SHEEP ON RESERVE.
Berulatlons TJnder Which Grating I
Permitted Ho Oregon Stock la
Washington.
The total number ol sheep to be al
lowed on the Mount Kanler forest re
serve during the coming season, under
the recent order ol Secretary Hitch
cock, will be 250,000. This number is
practically the same as In previous
years. Last year 200,000 were allow
ed on the reserve.
Cattle and bones are, also, to be al
lowed on the reserve, the number of
cattle being limited to 5,600 and of
horses to 1.000. These figures are
based upon the number of cattle and
horses that have been estimated as go
ing on the reserve heretofore.
Each man desiring the privilege of
the range must make an application
which, when approved by the depart
ment, will entitle him to a certain
part of the reserve.
Each permit to graze will contain a
qualifying clause, which provides that
those accepting the permit will puy
such charges, per head, for their anim
als as the secretary of the interior may
hereinafter decide. According to pre
vious suggestions and recommenda
tions, the secretary is expected to favor
a charge of 2 to 4 cents per head for
sheep and 10 to 124 cents per head fo
cattle and horses.
The permits which are to be Issued
will prohibit Oregon sheep or cattle
grazing on the reserves in Washington.
There has been much complaint regard
ing the invasion of Oregon sheep and
cattle in Washington, and it is now
the purpose of the department to pre
vent such invasion in the future and
to reserve the grazing lands of Wash
ington for the sheep and cattle men of
that state.
Superintendent Shelter recommended
that approximately 250,000 sheep be
allowed to craze on the reserve this
year. His actual figures were a little
less than the number allowed by the
secretary of the interior.
Fabulous Wealth.
The (anions Helena mine, Bohemia
district, Lane county, Or., which for a
long time was restrained from opera
tion through litigation, is now in full
operation. The mill was started April
1. The first 80 hours' run produced
$7,000. It was generally known that
that the Helena mine was a valuable
property, but this lemarkable showing
goes beyond the anticipations of every
body except its owners. Mr. Jennings
fctutes that lrom the present develop
ments they have ore in sight for two
years' work, and its value inns very
high. :
Pralrlo City District.
Several rich strikes are reported from
Prairie City, the new mining town at
the head of the John Day. Lon Cleaver,
er, who is heavily interested in mining
property in that section, telephoned his
brother, E. E. Cleaver, of Portland,
that half a dozen rich strikes have been
made three miles from Prairie City.
Another rich strike was made on Dixie
Kutte mountain, six miles from Prairie
City, of free gold, whioh was said to bo
very rich. The bare particulars of the
strikes only were telephoned and no
details were given.
, Northwest Motel.
Ileppner, Or., is building a two
mile bicycle path.
Spokane is working to secure the
Trans-Mississippi congress for 1901.
A publio park la the next improve
ment that is spoken of for Baker City.
A Coos bay mill has a million feet of
lumber on its wharf, awaiting ship
ment. Fruit in Yakima county is reported
not to have suffered from the recent
frosts.
At Lostine, Or., a mill man adver
Uses "common rough lumber at f 8.50
porM."
D. B. Hinton ("Uncle Ben") an Ore
gon pionoer, died in Crook county the
4th lust., at the age of 60.
Spokane expeots to take in $20,000
this month and next from saloons.
The license is $500 per year.
Waterville, Wash., has granted a
telephone company the right to erect
polos within the town limits.
The United States government has
let a contract for olearing the timber
and brush from land baok of Fort Flag
ler, as a protection to the fortifloatloua
at Marrowstone point against fire.
D. II. DeCann, member of the execu
tive committee of the State Shingle
Association, of Washington, states that
the committee has decided to try to or
ganize a close-down for two weeks, be
ginning April 80. The market for
"dears" is strong, but "stars" are
weak, and unless the output is curtail
ed a break in the market is feared.
N. N. Garviok, a G'erman oarpenter,
who had $35 in money and a $200 draft
in his pockets, started with three
tram is to "beat" the railroad from
Pendleton to Spokane. They took
refuge in a box car. and when not far
from Walla Walla Garvick was attack
ed by his companions, who took his
watoh money and draft, exchanged his
clothes and shoes for poor ones, and
then pitched him from the car. He
had a long dltlloult time reaching Spo
kane, and says he has had enough
tramping.
The receipts for the town of Sump
ter, Or., for the past two years have
been $10,634 and the disbursements
$10,890. The town now claims a pop
ulation of more thxn 4,000.
A burning question in Albany, Or.,
is whether an ex-poundmaster is keep
ing his two dogs with one licenso. The
present poundmaster say his distin
guished predecessor is running a
"thimble game" on him, by claiming
that his license receipt is for the dog
that gets into the pound.
An Ellensburg man has gone to Wal
la Walla and secured a contract for
furnishing groceries to the penitentiary
for the next six months.
Lawrence Olds captured a black bear
weighing 400 pounds in a steel trap on
the bank of the Tillamook river a few
nights ago.
Mine Nellie Brown, daughter of
Salmon Brown, of Salem, and grand
daughter of John Brown, of Osawa
tomie, has joined the Salvation Army,
and will devote her talent as violinist
to that organization. She is 23 years
Old. 1
IRON AND STEEL LOWER.
Metal Market Distnrb Serenity or the
Trade tltaatlon.
Bradstreet't says: More rather than
less irregularity in the trade and price
situation is to be noted this week, part
ly in the result of weather conditions,
but partly in the case of the iron and
steel trade because of the continuance
of those efforts in the friction of lower
prices which have been such a feature
of the iron and steel trade of late.
That the basis conditions of trade re
main on the whole more favorable is,
however, evidenced by a number of
features. Railroad earnings continue
heavy, and the decrease noted in bank
clearings is chargeable largely to relig
ious and other holiday observances, and
to restricted stock speculation.
It has been a weather market for the
cereals and most agricultural products,
these advancing early this week, but
weakening toward the close.
Wool is weak, but there is rather
more inquiry, and now, as one year
ago, relatively highest prices rule at
points of production.
Baokward weather conditions have
affected the lumber trade demand but
in this as in a number of other lines,
the advanced prices demanded are cred
ited with checking business.
The pressure of heavy supplies is re
sponsible for the slight weakening
shown in the price of raw sugar this
week, while the refined market re
mains unchanged.
Wheat, including flour, shipments
for the week aggregated 8,898,945 bush
eles, against 2,896,653 bushels last
week.
Business failures in the United
States for the week number 161 against
152 last week.
Failures in Canada for the week
number 19, as copmared with 85 last
week.
PACIFIC COAST TRADE.
Seattle Market!.
Onions, $5 per sack.
Lettuce, hothouse, 40 45c doi.
Potatoes, $16 17; $17 18.
Beets, per sack, 75 85c.
Turnips, per sack, 4060o.
Carrots, per sack, 50 75o.
Parsnips, per sack, 50 75c.
Cauliflower, California 85 90c.
Cabbage, native and California,
$1.00 1.25 per 100 pounds.
Apples, 2.002.75; $3.003.6.
Prunes, 60o per box.
Butter Creamery, 22c; Eastern 23c;
dairy, 17 22c; ranch, 1617o pound.
Eggs 16 16o.
Cheese 1415o.
Poultry 14c; dressed, 14 16c;
spring, $5.
Hay Puget Sound timothy, $11.00
12.00; choice Eastern Washington
timothy, $18.00 19.00
Corn Whole, $23.00; cracked, $23;
feed meal, $28.
Barley Rolled or ground, per ton,
$20.
Flour Patent, per barrel, $3.25;
blended straights, $3.00; California,
$3.25; buckwheat Hour, $0.00; gra
ham, per barrel, $3.00; whole wheat
flour, $3.00; rye flour, $3.804.00.
Millstuffs Bran, per ton, $18.00;
shorts, per ton, $14.00.
Feed Chopped feed, $19.00 per ton;
middlings, per ton, $20; oil cake meal,
per ton, $30.00.
Fresh Meats Choice dressed beef
steers, price 8c; cows, 7c; mutton 8c;
pork, 8c; trimmed, 9c; veal, 8
10c.
Hams Large, 13c; small, 13;
breakfast bacon, 12 uc; dry salt sides,
8c.
Portland Market.
Wheat Walla Walla. 6455o;
Valloy, 64c; Bluestem, 67o per bushel.
Flour Best grades, $3.00; graham,
$3.60; superfine, $2.10 per barrel.
Oats Choice white, 85 86c; choice
gray, 84o per bushel. '
Barley Feed barley, $14 14.50;
brewing, $17.00 17.50 per ton.
Millstuffs Bran, $13 per ton; mid
dlings, $19; shorts, $16; chop, $14 per
ton.
Hay Timothy, $9 10; clover, $7
1.60; Oregon wild hay, $6 7 per ton.
Butter Fancy creamery, 40 45c;
seconds, 45o; dairy, 8037uc;
store, 25 83jj0.
Eggs 12o per dozen.
Cheese Oregon full cream, 13c;
Young America, 14c; new cheese 10c
per pound.
Poultry Chickens, mixed, $3.50
4.60 per dozen; hens, $5.00; springs,
$2.508.60; geese, $0.608.00 forold;
$4. 50 6. 60; ducks, $5. 60 6.00 per
dozen; turkeys, live, 10llo per
pound.
Potatoes 80 50o persaok; sweeta,
I 2 Ho per pound.
Vegetables Beets, $1; turnips, 75o;
per sack; garlio, 7o per pound; cab
bage, 1)0 per pound; parsnips, . 76;
onions, $3.50 8.00; carrots, 50o.
Hops 8 8o per pound
Wool Valley, 1618o per pound;
Eastern Oregon, 10 15c; mohair, 27
80o per pound.
Mutton Gross, best sheep, wethers
and ewes, 4io; dressed mutton, 7
To per pound; lambs, $2.50 eaoh.
Hogs Gross, choice heavy, $5.00;
light and feeders, $4.50; dressed,
$5.008.50 per 100 pounds.
Beef Gross, top steers, $4.004.50;
cows, $3.60 4.00; dressed beef, 6
7?o per pound.
Veal Large, 67c; small, 8
8 !oo per pound.
Tallow 55Mc; No. 2 and grease,
8;64o per pound.
Saa Francisco Market.
Wool Spring Nevada, 13l6oper
pound; Eastern Oregon, 12 10c; Val
ley, SO 22c; Northern, 10 12c.
Hops 1899 crop, li lao per
pound.
Butter Fanoy creamery 17c;
do seconds, 1616c; fancy dairy,
16c; do seconds, 1315o per pound
Eggs Store, 14c; fancy ranch,
16 He
Millstuffs Middlings, $17.00
20.00; bran, $13.60 13.50.
Hay Wheat $6.609.50; wheat and
oat $6.009.00; best barley $5.00
7.00; alfalfa, $5.00 6.50 per ton;
straw, 2540o per bale.
Potatoes Early Rose, 60 75c; Ore
gon Burbanks, 60o$1.00; river Bur
banks, 40 70c; Salinas Burbanks,
80c 1.10 per sack.
Citrus Fruit Oranges, Valencia,
$3.753.25; Mexican limes, $4.00
6.00; California lemons 75c $1.60;
do choice $1.75 3.00 per box.
Tropical Fruits Bananas, $1.50
2.50 per bunch; pineapples, nom
inal; Persian dates, 6(60 per
douoJ.
NO REST FOR LINCOLN.
Remains of the Martyred President
ta a Mew Abode.
Fate seems to have denied rest to the
great emancipator even in death.
When the body of Abraham Lincoln
was taken to a temporary vault In Oak
Ridge cemetery, at Springfield, 111., re
cently, It marked the eleventh removal
of the remains of the martyred Presi
dent For thirty-five years the metallic
casket has been shifted hither and
thither to meet the exigencies of time
and change. The following table gives
.. -TV w "v
lit
TEMPOIIABT VAULT IV OAK BIDOE.
the history of the unquiet remains of
Lincoln, from the time of his death
thirty-five years ago:
Died In a house near Ford's Theater,
Washington, In which be was assassin
ated, April 14, 1805.
Removed to White House.
Removed to Capitol Building.
Removed to funeral car.
Removed to Capitol Building, Spring
field, 111.
Removed to receiving vault, Oak
Ridge cemetery.
Removed to temporary vault
Removed to sarcophagus, Lincoln
nonuraent
THE LINCOLN MONUMENT AT SPRINGFIELD.
Removed to space between walls.
Removed to bed of cement.
Removed to temporary vault
For several years the Lincoln monu
ment at Springfield has steadily fallen
Into decay. It was completed seventeen
rears ago, after fifteen years of labor.
Boon after It was finished the base of
the knoll on which It rested began to
ill I ft. Gaping seams appeared In the
masonry, and the monument which
was one of the finest In the country,
has long been In danger of total col
lapse. Recently enough money was
appropriated by the Stato Legislature
to rnze the old structure and rebuild It
mi a foundation which goes down thir
ty-five feet to bed rock. This last re
moval of Lincoln's remains was made
accessary on account of the rebuilding
f the monument The metallic casket
low rests In a crude wooden box In a
leuiporary vault In Oak Ridge cenie
ery. TO PROTECT RIFLEMEN.
Brittah Soldiers to Carry Armor Shields
of Bullet-Proof Material.
John Bull has seized upon the Inven
tion of a Chicago man the Rev. Cas
ilmlr Zelgler and will use It in his
irmy. Mr. Zelgler perfected a material
:hat Is bullet proof, and suggested the
Idea of weaving It Into shields to be
worn by soldiers. He presented his in
vention to the government and It satis
factorily met and passed all the tests
PORTABLE ARMOR SHIELD
It was regarded unpractical, however,
because of Its weight It was said that
rapid movements In the field were Im
possible to soldiers weighed down by
the shields.
The material used In the manufac
ture of this shield was a composition,
the formula for which was, of course,
1 secret It was believed, however,
that marble dust entered very largely
into Its manufacture. The new Eng
lish shield Is said to be similarly con
structed except that it has solved the
problem of weight. In aiming at light
ness, impenetrability was sacrificed at
Srst but gradually the two requisites
were secured.
The new shield Is the product of a
Scotchman, who, taklug Zelgler's ma
terial as a foundation, has evolved a
ievlce which Is said to be Impervious
io Mauser or Lee-Metford bullets at
100 yards, and to light machine-gun
Ire at 700 yards. It weighs thirteen
pouuds and cannot be overturned by
:he Impact of any number of bullets. It
s divided Into two parts, hinged tc
(ether, each weighing six and a half
wuuds, which cau be made Interchange
ible. It is Intended for the use of
liarksuien only not more than from 5
o 10 per cent, of the Infantry. It is pro
posed to equip the expert riflemen of
the British army in South Africa with
these shields, which will be used In the
manner shown In the Illustration.
WEDDING AMONG TAR HEELERS.
Shrewd Magistrate Who Did Business
on a Btrlctly Cash Baals.
When Capt Shaw was a justice of
the peace In a country place not far
from Raleigh, N. C, while riding home
late one afternoon he met a young
woman and a young man who wished
to be married at once. Now, the cap
tain bad never witnessed a marriage,
lie remembered having seen a book
about the bouse years before with' a
form of marriage in it but where it
was he could not remember. A less as
sured man would have been sorely per
plexed, but not be. He lost no time In
removing his bat and, ascending the
split-bottomed seat of justice, remark
ed: "Hats off In the presence of the
court" All being uncovered, be said:
"I'll swear you in fust Hold up yer
right bands."
"Me, too?" asked the friend of the
groom.
"Of course," said the wise captain.
"All witnesses must be sworn. You
and each of you solemnly swear that
the evidence you shall give In this cuse
shall be the truth, th' hull truth, an
nothln' but the truth. You, John Mar
vin, do solemnly swear that to the best
of yer knowledge an' belief you take
this yer woman ter hare and ter hold
fcr yerself, yer heirs, exekyerters. ad
ministrators and assigns, for your an'
their use an' behoof forever?"
"I do," answered the groom.
"You, Alice Ewer, take this yer mnn
for your husband, ter hev' an' ter hold
forever, and you do further swear that
you are lawfully seized in fee-simple,
are free from all Incumbrance and bev
good right to sell, bargain and convey
to the' said grantee, yerself, yer heirs,
administrators and assigns?"
"I do," said the bride somewhat
doubtfully.
"Well, John," said the captain,
"that'll be about a dollar n' fifty
cents."
"Are we married?" asked the other.
"Not yet ye ain't" quoth the cap
tain, with emphasis, "but the fee comes
In here."
After some fumbling It was produced
and handed over to the "court," wlio
examined it to make sure it was all
right and then pocketed it and con
tinued: "Know all men by these presents,
that I, Capt Shaw, of Raleigh, N. C,
being In good health and of sound and
dlsposln' mind, In consideration of a
dollar V fifty cents to me In band paid,
the receipt whereof Is hereby acknowl
edge, do and by these presents have de
clared you man and wife during good
behavior and till otherwise ordered by
the court" Utlca Observer.
Cherrtul Antipodean Truthteller.
An ex-sea captain, now living In Syd
ney, many years ago was In charge of
a ship carrying some convicts. The
conv
and
theiri
dent j
to tfcj
ated,
self i
TO PROTECT RIFLEMEN.
first large Island they came to. He was
a musician, and took his violin with
him. A threatening crowd of savages
greeted his arrival, but Orpheus play
ed to them till they thought him a god,
brought him unlimited pigs and yams,
and bowed In adoration. Finally he
married the chief's daughter, succeed
ed him, and ruled the Island for years,
till a ship came in, and he sailed away.
Sidney Bulletin.
Awsjr Down la the Earth.
The deepest hole In the earth is at
Schladebach. near Ketschau, Germany.
It Is 5,735 feet In depth and Is for geo
logic research only. The drilling was
begun In 1SSO and stopped six years
later because the engineers were un
able with their Instruments to go
deeper.
Women Make Good Prompter.
It has been discovered that the pro
fession of prompter Is more suited to
women than to men, as their voices
carry better across the stage, and are
less audible In the auditorium.
There are lots of good women, who,
when they get to heaven, will begin to
watch to see if the Lord goes out
nights.
-J , 1
LAW AS INTERPRETED.
The fact that a person mortally
wounded cut bis own throat and has
tened bis death is held, In people vs.
Lewis (Cal.), 45 L. R. A. 783, insufH
dent to relieve the person who In
flicted the fatal wound of his liability.
Notes and mortgages owned by a per
son who Is domiciled In another State,
but kept within the State by an agent
are held, In New Orleans vs. Steniple,
Advance Sheets U. S., p. 110, to be sub
ject to taxation by the laws of the
Stute in which they are held.
Guaranty of the prompt payment of
a note Is held, in Holm vs. Jamleson
(111.), 45 L. R. A. 840, to be not annulled
by a Judgment declaring the note void
for want of authority In the owner who
executed it as against one who took
the note in reliance on the guaranty.
A statuto retroactively vacating at
tachments Is held, in King vs. Cross,
Advance Sheets U. 8., p. 81, inapplica
ble to attachments levied in other
Stntes at a time when by the opera
tion of the Insolvent law the Insolvent
had not been deprived of dominion and
control over bis credits.
Asessraent of shares of stock In a na
tional bank without any deduction for
debts or for Investments in nonassess
able government bonds Is held, in Mc
Hanry vs. Downer (Cal.), 45 L. R. A.
737, to be unlawful when State banks
are not taxed on shares of stock, and
are allowed a deduction of debts.
Constitutional provision against laws
respecting the establishment of religion
Is held. In Bradfleld vs. Roberts, Ad
vance Sheets U. 8., p. 121, insufficient
to condemn an appropriation by Con
gress of money to a hospital owned by
a corporation composed of the mem
bers of a particular church or a monas
tic order or sisterhood therein, but sub
ject to no visitation, supervision ot
control by any ecclesiastical authority
whatever.
A statute compelling a county to pay
three-fourths of the value of property
destroyed by mob or riot Irrespective
of ability or exercise of diligence to
protect the property, is upheld In Chi
cago vs. Manhattan Cement Company
(ill.), 45 L. R. A. 848, on the ground
that It Is a police regulation for the
better government of the State, and
does not violate constitutional provi
sions against statutes imposing taxes
upon municipal corporations for cor
porate purposes. .
"Glenooe Modeler."
One of the effects of the war In
South Africa Is to be found In the
registers of births in the several dis
tricts of England, onie very peculiar
names, arising' out of the Transvaal
campaign, having been bestowed by
patriotic but Inconsiderate parents on
their children. In a populous town in
Lancashire, for Instance, there is a
little boy rejoicing In the uncommon
name of "Mafeklng," given him In hon
or of his uncle, who formed one of the
garrison of that town under Colonel
Buden-Powell, while In one or two In
stances the name "Volunteer" has been
given to children as evidence of the
Intense Interest which has been taken
In the departure of the "citizen sol
diers" to the front
The names of several of the leading
engagements which have up to the
present been fought figure prominently
In these registers, such as "Glencoe,"
a very popular name for a boy just
now; "Dundee," "Eland" (the full name
"Elandslaagte" having apparently
proved too much of a mouthful), and
"Belmont," the last a favorite name
for girls, while one boy living near
London will have cause In a few years'
time to bemoan the bard fate which
saddled him with the name of "Glen
coe Modder." With what must be
looked upon as a daring anticipation of
events, a girl In North London has
Just been registered as "Roberts Pre
toria." Speaking of Pretoria reminds
one that several children already bear
that name, though so far no one has
had the courage to name his offspring
"Bloemfonteln;" "Klmberley," how
ever, has been utilized several times.
Helpmates.
Lord and Lady Roberts have always
been a singularly attached couple, and
during their long residence In India the
great affection which obviously existed
between them was often a matter of
comment in Anglo-Indian society. They
wortt constantly together, and Lady
ts sometimes even brought her
Into her husband's office, and sat
him there If no Important bust--as
being transacted. A tall, fine
g woman, with an agreeable
r, Lady Roberts, despite her hus
high position, cares nothing for
'. She shrinks from personal
ity, and has refused over and
gain to be Interviewed. Of Lord
,ady Roberts' six children only
aw remain.
fhe Prisoner Was Mixed.
soner," said the Maryland Jus
s the case was closed. "You have,
'ound guilty of stealing a pig be
ig to Col. Chllders. Have yor,
anything to say before I pass sen
tence?" ' ;
"I has, sah," answered the prisoner,
as he rose up. "It was all a mistake,
Jedge all a mistake. I didn't dun reck
an to steal no pig from Kurnel Chilvers.
What I was arter was a hawg belongln'
to Majah Dawson, an' how dem two
animals got mixed up and de constable
found de meat In my cabin am gwlne
to bodder me 'till I come out o' Jail an
lick de ole woman fur not keepln better
watch at de doah!" Washington Post
Sticks to an Ancient Custom.
The Queen (Victoria) at home Is sim
ply attired In a black dress, not al
ways of silk, and wears a widow's cap
with small lappets at the back, her sli
ver hair plainly brushed on either side
her temples. Upon her fingers are
plain memorial rings, and she Invari
ably wears a bracelet having the por
trlt of htr latest grandchild or great
grandchild placed In It as a medallion.
The Queen always has a handkerchief,
bordered with lace, resting In her hands
as they lie folded In her lap, the sur
vival of an ancient fashion.
Wag s in New South Watra.
In New South Wales the government
has fixed the minimum wages of rail
way laborers at 7 shillings, or about
$1.75 a day.
Usually the harder a man works tht
more he earns for others.
THE LARGEST DUCK FARM.
It Is Maintained hy A. K. Loo mis on His
Place Near Fort Dodge, Iowa.
The largest flock of ducks in the
world is at the Loomls duck farm near
Fort Dodge, Iowa. There are 13,000 of
them. A. R. Loomls, whose extensive
operations have earned for him the
sobriquet of "the poultry king," has re
cently made a successful experiment
that promises to revolutionize one
branch of the poultry business. Large
dealers whose energies are devoted to
supplying the big cities with live poul
try have experienced great difficulty In
preserving the plumpness of fowls
when removed into new surroundings.
The refusal of the birds to eat results
not only in shrinkage, effecting an Im
mediate money loss, but makes them
less marketable. After twenty years'
experience In feeding fowls in large
numbers for market Mr. Loomls has
discovered that the ducks are the only
ones thai can be fed In large numbers
with success.
"I have tried fattening every kind of
poultry," said Mr. Loomls, "and I have
never had any success with anything
but ducks. Before the holidays I tried
to fatten 5,000 chickens. They were
bought from farmers In all parts of the
country. We put them Into a large in-
A LIVELY CORNER
closure and tempted them with feed by
the barrel. It did not require long to
see that they were shrinking every
day. I soon found that they would not
eat food that was greedily devoured
while on the farm. Most of their time
was spent on the roosts. The hens
would not come down and the roosters
were engaged In constant fight The
result was I lost a nice bunch of money
on them. Then I tried turkeys. The
result was Just as disastrous. One big
gobbler that weighed thirty-six pounds
when placed In the yards fell away to
thirty-two pounds after being fed three
Says. With several thousand pounds of
live turkeys at 7 cents per pound and
shrinking one pound each day It does
not require much figuring to show the
financial futility of feeding them in
large numbers for the market All my
experiments with ducks have proved
different They don't roost and seem
to adjust themselves to new conditions
very readily. We started with a flock
of 5,000, which, proving a success, wai
gradually increased to its present di
mensions of 13,000, that are now nearly
ready for the market."
As Mr. Loomls does not breed fowls,
only feeding them for market, he does
not require very extensive quarters for
his duck farm. A two-acre tract of
ground surrounded by sheds and
houses in the form of a hollow square
constitutes the field of his operations.
In this lnclosure 13,000 ducks quack,
eat corn and grow fat for dinner tables
In Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and
New York. Troughs of shelled corn and
water are placed at frequent Intervals
In the yard and two men are kept busy
constantly engaged supplying the wants
of the noisy fowls. One hundred bush
els of shelled corn are required each
day for their feeding. The large flock
proves a good weather profit and on
any evening previous to a change in
the temperature the quack of the ducks
is deafening and can be heard a mile
away. When the ducks have accu
mulated sufficient fat to make them
marketable sixty men are employed In
slaughtering and dressing them for
market Squie of the men become very
expert In this work, one man holding a
record of 182 fowls In ten hours, or one
every four minutes.
FEATS OF HORSEMANSHIP.
Threadlns a Fine Needle While Going;
at a Vast Gallop,
"The greatest feat of horsemanship I
ever saw performed was by a Rifflan
Irregular cavalryman," said Capt J. E.
Rathbone, of Los Angeles, Cal. This
was in reply to a story related by an
ex-Confederate, who had served with
Gen. J. E. B. Stuart in the valley of
Virginia. The latter told how, on more
than one occasion, Turner Ashby had
ridden up to nn opposing cavalryman,
seized him around the waist, lifted him
out of the saddle as If he had been a
child, and taken him back on bis own
horse Into the Confederate lines. It
was agreed that this was more of a feat
of strength and display of courage than
horsemanship.
"I have seen Cossacks at full gallop
snatch a baby from its mother's arms,
toss It Into the air, catch It and repeat
the performance," said Capt Rathbone.
"I once saw an Indian rider In the far
West spring from his pony's bare back
while the animal was moving at full
gallop, pick up an arrow, and remount
Instantly in a standing posture. I have
seen other performances all over the
world, but for a neat clever, clean-cut
feat this Rlfllan exceeded them all I
think.
"Several of us had been at Gibraltar
and found ourselves at the town of
Mlllla on the Rifflan coast We were
entertained by the Spanish commander,
who did the honors finely. One morn
ing we rode outside the town and
reached a level stretch of sand, where
there were a number of Rifflan horse
men. They were fine-looking fellows,
and attired In snow white burnouses.
They were mounted on small animals,
slight but quick and wiry, of the thor
oughbred Arab barb type.
"We were amused some time by their
charges and evolutions. They would
throw their swords and matchlocks In
the air, catching them by the hilts and
stocks Infallibly. Finally it was an
nounced that something of unusual in
terest would be accomplished. One of
the men produced a needle and a piece
of thread, possibly two or three feet
la length. They were both handed
needle was a cambric one, and thJ t'
thread fifty to sixty fine. When wu
had duly Inspected both, one of tliq f
men signified he would thTead the f
needle. He galloped his horse down f
the sand about 400 yards or so. Hi
finally wheeled his horse and remnine j f
stationary, facing us. The one whj
held the needle and thread waved tueni i
When he had covered about two-thirds 1
ol the distance ne uaitea anu waved '
his hand to the farther one. lninie-
dlately the latter spurred his horse Into ;
a gallop and came toward us at full :
speed. As he passed the other he took J
panion, ueui uver mr a moment, and ;
truiicu uu wugu uu ii uiiLu vut null V.
umphantly over his head." Chicago
Inter-Ocean.
PORTO RICO'S PNEUMATIC FISH.
When It Appear Inflated the Yonng
People Hasten to Marry.
With two horns on the front of Its
head, a feather on Its back, and de
cidedly bovine expression of face, the
coming of the cowflsh Is welcomed In
Puerto Rico. It is migrating, usually
OF THE DUCK FARM.
appearing in May In schools of greatet
or less extent. While It lingers on the
coast it emits a sort of "mooing" sound,
because of which visitors often call It
a drumflsh. Anyhow, It drums up the
native population, who run to the beach
to see If the schools are large, In which
case they say: "There Is milk In the
coconnut" an expression equivalent to
the promise of a fruitful season.
When there Is this expectation of
abundance of food many of the young
people get married at once. A family
can live on the fruit of the wild banana,
which is twice the size of those export
ed and of much coarser grain, but roast
ed In ashes it is not bad eating. Sci
ence has yet to determine what the
coming of the cowflsh has to do wltb
the f ruitf ulness of cocoanuts and ba
nanas, but with Its two black horns and
the music it makes, and the little
feather, which Is Iridescent as It moves
through the water it Is very engaging.
The preserved specimens are stuffed
With air only.
The manatee of the Caribbean sea Is
sometimes called the cowflsh because
It comes on shore and eats grass. The
manatee is becoming extinct and Is
of tener found on the coast of Cuba and
keys south of Florida than in Puerto
Rico.
It Is entirely distinct from the Puerto
Rico variety, which Is a true flsh, run
ning in schools, whereas the manatee is
a mammal, nursing Its young. This
latter Is hunted for its hide, which is
manufactured into canes that look like
tortoise shell These canes are so elas
tic and powerful that they are regarded
as deadly weapons, and by the Cuban
laws a fine of $50 Is Imposed upon any
one who strikes another with a mana
tee cane. They cost from $10 to $23
each, in Havana stores. The Puerto
Rico cowflsh has quite a tough little
hide also, but as it is seldom caughl
weighing more than a pound or two, It
has no commercial value in Puerto
Rico, where there are such variety and
abundance of flsh. It has almost a
balloon-like appearance when In the
water, and the mooing musical sound
It makes is supposed to be owing to the
distention and contraction of the skin
while Inhaling and emitting air.
PORTO RICAN PEASANTS.
Their Wants Are Few, Simple and
Easily Supplied.
The life of the peasant the peon, of
Porto Rico Is not a dream of ease and
luxury; neither has he ever passed
through the nightmare of wretched
hunger and biting cold which adds so
vitally to the hardships of the poverty
stricken of northern climes.
In squalor and filth, In crudity and
Ignorance, the larger number of the In
habitants go through their compara
tively short lives; for one does not see
many aged people among them. They
die off from fevers, contagious dis
eases, and troubles handed down from
sickened forefathers, at a comparative
ly early age.
At no period of the poor man's exist
ence can he suffer the tortures of star
vation because his job of work has
given out for, while during whole
months of the year he may not earn a
single centavo, he still has his little plot
of vegetables on the hill; then, If worst
comes to worst or the land-owner
turns him out he may live on the pro
fusion of fruits and roots of the forest
or, as Is a common practice of the
country, upon the fruits filched from
his more opulent neighbor.
In the dry season he complains of the
cold of the early morning, yet he needs
but the merest rags to cover his naked
ness, for on no day In the year Is it
colder than our mildest of autumnal
weather. Shoes are a useless burden
to his bare and sole-leather-lined feet
which have trodden the rocky, briery
trails In their nakedness from Infancy:
and a hat if he must have It he makes
in Lis own house from the grass grown
around the doorway.
The house in which he Is domiciled
he builds In a few short days from
poles and thatch and bark rolls of the
royal palm; and a good bouse it is in
spite of Its primitive appearance, for It
screens him from the colder winds of
nieht and Kheda tho trntor nt tha driv
ing rains like a duck's back. Harper'
weesiy.
They say figures won't lie: they ax
tbs biggest liars on earth, ;