THE BRIDGE AT COLENSO.
Colenso is on tbe line of the railroad running from Ladysmith to Pieter
maritzburg and Durban. The key to Colenso, and likewise one of the most
vulnerable points on the railroad, was tbe bridgo crossing the Tugela River,
upon which stream the city of Colenso is situated. This bridge has been
the subject of much anxiety to the London War Office, owing to the depend
ence of the position upon its safety. The bridge is built of iron lattice work
and tubing, supported by piers of masonry. Colenso is in Natal, seven
teen miles south of Ladysmith.
ooooooooooooooooooooooccog
1 fcaha, favorite game g
g of [tilipino (7hildren. §
8 How It is Played, o
oooooooococooooooooooooooo
Children are a happy lot almost
anywhere, and the Filipino picka
ninnies are no exception to the rule.
They laugh aud shout just like other
children and play their games. Some
thing like "tag" is very popular, and
then there is a play called "laha" in
Tagalog, which is the lauguage of the
country folk aud the fishermen and
all the natives who are not living in
Spanish families.
Laha is the game some of my little
neighbors were playing Saturday after
school, writes Harry A. Armstrong,
the Manila correspondent of the Chi
cago Record. I went to take a pict
ure, and when they saw the camera
there was a scattering, and it ap
peared as if I had broken up the
game. But this was not so, for pres
ently the lively troop came back. One
little girl, however, was very tardy
aud the others waited for her. After
awhile she came, all dressed up in a
"htisa" cloth gowu, which trailed out
behind. Over her shoulders she had
thrown a pina shawl. She seemed
very proud of her tiuery and her poses
appeared very self-conscious, but per
haps that was due to the stiff gown,
which reached to the ground. The
accompanying picture shows her and
her gown as the children threw the
shoe to see who should "stand." The
toe of the shoo was to tell, audit fell
pointing to Eness, a graceful girl of
eight years, and full of life and sport.
•>, •
' 0 ' —-»
Eness ran to the center of the square
ami sting her challenge, which sound
ed very much like "Tobegoutobegon
t'diegon," but when repeated slower
for my benefit it sounded like "to be
gone," thrice repented.
The square in which the game was
played was something like the accom
panying diagram, only it was in the
sand and the "laha" Hues were made
by a bare foot. When the toe of the
phoe declared thatEness was"it" the
rest gathered about her—Bitruana
and Bralsidis audOlihay and Vahedis.
Then Eness sh'outed "Tobegontobe
gontobegon" and the other girls
darted awny to their corners. The
game was for Eness to touch one of
the others as she passed over the
"laha" lines, and then that one should
be out of the game. The last one
caught should "stand" the next time.
A.ud I want to say that it was just a
jolly play, and one out of which each
player got lots of exercise.
.First Bitruana sidled up to the line
and Eness made a dash at her, and as
she did so Olihay skipped across on
her side, and when Eness darted back
that way. Yahedis and Bralsedis
crossed sidewise and Eness was where
ehe started. Each girl screamed with
excitement, but the hand of Eness did
not touch anyone, and all straightened
up to catch breath.
Euess was probably the most sup
ple one there and she danced out to
ward Olihay, crying defiantly, "To
begontobegontobegon!" but Olihay
took a backward step and was out of
harm's way—in the part marked
"safe" in the diagram. This gave
Bitruana a chance, and she flounced
Lei- pretty skirts across the line iust
as Eness reached the limit on that
side, aud she screamed at her narrow
escape, Eness was back again to the
center, and tliis time she caught
Bralsidis fair and square. There was
a slap on the shoulder and a cry of
delight from Eness as Bralsidis slowly
walked over to the shade of one oi the
nipa huts. From here she joined the
shouting and jumped up and down in
TYPICAL QUARTERS OF UNCLE SAM'S FUTURE MILITARY OFFICERS.
i
excitement as one of the players
slipped past "laha." Shortly she was
joined by Olihay, and after awhile by
Vahedis, and Bitruana was darting
about to keep out of reach of Eness.
At last she was caught and it was a
panting pair of girls that sought the
shade.
After the photographs had been
taken Bitruana slipped into her house
and changed her stiff gown, and when
she came out she was clad as the
others. It was with much vigor, and
little, if any, restraint that she danced
in the centre of the field and cried
"Tobegontobegontobegon," and then
sidled off to the right, while she kept
her eyes on the left line. Suddenly
she whirled like a wink and caught
Olihay as she was crossing from right
to left, not knowing that Bituana was
looking. So the game went on, and
this time Vahedis was the last and by
and by she was caught.
I & i jf' I
I Pi **
I s <&
I * $ * i
THE "LAHA"OKOUND.
(The one who "stands" may run anywhere
on the (lark portion, but usually stands
In the contre, ready to run in any direc
tion.)
The little girls named live in bamboo
huts with their parents, who are fisher
folk, and who, to be close to the bar,
have built their huts in the back yard
of some wealthier person. The little
girls often go out iu the surf and enjoy
the sea to the fullest extent, for the
Filipino children learn to swim early
in life.
Wasted Effort*
"When my wife, gets to jawing,"
said tho man with the frayed cuffs, "I
preserve a dignified silence."
"Yes, I heard about it," said the
man with the blue overalls. "I heard
yoar hired girl telling our hired girl
that you was the best hand at settin'
round an' sulkin' she seen."—
Indianacohs Journal.
| Simplicity of (Sadet Life $
| at West Point Academy, |
Spartan simplicity is the predomin
ant feature of cadet rooms at West
Point. They are furnished alike.
There are no decorations in one that
cannot be found in all the others. A
millionaire's son has no more privil
eges than the poorest lad whose brains
and physical perfection seoured hii?
appointment.
No furniture or ornaments are al
lowed in rooms except those called for
by the regulations. Everything in a
cadet's room is purchased out of the
pay he receives from the government.
No ornaments are allowed on the
walls, but a few photographs may be
plased on tho top shelf of the clothes
press. Each cadet must- make up his
bed after reveille. Mattresses and
blankets are folded neatly and piled
against the head. Shoes are lined
parallel on the floor by the side of the
bed. An alcove furnished with hooks
provides a place for uniforms. The
hooks are numbered for each garment.
Nigh clothes and one clothes bag for
each cadet hang on pegs next to the
bed. A small clothes press, having
four shelves, stands against the wall
near the door. This press holds the
remaining belongings of the occu
pants.
The mantel ornaments consists of
a neat frame giving the hours of in
struction, copies of the army regula
tions, U. S. M. A. regulations, blue
book, and a small mirror. At the foot
of the bed is a washstand, with two
bowls aud a few toilet articles. Ou
the trausom of the alcove is each
cadet's name, which must also appear
over his clothes press aud pegs. Guns
have a separate rack.
Two cadets occupy a room. The
selection of room mates is left to tho
cadets themselves, the authorities
claiming uo jurisdiction.
Each cadet takes his turn as room
orderly weekly. The orderly is re
sponsible for the general order aud
cleanliness of the room. He must see
that the ventilation is perfect, that the
lights go out at taps. Upon him rests
the responsibility of dust appearing
on the shelves. He must not allow
his room mate or any visitor to stand
at the window in shirt sleeves, and
whatever is done in the room he
stands accountable for.
Formerly cadets were compelled to
scrub the floors of their rooms, but
civilians are now employed for that
purpose. Thi is the only -evidence
of luxury that as cropped up at West
Point during t. e century of its exist
ence.
Two Stories of Lawyem.
The logic of wit is tho most destruc
tive logic that is employed against er
ror. This was aptly illustrated at a
public reception given a few nights
ago, at which a learned lawyer, who
is slightly lame in his right foot, was
present. The advocate overheard a
lady say to her companion, "That is
Mr. C , the lame lawyer."
Turning around he replied, "No,
madam, I am a lame man, but not a
lame lawyer."
An amusing incident occurred in
one of the common pleas courts the
other day. The lawyer for the de
fense was making a very lengthy cross
examination of an old lady, when he
was interrupted by the judge with the
remark: "I thiuk you have exhausted
this witness."
"Tea, judge," she exclaimed, "I do
feel very much exhiusted."—Philadel
phia Call.
I>rylng Clothes by Balloon.
One of the large lauudries in the
suburbs of Paris has adopted this
means of hangiug its clothes up to dry
above the contaminated atmosphere of
the French metronoli.*
TO MULTIPLY WITH THE FINCERS
An Ingenious System llitd in the Fclioo
of Poland.
A Polish mathematician has inventec
an ingenious system whereby larg<
sums may be multiplied on thefingeri
with much less trouble than with per l
MULTIPLYING i
| 6BY fc ■ (
or poncil. The system bears the name
of its inventor, Procopovitch, and has
been introduced into the schools
throughout Poland. A little study of
the illustration will enable any one to
do sums. Children are required first
to mark the numerals on the endsof
their fingers that they may remembei
them more readily, but adults can get
along without this aid by memorizing
the position of the numbers.
The system is not used for multi
plying numbers of less than six, since
such problems can readily be done
mentally. The fingers are numbered
as follows:
. 9 BY 8
The two thumbs represents o>, the
index fingers each represent 7, the
middle fingers 8, the ring fingers 9,
»ud the litle fingers 10.
To multiply auy two of these num
bers the fingers representing the
multiplier and the multiplicand are
placed together. Beginning with the
lingers placed together, one counts
the number of fingers, including these
two and moving toward and including
tho thumb. The sum will be the num
ber of tens, or the first numeral of the
product.
A certain number of fingers still
remain below the fingers which have
been joined. Tho fingers remaining
on oue haud multiplied by the num
ber remaining on the other will give
tho number of units, or right-hand
unit of tlie product.
In multiplying 8 by 9, for instance,
the middle fingei of the right baud is
placed against the ring finger of the
left haud, as shown iu the illustration.
Counting the number of fingers above
I 8 E>Y6
those placed together and includiup
these, we obtain seven fingers, or 70.
There are now remaiuiug two fingers
on the right hand and one on the left,
which wheu multiplied give two
These two, added to tho number ol
tens, give 72, the product 8 by 9.
The New Government Printing; Office.
The new Government Printing Of
fice will cost about 8-,000,000, and it
is said that even after its completion
it will not be large enough to meet thn
demands upon it. The new building
will be eight stories in height, aud its
floor space will be about nino acres.
The floors will sustain a load of 55,-
000,000 pounds. The building will
be constructed in such a substantial
manner that the eutire space can bo
tilled with paper aud books without
injuring its stabilility iu any degree.
Access to the various floors will bo ob
tained by twelve electric elvevators.
The building will be lighted with 7000
incandescent lights. A refrigerating
plant will furnish cold filtered water
on every floor for driking purposes.
A large crematory will destroy all tho
refuse material, and this will aid iu
heating water, etc. It is hoped in
time that Congress will appropriate
tho money for modern typesetting ma
chines, but it is probable that when
the census is complete and the repotts
published, the equipment of the cen
sus printing office will revert to the
Government Printing Office.—Scien
title American.
111. Impartiality.
"Whatl want to see," remarked th<
man' of theories, "is an equal dis
tribution of wealtl^"
"That's exactly what I want tc
see," answered the lnau with so much
money that he could never find tiim
to count it. "Did you ever meet try
partner in business? He's a fine man
I'd like to see all the wealth iu ex
istence divided so that he'll have out
half and I the other."
The Men Who Shout.
The men who are too anxious t<
fight before the battle opens are oftei
conveniently absent when the firing
begins.—The Pathfinder.
In consequence of the law allowing
wild ducks to be killed nine months t
year, those birds are said to be on the
point of extermination iu the marsher
of Miohigau.
ANCIENT BOLIVIAN CHAQUI3.
Trained Itunner* Who Carried Newi
With Amazing Swlftne**.
When the Spanish invaders entered
Bolivia, writes W. E. Curtis in the
Chicago Record, tliey wondered at the
manner iu which their movements
were anticipated i y the natives.
Every act appeared to be instantly
communicated over the entire enipite
almost as swiftly as if sent by tele
graph. After a few mouths they dis
covered that there was an organic a
tion of runuers who carried the news
with amazing speed over the snow
covered mountains aud across the
scorching sands. They were known
as the chaquis and were selected by
reason of their physical qualifications
and trained for speed aud endurance.
When they became incapacitated by
age or accident, they were given loss
I arduous duties in the army or
the court.
As the Incas had no written lau
guago, their mesFages were always
ora', so the memories as well as the
muscles of the cliaquia were trained.
Sometimes the Inca communicated
with his subordinates iu other parts of
1 the country by signs —a ring, a piece
| of molded clay or a leaf might be
| transmitted—which meant nothing to
j the man who bore it or to the people
! who saw it iu his hands, but was very
, portentous to him for whom it was iu
j tended. As proof of the speed of the
| ?haquis it is said that the royal table
I at Cusco was often served with fresh
j fish caught in the sea tifty or sixty
; hours previous—a distance that now
! requires from six tote i days travel
|by railways and stage. Along the
' highways and the mountain trails, at
j frequent intervals, were established
station houses, usually erected upon
' hillocks aud other points of observa
tion from which the approach of mes
i sengers could be detected. As oue
arrived, heated and breathless, a fresh
| ahaqui would be ready to receive the
: message and carry it to the next sta
tion without an instant's delay.
The chaquis still exist, but they are
no longer organized and there is littie
use for them. Iu time of war they
' are useful, as they have many of the
instincts and much of the skill of
scouts, aud being familiar with the
byways as well as the highways are
ablo to slip through the lines of the
enemy without danger. Home years
ngo I saw a chaqui of the name of
(Jtialuapambo (bird chaser), who was
very swift of foot and almost incapable
of fatigue. He had been employed
• for several years by General Caseras,
then president of Peru, and had car
ried a messuge 250 miles without rest
or sleep through the enemy's country
and had returned with the auswei
within a week.
The chaqui never carries food with
him, l.ut depends entirely upon the
cocoa leaf, n >r are his movements im
peded by clothing. He goes as near
ly naked as possible, but carries a
poucho aud paints his legs with a
vegetable dye as a protection against
I oisouous vines aud aud the bites of
insects.
Novel Fl.hinc for Shark".
This being the season of tish yarus
-John Ritchie, who has for years con
ducted most of the shorthand work
at national conventions, sprung this
story at the Press club:
1 "About the funniest thinglsaw,"
he said, "was while on a vessel down
off Hatteras Inlet or some point near
there. One day we rau into about
40,000,000,000 sharks. There was a
lot of them, aud I wonJered if they
weie all there for me. I do think
sharks give everybody a sort of creep
ing feeling. We had some fuu with
them. There was a | a 'senger on
hoard who had some experience with
the beasts before. He we it to tho
, cook aid got him to make a lot of
duinpliugs. He came on deck wi.'i
' three or four dozen of them and be
! gan tossing them to the sharks. They
I snapped them down eagerly. Now
: you must bear iu mind that these
balls in coming from the cook had
; time to cool on the outside so that as
they slipped dowu the shark's throat
he did not notice anything out of the
; way. But tho inside of that ball was
like a fiery furnace, and in a iniuute
after it had bei*n swallowed the heat
! began to act. I don't believe the eis
anything hotter than hot dough, and
if not exposed to the air it keeps hot.
Well, you should have seen those
: sharks jump and pluuge and throw
1 themselves I never saw anything
like it iu my life, aud, while I am al
ways opposed to cruelty, it doesn't
I seem as if there was any harm iu do
ling anything to a shark."—Chicago
| Times-Herald.
Gift of H Fnmoii* Flag.
One of the most interring charac
ters iu Martha's Vineyard, Mass., is
! Mr?. Harriet Pe ecca Stafford, or
j "Mother Stafford," now 80 years old.
1 In her cottage in a room devoted to
I patrfotic relics and antiques. But the
! pride of her museum —the ensign of
I the Bon Homme Richard—is there no
more for she his presented the pre
oious flag to the United States govern
ment.
One of her heirlooms is a gold wed
ding ring worn by her grandmother
118 years ago Harriet Rebec a wore
this ring herself in 1855, when she
became Mrs. John Barnutu Ames, and
the ring is of such potent virtue that
sbe couldn't resist wearing it again
when .lames Stafford proposed to her.
James Stafford was the sou of Lieu
tenant Stafford, who rescued the flag
from the British iu the tight between
the Bou Homme Richard and the Ser
apis, when the intrepid Jones told the
British captain to siuk him if he could,
adding by way of emphasis: "If I
Mist goto the devil I bad rather strike
to him than to yon."
It was through the marriage with
v r. Stafford that this genial old lady
came into possession of the flag.—
Boston Globe.
F'OR THE HO'JSEWIVCS.
I'm DHIHJ> < U)>l)onr<lA.
Damp cupboards and rooms can b«
made <liy hii i airy by placing a basin
of fiosu 1i in where the moisture pene
traits to the detriment of food, linen,
etc. 'i'lie liaie quickly absurbes the
unwholesome humidity and the reme
dy need only be repeated every now
uud then. In living rooms, which
are not to be depended upon as being
as dry as would be desirable, it is ad
visable to place saucers containing
salt under sofas, etc. This will ab
sorb the moisture in a wonderful man
ner If thoroughly dried, the salt
can be used again lor the same pur
pose.
llr w t» Wnuli Silk.
All colored silks should never 1:#
steeped, but washed and ironed as
expeditiously as possible, to prevent
the color going. Squeeze it in warm,
soapy lather (not hot) until clean,
rinse in warm and then in cold water.
To the latter add one tablespoonful of
salt and the same of vinegar. This is
done to preserve the color. Squeeze
out tightly, fold evenly aud roll in a
clean cloth; beat well between the
hands. Iron at once with a moder
ately hot iron, under muslin, until
nearly dry. Fiuish without the mus
lin. White silk must be steeped in
borax water and then washed iu the
same way as colored silk except in the
last 1 insing water a large oonftil
of methylated spirit is put to each
pint of water iustead of salt and vine
gar. The methylated spirit imparts a
a gloss to the silk, and should it be
liked stiff, put one teaspoonful of pre
pared gum water to each pint of rins
ing water.
To CIPHII GEM*.
Talking of gems reminds one that
comparatively few people ever think
of cleaning them, but allow them to
get extremely grimy nud then send
them to a jeweler. This accumula
tion of dirt is very injurious to the
stones. Every few months all rings,
brooches and such articles as are in
j constant use—less frequently for those
seldom worn—should be brushed with
a toothbrush which Ims been dippe I
j in eau de cologne, if the netting is
open it must be brushed from the
1 aclc. Then lay the article in a heap
of boxwood sawdust which has been
slightly heated 1 eforehand and leave
them for some thirty minutes. Gold
| < hains may be washed in soaps ids,
drying them on a soft towel by pull
-1 ing the chain backward aud forward,
lut cure must Ie taken to pull it in
; the fight way of the curb or link.
These may also 1 e placed in sawdnsi,
| the particles of which can be easily
j blown away afterward. The least
I damp be ween the links is very likely
j to cause them to wear more rapidly.
Uncorking a Hot tic.
A wise woman fat watching her
i daughter's erlorts to remove a cork
| (not a stop2>er) from a bottle.
Seeing that the cork was about to
break she quietly took the matter into
! her own hands, and, with a gentle
. touch or two, suo.i had the I ottle ready
I for use.
| "You did not know the law of
j corks?" she said, smiling at the girl's
astonishment. "Do you 'owiealize
that when a cork is put ii: o a bottle
the fingers twist in the same diie.tioii
a screw is turned, aud at the same
time push it home? This tatises the
fibres of the j art of the cork in the
bottle neck to twist aud contract aud
squeeze themselves spirally into a
smaller space. When the cork must
come out, to turn it in the opposite
diiection untwists aud expands it and
i makes it hard to move. If you would
j Le successful, just, turn the cork in ox
' a Mly the sane direction as you did ut
j first. This contracts it still further,
1 and then it is an easy matter to lift it
j out.
"If the cork should be held by any
| sticky mixture it can easily be loos
ened by plunging the I ottle head first
j into hot water. This melts the glue
! like snl stance, aud a little gentle tin
! gering will set the cork free, to be
i turned as described."
As everyone knows how provoking
i it is to have a cork broken short in a
I bott'e and how prone corks are to this
| bit of perversity, the above hint may
] Ie of value if carefully remembered.
| Chicago Times-Herald.
Her
1 Frizzle I Beef with Eggs—Put into
| a saucepan one cupful of milk anil one
j teaspoofnl of butter; ald a cupful of
i finely i hopped dried beef; cook live
; minutes, then add two well beaten
' and stir till the sauce thickeus.
1 our the mixture over slices of fried
I rend or toast.
Callers' Cuke for Teas—Take six
eggs and their weight in sugar, Hour
uud b tter. Beat nil well together ill
A clay b iwl for half an hour and add
liie grated rind otone lemou; cut a.ter
! rolling the i aste into sniall lozenges
| and i like in a ino.leiate Oven a yellow
i brown. These, keep in u tin cunuister
I nicely.
Brains with Tomatoes—To one can
of tomatoes add one ihopped onion,
one bay leaf, one tablespoouful of
butter, one dozen peppercorns, a little
nutmeg and salt to tnste. Put two
s of 1 ruins iu a baking dish, pour
over them the straiuid tomatoes,
(over with breadcrumbs moistened in
melted butter and bake until browu.
Heriuga Fritters (French) Five
gills of water, sugar to sweeten, four
ounces of fresh b.itte , the rind of a
I lemon grated to powder, and a pound
(or more if needed, according to the
I absorption) of tine sifted flour. Beat
| half an hour, add a gill of orauge flower
water, theu chill the mixture and beat
in one at a time live eggs. In the
.reason seringas picked free of any
grass are put iu the paste. Fry in hot
fat. draiL an I dust with powdered
sugar, 112 erve with lemon.