CAREER OF RHODES.
DIAMOND KING.STATESMAN AND
MILLIONAIRE.
tie la the Most Picturesque Figure
After Oom Paul ia the Transvaal
"War His Meteoric Career in South
Africa.
The most picturesque figure next to
Oom Taul In the Anglo-Transvaal war
Is Cecil Rhodes, diamond king and pol
itician, lie Is the mightiest million
aire of the age. Others may have more
money, but Rhodes possesses the pow
er and ability to shape the destiny of
South Africa. The son of a minister
Bent to South Africa to Improve his
healty. he has added within a few
years an empire to England's territory
and has become the modern colossus of
Rhodes.
The surprising growth of British
South Africa Is due largely to the ef
forts of this one man, the organizer
and manager of the Imperial British
South African Company. The career
of Rhodes has been meteoric. Troba
bly no Englishman since Sir Francis
lrake sailed round the globe with the
gold of Spain has brought more glory
to his country with less expense to his
CECIL RHODES.
Government than he. lie has taken
the milk from the African cocoanut.
He was born on July 5, 1S53, and his
father was Rev. Francis William
Rhodes, vicar of Stortford, a town
about twenty-live miles from London.
His elder brother, Herbert, had a
plantation In the south of Natal, and
In 18U9 Cecil, whose lungs were too
weak for the English climate, was sent
to live with him.
It Is impossible for those who know
him now to think of him as a consump
tive sent abroad to die. He Is six feet
one Inch tall and heavy and muscular
In proportion. His appetite Is a mar
vel. Chief Lobeugula called him "the
man who eats a whole country for his
dinner.
His Kurly Ambition.
The story Is told that, on arriving at
Natal, the boy of 10 laid his hand upon
a large map of Africa, exclaiming:
"All that my baud covers will one
day be mine!"
, A merchant who heard him said:
I "That Is your dream, is It?"
"That Is my dream," replied the
young man.
"Well, I'll give you ten years to
wake up," was the reply of the mer
chant. Two years after this the history of
South Africa changed. Diamonds were
discovered on the present site of Klm
lierley and Rhodes, with his brother,
hastened to the place whore the future
empire builder laid the foundation of
his fortune. In 1SS!) all the diamond
mines were consolidated under the
name of the Ie Beers Consolidated
Mines (Limited), capitalized at $19,
75(1,000, with Cecil Rhodes president.
Meantime Rhodes' brother had died,
turning over to the former his Interests
at Klmberley and Cecil himself had
found time to return to England and
graduate from Oxford.
While busy with his mines Cecil
Rhodes did not neglect polities. Early
In the 'tfOs he was elected to the Cajn?
House of Assembly from Barkley. Af
ter receiving a charter In October,
1S81), he started back to Africa to open
the new lands.
There was still the unexplored region
of the MatalK'les left. The King of the
Zulus was Lobengula. who pursued the
usual Zulu policy of exterminating all
weaker people with whom they came
in contact and appropriating their cat
tle and wives, but they had a whole
some fear of the whites.
Far to the north of the land of the
Matabelos was Mashonaland, a nation
conquered by the Zulus, and the King
of the Zulus gave to Rhodes permis
sion to dig for gold In the land of Ma
nhonaland. Railroads were built and
with them came the telegraph and
mall.
The Matubcle War.
Mashonaland Itoomcd for two years,
and then It was discovered that Its
wealth was overestimated greatly.'
It looked like failure for the South
African Company. Something must bo
don. The gold miners were clamoring
for a chauce to locate claims In Mata
bcleland. Thou was started the Mata
lelo war, the barbarities of which ex
ceeded previous campaigns, because
the company was bout on destroying
the Matabole nation to seize their rich
country. The Matabelos gave the ex
cuse by Pending warriors to punish
cattle thieves. The company's "border
police" replied, and the war was on
volunteers were called for, and to ev-
ery man who enlisted were promised
G.000 acres of land and twenty claims;
in the new El Dorado, when It should)
be won. The Matabeles were attacked'
on three sides, their capital, Biiluwayo.i
was taken, and great was the slaugh
ter. Opinions differ as to the justic
of the Matabele war, but It put the!
South African Company on Its feet
again, which was Its purpose. On April
25, 1893, Matabeleland was thrown,
open to the world.
The new land was called Rhodesia.
Rhodes was made premier of the col
ony and In 1895 was appointed Queen
lctorla s privy councillor, a purely
honorary position.
Ills great ambition was partly real
ized. He added almost an empire to
Great Britain's possessions.
The present war in South Africa Is
In line with Rhodes' policy the forma
tion of a British empire In South Af
rica that shall embrace the Transvaal
republic and the Orange Free State. '
Rhodes, with all his millions, lives
humbly. He has a home, Groot Schuur,
at Cape Town which Is presided over
by his sister, who Is as great a hater
of men as Rhodes is of women. But
he is happier when living on the plains
in a tent with only an attendant to
look after his personal wants.
MAKE FINE WAX FROM OIL.
Residual Oil from Illutninants Makes
ArtldC oUlswl'AUi' tli AAOliCJ LUJUU.
The busy little bee was long ago
cheated out of his monopoly In the
honey-making business by artificial
honey manufacturers. Now he Is left
to Improve the shining hour as best he
may, for his corner on wax is rapidly
slipping away from him. Paraffin, a
product of crude petroleum, Is taking
the place of beeswax In commerce very
largely, and half the "wax" candles of
to-day are of pure paraffin and never
saw the Inside of a beehive.
Whiting, Ind., Just over the southern
line of Chicago, Is the place where
this wonderful wax Is made. Cleve
land, Ohio, has a paraffin works, but
It Is only a small affair compared to
the Whiting plant. The paraflln works
are quite distinct and apart from the
oil refinery which Is near the lake
front and Is quite a large plant In it
self. The oil treated here is the "re
sidual oil," or oil from which all Illu
minating and fuel oils have been dis
tilled In the oil refinery, and which
would be deemed practically worth
less by an outsider.
As it is pumped from the oil refinery
Into Its first receptacle, the "tar stills"
huge piles of iron and brick with
innumerable pipes It has the appear
ance of liquid tar or New Orleans mo
lasses or anything else that is dark,
sluggish and looks as unlike the beau-
mm
si
f'7.
I i'ii!' A IU
III 'C I 'ii. I ! fl
W
T AU 8TII.LS THK BKDUCKU.
tlful candles as possible. The com
pany has the money to pay for the ser
vices of expert chemists and by their
skill, combined with continual work,
this ropy, dark stream becomes a
thing of beauty.
A parallel could easily bo drawn be
tween the paraffin works and a bee
hive, only Instead of one building there
wer many, each under Its own man
ager and each doing Its part in con
verting this worthless looking refuse
Into wax.
Nothing Is wanted. As this "residual
oil" Is pumped from building to build
ing In Its course of purification It in
turn leaves a refuse from which axle
grease and all kinds of lubricating oils
are made. Here they make wool oils,
rope and twine oils some of a pale yel
low, others ml and carbons for elec
trtc light. The carbons are made from
the last stubborn dregs from which ev
ery drop of oil has been pressed. The
extreme refuse Is used as fuel and is
called coke. It gives out great heat
and Is used for heating "stills" and
sometimes the homes of the employes.
A more Interesting process cannot be
conceived than that by which wax Is
made from petroleum. The machinery
used Is massive and complicated and
the manager of each department Is an
expert lu his particular line. Chicago
Chronicle.
Hull Kl jlits In Purls.
Tads Is to have Its bull fights to add
to the excitement of Its populace. The
arena, however, will not be within the
city walls, but at Enghleu, which Is
some twelve mluutes' Journey by train.
In families where they don't put up
any fruit, one of the children Is sent
around the corner for canned ponchos
whenever company unexpectedly
comes.
illH
ii r ii
SHOPPING IN JAPAN.
ODD CUSTOMS IN THE MIKA
DO'S EMPIRE.
A Store Is a Veritable Maze You
Must Ask for the Goods You Wish to
Inspect It Costs More to Buy in
Large Quantities.
Japanese are very fond of strolling
through their bazaars. You enter at
one door and leave by another. Goods
for sale are displayed on each side of
aisles that wind through the length of
the shop. Passing up and down these
aisles they lead you to the second, and
often third, story of the building, then
back again through different aisles,
causing you to travel the length of the
establishment many times. Finally you
see the doorway a few feet distant, but
even then you must travel this maze
several times its length to escape.
Usually shopping is very restful In
Japan. You sit around on the floor, and
In some shops they bring you cups of
tea to sip and a "hibachl" from which
to light your pipe.
Time is of no consequence to the Ori
entals, nor are they eager to sell. Their
ideas of trade are very peculiar. You
are compelled to ask them whether you
tan see articles after their stating that
they have them in the store. Ten plece3
of An article sometimes cost twelve
times the cost of one. They will not
sell 100 at a less rate, but Insist on your
paying extra because of the large quan
tity desired. They frankly tell you
their price to Japanese customers and
then that foreigners have to pay about
50 to 100 per cent, more and laugh.
In the largest dry goods store In Toklo
fifty clerks are seen kneeling upon the
floor of the large building, but no mer
chandise Is visible. It Is kept in fire
proof (?) structures in the rear and car
ried to and fro for customers' inspec
tion by numerous boys. It is very Inter
esting to watch proceedings in such a
store.
Nearly all Japanese stores are con
ducted In the same manner, though
some shops have on display samples of
articles sold. If a foreign lady Is shop
ping a crowd of Japanese usually block
ades the store, anxious to see the
strange sight. Preparatory to the new
treaties going Into effect the govern
ment Issued an order for the natives to
abandon this obstructive habit.
The Japanese are great Imitators.
Almost every staple article has its imi
tation here and Its label counterfeited.
A Philadelphia shoe-blacking has half
a dozen imitations. One maker Inserts
his name; leaving North Front street,
Philadelphia, remaining, and the label
unchanged, except "superior quality"
is "superior quarity." Another inserts
his name and Japanese town, but leaves
"133 and 140 North Front street," and
so on.
The Japanese make heroic efforts at
English. While butchering it horribly
they do remarkably well, considering
everything. On the few English signs
of leading firms on Toklo's chief street
are seen: "Drucclst," for druggist;
"foreign gords," "caned goods, whole
sale and detail," "The shop of the arti
cles of the finery," "The carriage and
all of harness" and "A harness maker,"
"manufaktealary," "apothekaly," etc.
Toklo correspondence of the Baltimore
Sun.
SHE KEPT AN ARMY WAITING.
A. Chicago Girl Did This to Take a
Photograph.
She was only a slip of a girl from
Chicago, but with the aid of her cam
era she kept an army waiting while
she took the picture of Its command
lug officer. It was the occasion of the
greatest review since the civil- war.
The incident occurred Aug. 9, 1898,
while 55,000 volunteers awaited along
the base of Suodgrass hill In Chicka
mauga National Park the signal to
march.
Back of the great flag, the emblem of
a united nation, planted on the side of
the hill where the reviewing stand was
located, there was a commotion. A
colored driver of an old carry-all was
endeavoring to force his way to a point
where his passengers, a handsome
couple of elderly people and a pretty
young girl, might have a more favor
able opportunity of viewing the march
lug thousands. The coveted position
had hardly been secured when Gen
eral Breckenrldge, the commanding of
ficer, and staff swept up from across
the field, where they had been "riding
the lines," Inspecting the troops.
The trumpeter was about to sound
the signal for the advance when the
young girl In the carry-all leaped to the
ground and ran across the field to
where General Breckenrldge sat on his
handsome bay. She stopped when
about twenty feet from the general and
pointed her camera at him. An aid
laughingly directed his superior's at
tention to the girl by the remark:
"You are about to have your picture
taken, general."
General Breckenrldge turned and
saw his fair admirer. Ills hand was
raised and the trumpeter withheld the
signal for the advance. The general
rode forward a few paces and faced the
girl, who now nppenred confused and
about to withdraw, the attention she
had attracted disconcerted her. She
was a brave little creature, however,
and. summoning her courage, she wait
ed for the general to halt. Her camera
ceased swaying and was aimed full at
the handsome Kentucklan. A click
was heard by those nearest the scene
and a sweet "Thank you" followed
from the young girl. '
"I hope It will be a good picture,"
was the kindly response of the general
as he raised his hat and returned to
bis position.
The sharp notes of the "Forward!"
pealed from the trumpet and the van
of the troops began to move. The
young girl returned to her sent In the
carry-all, blushing but triumphant.
EiS'nnrek's Enormous Appetite.
Among other amusing reminiscences
of the late Prince Bismarck appearing
In John Booth's "Memoirs of the Iron
Chancellor" Is one relating to the
latter's Gargantuan enpacity for eating
and drinking. He told the author that
the largest number of oysters he ever
ate was 175. He first ordered twenty
five, then, as they were very good, fifty
more; and, consuming these, determin
ed to eat nothing else, and ordered an
other 100, to the great amusemeut of
those present. Bismarck was then 20,
and had Just returned from England.
His views on smoking are of interest,
though most people will be surprised to
learn that In late years his powers ol
cigar slnoking failed him.
Lake Superior Is the largest body of
fresh water In the world, covering
thirty-two thousand square miles; the
Caspian sea, not generally called a
lake, covers 109,381 square miles.
In tropical countries, quite a num
ber of plants are luminous. The mea
dow lily, which grows In abundance
in the marshes of Africa, Is one of the
most perfect types of vegetable phos
phorescents. In Brazil a kind of grass,
which the inhabitants call khus-khus-suines,
gives forth a bright light, be
fore which horses and other grazing
animals stop in surprise and fear.
A life buoy, provided with automatic
torches which are Ignited by the con
tact of calcium phosphide with water,
was invented a few years ago by Rear
Admiral Ilichborn, and is now in use
on all of our naval vessels, as well as
on many foreign ships. It is called the
Franklin life buoy. On a stormy night
in 1897 one of these buoys saved two
sailors of the Maine, but one of the
rescued men perished a year later at
the explosion In Havana harbor.
Many persons believe that birds, re
turning to their summer quarters, are
the same that were at the same spots
the year previous; but exact proof Is
rare. John B. Crowson of German
town, Pa., saw a robin struggle to get
free from some string In which it got
entangled, resulting In a broken leg.
It was lame accordingly. The lame
bird returned year after year to the
same spot. How they can retire hun
dreds of miles, and yet return to the
same spot, Is truly wonderful.
The Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospi
tal In New York possesses a novel sur
gical Instrument Intended to extract
particles of lion and steel from the
eye. It consists of a powerful electro
magnet mounted on a stand running
on casters. When an operation Is to be
performed one end of the magnet is
cautiously brought near the patient's
eye. If a piece of steel or iron Is em
bedded In the eyeball, the patient ex
periences a sharp pain as the metallic
sliver forces Its way through the tis
sues and flies to the magnet. The in
Jury to the eye Is said to be less than
that caused by using a knife.
When we rend of the men who In
habited the caves of Europe at a time
when mammoths dwelt on that conti
nent we seem to have gone back to a
period so Immeasurably remote that
we can hardly picture In the mind's
eye the appearance which the repre
sentatives of our race then presented
Yet, according to Trof. E. R. Tylor, the
natives of Tasmania "remained with
in the present century representatives
of the immensely ancient Paleolithic
period." Recent studies of the relics
of the Tasmauiaus, who became ex
tinct when brought Into touch with
modern civilized man, show that the
workmanship of their rude Implements
was below that exhibited by the "Drift
and Cave men" of Paleolithic times.
American Bridges Abro d.
The American bridge Is flinging Its
majestic spans and arches across the
rivers of many lands-Egypt, Siberia,
Japan, China, Peru, and others-aud a
group of twenty-six skilled American
builders has departed for RangoDn,
British India, where an American com
pany has one of its constructions In
progress.
German Pljr Iron.
German production of pig Iron In the
first half of the current year was 4,000,
000 tons, against 3,000,000 In the same
time in 1S9S.
Am rican Cows.
American farmers own cows to the
value of $309,230,093, a sum equal to
more than oue half of the capital of all
the national banks In the United States.
CHICAOO TAXPAYERS'" M0NEy7
Chicago taxpayers contribute ever
year, In one way or another, over $1
000,000 for the support of their cit
government and the school system Th
figure below gives the taxpayer at I
glance, an opportunity to learn how
each dollar he contributes to the pubiu
use la- divided among the various uses
to which the money raised by taxation
Is put. It shows the proportion given
the schools, that to the police, what the
fire department gets, and so on. As It
has been found Impossible to show tbe
amount spent for salaries In each de
partment the entire proportion given to
each department, including what it
pays for salaries, has been thrown to
gether and then a separate stnfonin2t
made for the salaries not Included in
any of the department figures. Chicago
Tribune.
Llihtning Work on Tn-users.
"Fantaloon-making has been reduced
to a great scelnce In the big factories
both here and In the North," said a
clothing, dealer to a New Orleans
Times-Democrat man. "I refer, of
cou-se, to the cheap garments that in
this section are sold almost entirely to
the negroes. A pair of 'pants' of that
grade contains twelve pieces, the out
lines of which are represented by slits
In the top of a heavy table. Twenty
four sections of cloth are laid on the
table, and a revolving knife like a
buzz-saw travels through the slits. As
It does so It cuts the fabric into the
exact patterns. The whole thing is
done with incredible swiftness, and
the pile of cloth Is scarcely deposited
when It is fully cut. The pieces are
then sent on an electric carrier to tbe
sewing machines, which are also run
by a motor. Each operative has only
one thing to do. The first one will put
I ii i . ...
ui iue leg seams, me secona sew up tne
body, the third will put on tbe waist
band, and a fourth will attach tbe
straps. The buttonholes are worked
by machinery, and as a rule the but
tons themselves are of the automatic
staple variety and are secured hy a
single motion of a sort of punch.
"It is very interesting to watch the
garment passing from hand to hand,
and it reaches the Inspector all com
plete with a celerity that nearly takes
one's breath away. It Is then ivoned
by being passed between a series of
gns-heated rollers and is ready to be
ticketed and placed In stock. Under
the present system the outputs of some
of the large factories have been quad
rupled during the last five years."
ChurChill In rhlladelphln.
When Lord Randolph Churchill was
last In America he visited Philadel
phia; and, while collecting statistics
relating to the State prisons of Penn
sylvania, he was referred to the head
of the Trlsons Board, Mr. Cadwallader
Biddle. Before calling, Lord Randolph
fell into the hands of wags of the Union
League Club.
"You've got the name wrong," said
one of these merry Jesters; "it's not
Cadwallader Biddle, but Bidcallader
Addle."
"Don't mind what he says, Lord
Randolph," exclaimed another; "tbe
real name Is Wadblllader Caddie."
A third member took the ex-Chancellor
of the Exchequer aside and Impart
ed to him In confidence that he was be
ing gulled.
"The actual name," confided his false
friend, "is Didbollarder Widdle."
And when Lord Randolph drove to
the Prisons Board that afternoon be
was so much upset that he stammered:
"Will you take this card In to Mr.
Bid cad wid wad did dollarder,
what's his name? I mean the chief,
but I forget his extraordinary nomen
clatural combination."
Getting Acquainted.
A Ravenswood man tells this story
about a friend of his whose business
takes him away from home frequently.
For the last month or so he has had
a respite, and his neighbors have no
ticed the unusual length of his visit
at his own house. One of them asked
him recently if be bad got pretty well
acquainted with the members of bis
family.
"I think I am making an impres
sion," he responded. "My little girl
went to her mother the other day and
said: 'That man who comes here
sometimes spanked me to-day."'
Chicago xs'owu.
Suicide of Children.
Among the curiosities of Pruss'an
s at sties is the fact that In a d'cade4lji
Btiiuui cunuren, unuer ia years ui
committed suicide.
1 .1 ii . . .
A good cure for malaria is the great
need of the hour.