ANCHORED TO A WHALE, GLOUCESTER
FISHERMAN IS TOWED OUT TO SEA.
LITEST OF CANALS
The night throbs on; bat let me pray,
. dear Lord!
Crush off his name a moment from my
month.
To Thee my eyes would tarn, but they
go back.
Back to my arm beside me where he
17-
So little. Lord, so little and so warm!
I cannot think that Thou hadst need of
him!
lit is so little. Lord, he cennot sing.
He cannot praise Thee; all his life had
learned
Was to hold fast my kisses in the night.
Giro him to me he is not happy there!
Result Means Much to the Pan
ama Company.
A WATERWAY FIGHT,
c.
May End ia Loss of Many Millions to
the Old Ship-Canal Concern.
MOTHERHOOD.
v v v vX x. Y Vx A xN-N N x xx v VxXx.Yx-xS xxx
. jfr -T. - -7 J-TS.n .-.ix .
. ue JHU UUL ICli U19 U1C, UiS 1UICI t j v a
'Just knew me for his mother, and he
died.
Hast Thou an angel there to mother him?
I say he lores me best if he forgets.
If Thou allow it that my child forgets
And runs not out to meet me when I
come
What are my curses to Thee? Thou hast
heard
The curse of Abel's mother, and since
then
We hare not ceased to threaten at Thy
throne.
To threat and pray Thee that Thou hold
them still
In memory of us.
See Thou tend him well.
Thou God of all the mothers! If he lack
One of his kisses Ah, my heart, my
heart,
Do angels kiss in Heaven? Give him
back!
Forgive me, Lord, but I am sick with
grief.
And tired of tears and cold to comfort
ing. Thou art wise, I know, and tender, aye,
and good,
Thou hast my child and he is safe in
Thee.
And I believe
Ah, God, my child shall go
Orphaned among the angels! All alone,
So little and alone! He knows not Thee,
He only knows his mother give him
back!
Scribner's.
NOT TOO LATE $
i Z
. ... . w ,i ff i Ti iTi ill lit
r v I V V I V V I 'A 'l' T V
HT was late when George Atwood
arrived at Mrs. Halleck's party.
There was quite a brilliant com
pany present, and Mr. Atwood stood
near the door to scan the throng.
Evidently he was looking for some
bodyyes, for his eyes rested now on
a young girl.
A girl with a beautiful face upturn
ed to a fair, handsome man, bending
over the back of her chair. She seem
ed in a trance of delight, and wholly
unconscious of anybody's presence In
the brilliantly lighted parlors but the
man bending over her.
And the girl was George Atwood's
promised wife.
When his eyes rested on her an aw
ful change came over his face, the
rich, dark color fled, leaving it white
and rigid, and his lips formed a tense
line under his heavy, dark beard.
For days past George Atwood watch
ed Ida Challis, his intended wife. He
knew that Ida loved him devotedly,
and he tried not to watch her; he tried
not to notice Alfred May's attention to
her, but as he caught sight of her
face when he entered Mrs. Halleck's
parlor he knew that he ought to have
kept a better watch over her than he
did. Alfred May possessed the fasci
nation of a serpent, and be had drawn
Ida into the meshes.
George Atwood turned away with an
Inward groan He loved Ida passion
ately; her love seemed lost to him, yet
he could not think of giving her up.
"fr Atwnml la lipre " Alfrpd Mnv
said, looking down at Ida Challis.
The radiant face grew pale, and Ida
shivered as she looked around her. She
had fallen from her world of bliss and
she was ouce more In Mrs. Halleck's
crowded salon.
"Did you say Mr. Atwood was here?
Where is he?" she asked, in a low
voice.
"Yes; be was here a moment ago. I
saw him looking savagely In this di
rection, but he has disappeared; I do
not see him anywhere now," and Mr.
May laughed his musical laugh,
changed the conversation, and in an
other minute Ida's face was upturned
aud rosy once more.
A quadrille was-forming, and a gen
tleman came to claim Ida for the
dance. Away from Alfred May and
the glamor his presence cast over her
partly vanished she thought of her
lover. Where was he? Did he no
tice anything wrong iu her conduct to
ward Alfred May? If he was in the
room why didn't he come to her?
These thoughts flashed through Ida's
mind as she waited for the first figure
to be called, and happening to turn her
head, she saw her lover standing on
the opposite side of the room, his eyes
fastened upon her. One glance at his
livid face and everything in the illum
inated parlors seemed whirling round
her.
The dance was over. Ida never could
tell how she go tthrough it. The heat
of the room was suffocating her, and
when her partner left her, after leading
her back to her seat, she rose and stag
gered over to one of the windows that
opened out upon the balcony.
As 6he stepped into the deep recess
of the window she let the curtains fall
behind her, shutting in the light and
heat and whirl. How delightful and
cool It was out here. The shining stars
looked" down at her from their deep
blue setting through the open window.
But Ida did not shut herself out In the
darkness to gaze at the' stars. She
threw herself Into a chair which occu
pied the recess and buried her face in
her hands.
"Oh, what a wretch I am!" she
moaned. "George suspects I think
more cf another man than I do of him.
Heaven help me! How Is this going
to end?" '
Little Ida dreamed that before many
minutes she would know how It was
going to end. As she asked herself
that question voices came to her from
the balcony without
Ida's head was erect In an instant. A
lady and gentleman were speaking on
the balcony. Ida did not wish to sit
ajad listen to wb. vh' -ot intended
Startling was the experience of Charles Decker of .Gloucester, Mass., on the
last cruise of his fishing schooner, the Maxine Elliott. Decker, while fishing
peacefully in the waters of Sheepscott bay, found himself anchored to a whale, .
which suddenly took a notion to-tow him out to sea at a rate heretofore na
dreamed of in dory navigation.The Maxine Elliott lay anchored under the lee
of Lower Mark' Island. The fish were running freely in the mouth of the Sheep
scott and Decker, with the other men from the boat, was engaged in hand -lining
over the sides of dories stretched between the Cranberry ledges and Sister
rocks, each covering a favorite locality for cod. Decker let down his anchor when
about midway between Lower Mark and Griffith's head, on a spot known to be
shoal about twenty-five fathoms being charted there. He baited a jigger and
threw it overboard, and while it was running out set to work on another. He
had let his anchor run easily, and when
ered it several feet to make sure it was on
whirled half around., and started ahead at a rate that was dragging his cod line
and jigger far behind. Decker was almost paralyzed with astonishment and not
a little fright. His hair was beginning to stand on end and his flesh was creepy
all over as he thought of some mysterious "sea devil" dragging him out to sea.
Just then a big whale came to the top to blow, just ahead of the dory, and
Decker was relieved to see his anchor fast in the monster's blow hole. A whale
was something that he was used to. His fright vanished and he promptly cut
the tow line and released himself from peril. When he came on board his mates
refused to believe the yarn, and asserted he had cut the line because he was
too lazy to lift the anchor.
for her ears, but the man's voice held
her spellbound, and she leaned forward
to catch every word that fell from his
lips.
"What absurd ideas, to be tfure!" the
man was saying, in his lightest tones.
"Absurd! How can you say so;
said the lady's voice, hotly. "Anybody
can see that you are trying to come
between George Atwood and his in
tended wife."
"Trying to come between them!" and
Alfred May laughed derisively.
"Ah, you nieaji that you have already
accomplished it! Yes, everybody says
that you must have fascinated Miss
Challis that she loves you Is no long
er a secret."
"She loves me! Then more fool she
for her pains, for, my dear, I have no
affection to waste on anybody but your
own sweet self."
Ida listened to no more. For days
6he had been under a spell, but It was
shattered at last She fell back in her
chair, buried her head in her bands
once more and groaned aloud.
At that moment the heavy curtains
parted and George Atwood stepped
Into the recess. V
"Ida, what ails you?" and he rested
his hand lightly on her shoulder.
"Oh, don't touch me don't speak to
me!" she cried, drawing away from
him with a shiver. "George, I'm not
worthy a kind word from your lips."
"Heaven forbid, Ida, that a word
should fall from my lips but In kind
ness to you. It is too late to censure,"
and the strong man's voice quivered
"it is go hard to give you up. If Al
fred May was a good man "
"Alfred May Is a scoundrel! and L
hate him I hate myself! Oh, George,
If you knew how wretched I am!" and
Ida burst into tears.
"Ida!" cried George, in joyful as
tonishment. "I thought you loved Al
fred May!"
"George, I've acted foolishly I've
done wrong, but oh, I'm so sorry,"
said Ida, between her sobs.
"My darling!" and George clasped
her in his strong arms. "Let us for
get the past few weeks of our exist
ence." New York News.
HIS BETTING CLOTHES.
Superstitious Young Man Explains
Cause of Hia Losses.
There Is a new boarder at the board
ing house. He wears a, new pair of
Scotch tweed trousers, a mile too wide
across the beam, and an embryonic
waxed mustache, which he loves to
train into the form of a grapevine ten
dril. Wlen be is not twirling his ten
drilous mustache or taking another
hitch In his trousers he plasters down
with his hand his straggly growth of
tow-colored hair and confines it as best
he can behind the rims of his small
ears.
"Do you know," said the newcomer,
"that I am the most superstitious fel
low you ever saw? Now. really, I am."
"I think that we are all supersti
tious," said the actress, who sat across
from him at the table, and who was
one of the ballet In "Beauty and the
Beast"
NEW AIRSHIP FOR WHICH
GREAT PROMISES ARE MADE.
A model of a new dirigible airship was recently on exhibition in Chicago. It
represents the results of five years' work on the part of William Reiferscheid of
Streator, 111. The model shows a contrivance consisting of two major parts, a
cigar-shaped balloon, to which is attached a frame, on which are six propellers.
Four propellers are used for ascending and two for steering. The power is sup
plied by a gasoline engine.
The owner of the machine claims it will do many evolutions unknown to the
flying machine of Santos-Dumont. The Streator inventor declares his Eagle,
for that is what he calls it, could be driven from Chicago to New York at the
rate of 100 miles an hour, and that it could be sailed around a tower with its
side touching the structure at all times. He also contends that the Eagle could
le turned around all day in the same spot ia the air. It is planned to construct
a machine at an expense of $10,000.
it brought up he had lifted and low- - (
bottom. Suddenly his dory careened.
. "Perhaps," was the languid reply.
"But do you know, some of us sporting
men are very superstitious. Don'tcher
think so?"
"You a sporting man!" Interrupted
the actress. "Why." she said, "I took
you for a musician. Don't you play?"
"Only the races." answered the new
boarder. "Now, for Instance." contin
ued the new boarder, "to show you how
superstitious I am, I never play a hoss
on Friday. I lost $13 the first Friday
that I ever bet on the races, and I
made up my mind that I never would
bet on Friday again. And you notice,
too, that it was $13 that I lost"
"And do you know," -began the young
man again, "I have learned that a man
should never play the hosses in clothes
that he has lost in. Now, for instance,
I always used to lose in a suit of green
plaid. I lost on boss after hoss In those
clothes, and finally a friend told me
that they were hoo-doo clothes and that
I ought to wear something else. Well,
do you know, I wore an old suit of
black cheviot and I made $400 on a
10-to-l shot"
"Color makes all the difference in the
world in betting. Then, too, a man
wil always lose If he bets in a poolroom
in the same street with an undertaker's
establishment I used to lose right
along at a poolroom in 6th avenue until
I found out that there was a under
taker two doors up the street.
"A white hoss is luckier than a black
hoss. Whenever there Is a black hoss
up I always bet on him, especially if I
have on a light suit
The fat boarder was about to leave
the table, says the New York Tribune,
when he turned and said:
"I don't think I will do much betting
at that rate. I haven't enough clothes
to go around, and I doubt very much if
you will have, young man, if you keep
on."
The waxened mustached young man
again, plastered down a curl, but said
nothing.
Holding for a Rise.
Ex-Congressman Cable of Illinois has
a charming young daughter who Is re
ceiving her education in France. When
she was several years younger than she
is now her father took her on his knee
one day and said to her:
"To-day a man asked me If I would
not sell little brother. He said he would
give me a whole room full of gold. Shall
I let him have little brother?"
The child shook her bead.
"But," persisted her father, "think
how much money this room full of gold
would be. Think how many things you
could buy with It Don't you think I'd
better let the man have little brother?"
"No," said the daughter, "let's keep
him till he's older. He'll be worth more
then." New York Times.
A Little Dense.
"Sousa's band played before
King
Edward."
"Indeed? That wasn't court etiquette,
was it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said Sousa played before the
King. The King should have played
first, shouldn't he?" Cleveland Plain
Dealer.
Nicaragua Project Most in Favor
There Is Not Much Difference in Cost
and. to the Ordinary Observer the
Natural Advantages Seem to Be
About -Equal Passage More Quickly
Made by Panama Route Great In
land Sea in Nicaragua.
V
The world Is interested in a fight of
canals, with the center of attention di
rected to Central America, that vexa
tious narrow strip of land connecting
the great American continent. For the
first time in eleven years the Congress
- Of the United States is arranging for
the construction of the isthmian water
passage, with forces ranged in two fac
tions one holding out for the comple
tion of the Panama canal, begun so
long ago by the Frenchman, DeLes
seps, and the other advocating the con
struction of an entirely new passage
through Nicaragua.
With the new Hay-Pauncefote treaty
with England ratified, it will be neces
sary to consummate negotiations with
the Central American States, through
which, or along the border of which,
the chosen route extends. It has been
maintained that a strip of land ten
miles in width along the canal should
be bought, but the constitutions of the
Central American States forbidding
such sale, the only way remaining is
to acquire nominal control of the land
by treaty. We would then have the
l ight to police the strip or do anything
else we pleased with it. It is a fact
that sovereignty of the strip is not
needed. ' Control is all that is neces
sary. While the proposed canal Is to be
neutral, the United States will have
the right to close it against an enemy
In time of war, the fact that we guar
antee neutrality not operating against
the establishment of fortifications if we
see fit. By a principle of international
law, all treaties are abrogated with
the country with which we are at war.
The new treaty which replaces the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty with England
provides that the United States shall
do aU the work of building the canal,
assume the responsibility of safeguard
ing it and regulate its use by all na
tions on terms of equality without the
guarantee of interference of any other
country. It Is this last clause which
gives us the right to fortify the canal.
Probably this will never be done, as
the most effective way to control the
canal in time of war is by means of
the navy. It is held that if we control
both approaches of the canal, as we
shall do. it will be all we need.
The first effect of the canal will be
to shorten the time from New York to
San Francisco from sixty to sixteen
days, thus bringing about a great in
crease in water freight, with a propor-
n DOX LOUIS COREA.
Kicaraguan Minister to the United States.
tionate lessening of rates. Further
more, it will bring the ocean shipping
industry into close competition with
the transcontinental railways, thus re
ducing rates all around. Even now it
is clreaper to ship imperishable goods
by water. Loads of freight daily come
into New York from points west of the
Alleghenies to go out in the coasting
vessels around Cape Horn and up the
other side to San Francisco.
Another result will be an increase in
the volume of trade. There will be
enough for both vessels and railroads.
Still another and very important effect
will be noted in the Central American
States. The completion of the canal
will draw American capital into these
countries, which have hitherto been al
most constantly at war among them
selves. A demand for protection wiil
De created and the official presence of
the United States would act a? a
wholesale restraint on our hot-blooded
southern neighbors. It is .possible that
the canal will in time bring about a
commercial union of Central America,
under a protectorate of the United
States, a result which would be of the
greatest benefit to the whole -western
hemisphere.
llPliil
llilllll
A SECTION
Finally, the construction of the canal
will give us an immense advantage in
trade with South America. At present
Germany and England each beats us In
that direction. Altogether, It is believ
ed that the isthmian canal will prove
to be a greater stimulus to trade than
any other one thing- which could be
accomplished, whether it be decided to
finish the old Panama canai or estab
lish an entirely new waterway by the
Nicaragua route.
Fourteen Times Surveyed.
Since the conception of the project
of a canal across the Isthmus of Pan
ama, no less than fourteen' routes have
been proposed and surveyed across the
narrow neck of land connecting the
American continents. Only two sur
vive. It was in 1843 that a survey was
made of the Panama route for the first
time. A French engineer undertook this
work, but with no important immediate
results. He was followed not many
years afterward by George M. Totten.
chief engineer of the Panama Railroad,
who estimated the cost of the construc
tion of the great waterway at $75,000.
000 to $100,000,000. Subsequently the
United States government also made a
PROPOSED NICARAGUA ROUTE OF THIS
survey, locating a practicable line for
an interoceanic ship canal twenty-six
feet in depth from the Bay of Aspiu
wall, in the Caribbean sea to Panama
on the Pacific.
In 1879 Count Ferdinand de Lesseps,
the man best known in connection with
the Panama project, appealed to the
nations to send delegates to a proposed
congress in Paris, to discuss the ques
tion of a canal across the isthmus. On
May 15 of that year, representatives
of twenty-four countries assembled in
the French capital and ou their ad
journment the Universal Interoceanic
Canal Company was organize.!. The
disasters attending this company, with
its record of the greatest steals in the
history of the world and its attendant
numerous suicides, are still fresh in
the public mind and need, no recapitu
lation here. The company, however, :s
not dead, though they have tried In
vain to raise the $150,000,000 necessary
to complete the canal. The collapse of
the company awoke the strongest pub
lic prejudice against the route and it
Is Indeed remarkable that in the many
points to be considered and in an un
dertaking so gigantic the two routes
are such close rivals.
It is not generally known that work
on the Panama canal was resumed in
1895, and has been continued to this
day. In order to save some of the
$260,000,000 De Lesseps' company
spent, and to retain the valuable con
cessions granted it, the receivers or
ganized a new company. The stock was
purchased by members of. the original
company, who hoped by further sub
scribing to save a part of their original
investments. Thirteen million dollars
wassail, however, they were willing
to invest, and this only eleven days be
fore the expiration of the original con
cession. An extension of the conces
sion to 1910 was secured. The new
company did not waste the thirteen
millions in mere show on soft ground,
but, in contfast to Its predecessors,
made every dollar tell, in the hope of
retrieving lost confidence, or, failing to
secure further investments, to make
the partly built canal so much more
valuable when the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty should be abrogated, so that the
attention of the United States could
be secured.
There is little native labor to be had
on the isthmus. The climate is not con
ducive to activity and the natives are
averse to labor constitutionally. The
old Panama company imported thou
sands of Chinese, but they proved to i
be poor workmen, especially when con-1
sidering the expense incurred in trans-;
porting them from China. The new
company, placing a bond guaranteeing
the safe return of those of her subjects I
who should desire it was allowed by J
OF THE PANAMA CANAL AS IT APPEARS TO-DAY.
Great Britain to bring In 4,000 negroes
from Jamaica. This number has dwin
dled, through death, desertion and oth
er causes, to about half the original
number.
Nearly Half Completed.
According to the original designs and
specifications, the Panama canal is now
just 40 per cent completed. The At
lantic side is open to a distance of
thirteen miles, the excavation varying
In depth from 16 to 294 feet This has
been filled in to a certain extent by silt
deposits from the Chagres river, in the
bed of which the canal part way lies.
On the Pacific side a length of about
three miles Is cut to a depth of C to
26 feet. In Panama bay a channel has
been dredged to deep water and a cut
through the Cordilleras has been ac
complished to a depth of 160 feet.
It was in 1850-1852 that the Wausit
company, which then controlled all
transisthmian traffic, had the Nicara
gua route surveyed and twenty years
later a commission went over the line
for the United States. When the Pan
ama scandals began, Mr. A. G. Mino
cal, who was "a member of that com
mission, obtained a concession from
Nicaragua and the Nicaragua Canal
CANAL.
Construction Company was organized.
In 18S9 the original Panama company
suspended and the same year the Nic
aragua concession was transferred to
the Maritime Canal Company.
The company dug about three-quarters
of a mile of the canal and deep
ened the harbor at Greytown. Then,
the Nacaraguan government claims, the
concession was forfeited by a discon
tinuance of the work.
The special feature of the Nicaragua
route is the great inland sea which
lies in the hollow between the eastern
and western Cordilleras Lake Nicara
gua. This body of water is forty-tive
miles wide, 110 miles long and 112 feet
above sea level.
The plan of the Nicaragua canal
comprises an engineering feat the most
wonderful ever attempted. In the Isth
mian commission's estimate of the time
it will take to construct the canal, six
years are given the building of a dam
across the San Juan river, while two
more will serve to complete the water
way. Tile San Juan leaves the south
east corner of Lake Nicaragua and
flows almost east into the Caribbean
sea. The first half of its length from
the lake is almost a continuation of
rapids and waterfalls. It is then joined
by the Rio San Carlos and its size
doubled. Two miles above this junction
is the site of the great dam. The San
NICARAGUAN ENGINEERS
' i 1 1 Hfl'" i ' 1,1 i i li i" I i 'ii 1 :3t IYV1:'A.
Juan in its normal state has a flow
of 20,000 cubic feet per second, but in
the rainy season it sometimes mounts
to 200,000. To hold back this flood with
a. dam 150 feet high, and thereby raise
the waters of the San Juan to the level
of the lake, is the project.
The line of the Nicaraguan canal be
gins at the Caribbean sea near Grey
town. Taking a southeasterly direc
tion, it passes to the north of a range
of hills known as the Silicos and thence
southerly to a point about a mile from
the San Juan river. Following the riv
er and at a safe distance from it, the
course continues to the dam, where the
canal enters the river and follows It
into the lake. Crossing the lake In a
northwesterly direction, the mouth of
the Rio Las Lagas is entered. This
stream is followed but a short distance
when, the canal crosses the continental
divide into the valley of the Rio
Grande and thence to Brito, the Pa
cific terminus.
The summit level from the conti
nental divide across the lake and along
the San Juan to the great dam will be
nearly 150 miles long. Besides the pur
pose of a long stretch for speed, this
extended level so high above the sea is
to control the lake's level. It now
fluctuates some thirteen feet. Under
control it will not vary six.
It has been the general opinion that
there is quite a difference between the
mean levels of the twoyoceans. This
idea is an erroneous one, for they are
about the same. There is a difference
in tidal ranges, however, the Pacific
rioinrr i twt t f anil tlin A4"1ortirt hilt
I lOlU Clg LAI 1. l, L UUU LUC iLllU ULIV. U U I.
one foot. Five locks one of 36 feet
and four of 18 feet each, will be re
quired "to raise the vessels from the
Caribbean to the level of the lake,
while four of 28 feet each will be
necessary ou the Pacific side.
Originally, the cost of the Nicaraguan
canal was placed at $50,000,000. The
pstimntps have steadilv risen until at
present the figure is $190,000,000. The
first was for a 16-foot canal of narrow
gauge, whereas the latest plans call for
a cut 35 feet in depth and extending
in places to a width of 150 feet. In
curves a width of 180 feet is called for
and in the harbor at either terminus a
channel of 500 feet wide is projected.
Tea Drinking in Russia.
Enormous quantities of tea are con
sumed by the Russians, but they do
not suffer from any effects owing to
the way In which they concoct the bev
erage. With them it is not a cup of tea,
but a glass of tea. A sprinkling of
leaf is put into the pot, boiling water
is poured on, and allowed to stand not
more than thirty seconds. A small
quantity of the brew about two ta
blespoonfuls is poured into a glass,
which is then filled with boiling water.
A slice of lemon and sugar are added,
and, here we have one of the most re
freshing and piquant drinks Imagina
ble. The color of the tea as drunk is
a pale amber, and, of course, no milk
is used.
New Cure for Consnmptives.
A doctor has written to the London
Times suggesting the running of motor
cars at a speed fully up to the legal
limit as a means of administering the
open-air treatment to consumptives.
Tenants' Rights in Holland.
In Holland no landlord has the power
of raising the rent or of evicting a
tenant.
FINDING RIVER LEVELS,