It !4 HOW DZ5S AND if c T sterns most as big as a real II river," snid Bess, who was Bitting w on top of the heaped-up earth be- side the big, new Irrigating ditch, hug ging her knees tailor fashion. "If the wal it only didn't roll so awful fast we could most rldo a canoe In it, eh, Teddy?" Teddy was not at all handsome. Ills hair was red and his nose turned up, and he was much rreckled. But there was a great deal of sympathy In his greenish eyes as he looked up at his lister. "Vou do miss Canada and the lake and boating and everything, don't ye, Bess?" he said. "I was such a little feller when the folks came west, an' I can't remember much about It But, gee! it must uv been Jolly fun iwim mlu' In a reel big lake. An pa said he would take us all back when the fruit trees bore." "Yes," said Bess, staring thoughtful ly at the yellow, rolling water. "But It seems an awful long time to wait, somehow. Last year it was frost, and year before worms, and year before Hint the blight, and It does seem as tlio' pa would lose most everything he had before the ranch paid. And to think one good bearing would make us rich! Klch. Tedl Just think!" Teddy crawled up to the top of the 'bank of earth anrj-lookcd far'down the vallfy'He'stt'w long rows of trees, hardly twice as tall as himself, and be ' was only a 10-year-old boy. But Uie slender little branches of the trees were covered thickly with little green bunches, and these bunches meant thousands of bushels of luscious fruit. Bess could remember when she first saw the trees. They were then only mt. FOUND A IMAI,"E"'!ft4TK-lH." long Hues of little bare sticks In the sandy" and dry-looking earth, and she could remember bow her mother broke down and cried because she was home' sick for the big shady trees and green grans and bushes at "home." lilnho did not seem like home. They lived there six years, and the sixth yea was the "bearing year" for Wester fruit ranches. But, as Bess said, the frost and the worms and the blight had kept the fruit back, and three year louger they had waited. And the father had grown to look old and anx km s and the little mother more and more wistful. And they now watched the green promise of fruit with anxious eyes. Would anything happen tills year? Or would the rich promise at bi;t not disappoint them? "The new ditch helped mightily this year," said Bess: "The trees never bore If so heavily. Aud all the fruit is perfect the prunes and peaches and cherries J and everything. Oh, Teddy, I believe we will really see Canada next year! She sprung to her feet and threw her arms around the neck of a little bron cho that had been nosing at the back of her head while she talked to Teddy She kissed the horse's shaggy head and bugged him lovingly. Then she put her foot In the stirrup and swung her self lightly Into the saddle. 'Home, 'leddyl" she cried. "Cutch Sodal" Soda, another sturdy little broncho, capered gleefully around , her mute, Brandy, a few moments, then permit ted Teddy to mount, aud soon the live' ly little hoofs were beating. a quick rat tnt tat down the white alkali path to ward the ranch home, far down the valley. The sun was bright and the sky cloudless, as It had been for all the long summer mouths. The clouds would sail towards the mountain tops, ' but there they would stop and dissolve over the per, where the snow gleam . ed white almost till fall. And no rain fell in the valley. The alkali dust lay thick in the alfalfa, the rich grass that grew so strangely green out of the hard, dry earth, aud the dust lay thick In the trees aud on the prickly cacti and gray sagebrush that grew on the lonely foothills. "Father will Irrigate to-morrow, I reckon." said Bess, as the bronchos loped along side by side. "The ground Is awfully dry and cracking badly." "I duntio-lt's gettln' perty late," re piled Teddy. "I heard pa talkln' to the tot email, and they vui saylu that there wuz signs of frost. The fruit Is ripeuiu' bully, but there may come a Dipper, an' ef they Irrigated It well, It would mean another year, that's all. Bess looked soberly at the baked lixiking eu(th. It looked so thirsty, aud the greats itch rolling along beside them seemed anxious to turn Its rich torrent 'into the little ditches that ran like veins up aud down between the trees, "Well. 1 suppose it would be risky," she said. "But, my! the trees dt want a drink!" Supper was waiting for them, aud their father called gayly to them as they galloped up to the door. "I met Jessie Wright at the store doing some trading for her mother, and ah wauts you to go down the valley BRANDY SAVED THE FRUIT. $ to-morrow and spend the day with her," he said, as they sat down to sup- per. "Oh, may I go, mother?" cried Bess. They were great friends "Jess and Bess," as they were called by the ranch and village people and the fruit farm wound down the valley very close to the sheep ranch of Jessle'i father. "Why, yes, you may," said Mrs. Har ris, Bessie's mother. "Did Jessie want her to stay all night, John?" "Of course as usual," replied Mr, Harris. "But I guess you can spare ber that long, eh, mother?" "No, I need you, dearie. But you can have a long day together and 'come home lu the evening," said Mrs. Harris. J3o next morning Bess shouted a gay good-by as Brandy danced around the mounting block, and the whirled the long thongs of her quirt merrily around his flank, which Brandy promptly re sented by bringing his four little hoofs together, rising In the air and coming down on his sturdy little legs with a Jar that nearly sent Bess out of the saddle. "Oh, you'll buck, will you?" she cried, while the rest cheered Brandy. ' iVait till you want some sugar." Brandy repeated and stretched him self Into a swinging, rocking-chair lope that carried him swiftly down tho trail. The air was sharp and clear and tingled through Bessie's veins, while the cold turned her cheeks rosy. "Frost to-night, Brandy," she cried to the broncho, whose ears twitched hack at the sound of her voice. And the frost came. The' girls had a long, merry day, and as the moon rose in a clear purple sky Bess turned Brandy's willing nose homeward." She turned up the collar of her heavy little coat and pulled on her buckskin gloves, for the cold was already growing sharp. And, calling cheerily to Brandy, she flew along the trail toward home. It was cold and clear and still, and she rode along a little sleepily, while Brandy's hoofs made the only sound that broke the stillness. But soon another sound star tled her into wakefulness. She bad reached the water gate on the big ditch, and through the stillness came a low tinkling and gurgling that sounded like fairy music. But the fairy music sent all the color out of the girl's cheeks, and with a frightened cry to Brandy -she slipped out of the saddle and ran to the ditch. Broiitfys-flieaiMle,e,d along after her with lazy curiosity mKhltmndtuit kneeling beside the gate with her arms pluugcd down Into the cold water. And when she stood up her pretty bright face had grown still whiter. For she had found a small "cave-In" near the gate, aud the water was trickling through in a steady little stream that was steadily and quickly growing larger as the earth broke and crumbled and gave way around it. In a very short time that cave-in would send a volume of water rusblng and leaping along all the ditches through the ranch and by morning what? "Oh, the fruit, the fruit, Brandy!" Bess sobbed, wildly. "It will be killed and mother's heart will break!" She wrung her bands as she looked down the long road gleaming white and lonely In the moonlight. Too late for that. Before she could go a mile to ward hvlp the ranch would be flooded and the ruin complete. Again, the plunged her arm Into the water. If she could only stop up that bole! She looked on all sides helplessly, and Brandy moved closer with a sympa thetic and Inquiring, whinny. She looked at him despairingly, then iud' uenly sprung forward. In a moment she was tearing wildly at bucklei and straps, aud then, to Brandy's profound surprise, she dragged the heavy pig. skin saddle from his back and rushed with It to the ditch. There she went uowu on her knees and plunged the saddle beneath the water. She fumbled with It a minute or so, then listened breathlessly. The water gurgled and tinkled un certainly,, then slowly, very slowly, it grew fainter. And soon there was only a faint whisper and drip from one or two tiny waterfalls that slipped and slid down the bank. The weight of the water had sucked the saddle closely against the earth aud the hole was stopped. So much. But the night was cold her arms already ached and pained cruelly, and she did not dare leave the saddle lest It slip. Would they search for her? Or would they think she had stayed all night with Jess? If she could only got word home. Again she looked at Brandy. Then she called him to her, slipped the loop of her quirt from the pommel of tbe saddle, aud, raising her arm out of the water, she turned Brandy toward home aud then brought down the lashes with stinging force on his flank. Home, Brandy!" she called. And Brandy, outraged aud Indignant, kick ed up his heels, bucked three times. then tore down the trail toward home. resolved to tell Soda that his youug mistress had gone crazy. Fainter aud fainter sounded the hoof-boats along the trail. And soon she could hear them no louger. Her arms ached cruelly, and sharp, pains began to shoot through her body from the cold. Now and then she would take her arms out of the water and swing thorn and beat her hands together till they stung; but only for a moment. theu the saddle had to be held In place. The time seemed horribly long, but t last far down the trail there sounded low, thudding noise that quickly grew louder, and she sprung to her feet with a gasping little cheer as four horses galloped madly to the ditch gate, and all in a minute four men bad dragged her up from the water, torn off her wet jacket and asked twenty questions. Brandy bad reached borne riderless and was now galloping back with Teddy, white and frightened, clinging to bis bare back. The fruit wai saved, thanki to Bes and Brandy. The frost did very little damage that night, and at last vleld was rVh nd nlentlfiil. And th following summer. In far-off Canada Teddy and Bess splashed in the waves to their hearts' content, while "mother" looked on happily and Mr. Harris told old friends all about fruit ranching "out West" "It was a close call," be would say, "but Bess and Brandy saved the fruit If the ditch had burst through that night and flooded the roots It would have meant ruin." Ana Bess, fully recovered from the heavy cold that followed ber little ad venture, was surprised to find herself a heroine. Chicago Record. LONG LIFE. Sought by Members of New Tork'a Hundred-Year Club. To discover the secret of long life about a hundred professional and scien tific men and women of New York City have organized what they term the Hundred-Year .Club. These people be lieve that under present conditions life should be prolonged for a century. They do not seek to keep man alive merely as an exhibit, but to make him a useful member of society up to the day of his death. They have not pledged themselves to live in accordance with any particular set of rules or to apply the secret of longevity to themselves if It be discov ered. Neither are they vegetarians, Christian Scientists or Ralstonltes. They do not pretend to say they will live to be centenarians, but they hope thev may. Prominent among the members of the Hundred-Year Club are Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Theodore Sutro, Dr. Carleton Simons, Dr. H. W. Wiley, Di- rector of the United States pure food umyia; u.. turj c bi is c&yuniLiuUf j, vt mirn, AiDert Turner, Mrs. May nanus ouircy, joub win warner, ui. juuu iv. iinyea, oi me uniieu Btaies Pension Bureau, Washington, and Col. a. i. vonum, v. B. A., reiirea. Dr. Simons, chairman of the Commit- ou ouuisucs, nas secured ine names of twelve citizens of New York City nuu are uver iw, Incidentally, the club has learned that In Ireland there are 675 centenari ans; in Germany, with its vastly great er population, but 75, while Servla has fully 600 over 100, 120 over 125 and three over 185. Dr. Simons Is trying to discover whether these figures can be attributed to The difference In the diets of these people. China Is the only nation, so far known to the club, that sets a premium on old age. granting special honors to persons who are W or over. , . .,l..m.: ... .. .. .. Aiuen lumer, in aiscussing ine men A 1 1 It. - , iai puase oi longevity, saia: "One of the elements In long life is a conviction that It Is our duty to live; mai u in hoi ngni in iiseir, asiae rrom ouier motives, lor us io snume on tnis moruj H"u&ttf--MJ-Jar9, Tjieg out a AAHU fl til T 4.1. a F. Z . long term. It will, I think, be seen that i the Importance of this Instinctive love of life cannot be overestimated In Its relation to health, disease and long life." SUPERSTITIOUS WOMEN. They Place a Great Deal of Confidence . In Dreams. It doesn't seem possible that in this enlightened age superstition could be rife among the educated, but there are nevertheless a number of young wom en who converse fluently! If not elo quently, in three languages, and who read Spencer and Browning and Emer son, but who place a dreambook with their Bible on the table beside the bed and consult It In the morning the first thing. With a credulity worth a darky mam my, if their sieep baa been visited with unusual visions, they seize this volume as soon as tbeir eyea are fairly opened and look for an explanation. If misfor tune la foretold by It the seeker after knowledge assumes, a bravado she Is far from feeling. "I don't care," she says to herself, by way of bolstering up her courage, "I'm not superstitious anyway, and I don't believe In such arrant nonsense." But she's nervous Just the same, for a cou ple of days, until other troubles have driven this mythical one out of her mind. There's one young woman known to the writer who never dreams of a young child without -shivering and shaking for dayi after, In fear of some dreadful thing happening to her. She has not consulted a dreambook on the subject, and so she doesn't know how infants and bad luck became connected In her mind, but nevertheless, after site's had a visitant of this sort while sleeping, she says prayers of unusual length and then makes up her mind to be patient under afflictions sore. She's an Intelligent woman, mind you, but she doesn't attempt to explain the terror that besets her at this par ticular dream. She doesn't call herself superstitious, of course no woman does, not even the one who won't walk under a ladder, but her friends do, and make light of her until she exposes some fetich of theirs, when the subject is carefully avoided afterward. Baltimore News. Potatoes as Penwipers, A certain New York hotel uses a bushel of potatoes a year for penwipers on the tables In the writing-rooms. Ev ery morning a large potato Is put In a compartment of the pen box, and after 4 hours the potato Is removed and an other put in. Pens In pen holders are stuck Into the potato half a dozen at a time, giving It the appearance of a porcupine. It Is claimed that a potatc penwiper la the . best preservative against rust and mildew that can be secured for the pens. The women believe a man siould fact every misfortune with cheerfalness, ex cept the death of bis wife. V- Every one la love baa a right to change his or her mind. - ' CUBAN CENSUS REPORTED. Interesting Review Recently Pub lished by I nited State Bureau. It is doubtful whether o complete a census was ever taken in Cuba as that which constituted the fl-st official act of this government. The Anierl can flag had no sooner been raised over Havana than preparation for the ta& !nz of the census began. la the reor ganization of . the government upon the practical working basis this was con- siaereu a most necessary uegiuiuus. J The United States officers had but ' perfunctory report of the conditions of Cnba. and Its people, whose needs were but Indirectly understood. one knew the numbers or social conditions i of the people for whom the new gov' rnment was to be formed, and wlthoutattests the consent of the bride, and the these facts the Intelligent conduct of the work could not be executed, One of the first acts which Impressed ihe Cubans with the sincerity of this country s promises was the appoint- ment of Cubans for this first work to be undertaken. It was a natural and eorrect supposition that the Cubans tould conduct the census taking with CENSUS ENUMERATORS OF HAVANA. tetter success than could foreigners The Cuban census taker could exolaln the purpose 0f his work to the people, Ind, moreover, he could explain the purpose and promises of the new gov ernment, which was most advisable, There was need that the doubt and dis content which prevailed among the more Ignorant Cubans in the presence of the United States armv should be dispelled. The. armearance of the eensiw enumerator mnnr thm nwnk eDed In them a trust in the nevv eovern- raent, particularly since the enumera tor had been chosen from among them- Selves. J Begun in the early part of September, the actual work of the census takin m. eomniet rw, 01 ft, .nm. ators discharged with the close of the Tear. The sunervlsors. together with their records, wow taken tn Within. ton. where rhev worked until th fol iowinj, April, overseelmr the conmlla tlon of reports in the United States census bureau. When they were re turned to their 'own country In the late spring they were highly compli mented by the directors of census upon their efficient and faithful service. The government report on the cen sus of Cuba for 1899 occupies a bulky volume which will prove most enter taining reading for anyone Inter ested in the little Island of which It treats. There are reports from ev ery one of the home Industries, of the A mHpllltlirnl rfavnlrmmont a rwl nnoriVillf. I -v-.WJ-wu. tIe8 of thft em.n.v flTlrt nt mllrao nf 1 " the social, mlncationnl find mnrnl stnnd. nst 0r the neonle. Ti ehnnter devote to citizenship is interesting as giving a correct statement concerning the rcla tIon of foreign to native population of tue island. The report reads I- . . . . "O'f the-population, of Cuba, 89 per " Cuba's serrkndkittree. Hlstorto point near San Juan Hill, where nego uatioui wnn trie gpanlsa were concluded. cent were born on the island and 8 per cent In Spain and only 3 per cent In other countries. Those born In Cuba of course Included not only na tive whites, but negroes and mixed bloods. The proportion was greatest in Santiago, where it reached 95 per cent and was least In Havana, where only a little over three-fourths of the Inhabitants were native born. Three- fourths of the foreign born were of Spanish birth. The proportion of those born in Spain was naturally greatest In the city of Havana, where it reached nearly 20 per cent of all the inhabit ants, and was least in the province of Santiago. "In the matter of citizenship, 83 per cent claimed Cuban citizenship, only 1 pe cent the protection of Spain, while Ik per -cent were, at the time of the censns, In suspense, not having declar ed their intentions. The purest Cuban citizenship was found in the province of Santiago, where 91.7 per cent of the Inhabitants claimed to be citizens of Cuba: On the other hand. In the city of Havana only 64.2 per cent were Cuban citizens. It Is interesting to note that In the city of Havana only 5.3 per cent claimed citizenship other than Cuban or Spanish, while in the province of Havana 11.6 per cent were found In this class." MARRIAGE IN TURKEY. - Fafegnards Thrown Aronud the Rlghta of a Moslem Woman. Among the Turks marriage Is a strictly civil act, the validity cf which consists In being attested by at least two witnesses; and although an Imam, or priest. Is usually present at the sign ing of the contract It is rather in his legal than In his religious capacity. The civil ceremony Is very simple. The bridegroom and bis witnesses repair to the hocli of the bridi, in the selamlik. 381 or public apartments, of which her mala relatives discuss with them the amount ef the nekiah the dower payable by the husband or his executors to the wife, should she be divorced by or sur vive him. This question settled, and the docu- . . ., ment arawn up, uie u.wesi'jj-' repeats hi3 dcsl.e to marry the daugb - ter of So-and-so, upon which the imam proceeds to the door of communication with the haremllk, behind which toe Dricie ana uer remme reiuuv . sembled; and, after declaring the amount of nekiah agreed upon, this functionary asks the maiden If she ac cepts such at one for her husband. When the question and the affirmative answer have been thrice repeated, the imam returns to the selamlik, where he parties are considered to be now legally married. The couple do not however . meet un ui me couciuH.on o uie u " or week of wedding- fes JvlUe , .nd ceremonies, which may not be held for some months afterward. These enter tainments, to which all friends and ac quaintances are Invited, and at which the poor of the neighborhood are also feasted, constitute the social sanction of the family alliance entered Into In private. For should the girl's assent be suspected of having been obtained by force or fraud, and the match Is considered unsuitable,' public disap proval would very properly be shown by refusal to take part In the wedding rejoicings. And even when all these formalities are at an end. and the bride has been conducted with much pomp to her new home If the spouse chosen for her by ber parents or guardians Is not altogether a persona grata to herself, she may still refuse to accept him as her husband. For, according to an Oriental custom of great antiquity, 'a newly-wedded husband can assume no rights over his wife until she has spok en to him. The possession by a Moslem woman of such personal and proprietary rights Is rendered necessary by the facilities for divorce accorded by law to a Mos lem man. For a husband has but to say to his wife In a moment of anger. "Cover thy face, thy nekiah Is In thine A MOSLEM MATRON. hand!" when she ceases to be his wife and must leave his roof forthwith, tak ing with her bag and baggage. In prac tice, however, various obstacles to di vorce, religious, social and pecuniary, offer themselves. The husband seWi: s, for Instance, the ready cash with which to pay the promised dower; con siderable social odium attaches to such a proceeding; a man who without Just and serious cause repudiates a wife does not easily obtain a second, and added to these considerations there Is the religious censure contained In the words of the prophet, "The nurse of Allah rests upon him who capriclousl repudiates his wife." If, however, tht wife, without adequate cause and con trary to the desire of her husband, so licits a divorce, she obtains It only by foregoing her nekiah. Verbs from Proper Names. we say "to mesmerize," "to eal- vanize," 'to guillotine," 'to macadam Ize," "to gerrymander," "to mercer ize, a verb or recent Invention. If the neroes or tiomeric epochs were real personsr we may a"3d "to hector" and "to pander." Famphylla, a Greek ladv who compiled a history of the world In thlrty-flve little books, has given her name to "pamphlet" and "to pamphle teer." "To pasquinade" Is due to Pas- quino, a cobbler at Home, in whose ugly race tne uomans detected a reseni mance to tne statue of an ancient gladiator which was erected near the Piazza Navona, on 'whose pedestal it was tne practice to post lampoons. "To sandwich" is derived Indirectly from the Earl of Sandwich, who Invented a repast W'hlch enabled him to dispense with regular meals when at cards. London Notes and Queries. Helios of Irish Lake Dwellers. ' An Interesting relic of the lake dwell ers of Ireland has Just been added to the Science and Art Museum of Dub Un In the form of a crannog, or ele vated dwelling. It was discovered in a bog-filled lake near Ennlsklllen and measures over 100 feet in diameter. On removing the peat the piles of platform timbers were laid bare. The piling and cross-timbering were admirably done, uninmmea Dircn trees iieing chieflv used for crosslaying,- while oak was used for the stouter piles. A laree quantity of broken pottery was found in It besides an iron ax of earlv form a fragment of a comb and some bronze harp pegs. Co-operative Railways tn Australia. Mctona, Australia, has built seven local railways on the co-operative rHn. clple. The railways were estimated for Dy contract at fo47,908, but by work ing the co-operative principle they were compierea ror i.'oiii. Gigantic Pooketbooke. The Swedes and Norgewians carrv their loose cash In immense pocket books; some of these have been In use for two or three generations, and con tain almost enough leather to make a pair of. boots. Canada's Increasing Exports. The exports of butter, cheese, eees. bacon, hams, mutton, pork, apples. oats, peas, wheat flour and potatoes to Great Britain from Canada has more than doubled since 1S96. -Most colored people never feel hard up unless there Is- a minstrel show In removals were postponed until the fol town, and they are shy the price of a lowing day, when they wete accom ticket inlished without n r,-..ii j . A man Is never old until he bezins to look as If be had neglected to bath and shave. HAD A ROUGH EXPERIENCE. Convinced the Jiidne that Sane Me Might Be Bent to on Asylum. M. H. Cbetwynd, of Philadelphia, In commenting on a recent case where a sane person was released by the courts ci-rtm nn svlum where he had been II- "v ' iegaHy confined, told tne ronowiug , tory; About twenty years ago a law- jyer Qf promnence got nt0 a contro- . yergy on thJg yery po-nt wtQ nn equaily I well.known judge. The lawyer main- MneA that it was the easiest thing in i " ... . ,,i l me worm IO gel a suue jiciouu v.v..u-- la an asylum. The Judge, while admit ting that It might be possible, held that It would be very difficult and that the difficulties would Increase in pro portion to the position in society of the Intended victim.. 'A person's standing in the community presents no obstacle,' said the lawyer. 'Why,' turning sud- denly to his companion, 'I could even - , '. lf 1 , t , .Non8enie . answered the at m ' 6 ,...,, absurdity of the Idea aud the discussion for the nonce was dropped. "It occurred on a railroad train, which, stopping a short time later at a station, the lawyer suggested to the Judge that they stretch their legs on the platform. They bad not got ten feet from the train when the. lawyer suddenly hurled himself upon the Judge and at the same time cried aloud for help. A half dozen bystanders rushed to the lawyer's aid, and before the Judge realized what had happeued he was held by a dozen hands. 'All right thank you,' said the lawyer to the men who had come to his aid. Tie his bands behind bis back, for he's dangerous. This was-too much for the Judge. 'I'm Judge So-and-So,' he began with digni ty, 'and this outrage ' Just, then he felt a rope on his wrist and his self- possession deserted him and be falrlj raved at the Indignities that were being heaped upon him. He resorted to Ian guage not usually heard from the bench or employed by the Judiciary. But tht more he said the less effect it seemed to have on his captors. "Finally he paused for breath and tht lawyer In a quiet voice said; 'Are yot satisfied now that I was right in tht argument?' 'Satisfied!' began the Judge, hysterically, 'satisfied!' But he got no further. 'Yes, d n you!' was the man ner In which he lowered his colors. "A few words and Judiciously dlstrlb uted coins among his captors by the lawyer released the Judge and enabled him to get upon the train Just as the conductor called 'All aboard!1 "In the town where they had stopped was the State lunatic asylum and the advent of lunatics was a part of the town's dally routine. Hence the alac rlty with which the Judge was seized 'But It was a pretty rough object les son,' he complained when he had recov ered sufficient equanimity to enter Into conversation with his companion. 'Per haps, but it proved what I said,' was the reply, 'and who knows but tha some day It may prove of great value to you and enable you from that ex perlence to prevent or else to right a great wrong.'. The Judge made no re ply, but lost himself in thought." Mud Mountain. The principal railroad of Costa Rica now but 117 miles long, Is Just being ixtended to reach from San Jose to the Pacific coast. The general manager of the road, in speaking of the enterprise recently, saia: "There Is one place on the road which has given the engineers a great deal of trouble, and which has cost mam thousands of dollars every year since the road was built. This place is about forty-five miles from Port Limon, and is called Blueuud. For about 600 feet the track runs along a ledge on the side 3t a mountain, with the River Reventa Zon below. The mountain Is composed tf a bluish clay, which turns Into mud auring the rainy season and keeps con stantly sliding dewn on the tracks. We have to keep a big gang of men at work day and night cleaning the road of this blue mud, and when the rains ire very heavy the traffic has to be sus pended. In July so much of the mud slid down over the roadbed that we could not run trains there for three weeks. "To add ts the difficulty there Js a lane oacK or tne mountain, and the water from this lake percolates through the mountain and keeps it constantly wet The lake was drained by the en llneers, but they. discovered that it was fed by springs, and still the mountain was kept In a wet state and the mud kept sliding down over the tracks. At last they obtained what Is known In the mining region of California as a nyaraullc giant, and which throws a very powerful stream of water with great force. They rigged up this hy draulic giant and when I left Costa Rica they were actually washing the mountain away with it Into the river." Friday Superstition. A row of paupers' houses, verv neativ uesigneo, nas just been erected at Ahnaracle, Mr. Rudd", of Ardnamur- cuun, naving advanced a considerable sum for building purposes to the parish council on easy terms. Accommodation is provided for ten persons. A few days ago H. MaePherson, inspector ot poor, visited Aharacle in order to su perintend the removal of the ten select ed female paupers to the new cottages. They all occupied houses which were In a wretched stateof disrepair, yet each of them resolutely and peremptorily re- rusea to "nit," in vain did the Insnec- tor dilate on the Increased comfort and conveniences to be injoyed in the new dwellings. The aged dames were' in vincibly proof against all argument nor did threats of compulsion and sher iff's warrants have any terror for them. At length it was elicited that the dis inclination to remove was based simply on superstition. The day of the week happened to be Friday; and It aDnears that to change quarters on that particu lar oay constitutes a gross and wanton, violation of all the canons eoverninir highland "flitting." On discovering that the perversity manifested by the oTO womeu was mainly attributable to "conscientious scrunles ' at once Agreed to humor them La m, "i'pi-'-'H iuu ur ue- mur - Edinburn Scotsman. The real proof of the pudding is In the Doasession thereof OLDEST MAN IN THE WORIdT Moah Raby Has Lived One Hnnri I nnd Twentyelfcht Yeare, " I in the possession of all his faculties practically unimpaired, there lives man In the poorbouse at 1'lalufleld, N J., who has seen 128 winters !..' '- .... ., aoa go. -uncie - xsoan Kaby enjoys th distinction of being the oldest man In the United States. Not far behind him in pot 0f years Is Mrs. Nancy n0m Held of Ellenboro, N. C, who has react ed the age of 117. Mr. Raby lg to be the oldest man in America, if not in the world. He has been for thi. year an Inmate of the New Jersey a. stltutlon, and seems contented with hli lot. Noah Raby was born In Eatonton, Gates County, N. C, in 1773. Ills motll. er was a native of North Carolina, but his father, Andrew Bass, was aa la. d1an. Though the blood of an aborif ine is In his veins, Raby's skin Is per fectly white. Plscataway's poor farm Is situated UNCLE N0A1I RABV. about four miles from New Market, Id the Stelton highway. When a cor respondent 'called at the farm "Uncle Noah," as he Is familiarly called, was In his accustomed place In the sitting room, quietly dozing in a large high back rocker, Where he always sleeps. He never goes to bed, fearing a rush of blood to his head might prove fatal. He Is almost totally blind, but Is in full possession of his other faculties and seems to enjoy life. "Uncle Noah" smdkes almost inces santly. On pleasant days In the sum mer months he gropes his way about the dooryard and mingles with the male Inmates. His thin, gray, almost snow-white, hair and h'ls bent figure denote his great age, though his mus cles are firm and he appears quite ac tive. ' . He has a remarkably clear intellect and his mind is retentive on nearly all subjects. The most noticeable thing about the old man Is his slight frame. He is quite thin, weighing less than 100 pounds. ' .The population of the . earth duiiulei itself In 200 years. Prof. Lloyd Morgan, In a recent ad dress, stated that he had found that young chickens, taken straight from the Incubator, could swim very well, the power of swimming being perfectly In stinctive. As seen from the moon, the earth would appear four times greater in diameter and thirteen times wider In surface than the. moon does to us. The Illumination of the earth Is fourteen times greater on the moon than that of the moon on the earth. The oldest public building . tn New York City is St. Paul's Chapel, at the corner of Broadway and Fulton street It was built in 1700, ten years before the Declaration -of Independence. For some years Gen. Washington was a reg vlar attendant of the church, and his pew Is still pointed out tQ visitors. The people of the Southern Ap palachian mountains number about two million, their descent being from the Scotch Irish, French Huguenots, Eng lish and Gcman. They have been In these mountains since long before tha revolution. They love their homes and mingle but little with the outside world. A frequent cause of the oillness on the oufslde of lamps Is that the wick is kept too high when unlighted. It should be remembered that the wick draws the oil to the surface, and if It projects too far above the burner, it will soon accumulate oil there, which will find its way slowly over the out side. Saxon makers of needles drove En gland out of Brazil by wrapping theit goods In pink paper instead of black. Other Germans are catering to the fondness ot Russians for red in their dress. France recently learned how distasteful green Is to a Chinaman, but It cost a godd. deal of money to make the discovery. - , A Thoughtful Professor. "Johnny found a half-dollar to-day andr-bongfit a pound of chocolates. Wasn't .he lucky?" asked the wife of the cranky, analytical professor. "Lucky?" answered thr professor, lowly. "Let us see.1 He has now cre ated an appetite for chocolates. There is not one chance In a million that he will again find enough money to pur chase "another pound. His former ap petite for gumdrbps and cheap candles is now gone. He will turn from them with scorn, yet will not possess enough money to buy chocolates. Would you call him lucky? Alwavs remember, madam, that we are happy with the simple things until we taste the rich and grand. Tell the cook, when you go down, to not serve any more health foods to-day, as I am feeling unwell and need a change of diet" Indianap olis Sun. , " Two Creeds In One Church. In the -city of Heidelberg, Germany, there Is a church called the Church of the Holy Ghost which Is unique in Its way, being, the only church in the world in which the Protestant and Catholic services are held at the same time, a partition wall through the cen ter separating the two congregations. - Doctors in China. A Chinese doctor's fee Is perhaps tha smallest In the world, ranging from 2d to 6d, but this can be accounted for by the fact that any. one can practlct as doctor or physician.