CM )
OLD-FASHIONED SONGL
I want my dear in snow daj.
When 11 print here, when, warm and
The lanmer comes again.
I want ffir dear when I am clad
And buoyant life is strong:
I want my dear when I am aad
And sorrows come along.
I want my dear at day's break,
In the pale stealing light;
When fading stars see sun's awake.
When dews are cold and bright.
I want my dear fo guide my hand.
To lore me and to cheer;
To-day the hour is lagging, and
I want my dear. -
Lippincott's.
OROTHY BENSON laid down
I her pen with a sigh of satisfac
tion. "There, that is too good for
space filling and ought to go Into my new
book, but lio, hum.' such bits make me
valuable to the Town and Home, and it
may meau a few dollars 011 my salary
when the new man buys into the firm;
I wonder who be is with all his dollars
and a literary bee in his bonnet. If he
will please not discharge me until 1
give mamma a summer in the country,
i will be thankful. Ah, mamma and I
do not fear poverty, for papa's losses
were all honorable ones and bis uame
was kept clean; I think the poor dear
could not have died in peace if he had
owed a penny. With that to keep us
happy niunisy will not miss her high
teas and I" here a little lump came in
her throat "I shall not miss being out
of the 'net.' "
"Tbey want the copy for the second
form," said a voice at her elbow, and
the musings of the pretty young assist
ant editor were cut short while she
made numerous scrawls on the top of
various manuscripts such as "ten
point leaded," or "close up" and "cuts
to follow," and the begrimed boy dis
appeared behind the great doors that
shut the whirring machines from the
commodious offices.
Miss Kenson leaned back and closed
her eyes for a moment, and as she did
o the face of Jack Macomber rose in
her vision, and she let herself dwell on
the past.
She often dreamed of this face
sometimes it seemed happy and care
less of her sufferings, but to-day she
saw it grave and sad, as it was that
last day when cruel words had sep
arated them.
"I would own how sorry I am if I
were not so poor and he so rich, but to
speak now is to allow him to think pov-erty"--but
this was as far as she could
think, for the tears were coming fast.
"I'll go borne now and see little mother
and she will cheer me up; my article on
'Criminal Children' is so good I can
sleep happy."
She went out into the spring after
noon and walked down the avenue.
"The lath of April and only two years
ago Jack and I went to M on a little
horseback party and he bought me a
great bunch of violets and fastened
them on the bridle!" She bought a tiny
bunch now and placed them In her coat
Just for "auld lang syne."
As she climbed the stairs to her tiny
apartments she felt that It was not
well, and 6he was not surprised to find
her mother quite ill. and all thoughts of
self and her own heartache were ban
ished. It was a week before she was able to
return to the office, the proof pages
were sent each morning and she work
ed on them hurriedly, and that was
why she woke one morning with a sud
den start and the instant wideawake
conviction that there was an error in a
statement in her last article. She felt
a cold sweat break out upon her fore
head as she thought of it, but she de
termined to go to the office at once and
correct it.
When she came to her desk she found
It covered with mail, which she put
aside and went at once to the mana
ger's room. She could hear the presses
running at full speed and she knew at
every pound that dreadful error was
being run off.
She fouud a fresh sheet on her way
and opened it, hut to her astonishment
the error had been corrected. She won
dered who had discovered It, for the
forms were electrotyped. and to change
a word meant to chisel off the old and
solder on the new quite a delicate
task.
She did not change her mind, how
ever, but determined to "own up" and
apologize for the error. "I hope the
new owner has not heard of it. whoever
he may be," she thought.
"Ah, yes. yes, n slight error," said the
manager, "but don't take it to heart
Mr. Macomber saw it before the pages
were electrotyped. You may think him
ah, Mr. Macomber, Jack, one moment,
1 want you to meet our assistant editor.
Miss Benson." Jack's tall, athletic fig
ure rose from behind a roll-top desk
and a pair of loving eyes met a pair
of frightened ones. Jack a popular
club man. downtown in business and
this very magazine and her new em
ployer! "Ah. I see you have met be
fore." and the manager went back to
his corner.
The pair looked at each other, stam
mering, confused, but very happy. In
a moment all barriers were down.
"I am sorry your first duties were to
correct ray mistakes," she said, and her
voice was low and as courteous as it
should have been to an employer. There
was a twinkle in her eyes now.
"It was a happy employment, and I
hope to correct others one. In fact, that
has made me miserable for two long
years."
Dorothy Benson made her retreat in
a maze of complex thoughts. It was
so sweet to see him to hear his voice;
but what should she do? She could not
meet him thus every day and under
such conditions!
She wondered whai uew purpose had
filled his soul to brlug him into busi
ness and why but the office boy laid a
letter on her desk as if in answer to her
question. It was rapidly written:
Dearest 1 found no other way to
come into your life forgive mo I
thought I could see you every day and
perhaps in time you would find enough
SCENE OF HIDEOUS ATROCITIES
IN WEST AFRICA BROKEN IP.
1 , f
Recently a British expedition in West Africa, known as the Aro n-eia rurcc
broke up a fetish sacrificial resort that m its horrors has been unsurpassed by
any of the hideous superstitions, accompanied by cruel butcheries, that afflict
the benighted continent. The place (show n in the cut) is called ihe Long Ju-Ju,
and is located at Aro-Chuku. It was used by the Aro chiefs to play on the
.superstitions of the Ibo and other races, who were lured to the grove and
Ju-Ju spring to consult the mysterious being (or god) who was alleged to live
there. The result, of course, was that the supplicauts were either sold into
slavery at Bende and at the Misi Aro slave markets, or, if old and unfit for
slavery, or even too powerful chiefs, they were sacrificed. All sorts of stories
are told of this mystery. Hundreds of people visited the place yearly and never
returned. Some who never absolutely saw the grotto, being blindfolded, stood
in the water by the cave, and heard mysterious voices talking all round them,
while the catfish nibbled at their feet and splashed about in the pool. If they
were to die the water was supposed to pour out of the source the color of blood.
'lTiis was probably done by some rascally old priest inside the cavern. There
is an entrance into the cavern at the back of the Ju-Ju, and there are to be
seen the scaffold and sacrificial knife. The most loathsome thing about the
place was the altar of skulls, the stack of captured arms surmounted by a
skull, and the alligators and catfish, which were fed on the bodies of those sac
rificed. Oloko. the stronghold of Warsu Tarti. one of the most powerful of the
chiefs, was destroyed by the British after a difficult march through hilly country.
- .
good in me to make at least a friend,
and I have no other purpose in life than
to be worthy of that. But since I have
looked Into your eyes. I have dared to
hope that it has all been a bitter mis
take, and that you will let me say all
that is in my heart. "Meet me at the
uoon hour" i doesn't that sound like a
working man?) and we will go to a
quiet little corner, my princess, and
then I will tell you that you are dis
charged and that we must find a new
assistant editor. With all ray heart. I
am YOUR JACK.
"Oh, I meant to be so brave and to
take care of muuisy, and now I shall
end with being taken care of, just like
any silly, dependent woman! But. ah,
for Jack's sake 1 could do any thing
even give up a career."
Jack was waiting for her at the door
and they went down the avenue to
gether. "I almost wonder we don't
walk baud in band," he said, for he was
like a school boy in his happiness, and
in mischief she looked up and said: "I
had so hoped the uew owner would
raise my salary and instead he has
discharged me!" Indianapolis Sun.
TESTS OF DISCIPLINE.
Obedience aad Disobedience
on the
Part of Military Men.
No clear-cut absolute reply, no vade
mecum for pocket use, can be furnish
ed definiug just when and bow, in all
cases, a man is justified in disobedi
euce, nor even when he is justified In
blind obedience; although the balance
of professional judgment must al
ways incline in favor of the latter al
ternative, writes Captain Alfred X.
Mahau in the International Monthly.
When a doubt arises, as it frequently
does, between strict compliance with
an order and the disregard of it, in
whole or in part, the officer is called
upon to decide a question of profes
sional conduct. Personal judgment
necessarily enters as a factor, but only
one of many; and. to be trusted, it needs
to be judgment illuminated by profes
sional knowledge and fortified by re
flection. Short of that, it is not a safe
counselor and lias no claim to consid
eration if cited before a court of final
appeal.
The officer at the moment should con
sider himself, as he in fact is, a judge
deciding upon a case liable to be called
up to a superior court, before which
his conclusion has no claim to respect
because it is bis personal opinion, but
only In so far as it is supported by the
evidence before him. There is, of
course, the necessary reservation that
the final judgment upon himself for his
professional conduct as involved in his
decision, will be rendered upon the
facts accessible to him, and not upon
those not then to 1m? known, though af
terward apparent. j
Unless qualified by these grave con-1
sideratlons, the phrase, "error of judg- j
tnent." so facilely used, is misleading j
to the popular understanding. Not only
PORTO RICAN COCK FIGHT CORRAL.
Within a few months, thanks to the
humane sentiment of Americans, a
most necessary reform will probably
be well under way in Porto Rico. Cru
elty to animals will henceforth be a
crime. The Porto Rican is essentially
cruel. Consideration for auimals seems
to be beyond his comprehension.
Horses aud cattle there get little food
and many blows. The only interfer
ence with the brutality everywhere ap
parent is by Americaus as individuals.
Chickens are tied together, sometimes
iu bunches of from eight to a dozen.
Swii2.- - sV 'ttfti, v m4r 37V4
gg
so, it is pregnant with serious conse
quences to the issues of war and to
individuals influenced by it.
It is necessary to realize that some
errors of judgment are inexcusable be
cause Inconsistent with recognized
standards; and that disobedience of
orders is on its face a fault, a disre
gard of a settled standard, of an estab
lished rule, of such general application
that upon the person who commits it
rests the burden of proving that the
circumstances commanded his action.
The presumption, in the case of dis
obedience, is not innocence, but guilt.
Mere rule though it be, in its narrow
construction and rigid framework the
rule of implicit and entire obedience
rests upon reasons so sound that its in
fringement in action can rarely be con
doned, when not thoroughly approved.
Nothing can be more disastrous than
to trifle with the corner-stone upon
which rests the structure of coherent,
unified action. The admission into the
military mind of anything approaching
irreverence for the spirit of military
obedience, or levity as regards the let
ter of the rule in which it is embodied,
is the begetter of confusion; and that
in turn is the forerunner of defeat. To
sit loose to this obligation weakens the
sense of responsibility, upon the due
realizatipn of which rests not merely
literal obedienece, but intelligent and
deserving disobedience, in the occa
sional circumstances which call for
that.
The recognition of responsibility by
the individual, the consciousness that
serious regard to it is governing his de
terminations, is the best moral equip
ment that a man can have to enable
him to sustain the burden of violating
instructions, deliberately undertaken
upon his own judgment. It is the mens
conscia recti in a serious problem of
action.
The Origin of "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Dr. Newman Hall, the evangelist,
who died recently, tells iu his autobi
ography of his visit to Harriet Beecher
Stowe. At that time Mrs. Stowe was
living at Hartford In a comfortable
house built with the proceeds of "Uncle
Tom's Cabin."
We spent a long forenoon together,
writes Dr. Hall, she finishing a draw
ing, I coloring a sketch. Mrs. Stowe
told me how her tale of Uncle Tom
originated. She was at a communion
service when suddenly the death scene
of the story was presented vividly to
her mind. This was the germ of the
whole. It was written first, and sug
gested the rest of that marvelous book.
Extremely Spare.
Subbubs (on a visit to Citlman) 1
thought you said you had a spare room
in your flat?
Citiman This is it.
Subbubs What! this closet? Why,
this is barely four feet square.
Citiman Well, what could be more
spare than that? Philadelphia Press
and are hurled in a promiscuous heap
on the sidewalk, or carried suffering
for hours. To see a dog hurt is a pleas
ure to the average Porto Rican. and
when a tired horse falls and is clubbed,
the native spectator always guffaws.
The most shocking sport of all. how
ever, and one which the Hartzell bill
is intended to abolish, is eockfightiug.
Every Sunday, within a short distance
of San Juan, this form of recreation
attracts a crowd of natives and a sprin
kling of Americans to Catano. Baya
mon, Santurce or Rico Piedras
TRfi Y LIVE IN THE SEA
PEARL
DIVERS OF THE PACIFIC !
OCEAN.
Thursday Island,' Between Australia
and New Guinea, la the Center of the
Sicheat Pearl Fisheries in the World
A Dangerous Calling.
A large proportion of the pearls that
deck the fair throats of the gentle sex
are found in the Pacific ocean, and one
of the richest of the pearl fisheries is
near the rocky shores of Thursday
Island. This island is one of the most
curious- and Interesting bits of land on
the globe. It is the commercial center
of a race of people who live practi
cally in the sea. They are the pearl
divers of the Pacific ocean.
Thursday Island is one of the little
group of coral formations lying be
tween Australia and New Guinea. Tak
en together the largest of these islands
constitute a calendar, with an Island
for every day of the week, beginning
with Sunday Island. Thursday Island
commands Torres Strait. Represent
lives of nearly all the nations of the
far East may be seen any day alon
its shores, disporting themselves In the
water Filiplons, Japanese, Chinese,
East Indians, Pijians, Papuans. To the
right of the island, running for 1.20O
miles down the Australian coast. Is a
stretch of waving green vegetatiou, ap
parently afloat upon the surface of the
placid ocean. This is the top of the
Great Barrier Reef, the most notable
coral reef in the world. Throughout
its length Its banks are lined with pearl
oysters.
lhursday Island forms the great
market for these oysters. About 200,-
imj worth of shells are raised annually
along the reef and on the western coast
f Australia. The business of pearl
fishing is conducted on the basis of -he
profit from the oyster shells. The pearls
are clear gain, the value varying a
great deal. One pearl found in 1890
sold for 2.000, another for l,50".
Pearls worth 20 are quite common.
The shells of pearl oysters are of
enormous size, measuring frexfuently
eighteen inches across. The oysters lie
in the sea fastened to rocks, especially
coral rocks, and quite away from sand
and dirt. They hang by thread-like
tilameuts. about a dozen in a bunch.
The business of the diver la to cut
this thread and bring up the oysters
The shells are worth from 100 to 200
n ton for the best; the poorest from 15
to 50 a ton. The natives trade them
for merchandise, and realize about 15
a ton on the average.
Fishing is done in small boats or lug
gers. Each boat has a pumping appar
atus to force air to the divers under
water. The smallest boat, with appar
atus, is worth 600.
The business is very dangerous. Poi
sonous fish, sharks and squid abound.
Sharks rarely attack divers, but con
tribute immensely to their nervous
ness. Squid exude a quantity of iuky
black liquid, which dangerously clouds
the water.
Japanese are the best divers. They
stay under water longer, dare more.
:ind can be relied upon better than any
of the other types. Among the Malay
natives women are successful divers.
They go down without diving suits.
fastening stones to their feet to help
them to sink. Natives and divers are
not allowed to open the oysters. A
careful watch is kept to prevent the
theft of gems under the eye of an ex
perienced foreman. A good operator
can open a ton of shells In one day.
RESCUING A CAT.
Bt. Itouia Man Climbed a Hijch Pole to
Save an Animal.
At the risk of his life William
Clynes, of St. Louis, climbed a flagpole
seventy-five feet high to rescue a help
less cut. This piece of heroism, report
ed among the lesser events iu the daily
news columns, had no motive but sym
pathy with a dumb animal in distress.
Three days before, the cat had run up
the tall flagstaff in Carr Park in her
pursuit of a sparrow. When she was
within three feet of him, the sparrow
flew away. Then the cat, instead of
turning back, continued to climb until
she reached the golden ball at the top
of the pole, and this, too, she sur
mounted. After a brief rest she tried to de
scend. Then her feet slipped, and she
made the discovery that her claws, al
though excellent for climbing, had up,
were useless when she put her weight
upon them head down. The rotundity
of the ball or fright at the elevation
seemed to deprive her of the power to
descend backward; so she sat clutching
the bsll at the top of the swaying pole,
and cried piteously.
Through all of one night of misery,
through the following day, and then
through another night she clung, cold
aud hungry, to her narrow perch. On
the third day a park-keeper and a po
liceman tried to reach her. The Dolice-
man climbed forty feet and was then
obliged to give up. "Can't some one
save the poor creature?" he asked, sym
pathetically, as he slid down.
Then William Clynes, a tinner in a
stove factory, polled off his coat and
started up the pole. Foot by foot he
went, until he had reached the point,
forty feet above the ground, where the
light topmast was spliced on. Up this
thin, swaying stem, which to the people
below looked like a reed, and which
bent and trembled under Clynes'
weight, he slowly worked his way.
Once, when near the top, he slipped
back a few feet. The crowd gathered
below shivered, and many of the spec
tators called to him to come down.
But he only gripped the pole the harder
with his shins, and slowly worked his
way up, until he was only ten feet from
the cat. five feet two feet. A moment
later he had gained the top, and wrap
ping his legs and one hand firmly
about the slender staff, he reached the
other hand over the gilt ball, and gent
ly picked the cat from her place of
danger. Then he slid down the pole to
the ground, where he stood a moment
for the crowd to inspect the cat before
he took her off to get her some milk.
MOLD PLANTS.
Beauties of the Fungus that Gathers on
Jellies and Preserved Fruits.
Mold over Jelly or preserved fruit Is
justly regarded as a pest yet scientists
who have studied It under the micro-
I TOMAS ESTRADA PALMA,
1 vft
Tomas Estrada Palma is a little, old
man. He wears rusty black clothes.
He moves nervously and quickly, wink
ing bis blueeyes as he talks. He Is lav
ishly polite, after the manner of the old
Spanish school. His chin Is more than
strong and aggressive, being what
country people call jumper-jawed.
which means that his chin betrays
strength and aggression raised to the
highest power.
The President of the republic of Cuba
Is 67 years old. He was born at Baya
mo. in the province of Santiago. His
mother tried to keep him out of the
revolutionary movements which were
brewing in the Island during his youth.
She even went so far as to restrict him
to the boundaries of the Bayamo estate.
Associates she knew he must have.
but his boy friends had to come to see
him; he was not allowed to visit them.
The father had died when Tomas was
very yonng. When he was 15 years old
he broke from his mother's leading
strings and went to Havana to studv.
Soon after that the death of his mother
left him in sole control of a great es
tate. He went back to Bayamo to man
age It
By this time rebellion had broken out
actively and Palma cast his lot with
the island party. Years of agitation
and organization followed, in which
scope, declare that the mold plant is a
most lovely creation. Indeed, a writer
In the Kitchen Magazine says that
nothing in nature Is more beautiful.
These plants are associated in our
minds with death and decay, and so an
unreasoning prejudice has developed
against them. In many cases they do
accompany decay, but as the Illy rises
above the foulest pond, so a mold may
develop Its frost-like daintiness and
cleanliness, its exquisite coloring, in
the mids,t of putrefaction. Still they
also thrive In the cleanest soil, and are
wholly harmless In their growth.
The moat common of the molds is the
Penlcllllum glaucum, well known to
housekeepers as the fungus, against
which a fight Is made at canning time.
It first forms a grayish-green mat, and
if removed, gives forth a fine, powdery
dust. Under the microscope It is
wonderful thing, put housewives are
probably less interested in its form
than in methods of combating it.
Iu their struggle for existence the
plants are very hardy and obstinate,
tad nature has provided them with a
way of upsetting the most careful plans
for their undoing. The spores, which
take the place of seeds, sometimes, for
a reason thus rar unicnown to science,
pass into a resting stage. Instead of
sprouting at once, they He dormant for
an Indefinite period, and germinate ap
parently at their own sweet will. A
German scientist has discovered that a
spore may He quiescent for two years
and then, under favorable conditions
of heat and moisture, develop into a
sturdy growth.
This is probably the reason why fruit
may exhibit no mold for months, and
then suddenly make the housekeeper's
heart to faint by a thick green growth.
Here, as everywhere.- "eternal vigi
lance" only may expect to win the day.
MANILA AS IT IS TO-DAY.
War Ended So Far as City Is Concerned
Embracing Americau Ideas.
The following letter, written lately
by an American business mau now In
Manila, gives an Interesting description
of the situation in that city as it is to
day. It reads as follows:
I wish you ould get out here and
see this country. You would have one
of the greatest surprises of your life
and matter for thought for a long time
to come. The country is beautiful, the
climate delicious, though warm to one
accustomed to the temperate zone. The
sun is hot at noon, but shade is always
near and somewhere a breeze is always
to be found. The nights are comforta
ble all the year rouud.
The war seems as far off here as it
did in Chicago. It affects Manila and
the other principal cities just as much
as the war against the Sioux or
Apaches used to interrupt the business
in New York, Boston or Philadelphia.
There are a few skirmishes in outly
ing districts, of oourse. but they are
of little or no importance. No one
ever speaks of any war here. It is all
finished from a local point of view, and
every man Is straining each nerve to
solve the mighty problems of peace.
"The rapidity with which those prob
lems are being maatered surprises one.
In ten years a new civilization will
have permeated all the islands. In five
years I believe we will see a new Ma
nila. Already the Filipinos of rank
and means are feeling the contagion of
American optimism and are looking to
the future with glowing hopes. Ex
insurgent generals are taking post3 un
der the government on all sides, and
those who have been always loyal have
FIRST PRESIDENT OF CUBA
Palma bore an active and prominent
part.
In lSt8, when open war began, he
was one of the leaders In the newly
formed legislative body. His home
town was the first upon which the
Spanish troops descended. The pat
riots, loving It devotedly as they did,
for it was an old and pleasant city of
homes, burned It to the ground, so that
the oncoming .regiments should find
neither food nor shelter there.
During the gnerrtlla campaigning of
the Ten Years' War Palma was elected
President of a republic organized by
the troops. In 1877 he was captured by
the Spaniards, imprisoned for a short
time In Havana, and later taken to
Spain, where he was confined in an old
castle for over a year.
He takes care to give the Spaniards
their due, and says he was treated with
great kindness and respect by them.
After his release he was postmaster
general of Honduras for five years, and
then came to the United States, where
lie established a collegiate school for
Cuban and South American boys at
Central Valley, N. Y.
During the last struggle for Cuban
Independence he was the head of the
junta which, with headquarters in New
York, raised money and carried on a
propaganda in behalf of the cause.
gotten over their fears of the insur
gents and are thinking solely of their
share In the tremendous betterment
that Is to come.
"Laws have been drafted and are
now before Congress, which, when
passed, will throw open the almost In
conceivable riches of these Islands to
American development. Capital has al
ready begun to come in, and at least
two big syndicates have been organ
ized, one of $2,000,000 and one of $4,
000,000. But both are, I think, prema
ture, though they may be all right if
reorganized as soon as the new laws
are enacted.
"I am having the invaluable advan
tage of the advice of men here who
have studied the situation from the be
ginning, and know the conditions. I
also have the advantage of an exten
sive acquaintance among the wealthi
est and most Influential natives, obtain
ed through introductions, which gained
for me their confidence at once."
Hopeless.
Irving Bacheller, the scene of whose
stories Is laid in the north country
around the St. Lawrence River, gave,
at a meeting not long ago, a humorous
and pathetic sketclj of the degeneration
of a once prosperous country. The
Bookman quotes the dialogue which
Mr. Bacheller described himself as
holding with a seedy man sitting on a
dilapaidated doorstep.
"Glad to see ye," said he.
"Thanks." said I.
"We've heerd about you," said he,
"and they say you done noble."
"Well, and bow are you?" said I
"I'orely," said he.
"How's that?" said I.
"Jest makin' a bare Uvln'," said he
"Why don't you go away?" said I.
"Can't," said he.
"Why not?" said I.
"Mortgaged." said he.
"That's bad," said I.
" 'Tis," said he.
" ou don t seem to have much
to
live for." said I.
"Don't want to live," said he.
"You might die," said I.
"Can't," said he.
"Why not?" said I.
"Mortgaged," said he.
Bearing Reverses.
As a rule, women bear fortune's re
verses better than men. A woman per
forms little acts of self-denial as a mat
ter of course; she gives up her own per
sonal luxuries, or even necessaries
without comment or complaint; there
fore her deeds of unselfishness often
escape notice. The average man can
not do this. He may relinquish some
big thing without a growl; his conduct
in a great renunciation may be charac
terized by the same exemplary pa
tience which marks women at such a
time, but, should the string of unaccus
tomed poverty be so severe as to take
from him any of the trifles which he
treats as a matter of course, he be
comes morose, and his temper suffers
in consequence.
The Welsh Lancnage.
At a recent eisteddfed at Dolgelly,
Wales, one of the principal speakers
stated that in 1871 as many as 1,006.-
100 persons spoke Welsh, but in 189 1
the number had fallen to 911,280 a de
crease of 95,811, though the population
had meanwhile Increased.
A week after the funeral, the be
reaved husband attracts no more at
tention than a bridegroom a week after
the ceremony.
BEGGING LETTERS.
Eaperlence of a Millionaire Whose Gift
' to a Relief Fond Became Known. -The
private secretary of a New York
millionaire recently sold as old paper
package of 7.000 letters, all of which
bad been sent to his employer in a
little more than three months, and
very one of which was a request for
ptJtiry assistance.
"Vvr A time." said the secretary, "we
JS"t them iHtrn at the rate of sixty or
"Mity a dy, They began Just after
Mr, tiiuk contributed $,',000 to a fund
f'f tn felJf if the widows and or-
trlt iff Mtmrn West Virginia miners.
w wf tilM hf h jts; eiploslon.
Tfe gift fKTfrpBled by a re
cMt tbaf ttrtUip pTliifwl about It.
twf It ft'oi tit' rxwspsfxri omw
k, M ttettmiiitUftj tb 1 Piter be-
"W aj l4y b4 mr share ot
tfgtfng letfs, htrt MW we were
Nwtp4. tlm tb t4 ttmtUUi, fnl
fort and sofiVfin hUU were
Npre-nd tmt t'f our reading wotild have
harrowird ottts't trrf tm. If be didn't
know that they m largely manufac
tured. "Most of the letters wre from wom
en, or purported to be, and all wanted
money. The demand ranged from $5
to $500, and In every case an address
was give and a request made that the
money be sent at once.
"A vast variety of excuses were
given for the demands, one of the most
popular with women being that they
wanted to have their sons complete
their education, but couldn't unless
they had a certain amount of money
at once, and with men, that they had
a chance to embark on a successful
business career, and only lacked the
few hundred dollars necessary to get
a start.
"Of course there were hundreds of
stories of destitution, but like the
others, we tossed them aside without
reply. For three months following this
contribution to a fund for the relief
of miners' families these letters con
tinued to come.
"Then they stopped just as suddenly
as they began, and we are now only
getting the regular supply of five or
six a week. There were In the lot that
I sold to a junkman the other day in
the neighborhood of 7,000 of these let
ters and $140 in stamps had been spent
in sending them to us.
"And not one was productive of a
contribution from Mr. Blank."
THRABHED 115 BOYS.
The Herculean Labor of on Old-Time
Virginia Schoolmaster.
A Connecticut schoolmaster thrashed
forty-nine scholars In one day, and the
Nutmeg State papers are bragging that
he broke "the record. He may have
broken the modern record, but not that
of the "better days of the republic."
Just before the war between the States
the late Richard Anderson more than
doubly overtopped the Connecticut
man's performance. It was when he
was classical assistant to William Dab-
ney Stuart, whose schoolhouse was ou
the north side of Clay street, between
5th and 6th. Stuart was sick, and
"Old Dick," as the assistant was af
fectionately called for he was as fine
a man as ever lived was running
things alone.
The boys, about 115 in number, in
dulged in a concerted and excessive
outburst of hilarity and devilment, and
Anderson vowed by the shades of some
dozen or more Latin and Greek authors
that if they repeated it he would wal
lop the whole party. We did repeat
It, and Anderson, who had expected the
repetition, and armed himself with a
bundle of switches cut from the trees
In the yard of the German Lutheran
Church on 6th street, proceeded to keep
his vow in fast and furious style.
The scholars ranged in age from 10
to 17 and 18 years, and not one es
caped. It was a circus while it lasted.
and the yowls and laughter evoked by
the occasion might have been heard
squares off. When the last of the boys
had been dressed down Anderson was
so exhausted that we had to turn in
and fan him with Mitchell's atlases to
prevent him from fainting. Richmond
Dispatch.
A Comedy of an Umbrella.
When the lady sat down In the car
she put her umbrella in the narrow slit
between the window and the back of
the seat Then she looked with what
the New York Tribune calls an air of
victory and compassion at the stupid
passengers who sat holding their um
brellas uncomfortably against their
knees.
Of course when the car lurched the
umbrella toppled and went down the
hole, but its owner did not notice its
disappearance until she rose to get out.
"Where is my umbrella?" she cried.
"Conductor, somebody has stolen my
umbrella. I put it right in that that
slit In the car."
"Then I guess perhaps you may get
it next summer when they repair the
car," answered the conductor, amiably.
"But It couldn't have gone down
there. I made sure It couldn't drop
down. Some one has stolen It"
"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't block the
line. Do you want to get off at this
stop?"
"I want my umbrella."
"One moment, madam," said the man
opposite. He took his own umbrella,
which had a hook-shaped handle, and
went fishing.
"Don't tear it!" cried the woman.
"It's a nice silk one, and I think a good
deal of It because my cousin Nellie
gave it to me."
After a few probes, the rescuer pulled
out a dirty umbrella and handed It to
its owner.
"Thank you, sir!" she snapped, and
strode out. The conductor pulled the
bell-cord vigorously. The passengers
smiled.
Observation Counts.
An Atchison paper notes that women
kiss the hands of Padarewski and
Kubelik, and asks if men were ever
known to kiss the bands oif female ac
tors. Scarcely. Men never stoop so
low Kansas City Journal.
Gigantic Palm Leaves.
A palm tree which grows on the
banks of the Amazon has leaves 30 feet
to 50 feet in length and 10 feet to 12
feet in breadth.
How often "cooluess" develops be
tween friends.