The Fulton County news. (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, July 12, 1906, Image 3

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    FOR 6aLC
ST KAKNtB BTR8 TERWXK.
placarded, branded, set for show,
It shrinks a little from the atreet
Where all day long the traders
meet
nd all day long the buyer goj
Where on an hour soon or late
Soma rcBtloss seeker, bargain-bent,
Will touch the gray, reluatant gate
And road,,. "For Sale or Rent..
rtio curve erf last year's lonely nest
Waits for tho glad returning
vlr-,s;
p:-.oreward. for port, a kind wave
brings
rii o empty sheU uj.on us uremi
T.-t thin that harbored souls, must
kjjjg ;
the -Tanner's pleasure: marked "A
Home"-- 1
vo i,i,p1 to nine Its portals
' '1(la
TVhei stranger-feet shall conic.
J3Q
il. S"?mjI r
im El III UB
uacaniMusj .sjbsobs sskebbmosj
By OCOROC S. EVANS.
The Honorable Dudley Collier was j
Jutiic.c of the pence of Long Valley
Township, und had been such from a
time whereof the memory of man
ran not to the contrary; he consid
ered that the confidence reposed In
him by his fellows was a mark of
high favor end esteem. What mat
tered It if he did preside over but one
case a year on the average? At the
trial of that one case he was In the
public eye. What If on one occa
sion he had heard one lawyer whis
per to another that "the presumption
that n justice of the peace Knows no
law Is Indisputable in this Instance?"
What was tho difference If his fame
had gone abroad because It was his
Invariable rule during a trial to rule
In favor of one litigant, and then
rule iti favor of the other cne In
order to balance the account? The
emoluments of the office were not
great: it was not for them that he
coveted the position, but tho dignity!
that was the thing. It gave him a
staudiug. That was his reason for
holding on so tenaciously.
"I jess naturally need that office In
my business," was his explanation.
Cut his sway was threatened. An
election was again at hand, and
James Kelsey, more familiarly
called "Jim" Kelsey, his life-long
opponentf was likely to be elected.
Collier was a Democrat, and had
polled elpht out of fifteen votes In
the township at the last six elections,
White Kelsey, who was a Republican,
as uniformly polled the other seven.
Each candidate voted for himself,
for every vote was needed.
"Dud Cotlicr'll slay with this
panic until he gets defeated," said
Kelsey. "No man except George
Washington ever escaped defeat If he
stayed wkh the game long enough.
De 'cut is the ultimate lot of the poli
tician. Ingratitude is his reward.
Dud Collier'll catch It."
A few months before the election,
the widow Scott had sold her ranch
to a new-comer, John Clark. Now
It happened that Clark had two sons
of voting age. The Introduction of
these three elements into the poll
tics of Long Valley made such poli
tics uncertain. Try as they might,
neither the Collier nor Kelsey adher
ents could get any satisfaction out of
the Clnrks. When interviewed they
maintained a strict silence as to their
political convictions.
The campaign opened with a rally
by the Collier faction at the school
house. Those present wero Collier
and his seven faithful followers,
their wives and children. Tho
Clarks had been Invited to come by
tho eight voters, but they didn't
come. Henry Marders, who had
served as a supervisor years before,
was 4ho chairman of the meeting.
He axed eloquent over the virtues
of his candidate for the office of jus
tice of the peace. There was a man
who wan entitled to the suffrages of
his fellow-citizens, because he 'had
always answered duty's call. It was
true that he had served as justice
of the peaco for twenty-four years,
but the speaker believed in. keeping
true merit in office. Dudley Collier
Was n representative- citizen of Long
Valley, and it behooved all good men
to vote for him. Than Collier arose.
While it Is generally considered a
violation of political ethics for a ju
dicial candidate to take tho stump.
Collier wna not troubled. He was
Ignorant of such section in the Code
of Political Ethics. His adherents
cheered and applauded. Collier spoke
at great length. He reviewed his
past service. Ho pointed at his un
tarnished record. He spoke feeling
ly of his party loyalty, of his efforts
In behalf of the Democratic party.
He thought that ho was deserving of
re-election because of his administra
tion of justice in the township. He
didn't know that lawyers that came
from the county seat to try cases in
his court spoke of him as a Judge
who dispensed with justice.
The next night the Kelsey faction
hold a rally. Kelsey was there with
nu six adherents. The Clarks wero
not In evidencethe people Kelsey
"upeu to reach. The same proceed
Intra ttrA-M. a v .
i7 , KU" lnrtiBn with at the
Kelsey meeting that wero had at the
Collier "opening gun." There was
the, same vociferous applause, the
aino cuiuuBiasm. There were ex
i. ........ i .- .
uui mnuug io stand hv h .
All the old time tropes, the ancient
stock of the political orator, were
"...Usui, uul ana re-introduced to
the audience "the tocsin has sound
ed, "beacons will blaze," "the gage
, of battle has been thrown down,"
win iiurcn upon our ba
per, and bo on, and so on.
"u" io reacn tne Clarks! That
lu prooiem confronting the pol-
iucibus oi i,ong valley, fie power
to hange the face of the polities of
that region lay In the hands of this
new factor. If Herbert Keleev could
only got those votes his election was
wniirea. his ralthrul servants ra
soned with the Clarks. Thev nnint.
ed out how Collier had held tho of-
m lor years and year and
RCfit
OR
And old, so old! It almost seems
As though there flitted, shadow
wise, ,
Across the windows' shuttered eyes
Sweet faces fashioned out of dreams;
As though, did one but know the
call,
A sudden lifted word would bring
Glad children round the corner
wall,
Answering, rollicking.
What If It be not tenantless?
What If the gentle people stay
In some Immortal guise alway
Among the rooms they urea to bless?
Then, for the remnant of Its age,
Not they who take nor they who lease
May touch the perfect heritage
Of Its abiding peace.
Youth's Companion
S!? O 0 m f
UIG ainc. B
change In the administration of jus
tice was needed.
"He's had the office till he thinks
he's got a mortgage on It," was tho
way one put It.
But despite the pleadings and ca
joling, the Clarks would give no in
timation of their position.
Tho members of the Collier fac
tion also called on the new voters.
They showed how Collier had al
ways "done the right thing." If
they couldn't vote for him they
ought not to vote, because perhaps
they had not lived In the vicinity
long enough to learn tho true condi
tion of affairs. But the Clarks maln-
tancd the same discreet silence
with the representative of this fac
tion as In the other case.
"We haven't made up our minds
yet. We are seeking for light, we
hope to vote right on election day,"
was all they would vouchsafe.
The week before election came.
The canvass has been unusually
warm. Aspersions on the character
of the opposing candidate had been
freely made by each faction, and
excitement ran high. The seven
tried and true friends of Collier's
had never been more steadfast In
their allegiance. The six "stalwarts"
of Kolsey had never been so active.
Collier was to close his campaign
the night before election eve, and
Kelsey was to wind up his on that
eve. Imagine the surprise of Col
lier and his men, when the Clarks
came In and seated themselves just
as his meeting began. Surely it was
a good omen. If he could win their
votes he was out of danger. His
hopes rose high. The father and
sons listened attentively to the
speches, but did not manifoat their
feelings by applause. After the meet
ing was over, there was an impromp
tu reception to them as the guests
of honor. They said on leaving that
they had enjoyed the evening, and
had listened to the speeches with In
terest. Tho next evening Kelsey wound up
his effort. His loyal six were as
loyal as If the Clarks hadn't attend
ed Collier's meeting of the night be
fore. Tho chairman had called the
meeting to order, and Lafe Thomas
had begun to speak, when the sound
of approaching footsteps was heard.
Il marched the three Clarks. The
applause that greeted their appear
ance was long and hearty.
While apparently listening to the
grandiloquent appeal of Thomas In
behalf of Kelsey, John Clark was In
reality otherwise occupied. His mind
was busy with his own thoughts. He
was something of a politlclun him
self, although ho would have scorn
fully denied such an accusation. He
would have "allowed" that he was
some" on human nature, but poli
tics never! While sitting nnd ap
parently listening to Thomas, Clark
was mentally canvassing the political
situation. He noted the steadfast
loyalty of each faction to its candi
date. He figured on tho number of
votes tho combination possible to
n:-.ko with such elements.
It was at John Clark, especially,
that the oratory of Thomas was
aimed. If he could convert him to
tho Kelsey side of the fight, undoubt
edly tho father would convert his
two sona to his way of thinking.
John Clark sat wrapt in deliberation.
Before he was aware of It he slapped
his boot and chuckled to himself,
half aloud: "I've a scheme that
ought to work."
"What Is It, father?" asked Frank
Clark in a whisper.
"I'll tell you later," vouchsafed
the father, curtly.
Lafe Thomas did not notice the
whispered conversation. He was too
busy portraying the merits of his
tried and true standard-bearer. Af
ter he had finished Kelsey spoke.
The Clarks listened just as attentive
ly to fie speeches of Kelsey and his
stalwarts as they had to the speeches
of Collier and his followers. The
same scene ensued at the end of the
meeting as at the other. There was
a reception, the same fulsome flat
tery bestowed, the same hope ex
pressed that they could see their way
clear to vote for Kelsey as for Col
lier, The meeting closed with throe
rousing cheers. Each side went to
bod confident of victory.
Election morning dawned. By 9
o'clock the .eighteen votes hud been
cast, but the law required the polls
to be kept open until sunset, and ac
cordingly the voters and election
board lounged around all day. The
day was Interminably long, but all
days must end, Tho ballot box was
opened amid suppressed excitement.
The elerk of the board began to read
off the uallots.
"For justice of the peace of Long
Valley Township Dudley Collier,"
was the first.
Fifteen ballots were called off, and
the vote on the tallysbeet stood:
Dudley Collier ,8
James Kelsey 7
Three more ballots remained to be
counted.
u
"For Justice of the pe oMong
Valley Township Dudley ColHer.,
A cheer went tip for Collier.
"Ain't you fellers got any more
Idea of the solemnity of this pro
ceedln' n' to cheer!" asked Lafe
Thomas, one of the Inspectors of
election.
"For justice of the peace of Long
Valley Township James Kelsey."
"For justice of tho peace of Long
Valley Township James Kelsey."
A cheer went up for Fdsey, led by
Lafe Thomas.
The final vote stood!
Dudley Collier 9
James Kelsey 9
"Wall I'll be blnmed," was the ex
pressed emotion of the township at
the result.
A special election was called for
the election of a justice of tho peace.
Tho vote was the snme as at the pre
vious election. Not one of those
stubborn farmers could be Induced
to change his vote. Feeling ran high.
It mattered little who was justice of
tho pence so far as the welfari of the
community wns concerned. In fact,
It Is almost certain It could havo ex
isted without such office. But to
these farmers politics took the place
of other amusements.
Another special election was
called. And now came the surprise.
John Clark announced himself an in
dependent candidate for the contest
ed office. He had three votes to be
gin with his own and those of his
two sons. These three votes repre
sented the balance of power. Both
warring factions recognized this.
Cast for Clark and the old result
would come about, Collier eight and
Kelsey seven; cast for Kelsey, the
vote would be Kelsey ten and Collier
eight; cast for Collier it would be
Collier eleven, Kelsey seven. Excite
ment reached high-water mark In
that township. It seemed as though
tho deadlock would be broken at last-
Each voter apparently retained his
Ingrained stubborness.
James Kelsey recognized that If
each voter remained true to his con
victions he was a defeated man. A
brilliant Idea occurred to him. If
he could not be elected, he could at
least keep Collier from being re
elected. Giving up his cherished am
bition did not appeal particularly to
Kelsey, but politics was politics.
"I'll retire that man to private
life," threatened Kelsey.
He held j. conference of hla adher
ents. At this conference Kelsey
said:
"I can't be elected, and so I'm
willing to help beat the other fellow.
Of course, I'd rather win than lose,
but seeing as I can't win I'd rather
see a dark horse win than to see Col
lier win."
After a stormy time ,lt was decid
ed to transfer the Kolsey support to
Clark. Would Collier be surprised?
Well, rather.
Dudley Collier wa3 deeply trou
bled. There were signs of disaffec
tion in his ranks. Two of his stanch-
est supporters were suspected of be
ing Clark sympathizers. Not that
there was any reasonable ground of
suspicion. Trifles light as air make
politicians change their plans. Con
firmation of political suspicions is
never required. From mere trouble,
Collier passed to worry, and from
worry to terror. Defeat stared him
In tho face. Whatever might hap
pen, Jim Kelsey should not have the
office. He had an inspiration. It he
couldn't be elected, neither could
Kelsey. He decided on a conference.
His faithfuls, with two exception, at
tended tho meeting. The exceptions
were the ones ho suspected of treach
ery. After a long discussion, it was
decided to throw tho Collier Etrengtb.
to Clark. Tho decision was to be
kept secret. It was "allowed" that
Jim Kelsey would die of sheer sur
prise.
Election day came, and wnen the
votes were counted the result stood
thus:
Dudley Collier 2
James Kelsey 0
John Clark 16
"I nlways said Dud Colller'd catch
it," said Kelsey to Clark, "but I
didn't think bis defeat'd be so near
unanimous." Argonaut.
The Moro.
The Moro Is brave to fearlessness,
a born pirate, and essentially n first-
class fighting man. He is never
happy unless on a marauding ex
pedition and stealing from bis neigh
bors, friends and foes alike. The
chief who is the most successful
thief 1m the most respected and the
most powerful among chiefs.
The Moro trades with hla neigh
bors on murket-days in the various
coins of the realm and foreign mon
eys. At other times he is a free
ocean-rover, extending his trading
voyages as far north as the islands
of Negros and Punay, south to the
Colebes and Borneo, and westerly to
the Palawan. He is the most suc
cessful of smugglers, and a little act
of piracy when chance offers goes
without mention. The Moro is the
most perfect of aquatic belnga, the
most skilful small-bout sailor or
large "prau" navlgutor extant. He
can no more drown than can a fish.
There is no record of a drowned
Moro. He can dive to the bottom of
the sea nt depths of from twenty
five to one hundred feet for the val
uable mother-of-pearl shell, and his
life Is largely lived at. sea from in
fancy, Along the coast many of tho
Moro villages are built over the
water. Colonel Owen J. Sweet, U.
S. A., In Harper's Weokly.
A Cool Itoom.
A mail recently walked Into a
hotel at Chocotah and asked for a
room. In describing tho kind of
room be wanted he Bald: "I want a
cool room. The weather Is beastly
hot, and I would die in a close room."
"Waal," drawled the proprietor,
without moving from his chair, "I've
got a room where a man froze to
death last winter. Is th-a-at
co-o-o-I enough fer ye?" Kansas
City Journal.
English In Japan.
Baron. Takakl says four-fifths of
t.he Japanese boys are now studying
English, and that It will soon become
the langauge of Japan and later of
the world.
Tigers are greatly on the Increase
la Burmah, owing to recent legal re
strictions on tb carrying of arms.
Old Book. Just Gome to Light.
Tells Stirring Stories of Old Days
When Women Pirates Were Abroad
v a a a a a a a a a
Pirates and petticoats on first
blush do not seem to blend, but his
tory, nevertheless, records the fact
that less than 200 years ago there
were real women pirates.
Only the other day an old book
detailing the dare-devil adventures
of Mary Head and Anne Bonny was
knocked down for (39 In an auction
room at the sale of the library of
the venerable comedian, William J,
Le Moyne.
Just "Robbers' Whims,"
Captain Johnson, the author, wns
an old English sea rover. The facts
recorded he personally gathered
from the participants and their as
sociates. His recital has all the di
rect simplicity, the Indelicate truth
fulness of scrlptual narrative ol
early Elizabethan drnmn. No pirate
knew our waters better than this
blunt old sea dog.
The account of his own capture,
detention and ransom by the In
dians on the Ohio Itlvor In 1700 is
now scarcely less valuable American
than his masterpiece, for which ho
apologizes in the preface for calling
It a history, since be tells us "It's
nothing but tho actions of a parcel
or robbers."
This parcel of robbers Is the quar
ry from which Marryatt, J. Clarke
Rusself, Pyle and hots of lesser
writers are said to havo bullded their
sea romances, while Robert Louis
Stevenson had more than passing
acquaintance with the record. How
Mary Read and Anne Bonny escaped
their nets seemed strange. In bold
ness and daring, no less than self
sacrificing courage, these women pi
rates were not surpassed by any of
the picturesque freebooters with
whom their fortune was cast and
whose deeds are enshrined In song
and story.
Externally these first and only re
corded women pirates had little in
common with the gaily caparisoned
feminine pirates of polite romance
or comic opera. Despite the donning
of real breeches, braving every hard
ship and peril known to the twenty
heroes of Johnson's history and with
not a few of whom they fought hand
to hand with sword or pistol, Mary
Read and Anne Bonny were genuine
women Is not "perfectladles." They
would have gone to their graves
their sex unsuspected by their fierce
and bloodthirsty companions had not
Cupid found them out.
As with not a few of their tinsel
counterparts, the little blind god was
their undoing. Both were tried for
their lives in Jamaica in 1720 and
condemned to death, but escaped ex
ecution. Both died in prison.
"As to the lives of our female pi
rates, we must confess," says the
j author, "that thoy may appear a Ut
ile exuuvuguui, yet mey urw never
theless true. As thoy were .publicly
tried for their piracies, there are liv
ing witnesses (1724) enough to testi
fy to what we have laid down con
cerning them.'
"If there are some Incidents and
turns in their stories which may give
them a little air of a novel, thoy are
not invented for that purpose; It is
a kind of rending with which this
author Is little acquainted, but as
bo himself was exceedingly diverted
with them when they were related to
him, he thought they might have the
same effect upon the render."
Origin of White Skins.
The origin of colored skin, or
whlto elthor. Is still unknown. If
tho sun is really an active agent In
its evolution, tho power of tho sun
light must have boon curtailed when
people took to wearing clothes.
The slightest protection, ns seen
In the UBe of ladies' veils, keeps the
white skin pure. Therefore, if there
Is any protection afforded by natural
dark skin, an equivalent is obtained
for white people by the use of
clothes. Until white people begin to
discard clothing In the tropics their
Bkin will remain white.
Sunburn must not be confounded
with pigmentation of the skin. Sun
burn 13 merely a tanning of the epi
dermal cells on the surface of tho
feMn, whereas pigmentation Is caused
by a deposit of dark matter within
tne deeper layers of the true Bkhi.
Summing tho whole evidence up,
from history, anthropology, ethnol
ogy und general evolution, It seems
considering all arguments derived
to mo that the colored skin is an in
termediary stage of development be
tween our primate ancestors and tho
pure white or Caucasian skin. My
general contention Is that white
skinned peoples come from the oldest
Stocks of humanity, and that In the
procesB of evolution they became
white by the use of clothes. From
un Address by Dr. T. F. Macdonald,
of Gerald ton, Queensland.
British Autopsy of an American Joke.
Out of the American packing in
dustry springs one of the popular
banterlngs of the Briton who cannot
see a joke. What he does not Bee is
really the American turn of phrase.
One of the usual anecdotes, for in
stance, turns upon the strange
phrase, "he put for the door," and
the Englishman never sees the point,
but then he does not know the
Idiom. Tho packing Joko is this: A
Briton, admiring the enormlus pro
duction of fruit in a California val
ley, asks how so much is disposed of.
"Well," replies the American, "we
eut what we can, and we can what
we cun't." The luqulrer is bewil
dered, but only because he would
have said "tin" Instead of "can." In
some versions he is represented as
repeating the sentence with "tin" for
"can," as a specimen of American
humor. London Chronicle.
' Only 100 Years Ago In England.
A decently dressed woman was last
night brought out Into Smlthfleld for
sule, but the brutal conduct of the
bidders induced the man who was, or
pretended to bo, her husband, to re
fuse to sell her, on which a scene of
riot and confusion highly disgraceful
to our police took place. London
Times of Mar, 1800.
a aaaaa.ixuQ.Ci
Mary Read was an English girl.
When Mary was four years old her
mother put her Into boy's clothes,
and, taking her up to London, Mary
and her mother fell Into dire dis
tress. She was told at this crisis of
her sex. She was now thirteen and
handsomo as a picture. She hired
out as a footboy to a French count
ess. But conventional life soon
wearied her and she enlisted on a
man-of-war. After spirited engage
ments she left the service and went
to Flanders.
There, as a cadet, Bhe carried
arms In a foot regiment and won
praise for bravery, her sex nevor
being suspected. While deserving a
commission, she could not obtain
one, as they wero bought and sold,
and this feminine soldier of fortune
wns penniless. Spoiling for new
fields to conquer, sho quit the foot
regiment and joined a horse guard,
where her bravery nnd good behav
ior won tho esteem If the officers.
Her advance was assured when sho
fell in love with her messmnte, a
handsomo young fellow named
Fleming.
Snilcil With Pirates.
When but a few days out the ship
was captured by pirates. Being the
only English person aboard, the pi
rates kept Mary, together with the
ship's plunder. She sailed with the
pirate crew for some time, until the
King's proclamation pardoning all
pirates who voluntarily surrendered
was taken advantage of by her cap
tors. All went ashore and lived in
apparent content until their money
gave out. Hearing that Captain j
wood Kogers, governor of the Island
of Providence, was fitting out a pri
vateer to cruise against the Span
lards, Mary Joined the crew.
They had not sailed far when the
crew, Mary Included, turned against
the commander and took up the old
trade of pirating. Mary Read always
declared she abhorred the llfo of a
pirate, and only followed it under
compulsion. Men w-ho salted with
her, however, swore under oath at
the trial for her life, that there was
no pirate afloat more resolute in
undertaking hazardous ventures
than Mary Read. In one of the
fiorcest conflicts with a manof-war,
none kept on deck but Mary Read,
Anne Bonny and one other.
Eloped With Pirate.
Anne Bonny's father, when she
was five years old, put her Into
boy's clothes, installed her in en es
tablishment, giving out that she was
a relative's child whom be Intended
to educate to be his clerk. Losing
his business and repute soon after,
the father left for new parts where,
embarking as a merchant, he ac
cumulated money, bought a vessel
and sailed for tho American coast.
In his North Carolina plantation
Anne, who had resumed petticoats,
was much courted. Sho was widely
sought, and her father had groat
matrimonial expectations for her.
But Anno wns captured by a worth
elss spendthrift, who, when he found
her father disowned her, shipped
with her to the Island of Providence
in search of work. There Anne
Bonny fell in love with tho dare
devil Captain Rackara, nnd, discard
ing her husband, donned tiousers
and eloped with the pirate Boston
Post.
Iliillct Struck Watch Clmrin.
A watch charm of the Masonic
variety, dented with a bullet, now
hangs In a window In the Kimball
House block, where It Is under the
observation of all passersby who care
to see it. That piece of gold upon
which is carved the figures emble
matic of the secret order saved the
life of W. R. Nash, a well known
Georgian, a week or ten days ago
at Woodberry.
Descriptive stories of the duel at
that place. In which James Clark
used his pistol promiscuously, have
been printed. In the gathering when
lead was flying thickest and fastest
was W. R. Nash. A bullet from
Clark's piste, struck a watch charm
swinging in front of Nash's vest.
Tho charm gave tho leaden pellet
a deflection, and instead of penetrat
nlg the body the bullet glanced to
the left and, clipping the flesh on
that side, went on its course until it
found its way Into a telegraph pole,
from which It was subsequently dug.
Tho charm was badly battered
and yesterday Mr. Nash, Its owner,
brought it with him to Atlanta to
have it replaced In lta setflnir (rum
which it had been knocked by the
bullet. He carried it to a Kimball
House block jeweller, from whom he
purchased it originally and by wbom
It was placed on exhibition Ati,mt
Constitution.
Changed the Telephone .Number.
General Einbler, treasurer of the
telephone company In New Haven,
said he should not change the num
ber of his 'phone for the sake of get
ting rid of the slang that was hurlod
at him, but he has changed his mind.
His 'phone number has been twenty-three,
und people developed the
habit of calling him up and telllns
htm to sklddoo. He Is an advocate
of forgetting slang and objects to ex
pletives of worse origin as woll, but
he stood the talk until somebody late
at night callod by telephone and
asked It Mr. Sklddoo was In. The
answer was that Mrs. Enibler was
talking and the voice said: "Oh, Mrs,
Sklddoo, well, how Is Mr. Sklddoo
and the little Sklddoos?" Then the
'phone number was changed. Wor
cester Telegram.
Truth Triumphant.
There was a sort of cow on exhibi
tion at the circus Monday, who also
took part in the parade, whose horns
were loose and she could "wiggle"
them. Last winter this paper .said
Am Shadden had a cow that could
wiggle her borns, and there were
some people who scoffed at the Idea.
The cow at the circus proves that a
cow can enjoy that rare accomplish
ment. M""-nvlll Reporter.
FRANCE HARNE88ES
WATER POWERS.
Energy Supplied by Rivers Converted
Into Electrical Fores.
In reports just made to the State
Department by Consul General Mason
of Paris and Consul General Skinner
of Marseilles, special attention II
called to the movemnt In France to
harness her water powers, which Is
being wonderfully accomplished. Al
ready electric power is being brought
over 100 miles to operate trolley lines
and factories.
Greater industrial efficiency Is be
ing sought In all directions, but par
ticularly by the distribution of ener
gy supplied by rivers nnd streams.
This is being especially felt In the
region extending from the Mediter
ranean to the Alps. The degree to
which this energy may bo multiplied
is Indefinite, but with present knowl
edge it is assumed that 2.000,000
horre power may he economically ob
tained, of which perhaps the fifth ha?
been secured or is in process of being
secured.
The hydraulic forces of the world
a ear ago stood, expressed in horsy
power, ns follows: United States,
."27,500; Canada, 223.500; Italy, 210.
000; France, 1C1.000; Switzerland
13::, 000; Germany, 81,000; Sweden,
71,000; other countries, 00,000. Total,
1,481,000.
This amount of power is approxi
mately equal in potential energy to
2 per cent, of the world's coal pro
duction. The greatest completed
French works are to be found In the
Alps, where sparse population, nar
rowness of range of raw material.-?,
and remoteness from large markets
deter large industrial operations. At
present .work is in progress on eight
different plants, which will revolu
tionize manufacturing conditions in
the whole Mediterranean region, and
in Durance Valley, whero general con
ditions are favorable to manufactur
ing enterprise.
The Vesublc plant, now In opera
tion, supplies Grasse with power at
the rale of five cents per horse power
hour. Tho Brlllane and Saulce plants
will soon bo In operation, and will
supply power to the Marseilles tram
lines and other companies. These
plants ore sixty-five and 102 miles
from Marseilles, the Saulce being
the farther. The Brlllane plant deals
with a sluggish, muddy stream the
Durance and requires settling basins
ot intervals. The power will be trans
mitted under tension of forly-flvi
thousand to fifty thousand volts,
which will be reduced near Marseilles
to thirty-five hundred and five thous
and volts. In the country, overhead
wires will be strung on Iron poles
supporting an Inverted porcupine
platform under tho crosstrees, to pro
vent unauthorized persons frori
reaching the wires. Underground
transmission is regarded as ultimately
necessary.
Furs of the Middle West.
Despite the general opinion that
most of the wild animals that in
habited the Middle West, a century
ago have become extinct as a result
of the march of civilization, the con
trary is true, and thousands of musk
rats, skunks, raccoons, opossums,
foxes and civet cats, with occasional
minks and weasels are killed and
their pelts sold for sums that in the
aggregate would be a great surprise
to the public not In touch with the
trapping trade. Not in years havo
tho Central Illinois trappers been so
active as this year.
Ono firm In Muscatine pays $.1000
each week for hides. There are many
firms scattered over Illinois which
do an equally largo busiiu ss, and it
is probably safe to say that during
the present season trappers will ba
paid in Illinois alone the sum of $100,
000, while Iowa, Indiana and perhaps
several ether States of tho Middle
West all expend equally large sums
in this direction.
The majority of the animals trap
ped In tho Middle West are the musk
rats, which have been the least at
traction for the trapper, as the pelts
bring only 12 to 15 cents, while
skunks range from DO cents to $2.50,
according to size and condition; rac
coon from 50 to $1.75, opossum from
25 to 75 cents, red foxes from $1 to
$5. Civet cats bring only 25 cents.
Chicago News.
Japanese Shop Signs.
In Japan the majority of shops seal.
Ing In goods from other lands dis
play signs In sumo foreign language,
and many of these are very curious
productions The great idea Is to have
foreign characters, their correctness
or intelligibility being a secondary
consideration. The following are
specimens of these remarkable no
tices "The All Countries Boot and
Shoe, Small or Fine Wares;" "Old
Curious;" "Horseshoe maker Instruct
by French horse leech;" "Cut Hair
Shop;" "If you want sell watch I will
buy; If you want buy watch, I will
sell. Yes, sir, we will, all will. Come
at my hop. Watchmaker;" "Hatter
temper the light a trifle. The all
Native Country;. Antematlc of Na
sea;" "The House Build for the man
ufacture of all and test kinds ot Hats
and Caps." In come cases tho sl:;ns
are entirely devoid of meaning.
Dear Little Soul.
There was company to dinner, and
little Edith was seated at tau'.e
in all the glory of her best dress and
pinafore.
Dinner was proceeding amicably
enough, but there were one of two
awful pauses, and In the silent depths
of one of these tho sweet treble of
little Edith was raised.
"Oh, mamma," she cried, "what Is
this?"
"ThlB" was a very obvious hair;
but mamma, although red with confu
sion, had sufficient presence ot mind
to say;
"Hush, dear; you cap see what t
Is It Is a crack!"
Silence for a moment, and then:
"Oh, I say, mamma, Isn't it fUDny?
I can move this crack about." Chi
cago Trlbuue.
Tobacco was legal tender In the
American States when they were still
colonies of Great Britain.
The Vatican was thoroughly
cleaned lately and a quantity of re
painting done. The work employed
6700 people for six months. Merely
In cleaning wall papers, one thou
sand loaves of bread were used daily.
A firm of London motor manu
facturers supplies Its customers with
specially colored confetti, which the
motorists sprinkle when running
through a pollco trap. Drivers who
follow at once read the Bign and act
accordingly.
Motor-boats of nil sorts are beconv
Ing more and more Numerous on the
Venetian canals, threatening to dis
place the old-time gondola. The gon
doliers are much disturbed. In a dis
pute between two of them and two
electric launch men the latter were
stabbed, ono fatally.
The raffcsla of Sumatra Is said to
be the largest and most magniiiccnt
flower In tho world. It Is composed of
five roundish petals, each a foot
across, and ot a red color, covered
with numerous Irregular yellowish
white swellings. The petals surround
a cup' nearly a foot wide, the margin
ot which bears the stamens.
This story Is told of Dan Leno, the
late idol of the London music hall
stage. His mind failed, and he was
confined. In a private asylum. Soon
after this he got up an argument
with one of the attendants about the
correctness of the clock. "That
clock's wrong," he said. "No, sir,
the clock is quite right." "I tell you
It's wrong." "No, sir, It's quits
right." "Then if It's right, what's It
doing here?"
A miner who lost his life two thou
sand years ago has been taken from
a copper mine In Chile recently. Cop
per oxide had mummified his whole
body. The mummy is in a fine state
of preservation. Coarse sacking, evi
dently the clothing of the ancient
Inca workman, was found with the
body, as were two mallets, one fash
ioned out of granite and the other
out of Ironstone. These Implements
were tied with thongs into bent
sticks mado as double handles. Both
the hide and the sticks were as fresh
looking when found as If they had
been in use only the day before.
The Vienna Fancy Dog Club has
established a novel dog market. Per
sons with dogs for sale are invited to
send tho animals to the clubrooms
every Wednesday, where they will be
exhibited. Each animal will be ex
amined by a veterinary surgeon and
also appraised by experts. Purchas
ers can therefore be assured that the
dogs aro quite free from diseaso and
also worth the price demanded. And
all this service will be performed en
tirely free of charge; neither buyer
nor seller will be asked to contribute
a penny. The club will bear all the
expenses, as lis only object in insti
tuting the market Is to promote the
breeding and traffic In dogs of good
race.
CATS AND MIRRORS.
Is It True That the Animals See Re
flections. "I've half a mind to write to a pa
per In tho New Hampshire village
whero I was born and reared," said
a lover of animals the other day,
"and ask the editor if a Btory I read
in his last week's edition is a true
story,
"It's about a wonderful cat that
sits on the edge of the sidewalk with,
his back to the gutter and looks Into
a store window as if he didn't care
for anything or anybody. When he
sees by means of that window that
the English sparrows are pecking
close beh! ' him, be turns aa cats
can turn, .t the whiff of a flash
light, and naih a bird or two.
''Now, I've iresscd with cats nnd
dogs, and all k::'.-Js of living critters
ever since I could walk; studied their
ways and habi h, and I never could
make any of them pay tho slightest
attention to themselves in a mirror.
I've held them up to the glass, think
ing they might spit or growl or fight,
and they weren't so much as Interest
ed. The joko was always ou me.
"And you can't fool them on dura,
niles, toys made In their own Image
and mado perfectly runabout rats
and mlco and Imitations of that kind.
They won't even paw over them am
examine them. Accord"jigly, I am
rather doubtful about that very riover
New Hanrpshiro cat." Provide-?
Journal.
Great Wealth.
It Is generally believed that Tro
feasor Bummer's prophecy has al
ready been fulftUed, for John D.
Rockefeller Is credited with having 4
billion. In this connection It Is In
teresting to note, also, that while io
tire early part of the la8t cent,'r'
there were only a few men ot great
wealth, today the multi-millionaires
scattered throughout the country ar
to bo counted in the thousands. In
other words, the proportion 'of very
wealthy men and women to thoso ol
moderate means Is as much larger
as is the amount of money that Is re
quired to make a great fortune. A
man with merely a million today cuts
much fess figure than did the man
with one hundred thousand dollars
half a century ago. He Is fairly weli
to do, but Is In no positiou to cope
with the kings of high finance. On the
whole, the term "great wealth", is
very Indcflnlfe. What would be con
sidured such by Borne would be re
garded as abject poverty by others.
Perhaps the time will cotno when all
thrifty Americans will be trillllouah(
and only those with a billion or t
will be classed among tb-jne of fr
health. Hartford Telegram.