HIGH-PRICED FARM LAND.
THE COSTLIEST ACRES ARE IN
THE CANARY ISLANDS.
Land Worth Five Thousand Dollars a
Hectare—A Well-Watered Hectare
of Bananas Clear Five Hundred
Dollars a Year.
Over 2,000 steamships annually visit
the Canary Islands, which lie in the
Asiatic west of the Sahara Desert. In
fact most steamers traveling between
European ports and South America
and Africa touch at the islands of
Grand Canary or Teneriffe to recoal.
The captain of an English steamship
recently said that he kenw of no place
where coaling might be done more ex-
peditiously than at Santa Cruz, the
port of Teneriffe.
Thus the Canary
siderable importance
rommerce,
Islands are of con-
in the worla's
duce or which mature in the
before they are planted in more north-
ern countries, The Canary Islands,
in fact, have much the same relation
to some Buropean countries that Ber-
muda with its early
onions has to our market.
There is comparatively little
in the islands. The result is that all
farm lands which are favorably situ-
In fact the prices
land would be regarded almost
as very exorbitant.
all the best lands in the
environs of the city of Las Palmes are
planted in bananas. A well-watered
hectare of banana plants yields a clear
profit of $500 a year, or about $200 an
acre. The result
of the best lands
toral and at an altitude
700 feet can be bought
$5.000 a hectare. It is doubtful if
there are many areas of cultivated
lands the world over that are held at
so high a price. The reason is that the
extent of these lands in the Canary
Islands is small, the demand being far
greater than the supply.
European countries greatly
ciate the bananas they receive
the Canary Islands. The fruit is sent
principally London. One of the
steamship lines which dispatches a
vessel every week from La Luz, the
port of Las Palmas, carries from 10,
000 to bunches. There are
other important sources of bananas
in the other islands and all the steam
ers in the island trade are specially
fitted for fruit transportation.
Another export which has had large
development is tomatoes They are
shipped while still unripe, each toma-
to carefully wrapped in paper and
packed in little cases containing only
50 to 100. Potatoes of the very best
quality are also becoming an import-
ant shipment, and the tobacco indus-
try,
in recent years, is another
cultural resources that is swell
exports of the Canary Islands.
The people need the land they
can irrigate because there large
a demand for their products. They
are therefore paying particular atten
tion to irrigation. Every stream that
can add to the water supplies for their
farms is being carefully husban
local company has for years
placing the streams and ponds
contribution and selling the water they
carry to the fields at so good a profit
that for several years past they have
annually augmented their business and
capital from 10 to 20 per cent. This
company is now nearly completing the
largest irrigating enterprise yet under
taken. It began the work in May,
and it will be finished this summer
The little city of Arucas with
inhabitants is on the north side of the
fsland of Grand Canary. Around it are
many plantations of bananas and
matos, making it the most important
agricultural region the islands
There is opportunity for much larger
development of the farm lands if suffi
cient water is provided. It is expected
that the large works now in progress
will supply this need
in the country
the town is a range of
whose northern slope a great deal
water pours during the winter months
A wall is building in the form of a
half circle, both ends of which abut
upon these hills. The wall and the
hills will therefore form a complete
enclosure. The wall is about 100 feet
in height, 75 feet wide at the base
and 13 feet at the top. With so for-
midable a structure it is not likely
shat the impounded floods will ever
break it down. The capacity of the en-
closure will be 800,000 cubic metres
and the stone, sand and lime used in
building it have all been derived from
the immediate neighborhood. More
than 200 workmen have been constant-
ly employed on the works for the past
three years, It is expected with the
aid of the resource to add hundreds of
hectares to the cultivated lands in the
north part of Grand Canary. —New
York Sun.
price,
tillable
everywhere
For example,
else
on the lit
of less than
for than
situated
jess
appre-
from
to
20,000
of the agri
all
is so
been
under
189%,
12. 04K)
to
of
s—-—
A Scotch Ring.
The traditional history of the Scotch
regalia ring is of the most tragic, not
to say melancholy character. It is
believed that it was the favorite ring
of Mary Stuart, and that, after her ju.
dicial murder in Fotheringay Castle,
it was transmitted to her son. From
James it descended to Charles 1, at
whose coronation at Scone in 1633 ft
played a distinct part. Once more
did this {ll-fated ring figure at an un.
timely and {ll-merited death; for, with
almost his last breath upon the seaf-
fold at Whitehall, Charles bequeathed
ft to Bishop Juxon in trust for his son.
In due course of time the ring came
into possession of James IL, and was
rarried away with him on his flight to
the Continent. When, however, he
was detained by the fishermen at
Sheerness, the ring, which bad heen
\
secreted in the king's urnderclothing,
only escaped robbery by the luckiest
of mistakes on the part of the sallor
who searched him. Thus the ring
was passed on uninjured to James's
descendants, till, by the bequest of
Cardinal York, it became the property
of the reigning dynasty once more, and
was by them replaced among the royal
jewels of Scotland, from which it had
been separated for many a long year.
Good Words.
HIGH. PRESSURE AMERICAN.
In Spite cf incessant Activity He
Lives Longer Than His Fathers.
There is hardly a week that we do
not see in some journal or newspaper
an allusion to the high pressure of
American life. It is taken for granted
that the pace that Kills is our
that we are shortening our lives
early death by
only
strain
We have often been minded to deny
the allegation, but on second thought
have not done
that
disproof.
getting
Are ‘as
exists In
scientific We
that
of
believe
because
but we
chiefly
ialism,
are unwise,
statistics. ‘he fallacy of
at American high
doubtless in the fact that
virtues of his
that we have other qualities
more than compensate in a lifelength
ening way. The insurance statistician
Frederick [.. Hoffman, make a state
ment which, If true in its details,
should be lald before of
the old char
American
“It is then a matter of gr
ance to note that there has
material i
those who sury
forty and fifty United
and the number will probably ¢
to grow the condit 1 if city
every
defects—i, e.,
all
the
the
echoers
ge azainst fast-living
at imi wort
increase number
ive to the age of thirty,
n the States
mting
as life
are improved
“At pr n
are expected
of fifty 5.975 per
000 bor:
t in M achusetts there
"PeRer
at the age
very 10,
out
4.409
number in
1, against
of the same
age of eighty the number of survivors
is 1.266 at present, against 1.058 half
a century ago. T#erefore, most valu
ajuable because of en
and comprehen
on saved to the state
cause of the sanitary and other social
made during the last ffty
This country is more hea
the exception of Norway and
Sweden, than any part of Europe, and
the effect of the intense struggle for
on the part of our business
and women {8 more than bal
by our higher standards of liv
tend to make our people
continue along the path of improve
ment. While it is impossible to ar
rive at final the basis
of our industrial experi
ence, because of medical
selection exercise pra
the fa by other
ions
Urvivors
185 At the
able lives
Nn
hanced intell
gion—have be
igence
be
Progress
years.
with
ithy
SUCCeSss
men
anced
conclusions on
or ordinary
the careful
d in insurance
established
that
subject
tic ©
the
audit
to a
indicate
born citizen is
mortality in the United States
than in his own country, and it may
safely assumed that any inherited
tendency to early decay will
than balanced by the healthier condi
tions of life in ir country. A com
parative that
table
close be and ahead of
foreign
lower
be
be more
ot
mortality shows
shind
Britain,
ahead ¢f other
Norway.
Fre Germany and
states iu our country,
has the lowest death rate,
a‘ ning the age of 100
is today ten times
tury ago
are abundant
age is being
this
Great
nee
nce,
The chan
in Massa
what it v
e of att
chusetts
was half a cen
“Certainly the
tending to pr
attained by
facts
sve that old a
men and women in
1 an ircreasing degree of
and what is better to
words an authority. It
American men at
are yroken up as badly ag
fathers wera at forty.” American
country wit
frequency,
quote the of
that our
sixty
oa
no
Crime in England,
interesting
crime and «¢
Some facts concerning
In
England and Wales
There are 5.256 criminals at large
Four thousand one hundred and sev
enty were thieves and 367 receivers
Ten thousand one hundred
forty-nine tried on indictments
year,
ed.
vitude.
No free pardon was granted.
Seven hundred and twenty-eight per
gons sent to penal servitude,
Six thousand four
thirty to imprisonment.
Twenty-four underwent flogging.
There are 2,862 under police super.
vision.
Thiee- fourths are now living honest.
ly.
About 1.000 of the “supervised” are
in London.
A Man at His Heart,
Once upon a time there was a rich
old man who had a heart so weak that
its faint beatings could hardly be
heard: yet, in the metaphor of our
time, that same heart was filled with
love for a fair lady.
The lady heard of her woer's physi
cal and financial condition, and looked
upon his suit with extreme favor, The
result was that they were married.
Moral.-—Faint heart sometimes wins
fair lady.~~New York Herald,
The main wheel of a watch makes
1,460 revolutions a year, the central
whee! 8.760, the third wheel 70,080, the
fourth 0525600, and the scape wheel
4,731,860.
ODDITY OF THE BOOK TRADE
EXTENT OF THE BUSINESS DONE
IN EXCHANGING VOLUMES,
Books For Impecunicous Readers—
Benefits Deriver by the Readers and
by the Shopkeepers Also—The
“Buyer” Occupies Unique Position.
One of the peculiar features of the
modern second-hand bookstore is its
“exchange” department. In fact, the
exchanging of books has developed to
such notable proportions. in the last
decade that it is now one of the recog:
nized branches of the trade as well as
“old bookmen,” who invariably
ahead in the negotiations.
That it must pay is evident from
the fact that many of the booksellers
advertise constantly in the magazines
and literary papers.
for the indigent student
cunious literateur who cannot afford
to buy books and has no time to
go to the library. One of the booksell-
get
new
“One young fellow,
ary man,” he said, “comes in here reg-
ularly every week with a trunkful of
books, which he doesn’t
Oh, no! But only to exchange. This
has been going on for over a year, and
I guess that by this time he must have
read every volume in the house.
“! so informed him the other day,
apd he seemed a little perplexed for a
moment. Then a light came to him
and he cried, ‘Well, you remember that
of Thackeray 1 exchanged here
some time ago—have you got that yet?
Yes? Good; let me have it.” And,
bless me, if he didn’t home his
own old books.”
Where the ler's profit
in is easily enough explained
ing, for instance, a brings here
jalzac, in reasonably fair con-
and bearing the imprint of a
well-known publishing house, which he
desires to exchange for other books.
Now, a set of Balzac is worth at any
time $10, and can be easily disposed of
at that price by any 1} ler, al-
though he himself would not pay more
than $3 for it. This ear
profit of §7,
Mz king these
culation, the
other $10 worth of
and the man
home chuckling at
But,
books
set
Carry
booksel comes
Suppos-
Sraon
a set of
OK 4
makes a cl
233 1-3 per cent
figures his basis of cal
give the
books for the Balza«
woman will go
his or her bargain
“g10”
i
18
or
bookseller will
set, or
or of fact since the
only cost the $3.
profits on a deal which only involved
a few mi consideration was just
$7 h the layman will admit is not
£0
as a matte
bookseller
utes’
wh!
bad
Some of the larger second-hand book-
in New York, with an eye
toward this particular branch of the
trade and the purchase of old books,
employ what is known in the vernacu-
lar of the business as a “buyer”; a
man whose position bears a vague re
semblance to that of a publisher's
“reader.” with this vital difference
however, that whereas the reader pass
es upon the merit of the raw material
-the manuscripts-—the buyer fpro-
nounces judgment upon the finished
product —the
in other words,
spose of rare an
any eg
g£0 0 8 DOgKstore
converting their
the are
who examines
ities, and, if a«
stores
book
desiring to
luable antique
new
ai
umes or
who
of
of
guyer,
into
referred
offered
names
Wares
coins repubii to
the
the
commod
a price.
And right here it may
said that once a price is
haggling and pleading
80 persuasive, will
one farthing. [It
we offer, or £o
owner, if he
mea), will choose the
tive, for, in some manner inconceiv
able and mysterious—to the layman, at
least—there seems to exist a sort of
“mental telepathy service”
different stores, and
second buyer is likely
to that of the first that the difference
would not pay car fare. One well
known buyer said:
“The position of a buyer is a most
axacting one
ceptable
as well be
offered no
ler
bid
what
the sel
be
ever raise the
is either "Take
to some one else.” The
man (or wo
former alterna-
be a wise
the bid of
to come so close
compatible attributes, the literary and
expert knowledge of books, an excep
cultivated taste of a connoisseur-biblio-
phiie
“Not despite all these necessary
qualifications, it is not a very remuner.
The salaries range
between $12 and $35
young chap-a college
failed In the newspaper business, ac
tually gets $40 a week, but, then, he is
considered both by his employer and
his confreres as a wonder.
the history of every book printed since
Adam.” New York Post.
a———
Tled the Wrong Shoestring.
A handsomely dressed lady, riding
receatly in a crowded Amsterdam ave
nue car, was fortunate enough to have
a seat, but when nearing her destina-
tion she noticed that the lacing of
her Oxford tie was unfastened. It
was the work of a moment, but a very
warm and trying moment, to stoop
was accomplished, her hat and veil
readjusted, and her gloves once more
carefully put on, it was time to signal
the conductor, This she did, and after
two vain attempts to rise looked
around indignantly, to find the cause
of her retarded movements. She
came face to face with a very imate
gentleman, who had been sitting next
to her. :
“Madame--Madame-where are you
toying to take me?” he demanded.
“ewyou!' she stammered.
“Yes—look tnere!” He pointed to
the floor, and in an instant she had
grasped the situation. Ly mistake In
—
groping she had found the lacing of
his shoe, which she had taken for the
other end of her own, and had fasten-
ed them so carefully together that it
took the gentleman quite five minutes
to effect a release, under the amused
glances of the other occupants of the
car, which had traveled twice that
number of blocks before the iady was
ready to give another signal.-—New
York Times.
BUTTONS FROM CLAM-SHELLS,
Rapid Development of an Industry
Which Originated in Germany.
The development of technical and
industrial schools in Germany has in-
enriched all
One of the
and studied
but has
nations.
taken up
civilized
matters
the making of buttons and other use
ful and ornamental articles from
was soon found
opalescent layers
were not the sole
able material, as had long been
lieved by the trade, and that clams
and other bivalves, not to
speak of many conches, were of near
ly, If not quite, equal value. The first
result of these examinations was the
the
swing
ITE
in the
of oyster, mother-of-pearl, and of but.
tons made from that substance.
The new industry prospered,
finally crossed the Atlantic.
has taken a firm foothold and
ing rapidly. The largest portion
the work 18 now done in the Central
States, while small concerns may
found all the way from Massachusetts
Virginia. Thus far the clam
discovered the pear] ¢ of the
Mississippi the of
that region. gO Are use
ful, but the inner linings are not so
lustrous nor iri The deep sea
clam, with its rich makes
showy and rather popular button,
soft clam, Rhode clam,
a beautiful play
surface
is grow.
to best
lam
rivers
other
clanrs
descent
indigo color
or Island
i
of color
its inner but is usually
too thin and fragile
The treatment is about the
all cases, The clams
ered so as not to in)
washed and
small amount of alkall, ~ither washing
soda lime being added to remove
any grease or dirt held Ly grease, The
extracted, and is i
Wh no alkali has
the is well adapt
or for making
has been
in hot
and
improve
make
same
gath-
They
with a
must be
ure the shell
are then bolled
or
ment is utilize
food purposes ere
been employed, flesh
ed for stews, chowders
clam broths. Where
employed the b
water and fed
chi They are said to
the flavor of the duck, ant to
the domestic bird taste very
an inferior maliard. The
then cut by an expert and
bianks. These blanks are
steamed, cut down by machinery,
shaped, Het nd polished
alkali
ydies are rinsed
to pi igs ducks,
nens
*h like
Are
fry
$0
Try E8¢
sho ils
sawed
sorted,
OSTRICH IDIOSYNCRASIES,
Feathers of Each Bird Bring About
$30 Per Year.
find mu
int of a
matters
ch to their taste |
California
one thinking of raising ostri
glad to know that
the ostrich is a very
matter, An
rept four years
adult age. it may then be expected to
yield annually about thirty dollars
worth of ostrich feathers to the owner
Feathers are obtained from the ostrich
even at the age of one year, but these
of small value. The the
keep of an ostrich is no more than that
of a sheep, so that a farmer of very
limited experience can figure
cost of a flock of ostriches
The balmy climate of Calimornit
permits the birds to remain in the
The feathers
demand, and range in
to a hundred dollars
more easy occupation
into, and few more
new
An ¥
w
in be
the care o
easy and inexpen.
ostrich has to
rives at
!
give
} ars
before it
cost of
re
easily
always in
No
be entered
than
ostrich
the raising of the domesticated
Ostriches live to the age of
it has been found
the climate of the Pacific States
south of Cape Concepcion is admirably
to the African ostrich, the
Constipation is,
farmers of "the Cape.
nourishing alfalfa that grows so read.
ily and so plentifully in California, the
ostriches thrive;
kinds of grain and vegetables,
mon opinion has it they will eat any-
thing; while the temptation naturally
is to feed the ostriches in California
upon anything that may be of low
value to the produce market, yet the
experience of the average American
ostrich farmer so far has been that the
better the ostriches are fed the bet.
ter egg layers they become,
The digestive powers of the stomach
of an ostrich are proverbial from re.
mote times, and modern statements
are that cigars, newspapers and mis.
cellany of the most \aried description
have gone successfully into the stom.
ach of an ostrich, but this is all exag.
geration, although of course ostriches
do require a certain amoun. of gravel
to asaist digestion, as do other birds,
Second class oranges, beets, the refuse
of wineries and other things not suit
able for other cattle can be safely
and profitably used to sustain the os.
trich.—The Era.
COMMERCIAL REVIEW,
Geseral Trade Conditions.
Dun & Co's
says:
R. G of
trade
“Ease in the money market, favorable
crop prospects, and confidence abroad are
the encouraging factors which outweigh
the disturbing elements of labor conflicts
and unseasonable weather for retail trade
at many points, Effects fepressing
influences are less keenly felt becau
they are belizved to be only temporary,
and confidence is expressed that with the
resumption of work and normal temper
ature there will be a return to the liber-
| distribution of merchandise
“Despite the short corn Crop fast year,
the large vield of wheat and high prices
for both resulted in ihe greatest value
for the two crops recorded, which
means that agricultural are
prosperous and other industries
hare the good fortune by increased
of product Collections are prompt
a rule, and payments through the princi-
i ing-houses are well maintaine
anding diminished speculation
there was an 1.2 per cent. at
weekly review
01 the
ever
the sections
sales
as
Notwith
an increase of
New York, compared with last year's
changes Returns as to porta
OW losses in grain movement
being more than made up elsewhere
way earnings ft far reported for
showing a gain of 6.5 per cent. oy
year and 19 per cen 1900
“Failures tor the umbered 104
in the Ur State 148 1
cx
tion
are
ail
rai
5
May
er last
fram
iran
that
over
Ah
t
ited against
Year,
LATEST QUOTATIONS.
$3 15a3
my,
roosters kens
©a hh
winter
25a30¢; spring chic
chickens, per Ib, 1Bazac;
12a13¢C Ducks, 10ati1¢
steers, association and
60 Ibs and up, close se
cows and light steers, BY}
30a 320
u hickens,
Hide Hea
alters, late kill,
lection, 11at1ac:
a(x
Live Stock.
Chix ARO Cattle “Slow an d 10 lower
medium, $4.7526.00; stockers and feeders,
$2.50a5.00; cows, $i.soasys: heifers,
canners, $i1.50a23%0;: bulls,
calves, $200a6.00; Texas-fed
steers, $5.00a6.30
Mixed and butchers,
$6.90a7.25: good to choice, heavy, $7.20a
7.40; rough. heavy, $60sa7.15: light,
$670ay700;: bulk of sales. $r00ar.2s
Sheep-—~Ewes lower: wethers steady
Lambs, choice, strong. Good to choice
wethers, $5.40a60.25; Western sheep, $5.25
a6.25: native lambs, $500a7.00; native
lambs, $5.235a7.00.
East Liberty —Cattle steady: choice,
$7.18a7.50; prime, $6.75a7.00; good, $6.75
Hugs slow; heavy, $7.20a7.35; mediums,
$r0007.08; heavy Yorkers, $5.9%5a7.00
light do. $6Boaboo: pigs, $5.060a6.75%;
roughs, $6.00a6.75. Sheep, =low, prime
wethers, $4.00a510; culls ard common,
§200a2.%0; choice lambs, $5.25a5.50; veal
calves, $7.00a7.50
LABOR AND INDUSTRY
Toledo cigarmakers won
mands,
The United States produces
cent, of the world's coal
New York's employers’
will go into effect on July 1.
Buffalo labor men propose organizing
a labor party for local elections. .
All the labor measures before the Mas.
sachusctts legislature were killed in the
senate last week.
Detroit sireet car men. as a resclt of
an arbitration, were awarded a usiform
rate of 231% cents an hour.
their de-
20 per
Liability bill
BRIEFLY TOLD.
Quick Reading.
Crowded Boat Upsets end Two Perish Big
Surplus in the State Tressury--Five Hurt
ine Rusaway- Drowned While Trying to
Take a Drink Mutilated Corpse Fornd
$15,000 Fire in Hamburg
Pensions granted or A Lana-
ghan, Allegheny ; Elias B. Coll Pitts
burg, $6; Stephen Deibert, Hopewell,
fio; Obadiah J. F arling Ha yrrisburg, $10
William H. Nelson, Thompsontown, $24;
Wil illiam F. Booth, Roscoe $8: Edwin A
Spartanburg, $10; William H
Pittsburg, $12 ( Mil
8; Hamil Du
; William burg
Summit
wt, 12;
Coalport $12;
Macedonia 18
{yee TRE
er
Tay,
$10
( “harl es
CC
Delozier,
Delozier
Smuth,
Hunt
Meadvill
ngs, Millh
FV ayettes 1
Pittsburg
1
Galp
Cummi ir
B aught
Daniel
Callister
Lewis,
>
, P: tents granted -
pump; Sol
street
were
were
of
by an
threw
r but of
fatal in
ously in-
Boogar,
ghtened
ident oc
steel. while the
Gulf Ceme-
short distance the
wagon Co ntaming
and Sloan he wd,
Smith and Ham
wagon
from
Hh w ken
thrown from the
jestroyed about $i5.000 worth
at Hamburg A spark from
engine at David Baehr's ice
actory ignited an adjoining sta-
nd from there the flames spfead to
irg Knitting Mills and several
ile The losses are as fol-
H amburg Knitting Mills, $10,000,
86.000: David Baechr, $3.500,
Mrs. Amos Kerchoff, fac-
building, $2,000, partially insured;
Raubenhold. stable and contents,
partially insured
The dead body of Thomas Brennan, of
Zhamash yn, was found lying near the
Bull Run engine house. The head was
pu apparently with a hatchet and
there were several bullet wounds in the
The coroner has been unable to
. d
tory
Mrs. A
Her horse shying at a train, Miss
Catherine Pardee, dfghter of Frank
Pardee, the coal operator, of Hazleton,
wat thrown over the dashboard of her
carriage under the horse's feet. Her left
leg was fractured in two places and she
was badly cut and bruised
A horse and buggy belonging to
Oram Stamm was stolen while Mr.
Stamm was attending memorial c#remo-
nies. Word was sent to near-by towns
and the outfit was located in a livery sta-
ble at Sunbury, where two women had
taken the horse to be fed. The women
cannot be located.
Another youth lost his life in the Del-
aware river at Bristol, following the dis-
aster on Memorial Day, when two Jong
men lost their lives by the {wamping o
an overcrowded rowboat Walter Phil
lips, aged 15 years, was drowned while
swimming with some companions.
was seized with cramps a Lirowned. ~
his companions were unable to render
assistance. The body was tro
The first armor for the
Pennsylvania, made by
Steel y. underwent a severe trial
at the Government proving
Indian Head and scored a
cess.