F .
B. P. SOHWEIER,
TEE OOlHTIT U 1 10I-TEE UEIOE-AES TEE EITOEOEKEET OF TEE LAVS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XL.
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. MAY 19. I8S6.
NO. 21.
Tlio Oil Home.
I remember an old Ky farmhouse.
All msy, and stained with timet
V',l?filn tipon it,
W bile yet it stood in its prime.
A broad, low -browed old homestead,
here clamherinR wild woodbine
lion out its Hamas in the autumn,
lake wreaths on a hoi j shrine.
Great drooping elm swayed o'er ltj
And bloesomine lilacs tall.
Thrust their purple plumes in the win
dows, With the bees they held in thrall.
All under its roof so mossy.
And around its heart so' warm,
It eaihcml its happy children,
In a merry, busy swarm.
ith the beat of r.iin on its shingles,
It lulled tliera all to rest,
ben spring brought the muttering show
ers, urging up from out the west.
A hen soothes her sleepy chickens,
t-nealh her wines widespread.
Sore heard the soil, sweet wind-song,
(i the old roof overhead.
An now when I fall a-vl reaming,
When it rains, and the wind ia strong,
I her a'aiu the deep murmers
A d beat of the old roof's song.
And the years fall away and leave me,
A leepy child once more;
Slow rocking on grand wild surges,
Tovard some dreamland shore.
Kcw drifting among the tree-tops,
Nov fl jaiiiii: o'er rivers deep.
Till I tink in that rushing, sweeping sea.
Duwu to the land of sleep.
MADCAP MADGE.
X Cora Castlelon laid down the pearl-
lacked brush with an impatient, dis
couraged sigh, that involutarily re
peated itself as she looked down in
Madge's saucy, piquant face, that was
upturned defiantly from the crimson
cuihiou of the lounge.
A low, joyous laugh came trilling
from M.iJge's lips, as Cora paused
in such stately dignity.
Weil, you have read me a lecture
a full quitter-hour long. But, true as
I live, uiy dear, dignified sister, I can't
tell you what it is I have done so dread
ful." Miss Castleton looked despairingly at
the pretty, pink-flushed face, and when
she spoke, tbe accents of her voice were
in perfect accord with her expression of
countenance. "Child, child I when
will you learn the lesson I have been
trying to teach you for a year or more?
Madge, . child, will you ever cease
being a 'careless, boisterous girl, with
not the slightest regard for the conven
tionalities of society?"
"Ob, that is the crime I have com
mitted, is it? The sermon you have
been preaching, you dear old nuisance
you. Las for its unannounced text the
harum-scarum i amble I took this morn
ing Oh, Cora and the girl's black
.eyes Cashed joyously if you only knew
how perfectly splendid it is over at the
Falls. When 1 took off my shoes and
stock ' "
An exclamation of horror from Cora
suddenly finished the frank admission.
"Your shoes and stockings off
actually off? Madge, you shock me
beyond power of expression."
The perfect innocence on Madge's
face, was refreshing to see.
"Well, I was determined to cross
over to get the ferns, and there was no
alternative but to wade. 'I dont care
now," she afted defiantly, with a
deepening flush on her face "I wanted
to wade, and I did. 1 don't care what
anybody thinks. I'm old enough to do
as I please."
Another discouraged sigh from Miss
Castleton.
"Yes, you are oM enough to do dif
ferently. Do you know you are nearly
seventeen, Madge? Do you ever think
you look iike a young lady, which fact
makes your romping girlishness the
more out of place?"
"Of course I remember; but see here,
Cora, am I so awful? Do I ready do
such wicked things? Don't I ever do
anything right?"
The sentle pleading in her voice
the watf illness that suddenly banished
the defiance from ber eyes, touched
Cora, and she laid her cool, white hands
On the girl's warm cheeks.
"Darling, you are the dearest sister
that erer lived, with the one single ex
ceptionyou will be so unconventional,
childishly regardless of appearances.
It Is for your own good 1 speak, my
dear. It is time you began to settle
down and think of lovers, and mar
riage." . - .
Madge's momentary penitence fled.
A mischievous imp peepea irom ner
eyes as Cora spoke.
"Why don't you recommend Mr.
Particular Dignity as a candidate for
my favor, Cora? I'm sure he is the very
handsomest young fellow that ever
came to Laurel Lawn with brother
PhiL" , , .
"Madge!" and Cora spoke more deci
dedly than was her habit, even when re
proving Madcap Madge.
'Madge Castleton, you shall not
ridicule Mr. Arlington. Remember he
is Phil's friend and our guest, and one
of the most learned, polished men
of our day."
Madge wreathed her pretty arms over
her head, and laughed defiantly.
"I tell you he is Particular Dig.
nidn't I hear Lim tell Phil only yester
day, when thev were lying on the grass
under the apple tree, that if there was
one thing above another e aamircu m
others, it was a graceful dignity and
suitable appreciation or me eieruu
f things? Oh. mv Cora. II
you'd euly seen how I had to hold my
breath to keep from laughing. I was
up on a bough, you see
Cora interrupted her by suddenly
rising from her chair. Madge, you are
hopelessly Incorrigible. But may I, as
a particular, very great favor, leg
of vou to come down to dinner to-night
as I shall come, as Mr. Arlington is ac
customed to see his friends, in suitable
dress, and with dignity and grace
of manner. This once, Madge, if never
again, let Mr. Arlington see you can
drop your boyishness as readily as you
can refrain from parting your hair
on one side."
"Well," letorted Madge, half re
luctantly; "to please you, Cora. Not
for Mr. Particu Mr. Arlington,
though, understand."
A fine-looking fellow he was, cer
tainlyMr. Arlington, whom Miss
Cora Castleton was so anxious to secure
for a brother-in-law. A manly-looking
fellow, with the appearance of assur
ance, bravery, dignity and quiet,
reserved strengthf ulness that is unutter
ably delightful to women's critical
observation.
Just now he was enjoying a smoke
all by himself, in his own room, second
floor front, over the library, where
Miss Castleton had domiciled him
so very homelike and cosily that be was
ialno hurry to break camp. lie was
having a first-rate time down in the
country.
Miss Cora was a model hostess and
housekeeper the very memory of her
dinners, and anticipations of breakfasts
and lunches made his mouth water, fig
nratively, of course. Then there was
Phil the very best sort of chum, who
both knew now to entertain him and
let him alone. And also Madge, whom
he or no one else ever dreamed of call
ing "Miss." Pretty, boyish, graceful,
luueivuueuc iuaage, wuu saucy eyes,
that he knew would melt some day, and
saucy lips, that would murmur alle
giance when the master came. He
admired her as far as she would allow
him, which wasn't very far. Then she
would dash off on her wicked black
pony, at break-neck speel, and he would
say aloud, very carelessly
nai an oaa inn your sister is.
Miss Castleton," and inwardly invoke
au gooa spirits of earth and air to bring
her home with her head still on her
shoulders. It had amused him not
a little when Thii had laughingly told
him the sobriquet Madge had tacked to
him. And yet, away down in his heart
was a little pang of pain that she had
no higher estimation of him. And then
came an equally severe pang of
sarcastic bitterness, to think he he.
the grave, the reticent, the "Particular
Dignity," should be such a fool as to
care what Madcap Madge called him.
But her saucy eyes, her roguish
mouth, ber matchless grace, her
glorious disregard of conventional
things, and the whole covered with
such a delicious veil cf innate delicacy
and modesty, had conquered, all uncon
sciously, this Uictiard Arlnglon. And
it was this very fact, and the stubborn
ness of the case, that he was looking
at, as ue sat smoking by the window,
ten minutes after Madge and her pony
naa aasnea on lor their morning scour
of the country. lie was recalling how
perfectly beautiful she had looked in
her riding habit dark blue cloth and
smoked pearl buttons. lie rerr.em
bered every curve of her faultless
figure, so girlish, so graceful. He
remembered the glimpse of a dainty
buttoned boot, and the firm, yet appar
ently careless grasp of her gauntleted
hand on the white reins. Then a sum
mons from below stairs dispelled the
half-delightful, half-punful reverie.
It was rhil's voice loud, cheery.
"Dick come, you're not extra busy
and lazy, as I am."
He tossed his cigar into the receiver,
and went down the broad, delightfully
cool stairs till he reached the library,
where he found Phil "busy" in per
forming the same duty he had just fin
ished, laughingly scolded him for his
letter and went slowly up again. It
was a business letter that he was read
ing, that he finished just as be arrived
opposite the door, and opened and
entered. There was a cheque in the
letter and an unsigned receipt to be re
turned by post, and without raising his
eyes, he made straight tor bis uesk
between the front windows to find not
a desk, but a marble-top bureau, that
bore unmistakable signs of Madga's
late presence, in the dainty, perfumed
handkerchief, the scarlet ribbon she
had worn at breakfast, and a broad-
brimmed straw bat he had seen her
wear many a time. For a second his
breath fairly stopped, and a flush
came over bis handsome face, to think
of the mistake he had committed
blundering into Madge's room instead
of his own. Then, conscious of the
blamelessnes3 of his mistake, it oc
curred to him how neat, how thor
oughly womanly everything was, from
tbe snow-white counterpane and rufll-l
and binded slip3, to the dainty little
kid slippers standing coquettishly where
Madge bad left them. It seemed odd
Madge to condescend to wear slippers,
and it gave him a thrill of actual
delight to discover this trait of temer
ity in .her; and grave, proud, loving
Dick actually stooped down and
caressed them with a strange fluttering
of his heart. Somehow, the very quiet,
the very peacefulness of the scene
charmed him. He dreaded to go away.
and yet what business bad he there?
He looked around, taking in every
detail with loving eyes, and then.
in tbe same spirit of adoration, picked
up the jaunty straw hat, that was
looped up on one side with long feather
grasses and ferns. He handled it very
gingerly, turning it over and over;
then smiled. "I lis for all the world like
a sombrero I wore once minus the
grasses. That was ten years age. when
I visited Spam. I loosed nrsi-raie in
that hat then; I wonder if I've grown
older and ug'lier? I've two minds to
:ust try this on, and put mysen to
t e test."
He glanced towards the door that led
to the hall, and beard no one comiu.
He glanced towards the back entrance
that led into the back stairs that
entered the library, and it was deserted
In that quarter. Then he put Madge's
hat on his curly hair in a very becom
ing, rakish manner that quite recon
ciled him to the ten added years of his
life. There was nothing vain or
womanish about him, but yet he quite
enjoyed the effect be had produced,
and stood looking, half amused, half
ashamed, thinking such odd, strange
thoughts that he was fairly petrified
when he heard a voice on the stairs,
and a clear, sweet girlish voice that
came nearer and nearer.
In a minute, Cora. I'll be there in
a minute. I'm only going to my room
a minute."
Tne cold sweat started to Arlington's
face in a perfect shower of drops.
Madge oh the stairs, and he, the incar
nation all that was dignified, !n her
room, with her hat on, and no way of
escie. Th pattering boot-heels came
nearer and Dick's heart beat fearfully.
He snatched at the hat, but the elastic
was fast in his curly hair, and refused
to leave, even at the price or a iock
with it. His face was pale with confu
sion and desperation. Then, not a
second before Madge entered the door,
be made a frantic dash for the back
stair door, whose situation just occurred
to him, and found himself in a dark
wardrobe instead of the passageway.
But It was a respite, a merciful one,
notwithstanding the fact "that be
couldnt stand straight up without
endangering Madge's obstinate hat,
and so be stood there, as best he could,
with bis hand on the door-knob,
and fairly suffocating to kp from
breathing aloud. It was to be only for
a minute, though; he heard Madge say
so and then he would gain his room,
and the world in general, and Madge in
particular, would never be the wiser for
this unlucky freak. But alas, for the
inevitable. The brisk, gay tones of
r ain'it nonir. that she was humming
as she came in, changed to an exclama
tion of surprise, directed to herself.
Well. I declare, l am sure x uu.
my hat on the dressing-case, and now,
when I am in such a horrible hurry I
have to bunt for iU If that meddle
some old darling of a Cora has been put
ting it in tbe wardrobe for me, I'll "
The wardrobe. The hat. Arlington
never wanted to die so badly in all his
life, as when he beard those words, and
ne in me waroroDe, with the unfor
tunate bat on bis head, all askew. In
an agony of despair, he seized the
handle still tighter, swearing no human
power should move it a hair's breadth.
Madge would suppose the door locked.
or the spring of the knob broken, and
perhaps so down for help, or leave the
search for another time. Her light,
quick step crossed the room, and then
ber band touched the knob, that was as
firm as a rock. She gave it a t wist, but
or no avail. "That's singular," Ar
lington heard her say.
"I wonder what can have possessed
that door-knob? Something is wrong.
I must have my hat. I'll ask Phil, or
Mr. Partic. Dig. to see he's always so
ouuging and "
She was stopped most abrupty by the
sound of an unmistakable sneeze com
ing from the inside of the closet. Poor
Arlington! he hadn't sneezed before all
the summer, and now to sneeze after
the most frightful efforts to prevent it.
Madge sprang back, and then tbe
door opened, and Arlington walked
out, handsomer than ever before in his
life, because the delicious ridiculous
ness of the entire affair had actually
ueuguiea mm. lie oowea lowiy, nat
and all.
"Madge, you see how it is, do take
oil this hat, won't you 7 and tell me
you are not awfully enraged at my stu-
pidness."
But, to his surprise, the hot blood
rushed to her cheeks, and tears trem
ble l in her eyes.
"Oh. Mr. Arlington!"
That was all, but it wasn't shame, or
contempt, or disgust, but a sympathy.
or pity, that was all the sweeter from
being so unexpected.
" Vou see, 1 thought I was in my own
room, until I was fairly in. And then
then I well, I had a bat something
like that once, and "
Madge's eyes began to twinkle.
"You had such au overwhelming Ap
preciation of the eternal fitness of
things,' that you tried it on, and then
I surprised you, and you trapped your-
seir, and sneezed, it s no wonder you
did sneeze. Mr. Arlington," she added,
gravely, because all my furs and my
sealskin sacque are in that clcsH, and
they're just packed in pepper."
Arlington laughed, but still there was
deep earnestness in his eyes.
"Will you help me off with this mas
querade, Madge? There, I want to
tell you one reason why I ventured to
put it on, why I touched your slippers.
and kissad that red ribbon yonder.
because, Madge, everything of yours Is
so dear to me. 1 ou are the woman
love and hope to win for my wife.
Madge, am I presumptuous?"
The hat was on the floor now, and tbe
girl s hands prisoned in bis, so perfectly
her lord and master, despite the funny
contretemps a moment earlier, men.
a moment later, she lifted her eyes,
from which all the saocmess was gone
in which all the tenderness of love's
young dream was shining.
"If I am worthy; because you have
taught me there is such a thing as love,
and that there is no such lover as your-
telf."
It was the transition from girlhood
to womanhood from childish mischief
to tender gravity, for love bad graced
ber life and cast behind her feet her
carelessness.
They laugh often about it the
strange freak of Cupid, who trans
formed tbe wild girl into tbe dignified
woman for the lover with whom he
played such undignified tricks. But
everybody is satisfied. And what more
can be addei, except that Madge
insists, defiantly, that she never m the
world would have -had" lick it
lie had not proved most conclusively
that he coull enjoy a good joke with all
his "particular dignity." and the
keen appreciation of tbe eternal fitness
of thing," especially the eternal "fit
ness" of the unfortunate nau
THE VIOLIN'.
Early History of the Sweetest of All
Musical Instruments.
The violin in its earlier forms is of
great and uncertain antiquity. Its ori-
lKiii is traced to a sinngeu nisuuiuent
used in India from the earliest ages,
the ravanastron. which, a Buddhist
tradition savs. was invented by Ha
vana, King of Ceylon, 5,000 B. C. A
similar instrument was the crwth of
Wales, which is known to liave been
in use long betore me sixm cemury,
among the Britons, and to which the
Anslo-axons gave me name oi iytnei,
whence our word fiddle, lue imme
diate precursor of the violin was the
viol, which is known to have ben in
use in the tenth century. This was fias
above and below, had very deep bendj
in the sides, used from three to six
strings, and was played with a bow.
But the violin of modern form was not
made until the fifteenth or sixteenth
century. The earliest maker of the
modern violin whose instruments are
authenticated Was Gaspard di Salo, of
Lombard', who worked between i.mju
and 1012. To one other maker living
lforo t his time. Gasnard Duiffoprugcar,
some existing instruments are attribu
ted but it is verydoubtiui wueiner tins
maker constructed any thing else tlian
and lnr. The Italian school of
violin-making had its origin in Brescia,
and as far as is now known, was found
ed by Gaspard di Salo. The greatest of
the Brescian makers was uiovamu i au
i Xfsmrini who lived about 1590-1040,
and whose instruments still hold a place
among the best ever made. But soon
the Brescia violin-makers were eclipsed
by those of Cremona, whose instruments
have been the wonder and admiration
from their time to the present, possess
ting a tone and quality that subsequen
makers lave tried in vain to equal.
The three greatest of the many success
ful violin-makers among the numbers
who for generations kept up the reputa
tion of Cremonese work, were Nicholas
Amati, Joseph Guarnen del Gesu and
Antonius Stradivarius. Very little is
known of these great makers, for in
their day they were simply hard-working
artisans who sold for a few florins in
struments which now command hun
dreds and even thousands of dollars.
Experience has shown that the minutest
details of form and proportion, and the
material of which each separate part is
made, are matters of vital importance
to the quality of the violin. The great
makers seem to have secured by many
delicate experiments the very perfection
of actoustical quality, which dexterity
and careful workmanship enabled them
always to fully reproduce.
If your earthern pie-plates are dis
colored, rub them well with whiting
or sand wan,
h
SWINDLING "UNCLE SAM..
Canceled Stamps cleaned and used
in large Quantities.
"The most troublesome offenders
against government laws are the ex
perts who use canceled postage stamps.
said a post olllce official the other dav,
"They have a system of washing out
tue cancellation marks that is so suc
cessful as to make detection almost im
possible. In the offices of large cities
like New York and Chicago, where so
many letters are liandled daily, and
where rapidity is the most desirable
feature, it is impossible for the men
who cancel stamps to examine each
one carefully. Then, too, a great deal
of the work is done by gas light, and
mis is a point which tends to aid the
conspirator against the' government's
income.
"Any one who has seen a Post Office
employee iu the New York office grab
a buudle of letters and cancel the
stamps with lightning-like rapidity can
readily see how impossible it is for him
to detect bad stamps unless they are
particularly bad. The men engaged in
the business of using canceled stamps
are extremely clever. They have an
acid in which they wash the stamps.
The acid acts upon the cancellation
marks, and not upon the colors of the
stamp. In this way a stamp that has
once bcn used is relieved almost en
tirely of its black marks. If any black
remains after the washing process the
operator takes a sharp knife, which he
has made for the purpose, and deftly
scratches the stamp until the remaining
black marks are almost, if not entirely
removed. This can be done readily
when the marks are upon the bald head
orthe face of the historic parsonage whose
vignette adorns the stamp, as this por
tion is white; and upon a white sjtace
the stamp can be scratched uutil it is
nearly through without detection.
"Another clever trick tliat is em
ployed is'the cutting of stamps. Often
in the hurry of Post Olliee work the
cancellation mark does not cover the
stamp, but falls only upon one corner,
the rat going upon the envelope. The
operator takes a stamp that lias a black
mark, say upon the left hand lower
comer. He carefully cuts a square
piece out of that corner, making
it
large enough to cut away all of the can
celed portion. He then secures a stamp
on which the cancellation mark hxs
fallen in some other corner. He care
fully cuts out the same sized square
from the lower left hand corner of this
stamp, and joining it with the first
stamp lie has a whole stamp upon w hich
there are no cancellation marks. These
stamps are used uikwi packages which
are tied with a string, and the string is
ingeniously placed over the cut stainie.
"Take any package of a dozen letters
and you will seo how easy it is to find
stanis for tliis business." As he spoke
the official drew from his pocket a bun
dle of half a dozen letters. Upon the
first letter the cancellation mark was
only upon the lower right corner of the
stamp. The second was canceled com
pletely, and the third was marked only
upon the upiier left hand corner. So a
combination could have been easily
made with the stamps upon the first
and third letters.
"Many of these operators," continued
the official, "grow expert in the work,
They have clever tools and the right
kind of mucilage, and some go even so
far as to have coloring processes for
touching tip a Garfield black eye or a
Washington soiled cheek. What do
they do with the worked-over stamps?
They do not sell them, as many sup
pose, and that fact renders detection
more difficult. When a man becomes
successful in working over canceled
stamps lie endeavors to get into some
business which will require the sending
and receipt of many registered letters
and packages. The most popular
scheme is to go into the cheap jewelry
and fancy trick business. The operator
lays in a stock of the cheapest kind of
Jewelry' and advertises thoroughly
through the country, especially in rural
districts. A gold watch with chain
and charm for Si. 50 is a )ait that
catches a great many green speculators.
and as they are instructed to send re
mittances by registered letter, the
operator receives a number of nve and
ten cent stamps. These stamps he
onerates on. and when he returns the
jewelry he pays the iostago in whole or
in part with canceled stamps, lie
makes 100 or 200 per cent, on the jew
elry, and does a thriving business in il
legal stamps at the same time.
Trick Instruments, and Ilovr They
Are Used.
The reauirements of modern operetta.
musical extravaganza and such pieces
as are advertised to be "nonsensicallv
musical whimsicality" have brought
many strange musical instruments into
use. "Trick instruments would be a
better name for some of the curious in
ventions shown to a reporter recently
in the orchestra room of a theatre by
Simon Davis, the drummer of the or
chestra
Mr Davis, although called the drum
mer to distinguish him, might be term
ed with equal justice one of twenty-five
or thirty other names, for he plays and
operates that many instruments besides
the drums. There is something of a
trick even about the base drum playing,
for it is operated by a pedal which with
one action plays the cymbals at the
same time, leaving the operator's hands
free to use any other instrument which
the music or the action on the stage
may require. . .
One of the instruments which Davis
plavs is commonly called the bells, or
orchestra bells; in Germany called the
'ploekenspieL" It consists of a num
ber of short bars of steel resting on
straw ropes. The bars are played upon
l.v simrt hammers, the metals of which
are connected with the wood handles by
whalebone. The full chromatic scale,
two and a half octaves, are represented
by the bars, which are toned by size.
The instrument most like the bells is
the xylophone, which consist of a num
ber of pieces of wood strung together by
wo cords and resting on ropes oi iraw.
The method of tuning a xylophone is
curious, it a note De nai n is currecwu
in tone by having a section sawed on ;
if sharp, it is notched on the under side
by a saw cut.
The anvils in an orchestra ate far
from being such as smiths play upon by
the side of a forge, though their toaes
are remarkably like those of the real ar
ticle. The anvils which Mr. Davis has
are two pieces of hemi-octagonal brass,
hollow and about eight inches long.
Hemi-octagonal may not be the scien
tific term for describing a tube which
would be octagonal if alike on both
sides, but which looks as if it had been
octagonal and sliced down its length
and the flat side covered over. That is
what ther are. They are contained in
a Uttle plush-lined case and miirht hi
carried in an overcoat pocket, but when
struck with a little hammer give out a
sound like an anvil. It tells a story of
the times that there has been so much
music written of late relating to chain
pagne drinking that instruments have
been devised and patented to imitate
the "pop" of a champagne cork. Mr.
Davis has two such instruments. One
is a simple wooden cylinder, piston
working in one end and a captive cork
in the other. It is as simple as a boy's
lopgun, nut the sound has a Sa bottle
bang that is most captivating. The
second pop imitator, recently invented.
can be worked more rapidly and made
to imitate toe souna around a race
course bar just after the field has won
agaiast long odK This is a long bnus
cylinder, the piston running through the
cork and having a lolt on that end to
prevent the cork from flying off and hit
ting the ringer in the eye. The piston.
pushed in rapidly, causes a deceptive
"pop" and being as rapidly pushed
back, plugs tbe cork tight in again
ready lor another bottle, which action
can be kept up faster than the thirstiest
crowd could cut the wire.
The crack of a whip is a noise that is
heard under very different circumstan
ces on the stage. It may lie a chorus
describing a rollicking sleighride.
Lady Gav Spanker, who emphasizes
story with a flourish of a whip, or the
overseer m "Lucie loins Cabin."
Whatever the occasion, the man sitting
at the end of the orchestra supplies the
"crack." Mr. Davis does this with
little instrument that looks like a big
razor strop split down to the handle.
and there hinged. It is worked with
one hand, for very frequently, at the
same time, sleigh liells must lie heard.
and the other hand is employed in shak
ing a belt of silver liells right nieruly.
1 he castiuets used in the orchestra
are not played, as by the dancers, in the
minis of the hands, but are fastened
(two pairs) on a fan-shaied piece of ce
dar, and all Spam could not produce
castinet player who could get more rat
tling out of the genuine article than
does the drummer with this prosaic ce
dar fan waved with one hand while the
other rattles and raps a tambourine.
When, in a sensational plav or burlesii ue,
or orchestra number, the sound of a lo
comotive should le heard, the drummer
turns to his assortment of trick instru
ments and selects three. The first rep
resents the whizz and whirr and puff,
and snort and rattle. It consists of an
arch of sheet iron, the ends of which
are rolled in under the arch, inukin
two supiKrts for it to stand iiikiii. This
is "played''upon by two bundles of steel
wires, fastened at one end by a clasp of
tin, and otherwise loose.
A NOVEL BIT OP BR.YIX WOItK.
A Bookkeeper Patents a Machine for
Adding up columns oi 1 itfurtn.
TA Springfield, Massachusetts, book
keeper has nerfected a machine that is
designed to aid brother bookkeepers and
iiccouuUuits m running up long lines
of figures. Ho has been at work on the
invention since lf7o, and had the thing
patented something like a year ago,
The machine is cased in a light
wooden box about eight incites squat e
and three deep, and lifting the cover.
the interior is seen to hold an enamelled
white surface, on which are two dials.
iiid which shows the brass keyboard in
the lower left hand-hand corner. The
large dial of the two is on the left of tbe
machine, and is divided into 100 sec
tions. The rim of the smaller dial is
likewise cut into twenty sections. The
hand which moves about the first dial
is called the unit pointer. That which
moves about the smaller one is called
the hundred pointer. A little finger
play ou the brass keylKiard makes the
object of the dials and the reason of the
pointer's names quickly understood.
The nine keys on the board are num
bered from one to nine and are placed
in recular order, but also in two rows.
2, 4, 0 and 8 being above, and the odd
numbers lielow. The Key is a brass up
right, and as the linger draws ou it a
spring allows it to slip back toward the
lower end of the box. The pulling of
each key on the board sends the unit
pointer along on its journey around the
dial as many points as there are units
m the numlKT or the key. full the a
key, and the dial set at 0 goes to 9.
Pull the same key again and the unit
pointer moves to 13. Pull the 1, 2 and
3 keys now, and the pointer goes conse
cutively with a hop, skip and jump to
24. When the unit pointer, keeping up
its agile athletics, has reached its
starting point again there is a quick
little motion ou the right hand dial.
The pointer then has "dotted and gone
one." The machine's internal clock
work is more accurate than a human
head can hope to be. It isn't troubled
with malaria, nor is it ever larger in
the morning than it was the night be
fore. All the accountant has to do is
to run his eye up and down the col
umns, pulling each resiective key as he
reaches the corresponding figure. A
day is sufficient in which to learn the
key-board, and the motion of the hands
quickly becomes almost involuntary.
The expert can run the figures in his
head and on the key-board simultan
eously, thus "proving"' his work by one
trip lip or down the column. Carrying
is performed by setting the pointer at
the number to be carried. To set the
unit pointer all that is necessary is to
hold down key 1, and turn the point
forward to a number one less than the
one carried. On releasing the 1 key
the iointer Is on tlie desired number.
The hundred pointer can be moved in
either direction. The hand easily oper
ates the nine keys, thus: Nos. 1, 2 and
with the first finger, 4 and a with the
second, 6 and 7 with the third, 8 and 9
with the foiirtn. ine inventor ciaims
for the machine unerring acurracy
and surprising rapidity. He says an ex
pert can add 250 figures a minute with
it.
Fashions on the Congo.
On the banks of the Congo, when a
belle wants to be particularly fashiona
ble, she clothes herself solely and ex
clusively in brass ornaments. The fa-
orite articles of jewelry in this line are:
Copper bracelets and copper ankle-rings.
heaw copper chain girdles, and around
the neck a semi-circular chunk of brass
as thick as a horse collar, and weighing
from twenty to thirty-eight pounds.
Measure twice, cut but once.
TrtE Sultan of Morocco has one
thousand wives. It is well there is one
man in the world who has made sure
of having his buttons sewed on.
Concord, Mass., has a mysterious
character known as the waterproof
man, who goes around at night wear
ing a big waterproof and a mask, and
takes delight in scaring women and
children,
CHAT WITlf A BKAKEM A3T.
The Dangers, Incidents and Fascina
tion of the Road.
"Brakeman? Yes. What of it?"
"J ust wanted to know how the old
thing works."
"Works? Well, it works all right
with an old time crew, but get one of
these aggrivatin greenhorns In, and
nobody knows the result until its
settled."
"Don't the new comers catch on
readily?"
"Keadily? On. Wardy would be a
better word. I will try to tell you how
they do it. The whistle blows for brakes
and all hands scramble for them. The
greens, always having the snap, start
from the caboose. I think I see one of
them warily feeling his way up the
ladder to the roof of tbe first car and
contemplating the prospect in abject
terror.
"Forcible expletives from the rear
Impel the progress of the recruit, and
as he contemplates the yawning chasm
between the first two cars he ever
jumped horror is written on his face
and reluctance halts his step.
"Yes, it's common. They all look
at the fearful leap, grit their teeth,
make a wild jump that lands them
about the middle of the next car, and
thereafter attack duty with the confi
dence born of such experience."
Where are you recruiting the brake
men from??
"Almost without exception from
country towns. The kids, in defiance
of law and marshalls, disport them
selves about the trains while passing or
shifting till the habit becomes a passion
and maturity makes its gratification
possible.
"Accidents? Well, they are largely
due to either carelessness or drunken
ness or over-con filence chiefly the
latter. An occasional funeral is pro
moted by tbe snapping of a brake chain
again, without warning, a train parts
at a critical moment, but on the whole
brakemen make no specially foremost
figure in railroad fatalities.
"Yes, in one way, we're tough, but
we work hard for sma'l wages, and
when we relax we do it hilariously."
"Suppose you have many close calls?"
"Well, the fact is, we're on the rag
ged edge about every minute of running
time, or course, we take no thought
of such things, but no doubt our lives
or limbs are imperiled unwitting doz
ens of times on every trip."
"How does It so often happen that
old-t mers are either killed or maimed?"
"Just because the older the hand the
more reckless he becomes. Habit
makes the dangerous duties of the rail
roader as routine and commonplace as
those of a carpenter.
"That fellow with his hand envelop
ed in a dry goods store is an example.
He has been twenty years on the road,
and ten of them a conductor. Of course
with ordinary care, he could couple cars
for ten hours at a stretch without seri
ous risk, but familiarity breeds con
tempt for danger, as for other things.
and in that way he lost half his right
hand.
"Once a railroad man always one?
Yes, that's aliout the extent of it. There
is a fascination about the life and its
varied experience which is rarely shaken
off and scarcely ever sought to be vol
untarily. Olhcial advancement is
about the only thing that ever finally
divorces a twister from the wheel, and
that sort of thing happens with a rarity
like the discovery of a new planet."
Caught in Ilia Own Trap.
"Men will sham any complaint now
adays to avoid their work," said out
worthy skipper, as be sat at the head oi
the breakfast table on our first day out.
"I had a fellow once who pretended to
have lamed himself when we were
about half way out to Calcutta; and he
d:d it so well that nobody ever suspected
him a bit. till one night there was a
false alarm of fire, and the way that
lame roan flew up the ladder would
have astonished an acrobat."
"Well," said I, "you remember that
story of the Irishman who went about
Dublin with 'Pity the poor blind' on a
board round his neck, and made quite
a good trade of it, till at last one oi tue
people who used to give to him met
him in a by-street, stepping along like
a prize pedestrian.
4 i ou old humbug." cried he, you
see as well as 1 do.'
"'Sure, thin,' sajs Paddy, looking
down at the 'blind' board that be car-
led, they've hung the wrong board on
me to-day by mistake. It's deaf and
dumb I am.' "
"WelL I once saw something almost
ai good as that myself," said my right-
hand neighbor, lTofessor J.
"when I was on a visit to my friend,
Dr. Li , in the east of x ranee.
There was a great conscription going
on just then for the Crimean war, and
bad to test the recruits as they
cime in, to see whether they were fit
for service.
'Now among these fellows there was
one fine, sturdy Auvergnat. just the
stuff for a soldier, if be hadn't unluck
ily been stone-deaf. '.So he said, at least,
and it certainly appeared to be true, for
all tbe tests that they applied to him
couldn't make him give any sign ol
hearing a bit. I fully believed bis case
to be genuine; but I could see by the
twinkle In Dr. L- 's eye that he
didn't.
" 'That'll do, my man." said L
to him at last in a low voice. 'You
are too deaf to be of any use to us.
You can go.'
Instantly the recruit, forgetting him
self in his glee at having got off so
easily, sprang toward the door like a
cat."
' 'Not so fast, my fine fellow,' shout
ed the recruiting officer, "if you can
hear that, you're not too deaf for the
army. You're a mighty cunning rogue,
Dut this time we ve caught you in your
own trap.' "
A very heavy force is employed in the
construction of the underground tele
graphic connection between Marseilles
and Paris. A cast-iron pipe contains
the cable, and it is laid nearly six feet
beneath the surface of tbe earth. At
intervals of 650 yards tbe cable passes
through a chamber of cast-iron, which
is so constructed that It can be readily
inspected whenever there is any neces
sity for that work. About every 110
yards tbe pipes are connected by cast-
iron boxes, which also enable tne wires
to be inspected and repaired. The cost
In all la about $3,000,000.
Tin beautiful red pi o mage of a South
African species of birds has been chem
ically examined and found to be due to
copper. When the buns are Kept ironi
food containing copper they entirely
lose the tint produced by that min
eral
Only Safe Rale for
Mousekeepcera.
Young
One of the most serious and insidi
ous obstacles in the way of thrift, of
ease of mind and of true household
! comfort, is the 'Tunning account. "
Doubtless the credit system originated
in a benevolent intention to do good,
and, in its wider application, It Is nec
essary to carry on tbe great commer
cial, sociil and financial undertakings
of the world, but it is a great enemy to
home economy. It Is the foundation
for debt and all the distressing formula
of indebtedness, duns, notes of hand,
liens, mortgages, and a thousand-and-one
of the miseries and incumbrances
known to legal phraseology and prac
tice which are the bane of life.
Jack Fulstaff, who got all the good
out of the credit system there was in
it. declared: "If I had a thousand
sons the first human principle I would
teach them should be to forswear their
potations and addict themselves to
sack." But Jack was the prince of
scapegraces, and only remembered one
half of the meian et tuwii division of
property. His debts never bothered
him, except he had difficulty in making
them. If the writer had a thousand
sons and daughters the first human
principb she would teach them would
be never to establish a running ac
count. No one can live within his or
her inccine who spends money in ad
vance of earning it. Peisous who live
in this way. in fact, never have any
income; they have an outgo that eats
up Income before it gets inside the
door.
The "running account," however, is
more dangerous for tbe housewife, be
cause she is not usually either the
waje-eamer or the paymaster In the
household, she gets what she wants
on a c:e lit, because there is no partic
ular trouble in getting it and without
the appreciation of the trouble of pay
ing lor it which grows out or the ne
cts i:y for scraping tbe dollars to
gether iu whatever way the husband
couhs by bis money, whether it be ia
iwmgiug a blacksmith's hammer, ia
throwing a weaver's shuttle, in meas
uring tape and niola&e), or in guiding
the handles of bis plow. She does the
multifarious and never-ending work of
her household, keeps the table well
spread, the house tidy, the beds aim!,
atd ihe bread well-baked and nutrit
ious, Hnd it is not at all to be won
dered at that she th.nks it is enough.
The mistake Is in the beginning in
having things that are not paid for.
The housekteper who spends only what
money she has to spend is not only re
lieved of the worry of debt for what
worries tbe husband will worry the
good wife but she is made a conscious
pjwer in the pay and provender depart
ment of her establishment. Instead of
being a drag upon her husband's ener
gies, si e is made to understand for
herself the limitations of tbe fund
which she draws upon, and how much
may be aid out and bow much laid up
for emergencies.
Young couples wbo start out by run
ning in debt should remember that they
can not in the long run get an inch the
start of the world iu that way. They
can only live up to their earnings after
all is said and done. By running an
account with the butcher, the baker
and candlestick-maker, they give these
several dealers an opportunity to charge
them high prices for their purcbasts.
The storekeeper who sells his wares ou
credit is always obliged to make gocd
the accounts of bis bad customers by
taking larger profits from those who
get credit and pay. Besides, it is a
rule, which acute business men thor
oughly understand, that money is
worth, and will usually bring, souiu
rate of interest, or an equivalent sum
by being frequently turned over. I- it
not fair to suppose that the shopkeeper
l xik-i to his credit customsr to make
good the deficit in bis bank account
brought about by the system of "run
ning accounts?" On the contrarv, the
buyer who buys for cash can choose i
where she wiil buy, which is a great
avantage, and she can buy for lower
prices. The cash price is always the
lowest, and t!.e cash customer is al
ways the preferred customer.
It too often happens that no check is
kept upon the running account. Set
tling day is always a day of surprise
for the debtor, and big store bills are a
perietual source of family broils :i:.J
discomfort. People who pay "some
ether day" nine times out of ten carry
the improvuence of their getting into
an improvidence of use. those who
are accustomed to get without care use
without stmt.
There is no rule in the world for large
affairs or small ones like the rule of
"Pay as you go." It is the foundation
not only of good finance but of good
temper and good fortune as well. And
f specially the housewife who is wife
enough ta give the matter a little seri
ous thought and determination enough
to stand by her convictions will need
no monitor to wain her of the folly and
danger of "running accounts."
Killing a OirnfTc.
The noble animal stixid at bay paw
ing and stamping the ground, his long
neck swaving to and fro; several more
shots were fired at him, causing him to
strike desperately with his fore feet a
blow which would knock a horse down.
Dismounting, I ran to get a neurer
view. There was despair in his large
drooping brown eyes, and a look w hich
seemed to say, "What harm have I
ever done you?" It seemed a shame
that no one gave him a coup de grace,
and put him out of his agony. Turning
to one of the men I said, "Shoot him in
the head, and put an end to his pain."'
But he answered me by grasping my
arm and pulling nie to one side, shout
ing, "Look out, or he will lie on you.'
Looking up I saw the crazy creat ure
swinging liis head about, his long neck
putting me in mir.d of an anaconda, as
it tairlv whirled through the air, loan
ing wide circles as he made desperate
plunges to keep his body under bis neck;
pitching forward, he fell on his head
and shoulders, and rolled over with a
thud that shook the ground. He was a
"zwartbont" (black-spotted, the vari
ety usually seen in zoological collections:
the white-spotted ones are longer and
finer made, and have never been brought
to Europe, and are never so neavy ). lie
measured from the root of the tail to
the shoulder 6 feet 1 inch, and from the
shoulder to the tip of the nose 10 feet
7j inches.
If a man empties his purse into his
head, no man can take it away from
him. An investment in knowledge al
ways pays the best interest.
Some English chemists and sanitary
reformers have started a movement to
make bread from tbe entire grain or
wheat, and not from the inner portion
only. The movement has the support '
oi the first pnysioiogisis oi me uaj.
The
NEWS LX BRIEF.
A revolution in Denmark is pre
dicted. There are 123 licensed distilleries
In Scotland.
Japanese fans in Osaka, Japan,
cost $o per 1.000.
Tbe assessed valuation of Minne
apolis is SSO.OUO.000.
A new Petroleum Exchange was
started in Pittsburg.
German horse dealers are purchas
ing largely in England.
Trained sea's in Paris lie on their
backs and smoke a pipe.
Homer, a place in Georgia, hasn't
bad a death in three years.
Dakota will open a state school of
mines near the Black Hills.
A genuine vampire was recently
captured in Los Angeles, Cal.
Senator Edmunds' private law
practice is worth $ 73,000 a year.
A paper chimney fifty feet high has
been erected at Bresiau, France.
It has rained every Friday in New
York since the first of Decenioer.
Goat Island at Niagara Falls is
estimated to be wortn ; 1,000,000.
The Chief Signal officer has decid
ed to establish a station ia Alaska.
A seal weighing nearly 100 pounds
has been captnied at Longport, N. J.
The cultivation of tbe bamboo has
proved quite successful in California.
Alphonse Daudet says that Mark
Twain's humor does not amuse him.
Smallpox was first described A D.
300 by Ithazes, an Aiabiau physician.
Mules are more popular than horses
for elegant equipages in Kio de Janeiro.
Sixteen colleges in this country are
said to be on the lookout for presidents.
The population of Canada is not
much greater than that of New York.
Pear trees in Florida are being
ruined by spiders, which eat the buds.
In Wheatland, Cal.. the Chinese
nave five guards on duty every night.
The Peruvian Government Is doing
ts best to suppress gambiiug in Lima.
The city of Denver has substitu
ted electricity for gas in street light
ing. As many as 0"J0 standard English
works havo been translated into Chi
nese.
There are still some Seminole In
dians living in the evergiade region of
Florida.
Sign in a New York reaort: "No
excuse if found with another man's
bat."
Princess Dolgorouki, the widow of
tbe late Czar, was once a Spanish ac
tress. Vermont has tea livinz ex gover
nors, of whom four aro each over 80
years old.
The Sultan is a musician, and has
composed a piece of music for the im
perial band.
A Carlisle dog committed suicide
by pushing his head under a gate and
choking to death.
During t!ie past winter no less
than one hundred children have burn
ed to death in Georgia.
The tidal wave at Oct ale 12th
has damaged the Savannah rics planta
tions fully 70 percent.
Tne word ''hell" appears eighty
six times in Shakespeare's writings,
and heaven 30d times.
There are about COO people ou the
Pacific coast who have cases in the
Alabama court of Claims.
The system of conapresiej paper
rails and railway car wheels is coming
into favor on tlie Continent.
According to Professor Langley
the inherent temperature of the moon
is below that of melting Ice.
The exact meaning of "horse pc wer"
is the raising of 33,xO pounds one foot
Lih in one minute of time.
New Jersey is famous for its twin".
There is hardly a New Jersey town
thae is without several pair.
A man has just been convicted of
murder In the first degree for the fourth
time in the California courts.
An extensive mine or rubidium, a
rare metal worth S",000 per pound, has
teen discovered near Hock Creek, Wy.
"Mum-pie socials" are reported to
bthe present special form of entertain
ment in some circles of Salt Lake City.
A man aged Sixty-five years, who
Claims never to have bad a tooth, has
peen brought forward in New Loudon,
Conn.
Several car loads of apples grown
in California were shipped to China
and Australian m:irkets a week or so
go.
A peculiar fever, whose nature is
not understood, and which is fatal ia
character, is alarming portions of New
Mexico.
The highest percentage ever reach
ed in a civil service examination ia
this country was by a woman, who
scored 97.
A Cincinnati saloon-keeier sells a
cup of coffee and lunch for ten cents.
He says it draws even the Prohibition
ists into li is saloon.
The Trince of Wales is buying
horses and will now race iu Lis own
name. Lord Randolph Churchill will
also become a turfman.
It is said that there was never a
time in tbe publishing busiue.s when
proffers of manuscript from women
were so numerous as now.
The classic Tiber is once more to
become a commercial highway, a line
of steamers having been built to run
between Kome and Genoa.
The supply of lleas in Paris is said
to have greatly fallen off this season, a
fact which some persons connect with
the possible approach of the cholera
According to Thomson, the Afri
can traveler, the greatest compliment
you can pay a member of the Masai
tribe is to spit on him, or ber. as the
case may be.
According to the Loudon Times
the principal occupation of United
States Ministers at the Court of St
James is to edify, stimulate and amuse
the English people.
A ripe strawberry was picked In a
Vermont pasture last week, and the
superstitious people in tbo neighbor
hood think that something awful ia
about to happen.
rosters have been wpearing lately
in some of the Pacific coasi towns where
difficulties with the Chinese exist warn
ing firemen not to rc3poud to alarms of
fire from the Chinese quarters.
A celebrated wri.er says: "We never
see a tear in the eye but we are remia-
ed of a warm heart."
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