The average death-rate of the
world's shipping is about four per
cent, and the birth-rate Ave per cent.
There are estimated to be at pres
ent 40,000 elk. 1500 deer, 400 buffalo,
1000 black tailed deer, 800 mountain
•beep and plenty of bear, boaver and
other varities of animals iu the Yel*
lowstone Park.
William Morris, the English Social
ist poet, says poets ought not to kick
if tbey don't mako money by then
rhymes. They ought to feel repaid
by the pleasure they derive from them,
and earn a living by other meaua.
Tbe quarry where the material for
making the "staff" used in the World's
Fair buildings is obtained is the vast
chalk and lime region of Texas, which
is said to be fnll of possibilities of un
limited wealth for future capitalists.
It is well known that the sanitary
conditions of Hungary are not the
best in Europe, but medical circles
were somewhat surprised by a recent
statement made in Hungarian journals
to the effect that 23,070 cases of diph
theria, with 9137 deaths, had occurred
during the year 1892 iu Hungary.
Tho San Francisco Examiner re
marks: The British have adopted a
gun that will send 100-pound missiles
four miles, and lire so rapidly that
four of the unpleasant things will bo
li the air at once. The laymau,
knowing little about guns, wonders
what the fonrth missile will flnd to
strike.
According to the annual report of
the Tony bee Hall settlement, in the
east end of London, there has been an
improvement in the housing of tho
poor, and also iu the condition of tho
streets; a large increase in tho rate of
wages; libraries and baths have also
become more numerous, and, alto
gether, tiie standard of living has
greatly improved.
A Good Will Farm, which is being
tried in Maine, is meeting with quite
a degree of success. A number of
cottages have been erected, and iu
these the "bad boys" are placed iu
carefully selected groups, with the
hope that the influences of a home life
may prove beneficial. The boys help
with the household work, as well as
with that in the shops and ou the
farm.
Miss Ella Wilson, of St. Louis,
-claims to have originated the idea of
execution by electricity. "She wrote
a piece," says a friend, "which show
ed a man in tho death chair under
going electrocution. Well, it seems
iKemmler, the first victim of elec
tricity, was put to death in New York
Miss Wilson discovered that they had
used her idea entirely in the construc
tion of the chair. She secured an in
junction against the State, and after
quite a legal battle the Warden of the
penitentiary was compelled to change
its mechanism in order to comply with
the law and slill not infringe on Miss
Wileon't idea. Bright girl for nine
teen, that, isn't she ?"
The plan to reclaim a part of the
Mojuvc desert of California is not so
chimerical, argues the New York
Tribune, as dne might faucy who re
members only the desolate waste that
stretches away to the horizon on each
side of the Atlantic and Pacific rail
road from the Needles to Mojave. All
that this land- needs is water, as has
been proved on numerous oases that
form tho fringe of the Mojave and
Colorado deserts. The building of
storage dams in tbe neighboring
mountain canyons will furnish ample
water to irrigate a quarter of a mil
lion acres. The desert soil is rich,
and when water is used vegetation
grows as it docs in the Nile valley.
Says the Now York Sun: One of
the greatest authorities on coal, Horr
Nassc, the official mining export of
Prussia, has ju-t published tho result
of his long investigations as to the
probable duration of the coal etrata of
the world, lie believes that the next
five or six centuries will exhaust the
coal of Europe; that tho supply of
Austria-Hungary, France and Belgi
um will be ihe first to give out; that
the coal mines of Great Britain will
be exhausted next, and finally those
of Germany, ilerr Nassc docs not be
lieve the American product will out
last that of Europe. Thero are, how
ever, sources of supply which do not
enter into these calculations, and may
eke out the world's coal resources for
eomc centuries longer. Coal is found
in many of i)k> newer parts of tho
world. Recent discoveries encourage
the belief thnt other finds of import,
auce may be made as exploration
goes on.
Old Friends.
There are no friends like old friends,
And none so good and true;
We greet them when we meet them,
As roses greet the dew;
No other friends are dearer,
Though born of kindred mould;
And while we prize the new ones.
We treasure more the old.
There are no friends like old friends,
To hefp us with the load
That all must bear who journey
O'er life's uneven road;
And when unconquered sorrows
The weary hours Invest—
The kindly words of old friends
Are always found the best.
There are no friends like old friends,
Where'er we dwell and roam;—
In lands beyond the ocean,
Or near the bounds of home;
And when they smile to gladden,
Or sometimes frown to guide,
We fondly wish those old friends
Were always by our side.
There are no friends like old friends,
To calm our frequent fears,
When shadows fall and deepen
Through life's declining years;
And when our faltering footsteps
Approach the Great Divine,
We'll long to meet the old friends
Who wait the other side.
[David Banks Sickles.
FLOTOW, THE BANNOCK.
BY ED. TOWSE.
Flotow, n Bannock outcast who led
a desperate baud of renegado Arapa
hoes, was easily the worst Indian in
all tlie mountain country in 1869. The
marauders made annual trips from
Wind River in Wyoming to Whito
River in Colorado, and always left a
frightful trail. They murdered, plun
dered and burned, carrying on the
work of devastation with appalling
thoroughness. Emboldened by the
success of a series of raids, the band
essayed to sack the town of Rawlins.
They were driven off, and left two
dead braves as bodily evidence of the
marksmanship of courageous citizeus
who had quickly responded to the
alarm.
Flolow and his gang had bejoino a
standing and awful menace to the set
tlements of central Wyoming. It was
quite generally agreed that the exter
mination of the cruel old fox and his
followers was the only recourse of the
whites. The existence of the latter
was one of alarming uncertainty. The
mob of savages travelled rupidly and
under cover. They would kill a fam
ily, not sparing women or children,
burn ranch buildings and leave with
the horses at daylight. In 24 hours
they would swoop down upon another
pioneor home a hundred miles away
and repeat the work of murder, incen
diarism and theft.
A cheerful bit of barbarism little
knowu to the world was practised
when Flowtow and his men happcued
upon a flock of sheep. Tho tenders
were shot down us they ran, and the
dogs knocked in the head andjaid aside
for a feast. Then the braves, each
carrying a big kuifo with shaip point
and kecne blades, ran among the
trembling, bloating sheep. They
would grasp an animal by one hind
leg and run the knife through the
member just below the joint. The
other hoof would be inserted
in the slit. Here they had tho
humorous paradox of a three
legged sheep with all four feet in
sight. The poor brutes would dio in
great agony in about four days, li
was simply impossible to extricate tho
uncut hind leg. This ingenious cruelty
was sometimes varied by cutting a
holo in 0110 car and thrusting a fore
leg into it. Thus was d&stroyed the
ability to travel, unless the car was
torn, which happened too ox'teu to
suit tho redskius. In lialf-a-day tlicte
Indians would destroy a band of
8000 sheep. They considered tha woik
a great lark.
Tliij Flotow, whose name ha 3 never
been intorpieted, was tho biggest,
cheekiost, shrewdest and niosi repul
sive-looking Indian I ever set eyes
upon- He was more titan six ieot
tall, straight, broad-shouldered, thick
necked and well-muscled, with a deep
chest. In battle with Indians he was
reputod the equal of fivo combatants.
No white man ever lived who cculd
handle him. Added to his unsurpassed
strength was incredible agility and
perfect knowledge of all styles of
warfare. His craftiness kepi his own
men on their guard. lie understood
English well, bat would converse only
in his own tongue. Flotow did not
sport any of tho reinarkablo toggery
issued to his people by the %ovorn
ment, excepting no', even tho blankets,
for these he exacted from the Nava
joes. Tho wretch would come boldly
into settlomonts to trade, with blood
•till on his hands, and was the clover
est ot swappers.
As soon as possible after Flowtow's
descent on Rv.wliiis, a parly of mon,
sworn to kill hirii, started on the trail
•112 the baud. They were followod by
a detachment of cavalry from Fort
Steele. Lieut. French, as brave a
man aa ever wore the uniform, as
sumed command of all when tlie civil
ians were overtaken.
Iu just a week —and it was an ex
citing season—the pursuing party
landed on Flotow in camp at evening.
The reds were in a wild and isolated
mountain ravine, and bad neglected
to place sentries. Though surprised,
the Indians made a gallant fight, but
the assaulting force was the strouger
in numbers aud was simply determined
to win.
A full scoie of dead and dying In
dians soon lay within fifty yards of
iho central tepee. Great was the de
light of both citizens and soldiers to
find Flotow just recovering from the
shock caused by a bullet which bad
grazed his side. In ten miuutes lie
was all right physically, but his men
tal distress was deep. His chagrin
threw him into a silent rage. He
only glared at his captors aud held
his tongue. Flotow was made a pri.
soner of war. He was allowed to ride
his own pony, and had an escort of
four men.
At night, after the first day's home
ward march, the captive chief was
given a place and a blanket beside the
camp-fire. His guard was six citizcus
and an equal number of regulars.
Lieut. French made tho squad quite a
speech. He said it was beneath the
dignity of an American soldier to
maltreat a captive foe. Abuse of
Flotow would result in discipline of
him who did it. To allow a prisoner
to escape was an ineffaceable blot on
(ho honor of the army.
"I charge you," said the officer,"to
treat the big Injun with all the con.
sideration due a prisoner of war, but
if he makes a move to escape, shoot
him down without hesitation. Re
member, let thero bo no escape."
It was pretty well understood among
tho men that they wero to put Flotow
out of the way before daylight.
About elevon o'clock the camp was
quiet. A fun-loving veteran, who
had been with Grant in the Wilder
ness aud who had fought Indians 011
Platte, thrust his bayonet iu the fire
aud let it ftome to a whito heat. Flo*
tow was sitting with liis head between
his knees and dozing. The soldier
fished his bayonet from the embers
with a couple of twigs, and very care
fully laid it across the sleeping
chief's feet. In a twinkling the steel
sank into the moccasincd toes. Flo
tow, with a shriek of pain, jumped
high into the air. Five or six shots
broke the stillness, and tho dead body
of a red-skinned fietul fell across the
camp-fire. The corporal of the guard
reported that the prisoner had made a
wild jump, as though to break for the
bushes. Lieutenant French compli
mented the men on their watchfulness
— [Romance.
Excitement in a Dutch Tillage*
One night in October we were
startled by the ringing of the alarm,
bells. We expected to find a fire, but
'he peasants, as they tumbled out of
their doors, shouted, "The cows I
The cows I"—which brings us back to
a curious bit of local history and cus
tom. As is well known, the Zuyder
Zee is kept back from these villages
by a great dike that connects sand
dune with tand-dutio. During the
low water of summer tho soa retires
for a long distance, and the uncovered
shore becomos fine pasturage, giving
the farmers a chance to convort their
own meagor grass-patches into hay
for the winter. Uufortunatcly, this
provision of nature csnnot bo enjoyed
by all. It is a bequest to these village ß
from a countess who died in the year
1G42; to speak exactly, each descend'
ant of a resident of the villagos of
Luton, blaricuut and Huizen, of that
date, has inherited tho right to pasture
seven coxvs.
This privilege cannot bo bought or
sold; it can be acquired only from an
ancestor of the village of that dhto.
When the sprung comns, the cattle are
driven to the pastures, where they ro
maiu for the summer. Their owners
commonly live miles away, and it
necessitates two daily milking-trips,
011 which they jog over in a cart with
the cans and paiis at midday and mid
night. The pastures aro hundreds of
acres in extent, and for a long timo it
puzzled us how an ownor could liiui
his cows on a dark night; but we dis
covered that they have trained their
animals to come to a certain place at
the 8:1111s hour each day and night by
always currying to them some dainty
in the shape of salt aud potatoes. Dur
ing the summer theso pastures are
used without danger, but in the
autumn the succession of northerly
gulos in conjunction with a high tide,
will put the land many feet under
wator. Sometimes the inundation i*
so sudden thai tho cattlo are caught
i by the rising waters aud drowuod.
So, at the beginning of September,
watchmen are always stationed on the
dike to keep a sharp lookout upon the
sea. The church towers of the vil
lages are all In sight of ono another,
and tho Huiien tower is in close com
munication with the dike. With a
rise of the sea, the man on the dike
hangs up a lantern; if the sea rises
more, he hangs up two, which is a
danger signal; but if it rises fast,
three, which says, "Great danger;
come quickly." Similar lights are
flashed from tower to tower by watch
ers in the belfries, and at three lights
the alarm-bells are rung. This was
the alarm we heard, dud in ten min
utes the roads were thronged with
people on foot and on horse-back,
rushing to the rescue of the herds.
This year none wore drowned; but it
it was perilous work and the peasants
licavod long sighs of relief as they told
us the details and announced that tho
cows were safe in the stables for the
next six months. [Century.
How Moil Clerks Assist the Memory.
The railway postal clerks have a
unique method for learning tfce routes
011 which post-offices are located.
Take, for example, the State of Penn
sylvania, in which there are over 5000
officos. The prospective mail distrib
uter buys a quantity of blank cards —
about the size of the ordluary visiting
card —and on each of these he writes
tho name of an office. On tho back
of the card he writes the natne of the
route by which the office is served
with its mail. Taking in hand a pack
of theso cards—say from 50 to 100 —
ho goes over them one after another
studiously, looking at the back each
each time and getting tho name and
route clearly associated in his mind.
The second time ho goes "through tho
pack ho finds that he knows the half
of the routes by roading the namo of
the office. It is a dull student who,
upon going over a pack of cards a
dozen times, does not know them
thoroughly. Tho method is so simple
and such an aid to memorizing that it
is adopted by all railway mail clerks.
By it clerks have been known to mem
orize a State like Pennsylvania inside
of two months.
On all large routes clorks work but
half time, tho other half being dovotod
to rest and study. The mail clerk at
homo, continually reminded of coming
examinations, carries his card,
wherever ho goes, conning them over
at every opportunity. One demon,
gtrative clerk on the New York and
Pittsburg R P. O. is famed for hav
ing learned tho State of Ohio in four
days. As ho shuffled over his cards
ho walked from garret to cellar, and
vice versa, from dawn until tho shades
of twilight fell. On the fourth day
he went to the examiner's office and
separated Ohio without an error.
It is related that the wifo of a postal
clerk adopted the card method for in
creasing her vocabulary in French. On
one side of the cards she wrote the
French word aud ou the other the
English equivalent to be learned.
Another lady, hearing of this, used
the samo system successfully for
learning mythology, placing the word
"Mars," for instance, 011 one sido of
the card and "war" ou the other. The
method has so many advantages over
tho old and tedious way of learning
from the pagos of a book that it might
be utilized with advantage by toachers
in search of new methods of impart
ing instruction.—[Philadelphia Rec
ord.
Electric Heating.
Electricity generated for heating or
for any other purpose must be pro
duced at tho cost of the expenditure
of 6omo other form of energy, such
as the burning of coal or tho force of
falling water. A» the latter form of
power is hardly available for use in
New York, it follows that if electric
heating is to become a commercial
commercial phase of life 111 that city
curient will be supplied to consumers
from central stations in which coal is
burned under the boilers, precisely
similar to existing plants for the sup
ply of light and power. The conver
sion and transmission of heat by this
process is not economical, and current
from coal burning stations in sufficient
quantities for heating could only be
used by tho wealthy, to whom its con
venience and cleanliness would com
mend it.it is apparent, however,
that the "coal barons" would have
nearly as much to say about tho sup
ply of fuel to such stations as to iu_
dividual consumers at prctciit, al
though it is probable that the mere
cost of coal and labor would bo pro
portionately reduced by tho uso of
cheaper grades of fuol and by central
ization. Doubtless electric heating
has a great future, but at present it
»ecms to be principally available in
localities whero water power can be
utilized in the prime movers. [West
em Electrician.
FOB FARM AND tiAUDE.T #
THE NEW POTATO CULTURE.
The main features of the new potato
culture are: The seed is so planted
that under ordinary conditions it can
not help receiving the moisture ne
cessary to germination; level culture,
thus exposing the least possible sur
face of the soil to the action of the
wind and sun, saving a portion of the
moisture that under other conditions
would bo rapidly carried off.—[Ameri
can Farmer.
FEEDING BEES FOR HONEY.
Bees store honey, they do not make
it The poet was correct when he
wroto that they "gather honey all the
day from every opening flower."
Consequently honey is not changed by
the bees, as it is well known that it
partakes of the character of the plant
the bees gather it from. Thus buck
wheat honey is dark iu color and has
a peculiar flavor, easily recognized by
experts, while clover honey and that
from basswood trees are much lighter
in color and have a superior flavor.
If tho bees are fed 011 sugar they store
it in their combs, and the product is
not honey but sugar syrup. To make
honey iu this way is a fraud, and the
cheapness of it is no oxcuse for thus
using the bees dishonestly. Sugar
syrup, however, may be properly
used to feed bees from which the
honey has becu taken too closely in
the fall.— [New York Times.
BPAUE TUE SHELTER.
It Is natural that a farmer whoso
work has been largely the clearing of
forest laud to mako grainfields and
meadows, aud who, later, has a con
tinual timo of guerilla war with briars
and bushes that follow tho heavy
troops of trees and still dispute for
possession of the soil—it is natural
that he should seek to extirpate the
whole, root and branch, and take
pride in having entirely clear fields
and fences. But another enemy then
comes iu—the parching wind. The
bare areas that he has learned to ad
mire are not pleasing to a lover of
landscape. Some sheltering hedge*
rows, and hero and there a little
grovo or clump of handsome trees,
add both benefit and beauty, besides
increasing value. A field without any
sort of rim Is like a picture without a
frame, or a face without cap or curl.
[New York Tribune.
SANITARY STABLE.
First of all it needs a healthy cow,
and then let tho stable be well made,
though this need not involvo great ex
pense. Let tho floor upon logs and
"cob-houses" give way to the floor
made 011 the earth itself, either cement
or well packed gravel, so that there
•hall be no cave of the winds under it
or dungeon of foul smells, for of the
many ills attributed to the confine
ment of cows in stables tho most con
spicuous cause of tho troubles is the
uudor side of tho stable floor, and
when this is remedied the chief cause
of trouble is removed. Fresh air can
be readily introduced, the only pre
caution bsing to prevent draughts of
«ir directly upon tho cattle.
The chief cause of effluvia is in not
cleaning the stable frequently and
tvell and abolition of absorbents in
the gutters, and of use of a few quarts
of land plaster each week behind the
cows. Tho well ordered stable is
whitewashed aud all corners kept free
from filth aud decomposiug sub
stances.
Light should be mado "glaringly"
conspicuous, the windows frequent
and largo aud so set that thore shall
be all the stiusliine possiblo in tho
stable. A roomy boxstall should be
provided fcr the cows about to calve
and well littered with straw. —[Prac-
tical Farmer.
TO KEEP COWS FROM KICKING.
It is an old saying ihat habit be
comes a second nature, and this is
pretty well exemplified in the case of
many kicking cows. Tho trouble
usually arises from permitting it to
become a habit, and this can iu most
cases be provented by gentle usage
from the milker, beginning with the
first calf. Where gcutlo treatment
docs not succeed anil tho cow is on the
way to become an habitual kicker, or
lifts her foot to kuock over tho pail
without any provocation, her legs
should be securely tied before begin
ning the milking, so that 1110 oporatiou
can goon just us though she was not
trying to prevent it.
Any device that restrains the cow
•o that the milker does not quit or
show signs of being inconvenienced
by her attempts at bad behavior, un
less she is naturally incorrigible or has
been made so by scolding aud cruel
treatment, will generally result In a
reformation. Even a cow is uot likely
to long continue a disagreeable habit
nulea« its effects are shown by the
conduct of tbo milker. If her logs
are tied a few time* until she sees
that she is not annoying him or com
pelling' him to stop milking, tho straps
may then be loosely wrapped around
them and after awhile be laid aside
altogether.—[New York World.
HOW TO KILL THE ArillS.
The most troublesome insect, yet
tho one easiest to destroy, is the aphis;
it is readily killed by immersing the
entire top of the plant in warm
tobacco water, easily made by steeping
tobacco stems in boiling water until
the water is the color of rather weak
coffee. Use it about as warm as one
can bear his hand in. By placing the
hands over the top of the pot, with
the plant between the lingers, and in
verting tho plant and dipping the foli
age in a bucketful of tho liquid and
immediately out again, tho insects are
instantly killed and no injury done to
tho plant, even if tho wutor is too hot
to put the hand in.
A fow minutes after they have been
so submerged the plants should be
syringed with clear water to wash off
the tobacco stain. This operation
should also be performed in (he even
ing. If the plants are exposed to sun
shine soon after they have bceu
treated the foliage is apt to be injured
and become brown and spottod. This
treatment leaves no offensive odor
'around the plants or in the room, as
fumigating with tobacco does.
If these few directions are fol
lowed, remembering that all plants
need all the light and sunshine it is
possible to give them iu the house,
plants can bo grown quite satisfac
torily. licmembcr to select the plants
that succeed best iu the house, and al
so remember that roses arc among the
most difficult to manage either in
house or greenhouse.— [Chicago News
Record.
GROWTH OF CALL AS.
"Whilst there seem to be differences
of opinion as to whether it is wisest to
plant out calla3 iu the spring for tho
making of good summer growth, o l '
to retain tho plants in pots, I tiud,
writes a correspondent, very mauy
growers adopt the plan of,keeping all
their stoutest ones in pots, only turn
ing them out at the proper season, re
moving side shoots, rubbing dowu the
balls of 6oil, and repotting iu so
small onos as well can bo at the first,
keeping thom in the pots all tho sum*
iner, and pushing them along by
housing early for the production of
oarly flowers. In many cases a fur
ther shift into rather larger pots be
comes needful during the summer.
The market growers regard this as
the best course where callus have to be
forced.
That the weaker or smaller stems or
offshoots when p anted out into highly
manured ground do relatively make
tho strongest growth there can be no
doubt, but as these, even if the stems
and loafage have become ever so stout,
►till boing newly potted in the autumn
are less fitted to stand early forcing
than are those which have boon kep c
in tho pots all the season. It is very
important, however, especially that
callas are of a semi-aquatic nature,
that very ample waterings bo given,
especially lo pot plants, and also that
tho pots stand on a bed of ashes
or cocoa fiber refuse. Liquid manures
aro of more service to pot plants where
the roots are densely crowded than to
plants out doors where, becauso of
ample manure and root room, the
chief want in hot weather is plenty of
moisture. It seems absolutely im
probable, come yollow or any other
color, that the cultivation of tho white
variety will ever be materially les
sened. — [Chicago Times.
FARM AND GARDEN NOTES.
Onion seed is scarce, and its price
will come high.
Some day feeders will injure beeves
partly with molasses.
The spinach bed, through cold
weather, is grateful for a covering of
cornstaltk.
Best results are gotten from the soil
when deep-rooted crops aro followed
by shallow roots.
Cover the bit with leather, or in
any case be sure to take the frost out
of it before putting it in the horse's
mouth.
Where slugs are troublesome uso
cut potatoes for bait, and at uight look
for thom with a lantern and destroy
with salt.
An allowance of wheat bran and
oats each day to the growing colts wil'
more than pay iu their growth and
development.
In breeding look carefully to the
predominating characteristics of the
sire and dam, as it docs not pay u
breed colts with naturally bad tet*
peri.