The Hillsboro argus., July 31, 1902, Image 4

A STUDY IN SCARLET.
BY A. CONAN DOYLE.
CHAPTER I Continued.
Sherlock Holme teemed delighted
at the idea ot sharing rooms with me.
"I have my eye on a suite in Baker
ttroet," he said, "which would suit us
down to the ground. You don't mind
the smell of strong tcbacco, I hope?"
"I always smoke 'ship's' myself," I
answered.
"That's good enough. I generally
have chemicals about, and occasionally
do experiments. Would that annoy
yon?"
"By no means."
"Let me see what are my other
shortcomings I get in the dumps at
times, and don't open my month for
days on end. You must not think I
am sulky when I do that. Just let me
alone and I'll soon be all right. What
have you to confess now? It's jut t as
well for two fellows to know the worst
of each other before tbey begin to live
together."
. I laughed at this cross examination.
"I keep a bullpop," I said, "and ob
ject to rows, because my nerves are
shaken, and I get up at all sorts of un
godly hours, and I am extremely laiy.
1 have another set of vices when I am
well, but those are the principal ones
at present. "
"Do you include violin plaving in
your category of rows?" he asked, anx
iously. "It depends on the player," I
answered. "A well played violin is a
treat for the gods; badly played
one"
"Oh, that's all right," he cried with
a merry laugh. "I thine we may con
sider the thing as settled that is, if
the rooms are agreeable to yon."
"When shall we see them?"
"Call for me here at noon, tomorrow,
and we'll go together and settle every
thing," he answered.
"All right noon exactly," said I,
shaking his hand.
We left him working among his
chemicals, and we walked together to
ward my hotel.
"By the wav," I asked suddenly,
"how the deuce did he know that I had
come from Afghanistan?"
My companion smiled an enigmatical
smile.
"That's just his little peculiarity,"
he said. "A good many people have
wanted to know how he finds things
out."
"Oh, a mystery, it it?" I cried, rub
bing my hands. "This is very piquant.
I am much obliged to you for bringing
os together. 'The proper study of
mankind is man,' yu know."
"You must study him then," Stam
ford said, as he bid me good-by.
"You'll find him a knotty problem,
though. I'll wager he learns more
about you than you about him. Good
by." "Good-by," I anwsered ; and strolled
on to my hotel, considerably interested
in my new acquaintance.
CHAPTER IL
We met next day, as he had arrang
ed, and inspected bis rooms at No.
221B Baker street, of which he had
poken at our meeting.
They consisted of a couple of com
fortable bedrooms and a single, large,
airy sitting room, cheerfully furnished,
and Illuminated by two broad win
dows. So desirable in every way were the'
apartments, and so moderate did the
terms seem when divided between us
that the bargain was concluded upon
the spot, and we at once entered into
possession.
That very evening I moved my
things round from the hotel, and on
the following morning Sherlock Holm
es followed me with several boxes and
portmanteaus.
For a day or two we were busily
employed in unpacking and laying out
our property to the best advantage.
That done, we gradually began to set
tle down and to accommodate our
selves to our new surroundings.
Holmes was certainly not a difficult
nan to live with. He was quiet In his
ways, and his habits were regular.
It was rare for him to be up after
ten at night, and he had invariably
breakfasted and gone out before I rose
In the morning.
Sometimes he spent his day at the
chemical laboratory, Sometimes In the
dissecting rooms, and occasionally
In long walks, which appeared to take
him Into the lowest portions of the
city. Nothing could exceed his energy
when the working fit was upon him;
but now and again a reaction would
aetze him, and for days on end he
would He upon the sofa in the sitting
room, hardly uttering a word or mov
ing a muscle from morning to night.
On these occasions I have noticed
Buch a dreamy, vacant expression in
his eyes, that I might have suspected
him of being addicted to the use of
Bome narcotic, had not the temperance
and cleanliness of his whole life for
bidden such a notion.
As the weeks went by, my Interest ,
In him and my curiosity as to his aims
In life gradually deepened and Increas
ed.
His very person and appearance were
such as to strike the attention of the
most casual observer. In height ie
was rather over six feet, and so exces-!
Blvely lean that he seemed to be con
siderably taller.
His eyes were sharp and piercing,
save during those intervals of torjr
to which I have alluded; and his thin,
hawk-like nose gave his whole expres
sion an air of alertness and decision.
His chin, too, had the prominence
and squareness which mark the man
of determination.
His hands were Invariably blotted
with ink and stained with chemicals,
yet he was possessed of extraordinary
delicacy of touch, as I frequently had
occasion to observe when I watched
him manipulating his fragll philoso
phical Instruments.
The reader may set me down as a
hopeless busybody, when I confess
how much this man stimulated my cu
riosity, and how often I endeavored tr
break through the reticence which he
showed In all that concerned himself.
Before pronouncing Judgment, how
ever, be it remembered how objectless
was my life and how little there was
to engage my attention.
My health forbid me from venturing
out unless the weather was exception
ally genial, and I had no friends who
would call upon me and break the mo
notony of my daily existence.
Under these circumstances, I eagerly
I hailed the little mystery which hung
! around my companion, and spent much
or my time in endeavoring to unravel
it-
He was not studying medicine. He
had himself. In reply to a question,
confirmed Stamford' opinion upon
mat point.
Neither did he appear to have pur
sued any course or reading which
might tit him for a degree In science
or anv other nvncmlfa.1 nsirtat vKlrti
would give htm an entrance Into the
learned worm.
Yet his teal for certain studies was
remarkable, and within eccentric lim
Its his knowledge was so extraordinar
ily ample and minute that his obser
vations have fairly astounded me.
Surely no man would work so hx
to attain such precise Information un
less he had some definite end In view.
Desultory readers ar seldom remark
able for the exactness of their learn
ing.
No man burdens his mind with small
matters unless he has some very good
reason ror aoing so.
His Ignorance was as remarkar.'
as his knowledge. Of contemporary
literature, philosophy and politics he
appeared to know next to nothtnr.
Vpon my quoting Thomas Carlyle.
he Inquired In the nalvest way who he
might be and what he had done. My
surprise reacnea climax, however.
when I found incidentally that he was
ignorant of the Copernlcan theory, and
or we composition of the solar sys
tem. That any civilized human beina- in
this nineteenth century should not be
aware that the earth traveled round
the sun appeared to me such an ex
traordinary fact that I could hardly
reaiire it
"You appear to be astonished." he
said, smiling at my expression of stir
prise. "Now that I do know it, I shail
ao my nest to rorget It"
"To forget it!"
"You see." he explained, "I consider
that a man's brain originally Is like a
little empty attic and you have to
stock It with such furniture as von
choose. A fool takes in all the lumber
of every sort that he comes across, so
that the knowledge which might be
useful to him gets crowded out, or at
best is Jumbled up with a lot of
other things, so that he has a dim-
culty In laying his hands upon it Now,
the skillful workman is very careful
indeed as to what he takes Into hi
brain attic. He will have nothing but
the tools which may help him In do
ing his work, but of these he has a
large assortment and all In the most
perfect order. It Is a mistake to think
that that little room ha elastic walls
and can distend to any extent De
pend upon It. there comes a time when
for every addition to knowledge you
forget something that you knew be
fore. It is of the highest Importance,
therefore, not to have useless facts el
bowing out the useful ones."
"But the solar system!" I protested.
"what the deuce is It to me?" he In
ternipted, Impatiently; "yon say that
we go round the sun. If we went
round the moon It would not make a
pennyworth of difference to me or to
my work."
I was on the point of asking him
what that work might be, but some
thing in his manner showed me that
the question would be an unwelcome
one. i
I pondered over our Bhort conversa
tion, however, and endeavored to draw
my deductions from It He said thai
he would acquire no knowledge which
did not bear upon his object. There
fore, all the knowledge which he pos
sessed wag such as would be useful
to him.
I enumerated In my own mind all
the various points upon which he had
shown me that he was exceptionally
well Informed. I even took peucll
and Jotted them down.
I could not help smiling at the docu
ment when I had completed It It ran
in this wav:
SHERLOCK HOLMES His Limits.
1. Knowledge of literature Nil. '
2. Knowledge of philosophy Nil. -
3. Knowledge of Astronomy Nil.
4. Knowledge of Politics Feeble.
5. Knowledge of botany Variable.
Well up In bella donna, opium a'id
poisons generally. Knows nothing of
practical gardening.
6. Knowledge of geology Practical,
but limited. Tells at a glance different
soils from each other. After walks
has shown me splashes upon his trous
ers, and told me by their color a.id
consistence In what part of London he
had received them.
7. Knowledge of chemistry Pro
found. 8. Knowledge of anatomy Accu
rate, but unsystematic. .
9. Knowledge of sensational litera
tureImmense. He appears to know
every detail of horror perpetrated in
the century.
10. Plays the violin well.
11. Is an expert single stick Dlayer.
boxer and swordsman.
12. Has a good practical knowledge
of British law.
When I had got so far In my list I
threw it Into the fire In despair.
"If I cannot find what the fellow Is
driving at by reconciling all these ac
complishments and discovering a call
ing which needs them all, I said to
myself, "I may as well give up the at
tempt at once." . ,
I see that I have alluded above to
his powers upon the violin. These
were very remarkable, but as eccen
tric as all his other accomplishments.
That he could play nieces, and diffi
cult pieces, I knew well, becattee at my
request he had played me some of
Mendelssohn's "Lleder," and other fa
vorites.
When left to himself, however, he
would seldom produce any music or
attempt any recognized air.
Leaning back in his armchair of an
evening he would close his eyes and
scrape carelessly at the fiddle, which
was thrown across his knee. Same
times the chords were sonorous and
melancholy. Occassionally they were
fantastic and cheerful.
Clearly they reflected the thoughts
which possessed him, but whether the
music aided these thoughts, or whether
the playing was simply the result of a
whim or fancy, was more than I could
determine.
I might have rebelled against these
exasperating solos had it not been
that he usually terminated them by
playing In quick succession a whole se
ries of my favorite airs as a slight
compensation for the trial upon my
patience. . -
During the first week or so we had
no callers, and I had begun to think j
that my companion was as friendless
a man as myself.
Presently, however, ! found that he
had many acquaintance, and tho: in
the most different classes of society.
There was one little sallow, rat faced.
darWyed fellow who was Introduced
to me as Mr. Lestrade, and who came
throe or four time In a single week.
One morning a young girl called,
fashionably dressed, an.l staved for
half an hour or more. The same after
noon brought a gray headed, seedy
visitor, looking like a Jew peddler, and
who appeared to be much excited, and
wno was closely followed by a slip
shod elderly woman.
On another occasion an old whlte-
nalred gentleman had an Interview
with my companion; and on another a
railway porter in his velveteen mil
form. When any of these nondesrrtnt
individuals put In an appearance Sher
lock Holmes used to beg for the use of
the sitting room, and I would retire to
my bedroom. He always apologised to
me for putting me to this Inconven
ience.
"I have to use this room as a place
of business," he said, "and these peo
ple are my clients.
Again I had an opportunity of ask
ing htm a point blank question, and
again my delicacy prevented me from
forcing another man to confide In me.
I Imagined at the time that he had
some Btrong reason for not alluding to
it, Dut oe soon dispelled the idea by
coming round to the subject of his own
accord.
It was upon the 4th ot March, as I
have good reason to remember, that I
rose somewhat earlier than usual, and
found that Sherlock Holmes had not
yet finished his breakfast.
The landlady had become so accus
tomed to my late habits that my place
had not been laid nor my coffee pre
pared.
With the unreasonable petulance of
mankind I rang the bell and gave a
curt intimation that I was ready.
Then I picked up a magazine from
the table and attempted to while away
ine time with It while my companion
munched silently at his toast.
One of the articles had a pencil mark
at the heading, and I naturally began
to run my eye through It
Its somewhat ambitious title was
"The Book of Life," and It attempted
to show how much an observnnt man
might learn by an accurate systematic
examination ot all that came In his
way.
It struck me as being a remarkable
mixture ot shrewdness and of absurd
ity. The reasoning was close and In
tense, hut the deductions appeared to
me to be far-fetched and euiggerated
The writer claimed by a momentary
expression, a twitch of muscle, or a
glance of the eye, to fathom a man's
inmost thoughts.
Deceit, according to him, was an im
possibility In the case of one trained
to observation and analysis. His con
clusions were as Infallible as so many
propositions ot Euclid.
So startling would his results ap
pear to the uninitiated that, until they
learned the process by which be had
arrived at them, they might consider
him as a necromancer.
(To bs Continued.)
Th Msrryin, Age,
The marrying age, according to eta-
tistics, is steadily - advancing. This
accounts, perhaps, for another fact,
that women are beginning to look
younger sod more girlish la the shady
twenties and the early thirties than
they used to do. ; Twenty-five yeais
ago a woman of 32 who was unmarried
would have been regarded as a hopeless
(.Id maid. Sow she is quite a girl at
that age and her marriage is still
Thought of. If we continue to grow
old in this leisurely fashion the very
name "old maid " will disappear from
our vocabulary, if indeed it has not
done so alieady.
Spoking of Royalty.
Damocles had been invited to dine
with the King of Syracuse. On taking
his seat he instantly saw the sword
hanging by a hair above bis head.
1 suppose, be said to the king.
"you call that the hair apparent."
Dionysius, pretending to see no
humor in the remark, replied:
I don t know about that, my
boy;
will
but if it falls upon your head it
make some crown' prints."
This shows that the ancients weie
not averts to joking, even under trying
circumstances. Sew York Times.
True Philosophy,
Few men are' better known in the
down town district of New York than
James Reilly, the man who Is almost
an exact counterpart of the late General
Grant. Mr. Reilly was long connected
with-a leading navigation company and
is very wealthy, He-is now arranging
to bny three hearses, which will be for
the free use of the funerals of poor per
sons, "for," says he, "nothing so en
rages ma as to hear of an undertaker
grabbing the last penny of a poor
woman for the burial of her husband or
child." : -
First Worn to Wis Scholarship.
Miss Helen E. Wallace, a brilliant
student at the Melbourne, Australia,
university, has been awarded the
Shakespeare scholarship of ISO pounds.
This is the most important scholar
ship in the gift of the university, and
it has never before been won by
woman. '
The Viniihing Weight
"This trunk is overweight."
','Now look here, let me give you a
tip"
'Oh, very well, then. In that case
it isn't." Indianapolis News.
i.
She Wat Prepared.
He I ' don't see whv a woman
shouldn't lay something by for a rainy
day as well as a man.
She Why1, thev do. I have a love.
ly rainy day skirt.
In Memory of Dr. Johnson.
Dr. Johnson's long association with
the Strand, London, is to be com
memorated by placing a beautiful
stained elasB window in St. Clement'
Dane chapel. '
Beth' Surprise
Beth was delighted with her aurit's
new changeable spring gown. "Oh,
mama!" she exclaimed, excitedly.
'the colors of Aunt Mary's new silk
dress are all extemporaneous!" Judge.
i ii .
'A Wit GlrL
Alice How long should a girl know
a man before becoming engaged to him?
Grace Oh, long enough for Lim to
propose.
HOW TO FORETELL THE THUNDERSTORM
UK weather man does not keep
Xu,
his w isdom a secret, nor all the
tricks of his map. They are
yours and all the world for the rend
tug. The "weather uiau" has pointed
out the atmospheric conditions, the fea
ture of the sky and the clouds, and the
time of day which must be tukeu Into
consideration w hen attempting to fore
cast the approach of a storm, aud
which. If rightfully Interpreted, are
certain signs. The leading conditions
to be considered are the aspect of the
western hortion, the presence or ab
sence of the cirrus aud cirrus stratus
clouds, the temperature, with' sultri
ness and humidity, and the distance
front the turning point In the day's tern
peralure. if these different conditions
are correctly understood there should
be no dlltlculty, he says, lu foretelling
a thunderstorm.
There Is one feature of au uncertalu-
ty, however, about the actual appear
ance of a storm eorrectly predicted, and
this Is due to the fact that all thunder
storms are distinctly local features,
having to do with extremely limited
areas, aud all of short duration. This
renders It possible for one to see a
storm coming ami really on Its way,
but to be disappointed of Its arrival lu
one's ovvu locality. Its energy has been
spent before It has hud time to come
sufficiently far. Thunderstorms mrely
cover more than thirty to forty miles
In a stretch, generally no more than
eight miles, while some are much
shorter. A hailstorm, which always
signifies the expenditure of tremendous
force, seldom rovers more than oue-
eightb of a tulle. Less severe storms
are sometimes no longer. Iu looking
for a storm the westeru sky Is the ouly
sky point of value. This Is because
storms always have been kuowu to
travel from west to east. If you see a
storm due north or due south, It Is more
than probable that It will not reach
your locality, hut If It Is due west or
west of north, or perhaps west of south,
you may look for Its arrival unless it
should happen, to expend Its energies ou
the way before reaching you.
Look Out for Mares' Tall."
The clouds which foretell a storm
are the cirrus clouds, "ameiV talis" th
country folk call them hair-like shreds
threaded across the heavens, later gath
ering Into the cirrus stratus, white aud
gray cloud sheets, which are the true
rain clouds. The atmosphere Is always
heated with a sultry humidity. It Is
warm aud moist, thick, heavy, muggy.
It sometimes almost feels wet. People
ofen then speak of "feeling" the rain
in tue air. There Is rarely any wind
preceding a storm for any length of
time; the air Is exceptionally still. As
the tempest approaches nearer, how
ever, a soft, thick, "wet" sort of
whirr," characteristic as a harbinger
of the rainstorm at Its heels, is felt
stirring abroad This Is most familiar
to all those who have uiude- a study of
weather conditions and as easy of rec
ognition as the awful oracles of the
weather prophet monstrosities on feet
The time of day when' a rain Is most
likely to fall Is about 3 o'clock In the
afternoon, or ugaln between 2 and 1
o'clock In the morning. These are the
two turning points lu the day s ten
perature. At 3 o'clock the maximum
heat usually has been reached for af
ternoon, while at night the coolness has
thoroughly set In. In case of a succes
sion of thunderstorms they usually oc
TWAIN WANTED TO BE A PILOT.
Sad Kadlng to Cherished Ambition ot
the Noted Humorist.
An Interesting yarn recently spun by
an old St Louis rlveruiau seems to be
a solution to the long-mooted question
as to why itark Twain never followed
out bis cherished ambition of becoming
a Mississippi river pilot.
Accorulng to the old man Murk Twain
never became a full-fledged pilot and
never stood a night watch alone. In
other words, while he had a pilot's li
cense, his mastery of the great river
craft ou which he rode was always lim
ited by the understanding that an older
and more experienced bead was within
easy call. This was no discredit to the
young pilot On the occasion In ques
tion, It matters npt what the year or
boat the steamer to which young Clem
ens was attached as cub pilot was
bound np stream with a heavy cargo of
cotton. At the officers' table the first
day out from Naehczr Miss., the talk
turned upon what to do In sudden emer
gencies, and especially In case of fire
on a steamer loaded with cotton. The
matter was discussed In all Its bear
ings, each of those present giving bis
Ideas upon the subject. Mark Twain,
like most of the others, held to the no
tion that It was the pilot's duty In such
an emergency to emulate the now fa
mous Jim liludso and "bold her nozzle
to the bank till the last galoot's
ashore." Immediately after dinner
Clemens went to the pilot bouse to
stand bis watch.
Among those at the table was tue as
sistant engineer, a young man whose
experience of life had taught hltn to
doubt the ability of human nature to
carry out the projects of Its more boast
ful moments, lie went below at the
same time that Mark Twain went aloft,
but the two continued to think of the
conversation Just closed. The more the
engineer thought about It the less credit
he was disposed to give to the cub pil
ot's scheme, however nice It might ap
pear In poetry or the newspapers.
As everyone knows the pilot house
and engine room of a steamboat' are
connected, not only with bells for sig
naling, but wltb a speaking tube,
through which the Important function
aries who operate above and below can
discuss the weather and politics In their
spare moment. The mouth of the tube
at the upper end Is but little larger
than the human mouth, but In the en
gine room It has shape of a funnel as
big as a half-bushel measure. While
we assistant engineer was pondering
the emergency question he was also
wiping off a portion of tho machinery
with a bunch of cotton waste, and as
he reached the mouth of the speaking
tube It was the work of but a moment
to touch a match to the Inflammable
material In his baud and thrust It far
Into the tube.
cur about twenty four hours apart,
that being appureulty the time uecea
sary for theiu to accumulate sufficient
molMuro t break. So, If n storm series
begins In the afternoon, the remainder
ot the series will likely take place In
the afternoon, white If It logins al
night the storms are Itkcly to continue
to tie at night.
It la considerably easier to foretell
accurately the arrival of a thunder
storm than to explalu It after It has
come. Wiser than any man now known
would Iks ho who could follow under
standingly the magical metamorphosis
of the charming summer landscape,
w ith Its lake like glass and air as mo
tionless as nmrlile, from the time the
first misty sultriness arlsr as the
threatening hrecsc begin to stir; as the
sky darkens frownlngly the winds
break boisterously from their fetter,
the cloud streams pour out In cataracts,
and the tires of heaven Illuminate the
tempestuous night with their terrible
play. And finally, as the elements
again calm themselves, the sun breaks I
out aud revivified nature become
doubly lovely.
Vint tlBn of tMorm.
The first clew to the mystery of a
storm comes from water. If a glass of
water Is stood ou a window sill ou a
hot day It gradually evaporate. The
hot, dry air sucks It tip. Similarly tbo
not, dry air above a large body of wa
ter sucks up Its water, transforming It
Into a fine vapor, which Imparts a mis
tiness to the atmosphere. The distant
atmosphere now gradually screens It
self lu a veil of vapor, which becomes
thicker and thicker. This lead to the
next phenomenon lu a thunder storm
every one knows that when steam
comes In contact with cold objects It
condenses, finally forming tiny drop
and resuming Its original form of wa
ter. In the some way on a warm sum
mer afternoon the upper layers of the
atmosphere are cooler than those Im
mediately above the earth. Hence the
higher vapor rising a they come In
contact with the cool air condense,
thickening Into the form of clouds,
which are nothing else than condensed
steam. The particles of water forming
the clouds are ao minute and light that
they float In the air. The movement of
the vaHr as It rise and the action ot
the cooler upper strata of air upou it
generates currents of air, the wind.
This at first Is just strong enough to
ripple the surface of the water aud stir
the foliage of the trees. In the mean
time, another element Is at work. Ev
ery one presupposes an accumulation
of electricity at a thunder storm. Elec
tricity Is present In the atmosphere all
the time, but as has been observed. It
Is always niore powerful when any
strong perpendicular currents of air are
In action, such as cyclones, tornadoes,
volcanic eruptions, waterspout, thun
der storms. Electrical manifestations
are always accompanied by the down
pour of water. This means that the
condensation of vapor Is cloicly con
nected with electricity. Why la It not
an Instance of electricity generated by
friction? hud two pieces of paper vig
orously against each other and elec
tricity Is generated. Open the safety
valve of a steam engine giving out vs-
por and electricity Is produced by the
rnction or ttie steam and valve. In a
thunder storm electricity mty thus he
generated by the friction of Individual
particles of water which have been
driven about by the wind.
The two kinds of electricity, positive
No one saw the act, but everybody on
board heard from It lu about a minute.
Mark Twain, alone In the pilot bouse
and still pondering tho dire things he
had heard of burning steamboats, es
pecially when they happened to be
louded with cotton, was hnrrlfled to see
smoke pouring from his end of the
speaking tube.
There was but one thought lu hi
mind. The bout was on Arc. Dropping
the wheel, which spun around and
around as It left his hand, he grasped
the rape by which the big bell w
sounded and begun pulling like a sex
ton, at the game time raising his voice
In a ery of "Fire! Fire! The boat's
afire!" Here the officers of the boat
and the passengers are said to have
found him, after hurriedly ascertaining
that the alarm was false, still valor
ously determined to "save tho ship."
The boat, relieved of the rudder's guid
ance, had In the meanwhile swung
around In the current and dashed full
speed on a sand bar, from which It re
quired half a day to drag her. And
Mark Twain, having lost bis nerve, left
the river.
WOMAN'8 Bid GOAT RANCH,
Her Flocks of Angoras Bring
in
2S,00O a Year.
Mrs. Armour, In Sierra County, N. M.,
owns a herd of more than 20,0(10 An
gora goats, from which she Is making
125,000 profit a year. Her "Columbia
Pascha" Is the most valuable Angora
iu America, and worth 11,500.
In 1800 she was left a widow pennl
less and wltb nine small children de
pendent on her for support. The ranch
men and miners took compassion on
the destitute family and contributed
a small sura for their Immediate relief.
Then she pluckily cast about for some
MARK TWAIN. .
snd negative, always try to unite. Th.i
ascending portions of the air aud tbo
clouds generally are charged with neg
ative electricity, while the surface of
iho earth over which they swim are
charged with positive electricity. Mack
seek to unite with the other. The ma
jority of the particles are not strong
enough lu electricity to span the space
ot air lying between, and ran do, o
only under high tension. As the trie-
I Hon Increases, electricity accumulate
ou the brim of the cloud and the pro
jection of t Hot earth's surface, tree,
houses and mountain. The current
of air become sturdier. They lietid the
hough of the trees, scourge the waves,
lush the ship. The hist feeble uu ray
breaks through the luussy clouds, cast
lug au unusual, threatening, and tin-
canny light over the scene. Tho cloud
gather more and more thickly, trans
forming themselves from tho light
cumulus cloud to rain cloud. The
struggle of the negative and positive
poles of electricity Ihm-oiuo mow sav
age. If a metal bull Is charged with
electricity only the urface become
tnagnellc. The Interior Is uot electri
fied, similarly the microscopic drop of
water forming the clouds are electrical
only on their surface. Through the ever
greater condensation they coin nearer
and nearer, and finally many together
form one large raindrop, Thl larger
roludrop contain till the electricity of
the many smaller drM, but as lu sur
face Is more limited than their com
blued surfaces It electricity Is of great
er power.
Htorm In All It Vorr.
The raindrop, too large and heavy to
hover lu the air, full to earth. A the
cloud merge, raindrop form more and
more rapidly and iho ruin fall more
violently and copiously. The storm '
now fully developed, and unburden
Itself wlili fury. Brilliant Hashes of
light produced by powerful electric
park Illuminate the ilarknes. and the
thunder growl In the sky. The tension
between the surface of the earth and
that of the clouds has become stronger.
The traits of air which at first were too
vast to lie traversed by electricity are
now the pathway of lightning, not
only between earth and clouds, but also
between cloud and cloud, negative and
positive pole meeting whenever strong
enough to cross the necessary space
The lightning comes In three forms,
Zlgxsg lightning with Its crooked,
branch-like forki, Is produced when
electricity amassed lu small proportion
al point opposite each other wishes to
meet. The electricity seeks to spring
across by tho shortest route In a
straight line, but Is hindered by Iho re
sisting masses or Itlr mid cloud. Hence
It goes a best It can, leaping to those
spot charged with electricity, whereby
It assumes Its characteristic an pert,
t.lahtnln flashes 17, (MM) Yard,
Flashes a thousand yards long are
not rare, while Ihoso 10,(X) and H.ouo
yard lu length have U-en seen. The
vast force of these long flashes may lie
guessed at when It is known that s
streak a yard and a half long Is the
largest that our stoutest apparatus per
mit our eyes to Inspect. Itcsldc tho
familiar destruction of tho bolt In
houses, trees, beast and man, It ha
been known to charge Iron fences with
magnetism. A single flush, ss a sci
entific man has calculated, If utilised
with customary Illuminating appara
tus, would yield enough power to light
a city for a month.
means of earning a living, so that sh
might not bo a burden n the generos
ity of her friends, By chance there
drifted Into camp a ranchman with a
herd of ninety Angora goats for sale.
Nobody cared to buy them, for It wa
thought there was more money In cat
tle raising. with geuulne Intuition
Mr. Armour looked a. .neir silken
coats and know that tbey would bo
valuable.
Hut sho hadn't any money and didn't
want to borrow. Ho she made a propo
sltlon to take a small flock of the goats,
tend them and care for them nnd breed
them, and at the end of the year dlvldil
the profits with the owner. The propo
sition was nccepted. Hhe took her gouts
and her children and went up on the
mountain sld. 6,000 feet above the sea
level, where tho scrub oaks grow In
profusion. Tim she secured the nee
essary fodder, and as for shelter the
goats needed none. She .located a
claim, built herself a ranch, and set
tled down to work. At the end f .
yenr her success was such that she had
money enough to buy a flock of her
own and start out Independently.
oinco nine tune each rear has niblmi
to her prosperity. Hhe now employs
twenty goatherds to care for her flocks.
The greatest precaution Is required to
protect the gouts from the Inroads of
the mountain Hons, or cougars, which
are so numerous that the ranchmen
have to orgnnlzo hunts to get rid of
them.
Through her Industry and persever
ance aud pluck, Mrs. Armour hns 0
herself wealthy. She hits sent her old
est son to college, where he Is now
studying law, and her four other chil
dren attend school In Kingston.
S"Cr? !rn Worl""- Keep aiK,.
W. Abraham, M. P. ("Million",. In
a speech on his American experiences
ays that on rubbish neaps of the Uni
ted States there are thousands of tons
of machinery thnt In England and
Wules would have been used for ten or
oven twenty years longer.
In Chicago, In one large steel works
the men, after being paid on Sundays'
-topped Into their gigs, which were
there by the score, and drove homo
uiey imagine Kiiondda colliers
driving home In their working clothes
Farmers in Alabama.
The total number of farms In Ala
Imma Is given at 223,220, of which 129 .
187 are operated by white fanners anil
04,088 by colored farmers.
An old bachelor, when he feels blue
and discouraged, always regrets that
he bus no wife to whine to.
A man Is usually doing tho very best
be can, or else the very worst ho can.
J
A i i I
Heredity: "!o you believe In hered
ity?" "Certainly; I know a barber who
hu three little shavers."- F.x,
Ytmugumil -1 wonder what's tho bel
way to tl tul nut what a womau think
of you? llriipock-Marry her.-Phlla-delphla
Press.
I III sou Hjcliks Is a great believer
lu fate. Isn't lie Ijiwsoii - Ye, he ha
to blame hi Incompetency uU cnn-Ihlug.-
Homervllle Journal.
An tiisliiuatlon. flora-Yes, I slug In
a church where they have hu awfully
smull congregation. iKira-Theu why
don't you stop singing?- Philadelphia
Ilullriln.
Mr. Nwellinnu- I dreamed lust night
that I was nllh a box party at Hi
opera. Mr, Hwelluian-1 wondered why
you were talking so loud lu your sleep.
- Philadelphia Press.
Mis Kasl side-That I a lovely
gowu, hut haven't I seen It In-fore?
Miss Westslde-No, I think not; I hum
only worn It at a few smart sffulr thl
ca vm - Town and Country,
"It ny here, Hamnuthy. thet lUver
end Toogood wa a saloon pcugit
on the Majestic. Iteat all how them
preacher do cut up when they gll
sway from hum "-Judge.
Arthur-Ye. I think Minnie love
mo very much. Hhe' a dear girl; sho
has a largo heart. Hurry -A heart like
a Ivondou oiunllius; always room fur
sue more.-Huston Transcript
Clergyman (lately mine In parish)
Your uelghlmr, Smith, say my ser
mon are rubbish, I'armer-Ah, y
ncedu't mind 'lin. sir; Vs a mouth
piece for other folk.-Til Hits.
PlolePm sfrsld. Hrldget, that
mamma r dissatisfied with you.
Hrldget - 1 she, now? Palth, thin,
she'll soon hsvo a rhnuce to be dissat
isfied w it' somebody else!- Puck.
Inducements Held Out. Harriet -What
shall t say In the advcrllsomcut
for a cook? Marry-Well, say that we'll
lake her with us to any summer resort
si i may prefer.- Detroit Kree Pre.
Nothing to Hhow. "What I your na
tivity?" ssked tho magistrate. "I ain't
got any, y'r honor," said tho blear eyed
Inebriate, feeling lu ht pockets; "tho
police took everything 1 had."-Chicago
Tribune.
Who -You wouldn't mind saying thl
over again to -morrow, would you,
dearie? I nm a member of the M. P.
1. C. Club, "Why, what docs Unit
mean?" "Moonlight proposals dou't
count." Life.
Convincing Proof; May-1 had na
Idea before lt night that Mr. Pllchet
ws a man of such lofty ambition and
nailed Ideal. Maud -Mow did you
come to find It out? May- He proposed
lo mp.-Huinr.
Mother-There were two apple In
tho cupboard, Tommy, mid now there
I ouly one, Mow's thai? Tommy twin
sees no way of eeiipe-Well. Ilia, It
ws so dark In there 1 didn't sea th
other olio.-tilasgow Kveulug Time.
Sure Test; "Mow can you tell reul cut
gluss from the Imitation T" asked Mrs.
(iaswelt "You can't, alwny." sail
Mr. tiaswell, "but when anylwdy offer
you a piece of real cut glas for fifteen
cents, don't buy If-Chleago Tribune.
"Will you please raise my salary?"
"Why, 1 gave you a raise ouly lust
week, because you told mo that you
had your mother to support." "I know,
but my mother got married and now I
have two to support," Ohio Htate Jour
uil. Farmer (In cart)-MI. slop! Htop,
you fool! Don't you eo my horse l
running away? Driver of motor cur
(hired by the hoiir)-Ye. If all very
well for you to say "stop," but I've for
gotten how the blooming thing works
Punch.
Bobble You know them preserves
out In th' pantry wirt you told mo not
to est? Mother-Yes. Hobble - You
know you sld they'd make me sick It
I et 'em, didn't yon? Mother-Yes.
Bobble-Wsll, they dldn't-Ohlo Hluto
Journal.
"Belinda, your brother (leorgle tell
me that you wero sitting on that little
Mr. Tbomkln' knees Inst evening. Is
It true?" "Yes, papa; but I'm sure you
will forgive me. It was Just ouo of
those little moral lapses, you know."
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Haddxck-1 met poor old Kuyiis
creeping townrds his olfico to day, and
hs complained bitterly of being nil rail
down tbls spring. Juddock (defensive
ly) Well, confound hi in, he hnd no
business getting In front of an nuto-mobile.-II
arprr's llur.ar.
The Floor Walker: First Clerk-Pour
Jim! It will bo a long time before ho
gets another place. Second Clerk
Don't you believe It Why, ho got a
place as floor walker. First Clerk
You don't say so? Second Clerk-Yes;
he's got a now baby. Judge.
Mr. Williams (Funny's admlreri Is
your slstab going to the seaside this
tummar, Tommy? Tommy That all
depends on you. I heard nm suy If
you and Funny wero enguged licforo
the season opened, there wouldn't bo
any sense In her golng.-Strny Blorlos.
The Kind That (let Away: "That lit
tle minnow," said the (Irst fish, "seems
to have got a big opinion of himself ull
of a sudden." "Yes," replied tho other,
"he munuged lo wriggle off a hook
this morning, and then heard the IInIi
ortnnn bragging about his size," Phil
adelphia Press,
I.mia-Kelt Want.
Green Congratulate mo, old
My fortune Is uiude.
man!
Brown-Come ou with the explana
tion, Oreen I have discovered a new kind
of cloth for cheap clothing thnt will
fade nllke nil over.
Somebody ought to protest In vlmir.
ous fashion against tho foollsli hahlt
of pounding tin pntm around a niuu's
nouso When hr- gets married.
The water Invariably escupes when.
It Is ouly half tide.