TWO POINTS M ASTROS B. Ol.WKLt... THE GRANDFATHERS. Said I to Neighhol Brown to-dny, "Yon murk my word," I said, "This aoodlv town we're living in n forging straight ahead, .lint see the way the place has grown within your time and mine! The pond'e filled up, the grove's cut down, we've got u dtaae-coach line. New houses coming, srores of them. It's not too much to say The town'll reach to Morton's Creek, perhaps beyond, some th-v." And Neighbor llrown agreed with me. Ho said his father hn. A big black boar exactly where they've got their gardeu plot. I envy, sir, mv grandson. I may not have one, true, But should I have one, he's the lad who'll see thinjcs, I tell you! Land know I'd like although 1 guess my chance is pretty slim To see this town just once the way I'm sure 'twill look to linn. THE GRANDSON'S. I bought a rnrish print to-day, a quaint old copperplate, Which showed a street scene hereabout in Eighteen 1 uenty-oight. Yon know it takes a view like that to make one realize , The speed with which this burg of ours grew up to such a sire. For instance, apropos of growth, to think they used to say. "The town'll reach to Morton's Creek, perhaps beyond, some day. Whv, Morton street's awav down-town. It's farther down each week. And y,t I'd like to turn time back and gaze on Morton's Creek. No o'lfiie buildings round here then, but counting-rooms instcud; A loading ship, perhaps, in front; in back, n (towering-bed. The stage-coach line, the shops, the pond where granddad uod to swim But, say! I'd like to see ihis town the way it looked to him! ' Youth's Companion. IMPROVING no By LAKtTULL, WAiaUN KAPIMA. ' tOVb. IIE Dunns were not pre-i si ) tentlous people. Mr. Btitui O Hp ' honest and Ills fellow Jtf 1 X men respected hi in. Mrs. (Qtf I'.uiiii Ms it woman of much common sense, and otlior women admired her for that sterling quality. The Bunns occupied a place of no mean Importance In what society the town afforded: but It would have re quired a stretch of the Imagination to look upon them n fashionable people. Eleanor, the only daughter, had been perfectly satisfied with her unassum ing family until the Cunninghams moved to town; but when she began to compare hei own relatives with those of Gladys Cunningham, whom she admired more than any other Klrl she knew, she at once discovered glar ing faults. There was not, she decided, n particle of style about her father. His tiver coat was shiny along the seams, his trousers bagged at the knees, he was cureless In his speech, and he wore spectacles. Mr. Cunningham, in eye-glasses, anil with his trousers properly creased, looked far more distinguished, the girl thought. She was certain, too, that Mr. Cunninghnm never used words of one syllable when he could express the same idea in polysyllable. Her own mother seemed shockingly indifferent to the. changing fashions. To be sure, her garments were always neat, and she wore fresh white collars, whether they were in style or not; but Eleanor could not remember n time when her hair was not parted In the middle and brushed back smoothly at the sides. On the other hand, some of Mrs. Cunningham's gowns had been im ported from Parts. Her hair was ar ranged In a different fashion every time Eleanor saw her. Eleanor's brother Stephen loved the woods. He liked nothing better than to live for days at n time In some de serted lumber camp. His oltl clothes were Infinitely dearer to him than was lils Suuday suit, and he had been known to grieve for days because his mother had given away a disreputable list. Her friend's brother, Harold, was always well dressed. Even his hunting clothes were new. As for her grandmother! Gladys had pointed with pride at an exquisite min iature of a slender, lovely creature In point lace and pink satin. Eleanor's grandmother weighed two hundred pounds, and was hopelessly addicted to black and white sprigged calico. Then, in addition to all this, there was the family nnme Bunn. Was name ever more plebeian? Eleanor compared it with Cunningham, mid de cided In all seriousness to ask her father to change It. "People will think," grumbled Eleanor, "that we had a baker for on ancestor and that our coat of arms was a plate of muffins." "Let "em," said Mr. Bunn, not at all dismayed, "provided they think ho was a good baker and that the mutlins wore properly browned." Eleanor, blissfully oblivious to her own shortcomings, felt that it de volved upon her to Improve the family. She selected her father for the first victim. She had the glasses from a pair of his unfashionable spectacles transferred to other frames, and pre Rented them to her father one Sunday morning. " "Why, bless you, my dear," said Mr, Bunn, perching the flimsy eye-glasses ou the end of his nose, and looking comically over them at his daughter, "my thick nose was never built for this sort of thing. However, I'll wear them to church if you say so. They won't affect my hearing, at any rate. Don't your mother look pretty to-day?" "Doesn't," corrected Eleanor, Impa tiently. Mr. Bunn looked surprised and hurt. He realized suddenly that his daugh ter had corrected him a great many times during the week. "I. suppose I've grown careless," said he, apolo getically. "How horridly red your hands are!" said Eleanor, turning to her mother. "Why don't you put on your gloves?" "Because," said Mrs. Buun, "I have two burns on my right hand ami a cut on my left. My glove go on hard, hut I suppose I shall have to wear them it my hands look coarse." "I wish," grumbled Eleanor, still bent on Improving the family, "that you wouldn't -aear such an unbecoming bonnet. You look positively dowdy." Mrs. Buun flushed. Sua had not ins pected that her bonnet was noticeably oui of date. Bhe felt suddenly that ihe uuuuny aressed. meuuen ana Eleunor walked to gether. By the time they reached the church door the boy, too, thank to his lter, was red with mortification, con scions of hi collar, and wore than ut his tie. Sensitive Grandmother Bunn had decided to tay at come. Early that inoi'llltiflr TCIennnr suggesting that !lni, . ' War. -..v. " Ull 1T1K rear, bad advui it.. .... i, i, "wuv irni muy keep them coiieealed under a hl, OF VIEW. .JfiL THE FAMILY, g Eleanor herself was not entirely com fortable. It was not a guilty con science that troubled her, however. She fancied all through the service, but entirely without reason, that the well-dressed Cunninghams were look ing with dlsdalu upou the humble 15 u mis. From the day Gladys entered the high school Eleanor had been her chosen companion. Gladys was really a simple, unaffected nnd lovable girl, and a true gentlewoman. She was at tracted by Eleanor's pleasant face and her bright manner, nnd gave no thought to the plain exterior of the rest of the Rutins. But Eleanor did not realize this. The time was npproachitig for the annual election of officers for the bas ketball team. Eleanor hud strong hopes that she might be elected cap tain: hut the contest was certain to be close, for Mabel Gilbert would be the rival candidate, and Mabel's fol lowing was large. Still, Eleanor was sure of the fresh men in a body, ami there was Gladys; Gladys was u senior; but she would certainly vote for her chosen friend; and if Gladys did, so would Bessie Smith, who followed Gladys. One evening Mrs. Bunn appeared In the doorway when Eleanor and her new friend were seated on the steps, and Invited Gladys to stay to tea. Gladys accepted promptly; but Eleanor thought of her besprigged grandmother and stiffened with horror. What should Bhe do? "Who," asked Gladys, laying aside her hat In Eleanor's room, "is the lady we passed in the hall?" "She is a very distant relative," re plied Eleanor, reddening. "She's u dis tant connection of my mother's by marriage." Eleanor hoped to have an opportun ity to warn Stephen; but that youth came in late, looking as little as possi ble like Harold Cunningham, and re peatedly called his mother's distant connection by marriage "grandma." Mr. Bunn, too, inconsiderately ad dressed the stout old lady as "mother." It Is quite probable that Glaslys would never have noticed the defects in the table manner of the Bunn fam ily that evening it Eleanor had not at tempted then and there to mend them. As it was, the visitor discovered, with Eleanor's help, that Stephen was hold ing his fork badly, that Mrs, Bunn had left her spoon In her cup when she should have removed it, that Mr. Bunn had buttered his bread before breaking It, and that Grandma Bunn poured her ten into her saucer. She discovered something else, too, that was much worse than any of these things. Eleanor noticed a day or two after ward that Gladys no longer waited for her when school was dismissed, nnd that she no longer sat upon the Bunn doorstep, she had apparently deserted Eleanor for Bessie Smith. This was bad enough, but there was worse to come. The long expected day of the basketball election arrived, and Gladys voted for the rival candidate. So, of course, did imitative Bessie. Eleauor was defeated by one vote. "It's my horrid family," said the de feated candidate, throwing herself down on the deserted doorstep. "I've done my best with them, too, but I can't Improve them a particle. Why couldn't I have had at least one pink satin grandmother, like Gladys Cun nlnghatn's?" From four until six almost every day, during the fall and winter months, the high school girls played basketball In nu abandoned roller skating rink They were In the habit of exchanging their long skirts for shorter ones- In a corner screened off for thut purpose. One day, when Eleanor was about to emerge from this recess, she heard her own name mentioned. Without thinking what she was doing, she in stinctively leaned closer to the curtain and listened. Gladys Cunningham and Bessie Smith stood Just outside. "Why didn't you vote for Eleanor?" Bessie was saying. "It wasn't be cause you liked Mabel Gilbert." "No, but I thought Mabel would mnke a better captain." "Why?" "She has more tact. Eleanor hasn't any. If she handled the team a she does ber family, we shouldn't have any team left by spring. She has the Jol Uest father, the sweetest mother, the pleasantest brother, and such a nice, comfortable old grandmother, yet she is perfectly horrid to every one of them She is actually ashamed; of them. She criticises them all the time, and apologizes for their manners and their clothe and their grammar. "I liked her so much at first," Gladys went on. "But the rest of tbero Just sacrifice themselves for her, and she doesn't appreciate it Oh, I um so dls appointed in ber!" The improver of the Bunn family could not believe her ears, A flood of Indignant tears rushed to her eyes, and It was many minutes before she was sufficiently composed to venture from behind the sheltering curtain. She played a sorry game that afternoon, and was the first to leave the rink when the game was finished. She- hurried home to take a look at the Bunn family through the eyes of Gladys Cunningham. Sure enough, her rather was Jolly, her mother was sweet, and sensible besides, Stephen was pleasant, nnd her grandmother looked nicer and far more comfortable In her sprigged calico than she could possibly have appeared in pink satin.. .Neither the clothes nor the manner. of the Bunns' seemed particularly out of the way that evening. For the first time In weeks the other Bunns ate and conversed as they pleased, unhampered by criticism from Eleanor. They spent a happy hour at the table, although they were far from suspecting the reason. Eleanor decided before the meal was over that Gladys was right. From that day forth she worked and worried as zeulously over her own shortcomings as she had done over those of her long suffering fumily, aud with far better results. One day, some weeks later, Gladys slipped into Eleanor's sent ot recess time, and showed her some new girlish treasure. Eleanor was frigidly polite. I'he following day Gladys waited at the door and walked home with Eleanor, whose manner was not en couraging. But Gladys persisted. Another day found the reunited friends side by side on the Buun doorstep. Eleanor, resent ful at first, had gradually relented under Gladys' persistent blandish ments. "I believe you're a lot nicer than you used to be," said Gladys, with an apologetic hug. 'I believe I am, too," said Eleanor, "thanks to you." "Me?" questioned Gladys. "Yes, I'm going to confess, or I don't see how we're going to be friends. I heard what you said to Bessie Smith about me one day at the rink. I caught my name and I I listened. O dear" Eleanor's head went down in her lap "I'm goiug to cryl" "Oh, don't!" cried Gladys, throwing both her arms about her friend. "For the improving has come out all right, after all." Youth's Companion. Btealjrards Still Popular. "It beats me," said a clerk in a hard ware store, "how the old-fashioned steelyards hold their own. I cau re-, member how popular they were with certain farmers' wives when I was a boy in the country, and what n de light if was to me to be allowed to try my hand nt weighing a roll of but ter or a bag of wool. But oven then the women nnd children were the only persons who seemed to take much stock in steelyards.. The tradesmen who bought our produce very flatly said that the figures represented by steelyards not only could, but did. tell lies, nnd they proceeded to weigh all our stuff over again on scales that were supposed to have the quality of truthfulness. "Up to the present day, steelyards have bad the reputation of being un reliable; .but in spite of their ill-repute people still buy them. Just why so many householders nnd tradesmen re tain their fondness for an antiquated style of weighing machine when there are so many new and approved pat terns on the market is a puzzle, but even though mystified we keep a sup ply on hand for the benefit of those who stick to the old way of dolu thiugs." New York Press. Training Both Hands. An interesting question Is being car ried on in .England in connection with the question of ambidexterity, there being a certain number of physicians nnd psychologists who ore recommend ing that the child should be taught to use the left as well as the right hand and with, equal facility. There are, however, those who advise that the left hand should be used ouly for left handed motion, Inasmuch as it is not an exact copy of the right, nnd must possess corresponding limitations. Whllo the advanced ambldextrlsls be lieve that iu ndditlon to its ordinary duties the left hand should be taught to copy the movements of the right, such as in ordiuary writing, the mod erate advocates think that, recognizing Its limitations, the left haud should bu made to do so on the left side similar things. These, of course, would be done by movements In the reverse di rection, und, therefore, if absolute am bidexterity were required, as in turn ing a screw or In w.-Iting, a screw with reversed thread hould be used and a reversed form ot writing devised. Harper's Weekly. At Napoleon's Tomb. ITenry Vlguuud, secretary of the American Embassy nt Paris, enjoys telling of an American who was being shown the tomb of Napoleon. As the loquacious guide referred to the va rious points of Interest in connection with the tomb, the American paid the greatest attentlou to all that was said. "This Immense sarcophagus," de claimed the guide, "weighs forty Ions. Inside of that, sir, is a steel receptacle welching twelve tons, and inside of that is a leaden casket, hermetically sealed, weighing over two tons. Inside of that rests a mahogany colli n con taining the remains of the great man." For a moment the American was si lent, as if in deep meditation. Then he said: "It seems to me that you've got hi in all right. If he ever gets out, cable mo ut my expense." Success. Frsnce'a BoossTsHlaa President. M. Fallleres is a great walker iu the country. Ralu or shine, he accom plishes his six or seven miles a duy. He seizes every occasion to absent himself from Paris to bury himself In his estate. He wears the clothes of comfort rather than of fashion soft hat, loose-fitting Jacket and trousers, finishing in leggings and thick boots when his horizon is bounded by his vines instead of the peopled benches of the Senate. Pari Letter to Pall Mall Gazette. Kits of Motor Glasses. Why those terrible motor masks nnd gigantic goggles? That spectacles nre useful In certain weather, aud when traveling at a high rate of speed is readily allowed, but they need not be a large as the searchlights of o bat tleship. Leo Trevor, In 0. II. Fry's Mug-mine. A NEW MORSEL Mexico Has Produced It in Cactus Cheese Other Use Discovered For the Prickly Plant of the Southwestern DeertFodder For Dairy Anlmals-Df veloplng Spineless Plants EW YORK epicures who yearn for more gastrono mic worlds to conquer may find Interest In a new confection which has been evolved lu Mexico, and can be produced with equal ease on the barren wastes of the great South west. It Is not customary for high livers to look to desert lands for their choice morsels, but In this case it must be admitted that Dame Nature has held In store for them a surprise which has been uncovered only through the industrious researches ot the Inquisi tive agricultural scientists of to-day. The new confection is called by the Mexicans "queso de tuna," which means literally cactus cheese. To give this announcement even the merest appearance of being founded upon fact. It must be explained that the cactus as it Is generally known is nothing less than a wild plant, cov ered with prickly spines. These spines are Intended by nature os .deterrents to wild animals which would other wise get into the habit ot making the cactus their principal food supply. Were the spines lacking, the plant would quickly be exterminated through this demand for food. A great portion of the southwestern corner of the United States is absolutely unsulted to the growing of general crops, so that plants of any sort, however worthless they may appear to the casu al traveler, have some value to the people who live there. It Is not sur prising then that such plants assume great value In the eyes of scientific experimenters whenever there is the slightest trace of qualities capable ot development and adaptation to human needs. To this end investigations have been In progress for a year or two past to determine what useful results could be attained through the scien tific development of the cactus plant, and all that has been discovered would fill a book. The discovery of greatest interest is the production nt this cactus cheese, which looks for nil the would like a flue grade of chocolate, and which Is made up lu packages about the size of a pouud of butter. It is wrapped in tinfoil to presorve It from deteriora tion. The Mexicans say it Is a nutri tious food, which is eaten with as much delight by the connoisseur as that individual shows in devouring some kinds of cheese which call tor au acquired taste to permit of their thorough enjoyment. Personal corrob oration of this can be given by the Evening Post's correspondent, who has tasted a duly authenticated, scientifi cally tested and officially approved sample of pure cactus cheese. One may be sure his future enjoyment of good, things to eat will not be Inter fered with if he will never see another piece ot cact,ns cheese in all his life. But thou, as the scientific expert in quiries whether his visitor really like Roquefort the first time he tasted it, and follows -this up with a few other similar questions, the man who has had his first experience Willi cactus cheese nods his head and says, almost involuntarily, "Perhaps so." Those who are best acquainted with the pro ducts, however, declare that when the taste Is once acquired, the cheese Is an appetizing ndditlon to the well gnrnislicd table. Then there Is the additional fact of the adaptability of the cactus plant stock, for, through other methods of preparation, there can be manufactured a syrup, and a sort ot Jelly which may be eaten with bread or cracker- like the finest Scotch marnialnde, or American apple Jelly. Tho addition to the list of eatables of a food susceptible of so many prep arations as this is expected to prove of wide general interest. Now that the first secret ot its value ban been discovered, there la sure to be an evolution of the uses to which It may be put, and then undoubtedly there will spring up n new infant Industry to be put upon tho protected tariff list. It is not to be supposed that a plant which has been developed through sci entific experiment to produce n new source of food supply for human con sumption would not be Investigated from the last inch of Its lowest root to the pinnacle of Its growth above ground. An Inquiry made at the De partment of Agriculture shows that this has iu fact beeu done, and that as interesting results have been achieved regarding the value of the plant prop er as of the food stock It produces. The experiments were carried on iwith the idea of Uncling out whether the common prickly pear cactus from which the cheese is made could not be developed In such a way as to provide fodder for dairy animals. The first obstacle to overcome was to dispose of the spines which nature had given the plant for It own defense. The experimenters were aware that cattle will not eat the cactus lu its natural state because ot these spiuy prickles, which are sure to lacerate their mouths aud Injure tho animals lu various other ways. Soon after the experiments were undertaken iu the Southwest, it was found that if the plauts were cut up and allowed to souk lu their own Juice for twelve or fourteen hours, tho spiny prickles become harmless. After this treatment, the plauts are greatly relished by tho stock, especially the dairy animals. It has beeu demon strated also that a ration of these soaked cacti combined with a little grain will keep a dairy animal In good flesh and milk as reudily as the best corn ensilage. Having found the 300 d uses of this cactus plaut for stock feeding when the spines are made harmless, the sci entific experts have been working to obtain what is known as spineless forms, or "smooth types." Asked about the chances of cultivating aud repro ducing a plaut bereft ot nature's pro tecting spines, Dr. Culloway, chief of the bureau, said: "These smooth cacti are occasionally found among the wild phuts, but do not survive very long, from the fact that animals readily find theai, aud that they are particularly liked by jack rabbits. JThe fact that efforts have FOR EPICURES. been mndo to secure xplneles lorms has probably not broi.ght to tho minds of some the dlfllcultles thut such types would have in holding their own in a region where they could not or would not be well protected by man. Iu other words, spineless cacti would soon be exterminated by many types of animals, as the spines ure the real protective agencies." This fact, therefore, wU load to the development of a more tender species, which will need protection just as gar den vegetables do from predatory unl nials which feed vpon them. Babbits do great harm to crops In nil parts of the country, but this has resulted lit protection by fencing anil systematic "drives" to keep down the number of rabbits nnd such other anlma's as would exterminate the crips if nrtifl clul protectinu vere not given. The danger to the plunt lu Its wild state will not prevent the development nlong these lines, und n valuable new crop Is expected. This is not the si'tn total ot the cactus plants' many uses. An other Interesting feature Is described by Dr. Galloway, ss follows: "Cacti and some of the other South western plauts which gro" In u region of meagre rainfall nre often used by the natives nnd travelers when water cannot be obtained. Many of these Southwestern plants have a special provision for storing water iu under ground stems. These stems grow to au enormous size, sometimes as large us'a barrel, and when found may be dug up. and will give considerable quanti ties of water. These provisions ore all the result of long adaptations, or. In other words, a combat between the plant itself and Its natural surround ings. The result has been the develop ment of these particular contrivances which enable the plant to take care of Itself in times of stress." From the standpoint of the human consumer, with the cactus cheese as a new delicacy, and of the stock raiser, who will havp a new and cheap ration for feeding 1:1s stock, the cactus exper iments promise valuable results a Ion the lines here Indicated. Washington Correspondence New York Evening Post. "FIRINC" LISKUM. Wliaterer Went Wrong- In tlis limes Attributed to HI111. Liskum was the "butt" of the "local" room of the daily on which he worked, says the Brooklyn Eagle. He was a dried-up, wrinkled little chap, who might have been either twenty or sixty years of age. Whatever went wrong about the office was laid to Mskuin, and whatever was attributed to hitu he accepted without a murmur, only 'smiling a crinkly little smile that vyou the hearts of tho whole staff. For, Joke him as they might, every reporter on the paper had a tender spot for Liskum. One day Tompkins, the "star" re porter, came lu to find the group about the big stove In the local room Indig nantly discussing something. "I.lskum has been fired," some one told him. "There was a great fuss about the third ward story in this morning's paper." "Why, I wrote that myself," said Tompkins. "I.lskum hud nothing to do with it." And with that he started tor the managing editor's room, Mr. Itockman sat by his flat-topped desk; I.lsknin stood opposite him. Tompkins slowed down in au apolo getic way, for he remembered that he had violated precedent by entering the editor's room without knocking. "Come In, Tompkins," said Mr. nock man. "You are just the man I want to see." I.lskum turned his crinkly smile on Tompkins, but spoke not a word. "I have just dismissed Mr. I.lskum for that third ward story," said the editor. "I heard so," Replied Tompkins, "but I wrote that story myself. He had nothing to do with it." 'I know that." said the editor. "That Is why j; dismissed him. A for- inldable delegation of third ward peo ple came here this morning, and made It very plain to me that something must be done to soothe them. I knew you were such a fiery chap It would never do to let you face them, so I brought I.Iskuni in and Indignantly dls. missed hitu from the reporlorlal stuff. I am just now engaging him as as sistant city editor." I.lskum turned another crinkly smile on Tompkins, and the star reporter went buck to the big stove lu the city room. "Boys," he said, "the old mau Is all right." , Printers' Humor, "T. r." has collected some amusing Instances of printers' errors, contrib uted by well-known authors. An Eng lish woman novelist, ho says, tells of the mistake of a printer who made one of her characters say that "she stuffed pupa into the grate, and soon there wus a merry blaze." What she wrote was "paper." Mr. E. Murray Gilchrist tells of a passage In an uncorrected proof which read as follows: "With the Intent of Improving her grandchildren's moral character, the pious old lady would recite every evening terse passages from tho masterpieces of Boceaec'o." The author has referred to Bogatsky, uuthoi' of an old-fashioned religious manual on conduct. W. W. Jacobs writes: "The most amusing error In my ease was made by a typist. I was describ ing the emotions of a man lu a country lane coming in the dawu upon another man walking about tied to a chair. I wrote that ... he was undecided whether it was a monstrosity on au ap parition;' the typist rendered It ' . , , he was undecided whether it was a monstrosity or a battle-ship.'" To these recollections may be sdded the experience of a writer who, lu de scribing the "Norse Sonata" ot a cer tain composer was made to refer to the work in print as a "horse soualu." Harper's Weekly, AMBASSADOR TO ; - ) 'V. ;' 1 " - . r HON. WHITE LAW ItEID. The Hon. Whltelaw Beld adds another uame to the distinguished list of ambassadors who have been authors aud Journalists. His appointment as representative of this country at the Court of St. James is an admirable one, and gives special satisfaction to his fellow-craftsmeu. THE PRUNE HHP ITS CULTIVATION BT I SOS BBOW1C. The consumption of prunes In the United States exceeds 100,000,000 pounds yearly. Prior to 188(1 the sup ply came almost wholly from France aud the Danublan provinces, and sold under the designation of "French," or "Turkish" prunes. In the year referred to, prunes of Amerclan growth appeared on the market, and with each succeeding year the supply has Increased, until the Im portation of foreign fruit has been re duced to extremely small proportions. Much the largT portion of the prune supply Is the production of California, where climatic peculiarities are ex tremely favorable for Its production. In Santa Clara County alone there are 3,700,000 trees growing on 37,000 acres, 100 to the acre, yielding 330, 000,000 pounds, or thereabout, of green fruit, or thirty pounds from each full grown tree. The quantity of prunes somewhat exceeds 110,000,000 pounds more thnn enough for the require ments of the whole country, but the excess, with that raised iu other locali ties, is needed to supply the export de mand from Great Britain, Germany aud France. The first plum trees were planted forty years ago in Cali fornia. Ten thousand trays of fruit spread out Iu one unbroken tract may be seen In Sunta Claru In the drying season. When sufficiently cured the prunes are stored in separate bins and there al lowed to "sweat," this process taking ffoni ten to twenty days, wheu they are ready for marketing. Ten different grades are required, ranging from an average of thirty-tlve to the pound to the smallest size, averaging 140. ::y'K,.jy:.yi--:$U 1 .1 . . TEN THOUSAND The cured fruit Is packed In boxes, sacks, or barrels. Many buyers for the domestic or foreign market buy In gross, and afterward repack In smaller boxes. Large quantities are thus attractive ly packed In Santa Clara, and many women are employed In this work, which requires special tare and deft lingers. Boxes of tht proper size with one glass face are used. Lace paper and ornamental labels udd to the hand some appearance of the package. Care fully selected aud perfect fruit Is flat tened by the bauds, aud spread out on the glass to form the expoert layer. The box Is then tlllc'd (o the required weight by fruit of corresponding grade. Iu fancy packing the French only can equal the Santa Clara standards. The prune Is the source of the re markable prosperity which the com munliy enjoys. The city of Si;n Jose Is the prune metropolis of the world, us nowhere else Is this fruit handled lu such amount or by equally scientific methods. The climate Is mild, and the tlorul growth Is amazingly huuriir.t and beautiful. Of the thirty thousand inhabitants of this beautiful city, there is uot one but Is th-peudent upon the i-luple crop for much 01 the pros perity enjoyed. Scientific American. W bora tha TrouliU Was. A motorist recently meeting a pony carl In which were 11 very ancient couple considerately stopped hiicI asked the old gentleman who held the reins '.( he could be of any assistance lu In ducing the steed to pass the car. "Thunk you." said he, "If you will kind ly lead my wife past the car 1 thluk the mare and I will imtuagtt.iill right." ' To Honor fatrlollu Clici. Itesldelits of Nice are about to erect a ktauie lu memory of Nolialu Dubois, who for many years was chief cook to the Kaiser' grandfather, King William of Prussia, receiving u salary ot $7o.0ihj a yeut. A toon us the I'raiu o-l'nis-slim War wiin declared he ivu.ieit to tght against hii former empioyet. GREAT DKITAIfiC v.A-9. POSTMAN'S STONE PALACE. Building Which. M. Cbevat Has Krectna With Odd-Shaped Stones. After twenty-six years of unaided work M. Cheval, the postmau of Haute rive, iu the Department ot Drome. France, has completed his Ideal palace. Some mouths ago the New York Sua described this building, of which a picture is now printed. M. Cheval was led to start the build ing by tripping over au odd-shaped stone. He carried it home aud the next Queer House Built by a Frenchman. day found another. Then he began a systematic hunt for what lie calls na ture scupltures, with t lie Idea of using them lu a building. The palace Is about eighty-five feet long, forty-live feet wide nt one end ami thirty-three at the other. In the centre is a gallery with a catacomb at either end. Those catacombs shelter all sorts of strange animals and fig ures. For a Barbary tower, which includes a grotto of the Blessed Virgin, the postman-architect spout seven yearn In u m. in 1, .' " r4r, !1 3 THAYS OF PUUNES. hunting the stones and putting them In pluce. One face of the building shows an Arab mosque, a Hindoo tem ple, a Swiss chalot, a mediaeval castle and two other buildings In Its olghty tive foot stretch. Stones formed by nature In the like ness of animals form the south front, where, also, there is n collcctlou of flints. Altogether M. Clicvul says he has spent about $11)00 ou his hobby. Woman's "Crowning Itlory. If beautiful hair were common, It Is certain poets wouldn't go Into ecstasies about it. Many a pretty face has a meagre crown. One of the fortunate girls Is Miss Edith Boot, daughter of Ellhn Boot. I t'n n wonder some enter prising maker of a hair restorer has not tried to use ber picture us au "after-taking" pose. Her dark brown luck are of the silky quality seldom seen In curly hair, und when loose they reach below her knees She usually wears them brained and wound close ly around her head. The Baroness von Nlcruburg bus hair thut many an actress would envy. It Is Titian red, curly und abundant. She wear It In the low Greek coiffure, always without adornment.- New York Press. lirowtll of III rlro lrisrlinnut. " lu ItiiK) there were three tlreboats in service; ill 100(1 there urc live. in lilts.) there wen- twenty-three hook and ladder companies; iu l'JOO there are tlilrty-thtec, ' In 1!I(0 thuru were seventy-two en gine compiinics; iu loot! there are eighty seven. In IO00 there were 138(1 ollleers and men lu Manhattan nnd the Bronx bor oughs; lu I'.MKI there are 100(1 officers aud me:i 111 the shimc, boroughs. Tho work of the puld ttajrtmout of ltlch lnond Borii'-.h has been added to thut of Miinliafitii and Out Bronx. New York City Kccord. There 11 it! more t tin 11 n thousand paper mil s In the United States. It bus been decided to construct a .uilroiid across ttritisti North Borneo.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers