Demin | Bellefonte, Pa., February 20, 1914. rm" ~” FRANKING MAIL MATTER. At One Time Soldiers In This Country Enjoyed the Privilege. The postoffice was first established for the principal and in some countries for the exclusive purpose of carrying official correspondence by mail. Later in France, Great Britain and the United States because of the great ex- pansion and commercialization of the postal system the free carriage of mail matter came to be regarded as a privi- * lege and this privilege was claimed by persons in official position. In England the house of commons claimed the privilege as early as 1660. It was abolished in Great Britain, however, by the passage of Rowland’s cheap postage measure in 1839. In the United States the first appearance of the franking privilege is traceable to the action of the Continental congress assuming control of the postoffice in January, 1776. It is interesting to learn that it was then granted to all private soldiers actually in service for all letters they might write or that might be written to them. In the early years of the United States government the privilege was' granted widely. but it soon became necessary to restrict it. An act of March 3, 1845, limited the privilege to the president. the vice president. mem- bers and delegates in congress, the third assistant postmaster general and all postmasters. Other offices were di- rected to keep quarterly accounts of postage.— Argonaut. COSMOPOLITAN DAMASCUS. | The Oldest City on Earth, It iy All the World's Peoples. At last we are set down in the midst’ of Damascus, a city that can claim life without a break from its founding back in the dim dawn of the world's history. When Abram crossed the des: ert from Haran 4,000 years ago this city was standing (Genesis xiv, 15, and Xv, 2). Shc dates back to the time of the Pharaohs in Egypt. In fact. she was old when Greece and Rome were striplings in years. Rome may be termed the Eternal City. but Damas- cus is twice as old. and though her streets have run red with blood of battle and rapine many times, she has not been overthrown. | “Babylon is an heap in the desert, and Tyre a ruin on the shore,” but Damascus remains. Was there ever such a place to see the nations of the earth parading to- gether? Here in the market place are motley crowds of Persians. Moors. Af- ghans. Indians, Egyptians. Sudanese, Jews, Bedouins. Druses. Turks, Euro peans. The streets—so crooked, so nar- row, so dirty. so full of life, with that strange spell of the desert upon them! The residences as seen from the street are ugly and disappointing enough. yet like old barns and tumbledown mills at home are fascinating and pic- turesque.—Christian Herald. Mystery of a Bridegroom. The mysterious disappearance of a bridegroom at a wedding is recalled by T. F. Thiselton Dyer in his “Strange Pages From Family Papers.” The wedding took place in Lincoln shite about the year 1750. *In this in- stance the wedding party adjourned after the marriage ceremony to the bridegroom’s residence and dispersed. some to ramble in the garden and others to rest in the house till the dinner hour. But the bridegroom was suddenly summoned away by a do- mestic who said that a stranger wish- ed to speak with him, and hencefor- ward he was never scen again. All kinds of inquiries were made, but to no purpose, and terrible as the dismay was of the poor bride at this inex: | plicable disappearance of the bride groom, no trace could be found of bim.” A Change of Tune. “Mamma, I'm tired of going school.” “What's the matter, Willie?” “The teacher” — “Now, don’t you say a word against | your teacher. Willie. I've no doubt you annoy her dreadfully. and she seems like a very nice sort of person.” | “Well, she said this mornin’ that she didn’t think I had much of a bringin’ up at home, an’ "— “Wait! Did she say that? Well, of all the coarse impudence! You shan’t go back there another day!” Exit Willie. grinning. — Cleveland Plain Dealer. i to Do You Know the Answer? A teacher was giving to her class an | exercise in spelling and defining words. | “Thomas,” she said to a curly haired | little boy. “spell ‘ibex.”” “l-b-e-x.” “Correct. Define it.” *An ibex.” an- swered Thomas after a prolonged mental struggle, *'is where you look in the back part of the book when you want to find anything that’s printed in the front part of the book. "—Philadel- phia Ledger. Mean Thing! A New England physician says that if every family would keep a box of mustard in the house one-half of the doctors would starve to death. A mean man suggests that everybody should keep two boxes.—New Orleans Pica: une. Interested the Feline, “Serenaded my girl last night.” “Any member of the family come out?’ : “Only the cat.”—Chicago Record-Her- ald. QUEST oF 0 DORADO. | That Elusive Land of Gold and Jewels in South America. Guiana is bounded on the north by the great river Orinoco and on the south by the still greater river Ama- | zon. These two grand rivers are con- nected with one another, the Cisiqui- ure, a branch from the Orinoco, falling into the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon. Within Guiana itself are many rivers of very considerable size The kingdom of El Dorado was re puted to exist somewhere between the Rio Branco and the Essequibo, called by the Indians the Brother of the Ori- noco. Manoa, the capital, was said to be somewhere between the Rio Branco and the Rupununi, a tributary of the Essequibo. From the thirties of the sixteenth century some eighteen expe- ditions had been sent by the Spaniards to Guiana in search of the golden king- dom. Diego de Ordas, one of the cap- tains of Cortes at the conquest of Mex- ico, led the first attempt in 1531. After him followed many a brave cavalier, but all was in vain, and disasters as well as failure attended nearly all the expeditions. From a state paper in the public rec- ord office, London, it appears that in 1580 persons who traveled in America had reported that there was a place where the women wore great plates of gold, covering their whole bodies like armor. In every cottage pearls were to be found: in some houses a peck. Ban- queting houses were built of crystal, with pillars of massive silver, some of gold. Pieces of gold as big as a man's fist were to be found in the heads of some of the rivers. Raleigh read ac- counts of these expeditions. but their want of success did not deter him from | VENUS AND AND MARS. The Theory That Lif Life Exists Upon Both of Those Planets. We are bound to hold life to be a general phenomenon in nature, develop- | ing wherever the stars are shining on | their attendant planets, and thus wher- | ever a star twinkles in the depths of the firmament. Now as for Mars and Venus, in our | own system, it need hardly be said | that they are surely inhabited by living | beings of some kind. Observations i show that Mars has a rare atmosphere, | a day thirty-seven minutes longer than | our own, seasons of the same type, but ! longer duration; and snow caps at the | poles, and thus water vapor. though | the amount is small. Mars is a desert | planet, with a very rare air, about like that in the higher regions of the Him- alaya mountains. But as life on the earth extends to the highest plateaus | and mountains, except when perpet- | ually frozen, it may also exist on the planet Mars, which has a moderate | temperature, as shown by the forma- tion of clouds in the twilight belt, after ! the sun has set for the Martians. i The probability of Venus being in- i ' habited is much greater than that of attempting to find the golden region.— | Blackwood’s Magazine. A LIGHT IN AN AUTOMOBILE. Use One of the Spark Plugs When You Have No Matches. Did you ever while making an auto- mobile tour find yourself on a lonely country road, perhaps miles from the nearest house, and suddenly discover that you had no matches? If you were anxious to light the lamps or ea- ger for a smoke such a discovery would not prove at all conducive to the smoothness of your temper. There is a simple way in which any one may secure a light without the aid | of matches. You may be anxious for ' a smoke or it may be getting dark and you want to light your lamp. but in any event you can secure the neces- | sary light if you will follow these di- rections: Unscrew one of the spark plugs and let it lie on the cylinder head. Wrap a small wisp of waste around the end of any small stick of wood or if there is none handy wrap it around the end of a screwdriver or any other tool. Dip the waste in the gasoline until it is thoroughly soaked. should have only a very small piece of waste; otherwise the blaze will be too big for you to handle. After dipping this in the gasoline lay it close to the spark plug and turn the engine over un- til this plug sparks. This will ignite the waste and you will have a {little torch sufficient for lighting your lamp | Even if there is a heavy rain or snow, ' you can secure a light in this manner sufficient for your needs.—Detroit Free Press. Fear of Old Military Service. A prisoner’s appeal to the court of criminal appeal for a longer sentence, | although the first on record before that tribunal, is not altogether unpar- alleled at the assize, for offenders who ! | , hangs over these old lands. Of course you ' + mot quite so borrid an ogre as some have had the advantage of inside knowledge of the working of the pris- ons acts have been known to ask the judge to give them penal servitude in- stead of a short period of hard labor. They shrink from the more Spartan diet and severer restrictions that at- tach to the nominally lighter sentence A century ago, when capital punish- ment was inflicted for many trivial crimes, a prisoner was sometimes giv- en a choice—death or service in the army or navy. And the services in those days had such a terror for some criminals that many elected to be hanged instead of serving their coun try.—London Spectator, Government of Japan. The government of Japan is not an absolute monarchy. the mikado being largely responsible to the parliament ' and, to a degree, to the people back of the parliament. Under the mikado is the house of peers, composed of the princes of the blood and the nobility and the representatives of the vested interests, and the house of represents tives, which is made up of some 380 members, representing the masses of the people.—New York Journal. An Exception. Little Mary was coloring pictures with her set of paints. She used a tint that failed to please and exclaimed: “Oh, I didn’t mean to do that! How- ever, what's done is done and can’t be undone—except shoe laces.”—Chicage News. Poor Dora. “Dora must have suffered some ter- rible disappointment. One never sees her smile now. What is the matter?” *“She’s had two front teeth pulled out.”—London Telegraph. Up In a Balloon. To remain motionless and watch the earth fall away from you as rapidly as a baseball falls from you when drop- ped from a window is the sensation of going up in a balloon. There is only one cure for public dis- tress, and that is public education, di- rected to make men thoughtful, merci- ful and just.—Ruskin. Lomesbi 1 Mars, for Venus rotates in 23 hcurs 21 minutes and in all respects so closely : resembles the earth as to be called her ! twin sister. Venus has an abundance of air, clouds. water and also moun- | tains and therefore seas, lakes and riv- | ers. The seasons are like ours except | they are shorter, the year being 225 | days in length. Why should not such a planet be inhabited? If a man were transported to Venus and landed there without injury it seems certain that he could live and flourish physically un- der the air and temperature of this beautiful planet.—T. J. J. See in Les- lie’s. . GLOOMY CARLYLE. His Pessimism and His Wonder at the Optimism of Emerson. Thomas Carlyle’'s friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson is a maiter of history, but Charles Eliot Norton tells in his published letters that Carlyle marveled at the optimism of the Amer- ican philosopher. Writing in 1873, Norton says: ‘As we were sitting to- gether just after my coming in this afternoon, Carlyle spoke of Emerson. ‘There’s a great contrast between Emerson and myself. He seems verra content with life and takes much sat- isfaction in the world, especially in your country One would suppose to hear him that ye had no troubles there and no share in the darkness that Its a verra strikin' and curious spectacle to behold a man so confidently cheerful as Emerson in these days. * ‘I agree with ye in thinkin’ that the times that are comin’ will be warse than qurs, and that by and by men may through long pain and distress learn to obey the law eternal of order, without which there can be neither Justice nor real happiness in this warid or in any other. The last man in Eng- land who had real faith in it was Oliver Cromwell. “ ‘Well, it may be as you say. I'm not such a verra bloody minded old | villain after all (here a cordial laugh), | good people imagine. But the warld | is verra black to me, and I see nothin’ to be content with in this brand new, patent society of ours. There’s nothin’ ! . to hope for from it but confusion.’ ” John L. Toole, the famous English comedian and practical joker, and Mr. Justice Hawkins, who was afterward Lord Brampton. were great friends. , They were at supper together one | evening discussing the events of the day. The judge incidentally mention- ed that he intended on the morrow giving the man he had been trying | fifteen years because he deserved it. As Toole was leaving he blandly in- quired: “Oh, would you mind calling at the newspaper offices and telling them ! about that fifteen years? It will be a | tip for them—exclusive information, | you know—and will do me no end of good with the press.” “Good gracious! No, sir!” exclaimed | -the judge. who took the precaution of | accompanying Toole to his hotel and seeing him safely to bed. : A Scoop. | | | | | | | | | 1 | i | | Mohammedan Serenity. A Mohammedan people enjoy one great advantage over all others—they never suffer from the anticipation of that which is to come, and. as a natu- ral result. they can always enjoy the present. although oniy a few hours may separate them from disaster or even from death. Their implicit be Hef in an ordained future imparts a dignified repose and outward calm to all their actions.—Blackwood’s Maga- zine. The Feminine Paradox. The uvneducated woman has often the quickest perception, the finest tact, the most vivid sensibility. She will feel without speaking: she understands your inmost thoughts; she knows with- out being told.—London Black and ‘White. The First Skyscraper. The first skyscraper was planned (but not built) by a Parisian architect in the year 1601. It was to be more than 800 feet high and provide rooms for ‘500 persons. A Good Example. Father—Why did you run away, Franz? Franz—Because mamma was #0 unkind. Fathals-That is no reason. Do 1 run away? Good manne. are the blossoms. of Wood sense and good feeling. | { | |= | Pure Rich Blood | BAD BLOOD CAUSES MOST AILMEN1S ) ds Hood’s Sarsaparilia. Prevents Disease HOODS SARSAPARILLA CORRECTS IT. Bad blood, —that is, blood thatis impure or impoverished, thin and pale, - isrespon- sible for more ailments than anything else It affects every organ and function. In some cases it causes catarrh; in others, dyspepsia; in others, rheumatism; and in still others, weak, tired, languid feelings and worse troubles. It is responsible for run-down condi- tions, and is the most common cause of disease. Hood’s Sarsaparilla is the greatest puri- fier and enricher of the blood the world has ever known. It has been wonderfully successful in removing scrofula and other humors, and in building up the whole sys- tem. Ask your druggist for Hood’s to- day. Take it—give it to all the family so as to avoid illness. 59-6 Fine Job Printing. FINE JOB PRINTING 0—A SPECIALTY—o0 AT THE WATCHMAN OFFICE le of work, from the ger” to the finest There is no s cheapest ** BOOK WORK, that we car. not do in the most satis- factory manner, and at Prices consist- ent with the class of work. Kall on or communicate with this office. om Flour and Feed. CURTIS Y. WAGNER, BROCKERHOFF MILLS, BELLEFONTE, PA. Manufacturer, Wholesaler and Retailer of Roller Flour Feed Corn Meal and Grain Manufactures and has on hand at. A times the following brands of high grade flour WHITE STAR OUR BEST HIGH GRADE VICTORY PATENT FANCY PATENT The only place in the county where that extraor- : fine grade of spring wheat Patent Flour SPRAY can be secured. Also International Stock Food and feed of all kinds. All kinds of Grain bought at the office Flour exchanged for wheat. OFFICE and STORE—BISHOP STREET, BELLEFONTE, PA. Coal and Wood. A. G. Morris, Jr. DEALER IN HIGH GRADE ANTHRACITE, BITUMINOUS AND CANNEL COAL Wood, Grain, Hay, Straw ‘and Sand. ALSO FEDERAL STOCK AND POULTRY FOOD BOTH ’PHCNES. a Yard Opposite P.R.R. Depot. 58-23-1y Money to Loan. ONEY TO LOAN on good security and houses to rent. J. M. KEICHLINE, Attorney-at-Law, 51-14-1y. Bellefonte Pa. Restaurant. ESTAURANT. = Bellefonte now has a First-Class Res- taurant where Meals are Served at All Hours Steaks, Chops, Roasts, Oysters on the half shell or in 2ny style desired, Sand- wiches, So upe, and anything eatable, can be had in a few minutes any time. In rn dition I have a com plete plant prepared to furnish Soft Drinks in bottles such as POPS, SODAS, SARSAPARILLA, SELTZER SYPHONS, ETC., for Pe nics, families and the public gener- ally all of which are manufactured out of the purest syrups and properly carbonated. C. MOERSCHBACHER, High St, Bellefonte, Pa, sn Meat Market. 50-32-1y. % a Se ] (Get the Best Meats. You save nothing by buyingrpoor, thin or gristly meats. I use only the LARGEST AND FATTEST CATTLE and Supply my Sugioms customers with the fresh- choicest ood and muscle mak- = ; Steaks and Rot My prices are no higher than poorer meats are elsewhere. I always have —— DRESSED POULTRY — Game in season, and any kinds of good meats you want. TRY MY SHOP. 47.19 MILL AT ROOPBSURG. P. L. BEEZER, High Street. 34-34-1y. Bellefonte, Pa. Groceries. Groceries. SAUER KRAUT The original Kraut made in Germany, by natural fermentation. much of the highly advertised kraut.) It is White Clean Goods, cut in long fibers like Comes in pails about 13 lbs. for 75c, 18 Ibs. 90c, and 24 Ibs. for $1.15. slaw. Let Us Have it will please you. SECHLER & COMPANY, Bush House Block, =. +i. 871 = .i= .% ; Bellefonte, Px (Not with acids as Your Order LIME AND LIMESTONE. LIME. Lime and Limestone for all purposes. H-O Lime put up in 201b. paper bags LIME. 58-28-6m for use with drills or spreader, is the econom- ical form most careful farmers are using. High Calcium Central Pennsylvania ime AMERICAN LIME & STONE COMPANY. Operations at Bellefonte, Tyrone, Union Furnace, Frankstown and Spring Meadows, Pa General Office: TYRONE, PA. Bellefonte, Pa. J Attornessat-Law. KLINE WOODRING—Attorney-at-Law,Belle- fonte, Pa, Practicesin all courts Office Room 18Crider’s Exchange. 51-1-1y. Ss B. SPANGLER.-Attorney-at-Law. Practices in all the Courts. Consultation in Eogish or German. Office in Crider’s Exch S. TAYLOR—Attorney and Counsellor at Law. Office in Temple Court, Belle- fonte, Pa. All kinds of legal businesslat- tended to promntly. H. WETZEL—Attorney and Counsellor at Law Office No. 11, Crider’s Exchange, second floor. All kinds of legal business attended to promptly. Consultation in English or Gettin M. KEICHLINE—Attorney-at-Law. Practices 3h; Shi the courts. Consultation in ipa German. Office south of court house. All Sl business will receive prompt at ention. 49-5-1y* KENNEDY JOHNSTON—Attorney-at-law Bellefonte, Pa. Prompt attention given al legal business entrusted to his care. ces—No. 5 East High street. : 57-43 G. RUNKLE.—Attorney- 24] Jaw, Consul- tation in English and Ge Office in Crider’s Exchange, Bellefonte. 58-5 Physicians. GLENN, M. D., Physician and Surgeon. State College, Centre county, Fa. at his residence. W* Dentists. R. J. E. SAR, D. D. S., office next door te Y. M. C. A. room, High street, Bellefonte, Pa, Gas administe for painless extract. ing teeth. Superior Crown and Bridge hi Price reasonable. R. H. W. TATE, Surgeon Dentist, Office in the Bush Arcade, llefonte, Pa. All mod- ern electric appliances used. Has had years of experience. All work of Superior quality and prices reasonable. y Plumbing. Good Health ed Plumbing GO TOGETHER. When you have dripping steam pipes, leaky water- fixtures, foul sew: , Or escaping , you can’t have good Health. The air you reathe is poisonous; your system mes? poisoned and invalidism is sure to come. SANITARY PLUMBING is the kind we do. It's the only kind you ought to have. Wedon’t trust this work to boys. Our workmen are Skilled Mechanics, no better anywhere. Our Material and Fixtures are the Best Not a cheap or inferior article in our entire establishment. And with good work and the finest material, our Prices are lowes than many, who give Sod work and the lowest fin the Best Work trv Eraceo Of, linsanitary nishings. For ARCHIBALD ALLISON, Opposite Bush House 14-1v. Bellefonte, Pa Insurance. EARLE C. TUTEN (Successor to D. W. Woodring.) Fire, Life and Automobile Insurance None but Reliable Companies Represented. Surety Bonds of All Descriptions. Both Telephones 56-27-y BELLEFONTE, PA JOHN F. GRAY & SON, (Successor to Grant Hoover) Fire, Life Accident Insurance. This Agency represents the lar Fire his Am Companies in the Wear: — NO ASSESSMENTS — Do not fail to give us a call before insuring your Life or Property. as we are in position to write large lines at any time. Office in Crider’s Stone Building, 43-18-1y. BELLEFONTE. PA. The Preferred Accident Insurance THE $5,000 TRAVEL POLICY BENEFITS: eet 5,000 fos of both hands, 5,000 loss of one hand and one foot, 2.500 loss of either hand, 2,000 loss of either foot, "630 loss of one eve 25 per wi Jrock, total dis disability, 10 per. ihn paral aie, PREMIUM $12 PER YEAR, pavable quarterly if desired. Larger orsmaller amounts in broport jon, Any person, male or female, engaged in a referred occupation, uy house- Feening, Dyer slghteeh } Years 0 age of ood moral an condition may nsure under this Be Pie Insurance aa
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers