F BURNING CHARCOAL
GREAT
FIRE
CARE IS
A "PIT"
NECESSARY TO
SUCCESSFULLY.
Xdtfcor Is an Important Item In the Prop
mrmtion of the Product for the Market.
Manufacturer Generally Sell Their
Own Charcoal.
"Do you keep charcoal?" asked a re
porter of a large coal dealer in this city.
"No. Bir. Wfl do not I hnvt arAA lnfa
of coal in my time, btit never a pound of
snarcoai. i aon i even Know now it is
made. "
Leaving the wealthy coal merchant
the reporter sought one of those nonde
script coal hawkers who make a liveli
hood by attending to the wants in the
way of caloric of the very poor classes
in the by streets and alleys.
Having found pne of these coal holes
io rejjorier approacnea me almost car
"bonizod specimen of humanity, who was
for the time being resting from his
labors, and propounded the question.
w nat s ine price or charcoal r .
"Eight cents a peck," replied a gruff
"voice, and the .little old -man straight
wed himself out with an effort as he
.stopped filling the peck measure, which
he judged to be about the-newspaper
man s capacity.
"We don't sell much charcoal," he
continued, "only in small lots. Some
manufacturers buy their charcoal by the
great quantity. It is used in large lots
by persons who make ice chests and beer
coolers, as it is a poor couauctor or neat.
There's a lining of charcoal three inches
thick in all sides of a beer cooler.
"Most country people bring their own
charcoal to the city in wagon loads, and
ell it for from fifteen cents to twenty-
cents a bushel. We retail it at about
twenty cents to twenty-five cents per
"bushel, and it is a dull sale at that."
The reporter now left the charcoal
man, and approached an individual who
had just disposed of a wagon load of the
material.
"Yes, I make charcoal," he replied in
answer to an inauirv. "In the winter
and spring is the time when charcoal is
made to the best advantage.
BUILDING THE PILE.
"1 am just clearing up a tract of wood
land and am turning the refuse to ac
count by manufacturing charcoal. Beech
wood and hickory are the best for that
. purpose. Oak makes a very poor coal,
and it is hardly worth burning. Gener
ally the good wood is culled out, and
then a huge circular pile is made of the
knots and refuse. This pile is often 100
feet in diameter and from ten to fifteen
feet in height. The wood is piled with
great care in straight rows around a
small opening, about one foot in diam
eter, which is left as a sort of chimney
for the fire to be started in. '
"As soon as the pile is completed it is
covered all over with forest leaves or
' straw, and then the whole mass is cov
. ered with dirt to the thickness of three
Or four inches. It now resembles a
mall volcano, especially when the fire
is started and the smoke begins to issue
from the small opening left in the top.
The fire is started by dropping shavings
into the chimney which was left in the
center, and then lighting them by drop
ping live coals into the cavity. A, few
holes are made near the bottom of the
. pile of dirt in order to create a draft,
, and as soon as the fire begins to smoke
' these holes are again closed.
r'J "Now, if everything goes right, the
nre is aiiowea to smoulder away, with
just air enough to support combustion.
a mgu wina snoma spring up, as it
often does, every hole is closed tight to
keep down the fire, and very often boards
must be laid over the whole pile to keep
out the wind. It takes from ten days to
two weeks to burn a 'pit,' as it is called,
and this time is a period of great anxie
ty to the charcoal burner, as the opera
tion must bo watched night and day,
and a little negligence may cause the
lose of weeks of hard work.
.-. BURNING THE "PIT."
"As the fire progresses part of the
io wuauiucu vy IXUUUUBUUU aua
the remainder shrinks to nearly one-half
its original size. The shrinkage, of
course, would cause the dirt to be left
standing alone provided it would do so.
In order to meet this difficulty the tend
er goes round and round, over and over
the pile, packing the dirt with a shovel.
"This continual packing must not be neg
lected, for if a cavity should occur and
the dirt cave in instantly, the whole pile
-would burst out into flame which noth
ing could stop.
"As the burning progresses holes are
punctured through the dirt in such places
as the tender thinks the fire has not yet
once bring the fire to that part of the
pit, upon which the holes are again
losed and the charring begins. As soon
as the tender thinks that the work is
complete he shuts up the chimney and
packs every hole. He then spends about
two day sin packing the dirt, and watches
for crevices through which smoke issues
and closes them as soon as they are dis
covered. Barrels of water are now
hauled to the pit, and workmen begin to
open up a side and take out the charcoal.
If sparks of fire should be found they
are at once dashed with water, and as
the work progresses water is thrown into
the pit, while the steam thus created
penetrates to all parts of the coal and
lessens the danger of fire. As a rule all
tilA frail in TwmnvMl at rAnk o u nnon
tionary measure, and every man who has
burned a pit is glad when he gets it off
hia hands. From 700 to 1,000 bushels
are made in a pit. This is hauled away
in wagon loads of 80 bushels to 100
bushels, and sold for about fifteen cents
per bushel. Thus from $120 to $150 is
realized on each pit."
According to chemists only 20 to 22
per cent, of the wood remains as char
coal, the rest being driven off as gases.
Charcoal is 65 per cent, carbon. Cincin
nati Times-Star.
In 1820 the sea at Acapulco ran off
from the coast, leaving the roadstead
UJT AV WV iiUlUDf QUU MTOU A VUCU Hi I
fourteen feet above its ordinary level
nil UWM m jtu w UW
Thank You, Sir.
jut. tial tour, in his ".Leaves from Zly
Chinese bcrap Book, says that a most
amusing chapter in the history of official
etiquette in China might be written
under the heading of "The Emperor is
x nanKeu. iie says ne is reminded by
this Chinese formality of a pedagogue
who always insisted on his pupils' thanks
on every occasion. If he asked a boy
wnat time it was, the proper form for
his reply was, "Half-past 2, sir, thank
you."
The constitutional maxim, "The kin
can do no harm." misrht. in Chinis
official language, be translated, "The
emperor can do nothing that is not be
nevolent." An amnsinf? inr.idftrtt rwnTmil
long ago in connection with a Manchu
. nt- p , . , . ....
uflicw or mgn ranK, w uiansicn-ungah,
the president of the board of ceremonies.
This gentleman returned thanks for the
honor of having been invited to a sacri
ficial feast by the emperor, and the next
day a terrible snubbing was adminis
tered to him.
It appears that the emperor had not
invited him at all, and w;is much aston
ished. "His name," says the decree, "does
not appear in the list of guests approved
bV US. Slid in t.hn t-hanlrinCT- 11a Via Tina
been guilty of a great piece of careless
ness.
The committee of the board nF nriniuli.
ments allotted a penalty to poor Wulah-sich-ungah,
who should, according to
etiquette, have been erratefnl for that
also, though his thanks are not recorded.
Variations of the Compass.
Why the masmetic needle Doints north
ward has never been RatiKfjwfrTnlr 1
veruiineu, dui wnat perplexes and puz
zles scientists most is its persistent varia
tions, vy ooservations m Pans it was
found that in 1681 the ruacmehV. nwrTIn
varied 2 degs. and 30 mins. to the west;
in 18CD, less than 200 years later. 18des.
and 30 mins. to the west. In T,nnlnn
between 1580 and 1692, the needle varied
from 10 degs. 13 mins. east to 6 dens.
west: In Dakota the average variation
is 13 degs. and 30 mins. east; in Minne
sota 11 degs. east, while in Montana it
it is 20 degs. east. It does not nninr. dn
north except in a few localities, and at
no place does it continue to point with a
given anirular distance from t.h rnrfh
for any stated length of time.
In many places it changes secularly,
annually, diurnally and hourly, and is,
besides, further subiect to flnfeisiHnna
reducible to no method of tabulation.
In the vicinitv of iron in mv li
of magnetic sands, it ia deflected toward
the material attracting it. The needle
nas Deen known to vary 5 degs. in a dis
tance of one mile, and 1 door orwl an
mins. in two hours when left stationary
in a certain locality. at. JLouia Re
public. The Shortstop.
The baseball field is not the place
where one looks for literary wit, yet
now and then it happens that a good pat
saying is heard there which shows not
only readiness but familiarity with lit
erature. It was on an occasion when a college
nine was playing the nine from a fitting
school, and the shortstop of the latter
.was an absurdly tall and thin fellow
named Brown, apparently some ten
years older than the boys with whom he
was associated. He played very badly,
muffing and fumbling, until it was sug
gested that he was nnlv nnfc nn t'ha n;na
for the joke of having so long a man as
shortstop.
"He is like the Ancient Mariner," one
or tne college nine said; "he is 'long and
lank and Brown.' " -"He
is more like the Ancient Mariner,"
quickly and wittily returned the friend
to whom the remark was made, "be
cause 'he stoppeth one of three.'"
Youth's Companion."
Character at the Table.
At a grand hotel in Italy a guest had
arrived who made a great display of
wealth, and of whom none could learn
anything. At the table d'hote one day,
helping himself to an olive with his fork,
it was decided he was only a com
mon plebeian, for olives are handled only
with the fingers among civilized people
throughout Christendom. Table man
ners at many of our best hotels in our
principal cities invariably shock the
sensibilities of those accustomed to the
graces of polite society. It is conceded
that there is an exhilaration in the at
mosphere of Paris, of Vienna and of
Berlin that draws out any refinement
one may have in his or her nature, and
elevates to a higher plane than ever be
fore experienced. Cor. Boston Tran
script. Abuse of the Dog;.
I was on a steamer going to Norfolk.
I had a young Laverack gyp, which I
consigned to a waiter to take care of for
me. That night just before retiring I
hunted her out and found her tied to a
block at the extreme bow of the steamer,
right between the two hawser holes,
through which the anchor chains run.
The orifice was as large as a stovepipe,
and as it was blowing a gale outside, a
current of air as strong as that of a blast
furnace rushed in and blew every hair
of the dog upright. The poor brute was
actually numb, and I am certain she
would have died that night had I not
rescued her and placed her in a sheltered
warm spot. Week's Sport.
What Be Most Needed.
Uncle Charles And are you going to
buy me something for my birthday?
Millie Yeth, thir, I gueth tho.
Uncle Charles Please may I know?
Millio Yeth, thir. I'm going to buy
my dear Uncle Charlie a mithionary.
Uncle Charlne A missionary! I'm no
cannibal. -
Millie No. But grandma thays you're
apuffeck heathen. Pittsburg Bulletin.
Among the Congo negroes ' when a
man wishes a wife he secures one and
keeps her on probation a year. If heri
temper and deportment are satisfactory1
he at the end of the year formally mar-1
I ICO J1C1, DU BUOUld prOVd SjH 1U
cumbrance he sends her back to the pa-
ties her. But should she
rental roof.
8WEET APPLE CIDER.
The Old and the New Methods of Extracting-
the Saccharine Juice. '
"The sight of a keg of sweet cider on
the counter is more frequent in city res
taurants nowadays than it was a dozen
years ago. A piece of pumpkin pie and
a glass of saccharine apple juice doubtr
less appeal to tho' country bred tastes of
many a grizzled merchant and busy
clerk, and call up recollections of rude
old country cider mills and the great vats
of amber liquor into which they once
inserted the potent rye straw. Or pos
sibly the pretty eirl washinrr n-lnjjca o
the counter reminds them of some coun
try Pomona such as John Keats drew in
his poem of "Autumn." who lrwi ;
beside a cider press "and watch the last
siow oo zings, nour by hour."
The romantic old r.im
being: rapidly sunnlantefl vv v
' " X J UUV J
thorough and trustworthy modern sort.
In the old one the apples were often
ground by horse Dower. Bnt moot fre
quently the cider mill was pitched beside
a smaii stream, tne power of which, half
wasted on a great "overshot" wheel, was
made to do the arrindine'. Offr, v
- o " -w. WSU vuc
supply of water would fail, or the dam
or other contrivances give way, and then
there was a great temptation to water
the cider to make up for lost time while
waiting for the dam to fill ud. The
pressing was done creneralW hv nr.
right screw into which iron bars were
thrust and pushed around bv brawnv
arms. The writer h.u noon a v.k
wvu M ira n
ed Dutch woman helping her husband at
this arduous work.
The modern cider mi
shows by the puffs of steam that it does
not depend on dams. To be sure, there
may be a dam a foot high in the neigh
boring ravine, a fall of water enough to
work a hydraulic ram and feed the
boiler. The grinder revolves at a rate
which makes the building hum. The
ground apple, or pulp, falls down through
the floor into canvas sacks, which are
hastily closed and laid in a tier of a
dozen on the platform of the hydraulic
press. Then down comes the cover with
irresistible power, and the essence of the
apple gurgles into the vat. From here a
pump, also propelled by steam, forces
the liquid up into a large vat, from
which it can be drawn into barrels by
turning a spigot. In old times the load
ing of a barrel of cider, weighing over
400 pounds, occupied the close attention
of several brawny men, as they rolled it
up a pair of "skids," with a concert of
"heave ons." But now a pair of barrel
tongs, a rope thrown over a windlass,
having a larere- wheel for th hanrl
and the muscle of one man lifts the bar
rel and swings it into the wagon.
It is a strong arimment for i nmui
cider drinker that the nomace left aft
pressing is absolutely worthless as a food
for anything or as a fertilizer. The
virtue of the apple must thereForw r
with the juice. .
The best cider is that made late in the
season from the best nuittiml Vn-
Cold weather also conduces to its keep
ing weii. Kusset apples make about the
finest cider in the market, and if will
bring an extra price. Some other va
rieties, Newtown pippins or crab apples,
make very fine thick cider. If properly
worked, cleared of pomace, and 1tt
air tight in clean new barrels, it will
keep all winter as rich and nlAaaant. aa a
sherry wine, while, of mnnw laaa al
coholic and so less harmless.
The pleasure of "sucking cider through
a straw" is not always attainable, as
straws are not everywhere convenient at
hand. An excellent snhatitmh far tv,
straw is a stick of macaroni. Pittsburg
Where Air Is Sold.
The Bible house of Constantinople has
been often described. I was conducted
through it by the son of Dr. Bliss, so
many years.in charge of it, and who but
a few months before had died at Asaioot,
on the Nile, as described in a former let
ter. The Bible house is very well
adapted to its purpose, marked in all its
departments by evidences of American
energy, and also by indications of con
servative management.
Looking out of one of the upper win
dows, I perceived a long, low block by
the side of the Bible house, and said to
Mr. Bliss:
"Does the Bible house corporation
own that block?"
"It does not.
"When that is removed, if buildings
of the character of the others in the
street are erected your magnificent views
from these windows will be cut off."
'No, said he; "they cannot do that.
We own" the air."
"What does that mean?" .
"There is a custom in Constantinople
of selling the air above the houses, which
makes it impossible for the owner of the
building to build above a certain point,
and we have taken pains to purchase the
air between here and the end of the
block." Dr. J. M. Buckley in Christian
Advocate.
Left Court for the Field.
Gran. Butler had a great practice be
fore the war. For years he had two
offices, one in Boston and one in Lowell,
and a partner in each engaged in the
preparation of cases. He was trying
cases in court almost constantly for nine
months in the year. Then, ai now, he
was punctual and methodicaf in his com
ings and goings between Lowell and
Boston. When the war broke out he had
one of the most lucrative practices in
New England worth probably $25,000
a year. He was trying a case in court
when the order came for the Sixth regi
ment of his brigade to muster on Boston
common in readiness to proceed to
Washington. By the courtesy of the op
posing counsel and the court he was
allowed to leave the court, and the case
was stopped at that point. Boston Ad
vertiser. .A Self Preserver.
She Who is that hearty, well pre
served old man? i
. He He is a living monument to the
value of taking care of one's self.
She Well, who is he?
He He's a French duelist. Pitts
burg TtnTlnfriTE,
J. M. HUNTINGTON fc CO.
Abstracters,
Heal Estate and
Insuranee Agents.
Abstracts of, and Information Concern
ingJLand Titles on Short Notice.
Land for Sale and Houses to Rent
Parties Looking for Homes in
COUNTRY OR CITY,
OR IN SEARCH OF
BugiqE Loc&iiong,
Should Call on or Write to us.
Agents for a Full Line of
Leading Fire Insurance Companies,
I And Will Write Insurance for
on all
Correspondence Solicited. All Letters
Promptly Answered. Call on or
Address,
J. M. HUNTINGTON & CO.
Opera House Block, The Dalles, Or.
JAMES WHITE,
. Has Opened a
Xixxxc5l3. Counter,
In Connection With his Fruit Stand
and Will Serve
Hot Coffee, Ham Sandwich, Pigs' Feet,
and Fresh Oysters.
Convenient to the Passenger
Depot.
On Second St., near corner of Madison.
Also a
Branch Bakery, California
Orange Cider, and the
Best Apple Cider.
If you want a good lunch, give me a call.
Open all Night
C. N. THORNECl
Late Jlec. U. 8. L i.d Office.
T. .'.l'll).;OX,
2o:..i; I'i-:i:c.
UBY & HUDSON.
UOOyS 8 mi 9 LAND OFFICE BUOMP,
foi.oB.ce Box 3'i5,
THE DALLES, OR.
Filings, Contests,
And all other Business in the U. S. Land Office
Promptly Attended to.
We have ordered Blanks for Filings,
Entries and the purchase of Railroad
Lands under thn nwnf Trnrfifiiro A
Which We will hAVA. anA oAtriaa f Vii. miK-
lic at the earliest date when such entries
can De maae. lxxk for advertisement
in this paper.
Thornburv & Hudson.
Health is Wealth!
Dr. E. C. Wert's Nkbvk anb Brain Treat
ment, a guaranteed specific for Hysteria, Dizzi
ness, Convulsions, Fits, Nervous Neuralgia,
Headache, Nervous Prostration caused by the use
of alcohol or tobacco, Wakefulness, Mental De
pression, Softening of the Brain, resulting in in
sanity and leading to misery, decay and death.
Premature Old Age, Barrenness, Loss of Power
in either sex, Involuntary Losses and Spermat
orrhoea caused by over exertion of the brain, self
abuse or over indulgence. Each box contains
one month's treatment. $1.00 a box, or six boxes
for 5.00, sent by mail prepaid on receipt of price.
WB GUARANTEE SIX BOXES
To cure any case. With each order received by
us for six boxes, accompanied by $5.00, we will
send the purchaser our written guarantee tore
fund the money if the treatment does not effect
a cure. Guarantees issued only by
BLAKEI.EV A HOUGHTON,
Prescription Druggists.
J 75 Second St. The Dalles, Or.
Opera '.' Exchange,
VT in 1r f .i r.A A
au. im vv aszungiou Direeu
BILLS MYERS, Proprietors.
The Best of Wines, Liquors and Cigars
ALWAYS ON SALE.
Thev will aim to sunnlv their miHtnmpnt with
the best in their line, both of m ported and do
raestio goods. ,
THORP
I :
Hie Dalles Gnronfcie
is here and has come to tmr t -y
to win its way to public favor by ener
gy, industry and merit: and to this endtl
we ask that you give it a fair trial, and
it satisfied withits
support.
The
four pag-es of six columns each, will be
issued every evening, , except Sunday,
and will be delivered in the city, or sent
by mail for the moderate sum of fifty
cents a month.
Its Objects
will be to advertise
city, and adjacent
developing our industries, in extending1
and opening up new channels .for our
trade, in securing an'open river, and in
helping THE DALLES to take her prop
er position as the
Leading City of
The paper, both daily and weekly, will
be independent in politics, and in its
criticism of political matters, as in its
handling of local affairs, it will be
JUST, FAIR AND IMPARTIAL
We will endeavor to give all the lo
cal news, and we ask that your criticism
of our object and course, be formed from
the contents of the paper, and not from
rash assertions of outside parties.
For the benefit of our advertisers we
shall print the first issue about 2,000
copies for free distribution, and shall
print from time to time extra editions,
so that the paper will reach every citi
zen of "Wasco and adjacent counties.
THE WEEKLY,
sent to any address for $1.50 per year.
It will contain from four to six eight
column pages, and we shall endeavor
to make it the equal of the best. AskQ
your Postmaster for a copy, or address. 5
THE CHRONICLE PUB. GO.
Office, N. W. Cor. Washington and Second Sts.f-
course a g'enerous
Daily
the resources of the
country, to assist in
Eastern Oregon.