Heppner Weekly Gazette Published Every Thursday. HEPPNER OREGON. Men who plot In France would, in other lands, be knowu as natural co- medians. . The fight between Mrs. Keely and the Keely Motor Company suggests a sort of locomotor ataxia. ! Experience Is about all Spain has ac cumulated during the year, and she was not needing much of that Talking of this Nicaragua Canal in connection with the Isthmus of Fana ma, the question is, Will It go through? ! In an Eastern female college a swim ming tank has just been completed with a capacity of 50,000 gals. Big college, that! ! It is Intimated that Mrs. Domlnis can be Induced to compromise. Utter ly unnecessary! She has compromised her case already. There's nothing in using poisoned candy that's going to make transfer- ence to the sweet bye and bye by that route especially desirable The Chinese have killed several French missionaries, which is equlva lout to saying that France will soon own another slice of Chinese territory. Marie Corelli says that eho does not regard suicide as Justifiable under any consideration whatever. That's a spe cial plea for her style of literature. ' Those new automobile trucks In New York are going to be propelled by com pressed air. Horses will have a rest. It's an 111 wind that blows nobody any good. 1 Trof. Garner has gone back to Afri ca to study the monkey speech. As Tolly can talk, we may yet know the precise language used at that monkey and parrot time. I Pol. Incorsoll is said to have had his watch stolen lately. He's probably not nleased over it. as his idea of a happy existence being confined to this world he doesn't like to lose any time, North Dakota is right in enumerat ing among her needs a better divorce law. The business that the present one may bring to tho State can never offset tho dauiugo it la dolug to her reputa tion. ! Experts say that the war taught lit tle of any vuluo to military science. This Is to bo regretted, although It should bo borno in mind that tho war was not undertaken for that precise purpose. Oom Paul Kruger is determined that the people of Johannesburg shall have nt legist two days rest in each week, Ho has Isued a decree, and it Is being enforced, that no plnno-playlng shall occur on Friday or Saturday. The Botkln caso has had tho effect of making people a little sklttlHh about eating anything sent through the mall, It Is to lie hoped that tho Cornish case will have a similar effect in checking the willingness of people to take any kind of medicine from tho hand of anybody that offers It. In a number of avenues of Industry which for years Great Britain has re- guided herself ns supreme, tho United States has taken tho lead. The lend, once taken, can never be regained by Great Britain. There was a time when Its largo resources of Iron oro and coal gave it an advantage. Its resources In these materials, however, are nothing compared to those of tho United States. I Just how gambling and speculation pay was very clearly brought out In the testimony of tho defaulting teller, Hoggs, lu tho Dover bank case. He accounted for $50,000 of tho shortage as follows: Lost on rnco tracks, $20, 0(H); In marginal Btoek operations, $.H,- 000; In poker, $15,000; in faro, $2,000; In pools and bucket shops, $.1,500; and $2,000 In politics. Here Is a choice col lection of sermons for gamblers ond speculators. When Julia Ward Howe was a young girl, her first literary venture was fa- .vorahly noticed In a local newspaper, 'This Is my llttlo girl who knows about Isioks," said a favorite uncle, "and writes an article and has It printed; but I wish sho knew more about house- keeping;" a sentiment which In after years Mrs. Howo had occasion to echo with fervor. Few women reach adult life without finding themselves so cir cumstanced that a domestic training Is Invaluable to them. To horseless carriages and smokeless powder add chlmnoyless factories os the newest In nomenclature. Hereto fore it has been necessary In order to secure plenty of draft for a furnace to build an Immensely tall chimney. Now It Is found that Instead of pulling tho draft by a chimney you can push u irom nciow wiin u inn. a piuiii run- nlng three boilers of 2iU) horse power tried tills experiment with a fan whose wheel hail a diameter of fifty-four Inch es. Tho draft was so much bettered that the firm suved uenrly $1,000 a year by using a cheaper grade of coal. For defensive purposes the lesson of American martial ardor and skill taught to Europe wlthlu tho year that Is past Is of Incalculable value, nnd for long years to como It must temper tho aggressiveness of nations that might otherwise havo sought to check tho progress of a republic whose unexam pled prosperity Is a standing menace to monarchical Institutions. Notwith standing tho republic hao Joined tho ranks of tho modern militant powers In such a dramatic way and In such a short time, we may confidently trust that the country will remain a slum bering giant amid tho unworthy con flicts Into which some of the militant tuitions havo been prone to enter. Now that Mrs. Botkln has been ad- Judged guilty of the charge of using the mails as a medium for tho distribu tion of poisoned candy we are glad to fcarn that she will be locked uo for the rest of her unnatural life. The Borgia industry should not be allowed to flour ish in this enlightened country, and there are certainly more humane ways of separating a man from his wife than by the use of quick poisons. It ia very pleasant to be loved by the ladies, but the average man is not anxious that the divine passion shall be car- ried to such an extent as that, and the various essays on love, from Schopen- hauer, Mrs. Corbin and other able au- thnrIt. hnv npv. i.i U8 to believe that the rlght femlnlne emotion of ten- der passion is responsible for these harsh extremes. We are solicitous that during her Incarceration Mrs. Botkln shall be closely watched and shall be kept as far as possible from the prison dispensary, for a woman of her lm pulses is likely at any moment to at tempt to exercise her talent for flavor ,ng confcctIon8 One of the most valuable of recent naval criticisms called out by the Span ish-American war Is made in an article In a German techuical magazine by Itear Admiral Pluddeman, of the Ger man navy. The German admiral says the war will lead to no radical revolu tion of present naval Ideas, but that it will enrich former experience by way of illustration. The naval operations of the war he discusses under five hWMlfrthe personncl, the construction e(llIpnlcnt of 8hlp9( the nrtiiiery, the torpedo, the ram and speed. As to both the torpedo and the ram, he says the war has left us practically where we were when it began, as their efik'lency cannot bo said to have been fairiy tested. The superiority of Amer ican guns and gunners is willingly rec- ognlzed, but the German admiral says but few of the shots were exploded, and that the making of the fuse has evidently not yet reached perfection in America. In the naval battle of Santiago he says the American vessels made but 103 hits for 170 guns, and that of these the 13-lnch and the 12-Inch guns did not score a single hit. Explosion of a shell killed the entire crew of the Oquendo, but In the opin Ion of this naval expert this would not have happened if the turret had had no roof. The German critic agrees with most others that the greatest execution was wrought by the (5-pounders, and uio tact unit omy ioul aiufirau Ku were in need of repairs at the end of the war speaKB wcii ior me uurnuuuy or me aruuery. Notwithstanding tho notable example of the gentleman of Oregon who gave awoy his wife and threw In four acres of onions for good measure, it does not follow that wives and onions neces sarlly go together. A later instance Is reported from New York, where a wife put onions In tho soup, and is now in the hospital suffering from a severe contusion made by a heavy plate hurled by the Indignant partner of her Joys and sorrows. And this suggests tho reflection that many domestic trng eclies are inspired by the thoughtless ness of women in their culinary af fairs. The ladles never weary of as sorting that the way to a man's affec- tions is through his stomach, and this is measurably and grandly true. But since It is so widely known it does seem a llttlo strange that women will per. Blstently take chances where there are no chances, Ignoring the delicate and subtle means of continued good cheer and happiness. Vo have been much surprised that the women's clubs, and especially the household departments, have not given more time to this branch of domestic felicity, pointing out In special meetings tho advantages which accrue from diplomatic avoid nnce of Instruments of wrath, such as highly flavored onions, garlic, red pep per, chill snuco and tobasco, assuming tho conjugal aversion. VUiilo no true gentleman will break a plato over his wife's head it Is unnecessary even to give him provocation for tho deed, nnd It appears to us tho duty of tho worn ch'b clubs to urge a llttlo more fem inine care and thoughtfulncss. JOURNALISM IN AUSTRIA. Ludicrous Revelations of nn Kditor Drought to Trial for Libel. Some curious fads havo beeu brought to light In tho course of an action for libel brought against tho editor of the Neunklrchener Zeltung, a provincial weekly paper with a largo circulation in Neunklrchen and district. Neun kirclien Is a flourishing town about six ty miles from Vienna. Tho editor, Carl Kulf, urged In cx tenuatlon of his misdemeanor that he was so occupied with his duties as a shoemaker that ho had no time to prop erly discharge his editorial work which he only undertook as a supple nicntary occupation. His salary as editor was 5 per annum. Judge You do not seem to possess the training ond education necessary to an editor. Heir Kulf That Is not necessary at all. Judge But an editor must at least be able to write an article. Herr Kulf Oh, no. I cut all my art! .g 0ut of other papers. Judge Who acted as editor In your absence? Herr Kulf A hatter lived next door to tho olllce, nnd he used to receive the correspondence and hand It over to the rit,.rs. The mlutors uubllshed what interested them Judge These are extraordinary con dittoiis for a town so near the capital of Austria. Herr Kulf It Is not only In Vienna that proper Ideals of the mission of the press are In vogue. I always praise the townspeople who deal with nie and pay their bills regularly, and "pitch Into" those who buy their shoes else where nnd do not settle their debts, The Neunklrchener Zeltung is a pape with principles. It receives a subven tlon from the local authorities. Judge How do you obtain the sub vention? Herr Kulf I undertook to fully re port all the Mayor's speeches, chronicle Ills small doings nnd shower praise on his administration. Herr Kulf was finally sentenced to fine for not exercising that supervision over his paper which au editor Is In Austria legally compelled to do. Lou don Mall. rigs In China. It If said that In some of the farming districts of China pigs are harnessed to small wagons and made to draw them, - Some men can t understand why th (ool killer doesn't call next door. . THE CZAR OP RUSSIA. A CHARACTER SKETCH OP THIS MIGHTY RULER. tils Peace Proposal Hat Given to Him a Character that History Will Pre serve Immortal He Is Bteadfastf Frank and Fearless, ffipfr An admirable character ske'tch of Czar Nicholas II. of Russia is drawn by the English Journalist, W. T. Stead, in the American Monthly. Nicholas II., says the writer, in stature does not resemble his father, who was a Bon of Anak. It is a mistake, however, to speak of him as If he wer exception ally slight. He Is about tho same height as Gen. Gordon, whom he re sembles In other things besides the number of his Inches. When he rides or sits the Emperor seems as tall as most men. When he stands he Is a little taller than Lord Nelson or Napo leon Bonaparte. Good stuff, says the old adage, Is often put up In little bun dies, and the giant In popular legend Is usually as dull as he is huge. In phy sique the Emperor Is wiry and vigor ous. One who sees him every day told me that physically Nicholas is a much healthier man than his father. The first and most conspicuous char acteristic of Alexander III. was the solidity of his mental temperament. Ho was by no means dull. But he was slow. He put his foot down like an elephant, and when he put it down he was not quick to take it up again. The characteristic of his son and successor Is quite different. Alertness, exactness, lucidity, and deflnlteness are four ex celleut qualities In a man, and the Em peror has them all. With all this there Is an absolute absence of any thing even distantly approaching prlg- glshness. Many years ago Mr. Glad stone described the present Emperor as a charming typo of tho best of our pub lic school boys. He was frank, fear less, perfectly natural, and simplicity itself. Nicholas II. Is no longer a boy. He has borne for several trying years the burden of one of the greatest em pires in the world. But he is still as absolutely simple and unaffected as he was when Mr. Glndstone met him In Copenhagen fifteen years ago. There Is still In him all the delightful school boy abandon of manner, a keen sense of humor, and a hearty, outspoken frankness In expressing his oplnlens which makes you feel that you are dealing with a man whose character Is as transparent ns crystal. Add to all this a modesty as admirable as It Is rare, and It must bo admitted that even if the net human product should fall short of being a great ruler, he has at least all the qualities which make men beloved by their fellows. Tho bright, clear blue eye, the quick sympathetic change of feature, tho merry laugh, succeeded In a moment by an expres sion of noble gravity and of high re solve, the rapidity nnd grnce of his movements, and even his curious little expressive shrug of the shoulders, are nil glimpses of a character not often found unspoiled by power. Those who know him best nppear to love him most nnd naturally enough each ono thinks his only fault Is that he is too rendy to sacrifice his own con venlence and his own wishes to oblige others. A more dutiful son never sat on a throne. He Is singularly happy In his marriage, nnd tho Emperor of Russia will never lack ono of tho most Intelligent nnd loyal of chancellors while his wife lives. As his parents before him set Europo an example of domestic unity and felicity, so Nicholas II. maintains tho honorable and happy tradition, lie Is loyal In his friendships and slow to part with any of those who are In his own or were In his father's service. Distinctions of His Reign. So far his reign has beeu distin guished by three things. First, his frank recognition of tho fact that until he found his feet nnd had acquired :l'ie experience In the business of governing It became him to serve his apprenticeship modestly and silently. The second salient feature In his reign was marked by a significant blend of the two conflicting tendencies the Intuitive Instinct which enabled him to divine the right thing to be done and the modest reluctance to Impose his will upon the more experienced ad uiintstrntors who thwarted and crip pled his policy. I refer to the generous Initiative taken by the Czar In the di rection of an amelioration of the harsh ness of the Polish regime as he Inherit ed It from his father. Iu that he showed true Insight and a keen sympathy with subjects who were suffering from un doubted grievances. But tho forces of reaction and the Jealousy of a dominant bureaucracy, aided perhaps by the somewhat unreasonable expectations of some of the roles, checked the full realization of his designs. To some tills may seem nn admission that he wns lacking In strength. It would bo more Just to recognize that he felt he was lacking In experience. He was young to the responsibilities of govern ment. It was liettor to bide his time, Safely and Blow they stumble who run fast. There Is one thing about the peace rescript which uo one can deny. It was splendidly audacious ns well as magnificently ambitious. Wise It may lie or foolish, but mean, petty or un worthy It was not. Will he have tho nerve to stick to It? The resolution to put It through? The strength to over power the Immense forces which will be banked together to defeat his gen erous and most sensible design? That I t--iiB Him Ul"" iioium ... c. , m crux of the whok, forcottln tUat Nk. question. Let Nicholas was tun cz ah NicnoL as " not only born In the purple, but that he has, as his sires and grandsires, at Imperious a series of monarchs as ovej swayed a scepter. THE SAGACIOUS HERO. He Insisted on Certain Conditions Be fore Manifesting; His Bravery. "No," declared the Captain, "I posi tively decline to lead my company up that hill." "Sir," exclaimed the Colonel, "do you know that what you are saying Is rank Insubordination?" "Call it Insubordination or what you will," the Captain returned, "but I re fuse to go." The Colonel was furious. The com pany that he had detached for the pur pose of storming the bill and capturing the fort on top of It was the only one that could be spared, and unless his plans as arranged were executed the whole cnmpalgn would fall. Not only that, but his little army would In all probability be cut off from the main body and wiped out of existence. It was a critical moment. The Cap tain could be court martlaled and shot for his refusal to obey orders, but what of It? Every man was needed. To court martial and shoot the obstinate Captain would not be to take the hill and the fort He was the only man who could do It with the force at his com mand. What was to be done? The Colonel gnawed his mustache and thought hard. At last he decided to appeal to the Captain Instead of ordering him. "Think, man, think of the glory that you will win If you do this thing," he urged. "I know all about that," the Captain replied. "Well, for heaven's sake, don't you want to be a hero? Think of It! The entire nation will applaud you!" "I realize that, and I am anxious to become a hero; but I positively refuse to do It until you drive all these corre spondents back and keep them off the field. I propose, if I do this business, to retain the sole magazine rights on It. I'm not going to do a heroic thing and then let somebody else get $500 a page for writing It up!" So tho hill was taken, nnd the far- seeing Captain Is now living In luxury and winning new laurels with his pen. Cleveland Lender. SCHOOLS IN THE ORIENT. There Is Abundant Chance to Get an English Education There. Throughout British territory, In the Orient, churches and schools are scat tered nbout, and always are at head quarters, militih-y or civil. All the sub- ccts of her Majesty the Queen can en ter the Christian churches and Chris tian Sunday schools If they wish. They are not the "destitute heathen" of the old-time phrase "destitute of the means of grace;" and the "Eurasians" Europe-Asians, hybrids ambitious to be classed as "Europeans, crowd promptly Into the Christian churches. Their main rush is for two, either the Protestant Episcopal or Methodist; first In preferment the Episcopal, the old established church of England, be cause there all officials go the viceroy, the local governors and their families whoever represents the ruling power; and the next tho Methodist churches which, as here, have tho popularizing, drawing faculty, being zealous and en ergetic. There, ns here, the Roman Catholic churches get more people than any oth er church. Their pictures of saints aud angels and tho Madonna and the Savior, their dressed statues and theit processional celebrations the non-edu cated can get hold of at once, as a story; and a story with points of reseui blance to their Inherited faith. Chris tlanlty's heroes and heroines march well Into lino with sacred biography which they before were familiar with. Their old-time heroes and heroines were very grotesque, but, for all that, sacred; sacred somewhat. That wholf people Is grotesque. Their art Is gro tesque. We are different But we are not symmetrical. In fact, we also arc grotesque. Chicago Inter Ocean. DARINQ PICTURE HUNTERS. K taking a Life for the Purpose oi Getting a Snap f hot. The English brothers, R. and C Koarton, have made a particular studj of photographing Insects, birds anc small uulmals lu their native haunts AH ENTHUSIASTIC rUOTOOnAPHBBj. Often In order to secure the best re suits, they have risked their Uvea fo: some striking snap shot. The Illustra tlou shows one of their attempts to pho tograph a sea bird In Its home by thi waves. Axes of Animals. According to Borne naturalists thi length of life of animals Is as follow: The fox from U to 13 years. The cat from 15 to 17 years. The dog from 10 to 18 years. The bear aud wolf from IS to 2i years. The rhluoeeros from 20 to 22 year. The horse from 22 to 25 years. The heu from 25 to 28 years. The poriolse from 29 to 30 years. The camel and crow 100 years. The tortoise 110 years. The eagle 120 years. The elephant 400 years. The whale 1,000 years. ELOPEMENT ENDED QUEERLY. A Kentucky Maiden Acqnired a Stap father Instead of a Husband. In the White Oak neighborhood, near Gr&enup, Ky., lived a comely widow, Mrs. Martha Berry, aged about 40, and her pretty daughter, Matilda, who has just entered her eighteenth year. In the same neighborhood lived Johnson AVtitley, a prosperous farmer of 30, and a widower. Whitley had been pay ing attention to Mrs. Berry's daughter for the last six months, and it was gen erally supposed throughout the neigh borhood that they would be married soon. The mother, however, would not give her consent to the match, but she did not object to the young widower's calls. He pleaded with the widow for the hand of her daughter all to no pur pose, and the young people decided on an elopement All the arrangements were-made for the clandestine leave-taking, but the watchful mother discovered what was on foot, and on Friday night, the time set for the elopement, she went to her daughter's room shortly after dark and bound the girl hand and foot. She also tied a gag in her mouth and took her to her own room and tied her to the bed. Sho then returned to the daughter's room, and when Whitley came to steal away his lady love the widow answered the summons, and, without speaking a word, joined the young man In the ard. He assisted her into his buggy nnd drove with her to Grayson, the county seat of Carter County, where he had arranged with Judge Morris to perform the ceremony. Whitley was struck by the silence of his companion, but as she leaned con fidingly on his arm and appeared to be sobbing all the time, he could do noth ing more than caress her now and then and cheer her up by telling her that her mother would forgive her. He had no Idea that he was carrying off the moth or instead of the daughter, and It was not until after the ceremony was per formed on the judge's front porch and they had repaired to a hotel that the deception was discovered by Whitley. He was dumfounded, but realizing that he was the husband of his sweetheart's mother he concluded to make the best of what appeared to be a bad bargain. To a neighbor he said that although he thought he was dead In love with Ma tilda, he always did think a great deal of her handsome mother. Matilda was discovered bound In ner mother's room by a neighbor the next morning, and w hen she learned of the trick her mother had played her she took the matter philosophically, and said that while she thought she loved Mr. Whitley she is now satisfied that she did not. She promised to be a duti ful daughter to him. Louisville Cour ier-Journal. A Lancashire miner was badly In jured one night, and, on being taken to the Infirmary, was told by the doc tors that he must give up the ale he loved or lose his leg. Looking ruefully down at the Injured member, he said: "If this 'ere wound can not stand a sup o' good yale, him and me must part company. Off wl' Mm!" One day, when Sir Walter and Lady Scott were roaming about their estate, they saw some playful lambs In meadow. "Ah," said Sir Walter, " 'tis no wonder that poets from the earll est ages have made the lamb the em blem of peace and Inocence!" "They are Indeed delightful animals," said Lady Scott, "particularly with mint sauce!" The vicar of Skegby, England, was conducting a marriage where the bride was a regular attendant at Sunday school. When she was asked: "Wilt thou have this man to be thy wedded husband?" she replied: "Yes, verily, by God's. help, so I will, and I heartily thank our Heavenly Father, who hath brought me Into the state of salva tion." Little Louise, from Boston, was strug gling alternately with her arithmetic and her natural history lessons for the morrow, without making much head way. Finally she exclaimed: "I wish I were an Australian rabbit!" "An Aus trallan rabbit!" said her mother; "why do you wish you were an Australian rabbit?" "Because they multiply so rapidly," was the reply. One morning Emperor William, who has a great penchaut for building churches, was riding in his carriage on Unter den Linden, when an old gentle man espied him from a distance, and immediately bared his head, which was as bald as a billiard-ball. Sudden ly the old gentleman felt somebody touching his shoulder, and heard . a voice behind him saying: "Say, old man, you had better cover your head, for wherever the Emperor notices a bald spot he'll surely build a church." An English officer whose ship was stationed off the coast of Ceylon went for a day's shooting, accompanied by a native attendant. Coming to a partic ularly Inviting river, the officer resolv ed to have a bath, and asked the native to show him a place where there were no alligators. The native took him to a pool close to the estuary. The officer thoroughly enjoyed his dip, and, while drying himself, he asked his guide why there were never any alligators In that pool. "Because, sar," promptly replied the Cingalese, "they plenty 'fraul of shark." Lord Blesslngton, the husband of the celebrated Countess of Blesslngton, had a horror of a draught He was able Count d'Orsay used to declare to de tect a current of air caused by the key being left crossways In the keyhole of the door. He and his wife and a youth were one day walking on the banks of the Thames. The boy, skipping back ward and forward, went several times dangerously close to the edge of the bnuk. "Take care, take care!" cried Lord Blesslngton, exhibiting a degree of solicitude most unusual where an other person was concerned. "For heaven's sake, mind what you are about, boy, or you'll certainly fall Into the river." After two or three repe titions of his alarm In this fashion for the lad. Lady Blesslngton, losing pa tience, raid: "Oh. let the boy alone; If he does fall Into the water he swlmi like a fish." "Yes, yes," said his lord ship in injured tones, ' that's all very well; but what about me? I shall catch my death of cold driving home in the carriage with him." Years ago, when Frank Parmelee was running his 'bus line In Chicago, says the Record, he had a driver named "Bob," and he had his suspi cions that he wasn't getting all the fares he was entitled to. "Bob" had a habit of talking to himself, and one night Parmelee caught him in the sta ble reckoolng up the day's proceeds. He had emptied his buckskin bag out on a sack of oats, and was stacking up silver dollars In two piles. "Here's a dollar for me, and here's a dollar for Frank," Ije said, "and a dollar for me and a dollar for Frank." He kept on this way until he had all the money equally divided, with a dollar over. rarnielee kept still and waited to see what "Bub" would do with that dollar. "Bob" looked at It and weighed it In his hand. "Shall I keep It?" he says to himself; 'no, I'll let Frank have It. He has to fed the horses." Parmelee broke In kin him then, and gathered in the whole pot. Next he proceeded to talk kindly but firmly to his driver. "It's a good thing you had some glimmerings of conscience remaining, you Infernal old scouiUrel," he said; "if you hadn't turned over that odd dollar, I'd have fired you, sure." THE BEST MAN. How He Comes to Have a Part in the Marriage Ceremony. Under the title "When a Maid's Mar ried" Frederick Boyd Stevenson, In the Womnn's Home Companion, traces the origin of uome of our marriage customs back to tiae days of primitive man. "While we smile at the wife-stealing propensity of the savage or half-savage nations, we cherish as our dearest form a custom that had Its direct origin in this very self-same practice. The 'best man,' who plays so Important a part in well-regulated marriages that nowa days have any pretense at all to the fashionable, once on a time in Sweden occupied a position that was useful as well as ornamental. In the old days the Swedish groom found It desirable, In fact, to hive several 'best men,' to de fend him from the assaults of rivals and prevent them from carrying away his bride. The Scandinavian warrior of ancient times was far too lofty In his Ideas to condescend to plead for a maiden's hand. So he patiently waited until some other man who was more gallant had obtained the fair one's con sent. Then when all the details had been nicely arranged, the proud war rior, with a body of well-trained retain ers, dashed down on the wedding par ty, and If strong enough carried away the bride. The 'best men' (and It was very essential that they should be the best men In those days), therefore, be came necessary fixtures to the mar riage ceremony, nnd they were so well esteemed and their popularity became so permanent that when the renson for their existence was removed they were still retained. Hence, the custom is preserved In the 'best man' of to-day." RING SIGNIFICANCE. According to the Stones Set in Them They Tell Their Meaning. The enchanted rings of the Greeks and ancients were formed of the gems assigned to the several planets, each set In Its appropriate metal. Thus the sun was diamond or sapphire In a ring of gold; the moon, crystal In silver Mercury, magnet In quicksilver; Venus, amethyst In copper; Mars, emerald In Iron; Jupiter, cornelian In tin, and Sat urn, turquoise In lead. These rings, If worn In the birth month of the posses sor, furthered the progress of his love affairs, and acted as a talisman In many ways. Even In our present days, in various countries, a superstition still exists that to each month Is dedicated a precious stone, and that any one by wearing constantly the stone of his birth month, Insures for himself great and unfailing good luck. So to January Is dedicated the garnet; to February, the amethyst; to March, the bloodstone to April, the sapphire; to May, the em erald; to June, the agate; to July, the ruby; to August, the sardonxy; to Sep tember, the chrysolite; to October, the opal; to November, the topaz, and to December, the turquoise. Two Narrow Buildings. Philadelphia may not be able to boast the tallest buildings In the world, but she surely has her share of the narrow est. On the corner of Chestnut and American streets Is located a building that at first glance would seem to re fleet seriously on the sanity of the pro jector, but the multitude of prosperous tenants form a monument to the flnan clal shrewdness of the owners. From outside to outside of the walls of the structure Is exactly five feet wide. is one hundred and fifty feet deep, and there are four stories. Every room in It Is occupied by a shop of some kind or by families, who seem to be con tented with their lot The walls are over one foot thick, and this leaves less than one yard for the Inside space, Therefore, It Is a physical Impossibility for the tenants to occupy a full-sized bed. If hey desire to sleep It must be on a cot, and the sleeper extends his body froji north to south. Among the numerous Industries In this contracted building ire a tailor shop, a restaurant, a printing office, a sign painting estab lishment and a cigar store. Another narrow building Is at Market and Le tltla streets. It Is five stories high and six feet three inches wide. In Its orig inal stat this building was six feet wider than at present, but a city Im provement cut It down to the present size. The Deepest Fresh-Water Lake. W. G. Steel has been engaged In sounding Lake Chelan In Washington. A depth of 2,500 feet was found, but no bottom reached. The sounding In progress Is being conducted systematic ally, starting from near Lakeside, and the bottom reached at regular Inter vals. Crater Lake, Oregon, was the last body of water Mr. Steel sounded, and It has been considered the deepest fresh-water lake in the United States until the present time, but Chelan now far surpasses it Correspondence Se attle Poat-Intelllgencer. Every tailor knows a lot of promis ing young mt ' MISSING PERSONS FOUND. New Line of Work Taken I p by the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army has b ;en instru mental during one year In tracing no fewer than 708 missing persons. The total is a large one, but Col. Stitt, who has charge of this particular branch of the army's work, says that after all, it Is but a tithe of the number who, to quote his own words, "drop out of ex istence" In the course of twelve months. For London alone the estimate Is fixed at about 9,000. What It is for all the countries in which the army operates or what the percentage of "finds," the Colonel was not able to say offhand. The Investigation department of the Salvation Army is unquestionably do ing an important work. Its Inquiries are not confined to the metropolis, nor to the United Kingdom, but, with the exception of Russia, China nnd one or two other countries, It practically era braces the whole world. It Is part and parcelof thearmyand essentially Inter national. It Is, so to speak, a new Scot land Yard on an extended scale. For the department Is nothing if not ambi tious. It undertakes to "search in any part of the world for missing or run away relatives and friends; to seek to bring to justice men who have ruined or wronged girls or women, and to In quire Into the respectability of people, houses or situations, and generally ad vise and help as far as possible those In difficulty." With the organization of the army at Its beck and call, with officers ana workers rendy to respond to any and every command, It Is in a position to execute commissions on the shortest possible notice. And while it Is prepared to do all this without fee or reward, Colonel-Stitt pointed out that "it is also prepared to undertake, at moderate rates, detective cases and investiga tions of certain descriptions for those In a position to pay. "There is no end," he explained, "to the possibilities of a department of this kind. We began in a very small way. Someone lost a friend and wrote to us asking If we could make Inquiries through our officers. We did so, and the result was highly satisfactory. This led to the establishment of the investi gation department." Some of the cases were cited. There was nothing romantic about them. They merely bore testimony to the gen eral usefulness of such an agency. They were of all sorts and conditions. Run away husbands, mothers who had de serted their little ones, friends who have been missing for years, girls who have foolishly left their homes, chil dren of tender years who have been de coyed from their parents. One case was that of a man who had left his wife for sixteen years. The woman sought the help of the depart ment In order, If possible, to ascertain whether her husband was dead or alive. The army found him to be alive and In a position to support his wife. The woman would have been satisfied with a modest 5 shillings a week. The hus band declined to pay so much. Tho army assisted the woman In bringing the case before a magistrate. Instead of 5 shillings the man was ordered to contribute 7 shillings 0 pence per week. Instances of this kind could be multi plied by tue score, aiso or gins wno have loft their homes to go into service, and after a few months, perhaps, have been completely lost to their relatives and friends. In course of time It is contemplated including criminal Inves tigation within the purview of the de partment. The idea would be to assist the police and bring offenders to jus tice. The army and its multifarious ramifications would make a valuable police auxiliary. The penitent form has on various occasions served a useful purpose in this direction, the penitents voluntarily consenting to expiate their offenses. Colonel Stitt has a keen appreciation of the Importance of the work he has In hand. All he wants Is to extend It. As he very truly observed, "A great many people In searching for lost friends spend a lot of valuable time, as well as money, In making inquiries that cannot lead to any practical good, whereas if they came to us they would have placed at their service an Investi gation departmeut that is internation al In its operations." London Mail. Brave Boll and Cruel Spaniard. The trumpet sounds again, and the espada takes his sword and his muleta, and goes out for the last scene. This, tirltlith nil rrli f in Ka la n-v- nlnrmra tlm n uivu v vi i-, j . w is v t, ui a. j at nia real climax. The bull Is often by this time tired, has had enough of the sport, leaps at the barrier, trying to get out He is tired of running after red rags, and he brushes theni aside contemptu ously; he can scarcely be got to show animation enough to be decently killed. But or,A bull I saw yesterday was splendluiy savage, and fought almost to the last, running nbout the arena with the sword between his shoulders, and that great red line broadening down each side of his neck on the black; like a deep layer of red paint, one tricks one's self Into thinking. He carried two swords In his neck, and still fought; when at last he, too, got weary, and he went and knelt down before the door by which he had entered, and would fight no more. But they went up to him from outside the barrier ajpd drew the swords out of him; and he got to his feet again, and stood to be killed. Loudon Saturday Review. Twenty-six in One Family, It Is doubtful whether another coun ty la the State can equal Worcester In the size of a family. Near Bridgeville Uvea a colored family consisting of Aaron Quail, his wife, and twenty-four children. Twenty-threee years aga Quail married Martha Ann Rogers, and twenty-four children were born. One child died. There were three sets of twins. Two years ago his wife died, and one year later Quail married again. One child Is the result of that union. When the meals are served two tables are used, fourteen sitting at one and twelve at the other, to avoid the un lucky thirteen Baltimore American. Soot in London. One thousand tons of soot settle monthly within the 118 square miles of Loudon. The man who snores in a sleeping car la apt to wake and find himself fa mous. There Is a great deal of cold comfort in a handkerchief . .