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1 The light which comes to us from the
sun In eight minutes might Journey
ten thousand billion years and not
reach the borderland of the universe.
It has no limit It can have none. Yet
the same laws rule it throughout. ' And
every force, all power within It, all
the laws that govern It, work for har
mony and happiness. :'.-v.-'
A French engineer, Jean Berlier, has
worked out In detail the plans for a
railroad tunnel under the Straits of
- Gibraltar. He would run It from a
point in Spain near Gibraltar to Tan-
; gler, In Morocco, the total length, in
cluding approaches, being 25 miles, of
. which 20 miles would lie under the
- sea. Tbe estimated cost is about $25,
: 000,000.
- 1 Prof. C E. Bessey announces In a
letter to Science that he has obtained
evidence that trees. Including such spe
cies as oak, hickory, willow, cotton-
wood, elm and box elder, are rapidly
advancing in eastern Nebraska. The
areas covered by them are gradually
creeping up the courses of the streams
and spreading out laterally. In some
cases the "tree belt" along rivers has.
within twenty-five years, Increased
In width from 100 feet to half a mile,
and even a mile. ' ,
Prof. Arthur Thompson, In Knowl
edge, deals with the form of skulls and
brain capacity. The average weight
of a man's brain is about 50 ounces,
that of a woman about 45 ounces. This
difference between the sexes is less
marked in savage than In civilized
races, and is apparently explained by
the fact that in the higher races more
attention Is paid to the education of
the male than the female, and conse
quently the brain Is stimulated to in
creased growth.' 't ' J
An Ingenious Frenchman, M. Louis
Levat ' recently administered alcohol,
through the soil, to a geranium plant
for the purpose of observing the ef
' feet It was sufficiently startling. The
leaves of the geranium began to turn
yellow and gave off a peculiar etheric
odor, symptoms of poisoning appeared,
the rootlets turned black and seemed
to have been burnt the leaves drooped
toward the earth, and in four days the
alcoholized geranium, which had been
a very beautiful plant was a totterig
wreck. ','''-. . ,
' The Arctic Ocean, says Nansen, Is
' a kind of lagoon, separated from tbe
Atlantic by a submarine ridge, stretch
ing from Spltzbergen to Greenland. To
. this ridge Is due a curious condition.
The Arctic is covered with a layer of
! slightly salt water from the Siberian
rivers and Bearing Strait and under
this is the normally salt Gulf Stream
water. If the two layers were mixed,
the average temperature would fall,
but this average would not be as cold
as the -surface layer. This accounts
for the enormous formation of polar
. ice. .' v ;. , ; . v "
There Is a little bird In Costa Rica, a
pretty black and orange oriole, who is
' an expert in needlecraft Having no'
, clothes upon which to exercise her skill
she turns her talent to account in
home-making. Selecting a large, fresh
growing banana leaf, she carefully
' sews the two edges together with her
.bill for the needle. v and some strong
' grass or rootlets for tbe thread. She
even follows the grain of the leaf close
by one of the veins, and so neatly are
, the stitches made that only the closest
examination reveals them. Inside this
. . pocket is built a nest of soft grass or
. hair, and here the mother bird lays her
dainty eggs and raises her family
without fear of discovery. "
UNDER FALSE PRETENSES,
Why Apache Bill lft the Theater
. - Without a Murmur.
"Back in the early '80s," said an old
time showman, chatting with the New
Orleans Times-Democrat man, ' "I ' got
a job as manager of a typical western
variety theater at Carbonate, Colo. 1
didn't exactly relish the situation, but
I bad been stranded out there by the
failure of a road company and it was
a case 'of Hobson's choice. Carbonate
was on the boom at the time and tbe
population consisted of the usual col
lection of miners, adventurers,- gam
blers, Eastern tenderfeet and miscella
neous frontier nondescripts.
"Our house was a favorite resort of
the town and was packed to the doors
every performance, but things passed
off with remarkable smoothness until
one night about a week after 1 bad
taken charge, when a half-drunken ruf
fian down near the front began to cre
ate a disturbance. He started in by
guying the performers and soon had
them so badly demoralized that the
show was virtually at a standstill.
"Meanwhile I had taken a look at tbe
fellow from one of tbe boxes and saw,
to my consternation, that he was a not
ed 'bad man,' known as Apache Bill,
who was then the acknowledged bully
of the camp, and who had won his so
cial position by 'shooting up a couple
of deputy sheriffs and chasing his pred
ecessor over the range.
1 "It was- a critical moment In my ca
reer. I realized that If I 'allowed Bill
to break up the performance tbe ex
ploit would be repeated by every minor
bad man In town, and I might as well
resign and get out I bad to do some
thing and do it quick, and, at last in
sheer desperation, I started down the
middle aisle. . The house suddenly
grew still as death and everybody
watched my progress. -r.
"When I reached the ruffian I tapped
him on the shoulder and he looked up
inquiringly. Come with me,'. I said,
mechanically, expecting to get a bullet
in my vitals by way of reply, but, to
my amazement be said: 'AH right,
partner,' and promptly arose. . I put
my hand on his arm and we walked
out together, the audience literally
gasping with astonishment . in our
wake. ' - , . . -
. "When we got to the sidewalk I was
about to return when he called me
back. 'Say, what did ye bring me out
here for 7 he demanded. 'I wanted you
to leave the theater,' I replied. 'Suf
fering grasshoppers!' he roared, '1
thought you wanted me to take a
drink!"
CUBAN TIMBER IS THREATENED.
Greedy Lumbermen May Despoil the
Island' Valuable Forests.
' Oen. Bivera, Secretary of Agriculture
In Cuba, bas made an appeal for the
preservation of the forests of the isl
and. Under the American rule they
stand a chance of being treated with
the same injurious - Indifference that
has robbed this country of a great
- source of wealth and left, large tracts
denuded of vegetation, and, most im
portant of all, tbe water ways without
the protection that kept them from
running dry at one season of the year
and flooding to the danger point at an
other.' The valuable mahogany groves
tit Cuba can be continued forever as a
steady source of Income for the Island,
nr thpv pan he allowed to be wined
. out
at nne foil swoon of the lumber dealer,
He is reported to be already In Cuba,
preparing to make to tne owners or tn
forests temDtinz offers of a little Don
ey: so. much needed that the natives.
will be apt to overtook xne yaiue ji
what they own and forget what Is tc
their future advantage. A few saw-
unills erected, railways built and the
means oi getting tne lumoer to tne sea
provided, and it will be all over with
the Cuban forests, while an ounce of
protection for them now will save the
young trees and cause, an intelligent
care of new plantations and preserve
to the Islands one or its oesi means
MvanilB i -'
It. Is marvelous bow rapidly, a, wood
can disappear and be lost to even mem
r. An Enellsh traveler in this coun
try not many years since, in writing
of a part of Connecticut wnere tne ror
est is now practically unknown, spoke
of "the everlasting forest, from which
in America we cannot By. I cannot re
member that except in some part
th nralrles. I was ever out of sight
the forests in the United States, and
. .,a T nov-or wffihpd to be Rfi-
au buic - -
was like the 'verdurous wall of para
dise,' confining the mighty southern
and western rlversito their channels.
We were, as It apnea red. imprisoned
In it for many days as we traversed
the Southeastern States. We threaded
it in Michigan; we skirted It ! New
York and Pennsylvania; and through
out New England It . bounded every
landscape. It looked down upon us
from the hilltops; it advanced into no
tice from every gap and notch In the
chain. To the native it must appear
as indispensable In the picture gallery
of nature as the sky. To the English
traveler it is a special boon, an added
charm, a newly created grace, like the
Infant planet that wanders across the
telescope of the astronomer.
Next to the solemn and various beauty
of the sea and sky comes that of the
wilderness.' ' .
, Looking at It In a wholly utilitarian
spirit" the mind reverts to the property
loss to the country In letting these mag
nificent woods be the prey of the greeU
of the lumberman, who has cut wttn
out knowledge or pity, stamping out
behind him all the forest wealth as he
goes on his devastating career,, cutting
right and left without a care for the
coming years. If forestry had not for
so long been made a science 4n Europe
we onni have an excuse, but there is
only heedlessness and greed that can
account for what has been done. New
port News.
' UNIQUE WATCH FROM PARIS.
Kansas City Man the Owner of a Val
uable Timepiece.
W. B. Clarke, president of the United
States Trust Company, is the recipient
of a unique and valuable present from
a fans Dantcer
friend, says the Kan
sas City Journal. It
Is a large yet dell
c a t e 1 y fi n i sbed
watch, which not
only is a chronom
eter, but it also tells
the days of the week,
the month, tbe days
IWIQTT. WATCH. of aB(j
the moon's phases. The case is of gun
metal highly polished, and Is- of tbe
"open-face" variety. It is about three
inches in diameter, with a very heavy
crystal. ' '
The works of the finest Swiss
watches have gold mountings, with
the running parts of steel fully jeweled.
Tbe watch is about three times as
beavy'as the ordinary large American
watch. It is not Intended, of course,
that the possesor will ever carry it in
bis pocket but with it is a beautiful
red morocco case with a bracket leg
so that when the watch Is In Its case it
resembles a small clock, the face being
exposed. It Is Intended as a desk
cbrnomoeter, yet it is too valuable, a
piece of " bric-a-brac to be left lying
around. ' ,
Wben Mr. Clarke was in Paris on one
of bis European trips be bad the mis
fortune to lose his watch, a very valu
able one, and one day in a company of
Paris bankers, all of whom he knew
very well, he related tbe circumstance's
of his loss. Nothing more was thought
of the matter until Mr. Clarke received
a letter the day before Christmas noti
fying him that the watch had beer, for
warded. It adds to tbe Interest ot the
present that so good a timekeeper is it
that it did not lose an hour on its long
trip from Paris and arrived as prompt
ly as though It bad been forwarded by
messenger from a shop In Kansas City.
Wanted Sympathy
She is a charming widow, pretty.
bright and light hearted, She was a
charming young woman before she
married Mr. Blank, and moved away
to live In Georgia. Her married life
was most happy, and the death of her
husband was a great loss to her, but
she bore up under it After the funer
al and a general packing up of things
she returned to her old home. The day
after she arrived she was met on the
street by one of her very solemn-faced
friends, who intended to give ber a
cluster of that sympathy that makes
one7 feel as if tbe sympathizer had
thrown something at and on the "sym-
pathizee. -
"Oh, Mrs. Blank," said the solemn
one, "I am so glad you are so well." '
, "Yes," answered the widow, "I am
as well as can be. I was never ill In
my life, you know."
"And, Mrs. Blank," continued the
solemn one in more solemn tones, "I'm
glad to see you so happy."
"Why, yes. Yes, I'm very happy.
You know it was not I that died. It
was Mr. Blank." Memphis Scimetar.
An Al Rhyme.
There was a noted LL. D.,
Belonging to the F. F. V,
A member of the G. O. P.,
Whose son was in the U. S. V.
I'd sold the son things f. o. b.,
1 wouldn't ship them c. o. d., ;
But' sent a letter, viz.:
, A bill, a note, "K. S. V. P."
He hadn't paid a single son ,
I then decided what I'd do; -I
wrote: "I hold your I. O. U.; '
Will see your father p. d. q."
Full quickly then this U. S. V.
For fear the irate LL. D.
Might dock his monthly M. O. B.,
Inclosed his check for twenty-tars.
-Atlanta Journal, -
Hi) Apprehension.
She Why such a hurry 'to marry.
Dick? We've only been engaged tiiree
months. -
- "Yes, I know; but I'm afraid you will
get tired of me." Life.
When a new family moves Into a
neighborhood It Is regarded as a valu
able acquisition If tbe furniture wagon
shows a step-ladder.
The average man thinks be Is gallant
to women when be orders a boy in the
room to give the lady his chair. ,
A woman's letter to her sister la tbe
most trifling thing on earth.
VIADUCT TO BE) TAKEN 1DOWN.
Immense Work of Engineering in
Pennsylvania-Will Be Destroyed.
It is authoritatively stated that the
famous Kinzua viaduct, the gigantic
iron girder and trestle . bridge in Mc
Kean County, Pennsylvania, south of
Bradford, Is to be replaced at an early
date by a new and wholly different
structure. Work on it was begun on
May 5, 1882, and it was completed and
opened for traffic less than four months
later, on Aug. 29, 1882. It is 301 feet
high at tbe highest point and until
the completion of the Garabit viaduct
was' the highest bridge In the world.
The Garabit spans the Truyere. in tbe
south or France,. Is 1,849 feet long and
at tbe highest point the rail level Is
401 feet above tbe river. It was de
signed by M. Eiffel, builder of the fam
ous tower, and was completed in 1884.
; Tbe Kinzua bridge is 2,000 feet long,
its completion gave to the New York,
Lake Erie and Western Railroad di
rect communication with the coal fields
of Western Pennsylvania. Tbe Buf
falo, Rochester and Pittsburg bas a
traffic arrangement with the Erie for
the use of tbe bridge. Tbe valley of
tbe Kinzua, which this great trestle
spans, is fifteen miles south of Brad
ford and one of tbe wildest regions yet
left in Western Pennsylvania. Until
recently, perhaps even yet bear were
plentiful and deer occasionally found
In this valley. Tbe ..Kinzua viaduct
GREAT KINZUA VIADUCT, 300 FEET HIGH, TO BE TAKEN DOWN.
has been a point of excursion and an
object of curiosity for sight seers ever
since It was built .Gen. Grant was
taken there on one occasion.
GREAT COKE AND COAL YEAR.
Tremendous Output of Both Expected
in Western Pennsylvania in 1900.
This year will witness the greatest
era in the coke and coal reg.ous of
Western Pennsylvania in their history.
In the Connellsville coke region more
new ovens will be built than In any
previous year, and the coke production
will be increased fully 20 per cent.
There are how projected and In the
course of erection more than 2,000 new
ovens, which will be, put in operation
by the middle of .the coming summer,
which will run the total of tbe coke
region up to 21,000 ovens. At the be
ginning of the present year the're" were
In operation in the region 18,904 ovens.
During tbe past twelve months the
price of coke bas nearly doubled,' and
the demand to-day greatly exceeds the
production. At the present price, $3.
tbe business is most profitable. Two
years ago coke was selling for $1 a ton.
The production of the coke region for
1897 was 8,500.000 tons, while during
tbe year 1899 9,529,000 tons was ship
ped from tile Connellsville region. The
1897 product was valued at $14,000,000,
while that of last year 'represented a
value of $20,500,000. The enlarged ca
pacity will increase the product for
1900 to about 13,000,000 tons, with a
value of nearly $30,000,000.
Just now there is a famine in coke.
Tbe famine is not acute because coke
can be had for Immediate delivery,' but
only In small quantities. Coke makers
are just now getting $3 a ton for fur
nace coke and $3.25 for foundry coke.
Western Pennsylvania coke Is now
bringing $5.90 at Cincinnati and $0.50
at St. Louis. All kinds of coal have
greatly advanced in prices, and to-day
there is not an idle mine in all Western
Pennsylvania. In many cases the
wages of the miners have been ; ad
vanced greatly. -The coal famine, has
Induced many large Pittsburg consum
ers to buy up coal lands, and many new
mines will be opened soon. A large syn
dicate, formed of Pittsburg consumers,
has obtained control of more than
1,000,000. acres of rich coal lands
around the city, and will operate mines
to supply, their manufacturing plants.
MYSTERY OF THE MAINSPRING.
Some Breakages Not Tet Understood
. Despite Much Investigation. '
Ttpsnita the investigations reeardinz
the structure of mainsoriucrs and the
efforts to improve them; despite the ex
perimentation and theorizing on tne
subject some of tbe causes or tne
breaking of mainsprings remain an un
solved mystery. Many, indeed, are tne
known onuses resnonsible for breaking.
such as faulty construction or temper
ing, careless nanaiing, leaamg to me
formation of rust and poor fitting, but
after all these which are recognized
have been eliminated mere sun re
mains the fact well known to watch
makers that the best springs will, in
spite of tbe most careful handling and
proper adjustment, unexpectedly
break, sometimes In a number of
places. It will thus happen that of two
Springs made at the same time by the
feame process, of the same material,
tempered In the same way and handled
... . I ,.naaA AHA m 1 W I.St f
iwim me saiue vme, vuc j v.
years, while the other may break after
wo weeks' use, or even while being
placed In the barrel. 'V
... . . . . . . i. . ,
Wben It 18 considered mat iae fpnuj
Is but from .008 to .009 of an inch in
thickness; that tbe material must be
subjected to a process which shall give
It a high state of elasticity, and at the
same time enable it to do its prescrib
ed work for years, a slight molecular
disarrangement in its structure may be
expected to occur from causes too in
significant for observation. i.
Many Jewelers state-that It Is their
experience that they have man more
mainsprings to repair after a warm,
humid day than at. any. other time.
Others believe tbe breaking to be due
to electric disturbances, stating that
after an electrical storm they find that
many of their customers bring their
watches to them for repair. The sud
den cooling and consequent , contrac
tion of the tightly wound mainspring,
caused by the removal of the watch
from the body on a cool night following
a warm day, is believed by some to ac
count, In a measure, for tbe accidents
mentioned. So far, however, no ; en
tirely satisfactory explanation bas
been suggested. Tbe only conclusion
to be drawn, from the acknowledged
facts of tbe case Is that it is not safe
for tbe watchmaker to infer, merely
from tbe breaking of a- mainspring,
that-it is of an Inferior grade, nor for
his customer to believe the watchmak
er deficient in skill because the main
spring of his timepiece has snapped
shortly after being replaced. "
JUST.VACCINATED, THAT'S ALL.
The Pretty Young Woman Made the
Passengers Angry.
There was something strikingly pic
torial; in the appearance of a young
lady 'who sat In the upper left-band
corner of a Jackson avenue trolley car
during one of Its out-bound ruusvthe
other morning, says the New Orleans
Times-Democrat It was due, no doubt
to many things to the aristocratic
slenderness of ber figure; to her wide,
dreamy eyes, tbe exact color of wood
violets; to the great black forest of os
trich plumes that formed ber hat; to
the geometric curve of the towering
collar of her cape. . At any rate, she
looked as if she might have sauntered
out of tbe pages of some journal of
fashion a beautiful denizen of picture
paper land, where skirts always bang
in just tbe proper folds and trousers
never bag at the knee. '
. Everybody looked at ber, tbe men ad
miringly and the women coldly, as they
always do when another woman is bet
ter dressed, and she withstood tbe scru
tiny with regal composure. - She did
not seem aware that anybody else was
present At last tbe car neared ber
corner, and wben she had pressed the
button and tbe wheels were almost at
a standstill she arose calmly and glided
down tbe aisle. She was at tbe door
when the car came to a full stop, and,
seeing her stagger slightly , from the
shock, the conductor instinctively laid
bis hand upon ber arm.
It was a courteous and respectful act
and one that might have saved ber
from a fall, but the instant his fingers
touched her sleeve the haughty beauty
leaped backward as If she had seen an
apparition. Her delicate face went
pale and her dreamy eyes blazed.
"Don't touch me, sir!" she exclaimed,
with a harshness that shocked and as
tonished every hearer. The conductor
was a plain, kindly man, and, flushing
with mortification and chagrin, he
turned back to his platform, while the
young woman gathered ber skirts and
passed swiftly through the door. "Well,
I must say," remarked an elderly gen
tleman who had taken in the episode
over the top of his newspaper, "that
was about the most painful exhibition
of superciliousness I ever witnessed In
my life. Pshaw! No wonder the poor
are embittered." There was a growl
of approval and the conductor thrust a
smiling face through the doorway.
"Don't blame de young lady, gents,"
he said, cheerily. "She explained it all
when she was gettln' off. She didn't
mean hothln'. Xou see, she's Just been
vaccinated."
Woman's Most Winsome Age. .
Why do women hesitate to tell their
age? - By common consent it is regard
ed as very rude and boorish to ask a
woman a categorical question regard
ing tbe number of ber birthdays, let
there should be no diffidence on the
point and reticence on tbe subject is
hard to explain.- - Except for some rea
son connected with 'business which
may find in accumulating years a han
dicap, a man Is . usually very open
about bis age and as ready to proclaim
it as. bis wife and sister are to conceal
theirs., Probably the feeling In tbe
matter had its origin In the long ago
when' matrimony Was tbe ordinary
woman's only desirable goal, and wben
as she grew older her chances of find
ing a mate diminished perceptibly.
Tbe situation has so entirely changed
and splnsterbood bas become so Invit
ing that we should expect to discover
an alteration in the manners of women
on this point and to find them quite
candid as to their claims to maturity
or the reverse. Fifty years to-day looks
as forty did a score of years ago. Thirty
always a very winsome age, the age
of woman's most captivating beauty
is not now to be distinguished In
freshness and bloom from twenty-five.
Outdoor life Is doing for women what
nothing else can do making them
beautiful and keeping tbem young.
Collier's Weekly.
A Reformer.
Mrs. Corncribber I reckon our Hen
nery bas joined the law and order
league at Yale."
Mr. Corncribber Why do you think,
that?
Mrs. Corncribber Why, he writes
that he's helped to break up four
shows at the opera bouse this week.
Them theaters is very pernicious
tilings, you know. Judge,
FILIPINOS' QUAINT, ANCIENT AND HOME
OME curious old cannon have been captured in the Philippines.. Some of the arsenals taken have been found to be
veritable museums of ancient ordnance. The relics of bygone' warfare were left behind by the Spaniards when
they evacuated the places and had not been used for many and many a year. They are valuable now only as curi
osities. Even the Filipinos seldom tried to use them. At first the rebels wt re without field artillery, but later they
smuggled in a small supply of modern field pieces, which, however, they never succeeded in using effectively.
On one occasion it was found that some enthusiastic Tagal actually had tr ed to make use of one of the relics. At
the capture of Santa Anna the field piece shown in the picture, mounted, was Bred against the Americans. Its crudeness
can be seen at a glance." It is mounted on a carriage composed of the wheels of a "carramato," the cab of Manila. The
collection of curious guns shown was found in the arsenal in Manila. Some of the specimens were secured as curiosi
ties by British naval otficers and sent to the Royal United Service Institution cs curios. Most of the field pieces are of
the "gaspipe" order, strengthened with wooden sheathings, while others are of ihe real old-time Spanish type of the
sixteenth century. Some of the obsolete mortars are of bronze, highly ornamented with scrollwork, crowns and ciphers.
. Some of the most elaborate and remarkable pieces will find places in this country in museums or as ornaments at mili
tary posts.
GUESS ON 1900 VOTE.
FORECAST OF NEXT NOVEM
BER'S ELECTION FIGURES.
New York Bun Figures Out that About
Fifteen Million Votes Will Be Cast
Factors that Are . Expected to Affect
the Number.
In the election of 1892, the first fol
lowing the last federal census, the to
tal vote on Presidential electors was
12,150,275. Id the election preceding,
in 1888, the last before the census, the
total vote on Presidential electors was
11.392.429. Between 1888 and .1892,
however. Idaho, casting 19.000 votes:
Montana, casting 44,000; North Dako
ta, casting 30,000; South Dakota, cast
ing 70.000; Washington, casting 87,000,
and Wyoming, casting 10,000, were ad
mitted into tbe Union, and these cast
collectively 272,000 votes. The net
gain, therefore, during the intervening
four years was 485,000, or about 4 per
cent '
At the same rate of increase tbe to
tal vote at the last Presidential elec
tion, In 1896, should have been about
12.040,000. Instead of this, it was more
than 14,000.000, a total vote without
precedent in the United States, or, in
fact in any country in which universal
suffrage exists. So large an Increase,
nearly, 2,000,000 In four years follow
ing a period of financial depression, has
been' ascribed generally to the interest
enlisted. In the McKinley-Bryan contest-
the Important character of . the
principles Involved in It - But even un
der such conditions It would be difficult
to account for .an increase of nearly
2,000,000 unless there had been general
lethargy 'among tbe voters in tbe vari
ous contests preceding or unless other
special reasons contributed to the large
total of four years ago. As a matter of
fact such cases did contribute materi
ally and perceptibly, and a statement
of a few of tbem would make easier an
understanding of the situation which is
now confronting tbe political comput
ers In their early estimates of the prob
able total vote that will be cast for
President in November next , '
Between. 1892 and 1890 Utah, with a
total vote of nearly 100,000, was added
to tbe number of States and in Colo
rado the exercise of the suffrage was
extended to women, with the result
that the total vote of the centennial
State, which was 91,000 in 1888 and
93,000 In 1892, rose to 190,000 In 189G.
Moreover, in the border States of the
country in which prior to the appear
ance of tbe sliver issue Democratic
success bad been accepted as a matter
of course, the uncertainty of contest
brought out a larger vote, the increase
In Maryland being from 213,000 to 250,
000, Id Kentucky from 340,000 to 445,
000, and in Missouri from 540,000 to
675,000. The changes in these border
States, tbe extension of the suffrage in
Colorado and the admission of Utah
account therefore, for 500,000 of the
gain and hi tbe other States of the
country there was about tbe normal In
crease augmented by tbe vigor of tbe
contest In many of the States which
were uncertain and further by the fact
that there were seven electoral tickets
In 1896, drawing to the polls all classes
of electors, some of whom bad taken
no part in previous elections.
Since tbe Presidential election of four
years ago there bas been a large in
crease in tbe population of the United
States. No States, It is true, have been
added to tbe number which are to par
ticipate, but woman suffrage bas been
extended to Idaho by constitutional
provision with the certainty of adding
to its total vote. On the other hand, re
strictions on voting have beeu adopted
In Mississippi.. Louisiana and South
Carolina, the full effect of which will
be shown at this year's election, and
the most reasonable estimate of tbe
probable total vote Is, everything con
sidered, about 15,000,000 New York
Sun.
COULDN'T HELP IT.
An Old Yankee's Yarn of Better Days
Was Pnre Fiction.
An old man was sawing wood In a
Maine village tbe other day. He bad
taken a job and was putting in his best
licks. .
A man who was going past stopped
and looked over the palings of tbe
fence. '
"Kind o' tough work, isn't It uncIeV"
asked the passer.
The old man straightened up and
stroked tbe sweat off his forehead.
"WaL middlln' tart" said he. "Sort
o' takes bolt o' my lumbago once in a
while. I don't suppose I should mind
It so much if it hadn't been for tbe fact
that I had money once and didn't have
to do such things as this."
"Is that so? Had money r
"Yas, tbafs right. You remember
tbe time they built this branch railroad
through here?"
"Sure."
"Wal, I was doln pretty well at that
rime and I subscribed to the stock.
Kinder thought there might be a chance
to make a little something out of the
deal. But the first thing I knowed
they called for an assessment of tbe
stock. They come round to me and
wanted my assessment
" 'How much be It? said I.
" 'Sixty-four thousand, five hundred
dollars.' says they.
"'WaL says I. 'that's rather a stiff
haul on a man, but I'll pay it But I
give ye notice now that ye better not
call on me again. For that will just
about take tbe last cent I got' And
for a fact when I went into the old
cbist and counted out my money that
was jest what I had to a cent Never
got a cent back for all that money 1
put in. And here I am sawln" wood
for a llvin."
When the stranger got down to the
store and steed warming bis hands at
the barrel stove be remarked upon the
sad case of tbe old man sawing wood
up the road.
"That man never bad a cent ahead in
all his life," remarked tbe storekeeper.
"He's alius sawed wood for a livin'."
"Well, what does he want to tell
such a thundering story as that for?"
asked tbe stranger.
"Wa-a-I," replied the ' storekeeper,
"Yankees have to sorter keep In prac
tice for what may come up. Jest hav'
to do it.
"When you drive along you'll prob
ably see an old feilow up here work
ing round In the barnyard. 'v He wears
Horace Greeleys for whiskers and a
straw hat winter or summer. You'll
know bim' when yon see him. Stop
and talk with bim a little while. He's
keepiu' In practice, too."
The stranger did so.
They fell into talk of tbe corruption
of modern. Institutions and of the ditti
culty of believing those who are en
gaged, in business operations.. " '
"Two weeks ago," said the old man,
"I was shingling the Methodist pa'son
uge down the road here a ways, and
tbe elder came out and says be, "i'be's
a big bank, in Boston failed.' ; -
" 'National bank?' says I.
" 'National bank,' says he and he
gave me the name.
"Wal, sir, for a while I never was so
scared in my life. I Jest jumped right
down off tbe roof of that pa'souage
'bout thirty feet Was so excited I utv
er felt It
"I ran all tbe way home. I rushed
into tbe bedroom. Wife come a ruu
nln after- me.
" 'For tbe land sakes, says she,' 'be
you crazy?
"'Putty near It says I. The So-and-so
National Bank of Boston has failed
up and It'-s jest like my luck to have a
lot of bills of that bank in the chest
here.' And I threw the chest open
and reached down for our box. - 1 open
ed it Wal, it didn't have a single bill
on that bank nor any other kind of a
bill either. Never felt so relieved in
my life." Lewiston Journal.
CAMEO CARVING.
A Description of the Tools and the
Method Employed. i
All tbe tools used by the cameo carv
er would make but a handful, says tbe
New York Evening Post The worker
sits before a wheel turned by a pedal;
tools occupy a small corner of the ta
ble surface on which .the worker's
hands rest while he holds the shaped
stone or shell beneath tbe needle-like
drill. Tbe little pointed Instruments
which are used to drill resemble those
employed by a dentist, and, indeed, it
was from tbe cameo carver's kit that
tbe dentists got many of their Ideas
wben tbe tools now. in use by them
came to be manufactured, thirty years
ago. The drills vary in thickness ac
cording to the portion of the figure or
design to be executed. Some are as
fine as tbe point of a cambric needle.
A small cblna receptacle also stands
near, filled with oil and diamond dust
and into this tbe workman frequently
dips bis tool during the progress of his
work. . ' i ';.
The cameo cutter's occupation Is very
exacting. He can put In only a few
hours' work at a time as a usual thing,
because of the tension on bis nerves.
A quavering hand may. be responsible
for tbe single stroke which will spoil
a week's work. He must have an eye
almost like a microscope and a very
delicate touch; be must be an artist
in soul and as skilled a craftsman as
a watchmaker; be must know bow to
model and draw, and he must have a
knowledge of chemistry, so as to re
move offending spots. -
The work is executed in relief on
many kinds of hard or precious stones,
but essentially tbe cbalcedonlc variety
of quartz and on shells. . Tbe cameo
cutter himself prefers onyx because
of Its dark and light layers, which
throw out In bold relief a wblte head,
say, against a black background. He
evolves bis picture by removing all
that portion of the white stratum re
maining after the head bas been com
pleted. Sapphire blocks are used, car
nelian, turquoise,- amethyst and nu
merous other stones. " -"It
takes about a month to execute a
- HADE CANNON.
portrait on onyx, while much less time
is consumed If the work is done on
shell. There is always great danger
of tbe latter breaking, and its dura
bility, too. Is not great' so that the
shell, as a rule. Is not desirable as tbe
harder materials. A portrait on onyx
will cost $200, while one on shell may
be had for $50. The inquiries for these
are rare and. building up a patronage
Is slow and accomplished mainly by
satisfied customers Influencing others.
Singing at Their Work.
Contractors In South Missouri em
ploy many negroes to load railroad ties
in tbe cars of the Memphis railway,
says the Kansas City Star. The ties
are cut in the woods, hauled to tbe rail
way in wagons and dumped in plies
along tbe side of tbe roads. The ne
groes then take them up, tie by tie, and
run with tbem np planks to the cars,
where they drop them In regular order.
These negroes are paid a price for each
tie they carry, so they vie with one
another to earn the most money in one
day.
They become so expert at the work
that an old hand can throw a heavy tie
on his shoulder, so that it will balance,
and tbefi, without holding it be will
run, both hands pressed flat against bis
sides, up tbe gangplank to tbe car. Tbe
negroes are so accustomed to tbe work
that they seldom drop a tie and seem
never to have -sore shoulders.
One may see gangs of a dozen ot
more of tbem, all singing and whistling.
Each sings at the top of his voice or
whistles as loud as he can, and every
tune is different The effect is amus
ing, but beyond 'description. The men
carry their ties at a trot all day long.
An inspector stands beside tbe plank
that goes up the car to examine the ties
being loaded. It Is amusing to bear the
inspector call a negro half-way up the
plank with a tie on his shoulder to
throw It away among the heap of bad
ties. The negro gets no credit for his
load and goes back swearing at his bad
luck, while his companions stop their
music and burst into loud, uncontrolla
ble laughter.
All these negro tie-carriers have deep
grooves in the right shoulder where
the ties have pressed, but tbe flesh is
calloused and seldom sore. The men
make good wages, most of them $3.50
a day. They spend all of it Very few
of them save their money.
B'ggaae Allowed a Cavalry Officer.
In. the war in South Africa a Brit
ish mounted officer knows exactly
what be may carry. In his pockets or
haversack or slung on a belt he Is re
stricted to a whistle, compass, note
book, water bottle, clasp knife, besides
sword, pistol and ammunition. On this
horse, attached to the saddle, are a
spare shoe, case with nails, nosebag,
picketing ropes and pegs, cloak, mess
tin, field glass and in a pair of wallets
an emergency ration, tin of vaseline,
underlinen (not exceeding two pounds),
knife, fork, spoon, comb, toothbrush,
shaving brush, nightcap, field cap,
towel and soap, drinking cup, map of
country and a box of matches. All
these articles must not with' saddle
and bridle, exceed 71 pounds In
weight Carried In tbe ' regimental
transport each mounted officer Is re
stricted to 25 pounds of baggage, which
must be packed in bed valise, and In
cludes change of clothing and linen,
boots and putties, canvas shoes, buck
et, lantern and writing portfolio, camp
kettle, two plates and pepper and salt
pots. ' . '.',.
. Pope Leo's Graceful Act.
Pope Leo was able to show deference
to' an older man .than himself at the
celebration of bis' coronation. Car
dinal Martel, who Is 92 years of age
and "the senior Cardinal in length of
service, having been Cardinal deacon
for forty years, bad himself carried to
the Vatican, but was unable, after the
Pope's address, to join In the defile
past the throne. The Pope, noticing
this, stepped down from bis throne and
walking to Cardinal Mertel wished him
many more years of life.
Business Acumen.
The clerk By the way, I see the Anti-Superstition
League opens its meet
ing to-morrow.
The boss Is that so? Mark those
$12 overcoats up to $13 In big figures
and stick 'em In tbe window. Indiun
apolls Press. . ; ' :
Tenement Dwellers In Boston,
- llnra than UU) IWk tenement fu74ktlit
are In Brooklyn, acocrdlng to oHk-ial '
figures just fssued. Tbe number of
tenement houses is 31.687. '
In the Dining Car. "Isn't it delight
ful to be dining together without a
chaperon?" "I should say sot Mar-j
rlage is certainty a great economy."
Puck. . I:- ' . -
Different ways: "They sat and held
bands all tbe evening." "How silly!"
"Oh, I don't know. You have to In
whist" Philadelphia Bulletin. - r
Every woman likes to talk of the
."eray monotony" of her life, , t j
FLIGHT EXTRAORDINARY.
Peasant Woman Shot from Moan
taintop to the Valley.
- Teresa Falclola, an Italian peasant
woman, met recently with an extraordi
nary adventure. Near her home, In the
village of Quanta, which nestles In a
spacious valley. Is a blgb and wooded
mountain, and there it bas been her
custom, as is general there, to go two.
or three times a week for tbe purpose
of collecting firewood. To bring this
wood from the precipitous mountain
was quite an arduous task. Therefore,
it was sent down by means of a strong
metal wire, stretched from th val'.ey
up to the mountain top.
A few weeks ago she and ber two
little daughters ascended tbe mountain
and after gathering three goodly bun
dles of wood prepared to send., them
down. Just however, as tbe mother
tbbesa's wild plunge.
Bad fastened tbe first bundle to the wire
tnd bad launched it on its downward
zourse ber wedding ring became caught -in
tbe rope with which tbe bundle was
tied, and In a flash she was carried off
ber feet and swept downward into tbe
valley. Half paralyzed with fear, ber
little daughters watched ber as she
sped from their sight with amazing
swiftness, and then they ran down the
mountain, fully expecting to find her
lying dead at the end of tbe wire.
And their fear was quite natural,
since tbe mountain top . from which
their mother bad been torn Is 800 yards
above the valley. ' Fortunately, their
fear proved to be groundless. They
found their mother entirely uninjured.
Yet wonderful indeed was It that ber
life was not crushed out of ber at the
end of ber perilous descent It would
have been if her fall bad not been
broken as she was reaching the earth
by some friendly branches. The bundle
f wood, too, was in some measure a
bulwark against the rock.
LAW AS INTERPRETED.
An agreement by a member of a build- '
ing and loan association to Insure bis
life and permit tbe policy to be used as
:ollateral security for a loan to tbe as
wclatlon is held, in Tate vs. Commer
:ial Building Association (Va.), 45 L.
-0. A. 243, to be void as against public
policy. $ ; t
That a corporation organized to fur
nish railroad terminal facilities bas au
thority to maintain a hotel, restaurant
and news stand at a passenger station
Is held, In Byan vs. Louisville & Nash- ' -ville
Terminal company (Tenn.), 45 L.
R. A. 303, Insufficient to preclude tbe
jorporation from exercising tbe right: -f
eminent domain on tbe ground that
It would be taking property for private -uses.'1
.- V
A man who has a cold, on account of ' .
which be Is hi bed. Is held, In Barnes ;
vs.. Fidelity Mutual Life Association
(Pa.), 45 L. R. A. 204, to be. neverthe
less, "In good health," within tbe mean
ing of a clause in a life Insurance pol
icy which requires tbe premium to be
paid while he is In good health, al
though pneumonia sets In, in a day or
two after the premium is paid, and ,
proves fataL ...
- Giving the exclusive right to stand
backs on an area owned by a railroad .
company adjacent to a passenger sta
tion for tbe purpose of sollcltipg bust- .
aess is held. In Indianapolis; Union 1
Railroad Company vs. Dobn (Ind.), 45 1
U K. A. 427, to be unlawful on the ,
ground that the company, having ac-
gulred its grounds, whether by pur- 1
shase or condemnation, through tbe .
lovereign right of eminent domain, can
sot grant any special privileges and Im
munltles that the State could not and .
that such action Is also against public l
policy as tending to restrict competi
tion and enhance prices.
Good Fertilizers. ..
Some of the best farms in Pennsyl- -vanla
have been brought to tbe highest
degree of fertility by the use of clover, .
ilme and manure. The farmers who
have accomplished such results have
aimed to save every pound of manure, . '
and also to preserve It in the best man
ner. Lime is used extensively by those
who know that lime is an essential In- '
gredlent'of plants, and also because it.
Is excellent for Increasing tbe clover .
:rop. Clover enriches the land by pro
moting tbe supply of nitrogen in the"
30II. hence lime and clover make an ex- .
;ellent combination.
A Primitive Barometer.
A curious barometer is said to be
used by tbe remnant of tbe Arauca
rlan race, which inhabit the southern
most province of Chili. It consists ot
the cast-off shell of a crab. The dead
shell is white in fair, dry weather, but
Indicating tbe approach of a moist at
mosphere by small red spots, as the
moisture - of tbe air Increases it be
comes - entirely red and remains so
throughout the rainy season.
The Debate Closed.
"Yes, sir!" shouted tbe little man with
thin, straggling hair, "the constitution
of tbe United States guarantees to
every man liberty of speech, and I'd
like to see any one try to deprive me
of It!"
"John Henry," exclaimed a large
woman of a decided mien, who had Just
entered the room, you dry up and '
come home." New York Journal. -
Ready to Quit.
First Office Boy I call my boss Grid
ley. ..
Second Office Boy Why Is that?
First Office Boy Because he may(
fire when ha is ready. Puck. .
Hot Water f..r Headaches.
Ordinary beadacbes almost always
yield to the, simultaneous application
of hot water to the feet and the back
of the neck.
Penniless Klondlkers. '
. The number of penniless men In the
Klondike Is placed at 8,000.
We have noticed that tbe healthiest
looking children are those whose facet;
are allowed occasionally to accumulate
iirX and microbe rs .. - i
4
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