Europe for less than 5 cents. A Boole Metropolis. I have spent some time hero with Braln ard H. "Warner, Jr., one of the youngest and brightest men in our Consular serv ice. He has been making an investiga tion of the book trade, and, through him, I am able to tell you something of the book metropolis of Europe. Lelpslg does more book handling than any other city In the world In proportion to its size. It has 8-00 book stores and publishing establishments. It has almost 200 different printing houses and about 9000 publishing firms represented by agents. It has a book publishers' ex change and clearing house, and Its ar rangements are such that books are sent out daily by the thousands from here to all parts of Germany. There are 6000 retail book dealers in the empire, and the book stores of Austria and German Switzerland are fed from here. All publishers have their agents at Lelpslg, and many keep full stocks of books on hand so that they can supply orders at an hour's notice. There is a regular system of sending out books by cheap freight and express, and the agents arrange for quick delivery and make all collections. They represent the book stores, as well as the publishers, and the system Is such that the publishers so rep resented come into direct contact with the buyers all over Germany, and by the Lelpslg agency throw their books into something like 10.000 stores. About the only provision is that all books must be delivered in Lelpslg free of freight charges, the book dealers expecting to pay the charge from Lelpslg to their respective stores. Some of the American firms have such agencies, and it would pay all of our pub lishers to appoint such representatives. I have gone through the book clearing house. It is a beautiful building thorough ly equipped for the purpose. I have also visited some of the chief publishing estab lishments, Including the famous ono of Breltkopf and HaerteL. They all do good work, but in modem conveniences are far behind' similar establishments in the United States. Lelpslg's Sf20,000,000 Station. Every one here says Germany is hav ing hard times. It may be so, but that is not delaying public improvements. The city .of Lelpslg is planning a railroad sta tion which will cost $20,000,000. or five times as much as the new union station at Washington. There are at present about half a dozen depots. These will be done away with and this structure will be built In their place. Dresden recently put up a railroad de pot costing millions. I have already de scribed the station at Frankfort, which cost $8,500,000. Berlin has a number of fino depots. Cologne has good railroad buildings, and so have almost all the cities of Germany. The railroads hero belong to the gov ernment, and they are very well man aged, though hot as luxurious in their ap pointments as ours. The cars are after the European fashion first, second and third-class. They are divided into com partments. On the better trains there are lavatories, but an extra charge Is made for the use of towel and soap. This Is furnished '"by a penny-ln-the-slot box. You put in a 10-pfennig piece and pull out a Uttlo rag and a piece of soap. The rag Is too small to dry you well, and the soap is just enough for ono, washing. The thlrd-clasa cars have no such ac commodations. Many of, them are with out cushioned seats. There Is also a j fourth-class, where most of the passengers elan a up. rne rates or tne nrstciass are about the same as ours, second-class a little cheaper and the third and fourth classes very low. The L'blqultons Slot Box. Speaking of slot boxes, they are to be found everywhere here and of every kind. In some of the cities you can buy tickets c-n the elevated railroads by dropping a German nickel, which means 2& cents, in the slot. There are slot boxes which sell postal cards and slot restaurants where you can get anything, from a thimbleful of benedictine or chartreuse to a glass of champagne or a schooner of beer, and from a chocolate cream to a slice of roast beef. The advantage of the slot machine Is that it dispenses with feeing. There are no waiters and hence no fees, and this. w!ere one has to pay from 2 cents to a dime for every service, amounts to much. German Economy. The Germans appreciate small savings. The richer among them spend a great deal, but they know Just where the money goes and try to get the worth of It. The poor get more for their money perhaps than any other poor in Europe outside the French. They know how to prevent waste. In cooking nothing is lost. The crusts of bread and' stale pieces of the loaf are kept to thicken the next day's soup and tho waste paper of the poor man Is kept for fueL German stoves are economical. They are made of porcelain and are often a yard square and from six to eight feet tall. Each stove has a series of flues, and a very little fuel suffices to warm it. Once hot it gives out a gentle heat all day, using about one-third the coal of an Amer ican base burner and nothing like that of a furnace. Every bit of coal is saved, and a great part of that now used Is in the shape of briquettes or bricks made of coal dust so tightly pressed that they are as hard as the coal Itself 'and at the same, time perfectly glean. This Is a great business In Germany. Cheap Honae Servant!. The Germans have a better system of domestic service than we have. In Lelp slg and other German cities the people live In flats so that the most of the work Is confined to one floor. Every room is valuable, and the servant usually has- lit tle more than a closet to sleep in. The mistress of the house knows all about housekeeping, that being a part of every German girl's education., and she watches to see that no food is wasted. The ser vants are seldom given the same food as the family, and among some It is custom ary to give the hired girl an allowance of two or three cents for her supper and let her buy It outside. If there is fruit on the table it seldom goes out to the kitchen. I am much interested in the employ ment agencies here. Each town has one or more such institutions supported by low charges upon employers and em ployes. The charge is about 12 cents for getting a seryant and half that amount to tho servant who wants a place. Tho laws provide that ever servant shall have a record or pass book telling where she was born, her age and previous servitude. It must have the records of the places she has worked and the signatures of her former employers testifying to her char acter. The police must stamp every record showing that it Is correct. A dollar a week Is a big price for a hired girl, and at one of the agencies I was told that excellent servants could be had from $2.50 to $4 per month. The servants in these bureaus looked like good girls. They were well dressed, though not as extravagantly as their class In America. Housekeeping? Schools. There are many schools here for train ing servant girls. Berlin has an organiza tion known as the Housewives Union, which devotes Itself to such things. It gives prizes for good servants, rewarding every girl who stays Ave years at one place with a little gold pin and a me morial; and after ten years a second prize of $2.50 in gold. There arc many house keeping schools for the daughters of the well-to-do and the rich, and It is not an uncommon thing for a nice German girl, whose father is moderately well off, to go into the house of a stranger of the same class to learn housekeeping; the idea is that she will be made to work, which might -not be the case at home. The housekeeping schools are attended by all classes. I found one at the Krupp works and have visited othere here and there over Germany. The girls are taught to cook, bake, wash and iron. They learn sewing', mending, knitting and dressmak ing, and also everything in connection with housekeeping. Nearly every school has its kitchen garden, the work of which is dono by the pupils, and In a number of schools cows are kept and the girls arc taught to milk and to make butter and cheese. 9 I was surprised at the scientific charac ter of the instruction. Every girl keeps an itemized account of just what each meal costs. She must set down the weight and value of every ingredient as well as the time required for cooking, so that at the end she knows just how much she has spent for each dish and the whole meal as well as just how she has cooked It. With such an education a girl can fill almost any station in life as wife, housekeeper, cook or general servant. Schools lor Everything'. The Germans are running wild over technical education. They have about the best schools of the world, from the uni versities down. Within the past few years they have been establishing a vast number j of technical schools for every branch of ! manufacture ana industry. There are j schools for butchers, bakers and. candle- stick makers. At Chemnitz, below Lelpslg, me co non center or uennany, mere are schools for weavers and designers. In other parts there are schools for doll and" toymakers, and in Berlin a school for blacksmiths. There- are 11 Industrial art schools in Berlin, with more than 2500 pupils. There are commercial high schools here In Lelp slg, and also in Cologne, attended by men who expect to make their llvins in trado and by exporting- and importing. At Wllhelmshof in Witzenhausen there in a ) colonial school where men. are educated for service In the German possessions in Africa, China and the South Sea Islands. In all these schools the rates of tuition are low, and that notwithstanding that the professors are men of recognized abil ity. They are of so much Importance that a federal bureau is being organized to su pervise them, and the leading manufac turers tell me that the German trade of the future will be largely built upon its technical education. The Technical School Movement. The came movement Is going on in the other countries of Europe. There are technical schools In France and Switzer land. Holland and Belgium, and a large number in Austria. That country Is now spending more than $1,000,000 a year in in dustrial education, and it has within a short time begun to establish commercial schools to educate its people in commerce and trade. We should found such schools all over the United States. Every manu facturing center should have them, and there should be commercial colleges on the broadest lines In all our cities. Here is a noble field for some would-be Carne gie of the future. FRANK G. CARPENTER. (Copyright. 1903.) HOW TO CHOO BY REV. E. J. HARDY, AUTHOR OF "HOW TO BE HAPPY THOUGH MARRIED" "Women should not marry for money." IV. sffT HET tnat entcr Into tne state of I marriage cast a die of the great- est contingency, and yet of the greatest Interest in the world, next to the last throw for enternlty. Life or death, felicity or a lasting sorrow, are in tho power of marriage. A woman, indeed, ventures most, for she hath no sanctuary to retire from ah evil husband." In these words Jeremy Taylor puts the issues of choice In matrimony, and tells us what is most true, that "a woman ventures most." "Love Is of man's life a part, 'tis woman's whole existence." And yet how careless are Bome girls about the sort of man they marry; the choice of a hat or a gown gives them more anxiety! Happy parents are beginning to ac knowledge tho duty of having employ ment taught which can save their girls from marrying merely for a lh'lng. Even now, however, there are women too easily satisfied with the characters of men who offer themselves as husbands. They aim at matrimony In the abstract; not the man, but any man. They would not en gage's, servant if all they knew of her were that she had tis a housemaid lately advertised, "a fortnight's character from my last place": but they will accept hus bands with even less information as to their characters, and vow to love, honor and obey them! Can these women be will ing to live with a liar, with a thief, with a drunkard, for 20 or 30 years? Do they cot know that a lazy man. or one who cannot bear pain and trouble without whining that this sort of man will make a weak band or support for his house? Can they doubt that the selfish man. though he may be drawn out of selfish ness in the early weeks of courtship, will settle back Into It again when the girl becomes his wife? Is Any Huabnnd Better Than "oner "I will do anything." says Portia, in "The Merchant of Venice," "ere I be mar ried to a sponge"; and in answer to the auestion. "How like you tho young Ger man, the Duke of Saxony's young nephew?" she answers: "Very vilely In the morning, when he is sober; and most vilely in the afternoon, when he Is drunk; when he is best he is a little worse than a man; and whon he is worst he is little better than a beast; and the worst fall that ever fell. I hope I shall make shift to go without him." A friond let us say Barlow was de scribing to Jerrold the story of his court ship and marnage; how his wife had been brought up In a convent, and was on the point of taking the veil, when his pres ence burst upon her enraptured sight. Jer rold listened to the end of the story, and by way of comment said: "Ah. she evi dently thought Barlow better than nun (none)." When girls have been given work" in the wcrld they do not think that any husband is better than none, and they have not time to imagine themselves in love with the first man who proposes. How often is it the case that people think themselves In love when, in fact, they are only Idle! In Shakespeare's play Cleopatra speaks of an old attachment which she had lived to despise as having aiisen in her "salad days," when she was green in judgment. In extreme youth love is especially blind, and for this, as well as for other rea sons, girls who are yet at school, do not consult their best interests when they al low love to occupy their too youthful minds. It Is true that choice in marriage does not, except on rare occasions, come from the female side. A refined girl, will not take the initiative, and has only tho negative, but very responsible, duty of refusing those who are ineligible. On what principle should this be done? First of all we should say that how ever handsome and agreeable a man may be. he should not be thought of as a husband if he is not approved of by the girl's father and brothers. They are probably men of the world and know what a man ought to be. To Be Happy in Marriage. To be happy, in marriage It is neces sary to marry a gentleman in ths proper sense of tho word, that is to say, one who is generous and unselfish, who con siders another's happiness and welfare, and not merely his own. A man who is a bear to his sisters, discourteous to his mother, and careless of the feelings of servants and poor relations. Is just the man to avoid when you ccme to tho great question to bo answered, "yes" or "no." I know that some say that they do not object to a man being a little wild, and that if their husbands are not all they ought to be. they will reforin them. And so they marry In a sort of mission ary spirit. Those who act in this way resemble their mother Eve, who "knew not eating death." It is not very easy to reform a man after he Is 30 years of age. and it is far .more likely that a rake will reform his wife oft tho face of the earth by bad treatment, than that she will reform him. Then, a girl should consider the effect that living with a bad man will have upon her own character, and should rather desire to marry a man better than herself, one upon whom she can lean, and who will give her moral support. When Sir David Balrd and some other English officers were taken prisoners by Tlpoo Sahib and confined In his dungeons at Bangalore, the mother of Sir David, referring to the way pris oners wero secured in these days and also to the bad temper of her son, said. "God pity the laddie who is tied to our Davie." That girl is indeed to be pitied who is tied by the knot matrimonial to ono with a bad temper. "When I see a man," says Addison, "with a sour; rivelled face. I cannot forbear pitying his wife; and when I meet with an open. Ingenuous countenance. I think of the happiness of his family and his relations." "Is it possible, young lady, that you do not know the names of your best friends?" "Possible? Why, of course It Is. I do not even know -what my name- may be a year or so hence.". A girl may not know the man she will marry, but she should make up her mind that whoever he be he must be an Intelligent, con scientious, well-principled man. The "Genlns" as a Us.ibana. There are two species of husbands dif ficult to live with the genius and the i fool. Perhaps the chances of happiness are greater with the fool! There was a time when the possession or supposed possession of "genius" was held to jus tify a man being Irritable, and everything men should not be. Now, however, we have decided that men of intellect ought to have a law in their lives, not less but even more certainly than stupid peo ple. If they turn day Into night, and night into day; if they drink too much; If they are more partial to tho society of other men's wives than of their own; if they fling away money- "generously" and cannot meetNthc Just claims of the butcher and tho baker If they act in such wayB ns these we feel that they at least cannot claim a fool's pardon. "I love my family's welfare," said Mon tesquieu, "but I cannot be so foolish as to make myself a slave to the minute affairs of a house." Even a fire was considered a "minute affair" by another author. He was deeply occupied In his library when some one. rushing in, an nounced that the house was on fire. "Go to my wife," he replied; "these matters belong to her." To do ft Justice, how ever, genius Is now putting aside this affectation of being above mundane matters, and a man with the "divine afflatus" will not Infrequently, if properly handled, make as good a husband as the most stupid plodder in evidence. Certainly soma time ago an essayist compiled a great array of testimony, which went to show that for a good family man, war ranted to stand bad weather, to love his wife, and to bring up the children re spectably, there Is no man like a poet. Good health is too important a matter to overlook when choosing a life partner. It should be sought for next to good ness. Certainly, to marry deliberately where hereditary disease Is known to exist Is to transmit a calamity and a scourge to future generations. Youthful scion of a noble house: "I have como to ask you for tho hand of your daughter, doctor." Fashionable physician: "You have?" Youth: "Yes, doctor. I have enough of this world's goods to support her la comfort, even in luxury." Phy sician: "Yes, I am. aware of that: but J will you treat her kindly? Can I depend upon you to make her a good husband?" Youth: "Doctor, I swear" PhyBiclan: "Oh. never mind swearing, my young friend! Your Intentions arc all right, no doubt; but I must be sure that you won't worry her life out after you get her. Take off your coat and let me exam ine what condition your liver Is in!" Mnrrylnsr for Money. They were walking in tho conservatory. "Will you love me with all your soul?" she murmured. "Ye3, darling," he an swered. "And all your heart?" '"Yes, dearest." "And all your ?" "Every thing, darling; everything," he interrupt ed. "Pockotbook?" she continued, not no ticing the Interruption. He gasped once. and all was over. Women should not marry fpr money, but neither should they marry without It, for, as a practical girl once remarked: "A kiss and a cup of cold water make but a poor breakfast." It is, however, much better to marry a good and wise man, though poor, than a rich fool, who will give gilded misery. To bo contented though poor. Is to- be rich enough. The grand thing is for a woman to unite her self to one who is a fortune In himself. Shakespeare says, in reference to a hus band's age Let the woman still take An elder- than herself, to, wears she to him. So awayi she level to her husband's heart. The other extreme, however, Is equally bad. A man said to his daughter: "When It is time for you to marry, I won't allow you to throw yourself away upon one of the giddy young fellows 1 see about. I shall select for you a steady, sensible, middle-aged man. What do you say of one about 50 years of age?" "Well, fath er," replied the girl, "if it Js the same to you, I should prefer two of 25." It may be better to be an old man's darling than a young man's slave, but if a wlfo begin married life by Insisting, as she ought, upon getting proper respect, she will never experience slavery. A girl should not marry a man who does not properly value woman and woman's love. Captain Jawklns: "No, I'm not exactly engaged, but I have the refusal of two or three girls." Miss Ethel: "What a cap ital way of putting it! X suppose you mean you have asked them, and they have said 'No,' " At the same time it is useless to expect perfection In a husband. The ordinary woman and what a mate she would be for perfection! who does this must neces sarily remain unmarried. Do not play fast and loose with an eligible parti. Re member what Rosalind says In "Aa You Like It" But. mistress, know yourself; down on your knees. And thank heaven, fasting-, for a good man's love; -1 For I must tell you friendly in your ear. Sell when you can: you are not for all markets; Cry the man mercy; love him; talcs his oCer. If you hold your head too high and de spise men who would have you, you will be despised by those at whom you "set your cap." Look High. It ought not to matter much to what profession or business a husband belongs, for a man of ability and energy will make his mark anywhere. It is a mis take, howeverr for a girl to marry a man who Is beneath her in culture and refine ment. Lord Lytton tells a story of a groom married to a rich lady, and in con stant trepidation of being ridiculed in his now home. An Oxford clergyman gave him this advice: "Wear a black coat and hold your tongue." Unfortunately a, man like this Is generally fond of opening his mouth, and then, as the Irishman said, he puts his foot Into it. To punish a lover who has given some real or imaginary offense, a woman will sometimes marry a rival for whom she cares nothing. She who thus marries from pique might be described as cutting off her nose to vex her face, were not her wickedness to be spoken of more seriously. Perhaps It may be said that though it is easy to write about choosing a "husband, for the majority of English girls, at least, there is but little choice in the matter. Dickens certainly told an American .story very American of a young lady on a voyage, who, being Intensely loved byflve young men. was advised to jump over board and marry the man who Jumped In after her. Accordingly next morning; the five loverz feelaar on deck, and looking very devotedly at the young lady, she plunged into the sea. Four of the lovers imme diately Jumped in after her. When tho young lady and four lovers were got out again, she said to the captain, "What am I to do with them now. they are so wet?" "Take the dry one." And the youns lady did so. How different is the state of affairs on. this side of the Atlantic, where if a young woman is to be married, she must take not whom she willjaut whom she may! But is it necessary to marry? Far better to have? no husband than a bad one. Next Week: "What Men Like in Women." Telegraphing 50,000 Words an HoBr. At a recent test in Germany of the Pollak Vlrag system of telegraphy a sped of 50.000 words an hour was attained. In transmitting, this system, like other fast systems, uses a strip of paper previously punched with holes representing dots and dashes. The most novel feature of the system is the method of receiving-. The incoming- electric impulses cause a thin strip of metal, resembling- a telephone diaphragm, to vibrate, and thus move a tiny mirror attached thereto. A slender beam of light from an Incandescent light falls upon the mirror, and Is reflected thence to a strip of photographically sensitive paper, which is steadily unrolled by clockwork when messages come. Chemicals for "development" being ap plied, the paper exhibits a continuous dark line, with upward projections for dashes and downward ones tor dots. The message must then be deciphered and the translation must be written out. New Fire Extinguisher. An engineer named Max Eberhardt. gave at Munlsh a few days ago a demonstration of the effectiveness of a new presaration for extinguishing fires. The preparation is a liquid of a milky color. The first experiment showed that the skin when painted with the liquid becomes insensible to heat. Bags sat urated with petroleum can be burned upon the hand after It has been immersed In ths liquid. Small fires can be extinguished with the hands, aad with oae pailful of tho liquid a. fire in a pit of tar was put out in one second. TJie tar, eves after -setroletua had been posred over It. cefeM not Tta. agala tc able erase wMeb eeaspl-ete-ly thsi out oxygva.