SULLIVAN JSKm REPUBLICAN.
W. H. CHENEY, Publisher.
VOL. XIV.
Juvenile crimes have increased in
France from 10,000 in 1860 to 31,000
in ISOO.
Tho Baltimore News believes that
there is uearlv 8150,000,000 of Balti*
rnoro money invested in Soutborn
securities.
One of tho important matters to
whioh the Now York Sun is directing
attention is whether to say "tooth
brush" or "teeth brush."
According to the Paris Eovuo Hor
ticolo, the largest forests in the world
are in Central Afrio.a, Southern Siberia,
North and South America.
Public Opinion thinks it is matter
for congratulation that the teaching of
English in our schools and colleges is
at last beginning to get a modicum of
the attention that it has long de
manded.
The Allahabad Pioneer, the princi
p»l journal of British India, and tho
one oil which Rudyard Kipling began
his literary career, recently contained
a paragraph in tho "want" columns as
follows: "Situation wanted as snako
charmer in respectable family. P. S.
—No objection to looking after the
camel."
The status of the fiancee has recently
come up in Texas. A railroad man
had his life insured for the benefit of
his betrothed. He died from injuries
in a wreck. His family enjoined the
insurancs company from paying the
money. In Missouri the Supreme
Court has decided that such insurance
is invalid. The family got the money.
That it costs something to launch a
big battleship is shown by the state
ment th at tho expense of getting the
Victorious, tho latest addition to Eng
land's fleet, afloat was about SIO,OOO.
She is a sister ihip to tho Magnificent
and the Majestic, and is 390 feet long,
seventy-five feet beam, and 27 J feet
draught. There were used up on the
ways over which she slid into the water
7000 pounds of Bnssian tallow, 160
gallons of train oil and 700 pounds of
Boft soap. Tho gross weight of the
ship, equipped and ready for sea, is
15,725 tons.
Rev. Dr. Talrnage, in a recent ser
mon, speaking of our near approach
to the twentieth century, said : "Only
four summers more; four autumns
more ; four winters more ; four springs
more, and then Iho clock of timo will
strike tbe death of tho old century
and the birth of tho now." It is easy
to forget, recalls the Pathfinder, that
there are still fivo more years bofore
dawn of the twentieth century. Tho
nineteenth century will not end, re
member, till midnight of December
31, 1900, not 1899. You must spend
your 100 th cont beforo your dollar is
gone, and it is so with tho years of the
century.
The Atlanta Constitution remarks:
Out in Indiana an old lady ol seventy
four ofl'ered 520.000 for a young hus
band. An enterprising fellow of twen
ty-six came forward, but tho woman's
family sued out a writ of lunacy to
prevent her from marrying. The jury
pronounced her sane, and she eloped
with hor purchase and married him.
The Chicago Record in commenting on
this case makes the point that a short
time ago a young woman in New York
wanted a husband with a title, and got
Lira after a big cash sum of several
million dollars had been settled npon
him by her relatives. Nobody hinted
that the New York girl was insane.
On tho contrary society thought that
she had distinguished herself. Our
Chicago contemporary thinks that it
make? a difference when the pur
chased husband is an imported article
with a title. If he is a home product
the woman who offers a good price for
him is supposed to be crazy.
The Italians imported by Austin
Coibin to become limd owners at Sun
nyside, Arkansas, are represented in
the New York Post to be superior in
morals and intelligence to the Italian
laborers with whom people in other
parts of the country are more or less
familiar. They are reporte 1 to have
been carefully selected from a very re
spectable and prosperous class. At
home they were small farmers, gar
deners and fruit growers, and tho
methods of farming and careful culti
vation to which they hnvo been accus
tomed are expected to bo great ai s
to them in their new surroundings.
They have strong religiom inclina
tions, and their first act after arriving
at their new home was to conduct re
ligious exercises in thanks to God for
the kindness bestowed upon them.
They were heartily welcomed at Sun
jiyside, and nt onco announced their
intention to become citizens. Other
*bip loads of immigrants arc expected
to follow this first importation.
BY THE FIRE.
V7lthln my door, good Damn To-day
Bpius by tho hearthstone bright,
And keops me at my to3k alwiiv,
Till taps ray neighbor Nitfii ;
Tlieu brushes sho tho hearth, betimes,
And bids the wheal be still,
And, with her gossip Duty, climbs
Tho path up yonder hill.
Whileneigbbor Night and X, alone,
Beside the hearth's low flame,
Sit hearkening the wind's wild moan,
But speal: no word nor name;
For neighbor Night, right you Oft is he,
And I have heard it said
That, haply, he will some time bT
With gay To-m jrrow wed.
An 1I am old. Each hour I track
Tho stop of Watchman Time;
' So soon will Dame To-day come back,
Then farewell dream and rhyme!
But now, with neighbor Night, a space
Is mine, he'll not gainsay,
To brood awhile upon a face—
My lost love, Yesterday.
—Virginia W. Cloud, in Bookman.
A TEST OF THE COMMON.
PLACE.
a "tt 112 HEN Clinton's en
> A m gagement to Miss
Lanston had been
broken because of
faggik Grota Morrys, con-
grew and
m fl thrived in all di
(/ I1 rections as to
n h6 ! hCr ° r ? 0t
u T Greta was be
| trothed to Mr.
Clinton. That he had asked her to
marry hiru, even before the break with
Miss Lanston,was certain, bnt whether
sho had said yes or no, nobody was
able to say.
Her manner to him was the same as
before —a brilliant coquetry that be
longedto her alone—and nobody dared
question her.
When early in tho week it became
known that Francis Greyford was com
ing down from Bar Harbor to Squirrel
Island, apparently for no better rea
son than that Mits Morrys was there,
those interested made sure that at last
they would be able to solve this rid
dle.
Then, the day before Mr. Greyfold
came, Clinton went off to New York.
There was a whisper that he wont to
buy Greta the handsomest diamond
ring at Tiffany's, but those things are
rarely to be believed, and the hotel
realized with a dull throb of disap
pointment that now, perhaps, the rid
dle could not be solved.
There weie, of course, several girls
ready to tell Greyford about Clinton,
but ho did not seem to mind muoh,
and only this morning he had been
beard to ask her togo rowing, in spite
of tho stormy sea, because he liked to
be with her where nobody else dared
go.
She had laughed at him caressingly
and looked out at the windswept ocean
thoughtfully before she answered:
"Yes, let us go; it will be an experi
ence that will forever after prevent
surface acquaintance betweon us."
Ho gave her a quick glance. "Do
you want it prevented?"
"Y-es. Surface acquaintance with
a man cannot be anythiug but com
monplace, and I do not like a man who
is that."
"Will you tell me, Miss Greta, what
kind of a man do you really like best?"
Greyford's handsome eyes were very
earnest. Greta pondered a moment;
then, with a littlo laugh, she brought
her eyes back from the stormy sea to
the man at her side.
"I would rather not," she answered.
"Why?"
"Because there is a possible chance
that you are that kind of man, and
that would be an embarrassing ad
mission for me to make."
If she was really betrothed to Clin
ton, Greyford thought, she would
hardly say a thing like that.
Greyford spent tho half hour she
was getting ready anxiously watching
the water. He was afraid he had been
unwise in asking her togo out, but
when she came downstairs ready togo
she was such a charming picture he
forgot his anxiety. A slim figure,
gowned in sage greeD, with broad
collar and girdle of white, she held a
green hat, with white clovers on it, in
her hand and let the brisk breeze stir
her bright hair into a hundred little
ringlets around her face.
As they strolled down the sandy
road to the beaoh Greta touched again
on the theme they had been discuss
ing.
"There are, after all," she said,
"few men who are net common
place."
"No man is always commonplace,"
he replied, gravely. "There are times
in the life of even the most ordinary
man when he is unusual. Those things
depend too muph on environment to
generalize about them."
She gave him a surprised glance,
whioh he did not notice, for they were
close to the beach now and his eyes
were on the sea.
"Would you think me very com
monplace if I were to tell you that it
will be most unwise for us to row
round the island to-day?"
"Yes, I should," the answered,
tersely.
He frowned impatiently.
"I should not have asked you to go.
Look at that sky and wind ; it is going
to storm frightfully in about half an
hour."
"I shall like that," said Greta, reck
lessly. "When I said I would go I
told you it was for the sake of the ex
perience. "
"You will not like it when it turns
over the boat."
"Ah, I can swim, quite well, too,
and think how exoiting it will be oat
in the midst of that angry water I"
"I do not like the responsibility,"
be observed.
LAPORTE, PA., FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1896.
She threw back her head and looked
at him through half-closed lids. "How
does it feel to be afraid ?"
He gave her a wrathful glance and
moved away to the long, narrow boat
waiting on the beach. Without a
word he helped her in, took up the
oars, and with the long, steady stroke
of a Harvard crew man swept out into
the channel. It may have been that
thegronp of girls watching them from
the piazza had something to do with
Greta's persistence. Now, however,
they passed out of view, and Greta's
attention was claimed lay Greyford.
She watched him admiringly; the
broad shoulders, the proud poise of
the head and the annoyed determina
tion of his face; then she laughed
softly.
Greyford looked at tho lowering
storm-cloud and then at the expressive
face of the girl before him, into which
no touch of seriousness had come.
"If we go round the island," he
said, "we take our lives in our hands,
probably to dash them to piecos on
tho Hypocrite rocks." He rested on
his oar 3, still looking at her.
"J havo never been near death,"
said Greta, thoughtfully.
His lips came together firmly. "I
will not take you near it. Have you
never a serious moment in your life?
Is there nothing more to you than ef
fervescence?-'
She had said truly that in such an
experience as they were now experi
encing conventional acquaintance
would vanish.
Very gravely sho looked at him now,
with all the carelessness fled.
"Yes," she said, simply, "there is
muoh more to me. Because it has
never been put to the test in your
presence, you ought not to think it
lacking. The effervescence would not
bo attractive if its foundation were
poor."
"Thank you," he answered. "I am
glad. It is time, then, that we
stopped this madness; we will go
back."
Greta madeno answer, but the wo
mau in her approved of his quick tone
of command. The boat swung round
under his skilful guidance. They were
almost a milo out from shore, with the
wind and tide against them, and
Greyford's teeth set firmly as he saw
the little headway they were making.
A wave of foam-crested water rolled
over the boat, dashing itself up into
Greta's face and over her gown, but
sho did not even start. "Most girls
would havo screamed," thought Grey
ford, with an observant look at hor
quiet face, with tho clustering curls,
that the water had not straightoned,
about it.
Suddenly one of the oars gave an
ominous crack, and Greyford's face
whitened almost to his lips.
"God!" ho muttered. "This thing
cannot stand tho strain, and wo are a
half milo from shore."
Greta leaned forward to the white,
determined face. There was no terror
in her own; the Morryses had not
been used to lose their heads in peril.
"It is my fault," she said in a low
voice, "You would not havo gone but
for me. Before—anything—happens,
you must let mo ask you to forgive
my selfishness, and to thank you with
all my hoart for the friendship of It
man that you have given mo."
He met the bright blue eyes with a
new light in his own—tho approving
look that bravery gives to courage.
"There is nothing to forgive," he an
swered hastily.
Another long stroko and then once
more that ominous crack. For an in
stant Greyford paused ; then again the
oar swept through the surging water.
It shivered and splintered in his grasp.
Grota's face grew paler as tho broken
oar tossed oat on the wind-lashed sea.
The boat swayed around in the waves,
rooking and shivering.
Greyford looked up.
"I can do nothing with this one oar
in suoh a sea. I loaned Dale the other
pair yesterday."
"And the storm will break in a few
minutes," answered Greta, looking
from the dark sky to the island, where
all the girls were doubtless drensing
for dinner, and then at the mass of
water that lay between them and
safety.
The boat had been swept aronn.l to
the south shore, where there was no
chance of their being seen or assisted ;
the hotel and its people had long been
ont of sight.
"There is only one ohanoe''—Grey
ford's steady voice paused, and he
looked at her oritically—"for life.
We must swim for it. The tide carries
the boat further out eaoh moment,
and if the storm overtakes ns there
will be nothing to hope for."
For a moment she did not answer.
Perhaps she was thinking of Clinton,
for her eyes grew tender. Then she
threw off her hat and said:
"I think you are right. If it means
life or death, I must do my best to
make the swim easier; my shoes—and
—and—"
A faint color crept into her white
faoe.
"Yes," said Greyford, gently. "It
will be hard battle—and we must both
of us do without our useless clothes."
He pulled in the other oar and
turned his back to her to remove bis
own shoes and coat. One moment
Greta hesitated ; then her shoes came
off and the long outer skirt. She gave
a little gasp and another look at the
water to be gone through; then she
loosened the full blouse of her gown,
removing its girdle and what other
impediments to her free movement
that she could. She wrapped her
clothes into a bundle swiftly and gave
a'few deft touches to her costume—a
white skirt and a green and white
blouse.
"I am ready," she murmured.
With ready taot, be did not look at
her when he turned, but oarefully
lifted the handle of clothes and pat
them in the locker--a swaying, un
steady performance.
"It we get thoboat back they will
bo nnharmed," he said.
The water gurcled around and
over them, the singing waves lashed
their faces and t«ssed their bodieß to
and fro. For lruny minutes thoy were
almost at the mercy of the waves, but
at length the lonj, steady strokes told,
and both were carried slowly forward.
It was true that Greta was an expert
swimmer. Each summer that had
brought her to the coast had proved
it. But the strata now was almost too
severe. Slowly (hey battled on, gain
ing, gaining. Tie shore could be seen
between the great waves that the wind
lashed over them.
"Can you last five mintios longer?"
he asked. "Wewill reach it then—
if—only the storm does not break."
Greyford's voice over tho water
sounded eingulaily tender. "
"Yes," she sighed, though on her
face lay an almoit mortal weariness.
Sho rejected kis offer of help, and
they struggled cn. "What a woman
you are!" he miitered.
"I—lam giving out!" she said in
low gasps.
"Float again," he answered, "until
you are rested."
"No," she said, "no —progress."
A great wavo dashed over them,
drowning his answer, and low peals of
thunder broke on the air, lashing the
waves to wilder fury.
Greta's arms fell powerless to her
side and, with 8 faint cry, she felt the
water close over head. Only an
instant of that awml sinking down,
down into death; then his strong arm
went around hor and buoyed her up—
a choking, briathless burden. She
made one last effort and then her feet
touohed land. She staggered and fell.
With his /ace gray with the struggle
that was not yet ended, ho lifted her
from the shallow water and carried her
bodily up the s&Ddy beach out of roach
of tho waves. Another crash of thun
der pealed through tho air and the
storm broke ovor sea and land. Far
out on the water a tiny boat swayed
and rooked under tho storm oloud.
Some minutes thoy rested motion
less, exhausted, tho salt water drip
ping from their hair aud clothes. Then
ho spoko to her, with that now tender
ness still in his voice, and from their
friendship for eaoh other the common
place fled forever.—Chicago News.
Chinese Mail Service.
The mails in China are different from
tho postal arrangements of any other
conntry in tho world. In China the
mailj service is not in the hands
of tho Govcrum but is left to pri
vate persons to establish postal con
' neotion, how and wherever thoy please.
Anybody may open a store and hang
out a sign advertising that he is ready
'to accept letters to be forwarded to
cortain places or countries. Tho re
sult of this arrangement is that in
populous towns there are a great num
ber of persons aocepting letters to bo
forwarded to all parts of the country;
at Shanghai, for instance, thero are
not less than 3500 stores competing
with eaoh other and carrying on a war
to the knife as far as rates aro con
cerned.
This system, although having great
faults, has some good qualities. Thero
are several parties accopting letters iu
one certain town. Tho Chinese mer
chant who writes letters two or threo
times will patronize several of the con
cerns, and asks his correspondent to
inform him which he got quickest.
Having experimented for awhile ho
will select tho firm giving tho bost
service, but ho always has the choice
of several mailing agencies for his
correspondence. —Philadelphia Rec
ord.
Warts Are Contagious.
Warts are supposed to be somewhat
of the nature of a cancer, and are be
lieved to bo contagious. It is a matter
of common experience that a person
who milks a cow having warty teats
will often have warts on his hands,
and that the warts spread from one
place to another is quite oertain. This
may be, however, the result of some
constitutional tendenoy to these dis
eased growths, but, as it is best to be
on the safe side at all times, it will be
wise for a person having warts on his
hands not to milk cows, or one who
milks a oow with warty teats should
wash the hands before milking an
other cow. To got rid of wartß is not
a difficult matter. Any kind of oaus
tic applied to a wart, BO as to corrode
it to the healthy flesh, and then an
application of carbolated vaseline to
the sore, will make a cure-—New
York Times.
Born in the Tower of Lon4o:i.
Mrs. John Heaton, historical per
sonage of the Old World, and a highly
respected and early settler of Viiginia,
111., died the other morning, aged
seventy-six years. Her maiden name
was Mary J. Fullerton, and she was
born in the Tower of Londcn, Eng
land, February 29, 1820, when her
father, Major James Fullerton, was in
command of the tower. All visitors
to this famous prison of the Old
World were shown the room and es
pecial attention was called to the faot
by the guides that Mary J. Fullerton
Heaton was the only female ever born
in the tower. She leaves a husband.
Captain John Heaton, aged eighty
five, and niue children.—Chicago
Timos -Herald.
A Farmer's Predicament.
A farmer near Eaton Rapids, Mioh.,
reoontly purchased a suit of clothes of
a merchant there. When half way
there he thought it would be a good
scheme to put thom on. He took ofi
his old dads and threw them into the
river. But when ho came to feel for
his new olothes they had disappeared.
He presented himself in negligee at
tire. Tho next morning he found hie
new suit banging to the brake of the
waiiou.—Boston Cultivator.
THE E)S«BV SI1)E OF LIFE
STORIES THAT ABE TOLD BY TIM
VXMTRZ MEN OP THE PRESS.
Tho Usual ICplsode—Comparative
Sadness—Old Knougli—A Reason
able Inference, Ktc., Ktc.
"An estate worth many millions <3 awaiting
your command."
So to a verdant iiorson wroto a lawyer
shrewd and blaa).
But he added this brief postscript: "You will
have to send a foe—
Pleaso forward draft for dollars 'steeu mado
payable to mo."
The verdant person told his luck to every
one he owed
And sent tho draft without dolay. Thus
closed the episode.
—Sau Francisco Examiner.
OLD ENOUGH.
Winobiddle—"Boston is two hun
dred and sixty-five years old."
Gildersleeve—"No wonder sho
wears spectacles."—Judge.
COMPARATIVE SADNESS.
"This is a sad occasion for you, sis
ter," essayed the comforter.
"I allow it is," assented tho widow.
"But it is a heap sadder fer Bill,"
Indianapolis Journal.
A SANCTUARY.
Student (hurriedly accosting a mato
of his) —"Sapperlot, theroareacouplo
of creditors close on my heels."
Fellow Student—"Quick, run into
tho savings bank over the way; no*
body will look for you there."
A GRIM REALITY. _
Merchant (on discovering a man in
his cellar) —"Who are you?"
Stranger—"Tho gas man. I havo
coino to see by your meter how muoh
gas you havo used during the last
month."
Merchant—"Good gracious! I waa
hoping you were only a burglar."
A REASONABLE INFERENCE,
Manchester—"l think Snaggs has
concluded that it is about timo somo
of his daughters were getting mar
ried."
Birmingham—"Did ho tell you GO
himself?"
Manchester—"No; bnt he hasgiven
away his two dogs,"—Pittsburg
Chronicle-Telegraph.
' OUT WITH IT.
Judge—"Remember that you aro to
tell the troth, ; tho whole truth, and
nothing but tho truth."
Witness— 'AH right, my lord. Tho
fact is, I wanted to keep it to myself.
But if lam bound to stato the wholo
truth—then I must confess that you
are tho ugliest man I ever clapped
eyos on in my life."
AFTER TILE FRENCH,
See tho young woman. Is tho young
woman being suddenly and unexpect
edly kissed ?
Ah, yes.
And does tho young woman raiso a
hue and cry ?
Tho young woman raises a slight
hue, but no cry.
No.—Detroit Tribune.
DIDN'T WORRY IIIM.
An old man uud his wife were last
sunimor sailing on a steamship be
tween Blackpool and tho Isle of Man.
As tho sea was rather rough, aud tho
old woman unaccustomed to sailing,
sho said to her husband :
"Oh, John, thi3 ship ia going
down!"
"Well, never mind," said her hus
band, "it isn't ours."—Tit-Bits.
A SEVERE TEST.
"Do you think Algernon and Ethel
will got along nicely when they aro
married?" said one lady to another.
"I am suro of it,"was tho reply. "I
took caro to find out shortly after they
were engaged."
"flow?"
"I gave several whist parties, and
arranged that they should play as
partners. They nover quarrelled
once." —Tit-Bits.
AN EriCURE.
Waiter—"l can't satisfy that guest
nohow. Ho says tho steak doesn't tasto
right yet."
Cook—"Where's ho from?"
Waiter—"From the West."
Cook—"And this is Westorn beef."
Waiter—"l told him so, bnt he said
it didn't tasto right somehow."
Cook—"Oh, I see. He's usod to
eteak cooked on a soft-coal fire. Hold
it over that lamp chimney awhile."—
Boston Budget.
A PERPLEXED INVENTOR.
Old Friend—"Well, how ii your
flying machine getting along?"
Inventor—"Getting along? I fin
ished that twenty years ago. Erery
detail is oomplete. Thero it stands
ready to go."
"Cracky ! Why don't you show it
to tho world?"
"Can't. All mon aro fools."
"What's tho matter?"
"Can't find a man anywhero with
eenso enough to climb np a steeple and
try it."—Harper's Weekly.
A BAD BOX.
Among stories told by conntry doc
tors, this one certainly deserves a
place. The dootor had prescribed for
an Irishman, and visited his cabin tho
noxt day to seo how bo was getting
on.
"Woll, Patrick, aro yon better to
day?" he asked pleasantly.
"Oh, mnrthcr, no—l'm worse, with
turribhlo pain in me innnrds I"
"Why, didn't you tako tho pills I
ordered
"I did that, an' I'm worfe; but
maybe tho nover hnsu't come off tho
box jet!"— Argonaut.
Terms-—SI.OO in Advance; 51.25 after Three Months.
SCIENTIFIC ANl> INDUSTRIAL.
A new photograph of tha heavens
ehows 68,000,000 stare.
It is proposed to run a street car
line in Biohmond, Va., by compressed
air.
Over 150 ambulances are provided
in London for the transport of persons
injured or suddenly taken ill in the
streets.
Neat's foot oil, purifia l by strips of
lead and sunshine, has been found by
an English chemist to bo the best lu
bricant.
There is no reasonable foundation
for the belief thnt pine from whioh
the tnrpentino has been drawn is of
inferior strength and quality.
Eighty varieties of microbes, some
entirely new, have been discovered by
M. Van den Steen in Amsterdam
drinking water. None of them are
cholera bacilli.
Tobacco stems were long considered
nlmost a waste produot, but will soon
be utilized in many ways other than
for fumigating greenhouses and to
make sheep wash.
Mineral waters, preserves, etc., aro
now sealed electrically by simply elec
troplating the oork and the upper part
of the neok of the bottle with a thin
deposit of copper.
Washington City is now having
trouble with its water pipes. They
are being rapidly eaten up by electro
lysis by the trolley currents turned
loose in the ground.
Not less than 700 cases of premature
burial have been collectc ~ by Dr.
Franz Hartmann, of Hallien, Austria,
aud are olaimed to be authenticated.
Particulars of more than 100 are given
in a work now in press.
Lieutenant Baden Powell, of the
British Army, claims to have made
successful experiments with a mon
ster kite of 500 square feet, supple
mented by three smaller kites, the
team to carry a man aloft. The tests
were inado only when gentle winds
prevailed. The device is to serve as
an occasional substitute for the cap
tive balloon.
It is well known that sugar and al
cohol can be extracted from wood.
But now comes a chemist nnd says
that far better results may be squeezed
out of pent. He has found that by
judicious treatment 1000 pounds of
peat can be made to yield as much
alcohol as can be won from s')o pounds
of potatoes. So that, in future, peat
will warm poor men outside and burn
them inside.
Those Moo I Olil Roads.
It appears from the following from
a correspondent, the "good old Bo
man roads" are pretty much like the
"enormous pippins" so many old peo
ple handled "when they were young."
He says: "At page 187 it is stated
that travelers toll us that tho old Bo
man roads ore far superior to tho mod
em road. If they say so, they do not
tell the truth. Ingoing to the top of
Vesuvius, tho nsuul route is from
Besina by a route path several miles
to the foot of the cone. On the way
you go for several hundred yards over
a part of the Appia via one of the
longest of the old Boman roads. It
is not and never was a good road. It
is about fifteen feet wide, paved with
blocks of trap roek of irregular size
and shape, varyiug iu diameter from
six inches to two feet. Trap is a very
hard volcanic Btone weariug smooth
by use. The road is perfectly pre
served and is as good foi travel as it
ever was. The stones are polished by
the ancient traffic, and are very slip
pery nnd unsafe. There is no ditch
on either side of the road. No good
road is possible withoutgood drainage
ditches at the side."—Meehan's
Monthly.
A Model Industrial Village.
George Cadbury, one of the most
aotivo members ot the celebrated cocoa
firm, has just entered upon a novel
experiment for the benefit of his work
people. He recently purchased nearly
203 acres of land adjoining the works
at Bournville, near Birmingham. The
estate is to be divided into 800 plots
for building purposes. Semi-detached
villas will bo erected, and a sixth of
an acre will be apportioned to each
residence. A 999 years' lease of the
ground it a nominal rental will be
given, ajd the $1250 necessary for
building purposes will be advanced
on mortgage by Mr. Cadbury's solici
tor. A park, a public building, baths
and several playgrounds will bo es
tablished. The tenants, by weekly
installments, repay the cost of build
ing and become owners.—Westminster
Budget.
Sparrows Losing Tliclr FujnacUy.
The English sparrow is evidently
losing some of its puguaoity, or the
other birds are learning that the spar
row's "bark is worse than its bite." A
fow years ago the quarrelsome immi
grant had driven out all t'ie nativo
Longsters, but these have now re
turned, and are living in tho same
groves with the intruders in apparent
harmony. The queerest instauce re
ported is from a Maine town, where
the blucjays brought the sparrows to
subjection by hiding in thickets and
imitating the notes of a hawk, after
ward coming out into the open with
the Fame cry, whioh continued to
prove effective.—Chioago Times-Her
ald.
Good Nans tor a I'ollea Da;.
A collie dog did an excellent bit of
constabulary work in Qlasgow, Soot
land. The shop girl of a dairy notice d
a young man behind the counter at
the till. As he had no right to be
there she called "Help! Help!"
Luckily that was the name of au ad
jacent collie, who promptly stepped
up aud pinned the thief by the leg, .
aud handed him over to the police. It
is as well sometimes to give a dog a
rood name.—Ncjt Budget.
NO. 16.
THE HOLIDAY TRADE.
SHOPPERS AID SHOPKEEPERS
MOT AS BUSY AS TIIEY
ÜB!2D TO BE.
Vuluablo Information ns to the Vol
ume of Holiday Business—Hun
dreds of Millions of Dollars
Trade Than In 1892—But Little
Improvement Over 1894.
A yeor ago tho free trado papers
were pointing with pride to an in
crease in the volume of last Novem
ber's business as compared with 1894.
They stated that the real movement of
goods for the Christmas trade begun
in November. Let us seo how it has
been this year.
Brodstreet'e, December 7, told us
that tho totals of Inst month's bank
clearings were smaller than for Octo
ber, nnd that "the falling off shown
from October is not unexpected, in
view of the recent lull in trado report
ed from week to week." This seems
peculiar. Here wo had been approach- 1
ing Christmas when thero should be
on extra boom to business, over and
above the free trade boom that is said
to be in existence, yet Brndstreet's re
ported a "lull from week to week."
Again we quote from that authority: '
"Bather more than the usual num
ber of decreases (in bank clearings);
are shown to have occurred during
November as compared with Novem
ber a year ago."
This is disheartening Christmas
cheer. Let us turn to Dun's Beview
for something brighter:
"Business is still sluggish, an if
gorged by excessivo indulgence of tho
appetite for buying when prioes were
advancing. In noarly every branch
stocks not yet distributed to con
sumers stand in the way of new orders,
and competition of a producing force
largely exceeding the present demand
puts down prices, that declino retard
ing purchases yet- more. After tho
holidays men look for a larger de
mand."
This is about ns cheerful as missing
the Inst car at night nnd having to
walk home. Not even the expecta
tions of a larger demand after the
holidays can be inspiriting, beoauso
business men know perfectly well that
there is always a sluggish season after
tho holidays, so they are likely to
"look" in vain for that "Inrger de
mnnd." To the producers of raw ma
terial, to wnge earners and to manu
facturers, Dun's Beview gave this
cheerful Christmas greeting:
"Jn this country tho manufacturer
meets with a much reduced demand,
and prices are gradually sinking."
Not even freo wool can brighten tho
fcloom of tho holiday senson, for Dun's
Beview says of this branch of trade:
"Manufacturers have much machin
ery idle at present, and orders thus
for ore not encouraging."
A later issue of Bradstreet's, Decem
ber 14, confirmed this opinion when it
said thnt "among more conspicnous
trade features are tho disappointing
Christmas trade at several cities." It
also gave a comparison of the bank
clearings of tho country during tho
two first weeks of December, 1895,
and for tivo preceding years, which wo
rcproducp as follows:
DANK CLEAMNaS.
/ Week ending ,
Year Decern nor 5. December 12. •
189 51.310,000,000 ©1,186,000,000
189 1,828,0011,000 1,213,000,000
189 1,450,000,000 1,354,000,000
189 1,118,000.900 915,000,000
189 1.103,000.000 1,019.000.000
189 1,247,000,000 1,229,000,000
The riso of the Christmas trado un
der an Administration favorable to
protection and its decline under tho:
freo trado Administration form strong
contrasts that should attract the at
tention of all traders, whether whole
sale or retail. Even this year the
holiday trade has not yet reached its
proportions in 1890.
It looks as if wo had been having a
regular old dull Democratic Christmas
time. Lot us hope it will be the last
one.
New York's Best Interests.
/NEW YORK
STATE 'alow
1890'
tn— ii-jm
liooTKiUin Ooilars ■ '~fli
800 nvitiiw Oolw S* 9
500 TOiWion DoUQTS'V ~B| ..
lljhicii liberal is tW "HWrit hnpotlnl U the Earwart
Earwart GCTtrai ProspcTt^oJ
Decrease i.i Yuliie of Horses.
1892. 1895.
Number 15.498.141 15.893.318
Total vul ue 91.007,593,080 ?570,730.58 I
Value per hen 1. *05.01 *38.23
.Department of Agriculture reports
give tho foregoing farm figures.
Since McKinley protection in 1892 the
number of horses increased by 400,-
000; their total value decreased in
three years by $430,868,050; the loss ;
per animal was 528.72. This is tha
way the free tracers kept their prom
ises to improvo the condition of f>«*-
farmcre.