SULLIVAN REPUBLICAN. W. M, CHENEY, Publisher. VOL. XI. Maine has wild land worth $20,000,- 000 at a low estimate. The demand for California canned and dried fruit has increased till, the San Francisco Examiner declares, it is almost a boom. It is proposed to change the uniform of the Berlin police. The present "out fit" is too heavy and cumbersome, espe cially the helmet and sword. For the first half of the current year the returns of no less than seventeen En glish railroads show a falling off,and the Joss in coal freights is responsible for more than half of that. The German merchant marine stands next to that of Englaud. In 1889, the latest year from which figures have been published. German vessels made 66,834 voyages, carrying 21,393,522 tons of cargo. _____________ The New York Commercial Bulletin says that "it may be necessary to secure Congressional action to relieve impor ters of the hardship of payiug full rates of duty for merchandise that has been impaired in value by processes of fumi gation." The presiding officer who used a re volver as a gravel, the other day, in an Atchison (Ivtn.) deliberative assembly, had no difficulty in maintaining order. Tho chair will always be respected, avers the Atlanta Constitution, when it is ready to blow off the top of somebody's head for un parliamentary behavior. A butter merchant of London was re cently fined rather heavily for selling butter that containeJ twenty-eight per cent, of water, whereas in ordinary cir cumstances the percentage ought not to be more than fourteen to fifteen. I* JVs proved in court that at the time th* sales were made the defendaut was awaj on his wedding tour, and yet the court refused to accopt the excuse, holding that an employe ought to know the law. When the President passed through Philadelphia recently, the carriage con veying him to tho ferry was temporarily delayed at NmP.i street. A small news, boy standing on the curbstone called out: "Mister, give us a ride?" "Where are you going?" asked the Chief Magis trate of sixty millions. "To Camden." was the reply. "Jump in then," said the President, and tho boy clambered eagerly into the carriage, his stock of papers under his arm. "When the ferry was reached," says the veracious Phila delphia Chronicle, "the newsboy pre sented tho distinguished gentleman with one of his papers as a mark of gratitude, the gift being accepted with grateful acknowledgments." A study of the mjteorological data of Idaho leads to the conclusion that tho humidity of the atmosphere is increas ing year by year. Never since the set tlement of Idaho has there been such an immense crop all over the State as dur ing the present season. The product of grass and grain has been wonderful. Scientific estimates attribute this result to a change in climate produced by the multiplication of irrigating canals, which moisten a great extent of coun try and create a humid atmosphere. It has been observed that frequent rains now fall during the months of July and August. Nature is closing up the gap between the wet aud dry seasons and equalizing tho rainfall. Many be lieve that tho time is not far distant when the arid lauds will become arable. Speaking of the establishment of banks for the bene.it of farmer?, a recent writer says:"The F/.neb idea is for the Government to advance §2,000,000 as capital to enabk each municipal dis trict to establi r li a bank of simple form, which shall oe managed by an agricul tural syrdicate or a select number of farm -rs who would decide upon the sol .eftcy of the applicants for loans, and who would collectively become a guar antee to the Government for the amount of the debt. The money advanced by the State would be loaned at a rate of interest lower than that paid to deposi tors in savings banks, and the State would have the right of Inspection at any time of the bank's affairs, while the responsibility for its assets would rest with the farmers or body actiug as a Board of Management. Paper would be discounted for as small a sum as one dollar, and the farmer would bo able to deal direct with the wholesale vendor of seeds, fertilizers or agricultural im plements, giving his paper in payment of his bill, the bank cashing the same for the merchant and the farmer redeem ing it after harvesting his crops. The larmer would thus save tho expenses ol the middle man and also eflest a saving of four to five per cent, in discounting his paper, the management, of course, be ing careful, as they would be responsible, that loans were made only to economical and progressive farmers of good stand ing." AUTUMN'S MIRTH 'Tin all a myth that Autump grieves, For, watch the rain amid the leaves; With silver finders dimly seen It make* each leaf a tambourine, And swings and leaps with elfln mirth To kiss the brow of mother earth. Or, laughing 'mid the trembling grass, It nods a greetin : as you pass. Ohlfhear the rain amid the leaves— ' Pis all a myth that Autumu grieves) 'Tis all a myth that Autumn grieves. For, list the wind among the sheaves; Far sweeter than the breath of May, Or storied scents of old Cathay, It blends the perfumes rare and good Of spicy pine and hickory wood, An i with a voice as gay as rhyme, It prates of rifle 1 mint and thyme. Ob! ecent the win l among the sheaves— 'Tis all a myth that Autumn grieves! 'Tis all a myth tbat Autumu grieves. Behold the wondrous WL'b she weave*; By viewless hands her thread is spun Of evening vapors shyly woo. Across the grass from side to side A myriad unseen shuttles glide Throughout the night, til on the height, Aurora leads the laggard light. Behold the wondrous wet> s-h-> weaves— 'Tis all a myth that Autumu grieves! —Samuel Minium Peck. TIIE CHILI). Sj yj Brumaire in the second year of the C -iw? "liwfSßi Sr' 7 French Republic. The day was cbeer '''ess> all< ' s ky dark w 'th " threat - ening snowstorm, ' u (112 \y-~ as the beautiful Delphine, Countess of Athis under the monarchy, alighted lrom a hack on the Font Neuf, close to a liberty tree sur mounted with its red cap. A man, who had been leaning for some time against the pedestal from which they had dis lodged the statue of Ilcnry IV., came eagerly forward and lifted his fur cap. llis hair was clo3e cropped in Revolu tionary fashion, and he wore a ragged carmagnole open at the throat, without any cravat; but even thus disguised, the lady recognized Maurice Despies, one of the youngest aud most promising advo cates in the last Parliament. "Maurice," she said, "your dress is admirable; but that' does not insure your safety. I have sent for you to take me before the Revolutionary Tribunal." "I, Delphine, take you before these executioners!" "Ycu know that our friend, Lefebvre, is brought to trial to-day." "Yes, I know that, Delphine, and I know, too, that be will not be alive to morrow." "And I, Maurice, know that I ought to testify in his behalf. Siuce the 12th of July I have often heard him declare himself a Republican, and 1 can prove that here 1 used a place offered him as tutor of the Dauphin—against my ad vice, it is Irue. I can bring forward many instances of his patriotism that must convince his judge*." "They will not listen to you. Write, send word; but do not go yourself." She looked at him beseechingly. "Do not try and discourage me, Maurice. If you only knew how fright ened 1 am in such a crowd and how hard it is to do my duty! I am trembling > now, and I only go because I must." "You ask me, Delphine, to take you ' to certain death." "If you really love me Maurice, you would not have ine cowardly." "But it is so useless." "It is never useless to do our duty. I have been perfectly frank in acknowl- j edging my weakness; but what would j you truly think of me if I should follow your advice, turn now and go back to I my house at Auteuil?" | "Come then," said Maurice. Shetook his arm and they walked along the quay, ; talking in a low tone of the old friend whose courage had brought him before the bloody tribunal. "He was hiding," said Madame d'Athis, "at Manama d'Aubry my lace woman's and he was perfectly safe there; but he insisted ou leaving, because he had reason to think tbat bis stay was en dangering his benefactress. He suc ceeded in reaching Sevres in safety, but he was recognized in a wineshop by some Jacobins, brought back to Paris, and now he is in the Conciergerie awaiting his trial. It will go hard with him." "Thank you, Delphine, for sending to let me know.'' "Who but ths man I love, Maurice, should share my danger ?"' As they turned the corner of the large square clock-tower that abuts on the quay, they saw a crowd of armed men, tumultuously swaying to and fro before the. iron gateway of the Palace of Jus tice. Delphine quickly withdicw her hand from Maurice's arm. "Keep me in sight," she said. "My courage will fail me if I do not feel that you are looking at me all the time, but it is best that we should not seem to be together. I had better appear to be quite alone; for I have an instinctive ieeling that I shall besaferif these crea tures tir.iuk me entirely unprotected." He yielded to her imperious sweetness stooped outside the gate, and then en tered, following at a distance the woman now threading her way through the brandished pikes aud sabres. The wide staircase was crowded with a rabble in subots, carmagnoles, and red caps, J pinging, shouting, and surging to and fro. Groups of men blocked the en trances to the different Revolutionary tribunals, loudly urging summary pro ceedings and a general massacre, acus ing the authorities lukewarmness and leniency towards the guilty. Newspaper venders came and went, cry ing: "Here you have the list of the lucky numbers in the lottery of the holy guillotine) Buy the treason of Joseph Lefebvre, former physician of the in famous Capet. Buy the account of the dreadful conspiracy of the traitor Le febvre to bring about the massacre of all good patriots." LAPORTE, PA., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1892. Delphine made her way through the crowd. She was going upsatirs when she was brought to • stand by a a man dressed in a carmagnole, a self-appointed sentinel. "Where are you going, citi zen?" "I am going, citizen, to attend the trial of Joseph Lefebvre; I am a wit ness." He made no objection, and she was moving on when a hideous woman, with a baby in her arms, protested, declaring that aristocrats ought to be kept away from the tribunals, where they only went to corrupt the judges. She, for instance, that woman, would go and show her face, and ~veep and faint away and turn tho heads of all those men inside. Such creatures know perfectly well what they were about, and that was the way justice was cheated and traitors escaped who let people die of statvation. But Delphine hurried onto the room where she heard the clerk of court readiug the summons of Joseph Lefebvre. Protected by his dress, Despies fol lowed her unmolested. But the woman's railing had enflamed vindictive hatred, and on all sides cries arose of, "Marat has gone. We have lost our best friend. Since he was killed the aristocrats are raising their beads. Down with the aristocrats! Death to the conspirators! To the guillotine wish the enemies of the people! Death to false witnesses! Down with the sorceresses, tho fine ladies I" The indictment against Joseph Lefe bvre was read, the interrogatory was over —the witnesses were to be heard. Every moment some one coming out cf the court-room gave to the crowd outside a distorted account of some incident con nected with the trial. Among other things it was asserted that it was proved beyond a doubt that the infamous Doctor Lefebvre had constantly administered poison, instead of medicine, to his poor patients. And when it was reported that a woman had testified in favor of the ac cused, the tumult reached its climax and there were shouts of: "She is his accom plice! Send her to the guillotine with inm." Then there were interminable disputes, shameful exhibitions of brutal ignorance and fiendish cruelty. The hours wore away and the popular impatience grew more uncontrollable, kept at fever height by occasional ru mors of a possible acquittal. The cries, "Death to all false witnesses!" grew louder and louder. The September butchers, masked on the stairs, were talking of breaking down the door, when it opened and Delphine appeared. At the sight of the furious, threatening mob, she paused for a moment, proudly erect, but very pale. Maurice, who had followed her closely, pressed to her side as she stood there encircled by the bare, brawny arms, the clenched fists, and up lifted sabres of these bloodthirsty men, but she restrained him by an almost imper ceptible motion of her head. The threats redouble*!. The women's shrill cries rose fiercely above the drunken yells of some of the men. The most frighful of nil these women, the same creature, with a child in her arms, who had kept the crowd in a state of contin ual excitement for hours, now pressed forward, and shaking her flst in Del phine's face, shrieked: " Yea, my tine lady, you have got to bleed for itl" T.ieu a halt-naked, hairy-breasted giant pushed the woman aside and seemed about to strike. Madame d'Athis bit her tins to bring back the ebbing blood, and conscious that hsi lofty aspect of virginal purity and calm ness was her only protection—that the terrified shrinking of a predestined victim would bo instantly fatal—she cast her eyes about her and remarked the hideous mother who stood there still in n threatening attitude. Advancing to ward her, abe simply said > "You have a beautiful fliild." At these words, the kindest perhaps she had ever heard, the mother's heart was touched. Tears came to her eyes. "Take him/' she said, and she held the baby out to Delphine, who took him in her arms and walked down the stairs unharmed, smiling in the child's face, while the ctowd, hesitating, subdued, taken by surprise, made way for her to pass. She walked thus across the court with her innocent protector and was safe. Outside the gate she gave the baby to its mother. Neither uttered a word, but a tear fell on the child as she handed him back. Maurice had gone before, and they both took shelter in tho carriage waiting for them at the clock-tower. Turning away, the wheels of their hack came in contact with the rough cart driving up to take Joseph Lefebvre to the scaffold —From the French. Trees That Sting. In Australia grows i curious treo which is dangerous as well as wonderful. In the old trees the stem is grayish white and red berries grow on the top. The leaf is nearly round and jagged around its edges like a nettle ana has u point at the top. The tree emits a very disagreeable odor. This tree when touched stings one like a hornet. A traveler says:"l have seen a mau who treats ordinary pain lightly, roll on the ground in agony after being stung, and I know a horse so completely maddened after getting into a grove of these treej, that he rushed open-mouthed at every one who approached him and had to be shot. Dogs when stung will rush about whining piteously, biting pieces from the affected part."—New York World. Some Calendar Odditiec. 1 The days of the month aud week are | always the same in March and Novem ber, in April and July, and in Septem ber and December; that is, if March "comes in"on a Monday, November will do likewise, the same rule applying to the other months named abo ve. In leap year January is with April and July, in other years it is with October. Feb ruary, in leap year, is with August, in other years with March and Novem ber. The last day of February and the fourth day of July always occur on the same day of the week ; the same is true of May Day aud Christmas .—American Farmer. DUCKING FOB HIS LIFE, A TEXAN'S THRILLING ADVEN TURE AT A NOTED BPRINO. About to Drinlt, He Sees the Reflec tion of a Coiled Rattlesnake in'the Water—A Close Shave. s/ EEM9 if I was going • " •( to make a curious and varied I \»J collection of snakes, venom ouß and non-venomous, I wouldn't lose any time in Retting down into Texas," said J. T. Barnett, of El Paso County, to a New York sun man. "When I see the rattlesnake they brag about up North here I am amazed, for the biggest one I've seen yet seem!) dwarfish and lamblike compared with the interesting Texan rattler, especially the bloated rattler of the Staked Plains. I made my first acquaintance with the ordinary rattlesnake of Texas at the time the route of the Texas Pacific Railroad was being located through El Paso County. I was along with the engineer corps, and one Sunday I strolled out in the direction of the Sierra del Diablo, whose gleamy peaks and rocky front were apparently not more than a rifle shot distant, so clean cut did they stand out against the sky, but they were ten miles from camp. But the hills were not the attraction of my tramp. Some where between the foothills of the Sierra del Diablo and camp was a famous spring, called Rattlesnake Spring, at which, according to the tradition of the Indians, two big rattlesnakes were con stantly on guard. The water of the spring was alleged to have great medi cinal properties, but it was death to any one who attempted to drink at the spring unless he first killed the two rattle snakes, for the instant he stooped to quaff the waters one or both of the deadly serpents would strike him and sink their poison fangi into him, thus putting him out of the way of all future trials, tribulation and trouble. That a rancher had once been found lying dead with his face at the surface of the spriug, wheie he had lain down with the evi dent purpose of quenching his thirst, two purple incisions in his temple and his bloated body showing beyond a question that he had been struck by a rattlesnake while lying in that |>osition, was a well authenticated story in that part of Texas, aud the snake that had doubtless bitten him was killed in the rocks at the edge of the spring by the person who discovered its victim. Still I had my doubts that any of these ven omous reptiles habitually lay in wait there for thirsty roamers, and the pur pose of my trip that Sunday was to in vestigate the matter. I went alone, be cause no one would go with me. I found the spring. It was four miles from the foothills in a rocky oasiu, and it came up from the white sand in cool and tempting volume. I saw no sign of the presence of rattlesnakes, although the surroundings looked snaky enough, and no mistake. I was hot and thirsty, and after a close and careful scrutiny of all the rocks and scrubby bushes about the spriug I was satisfied that if that water was under the guardianship of rattlesnakes thev must have gone off duty for that day at least. Still, if I hadn't been so terribly thirsty, I believe I would have come away without risk ing a drink, all the same; but as it was a tramp of six miles back over the bar ren plain that lay between me and camp without quenching my burning thirst was not to be thought of, and I prepared to lie down on the rock at one side of the spring, just where they had found the dead and swollen ranchman, I sup pose, and quench my thirst. I had bent my face so close to the water that I could see myself and everything about me reflected in the crystal depths as distinctly as in a French plate mirror. It is, beyond question, well for me that these reflections were so intense and vivid, for I paused a moment to gaze in to the water at the remarkable mirror ing. Suddenly something that lat first thought was the reflection of a nodding twig or vine tendril, quickly moved by the brisk breeze that was blowing, shot back and forth midway between the glassy surface and white bottom of the spring; but as I gazed my heat turned to cold and my thirst was forgotten. The swift-moving, quivering reflection I bad thought was that of a twig or tendril was the mirrored image of the long and forked tongue of a snake, as it shot back and forth from beneath a shelving rock, which, seen from above, had hiddeu the lurking danger f-om view. Coiled in a crevice beneath that sheltering rock, not two feet from one side of my he?d, and with part of its own fearful head visible even by reflection, was an enor mous rattlesnake ready to strike. For an instant I seemed paralyzed, but know ing that another instant's delay would probably be death, I ducked my head clear to my shoulders beneath the water, the position I was in making it impossi ble for me to rise quick enough out of danger. As I ducked I felt the snake strike. I wore a heavy, wide-collared flannel shirt. The snake's fangs struck the shirt near the lower edge of the col lar, not an inch away from my jugular. The instant I felt the strike I sp'sng to my feet. The rattlesnake's fangs wero fast in the collar, and its long body squirmed and contorted along my side »nd clear to my feet. I drew my revol ver as quickly as I could, and placing the muzzle against the rattler's jaw, blew his head to pieces. The snake fell to the ground, and so did I. There WHS no more life left in me than there is in a dishrag. It was a good while before I got strength and nerve enough to get on my feet again, and if there is anyone in the world who knows how it feels to be snatched from the very jaws of death lam that person. When I had recov ered sufficiently I straightened the dead snake out. Without his head he was two good paces long—not an inch less than six feet. He had sixteen rattles, which I CJt off and have to-day. 1 don't know whether this was one of the two alleged rattlesnake gu&rdiansof the spring or not, for I didn't spend any time looking for another * ne. Neither did I quench my thirst at the spring, but made tracks away from it as speedily as I could, and arrired in camp about •) near famished as any man ever was." Mannfactnre of Ensilage. That the extensive introduction of en silage as a stock-feeding article was not long since accomplished in the United Slates is a matter of surprise, consider ing the fact that the system has been in vogue in nearly all European countriei for years. About fifteen years ago the discovery was made by August Goffart, of Burton, France, that placing corn fodder in an air-tight cellar or silo, it could be so preserved as to retain all its rich su • culent juices, and possess a feeding value for stock superior to any other winter forage. Goffart's first successful silo was established in 1873, and though many modifications have since been made in the construction of silos, the method in use at present is identical with the first plant erected. In 1879, Francis Morris, of Maryland, built the first silo in this country. The general use of ensilage was, however, long retarded, first, beciuso of the ap parently heavy expense attending the construction of silos; and next, owing to the inability to secure the proper ma chinery for preparing the fodder for the silo. After many unfortunate and dis couraging experiences, this difficulty has been solved, and ensilage has already be come a standard product with a ma jority of the intelligent dairymen and stock raisers in the country. Of lato years farmers' institutes have given the subject much consideration, and the es tablishment of silos have been generally recommeuded. In the State of Wiscousin the use of > ensilage has become especially popular, and here, too, have, been built the larg est. establishments for the production of machinery. Those who have investi gated the subject thoroughly say that the adoption of the silo means better kept stock; an increase of at least fifty pet cent, in the winter product of the dairy, aud the wintering of all kinds of stock in our northwesteru climate for about one-lialf of the cost of feeding under the ordinary method.—Chicago Graphic, Where And When America Originated. It was not uutil 1837 that Alexander von llumbolt, in his critical examination of the history and geography of the new world, pointed out the real culprit, and showed b«yond queatiou that the name "America" wat first suggested in a small Latin treatise on cosmography, written by one M irtin Waldseemuller, and pub lished duriug the year 1.107 at Saint Die, a village situated in the upper valley of the river Meurthe, in southeastern Lor raiue. This little book was entitled Cosruographiae Introductio—lntroduc ■ tion to Cosmography—and the ttory of its authorship and publication, and the unforseen part that it played in christen ing the Western hemisphere, forms one of the most curious narratives in the whole record of bibliography. Whether Humboldt made this interesting discov ery by mere accident of research, or was led to it by Foscarini or Baudini—who in two successive editions of Solinushad noted the suggestive passage in the Cos mographiac, without apparently com prehending its real importance—cannot now be ascertained. However this may have been, it was the author of Cosmos who first took up seriously the task of vindicating the long-maligned Floren tine, and in so doing threw into the arena a topic in the discussion of which bibliographers have racaacked libraries, labored and disputed, until the whole line of evidence has beeu developed, ar ranged, and the demonstration made complete. A publication which in the dim early twilight of American history made the little hamlet of Saint Die the godmother of our mighty continent is an object of no ordinary interest to Ameri cans, and this fourth centenary of Columbus's discovery would seem to be a fitting moment in which to bring to gether in simple narrative form the sub stance of what is known concerning the Cosmographiae itself, the men by whom it was written and published, the place where they lived, and the motive by which their work was inspired.— Harper's Magazine. The German Hors shoe. The Germans ar using a new style of horseshoe. Instead of the horseshoe be ing_ simply a curved piece of iron, part of the shoe is made of rope. The shoe is made of malleable iron, and on the bottom is a deep groove, running from end to end. In this groove tightly fits the new feature of the shoo—a piece of tarred rope. The rope is about three quarters of inch thick. The stands arc firmly twisted, and the application ot tar makes the bit of hawser tough and durable, yet soft enough to afford the horse a relief unknown with the ordin ary shoe. The shoe is fastened to the hoof by four nails driven through the rope on each side. The tarred rope renting on the pavement gives the horses a firm grip on the ground, and as it makes the shoe much lighter and infi nitely more comfortable than the solid iron, its advantage is readily apparent. The new invention increases the horse's pulling power ami saves the hoofs u deal of hard wear which cannot but result from the iron shoe pounding the rough pavements. —Sporting World. Why Qulcksaids Swallow One. The reason a person sinks in quick sand is because the latter is composed chiefly of small particles of mica mixed largely with water. The mica is so smooth that the fragments slip upon each other with the greatest facility, so that any heavy body which displaces them will sink and continue to sink until a solid bottom is reached. When particles of sand are ragged aud angular any weight pressing on them will crowd them together until they are compacted into a solid inass. A sand composed of mica or soapstone, when mixed with sufficient water, seems incapable of such consolida tion.—Chicago Herald. Terms—Sl.oo in Advance; 51.25 after Three Months. PERCHANCE. Perchance in that mysterious realm, so far and vague and dim. You cannot hear the cadence of this world's undying hymn— A song of Love which thrills my aoul like chant of cherubim. Perchance there is no note of mine which may your aoul beseech— No sound which tells you of the heights that earth's joy's sometimes reach When dwelling with snblioccr thoughts than mortal lips may teach. Perchance there is no song of Love that 1 eavenly choirs have banned; 1 care not whether simple be tho lay, or an them grand. If only you, of all the world, shall hear and understand. —-Dexter Smith, in Boston Transcript. HUMOR OF IHE OAT. Called out on strikes—The militia.— Puck. Women seldom teaso men they do not love.—Milwaukee Journal. The best "household receipt"—A war ranty deed.—Texas Siftings. A campaign lie may be nailed, but caucuses are bolted.--Somerville Jour nal. A boiling tea kettie 4-es its best to whistle like a steam engine.—Ram's Horn. The man who is bluat of speech ii not apt to make cutting remarks.—Boston Courier. The shoemaker is a mau who fre quently gets beaten out of his boots.— Statesman. Why does a man say he is going to button his coat up and then proceed to button it dewnt—Truth. The man who has wisdom never tries to guess what an embroidery pattern is meaut to represent.—Puck. Wheu a boy is smart there is a ques tion whether he gets it from her folks or his people.—Atchison Globe. The mau who can honestly say that he doesn't believe there is any such thing as luck, must be in pretty easy circum stances.—Puck. S ie was a crusty person; That was plain to any eye That beheld her working briskly At the art of making pie. Washington Star. Why should auy man in the bosom of his household, reading aloud of the cap ture of a female pickpocket, look with a hard, hidden meaning expression at his wife.—Philadelphia Times. Mamma—"Arthur, didn't I tell you to take these powders every two hours?" Little Arthur—"Yes, but you never told me where you wanted me to take them to."—Chicago lnter-Oceau. Some backwoods philosopher chops close to the line in the assertion that it often costs more to have a mau do you a f#vor than if you were to buy the accom modation and pay cash.—Blizzard. There is a great difference between military engagements and love engage ments. In ouc there is a good deal of falling in, aud in the other there is a good deal of falling out.—Statesman. "Mabel, this question of marriage is a serious one that 1 hope you have cowid ered well." Mabel— "OJ, dear, yes, auntie, I have worried myself sick al ready about my trou<seau."—Chicago Inter-Ocean. "That beats me," said good Mrs. Jason, as she read that a fire was sup posed to have been caused by "mice eat ing matches." "I've heard of pie-eating matches and sich, but this is a new one." —lndianapolis Journal. "Men is mighty skittish critters," ob served old Mrs. Thirdwed. "Either they air so cross that there's no a-bearin' 'em around the house, or so goodnatured that you dassant trust 'em out o' your sight."—lndianapolis Journal. Rev. Mr. Prolix—"How did you like my discourse last Sunday, Mr. Fogg!" Fogg—"To tell you the truth, I was not altogether pleased with your premises, but I was delighted beyond measure at your conclusion."—Boston Transcript. Mrs. Chugwater—"Josiah, last Satur day was my birthday, and you forgot all about it!" Mr. Chugwater—"Why, Samanths, my dear, the time passes— h'm—so swiftly in yoursociety tbat your birthdays—er—come round before I know it."—Chicago Tribune. Bald Teacher—"Now, little boys, after what I've told you, can any of you define 'nothing?'" Little Yorick— "Yes, fir, I can." Teacher—"Well, how would you describe it?'' Little Yorick—"Please, sir, it's what you've got on the top of your head."—Drake's Magazine. "Now, Mr. Lakteel," said Mrs. Van Braam to her milkman, "I am going to ask you a question, and if you evade answering I shall take my trade else where." "Yes'm." "Do you put water in your milk?" "Well, mum, I must confess that I putin a little, but I al ways boil it first. You needn't be afraid of microbes, ma'am."—Pittsburg Chronicle. I wonder if I couldn't collect at least half of the insurance on my wife, re marked Colonel Percy Yerger to Major Withcrspoon. Why, is your wife dead? asked this friend. Well, not exactly. But every night when I come home late she says she is half dead with fright ant' anxiety. It seems to me that in law ami equity I could collect half the insurance money.—Texas Siftings. The Cruel Way talvrs Are Killed. The usual way is to stie'e the calf's throat a little to mak it slowly bleed to death, giving it a whole night of agoa izing misery. No complaint is made about this. Even the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is si lent on the iniquity. The butchers say it is necessary to make tho veal white so as to make it suitable for the "chicken •alad" so popular at church and other festivals and for tony private entertain* nents. —Richmond (V«.) Item. NO. 4. SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL. Great heat seems to cause melancholia Flatirons are now heated by electri' eity. About one-fourth of the cases of in sanity are hereditary. A German scientist holds that ai 1 diamonds come from meteors. A meteorite weighing 500 pounds re cently fell near North Bend, Wis. The temperature of the planet Neptuni" is estimated to be 900 degrees below zero. At the poles, where all meridians converge, there can be no natural stand ard time, for it is every hour of the day at once. "Masrium" is the name of the new chemical element which has been dis covered in the bed of an ancient Egyp tian river. Reviving an old project, a French company proposes that lightships con nected by telegraph be stationed at in tervals of 200 nules across the Atlantic. Brick made of plaster of paris and cork are now used in the construction ol powder mills. In case of explosion they offer clight resistance and are broken to atoms. Dr. Styles, of the Bureau of Animal Industry, describes a new cattle parasite which lives in the follicles of the root of the hair, and produces disease in the skin of the animal affected. Corrosive sublimate, in the strength of sixty-four grains to tho gallon ot water, is found by the Health Depart ment of New York City to be the most effective of the germ-destroying agents. A Russian physician declares that the electric light is a very effective ames thetic, relieving pain in many cases al most instantaneously. Neuralgia and oth er local paiDs succumb usually to a beam reflected from a bright arc light. The African is better protected against the evil effects of the excessive heat than his white brother iu two ways. The texture of his cuticle is exception ally well adapted to encourage free per spiration and his natural temperament does not incline him to borrow trou tle largely. Insects generally breath through spe cial pores iu various parts of their body, and if these pores are closed by oil, they are suffocated. Any one may test this by dropping sweet oil on the thorax or back of a wasp; it very soon dies. For this reason oil has been found one of the best things to use for the destruction of insects. * The stratified masses of the earth'* crust, where most fully developed, at tain a united thickness of not less than 100,000 feet. If they were all laid down at the most rapid recorded rate of denu dation they would require a period ot 73,000.000 years for their completion. If they were laid down at the slowest rate they would demand a period of not less than 680,000,000. A few years ago five foot drivers were considered large on locomotives, but in this age of advanced railroading they have increased to seven feet in diameter. Probably the largest diameter wheels in use in this country is that on engine 003 of the New York Central's pafsenger series that is one of the machines hauling the Empire State Express. They meas ure seven feet three inches, while the next largest is six feet six iuche3 on an other engine in the same service. French chemists have demonstrated that it is possible to produce heat with out fire, and the discovery is to be util ized on the railways and street cars of the country. The device consists simply of a block of acetate of soda, which is plunged into hot water. As it solidifies after the immersion it gives forth as much heat as a coal fire for the space of five or six hours. There is no dauger of fire from the use of the substance, and as the same fuel can be used a score of times its cheapness will be of great recommendation with many mauajjers of corporations. The Story of a Picture. The death of John Graves, a London print dealer, may recall to some the pic ture entitled "Can't You Talk!" The history of its production, as told by Mr. Graves under the shade of the historic mound at Waterloo, is interesting. See ing one of his children playing with a pet collie dog one day, the idea occurred to him that the subject would make a charming picture, and he gave a com mission to an artist to carry out his idea. The price was one thousand dollars, and the picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy's exhibition, where it attract ed the notice of the Prince aud that P.-iucess of Wales, who expressed a de sire to purchase it. Mr. Graves, who had placed on it what lie considered the prohibitory price of SSOOO, informed the Prince that as he had had the picture painted solely for the purpose of eu graving, he did not wish to dispose of It; but the Prince granted griciously the engraving rights and became its pur chaser. Up to the present time repro ductions ot the picture have netted more than !?120,000. Near the field of Water loo Mr. Graves purchased an estate sev eral years ago, and he was almost A monoinauic on the subject of that de cisive battle. He confined his reading exclusively to it, and he possessed a sin gular collection of books tlint hail refer ence to it.—Boston Transcript. llßtchlii; Caterpillars in Pill lI,KM, E. B. Boulton, fascinated the Biology Section of the British Association with the results of his experiments on cater* piltcrs hatching in pill boxes. The pep per moth was the particular insect which be experimented on, and his experiments show that if you take an egg of one of these and grow it in a gilded pill box you get a golden caterpiller. Again, if the pill box be black, so is the cater* pillar; while a mixed environment pro duced a muddled creature, just as i« man the environment of the slum or 'ho palace pretty much determines a person's characteristics.—Scientific American.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers