Newspaper Page Text
8
ATS "OUr-OF-DATE” COUPLE,
W** an> w <«o out of dat-*,” th-»y any—
Nod an I I ,
Wi* 1 oy«* I)! an old-fashioned way,
I yoni? <5 gone by.
Ho says f urn his helpmate tnr
I i everything;
And I—well, I will own to you
H<* la my king.
We met in n romantic way
'Twixt “glow and gloom
H<» w< -1 me on a winter day,
An l li 'i room ;
Tot, tlirmigfi llfo’a hoar* of stress and storm.
WIj grlofa tiefel’,
hove k ii r - nail home corner warm,
And all w well.
N<vf ff, no w- an Iffcc bis wifo—
Rut l>-t that pass ,
1’orhr.ps w<- view th<* dual lifo
Through ros'Ttti 1 glass ;
Ev «n If t prospect be not bright,
Wo hold it fruo
That hoaviost burdens may grow light
When ared by two.
Upon tho glided scroll of fame,
Emblazoned fair,
I cannot hope to read tho narno
1 proudly bear ,
But, happy in their even flow,
Tho years glido by
We are hohln 1 tho times, we know-—
Ned and I.
—K. Mutheson, in Eharntxors's Journal.
. VIOLETTA’S PICTURE.
BY r.I'RANA W. SHKUJOV.
[*/• rtk A N D B O M E
i Lawrence Merc
ditli stood spell
i bound before
his finished pic
tnre, while the
’•bib light breeze
A. from an open
fl Mb window tossed
li "hi about his wavy his brow. hair
f He was charmed
and delighted
dft with his own
m bundiwork, but
it was Bomo
thing more than
the mere beauty of his model’s face
that, caused his heart to boat so raptur¬
ously. Oh, how ho loved her! but
she, poor girl, sitting so wearily in a
distant corner, did not dream of what
was passing in his mind.
.Suddenly lie turned his eyes in her
direction and a look of astonishment
crossed his handsome faeo. Could it
be possible that those wero tho features
which lie lmd so clovorly portrayed
upon the canvas?
There were flashes of fire in the
sweet blue eyes now and tho delicate
mouth was curved in an expression of
bitterness that he had never seen be¬
fore. Ho was amazed at tho sudden
revelation, for in all his weeks upon
the picture he had never seen that
strangely bitter expression upon her
face before.
He crossed the room and spoko to
her pleasantly, even tenderly, and was
intensely relieved to seo tho bitter¬
ness partially disappear boforo the
tenderness of his manner.
“You are very tired, Violetta,” ho
said gently, “and L am so sorry ! But
tho picture is beautiful! Exquisite 1”
With a sudden movement Violetta
sprang from her chair and ran hastily
across tho floor, “Ho loves his pic¬
ture, but not me,” sho mattered
angrily as she left tho room. “Fool
that I fun to think that he would cure
for nui! He is bound body and soul
to his art. What is the pretty faco
of a woman to him but a model for
his wonderful creations?”
After she had gone, Lawrenoo Mere¬
dith stood a moment in thought, then
lighted a cigar an I drew the chair be¬
fore the easel. Ho had Avorked so
hard on that last, picture. His model’s
face had haunted him from tho first,
but us days went by and he realized
that ho was daily loving hor more and
more, a new purpose seemed to take
possession of his soul aud fill his brain
Avith tender fancies.
He was an honorable fellow and ho
knew ho avus too poor to marry. He
determined at once that ho would
never speak one word of love to Vio¬
letta until lie was fully able to lead her
to the altar and give her at Last a
comfortable home. Ho felt that she
Avas learning to lovo him, and although
it Aits hard to see her daily and not
speak of what was in his heart, he
was, in a measure, contented when ho
thought of the bliss that would shortly
come to reward him for his hours of
self-denial.
For he had decided from tho first
that this picture of Violetta should
briug him fame and fortune. He
wotild not sell it, of course, but
the picture should bo sent to the
National Academy’s exhibition, and if
it Avas a success the orders that he
would receive would start him iu a
luerative profession. Now that the
picture avus finished he was almost
happy. It was only that momentary
expression upon his model’s face that
brought a shadoAv to his own. What
could it mean? Was Violetta uu
happv? Had sho anv tormenting
secret, or was it the pain of parting
Avith him that had distorted her face
Avith such sudden bitterness?
Then it occurred to him that he had
not even bade her good-night, and
this was tho last of hor daily* sit tings,
The memory startled him a little and
ho looked in his pockets for the ad
dress that she had given him.
“I will go and see her this evening
and arrange for other sittings,” he
said to himself as he read the little
scrap of paper that he found in his
pocket kook.
An hour later he was on his way to
Violetta’s humble lodgings.
It was a dreadful disappointment to
learn that she was out. “She had not
returned from her afternoon's sitting,”
tUo old landlady told him.
Absently, Lawrence entered a res¬
taurant and ordering his evening meal,
then he went slowly back to the
studio, intending to write her a
lengtliy letter. He would not tell her
that he loved her yet, but Avould sim
ply explain that he had decided to
paint another picture, aud would eon
timie to require her services if she
were not already fatigued from her
weeks of tiresome sittings.
He entered the studio without his
key, but some way it did not occur to
him that he bad locked the door care
fully wkeu ha left it early iu the eveu
•ag,
THE MONROE ADVERTISER, FORSYTHf 7 1894 .—EIGHT PAGES
Withont even glancing aronnfl he
stepped across the room and laisexlthe
gas jets higher, then turned to gaze
npon hia picture.
Horror of horrors! What had,hap
pened? His eyes nearly burst from
their sockets as he gazed upon the
ruin of that which was to bring him
fame and happinesa.
Violetta’s lovely face hail been
slashed into atoms and the torn shreds
of the canvas dangled from the easel
in a manner that nearly drove>him in
to frenzy.
With a hoarse cry he flung himself
upon the floor and groaned in the ag¬
ony of spirit: ‘‘Oh, God ! Must 1
give up all?” he cried, brokenly; “my
beautiful picture, my treasured hopes!
Oh, Violetta, if you only kixcw! li
you were only hero to s and .under
stand!”
For a few moments everything el?e
wa.s forgotten, then the question sml
denly entered his mind, who could
have done this shameful deed?
He sprang from the floor and glared
angrily about the room, There* was
no one there and no traces of any one
having been there, except the condi¬
tion of the picture itself—until his
eye fell suddenly upon the chair' that
he had drawn before tho easel.
What was that small, dark/ object
lying carelessly across the cushion
lie bent and picked it up absently,
lmt with a feeling of horror*ereeping
slowly about his heart. .
It was one of Viotetta’s ^ gloves, lie
had noticed them day after ifey us she
drew them on over tho slim, white
hand at the close of each nftuumoou’s
sitting.
Her treachery was as clear as.dfty to
him now, for the glove had not been
there when he drew tho chair before
the easel after her departure that
evening.
His brain reeled at tlie thought now,
not so much at the loss of the picture,
but at the horrible disappointment in
the woman ho so deeply loved,
There was madness in his eyes as lie
glanced again about tho brilliantly
lighted room. Violetta was lost to
him and tho world had suddenly be
come both cold and bitter,
He rose from his chair ami began
searching among his paints with a
feverish lust-ro.
Tt was nearly midnight when Vio¬
letta reached her room. She was
wretchedly unhappy and tho memory
her evening’s work made her trem¬
ble a little, even in tho safety, of hor
chamber.
Oh, how sho worshiped the courtly
young artist who had always been so
gentle and kind to her and who many
times had pressed her hand with a
tenderness not unlike affection.
Day by day her heart had gone out
to him until now every fibre of her
being was vibrating'with the fierceness
of her passion.
Not until to-nigjht, when he was ad¬
miring his own liamliwork, did a sug¬
gestion of jealousy cross her mind.
But now sho was jeaflous—madly, furi¬
ously jealous of that' painted picture,
and in tho frenzy of‘that madness she
conceived a cruel, heartless plan.
It was over almost before she knew
it, not, however, as sho had at first in¬
tended it, for at tire very last moment
affection conquered and’reason guided
her a little.
Now, after tho deed was (lone and
sho was alone in tho seclusion of her
room, slio greAv more calm and began
to bo ashamed of her evening’s work.
She tried to sleep, but tho artist’s sad,
reproachful eyes seemed to haunt her
constantly. Over and over his voice
was whispering in hor ear, “Why
could you not havo trusted mo, Vio¬
letta,” uutil at last she sprang from
her bed in a perfoctvigony of remorse
and fear.
She glanced at her watch and saAv
that it was nearly one is’clock ; the key
of the studio was in her pocket, for of
lato Lawrence had given her permis¬
sion to enter at her Avill, rather than
wait in the hall outside Avhen he
chanced to be lato at his appoint¬
ments.
It was dark, but sko'was not afraid,
and she dressed herself-as quickly aud
silently as possible.
“He shall not see it,” she whisper
ed, over and over iu reproachful ac¬
cents. “It Avas cruel of me to even
think of such a thing.”
There was a bright light’in the stn
dio window Avhen she reached the
door aud her heart beat furiously as
she paused for one timid moment to
listen
Yes, Lawrence was there; she could
hear him fumbling about among the
bottles. Almost instinctively she
-
turned to run aAvay, but something
stopped her abruptly upon the stairs,
while a shiver of horror suddenly
passed over her. She returned cau
tiously and bending, put her eve to
the keyhole in the door.
Great heavens! What Avas the man
about to do? He was standing before
the ruined canvas, one hand clutching
wildly at his throat while in the other,
held steadily to his lips, was a bottle
she had often seen, with a skull and
crossbones on its label.
With a shriek of horror she opened
the door aud rushed headlong into the
'
— room.
“Oh, Lawrence? Mvdarling. Don’t!
Don’t!” she shrieked frantically, but
Lawrence, still holding the bottle,
only turned augrily and pointed to
the dangling canvas.
“You have ruined mv life,” he be
gan hoarsely, “by destroying mv
faith aud trust in you,” but before he
could say more, something so strange
had happened that for a moment he
seemed thoroughly dazed by a sudden
revulsion in his feelings.
With a swift movement, Violetta
had torn the mutilated canvas from its
fasteniugs, and in another iustam the
beautiful picture of herself had been
drawn from behind a pile of frames
and was standing, iu all its glory, iu
its proper place upon the easel.
Then it was that Violetta fell at his
feet and tearfully begged for pardon;
“1 was jealous of your picture, so 1
came here after you had gone, de
termined to destroy it, but some way,”
and her \-oice was thick with sobs,
“some way, I could not do it, after
all, so I played this cruel trick upon
you.”
Lawrence stood almost breathless as
she hurried on. “1 could not sleep
after I had gotten home, and that is
why I returned—to put the picture
back before you had seen it and learned
my jealous nature,”
The Poes girl broke 4vwb eotn-
pletely in the midst of her confession,
bnt the artist, without so much as a
glance at the lovely picture, bent, with
a look of lovo and raised her gently
from the floor,
“You have saved me, darlimr, and’
must forgive you,” he whispered. “It
was all my fault that you were kept in
ignorance of my love, but now that
the picture is safe and my fondest
hopes are not destroyed, I can tell
you freely how I love you, little one,
and what that picture that you were
so jealous of, will some day mean to
you and me.”
lie placed her in a chair; thcn.tak
ing the fatal bottle, went quickly
across the room and dropped it harshly
on the marble hearth.
The young girl waited, still tremb
ling in the chair where he had placed
her, but before he returned to tell her
the story of his love, Lawrence Mere
dith ground the fragments of glass be
neath his feet as if he were destroying
forever the malice of some dead ene*
my.—New York Mercury.
Eye Stones no Longer Used,
Riding uptown on a crowded ele
vated railroad train recently, I was
compelled to stand out on the forward
end of ene of the cars, where I was
subjected to an incessant shower of
cinders. Although I shielded my eyes
as best I could, one of these annoying
little particles finally lodged beneath
one G f ray eyelids, where it effectually
resisted all the usual efforts to remove
it.
There was little sleep that night and
the next day it was necessary to go to
my physician. He looked at the eye,
said that the cinder had been ground
into the eyeball, and directed me to a
specialist who would remove it. It
proved but a simple matter for him,
and tho skill with which ho accom¬
plished it compelled me to speak ol
the difference ' between his methods
and the clumsiness of “eye doctors”
with whom I had had some experience
in the long ago.
“It is no cause for surprise,” was
his comment, “for in no branch of
surgery has more progress been made
in recent years than in tho treatment
of the eyes. There was a time when
any physician felt himself to be as
competent to treat the eye as any
other organ. There was not one of
them who did not have an eyestone
always at hand, with which he felt
fully equipped to remove any foreign
substance. But advancing knowledge
has shown that these agents wero but
a simple delusion. They wero por¬
tions of tho covering of certain shell¬
fish, about the size of a split pea,
worn smooth by the action of the sea.
“When one of these was placed un¬
der the eyelid at tlie outer corner the
winking of the lid would push it
gradually to the innor side, and, com¬
ing in contact with an irritating parti¬
cle, it might occasionally carry it
along •with itself and finally remove it.
But tho action was never certain.
There was no foundation in fact for
tho belief that these stones had a
peculiar detective power and moved
about in the eye until they found and
removed the irritating substance for
which they had been ‘sent.’ They
merely furnished a mechanical means
of doing in a clumsy manner what a
little skill will accomplish with greater
certainty. They have deservedly gone
out of use, and now are seldom used
except among sailors and other super¬
stitious persons.”—New York Herald.
Model Railroad ol England.
An official of the Pennsylvania lines
who recently spent several Aveeks in
Europe, gives some interesting infor¬
mation regarding the London and
Northwestern Railway. This is tho
oldest and Avealthiest of English roads,
but he says English roads aro not up
to American roads in traveling facili¬
ties. He adds that an idea of the
magnitude of this road may be gath¬
ered from the fact that the company
lias a Avorking capital of over $535,
000,000, an annual revenue of $58,-
500,000, and an expenditure of about
$32,000,000; it operates 2700 miles of
road; it conveys yearly 63,500,000
passengers and 37,750,000 tons of
freight and minerals; it employs 62,
000 people, 18,500 of A\fiiom are in tho
locomotive department; it owns 7250
passenger cars, 58,000 freight cars,
2650 engines, nineteen steamships and
3800 horses. The number of stations
on the line is S00; there are 32,000
signal levers in operation and 17,000
signal lamps lighted every mght; the
total milea |f J™ the company’s
engines collectively in one day is 170,
the ^ boit ; y ear
b2,2o0,000 miles, lne safety ot pass
angers is the firot and foremost con
^deration ot tue directors and tae
COIU P au y s officials; the trains are
A\itii tae vacuum brake and
the lme 15 worked throughout on the
absob ^ e ld° c k system , each of the
1S electrical communi
Cftt * on those on either side, aud
uo i s allowed to pass a signal
box *he preceding train has
P aase<a of the section m advance
and that section is. perfectly clear,
permanent \>ayis of the most per
iec ^ tmdd, and tne tunnels, oridges
aUl * viaducts are constructed with.
solidit Y &nd thoroughness, while
throughout the mam portion (owing
to tbe large traffic) four distinct tracts
steel rails are continually in use;
the express trains run at a rate ot foxty
five to six tv miles per hour and aie
noted for then, ffeamness am i *or run
ning on time.—Chicago Herald.
Ripening Cheeses.
The process of ripening or ferment
ing several varieties of foreign cheese
is regarded as an art so difficult as to
be almost a trade secret. One irnport
ing firm iu Philadelphia employs a
man whose sole occupation is the
ripening of cheese. The process is said
to depend chiefly upon the slow ap
plication of moderate heat. A tem
perature above or below a certain
point arrests fermentation and renders
the cheese dry and worthless. Roc
quefort is fermented in a famous cav
ern, and requires no ripening after it*
arrival here. Neither does Munster,
Brie, Neufchatel and Liniburger exact
constant attention ou the part of the
dealer. A taste for the last named is
often acquired by beginning with Brie
in its minor stages of fermentation.
In its last stage it is still mildly pun
gent as compared with Limburger—a
taste for Avhicb. once acquired, maker
all other varieties seem iosip*d»**”Fhii
sdelpbie R**s*rJ,
TjTGTIT\T\fi’S Liunnu^u D TVOTJTv " Oil
RESULTS OF THE WEATHER BU
REAU’S OBSERVATIONS.
__
There Are 200 People Killed Every
Year — Lightning Sometimes
Strikes Twice in tho
Same Place.
/ /C \ CIRCULAR on “Protection
From Lightning,” just issued
A '- ' V by the weather bureau, con
A tains no mention of the freaks
of electrical storms which that branch
of the Government service has been re
cording for some years past, says Rene
Bache in a Washington letter.
So mysterious and little understood is
the fluid electricity even now that it
is so widely utilized for mechanical
purposes that its vagaries in nature
excite the utmost interest. Theques
tion recently discussed by Italian sei
entists as to whether a bird could be
struck by lightning seems to . be an
swered in the affirmative by the de¬
struction of a whole flock of wild
geese on April 30 last. Twenty-two
of them, flying north over Casnovia,
Mieh., were slain by a bolt from the
sky. Buck an extraordinary event
would have been regarded as an owi
mms portent a century or two ago.
The action of lightning as an oxplo
sive is a subject that has elicited spe
exal attention from the weather bureau
of late. Up to date no theory has
been found to account for it satisfac
torily. On April 30, 1894, a brick
house at Keokuk, Iowa, was struck,
and as completely wrecked as if a
bombshell had done the work. One
day earlier a farm house near Kiowa,
Kan., the property of D. R. Streeter,
was completely ruined by a bolt, the
roof, doors and windows looking as if
they had been shot fall of holes. At
Barberton, Ohio, on June 18, 1893,
the dwelling of William Martin was
literally torn to fragments by a sim¬
ilar agency.
Inasmuch as 200 people are killed
every year by lightning in the United
States, special protection for the per¬
son is surety called for. One ingeni¬
ous scientist has devised an umbrella,
with small copper chains attached to
the ends of the ribs. These are long
enough to reach the ground. A thun¬
der storm coming up, they are loos¬
ened and permitted to dangle, while
the owner of the contrivance walks
along in perfect security. Under
such circumstances metal about one’s
body is dangerous—for example, the
wires in a lady’s bonnet. But this
peril may be overcome by fastening
similar chains of copper threads to the
framework of the headgear. Though
a bolt should destroy the bonnet, the
electricity would spare tho wearer and
pass off into the ground.
An instance on record is that of a
lady who raised her arm to shut a
window as rain began to fall on a sum¬
mer’s day. There was a sudden blaze
of light, and, though she was un
harmed, her gold bracelet disappeared
so that no vestige of it could be found.
A sulphurous smell was observed in
the air. This, scientific men say, is
quite usual when lightning strikes,
being due to an excess of ozone gen¬
erated by the electricity. The atmos¬
phere in its usual condition contains
on9 ten-thousandth part of ozone.
When this proportion is increased in¬
convenience is felt by men and ani¬
mals. It has been suggested that
some times persons found dead after a
stroke of lightning, though showing
no marks of injury, may have been
suffocated by ozone.
Lightning does occasionally strike
twice in the same place. A few years
ago St. Aloysius Church, in Washing¬
ton, suffered. A flash ran down the
lightning rod to within twenty feet of
the ground. Then it left the rod,
passed through twenty feet of air space
to a water pipe and broke a wash
stand. Six years later the same thing
was repeated in every detail, the elec¬
tricity leaving the rod at the same
point, jumping to the water pipe and
smashing to pieces the washstand,
which had not been mended. The
Church of the Incarnation here was
badly hit some time back. To prevent
a repetition of the accident the edifice
was protected by a very elaborate and
costly system of rods. The most im¬
portant rod, of course, protects the
steeple. It ought to terminate in a
sharp point; but the church authori¬
ties thought it more appropriate that
it should be surmounted by a cross, ou
top of which was placed a rooster.
Thus the usefulness of the defensive
contrivance has been almost wholly
destroyed, for so it stands at present.
During the last century a certain
church in Carinthia was struck so
often that services were discontinued
during the summer months. It was
hit four or five times a year on an
average. In 1878 a rod was put on
and there was no further trouble. At
Stratsund, in Pomerania, a church
was the scene of a very appalling oc
currence. On a Sunday, the building
being full of people, a ball of fire en
tered and fell upon the altar, there
upon exploding and doing great dam
age. As to the nature of phenomena
of this sort science knows almost noth
ing. Such globular lightning is seen
quite often but nobody, can guess
how it is formed. All that can be said
is that it is electricity very highly
concentrated. Balk of lightning are
sometimes seen rolling along the sur
face of the sea. Occasionally they
strike vessels. As a rule, they burst
violently, with a loud noise and disas¬
trous effects.
The Washington monument would
have been destroyed by lightning long
ago but for the protection afforded by
the most complete and admirable ar
rangement of conductors ever devised,
Standing 555 feet high, in the middle
of a wide space of flat ground, the gi
gantic obelisk is dangerously exposed,
The apex is surmounted by an alumi
num cap, which is connected with
rods that pass down into a well 600
feet below and beneath the water
level. On April 5, 1885, during the
passage of a heavy thunder cloud, five
immense bolts of electricity were seen
to flash between the monument and
the cloud within twenty minutes. No
damage was done. Two months later,
on June 5, the obelisk received a tre
mendous stroke, which slightly cracked
one of the stones at the top, but the
injury was of no importance.
Big ships nowadays nra usually
equipped w-.tk a system pf conductors
iru&ai&g tke wub sad no »r*
ranged as to carry off lightning “ ° into
t, 1? 8ts . In oU t inlM a 0 fro IM
skies was one of the most serious
perils that threatened mariners. Dur
ing fifty years, from 1790 to 1840, no
fewer than 2S0 vessels of the British
5j7oO,OOo, ",'. er ? killing rxxc \ 100 \ causin men S and « loss badly of
injuring 250 more. When the pro¬
tected ship is hit the electricity passes
down the mast into the ocean, as water
runs down a pipe. She may reel under
the blow, but no damage results. One
of the most severe encounters was that
of II. M. S. Fisgard, which received
such a tremendous discharge that the
vessel appeared to be covered with
fire. At the same moment there was
an explosion as if a broadside had been
fired from each side of the ship. She
antlered, no injury. Lightning has
been known to produce a secret burn
ing in the heart of masses of timber,
In 1794 the Dictator, sixty-four guns,
was struck at Martinique. Two days
later smoke was seen issuing from her
figurehead, which, when cut down, was
found to contain a nest of fire,
Does Tea Cause Insanity ’
A report upon insanity in Ireland,
which has just been issued, onumer
ates, among the causes of mental failure,
the innutritious dietary of the poorer
population, tending to prodneo au
aemia and constitutional weakness,
which favor the development of serof
u i 0 us and neurotic diseases, and the
immoderate use of certain nervous
stimulants, particularly tea and to
baceo.
“While the moderate use of prop
e rly prepared tea,” the report adds,
“is regarded an innocuous, or even
beneficial, in its action on the nervous
system, its ill effects when decocted
or over-infused on persons who make
it their staple article of diet are dwelt
on by almost all the resident medical
superintendents in their several re¬
ports. Undoubtedly, the method of
preparation adopted and tho excessive
use of this article of diet, now so gen
eral among the poorer population,
tends to the production of dyspepsia,
which in its turn leads to states of
mental depression highly favorable to
the production of various forms of
neurotic disturbance.
In many parts of Ireland it has been
found that bread and tea have been
substituted for porridge and milk, and
for potatoes also; that the tea is gen¬
erally of an inferior quality and the
method of preparation is to put a
quantity iu the teapot early in the
morning and allow it to stew during
the day, water being added as re*
quired. —Atlanta Constitution.
Silver Dollars Arc Scarce.
“A party of gentlemen were discuss¬
ing tlie financial conditions a couple
of days ago,” said a lounger at the
Rigg3 House, “when one of them re¬
marked upon the unusual scarcity of
silver dollars in circulation in Wash¬
ington. He stated that it was diffi¬
cult to meet a person who had a silver
dollar in his pocket, whereas a few
months ago the cart wheels were more
plentiful than the more convenient
paper securities. His assertion was
questioned by one of liis companions,
whereupon he remarked that lie would
be willing to make a Avager of tho
cigars to prove it.
“ ‘I will bet,” he remarked, ‘that
you cannot in one hour meet a man
Avhom you knoAV who has a silver dol
lar in his pocket. ’
“The other, AA r lio has an extremely
large acquaintance, eagerly accepted
the gage, and took up a position down
at the corner of Fifteenth and F
streets. Every friend and acquaint¬
ance who came along was requested
to exchange a silver dollar for four
quarters. Scores of one-dollar bills
Avere pulled out of pedestrians’ pock¬
ets, but the man with the change
wanted only the dollar of his daddies.
At the end of the hour he paid for the
cigars, because he found not a man in
his quest who had a hard dollar in his
pocket. I don’t knoAV the reason for
the scarcity of such coins, but its ex¬
istence is beyond doubt.”—Washing¬
ton Star.
1 " ......
A 6rent Demand for Wild Beasls.
There is a sudden and unprecedent¬
ed increase in the demand for wild
animals at present, not only for the
Continent, but for the United States,
The stocks in most of the Europeai
zoological gardens haA r e decreased of
late, a shrinkage partly caused by the
closure of the Soudan by the dervishes.
In America the popularity of the great
menagerie at the World’s Fair has
created a sudden demand for wild ani¬
mals of all kinds. Circuses and pri¬
vate menageries are competing with
the zoological gardens and scientific
societies for rare and interesting ani¬
mals, and the demand for America is
far greater than for the continent of
Europe. After five or six years of ne
gleet, there is such a “boom” in the
will beast trade as is hardly remem
bered. Until the expeditions Avliich
Hagenbeck and others haA r e des
patched into Central Africa, via Ber
bera, and into Borneo and the west
coast of Africa return, there is little
to fall back upon but the average sup
ply which arrives without system and
in chance ships. A single purchase
j by an agent from the Philadelphia Zoo
logical Gardens included a leopard
; and a hyena, a pair of cheetahs, a
Bornean bear, antelopes, emus and
other birds; other zoological gard ens
are being laid out and built in New
York and the cities of the West.—
London Speetor.
Clever Hunting by Hawks.
“I have witnessed many incidents
which proved conclusively to me that
animal intelligence is not different
from human intelligence in kind, but
only in degree,” remarked Joseph W.
Byrnes, of Manchester, England, who
was at the Southern yesterday. “For
a number of years I was an engineer
on one of our railroads, and often
wondered at the promptness with
which the hawks took advantage of
the appliances of modern civilization,
I have frequently seen these hawks fly
close behind the train, near the ground,
where they are partly hidden by the
smoke. As the cars thunder along
through the fields and meadows small
birds fly up in the air, bewildered by
the noise and approach of the train,
The hawk then dashes among them
out of the smoke and easily secures
his prey. Should it be unsuccessful,
it returns to the wake of another train,
and awaits the startling of another
bevy,”—St, Louif Glebe-Deaoerak
Two Handsome Sntnmer Toilettes.
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Huts With Strings a Sniunier Fashion,
One of the really now ideas in the
world of fashion has come in the shape
of strings on hats. Not strings in the
ji shape a girl ties thorn on to the sailor
hat when she takes n steamer ride to
Long Branch, but ribbon strings on
tho low-crowned English style of hat,
with broad brim that rolls on both
• sides. These bits of ribbon can be
any bright color. Then the bow, nest
ling under the chin, has to be very
.carefully seleotod, for if it is pink
-vvdien it ought to bo blue, or blue
^hen it ought to be dark red or dark
.green, the effect is not likely to iu
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57
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crease the attractiveness of any girl.
These strings are about an inch and a
half wide, and aro fastened at tho
back inside the hat. At first sight they
seem very droll, bnt to many faces
they are a great attraction, although
they may prove a trifle Avarm about
j the throat later on. They can be
! Avora by SAveet sixteen or her mother
equally as well, although the girl with
a pretty curve at the throat is advised
not to destroy it, unless sho can tie
the most coquettish and Frenchv of
bow knots.—New York Journal.
Finger Nalls Like Birds’ Claws,
To what extremes physical deforma¬
tion for the Balue of complying Avith
certain fashions or as tho fulfilment
of ascetic vows can be carried is ex¬
plained by Dr. I. Ranke, of Germany,
in his recently published anatomical
treatise entitled, “Der Mensch.” He
demonstrates that in all lands certain
forms of malpractice have been in¬
dulged in. In old Peru, for instance,
little children were placed under a
head press and their scalps were
shaped oblong. This was especially
the case with the daughters of the
nobles and Avith the members of the
royal families.
The climax is reached, however, in
the case of the Chinese ascetic who is
set apart as a holy man to serve in the
Joss House, who does not perform any
manual labor and permits his finger
nails, with the exception of those on
i N
HAND OF THE CHINESE ASCETIC.
------—
his index fingers, to grow several
inches long. Finally they become
entangled and resemble somewhat the
claws of an old bird.
Has a Double Heart.
When the Mercer County (N. J.)
Medical Association was in session a
few years ago a colored man named
"William King came before them for
examination. He claimed to have two
hearts, but a careful examination re
vealed the fact that his heart was
double instead of being two separate
blood-pumping organs. Besides hav¬
ing two distinct pulsations, which
could easily be felt he had wonderful
control over his double life engine,
being able to step its beating for sixty
seconds without inconvenience. -Chi
cago Heral d.
_
A monster pearl, at the same time
that it is a lovely one, has been fished
up from the depths of the Gulf of
California, which is very prolific in
these gems. It weighs s-venty-five
carats.
Thousands ol Homeless Seats.
It was very interesting to read in
the Spectator that, owing to tho ex¬
tension of deer forests in Scotland,
golden eagles and wildcats are on tho
increase and are now safe from extir¬
pation there. But there is also a sug¬
gestive per contra, which likewise is
not unconnected with the extension of
deer forests, tho removal of the cot¬
tager from the land, tho divoreo of
Scots from Scotland. About ten years
ago there were 90,000 vagrants in
Scotland. There are now about 150,
000 to a population under 5,000,000.
Germany has about the same number
to a population of 50,000,000. It
would be matter for regret if golden
eaglos became oxtinct iu Scotland.
But it is a matter for sadness that
they are flying over the comparative¬
ly recent homes of now homeless sou*
of the land.—Loudon Spectator.
A Peanut Owl.
Got a peanut with as large a top na
possiblo. Mark with a pen a round
spot as represented in tho illustration,
and make little marks on the shell to
indicate feathers. For wings cut a
small pieco of tissue paper in the
shape shown in Figure 2, and paper
with ink. Paste this on tho back and
over the sides of the peanut.
The eyes aro made with n littlo
round piece of whitepaper and a black
head, through which a small pin runs,
and is then stuck into the peanut at
tho black spot. Fasten tlie peanut to
a twig by running two pins through
m I s /,7pm
M (Alum o
FIG I FI& 2
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re]
1
'M t
a t'EANUT own.
the branch, and you will have a very
fair owl. Amusing designs may bo
made by grouping several of thoso
owls together.—New York Recorder.
From Telegraph Operatorto Knighthood
Sir William 0. Van Horne, Presi¬
dent of the Canadian Pacific Railway,
who has been knighted by Queen
Victoria, is a descendant of one of the
old Patroon families, who, under tho
name of New Amsterdam, laid tho
foundation of the city of New York.
Van Horne was born in Will County,
Illinois, in 1834. His first railroad
experience was as a telegraph opera¬
tor on the Illinois Central. Mr. Vnu
Horne’s earlier years were spent in
and about Chicago. He filled scores
of positions, each better than tho
other, until 1879, AA r hen he was ap¬
pointed General Superintendent of
tho Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul
Road. His big brain, his intense
personality, his tremendous energy
and his ready grasp of every railway
problem made him even then a con¬
spicuous figure among railway Bupc^B^- mejk
;In 1882 he -was General
i tendent of the Chicago, Milwaukee
Bt. Paul Railroad. He next became
General Manager of tho Canadian
Pacific, and since then has filled a big
place in Canada’s commercial life,
Mr. Yan Horne has an interesting
personality. Some people say ho
would rather talk than eat, and ho
always talks facts. He is quite an
artist, both in oil and water color,
aD< l « great amateur sleight-of-hand
performer and mind-reader, He was
arrested on a complaint from Duluth
last year for alleged infraction of the
interstate commerce law.—San Fran
cisco Examiner,
Particular With Their Bank Notes,
'
The for Bank of E ]and no tea
is always made from new white linen
__ ue ver from rags, or from anythin
that l] has been in use before. So care"
u y i 8 the paper prepared that even
uu ™ ber <b P s 3 nto pulp made
‘7 c ft eh -ai ora man is registered on an
au oma l lc dial. St. Louis Republic.
Buttermilk is one of the most wliole
«eme of drink*.