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About The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1901)
g) ( db jfieans TRATHMORE'S striker was a superior article In every way. Ills respect for constituted autliority was as un-American as his face. He was tall and fliie-looklng, his English was quite as polished as Strathuiore's own; aud-whlch was of infinitely more Im portance he never touched whisky and cigars, nor went on a pay-day spree. So Strathmore felt himself Justified In sup posing that he had murdered, or stolen, or forged, or something, at one time or another, and he shrewdly guessed that Chester was not his real name. But that was no ones concern, that he could see, and everybody knows that enlistment In the army of the United States, even more than baptism, Is a new birth. Throughout the department Stratu more was known by the striker he kept. This had Its disadvantages, but the advantages outweighed. No one could nave sreallzed this better than Strathmore himself, aud yet sometimes he was moved In the bosom of the uiosh, to complain. "It Is telling on me," he would Insist; "I am slowly breaking down under the strain. I came across something In a Freiieh book the other day about how few masters are worthy to be valets. That's what I am striving to be, aud tho failure Is telling upon me. They used to," he explained complacently, "they used to say when my name was mentioned from Dan to Reersheba 'Strathmore, Strathmore of the 'steeuth. Big, good looking chap' " (Strathmore had picked up Chester's manner of speech), " 'one of the Strath mores of Boston, Isn't be if' Now It's 'Strathmore? That's the chap Chester's striking for?' Oh! yes; I think I'll send Chester back to the troop." Which, of course, he never did. Apart from the fact that he could never have done without him, he could not have had the heart. Chester had been as good a soldier as he was a striker, but he had languished under barrack rule. Exactly for the reason that he never said so, it was plain that he had been used to better things. It was so plain that Strathmore would never have thought of suggesting to him to become a body-servant, had not Ches ter himself when a desperado's bullet had left the position vacant volun teered. As a striker Chester had many little luxuries that he had lacked be forehis own room, his own bath-tub, and the run of his master's small but choice library. With the help of dra peries and blankets that Strathmore let him have, aud with that of some potted plants he managed upon his own ac count, he transformed the room luto quite a sybaritic retreat, and his liter ary discrimination was a thing to won der at. He tacked up colored supple ments of the London Christmas papers, and there was a photograph Just one on his mantel-piece. It was of a woman who had soft eyes and hair and a lovely mouth. Strathmore ventured to ask who it was, one day, and Ches ter told him that It was "an English woman, sir." Now, tills was In Texas, In the early days shortly after the war, In the State of the Lone Star's palmiest time. There was much drinking In the laud, and much poker, as well, no pious general having as yet arisen to bid gambling cease. There was also some shooting, but of unattached women there were sadly few, and those that there were, were, generally, not very nice. This condition of affairs led to a good many unfortunate things. Any man prefers even a second-rate woman to none at all, aud any man being deprived of a standard of comparison for a length of time will come to think that an exceed ingly poor article is superior enough, after all. That was what happened to Strath more. lie should have known better, because his youth had been spent among women who were lovely In ev ery way; but the memory of man is short and he was lonesome. There should be provision for this In the reg ulations. When a man gets any of the ills that frontier service is apt to in duce, they bundle hlin off back East on a sick leave; yet when which Is In finitely more prejudicial to the slaudlng of the service he reaches the stage of loneliness where he would marry the Witch of Emlor herself rather than continue to be alone, there is no one to Indorse his application to be sent some where where he can find the proper sort of girl. Strathmore had been In the wilder ness a matter of five years, and he was gradually, very gradually, lapsing from civilization. The first intimation of this that Chester had was that the lieuten ant made unnecessarily frequent calls at a ranch-house some ten miles from the reservation. Chester knew that a girl lived there a dreadful girl, who had a plumply pretty figure and face, but whose speech was a thing to shud der at, aud whose name, besides being Ilalloran, was Mamie Tearle. He also knew that If that were not enough to set Strathuiore's teeth on edge, he must be In a very bad way. All this worried Chester a great deal. Frequent contemplation of his one pho tograph had furnished him with the standard of comparison which Strath more lacked, and he could see what the outcome of things as they were going was bouud to be. He explained It to the photograph, standing before the mantel piece with his hands Jammed deep In his trousers pockets and a pucker on his brow, which was fair to the H'e of the cap and quite crimson from there down. "If he marries that freckled-face Ilalloran girl," he said, "he'll want to shoot himself and her the first time he goes East" Chester cherished a cynical kind of regret that lie hadn't done as much himself some time before "or he'll compromise and take to drink instead. No," he nodded his head decisively, "he shall not marry Mamie Pearle, not" he looked at the picture a long time "not If I have to marry her myself. Which heaven fore feud:" The next afternoon he fnnd Strath more In the sitting-room aUd proffered ana tne na. $ a most unprecedented request. "I shall like, sir," he said, "to be given a fur lough for a week." Strathmore consid ered and frowned. "What'll become of me, Chester?" he asked plaintively; "what w ill I do?" "O'Toole has promised to take my place, sir. He was Captain Lucy's striker for several years, and he knows his duties, sir." Strathmore sighed. "Very good," he agreed, with sutllclently poor grace, "1 expect I'll make out somehow. Tut In your application with the morning re port." Chester went away, feeling contemp tible and small, anil Strathmore sat and reflected dismally that It was emergen cies of this sort that drove a man to matrimony. He ought to have realized that when a man marries because he thinks the woman can be of use to him, rather than he to her, he Is mnklng a grave mistake. But he fancied the vaguo dissatisfaction with his present lot was the yearning of affection, and believed more than ever that he eared for Miss Ilalloran quite a creditable deal. -Before Chester left the next day he stood in front of the photograph again. "She'll wear curl-papers and his forage-cap and cape," he reflected aloud. That was his notion of the point beyond which vulgarity could not go. "It's a devilish contemptible business, I know It Is. But then my future's all behind me; and his is all ahead. He's only a boy. He has all sorts of pull" what a striker does not know about his master is not worth considering at all "he will be able to get anything he asks for In Washington. Not," he mused, "that the American army offers much for a young man Just now. But he can get all It can give. If he behaves him self and marries the right kind or bet ter yet, doesn't marry at all he may rise to the soaring height of an attache ship. All things are possible with pull." He stopped and bent down to knock the ashes from his brier-pipe into the fire-place. Then he took the photograph In his hand and started to put It In the grip that lay on his bunk. But he changed his mind and tucked It Into the tray of his trunk instead. And he gave It a last look as he closed down the lid. "In which case," he finished, as he turned the key, "he would be very likely to meet you." A hunting leave Is only a week long. But a great deal can happen In a week to a soldier who has cut loose aud Is ac countable to no one, or to a lieutenant madly determined to become Just the other way. What happened to Strath more was, In sum, this: The day after O'Toole took charge he rode over to the Ilalloran ranch, and when he came back he was engaged Jo marry Mamie Pearle. When It was doue aud he sat down to think, he found that he was not radiantly happy as he had expected to be. But the way the slttlug-room had been dusted that morning had disgusted him, once and for all, with single life. The next day he was officer of the day and couldu't leave the post. The day after that he had a cold which he had caught making his rounds, aud it confined him to the house. As for Chester, the way he put In his time never did become quite clear. But for a period of six days there was a strange Englishman In a town some fif teen miles the other side of the Ilallor an ranch; some twenty-five miles that Is, or more, from the post. It was a mud town, aud Its hotel was as bad as Its reputation, but the Englishman stayed there. He wore a conspicuous suit of clothes, aud spent money osten tatiously. He let It be understood that his name was Lovatt, and that he was a lord; also, that he was traveling through the West, and might, If he fan cied the country, buy a ranch. It was probably with that end In view that he rode almost at once to the Ilalloran place and explained to the hacleudado that he would like to be shown how a ranch was run. He met Miss Ilalloran, and her father told him that she was engaged to a lieutenant at the neigh boring post, but that a severe cold was confining the officer to his house. He expressed a wish that Lovntt might meet the lieutenaut some day, and Lovatt hoped that he would. It was possibly In this hope that he called at the ranch for six successive days, but always had he known It at an hour when It was quite unlikely that any one would be coming over from the post. After that they saw him no more. On the evenlug of the seventh day Chester was In charge of Strathuiore's quarters again. Strathmore was recov ering from the cold, and he told Ches ter that he had missed him. profanely much. Everything had gone wrong. He asked what the striker had been doing with his time. Chester threw an armful of wood up on the fire, and stood up, brushing the chips from his sleeve. "Well, sir," he answered, "I have been getting en gaged." Strathuiore's jaw fell. That meant that he would have to hunt up a new striker, of course. Then he remem bered Mamie Pearle. "That's rather a coincidence, Chester; so have I." Chester's congratulation was respect ful, but not so cordial as It might have been. "I shall ask your permission and the captain's to marry, sir," he said. Strathmore accorded his own. "But I shall be sorry to lose you, Chester, very sorry. What Is the girl's name?" Chester grew red all over his nice, boyish face. He was finding out that saving another Is not all heroism, nec essarily. He produced a piece of paper from his pocket a piece of flimsy, ruled, pink paper stamped with a white dove. Strathmore gave a little start. But Chester was doing this because he thought it best to deal the final blow at once, not to mince matters In the least, and he did not hesitate. He smoothed out the sheet. "That's the name, sir," he said. Strathmore read It. It was Mamie Pearle. "The last name," Chester explained, "Is Ilalloran. She's the daughter of UaUorar ef the ranch." "Oh!" said Strathmore, dryly, nis eye had caught a misspelled assurance of enduring love. "Ob!" he repeated; "and may I ask If she knows who you are?" Chester grew more red st 11. "Well" he reflected that au entirely honest Intent could ueer be prefixed by that Yankee word "well, sir, I began by letting her think that my name was Lovatt part of It really Is, sir and that I was titled and rich which I am not but" lie plucked up courage as he went on "If she loves me, of course It will be all right." Strathmore handed him back the note. "And If she doesn't." "It-It will still be a 1 right." Strathmore did not try to understand. His opinion of Chester had fallen very low. As for his opinion of Mamie Pearle he realized, suddenly, that It had not dropped half so far. It was almost reiivat. on the follow ing day, when lie took to Chester's room a bundle of London papers that had just come by the stage. He cast a quick look around. "1 see you've got the photograph of the girl out again," he commented. Chester nodded, but added, with the faintest shadow on his face: "She's a married woman, sir." "Yes?" said Strathmore, and turned to leave the room. "Oh, lieutenant!" Chester called. Strathmore stopped. "I thought you might like to know, sir, that I'm not engaged any more." For a full half-minute Slrathmore looked luto the Englishman's Impene trable blue eyes; then there came a twinkle In his own. "It seems to be another coincidence, Chester," he said, quietly, "for neither am I." Argonaut. BABY ALLIGATORS. They Are Hatched Out in Job Lota in Kteam-Heated hand. I'p In the reptile-house of the Bronx zoo something unique In the way of a hatching of young alligators was on ex hibition yesterday, aud will be to-day just as long as the supply of saurian eggs holds out The young 'gators were being turned out In Job lots In a large, glass-luclosed, steam-heated cage in the northwest cor ner of the main reptile-room. The floor Is covered with warm sand, In which several dozens of alligator eggs are huddled. The eggs are about seven Inches long, oblong In shape, and of a dingy, leathery white color. About the center of the cage Is a large shallow pan full of water, sunk to the level of the floor. In and aliout the pan are several dozen young alligators, from six Inches up to ten in length, scram bling about, climbing all over each other, splashing about In the water, and seemingly happy and contented. The baby 'gators are bright blue, green, and black spotted In color. In general color and appearance they look more like lizards than anything else. The hntchlng process Is quite Inter esting. Every now and then an egg will begin to squirm and roll about. One, end works more actively than the other and swells up like a mushroom head. Then It cracks aud spreads out from the slit, through which a little long pointed muzzle begins to work out. A lot of energetic wriggling, which flops the eggs about In all directions, sets the youngster free. Out he pops, and after a shake or two, by some wonderful In stinct of nature, away scuttles tho in fant to the pan of water. Into which it plunges without any fear. Alligator, Jr., splashes about a while, and then joins his brothers and sisters, following the universal alligator habit of crawling on top of as many of his relations as he can and resting his head on the nearest buck. Mrs. Alligator was not present at the hatching. Alligator experts say that after she has laid the eggs her part of the manufacture of young 'gators Is finished. She pays no more attention then to them, and confines herself. In the South, to lying low In the swamps, waiting for dogs, pigs, or tender young colored Infants to wander her way. As to Alligator pere, those same experts assert that If there Is one thing he likes better than another It Is young alli gator fresh from the shell, without any dressing. He Is said to swallow them up by the dozen, and then complain be cause there nre no more. New York Mail and Express. LAW AS INTERPRETED. Annual crops raised by labor on land helu by a tenant for life are held, in Noble vs. Tyler (0.), 48 L. H. A. 735. to be assets of the estate, whether severed or not at the time of his death. Bight of a stockholder to Inspect books of the corporation Is held, In Cin cinnati Volksblatt Company vs. Hoff meister ((.), 48 L. U. A. ":(2, uot to de pend upon the motive or purpose of the stockholder. Lack of barriers on the side of ap proaches to a bridge Is held, In Bell vs. Wayne (Wash.), 48 L. K. A. 044, not sufficient to make a municipality liable for Injuries in case a team goes off the bunk when the roadway Is wide enough for two teams to pass without difficulty and the fright of a horse was the proxi mate cause of the accident. A will which consists of four pages In one sheet folded lengthwise down the middle is held, In re Andrews (N. Y.), 48 L. It. A. 0(12, not to be subscribed at the end as required by statute, where the signature Is on the second page after a portion of the will, while there is another portion on the third page without anything to connect It with that part which Is above the signature. A camp-meeting association which has made perpetual leases of cottages on Its grounds without any restrictions, except that they nre "subject to such rules and regulations us the association may from time to tlie adopt," and which also owns a store on the grounds which It has leased for a rental. Is held. In Northport Wesley an Grove Camp Meeting Association vs. Perkins (Me.), 48 L. K. A. 272, to have no power to Im pose a revenue tax on the business of taking orders for fruit, groceries and provisions from cottagers upon the grounds of the association. Similitude. Jackson The baby's getting more like Its mother every day. Johnson That so? Jackson Yes; It's learning to talk. Indianapolis Sua. HUMOli OF THE WEEK STORIES TOLD BY FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS. ! Odd, Corloua and Lnughabl Phaae of Human Nature Graphically Por trayed by Eminent Word Art lot of Our Own Iay-A Budget of Fun, Mr. Freeborn Jackson Wbah yoh fwine name Mm, Laurella? Mrs. Jackson Anyfing yoh lalkes. Anyflug, 'cept Alius. Ise noticed boys o' that name nevah come to no good. I They're alus- In the police co't Brook- lyu Life. I Evened It Up. J "Junson has developed into a con I firmed kicker, but his wife can handle ; him every time. He kicked last night because his dinner was cold." "What was his wife's play?" "She made it hot for him." Brook lyn Life. In a Pre llcnment. Mrs. Fly My goodness! See those clouds coming! It's going to rain, sure, and I forgot my rubbers New Y'ork Journal. Her Dilemma. Clara How did you come to accept Mr. Saphead? Dora I had to. He proposed to me I In a canoe aud he got so ngltated I was airaid wed upset New lork weekly. Had Him, "No, young man," said the solemn and aphorlsnilo person, "can succeed by keeping his eye on the clock." "How about the wntchmakor?" asked the Impudent person. Indianapolis Tress. Ahent-M Inile I. "Harry, yesterday was our wedding anniversary and you never said a word about it." "Well, my dear, I felt It In my bones that It was some sort of a big day, but I couldn't remember what it was." Indianapolis Journal. W hat He Iid. Kentucklan He called me a liar, sir. New Yorker And what did you do? Kentucklan I went to the funeral. Detroit Free Press. Not So Bad. "I'm afraid I made a blunder this morning," said Mr. Meekton. "Henri etta asked me who, In my opinion, had written the greatest poetry In the Eng lish language?" "What did you say?" "I said 'Mother Goose.' You see, she was the only lady poetry writer I could think of just at the moment." Wash ington Star. Cruet. "My eyes are no longer like stars to you, I suppose?" she exclaimed during a heated conversation with her pre sumed lord and master. "Well, suppose you go away about 100,000,000 miles and I'll take a look at them and decide," suggested the cruel, unfeeling man. Baltimore American. Usual Excuce. Mother Johnnie, your face Is very clean, but how did you get such dirty bands? , Johnnie Washlu' me face. Tit-Bits. Very Familiar. Housekeeper Go away from here; you don't know what work Is. Tramp Well, madam, permit me to remark that I've looked at It long enough to be able to recognize It. Perplexing. "Strange strange strange I Before my wife went to the country I never could find the latchkey before I went out. Now that she's away I can't ever find It after I've been out." Meggen doerfer's Blaetter. Variation of the Loot. "That friend of mine In the British ' army sent me a keg of Chinese wine that he looted In Pekin. The stuff was half water." , "Evidently diluted." Cleveland Plain Dealer. Not So B id. Mike 'opening his pay envelope) Faith, I. .t's the stingiest man I ever worked for. Pat Phwafs the matther wld ye; djdn't ye git as much as ye Ixplcted? Mike YIs, but I was countin' on Kit tin' more than I Ixplcted. Philadelphia Tress. Extenuating: Circ ante tan ceo. Tenderfoot Did you folks lynch the man who stole that automobile here last week? Cactus Charley Nope. We intended to, but an Investlgatin' committee made some experyments an' concluded that the ottymobul stoled the thief. Instead of the thief glttin' away with It Bal timore American. f jMm 0 liiitct, A ,1-ycar-old buy went with his n!h er to make a call. The lady of tht house, who was toud of children, told him she mean to ask his tno:Ler to let her have him. "Don't you think yonr mother would let me buy you?" she askeU. "No, ma'am," nnsweied the little fel low, "you haven't got money enough.' "How much would It take?" she con tluued. "Three hundred dollars," said the boy promptly, as If that would settle the matter at once for all. 'Oh, well, then," said the woman, "1 think I can manage It. If I cun will you come and stay with me?" "No, ina'ain." he said with decision. "Mamma wouldn't sell me anyhow. There are five of us and maniniu would not like to break the set. Buffalo Enquirer. Ponton liietion. Teacher (of English) Michael, when I have finished you may repent what I have read In your own words. "See the cow. Isn't she a pretty cow? Can the cow run? Yes, the cow can run Can she run as fast ns the horse? No, she cannot run ns fust ns the horse.' Future Mayor (of Boston) Git on to de cow. Ain't she a beaut? Kin tie cow git a gait on her? Sure. Kin de cow hump It wld de horse? Nit de cow ain't In It wld de horse. Judge, Better than Mother's. "These aren't the kind of biscuits my mother used to make," he said. "Oh, George!" she faltered, on the verge of tears. "Well, they're not," he repealed em phatically. "They're enough sight bet ter." And then the sun came out again-Philadelphia Evening Bulle'lu. Nee led Exercise. Doctor You need more exercise. Indisposed Why, I'm steadily en gnged In painting houses, uow. Dotor Working by the day, I ex pect? Iudlsposed Yes. Doctor Well, you'd lietter work by the piece for a while. Tit Bits. Flockinit to the Fray. Church I see by the paper that thir ty-nine doctors arrived home recently from Europe on one steamer. Gotham Yes; you see, the football season has opened in this country Youkers Statesman. Fomethinn (ioo.l to Fat. Mr. Heavyman What Is your Idea of heaven, Miss Daisy? She (wearily) Where one can get a good dinner without money and with out price! Life. Declined with Thank. Little Boy What do you want? Tramp I duniio. What yer got? Little Boy Mumps. Wide Awake. Bliggs That medium doesn't know a thing when she Is In a trance. Griggs Oh, yes she does. Biiggs What makes you think so? Griggs Because the other day I tried to steal away In the middle of one without paying. Detroit Free Press. No Originality. Great Author Waiter, this steak is as tough as leather. Waiter I've always heard you was an original character, sir; but I'm hanged If you don't jist say the same as all on 'em do! Harlem Life. At way in On-. Grimes Is your wife fond of pets? Haruiu I should say she was. She Is almost always In one. Boston Tran script Far n He Could. "Ah!" she said, "if I were to die would " "Hush!" he protested, shuddering. "Nay, love, I must know" her warm breath swept his cheek "would you follow me to the grave?" "How can I tell?" lie said, frankly. "Might not your family decide to have the Interment private?" Philadelphia Press. Ftand Oft. He But I still don't dare to confess to your father the extent of my debts. She What cowards you men are! Papa is also afraid to tell you about his debts.-Heitere Welt. In Old Mig.onrl. Colonel Peppah I believe In votin' early an' often, sab. Colonel Redeye I don't suh. It's too much trouble to rote early, an' It's a waste o' time to vote often. I prerer to check In a good big bundle o' ballots ail to once an' hev yer duty over with. Judge. Harmony in Nature. Naturalists say that when examined minutely with a microscope It will be found that no creature or object in na ture Is positively ugly; that there Is a certain harmony or symmetry of parts that renders the whole agreeable rather than the reverse. So the most disagree able bisks in life, when viewed in their proper proportions, reveal a poetic, an attractive, side hltherto'nndreamed of. Turn on the sunlight of good cheer, the determination to see the blight as well as the daik side, and you will find some thing pleasant, even in the most dread ed task. Japs Make Good Clerks. Many Japanese clerks are being em ployed in London stores. They are cleanly and courteous and give satisfac tion. Many are also employed by man ufacturers, but these are not so satis factory to their employers,- who say they waste material and give more time to studying English than they do to learning their trades. A divorce suit makes an appropriate traveling dress. ONLY ONE TRAIN BOY SOLE REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS CLASS IN ALASKA. Cundy Butcher on the Klondike Lim ited Doe Not Need to Vig Ool Eno moua Price Given .or Every thing lie IIu to Bell. The old query as to whether or not you would like to be the iceman whl be rapidly forgotten us soon as song writers and bulludists learn ubout the train boy In Alaska. There Is a tialu boy lu Alaska. Just one. Or rather there was a few weeks ago, but by this time he may be somewhere lu the Med iterranean on his private yacht blowing rlugd from his fsj-ceut cigars, aud swearing at his ."i,Kio-a-year sailing master because he cun hot whistle up a breeze. Think of being the only train boy on a railroad that brings miners with thousands of dollars' w orth of gold out of the greatest mining camp lu the world. There Is ouly one railroad to Alaska that Is the White 1'uss and Yukon Railroad. On that railroad there is a train called the Klondike Limited. The Klondike Limited! Isn't the sound of that name enough to make a common candy butcher on the run be tween Peoria uud Lafayette, Ind., stick his head luto his basket of salted pea nuts and strangle himself to death? For there Is a trainboy oil the Klondike Limited. On the Klondike Limited, that brings prospectors and miners and adventurers weighted down with gold en nuggets back to tho Slates civiliza tion, uud the gills they left beliiud them, there Is a candy buicher. Aud all these prospectors uud miners and adventurers on this Klond ke Limited are bubbling over with Joy that the days of their exile are over, and that soon they will he buck to their boyhood homes again. Think of turning loose a cundy butcher In such a crowd as that. To quote another popular song, ' It iccms like a shame to take the money." The trainboy on the Klondike Limit ed, like his brothers on the Kenosha lo cal, deals In peanuts, caudy, hooks, pa pers, and muga.lnes. But more than that, he sells shirts ami collars and blight red neckties. He also has a full liue of plug tobacco ami cigars of the finest cabbage selected leaf. The train boy does not like to sell cigars He only gets 50 cents apiece for them, aud they cost him 7a cents a hundred. He sells the cigars to show he's a good fellow. He didn't originally deal In shirts and haberdashery, but he found that the miners returning to civilization yearn madly for a "hiled" shirt. So after he had sold the shirt off his back, together with his collar and red necktie for If 100 he decided to carry a stock of shirts and ties. There are stringent restrictions In Alaska In regard to selling whisky, and so the trainboy doesn't sell It. He gives It away, aud lets the man tip him for his trouble In pulling the cork. If the man were to give him a nugget any smaller than the size of the cork the trainboy would haughtily refuse to let him buy any more cigars, and would charge him at least $." for a two mouths' old newspaper, which he ordi narily gives away for only $1.50. Then the trainboy sells playing cards, and the passengers are always wanting a game. He puts up the table, too, hands around the matches, and, of course, a large and substantial "kitty" is maintained on one side of the table for the sole support of the obliging trainboy. If anybody was to put a quarter or a silver half dollar Into the "kitty" the trainboy wouldn't be angry. He uses those things to pay storekeep ers for fresh goods for his next run. A Seattle uewspaper man interviewed the trainboy on the last trip from Alas ka. Quoth the trainboy: "Am I It? Am I? Say, ain't I a naughty boy? 1 know It's wrong to take the money, but I need It In my business, and, besides, as soon as I get enough I'll buy the railroad and give some other good de serving boy a chance to fasten on to a little honest money. But $1 for a sack of peanuts. Say, that's a penitentiary iffense In Illinois. But I need the mon ey." Chicago Tribune. Honey dew has been a subject of re cent Investigations which show It to be a sugary substance obtained from the juice of the trees such as a sycamore, ish and Huh1 on which it Is found. The statement that honey dew is sometimes produced by other Insects than aphides seems to be ill-founded, as reports indi cate that the Insects noticed are prison ers that have been caught by the sticky honey dew. The sou's heat raises from the earth every minute thirty-seven billion tons of water, or say a weight equal to six times that of the Great Pyramid. Such heat could only be produced on earth by burning eight million cubic miles of coal per second that Is to say, a nice little block two hundred miles long, two hundred miles high and two hun dred miles broad, weighing twelve thousand millions of tons. The bones of three mastodons have beeen discovered In Death Valley, Cali fornia, and their discoverer, a mluer, has taken out a claim for the purpose of excavating them. Another lndicatiou of the popular appreciation of the money value of the remains of prehis toric animals Is the fact that a mining claim has been filed In Southern Cali fornia to cover the excavation of a fos sil whale of the Pliocene epoch. An electric railway is to be construct ed between Liverpool and Manchester, Intended especially for the swift trans portation of passengers. It Is said that the system adopted will be that of the single elevated rail, the cars being sus pended from the rail. The projectors talk of sending trains from one city to the other, a distance of bbout twenty nine miles, in fifteen minutes, or at tfce rate of 113 miles an hour. The search for convenient ways of transportation by which the products of '.he Sudin may reach the outer world fegjffvention has called attentlaon to a remarkaMt phenomenon of vegetable life ou some of the bead waters ami tributaries of the Nile. This couslsts of enormous growths of papyrus aud other plants, completely covering the streams and forming carpets of vegetation two or three feet thick, beneath -which flows the water. Navigation by small boats Is, of course, entirely Interrupted by this obstruction, which Is lu places sup plemented by vines and clinging plants which arch the streams from bank to . bank. Heavy Hoods occasionally sweep away the itccumulutlons of plants, but they are quickly reformed. Several years ago, members of (he Geological Survey suggested that lu for mer times the TennesM-e River, Instead of Joining the Ohio, ns at present, flow ed luto the Gulf of Mexico through the channels of the Coosa aud Alabama Rivers. This conclusion has recently been corroborated lu a singular manner by Charles T. Simpson, of the Smith sonian Institution. The original sug gestion was based on the appearances of the land, but Mr. Simpson's con Ur ination depends upon the distribution of a particular form of fresh water mussel which, although It Is peculiar to the Tennessee River, is also found in the Coosa and the Alabama. As these crcntures cannot traverse the land, the Inference Is that formerly the waters of the Tennessee flowed southward lb the streams above named. PUNCHING-BAG SUPPORT. lmprove.1 Monntlnit Designed by a New Yorker. One of the objections to the punching bag as a method of exercise lu gymna siums has hitherto been the racket oc casioned by the bug striking against the overhead shield afler each biow, and there Is also danger of dislocating the frame when the ball Is violently moved. To eliminate these object Ions MOUNTING FOB. A PIWCHINO 11AO. and provide an Improved mounting for the bag George McFuddcn, of New York City, has designed the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying cut A seml-clrcular arm Is attached to the side wall or suspended from the ceiling, and at the center of the arch Is swlv eled a vertical rod, to the lower end of which the bag Is securely attached. To prevent undue motion of the bag when struck the Inventor provides a pulr oLIIexible rubber bauds, which are twisted and attached to the opposite ends of the arch, the rod which sup ports the ball being passed between the twists. The use of these bands gives a quick return and renders the exercise almost entirely noiseless by preventing the bull from striking the overhead por tion of tho support. Hanged Two Men at Once. Ex-Sheriff Knapp, of Wyoming Coun ty, was In town a few days ago, which recalls the fact that he Is the only olll clul of that county who ever hanged two men at the siiine time. The men in question were Rosenwig and Blank, who were convicted of murdering a peddler lu the mountains not a great way from Tunkhiinnock. At llilJO o'clock the night before the execution I visited the Wyoming County jail, where the condemned murderers were prepar ing for the grewsoine ordeal which would send them to eternity. While seated lu Sheriff Knupp's ollice Deputy Dun Thompson entered. He curried two pine boards, probably 8 feet long: aud 15 Inches wide, and nt both ends of each were straps running through a mortice. "Will there be anything more?" asked Thompson of the sheriff. "Y'es, one thing more," replied Knapp; "get a lKiller of hot water, for the men want to finish up by taking a bath." There was a peculiar suggestlveuess aliout the arrangements of the boards aud I asked Knapp for what purpose they were to be used. His reply was: "Well, I have an Idea that both Rosen wig and Blank will get shaky In the knees just ut the lust moment, and If they do I'm going to strap them on these boards, and I guess that'll stiffen them up. All I want Is to get them to. stand long enough to get the rope around their necks and the black caps on, and I'll show up an execution that will be done up to the queen's taste." Fortunately, the boards were not re quired for the purpose Intended, for Ro senwig nud Blank met their fate on the gallows with a courage that was re markable. Scran ton Republican. Accommodating. Peddler Will you buy a mouse tran. ma'am? Lady No; I haven't any mice In the house. T'pildler I run cet snma frw ma'am, for a small consideration. It's rare sport cuicum em. Lady Then they might necessitate my having a cat. Peddler Well. I could "nrm-ido - -,"vi mv JUU with one for a trifle, ma'am. Lady But it might prove a nuisance. Peddler I could sell you a dog to kill it, ma'am. . Ijidy The remedy might prove worse than the disease. Peddler Well, I'd poison the dog0 cheap for you, ma'am Piek-Me-Up. He Had a Good Reason. "I notice you never criticise yonr wife's cooking," remarked the young benedict "No," replied the man of experience, "I have learned better. You see, when you criticise your wife's cooking, she Is always trying to demonstrate that your criticisms are unjust, while if you say nothing about It she lias no object Inr going Into the kitchen, and conse quently leaves matters entirely to tha cook."-Chicago Post " Li " o