Montour American j
FRANK C. ANGLE, Proprietor,
Danville, Pa., Nov. 19, 1908.
$30,000 FIRE
ATJT. GABRIEL
A fire involving a loss of $30,000 or- j
ourred at Mt. Carmel Tuesday night. 1
It broke out at 10:80 o'clock in the
rear of Ai Holshoe's saddler shop on j
the corner of Third and Oak streets, i
one of the principal sections of the
town, aud was probably of incendiary
origin. It spread rapidly to the con
fectionery store of Frank Shoeuer, the
jewelry Btore of Henry Greisiuger.the
millinery store of Miss Anna Long,the
grocery store aud dwelling of Ueorge
MoKae.the barber shop of Harry Schutt
and the Lyric Moving picture theatre.
All of the buildings except the last
were gutted iu turn. The fire was
stopped at the theatre.
The cause of the spreading of the
flames was due to the lack of water
pressure. On account of the drought
the Mt. Carmel Water company is
economical in its distribution of wat
er aud after six o'clock shuts down on
the pressure. On Tuesday night the \
Centralia dam was shut off and there j
was not enough force from the other
darns from which water is drawn, to* j
throw fair sized streams from the noz- !
zles of the hose. By the time the i
watchman at the dam had been gotten
by telephone and told to open the wat- :
er mains the lire had such a start that ;
it could not be gotten under control |
until it caused damage amounting in j
all to f!i(>,000.
THE BASTILLE.
Men and Methods In the Famo.is Old
French Prison.
The Bastille ns a prison was appar
ently better kept ami cleaner than
slttaer Bicetre or the Chatelet, and im
prisonment within its walls did not, it
would seem, dishonor the prisoner or
his family. A great many prisoners
■were charged as mad, and under this
elastic term the violent maniac, the
ambitions madman, tho young spend
thrift, the megalomaniac, the reacher
for the philosopher's stone or the se
cret of perpetual motion all these
tiresome persons might be and were
Included.
How, then, did these prisoners live?
In the underground cells or dungeons,
as in the ceils in (he towers, the prison
ers were on bread and water, as a rule,
In the other rooms in the main build
ing three meals were served a day, with
drinkable wine—"vin potable." In cer
tain cases, according to the quality
and distinction of the prisoner, he
might supplement the meager furni
ture of his prison and get a provision
of books. Very favored persons were
allowed their own servant if he would
consent voluntarily to undergo con
finement. Voltaire began to write the
"Ilenriade" as prisoner In the Itastille;
Abbe Morellet of the Encyclopedia
speaks of the great fortress as the
•cradle of his fame, but we must re
member that It was perhaps not ad
visable to say much about the Bastille
when you were still living within Its
walls and that, as M. Mouin has re
minded us, "the old Spartans offered
sacrifices to fear." Prisoners, more
over, had to sign on their release an
elaborate declaration by which they
swore never to divulge, directly or In
directly, anything they might have
learned as prisoners concerning the
Bastille.—Mrs. Frederic Harrison la
Nineteenth Century.
Queer Talismans In Malta.
There are still to lie fouinl in Malta
e number of small stones shaped and
colored like the eyes, tongues and other
parts of serpents. The superstitious
among the Maltese connect these with
the tradition that St. Paul when ship
wrecked was cast on their island, and
it was there that while lighting a bun
dle of sticks for a lire a viper fastened
on the apostle's hand. St. Paul calmly
shook the reptile off into the flames,
and 110 harm followed. The natives
wear these stones as talismans, in
which character they suppose them
serviceable in warding off dangers
from snake bites and poisons. They
are found in St. Paul's cave, imbed
ded in clay, and are set in rings and
bracelets and when found to be in the
shape of a tongue or liver or heart are
huii'; around the neck. They are also
taken internally, dissolved in wine,
which method is attended, according
to some people, by more immediate re
sults.
Islands In New York City.
"I was showing an Englishman our
city a week or two ago," said a New
Yorker, "and was surprised to hear
him express astonishment at the num
ber of islands within our municipal
boundaries. Ms this entire island a
part of New York city':' he asked as 1
took him on several trolley rides over
on Staten Island. 'And all these is
lands, too, are they New York city?" he
Inquired another day as he went up
the Enst river. His remarks pit me to
thinking, and I've discovered that not
one of the really great cities of the
world lias so many islands within its
boundaries as New York. Staten Is
land in itself would make a good sized
city. Some of the other islands, of
course, are liardiy more than specks,
but they belong to New York city just
the same."
The Darkest Hour.
Tho proverb which tells us that "the
darkest hour is that before dawn" is
Inaccurate, for light increases in the
morning ns gradually as it decreases
in the evening. The saying should be
"the coldest hour." etc., which Is per
fectly true and is owing to causes
connected with the deposit of dew.
Hoarfrosts, too, usually take place
just before daylight and are an addi
tional cause of the peculiar chilliness
«112 this time.—London Scraps.
AIDED HE.. RIVAL
Romance of a London Society Leader
and s Diamond Necklace.
Tlio jewelers of Bond street could if
they liked tell many nn amazing story.
There is uo need to dilute on the fasci
nation which scintillating gems exor
cise upon the feminine mind. That fas
cination is a fact and may serve t«> ex
plain a mortal enmity which existed
recently and probably still exists be
tween two well known society leaders.
To one of them a highly placed udmlr
! or mentioned his intention to purchase
a diamond necklace. Knowing that the
lady possessed more than a superficial
knowledge of the value of stones, he
begged her to select for him what he
required. The price he was prepared
to give was £1.500. The lady jumped
to the conclusion that such a request
;ould have but one meaning—viz, that
she herself was to be the eventual re
cipient of the gift. She thereupon vis
ited the jeweler's shop and inspected
his stock, but at the price she was em
powered to give saw nothing that par
ticularly took her fancy. A fascinating
piece of workmanship, however, did at
tract her, the price of which was 11,000
guineas. The desire to possess it be
came irresistible. She arranged with
the jeweler to send the necklace to the
purchaser and invoice it to him at the
agreed upon price, while she gave her
own check for the balance. Then she
went home and awaited the arrival of
the gift. Some days passed, but there
was 110 appearance of the necklace. A
horrible doubt which assailed her be
came certainty a day or two later
when she saw the identical necklace
she had helped to pay for sparkling on
the neck of a younger and more beauti
ful rival.—Grand Magazine.
A LECTURE FOR HIM.
Why the Bright Little Woman Scored
Her Thouyhtiess Husband.
A bright little woman was recently
overheard lecturing her husband as
follows:
"Now I'll tell you why I wouldn't go
bjto the restaurant and have a cup of
coffee with you while we were wait
ing for the train. 1 didn't like the
way you asked me. Not half an hour
before you said to Mr. Puffer, 'Come,
let's get a cigar,' and away you went,
holding his arm and not giving him a
chance to decline.
"When we met John Howdy on our
way to luncheon you said: 'Just in
time, John. Come take lunch with us.'
And then tonight, when we had to
wait an hour for the train, you looked
at your watch, turned on me and said
in a questioning way, 'Would you like
a cup of coffee?' And I did want It.
I was tired and a little hungry, but I
would have fainted before I would
have accepted such an invitation. And
you went away a little bit vexed with
me and had your coffee and bread and
butter by yourself and didn't eujoy
them very much. In effect you said to
me, 'lt' you want a cup of coffee, if you
really want it. I will buy it for you.'
"You are the best husband in the
world, but do as nearly as all the best
husbands do.
"Why do you men seem to dole out
things to your wives when you fairly
throw tlisrn to the men yon know?
Why didn't you invite me heartily as
you invite men? Why didn't you say.
'Come, let's get a little coffee and
something,' and take me straight away
with you?
"You wouldn't say to a man, 'Would
you like me togo and buy you a
cigar?' Then why do you always Issue
your little invitations to treats in that
way to me?
"Indeed, if men would only act to
ward their wives as heartily, cordially
and frankly as they do toward the
men whom they meet they would find
cheerier companions at home than they
could at the club." San Francisco
Chronicle.
A Grateful Crab.
"Alfred Souiinerlad, musical director
of the Devonshire I'ark theater. Fast
bourne, and Eilgar Bateman, the song
writer, out fishing caught an edible
crab," says an English periodical.
"They tossed it back into the water.
At that moment an accidental kick
sent t l ie bait box after the crab. There
was one fragment of bait adhering to
1 the hook, and this was lowered into
| the sen, and the anglers left the rod
for a time. When they returned they
found their basket, which they had
left empty, full to overflowing with
fine flounders, soles, <»k, whiting
end plaice. The explanation was soon
forthcoming. Painfully making its
way tip tho fishing line came the crea
ture whose life had been spared bear
ing in its nippers a fine young conger
eel, which it placed with the other tish
on the basket. Then it dropped back
into the water. Apparently the grate
ful crab, knowing that he had caused
the bait to be lost, had deposited fif
teen and one-half pounds of live fish
in the creel as a thank offering for its
life being spared."
Piracy's Romance.
Piracy is as old as history, but we
think of it more particularly as woven
Inextricably into the romantic youth
of the new world. The word itself
suggests first of all to Americans at
least such names as Captain Kidd,
Bartholomew Roberts, Captain Ed
ward England. Captain George Low
thor and that terrifying and dashing
buccaneer Sir Henry Morgan, and the
chief exploits of these men were ac
complished at the expense of the coast
of North America and the much har
ried shores of the Caribbean. The his
tory of pirncy is full of drama, stir
ring action and daring deeds, and it Is
on this account rather than because of
its darker side of fire, murder, killing
and inhuman cruelty that children
even today, years after the last of the
genuine pirates lias been swept from
the seas, are constantly playing In imi
tation of piratical exploits and that
men and women still find a unique
fascination in reading of the followers
tif the black flag.—Jackson Cross in
Metropolitan Magazine.
Those Menl
"I went Into tlie oflice looking like n
fright," said the woman. "I didn't
have a chance to straighten my hat or
pat my hair or anything. I had intend
ed to primp going up in the elevator,
but there was a man standing before
each mirror twirling his mustache, and
I couldn't even get u peep at myself."
—New York Times.
ODD WAY TO REACH POLE.
Explorer Baldwin Would Use Portable
Houses and Ice Floes.
What is pronounced by experts to be
the best plan for north polar research
is the novel one proposed by Evelyn
Briggs Baldwin.
"I am soon to lay this plau iu detail
before the Harvard union at Cam
bridge," said the explorer recently at
New York, "but I'll tell you this much
now:
"Give me a cargo of logs, another of
casks partly filled with emergency sup
piles and a single vessel specially con
structed, and we can go from Bering
«trait to the pole and right across the
Arctic ocean. Scatter the logs, portable
nouses, casks, etc., upon a group of
heavy ice floes surrounding the ship,
shifting the supplies if necessary by
means of windlasses, motors or dogs,
and we'll succeed. A single crew can
manage the three cargoes.
"Had the Jeannctte expedition adopt
ed this plan it would have won. In
my support Rear Admiral Melville
stated to me that, a small house erect
ed on the ice nt the beginning of the
drift of the Jeannette having been
blown away before it had been fas
tened down was found two years later
less than two miles from the ship, thus
proving that the ship and ice proceed
just as a balloon moves with the at
mosphere in which it floats.
"With portable studios and laborato
ries our artists and scientists may
work in tranquillity. With balloons wo
will view a wide belt of territory and,
as did the Baldwin-Ziegler expedition,
frequently dispatch messages home
ward. With our logs as fuel we'll bar
becue the walrus, seal and polar bear.
With the casks as emptied we'll form
j a flotilla filled with duplicates of our {
collections.
I "'Good scheme,' said Admiral Schley j
the other day."
1
THE DEVILFISH.
Wow These Monsters Are Caught In
the Gulf of Mexico.
There is 110 more thrilling sport than
harpooning the devilfish, the giant raj
or manta, which has its home in the
gulf of Mexico. Some of these fish,
which are very grewsome to behold,
measure from twelve to eighteen feet
and weigh more than 1.500 pounds. It
requires tremendous skill to harpoon
them and infinite tact to land them
once they are struck. It is not unusu
al for the fish to run for three hours
or more, and they can tow a ten ton
sloop.
The fish is wily and will often goto
the bottom to rest, to prevent which he
has to be kept in a constant state of
panic by hauling the tow in close to
him. At a moment of weakening an
other harpoon and a rifle shot will dis
patch him.
During a recent run it was three
honrs before the cable could bo fas
tened to the boat's windlass iu orde!
to pull the devilfish under the bow
where another lily iron was secured
in him, and then followed a rush of
extraordinary impetuosity. Following
this method and only after there were
three harpoons in his back and a shark
hoop attached to one flipper was it
felt that he was secure. Half an hour
Inter his struggles were finally stilled
by a lucky rifle shot in the head.
As night came on the sharks began
to come in and long after dark could
be heard lighting over the stranded
carcass.—lllustrated Tx>ndon News.
SURGERY BY ELECTRICITY.
Noiseless Spark From Knife Point
Said to Excel Scalpel.
Surgery by electricity is what is al
leged to be possible with a remarkable
electric knife just devised by a firm
■)( medical instrument manufacturers
tn Herlin. The knife is now undergo
ing exhaustive trials at the hands of
Professor Bier, the head of the uni
versity surgical clinic, with the view
of demonstrating its eflkacy.
It is claimed for it that operations
can lie performed more quickly and
that the healing process is more rapid
than is the case where the ordinary
scalpel has been used.
To one end of a six or eight inch
glass rod, through the center of
which passes a conducting wire, is
fastened the blade without a cutting
sdge of a form similar to that of the
commonly used surgical knives or like
the simple probe. A high frequency
current is employed, and when this ia
turned on a noiseless spark half an
inch long appears from the point of
the knife or probe. The spark incises
the soft tissues with the same ease as
a hot knife goes through butter with
out any apparent cauterization, but
Professor Bier's experiments have so
far shown that a more profuse hem
orrhage ensues than by the use of tho
common knife.
It is further claimed for the instru-
TOenf that it sterilizes as it cuts, re
quires no sharpening and can be easi
ly cleaned.
Very Careful.
Indulgent Vnclt l .lack, are yon care
ful about your personal expenses these
days? .lack- Yes, sir. I manage, with
some effort, to make them balance my
Income to the exact ceiu. Chicago
Tribune.
The world doesn't really grow worst
every time you need medicine. Gnlve
ton New*.
Kennedy's
Laxative
Cough Syrup
R«H«VM Cold* bjr working Cmm aol
*4 tbs system througk a ooytowa Ml
hssUthy action at th« bowola.
Raliavea coughs fey aissjMtai 9m
mucous mambranM t4 Dm ftiMt,
and krone Mai tubas
"At fhinsl Is Ml
as Hapta
Children Like It
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For Sale by Panles & CJol
TUMULT IN THE SEA.
Tarrlfic Force of a Marin* Upheaval
Off Cape Horn.
A Balling ship rounding Cape Horn
was caught In a dead calm, something
almost unprecedented In that stormy
latitude. The sky was filmed with a
light haze, and the sea was flat and lead
colored. About 10 o'clock on the morn
ing of the second day the ship began
to shake violently, the masts whipped
and bent like flsh poles, and every
thing movable above and below came
down with a clatter. It was like strik
ing a rock, only the shock was less
pronounced at first, but Increased in
violence during the thirty seconds it
lasted. The sea heaved in oily swells
with a strange, hoarse murmur, and it
continued to be agitated after the
tremors ceased.
Half an hour later fish by the thou- j
sands began to rise to the surface
until it was covered with them. For
ty-seven whales were counted, many
cowfish fully eight feet across, sharks
without number and seals by the hun
dreds. They were evidently Btunned
with the force of some terrific marine [
upheaval, and when struck with a j
polo by one of the sailors showed only i
faint signs of life. In twenty mln- I
utes after the first fish arose to the J
surface they began to drop out of j
sight like pieces of lead. Whether j
they were stunned and, on recovering, j
immediately dived beneath the waves j
In a panic, seeking safety in the i
depths, or whether they died from the I
shock and. Instead of floating as dead !
fish do. were drawn under by some
submarine whirlpool, were scientific '
questions too deep for the skipper, but 1
half a dozeu of the smaller fish hauled
aboard by the cook for dinner were
quite dead when examined. The calm
continued tv.etity-four hours longer lie
fore the ocean resumed Us usual aspect
and a wind from the southeast per
mltted the ship to continue its course
—New York Press
A BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL
Cincinnati Girl's Automatic. Device to
Water Flowers In Cemetery.
Miss Carrie I>. Jackson, 1001 Chapel
street, Cincinnati, who was born and
reared in Dearborn county, Ind,
prompted by her love for her late de
parted brother, George W. Jackson,
and other members of her family now
resting in the family lot in Greendale
cemetery, at Bawreueeburg, Ind., de
sired to erect something new and
beautiful to their memory. A happy
idea came to her. She would have a
large vase constructed, containing pots
of flowers, and set it in the center of
a flower bed. Within the vase there
should be a tfank of water, which by
its own automatic force each day
would water the flowers in the pots
and also the flowers in the bed planted
nround the foot of the vase.
Accordin: she went to work, em
ployed aii lanic, superintended the
eonstruciio: herself, anil in a few
weeks her ieuals were realized. The
original vase may be seen in Green
dale cemetery. The tank has a capac
ity of about one-half barrel of water
anil must be filled evary two weeks.
During the lieat of the day the water
slowly drips from the large tank into
a smaller one. By evening the small
tank is filled, and by its weight it
closes the valves of the large tank
and opens the valves below, thus al
lowing the water to flow from it and
refresh the flowers during the cool
hours of night. By morning the small
tank is empty, and the weights lift it
Into position again, the lower valves
close, the upper ones open, ami the
tank tills as oil the previous day.
When Miss Jackson completes the
ornamental design of her vase and
perfects the mechanism as she has
planned it will be a thing of beauty.
THEATRICAL EXPOSITION.
Whole Field of Music and the Drama
to Be Exploited.
The Italian ambassador at Washing
ton has furnished a copy of the an
nouncement of the international The
atrical exposition to be held at Milan
In 101.°, in honor of the first centennial
of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi, the
composer:
The exposition will be divided into
three sections—the theater, playhouses
and productions; music, composition
and interpretation: artists anil theat
rical literature, relics, biographies,
manuscripts, etc.
The theater section will Include re
production of ancient, mediaeval and
modern playhouses or theaters; an
cient, mediaeval and modern produc
tions or play*, a special division being
devoted to moving picture apparatus,
heating, illuminating, etc.
The music section will include an
cient and modern instruments and ac
cessories, writings of the different pe
riods or elicits among the different
races and nationalities.
The third section, which will lie de
voted to performances and theatrical
literature, will include all that which
pertains to the performers, to their
work and to their memory, such as
photographs, autographs, reproduc
tions of monuments. Divisions will
be devoted to sacred isnsic, national
hymns, patriotic song, war song <uul
folk song.
Donald Knew.
Margaret, aged ten, was a beginner
in history. "Mamma," she asked,
"what does 'behead' mean?"
"To cut off a man's head, dear."
There was a moment of silent study,
then another question.
"What does "defeat' mean, mamma?"
LIltli; Donald, aged four, was inter
ested.
"I know, mamma," was his logical
conclusion. "'Defeat' means to cut a
man's feet off."—Delineator.
Very Different.
"In the olden days a reformer was
liable to be burnt at the stake."
"Yes, and now we put him on the
lecture platform and give him GO per
cent of the gross receipts!"— Washing
ton Star.
Objectively Considered.
Ruggles— What horsepower is your
new automobile? ltamage—Two, I
guess. That's the horsepower it tooU
to haul it to the repair shop when it
broke down on a country road the oth
er day.—Chicago Trlbvne.
A ROYAL FUNERAL
•trange Ceremonies That Mark th«
Burial of a Spanish King.
Strange au<l almost weird is the cer
emonial which the burin)
of Spanish kings. The pantheon, or
royal tomb, Is at the palace of the
Etecurinl, situated 3,000 feet above the
level of the sea and some distance
from the capital. Only kings, queens
and mothers of kings are burled there,
the coffins of the kings lying on one
side, those of the queens on the other.
After lying instate for several days
in the throne room in Madrid an euor
mous procession is formed, accompany
ing the body to the Hscurial. A halt
is made on the way, and the corpse
rests there for one night.
In the morning the lord high cham
berlain Btands at the side of the coffin
and says in loud tones, "Is your majes
ty pleased to proceed on your jour
ney?" After a short silence the pro
cession moves ou and winds up to the
grand portal of the palace. These
doors are never opened except to ad
mit a royal personage, dead or alive.
When the casket containing the re
mains Is at last placed in the vault
the chamberlain unlocks It and, kneel
ing down, calls with a loud voice
"Senor! Senor! Senor!"
After a solemn pause he cries again:
"His majesty does not reply! Then it
is true, the king Is dead!"
lie then locks the coffin, gives thei
key to the prior arid, taking liis stuff j
of office, breaks it In pieces and flings
them at the casket. The booming of
the guns and the tolling of bells an
nounce to the nation that the king has
gone to his final resting place.
QUEER TELEGRAPH FCLEo. '
Wade of Aclcbo In Bolivia—Growing
Trees Used In Africa.
The most original telegraph line in
'.lie world once extended from the cap
ital of Bolivia, l.a Paz. to the town of
Oruro. In this part of Bolivia titer
are no growing trees, ami wood 1-
I'.itlii nit to find that even the ordinary
household furniture of the natives i. \
Invariably made not of wood, but <f
dried mud or adobe.
So when the war broke out between
Chile and Bolivia and a telegraph line
became urgent it was adobe that was
chosen for the queerest telegraph polo.;
in existence. These pillars were built
oa stone foundations and measured
about five feet square at the base, with
a height of about fifteen feet.
They were placed at Intervals < i
about 301 feet and thus held the wire
at a height sufficient to clear the only
animals of the country, the llama and
the donkey. The total length of the
line was 150 miles.
Among other curious telegraph lines
is the growing pole line erected in
Uganda by an English engineer, who
could not find any dead wood which
would withstand the white ants ami
hit upon the idea of transporting grow
ing bark cloth trees to the side of tin
roads and using them as poles.
In the Dutch Kast Indies growing
trees are turned to account also, but
there a wire is stretched across the
road between the trees on either sii!.-.
and the insulator is suspended in it:
middle, and the line is thus over the
I road and clear from vegetation.—Chi
cago Tribune.
Watch Springs.
The watch carried by the averag
man is composed of ninety-eight pieces
and its manufacture embraces mor
than 2,000 distinct and separate opera
tions.
Hairspring wire weighs one-twenti
eth of a grain to the inch. One mile of
wire weighs less than half a pound.
The balance gives five vibrations ev
cry second, 200 every minute, lS.oo
every hour. 432,000 every day and 1.7 T.
080,000 every year.
The value of springs when finished
and placed in watches Is enormous i;>
proportion to the material from whi 'i
• they are made. A ton of steel made r
into hairsprings when in watches i
worth more than twelve and one-half
times the value of the same weight in
pure gold.
How He Managed It.
The bishop of Richmond told a good
story about his father. "He was a
farmer," said Dr. I'ulleine, "and a nice
old gentleman too. One year he took i
into his bead to grow tlax, so he soweil
the seed and, having a good crop, sent
it away to be made into a tablecloth
Some time later when seated at dinner
he remarked to a lady near him, 'Di
you know. I grew this tablecloth my
self!' 'Did you really?' she answered,
with the greatest surprise. 'Howevei
did you manage it?' 'Weil.' most inys
teriously, 'if you'll promise not to tell
any one I'll tell you. I—planted a nap
kin.' "—London Mail.
The Earth's Visibility.
As we look up through the trans
parent atmosphere on a clear night
and see the moon beaming brilliantly
down upon us we may think, "What
a wonderful sight the continents and
oceans of the earth would present if
we could view them from the moon!"
But, according to the conclusions of
the director of the astrophysical ob
servatory of the Smithsonian institu
tion, a man on the moon would catch
but fleeting glimpses of the outlines of
our continents. "The true radiating
surface of the earth as a planet,"
says the scientist, "is chiefly the wa
ter vapor at an elevation of 4,000
meters (13,000 feet) or more above the
sea level." In consequence the man
j in the moon would see the features of
the earth diuily outlined in the glare
of light reflected from the atmosphere.
—Youth's Companion.
Camels and Campbells.
An Irishman and a Scotchman were
discussing the horrors of living in a
prohibition state, when the Irishman
remarked:
"Sure, an' ye might get used to it
after awhile. Ye know they say a
camel can go eight days without
drinkiu'."
"Hoot, mon!" retorted the other. "It's
little ye know about the Campbells
when ye say that There is na one o'
I them could go eight hours wl'out a
i drap o' somethin'!"
i Which ended the discussion.—New
| York XI nips
| What is everybody's business Is no
body's business.—Walton
, - ,
MOUNTAIN SLIDING. **
Hawaiian Small Boy* Simply "Drop
Down tho Edge of the Scervery."
Water sports are by no meaaß the
only vigorous athletics Indulged In by
the boys of Hawaii. Mountain cllmh
lur Is a fuvorlte pastime, for there lire
peaks 4,000 feet high within easy walk
ing distance of any part of Honolulu,
syid on the island of Hawaii there are
two mountains fully 14,000 feet in
height. Not Infrequently the Honolulu
schools give picnics on the mountain
sides that the pupils may gather land
shells. It Is on these excursions in
search of land shells that the Hawaiian
schoolboys revel in the once national
sport, mountain sliding.
A very steep mountain side is se
lected, where the grass is long and
sloping downward. Every one gathers
Ills own ti leaves. The tl leaf is some
thing like the banana leaf, but not near
ly so long. With a bunch of ti leaves
in his hand the first boy steps to the
edge of the side, grasps the leaves by
the stems In both hands, places the
leafy part under him and sits down,
gives himself a start and drops down
tho edge of the scenery like a flash. I
was assured that, it was an easy mat
ter to regulate the speed of descent by
merely grasping the ti stems firmly
I and lifting them upward, this acting as
' a brake. I longed for the thrill of drop
ping down over tho edge of a moun
| tain and upon my brief slod of ti leaves
j began the descent I went like the
wind. It seemed as though my breath
would be taken away from me or that
I would plunge head over heels, to be
dashed to pieces among the trees be
low. I thought of my brake and drew
up on the ti leaves with all my might
and came up with a jerk that jarred
every bone In m.v body. There I sat.
looking downward almost perpendicu
larly, held in position only by a few
leaves resting ou the smooth, slippery
grass, but the gliding gras.s is nearly a
foot long, and it is only after it has
been repeatedly sliddeu over and beat
en down that It approaches perfection
' la the eyes of (he Hawaiian small boy
| and sometimes leads to accidents.
When, for instance, the thin layer of tl
I leaves wears out beneath the slide a
gentle tug at the stalks parts the sled
and sends the slider whizzing down
ward in a most uncomfortable and un
graceful manner, all arms and legs,
j Lucky is tho victim of such an acciden
I if he is not stopped in his downward
| career by the trunk of a tree—St.
| Nicholas.
The Mere Formality Won.
"Yes, sir," said the pule, youthful
. suitor; "I havo come to ask you for
your daughter's hand. She is'falr as
I lilies, charming"—
"Is that Mary you're talking about?"
asked papa.
"Yes. sir. It is a mere formality. I
know, this asking for your daughter's
hand, but we thought it would be
pleasing to you if it were observed."
Mary's papa stiffened.
! "And may I Inquire," he asked, "who
1 suggested that asking my consent lo
1 Mary's marriage was a mere formal-
I ity?"
j "You may, sir," replied the young
j man simply. "It was Mary's mother."
Paraguay's Sweet Plant.
j A herb called by the natives caa
I ehe, but botanically Eupatorium re
, baudianum, grows wild In Paraguay.
! It is remarkable for its sweetness. In
: deed, the native name means the
j "sugar plant." It grows along the bor
i dors of the rivoi Amambahl and at
tains a height of only about five inches.
The smallest bit of this plant when
placed upon the tongue produces a
surprisingly sweet flavor, which, it is
| said, lasts for hours. The saccharine
| power Is much greater than (hat of
| sugar.—Youth's Companion.
—
The Sleepless Seven.
! "There were seven of the twelve,"
J said one of the discharged jurors In
i speaking of the matter nest morning,
I "who didn't want to sleep themselves
and wouldn't let the rest of us sleep
| Whenever we dropped into a doze they
j came around and shook us till we were
nide awake again."
! "And you had to submit, 1 suppose.
for they constituted the majority?"
; "Yes. They were a rousing majority,"
| said the hollow eyed juror, with a pen
i nive attempt to be facetious.—Chicago
Tribune.
"
A Life Note.
I "Lift is what we make it," said the
i philosopher.
j "Alas," exclaimed the practical one.
j "that we can't make It a million"'
We ask Providence to make us
! thankful for what we receive and then
I goto figuring on just how much Provi
■ dence is going to send us.—Atlanta
j Constitution.
A Present.
' "That's a very fine purse you have.
| Henry."
"Yes. My wife gave it to me 011 my
j birthday."
| "Indeed! Anything in it?"
| "Yes: the bill for the purse."
One Exception.
j The Husband (during the quarrel
! You're always making bargains. Was
there ever a time when you didn't?
The Wife—Yes, sir; on my wedding
day.
' Turn thyself to the true riches and
learn to be content with little. - Seneca
The Smart Set.
A lady In a town lying under the
j Kockles was much distressed at hear
lug a small clique in Iter town refer to
j themselves as the "smart set." She
appealed to an ex-United States sena
j tor and asked him what he understood
|by the term "the smart set." lie re
j plied: "I think I can give you an
inkling. In the eastern part of Colt.
: rado and in the western part of Ne
j braska there is a large tract of land
1 known as the 'rain belt' It never rains
there."— Argonaut.
Discovery of Reed For Matting.
Heed fields covering hundreds of
square miles have been discovered in
Saskatchewan, Cauada, says a Toronto
dispatch. The reeds are said to be
similar to those from which Chinese
and Japanese matting is manufactured.
The American government, it la added,
has spent much time and money In
leeklng such material.
KEY WITH EVERY PAIR.
Limit In Rah-Rah Shoes Is One That
Locks on the Feet.
When the men who decree the fash
ions put a quietus on the circus effect
that made rah-rah clothes scream last
LATEST IN RAH-RAH FOOTWKAK SHOE
THAT LOCKS OS THE FOOT,
summer they forgot to put the muffler
on shoes. Now the winter tan college
oxford comes along to relieve the
plainness of trousers that are not reef
ed. This shoe raises the ante on any
thing yet seen In footwear. It locks on
the feet.
Three nickel plated padlocks buckle
the shoe across the instep. One key
goes with every pair. If the key is lost
while the shoes are locked on—
"Will they sell?" the shoe man was
asked. "They will. When the co'.leg
boys get hep to those locks we cn.i't
supply the demand."
"When a rah-rah wears these will lii'
have to walk lock step?" was asked.
"I knew you'd spring that." the shoe
man said. "Everybody els'* has."
TORTOISE SHELL
The Way the Plates Are Removed
From the Animal.
The comb of tortoise shell has a
very pale and translucent yellow, the
only really valuable kind of shell.
"Many people think pale, un
mottlcd shell the cheaper kind," the
dealer said. "Do you know why? Be
cause the Imitations are all made like
this.
"That is one vulgar error about
shell. Another Is that the tortoise is
killed to get its shell casing. That is
as absurd an error as it would Vie to
say a sheep was killed to get its wool.
"What is done is this: The fisher
men. having caught a tortoise, tie him
and then cover his back with dry grass
and leaves. They set !'♦' to this stuff,
it burns slowly, and the heat causes
tho thirteen plates of the shell to
loosen nt the joints. With a knife the
plates are pried off, and afterward the
tortoise is set free. The base, or root,
of liis shell is intact and will grow
again. If tortoises were killed to get
their shell they would long since have
become extinct.
"No, no. Every tortoise Is, as it
were, a farm—a shell farm. Fishermen
catch him regularly and with heat and
a knife gently remove his shell."—
New Orleans Times-Democrat.
Golfthalmia.
Golftbalmia Is a poisonous and in
#iilious bacterium which, in my dreams,
under (he powerful lens of my heated
Imagination, assumes the shape of
something between a niblick, a golfer's
oath and a caddie's smile—my caddie's.
i. strange, unsightly, grewsome, twist
ed, creeping, muttering thing. -Throne
and Country.
The difference between a man's hand
shake and the wag of a dog's tail is
that the wag is always sincere.—Mar
ion (Ga.i Patriot
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Cream Balm for use in atomizers 75 cts.
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Anvone sending a sketch and description may
quickly ascertain our opinion free whether an
invention is probably patentable. < ->nitiitinlca
tlons strictly confidential. HANDBOOK on Patents
sent free, oldest agency for securing patents,
j Patents taken through Mutm &. Co. receive
9pCi-ial notice, without t barge. In the
i Scientific American.
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i eolation of any scientific journal. Terms, $3 a
vear : four months, |L Sold by all newsdealers.
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Midway between Hroad St. Station
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European, SI.OO per day and up
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PHILADELPHIA