I
WHY 00 YOU
Oh mn with M(r eyes ,
Why do yon hurrv 10?
In vour haute to gain the prize
You mi much ah you bo;
You hcsr no song birds mnft.
Nor strny in flowery places;
You never stay to bring
Olnd smiles to wenry faces
Why do you hurry sot
Oh stay it little, sUyl
Why do you hurry go?
There ore blossoms along the way
That never again ahall blow;
The grave ia at the end
Of the way that you are taking
Stay a little, friend,
And aoothe some heart that's aching
Why do you hurry o?
I, Mrs. Laton's Tea.
NSCOXCEI lu the depths of I
her big arm-chair, a imillo
lighting tip her flue old face
that her white balr framed
with a crown of (mow, Mrs. Uaruiou
was considering her nephew Andrew,
a good-looking young fellow of twenty-eight,
who, for his part, was eoiiHid
erlng the timepiece on the mantel,
whose IkiimU, were already well past
three o'clock.
"Well. Andrew, do you find my clock
very IntereHtliig?"
In some confusion the young man
stammered au excuse, but she went
on:
"Now don't deny It, you naughty fel
low. You wanted to know If your visit
had lasted long enough for you to take
your departure decent ly."
"Not at all, aunt. Your guess Is quite
wrong, for I haven't the slightest in
tention of going yet. But why do you
keep a regular min-riial like that In
Mir drnwlug room?"
"Perhaps because I was born so loug
ago that It is I and not the clock that
is behind time. But come Instead of
criticising my drawing room, tell me
what you are going to do when you
leave here." .
"In the first place, I nra not golug to
leave here for some time; but whe.i I
have wearied you with my preseuoe
until you cannot stand It any longer,
It will be time for me to go to Mrs.
Laton's tea."
"Mrs. Laton Pauline Laton?"
"The same."
"Ah, yes; I used to see her some
time ago. I remember her vaguely a
large woman, dark "
"She Is a blonde, aunt."
"Indeed? She Used to be a brunette.
And so you are sighing at the feet of
Mrs. Lntou?"
"We are nil sighing nt her feet."
"SlH) must enjoy It."
"Well, I rather think she does."
"Is It fun?"
"Yes, after a fashion. We are al
ways the same little circle of friends,
and then, beside Mrs. Laton, there's a
sister, a rather good-looking girl, and
a few other young matrons and bache
elor girls."
"And what do you do besides look at
these women?"
"We tuke ten. we gossip and we
flirt."
"Oh, oh!"
"But my dear aunt, one must do
something between 5 o'clock and din
ner." "Evidently; ami flirting Is what you
have found to do?"
"It's a way to kill time."
"I scarcely know Just what you
mean by the term. Explain it to mo."
"Oh, impossible. A definition for the
word has long been sought, but It hag
not yet been found. But, given a
young woman tete-a-tete with a young
man who Is not a fool, and I warrant
you It won't bo long before you have
a practical demonstration. Flirtation
Is a manner of becoming discreetly In
discreet. To know how to flirt is no
common accomplishment. It Is a veri
table science."
"And Is love a science, too?"
"No; It Is rather an art." "r
"And marriage what Is it?"
"Oh. that Is philosophy."
"Indeed? At what age does one at
tain this philosophy?"
"As late as possible."
"It seems to me that at twenty-eight
"Aunt, aunt!" cried Andrew, spring
ing from his chair, "confess that you
are concocting some terrible plot. You
look as guilty as a conspirator."
Mrs. Harmon smiled a flue smile and
enjoyed for n moment the consterna
tion In her victim's face. Then she
answered, after a pause:
"Yes, yon are right I wish to get
you married."
"In heaven's name, what have I done
to you?" gasped the young mun, with
comic seriousness; and as the old lady
still smiled, he continued. "See here,
aunt, I should never have suspected
yon of such a thing.' You, a woman of
intelligence, a superior woman, de
scending to the role of matchmaker!
It Is a terrible shattering of my
Ideals."
"Come, come, my poor boy, do not
be so cast down. The girl ia charm
ing. I can assure you."
"Of course," Andvew burst out, "the
Rirl is always charming. Oh, 1 know
tier; I can see bar now; eho may not
be exactly pretty, but as you have said,
she Is charmlug. She dresses admira
bly, and makes all her own gowns.
Hue stood at the head of her class in
school, and attends lectures now.
Moreover, she has taken cooking les
..w.'VJ. Can put UD Preserves. She
rJ , plano' Bh6 8m8- ue paints,
51m p A VMy fortl,ne ln her own
I'"' Ba,",No, a thousand times, no!
I do not want this miracle of perfec-
1 I,k,now a ,hlR or two aunt,
even If I don't look It. and If I marry
I shall marry a woman who suits me
But i Unow glrta.u m
and I know what they are and what
sueWOrth- Th '"n't one who
suits me, or can suit me, and I shall
remain a bachelor."
w.U yU t0 take tea at Mrs. La
tons." murmured Mrs. Harmon, be
tweea her teeth. "while a disturbing
Bld,reyeiUn lW "
Under this Ironical and even n.
quisitoiial look Andrew lost couMvn.
nce a Utile; ho could Bot den, that
with Mrs"' alrti"
He was pnllJug himself together to
reply. r nuher to defend "himself!
!." U at,-"t door bell was heard.
, A culler, ch? Is this your reception
-I t
HURRY SO?
OI maiden with doep even, v-
Why do you hurry to?
A world of sorrow lies
Out where you long to go;
You put your books away
And coil your braided tresses,
And, turning from wild play.
Are stately in long drosses
Why do you hurry so?
Oh stay a little while,
Why do you hurry so?
I see you sweetly smile,
Ann heaven is here below;
lint oh you long to flee
From youth and maiden glory,
To grieve too 'late anil be
The pathos of the story
Why do you hurry so?
Chicago Itecord Herald.
day, aunt, or do you, too, givo your
friends tea at Bve o'clock?"
"You are Impertinent, nephew. At
my age a woman does not give five
o'clock flirtatious. It Is not even a
caller. I am sure it Is my little friend
Rosamond, the 'charming-girl' I spoke
of."
"I shall flee, then."
"Do you not wish even to see her?"
"Never! Or, If you Insist, I shall go
Into this little ante room and look at
Iter through the crack of the door. That
Is the only concession I shall make,"
nnd the young man stepped iiuickiy
Into the next room as the opposite
door opened to admit the visitor;
through the slit Andrew could make
out the graceful silhouette of a young
girl.
'How do you do, Mrs. Harmon?'
said the girl, as slio entered the room.
"I have brought back the little books
on the orphan asylum that you lent
mamma. May I stay a moment witli
you?"
She continued to keep her back to
ward Andrew, and he, now beginning
to get tired of the game, had about con
cluded thot she must be frightfully
ugly.
"Sit down here, dear, beside me,"
and Mrs. Harmon easily contrived to
place the girl just opposite the small
room; and the young man, approaching
his eye to the crack, was struck by the
pretty face he beheld.
"Well, Rosamond, what are you do
ing nowadays? Are you going out
much?"
"No, very little. I had a card for
Mrs. La ton's tea this afternoon, but I
wrote her I was 111. You will not be
tray me,' will you?" nnd she laughed a
merry laugh that set Andrew's heart
to vibrating.
"Do you not care for such affairs?"
asked Mrs. Harmon.
"Sure, Mrs. Harmon, you do not
think it would be amusing to spend an
hour or two watching Mrs. Laton's
flirtations, with no one to talk to, but
the Insipid women and stupid men of
her set?"
"You are severe, my child."
"Severe? Well, with a woman like
Mrs. Laton I do not think one can be
too much so."
Instinctively Mrs. Harmon raised
her eyes to the door that concealed
Andrew, and, under pretext of arrang
ing the portiere, she crossed the room,
and. as she rearranged the drapery,
whispered to her nephew:
"It's nearly Ave you'll bo late for
your tea."
But her warning was unheeded; An
drew did not budge. As for the girl by
the Arc, she was still full of her Idea.
"Do you know Mrs. Laton, Mrs. Har
mon?" sho asked.
"Yes, yes," the old lady hastened to
reply, and to turu the conversation she
went on. "But you are wrong to de
clare that all men are stupid. There
tire some who are quite sensible."
"Sensible? Well, I don't know them.
I do not mean that they are all stupid,
but they think themselves so superior
that they are wearisome. They are
vain, insufferable bores, with, their
blase airs and their Ideas that thoy are
Irresistible because they can flirt with
Mrs. Laton, who has blenched hair,
smears pulnt ou her face as If It were
a palcltf, and whose brains are good
for nothing but to devise outrageous
gowns."
Again Mrs. Harmon cast an uneasy
glance toward the little room, in which
Andre-y was fast waxing angry. He
would have liked o strangle this girl,
whose superb health and triumphant
beauty Irritated him.
"And when will you get married, my
dear?" suggested Mrs. Ilaruon, again
throwing herself Into tho breach.
"I shall never marry."
"Indeed? -Why not?"
"Why not?" repeated Rosamond, a
shadow of melancholy coming over her
face that Andrew adciired in spite of
himself. "Because I am a little fool
who-cannot do as tho rest do. I would
wish to love my husband a id to have
hlra love me. I would wish to marry
a man whom I should single from
among the rest for his g3oduess and
Intelligence. I would wish to have a
conlldence In him, and above ull to be
proud of him."
As the girl spoke she had become
animated with a geutlo exaltation,
which was not without its effect on
the young man behind the door.
"Well, Rosamond," said Mrs. Har
mon, "why do you not realize your
dream?"
"Because there are no young men
nowadays w hi, pre to look for a girl
who pleases them. Marriage for them
Is a matter of business, nothing more,
and he woman herself does not count.
They marry when they have lost their
money, and the little heart they pos
sessed has been frittered away on some
Mrs. Laton or another."
Again Mrs. Harmon arose, and pre
tending she bad an order to give, ex
cused herself and hastened to her
nephew.
"Well, aunt, she has given us a nice
dressing down, eh? For a 'charming
girl,' I would back her against the
world."
"Hurry, Andrew; It is late, and you
have almost missed your tea."
"My tea!" be repeated. "Bother my
teal Is there nothing else In the world
but my tea? Now, you must Hnd an
excuse to bring me Into tho room and
I'll show that young shrew whether
all men ar fools. Oh, sho need have
no fear, I shall not try to marry her,
for I still have all my lmlr, a little
money and a heart still intact."
Mrs. Harmon cuuld not restrain a
smile at the young miu' vexation, and
Ave? minutes later Andrew entered tho
drawing room.
But contrary to all expectations, the
conversation did not become a war of
words; on thu contrary, the girl's fresh
gayety disarmed Andrew's nnger at
once. Ills preconception fled before
her dimpled smiles and her gentle
voice, and he soon fell under her
charm, forgetting his nnger ln his ad
miration of her graceful movements.
the penetrating timbre of her voice, the
sparkle of her wit.
The hour for the tea hnd long passed
nnd Andrew was still there. He had
lost all desire to run aftpr Mrs. Laton,
that faded dill whom Rosnmond as
he was forced to admit to himself
hnd portrayed so truthfully.
And esconced once more In the
depths of her arm-chair, Mrs. narmon
smiled a kindly smite, and silently re
garded the young people, who for their
part, looked at one another with looks
that do not deceive and In which the
old aunt read with joy the hope of a
happy union. Waverley Magazine,
The Country Keillor.
It has been frequently stated that
the editor of a country newspaper
works harder for less pay than any
man of similar ability In his commu
nity. There Is no doubt some truth
In this, but It is far from being a fair
statement of the case.
A similar statement might be made
to' appljto the country doctor or law
yer, and with quite as much truth.
There are poor editors, poor lawyers,
poor farmers, poor merchants and so
on along the line, but as a rule we do
not have to look far to discover tho
whys and wherefores.
Just a man's ability to g;-t a few
hundred dollars together for printing
machinery does not make him an edi
tor, any more tho.a the purchase of a
few bottles of pills and boxes of pow
ders makes a man a doctor. There
must be something more thnn mero
name.
No doubt the country editor does
work hard, and In very many In
stances he works In the dark. If he
gets out a poor newspaper he must
expect to be 111 paid, and generally It
Is the editor of a poor newspaper that
does the hardest work.
Fortunately there are very many
editors of country newspapers who
do not come under this bead, and In
every Instance It will be found that
they are live, hustling men who run
their papers on business principles,
and are not satisfied with putting
"any old thing" In type just so long
as It will All the required space.
Backed up by brains there are hard
er roads to travel than publishing a
country newspaper, but without at
least a normal supply of "gray mat
ter" it Is tortuous and full of snares
and pitfalls. Fourth Estate.
Presented Himself to Be Hanged,
Lord Wolseley tells an amusing
story of his experience with Abel
Erasmus, the Boer, who has just come
Into the British lines in South Africa.
In 187!) Wolseley was making a cam
paign against Sekuklnl, tho chief of
the Bapedis near Swaziland. After
he had captured the chief and put
down the rebellion, he asked Sekuklnl
how he dared make war against a
great power like Englund. Tho Kaffir
replied that he had been urtfed on by
Erasmus.
Soon after, nt a public dinner at Pre
toria, Lord Wolseley made a speech, ln
which he snld thnt if he ever found
that Erasmus had Incited the chiefs
to war he would hang him.
A day or two later a tall, bearded
Boer appeared at Wolseley's offlce.and
said to the secretary. Sir Henry Brack
enbury: "I am Abel Erasmus, and I havo
very important business to transact. I
have heard that Sir Uaruet Wolseley
has declared that he will hang mo
whenever he can lay bonds on me, so
I have come to be hanged."
The secretary admitted the' advisa
bility of consulting Sir Garnet, who
was in the next room, and it happened
that the general was busy nnd could
not stop to discuss other matters, even
so Important as hangings. According
ly h returned to the Boer, and paci
fied him by suggesting that the bus
iness could stand over for a day or
two. Erasmus felt that he 1 ad dis
charged his share of the obligation and
departed In good health and In better
temper. Youth's Companion.
How Women Mat an Emergency.
A curious outcome of technical edu
cation for women was showu during
tho past year In the caso of a una
who by allure in business was re
duced to poverty. He bad a capable
family, and his daughters at once
sought fDr situations as Cressmakers
and milliners. In the latter trade
thero was no prospect of Immedlato
remuneration, as It Is customary for
tho beginners to give three months of
service, both spring nnd fall, without
receiving wages. The second daugh
ter gt a place to sew In a dressmak
ing establishment at small wages, and
the father's efforts to make a living
were hampered b7 Lis advanced years.
Then the tuother took a band. She
had tcsa rais:d on a farm and sought
nnd found employment tying up vege
tables for ciarket. Ia this industry
tba chief requisites ore careful count
Ins nud lionestj, early rising and In
dustry. She actually r.iade enough
money to keep the family for three
uouths, but then s'ae dli not havo to
spend money to dress up to tho situa
tion, and was paid for ber work at tho
end of each day. Philadelphia Record.
The Highest-Frload BUcip.
A Btarap sold the other week for
'221, fhe highest price ever realized
ln a public salesroom for any one
stamp, although Messrs. Puttlck &
Simpson, at whose rooms It was sold,
tell us that they have another copy
unused which will shortly be offered
for sale, and is expected to fetch up
ward of MOO. The stamp is the first
issue of Kouuianlu used for the prov
ince of Moldavia in 1854, blue on blue
paper, with the arms of the province
and the value, eighty-one paras, equal
to about 7d. in our money. Incredlblo
as it may appear, there are other
stamps believed to be of even greater
value than either of , these. London
Onlooker. , '
What It Iudloates.
, Any woman who will flatter a man
t"i his face Is either in love with him
oi else Is perfectly willing to be. New.
Yo 'lf Press. .
qs9Sr!j
AGRIGOLTORAL
Knoourag the Woodpecker.
The woodpeckers, which are sup
posed to destroy trees by drilling,
rpally destroy the Insects in the trees,
thus performing a service by saving
the trees. They should be encouraged
to remain In the orchard, as the very
fact that woodpeckers ore nt work is
evidence that they are needed on the
troes- ,
One Use of Trailing Vines.
Many trailing vines can bo used for
covering bare spots on the lawn around
the house or under trees. English Ivy
will remain uninjured on the ground,
even If the winters are too severe for
it when trained on walls. Put the
plants four or five feet npart, making
the ground very rich with well-rotted
manure, which should be worked into
the soil.
An Excellent Compound.
Fish oil Is the basis for nearly nil
the compounds for destroying lice on
stock and also for preventing attacks
from flies and mosquitoes. An excel
lent prepnratlou Is todlssolvc an ounce
of naphthaline (powdered) In a pint
of kerosene (which mny require sev
eral days), and add It to one gallon of
flsa oil. Next add a gill of spirits tur
pentine nnd a gill of crude carbolic
ncld, placing the mixture in a Jug for
use when wanted, always shaking well
before using. The mixture may be ap
ijlcd by spraying or with a sponge.
Keep One Breed of Fowls.
It Is much easier nnd much better
ln every way to keep only ono breed
of fowls. It mny. perhaps, cost a
trifle more to get a good start, but
when once on the right road the cost
will be no more, and the satisfaction
one g.'ls from a well kept flock of pure
bred fowls, to say nothing of the
money side of the question. Is suffi
cient Incentive for one's guidance.
Take, for Instance, a Cock of 100 pure
bred Barred Plymouth Rocks, all ex
actly alike, and what prettier sight
could one wish? And this does not
apply alone to this breed. There are
dozens of others equally as attractive
and as profitable.
Several pure breeds run together
soon develop mongrels; possibly no
doubt they are superior to the old-time
barnyard fowls, but mongrels just the
same. They cost as much to feed, and
require as much attention In every
T.ay ns the pure breed, while they are
neither as good layers or table fowls
as are the pure breeds. Keep only one
breed, and let that one be some good
standard variety that you fancy most.
Home and Farm.
V- '
Poultry Notes.
Por soft-shelled eggs give lime water.
Fowls thrive best In high dry locali
ties with a sandy soil.
When chickens are droopy or weak
look for lice.
Light, nutritious and easily digested
food Is w"bat confined fowls require to
do well.
One way of losing money Is to keep
a lot of cockerels long after they have
censed to grow.
Under usual conditions a variety of
food is better than any medicine that
can be given fowls.
The main thing In raising enrly
broilers Is to get them to weigh two
pounds as soon as possible.
Water enters largely Into the com
position of an egg and it Is therefore
necessary that hens have plenty of It,
pure and clean.
Where hen houses, nest boxes, roosts
etct, are properly looked after there
Is no such pest about as vermin to at
tack the little chicks. Then why
neglect the poultry yard and suffer the
consequence?
Young bens are, as a rule, not de
sirable mothers, but if the farmer ex
pects to hatch with hens he must train
a few of bis last year's pullets to set
and take care of the young ln order
that ho may not run short of good
mothers, for they are half tho battle
In poultry raising.
Setting Hen In the Poultry House.
Other things being equal, a chicken
batched In early April Is worth twice
as much as one hatched In June. It
costs a little moro to raise it, but on
the other band an April chicken Is less
likely to be troubled with lice. A pul
let of the medium sized breeds
batched In April ought to begin laying
In October, and will produce eggs
when they are high, while a late pul
let reserves her energies for providing
eggs when they are low. The cocker
els of the early hatch are ready to cat
or sell In the early fall.
K8T ob srrriNO uen.
The only place for hens or chickens
at my command is an ordinary hen
house ln which I keep twelve hens. If
a hen was set In the henhouse tho
other heus would lay lu the nest, and
when chickens hatched, tho hen, In
trying to defend them from invaders
was Ukely. to step on and kill them.
So I got a box eighteen Inches long,
fourteen inches wide and eighteen
lucaes high. Tho top was tnuen off
and split so that one strip was seven
Inches wldo, which was nailed to one
sldo of the opening, an shown in the
cut. Two short pieces wero nnlled ou
this at a aud b to bold the door. This
box Is used for a nest In which to set
the hens, nnd, it stands on tho floor.
Several holes are bored In tho box for
ventilation.
When a hen shows a strong inclina
tion to sit I make a. nest in the box,
put hi two or three china eggs and
shut' the hen in. Tbe next afternoon
I open the door and lift her off to feed.
After sho becomes accustomed to tho
new nest the real eggs are put under
her. Keen the box closed linrlnir tim
day and open late ln the afternoon, so
suv vuu vuuiv yu to (ecu,
' '
When It I not practicable to give)
this care, the door is simply tnken off
nt noon and replaced nt night. Almost
nil the hens lay before noon, and the
sitting ben Is not apt to be disturbed
after dinner. I have frequently bought
sitting hens from people who did not
care to set them. If a hen is carefully
moved after dnk, there is seldom any
trouble about her sitting In the new
quarters. Will Dana, In New England
Homestead. , " "
A Demand For Oood norseU
The excessive drain upon the supply
of horses for military purposes In the
last few years has practically de
pleted this country's number of good
horses, and there exists to-day an act
ual shortngo which cannot be nnide
good for several years. The demand
has bern chiefly for heavy horses
those suitable for cavalry and for
dragging .heavy provision trains.
Horses thnt would answer too re
quirements for these purposes have
been shipped to South Africa, Manila
and Europe In grent quantities. It
has leen Impossible to meet the needs
of all requirements becnuse of the lack
of suitable animals. The demand now
Is for heavy draft horses, good ani
mals for horseback riding, and even
for roadsters. Breeding and rearing
of any of these must return good
profits to the farmer or owner. Horse
flesh In the last few years seems to
have recovered from the low ciepres
slon It reached a few years ago. Then
the animals reached the lowest stage
of demoralization possible, but the
losses sustained by owners of horses
then were not wholly an evil. There
was some good that came out of It.
Not the least of these was the cleaning
out of all the poor and Inferior ani
mals that bad been accumulating la
the country. Years beforo the depres
sion prices for horses had been so good
that people paid exorbitant sums for
pretty Inferior horseflesh. Breeders
found that they could sell almost any
thing they raised, and In a few years
tho country was flooded with poor
horses. Tho depression lu prices
cleaned out these inferior animals.
Some wero shot, others froze to death
on tho Western prairies and some were
shipped away. Only the man with
good horses decided that he would not
sacrifice his stock, and ho clung to bis
favorite animals.
Now tho country Is actually de
pleted of good horses, and there never
was a better time to breed. The type
of animal that Is needed should be an
Incentive to every owner of good horse
flesh to raise some for mnrkot. Toor
horses will never again pay in this
country. If tho present boom contin
ues It will never include tho Inferior
animals which n few years ago found
a market. If one cannot raise animals
suitable to do their work well ln the
world, It will be better to abandon
the business entirely. The farmer
with fair Intelligence, who has good
stock to begin with never had a bet
ter chance to make money from rais
ing good horses, and the time to begin
Is when the supply Is low, nnd the
country Is depleted of stock. E. P.
Smith, In American Cultivator.
Crossing a Lane. '
Where a farm has but one well and
the stock must be watered from the
same pump that supplies the family,
tho following suggestion may prove
helpful. With us. In order that the
cattle may have free access to water,
a lane leads directly from the cow lot
at the rear of tbe barn to the watering
trough, thus avoiding the Inconven
ience of twlco or three times a day
having to drive them through the
barnyard Intervening between the
house and barn. There are no gates
to open and tho yard Is not made un
sightly by the cattle.
1
COM,
FIO, 1 COW LOT CLOSED.
On tbe other hand, this lane cuts off
direct communication with a much
visited Held of truck and small fruits,
and to avoid the continual opening of
two gates, we hit upon the plan shown
in the engraving, whereby both gates
open inward, and while temporarily
opening a passageway to the field they
close the cow lot, as ln Fig. 1. Mid
way between the gates Is set a block
for them to strike against, with a
shoulder a little lower for them to
rest on when ln this position. Then a
four-inch hook is fastened In the for
ward edge of ono of the gates, and in
tbe other gate, two staples to receive
it, one on each skle, so that whichever
gate Is thrown back first there is a
staple in place to receive the hook.
To make the gate close flush with
tbe fence on the outside, the latch
must be such as to pass tbe post. This
ria. 2 OA.IB Lircu.
can bo done with a sliding bar, bnt a
more convenient latch is such a one as
Is used on stable doors, placed as near
the top of tha gate as possible. A
notch Is cut from the top of tha post
making an incline over which tho latch
will pass and drop down. Fig. 2.
This makes a latch which cannot be
opened accidentally or otherwise by
cattle on that Inside of the lane. O. M.
Snull, iu AaWlcau Ji srlculturlst.
I I"
zips
r;v . ji L
Penalty For Neglected Highways.
I T HE rostofflce Department Is
I IF trynSf to UHe tbe rural free
" I delivery experiment as an
"J" argument In favor of good
roads, and where the experiment has
railed to Improve the bad roads along
the routes tho service will have to be
uhandoned.
The department has gone over the
records to see how many routes were
Interrupted by the condition of the
roads lust spring, and has sent out
notices that unless the roads are Im
proved to prevent similar Interruption
this spring these routes will hnve to
be abandoned. The records show that
a grent many routes were Interrupted
from one to seven days Inst spring.
There were forty of these routes ln
Iowa, twelve ln Illinois, ten ln Wis
consin nnd a less number ln other
Western nnd Southern States. The
record against Iowa Is not so bad as
it seems because that State has a
great many more rural free delivery
routes than any other State, and, like
Illinois, the State suffers at times
from bad roads which cannot be Im
proved. Tho department admits that It will
have to give some consideration to tbe
ditllculty In building roads In Iowa and
Illinois, where the depth of the soil
makes It almost Impossible to con
struct roads that will be passable nt
all seasons of the year. It Is admitted
that there are routes lu Illinois and
Iowa where everything possible has
been done to make good roads for the
greater part of the year, but during
the spring freshets these nay be Im
passable for a few days.
The order Is meant to apply to those
routes where the people are indifferent
to the condition of the roads and have
allowed them to become Impassable
through neglect. The Inspectors will
report on tho routes that are Inter
rupted this spring, and where the In
terruption Is due to neglect of tho
roads they will be abandoned. Where
the Interruption Is due to conditions
which cannot be overcome the depart
ment will make allowance;) and con
tinue the service.
But the department regards rural
free delivery as an argument and an
Inducement to build good roads, and
wherever tho people are Indifferent to
the advantages of the service the de
partmnt holds that tho experiment Is
a failure. The demand for rural free
delivery Is greater than the depart
ment can meet with tho appropriation
by Congress, and it will favor those
communities which show most appre
ciation by building roads over which
tho Government can send malls with
tho least possible Interruption,
Prepared For Summer.
Ia the lata spring after the ground
has settled, the roads should be pre
pared for summer travel by being
shaped up vrlth the "road machine" or
"road grader." When this work Is
done, the ground Is comparatively dry,
and consequently the heavier road
scraper Is required and can be bandied
on the roads. It Is somewhat unfor
tunate that this toot is ordinarily
called a road grader, since the name
has possibly led to a misconception
aa to an Important use of tho machine.
As an instrument of road construction,
this machine Is used to give a crown
to tbe road; but as au Instrument of
maintenance. It should be used only to
smooth tbe surface and restore the or
iginal crown. Apparently oome opera
tors assume that the machlno is not to
b used except to Increase the crown
of tha road. Employed la this way
the crown Is made too great, and a big
ridgo of loose earth 13 left In tbe mid
dle of the road whicli only slowly con
SJlidates and which Is likely to bo
washed into the side ditches to make
trouble there. Sine? the introduction
of the road machine there has devel
oped a strong tendency to Increase the
crown of the road unduly. Doubtless
the object Is to secure better dralnago
of the road bed. but pilln3 up the earth
is an inadequate substitute for the
drainage. Side slopes steeper than
just enough to turn the water Into tbe
side ditches are a detriment. Other
things being equal, tbe best road to
travel on or to haul a load over Is a
perfectly flat one.
S.
Oood Road a Neeenlt?,
With many expression cf apprecia
tion for tho warm hospitality extend
ed by tho business men of Philadel
phia, tbe convention of the Southern
Industrial Association adjourned to
meet next year ln Memphis. Tenn.
Beforo adjourning the following reso
tlon was adopted:
Whereas, Tho territory of many of
tho Southern States Is entirely or
lurgely remote from water navigation,
and,
Whereas, The more prosperous coun
tries of Europe have realized from the
earliest periods the vltul Importance
of good roads, and that much of their
prosperity depends upon a systerj of
fine roads, and,
Whereas, We of the South, realize
tho great disadvantage under which
we are marketing our valuable pro
duets; therefore, be it
Resolved, That we, the Southern In
dustrial Association in convention as
sembled, do hereby earnestly urg
upon the attention of all good citizen
of the South the importance of tb
improvement of tho roads, and do
hereby memorialize the Legislature!
of tbe various Southern States to take
up this important matter and to enact
such laws as will tend toward the bet
terment of the roads of their respect
ive States.
Poorly Drained Road.
It is the settled opinion of road ex
perts that farners would better aban
don dirt roadmaking unless they do It
selen'-'fleally. If the dirt roadway be
left to Itself it becomes hard packed
at least In tbe course of years, while
the elaborately graded and good to
look at. but Insufficiently drained han-
HiwA,1r if tha unanluii MHn von il mH lipra
fulls an easy victim to the first severe
rainy season, because it has uot nau
time to be packed by trafllo.
Clitterlog generalities seldoa pro
duce the gold uf truth.
COMMERCIAL REVIEW.
1- -
Otneral JftAt Conditions.
New York (Special). R. G. Dun 6V
Company's weekly review of trade saysr
Development of fresh labor troubles
i a feature of the week that has mads
or. conservatism in many directions,
but throughout the country jobbing and
retail lines are busy and are handling
goods at prices which yield fair profits.
There is a reflex of this activity in th
continued improvement in the textile
markets in the East, and the uneasiness
over the money market does not extend
beyond the ranks of speculators in
stocks. Crop reports continue gratify
ing, much good having been done by
rains in the Middle West. Harvesting
of winter wheat progresses favorably.
"Commercial failures during the first
half of loot numbered 5759, with liabili
ties of $55,804,690. against 5333 last year
for $74747,452. In manufacturing line
there were 1.265 defaults, with $21,691,'
048 liabilities, while 4i89 traders failed
for $24,864,207. The improvement over
the preceding year was most striking in
brokerage and banking insolvencies,
which were $9.240.4.,5 and $15,839,554,
respectively, against $22,124,346 and
against $25,822,682 last year. .This is
the more noteworthy because the vio
lent agitation in Wall street during May
was calculated to cause serious disturb
ances. .
LATEST QUOTATIONS.
Flour. Best Patent, $4.603485; High
Grade Extra, $4.1034.35; Minnesota
bakers, $2.ooa3.io.
Wheat. New York, No. 2 red, 70a
7ie; Philadelphia, No. 2 red, 69'4a69)4c;
Baltimore, 67J4a7tJ4c
Corn. New York, No. 2, 47c;
Philadelphia, No. 2, 4734740; Balti
more, No. 2, 48349c.
Oats. New York, No. 2, 32c; Phila
delphia, No. 2 white, jyAc; Baltimore,
No. 2 white, 33334c.
Rye. New York, No. 2, 58c; Phila
delphia, No. 2, 58c; Baltimore, No. 2,
5oa5tc.
Hay. No. 1 timothy, $i6ocai6.5o;
No. 2 timothy, $15.00315.50; No. 3 tim
othy, $i3.soai4.oo.
Green Fruits and Vegetables. Ap
ples Early June, per bbl, choice, $1.25
at. 50. Beets, native, per bunch, iai4c;
Eastern Shore Md., per bunch, ic.
Blackberries, Eastern Shore, per qt,
Rochelle, 4a5c; do do do, Wilson's, 4a
6c. Cabbage, native, per 100, Wakefield,
$2.0032.50; do do, Flat Dutch, $3.0033.50;
Cantaloupes, Georgia, per crate, $i.ooa
2.0a Carrots, native, per bunch, iyii
2c. Corn, Rappahannock, per doz, oa
12c; Eastern Shore Md., per doz, 10a
14c; native, per doz, 10314c. Cucum
bers, Norfolk, per bus basket, 6bc. Egg
plsnts, Florida, per crate, $20032.25.
Gooseberries, M3ryland and Virginia,
per lb, 2c. Huckleberries, Eastern
Shore Md., per qt, 5a7c. Lettuce, na
tive, per bus box, 20325c. Onions, new
Rappshannock, per J4-bbl basket, 60.1
75c. Peaches, Florida, per 6-basket car
rier, $i.5oa2.oo; do, Georgia, per 6-basket
carrier, 75cai.5C Pinespples, Flor
ida, per crate, as to size, $2.5033.00.
Plums, Florida, per carrier, $1. 00a 1. 50.
Raspberries, Eastern Shore, red, per
pint, 2'2a4c; black, per qt, 6a8c. String
beans per bus, green, 25330c. Water
melons, Florida, per 100, $25 00330 oa.
Potatoes. Old. Md. and Pa. prime,
per bus, 6oa6sc; New York prime, per
bus, 65370c. White, Norfolk, per bbl.
No. x, $i.5oai.75; do, No. 2, $1.0031.25;
do, culls, 75cai.oo; York River, per bi.l,
No. 1, $i.4oai.6o; do, culls and seconds
"Scal.oo; Rappahannock, per bbl $i.ou
ai.40; do, seconds, per bbl, 5oa7c;
Eastern Shore Md., per bbl, $1.2531.50;
do, Virginia, per bbl, $i.4oa 60.
Provisions and Hog Products. Bulk
rib sides, g'Ac; clear do, 9-Kc; shoul
ders, S'jc; do fat backs, 14 lbs and un
der, 854c; do, 18 lbs and under, 8'ic;
do, bellies, iojc; do, mess strips, 8c;
do, ham butts, 8'jc; bacon clear sides,
lo!4c; do, clear, io;4c; do, shoulders,
9'Ac; sugar cured bressts, smsll, nc;
do, do. 12 lbs and over, 124C; do, do,
shoulders, bladecuts, 9'Ac; do, do, nar
rows, 9!ic; do do, extra broad, 104;
do do California hams, o'c.
Live Poultry. We quote as follows:
Chickens, hens, loj-jc; old roosters,
esch 25a30c; springs, iJ4to 2 lbs, 17a
18c; do, i4 to I'A lbs, i6ai7c; spring, 1
lb and under, Maisc. Ducks, spring, 1
lbs and over, 13c; do do, poor and smai
oaiic; fancy, large, old, 8Ac; do, small,
7a754c; muscovy and mongrels, 74a8c.
Geese, each, 25335c. Guinea fowl, esch,
I5a20c. Pigeons, old, strong flyers, per
pair, 25c; do young do, 2oa25c
Eggs. Western Md. and Pa., per
doz, 13c; Eastern Shore Md. and Va.,
do, 13c; Virginia, 13c; Western and
West Virginia do, 13c; Southern 12a
I2rjc; guinea, 7c.
Dairy Products. Butter Elgin, 21c;
separator extras, 2oa.uc; do firsts, 19a
20c; do gathered cream, 1 8.120c; do imi
tation, I7ai8c; ladle extra, 15317c; ladle
first, I4ai5c; choice Western rolls, 14a
15c; fair to good, I3ai4c; half-pound
creamery. Md., Va. and Pa., 21322c; do,
rolls, 2-lb, do, 20c.
Live Stock.
Chicago. Cattle : Good to prime
steers, $5 2536.40; poor to medium, $4.10
35.15; stockers and feeders, weak, $2.50
a 4.60; cows, $2.5084.50; heifers, $2,503
5.00; canners, $2.0032.40; bulls slow,
$2.4034.40. Hogs Tops. $6.1254; mix
ed and butchers', $5.7036.0754 ; good to
choice heavy, $5.8536.1254; rough heavy,
$57oa58o; light, $57oa6.oo; bulk ol
sales $5.8536.00. Sheep t- Sheep and
lambs steady; good to choice wethers,
$3 4034 00; fair to choice mixed, $3,003
3.65; Western sheep, $3.3034.10; year
lings, $3.6534.25; native lambs, $3,003
5.00; Western lambs, $3.2535.00.
East Liberty, Pa. Cattle steady; ex
tra $5.9036.00; prime, $5 6535.75; good,
$5-354S-5S. Hogs active and higher:
prime, heavy, $6.1036.15; mediums and
Yorkerst $6.loa6.l25jj light Yorkers and
pigs, $6:0536.10; common to fair York
ers, $6.ooa6.05; skips, $4-753575; roughs,
$4.2535.60. Sheep low; best wethers,
$37033.80; culls and common, $1,503
2.50; yesrlings, $2.5084.50; veal calves,
$0.0036.50.
LABOR AND INDUSTRY
A ton of gold is worth $627,915.
London has 100,000 night workers.
The French Alps now possess 58 fac
tories. Great Britsin's coal fields cover 9000
square miles.
Americans are the greatest coffee top
ers in the world.
Nearly all the tram conductors ia
Valparaiso are women.
The strikes that occurred In the Unit
id States last year cost the country, it is
said, between $400,000,000 and $500,
000,000. One-half of the world's production of
coffee berries comes to the United
States.
The length of life of. a tradesman is
two-thirds that of a farmer.
Philadelphia department stores dose
at 5 p. in. daily; Saturady, I p. m.
Every week more thsn a billion dol
lars is sent out of the United States in
payment for coffee.
Last year Germany and France to
gether only consumed half as much cof
fee as the United Slates.
In Norway girls are required by law
to become proficient tn knitting, bak
ing 3 ml spinning before the are eligible
for matrimony.