WU MBMi ESTABLISHED' FEfcRUARY S, IH6 Vol. 4G. No. 24. raternl at Pittsburg Tostofflce November. l!jS7, as beeond-class matter. Business Office Corner Smithfield and Diamond Streets. News Rooms and Publishing House : 78 and So Diamond Street, in New Dispatch Building. fatfrv ADVF.irrrsixr; OFFICE, ROOStW. TRIBUNE BCaiHXS. XF.W YOKK. wlifrjcom plete flics of THE DIM'ATCIIean always be found. Foreign advertisers PPrecinte the convenience. Home dvertlwrs anil fncndb 01 THE DISPATCH, v Idle In New York, are aUo made welcome. TTOT DISPATCH t rprolcrfw on mlt nl Brentnnn't. r Unfnn .Sutare. .Vw Icrrl.and 17 Are i' r (fpera. Farie. France. Kliers miw"' r" of"1 "2 jstfntid at a hotel wtcx rf'tiut can obtain it. TERMS HI" Till: DIsrATCH. rf STARr rr.KE if rac cxited states. Daiit Dispatch. One Year J S On TtAlLT DlfrATCH, Per Quarter. - " Daily I)ipatcii, One Month 0 Daily DirATCii. Including Sunday, 1 year.. 10 00 Daily Dispatch, Including bandar, 3 m'ths. 2 50 Duly Dispatch, lneludlnc Sunday. 1 m'Ui.. !0 Suspay Dispatch, One Year I M "V eekly Dispatch, One Year 1 3 The Daily Dispatch is, delivered by carriers at 35cent perfect, or, Including Sunday Edition, at Dt cents per tv eck. riTTSUUUG. MONDAY, DEC. S, ISM. SOMETHING sI10BLD DC DONE. People in the vicinity of the Fifth Avenue Market House have foundation lor their complaints against the manage ment of that institution to the extent that a public property of larse value has for years been left idle and useless a drag to the surrounding district instead of an aid. If, as some of the residents state, official apathy is to blame for the eyesore, they should promptly bestir themselves and show the powers that be that they will no longer suffer it to continue. The talk of holding a public meeting to demand that something be done to make the valuable premises habitable and respectable should "be backed up by action. The people out there have patiently awaited the fulfill ment of promises and in silence have seen the structure erected by their cash fall into disuse and decay: and unless they make themselves heard a change for the better will undoubtedly be a long while coming. There is a large value in the property owned by the city there. What the real causes of its uselessness may have been, its condition testifies to bad administra tion somewhere. Prompt steps should be taken to end this period of public waste. If the property will yield the best public results as a market house it should be re stored to its original function. If the lease to the Eighteenth Regiment and Battery B will make it most useful that proposi tion, which has been hanging fire for a long time, should be closed up at once. Twenty years of uselesness for that valu able property is all that should be permit ted. AN EGREGIOUS ERROR. A new example of the persistent inabil ity of a certain class in this country to comprehend the recent struggle in Chile 3s furnished by the 'Washington Post. Speaking of the dispute over the harboring of Ealmacedist refugees in the United States legation, it refers to the fact that .Minister Ecan gave shelter to "a number of revolutionary leaders in the United States legation" against Balmaceda. It omits to mention that these Congressional it representatives came to Santiago at Egan's instance, under a safe conduct ob tained by him to treat for peace, and that Esan's action was rendered imperative by Ualmaceda's threat to violate the safe conduct and execute the Congressionalist envoys. Having overlooked that rather important detail it soes on to sayw "They were at that time mere plotters against the established Government of Chile-" Even on the remarkable policy of pre serving neutrality on the basis of viewing the Congressionalist parry as "rebels" and "outlaws," this statement is not correct These envoys represented a military power that had forced Balmaceda to treat with them for peace, in which treaty Egan was acting as Balmaceda's best friend. But it is one of the severest criticisms on the prevailing attitude of theUuitedStates in the Chilean struggle that it was obstin ately incapable of any perception of thefact that the Congressionalists represented the legislative branch of the Chilean Govern ment in a praiseworthy resistance against the avowed usurpations of a military dictator. TnE Dispatch pointed out at the time that this blindness to the real issue in Chile was likely to put the United States in a false position. To jitst such erroneous representations of the struggle we may charge the enmity of the Chileans against the United States. The assertion in this case has even a deeper significance than a national unpopu larity thousands of miles away. When a generally clear-headed newspaper can as sert that the men who openly fought for representative government against a self avowed" usurper, and won their cause, were "mere plotters" what a remarkable theory of republican principles must pre vail amopg our own organs of public opin ion. KILLING BY REGULATION. " The ruse of introducing a bill under the pretext of legulpt'iu: a subject of im portance with provisions which really amount to a prohibition, of new en terprises in the interest of old ones, is not a new one for -Pittsburg. That policy was brilliantly worked in City Councils some years ago for the purpose of excluding new natural gas companies; and the only obstacle to a notable success was the refusal of the courts to permit Councils under the pre tense of resulation to enact prohibition. This bit of local history gives interest to the fact that a bill has been introduced in the Senate to apply the same treatment of regulating out of existence all bridges not already authorized across the Hudson and East rivers at Xpw York. The bill va fathered by Senator Hiscoek, who now explains that he does not know anything about it It enacts that all bridges must be built with a single span and no piers outside the existing pierhead lines, and that Ihey must be 1S0 feet above high water. These are rigid but not impossible conditions, but then comes the enactment that "no obstruction to navigation either, of a permanent or temporary character shall at any time be permitted between the said pierhead lines." As this would prevent the use of false work or even a scow to carry the superstructure across the river, it might be considered enough to satisfy the most ardent advocate of prohibiting new bridges; but the bill goes on to enact that no bridge shall be built -within a mile of any other previously located either above or below. Sucli a measure is an interesting evi dence of the vitality of the genus snake in legislation, and a renewed indication of the need that the honorable legislators who introduce bills should be held re sponsible for their character. , TO ABOLISH THE SMOKE. A meeting at Chicago5 in the inter. est of abating the smoke nuisance brought out a good many points 'which have a de cided value to Pittsburg. Our need for abolishing or abating the nuisance is greater than Chicago's in exact degree" as our smoke is greater, and whatever we can learn from the discussion and experi ence of the Western city should be taken to heart for our guidance. One of the leading propositions In Chi cago for an effectual abolition of smoke was the universal adoption of anthracite coal. This was decisively rejected, as the greater cost would be a burden on the poor and a drag on industrial enterprise. The rejection of the proposition would be even more positive in Pittsburg, where the difference in the cost of the two fuels is greater, and the banning of bituminous would be a discrimination against our own product The question next; arises whether soft coal can be burned without producing smoke. It was an swered at Chicago by instancing sev eral cases where it was used with a practical abolition of smoke from the chimneys. The criticism on this method of banishing smoke is that while it can be made successful in large plants no means have yet been found to apply the principle of smoke consumption to soft coal in household use, so that smoke from resi dences will continue, even though its con sumption be universally applied by larger users. The testimony of Chicago on this point is of direct value to Pittsburg, and can be corroborated from our own experience. For while the smoke nuisance as a whole is unabated, there are one or two concerns in the community doing a public service by the practical demonstration of means whereby soft coal can be used in large quantities "sithout producing smoke. The production of smoke by private residences is shown to be well outside of the problem by a single comparison. Take the coldest Sunday of the year when domestic fires are kept up to their utmost and the mills, factories and business blocks are shut down; then our skies are undimnted by smoke. Take a comparatively warm week day, when people use little fire, and the steam boilers and manufacturing furnaces are in operation; then the light is obscured by clouds of soiling blacknesi In ad dition a large portion of the domestic fuel used in Pittsburg is, and always will be gas. So if we follow the demonstrations that soft coal can be burned in large volume without producing smoke we will succeed in abolishing our old-time inflic tion. Chicago did not discuss one method of escaping the smoke nuisance which Pitts burg must not neglect That is the possibility of a fuel gas supply so .cheap and reliable as to be preferable, to coal. The full possibilities both of natural and artificial gas. should be developed for their freedom from smoke as well as for their convenience. But the consumption of smoke from soft coal must at the same time be kept in view. For the effective method of securing desirable consummation the testi mony of Chicago that it requires a com plete and active organization of the pub lic should indicate to Pittsburg what it must set about at first A SFECEttEN LYNCHING. The report of the lynching of Sims, the Alabama outlaw, gives an accurate idea of the cowardliness of lynch law. Sims and his supporters had surrendered to the State troops on a pledge of protection from lynchers, hut, the report says, "about a mile from Sims" house a body of men from 100 to 200 strong took them from the guards and hanged them all to one tree." Besides the commentary this affords on the value of the pledges of the law officers, this occurrence- turns a strong and un favorable light on the average manliness of lynchers. Here were one or two hun dred men living so nearly in the vicinity of Sims.that they could assemble within a mile of his house. They hated him enough to kill him; but while he had been holding the law at defiance for years they never summoned up spunk enough to get to gether "one or two hundred strong" and capture him and his four supporters. While those five men were at liberty the hundred or two lynchers were as meek as lambs. If they .had possessed an ounce of real courage 'they could have taken possession of the outlaws and turned them over to the law. But their zeal for the suppression of outlawry only rose to a.ction when they learned that the State troops had secured the surrender of the desperadoes. When the latter had been disarmed on a pledge of protection the courage of the lynchers rose to fever heat and thoy proceeded to the lynching by the sufferance of the State troops, who evi dently did not think their pledge worth fighting for. All of which illustrates anew the fact often stated here that lynch law, or mob murder more properly, is the most cow ardly species of crime practiced in the United States to-day. A MILLENNIAL PROPOSITION. The proposition of Congressman Dick erson, the successor of Senator Carlisle in the nouse of Representatives, to begin the work of retrenchment in earnest by cutting off the sinecure clerkships about the House, may be an evidence of sin cerity on Mr. Dickerson's part; but if he has any hopes of securing a reform of that sort it must be charitably credited to his newness in Congress. The element of sinecurism is as strong in'thc offices dependent on Congress as anywhere else in the Government Prob ably it is greater than elscVhere; but it does not by any means follow that a Con gress bent on.refprm will begin by cutting off its own fat berths for political favor ites. The new Kentucky Congressman has a very slight conception of the power of private pulls if he supposes that a place In the Committee on Accounts gives him the ability to abolish the clerkships of committees that never meet, or other pleasant little stalls in which the friends and relatives of Congressmen are accom modated with nothing to do, and nice sal aries for doing it. The proposition is an" excellent one in the abstract, but when it is adopted we shall be so near the millennium that the Occupation of the reformer wjll be per manently gone. r'MiL, El-kins' appointment as Secretary of War lias been promptly confirmed by the Senate, and he will now proceed to perform the duties of the office In a capable way, and to give such incidental assistance to the Re publican cause as is generally expected or him,"'remarks tbo Str Louts Glebe-Democrat. Indeed! And wbat-is the "incidental as sistance to the Republican cause" expected of tho Secretary of. Wart Do the political organs by any chance have information of a project to use the TJniteM states army as a political machine for the carrying of elec tions? Tun probability that if Egaa had re mained in Ireland ho would al this ilmo, if at liberty, have been engaged In ruining tho Irish? cause by faction lights, does not afford a good reason -why he should inj nro Ameri can commerce by getting the two most en-' tcrprisingirepublics of "the New "World Into1 open war. "He fought'a fair and manlyj contest and deserved the victory for his gentlemanly conduct and fairness." This touching trib ute is paid by tho press report, to a gentle man by the name of Myer, yrbo knocked out a gentleman by the name of Carroll tnfew Orleans last week. As tho-dotails show that the "gentlemanly conduct" oonsisted in breaking Mr. Carroll's nose, blinding his eyes, knocking out five of his tooth, and further proceduresto the ssmo effect, it is evident that a new'scbool'in manncrsiuas been started. "Is" the coming investigation of the Pension Office," says-the PhiladelphiaHm, "it is proposed to-use no -whitewash." Then the Pennsylvania conclusion must be that the investigation will bo a dodge. Recent experience in this State indicates that an investigation must bo one thing or the other. Early reports came promptly to the conclusion that the responsibility for the New York Central collision lay with the man sent back to flag the next train. But it is reassuring to note that some of the New York papers are outspoken enough to declare that a corporation pretending to run a great trunk line, which still relies on the primi tive system of sending men back instead of adopting the block system, has some re sponsibility in the matter. That story about the man who got a check for $2,500 in Norwalk, Conn., by threatening to '-drop this bag," does not tell what he did. with the bag when he pre sented that check atrtho bank and found pay ment stopped on it. Col. W. A. Taylor, once of Pittsburg, and now of Columbus, O., is in the East, in forming the papers that Foraker is going to be elected Senator and that the result will bo a split in the Ohio Republican organiza tion. The Colonel's well-known perspica city of judgment with regard to Republican politics makes this prediction a rather sure pointer to the success of Sherman and the continuance of Republican supremacy in Ohio. Mr, Amos Cujimings' confidence that Speaker Crisp's committee appointments are all right, is n touching testimonial totho fact that Mr. Cnmmings belongs to the crowd that is on top. The Health Officer of Denver, Colorado, has informed the municinal authorities of New York that their streets are really quite clean. The availability of a man who comes from Denver to tell New Yorkers about the condition of their streets suggests that he might be brought to Pittsburg to see if his genius will go the length of giving our streets a clean bill of health. The American flour sent to the starving Russians should be accompanied by a com mittee of supervision to see thatlit does not fall into tho exclusive hands of-Sthe-hungry Russian officials. A dynamite scare inXew York revealed lately a small tin box in tho hallway of a house. Tho police -were summoned in baste and a brave sergeant after full investigation reported that it contained a toothsome and alluring supply of chocolate. It is thought the police sergeant will survive the effects. of the investigation. Notwithstanding the reports of a hard winter there is a glowing feeling that an artificial Ice plant "may bo good prop erty to own next summer. PATOEITES OP FAME. Mrs.. Jefferson Davis has an adopted; daughter who is 10 years old. Caleb Porte is probably the oldest newspaper man in active service. He will soon celebrate his 80th birthday, i The present Governor ot North 'Dakota, A. II. Burke, was once a newsboy. It was by selling "extras" that-he began his rise in life. Major VON "Wissmann, the German Imperial Commissioner in Africa, who has been ill for so long in Cairo, is again conval escent. Mrs Antoinette Beown-Blackwell, the pioneer woman preacher of America, lives a life of great retirement at Eliza beth, N. J. A Kansas City paper says that Sir Edwin Arnold rivals Chauncey M. Depew as an interviewee. "You touch tho button on his door he does the rest." Stevens, the Massachusetts Congress man who has been appointed on the Ways and Means Committee, is the largest manu facturer of woolen goods in the country. Otto E. Ehlers, the explorer of Africa, who met Stanley In the East a fow weeks ago, reports that the great traveler is a broken man and that ho will probably not return to Africa. J. C Cravens, of Springfield, Ma, who is mentioned in connection with tho Inter state Commerce Commission, -was a class mate of Secretary Elkins at the Missouri Stato University. Maky Temple Bayard, of the Phila delphia Times, a bright newspaper lady well known to DjsrATCH readers, has been chosen to represent tho press" of that city and county on the World's Fair Board. The selection is a good one. Signor Manfredi has just made a tre mendous reputation for himself at the bar of Naples in a criminal case. He spoko for four days, five or six"hours a day, and at the close received Such an ovation as no barris ter in Italy ever had before. TO EXCHANGE VIEWS. Object of tho Meeting of Tin Flate Manu facturers Next Month. St. Louis. Dec. 27. The Tin Plate Manu facturers' Association of the United States is to meet here about the middle of January. There are 38 members of the aesoqiatlon and the object of their organization is for the purpose of exchanging views and experi ences in their efforts fo manufacture Amer ican tinptite under a duty of 2f cents a pound. This interchange of experiences, it is said, is not tho lesult of a combination affecting prices, but a means of assisting each other toward living up to their agreement with tho Government to turn out 1C0,0jO tons of tin plate in tho first six years after the passage of the MeKinley act, as the condition upon which the increase in the tariff was socured. Then thoy may discuss some otlfer things, but what they are has not been made public. It has been rumored, however, that one of tho leading question's to be discussed is the advisability of having a bill introduced in the present Congress providing for the in crease of 1 cent a pound in the duty on tinned plate, and one of the reasons given forthe postponement of tho tin-plate manu facturers' meeting from December 9 to Jan nary was to await the result of the speaker ship contest to decide what kind of propo rtion, they would submit to Congress. DISTBESSIKQ SCENES AT A FUNERAL, The Son of a Hastings Victim Loses Ills Reason, and Several Ladies Faint. New Yoke, Dec. 27. The funerals of Mrs. A. M. Baldwin, Dr. Stephen E. Best and the Misses Libbie Van Arsdalo and Mabel Slocum, victims of the Christmas Eve New York Central disaster at Hastings, wore conducted to-day. The. funeral of Mrs. Baldwin at her late home, 71 East Eighty fifth street, was largely attended. During the obsequies Mrs, Baldwin's eon, Homer, who was in the accident, became greatly affected and at last his mind gave way and it became necessary to take him from the room. It is learned that ho has utterly lost his reason. At the obsequies of Misses Van Arsdale and Slocum at the Bedford Street Church, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Chauncey M. Depew, Attorney Looinis and manj- other officials or the Cential road, we present. Several ladies fainted during the services. CHBISTMAS THOUGHTS. tWRITTES FOR THE DISPATCH.! Now what we want is to have' a little Christmas every day. The 25th of December is most excellent as a sample. Let us order a whole year from that same piece. Let us have Christmas every dayl The trouble with Christmas beside the' annual difficulty of fitting very large hearts to very small pocketbooks is that it is too short. It crowds things together too much. Why, Christmas is as bad as half-a-dozen weddings in a single week. "Mr and Mrs. Blank Blank-Blank Blank request your presents at. the marriage of their dauzhter!" Christmas is a timo when you especially desiro to give something to every friend you have. But most respectable and well-conducted people have a good mny friends; and to get something for them all, and to do it betwoen Sundays, is a large undertaking. Yes, between Sundays. Of course, there are in every community certain exceedingly forehanded people, who begin in days of peace to prepare for war. They lay their Christmas plans as long ahead as the illustrated papers. In the heat of summer they knit red mittens for skating parties. Too Sudden for Comfort. Most people, however, to Judge from the crowded streets and stores, goon the time honored, though not especially commenda ble, principle of never doing anything to-day that can be put off till to-morrow. And so Christmas comes all of a sudden, and tho consequence it that people lose their tem pers, and tho selection of gifts at the rate of CO every minute becomes vanity and vexa tion of spirit, and men and women behind counters wish that Christmas never came at all. Nobody can choose the right presents for n. 'considerable company of friends in one" day, and do it well. In Venice, however, according to Mr. Howells, thoy have this matter of selection more easily arranged. There are just three kinds of proper gifts in Venice at Christmas. One is fish, another is mustard, and the third is mandorlato. If you like your friend pretty well you give him a fish, a cold fish. If you like him a little better, you present him in addition with a pot of mustard. This is not the mus tard of commerce. There is no connection between this gift and the consequences of too much Christmas candy. Venetian mus tard at Christmas time' means a conserve of fruits with mustard seasoning. If, however, your friend is a particular friend, you may give him a fish, a pot of mustard, and a cake of mandorlato, Mandorlato is a, kind of candy made of honey and filled with almonds. And then to variety you can add quantity. The size of tho gift is a measure of the size of the donor's affection. Unless people pleasantly deceive one another in Venice, as they do here, and pretend to think more of each other than they really do, the receiving of Christmas presents must bo an interesting and Instructive experience. "What the Venetians Lose. One difficulty which I can see in such an order of things with all its obvious advant-. ages is that nobody in Venice would get for a gift this charming book o.f Mr. Howells' out of which I have Just quoted "Venetian Days." I had tho great felicity of reading "Venetian Days" for the first time in Venice itself. Just between St. Mark's and the Doge's Palace is a marble lion possibly two; I am snre there is one, because I brought him back with me to Pittsburg in a kodak. And sitting on a pedestal of that old lion looking oat over the busy Piazza, In full sight of the'supreme glories of Venice, the Cathedral, tho palace, the Campanile, and the grand canaL I had Mr. Howells forgulde and companion several most memorable days. My copy was a little paper-covered Tauch nitz edition, J ust of a size for a coat pocket But this Christmas edition of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.'s is in two volumes, vellum covered, edged with gilt, and set out with a score or more of particularly dainty little pictures done in color, very vivid, as every thing in Venice is, and quite impression ist in style little, Informal, rather in definite, but altogether charming, glimpses of canals and corners, of markets and churches, like the pictures of a tourist's memory. Mr Deland's "Florida Days" was" illustrated in color. There is, no doubt, a great future In this direction for tho mak ing of book pictures. "Mr. Hbwells' Venice and Mr. Ruskinls Venice are two quite different places. In de'ed, it is'Mr. Howells himself who declares that whe"n after n residence of several years in that city ho read for the first timo Mr. Buskin's description of St. Mark's, he wondered where It was, and how he had so unfortunately happened to miss it. The commonplace tourist sympathizes with Mr. Howells' criticism. Ruskin's de scription of the great church is almost as beautiful as the church itself, but it is no more an explanation of tho real looks of S t. Mark's than Turner's "Heidelberg" is an ex hibition of the actual appearance of that city of tho university and the castle. "Ve netian Days" is an altogether delightful ac count of everyday, nineteenth-century ex periences in that strange, media) val Venice, which, even to-day, takes the hand of the visitor, as the fair lady of the mountain took tho hand of Tannhausor, and conducts him out of the world. The book Is empha sized by its wprthy setting of white and gold, and the gleams of color between its pages. Not Enough Christmas. In Venice, Christmas is not crowded into one week, or if it is, there is not nearly so much of It to crowd in. Fish and mus tard and mandorlato can all be easily pur chased, with no perturbation of mind what soever, in a morning's shopping. Christmas ought to be spread out more. Christmas is like a good many people's vaca tion. Men work for ten months twico as hard as they ought to work; they sit up late nights and get up early in the morning, and maintain unceasingly an unnatural, and nn hcalthful, and genorally pernicious hustling. And then they devote eight weeks to getting rested. But a better way might be to take a little more vacation as we go along, -to take a little vacation every day. And that, it seems to me, is good advice about Christmas. We ougit to spread the Christmas spirit over the wholo year. It might be well to give fewor gifts during the last week In Dacember, and make it up by giving more gifts in January and June nnd September. Christmas, that is, is only a sample-of the sort of human llfo that It would do all of us good to live 365 days every year, and one more day than that next year. Christmas is a synonym for unselfishness. J ust now.hundrcds of commonly selfish poo ple are thinking about other people. Tho bundles that were piled up in everybody's arms last week, had untold treasures of fraternal love tied up in them. For a little space we all stopped thinking about making money and set ourselves to plunning ways of spending it. How to Brighten the Days. I understand that an ifh usual amount ofinoney was spent this year in helpful char ities. Some of the churches w ere almost as busj" as some of the stores. Artlcles-of lux ury woro left in tho show-cases, and articles of necessity found their way with the same money, to the places where thoy would do the most good. People who wero favored with abundance of this woflu's goods, shared, in brotherly and Christian ways. with other people whose pocket-books weio not so generously filled. A great many mon and women look back to this year's Christ mas with mostpleasant memories.as sharers in the real Christmas spirit. And they all know by experience that that is the very happiest of all Christmases in which a pleasure has been added to another's life. If wo are wise, we will keop on now ob serving Christmas all the twelve-month round. We will bring our plans forspend ing money into better balance with our plans lor. earning it. We will go on increas ing in this good Christmas spirit; we will have a little Christinas every day. French Minister Patenotro Arrives, New York, Dec. 27. M. Patenotre, French Minister to the United States, arrived to day on tbo steamship La Champagne. He will pioceed to Washington In a few days. - TVatterson Has Lost His Grip. Indianapolis Journal. Editor Watterson does not seem to have as much Influence with Speaker Crisp as he had with Speaker Carlisle. SKIN AN IFCH THICK. ACarlons Affliction A hi Jh Physicians Are Unable to Cure. New Yoek, Dec. 27l To everyone's amaze ment Patrick Wood's thick skin has been growing, "to all appearances, .thicker. For a long time he had rheumatism In bis legs. He had to give up his work. The skin of His limbs seemed to tigbtnn. It commenced to stretch and got smooth over parts of the legs where muscular movements were most vigorous. On the calves and around the hips it becaino hard. TJiis abnormal ap pearance seemed most virulent about the thighs, knees and ankles, whioh, were given the most exercise. But the thickened, haid appearance kept spreading until finally Wood cotud walk only with difficulty. No vember H, 1S84, he was admitted to Bellevue Hospital. There the physicians became greatly interested In his case nnd have watched, without being able to arrest, the progress of the disease. To all appearances, when lying down, Wood is a healthy man. He weighs about 180 pounds, his eyes are bright, his com- Slexion clear, nnd he has a eood appetite, at his disease has deprived him entirely of the use of his limbs. It is agreed that what seems like a thickened skin is but a fibroid gi owth between the inmost skin coating and the flesh. The skin itself retains Us normal appearance in color, though it is dry. and the functions of the poies are largely ar rested. This growth, increasing withiu, presses upon the muscles and distends the skin, which is requlied to cover so much in creased substance. As the fibroid growth is now an inch thick in its most virulent spots the skin is stietched tightly, until it feels like a hard rubber ball. Tho growth does not extend above tho waist nnd gradually lessons in .thickness, so there Is no well defined line of demarkation. It h highest Just over the hips. -Wood says that he has never leu pain, except or a uuii Kina, re sulting from the constant tension of muscles in one position. He cannot bend his legs, but by moving them off his bed he can sit upright. The mnscles have now Deen so long inactive that thevare beginning to lose their keen sense of feeling. As tho thick ness of this growth increases, the skin's sensitiveness to feeling and heat and cold becomes lessened, though not destroyed. SUPPLIED 'A MIMING CAMP. A Physician's Experience in Quenching the Thirst of a Dry Multitude. Denver, Col., Dec. 27. Dr. William Doug lass, of Portland, Me., tells an incident- of camp life in the mountains which is of in terest. Ho was the first man to cross the range to get into tho camp in the spring, and he found that the people thero were suffer ing for one of the prime necessities of a mining camp whisky. The saloons had run short about a month before the trail bad been opened, and when the doctor arrived not-a man In camp had had a drink for over threo weeks.xTho miners who first saw him shouted his name, and soon there congre gated the whole population, waving their hats and cheering. He was escorted up the main street to the principal saloon and hur ried therein. He had no idea what It all meant, but was soon enlightened. He was told that the camp was out of whisky and wanted him to msiKo some. At nrst ne was nonpmssea anu was disposed to be Indignant, but soon saw that the men were in earnest and firmly be lieved that he could make the wnisicy. no asked what they had in camp and found that there was one pint of afcohol at the drugstore, a bottle of bitters at tho saloon and plenty of water. He went to work with these, some dried pcachos and burned sugar, and in half an hour had concocted a prepar ation which looked and smelled like whisky. His Ingredients wero so sparingly used that he made' two gallons of the mixture, and this was doled out by the saloonkeeper so sparingly that every man had one or more drinks at 23 cents each, and all agreed that it was the best they had in the town. NIXSSON'S SISTEE IN WAN! She Lives In Milwaukee and Her Daughter Hat a fine Voice. Milwaukee, Wis., Dec. 27. In his Christ mas rounds among the poor Agent Frellson, of tho Associated Charities, found a sister of Christine Nilsson, the Swedish singer, in very straitened circumstances. She is the wife of Nils P. Hrale, a Swedish teacher, who lives In the rear of No. 611 (Eleventh street. -Mrs. Hralo is an elder sister of Chris tine Nilsson, and both she and her husband are people of education, but ho has not been able to secure constant employment, and tho family, vhich. is a large one, has been reduced to actual want. Not long ago Christine Nilsson came to Milwankee to sing at one of the Thomas concerts and she visited her sister at that time, but ont of piide the extent of the fam ily's poverty was concealed from her. Friends have Interested themselves in their welfare and an effort will be mado to pro vide Mr. Hrale with a situation. Mrs. Hrale has a danghter who possesses a remarkably fine soprano voice, but her parents, who hope that she may some day be a prima donna like her aunt, are unable to give her a. musical edncation. Musicians who have beard her sing were impressed by the qual ity of her voice and will render assistance in giving her a conservatory draining. SNAKES AND THE QK1P. Tuscorora Indians the Victims of a Com bination of vlls. Locktort, N. Y., Dec. 27. The Tuscarora Indians are in a great dilemma. They are presumably afflicted by the grip,, and cer tainly by a multitude of gartar snakes. Over two-thirds of tho braves and squaws on the reservation have the grip in its worst form. It takes the nature of typhoid fever, with excruciating pains in the arms, legs and head. Added to this the whole section is overrun with snakes. The Indians are, indeed, in a pitiable con dition. Hundreds of the reptiles have been killed, but they are still numerous. Where they have come from is not' known, but it" is thought that the warm, wet weather which has been prevalent this month has brought them out. Help has been sent to the res ervation. The physicians thereabouts have their hands full. DEATHS HERE AKD ELSEWHERE. Mrs. Flicobn V. Durand, Centenarian. Mrs. Phcebe"Wade-"Woodruff Dnrand died atlrvlngton, N. J., Saturday morning of pneumo nia at the age 100 years, 1 month and 11 day. Sho enjoyed excellent health, and her mental faculties were clear up to a few days ago. when Mic was at tacked bv an aggravated form of la grippe. Until her last fitness sue had never been conilned to her bed through sickness. Her second husband wait Cyrus Durand, the inventor of the system of bank note engraving and at one time Chler of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. She leaves eight grandchildren and nine great grandchlldicn. Jaines D. Jackson, Journalist. James D. Jackson, a veteran journalist, died at his home. In Flatbush, N. Y., Saturday, or Brlght's disease, after au Illness of three months. He was 51 years of age, and leaves a widow and six children. At the time of his death he was en gaged on Forest and Sirtnm. He had been In Jour- nalicm atni. lufi Vrtittli nnri fnr para WHS pmnlnvprt by the Cincinnati Enqmrer. While there he sug gested to the United States Government the Idea of settling the vast territory of the AVcst by giving tl.e right to pre-empt tbo land. He wrote many able articles on this subject, aud lived to see his idea carried out. Obitnary Notes. M. Pomjieraye, the eminent French critic, is dead in Paris. Charles Meter, a pioneer of Indiana, and a millionaire wholesale "merchant or Indianapolis, died yesterday, aged 70. Hey. Augustus P. Strikeh, one of Baltimore's o'dest and most prominent .Protestant Episcopal clergymen, is the latest i lctlm of grip In that city. Professor Charles C Shackfohd. Emeritus Professor In English and Gen.eral Literature at Cornell University, died Friday evening In Brook lluc, Mass., of the grip. Joel Texter, the largest land owner In Eastern Tennsylvaula, owning 1,900 acics lu Berks, Leba non and Lancaster counties, died Friday night at his home at South Mountain, Pa., aged 67 cars. S, B. Kekd, the famous civil engineer, died Sat urday at Jollct, III. He built the nrst railroad into Chicago from the East, and built the Canadian Pacific and Union Taclflc railroads. He al built the first bridges across the Misalssiprl aud Missouri rivers. Thomas S. Arr-LF.OATE. proprietor of the Adrian Tmes, died suddenly of heart disease yes terdav morning. He was one of the most promin ent .Republican politicians of the Mate, anil for many.years a member of the Board of Control of the Mate bchool for the Blind. Coloxel Jacob Wheeler, one of the best known Republican politicians of Illinois, dropped dead at Springfield, III., yesterday. He was for merly United States Marshal for his district: also United States Revenue Collector. Last car lie w a supervisor or the Census for Illinois. 3IRS. HOLLisKxxoi wife or the late Judge Ilei tis King, who died on the 17th Inst., aud was buried last Sunday, died yesterday morning at Curry, aged 78 years. Abont the tlmu of Mr. King's death she was taken with the grin, which, with the severe shock caused by her husband's death, rapidly did Its work. Frederick G. AprtETOX died suudeuly yester day morning of cancer in the stomach at the resi dence of his son-in-law, William D. McKec, In Chicago. Mr. Appleton was a wealthv ranchman or Camp San Salsa, Tex. liev. Drs. Edward and Samuel Appleton. of Philadelphia, prominent devlne -f the Episcopal church, arc brothers of the dcciasid. OUR MAIL POUCH. iErlal Warships. To the Editor of The Dispatch: Will yon kindly allow me to correct a wrong impression liable to be conveyed through an imperfection existing In a letter from me, published: in your issue or Decem ber 9, entitled "iEronantical War Material," upon which you make editorial comments as follows: "All of which is a long dLstanco from a de monstration that theso airships can cross tho Atlantic, or that if brought across, they could carry tho stock of amnnltion neces sary to lay great cities in ashes." This position is correctly taken by The Dispatch. The airship of the present time bears somewhat the same relation to itsbase of supplies that tho torpedo or torpedo-boat does to the iron-clad warship whioh conveys it across broad oceans and controlsand rein forces its onslaughts. The present function of an aerial torpedo is strictly that of an assailant, dependent upon tho sheltering power or protection of a, suitable seagoing vessel, which may be the conveyor or many like it; as well ns n single one. To cross the Atlantic would not, I believe, be practicable for any warship to-day, and It .certainly wonld be a great waste of its resources to attempt it. But, assumo that a foreign fleet ot mouern war vessels snouia approaou anu lie off one of our Atlantic "portn. Within a fewhonrs after arrival one ot these vessels could easily "hatch out" quite a brood or winged tormentors,eaoh one competent to do damage almost past estimate, while always able to fall back on its base of snpplles. Nor need the airship descend to receive its sup plies. Theie need only bo attached to trail ropos, and hang hundreds of feet below tho airship, ready to detach when .arriving dl roctly over the desirable point, while the air sailors run no risk of the magazine's exploding. Picture the demoralizing iniln ence upon a garrison of the approach of such a vessel bearing a destructive ex plosives of high power pendant from a cable, gradually approaching closer and closerl Now, the ready conseqnence of airships to great distances by ordinary methods, and the erection and operating .of plants speed ily after arrivnl, is a very simple affair. At the risk of lying under suspicion of "Dal loonlngmy industry" let me give a few ac tual examples from my own experience, ex posing at the same time a "trade secret," which is that I carry in an ordinary trunk all the details of a practical airship. It has . recently bean operated, out doors, carrying one man, in New York, Massachnietts, Con necticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylva nia and Illinois, inflated with hydrogen gas made from water by portable generators transported by rail. - , As instancipg the celerity of operation rossible let me say that in some 30 instances have left my home at 7 a. m., arriving at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., at 11 a. m.. and with three hours active work have floated the vessel heavenward and re-packed my gas works for reshipment. Again, on two occa sions, I have gone from mv home" in New York State to Winchester, Va., operated with generated hydrogen there and an honr later piacea ail my apparatus on Doaru train and Journeyed to Staunton, Va., 100 miles, and operated there two hours arter water was placed in my gas generators. Twice during this year the sky bicycle airship has ascended from Stoneboro, "Pa., 90 minutes after water was placed in my gas generators. From Kockville, Conn., I went direct to At lanta, Go., 1,000 miles, as fast as -steam could carry myself and baggage, arriving jnst be fore noon, and my telf ascended with hydro gen early in the afternoon. Theso are per sonal revelations, and havo no parallel as regards celerity in any country, hut thoy sho-v with certainty what may be accom plished with lacllities existing, and how readily transported operated similar de vices may be by. a foreign power whose progress, while moro secret, is likely to be quite as efficient as my own. -Carl Myers, Fraskfort, N. Y., December 26. Something About the Grip. To the Editor of The DIsnatch: Jnst now the grip is in the minds of many. 1 havo studied the disease, and I can state professionally that it is not contagions, as some suppose, but it 13 essentially infectious, and one attack docs not confer Immunity from another, but rather predisposes. Tho germ travels most rapidly, and is recorded to have passed over the entire con tinent of Europe in six. weeks. It passes quickly from ono country to another, but does not as a rule appear to remain long in one locality. It is a powerful special mi crobic agent, which Is exhaled by the in fected individual. In 1830-31 the grip is re corded as having swept over the entire civ ilized world, although at that time it had not had the modern name of la, grippe conferred about it. The disease acts differently on different constitutions, affecting the muscular sys tem of some and gastro-intestinal orsans of others, in nearly every case producing ex cessive depression and catarrhal affections. Tho symptoms bv this time are pretty gen erally known. There is really no specific remedy for it, but complete rest andsupport to the system are the best restoratives. Quinine in the very outset is most effective. Medico. Alleohe-jt, December 26. KEW IEAE ANTICIPATIONS. Now for those resolutions! Boston Her ald. Now prepare for tho diary and swearing off Jokes. Chicago Globe. There remain six days in which to enjoy your Christmas presents before the bills begin to come In. Chicago Times. Chile should celebrate Now Year's Day by turning over a new leaf in her correspond ence with the United States. Washington Star. Leap year Is less than a week In futurity. Eligible bachelors should make a memoran dum of the fact nnd prepare for the ex pected. Detroit Free Press. The campaign orators aro not to monop olize the public attention next year. Sulli van and Slavin are arranging terms for an open-air meeting. Washington Post. GE5TLEME3T who celebrated Christmas not wisely but too well have already begun formulating their New Year resolutions. In every case the worso'the headaches the bet ter the resolutions. St. Louis Republic The coming of leap year may justify some odd doings, social and otherwise, but it can not excuse the attempt of any Kepnbllcan to vault into the Senate chamber over tho tall figure of John Sherman. Cleveland Leader. A GALLANT RESCUE. How a Charming Young Lady Was Saved From a Sad Pate. Sacramento, Dec. 27. Five daysago pretty Kittie M. Hall, of Mayhews, aged. IS, came to Sacramento. At a social party she met Ed ward J. Farmer, a prejajssessing young man of 21. The liking was mutual. Miss Hall said she had left home temporarily to avoid the importunities of an aged lover, who was distasteful to her, though favored by her parents because of his financial ability. "I'll neip you uui ui juur umiuuity, saiu the gallant young man. "How?" she asked. "I'll marry you myself if you say the word." She flushed shyly, asked for a minnte in which to reflect, gave him permission to obtain a license, and to-day Decame Mrs. Farmer. The ancient suitor arrived soon after the ceremony was performed. He wentatraight to the County ClPrk's office; nnd when in formed of what had happened said, with some show of chagrin, "That settles it," ana walked out. Farmer nnd bride were Invisible. He is a clerk in a drj-goods store on a modest salary. Mrs. Lease Ts Knocked Out, Chicago Tlracs.l Sonator Plumb's successor will bo ap pointed by tho Governor of Kansas and not elected by the Farmers' Legislature. This knocks out Mrs. Lease. TWO TOWNS. Brother! yon with growl and frown. Why don't yen move from Gmmhlctown, Where everything is tumble down And life Is always dreary? Move over Into Ulailrilip. where Your face will don a happy air And lay aside the look of care For smiles all bright and cherry. In Grumbletown therc's not a Joy But has- a hhadow of alloy 'that will Its happiness destroy And make you to regret It. in UlarlTllIe tliey hat e not a care But what it looks Inviting there. Ami has about It (.ometulng fair That makes them pleased to net It. 'Tis strange how dlfTcrcnt theso towns Ofoursarr! Good cheer abounds In one. and gruesome growls aud rrowns Are always in the other. ir you your skies of ashen gray Would change for sunny smiles ofllay. From Orumbletown, oh, haste away; Move Into UUdnlle, brother. -l'ttiiltntfied Exchange. ARIZONA SAND DK1PTS, Boada Obliterated and Houses Covered in the "Western Wilderness. Tccso-r, Ariz., Dec 27. What is recognized as the worst storm that has visited this country In 20 years raged In this neighbor hood a few days ago. While it was felt se verely at this city it was many times more violent north and west of here and Teports from those sections are Just coming in. The wind blew a perfect gale for 49 hours and tore down everything that was movable. All along the river in tho mining regions the wind played havoc with derricks and hoist ing apparatus, while sheds and small build ings were blown completely out of the country". The wind was bad enough.'but to make matters worse the sand of this country is as fine as powder, and when carried by wind drifts like suow In the North. This sand is white, and Is of such a nature that it Etles up into great drifts, and within two ours' time will completely, change the whole aspect of the country. When the wind began blowing the old-timers who had been in sand storms Oegan to prepare for what they knew was coming, but they bad not calculated upon a storm of such sever ity. On the road between here and the mines there were two freight outfits consisting of six eight-mule teams each. These outfits were traveling close together, and when the storm came up they tried to get to a camp ing place, but it soon blew so hard that the drifting sand entirely obliterated the road and then the wagons got scattered and each man was compelled to act by lilmseir, for It was impossible to see 50 feet ahead. The drivers hurriedly unhitched and brought their animals to the watrons to shelter them as much as possible from the smalt particles of sand, which ant like glass. Daring the storm seven mules were lost, while one team, has not yet been beard from, and It Is feared that the driver, who was Inexporienced. wandered to such a distance that he and his whole outfit perished in the driving sand. THINKS HERSELF UNDER A BAN. A Tounjr Womnn's Sensitiveness Over a - Tramp's Maledictions. BomtEn Speixos, K.uf., Dec 27. There Is a young woman in thla town who belie vea that she is under the influence of a curse- While suffering from a nervous attack, she was ac costed by a tramp who came to her door and begged for something to eat. As the family had been so much bothered with tramps she answered him very shortly and told him to get away from the place or she would set the dogs on him. Later on he returned. This time he -did not ask for food, but as soon as the door was opened he began calling down maledictions on the head of the girl. His bitter word3 frightened her and she fainted, in which condition she was found by her mother, who had heard the noise. During the curse the tramp called down a spirit of unrest on her and told her that be wished her to" always feel hungry and like wandering, so that she would know what it was to be a poor tramp. The girl was ill for several days after the ad venture, but is now in apparent good health. She says that she feels that she is under a curse. She Is restless and spends her time walking up and down about the place, and complains of never getting enough to eat. DYING FOE FOURTEEN YEARS. A Strang- Medical Case Which Puzzled . Many Eminent Physicians. Otsego, Mich., Dec. 27. W. P. Blakeman died to-day of a decidedly novel malady. His death is probably tho longest on record, having covered a period of U years. Daring that time the man'spulse has been gradually and slowly slackening. Tbo disease first made itself manifest by an inert feeling and e. bloodless condition of the complexion. In vestigation disclosed that the heart beat was less than 60 a minnte. The usual stimnlants were taken without visible effect, and the pulse steadily de creased until death came to the relief of the s ingularl v afflicted man. During a year past it is said that Blnkeman's pulse has been only 23 a minute. The patient wasted away to a living skeleton, and for months was more dead than alive. The heart and neigh boring organs have been removed and pre served in the interests of science. They will be sent to Ann Arbor for examination. MRS. CURTIN SOMEWHAT BETTER. Her Physicians Now Have Hopes of Her Ultimate Ilecovory. Philadelphia, Dec. 27. Special. Mre. Andrew G'. Curtin, tho venerable wife of the ex-Governor, who has been seriously ill for several days at the residence of her son, was in an improved condition to-night. Drs. White, and Curtin have been in constant attendance, and to-day for tho first time evpressedahope of her ultimate recovery. Tho pneumonia symptoms, which wore the most dangerous, are gradually disap pearing, but Mrs. Curtin is still in a very weak condition, and is being very carerully nursed Her husband and three of her daughters, Mrs. Harris, of Bellefonte: Mrs. Sage, of Ithaca, and Mrs. Eecse, ol Newport, are with her. THE SMALLEST HASTES MASON. General Littleflnger to Ho Initiated in the Order's Mysteries. New York, Dec. 27. The smallest man who ever became a Master Mason will receive the third degree in Zeredatha Lodge 483, F. and A. M., at the rooms of the lodge. No. 40 Court street, Brooklyn, to-night. The man is Rohert n. Huzza,-who is a resi dent of Liwrenco street, Brooklyn.- He Is 33 inches high, and as General Littleflnger is well known to tho patron? of musenms, having been exhibited with his wite, who 13 also a dwarf. William Taylor, who was a Brooklyn photographer and who was taken into Joppa Lodge 201 in 1S65, has hitherto been the smallest Mason. A FRENCH ENVOY IN AMERICA. Sent Out by His Government to Study Social and Labor Questions. New York, Dec 27. M. Paul Deschaud, Deputy of the Department Eure eth-Loire, Fari3, arrived here to-day. He was ap pointed by the French Government to in vestigate the social questions and the condi tion of theworklnimen of this country. He will meet T. V. Powderly and several other labor leaders, and will visit Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Now Orleans and San Francisco. Demand for Permanont Relief Parties. Chicago Globe.l A relief party is to go to Greenland for Perry. In view of the great demand for re lief parties, it is singnlar that somebody doesn't go into the business permanently. Congress Has Some Tight-Rope Work. Washington S"tar.J With tho charge of extravagance on one side and the accusation of niggardliness on the other the present Cengress has aonio very fine tight-rope work beforo it. Walt Whitman Is Better. Puir-ADELrKiA, Dec. 27. Walt Whitman was said by his attending physicians to-day to be somewhat improved, though he is still extremely weak. X0 ACCIDENT, BUT CRIME. While the missing brakeman is wholly without excuse, the Hudson River Railroad authorities are. not without blame in the matter. Philadelphia Times. SoFAltasit can, perhaps tho company! performed its duty, unless it lias neglected sonic precaution other than the mere de pendence upon its servant. Kew York Ad- verther. While Herrick, who had a fair reputation for vigilance andlldelity, is clearly and in excusably at fault in this mutter, the great corporation which licserved.orlutully fulled to terve, is not wiiony without blame. Washington Post. But who is guilty? That is the qncstlon that the law does not enable.the public to know. It is, of course, the brakeman, but not he alone. It is tho men who, having the power to prevent this slaughter, did not doit. Sew Yurk Times. "There ,was no shadow of excuse for the disaster. It was not an accident, but a crime.. It resulted from no unforeseen or unavoidable circumstance. It was the direct consequence of wholly Inexcusable negli gence. !iew York World. Why should not nil our railroads bo com pelled by law to use tho block system? It la the only guarantee ngalnst such appalling' collisions as that of Thursday evening. No qnestion'of expense should be allowed to stand . In the way of safety. -Ytw York Tribune. CURIOUS CONDENSATIONS. A. clock made in 1671 is still in Agoing order. At one crossing in Chicago 1,256 locomo tives pass every 21 hours. J It will costr5950,000 to put the desired wings on the White House. A flour is now made from the banana, which Is said to be a useful article. It is forbidden to use the words "hunger" or "famine" In Kayau, Cassia, but the people are starving there. The be3t isinglass comes from Russia where it is obtained from the giant sturgeon which inhabits the Caspian Sea. Tre foot is "named from the length of that member in the f nil-grown man. Itwaa a standard of measurement used by the an cient Egyptians. The public schools in Dundee have de cided to make the highland fling and the strathspey of TuIIocbgorumandother forma of dancing a part ot the curriculum. Among; the most extraordinary pieces of symbolism known to have been used by the early Asiatics was a figure of a donkey's head used as a representative of the Deity. The dowry of a Turkish bride is fixed bycustoui at about $170, and the wedding day is invariably Thursday. No spoons, forks or wine are used at the wedding feast, In Persia, where the Government has a monopoly of tobacco, the chief authorities at Kuhela proclaimed an edict against smok ing, and ordered tho people to break their pipes. A Brazilian Senator has proposed that the Legislature or thonewRepubllcdUpense with tho services of the shorthand reporters and use Edison's phonograph to record aud report tho speeches of the members. An engine and tender weighing G8 tons" was begun to bo put together at 9 o'clock on a Thursday morning at the Great Eastern Railway works in Stratford, and was run out of the shop complete at 7:13 the following morning. The Ancient Egyptians held the seara bseus beetle in high regard, making the num ber of Its toes, 30, to symbolize the days of the month: the timo it deposited its ball was supposed to refer to the lunar month, and the movement of the ball was held to repre sent the action of the sun upon the earth. About 10,000 corn cob pipes are daily manufactured in thi3 country, all being made in three factories at St- Louis, Green wood, Neb., and in Kansas. The cobs are all procured in Missouri, and supplied by the Collier variety of corn, on which they usually grow heavy, woody and hard. The Turks and Armenians are among the best Judges of amber, and the bazaar at StambonI, where the amber workers are lo cated is full of interest to the connoisseur. Sums varying from $1C0 to $200 are readily given for a pair of chibouque mouthpieces, moderate in-size, bat well matched as to color. The Greeks never used more than threa dice. Tho highest throw, "Venus," or the Romans, was tho Aphrodito of tho Greeks cunls, thekuonof the Greeks. As in Rome, the game depended on combinations, bus when numbers only were desired, the) Greeks termed it Plefstobolinda, as did tho Romans, who adopted Greek terms com. pare ccarte, rouge et noir. Both sexes among the Esquimaux are tattooed. Labret3 are favorite ornaments. In early youth n cut is made in tho lower lip and a small wooden ring introduced to keep it from closing. Gradually it is en larged, and tbo adult is decorated with a labret of jude, ivory, bone or glass, shaped like a silk hat in miniature, tho rim being inside the mouth to hold it. The coal industry furnishes employ ment to 309,000 persons, to whom $110,000,009 is paid in wages, ana the capital invested is estimated at $300,000,000. The output of dif ferent States is as follow: Pennsylvania, nearly 82,000,000 tons; Illinois, 13,000,000; Ohio. 10.000.000: West Virginia. 7.000.000: Iowa. 4.500.00J: Alabama, 4,000,000; 31aryland, In diana, Kentucky and Missouri, 3,000,000, and Tennessee, 2,000,0000. The asteroids that lie between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter have become so difficult to keep track of, since they have been discovered at the rate of about 20 a year that astronomers have recently decided to reject them, excepting the nearest and the most distant. The latter are important In observations of Jupiter, while the nearer ones are useful in more accurate calcula tions of the earth's distance from the sun. The level of Lake Baikal of Siberia is 1,350 feet above that of the Pacific Ocean, but, notwithstanding, Its bottom is mora than 3,000 feet below it. There are many other deep lakes in the world, bnt so far Lake Baikal takes the palm. Lake Maggiore is 3,000 feet deep. Lake Corao 2,000, andLe-go-di-Garda, another Italian lake, nearly 1,900 feet in depth. Lake Constance averages about 1,000 feet, and Lakes Superior and Michigan abont t'00 feet. Mr. Thomas D. Bullinger, of Govans town, is the owner of an antique work of mechanism. It is the result of years of labor of an old clockmakerofNurnberg, Germany. When the clock strikes the hour two beauti ful German airs are heard in succession, and on a platform above the dial 12 small figures of men and women, about five inches high, dance In couples. Musicians are seated in the rear of the figures performing on the cornet, drum and clarionet. A clown ap pears clapping his bands and moving his mouth. A flgnre nppcars on either side of tho platform and makes a polite bow. The clock plays 24 different German tunes. There is a popular slang expression, "ont for the dnst," which will apply to a peculiar business very little known even in New York. It is sawdust and the man who is out for it makes a daily trip from the saw mill, somewhere across the Hudson, or on the Brooklyn shore, and brings it in barrels for consumption in the metropolis. It re taiUffor 25 cents a barrel there. The most of this sawdust goes to tho bntcher shops where it is spread over tho floor freshly every morning and emits a sweet, spicy smell and absorbs the bad odor and drop pin. Much of It goes to thoo German bar rooms and old-fsshloncd chop houses that still preserve the old-time sawdust floor; while tho Dig fa'hlonable hotels use consid erable for cleaning purposes it being moist ened and sprinkled on tho tiled floors before they arc swept, thus laying the dust without) wetting the marble. INCLINED TO BE FONNY. Papa "What would you like for Christ- fflte! Eflwl I saw a handsome sealskin sack, but ItJ price Is fiO. and as I don't want to be hard on you. I'll be satisfied with a complete score of all the (Interruptlng)-Ethel, I'll buy you the sack. Life. "You may talk about arson and murder, You may sing of the auti da fe. Bnt the man who wrote Annlebel Eooney Should lie made to do harl-karay." Judse. Ethel They tell me, Clara, that Dick Shallow has been making love to yoa for a month or so. ClaraTIiafs about the truth of It. and that's why I have rejected him. I shall appreciate no man's attentions who makes lore tome; I want him to be inspired by It. Boston Covrier. "When outside the door the keen wind doth blow. And the mercury 'way downward runs. How pleasant to sit 'fore the coali' ruddy glow At ten dollars a couple of tons! -Puck. "Do you stay up to receive him when your husband stavs out late at nlghl?" "No. Indeed. I go to sleep very early so I can scold him the rest of the night, after lie has come in, without Iosj of sleep." ftwi Times. At holidays let no man sebff; They come consistently; On New Year's Day wr may swear on From grievous gluttony. Washington S'ar. Miss Flirthard T think Mr. Greatheart is so silly. Miss Likewise Why so? MIsFIIrthard-Whv, he gcts-scr!ou3 so soon. llimton Courier. Landlady Will yon carve to-day, Mr. Strongarm? Mr. Strongarm Certainly, where Is the dyna mite? Brooklyn Eiigle. A woman may dress and pose as a belle And gracefully flutter a Japanese fan. But a stone at a hen she cannot propel. For she Isn't constructed upon that plan. Sew lurk tlenM. "Why does Niagara Falls remind one of the northern lights?" i1 "I don't know.' 7 "It Is a magnificent display of a roarer." Saa ' YorkPrcis. , :ii .i.$L&.: Ukfe mL. 12331 UL-3B! wwW"- . - SsIiHHiiiSBMiHHHBIHP
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers