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THE CIRCUS BAND. I love to hoar the circus band, Its music Is so gay It has a boundless repertoire, And plays it twice a day. From wagner's down to "Ooley-00. Its faculty extends. And twice a day it plays right through Till the performance ends. Its ceaseless industry deserves A warm encomium. Alike for him who toots a horn And him who beats a drum. Tear after year the players blow, Their ranks are never thinned. And every year my wonder grows Where do they get the wind? —Somerville Journal. A PERIOD OF DROUGHT. Ey Carroll Watcon Rankin. Every winter when Mrs. Bronson, whose throat was delicate, was ban ished West or South, her cousin, Har riet Kingsly, was engaged to mother the family. Miss Kingsly made an entirely trustworthy guardian, yet she pos sessed one striking peculiarity that not only amused, but exasperated the left-at-home Bronsons. Before her mother’s death, Cousin Harriet had spent twenty years trying to live within an income that was a good deal too small. Afterward tho income expanded to twice its former size, but Harriet did not. She had been cramped too long. Her sober, saving mind refused to see her former dol lars doubled; and she continued to “scrimp” long after the necessity for scrimping had ceased to exist. During the luxurious months that she kept house for her well-to-do, open-handed cousin, an employment that she thoroughly enjoyed, she kept It after her own parsimonious fash ion. She saved scraps, turned down all the gas-jets, ordered one pie when circumstances really demanded two, used all her matches twice, and by cutting it in two beforehand, com pelled a single beefsteak to serve for two somewhat restricted meals. In households where it was need ed, Harriet’s economy would have proved a blessing; but under the Bronsons’ well-shingled roof frugal ity seemed an exaggerated virtue. As practiced by Cousin Harriet, it cer tainly added nothing whatever to the Bronsons’ comfort, whatever it may have done toward increasing their already ample bank account. “Now, Harriet,”- Mr. Bronson would aay, when the cream ran short, "there isn’t any earthly reason why we shouldn't tnke a gallon of milk a day if we need it. What are we get ting? You’ve cut it down to a quart! Dear, dear! And here we are getting enough cream off one quart for two able-bodied meals! Harriet, you'll really be the death of me! My system won’t stand cream in such quantities.’’ "But,” said Harriet, triumphantly, “I’ve saved over half the household allowance this month.” "That,” returned nfr. Bronson, "would be entirely commendable if there were any need of saving it; but theer isn’t. I’m making it to spend. I’d rather spend it. You are, the milkman has to live, so does ifih) grocer, so does the butcher. By the way, tell the cook to broil the rest of this beefsteak. I'd like to live myself; I’m sure I shan't if 1 have to go w ithout cream in my cof fee. Why, Harriet, every time I part with another acre of that mineral land near Gogibic I’m afrand I'll dis cover that I'm a millionaire! Half of one, anyway. We can’t spent our money but once. Let’s have our cream while it agrees with us.” Gradually good-natured Gershom Bronson overruled his cousin’s too parsimonious habits; not, however, with entire success, because as fast *8 he disposed of one, another broke out where it was least expected. For instance, by the time she was con vinced that ho really could not see to read with the gas turned down, Harriet had rescued seveD uncanceled stamps from the waste-basket, soaked them off and laid them, guiltless of gum, on her busy cousin’s desk. Having a saving sense of humor, — his only saving quality, Harriet said, —Mr. Bronson found his economical relative amusing. And Cousin Har riet realized that so much genuine kindliness lurked beneath Gershom Bronson’s bantering that her feelings were never hurt. But she still per sisted in going to bed by candle-light to save gas. “If we had forty millions, ’’ mut tered seventeen-year-old Elyda, tying a parcel with cord from an astonish ingly knobby ball, “Cousin Harriet would still hoard string. She's saved enough to last forever. I wonder how it would feel to use brand-new twine." “You'd miss the knots," giggled Frances. “1 sec," said Mr. Bronson, looking up from his paper, "that the water hoard has decided to put in meters. That will afford anew field for econ omy.” Cousin Harriet’s brow puckered anxiusly. She was darning an odd sock that she had found in the rag bag. "Meters! Dear me! Water Is the one thing that this town has always been able to have enough of. I must tell Mary—” “Don’t worry,” soothed Mr. Bron son. "I guess we’ll still be able to drink it.” The meter, an inoffensive affair that looked like a brass teapot, was duly installed. The plumber, lifting the circular metal lid, showed Miss Kingsly six little groups of figures on the four-inch disk. One could use, it appeared, anywhere from no water at all to an ocean at so much per thousand cubic feet. Compared with the rate for the same amount of ice, the price seemed moderate. “How much,” asked Miss Kingsly, cautiously, “is it likely to cost a month?” “Well,” confided the plumber, col lecting his tools, “I really don’t know much about them, —this is only the fourth I’ve put in, and I haven’t seen one busy—but I should say that it would all depend on how much a body used.” The meter weighed heavily on Cousin Harriet’s mind. She could picture it in the Bronson cellar, greedily counting every drop that trickled through the pipes. Of course from the very moment that the sys tem went into force, the good lady began to have water. “Mary,” said she to the cook, "you mustn’t waste a drop. When you’ve rinsed the dishes, pour the wgter into this pail, so I can use it to water the plants. And, Mary, save part of your wash-water on Monday to scrub the laundry floor. It seems a pity to waste all that nice bluing water. Isn’t there something we could do with it?” “We might.,” suggested Mary, doubt fully, “heat it to wash windows with.” “We’ll try it,” return Miss Kingsly, screwing the faucets tighter. Mary, now restricted at every turn —every turn of the faucet, Mr. Bron son said—was fast losing the amia bilily for which she had been famed. The hitherto fastidious girls wore their white shirtwaists a day longer than usual to save washing. Indeed, the entire family was gradually be coming niggardly with the water supply. Even Elyda was observed saving half the contents of her glass for the benefit of the parched fern dish. “Really,” expostulated Mr. Bronson, when this discovery was made, “if this nonsense doesn’t stop we’ll all have water on the brain. I’m affect ed myself. It's all I can do this minute to keep from turning on every faucet in the house just to see how it seems actually to possess enough water to wash both hands in at once.” “You can’t,” said Cousin Harriet, with dignity. ‘T’ve had all tho fau cets fixed/ —” “That's why they merely drizzle!” exclaimed Frances. “I supposed they’d just grown economical of their own accord.” “I’ve tried for half an hour to read that meter,” confessed Cousin Harri et, emerging dustily from the cellar the morning of the thirty-first, “but I can’t understand the figures. This is tho day they inspect it. I wanted to be prepared.” Three hours later Miss Kingsly fol lowed the meter-man to the cellar. He lifted the metal lid, held his lan tern close, and read the figures to which the indicator pointed. Sud denly he uttered an ejaculation and stooped lower. Then he shook his head. His manner expressed disap proval. “Have we used very much?” de manded Cousin Harriet, anxiously. “Just about all Lake Superior!” re torted the man. “What!” gasped the guardian of faucets, in horror. “The meter’s put on wrong.” ex plained the man. “That plumber’s got it hind end to. This makes nine that’ll have to come out so far. This way it registers all the water that you don't use, I guess. Of course we can't go by it this month. We'll have it reversed." The Bronsons became hilarious when the matter was explained. Miss Kingsly, however, seemed depressed. “To think." she lamented, “that I wasted all that time saving water when there wasn’t any need of it.” “There wasn’t any need of it, any way,” said Mr. Bronson. “After this, I’m going to run the water wagon. Mary, I don’t care how many plants you water with your cold tea, but we won't have any more bluing on the windows —it gives the whole world an Indigo aspect. From this hour forth, we'll just forget that there’s a meter in our cellar.” Nevertheless, the meter refused to be dismissed thus lightly from the Bronson minds. When the end of the month arrived, the family was still sufficiently interested to flock cellarward at the inspector’s heels. "Used all you needed?” asked the man, looking up from the meter. “All we needed and more,” replied Cousin Harriet, nerving herself for a shock. “We haven’t —we weren’t allowed to he careful.” “Well,” returned the man, “this meter’s saving you money. Your bill’s about a dollar less than it was by the old way of reckoning.”— Youth’s Companion. NEW ORLEANS ANT PEST. Jesuit Scientists Plan War on Insect Nuisance. It is a well known fact that within the last few years the ant nuisance in New Orleans has increased to such an extent that householders as well as manufacturers and merchants have been very seriously inconvenienced by them, says the Times-Democrat of that city. The question has proven an absorb ing one for scientists, and from time to time research has been made for the purpose of finding some relief from their invasion. Two years ago the superintendent of Audubon park, then Mr. Baker, sought some relief from ants, but without avail. They were destroying the plants and flow ers, and were even attacking the trees. They seem to have made their way from the upper section to the lower section of the city, Westisego, where many ships land from all parts of the world, was first infested with them. Then they made their way further downtown. It has been noted that these pests attack woodwork of the finest mahog any mantels, armoirs, cedar chests, floors and, in fact, everything that is eatable. They also attack fruit trees and hothouse plants. Father Albert Biever, S. J., presi dent of Loyola college, has been mak ing investigations on the subject and has just received an interesting com munication from Germany. Father Biever had an experience with an at tempt to send some of the ants to Europe. Packages were done up in to get off the earth, should be shown such a manner as to get through the mails but Uncle Sam refused to handle them. One package sent by express was lost in New York; then another was sent, which reached its destination. The New Orleans ants sent to Ger many some time ago for special scien tific investigation reached their des tination at last. The Rev Eric Was mann, S. J., to whom they were con signed and who is probably the great est living authority on ants, says that the New Orleans ant is the Iridomyr nex bumilis (Mayr), a native of Bra zil and Argentina, and that it was imported into Louisiana by merchant ships. Dr. Wheeler, who is known to be the best authority in America on this group of Hymenoptera, classed them some time ago under the same species. Father Biever is now corresponding with Jesuit scientists in Brazil and Argentina to obtain full information as to the results these strange ants have achieved in their native land and as to the methods employed to check their wonderful spread and fear ful depredations. Father Biever be lieves that this ant will prove one of the great enemies of the contemplated exposition because of their numbers and the persistent attacks they will make upon everything that may be exhibited. Father Biever says these pests not only attack and eventually kill plants and fruit trees by placing parasitic scale upon their stems and consume everything edible about a house, but complaints have come from some of tue best residents in the city that the ants have honeycombed the fine wood work of their residences, such as ma hogany mantels and costly furniture, with their destructive little forceps, and that hardwood doors, tables and chests have succumbed to their rav ages. The “Identical” Act. An old negro was recently brought before a justice in Mobile. It seemed that Uncle 'Mose had fallen foul of a bulldog in the act of entering the hen house of the dog's owner. “Look here. Uncle Mose,” the justice said informally, “didn’t I give you ten days last month for this same thing? Same henhouse you w r ere trying to get into. What have you got to say for yourself?” "Mars Willyum, yo’ sent me ter de chain gang for tryin’ ter steal some chickens, didn't ye?” “Y'es, that was the charge.” “An’ don’t de law say yo’ can’t be charged twice wid de same ’fence?” “That no man shall be twice placed in jeopardy for the identical act, yes.” “Den, sah, yo’ des hab ter let me go, sah. Ah war after de same chick ens, sah!” —Nashvile Banner. Jail. Mistress —Have you any recomnien dation from your last place? Applicant —Yes’m; I got three months off fer good behavior!—Syra cuse Herald. Immigrant arrivals are overtaxing the capacity of Ellis Island. Georgia Cullings Curtailed Items of Interest Gathered at Random. j Decides in Favor of Ocilla. Secretary of State Philip Cook de cided that Ocilla had been definitely and legally chosen as the county seat of Irwin county, and that the court house should be moved there. Ocilla won in the election for the removal of the court house from Ir wlnville, but Irwinville made charges of illegality and fraud. hTe evidence, which was extensive, was thoroughly gone into, almost every vote being can vassed by Secretary Cook. * * * i I Splendid Fair for Putnam. The directors of the Putnam County Fair Association are bending every nerve to make the fair, to be held on November 4-8, next, one of the cojn pletest and most attractive ever yet held. Efforts are being made to have every department filled with creditable exhibits. Liberal premiums are offered and every encouragement is extended to prospective exhibitors. Outside of the regular exhibits, there will be various and attractive special features to engage and interest visitors. • l 1 * * * Flood of Bills Introduced. The legislature of 1907, which pass ed into history Sunday morning, es tablished a record in the matter of the introduction of bills. In the house there were introduced 744 bills. There were introduced 160 house resolutions. Of the house bills intc*duced 305 passed. Of the house resolutions introduced twenty-six have the effect of laws. In the senate there were introduced 155 bills- Of this number 5G passed. Of the fifty-six introduced twenty-six have become laws, the house having passed that number. Four of the senate hills were defeat ed by the house. Eighty-eight bills were read for the first and second time only. Postmasters Organize. Georgia’s postmasters of the fourth class, more than a hundred strong, gathered in the Piedmont hotel as sembly hall at Atlanta Saturday morn ing, and before the final adjournment was taken in the afternoon a perma nent organization had been effected, with the following officers: President —S. R. Pope of Buchanan. Vice President —W. T. Kitchens of Mitchell. Secretary and Treasurer —Mrs. Belle Wright of Powder Springs. Executive Committee —E. A. Hollis, of Reynolds, and J. M. H. Fletcher, of Chula. Delegates to the National Conven tion —J. E. Puett of Cumming and F. M. Barfield of Pinehurst, with J. L. Blackmon of Hamilton and E. A. Hol lis of Reynolds as alternates. * * * Big Farm Changes Hands. Hon. B. S. Miier of Columbus has sold his big plantation in Marion county to J. B. Mcßrayer of Gwinnett county, and it is understood that the sale was practictally a $50,000 trans action. The place, which is seven miles from Buena Vista, embraces 2,135 acres, and is one of the finest farms in west Georgia. Mr. Mcßrayer is now a big farmer in north Georgia, and as soon as Mr. Miller has gathered the present crop, the former will move to Marion county, carrying a half dozen north Georgia families with him. Mr. Miller has paid particular atten tion to corn, small grain and hogs in his farming operations in Marion coun ty, although the cotton Production from the big farm has been large. His home-raised hams have attained quite a reputation. * * * Governor Accused of Lobbying. The open charge that Governor Smith in his efforts to secure the en action of that feature of the Candler- Overstreet railroad commission bill, which provides for five members, had used lobbying tactics as bad as any pursued by the railroads which he had denounced throughout the state, was made on the floor of the senate by Senators J. J. Flynt of the twenty sixth, J. E. Hayes of the thirteenth ana J. W. Taylor of the thirty-sixth. So caustic were the remarks in this connection that Senator J. R. Brock of the forty-fourth, whose change of vote secured the passage of the five mem ber provision, in explaining his hnai vote, said: “I make no secret of the fact that I have talked with the governor just STOP AT THE ZETTLER HOUSE. The best SI.OO a dsy house in the c;ty. 2b 3 FOURTH ST., MACON, G<L, Mrs. A. L. Zettler, Proprietress, a few minutes ago. I have no apology to make for it and I vote ‘aye.’ ” * * * Close to Forty Millions Increase. Tax digests so far received at the office of the comptroller-general indi cate that the total returns this year are going to exceed those of last year by nearly $40,000,000, a larger increase than that shown in 1906 over the tax valuations of the year before. The aggregate gains in 115 of the counties reporting are $35,781,465 over the returns of last year. The aggregate losses in seventeen counties are $1,083,309. This gives net gains over last year in 132 counties which have reported $34,698,154. The average gain in each county of the state is little less than a quarter of a million. Therefore if the remaining fourteen counties keep up the average, the to tal net gain over last year will run over $38,000,000, over 1906. This will run the total tax returns of the state uip to approximately $700,- 000,000, which will be higher than they ever have been in the history of the state. High-water mark was reached just prior tq the war before the emanci pation of the slaves and the destruc tion of other property, when Georgia returned $672,000,000. * w * Oil Refinery Next Year. The general assembly took no ac tion on the resolution for an appropri ation of SIO,OOO with which to install a cotton seed oil refinery at the Gsor gia School of Technology. The finances of the state were so depleted no spe cial appropriations were granted this session. This resolution goes over un til next year when it will come uiP ahead of any new business and will he acted upon then, and secured. Dr. Matheson, president of the school, was intensely interested in the resolution and stated' that there was already a place in the new chemical laboratory where the machinery for this purpose could be installed at a very small cost. He expressed himself as being highly in favor of the new department and declared that it would give the southern boys an opportunity for anew field of work with one of the south's chief products. The school is already equipped with a textile department where the stu dents are taught to handle the crud/; cotton and convert it Into cloth, and with the establishment of a cotton seed oil refinery the other component fi'he editor of the Alabama Ne-ws has part of the great southern plant, the cotton ssed, will be handled and taught to be utilized to an advantage. TO IGNORE ALL INJUNCTIONS. Alabama Will Enforce Rate Law* Despite Federal Court Action. An edict from the Alabama capital is that the state laws governing rail roads are to be enforced no matter what sort of injunctions are gotten out by the federal court. Several of the solicitors have intimated that they will not he governed by the injunc tions of the United States court, and will proceed in the investigations of violations just the same for failure to put in effect the laws of the state with regard to the rates for freight and passenger traffic. Governor Comer intimated before leaving Montgomery Friday that the latest move of the Louisville and Nash vilel in enjoining indictments and ar rests was going to bring the issue to a head, and the general public is of the opinion that there will come the clash between the state and the federal courts m a short time. BOARDING HOUSE TUMBLES DOWN- Five People Killed Under Debris and Eleven Are Injured. Five persons were killed and eleven others were injured, three seriously, early Friday in the collapse of a two story frame building in Chicago, oc cupied as a boarding house. Four of the victims were instantly killed and the fifth died a few m> utes af.er being taken to a hospital- The todies of the dead were taken from the ruins by policemen a .and &* e