Newspaper Page Text
Our army, navy and pensions cost
$210,000,000 a year.
The engineer who designed the
steamer City of Paris says that a vessel
will soon be built that will cross the
Atlantic in five days.
The Portuguese arc the most illiter¬
ate people in Europe. The educated
people arc only eighteen per cent, of
tKe entire population.
r i he New York Commercial Adver¬
tiser announces that. “Some enterpris¬
ing Southern men propose to give an
exhibition of Southern products in
some Northern city.”
Siam, it is said, is feeling the im¬
pulse of the railway spirit, and it is
taking the preliminary steps for build¬
ing several hundred miles of lines.
Siam has a population of nearly 6,000 >■
000 people and an area of about 280 >
500 square miles.
IV illiam J. McDowell, who was a
conspicuous figure at the meeting of
the Sons of the Revolution in Louis-
- ville, Ky., last spring, is in favor of a
“congress of republics.” His object
is to “crystallize the democratic senti-
inent of the world.”
Target-shooting contests in the Turk¬
ish army have developed the fact that
not one soldier in twenty could hit a
man at twenty paces. A target as big
as a barn door placed thirty rods a wav
was missed twenty-nine times where it
was hit once. The Turk looks well
in red trousers, however.
»i —.___
The curious fact is commented upon
by the New York Star, that the
Cramps of Philadelphia, the Scotts of
San Francisco, and nearly uli the other
firms engaged in building our war
ships Quakers. r T. ~ II. Savery of
are
Wilmington, Del., who built the Vol¬
unteer on Mr. Burgess’ plans and who
has been looking into the specifications
for the new navy, is also a Quaker.
A real estate transaction of stupen¬
dous proportions has been consum-
mated by Texas parties. It is the sale
of 6.000,000 acres of land in the State
of I amantispos, Mexico, together with
about 100,000 head of cattle, The
purchasers are an English and Dutch
syndicate lately formed in Europe by
John Hancock, of Austin. The syn¬
dicate purposes to colonize the land
and also erect on it refrigerators for
beef exporting purposes. The price
paid was fifty cents an acre for the
land aud $10 a head for the cattle.
•Some Antipodeans have been as¬
tonished by the possibilities of book¬
making. Mr. Theodore Bevan visited
the island of Iviw r ai two years ago,
and wrote an account of the cannibal
feasts of the natives. Another expe¬
dition recently went to the island, and
Mr. Bevan’s account of them was
translated and read to the natives.
'Soule roared with laughter, but others
looked at it more seriously, and said it
was “hitter language” and “not true.”
These natives cultivate thirty-six
kinds of bananas, twenty kinds of
yams, and ten kinds of sweet potatoes.
• The Times-Democrat notes that the
recent school elections in the Dakotas
do not indicate that the women there
«gre much about using the ballot. In
Sanborn county, Southern Dakota, out
of'(he 1200 female voters not over 100
Voted, and that is the county where
are the headquarters of the woman-
suffrage campaign and the banner pro-
liibition county of the State. The per-
eentage of women actually voting was
sinaller in other counties. In North
Dakota the same indifference was oh-
servable. When the women voted
they voted usually as their husbands
d;d -
A case of hypnotism in London
firings up some interesting points for
mental scientists, remarks the Chicago
Post. The case is that of a man who
charges the popular novelist, Walter
Bcsant, with a literary crime even
worse than plagiarism. The novelist,
it seems, is possessed of hypnotic
powers, and his accuser 6ays that he put
bim into a hypnotic state, and while in
that helpless condition stole a romantic
story from his brain and published it
to the world as one of his own novels.
Of course, Mr. Besant merely laughs
at this strange yarn, but he must ad¬
mit that he has quite a rival in the
icalm of fiction in this imaginative
pers< n.
According - to the evidence presentee
to the Committee of the English House
of Commons on colonization, the emi¬
gration from Ireland since 1851 is
stated to have amounted to 3,276,!03,
or fifty-nine per cent of the total popu¬
lation. Of the above number, 471.909
same from Connaught, and 155,576
ilrom Galway.
Emperor \\ illiam, who seeks to imi¬
tate in all things his illustrious ances-
tor, King Frederick the Great, has re¬
cently adopted the latter's taste for
white horses. Since the death of the
h#ro of the “Seven Years’ War,” al¬
most 130 years ago, horses of that
color have been excluded from the
royal imperial stable at Berlin. With¬
in the last two or three weeks, liow-
e\ cr, both the Emperor and Empress
have repeatedly appeared in public in
carriages drawn by white and cream*
colored horses.
Some French crank with a taste foi
s^Gstics that arc of no value to anyone
* ias d o u, ' ed ^ out that the dentists ol
America annually insert in the teeth ol
dl<dr custorne, 's about 1800 pounds ot
?° ,d » which represents a cost of $450,-
' )0u ’ sa vs * tbe Touis Globe-Demo-
crat. This gold is never recovered, of
course, but is buried with the person
in whose mouth it is placed.
The statistician then goes on to say
(hat allowing for the rapid increase in
the population of the United States
and the still more rapid deterioration
M American teeth within 100 years
the cemeteries ot this country will
contain more gold than is now in cir¬
culation in France. I suppose that
when that state of affairs is reached
mining companies for the working of
cemeteries will he a matter of course,
Indian corn is not known in France
as an article of food. One of our
consuls there, Mr. Griffin, writes that
if corn meal could be introduced, a
lasting benefit would be conferred
upon the poor, and a new outlet would
he lound for the overproduction of
American farms. A simple way to
reach the French country people, Mr.
Griffin says, would be to follow their
monthly fairs held in every canton.
At these fairs corn meal could be
cooked in various ways before the eyes
of the people and served to them. In
a short time the French would see
that corn meal is a cheap, wholesome
and easily cooked article of food. It
would pay to start a similar crusade in
every civilized country in the world.
The result would create a new de-
maud for the corn which our western
farmers now burn as fuel, and the
- ro P would become the most valuable
of all our food products.
Albatross Skin.
The most valuable part of the alba¬
tross is its plumage. The neck, breast
and body are snowy white, shading
delicately into gray and dusky brown
at the sides and back, and tlie feathers
are so curled and elastic that the skin
w*ith the plumage on it is an inch or
an inch and a half thick. No finer
material can be got for muffs, cuffs,
collarets, capes or the trimming or
lining of cloaks and robes. It is very
>’ ct exceedingly warm, while for
a PP eai 'ance its dove-like smoothness
aud P u, '' t y cannot be excelled.
It has the advantage, too, of being
Very dluable > the natural oil of the
preserving the skin and feathers
^ 01 man ^ y car8 > while the character-
istic lnusk y otlor is easily overcome
cam P llor - H is a wonder that some
euter prisi»g furrier or modiste does
not set tIlc I as,llou of w*earing aiba-
tross P Iunia ff e a » d send to Antipodes
or the Crosets for a season’s supply,
rhere would be money in it, not only
its noveIt y, but by its usefulness.
At the same time I hope it will not
he done, because if once the skin of
the albatross acquired a commercial
value, and the ruthless hand of fashion
"ere laid on its smooth, white neck,
the poor bird would soon he drivan
from its secluded haunts and might
even be in danger of extermination.
May the day be far distant when the
trader shall invade the home of the
albatross or the pot hunter disturb its
ancient, solitary reign.—[Forest and
Stream.
Encouraging to Genius.
Poet I\ hat is this ode worth?
Editor—Hem, let’s see. The ink
can't be used again—that’s no good;
and the paper—Jimmie, what’s paper
worth a pound?—[Epoch.
A. LOOKOUT BRIDGE.
How Big Ocean Steamers Guard
Against Danger.
Two Watchful Pairs of Eves On
an Elevated Station.
“Two bells!” exclaimed a sailor -
like looking passenger on the ship
Majestic as the metallic strokes rang
out sharply from the forward dim¬
ness. 4 i Two bells? How's that? It
must be clo ; e on to midnight, and I’ve
been listening for eight bells, when I
was going to turn in.”
i i IIo, ho!” laughed his companion,
who w*as none other than the first offi¬
cer of the ship, “that’s a good one on
you, and though you’ve been a deep¬
water 6ailor all your life, you’ll find
we can teach you a thing or two yet.
Take a squint through these glasses
over the starboard bow, and perhaps
you’ll see something.”
The passenger, who was an old sail¬
ing captain, did as directed, and after
gaziug intently out over the shadowy
waters for a few moments, reported a
light in sight, apparently that of a
steamer coming toward him.
“That’s what the two bells meant,”
replied the chief mate. “Thev were
struck by the watch on the lookout
bridge, and notified the officer of the
deck that something had been sighted
off - the starboard bow. One bell would
have meant that it was on the port
side.”
Just then eight hells, sounded in an
entirely different key from that of the
lookout hell, announced the hour of
midnight. The chief mate bade his
friend good-night, and turned toward
the main bridge, where he would as-
suinc the duties of officer on watch;
while Lis companion sauntered in the
direction of his cab n, reflecting upon
the new-fangled methods of naviga¬
tion as practised aboard the trans-
atlantic liners.
The Chinese paint watchful eyes Oil
the bows of their junks to guard them
against the perils of the deep. On the
ship of'Columbus the lookout was sta¬
tioned away aft on the highest point
of the towering poop, while on most
modern vessels lie may he foiled p ecr-
ing ahead from away forward, in
what lias come to he appropriately
designated the “ship's eyes.”
1 liis is well enough for slow-moving
>ailing vessels, or even for coastwise
steamers, but on the huge over-ocean
liners rushing at railway speed through
darkness and fog, a further coign of
\ antage from which to note and report
sudden dangers was demanded. A
cro’-nest at the foremast head would
be unnecessarily high, and too far
from the deck for ready communica¬
tion ; so a few years ago the lookout
bridge was devised, and is now* in
general use.
It is on the foremast, away forward
of the latter, and in communication
With it only by means of its clear¬
voiced bell. Here, tw*enty feet above
the deck, on such a ship as the Majes¬
tic, from the moment of departure to
the moment of arrival, at least two
pairs of keen, far-sighted eyes scan
every inch of the forward horizon.
From here any object that is detected
—strange sail or sister ship, drifting
derelict or glimmering berg—is in¬
stantly reported to the officer stationed
on the main bridge, by one sharp
stroke of the bell that hangs between
the watchers if it appears on the port
bow, and two if on the starboard.
Even to this elevation the leaping °
spray clouds often find their way, and
the stout canvas breastwork behind
which the lookout seeks a partial shel¬
ter, must be supplemented by oii skins
and sou-weslers.
The occupants of this most import¬
ant post are always men of tested eye¬
sight and hearing as well as of ap¬
proved reliability, devoted to this es¬
pecial service and assigned to no other.
When extra precautions are demanded,
as in times of fog, another lookout is
stationed as far forward as possible on
deck, and still another on the main
bridge; while on entering or leaving
a port tlie second officer of the ship in¬
variably shares the lookout bridge
with its more permanent tenants.—
[Harper's Weeklv.
There are sixty-four churches of the
Church of England, besides those of
other denominations, within a quarter
of a mile of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The Catacombs of Paris.
The vast catacombs by which a largo
portion of the city of Paris is under-
mined • onlv known by tradition
were
until the year 1774, when some alarm¬
ing accidents aroused the attention of
the government. The old quarries
were then surveyed ami plans of them
taken, the result being the discovery
that the churches, palaces and almost
the entire Southern portion of Paris
were undermined and in great danger
of sinking into the abyss below.
A special committee was appointed
to investigate the matter, but ^vere
very tardy in carrying out instructions,
doing but little until the summer of
1775, and not then until several
houses had sank 90 to 100 feet below
the surrounding level. Investigation
proved that the quarrymen who had
honeycombed the foundation of the
city had done it regardless of the con¬
sequences, leaving pillars without any
regularity whatever, and some too
weak to stand the enormous strain of
the weight above, some of the pillars
themselves having been undermined or
set upou founda'ions that had been
previously hollowed out.
The aqueduct of Acunell passed
over this treacherous ground; it had
already suffered some shocks, and, if
the quarries had continued to be neg¬
lected, accidents wou'd have hap¬
pened that would have cut off its sup-
plv from Paris and flooded the exeava-
tions with water. For years and
years, workmen were busily engaged
budding pillars and supporters under
the city, until about the year ox the rev-
olution, when everything was brought
to a standstill, and the catacombs con¬
verted into an immense underground
deadhouse.
IIow many innocent persons were
murdered during the awful days of
the “reign of terror” and thrown down
the shafts and wells that led to this
awful charnel house will never be
known. At least 3,000,000 human re¬
mains are said to repose in the cata¬
combs.— [St. Louis Republic.
Plaiits for Second Crops.
There arc three plants that, in a fa¬
vorable season, can ho grown as a sec-
ondcrop; these are clover, sorghum,
millet. Clover is more certain, be¬
cause of its earlier start in the spring.
Maturing the first crop reasonably
early, it can he cut before the hot, dry
weather sets in, and the plants, get¬
ting the benefit of the late spring or
early summer showers, will make a
good start to grow. The second crop
can be cither cut for hay or be al¬
lowed to ripen seed, or be plowed un¬
der as green manure, It is one of the
most valuable crops grown on the
farm, and the principal fault is that
the acreage is not as large on the ma¬
jority of farms as it should be.
In the earlier varieties of sorghum,
eithei the early auiber or early orange,
are planted in reasonably rich soil,
well prepared and in good season so
the crop will mature early, the first
crop or growth can be manufactured
into molasses and a good second
glowtli will be made that can neither
be cut and used as a green feed or be
cured aud stored away for winter. Or
if raised especially as a forage crop it
can he cut a little early, giving more
time for the second growth. A large
amount of feed can be secured in this
way on a comparatively small acreage.
It makes a good feed for cattle or
sheep, or the second growth can be
turned under as a fertilizer.
Millet may be sown for hay, and if
° Ut k efore th ° Seed ripens ’ wiI1 S ive a
g° od Quality. Or it can be used for
soiling, if needed; and after cutting
off in anything like a favorable season,
a second growth will start up, that
will furnish considerable feed; under' or,
like the other two, if plowed
will add considerable to the fertility-
of the soil.
In many cases it will be an advantage
to grow these crops, harvesting the
fii at growth and arranging to plow*
the second under in time to derive as
large an amount of benefit as possible.
Splitting a Hurricane.
A farmer saw a hurricane coming
straight toward his barn. Something
must be done without delay. He
seized two boards, and, standing be¬
fore the barn, held them as tightly as
possible with the ends together in
front of him, so that they made a sort
of wedge. In this way he spread the
hurricane apart, and it took off only
the two corn :rs of the ham.
Evening.
U‘ e sor C rp s out behind the purp’ 0 ge
Tile clouds swim along the Mo,
west,
Shadowlcss, shapeless, and in the 8 | ‘ 0 * ^
rest,
Along the west, all dark and silently
The night throned with behind solemn the state and rnajp, !v
Is eastern oceanV
breast.
Wrapped, like the eagle in her s ecm
nest.
Waiting the hour when her broad win gs
free.
The evening smiles a smile of fear and !,
The peace of starlight, may come with n
night,
Or all the thunders of the sky may 0Df .
the sleeping ‘
To smite earth to wakic.
fright.
Which shall it be? What prophet has -t,
scope
To read the warnings in Mn wanim
light?
—[W. H. Henderson in New York Ti tries.
II13IOROUS.
A road race—Tramps.
Stumbling e ver a croquet wicket
very small summer trip.
Is the man with a shady charaJ
any cooler than other folks ? j
The rifled umbrella is the nioi
common weapon of danger.
IIow soon the crying baby i n j J
house grows to be a girl with api a
“Ingleby has gone out West for j
ferial for his next novel.” “Brains,
reckon.”
The stenographer doesn’t live t,
hand to mouth, although his
is from mouth to hand.
Customer—Is this woolen material
new? Tailor—Yes, sir; it is so ned
you can almost hear it bleat.
Charles—Miss Ella—Ella —mav
,
hope to win you? Ella—Why, Charlie
do you think I’m to be raffled’
Merchant (ia want of a boy, toajt
plicantj—Can you spell Correctly
Boy— Yes, sir. C-o-r-r-e-c-t-l-y.
Waiter (to a guest who helps himsel
somewhat bountifully)—“Shall I not
perhaps, bring you another plate?”
The bald-headed row, and althouri
they are not champion oarsmen theii
single skulls are usually coiispicuouij MiJ
Mr. Rounds—IIow nicely that
InstyJc carries her head. Miss DukJ J
—She ought to carry it easily—its
light.
Kaiser \l illielm now calls
“the man of rock and iron.” Alittl
sarsaparilla added will make a fia
bitters.
Barber—Does the razor hurt job
sir? I ictim—Are you sure it’s i
razor? I had an idea it was a piece ol
barrel hoop.
One does not like to be made fun oj
in words of grandiloquent praise, smootil Ij
is a sad irony which does not
one’s feelings.
I lie man best qualified to enjoy
honeymoon is the one who had all
romance kicked out of him before
reached that period.
Mendicant—Can’t you give mej d
few pennies for my poor family idsiiJ
home, sir? Merchant—No, no, fuffii.'j
I don’t want to buy any poor
Lawyer (to witness) : “Did
say that an incompetent man
keep a hotel just as well as
Witness: “No, I said an inn-expci*
enced man could.”
^ there is anything that exceeds a
c ^ sc ror a PP a Biugness it is the situate
°* a lnan gets caught in a rai
storm in a fl annel shirt that is
lo ° for him.
High-priced doctor—You are
convalescent, and all you need is
ercise. You should walk ten miles
day, sir, but your walking should
an object. Patient—All right,
I'll travel around trying to
enough to pay your bill.
Sharing on Sunday.
I lie Supreme Court of
is to be called upon to
whether shaving in barber shops
Sunday is a necessity and
lawful. The question has been pa- s?e
upon by the courts in several
and the general conclusion has
states the New York Herald, that
barber shops are in violation of
law. ’ In one case the Court
tnat “if men want to get shaved on
day they must be tlieir own tl
appeal to the Legislature to change
law. The latest tribunal heard ft 01
on the subject is the Supremo Court
Indianna. It holds that the
is one for a jury to decide.