THE WAB CIOTTD IN THE FAB EAST AS THE LONDON PAPEES PICTURED IT.
life
WHY EGGS ARE HIGH.
A MONTENEGRIN COLUMN ON THE MARCH.
When the Montenegrin! are advancing against an enemy the women not only look after the pack
mules and transport arrangements generally, but themselves do the work of pack mules. In addition
to this they form the Red Cross branch of the army, bringing the wounded in from the front and
nursing them. Their strength is greater than that of many men Illustrated London News.
A SONG OF FAR TRAVEL.
Many a time norne drowsy oar
From tbe nearer bank invited,
CrosHed a narrow stream, and bore
In among the reeds moon-lighted,
There to leave, me on a shore
No ferryman bath sighted.
Many a time a mountain stile,
Dark and bright with sudden wetting,
Lured my vagrant foot the while
'Twijt uplifting and down-settling
Whither? Thousand mile on mile
Beyond the last forgetting.
HUH by hidden ways I wend,
(Past occasion grown a ranger) ;
Still enchantment, like a friend,
Takes from death the tang of danger j
Hardly river or rod can end
Where I need step a stranger 1
-Atlantic-
Rather a Neal Job
v "
My profession Isn't a popular one.
There Is considerable prejudice against
It. I don't myself think It's much worse
than a good many others. However,
that's nothing to do with my story.
Borne years ago me and the gentleman
who was at that time connected with
me In business he's met with reverses
since then, and at present Isn't able to
get out were looking around for a Job,
being at that time rather hard up, ns
you might say. We struck a small
country town I ain't a-goln' to give It
away by telling where It was, or whnt
the name If It was. There was one bank
there; the president was a rich old
duffer; owned the mills, owned the
bank, owned most of the town. There
wasn't no other officer but the cashier,
and they had a boy, who used to sweep
out and run of errands.
The bank was on the main street,
pretty well up one end of it nice, snug
place, on the comer of a cross street.
with nothing very near It we too our
sbservatious and found there wbbu t no
trouble at all about it. There was n
)ld .watchman that walked up and down
the streets nights, when he didn't fall
isleep and forget it. The vault had two
floors j the outsldo one was chilled iron,
itid a three wheel combination lock;
the Inner door wasn't no door t.t all ;
fou could kick it open. It didn't pre
tend to be nothing but fireproof, and it
wasn't even that. The first thing we
Son, of course, was to fit a key to the
outside door, As the lock on the out
ildo door was an old fnshoned Bacon
lock, any gentleman In my profession
who chances to read this article will
kuow just how easy that Job was, and
how we did It.
This was our plan: After the key
was fitted I was to go Into the bank,
nut 'Jim that wasn't his name, of
xwrse, but let it pass was to keep
watch on the outside. When any cce
passed he was to tip me a whistle, and
then I doused the glim, and lay low;
after they got by, I goes on again.
Simple and easy, you see. Well, the
night as we selected the president hap
pened to be out of town ; gone down to
the city, as he often did. ; I got Inside
all right, with a slide lantern, a breast
drill, a small steel jtnuny, a bunch of
skeleton keys and green baize bag, to
stow the ewag. I fixed my light and
rigged my breast drill, and got to work
on the door right over tbe lock.
Probably a great many of our read?
era are not so well posted as me about
bank locks, and I may say for thera
that a three wheel combination lock ha
three wheels In It, and a slot In each
wheel. In order to unlock the door, you
have to get tbe three slots opixwlte to
each o at the top of tb lock. Of
course, If you know the number tn lock
Is set on you can do this; but If you
don't you hare to depend on your In
genuity. There Is in each of these
wheels a small hole, through which you
can put wire through the back of the
lock when you change the combination.
Now, If you can bow a hole through
the door and rick up those wheels by
running wire through tboee holes.
why, you can open the door. I hope
make myself clear. I was boring that
hole. The door was chilled Iron ; about
the neatest stuff I ever worked on.
went on steady enough; only stopped
when Jim which, as I said, wasn't his
real name whistled outside, and the
watchman toddled by. By-and-by, when
I'd got pretty near through, I heard
Jim so to speak whistle again. I
stopped, and pretty soon I heard foot
steps outside, and I'm biowed, if they
didn't come rljfht up to the bank steps
and I heard a key in the lock. I was
so dumfounded when I heard that that
you could have slipped the bracelets
right on me. I picked up the lantern,
and I'll be hanged If I didn't let the
slide slip down and throw the light
right onto the door, and there was the
president. Instead of calling for help,
as I supposed he would, he took a step
Inside the door, and . shaded his eyes
with his hand and looked at me. ' I
knowed I ought to knock him down and
cut out, but 'm blest if I could, I was
that surprised.
"Who are you?" he says.
"Who are you?" says I, thinking that
was an innocent remark as he com
menced It, and a-trylng all the time to
collect myself. ,
"I'm president of the bank," says he,
kinder short ;, "something the matter
with the lock?"
By George I the Idea came to me then.
"Yes, sir," says I, touching my cap;
"Mr, Jennings, he ttlegraphed this
morning as the lock waw out of order
1
M'fllA - M . A
I WAS HIKING TIIAT HOLE.
and he couldn't get In and I'm come on
to open It for hlm." "
"I told Jennings a week ago," says
he, "that he ought to get that lock
fixed. Where is her
"He's been a-wrltlng letters, and he's
gone up to his house to get another let
ter he wanted, for to answer."
"Well, why don't yon go right on?"
saya he. .,
"I've got almost through," says I,
"aud I didn't want to finish up and open
the vault till there was somebody here."
"That's very creditable of you." says
he ; "a very pro;er sentiment, my man.
You cau't be too particular about avoid
tug the very suspicion of evil."
"No, sir," says I, kinder modest like
"What dofl-ou suppose Is the matter
with the lock?" says he.
"I don't rightly know yet," says I;
"but I rather think It's a little wore on
account of not being oiled enough
these "ere locks ought to lie oiled about
once a year,"
"Well," says he, "you might as well
go right on. now I'm here; I will stay
till Jennings comes. Can't I help you
hold your lantern, or something of
that ort?" "' V
The thought came to me like a flash,
and I turned around and says; -
"How do I know you're the president?
I ain't ever seen yon afore, and you
may be a-trylng to crack this bank, for
all I knov."v
"That's a very proper Inquiry, my
man," says he, "ami shows most re
markable degree of discretion. I con
fess that I should not have thought of
the position In which I was placing
you. However, I can easily convince
you that It's all rtht. Do you know
what the president's nam IsT
"No, I don't," says I, sorter surly.
"W11, you'll find it on that bill," Mid
he, taking a bill out of his pocket ; "aud
you te the same name ou tbeee let
ters," and he took soAit letters from his
coat.
I suppose I ought to have gone right
on then, but I was beginning to feel
Interested In making him prove who he
was, so I says :
"You might have got those letters to
put up a Job on me." - . :
'You're a very honest man," snys he;
"one among a thousand. Don't think
I'm at all offended at your persistence.
No, my good fellow, t like It, I like It,"
and he laid h'9 hand on my shoulder.
"Now. here," says he, taking a bundle
out of his pocket, "Is a package of ten
thousand dollars In bonds. A burglar
wouldn't be apt to carry these around
with him, would he? I bought them In
the city yesterday, and I stopped here
to-night on my way home to place them
In the vault, and, I may add that your
simple and manly honesty has so touch
ed me that I would willingly leave them
In your hands for safe keeping. You
needn't blush at my praise."
I suppose I did turn sorter red when
I see them bonds. . ,
"Are you satisfied now?" says he.'
I told him I was, thoroughly, and so
I was. So I picked up my drill again,
and gave him the- lantern to hold so
that I could see the door. I got through
the lock pretty soon, and put In my
wire and opened It. Then he took hold
of the door and opened the vault
"I'll put my bonds In," says he, "and
go home. You can lock up and wait till
Mr. Jennings comes. : I don't suppose
you will try to fix the lock to-night?"
I told him I shouldn't do anything
more with It now, as we could get In
before morning.
"Well, I'll bid you good-night, my
man," snys he, as he quietly swung the
door to again.
Just then I heard Jim, by name,
whistle, and I guessed the watchman
was a-comlng up the street.
"Ah," says I, "you might speak to
the watchman, If you Bee him, and tell
blm to keep an extra lookout to-night."
"I will," says he, and we both went
to the front door.
'There conies the watchman up the
street," says he. "Watchman, this man
has been fixing the bank lock, and I
want you to keep a sharp lookout to
night. He will stay here and wait until
Mr. Jennings returns."
"Good-night agalu," s.ays he. and we
shook hands, and he leisurely went up
the street. .
I saw Jim, so called. In the shadow
on the other side of the street, as I
stood on the step with the watchman.
"Well," says I to the watchman, "I ,
go and pick up my tools, and get ready
to go."
I went into the bank, and It didn't
tnke long to throw the door open and
stuff them bonds Into the bag. There
was some boxes lying around, and a
safe as I should rather have liked to
have tackled, but It seemed lll.e tempt
ing Providence after the luck we'd had.
I looked at my watch and see It was
Just a quarter past twelve. There wa3
an express train went through at "half
past twelve. I tucked my tools In the
bag on top of the bonds, and walked out
of the front door. The watchman was
on the steps.
"I don't believe I'll wait for Mr. Jen
nings." says I. "I suppose It will be all
right If I give you this key."
"That's all right," says the watch
man, "I wouldn't go away very far from
the bank," says I.
"No, I won't," says he; "I'll stay
right about here all night",
'Good-night," says I, and 1 shook
hunds with him. and me and Jim
which wasn't his right name, you nn-,
derstand took the twelve-thirty ex
press, and the best part of Jiat Job was
we never heard nothing of It
It never got into the papers. Penn
sylvania Grit
1 A Chang. ': , '
Mrs. Larkin I want little money
to-day, Fred. :
Mr. L. I'm very glad of that
Mrs. L. (surprised) Why are you
glad? Mr. L. Because generally yoi
want a good deal
Some Ways This Expensive Necessity
: May Be Turned to Profit.
Br Jamas Dryden, Poultryman Oregon Agricul
tural Colleg, Corvallis.
Eggs are 50 cents a dozen, because
the hens don't lay. The main reason
why they don't lay is because this is not
the natural laying season. In a state
of nature . fowls lay and breed in the
spring season, and they haven t got
quite away from that habit. Old hab
its die hard with hens as with men,
This explains why with little care the
hen will lay in the spring and with
much care in, the fall arid winter she
won't lay, or, very seldom : will. But
through .centuries of training and
breeding the hen is gradually getting
away from her old habit of laying a
few eggs in the spring and hatching
them, and it is possible now, with .the
proper skill in handling, to make pet
lay in winter whether she will or no,
But the first thing we have to leant is
that to get eggs in winter means a fight
against' nature, against the old hen na
ture. Winter is not the natural laying
season. i
When a pullet has reached maturity
no matter at what season of the year
if she be maintained in good health and
vigor and - gejts the proper kind and
quantity of food, she will lay eggs if
she has the laying , capacity. Let us
analyze that sentence a little.
The first point raised is a question of
maturity." The pullet must be mature
before she lays. If a pullet lays in Oc
tober she must be hatched early enough
in the spring so that she will reach ma
turity in October. A Plymouth Rock
hatched the first of April should lay
the middle of October or first of No.
vember. If they are to lay a month
earlier they should be hatched a month
earlier. The. Leghorns should lay the
first of October if hatched the first of
April.
The next point refers to health and
vigor. The pullet must come to ma
turity with good health and vigor. She
must have had proper care during the
brooding and growing period. , A stunt
ed chick, a chick' hatched from an egg
laid by a hen out of condition, a chick
that has had to battle with insect pests,
or a chick that has not had proper food
and exercise, will not be a profitable
layer in any season. How to maintain
the health and vigor of the flock is the
biggest problem in poultry "keeping. To
k'et eggs in winter the hens must have
constitutional vigor.
The third point is that to get eggs
the hens must have the proper kind and
quantity of food. The hen requires
more kinds of food than a cow or a
hog. . The cow needs no animal food ;
the hen does. The hen gives more con
sideration to cleanliness of the product
than the cow. She seals it up in - a
shell of lime to keep it clean, and she
therefore must have a liberal supply of
mineral matter. All foods furnish a
certain amount of mineral matter, but
not enough to supply all the shell ma
terial when hens are laying heavily.
What foods should they be . fed?
They should have grain, but grain alone
won't do. What will happen if the
hen eats nothing but wheat ? Remem
bering that she puts nothing into an
egg that she does not eat, that an egg
contains about one-fifth ounce of fat and
that if she ate nothing but wheat she
would get enough far for three or. four
eggs a day . and about enough protein
for half an egg a day, the thing that
will happen will be that she will re
fuse to make eggs. The hen does not
adulterate her product, otherwise she
could fill up the egg with surplus fat.
like some people make butter. Out of
spurious oil or beef fat. She will make
an honest article or none at all. . The
point is that the hen should have such
foods as will furnish the necessary food
elements in proper proportions; in
other words, she should have a balanced
ration. There are different ways of
balancing the ration. For instance, "if
the hen has access to wheat, to clover
or kale and to grasshoppers, angle
worms and grit,' she will balance her
own ration. She will eat a little wheat,
a little clover and a few grasshoppers
or angleworms and eat enough of each
to furnish the egg-making elements in
right proportion. An occasional feed of
corn or oats in place of wheat would
improve the ration. .
This much for the food. How shall
it be fed? Again you must take ac
count of the nature of the hen. She is
a busy creature naturally: that is oart
of her life, and you must keep her busy
or let her be busy, if she has free
range on the farm she will keen herself
busy and her muscle and digestion in
good order, but when you shut her up
in yards you an imposing artificial
conditions and you must provide exer
cise for her. I have kept hens for a
year on a bare board floor in a small
pen and fed them well. They laid about
three dozen eggs each during the year,
and at the end of the year with this sort
of luxury and ease they had lost their
constitution -and their usefulness; while
other hens fed in the same way, but
with a ground floor and deep litter to
scratch in and yards to run in, laid
over twelve dozen eggs each, and at
the end of the year were still in the
business. The hen needs exercise. The
demand for animal food may be sup
plied in different ways. Skim milk,
milk curds andbuttertnihVwiltake the
place of meat if enough of it, can be
fed. Skim niilk is largely water, and
a heavy-layiiig hen can scarcely drink
enough of it to get the necessary amount
of animal food. There is nothing bet
ter than fresh-qut lean meat and bones,
the danger from uncooked meat scraps,
however, being that they are liable to
contain disease germs, and 'unless it is
known to be free from disease' it is
better to cook it The commercial ar
ticle of beef scraps put up by the large
packing houses are largely used, some
of the stuff sold for poultry food is
only fit for fertilizer, however. During
When a man asks your advtc, be
always tells you Just bow he expects
you to decide.
Raspberry le.
Boll four cupf uls of water and one
nd a half cup'uls of sugar twenty
minutes. Cool, add two cupfuls of rasp
berry Jutes) and two tablespoonfola
lemon Jute. Strain and freese, using
three parts finely crushed Ice to one
part rock salt To obtain the rasp
berry Juice wash the berries and strt!n
through double cbeeeeclotk. '
The niea who caa give satisfactory
explanation of thtir failures art tht
one who become loafers. .
seasons of the year when' insects and
worms are plentiful and the fowls have
the liberty - of the farm, little animal
food, may be fed. '
Another noint about ' feeding gram:
Should ft be ground or fed whole? It
is known that a certain proportion of
the food of fowls is used to produce
energy to grind the food, and from this
point of view it is cheaper to have the
food ground at the mill, cut it has
been found by experiment that fowls do
not do well when fed altogether on
ground food
The final ooint in this discussion is
the laying capacity of the hen. If all
the three things mentioned above be
properly, attended -to,' there will still be
a scarcity of eggs unless the fowls have
the laying capacity, and it is no, fault
of the hen if she hasn't; the .'trouble
goes back to 'her ancestor."
COMMERCIAL POTATO GROWING
Some Good Points on One , of the
Most Profitable of Crops
By A. G. Craig-, Anniatant Horticulturist. Stats'
' r Colleg of Washington. Pullman.
" Potato land should be plowed in the
fall and allowed to lie rough during the
winter. This favors the catching of
winter moisture, and allows the sub
surface soil to settle and the surface
can be worked earlier in the spring,
If the fall plowing is impossible, the
land should be disced in the fall so that
the surface may be rough and open
through the winter. Deep plowing
usually gives better results than shal
low. The plowed land should be well
harrowed early in the spring, and if
not immediately planted, it should be
frequently harrowed in order to con'
serve moisture and kill the weeds
which start after the nrot harrowing.
Spring plowed land should be harrowed
immediately, after the plow, to pre
vent loss of moisture. In the dryer
sections, some form of subsurface
packer, should follow the plow, -and
this should immediaetly be followed by
the harrow to work up a surface mulch,
If the soil plows up cloddy, a plank clod
masher may be used quite profitably.
The time of planting should be gov
erned largely by the climate and the
purposes for which the potatoes are
grown. The potato plant needs ample
moisture when the tubers are setting;
hence, the grower should endeavor to
have the plants reach that stage of de
velopment at the time when the moist
ure supply is likely to be favorable.
For early new potatoes, the seed should
be plar. ad as early in the spring as the
sou will permit, on light, warm , soil.
For late potatoes they may be planted
as late as the middle of June, provided
the moisture supply is ample and con
tinuous; but where summer rains can
not be depended upon, the earier the
potatoes are planted tbe better, if the
danger from frost is guarded against,
, The distance between rows and be
tween hills in the row is an important
point in the potato Culture. .- Varieties
that tend to produce very large tubers
should be planted close. Soil will ad
mit of dose planting in direct propor
tion to its fertility and moisture con
tent, and the cart given the crop. : In
high , priced land, intensive culture
should be practiced and the rows and
hills planted as closely as the fertility
of the land will- permit -. Increasing
the size of the seed pieces ' will ac
complish the same results as close
planting, but the danger of sunburned
tubers is apt to be increased.
No farmer, who grows six or more
acres of potatoes each year can afford
to do without a horse planter.'" Of the
several methods of hand planting; the
following is the most satisfactory ;
After the soil is well prepared, open
up furrows to tb'i proper depth with a
single shovel piuw,v After the seed is
dropped, cover with the plow and bar
row thoroughly, The flepthof the.
planting should depend upon the text
ure of the soil, and upon whether early
or late potatoes are desired. Five
inches is not too deep for late potatoes.
on light, mellow soils. but ; three to
four inches is better for an early crop,
or on very heavy, or very wet soil.
The amount of seed to use Varies
from three to ten sacks per acre, and
depends upon the variety of the -soil.
Varieties which tend to produce very
large tubers should have a large quan
tity of seed. Rich land should receive
more seed than poor land. If. the seed
pieces are not too large, the number of
eyes to each piece makes no difference.
It is more important that the size of
the pieces sobuld be uniform than that
there should be the. same number of
eyes in each piece.
Frequently only a part of the pota
toes which are planted come up. This
may be due to one or more of several
causess, all of which should be guarded
against. Cut seed potatoes . should
never be allowed to remain in piles un
til they heat, and are thereby seriously
injured. Seed potatoes that have been
exposed to too low temnerature will
edom give a uniform stand. AH de
cayed tubers and those which have
brown or black spots through the flesh
Should not be planted as there are two
diseases frhich are found in this state
which are sure to' result in an unsatis
factory stand if seed infected with
them is planted. ..... ,
'r Cut seed should never ! be planted
deeply in the cold wet soil, or unsatis
factory germination is sure to result
Finally, in the dryer sections, potatoes
should be planted to uniform depth be
low the dry surface mulch in order to
secure a uniform stand.
Krt aarratloa.
Old Favorites S
' Flynn of Virginia.
Didn't know Flynn
Flynn of Virginia
Long as he's been 'yar? -Look'ee
here, stranger,
Whar hev you beeai. .
' i'. v ""' , . ..... i
Here in this 'tunnel
.... He was, my pardner, , ,...
That same Tom Flynn
Working together, , -j.
In wind and weather,
Day out aud in. ?
,... Didn't know Flynn ! -.
Well, that is queer.
Why, it's a sin,
To think pf Tom Flynn
, Tom, with his cheer;
Tom, without fear .
: ; Stranger, look yar ! . .. -
'Thar in the drift,
Back to the wall, '
, .He held the timbers
Ready to fall; ;
Then in the darkness
I heard him call :
"Run for your life, Jake!
- Run for your wife's sake!
Don't wait for me."-
And that was all
Heard in the din,
Heard of Tom Flynn
- Flynn of Virginia.
That lets me out
Here in the damp-?-.
Out of the sun '
That 'ar derned lamp
" Makes my eyes run.
( Well, there I'm done. . :
But, sir, when you'll
Hear the next fool
' Asking for Flynn
' Flynn of .Virginia - , ?
Just you chip In,s . ','
Say you knew Flynn; $
Say that you've been 'yar.'-'
-Bret Harte.
Awsraa FOB CHAIR.
Canopy to Shield tJaei Can . B
Attached to Back.
Sunshine has been robbed of Its ter
rors for the 'fair sex by the Ingenuity
of a Scotchman. This man has devised
a chair canopy or awning frame, that
can be attached to the back of any or
dinary chair and put up or down' at
will. .The canopy, whjcll is like an
Wnlhg frame, Is pivoted to the uprights
of the chair back, y At .the top is a
roller, on which' the awning folds, and
the arms of the frame can also be fold
ed together and let down over the back
of the chair when not needed. The
roller on which the canvas folds works
NO 8UNBUB2T HEBE..'
by a spring. The convenience of such
canopy can be readily seen. Persons
lV A k. UVL DVJ, viiuuiv (to vs S-lt v
porches will be able to sit In the sun,
with no fear of Its effects and collapsi
ble chairs, equipped with these awnings,
will add to the comfort pfl outings. For
use at the seashore alone this contriv
ance should have a big demand. Among
if other merits is that of being easy to
adjust in place. ,, i ; .
" 'Tho Treasury Vault.' "
;'The first question Jthe average vis-"
Itor to the United . States .treasury
building asks isf "Couldn't burglars
tunnel under tbe vaults and rob tbe
government?"; Well, that is not likely.
An armed guard sits .beside the vaults.
Every twenty minutes he is required to
ring an alarm Just to show that hejs
awate. An arnica patrol makes the
rounds hourly. Secret service men In
plain clothes, with concealed weapons,
keep watch and ward outside and In
side the building. As to tunneling, the
officials hold that if a man by any pos
sibility should manage to. bore under
neath a vault the heavy metal would
crush him to a Jelly, thus administer
ing a lasting gold cure. Even if the
tunnel ;burglar should get away with
his life be could not get away with
much gold. Ten thousand dollars' In
double eagles weighs thirty-eight
pounds.. Forty million dollars In gold
certificates of the $10,000 denomination
weighs eleven and a , half pounds.
Even burglars prefer the gold certlfl
catea to the real thing. Buffalo Times.
friend "led! I fancy you didn't see
All lard t fry fritters and donrJhn.faitler- s"e alan 1 have to be led. When
must-bV staling hot before putting la
the batter, j:- - . '
v- Candles wlli burn slowly and steadily
through tbe evening If they are kept
on Ice all day.
To keep mold from plcklea, la the
top of each Jar or bottle place a layer
Or horee-radlsh roots, sllcer' tola.
If you art unable to satisfy your
self and you cannot how caa
tor to satisfy otiersj
The Wedding Day.. ,
"So she was led to the 1 tar at lastr
remarked, the girl In blue. l-
Led I" repeated the "bride's dearest
he t'ttrted down the aisle you couldn't
nave driven her off with a regiment of
avalry !" Tit-Bits.
Just before breakfast every morning
Saint Peter works hard and fast charg
ing those with falsehoods who com
plain that they "never slept a wink all
light" . .'V
When a man begin to tell a story.
you nd Introduce it by asking if we tiTt
hearfi It. we can get away.
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