" Ballefonte, Pa., | Pa., November 1, 1907.
Tricky or Brutal and Vicious, Ac
y cording to Their Class.
METHODS OF THE “GUN MOB”
The False Arm Game and the Use of |
the Pocketless Overcoat—The Pipe | |
and Red Pepper Trick—How a Gang |
Will Pluck a Victim In a Crowd.
“Gun mob” is simply English thieves’ |
slang for a pickpocket and his gang of |
confederates—“gentiemen” who reap
an annual harvest of anything they |
can lay their hands upon in a crowd.
Summer time. when race courses, ath. |
letic grounds and seaside places are
crowded, is the pickpocket's favorite
and most profitable season, and when |
an event occurs like a royal garden
party at Windsor the light fingered
gentry positively chuckle,
Twenty plain clothes detectives at-
tended the lust garden party to pro-
tect his maujesty's guests from the
tricks of the pickpockets, but the latter |
left Windsor richer by bundreds of |
pounds in spite of Scotland Yard and | |
carried away with them the gold |
hunter watches of several of the titled |
guests.
At one time the modern detective !
was apt to despise the pickpocket
somewhat, characterizing him as a low
and not particularly clever thief. His |
ingenuity, daring and coolness today,
however, “compel our admiration,” to
quote one of the cleverest detectives,
“and we feel pleased when we lay
one of them by the heels.” |
The British pickpocket's tricks are |
many and various, and he is adding to | |
their number every day. The false
arm game is one of the cleverest and
is calculated to deceive a detective, |
even although he may have his eyes |
on the operator. A coat is thrown
loosely over a false arm, which is held
naturally. Apparently both of the |
pickpocket's hands are in view, while |
in reality the skiliful fingers of one
hand are going through the pockets of |
the man beside him.
The use of the pocketless overcoat, or
the cape coat, which makes an entire
cover for the hands, is an old dodge,
which nevertheless is still popular
with the pickpocket. He often pre-
fers, however. to use a novel inven- |
tion known as the sash method. The
sash consists of a piece of black silk |
or alpaca two yards long and three-
quarters wide. It is folded the same |
as a neck scarf and crossed centrally |
beneath the coat and vest, both ends
being brought under the arms and!
placed In the hip pockets of the trou-
sers, When ready for action the “tool,” |
as the man is called who actually
picks the pocket, places his hands be-
hind the folds of this device, and It
eunbles him to conceal his purpose as
he “fronts” a man to rob him of his
witch or money if the latter is in his
users pocket.
A tool” however, has other means
ol covering his hands without resort-
ir: to the ald of coat or sash. A |
tewspaper or theater programme is
often used. Beware of looking over |
an stranger's shoulder to glance at a |
newspaper or programme-a little ac-
tion we are often guilty of when fit
only necessitates a turn of the head. |
You may be risking nothing. but, on
the other hand, you may be seated or
standing by the side of a professional |
pickpocket, who has only to bold the |
paper at a certain angle while you are |
engrossed in some item to cover his |
movements as he relieves you of your
valuables.
The black silk handkerchief and hat | |
are employed in the same manner as
the paper, only the former is some- |
times used in the “sling method” to |
carry a supposedly crippled arm. The |
mapner in which that arm would rest |
against your face, as if raised to avoid |
some one striking it, while the other |
hand took your scarfpin and watch |
would excite compassion from the vie- |
tim himself.
The pickpocket's most dastardly trick |
—but one, be it noted, which is only
used by the man who is too clumsy to '
perform that sleight of hand upon
which the clever thief prides himself—
is that of blinding the victiia with pep-
per blown through a pipe. The bowl
of the latter is filled with a false bot- |
tom and second tube, the cavity below |
the false bottom being filled with cay-
enne pepper. while tobacco is placed |
above it. Approaching a gentleman in |
an ill lighted street, the thief asks for
a light for his pipe, and while the vie-
tim feels for his matches he is sudden- |
ly blinded by a discharge of cayenne
pepper, which the scoundrel blows
through the hole in the bottom of the
pipe into his eyes. Maddened with the |
terrible pain. the victim presses his
bands to his eyes, and the robber
snatches his watch and chain and de-
camps, to repeat his exploit on some
other unsuspecting pedestrian.
It is not very often, however, that
the pickpocket works alone, although
women who belong to the light finger-
ed fraternity—and who, by the way,
are often more successful than men—
usually prefer to do so. Men thieves
like to work in “mobs,” for the simple
reason that they can transfer the “boo-
dle” from one to the other In a crowd.
Consequently If recognized by a de-
tective and arrested on suspicion there
is nothing in their possession on which
they ean be convicted.
Besides, confederates—or “stalls,” as
they are called in the vernacular of the
“profession” —are negessary to do that
little bit of hustling which makes the
“tool's” task so much easler and less.
ens the risk of detection.
Many are doubtless nware that tram |
termini in busy thoroughfares are |
! board the car the four quickly sur-
{ round him, with the “artist” behind.
| hem him in and distract his attention
with their hustling the man behind
| great risk is run to secure a man's!
| with knickerbockers in the country.
| cultivated self respect,
| of personal self respect exhibited In
| morning of his shameful death. He
| In Century.
| shake the sieve, thus Insuring—with
, ness to trickle from his mouth into the
' ster, after which the cadi pronounces
places where the pickpocket is always
looking for plunder. and a “mob” of
four will often worl together in such
a erowd. A prosperous looking vietim
Ix =elected, and as he attempts to
The confederate in front uses every
subterfuge to block the progress of the
vietim until the coup has been brought
off. and while the men on each side
| helps himself from his pockets. It is
a trick which rarely fails with cool, ex-
pert thieves. although amateurs at the
game are often caught through lack of
nerve and quickness.
The “stall” or confederate will not
allow any one who has been chosen for
a victim to change his position until a
peculiar cluck tells him the trick has
been accomplished or unless there has
been an alarm from an outside source.
When more than one “stall” is used
the other men devote part of their at-
tention to watching any of the passen-
gers who may be inclined to suspect
mischief, and with their boot toe in
close proximity to that of the “tool”
they can convey a danger signal with-
out fear of attracting the least atten-
tion. When such a signal reaches the
“tool” he will desist in his attempt at
plunder. and, though he has never
turned his head to see who prevented
larceny. he will completely lull the
suspicions of the same individual by
his manner thereafter,
Generally speaking, the profits of
pickpocketing are not worth the risk.
Occasionally thieves make a good
haul, as in the case of the king's gar
den party already alluded to, but often
pocketbook, for instance, only to find
that it is simply filled with cards and
memoranda.
Hard cash is what the pickpocket
likes to secure. For jewelry he can
only get about one-half of what it is
worth from the fence, while for watch.
es he rarely gets more than one-fourth.
Consequently the professional pick-
! pocket must be industrious to earn a |
livelihood.—8t. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Dandyism Which We Admire.
One is sorry for the dandies of our
day. because, though thelr clothes fit,
ever so well and ure ever so fresh, cus. |
toin prescribes a dark or subfusk hue,
with no lace, no velvet (above all, not
on coat collars), no slashes, puffs and
vaudykings, no pearls and gold, no
gules and azure. The common trousers
are shapeless things, and for perfection
you need two pairs every day. Genius
is stunted. display Is checked, and.
though you may wear brilliant hose
glorious waistcoats are rarely seen ex.
cept in the windows of tailors’ shops at
Oxford and Cambridge. The dandy
can only cultivate immaculate neatness
and perfection of fit. Our officers at
dysmith wien the place was re
lieved looked like skeletons, but were
as spruce and neat, | have been told.
as ever they showed in the park. They
like Stendhal.
the celebrated novelist, who was said
to have been the only man that shaved
every day in the dreadful winter re
treat from Moscow. This is the dandy
ism which we admire, the perfection
Julius Caesar, Claverhouse, and Mont-
rose, combing his lovelocks, like the
Three hundred of Thermopylae, on the
went to the gibbet “like a bridegroom
to his bride.” History, and “the
human heart by which we live.” have
an immortal tenderness for the great.
the wise, the brave. who have died
dandies as they lived. gallant hearts
and stately gentlemen.—Andrew Lang
The Baby In the Sieve.
Among the fellahin of Egypt, mys. |
tic land of pyramid and mummy. ne |
man, not even Philip my king's own
daddy, may look upon the new little
arrival until the seventh day. Upon |
that morning the baby is placed in a]
sieve and carried through the house
in a procession twinkling with smiles
and lighted tapers, the wicked spirits
whose curiosity may have been excited
by his lordship’s advent pushed into
the background of life by discreet graft
of grain and salt scattered along the
triumphant route. Twice the proces-
sion pauses in solemn purpose, first to
lusty walls no doubt—that the wee
rider shall prove a fearless man, and,
second, to hold the blinking cherub up |
to the sun to sharpen his eyes. After!
this he makes his first bow to the pa-
ternal presence. He is christened by
the cadi sucking a stick of sugar can-
dy and allowing the drawn out sweet-
open sesame of the surprised young-
the given name.—Los Angeles Times.
How the Artists’ Model “Happens.”
Most of our models are not made;
they just happen. Girls, in most cases
of breeding and intelligence, want to
make a little money for some special
occasion. Some acquaintance recog-
nizes that they have distinction and
style and gives them the address of an
illustrator who happens to need just
such a person. They pose once in this
way, more or less from necessity, find
they can make an independent living
in a congenial manner, and so come
again. In consequence the women who
pose for a livelihood in New York are
exceedingly nice as a class. The prev-
alent idea that the words “artists’
necessarily mean a highly
paid, greatly petted and utterly
vraved individual Is ridiculous In
extreme. A first class artists’
in New York eity receives $3 a day
six hours’ hurd work. A photograp!
model has of course a different propo-
sition. She has shorter hours and
higher rates.—From “Being a Model,” '
by Charles F. Peters, in Bohemian.
Hh
THE GARTER.
insignia of the Most Coveted of All
English Orders.
Although the most coveted of Eng
lish orders, the origin of the Garter Is
really a mystery.
Conflicting authorities assign the
foundation of the order either to the
23d of April, St. George's day, 1344, or
to the same festival five years later,
while the popular anecdote associated
with it is that at a court ceremony a
lady—either the queen, the Countess of
Salisbury or the Countess of Kent—
happened to drop her garter, which
was picked up by King Edward III,
who, observing a disposition to laugh
among the bystanders, exclaimed In
his royal displeasure, “Honi soit qul
mal y pense” (disgraced be he who
thinks {ll of it).
The reigning monarch is, of course,
ex officio the sovereign of the Order of
the Garter.
At first the garter was made of light
blue silk, but that which is now given
is made of dark blue velvet. It is
worn on the left leg a little below the
knee.
The Order of the Garter as an order
of chivalry has a very deep religious
significance. It Is, or should be, at
tended by religious ceremonies of a
very precise and ornate character, and
it was reported in Victoria's reign that
a certain nobleman hesitated as to ac
cepting the honor on account of It
having been conferred on an oriental
potentate.—Philadelphia North Amer!
can.
CAME TO . TO STAY.
Return of the “Prodigal With Money
and a Large Check.
Old home week had come, and the
returned sons and grandsons were
gathered together. One after another
they rose and told with pardonable
pride their achievements In the great
world, impressing their importance on
the stay at homes. At length Mr.
Jameson spoke:
“I went away from here twenty
years ago a poor young man, with only
one solitary dollar In my pocket, |
walked the four miles from my fa-
ther's farm to the station, and there I
begged a ride to Boston on a freight
car. Last night I drove Into town be-
hind a spirited pair of horses, and my
purse—guess how much my purse holds
In money today, besides a large check,”
and Mr. Jameson looked about him
with a smile.
“Fifty dollars!”
“Seventy-five!”
“A hundred!” shouted the boys, filled
with admiration.
“No,” said Mr. Jameson, drawing a
large, flat purse from his pocket when
the clamor had subsided, “none of you
has guessed right. When I had paid
the 25 cents to Ozzy Boggs for my re-
freshing drive in the coach I had, be-
sides my trunk check (which I retain-
ed for financial reasons), exactly 4
cents. | have come back. my friends,
to stay. Any little jobs of sawing
and splitting will be gratefully receiv-
ed.”"—Woman's Home Companion.
Our Names Lack “Color.”
At an early period, and indeed well
toward the beginuing of modern his-
tory, proper names told something as
to paternity, occupation and habita-
tion. Today they are quite colorless.
A new Ulysses would no longer be
Laertides. No Peter indicates that he
is the son of Paul. A Carpenter or a
Weaver is likely to be a lily fingered
stockbroker. Even the place names,
complains the Nation. have pretty
much disappeared, except In the case
of nobility, and since the average gen-
tle family has not for years lived on
its titular estates or perhaps has had
none at all our new Gastons de Foix
give us a name as sapless as John
Jones.— London Chronicle.
A Knockdown Argument.
A suburban school just opening for
the season was composed of both city
and country children. The teacher se-
lected eight boys to debate the subject
“Which Is Preferable, Country or City
Life?”
After they had read many arguments
with much enthusiasm Country Hugh
iald down his paper and said: “Mr.
President. they don't know what
they're talkin’ about. The city boy
knows nothin’ about ‘going to town.’
and that beats anything | know.”—La-
dies’ Howe Journal.
The Olid Romans.
Do you know that the Roman mor-
tar was harder than the stones which
it held together? It is a remarkable
thing that we do not know how to
make mortar like that now. And what
an eye those old Romans had for po
sition! It is a pity that some historical
writer doesn't write a romance with
Julius Caesar as the central figure.
Shakespeare seems to be the only au-
thor who has done anything of that
sort really well.—London Captain.
Cold Comfort.
“I have no money,” the man com-
plained.
“You have been given.” responded
Jupiter, “a sense of humor instead.”
“To whatend?”
“That you may enjoy watching those
who have.”—Editor.
False.
Miss Blondlock—How dare you tell
people my bair is bleached? You know
it is false? Miss Ravenwing—Yes,
dear; I know it is. 1 told them it was
bleached before you got it.—London
| Telegraph.
His Version.
Sunday School Teacher—Freddy. do
you remember the precept about spar.
ing the rod? Small Freddy—Yes,
ma'am. Spare the rod and lose the
fish.—New York Globe.
AN ALL DAY CIGAR.
The Kind Smoked by a Tribe of South
American Indians.
Cigars a foot und a half long, which
are made for one day's smoking, are
shown in the American Museum of
Natural History. With them is a hold-
er which looks like a tuning fork and
is large enough to be used for piteh-
ing hay.
Far up the Rio Nigra, a tributary of
the Amazon, two explorers made a col-
lection of articles for the museum.
The Indians there made cigars eight-
een inches long and as big around as
a child's arm. One of these cigars is
too much for any ease loving man to
clasp, so the Indians put the fragrant
roll between the tines of a fork two
and a half feet long, stick the sharp
end of the handle into the ground at
a convenient distance from their ham-
mocks and take a puff from time to
time as they sway lazily backward
and forward.
There are many other picturesque
articles in the collection, which was
made during a three months’ journey
from the coast. The material is of the
highest value. and nothing like it has |
been seen except a few articles in a
German museum.—New York Herald.
STEAMSHIP NAMES.
The Way They Are Shortened In the
Companies’ Offices.
No matter how long or difficult of
pronunciation may be the name ¢f a
steamer, the passenger agents and
clerks of the various steamship lines
make an effort to be correct in using it
when selling tickets to customers. Oec-
casionally they make a slip of the
tongue and call the steamer by the
nickname used in the office when pas-
sengers are not around. The steamers
of the Atlantic Transport line, the Min-
neapolis, the Minnetonka and the Min-
nehaha, are referred to generally as
the “Minnies.” Individually the Min-
netonka is called the “Tonk” and the
Mesaba the “Mes.” The Red line Va-
deriand is called “Father,” the Finland
the “Fin” and the Kroonland and the
Zeeland the “Kroon” and the “Zee,” re-
spectively.
when reference is made to the St.
Paul; the St. Louis is called “Looie"
and the Philadelphia is called the |
The North German Lioyd |
liner Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse in the |
“Phillie.”
parlance of the office force is the “Big
Bill” and the Kaiser Wilhelm II. 1s’
“Billy Two.” ~New York Tribune.
THE MUSSULMANS.
They Are Not Easily Disturbed While
Saying Their Prayers.
When saying his prayers the true |
Is not easily disturbed.
Mussulman
Hans Doering, in his account of his
travels in Chinese Turkestan, writes:
“It is an interesting sight to see a |
Mussulman verform his devotions.
Through the piece of glass in my pa-
per window 1 saw the interpreter
spread his carpet in front of his house |
Just opposite the one in which 1 was |
living. His wife and child sat quite
| close to him talking loudly with some
visitors, but this did not in the least
disturb the old man at his devotions.
“In spite of the noise” the melodious
chanting of the Koran was quite au-
dible. The worshiper kotowed several
times and cried ‘Allah, Allah, Allah?
then for awhile stood reverentially
clasping his hands crosswise upon his
breast, after which he joined in the
conversation.
“His wife then went through the
same performance, doing exactly the
same as her husband. This they do
every morning and evening whether
there are friends with them or not.”
Blindness of Conceit.
“Ever notice the density of a con-
ceited person?” asked a business man.
“To me that's the most striking thing
about such an individual. Maybe he
has some qualities that justify his
good opinion of himself, and maybe
not. He's dense just the same, and
the proof of it is that he doesn't realize
how he impresses his associates un-
pleasantly, If the average conceited
man had the least idea of the handi-
cap under which he is laboring he'd
shed It mighty quick. But he hasn't,
and it's impossible to drill it into him.
He's the modern human ostrich, with
his head stuck into the sand, so far
as any recognition of his disagreeable
trait is concerned.”—New York Press.
Half Understood.
“What are you reaaing, Marian?
asked mamma of a little girl with her
head bent down under & heavy volume
in her lap.
“The Wide Awake World! mam-
ma.”
“Gracious, child!” Interrupted a big
sister. “You can't understand more
than half of that book.”
Marian looked at the speaker with
dignity. “I read it for the half 1 do
understand,” she said.—St. Louis Re-
public.
Trust.
“Here you went and told me you
would trust Beasley with your life,
and on the strength of that I loaned
him $10 that now you tell me I'll nev-
er get.”
“Well, what of it? 1 said I'd trust
him with my life, and I would. Beas-
ley may be a beat, but he is no assas-
sin.” —Cincinnati Enquirer,
Preserving Her Bridges.
Mrs. Gossip—Mrs. Richleigh nas so
much embonpoint, hasn't she? Mrs.
Someup (ludicrously)—Well, now, she
might have if she wasu't so fat.—Bal-
timere American.
The best portraits are those in which
there is a slight mixture of caricature.
-Macaulay.
Sr RI I
THE RATTLER.
———
it Rarely Sounds Its Note of Warning
Until Attacked.
Contrary to the general belief, the
rattler rarely gives its characteristic
note of warning until actually attack-
ed. In fact. the sharp. vibrant ring of
its terminal appendage is probably de-
signed more to assist this very slug-
gish serpent to obtain its food than to
sound deflance or warning. In the
first place, serpents possess but the
most rudimentary traces of auditory
apparatus and are practically deaf, the
deficiency in the sense of hearing be-
ing compensated for by an extreme
| sensitiveness of feeling which makes
them aware of the approach of moving
objects by the vibration of the ground.
Hunters, treading cautiously upon a
soft carpet of moss or leaves to avoid
alarming game, will often step close
to or over a rattler without disturbing
it or receiving warning, and while
many snakes are seen and killed by
them it is probable that a far greater
number are passed by unnoticed. All
snakes are timid and would rather run
than fight, and the rattler is not invit-
The prefix St. is dropped |
ing certain destruction by advertising
| its whereabouts in the brush.--Franecis
Metcalfe in Outing Magazine,
CAUGHT THE THIEF.
An Incident Which lllustrates Japanese
Detective Methods.
Recently in the village of Tahara.
mura, Japan, all the male inhabitants
above the age of fifteen years were as-
| sembled In front of the local Shinto
shrine at the call of the village chief.
A thief had been making depredations
in the local tobacco plantations, and
the chief sought to discover him. Out-
lines of the feet of all the villagers
were taken on sheets of paper, and
then these were compared with the
tracks left by the thief in the tobacco
fields. Nothing resulted from this ex-
periment. The next day the inhabit-
ants were called together again. A
great hole was dug in the ground, and
a raging charcoal fire was built In it.
All persons present were ordered to
! walk through the fire barefooted, it
being declared that no person would
be burned except the guilty ome. All
| advanced to undergo the ordeal except
one, Shukichi Shibata, a man of evil
reputation. He declined to trust his
feet to the redhot coals. Accordingly
he was arrested and soon confessed
his guilt.
FICTION AND FACT.
| The Message In the Story Book and
In Real Life.
In a magazine:
“I don’t like you any more.”
Harold Hoplite looked up at the
| quaint figure—a boy of six, with a
| mouth smeared with huckleberry pie.
| Harold was glum.
“I don’t like you any more.”
“Why
| *“’Cause you made sister cry.”
“sthel ery! 1 dido't—I couldn't—
make her cry.”
| “Well, she's crying now when you
I sald nothing when you walked away.
| Why didu't you say by-by and kiss
her when you're going away? 1 al
ways do.”
“I will! Right now!”
And Harold hastened back to make
up the lovers’ quarrel.
In real life:
“Say, sister gave me a plece of pie to
come down and see if you'd gone and
if you hadn't to try to get you back
past where she was sitting on the
porch getting ready to be crying.”
“Oh!”"—New York American.
The Spleen as Food.
In France and Italy many persons
eat the spleen, what we call in French
“ratte.” 1 have eaten it myself. Gen-
erally from a pig it weighs about eight
ounces, and it is situated on the right
side of the pig, touching the liver. A
spleen from a cow or bull weighs
about two pounds, but is a little more
spongy than the pig's spleen, which is
the best. If some one should start the
fashion we would after awhile pay 75
cents a portion in first class restan-
rants, especially if some person of
mark should start the habit.--Chef Va-
lere Braguehais in Letter to New York
Tribune.
“The Modern Turkish Woman.
The modern Turkish woman recelves
a far better education than many of
her western sisters, When the latter is
busy visiting, going to concerts or
even indulging in sports the oriental
within the barred windows of her
harem follows these movements in
spirit. With a knowledge of seven lan-
guages, three oriental and four Euro-
pean, foreign governesses and as many
books as she requires little escapes her
attention.— London Strand.
Lightning as She Saw It.
While little Gertrude was looking out
of a window during a thunderstorm
she saw a flash of lightning play
along a telegraph wire.
“Oh, mamma,” she exclaimed, “1
just saw a piece of the sun fall down
from the sky!” —New York Press.
Matrimony’s Small Change.
In olden times it took a broken six-
pence to plight the troth of two fond
hearts In proper style. These days it's
the lover who is broke. But he is
much the same old sixpence.—Puck.
Not Guilty.
Enthusiastic Amateur Sallor—Let go
that jib sheet. Unenthusiastic Land-
fubber (who has been decoyed into act-
ing crew)—I'm not touching the beast-
ly thing!—Punch.
The average elevation of North
American is 1250 feet and of South
America 1.200 feet.
STATE _PAWNSHOPS.
French Rate Is 7 P Per Cont=-Bometimes
No Interest Is Charged.
With none of the timidity or hesita-
tion or the shamefaced aspect of our
user of pawnshops does the Parisian
perform his journey to the money lend-
er. Far from feeling, alter the door
bas closed behind him, that he Is in
the country of the enemy, the French-
man can have his patriotic ardor at its
highest, for over the pawnshop flies
the tricolor of France Instead of the
gilded balls, and the guard at the door
is a helmeted, white gloved republican
guard. The customary whispering as
the borrower exchanges goods for cash
is unknown. Borrowing is a business
transaction with the government.
It is not out of appreciation of these
conditions, of course, that 7,000 people
daily visit the municipai pawnshops,
but their business trip includes a
knowledge of the fact that whatever
profits will accrue to the establish-
ments will finally go back to the peo-
ple.
There is no haggling, says a writer
in the Philadelphia Record. On jew-
elry four-fifths of the value of the ob-
ject can be secured; on the other arti-
cles two-thirds. The interest is 7 per
cent per annum. Should a borrower be
in the unfortunate position of having
paid interest for many years without
being able to release the article the
authorities will return it. When inter-
est has not been paid the object In
question goes to the auction, and then
the righteousness of Paris pawnbrok-
ing is decidedly in evidence, for after
the sale has been consummated and
the original loan and interest are de-
ducted from the money secured by
the sale the surplus goes to the bor-
rower, Should the money remain un-
claimed It is turned over to the Paris
hospitals, and, curiously enough, these
hospitals profit to the extent of 100,
000 francs a year.
When one has made a study of
French pawnbroking laws It is easily
seen that the first object served by
these laws is to protect people who
want immediate money advantages.
France (and we may say France, for
municipal pawnbroking is to be found
in every corner of the country) cares
little that many transactions are car-
ried on at a loss. In one year of some
2,000,000 pawned articles in Paris
1,000,000 were effected at a loss, since
no auction will bring a complete re-
turn on small objects. Of course this
Is offset by the return frem loans on
the other million articles, but should
there be a deficiency the municipality
has no hesitation in going down In its
pockets and thus has an Indirect mode
of taxing the well to do to support the
needy. Since no country has raised a
cry against charity, this, as one form
of it, can be passed without criticism.
The fact is, money is lost on all loans
under 20 francs.
The capital of the pawnshops con-
sists of legacies, gifts und subventions
of the state. department or the com-
mune, Occasionally, as at Grenoble
and Montpellier. the establishments
are so well endowed that no interest
Is charged. Paris, for no unfathomable
reasons, does the largest pawnbroking
business on the continent, «34,000,000
francs being the average yearly
pledges and 30.000,000 francs redeem-
ed. The total revenue is 4,000,000
francs, the expense of management
1,500,000 francs, the interest on capital
about 1,500,000 francs and the net prof-
its 150,000 francs.
A Resourceful Legislator.
“It will be impossible for us to trans-
act any public business tonight,” said
the president of the city council, *“be-
cause of the lack of a quorum.”
“Mr. Chairman,” said the new mem-
ber, arising quickly, “I have been elect-
ed on a pledge to my constituency that
I shall work untiringly and unceasing-
ly for the upbuilding and uplifting of
our city, and 1 now and here move
that a committee be appointed to con-
sider the immediate purchase of as
good a quorum as the market affords
and that the committee be instructed
to secure the quorum and have It prop-
erly installed by the next meeting
night. And furthermore.” he said. with
a fine patriotic touch, “let us obtain a
good American quorum and not one
of those ancient Roman things!”—Suc-
cess Magazine.
In the Swim.
A serious accident happened at the
supper table. Somebody—it's always
“somebody” who is to blame—upset a
pitcher of water over the cloth. There
was a general scampering and a call-
ing for somebody to remedy the mis-
chief.
“How could you be so careless,
Tom?" cried Freddie indignantly.
“Never mind, my boy.” replied Tom,
in his airy way. “It's all right We're
all in the swim now.”"—S8t. Louis Re-
public.
Maybe It Didn't.
Tommy—I did wash my face. Moth-
er—How dare you tell me that? Why,
it's just as dirty as ever Tommy-—
Well. 1 washed it. but maybe it didn’t
take. You know my vaccination didn’t
the first Yime~=Philudelphia Press.
A Case of Disbelief.
Bill—You look bad. Jim. Been laid
up? Jim-—Today’s the first time out
of doors for three months. Bill—
What was the matter with you? Jim—
Nothin’, but the magistrate would not
believe t=Longon Telegraph. .
The Easy Part.
“The doctor says you must stop eat-
ing meat and drinking whisky.”
“Well,” replied the major, “meat nev-
er did agree with me.” Atlanta Con-
stitution.
The best farming lands in Siberia
ere those nearest to China.