I lte Bigpaftfj.
ESTABLISHED FEBRUARY 8, 1S46
Vol. 45. No. 144. Entered at Pittsburg Postofllce
Jvovember. 187, os second-class matter.
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PITTSBDKG. SCNDW. JANUARY 17.
I THE CHILEAN IMBROGLIO.
1 "War spirit is running high in the new
dispatcher Tho present outlook for a
i reasonable and pacific solution of the difB
' culty between the United States and Chile
is represented as very nearly hopeless. As
1 a sreueral rule it has been a safe principle
I of action to disbelieve the fcreatec part of
! what is published on this subject; but the
drift of public opinion and the prepara
tions of both Governments show that the
great calamity to both countries of a naval
war may ensue.
Every thinkinc man who has followed
the course of events, and -who is able to
conceive the cost and miseries of war will
1 agree that this calamity should be pre
vented. The worst feature of such a dis
t aster to civilization and commerce is that
i a wise'and conciliatory course might have
prevented it. The war spirit has been
I steadily cultivated in both nations by the
' inconsiderate, who wish war for the fun of
the thine, and by the interested, who
are after promotion or spoils. This has
led to misrepresentation and perversion,
so the truth has been difficult to obtain.
Bui enouch is known to disclose tho mis
representation and to show that with a
I wi?e and conservative representation of
the United States at Chile a settlement
, would have been arrived at such as the
national honor requires.
' Whether the belligerent spirit on both
sides has not been inflamed to a height
Uiat-viH 'carry the two Governments into
war despite themselves is a serious ques
tion. So long as the matter remains a
diplomatic one it is the duty of the press
to show ihaj we should not require more
of Chile than of ourselves in the New Or
leans matter: and to insist that we be not
misled into t!.e error of an inclorious and
possibly disastrous war by the misrepre
sentations which have already been ex
posed. Up to th very eve of actual hos
tilities, thoughtful and disinterested opin
ion will not cc.se to urge th avoidance of
I that unfortunate r-sult by a conservative
! and absolutely fair-minded policy,
j But when the first act of war is com
. mitred there can be but one party and one
wish in this country. It should be under
stood that up to the outbreak of hostilities
the sober tense of the country is opposed
to the war. But if :t must come there can
be but one object for the whole nation
to urge it to a sharp and successful con
clusion as soon as possible.
A CLASSIC COMPARISON.
The latest stirring thing in horseflesh,
the purchase of Anon, the California 2-year-old
-wonder, for 150,000, awakens in
the Xew York Sun a disposition to histo
rical comparison. It recognizes that the
nce is Ihe biggest one ever paid for a"
norse since Philip of Macedon paid thir
teen talents for Bucephalus to gratify
young Alexander. But it concludes that
the Macedonian transaction in fancy horse
buying was the most costly one, as thir
teen talents then had a greater purchasing
power than 5150,000 now. Besides which,
it asserts, the modern horse is the better
one, Bucephalus having been an ill-tempered,
ugly animal, while Arion is a
darling and speedy.
The comparison is an interesting one,
and the conclusion of the Sun may bo the
correct one. although its accuracy depends
on the kind of talent in which the pay
ment was made. The ancient talent had
even a wider variation than our dollars in
the time when we had paper dollars, trade
dollars and theoretically standard gold and
silver dollars all at the same time. If the
Attic talent of silver was the currency
paid by Philip of llacedon, the proprietor
of the antique stock farm where Bucepha
lus was bred got as much silver as would
have coined 11.454 of our lovely Bland dol
lars; and as he could find no obliging
treasury to give him silver certificates, it
would be interesting to know how he got
, it home. The purchasing power of money
was enough greater then than now to
make this sum equal to a modern check
for 5150,000, even after allowing for the
fact that the sum in dollars must be reck
oned on about a 7C cent basis.
While it is pleasant to learn that our
modern horse fanciers have not yet sur
passed the extravagance of the Macedonian
mor.aichs, the comparison does npt
amount to a complete vindication of the
modern price. We do not remember that
either Leonidas orililtiades, or Xenophon,
whose-achievements showed .Alexander
the way to his conquests, found it neces
sary to have the highest-priced charger
going; nor did Themistocles, in whom the
trophy to Miltiades inspired a bad case of
insomnia, until he had rivaled it with
i-qual achievements; nor Pericles, who
knew how to make a small city great,
while Alexander's knowledge was in the (
lline of destroying cities, find it necessary
'to their fame to own the costliest horse-
j flesh in all Greece. Indeed the pessimistic J
might hint at the fact that this unex
ampled priee for a horse was paid just at
the time when Grecian liberties were
finally overthrown and supplanted by
military absolutism.
It might further be said that such ex
penditures to gratify luxurious whims are
commendable, if the career of Alexander
of Macedon furnishes a good model for
republican citizens of the nineteenth
century.
THE KIDICTJT-OUS BLUE LAWSTJITS.
The move for the enforcement of the
Blue Law of 1794, which has been the en
grossing topic of the week, has now got
far enough to enable the projectors to
judge of public opinion upon it Tester
day one of the cases managed to reach
aldermanic judgment, and in a week or so
we will know whether the County Courts
conceive that modern progress in any way
is to affect the interpretation of the word
"necessity." Necessities are exempt from
the operation of the Blue Laws. Whether
the newspaper, the street car, the tele
graph, the telephone and other things
which have become part and parcel of
daily life since 1794 are to be regarded as
necessities, or not, will be the question for
the judges.
But before the Court of Public Opinion
there is no manner of doubt a to the
judgment. That a million of people should
be deprived of the privilege of reading
their newspapers on Sunday, to satisfy
the queer notions of half a dozen individ
uals in whom they have no interest, is so
preposterous a proposition as to excite
only ridicule and intense contempt
The only good thing about the prosecu
tions of the past week is that the people
concerned in them are now ostentatious
in declaring "there is no religion" in the
movement Nobody supposed there was;
but it is just as well that there is formal
disclaimer. The question is narrowed
down to the simple one whether the Blue
Law of 1794 is to be interpreted in the
light of modern necessities, or -only in the
light of the limited needs of the people
who lived one hundred years ago. That
is for the courts to say. But even if the
courts held to the narrow and ridiculous
view of the Law and Orderite remnant,
the Legislature would be compelled by
the force of public opinion to pass a new
law.
The prosecutions are senseless and the
methods disreputable; they but serve the
useful purpose of arousing the public to
firm determination to resist at all points
the compulsion of cranks and fanatics.
AN EVIDENT MISNOIXEK.
An example of the persistent inability
of most people to accurately understand
the wrong of the combinations to suppress
competition,known as "trusts," is afforded
by the reports concerning an "orange and
lemon trust" in California. The press
dispatches speak of it as a "trust," while
the brief statement of facts which the
same dispatches contain show conclusively
that it has not, and never can have the
essential characteristics of monopolistic
combinations known by that name.
In order that a combination can either
raise prices, suppress competition or re
strict production, It must control either
the great mass of the production of a
staple or the agencies by which It is dis
tributed from producers to consumers.
Apart from the utter impossibility of
either organizing a combination of this
sort which will take in all the present and
future citrus growers of California, and
the even creater hopelessness of sup
pressing the competition of the
Florida and Mediterranean growers,
the dispatch shows that this organi
zation makes no- such attempt It
does not even seek to include
all the growers of its section. It is simply
an association of some of the owners of
the finest groves, who, the dispatch
sa5-s, "intend to make a specialty of fine
packing and thus establish a permanent
reputation for their brand." In other
words, Instead of seeking to perform the
impossible task of suppressing, the associa
tion is a legitimate one, inspired by the
competitive force to gain business by the
improvement of the quality of their out
put It would have been a slight matter if
some orange, growers of Southern Cali
fornia had been stupid enough to essay
the impossible task of setting up a monop
olistic combination in an industry that
can bo pursued anywhere in the tropics.
But since their association is one for the
praiseworthy purpose of legitimate com
petition is an illustration of the shallow
ness of the time to find esteemed Eastern
eotemporaries parading it as a monopo
listic trust
MIXING PRODUCTION.
The review of the mining industries of
the United States for 1891, published by
the Engineering and Mining Journal,
brings out three points of especial interest
at this time. The first is that the silver
production of the country amounts to 58,
000,000 ounces this year. It thus appears
that the amount of silver which the United
States Treasury is directed by law to buy
and stack away falls short of all the silver
produced in this country. There are
4,000,000 other ounces to be cared for, and
in order to protect the silver producers
from the hard alternative of being com
pelled to sell that percentage of their
product to be used in the arts the law will
have to be changed and the storage capac
ity of the Treasury still further enlarged.
Another point is that while silver pro
duction has increased about 8 per cent the
gold production has increased over 25 per
cent to a total of 1,620,000 ounces, with a
value of 533,200,000. If this relative increase
of production continues, the time may
come again when gold will be the cheaper
metal, and if We should before that estab
lish the silver dollar, the advocates of the
cheaper standard might demand the return
to gold. That is a good distance in the
future, however; and the more cogent de
duction from the figures is that this coun
try need not suffer from any lack of gold
unless it is driven to a premium by coming
down to a silver basis.
The third and very important fact is dis
closed by the figures to the effect that the
coal production of the country is. more im
portant than that of gold and silver com
bined. The total value of the gold and
silver product was about $90,000,000;
while the production of anthracite and
bituminous coal will have a value at the
mouth of the mines nearly if not quite one
hundred per cent greater. There were
42,839,000 tons of anthracite mined during
the year, notwithstanding the efforts of
the great companies to restrict production,
and 98,000,000 tons of bituminous.
It is not only the value of the product
in which the coal industry greatly exceeds
the gold and silver interest; but the differ
ence in public value is many times greater
in the employment given to labor and
the material furnished to other in
dustries. This being the case, why has
not tne coal industry a betterclaim on the 1
iavors 01 legislation man the gold and
silver mines? The coal producers do
not ask the Government to buy all or even
half their output and stack it away to en
hance prices. That would be a great
injury to the public welfare, though not a
greater violation of abstract justice than
the purchase of 54,000,000 ounces of use
less silver annually. But as the possi
bilities and benefits of the coal industry
would, together with the great mass of
other fundamental industries, agricultural
and manufacturing, be immensely en
hanced by cheap water transportation,
there is a good claim for that benefit from
the Government
The United States will do much better
for itself and the people by spending the
money required to purchase 54,000,000
ounces of silver annually in connecting
its water highways and giving the people
cheap transportation than by putting the
same sum into silver to lie idle and use
less in the Treasury vaults.
NOT MUCH. LEFT OF IT.
The reports of Judge Acheson's ruling
in the case brought by the Inter-State
Commerce Commissioners against the Le-
'high Valley Railroad Company do not give
the reasons of the Court, and the decision
is avowedly not a final one. But on the
fare of the ruling it is undoubtedly ad
verse to methods of compelling obedience
to the law by the summary proceeding
provided in that enactment In view of
the early decisions of the courts establish-'
ing the public character and public obliga
tions of the railways, this judicial re
duction of the effectiveness of the inter
state commerce act to zero contains food
for a good deal of reflection.
The vital question with regard to that
act at its passage was as to its enforce
ment Its principles were those laid down
in a long series of common law decisions,
and its statutory provisions were simply
designed to give those principles adequato
enforcement It "has taken six years to
reach decisions by the courts, one of
which cuts off the means of compelling
evidence as to discriminations, and the
other, if sustained, renders nugatory the
method of enforcing obedience to the act
by recusant corporations. When we add,
to theso particulars, in whjch the courts
will not permit tho law to be enforced, the
other provisions which the commission
tacitly declines to uphold, it is plain that
the early fear that the law would become
a dead letter was not unfounded.
At the present rate, it may soon be ap
propriate for the Inter-State Commerce
Commissioners to offer up thanks that
they have saved their salaries out of the
wTeck of the rest of the law.
Ode cotemporary the Leader has the sym
pathy of the puDlio in the misfortune or flro
which befell it Friday night. Inconvenient
as fires are to mercantile and manufactur
ing establishments, they are infinitely more
so to newspapers, -which liavo to appear
regulaily notwithstanding them. Hut tho
Leader was equal to tho emergency, getting;
out a good i?suo yesterday afternoon, nnd
appearing this morning also in excellent
shape. In a very little whilo our cotempo
rary will be running along with more energy
and success than over, and with no annoy
ance from temporary inconveniences.
Neither flros nor L. &O. detectives aroable
to cause tho stoppage of a single issue of a
live paper.
It is in these days that the sidewalks
have a tendency to fly up unexpectedly and
strike pedestrians from behind. If there
could be any warning of an impending
strike of this kind both man and woman
kind in Pittsburg would rest easier.
It is calculated to give a shock to the
ideas or political infallibility to learn that
Joseph Manley, or Maine, now alleges that
he does not know whether Blaine will be a
candidate or not. Only a short month ago
Mr. Manley was assuring the boys that all
thoy hud to do would be to elect the dele
gates and he and Mr. Blaine would attend to
the rest of tho operation. Now he casts the
chilling shadow of doubt over tho oporation
for some unexplained reason. Can it be
that the Philadelphia fight was a play for
the benefit of the galleries:
Eepublican parliamentary opinion in
New "fork tends to the idea that counting
members as present when they refuse to
vote is a gross invasion of their liberties
unless it is done by a Republican presiding
officer.
Mb. SrniNGEn said yesterday in speak
ing of the outlook for tariff reform: "What
the Democratic party would do if the law
making power were in its control is well
known." That "is where" Mr. Springer is
wrong. If there is anything- that is uncer
tain it is what tho party would do if it con
trolled the House, Senato and had a Presi
dent. There are so manv divergencies of
opinion In tho ranks and among the leaders
that any definite policy even as to the tariff
is well nigh impossible.
A citizen disappointed of his convenient
mornlne car, on learning that the causo Is a
strike, seldom pauses to Inquire which of tho
disputants is in the right, but begins to kick
all round on general principles.
Bepbesentative O'Neill, of Massa
chusetts, thinks that the Government clerks
oneht to work eight hours per diem. The
Government clerks disagree with him, and
consequently Washington public opinion Is
Jumping on Mr. O'Neill with both feet. The
Idea that the arrears of Government busi
ness might be brought up to date if theGov
ernment employes would do a fullTlay's
work, is n foreign and utterly valueless con
sideration according to the Washington
theory.
Thb Law and Order men are now accused
of selecting 1SU2 for their crusade, because
there aro more Sundays than usual. They
will have 13 days in which they can practice
their detecting jiowers.
G-abza, a short time since entirely un
known, is now one of the best known men
of the day. Nearly every paper in the
United States has printed his name and tho
people are beginning to feel real well ac
quainted with him. If tho soldiers who are
after him'could only gain a closer intimacy
with him, how happy they would be!
Governor McKikley- has turned out a
fresh lot of Ohio colonels. He should leave
that home industry to Kentucky, whero it is
indigenous and in no need of protection.
It seems that the able correspondents
who announce Supreme Court decisions in
advance of the delivery are liable to cast
doubts on their own infallibility. Of the
three cases of that sort recently, one deci
sion turned out the exact opposite of that
which was annonnoed and the other two are
still hanging fire.
It is said that (here will be no more poets
in theyearSOM. -What a pity it is tho world
cannot go to sleep like tho hero in the
"looking Backward" romance.
IT is settled in the minds of the poli
ticians that tho National Democratic Con
vention Is to go to Komo Western city. So
far there are only nineteen aspirants for the
honor of entertaining that distinguished
body of politicians and only four are in tho
East. Appaicntly the West is divided against
itself.
TEEASUEE TEOVE BY THE SEA
Sea Islo Resident Want to Dig a Vessel)
Out or thn Sands.
Sea Isle Citt, N. J., Jan. 16. A gentleman
was at this place to-day making inquiries of
thoso lamillar with the subject as to tho
location of the snip Mortimer Livingstone,
which was stranded a number of years ago
on the beach after having been out 12 days
from Havre, France.
This ship waH large one nnd was laden
I with the finest ell inn ware, champagne nnd
French winer,
x rencn winer, logemer wiui mucn otner
vnlualile tneichundise, which the sea has not
In all probability damaged. The hulk Is
now completely covered with saud. A beau
tiful china figure representing the Virgin
Mary was lately picked up on tho strand by
a icsldent.vlilcu 11 supposed to have washed
up from this Vessel.
VALUE OF WOMAN'S W0BK. .
Kot So "Well Paid Because They Haven't the
Mnsele Man's Potentiality Mke,B:im
Worth More Not a Matter of Brains
Concrete Examples.
rWRITTKX TOB THE DISrATCH.l
The reason why most women-workers
are not paid so mnch as most men-worker
is because they are not worth so muoh.
Here is heresy of heresles.and from a womuD
tool Well, at least, it is from a -woman who
believes what she says; who believed so ten
years ago, and whose belief has only deep
ened with every working year that has
passed over her bead. Women are not paid
as much as men because they do notTeally
earn as much as men.
That is a generalized statement. Let us
qualify it as follows: A few women are paid
more than some men. That is because they
are doing .something that a man can't do as
well as a woman can. They are paid for tho
advantage of sex. Some women eet just as
mnch for their -work as a man would get.
That is because the -work is one in which
theiels no advantage or disadvantage of
sex, either way. Most women are paid less
than most men because men havo the ad
vantage of their sex. What is tho advantage
of their sex? Strength; strength of body
and of muscles; units of horse power.
Women Have More Brains Than Men.
Bear in mind that what both 'men and
women are paid for is work and that work
is a matter of'body as well as of biains. Tho
reason why things get so obscured when
people begin to talkaoout this matter Is
that they insist upon treating It as if ability
were purely a matter of brains, as If tho
concession that a woman's work lsn'Vworth
so much as a man's in the money market
(bear, in mind thatwe aro talking nbout4
money-wortu atone, not aoout iuo uigucr
worth) is because she hasn't as muoh brains
as a man. Nonsense! tho very fact that
women hold their own against men as they
do in this competitive period, with less phy
sical strength proves that they have moro
brains than men, if it proves nnythlng at all.
. Some women, to be sure, are as strong as
men. But tho mass of women aro lrot. And
tho law of political economy which has set
tho wage mark for men ana women deals
with the rule and not with the exception.
Take thoso branches of work in which both
r meu and women engage and you will find in
the great majority of them that a man can
do all a woman can do, and more. This Is
tiue even in cases on which at first glance it
seems to have no bearing.
, Mnscle's Earning Power In Teaching.
Take, for example, the question of
teaching. The success of women as teach
ers is eminent, and yet a man in that pro
fession Is always paid more than a woman
for what seems like the same work. But
there is a reserve power in the man that
there is not in the woman a something
which he may never be called upon to do,
but which ho could do if it were necessary.
She can teach as well as he; sometimes she
teaches better, because she is more
likoly to have that tact of tho soul and that
happy inspiration wliioh will rouso tho
yonng mind Into glad learning. But she
can't enforce her own authority beyond a
certain limit, and a man can. Ho can thrash
an unruly boy Into obedience, and she can't.
And although that method of controlling I
not to be extolled, yet It must lie confessed
that there is an irresistiblo persuasiveness
about it. His advantage is in his muscles,
not his brains, but It is there.
Tho same principle applies in other fields
of work. A man clerk may not bo able to
sell more yards of lace or of cloth in a day
than a woman clerk, but he can handle
bales of cloth and bigger bundles than she
can. no can do the heavy work of a porter
If necessity came. True, lie may never do
it, but he could do it, and that very poten
tiality makes him worth more. In nearly
all tho kinds or work in which both men and
women are engaged, tho same potentiality
in physical strength plays a part in tho
greater endurance of long hours or greater
rush.
Where Potentiality Doesn't Count.
In these branches into which it docs
not enter, romen are paid as muoh as men.
A woman physician gets as much as a roan.
A woman writer gets as much for her novel,
if ltisasgood;a woman artist get-ins much
.for a picture if It is worth it. But in the
greater part of the work of the world, physi
cal strength does play a great part, there
fore it is that tho wagemark of men will al
ways be higher than that of women.
And it should be so. The truth is that
woman's work was not meant to be meas
ured in comparison with men's nnd by dol
lar standards alone. Women. were not put
into the world to compete with men, but to
comrilemont them. Not to show that they
are capablo of doing what a man can do, but
to show that they can do what a man can't
do. And tho rewards of her work are the
rewards of the kingdom of heaven quite as
much as they are of tho kingdom of this
w 01 Id
There must be other rewards certainly, so
long as the world stands as it does, and men
nnd women work side by side, for money.
Butthe lact cannot be altered that this is
not the way In which men and women wero
meant to work. The fact, also, cannot be
altered that men must do the hard physical
work In the world this is the law of adapta
tion. The last fact is that, since work is
quite as much a matter of body as of brains,
the mass of men will always.be paid more
than tho mass of women. This is political
economy. Helen Wattersos.
PERTINENT PERSONALITIES.'
M. Jules Lemaitke predicts that by the
year 2000 there will be no more poets.
W. O. Mitchell, Speaker of the Iowa
House, is said to be the first native Iowan to
ocanpy that position. He served in the w ar,
enlisting when a lad oflfl.
Richard Vaux, the eminent Philadel
phian who once danced with Victoria, has
Just completed a half century of service as
Inspector of the Eastern Penitentiary.
Mr. Lincoln, the United States Minis
ter, Jias nearly recovered from his recent
slight cold. He says he Is so -well that in
quiries as to his health are unnessary.
Secretary Elkjns has leased for his
residence while in Washington the hand
some brown stono mansion on McPherson
Square, owned by ex-Senator Palmer, of
Michigan.
Carlo Cardorna, a minister, counselor,
ambassador, parliamentarian, journalist,
who died in Tiuln a few days agp, Aras one
,of the founders of United Italy. Very few
'or his co-workers in that enterprise still
live.
ARCnmsiiop Ireland, of St Paul,
sailed for Havre on the French line steam
ship T& Bretagno yesterday morning. Ha
will call on His Holiness, the Pone, and will
attend the International Catholic Confer
ence at Liege". He will return next May.
Mb. Pred Gebhardt arrived at "White
Plains, N. Y., last evening. He was mot on
thoVoranda of tho hotel by Dr. Haynor and
a number of patients of the Ke'eley Insti
tute. It is understood that Mr. Gebhardt
will begin the bl-cUlorMe of gold treatment
at once.
The Shah of Persia has more than $35,
000,000 wortli of ornaments, gems and prec
ious stones in one strong room, 20x14. Thero
are scabbards in this treasury worth $1,000,
COOctiCh. The finest turquois" in the woild
has a case all to Itself. When leaving homo
the Shah locks up his Jewelry and "travels
in paste."
Mk. and Mrs. K. S. McCormick, with
their chlldi en, who are charged with the
sad errand of accompanying to the United
States the remains or Miss Josephine Medill,'
will sail on the Majestic from England on
Wednesday next. Mr. McCormick will re
turn as soon as possible to his post. The
remainder of the family will stay longer in
America.
Mfasnrinc by t ave lengths of Light.
WoncESTEB, Mass., Jan. 16. Prof. Albert
A. Mlohelson, or Clark University, has been
lnited by the International Bureau or
Weight- and Measures -to spend the coming
sumn.er at the bureau laboratory at Bietutl,
near Paris, establish u metric standard In
terms of wave lengths of light. He used to
maki the basis of the unit of weight uutural
instead of arbitrary.
XBS. SENDAL HAS XiMP BE.
Theater Employes Say It Got the Best of
Her Last Mondsy Nieht.
In her carefully conceived, artistically
carried out and most successful role, that
of gentlewoman, Mru.Kendal made a distinct
failure In Pittsburg. She tripped over her
lines, whioh In this instance was her tem
per, npon arriving at the theater on Mon
day morning. On that occasion she was not
the Madge Robertson Kendal to whom
Americans have be.en offering up their the
atrical devotions ror the past IS months, but
only" a woman, possessing a rather loud
voice and displaying 'what is known as
thn dickens of a temper
When her company got to the Duqnense
Theater, tho dressing rooms were not to
their likinsc and they posted oft" to toll Mrs.
Kendal. She was seen at the theatecand bv
means of her voice, made her presence
thoroughly known, even in tho lobby of the
-theater.
"The idea," she said, according to the story
of the theater employes who were present,"of
my ladles occupying these rooms. They may
be good enough for American actresses, but
not for my ladies. I desire thac sawdust be
put on the approaches to the theater. Amer
ican ladles may have delicate, petite ankles,
but w e Britishers have thick ones.
"Bring in vourherdof newspapermen,"
she continued' "aud let them see the accom
modations you have elven us. Where does
this heat come rroniT"
"From the furnaces in the cellar," re
sponded the engineer- "It Is the only means
of heating the house.".
"Then it must be turned off at once," she
answered. "1 am thinkmg of nly own com
fort, first."
It was amusing to see the abjectness with'
which Mrs. Kendal's ladles and gentlemen
hung upon her leinarks. "Will on coup
stairs and see how our room is, Mr. So and
So, and If it Is any better than this pigstye."
"Thank yon, Mrs. Kendal, I will." would
come the rejoinder. If Mrs. Kendal winked
her eye, ono or her "ladies and gentlemen"
would he sure to sav, "Thnnk yon, Mrs.
Kendal."
Those who have visited English theaters
know how unfavorably their accommoda
tions comparo with those of the most or
dinary American places ot amusement, and
hence Mrs. Kendal's reported conduct Is
somewhat surprising. Vi hen the storv be
came currant about town an effort was made
to interview Mrs. Kendal, hut she refused to
be seen. A message to her last evening was
not answered.
000 MISS HOUSE.
A Young Girl Who Possesses Clairvoyant
fright.
Platte Citt, Mo., Jant 16. About five
miles from this city lives W. D. House, a
furmer, who has a daughter with a wonder
lul power or gift. The girl ts about 15 years
old, and for several yeais she has been con.
sldcrcd by the simple country folks around
tho ncishborhood to be "odd." Sho has a
dreamy appearance and is slow of speech,
but when sho does talk sho shows that she is
above the average of girls of her age in in
telligence Sho is as well educated as most
country girls of her age who have had only
the advantages of the district school, but
her peculiarity Is that she seems to have a
clairvoyant propertv or second sight." Sho
Kays she can icad letters without breaking
the seal, and on seveinl occasions she his
dono this with letters where it was impossi
ble that thero could be any collusion with
those who wrote tho letters. She can also
take a book nnd hold it closed in her hands
and read from any designated page in the
book.
Dr. Porter, ono of the oldest physicians or
this county, says that he knows the gill hits
an extraordinary -power and he has thor
ocghly tested the matter. Ho says that he
wrote a letter at his office and sealed it.
He took this letter in his pocket to tho
house and called the girl. Sho came to him
and shook hands. As she did so he sho
said: "Doctor, you have a letter for me nnd
you wrote it." She then held his hand and
read the letter, which was still in his pocket.
To make a further test he brought one of
his medical books to the house and -which
he was positive sho had never seen. lie
gave her the book and told her to read on a
certain page. He had selected the page pur
posely, it being one on which thero ap
peared a number of long technical words.
She read the 'page accurately with tho ex
ception of tho hard words, which sho said
she could not pronounce. She says she can
not explain how she does it. but that it
seems to he in her head when she takes the
letters or books.
STJBIKEEAIIEAN FIRES.
They Aro Near the Surface and Make the
rarth Very Hot.
WAiiBENSBnBO, Mo., Jan. 16. A party com
posed of J. II. Miller, William Miller and W.
H. Hood, while out hunting yesterday, dis
covered, ten miles south of here, wljat thoy
claim to bo natural gas. Smoke was seen
arising from the ground on tep of a hill.
The earth around the top was cracked
open, and after digging down about three
feet theyfound the earth to bo heated to a
white heat. About half a mile south of this
was found another such place, and as thero
is nothing that indicates tho presence ot
any substance that would burn, they think
it Is gas. The odor given off smells like gas,
and as the heat grows greater and the area
larger, the neighbors have tears as to what
tho result will be.
DEATHS HERE iND ELSEWHERE.
Jadge Thomas J. Layman.
Judge Thomas J. Layman is dead at Ben
ton, 111. He was one of the best-known land and
bond litigants in the United States. He has prob
ably litigated more bonds tnan any other man In
Illinois. In one suit he defeated over $30,000 worth
for his county. At the time of his death be bad a
mlt In the United States Supreme Court, Involving
J201.000 for Perry county, and others for various
parties involving large amounts. He was prom
inently spoken of for a place on the new Court of
Claims.
Kev. K. W. Hawkins.
Eev. It. "W. Hawkins, a former resident
of the Sixth ward, Pittsburg, died at his home in
Olean, N. .Y., on Wednesday. His death was
caused by pneumonia after an illness often days.
Rev. Mr. Hawkins was a son of Eev. David R.
Hawkins, formerly pastor of Asbury Chanel. The
deceased was Chairman of the Wesleyan Methodist
Mission Society at the time of his death and was
well known throughout the country for his inter
est In the missionary cause.
Walter A. Wood, Inventor.
"Walter A. Wood, the well-known inven
tor and manufacturer of harvesting machines, died
Friday, at his home in Hoosick Falls. N. V. He
was one of the few Americans who, for great serv
ice rendered to humanity as an Inventor, have re
ceived title and honors from the crowned heads of
Europe, He was a representative In Congress for
two terms.
- John B. Wickham, Centenarian.
John B. "Wickham, the oldest man in
Iowa, died at Ottumwa Friday, aged 13) years.
He was born In Franklin county. Va., and at
tended Washington's inaugcratlon in New York.
He went to Ottumwa 10 years ago. For the past
year he has steadily refused to wear trousers. His
death was caused by the grip.
Henry C Logan, Railroad Man.
Henry C. Logan, General Eastern Freight
Agent of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, died at his
residence In New York Friday. He was a near
relative of the late General John A. Logan. Mr.
Logan was one of the best known and most popu
lar of the Broadway rallroal agents.
Obltutry Notes.
WALTIR Lloyd, Surrogate of Indiana county,
died Thursday, in bis 51st year.
Dn. A. J. Howe, a widely known physician and
surgeon of Cincinnati, died jesterday.
Babon ABifOER William FnEDEmcK Scar
lett died yesterday in London from pneumonia.
HE An Admiral Edward. Kelly, chief of the
Chatham (Eng'and) dockyard, died yesterday from
the grip. ,
Martin Eicueldueqer, proprietor of the
Palace Hotel at Hyndman, died Friday night from
the grip after a few days illness.
Mrs Olive Winslow Blair, widow of the late
J. U. Blair, and adlrect desendant of John Wins
low, drat Governor of Massachusetts, died at Iar
ersuurg. Friday, the was, a graduate of Amherst
College.
CnwSTIAIf I.oso. well known throughout this
btate, died yesterday at Shlppensburjf, aged 77.
He held Hrjfe interests In Peuusvlvania and Cum
berland Valley railroads, and leases an estate of
?0),a0. '
COLONTL W.ILLIAM L. De Bokbox, who eon
ducted the Manslou Housa in Heading for nearly 60
3 ears, retlrlnc several years ago, one of the oldest
and best known lamllordsiu Kastern lenns)lranla,
died at Heading Friday, aged N.
Rev. George W. Stacsy. the last of the famous
Mendon abplltloulst trio, died yesterday at Mill
ford, Mass., a;ed Si. The other two were Bev. A.
Ballou aud Dr. J. G. Metcalf.and all active co-workers
with Phillips, Douglass, Garrison, Thayer and
Hale.
TTw WrrT.lAM R nnwTTriTC rfleri t li! hnmn In
Mlddlebonrue, W. Va., Friday night of the grip, j
aged 70. He was an ex-member of the I,eKislaturc '
and brother of ex-Governorllorei.ian.ol Parkers- ,
burg. He is ihu llrt oue of a family of seven to
die lor 59 yean..
ROBERT W. SIMMONS died Testerday morning at
Parkcrslmrg, aged 73. He was ono of the most
prominent colored men In Hie United States. He
was born In FredeucKsburg, Va. He--n as a mem
ber of the first Republican convention held In West
Virginia, aud was a delegate to the but national
convention.
THE BfrJB -LAW CRUSAl)Ef
Too Much Blanket Sheet.
New York Advertiser.
The movement of' the Law and Order
League in Pittsburg to suppress the Sunday
newspaper is not, ns one at this dlstauce
might reasonably enough suppoe, diotated
by a large sense of American humor, which,
in its noblest expansion, has been unable to
keep up with the Sabbath day blanket sheet.
It Is a serious movement, the grim tele
graph tells ns, brought about by tho blue
laws of 1791. Nor Is it dear what particular
blue Jaw of 17M 13 to be invoked. The strict
New England observance of the Sabbath day
antedates tliat year by considerable. In
looking over the record we find that In New
London in 1670 two lovers, John Lewis and
Sarah Chapman, were accused of and tried
for sitting together on the Lord's day under
an apple tree in Goodman Chapman's
orchard, where thev were "kyssynge." In
In 1632 Elizabeth Eddy, of Plymouth, was
fined 10 shillings for wrynging 6ut clothes
on the Lord's day, and in 1633 James Watt, of
tho same place, was "puhllckly reproved"
for writing a business noto on the Lord's
day "at least in the evening somewhat too
soon." In 1631 Captain Kemble, of Boston,
whs "putt into tho public stocks" for "tho
unseomlevkjssingof his wife publicklyon
tho Sabbath day" upon the doorstep of his
house, when he had Just returned from a
long voyage.
In 1C39 Sam Clarke, of Norwich, for "han
kering about on men's gntes to draw ont
company unto him," was pabllckly warned
not to harden his neck and be wholly de
stroyed. As late as 1776 there was a town
meeting in Belfat, Me., to consider a plan
to restrain visiting on the Sabbath. After
this the fine old, stnrdy plan of horsewhip
ping a man for kissing his wife on the Sab
bath began to decline. The telcsrnph.whieh
Is a purely modern invention and quite out
orall sympathy with these beautiful austeri
ties, has got tho date wrong. The Pittsburg
Loagne has gone farther back than the lib
eral electricity will allow. It appears quite
Incredible that tho Pittsburg Sabbatarians
can have traveled so far with no other pur
pose than to Imitate the obsolete spirit of
the Puritans. For Pittsburg is a utilitarian
city, and nothing ir not practical. It is,
therefore, only fair to suppose that the Law
aud Order League have some other purpose
in view than a preservation of the bluo
la-a. It Is Just possible that they are try
ing to protect themselves' from a particular
kind ot Sunday Journalism, to read which
not only breaks into the whole of the Sab
bath, but eats- meanwhile into the sturdy
Pittsburg character itself. It is rather a
nihilistic proceeding, to" be sure, to launch
the law at all Sunday newspapers in order
to get rid of the worthless few. But Pitts
burg may not have yet learned the better
way which has been adopted in tho East.
That way is very simple, and It is to tako
only those papers which preserve tho good
taste of our forefathers if they do not per
petuate their intolerance.
An Honor to Their Breed.
New York T.y enlng Sun.
The Pittsburg newsboys' resolutions pro
tecting against interference with the sale- of
Sunday newspapers aro a model of that
ordor of composition terse, vigorous and
direct. "We protest against being fllmmed
out of our work under an ordinance nassed
before the slaves were freed." There is tho
nub of whole octavoes of history here. Our
Presbyterian brethren pegging away at their
Confession, representative institutions cov
ering Europe, labor organization legalized,
Sunday opening of museums, all are swept
within the view of those pithy words, "an
ordinance passed before the slaves were
freed."
"Resolved, That we sell the Sunday papers
as long as wo are out of Jail or until the Law
and Order people get soaked." There speaks
the spirit of Samuel Adams in tho rugged
tongue of Patrick Henry. There's gamenesi:
"The mongrel's hold may slip. While
naught but crowbars loose the bulldog's
grip." Beaolved, again, that "we call upon
other labor people who are older and biguer
than us to help us in onr right to keep our
rights aud liberties." That sentence is
worth its weight In gold. Observo the pure
Saxon diction old, big, help, fight, keep,
rights: observe the sound English construc
tion "than us" instead of the American
pedagoguo lingo, "than we."
. Those newsboys are an honor to their
breed.
The People Want the Papers.
Philadelphia Call.
It is evident that an effort to prevent the
publishing of Sunday newspapers in Pitts
burg is seriously contemplated, and it is un
derstood that alarge number of arrests -are
to he made on Sunday next. Of course, tho
efforts will be futile. The people want Sun
day newspapers and will have them regnrd
less of an obsolete law. The Sunday news
papers will not go, but the law probably
will, for there is no surer way to get rid of
an obnoxious law than to enforce it.
They Might Bnrn the Witches.
Sharpsburg Herald.
Wonder if theLaw and Order Society will
burn any witches, as the law of 17M was in
force at the time that witches weie burned,
and this legislation was passed by the same
people who advocated witoh-burning.
Not More Sinful Than Making Bash.
HarrlsburgStar.
The newsboys of Pittsburg held a meeting
last night and resolved that it is no more
sinful to sell nowspapers on Sunday than It
Is to stew hash fo a preacher's breakfast
on the same day.
Fnnny How Old Laws Boh TJp.
Wilkesbarre Record,
Another effort is being made to down the
Sunday papers in Pittsburg. The old blue
laws have been invoked against the news as
sociations. Funny how, in such enlightened
days, these effete old regulations are con
stantly bobbing up.
The Columns Are as Solid as Ever.
Philadelphia Times.
Toe Sunday newspaper war has opened in
Pittshnrg, but the columns of the Journals
attacked stand as solid ns ever.
Fresher Laws Slight Bo Enforced.
New York Advertiser
The Law and Order Leagno of Pittsburg
nroposres to stop the 'sale of newspapers on
Snnday in that town under the blue laws of
17M. It is understood that there are fresher
laws than this -which the Law nnd Order
League might enforce, with more profit to
the community and glory to itself.
The Victory. Will Be Bloodless
Baltimore nerald.l
TheNwar on Snnday papers in Pittsburg
has begun, but it has not yet reached a vary
dangerous stage so far as the newspapers
are concerned. We predict a bloodless vic
tory for our eotemporaries, big and little, in
the Smoky City.
COULD NOT BENT HIS HOUSE
It Was Haunted and tie Tort, It Down
in Consequence.
ItosDOUT, Jan. 16. Soon after the murder
of Simon Hotz, n Hebrew peddler of this
place, near an old lead mine in Sullivan
county, about a year and a half, age, John
German, who lived near the spot where the
body of Hotz was found in the abandoned
mine, aud -who was suspected of having
committed the crime or being an accessory,
left tho house in which ho had lived for
several years und removed to Wurtsboro.
Sine? that tlmo tho house has had several
tenants, but none remained long, for all be
lieved t he house to he tenanted by the spirit
of the murdered man.
Recently, although the rent asked was
very low, no one could be found who pos
seksed courage enough to live In it, even
rent free, for It had been rumored thafthe
house was haunted. Strange noises nnd
weird scenes were reported to be of nightly
occurence, and it is said that the report of
a Distol and voices of a straggle between
Hotz and his murderer wero among its '
many mysteries. Realizing- that he had not 1
onlv an unremunemtiv property on his 1
hands, but that the land on which it stood
wax deteriorating in valnu so long us the
alleged haunted house remained upon it,
the owner decided to tear it down and ob
literate everv maik that would indicate
where ltstood. Tho old abandoned mine is
now nil that is left totnaik the spot of thatM
Sullivan county murder, wuicu is still an
unsolved mystery.
"THE 6fiD PORTAGE ROAD.
Wonderfal Structure Now to Be Utilized by
the Pennsylvania The First Cable T-Ine
How it Connected the Canals Its Sub
stantial Character.
Theproposed "cut off" on the lino of
the Pennsylvania, just announced by tele
graph, by which the company will save- 15
miles of distance between Philadelphia and
Pittsburg, is of f.ir more Interest to the
pnbllo than are most of the similar economic
measures, of railway management, in me
flrstTdace the "cut off" Is to he made right
at tho world-ramons "horse-shoo curve,"
where tho scenic beauty of tho Pennsylvania
Railroad Is at its best.-and a series or views
are presented which are in all probability
unequaled along any line of railroad
east of the Rocky Mountain, seconaiy,
the improvement in tho interest of
economy to the company, will- because of
its being made right at this particular spot,
bo productive of n greater saving or tho
travelers' time than would a saving of the
same number of miles almost anywhere else
along the line, because the 15 miles to be cut
off Is a section of heavy grades and difficult
curves.
Thirdly, it Involves the adoption of an old
line which is full of historic and picturesque
interest, and brings Into prominence one or
the earliest and most daring and peculiar
feats of railroad engineering in the United
States. This is the old Portage road by
which connection was ori.ilnally made be
tween thaold canals of the State or rather
between themiddle and the w estera sections
of the Pennsylvania canals.
l'ropossd to Carry Boat Bodily.
The canals could not -well be dug through
or under the Alleghenles. nor lifted over
them by a system of locks, and so the novel
scheme was introduced of pulling the canal
boats out of the water and transporting
them up nnd over by a railroad and then
committing them again to the waters of the
canal after the lofty staee of their Journey
was completed. 'This system was not, how
ever, put into practical use, but was tested
experimentally, whlle-for the most part the
freight was transferred into cars.
Very plainly discernible traces of this old
road are t till noticeable in the semi-wilderness
on top of the AUeghenies, and even tho
traveler wlio is swiftly whisked along on the
trains see plainly tho old grade. It was the
first cable road in tho country. The place
where the old lino Is most commonly ob
served is on the Pittsburg or western side or
the "norseshbe Bend," where it parallels for
some distance the present railroad track,
although with a deep ravine between. This
is on the- traveler's right, supposing ho is
Journeying eastward.
A Very Substantial Structure.
One reason why the long abandoned
road remains so conspicuously visible Is
that it was built in a very superior and sub
stantial manner, and was for the time 60
years ago a work of truly gigantic char
acter. Another reason is that it is a region
whero other improvements have not been
fonnd necessary, nor has the land been
tilled nor towns Duilt to erase the old
lines so vigorously drawn on the face of the
earth.
During the second decade of the century
it became obvious that as the territory of
Western Pennsylvania had become pretty
thoroughly settled and an Increased com
merce was1 demanded upon the Ohio, some
measure must be resorted to for the better
conveyance of freight across the great bar
rier nature had interposed between the
eastern and western parts of Pennsylvania.
The canals of the State had. been con
strnctcd and were in successful operation,
except that their commerce was restricted
by tho difficulty of getting over the moun
tains which was only accomplished by team
ing. It was a subject which interested the
best minds or the State and was mnch
agitated with the final result that the Legis
lature authorized the construction of the
Portage road.
The Public 5coffed at It.
This was on March 21, 1831. Eailroads
were Jnst then in the experimental stage. It
was less than two years before that the first
locomotive in America had been given its
trial (In Wayne county. Pa.), and the great
mass of the people sooffed at the Idea of sur
mounting the very palpable difficulty by
anv such "faneled. foolish machine con
trivance." Engineers and surveyors pro
nounced the scheme perrectiy leasiDie, How
ever, and tho latter went to work to make a
practical snrvev. The results or their ex
aminations were snch as to settle the form of
the road as one combining inclined planes
and levels with the.uso of both stationtu-y
englnes and locomotives that is to say a
road with the paradoxical features of planes
on the hills, levels on the plains.
Thus the "Old Portage road" was designed
and built upon the identical plan now in use
in numerous localities, notably on the now
misnamed "switchback" a Mauch Chunk,
hut better exemplified bv tho Delaware and
Hudson Canal Company's famous "gravity
road" between Honesdale and Carbondale,
Pa., by which the Moosic Mountains are
crossed. In the case or the Portage road ten
planes were established, five on each side of
the mountains, operated by stationary en
gines and endless ropes, on the same princi
ple as. the many planes with which Pitts
burgers are familiar, or for that matter on
the now common cable system, though of
course containing the idea of the present
day In only its crudest and most primitive
form.
It Covered 1,400 Feet Elevation.
The road extended from the canal near
Johnstown to Hollldaysburg, nbout 36 miles,
and surmounted a height of almost exactly
1,400 feet. The fifth plane from Johnstown
reached the top of the mountain very near
the site of Cresson Inn."
Once begun the work was pushed forward
with a rapidity which would be creditable
even at the present day. At one period, and
within a short distance, the mountaineers
and the occasionally passing teamsters were
astonished to find nn army of 2,000 men at
work. It was completed In three years.
The bed of the road had been graded to a
uniform width of 25 feet, and several stone
bridges wero for the times marvels of
mass! veness and strength. Tracklaying was
carried on upon a scale or solidity commen
surate with the other work. The rails them
selves were not pondeious they were nine
Jeet long and welched 120 pounds a piece,
except on the curves, where they Were bnt
a yard in length but the manner in Which
they were fastened down was peculiar and
characteristic or the age. Heavy hewed
stones were sunk In holes upon beds of
rammed rock. In these largo holes were
drilled and plugged with locust wood, and
into theso were sunk bolts of iron holding
down Iron plates or "chairs" as they were
called which held the rails.
It Was Operated by Cable.
During the first few years although the
peopleliad a railroad they saw nothing of
the wonderful locomotive. Stationary en
gines commnnicatlhg nower to an endles
cable a great hempen rope as large us a
man'sarm pnlled the cars up the planes nnd
on the levels between tbey were drawn by
horses: As to tne cost of the Portage road,
the old records show it to have been a trifle
over $1,634,000, every cent of -which wa hon
estly Recounted for. although the road was
not exempt from stealings in subsequent
years. The road paid from the start.
As business grew and the usefulness of
locomotives was demonstrated by numer
ous practical tests on Eastern roads they
displaced horses upon this curious railroad,
and those upon the Portage were the first
used in the centrafand western parts of the
State. From time to time several of tho
planes wore abandoned, this work being ac
complished oa track bpiltat ca-ier grades,
by locomom es, nnd finally in 1854 the w hole
system was abandoned for the new Portage,
moro distlncti civ a railroad in tho present
con- iT tlm .tfimi uml thU was in a fow
vears sold to thcPennylvanIa Central Com-
pany, wuicu auauuoncu il,
M. Dlrvla.
AT THE 2T;iH3 02? C0PAH.
Tho Teabody Expedition Safe, Enthusiastic
nnd In Health.
' EosTos, Jan. K News has been received
of the safe arrival of tho l'eabody Mnseum
Hqnduras expedition at the ruins of Copan.
The first report from the officers of the ex
pedition has been rorwnrdot to Prof. Put
nam, stating that they are in excellent
health after their rough journey or 100 miles
by muletrain, and they are deeply Im
pressed by the grandeur or the ancient
ruins, among which it is their privilege to
labor during the next six months.
Comfortable living quarters have been
established in the western coartofthe big
pyramid. A corps of 38 native laborers Is at
work clearing the debris around the court,
several interesting observances are re
ported in connection with the comparative
study of ancient symbolic and conventional
ornamentations. 'Plans aro holng made lor
takins molds nnd photographs if the hiero
glyphics and rUurcs carvedin high relief on
the massive stono structures on every side.
The Governments of Guatemala and Hon
duras have not onlv admitted all 1naterl.1l
free of duty-hut have also given important
official assistance to the officers of the ex
. . CURIOUS CONDENSATIQNSaiQ
The freshman class of tbe Detroit Medl
cat College has a member -who is 65 year
old.
Ont of 2,700 Congregational ministers
in England nnd Wales, at least 1,600 are ab
stainers: of 301 students 320 are abstainers.
The interest on the Suez Canal shares,
which a year ago was retnrned at .241,935,
has this year lallen to X222,lll, a decline of
X19.&24.
A resident of Hamilton, 111., baa' pe
titioned the City Council for the abatement
of a nuisance in the shape of a dwarf jackass
that is stabled a fow feet from bis door.
During the denominational year jnst
ended 303 memDers of the Society or Friendj
in Great Britain and Ireland died. The
average death was a little over 57 years.
A pet dog, which takes the air on tbe
streets dressed in dark cloth stockings or
gaiters reaching above tho knees, and hav
ing leather soles, Is attracting attention in
Paris.
There has just died in Poland a once
celebrated beauty, who refused the hand of
Napoleon III. She was the Princess Helena
Sjgnnsko, and died unmarried at tbe aga
of 57.
In 1889 there were in Enssia 312 match,
manufactories, with an aggregate prodno
tion of 139,704,000 matches. Or these works
77 per cent manufactured phosphorous
matches.
A Georgian discovered that a chicken
snake had taken three of his young chicks.
"He killed the snake, recovered the chicks,
placed them under the hen, and now they
bid fair to make good broilers in time."
Platte conntr, 3Io., reports a wonder1 In
the 15-year-old daughter of W. D. House,
farmor, who can read letters without break
ing the seal and books without seeing the
pages.
A black bass (large-mouthed) was
recently caught near Waldo, Fhu, which,
weighed 27 pounds. This tops the record by
3-ponnds, as a bass weighing 23 pounds
was taken some years ago from a i'lorida
lake.
The Egyptologists are continually mak
ing fresh acquisitions of knowledge. A val
uable find of skeletons belonging to the
fourth dynasty was recently made in Egypt,
This is the earliest known data of Egyptian
remains.
The awellest 2Jew York hotels requira
their elevator boys to wear dress suits. To
be thus.clothed before 6 o'clock is the mark
of servitude. No gentleman wears a dress
suit before that hour, so consequently, dur
ing the day at least, the elevator boy is no
gentleman.
The.Belgian Minister of "War has jnst
decided that in future every soldier will be
furnished with a small bone disc, bearing
the name, birthplace and regimental num
ber of the holder, so that in tbe event of
him being killed or Injured on the field of
battle identification will be easy and rapid.
A gentlemanly burglar by tbe name of
Keine Katzenellenbazen has been captured
by the police in New York while improving
the shining hour and his own opportunities
at the expenso of othors. The officers threw
a lasso over the rear section of his name
and bolated the remainder of it out of a five
story window.
The fire loss last year'was 5138,691,929.
This is moro than the cost of the building in
New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chi
cago last year. Add the $84,526,184 paid by
tbe insurance companies, also a tax and loss
to tbe community, and the expense of the
insurance companies, and the total gone up
in and by smoke is considerably larger than,
the sum yearly put up In building.
Fran Probstl, who enjoyed the distinc
tion of being the heaviest woman in Europe,
hasjustdledat Traub ring, in Bavaria, at the
aso of 41. At her death she weighed, over
550 pounds, or 39 stone 4 pounds, and on ac
count of her enormous weight it was im
possible to carry her coffin from the first
story of the house in which she lived. Con
sequently boards were put down the stair
cat e, over which the coffin was slid.
There are 1,153 Americans residing in
the Chinese treaty ports. There are 41 in
Amoy, 75 in Canton, S7 in Chefoo. 77 in Chink
iang, Sliu Foochow, 49 in Hankow, 12 In
Newchang. 156 in Ningpoo, 400 in Shanghai
and 183 in Tientsin. Or thse 50S are mission
aries, 73 tailors, 23 diplomats and Consuls, 23
merchants, 28 In the Chinese customs ser
vice, 7 miners, S mining engineers, 3 machin
ists, i professors, 1 chemist. Tho remainder
not classified.
A new kind of porcelain made from as
bestos has been brought before the Aeademie
des Sciences, Paris, by M. Garros. He grinds
the asbestos to a fine powder and frees it
from oxide of iron by sulphuric or hydro
chloric acid, then makes it into a paste,
molds it, dries it slowly, and finally bakes it
for 17 or 18 hours at a temperature of 1,209
degrees C. It is very translucent, and has
been used successfully as a filter and steril
izer. A reform which removes one of the
most shocking practices of the Dark Ages
has just been brought through a circular
sent to all the Governors in Finland, de
claring the auction of paupers and lunatics
to be illegal. Up till now parishes have not
had asylums aud workhouses for tbe sick
and aged; but everyone who has from one
reason or other had to live on the narish has
once in everv year been sold at auction, and
given to the'bidder who has offered the low
est tender.
The Ipwer orders of Irish are as a rule
rather hypochondriacal, and they are fond
of trying peculiar remedies for their ail
ments. A favorite poultice for wounds is a
paraffin candle scraped and some cabbage,
all boiled together. A simple but rather un
pleasant remedy lor a cut leg was recom
mended to an old man it was to sit with bij
leg in a bog hole all night. This he tried
with perfect success. His leg got quite well;
but as he died of bronchitis a few days
alterward, he did notlongeujoy his "Derfecs
cure."
The salary of tne British Ambassador
at Paris (Lord Dufferin) is .10,000; at Con
stantinople, XS.000: at St. Petersburg. .7,800;
at Koine, JE7.00O; Sir A. B. Paget, at Vienna,
has JE8.000; Sir E. B-Malet, at Berlin, 7,500;
Sir K C. Ford, at Madrid, jE5,50O; Sir Horace
Rumbold, at Tbe Haue, 4,000: Sir Geniga
Petro at Lisbon, j3,730; Sir Henry Drum
mond' Wolff, at Bucharest, 3,650; SirE.J.
Monson, at Athen,.3.500, SlrF.RPlunkett,
at b'ockholm, 3,400: Lord Vivian, at Brns
sels"",2Sn: Hr. St. John, at Belgrade, 2,050;
Mr Scott, at Berne, 1,450; while at Munich
Mr" Drummond has 1,700, and Mr. Strachey,
at Dresden, 950.
SMALL HUSIOROSITIES.
"Have you any half-hose for gentlemen?
she asked.
No, madam; bat we have" began the ulec
""Don't want anything else," sne answered.
"My husband has only one leg." Judge.
Two lone maids spake: "Let's call our
selves As Time and Tide this year:
Thev wait, 'tis said, for no man, ana.
Behold no man is here."
.Vw Tork Berald,
' O, Arthur, how happy I would be alona
with you on a qnlet Island in the distant ocean I'
'Have von any other wish, dearest Ella?"
"Oh. yes; do get me a season ticket for the
opera." Texas biftlngs.
Mistress -'.Norab, how does it happen I
And you Idling away your time In that rocking
chair:"
Domestic (with languid maJestyV-'Tm not
idling, mem. 1 am reposing. I'm a Delsarahean,
mem." Chicago Tribune.
Hail, gentle winter, soft and mild!
Hall. Summer's radiant, lovely chlldi
Hail. plcy zephyrs, warmly blown
From some delicious tropic zonel
Hall, dandelion shoots that raise
Their golden songs of cheerful praise.
.And buds that open to the breeze
That bends the tall Long Island trees;
And cucumbers that greenly grow,
.Tnd brooks that pari with unchecked flow!
Hall, one and all! I've put away
3ly overcoat to wear In May!
Puc.
"I see," remarked Mr. Stockyard, ,of
Chicago, 'that tLe Venus de Mlk Is tobehere dur
ing the Fair."
"DcMUo," replied Mr. Klverscomb, thought
fully: "Idon'tknow that 1 ever heard of her.
-What's her specialty?" Poet.
"Our new contralto pnts on a good many
airs."
'Yes. but she can't eonie up to the oprano."- -'
.Veto TorkFress.
An amorous wind from upper air ," t .
Kesged or a mala a lock of hair.
"When she refused, the teasing witch,
a he wind, revengeful, took a switch.
-.rm York Herald.
"What kind of cake was that yon gave" ,.
me?'' he asked. "'
"It was marble cake," was the reply. "Didn't" n
you know It?"
"Not exactly; but ever since I swallowed It, It.
rather suspected It." Washington Star.