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A SWEDISH CITY IN Pml.l iT BECOMES GERMAN AFTER y BEING MORTGAGED A CENTURY. 1 The Odd Taste of Wismar; a Port of of 18,000 on the Baltic—lt Was Pledged by King Gustav IV. for a Loan of $1,000,000. i Wismar, a port of 18,000 people on the Baltic, sitnated in the.German Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, but belonging legally to Sweden, has re cently become a German city. It was pledged by King Gustav IV. for a loan of $1,000,000, and the King of Sweden having failed to redeem it within the century, it has passed to the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, from whose. ancestor the money was borrowed. Wismar is a very ancient town. Ac cording to one legend it was 300 years old at the beginning of the Christian era. Another tradition says it was built early in the fourth century by ‘Wismarus, King of the Vandals. It grew in power and in the European struggle frequeatly changed Thands, for it was a strong ally and a for midable enemy. In the early part of the eighteenth century, Denmark, the most powerful enemy of Sweden, after the destruc tion of the Hanseatic League (a kind of trade union established by certain German cities for safety and commer cial purposes), captured Wismar and razed the fortifications. Afterward peace was declared and the city re verted to Sweden, but with thé pro vision that she should not rebuild the fortifications. The place thus lost its strength and importance and became instead an element or weakness to the Swedes. Its great sea trade was ruin ed and its inland trade lost. Under these circumstances it was not surprising that the Swedes tired at last of their white elephant, So in the reign of the incompetent and ex travagant Qustavus IV., with territory lost to the French in one war; with Finland lost to Rusasia, with defeat in a war against Ncrway, the Swedes seized an opportunity to relieve them selves of the burden of possession. : The direct opportunity was given by the caacdeliation by Gustavus ef his engagement to the daughter of Duke Frederick Franz 1. That person not unnaturally resented the insult and threatened dire things. Finally, his threats crystalized into a demand for an enormous indemnity. The toney had to be raised at once. The Duchy of Mecklenburg advanced 1,258,000 reichsthaler and took Wismar, Neuk loster and the Island of Poel as secur ity. : Under the conditions of the loan the city of Wismar and the two govern ment districts were to remain in pledge for 100 years. At the end of the 100 years Sweden could claim and obtain the pledged city and land by paying back the original loan with three per cent. compound interest. A further provision, however, of the loan was that should Sweden fail to take anw notice whatever of the expira tion of the time, the contract would become renewed automatically for an other 100 years. The sum which Sweden would have had to pay if she wished to claim Wismar aad the two government districts is figured as amounting to $27,000,000, and this alone, quite apart from consideratioas of policy, operated doubtless as a bar against the assertion of her rights. Thus we see that while the immed jiate business transaction dates back but about 100 years, any diplomatic gquabbles over the city now would have to revert to the surrenders and armistices of the thirty years’ war (1618-1648). And the fact that Wis mar heretofore really was Swedish territory explains why Germany has not fortified the port, which is con sidered the finest harbor site of the entire Baltic coast. Under the Swed ish-Danish treaty fortifications were not to be built and when the Duchy o! Mecklenburg tocok over the pldce the stipulation was renewed. ! Among the beautiful buildings that date back to Wismar's glorious past are the Archdeacon’s house, etrected fn 1450, and the old schoolhouse, dat ing back to about 1300. ; NAVAJO BLANKET WEAVERS, Tribe Has 25,000 People, and Most of Them are Polygamists. Navajo blanket weaving was studied at close range by P. D. Tull on his recent six months’ tour to Arizona for %is health, says ' the Spokane Spokesman-Review. Mr. Tull, who is much limproved in “health, is back to Spokane with some fine specimens of Dblankets which he personally picked up while in the south. He said: “These Navajos are one of the largest tribes in the country, num bering over 25,000 Indians. Their reservation is equally large, and is situated in northwestern New Mex ico and northeastern Arizona. Out gide of the reservation proper the government has granted them an ad ditional strip of forty miles wide, known as ‘grazing strip.” The tribe is self-supporting, and while they know little of agriculture, they own immense herds of cattle, horses and sheep. It is from the latter that the women spin the wool and weave the blankets and rugs. “The Navajos are a roving tribe— when they settle for any time at one place they live in a dome-shaped building called a *hogan.’ This is a form of adobe construction, made with poles and sticks and covered with mud. Wken.on the move they live in the reguldtion tepces. Their nearest neighbors are the Apaches, with whom, in the o!d days, they were often engaged in war. The Navajos are polygamists, sometimes having four or five wives. These they buy, or trade, as they would any other piece of property. The squaws do most of the work. They wash, spin and dye the wool, and weave it on primitive looms into quaint and artistic designs. They never use figures of people, animals, or birds, as do the basket weavers, but their designs are-largely geomet rical. Red, black, orange, white and gray are the predominating colors. “While some saws may' use and repeat some characteristic design, it is a noteworthy fact that nn two rugs are ever alike. This is a'most in credible, when we consider the hun dreds of rugs that have been made by them. “To say nothing of the time it takes to wash, dye and spin ctheir wool, it requires about a month of steady work to weave a rug four by six feet. These ar eeasily recognizsd by the smaller patterns and smooth, c'ose weave. While the Navajos have never been Christianized, it is a fact of interest that the deszign of the cross is seen in much of their work. As types they are fine look ing Indians—strong, tall and well featured, largely due to their life in the saddle.” | Counting a Hen's Feathers. ; A very unique fearther-guessing contest was recently conducted by a prominent company manufacturing feed for pouliry. Five hundred dol <lars in prizes was offered for best estimates, or guesses, as to the num ber of feathers on a hen. The first priz2 was $lOO. Thousands of guesses were re ceived, including some very amusing ones. One party, who was probably looking for some ‘“catch” scheme, estimated “none at all.”” Many esti mates in the hundreds of thousands were received, s2veral in the mil lions, the highest estimate being 600,060,017. The correct number was found to be 8,120. The company says: “We feel a pardonable pride in having contributed to poultry sci: ence an item of informaticn actually new.'—SBt Nicholas. It bedes no good to pockethooks when women Dbegin to admire - fall hats. WAR WITH BAD NAMES. Experience Appears to Indicate That They Will Have Bad Luck. If one should be so bold as to char acterize the superstitious sailor as silly he would at once declare that ‘there is sufficient reason for his be lief and would proceed to prove that war vessels named after stinging and venomous things have been unlucky and that the country should not be 80 indifferent to the men who follow “a life on the ocean wave’” as to organize a mosquito fleet. . That Snake is regarded as an un fortunate name for a vessel is shown by the fact that two of that name have been lost, one in 1781 and the other in 1847: but no vessel bearing that name is now known to exist. Serpent, which is only a substitute name for Snake, is an unlucky one also, for the one wrecked in 1892 was the fourth PBritish war vessel of that name to meet the same fate. Viper has been an unlucky name in the British navy. The first one was wrecked in 1780, but the admiralty would not swerve, and 80 kept the name on the list, each ves sel meeting its doom, and the fourth ‘was lost only recently. The French navy has also been unlucky with ves sels so named. The Viper, used in the British service after she became a prize from the French was lost in 1793. The second was lost a year later the third in 1797, and the fourth was recently lost in a collision off Guern sey. : The Cobra, another British way ves ’gel, was lost recently at the same time as the Viper. Among other vessels similarly named and which met fates other than in battle are thne Rattle snake, in 1781; the Alligator, in 1782; the Crocodile, in 1784; .ne Adder, in 1846; thres Lizards, two Dragons and one Basilisk, All of these were of tine British navy. The lst could be made larger by citing the records of other nivies, The Norsemen, who were so fond df naming their vessels against the laws of superstition, and using hideous “heads of dragons and reptiles on their high prows, were less unfortunate, ant! these did not meet with frequent digagiers. They did have a beliof, however, that it was unlucky and a sacrilege to select such a name as did Lo»l Dunraven for his first yacht to challenge for the America’s cup, the Valkyrie. And this belief was strengthened when she was sunk by the Satanita. The second challenger with the same name gave trouble, and she was broken up after only a short existence.—Navy League Journal. HOW KING EDWARD DINES. v Perfect Discipline of the Palace Corps of Cooks. The moment that their British Ma jesties take their seats at the table all activity in the kitchen ceases. Quiet reigns. The dishes Hl€ all in their assigned places, the courses pre pared in the forenoon are on special tables, in summer between blocks of ice. The meats, fowl and delicacies that are to be served hot need only be put on the stove for a moment to be served when needed. The soup which is cooked an hour before the beginning of the dinner, boils and bubbles, while the “hors d’oeuvre” (the delicacy taken between courses) is neatly arranged on small silver platters within easy reach either in the kitchen itself or else, as is the case in Buckingham Palace, brought to an ante-chamber—-which in this palace is a generous fraction of a mile from the kitchen. The time for the serving of the dif ferent courses is fixed permanently, and the arrangement works like a clock. Every Kkitchen servant must appear clad in snowy linen and must have his own wash basin and towel close at hand. No sound is heard save the occa sional orders of the head cook. But even these are rarely necessary, as the servants are well drilled. In spito of this the héad cook, conscious of the responsibility resting on him, is evei watchful. Not the slightest thing can escape his notice. - 5 Close to the dining room is a large chamber’ into which all the dishes are brought to receive the last touch be fore being carried to the board. The silver-plate, the dishes and glasses re moved from the table between the dif ferent courses are also taken to this room and are left here until after the repast. The man in charge here is attired in a faultless dress sn;m‘;\ and gives his orders in low whispers. King Edward and Queen Alexandra, with the other members of thé royal family, and on special occasions dis tinguished guests also, have their own special serving men, while all the oth; ers present at the board are served by a waiter. The entire staff of servants serving at the table are dressed in black. Théy appear in knee breeches, “swal low-tail” coats, high stockings and buckled shoes, The table service' of the royal household is -of immense value, and consists as occasion re quires of dishes made of silver, of gold or of the finest Chinese porcelain. The King is fond of good eating, but prefers plain, nourishing and substan tial foods. He is a lover of the oyster and likes vegetable soups, but cares neither for mock turtle nor for ox tail soup. He eats game, fowl pre pared with toasted bread and aspara gus heads, preserved fruits and toast, but eats no pastries. The Queen, on the other hand, is fond of pastries and sweets. She once said to an Austrian diplomat: “I have the appetite of -a dairymaid.” The Queen usuallr #mb mits her wishes in regard to the menu to her lady-in-waiting, the Hon. Miss Knollys, who in turn acquaints the head cook with them. '‘Both the King and Queen are fond of seeing the board decorated with flowers, but King Edward has an aver sion to certain strong-smelling exot ics, and orchids are consequently ban ished from the royal dining-room, PEARLS OF THOUGIHT. “Man’s first victory is over self; (4 second overselfishness.” "Rulers always hate and suspect the next in succession.—Tacitus. The wonderful thing about a man is is power to become.—E. I. Bosworth. Evil never tempted a man whom it found judicicusly employed.—-Spur geon, A man who does not know how {0 learn from his mistakes, turns thn best schoclmaster out of higs life.—- Beecher. Religion unfeignedly loved perfect eth man’s abilities unto all kinds of virtuous services in the common wealth.—Richard Hooker. When one is sad or out cf sorts for any cause whatever. there is no reme dy so infallible as trying to make snmepody else happy.—J. W. Carney. Where there is no mother there can be no child. Their duties are recip rocal; and if they are badly fulfilled on one side, they will be neglected on the other.—Rousseau. ¢ They who are not prepared for this ordinance cannot be fit -fcr death or heaven; nay, acceptable prayer cannot be offered without something of a sim ilar preparation of heart.—Thomas Scott. Not a Tactful Hostess. As might be expected, the junk shop guest chamber is sure to prove a pit fall to the unwary. Having not long ago to put the finishing touches to a portrait, I went into the country to. pass a couple of days with my sitter, a mere acquaintance. At dinner the first evening, wishing to start the comver sation pleasantly, I asked: *Whose portrait is that in my room? Such a charming face.” After a chilly silence my hostess an swered: “That is my husband’s first wife.” The conversation rather languished during the rest cf our meal, but I made no efforts to revive it.—The Cen tury. e SRR SRR Egypt imports annually about $150,- €OO worth of “cigarette paper.”