THE PITTSBURG DISPATCH SUNDAY 'JTJLT 26. 1891 $pf rtj. . ESTABLISHED FEBRUARY 8. 1546. Vot 46.No. Ja. FntereJ at Pittsburg rostofflce, 2Cet ember H, lS7,as second-class matter. Business Office Corner Smithfield and Diamond Stieets. News Rooms and Publishing House 7S and 80 Diamond Street, in New Dispatch Building. rATKKN DVEKTI5ING OFFICE. ROOM St. CUIBUNE BUILDING. NEWYORK. TherPBim t low Shs of THE II-rATOHcanalwvsbo found. Foreign adtertlsers approclat tho convenience. Ko-ne av.rtlsep ami friends of THE DISPATCH, while iu New York, arc also made welcome. THE Sisrj TCHt reanlirfyon tilt nt Brentnrvt's. I Vnwti Sytaj", yeie J'irt. and J7 Ave at Vpera, 1'aru. fbaTu. trurre ort'fme rrtto him been usap- TKM OF THE DISPATCIL TOSTKCK TRIE IS Till. VXITED STATES. DAH.Y D:rATOii. One Year S S 00 D 4ILY Disr ATrn, PerQwrter. 500 DtrLYDisPATrn. One Month 70 Daily Disrtrcn, including Mindtt. I rear.. 10 00 Daily nisrTCU. iuchidlngSundav. 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All double nml triple nniulicr copies of The Dispatch xeqniro a 2-teut stamp to insure prompt VIelitert. riTTSlSl-KG sl'X-AT, JULY 26, 1H)1. AGAINST THE CONVENTION. A canvass of politieil opinion with regard to the proposed Constitutional Con Trntion, niado by the Philadelphia Z?uMfi7i, brines out the fact that there is a large amount of profred indifference as to whether it is hold or not Among those expressing a posithe opinion the majority give very good reasons for opposing it The leading objections are the good character of the preen". Constitution, the danger that cranks may engraft some iltl sdeas upon the fundamental law, and, finally, the unnecessary expense, which Anil not be much less than a half million dollars, while all its legitimate purposes can be more diiectiy secured by other methods. These are valid reasons, but- not the most weighty ones. The danger or crank ism prevailing in the convention is not half so great as the danger that the in fluence of the corporations and professional jmlitieians will be supreme for the emascu lation of somo of the most vital clauses of the Constitution. The source from which the convention bill came, the devices used to secure control of that body through the apportionment of its membership, and, finall', the unique measure of electing its members before it Is known whether the convention will be held, all point to an intention to secure the control of that body to remove the provisions of the Constitution which now restrain corporate agressions and the greed of municipal politicians. Apart from this it is a vital point that every object can he obtained more directly by other methods. Ballot reform with practical secrcsy can be effected by statute law, and the idea that the same influences which falsified the Baker measure would create a convention for the benefit of gen uins ballot reform is a sufficient com mentary on itself If any Constitutional changes are necessary as some minor ones may be eacl should be submitted to the people on its own meritb. Where all changes are submitted to be voted on as a whole, tho people must either swallow the bad ones for the sake of the good, or reject the good ones on account of the bad. The extra time that may be consumed in de ciding each change on its own merits is wholly unimportant, beside the value of deliberate and clear decision on each Con stitutional alteration, in accordance with the popular judgmentof its merits. The general disapproval f the conven tion is well founded. The proposition should be voted down, as it probably will be. A ItEMAItKAIILE THREAT. A very remarkable deliverance with re gard to the dispute about wages between the bricklaying contractors and their em ployes is credited to one of the former in mi interview published yesterday. "If we fail to get men," this gentleman is re ported saying, "then there is one more ex pedient." and the expedient is stated to be to close down every mill in the organiza tion to stop every stroke of work now in progress" and to throw idle till Jannarj 1 "carpenters, stonemasons, plasterers, painters, plumbers, electricians, tileiayeriv, etc." In other words, because the bricklaying contractors are ur.u.'le to get men to work lr;heir wages it ::. announced that tho roaclnnery of the Building Exchange can be cmplcj ed to punish the whole eom-" nnmity, more than the bricklayers, by re newing the paralysis of the entire build ing trade, and condemning an entire in dustry to idleness. It would be hard to Imagine a more egregious example of the sympathetic strike transferred to the side of the employers, or a more wanton assertion of tho powei and intention to run the business of building on the plan of campaign adopted by the most reckless labor agitators. It is to be hoped that the Builders' Ex change will not embark on any such re markable polity as this. If it does, besides the opportunity which it will afford for the application of the conspiracy laws, it will offer a strong premium fhr the public to give its contracts for building to people w ho are outside that organization. "WJIEKE TDE DISCRI3IINATION IS. The fact of a discrimination against Philadelphia isdiscoered by the esteemed Pres in the ocean freight rates on sliip-- ments rrom .Liverpool Here. The fact that the rate is 6 shillings and C pence from Liverpool to ew York, 6 shillings to Bos ton, 5 shillings to Baltimore, and 10 Bhill ines to Philadelphia is certainly an indica tion, as the Press says, that Philadelphia should investigate thoroughly. Yet if Philadelphia studies the question thoroughly it will be likely to find that tho cause of the discrimination does not lie in ocean transportation, but somewhere else. alio jjiaiu, All liic iiioy J""- btiab MlusceiU- ing discrimination does not arise from MjeB what gives discriminations in railway charges their venom, namely, the will of a corporation holding a monopoly at that point There is free competition in ocean transportation. If any steamship com pany is levyim excessive charges on ship ments to Philadelphia there Is the ecean marine of the world to bring in and com pete for the business if it exists. It is plain, therefore, that the difference in rates is due to some difference in the con ditions. The figures quoted by the Press afford a tolerably clear indication of that difference in conditions. It is not in the presence of regular steamship lines, for New York, where regular lines center, does not get as cheap rates as Baltimore and Boston, which are no better equipped in that respect than Philadelphia. The fact is that when the principal tonnage Is the shipments from this country to Europe the governing in fluence in rates from Liverpool to this country is the promptness with which a return cargo can be secured; and the seeming discrimination against Philadel phia in ocean rates is probably an indica tion of the actual disadvantage of Philadel phia in railway rates on grain and pro visions for exportation. The matter is one well worth the in vestigation of the Philailclphians. But it is more than probable that the Investiga tion will give point to the charges already made, that railway policy is dwarfing the export and import trade of that city. TOE l'ATTISON UOOJl ABROAD. The announcement of the Philadelphia Times that Governor Pattison will take the stump for the election of Democratic candidates to the unimportant State offices to be filled this fall, and that this is an in dication of his cherishing a Presidental boom, is elevated to an extraordinary im portance by the New York Sun. The allegation that Pattison, who has been ranked as a leader of the Cleveland Democracy in Pennsylvania, is men tioned as a candidate is accepted by the Sim with the more alacrity because it believes that to be the end of the Cleve land hopes. "The mantle of the stuffed prophet is rent in pieces," jubilates the Szin. and it goes on with similar exclamations of joy over the eradication of "the claimant" from the list of Democratic candidates. "There is no reason why tho friends of Governor Pattison should not seek to have him nominated for President," the Snn af firms, evidently on the platform of "any one to beat Cleveland;" and it sums up its view of the situation with the declaration: "The claimant is scratched, but the field is still free." All of which, though rather wild, is flattering to the Pennsylvania possibility. But the view of the situation lacks the confirmation of fact in two important respects. Governor Pattison has declared that the intention on his part of stumping the State is news to him. Mr. Harrity, whose authority is unquestionable, has stated that the Pattison influence is for Cleveland first, with the possibility in view that if Cleveland's nomination shall not bo effected our Governor can come in as a second choice. This places the heroics of the Sun on a rather insecure founda tion. Nevertheless the welcome which that journal gives to a supposed declaration of the Pattison boom is not without its sig nificance. It is tolerably plain that the bitterness of the enmity between the Cleveland and Hill factions in New York will make it injudicious to nominate either. In that case the disposition of both to ac cept Pattison as a compromise has moro promise in it than any original and in dependent boom for the Pennsylvania Governor. TRADE TVITH 3IEXICO. The information on the commercial and financial customs of Mexico contained in special correspondence elsewhere exhibits a remarkable contrast from those estab lished in this country. A nation where the principal loaning business is done by the pawnshop; where people with money hoardfid up prefer to buy at high prices on long credits rather than pay out their cash and secure cheap rates, and where banks of discount arid deposit arc few and far between, is not unnaturally hard for the business men of the United States to com prehend. Nevertheless, the fact is brought out that when the character of Mexican trade is fully understood, there is an immenso field capable of almost infinite expansion for the surplus goods and capital of the United States. Judiciously conducted banks yield large dividends on a safe and legitimate business. Manufactured goods, machinery and other products of Yankee enterprise sell at high prices on long time. To those who study Mexican character and meet its wants there is the opportunity for lucrative trade with Mexico, and the intro duction of new ideas in that rich and half developed country will undoubtedly pro duce an illimitable expansion of its trade capacities. EAND TRANSFER REFORM. In a private letter to the editor of Tiie Disi'ATcn, Dwight IL Olmstead, Esq., takes exeeptiou to the reference in these columns to the "partial adoption" of his block indexing system in New York, with the correction thalit has been adopted both wholly and in detail in New York City. Further, he says, that the admirable workings of the system show "it is not merely tentative, as you suggest" Mr. Olmstead's criticism is due to a per haps not unnatural misconception of the language to which he objects. The article referred to commented on the proposition of a New York journal that the Australian, or Torrens, syStcm should be adopted in that State, and in that connection referred to the partial adoption by tiie State of Mr. Olmstead's block indexing system, mean ing it had been adopted for that part only which lies on Manhattan Island. Nor in reference to Mr. Olmstead's tentative meth od of going to work did we mean to castany doubt upon the practical workings of his plan, as the context would show. But what does seem to us US' tentative in Mr.. Ohnstead's work for complete land trans fer reform is the taking of the single step of block indexing without urging in con nection the other features to secure ex peditious and safe methods of transferring land titles. This brings us to the quotation of the fol lowing from Mr. Olmstead's letter, which comes with the weight of high authority: Now let tho other reforms which you sug gest and with which I am in agreement bo superadded; and the country will have, what you desue substantially a stock transfer of land. The principal of these reforms is not guarantee by the State, but transfer of land by registration, that is "on tho books," tho deed belug relogated to tho mere office of a power of attorney. Together with this is the general assimilation of the laws relating to real property to those relating to per sonal property. This shows that Mr. Olmstead practical ly agrees with the course marked out by TnE Dispatch. That is the addition of the vital features of the Torrens plan should be added to Ms system in .New York, and that other States Should follow .lUrh, UI1U UIHL UUlt'l OU1WTS SUUUIU iUUUW the example by adopting a combination of the systems. We cannot quite agree with Mr. Olmstead that the reform can be made complete without some method of secur ing indefeasible titles. That method need not be necessarily a State guarantee. It may be, as Mr. Olmstead suggests in his pamphlet, secured by af short statute of limitation. But to secure the complete perfection of transfer aimed at, it is neces sary that the buyer shall have within easy and unprofessional reach a clear evidence that the title of the land transferred to him is without a cloud or dispute. On the general course to be adopted to secure complete land transfer reform there is practical agreement Mr. Olmstead's indorsement of the addition of other re forms to his is practically conclusive. The only thing necessary to secure the adoption of this course in various States is the somewhat arduous task of making legisla tors understand its value. APPARENTLY INACCTJRATE. Another phase of the dispute between various city authorities and the Census Bureau crop3 out with regard to assess-ments-for street improvements. Besides the general impeachment of the accuracy of Mr. Porter's table showing tho per capita cost of government in various cities, New York has made a vigorous impeach ment of that table which included a special expenditure, in the case of that city, of about 510,000,000 for new parks. Buffalo next comes to the front with a re quest that an item of 2,323,817 in its table, which represents local assessments, should be dropped, which the Census Bureau re fuses to do, on the ground that this would be unjust to other cities whose expendi tures for new streets are included. Two points present themselves in con nection with this refusal of the bureau. The first is that as the table purports to be a statement of administrative expenses, the cost of improvements assessed on abutting or benefited property does not properly belong in it The second is that, to make the table accurate, if this item is included in the case of some cities it should be in the case of all It is obvious that the amdunt of money Pitts burg collected on street and sewer assess ments in 1890 is not included, as the eight dollars per capita, which gives us second rank as the most economical city in the Union save one, would not much exceed the total of such assessments collected that year before the street decision hit us. As it is afact that Cleveland, represented as the city of lowest expenditures, has been making large improvements, the same is likely to turn out to be the case. Wo fear it is pretty clearly proved that the census companson of muincipal ex penditures is far trom accurate. If it were corrected by taking exactly the same items of expenditure iu all cases, it is also possible that Pittsburg would not appear in so gratifying and economical a light as was shown by that table. A panic on the Chicago Board of Trade is not unusual.but one in which both bulls and bears are equally scared is worth mention ing. It was not a squeeze or a slump that produced that unusual effoct, but a lunatic on the lloor of'the Board with a pistol. Otn: friend Colonel Bill Brown is in lack onco more, his small newspaper, tho New York JVcjcj, having been selected for tho honorable position of contesting the consti tutionality of the Now York law that papers shall not publish the news about execu tions. Col. Bill will meet tho legal emer gency with the same calm superiority with which he has been wont to call down a bluff on queens up, and will enjoy tho position of defender of the liberty of the press as much as raking down an exceptionally largo jack pot. Wo regret to see that professional jeal ousy leads another New York paper, ambi tious of this honor, to remaik that District Attorney Nicoll "has ov idently jnade up his mind not to prosecute newspaper violations" of the act. The World's Fair Commission having at tacked the work of dining theirproject into favor in Europe are to receive a reinforce ment which makes victory sure. Tho genial Chaunccy M. Depew is about to take part in the dinners. The signs at the last meeting of the Hud son B.iy Comptny that tho great corpora tion is iu its decadence were very strong. Tho Governor of tho company was kept busy defending its management, but could not conceal the fact that its profitable char acter had disappeared. Two conclusions are ovident from this occurrence. Ono is that officers of tho Hudson Bay Company have not tho ability to suppress incon venient questioners thai has been charac teristic of the meetings of some of our great corporations. Tho other is that the British policy of putting vast regions under tho rule of a commercial monopoly is nearly at an end except in unfortunate Africa. It is rumored that Secretary Foster wishos to make Webster Flanagan Collector at El Paso. At last Flanagan will know what he is there for. But docs he take a prohibitory pledge against whisky and pokert A wickeb cotemporary remarks that if tho New York Republicans should take Colonel Shepard for Governor "he would un doubtedly agi oo to contribute a large assort ment of beautiful campaign texts to tho campaign." Ho might also, as once before, give $150,000 to the New York bosses for the purchase of votes, and then lament in his newspaper tho day after election the n ickedness displayed by the fact that the goods were not delivered. There seems to be some very decided uncertainties as to who is managing tho Pittsburg baseball team; but there is no room ut all for doubt that tho team has got a lirm grip on its position at the bottom of tho list. The perils of illustrated journalism if we may dignify tho class ro ened to by that name is strikingly exemplified by the pub lication of the lower sort which appears this weekwithn full page illustration of the Hall-Fitzsimmons light "from photographs and sketches by special artists." Tiie ability to photograph and sketch scenes that never ocenr is a high development of artistic genius; but it is one that calls for discretion in actual practice. Wiggins is now announced to be writing a scientific novel. From Wiggins' former claim of verifications for his weather proph ecies, it is plain ho has no slight power in the line of works of the imagination. The latest decision on electric patents, which gives the Brush interests tho control of the storage battery system, is predicated by a cotemporary to bo "worth millions to the company and its licensee." It v ill, when two things is do'ne. Tho first is when the company with a monopoly of tho system puts its price so as to make it cheaper than trolley motors; the second is when the stor age battery Is improved so as to make it of practical use. Senator Sherman magnanimously re marks that th e Senatorial race is open to all comers. But this does not disturb the cool conviction that he has got a sure hold on first money. It is interesting to learn that the Connect icut nuts and woodchucks have already taken to prophesying a hard winter. Tiie goose bono has not yet been heard from, but it Mill probably agree in tho prediction. These Connecticut auguries have been fore telling hard winters for several seasons, and are not likely to be discouraged by the fact that the cold weather does not mater ialize. Perhaps Great Britain might find it useful to engage in a war somewhere in order to give her pot guardsmen some other occupation than kicking up rows in barracks. An ex-Governor of one of the Mexican States has been imprisoned for2t hours be cause he had tho misfortune to fit the description of an absconder from the United States. This untoward incident will con vince the Mexican authorities that it is necessary to oxcludo all levanters who look like Mexicans of tho influential political class. Governor Hiel, like the owl sold under falso pretense of being a parrot, is not talk ing much now, but is doing a deal of thinking- Fkom Texas comes the report of a bank failure with tho not wholly unfamiliar re mark that tho depositors will bo paid in full. In Texas this may bo true. Its fulfill ment will bo made much more probable from the Texas habit, if a bank suspends and does not pay tho depositors, of sus pending bank officers. GOSSIP OF PROMINENT PEOPLE. Prince Alexander of Battenberg, who is known ns Count Ilartenau, is recovering from his recent serious illness. Mrs. Amelid Kives Ciianler is ex pected to sail for New York next week, and arrive in America on August 3. EDixn Sessions Tuppkb is writing a play for W". J. Florence for his next year's tour. She might appropriately call it "The Mystery of a Trunk." Emperor Wieeiam, of Germany, and his party, are lying off Karsle, a small island on the northwestern coast of Norway, where they are preparing for a whale hunt. Sir Edward Maeet, the British Am bassador at Berlin, w ill shortly be raised to the peerage. Humor says that he will be known In the future as Lord Woburn. The Prince of Wales will meet the King of Rouraanlaat BLmkenberg, in Angnst, to discuss the question of the marriage of Prince Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the lioumanlan throne, to tho eldest daughter of tho Duke of Edinburgh. Dr. WiTnERSPOON, of Louisville, who has been elected to till the Chairof Theology in Central College, in Kentucky, has had a remarkable series of successes since the time he became the youngest doctor of divinity in tho Presbyterian Church. The engagement of Miss Mary Lincoln, eldest daughter of Hon. Robert T. Lincoln, to Chailes Isham, ofNew York, has been an nonnced. The wedding will he solemnized in London during the coming season. Mr Isham was formerly private secretary to Mr. Lincoln. TnE Grand Duke Alexis will entertain Admiral Gervais, commander of the visiting French squadron, and the officers of tho fleet now nt Constadt, on board the Russian cruiser Asia. On Tuesday next the French officers will bo entertained by the Czar in the Imperial palace at Peterhof. It is said that Postmaster General Wana ma'cer spends his entire salary on his pri vate secretory and tho various agencies fur nishing newspaper clippings. He subscribes to thieo of these agencies, and has given them instructions to furnish him with all clippings relating to himself and the postal service. TWO SMALL FINANCIERS. A Never Ending Flow of Lemonade on Tap and for Sale. The East End acknowledges proprietory claim to a couplo of small boys who aro bound to become millionaires. The "other day they went into a partnership to sell lemonade. After spending 10 cent3 for lomons and concocting a fluid that would make tho circus product turn green with envy, they located on a corner and let out their musical voices: "Hero's yor fresh lemonade, only 1 cent a glass. It's made of pure lemons and- pure water. Come, slack yer thirst with tho nectar of the tropics." Every few moments they changed their song, but they had no difficulty in socuring customers. Every timo they sold a couplo of glasses a little water was added to tho "lemonade," and thus they had a never end ing supply. About an hour after they began operations tho beverage was getting pretty warm, but an ice mm camo along, and while ho carried a chunk of ice to the back door of an adjoin ing lesidence ono of tho boys negotiated with tho wagon for a good-sized piece ot ice. By the tuno the driver was back tho boys had lcmodcled their tune. "Hero's your ice cold lemonade. Walk up and squench yer thirst. Only 2 cents a glais." "Sav. what did vou raise the nrico fert The ice didn't cost you nothing," said a pros pective customer. "What dcr ye tako us fer, anyway," was tho reply. "If you don't want to buy yon don't need tcr. We can dispose of tho stock without you meddlni'. D'ye think we no financiers." BUSY WITH CALLEBS. The President Makes Some Appointments and Ilecclves Several Visitors. fSPKCIAI. TELEGBAJI TO THE DISPATCH. CArE Mat, July 25. Tho President was with Private Secretary Halford all the morn ing and considered several matters in rela tion to appointments. Ho appointed five postmasters, and named Henry E. Nichols, Commander in tho Navy, having promoted him from a Lieutenant Commander. He also received word from the State Depart ment that they had beon notified by Consul Myers, at Victoria, B. C, that tho revenuo cutter Thetis was in Bering Soa and that the majority of captains aro submitting to the agreement between this country and Great Britain. J. C. Prico and Mr. Manning, two colored geutlemcn of South Carolina, had a confer ence with the President to-day on tho candidacy of Mr. Prico, who wants to bo Minister to Liberia. A committee from Mobile. Ala., will call on the President Mon day, to ask for his influenco to have u line of steamers established between Mobile and Cuba under the subsidy laws. Stato Senator Mn-sic and wife, of Chillicothe, O., called on the President this ovening. The President, Russell Harrison, Mrs. Dlmmick, Secretary Halford, Miss Sanger and the two giancl cliildren enjoyed another ocean bath to-day, and tills afternoon tho Presidant passed an hour in watching tho joyfulnossof children on a carousal. Postmaster General Wana maker and Rohert Adams, ex-Minister to Brazil, arrived this evening. TN SUNSET LAND. In the Sunset land, in the Sunset land. Behind the glorious gates of gold unframed of human hand. There lie the mountain, vale and wood. The lake, the sparkling stream. More uncoinpared and passing good Than through the clouds they seem. In the Snnset land. In the Sunset land. The pearl-and-opal sea of light la ceaseless motion grand. Heaves at the feet of hills so bold We can not dreim their height. Nor guess to where their foreheads old Bear up the gems of Night. In the Snnset land. In tho Sunset land, AU cool and sweet the pine tree waves its slumber showering hand, x And liquid argent runs the stream Yt 1111 SIU1I1U1UU3, uijatu; liUU?, And fast asleep the white clouds seem Upon the lakes afloat. In the Sunset land, in the Sunset land. No trail of foot or trough of keel Is found on leaf or sand; No hand hath ever harmed a tree Or bent a blooming flower; And matchless sweet as matchless free The landscape lies lu power. In the Sunsetland, In the Sunset land. The dream of Kcst swhns softly down as In our dreams we planned, ' The war of work, the clash of care, ' " " The racking of regret I'4- No echoing thought of these Is there, 'SotrigH'that land U set. - ' ' jOb. pearl-and-opal ,sca of, light, barred back by gates oi goiu. Oh rainbow bolts shot aU too strong'into Time's pillars old Let back, let in I and let us wend Through country heaven-spanned, And learn the Universe's end. There, In tho Sunset laud I -tWest ana Stream. MURRAY'S MUSINGS. The Politician Mnst Coddle the Dog Fan cier The Crank and the Specialist Res taurant Dills GettlngLonger The Corset Habit Gotham Stories. CFKOM A STAPP COBRESFONDEXT. New York, July 2o.-"You will always find dog men pulling pretty much together," said General Ben LeFevre over his Hoffman House breakfast. "If you offend a dog man during a oanvass you will loso the dog vote. When I found a man who was interested in dogs during my Congressional campaigns I made careful note of it. I had a little expe rience in my early political career that tangnt me that the dog man is not to be run afoul of if it can be avoided. I had refused to take a pup from a man. Ho wanted to show his good will toward me. He loved his dogs, and to give away what he loved was bis highest testimonial of friendship. "I declined tho pup, and in doing so I prac tically declined tho man's friendship. Not alono his, hut that of all his neighbors with out regard to party. They didn't want any thing to do with n. man Tclin rllrtn'f. rt 'n n dog and wouldn't have ono as a gift. It took me a long time to live that error down. Since that time I take every pup that is offered me, trusting to Divine Providence to see ma through." A Dog That Cost Money. Colonel Staples, the North Carolina law yer, Is a dog man. That is, he is lond of dogs and esteems them next to pretty school marms and red wagons. Staples was at the Hoffman House tho other day and bought a fine cocker spaniel of tho dog fancier who works tho Broadway cornels of that neigh borhood. He instructed the dog man to bring the animal to the Cortlandt street ferry at a certain hour in the day, but they didn't connect somehow, so ho missed ins train. "So I had to pay a man to take care of the dog over the river and came back to the Hoffman Justin time to lend a fellow $10 that I'll never sue again. "I got a coupe and rode out in the park. It was $1 5J an hour, and I used it an hour and ton minutes. The man wanted $2, and I told him I wouldn't pay it. He could send his bill to the hotel office. Here it is $2 50, hair a dollar more yet. And 1 paid it, too. I was afraid to kick again for fear it would tako another boomupwaid. I paid $10 for that dog, and if somebody doesn't steal him be fore I get down home I shall consider it a favorable change of luck." Hard to Leave New fork. "Nr.wYoKKisa pretty hard city to get away from, especially for a Western man," said Mr. Scott Ray, tho Indiana poli tician and Journalist. "I don't see why so many peoplo want to leave the metropolis in the summer. They can get 'the earth' here." Mr. Ray had Just been taking in Coney Is land. "Thpt trip up the bay after nightfall," said he, "gives one of tho mostmagnillccnt sights that could be imagined. And as for Coney well.that stretch of West Brighton known as 'the Bon ery' probably has no counterpart in tlio world. Either is worth coming a thou sand miles to see. When New Yorkers claim more variety of pleasure for less money than any other city in tho country can offer, they don't claim too much." Devoted His Life to Spiders. "Ono of the curious things of this life," remarked an ex-Congressman, "is the devo tion of somo men to au idea without regard to tho opinion of tho rest of tho world and without hopo of reward. I know of a man fiom my Stato who has devoted a lifetime to spiders. He died in the Alps, tthcre he had been for tw o years collecting specimens of spiders. He tacullced his life to spiders, llo has left a collection of some28,(0 distiuct varieties. You would hardly think thero were many more spiders in existence. This man has tliemstuck up in sections, in classes, fully labeled. i'He began fooling with spiders when a i boy. no had a room that he At ould allow no ono to sweep or clean, ana encouraged tne spiders to such an extent that they wonld come to him nnd feed out of his hand. He discovered that by repeatedly destroying a web that a spider reached a stage where ills power of reproducing wob is exhausted. When that stago was reached the spider attacked another spider, killed him and took his ball of wou from him. Just like a human being, don't you see? Before this man died he embalmed his knowledgo of spiders in two volumes. Ho was a spider crank." The Crank and tho Specialist. "Speakixo of cranks," put in Mr. Mo Millan, of Tennosseo, who will probably be tho Speaker of the next Honso of Represen tatives, "it would almost seem that to ac complish anything remarkable in this world it is necessary to become what we all call crank.' That is, a man must shut out everything that conflicts or in terferes with the one particular subject in which he is interested. Ho must become a specialist. Byiigiuly excluding the rest of the world and ignoring all social and do mestic relations and devoting every energy and every minute to ono particular line of research something is to bo accomplished. But does it pay? Is it the best uso a man cm bo put to? Is it the ideal of intel lectual manhood?" "I have a cousin in Tennessee who is a harmless crank on the chronometer. He has been fooling with tho sun and tho timo o' day until ho seems to be pretty well known by experts, even here in New York. He put his name in tho light shade of tho "V" on a watch dial so it could not be seen with the naked eye. He has made a chronometor so perfect that it can bo put in an ovon and baked, taken out and be trozen in an ico oream freezer, then boiled, and during the entire process would not only keep on running, but wouldn't vary a twen tieth of a second in timo. "There aro a good many 'cranks' on watches," continued Mr. McMillan. "I known member of tho House who carried a watch in every pocket. Ho ttasthe fun niest of them all. Somo were gold, somo silver and some nickel. Somo had chains, some had fobs and some were fastened to him with a cord or a shoestring. Ho could tako a watch out of any pocket. The curious feature of tho thing is lie was exceedingly sensitive on tho subject. It was a harmless fad, and amused him, I presume, if he tried to regulate them as to the sini and to each other." AVns Cured by a Bill. A Westebveb at one of tho prominent tip town hotels was feeling restless nnd ill one hot evening, and he rang for a doctor. Tho latter was in tho samo house. He called at his patient's room nnd diagnosed tho case as simple insomnia, gavo a couple of powders und retired. Tho doctor called the next morning to see how the patient (whom he correctly Judged to be a man of means) was getting on. Dunng the day he saw him, and incidentally thrco orfour times. Thebili was $i5. FIvo dollars a visit from a doctor living on tho same floor with him in the samehoiiso was something that nearly caused tho West erner to faint. It exceeded iis wildest dreams. Tho bill had one eflect it made him a well man, he says. The Adulteration of Deer. "I used to be a grout beer drinker," re maikcd a well-known railroad lattycr, par enthetically, as he squeezed a bit of lemon into a cup of breakfast tea, "but I'vo given it up. I find tea is thobest drink that a man ever put down his throat. The chief reason against beer drinking is adultei ation. This is common to all American beers. The com petition lias grown to such an oxtent that even the best and well established beers have joined the bogus gang and it is now practically impossible to nnd a good, pure, tt holesomo American beer. You may think you drink it, but you don't do it. If I had my way I would have a bill passed in Congress that would make it a penitentiary offense to adulterate liquors and dnigs.andprovldeforGovennent inspec tors to see the law was observed. The igno rant public ought not to be left to the mercy of every business harpy. A general law no-ninst adulterations ot food, druirs and drinks, ngidly enforced, would bear equally and fairiv upon every class of business at fectcd by the change and would encourage men to bo honest." Continental Custom or Hills. Some of tho leading hotels andrestaurants in New York havo recently adopted the Continental custom of charging' for rolls and other forms of bread. They haven't put that little pa"t of butter on the list yet, but it will follow. The time is coming when tho bill for an Amei ican meal will be as long as it is lor one over the water. I believe, us yet, nobody but the American landlord over conceived or practiced tho scheme of charg ing up "boots" in the bill whether the gueot ever left his boots out to be cleaned or not. That doesn't "rile" the man fiom Peoria or Kalamazoo half as much, however, as 20 cents for his 2 cent breakfast rolls. "Wo are compelled to make this charge," says a hotel man, "because guests would oome into the cato or restaurant and make n brf aklast off of butter and broad and ice water that they would get lor nothing. The European custom of charging for every thing a roan gets, and for that only, is the correct one." Corsets and a Coffin. It is funny to hear women abuse the corset habit dnring tho sheltering days of mid summer. They uro practically a unit in their denunciation of the oppressive rigid- ity of bones and canvas and steel that con tract the lungs and restrict the freedom of tho body at all times and Insummerare next to unbearable. "All women hate corsets at this season of tho year," said one of the fair sex whose plumpness is supposed to require extraor dinary restraint, "but they not only wear them, Dut they are more patticular about them than they are about any other article of attire. Women utmost invariably discuss corsets when they are alone together. It is a staple topic. They immediately get out of that corset, individually, us soon as they can, which, of course, is iu the privacy of their own quarters and Tree from company.' They tako to tho comfort as a gentleman takes to his slippers and dressing gown. To many women corsets are absolutely neces sary, bat to those to whom they are not you might as well talk to the moon as to influ ence them against the corset fashion, or to make them believe the shapes designed by tne oorset maker are not an improvement on the work of the Almighty. In every country where corsets have never been worn women do not compose the weaker sex. As generally used they greatly modilv and often wholly prevent the enjoyment of physical exercise. But if a lonu life or death in a few years were alternatives offer ed to a New lork woman dependent upon wearing or not wearing corsets, she would choose the latter and invest in a corset and a coffin." Chicago Is Stark Mad. I met Congressman Stahlnecker in lower Broadway the other day. He had Just re turned from Chicago. "Tho people of Chi cago," said he, "are stark, staring mad over the World's Fair. They talk of nothing else. I never saw so much superfluous onthusiiism since I was born. They filled me so full of it I thought I would burst, unless I got ont of town, and so I skipped out for New York. HU, JL U1U1L l. UO UlU SlOCK YUIU5. ' The Crowd at a Pool Room. If anybody of acute observation will make a note of the kind of people who frequent tho NewTfork poolrooms it ought to take out of him any speculative tendency to ward the race track. The dissipated young men, the rounders, tho broken-down busi ness men, tho confirmed drunkards, the beats and bums of every degree of degrada tion swarm about these poolrooms. It is about the most unpromising crowd that can be seen in a single room. No man in his sober senses can look upon it and reflect upon all that has brought its particles to gether without a feeling of profound regret that the law against poolrooms wouldn't hold water. The race track has ruined more American boys than the faro table. Charles Theodore Mukrax. GIE0FLE-OIS0FLA. The Duquesno's Summer Season of Comic Opera Opens With a Boon. The summer season of comic opera opened at the Duquesne Theater last night most auspiciously. The Garrow Opera Company is a good deal better than such bodies usual ly are, and many a traveling organizatipn that lugs a high-sounding name about tho land has not the voices or the acting ability of Laura Clement, John E. Brand, Henry Hallam and others associated with them. The opera was J.ecocq's "Girofle-Girotin," a bright and tuneful example of the French school, which was popular here be fore tho extravaganza and burlesque began to masquerade In opera's clothes. It is somewhat late in tho day to point out the merits of "Girofle Glrofla," but it may be well to summarize them as consisting in music of the melo dious and generally simple order, a trifling plot, involving situations somewhat risky in character, but hlshlv amusing, and dia logue of the very thinnest order. The opera fared well as far as the singers were con cerned, hut the orchestra was not always at homo with the music, though a few perlorm ances will doubtless correct this. Miss Laura Clement, the Qirofle and Oirofla, has a reputation, and she sustained it. Especially after she wanned to her work she sang very acceptably, and her powerful soprano shotted to advantage. Her host number probably was thedrinking song, "SeeHow It Snnikles." which, as wero several other songs of hers, was encored. In the duet in the third act with Mr. Brand she was again very good, and tho audience expressed their approval very warmly. Mr. John E. Brand has a bar itone voice of an unusually pleasant quality, which ho manages very well. A good make up as the ferocious Moor, Jfourzowfc.and some very clever acting assisted Mr. Brand to tho most artistic performance of the night. His farewell song in Act III. and his share of the duet mentioned above won him encores. Mr. Henry Hallam, tho tenor, is above tho average, and as Jlfaraxqtrin was very success ful. Mr. Charles H. Drew made lots .of fun out of UonJ?o?ero'and sings farjbettor than most comedians. Miss Roche was humor ously immense as Bolero's bigger and better half. Tho minor parts were well filled and tho chorus, especially the women, mado a good appearanco and sang the choruses with plenty of power. The opening chorus of Act III. was tho best concerted number. The opera was nicely dressed and staged, and the performance went very smoothly from beginning to end. The house was a large and appreciative one, and the summer season may bo said to have begun with a pronounceu Buccess. BBILLIANT SCHEME OF AWEITEB. How He Set to Work to Make His Fortune With. His Pen. Chicago Tribune.! "That's a good story," said the nowspaper man's friend as he finished reading tho tale. "Yon can sell that." "Well, I don't know about that," said the newspaper man doubtfully. "It has the merit of brevity, of course, but the papers are not running muoh to that style of story now." "I see 'em every day." "That may be, too; but-it's no sign that this will be accepted." "I'll bet you a dollar it will be." "Tako youl" shouted the newspaper man so suddenly that it made his friend start. The friend reached down in his pocket and pulled out a silver dollar, and as he put it up he said: "Look here, old man, what's the game?" 'Plaving a sure thing," was the reply. "I'll get $3 or $4 for that if 1 6ell it and SI if I don't. I've got three bets on three differ ent stories now, and if my friends only hold out I'll make my everlasting fortune with my pon." Try Htm and See. Boston Traveller. Governor Campbell, of Ohio, would prob ably not veto an act annexing Hamilton county to Kentucky. DEATHS HEBE AND ELSEWHEBE. T. H. Williams. The many friends of T. II. Williams will be grieved to learn of his death, which occurred Thursday evening at Colorado Springs. Col. Mr. AVllliams commenced his business career over 20 carj ago as cashboy with the drygoods house of Hugus & Hacke. His honest, straightforward -nays, and the Keen busintsd ablllt which redis played early attracted the attention of his einiilo) trs. who, iu recognition ot his services, maae nlin, some several years ago. the general manager of the business, which position he held at the time of his death. For some years past his health has been a cauc of great anxiety and only two weeks ago he went to Colorado in the hope of being benefited; the sad Intelligence of his death following so toon aftThisarrltal there will be a severe shock to his frlLncls. His remains will be brought home for interment. Robert S. Johnston. Kohert S. Johnston, son of the late Simon Johnston, u'cl at his mother's residence In Hatel wood i sterday morning in his twentieth year. Heh ill b ci sutler nc for the rait flic months" Ironi rniH-&piini immugi i, am juii. rciurneu home f om tin- fccvlmn- a fevIjvs ngo. He grad allysaiifciiH'l hi d a'h. l'or s. me lime previous foliUsiik hi- heuaa nits ergcr at the Masonic Buik. In- ullliH'-iartljr misseu oy a large circle of IlieuuS a u ruiauv-cs. Obituary Notes. Joseph T. Joiinsox, the last but one of the Black Hawk survivors, who lived Iu Baltimore, is dead. John BEitGEH, of the Allegheny police force, died j cterday morning. He lived at No. 6 Spring alley. Ho had bten 111 lor several iaontln. James C. Feuccsos, formerly resident of In dlampolls, and at onu time President of the Hoard of Trade of that city, died at hU residence In ban Joso jesterday. Mas. Key, wire of Bishop Key, of the Southern Methodist Church, died yesterday of heart disease at Eureka Springs. Ark. Her remains will be taken to Macou, Ua lor Interment. S. T. Hoffman died yesterday morning at the Allegheny General Hospital, aged 58 years. He was a member of Post 12f. G. A. E., the members of which will arrange for the funeral. FBEDEmcic Guiffixq, an old Brooklynltc, who died at the age of 82, was buried Friday iu that cltv. He was one of the California pioneers of 19, and built manj of-tlie first docks in ban Francisco. IIekm ax Raster, widely known as edltor-ln-chitf of the Chicago hkuita Zeituno, died Friday et cuing In Cubowa, boutheru Silesia, a German province. Mr. Raster had been In poor health for some time and went to Europe hoping to recu perate. AXDPEW DAVIS, of Snter's station, the chlcr mining town on the Yonghlogheny river, died Fri day at Dlxmont, aged VS years. The)ouugman lost his mind one yeir ago when his brother died, arter making several unsuccessful attempts at sui cide, aud ww found to be mentally uubalaaced- KTT.T.Tro BY TBAIHS. Deaf Mates Have a Fascination for "Walk ing on Kailroad Tracks. New York Sun. "This one makes 23 deaf persons that I have a record of who have been killed on railroad tracks since 1874," an old Erie loco motive engineer said, after reading the ac count of Homer J. Higbee, a deaf mute, be ing run over and killed while walking on the railroad track at Olean, a few days ago. "Deaf people, and especially deaf mutes, seem to have a fascination for walking on railroad tracks and they invariably walk on the track on which trains are running in tho same direction they are walking. "In 1874 1 had been running on an engine ten years, and had never yet had tho misfor tune to kill anyone I was working for a New Jersey railroad, and one day I sounded my alarm signal to warn a man off the track, as he was walking leisurely along ahead of me and the train was drawing perilously close to him. He paid no attention to the signal, and I gave it to him again, long, sharp, and loud. He kept right on, and, as I was unable to stop tho train, he was run over and killed, lie was a well-known resi dent of Orange connty, and a deaf mute. A relative of his told mo that he had many times narrowly escaped being killed while walking on raflroad tracks, and he seemed to have an Irresistible passion for such danger ous pastime. "Sometime after I went on the Pennsyl vania road, and inside of a year killed two men at different times, while they were walking on the track. Both wore deaf and dumb. In W6, during the Centennial, I killed two other deaf persons who had tho fatal fascination for railway track pedes trianism. Then I began to make a study of this queor habit of the deaf, and keptarec- oru oi ail deaths or persons on raiiroau tracks that came to my notice through tho newspapers if it was stated that tho victims were deaf or deaf and dumb. I have cases from all over tho country, and this killing of Deaf Mute Higbee at Olean makes tho twenty-second. They aro Invariably killed in the same way. "A ueaf mute was never known to look back while walking on a railroad track, and he is generally discovered in places where it is almost an impossibility to stop in time to save him. The airbrakes have saved a good many deaf railroad pedestrians since they came into -Use. It is an old saying among railroad men that a deaf and dumb person will go two miles out of his way to walk ona railroad track, and it isn't far from tho truth. I would like to have some one give some explanation of this strange phase of afflicted human natnre. There is no doubt' whatever of its existence." ATE HIMSELF TO SLEEP. Caliph, the Hippopotamns, Unable to Finish Ills Matutinal Meal. New York Sun. It is not a matter of Important news, but it Is nn interesting fact that hiDpopotamuses can eat themselves to sleep. The male hip popotamus at the Central Park menagerie did it this morning. Mr. Hippopotamus and his wife nnd child are fed ever morning about S o'clock on freshly cut grass. As soon as they see the keeper throw the grass into the cage they amble gracefully out of their bath up the slanting stone pavement, the father going into the 'left hand compartment and the females retiring modestly to the right hand one. This morning, instead of throwing the cus tomary five bushels into Mr. Hippopotamus cage, the keeper was unusually munificent and cast in about a quarter of a ton. Caliph, the big beast, took in the situation in one long, lugubrious glance. Accustomed as he was to getting away with every morsel served to him, he saw that ho had a big task on hand this morning. He began his break fast a few minutes after 8 o'clock, opening and shutting his jaws with much delibera tion. The big pile of grass began to disappenr slottly, but steadily. When it was about half gone it was noticeable that tho animal's Jaws did not work with the same regularity that they did in the beginning. He ate in quick chops, with a long pauso between each chop, during which he would gazo at the rest of his breakfast in a kind of hope less, dazed fashion. From then on tho grass disappeared moro nnd moro slowly, the intervals between the bites grew longer, and his eyes assumed a far att ay, dreary expression, as if he ttero thlnkinsrof his erstwhile haunts alon? tho River Nile. Finally the bites ceased entirely. The hippopotamus' legs began to shake at the. knees and his eyes became glazed, like tuona of a fish. Then they closed tightly and his legs gave way under him, nnd with a huge grunt he fell on his belly fast asleep. Tho other members ot tho family had fin ished long before and had resumed the bath, whence they observed the father and hus band's coma with much apparent satisfac tion. THE SILVER D0LLAE. Interesting Figures About the Coinage of the Big White Wheels. Indianapolis Journal. The entire coinage of standard silver dol lars by our mints from their creation until July 1, 1878, was only $3,573,500. The weight of the subsidiary silver coins was reduced 23 grains to" tho dollar in 1853 to keep them in circulation, as tho full silver dollar had more valuo to be melted and sent to Europe as bullion, where the ratio was one of gold to 15 of silver. From 1810 to 1878 the silver dollar was a curiosity, and although a unit'of money value in a certain sense, it was not an exclusive legal tender, as both metals were lawful monoy. Whatever coin there was in the country from 1840 until 1&S1 was gold and subsidiary silver. If silver had been tho only legal-tender money dur ing that period, and a creditor should have demanded payment in standard silver dol lars to the amount of $1,000, the debtor could not have found them in the country. In 1837 the gold in the eagle was reduced two tenths of a grain, but it had no effect upon tho drift of the metals; 15 ounces of silver would buy ono of gold in Europe, and, very naturally, sliver would not stay here, where it took 16 ounces of it topurcbaseoneofgold. Sonow, if the United States should proceed to offer free coinage in the ratio of 1 to It), or 15.S8, when tho market price of the two metals is as 1 to 20, the silver, as the cheaper metal would hasten to that country where It would have greater vnlne, and tho gold would go to Europe, where it would be worth more than here. There were no silver dollars of 412K grains coined in the United States of Hny conse quence from 1834 to 1873. because the value of the silver dollar in gold, a legal tender also, ranged from 101 to 105 cents: nnd no man would take 101 or 105 cents wortli of silver to n mint and get 100 for it. So, if the free coinnge of silver should come no one would take 115 cents worth of gold bullion in silver and get a legal-tender gold dollar. Tho human being is not constituted in that way; consequently, unless tho commercial nations agree upon a ratio for the coinage of both metnls, that which offers more lor silver bullion than all the others that Is, freo coinage on the basis of iW, grains of silver as the equivalent of 23.8 cruins of gold will have the silver, and others will have the gold. IT IS A STAETLEB. Seventy-Three Miles an Honrby Mannraot- Ive May Bo All Bight. Outing for August. "Seventy-three miles an hour!" That's what a Worcester, Mass., inventor claims is the speed which riders can attain on one of his cycles. Is it safe to lau;h at this man? Let us sec. Twenty miles an hour was deemed Impossible only a few years ago; 2:20 for tho mile was scoffed at, as being beyond the range of possibilities a few months ago, and yet these performances aro now known to bo very much it ithin tho bounds of rea son to-day. Yet, iu spite of these facts, I im agine It ttill be perfectly safe to risk n very loud chuckle at the claim of 73 miles an hour on any mannmotive machine. The description of tho machine, to my un mechnnical mind, is vagne, and all I can seem to grasp is that it is one big wheel with ttto rims, and the rider sits suspended from the inner rim. OVEE 3,000 ACTIVE VOLCANOES Discovered in the Cucupali Mountain Re gion of Lower California. Sa3 Dieoo, Cai, Julp 25. A descriptive ac count has been given by Colonel I. K. Allen, the well-known engineer, of n phenomenon In what is known as the volcanic region of the Cocapah mountains, 6.5 miles southwest of Yuma, in Lower California. Colonel Allen says the: onre over 3 000 ac tive volcanoes there, one-half of which aro small cones, 10 or 12 feet at tho base, the re maining half five to 40 feet at the base nnd 15 to 25 feet In height. Tho whole volcanic re gion is encrusted with sulphur. Ono peculiar leature of tho region Is a lake of tvuter jet Dlnck.a quarter of a miloloiignnd one-eighth of a mile wide, seemingly bottomless. The water is hot and salty.' CURIOUS CONDENSATIONS. One half of the people born die befors the age of 1C. There are upward of 50,000 earthworm In every acre of ordinary agricultural land. There are about 32,000 arrests each year in Paris, and of those arrests 35 are assassins. There are estimated to be 97,700 deaths In the world every 24hours,andl04,S00births, or about 70 every minute. A fle3 can jump over a barrier 500 times his own height. At that rate a man could j nmp over a wall nearly a mile high. The number of postoffices in the United States is officially stated to be 64 311, show ing an increase of 2,000 over last year at this time. Straight streets are unknown in Chinx They are purposely made crooked to con fuse Satan, as the Chinese believe the devil travels In a straight line. The hobby of a Bangor merchant was to collect all the stray buttons that came in his way. During his life he accumulated a barrelful, and no two buttons were alike. 5L Ader, of Paris, after expending more than $100,000 on a flying machine, has produced one in which he flew about 100 yards. He says it is propelled by "a combi nation of vapors." It is a whole day's task for two men to fell a mahogany tree. On account of tho spurs which project from the base of tho trank, a scaffold has to be erected and the tree cut off above the spurs, leaving thns a stump of the very best wood from 10 to 13 reet nign. On Cabinet days the President of the) United States sits at a desk which has an in teresting history. It is made of the timbers of tho bark Resolute, which went to tho rescue of Sir John Franklin, and was pre sented to the United States by Queen Vic toria in 1377. ST. Janssen, President of the commis sion instituted by tho aerostatic congress in 1SS9, has asked the French War Minister to define the status of aeronauts in time of war. He thinks that aerostation is sufficient ly important in tho army for those who aro engaged in it to be designated as belliger ents. Between the years 1884 and 1888, ac cording to official statlstics,&19 soldiers of tha Prussian army had committed suicide in the Twelfth Saxon and Thirteenth Prussian, regiments. The largest nnmber of suicides occurred in the company stationed in the province of Posen; the next was in that of the Berlin company. Guessing parties are quite popular in Michigan. Invitations are sent to tho young; men in "our set," from the vonng ladies, to this effect, "Party in "our set this eveninsr. Gues3 where and come there." Shortly after 8 o'clock the hunt for the house be gins, and sometimes it is quite late beforo the right house is found. Observation stepladders are the latest innovation in the Belgian field artillery. They are intended to enable tho command er of a concealed battery to better detect the fire of the gunners. Every ladder ia abont seven and a half feethigh, of Iron, ana weighs about Co pounds. All ammunition wagons tt ill carry the ladders. Fish ought to be very plentiful and cheap, as most of them grow and Increase without any care from man. It is said that each flounder, for instance, produces many millions of eggs. The sole produces 1,000.000 ezgs. n plaice not less than 3,000,000, while a, large turbot has been credited with the de position of 11,000,000 or 12,000,000 of eggs. An Auburn (Me.) business man, one who is seen upon the streets of that city every day of tho weeic. cuts and makes his own clothes. And thoy are well made and they fit like a good-fitting glove. The man isn't a tailor, either. He has cut and mado his own clothes for years, and no one can suit him as well as he can suit himself. Ho does his cutting nnd sowing after business hours. All duels among officers of the Italian army are hereafter to be matters of special investigation by tho corps commanders. The circular of tho Italian War Minister to this effect states the object of the inno vation to be thelimitingof dueling to affairs of honor. Many duels of Italian officers are now for trivial causes, noreafter officers who light for such reasons will bo severely It 13 the little things of life that tax one's nerves the most, as a stalwart youth of Kansas found vt hen lie ucconted a wager that he could not stand a quart of water dropped into his open hand drop by drop from a height of threo feet. Ecforc50O drops had fallen into his hand he almost cried with pain and said ho had enough. After a little water hud fallen each drop seemed to crush his hand, and a blister in the centro of it was the result. In spite of temperance lectures and anti-liquor laws breweries and distilleries continue to multiply, bnt their increase is small if compared with that of tho patent nostrum traffic. Thirty years ago Great Britain derived from patont medicines a revenue of $210,00i. Tho same tax now yields $8,500,000 a year in other words, the traffic in "proprietary medicines" 1ms in creased moro than four hundred fold iu less than a third of a century. The Bloomficld (3Io.) Ecpiiblican, t in looking over a merchant's daybook of tho date of 1845, found the following prices, which will be of Interest in comparison with tho prices of the present time: Two pounds of nails, IS cents; 1 pound of tea, $1 25: 7 tards of calico at 22 cents per j ard and 19K yards at 33 cents per yard; Si pounds of Ltdf at 2 cents per pound: butter as low as 1 and 5 cents per pound; black muslin 11 cents per yard; corn 12J to 15 cents per bushel: 'resti pork, 3 cents per pound; 2 hogs weighing 240 pound each, at 2 rents per pound; brown sugar, 12K cents per pound; eggx, 2 cents per dozen; whisky, 37 cents per gallon. A remarkable incident is reported from Dublin. While three young" Indies were bathing near tho coast gnard station, the at tention of somo gentlemen on the bank was attracted by u succession of piercing shrieks from thebathers. Ono of the ladies appeared to be struggling in tho grip of an enormous and infuriated Jellv fish, which the ladv's unaided efforts could not shake off. Fortu nately a younger lady seized a stick which was on the shore and dashinginto the water engaged in combat -with the tenacious in vertebrate. A desperate struggle ensued, hut the courago exhibited by the gallant rescuer finally secured tho safety of her companion, tne animal succnmDingto tho repeated stabs of the stick. The elder lady was severclv stung, and remains in a pre carious condition. The jelly fish measured 3 feet in the length of its tentacles. LAUGHING WATEE. Gladys (aged four) O o o Just hear the wind blow; Harold (five Yes. do you know what that is? That is God breathing. Gladys (slowly) I guess God has got a cold. Seta Tcrk Tdtarmi. Carruthers What do you think of Brob son's new diamond Waite It would make an excellent paperweight. Carruthers That's the way he got It. Waite AVhat do you mean.' Carruthers He had to pay per weight! Una Turk lkrald. ilagistrate What is the charge against this old man? Policeman Stealing a lot of brimstone, Your Honor. He was caught in the act. 31-igIstrate (to prisoner) Jlr aged friend, couldn't you have waited a few years longer? CUieaso Tnlmne. Wishlets We had a flag r Using in front of our house the other day. Blshlcts-Gcttlng patriotic? Wishlets Ob, no. there was a 1,-ak In the water pipe and tncy had to take up the sidewalk. Broot' Ijn Eagle. "Do you know," he said in a low tone, "that I reel very narrow-minded when I come to sec yon?" "Why?" She breathed the question very, -very gently. "Because then I am a man of one nigh dear." .And the goal, sensible old moon, who has seen so much of that sort of thing, made all possible haste to retire behind the nearest cloud. Washing ton tstar. "I like to go in bathing with my wife." "Why?" "Well, she's afraid of being choked by the breakers, so there's a certain amount of satisfac tion in something being able to make her shut her vioata.nUadtlphiiTimes. They fay the baby looks like me, A circumstance I dreaded. But the only likeness I can &ee Is that t c're both bald headed. XeutXorX Press. To love a woman Is easy quite for man But to unlove her! ah. Who is It of us can? Detroit FruPrus. I -&NSi UXjIL-i
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers