"A LITTLE BROTHER OF THE AIR."
Here la a bird I know well,
It Komn m It ha mutt hare sung
IWide my crib whrn I liu young
IWore I know the way to spll
Th nnmfl of even thi fertaliest bird.
His grntl, Joyful song I heard.
Nnw swe If you can Ml, my dear,
What MM It 1 that, vry year.
Sing "Hnrpt w-'t cwvt rry merry
chMr."
floenmi in fnr,h, when winl arn stronjj,
An I r iw rt ii rn 4 1 hi l i thi earth;
Hut till lw warm M4 li.-.irt with mirth
And wait f ir May. ITn liners hint;
While fiwrs fa'li'i and every day
U "peat hi small, rnntontiM lay;
A.s If to my, we nw d not fear
The nn' change, If luve I Impi
With ''Swei-t sweet nw'V't very merry
cheer.
He doe nut wear a Joe.h' ennt
Of many e.Inn, smart and kv;
Hi ult I Jii'"r hnwn an I gray,
With tlir' dark .n(''l. t his thruat.
And yet of nil the wel..re I throng
Not un'1 enn sinif so hr.ive n 'iiif.
It make the pride nf look4 appear
A vain and foolish thlnir, to hear
Hi swt'.'t sweet very merry
Cheer."
A lofty plneo he doe nr t love,
Hut alt tiy ehulee, an I well at co",
In h'-'lif", and in I !t t lo t r'i
That stret-h their Mln ler arm ahove
The nienilow lirook; mid there he sin-s
.Till all the field with pleasure rlm?;
And so he tell in every ear,
The lowliest home to heaven I near
In "Sweet sweet Mweet very merry
eheer."
I like tho tune, I like the word;
They eem no true, s free from art,
80 friendly, mid o full of heart,
That If hut one of all the hlrd
Could he my comrade, everywhere,
My little brother of the air,
I'll choose tho sonic-sparrow, my ilenr,
Poi'au." he'd Me me, every year.
With "Sweet sweet sweet very merry
cheer."
Henry van I.vke, la the Century,
A Foolish Masaucradc.
HREE girls domi
ciled iti tho next
room 1 There's an
i' Mil of tny writing
for ono nioutb, ut
least !"
Kenneth Ross
pushed Liit papers
into a confused
heap, Hhut his desk
with n vimlictivo
snap, nud lighted a
Cigar.
"Threo chattering, noisy girls, each
with a tonguo thrco times its proper
length! Thero's ray cousin Flora,
Ahco Aymer, uud Rosa Feruall blue
eves, blaok eyes ami melting gray ; by
tun way, that little monkey How,
in n't bad looking. I rather fancy that
peculiar shade ot brown hair. - She
........ jub m kuiutu.. . stiiiiy for niy
neit heroine. I may as well put her
to Homo useful purpose, llcigho I I
think Aunt Meg wan crazy to invite ull
those girls here at onco !"
lie paused a moment, an tho merry
penrl of girlish laughter echoed in tho
adjoining apnrtmcnt.
"They're laughing at me. Oirls
always think a bachelor fair game."
Tap I tap I tap! Houndod softly on
tho panel of his door, aud ho hit I just
tiiuo to tuko his heels off tho table
beforo Flora E l;-oworth put her head
into tho room.
"Cousin Kenneth, aro you there?-'
"Well, what's wanting uow?"
"May wo come in?"
"I may as will nay yes!"
"I just want the girls to see what a
dear little den you've got here."
Flora throw open tho door, and ill
mitted her two companions.
"Hero ho is, girls ! the old bachelor,
as ho appears in his native wilds!"
"Now, young ladies," said Mr. Ross,
throwing his half smoked cigar out of
tbo window, "I'll trouble jou to tio a
little less unceremonious !"
For Alice nud Flora had pounced on
his sheets of loose manuscript like
honey bees on a be 1 of heliotrope, au I
were laughing over the rather illegible
chirography. Miss lYriiall stood
near the door, a little confused and
very pretty, in her blushes and uncer
tainty. "Don't bo cross, Kenneth, " said
Flora. "We're going down to tho
post ofll'o now. l!os lYruall has
wrttteu a twclvc-pago letter to her
sweetheart out in Canada"
"Flora !" exclaimed Rosa.
"And," pursued the relentless
Flora, "we're going to post it. Come,
girls."
And Mr. Uoss was loft alone with
tho heavy musk roses no. tiling at tho
open cuseineiit and tho dreamy mur
mur of maple boughs and fur-off bees
in his ear.
"A twclve-pugo letter to her sweet
heart!" ho pondered. "She must have
had something very interesting to
writo. Canada, eh? I wish it was
Van Piemen's Land !"
Mr. Ross rose from his oosy-chair,
and began to walk ui aud down tho
floor.
"It's too confounded hot to breathe
hero!" ho said, impatiently taking up
his hat. "I'll go aud take a tramp in
the woods."
Flora Kdgoworth had succeeded in
plautmg a raukliug thorn in her cous
in's breast, all unconscious though she
had been.
Tho Miu was low in tho sky when
Kenneth returned from his abstracted
ramble in tho woods, and tho wide,
old-fashioned country houso wan very
still as he ascended toward his own
apartment.
"Hallo I"
Mr. Ross gazod vacautlv round tho
room with something of the bewil
ilerod feeling that might have be
lougod to the Eastern Prince whoa he
found himself transpoi ed from pole
to pole in an enchanted dream.
"I'm in the wrong 1 om, I believe
for there is Flora Ed eworth's light
wrap on the bed, and ltisa'a hat and
no end of ribbons and dovos and lace
collars on the bureau."!
He balanced the coquettish little
"hat" on his hand. )
"So this is the fashionable style of
rhapeaii, oh? I wonder! now whether
ltosa's hat would fit me IV
Mr. los adjusted tho article
jauntily on one sido of hi curls, and
viewed himself in the mirror.
"Upon my word, it don't look bo
bad I And now whore's the sacqnet
A little tight in the sleever, but other
wise quite a decent fit if fellow holds
hi arms well back. Thero's Alice's
bluo muslin dress. I've two minds and
a half to put it on, just for the joke of
tho thing!"
A momentary Mlenco ensuod, broken
by the rustling of muslin.
"Don't moot round the waist by a
good six inches, but I can hold it up.
I wonder what makes the thing drag
on tho floor and cling round one's
legs so! Oh, I know tho crinoline
ouuht to go under !"
"Fin not certain but that I should
make quite a nico looking woman,"
mused Kenneth, ctrutting backward
and forward beforo tho mirror. "On
tho whole Tomb of tho Prophet ! is
that tho girls?"
Mr. Hoss gavo a blindly desperate
jerk at his "sacipic," and a pull at tho
crinolino: but all in vain. The gay
voices, intermingled here and there
with a ringing laugh, or a snatch ot
song, drew nearer and nearer. For
an instant Mr. Uoss wildly contem
plated a rush through the ball to his
own door, but a moment's reflection
convinced him that such a retreat
would bo impossible.
"I must stay and face it out I" he
thought, "but hold on! thero's tho
closet. It's just posssblo they will
only stay hero a minute or two.
Aud totally cblivious of tho "maj
osty of man," ho lied precipitately
into the closet.
"Why tho deuce didn't I think to
securo tho key?" ho thought, as tho
girls streamed into tho room. "How
ever, I can hold on to tho door-handle
if any ono attempts to get in. Uy
Jove, if tho girls should see me in this
rig. I should never hear tho last of it."
Ho leaned against tbo hhelver, and
breathlessly awaited tho progress of
cveuts.
"Why !" ejaculated a soft voico
Hcsa's own "where' my hat? Was I
careless enough to loave it down
stairs? Flora, you havo hidden it."
"I wonder what you'll accuse mo of
next!'' said Flora, in an injured voieo.
"You told Mr. Ross that Cousin
Simon's letter was to to"
"Your sweetheart! Well, he ought
to be, I'm sure. He is tho handsom
est youug man I know."
"Oh, Floral he don't compare with
Mr. Hobs."
"Rosa, bo honest," said Flora,
"which do yoa like best Cousin Ken,
or, Bimna-Jtoutrose?"--
'"Flora!"
j'TeM rr.1 now, honestly."
Tho answer camo in a low, half in
audible voice.
"Kenneth!"
Tho hoart uuder Alice's sacqno gave
a great jump I Mr. Ross's head camo
in contact with somethiug on tho up
per shelf, aud down camo a raiu of
ban 1 boxes on his ocoiput !
There was an instant's terrifloJ
silence, aud then all tho girls began to
scream in chorus.
"How silly wo all aro!" said Rosa
sromulously ; "it's only tho cat."
"As if a cat could mako such a
noiso in that!" said Flora. "Call
I'ncle John? Alice, do look and sco
what it is !"
"N'o--you look!" falterol Alioo.
"I'll look myself," sai I It jsi Fern
all, bravely advancing to tho rescue,
lint when tho door-handle refused to
turn, evrii she blanched.
"Some ono is hobiiug the door in
side. Call tho meu !"
"Thero is no necessity," quoth a
voico from behind tho panels, mid tho
next moment tho door tlew open, dis
closing a tall form iu blue, aud a
countenance whoso utter sheepishuoss
can never bo described!
"Cousin Ken !" shrieked Flora.
"Mr. Rosa!" faltered Miss Fornall.
"Whv, it can't bo possible!" cjcu-
l.ited Alice.
An 1 tln u tho threo girls clung to
each other in paroxysms of laughter.
"lhe fact is, ladies, commonoed
Kenneth confusedly, "I Won't aorao
one help ineolf with this mouse-trap?
Miss Alno, I m very sorry 1 vo split
your sacipie, tut well, if you won t
stop laughing I c iu't explain, that's
the long aud tho short of It!
Rut Rosa Fernall had stoppo 1
latching already, aud tho pink ot her
cheeks was deepening into scirlet.
She had just remembered the worda
carelessly spoken not tlvo minutes
ago.
Iu an inexplicably short spaco of
time Mr. Ross had torn otr his femi
nine adornments, and fled ignomini-
ously, followed by peals of laughter
of his cousin and Alice Aymer. Kosa
strange piece of contradiction- had
began to cry !
"Poorlittlo thing ! she's hysterical,"
said Aunt Meg, who had just appeared
on tho scene.
Rut Rosa was not hystorical.
Tho full, delicious moon of summer
was in tho mid-heaven that night, as
Kenneth Ross strolled into tho garden
moodily pulling at a cigar, and eon
tomplaling tho feasibility of leaving
arburgu to avoid the girls saroasni
"I was a fool," said ho uloud; "but
Who's there?"
It was Rivsa, coming from the lower
part of tho garden. Ry the full brill
iant moonlight ho saw the trucos of
tears on her cheek.
"Rosa, you have been crying!"
"No, I haven't !" And to prove tbo
truth of her assertion, Rosa began t"
cry afresh.
"Look here, Rosa," said the young
man gravely, "I have been thinking of
loaving Warburgh to-morrow."
Rosa cried on.
"But," pursued Mr. Rom, "I'll stay
if if you'll only tell ma to my face
what yoa told my cousin whon I was
hidden away like a foolish rat in a
trap, Rosa, "flpeak, little one!"
"What shall I tell yon?" faltered
Rosa.
That yon lovo me I that you will
be my wife I"
And she told him si--in tho lan
guage lovers best like to hear. And
Mr. Ross stayed in Warburg, and
braved tho ridioulo of Alice and Flora,
with little Rosa marshalled on his
sido.- New York New.
Due More lnu.o.
Science is an exacting taskmaster,
and ho who serves must bo ever ready
to give up time, talents, hope, ambi
tion, even life itself at tho beck and
call of tho tyrant. Tho search for the
North Pole has cost many lives and
more treasure, ami yet there is no lack
of enthusiasts who are ready to tako
np tho work whero tho last victims
had laid it down. Tho latest idea is
to explore this rogion by means of a
balloon, which seems Quito tho most
visionary and hopeless of all of the
many fruitless efforts that havo been
made in that direction. Tho effect of
intense cold on tho gas in tho balloon,
the possibility ot blinding storms, tho
impossibility of getting out of troublo
in case of accident, and the certainty
that no rescuing hand could roach the
party, as no one would know where to
Hod "them, should all be considered.
It may bo among tho possibilities ot
science to store gas nuder pressure
and at such a low temperature that an
amount could be provided sufficient to
bridgo over any cmerRency that might
arise ;but in tasks of this kind there is
so much to bo lookod out for and
guarded against that only a tempera
ment of tho most elastic and daring
description would think of going into
it. Tho history of explorations is
punctuated with horrors and tragedies
aud fringed with tho bones of martyrs
to science. This, however, is no bar
to future investigations, and thero is
not the slightest ditllculty in filling up
the ranks when tho order comes to go
forward. Now York Lodger.
A Mirer Skull.
Tho polieo of Q iincy, II!., havo ar
rested George Rums and detainod
him on account of his peculiar actions.
It was discovered that thero was a
cause for his eccontricity. Ho had
papers which showod that ho was tho
head engineer on the steamer City of
Savannah, which was wrecked off tho
coast of Massachusetts on January 18,
ISSt, while en route from Boston to
Florida. Ho was reversing tho lever
when tho steamer struck tho rocks,
and he was thrown into tho mrchinery,
receiving injuries which cripplod him
for life.
There were 113 lives lost in the ac
cident, and Bums-is one of the thirty
seven survivors, lor a long while ho
lay on a cot in tbo death row of Belle
vuo Hospital, New York. Dr. Hayes
Agnew attended his case and removed
flvo ribs from his left ide and tre
phined his skull, using six ouncss of
silver sheeting for this purpose. lib
was compelled to wear a plaster of
paris jacket for four years after tho
accident.
A portion of tho lower en I 4t his
spino and both elbow joints aro gouo.
Ono knee ca: is on tho back of tho
eg, and his heart is on tho extremo
right side ot tho holy. Ho is now
sixty-four year of ae, and walks
very well an I has a cheerful disposi
tion. He is a member of the O. A. R.,
aud served during tho war ou the
ironclad gunboat Essex, which was
statione 1 at Ctiro during tho early
lavs of tho Rebellion. St. L jtin
Globo-Democrat.
A Woman's 1'uslscri)!.
"Why women write postscripts" is
a problem that has becu engaging tho
attention of ono of tho Loudon wo
man's weeklies. Tho answers betray
that tho sex understauds itself, and
does not mind exposing it amiable
weaknesses. AU aro from women,
who ascribe, among others, these rea
sons: ''Because thev seek to rectifv
waut of thought by au afterthought ;"
"hiioauso thev aro foud of haviu 11
last word;" "oeenusi! they write be
fore they think aud tuitk after In iv
havo written."
Our correspondent puts down tho
feminine P. S. to the same cause
"which lead women to prolonged
leave-taking iu omnibuses, namely,"
aud rather profoundly it appeals to
tho casual observer, "that they lack
organization of thought." Another
woman comes to tho defense of her
sisters with tho suggestion "that when
women havo nuythiug special to com-
muuicato thev know that their P. S.
is equivalent to N. R.," aud yet an
other frieudlv soul turns a neat com
pliment iu her reason: "Probably
because woman herself is the embodi
ment of tho P. S. in tho scale of crea
tion she tho indispousahle was ad
ded last. Detroit i reo Press.
Onyx unit Pet rilled Wood,
Probably every visitor to tho Co
lumbian Exhibition spent some time
in admiring tho beautiful specimens
ot onyx and petrified wo o I shown on
that never-to-be-forgotten occasion.
Ot late there have been some exceed
ingly fine slabsof this material worked
out and nsed in wainscoting in hand
some dwellings. It is said by an ex
pert that in Utah are tho finest onyx
holds in the known world, and that
the largest slabs ever cut out have
been takun from quarries iu thai
State, Petrified wood is being nsed
in manufactures of various sorts
table -tops, pauels, sections for man-
tela, brackets and similar piece nri
brought out and used with excelleut
effect. -New York Ledaer.
STAMMERING.
HMaMwaaSHiM
CAUSK OF TIIW DKFKCT AXD
CURATIVE METHODS.
Difficult to Say What Causes Infirm
ity of Speech Treatment
Without Surgery or
Drugs.
I? is estimitod that 411.013 per
sons in tho United States slim
mer and stutter. One-fourth of
(t them are women. Children who
are inclined to be hasty are in tho ma
jority, but their defects often pass
away as they grow older.
Thysicians havo become greatly in
terested in tho treatment ot these de
fects, and institution; are being
founded for that purpose. Chicago
has one operating under a State char
ter, the only one ot its kind in the
country enjoying that position.
Douglas MeCallum, who has spent
much of his life in scientific study of
this infirmity, and who is at the head
ot the institution there, was asked by
the Record to give somo of his views
on the scopo and efficiency of this now
field of special trcatmont. Ho said :
"Stammering, under which general
head al rpecch defects are frequently
classed, is often supposol to result
from nervousness, but stammerers as a
class are not moro nervous than oth
ers. Defective speech seems to be
more generally the result of a want of
balance or lack of harmony between
tho mental and physical natures, and
nntil something like order is restored
little can usually be done for the
patient. It is not a lack of force in
any direction, for a stammerer will
often bo found in possession of an un
usual degreo of mental and physical
power aud may not bo in tho slightest
degreo 'nervous.' It is impossible to
say definitely what causestho difficulty.
In tome cases it seems to bo conscious
or unconscious imitation. Often, ap
parently, it is inherited, and again it
first appears directly after somo dis
ease. Sudden shocks havo caused
stammering in an adult and again tho
same kind of a shock has beon known
as suddenly to cure a life-long case of
stammering. Cases where it appears
of hereditary origin and of moro than
twenty years' continuance have yielded
readily to corrcctivo measures, vhilo
others, where tho habit has recently
been acquired by mocking n stam
merer, havo proved moro obstinate.
"Thero may be tho most violent
physicial contortions in ono caso and
again another may romain perfectly
silent aud motionless, giving no out
ward sign of effort to speak, but tho
latter may suffer tho more.
"Ofton if violent exertion has been
tho accompaniment of stammering
ease and deliberation aro studiod. If
any movements havo been practiced,
as moving the head, eyes or hands,
they must be discontinued. These
and other physioal movements often
re given to stammerers as a means of
enre, either by well-meaning pjrsons
who know no hotter or by ignorant
charlatans. One will advise the suf
ferer to drink water from a brass boll,
another to take a full breath before
tpoaking, to nod the hoad before arti
culation or to 'think' beforo speaking.
All are useless or iujuriou to a groater
or less degreo. Many stammerers
could utter a sentence on the spur of
the moment, but if tho samo scntonco
woro brought over too much tho very
vital force required for saying it
would bo exhausted and speech would
bj impossible. All physical movement
cures may be similarly exploded. They
servo for a while to take tho attcnttou
from tho thought of stammering, but
soon becomes futile.
"Tho habit in different ages has
passed successfully through various
treatments. Onco tho sufferer was
called 'possessed of a devil' or bo
witched. Later, supposing him to bo
tonguo tied, he was subjected to tho
surgeon's kuifo and cruelly butchered
by ignorant practitioders. Long ago
it was demonstrated that the habit did
not arise from any organic defect.
"It is not sale to tlx auy detlnito
ago at which stammering should be
treated. If tho subject bo a bright,
intelligent child tho conditions aro
favorable for a speedy cure, as habit
aro less deeply cut. In many c.ises it
is well to wait until tho stammerer
sees the importance of becoming
cured. Years of experience only
teach that childhood is tho best period
to treat somo cases, while others will
yield moro successfully at a later day,
"in treating stammering modern
scienco has discarded surgery, drugs,
secret methods, all physic.il move
ments not actually necessary for the
most refined speech aud all ariflcial
tricks or aids. A careful observation
is made ot tho putient, and measures
aro resorted to to restore harmony of
notion between tho mental and phys
ical organizations. Calmness of man
ner aud composuro of tuiud are tho
first requisites. Traiuing is given iu
control of rospiration aud iu produc
tion of tone, so progressing by easy
and regular steps into correct speech.
It any improper or useless habits aro
found they aro corrected at once, and
the course of treatment demands of
every person the fullest possible de
velopment of tho best sido of charac
ter, order, self-control, patience, do
liberation and concentration. The
samo course of lectures, study aud
practice cannot bo given to all, for
what would tend to euro oua person
of stammering would greatly aggra
vate the defect in another."
Raise Beet 011 the Root.
It is the custom in Lima, Pern, to
keop animals on the roofs of uousos.
A calf makes its first appearance oa
the roof, aud never descends until it
comes down as beof. Chicago Timet
Herald.
A Rdasian mining engineer hat
fouud nou gold field near Bokhara.
Buffalo;! In a Fighr.
Thero won trouble in tbo buffalo
herd at the Zoological Garden recent
ly, which ended in as fierce a battle m
has ever been seen in the wilds ot the
West a battle in which it seemed that
one at least wonld suffer mortal
wonnds, to desperate wot it, says the
Philadelphia Press.
Early in the morning the first ink
linn ot trouble was had. Three ot
the buffaloes had attacked a single
member of the herd.. With lowered
beads they charged together at the
object of their wrath. Slipping nim
bly aside, the latter caught one of the
largest of his assaillants squarely with
hit horn, and the two clashed their
great, broad foreheads together with
force that made the air resound.
They tparrod with their great
shaggy heads for awhile, And then
ono of the others made lunge at the
offeuJing buffalo. It was the act ot a
coward, but it did not daunt the bravo
fighter. lie swerved jut in timo for
the charging animal to graze his hind
legs. Then he transferred his atten
tion to this enemy. The two became
looked in deadly contest. Their
noses nearly touched tho ground as
their heads camo together. Each
glared at the othor, thongh their eyes
were almost together, and the flash of
hatred that came from thom bo led no
good for the loser of tho fight.
Meanwhile the other two buffaloes
joined in the attack. There could bo
no retreat, and, clover as he might be,
the object of tho hatred of tho trio
could not hope to hold out long
against them. Things began to look
pretty seriona for tho single-handed
fightor. He kept his foes at bay until
corner ot the pen was reached, and
then ho had httlo better chance, for
he could not be attacked except from
the front. Still, his chanoos woro
small.'
What might havo happonol no ono
can tell had not several keepers, armed
with pitohforks, como to tho roscuo ot
the under dog in the fight. For a
time it looked as though their effort
to quell the disturbance would bo un
availing. The rago ot the buffaloes
was not to be set asido so easily.
Finally, however, the yells of tho
keepers and the sharp prongs of tho
pitchforks restorod order and saved
tho life of the animal.
Tagged tho Babies.
There is a proud mother in narlom,
New Y'ork City, who employs a half
grown girl to help in the care of her
three cherubs, aged respectively six,
four and two years, says tho Provi
denco Journal. It happens that eho
has the greatest possible maternal
affection for the three youngsters, and
not overmuch oonndeuoe in tbo good
sense and stability of the young nurso
maid. So the used to live in state
ot mortal terror lest in tome mannor
her cherubs might become lost,
strayed or stolon whonever they went
out ou fine afternoons for their Jittlo
airing is the Park.
At last the has invented little plan
ot her own, which at least adds vastly
to her motherly peaoo of mind. She
has made out of bor visiting cards
throo little tags, on which are plainly
written the name and address of each
ot the cherubs. Before the youngsters
start on their daily health excursions
two of those tags are carefully fas
tened with a safety pin under tho
frock ot the four-year-old girl and the
two-yoar-old baby, and the third is
similarly pinnod inside tho waist
band of tho six-year-old boy s knoc
breechos. The children don't know
they are ticketed, and wouldn't care
if they did, but their fond mother
never forgets to put on the tags. Sho
has not patented the sohomo, and
cheerfully rooomment it to other
fond mothers.
A Tale ot Castaways,
The captain of the schooner F.llcn
Johnson, which ariivod at San Fran
cisco last week from Nicaragua, re
ported that he had beoa compelled to
abandon thrco Bailors ou a barren
coral atoll, three miles in diameter
and risiug but two or tUroo foot above
tho ocean level, off tho Pacific coast
of Nicaragua. The reef is rich iu
phosphates, and the schooner went
there with twentw-IIvo men to got
aboard a cargo. There is no harbor,
and vessels are loaded by lighter. Tho
sea was very rough, and when tho ves
sel was nearly loaded the lino parted
while throe men were ashore. Tho
captain had to put to sea for safety
aud loave the men. Tho men havo
plenty ot food, but will havo to de
pend on rain for water, and will havo
to remaiu 00 the barren reef until
auother schooner may chance take
thom off. ihcro aro birds on tho
root and sharks in the sea surrounding
it, aud altogether the men must bo
having as unlovely a time as could
well be imagined. New York Sun.
Tho Largest Pecan Orchards.
The largest pecan plantation, of
which we buve seen any account, is
that of F. A, Swiueliu, Brownwood,
Texas, whioh is said to contain 11, 00 J
trees and oooupy 400 acres. We havo
no report on the yield or the price
obtained for the nut. Colonel W. R.
Stuart, of Ocean Springs, Miss., is
also an extensive cultivator of pecans,
and he made a very fiuo exhibit of
those nuts at the World's Fair, Chicago,
18J3.
An OJd Way to tool a Room.
Those who have tried tho experi
ment affirm that largo tponge hung
iu tho room at night or in tho -day
time, if it can be behind a convouiout
screen and kept constantly wet, will
greatly assist in keeping the room
cool, or a wet cloth bung in the win
dow over the blind will cool the room
as if a shower had fallen. All know
how fresh water, sprinkled on tbn
pavement in front ot windows and
doors, will freshoa hot dry air. New
York Dispatch.
roriLAR SCIENCE.
All kinds of insects are afflicted wit)
uiua loriu ui irBBiic
Maxim's new cavalry gun, hich
fires 700 shots a minute, weighs but
thirty pounds.
A nicely articulated skeleton of 1
man can be bought for 840, whereas t
woman's costs $10 more.
One of the moons of Mars gr,
through all of its phases, "new, fn
aud old moon," once each twem-.
four hours.
The disappearing guns at Fort
Hamilton, New Y'ork Harbor, have
been mado available by an electric
contrivanoe for aiming thom.
A London restaurant is siid to ma
in electrically-heated plate to keep
one's food warm. There is no danger
of receiving a shock from touching th
plate.
Tho largest telegraph office in ths
world is in the general postoillco bnilj.
ing, London. There aro over 3i)ji)
operators, 1000 of whom are women.
The batteries aro supplied by 3t),i)ij)
tolls.
It is claimed that, owing to the goo 1
work done by the Improved Industrial
Dwelling Company of Londou, the
loath rate of that city has been re
luced from forty to only eleven ia a
thousand.
It is estimated that 293 hairs on tue
head, thirty-nino on the chin, aul
twenty-three on the forearm an 1 niao
teen on tho back of tho hand aro ro
ipectively contained in an area of a
quarter of an inch.
Plants growing near the sea hu)
thicker loaves than those growing iu.
land. Apparently tho sea salt is th.j
tause ot this phenomenon, as plant
cultivated in artitlcally-saltcd y.l
yield thicker loaves.
A spectroscopo detectot, by whicli
ono part of blood in a ttolution'of ),
000 parts can bo discovered, has xa
invented by M. do Thierry. It will
bo of value iu murder cases where tin
stains aro very minute.
Only a few hundro 1 ounce f
platinum are found in tho I'uitd
States annually, and this all come
from Northern California aud Southern
Oregon, but very few of tho uiiuir,
make any effort to savo it.
Cholera Precautions.
Cholera has again broken oit in tin
East. Tho Mecca pilgrims arc ex
periencing 11 severo visitation. Con
stantinople is alarmed. St. Peters
burg reporta twenty-two cases.thirteen
of them fatal, iu ono locality, wkileiu
others there have been some bun IreJt
of cases, with a proportionate num
ber of deaths. Tho eleven thousand
pilgrims had come from all quarters
of the world, and as at tho end at
their visit they scattered to their
homes, there is no telling whore tht
disease will end. Among the pilgrims
there are always many who turn their
faces toward Amerioa, and who mar,
in their clothing or other effect's,
bring cholera germs to our sliore?. It
is not unusual fot this disease to breik
nut in Egypt and Turkey as well as in
Russia iu the month of March. Cold
and environment have little to do Kith
the inoipiont stages. Thoro aro Eng
lish troops quartered at Cairo, anJ
English authorities aro deeply con
cerned at the exposure of tho soldiers
to tho cpidomio. Tho rank and tils
are not fastidious about their asso
ciates, and tho apprehension ou the
part of the Government is not without
excellent foundation. An ounce of
prevention is worth a great timr
pounds of cure, and as weather prophets
tell us we are to havo an exceeding;
dry and hot summer, tho quarautia
authorities aud health boards of t Ui
country should bo ou tho alert tint
no suspected source ot infection M
permitted to enter our borders. New
Y'ork Lodger
Cause ot the Franco-Prussian War.
The Franco-Frussian war was due to
tho fear of Prussia felt by Napoleon
III, after tho Austrian war of ls'i'i
whero Prussia showed her power t)
unmistakably. The immediate ciusu
was tho refusul of tho King of Prtbsit
to forbid his kiusmun, Loopoll of
Hohenzolleru-Sigmarinieu, from be
coming a candidate for tho Sp.iuUh
throne. Trinco Leopold decliuei tha
throne, but Frauce demanded tint
Prussia promise that none of tha
Hohenzolleru family should take it,
ana tno King 01 irussia reiusca u uj
so. Frauce declared war July 13.
1S70; tho Crown PrinTio of Fru-t
invaded Franco August 4 ; battles oc
curred on August C, but tho !irt im
portant battles were those of Coiireel
Iob, August 14, Marsla-Tour August IS
and Gravelotte, August IS. Stra-dmrg
was besieged August 10, ami Metzon
August 18. Thero wcro many smaller
battles, and on September 1 tho buttle
A Sedan begau, ending by the capital
iion of the Emperor to tho King. The
siego of Pari begau September lj
thero were bloody fights all iiruunJ
tho city, which surrendered Jauusrj
28, 1871 ; Metz had surrendered Oc
tober 27, Straaburg, September 2i.
Tho treaty of peaoo was signed Feb
ruary 20, 1871. By it Franco jw
to Prussia $1,000,000,000 and ceW
Alsace and Lorraine.
Hollow (Shot Supercede tho Solid.
In experimenting with tho shells M
armor plates, solid shot has heretofor
beon used. A recent test of a hell
flint. 1i-illiiitf uhrtt mflV nellCtfStl
where solid ones do uot go. This
important, aa it demonstrates tli
ships carrying quantities of ammuni
tion aud explosives must be more
tected in this locality than has uw'
fore been tbougnt necessary. Tb
thoritios have not, aa yet, fenti11
themselves just i n,i the hollow
should be more powerful than M
solid, but experiments have ceiw
uivttlr nrnvttil that this in thd C5-
New York Ledger.