"Ire Yod Married Yet?"
BRITISH HOWITZERS AND BOliR CREUSOTES.
Something About the Uun that Will Play the Final Act in the booth
African Tragedy.
!
ltr Are you married jet?"
lisn Carlyon turns abruptly aa a
aleate pearl colored flove la laid
' uln and lookf down Into the
uOful lauirblDf tmJt upturned to
.fZ V meet n Marrlcotf.
- hot vlvhl crluuon an 1
Ldmwi ber band. Inntloctively be
Zlhli bat. but w ith a muttered
ES or pardonl" tbe girl rtlte on.
JTjer butterfly robea are ao. -i lost
brilliant throng.
m i ...t i.iit7 iti a i " r-
imiiiDg r : " . ...
wl . iinr with Lady I oiuluo
o" w
udlr l"'"' . " ... ,...1 1 l.
.l ... ilil Mill 'I".
... mw vou back ngutu-Just lu
l" . i. ..II I lu.iu. vim IV
time
be deUfftattd. I only returned
.... ..i.i.i nml nin tcolllir UU to
' . ...... week with tbe llual-
iIJUH..
W- ... ... . .... .trie"
am rnii: d "
-u-h.i u sad tbliig about tbe Dottert.
.1 mm ails ines to a distant
aajaeea ir -w
... I...... ..11,1 Vnl-lr.
"Yea. aiaanswn
hflrl-u most iniKT person, i u.ur.
. . ..... i--... 1 1 1 .. ii
i c ri . . ...
-.tared In a country bouse lu her lire;
pMf diversion "US inrtru luitiu
o hull- ItlllcS Willi au oiu muni
,n Hut ibere-uiouey covers a
....... .n-i"
BUimuur
Laj; I.oruliie"a spacloua rooms are
M irltb danctrsi tbe aouud of a
j-amy waltz rail ou mo cur. uue
Utperiuun- - - -
Wlrt tu dreamy languor. Ivan Cari
ng put down bla name for dancea
.lib bla hostess' daugbters. wbcu bis
siaiifortb couiea up.
-Got any dames tori, utnyuui uouie
I Mfl In flu. 4i.llll.Mt III-
Joif In the two hemispheres!" Aud
Carlyon fluils himself standing before
i brilliant little figure that reminds
im more of a bird of parudlse tbuu
Mr. lvnu Carlyon-Mlaa Marrlcott"
"Mar I have a dance
Tbe blonde head Is raised, two blue
fjr uii-i .
.1 . A . I ... ir f H IIM-I.
-Jove: Then you've "met before?
Iran, old fellow, you're In luck!" Aud
as Biaumi in uiai'B iiiuibvii vu.
For a tooment the other two are al-
. . i ...i . . ,i .. ... 1. 1 .. . . . i
l.r IIHMl l.llll HIM n kUO n lllir .ill'l
rolJcarJ from the girl'a slim band and
MS) ber miners tremiiiing.
"1 may have a walt if"
If you care to yea."
Tbanks."
"Of course, you remember I can give
on expi.inaiiuu.
Dou't think of It," Ivan breaks In.
il l i. iv lilt till MI L' U II 1 I II UU
m"
"More than that," she says, hurried-
l "I i . i. t-.iii r. ' Liitii....ti..
aw.Iiih tu v u ui'iIh were a nuolnlluu
ban tees she Is really distressed; he
Ifaja Mull li..r.i.nr.l ui. villi. ultlt urn M
courtesy:
"Your remark was nieaut for nuotber
MMM, Miss Mttrrleott, aud I well,
Cora Dashes blui a grateful glanre
I. b' .1 lll.l. I.. ... .... ....... .. 1... ..M. 1.11.
sieging her for dances, but when It
and low for his partner, corridor, con
eemtory, supper-room, all In vain.
Mm lurricott Is nowhere to be fouud.
II.
"If I'd known be wna to be here I'd
after have come! I hate even being
In tbe same house!"
"But, Cora, dear, what has be done?
I'to Is surli u favorite geuernlly."
"It's not anything be boa done, It's
hat 1 did. Before you enn under
MnJ, Mllll, you must bear tbe whole
lory. Last slimmer, before I came
Into my money, old (Jrundy and I were
nytll ut a hvdro "
First tell me, who In tbe world Is
la Grundy?"
"My old governess; she always plays
Propriety, you kuow. Well, the doctor
there was a bachelor and very ainus
W There w as one girl who came to
'UU' ttlt'lv ,. vi. lit n.hn ...ml, I ,,'t .....
aerstaiid how It wus bu didn't become
ilave to her charms. He told me a
ory. conceited if lilm Mllll hut vppv
amusiiiL' Mi...,. i... ...I.....I 1 1. ...... i.m
U1T v i . . . . . .
-. v fc.vvuu uim Willi i say, mim
-ou married yet?'
'Sot yet.' he responded. 'I'm walt
nK for you!'
r"HnphP with a toss of her bead,
"on'll btva to wait a long time!'
"I'll. I honn nV In. ri.tiiriii.,1 lilnnd-
and I must say brutally, and 'Beati-
y. we railed ber. Bulked and re-
rt-Mj ...
10 spean to blm ror several
"But what hns this to do with Mr.
r'ynn.' savs Mllll. much illffnltied.
""Is. dear. A foi'tnlirht aim at the
Ihow I saw n nint. I unu i.,.altlvl
1R DT. ClaPk! ha vn ntnuA liv nil!
PUttlns my hand on his sleeve, I re
"rketl In Imitation of 'Beauty's' co
PMUab lone. '1 sav. are von married
IttaUnt niv horror when he
rniwi ...it..
. . , k nun a miauk.i
r. Cnrl...
What did you doT
m Turned and flinl! I saw tho
Wl IgalD at Tour ball. He was in-
ub'". I Ifli ta-.itit niw Is 1,1 ft.,.,., fiti-w
II L i 1 . 1 ' I I l : i I 1 I 1 Ml I I J
-" a nil n.ir t ,.,,,. u ion it iiuiii.i
H ii iii i ' 1 1 ii vmiuw
'! bUtt? In Incn rAii. mtmM
mi i t . i i 1 - nityi
- i"Tiiaps he won't stay long.
" ataoaa t .han't!" Ami Cnra re-
iuio snence.
annual ball at Glengolf Castle
fan
'n r,,n
Ul
'ru"S the flue oij nianslon. Cora lias
th. an me oest-looklug men
, '""m-save one!
And be? Wall . IMI l..
th. w.t r'.
sin orow aa she stands ny
a... -i .
' J UlURfl Piirln n Un ham All V
"II li II tl.m. fnr nna .In.. .... .ml
tQrn has enmo- .i,.ii .,. ,,.... !,',
snail ahe run .. ill. I
'ore Hbe must decide quickly.
rH upon ber ear.
"And bis answer was. 'No; I am wait
ing for you.' "
"Ho that was tbe storv!" It u Iran
who speaks.
"And now," goes on Mllll. ber clear
voice reacblug Cora w here she stauds,
"now she simply bates you. and 1 be
lieve If sbe kuew 1 had explained the
riddle (o you she would m w i speak 10
me again. Come, the music Is beglu
ulng." Cora has been rooted to the spot.
Now a movement of the curtulu wakes
ber to life, aud with
and trembling limbs she turus to tly.
How could Mllll betray her! Itnuce'
with In in now? Nccr! Hit It out?
Impossible! There Is uothlug for It but '
lustaut Ignominious flight. Down the1
corridor sbe goes and seeks refuge In '
the cloukrooui; here she Is safe, though j
every step passlug tbe door uiukos her j
shiver.
She avoldi tbe usual gossip In MIDI'S '
room that ulght, uud goes straight to
bed. Next morning, when Mllll'a maid
takes up ber breakfust, u little uote
lies on tbe tray:
"Iienr MIDI: Don't be angry; I am so
anxious about (irutidy, aud have goue
to Join ber. We shall wander about
for a few weeks, and revisit our favor
ite hydro haunts. I will write soon.
Be sure aud forgive. Vour ever loving
"COUA."
C-L'NS OK THE BIUTISH 81 HUE TRAIN SENT TO SOUTH A I ill C A.
0!
in.
The sea Is dotted with small boats,
and the spa at Scarliorotigli Is ulive
with spectators. Tbe gurdeus are
alight with tircworks, whirring wheels
aud many-colored showers of spurks
till the air.
There Is a terrified scream. A large
rocket has fulleu short. It drops into
one of the little bouts and explodes
with a crash. Au old lady lu the stem
of the boat starts to her feet. The
little cockleshell quivers, lurches, and
lu a moment her oeciipuuts ure strug
gling lu the chilly water.
Tbe bout man bus grasped the old
lady llrnily by tbe arm und bus her safe
lu tow, but tbe other Cora Is gusplug
In the durk silent water, while the
spnrks of the rocket have caught aud
set lire to her tllmy summer gown.
"Through lire ami water!" she thinks
with a little shiver. "Is this what It
means?" Then a strung arm is thrown
arouud her; she Is for a moment sub
merged to queucb the Humes, then she
rises to tbe surface aud remembers no
more.
When she wakes to consciousness she
Is ou tbe sofu lu tbelr own rooms. A
doctor Is bandaging her arm and hurt
ing her horribly all the time. Her dress
la burned aud torn, aud wrapped
around ber sbouldcre Is a light tweed
cont.
Two days pass by, and Cora Is recov
ering from lier accident The rocket
bud burst close to her arm, Inflicting an
ugly wound, but lu spite of the doctor's
orders for "quiet und bed" she Is lying
by the open wludow of the drawlug
room looking out over tbe sea. It la
many months now since that ball at
(tleugolf Castle, uud, though she and
Mllll have met often since then, the
subject of her flight has uever been
mentioned between them.
A llrm step crosses the room and the
girl raises her eyes.
"You!" Bhc exclaimed concisely,
while the hot color floods her brow.
"Who else should It lie?" says Ivan
Carlyon, calmly seating himself by ber
aide.
"But was It you wbo-saved me?"
she says In nn nwestruck whisper.
"Corn," be says, taking her baud,
"why did you run away?"
Sbe makes DO answer, but her fingers
tremble In his grasp.
"What a tiny little hand! I remem
ber when you llrst laid It on my sleeve,
I thought It the prettiest I had ever
seen. Corn, nsk me that question again,
'I say. are you "
"Iion't!" she breaks In. "How cna
you?"
"Because I want to show you how
well I know the answer." he snys.
" 'No, I'm waiting for you.' Shall I
hnve to wolt long. Corn?"
Sbe rolsed two shy eyes.
"My darling!" And In n moment she
Is In his arms, and be Is kissing again
and ugalu ber sweet, trembling Hps!
Ilia Bluff Waa Seen.
He reviled the town In which be
lived and did business, and now Ed
wurd Webb, a young boot and shoe
dealer of Hopkins, Mo., has become a
wanderer upon the face of the earth for
a yeur. It cume about by Webb ridi
culing Hopkins us a place of business,
suylng be would leave tbe towu aud
stay uwuy for $o. The sum was quick
ly raised, and rather than show the
white feather Webb accepted tbe
money, signed a contract and bid fare
well to bis relatives, bis business mid
the town. He cannot return witlilu n
year without forfeiting a large sum of
money, death or sickness lu his family
belug no excuse for tbe breaking of
tbe contract
Rtudylna; the American Twang.
Our American twang Is n subject
which has recently tieeu occupylug the
attention of the Laryugologlial Socie
ty. After considerable reseurch It baa
been established that the cause of the
twang Is not climatic, nor Is It the re
sult of the uusul catarrh and affection
of tbe larynx, which are so common In
America, though these may ! caused
by the twang. The most probable the
ory Is that the twang Is the result of
carelessness on the part of Americans
lu adopting the nasal sounds of the
Trench settlers and the gutturals of the
Dutch and Germane. At any rate, It Is
possible to cure It
I lie Responsibility.
Mr. Grumps Tbe ladles' Journal
says a woman should make herself as
attractive to her husband after mar
riage as sbe did before.
Mrs. Grunips Huh! My father al
ways gave me plenty of money to make
myself atttractive wuu. iou
! New York Weekly
Tbe bigger tbe man, tbe more charity
I there wiU be for you If you bit blm.
NE of the revelations of the South
African war hns been the extent
and the excellence of the Boer ar
mameiits. TliHt the Trausvaal Govern
ment ere preparing for tbe inevitable
was Wblspertd from time to time after
the Jameson raid. Guns and ammunition
were brought into tbe country by the
obliging Netherlands Hallway Company,
who, notwithstanding tbe fact that the
rases were labeled "Pianos, wltb care,"
and "Mining machinery," null bare
known (hat tbe b"h1 transmitted along
their line for tbe Transvaal Gorerumiut
were less Innocent than external appear
inces Indicated. At any rate, the ordi
nary renidents of the Trauavaal knew It,
nd the know ledge was a mutter of gen
eral comment both In Pretoria and Jo
hannesburg. One thing, however, was
not generally known, that the Truuarunl
Government gave nn order to tbe tirui of
Scnuciiler-Cauet of Creusot, in France,
for two of tbe Isrgest guns ever con
structed for sny Government These
huge pieces of ordnauee were of 12-incb
and UVii inch caliber respectively.
Tbe I.oudoD Duily Mail gives some In
teresting facts In connection with these
big guns lu the possession of the Boers.
The power of a 12-lDCh guu such as that
now in tbe po.nc.ioD of tbe Boers will
be better appreciated w hen It Is explslned
tbat It tires a projectile weighing balf a
ton. which can penetrate s target of solid
steel four iuchea thick. Tbe gun weighs
ixty-alx tons. The IHfc-lncb gun is light
er, and fires a shell weighing three cwt.
These guns, whone shells can wreck solid
stone buildings as completely as If tbeir
objective were so much cardboard, are
believed to be at Pretoria, mounted on
substantial bastions In tbe fort, snd in
tended to resist the British when the
march ou the Trausvaal capital take,
place.
The same p.iper also gives some secount
f the Brititb siege train sent to the
Cape and which, in tbe finnl struggle, will
be pitted against the Boers' smuggled
csnuon. A siege train put simply and
Jevold of professional technicalities,
amounts to sn artillery force specially
equipped for the purpose of reducing a
ttrougly fortiUed place. Hence, it Is a
combination of guns and men that Is only
employed h hen it is considered by com
petent military authority that the final
stages In a war are being approached.
The material of the siege tram which
recently arrived at tbe Cape is coniHicd
chiefly of howitzers. Altogether shout
thirty of the.e pieces of ordnauee are
lieiug eW ployed, supplemented bj s i. ii in
bar of 4.7-iucb and 4-Inch ordinary
lircccli k.ii, ling guns. Owing to tbe ex
tremely solid manner In Which they are
constructed, the guns forming the arma
ment of a siege train are extremely
heavy. Thus, when Umbered up. tbe
tl-iucb howitzer alone weigh" nly four
and a balf tons lu draught. I In n. in ad
dition to tin- nieces themselves, a train
must In- provided with a vast quantity of
artillery stores of all desrriptious, as well
as with amuiiinitiuii I the eit'-ut of eAU
rnuuda per gun. It will, therefore, resd
lly be understood that tbe task of moving
a siege train up country is in uo seuse of
tbe term a light oue.
A curious point in connection wltb a
howitzer weapou is that it is tired at a
remnrkalily high elevation. This, lu
grest measure, is uwiug to the fact tbat
its comparatively low muzzle velocity
makes its shell follow a curved path as it
travels through the air, Tbe circum
stance, however, Is rather an advantage
tbau otherwise, for It Insures s particu
larly ateep angle of descent thus uiste
riully contributing to Increased effective
uess at the moment of impact Another
and even greater benefit arising from this
well marked trajectory of a howitzer pro
jectile cousiats iu the fact tbat it en
ables tbe gun to he worked altogether
uuder cover of ground. Indeed, tbanks
to a most ingeuioua range-finding Instru
ment that is used with these pieces, it is
practically unnecessary that tbe object
aimed at should be iu view when a rouud
is being fired.
In connection with the employment of
a siege train, it is rather curious to note
that, despite the vast amount of warfare
in which Britain has ben engaged of re
cent years, this Is the first occasion on
which such an "srticle of wsr" baa been
used siuce the days of the Criuicau campaign.
GIRLS USE COLLEGE SLANG
akunsiif Tbeir Ksvrvtaiune Would To
tally i i ... i Tbelr I i.t. i.
Miss Mary Charlotte Crothers. iwoi.
Crothers. Pa . read a paper on "College
Slang" recently, says tbe Baltimore
Suu, In which sbe ssild "Any oue w ho
lias been to Annapolis has beard the
remark that a certain cadet 'bilged he
.'ituse be ganged'; and wbo would
gue.s the .eutence translated runs 'tbe
cadet was expelled because be cheat
ed.'
"You would be puttied If told that
Cadet Browu w as 'rstey.' aud so could
go out In towu after tbe 'femuie' he
was to 'drag' to the hop, but It means
jnly tbat he has privileges which en
able him to go out of the yard for tbe
girl be la to escort to tbe ball.
"At West Point a modest little maid
M was greatly aiartlcd by a cadet's
asking ber to 'spoou' w ltb blm the next
day nt MQ, She drew herself up
haughtily and was about to administer
a rebuke when the youth hastened lo
explain that at West Point "to ipOOaV
meant to take n glii walking At Wi s
IfJTM the Inivs call tbe coeds 'quail,'
and tbelr dormitory the 'quail NOSt.'
"But If we have M slang peculiar to
our own college, we cannot flatter our
elves that we are free from the evil,
for any one who spends a half day
wltblu our sacred portals will bear uu
appalling amount of the Jargon Issuing
MB Hie lips of our stately upper class
men. I don't think a girl lias much
right to set down as rough and impol
tailed a poor little freabmu'i English
in hen her ow n vocabulary consists lu
the main of such expressions as 'tHine,'
'dig.' 'pull,' 'cram.' 'grlud.' 'tacky,'
wail.ty." woolly,' 'simply great," "per
tOCtlj gorgeous,' "proud to death,' "1
are tor that.' "forget it." 'how ghastly,
rustic.' neodlah,' Herce.' and "that girl
looks like s peanut.'
The freshman sunn adds to her list
all our slanglsb abbreviations as 'sym..'
chem.,' "psych. .' 'soeh..' 'quiz..' labw
Slid 'math.' These belong strictly to a
ollege. ami until she Is fully versed In
tbe lore, she iloesu't feel able to coll
verse on .spiul ground with an uypei
plain nun."
LAZY MAN'S HEAVEN.
HE CAN LIVE COMFOHT ABLV
AND DO NOTHING.
"Sixteen hundred and four, flee, ill,"
waa all tbe auswer be received. And
so be put ber off, pennies and ail. And
now she's suing tbe road for a band
some sum and seems to stand an ex
cellent show for getting It. -Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
THE BORB OVi-INCH HI FEE.
12-INCH GUN OK THE B0BR8.
The gun on tbe right Is the larger of two very punerriil gnus tnmle In the order of
the liners hy the Kreueti firm of Mchnclder I'anet. The Transvaal Uoveraasoat hnve
endeavored to preserve as a secret the iart they Intend theae guns to iluy lu the war;
hut It la now believed that thry have been mounted In I'returia Fort, suU will assist
In ,i, fending tbe cspltal sgalust attack hy tbe llrltlah forces.
RUSKIN'S LAST HOURS
rhe Knd Cume Kuddeuly-III Only a
Short Time.
The following statement ns to Mr.
Buskin's Inst hours has been seut to us
'or publication, says the Loudon Times:
"The eud came with atnrtling sud
lenuess. Ou the morning of Thursday,
Ihe.lStb. Mr. Buskin was remarkably
well, but when Mrs. Arthur Severn
went to him ns usual after tea In order
to rend blm the war news and 'In the
SoldOD Days,' by Edna Eyull, bli
throat seemed Irritable. His cousin
was alarmed, for several of her ser
vants were ill with Influenza, but tbe
profOMpr was Inclined to laugh It off,
ilthougb he sold he did not feel well,
tnd admitted, when questioned, that
he felt pain 'all over.' Helped by bis
raltbful body servant, Baxter, he was
put to bed. aud he listened while Mrs.
Severn sang a uiucb-llked song, 'Sum
mer Number.' It was now 0:30, and
Mr. Buskin declared tbat be felt quite
omfortnlile. Nevertheless. Dr. Par
ojus was Immediately summoned. He
'ound the temperature to be 10"J, and
pronounced the Illness to be Influenza,
which might be very grave If the pa
tient's strength were not kept up.
"That evening the professor enjoyed
l dinner, consisting of sole and pbens
mt and champagne, and on Friday he
teemed to be much better. On Satur
day morning there waa a change so
marked tbat the doctor was alarmed,
and from that time Mr. Buskin sunk
Into an unconscious state, and the
hrentblng lessened In strength, until, at
1 :.'K), It faded away In a peaceful sleep.
He was holding tbe bands of Mrs. Sev
ern, and Dr. Parsons and Baiter stood
by, now and then feathering the lips
wkb brandy and -rpraylng the head
with eau de cologne.
"And so he passed away, amid silence
snd desolation. Then, a little later,
when tbe first shock wns over, Mrs.
Severn's daughter prevailed upon ber
to look from bis little turret window at
tbe aunset, as Mr. Kuskln was wont to
look for It from day to day. The bril
liant, gorgeous light Illumined the bllla
with splendor, and tbe spectators felt
aa if heaven's gate Itself had been flung
open to receive tbe teacher Into ever
lasting peace."
A QUEEN OF SOCIETY.
Plain, Poor Woman, Who Was Very In
Uu. iiii.it ill Pari.
In tne life of Madame Mohl, a worn
an who without ruuk. fortune or tieau
ty. held a jntrolllng posltlou In French
society for tbe greater part of a cen
tury, tbete are useful bints for Amerl
can women wbo wish to gain Influence
In tbe world.
Iler dlnuira were famous. The most
learned, wise and witty men of every
country were ber guests, and sbe gave
much anxloua thought to assorting
them, to placing tbem at table, and to
tbe suggestion of subjects which would
draw from each tbe beat be could give.
The food waa plentiful, but plain and
simply cooked, and only n white-capped
maid served 1l There was uo display
of any kind.
Queen Sophia of Holland, when visit
ing Napoleon II.. expressed a wish to
dine wltb Madame Mohl, who asked a
brilliant company to meet her.
"And what will lie your menu?" ask
ed an anxious friend.
"Oh. Mnrle must cook us n lobster,"
said the old lad . "She cooks lobster
very nicely."
The usual simple dinner was served,
with IU sauce of rare wit and wisdom,
uud tbe queen was enchanted.
The next day, wltb ber suite, she
came to call upon her hostess. Madame
Mohl, tier gray hnlr In curl papers, at
tired In a short Jacket and skirt was
busy dusting tbe chairs, while the linen
from the Inundry was spread upon the
table. When the royal party suddenly
entered, tne old lady laid down ber
brush, and after welcoming the queen,
chatted awny aa gaily as usual.
"Were you not mortified at being
rr tight In such a dress?" a friend usked
the next day.
"Not a bit niy dear. I didn't mind
It Neither did her majesty. I sup
pose It was Important to her maid and
the flunkey wbo waited bcbltid her, and
they were mortified."
Once, as one of her favorites left the
room, a fashionable woman asked, su
perciliously, "Who was Madame X. be
fore her marriage?"
Madame Mohf turned. "She Is my
friend. What do I care for her wases?"
She once said, "It Is des ames blen
nees (well-born soulsi, not bodies, that
we need in our friends," a maxim as
profoundly true lu America aa in
Erauce.
Women Jcwelera.
All the Jewelers In the Philippines
are women, and their skill Is uiurvel
Otis. The shops are small and gloomy
and the stock display ed Is meager uud
unsatisfactory. But If one wanta to
buy tbe Jewelers will exhibit aucb
treasures that any pocketbOOk la too
lean to buy all the pretty things de
sired. Necklaces of pule pink coral, stntu
ettes of the coral, rosaries with beads
and chains of peatls, white and pink
aud yellow all theea are to be seen.
There are a bewilib ringly varied lot
of gurnets showu, blood, orange aud
yellow, the Inter set in silver; allver
fll'gree work Is popular and small
bowls of mothei or pearls, (iold Is
worked up In pattern like lace. The
women buy tbe crude gold, moke tbelr
own alloys, draw out the wire thread
and beat It with hammers. They are
equnlly skillful with silver and do deli
cate flllgree work, very original aud
striking.
The average g'rl has only one good
dress In winter, and cbangea ber
clotbea by cbang.ug tbe ribbon on ber
neck.
Tbe Individual w bo repeata a alandei
atampo It with bla approval
rittsburg, Pa.. Is said to have forty
local lodges of the Amalgamated Anso
tattoo of Iron nnd Steel Workers, be
ing the largest organization of any
single craft In any city In the world.
The coal minors, by agreements, now
have the eight-hour established In
Michigan, Iowa. Missouri, Kansas and
that part of the Indian Territory and
Arkanaai where work has been re
united ut scnle rates.
Commissioner of Immigration T. V.
Powderly snys that tbe flood of Immi
grants Is greater than at any time since
I8l)."l, and that an unusually large num
ber of the newcomers hnve railroad
tickets for Pittsburg and other West
rn cities liefore they leave Europe.
He asserts that the alien contract btbOf
law Is being oiienly and flagrantly vlo
luted.
The Bourne Mills Company, of Kail
River, Mass., has Issued a circular to
their employes offering them direct
financial Interest In the new mills now
liiilldlng, with a guaranteed Income ou
their Investment of tl lier cent, for live
years: Debentures to the amount of
100,000 will be Issued In lota of gTrf) to
1100 each, and offered to the employes
it par.
The memliershlp of the United Mine
Workers' I'tilon. according to Presl
lent Mitchell's report at tbe natlonul
onvcntlon, was more tbau doubled In
the past year. In January, ISM, It
was n little over 40400, while this year
there ure IM.tssi ineinliers lu good stand
lug, mnklng It In point of numerical
strength the most powerful trades uu
iou lu America.
I t.n Hung In Its Plaoe.
merchant went in the summer time
Po a pleasant, peaceful, pastoral clime.
Where the roudwaya rihboued tbe acres
th rough
Vud the fruit of tbe farmer'a labors grew.
lie walked along where the hidden chairs
l'ossed plaintive notes to the vibrsut
wires
Df Eepheme, that caught the thrill
Vud Hashed its sweets o'er grove aud bill.
His senses woke to a mensure new,
V liiillowinu notice did his mind imbue,
And he paused us he felt its bt tlce
Like a spirit passed tu the realms of bliss.
As there he stood In the bowered way
He caught the notes of a happy luy
I hut cume from a lad iu the cornfield
wide,
Who Whistled the while his hoe he piled.
He watched the boy ss from hill to bill
He swung the hoe with a sturdy will.
And the harder be worked tbe fuller veut
He gave to his lips' accouipsuiuieut
'Ah, there," said the merchant, by Im
pulse hade,
"Is tbe son of man whom work makes
glad."
Then he went to the boy in tattered
blouse
And engaged blm to work In bis counting
bouse.
The youth took hold wltb Industry grim,
But be brought bis whistle along with
him.
And In Just two days ita charms gsvc
o'er
And the whistler wss kicked through the
office door.
Boston Courier.
A Coveted t n.i t in i K.o.
Clever horsemen as they are, the
Arabs are quite as liable to accident as
English grooms. But the Arab likes to
be kicked by a thoroughbred horse,
ind cannot endure to be put to any
pain by an animal whose pedigree Is
at all defective. An English surgeon
had been setting the broken leg of an
Arab, who complained more of the ac
blent Hint had liefallen blm than was
thought becoming In one of bis tribe;
'his the surgeon remarked to blm, and
Bla anawer waa truly characteristic
'Do you think, doctor, I should hare
entered a word of complaint If my own
high-bred colt In a playful kick bad
, token lotb my lege, but to have a
hone broken by a brute of a Jackaaa is
too bad, au4 I will complain."
lmioMlhlr lo Hlartr-No lleaaurs. No
l'iupr, Not rime on the licaullful
l.tuoi of Kuatan lireat htiarka of
Those Water..
"On our Island." said Imuel Cooper
of ltuatan to a New Orleans TlBM
man, "a man may live very comforta
bly all his life and without doing a
ingle lick of wotk. To starve there
would be simply Impossible; It would
be like try ug to drown a tlsh. We
have uo U-ggsrs und uo pauper class
to maintain. There has uever been a
murder, theft Is unknowu and locks
are unnecessary. Some go so far aa lo
culm tbat people don't die there, but
that Is an exaggeration. They occa
sionally expire of extreme old age.
lust year our actual mortality was
000 fourth of I per cent"
The lazy man's paradise thus sketch
lly described Is a corner of the world
about which curiously little Is ktiown.
ltuatan Is the largest of the lite "Bay
Islands," a little chain or key lying
some thirty miles oh the coast of Span
ish Honduras, southeast of Port Cor
tes, and only four days' travel from
New Orleans. Their oue Industry is
the raising of cocoauuts, and altogether
they form a domain that is absolutely
unique In (he western hemisphere. Mr.
Cooper Is the most Important citizen
of ltuatan. He wns born there, and
with bis brothers he now conducts a
very considerable business. In conver
sal on with a reporter be told nil inter
esting story of bis Island home.
"Buatnn. where 1 live." said Cooper.
"It some forty miles long and three
u, lies wide. It baa a population of
atwut o.issj people, mostly Carlb Indi
ans, and I doubt whether there Is lu
alt Hie world a more beautiful and pro
line spot The people are lazy simply
liecatise they don't have to work. Co
coanuta form tbelr muliistay, snd there
Is nothing easier to grow. To start a
grove one merely burns off a piece of
bind and plants the uuts In rows twen
ty feet apart In from four to five
years' time the trees are a dozen feel
high aud are beginning to bear, and
after that the planter la fixed for life.
lie may bid adieu to care. Tbe niita
are never picked, but aa they mature
they drop off. and this shower of fruit
goes on steadily month after mouth ull
the year around. How long a tree will
bear nobody can say, but there are
tome on the Island that are known to
be over a half century old and are still
dropping their harvest of nuts.
"When the native needs something at
the atore," continued Mr. Cooper, "all
he has to do Is to gather together tome
nutt aud trade tbem for what he wish
es. He bulls tbem by striking them on
a ttake driven In the ground, and a
man can eaally bull 3.000 a day In that
manner. Bosea and flowera of almost
every Imaginable variety run wild from
oue end of Buitan to the other. I
should add. too. that other fruits grow
Just as easily as the cocoauut and the
only reasou why Hint especially la
grown Is because It furnishes an ensy
crop, for which there Is always a ready
market We have plenty of bananas,
oranges, mangoes, plums and pine
apples, and they are all delicious. They
grow wild, without the slightest culti
vation, and all one has to do It to pick
them. Vegetables are equally prolific,
and our native yams enslly average
forty or fifty pounds In weight. A
piece of cane ttuck In the ground tnkee
root and retiewt Itself perennially for
years. A stranger who comes to the
islands It Invariably amazed at the
prodigality of nnture and the npathy
of the natlvet that It. before the lazy
feeling gett Into his blood. 'Why don't
you grow this?' and 'Why don't you
cultivate that?" he asks. The native
simply smiles. 'Why not tnke things
easy and Im- happy?' they sny.
"Any description of Bay Islands
would lie Incomplete." said Mr. Cooper,
In conclusion, "without reference to
our enormous tiger sharks. They are
found three or four tulles out from the
coast and frequently grow to la- fifty
feet long. I know that aotinds like a
pretty fishy story, but It It the plain,
unvnrnlsbed truth. They are referred
to lu the const survey rcnirts of the
1'nlteil States government, antl are said
to be the largest sharks In the world.
As far ns I know, they are not found In
any other wntert."
TRUE TALE OF kTaNV PENNIES.
How a w oiu. hi (lot I ten with an lui-I-udi
nt hlreet Car Conductor.
The Southern woman who had an
Interesting lluantial dispute with a
street car conductor la a martyr to a
pultistaklng nttetitlon to details of
whom bur sex may well feel proud.
Sbe ttnrled out iu the morning with a
$20 bill, all tbe money she happened to
have lu her Immediate possession. She
went to the butcher's and the baker's,
and neither could chango the twenty.
Sbe was anxious to go downtown, and
to tbe boarded a car, hoping that Hie
conductor would accept her excuses
and her money. He nt first refuted
point blank. Then be hesitated.
That's where he mnde a mistake. If
he hnd simply requested her to leave
Hie car nn the ground Hint the rules of
the road were Indirectly violated hy
the denomination of her legal tender
all would have been well 0d good
But he hesitated. A dangerous glitter
came Into bis eyes. He took the bill
and at the first opportunity halted the
car ami rushed Into a bank, whence he
emerged with $10 In pennies. Another
stop at another bank rcnllzed $10 more
In the smallest of Elide Sum's coins,
and then the conductor handed the
l.'.ibo pennies to the unfortunate patron.
She dltl not flinch. "I'll have to count
them," was all she said, aud set to
work. When tbe car reached the end
of the line she was still counting. When
tliey turned and started back she hadn't
finished. Then the conductor came for
ward. "I'll have to trouble you for an
other fare," he said. Her lips moved
as sbe counted, snd she only shook ber
head. When she gut 'o n good hreukliig
off place she looked up. "I am not on
this car as an ordinary passenger," the
tald: "I am simply verifying the
amount of change you gave me when
I waa a passenger. When 1 am through
wltb the verification I will leave the
car and not before. Sixteen hundred
and two, three." But tbe conductor
broke In. He lost bit temper. 8be
mutt pay ber fare or get off.
KIPLING MET HIS MATCH.
London ruhltahera llecame Sarcastic
Over Bill fur Three Pence.
An utuuslug correspoDdeuce on a
- . .i.l matter recently passed between
Budyard Klpllug aud a London firm of
publishers. There arrived, care of this
tit tn, which deals exteuslvely In Amer
ican Isioks. a letter addressed from
America to Mr. Kipling. It wns re
posted direct to him et jtottlngdeatii
with a formal note In these words:
The Inclosed letter has Just reached us
from America, and ynu will tee we had
to pay a letter tine of 3d on it. Your
Obedient servants, CAY Sl IllltD.
The following acknowledgment
reached tlieera. tiny tc Bird a few
days later, dated, of course, from Mr.
Kipling's bouse, tbe Elms, Bolting
dean:
Dear Sirs Rudyard KlpHag detlrot nn
to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of Nov. 31. The letter you Inclose was
from a firm of pirate publishers mi the
Pacific slope and Mr. Kipling is glsd to
learn that you are only 3d out of pocket
by it. Eaitbfully yours,
S. ANDl'ltSON.
To this. It seems, Messrs. tiny A; Bird
replied In these tertut:
In forwardlag you the letter from
America addressed to our rare we
thought we were doing a courteous set
We did not know from whom it came,
but because it was "from a tirui of pirate
publishers ou the Pacific lhpeM your sec
retary reports that you are glad to learn
that we are only 3d out of pocket by It
This strikes us us the action of an "Ab
sent Minded Beggar." Yours fnithfully,
Ci AY & BIBD.
-iAindoii M. A. P.
i -ti. a. i. v
mm
Science
vention
From north to south Alnskn stretches
1,900 tulles, or St.) mllea further than
from tbe great lakes to the tiulf of
Mexico. Its width Is greater than from
Chicago to London.
To run an eighty enr freight train at
twenty miles au hour nspilres over
Inn i ...i imii I,.,,! pounds of energy. At
thirty miles It requires UStOOOuQOO-IOOt
potiuds, which Is equal to the energy
manifested by a sixteen Inch guu,
whose projectile weighs 'J,3'J0 pounds,
ami tired ut 'J.OOO feet velocity.
The possibility of Hie ostrich lielng
used for a kind of two-legged saddle
horse, as the unlives of Abyssinia ure
said to have employed It was demou
stinted at Pasadena, Cal recently by a
correspondent of the Scientific Ameri
can. He not only mounted a full-sized
male ostrich and rode 100 yards on Its
back, but also had n photographer make
a picture of him ou his feathered steed.
In Qermany the granulated slag from
blast fin na.es Is being utilized for the
manufacture of brick. The making of
slag brick is not a new thing, but here
tofore fluid slug has bee netuployed for
the purpose, and the brick thus pro
duced has been found unsiiltnhlo for
building purposes tieeaiise It Is Imper
meable to air ami steam. But tbu sing
brlcka made In (iertminy are, It Is said,
not open to tbla objection. Ou tbe con
trary, while exceeding tho strength of
ordinary bricks, and possessing au ex
traordinary reslstnucu to heat, they nre
more permeable tn air, and consequently
are well suited for the building of
houses. They do not absorb water aa
rapidly aa ordlunry brlcka.
Bi nt examination by Prof. T. O.
Botiuey of bowldcra containing dia
monds from tho famous "blue ground"
rock of South Africa leadt to new
i.-v? h of the origin of the gems. Prof.
Bouncy considers that the diamond It
not produced In the blue ground, as
some have heretofore thought that It
was, but Is present In It as a derivative
from older roeke. The bowldera exam
ined were evidently water-worn, aud
consisted of garuetlferoua rock. The
dlnniotid and the garnet, Prof. Bonney
remarks, are brought Into very close
relatione by the discovery of two speci
mens showing the diamond apparently
embedded In the garnet. The blue
ground, lu which the diamond aud gar
net bearing rocks are fouud, la a vol
canic product
In Central America are many strange
birds with stranger habits, but prob
ably none are more Interesting than a
little browu wreu wbo may lie seen
along the roadsides or ou fences. This
little bird, alioiit the site of a canary,
hullihi a nest out of all proportion tu
his apparent needs. Ho selects u small
t i. e with horizontal branches growing
closo together. Across two of tbe
branches he lays sticks fusteued to
gether with tough fiber, until a plat
form BOOUt six feet long by two feet
wide Is eonstructed. Ou the eud of
thla plat fOI m nearest the tree trunk bo
then builds a huge, dome shaped uest a
foot or so high, with thick sides of lu
terwoven thorna, A covered passage
way Is then made from the nest to the
end of the platform In as crooked u
manner ns possible. Across the outer
end, ns well as at short lutervuls along
the luslde of this tunnel, are placed
cunning little fences of thorns with
Just space enough for the owners to
pass through. Ou going out, this open
ing Is closed by the owner by placing
thorns ucross the gateway, and thus
the safety of eggs or young Is assured.
Bills Payabin la Kaasla.
The year 11XKJ not being a leap year lo
Hie OfOforlan calendar, while It It to
In tbe Julian mode of reckoning, tbe
old ttyle lu Btissla will, as from Marcb
1 next, be thirteen .lays behind the new
style, i bis Is a point of tbe utmost Im
IHirtancc lu regard to bills payable lo
Kussla. Indeed, It happens very often
that lulls drawn upon Kussla bear both
dates, ami the slightest error It suffi
cient to render void a protett of
such lilllt, as tbe courtt tre very strict
n bout these matters. It la, therefore,
Inadvisable to mention the old style lo
any aucb documents. The latter date
Is quite unnecessary, aa Kuaslan com
mercial law pruvldea tbat bills from
abroad tball be payable according to
the new ttyle, which It followed by
nearly all tbe countries of Kurope.
Loudon KlaMclal News.