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LAD Eh* DEEAK MESI. »<•< to topee* at er*. A }»!■ Miinent <>|irnttoron the street Mkf<i <« n* rrning th* trnrnlMT and < harnc teT u! women whoß|M*< ulate. ••lU’d telling ***' “hut th? n* arc rertiui y «»vci om* hit nd r«*d hi thia * ity whof|«* ‘hut daily, and then* may lw aa many i» f»»«- hundred. Millin' ’* j» the 'i-t<’ttt aprrtilaterw, ami • general worn* i whocondwt an imbqwnd* ..I l»u*i- DfMit” ag«i likrly than utherwto dabble in *b ••».** Ikmf'Hi (J lobe. rierewee Into* I Kool. A Im * who ha* jii«t n turnefl from an rttem v« Lm<»|H-an tour tell* of an inter flew ».te enjoyed with Mina Florence Kight it gale, the famous heroine, at her Lomtei home During the cunvcraati’Bi ■ln m”l not fail to notice the singular aiia|H f that eminent lady’* foot, Hh< bad never heard that Mia* Nightingale wa* lame or malformed, but certainly •*»metLing wa* the matter Her rurioaity prompted her to inquire of a mutual frirmi who at onw explained that Mi*- Night;.-gal**, denpiaing th<* modem inatru n»< nt* <f tortun- vended by fimhionablc bootiniik* rw, in w cuatonw**! to plant her ■forking foot firmly on a piece of leather, dniw4h< outline of tbr figure it form* and h*»v* her *!ux made to correspond ci a/ tiy with it. hlnn About Hinn*. Ts in ..nderdood, nay* an authority on tin wui-o *t, that ;i gentleman who d< ire* te marry w* uh a plain or rhawd gobi ring u|m i» th* lirot finger •>{ the left hiuid. Wh* i< h*’ le •< oiik-o engaged th* 1 ring paMw* te the second finger. After mar riaw |Mu»*eM to th« third linger. If, h*'W« vet. Un- gentleman d*--irca hi* lady fri* nd» to churl y mid* r>tand that he ia not “It the market/' and doe* not wiah to marry at all, hr wear* Um aignet u |h>ii hi- litti* finger. Thi* will inform all the hnli' that hr im beyond reach. With the lariir i*.. plain or < lihm *1 gobi ring on the litth I J.g'i of (hr left hand indicates “not engaged or “ready for an offer." Wh»-i« ♦ ifgagrd the ring t*» the third fiiig* r <>t> th* righthand When mmrird the tl o| linger on th*' left hand receive* th* t When a yoiuv.' hilly d«-Mf to defy mi I or* dir phicr* ring* one on tin lb*: Hid unron the fourth tlngri. Jnpnutar M oiu< n. Pi-tty .!•» alm i* on t pictured fan, n .JajMii • women i* f.n nun itisfyint' to tin Hf‘*h*ti< hoiil a* dir pallet along, alive, <i> her wooden < log* or *trnw -an •Lib tbr |»oorrat woman in her single, cheap rottoii gown 01 kimono i«aaniurh n pn i io :im hrr richer ‘•idrt in nilk ami 1 < r«|M With their h*inl- elnliorntrly <li» *m<i .Hid fold* of gay <iqw 01 a glit tennp hair pin tlimd in th* smooth loq|>m of bhc him k hair, tin y win nlwuyM in gala ' ’V, Mini, lain or diinr,never cover ! thoM • aboiati* coiffure* with anything • num ti.aii a papei umbrella Below that th' |< < w* droaii, opining in a point nearly to th* waial, ha* lining and fold* of gay | ri < r.»p* * and wilk* laid in*id<-, and the glory of the toilet ctlhuinate* with the broad •bi 01 .i'h The obi* of striped i and (iyurtni crape . brocade* and silk* ait : led With Mifliy -tandied cloth, Wound round and i mud the waist and fa*t«-11*11 in a big cudliun like bow nt the ba- * I'hr lung, I<m»m sleeves give gran ..nd rn to the M ani,smooth gown, mid « h hlrndvr figure is a pretty study by h* r*« II Tla swert, soft voiirs, tin* g'-iith manner* and elaborate courtesy d *» h»y»d by r\ ry one of them add the l ist altd llio-l gj.ii ion* tou<-he* to thesi* ph tun Mpic and irresistibly charming women. Aly lr» in Hi m« r Iris Mini < laa|»«. Jt w * |ed licit* w ith superb clasp* are •howte to Im* worn with round waists; the*' <ost a little fortune, but antiipie our* in silver <an be purcha-Msl more iheapiy India work, very pliable and firn , itoU sometimes lx obtaimxl at a side of curio* in b»lt* and necklaces. Aim-ng novelties in lace pins and cor ernaiui ut' are diamond* set in plati num in the of an ann and hand, th. tinier and thumb holding a ni.agniti Cent *a|>,diire, »l*o a ainall pin repn *<'nt iiij; ymne »n allows one in sapphires, an th>r in rubies, and the other in dia meuds Th<» are parti, nlatlv tine, and Cost ..way up in the hundred* A lovely Alexandra it in white and vellow dia tnonda, whit, bull (rogs, . spiders, and nrii'U. unique designs darrle the eye* and tempt the generosity of the wealthy BraceleU an broader than they were. A sufa rti one, not with a cat’s eve, sap phin ..nd ruby, it *.',000 A stylish bra.«l. tis uuall links and a spiaiv jew «lmi clasp, while apn sent that a King might make, or an American diols is a diamond ncekla. of perfect stones, from Un to two carats each, that is value ! at >SO ,<K<O. Colored stones eontinu to l»e faahtonabli, surround.*! with diamonds, for < ar-rings A perf.vt pair of rub i.-s I set in this manner will bring ’"' ,l r> m sapphin-s often have v. ry small dia moud. surrounding them that do not d tract from the beauty of tin .tones t’ortd purws have a jeweled ball at ther end and two thick tewehsi rings .Vrw )' 1 Jhir. tinU’party dreswes of sift cashmere are mmni.sd with oriental lace and !• ■»- and ks'ps of water- d riblon Beaded < ollaf -Il •* 11-raid m* .-IT-'* t*. Ilucheaw lae. is mad. Up in full ja bot" Evening »ilks have su|h rb br.H iul h- I sign- !p>u< Ir > i.dh has -tri|H of plush or 1 moire. fthcll cam. o -<l painted brooch. - will ‘ii he won. Evening reception and dinner dresc s have long train*. Velvets for panels are hrminied with rich gold leave* Visiting and home drewu-a are made ■ with <b-mi trains Material* with woven Ixird.T", for trim ming are favorites. Bwansdown is used for trimming party I dreaaea for children. Velvet- and plushes have fine gold ' thread* running vertically. Plush beaded w ith garnet ornaments is used for millinery purjsis.*. Whirred collarettes of ribbon are worn contrasting in . ..lor to th<- dreaa. Chain gold purses, with a gold initial or diamond monogram, an- the lat.-at Parisian fancy Tabli.-ra of tulle, Ince or gauze, richly embroidered with bead*, an- worn with til rolx-s of < < r.-mony. Yellow continues in favor, and some tilm sis too lavishly used on walking costumes to be in good taste. The new striped brocades have water lilies and leaves and deli, ate fern designs on grounds shot with gold or silver. A aealskin plush bonnet is trimmed with bows of light brown faille ribbon on top, a band of gulden filigree galloon cros-es the bonie t from ear to car. Folds of white or colored crape have . superseded niching" for the neck. Some times the folds are enriched by large pearls, which always match the crape in color. Clasps of the rarest workmanship in gold and silver are used for fastening bodice- Persons having old Norwegian orto rmnn wrought silver ornaments are utilizing them for embellishing th.-ir bodices, A brown felt hat of Spanish shape has the brim lined with brown velvet. The crown is em in le.l by a band of the velvet, while ill front are three knots of ribbon set one behind the other against th.- crown, the outer one is of |s-arl white faille, the middle one of moss green and the hist of golden bronze. dwindling by Hock Auction. That agi-il m-iiiii of swindling by means of mock million sales of cigars is "till enrrii-d on mu , <---fully in New York, rin- other day a well known Southern man i-iitcred a little place where cigars were being sold by an am tionecr. There wen- apparently three or four nu n who were bidding bri-kly, and as the cigars sevini-d to be tine the stranger coni|>eted for a choice box, which was knocked down to him for s"> Immediately after ward the sab was declared closed. The Southerner stepped up to the counter, when- apparent customers were rei eiving parcel-and a-ked sot hi* box, at the same time tendering a $5 bill. "Aon owe $6(1,” said the cashier se verely. “For what?” '■ The»e cigars are sold in lots, not by the box.” “But I distinctly bid for one box.” “You are mistaken.” “We all bid for lots.” declared the “customers.” The Southerner concluded he had a bargain anyway and that his friends would Im- glad to take such cigars off his hands. He thought that he might, after nil, have been bidding under a misappre hension. H<- wrote an tinier on a promi nent hotel when- he was staying for S6O, and directed that tin- cigars Im- sent then-. Then he went down town and forgot all about the matter until evening. M hen he n-tunnsi to the hotel the clerk said: “We paid your order, but. we know that you have Im-cii swindled." “Oh, no; the cigars are worth double the money.’’ “I.ook at them and see!" The package was untied, and twelve boxes of the commonest kind of i abbage leaf cigars were ex|M>sed to view. The Southerner turned away in intense di gust. . "Don’t give me away,” he begged. “Rather give the cigars away to the porters anylmdy." Ihe next day he took a piiliceman to the auction -ton*, vow ing vengeance. The place wa- empty', ami he invested another dollar i*a treats to the ortieial, Iwgging him also in the same disgusted maimer, "Don’t give me iw.iy ' \ )’■ I T ibnne. Knew *he was Right. M-ft Why ilo law y et-s ; w. ( \- t mad with witness.- toward the end of their examination, dear! H- md N nai ' Th. y don t Will Henry, you an* alw iv-trving to maki -ut I don't know anything But I've got you thi- time. Listen to thi (reads). “The attorney for the defendant then follow -,1 with a en*s- , xaniiu.itien." And they always do end up with wit lies-. -in that way I've read about it » hundred tinu- /., ,•» 4 I.ll’PlNfi* POK THE t'VBIOVS. Th<-gr. it-r the depth of ocean water th.- mor.- salt it is. It wa- in olden time customary to rat i... I ...I- in. nt by a ls-nt coin. t h- Cuban dandy sonietim<-« attends a ball in a black dre— suit, a whit" necktie nd i green shirt. K\ > -n.itor St-’Wart of Nevada intends to cl.-viite a gold-mounted lightning-rod on th'- fine residence which he is build ing ut 4 'ar-on. 4 esar bought lands to be distributed among the poor. Tin- system of public di-trilnitiori of bread or grain among the |sopli- wa» not abandoned until the seventh century after Christ. St. Peter's Cathedral, just finished at Moscow, has five cu|xdas, and 1100 |iounds of gold were used in overlaying them The doors of the t.-mple cost $310,000, and the marble tioor» $1,500,000. T* a was sold in England in 1660 for sixty shillings a pound. This, consider ing the different value of money, was about twelve times as much as is paid now for n pound of the same commodity. The practice of saluting ladies with a kiss was once very general. The cele brated “kissing comfits” were sugar plums, once extensively used by fashion able |x-ople to make their breath sweet. In days gone by neither sowing, plant ing or grafting was ever undertaken without a scrupulous attention to the jn crense or waning of the moon. It was thought that the increase of the moon made plants fruitful, and that tin der the full moon they were in their best strength. One of the most common weeds in all southern and western Texas is the trom pillo (Solanum eleognifolium), whose black berries when ripe have the remark able property of curdling milk, though they disclose no acid reaction. The Mexicans crush the fruit, put it into a muslin bag, aud submerge this in a pan of inMk until coagulation has taken place. Millions of ipiirrels have been emi grating from Mississippi to the more ele vated grounds of Arkansas. The plucky little aninals swim the Mississippi River beginning at a point about five miles be low Memphis, and continuing from there twenty miles down stream. Thousands of them have been killed by the farmers, who use clubs in place of guns, on ac count of the immense number". A similar emigration took place in 1872. Village Life in France. Many of the houses in the village are of the fourteenth or fifteenth century, and have walls four feet thick and win dow-with deep embrasures; one house especially is a good specimen of the re naissance. Every one in the village, its indeed in all this part of France, how ever miserable the hovels they live in, is monsieur or inadume. Every one is a proprietor, though a very small one. They can all talk of my house, my gar den, my vineyard. The different fami lies live so near each other, and so entire ly removed from every one else, that they ach other at all hours of the day. and the children are brought up together like a flock of pigeons. Every Sunday in summer the whole population takes to the river like ducks, swims, plunges, and teaches its children to throw themselves into the deep water from the top of rocks or to fish w ith their hands under the great stones of the river. Afterward a joyous partition is made of the fish which has been caught, and they go home to enjoy all but the best, which are sold at Argeuton, w hen there are no strangers in the village. In the evening they dance "ii the castle hill in the bourree which though long and monotonous, is full of character. Life is very cheap at Gargil esse. When a house is for sale, which is not very often, a very tolerable residence and a plot of ground in this lovely situation may be bought for £25. Half of one of the double whitewashed cot tages. in the very centre of the village , life, with a steep roof, and stone steps ( 1 ading to its door, was that where George Sand lived, loved and wrote. The i landlady of the little inn remembers all about her, and was the Madame Rosalie of the “Promenades autour d’un Vil lage."—Art Journal. A Confederate Giant’s Sabre. i Among the relics of the late war stowed away in the I nited States Ordnance Mu seum on Seventeenth street is a sabre, I fully five feet long, which was found on th* battle field of Manassas. This for midable looking weapon was evidently mad. in some village blacksmith's shop, from the fabled plow-hare, at the out break of the war and its handle ap|x-ars to hax. Ims n can i d with a jackknife from :> cow - horn. A Virginian who * - - d the mu-cum la-t week recognized th -,-ibrv as one that had l>een used bv a u mt Virginia cavalryman in "Jeb” Stuart's command. I'll, ' ivalryman in question," said tin Virginian to the Hatchet, “was near- I seven feet high and broad in propor ti"ii. IL had that big sabre made by a ero—roads hoix -hoer and promised to ! I; w hi- way through the Yankee lines with it and enter Washington, but, pcxir I w. he wa- shot at Manassas before he i . d « .irry out hi- rash purposi.* - , —II . ihinat .. HaMirt. KING OF SPIDERS. THE HOME AND HABITS OF THE UGLY TARANTULA. A House Underground—Ferocity of the Insect Tigers as Displayed in Pursuit of Prey—A Wily Lizard. In wandering along the foot hills of the Sierra* after a rain, on what is called adobe ground, the sharp-eyed observer will sometimes notice a sudden move ment of the earth. A seeming leaf or a bit of soil about as large as a silver dollar will drop, quiver or shake. Some little prescience on the part of the walker will enable him to discover the cause of this, and close and careful examination will disclose an oval sjzot, perhaps an inch and a half across, that seems separated from the surface. Now insert the point of your knife into one side and lift. Surely there is something holding back ’ Now you gain a quarter of an inch and obtain a glimpse into the black cavern so uncovered of a hairy, uncanny look ing object, the tenant you are trying to evict Another lift and something gives, and you have opened the door of one of the most cunningly devised and marvel ous structures in the entire animal king dom - the trapdoor of the king of the spiders, one of the commonest but per haps least known insects of southern Cal ifornia; a huge, hairy fellow, sometimes i three inches across, a menace to timid walkers and not particularly appreciated bv the professional naturalist, who is sup posed to be en rapport with “bugs and things.” The ferocity of these insect-tigers is displayed when in chase of prey, and the size of the animals they attack is some times astonishing. A large one has been seen to attack a young gopher. The lat ter had tunneled along the edge of an adobe tract, coming up within two or three feet of the door of a large spider’s trap, and soon began a series of short and erratic migrations from its hole ; each time loading its pouches with bits of grass and weed. The spider, in making its trap, had fastened in a bit of the latter, and when this was pulled out by the goph*r, the hinge gave way, and in asecond a ball of hair and fur was rolling about, and twelve legs and claws were grasping the air. The spider had rushed out sudden ly, and xvith a quick leap seized the un lucky gopher near the throat, and had evidently penetrated it with its poison mandibles. The gopher, terrified at the assault, at first backed toward its hole, but the pain caused it to defend itself, and the two were soon in a sanguinary struggle ; the spider merely retaining its hold, rei ving upon its poison, while the gopher struck and pawed the insect with its claws, also . endeavoring to use its powerful teeth. The result of this was that the ground for several inches about was soon covered with gopher’s blood and spider’s hair and legs. Over and over the comb atants rolled. Finally the gopher, rising on its hind legs, tore the spider off and staggered to its hole, 1 where it undoubtedly succumbed. The poison of these spiders is probably more virulent one time than another, and is absurdly exaggerated in Mexico, xvhere I have been told that to even allow a tar antula to walk over a person during the intense heat of summer, would be pro ductive of fatal results. The truth is, that in certain cases the bite might prove fatal, just as people have been killed at the bite of a wasp, the fright and ner vous shock ’’acting together Jto produce such a deadly result. The majority of small birds, mammals and reptiles often succumb to the poison. The great spider does much of its foraging at night; at tacking the mole, crickets, mice, and various insects that suit its palate. In some experiments tried with a mouse and tarantula (this being the popular name in this section), both being placed in a box together, the former showed im- | mediately its distress and terror. Either bitter experience or instinct warned it that the hideous creature was a mortal enemy. The spider remained perfectly quiet, but the unfortunate quadruped lost its head and darted over the hairy insect, whereupon a fierce struggle was com menced. Their movements could not be followed, but in less than three minutes the spider was torn in pieces by the little animal, that a few minutes later dropped upon its side, gasped and died. The tarantula has few enemies. Some of the large insectivorous birds (as the butcher bird) would probably attack it, but its enemies may practically be con fined to a large insect called the tarantula hawk, that seems to be the only insect that knows the “open sesame” of the big spider. The latter, when returning to its trap at full speed, can lift the lid and slide in so deftly that its disappearance appears almost miraculous. It would seem as though the hawk watched this performance,ns it finds the trap with com parative ease, lifts the silk door, and darts in, overpowering the spider and killing or paralyzing it. In the body it deposits its eggs. The latter in time hatch, the young tarantula hawks feeding upon the body that has formed their birth place. Thus the hawk not only destroys the great spider but converts its body into a storehouse for its eggs and the trap for a home for the coming brood, who. per haps. have got their first suggestions as to “tarantula hunting.” This method of providing for the fu ture young is found among a large num ber of this tribe; and when it is remem bered that many of them only paralyze their victims, putting them on ice, as it were, so that they will sleep until the eggs that have been deposited in the boay are hatched, it will be considered most remarkable. The tarantula finds one wily victim that it only captures by piecemeal, and that by accident. The little brown lizard that frequents the clearings is sometimes caught napping, and before it can escape the huge spider is upon it. and seizes the slender tail, confident perhaps, of a din ner. But nature has provided the lizard with a method of escape. The first crunch of the mandible into the delicate skin and the tail is completely whisked off. the cunning lizard darting away and leaving the drv but squirming caudal ex tremity behind. At times the body of the lizard is seized, when the victim soon ceases its struggles, probably quickly overcome by the virulent poison. It would seem a difficult feat to tame a tarantula, yet they are susceptible to kind treatment and will recognize their I owners or the one that feeds them, and i crawl over his arm without offering to dine thereupon. A green spider that I have had upon my desk until within a | few day®, that was remarkable for its | mimicry, being the exact tint of the stems ' of the flowers vpon which it lived, was so tame that it fed from my hand, taking flies as I provided them.— San Francinco ( ' n "- A Thanksgiving Day Question. Rev. John Anketell. presbyter of the diocese of New York, Jias witten to the governors of the States in the I nion, ask ing their opinions on the advisability of changing our national Thanksgiving Day from the last Thursday in November to October 12, the alleged date of the dis covery of America by Columbus. Some twenty-one governors have responded, and the tenor of most of the answers is to the effect that any date will do, and so they see no very good reason for the change. Beside, historians differ as to the exact date of the discovery. The governors of Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky think the suggestion a good one. Most of the others do not quite understand the affair, and their answers are interesting. Governor Hill’s private secretary write* to say that the people of New York are satisfied with the present date. The governor of Missouri says briefly, and to the point: If turkeys are good on that day I see no objection. John S. Marmaduke. The Governor of Rhode Island writes to put another day on his list: I have always thought that we, as a people, have too tew public holidays, and believe that perhaps an additional one, so admirably chosen on the 12th of October, might well be added to our list. Geo. Peabody Wetmore. The Governor of Connecticut knows his New England constituents, and says: The people are apt to adhere very tena ciously to their ancient customs, without be ing much influenced by any efforts to change them. H. B. Harrison. The gentleman who presides over the destinies of Indiana knows history. He says: i fail to see the importance of one day over another, especially when the exact time of the discovery of America is in controversy, and likely to remain so. Isaac P. Gray. The New England conservatism crops out again in the reply of Massachusetts governor that— The associations which cluster around the time now usually fixed are very precious to the people of Massachusetts because of the adherence to the well-kept custom of so many years. Geo. D. Robinson. . “Absurd and preposterous,” says the governor of Minnesota, and the cautious governor of New Jersey carefully guards himself in the following reply: I prefer not to express an opinion at pres ent on the subject matter of your letter. Leon Abbett. Governor Pingree, of Vermont, speaks of the senseless flummery of thirty eight proclamations following that of the President, and the governor of Texas writes: Formal thanksgivings are rather distaste ful to me, and when thanksgivings become fixed facts and come as a matter of course and pro forma, the heart of the people will not be much in it. Jno. Ireland. The replies are interesting as indicate ing the immense variety of subjects upon which the gubernatorial opinion is wanted. These are only samples of scores of similar letters received every week by the thirty-eight governors in the Union.— New York World. A Little Girl’s Heroism. Brave little ten-year-old Ethel Spooner has received $20,000 in the Kings county (N. Y.) court from the Delaware, Lacka wanna and Western Railway Company. Ethel is the daughter of Dr. Walter A. i Spooner, of Brooklyn, and her story is worthy to find a place among the tales of modern heroism. During the summer of 1884, Dr. Spooner, with his wife and family, went to pass his vacation at Orange, N. J. They occupied a house near the track of the Delaware, Lacka wanna and Western Railroad, on which there are several unprotected crossings at that place. On November 19th Ethel was out playing with two little cousins, and the little chaps got on the track just as a train was approaching. Ethel ran and got them out of the way, but just as she was to leave herself, her foot slipped down between the rail and the -wooden walk, and she could not extricate it. She called to one of the little boys to come and help her, and he, after tugging at his com panion’s leg, w;is about to unbutton her boot when the train came dashing along and was upon them. The child, with presence of mind, seeing it was im possible to extricate her foot, threw her self down on the wooden walk and al lowed the twe wheels of the locomotive to pass over her leg below the knee, crunching it into a shapeless mass. The limb was amputated above tne knee the same evening by a local surgeon. She has recovered from the shock, but must use crutches all her life. She sued for $50,000 damages. It was shown during the trial that at the Greenwood avenue crossing where the accident took place, there were neither gates nor flagmen. The defense tried to prove by several wit nesses that the child was playing on the line, and the accident was due to negli gence on her part. After a few moments’ absence the jury found a verdict for the plaintiff. A demonstration on the part of the audience was stopped by the court officers. After being discharged each of the jurymen walked round and shook hands with Ethel, one of them saying to her, “You’re a plucky little lady.” Paper Rail reads. The paper rail seems about to become a practical reality, a large establishment for the*manufacture of rails of compressed paper being projected at St. Petersburg. Among the advantages claimed for this material are extreme durability, a cost about one-third as great as steel, light ness, greater adhesion to the driving wheels of the engine, and a reduction in the wear and tear of both the road and the rolling stock. Americans are the third highest in point of the number of foreigners resid ing in Japan, according to statistics pub litihed in a native newspaper. T.e Chi nese stand at the head of the list with 2,4.1 residents, followed bv the English with 618, the American* numbering 187. SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS. In China metals are strewn about the empire in profusion—enormous coal measures, prodigious deposits of iron, vast veins of copper, great tracts of galena, chrome, plumbago, cinnabar, cupreous nickel (white copper), sine pyrites, manganese, etc., are found in every section. A singular tree, just discoveted in Australia, has been named in honor of Professor Owen of this country. It propagates only by suckers. The seeds will not germinate. They are contained in a solid stone, so dense that it can only be broken with a hammer. When it decays the seeds perish also. From his studies of the Krakatoa catastrophe Verbeek is led to maintain that part of our globe remains still in a molten state, and he disputes the theory which has been advanced that the heat of the volcanic furnaces is entirely due to local chemical action. From his recent observations Capt. Pillsbury finds that the strength of the current of the Gulf Stream is invariably on the Florida instead of the Bahama side of the stream, and that the temper ature of this great “river” in the ocean ranges from 42 degrees to 81 degrees. The greatest velocity of the stream at the surface is about four and a half knots, but the fluctuations are frequent and con siderable. In his lecture on the heat action of ex plosives, delivered to the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, Capt Noble said: “Twenty-five years ago our most powerful piece of artillery was a 68- pounder, throwing a projectile with a velocity of 1570 feet a second. Now the weight of our guns is increased from five tons to 100, the velocities from 1600 to 2000 feet, and the energies from 1100 foot-tons to over 52,000 foot-tons.” It is often a matter of surprise that drunken men sustain little or no injury from falls which might have been ex pected to result fatally. The reason of this immunity is that the nerve centers are so paralyzed in the drunken man as not to be affected by the shock of the fall, which, in a sober man, would have acted upon them so violently as to stop the heart, arrest the circulation, and cause instant death. A Business Swell’s Life. Frank Burr, writing to the Boston Herald from New York, tells how the fast business swell leads a merry, but transitory life: He was dressed in the top of fashion and a valet stood by his side, while the porter blacked his boots in the entryway leading to the Hoffman House bar-room. The young man threw the Irishman a half-dollar for the job, and then slipped to a table not far away, ordered a pint of champagne, drank it and sauntered out “You have just seen a perfect type of the young New Yorker,” said a friend who knew the fellow who was so well dressed and who gave the bootblack fifty cents for a shine. 1 ‘He is a broker who is just blooming out for himself, and has made a fat deal. Money is no object to him just now, and he is hunting any new vice or extravagance he can find. His life will not be long. If he succeeds for any length of time, his dissipations will kill him, for, like most of his class, he bums the candle at both ends. He is only one of the many who help to make hotel life in New York needlessly expen sive. Chance has brought him a fortune, and it is handed out as easily as it came. If the man who polished his boots got fifty cents, the boy who served his break fast probably received a dollar. While his practice gets him well waited upon, it compels other people to be equally ex travagant or be slighted. This lavish tipping of waiters has become so common here that many times and in many places they make themselves positively disagree able to guests who do not fee them with open hand. This one is but a fair type of the “swell” business man. He sits up all night, rises in time to get to his office and pitches into the excitement of the day only half rested. Wine takes the place of sleep in keeping him in condi tion to do business. The average length of such a life is only about ten years. Some may stand the whirl for fifteen, but the great majority have lost their vitality at ten, and either die, get broke or go out of the rush and hurry of the street. Deadly Hair Dye. From Toledo comes a story of peculiar interest. A gentleman well known as a grain operator and noted for the glossy blackness of his hair and whiskers re cently died. When his friends, who had not seen him since he fell sick, took a last look at his remains they saw that his hair and beard had turned gray. Then it was disvovered that they had been so for years. It was also found out that his death was caused by this hair dye. It was deadly poison, and as he drank hot tea and coffee the liquor strained through his mustache and carried from it a little of the poison of the hair dye. In time his stomach became inflamed with the poison and death was the final result. — Cleveland Plain Dealer. The total number of deaths from small pox in Montreal during th" late epidemic exceeds 3000. distributed among over 500 houses.