Mexican statistics for last year in dicate that the United States fur nished that republic with more than fifty per cent, of its imports and bought four-fifths of its exports. In Indiana some of the teachers have organized themselves into a stock companv. They hope to secure from the community more of professional recognition; to find suitable positions for their members; to provide books and magazines for the schoolroom; to secure to the teacher his full legal rights. The latest development of mechan ical psychology is the alleged discovery thi.t the "geographical distribution" of hair and bald spots on the head makes of them so many signboards proclaiming their wearer's character, disposition, temperament aud intel lectual capacity or incapacity. Added to palmistry, phrenology, nose meas uring and Lombroso's system, this thing is getting to be terrible. Since the war with Spain, -when the United States government adopted for the clothing for the American sol dier in the tropics the fabric for many years in tise by the British war de partment for a similar purpose, most of our citizens have become familiar with the word Khaki. But few prob ably are aware of its meaning. The word is of East Indian origin and means in Hindustani "dusty" 01 "earthy." The appropriateness of its application to the cloth in question is evident when the color of the fabric is taken into consideration. History shows that the geologist, that charming individual who would dissect the earth as a surgeon dissect? the body, has had his troubles. In Scotland he was looked on with suspi cion by the game wardens and often arrested as a poacher. And in Aus tralia, on the contrary, the aborigines considered them not poachers but game, and bagged stray geologists with glee. Even in Europe short sighted chamois hunters sometimes blazed away at them as chamois, though fortunately without any seri ous accidents. But these days are past and the sacredness of the wan during geologist's person is assured It is an explanation somewhat amus ing aud obviously designed to soothe British pride, offered by a London journal, of the recent order of Amer ican locomotives for an English rail- 1 way. This explanation is that the j railway company is merely making au ! experiment to test the alleged superi- j ority of our traction eugiues. It is curious that a theory so palpably ab- J surd should be advanced with appar ent seriousness. English corporations do not expend thousands of dollars in experiments. This railway company has uicde this purchase, not from idle curiosity, but because of the ascer tained fact that it can procure better locomotives at less cost and in less time in America than in England. The Illinois Legislature passed dur ing its recent session a law requiring the state entomologist to inspect all Illinois nurseries once each year, and in all cases where these are found free from dangerous insects, aud fungus disease to issue certificates to this ef feet upon payment by nurserymen of the actual expense of inspection. The sale or shipment of nursery stock without such certificate of inspection will be illegal after July 1. By the l same law the entomologist is required to disinfect at the expense of appro priations made for the purpose, all Illi. nois orchards now infested by the San Jose scale. The office of the state entomologist, which has been by common consent of the parties con cerned, located at the University of Illinois since 1884, is now permanent ly established there by law. An English magazine complains that machinery has not helped the writer, while it has helped every other kind of man. The writer stiil has labori ously to grind out his thoughts by the pen or pencil, or at best by the type writer, which is only one remove from 'hem. The manufacturer turns out his millions of articles where he for merly turned out his teus, and his ■wealth is increased in tremendous de gree. The manufacturer stands in his office, and almost beueathhis eyes the raw material is turned into the finished product by the magic of machinery. "The ideal method of composition," says the English magazine, "would be the use of some machine into which the operator could talk aud have his spoken ■word reproduced at once on paper as the written word; but, unfortunately, like printing photographs in colors, each succeeding advance and discovery in the world of invention seems to make this hope more and more improb* able." A fiuer example of heroic courage and devotion was never seen than that given by Ensign Monaghau in stand ing by his wounded comrade. Lieu tenant Lansdale, and deliberately sac rificing a certainty of escape from the Samoan rebels. Wireless telegraphy may prove em barrassing as well as helpful in time of war. Marconi's message from the Dover coast to a French dispatch boat in the English channel shows what spies might do in sending shore news to a naval enemy. As the wire less mesaages can be sent by night as well as by day it might be impossible to prevent communication between shore and ship. Existing conditions spenk for them selves. Russia has about a million men under arms in times of peace. Her expenditures outstrip her receipts, but war department demands are in variably complied with. Germany and France will have nothiug but a mili tary maximum aud England launches three -new battleships for every iron clad sent into the water by a rival power. That is to sny, the outlook is anything but peaceful. The output of pig iron in the world in 1898 was five times that of 1850— that is, 35,000,00J tons, against 7,000,- 000. It was three times that of 1870 and twice that of 1880. These are the figures of the London Statist. Of the world product last year of 35,000,000 tons the United States produced one third. Our output in 1898 was more than twice the production of the world in any year prior to 1850, and exceed ed the world's output in any year prior to 1870. The imagination of the general pub lic has been so excited and indeed so bejuggled by recent discoveries, es pecially in the field of electricity, that any one who poses as a scientific man can make the most absurd statements with the expectation of beiug believed. It must be irritating to the patient, hard-working, scientific experimenter to see his good work neglected, aud the laws of science absolutely ignored, while the newspapers print and the people swallow stories which mainly illustrate the profligate use of the sci entific imagination, says the Christian Register. The annual report of the Royal Literary Fund of London goes to show that misfortune is impartial as to class when she goes visiting men of letters. During the past year $9525 was distributed as relief amongst twenty-seven authors on whom calam ities and poverty ha l fallen. The lit tle band of unfortunate scribes in cluded historians, biographers, writers on science and art, authors of classi cal and educational treatises, novelists, poets and dramatists. One would think that in a list of this kind the poets would predominate, but it is not so. Grouped with the dramatists —of course names are not giveu— the number to receive relief was only three. The idea. Only three starv ing poetf (and dramatists) in all Lou don ! The tide of immigration is now at its flood, and it shows a great rush to sur shores. The return of people after the war with Spain is probably respon aible in part for the increased immi gra ion. To the European peasant war means industrial depression aud doubt about getting work. In 18(!0 the number of immigrants was 150,- 237; but in 1861, when the civil war broke out, it dropped to 89,724 and iu 1862 it was 89,007. Then the war be ;ame less prohibitive, and in 1863 174,524 immigrants arrived aud 193,195 'he following year. In 1865 the num ber rose to 247,453, and by 1869 it had become 352,768. The delayed immi gration of 1861 aud 1862 no doubt 3welled the volume of subsequent years, as the postponements of last year may swell the numbers now. When Oliver Wendell Holmes was Asked at what age we should be taught '■he art of wise living, he promptly mswered, "Two hundred years before we are born." The truth of this is so obvious that its gainsaying is impossi ble, says the Argonaut. Two h indred years would mean about six genera tions. The implanting of a heredi tary tendency to right liviug would produce, in a single generation, both au improved physical condition to serve as a sound basis upon which moral competency might be based, and an upward moral tendency beside?. These tendencies, if kept active and virile through six generations, with a proper regard for a wise admixture of bloods, would produce such a race ae the world has never known. The sixth generation would have learned ite lesson in right living two liundret 1 years before it was born. T THE SNAKE BUFFALO HORSE | } Boyhood Exploit of Montana Pioneer. In the spring of 1864 some Indians from the great camp of the Blackfeet came to Fort Benton, Montana, for the purpose of renewing their supply of powder aud ball. They reported the camp as situated on the Judith river, where game was unnsuallv plenty, and said that the chiefs had decided to move into the fort as soon as the women could finish tanning the winter's take of buffalo hides. The greatest piece of news they had to tell was about a buffalo horse they had captured during a battle with the Snake Indians. Never before had auy of the people seen an animal so beautiful, swift and well trained. So great were its powers of endurance that its owner, Owl's Head, had killed 23 buffalo in a single run. Without the guidance of a bridle it would swerve to the right or left, go hero or there according to the swaying of the rider's body or the pressure of his knee. Iu those days, when the only com merce of the country was the fur trade, a good bufl'alo runner was the most desirable aud useful piece of property a man could own. The voy ageurs and other employes of the great trading company, therefore, lis tened with great interest to the stories these Indians had to tell about the horse, and each one determined to try to buy it. But had they only known it, they would not have wasted their time figuring on their chances. Major Steell, one of the partners of the firm, had himself determined to buy the animal. Not that he had any special need for it, but he loved to ride out on the plains with his men whenever his duties would permit a short ab sence from the fort, and when he did go he rode the best horse to be found in the land. He said nothing of his intentions, however, and bided his time. ■< One morniug the people of the fort saw a long co'umn of horsemen string ing down fi jm the prairie into the wide flat aero,is the river. It was the advance guard, the chiefs, head war riors HIUI medicine men of the Black feet, and hurried preparations were made to receive them with the pomp and show so dear to the Indian's heart. As the head of the column rode slowly down to the river aud acress the ford the cannon and how itzers iu the bastion begau to thunder a welcome, to which the Indians re plied by tiring their guns and singing a song of war and triumph. Every one of tliem was decked out in all his war finery of embroidered buckskiu, ermine fringe and fluttering plumes, and they presented on imposing sight as they rode their prancing horses up to the fort and dismounted at the gates. The heavy portals swung open, and the agent, Major Steell, himself, wearing a blue uniform and sword, steppe I forth to greet them. Alter shaking hands with the whole party he invited them to the council room, where the great stone pipe was filled, lighted aud passed from hand to ha ul around the circle,each iu turn taking a few whiffs of the smoke. The agent ami the chiefs meanwhile ex changed the news of the day. The Indians told of the prominent mem bers.of their tribe who had died of ill ness or who had fallen in battle during the winter; of the successes of their people against the enemy; of the large number of buffalo robes and pelts of beaver aud wolf the}' had brought to trade for the white man's goods. An hour elapsed, aud the big pipe had been refilled many times. At last the women of the fort appeared, bring ing in huge kettles of boiled meat aud sugared tea, pans of stewed dried ap ples and hard bread. Here was lux ury indeed! Meat was almost the sole food of the Indians —and the whites, too —iu those times; a feast comprising sugered tea, hard bread aud dried apples was something to be talked about and remembered for many a day to come. The kettles aud pans were soon emptied, and then the pipe was again lighted, aud during the general talk which followed the agent asked Owl's Head for his buffalo horse. The Indian flatly refused to part with it for auy consideration whatever, sayin.; that he had risked his life in battle to capture it aud that he loved the aui rnal as he did his children. Major Steell, therefore, said no more on the subject, and presently the Indians, haviug each received a present of to bacco, went out aud remounting their horses rode back across the river, where during their visit at the fort the great camp had moved in. Four hun dred lodges now dotted the plain which had been desolate a few hours before. Thousands of horses were being driven to water or out on the hills to graze. From each lodge arose the smoke of the newly lighted fires. Hundreds of children played and yelled along the shore of the river; women gossiped and laughed with one another; dogs barked, horses neighel. Early the next morning the great trade began and lasted for a number of days. The warehouses were emptied of the goods they contained and re filled with robes aud skins. The women strutted about in new gowns of bright-lined calico. Every one had a new blauket. The men bought uew guns, saddles, belts and knives; every one was happ£, One day, mnch to Major SteelPs surprise, Owl's Head entered his of fice and liauding him the end of a lariat said: "Mo-yok ko-tas." (Here's your horse.) The agent went to the door and sure enough found that the end of the lariat was fast to the most beautiful horse h* bad »v«r laid tuan on TDnok am t coal, strong limbed and deep chested, with small head and delicately pointed ears, its neck arching gracefully as it pranced about restlessly at the end of the rawhide rope. It was the perfect embodiment of a swift and finely bred animal. It surely was of no Indian breed. The Snakes, from whom the Blackfeet had taken it, had, undoubt edly, got it iu turn from some of the white settlements far to the south and east, or, perhaps, captured it from some luckless einigraut on the over laud trail. The major, however, only glanced at the animal, for he did not wish to show the Indian how pleased he was. Ordering a passing employe to take the horse to the stables, he told Owl's Head to accompany hiin to the trade room, where he gave him various articles of merchandise far ex ceeding in value any price which had ever been paid for a horse in that country. The corrals and stables had been built just outside of the fort and were commanded by the cannon in two of the great bastions. Here the horses owned by the company were shut up every night. During the day time they were sent out on the prairie to graze in charge of a herder, who at this time was a boy of 14 years named Joseph Kipp, now one of the promi nent citizens and cattlemen of Mon tana. When Joe came in with the herd that evening the major sent for him aud said: "Well, my boy, I've finally bought that Snake horse. We'll call him Snake. Now. I want you to take him out with the herd daily and watch him closely until he has made friends with the other horses. Bide him occasion ally, euongh to keep hiin in good trim, for I'm going to have a buffalo hunt before long. Be careful, now, aud see that you don't lose him, for with out question he is the best bred ani mal this side of the Mississippi river, ami I value him highly." "Yes, sir," said Joe. "I'll watch him as you say. No danger of his getting away from me." About two weeks after this conver sation took place the herder corralled the horses one evening and then en tered the major's office with a most dejected air. "Snake's gone," he said shortly aud with a suspicion of a sob in his voice. "Why, Joe!" exclaimed the major, "how were you so careless as to lose him?" "I didn't lose him, and I wasn't careless; he's been stolen." Then the boy broke down; but the major spoke to him kiudly, and after a little he told how it had happened. At noon he had driven the herd to the a small stream three miles north of the fort aud given them ample time to driuk while he ate his luncheon; he had then driven them back on the bench laud to graze. It was a warm day, aud along iu the af ternoon, becoming \fry thirsty, he rode back to the Toton for another drink of water. He was gone from the herd perhaps 20 miuutes or half an hour, and on his return he imme diately missed Snake. Scanning the country with his telescope he saw tha horse, riddeu by an Indian, just as they were disappearing in the brenka of the Missouri several miles east of the fort. The major, of course, was greatly disappointed at losing his valuable horse,but he was a kind and jnst man, aud after comforting the boy the best he kuew how he sent him to his own quarters for supper. Nearly all the employes of the trad ing company were married to Black feet women, aud hardly a day passed but some of the relatives of their wives visited the fort. Through some of these visitors it was soou learned that Owl's He»d himself had stolen Snake. After the big trade the camp had moved back south a few miles to the Shonkin, where wood and grass were more abundant, and the buffalo horse was running with the Indians' herd. But that didu't help matters much. There was no such thing as law. Within the walls of the fort the trad ing company was supreme. Beyond the range of the canuon and howitzers the Indians ruled the land; might was right. Also it was the policy of the traders never to quarrel with the In dians. Perhaps the major soou forgot his loss; he had great affairs to keep his mind busy; but it was different with the boy Joe. During the short tune he had kept Snake iu his charge he had learned to love the beautiful animal aud longed to regain posses sion of it. Then again the taunts of old Four Bears, a great gosßip, who was always riding back and forth be tween the camp and the fort, fairly set him wild. The old fellow brought almost daily reports of the number of buffalo Owl's Head was killing with the aid of his swift horse. "Such a horse! Never was anything seen to compare with it. What power of endurance, what speed, what sagac ity that wonderful horse has!" With a malicious leer he would say to Joe: "Ah,boy, you ought to see that horse. If once you saw him I know you would want to own him." This was too much for Joe, and, his heart almost bursting with indignation and injured pride, he would rush from the room out into the cool night air lest he should be tempted to strike the old Indian dead where he sat. One evening Four Bears was more tantal izing than ever in hiß stories of the wouderful horse, and when, as usual, he drove Joe from the room, the boy went straight to the major's office and asked to be excused from herding for • (lay or ttvo, saving that be was not feeling very well; he did not dare to Bay what he really wanted a holiday for, as he feared a refusal. Of course the major granted his request, and Joe left the office with a lighter heart than he had had for many a day. First he went to notify a man the major had designated to take the herd out in the morning, and then he repaired to the quarters of old Baptiste Koudin, the company's hunter, to consult with him about his plan, which was no less than the stealing of Snake out of the Blackfeet camp. The old voyageur entered into his scheme with enthusi asm, and bidding his wife prepare a small sack of food and till a canteen of water for the boy he began to plan the proper course to pursue, Joe lis tening with the closest attention. When everything was in readiness the two slipped out of the fort through the small Rate, hurried down to the shore of the river, where a skiff was tied, and in a few minutes Joe was safely landed on the opposite side. There is a sense of location, of di rection, possessed by all true plains men, at once unuefinable and inex plicable. Joe had been told where the camp was located aud had often passed the place in times gone by; so now, as if by instinct, in the dark est of nights, without guide or land mark, he traversed the six or seven miles of rolling prairie between the two streams aud in the course of a couple of hours found himself over looking the great camp, which was pitched by the creek in the valley below him. The lodges, illuminated by the fires within, were plainly seen through the intense darkness. He could hear the beating of tomtoms and singing where a party of young men were practising a war dance; the sounds of laughter and scraps of con versation floated up to him plainly through the heavy night air; innu merable dogs barked and yelped in answer to the howling of the wolves skulking about the neighboring hills. Joe well knew that somewhere in the great camp Snake was tied close to the doorway of Owl's Head's lodge; he also knew that it would be certain death for him to attempt to enter the camp while the people were still up and awake- Equally hopeless would be the task of finding the lodge and the horse after the people had retired and the light of their tires died out; in the thick darkness one horse could soarce ly be distinguished from another. His best chance, as the old voyageur had predicted, was to follow Owl's Head's tactics and, watching his opportunity, steal the horse from the herd as they grazed about on the hills during the day. Having made up his mind to do this, Joe crawled into a thick patch of cherry and service berry brush he had stumbled against and, hoping he was not intriuliug in the haunt of some rattlesnake,curled himself up for a sleep with one hand resting on his rifle, ready for any emergency. When the boy awoke it was broad daylight, and, peering through the bushes, he saw the horses stringing out to both sides of the valley as the early rising women unfastened their tethers and turned them loose. Taking his telescope from its case,he carefully adjusted it and closely examined the horses already grazing out from the camp; then he looked among those still tethered iu the village. His heart leaped as he discovered Snake tied by the doorway of • red-painted lodge. A woiuan aanie out, untied the lariat, and, with long, graceful leaps, the beautiful animal hastened to join its mates on the other side of the stream. Joe watched them sadly as they moved up the side of the hill, stopping for a bite here and there as they went, for his chance to steal the horse that day was gone; he could not possibly cross the valley without being discov ered. He cut some of the brush in the centre of the patch and interlaced it in that standing about him to screen more effectually his hiding place aud then ate a little of the food he had brought along. The hours dragged along slowly. The suu ere, t up iu the sky and beat down on him unmercifully. The can teen of water was most precious now, and he drank of it sparingly. All day long he lay there in the stifling heat, and it seemed as if night would never come. People came and went over the hills in all directions, often passing close to the patch of brush. Once a couple of men came aud sat right at the edge of it aud conversed for a long time. Joe scarcely dared to breathe for fear they would hear him, and he gave a great sigh of relief when they fiually arose and went down the hill to the camp. At noon all the horses were driven in from the prairie to water, and at sundown they were again driven in, watered and tied up about the lodges for the night. With his telescope Joe saw Owl's Head him self catch Snake aud after petting it and stroking its glossy neck tie the animal close to the doorway of the lodge. The boy now knew just where the horse was to be found. Time and again he had mapped out the route from his hiding place to the lodge— down the hill to the west end of the camp, then three lodges to the left, aud from there it was the second one toward the creek. When it was qnite dark he went down to the creek, some distance above the camp, drank long aud deep of the cool water aud bathed his face and head. The lodges were astir with life and light,aud it seemed as if the people would never tire of their dancing, gambling and story tell ing, and goto bed. Finally,however, the lights of the tires died out,one by one, until all that part of the camp about Owl's Head's lodge was dark aud silent. Further away a big dance was still goirtg on, but Joe could wait no longer. Qoing to the edge of the camp he moved as slowly and cautiously as a panther toward the lodge. He trem bled a little, and there was a choking sensation in his thioat as he strove to distinguish eact dimly seen object in front of find about him. He was afraid, sorely afraid and scared, as any mail would have been entering the camp of a hostile people ill the dead of night. But he would not give way to his feel ings aud retire, and at last he stood in front of Owl's Head's lodge and put his hand on Snake's satin-coated sidn. There was no mistake; no Indian horse ever wore such fine,smooth hair as that. With trembling hands ha placed his lariat around the horse's neck and then took out his knife to cut the other one which tethered hiui; just then his rifle slipped from his grasp, and the iron-plated butt strnck a stone with a metallic clink. How his heart seemed to stop at the sound! But now the rawhide thong was cut, and dropping the knife Joe leaped on Bnake's back with a mighty bound. At the same instant there was a blind ing flash of light from the doorway of the lodge, a deafening report and the ugly whiz of a ball singing through space. Snake leaped so suddenly at the flash of the gun that Joe was bounced far back on his rump, nearly falling off; but he quickly regaiued his seat, and together they went flying out over the fl .t aud up the hill, urged ou by the shots and yells from the awakened camp. Long before morning the people of the fort were aroused by the sounds of yelling and pounding at the gate. With guns and lanterns the men rushed out to learn what the trouble might be. A well known voice called out to open the gate, aud when the great door swung back Joe, proud anil smiling, rode Snake into the yard. The voyageurs shouted with joy at the sight,rushed up and grasped his hands, asking questions faster than he could answer them. As he slid down from the horse's back, the major came up and patting him on the shoulder said: "Well done, my boy; well done. From (his day you shall De a voyageur." —New York Sun. QUAINT AND CURIOUS. A strange clock was mads during the last century for a French noble man. The dial was horizontal,and the figures, being hollow, were filled with different sweets or spices. Thus, run ning his finger along the hand, by tasting, the owner could tell the hour without a light. In Japan most of the horses ar» shod with straw. Even the clumsiest of cart horses wear straw shoes, which, in their cases, are tied round the ankle with straw rope, and are made of the ordinary rice straw, braided so as to form a sole for the foot about half an inch thick.' These soles cost abou' one cent a pair. A woman out bicycling lost a jew elled scarfpin, which she much valued. She did not miss it till the end of her journey, and as she had ridden twenty miles the prospect of finding it seemed small. She, however, gave notice of her loss to the police. On her return journey, when about a mile from home, she punctured the tire of her machine, and on dismounting to discover the cause found the pin sticking in the tire. William Decker of Shepard, Ind., an eccentric individual who had been an infidel for many years, was buried a few days ago. Two years ago Decker had his coftin built, and, according to his wishes, he was buried in his front yard. The coffin was painted a bright red. On a headstone at the head of the grave was inscribed: "Here lies the body of William Decker, who al ways paid 100 cents on the dollar." The funeral services were conducted by an attorney iustead of a minister The most expensive material ever produced for a dress is said to have been purchased by the German Em press last year from Lyons. It was white silk brocade, having flowers, birds and foliage in relief, and cost sl-25 a yard, the actual value of the raw silk, it is said, being SIOO. The empress was so struck with its beauty that she had not the heart to cut it up, audit was eventually turned into curtains. The price paid for this ma terial is about double as much as the famous cloth of gold that Louis XIV had made into a dressing gown. A shell-fish Known as the pianna iu the Mediterranean has the curious power of spinning a viscid silk which is made in Sicily into a regular fabric. This silk is spun by the shell fish in the first place for the purpose of at taching itself to the rocks. It is able to guide the delicate filaments to the proper place aud then glue them fast, aud if they are cut away it can repro duce them. The material when gath ered—which is done at low tide—is washed in soap aud water, dried and straightened, one pound of the coarse filament yielding three ounces of the fine thread, which, when spun, is of a lovely burnished golden-browu color. Charitable Spaniard*. Foreign residents of Spanish cities are amazed to find that the relentless butchers of Moriscoes, Lncaynns, Netherlander, and Cuban insurgents seem to be the most charitable people on earth. The famished citizeus of Cadiz and Havana shared their pittance with still poorer wretches. Without a poor-tax, Spanish communities of 50,000 self-supporters feed a pauper population of f>ooo to 70()0. Publio hospitals are thronged with ministers of mercy. Nor should we shriuk from the confession that in the laud of Tor queiuada, minors are treated far more kindly than in Puritanical Great Brit ain. There are Spanish towns where Chsrleß Lamb's Autocrat of the Gram mar-school, child-torturing Boyer, would h»ve been torn by a ragiug mob. --Felix L. Oswald, in the Arena.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers