I now snss and brandy $
SAVED THE FRUIT, i
JT seems most as big as a real
river," said Bess, who was sitting
on top of the heaped-up earth be
side the big, new Irrigating ditch, hug
ging her knees tailor fashion. "If the
water only didn't roll so awful fast we
could most ride a canoe in It, eh,
Teddy?"
Teddy was not at all handsome. His
hair was red and his nose turned up,
and he was much freckled. But there
was a great deal of sympathy in his
greenish eyes as he looked up at his
sister.
"You do miss Canada and the lake
and boating and everything, don't ye,
Bess?" he said. "I was such a little
feller when the folks came west, an'
I can't remember much about it. But,
gee! it must uv been jolly fun swiru
min' in a reel big lake. An' pa said he
would take us all back when the fruit
trees bore."
"Yes," said Bess, staring thoughtful
ly at the yellow, rolling water. "But it
seems an awful long time to wait,
somehow. Last year it was frost, and
year before worms, and year before
that the blight, and it does seem as
tho' pa would lose most everything he
ha'd before the ranch paid. And to
think one good bearing would make us
rich! Rich. Ted! Just think!"
Teddy crawled up to the top of the
bank of earth and looked far down the
valley. He saw long rows of trees,
hardly twice as tall as himself, and he
was only a 10-year-old boy. But the
slender little branches of the trees were
covered thickly with little green
buuehes. and these bunches meant
thousands of bushels of luscious fruit.
Bess could remember when she first
saw the trees. They were then only
SHE FOUND A SHALL "CAVE-IN."
long lines of littie bare sticks in the
sandy and dry-looking earth, and she
could remember how her mother broke
down and cried because she was home
sick for the big shady trees and green
grass and bushes at "home."
Idaho did not seem like home. They
lived there six years, and the sixth year
was the "bearing year" for Western
fruit ranches. But, as Bess said, the
frost and the worms and the blight had
kept the fruit back, and three years
longer they had waited. And the
father had grown to look old and anx
ious and the little mother more and
more wistful. And they now watched
the green promise of fruit with anxious
eyes. Would anything happen this
-year? Or would the rich promise at
last not disappoint them?
"The new ditch helped mightily this
year," said Bess. "The trees never bore
6o heavily. And all the fruit is perfect
the prunes and peaches and cherries
and everything. Oh, Teddy, I believe
we will really see Canada next year!"
She sprung to her feet and threw her
arms around the neck of a little bron
cho that had been nosing at the back
of her head while she talked to Teddy.
She kissed the horse's shaggy head and
hugged him lovingly. Then she put
her foot in the stirrup and swung her
self lightly into the saddle.
"Home, Teddy!" she cried. "Catch
Soda!"
Soda, another sturdy little broncho,
capered gleefully around her mate,
Braudy, a few moments, then permit
ted Teddy to mount, and soon the live
ly little hoofs were beating a quick rat-
tat-tat down the white alkali path to
ward the ranch home, far down the
valley. The sun was bright and the
sky cloudless, as it had been for all the
long summer months. The clouds
would sail towards the mountain tops,'
but there they would stop and dissolve
over the peris, where the snow gleam
ed white almost till fall. And no rain
fell in the valley. The alkali dust lav
thick in the alfalfa, the rich grass that
grew so strangely green out of the
hard, dry earth, and the dust lay thick
In the trees and on the prickly cacti and
gray sagebrush that grew on the lonely
foothills.
"Father will irrigate to-morrow, I
reckon." said Bess, as the bronchos
loped along side by side. "The ground
Is awfully dry and cracking badly."
"1 dunno it's gettin' perty late," re
plied Teddy. "I heard pa talkin' to the
foreman, and they wuz sayin' that
there wuz signs of frost. The fruit is
ripenin' bully, but there may come a
nipper, an' ef they irrigated it well, it
would mean another year, that's all.'
Bess looked soberly at the baked
looking earth. ,It looked so thirsty, and
the great ditch rolling along beside
them seemed anxious to turn its rich
torrent into the little ditches that ran
like veins up and down between the
trees.
"Well, I suppose it would be risky,"
she said. "But, my! the trees do want
a drink!"
Supper was waiting for them, and
their father called gayly to them as
they galloped up to the door.
"I met Jessie Wright at the store
doing some trading for her mother, and
she wants you to go down the valley
to-morrow and spend the day with
her," he said, as they sat down to sup
per.
Oh, may I go, mother?" cried Bess.
Thev were ereat friends "Jess ana
Bess," as they were called by tne rancn
and village people and the fruit farm
wound down the valley very close to
the sheep ranch of Jessie's father.
"Why, yes, you may," said Mrs. Har-
s. Bessie's mother. "Did Jessie want
her to stay all night, John?"
Of course as usual," replied Mr.
Harris.
But 1 guess you can spare her that
long, eh, mother?"
No, I need you, dearie. But you can
have a long day together and come
home in the evening," said Mrs. Harris.
So next morning Bess shouted a gay
good-by as Brandy danced around the
mounting block, and she whirled the
long thongs of her quirt merrily around ggt of of to apply ne secpet of moreoveiv he explain the
his flank, which Brandy promptly re- loDLgevity t0 themselves if It be discov- purpose and promises of the new gov
sented by bringing his four little boors Neither are thev vegetarians, .rnment. which was most advisable.
together, rising in the air and coming
down on his sturdy little legs witn a
far that nearlv sent Bess out of the
saddle.
"Oh, you'll buck, will you?" she cried,
while the rest cheered Brandy. "Wait
till you want some sugar."
Brandy repented and stretched him
self into a swinging, rocking-chair lope
that carried him swiftly down th
trail. The air was sharp and clear and
tineled through Bessie's veins, while
the cold turned her cheeks rosy.
"Frost to-night, Brandy," she cried
to the broncho, whose ears twitched
hnrk at the sound of her voice. And
the frost came.
The girls had a long, merry day, and
as the moon rose In a clear purple sky
Bess turned Brandy's willing nose
homeward. She turned up the collar
of her heavy little coat and pulled on
her buckskin gloves, for the cold was
already growing sharp. And, calling
cheerily to Brandy, she flew along the
'trail toward home. It was cold and
clear and still, and she rode along a
littie sleepily, while Brandy's hoofs
made the only sound that broke the
stillness. But soon another sound star
tled her into wakefulness. She had
reached the water gate on the big
ditch, and through the stillness came a
low tinkling and gurgling that sounded
like fairy music. But the fairy music
sent all the color out of the girl's
cheeks, and with a frightened cry to
Brandy she slipped out of the saddle
and ran to the ditch
Brandy meandered along after her
with lazv curiosity and found her
kneeling beside the gate with her arms
plunged down into the cold water. And
when she stood up her pretty bright
face had grown still whiter". For she
had found a small "cave-in" hear the
gate, and the water was trickling
through in a steady little stream that
was steadily and quickly growing
larger as the earth broke and crumbled
and gave way around it. in a very
short time that cave-in .would send a
volume of water rushing and leaping
along all the ditches through the ranch
and by morning what?
"Oh, the fruit, the fruit, Brandy!'
Bess sobbed, wildly. "It will be killed
and mother's heart will break!"
She wrung her hands as she looked
down the long road gleaming white and
lonely in the moonlight. Too late for
that. Before she could go a mile to
ward help the ranch would be flooded
and the ruin complete. Again she
plunged her arm into the water. If she
could only stop up that hole! She
looked on all sides helplessly, and
Brandy moved closer with a sympa
thetic and Inquiring whinny. She
looked at him despairingly, then sud
denly sprung forward. In a moment
she was tearing wildly at buckles and
straps, and then, to Brandy's profound
surprise, she dragged the heavy -pigskin
saddle from his back and rushed
with it to the ditch. There she went
down on her knees and plunged the
saddle beneath the water. She fumbled
with It a minute or so, then listened
breathlessly
The water gurgled and tinkled un
certainly, then slowly, very slowly, it
grew fainter. And soon there was only
a faint whisper and drip from one or
two tiny waterfalls that slipped and
slid down the bank. The weight of the
water had sucked the saddle closely
against the earth and the hole was
stopped.
So much. But the night was cold
her arms already ached and pained
cruelly, and she did not dare leave the
saddle lest It slip. Would they search
for her? Or would they think she had
stayed all night with Jess? If she could
only get word home
Again she looked at Brandy. Then
she called him to her, slipped the loop
of her quirt from the pommel of the
saddle, and, raising her arm out of the
water, she turned Brandy toward home
and then brought down the lashes with
stinging force on his flank.
"Home, Brandy!" she called. And
Brandy, outraged and indignant, kick
ed up his heels, bucked three times
then tore down the trail toward home
resolved to tell Soda that his young
mistress had gone crazy.
Fainter and fainter sounded the
hoof-beats along the trail. And soon
she could hear them no longer. Her
arms ached cruelly, and sharp pains
began to shoot through her body from
the cold. Now and then she would take
her arms out of the water and swing
them and beat her hands together till
they stung; but only for a moment,
then the saddle had to be held In place.
The time seemed horribly long, but
at last far down the trail there sounded
a low, thudding noise that quickly grew
louder, and she sprung to her feet with
a gasping little cheer as four horses
galloped madly to the ditch gate, and
all In a minute four men bad dragged
her up from the water, torn off her wet
jacket and asked twenty qustIons.
Brandy had reached home riderless and
was now galloping back with Teddy,
white and frightened, clinging to his
bare back.
The fruit was saved, thanks to Bess
and Brandy. The frost did very little
damage that night, and at last the
yield was rich and plentiful. And the
following summer, In far-off Canada,
Teddy and Bess splashed In the waves
to their hearts' content, while "mother"
looked on happily and Mr. Harris told
old friends all about fruit ranching
"out West." , -
'It was a close call," he would say,
but Bess and Brandy saved the fruit j
If the ditch had burst through that :
night and flooded the roots it would
have meant ruin."
And Bess, fully recovered from the
heavy cold that followed her little ad
venture, was surprised to find herself ;
a heroine. Chicago Record.
LONG LIFE.
Sought by ; Members of New York's
Hundred-Year Club. I
To discover the secret of long life
about a hundred professional and scien
tific men and women of New York-City
have organized what they term the
Hundred-Year Club. These people be
lieve that under present conditions life
should be prolonged for a century.
They do not seek to keep man alive
merely as an exhibit, but to make him
a useful memDer or society up to we
day of his death.
They have not pledged themselves to
Hita In a nnrrr a nna Ttrffh snV njLrtiCUlar
Christian Scientists or Raistonites. mere was need that the doubt and dis
They do not pretend to say they will content which prevailed among the
live to be centenarians, but they hope more ignorant Cubans in the presence
they may.
Prominent among the members of the
Hundred-Year Club are Mrs. Ella census enumerator among them awak
Wheeler Wilcox, Theodore Sutro, Dr. ened in them a trust in the new govern
Carleton Simons, Dr. H. W. Wiley, Di- ment, particularly since the enumera-
rector of the United States pure food
display at the Paris exposition; G. W.
Smith, Albert Turner, Mrs. May Banks
Stacey, John De Witt Warner, Dr.
John R. Hayes, of the United States
Pension Bureau, Washington, and Loi.
E. P. Vollum, U. S. A., retired.
Dr. Simons, chairman of the Commit-
tee on Statistics, has secured the names
of twelve citizens of New York City
who are over 100.
Incidentally, the club has learned
that In Ireland there are 675 centenari-
ans; in Germany, with Its vastly great-
er population, but 75, while Servia has
fully 600 over 100, 120 over 12o and
three over 185. Dr. Simons is trying
to discover whether these figures can
be attributed to the difference in the
diets of these people. China is the only
nation, so far known to the club, that
sets a premium on old age, granting
speclal honors to persons who are 96
or over.
Albert Turner, In discussing the men-
tal phase of longevity, said:
"One of the elements in long life is a
conviction that it is our duty to live;
that it is not right hi Itself, aside from
other motives, for us to shuffle off this
mortal coll until we have filled out a
long term. It will, I think, be seen that
the Importance of this instinctive love
of life cannot be overestimated In its
relation to health, disease and long
life."
SUPERSTITIOUS WOMEN.
They Place a Great Deal of Confidence
in Dreams.
It doesn't seem possible that in this
enlightened age superstition could be
rife among the educated, but there are
nevertheless a number of young wom
en who converse fluently, If not elo
quently, in three languages, and who
read Spencer and Browning and Emer
son, but who place a dream book with
their Bible on the table beside the bed
and consult it in the morning the first
thing.
With a credulity worth a darky mam
my, 4f their sleep has been visited with
unusual visions, they seize this volume
as soon as their eyes are fairly opened
and look for an explanation. If misfor
tune Is foretold by It, the seeker after
knowledge assumes a bravado she Is
far from feeling.
"I don't care," she says to herself, by
way of bolstering up her courage, "I'm
not superstitious anyway, and I don't
believe in such arrant nonsense." But
she's nervous Jnst the same, for a cou
ple of days, until other troubles have
driven this mythical one out of her
mind.
There's one young woman known to
the writer who never dreams of a
young child without shivering and
shaking for days after, in fear of some
dreadful thing happening to her. She
has not consulted a dreambook on the
subject, and so she doesn't know how
infants and bad luck became connected
in her mind, but, nevertheless, after
she's had a visitant of this sort while
sleeping, she says prayers of unusual
length and then makes up her mind to
be patient under afflictions sore.
She's an intelligent woman, mind
you, but she doesn't attempt to explain
the terror that besets her at this par
ticular dream.
She doesn't call herself superstitious,
of course no woman does, not even the
one who won't walk under a ladder, but
her friends do, and make light of her
until she exposes some fetich of theirs,
when the subject is carefully avoided
afterward. Baltimore News.
Potatoes as Penwipers.
A certain New York hotel uses a
bushel of potatoes a year for penwipers
on the tables iff the writing-rooms. Ev
ery morning a large potato Is put in a
compartment of the pen box, and after
24 hours the potato Is removed and an
other put in. Pens in pen holders are
stuck Into the potato half a dozen at a
time, giving it the appearance of a
porcupine. It is claimed that a potatc
penwiper is the best preservative
against rust and mildew that can be
secured for the pens.
The women believe a man should fact
every misfortune with cheerfulness, ex
cept the death of his wife.
Every one in love has a right to
change his or her mind.
CUBAN CENSUS REPORTED.
Interesting Review Recently Pnb
Usbed by United States Bnrean.
It is doubtful whether so complete
a census was ever taken in "Cuba as
that which constituted the first official
act of this government. The Ameri
can Sag had no sooner been raised over
Havana than preparation for the tajs
lug of the census began. la the reor
ganization of the government upon a
practical working basis this was con
sidered a most necessary beginning.
The United States officers had but a
perfunctory report of the conditions of
Cuba and its people, whose needs were
but Indirectly understood. No one
Knew the numbers or social conditions
of the people for whom the new gov-
eminent was to be formed, and without
these facts the intelligent conduct of
the work could not be executed.
One of the first acts which impressed
the Cubans with the sincerity of this
sountry's promises was the appoint
ment of Cubans for this first work to
be undertaken. It was a natural and
eorrect supposition that the Cubans
eould conduct the census taking with
CENSUS ENUMERATORS OF HAVANA.
better success than could foreigners.
The Cuban census taker could explain
frha nlTpnAu, rf hie -arr-trWr rrt rhp npnrlfl.
of the United States army should be
dispelled. The appearance of the
tor had been chosen from among them
selves.
Begun In the early part of September,
the actual work of the census taking
vvas completed Dec. 31 and the enumer
ators discharged with the close of the
year. The supervisors, together with
their records, were taken to Washing-
ton, where they worked until the fol-
lowing April, overseeing the compila
tion of reports In the United States
census bureau. When they were re-
turned to their own country in the
iate spring they were highly compil
mented by the directors of census upon
their eflicient and faithful service.
The government report on the cen
bus of Cuba for-1899 occupies a bulky
volume which will prove most enter
taining reading for anyone inter
ested in the little Island of which
It treats. There are reports from ev-
ery one of the home industries, of the
agricultural development and possibill-
ties of the country and of course of
the social, educational and moral stand-
jng Qf the people. The chapter devoted
to citizenship is interesting as giving a
correct statement concerning the rela-
tion Gf foreign to native population of
the Island. The report reads
"Of the population of Cuba, 89 per
CUBA'S SSRRENDEB TREK.
Historic point near San Juan Hill, where nego
t iations with the Spanish were concluded.
cent were born on the island and 8
per cent in Spam and only 3 per cent
In other countries. Those born in
Cuba of course Included not only na
tive whites, but negroes and mixed
bloods. The proportion was greatest
In Santiago, where It reached 95 per
cent, and was least in Havana, where
only a little over three-fourths of the
inhabitants were native born. Three
fourths of the foreign born were of
Spanish birth. The proportion of those
born in Spain was naturally greatest in
the city of Havana, where it reached
nearly 20 per cent of all the inhabit
ants, and was least in the province of
Santiago.
"In the matter of citizenship, 83 per
cent claimed Cuban citizenship, only 1
per cent the protection of Spain, while
11 per cent were, at the time of the
census, in suspense, not having declar
ed their intentions. The purest Cuban
citizenship was found In the province
of Santiago, where 91.7 per cent of the
inhabitants claimed to be citizens of
Cuba. On the other-hand, in the city
of Havana only 64.2 per cent were
Cuban citizens. It is interesting to
note that In the city of Havana only
5.3 per cent claimed citizenship other
than Cuban or Spanish, while in the
province of Havana 11.6 per cent were
found In this class."
MARRIAGE IN TURKEY.
Pafescnards Thrown Aronnd the Rights
of a Moslem Woman.
Anions the Turks marriage Is a
strictly civil act, the validity of which
consists in being attested by at least
two witnesses; and although an Imam,
or priest, is usually present at the sign
ing of the contract,, it is rather In his
legal than In his religious capacity.
The civil ceremony is very simple. The
bridegroom and his witnesses repair to
the home o ' the bride, in the selamlik,
e
or public apartments, of which nor male
relatives discuss with them -the amount
of the nekiah the dower payable by
the husband or his executors to the
wife, should she be divorced by or sur
vive him
This question settled, and the doeu-
ment drawn up, the bridegroom thrice
repeats his deuiie to marry the daugn-1
proceeds to the door of communication
with the haremlik, behind
unue ami uer lemme i"
semoiea; ana aner uecutnu. ,
amount of nekiah aereed upon, this
functionary asks the maiden if she ac
cepts such a one for her husband.
When the question and the affirmative ,
answer nave oeeu inrice reytmcu, w
imam returns to the selamlik, where he
attests tuti L-uuseui ui uie unw,
.11 A -I 11. . 1. J) l. l.niln and tho
parties are considered to be now legally
married.
The couple do not, however, meet un-
... , . ..'
i the conclusion of the dughun ziafetti, :
or week of wedding festivities and i
ceremonies, which may not be held for,
some months afterward,
talnments, to which all friends and ac
quaintances afe invited, and at which
the poor of the neighborhood are also
feasted, constitute the social sanction
of the family alliance entered into in
private. For should the girl's assent
be suspected of having been obtained
bv force or fraud, and the match is
considered unsuitable, public disap
proval would very properly be shown
by refusal to take part in the wedding
rejoicings. And even when all these
formalities are at an end. and the bride
has been conducted with much pomp to
her new home if the spouse chosen for
her by her parents or guardians Is not
altogether a persona grata to herself,
she may still refuse to accept him as
her husband. For, according to an
Oriental custom of great antiquity, a
newly-wedded husband can assume no
rights over his wife until she has spok
en to him.
The possession by a Moslem woman
of such personal and proprietary rights
is rendered necessary by the'facilltles
for divorce accorded by law to a Mos
lem man. For a husband has but to
say to his wife in a moment of anger,
"Cover thy face, thy nekiah is In thine
A MOSLEM MATRON.
hand!" when she ceases to be his wife
and must leave his roof forthwith, tak
ing with her bag and baggage. In prac
tice, however, various obstacles to di
vorce, religious, social and pecuniary,
offer themselves. The husband seldom
has, for Instance, the ready cash with
which to pay the promised dower; considerable-Social
odium attaches to such
a proceeding; a man who without just
and serious cause repudiates a wife
does not easily obtain a second, and
added to these considerations there is
the religious censure contained in the
words of the prophet, "The curse of
Allah rests upon him who capriciousl
repudiates his wife." If, however, tht
wife, without adequate cause and con
trary to the desire of her husband, so
licits a divorce, she obtains It only by
foregoing her nekiah.
Verbs i'rom Proper Names.
We say "to mesmerize," "to gal
vanize, to guillotine, 'to macadam
ize," "to gerrymander," "to mercer
ize," a verb of recent invention. If the
heroes of Homeric epochs were rea
persons, we may add "to hector" and
to pander." Pamphylla, a Greek lady
who compiled a history of the world In
thirty-five little books, has given her
name to "pamphlet" and "to pamphle
teer." "To pasquinade" is due to Pas-
quino, a cobbler at Rome, in whose ugly
face the Romans detected a resem
blance to the statue of an ancient
gladiator which was erected near the
Piazza Navona, on whose pedestal it
was the practice to post lampoons. "To
sandwich" is derived indirectly from
the Earl of Sandwich, who Invented a
repast which enabled him to dispense
with regular meals when at cards.
London Notes and Queries.
Relics of Irish Lake Dwellers.
An interesting relic of the lake dwell
ers of Ireland has just been added to
the Science and Art Museum of Dub
lin in the form of a crannog, or ele
vated dwelling. It was discovered in
a bog-filled lake near Enniskillen and
measures over 100 feet in diameter. On
removing the peat the piles of platform
timbers were laid bare. The piling and
cross-timbering were admirably done.
untrimmed birch trees being chiefly
used for crosslaying, while oak was
used for the stouter piles. A large
quantity of broken pottery was found
in it, besides an iron ax of early form,
a fragment of a comb and some bronze
harp pegs.
Co-operative Railways in Australia.
Victoria, Australia, nas hunt seven
local railways on the co-operative prin
ciple. The railways were estimated for
by contract at 547,908, but by work
lng the co-operative principle they were
completed for 251,211.
Gigantic Poclcetbooks.
The Swedes and Norgewians j;arry
their loose cash in Immense pocket
books; some of these have been in use
for two or three generations, and con
tain almost enough leather to make a
pair of boots. .
Canada's Increasing Exports.
The exports of butter, cheese, eggs,
bacon, hams, mutton, - pork, apples,
oats, peas, wheat, flour and potatoes
to Great Britain from Canada has more
than doubled since 1896.
Most colored people never feel hard
ud unless there Is a minstrel show In
town, and they are shy the price of
ticket.
A man is never old until he begins
to look as if he had neglected to bathe
and shave.
NAD A ROUGH EXPERiENOB.
(t Convinced the Judge tbat San Men
Might Be Bent to an Asylum.
M. H. Chetwynd, of Philadelphia, in
commenting on a recent case where a
.a n.o narann Tcraa ralaaaari hr tho pnnrts
m i,lm a,w h hnn been ii-
legaUy confilleci, told the following
to "About twenty years ago a law-
I yer of prominence got into a contro-1
h 7. h it h ' versr on tnls vefy P:nt witn an equally to point of years is Mrs. Nancy Holli
whlcb the i inir. Tho lnwver main- Brfd of Ellenboro. N. C. who has reach-
tamed that it was the easiest thing in
m & person confllled
la an asylum. The judge, while admit
ting that it might be possible, held
that it would be very difficult "and that
wouId ,ncrea8e in pro
portion to the position in society of the
intended victim. 'A person's standing
nhctonlA
,QW ' .wh tmi srt-
L.,; ... x... ' . ' .-, ih
. J , , 1 , . i
get you locked up in an asylum if 1
f , ...aa , owpw, thp
JT7," t
f
for the nonce was dropped.
"It occurred on a railroad train,
which, stopping a short time later at a
station, the lawyer suggested to the
judge that they stretch their legs on
the platform. They had not got ten
feet from the train when the lawyer
suddenly hurled himself upon the judge
and at the same time cried aloud for
help. A half dozen bystanders rushed
to the lawyer's aid, and before the
judge realized what bad happened he
was held by a dozen hands. 'All right;
thank you,' said the lawyer to the men
who had come to his aid. 'Tie his hands
behind his back, for he's dangerous.'
This was too much for the judge. 'I'm
Judge So-and-So,' he began with digni
ty, 'and this outrage ' Just then he
felt a rope on his wrist and his self-
possession deserted him and he fairly
raved at the indignities that were being
heaped upon him. He resorted to lan
guage not usually heard from the bench
or employed by the judiciary. But the
more he said the less effect it seemed tc
have on his captors.
Finally he paused for breath and tht
lawyer in a quiet voice said: 'Are yoi
satisfied now that I was right In tht
argument?' 'Satisfied! began the judge.
hysterically, 'satisfied!' But he got no
further. 'Yes, d n you I' was the man
ner in which he lowered his colors.
"A few words and judiciously distrib
uted coins among his captors by the
lawyer released the Judge and enabled
him to get upon the train Just as the
conductor called 'All aboard!'
"In the town where they had stopped
was the State lunatic asylum and tht
advent of lunatics was a part of tht
town's dally routine. Hence the alac
rity with which the judge was seized
But it was a pretty rough object les
son, he compiaineu wnen ne naa recov
ered sufficient equanimity to enter Into
conversation with his companion. 'Per
haps, but it proved what I said,' was
the reply, 'and who knows but tha:
some day it may prove of great value
to you and enable you from that ex
perience to prevent or else to right a
great wrong.' The judge made no" re
ply, but lost himself In thought."
Hnd Mountain.
The principal railroad of Costa Rica
dow but 117 miles long, is just being
sxtended to reach from San Jose to the
Pacific coast. The general manager of
the road, in speaking of the enterprise
recently, said:
There is one place on the road whicb
has given the engineers a great deal oi
trouble, and which has cost man.
thousands of dollars every year since
the road was built. This place is about
forty-five miles from Port Limon, and
is called Bluemud. For about 600 feet
the track runs along a ledge on the side
if a mountain, with the River Reventa
Zon below. The mountain is composed
f a bluish clay, which turns into mud
luring the rainy season and keeps con
stantly sliding down on the tracks. We
have to keep a big gang of men at
work day and night cleaning the road
of this blue mud, and when the rains
ire very heavy the traffic has to be sus
pended. In July so much-of the mud
slid down over the roadbed that we
could not run trains there for three
weeks.
"To add to the difficulty there Is a
lake back of the mountain, and the
water from this lake percolates through
the mountain and keeps it constantly
wet. The lake was drained by the en
gineers, but they discovered that it was
fed by springs, and still the mountain
was kept In a wet state and the mud
kept sliding down over the tracks.
"At last they obtained what Is known
in the mining region of California as a
hydraulic giant, and which throws a
very powerful stream of water with
great force. They rigged up this hy
draulic giant, and when I left Costa
Rica they were actually washing the
mountain away with it into the river."
Friday Superstition.
A row of paupers' houses, very neatly
designed, has just been erected at
Ahnaracle, Mr. Rudd, of Ardnamur
chan, having advanced a considerable
sum for building purposes to the parish
council on easy terms. Accommodation
Is provided for ten persons. A few
days ago H. MacPherson, inspector of
poor, visited Aharacle in order to su
perintend the removal of the ten select
ed female paupers to the new cottages.
They all occupied houses which were
in a wretched stateof disrepair, yet each
of them resolutely and peremptorily re
fused to "flit." In vain did the inspec
tor dilate on the increased comfort and
conveniences to be injoyed to the new
dwellings. The aged dames were In
vlnclbly proof against all argument
nor did threats of compulsion and sher
iff's warrant have any terror for them.
At length it was elicited that the dis
inclination to remove was based simply
on superstition, The day of the week
happened to be Friday; and it appears
that to change quarters on that particu
lar day constitutes a gross and wanton
violation of all the canons governing
highland "flitting." On discovering that
the perversity manifested by the old
women was mainly attributable to
"conscientious scruples," the Inspector
! at once agreed tc , humor them and the
removals j
a lowing day.
when they wete accom
plished without any opposition or de
mur. Edinburgh Scotsirun.
The real proof of the pudding is in the
possession thereof.
OLDEST MAN IN THE WORLD.
Moan Kaby Hot Lived One Hnndred
and Twentyeicht Years.
In the possession of all his faculties,
practically unimpaired, there lives, a
man in tile noorhollse St I'laiufield. X.
t whn has appn 128 winters come and
go. "Uncle" Noah Kaby enjoys the
distinction of being the oldest man In
the United States. Not far behind him
ed the age of 117. Mr. Raby is said
to be the oldest man i America, if not
in the world. He has been for thirty
years an Inmaie of the New Jersey in
stitution, and seems contented with bis
lot.
Noah Raby was born in Eatonton,
Gates County, N. C, in 1773. His moth
er was a native of North Carolina, but
his father, Andrew Bass, was an In
dian. Though the blood of an aborig
ine is In his veins, Baby's skin is per
fectly white.
Plscataway's poor farm is situated
U:iCLE NO Art RABV.
about four miles from New Market, in
the Stelton highway. When a cor
respondent called at the farm "Uncle
Noah," as he is familiarly called, was
In his accustomed place in the sitting
room, quietly dozing in a large high
back rocker, where he always sleeps.
He never goes to bed, fearing a rush of
blood to his head might prove fatal. He
is almost totally blind, but is in full
possession of his other faculties and
seems to enjoy life.
"Uncle Noah" smokes almost Inces
santly. On pleasant days in the sum
mer months he gropes his way about
the dooryard and mingles with the
male inmates. His thin, gray, almost
snow-white, hair and his bent figure
denote his great age, though his mus
cles are firm and he appears quite ac
tive. He" has a remarkably clear intellect
and his mind is retentive on nearly all
subjects. The most noticeable thing
about the old man is his slight frame.
He Is quite thin, weighing less than
100 pounds.
The population of the earth doubles
itself in 260 years.
Prof. Lloyd Morgan, in a recent ad
dress, stated that he hi.d found that
young chickens, taken straight from the
Incubator, could swim very well, the
power of swimming being perfectly in
stinctive. As seen from the moon, the earth
would appear four times greater in
diameter and thirteen times wider in
surface than the moon does to us. The
illumination of the earth is fourteen
times greater on the moon than that of
the moon on the earth.
The oldest public building in New
York City is St. Paul's Chapel, at the
corner of Broadway and Fulton street.
It was built in 1766, ten years before
the Declaration of Independence. For
some years Gen. Washington was a reg
ular attendant of the church, and his
pew is still pointed out to visitors.
The people of the Southern Ap
palachian mountains number about two
million, their descent being from the
Scotch Irish, French Huguenots, Eng
lish and Geman. They have been in
these mountains since long before the
revolution. They love their -homes and
mingle but little with the outside world.
A frequent cause of the oiliness on
the outside of lamps is that the wick
is kept too high when unlighted. It
should be remembered that the wick
draws the oil to the surface, and if it
projects too far above the burner; it
will soon accumulate oil there, which
will find its way slowly over the out
side. Saxon makers of needles drove En
gland out of Brazil by wrapping their
goods in pink paper instead of blacks
Other Germans are catering to the
fondness of Russians for red in their
dress. France recently learned how
distasteful green is to a Chinaman, but
It cost a good deal of money to make
the discovery.
A Thoughtful Professor.
"Johnny found a half-dollar to-day
and bought a pound of chocolates.
Wasn't he lucky?" asked the wife of
the cranky, analytical professor.
"Lucky?" answered the professor,
slowly. "Let us see. He has now cre
ated an appetite for chocolates. There
is not one chance in a million that he
will again find enough money to pur
chase another pound. His former ap
petite for gumdrops and cheap candies
is now gone. He will turn from them
with scorn, yet will not possess enough
money to buy chocolates. Would you
call him lucky? Always remember,
madam, that we are happy with the
simple things until we taste the rich
and grand. Tell the cook, when you go
down, to not serve any more, health
foods to-day, as I am feeling unwell
and need a change of diet." Indianap
olis Sun.
Two Creeds in One Church.
In the city of Heidelberg, Germany,
there Is a church called the Church of
the Holy Ghost, which Is unique In its
way, being the only church in the
world In which the Protestant and
Catholic services are held at the same
time, a partition wall through the cen
ter separating the two congregations.
Doctors iu China.
A Chinese doctor's fee 1b perhaps the
smallest to the world, ranging from '-'d
to 6d, but this can be accounted for
by the fact that any one can practice
as doctor or physician. , .