Heppner gazette., July 19, 1906, Image 2

Prisoners and Captives
By H. S. MERRIMAN
CHAPTER XVI.
There is no cloak for tears like
laughter. He is a strong man who mere'
ly does nothing in the midst of tears,
Most men either laugh or ween, but some
there are who remain grave.
Matthew Mark Easton was not
trong man. The last meeting of the
association he was pleased to call "Guy
Fawkes' was looked forward to by him
with positive dread. lie did not hold
himself responsible for Pavloski and his
three compatriots, for he knew well
enough that he himself was but a means
to the end. If these four Russians had
not met with him. they would still have
gone to Siberia ; for they were branded
their souls were seared by the hot iron
the thrice-heated iron of unquenchable
vengeance.
Sergius Pavloski was the first to ar
rive. Immaculate, cold, and self-contain-
id as usual : his old-fashioned dress clothes
scrupulously brushed, his large amethyst
shirt studs brightly polished. There was
a steady glitter in his unpleasantly veil
ed eyes, but his manners were always
suave and courtly.
"Ah, Smith ."' cried Easton ; "punctual
as usual. We business men know its
value, eh? especially at meal times."
When the guests were assembled, Eas
ton led the way to another room, where
dinner was served. The usual silence up
on the subject of their meeting was ob
served until the meal was over, and all
chairs were drawn round the fire.
Then the informal proceedings com
menced. Matthew Mark Easton was a
trifle more restless tfian usual; his mo
bile features alternated between grave
and gay. while his dancing eyes were
never still.
"Gentlemen," he said, "we have done
a vast deal of talking, and now at last
some of us are going into action. Each
one of you knows his part, and each one
of you, of course, will do his best. The
three gentlemen who leave to-night for
Siberia take absolutely nothing with
them except a little money. There are
no maps, no letters, no instructions, noth
ing that an enemy can get hold of. We
have, however, taken measures to supply
them with money at various stages of the
Journey. We have also completed a meth
od of communication, by means of which
the safe progress of the travelers can
from time ro time be reported to St. Pe
tersburg, and subsequently, to the head
quarters in London. But in case of par
tial failure, it is quite understood that
the others go on. Mr. Tyars undertakes
to get his ship round Cape Chelyuskin,
and to wait for you at the meeting place
arranged, namely, the westernmost mouth
of the river Yana, not far from Oust
Yansk. where we have a good friend. On
the 10th of July he sails thence to com
plete the northeast passage, and reach
the coast of Alaska. That date, gentle
men, is fixed. If no one comes to meet
him, he goes on alone, but he hopes to
mee you all thre, and each with a party
not exceeding fifteen persons."
The three men turned their dull eyes
toward the two Englishmen seated side
by side. Unconsciously the seven men
assembled had grouped themselves in or
der. The stout Russian and Easton were
seated side by side with their hacks to
the table, and on their left were placed
the three young Russians, while on the
right the two sailors sat side by side a
big man and a small one the lesser and
the greater power.
'Of course," went on Easton, "the dis
tances are enormous, but we have endeav
ored to equalize them as much as possi
ble. The meeting point has been fixed
with a view to this. It is the southern
most anchorage obtainable east of Cape
Chelyuskin, though it is far within the
Arctic Circle. We have succeeded, I sur
mise, in keeping our scheme completely
secret. No one knows of it except our
selves; not even the Nihilist party in
London. We must remember that we are
not Nihilists, but merely seven men en
paged upon a private enterprise. We
have friends who have been unjustly ex
iled, many of them without a trial upon
mere suspicion. We are attempting to
rescue those friends; that is all."
"Y'es," echoed the stout man, speaking
for the first time, "that is all. I seek
my daughter."
"And I my sister," said one.
"And I my brother," said another.
"It is," added Pavloski, slowly, "a wife
with me.
Tyars and Grace said nothing. They
had not quite thought it out. and were
unprepared with a reason. Easton was
more at ease now. He consulted a little
notebook hitherto concealed in his waist
coat pocket.
"I have endeavored," he continued,
without taking his eyes from the pocket
book, "to make every department inde
pendent as far as possible. For instance,
my own death would in no wise affect the
expedition. The money and information
would, after such an event, continue to
filter through to Siberia by prearranged
channels. In case of rhe death or impris
onment of our agent in St. Petersburg,
the same communications would be kept
open. We have each a substitute, and
the arrangements are so simple that these
substitutes will have no difficulty in car
rying them out. I need scarcely tell you
that heavy bribes hare been sent to the
right quarters in Siberia high official
quarters."
The stout man grunted in a knowing
way, and signified by a little nod of the
head that no further interruption need
be feared.
"In Russia," continued Easton, turning
the pages of his notebook, "we all know
that every official has his price. The
only difficulty lies in the discovery of that
price. The only parts that have not been
doubled are those of the three gentlemen
who go out to Siberia to organize the
escape of rhe prisoners and exiles. I sur
mise that it is unnecessary to point out
that these parts cannot be doubled. There
are not three other such men to be found.
As to our ship, she was built, above and
below, under the personal supervision of
Mr. Tyars and myself. In Mr. Tyars
end Lieut Grace we have two sailors emi
nently calculated to bear the strain that
will 1 pur upon them. Humanly speak
ing, they may be trusted to do all that
man can do to get the Argo around Cape
Chelyuskin to the rendesvoua by the date
aaned. TUa ia eur laat meet! U Lon
don. Some of us may see each other
again. I trust to God we shall. I trust
that He who knows no nationalities will
bring five of you together again next sum
mer.' There was a pause. Matthew Mark
Easton turned the pages of his notebook
in a vague, 'aimless way. Then in that
same position, without looking around, he
spoke in a low tone of voice :
"Gentlemen," he said, "my report is
finished.
CHAPTER XVII.
On rhe evening of the Admirals' Club
dinner, early in December, Helen hai
been in the habit of dining at the Win
ters". Although Agnes Winter was now
alone, she seemed singularly anxious to
keep up this custom, and Helen acceded
to her proposal readily enough. Oswin
was easily disposed of. A sailor return
ing to Loudon after an absence of some
years can usually employ hie evenings
satisfactorily.
It happened that Miss Winter was ab
sent from town during the three days pre
ceding the anniversary, and Helen was,
therefore, left in ignorance as to the na
ture of rhe entertainment to which she
was invited. As she drove through the
fog and gloom of December streets the
thought came to her, however, that had
there been other guests her brother Os
win would, in the ordinary course of
events, have been invited. This thought
generated others, and before the little
brougham drew up smoothly, the young
girl was verging upon a conviction that
rhe course of events had diverged already
from the commonplace. She was not,
therefore, surprised to see Miss Winter
standing at the head of the brightly light
ed, softly carpeted stairs to greet her. Be
fore she spoke Helen had guessed that
they were to pass the evening alone to-
getner, ana as she mounted the stairs she
lid her best to quell an indefinite feeling
of discomfort.
The drawing room looked intensely
cozy. rwo armchairs, and two only,
small and low, were drawn forward to
the lire, and between them a small table,
promising coffee. In response to a little
gesture of the hand, Helen took posses
sion of one of the chairs. Miss Winter
took up an evening newspaper, of which
the careful cutting betrayed no tamper
ing on the part of a literary cook, and
slowly unfolded it.
"I want," she said, "to see who Is
acting In that new piece at the Epic.
I had a note from Oswin to-day, propos
ing to make up a party for next Wednes
day." "Yes ; he spoke to me about it. I
should like to go.'
Miss Winter continued to unfold the
paper with a considerable bustle. She
was not looking at it, but at Helen, who
seemed interested in the texture of an ab
surd little lace handkerchief.
"Who is going?"
The girl raised her head and frowned
slightly, as if making a mental effort.
"Let me see papa, Oswin, you, my
self, and and oh, yes ! Mr. Tyars."
Miss Winter was not an impulsive
woman. There was a graceful finish and
sense of leisure about her movements, but
before Helen could move, her friend was
kneeling on the white fur hearth rug,
drawing her toward her, forcing her to
face the light.
' Helen, let me see your face."
It was almost a command, and the girl
obeyed, slowlj turning. Her eyes were
dull, as if with physical agony. Mis?
Winter relinquished rhe warm, soft fin
gers. She half turned, and sat with her
hands clasped in her lap, gaving Into the
fire.
"When," she asked, "when was it?
Long ago at Oxford, or only just lately?"
"I suppose," Helen answered, quietly,
"that it was long ago at Oxford ; but
but I think I did not know it."
This daughter of a sailor race was not
given to tears, but now her lashes were
glistening softly. It is not the bitterest
tear that falls.
"My poor, poor Helen !" murmured
Miss Winter, stroking her fripnd's hand
gently. "And he Claud Tyars he has
said nothing?"
"Of course not."
Miss Winter's eyes fell on the news
paper lying open at her feet. Mechan
ically she read the heading of a long
article on the "New Arctic Expedition."
Her heart sank within her.
"But, Helen," she whispered, "do you
think he "
"Hush, dear," interrupted the girl.
"Don't ask me that."
"Helen, will you tell me one thing?"
The girl moved uneasily, keeping her
eyes averted.
"I think not," she answered, "you can
ask it, but I do not think I will answtr
it."
"Ivon ago." murmured the low voice
of the elder woman, "long ago at Oxford
did you think Helen, forgive my asking
di'l you think that he loved you?"
There was a long silence, broken only
by the officious little clock upon ' the
mantel piece, and the heated creak of the
glowing cinders. Then at last the an
swer came :
"No no, certainly not. But he was
different from the others quite different.
It seems ridiculous, but at the time I
thought that it was because be was a
Cambridge man."
"Then If you had not met again this
would not have happened?"
"No," answered Helen, gravely; "it
would not. I wonder why Oswin should
have, saved him, of all men, in the middle
of the Atlantic ocean."
"Then don l do It."
The little square-shouldered man sat
up, but Tyars bore with perfect equa
nimity the gl.fnce of a remarkably direct
pair of eyes.
"Why," he asked, "do you want to get
rid of me?"
"I don't want to get rid of you. There
is no man afloat whom I would put In
your place. But I must be consistent, I
have refused many good men for the same
reason. You have too many home ties."
"What do you mean?"
It was an awkward question, for Ty
ars had been assured by this man's sister
that there existed a distinct understand
ing between him and Miss Winter.
"You see," said Tyars, awkwardly. "I
am quitj alone in the world. I have no
one to sit at home and worry over my ab
st'nce or my silence. I should like all the
fellows who go with me to be in the same
circumstances "
A somewhat prolonged silence followed
the stately silence of a club room, with
padded doors and double windows. The
two men smoked meditatively.
"I suDuose." said Grace, at
The Farm Labor Qoentloit.
Much Is being said Just now about la
bor on the farm. The farmers compluiu
that labor is both scarce and ineliieient,
while the farm hands grumble, about
poor pay and long hours. As to the
matter of wages, I believe the hired
man is right ; while the fanner is often
correct as to the poor quality of the
heln to be had. The reason for this is
length, 'not far to seek. Other occupations have
"that Helen has been getting at you.
"I merely told her that you were going
She did not say in what way it would
affect her; only suppose we are away two
years suppose we don't come back at
all. Your father is an old man she
will be alone in the world."
Oswin Grace stroked his neatly cropped
beard thoughtfully.
"Helen," he said at length, "will mar
ry." Like most big men, Tyars possessed the
faculty of sitting very still. During the
silence that followed this remark he might
have been hewn of solid stone, so motion
less was he as to limbs, features and even
nerves. At length he moistened his lips
and turned his slow gaze to meet that of
his companion, who was sitting forward
in his chair awaiting the effect of this
argument.
"Yes," he said, "that is probable, and
she always has her friend Miss Winter."
Oswin Grace relapsed suddenly into
the chair.
"Yes," he said, "she will always have
Aguis Winter, and if she married, her
friendship would be only the more use
ful." That settled it. Claud Tyars gave a
little sigh of relief, and helped himself
to coffee.
"Of course," he said, "if you feel quite
free from the slightest moral obligation,
I have nothing more to say."
"Thank you," said Oswin Grace, with
relieved cheerfujness ; "that is exactly
how I feel. But, old fellow, I wish you
would give me notice when you feel a fit
like that coming on. It gave me a beast
ly fright. Quite a turn, as my washer
woman said, when she saw my shirt-cuff
covered with red paint."
(To be continued.)
DOOMED MEN STILL LIVE.
CHAPTER XVIII.
On this same day Oswin Grace dined
with Claud Tyars at his club. It was in
this manner that he disposed of his un
occupied evening.
During the actual meal, served In a
tall, hushed, and rather lonesome room,
by a portentous gentleman in sed plush
breeches and pink stockings, there was
not much opportunity for private conver
sation. The elder man waa the first to
break the silence. He watched rhe fire
burn while he spoke.
"You have not," he said. Interrogative
ly, "got lesve from the Admiralty yet?"
"Not yet," waa the answer, returned
confidently. Grace evidently anticipated
no difficult
So I. pica I Execution Has Taken
Place In Kuniai for Thirty Years.
"Although men are condemned to the
death penalty In Kansas, there hasn't
been a legal execution in our State for
thirty years or more," said W. I. Bid-
die, a prominent citizen of Leaven
worth and a director of the State peni
tentiary at that place, to a Post -
porter at the Raleigh.
"The reason is the law directs the
Imprisonment of those doomed to the
gallows for a year following their con
viction, after which it Is incumbent on
the governor to affix his signature to
the death warrant, a thing that none
of our chief executives In the time
mentioned has done, and as a conse
quence the condemned men remain in
prison year after year, getting what
may be a life terra In lieu of hanging.
There are over fifty convicts of this
class now within the walls of tho.
Leavenworth prison, and among them
some of the most celebrated criminals
of this, generation.
"Oftheee the most notorious, per
haps, JsHmmett Dalton, whose three
bfofyei-j wfere slain In the famous fight
tBatWheiy raid on the CofTeyvllle bank
brongBtAm, In which Emniett himself
recelvmfearful wounds, the marks of
which ne still carries. He Is almost a
model prisoner, his conduct being at
all times exemplary, tor many years
he has been employed as a cutter In the
prison tailor shop and does first-rate
work.
"Another star inmate Is Willie Sells
who In 1885, at the age of 10, In
Neosho County, murdered his father
mother and sister. Still another Is John
Collins, convicted of the murder of his
father on circumstantial evidence. Col
Hns was one of the brightest students
at the State University and his arrest
for parricide created an Immense sen
satlon throughout the State. There are
a few women also In the list, most
noted of whom Is Jessie Morrison, who
killed a woman for marrying her sweet
heart.
"One of the hardest tilings to get o'lt
of the average convict is his true name.
Occasionally this Is due to the unwill
ingness to bring disgrace on his family,
but In the majority of cases it arises
from a fear that such a revelation will
cause the sheriffs of other localities to
locate a man wanted for some prior in
fraction of the law. I have known men
serve an extra year In prison rather
than tell their right names, for It is
an Iron-clad law that a refusal on this
point Is a barrier to parole.
.-sot very long ago a parole was
given a prisoner who had U-en behind
the bars for twenty-one years. Curious
ly enough, he could have had his liberty
long ago but for the stern and unyield
ing opposition of Ills wife, and when
at last his release came It was In the
face of her vigorous protest" Wash
ington Post
offered greater Inducements to the man
without capital, and the best men have
left the farm and gone to them. There
Is, it must be confessed, little Induce
ment for a strong, willing, euergtic
young man to work on a farm at $12
or $15 per month and board. He can
usually do better elsewhere, and else
where he goes. This is true of all
grades of service; and not until the
farm can offer the man of muscle and
the man of brain as much for their
services as they can get elsewhere can
the farm hold them. 1 Uglier wages for
farm hands are, to my mind, Inevita
ble ; and this means that many farmers
will have to learn how to better handle
their men. What Is needed is not cheap
labor, and lots of it, but good labor and
skillful management for it. While this
is true of the labor problem as a whole,
It is equally true that the main ques
tion is that of individuality. A fanner
who treats his hired man as he would
wish to be treated if lie were the wage
earner can usually get men, and the
laborer who looks after his employer's
interests as his own can always find
employment. Y'ou can no more leave
out the individuality in considering the
"servant question." What is in great
est demand is mutual confidence and a
mutual desire to do the best that can
be done. A difference in wages of a
dollar or two a month Is a small thing
to the difference between a good man
and a poor one, or between a good
place and a bad one. E. E. Miller, in
Agricultural Epitomlst.
Plank-Fraiue Darn,
The evolution of the plank-frame
barn is the natural result of the scar
city of timber for building. A con
siderable saving in lumlter and ease of
building Is effected In the plank
frame. Less time and fewer men are
required In the erection, and there is
little or nothing sacrificed In strength
since the excellent method of bracing
enables them to stand the pressure of
hay and grain within or strong winds
without. A solid frame foundation
Crop-Ilonnd Fowls, 1
Every farmer is familiar with what
is called "crop-bound" in fowls. The
crop becomes packed with food that
has ceased to pass Into the gizzard
of the bird. If the contents of the
crop consist of grain only, the fowl
should be kept from food for some
days. In addition, the crop should be
;nanlpulated with the hands. This will
tend to loosen the grain and start Its
passage lijto the gizzard.
Sometimes the condition is caused by
feeding cut hay, dried alfalfa or clover,
which have packed at the point where
the food should pass out of the crop.
One poultry raiser In cases of this kind
pours sweet oil down the throat of the
bird, and this loosens up the mass. In
bad cases he opens the crop by cut
ting and removes the collected food,
afterward sewing up the crop. He says
that this does appear to cause tiie bird
1. . . I 4 P. ,1.1. I . .1 I . I ,1 I
iiiuiu pitui. Aiirr iina is uont me own
should be fed only milk or other light
food for some days.
OUR ARMY IN GRAY.
UNCLE SAM'S LETTER CARRIER'S
NUMBER 22,000.
For WelKhlnir Limba,
Mr. John Spears, of British Colum
bla, sends to the Montreal Star a sketch
of a contrivance for weighing live
lambs. Farmers who have lambs to sell
are In need of some such method of
ascertaining their weight It consists
1
C T . -r X
II0W TO WEIGH THE LAMB.
of an ordinary wheat sack, having two
suitable sticks attached to top and
bottom. A stout piece of roje is at
tached to the ends of each of these
sticks. The whole forms a sling. By
this method the lambs do not wriggle
and they can't get out when once In,
and It is very quick, humane and effective.
PLANK-FBAME BABN.
Ilia Mistake.
"It's no use talking," Mid his wife,
firmly, "my mind Is made up and "
"Oh, It Is, eh?" Interrupted her hus
band. "I knew your face was, tut I
thought your mind waa the real
thing."
When a man la wrong and won't
admit it, be always gets angry.
Hallbarton.
may be used or the entire structure
may be of plank. A good, firmly built
stone and cement foundation Is advis
able. With this to rest the plank upon
the frame is raised.
No sills are used and the upright
studs take the place of posts. Two for
each post are set on the foundation on
each side. Between these the cross-
plank is placed and spiked so that it
will extend the width of the barn and
tie the two sides together. The scant
lings on each side of the barn floor,
forming center posts, are then raised
and spiked in place. I'pon the outside
of each upright Is spiked a plank of
the same size as and parallel with the
first cross plank. This gives three 2x8
Inches for cross sills through the cen
ter of the barn, each Joint or bard Ihv
ing fixed In this way. End Joints, using
boards Instead of plank on outside, give
the bed work of the barn. At the sides,
between uprights in place of sill, a
plank is firmly spiked; this holds the
uprights firmly In place and prevents
working sideways while the thorough
ly spiked cross planks prevent all move
ment In other directions. Throughout
I
fSni
CBOSS-S1XTIOX 6HOWINO BRACING.
there should be no sparing of spike
nails, as these are an essential feature
to secure solidity.
Worm y Plants.
The plums that have been stung by
the curculio, and the wormy fruit of
the early summer, should be picked off.
It Isn't much trouble, and It doesn't cost
any more to do It now than later. The
fruit that brings high prices will grow
much larger If these parasites are re
moved.
Reviving Old 'Fruit Trees,
A Maryland fruit grower has after
several years of experimenting discov
ered a way to revive old fruit trees
and keep them In bearing condition
long after their supposed stage of use
fulness has passed. As the cause of
decay In a tree Is Its inability to carry
the sap to all of Its branches, heading
the tree lessens the area to be travers
ed, the amount of top to be removed,
varying according to the farmer's Judg
ment Bone-dust and ashes must then
be administered as a fertilizer, the iut
ter in the autumn and the other in the
spring. This treatment will revive old
trees, the cutting off the branches, tend
ing to increase the number of fruit
buds formed, and the ashes and bone
dust tending to stimulate the tree
growth.
The Farm Garden.
No farmer can afford to tlo without
a good garden. It Is not to he expected
that every one will be a fancy gar
dener, but every one should give sufli
clent attention to the subject so as to
produce all staple vegetables earlier
than can be produced In the field. It
Is not only essential to the health and
proper enjoyment of the family, but
It is actually a matter of profit. Could
your whole farm be made as smooth,
dry, rich and as well cultivated as a
good garden, the Increased product
would pay a large per cent of profit
upon the outlay. In the garden, or in
a separate compartment, may be culti
vated strawberries, raspberries, black
berries, currants, grapes and dwarf
pears. They can all be had at a very
small cost of money or labor, and will
ndil immensely to the enjoyment of
the household.
sJLjji
Tarred Paper Injnren Tree.
In a newly set orchard the trees
were wrapped with tarred building pa
per as a protection against the rabbits.
The paper was not removed early In
the spring, and ns the hot weather
came on the tar melted and adhered to
the bark and destroyed the live bark
and cambium layer wherever it came
In contact. As a result, many of the
trees were entirely killed. However, a
good grade of coal tar is very efficient
in preventing decay of exiosed wood in
recently trimmed trees.
Collar and Saddle Calls.
Galls on horses are due to several
causes, but frequently to saddles and
harness, that press unevenly on the
body. The collar should fit the horse
perfectly, and It cannot be too good. A
loose girth to a saddle may allow It to
shift. When a gall Is noticed there Is
something wrong with the saddle or
harness, and no remedy will be avail
able until the cause of the gall Is re
moved. An examination of the harness
should ! made whenever the horse Is
brought up from work at night, and it
should le kept In good condition or the
horse will suffer.
Ther Work In 1,200 Cities and
Towns Preaent Sratem Doe to
Sunset Cos:1 Efforts Carrying
the Mall In Skyscrapers.
The tno.st rapidly Increasing army the
United States government has is an
army in ray. It started with hardly
a uanarui or men
over forty years
ago. Its ranks
have grown stead
ily, never thlnnhig
In times of pro
found peace. Now
these men in gray
are quite a third
as many as the
government's regu
lar military estab-
SAMi'Er s. cox. lisbn.ent on land.
They are the letter carriers In almost
1,200 cities and large towus of the Uni
ted States. Their number is now ap
proximately 22,000. To be exact, ac
cording to the last official count, they
were 21,778, They have doubled nu
merically In the last fifteen years. In
the very last year which In postofflee
parlance means the last fiscal year
they increased almost 5 per cent, which
Is a very large Increase. Could they all
be marshalled on Boston Common from
their 1,200 towns and cities they would
be ns Imposing a force, perhaps, as ever
assembled on that historic ground.
"Sunset" Cox, lawyer, editor and leg
islator, a graduate of Brown Univer
sity, who served several terms In ( on
grese, first from Ohio and then from
New Yrk, was known as the father of
the carrier service. It Is, In consider
able part, due to his efforts that tho
free delivery of mall was developed. It
ivas during the Fiftieth Congress, cover-
ng the latter half of the first Cleve
land administration, that the letter car
rier service began its modern growth.
Jumping 19.3 per cent In one year and
30.1 ier cent the following year, till
t eoinprls.'d 8,2.")7 men In 401 towns and
cities on June .'!(), 1889, just after Ben
jamin Harr'son had entered the White
House.
But while those proportions seemed
large for those days, they were small
as compared with the present day. For
the fiscal year that ended June 30, 1889,
the carrier service was costing the
treasury ?(5.9!7,942. The cost lias
grown by leaps ana tiounas tin last
year it was $20,010,078. The cost per
carrier th?:i was $843; last year at was
$:Xil.
Ex-Representatlvc Eugene F. Loud,
f California, who was long chairman
of the House Committee on Postofflcei
and Post Roads, told recently how he
remembered the icnny post in Boston
when a young man before the Civil
War. Individuals delivered letters for
a penny each, the recipients paying for
the service. There was a similar ser
vice elsewhere. It led eventually to the
Postofflee Department taking over that
work. At first itostmasters hired the
carriers and made the arrangements for
their salary. The present civil sevlce
examinations for admission, and the
grading of salaries and the prescribing
of the strict eight-hour law, for which
Representative Cox was chiefly respon
sible, and oilier latter-day laws and
regulations for the discipline and main
tenance of the big force were unknown.
It is a frequent saying that ioHtof
fice re.-eipts form n good gauge of local
prosperity. Tho gross receipts of free
delivery offices have been climbing very
steadily. WUh few exceptions, the to
tal has been largor every year, which
means that the carriers have had morn
mall matter to collect and also to de
liver. The gross receipts of $109,801,
.':," In the 1,114 free delivery oIHees last
year were by far the largest ever
known. The number of carriers was
Increased by 1,020 and the number of
free delivery o'llces that year increased
by 44.
T fie I'Siimated jMpulation of the cities
and towus having free delivery was 3,
4!2,.''r)3, almost half o the entire iopu
latioti of the Umltd Stacs. Each of
these 21.778 carriers served on average
of l,t75 people, who had their mall put
down at the door from two to nine
times every weekday, according as they
received It In a small or large city and
in the business or residence section.
The consolidation of service and the
taking of towns adjacent to large cen
ters of j-.ipulatlon hav helped swell
the army cf carriers In gray to a de
gree. Thus the aiea covnred by the car
riers from a given office is generally
larger now than It was ten years ago.
The largest area Is that In Chicago,
where the carriers, nuniiierlng 1,1J.
traverse 190 square miles. Before Bel
mont and Waverly were added, the free
delivery area In Boston was yR square
miles, covcrrd by 1,022 carriers, al
most a ieiultth of the f tire free de
livery cirrlcr foroe. The pddltlon of
Belmont and Waverly gM the free de
livery district of Boston, comprising
stations, mi aiea of approximately 100
square mlb. New xo;k City's 1,083
letter carriers cover a tVstrict of only
12 .1 square miles.
Bean Pole.
As soon as the lima beans start up
the pole. Bure t0 them up with
raffia. If you are trying to use last
year's white birch poles, you are going
to hare them rot off and fall down and
cause no and of trouble. There la noth
ing better than cedar bean Doles.
Pemnnal Proof.
The visitor to Mr. Nutrltch Your
floors are beautiful. This is hardwood.
Isn't It?
Mr. Nurltch Guess It must he, I
slipped down on it seven times. It
seemed hard. Cleveland Plain Iealer.
Any man who sticks up for bla
friends only when they are present Is
a sneak.
More often than not the Inside tip
falls to win out.