I
THI FOREST REPUBLICAN
b Mbuiita every Weiaeeday, ky
J. E. WENK.
Offloa In Bmearbamjh A Co.'sVulldlii;
lm miMT, noian-A, r.
Term. ... Ilo pirTltr.
RATIS OP ADVKRTISINdl '
One Rqnare, on inoh, on. Inserttaa. .1 1 '
On. Square, on Inoh, one month. ... 1 00
On Bquare, on. inoh, throe month.. . 00
One Square, one Inch, one yew JO 00
Two Hqiinre, on year 11 00
Quarter Column, one year. ........... WOO
Half Column, one year .5222
On. Column, one year.
Legal adTortuwnuaM ten cents per Be
each umrtioa,
Marrlaf ee and death nottoee gratis.
All btlie for yearly advertisements walaaaia
ORE
EPUB
CAN.
e nkeertptloai receive lot lkm r1oa
Ikm .nth.
Oorraiponamee tollcttaa fm al aarta ef lh
eonntry. 14 aUc wlU ke lakea runiaoui
oaimiialcatlea.
VOL. XXVI. NO. 29.
TIONESTA, PA., WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8, 1893.
S1.50 PER ANNUM.
quarterly, lemporary mnryieuim i
p. paid in Hmm,
Job work oash on delivery.
ST
The two-minuto bicycle promises t
arrive far abend o( tho two-minute
trotter, observes the New York Re
corder. Home ono 1ms figured that there aro
ho ninny railway lineR, steam, rlevnted,
coblo ninl horse enrs in New York City
thnt a person may ride for nix hours at
a total cost of fifty cents.
According to nn election return just
nindo to the TJritiKli Parliament, there
nro ft,'22!,120 voters in the United
Kingdom. Tliero were 4,5!I2,4H2 in
England, 27),27fi in Wales, 747,271 in
Ireland ami f.J'.I.O'll in Scotland.
F. I'. Loom is, formerly United
States CoiimiiI at St. Etienne, France,
saya that from an iiiveHtigalion lio
made ho finds nliotit 95,000 Americans
visit Europe, every year, and that they
spend about $100,000,000 annually
abroad.
Cardinal Gibbons has lochristened
Chicago with tho classic title of
"Thaumatiiolis,'' the wonder city.
The appellation is deserved, but tho
New York World thinks it will hardly
displace that of "the windy city" in
popular parlance.
Tho name of Gay Head, applied to
ft famous promontory of tho Massachu
setts coast, means exactly what it
seems to mean, and is peculiarly ap
1 proprinte. The headland, as seen from
tho sea, is gay with many colors run
ning in strata, tho result of chemical
qualities in the earth of tbe cliff. A
like variety of color is presented by
many rocky islets and headlands in the
Hound opposite Pelham Hay Park,
Tho Wonmn's Library at Chicago
contains 7000 volumes in sixteen lan
guages and represents twenty-three
countries. It is to bo pliicod iu the
permanent Woman'- Memorial Build
ing, which is to bo erected in Chicago,
and will form a nucleus for the collec
tion of tho literary work of women in
the future, as well as, through iU
catalogue soon to be issued, a complete
bibliography of women's writings up
to tbo present time.
There are 22,000,000 soldiers in
arms in Europe. If nil Long Island
were a drill-ground, calculates the
New York Recorder, it wouldn't bo
big enough for their field manoeuvres.
If they were to march iu a street pa
rado, files of ton abreast, it would
take tho lino of 2000 miles 100 days to
pass a given point at fair marching
peed. In Iudiau file they would reach
around the world. In a year they
would drink tho Hudson dry for over
a niilo of its length.
There has been a remarkable revival
of interest in tho "abaudoned farms"
of New England since so many mills
closed their doors. A largo number
of applications have been made to the
Massachusetts Stato Board of Agri
culture for its descriptivo catalogue
of the abandoned farms of that Statu.
It is believed that some of tho meu
who are out of work think of taking
up farming as a means of livelihood.
"But will a mechanic be a successful
farmer?" queries the New York Tri
imne. Njw comes tho suggestion that the
log power of the United States shall
be utilized for draught purposes, ivh it
in Belgium. A writer estimates
that there are 7,000,000 dogs in this
jountry, and then figures out their
aggregate pulling capacity. Tbe idea
may be new as to dogs, but the Now
Vork News recalls that humorist Jobu
I'hoeuix suggested the utilization of
cat power more than forty years ago.
His plan was to ruu sewing machines
by cat power. Tho cat was to be
placed in harness connected with
motive works. A mouse was to be
suspended just beyond tho cut's reach.
The cat's jumping lor the mouse would
propel the mncbiue,
Says the Boston Cultivator : There
is a deficiency of 34,000,000 bushels
in the German rye crop this year, and
this comes with a deficiency of 18,
000,000 bushels of wheat. Bye bread
is the staple food of u large part of tho
Gernmu people. They prefer it to
wheat'en bread when they can get both.
Owing t' the tariff war with Russia
importations ofrye from that country
pre cot off. is Russian rye the.t has
heretofore supplied tho deficiencies of
what Germany requires. There is sure
to be a large demand for all the rye
American farmers can produce during
(the coming twelve months. It is a
crop much less exhaustive thau is
wheat. It can be sown later iu the
fall, and if fertilized with mineral
'manures it respouda to liberal treat
ment quite as freely us does wheat.
In many places the demand for ryo
htraw makes tho crop worth growing
(.it the frtra-.v alone. '
TIS USELESS TO REGRET.
We've done tbe best we could, my dear,
There's nothing to regret ;
We've taught the children many tr-'-
On which our hearts wero sot j
And if against our old-time ways
Thny foolishly protest,
Wo need never regret, my dear,
That we have done our best.
There's many a plan that's come to naught j
There's many a light gone out ;
And disappointments, griefs and euros
Have hedged us round abont ;
And many a snd mistake we've niado "
Throughout our lives, and yet
We've done the very boat we could j
'TIs useless to regret.
For out of evil good has come,
And out of darkness light j
And all wrong do(m In this world
Homo day will lie set right ;
And though we have not reached tho height
Attained by others, yet
We've done tho best we could, my doar (
'TIs useless to regret.
We've tried to llvo like honest folks,
To do our duty well,
Gainst evil things to take our stand,
Iu goodness to excel i
Bo Judge yourself not harshly, dear,
Nor at nilsjiirtunes fret j
We've done the best we oould, and so
'Tis useless to regret.
THE EDITOITS VISIT.
BY FRAW01S O. WTM.IAMB.
HE noon hour had
come, and tbe city
editor of the Chron
icle was very busy,
making out an as
signment 'list, when
a queer old-fashioned
figure of a man
came into the room
and Btood waiting by the side of tho
desk.
"Well !" said tho city editor, look
ing tip sharply, after an instant, "what
do you want?"
"I wanted to kuow if you could
make use of this," answered the now
comer, timidly holding . out a small
bundle of manuscript.
"I'm sure we can't unless it's some
thing a trifle less hoary with age than
that yon brought here the other day.'1
Tbe city editor, who was a compara
tively young niau, very alert, very
quick in speech, and all business, took
the manuscript, unfolded it with a
snap and ran bis eye over tho first fow
linss. Then be wheeled bis chair,
around and said, straightening up and
speaking testily :
"Now look here, John Harmon, onco
and for ull, understand that it's no use
bringing such stuff as that iu here,
and I won't bo bothered with looking
at it! Why, this is identically the
same ancient history you tried to shove
off or. me tbe other day."
"But I polished it up !" suggested
the old man.
"Polished up your grandfather I"
exclaimed the other. "Why, you
couldn't polish that matter so thai it
would be readable if you worked for
ever. It's bard luck ; but the plain
truth is there nre too many young men
hustling for live news to allow of such
back-number trash as tbat being good
for anything but to stop a hole. I
haven't got any more time to talk! If
you get Hny news, bring it in and I
will look at it ! Otherwise, stay away,
please!"
The city editor faced his desk again,
picked up his pen and foil to work, not
looking at tbe other. The older man
for an instant stood motionless, then
he picked up tbe manuscript, put it in
bis pocket aud turning away walked
slowly out of tbe room without a word.
The wind waa biting bard outside
and be drew his collar about his cars
as be walked detpondently down a sido
street. He bad not far to go, for pres
ently lib went up the steps of a small
bouse aud opened the door. Tbe room
into which ho came was bare and mis
erable looking, and everywhere showed
the lack of a woman's hand to straighten
the few bits of furniture, which only
served by their mean repair to add to
tbe forloru appearance of the apart
ment. The old niau stood quite still,
one hand resting on tho doorjnmb,
staring ahead of him as if bo saw be
yond tho opposite wall. As be stood
there, there came a glad child's cry
from the other end of tho room :
"Oh, Gran'pop, I glad you come!
It's awfully lonesome !'
The old man's face brightened. He
reached down and, as tbe little girl
came running to him, caught her up
and laboringly lifted her to his breast.
Then he kissed her and put her clown.
She did not see the tears on bis cheeks
as he talked to her of the fun they
would have that evening "after work
was done." Aft,er work was done was
the season when these two had grand
romps together. Work, as little Polly
woll knew, meant writing, writing,
writing until she would crawl upon the
old man's knee and beg him to come
play, and ho would drop the pen from
bis cramped fingers and let her kiss
from his eyes the mist which would
gather there, when he kept his mind
ioug fixed ou the pages before him.
John Harmon was nearly eighty, "a
broken-down newspaper man" ho was
called, aud his only inheritance from
past days was it knowledge of news
paper writing and a little granddaugh
ter, whose mother and father had died
iu a fever epidemio a few years before.
The old man threw tho rejected
manuscript ou a chair, then set about
getting something to eat for himself
aud the child, the little one all the
while chattering to him of what they
would do iu the evening. When they
bad finished he pulled on his coat once
more, kissed tho child aad went out
again. A publishing house had prom
ised to look over m duo manuscript In
had left a week or so before. tie xvu .
goiug there to fret their answer. Hi
comprehended dully that this answer
might mean something to eut, but,
nioro likely, keener hunger than ever.
When the child was left to herself
sho sat down and fell to looking over
some illustrated papers which were her
invariable source of amusement. By
and by, becoming tired, she wandered
over to the table. The rejected manu
script on the chair caught her eye.
Gran'pop's papers were forbidden arti
cles to her, but when she saw this
package and slowly spelled out the
writing on its cover, "tho Chronicle,"
there came to her mind that Gran'pop
had told her when he was writing this
address tho night before and was too
busy to play with her, that the manu
script had to be sent in to-morrow.
This was to-morrow, she reasoned, and
the manuscript had not gone. Gran'
pop must havo forgotten it! He would
bo sorry, she knew.
Presently there came to her a bright
idea and she stood very still for a
moment, thinking bard. Why could
not she take the manuscript to the
Chronicle? She knew where the office
was ; she had been there with Gran'pop.
It would be such a surprise to him to
find it already gone when be came
home. She decided to do it. She
took the bundle from the chair and
pulled on her jacket and tied her hood
fast. Sho was used to dressing herself
and soon was on tho steps, the manu
script clutched firmly in her hand.
Then Bhe started off for the Chronicle
office, proud of her self-appointed
mission.
Tho elevator boy waa much sur
prised and not a little amused when
she askod for the editor. He tried to
chaff hor on the way up, bnt she re
fused to take any notice of his re
marks, if she understood tbom. All
her thoughts were on the top story
and tho editor. Despite his fun
making the elevator boy was a trifle
impressed, aud, thinking she might be
one of the "old man's" relations, when
they arrived at the upper floor he
showed her to the door of the sanctum
aud told her to knock. Then be left
her and went back to bis post.
The editor was greatly surprised
when a timid knock sounded on bis
door, aud in answer to bis "come in"
bo saw over bis gold-bowed spectacles
thu diminutive maiden wbo entered.
Ho looked at h.r bard, but she did not
appear discomfited. She came toward
him without hesitation and stood with
one little baud resting on tbe edge of
the desk, the other extending the
folded manuscript.
"Gran'pop forgot to bring it down,
so I fetched it!" she explained, her
blue eyes looking up into bis puzzled
gray ones.
Now, the editor was not a man easily
confused, but this was a novel experi
ence even for bim. In all his life he
never remembered having received ir
his office so small and at the same
time so confident a visitor as this. He
looked at ber sharply, almost sternly,
suspecting he was the victim of some
joke but her gaze never flinched, and
the baby eyes were not frightened.
He took the manuscript from her
grasp and opened it. There was no
solution of the mystery to be obtained
here, however. The story was some
locol history of early days. There
was no name, no mark of any kind to
tell who wrote it or where it came
from. Non-plnsscd, he turned bis eyes
upon tho little figure beside bim.
Somehow, iu spite of the old-fashioned
and much-worn clothes, it suggested
to bim that of a little one who bad
ouce called him father, and a kindly
smile lit bis face.
"I don't know anything abont this
paper," bo said. "Who did it come
from?"
'From Grau'pop," sho answered, ns
if that conveyed full information.
"Yes, bnt who's Gran'pop? 1 don't
remember him."
"Why don't you kuow bim? He's
been here often, and I came with him
ouce or twice, that's bow I knew
where it was."
The editor racked his brain in vain
to think who Gran'pop could be.
"Well." ho said nt last, "you sit
down iu that big chair there and I'll
look over this paper and tell you what
to suy to bim." Theu be wheeled his
chair about and began reading.
It did not take long, however, for
him to decide what to do. He struck
a band-bell on tbe desk and a boy came
into the room. "Send Mr. Campbell
to me !" the editor said.
A moment and the city editor of the
Chronicle entered.
"Campbell," said tho editor, "do
you kuow whose writing that is V" and
ho handed him the manuscript.
"Yes," answered the other "it's old
John Harmon's. He brought it iu
here this morning aud I told hiin we
couldn't use it. It's all ancient his
tory." "Well," said the editor a bit shortly,
"it's the kind of aneieut history the
Chroniclo wants. Can't you see that
that's local matter that a good many
would lather read than news? Give it
a goou place on the fourth page of to
morrow's issue, and I'll try to see that
we have a column of just such stuff
twice u week. That's all !"
Tho city editor did not seo the little
figure in the big chair, .and a bit dis
concerted at being turned down so
sharply, he took up tho manuscript
agaiu und left the. room wondering
what was the matter with the "old
man," mid hew the historical stuff had
come into his bauds.
When ho had gone, the editor drew
a sheet of paper toward him. Looking
at the little figure in the chair, he said :
"1 will write a letter for you to take
with you and give it to Grau'pop."
Sho nodded ber head wisely, and he
rapidly wrote a few lines. Then he
folded the sheet, put it iu an envelope
and roo.
Tho liltln girl slipped out of the
chair and came, across to bim. "Good
by I" he said, laying i: huud ou h ir
head, "and come and seo me some
tune ugain !" Then ha opened l!ie
door anil watchsd her ring the bell
and dibappear iu the elevator.
The elevator boy was quite deferen
tial to her going down ; but she paid
no more attention to him than before.
When she slipped out of the building
she bnrried up the street, the letter in
hor hand. As she turned tho corner
near home sho saw "Gran'pop" just
entering tbo door and ran hard to
catoh him ; bnt ho had gone in before
she came up, so she knocked on tho
door. The same instant it was pnlled
open hurriediy and tho old man, whito
and trembling, stood in the frame.
"Thank God!" be breathed, drawing
ber up in his arms and burying bis
face in her curls, "I thought you were
lost."
"No, I only been to tb' office!" ex
claimed Polly, clinging to bis neck.
"To the office? Where do you
mean?"
"Th' Chroniclo office. I took th'
writin' down there you left on th'
chair and th' editor gave me a letter
for you ; he was awful nico."
Tbe old man took the envelope she
held toward him and dropped into a
chair. With tho child drawn close
against him he broke the paper with
trembling fingers and read :
The Duly Chbokici.e.
No. 429 Street.
John Harmon. Esn.
Dear Rlr We will use your paper on loent
history in to-morrow's Issue. We will be
pleased to have you contribute a column of
nite matter ns otten as you can give it to tis,
for whloh we will pay you at our regular
spaoe rates. Yours truly,
C. N. Hapoood, jfanaging Editor.
There was a mist before tbe old
man's eyes as he read tbe last words.
"Was he cross, Gran'pop?" queried
Polly, seeing the tears.
"No, Polly," said the old man,
straining ber to him; "be has given
us lots to do, but it Bball not interfere
with your playtime, little one."
Kate Field's Washington.
Raising Foxes In Alaska,
For the purpose of perpetuating the
fast vanishing fur supply of Alaska
certain enterprising persons have gone
into the business of breeding blue and
black foxea on uninhabited islands
along that coast. When the seals have
been finally exterminated the world
may still look to tbat region for some
of the most valuable and beautiful
pelts known.
The Smoda Propagating Company
has recently stocked a number of isl
ands with foxes, and the investment
is beginning to yield handsome re
turns. The lands thns employed are
valueless for anything else, being
wholly barren. The breeding of blue
foxes has already been made very suc
cessful on one of the Pribylof Islands
tbat of St. George in Bering Sea.
Of their increase ten thousand have
been killed and skinned for market.
One advantage of this industry is that
it involves no expense for the oare or
feeding of the animals. All that is re
quired is to let loose a few pairs. Those
of them which are taken must at all
times be trapped and not shot. Thus
they become exceedingly tame in the
course of a few generations. In the
same region there are red, white and
"cross" foxes. Skins of the lost named
variety, which is supposed to be a
cross between the red and tho black,
are quoted at from $5 to l8 wholesale.
The white and red pelts are worth only
about $1 apiece, because, though they
are very beautiful, they are much
more common and easily obtain
able. Black foxes are so rare as to be
hard to procure for breeding purposes.
A Musical Canine Critic.
A wonderful story of a French mu
sical critic is related by persons who
profess to have been acquainted with
him and to havo seen bim iu attend
ance on musical performances. He
was a dog, and his name was Parade.
Whether be bud a different name at
home was never known. At the bo
ginning of tho Frenoh revolution he
went every day to the military parade
in front of the Tuileries pulaue. He
marched with tho musicians, halted
with them, listened knowingly to their
performances and after the parade dis
appeared, to return promptly at pa
rade time next day.
Gradually the musicians became at
tached to this devoted listener. They
named bim Parade, and one or another
of them always invited him to dinner.
He accepted the invitations and was a
pleasant guest. It was discovered that
after dinner he always attended the
theatre, where he seated himself
calmly iu a corner of the orchestra
and listened critically to the music.
If a new piece waa played he noticed
it instantly and paid the strictest at
tention. If the piece had fine, melo
dious passages be showed his joy to thu
best of his doggish ability, but if tbe
piece was ordinary aud uninteresting
he yawned, stared about the theater
and unmistakably expressed bis disap
proval. Brandon Bucksaw.
Salutations In Old Marhleliead.
The customary morning salutation
at all seasons in old Murblehcad, Mass.,
is, "How is the fish?" In the past
rainy summer the answer, after a look
down the street, has generally been,
"Oh, her tail is going round au(
round." This is the town's way o
speaking of the weather vane on thi
Congregational Church, the infullibh
oraclo which determines whether bout
shall put out to sea and leisurely lands
men goa-ridiug. Rochester Union ano
Advertiser.
Fond ot Captivity.
It would be difficult to find a more
eloquent tribute to the kindness be
stowed on the brutes kept ut the dog
pound thau that paid by a dog dis
posed of u few days ago by the pound
authorities to some man ou the other
sido of the river. The dog had not
been away from the pound more thau
forty-eight hours before he broke
awuy from his new muster, swam the
Ohio aud ull wet turned up at tb
pound eutrauce aud burked for ad-!
mission, CiuciuuuVi Times-Star,
SCIENTIFIC AXI INDUSTRIAL.
Edison, the electrician, makes rubies
tbat excel the gcunine.
The surface of a man's lungs is esti
mated at 150 square feet, ten times tho
surface of tho external body.
In Grent Britain the annual sick rato
for each inhabitant is ten days to the
year; in tbo United States eight days.
Nests of the termite ants of South
Africa are often twelve feet high and
grouped together in clusters, the tallest
in tho center.
Ants arc provided with a poison bag,
which discharges a fluid having a
strong sulphurous smell, sufficient to
drive away most insect enemies.
The smallest holes pierced by modern
machinery nro l-1000th of an inch in
diameter. They are bored through
sapphires, rubies and diamonds by a
machine which makes 22,000 revolu
tions a minute.
Sir James Criehtou Browne, the Eng
lish specialist, is a believer in tho
thoory that tho coming man will bo
toothless. Ho declares that over 10,
000,000 false teeth are annually fitted
into the mouths of Britishers.
Many larvm of beetles and other in
sects are used for food ; the bee gives
honey and wax, the coccus manna mid
cochineal, the Spanish fly a blistering
drug, the gall insects an astringent
and the silk worm an article of dress.
Uranus has four little moons Ariel,
Umbriel, Titania and Oberon which,
funnily enough, rise in the north and
set in the south. A single diminutive
one, belonging to Neptune, traverses
the sky from southwest to southeast.
Neither Mercury nor Venus has any
satellites.
Doctor Neisser.of the Hygienic Insti
tute at Berlin, has discovered in the
city a new cholera bacillus which he
calls vibrio berolensis. The inoccula
tion of dogs, cats aud rabbits with this
bacillus has proved that the vibrie is
fully as potent as tho Asiatic bacillus.
The Berliners manifest no alarm over
tho discovery.
Tho difference between the atmos
phere of tbe best ventilated bouses and
t he outer air is illustrated by the con
duct of cut flowers. Blossoms tbat re
tain their freshness but a day or two
when standing iu water within doors
will sometimes live twice as long when
dropped in a shady place out of doors,
even without tho aid of other moisture
than they obtained from the earth and
air.
Experiments made by tbo scientists
appointed for that purpose by tho
French Government show that the re
sistance of tbe atmosphere to tho
motion of a high speed train often
amounts to half the total resistance
which the locomotive must overcome.
Two engines, of which the resistance
was measured repeatedly and found to
be nineteen pounds per ton at thirty
seven miles per hour, were coupled
together and again tried. In the
second trial the resistance fell to four
teen pounds per tou, the second engine
being shielded from atmospheric re
sistance by the first.
Great attention is now being paid by
the German military authorities to tbe
question of facilitating and expediting
intrenching methods. Among other
implements which they are testing is
an intrenching spade, invented by M.
de Layeh. When in use it is fitted to
tho stock of the ritle, but it is sug
gested that its proposed place, when
not in use, on tho breast of the soldier,
is likely to cause oppression and tc
give little or no protection. The whole
larraiigeiiinut adds rather more than
three pounds to bis impediments.
A Chinese Proverb's Origin.
" 'He'll steal your shoes' is an ex
pression which in China is used to de
scribe an arrant knave and pilferer."
says ex-Consul Edward Bedloe, re
cently returned from Auioy. "Tho
expression is hundreds of years old
oud is baited on an adventure perpetu
ated through the medium of decorated
crockery ware. A wealthy Chinaman,
whose gorgeously embroidered shoes
were the envy of the community, was,
according to the legend, despoiled of
his pride in the following maimer : A
rascal one day rushed up, gave the
rich man a hearty blow ou the back
aud seizing the astonished gentleman's
hat pitched it upon a high wall. The
next moment the fellow seemed to
discover that it was not an old friend
he was greeting so enthusiastically and'
apologized profusely. f
"'How shall I get my hat?" in-J
quired tho man with the beautiful
shoes.
" 'Jump on my back and you can
reach it,' replied the schemer.
The suggestion was cariied out,
but whilu tho hutleiis man was reach
ing for his bead covering the rascal
slipped off tho handsome shoes and
made away, h aving the simple miudod
millionaire clutching the wall."
.V'xlcriilc Climate Conducive to Age.
Undoubtedly the climate most coii-ducivoti-
longevity in a moderate one.
although a cold climate, other tli i '
being equal, bus a decided advautui;rt
ever a hot one. For instance, the rate
of mortality in Mi.itlieru clinic is much
gr-.ater than iu that ot such regions as
Scandinavia aud Riisi.t, while duration
' f life is longer in Norway than in any
country, and of course Norway is de
cidedly cold. Th.tt . execssixt) cold is
prejudicial to long life is proved by
the low maximum age which is reached
by the inhabitants of su.-h piece us
Iceland and Siln-ria. The African in tho
hot, muggy hind of his fath 'rs on tho
Senegal iu Africa nt;es curly aud does
not live long. Truin-plauti d to a com
paratively moderate ciimiito iu tl.is
country, ho lives a much "luugtr li'..-,
the census for New Jei.ey, for iustu'e e,
showing ih'it Kinouir colored peopl.-,
with their eusy goiug iiic, tluve is
ouo centenarian tor every lll'l, but
only one white centenarian uuiougi
100,000. Brooklyn tr.gle,
WHAT THERE IS IN DUST.
IT CONTAINS STARCH GRAINS
AND OTHER SUBSTANCES.
Difference Hctwocn tho Hunt of
Cities and of the Country Ex
amining a Plncli of Dust.
ft f H, this dreadful dust I
I I There is no getting rid of
V J it. It is tho bother of my
' life."
So says tho housewife. It never oc
curs to her to wonder what is this
ever-accumulating dust of which she
complains. Yet thoro are ever so
many strange things to bo told about
it.
Of oil tho materials of which dust is
composed tho most interesting is
starch. In every pinch of dust there
is more or less of this ingredient in
the shape of oval Btid spherical grains.
Tho diiHt found in coffins with old
Egyptian mummies contains starch
grains just like thoso which fly about
in the air to-day.
A Bcientist with an inquiring mind
once took the trouble to examine un
der a microscope specimens of dust
which had peuel rated the skulls of an
imals embalmed in the days of tho
Pharaohs. The samples revealed tho
samo kind of grains of starch. Such
grains are always in everybody's
clothes and on tbo hands. Press your
moistened finger upon a clean piece of
glass, and on looking at the latter with
a microscope you will discover several
Btarcb grains. Wash your bands a
dozen times and every repetition of
the experiment will produce tbe same
result.
Whero does all all this starch como
from? The answer is: From tho food
of mankind. Wheat, barley, rice, po
tatoes, etc., ore largely composed of
starch. Little groins of it are widely
scattered by the winds, and being very
light are held in suspension.
For the reason above mentioned
much more starch is to be found in the
dust of cities than in that of the coun
try, where population is comparatively
sparse. Thus it muy be said that in
every town a cloud of starch always
hangs in the air. However, the dust
that blows through the streets, which
settles upon furniture and makes work
for the housewife, contains ever so
many other things besides starch.
Take a small pinch of it nt random and
examine it at leisure. Perchance you
will discover among it a fiber of wood,
a scale of human epidermis, a frag
ment of tho hair of a dog, a piece of
an insect's claw, the shell of an ani
malcule and the spore of a plant await
ing a proper resting place, with tho
necessary dampness to reproduce its
species.
These are all organic substances,
animal or vegetable. Dust contains
much inorganic matter, particularly
small particles of silica. On account
of their size aud shape such particles
were for a long time mistaken for eggs
of some kiud, but this notion was fin
ally exploded by making chemical
analyses of the alleged eggs. The
history of a single one of these frag
ments would bo most interesting to
know. Ever so long ago perhaps it
was part of a rock. The waves wore it
away from the parent stone and
threw it into a heap of sand on
the shore. After a while the wind
caught it and flung it upon the upland.
Ruin took it from the ground and hur
ried it along to a river. The river car
ried it to the sea. From the sea water
it was taken by an oyster to build tho
latter's shell. Tho inoUusk was caught
and eaten, aud the shell, being thrown
away, wus trampled upon, powdered
and dispersed by tho breezes. Thus
tho particle whose story is here re
lated was set afloat in tho atmosphere,
to fall at length upon your lihrury
table aud to afford a subject for spec
ulation beneath your microscope.
As you walk dowu tho t-treet ou ouo
of the breezy autumn days a cloud
of dust is blown iu your face, almost
stifling you. it is u mixture consist
ing largely of small fragments of sand.
But if you w ill take a pinch of it home
and subject it to examination, you
will fiud that it contains an extraor
dinary variety of other things, Nuchas
the broken fibers of plants, pollen,
fine huirs, fibers of clotliiug ami other
fabrics, particles of lime aud soot,
ashes and clusters of different kinds of
micro-organisms.
When a ray of sunlight streams into
a darkened room it reveals thu finer
dust particles which always till the air,
though ordinurily invisible to the eye.
Doctor Priiden, who has made a study
of this subject, says that the particles
in question consist mostly of fragments
of vegetable and animal fibers, such
as cotton anl wool, and of an enor
mous variety of micro-organisms,
singly or in masses, such as bacteria
and the spores of mold plants. Such
are tho "motes iu the sunbeam," re
specting which so many poetic ideas
have been expressed. Not u few of
them are germs capable of producing
diseases of various sorts if they happen
to find lodgment iu the human system.
Washington Star.
A Singular Product of Haw nil.
One of tho most singular products
of Hawaii is u vitreous lava known as
"Pele's hair. " It is a silky, filament
ous substance, olive gleeu or yellowish
brown in color, soft to thu touch, but
very brittle. It is produced by tho
wind catching the fiery spray thrown
up from tho great crater Kiloue
(which tho Huwuiiuiis lung since per
sonilied us tho fire goddess I'cle), but
the real caute of the lava forming into
such soft, fci'ky libers is believed to be
the gas and steam Fscupiug through
the lava. Nearly all of the native
hints of liawtiii use it as a ue-t build
ing material. New Orleuus IVayuue.
Iu 1H;1J there wire , 7lil , ri0 j deposi
tors iu the savius bunks of tlnH conn
try, who hi U-posited jt.Tll'.Toi'jOJd.
WEAVINO.
I placed my loom the slender threads along
I lauirhed to see them glisten ;
Then Idle weaver ! sat with careleea hand.
And dreamful eyes to liofen.
Tho whirring song crooned vibrantly, the
warp
Was wondrous fair that day ;
At eve I rose I had forgot the weft ! j
Tho threads were all ono way.
A useless fabric, with unwoven slirods
Aero?" no binding ties s
Tho warp of alms may glint, but Idly runs,
In whl'h no purpose lies.
O careless henrt ! I eaid, and aro you thus
An Instrument unstrung?
A strain of harmony but hall complete,
For words you loft unsung?
O lint less dreamer! weaving shadows there,
To echoes half contest,
Acros? the loom, If you will only look,
Love, inlllug, holds tlio weft.
boulso Waraon.
HUMOR OF THE DAY.
Ruled off Ledgers.
A tweed garment A sac coat.
"Get off the earth," tbo cyclone said
to the barn.
A nervous affection A man on the
eve of proposal.
The crawfish is not very good to
eat, but it will do at a pinch. Truth.
One characteristic of good old Elijah
was bis raven-ousappetite. Cleveland
Plain Dealer.
London's constant fog may ba
caused by the continuous reigu.
Dallas News.
Tho fine wheat will insure the farmel
and the English sparrow full crops.
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
People who are always scheming
generally pay about doublo for what
they get. Milwaukee Journal.
When a man is dressed in a littlo
brief authority,' he makes it more con
spicuous than a red neck-tie. Puck.
So far no one has ever made the
blunder of painting a Cupid to look at
if be had any sense. Atchison Globe.
"Why does Snagsby keep his bail
cut so short?" "Because Iio'b getting
bald, and be won't have it long. "
Philadelphia Record.
"He says he owes you a lickiug,
docs he? Well, you'll never get it."
"How do you know?" "I'm hii
tailor. " Chicago Tribune.
"He's a very modest young man,
isn't be?" "MudeBt as a burglar; h
doesn't even want the credit of bil
own work." Philadelphia Record.
An enterprising hosier has an
nounced a new button, which he colli
The Old Maids Wedding. Why? Be
cause it never conies off. Tit-BitB.
The coalman's season may be th
winter, tbe summer the icomau's harv
est, so that it's possible the milkmau
finds bis greatest profit iu tho spring.
Hhiill I from her sweet spell depart,
Or take her for betler orworbei
The eholco is will she break my henrt,
Or shall the, break my purse ?
ruck.
Demonstrator in Natural Science
"Gentlemen, I hold iu my hand three
shells." Voice (from amphitheatre)
"it isn't nuder any of them." Detroit
Free Presf.
Watts "I wonder how this worli)
will get along when you aud I have
left it?" Potts "You'd better b
wondering how we'll get along?" In
dianapolis Journal.
Pipkin "Does your wife kuow
anything abont cooking?" Potts "J
guess she does ; you can't get her intc
any of your cheap restaurants. "- Kutt)
Field'i Washington.
"Hello, Bingley, how did the doctol
succeed in breaking up j our fever ?''
"Oh, easy enough ; he presented bil
bill, and I had a chill iu fifteen min
utes. "--Chicago Iuter-Ocean.
"Can I get this note shaved?" h
timidly asked the money-lender.
"Gracious!" ejaculated the broker, in
he glanced at the date, "it's old enough
to need it !''--Atlant i Constitution.
Unless old words can be exchanged
for the new ones that are being rmudlj
coined, English dictionaries will soon
have to be taken to a cotton coinprese
to be rendered portable. Dallas New s.
Applicant for Work - "But the oc
cupation seems to be a dang- ruiis one. ''
Manager "Yes; but then in -.-use you
are killed the company would end
flowers to your funeral." iiottoo
Transcript.
Richard -- '"When my w ile agreed to
share her lot with me J didn't know
there was a mortgage on it." Hairy
"A mortgage?" Richard "Het
mother, I found, went with the lot."
Boston Transcript.
A fellow iii Sirilhvillc who couldu't
pare jf'J a year for a newspaper ent
fifty two-cent stamps to a ilowu-oast
Yankee to kuow how to raisu beets.
Ho got an answer, "Take hoi-1 of the
tops ami pull for nil you arc worth. ''
'Jswego Times.
Oil. the. gold is rolling In
From beyond the briny nns-.
M'Mions rollni,- in t-ui-h day.
P-iM;ill' us IIiihik IhI cue .
M i! I i. uior. i;re tn ihe ivay.
HolliiiK onward to tins ;:oal,
An I Ms wo aro nonet. to Hush.
N hy we'll just t her roil '
- Ksiman I'lty Journal.
.Veasiirltii," the r.Inis.
A recent nut il-er of the Roston
(ilo'ie rtutoH th it Doctor Oliver Wen
Ic'.i Holmes hss made a practice for
some years of taking the girth of the
lur.'c el. us and other tiws winch ho
l:K ' -I'll ill his ib-.ilv .lines. ilo has,
however, only found lour trees with a
girth grcatrr thiu ti.-Uiii feet. Tho
t'i;e has u iiially b en nppln-1 st u
j oint ubout ti v ft uboe the soil,
tile pla-'e selected for measuring, its
Doctor Holmes stales, being I lie small
est circle of tho trunk between the
.)! of the roots aud the awvii of the
branches.