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The United States government Is go
ing Into the airship and balloon busi
ness on an extensive scale lu the near
future. The War Department has ask
ed permission of Congress to spend $1.
000,000 or so for coast defense airships.
The most exacting requirement is
sued In the proposal by the War De
partment Id that before acceptance a
trial endurance flight will be required
of at least one hour, during which time
the flying machine must remain contin
uously In the air without landing.
flight here is where the Inventors of
flying machines "fell down" with the
French government not long ago. The
Inventors reside In Dayton. Ohio, and
the French representatives said that
. they would buy the machine If the In
ventors would operate It luiccessfully,
making a flight of a certain number of
miles and remaining in the air a certain
length of time.
To make a long story short, the
French did not buy the machine and
nobody else has bought It thus far. s
A number of Inventors pretend that
they have certain secrets about their
machines which the other fellows do
not know and which must not be re
vealed. But Uncle Sam says to nil
'such In his specifications that secrets
cut no figure, lie must have the goods.
He says that the bidders must furnish
complete scale drawings of their device
and they are uotilled that it is desira
ble that the machine shall be capable
Of being easily and quickly taken apart
and reassembled and be transportable
tn an ordluary wagon.
To-, protect tho government against
irresponsible and visionary persons who
set up claims to be Inventors of prac
tical flying machines, bidders will be
required to furnish with their proposals
a certified check to the amount of 30
per cent of the price of the machine.
The Burglar
and the Belle
The Burglar was at the sideboard
when the door opened and a remark
ably beautiful girl stood on the thres
hold, facing him.
With one small satin slum thrust del
leately forward and one hand still rest
ing on the knob of the door, which she
held open, her lips parted in an Inar
ticulate gasp of surprise, anil her great
blue eyes wide open in sluvr amaze,
Bhe completely Justified at that Instant
her claim to be considered one of the
prettiest debutantes of the last London
veasoii.
The Burglar ah the very first glanc
conceded It. The slight shade of an
noyance that crossed his .features pass
ed lus-tantly, as he turned toward her
with a little bow.
"Who are you?" demanded the girl,
her eyes still riveted on bis face, as
though in a kind of fascination, which,
nevertheless, seemed singularly free
from any element of terror. "Who are
you?" she repeated, In a rather more
peremptory voice.
"Oh, don't you know?" he replied,
with an apologetic gesture. "I'm a
burglar."
She regarded him for a moment with
the dawn of an appreciative smile hov
ering round the corners of her beauti
ful little mouth.
"Mr. Tolroy," she said sweetly. "I
think you would hnik ever so much
nher If you took off that stupid black
mask."
The Burglar gave a little resigned
gesture; then carefully removed the bit
of black cardboard from his forehead.
'To think that you should have rec
ognized me!' he murmured, as ho
placed it on the table beside him.
"lteengnlzed you!" She vttered a
low, musical laugh. "1 recognized you
the moment I shut the door. Do you
think I should have (Mine Into the room
and talked like this to a burglar I
didn't know?'
"It certainly would not have been
strictly proper.' he admitted ; "but I
Imagined my disguise to be quite per
fect." f He looked at her reproachfully.
"Surely you don't think 1 am such an
intolerable Idiot as to break Into a per
son's house at night and run the fearful
risk of being shot by Sir Thomas just
for fun, do you? 1 was dining to-night
with Charlie ('raster and I,ord Pen
hurst, ami they bet me a pony that I
wouldn't burgle Sir Thomas' house and
fetch away a silver teapot, or some
thing of the kind to prove I had really
got in, you know; and I took, the bet,
and they are waiting round at (.'raster's
chambers for me now."
"But" he knitted her brows In per
plexity "what do yon want a Hiny for.
Mr. Tolroy? You've got one horse al
ready, haven't you?"
"S pony," he explalued, gluudng ut
.few.
When Captain Charles DeForest
Chandler of the signal service was vis
iting his parents In Cleveland a short
time ago he told a newspaper man
about his trip from St. Louis to the
Chesapeake bay In a balloon, the con
test being planned by the Aero Club
of St. Louis. Incidentally he mentioned
the determination of the United States
signal service officials to Increase the
alrnliin facilities of the service. He
said:
"There Is no longer any question
about the airship being the best means
of obtaining information about an en
emy or foreign foe. For Instance, we
can examine the situation of groat
ureas of land. Now, when a general
goes Into battle ho must know exactly
how the land lies. We know, of course,
by maps. But It Is impossible for one
man to obtain an accurate idea of the
strength of an enemy and how the land
lies as far as his opponent Is con
cerned except by getting what Is called
a bird's eye view. That is the whole
secret of the worth of the airship to
get the bird's eye view. Balloons for
this purpose are out of the question be
cause of the fact that they cannot be
controlled except as to altitude. Mo
tors are now being hung under them
so thut they can be driven about with
certainty and dispatch,
"It is not necessary to go Into the
question of operation with any one here
lu tliis country. There are tio secrets
here or anywhere. It Is only the ques
tion of working out the details In the
problem In the best way, and I am sure
that we In America tan do this better
than any one else."
Some people Imagine that the airship
will be used for the purpose of carry
ing destructive bombs which could be
dropped from overhead on to an enemy
In camp. This mode of warfare is pro-
her severely, "Is not an animal I
mean, not always an animal," he cor
rected himself. "In this case It is a
sum of ffiO, which I should regret ex
tremely having to hand over to 1'en
hurst and Craster."
'I think I should, too," she remarked
pensively. "Both Mr. Craster and Lord
renliurst are quite rich enough as it is,
whilst you " She paused and bit
her lip.
"Oh," said the Burglar, "don't mind
finishing the sentence, please. I'm not
rich. 1 tu only a younger son. and to
he quite candid with you I have been
seriously thinking of taking up some
profession lately. Burglary struck me
as a not unprofitable one.'' -
"You are not fitted to he a burglar,"
she said decisively. "You must choose
another profession, In which you are
less likely to be shot by Sir Thomas!"
The Burglar sighed heavily.
"What does it matter, after all, if I
am shot?" he muttered.
"It matters a good deal," she ex
elalined with energy.
"To whom?" he asked In dejected
tones.
"To whom? Well, to to " she
paused an instant, "to lots of ieople
to your friends, for instance."
"Oh, they wouldn't mind much," he
assured her cheerily. "They'd get over
it In a day or two. 1 really don't think
anybody would mind much. There are
such heaps of other fellows to take
one's place, you know."
"Don't be silly! They would nii.i.l.
Some would," she replied, becoming a
little confused.
The Burglar took a step forward and
"I'm a burglar."
stood looking down at her with a sud
den expression of earnestness.
"Would you?" he asked bluntly.
Her eyes dropped, an I she let her
cheek rest on her hand as she gazed at
the dying embers in the grate.
"Who dares greatly," Mie murmered.
"achieves much."
"But you!" He made a mute gesture
of protest. "You are th belle of the
London season whereas I am
only "
She looked up at him under her lash
es without raising her head.
"A burglar!" she said softly.
FLEET OM
shr y
-1).U:. vtaf.:-.-Vf
'I
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hibited by the peace conference held at
The Hague. This compact still holds
for five years. No balloonor airship
is to carry dynamite or other explosive
bombs.
Itifles have been invented with such
high power that if a balloon is sighted
over a camp or fortification It can be
hit at tho distance of several miles.
The gas bag or other vital apparatus
could be riddled with well-directed
shells. Of course, war is a game in
which one invention is pitted against
another. .
The cost of these airships, say for
Instance, like the one operated by San-tos-Dumont,
Is about $00,000. Then
each one must have a shed and grfs
plant where it is to be located, making
In all $100,000, for each machine. Ten
of these for coast defense would cost
? 1, 000,000. Chicago Inter Ocean.
ZonTV1? V11 frm thtol
oment," he declared firmly.
moment," he declared firmly,
"And the teaiwt?" fclie inquired.
He looked ut her with a pathetic ap
peal. "It means 50 to me," he said apolo
getically. She rose, and, crossing to the side
board, opened it, and drew out a small
silver tcnjKit, which she held up.
"Will this one do?" she asked.
"Admirably," he said, brightening.
"It's just the very thing. Let's put it
into the bag at once."
"Wait a moment," she replied, with
tantalizing deliberation. "Before I give
it you you must promise me two things.
The. first is, that you will return the
teapot intact to-morrow; the second Is,
that you will never, never, never try
to be a burglar again not even to win
a horse?"
pony," he corrected mildly. "Yes,
-observe, it's my turn now! if " '
..H.HJ, ii
"(Jo on!" she commanded sternly. ! U""B . . , , "e "as nny Prson!U
lf .property which he has not declared,
"If you will promise to marry me," ' '" P088"" obliged to state the
ho said, as, with a swift movement, h T , VT exam,nat 0n is
suddenly clasps her in his arms. Vlisled- "nd ttlf Vwr still has
"Oh!" she cried, "you have made me
drop the teainit and the noise will
very likely wake Sir Thomas!"
"Great heavens:" he ejaculated,
stooping quickly and picking up the
fallen utensil. "And he'll probably, iu
the excitement of the moment, shoot us
both!"
They listened a moment in tense, anx
ious attitudes, but not a sound came to
break the peaceful stillness of the
house.
"Safe!" she exclaimed at length with
a deep breath. "Now, please, take the
teapot and go go at once, before you
drop it again and really do wake some
one. I will let you out quietly by the
front door "
"You're an angel," he murmured, at
tempting once more to fold her in his
embrace, but she eluded him with a
quick, supple movement.
No not again not once," she warn
ed him, "till you bring back the tea
pot !"
The Burglar placed the teapot care
fully in his has, put on his overcoat, r
thrust the black mask into his pocket, I
and lKked at her solemnly. j
"Then I will bring it back to-morrow
morning early." he said, with utile'.
declsh n. "It Is agreed."
"I'mhurst," he said, an hour later,
to a wry sleepy young nobleman, "I
don't ... id to disturb your slumbers.
t.or ('raster's, but yon can tiindly write
me out a check for 50. Here's Sir
Tho uns teapot" The Sket-n.
For RiiRnHcrurnt Kings.
"Why did you accept George so sud
denly after you had refused him ouly
last week?"
"Because I read in the papers th.'.t
diamonds were getting cheaper." Ba'.
tiuiore American.
When a man fails tn business, some
people are sure to say, "I'll bet he
feathered his uest"
THE GREATEST WEDDOTQ.
Over Twenty Thousand Persona
I Were Married In One Ceremony.
The biggest wedding ever- known to
history was when Alexander the Great
and over 10.000 of his soldiers took
part in a wedding in the court of Da
rius, king of I'ersia, after the hitter's
conquest by Alexander. Tweuty thou
sand two hundred and two persons
were made husbands and wives in one
j ceremony.
I The facts are these: After conquer
ing King Darius, Alexander deter
mined to wed Statiro, daughter of the
I conquered king, aiid issued a decree
j that on that occasion 100 of his chief
j olllcers should marry 100 women from
me nomest I'ersmn and Medean fam
ilies. He further stipulated that 10,000
of his Greek soldiers should take to
wife 10,000 Asiatic women.
For this purpose a vast pavilion was
erected, the pillars being sixty feet
high. One hundred gorgeous cham-
Ders adjoined this for the 100 noble
bridegrooms, .while for the 10,000 sol
diers an outer court was inclosed. Out
side of this tables were spread for tho
multitude.
tach pair had seats and ranged.
themselves in a semi-circle round the
royal throne. As it would have taken
several weeks for the few priests to
have married this vast 'number of
couples had the ceremony been per
formed In the ordinary way, Alexander
Invented a simple way out of the diffi
culty. He gave his hand to Statiro
and kissed her, and, all the remaining
bridegrooms did the same to the wom
en beside them, and thus ended the
ceremony that united the gieatest
number of people at one time ever
known.
Then occurred -a five days' fcdval,
which for grandeur and magnificence
never has since been equaled.
mmmmmmm
Legal Information
The United States Court of Appeals
for the Second Circuit in Hlllhouse v.
United States, lii2 Federal Reporter,
1(J,3, holds that automobiles come with
in the classification of "household ef
fects," under the tariff act of July 24,
1S07. This decision is largely based on
the case of Arthur v. Morgan, 112 U. S.
405, 5 Supreme Court Reporter, 241, 28
Lawyers Edition, 82o, wherein the
United States Supreme Court held that
carriages were properly classified as
"household effects."
If the conductor of a street car.
while engaged In the prosecution and
wlth, tho H(VMl . . .
lecting fares, fails and reljuses to give
a passenger correct change, and upon
request therefor draws a pistol and
flres at the passenger, but the ball
misses the passenger and strikes a
woman passing on the pnhllc street
throatgh which the car Is running, caus
ing her death, the street car company
fs liable, according to the decision of
the Georgia Supreme Court in Savan
nah Electric Company v. Wheeler, 58
Southeastern Reporter, 38.
A person may be guilty of smuggling
even before he has passed the custom
lines on the docks of an incoming
steamer, according to the decision of
the United States District Court for the
Southern District of New York in Uni
ted States v. 218 Va 6'arats Loose Ertier-
I aids, 153 Federal Reporter, W3. When
the proper customs officer examines an
. . . . . .
passensers uaggage, ana ques-
precious stones In his possession with
out having admitted it, the act of
smuggling is complete.
A number of southeastern railroads
gave notice of an Increase of 'rates on
lumber in 1903. Before the rate be
came effective, a bill was filed In the
United States Circuit Court to restrain
the establishment of the new rate as
being unreasonable. A temporary In
junction was granted, but later dis
solved, on '.he condition that the rea-
BOnabloness of tu rate should be passed
upon by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. The commisnion found the
rates to be unreasonable. A supple-
mental bill was then filed to obtain
I restitution of the excess of rates
charged in accordance with a prior stip-
ulatlon that, if complainants prevail, a
decree . of restitution might be made. '
i A decree was so rendered and affirmed
1 by the Circuit Court of Appeals. Upon '.
appeal to the Supreme Court it was
again affirmed. Railway Co. v. Tift. 27
Supreme Court Reporter, 70, 20G U. S '
,oo i
A Doncitlo Breakdown.
A well-known lord discovered a thief
In Ms London house. Aided by the
butler, he secured the man aud then
rang the bell. A servant appeared,
j whom the peer requested to "go into
the kitchen and bring up a policeman
or two." The domestic returned and
said there were no policemen on the
premises. "What!" exclaimed his mas.
ter in incredulous tones. "Do you
mean to tell me that with a cook, two
; scullery maids,, a kitchen maid and
j three housemaids in my employ there
Is no policeman In the kitchen? It is
Indeed a miracle, and our prisoner
shall reap the benefit. Turner, let the
man go Instantly !" Loudon Standard.
There should be some title placed
before a man's name to show that he
is married. His face never tells wheth-
er he is or not. A woman is labeled
with "Mrs."' Why should not a mas
bet
Grafting Slethoda. '
Apple trees are usually, propagated
In the nursery either by budding or
root ' grafting two-year-old seedlings.
Larger seedlings may be taken up and
the roots cut into a great number of
sections five or six Inches long. Upon
these the scions of the desired varie
ties should be grafted by means of the
whip and tougue method of grafting,
as shown In the accompanying illus
trations. This grafting does not re
quire any wax, the parts being simply
held together by binding with twine or
raffia. Root grafting of .this kind is
usually done during the winter time,
and the grafts stored in moist sand or
soil until the ground is fit for plant
ing them outside in the spring. They
should then be planted in nursery rows,
and in two or three years should make
trees large enough to transplant to per
manent positions.
Top grafting is usually done by the
cleft method, as shown in the Illus
trations. In this method the scions
are cut wedge-shaped and fitted firmly
into the cleft made in the stock, which
is usually cut off squarely where the
branches are from one to two inches
in diameter, two scions being placed in
each stock. In this, as in all methods
of grafting, great care must be taken
to get the cambium layer, or inner
bark, of the stock and scion in contact
in at least one side, for it is at this
point that uulon takes place, and any
SAMPLES OF TOP GRAFTIN8.
failure to connect the cambium layers
of stock and scion is sure to result iu
failure of the scions. In top graft
ing, the wounded surfaces should be
covered with grafting wax. A good
' formula for this is: Four parts of res-
ln two of beeswax and one of tallow,
' by weight, melted together. Top graft-
lnS should be done early in the spring,
before growth commences.
In all this propagation work great
care should be taken to select scions
from trees bearing the very best type
of the varieties intended for propa
gation. Nurserymen, as a rule, are not
careful enough in this respect and take
scions from any trees so long as it Is
of the desired variety. H. L. H.
About Cow Testing.
Prof. Fraser of the Illinois Experi
ment Station says that a complete
knowledge and mastery of the dairy
business cannot be secured without
testing each cow. Many farmers and
dairymen think this testing of the cows
Is too much trouble, and do not want
to "fuss" around with it, but If they
considered the profits to be realized
from a herd of really good cows as
compared with one of poor cows, or
even a mixed herd, they would soon see
that It really pays to "fuss" arouud
with the scales and Babcock test.
Where one cow will give good returns
for her feed and care there may be
another in the stall next to her that is
not paying her board, but is eating up
the profits from the paying cow. But
how is the owner to know this if he
does not test them? A pair of scales
and a tester do not cost much, but they
Pay big profits on the Investment
n '" 'TT ,
,ne,method m0e State
agricultural colleges of reaching the
farm boys and girls of the country is
j through departments of agricultural ex
tension. Such departments have been
established at most of the older col
leges and they are doing a vast amount
of good. The extension department of
Ohio Is one worthy of the attention of
the agricultural world, for through its
monthly bulletins thousands of chil
dren and teachers In the State have
been Interested In farm education who
would otherwise have never heard of
the college and what it is doing.
Vaccination of Hon.
Secretary Wilson states in his annu
al report that blood serum from hogs
which have been proved to be Immune
to hog cholera has been used in vacci
nating other hogs, which are thus pro
tected from cholera for about three
weeks, as shown by experiments. If
I! ' . II
' It
blood from diseased hogs, however, is
lojected with the serum the protection
is extended to about three and a half
months,
Cultlratlon of Potatoes.
Cultivation should commence Just as
soon as the young plants begin to ap
pear above the ground. The field may
be gone over with a light harrow, or,
better still, with a weeder. This la a
cheap method of cultivation, since a
wlda space is covered. It is also effec
tive in breaking any crust that may
have formed, in destroying small weeds
and leveling ridges left In planting.
.As soon as the rows can be seen the
cultivator "should be used. If the
ground has become packed the first .
cultivation may be deep and close to
the plants. Subsequent cultivation
should be frequent. The conservation
of moisture by frequent tillage cannot
be too strongly enforced. The old no
tion that tillage must cease as soon aa
the blossom appears Is wrong. It
should- be continued as late in the sea
son as the vines will permit. As tht
tops begin to spread out and cover the
space between the rows they partially
shade the soil and thus lessen the loss
of moisture by evaporation.
The cultivator should be set as nar
row as the space between and keep It
covered with a loose mulch. Experi
ence and experiments favor nearly lev
el cultivation. Excessive hilling in
tensifies the injurious effects of dry
weather. The best cultivator is one
having a number of small teeth, so that
It will leave the soil fine and compara
tively level.
Pitch Fork Attachment.
In gathering up freshly cut grass ot
hay, etc., with a pitchfork a small
quantity adheres to the prongs of the
fork each time a
pile is lifted. In a
short while the
fork becomes
clogged and useless,
it being necessary
to remove each par
ticle by hand. In
order that this
cleaning may be
done almost auto
matically, a Wis
consin man has de- cleans off ha v.
signed the attachment for pitchforks
shown here. A transverse clearer bar
is arranged below the tines of the fork,
guides on each end of the bar partly
encircling the end prongs, permitting
the bar to slide freely on the prongs.
Pivoted on the handle of the fork is a
bar which connects with other bars ex
tending to the cleaning bar and to a
sleeve which slides on the handle. By
moving the sleeve on the handle the
cleaning bar slides over the prongs of
the fork, removing anything adhering
to them.
Dreaalng Chickens for Market.
Have them in proper flesh and keen
them from feed at least twenty-four
hours before killing. Cut the throat so
they will bleed properly, leaving the
head on. Scald in water that is not
too hot, In order to have the skin nice
and smooth when dressed. A large
kettle with plenty of water is much
better than a boiler or small kettle.
Draw entrails from a small aperture,
crop end of wing bone over base of
wing bone in front and back. When
they have become perfectly cold by
hanging by the feet, cut the head off
smoothly close to the ears, nearly, and
the skin will remain in place. This Is.
better than cutting the head off with;
hatchet or ax at killing, and tying skin'
over end of neck.
Poultry Tips.
Eggs need to be turned In the lncu
bator. Don't neglect It.
Make the nests handy not only to
clean out but to gather the eggs from.
The wet grass is no place for the
young chicks to run unless they are ex
pected to die of cramps.
Fowls like green food as well as an
other class of stock. Thev need It in
their business, so it Is good policy to
keep them supplied.
A bushel of grain a year for each
laying hen is said to be the proper
amount to count on in estimating the
cost of keeping poultry.
PlC Pen Pointers.
When fed dry, shelled corn is more'
economical than cornmeal to feed tv
fattening hogs.
The swine breeder is responsible not
only for the conditions he provides but
for those he permits.
The boy and the pig, generally speak
ing, are the important factors on the
American stock farm.
Desirable breeding qualities In a
herd are fixed by a long line of care
ful selection and breeding.
When an all-corn ration Is fed to
growing pigs the muscles of the body
do not develop to their normal size-
To secure the best results care should
be taken to feed the hogs according to
age, conditions and time of marketing.
In selecting breeding 6tock It Is aa
item to' know they are from a family
noted for fertility, as this Is an inner,
ited quality.-
la tho Sheep Fold.
But don't neglect the old sheep. Feed
them at the right time and In the right
place.
There Is that sheep with hair 1m
place of wool. Get her out of the flocks
w v
1
h ooi is wnat we are after, not hair.
, - ... - .