EVIA'S DEFENSES.! % | Present Condition of the Fort» * £ ress of Cabana. $ xei No outsiders had been admitted to the fortress of San Carlos de la Ca bana, at Havana, Cuba, since the be ginning and ending of the war, until i few days ago, when, through tho of fices of a mutual and neutral friend, a correspondent of the New York Even ing Post received from the general in command the freedom of the place. He is not much interested any more in preserving secrecy regarding this uiedisoval fortification, which, it was believed by the the Americans on the blockade, had been made formidable by new guns brought in clandestinely. Among the fortifications of Havana, which include the Castello del Prin cipe on the land side, tho Fuerte del San Diego, Castillo del Morro,Castillo de la Punta, Castillo del Atarez, Bateria de la Reina, Bateria de Santa THE FORTRESS OF CABANA AT HAVANA. Clara and tho Bateria de Velasco, on the water side, the only ones which are commanded by brigadier-generals are the Castillo del Principe and tho Castillo de la Cabana. All the others aro commanded by majors of infantry, captains, or first lieutenants of artil lery. Thus one knowus the impor tance in which Cabana is held. It oc cupies a front of 2400 feet on the heights, just within the entrance to the bay; on the land side it has three picturesque bastions, a moat and a drawbridge, contains accommodations for 1000 troops, and to persons whose military criterions have been received through Sir Walter Scott and Alexan der Dumas it appears to be impreg nable, so thick are the concrete walls, so well is "all-outdoors" excluded from the view until one climbs to tho overtopping parapets, and from these the surrounding country seems to be at one's mercy. Santa Clara, Punta Morro, Velasco, standing guard between Cabana and the sea, look to be of small account, although Santa Clara and Velasco aro about the only Havana fortifications which have big and fairly modern guns. From tidewater the walls of Cabana rise dominant as high as a twenty-two story New York building; well-manned guns, ranging a circle of eight miles, could reach nearly every thing within sight by sea or laud. To get into it on foot or mounted there are three entrances, two from the bay, up zizzag common roads, and one from the land, over a drawbridge. Once within the lirst wall there are yet two others to conquer, and in the centre of all are the prisons and the magazines and the quarters of the soldiers. There are now only three batteries in Cabana; the one just mentioned aiming down over the harbor,one of live old-fashioned cast-iron mortars which points towards the mouth of the bay, and one nearly over the sally-port keeping watch on the land side. In all there are scarcely twenty guns, and I should uot like to be back of one when the match was applied to its touchhole. We could not say anything like this to the polite lieutenant of artillery who presently offered to guide us around the rest of the fortress, and who broke the regulations to let us see the dungeon prisoners. He and the other officers fancy that Havana has immensely powerful defenses, and they regret that they did not have an opportunity to defeat us in an attempt to take the city, but it was merciful to their pride that we did not attempt it. What will the Cubans or Americans do with Cabana? It would last for ages yet unless hit with a modern pro jectile. It would be difficult to disin fect it sufficiently to serve as a bar racks, for in the centuries it has been occupied there have been no closets, no p~<»tem of sanitation, and every prison cell and barrack-room is vile. Cubans will probably want to keep un touched the Laurel Diich, or grassy space between two walls, where no less than 600 patriot? have been executed. "Here," said the Lieutenant, our guide, Hiite unconcernedly, "is where politi- An Indian Belle. QUANO, A MOQUI SQUAW. (She is nineteen years old and is the favorite 'model of Eldridge Ayer Bur bftnk, a Western painter.) cal prisoners were shot. They were placed against that wall there, and the soldiers were drawn up about fifteen feet awaj; you can see the marks left by their bullets on the wall." The whole side of the wall for fifty feet and to the height of ten feet was closely pitted with bullets that had first passed through men who had dared to preach that Cuba must be free of Spnin. There have not been any executions lately, but the prison contains several political and many military prisoners. Ac we passed, one of them called out something about "Americanos" and "liberated." Our lieutenant never minded, but offered us more cigarettes and said (wet and hot as he was) that he would like the pleasure of showing us also El Morro. WORK ON COLON ABANDONED. Tlie Naval Board lielievea Tliere l« No Cliance to Save Her. Captain Chester, of the United States cruiser Cincinnati, and a board of officers visited the wreck of the Spanish cruiser Cristobal Colon, oft' Santiago de Cuba, a few days ago, and decided that work on the sunken war ship should be abandoned, as, in their opinion, there is no possible chance of raising her. The men of the wrecking company, who have been at work on the Span ish vessels, have been ordered to pro ceed to Santiago harbor there to raise the lieina Mercedes and blow up the Merrimac, so as to clear the channel. A boat will be sent to tear down the woodwork put up by Lieutenant Hobson at the wreck of the Cristobal Colon, as Secretary Long has decided, after consultation with the bureau chiefs, that the Government will make no further attempts to raise the Span ish vessels sunk off Santiago. There is no objection on the part of the Navy Department to private cor porations making the effort, but the department will not promise to take the vessels even after they are raised. As the United States has no juris- CRI3TORAL COLON ON HER STARBOARD REAMS-END. diction over the harbor of Havana at this time, the Secretary of the Navy is unable to grant permission to the Acme Wrecking Company to begin work on raising the Maine. Upon the evacuation of Cuba by the Spanish the department will interpose no ob jection to the company undertaking tho work if it desires to make the attempt. A Dainty Match Striker. To make a pretty match-striker take a strip of curdboard and cut out a piece seven inches long and six inches wide. Then cut from a sheet of sand- UTILE- I : V (I TVmoWj t ' Ts B&acis 1 ' A PRETTY MATCH STRIKER. paper a piece 3J inches long and 2} inches wide. Paste this crosswise in the centre of the cardboard. With a hard leadpencil draw several loose matches and print the quotation, "How far that little candle throws its beams" on the cardboard above and at one side of the sandpaper. In the lower corner draw a candle stick and candle! Color the candle stick with a thin wash of burnt sienna; the candle with Chinese white and the tlame with gamboge and scarlet Ver million. These colors will be found in any ordinary box of water colors. Tint the matches with a light wash of chrome yellow and tip the edges of those representing unburned matches svith burnt sienna. Those represent ing burnt matches should be tipped with black. Cut openings at either end of the card and run a narrow rib bon through them, tying in a bow at each opening, leaving between them a long loop of ribbon by which the card may be hung. These match-strikers are easily made, and are prettier if made of cardboard or of some delicate color, instead of plain white.—New York Tribune. oooooooooooooooooooocooooo I WHY FUKSARE COSTLY § 6 Tliev Are Battered With Be»t Creaui- O O evy Greane, Pow<lere<l With Ko»e- Q X wood Flour nnd Bathed, Soaked A Q and Warmed by Human Body. <T 03000000000000000000000000 Froni the animal's back to the lady's shoulders there is much skilful hand ling of high-priced furs. TBE ONLY MACHINE USED IN THE FUK INDUSTRY. Machines there nre for the curing and tanning of skins— skiu3 of the lower grade—rabbit and opossum, and the heavier pelts are put through a machinery process. But the high grade furs—the costly skins—sable, ermine, mink and chinchilla, still are manipulated almost entirely by hand, and this together with the increasing demand and decreasing supply adds to the final cost. The work of the dresser is interest ing, aud in stages highly picturesque. The skins are turned over to him by the firm who buys its season's supply in the raw state. The trapper has literally skinned his game—turned the outside or fur side in, leaving the en tire pelt exposed—hence the old nursery joke of "skinning the rabbit." The skins are greased to preserve them from vermin and soon turn stiff. This constitutes the raw state. In curing, the pelt is first put through a softecing process—a chem ical solution—and the skins are then tubbed. Hero they remain in the salt and water or similar wash as required ever night, possibly twelve hours longer. Tlie skins are wrung out of this bath and partially dried, then turned over to the flesher. This is another department of the trade aud requires skilled hands to scrape the9e skius properly. This is done on up right knives set slightly oblique at the end of a narrow bench ou which tho flesher sits a-straddle. From tho flesher the skins go through a greasing process, where fine creamery butter is liberally slapped over tho pelt, the skin all this while remaining pelt out, of course. The nest departure leads one to the picturesque detail of the dresser's shop. Aloug either side of the room are ranged large barrels of three-quar ters height. Iu this the men stand waist deep, while sacking forms tho cover from the edge of the barrel to the man's body. This keeps in the heat which in time becomes exces sive, and iu these covered barrels the half-naked men tread and tread day after day, aud look as though they were practicing the couche-couche dance. With their naked feet they work the butter into the pelt and fur, and the heat which emanates from their body forms a most important item iu the curing of the skius. A shuffle board fastened obliquely across the front inner side of the barrel aids them in rotating the skius, which in time acquire a high degree of heat, very surprising to the novice. This heat renders the fur soft aud supple. Only a few skins —ten to a dozen— are trodden at one time. When the butter dauco stops the skins are removed to a drying room and spread over tho floor. At the right point of dryness they are gathered together nnd taken to the sawdust room. This sawdust is iu truth pulverized wood, as fine iu qual ity as cornstarch. Sometimes it is of maliogauy, sometimes of rosewood. The first mechanical labor is here in troduced, when the skius with a copious supply of dust are thrown into a big revolving tub which imitates closely the rotation of treading, and by passing over coils of steam pipe gets warmth similar to the heat of the treader's body. The furs and dust are revolved rapidly until sufficient dust has been taken up, when they are dumped out, picked up separately and given a deft shake and the hand labor is again called into use. The are spread to air, beaten, turned fur out, and given to the comber. He finishes tho silky coats, evens up skius to a point of symmetry. Mnst Have Soft Manila. Girls employed in the erapo indus tries are under a curious contract- not to engage in any housework after their hours of labor. The reason is lest their hands should become coarse and unfltted for the delicate nature of theii employment. It is now Btated that the invention of gunboats and armor-protected g !u? dates back to the fifteenth century. AMERICA'S HICHEST MOUNTAIN. i'eak in Alaska That Is More Than 20,• 000 Feet Above Sea Level. A mountain feet in height has just been discovered 011 the Alaskan coast, inland from Ka uai Peninsula, and has been named Mount Bullshae, by the United States geological party that first set eyes on it. This discovery, the most important that has yet been made by the many exploring parties sent into Alaska, oarly this year, falls to the honor of tlie party led by George H. Eldridge. They returned to Seattle on the steamer Alki, and there seems to be absolutely uo doubt that the mountain discovered is tho highest in North America. After following the course of tho Sushitiia a long distance it was de cided togo into one of the valleys emptying into the Sushitna Bivei from the light. Tho party followed Ibis valley somo distance, when sud denly they came in sight of a big, broad peak. "Bullshao," was the ex pression of the Indiau guide when he first saw the natural monster that loomed up even amoug the huge peaks that surrounded them on every side. "Bullshae" tho peak was named aftei - o OO . TI ; 112 4#/ X THAN V '/AVL- O V~.y KOOSH V. \ . !,/ 2 0-COO \ZO-000 y 2O 650 SS / P-T. - \ FT /- F-T N COMPARATIVE HEIGHTS OF TALL MOUN TAINS. the most thorough possible investiga tion. It was evident that Mount Bullshae would not allow the party to mount its crest with ease, if at all, so no attempt was made to climb it. In fact, the members of the party expressed the opinion that it never will be climbed. Great precipices present an almost impassable front on every hand as far as the members of the party could see. Unless tho atmosphere is perfectly clear the clouds enfold it on the slightest provocation. lioUleii Hose of Virtue <*ivcn by the I'ope The Golden Hose which tho Pope is to confer upon the Archduclioss Gisela, Princess of Bavaria, is the Highest honor which his holiness can bestow upon any woman. It was said the Pope would give the Golden Bose to the young Queen of Holland, but jf course that report was all nonsense, for Wilhelmina, although a most ador ible young person, is a Protestant, ind this special honor is reserved for members of the Boman Catholic Church only. The gorgeous thing that is called the Golden Bose is made of pure gold, and its value, so far as the mere market is concerned, is about §IO,OOO. In the great rose in the middle of the group tho Pope pours rose balsam. This flower is framed with a number of subordinate roses aud rosebuds. The metal plant stands iu a pot of pure gold and ou \ j§r ''1331 YrlE POPE'S GOLDEN' HOSE. the cide of this pot are engraved the arms and the seal of Leo. Two officers of the Vatican are chosen yearly to present this magnificent gift to the lady selected by the Pope. That lady is always royal, a queen, au empress or a princess of royal blood. "The Ileal Thins" In Paraguay. In Paraguay it is considered "the real thing" to dine with the rich na tives. All European and American tourists who reach that faraway South American country find a great fascina tion in being invited to a native's hous9. They never eat a meal with out drinking a pint of water before hand to prevent indigestion, nor will they serve a visitor who does not do likewise. It is needless to add that Paraguay is full of indigestion, and the custom is continually kept ap. r — i | CHILDREN'S COLUMN. | The Bedtime Folk*. [ always hutoto goto bod 'fore other folkscs go, Booause they take the light away or turn tho wick down low. Chey say I won't go right asleep with lights u-blazin' high, fcn' laugh an' call mo because I tease and cry. IVhy, dark is just the awfllest timo ot auy lime of day! Tis then the goblins, gnomes an' ghosts come out to scare aa play. The ghosts come slldin' down the hall an' creak the nursery door. In' goblins play at hlde-aud-soek upon the big black floor. Our Tabbyskins comes sneakin in,with eyes like chunks of lire; The witch's cats camp ou our fenco a-prac tlcln' their ehoir. The brownies on our attic floor keep daucin' plt-a-pat. No, don't tell me—it isn't mice, nor 'tain't no great big rat. I know aouut the bedtime sprites—l'm sure you must agree— I've read too many fairy books to let them ihinijs fool me. so I just lie wide awake an' cover up my bead. wlsht I was a bettor boy. till mother comes to bed. —Caroline Wotherell. Dogs '« the Army. Probably there is no United States regiment in existence which does not possess two or threo dogs, and these army animals,as a class,are highly in teresting. They know when the bugle calls, aud wliea reveille sounds they get up for the clay. At drill time tliey do not budge, knowing that the drill is something in which they have no part, but when tho bugle for dinner reaches their ears no one iu tlie re spective rogiment responds more quickly, and that is saying a good deal for alacrity. Tim Ant as a Farmer. The little ants have an industry all their own in the care and breeding of insects called aphides which serve them as cows. Although the aphides do not give milk, they supply the auts with a sweet liquid which is nutritious aud pleasant to the taste. The aphides live ou the stems of plants, and the busy little workers that cultivate them build tunnels over these steins, leaving a small opening at either end, just large enough for one of their number to pass in and out. The aphides are well fed and cared for bv the ants, and they repay this attention by a generous supply of the honey-like fluid each day. The auts manage to keep their cows from generation to generation, carefully protecting them through the winter from cold aud storms by a velvety blanket of dry moss, and over this an other covering of [.astelike substance. Iu the spriug, when the young are hatching, the auts seek food in the field, and not until the young aphides crawl out from under the moss blankets do the ants begin the work of carrying away the winter cover ings. With the return of summer these little auts and farmers work faithfully that their "cattle" may thrive for the harvest clays.—New York Tribune. Tlie Sierra Squirrel*. In the spring, before pine nuts and hazel nuts are ripe, tho gray squirrel examines last year's cones to see if a few seeds may be left in them between the half-open scales, and gleans fallen lints and seeds on the ground among the leaves, after making sure that 110 enemy is nigh, says John Muir, iu the Atlantic. His fiue tail flows, uow be hind him, now nbove him, level or gracefully curled, light and radiant as dry thistledown, every hair iu its place standing out electric. His body seems hardly more substantial than his tail. The Douglas is a firm, emphatic bolt of life, flery, pungent,full of brag and show aud tight, and his movements have none of the elegant deliberation of the gray. They are so quick and keen they almost stins the onlooker, and the acrobatic harlequin gyrating show he makes of himself turns one giddy to see. The gray is shy and oftentimes stealthy, as if half expect ing an enemy in every tree and bush and back of every log; seems to wish to be let alone, and manifests no de sire to be seen, or admired, or feared. He is hunted by the Indians, and this of itself is cause enough for caution. The Douglas is less attractive as game, and is probably increasing in numbers iu spite of every enemy.- He goes his ways bold as a lion, up aud down and across,round and round, the happiest, merriest of all the hairy tribe, and at the same time tremendously earnest and solemn, sunshine incarnate, ting ling every treo with his electric toes. If you prick liiui, yon cannot think he would bleed. He seems above the chance aud change that beset common mortals, though in busily gathering burs aud uuts we see that he has to work for a living, like the rest of its. I never found a dead Douglas. He gets into the world and out of it with out being noticed; only in prime is he seen,like some littlo plants that never are noticed except when in bloom. A King's Verdict. The question whether an officer is justified under any circumstances in disobeying his commander has been answered differently by different judges. Boyal authority at one time went on the affirmative side of the question. It was in the reign of George II of England, aud the of fender was Captain Hawke of the ship Berwick, of sixty-four guns. The of fence was committed during an inde cisive naval actiou off Toulon in 1744, when the Euglish admirals in corn maud lost the opportunity to gain a victory by shrinking from a close en gagement. Captain HawKo was indignant. His country was being wronged by the in- Action—cowardly, he thought—of the commander!!. He could keep still no longer. Seojng no prospect of a gen eral action, he boldly, and in defiance of every order issued, quitted his sta tion and selected a Spanish ship of equal force to try the issues with. For half an hour it was an open ques tion whether Hawke had done a wisely bravo deed or simply a mad one, but at the end of that half hour, in which some brilliant lighting was done, the Spanish ship was a prisoner, and the captain's wisdom as well as bravery was clearly demonstrated. When official and public opinion had hud time to decide on the merits and demerits of the principal actors in the engagement, a Hag promotion took place, in which the name of Cap taiu Hawke was passed over. The slight was followed by a verdict from the naval authorities dismissing him from the service for his disobedient bravery. But the matter was not yet settled. His majesty, King George, had some thing to say. He inquired why the officer had been dismissed, and was frankly informed that it was because Captain Hawke bad disobeyed orders by quitting the line to light the Span ish ship Poder. "What?" cried the indignant mon arch. "Disgrace a man for fighting too much? He shall be my admiral." This was the royal verdict, and it is said that some years lutcr, in 1759, when Hawke gained a signal victory over the French fleet, the king was so overjoyed that his judgment in the choice of an admiral had been vindi cated, that he pulled the wig from his head and kicked it about the palace of Kensington for very gladness that he had given England so great an ad- I miral.—Youth's Companion. The >lincl»i«»votiH Puppv. One day a little puppy had just re ceived a bath aud his mother told him not togo out until he was quite dry, but the little dog, who never did a thing his mother told him, thought it wouldn't do him any harm togo out for a walk, and while his mother was sleeping he went out very quietly, so she wouldn't wake up. When onco out of the house he rayed aud jumped aud barked and chased the pretty butterflies until he was so tired out |he didn't know what to do. At last i he came to a muddy pool of water aud j he walked right through it, and so of | course he got all dirty. The little puppy began to feel so tired that he lay down to rest,and fell asleep. He slept for a long time, and when lie awoke it was very dark, aud the moon was. shining on him through i the trees. He started up in a fright : and began fo whine, but no one an swered him, so he stopped and lay | dowu again, but he could not sleep and he didn't know where he was. The disobedient puppy began to think of his home in the barn and i wished he had never left it. When daylight begun to dawn be thought he i heard a noise in the bushes close by and when he looked he saw two ; shining eyes fixed upon him. He did not stay there a minute longer, but started to runaway as fast ; as ever his legs would carry him. | Then he heard whatever it was com | ing right behind him, and he tried to ; run faster and faster, but lie could j not run fast enough, and pretty soon ; lie shut his eyes and gave himself up j for lost. He dropped down on the ! ground, and right on top of him CRine ; two big paws, and then he heard his • name. He opened his eyes,and there, ; looking into his face, was his own mother! It was she who had been watching him from the bushes and chased him when he ran. With a joyous bark aud one leap he was on his feet, asking forgiveness. His mother took him home and read | him a very serious lecture on disobe ! dience, and then washed all the mud and dirt off him and put him to bed. Cowboy Feats In Hawaii. The Hawaiian cowboy would put many of his western prototypes to 1 blush as to feats of horsemanship, for ' some of the country ridden over by a , Kanaka "spaniola" would cause cold chills to run down the back of a cow '■ puncher from the plains of Texas or : Nebraska. The latter country is level or at least undulating in its general character, while in the Hawaiian Islands it is quite the reverse. The cattle there have comparatively very little grazing laud, and as a conse quence stray far up on the mountain : sides aud iuto "the bush" looking for I sustenance. When the time conies ! for rounding up and branding, the j Kanaka has no "soft snap." Some of his riding is a little short of niarvel ' lous. Now down a deep grade on ' tho mountain side, floored with loose rocks and lava, next into a belt of ! timber over fallen tree trunks and through a tangled undergrowth, only to bring up on the edge of some pre cipitous gulch. Nothing daunted, horse and rider scramble dowu to tho bottom, ford tho inevitable stream and up on tho other side as if the devil were after them. All this on a keen jump, too, whenever possible.— New York Post. A Wonderful Yarn. Seven years ago a farmer living west of Webster City, la., hung his vest on the fence in the barnyard, and as a result of it a wonderful story is told. A calf chewed up a pocket in the garment in which was a standard gold watch. Last week the animal, a staid old milk cow, was butchered for beef, aud the timepiece was found in snch a position between the lungs of the cow, that the process of respiration, the closing in and filling the lungs, kept the stemwinder wound up, and the watch had lost bnt fonr minutes in the n«ven years. —Chicago Times- Herald.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers