A
HAT REALLY . AN ORNAMENT
English' Men and' Woman of Timet
Past Wore.Wonderlul and 1m-
t
posing HeadgaK
Uncle Sam's AeroBoat
WASHINGTON. Foreign govern
' menu have had their military
and naval 1 representatives In Wash
ington watching the experiments that
this government has been conducting
at the Washington navy yard ' with
the new catapult device for launching
aeroplanes. The launching machine
Is the design of Capt. W. I. Cham
bers, in charge of aviation in', the
navy. It practically is a compressed
air gun that shoots the aeroplane into
the air so that it can be launched
from a "warship at any time and the
catapult then stored below, out of the
way.
Several tests of the device have
been made, various hydro-aeroplanes
being used. What was generally con
sidered the supreme test was made
the other day. -when the new aero
boat that has been built for the navy
by Qlenn Curtiss was shot into the
Postmen Cannot Loiter
CHARLES B. MATTHEWS, superin
tendent of carriers in the Wash
ington postofflce, and the man who
originated what is known as the
"block" system of . mall delivery, a
system that has been copied all over
the country, said today:
"One of the most Intelligent and
faithful aslstants I have Is Mike. Mike
Is a very humble sort of somebody, so
humble. In fact,, that he even hasn't
any other name. v
"Mike is Just an old white horse,
aound of body, clean of limb and
brighter in bis Intelligence than many
human beings that have been sent to
me for service.
- "Ton can't fool him. When the hour
for starting on his route comes and
Ernest Miller, the carrier who owns
him. In full uniform, gets In hlB seat,
Mike looks first up and then down
the street to see If his road is clear,
being particularly careful to watch a
little longer to see if an electric car is
about to start on Its way to Alexandria.
Much Interest Being Shown in Muskrat Farming
ACCORDING to the annual report of
the biological survey recently sub
mitted to Secretary Wilson, the rear
ing of fur-bearing animals in the
United States for thelrpelts continues
to be a subject of much Interest
Skunks, muskrais, minks and foxes
are reared In captivity or on preserves
under control of breeders. The large
prices aBked for mature black foxes
for breeding purposes have resulted In
confining the Industry In the hands of
a very few. Comparatively few at
Whites on Reservations
Ttt HITS men are not to be allowed
IF
to have "booze" while the In-
-dlan goes dry on Indian reservations.
There Is not to be one law for the
red man and another for his white
brother where they dwell together on
the Indians' lands, the Indian bureau
chief declares.
The white man can have readier ac
cess to the red Ink that is really a
writing fluid and which has proved
palatable and exhilarating, according
to the records, to those who need al
coholic excitement and find other
sources dried up. And be may slake
his acquired thirst from the mucilage
bottle with greater facility perhaps.
These and other devices have been
known to the Indian while seeking
ease for a parched throat
But the white man on an Indian res
ervation from now on may not have
whisky or other alcoholic beverage,
either, for refreshment or to cure
his Ills or as a precaution against ail
ments, even on a physician's prescrip
tion, as long as the ban is on the In-
Experiments Are Watched
air for a sUccesfdl flight with Lieut
Theodore EUyson. the first of the
navy aviators, at the helmV -'
The new boat is larger and heavier
than any other hydro-aeroplane the
government has used. ' It has a body
like a light, -fast powerboat; and seats
two passengers side by -side, with
double-control mechanism, - so that
either man can act as aviator. The
boat is driven by an -eighty-horse
power motor, and Is capable of a
speed of fifty miles on the water and
sixty miles in the air.
- This launching device is the first
that has been practical and successful
from a navy standpoint. It was prov
ed pore than a year ago, when Eu
gene Ely flew from the scoutshlp Bir
mingham and afterward flew and
alighted on the battleship . Pennsyl
vania, that the aeroplane could be
launched at sea. In both these cases,
however, a special platform was built
and extensive preparations were
made for the flight
The new catapult can be clamped
to the top of a turret and the turret
revolved to shoot the aeroplane Into
the teeth of the .wind without even
turning the wheel of the. vessel The
device
takes only- half an , hour to
erect
When Mike Is on Duty
MOVE ON
IF HE 5TAXS
MUCH
tOnCen
"Once started, he takes In each ho
tel in Its turn. He will not permit
the carrier who goes with him to stoi
on his way or loiter. . If he tries to do
so Mike simply walks on. So when
he arrives at the hotel he allows time
for the carrier to take the mail In and
get back, and if he does not come
back within that time Mike slmplj
moves on to his next stop.
"Why, I can send the greenest sue
In the office out with Mike and h
won't go astray. If he knows how tc
read the labels on the mall sacks.
'He Is never sick and has nevei
lost an hour's time."
tempts have been made to raise mlnki
In the United States, but experiments
are being conducted In co-operation
with the National Zoological park with
a view to determining the most suc
cessful methodB of rearing these ani
mals. Muskrat farming has probably
reached its highest point of develop
ment on the eastern shore of Mary
land. Muskrat marshes are worth
more, - measured by. iheir actual In
come, than cultivated farms of like
acreage in the same vicinity. Only
one other animal in the world, the Eu
ropean rabbit, exceeds the muskrat In
the number of skins marketed. -
The report also calls attention to
the experiments for the extermination
of prairie dogs, ground squirrels and
gophers that are being conducted by
means of poison baits, traps and eth
er methods. It Is a surprising fact
that the daily forage of 32 adult prai
rie dogs equal that required for
sheep, and that 260 eat nearly at
much as a cow.
Are as Dry as Poor Lo
WHITE
MEN ARE
F0RB1DMH
TO HAVE
LIQUOR.
ON THIS
dlan. The only Intoxicant not nndat
prohibition remains the wine Intended
solely for sacramental purposes, to b
brought Into the reservations undei
church authority.
Circular No. 695, Indian bureau,
signed by Acting Commissioner F.
H. Abbott and Indorsed by the acting
secretary of the Interior, addressed to
the superintendents of Indian schooli
and agencies, directs observance ol
the law In strict conformity with 1U
letter. It also calls attention to lr
regularities in observance of the law
that We come to the attention of tb
buret
1 yamvimmwi
WW. BTllB VJI An MBBMI
Ladles probably did , not; begin to
wear hats until about the 'tenth cen
tury, if so early, and then it was the
lofty headdress draped with, some ma
terial, which It must have been most
trying to, keep on indoors, nd quite
impossible to wear In a. wind. . .
According to the "Anatomy or
Abuses," written In Queen Elizabeth's
time, ladles' hats were. Very nearly
as perplexing then as they are. to
day. .
"These fashions be rare and strange,
o is the stuff whereof the hats .be
made divers also1; "for some are of
silke, some of velvet, .some of taffeta
and some of "wool, and which is more,
curious, some of a certain kind of fine
halre, these they call beaver hats."
' In the reign of Henry VHt, hats as
sumed at '"great rlchnesse 'and teau
tie," but In the time of the first James
they became even more ornate, Jewels
of price and occasionally." small mir
rors being used In their adornment
At times of revelry the gallants wore
feathers in their hats, which were said
to be one of the "falreBt ensigns of
their braverle." "
But for adornment men's hats were
fh their zenith in the days of Charles.
The big felt hats with the long feath
er saucily curled around them, fast
ened with a buckle often of great
value, gave a dashing air o the cava
liers, which ' abrolutely cast the tall
solemn hats of the Puritans and
"Psalm singers" Into .the shade.
The monster hats of the time of the
emrlre were almost as big as "the
Merry Widow" of modern fame, and in
shape today they . were positively
unique. Men's .. hats . have suffered
great changes since the time,, of
Charles, and it Is more than doubtful
fc! they ' will . ever --again v become
ornate. ...
Indeed, save in very remote parts of
Wales where the old women still
some of them wear the high-crowned
steeple bat there to nothing especially
peculiar about the headgear of the
English peasantry.
Statue to Potatoes.
"When I was In Germany last year,"
says a man who travels, "I saw some
people who like potatoes even better
than I do. At any rate, they erect
statues to them, and even if I could
afford it I hardly think I should do
that.
. "Offenberg was the first city to
erect a monument of this kind. The
upper part consists of a statue of
Sir Francis Drake, who Introduced the
plant into Europe. This, as well as
the pedestal, is draped with garlands
of the potato vine, with full- grown tu
bers attached.
On the pedestal, on one side, Is Sir
Francis Drake's name, the second side
explains what a blessing the potato
has been to mankind, the third re
cords that the statue Is the gift of a
certain Andrew Frederick of Stras
burg. The fourth contains the names
of the erectors. A statue similar to
this is plaoed In the town of Murz,
and I have been told that- there are
other copies In many small towns."
Australia Gets Wireless.
The . chain of wireless stations
around Australasia will in a few
months be an accomplished fact, it is
said, and Australia, New Zealand and
the Islands will be in constant touch
day and night ; The - station at
Awanul bay, North Auckland, is prac
tically In operation already, although
not yet officially taken over by the
government The Installation, a 30
kilowatt one, compares' very favorably
with that at Pennant Hllla, Sydney,
and with the high power station at
Fremantle, will enable Auckland to
"speak" to Sydney or FIJI at any
time. A similar Installation is now in
course of erection at The Bluff, in
the south of New Zealand, and there
are three supplementary stations In
the dominion.
Chinese River Boats.
The rivers of China are notable for
the queer unrigged craft that throng
their reaches in the neighborhood of
towns. The handsomest of these Is
the Hwa Ting, or flower boat Many
of the pretty craft form the resort
or dwelling place of China's sing-song
girls, while others are held tor hire,
as are our houseboats and yachts, for
pleasure excursions. These are pro
pelled by long oars, or poles, in the
bands of servants who tread a nar
row gangway running along their
length.
These river boats are the homes, of
fices and shops of those whose lives
are spent aboard them. Moored along
the bank with the bow fastened to a
long hawser, extending for perhaps a
thousand feet up or down the stream,
they rise and fall with the tide or
with the swell of some passing
steamer, year In and out They only
leave for the time necessary to pur
sue some call of trade In another part
of the harbor, then return again to
fit Into their accustomed place. In
Canton, alone, the boat' city of China,
there are said to be 84,000 of these
"chop-boats," as they are called.
VVf G are on the high road to,
Vflf Harderwyk, one of the small
Till "dead cities" of the Zuyder1
. H , Zee.t It is Saturday ' morn-
. iug uuu .macifqi aay,. ine
most Important weekly occurrence In
inese environs. Market begins quite
earlv and miiftt now a
close upon 11 o'clock and' we meet the
returning stream -or. peasants. . They
have Sold all their eess and nthor nrn.
duce, have made their i purchases In
town for the coming week and are now
returning homeward; writes W. J. L.
Klehl, from The Hague, in the Chlca-
6u uauy xsews. i
Most of them are on foot
come driving in carts and in wagons
lul curiously carved and painted
a dark green color. Soma nf thaa
ons are hooded with either white or
urn oiue cap-like covers. From un
derneath these hnnrlu noon ih.
' ... BlUlllUg
races of the peasant women. Every
ub a menmy nod and a
cheerful "eooC. mornim? .ti,
of the vehicles that overtake us half
top meir teams as they offer us a lift
But we do not accept the kind offers,
for the walk Is far too enjoyable this
uue winter morning.- .
Fond of Blue Colors.
Every man. woman nr nhiM -a maA
is carrying a basket, sometimes two,
and a few bundles: - Th hkati ...
all covered with kerchiefs, many of a
dark blue ground with light blue flow
ery pattern,' or blue and white check.
discussing -IrlSf
The bundles, too, are all wrapped In
such cloths. Strange, this preference
for dark blue, which alBo obtains In
the dress of all these peasants. The
women wear black skirts, with wide
plaited overjackets,. low at the neck,
where they show a neck kerchief of
spotless white, over which is pinned a
blight scarlet flowered overkerchlef.
But the long wide aprons they all wear
and which entirely cover ' the skirts,
are dark navy blue without exception.
The headdress is curious and con
sists of many pieces, all of which have
some meaning of their own, showing
whether the wearer Is maid, wife or
widow, or whether she Is in deep or
light mourning. ' Most of the women
we meet wear close-fitting white lace
or calico caps, over which is tightly
drawn the kerchief, of a bright col
ored flowery pattern on cream ground.
Over this is laid wide sliver band,
lying close to the neck and coming up
over the ears. Just above the eyes
two gold spirals are fastened that look
like small horns. At the back, the sli
ver headpieces have engraved the in
itials of the wearer and are decorated
with some sprays of leaves or flowers.
Although not so costly as the gold
headpieces of the Holland and Frisian
peasants, those silver maihents rep
resent good values, costing from 36 to
40 florins ($14.40 to $16). Every girl,
as soon as she reaches the age of flf
toon la nt-nir-ntpfl in wear these caps
vi fit & 'v"' 1
and headdresses. The younger obll-
dreir wear black, hoodlike caps, such .
as we see' in 'picture's of the Stuart .
period lh' England.-' . '
, On work days every one "' wears'
wooden shoes. Only on. , Sundays do1
the wealthier peasant ' women wear
leather shoes with great silver buckles, '
the latter often- ancient' heirlooms - of
beautiful workmanship.' On this mar
ket day many of. the women have
donned their Sunday things and. are
showing off' their, leather Bhoes.',,. In.',
wooden shoes, 'however, every one
seems to be more comfortable and we
actually met two or three girls' on '
bicycles, with their wide skirts, curl- -.
ous caps, wooden shoes and all! - And
they seem 'to get along' perfectly well
on their "bikes" with their ' wooden
shoes; only, somehow, ,it seems incon- s
gruous and. a, sort . of anaphronism to
see such modern things as bicycles on
the old road with its people of bygone
ages, as it seems'.'
,; Dress of the Men.'''
The men also' still adhere' to the ,
ancient dress. The trousers do not
differ much from those we . see in
south Holland. A double ' breasted
walBtcoat or "a short black or dark 1
blue Jacket lined with very heavy dark
blue flannel are worn .with the ker
chief In dark colors, around , the neck.
They also carry a gold brooch that Is
attached to a kind of collar of white
knitted cotton, on which are worked in '
red the name or initials of the wear-
"ppijTica
er. These brooches are made Uk
two large buttons, more or less orna
mented wltE" filigree, and hold the
neck kerchief in place at the throat
A black silk cap, sometimes with em
broidered border, complete the cos
tume. - Many of these men ' carry finely,
chased silver or old brass tobacco
boxes, for they all chew tobacco.
The tiny boys In their dress are ex
act counterparts of the men. Some few
men we meet wear very long coats
and high hats. That is a mourning
costume, we are told, which custom
requires to be worn on Sunday and
feast days as a mark of respect for
the dead. '
Few carry umbrallas. They are not .
very necessary here, for the clothing
is almost Impervious to rain. It is so
thick and of so satiny a sheen that the
water does not penetrate, but runs off
It as from a duck's back. It is the
thickness of the material and not any
undue number of petticoats that
makes the women's dress stand out
so widely around them, and that make
even the long coated Jackets of the lit
tle girls stand out as If they were
whaleboned. The workday Jackets of
women and gtrlB have short sleeves;
and only on very cold days do they
wear finely knitted black woven mit
tens over .their bare nrnis. But the
Sunday Jackets are long sleeved and
of a silky urccade appearance.