Republican News Item.
CHAS. LOREN WING, Editor. S3
THURSDAY JULY 21, 1898.
"FIRST OF ALL—THE NEWS."
The News Item Fights Fair.
IT IS A PATRIOTIC HOME NEWSPAPER.
Published Every Friday Morning.
By The Sullivau Publishing Co.
A.t. t he County Seat of Sullivan County.
IjAPOHTE, PA.
I ni. i.-.l iii i ii<- l\>«t Office at Laporte, as
speon<)-i:lar>s mail matter.
Si iist'Kin i<>> —per annum. If
I.;ti.| 111 :tiiv:iiife ?I (Ml- Sample copies
live. All coinluilliieiilioiis should be ail
dl'essed to
i;i:i• i; III.K'A N Nrcws ITEM,
I. aporte Pa.,
Standing, sentinel-like, where the
Susquehanna splits itself into the
north and south branches, is old Fort
Augusta, the veteran fighting strong
hold of the United States. Beside a
modern fort it would look, in size, like
a dog alongside of an elephant. It is
now the property of Mr. and Mrs. Isaao
Gross of Sunbury, Pa., and is located
in a field about 165 feet from the river
bank, says the St. Ivotiis Globe-Demo
crat.
It was built in 175G, after plans by
Col. Gordon, as a protection against
the French and hostile Indians, and
was named after the mother of George
ill. In shape it closely resembles a
bakeoven, and its interior is curious
and interesting. A small mound of
earth marks the spot, with an opening
in the ground two and one-half feet
wide. Twelve four-inch stone steps
bad below. On descending the ground
space inside is found to be 10 by 12
feet, and eight feet from the floor to
the apex of the arched ceiling. The
arch is brick, and commences in an
offset purposely made in the wall five
feet above the ground floor. The bricks
are said to be of English manufacture.
Its location at the forks of the Sus
quehanna was a strong strategic ad
vantage, as it held the chief passage
by waterway from the north of the
state. When completed it rcas regard
ed as one ot the largest, strongest and
most important of all the fortifications
erected on the frontiers of the provin
ces. Its original armament consisted
of at least twelve cannon and two
swivels, and one of these cannon is still
in existence in Sunbury. it is of Eng
lish make, of about three and one-half
inch bore, and weighs nearly 1,000
pounds.
Port Augusta ranks next in impor
tance to Valley Forge as a factor in
ilie achievement of our liberties, and
i' is to be hoped that some day public
spirit will see that steps are taken for
its preservation, and a suitable tablet
placed upon it to mark its stanch' as
■; ai rein the early career of this great
country.
Italy's Tower*.
Travelers all know how celebrated
tlie bell towers of Italy are. Each im
portant church is made more beautiful
architecturally by the campanile, or
bell tower, which can be seen for miles
away, because the church is always
built on the highest point of land.
Italy has church towers and civil
towers, the first being the handsomest.
They are always attached to a house of
worship and in mediaeval days were
used as watch towers and for forts. In
the sixth century bells were introduced
in the towers to call the people to pray
ers. Civil towers arose in the eleventh
century, when palaces, with battle
mented towers, were built in great
numbers. Nearly all the towers in
Italy are square; some, however, have
six or eight sides and a few are round.
The oldest are undecorated and built
of massive stone or brick, lighted by
mere loopholes of windows. Gradually
many changes were made and orna
mentation, pillars and large windows
were putin the towers.
The leaning tower of Pisa is well
known. It was built in the twelfth
century and is thirteen feet out of per
pendicular. Around a hollow, brick
tube, are built eight stories of open gal
leries, supported by slender columns. It
is 179 feet high and at its summit is a
room where Galileo experimented.
There are also six bells, the largest of
which weighs 12,000 pounds. One of
them, which was tolled when criminals
were led to execution, is ornamented
with figures of the Virgin and the arms
of the city.
The bell tower of Florence is perhaps
more beautiful than that of Pisa. Giotto
was the architect, and no expense was
spared. Figures by the greatest sculp
tors adorn the base and the upper threo
stories are ornamented with spiral
shafts and carved moldings. Black
and white marble was the material
used and the mellowing hand of time
has only added to the beauty of the
whole.
The Prince of Wales, when annoyed,
winks his left eye rapidly; the Em
peror of -Austria puffs out his cheeks;
the Czar lays his hand flat on the top
of his head; Mr. Gladstone turned
swiftly on his heels, as if executing a
volte face, and the Sultan of Turkey
grasps his throat tightly with his hand.
Prevents the Kettle Boiling Dry.
To prevent kettles from boiling dry
a water tank is placed in the cover
with a float extending into a tube in
the kettle below and attached to a
pivoted bar whioh lifts a the
cover to allow tbe water ko fldw into
the kettle when the MUr focoadfo
dry. ,
HOW FELT HATS ARE MADE, j
Thonnndu of Men, Women ui Boy»
Kmployfil in the Industry.
One of the leading Industries of this
country is the manufacture of hats. At
the present time fur-felt hats are made
in eleven states —namely, Connecticut,
Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Maine,
Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jer*
sey, New York, Pennsylvania and
Rhode Island, says the New York Com
mercial. There are in all more than
200 manufacturing plants producing
hats for men's, boys', women's and
children's wear, composed of the fur of
the rabbit, beaver, nutria and other
animals. Tbe industry employs up
ward of 25,000 men, women and boys,
and the approximate value of the Out
put is said to be $20,000,000 annually.
Speaking of men's hats and their man
ufacture, a representative of one of the
largest firms in t'his city said:
"Felt hats include the popular derby
and the various other styles of soft
hats, all of which are made from ani
mal furs, the natural coats of the
coney, hare, nutria, muskrat and
beav£r. To manipulate the skins of
these animals so as to properly pre
pare the fur for felting purposes is an
expert chemical operation; in fact, a
trade in itself, entirely distinct from
that of liat-niaking. and is carried on
by "hatters' ' fur-cutters in London, the
world's great center for that work.
The art of the hat maker includes a
knowledge of the particular fur or
combination of furs for making a given
quality of hats. The proportioning of
the different furs requires the utmost
exactness. The quality of product
having been decided upon, the fur is
then cleaned and separated from stray
hairs and all unfeltable substances.
This initial process is accomplished by
a windy machine called 'the devil.'
"The next process, 'forming,' con
sists of distributing by means of air
currents a light coating of fur upon the
outer surface of a revolving perpen
dicular cone, perforated with small
holes. When fur covers the cone suf
ficenr. for one hat, it is wrapped in wet
cloths and given a brief hot bath, then
stripppd from the t one, and, after the
'stopping' process cl' adding a little fur
to weak spots, is wrapped with other
cloths inside a woolen cloth to 'harden'
it for handling, f'y a process called
'sizing,' which consists of repeated im
mersions in hot water, together with
rolling and unrolling, folding and un
folding. the cone-shaped mass is re
duced to one-third its original size. It
is wonderful how each fiber will twist
and intertwine, basket-fashion, with
the other, until the product is a closely
woven mass.
"The 'body' is then 'shaved' to re
move stray hairs in the fur, and then it
Is stiffened with a coating of shellac,
thoroughly dried and then subjected to
steam, which sofu-r.s the shellac and
draws it into the fabric. When dried it
is immersed in a hot alkaline solution
to free the surface from shellac, and
then - >i cold water to remove the alkali.
" 'Blocking' succeeds stiffening. The
fabric is dipped in boiling water and
placed on a block patterned for the
final shape of the hat. After the dyeing
process comes that of finishing, which
consists of steaming, blocking to shape
the crown, drying, coating with a stif
fening solution, drying again, ironing
out wrinkles, after which it is pounced
with emery paper and singed to re
move the long nap, and oil applied to
smooth the surface. The 'curling' de
partment cuts the brim to tbe desired
width, rolls up the sides and pitches
the front and rear as the style de
mands.. With the process of trim
ming, consisting of sewing on the bind
ing and band and cementing the lining,
the derby is finished, if a soft hat is
desired the stiffening process is omit
ted."
A Home That Snore*.
Snoring men are as plentiful as whis
key in Kentucky; they are nearly as
numerous as women with cold feet.
However, while these two evils are pre
dominant witli the human race, yet it
is indeed seldom that a member of the
animal kingdom 'becomes afflicted with
the sntrlng liubit. There is just one
case oi the kind known to exist, in
Knnsair City, Kan., and while there is
no question about the existence of this
one case the afflicted animal contracted
the habit from man.
Prince, the oldest horse on the Kan
sas City. Kan., Fire Department, has
the snoring habit, and he's got it bad.
All of the "laddies" at Fire Headquar
ters have good records as snorers, but
Prince can allow them all a bad cold
and then beat them out, pulled up.
Snoring Prince, or the prince snorer, is
the horse driven by Assistant Chief
William McConnell. He generally
minces away at his food until after 12
o'clock each night, providing there are
no alarms.
At about this hour the lies down in
his stall and in a few minutes his eyes
close and soon thereafter the snoring
begins. The noise produced by the
sleeping horse is similar to that of a
snoring man. Before it became known
that Prince actually snored several of
the firemen, who take turn about
watching at night, were accused of go
ing to sleep on duty. The only founda
tion for the accusation was the snor
ing. In order to prove their innocence
it became necessary for them to peach
on Prin CP.
lion Ihnen Looks.
Ibsen, the Norwegian dramatist, is
an extraordinary looking man. Almost
a dwarf in height, the upper part of the
body is immense, compared with, his
lower limbs. He has a huge head,
: i:vered with bushy white hair, and Ms
keen blue eyes glare at ihia interlocu
tor with a piercing glance.
it is impossible to runtitW
jf 17,000 feet above the eeiu
TELEGRAPHING IN SPAIN.
It ia Generally Attended With Mncb
DlfHcnlty and I'neertaliitr-
The Spanish ceremonies which ac
company the handling of a telegram
would be amusing were they not so
Irksome and time-killing. You ap
proach a little window in the one office
in the city, and, when your turn comes,
hand In your message. The clerk
counts the words a couple of times
over, adds up the result of each page,
refers to the written tarlfT, and finds
out what the cost is in francs. Then
he takes another slip of paper, finds
out what the rate of exchange is at
the moment, and reduces the francs to
Spanish pesetas. Finally, he reads out
the result—say, 597 pesetas, 35 cen
times. You engrave these figures in
your memory, and leaving the hall, go
out to another widow in a passage
outside, and there await your turn, re
peating always the number 597,35 till
the clerk asks you what you want.
Then you explain that you are come
to purchase Spanish stamps for the
sum of 597 pesetas and 35 centimes,
and then you take out a note for 1,000
pesetas. The pass°ge is dark on the
brightest day, an.l you accept the
stamps and your change in spirit of
true religious faith, for you see not
even darkly as in a glass. When you
return to the inner sanctuary and help
to make a queue, awaiting your turn
again, the chances are that you find
yourself short of stamps, in conse
quence of a mistake on the part of
clevk outside. This happened twice to
me, but 1 am bound to say the indi
vidual discovered and rectified his er
ror, so that my only loss was of about
thirty-five minutes more.
What "Sin JF u SOUK ol Sl* Pence" Mean*.
You all know the rhyme, but have
you ever heard what it really means?
The four-and-twenty blackbirds
represented the twenty-four hours. The
bottom of the pie is the world, while
the top crust is the sky that over
all lies it. The opening of the pie is the
day dawn, when the birds begin to
sing, and surely such a sight is lit for
a King.
The King, who is represented as sit
ting in his parlor counting out his
money, is the sun, while the gold pieces
that slip through his fingers, as he
counts them, are the gc<den sunbeams.
The Queen, who sits in the dark
kitchen, is the moon, and the honey
with which she regales herself is the
moonlight.
The industrious inaid, who is in the
garden at work before the King—the
sun— has risen, is day-dawn, and the
clothes she hangs out are the clouds.
The birds who, so tragically, end the
song by "nipping off her nose" is the
sunset. So we have the whole day, if
not in a nutshell, in a pie.
Wearing llats In I'arllwiiieiit.
In the English House of Parliament
it Ist customary for the members to
take off their hats when they walk to
their seats, or when they rise to leave,
but to wear them when they are seat
ed.
Excellent wheat Hour from sl.lO
to $1.25 at A. T. Armstong, Sows
town, Pa.
Card of Thanks.
1 am very thankful t'> m,v friends
and neighbors for their kindness
shown me during the sickness and
death of my wife.
1). M. SPKAKY.
Notice ol Dissolution.
The partnership heretofore existing between
M. E.lteeiler mul E. F. Ives, doing business under
the firm name of Reeder & Ives, has been dissolv
ed tills 14th Jay of July, by mutual consent, Al[
debts of said firm to be presented to M. E. Reeder
for payment, and all parties owing said tirm to
make payment to same.
XI. E. REEDER.
E. F. IVES.
BUCK NELL UNIVERSITY, JOHN
IIOWARI) HAKKIS, President. College,
leading to degrees in Art, Philosophy anil
Science. Academy, a preparatory school
for young men and boys. Institute, a re
fined boarding school ior young ladies.
School of Music, with graduating courses.
For catalogue, address the Itegirfler.
W. C. (iRKT'/ixuER, Lewisburg, Pa.
FOR SALE.
I oiler the following properties: 70
acres, hemlock timber, near Ringdale;
373 acres, virgin timber, Klk Run, North
Mountain, close to railroad; 32t'i acres,
coal lands, at Bern ice, adjoining present
workings; S lots (one entire section) at
Eagles Merc, each lot 7feet front on
Pennsylvania Ave., with "Bradford"
privileges and title: 1 lot 75 It. front on
LaPorte Ave.: several choice lots in La-
Porte Boro.; also several warrants ot
stripped lands in LaPorte. Col ley and
Fox townships suitable for farming or
grazing purposes.
11. T. DOWNS, Atty-at-Law.
LaPorte, Pa.
Evervbody si;i So.
Cascarets Cand v Cathartic, the most won
derful medical di'scoverv of the age, pleas
ant and refreshing to the taste, act gently
and positively on kidneys, liver and bowels,
cleansing the entire system, dispel colds,
cure headache, fever, habitual constipation
and biliousness. Please buy and try a box
of C. C. C. to-day; 10,25, !>0 cents. Hold and
guaranteed to cure by ail druggists.
Forffags, bunting and 4th of July nec
essaries goto John W. Buck Soneatown
Pa.
Forks, rakes, scyths etc goto J. W.
Buck.
One Woman'*
Word...
1 /
"I consider AYER'S PILLS the best
In the world."
MRS. A. C. WESTON.
29 Pearl St., Laconia, N. H.
AH Wo
Miadom . . .
A Horrible Railroad Accident
is a daily chronicle in our papers; also
the death of some dear friend, who had
4ied with Consumption, whereas, if he or
she had taken Otto's Cure for Throat and
Lung diseases in time, life would have
been rendered happier and perhaps saved.
Ileed the warning ! Ifyou have a cough
or any affection of the Throat and Lungs
Call on T. J. Keeler,Laporte; W. L.
Hoffman, Hillsgrove; B. IS-Lancaster,
Forksville; C. B Jennings, Agt. Estella;
•Ino. W. Buck, Sonestown, and get a
trialjpackage free. Large size 50c and 25c.
G. A. Rogers
I'ORKSVILL.R, i'A.
(Successor to B.W. I'nwcett.)
Watches, Jewelery,
Silverware, Etc.
Bicycle repairing. Bicycle sundries.
Fishing tackle, at lowest possible
Price.
Good News.
No other Medicine was ever given such
a tesl ns Otto's Cure. Thousands of hot
ties of this great Herman remedy are be
ing distributed KKKK OK CHAKOK, to those
afflicted with Consumption, Asthma,
Croup, severe Coughs, Pneumonia and all
Throat ami Lung diseases,giving the peo
ple 11root that Otto's Cure will cure them
For sale only bv T. .1. Keeler, Laporte;
W.L. Hoffman, 11 illsgrove; H.S. Lancaster
Forksville; B. Jennings, Kstella; Jno.
W. Buck, Sonestown. Samples free.
Large bottles 50c and 25c.
New lot of timothy and clover seeds and
onion sets at John W. Bucks, Sonestown.
Nu-To-llw 1 for Fl.'.y Cents.
Guaranteed tobacco habit cure, makes weak
men sironft. blooU pure. 50c,51. All drugulsts.
To Cure (?»n*tl,mtton Forever.
Take Uascuiets t 'ulHiv Cuthurlkv 10c or 250.
If C. C. (all to cure, ilrun«isis refuinl money.
Heavy
Cannonading
on HIGH PRICES at
PLACE'S
New Grocery
LAPORTE, PA.
We step forward.not backward. We
arc opening up new ways for the pub
lic to attain .just as good bargains in
General Merchandise
at Laporte as in Williamsport or else
where. We are planning each week
to that end. This week it is
Soap,' 12 bars for
Threejcans of corn for
Six pounds of oat meal
Business at the store is getting busier
each week. The newness ol the goods
and the littleness of price tends to
turn the stream of trade our way. A
call will convince you that you can
do the best at
E. L. PLACE'S
NEW GROCERY.
Spring
and Summer
Every corner of the store is
bright, with the newest things
for Women's wear and Men's
wear ami Children's wear.
We are glad to have yon come in
and see the new life of the old
store and look tit its excellent
line of goods.
Spring Weight
Underware
for Men, Women and
Children.
In conjunction with
the inviting varities, all
prices will be found more
than ordinarily small.
Grocery Department
A new and fresh sup
ply of Groceries have
have just arrived.
Vernon Hull,
Hillsgrove, Pa.
W.L.Hoffman's
„ - HILLSGROVE
Three Big Stores- MUNCY VALLEY,
PROCTOR, PA.
An Explosion of Values.
PRICES BLOWN TO ATOMS.
Two or three reasons for this —liberal supply, bet
ter qualities, less in price than found elsewhere.
Ladies' Dress Wares.
They are the kind women want, and our prices will
cause lively selling.
CORSETS Selling at Corset Prices.
No other line in these stores has such decided
growth as that of Corsets. Augmented sales each
month demonstrates the superiority of brands.
General Merchandise.
There is to be found a general line of seasonable
goods constantly on hand.
Remember the Place.
JENNINGS BROS.
! a^t
We keep in stock at our mills a
complete line of dressed lumber
manufacturers of hemlock and hardwood.
Gang Sawed and Trimmed Lumber.
LOPEZ, PA.
SPECIALTIES
Hemlock Novelty or German Siding,
Hemlock Ceiling 7-8 or j-8 stick,
Hemlock Flooring any width desired,
Hemlock Lath both $ and 4 feet long,
Hardwood Flooring both Beech, Birch or Maple,
The same woods in $-8 ceiling.
CORRESPONDENCY SOLICITED.
Buy Good Goods!
And you will be surprised
how cheap they are in the end.
We have just unpacked such a stock of coats and capes to which we are pleased
to call your special attention. We do not pretend to handle the cheapest
coats in the market, but we do say we have the BEST and neatest fitting
garments made. Our coats and capes are made to order, and in the latest
styles with prices to suit everybody.
IN DRESS GOODS WE WERE NEVER BETTER
PREPARED TO PLEASE YOU THAN AT THE
PRESENT, AS WE HAVE THE LARGEST AS
SORTMENT IN THAT LINE EVER DISPLAY
ED IN THE COUNTY.
Ladiea and Misses, Boys and Men, you need not go hall frozen this winter for we
have plenty of underwear for you all, both in cotton or wool, red or gray and
the prices are very low, so low that when you see the goods you will ba aston
•shed that we are able to give you such bargains.
One word in regard to foot wear:
Our shoe department was never more complete and if you will Jfavor us with
your attention for a few minutes when in town we will convince you that we
have the most carefully selected line of fine and heavy boots and shoes ever
brought before the public. On crockery we have just received some very
pretty designs in Decorated Dinner Sets to which we invite your attention.
The buying of country produce has always been a special feature of ou
Business, and we still continue in paying the highest each prices for Butter
Egg" and Wool.
E. G. Sylvara PUSHQRE, IPA.
Wright & Haight,
SUCCESSORS TO
M. R. BLACK, Forksville, Pa.
ndertafcing.
MANUFACTURERS OF
Doors, Sash, Moulding, Flooring, Ceiling etc.
DRESSED LUMBER
Full and complete seasoned stock always on hand,
A fine line of furniture etc. The most complete line of
Coffins and Casket to select from in Sullivan County.
The finest hearse in the county, with equipments to match.
Embalming a specialty. Funerals directed with
safety and dispatch.
PRICES REASONABLE,