i- I'M iii i.. ii. m " " " 1 '"" ' 1 "' j
OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
I - 1
REPORT ON OREGON.
Irrigation Expert Investigates State
and Issues Circular.
Washington Oregon farmer who re
ort to Irrigation, will bn deeply inter
ested In a !10 page circular Just issued
by the department of Agriculture, en
titled "Investigations (if Irrigation
Practice In Oregon." The Iwiok la
written ly A. V. Mover, irrigation en
glnacr, who spent last season In Oregon
making a study of Irrigation as It la
practiced, so a to find out the errot
thai have been tnailH and gather data
which would he helpful In instructing
the irrigators how to avoid mistake of
the pant. Thn report la not aa compre
hensive an id Ik lit he desired, hut con
talna a great many valuahle sugges
tions, and ia worth the pemual of every
farmer who ia obliged to artificially
water his landa.
Mr. Htover made a atudy of the pre
cipatlon in various parta of the state,
Mild to a limited eitent gathernd data
on the discharge of the principal
atrium that tan he utilised for irriga
tion, fie states, in opening his report,
that the greater part of the arable land
of Oregon lien In ti e arid section and
can he drought under intensive culti
vation only hy irrigation. He found
that the low water How of moat of the
elre:ioin ol Ktrteru Oregon ha already
men uppropi itt'ed for private irrixa
t ion , 1'iit an j ei .practically no step
have been take i to conserve t Iim winter
thiol, j
He tlmia that little of the water now
inif diverted is used economically, ao
that there is a large rupply fur future
l clopinc nt.
Kcciiuae of ita crmp:rntlvi ly low e'e
vntlon mid consequent ml'd climate,
Mr. Htuver savs that Northeastern Ore
gon has advanlagea over the southeast.
Ttie practice of wintei irrigation,
now practiced along the Umatilla river,
il deNcrihed, and the value of thi prac
tice ia indicated. It la ahown that
these Umatilla landa, under the Max
well fkod water cauala, yielda a net
proQt of 24 an acie, when planted in
alfalfa. Il eeema that the Umatilla
valley, howevtr, ia exceptionally well
adapted for this lort of Irrigation, be
cause of the unusual formation ol the
soil and the underlying bednck. Few
localities will lie found where winter
irrigation will he as successful. On
flutter creek, where winter irrigation
haa reached the highest atage of perfec
tion, ifuita are aiifHful!y grown hy
vomhiiiing the principlea of winter irri
gation and dry tanning.
Seeral pes nr j devoted to a detail '
dm ripllou of irrigation canals along1
the )achutes rivei, which have been '
in operation lor win pam irw y,B, mm .
also of the Maxwell and Irrigon canals
in the Umatilla country. For some
reason there is nothing in the report
bearing directly on private irrigation
in the Klamath country. The report,
however, contains something of interest
to all irrigators, and will be furnl-hed
by the department upon application.
Fix Hop Picking Price.
R.l.m-nn- dollar i,r Inn nmin,i. i
r 60 rente ner bo, will doubtless be t
the popular price paid for hop picking
in the valley this year, since thin seem-
d to he the predominating sentiment
as expressed at a meeting of about a
-score of members of the Oregon II jp
growers' association, held in this city
last week. The prevailing tendency on
the part of growers, also, is that hops
will go to 20 cents by harvest time and
all present were in favor of holding out
lor that figure at least.
Mammoth Crop of Cherries.
Kugene -A remarkable yield of Roy
al Ann cherries has just been reported
here M. II. Harlow, who has a farm
north of Eugene, haa a two-acre cherry
orchard from which he harvested this
summer 23.700 pounds of cherries.
The cost o picking and marketing the
crop was $23(1, leaving a net profit of
1712 or $356 an acre. Mr. Harlow
says the crop would have been 20 per
cent larger had it not been (nr the cold
rains in June.
Dry Weather Hurting Hops.
Salem The continued dry weather
is showing its effect upon tne hop crop,
especially ia old yards, and those not
cultivated as thoroughly as thev should
be, and it is declared by many that the
yield will Joe far under the 215,000
bales that has been predicted. Yards
that have been well cared for are stand
ing the dry weather in good shape.
The potato and corn crops are also keep
ing a good appearance where cultivation
has been po id, and the second crop of
clover is coming on in good shape.
Linn County Wheat Heavy.
Albany New wheat is coming into
the Ked Crown mill in Albany daily
now. This is the Portland Flouring
Mill's Linn county branch, and annu
ally receives all the wheat it can get in
this vicinity. The new wheat this year i
is quite beary, anil i running well-.np I
in yieM. Id many localities the yield j
is reported more bushels to the acre
than in years past, and everywhere the
crops are good.
Harvesting In Yamhill County.
VJriMlnnville Harvest Is now in full
twyw In old Yamhill. Most of the
tUreehJng crews began work last week,
lie runs will probably extend from 25
to 40 days. The harvest this year will
be Hie largest for a' number of years.
Wheat le yielding 23 bushels to the
cr Oats yield 40 bushels to the acre
and weigh 89 pounds to the bushel.
Barley is yielding from 50 to 60 bushels
to the acre.
MORE JUDGES NEEDED.
Supreme Court Badly Behind With
Its Appeal Docket.
Halein The faet that the Oregon Hu-
pieme court is about a year behind In
Its work and has been losing ground in
on issi tew monins nas revived the
suggestion that the number of Judges
be Increased from three to five. Thure
are now on the docket ready fr trial
7 cases appealed from Western Oregon
counties. There are also some on the
Kaatern Oregon docket at Pendleton,
hut the exact number ia not known.
The cases now ready for trial extend
back as far as December, lllOo. There
aro also on the preliminary docket 84
case which will be ready for trial in
the next few months, ao that there ii
every prospect that the supply of canes
to be heard will not diminish.
The causes of the court getting he
hind In Hi work are several. The
number of appealed cases has been un
usually large ami several cases of extra
ordinary magnitude have occupied an
unuaual amount of attention. Then
there has been a change on the bench,
which always causes aome delay. Judge
Hailey waa appointed to the supreme
bench last winter. He had extensive
business interests at his home in Pen
dleton and could not at once adjust his
private inisiueKS so as to give bis whole
time to his judicial duties. Then the
political campaign came on and took
con-i lerrtbln tiin for two months.
AnotherchaiigH will be mad the first
of the year, when Judge Kakin g'KiB on
the bunch.
Clover Huller in Linn County.
Albany For the first time In the
history of I, inn county a clover huller
has t.Mg'in a Miaon's threshing. Frank
Koth and Krnest Howard, proprietors
of the huller, have already liated about
1.000 acres of clover to hull which
asaores a 40 day's run and success for
the venture. In the past three years
the rise of the clover industry in this
county has been remarkable and even
if the present phenominal increase in
acreage does not continue, clover hul
lors running the season will be an es
tablished feature of Linn county's an
nual harvest.
Farmers Robbed of Water.
Salem Twenty farmers residing in
the vicinity of Wamic, Wasco county,
have complained to Governor Chamber
lain that an irrigation company, the
name of which is not given, lias taken
all of the water out of Three-Mile,
(iate and Itnck creeks, thus shutting
off the supply of the settlers for their
household and stock nee. They want
, k,)OW wn,ier thw governor can Start
i the machinery of the state government
in proceedings to protect their rights.
Lane County Poultry Show.
Kugene At a meeting of the lane
County Toultr) association it was de
c'ded to hold the first annual poultry
show in Kugene from December 12 to
15,1908. There are several bird fan
ciers in and about Eugene and a poul-
try snow win ne a success nere. Hoere
fry Williams was instructed toarrange
for competent judges for the first show
County Assessor Keeney was chosen as
sistant secretary of the association.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Wheat Club, 68(?69c; binestem, 70
71c, valley, 7172c; red. rt5($66c.
Oats No. 1. white feed, $30; gray,
$29 per ton.
Barley Feed, $23.50 per ton; brew
ing, $23.60; rolled. $2424 50.
Kye $160 per rwt.
Hay Valley timoihy, No. 1, $11
12 60 per ton; clover, $8.50(39; cheat,
$6 50(7; grain bay, $78; alfalfa,
111.
Fruits Apples, common, $5075c
per box; fancy, $1.262; apricots,
$1.2501 35; peaches, 76c(3$l; pears,
$2; plums, fancy, 60075c; black
berries, 6tie per pounl.
Melons Cantaloupes, $1.602.25
per crate; watermelons, lloper
pound.
Vegetables Beans, 67c; cabbage,
l?432o per pound; celery, 85c$l per
dozen: corn, 15020c per dozen; cu
cumbers, 4060o per box ; egg plant,
10c per pound; lettuce, head, 25c per
doxen; onions, 1012c perdosen;
peas, 45c; bell peppers, 1215c;
radishes, 10O15c per dozen; rhubarb,
20 2, c per pound; spinach, 203c per
pound; tomatoes, e090c per box;
parsley, 25c; squash, $101.25 per
erate; nrnips, 90c$l per sack; car
rots, $101 25 per sack; beets, $1 250
1 .50 per rack.
Onions New, lOlc per pound.
Potatoes Old Burbanks, nominal;
new potatoes, Oregon, 75O90u.
Butter Fancy creamery, 2022tfc
per pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, 21c per dosen
Poultry Average old hens, 13014c
per pound; mixed chickens, 13013c;
springs, 16 O 16c; roosters, POlOc;
Hmsaed
chickens, 14 O 15c; turkeys,
-lve i5;70. turkeys, dressed, cl:
j022Hc; geese, live. 89c; A
choice,
neks,
U12Xc.
Hops Oregon, 1905, nominal, 120
13c; olds, nominal, 10c; 1906 con
tracts, 15016c per pound.
Wool Eastern Oregon average best
16920c per pound, according to shrink
age; valley, 20022c, according to fine
ness; mohair, choice, 28 O 80c per
pound.
Veal Dressed, 508c per pound.
Beef Dretsed bulls. So per pound;
cows, 4K5c; country steers, 66o.
Mutton Dressed, fancy, 78o per
pound; ordinary, 506c; lambs, fancy,
8080
Pork Dressed, 708c Pr pound.
MANY TO MEET AT BOISE.
Interest Hip.h In ComiriB; Session
Irrigation Congress.
North Yakima, Wash, Aug. 7.
During the first week of September the
National Irrigation congress will be in
se-aion at ftoise Idaho, with an attend-1
arice of several thousand delegates.
Kxhlhits of fruit and honey are being
prepared by different localities and
states. The premiums are liberal. It
is expected that the tovernor of Wash
ington will appoint 25 delegates, that
each commercial club wll appoint ten,
and that each board of county commis
sioners will appoint five. It is believ
ed that if a full delegation attends the
convention it will be able to secure the
next national congress at some point in
this state. It is hoped that the vari
ons fruitgrowers' associa.ions and the
State Beekeepers' association will have
on exhibition products of the orchard
and apiary which will take silver cups
and other premiums. The Yakima
County Horticultural union is arrang
ing to send elegant exhibit! of fruit
and honey. The delegation from that
county will ask the convention to pass
a resolution memorializing congress to
apprcpriate 1300,000.000 for reclama
tion of arid lands in the West.
The Htate Beekeepers' association has
secured a Bigelow observatory hive,
looked with pure bred Ita ian txtea, for
the purpnae of giving object lessons in
the epiary. It will be used at the
monthly meetings ol the association to
teach the farmers and high school claps-
es. It will lie one ol the interesting
features of the display at the Washing
ton State fair. The secretary of the
fair has agieed to set apart one of the
prominent conrneis in the main pavil
ion for the apiary exhihit, and $200
has been appropriated for premiums in
that divieion
The three days' midwinter conven
tion of the State Beekeepers' associa
tion will be held at the Agricultural
college at Pullman next January, and
the observatory hive will be in full
operation to instruct the students of
that college. The students of the Ida
ho Agricultural college, which is only
nine miles from Pullman, are also in
vited to be present at that meeting.
The business of beekeeping is an ad
junct of the orchard, bes being the
best friend of the fruitgrower, for the
reaton that these insects cross pollenixe
the blossoms and increase the yield.
These two industries go hand in hand,
and are rapidly becoming valuable
sources of income.
As an example of what organization
does, a few years ago the Yakima Coun
ty Horticultural union incorporated and
sold its Fhares of stock at $10; the paat
year the dividends were 70 per cent, a
warchoupe 50x180 feet has just been
completed, tne material being stine
and the structure two stories and full
haieinent, one f'ont being on the
Northern Pacific railroad and the other
on the North Coast road. The shares
are now selling at $20, and it is antici
pated that the capital stock will have
to b? increased in Qrder to accommodate,
the demand.
F'ruit Inspector Brown, of Yakima"
county, bays that in five years from now
tie calculates mat iz,uuu cars per year
will be shipped from the warehouse at
North Yakima.
Calls for Texas Rangers.
L.OKI pprings, lex., Aug. 7. Asa
result of yesterday's election tragedy,
in which E. B. Adams, a candidate for
tax aaeereor, and his brother, Sam Ad
aras, were killed and several others
wounded, the sheriff has asked that
rangers be sent here to prevent further
bloodshed. C. L- Williamson, one of
the participants, heard that a brother
of Robinson was looking for bim. Alf
Carnes stepped into the door of a saloon
where Williamson was and was shot
and seriously wounded by mistake for
Robinson.
Dooms Opium Using.
London, Aug. 7. In a dispatch from
Pekin in which he discusses the opium
trade the correspondent of the Times
expresses the belief that China will ask
India to consent to an annual reduction
in the import to China which would
have the effect if extinguishing the
trade in ten years. As an evidence of
good faith China will issue an imperial
edict condemning the use of opium and
forbidding the employment in the gov
ernment service of any opium eater.
Americans Caused Trouble.
Mexico City, Aug. 7. The Impar-
cial charges that the recently circulated
handbills, warning foreigners to leave
the country by September 16, were put
out by an unknown American, who
went from station to station distribut
ing and posting the pretended proclam
ation. The Imparcial also asserts that
certain railway camps ' in Texas and
California have taken part in promot
ing the circulation of false and sensa
tional reports.
Raise the Price of Bread.
Ran Francisco, Aug. 7. -As a result
of the demands made by the nnion
bakers for an increase of $3 n week in
their wages, which has been granted by
the master bakers, the latter will, raise
the nrice of bread in this city. The
manner in which it will be done has
not yet been agreed upon, but it ia said
that most of the bakers favor a loaf
nst a trifle larger than one-half the
size of the present loaf.
Commerce Outstrip Population.
Washington, Ang. 7. The foreign
commerce o! the United States has
grown more rapidly during the last de
cade than its population. Completed
figures for the fiscal year 1906 just pre
sented show that while the population
has grown since 1896 but 20 per cent,
m ports have grown 67 per cent and
exports 109 per cent.
CHICAGO BANK FAILS
President and Cashier Are Being
Sought by Officers.
SHORTAGE MAY REACH MILLION
Was Largely Patronized by Foreign
ers and Working People Two
Men Die From Shock.
Chicago, Aug. 7. The Milwaukee
Avenue Htate bank, a concern with
more than $4,000,000 in deposits, was
closed yesterday by the state bank ex
aminer. Out of the tremendous excite
ment which followed there are grave
charges that the institution has been
systematically looted since 1901 and
there are hints that some of the state
officers knew of the shaky condition of
the institution two months ago, but
permitted it to continue, presumably
in the hope that it would straighten
oat its difficulties and avoid a crash.
The bank, which was largely patron
izod by foreigners of moderate means
and working people, had 22,000 depos
itors, mainly with small accounts rep
resenting the savings of years of toil,
and the excitement among them is in
tense! All of yesterday and last night
they bexieged the closed bank, hoping
for a word of cheer. One man, who
aas the treasurer o! a society and had
deposited the funds of the society in
ttie bank, dropped dead when he heard
of the failure. Another depositor, be
lieving that his savings of years had
been swallowed up, committed suicide.
It is said the bank wascloeed because
of the d.ecivery of gruf-s malfeasance
on the part of at leant two of its offi
cers. President Paul O. Stensland and
Cashier W. H. Herring are being
sought to explain their share in the
affairs. It is said that the bank has
bom looted of f 700, 000 t'j $1,000,000.
Fictitious notes to this amount have
been found. Numerous notes listed as
assets, it is asserted, have been found
to have been taken up, but not canceled
by tbeir makers.
THIRTEEN MONTHS IN JAIL.
Judge Hunt Pronounces Sentence on
Charles Nickell.
Portland, Ang. 7. Charles Nichell,
of Medfjrd, Or., publisher of the
Southern Oreognian, a tri-weekly Lews-
paper, and formerly a United States
commissioner there, who was lound
guilty July 27 by a jury in the United
States District court of having conspir
ed with Henry W. Miller, Frank E.
Kincart and Martin G. I lege to defrand
the government of portions of ita lands,
was yesterday afternoon sentenced to
13 months' imprisonment on McNeill's
island by Judge Hunt.
Judge O'Day, couuael for Nickel I,
ek.ed for a stay of sentence nntil he
could prepar ft bill of exceptions, and
obtain a writ of error. It is
aiCKell
intention to take an appeal.
Judge A. S. Bennett, attorney for
Hamilton II. Hendricks, who was con
victed S'aurday night of subornation of
perjury, announced yesterday that he
would take immediate steps to appeal
that case also. Hendricks is to appear
for sentence next Saturday morning.
DEAD WASH ASHORE.
Spanish Coast Strewn With Corpses
From Steamer Sirio.
Cartagena, Spain, Aug. 7. Numer
ous bodies of persons drowned in the
wreck of the steamer Sirio off Her ali
gns islands were thrown upon the shore
during (he day. Most of them are per
sons of the better class. Several small
fishing smacks have arrived, bringing
survivors of the Sirio who were found
floating at sea long distances from tbe
scene of tbe disaster.
The first reports of the disaster de
clared without qualification that the
captain of the Sirio had committed sui
cide. Later information, however,
shows that be was on board the steamer
when she sank, and expressed the de
termination to go down with his vessel.
He was afterwards rescued, in spite of
his refusal to be saved.
The latest figures on the disaster
show that 275 passengers were lost.
Who Watches the Officers?
London, Aug. 7. According to an
O.leesa dispatch to a local news agency,
steamer advices from Sevastopol say
that fully 20,000 persons have left the
city, and the exodus is still in pro
gress. Admiral SVrydloff, commander
of the Black sea fleet, is in an awkward
dilemma. He is afriad to remove the
breeck blocks from the fortress guns
in case the crews of the warships mu
tiny, and at the same time he distrusts
the fortress artillerymen. At tbe fort
ress an 1 on the warships double staffs
of officers keep watch witn revolvers.
Mutiny Threatens Odessa.
Odessa. Augj 7. Sevastopol isVill
telegraphically isolated, but steamer
arrivals from that port report all quiet
there. The sailors of the fleet and
soldiers of the fortress are apparently
disheartened by the fiasco resulting
from the northern mutinies. The
troops at Odessa are showing unmis
takable signs of unrest and tbe author
ities are taking the most stringent
measures to prevent a mutiny. Nu
merous patrols surwnd the camp.
No Wholesale Execution.
St. Petersburg, Aug. 7. The state
ment that 600 of the Oronsladt mutin
eers have been executed is semi-official
ly denied.
WEALTH FROM WA3TE.
II .
I'rmliK-ta ftrivn Mor- tnlun'.ile
Hum (In- Orlulnnl Miilrrlnl.
,Scciicf luiH worked woudej-H In dcvel
l.iplng wealth from wiiste. In the old
dnya the raiidlomnker who used pnlm
fill bud their own troubles with glycer
ine, jr the candle was blown out the
smoldering wick u-w-d to leave an offen
sive odor. It was thf glyrerlno that
cniiMefl this. Naturally, the only thing
to do was to take It out of the candle
and the next thing was to get rid of It
down the gulley Into the creek. People
complained; but what else was an hon
eat chandler to do? Latterly they have
been figuring on the matter, anil some
of them have come to the conclusion
that they uaed to let as much aa $2,'sjJ
worth of glycerine get away from them
every week.
In the Inst five years the soiipinakern
have learned that they can realize more
money out of the glycerine than they
can out of the soap they make. Some
of this glycerine la refined, hut the
great part of the crude goes to the
manufacturers of dynamite, which Is
nitroglycerine mixed with Infusorial
earth, so an to weaken It.
Back of the tin shop there used t'
be a heap of shining clippings. The
heap of clippings isn't there now. It
there are any bits of tin too small to
make the backs of buttons, they are
pressed together to make window -saab
weights.
Nor la that pile of sawdust hack of
the saw mill any more. The butchers
want It for their floors, but that lan't
the most economical use of It. There
are acetic acid, wood alcohol, naphtha,
wood tar (and all that that Implies) to
le had from the distillation of sawdust
to say nothing of sugar from birch
sawdiiHt.
Sheepa" wool Is dirty and greafj
when It comes to the mills. Wash It
with strong alkali In running water.
That Is what has always been done.
But a man In Massachusetts thought It
would be n good idea to dissolve the
grease with aome such solvent as naph
tha. He saved the naphtha to use over
again; he recovered the grease, which
Is the most softening and penetrating
of all fata and la most valuable for
ointments, and he recovered carbonate
of potash.
After the wool Is once woven Intc
cloth we may dismiss from our ml ode
all thought of effecting any more econ
omies. When the suit of clothes Is
worn to rags, the rags are still as good
as new, for the wool Is picked Into
strands of fiber again and woven anew.
it lsn t ground into snofiay as it was
during the Civil War. The wool Is
picked apart as long as It hns any
staple to It at a'l and forms part of
the most expensive and enduring fab
rics. It may be mixed with cotton, but
when It comes to be a rag again the
cotton Is burned out either with ncld
or heat, the dust Is taken out and once
more behold absolutely pure. wool, much
safer to wear than the new.wooTof the
tropics or semi -tropics. And when at
length there Is not enough wool to hold
j together, still It goes Into our clothing,
j With wood ashes and scrap Iron It
i ceasea to be a fabric and becomes a
oMvo Prnaalan hln
CURE FORGOT 'TWAS 8UNDAV.
Orlffln of Sarin, "he Haa Loat the
Count of Hla Basket."
There is a very old saying In France,
"II a perdu le compte de aes panlers'
(He has lost the count of his baskets),
which came about In this way :
The old cure of la Buxerette was full
of good-natured humor; never troubling
himself over that he wished to forget.
and remembering tbe arrival of Sunday
only by tbe number of baskets he had
made, at least that is what everyone
said, for be waa In tbe habit of mak
lng one each day. As soon as he had
finished one he hung It on a nail. When
he counted six of them he knew tbe
Sabbath was come.
It happened one time, contrary to
his custom, that he employed two days
In making a eecher (a kind of latticed
cage or osier basket In which to dry
cheese). This unusual work made
great havoc In his counting time.
It was good luck the next Sunday
morning that bis housekeeper was scan
dalized to see him go to his work of
basket-making, and said to him : "Mon
sieur the cure, to-day is Sunday !"
"Bah!" tranquilly replied the good
pastor. "Count the baskets; there are
only four."
"That is truth," replied the brave
woman, "but, monsieur, remember, you
passed tbe days of Thursday and Wed
nesday making the cheese cage."
'Ma foi ! Thou art right, Marguer
ite," cried the honest cure, throwing
down his dear Implements of work,
'run quick to Geurtant (hla sacristan)
to ring the first bell for grand mass.
I'll be ready In an Instant."
From this adventure arose the cus
tom of saying In many cantons In
speaking of anyone who has lost la
carte, or come out wrong In his cal
culations, or lost the street or number,
He has loat the count of his baskets."
-Toronto Star.
Tha BeartnnlBsr.
"Do you think attention to the streets
of a city la the first thing in beautifying
a municipality T"
"At least, it pa the way." Balti
more American.
, A Ilreavkfut DlalsV.
Mrs. Talkworda Ilenry, you
were
tallftug in your sleep last night
Ilenry Pardon me for interrupting
you. Smart Set
The world extends the glad band to
tho lucky man, but all It bands the
victim of touuti luck la a little cvld
sympathy.
Supposed to bo 2,HK) years old, tho
natural mummy of n miner In excellent
preservation, which was mummified by
tbe fopper oxide In a Chilean mine, In
to bo sold at auction In Iondon.
Consul General Hanna of Monterey
rejorU that the discovery of large coal
deposits near that Mexican city solve
the fuel question for that region, and
will promote the manufacturing and
railroad Interests of Monterey.
The largest gas holder In the world
Is claimed by the Consolidated (ian
Company at Its Astoria plant, Lonir
Island. These holders are 300 feet In
diameter, with a lift of 2W feet, and
each win hold l.'.OOO.OOO cubic feet.
The director of the Berlin observa
tory says the Courrlerea colliery dis
aster was connected with atmospheric
conditions, and that the crust of the
earth In the eastern hemisphere Is In
a dangerous condition. He predict
other dfsasters.
A Munich professor has Invented a
remarkable sickroom clock. When a
button Is preyed, an electric lamp be
hind the dial throws the shadow of
the hours and hands, magnified, up the
celling, so that an Invalid can see It
from the bed without craning his neck.
According to tbe census returns pub
lished In Hanover, Germany, the re-
i-ent census shows that several villages.
In the Burgdorf district have very
small populations, Beerbusch, for
instance, there are four Inhabitants,
two men and two women . Other vil
lages Imve populations of 14, 18, 25 or
V Inhabitants.
Since Yucatan, where the Mayas
built their strange cities. Is a coral
limestone formation. It would, says a
writer In Ker-ords of the Past, have
been a barren desert but for Its sub
terranean rivers, and the cenotes, or
water caverns, which give access to
them. Tbe Mayas noted the courses of
tbe underground streams and built
their towns round the cenotes. Many
enotes are now found surrounded br
ruins, and give Indications of tbe meth
ods employed by the Mayas to reach
their cool waters. In Uxmal a cenote
about 40 feet deep is Inhabited by a
peculiar specie of fish. At Bolanchen
there Is a eenote having five open Lng
In the rocks at the bottom of the cav
ern. I. adders made by tying tree trunks
together lead down a total distance of
l.4t)0 feet, but the perpendicular depth
from the surface to the water Is not
over 500 feet.
The Simplex pile, which has been In
use for some time past In England and
elsewhere, has lately been Improved.
Its principal feature Is a cylinder of
strong metal tubing, which, fn some
cases. Is as much as two feet In diam
eter, pointed at the lower er.d, but hav
ing the pointed end so constructed
that, after tbe tube has been driven
home and filled with concrete, It open,
on hinges so tba$ the Jube .c bj
drawn, upward leafing the shaft of
concrete In the ground, As the con
crete is filled In from above and pound
ed down, the tube is gradually with
drawn upward, a couple of feet at a
tinTP; Jus above the pointed end the
diameter of tne tube, for A short
tauce. Is a little enlarged. Tue eoiise--
quence Is that for the greater part of
Its length the tube does not press tight
ly against the ground, and thus the
operation of withdrawing It Is more
easily performed. After the tube la
drawn up the ground eventually settles
tightly round the concrete shaft
Vorarltr of tho Black Baaa.
"The bass is like a 'roaring Hon going
about seeking whom he may devour,' '
says W. E. Meehan In Field and Stream.
I hare seen a good-sized specimen get
into a school of minnows and eat and
stuff until he could not get any mora
Into his capacious Insldes, then go off
by himself, throw up what he had eat
en, and begin over again, after which
be would keep on killing tbe poor inno
cent minnows, apparently for the mere
pleasure of killing. Very young bass
will attack minute water life which
flourishes on water plants and get away
with every one In sight, adopting the
same methods as their elders. To illus
trate the extent of the cannibalism of
the black bass, here is the experience
of a superintendent of one of the Osh.
hatcheries in Pennsylvania :
"Th superintendent made an actual
count of 20,000 young bass about an
Inch long and placed them In a fry
pond by themselves. He gave them food
six times a day, and, according to his
statement, each fish ate on an average
three times Ita own weight of the pre
pared food every twenty-four hours.
They were placed In a pond on July 1
and on Oct. 1, when they were taken
out, there were only 11.000 and the
record showed that leas than 200 died
from sickness. It is reasonable to sup
pose, therefore, that in addition to tho
food given them by the superintendent,
there were about 0,000 bass devoured
by their stronger and more fortunate
companions."
Almoat Llko Raaala.
Among tbe wilder tribes of the Cau
casus every child is taught to use the
dagger almoat as soon as he can walk.
Tbe children first learn to stab water
without making a splash, and by Inces
sant practice acquire an extraordinary
command of the weapon. Nashville
Banner.
If a man works pretty hard, we have
noticed that he mentions It a great
deal.
The fewer friends a man haa the
more popular he la with himself.
i