The perpetual lamp invented by a Ohicago man will perhaps enable va riable people always to see things in the same light. When the Anglo-Boer war began South Africa was sending gold in large quantities to England. Ever since England has been sending large quan tities of gold to South Africa. The 10 principal items in the agrl cultured export trade of the United States are: Breadstuffs, cotton, meat products, live animals, tobacco, oil cake and oil cake meal, vegetable oils, l'ruits and nuts, dairy products and seeds. The reindeer problem is to again be taken up by the government. Twelve thousand of the animals are to be shipped from Siberia to Alaska. Cli matic conditions are so similar that k does seem that success ought to at tend the effort. An international scientific clearing house has been established in Switzer land for receiving new ideas in every branch of zoological and physiological research. But the institution has been burdened with the jawbreaking name of Bibliographicum Concilium. The late drouth has brought irriga tion to the front as one of the live and vital issues of the day. Nebras ka gives an exemplification of the cost and benefits: $1,775,984 has provided water with which to irrigate 2,000,000 acres, and the laad itself has already been enhanced $17,000,000 in value. The old tradition that the Eskimos are a people of small stature is with out foundation. On the contrary, in Labrador, Baffin's Land,and all around Hudson Bay, the height of the men is probably above, rather than below the average of the human race, but, as a rule, the women, although very strong, are considerably shorter than the men. A strike instituted by the boy cad dies in a Chicago golf club recently was promptly settled by the employ ment of a lot of girls, who are said to be giving good satisfaction. The striking boys would have promptly boycoued or fought other boys had they been appointed to fill the vacan oies created by the abandonment of their bags; but as the girls are unas sailable the strike has proved a mis erable failure. There are cities which give them selves more aesthetic airs than Chi cago, though none has dealt as ef fectively as the windy city with that chromatic indecency, the billboard. An anti-billboard ordinance of the city named has been sustained in a report made by a master in chancery to the superior court. This ordinance pro vides that "no billboard shall be more than 10 feet high or 100 square feet in area, and that none shall be placed within five feet of another similar board nor within 25 feet of the lot line." The physicians and the surgeons have thrown floods of light upon many things in the causes anil the treatment cf the maladies which attack mankind, and have cleared up many a mystery. Their self-sacrifice and zeal for the benefit of the race are worthy of the heartiest praise. Afld in what age were there so many heroic men and women who were willing and even eager to brave death in submitting to experi ments with the virus of yellow fever *nd other diseases? What higher and nobler types of courage and devotion can be thought of than those whose Jives have been cut short in the course of the infection tests in Cuba? No forlorn hope 3 were ever made up of braver souls, observes the New York Tribune. Perhaps the most curious result ot a popular health fad is the sharp con flict of opinion which it has excited among the physicians. Some members of the profession, adopting the popu lar theory, maintain that the barefoot habit not only is healthful, but insures :he proper development and consequent beauty of the exposed member; while others hold that it is a dangerous and needlessly risky experiment, which, in any event, must produce large, un gainly, splay feet In support of their theory they argue that the feet of sav age races are generally of vast and ansightly proportions. This is a ques tion for the anthropologists; but any ane with eyes in his head may be con vinced that uiere are plenty of well formed feet among the shoeless ur rhins of the cities. The point is not at ill likely that the world in general will desert the shoemakers; but it may le asserted very confidently that it /s better to wear no shoe at all than one that is too tight or too narrow. Canada has 2260 milee of navigabU waters. That Is, from the Atlanta ocean to the head of Lake Superior, 8 vessel may sail that many miles with in her own territory. "Bread and butter state" is the waj Minnesota will be known hereafter This is a name that she is rightly en titled to. Last year she ground out 26,630,500 barrels of flour and churned 60,000,000 pounds of butter. Before leaving for the North Pol* in a balloon two years ago Andre# said: "If you have no news of m« by the end of July, 1901, you may give me up for dead." And it begins tc look like we would have to take hl6 word for it. The census of Norway, which ha» Just been completed, gives it a popula tion of 2,200,000 against 2,110,000 it 1891. This is an average of 16.80 in habitants to the square mile, making Norway the most thinly settled coun try in Europe. A 999-year lease expired in Londoc the other day and the property revert ed to the original owner, the chaptei of Westminster parish. This demon strates that the church is more sta ble than man. The officials who signet) the lease long since passed away, bui the church still lives. Reports of cases of hydrophobia ai* current It is significant that among them is one in which it is admitted thai the disease was purely imaginary, and that the victim was simply frightened and worried to death. If the truth could be revwiled, such would prob ably be found to be the fact in many other cases. A remarkable fact is that only two members of President McKinley's cab inet received a university education Not one inherited wealth. The secro tary of the treasury began life as 8 bank clerk, the secretary of war ai a school master, the postmaster as o compositor, the secretary of the navj as a "chore boy" on a farm, the secre tary of agriculture as a plowman, and the secretary of the interior as a salesman. Experts who have looked Into tin matter carefully say that the consump tion of oatmeal is falling off in Scot land in proportion to the population,, and that it is no longer the distinct ive national oish in the country ol Burns and Scott But whatever our Sc-otcu friends may be eating in theet days, they are holding their own in the world quite as well as their fore fathers held theirs. Brains will tell with any diet. The ease of locomotion and change has probably been the principal cause of the vast herdtng of human beings in great cities. The human stream has flowed resistlessly toward industrial, and distributing centres, and many new varieties of experience have come into being. The rapid social currents set up in all parts of the world arc becoming ever more complex and diffi cult to unravel, and the work of the economist and social scientist is cor respondingly difficult, remarks the Christian Register. In the course of a discussion in the Royal United Service institution oi tondon the point was made that the most dangerous combination in a war against Great Britain would be that of Russia and the United States. A letter from Captain Mahan, of five ago, was quoted, in which he replied to a question whether war be tween this country and Great Britain was possible, that "terrible as the fact was, he could not hide from himself the conviction of its possibility." The possibility, even the probability, that in such a war we should have Russia as an ally seemed to be assumed by the speakers in the discussion. Cemeteries are choked with ttift graves of men that brought them selves to premature death through worry. And the abodes of the living are densely habited by half wrecks and whole failure that came to this Melancholy condition through the same agonizing process. Human records will never show the number and class of the millions that came into the world with goodly prospects and fair opportunities, but that went down to defeat under the weight of woes that were never realized, or through the slaying suspense which was more po tent to blast and intimidate than would have been the actual happening of the danger feared. There is very little doubt among medical men and even unskilled laymen that the emotion com monly designated as worry has a pow er as devastating and much more per sistent than those of grief, disease or Dverwork. reflects a writer in the Sun ny South. THE IDLE AMANUENSIS. BY CHARLES H. WHITE. There. Now we can be comfortable and tree from interruption while I tell you that little story I promised. It seems good to be sitting with you once again, after so long a separa tion. Calls to mind the times we used to have in '76, when you were slaving for Boynton & Blaekman, and I was learning the rudiments of the business that 1 followed until about a year ago. Nov/ 1 am independently situated owing to certain fortuitous circumstances which happened to come my way; yet I feel old and care worn and my hair is tinged with gray. Let me see; it was in 'Bl that I left Syracuse to take a position in a brok er's office located on Broad street, in New York City. The atmosphere of my surroundings was entirely in ac cord with my heart's desire, which was to become a potent factor in the financial whirlpool that annually whisks away the fortunes of thous ands, to place them at the feet of the lucky few. The room assigned to me by my new employers was a small one, in the rear of the principal offices, and lighted from a court The solitary window reached to the floor, anil opened out upon a balcony which en circled the court, communicating with the elevator shaft at the back of the building. The chief offices had doors which led to this balcony. I was the sole occupant of the little office. Directly opposite my window was the window of another room, the coun terpart of mine, and similarly con nected with the other suite on the same floor. It was occupied by a young lady, evidently employed as a stenographer, as her typewriter was visible through the glass. From the first glimpse I got of her she attract ed me strongly. She was pretty, and I always possessed a fondness for feminine beauty. In addition to that fact, she seemed to have almost noth ing to do, and that peculiar condition piqued my curiosity. Hour after hour she would sit by the window with a book in her hand. Only on rare oc casions would 1 see her doing any work and then for a few moments at a time. I could not comprehend the reason for this, inasmuch as the con cern employing her (the eastern agen cy of a large beef house), seemed to transact a good business. I marvelled that any man should pay a salary to and reserve a room for a clerk, and then allow her to fritter away nearly all of the time. It was not long be fore I had privately conferred upon my sweet neighbor the title of"the idle amanuensis." I soon discovered that the girl was not a stickler on certain points of etiquette. Se did not wait for an in troduction, but began to smile and bow to me on the third day of my oc cupant of the little office. I re sponded with alacrity, and soon felt that a personal interview was on the cards. We did meet in the elevator once or twice within the first week, but others were present on each oc casion, and I made no advances. Doubtless the girl was of a similar mind, for she offered no active en couragement, merely nodding and be stowing on me one of her charming smiles. These smiles were sufficient ly dazzling to captivate any man who was not already happily married or engaged. It was during my third week that events began to draw in toward a fo cus. While working at my desk one afternoon, I heard a light tap on the window pane. Looking up I saw that the girl was standing on the balcony. She smiled and pointed to the bal cony floor just outside my window, tallowing the direction with my eyes, i observed a folded paper lying there which I lost no time in securing. It proved to be a note written by herself. The wording of the com munication was brief but to the point and it set my heart to heating wildly. "Dear Sir —Here's to our more inti mate acquaintanceship. Shall be at home this evening, at No. West Forty-socond street. Please indicate through the window whether you will call. Sincerely, Ethel Thompson." Would I call? I gave a series of most emphatic nods and had the sat isfaction of seeing that their meaning was evidently understood. I called on Miss Thompson that very evening. She bore herself in an Intelligent and vivacious manner, as her appearance had led me to expect; ind her demeanor was characterized by a refinement not in keeping with the unconventional nature of her in vitation. During our conversation she in formed me that she was glad her of fice work was light, as she disliked the duties of an amanuensis. "I have noticed," I said to her, "that you axe not often busily engaged. How is it that so large a concern conducts so small a correspondence?" This query provoked a laugh. "Why," she exclaimed, "we have another stenographer, who occupies one of the larger rooms. I do only the work dictated by Mr. Blossom, the manager. The regular run of the of fice mall Is dictated by Mr. Pennoyer to the other stenographer. Mr. Blos som is away most of the time, and has very little for me to do. I am really not needed there at all. but Mr. Blossom is aristocratic and wants to have a private secretary." Then she added, in a different tone of voice, "The truth in that my position was created for me personally. 1 have what some persons denominate a 'pull' with the powers that be." Toward the latter part of the even- ing she seemed suddenly to have thought of something. "By the way," said she, "I was near forgetting a question I wished to aslc of you. Your stockbroking business is a sealed book to me, and I am eager to learn something about it. I have been reading a good deal in the pa pers of late about 'D., K. & E.' stock, and what the bulls and bears are do ing with it There seems to be great interest manifested in that stock, and I wish you woulu explain to me what it means." It happened that just at that time "D., K & E." occupied a peculiar po sition in the market. It was being manipulated by rival factions in such a manner as to render its future more than ordinarily uncertain. Further more there was a wheel within a wheel, "D., K. & E." being merely a speculative centre, around which re volved interests more important still. The fight going on between the hea/y operators was being participated in by many smj.ll investors; and, inasmuch as shrewd men with long pccketbooks were pitted against one another, the result would necessarily be that some wealthy operators would lose their fortunes, while the little fellows who happened to bo on the winning side would b* rewarded in proportion to the size of their investments. It is more or less that way in all stock deals, but this one was of so stupen dous a character as to outclass most of those that had preceeded it. I knew very little about the inner history of the affair, but what iofor matlon I possessed was entirely at Miss Thompson's service. She ex pressed herself as delighted with my imperfect explanation, and I was so well pleased at finding that I could interest her, that I determined to learn all I could about "D., K & E.," for her edification. The chief clerk in our office was an approachable fellow, and he seemed to have taken a liking to me. His name was Fenton. Mr. Fisk had asked him to help me all he could, that I might gain a rapid insight into the business. Now, with my mind full of "D., K. & E." I applied to Fenton for informa tion. He seemed pleased with my thirst for knowledge, and gratified it to the extent of his power. Every particle of fact or premise thus ob tained was passed over to Miss Thompson. We met frequently; I be came a regular visitor at her homo, and notes were exchanged by us across across the court. She had completely enslaved me, so that I was wondering how soon I might, with consistency, ask her to become my wife. On ac count of the low condition of my finan ces, 1 dared not yet broach the sub ject. Hence, nothing in the nature of love making was indulged in, though I was eager to advance beyond the stage of friendships, and she seemed willing to acquiesce. Matters went on in this way for some weeks. We called one another "Ethel" and"Henry." This departure from orthodox formality had been tak en at her suggestion. "We know each other so well now," she had said to me, "that we may as well make use of our Christian names. It will seem more friendly. You are acting in the capacity of a brother to me; and you know," she added arch ly; "that I stand ready to be a sister to you." However much I objected, privately, to the manner in which the privilege was granted, the concession itself was delightful, for it seemed to draw me closer to her. One morning Fenton appeared to be excited over something. "I tell you what, Walton," he said to me, I'm in a devil of a quandary. I've just had a glorious tip on your favorite stock, 'D., K. & E.,' but can not see my way to take advantage of it. If I only had from SIOOO to JSOOO just now, I could make a lucky strike." "Would you mind telling me about it?" I asked, in as calm a voice as I could command. "Certainly 1 will tell you." Fenton replied. "Of course you won't breathe It to a soul." (I maue no reply to this observation). "I have it on the best of authority that 'D., K. & E.' is to be heavily unloaded tomorrow —pushed uown to zero, in fact. The holders who cannot put up margins will be forced to sell out. Under ordinary cir cumstances, you know, this would mean that it was time to get from un der; but in this case the man who has any 'D.. K. & E.' stock would better hang onto it. If he has none, h» should place his order to purchase as soon as it reaches 28. I have private information that it will drop rapidly and step at 24. A man buying at 28, you see wou'.d have to put up a shcr*. margin of four points. Immediately it reaches 24 there, will be a rush for it.and it will shoot up like a rocket. As soon as it strikes 96. the holder should sell. All this comes from the fact that 'D., K. & E.' is being used as a blind to cover operations on 'P., T. A Q.' While the struggle is going on over "D., K. & E.' some quiet work will be done wilh 'P., T. & Q.' which will result in a grand coup. I am satisfied that my information is cor rect." Well, I am ashamed to confess it. but 1 lost no time in conveying this information to Ethel, by means of an unsigned note. 1 was =o proud of my ability to secure information, that I waated to deliver it before it was ttale. There would be no glory in telling it after it had become public property. Possibly my action in tl:« matter was hastened however hv a little note which I received from tta« girl shortly after my conversation with Fenton. It merely containe< the question: "Anything new today about 'D., K & E.'?" My message containing the "glori ous tip" which Fenton had communi cated to me brought iorth a reply. II contained these words: "Please do not come up tonight. 1 have another engagement." During the remainder of ttte day I noticed that Ethel was absent from her office. The next day and for sev eral days thereafter it was the same. I became alarmed. Finally I rushed up to her house, only to be met with the information that Miss Thompson was not at home. Meanwhile matters had transpired as Fenton had predicted. "D.. K. & E." had fallen with great rapidity tc 24. A scramble for it had ensued, and it had risen with equal celerity to 07. It was a matter for public comment that a man named Thompson—un known on the street—had purchased at 28 and sold at 96, thereby reaping a snug fortune. I saw no more of Ethel, but a Icttei received from her explained the mys tery. I have it here, and will read it to you. "Dear Brother Henry—You have earned the title I bestow upon you. 1 felt satisfied ycu would secure some valuable information for me. Papa made use of it. He is rich now, and we are to start for Europe immedi ately. I made him promise me a for eign trip when I could find him a way to make the needed money. He supposed it was a joke, but ha? learned to his entire satisfaction thai I was in earnest. You have my bless sing. I shall think frequently of you ■ and should I ever marry. I will invite my brother to the wedding. Au re voir Ethel." "tlossom has decided to employ but one stenographer hereafter. 1 have no further use for my 'pull.' "—Wa verley Magazine. GUAINT AND CURIOUS. It has been calculated that the hair of the beard grows at the rate of one and one-half lines a week. This will give a length of six and one-half inches in the course of a year. Parsnips are supposed by many peo ple to be very nourishing. A pound of parsnips only gives 12 grains of strength, while the same amount of skim milk will give 34 grains and of split pease 250 grains. The highest telegraph poles in the United States have just been erected in Beaumont, Texas. So far as known they are the highest in the world, their tops being 150 feet from the ground. They carry a Western Union cable across the Xeches river—a span 144 feet in length. A curious custom prevails in Bul garia. All newly married women are ohjiged to remain dumb after mar riage, except when addressed by their husbands. When it is desirable to re move this restriction permanently the husband presents her with a gift, and then she can talk to her heart's con tent. In a Ventura garden in California there is a great Lamarque rose tree which has made remarkable growth since it was planted, more than 25 years ago. Its trunk near the ground is two feet nine inches in circum ference, while the main branches are not much smaller. In 1895 the tree produced over 21,000 blooms. A statistician asserts that when 350 years shall have passed the density of the earth's population will be so great that each person will have only two-thirds of an acre, which space will have to suffice for all purposes— agriculture, roads, houses, parks, rail ways, etc. He estimates the present population of the earth at 1,600,000,000, and says that in 2250 it will bo 52.- 073,000,000. The first postage stamp of France was the head of a stern-looking wom an, and was meant to represent liber ty. The present stamp used in France represents two figures, Commerce and Mercury, clasping hands across the globe. For most of her colonies France issues a special stamp with the eagle of the empire upon it, but there are several exceptions. The is land of Reunion has a small stamp with the value alone marked on it. A certain "common informer," who lived under the Stuarts, died, and left money and lands to one of the great city companies for schools and other charitable purposes. Ho directed in his will that his body should be kept above ground in such a way that it could be seen through glass, and that the governing body of the company should, each year, under penalty of forfeiting the property, visit his tomb and see the body. This visitation is still carried out every year. Wlient Stuck Twenty-Kl e ht Y<-nrs Old. In the stack yard of Mr. W. Meen's farm, Stradbroke, Suffolk, says the London Daily Mail, there is a stack of wheat which has a remarkable his tory. It was built in 1873 and the owner made a vow that he would nev er thrash it until it realized 25 cents a sack —a price which has never been offered. The stark stands on an iron support two feet from the ground, and is in an excellent state of preservation, being free from mice or rats. Recent ly some of the ears of wheat were pulled out and the grains were found to be quite bright, though reddened by age It is estimated that the stack contains 250 bushels. THE GREAT DESTROTEB 50M- STATTUNG FACTS THE VICE OF INTEMPERANCE. Hor Nrr YorV Sonefy Women "Drlnl4 Ontzlcrii Arp Wlißt thn World ra)l« — Girl* Bit and Ordefl Drlnkn Without Food. Mr. F'la A. of the New Vn-v 9 tatp Women's Christian Tomi ner-"p" Union. ha? hpen makinjr some in* vpßtirations th» imhibine of JPTN-LR-NTI in N"B''P P'PPPS b" tb" women o* riithnm. end fnrnishps the following sirnificant table of luncheons takpn afe the places named to the New York World:' No. No. of "sinst What the 1 TV p.ce. women.liquors, women drank. r V'-->on?e">'R 50 45 Wine or cocktails. W~Vinff.Astoria.loo 05 Wine or cocktails. r 'Veil''s 85 7? Wine.co'ta'p.bppr. cVp T .«y» )a 95 )5 'Witje °r cocktails* Manhattan 60 40 Wine or cocktails. e -rov 5 4 Wine or cocktails. Milliard's 75 21 C'ktails or liq'urs. T!»» wo"">n who furnished the raw ma terial fnr Boole's table were not dis reputable characters had stasrsered in from the st.-epta. The names of the pines at which the observations were made are sufficient to indicate that the "■"•zzlero were what the world calls ladies. More than that, these p°mc women con stitute. or help to constitute, that which* is l-now-i at- the li'irhest social circle. At ill the fashionable rpstaurants in New York the lirper "art of the receipts are said to be derived from the sales of wines, whisky and other alcoholic drinks. F'-en popular candv stores of the metrop olis now sewe chamnagre, cocktails and h Won lis. Restaurants in the shopping districts thit reach out especially for the ratronare of the women who trade in the dry floor's stores. and where men unaccom panied by ladies are seldom seen, servo drinks to at least spventy-five per cent, of their customers. Tb ; s i* a description of t'-e scene witnessed by Mrs. Boole at the Wa'dorf-Astoria: "There were twenty-s'x tables in the first room, seatine two. four, sis or eieht persons. In the course of nn hour the (ruests at most of these tables had changed once. "Of the persons at these tables thirteen were drinking at ore time. and eight wait era with empty cocktail orla»SPfl came from tallies that were '••artially hidden by tho sto"e columns in the r norn. "With three, possibly four. exceptions, these truest" wee all women —worsen with gray hair, fine-'ooking women of thirty, you"g girls of eighteen. "One yonnc cirl. of nchaps sixteen or seventeen. drank a cocktail and also a glasa of wire." Tn the restaurants in the shopping dis trict it :s customary. we are told, for women and crirls to sit down at the tables and orler drinks without calling for any thing to eat. This may be a little more genteel than leading against a bar and drinking, but it is probably just as dan gerous. It has been eustor-ary for people ill general to look nnon Chicago as the wick edest place in tbe world, but it would surely be impossible for anyone to bring such an indictment against the women of this city as Mrs Boole ha" brought azainst the feminine half of New York's smart set. The saloons which flourish here indicate that there must be a great deal of drink ing by Chicago men, but it ha* not become necessary to turn candy stores in grog shops. as yet. and no first-class hotel in this city has thus far found it necessary to maintain a special department for the use of men and women who may wish to meet by appointment and drink together. It is hardly surprising, considering all t e facts in the case, that Mrs. Boole cries out: "In the name of womanhood, in the in terest of the children yet to be born, we cal' upon every cla«s of society women, and every woman who loves her kind to discourage the custom of social drinking and help save the womanhood of the na tion from the curse of drunkenness." But Mrs. Boole m - 'st not. make the mis take of regarding New York as the na tion.—Chicago Record-Herald. Paying Tribute. There was once a man who drank very heavily; in fact, he was known as a drunkard. He lived in a small village, and was generally admitted to be the bum rf the town. One morning he started for the hotel for his first drink, and as he en tered he saw the landlord's children play ing in the yard. Thev were hright-faced, well-dressed, clean and were children ihat any father and mother might be proud of. He stopped and looked at them. They were romping, running and having a good time, and he could not help but admire them. As he stood and watched these children he could not help but contrast them v.ith his own children that he had left at home—five ragged looking urchins. Thev were dirty, barefooted, and their clothes were tattered, and they were really a disgrace to any man. He stopped to think what was the difference between the children, and he came to the rightful conclusion that the difference was that in stead of clothing and caring for his own family he was clothing and caring for the family of the rumseller. He stopped. Ho thought a moment. He turned and went home, and has never drank a drop since. One of his sons is now superintendent of a division of a large railroad. Another is the confidential clerk in a banking house, and the three daughters are well and re spectably married. Burden of Hereditary Weakness. Dr. A. Baer, royal sanitary counsellor, head physician at the penitentiary, plotz ecsee near Berlin, auttior of "Der Alko holismus" and other works upon this sub ject, says: "Not unfrequently the children of topers die of hereditary weakness, not only showing a pronounced tendency to ward diseases of the brain, epilepsy and idiocy, but they are also frequently sub ject to vicious inclinations and criminal tendencies. They lack perception for that which is moral and which contributes to a steady, well-ordered career. Weighted with the burden of hereditary mental weakness, they not unfrequently take to tramping, fall into crime, or become the victims of drunkenness or insanity. The tendency to drink degenerates not only the existing race, but also the couiinc fen eration," A Serious Evil. It is a most serious evil that idle and worthless parents should lounge in public houses and goon boozing themselves into stupidity or raging brutansm till midnight, while their miserable, neglected children are often left to run loose about the cor rupt and filthy slums until their parents return, often only to beat and terrify these uerishing little ones. The Crusade In Brief. The Anti-Saloon League has decided to take a new tack in fighting saloons in Ohio, and purposes to make a test case on the claim that a saloon is a public nuis ance, and should be abolished. The license system proceeds on the plan of sacrificing life for the sake of saving money. It deliberately immolates men by the thousand upon the blood altar of Bac chus in order to relieve taxpayers. Recently the ten-year-old son of an ex pressman in New York City was found un conscious in a hallway a few doors f ~ his home. Ilis case was diagnosed tfObolism by an ambulr ce aurccon.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers