TT ——— Demon aidan, Bellefonte, Pa., August |, 1902 A, LER SSH, WEEDING. Death went weeding, weeding, His sickle over his shoulder; The weak, the old, the overbold, Grew weaker, wanner, colder. He weeded them out of the garden, The frail folk racked with pain, The sick and the old and the overbold, And let the strong remain. Now Death goes weeding, weeding, The sword the tool he uses! He gathers the fair, the debonair, The young—and the old refuses. He gathers out of the garden The young and the strong and the gay, He flings them far to the ditch of war— And the others he bids “Stay !”’ So here in the ravaged garden And out in the cornfield yonder, The weak remain—Ilonely, in pain— And work, and brood, and ponder How death digs out of the garden The strong and the brave and the gay, The flower of the years—with blood and tears, And flings them as weeds away. —Ida Whipple Benham in The Independent. JETHRO’S GARDEN. The two old men were standing close to the line fence that separated their yards and their gardens. Their broken voices clattered on the morning air in harsh, dry laughter at the ancient jokes and well worn stories that they with much gusto were re- counting one to the other. Jethro Harding leaned on his hoe and his yellow old face, looking stiff like leath- er was creased into a hundred wrinkles of merriment. What was it to him that it was the middle of May, that rain was threateningand that the weeds were a good deal more forward than the lettuce and onions ? It was better to lean on a hoe than over it. That was Jethro’s philosophy of life, and it was the practice and exploita- tion of his creed that kept him in trouble with his persistent better-half, Betsey. Betsey believed in work for work’s sake, and the gospel thereof she preached night and day. Now Jethro believed in work for no sake at all. He looked upon it as an evil necessity which was to be avoided whenever possible. They were just at the height of their mirth. His neighbor, Ezra Horn, was say- ing, ‘‘An’ I tol’ Hiram—’’ when a strong voice broke across their merriment with a loud and strident, ‘‘Jethrow, Jethrow, I wish you'd stop gassin’ an’ git to that gar- den. A rain’s a comin’ up an’ while the groun’s too wet to work, the weed.'ll walk off with everything. Ezry Horn, you'd better be attendin’ to them beans of your’n, instead o’ keepin’ comp’ny with Jethrow.”’ Jethro bent quickly over the hoe and fell to work muttering to himself, while Ezra ducked himself bebind his own fence with equal alaerity. The admonishing voice subsided, however, and its owner disap- peared into the house. But the old man kept on with his work, until he heard his neighbor’s stealthy voice saying, *‘I tell you, Jethrow, yon must have a mighty sight of patience, or you jest never could stand bein’ hectored that-a-way.’’ Jethro straightened up at this evidence of sympathy, ‘It’s jest Christian grace, Ezry,” he said, ‘I’ve got a powerful amount of that, but sometimes it does seem as ef my cross was a leetle too heavy to bear.”’ . “Iknow I couldn’t bear it,’’ Ezra replied ‘‘but then I cac’late I’ve got more sperrit’n you have.” ‘‘More sperrit, more sperrit! No, siree. Nary mite more. Why, I’m plumb run- nin’ over with sperrit, but I’ve got grace as weli.”? *‘So have I, but not enough for that,” and Ezra shook his head doubtfally. Farther conversation was impossible for the present, as each of the old men was hoeing away from the fence and even the high spirited Ezra was not willing to shout his strictures against Mrs. Harding in a voice loud enough to reach that dame’s ears. All the way to the other side of the gar- den Jethro was in deep thought. And it must bave been of a vigorous and resentful kind if one could judge by the viciousness with which he cut at the offending weeds. At the turn, the mood seemed to grow up- on him and he worked with such angry energy that he reached the dividing fence again long before his neighbor. There was a look of stern determination on his face as Ezra reached him and he flung his hoe far over into a corner with a gesture of unmis- takable decision. ‘Doggone it, Ezry,” he exclaimed, “I jest ain’t a-goin’ to stand it, that’s all. I ain’t a-goin’ to let no woman in the world pester me out of it.”’ His friend stared at him in open mouth- ed wonder. “Why, Jethrow,” he said, *‘ain’t you a-gittin’ a leetle rash 2” “No, I ain’t, Ezry,” he said, ‘‘an’ they ain’t no use fur youn tostand there an’ stare at me, go on with yore story right where you left off.” . Evidently Jethro had been right about the amount of ‘‘sperrit’’ he possessed, and bis neighbor went on lamely with the story, albeit he cast numberless fearful glances at the door across from him. Bus nothing happening, be warmed to the tale and, los- ing fear, kept Jethro in agonies of laughter. 1t is of the nature of men that if one tells a story, another must cap it and this the rebel gardener proceeded to do. Meanwhile, the forces that wait upon the tales of no man were vigorously at werk piling the storm clouds black and high. A fresh wind came up in the west; the youn leaves trembled, and the sunlight darkened but still the interchange of banter went on. A few warning drops of rain pattered down, but teller and listener were just in the midst of an exceptionally good yarn and these clond messages went unheeded. Not until a brisk downpour made shelter a ne- cessity did they return to their senses. ‘‘Lawsy, Jethrow, what’d d’ye think o’ that ?’’ exclaimed Ezra as he broke for the house shouting back over his shoulder, “I'll git it, too, now.”’ Jethro turned around upon his garden, green with arrogant weeds that seemed to nod defiance and a despairing look took ion of his face. “‘Well,”” he said, ‘I done it,” and with reluctant steps he made his way toward the house. Arriving at the kitchen window, he crept stealthily up and looked in, half expecting to encounter the accusing eyes of Betsey searching the plot for him. Bus he was mistaken. No Betsey appeared, and , with a sigh balf surprise and half relief he went round from the window to the door and shuffled in, His spirit was considera- bly weakened by the wetting he had got and his courage considerably shaken by the fear of what his wife would say to him. ‘‘Betsey,’’ he called timidly, advancing toward the door of the ‘‘settin’ room.’”’ “‘Betsey.’’ But there was no answer. A sudden nnnamed fear gripped the old man’s knees, and his leathern face began to pale. Betsey not at home? It raining so, too, and the sturdy dame was no gadabout in the best of weather. He pushed open the door and went into the sitting room. It was vacant as the kitchen. Then with quaking heartand fill- ing throat he passed into the parlor, then into the side bed room. No Betsey. The old man sank down on a chair and with his hands clenched on his bony knees sat staring out into the pouring rain. The remembrance of many threats that Betsey had made in his hours of shiftlessness now came to him with stunning force and he saw now in her absence their fruition. ‘Oh, Betsey, Betsey,’”’ he muttered be- tween broken, half sobbing breaths, ‘‘ye allus said ye’d leave me ; hut I didn’t be- lieve it, I didn’t think ye’d leave me after all these years together.’’ : Against the pane the rain rapped mali- ciously and outside everything was drench- ed into bleak cheerlessness. : The old man’s thoughts went on in their gloomy vein. ‘‘Me at this age, without ‘| Betsey,—to think of it—an’ all about an old garden, too.” Then a sudden light came into his eyes and he got up stiffly. ‘‘Dodgast that garden, I’ll hoe it now jest fur spite ef it kills me.”’ : He hastened out of doors and seizing his hoe began to ply it vigorously, if unavail- ingly, in the water thickened soil, punctu- ating his efforts with such remarks as ‘‘dog gone yore time, you’ll make Betsey leave me, will ye,”” and ‘‘ye’ll leave mea wid- ower, will ye,’”” “I’ll hoe ye ef I buss,” while the tears streamed down his weather beaten cheeks. : The May rain laughed tauntingly as it heat down upon his unprotected shoulders, while it flowed behind him whipping flat the earth and weeds where he had turned them up; but he went on unheeding, mak- ing his sacrifice, paying his penalty. To Ezra Horn, standing at his kitchen window, looking out meditatively at the storm, came the vision of his neighbor bending over his hoe in the driving rain. ‘“Well, I'll be—" His mouth closed with a snap, and seizing an umbrella, he made his way out of the house, down the walk and across the garden rows to the fence. ‘‘Jethrow,’’ he whispered fearfully. But Jethro went on with his work. ‘‘Jethrow,”’ again whispered Ezra rais- ing his voice a little. ‘‘Did she make you do it?” Then Jethro straightened his form ma- jestically. ‘No,’’ he said, ‘‘she didn’t make me do it, I’m doin’ it of my own ac- cord.”” He resumed his work upon the soil. “Well, I'll be dodgasted !”” By now Ezra had come to believe that his neighbor had taken leave of his senses. He came nearer the fence and said very gently, as soothingly as he would have spoken to a child. ‘Don’t you ’low ye'd hetter go into the house an’ git her to make you some bone- set tea? That’s mighty geod fur sudden ‘tacks o’ this kind.” “Don’t talk to me ’bout tea an’ sudden tacks an’ her. There ain’t no ‘her’ no more,’’ and Jethro broke down. “There ain’t no her—why—why—?'’Ezra was quite helpless now and open mouthed with wonder and surprise. ‘No, ther’ ain’t no her. I’ve driv’ from home the best woman the Lord ever give a man.”’ “Driv’ from home—out in the rain! Why, man, what made youndo it? Me an’ my wife have our leetle differences, but—"'’ ‘‘Ezry Horn,’’ interrupted the bereaved, and his voice was tragically accusing, ‘‘don’t you talk to me. You helped me.”’ “I—I—helped you? Jethrow, ye'd bet- ter go in an’ git that tea.” “I don’t want no tea. Betsey’s left ine, an’ it’s all about that blamed garden, an’ I’ll hoe it now, rain er no rain, ef it kills. Et so he she should come back she’ll find them rows clean er my body alaying here.’’ He pointed tragically to the earth, wiped his face on his sleeve and fell to work. Now all this tragedy was too much for Ezra’s simple mind, so with a muttered *M-m-m’’ he went back to the house. He would have liked to ask his wife’s advice about it, but he knew his wife’s capacity for domestic monologue, and he foresaw the deadly comparisons she would make and the sickening moral that she could draw. So he maintained a discreet silence while flattening his nose against the pane. Then he jumped. ‘Land sakes alive !”” floated out from Jethro’s kitchen door. Jethro threw down his hoe with a glad start and then a sudden shamefacedness overtook him. ‘‘Jethrow Harding,’’ again came Betsey’s voice, ‘‘what in the name of common sense air you doin’ out there in the rain ?”’ *‘I was weedin’ the garden.”’ * ““Weedin’ the garden? Have you gon clean out o’ yore senses? Come in here this minute. Well, of all men!’ as Jethro shuffled in. She was already bustling about, putting the kettle on the stove while she kept up a running fire of talk. ‘Git ont o’ them wet things as soon as ou kin." Tsch, tsch, tsch! Sich a man, ich a man. Here I can’t even run ’crost the street to tend to Miss Bollender’s poor sick child, but you must go an’ do some- thing foolish. Jethrow, whatever in the world made you do sich a foolish thing?’ *‘'Why you was so set on havin’ it done, Betsey,’’ he announced weakly. *‘I wasn’t set on havin’ you laid up with the rheumatiz. Better let the garden go,”’ and there was a softer note in her voice. “I’m goin’ to fill you up with hot tea an’ bundle you into bed before you git to hack- in’ or limpin’ aroun’, but you shall have a nice warm stew, t00."’ me It was while she was bathing his feet € | with mustard water that he bent over and laid his hand tenderly on her head and said : ‘Betsey, I ain’t nothin’ but a good- for-nothin’ ol’—’ “Jethrow Harding,”’ broke in his wife, “will you set still?”’ But she kept her head down, and it was a long time before she remembered that she was rubbing one e. When he was safely in bed, Betsey bent over him with mother-like solicitnde mur- muring, ‘‘Sich a man, sich a man,” while Jethro lay there smiling with a sense of self righteousness quite disproportionate to his deserts.—By Paul Laurence Dunbar in The Era for July. Says Naked Lamp Caused it. Superintendent Gives This Theory of the Johnstown Disaster. Superintendent Robinson, of the Cam- bria Mill mine, was on the witness stand on Friday before the coroner’s jury inquiring into the mine disaster of July 10th. He positively stated that the explosion took place on top of a fall of coal in room No 2, sixth heading, and that the gas was fired by a naked lamp taken there contrary to orders. It is expected that other witnesses who helped to take out the bodies will state which one of the victims in their opinion brought on the disaster. Our “Boys im Green.” Olive Will Be the Color of the Army's New Uni- forms—Familiar Blue Abandoned. The ‘‘boys in blue’’ will soon be buta memory. The United States army, from general to the lowest grade of enlisted man, must be newly uniformed by January 1st, 1903, in accordance with regulations perscribed re- cently by a general hoard, which makes important changes in the color and cat of the clothes worn by the service since the early years of its organization. The famous dark blue is to be displaced in service dress for all officers and men by an olive green woolen suit, with hat to match and leggins nearly approaching that color. Olive green is not regarded asa pretty color for soldiers by the board, but it claimed to be one of the best for conceal- ing their presence at long distances. The cadet gray of the West Pointers was found to turn a dark black at a distance of 1,100 yards, and to be easily seen at greater dis- tance. Red was nota good color, and olive green, the least esthetic of all colors tried by the board, was adopted as the standard color of the soldier when he isin the field. ‘The state National Guard organizaiion must also adopt olive green for the fatigue or every day uniform, and soon the blue will pass from army use, except for dress purposes and on state occasions for officers and men. Khaki will be the material for the soldiers in the tropics and in summer time, while the material for. winter wear will be of heavy woolen goods. The new uniforms perscribed are more for business purposes than show, although for some there will be no lack of trimmings and gold lace, especially for the higher ranking officers. The only officers of the service who are allowed to suit individual tastes are general and lieutenant general, who are granted wide latitude. General Miles can make his sword belt as elabor- ate as he desires and may wear on his col- lar and sleeves almost any decoration he wishes to have placed on them. Every other officer and man must submit strictly to the regulations laid down regarding his uniform. ; The cap is retained for service use, but a hat is to be part of the headgear for cer- tain occasions. The adoption of a new uni- form means considerable outlay for the service, which must be borne entirely hy the individual. The order makes it com- pulsory for the system to he in complete operation by January 1st, or sooner, if practicable. For all officers, except chaplains, a doub- le-breasted frock coat of dark blue*cloth with standing collar is to be worn on dress occasions. For general officers the coat will be ornate with dark blue velvet, and ornamented with the usual gold lace and collar ornaments. The chaplain’s uniform will consist of a black frock coat, with one row of nine black silk buttons on breast. There will be no gold lace about his attire. The usual dress coat is provided for gen- eral officers and others of less rank. The white and service coats are also retained. The coat of arms of the United States will be worn on each side of the collar, about one inch from the ends. The insignia of corps and arms of the service are to be on each side of the collar. The new army overcoat prescribed will be unlike any ever before worn in the service. Instead of the famous dark blue, the new garment will consist of a double-breasted ulster of olive green woolen material. A hood is also to be provided large enough to cover the head and cap when worn at night or in inclement weather. Braid insignia of the rank will be on the sleeves. Genera! officers are to wear dark blue trousers with two stripes of gold braid. Officers of the staff corps dark blue trousers with less braid; artillery, cavalry and in- fantry, sky blue trousers, with colors down the legs indicating their respective corps of arms. Service breeches for all officers will consist of olive drab woolen or cotten ma- terial to match the service coat without stripe, welt or cord. Instead of tight fitting trousers of the present day the new trousers perscribed will be made loose above the knees and about the seat, like those of the French soldier, although not so pronounced. The full dress cap will be of dark blue the dress cap same as the full dress, with less lace, and the service cap of olive drab. A hat of felt, color of the service uniform, of nearly as practicable, and to be orna- mented with a double cord, is also provid- ed. The chaplains will wear a blackhat. The usual epaulettes, shoulder knots and and shoulder straps are provided, with bus slight alternation. General officers may be gorgeous in the color of their sashes, which are to be buff silk net and gold thread with silk bullion fringe, sash to be wound around the waist twice and to tie behind the left hip. The cravats must be black for all officers ex- cept chaplains, who may wear a white bow, The gloves will be of drab color. The boots will be of russet leather, the shoes of black enamel leather and the leggins of russet leather; the spurs of white metal. For occasions of ceremony to which offi- cers are invited in their official capacity, such as balls, official dinners, official recep- tions, etc., and formal mess dinners, the following special full-dress uniform is au- thorized, and officers are at liberty to wear it or the full-dress dismounted uniform. An evening dress coat, cut on the lines of the civilian dress coat, with the regulation gilt buttons of same number; the sleeves of this coat to be ornamented for all officers in the same manner as the sleeves of their full dress uniform coats. ’ A waistcoat of dark blue or white, cut low with full, open bosom, brass buttons, should be worn with this coat; also full dress trousers, patent leather shoes, chap- eau for general officers and officers of the general staff corps and departments, and full dress cap for other officers. Officers of the staff corps and Gepart- ments, regimental and battery officers are authorized to adopt a ‘‘mess jackes,”’ dis- tinctive of their corps, departments, regi- ments or batteries, which must conform in ous to the pattern in the quartermaster- general’s office. Commanding officers may in the tropics or in the warm season, an- thorize the white trousers to be worn with this jacket. 3 Two Children Burned to Death, Nellie McTague, aged 5 years, and her 3-year old brother William, children of Martin MoTague, were so badly burned at their home, No. 1233 Bainbridge street Philadelphia that they died in a hospital a few hours later. The children were in bed at the time they were burned and no one else was in the room. The mother heard cries coming from the room and a hurried investigation resulted in the finding of the two little ones writhing in agony on their blazing bed. The children were quickly taken from the room and the flames extin- guished, but not before the boy and girl were fatally injured. It is supposed they were playing with matches while in bed. Boer Spirit Lives. New Troubles Arise to Greatly Vex the English Officials. Feud Against Ex-Captive—Men Who Fought to the End Still Wear Their Colors Proudly—Cling to Language. The settlement of the annexed territories is not being accomplished without consid- erable friction. This is especially noticea- ble in the bitter hatred and persecution on the part of the Boers who stayed in the field to the end of the war against the Boers who served as British scouts. It is said that some of these national scouts have heen shot or beaten. So in- tense is the feeling that many of the burgh- ers who fought consistently to the end distinguish ‘themselves from those who surrendered during the war by wearinga green badge. The Transvaal and Free State colors are also freely worn, and the custom is encouraged by the Dutch who did not take an active part in the war. Many of the burghers declare they were induced to agree to surrender by the false representations of their leaders, who paint- ed the terms too rosily. Discordant ele- ments are pumerous and any attempt to place the burghers who surrended during the war in authority over those who fought throughout will conceivably result in the renewal of hostilities. The majority of the Boers have apparent- ly in no way abandoned their nationality, and some of them preach the advisability of opening Dutch schools, so as to keep alive their nationality. The whole situ- tion so bristles with difficulties that there is not lacking those who doubt if the docu- ment signed May 31st was really the final settlement of the South African trouble. At the meeting of the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce recently, a member read a cable dispatch which he had re- ceived offering freight from New York to Natal at ten shillings per ton. Other members of the chamber said they had re- ceived similar offers. This rate is not re- mumerative, but is the outcome of compe- tition. It is2ls. 3d. below the lowest freight rate from England. The merchants do not see how the Americans are able to offer such low rates. Nevertheless they are overhauling their stoek to see what they can order in the United States. A majority of the members of the execn- tive committee of the chamber of mines are advocating a coast duty of 5s. to 7d. per case of dynamite in order to protect the local factory. The proper proposal is strongly opposed as tending to create a worse monoply than existed during the Kruger regime and to establish a prece- dent in the direction of protection. (The existence of a dynamite monopoly fostered or rather authorized by the Boer government was the prime grievance of the Uitlanders, or foreign element,in Johannes- burg, and led, more than anything else, to the late war. Now it is inconsistently pro- posed to create an even greater monopoly. This will certainly justify those who be- lieve that the Uitlanders had no grievance and that the war was prompted by greed of conquest rather than hy any desire to rem- edy the grievaace of the English subjects in the Transvaal.) Lumber from the Amazon. An Almost Inexhaustible Supply in American Forests. the South When the lumber camps of the north- western portion of the United States are abandoned because of the exhaustion of the timber—an event says the Chicago Chron- icle, that seems not far distact—the world will still bave a depot of supply in Sonth America. The dense forests of the Amazon, whose rubber producing plants yield the greater part of the world’s supply of caout- chouc, have never been visited before hy so many rubber hunters as in the past year. Large areas of rubber lands in the far inte- rior, which until recently had never contrib- uted to the supply are beginning to aug- ment the annual yield of the Amazon ha- sin. As an example of the increasing pro- ductivity of the far inland regions, the ship ments from Iquitos, at the hase of the An- des mountains may be mentioned. During the year 1900 the shipments of Iquitos to the Atlantic amounted to 920 tons. A year later the shipments had increased to 1391 tons, or a gain of 50 per cent. in a year. It is predicted that the present year will show a still larger gain, and that the upper Am- azon, and its tributaries, in the course of a few years, will produce as much rabher as the lower river. At the end of December last the quantity of raw rubber brought into the port of Para from the caoutchouc-gathering grounds was nearly one-third greater than in any pre- ceding year. The quantity shipped direct to foreign countries from the Amazon river port of Manaos, in 1901, wae nearly double that of any earlier year. Aft latest accounts there was every pros- pect that the collection of rubber this year would beat the record of 1901. Thirty small steamers in February lefts Para and Manaos for the far inland tributaries of the Amazon, where a large force of collectors have been busy preparing the year’s crop from that part of the field. Vi olcanoes. The most important scientific fact prov- ed by the St. Pierre and St. Vincent erup- tions is the underground connection be- tween volcanoes. This is also the most important fact to be remembered by all who are near these ‘reacherous destroyers of life and property. Almost all volcanoes are like man-holes along a sewer. They are located in rows, above long cracks or fissures in the earth’s surface,so that if one of the volcanoes in the row begins to throw up lava and fire the others are very liable to follow suit and be- come equally dangerous. These fissures are not, as might be imag- ined, actual crevices or gaps in the crust of the earth. They are, as geologists say, “lines of weakness,’’ where the crust of the earth is unusually thin and pierced at in- tervals by the shafts of volcanoes. As the earth’s fires cool the earth shrinks. Its hard crusts cracks and the gas and molten lava explode where the crust is weakest, thus forming volcanoes and mountain ranges. These immense fissures of‘‘lines of weak- nese’’ are often hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles in length. Wherever they extend there is danger of earthquakes and voleanio eruptions. : There are a number of these cracks or fis- sures in the United States, most of them | ranpning from north to south. Prof. R. P. Whitedie!d, head curator of geology at the museum of natural history said recently : ‘A line of fissures runs from the Aleu- tian islands southward through north and South America to Tierre del Fuega,and all along the course of this gigantic crevice there may be an earthquake at any time. According to the experts of the United States geological survey there is a ““line of weakness’’ which begins at Troy, N. Y., and runs southward through Baltimore, Washington and Richmond, Va. win FTN Some Hard to Slay. Men Recover from Apparently Fatal Accidents. Neither a hole in the brain or a broken neck necessarily is a serious matter accord- ing to the every-day reports of the newspa- pers. A good life risk could be taken up- on either by a most conservative company, only that the companies judge by the rule and not hy the exception. August Reimsher, of Hartford, Wis., Mrs. E. H. Wilder, of Wilton, Pa., and Thomas Dexolyer, of Indianapolis, Ind., are living examples of the insignificauce of a mere broken neck. Reinsher fell and broke his neck on April 16th. A physician put bis neck in a cast, and the patient is accused by his friends of being able to ‘‘rubber-neck’’ now with all his old-time ease and confidence. In the case of Mrs Wilder, who is the post mistress of the village of Wilton, Pa., she was go- ing down a flight of stairs when she trip- ped and fell to the bottom. She was pick- ed up unconscious, hut after a consultation of doctors the dislocated vertebrae was set and she is recovering. Thomas Degolyer, the Indianapolis drayman, was an hour and a half on the operating table,and he is par- tially paralyzed because of the shock of the fall. Bat his physicians say that he will get well. : As to the small matter of a hole in the brain, a 3} year old son of Joseph Wagner, near Wautoma, Wis., is a striking exam- ple. The child’s brother, 15 years old, was playing with a rifle, when the weapon was discharged, sending the ball through the little one’s head. A skiagraph showed that the bullet had passed from the right tem- ple back, lodging against the bone at the base of the skull. But he will get well. Albert Henry, an agent from Iowa, gob drunk in La Crosse, Wis., and proceded to walk over the railroad bridge at that place, choosing a dark night for the trip. When Albert struck bottom in a bard place he still had nerve left to hunt up a doctor. ‘The doctor found a hole in Albert’s skull as big as a half dollar, in which Albert’s think-tank was badly !exposed. But Al- bert is using the tank quite as well as he ever did before the fall. Miss Janet Appleton, of Arcola,Ill., went to Alton a short time ago to have a pin ex- tracted from the base of her right lung. Several years before she had swallowed the thing, and as it was nearly three inches long it had given her much pain. The pin was found in the lung lodged near the dia- phragm amd was extracted through an in- cision in her side. Alonzo Dickson, of Logansport, Ind., bad suffered several years with something vari- ously diagnosed as tuberculosis, chronic dyspepsia and catarrh of the stomach. Some of the best physicians had treated him in- effectually. In a fit of coughing the other day, however, three grains of wheat were raised in the effort, each of the grains hav- ing sprouted while in the bronchial tubes. Then Dickson recalled that he had first be- gun to suffer after having helped to thrash a wheat crop several years ago. Dying of an ulcerated tooth,Archie Wal- lace, of La Crosse, left a legacy of supersti- tious dread among his friends regarding nomber 13. Wallace was employed on the Milwaukee’s new steel bridge, and the last pay check he received was numbered 13. He was the thirteenth man on the pay roll and it was just thirteen days after he re- ceived the check that he was troubled with his tooth. His death thirteen days after the first attack has left a score of his acquaing- ances too superstitious to pick up a $13 bill if they should see one in the road. A little daughter of C. E. Johnson, of Paxton, Ill., holds the record for sneezing in her vicinity at least. She began at 6 o’clock on Sunday morning and kept it up without a break until 5 o'clock Monday morning, when physicians relieved her. When relief came the child was in a state of collapse, and it was several days before she recovered. Mrs. Philo M. Pierce, of Beloit, Wis., had lost her power of speech three months ago, when suddenly the other day her hus- band was seized with a dangerous illness. When he saw that death was near he said that he would be content to go if only he might hear her once again. Ina moment the long-lost speech came back to her tongue, and from that time she has been able to talk as if nothing bad ever happen- ed. At St. Mary’s Hospital in Quiney, the other day, A. J. Clark surprised several surgeons by putting himself into a hypnot- ic sleep just before they were to operate up- on his injured hand. Clark, a well-borer, had torn the flesh from the back of his hand and he objected to taking either chloroform or ether while it should be dressed. He was told that the operation would require at least an hour, and after being assured of the time necessary he said he would put himself to sleep for just that length of time Then the wondering doctors looked on while rubbing his head with his uninjured palm. Clark dropped into achildlike sleep. All the tendons in the hand had been strain ed and the skin was in tatters, and thedoc tors cut and sewed and tied until the time was almost up. Then with the job com- plete they sat back to await the man’s awakening. He was lying like a log, but at the minute the hour was up his eyes opened, he stretched himself, and finally sat up, perfectly rational. He had heard nothing and felt nothing from the time sleep came upon him.— Chicago Tribune. Born Blind in City Cellars. Preacher Says Some City Children Have Never Been in Streets. Rev. Dr. David M. Steele, one of the curates of St. Bartholomew’s parish, New York, in an article in the current number of the ‘‘Independent’’ states that children are born blind, in subterranean apartments. under great office buildings in New York, because their mothers for years have never seen the light. ; Dr. Steele’s article is entitled ‘‘Typical Tenement Tragedies,”’ and deals with life on the New York East Side, where he has spent much time in charitable and religious work. It brings to light in a startling and vivid manner conditions which challenge belief. The reference to children born blind is as follows : ‘‘How many knows that some of the great office buildings have under them apartments for 50 families, and that in these families children are sometimes born blind, because their mothers for whole years never see daylight ? ‘‘How many knows that on the roofs of these same buildings there are families of janitors whose 6-year-old children have never stepped upon the ground ?”’ Dr. Steele describes many strange per- sons on the East Side whose life histories teem with romance. He shows the crowd- ed condition of almost uninhabitable tene- ments in the crowded districts, where fam- ilies are compelled to sleep on roofs and fire-escapes in the summer to escape the stifling heat within, and tells how crowds fight in front of East Side fire houses for the privilege of being drenched with water from a hose. Another Appeal By China. Permission to Pay the Indemnity in Silver Sought— Ohina’s Burden Is Too Heavy For her. Having practically adjusted the ques- tions connected with the surrender to the Chinese of the control of the city of Tien Tsin, the United States government has been asked to interest itself in the settle- ment of the grave difficulties growing out of the insistence of some of the powers up- on the payment of their shares of the war indemnity in gold instead of silver. The Chinese government is greatly disturbed over the question, and, as Minister Wu has been sosuccessful in his other under- takings connected with the negotiations, his government has again called upon him to secure an amelioration of the demands. The minister went early to the state de- partment on Wednesday, and had a long interview with Secretary Hay, in the course of which he presented a cablegram from Liu-Kun-Yi and Chang-Chi-Tung, the two leading viceroys who are primarily in charge ne the negotiations. The message is as fol- ows: ‘‘According to reports of conference held by the foreign ministers at Pekin on the indemnity questions, the United States is willing to accept silver, Great Britain is willing to accept silver, inaccordance with the plan of amelioration, up to 1910, and Russia and France propose the collection of import duties in gold. It is also known that Japan bas not taken any decided posi- tion. “The revenues of China amount annual- ly to 80,000,000 taels,50 000,000 taels of which are set aside for the payment of the national debt. How can the remaming 30, 000,000, taels be made to satisfy the admin- istrative requirements of twenty-two prov- inces in China? ‘‘Attemps to raise revenues from new sources on the part of the provincial au- thorities have in many cases created local disturbances. In case heavier taxes be imposed an uprising of the people will be the natural result. Since the various pay- ments admit of no delay, on the dates on which they severally fail due money has to be taken from other funds in order to meet the pressing demands. It has already ap- peared to be beyond China’s ability to make the payments even in silver, in accordance with the treaty. The foreign powers know full well the financial resources of China. When the indemnity question first came up for discussion the total amount was repeat- edly reduced. Now the willingness on the part of the United States, Great Britain, Russia and France either to accept silver or to pay duties in gold, in spite of the divergence of views, shows that all appre- ciate the fact that to make payments in gold is a burden too heavy for China to bear. Inasmuch as the foreign powers have shown such consideration for China, we feel it incumbent upon us to make re- newed representations upon the subject, to the eud that an arrangement that shall he both reasonable and feasible may be found. ‘Great Britain has at present a large share of China's trade. It is natural that she shonld not like the collection of cus- toms duties in gold. The gain derived from collecting customs duties in gold does not by any means balance the loss sustained in making indemnity payments in gold; and, under the circumstances, China would not obtain much relief. ‘But to make indemnity payments in silver does not, even according to the pres- ent rate of gold; entail a great loss upon the foreign powers, since such loss, if any, is divided among them. Moreover, when it is once decided that indemnity payments shall be made in silver, the price of gold will doubtless gradually become more equi- ble, and the powers, by exchanging silver for gold, will not suffer loss. If the price of gold can be reduced to over 3s. to the tael, there will be effected an even more advantageous exchange for gold than the treaty stipulates, for the recent sudden rise in the price of gold is attributable to the action of bankers who believe that gold will be demanded for indemnity payments, and purposely raise its price with a view to their own advantage. If payments in gold are required the price of gold will un- doubtedly rise to 2s. to the tael. Now, all merchants who import foreign goods into China have already suffered great losses. If the price of gold continues to rise the prices of foreign goods will have to rise with it. Owing to the empty treasury of China and the poverty of the people, very few per- sons will be able to afford to buy foreign goods at their enhanced prices. ‘Thus to demand payments in gold only impairs the financial power of China without benefiting the financial condition of the foreign government in any way. On- ly a few bankers will reap all the advan- tages, and commerce at the same time will receive a severe blow. It is certainly not to the interest of any country to do this. Since it is the purpose of the foreign goverments to increase trade, with their knowledge of commercial needs, they can- not help knowing that the making of in- demnity payments in silver according to the plan of amortization will be the means not only of saving China from heavy losses, but also of protecting commercial interests. ‘“This matter is worthy of the serious consideration of the national legislatures and commercial bodies of different coun- ties.” The message brings out for the first time the fact that it is now a difference of meth- od rather than disposition that divides the powers, and that all seem ready todo what .they can to make it possible for China to carry out her heavy obligations. Secretary Hay studied the message close- ly, and will give the subject his immediate attention. Slashed Off His Tongue. Fatal Termination of Cutting Affray in Fishing Camp on Ohio River Banks. At the fishing camp of the Dray-Wagner families, on the Ohio shore near Steuben- ville, 0. Abbie Wagner was fatally stab- bed Sunday evening by Jesse Dray. his- son-in-law, who is now a fugitive from justice. ; Wagner walked up to his wife, who is an. invalid and a paralytic, and struck her. Dray took him to task for it. Wagner seized a club and struck Dray twice, knock-- ing him down. He than jumped on him and beat him. When Dray fell his band was near a case knife, and, seizing it he stabbed Wagner six times, The last blow cut through: Wagner’s cheek and severed his tongne. Letuarer is Fasting to Substantiate Theory. Prof. Earl Purinton, son of the President of the West Virginia University, who is to- deliver a series of lectures at the university the coming month on correct living, is arousing the interest of the students: by seeking to prove his theories by going ona 30-day fast. He is living entirely upon boiled and filtered river water. His open- ing lectures have been largely attended. The boarding-house keepers of the univ er-- sity town are up in arms against him,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers