Pittsburg dispatch. (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, December 14, 1890, THIRD PART, Page 19, Image 19

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'THE PITTSBURG- -DISPATCH. , SUNDAY, DECEMBER l . 14,
1890.;
19.
tTRAXSLATEDrOBTOT DISrATCU.l
At one of the small attic windows or a
large tenement house, standing in a narrow
and not overly clean street, staod a small,
thinly clad hoy, who looked discontentedly
out into the clear, autumn evening. The
street below him, with its busy, noisy
throne, already lay in deep shadow, and the
last rays of the setting sun sent a parting
glance into Paul's humble home. In an
swer to a faint call the boy turned with a
sigh from the window and walked to the
other side of the room, where, on a miser
able bed. which stood against the dark, bare
wall, lay a pale, sick woman, Paul's mother,
who for u. toL weeks had been unable to
rise, and, although her son gave her eTery
attention In his power, the suffering one
grew no better.
Old SibyLcalled the wise woman, who
lived in a lifts cottage just outside the city
gate, had said there was a means by which
tbe sick woman could be healed; but this
means was made known only to those who
would go out into the world and seek for it.
Paul would gladly have followed the ad
Tice of the wise wuman, and gone in search
of the wonderful cure; but how could he
leave his mother alone and with no one to
care for her? As the boy prepared his
simple evening meal, and at the same time
pondered over his sorrow, a loud knock
sounded at.tbe door and an old woman, bent
with age and having a deeply wrinkled face,
lighted by clear, bright eyes, entered the
room. Supporting herself on her staff she
looked curiously at Paul, then at his mother,
and said: "Good evening to you both. You
did not expect old Sibyl with her SO years to
climb these steep stairs, and were it not that
I wish to serve you I should not be here."
Tnen, turning to Paul, the old woman
continued:
"I know of vour great desire to go in
search of the remedy which will heal your
mPilm if
pill .
HIS DEEAET SLAVERY IJT THE 'WOODS.
laother, and I have come to say that your
wish is to be gratified. To-morrow you
shall begin your journey, and you need have
no anxious fears about rour mother, for old
Sibyl shall not allow her to want.
Early the next morning Paul started on
his way. When he had passed through the
city gates and reached the great forest, whose
trees were adorned in their gay autumn at
tire, the world seemed very beautiful to the
little boy who bad spent very few hours in
the fields or woods.
Paul wandered on. day after day, passing
large cijies and pleasant villages, in all of
which he did not fail to ask for work, but
nowhere were his service needed. The boy
was almost discouraged, fearing lesthe must
return to his mother penniless and without
the remedy for which he was searching. One
cold, unpleasrnt evening.as he trudged along
a narrow path leading through the forest,
be heeded not the howling storm nor the
wind sighing through the trees, for he was
sad and heartsick. In the last village
where he had stopped he had spent his last
penny, and had been unable to find work.
Suddenly, as if by mfgic, the moon shone
forth, and put to night the dark clouds
which for many hours had obsenred the
heavens, and in "the bright light which fell
through the trees upon the little path Paul
saw on the ground directly in front of him
something glittering. "When he picked it
up it proved to be a bright gold piece, but
on it weic traced strange characters un
known to Paul. The boy looked about for
the owner ol the money, but as no one was
in sight lie put the gold piece in his pocket
and continued his way, until he saw in the
distance a light gleaming trom a window.
As Paul approached he discovered a small,
white cottage.
'How com'ortable and warm it must be in
there," thought Paul. "Perhaps I can find
ioocl and lodging here."
In answer to his knock a tall, ill-natured
looking man opened the door, and in a
rough voice asked: "What do you want?"
When Paul had asked permission to
spend the nigbt there, and had added in a
proud tone that lie could pay for his lodg
ings, tbe man invited him to enter and led
bin) into a plain but nrm room and seated
him at a table near the window. Then the
boy drew out his gold piece, and, having
shown it to the man, asked hesitatingly:
"Would vou take this in pay for my supper
and bed?"
An ugly smile played over the man's face
as he examined the gold piece, and then he
replied: "It certainly is not like our
money; but as it i all yon have, I shall take
this and you may pay the remainder by
cutting wood for me."
Paul, glad to have such a comfortable
shelter, willingly agreed to do the work,
and gave up his gold to the man. who at
once left-the room in order to prepare the
meal. Wben Paul was left aloue he heard
behind him a thin, shrill voice, saying:
'Yon foolish boy. you foolish boy."
Astonished and somewhat frightened
Paul turned in the direction of the sound,
and there on the window sill stood a very
small man, wearing a gray cap, a long red
coat, and on his breast a golden star which
indicated that he came from the court of the
dwarf king. Terms.
"You foolish boy," again said the dwarf,
"to so carelessly throw away yonr fortune.
That gold which you have given to the wood
cutter was made in our kingdom. It is
dwarf money, and we can help only those
wuo have it iu their possessing We gave it
10 vou because we knew 'rom old Sibyl of
your troubles,.aud we wished to aid von."
"O, if I had only known," sigh.d Paul.
"Is there nofwny by which I can regain the
lost treasureJT,
"I know qfVpo way," replied the dwarf,
"for we have no power over those who hold
ourmoneyTIie woodcutter will proven
hard taskmaster, and you will be hard
pressed witb.work: but unless you secure
. : -V-'J
the gold in 30 days, all will be lost and our
efforts to help you will be. vain."
The dwarf then vanished, and Paul de
termined that he would work early and late
and then demand his gold piece at a reward
for his labor. As the dwarf had 'said, the
woodcutter was a hard master, and early
every morning the boy was off to the forest
either to chop wood or bripg in that which
had already been cnt. After several days
Paul asked the woodcutter if he had not
worked long enough to receive some reward.
But the man only shook his head and said:
"You have not" even earned your bread
yet."
Paul labored on, constantly thinking how
he should regnin his propertv; for he now
knew that the gold belonged to him, and
that his master had deceived him as to its
value. Prom time to time the dwarf would
appear to learn with what success Paul was
meeting, and to cheer and comlort the
almost disconraged boy.
The 30th day at last dawned and the gold
was still in possession oi the woodcutter.
Yet Paul did not entirely abandon hope.
On this morning, as usual, he went to bis
work in the forest and when on tbe way
there he heard loud voices and angry dis
putes. A moment later the woodcutter and
a stranger came in sight. Paul, not wish
ing to be seen by his master, quickly con
cealed himself behind a tree and listened,
unobserved, to the conversation. The wood
cutter was saying : "I am a strong, power
ful man, and'if you do not at onoe give over
your money you'shall never leave this forest
alive."
When the stranger again refused the
woodcutter seized him by the throat and
would have Killed him ontright had not the
stranger begged for mercy and yielded to
his demands. That night when the day's
work was over and Paul sat alone in his
room, he fell asleep and dreamed that Old
Sibyl came to him and said : "Go into the
next room and there you will find your
gold piece."
Paul awoke with a start and hastily ran
into the next room. There sat bis master
before a table on which lay a great heap of
gold. The wood-cutter looked up as Paul
entered, and cried angrily: "What do yu
want here, do you wish to steal from me 7"
"Xo, I do not wish to steal," answered
Paul, "but I do wish my gold piece, and
unless you return it to me I shall tell of
your encounter with the stranger in the
lorest."
The wood-cutter grew pale, and. produc
ing the dwarf money, gave it to Paul, beg
ging him to be quiet. Glad to again have
his treasure, Paul left the house and at once
began his journey toward his home. As he
entered the lorest he was greeted with shouts
of "hurrah" lroni his friend, the dwarf, and
in another instant the forest was ablaze with
light, and the dwarf king, Terrus, and his
subjects approached. The king said: "I
must commend your industrious, persever
ing ways, and promise that sojlong as you
keep our gold piece, vou shall never be in
want,"
iaul then continued his journey and in a
short time was once more with bis mother.
The dwarfs kept their word. The sick
mother became strong and well and she and
her son spent the rest of their lives in hap
piness. Paysie.
SOME ENIGMATICAL NUTS.
Fnzzles for the Little Folks That "Will Keep
Their Brains Busy for Most of the Week
If They Solve Them Correctly Home
Amusements.
Address communication for this department
to K.K. CnADBOUKX, Lewiston, Maine.
1332 A CHILD-AUTHOB'S TVOEK.
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1333 SYNCOPATION.
Whole.
"A boisterous wrangler" Is a pest.
His noisy tongue is ne'er at rest;
Always shontmg, blustering, yelling,
Jn a way there is no quelling:
Quarreling witbont a cause
Subservient to no social laws.
Lcitt.
Like whole. I too, keep up a cry,
Dstnrblng those who are pa-sing by.
You often bear me nu the street
Where various renders hare their beat;
Sometimes in pulpits I appear.
And at the bar my sbonts yon bear.
But whole and last In lungs abound.
And lack of sense makes up In sound.
JfELSOXIAX.
1334 CHARADE.
The total of despair
It hopelessness; "
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There's only sorrow where
Hope vanishes.
HPe Is the magic one
which openetb
All doorsbeneath the sun
All doors but death.
The tast or hope Is loy;
Expectancy
Is a sustaining buoy
In trouble's sea.
Bitteb Sweet.
1335 the house tbot.
"All the world has gono crazy over trotting
horses," mused Sir. Falrlev, and. meditating
unon the subject for awbile.be decided bo
might as. well be a lnnatic with tbe rest, and
went to see tho race. Hesoon became asexcited
as any of them, and before he knen it, tbe dig
nified gentleman, who hated gambling, had lost
every cent be had with him, by betting. "Ah,
well," said he, looking where tbeftoney had
been, "tbero Is something left yet." He found
tbat the following things might still be taken
from tho receptacle for his money:
J. Apart.
2. A movement.
3. What remains.
4. No: all.
5. Something to which. If he had listened, he
wonld hoc bave been in such a Dlight.
a Tbe whole United States.
7. An idea.
8. A leather maker.
9. A sign.
la A part in music
"With all these." said he, "I am not s6 badly
off as I might be, but you will never catch me
at a horse trot again." EthyIj.
1336 TKAXSPOSITION.
The laws of nature and of God,
Ne'er subject are to change;
We tread the paths our fathers trod,
And little think it strange.
But famine comes, and times of Jlnt,
We do not understand;
We all forgot the earth was cursed
In Eden Garden's land.
II.
The latest book of Tolstoi, "Toll."
Or Labor," too. 'tis called
Gives reasons man should till the soil.
Why laborers are enthralled.
We next tbe peasant's essay through.
We give It careful thought:
And we admit, in part, 'tis true:
Bread should be grown, not bought,
IIL
The laborer Is the happiest man
Far happier than the Czar;
And yet tbe poet's latest plan
Shines not his brightest star;
The rich man's final of tbe poor.
Is doubtless overdrawn:
r'or he depends, most certain, sure,
Upon the laborer's brawn.
Bead "Toll" or "labor;" it will pay,
E'en it it is a "vision;"
And when you've read it, you will say,
It merits no derision.
Tbe wildest phantasy of man
Has merit in the writing:
And so has Tolstoi's latest plan,
Although 'tis not invitlnc.
H. c Burgee.
1337 NUMERICAL.
To 1 to 5 wben duty waits.
To be an all till war abates.
Is an ignoble role.
To do and he. in war and peace.
That is the action, if yon please.
Which proves the manly soul.
All cannot", 3,4.6.
Nor with their social betters mix
For some is to obey;
Nor should tbey 1, 3, 4 and 5
At such a lot. but ever strive
For better, brighter day.
Bittes Sweet.
1338 a mid-summeb concert.
Such a delightful concert as I attended last
summer! The singers all had voices of the
choicest, and the entire programme was carried
out in an exceptionably fine manner.
Hero it is in full:
L Solo, bv Miss A. N. Cary.
2. Trio, by Miss H. JET. Jiuit, Miss O. B.
Waips and Mr. . I. JlooU
3. l)uett, by Hisses iV. X. Tint and T. S.
GrdtnL
4. Male Quartet, by Messrs. Karl, Brino.
JTTrain and La Toorn.
5. Solo, by Miss A. M. TToUs.
6. Grand chorus ot 100 voices.
Tbe concert was under the management ot
Prof. Xotr. Ethyi
1339 DOUBLE LETTER ENIGMA.
In "plum;"
In -glum i'
In "fast;"
In past;"
In 'prater" .
In-'treat;" "
In "drum,"
Pvo oft been told
When I'd a cold
That whole was wortb its weight in gold;
And now my chest
Is oft caressed
Where total did, with burn, infest.
K. O. CHESTER.
1340 ANAGRAM.
Ill-shaped am I, and not like other men,
Crook-backed like Richard, but then
In ceremonies and other outward shows,
"I am not formal," goodness knows.
H. J. A.
ANSWERS.
1322 "Sloth finds the downy pillow hard."
1323 Scissors.
13241 he Light That Failed.
1325 Knight (night), awake, about, prem
ises, arose, won (one), site (sight), length, saw.
buy (by), crate (great), bare (bear), bruit
(brnte), mine, resolved, aim, .repeater, game,
knot (not), lay, game, still, thyme, (time),
stares (stairs), bare (bear), bear, throne
(thrown).
1326 Cosmopolite.
1327 Churl, lurch.
132S Ribbuns. felt, ostrich, tips, hose, ties.
1329 Tomtom, motmot.
1330 Bow.
1331 Jay, daw, owl, emu, auk.
KIAOAHA FALLS RECEDUfG.
Startling Results Shown By Contrasting
New and Old Survejs,
The matter of greatest interest that came
up before the meeting this week in New
York of tbe Commissioners of the State
Reservation of Niagara, says the New York
Eveainq Fost, was tbe report presented by
the State Engineer upon a new survey just
made by him, showing the position of tbe
crest lines and bluffs of the falls, and fjcts
as to the recession of the falls since 1842, the
date of the earliest trustworthy record.
In that year -a survey Was made by the
State Geologist. The engineer's new survey
showed tbe crest lines of tbe rocks as they
would appear if no water had been falling
over them. These were not difficult to de
termine except at the points of deepest curva
ture in the Horseshoe Pall. Tbe total mean
recession of the Horseshoe Fall since 1843
was found to be 104 feet 6 inches, or an
average of over two feet each year. During
tbe last four years tbe average had "been
greater on account of a heavy fall of rock a
few years ago.
The maximum recession of the Horseshoe
Fall at any one point was 270 feet since
1S42. The mean recession of the American
Fall since 1842 was found to be 30 feet 6
inches. In the same period the length of
the crestof the American fall has increased
from 2,260 feet to 3,010 feet. The total area
of recession of the American Fall since 1842
is found to be 32,000 rquare feet; of the
Horseshoe Fall 275,400 square feet.
Mr. Bogert also reported that monuments
had been placed by the surveyors in snch
position that further surveys could easily
be made. The report was ordered to be
made part of tbe annual report rfjn,to be
presented to the Legislature. '
The LUe of an Egg.
Tbe Saturday Review. J
Lord Justice Kay has pronounced the
judicial dictum that "the life ot an egg is
supposed to be limited to a fortnight."
Most Londoners, and everybody who is not
a Londoner, will be disposed to think that
the period specified by the Lord Justice is
rather too long thin too short. But it be
hooves the Bench to be cautious, and cer
tainly after the fortnight eggs should be ex
clnively devoted to electioneering purposes.
The egg of commerce is understood
to be something quite different from the egg
of the breakfast table.
The lVay to Dress Reform.
The best way to begin a Oress reform, says
the New York eraM, is with knee
breeches, knickerbockers or something of
the sort. Ordinary trousers are an abomi
nation, a nightmare. They represent the
distressing delirium of dress; are ungainly,
awkward, uncomfortable and altogether
atrocious.
OUTSIDE SKELETONS
Two Members' of Ihe Animal King
dom That Are Very Peculiar.
THE OYSTER AKD HIS SHELL.
Feculiar Construction of the Crao and
Some of His Habits, '
GOSSIP OF WOETjDS BEI0ND THE SDK
rWTJTTZN ITOB UtE DISPATCH.!
In tbe etiquette of tbe animal kingdom it
is generally considered "good form" to wear
tbe skeleton on the inside of the body. But
the rule is not invariable. Certain members
of tbe family, some of thdm most highly
esteemed in social circles, prefer to wear the
skeleton on the outside, after the fashion of
a man's winter ulster. Familiar examples
of these innovators of conventional style are
the oyster, the crab and the lobster. From
their standpoint ot utility the skeleton Is of
more service ontside than inside; and lovers
of these succulent crustaceans find no fault
with the arrangement.
But nature makes no mistakes. Every
thing of living kind, trom the whale to the
microbe, is adapted to its environment its
circumstances in life. The oysfer, for
instance, as it lies iu its little bed, would be
as helpless as a baby if it were not for tbe
queer arrangement by which its skeleton
the equivalent of man's is made in the
form of a shell to protect it from hungry in
truders of thedeep. Man is theonly animal
that takes an unfair advantage of the oyster.
He burglariously breaks into the oyster's
house and gobbles the esculent as a robin
does a worm. There are many lovers of
oysters that live in the water, but as they
have neither hammer nor knife they can
only (except some rascals that bore through
the shell) gaze at tbe solid entrenchment
with hungry look and.keen-eyed appetite.
BOEK ONLY TO .DIE.
The oyster's shell is a strange formation.
In its infancy the animal lias no shell and
is endowed with a tolerably good swimming
apparatus. The young are hatched within
the shell and at' spawning time the water at
the ovster banks is discolored like a cloud
with the myraids of infanSle oysters ex
pelled from tbe parent shells. If all these
young ones could live the coasts would soon
be blockaded with oysters but most of them
are either devoured by fishes or destroyed
by failure to find suitable lodgment. When
the oyster gets old enough to think about
settling down and, enjoying life the swim
ming apparatus begins to disappear and the
construction of the shell ulster commences.
Tne animal makes its shell in regular lay
ers. The extreme outside layer, as you may
have noticed, Is the smallest of all. It is
the firtt one made and each successive one
is made uuder and nut in place by pressure
from the next. This process continue:, until
tbe shell is complete.
The oyster cannot see or hear, so far as we
know. It doesn't heed to. Neither has it a
head, though it has a mouth; and it also has
a heart and some'other necessary internal
improvements. Tbe name of tho "brave in
dividual who first swallowed an oyster is
lost in the maze of antiquity. We know
that the Romans culivated oysters in arti
ficial beds as oystermen now do; but the
favorite bivalve was probably known and
enjoyed ages before the time of Bomulus.
It is not improbable, indeed, that tbe same
curiosity which led Adam and Eve to try
the; forbidden apple, also led them to tackle
the mysterious oyster.
ODD NOTIONS OP THE CEAB.
The crab is a sort of distant relative of
the oyster, having similar ideas about the
etiquette of skeleton wearing. It is one of
the strongest of marine animals. It has
five pairs of legs, its eyes are on the ends of
foot-stalks, and for dining purposes it is
provided with three pairs of jaws. Fortu
nately nature has not Added the power of
speech to this wealth of jaw. '"
The variety known as the hermit crab is
the quaintest of all. This class are provided
by nature with a fehell covering only the
upper side. The object ot this economy 'is
not easily understood,' unless it be to make
the animal industrious. Anyway, the ne-
cessity for an under covering leads the
hermit crab to hustle on its own account,
and in order to makeup for nature's seeming
stinginess It looks about for a' disused shell
of some kind and attaches its body thereto
by the tail. This stolen suit it drags about,
and if there is a misfit the fastidious little
animal will cast the shell aside and try other
ones until its dudish taste is thoroughly satis
fied. THBEE ASIEONOMICAI. QUESTIONS.
If you will kindly omit three questions
the astronomer of tbe present day can an
swer almost any reasonable inquiry relative
to the mysteries of the universe. The three
fundamental things which tbe astronomer
does not pretend to know are: First, how
was the universe begun? Second, how big
is it? Third, what will be its end? The
astonomercan tell you exactly how far nvruy
from us are the moon, the sun and the
planets; and he can do more wonderful
things than that. He can tell you how
stars and planets are made, what they are
made of and bow mnch they weigh.
Our knowledge about world-making is of
comparatively recent date, although some
astronomers in the days of our grandfathers
were pretty well satisfied that the stars are
evolved in some way, from the vast expanse
of nebulous matter which the telescope re
veals in various parts of the heavens. It is
bat recently, however, that astronomers have
reached anything like a consensus of opinion
as to the manner in which nebulas raw ma
terial is worked up to the stage of a compact
body, spherical in form when completed. It
would take too much space to herein satis
factorily explain the process ot star-making,
as astronomers believe it to be, but the gist
of the explanation is here:
FBOCESS OF STAE-MAKING.
Bodies of nebulous matter that float in
the depths- ot space probably cast-off re
mains of dead and dissipated worlds are
gradually drawn together by the attraction
of gravitation. As they draw near they
naturally acquire a rotary or spiral motion,
and the process of attraction, with this mo
tion, leads to concentration of the particles,
to condensation, and eventually to solidifi
cation. One of the most interesting of re
cent astronomical discoveries is that of
spiral nebula. VThe conclusion is that in
the spirals the observer sees the very begin
ning of the work of star-making.
We know, as nearly as we can know any
thing concerning the heavens, that tbe mat
ter ot which worlds are made cannot be lost.
We know that if a world should actually
burn up, as a postage stamp would be con
sumed in a blazing grate, not one particle of
the matter composing tbat world would be
lost. Combustion would simply cause
chemical changes, and every ounce of con
stituent parts would be good material oat of
which to make a new world.
2IATEBIALS OF THE STABS.
Can you imagine anything of man's in
vention more wonderful than an instrument
that will distinguish the elements of a sub
stance at a distance of more than 1,000,000,
000,000 miles? Such an instrument is in
use, and its results are practically as certain
as those of an analysis thatu chemist makes
in his own laboratory. This instrument is
the spectroscope, anil to its use we owe
about all tltit we know concerning the
materials of which the stars, the crnneti and
the nebula are composed. Ily the aid of the
spectroscope astronomers "have made the as
tonishingly interesting 'discovery that all
the heavenly bodies are1 composed, at least
in themain, of elements that arn well known
tons hereon our little earth. It has taught
us that the saying "nqthing new under the
sun" does notgo half tar enough, and that
there t nothing new beyond the sun or in
the whole universe, so far as matter is con
cerned. The invention of tho spectroscope was a
natural outcome of well-known facts about
what is called the solar spectrum. It was
known, long ago, that, the prismatic, or
rainbow colors, could be artificially pro
duced by letting a sunbeam fall upon a
prism in a darkened room.
A SIMPLE EXPEBIMENT.
As this experiment is very simple and
involves all tbat we know about tbe stuff of
which worlds are made, it is well worth
demonstrating. A sunnv room is the first
essential. Darken it and leave only a slit
in the darkened window, say an inch long
and not wider than the thickness of a cent.
Place a prism a tnangnlar piece of glass
at a point where the sunbeam falls, between
the window and your eye, and you will see
all the dark color's oi the rainbow the solar
spectrum.
Eayslrom the sun. light from the stars,
comets or nebula, result from the burning of
gasses and by the aid of the spectroscope the
elements of these gases can readily be de
termined. Spectrum analysis, as this branch
ofscieutific research is called, has been re
dnced to such a nicety that tbe presence of a
millionth part of a grain of sodium has been
detected by it L H. Webb.
GEEAT IS IRRIGATION.
Experim ents and Fig ores (Showing Its Supe
riority to Non-Irrlgatlon.
Water is one of the cheapest and most
efficient fertilizers that can be bad, and the
idea is growing tbat irrigation will play an
important part in tbe agriculture of the
future. A striking illustration of its valne
is given by C. E. Bostic, of Hitchcock,
Dak,, who grew wheat last season both
with and without irrigation. The two sam
ples were grown in the same field, and
had like attention, except irrigation. The
land had been cultivated to wheat for eight
successive years, and the soil was naturally
in snch a depleted condition that a large
yield was not to be expected.
With irrigation tbe cost was $7 40 per
acre, and the yield was 35 bushels. With
out irrigation'the cost was 56 25 per acre,
and tbe yield was four bnshels. The former
graded No. 1 Northern hard; the latter
graded rejected. The former yielded 819 55
per acre, tbe latter 2 25 per acre. The cost
of growing the former was 32 cents per
bushel; the latter 52 56. It is not only in
the so-called arid districts that irrigation
will finally be generally applied, but
wherever maximum crops would be ob
tained with the minimum possibility of
failure, because of an untoward season.
THE ZIGZ4.G TU1TNEL.
An Engineering Scheme for Overcoming a
Mountain Obstacle.
The Ontario and Western tunnel between
Sidney and Walton stations, New York, is
nearing completion, says a Western ex
change. Here is what is known as tbe "Zig
zag," or series of reverse curves, by which
the company's tracks climb the steep eastern
slope of the mountain.
Work was begun in June of last year
upon a tunnel which will do away with this
impediment to traffic. The approaobes to
the tunnel at either end arc 2,000 feet long,
most of the cutting being through solid
rock. The approaches are finished and over
1,200 of the 1,578 feet of the tunnel proper
have been excavated. It is expected tbat
tbe cuttings will meet at tbe center of the
mountain by January 1, and tbat the tun
nel will be opened for traffic next spring.
The advantages which the company will
gain by the tunnel are the reduction of the
maximum grade at that point from tbe 104
to 75 feet, and the shortening of the main
line of road between Sidney add Walton by
about two miles and the saving of 15 min
utes in the time of passenger trains. The
estimated cost of the improvement is about
5600,000. -
A LETTEE FE0M LUTHEE.
A Chicago Curiosity Seeker Alights on a
Bare Relic at Richmond.
The Chicago gentleman who purchased
the Libby prison for removal to his city as a
war museum was, when in Richmond, on
tbe lookont for other curios to adorn the in
side of that building, says tbe Richmond"
'State. Tle'purcKased while" bere ' for 5100
nn autograph letter' from one of tbe police,
in the quaintest of quaint old-time German,
written by the distinguished reformer, liar
tin Luther.
It was brought thither from the Old
Country bv the father of the gentleman who
disposed of it. The letter was authenticated
as a veritable product of the great reformer,
but whether it made any relerence to his
spirited contests with the religion mostly
prevalent in his day, or his visit to Home,
or the diet of Worms, is not stated. The
gray goose quill was mostly availed of in
those days for transferring thoughts to
paper. Sometimes kings and similar po
tentates ued quills made lrom the pinions
of the eagle. Luther was a monk, and a
learned one at that, before he became a re
former. A CATHEDEAL OK WHEELS.
Bishop Walker's Church-for Towns That
Don't Have Better Ones.
A cathedral on wheels was the novelty on
exhibition the other day in Chicago. It
was built by the Pullman Company for
Bishop William D. Walker, or the Episco
pal Diocese ol North Dakota, who will
travel in it from one little town to an
other along the different railway lines
up there and give the settlers
the advantages of church services.
The Exterior of the Car.
The exterior of the car looks like that of the
ordinary Pullman sleeper, except that it has
a gothic projection on each side" to make it
look something like a church. The car is 60
feet in length and of the ordinary width. At
one end is an apartment about ten feet in
depth, used by the bishop as a robing room,
and immediately adjoining it is the raised
platform serving as a chancel, at the right
of which is tbe passage way. In the center
of tbe plaform stands a richly carved
-altar,, bearing on its face the words
iifcii
w
"Agnus Dei." At the leltis the Bishop's
chair, surmounted by a miter and orna
mented on the back with a sunken crosr.
At tbe right is a lectern of rich design, bear
ing a large and richly bound Bibte. The
altar is the gilt of tbe Episcopal Chnrch at
Summit, N. J., and nearly everything else
in the car was contributed by church or in
dividuals in different parts of the country.
The organ was tbe gift of the yonng ladies
of the Church of Heavenly Best in Ne
York. The communibn service was given
by Mrs. James H. Walker, of Chicago, who
is the Bishop's sister-in-law.
An Old Western Fort.
There are still to be seen, says the Port
land Oregonian, near the mouth of the
Deschutes, the ruins of an old rock fort,
which was used by the settlers during tbe
Cayuse war, in 1856. The walls of the forti
fication have fallen down, and now nothing
remains except a few"crumbling stones.
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The Interior.
DETECTIYE CAMERAS.
The Little Instruments Serve for
Amusement' Only Kow Days,
GOOD EESDLTS tfROU THEIG USE.
Troubles tbe Amateurs Usually Encounter
and the Remedies.
F0CUS1KG AS1) GETTING TIEWS
IWRITrXX FOB TOT DISPATCH. 3
One of the most popular results of the
progress made in photography is the detec
tive camera. Intended at first for tbe pur
pose from which its name is derived, it has
now come to be used almost entirely by
amateurs, who bave not the time or inclina
tion to carry around with them the tripod
and other paraphernalia incidental to the
old style cameras. The chief charm of the
detective camera' is its compactness; it em
braces in itr 'little form all the necessary
features of- the larger instruments and is
capable of doing the best of work when
properly manipulated.
And singularly1 enough it is easier to take
good pictures with the more modern detec
tive cameras than with the regulation tripod
instruments. 'All that is necessary is to
"know your camera." Find out, by experi
menting with one or two plates, the rapidity
of the lens and then govern your exposures
with the diaphragms according to the degree
of light. Nowadays there, arc scores of
styles and makes in detective cameras, and
while no one set 'of rules can be laid down
for all of them) there is a sufficient similar
ity to enable the writer to give a general
idea as to the best mode of handling it.
HOW TO QET THE FOCUS.
With one or two exceptions, the focusing
in detective cameras is accomplished with
the regulation bellows, manipulated auto
matically by A lever, thumbscrew or similar
appliance from the outside of the box. It is
not necessary to stop and catch the focus
accurately on a piece of ground glass, the
index on ypur box does away with that.
There is, however, no reason why the
operator cannot follow the old style of focus
ing if he wants to get c particularly fine and
accurate focus on any specially prized sub
ject, as every detective camera tbe writer
has seen is provided with the regulation
piece of ground lass to be used if desired.
It is hardly necessary to repeat the
cautions given in the early papers of this
scries regarding tbe handling ol plate hold
ers, the choice of subjects, the angle of light,
etc. The same rules are to be followed as
closely in using detective cameras as the
others. There is no difference whatever in
the general principles upon which the two
species of cameras are constructed. Bat
there are minor-details in the manipulation
of the detective -camera which require
special explanation. The principal oi these
is the shutter. The shutters used in most
detective cameras are so arranged tbat the
speed may be.regulatedat will. This makes
it possible to take instantaneous pictures in
ALMOST AST DEGREE OF LIGHT
outdoors. The-br'ighter the light, of course,
the quicker the shutter must be. In taking
marine views, for instance, in clear, sun
shiny weather, the shutter should be used
at almost top speedy with a small-sized stop
in the lens. .Pictures of moving objects
should also, be exposed with a rapid shutter.
The speed should be modified for stationary
objects, and. where tbe light is subdued tbe
shutter should be very slow. Time exposures
can be made by opening the shutter half
way and leaving it in thatposition as long
as desired. Many of the shutters have pneu
matic tube attachments for making time ex
posures. .
One point that is well to remember in this
connection is to be sure and "set" the shut
ter before pulling out tbe slide of your plate
holder, unless you take care to have the lens
capped if yon'set the shutter after pulling
out the slide." I have'seen -many negatives
spoiled simply byhaving a double impres
sion made on them, one while setting the
shutter and the other in releasing iu
BOLLS OF THE FILM.
The new "roll holders," carrying a roll of
transparent films, which are. attachable to
the detective cameras, save a lot of weight
and trouble, if the operator wants to take a
lot of pictures on a pleasure, trip, etc. The
rolls can take from 2i to 100 exposures with
out being removed, but for ordinary work
the regular dry plates with their easily
handled holders are preferable for the
amateur. .Hec.m develop his own pictures
mnch more readily and with better results
if he sticks to tbe dry pjf tes.
Tbe temptation to snap the detective
camera at any, and all objects, which, for
the moment may seem attractive, it very
strong, and leads the amateur at first to
waste much time and many plates. I re
member having exposed at least 100 plates,
from which Tnever even took a proof, for
the simple reason, that there wzs nothing in
them to make it wortb while. Don't throw
away good material as I did. Choose your
subjects well, and'then take every care to
get the best result obtainable. Be very care
ful to hold your camera at the proper angle
when making an exposure. Hold it as
nearly on a level as possible. Do not point
it too far upward or downward or you will
get horrible distortions in tbe lines of your
pictures. ,. . '
PICTURES OF ANIMALS.
In taking pictures of horses, cows or other
animals, avoid "head op" exposures. Take
a side view, If you don't you will find in
most cases tbat the head of tbe animal will
be larger than and out of all proportion to
the rest of tbe body.
Don't snap'your camera on men who may
hap might object, as a sore head and broken
camera might result.
Test the little view finder, which is one of
the blessings connected with detective
cameras. To do this take a peep at the
ground glass at the back of your camera
when focussed on a given view, and then
look at the same view through the finder.
If the finder shows as much of the view and
no more than the ground glass, all is well,
but you will probably discover that the
finder does not display as much as tbe
ground glass. You must then make a slight
allowance in snapping pictures.
All amateurs will find much valuable
information regarding the use ni detective
and other cameras in the American Annual
of Photograph! for 1891, which has just been
published. It contains, in. addition to its
usnal features, excellent formula; for every
conceivable photographic preparation.
W. O. Eschwege.
Watching-a Brain Barn.
Fort Enron Times.!
After the examination of the brain taken
from the ti?ad of J. Watson, the young man
killed during a drunken row on Wednes
day night, Dr. McLaren threw it into a
furnace and watched it as it burned. Dr.
McLaren says that it- threw out a magnifi
cent colored flame. The doctor says that
the brain was saturated with alcohol and
burned readily.
What Made the Boy Mad.
Yonng Woman's Jourlial.l
Hardly closer their beads could be bent if
'twere tried;
"Pwcept Pweepl Pwcep!"
The dickey bird sat In tbe window outside,
'Pweepl PweepJ Pwoeti!"
And the small boy in hldtnjr tbe sofa beneath.
Clenched his list in bis auger and gritted his
teeth.
For be couldn't determine if lovers or bird
Were making tiie comical sound tbat be
beard,
Pweepl Pweepl Pircep!"
WHAT MADE HIM MADDEB.
Soon they snatched tbe yonng wretch from his
cosy retreat,
"S.tlpe! tSwasb! hwankl"
He got about ten on his upholstered seat,
"Swipe! Swasbl' Swank!
And tbe small boy learned-to bis infinite woe,
Tbat his big sister had a most muscular bean.
And ba felt quits assured. 'twas a man, not a
bird.
Was making the terrible sound that be heard.
. fSwipe! Bwasbl Swank!"
WHY BLCSSEE REFUSED HIM.
A Charming Yonng Actress and Her Million
aire Admirer.
IWBITTIX TOn TOT DISPATCn.l
A few weeks ago it was remarked by mem
bers of bis family that he was haunting a
theater where a fascinating actress is sing
ing and dancing. More than this, bis
daughters were informed that he was send
ing valuable presents to Miss Blossle
Bremer; that she had answered his notes
and was leading him on. To call the old
gentleman into a private room, lecture him
for iiis frivolity and forbid him to go near
Blossie might merely make him obdurate,
and there was no telling what his Dntch
blood might prompt him to do. There was
$1,000,000 at stake. If old Chris Bleyer
should marry the actress it would give to
her a dower right worth $15,000 a year. The
situation called for wise and immediate
action and heroic treatment.
The two daughters were equal to it. They
went straight to Blossle, laid the matter be
fore her in its true light and asked her to
help them sAve their father. Blossie listened
attentively to these two fine ladies, who bad
come to her as suppliants. A faint smile
parted her pretty lips and her fingers toyed
with the long silken ears of ber King
Charles spaniel.
"Ladies," said she at length, "L have no
desire to disturb the serenity of your family
circle. I'll dismiss Mr. Bleyer in a iexr
days. Be patient. Old men are orten very
persistent It may take me a week or
more."
Tne elegantly clad ladies shed tears of
gratitude as they pressed Blossie's little
bands.
"You are so good," they exclaimed; "so
noble. God bless you."
Blossie was as good as her word, and such
was the contemptuous manner in which she
received the attentions of old Mr. Bleyer
that be got bis Dntch temper up and aban
doned the beautilul Blossie. After the
thing- was all over and the gossips bad got
hold of the bottom facts, one of Blossie's in
timate friends rushed in upon her with a
long siring of hard names.
"Why, you little iool," she cried, "old
Bleyer is worth a million, and you have
lost the opportunity of your life. la
heaven's name, what prompted you to turn
him away?"
"Well, I'll fell you," gurgled this sweet
thing in womankind. "Just try to have
father and son in love with you, and you'll
see bow it is yourself. Of course, I might
have given Fred the sack, but, ah me, he is
so handsome! And then, you know, love is
more than money."
Brava, Blos3ie! That's all I can say!
BELIGIOff OF THE OHEST.
The Chaos of Gods and Idols That Perplexes
tho Japanese.
I'hlladclphla Times.
The religion of the Japanese women must
appear very complicated and confused to
their little giddy brains, when even tbe
most learned priests of 'their country lose
themselves.in their cosmogonies, their sym
bols, their metamorphoses of gods in that
millenary chaos upon which the Buddhism
of India has so strangely foisted itself with
out destroying anything. The most serious
cult seems to be that of their deceased an
cestors. Tnese shades or familiar gods pos
sess in each household a perfumed altar, be
fore which the living pray long at morning
and njght, without, however, believing ab
solutely in the immortality of the soul and
in the persistence of the human ego as un
derstood by oa-Occidental religions.
To" the religious contradirtions which
baffle us must be added superstitions as old
as tbe world, the strangest or the gloomiest,
and fearful to listen to at nigbt. Beings
half gods and half ghosts haunt the black
darkness; at crosways in the woods stand
ancient idols gifted "with singuiar powers;
there are miraculous stones in the depths of
forests. And to bave an approximate idea
of the faith of these women with small
obliqne eyes, one must reduce to chaos all
that I.tiave just said, then try to transpose
it into giddy brains that laughter prevents
most of the time from thinking, and that
seem at moments to bare the heedlessness" of
the brains of birds.
THE IHPULSE OF FlCriOW.
The Influences Wliich it Exerts Upon the
Header Considered.
It is not the mere story, says tbe London
Spectator, but the impulse which is given to
the inward life of man to4- pursue the
thoughts and foster the emotions excited in
his mind by the story, and that, too, in a
direction which will make more of him than
he was before. All good fiction manages to
do this. It leaves a seed of growth behind
it. It stirs up what is most invigorating
and fruitful in men, and makes it more in
vigorating and more fruitful.
Bad fiction has just the opposite effect.
It excites without strengthening. It lends
those who read it to look out for sensations
which are not in the least degree either
salutary or probable, and disgusts them with
a life in which such sensations are not to be
found. It exercises a bewildering and
blinding effect on the mind, fills it with
mist, with f jUe hopes and enervating dreams,
instead of the noble and healthy ambitions
which are sown broadcast by all great fic
tion. CASTLE OF A BLUEBEARD.
An Ancient Tower That Recalls the Profli
gacy of St. Thomas Island.
St. Louis tilobc-Democrat
St. Thomas, one of the West India Islands,
is a Danish possession, and has had a curi
ous history. It flourished in the past only
on its own vices and its neighbors' misfor
tunes. When it grew virtuous it ceased to
be happy. Its neighbors' gain proved its
own loss. Slavery was an institution until
1818, and until that time sugar was culti
vated with a success that studded the thirty
three square miles of the island's surface
with large plantations and handsome man
sions. But in that fatal year slavery
was abolished, the colored population,
which is more than three-quarters of
tbe whole, preferred to give up steady
A Bluebeard's Castle.
work, and now only a lew vegetables, a little
fruit and some green gras are cultivated.
It has one town mimed Charlotte Amalie,
but the natives insist on calling it, as well
ns the Island, St. Thomas. The town is
garrisoned by a force o. 100 men, who pro
tect the lives and liberties of 5,C00 ritizens.
The little town lies at the foot oi high liisls
covered with stnuted trees and shrubbery.
It is picturesque, with its white houses,'
mostly red-roofed, and only wants a
church to recall' some of the small towns
along tbe Italian Riviera. Above it stand
two ancient towers called Bluebeard's and
Blackhead' caitles. Tney were built two
centuries ago by brothers, one of whom had
a happy faculty of getting rid of his wives
hence the name Bluebeard and was not
ealled to account by bis Maker until be had
made an end of seven Mrs. Bluebeards.
vmm sft.
A CRAZE OF THE DAY.
The New Game of Tiddledy Vrlnltf '
and Directions for Playing.
SIMPLE,, BUT REQUIRES SKILL
ladies With Pretty Tapering Fingera Lika
the Fad Uest.
SOME SAI II'S TEEI, TEKI S1LLI
The newgaaeof Tiddledy Winks invaded
Pittsburg some little time ago and is having
tbe same run it had in the Bast, where it
long ago reached the dignity entitling it
to tbe name of fad. Somehow all the ladies
are talking about it, and, while opinions are
various, the game keeps running in popu
larity. Some of the more sedate members
of society has denounced the new craze as
positively silly, but, no matter, the people
are playing Tiddledy Winks jasttbesdtue
and having lois of fun out of it.
Next after tbe compliments of the day,
when Pittsburg ladies meet now, is the
question: "How are you getting on with
Tiddledy Winks? Have you learned it
yet?" Then they compare notes and go
home to practice jumping tbe obstinate,
winks over the tables. In the East all
social affairs are now considered insipid if
the little bright-colored discs are not hop
ping about in some corner of the parlors;
and this particular corner is sure to be the
center of attraction for the merry beaux and
belles.
IT IS EASY TO LEAKT.
Tbe game is very simple and easily
learned, and yet requires sufficient skill to
make it interesting. There are many rea
sons why it should be the ruling winter
game. New leatures are being added to in
crease the complications and consequently
the skill required. One of these leatures is
a miniature tennis court, but the original
Tiddledy Winks will be tound sufficiently
entertaining. Tbe complications can come
later. One, two, three or four persons may
play tbe game. It is all the mo.e pleasinz
when tbe players are divided into partners.
uuS
CD O
oo
Sow it is Done.
It is necessary to have a tabic, covered with
cloth. A round table is probably tbe best,
as it enables the players to arrange them
selves more comfortably.
The implements are tiddledies, winks, a
wink pot and counters. A tiddledy is a
thin disc of bone or ivory and abont the
size of a 25-cent piece: A wink is a disc ot
the same material, but smaller, being about
the size of a 10-cent piece. A wink cot is a ,
little wooden vessel, like a tiny bucket, with
an opening the size of a silver dollar and
about an inch deep. There are little pads,
somewhat resembling the "cheating rags"
urchins use in playing marbles. The idea
is to press on the wink with tbe tiddledy and
make it jump into the wink p5r. The
tiddledies are of various colors, with winks
of corresponding hues. The pads are tf
colored silk and as pretty as taste may sug
gest. The counters are of colored pressed
pasteboard.
EULES OP THE GAME.
When the players are ready to begin each
takes a tiddledy and six winks, and the
counters are equally divided among them.
Then each contributes an agreed upon num-
ber of counters to a pool, which is placed in"
charge of one of the players. The wink pot
is placed in the middle of the table. The
object is to jump as many winks into the
pot as possible. Each plays in turn to the
left, the one to lead being decided by lot.
The player places his or her pad at any dis
tance from tbe wink pot and jumps six
winks one after another, paying no attention
to those which fail to go into tbe pot.
Tbe winks lie flat on tbe pad, and the
player holding the tiddledy by the
thumb and first two fingers presses with its
layout for the Game.
edge upon the wink. As the tiddledy slips
it causes tbe wink to jump. The best re
sult is produced by resting the tiddledy on
the center of the wink and drawing it back
under slight pressure. A little practice
will enable a player to jump a wink a
distance of several feet and a foot or more in
the air.
For each wink landed in the wink-pot the
player receives one counter lrom the pool.
If he sends four or more winks into the pot
in succession he marks a "run" and receives
one extra counter from the pool for each
wink over three put in on a rnn. If he
jumps six winks into tbe pot in succession
he makes a "sweep" and receives, besides
the counters taken from the pool, one from
each opponent.
COUNTERS HAY HAVE VALUE.
All counters received, except one for each
wink put into the wink-pot, should be kept
separately, so as to tally the winks jumped
into the pot. If a player fails on six jumpa
to land a single wink in tbe pot, he pays
two counters to the pool. After each player
has jumped his six winks, then the first
player takes any wink lying outside the pot,
nlnces it where he pleases and makes it
Jump. If it goes in, he tries another. As
soon as be tails tne piayer next to tne leic
proceeds in tbe same manner.
So tbe game goes ou until all tbe winks
have been jumped into the pot. Tbe player
putting the largest number of winks into
the wiuk-pot in one turn takes one-half the
counters remaining in the pool, the remain
ing half going to the plaver having put the
greatest number ol winks in the pot. A tie
is decided by the two contestants jumping;
six winks each, the one winning tbat lands
the most of them.
The counters may be given any value
agreed upon;, as in poker; or if the same is
purely for fan, the player having tho great
est number of counters when the last wink
is landed in tbe pot of course wins. The
game enables ladies with long, tapering
fingers to display them to the best advan
tage. Largest Casting in Northwest.
At the Salem (Ore.) Iron Foundry, Tues
day afternoon, says tbe Statesman, metal
was poured into molds for tbe largest cast
ing that has ever been made on tbe north
coast the master wheel for the pump house
at the water works. The wheel measures 8
feet in diameter and a wnight of 3,C0O
pounds. The blast was started at about 5
o'clock in the evening and by the time tba
metal was ready for pouring all the availa
ble room in the foundry was pretty well
filled with curious people from the city who
were anxious to sec the molten mass poured
into the pattern of black sand.
Equanimity.
William Wheeler, In December Cosmopolltia.1 .
An equal mind attaiuT Ah, list
Tbe f ormnla is doable:
When prosperous be a pesslmis
Turn optimist in trouble. v
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