Newspaper Page Text
, r KLONDIKE.
4 _ ——* •
Over the mountains and far away, Many a husband, many a son,
In the regions of Ice and snow,. „ And many a father, too;
Many a pllgrlm-ia trudging to-day Many a man who Is dear to someone
With a heart full of hope and shouting Is climbing the glaolers, leading through
“Yo-ho v To Klondike! -.- T —,
For Klondlkol’* ‘ -
Many a mother and many a wife
Over the mountains, beyond the plains, And a OD ,° tl, At lß dear. „
Where tlio great rlvor winds to the sea, Is dreaming to-day of a happiorllfo
Many a pioneer jingles his gains, i Aad hopefuny wa tlng to hear
And sings In a frenzied ecstasy— rrom luondlae.
In Klondike! . , ”■ *
,W,_. And thousands and thousands of golden
Thousands andlthousands of mile's away, hopes,
In tho land of the polar boar, , And many a dream that is fair
Many a man Is digging to-day, Aro destined to die on tho frozen slopes
Only to And that there’s nothing there— And And thetr graves out there
In Klondike! 1“ Klondike!
—Cleveland Leader.
At Seafoam Lodge.
By HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
HEBE must be no
other boarders
B taken,” said Mr.
MoOorkindale. “I
vQytjjS stipulate for that.”
“Oh, there will
be none!” said Mr.
sifetssr-"* Dewey, the board
ing anil real estate agent, nibbling the
end of his pen. “I know Mrs. Sweet
clover very well—a most respectable
widow, in reduced circumstances —and
I know all about Seafoam Lodge, a de
lightful place, on the edge of the
ocean, where a man can’t help being
healthy.”
“Very well,” said Mr. McCorkin
dale. “Let her know that I consider
the thing a bargain. I will send my
trunks on Monday of next week.”
Mr. McCorkindale had been sum
mering at the Adirondacks, and had
found that mountain breezes, black
flies and dried pine-needles didn’t
agree with him. He was now resolved
to try the seaside. And he went home,
well pleased with the bargain lie had
made.
Now, Mr. Dewey was in a partner
ship—Dewey & Salter —and so neatly
dovetailed together were the arrange
ments of the firm, that Mr. Salter, who
dined at half-past twelve o’clock, came
to “keep office” exactly at the hour in
which Mr. Dewey, who dined at half
past one, took up his hat and cane to
depart. And scarcely had Mr. Salter
lighted his cigar, and settled his chair
back at exactly the right angle of the
wall, than in came Miss Mattie Mil
foil, a blooming young old-maid, who
gave lessons in swimming at the Aqua
Pura Academy.
“I want board at the seaside for a
month,” said she. “At a place, please,
where there are no other boarders.
Prices must be moderate, and surf
bathing is a necessity.”
“All,” said Air. Salter, bringing his
chair down on its four logs at once,
“the very place! Airs. Sweetclover, a
client of ours, has taken Seafoam
Lodge, on the New Jersey coast, and
has a clean, light, airy room to let,
with good board, no mosquitoes—”
“Yes, I know,” said Miss Milfoil.
“Just let me look at her references.”
The references proved satisfactory.
Miss Milfoil struck a bargain at once.
“Let Airs. Sweetclover expect me
on Alonday,” she said; and Air. Salter
pocketed his commission with inward
glee.
“Anything doing?” Mr. Dewey
asked, when he came back from din
ner, with a pleasant oleaginous flavor
of roast pork and applesauce about
him.
“I've let Airs. Sweetclover’s room
for her,” said Salter.
“Hello!” cried Dewey; “I let it,
this morning, to old AloCorkindale!”
“And I’ve just disposed of ittoAlias
Milfoil,” sputterefl Salter. “Why the
deuce didn’t you enter it on the
books?”
“A man can’t think of everything,”
said Air. Dewey; “and I was going to
enter it when I came back.”
“But what are we to do now?” said
Salter.
“Nothing,” said Dewey. “Ten to
one, one of the parties won’t keep the
contract. We’re not to blame, that I
can see.”
And Air. Dewey, a philosopher after
his way, arranged his bulletin-board
anew, and sat down, a human spider,
to await the coming of any flies who
might be disposed for business.
Mrs. Sweetclover, in the meantime,
had swept and garnished Seafoam
Lodge, until it was fresher than a cow
slip and sweeter than roses.
She had decorated her up-stairs
room with China matting, fresh mus
lin curtains, and dimity covers to the
bureau and dressing-table.
“I do hope I shall be able to let it!”
said Mrs. Sweetclover, with, a sigh.
“But there are so many seaside lodg
ings this year that—Dear me! here
comes a gentleman and a valise up the
heacli-road, aud as true as I live, he’s
making straight for my house!”
“Have my trunks arrived?” said
the gentleman—“name of AlcCorkin
dale.”
“Sir!” said Airs. Sweetclover.
“I engaged the room through
Dewey & Salter,” said Air. AlcCork
indale, “last week.”
“It’s the first I’ve heard of it,”
said Airs. Sweetclover, all in a flurry.
But you’rejkindiy welcome, sir, and the
room is quite ready, if you’ll be so
good as to step up stairs.”
“Humph! humph! said Air. Mc-
Corkindale, gazing around him with
the eye of an elderly eagle. “Very
clean tolerably airy—superb view
from the windows. Upon my word I
like the look of things.”
“Do you think the apartment will
suit ?” said the widow, timidly.
“Of course it will suit!” said Air.
McCorkindale. “Here is a month’s
hoard in advance —ten dollars a week,
the agent said. You may serve din
ner at one o’clock. Blue-fish, roast
clams, lobstei-salad—any sort of sea
food you may happen to have. I don’t
eat desserts. And now I’m going out
to walk on the seashore.”
Mrs. Sweetclover looked after him
with eyes of rapture.
“The boarder of all others that I
would have preferred,” said she. “I
am in luck! I thought yesterday,
■ when I saw the new moon over my
right shoulder, that something fortu
uate was going to happen. ”
But Airs. Sweetclover had not
stuffed the blue-fish for baking, when
• light, firm foot step crossed the
threshold, and Miss Milfoil stood be
fore her, in a dark-blue serge dress,
and a sailor hat of black straw, while
across her shapely shoulders was
slung a flat black satchel, traveler
wise.
“Mrs. Sweetclover, I suppose?”
said she.
The widow courtesied an affirmative.
“I am Mattie Milfoil,” said the lady.
“I rented your room, last week, of
Dewey & Salter.”
“Dear me!” thought the widow.
“Am I dreaming?”
“I like the situation very much,”
continued Miss Milfoil, looking at the
curling edges of foam that crept up the
beach at the left, aud then at a mur
muring grove of maple trees at the
north. “I shall probably remain here
until Christmas, if lam suited!”
“But the room is let already!” fal
tered Mrs. Sweetclover, at last recover
ing her voice.
“Taken already!”repeated Miss Mil
foil. “But that is impossible. I have
taken it.”
“There’s some mistake at the Board
ing Agency,” said Mrs. Sweetclover,
almost ready to cry. “It’s been let
twice; and I never knew of it until
this moment. Oh, dear! oh, dear! It
never rains but it pours!”
“But what am I to do?” said Miss
Milfoil.
Mrs. Sweetclover’s fadad eyes light
ed up w ith a faint gleam of hope.
“I’ve only the eligible apartment on
the second floor,” said she; “but if
you don’t mind the garret, there’s a
nice, airy room finished off’ there, with
two dormer windows overlooking the
ocean ”
“I’ll look at it,” said Miss Milfoil.
She looked at it, and she liked it,
and she straightway sent to the village
for her trunks, unpacked her books,
her work-basket, her writing-desk and
her portable easel, arranged some sea
weed over the mantle and made her
self at home.
Mr. McCorkindale, going upstairs
from the dinner table that very day,
heard a sw r eet, clear voice, singing the
refrain of some popular ballad, from
the upper story.
“Eh!” said Mr. McCorkindale. “Is
that your daughter?”
“It’s my lady boarder, sir,” said
Mrs/. Sweetclover.
“Look here,” said Mr. AlcCorkiu
dale, stopping short—“this |_v/on’t go
down!”
“What won’t go down, sh - ?” said
the bewildered landlady.
“No other boarders taken, you
know,” said Air. Corkindale. “That
was my express stipulation.”
“I’m very sorry, sir,” said Mrs.
Sweetclover, “but —”
“And I’m not going to be trifled
with!” said Air. Corkindale. “Either
she or I must go!”
“Couldn’t it be managed, sir?” said
the landlady, half terrified out of her
senses.
“No, it couldn’t” said Air. AlcCork
indale.
At this moment, however, Aliss Alil
foil herself made her appearance on
the scene, tripping down the stairs in
a quiet, determined sort of way, and
facing the indignant elderly gentleman
as he stood there.
“What’s the matter?” said Aliss Mil
foil.
“The matter,” said Air. AlcCorkin
dale, “is simply this. I have engaged
my board here, on the express under
standing that I am to be the only
boarder.”
“I see,” said Miss Milfoil. “And I
am in the way.”
Mr. AlcCorkindale was ominously
silent.
“But,” said Alattie, with an engag
ing smile, ‘ ‘if I promise to be very
quiet, and to refrain from annoying
you in any manner whatsoever—”
“It would make.no difference,” said
Air. AlcCorkindale. “I object to
young women.”
“But,” cried indignant Aluttie,
“suppose I were to object to middle
aged gentlemen on no better pretext?”
“You are perfectly welcome to do
so,” said Air. Corkindale, stiffly.
“You see, I am an old bachelor.”
• “And lam an old maid!” pleaded
Alattie.
“It makes no difference—no differ
ene’e at all!” said Air. AlcCorkindale.
“I am sorry to disappoint you, Mrs.
Sweetclover, but •”
“Stop!” said Alattie, resolutely.
“Airs. Sweetclover, if either of your
boarders leaves ycu, it is I. I came
last, and I occupy the least remunera
tive room. I will take my departure
on the noon-train to-morrow.”
And Alattie went back to her room
and cried a little; for she had become
very fond of her pretty little room
already.
“At all events,” said Alattie to her
self, “I will get up before daylight to
morrow morning, and have one good
swim in the surf.”
She supposed, when she came out
the next day, in her dark-blue bathing
suit and the coarse straw hat tied
down over her eyes, that she would
have the coast clear. But she was
mistaken. All*. AlcCorkindale was
paddling, like a giant purpoise, in a
suit of scarlet aid gray, among the
waves. He had always wanted to. learn
to'swim, aud here was a most eligible
opportunity.
“He don’t see me,” said Alattie, to
herself, as sh crept cautiously down
in the shado of the rocks. “If he
did, I suppose he would issue a pro
clamation that the whole seashore be
jonged to him. But I hope there is
room enough for us both In the Atlan
tic Ooean.”
And Miss Milfoil strnok out scien
tifically, gliding through the waves
like anew variety of fish, with dark
blue scales, and straightway forgot
all about the troublesome old bach
elor.
“It’s very strange,” said Mr. Mo-
Corkindale, revolving around and
around, like a steam paddle-wheel,
“A log floats, but I can’t seem to
manago it without the help of my
arms and legs. I’ve always under
stood that swimming was a very easy
business but—Pouf —ah-h—-wliust —
sh—sh! Help! help! Pouf-f-f! I’m
drowning! The undertow is carrying
me out, aud I can’t help myself!
Whush-sh! Oh! ah! help! he-e-e-elp!”
And Mr. McGorkindale’s voice lost
itself in a bubbling cry, while the deaf
old fisherman upon the shore went on
whistling and mending his net, and
the solitary individual, who was pick
ing up shells with his back toward the
surf, never dreamed but that the stout
gentleman was diving for his own' 1
amusement.
But Mattie Milfoil, cleaving her
way steadily through the waves, per
ceived in a moment that something
was wrong.
Mrs. Sweetclover fainted away when
they laid the boarder on a pile of
blankets on her kitchen floor.
Slie was one of those nervous ladies
who always faint away at the least
provocation.
Bst Mattie had all her senses about
her; and, thanks to her courage and
presence of mind, Mr. McCorkindale’s
life was saved.
“What is that rattling on the stairs?”
he feebly inquired, as he sat up, the
next day, in an easy-ehair, with a cur
ious sensation, as if a gigantic bumble
bee were buzzing in his head, and
cataracts pouring through his ears.
“It’s Miss Milfoil’s trunk going
away,” said Mrs. Sweetclover, with a
sniff of regret.
“Tell her not to'go,” said Mr. Mc-
Corkindale.
“Sir!” said Mrs. Sweetclover.
“Do you think I’m going to turn
the woman who saved my life out of
doors?” puffed Mr. McCorkindale.
“But I thought you objected to wo
men." said Mattie’s cheerful voice out
side the door.
“I’ve changed my mind,” said Mr.
McCorkindale, with a fluttering sem
blance of a smile. “A man is never
too old to learn. And I mean to learn
to swim next week, if yon will teach
me.”
He did learn. Miss Milfoil taught
him. And the old bachelor and the
old maid spent their month at the sea
side, to use Airs. Sweetelover’s expres
sion, “as quiet as two lambs.”
“I declare,” Air. AloCorkindalepen
sively observed, on the afternoon be
fore his term was up, “I shall be very
lonely after I leave here!”
“You’ll be going back to the city,
you know,” cheerfully observed Aliss
Alilfoil.
“But I shall miss you!” said the
bachelor.
“Nonsense!” said Alattie.
“I'wonder if you will miss me?”
said Mr. AloCorkindale.
“Well—a little,” owned Aliss Mil
foil .
“Did you never think of marrying,
Alattie?” abruptly demanded Air. Alc-
Corkindale. *
“Very often, ”slie answered, calmly.
. “And how is it that you never have
married?”
Alattie laughed.
“Because I never found the right
one,” she said.
“Just my reason, exactly!” said
Mr. AlcCorkindale. “But I think I
have found her at last—and it’s you,
Mattie!”
“Is it?” said Aliss Milfoil, coloring
and smiling.
“Don’t you think, if you were to
try me, I might suit you —as a hus
band?" ho asked, persuasively.
“I don’t know,” whispered Alattie.
“Try me!” said Air. AlcCorkindale,
taking her hand in his; and she did
not draw it away.
How brief a time will sometimes
suffice to turn the current of a life
time! That month at Seafoam Lodge
made all the difference in the world to
Air. and Airs. McCorkindale. —Satur-
day Night.
New Method of Preserving' Meats.
Anew method of preserving meat,
proposed by Dr. Walker, of Alonaco,
consists iu washing it with an antisep
tic liquid that may be removed with
warm water, and then keeping it in air
freed from bacteria. A two per cent,
solution of persulphate of sodium has
been found a satisfactory liquid. The
meat, first placed iu a specially-de
vised chamber capable of being her
metically closed, is covered with the
antiseptic, which is drawn off through
a cock at the end of ten minutes, when
warm water is admitted through an
other. cock and allowed to run as long
as it brings away any trace of the
chemical. The air which enters the
chamber through a tube is thoroughly
purified by first passing through sul
phuric acid or some other antiseptic.
The germs of fermentation in the meat
being destroyed, and all the manipu
lations having been carried on in a
sterilized atmosphere, the meat may be
left in the closed chamber six months
or more with the assurance that it will
continue fresh and unchanged.
Interesting Work of Mound Builders.
The Dayton Journal says that Fort
Ancient, which is picturesquely situ
ated on the high bluffs overlookiugthe
valley of the Little Aliami river, uear
Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio, is
believed to ba the largest, best pre
served aud most interesting work of
the Mound Builders. It has been
visited and studied by the leading
archmologists of Europe and America,
and models of it are now on exhibition
in Hie museums of London, Paris and
Beiliu. The fort, which covers about
one hundred acres, aud one hundred
and eighty-seven acres outside of the
walls, is now the property of the State,
part having been purchased in 1890,
and the remainder in 1896.
Ancient Ornaments Found.
Alany gold ornaments have been
found in a tomb in the Etruscan Cem
etery at Votulonia, making the dis
covery one of the most notable of re
cent years. A necklace, eight large
clasps, two large earrings, some hair
pins and other articles of jewely, to
gether with a sword, are among the
objects. The treasure will go to the
Florence Museum,
Stocking a Forest
With Big Game.
The big game that William C. Whit
ney has brought on from the Bocky
Alountains to occupy his 8000 acres on
October Alountain, about four miles
from Lenox, Alass., is creating great
interest among the New York people
who have summer places in Lenox
and vicinity. He has secured some of
the largest buffaloes in this country
and has considerable other wild game
from the Kooky Mountains, the only
specimens whioh have ever been
brought to the East, except a few
which the late Austin Corbin had up
in New Hampshire. They are the
finest specimens that could be secured
in Alontana, Wyoming and along the
THE ELK ENCLOSURE
range of the Bocky Alountains in that
region.
His herd of buffaloes numbers thir
teen, while his elk and deer are twice
that number. The buffaloes are of
especial interest because they have
become so rare in this country. Be
ginning with the great bull buffalo
AlcKinley, which stands at the head
of the herd, weighing 2600 pounds,
down to others weighing 1000 pounds,
they are the rarest specimens in Ainer- 1
ica. The great hull McKinley and the
entire herd were brought East with
the greatest difficulty. They came in
two freight palace cars, in charge of
the Adams brothers, who were given
the order by Air. Whitney over a year
ago. Some of the buffaloes they raised
themselves. The chief of the herd,
AlcKinley, is six years old and is the
ugliest animal that has ever been
brought East. He is the chief figure
in the buffalo picture and he doesn’t
allow any biped to come into the cn
w
K&
mr. whitney’s favorite elk.
closure without a protest. It was
with great difficulty that he was taken
out of the car, which he nearly tore to
pieces, and was taken up on October
Alountain from the Lenox station in
an immense crate, drawn by four
horses. He excited the greatest in
terest all the way, from the time he
was loaded into the car until ho got to
his destination.
The buffaloes are confined in about
800 acres of land surrounded by a fence
which is nine feet eight inches high,
made of steel wire. AlcKinley has
tried to get through it several times,
but he found in locking horns with it
that it has beaten him every time. It
has been tested by a twenty-five horse
power engine, which has been rushed
against it with all its force. Since Alc-
Kinley has found that he cannot get
through the fence he has become do
cile, and is quite content to stay in
the enclosure, which has the best
gl ass that can be procured for a herd
of buffaloes.
THE BUFFALO HERD. *
Tlie other buffaloes are becoming
used to their new home. There is
another bull which weighs only 100
pounds less than McKinley, but is not
as vicious. The whole buffalo herd
have wandered about the enclosure
with the greatest curiosity. They
look about for places where they can
escape, but are becoming contented,
as the gamekeeper treats them well.
They are, however, wild, and it is
dangerous to venture near them, and
so unsafe for any one to go inside the
enclosure that it is with the greatest
difficulty that pictures could be taken
of them. '
The dozen antelopes have all eloped.
As soon as they were put into then
thousand acres, surrounded by its
wire fence, they rushed away into the
thicket, and even the - gamekeepers
have been unable to find them. Some
times of a clear morning glimpses of
them have been caught in the dis
tance on the rocky hilltop above the
forest, but as soon as any one tried
to trace them they again disappeared,
and are keeping themselves so'very
quiet that it is impossible to tell
whether all of them have survived or
not, but it is probable that they have.
They undoubtedly enjoy the wildness
of the region, which resembles their
Bocky Alountain home, and where
they are no more liable to be mo
lested than in their own mountain
fastnesses.
When Air. Whitney wanted to see
his antelopes he was told that they
had all cleared out. He went out and
tried to find them himself, but without
success. He had the same experience
with a dozen black-tailed deer that were
brought on at the same time. They
were turned into an enclosure of 1000
or more acres and left to roam at their
o-wn sweet will. They are the first
black, tailed deer brought to New Eng
land.
The Adams brothers have instructed
the gamekeepers to feed them when
they come around. It is probable
that they will not be seen until they
get hungry late in the fall, when the
grass is gone. The country where
they are placed contains roaring
mountain brooks and small ponds
which in a measure resemble their na
tive country.
The thirty-five elks which were
brought on last year all survived the
winter aud are doing well. They were
young animals when they came on,
but their horns have grown out so that
they would not be recognized. They
are very tame, and, although inclosed
in over one thousand acres, the same
as the inclosures for the others, when
the gamekeeper gives a piercing whis
tle they all gather around him like
so many sheep. They are exceeding
ly handsome and attractive animals.
They often gather in groups in the in
closure and lie down quietly in the
most docile manner. No one likes tc
get near the bucks, however, for they
have a disagreeable rnanuer of jump
ing on visitors with their forefeet. It
doesn't take them long to become ac
quainted with the people who feed
them and they respond readily to the
calls for meals. They are fed grain,
oats and other cereals, just the same
as if they were domestic animals.
It is not an easy matter to take care
of this large natural history preserve
on October Alountafn, and a half dozen
gamekeepers are employed to keep
track of the animals. These game
keepers live in one of the farmhouses
on the land, and they are out day and
night looking after their charges.
Air. Whitney has only given up
about three thousand acres to the
game he has already brought on, and
what he is going to do with the other
five thousand acres remains to be seen.
He has a large number of game
birds, has stocked bis brook with
trout, and it is evident that in a few
years this will be the greatest private
game preserve in this country.
How to Make a Permanent Paste.
Soak an ounce of refined gelatine in
cold water for an hour, then drain off
and squeeze out the -water as much as
possible. Put the gelatine in a jelly
pot, and place the pot in a pan of hot
water over the fire. When the gela
tine has melted, stir in slowly 2i
ounces of pure alcohol. Put in a wide
mouthed bottle aud cork tightly. This
glue or paste will keep indefinitely,
and can be melted for use in a few
minutes by setting the bottle in a basin
of hot water. As it contains a very
small percentage of water, it affects
the gloss of the prints but little, and
dries almost immediately.—Harper’s
Bound Table.
Strength of Steel.
An experiment •which demonstrated
the capacity of steel to endure greater
pressure than the hardest stone was
recently made at Vienna. Corundum
was chosen for th© stone, and small
cubes of both substances were placed
under pressure. A weight of six tons
smashed the corundum, but forty-two
tons were required to crush the steel.
When the steel did give way, the ef
fects are described as most remarka
ble. With a loud explosion the metal
flew into powder, and its sparks are
said to have bored minute holes in the
crushing machine.
A Clever Engineering Feat-
City Engineer Morris R. Sherrerd
did a piece of engineering work yes
terday that has never been done be
fore. Bv a device patented by Mr.
Sherrerd and Engineer D. W. French.
Superintendent of the Hackensack
Water Company, a valve was placed in
a six-inch water maiß without shutting
off the water. A piece of the water
main was cut out, and the valve put in
place and securely fastened. Work
of a similar nature can be done on any
sized main.- -Newark (N. J.) Call.
TOWER FOR GREATER NEW YORK.
Triumphal Structure Wliicli U to Outstrip
That of Hahylnn.
Asa matter of curiosity it may be
mentioned that Greater New York is
to have —on paper, at least—a tower
which is to beat anything in the
world, past or present, even the con
fusion-breeding structure of Babylon.
William J. Frye is the architect, and
E. G. Townsend is mentioned as pro
moter, who is said to be confident that
the necessary funds will be forthcom
ing. He has not yet gone into figures,
which is a mere matter of details with
him. The tower is to be 2110 feet in
height, and is to be twelve-sided, with
a diameter of 300 feet for the main
base, to be flanked by four pavilions,
which will give the entire base a di
ameter of 400 feet. The outer walls
are to be of cement and wire cloth.
Internally the plans represent a laby
rinth of steel columns, girders, beams,
plates and other forms of steel con
struction, not a particle of wood to be
employed in either construction or
finish. Electric cars with reserve
motor power of compressed air are to
run spirally around the 100-foot cen
tral area, making a trip to the fifth
floor from the ground about two and a
half miles in length. From the fifth
floor to the top visitors will be con
veyed in an elevator. The proposed
tower is to be built within the next
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GREATER NEW YORK’S TRIUMPHAL TOWER.
three years somewhere in upper New
York, where there is a firm rock foun
dation.
Original AVay to Get Kid of Fleas.
Those who wish an original way of
getting rid of fleas might try some
plan like that adopted by Professor
Gage, at one of the buildings of Cor
nell University, and described by him
in “Insect Life.” This plan consisted
in tying sheets of sticky fly paper,
with the sticky side out, around the
legs of the janitor, who then for several
hours walked up and down the floor of
the infested room, with the result that
all or nearly all of the fleas jumped on
his ankles, as they will always do, and
were caught by the fly paper.
Where It Snows and Never Rains,
Boborowsky, the Kussian explorer,
has discovered a place in central Asia
where no rain, but only snow, falls at
any time throughout the year. He
found this delightful summer resort in
the Thibetan highlands, at an altitudo
of 17,080 feet. The thermometer on
June 15 was twelve degrees below
zero, centigrade. There was no sign
of life, save the appearance of a few
Grongo antelopes, and these were in
such an exhausted condition that they
passed within a few yards of the ex
plorer without showing any sign of
fear.—New York Times.
A New and Startling Boat,
The umbrella boat has been the sen
sation of the yeav at the Cowes (Eng
land) regatta. The sails fold up just
THE UMBRELLA BOAT.
like the covering of an umbrella. It
sails very fast, and is expected to create
a revolution in sailing on quiet rivers
aud bays.
POPULAR^SCIENCE.
A Parisian is said tohave construct
ed a machine which makes it possible
to split a human hair into thirty-six
parts.
Specimens of firedamp have been
recently collected from many sources,
all containing nitrogen, with appar
ently about the same proportion of
argon as is obtained from the nitrogen
of the air.
The Manhattan Elevated, the Brook
lyn Elevated and the Elevated Rail
way of New York are seriously con
sidering the substitution of electric
motors for steam power. They are all
working together with the view to get
ting the change in motive powder made
at the smallest cost.
Dr. F. E. Yoakum, of Los Angeles,
Cal., believes he has made a discovery
through his X-ray investigations which
will revolutionize the present method
of mining valuable ores. He says that
it is now possible to detect by the use
of the X-ray gold and other ores in the
rocks in which they may be hidden.
A reason for doubting that oxygen
is an element has been given to the
London Boyal Society by Air. E. C.
C. Baly. Under the silent electric
discharge, the gas that goes to the
cathode with long sparks is less dense
than unelectrified oxygen, while ie
the case of short sparks it is more
dense.
Next to that of the British Museum,
the largest collection of birds’ eggs is
that belongiug to a lawyer named Neht
Korn in Braunschweig, Germany. He
intends soon to issue a catalogue of his
collection, with fifty colored plates,
depicting the more valuable speci
mens, of many of which no other sam
ple is known to exist.
The four great tunnels of the world
are cited as an illustration of the
marked diminution of the cost of en
gineering works during the last quar
ter of a century. The Hoosac tunnel,
the oldest of the four, cost SSOO a foot
the Alont Cenis, the next in date,
8475; the St. Gothard, 8365, and the
Arlberg, the most recent, only 8200.
The “penny-in-the-slot” principle
has been applied in France to a ma
chine for producing X rays. The ap
paratus contains the stored electricity
and a Crookes tube in a small box,
separated from which by a little space
is the fluorescent screen. A suitable
coin enables any person to view his
bones and other marvels for a certain
time.
llow riacer Mine* Are Worked.
Doubtless many people will go to
the Klondike region who know little
or nothing of mining. Fortunately
for these the Klondike mines are
placers—the most easily worked mines
of any, and requiring the least ex
penditure. The methods of washing
out placer gold are known as “sluic
ing” and “panning.” The former is
employed where the yield is of ordin
ary value, while all old-timers prefer
the latter in rich ground.
In sluicing the dirt is shoveled into
the sluice box, through which water is
rapidly running. The box is of vary
ing length, and has holes bored in the
bottom. These holes are filled with
quicksilver; the dirt, gravel and small
bowlders are washed over the quick
silver, but the gold adheres to it.
When a miner “cleans up,” sometimes
every night, sometimes once a week,
the -water is turned off and the sluice
box holes are cleaned out.
In panning, the dirt is put into a
gold pan—about the size of a small
dish pan. This pan is made of cop
per. The miner squats beside a stream,
dips water into the pan, oscillates it.
with a motion that can only be ac
quired by experience, and gradually
sloughs out the water, dirt, gravel,
etc., retaining the gold in the pan.
Gold being the heaviest substance it
is of course the easiest to retain in the
pan. If it be in the shape of nuggets,
the miner picks them out of the pan
with his fingers; if the gold be in
small particles, fine gold or “flour''
gold, he dries the pan in the sun and
carefully brushes the deposit into a
piece of buckskin or other material
used for carrying the precious metal
A pick, a shovel, a gold pan, water,
and, of course, some gold are the only
essentials of placer mining.
The gold taken out of the Klondike
placers, so far, has been coarse, or in
good-sized nuggets.
Machinery is only necessary in
placer mining where large areas of
ground that yields only moderately
are worked, and then only for hy
draulic power in washing down the
lirt.
A Curious American Cane.
Mr. Thomas Groggan is an’Alderman
elect. By virtue of the large number of
votes he received he is a Police and
Fire Commissioner. Besides all this,
he is generous and would give every
man so desiring a place in either de
partment if there were places enough.
He also has a fund of humor and a
new cane. The cane was presented to.
him by William Meininger, who has
recently been in Mexico. It is a huge
affair, as canes go, but fits the dignity
of the position held by Mr. Groggan.
The stock is made of the trunk of a
coffee tree about two inches in thick
ness at the top. On it are carved the
Mexican coat of arms and several huge
coffee leaves. The Mexicans, it is
said, carve these caues with flint and
make their own dyes for coloring the
leaves and coat of arms black, red and
green. Mr. Groggan, whenever any
one enters his office, hastily presents
the cane, thereby conferring upon all
callers the police knighthood.—Gal
veston (Texas) News.
Fastest Time on llecord.
“A Texas and Pacific railroad train
recently made 83.1 miles in eighty-two
minutes, an average of a mile in less
than a minute, including five stops,”
said W. T. McChesney, of Dallas, at
the St. Nicholas. “The run was made,
between Plaqifemine and Gouldsboro’,
La. The reason of this remarkable
run was on account of the illness of
the wife of State Senator Wilbert, who
desired to carry her to New Orleans
with all possible speed. He wired to
Dallas for a special train, and in a Sew
minutes it was dashing on its way to
Plaquemine, where Mrs, Wilbert was
placed aboard at 7.42, and the train
reached Gouldsboro’ at 9.20, a dis
tance of 83.1 miles. No other railroad
in the world can show such, speed for
so long a distance. The railroad men
are willing to back up the declaration
with big money.—St. Louis Republic.