ALASKA GAME SUPPLY
FUR-BEARING ANIMALS RECK
LESSLY KILLED.
Deer Are Now Almost Extinct, Sea
Otters Are Extremely Scarce, and
Moose Are Vanishing with Great
Rapidity.
A
I Ten years ago Alaska was a fur coun
try beyond all else, with a trade annu
ally In excess of $2,000,000. This year
the fur crop, exclusive of the seals, will
not ezceeu $500,000. In the Judgment
01 a prominent Chicago furrier, recent
ly returned from a fourth trip of four
months In that country, the slaughter
of the fur-bearing animals, with the
exception of the seals, is such as to
make the life of the fur trade short
Indeed. The sea otter, one of the most
valuable of all animals, is practically
extinct. Wolves have killed all the
deer spared by the hunter or have
driven them to the islands off the coast
The moose are fast going, and only the
seals are more numerous than they
have been for years. But these are at
the mercy of a United States monopoly
and of the British- hunters, who come
openly within three miles of the Ameri
cau coast and kill seals in open water.
Yet 200 American seal hunters sit idly
on the coast, not daring to wo what
the British and the North American
Trading and Transportation Company
are doing unhindered.
Not only are the fur-bearing animals
threatened, but it is said that the can
neries are raiding the salmon supply of
the country in such a way that Indians
receiving only 5 cents apiece for salmon
weighing above eight pounds are mak
ing $15 to $20 a day at fishing. In the
Columbia River country years ago the
canneries worked havoc with this mag
nificent game fish, throwing them out
of the coast rivers by machinery, tak
ing the big fish and leaving the smaller
ones to rot in the sun. With the eight
pound limit there are evidences that
the slaughter already has begun when
It Is said that one company for 1900
will pack 930,000 cases of salmon at
Kodiak Island.
"The seal fisheries are the greatest of
the fur-bearing possibilities of this
great country," says the Chlcagoan.
"The impression has been given out
that these animals are rapidly becom
ing extinct. But it is not so. I have
my own eyes as evidence in this state
ment, and anywhere along the Alaskan
coast natives and those long resident
there will tell you that more seals have
ben seen this season than ever before.
"According to law the Alaskan In
dian may kill seals for food, but In sell
ing the skins be must make affidavit
that the animals were killed for food
purposes and he must not kill too many
for that purpose, either.
"The most valuable and most nearly
extinct animal now in Alaska is the sea
Oiier. Ten or fifteen years ago a hunt
ing party could go out and kill perhaps
twenty of these splendid animals in
one hunt. Now the same party may
go out and get one, or it may come back
without any. Owing to the scarcity of
the animals, too, the hunting of the few
left la becoming more and more diffi
cult A skin now brings from $200 to
$500 to the Indian hunters, and in Lon
don they sell for $350 to $1,200. Most
of these skins are bought in London by
the Russians.
Hunting the Pea Otter.
"At least eleven canoes, each holding
a hunter, are necessary in the killing
of sea otters. They can be hunted only
when the water is glassy smooth, as
their habits are such that they are in
visible on a rippling surface. They are
a strangely human sort of creature.
The mother otter nurses her babe In
her arms, and they sleep on their backs
In the water. When frightened or sus
picious they keep only their noses and
eyes out of the water.
"When the hunters start out each is
armed with a rifle, and each man uses
marked bullets, that may be identified
after they are fired. When the nose of
an otter is sighted the man finding it
gives a signal to the nearest boatman,
and in a few moments the little fleet is
surrounding the creature. When the
great circle is complete as may be the
nose of the animal may be a thousand
yards from the nearest marksman. A
shot Is fired at the black spot on the
water and it disappears. The animal
is capable of diving 3,000 feet under
water, and it may not come up for
many minutes, but if the circle is well
formed it is not likely to break the line.
"The instant the nose appears again
another shot or two- is sent after it.
and the boats close In on the circle.
Time and again it comes up, only to be
frightened down again, each time for a
shorter period. As it weakens and
grows short of breath the otter raises'
more and more of its head out of the
water, until finally it is a good target
for the hunters. As soon as It is in
HUNTING SCENES IN ALASKA, WHERE GAME SUPPLY IS BEING RUINED. "
range the Indians begin to take careful
aim. Finally a lucky shot kills the
creature, and the whole party lands.
"The otter is skinned at once and the
shots that may have struck it are fol
lowed until the bullet is found. The
rules of the hunt are that $10 from the
skin shall go to the man who sighted it;
$5 each shall go to the other nine men
in the party, while the one whose
marked bullet evidently killed the ani
mal gets all the rest. There is seldom
any disagreement in these parties,
either.
"Sometimes an otter killed on land
nay have several bullet holes in his
skin, but these holes are no damage to
the fur, as the furrier closes them easi
ly from the back. Ordinarily, now,
when one hide has been secured, the
whole party goes back to the trading
post. The Indians are much shrewder
traders now than they were once. They
have need to be. They may take the
hide to every dealer in the post and still
be dissatisfied. In such a case they
pick upon some squaw to take the pelt
to another post maybe even to Daw
son. They would not trust a man to
do it, for he would be almost certain to
get drunk. The squaws are almost
universally honest and dependable,
and the hunters count on every penny
of returns save the necessary expense
incurred. Sometimes the Indians make
money by this; sometimes they don't.
I offered a party of hunters $300 for a
skin, but they refused to take it. They
sent a woman with it to Dawson and
there she got only $300 after spending
$40 on steamer fares and incidental ex
penses. She was the wife of the man
who had killed it, and she was quite
pleased with her trip and experience.
"Near Cook's Inlet one finds the best
hunting. There are moose, caribou,
mountain sheep, and bears for big
game. In addition there are millions
of geese, ducks, brants, and water fowl
of all description. Our party killed
three moose, seven mountain sheep,
and one caribou in the four months
that we were there. We have brought
back twelve moose skins and heads,
seventeen mountain sheep, thirteen wolf
skins, and the hides of sixty bears. The
largest of these bear hides is more
than nine feet long and is eight feet in
width. It came from a grizzly. Some
of these grizzlies reach a length of thir
teen feet.
Deer Have Become Extinct.
"Deer In Alaska proper are now ex
tinct, but the islands off the mainland
are full of them. This is due to the
fact that wolves will not take to water,
while it is the deer's favorite method
for escaping pursuit. A pack of wolves
chases a deer to the sea and it swims
out to an island. In this way the whole
archipelago of the Alaskan peninsula
is full of deer.
"Once the moose and caribou were in
great herds, but they have thinned
greatly. After Sept. 1 the mountain
sheep gather in bands and even yet as
many as 300 may be found in a flock.
The moose and caribou, however, are
seldom more than twenty-five In a
herd, and they are exceedingly shy and
difficult to kill. -
"The territory needs a good, practi
cal game law that could be enforced.
That enforcement would be difficult,
however. Among the thousands of ad
venturers In the territory there are
many who kill game wantonly. The
Indians, too, have no regard for the j
preservation of species.
"The fish supply of the country Is
open to the onslaught of canners and
packers. Something should be done to
regulate this. A fisherman may go
out, and in an hour, with only hook and
line, catch fifteen halibut, some of them
weighing 200 pounds. These big fish,
of course have to be let go, as they
cannot be taken into a boat. There
are millions of codfish, herrings in
myriads, and salmon In swarms, but
at the present rate of canning the sup
ply will be cut Into heavily in a few
years. All other kinds of shell-fish
save oysters abound in these Alaskan
waters. It Is only a matter of time
when Alaska will be supplying the
United States with flsh. Just how long
it supplies will depend upon how the
sources of supply are treated by the
fishermen. There are no reptiles of
any kind In Alaska, not even turtles,
lizards, or frogs. There are a few
toads, however."
BEGGAR ACTOR WON A COIN.
Man Who Had Been with MeCnllongh
Played Touching Role.
"Madam, can you contribute toward
the purchase of a breakfast for one
who has been less fortunate than your
self?" There was a ring of broken pride in
the 'Voice that told of better days, and
awakened Interest enough to stop a
busy little woman hurrying down Mich
igan avenue to her down-town business
iu the early morning. The morning
was very warm, yet the speaker was
wrapped In a faded coat, half mantle
and half ulster, which graced an at!'
letic figure that once might have trod
den the boards. To halt in her quick
pace down town was something un
usual for the woman, but the dissipated
face, with the gray, shaggy head, ap
pealed to her, and she asked wonder
ingly: "What has caused you bad luck?"
"It happened, madam," the man re
sponded, "that the world went hard
with me, among other things. I know
all the stages in the descent of man,
and, in fact, I know the stage Itself.
Things were different when I played
with McCullough in the 70's." He
sighed as he leaned gracefully against
one of the foundation pillars of the
Calumet Club building, and let his
eyes wander over the ruins of the
burned church opposite.
The woman was compelled to admire
the beggar, whose figure was as ma
jestic as McCullough's own, and who
belonged, it was evident, to the same
artistic profession.
"But what brought you to this condi
tion?" she asked, breaking in upon his
abstraction as she saw a far-off look In
his eyes that might have belonged to
McCullough in Bloomingdale.
"Oh, I found the current too swift for
me. When I got Into It I couldn't get
out. When a man gets to going down
ward," he went on, addressing the
charred walls, not the woman "when
a man gets to going downward, noth
ing can stop him unless it is a woman
and and the woman died! I should
have been a different man if it had not
been for that. I left her in a grave
back there in Donegal, and I went
down with the current left her In a
grave in Donegal," he continued, for
getting his listeuer, forgetting his hun
ger, as he drew his old cloak around
his once proud form and walked away,
and the soft morning breeze brought
back the words, "a grave in Donegal."
The woman called to him, but he did
not heed her, and then she ran after
him, and put a coin in his hand for the
sake of a heart gone to dust in a grave
in Donegal.
When she had parted with her money
she walked on, reflecting that it might
be only a clever bit of acting, after all.
"And," she finished aloud, "women are
the most gullible creatures on earth."
Chicago Inter Ocean.
The Butterfly King.
The London Express, in announcing
the death of William Watklns, one of
the foremost entomologists of the day,
gives this interesting story of his life:
Of Welsh extraction, he began col
lecting butterflies when he was a
schoolboy of nine. At that time there
were fields in the vicinity of Peckbam,
and the first butterfly Mr. WatkiM
ever caught was the "peacock," From
thenceforth he became an ardent en
tomologist; he gradually went on col
lecting moths, and eventually he made
this the business of his life.
His parents articled htm to some ship
and insurance brokers, but while out
with them he devoted all his leisure
time to collecting. Indeed, it was no
unusual occurrence for him to stay out
until midnight in pursuit of the treas-.
ures he coveted. Taking a dislike to
the shipbroking business, and mani
festing the Inevitable desire to "see
life," he went to India, where he had
plenty of scope for his love of ento
mology. After a sojourn of six years In In
dia, he returned to England, and was
able to sell a large collection to Mr.
Horniman, the well-known tea mer
chant. .
He then began business as a profes
sional entomologist, and opened estab
lishments in Piccadilly and in the
Strand. In 18S1 be formed the Insect
House In the Zoological Gardens.
During the past ten years he resided
at Eastbourne, where he carried on the
breeding of butterflies of the most di
verse specimens. His success earned
for him the name of "The Butterfly
King."
Largest Room in the World.
The largest room in the world, under
one roof and unbroken by pillars, is at
St. Petersburg. It is 020 feet long by
150 in breadth. By daylight it is used
for military displays and a whole bat
talion can completely maneuver In it.
By night 20,000 wax tapers give It a
beautiful appearance. The roof Is. a
single arch of iron.
A Japanese Auction.
A Japanese auction Is a most solemn
affair. The public do not call out their
bids, but write their names, together
with the amount they are willing to
pay, on slips of paper and put them in
a box. These are looked through, an
the article awarded to the person wl
has made the biggest offer.
A Bad Situation.
"Travel in the Swiss Alps is danger
ous." "Yes, it is; I climbed all over the
whole place once, and didn't meet ti
man who could understand that I
anted to borrow a dollar."
SUPPOSE WE SMILE.
HUMOROUS PARAGRAPHS FROM
THE COMIC PAPERS.
Pliaaant Incidents Occurring the
World Over-Sayings that Are Cheer
ful to Old or Yonng-Fnnny Selec
tions that Everybody Will Enjoy.
Mrs. Jiaison My dear, we must gdto
i the seaside, and the mountains, and
! the springs.
Mr. Jimson We are comfortable
1 enough here at home.
Mrs. Jimson Yes, we are now, but
I you men are so short-sighted! Just
! think how uncomfortable we will be
; when people come back and begin to
jtell where they've been. New York
Weekly.
Ruin in Its Wake.
Bighead War is a terrible curse,
ra't it?
Critic I should say so. I have notic
d that every war adds a new dialect
i our magazine literature. Lite
No Good Be is There.
Weary Willie Let's bunk in dat coal
! yard.
j Tired Timothy What fer? Dat ain't
a soft-coal firm.
Mntual Recognition.
"Bless my soul!" exclaimed the man
with the iron gray beard, cordially ex
tending his hand. "Ain't you the tow
headed boy that used to worry the life
out of me twenty-five years ago, back
in old Chemung County, by climbing
my orchard fence and stealing my ap
ples?" "If you're the infernally mean and
stingy old hunks who owned that or
chard and used to set your dog on any
boy who came within half a mile of it,
I am," replied the younger man, grasp
ing the proffered hand and shaking it
heartily. Chicago Tribune.
A Sure Thins.
He Wasn't that you on the piazza
last night?
She No.
"Then I wonder who In the world it
was I kissed?"
"You can probably tell by going
there to-night at the same time." Life.
He Knew Him.
"I am a man with a history," begun
the visitor; "and "
"Yes; I know. You're selling it on
j subscription- to only the best people.
Don't want it. Good day." Philadel
1 phia Record.
Would Change It Himself.
"It's a woman's privilege to change
her mind, you know," she said.
"That's right," he replied brutally,
"and I don't blame her a bit. If I had
the average feminine mind I'd change
It myself." Chicago Evening Post.
Volumes implie.1.
"It takes a woman to find the words
i iu oaj lucau tuiugn uuuui uiiit'i wo
men."
"Yes, but she can make meaner slaps
by not finding the words. For in
stance, when she says: 'Of course, I
don't exactly know anything about her,
but ' "Philadelphia Press.
Had Been Punished Enough.
Judge You are. charged with break
lug a lamp on your wife's head.
Prisoner That lamp cost me $6, your
honor.
J udge Discharged.
As Experience Had Tanght Her.
Farmer B This 'ere paper says they
ain't nothin' f'r an appetite like a long
tramp.
His Wife Land! they don't know
what they're talkin' about. A short
one c'n eat just ez much. Philadelphia
Bulletin.
Getting Full Value.
"I paid an eminent artist $15 for a
criticism of my painting."
"What did he tell you?"
"Said it was the worst he ever saw."
Chicago Record.
A Careful Guardian.
Mistress I should like to know what
business that policeman has in -my
kitchen every night in the week?
Pretty Servant Please, mum, I think
he suspicions .'ae of neglect iu' me work
er somthin'. New York Weekly.
One Way.
Husband I don't know how much of
an allowance to give you next year.
Wife You know how much you can
afford, don't you?
Husband Why, yes.
Wife Then give me as much more as
you can spare. Puck.
Love Versus Housekeeping.
Enraptured Lover And now, darling,
why may we not be married at once?
Charming but Practical Maiden Be
fore the peach season is over? And
have you putting indelible stains on all
my fine new white table napkins with
your long mustache? I guess not.
We'll wait till November, Arthur. Chi
cago Tribune.
liack of Reciprocity.
"How do you like your hew neigh
bors, Mrs. Way?"
"Not at all. She's awfully stingy.
Why, she borrowed our tack hammer
and a nutmeg early last wek, but
when 1 went over yesterday to ask
her to lend me S to pay on the rent
she said she didn't have it to spare.
Wasn't that small?" Philadelphia Bulletin.
Didn't Worry Him a Bit.
The Doctor Above all things, mad
am, your husband mustn't worry. Per
haps you'd better not show him my
bill just now.
"But I did, doctor, and it didn't make
any difference. He said he knew he
couldn't pay it anyway." Life.
All He Learned.
Census Man How old are you, mad
am? She Why er let me see.
Census Man If you can tell me
when you were born I'll figure it out
myself.
She Yes, certainly! Why, I was
born on a Sunday Philadelphia Press.
Realism.
lrtv fPnnch and
Judy Show Going On)-Tom discover- j
ed by his hostess papa in tears,
Hostess' Papa Afraid, Tom? Cheer
up, old man, they're only dolls
Poor Frightened Tommy They
won't be dolls when I dream about
them to-night. Life.
His Nerves All Right.
"How are your nerves?" they asked
the man who had applied for an auto
mobile operator's license.
"Oh, the best ever," was the prompt and fall into the chair, assisted by Me
reply. "There's been nothing to dis- j Laughlin, Davis' guide in the creepy
turb my nerves, you know. I've been ! science. McLaughlin telephoned to
riding in automobiles, uot dodging j Davis that the youth was "gone" and
them." Chicago Evening Post.
Hot-Weather Foolishness.
"The Indians out West are holding a
green-corn .dance."
dance I could understand Tit "-CUloaio
dance 1 could undei stand it. -mcago
"Yes; if it was a green-cucumber
Record.
Prompt Retaliation.
"You had a lot of visitors last week,
didn't you?" j held to his eyes did not cause him to i pease hlmself but let nim not njan.y
"Yes, but when they went home we ; wlnk nor did a needle passed over the i ejtner a chiid or an old woman." Phil
sent our three daughters back with 1 eyeballs bring any signs of feeling. He ! adeipnia inquirer.
them." Chicago Record.
Dante Never Saw It.
Jinks I don't believe Dante's de
scription of the Inferno is correct
Winks Why not?
Jinks Not one of the shades said to
any other shade: "Is it hot enough for
you?" New ork Weekly.
The Conductor Keep your head in
side or you'll get it knocked off.
Mr. Gilhooly Me head'll never be
knocked oft" by the loikes av yz, ye
monkey face! New York World.
The Way-Back Grudge.
"I have always hated the Chinese."
"What for?"
"When I went to school I was kept
in a whole week because I couldn't
pronounce 'Yaug-tse-Kiang.' " Indian
apolis Journal.
Correct.
"What was the trouble between you
and Willie Jones, Tommy?"
"Aw, I called 'Im a Boxer."
"You shouldn't have done that. You
know he Is nothing of the kind."
"Aw, but he wuz. Look at me face!"
He Felt Relieved.
"I only play the piano a little for pas
time," said the new boarder.
"Thank heaven for that!" said the
boarder with the most dyspepsia. "I
was afraid you might play it for rag
time." Indianapolis Press.
A Little Shelf Worn.
"Just look at these eggs, dear," ex
claimed Mrs. Newly wed at the break- i
fast table; "such a bargain! They were
marked down from 21 cents to 14
cents." And then she wondered why j
Mr. Newlywed didn't want any break
fast. Philadelphia Record.
Fixed for a Campaign.
"Do you take an interest in politics,
Mrs. Golightly?"
"Oh, yes; I do wish my husband was
running for something; our porch is
just lovely this summer with all our
new prairie-grass chairs, hammocks,
matting, rugs and things." Indianap
olis Journal.
1 his Restless Age of Progress.
"Look heret! Yesterday, when I
bought this cane from you, you guar-
anteed that the head was genuine
ivory! Now I flnd that it is imitation."
"Is that possible? Well, I get all
my goods direct from Ceylon, but, of
A Misunderstanding.
course, it is quite possible that the ele- ; which is formed of a support attached i tnree years, the horse works nearly ev
phants there have taken to using false ! to the tongue of the machine, carrying j sry day see and noars well, and has an
teeth." Floh. a whip socket with a gear wheel at the Ixceuen't appetite.
1 . rear, which meshes with a gear shaft j .
Pugnacious Little Birds. extending in position for the driver to j Bold and Sleepy.
In the island of Monora, one of the j turn it and operate the whip. The boldness of wolves and coyotes
Philippines, the humming birds are j A handy adjustable bracket for use in the presence of man is well known,
pugnacious little creatures. A hunting j on panters' easels has a sleeve to fit ; 'It is not uncommon," says the author
party had a novel experience with j around the upright legs of the easel, j f "Adventures in Mexico," "for these
them. One of the huntsmen wandered j witu an reshaped arm pivoted in each inimals to gnaw the straps of a saddle
off from his comrades, but soon his sieeve to engage notches in the legs ! n which your head is reposing for
screams were heard. Thousands of the j .uen in a lowered position, allowing x pillow."
humming birds had attacked him and the sieeve to be raised or lowered ! One night, says Mr. Buxton, when en
wounded him on hundreds of spots on w..pn not enirasine the notches. ! lamped on an atflueut of the Platte, a
his race ana necK. wnen rescued ne
was streaming with blood.
King Humbert's Widow.
Queen Margherita is not only ac
quainted with all the languages of the
continent, but Is familiar w.tb them and
enjoys their literatures. She is not
only clever, but the most beautiful of
all the royalties, and rivals the Prin
cess of Wales in youthful appearance.
Her interests in life are many, and her
actirity is wonderful. London Mail.
A Porch Party.
"Did you have a good talk with the
DwSggses last night, daughter?"
"Ko, ma, we didn't talk; the ''men
quarreled about politics, and Clara and
I abused the weather." Detroit Free
Pr a,
HYPNOTISM BY TELEPHONE
Successful Long-Distance Experiment
by a Honolulu Amateur.
One of the queerest freaks of hypnot
ic influence ever recorded ie reported
from Honolulu, where, according to the
Pacific Commercial Advertiser, a sub
ject was. put to sleep by a hypnotist
who was several- blocks away. J. E.
Davis plays a typewriter in the office
of the attorney general at Honolulu.
He is an amateur musician and a prom
inent member of the Triangle club,
which is allied with the Young Men's
Christian Association. He is an ardent
student of hypnotism.
One evening recently a number of per
sons gathered in the New England
bakery to see the telephone experiment
A youth of 21 years who had been op
erated on by Davis several times took
the telephone receiver in his hand while
Davis spoke to him from an instrument
In the Judd building, several blocks dis
tant. A card over the telephone in the
bakery had written on it the name of
Thomas Williams. As seen and beard
from the Judd building the following
was the procedure. Davis called to the
subject who being well known here
does not want his name mentioned to
tke the card in his hand
' l ll 11 I., tlll 11,1 111 11 1 .11
'What is the name on the card?" he
" "
asJ";d'
Then he said: "It's grow ing dim. The
I 1.1 1 V . . ...... Hiam !
, u,u"cu- 1 l"cl"
welL Your eyes are closing. You are
getting sleepy. You want to sit down.
i You are going fast. See, there you
. are."
Those in the bakery saw the subject
i take the card in his hand, heard him
I answer, the questions, and finally reel
the Davis hastened in a hack to the
: bakery. There he ordered the subject
into the lanai, where there was more
roovn for experiment. The young man
I tottered along with one hand on Davis'
arD1 and 8eemed g,ad l rit dWD When
t t hi
-I -
His eyes were closed, but when com-
manded to open them he did so slowly
and stared vacantly ahead. A candle
was like a man drugged. When told
to hold out his arms perfectly stiff he
oiieyed and kept them there for four
minutes without evident fatigue. So
when made to believe by Davis' per
suasive language that he was at a hula
he laughed and clapped his bands and
He amMed t h .
; . , . , ,QtlQ
-CBIOUVIU UUI uciug a giai.ui .... ..... .
In his waking hours and shuffled his
feet when told that he was listening to
ragtime music.
The most curious phenomenon of the
experiment was in the startling differ
ence between the pulses of the subject
Before he submitted to the test the sub- i are received daily in the telephone ex
Ject's pulse registered 74. After fif- changes of the country. The wire would
teen minutes it was 96 Under the di
rection of Davis and McLaughlin the
left pulse went to 99 and at the same
moment the right was 114. Bringing
them lower the right was 112 when the
left was 9L
RECENT INVENTIONS.
A Pennsylvanian has patented an
Improved coal bag and unloading ar
rangement, comprising a central sus
taining member, surrounded by a bag,
which has a gathering cord at the top
the bags being suspended by the stems
on a wooden support for filling from
lue cuuie.
Dustless roads can be rapidly made
by a Califoruian's machine, which has
a plurality of dust-stirring fingers,
which are adjusted to stir up the earth
in the road, a series of pipes extend
ing at the rear of the fingers to sprin
kle oil from a reservoir mounted oi
the machine.
Shoes can be quickly laced by the
use of a new attachment, comprising
a pair of slotted rigs carried by the
edges of the upper, with beaded studs
set in the slots to slide freely, with a
lacing attached to the studs to draw
the edges of the upper together as the
studs are raised.
An improved automatic safety lock
for elevators is formed of two triangu
lar blocks -pivoted on top of the car,
and held in a folded position by the
cable, the breaking of the latter throw-
ing the blocks out and operating two
links, which catch in the sides of the
well and support the car.
In New York a man has patented a
collar button which will save trouble
in fastening a stiff collar, the shank
of the button being telescopic, with an
internal spring which prevents the
shank extending too far out and also
locks it in a contracted position after
the collar Is fastened.
A handy tablet for telephones has
been patented by an Ohio man. com
prising a reel suspended in two brack
ets at the edge of the battery box, a
roll of paper being placed on the reel
and held smooth across the top for
, , ,..,. ,i .,,!,. .
sever the sheet after use
sever tue sueet arter use.
Mowing and reaping machines can
be provided with a new whip holder,
Runaway horses can be brought un-
der control by a new dashboard attach -
ment. which has a base bolted to the
dashboard, with a lip pivoted to clamp
to rein against the base when pulled
from the front, a backward pull releas
ing it for tightening the reins when a
new hold Is taken by the driver.
W . . " . .
i .
Mrs. Wat.on-i broke one of those
eggs you sold me into a cup, and tbc
1.11.. f .,-ii ..- oil ircniin
Willie JI. 1 1 " "
urocer-er.uiy uiuo,. . r.sul
mum. Those eggs is laid by grass-fed
hens. Bomerville Journal.
.
Marie Bashkirtseff.
Another batch of Marie Bashklrtsefrf
private thoughts are to be published.
WHEN TO MARRY.
Depends Upon People, Time, Kind, Taste
and Circumstances.
At what ag; should a man marry?
That denends upon the man. Some men
are more fitted for the responsibilities
of matrimony at 25 than others are at
85, said a man in discussing this im
portant subject recently. If marriage,
however, be postponed after that last
figure a man is likely to get into what
may be called the habit of celibacy,
from which as from other bad habits,
it is hard to break away. In this tiablt
of celibacy he will continue till he is
about sixty years of age, when a great
desire will come over him to try what
matrimony is like just before he dies,
, flnd he wfl, propose right and left to
everything In petticoats, until at last
he is picked up, not for himself, but for
his money or for his position, or be
cause some one Is tired of being called
"Miss" and wants the novel sensation
of writing "Mrs." before her name.
An old man told a friend that he
wanted to marry before he died if only
to have some one to close his eyes.
"Perhaps," suggested the friend, "you
will get some one who will open them."
It Is not natural for a young girl to
wish to marry an old man. A father
said to his daughter, "Now, when it Is
time for you to marry I won't allow you
to tnrow yourself away on one of the
j frivolous young fellows I see around. I
8haU geIect for you a staid senslblei
middle-aged man. What do you say
to one of about 50 years of age?"
"Well, father," replied the girl, "if It
is Just the same to you, I should prefer
two of twenty-five."
Perhaps the best advice one could
give a young man in this matter is to
say: "Wait until you cannot wait any
longer." Wait, that is to say, until she
that not impossible she comes with
smiles so sweet and manners so gra-
; cioug .hat yo cannot wait any ,onger
; tnen marry! and may you De nappy ever
; after, As to tue age at wnien women
j 8honld marrv. i am flfraid of burnlne
I W Angers with that question. All I
I j ...... M
snail say is mat lr some women are
! not wortn looklng at after rhirty years
' nf th ... mnnv
j worth-nPkin- tn hPfnre it. Let a man
There are 20,000 different kinds of
butterflies.
A statistician of small things figures
It out that the posterity of one English
sparrow amounts in ten years to some
thing like 276,000,000,000 birds.
There are 1,200,000 miles of copper
wire used In the telephone service in
the United States, and 4.000,000 calls
girdle the earth at the equator forty
eight times, or reach from the earth to
the moon five times.
Although Queen Victoria does not per
mit smoking in her Immediate neighbor
hood, yet she keeps on hand a stock of
the most superb cigars for her guests,
and the consumption thereof is about
three thousand a year. They are spe
cially made for her majesty, of the
most carefully collected tobacco leaves,
and when finished are hermetically
sealed in glass tubes in order to guard
against deterioration, connoisseurs in-
g ,g by a
i chang(? of cUmite,
A new lightship of novel design Is
soon to be moored in the stormy
waters of the dreaded Diamond Shoals
off Cape Hatteras. It has been found
Impossible to place a lighthouse there,
and the lightships moored on the spot
have, one after another, beeu torn from
their fastenings. The new ship is to bo
propelled by steam, and furnished with
electric flashlights tc be displayed from
her masts, fifty feet above water. She
will be anchored on the shoals with
strong tackles, and in case she Is. torn
loose by a gale, can take care of her
self with the aid of her powerful en
sjine.
The ingenuity of architects and build
srs is sometimes severely taxed to pro
vide for the comfort of the dwellers In
lofty apartment houses. In New York
City plans have been filed for a gigan
tic building of this kind to stand on
Fifth avenue, and to be connected with
a well-known restaurant across the
street by a tunnel, finely fitted up and
j lighted, whereby the occupants of the
j apartment house can go out to their
j meals in all kinds of weather without
the necessity of putting on hats. The
only drawback appears to bo that they
; are limited in their choice of a restau-
rant.
William W. Evans of Deal's Island.
Delaware, has a horse which has proved
a remarkable investment and has over
ridden the Ideas and records of the aver
age useful life of horses. Twenty-seven
years ago Mr. Evans purchased the
horse from Scott Covington, who guar-
. a . .1.,., .;,, .!... . ii 1 ..... .1
ttLU'fU UL umi lllilC "HU UK ......II... 1 1
slx years old- Mr EvaDS prVed t0 be
master, and the horse returned
: tne kind treatment by retaining its full
i ...,:. nnd nercv and now. at tblrtv-
Heavy snow-storm railing at tue time,
, ' lay down blanket, after hist
taping on the fire a vast pile of wood
Durn ruu,-
In the middle of the night I was
awakened by the excessive cold, and
turning toward the fire, which was
burning bright, what was my astonish
ment to see a large gray wolf sitting
i i i,..Cn..ii It hie filnuo.l nml
u uifii y ......
hoori noddine in sheer drowsiness.
" for some moments
.JJ-JJ dlsturblng him, and then
i " iiu"". "
closed my eyes and went to sleep, leav-
quiet enjoyment of the
"h
j blBZe- . .
Some Areas.
j England consists of 37,000,0000 acres.
Scotland 19,500,000, and Ireland 20,-
500,000.