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THE CARIBOU. Ludicrous Vagaries of This Most Singular Creature. Converting An Ice Field into a Winter Playground. ? Unlike the solitary moose, the cari- Lou delights in the company of its kinl. Today it 'will act as if almost afraid of its own shadow, and display a keenness of eye, ear and nose, and a vigilance in their use which render an approach within rifle-shot next to im possible; tomorrow it will stand the fire of the hunter like one of the Old Guard, facing him at short range, while in the paroxysms of the buck fever he misses shot after shot, and until either the pumping machinery of his repeating riflj sucks dry or fortune bestows upon him one of thoso smiles with which it is wont occasionally to favor the inex perienced. Today it will follow for miles along a trail over which a man has passed not twenty minutes before; tomorrow, one sniff of the tainted track, and it will not break its run for five miles. It is as fond of the ice as a school boy, and full as ready for a frolic. After the ice has formed in November, it is soon followed first by snows and then by thaws or raiu. Tho latter converts the finow into slush, resting on the firm ice beneath. Now, any sensible creature ■would keep away from such a moss. But not so with the caribou, for to it this makes tho very gala timo of the year. Tho herd go out upon the ice in single file, then scatter, and each one falls to pawing up the slush with its forefeet. Aftor they have tired of this performance they fall upon their knees, and seem to lap the ice with their tongues. Why they do this is, as far as the writer has been able to learn, a mystery. It certainly is not from thirst, sinco they havo crossed a dozen open brooks in their morning ramble. Perhaps to use one of those slang expressions so happily indefinite in leaving unbridled liberty of detail to the imagination of the hearer, “they do it for grandeur.” This is the most simple, and indeed at times it seems tho only explanation of many of the vagaries of this most singu lar creature. After a while one will suspend operations, seem to think things over generally, then go gravely over to where another has mined down to a pieco of ice of extra flavor, and prod and poke it with the utmost vigor. Tliejassaultcd party rhes to its feet and meakly resigns its place to the intruder, which immediately drops upon its knees and continues tho operations of its predecessor, while tho ousted either passes along the compliment by Touting out another, or proceeds to dig a new spot for itself. TheD, per haps, all will lie down for a while, and, though one would think the bed about as congenial as the inside of an ice cream freezer, chew the cud in ap parently tho acme of bovine comfort. Next, one will slowly rise to its feet, round up its back, and stretch itself, survey its comrades to select tho one ■which seems most comfortable, and then, actuated by that perversity of dis position wo so often see and anathema tize in the human early riser, proceed to stir it up with hoof and horn until it,. too, gets upon its legs and joins in the game. Soon ail are on their feet, and, falling in ono behind the other, move for the woods in single file, headed by tho leader, always a bull though not invariably the largest in tho herd. They move oil at a walk, their pleads hangiag down priche.y like cows to pasture. Suddenly one will become possessed of a devil and, break ing from the ranks with a hop, skip and a jump, charge through the line again and again until it is thrown into com plete disorder. Then it will as sudden ly tall into place, as demure as a cat, saying, as distinctly as an attitude can speak, “What! you do not mean to charge this untimely dia. turbanco to me, do you?” The march is then resumed and all may disappear at tho meekest kind of a walk in the eurrounding forests, or, without tho slightest apparent cause, the herd will break into a ran at a pace so keen you almost fancy you hear them whiz as they cleave a passage through the air. This burst of speed may last for a hundred yards; it may J>e kept up through thick and thin for fives miles; the one is about as likely as the other.— [Harper’s. A Gift to an Emperor. Am .mg the gifts presented to the Em peror Francis Joseph on the occasion of his fitv-oigth birthday was a represen tation oi a double eagle, made of fif teen thousand beetles belonging to species found in Austria-Hungary, and displaying all manner of hues. Beside <hc emblem are the names of the mem bers of tho imperial family printed in characters likewise composed of beet is The donor is a gardener, and it took him, with the a. instance of friend- in all parts of the empire, two years to collect the insects; the arrangement oc cupied him for three-quarters of a year. Screws that Appear Like Dust. The smallest screws in the world are made in a watch factory. There can bo no doubting that assertion on any score. They are cut from steel wire fcy ma chine, but as the chips fall down from the knife it looks as if the operation was simply cutting up the wire for fun. Ono thing is certain, no screws can be seen, and yet a screw is made every third operation. The fourth jewel wheel screw is the next thing to being invisi ble, and to the naked eyo it looks like dust. With a glass, however, it is seen to be a small screw, with 2GO threads to the inch, and with a very fino glass the threads may be seen very clearly. These little screws are four one thousandths of an inch in diameter, and the heads are double in size. It is estimated that an ordinary lady’s thim ble would hold 100,000 of these tiny lit tle screws. About 1,000,000 of them are made a month, but no attempt is ever made to count them. In deter mining the number 100 of them arc placed on a very delicate balance, and tho number of the whole amount is de termined by tho weight of this. All the small parts of tho watch arc counted in this way, probably 50 out of tho 120. After being cut, the screws arc hard ened and put in frames, about 100 to the frame, heads up. This is done very rapidly, hut entirely by sonso of touch instead of sight, so that a blind man could do just as well as the owner of the sharpest eyas. Tho heads are then polished in an automatic machine, 10,— 000 at a time. The plate on which they arc polished is covered with oil and a grinding compound, and on this the machine moves them rapidly by revers ing motion until they are fairly pol ished.—[Analyst. The Grotesque Arizona Cactus. Foremost among the sights which call forth exclamations of astonishment from the tourist is that of the grotesque cactus of Arizona Territory. Like othei tropical productions, it is totally unlike any preconceived notions of what na ture could design. The plant is entire ly leafless, having a bare, fleshy stock, protected everywhere by sharp and ven omous barbs. Its flowers are considered among the choicest, varying from white and yellow to deep crimson or purple. These blos soms, capitulum, ara wax-like, and ia florescence eall to mind Aladdin’s fa bled experience among tho fairy plants, with their sparkling fruit of diamonds and other gems. The fruit is egg-shaped, with a crowu on the upper side, and is generally de licious, presenting as varied colors as the flowers. It contains a large quan tity of seeds surrounded by a nicely flavored, juicy substance. In different species, the fruit in size i 3 all the way up from a canary’s to an ostrich’3 egg. The cactus is almost imperishable, and can live many piontlis without water, although it is only seen in its perfection under a plentiful supply. So hardy is the plant that a piece from any part will take root and grow if placed in the ground, even though it has lain around for a time. It thrives equally well on a piece of bare rock in a scorch ing tropical sun a 3 it would packed in ice in a northern zone. It h a paradox —a curiosity of the vegetable kingdom. [Corona News Lstter. Inoculating an Elephant. Among the recent valuable discover ies of tho famous French physician, M. Pasteur, is that of the vaccination ot domestic animals for tho prevention oi the dire disease known as anthrax or splenic fever. The marked success at tending his system, in combating tho Rinderpest in Europe, encouraged Mr. J. 11. Lamprey to bring tho subject under tho notice of the government oi India, where no efficient remedy was for this rapidly fatal illness, which annually carries off a per centage of cattle of every kind. In order to carry out this object, some native Indian students, who have re ceived their education at- tho Cirence ster Agricultural College, are now un dergoing a course of instruction at the Paris Laboratory of M. Pasteur and will shortly proceed to stations in India, to dispense the vaccine, which is applied to elephants as well as to oxen and other beasts. It is confidently cxpoctod that their labors will be attendod with thi same success that followed tho in tro iuctiou of the systim into those countries whero it is now in full opera tion; with an ultimate prospect of the total extermination of the most serious maladies, working great havoc among llocks and herds throughout the world. Tho elephant, in a domosticated state, is liable, a; well as other animals in the service of man, to certain epidemic cases.—[London News. A Wonderful Cure. “That was a worderful caso of ! Biggs’s, ’’ said Fogg. “lie wasn't al/ic j to,eat anything lor several weeks. He was pining away awfully. Put they brought him around at last. It Was a wonderful cure ’ “What doctor did he have? ’ ‘ D ;ctor ! He didn’t have any. lie did better. He changed his boarding place.’ —[Bjaton Transcript. I LOST THEIR EARS. Malevolent Mutilation of Medi aeval Malefactors. - v Removing Auricular Append ages on the High Pillory. Any mutilation of the car which in volved the loss of a portion or all of it has always been a mark of disgrace. In one of the statutes of Edward VL the penalty affixed for its violation is the loss of an ear and perpetual infamy. In those days tho celluloid ear had not been invented and the loss of one of these members was a public badge of shame for life. Following the retributive law of Moses, probably the punishment origi nated in the ecclesiastical courts. It is first mentioned in tho trials of offences against the Church and some of the ear less clericals were noted men. The sentence to the pillory frequent ly had tho additional punishment of the loss of one or both ears added. Daniel Fooe or Foe, later in life known as Daniel Defoe, wrote a pamphlet called “The Shortest Way with the Dissenters’’ and lost his ears. Pope, in hi 3 “Dunciad,’’ speaks of tho author of “Robinson Crusoe:” “Earless ou high stood un abashed Do foe. ” Ho was placed in the pillory three times. That instrument * being on a raised platform, explains the line. In Defoe’s case, however, as in many others, his punishment was rather a martyrdom and lifted him in the es teem of those who believed as he did. Dr. Bastwick, who published moro pamphlets than pills, concluded one of his essays with: “From plague, pesti lence and famine, from bishops, priests and deacons, good Lord deliver us.” This was so serious an affront that the doctor was sentenced to the pillory and to lose both his cars. The execution of his sentence wa9 a sort of public fete. Ilis friends gathered beforo the pillory and shouted words of encouragement. His wife climbed upon the pillory and kissed him. When his ears were cut off “she put them in a clean handkerchief’ and carried them homo. The celebrated Prynne suffered a similar punishment. The names of lesser criminals have es caped tho permanent records, but Black stone mentions a number of early Eng lish Parliamentary enactments making the loss of an ear a penalty imlaw. Fighting in a church or churchyard by act 3 passed during the filth and sixth years of the reign of Eiward VL meant the loss of both cars. If tho pris &Lct had no ears —which implies that there were habitual criminals 350 years ago—he was to be branded with the let ter F in the chcelc. the second and years of the same monarch, combinations among the victualers and artificers to raise the price of provisions or tho rate of labor for the third offence were puaished by the pillory and tho loss of an car. The statute not only extended to the com binations to raise wages, but to regu late the quantity of work or to lessen the hours of labor. In this degenerate ago tho coal barons’ association, tho gas trusts and other combines, if these laws were en forced would give the public execu tioner active employment. Ia later years tho loss of an car or a part of one has also been regarded as implying disgrace. The ear is not easily lost. Any accident that destroys the ear usually destroys the person wearing it. Ono of the favorite ways of mutilat ing aD enemy in a rough-and-tumble fight is to bite off his car. In disrepu table brawls and in low resorts brute instinct makes ear mutilation a fit re venge for almost any wrong. Jack Slade, the notorious desperado, in a fit of rage is said to have cut off tho ears of a man he had murdered. Ho kept them in his pocket and boastfully exhibited them when in a drunken and dangerous state. When he saw on the poker tabic a stake he wanted particularly Jack played the cars. Flinging them on the table they beat four aces or a straight flush for Jack had a pistol in each hand the next instant. He always took the pot on the play. Statistics from Mexico. According to the last statistics pub lished by Dr, Ant. Penaficl, the city of Mexico and its subu bs comprise 1933 commercial establishments, 1G99 indus -1 trial establishments, 271 variety stores, making a total of 3933 business houses. | There arc 52 banking houses, 75 bazaars, 1 88 drug stores, 2G liuraries, 13 jowelry j stores, GIG jobbing houses and retail stores, 39 saddleries, 19 brandy factor ies, 6 tissue factories, 65 printing estab , lishment3, 172 carpentar shops, 156 shoemaker shop-; there are, besides, ! 225 lawyers, 48 public notaries, 70 | brokers and commercial agencies, 207 physicians (illopatliist-). 23 homoeopath ists, 29 dentists. G2midwiv-s, 4s phar ’maci-ts, 18 veterinarians, 70 engineers, 13 builders ar.d contractors 119 courts of justice, 17 Protestant ministers, and [ 170 Catholic jnrieats. Rust-Proof Paper. A now method for preparing papei for wrapping metallic articles to pre* vent tarnishing, etc., consists in ingor. porating with the paper or applying tc its surface a fine powder of metallic zinc in such a manner that it will ad here, so that whoa silver, copper, brass or iron articles aro wrapped in the paper they will be preserved from rusting or tarnishing by reason of the more affinity of the zinc for sulphuretted hydrogen, chlorine or acid gases or vapors and preventing them from rusting or tarn ishing the metallic articles wrapped in such paper. This is done by sifting on the sheet of paper pulp while it ii ii process ol • manufacture, and before it is pressed and dried a metallic zinc powder, known in commerce as blue powder, ia convenient quantity—3ay to the extent of one-half the weight of the dried paper. Tho paper i 3 then run between tho press rolls and over the drying cyl inders, etc., in the ordinary manner. The zinc powder will adhere to the paper and bo partly incorporated with it in greater or less quantity, as the sheet of paper pulp is more or less thick or more or less wet. The paper may also be sized with glue, starch, etc., and then be dusted with the zinc pow der, or tho zinc powder may be mixed with tho size, starch, etc., and then be applied to the surface of the paper by well-known methods. Modern and Ancient Inks. Tho great merit of our common writ ing ink is the freedom with which it flows from the pen, allowing of rapid writing and tho manner in which it bitc3 into the paper so as not to be re moved by sponging. The great defect is in tho want of durability. Such inks partake of the nature of dyes. The writing ink of the ancient 3 on the con trary, 13 characterized by great per manency, its bash wa3 finely divided charcoal mixed with some mucilaginous or adhesive fluid. India in’: is of this character; it is formed of lampblack and animal glue, with the addition of perfumes, not necessary, however, to its U3C as an ink and is made up into cakes. It is used in China with a brush, both for writing and painting upon Chinose paper, and it is used in thh country for making drawings in black and white, the depths of shade being produced by dilution with water. — [Mail and Express. Method of Fumigating Mail. A fair percentage of the mails coming to the post office, remarks the New York Sim, have borne considerable evi dence, externally, of having passed through a smashing or mowing ma chine. They look as though some ono with a fork two inches broad and thick ly set with tines had ferociously jabbed each letter several times, tho prongs piercing clear through the letter each time. This mangling is a sign that tho letters havo been through a yellow fever quarantine, tho mangling being a part of the process of fumigation, its object being to enable the fumes of tho burn ing sulphur or other material used to reach every part of tho letter. Inci dentally, it would bo just as well now adays to submit to home-made fumiga tion any letter received with tho Fiori ida postmark aud no holes punched in it. A Device for Bachelors. “How s this for a schema to securely mend holes in your pocket?” said a metropolitan car conductor to a Boston Herald reporter. His pocket had been badly torn, and around the edges of the holes a small rubber band was tiglr.lv wrapped. “I think this obviates one of the necessities of matrimony, don’t you? It’s bettor than if it wa3 sewed, for it never wears out, aud it is so se cure that I can carry my money in that pocket. I don’t know how to sew, and if I dii I haven’t tho timo. No, I havo not applied for a patent as yet, but if the rest of tho bachelors on thh road don’t stop using my device, I think I’ll get a patent and collect royalty from them.” The Hangman’s Rope. Tho old French superstition about luck attaching to the rope with which a man or woman has been hanged has just boep sadly belied in tho case of a commissionaire living in the Rue Bau delique, at Montmontre, France. He had for some time been the happy pos sessor of a bit of tho coveted rope. Much thinking of his treasure made him morbid. Whenever lie looked at it ho remembered the dreud:ul face of tho young girl whom ha ha 1 cut do.wn in a neighbor’s house, one morning. Atlast the fixed idea became* unbearable, He got his rope out, tied it to a hook and hanged himself—[Commercial-Ga zette. Some Sound Advice. Customer (in restaurant): “Gimme some broiled chicken, waiter, and as I'm in a big hurry, you had better bring it cold.’’ Waiter. “If yuse in a big hurry, Sah, I wud ad wise yo’ to take it hot.” Customer: “Why?” Waiter: “Kase it’ll take cr long time fo’ dat chicken to cool S h.” —[Epoch. BUTTER PACKAGES. Making Receptacles for the Dairy’s Golden Product. A Trade That Employs Thou sands of Skilful Artisans. Among the many little trades that aro followed by hundreds of people all over the country, says the New York Mail and Express, there is one which is never heard of by the public, never con sidered as of the slightest importance, and yet it gives a living to hundreds and thousands of persons. It i 3 the manufacture of packages for butter. In a largo establishment on the West side, whore the entire trade consists of the manufacture and sale of butter tub 3 and firkins, some interesting facts were learned. There aro four kinds of packages in general U3e,in which the golden product of the dairy is carefully deposited be fore it is sent to market. Three of these are made of wood and one of tin. When wood is used great care is exer cised in the salection of the material. It must be tasteless and without smell, and must be as nearly non-absorbent as possible. In order that theso condi tions may be reached, the wood has to be dried and seasoned carefully, so that there shall be as little sap as possible remaining in it. Thousands of dollars a year have been lost by the use of in sufficiently seasoned wood. The varie ties in most general U3e are white ash and white oak. The form most commonly used is called the Welsh tub, although it is made now in this country, the proprie tors of many of the creameries being interested in the manufacture of tho packages. The Welsh tub is made of white ash and is bound with black ash hoops. The staves aro made of ma chinery and the bottom is fitted in like a barrel head. Either five or six hoops are used, more generally five. If only five, two are placed at each end and one in the middle. If six are used three are placed at each end. The weight of the tub is eight or nine pounls and it holds fifty-five or sixty pounds of butter. The firkin is also largely used. It is made of white oak, with hickory hoops. It is headed, top and bottom, like a bar rel, and is the same size at each end, being twelve and one-half inches in diameter at the ends and fifteen inches in the middle. Tho firkins are very often sawed in two and used as half firkin tuo3, with white oak covers, which are nailed on. Tho firkin liolt’ g about a hundred pounds of butter. The creamery pail holds from sixty to eighty pou ids. It is made of white oak and bound with iron hoops, eithei galvanized or not. These pails are painted and are fitted with patent fasten ings for the ash or oak covers, and make the handsomest packages in the trade. They are not popular with commission merchants, as they are so expensive that they have to be returned to the creameries. Tin packages are growing in favor, and are used by the government, but are a long way from superseding wood in tho markets, notwithstanding that they seem to be equally as good as wood in all respects, and better in some. They are non-absoibont, of course, and do not flavor the butter, while they keep it much better. The packages are made of all sizes, in cylindrical shape, and are cased and covered at the top with wood. The wooden cover rests on the salt brine which lies on the butter. In packing butter, if extreme care is not used, air-holes are apt to be left, and tho grain is likely to be spoiled. If air-holes are left, or the surface is left exposed to the air, the butter loses its color, its taste and its aroma. Properly paclceddt is forced gently down with a wooden ladle or paddle until it fills the package solidly and completely up to within an inch of the top. A thin muslin or cheo3e-cloth covor is then laid on, and salt or brine is laid on that, filling tho package. Disinfecting: With Coffee. Coffee is a handy and harmless disin fectant. Experiments have been made in Paris to piovc this. A quantity of meat was hung up in a closed roorfi un til decomposed, and then a chafing dish was introduced and five hundred grammes of coffee thrown on the fire. In a few minutes tho room was com pletely disinfected. In another room sulphuretted hydrogen and ammonia : were developed and ninety grammes of coffee destroyed tho smell in about half a minute. It is also stated that coffee I destroys the smell of musk, castoeruin I and assalcc ida. As a proof that the noxious smells are i really decomposed by the fumes of coffee | and not merely overpowered by them, !it is stated that the first vapors of tho 1 coffeo were not smelled at all, and are therefore chemically absorbed, while ihe other smells gradually diminish as the fumigation continues. Tile best w.y to effect this fumiga tion is to pound the coffeo in t. mortar j and then strew it on a hot iron plate, i which, however, must not be rod hot.— t [Boston Transcript. THE PEOPLE’S PARTY. PROTECTIVE, PROGRESSIVE. PROSPEROUS. OUR PLATFORM; We Pledge Ourseiyes in Favor of PROTECTION OF OUR CUSTOMERS From Overcharge and Misrepresentations. FREETRADE FOR EVERY ONE, With the Merchant who does most for his Customers. PROHIBITION Of Monopolistic Rings, Inflated values and op pressive high prices. Buv as you vote, intelligently. As candi dates for your patronage, we invite an examination of our business record in support of our claim for fair dealing. We promise for the future The Best in Quality, The Most in Quantity, And the Lowest Prices TO ALL CUSTOMERS, without dis tinction of age or class, and behind ©ur promise stands our enor mous stock of BARGAINS, which are being crowded upon us by our NEW YORK BUYER. Never have we been in condition to offer our patrons such advantages as at this time. Our MILLINERY DEPARTMENT has no equal. Our Stock the Largest, Assortment the Best, and Prices the Lowest. Our stock of DRESS GOODS Below the Lowest. Our Fancy Goods Department will save you a handsome profit. STAPLE GOODS DEPARTMENT stands at the head for a money saver to our customers. OUR SEWING MACHINE DEPARTMENT includes all the LEADING MACHINES IN THE COUNTRY, Starting in price at $5 and up. In this department wc Buy, Sell, Exchangeand Repair ANY AND ALL KINDS. Remember that FOUR DAYS in each week we give away different articles to our customers. Some days we give to every 10th purchaser and some days to every sth, and some days to all. Our patrons are well aware that we give BETTER VALUE FOR THE MONEY, Than anv other house in CHATTANOOGA! Come along, and we will PROVE TO YOU That you can Save money T by making your Purchases of us. H. H. SOUDER-