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the royal academy ■f*ft — FACTS ABOUT INGLAND’S GREAT ANO SOCIETY. Bow the Members and Associates Are Elected—The Institwtlon’s Bl* Fond and the Good Works That Ar e Done With It. To become a Royal academician, oral all events an associate, is the ambitiota of every young artist, for membership In the academy means much more than the mere right to put the letters R. A. after end's name and to exhibit pictures iu the fine galleries at Burlington House. Iu the first place, an ataedemician is an esquire by right and not merely by courtesy, and, further he is entitled, should he ever come on hard times, to a substantial pension of between £BSO and £4OO a year. If be dies leaving his widow unprovided for, the academy al lows her a liberal sum for her mainte nance. The associates and the associates’ wid ows are also entitled to pensions on a somewhat smaller scale, so that there are many reasons apart from the honor and glory why the painter, sculptor or architect should wish to become a mem ber of the powerful and wealthy body. When therefore a young artist begins to get on, when he has his pictures well hung year after year, when they find ready buyers and are talked about in society, he takes the first step toward election by suggesting to one of the academicians that he should put his name down on the list of candidates. Once down his name stays on the list, either until he dies or is sleeted or vol untarily removes it, and this explains why one finds on the roll of candidates the names of many artists once popular, but long since forgotten by the public.. When a vacancy occurs among the associates, printed copies of this list on blue foolsoap paper are sent to all the members, together with a request that they shall attend at the academy on a certain evening, when an election will take place. The elections themselves are conducted in a singular and somewhat complex fashion peculiar to the academy —a method which took the place about 20 years ago of the rough and ready sys tem formerly in vogue. Both academicians and associates are allowed to take part in the election, and when the members are gathered together each scores out with a pencil the name of the artist for whom he wishes to vote and hands the paper so marked to the secretary. These scorings out are known as “scratches’’ at the academy, and the secretary, after examining all the papers, duly announces how many “scratches” have been given to each candidate. The election is then advanced another stage. The president, who, by virtue of his office, occupies the chair, directs (bat the names of all those candidates who have received more than four “scratches” shall be inscribed in chalk upon the blackboard, while those to whom only one, two or three votes have been given have no further chance of being elected. The academicians and associates then vote again for the candidates whose names are on the board. The two lead ing men in this contest are now selected for a final ballot, the winner in which becomes au associate of the Royal acad emy. The Academicians are elected in pre cisely the same manner, except that the associates are the candidates instead of the outsiders. All this system of “scratches” and “blackboards” seems cumbrous and unnecessary, but it is fgid to work extremely well In practioe. Sometimes, though very rarely, a tie occurs, and in this case the president, or, in his absence, the academician who temporarily takes his place, has a cast ing vote. When Mr. Ernest Crofts, the battle painter, was elected, he tied in the final ballot with Mr. Jackson, the architect, and to Mr. Calderon (who in the absence of the late Sir John Millais occupied the chair) fell the difficult task of making the final selection. The associates have no voice in the flection of a president, the power of yoting resting entirely with the acade micians. Sir John Millais, the late president, was elected by the unani mous vote of the members, a fact which must have been extremely gratifying to tbM gwt artist. But on some other oc pasions the fight for the presidentship has been vpry severe Indeed. The post is well worth a struggle, for it carries with it substantial remunera tion, besides great social and artistic distinction- The late Sir Francis Chan trey left £IOO,OOO to the academy, out of the interest of which a salary of some £BOO or £9OO a year is for the president. The academy is immensely wealthy. The re&ipts from the annual exhibitions average from £20,000 to £95,000, and It Is believed that the money invested In the hands of the trustees does not fall far short of £500,000. Out of this mon ey the schools (in which 200 or 300 stu dents are instructed gratuitously) are supported and a great many pensions pud donation? to decayed artists are given. Little is heard of these charities by the public, but they are very consid erable, and the declining years of many old painters and sculptors are made easi er by them. Upop the academy also falls the ex pense of the annual banquet, which costs perhaps £4OO or £SOO, besides any number of minor charges, as, for exam ple, the payment of the selecting and banging committees at the spring ex hibition.—Pearson’s Weekly. A Brute. Mrs. Greene—l hear that Sarah Jun ?on is going to get a divorce from her husband. Mrs. Brown—Yes, and I don’t blame her one mite. He’s a monster. Would you believe it, he actually used one of her golf sticks for a poker the other morning!—Boston Transcript. 1 THE RED CROSS. They, too, hove heard the drumbeat, They follow the bugle's cell. Theee who are twin with pity On the field where brave men ton, When the battle boom te silent And the echoing thunder dies. They haste to the plain red sodden With the blood of Hucriflce. The flag that floats above them la marked with a crimson tdga. Fledge of a great compassion And the rifted heart divine That once for mun'a redemption Knew earth’s completest loss— Ths-o to the field of valor Bring love’s immortal cross. And ao they follow the bugle And heed the drumbeat's call. But their errand la one of pity— They suecor the men who fall. —Harper’s Bazar. TOO SURE OF HER MAN. He Came to Tell Her Important Newi, but She Beat Him Off. “There’s no use of your saying a word!” exclaimed the woman of the house as soon as she had opened the door and glanced at the man standing outside. “I know you.” "But, ma’am”— “I recognized yon as soon as I saw yon. You can’t” — “Ma’am”— “You’re the man who sold me a .washing machine six months ago for |6.50 that wasn’t worth shucks. It wouldn’t”— “AU I wanted to tell you, ma’am, is”— - “It wouldn’t wash anything. The longer you used it the dirtier the clothes gat. You sell me anything now if you was to pay me for taking it. When a man fools me once, be won’t ever have the chance to do it again. 1 can tell you that. I’ll sell that washing machine back to you for 50 cents. It doesn’t make any difference what you’ve got this time. I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole, and you can talk until you are gray. It won’t do any good.” “Madam, ” yelled the man, who had been dancing about impatiently, “yout kitchen roof is blazing whore that iron stovepipe runs up through it! That’s what I stopped to’ ’ — “Good land! Why didn’t you say ao? What did you want to stand there talk ing for when the house is burning up? Run over to that grocery store on the corner and turd id an alarm! Fire! Fire!”—Chicago Tribune. The St*ee In Shakespeare’* Time. John Churton Collins, the distin guished essayist and Quarterly Review er, has been lecturing on the theater of Shakespeare’.stime. The typical theater then was of wood, circular or hexago nal in form, being modeled externally on the general structure of the old amphi theaters for bull and bear baiting. The interior was fashioned after the manner of an inn yard. The pit was scorched by the sun, while the actors were pro tected by a thatched penthouse. The scenery was supplied by the imagina tion of the audience, but what was lacking in scenery was made up in noise and bustle, things being kept very live ly in that direction. The most numer ous class among the audience were roist ering prentices. On the stage and in other parts were fashionable dandies, swashbucklers, writers and actors. These, it is inter esting to know, always had a free pass. The play lasted two hours on an aver age, and, considering the noise and the smells which accompanied the perform ance, one was, Mr. Collins presumed, not sorry when “the actors dropped on their knees to pray for the queen.” The Cheetul. The axis, or cheetul, deer of the Indi an jungle can claim to be the most or namental of all the 86 races of deer to be seen gathered together at Woburn. In the early summer, when all the oth er deer except the wapiti are either shedding their horns or “in the velvet,” the axis are in perfection, both of color and antlers. The large herd of this spe cies looks as if carved out of ivory and red gold in the sunshine and verdure of English scenery. Their horns are almost white, their eyes and muzzles of jet black, their throats white and their backs and sides a brilliant golden tan, spotted with round dots of purest white. It is worth a pilgrimage to Woburn to see these deseV 'tifone. They breed con stantly, sometimes producing two fawns in the twelvemonth.—Spectator. Welcoming Fresh C»re». “As far as fresh cares are concerned, ” said a man of mature years, “as I grow older I rather welcome them. They blot out the old cares completely and so show how unsubstantial they were, and I know that in due course these new cares will be supplanted by others and will as completely give way to them. Thus I am constantly reminded that our cares really don’t amount to much, except as we imagine them great, and I expect to see the day when I shall give but scanty room to them and not be disturbed by them at all. ” —New York Sun. Blind Hendlngr. By a system of numeral type invent ed by Rev. W. H. Murray of Peking, originally a Scotch workman, the blind people of Ohina are now taught to read and write in less than three months, and this in spite of the fact that there are 408 distinct sounds in the Chinese language. By a special adaptation of this system the blind <qre bow actually teaching sighted pupils to read. In some of the European art galleries the dust is removed from the paintings and statuary by means of an air pump, a jet of air being thrown with great force against the article which needs dusting. , ' King is the most ancient of titles. It, or its equivalent, is found in every known language. Rats avoid a bouse wherein a guinea pig is permitted to roam at will. , I Th* Job Wa* Worth • NtakeL Several small boys have inaugurated a ’ now industry along the Wlssnhlckon drive at Rittenhouse street. The latter thor oughfare, running up into Germantown from the bridge over Wissahickon creek, forms one of the steepest hills in the park. It is not long, but tortuous a* well, and therefore extremely difficult for a wheel- | man to elimb. These enterprising boys have recognized this fact and are making capital of it. Whenever a wheelman starts np Rittenhouse street from the drive he is bound to be pounced upon by a horde of these youngsters, ail clamoring, “Push yer up fur a cent, mister,Lemme push yer, mister.” / One day last week a very stout woman essayed to mount the hill. It looked like a pretty hard job to help her, but a little fellow no bigger than a bar of soap after a hard day’s wash applied for a job and got it. It was a very comical sight, but the rider didn’t mind it. The boy did very well, but he was earning his penny by the sweat of his brow. When he was half way up the hill, he gasped: “Say, lady, dis ain’t no cinch!” There was no answer. “Say, lady, I guess I’ll have ter let yer go. It ain’t worth it.” He stopped push ing. The lady’s wheel began to wabble woefully. “Comeback,” she cried, “and you shall have a niekel.” * After that it was marvelous the way the young rascal increased his speed.—Phila delphia Rdfcrd. Rio’s “Joologlcal Gardens.” Rio de Janeiro has some active agents of publicity who themselves possess the gift of tongues. Certain of these gentle men who feel an interest in the zoological gardens of Rio have lately decided to ad vertise this attraction amon g the strangers and pilgrims coming into the harbor. They have therefore issued a circular “to visiters lying at anchor,” which Is ex pressed in Portuguese, English, French and German, and which deserves to be quoted in part as a specimen of English as she is spoken fay the unattached professor. The circular runs thus: “Joologlcal Gardens.—ln these gardens the visitor will find soum of rarest ct best specimens of wild beasts of Brazil; also a collection of Soaks (snakes), repliles, &c. Whick will prover a source of witerest et Entertainment to many who haor a four hours to span whib in Rio Janeiro. Tra ways belanging to Compy Evry 10 Min utes.” It is obscure, but one seems to feel what the joologlcal gardens are driving at. The Teuton finds himself in a worse case. He is Invited to the “Garten au Bar” and will hardly be flattered to find that his be loved biergarten has been converted into bear garden by the lively Portuguese.— Pall Mall Gazette. The Settler of Majorca. The Vienna newspapers are calling at tention just now to the circumstances sur rounding the life of the Archduke Ludwig Salvator, nephew of the emperor, who is known as the “Settler of Majorca.” The archduke’s life has been as romantic as it has been eccentric. After the tragic death » of a princess whom he was about to marry he spent some time in cruising about the Mediterranean until, struck by the nat-„ ural beauty of Majorca, he determined to take his permanent abode on the island. His castle bears the name of Miramar and rests on the crest of a lofty peak, crowned by ancient oaks and olive trees. In memory of his dead bride the arch duke devotes himself to works of charity. His favorite studies are ethnography and geography, and his works on these sub jects are adorned with his own drawings. He has written a history of the Balearic islands and established an asylum for the sick and unfortunate of all nationalities and creeds.—St. James Gazette- Gentle Walt Whitman. “Once,” says the dean of a great uni versity to a writer in The Conservator, “I called on Walt Whitman with a number of my fellow professors. The old man re ceived us With that gentle courtesy which was characteristic, and among other things he asked me kindly, ‘And what do you do?’ “I said that I held the chair of meta physics and logic at my university. The old poet gave a reassuring smile, as one who encourages a child, and answered: “‘Logic and metaphysics—ah, yes, I suppose we have to have people to look after these things, even if they don’t ex ist.’ ” Hawaiian Pigeon Post. A London Times correspondent says that the Hawaiian government has, in co operation with a syndicate of planters and merchants, organized a pigeon post service between the eight largest islands of the Sandwich archipelago. Communication had previously been carried on under diffi culties and at irregular intervals, vessels not always being able to reach the islands. Several hundred birds have been trained to the service, and the attempt to establish a daily bird post has been attended with success. The most distant of the outlying posts is 250 miles from Honolulu, the cen tral station. Sentinel Holds Up an Officer. An Irish sentinel of the Fifth Missouri at Chickamauga was sharply reproved by the officer of the day for permitting per sons to approach without giving the coun tersign. The Irishman listened patiently and was then about to walk away, when the officer called sharply, “Well, you have not asked me for that countersign yet.” Quick as a flash the soldier thrust his bay onet point uncomfortably close to the offi cer’s breast, while he grimly ejaculated, “Lave us have that countersign, thin, and be dom quick about it!”—Chicago Inter Ocean. The Latest Button. The latest button, according to the Phil adelphia Record, consists of a genuine rev enue stamp of the new issue, which is pasted on the button and glossed over. The words “I pay war tax” appear above and below the stamp, and as practically every Individual pays a war tax cither di rectly or indirectly, no one need fear creat ing a false impression by wearing one. Revenue Collector McClain thinks the ap pearance of the button will encourage de linquents to step up and pay the tax Drosos. Drums, which are now usefl throughout the British army, were first introduced into Europe by the Saracens. The fife was Introduced into the English army by the Duke of Cumberland in 1745. The guards were the first corps to adopt it. Feminine Severity. Helen—What did you think of Kate’s new tea. Mattie—lt was made rather stylish, but didn't you think the cetera rather weak? Helen—Yes; they matched her tea very nicely.—Chicago New*. DEADLY SEA SNAKES. VILE REPTILES THAT INFEST THE WA TERS OF THE PHILIPPINES. The Venom of These Serpent* la More Fatal Than That of the Cobra and a ■ore Scratch From Their Stance Will Produce Serious Result*. Not only do various reptiles and other queer creatures aJLoinid in the forests and swamps of the Philippines, but the surrounding water of these interesting islands team with veritable sea serpents. These strange creatures, which pass their entire existence in the water, pos sess deadly fangs. They are a great menace to the fishermen, who are con stantly exposed to their attacks. Technically speaking, science has named the grjnp the Hydrophidse. They differ from the terrestrial snakes only in the possession of a flat, paddle like tail. These reptiles inhabit the tropical seas of the old world and occa sionally attain a length of 8 feet. Dr. Rudolph Weber, professor of drawing in Princeton university, observed large numbers of these creatures while on a steamer bound for Sumatra. Dr. Weber was in charge cf a scientific expedition and naturally took special notice of them. He says that when the vessel was some 50 miles off the coast myriads of sea snakes could be seen swimming about as far as the eye could reach. They kept upon the surface, and several distinct species were recognised among them. During calm weather these reptiles may be seen sdnning themselves upon the surface of the sea, remaining mo tionless except for a slight undulation caused by the movement of the water. When alarmed, the agile reptiles dive like arrows, leaving a train of bubbles behind them. Some special are extreme ly brilliant in coloration, being bright yellow, banded with black, while others are tinted with delicate shades of green. The food of sea snakes consists entire ly of fishes. Frequently fishes armed with long sharp spines fall victims to their appetites. Among these are the apogods and siluroids, which are fur nished with spines three and five inches long. But these do not embarrass the voracious reptile in the least. The vic tim is first killed by the snake’s poison, after which it is swallowed head first. The spines, naturally pointing toward the tail of the victim, and being relaxed in death, are compressed against the body of the fish as deglutition proceeds. While in search of their prey, sea snakes sometimes venture a short dis tance up the mouth of large rivers. Dr. Weber records an instance where ; he was fishing in one of the rivers on the east coast of Sumatra. He was using a dragnet and had cornefed a number of medium sized fish. As the net was being brought in, two large sea snakes suddenly made their appearance inside. They showed no signs of uneasiness at rapture, but were hurriedly gobbling down the cornered fishes. Nor did they cease operations until the last fish had disappeared, when the formidable crea tures made their escape. Being air breathers, the sea snakes lead a similar existence to the whale. Scientists have expressed much interest as to how long they can remain under water. Professor R. P. Witfield of the American Museum of Natural History, while dragging for corals, saw a large sea snake lying motionless among some coral growths, some eight feet below the surface. It showed no signs of fear and remained in the same position for half an hour. The venom of these rep tiles is even more deadly than that of the cobra. The fangs are very short, and consequently do not penetrate so deep as the fangs of most serpents, but only a scratch from them is necessary to produce serious results. Owing to their great shyness accidents are very rare. When cornered, they snap upon a victim. As the eyes are adapted only for use in the water they strike blindly when brought into the air, although living for days when removed from their native element. Many specimens hauled up in fisher men’s nets have been sent to zoological gardens. The London gardens even went so far as to build a special tank for their accommodation. But these captured specimns either die en route or a short time after being placed in captivity. Seeking a dark corner of their tank, they refuse all food and ul timately starve to death. Around the numerous volcanic islander of the Malay an archipelago these reptiles are par ticularly numerous. Frequent eruptions occur among these islands, which are hardly more than the body of the vol cano. During the time of an eruption the few people residing near by take to the water in their boats to escape the rain of ashes and mud. It is generally a case of jumping from the frying pan into the fire, how ever. At such times the sea becomes uncomfortably warm from its close proximity to the burning mountain, and the sea snakes swim wildly about for escape; They endeavor to climb over the gunwales of the refugees’ boots, while they twine their bodies in great mnunn about the forward chains. When about to lay their eggs, these serpents approach the shore. The eggs are laid above high water mark and left to hatch by the heat of the sun. Many creatures prey upon the young reptiles. Among their enemies are sharks and other large fishes, while the adults, in spite of their death dealing fangs, fall victims to sea eagles and large gulls. After the great typhoons, which are common in the Philippines and their vicinity, many of these crea tures may be found along the beach, where they have been cast up during the storm and killed by the violent pounding of the waves.—New York Times. A planter in Honduras has a right to “register” himself and 50 laborers, whereby they are exempt from military service. I The Kind You Have Always Bought, and which has been in use for over 80 years, kaS borne the signature of ... — fcn<l has been made under his per- sonal supervision since its infancy. I aim. Allow no one to deceive you in this. All Counterfeits, linitatidtiannd Substitutes are but Kx that trifle with and endanger the health of Infanta and Chlldren-Experience against Experiment. What is CASTORIA Castoria is a substitute for Castor Oil* Paregoric, Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is Harmless and Pleasant. It contains neither Opium, Morphine nor other Narcotic substance. Its age is its guarantee. It destroys Worms and allays Feverishness. It cures Diarrhoea and Wind Colic. It relieves Teething Troubles, cures Constipation and Flatulency. It assimilates the Fixxl, regulates the Stomach and Bowels, giving healthy and natural sleep. The Children’s Panacea—The Mother’s Friend. OKNUINK CASTORIA ALWAYS Bears the Signature of In Use For Over 30 Years. VMS o«MT«ua oommmv. rr eraerr. w«w vo<m errr —GFET YOUH — JOB PRINTING DONE JIT The Morning Call Office. ■* *■ ' •'* * ■ -< We have just supplied our Job Office with a complete line ol Btationen kinds and can get up, on short notice, anything wanted in the way cw LETTER HEADS, BILL HEADS STATEMENTS, IRCULARB, .A * « ENVELOPES, NOTBS, MORTGAGES, PROGRAMS JARDB, POSTERS DODGERS, 1 E.U ETV We errry ue >st ine of FNVEI/IFES vef : thistrads. Aa atlracdve POSTER cf say sue cun be issued on short notice. Our prices for work of all kinds will compare favorably with those obtained you any office in the state. When you want job printing of any drsuifticn mi call Satisfaction gnaranteeu. v WORK DONE With Neatness and Dispatch. Out of town orders will receive attention. fg J.P.&S B.Sawtell.