IMPROVISED BIRD HOUSES, 'it?# One of the most delightful and suggestive of the teachers' leaflets issued by the College of Agriculture, Cornell University, for use in the public schools, is one entitled "The Birda aud I," by L. H. Bailey. This is illus trated by a number of suggestions for bird houses, which may be copied by all the boys and girls who are always wanting to use hammer and nails and "make something useful." Some of the many forms which can be used are shown in the picture. Any ingenious boy can suggest a dozen other patterns. The floor space in each compartment should not be less than 5x6 inches, and GxG inches or 6xS inches may be better. By cutting the boards in multiples of these numbers, one can easily make a house with several compartments; for there are some birds, as martins, tree swallows and pigeons, that like to live in families or colonies. The size of the doorway is important. It should be just large enough to admit the bird. A larger opening not only looks bad, but it exposes the inhabitants to dangers of cats and other enemies. Birds which build in houses, aside from doves and pigeons, are bluebirds, wrens, tree swallows, martins, and sometimes the chickadee. For the wren and chickadee the opening should be an inch and a half augur hole, and for the others it should be two inches. I Ths Souths "All's Well." | By R. H. EDMONDS. I ¥ © Ten years ago the South fought ita first skirmish in the endless battle that ever rages for the world's com mercial supremacy. Its pig-iron eu tereil the markets so long dominated by Pennsylvania furnaces, and, to the ■dismay of those who had affected to despise its rivalry, won a substantial victory. Alabama iron became a fac tor in every iron-consuming centre, and from this position it could not be dislodged. About the same time Southern cotton mills were forcing their product into successful competi tion with the output of New England mills. But as Pennsylvania iron and steel people took refuge in the claim that the South would never advance beyond the iron-making stage, that it could never become a factor in the higher forms of finished goods and in steel-making, so the New England mills lulled themselves into a sense of security on the claim that though Southern mills might make coarse goods, they could never acquire the skill and the capital needed for the finer goods. In the light of what has been accomplished within ten years, it seems very strange that such argu ments as these should have done duty iu so many newspapers and in BO many gatherings. A Prophecy. Judge Kelley—"Pig-Iron Kelley," as ne was familiarly known—had been wiser than his people. Nearly twenty WAGES PAID TO TACTOBT HANDS. 1880. 1899. $75,900,000. $350,000,000. years ago he proclaimed the coming power of the South in all industrial pursuits, and heralded it not as a dis aster to Pennsylvania and to New England, but as an added strength to the industrial power of the country. "The development of the South," said he, "means the enriohment of the na tion." In this light the progress of the South should be watched, for while its industrial upbuilding may mean the changing of some forms of industry in other sections, there is versatility enough in our people and in our country to find a new avenue for the employment of brains and energy and capital for every one that may be closed by changing business conditions. New England may yield the sceptre of cotton-manufacturing to the South, to the vast enrichment of the South, but New England will find new openings for its tireless energy and its accumulated capital. GRAIN FBODUCED —BUSHELS. 1880. 1898-99. 431,000,000. 736,600,000. The South will become enormously wealthy through the change, but New . England will not be made the poorer. Th» Flrat SkimiUhei. Just about the time when the South was winning these first skirmishes, and when its people were dazzled by the new opportunities of employment and wealth creation which were open ft HAILBOAD MILEAGE. 1880. 1899. 20,600. 50,000. ing before them after the darkness of thirty years of war and reconstruction trials, there came the world-wide financial panic following the Baring failure. The South, suddenly brought down from its dizzy speculative height, had to face new conditions. The business world recognized that the supreme test of the South's in herent advantages and possibilities had come. It faced the situation—its iron-masters steadily reduced the cost of iron-making until furnaces which had been turning out 8S and 89 iron COTTON CONSUMPTION IN SOUTHERN MILLS—BALES. 1880. 1838-99. 233,886. 1,399,000. were able to produce $6 iron; its cot ton-mill owners wisely abandoned old machinery, and, equipping their mills with every modern improvement, drove them to their utmost capacity night and day, in order to double the output on their invested capital and propor tionately reduce the cost of goods; its cotton-planters, who had kept their ooru-crib3 and smoke-houses in the West, buying in the aggregate about 8100,000,000 worth a year of Western corn and bacon, commenced to raise their own food supplies, and in this way, returning to the old ante-bellum system, reduced the cost of raising cotton. While these changes, all revolutionary in their character, were in progress, the small bankrupt rail road lines were brought into compact systems, new and heavier rails laid, rolling-stock increased and necessary extensions made. Iron and Coal. Thus the South passed through the long period of depression, standing the great test, which came so unex pectedly, in a way that strengthened the world's confidence. It not only SPINDLES IN COTTON-MILLS. 1880. 1899. 667,000. 5,000,000. held its own during this period, but its iron-makers entered foreign mar kets, and demonstrated that the South could dictate the price of iron for the world. Alabama iron set the price in England and on the Continent, as well as in Japan, and even from Jerusalem came an order for it. This marked a revolution in the world's iron and steel interests. Henceforth the world was the market for Southern iron. When this point had been reached, the next step was to build steel-works commensurate with what has been ac complished in iron-making; and to-day two gigantic plants—one to make steel billets, and the other to make finished steel products—are nearing com pletion at Birmingham. They have cost about $2,500,000. They have PHOSPHATE. MINED —TONS. 1880. 1890. 750,000. 2,000,000. already booked heavy orders for steel billets for shipment to Pittsburg. A number of furnaces built during the boom of 1889-90, and which have been idle ever since, have lately been bought by strong companies, and are now being put into blast. With every furnace crowded to its utmost capac- CAPITAL INVESTED IK MANUFACTURING. 1880. 1890. $257,000,900. $1,000,000,000. ity, which will soon be the case, the output of Southern iron in 1900 prom ises to be nearly fifty per cent, larger than ever before. The demand for coal exceeds the production, though that is now at the rate of 40,000,000 tons a year. There is almost feverish activity in enlarging the output of oid mines, in opening new ones, and CAPITAL IN COTTON-SEED-OIL MANUFAC TURE. 1880. 1899. 83,500,000. $40,000,000. in building coke-ovens; for a ready demand meets every ton produced, with a profit that makes glad the stockholders. The Flioflphnte Industry. Turning from iron and coal, with the almost fabulous profits which they are yielding, to other industries, phosphate-mining looms into promi nence. Up to ten years ago South Carolina was the only American source of phosphate rock, and our fertilizer factories, as well as those of Europe, had to depend upon the few hundred thousand tons which that State an nually produced. Theu it was dis covered that Florida had vast phos phate beds, and soon that State sur passed South Carolina in this indus try. Two or three years later similar discoveries were made in Tennessee, and the mining activity which has fol lowed reminds one of the tales of de- COAL MINED—TONS. 1880. 1899. 6,000,000. 40,000,000. velopment in new gold regions. Ten years ago the South's output of phos phate rock was not more than 750,000 tons; this year it will be 2,000,000 tons. What this means in the diver sification and improvement of agricul tural conditions is too broad a subject j for treatment here. Tli* Forest*. Possessing one-half of the standing timber of the United States, the South is building up immense lumber and wood-working interests, aud through out the entire lumber region business is as prosperous as iu the iron dis tricts. Cotton It Still King. Though the value of the grain now raised in that section exceeds ou the farm the value of the cotton crop, cot ton is still the dominaut power in the business life of the South. No other country has such a monoply of any agricultural staple of such world-wide influence as the South has of cotton. Cotton and cotton-seed bring to South ern farmers an average of $300,000,- 000 a year. The comparatively new industry of cotton-seed oil making now employs over $40,000,000 of capital, and yields au aunnal product of upwards of $50,000,000. From Galveston alone the foreign exports of cotton oil and cotton-seed meal are averaging nearly 1000 tons a day. Of this industry the South has almost as much of a monopoly as it has of cot ton-growing, but in the manufacture of cotton goods this section, though making marvelous progress, is still only getting well started. There are about 100,000,000 in the world. The Soutu furnishes the cotton for about three-fourths of these, or 75,000,000 spindles, but has only 5,000,000 spindles. To consume in its owu mills its crop of 10,000,000 to 11,000,000 bales would require the investment of over $1,500,000 in new mills, aud long before that point oould be reached, even at the present rapid growth, the world will annually re guire of this section from 25,000,000 COTTON CROP—BALES. '0- 1898-99. 5,75- 000 11,274,840. to 30,0bD,000 bales. In 1880 thd South started on its cotton-mill de velopment with a basis of 667,000 spindles, representing a capital of $21,000,000. By 1890 it had $61,- 000,000 capital in this industry and 1,700,000 apiadles. To-day it has 5,000,000 spindles and about $125,. 000,000 of capital invested in cotton mills, while mills under construction represent about $25,000,000 more. The most significant sign of the times in this indu3tiy is that New England mill-owners, recop izing that the South is bound to win, are transfer ring large capital to Southern mills. A |flp (jllfP V A riJE OF MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS. 1880. 1899. $457,400,000. $1,500,000,000. number of the leading mill companies of the former section have, during the last few years, built branch mills, costing from $500,000 to $1,000,000 each, in the South; and now one of New England's greatest corporations is spending $2,500,000 in building in Alabama what will be the largest cotton-mill ever constructed as a sin gle enterprise. The recent advauce in the price of cotton is bringing pros perity to the farmers, and if it holds for the balance of the season, will ■JE. ' - H-y ;! 'J.;;. ..I PIG-IRON PRODUCED —TONS. 1880. 1899. 397,000. 2,500,000. mean $75,000,000 more to them than they received for last year's crop. In diversified interests the same story of progress and prosperity runs. The Newport News Ship Yard, with over $10,000,000 of work uuder con tract, including two steamers of about 12,000 tons each for the Pacific trade, the largest ever built in America, is said to be employing more hands than even the Cramps; the Richmond Lo comotive Works are competing with the Baldwins in exporting locomo tives; the Maryland Steel Company has been furnishing steel rails for Russia's Siberian Railroad, for Alls tralia and other distaut regions; Ala CAPITAL INVESTED IN COTTON MILLS. 1880. 1899. $21,900,000. $125,000,000 bama coke has gone to Japan, and the export of both coke and iron is only limited by the fact that the home de mand now exceeds the supply. The South's Story In Statistics. Statistics are often uninteresting, but the story of the South's progress cannot be told more clearly than in the comparative illustrations scattered through this article, in which reliable estimates are given where exact fig ures are not obtainable. Surveying tliu whole Southern situ ation, what has been done and what is under way, it can be truly said that "all's well."—Harper's Weekly. Cansava, the New Crop. The Spanish war seems to have given promise of benefit iu a direction entirely unexpected iu stimulating the study of tropical products. A plant has been "discovered" that promises to become to the Gulf states what wheat is to the North. For years this plant, which resembles a gigantic beet, has been a staple product of SEVEN CASSAVA-ROOTS. Brazil and other South American countries, aud has recently been grown in Jamaica with remarkable re sults. In Eastern trcpical countries it is known as "manioc," in Brazil it is called "mandioca," in Colombia it is known as "yucca," and in the West Indies the name "cassava" or "eas sada" prevails. The gigantic roots produce a flour that rivals the best of wheat. They give a juice that makes an excellent table preserve. They yield an abundance of starch of a su perior quality. They also make a re markable showing in fattening cattle. If one-half of what is claimed by the United States Department of Agricul ture aud the Jamaica Agriculture So ciety be realized, the problem of what to do with the vast areas of almost arid lands of the Gulf stutes is to be solved by "cassava." lla<l It In Varlout A»Mirtinenl>, It wa-s in one oi the big department stores. "What do you wish to-day, madam?" asked the courteous floor walker. . "Nothing. I " "Sixteenth floor. Take the ele vator. We have nothing there in large and varied assortments. James, riug the belt for the lady."—Harper's Bazar. Keinalns of an Old-Timer. The skeleton of a prehistoric sea monster resembling a shark was un earthed recently at the quarry of J. H. Davis, who live 3 ten miles south of Bonham, Texas. Its jaws were about four feet in length, and, though buried several feet in solid limestone, were iu a good state of preservation, the enamol being plainly visible on the teeth. y ? FOR WOMAN'S BENEFIT. I *-.»♦ Ronltjr Pr«cllc>'» Cnleatlienlrs. Fencing and calisthenics have al ways been a regular part of the daily physical exercises of the Princess of Wales' daughters. Even when on the royal yacht they never omit the exer cise that has contributed to their gracoful carriage and excellent health. The rapid, gliding walk, the erect carriage without stiff.jess and the well poised head of the Princess of Wales are attributed to her thorough practice of calisthenics. Fur Hutu for Winter Wear. Fur hats are to ba worn to a consid erable extent. There are many mink turbans, and the all-over grebe skin hats, in small, round shapes, are just coming out. A particularly striking Spanish turban has the roll of white grebe skin and the crown of white vel vet, on which bunches of violets are hand painted. A bunch of violets is at the side of the turban, and a rhiue stone buckle run through violet vel vet ornaments the front of the brim. With this is worn a collarette of white silk bordered with swansdown. The front of the collarette djpeuus in long stole like ends.ou which are appliqued purple orchids. The same flowers are used in the high silk and swnasdown ruff at the neck. A Widow'* Mou-ni-is Veil. A widow has a never to-be mistaken badgj in the tiny white ruche which she alone wears in her bonuet. This impoit»nt adjunct Jits closely to the head, is made of crape, with a fold or two on the elge, while a Hat bow in front makes it more generally becom ing. The strings should be of black gros-grain ribbon. A widow may also have overstriugs of white lawn, which are hemmed and tucked, when she dons the linen collar and cuffs, but for three months not a particle of white shows on a thoroughly correct deep mourning garb. A widow's crape veil is at least two yards long, with a three inch hem at the back aud from five to seven in front, the latter hang ing one-third longer from the top of the head, aud confined byfolds across the bonuet, held by small dull jet pins on each side. At the end of six months the veil is worn with the long er end hanging in in the back and the shorter one over it, with folds over the top of the bonmt; a face veil of net is theu worn with or without a fold of crape trimming. —Ladies' Home Journal. Akunt Women's Feet. .Tust at the age when women are particularly foud of dainty fe t, Na ture comes gallantly to the rescue and shapes their feet smaller than they were as growing girls. It is a fact noted by observing shoemakers, who do not at all regret a circumstance that helps to make business brisk. "Yes,"said one of Boston's swellest bootmakers, to an inquiring news paper man, "girls ab nit seventeen or eighteen years old give us uo end of trouble. Their feet are then large anil shapeless. They often take sizes as large as full grown women. "When they get older, however,and the foot becomes settled, new boots on the old last will be found too large, and it is only whe.i the young ladies complain that their new shoe-t are too big that we know the foot has under gone the change ji 8 described. Then explanations have to be given, but the bootmaker doesn't mind this so much, for a woman, as she < rows old er, likes to be told that her foot is getting smaller. "After forty the feet of a woman go back to the fat aud flabby state, aud herein grows t 'ouble for the bootmak er, who has to state, in explanation why the last pair of shoes do not fit, that the lies in the fajt that her feet are getting bigger." Tlie »Wfol Waists. The white satiu and white taffeta silk waists will be fashionable again. There is a little fullness directly in the front, but this is supposed to be gathered in uuder the belt. Almost all the waist* hnveayoke effect aud a little lace edging around the front of the waist below the yoke. 'J hey have elaborate collars of the same material as the waist, but l.ehiud the ears in points so that they can be turned over. These are e lged with lace, aud a lace bow is additional, but on many of the waists there is simply a bow of the same material as the wnist, the ends of which are trimmed with lace. All waists are tucked and corded, and there is au infinite \ariety iu the wijdths of the tucks. Some are miu ute, others wide. There are even some waists that show the old-fash ioned box plaits once a jain, but these require to be made carefully or they will look bulky aud clumsy. They are at all times trying to stout fig ures. A stout woman will do well, if she has a silk waist made, to have al ways a boued and fitted lining, and, besides, it is best to huve three seams in the back—one i;i the middle of the back and one on either side. These seams break the width, and, if suf ficient curve is given to the wide seams, it really makes the figure much more tapering thau might be believed possible. Admonishing Children. "The universal frailty of our hu man nature, which dislikes to be told of faults must be taken iuto consider ation when we con. Erse with our grown up children," writes Kate Up son Clark in the Woman's Home Com panion. "After they pass the age of 14 or 15 they usually betray a greater seusitiveness than before to even rea souable fault findiug. By the time they reach 1» or 20 this tendency has be^-o/le a marked trait They Have then become substantially like tbe rest of us. Even from tbe lips of lo - iug fathers and mothers aud iu strict privacy they want nothing but the same sort of honey ou which our own souls love to feed. They wish uo al lusion miule to the fact that they are acquiring nasil tones; tint their g„it is awkward; that their taste iu dre-ts is uuformed and even bad; that they have not good judgment in choosiug associates, and so ou. Private dis courses upon the wiles of the world aud the weakness of youth and its proneness to wander they wish none of. Whatever medicine of that sort i-i to be given must be administered in small doses, interjected with skill into conversations upon ordinary matters, aud sugar coated, if possible, with artful compliment,thou j;h it should be always deserved. Even the best and dearest of our carefully brought uy young peope aro likely to have their year or more of obstinacy and ig heaue Iness,' or their permanent streaks of uureasouableness and con tumacy. Therefore they would bet ter receive most of the telling strokes that mold into shape before they reach the age of 14. From that time up t r the age of what is called Miscretio >,' which does not a'rive with most of us before 25 (if then), the youth,in judg ment aud sense, is really not much superior to what he was at from seven to fifteen, but he has no suspicion of this fact." Fn«liiona in Slipper*. Pretty low slippers and low shoes that have been worn the past sir- er aud fall,and will be worn in and in the south this winter, are unique, being made of yellow Russia leather, with n dull liu : sli, giving them the appearance of calf. iJeiuy made of a leather soft iu itself, but having an appearance of heavy ma terial, they are particularly attract ive in fancy shoes. Some of these slippers have a tongue going up on the instep,with one oroad strap clasp ing over it and fastening with a bow, a little or a very large buckle. Large and elaborate buckles are to be seeu on many slippers. Many varieties of pretty strapped slippers have one, two, three and four straps. The big buckles necessitate big bows under them or they are across the straps of a three or four strap slipper. Rhine stone and out steel buckles are the prettiest of all, though a tiny gol.l buckle on the toe of a slipper with several straps has a business like ap pearauce that is attractive. Most of the cut steel, as well as the rhinestone buckles are imported aud consequent ly expensive. A pretty buckle is ol gun metal and rhinestones. Popular slippers are of pateut leather, which always look well. Mauj slippers have different colored heels, aud many people like them. The high heel the woman with the pretty foot affects, aud some prominent women of the stage always wear extra high heels. One well known actress never wears a heel less than two aud thiee fourths inches high. The ordinary heel will measure two indies; half an inch iu a heel is considerable. The other week several pairs of slio.-s aud slippers with heels four inches high were made in New York for a Buffalo woman. No one knows how she will 1 e able to walk ou them. Slippers made to match gowns are pretty, but they are not economical, for the material, unless it happens to be one of the standard satins, blue, pink, red and yellow, or black or white, cannot be relied upon to wear. When you measure your own foot for a shoe—a dangerous practice us ually—the shoemaker says, staud on a piece of paper aud draw a line arouud the fobt, but while sitting, not while stauiing.—New York Times. Kaaltlon*!! Fancied. Bolero effects of every kind aud shape are a special feature of fash ion. Both large shoes aud large gloves are wo n by the smartest maids and matrons. Some of the black velvet lows for the hair have pipings of white satin stitched on one edge with very good e fleet. Very shiny are the black gauze but torflies, spotted with ctieuille and spaugles, which can be purchased iti the shops for reaovating last year's evening bonne". Marie Antoinette hats have not gone out any more thau Oaiusboroughs, Ru ens and Toreadors. The Wagner is a hat with rather a wide spreading crou n aud the side tilted brims are seen. The most beautiful ribbons are those that are eaibroidered. The but terfly is to be found here as every where and is beautiful, whether it appears in brilliant colors or in full tones on a dull ribbon. Muff chains are very elegant this season and are made of alternate links of gold and enamel iu varied flower forms, with a jeweled charm hangiug at one side. Another novelty is a rib bon with jeweled bugs set at inter vals. A dainty necktie that can be made at home is of a three-inch wide length of colored or I.lack tafleta,hemmed by machine ou both edges; cut in points at both ends. The newest four-iu naud is made of raw silk, the portion u out the collar is tucked « r corded into stirl'uess, the ends hemmed aud stitched. Theloug-coutiuued reports that ear rings are coming into fashion agaiu have become more convincing as they have increased in number and vol ume, probably becausejconstant repeti tion gives the appearauce of unim peachable fact, but now they have bobbed up agaiu with many more evidences of truth. Anyway,earrings are sc<vi ofteuer than they were a year ago, but most of them are of the h.iuJ which »crew iuto the ear.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers