Convention honors will of course lead Kansas City and Philadelphia to have their own opinion about othei cities which arrogantly assume to bf metropolises. The gross earnings of 178 railroad? iu 1899 were $1,210,490,466, whicl *hows an increase over 1898 of $114,- 362,936, or nearly 10 1-2 per cent. Ir this calculation 163,000 miles are rep resented out of a total about 191,000. The last words of a man who wat hanged in Canada the other day were, "Good-bye, gentlemen. I hope yot will all learn to pray, so that you car meet me iu heaven." It never oc curred to the magnificent egotist tha' perhaps the gentlemen would like tc goto heaven for some other purpose. The Philadelphia Record alluding to the great destructive forest fires ir the state of Washington, says: "Tha such preventable destruction shoulc goon from year to year, so that in tlif dry season the smoke from the burn ing wood darkens the sky along thf whole Oregon and Washington coast, without eucrgetic effort on the part ol the state and federal government to stop it, furnishes a sad proof of im providence." The newest industry in the West is the making of Indian relics. A man who lives iu a thriving town not far from Kansas City, a blacksmith by trade, makes quanties of tomahawks and sells them to Indians at western agencies, and they in turn se'l them to eastern tourists as curiosities. He makes the in by hand, from old gun barrels. The man was formerly a government blocksmitu at one of the big ageucies aud learned the secret ot his profitable traffic there. The Bohemians and Poles who come to the United States to find work as laborers have gathered together in ittle colonies, where they live after p Makeshift fashion. The largest set lement is at Williamsbridge, N. Y., •vhich is convenient to the improve ments that are continually being made JU the outskirts of the city. There tre hundreds of shanties there; aud, for the most part, men are only ten ants, for the Bohemians leave theii wouien-folk at home, that they may move, unhampered by family ties from place to place. The price of $91,000 paid for Fly ing Fox at a public sale of the Dukf of Westminster's racehorses iu Eng land is said to be unexampled in the liWtory of the turf. Such a price a' a time wlieu the bicycle and antomo bile have reduced the usefulness of the horse and even suggested its elim iuation, is suggestive of the enhanced luxury of liue breeds. That may ex plain the high price of Flying Fox, whose racing days caunot last much longer. As winner of the De by auc St. Leger he had the highest honors ■jf the turf, but even among Derbj winners he was almost peerless. Still, in this case the price was paid fo) pe.ligree more than speed. "A gra eful public,"says The Drug gists' Circular, "will put its hand dee{ into its pocket for erecting a mouu ment to the man or woman who wil levise some way or means of remedy ing the clothes mangling evil. We have laws prohibiting the use of citri< acid in lemonade or soda water, auc I hat acid is made from lemou juice, aud in the small proportions used ir beverages is quite harmless. Wh? not have a law against the use o chemicals on clothes. If a man steali * shirt he is sent to the penitentiary for a year or so. If he destroys iti asefulness and returns the remains h« lies out of responsibility and chuckle! in his sleeve at the helplessness of hi' victim." Utilizing the wind ns a stump puller is an Oregon iuuovation. I was the idea of the farmer at tin »:tate peniteutiary, whose task was t< jlear the fir-timber from a sixteen *cre tract. He was given the w ntei iu which to clear six acres, but witl ths aid' of the wind he cleared tht whole tract iu six weeks, although th< timber was of a dense growth, the firi measuring from one foot to four ii liauieter. The winds in that quarte olow strong from the south iu the win ter. The farmer put his men at wort C.U the north side of the fir-trees, anc then cut the surface-roots of the treei that were to be felled. These prepa rations were made during the first day. ana then the ine«>. went home anc slept while the wind did the rest Daring the night a strong south wini blew the trees down, and they in fall .ng across the logs pulled-up the tap roots. The next day the men sawei up the fallen trees, burned the brush, Aud laid their logs foi' another lot ol trees. They proceeded iu this way until the whole irrove had disappeared. Europe may object to American, fruit and American meat. Bat there is as usual no objectiou to American money. Kaiser William is evidently no more of a success as a playwright than he is as a painter, for the first presenta tion of his "Iron Tooth" was hissed, although he was one of the audience. Not many years ago it was consid ered a wonderful achievement for 10 men to manufacture 48,000 pins in a day. Now three men turn oat 7,- 500,000 pins in the same time, and this doss not include the hatpinp either. Consul Ridgely reports to the state department that certain music dealers in Geneva operate their music stores on the plan of a circulating library. Subscribers may take from three to 12 pieces of music at a time, and may change as often as they pleuse. Sub- are held responsible for dam ages done to the music beyond ordi nary wear and tear. We have all heard the story of the customer at the drug store who askeil for trading coupons with a purchase of postage stamps, but the Kansas City Journal goes this one better. It says that in Topeka candidates for municipal and county offices gave trad ing stamps with their announcements. The lirst to do this was a candidate For probate judge and others quickly followed suit. It BUS long been predicted on the Continent that a substantial increase :>f England's military resources would iooner or later beco ne inevitable. It would seem that England is now real izing the prediction. Already meas ures are being discu-sed with a view to formulating an organization which will take the place of the present mil itary system, whose inefficiency has oeen so strikingly demonstrated. The Theatre Francais, at Paris, tvhich wai burned the other day, was in reality a national institution of France, with centuries of venerated traditions clustered around it. Its support was one of the concerns of state, and the maintenance of the great company of players attached to it—the "Comedie Francaise"—enlist sd the earnest efforts of both intluen tial public officials aud liberal private citizens. The company will soon be Housed anew; but Paris will long miss the century old edifies, with its many o'ltiuiDed porticos, which through three generations had been the iuspir jtion of dramatic art in the world's lit centre. The rapid growth of cities is one of the most serious problems the sociolo gist has to face, thinks the Christian Kegister. Late in the history of the world has come tlie hope of doing good to people by simply awakening their preceptious to duty, rendering them a little less numb and indifferent to the pleasures of the eye, the new conceptions that come with this wid ening of the realm of soul, this open ing of the closed shell of the brain and heart to vision, to fancy, to ad miration and love. How sad the pic ture of an ever-increasing concentra tion aud crowdiug of human beings in towns, dwarfed aud stunted more iu mind and body, accentuating the coarse, callous, indifferent urban type of unfortunates aud criminals, in creasing and multiplying to fill onr almshouses, prisons, aud idiot any lums 1 So much has been done in recent years to promote the convenience ol all classes of riders and drivers that it is a pleasure to read a decision which nsserts, uegatively, at least the rela tive importance aud rights of the man who walks. Bicycle-paths have been built for the bicyclist, speedways for the drivers, bridle-paths for riders, and trolley-cars roam almost at will though the cities and over some of the fairest stretches of country roads. Meantime the man on foot has been finding himself more aud more crowded in the city; and in the country he has continued to stub his way through mud and dust or over stones aud gravel, asking aud getting no special privileges. Now comes a bicyclist, in the person of a Syracuse girl, and asks the courts to declare that the city must give the bicyclist a better side walk than it gives the pedestrian. She claimed that a depression in a sidewalk in Syracuse caused her to fall from her wheel. She sued aud got n verdict for S3OO. The trial court charged that the city was bound to furnish "a reasonably safe sidewalk for the purposes intended, that is, bicycle-riding." The appellate divi sion of the supreme court has set aside this judgment on the ground that the city was bound merely to pro vide for the bicyclist "a walk rearon ablv safe" for a ned*s!ri»« HEAR THE BELL?. O singer* of cities and dreamers of dells, O singers supreme! In the thrill of the dream Hear the bells! Hear the bells ! Heitr the tiells! Hear the bells ! They are ringing no requiems, chanting no On ihe heights shine the lights with un knells wavering beam ; On the starred heights of Hope where the The song's in the sighing, tho deed's in the melody swells : dream : Over earth's'sighing, prayers, tears and tare- Love reads you his litanies : Singers su wells, preme. Hear the bells ! Hear the bells! Hear the bells! Hear the bells ! —Frank 1.. Stanton. j THE STORY OF A LANCE HEAD, j | Romance of a Spaniard Who Dvelt Among the Blackfeet. \ It was a cloudless day in August, many years ago. The sun beat down unmercifully upon a hot, dry plain, where the Blackfeet were eucamped. It was so hot that even the keeuest hunters had not the energy to mount their runners and ride forth to the chase. Under one of the raisad lodge skins an Indian trader reclined upon a couch of robes, lazily smoking. The people of the lodge were out gossip ing, all but an old, old mati, who, like the trader, was thoughtfully smoking. He had been blind for many a year; his thin hair was white. Not tbe white of the aged Anglo-Saxons, but a yel lowish, tawny white. His skin was streaked aud furrowed and wrinkled with age; his form bent and withered; he was tbe oldest of his tribe,and hud seen nearly a hundred winters come and goon these uortheru plains. His thiu, low voice broke iu upou the trader's reverie. "White man,"he said, "are you still here?" "Yes," the trader replied. "Yes, lam here; what can Ido for Hollow Horn?" "Hand me mv medicine sack; the large one which is hanging up. I will show you something, and theu tell you a story. This day reminds me of a journey I once took to the south, where every day was like this, only hotter." The trader arose and handed him the painted and fringed cylinder of rawhide. Hollow Horn deftly opened it and began to draw forth various packages and parcels, until he found the oue be was seeking, which ho tossed across the lodge. "Look at that," he said. Tbe trader unwrapped its covering af buckskiu aud found that it.was a long,slenrler lance heal of gray steel; stamped on the socket were the words: "Antonio Perez, Kevills, 172f<." "Why," heexdainied, "it's a Span ish lance head and very old. Where did you get it?" "I will tell you," the Indian re plied. "It is a long story aud a very strange one; but strange things hap pen. Perhaps we should not s'.y that anything is strange, for is it not all ordered by the gods?" Theu be told the stow " ie Span iard who loug dwelt with the tribe aud of his vengeance ou the brother who drove him from civilization out amoug the Indians; a story such as is seldom met with outside of books of romanoe, lint one which might eveu now be corroborated by records or traditions in some old Spanish settle ment iu the southwest. "Long ago," he said, "when I was a youth, we were huuting one summer slong the Yellowstone. One evening, when the sun had uenrly set, tho peo ple saw something coming toward the camp, and at first they could not make out what it was, but after u little they saw it was a man, limping along very slowly by the aid of a staff. Some of the young meu were for rushing out and killing him; but my father, the chief, forbade them. " 'Let him come,' he said; 'he can do us no barm. We will tiud out who he is and maybe learn news.' ".So everyone stood aud waited,aud the man cauie on, very slowly aud painfully, nearer aud nearer. He came to where we all stood watchin?, and the people drew back this way and that, leaving my father to face him. Indeed all were afraid, and many of the women and children ran away, for never had such a man been seen before. He was naked except for a long, ragged shirt he wore; his long, thick black hair, his 1 eard and mustache, were matted like a bull's full of grass aud burrs. His eyes were wild and rolled like those of a wounded wolf when it is brought to bay. He was thin; so thin and lean that the bones seemed ready to burst through the skiu; his feet were sore and bleeding; a wound in the thigh dripped blood down his leg. He did not appear to see us, but kept limping on, shaking his head, looking wildly this way aud that, and muttering to himself. " 'Where are yon going?' nskel my father,stepping up and placing a hand ou his shoulder. Tbe stranger gave a shriek, aud fell senseless to the ground. "It was many days before lie recov ered, am \ as nearly a year befo e be learnoc. u- speech. He said he came from the far south, where the weather was ahvaj-s warm, \\ here all kinds of berries and things grew the year round, where snow never was seen, except ou tbe tops of the high est mountains. His people were white men, but of another race than the trappers we hod se.u. His father had died, leaving hitn and 'his brother large s piare lodges ma le of stone, and great riches of various kinds. This brother had always beeu very mean and erne), aud as soon as the father died he began to plan to get all that the old man left. One night the great chief of that country cume to tho lodge of the brothers for u feast, and on bis way home some men sprang out of the bnshes by the trail and would have killed him but for tbe warriors who were with him. Then the bad brother went to the great chief aud said: 'I snow who did this wrong; it.was my iiotber and sis of his friends and elatious.' "The chief's warriors seized them all, threw them into a strong atone lodge and told them to pray, lor w hen he sun rose the next morning they would be shot. But there were those who knew the bad brother had lied and pitied them; in the middle of the night these good lriends let tbe pris oners out, gave them fast hor.-es, weapons, food aud robes and sent them away. "Day after day, moon after moon, they rode over to the north. One night they camped by n deep, swift stream. Some of the prairie people must have seen and followed them, for as they sat about the fire toasting some meat the air was suddenly filled with arrows, aud all of the stranger's compauions fell over with scarcely a cry or a struggle. He, too, was hit, deep in tbe thigh, but pulled the ar row out,aud with one jump went over the high bank into tbe rushing stream. He floated and swam a long way with the current and then, crawling out on the shore, started to cross the valley out to tbe rolling plain. When be left this stream the next morning he traveled two days without finding water or anything to eat, and then he must have gone crazy, for the next thing he knew he was in our lod^e. "Well, whe i he had told his story, my father asked him what he iutouded to do; if he would return to his coun try, or remain with us. He said that he could never go back, lunch as he wished to, for tlie great chief would kill him; so he would stay with us as loug as he lived. That pleased my father; he gave him my sister for a wife, a lodge, rich clothing, good weapons and many horses. We named him Spai-yu, which is the word for his tribe of white men. "So the years went on, and I grew up to be a tall, strong young man. One day we were riding together ahead of the gi eat camp, which was moving from the Belt fnouutains to the big fails on tbe Missouri, when he said to me: " 'Brother,something is continually pulling at my heart to return to my country. Not to stay, but just to puuish that bad brother of mine. I have tried hard to resist this, for the sake of my wife, but 1 can do so no longer. I must go. Will you take the trail with me?' "Of course I would, and 4fto war riors came with us. We traveled very slowly, as we bad a loug way togo, and wished to keep onr horses always stroug and fat. Sometimes we camped two or three days at a time, where game was plentiful and the grass good, hunting while our animals rested. After following up the Mountaiu Sheep river, we kept ou south along the foot of the grent range, and after some days crossed over on n trail used by the tribes of that country, and again traveled to the south. There the coun try was uot so open, aud many little ranges of mountains barred cur path. After luauy days we came again to great open plains where the buffalo were plentiful, but the country was dry, and we often suffered for water. One day we saw in the distance what looked like a great flat rock, upon which people were moving about, and Spai-yu told us it was made of mud by tbe people who lived iu it. As wo rode nearer, those of the strange build ers who were not around on the plain climbed up sticks to the top of the walls, aud then pulled up the sticks. Often, too, we passe 1 great herds of beautiful, large, strong horses, aud we hated to leave them; but Spai-yu had promised all we could drive away of those belonging to him and his brother, aud we did iu all tilings as he wished us to. At last,one evening, we came ton low ridge covered with trees, and be told us to camp, for on the other side of it, in a broad, open valley, was his home. By many a camp fire on the way we had planned just what shonld be done, and now, as we lay iu the brush, without lire or shelter, we talked it all over for the Inst time. "With the first light of morning we saddled up and rode to the top of the ridge, where, looking out through t!ie trees, we saw the great stone lodge, surrounded by a beautiful grove. Ou all sides of it were wide fields, where many things were plauted. A little further up ihe valley were mauy low, wooden lodges, where lived the people who worked these fields; they were Indians, and no great fighters, we had been told. Still further awny we could see the hillsides covered with horses, and onr hearts were glad. Presenty the people came out of their lodges and went to work. "•Now, ray friends,' said Spai-yn, 'we will charge; remember what I have so often told yon: No women are to be killed; yon will know my brother by his light red linir, and must not touch him; leave him to me.' "Tbe next instant we were off; quiet ly at first, but as the nearer workers saw us and ra>i for their lodges, we gave the war cry and rode like the wind. Many of the people gained the lodges before we did, and from doors and windows fired gi us at us. A few fell; tbe rest of us pushed on, juinued from our horses and msliad in; tbe larger part of our ban 1 bad gone to the upper lodges, and I was with Spai-yn and the rest before the stone lodge. A lot of men were in front of tbe great doors, and at their head I saw tbe red-haired one; they all bad gnus and pistols and were shooting at us. It was but for a second, though, and then tbe most of them lay dead where tb--»y had stood, and we rallied inside uiter the few who fled. The red-baired one ran into a great room at tbe left, Spai-yu and I at his beels. He ran to a concb, grasped a sword, and turned on us, making a hinge at my friend. Hpai-yu said something and struck tbe sword witb bis war club so that it flew awav to a distant corner, and at tbe same time the bad man recognized bis brother, fell on hit knees,and I knew that he was praying for his life. I looked at Spai-yu; he was smiling like a little child, which was bis way when very angry. All tbe rest, of Ibe meu in the lodge had now been killed bv our companions, who i'«mi crowding around ns. J bad killed two myself; from one of whom I took this lance—it bad a good stall tben —aud from tbe other I got a fine gun. "Tbe brother on liis knees continued to talk iu a frightened aud piteuus tone, and finally Spai-yu turned to me and mid: " 'Brother, just look at him; set what a coward be is; what shall I do with him?' " 'Kill him, of course,' we fill shontel. "Spai-yn put his hand to his chin and stood n loug time silent, while still the brother begged. " 'No,' be said at last, 'I will not kill him; if I did my vengeance would be sill over,aud I would have no great pleasure iu it. I'wish it to last a long, long time. I want to see liim suffer. Tie him strongly; we will take him back with us.' "When we bad done so onr leader bade lis take everything we could find that we cared for, and others be sent up tbe valley to drive in the great herds of horses. We got great plun der from tbe stone lodge and from tbe dwellings of the workers. There Wt»re many fine things, so that all bad a share; guns, powder and ball, rich cloths and clothing, cups, and many strange articles. Only a few of the Indians were killed, for Spai-yu bad orderel us to spare them if they yielded: but all of the bad brother's friends lay dead an.l scalped. There were also many beautiful women there, clothed in thin,white dresses. Spai-jn talked very loudly to them as they stood frighteued and crying in a cor ner, aud presently, when tbe horses cuine thundering down the valley, trampling the fields of growing things flat to tho ground, be ordered them out, bade us put the wicked one ou a horse, and then set tire to tbe great lodge; tbe walls could not burn, but everything inside made a tine big blaze. Tben we all caught fresh borseß and started l>a;-k o.i the long journey homeward, driving the great herds before us, many of them packed with rich plunder. And when we came to a place where a friend of the bad brother lived, we attacked it and got still more plunder and more horses. Afte n lit.le we had more animals than we could drive aud had to let some go. So we traveled on,on, to tbe north over the trail we had came, never stooping even to bother the people of the mud lodgjs, for we had everything we wanted auil were hurrying to get home. "Every night about the camp fire Spai-yu had bis brother sit before him, and ho talkel bad words to him, laugh ing pleasantly ali the time. Aud the bad oue said nothing iu reply. He got very thin and would eat but little, and we saw by bis face that lie suffered in his heart. "At last we came to tbe Yellow stone. It was now winter, and we had passed there on our way south early in tbe spring. The river was frozen over, and we were crossing on the ice, hav iug made a dirt trail over it from bank to bank. Nearly all had crossed, when all at ouce the ice gave way, and men and horses weie plunged into the cold water, amoug them the bad brother, who was tied to his animal. We rushed to the place, but ere we reached it the swift current drew them under, and we never saw thein again. Our people, though, easily swam to the edge of the hole and were pulled out. " 'lt is better so,' said Spai-yu. 'After all, I could not forget that the same mother bore us both,and I could not have killed him. Indeed, I had concluded to let him go wheu spring comes, giving him a chance to make his way back to the southern land.' "Iu a few more days we cume to the camp of our people on the .Mis souri, and there was great rejoicing over onr return. What became of Spai-yu? He lived with us many a year,and tben came the traders bui'd ing forts along the river; his wife died about that time, and be weut to live with them. One day the Sioux at tacked a fort where he was stopping and lie was killed iu the light."—New- York !-.un. Tlie linmlola Out «r l>Hle. According to a recent disi ntch trom Venice the day of the gondolo is rapid ly drawing to a close. An elect ic launch, which is one of a t pe of which a large number has been ordered, is now plyiug on the canals of that city. These craft are to be run for passeuger traffic, subject to the approval of the local authorities. The pioneer launch carries 50 passen gers, is oG feet long aud 10 feet wide. It is equipped with 1(10 accumulators and its mean sj eed will vary from seven to nine miles an hour. It will be interesting to note whether these electrically propelled launches will bo able to compete commercially witb the gondolier. Berlin has 14 persons whose antu:a> income exceeds $250,00.1 Eskimo SI Union at Point t The rough and pioturesque school and church at Point Bu. Alaska, has unusual interest from > fact that it stands on the most north em portion of land on the American continent, and marks the end of civilization in the Arctic region. The site was selected by the United States Bureau of Education for a school, the funds for the establishment of which were contributed by Mrs. Elliott F. Shepard, of New York City, wh» founded similar missions at Sitka and other points in the Territory. This station, next to Uppernavik, Green land, is the most northern mission in the world. It is securely built of huge logs, having double walls to secure against the intense Arctic cold. The teachers at Point Barrow are completely isolated from the outside world. Once a year the curtain is. lifted ard they receive their annual supplies, letters, papers, etc., and ESKIMO MISSION SCHOOL AT POINT BAR ROW, ALASKA, ON THE MOST NORTH ERN PORTION OF LAND IN THE ARCTIC/ REGION. ;lien it shuts down audtUey are closed iu for auother twelve months. The teachers announce that they never had more quickly intelligent pupils thau these wild Eskimos of the North. At the beginning of the school year only a few could count ten in a blundering fashion, and niue teutlis of the pupils knew no English whatsoever. At the close of the llrst icbool year they could couut up to 1000, write and read simple English words, and knew a little of geography. Natal » Health? Country. While Natal is considered a healthy country, it experiences considerable ihanges iu its climate, which is not mlike, iu geueral conditions, the cli mate of Italy, especially that of the northern part. Winter and summer are the only ■wo seasons which are known to Natal, the summer beginning iu Oc tober and ending in Maroh, wheu the winter season begins. As usual, iu tropical and sub-tropical countries, 'he summer is the rainy season, and in some parts, Durban, for instance, the rainfall i9 about forty inches, the tverage number of days ou which rain falls being 125. During December and January the heat on the coast is intense. Inland, ind iu the higher regions, the fre quent thunder storms afford relief to a great extent, Severe hail storms ire also common and invariably do a great deal of damage. But of all un pleasant things the hot, withering winds which for days at a time blow from the north are the most disagree able. Almost without fail they end in a thunder storm. With all these draw backs, however, the country is healthy. This is shown by the fact that last year's death rate iu Durban was a very low one, considerably lese than two per cent. Milk Fifty Cent* a Quart. An Australian farmer has brought fifty cows from his country to Ma nila, anil, although the cost of traus porting them was twice their value iu Australia, he is making a good thing out of them. He gets fifty cents a quart for the milk, aud cau not sup ply the demand. The first reserve United States hospital pays him two thousand dollars in gold a month for milk. The COJVS are the first cattle in the Philippines, aside from the nativ? water buffalo. Substitute For the Clierkrein. An ingenious arrangement to be used instead of the cheokrein, which is so bitterly opposed by frieudsof the horse, is showu iu the accompanying picture. A Canadian is the inventor of this NEW DEVICE TO BP. USED IN LIEU OB I IIECKREIN. humanitarian device whose object is to prop the horse's head tip rathei than to forcibly hold it back as th< olienkrein does. The substitute consists of two tubulai rigid supports, which telescope oue ovei the other, and which are rigidly fast ened to the collar and the bitor bridle. Geared in this way, the horse is at liberty to stretch his neck in auy di rection he may desire, but the most comfortable position is that in which the head is held erect.