BANDOX RECORDER. FACTS IN FEW LINES The word Niagara means thunder water. A Utile over 12 per cent of milk is solid matter. A municipal return gives the number f trees InMouaring to Paris as in.-loS. Gniier mining :,n h:stry that is rapidly decreasing in importance in Great Britain. There i only odp woman admiral In tl world. The queen of (I recce Ls admiral hi the Russian navy. Thc Japanese cavalry carry a sword it carbine, but no lance. They are mounted on a wiry class of horse. In Ux there were only twenty-three swieW.is in Berlin to every 100.1H.X) in ltabitauts. In liXL'i the number was thirty-one. Tom Figg. who was the champion Itugilisl of England in 1710. is said to have lb' Introducer of profession al pugilism. Female slavery still prevails in Chi na. tltU of a imputation of about -100.-0C.X) nearly IOAhJ.oOO girls or wo men are slaves. Much of the country through which the Siberian railway passes had never lctu traversed by white nun before ttoe -surveyors came. Tin eoiis'.itry " Lnuten'ruanen. Switzerland, has made the announce meat tliat the old custom of smoking In church will no longer be tolerated. Joseph Chiimlerlrtin. England's dis tiufrulsUed ex -secretary of the colonies, was owe a Sunday school teacher in Methodist chapels in Birmingham and Ixtmkin. The tial quantity of intoxicating liq ours consuuhtl in the I nitial States in 3JC was Hm;..".1.".;:oi gallons, an in OfKiSf over the preceding year of about 5T.oCM.000 gallons. During the year lf02-.". there were 4C! beeevers. wi;h :t2.12d hives, in tUe state of "Uctri.i. Australia. They produced 1.UW.XU pounds of honey ami 2T5.mil pounds of wax. There are a few carpet factories in Smyrna, but mot of the canets ire mack In the dwellings of the peasants, liaoh house has Its loom, and carpet weaving is tione in the intervals of farming. T1m year iM! in the Presbyterian mission in Canton. China, was the best ui lis history. To the twenty churches Uhtc were l."Ss auditions, and the lo cal contributions amounted to more than SS,u0. la the beginning of the last century ttoere'were eight insurance oilices in th Fnltetl Kincdoin. At the present time there are while the accumu lated funds of the life olfiecs alone amount to nearly 'JG0.O;X.O0o. Baron Suyeuinisu in an address be fore the Japan Society of London said that one of the easiest ways of becom ing a .lapan-KV subject was to marry a Japanese woman. Then the husband became a member of the Japanese em pfrre. Iace and tulle to the value of $12. fsVi.n4 were exKrted from Calais to England last year. The manufacture r ilws gxl in aiais 1 Jarg iv m the hands of Nottingham people, who Introduced the trado in the French .port. A scholarship valued at $l.".o has re eentiy been established in the New Mexico Scloi of Mines, open to the best tneuil?s of the graduating class of eaoh year desiring to make a spe cial study of mining machinery in the large manufacturing works. The Rritit-h Medical Journal suggests thai "as luxuries should be taxed rath er than necesari a superfluity of fat. which is ino-tfy the result of luxu rious living, may not unfairly Ik re carded as a fitting objct of taxation." Qno municipality in Sweden already taxes suiirtiuity of fat. The Philadelphia poliee say that they Have diieoveril a shHlifter. awn inan. who brushes vuiuaide nrtieles. such as silk waists, off counters in stm$ ami then picks them up with her foot :.ml tucks them safely imder r dress. They claim to have camrht the culprit aiwl jrovetl lur euiit. Aomst WifhHnij. father of the fa tuottfc vkdinivt of the same name, re ently i-eMH-ati-d his uimMieth lurtli day. lie is himself a :rood musician 1md still plays his violin every day. He aa an intimate friend of YVn truer. IJisxt. i:.jff. P.ulovv. Kul.iiisien ami Other trreut cotnjmsers. P.y jtrofession ao is a pncurator asid lawyer. l!ev. V. H.mipas. Church of Kutrland 1LJm( of Alaska, went to Winnipeg recnty to attend a meeting of the synod. Tlls was the tlrst time he had !wen mit of Alaska in thirty years. n Ui way 1m stowed a nitrht in Van couver, but refued to sleep in a hotel or pri-aic reswlence. Instead he wrap ped himself in a blanket and. with his rip for a pillow, slept soundly on the wharf. Kecause he believes that some of his proMrty in Omaha. Neb., has been un justly taxed fleortre A. Joslyn. the mil Uonairc president of the Western Newspaper union, has boardd tip the wiwhiws of the mansion he recently built lliere at a cost of several hun dred thousand dollars, turned his cows into the crouuds which landscape art ists from New York were soutrht to beautify and cotie with his family to Saratoga, X. Y.. to reside permanent ly. The French National Society of Atr dcuUtire recently had its attention call oil to a new potato which some French journals say will supplant the Irish potato. The technical name of the new venerable is sola mini eommersonii. but It Is now betrinnintr to be calbvl the Unitruay Irish potato, as it comes front the banks of the Mercedes river, in Frutruay. The yield is said to be enormous, and it appears to be im mune from any disease. This potato is cultivated like the common potato. Toti StiKuefctlve. "The health ollicer advised me to ask fvory man with whom we had domestic Soaiings if lie was careful to boil thr ivater he used in his business." "Yes." "Well, I asked the milkman first. And .vhat do you think? He got unwl and wanted to lick me." Cleveland Plain Dealer. CLOri) MHOMETEItS. I urt.f L--otr-riri i -rue WPATHER : BY LOOKING OVERHEAD. ClrriiM Ik the HiKheNt of All t'loudu, am! ( vuinliiN Is .Much the MprjceHt , of Any roi ni of Ooul The Wettest Cltiuil uf All In NiiuUtiN. "It is eloudint; up. It must be polng to rain." This is a remark you may hear constantly, and few people seem to realize that the one thing is by no -w-Iiloli Moliere, playing the part of Ar meaus a consequence of the other. 1 p.,n j,, 0wn piece, suffered the first True, all clouds are composed of water vapor, but it is absurd to imagine that because clouds become visible in the td;y they are therefore going to dis charge their contents upon our heads. On Yhe contrary, some clouds are !,re I ('Ir ' actually prophets of fine weather. rus. for instance, or curl cloud, as It Is often picturesquely called, is, as a rule, a line weather harbinger. Cirrus is j tue tilcater to which the public has no the highest of all clouds. You can tell ' acc.ess there Is a prodigious mass of that by the fact that Its thin, twisty, j fujj ieUgth portraits, of medallions, of fibrous streaks are illuminated by the gCnre pictures, of engravings, draw last lays of the setting sun long after jgs marbles, bronzes, of st.ituett s the e. rth below is wrapped in shadow. These, with the works exhibited in t::c Threads and groups of cirrus clouds, pUUnc rooms, form a unique coshvUo:! the finer the better, appearing after a whereof every piece belongs in sonu gale, presage a long continuance of sort t0 tjlc tory of the house of Mo settled weather. On the other hand, if after sevei-.il line days cirrus appears in long parallel bands stretching right across the sky in the form popularly known as "mares tails," there will al most certainly be a change of wind ami probably rain to follow. Fulike other clouds, cirrus is com posed not of water vapor, but of tiny crystals of ice. You can toll by its motion what the pace and direction of the highest current of wind. Quiet ly as it appears to be moving, careful observation has proved that cirrus sometimes travels at the rate of n inilo in eighteen seconds. Another form of cloud which is usually an accompaniment of fine, warm weather are those cottonlike, whitish balls which are scientifically termed cumulus. Karly in the morning of a fine sum mer day cumulus begins to form as n few i-oft. scattered specks In the blue above. These specks grow and enlarge without, as a rule, traveling very fast, Thc WoT African iinntrr for they are formed by vapor ascend- j i-nim ot in.? .Monarch, ing from the earth in columns. By jn discussing j!ie question. "Which early afternoon they often cover the ! is tn,, kiM1, OI- beasts?" an old African whole sky. but toward 4 or 5 o'clock imtui'r s:.ys: they usually decrease and finally van- j -come with me to a desert pool some ish by sunset. If they behave in this j t.tV.r. moonlight night when the shad way you may be almost certain that ,,AS m.tp :md sharply cut and the the ensuing twenty-four hours will be j lKtH:U ii-:-s. if in the dry, cloudless air tine. Foks like a ball. All is nearly as On the other hand, if the cumulus j i,:juut j,s day. only the light is silver. clc-uds increase toward sunset, turn black in their centers and shine at the edtres with an angry light, rain will follow, or. in very hot weather. thunder. Thunder is specially foretold by the cumulus clouds showing rounded. sharply marked tops with silvery white edges. Cumulus, which turns very dark with black, shaggy edges, means cold rain accompanied by wind. Cumulus is much the biggest of any form of cloud. A single cloud of this description will measure six or even seven miles ftom its fiat, dark base to its rounded, glistening summit that is ' siy. its bulk and height far exceed j't ..:. .it rill's C:I'-Jt lUiMHlt !l lllS. 1 he temperature in such a cloud as this has been measured to vary over l."0 degrees -that ls. from SO degrees Fahrenheit at the base to To degrees "iMdow zero at its summit. Stratus is still another form of cloud which presents no special indication of rain. It is more common at night than in the day and consists of long, hori zontal bands of darkish cloud, which lie very low and near the earth's sur face. It rises on calm, clear evenings aft-r warm days and may often be een in mountainous districts slowly creeping up the hillsides. If the sun rises through layers of stratus It Is usually a sign of a fine, warm day to come. After sunrise, stratus, as n rule, rises higher into the air and slowly dl5. a pi ears. in early summer, when the weather is showery, you may perhaps notice, through breaks In the rain clouds, an appearance of dense white cloudlets in small, irregular tufts brightly irradi ated by sunshine. The children call It mackerel sky. Its real name ls cirro cumulus, and it is a sure sign of heat ami probably fine weather. Seen In winter, mackerel sky portends a thaw and wet. mild weather. It ls the next highet cloud to the cirrus and is some times called sonder cloud. A sure prophet of wind and rain is cirro stratus or vane cloud. It consists of long, thin clouds with torn edges Hying at great height above the earth. It Is dull in color and irregular in shape. The wettest cloud of all Is nimbus, which is seen In its most perfect form during a thunderstorm. It Is a mixture of other clouds, a dense black or gray sheet which often appears to come up against the wind. Usually when it first appears driving up over the horizon Us edges fringed and tipped with rolling masses of cumulus. The most ominous sign about a nimbus cloud Is when Its advancing summit Is tipped with ji mass of dense, white, smoky cloud, which seems to roll over and over. This Ss an omen of severe elec trical disturbance and a furious squall. -Pearson's Weekly. St;le Nut Iiinirne. A number of Philadelphia lawyers, says the Philadelphia Ledger, were ex changing stories of their experiences with witnesses under examination. One of the par'.y told the following: He was questioning a witness and said. "You have lived in Philadelphia a number of yi.irs. How long?" "Just twenty-five years." "Where did you live before that time?" asked the lawyer, hoping to prove an important point. "I didn't live." replied the witness. "I was single." Jiintifylnt; Ill Lcplure. A lecturer who had a very fine lee- ture on "The decadence of Pure Eng-' Ush" gave his address before n wo-: man's club. At the close of the talk a very much overdressed woman of the , "fuss and feathers" type came up to ! him and said: "I did enjoy your tnlk ! ever and ever so much, and I agree with you that the English language is ' decading awfully. Hardly no one talks I proper nowadays, and the land only knows what the next generation will j talk like Hnothing ain't done about it." j a theatricalmu8eum. TrciiMure of the Property Room of t? Theatre Frniicala. Great passions will ever carry it over great upholstery it you give mem meir chance. To this day the only setting of the chief scene of "La Malade Ima ginaire" at the Francais is an arm chair. It Is carried on by u couple of lackej's, as though It had just fiven re moved from a furniture van, and is planted right in the middle of the stage. That chair Is the very one In SHK. Qf the Illness that carried him , off. It is but one of the treasures of n house that is a perfect museum not j only of historic properties, but of tin whole art of the stage. In the greenroom, as M. Delorme, Its historian, has told us. in the committee room, in the otHee. of the adiuinisira- tor m tjlt! nrchives. In every part of Here. The museum of accessories is : s r'.ch In its way as the museum of paining and statuary. Here we may li '.-l t--mandolin used in "The P.arber of :'e vllle." an instrument of rare b vity of form, purity of tone ami aiitiqcUy of make. Here. too. is the oHg'n.ii rui tar of "The Marriage of Figaro." When the piece came out in IT-" 1 the man agement thought it was s sure to fail that It was not worth v. bile to buy a guitar for the hero. An instrument was accordingly hire I at 10 francs a night. The piece r.-n for fifty nights a "tremendous success" for that period ami in the excitement of this sur prise the cotiditi u- on which the gui tar had been n'.."ned were totally for gotten until !. v. .-. -r presented his bill for fr.tr: P.ichard YVhitoing in Nine:.'': :h : :y. KING OF BEASTS. n t t:old. Sit down on that rock and u.'.Jch the thirsty animals as they drink buffalo. rhinoceros, antelope, q-.mgga: ceasiotully, if the water Is l;:re. lions too. But what has fright ened the antelope and quagga that they i ti,j.w their heads up for a second and f;;de away into the shadows? Thc oth i . bc.i.s.s. too. are likening and now h.ive the sides of the pond. Nothing but the inevitable. Irrepressible jackal, that gamin among wild things, remains in view. "As yet your dull human ears have cauirht no sound, but very soon the heay trettd and low. rumbling note of an iiu-iiinhig IhtiI of elephants reach you. They are at the water. The jackals have sat down with their tails sraiulit out behind them, but not an other creature ls to be seen. The king drinks. Not a sound is heard. He squirts the water over his back, makes the whole pool muddy and retires sol emnly, leaving his subjects, who now gather round, to make the best of what he has fouled. "This is the king in the opinion of beasts." THE DINNER TABLE. Some Hint on How to Behave When Accident.' Happen. Accidents will happen. If one hap pens to spill something he Is unfortu nate, but a ready, earnest apology to the hostess Is all that he can do to rem edy the dilliculty. A careful hostess will acknowledge the apology and Im mediately change the subject. 'This story is told of a hostess at whose table a beautiful china cup was broken. "Never mind." she said pleas antlj. "They break so easily. See!" And she crushed one in her hand. Her method was rather too elabo rate. It would have been quite as sat isfactory to the offender and far more genteel had she said: "I hope you have received no Injury. The cup doesn't matter in the least." If a morsel of food drops from the fork to the tablecloth do not attempt to remove It. If a guest drops a fork or a spoon he should let It lie. The hostess will provide another. If anything distasteful be taken into the mouth It may be removed on the corner of the napkin, when it cau be folded away or placed quietly on the plate. If a bit of food falls on the waistcoat of a guest he should remove as much of it as he can quietly with the corner of his napkin. In the Great Ventern "Wheat Uelt. One square mile of wheat. Hver see It? Transcontinental trains used to stop in the Smoky Hill valley of Kan sas to allow passengers a view of such a wonder. It realized all the travel ers' dreams of agricultural splendor. Hundreds such visions now mark the great grain area of the plains, but their beauty Is none the less. Six hundred nnd forty acres of wealth! It shim mered beneath the perfect opalescent blue of the sky. the tall straws bending with their weight of grain. Standing on the seat of the reaper one might see in the distance a glimmer of green pas tures nnd catch glimpses of rustling fields of corn, but here was the heart of summer. C. M. Ilnrger In Scrib ner's. A Cool Htind. 'Mnmle. girl, that young mnn of yours has been coming now for almost n year." "Yes, mother." "Isn't It about time he was breaking the Ice?" "I don't believe he Intends to break the Ice. He's going to wear It out" Puck. ; A woman In Russln until the dny of ber death, If she remain unmarried, lfl nnder the absolute sway of hor parent. HANG THE PRISONERS! An Kxcln motion That WaM Interpret- il ax an Order. The young laird of Lochnow was a character in the Scotch camp life of the early eighteenth century. He was cool in action and full of fun in daily life. One dny lie was detailed to com mand a burial party, and as he strolled aver the hnlilclicld his orderly came to him in great perplexity. "Sir," said he, "there Is a heap of fel lows lying out yonder who say they're only wounded, and they won't let us bury them like the rest. What shall we do?" "P.ury them at once," replied young Agnew. without moving a muscle of his countenance, "for if you take their word for it they won't be dead for n hundred years to come." The man saluted and started off in all simplicity to carry out the order, and Agnew had to dispatch a counter order In haste to prevent his joke from becoming a t raged-. This recalls an "o'er true" tale of border life. Some Galloway moss troopers were brought before Sir Wil liam Howard, who was an enthusiastic mathematician. He was deep In his studies when the prisoners were marched into the castle courtyard, and a lieutenant came running up to get orders as to their disposal. Enraged nt being Interrupted, he cried, "Hang the prisoners!" and went on with his work. He finished His problem nnd went down with a cheerful mind, only to learn that his exclamation had been taken for an order, and the prisoners were all hanged. ATHLETICS IN GERMANY. WrcMtllxiK Is One of the Mont Popular KorniH of Exercise. Wrestling Is one of thc most popular forms of athletic exercises In Germany, and it seems as if the heavy and mus cular build of the Germans peculiarly adapts them for this kind of sport. The general public Interprets the word "athlete" as meaning a wrestler, weight lifter or "strong man." When the English style of athletics was in troduced into Germany, it was termed -light athletics." Wrestling is termed "heavy athletics." In every town there are many clubs Indulging in "heavy athletics." and numerous pub lic contests are arranged, in connection with which challenges to "all comers" are issued. Here one can often witness a pitched battle between science and brute power-see an "all comer" of stupendous build, probably a butcher, brewer or furniture remover, laid fiat on both shoulder blades in the most ap prove! style by a little, wiry fellow as slippery as an cel. On the occasion of the world's championships held in Ber lin an open arena, roofed only in the center, where the wrestling took place, was erected, with tiers of seats for the public all around. As luck would have ;t, the weather proved boisterous and the public shy of the fair. The cham pionships ended dismally, and the im presario, unable to pay the men's re tainers, very discreetly decided to "leave town." Fry's Magazine. ROYAL ASCOT. Thin KumotiN KukIImIi Hnee Course Was (ueeii Anne'n Idea. Ascot well deserves its proud prefix "roy.il." for it may claim to be toe child of a queen, and certainly It has been a prime favorite with nearly all her successors on the throne. It was ijiieen Anne who. when she was riding one day over Ascot com mon, saw what a splendid site it would make for a race cour.-e. and she forth with determined that a course there should be and that she herself would offer a plate to be raced for. Thus It c.une about that the London Gazette of July 12. 1711. contained this an nouncement: "Her majesty's plate of li:i) guineas will be run for round the new heat on Ascot common, near Wind sor, on Tuesday. Aug. 7 next, by any horse or mare, being no more than six years old the grass before, carrying twelve stone, three heats, to be entered the last day of July at Mr. Hancock's at Fern 1 1 III. near the starting post." Three times that year (Jueen Anne traveled in state to see the racing on Ascot common, and on tine occasion, we are told, she was accompanied by Miss Forester, a maid of honor, who was "dressed like a man. with a long white riding coat, a full Happed waist coat ami a small cocked hat. three cor nered, bound with broad gold lace, the point placed full in front over a white powdered, long (lowing periwig." Pearson's Weekly. The Way JuUal Worked. One who knew Jokai. the Hungarian writer, says that the novelist never troubled to work out his plot in detail beforehand. "He trusted to his imagi nation for guidance as to what his characters were to do at a given mo ment, anil often when he hail complet ed a chapter of feullleton which half Hungary was waiting to read he would remark to his friends as the printer's devil rushed away with the copy. 'I should like to know what those people rill find to do and say tomorrow. Jo kai started his characters on their ca reers, eulogizing them If he liked them or caricaturing them if he meant them to excite amusement or derision, and then let them work out their own des tinies across the pages of his manu script." JUxhop Itroolcn' Aiinvrcr. Rishop Phillips Hrooks never mar ried, but tit one time was very much admired, courted nnd annoyed by a wealthy maiden lad' of New York. To her numerous communications, full of admiration and modest suggestions, she received no encouragement from Dr. Hrooks. Recalling her advanced age. she grew desperate and offered, in addition to her heart and Hand, all her wealth. In reply she received the following: Madam Tour wealth give to the needy, your hvnrt to the Lord nnd your hand to the man that asks fur It. Irrelntl hie. First Contractor How did you fel lows happen to get a Job of repairing the pipes in Smug street? They were laid only a few years ago. and there was nothing the matter with them. Second Contractor I know it. but the sight of that elegant new pavement on that street was altogether oo tempt Ing. Chicago Tribune. WASHINGTON LETTER SuetMal Correspondence. In view of the rapid progress made in the terminal work the District com missioners are considering the advis ability of at once awarding the con tract for grading and filling the plaza to the Union station. It had been In tended at first not to do this until next ppring. The filling of the site is one of the largest tasks of that kind ever un dertaken in the District. About 700.000 cubic yards of earth will be required. Arrangements have been completed with the railroad company for about 100.000 cubic yards from the excava tions in connection with the laying of tracks. About 00.000 will be secured from the site for the ollice building of the house of representatives. Knllstcri With Chaffee. T! ere is a man in Geneseo, 111., Dr. L. A. Ferry, who has watched the rise of General Adna It. Chaffee with a great deal of interest. Way back in istil two young men enlisted In Com pany K. Second cavalry. One was L. A. Ferry and the other A. R. Chaffee. Ferry, telling how filings came about, said that he himself was a big six footer and stood around, assigned to certain duties which did not bring him in close touch with the ofiicers. Chaf fee, "a little red headed fellow," was ever active and was assigned to first one tiling and then another. Ferry was drilling a squad, while Chaffee became a sergeant, then first sergeant, and then a commission was given him, and he continued to go on until ho reached the highest grade In the ar my. Dr. Ferry never did get higher than a private, although he served nil through the war and did good work. The Capitol Police. Washington's unique police force, the one at thc capitol. is the subject of a report which Fred M. Seney. the clerk of the force, has just forwarded to Captain J. P. Megrew. the commanding ollicer. It is the fifty-second year the force has been on duty. While the number of arrests made during the year Is not large, nearly every one at tracts more or less attention. Probably the most widely reported was that of Carrie Nation. She yelled out incrim inations from the gallery against thc senators during their deliberations. She was taken into the police court and fined I'tittled Eyeit of Statues. None of the arrests aroused more comment than that of John Grove, a messenger of sixteen years. Johnny had a grievance against Kli Hughes, the keeper of Statuary hall. To get even he filled the eyes of the statues of Daniel Webster and General Stark with putty. He acknowledged that he wanted to see how the statues would look without eyes. Sale of Indian Coal I.andn. Secretary Hitchcock has arranged with the president about the sale of .""".um acres of coal and asphalt lands belonging to the Choctaw and Chicka saw tribes of Indians in the Indian Territory. The lands -will be sold by secret bids and will be duly adver tised. The coal hinds have been di vided into five districts, containing from .VJ.KiU acres to 70.:::: acres, and sealed bids for the purchase of tracts within each district will be opened at times specified. Pids for tracts in the first district will be opened In this city Oct. and the sale days for the other districts will be scattered over a period of nearly a year, the tracts in the last district being June o of next year. A block of asphalt lands containing HOO acres will be sold Aug. 7. WT. The President' Vacation. Summer arrangements of the presi dent have b en modified somewhat by the decision of the notification commit tee of the Chicago convention to in form Mr. P.oosevelt officially of his nomination for the presidency on July 27. The president had expected to re turn to Washington several days be fore the 'J7th of July. He will a wait, however, the formal notification of the committee and return to Washington July "S. .fter remaining here for about three weeks he will return again to Oyster P.ay to stay until the latter part of September. Cortelyoo to Take si Hest. National Chairman Cortelyou has gone away f-r a brief vacation with out specifying his whereabouts, the president having urged him to take a rest before he begins the campaign. There is comparatively little work for the national committee to do now. There ls much correspondence, which Secretary Dover will have no dilliculty In attending to. and Mr. Cortelyou will be able to take a vacation for a few weeks without Impairing the prospects of his chief in any way and when he returns will be all the more qualified to take up the work. MelClnlej-'s Cahlnet Do indl lnr. The retirement of Mr. Knox leaves but three men in the cabinet who were members when President Roosevelt succeeded President McKinley. At that time President Roosevelt invited all of the members to remain in order to help him carry out President McKlnley's policies. Gradually, however, many members dropped out. and now only Secretary Hay. Secretary Hitchcock nnd Secretary Wilson remain. The speculation Is that after the 4th of next March. In the event of Mr. Roosevelt's election. Secretary Wilson will be the only member of the McKinley regime to remain with President Roosevelt. IMreproolliiir the Theaters. Commissioner Macfarland has taken final steps toward the requirement of lireprooling of all stage settings In the local theaters. With the approval of his recommendation by Commissioners West and Riddle all t healers and places of public entertainment will be required henceforth to use only scenery that has been made fireproof by being covered or saturated with fire resisting materials. CARL SCI 10 FIELD. What Did She Mcnnf "If you feel chilly," said he as they strolled, "remember I have your shawl here on my arm." "You might put it around me." she said demurely. - Philadelphia Press. Hea.Mtn of Ills Alacrity. "How on earth did you ever get a messenger boy to deliver your note and bring back the answer so quick?" "I took his novel away from him and held It as 'euri(3'." Exchange. jryjEW SHORT STORIES He Wan Xot DIxchnrKed. Captain Eugene II. C. Leutze, U. S. X.. commander of the battleship Maine, has German blood In his veins and vast knowledge of detail about naval ordnance In his head. Before he was given the Maine and last went to sea he was superintendent of the gun fac tory at the Washington navy yard and gained the reputation of being a strict taskmaster. Habitually an "early to bed, early to rise" mnn. Captain Leutze found him- "MY NAME IS DENNIS. self unable to sleep one night. He arose, dressed, left his quarters and walked down to one of the gun shops. Although three shifts are needed to dispose of the great press of work now on hand, there was little doing. Captain Leutze's sharp eye detected a mechanic sitting on the carriage of a great hthc which was slowly running ! to and fro taking almost infinitesimal threads of steel from a twelve Inch gun. He was dozing, oblivious to all surrouudings. when Captain Leutze i rcaeluf.l his side and aroused him with: Well, what are von doing and I what's vour name?" The craftsman looked up and quailed. Then, with a resigned air. he replied. "Well. I guess it's Dennis." He was not discharged. Punishing the Trusts. Champ Clark of Missouri tells of a hot political campaign In that state in which one of the principal figures was a candidate for the legislature, a man named Jenkins, whose intense bitter- I ness against the trusts occasioned con I sidcrable surprise, for the reason that j it was well known he had some years : previously been connected with various I enterprises supposed to have been dom inated by the monopolists. After the conclusion of one of Mr. Jenkins' speeches, in which he had rhetorically Hayed the trusts and all in their hire, an acquaintance of the can didate said to him: "Well, old man. you're certainly bit ter enough now on the question of trusts, but a great many of us remem ber when you yourself were connected with one of them." The candidate smiled genially. "That's very true, my friend." said he. "I was. Rut. as I told an audience last week when the same rebuke was made to me. when I once realized the enormity of the thing I did my best to crush that tru-t. To that trust, my friend. I sold every one of my factories, every one of them, and for twice what they were worth, sir. and for cash!" -New York Herald. Horses A-plentj". One time when the late Clarence King was In the west and near a then very important mine he received from one of the owners a telegram asking him to visit the mine Immediately and wire the results of his examination, especially with regard to an alarming rumor that the value of the vein had been much impaired by finding in it a very large "horse." which is a min er's term for a body of worthless rock that sometimes displaces the ore and makes a rich vein poor. When King had come out of the mine after inspec tion, he found another telegram wait ing for him from his Impatient friend asking. "Is it true that there Is a 'horse' in the mine':" To which he promptly replied. "The mine is a per fect livery stable." J Won Despite Himself. Rufus W. Pockham. judge of the su preme court, tells the story of a young ! lawyer who was trying his first case, j "Evidently." he said, "he had studied It until he knew It by heart. He be gan speaking. When he had arrived about halfway we decided the case In his favor nnd told him so. Rut he had got going and found it impossible to stop. On ami on ho went, like an au tomobile pant control. "At length one of the judges, leaning forward, said suavely: "'Mr. M.. in spite of your arguments we have concluded to decide this case in your favor.' " Indicated liy I-'kks. Nat Goodwin told a little one the oth er night which was new to bis hear ers and appreciated by some who had encountered hard luck and many mis siles in their barnstorming days. "I dropped In on a grocer In a small town out west." said Goodwin, "and in the course of a chat I asked him: " 'Are there any amusements in town tonight T " 'Shouldn't wonder.' he replied. 'I've been selling 'nawful lot of old eggs to day.' " Xo Longer. A soft answer turneth ami wrath. "Sir." wtote an angry subscriber to a provincial Journal. "I don't want your paper any longer." To which the editor replied, "I wouldn't make It any longer If you did." London Globe. Ills Position. "What was at the bottom of that tight between Thompson and J Imp son ?" "Jlmpson was till Thompson waa pulled off." CHOICE MISCELLANY A Fortune That Can't Be Touched. Perhaps the most valuable piece of oil land in the United States is section 12, township li'J north, range i!6 east The oil and gas rights were granted through the instrumentality of Secre tary Hitchcock to the Cudahy packing house people, who own also a consider able part of the fee simple to the soil. When the Cudahys developed their holdings and discovered the enormous wealth in oil nnd gas which lay below the surface they conceived the idea that a big city near by would Increase their fortunes. So they went into the town site booming business. As a re sult the town of Bartlesville grew up and extended not only over their sec tion 12, but also into adjacent sections. Then came trouble for the Cudahys. Their scheme, instead of giving them profit, hns brought Incalculable loss. Bartlesville organized Itself Huto a mu nicipal government nnd passed an or dinance forbidding the drilling of wells or the carrying of nitroglycerin within certain of Its wards. These wards cov er some of the most valuable parts of the Cudahy holdings. Vast deposits of wealth lie under them, as is evidenced by the great gushers belching forth gas and spouting oil all around. But the ordinunce, rigidly enforced, stops every attempt to get at these treasures. -Kansas City Journal. The Kindness of Jefferson Darin. "The only time I ever saw Jefferson Davis was when I was about eight years old." said a young man in re calling the president of the Confed eracy, "but I remember him distinctly. He .was In the spacious parlors of the old Porterfield mansion at Vlcksburg when I saw hun. It was late In No vember, and tn'e day was cold and raw. The old southerner was resting In an armchair before a fire of red coals. With me was a playmate about my age. When we were ushered in, he rose and welcomed us. I don't re member our conversation, but I know my friend recited 'The Siege of Vlcks burg' nnd that he received a large ap ple as a reward. I received one. also, for not reciting, I suppose. When my friend reached the third verse of the poem, he faltered and then began to cry. Mr. Davis put his arm around the little chap, and as if by inspiration the forgotten verses readily came to his mind." New Orleans Times-Democrat. For Pianists. Women pianists who wish to keep their hands supple will be interested in Paderewski's description of bis method, says Home Chat. He says: riirt .5i-lif Iwforo I nlav I turn mr I. . . .;- - - - - - v 1 1A ..... ..tft. n 91 fl lin tiilia nanus over 10 ui tun-i, .nm w hum my fingers until they tingle. Then he takes one finger after the other and turns and twists it in the palms of his hands, always turning the one way. This makes the fingers supple and keeps the knuckles in good working order. Last, he nibs the palms of each hand very hard, as hard as I can stand It. Just before I go on the plat form to play I have a basin of hot wa ter brought to my dressing room. In tlds I immerse 1113 hands. Hot! I should say so! Just about ns hot as It is possible for any one to stand it!" The End Seat In Germany. Here is a story of how they solve thc end scat problem in Germany. In a re cently published book of travel the au thor. Anna Cogswell Wood, tells it: Will you ever forget the naive rude ness of the German m the street car at Munich a year ago? I can still see him try to make A. give up to him her nice seat nt the end of the open car. I can still see his look of obstinate de termination when she declined, calling his attention at the same time to va cant places on the other side of her. With a feeling of dismay I saw him lift her up In his arms and set her down in another place, while he took calm possession of her seat. Redress was Impossible, for the conductor ex changed winks with this barbarian. Exchange. A Itelnenrnnted Empress. The Japanese are devoted to the Em press Haniko. and. perhaps because of her charming personality and her womanly virtues, they have a curious belief about her. Some centuries ago there was an empress who was so wise, kind and gracious that her people simply wor-" shiped her. In her time all went well with the country and people; it was. In fact. Japan's golden age. says Home Notes. Now it is supposed that this adored royal lady has returned to earth and under the guise of the Empress Ilnruko will guide Japan and her peo ple safely through the perils which surround them. Speed on Spanish nallvruy. Trains in Spain are certainly slow. A rate of ten or twelve miles an hour Is considered a good average of speed for everyday travelers. When the Spanish ollicials wih t.i show visiting fo-eigners what they really can accom plish in the way of rapidity they offer express trains, which dash madly across the landscape at an average rate of fifteen or eighteen miles an hour. In one way this proves an ad vantage, for the traveler sees a great deal more scenery for his money tlutn if he were rushed pnt it swiftly. London Tit-Rlts. Hidden Treasure Inducement. The following advertisement is ap pearing in Paris papers: "Forty-five minutes from Paris. Salnt-Lazare: small historic castle, call ed "The Admiral's House'; comfortable, heating apparatus, baths, winter gar den, lawns, park, shrubberies; .'5.000 meters; 40.000 francs. A special agree ment in case of the discovery of the treasure of James II. of Scotland." Generous. Raron (to his valet) Johann. I have received quite a large number of offers in reply to a matrimonial advertise ment. I have selected one out of the lot. and here are the rest if you like to make any use of them. From the Ger man. Mean. Jane When I reach my twenty-sev enth birthday I'm going to settle down. Mary I'm afraid you'll find it out of reach, my dear. It passed so long ago. Cleveland Plain Dealer.