'
_—mm
Bellefonte, Pa., February 15, 1907.
THE POEM OF ST. PETER AT THE
GATE.
[Pablished by Request. ]
8t. Peter stood guard at the golden gate
With asolemn mien and an air sedate,
When up to the top of the golden stair
A man and a woman ascending there
Applied for admission. They came and stood
Belore 8t. Peter, so great and good,
In hopes the City of Peace to win—
And asked St. Peter to let them in.
The woman was tall and lank and thin,
With a seraggy beardlet upon her chin,
The man was short and thick and stout,
His stomach was built so it rounded out;
His face was pleasant and all the while
He wore a kindly and pleasant smile,
The choirs in the distance the echoes woke,
And the man kept still while the woman spoke
“0, thou who guardest the gate,” said she,
“We two come hither, beseeching thee
‘fo let us enter the heavenly land
And play onr harps with the angel band.
Of me, St. Peter, there is no doubt,
There's nothing from heaven to bar me out;
I've been to meeting three times a week,
And almost always I'd rise and speak.
“I've told the sinners about the day
When they'd repent of their evil way,
I've told my neighbors—I've told them all
"Bout Adam snd Eve and the primal fall;
I've shown them what they'd have to do
Ifthey'd pass in with the chosen few;
I've marked the path of duty clear—
Laid out the path for their whole career.
“I've talked and talked to 'em, Inud and long,
, For my lungs are good and my voice 1s strong;
So, good St. P-‘ter, you'll clearly see
The gate of heaven is open to me;
Bat my old man, I regret to say,
Hasn't walked in exactly the narrow way.
He smokes and he swears and grave faults he's
got,
And don't know whether he'll pass or not.
“He never won'd pray with an earnest vim,
Or go to a revival, or join in a hymn,
80 | had to leave him in sorrow there
While I with the chosen unite in prayer.
He ate what the pantry chanced to sfiord,
While I in nr purity sang to the Lord,
And if cucumbers were all he got
1t's a chance if he merited them or not.
“But, oh, St. Peter, I love him so!
To the pleasure of heaven please tet him go.
I've done enough—a saint I've been,
Won't that atone? Can't you let him in?
By my grim gospel I know "tis so
That the unrepentent must try below,
But isn’t there some way that you can see
That he may enter who's dear to me?
“It's a narrow gospel by which I pray,
But the chosen expeet to find some way
Of coaxing or fooling or bribing yon
So that their relations can amble through.
And suy, St. Peter, it seems to me
This gate isn't kept as it ought to be;
You cught to stand by that opening there
And never sit down in that easy chair.
“And say, St. Peter, my sight is dimmed,
But 1 don't like the way your whiskers are
trimmed;
They're cut too wide and outward toss,
They'a look better narrow and cut straight
ACTOS,
Well, we must be going, our crowns to win,
80 open, St. Peter, and we'll pass in."
* * * a * w
St. Peter sat quiet and stroked his staff,
But, spite of his office, he hind to laugh.
Then said, with a fiery gleam in his eye,
“Who's tending this g«tewsy—you or 1?"
Aud then he arose in his stature tall,
And pressed a bution npon the wall
And said to the imp who answered the bell
“Escort the lady around 10" —well,
’
The man stood still as a piece of stone—
Stood sudly, gloomily, there alone;
A life-long settled idea he had
That his wife was good and he was bad,
Ha thought if the woman went down below
That he would certainly have to go;
That df she went to the regions dim
There wasn't a ghost of a show for him.
Slowly he turned by habit bent
To follow wherever the woman went.
8t. Peter, standing on duty there,
Observed thatthe top of his head was bare;
He called the gentleman back and said:
“Friend, how long have you been wed?"
“Thirty years" (with a weary sigh},
And then he added, “Why!”
8t. Peter wassilent. Then he bent down,
Raised his head and serstched his crown,
Then seeming a different thought to take,
Slowly half to himself he spake:
“Thirty years with that woman there?
No wonder the man hasn't any hair.
Swearing is wicked, smoking not good,
He smoked and swore—! should think he
would,
“Thirty years with that tongue so sharp?
Ho, Angel Gsbriel, give him a harp—
A jeweled one with a golden string;
Good sir, pass in where the angeissing.
Gabri-l, give him a seat alone—
One with a cashion—up near the throne.
Call up some angels to play their best,
Let him enjoy the music and rest.
“See that on finest ambrosia he feeds,
He's had about all of the bitter he needs;
It isn't hardly the thing to do,
To roast him on earth and in future, too,”
* * - ® . *
They gave hit a harp with golden strings,
A glittering robe with a pair of wings,
And he said as he enterad the Realm of Day,
“Well, this beats cucumbers, any say.”
And so the Scriptures had come to pass:
“The last shall be first and the first shall be
last,”
————————
POLLY'S POUND PARTY.
Polly Osborn sat in a dark blue Morris
chair palled up before a crackling grate
fire, and as Polly was small for her fifteen
years, the big obair seemed not more than
ball occupied. Some matter of deep con-
gern was occupying her mind fora lissle
scowl was trying its bess to knot up her
forehead, and in her band she held a ee
Whisk she turned, mechanically, round and
round.
Polly looked as wretched us—well, as it
was possible for our pretty Polly to look.
There is no telling to what depths of des.
Pair she might not bave descended il her
Jed itatioes had vot
e sound of a light footstep approaching.
A tap on the door, and the next instant
there appeared Polly’s particular and inti-
mate friend, Abbie And . In appear-
ance she was very different Polly, for
she wae tall and finely proportioned, with
the promise of a Jun
e beauty in the
years to come. nr ol
~ “Well, Polly !" she exclaimed, ‘‘what's
the matter 2?
“Matter?” said Polly, “well, some-
thing is the matter though possibly yon
may think is of little importance. You
remember Mother's Christmas celebration
for some of the poorer families over at the
fonudry ? Is seems asil this year every-
thing is conspiring to make it quite im-
possible. Aunt Ida has been very ill with
typhoid avd now it looks as if Mother
would have to go with her to Florida for a
few weeks, and so ber plan for a fair about
the end of November is quite out of the
question.”
“That's s0,”’ assented Abbie, *‘it does
seem really impo-sible. I wonder if we
couldn’ get ap something besides a fair—
private theatricals, a concert, a masque-
rade, anything whereby we could raise the
necessary money. How much does it cost,
Polly * Hundreds, I suppose, jadging by
the joy it brings to the mothers and chil-
dren of that wretched part of town thas we
see so little of.”
“It would cost,” said Polly, with a dis-
tinct note of discouragement in her voice,
‘it wonld cost as leass a boodred and fifty
dollars to duplicate last yeai’s celebration.
I know Mother feels sorrier than she says,
but I sappose it can’t be helped. She will
badly be home before the first or second
week in December and then it's too late to
do anything but prepare the celebration, if
she has the money.”
“Well,” said Abbie philosophically, *‘if
it can’t be helped, I would try not to think
about it.”” At that moment the maid en-
tered with chocolate and wafers, and while
she was arranging them on a taboret, placed
sooiably between two big easy-chairs, Abbie
exclaimed :
“Polly, dear, hear the news I bring,
though it i* a small budget to-day. To
hegin with, Dorothy Sanger is home again,
She must have bad greats fun at her annt’s,
for she went to theater-parties and teas,and
dances and a pound party—whatever that
may be—and for more drives and recep-
tions than she conld count. Her cousins
are great favorites and go everywhere. I
think she—""
‘ Stop !"’ said Polly, holding up a warn-
ing finger. “What is a pound party 2’
**Why,I believe every one brings a pound
of something instead of buyinga ticket—
and then they auction off the packages un-
opentd. Idon’s remember all the details.
Why 27
“Why !"” echoed Polly, setting down
her cap and jumping up—‘‘because—
that's is.”
“Polly Osborn, what are you talking
about 2’
“That's it, Abbie, you dear, stupid old
goose. That's what we can give and raire
the money we will need for the Chiistmas
celehration—don’s vou see ?"’
‘‘Bat—Polly’’ ohjected Abbie, “‘I know
nothing of the details of the affair—'’
“And I don’t want to,” said Polly with
decision. “Why shouldn’t we make the
‘details,’ as youn call them, to suit oar-
selves ? Let us ! and we'll think of all
sorts of jolly jokes to work in. A ‘pound
party !” Why, the very name is captivat-
ing, for one begina to think of all the fon:
ny one-pound packages that could be
brought by throngs of eager people.
instance, —rairine, sugar, carpet tacks, rice,
dried apricots, soap, bairpine, teapots,
clothes brushes, paper weights, candy,
books, oranges, grapes, piotures, over-
shoes—"?
“Polly, Polly, your imagination is ron-
ning away with you,” said Abbie as Polly
panged for breath, ‘‘but it certainly begins
to sound awfally jolly."
“Jolly ! It will be the greatest fun! Do
von think your Mother would consent to
be the one and only ‘Patroness 2’
“Come and find oat,” laughed Abbie.
Twenty minntes luter the two girls were
closeted with Mrs. Andrews, who entered
heartily into the plan.
“You see, Mrs. Andrews,’ said Polly,
‘‘we can scatter invitations hroadeast, for
the more the merrier, expecially as each one
must bring a poand of xomething.”’
“Now ahout the auctivueer,”’ said Mrs.
Andrews; ‘‘muoch of the snccess will de-
pend on him. Have you thought of any
one ?"
“I thooght,”’ suggested Polly, ‘‘thata
certain foot hall player, who will be home
for Thanksgiving, might consent to serve.’
Mrs Andrews glanced affectionately at
the photograph of a foot ball player, her
son Frederio, in full regalia, who beamed
affahly upon her from the mantlepiece.
“Why not have Bayard Coleman ?'’ ask-
ed Ahhie, in a half injured tone.
‘And 1.” said Mrs. Andrews, laughing-
ly. ‘had Norman MacDonald in mind.”
There "7as a moment’s pause, for each
was considering the claims of these candi
dates for the important office of anctioneer.
It was Polly who eut the Gordian knot.
“Why not have all three?”
“‘Poliy,”” said Mrs. Andrews, ‘‘you are a
diplomat ! I see that all details may safely
be left in your capable little hands. Make
all of your plans and then come and tell
me ahout them. I am sure the result will
be a charming evening, and we will hope
that everybody will come with plamp
purses. Wouldn't it be altogether delight.
ful if the result was—that hundred and
fifty dollars ! We'll hope for it, anyhow.”
A week later all preliminaries were ar-
ranged. The young men named had heen
daly requested, and had consented to serve
as aoctioneers; and invitations had heen
scattered hioadeast. That angost person-
age, the President of the Sohnol Board, had
heen interviewed and had kindly allowed
them the use of the lower floor of the High
echool for all of the Friday following
Thanksgiving. A Committee on Decora.
tion had heen appointed and had consclted
at length on the comparative values of
hunting and evergreen ae embellishment
for the main room. A combination of both
was decided npon and numbherless flags, big
and little, were borrowed and safely stow-
ed away till Friday, November thirtieth.
The invitations, —hnt wait—I have one
right here,and I will copy it word for word
(for I may as well tell you now that this
Pound Party actually took place !).
Dear . . . . . (then followed the name of
the person invited) : Will yon come to our Pound
Party ? [tis to be given at 8 o'clock, Friday
night, November thirtieth, at the High school.
Instead of buying a ticket of admission, please
bring a pound-package, securely wrapped, so
that its contents may not be guessed. In value
it must be not less than twenty-five cents (nor
more than twenty-five dolisrs!). For the most
original pound, a prize—a beautiful pound eake
will be awarded. The monev thus raised will
be devoted to a worthy Christmas charity. We
hope the wide sco e allowed in the selection of
pound-packages wi'l make the evening a memor,
able one for all who take part, as well as for
those who will eventually profit by your gen-
erosity., Yours truly,
POLLY OSBORNE,
ABBIE ANDREWS,
Mus, Joszen WintHROP ANDREWS,
Patroness.
The eventful day dawned gray and cold
and until noon it was an open question
whether it would he eloudy or clear. Then
the sun seemed to oatoh the spirit of gaiesy
which animated the party who were trans.
forming the white walle of the big school
For | fl
room into masses of green, with flags,
bright bits of lovely color, flashing as fre-
quent intervals,
Polly and Abbie were at the school hy
seven o'clock. They bad hardly laid aside
their wraps when a diay backed up to the
door of the building and the driver broughe
in a huge box, neatly five feet square, and
tied with broad white satin ribbon.
“Thi«,”” he announced, ‘‘weighs jost a
wee bit more than a pound, and the sen-
der’s name will he found on a ecard in the
box, after it has been sold, unopened.’
Such a wonderful pound a«< that was gave
rise to numberless conjectures fiom the
girls. With laoghter and girlish fun they
placed it beside the auctioneer’s platform,
and an improvised screen bid is till the
time should come for it to be displayed.
“Oh, Polly I" exclaimed Abbie, popping
up behind the big hox, wo that only her
head was visible “What if only a baker's
dozen came! Wouldn't it be disappoint.
tng ! Only a baker's dozen of bundles to
auction off | That would be just four for
each auctioneer, and one more, for luck !
And what do you suppose is in this hox ?
It really isn’t heavy if it is big. And look
at the yards of 1ibhon that tie it. ['vea
good mind to bay it myself and then wear
white satin stocks and belts till I'm a
grandmother, when, of course, I must wear
gray.”
“*Abbie—you ridiouloos girl ! Come
here this minute aud help me get these
tables ready for the pound packages that
will surely come. Everybody is talking
about the Pound Party and ever xo many
bave told me thas they were sure of win-
ning the prize pound-cake. Here come
some people now.”
“The **people’’ proved to he a dozen who
lived near, and also the trio of auctioneers,
who pretended to be greatly frightened at
he part they were to play in the evening's
un.
Then came another gronp—then more
and more till the big handsome hall was
filled 10 overflowing, and such a mass of
queerly shaped bundles as were piled ap
on the tables, close to the auctioneers, I do
believe were never seen before or since.
Five minates after eight the fun began.
The avetioneers’ ‘turns’ were decided by
“drawing lots,” and so it chanced that
Bayard Coleman ‘“‘opened the ball.” Ina
neat little speech he stated the ohject of
the Pound Party, to raise enough money
to make possible a Christians celebration
for some of the poor families in the “‘foun-
dry district,” and added that ‘‘since their
appointment all of the auctioneers bad heen
practising the gentle art of overestimating
the value of everything they looked as, —
they were loaded to the muzzle with every
art and wile of the genuine anctioneer, and
that if the evening's peconiary results
proved all they honed, they had deter.
mined to forsake golf, college, and even
foot ball, and identify themselves forever
after with the less dangerous gavel.”
Then began the real business of the even-
ing. The first parcel, —large and flat —was
knocked down to a prim old lady for thirsy
cents. With eager fingers she untied the
string, opened the parcel, and took out a
amine green fan with poppies painted all
over it. A gay young bachelor next tried
his luck, and paid seventy-five cents for a
large bundle which contained a small pair
of shoe trees, tied together with pink ri -
hon. Thes: he proniptly swang over his
arm, and generously offered to bestow
on the first lady whose dainty foots proved
her right to them. A long umbrella hox
seemed to promise unhounded possibilities
and the owner soon gazed rucfully upon a
double line of candies for which he had
paid two dollars,
Soon after came a small, ordinary-look-
ing package, not as big as your hand, which
was knocked down for eighty vents, It
proved to he a go'd coin,—a genuine Eng:
lish “pound.” This was boaght by a lady
whose means were reputed to he large. She
promptly handed the coin back to the ave-
tioneer and requested him to anction it off
again. This time it bhronght six dollars,
and it was freely remarked among the
audience that the sender of that pound
really deserved the hig pound cake, which
was exhibited ona table hy it«ell. But
the evening was not over,—hesides, there
was the huge hox behind the screen
Each avctioner presided for ten minutes
and the friend ly rivalry among them made
plenty of fan.
Some one had contributed a light wicker
basket, tied with broad cherry ribbon. A
slight movement within the hasket made
the interest rire to fever heat. It was
finally sold for three dollars, and when the
new owner opened the basket out came—
not the kitten, nor the guinea-pig, nor the
rattlesnake, nor the squirrel, nor the png-
dog—that the anctioneer had suggested —
but out stepped a pair of the whitest,
snowiest, stateliest pigeons vou ever saw,
And they were very tame. They made no
effort to fly away, hat qnietly settled on
the shoulder of their new owner, and look-
ed about as calmly as il they attended
Pound Parties e.ery evening in the week.
Another package was announced as ‘‘over
weizht” and therefore expensive. It was
evidently over weight, but of engaging ap
pearance. It was sold for a dollar and fif-
teen cents. Th huyer hopefully cot the
#tring and unrolled, from a dozen or more
layers of white tissne paper—a hammer !
Wrapped around the handle was a sheet of
paper on which was written :
OWED TO A HAMMER.
Will this win the pound-cake we all so desire
And so leap to fame at a bound ?
An honest old bummer, I'm surely no sham,
mer,
I'll pound, pound, pound.
So take me, and welcome, new owner to be,
For king of all parcels I'm crowned ;
If I don't “take the cake” the echoes I'll
wake,
For I'll pound, pound, pound.
These verses had been obligingly read by
Fred Andrews who happened to be auc-
tioneer as the time and there was a feeling,
widely voiced among the hayers, that eith-
er the sender of the bammer or the doves
deserved the prize. But about that time
Polly remembered the huge box behind
the screen, and, taking advantage of a mo
ment’s luall, she hud the auctioneers again
‘draw lots” to decide which one should
sell it. The choice fell to Norman Mae-
donald.
After calling attention to the fact that
various small articles of value bad been
sold, and that she buyers bad expressed
entire satisfaction with their purchases,
with a great show of ceremony the screen
was removed,and there stood the huge rib
bon-decked box. A murmur of “oh” and
‘ah’ ran round for a few minutes before
the bidding began. And lively 2 You
never heard anything like it. In two
minutes it was up to ten dollars and going
still higher, A little later it got as high
as eeventeer and there it seemed to stay
$l Judge Christy vid ‘‘seventeen and a-
all.
“And sold o >
An ir war quite impossible to pass
ponderous box to the Judge. he stepped
forward to inspect his unwieldy acquisi-
tion. Polly, who knew the Judge well,
asked if she conld help him,
“Why, yes, Miss Pully,”” he answered,
“take care of all this nonsensical stuff for
we," and he untied the ribbon and wound
it, in hig loops, aroand Polly's shoulders,
Then he slowly lified the cover, and
such a chorus of happy, little astonished
sounds rose, as dozens and dozens of toy
balloons of all coluis floated upward, blue,
red, yellow, white, some with short strings
a tached, some with long. Surely, there
never was a prettier transformation scene
than the room presented, with the countless
colored globes floating lazily upward or
swinging lightly in mid-air,
The Judge himself was the first to break
the spell, “Ladies and gentlemen’’ he an-
nourerd, ‘as the owner of all those hal.
loons, I want to make a statement. They
are all for sale ! Any one wanting a hal-
loon to take home, mast fist pay ten cents
to our friend, Miss Polly Oshorne. When
the money has been paid, and not before,
the balloons may be captured. The price
will remain the same though the balloons
may go higher.”
And Polly, still swathed in yards and
yards of white satin rihhon, received more
dimes than I wonld dare to state.
Of course, the sender of the hox of bal.
loons, who chanced to be a fun-loving
grown man, and one of the proprietors of
the big foundry, received the pound cake
with a saitable little note of cougratula-
tion from the ‘“‘one and only Patroness.”
And she two girl-friends agreed that she
was exactly the person for that office, for
when the Pound Party was over, a dozen
or more happy young people made merny
for an hour or more at Mrs. Andiew’s de-
lightful supper table. The Judge made
one of the party, for he assured them that
he was not much over twenty-one, in spite
of his iron-grav locke.
And Abbie and Polly felt amply reward-
ed for all their efforts in behalf of that al-
most relinquished Christmas celebration.
Certain it is, that on December first Polly
wrote her Mother a long letter which en-
ed in these words :
“And think, Mother dear, the money for the
tree and the dinner and the numerons tons of
conl is really secured. For Father (just think of
it! I am almost too happy and excited to write)
hus just put intothe safe for me a big roll of
bills—two hundred and seventy dollars! And if
all the dear girls and boys hadn't entered inio the
spirit and fun of the whels thing it never could
have come (0 pass, and so made very happy,
¢ Your own loving,
POLLY."
—By Mary V. Worsiell, in St. Nicholas.
The Pennsylvania Siante College De-
partment of Forestry.
A department of forestry, professional in
character, has been recently organized as
The Penusyivania State College, the first
registrations baviog heen made for the
spring session of 1907. The department
is organically arranged in the school of
Agriculture, the studies of the tiist year
beng 1 common.
A four year course is offered leading to
the degree of Bachelor of Science, a fifth
year of postgraduate work leading to the
Master's degree.
The first two years are occupied in pre-
paiatory and generally educational studies,
especially in Mathematics, Chemistry,
Phyxies, Geology and Soils, Botany, Biol:
ogv, Entomology, and Surveying.
The last two years are occupird prinei-
pally with forestry suljects, in which
twelve separate courses are offered, com-
prising not less than 70 hours, one-half of
which time is devoted to piactieal work.
These courses aren Dendiology (9 bons),
Timber Physics and Wood Technology (15
homs,) Silvileultare {12 hours, ) Forests
Mensmation and Estimating (15 hours, )
Forest Unilization, including Lumbering
(5 hows,) Forest Protection (3 hours, )
Fores: Management and Finance (16
hours, ) Forest Administration and History
(5 hours, ) besides a Synoptical or Intro-
ductory Course (3 hous) designed for
students of agricnliure and other branches.
A course in Farm Forestry is also contem-
plated. Spreial lectures are provided for
various special suljects,snch as fish culture,
business methods, logging methods, eto.
Frequent excursions to neighboring
forests, vecasional visits to wood working
establishments and mills, and longer visits
to lumber camps and forests reservations
for practical work form part of the pro-
gram.
Entrance requirements are the same as
for all students entering The Pennsylvania
State College. It is, however, urged that
good eyesight and physical strength are
requisites of a forester. To the usual ex-
penses the students will have to he pre-
pared to add at least $50 for traveling ex-
nes,
Pe lente of other institutions and spe-
cial students having the requisite prepara-
tion will be admitted to such classes as
their preparation warrants. The forestry
courses proper can be readily completed in
two years,
The profession of forestry, although
practiord in Europe for more than a cen-
tury and a half, is gqoite new in this coun-
try, the first professional sohool havioy
been established less than a decade ago, yet
the need of foresters bas grown more rapid-
ly than the several schools which followed
the first have been able to provide. At
present the largest demand is made hy the
Federal Forest Service, but the various
States, and especially the State of Penn-
sylvania, as well as private owners snd
corporations are bound to eall for the serve
ices of fully eqaipped foresters in larger
numbers, as the need= and advantages of a
hetter treatment of our woodlands becomes
recognized.
The State of Pennsylvania has set aside
state forest reservations to the extent of
nearly one miilion acres, and adds annual-
ly more, It is only fair to ascume that
graduates of The Pennsylvania State Col-
lege must nitimately find a field of use-
faluess in their management,
For further particalars adddrse,
B. E Eernow,
Professor of Forestry,
State College, Pa.
The Danger.
A lawyer while conducting his case
cited the authority of a doctor of law
yet alive.
“My learned friend,” interrupted the
judge, “you should never go upon the
authority of any save that of the dead.
The living may change their minds.”—
Nos Lolsirs,
The First Thought.
“What would be your first thought if
you were to strike oil or In some other
way become suddenly wealthy?”
“Well, I sappose, like all the rest of:
‘em, my first thought would be con-
cernin’ the shortest and quickest way
Bo New York."—Chicago Record-Her-
Making Collar-Buttons,
It may not seem reasonable to say that
collar-buttons come under the head of
staple productions, said the manufacturer,
“‘bus wince they are at every wan’s fioger-
euds every day in his life they must cer-
tainly beiucinded among ‘articles in gen-
eral use.” Now, here's the button we
manufacture,” be went on, holding up a
card of bis wares, ‘I've made ten of these
bustons for every man, woman and child in
tie United States.”
‘How many a year?"
“About three hundred and sixty mil-
lion," be rephed, “*aud we ate only a drop
in the bucket. There are collar-buttons of
woud, eollar-buttons of hone, peail, cella-
loid, composition, agate and various metals,
including gold and miver, which aggregate
an indastry amountit g to five milion dol-
lars yearly, and our part of the business
alone, the mannfacture of composition bot-
tous retailing at five cents a card, means an
fucome of many thousands of dollars an-
nually. The wonder is where they ali go.”
“Probably under the bureau,” I sug-
gested,
“Yes, and that calls to mind a deplorable
fact in connection with the collar-button,
Perhaps there is no other article of man's
dress that is responsible for more profanity,
Haven't you seen the aggravating little
things slip from the fingers and roll sud.
denly ous of sight? Who wonldn’t wax
profane over their perversity ? Some of the
inventors who bave contrived buttons that
will not break, rumple the linen, or slip
fiom the buttonhole ought to set their wits
to work to produce one that would be war.
ranted not to produce profanity. Indeed,
the story of the collar-buston from its origin
up to its present flonrishing condition
would make an extended history, full of
domestic scenes as well as thrilling tales of
mercantile venture,”
Aside from th» wood, agate and inferior
tin buttons used principally in laundries,
the composition or “*mad button, as it is
called by competitors in other lines «f the
collar button indastry, ranks, according to
the informant, as the cheapest button on
the market. It is made of a preparation of
clay and shellac, which is run into dies and
cooled under extieme pressure. The
cess is simple and the number turned out
by a single factory is five orsix handred
thousand daily. These “mud” buttons,
when perfect, are carded and sold at a fair
price, while those having imperfections are
disposed of as ‘‘seconds’ or ‘‘thirds’ hy
the great gross in boxes, and are almost
given away.
It is a common belief that in the mann.
facture of this appurtenance of dress the
material is fed into a machine at one end
and perfected collar buttons drop ont at
the other end; bat such is not the case; the
processes that each button passes throngh
in the better class of goods are numerous
and sorprising.
Take, for example, the one-piece collar-
hutton thas is being made by several manu-
facturers throughout the east. The ma.
chine into which the metal (gold or gold-
plate) is first fed is also used in making
eyelets and other similar articles, As the
sirip of metai is run into the machine it is
cut in the form of a diso about the size of a
twenty-five cent piece. This dise then
passes on and is stamped into its fist up.
right form. Thus it moves to another and
another stamp, until it bas been through
six of these processes and resembles a
diminutive high crowned hat.
Another machine, accomplishing twice
as many processes, and requirirg the atten-
tion of one person for watching and feed-
ing, is now supplied with the *‘hats’’ and
by gradual steps hammers the crown into
the head and poss of a collar button. This
immature button is fed individually intoa
machine that torns up the lower edges;
while another process rolls them over and
attaches the back lining(in the casefof an
plated article); and still a third presses the
head into a flatter and more consenient
shape. Bat after all these operations aré
performed the button is not finished, for
it must be burnished, and it passes through
several hands, one person polishing the
head, another the post and ioner surface
of the back, and another the outer back.
It is then carded or not as the case may he,
and is ready for the market at a retail price
of fifteen to twenty. five cents for a plated
button, and a dollar and a balf for a solid
gold one,
The manufacturer of buttons of more
than one piece will bave a different story
to tell ahout making his productions.
While in the one instance machines do all
bat the feeding, in the other there is much
handwork to be done. The lever buttons,
for example, have several parts to bead-
jnsred aod soldered or pressed and riveted
together. There are over four million of
them produced annually. The acutal cost
of each button is one and three-quarters
cents, thongh the retail price after is bas
passed through the bands of the various
wholesale dealers and jobbers is about ten
cents,
The demand for metal collar-huttons is
#0 great that the industry in pearl buttons
bas never been of much extent in this
country. Little heed is given to the in.
significant button that comes home from
the laundry every week in your shirt
waist. And yet that unnoticed little article
represents an industry of large and grow-
ing proportions. Fifteen years ago the
lanndries were compelled to use imported
agate and pearl buttons for their customers’
shirts, but these were expensive, and to
meet the demand some one in Chicago in-
troduced a tin button. Later, iron and
nickel were also employed, but these in-
novations did not solve the problem of
cheap laundry supplies, and at last, about
ten vears ago, some one conceived the
notion of a wooden laundry button.
The machines for providing these wooden
buttons are valued at five hundred dollars
each and the factories using them are sitn
ated principally in Connecticut.
A Queer Kind of Bath, °
The Finns, who inbabit that t of
northern Europe which is marked Finland
on the map, have a way of bathing that
American boys and girls wonld think de-
cidedly fanny and not very pleasant.
A bath honse is built of wood, and is
ahout ten feet square, with a peaked roof.
There is only one bath house In a village,
and everybody uses it. At the enSrance
there 18 a small vestibule, with benches on
two sides of it, and here the bathers take
off their clothes. The bathroom out
of this room, and in it there is a big stone
farnace, with a circular bole in the top
ohio is hed with smooth stones from the
seashore. hen the people arrange to
come for their hath the fire is lighted iv
the furvace, and after a while the stones
get sizzing hot.
Then the bathers come in and take their
seats on a wide bench that is placed high
up on the side of the room, close under the
roof, resting their feet on a plank placed
\at a convenient distance below. Then the
door and window are tightly olosed,
4 ft
water is poured over the hot stones: ~ In:
stantly the litsle room is filled withweald.
ing steam, and in this the bathers sis until
they are perspiring freely, serabhing them-
selves all the while with small boughs cut
from evergreen trees and bushes. They
do not throw these queer towels away
when they have finished with them, but
leave them for the next set of bathers.
Don’t you think the American plan of
washing one's sell in a mice bathtub, with
lots of soap and hot water, is a much clean-
er and pleasanter one?
America.
My country "tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrim’s pride,
From every mountaia side
Let freedom ring.
My native country thee,
Land of the noble freo—
Thy name [ love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above,
Our fathers’ God to thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing.
Long muy our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light,
Protected by thy might,
Great God our King.
Washington's Birthday in the Clab.
Oune club entertainment greatly enjoyed
on last Washiogton’s birthday was a pro-
gram representing social life in the United
States from the time of the Dateh in New
York down to President Roosevelt's time.
Oue period was given each speaker and the
time was limited to ten minutes. This
formed a most interesting afternoon and
the papers were collected and subsequently
printed and boaud in a little booklet as a
club souvenir. If there ie timie enough
given beforehand for preparation each one
on the program might be asked to wear the
henidrens or bonnet of the period she repre-
sents.
WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY COMPANY.
Here are some suggestions that can be
worked on. Give a ‘Father of Lies’’ party.
Decorate the invitations with pictures of
Mephisto and write them on ved cards
with big black lettering. Hang Mepbisto
posters over the house and procare the little
Mephisto match boxes avd paperweights
for favors. Give a prize for the bes: lie
told daring the evening and bave each one
tell under what circumstances he would
consider a lie justifiable. Other topics:
“The Biggest Liar I ever knew.” “My
First Lie.” **Are White Lies Permissihle??
“What Punishment Should Be Meted Out
to the Liar?’ eto. Finish the evening
with an imitation supper, your own inge-
nuity will tell you bow to plan surprises
for your guests.
FOR A PATRIOTIC LUNCHEON.
For table decoration use blue and buff,
the colouial colors. Lay broad ribbon
bands of these two colors across the white
table cloth. Have a centre basket of white
flowers tied with blae ribbon, and before
each place a yellow rose tied with blue tibo
hou also. In your gilt candelabra place
blue candles with gilt shades. Suitable
topicx for toasts: “The American Woman,’
“Fust Daoghters of American Revolution
in Our State,” * The Stars and Stripes.”
A suitable entertainment to finish the
afternoon is to out cherries. Give each
guest a small hatchet as a souvenir of the
afternoon. Then blindfold each and have
her see how many cherries she can cut fiom
a small cherry tree in a given time. Give
as a prize a hox of candied cherries. Have
a small blackboard and ask each guest to
draw a picture of George Washington or
her favorite cooloniai hero aud bave the
others guess who the heroes are.
MENU FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON BAN-
QUET.
Here is a menu for an elaborate banquet
for Washington's birthday:
Blue Points,
Celery, Olives, Radishes,
Ciear Green Turtle,
Lobster Farcie,
Turkey Cutlets and Asparagus,
Potatoes Surprise,
Roman Punch,
Reed Birds or Duck,
Watercress or Lettuce Salad,
Cheese, Wafers,
Fancy Cakes, Ices, Fruits,
Bonhone,
Coffee.
Apples Spread Moths.
Germany has found a peril in apples.
They are the principal mediam for the pro-
ion and spread of the destructive honse
moth (glyeyphagus domesticus) according
to observations recently made. The dis-
covery was the result of a plague of moths
at Gries and the villages suriounding it.
The larvae were traced to the stores of
apples kept in the houses aud thence to
the trees themselves,
The larvae are found first of all in the
apple blossoms. As the frais grows they
cluster in the conical depresion about the
stem of the apple.
When the fruit is taken to the house it
is laden with eggs. The propagation of
the eggs is said to be prodigious.
When the froit is taken to the house the
eggs find their way into clothing, baug-
ings, carpets and upholstered furniture and
the insect is hatched out, with the well
known ruinous results. The eggs are aleo
said to be the canse of the white mottling
that is often noticed on dried huis.
As a result of the discoveries it is urged
that apples never he taken in dwellings
without careful cleausing, and even then
they should never be keps in living roons,
and the peelings should be promptly re.
moved. —New York Sun.
- Localized Him.
A stranger wishing to play golf at
North Berwick saw some one in au-
thority upon the matter.
“What name?” asked the dignified
official in charge.
“De Neufeldt,” the stranger replied.
“Mon,” said the official in a tone of
disgust, “we canna fash oorsels wi’
names like that at North Berwick.
Ye'll stairt in the morn at ten fifteen
to the name of Fairgusson.”—Black-
wood's Magazine.
Two Kinds of Foolhardiness.
Somo of the men who laugh when a
woman gets off a car ba would
pall the muzzle of a loaded gun toward
them when crawling through a fence.—
Washington Post.
Villains in the play have to be awful-
ly bad In order to make good.—Dally
{Okla.) Ardmoreite,
a i Hn
UM