THE COLUMBIAN, BLOOMSBURG, PA. GREAT TUNNELS. i Modern I ruproverncnta, and Srlrnr Hav. I.enrl th. CnM. In f .i-pirin the four i?rp:U tunnHs It Is l;ir- i' St:n to note that time Is in. f stri;- V:m irv .Vmnt In the rot. Tho oM.-at ;m!,W-H.vMi!-oo.t $379 a frtj Mniiii. tho Iioxt iJJok:, cost i''J i fi.it; ?t v:hird m: --! a fmt, anl tho rn -is: ivci-nt tunnel of the four the Arlhrrg out only $156 a fxL All f,..ir tveiv 'M setilol countries, n-l:h a-iui'.l int lalur, and the very great dlfferen.'p in cut per foot plainly mark ed the ;riv of science, because It was ttv Invention and Improvement In tools th.it nude It possible to reduce the time and thus the cost. To reserve the difference between the work on the three (treat European tun nels, built by Government aid In old set:led countries, It may be well to ob serve f.ir a moment the work done on comparatively small tunnel built far from civilization through the Cascade Mountains, on the line of the Northern Pacific U.i!lroad. The mountain through which the tun n?l Is cut Is 3.7W fe?t above the floor of the tunnel. To understand the magni tude and difficulty of this undertaking It must be observed that the Bite of the tunnel at the time the contract for the construction wa signed was an unbrok en wilderness. At the then existing terminus of rail connection everything men and tents, fold, horses, machinery, lumber, hospi tals, and In fact, the material for the army had to be transported over Impro vised roads 82 mtl?s through forests, through snow and mud, to the east por tal of the tunnel, and 87 mllei to the west portal. fix months passed before all the ma chinery was on the spot. Rivers had to be turned aside, bridges built, camps es tablished and msm and horses collected, fed, housed and cared for nearly 100 miles from a locomotive. The tunnel li :C'j feet wide and 22 feet high, and the rntlr? distance (8,950 feet) was bored through the mountain In "2 months, tha rate of progress with the power drills being 413 feet a month, and the cost oi tne completed tunnel was only $1.1S a foot, and tha entire work was completed In 2S months from the signing of the contract in New Tork city. Chautau Quan. , 4 Widow Smith. At high noon I rode to a settler's dtlf out on the banks i the Republican Riv er to see If I could get a bite to eat, but before I had dismounted from my horse a woman came out and aalu'ed m.i with: 'Hell! stranger ar' ye arter the Widow Smith?" "I don't know any Widow Smith," I replied, as I noticed that she was bare footed, hair uncombed and her general appearance very slouchy. "I'm her." "Well, I'm sorry you lost your hus band. Can I get a bite to et?" "Then you wasn't makln" for her?" he queried. "No." "Wasn't headed this way beltane you heard I was a widder?" "No." "Didn't know I had a claim, four ch'l dren, this dug-out and a span of mewls?" "No." "And you are not on the marry?" she persisted. "I have a wife, madam." "Shoo. I've had two husbands and burled both. Jest want a bite to eat?" "If It won't be too much trouble and you'll take pay." "And you are not lookln' arter wld ders?" "No, ma'am. I'm going up to Herbert on business, and I was told to take this trail as the shortest route. Did you say I could have dinner?" "No, I didn't say It!" she replied, as she turned away. "If you was headed for here to see the Widder Smith she'd sot out the best she had In the house, but beln' as you are headed fur Herbert and not lookln' arter wlddi'S, Mrs. Smith begs to inform you that she don't run no hotel, and you kin ride on five miles fur ther or fill up on water from tha creek!" Detroit Free Press. The Gulf Ft ream. According to Captain Maury, the gulf stream runs up hill. H says that after emerging from the Gulf of Mexico this famous current of warm water broad ens out toward the north and becomes correspondingly more and more shallow. Thus, Its depth off the Island of Bemlnl Is about 200 fathoms, while off Cape ITat- teras It his shallowed to about 100 fath oms. Ho calculates the assent at ten Inches to the mile. Sir John Herschel says that the so called "running up hill" of the gulf stream Is a "strange perversion of lan guage." The warm water of the gulf stream Is more buoyant 'than the cold water of the North Atlantic, and floats on its surface. It spreads out as It moves northward, and necessarily forms a layer, becoming thinner and thinner. Some portion of It, It la true, rises to a higher level, but this Is not motion against gravity. How Ii-ai Ik Curried. A physician In a country village has lately given to his medical brethren sjm additional Instances of the ways In which contagions are spread that should make u all thoughtful. The only case of scarlet fever ever lost by this doctor was one in whloh the disease was com municated by a letter written by a moth er (In whose family there were two cases of the fever) to a friend a hundred miles away. The envelope of the letter was given to a child as a plaything. Another severe case of the fever was contracted by a little girl from two playmates who had what the doctor called "scarlet rash," and still another was carried to a family by a carpcn.er, who lived eight miles away, whose llttl children were ailing with scarlatina, a disease that "the attending physician Informed the fither was not nearly as catching as scarlet fever." New York Evening Post. .e An Kroiioinlr Muaeum. Orm of the educational schemes which the University of Pennsylvania has un dertaken In connection with 1U new de velopment Is the founding of an econom ic museum. It is to represent every thing in connection lth the trades, In dustries and commerce of thn nation. It might almost said of the world. For it Is to represent the products and mate, rlalr cf all the arts, Industries an trades, the study and comparison ot which will better fit the student for his chosen life work, ba It manufacturing, any one of the textile arts, or Of the trades, or of the productive, technical or constructive lnlustriiM which hive mada and are making the United States the greatest Industrial nation on the glob. HELD A LOSING HAND. II Wns Not the One she Wanted, but It Vh Welroine. A -clmrming young woman who llvei .in tho wttt isli'.e, and her young iua:i 'ound the Summit street cars packed 13 the doo.s the other evening when tlicy stared home from the Auditor ium. Noihlng daunted, Miss West Siilo sought a phtoe upon the step ot '.he platform. She had barely room lor one foot, nnd as the car lurched and heeled sho clug to Charley's big, strong hand. Occasionally under cov- of the darkness, she squeezed It tenderly, . because well, because she nnd Charley are engaged. And so she held on to the hand for many blocks. "Charley," said she, "aren't you uboui worn out holding me on the cur lth yenir one loor, tlrwl hand?" "What!" cried Charley In horrified tones. Mademoiselle looked up and then dropped the hand frantically. She hid 1'ccn holding to nnd squeezing tl.e. hand of an entire stranger, a yc i- fellow with black mustache u.- a pleasing eye. "I beg a thousand pardons!" gasp ed mademoiselle. "Don't mention It!" replied the si.-anser. "You were entirely wel come." Kansas City Star. I A Wi lli til's I'oniio. Iit. "Why women writs postscripts" Is problem that has been engaging the attention of one of the London wo uldn't weeklies. The answers betray, that the sex understands Itself, and docs not mind exposing Its amiable weaknesses. All are from women, who ascribe, among others, these rja sons: "Because they seek to rectify wr.nt of thought by an afterthought;" "because they are fond of having a last word;" "because they write be fore they think and think after they, have written." One correspondent puts down the feminine P. S. to the same cause "which leads women to prolong leave-taking In omnibuses, namely," nnd rather profoundly it appears to tho casual observer, "that ttrey lack organization of thought." Another woman comes to the defense of her Bisters with the suggestion "that when women have anything special to communicate they know that their P. S. Is equivalent to N. B.," and yet another friendly soul turns a neat compliment In her reason: "Probably because woman herself Is the embodiment of the P. S. In the scale of creation she the In dcspensable was added last." i Not ih;l Klt "I T Belle I was caught by the under tow and nearly drowned. Nell Gracious! Who had hold ot It? 1 lie Same Idea. The directors of a bank had engag ed the set vices ot a watchman, who caoie well recommended, but did not seem over-experienced. The chair mui.. thtrefore, sent for him to post him uu a bit and began: "James this is your first Job ot this kind, isn't it?" "Yes. sir." "Your duty must be to exercise vis. llance." "Yes. sir." "ilu careful how strangers approach you." "I will, sir." "No stranger must be allowed to enter the bank at nlg'at under any, pretext whatever." "No. sir." "And our manager he Is a good man. honest, reliable and trustworthy; but it will be your duty to keep your eye on him. "But It will be hard to watch two men and the bank at the same time." "Two men how?" "Why, sir, It was only yesterday that the manager called me in for a ta-lk. and he said you were one of the be&t men In London, but It would be Just as well to keep both eyes on you, and let the directors know ir you hanr round after hours." it" A Pailli'K Utl , ' "Yonder sne comes,' bald a tall, lank man who was sitting on a trunk near the railroad station. "Yonder who comes," asked a fat, heavy man who sat near him. "The train," replied the lank man. "Why do you say 'Yonder she comes?' " asked tho fat man. "Well, that's the customary way of speaking ot a train, Isn't it? And cr.stum la what fixes things. Every body says, 'Yonder she comes' la (peaking of a train's approach." "Well, I insist you should have said, 'Yonder he comes. " "Oh, pshaw! nobody ever says 'he' in speaking of a train," returned tho lean man. "Well, I'll agree to leave It to the station agent, and see if It wouldn't have been better for you to have said 'Yonder he comes,' " added the fat man. Both agreed to It, and when they, nau tound the ugont the fat man ask' ed: "Whar Is' tho train JuBt coming Into the station?" "It's a mall train," he answered. Then the lean man went out and bought a goo:) clsnr for the fat man, lll,,i...n N'nuli. :. Il.u.,1 A Rochester liy spoke of bloomers), ll'.a m ihur tsuld Vj-urprtsa, "iUoonv ers? What do you. kuoV about bloom era." "Oh. I know w.':t they are said the boy, 'They'rl puff sleeves worn cn th legs." Rf'hester Post Lxpresa. A 3UZE.TI LITTLE ANIMAL - "I lUli.it Rt, Guinea Tig nnd Squirrel- 'niight In a Trup. A itrRrie animal was received by Mr. FYr.rk Iteming, a wtll-known bu?lnoss nut t f this city, tho early part of last w.nU, from one of his traveling men, who obtained thi) frrak from a farmer inn neur Pleasant Kill. Mo. Th.; far mer found it one niornlnn in a trap h h.nl set for squirrels. The traveling n..m forwarded it to this city, where It has ben placed on exhibition at V.'h-ntneld's cigar store, on Walnut street. Thousands of persons have gvid on the little beast, but all at tempts to discover to what species of the animal kingdom It belongs have .rovd failures. All have agreed that It belongs tn the rodent family, but to what separate branch of that family cannot ba determined. 1 i.e animal Is a prlmattve thing, weighing about Fix ounces, and meas ures from tip of nose to its tall about fix In.-hes. The tsll Is four Inches In length. It has the attributes of four pnrate members of the rodent species, with a considerable Individuality of ita own. The head, forelegs and lower bf.iy are exactly like the Taguan fly qulrrel I'teromys Petaurlsti. Its tall is ui.-tlnetly that or an ordinary rat, v.l.ll Its hind legs are short, with feet that resemble hands, that when It per ches on the hauri"h"s one Is reminded of the kinxaroo, Tho cars, eyes and forehead ure th.sa of the guinea pig u'!a eproa. Its Individual feature s-pnite from all branches of the ro- ib nt tribe Is that not a hair can be discovered anywhere upon the body. with the exception of a few whiskers about th? nos. Its mouth Is another strance feature, although It Is mor like the mouth of a tulnen pig than any otlvr. The skin Is a delicate buff In color and hangs ail over the body In loose folds, being quit elastic, there being quite enough to cover an animal five times the size of this on. It feeds on candy and br'al, and will not eat meat or any subvtdiice of that kind. A number of doctors and soologlcal t.uiils havn studied the strange crea ture rlos.'ly, but all efforts toward a solution of th1? primitive puzzle have fallrd. Dr. Schsnit hau Riven the mon stroelty a very close Htudy, and arrived at th conclusion that it is a cross through several generations of brte4- ng of the four species of the rodeul bifnch of the animal kingdom. Cin cinnati Enqulnr. The Lonrn of !up-iit nnil China. Possibly no trustworthy statistics will ever be made public of China's force and losses in her late war with Japan. The Japanese, however, make their reckonings carefully, and the state ment that they had a total effeotlve strength In the campaign of a little less than 61.0C0 troops, and of these lost 96S by deaths In battle and from wounds Is an expressive comment on the char acter of rhe fighting. Adding the naval asiialtles, m.ght curry this loss in battle somewhat above 1,000. The dnaths by disease were quite heavy, be ing put at 3,118, of which over half, It is sitld, wre from cholera. If we compare these aggregate losses in the field with those of the Union or Confederate forces In a slnsle great battle of our civil war, some notion will be hd of the difference In the magni tude of the armies and the character of the fighting. The chief point suggested, of course. Is the ease with which the Chinese were put to flight. Strange as it may seem, considering their great population, they were outnumbered at Important points, and greatly so at Plrig Yang, the prlncljirl land buttle of tho war. Putting that fact with their Inferiority in arms, In marksmanship, and In discipline, it may be no less a wondvr that they Inflicted so little loss nn the Japanese. That the latter would have stood up, and would have won, undor much severer losses, there Is very reason to believe. On the whole, It Is creditable to the apsnese commanders that they accom- llMh'-d results so striking with forces o nod"rate and with losses so few. hey need not b? ashamed of their flg- ur, for these show a finely calculated jdjuitment of means to ends, and a skillful use of those means worthy of sreat praise. Still, they would find war onl'.cr with other foes. Ti i.i. In S'any Toi gnes. The latest edition of " The Oospel In Many Tongues " glvas a single verse John ill., lit.) printed In the 820 langu- iges which the Bible Society embraces n its issues, and it should be noted that rom their number, versions no longed n circulation have been careful exclud d. It Is Impossible to look without .motion on so striking an Illustration of vorld-wlda devotion and self-sacrlfloe. ;Iow meagre even th greatest linguls !c gift are found to be before this gal ery of alphabet?, so diversified that the ame verse occupies In some cases an nt'.ra paye, In others two or three lines inly, while the words which It com irlpes v.iiy from the terr!flr agglutlna lon of the Iroquois to the monosyllablo jrevlty of the Chinese vernaculars! Kow strariji-ly dlV Tent the develop, nent which evolved 2,f".)0 separate forms 'run one primeval tongue, and now e-,Js to ivvrt to ltd aboriginal unity r.ce more! How Inscrutable the des ir.y ordaln.l for the sacred books of 'hrliitlanity that they should be trans, it? hie into evry known type of human pne"li, and should even at times stand ut as solitary beacons, the sole memor- il of dd tongues and peoples! The .juarterly Review. Th" following were the rates of post ag-i in this country In the year 1800: r.verv letter composed of a single sheo f psptr conveyed not exceeding forty nib s, elnht cents; over forty miles and not ereeedlng lilO miles, 12 1-2 cents; ov-.t 1.10 and not exceeding 300 miles icventeen cents; over 300 miles and not .veeilli;g f,00 miles twenty cents; over .'CO, twenty-five cents. Kvery letter omposed of two pieces of paper, double thi-c rates; every lott?r composed of thr-M. pieces of paper, triple those rates; "very letter composed of four pieces of ,'apii' weighing one ounce, quadruple thoxe rates, and at the rate of four ilnple lcttrs for each ounce any letter or packet may welch; every ship letter irij'lnally received at an office for de ..very, with six cents. HiMt 1.1 htTinii ItilR 1 "1 Ikm's a stonn cmiiln', John; hituli ;h" clj mule In front o' tho house." i '"What fer, dad?" "iVcll, If thar comes a flash o' ";h;nin' he'll kick It Into flinders be viv 1. lilts the house!" Atlanta Conwii. . ....iO. . . 9 m 0 flrS THE LARGEST PIECE OF GOOD TOBACCO EVER SOLD FOR Q CENTS "Better work wisely than work hard." Great efforts are unneces sary in house cleaning if you use 3 APOLIO B. F. Sharpless, Pres. N. U. B LOO LAND IMPEOVEMENT COMPAHY. Capital Stock, $30,000. Plotted property is in the coming business centre of the town. It includes also part of the factory district, and has no equal in desirability for residence purposes. CHOICE LOTS are offered at values that will be doubled in a short time. No such opportunity can be Lots secured on SMALL Maps of the town and of plotted property furnished on application. Call upon or write to the Secretary, or J. S. "Woods, Saks Agent, or any member ot the Uoard ot Directors. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. B. F. Sharpless; C. W. Neal, A. G. Dr. 11. W. McKeynolds, THE POSITIVE CURE. Jlfc .Jk:.:.itr3 sly IUIOTHER8. fit Warren Bt, New Tork. Price BO cUlCjcESL ry.fOfc'p in r--are v a in. 3 ANAnTIDOTE' R)RLDULLHE55. - TRY" IT iANDiEEYOUMSTORE 1 lJLw M.CUST0MER1 IT LTJV Funk, Sec. C. II. Campbell, Treas. M SB U R had elsewhere to make money. MONTHLY PAYMENTS- J. L Dillon. Brigos, Dr. I. W. Willits, N. II. ruxK. 11-19- 1-MJI1NE: DULL WITH" YOU ? Grown AcmQfJ The best burning oil that can bo made from petro loum. It gives a brilliant light. It will n(lt moke the chimneys. It will not char the I wick. It has a hip.h fire test. It will not explode. It is pre-tminentljr a family safety oil. J We Challenge Comparison with any other illuminating oil made. We stake our Reputation, as Refiners upon the statement that it is The Best Oil IN THR WO I I. II. ASK YOUR DEALER FOR. Crown - Acme -:o: BLOOMSBURG STATION, ULOOM SHUFG, r-A THE MARKETS. BLOOMSBURG MARKETS. CORRECTED WIIILT. RITA1L PRICI8. Butter per lb $ .18 Eggs per dozen ,16 Lard per lb , ul Ham per pound ,,, .uj Fork, whole, per pound .06 Beef, quarter, per pound. . . 07 to .10 vt heat per bushel .80 Oats " " as Rye " " 65 Wheat flour per bbl 4.20 Hay per ton 8.00 Fotatoes per bushel, .80 Turnips " " j Onions " " 1.00 Sweet potatoes per peck. . ...85 to .30 1 allow per lb , Shoulder " " u Side meat" " 10 Vinegar, per qt. 07 Dried apples per lb .05 Pried cherries, pitted .12 Rispbernes .14 Cow Hides per lb .3J Steer " ' 0e CalfSkin 80 Sheep pelts , .75 Shelled corn per bus .75 Corn meal, cwt a. 00 Bran, " i.a0 Chon i.,e Middlings " 1.2 e Chickens per lb new .ia " "old 22 Turkeys " " 15 Cieese " " .10 Ducks " " 10 COAL. No. 6, delivered 3.40 350 2. a$ 3S " 4 and s ... " 6 at yard " 4 and s at yard E. A. RAWLINGS. DEALER IN All Kinds of Meat. Beef, Veal, Lamb, Mutton, Pork,' Hams, Bacon, Tongues, Bologna, &c. Free Delivery to all parts of the town. CENTRE STREET, BLOOMSBURC, PA. B-'aTTelephone connection. CAVEATS.TRADE COPYRIGHTS. :MArB57 ! CAIJI I OBTAIN A PATENT t VOT k f"'"U,i,'i'r and nn Uonost opinion, writ, to i'lls A- CO., who have bad nuurlT tiltj jenn' expenenoo in the patent builneai. Communlu. tluua .tnctly oonHduutlal. A llandbouk of lu xormatloD oonoarniUR I'atrnls and bow to ob tain tbam aunt free. AIm a cataloguo Ot meohaa leal and wluntltlo booki imt free. Patent taken tbrougb Muun A Co. reoolra pacial notice m the MclttutlHo Amerlrnu, and tbua are hrouuht wldelr before Hie public with, put cost to the loventor. This aulendld paper, .sued weekly, elegantly illustrated. ha br far the J?.?' gjroulatiou of an. avientmo work tu Uio 1. ij. year, Sainiile wiplea sent Iroe. . Huildlna Kdition, monthly, ilfiu a year. Blngl. fop'ea, a ceuta. Kvery number contain beau tiful platea. In color., and photon ra t ha of new Bouaea. wltb plana, enabling bullden to ahow the dBBiima and aecure oontrants. Addreaa JUMN & CU, MKW IfOKK. 301 BUUAUWAT. BAOENDORPH'8 PATENT 8C0TI0NAU Steel Ceilings and Side Wall Finish: For Churches and Meelilenwa. Catalogue, prices and enllinatea, on apiillcailoo to the Hole Manufacturer, TUB 1KSS IkOl KIKIPISO COB. CO., (Ltd.) Nillada., ra. Also niukt'in of I.lKlitnlnK, Fire and Htorm-i'rool Hieil KooUua nod Hldlua. Uet clrculum, SUBSCRIBE FOR THE COLUMBIAN 1
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers