A SIMPLE COUNTRY DINNER. When we goed to Aunt Carrie's, he Sez she ain’t had no time to 'A dinner like it ought to be, "Cause she has been at work since six O'clock, yes iin’ out th’ rooms An’ tidyin’ place a lot, So. if we're ne hy. she ? 'sumes We'll haf to take just what she’s got. 'An’ nen she sez she ain’t th’ one To try to put on city stvle— She like relations just to run n for a meal oncet in a awhile, ‘An’ be content with what is cooked— A simple country dinner—so If anything is overlooked ’T°]1 haf to be excused, you know. 'An’ nen she goes an’ shuts th’ door ’At leads out where th’ table is, ‘An’ pa, he sez he's glad he’s wore ’At country appuhtite o’ his! ‘Aunt Carrie tells us to come on Although there’s nothin’ fit to touch, But we can eat till it is gone, But she knows that it 1sn’t much! An’ there is chickens—young ones—fried; An’ there's a juicy, big boiled ham, "Ith lots o* gravy on each side, An’ turnips an’ blackberry.'jam; An’ Lisenits—just as 2 An’ quince p'serves. an’ peaches, too; An’ mash’ potatoes, just as white! An’ dandy pickles, I tell you! andi An’ heans. an’ peas, an’ corn. an’ rice, An’ cherries ‘at is sweet an’ rec An’ quince p’'serves—I’ve told ‘at twice— But they're fine on Aunt Carrie's bread! An’ pies—three kind o’ pies—an’ cake; An’ apple jelly—it’s th best ; You ought to see it shake an’ shake! An’—goodness! I forget th’ rest! An’ we all eat till we can’t hold Another little bite, you bet; An’ nen Aunt Carrie, she will scold An’ say she knows we're hungry yet. Nen pa, he sez ‘at this here meal Has surely been mos’ glo-ri-ous, An’ sez he wonders how we'd feel If she had been expectin’ us! —W. D. Nesbit, in life. 0609-0000 000H 9009-00060 026 FOR RICHER, By LULU FOR POORER LINTON. P60 0600-066 It was sweeping day, and Mrs. Barnard, warm, tired and discour- aged, sank down on the top step.-of the stairway to rest a momnet be- fore attacking the upper rooms. The view of the lower rooms, even from this lofty point of view, was discour- aging. With the rugs up and the pieces of furniture pulled away from their accustomed places, the pitiless sunshine showed clearly every break in the carpet and every soiled spot upon the wall-paper. “What's the use of trying to clean Cover up, and pretend any lon- Mrs. Barnard said, bitterly. “ believe that good things, when they do begin to show the effects of long and rough usage, look worse than cheaper ones; but if they hadn't been good I don't know what we would have done, for we've never been able to replace anything,” and she sighed as she looked at the ex- penzive furniture, now marred and scratched, and at the carpets, still bravely holding to their rich color- ing, although worn almost thread- bare. Her gaze could not reach the din- ing-room, but she knew that the beautiful but fragile glass and china with which she had so proudly start- ed housekeeping had dwindled sad- ly, and the costly linen was patched and darned in many places. The bed- rooms, still awaiting the attack of her broom, were all needing sup- plies. 3 “It's the old story of fiving before we learned to walk. Here we are, care-worn and- old before our time, and in such straits that we hardly know which way to turn, and think of the start we had! Our little for- tune was a curse instead of a Dbless- ing, for it gave us a taste of a life of ease, then left us to be common drudges. If John had only known how to manage, or if he could only learn to manage now like other men. we might get even with the world once more, but I don't see much hope. If I had a daughter, I'd edu- cate her so that she might be able to support herself, and teach her to let married life alone. What right has any man to persuade a happy, care-free girl into risking her happi- ness in his hands!” The town clock struck 10, and Mrs. Barnard rose wearily, picked up her broom, and adjusted the towel that was wrapped about her head. The rooms must be put in order before the noonday meal, and many tasks were waiting yet in the lower part of the house. The postman’s whistle sounded at the front door, and she went down to receive from him two envelopes, each address2d in the same hand- writing. One was a wedding invi- tation, and the other a letter. *Why, it's from Una, my littie Una!” exclaimed Mrs. Barnard, as she read: up, ger “Dear Aunt Una—-1 am not writing letters to send with all my invita- tions, but 1 wanted to write to vou, to tell you that you must come to my wedding. It would not be com- plete without you. You know my first experience in church weddings was when I was flower girl at your wedding, and I have never attended one since that was half so pretty, nor have 1 ever been so much im- pressed by any other ceremony as 1 was by that, young as I was. I want my wedding to be just as nearly like yours as it can be, and oh, Aunt Una, the strangest part of it is, 1 am to marry a John, tco. You will remember John Neisun. He was such a great, gawky boy, and 1 never dreamed that I would ever marry any one I had always known, but when you sge him you'll say he's a perfect dear. Of course you will not think him half as handsome as your John, and 1 know 1 shall not be half so lovely a bride as you were. but we're very much in love, and so happy! It will spoil all my pleasure, though, if you fail {0 come. 1 want You so mucn. uy " Little Una “Why, she's only a child!" Mrs. Barnard said, she folded the let- ter. Then as she thought of the fif- teen years that had flown since her little namesake had been flower-zir at her wedding, she realized that (he second Una would be an older than she h~d been. The letters had miscarried, had been on the road for somesdays. The wedding was to ‘take place on Wednesday evening of the next week and _this was Kriday How she would have to hurry to get ready our as and ana tery! find bride i away { back their money with POPP 0090-00 for it! She must right away, and she the stairway like a girl. She saved the Ilétter and invita- tion for a little surprise at the table, and was so eager to read them aloud to her husband that she did not wait to eat; but when she paused at the close of the reading, her husband only said, soberly: “I don’t see how present.” ‘Send it!’ she echoed, blankly. “We: can: just take it as we go.” John Barnard looked up in prise. . “You know we can't go,’ said. “We must go! ding!’’ she gasped. “I might say it is John's wedding, too, although that does not make any more difference than if his name was Jeremiah. We can’t afford it.” ‘But being Una's: wedding. it's different from all the other things e’ve given up on account of the expense. Why, John, she was named for me, and has always called me aunt! I loved her and nursed her when she was a tiny thing, and she was our flower girl, and she wants me.” She was pleading with him in her eagerness, but he answered, a trifle impatiently, ‘I tell A vou we can't. We haven’t the money for new clothes, and 1 can't spare the car fare just now.” He rose hurriedly room, and his wife like one dazed by sudden misfor- tune. Of course, woman-like, . she had thought first of the clothes. and realized that the shortness of the time would make preparations harder; but she had thought that by beginning that afternoon she could make a pretty evening waist and could make her old skirt presentable by a little furbishing up. As for John's suit, it could be brushed and pressed. - No one ever noticed a man's clothes at-a wedding, anyway. But now, dropping her head on the table, she sobbed like a disappointed child. The children, not knowing just how to aet in such an :emer- gency, slipped out of their chairs and betook themselves to the back vard to talk it over. “It isn’t the always asking begin hurrying went tripping up we can send a sSur~ he It's Una’'s wed- she and left the gazed after him as. if 1 things!” same were for she STREN Gets nearer Be not simply A man who lives right, his silence than ancther ha bells which ring out sweet accidentally, Let us be content, not presunie to fret because it's little. I shall pass through this world but once. or any kindness that I can show to any therefore that I can do, Punian being, let me do it now. t, for I shall nov. pass this way and is right, s by his words. music, and which, resounds with sweet music.—Phillips Brooks. in work, to do the thing we can, ability to clear the path even whan seemingly insurmountable obstacles loomed up, returned to their play. In the first moment of bitter dis- appointment over her husband's re- fusal to attend the wedding, Una Barnard had given it all up, but the children, by bringing out their small hoard, had suggested a new plan. Tucked away in her handkerchief- box upstairs was a precious bill that had been her birthday gift from her only brother. She had been saving it, not because there was no pressing need for it, but because there were so many needs that it was hard to de- cide where to use it to best advan- tage. It was just enough to pay the fare to the home town to attend Una’'s wedding and to buy some pretty trifie for a wedding gift. This would give her more pleasure than any- thing else in the world. She would have to gzive up the new waist, but perhaps her old one would not be noticed much in a crowd. Her spirits rose as she went about her work that afternoon, and shen John Barnard came home at night, tired and discouraged, dreading to meet his wife's reproachful eyes, he was surprised to find her talking cheerfully to the children as she set the tea-table with more than usual care. Almost her first words to him were: after all: I've Slocum to keep “We're arranged for the boys He opened his lips to protest, but she interrupted him quickly. ‘No, you need not lose any time. We can leave here after the factory closes, stay for the wedding and reception, "take the last train back-to.-the city, and come out home on the ‘owl car.’ As to the expense, I'm going to pay that with my birthday money.” John Barnard knew how many times this precious money had al- ready been spent in imagination, and how badly his wife needed it to re- plenish her scanty wardrobe. His face clouded, as he answered: “I can't let you take your money to pay my way. If you must go, take part of it to buy something new to wear and the rest for your car fare I'll stay with the boys.” She answered, ‘I can't go back there alone! I must go, and you must go with me. I don't care much for the clothes, but, O, John, I ‘do want to go to the wedding, and you must not spoil my pleasure!” The excitement of preparation on the eventful evening brought a color to Mrs. Barnard’s cheeks+and a light to her eyes that made her look al- most youthful; and as she kissed the boys good-by, little Wendell touched the soft waves of her hair, saying al- most reverently, ‘Pretty mamma!” Catching her husband’s quick glance, she blushed like a girl. They arrived at the church, and saw many old friends ushered into the seats about them. Mrs. Barnard folded her hands with the best glove on top, and wondered if her waist did look very narrow between the shoulders. But the soft, sweet. music was soothing the ache about her heart, and when it pealed out triumphantly, announcing the arrival of the wed- ding party, she was absorbed in the excitement of the moment. Then came the clear, slow, proces- sicnal notes, and she caught her breath with deep feeling. It seemed that she was living over «gain her own wedding night.. ’ The bridal party passed down the aisle. Mrs. Barnard clasped her hands tightly, but they shook with nervousness. going, Aunty GIH FOR F VERY DA And he who serves his brother best, to God than all the rest. —Ruskin. good—-be good for something. —Thoreau. has more power hy Character is like when touched and E. B. Browning. Any good thing Let me not defer it or neglect again.—A. B. Hegeman. There are { vo good rules which ought to be written on every heart: Never less you positively know it is true; believe anything bad about anvbody un- never tell even that, unless vou feel that it is absolutely necessary, and that God is listen- ing while you tell it.—Ilenry Van Dyke. Srececesese sobbed. ‘I've learned long ago to do without and keep my longings to myself. He treated me as if 1 were a spoiled child.” so thick and fast that they out the words. Presently something rattled lap, ly stroking her hair, and of her four little boys said, “We put all our money in Wen- dell’'s bank, and we want you to have it to go to the wedding We saving it. for Fourth of July, we're 100 big to care much for and—and—O0O, mother, please the oldest but that, don’t { he looked up in astonishment, to her four children regarding her wide, sympathetic eves. Drying tears, she gathered them all in great motherly embrace, kissing all- their worries, and giving as much tact as if it had been offered by older friends, assuring them that she could manage some ~:r2r way to go to the wedding. # . the children, used to mother’. '.:. .. .. managing, and her with her one Then the sobs came | choked | in her | a hard little hand was awkward- | timidly: | were | | for poorer; in sickness and in health; The pretty young bride stood trust- fuily and proudly beside the tall young man, who henceforth was to be her shield against the world. The minister was speaking. Una Bar- inard’'s heart stood still as she heard the groom repeating after the min- ister the solemn words of the beau- | tiful ring service: “I John, take thee, Una, to my wedded wife.” John Barnard moved | uneasily. The ceremony proceeded: “For better, for ‘worse; for richer, | to love and to cherish; till death do us part—"’ Una Barnard turned a wistful face toward her husband; and reaching over, he clasped one of her work- hardened hands with ona of his big, strong ones. Then the girl's sweet voice was heara distinctly, as she repeated: “I, Una, take thee, John, to my wedded husband, to have and to hold, trom this day forward.” Una Barngrd’s eyes were blurred by tears of memory and regret as she listened to the promises: ‘For better, for for richer, for poorer.” Ah, the sacred promises, and how poorly she had kept them! She had been a gay, bright companion in the time of abundance, but in the time of loss and unaccustomed toil she had been bitter and gloomy, silently pining for her care-free girlhood in- stead of trying to cheer the man who was struggling to make a home for her. He, too, had been accustomed to a life of ease. How hard the struggle for daily bread must have been for him! There were gray hairs about his temples and lines of discouragement about his mouth. She caught her breath with a sob and clung to his hand as if she would never let go. The audience was intent on the ceremony, and no one saw or heard when John Barnard patted the hand he held, and stooped to whisper lov- ingly: ‘‘There, there, dear! It's all right. We'll try it all over again.” Then came the closing prayer, and the organ pealing out the recession- al. The bride looked trustfully up into the face of her husband as they passed down ‘the aisle to the door, and the people in the audience sighed or smiled, according to the way ceremony had affected them. In the crush of the reception, Una and John Barnard were almost the last in the line to offer congratula- tiors. The groom asked; as he John Barnard's hand, “Well, vou feel as if you were being over again?’ And John Barnard nestly, ‘‘I decided to-night that it would be a good plan for every mar- ried couple to have thé ceremony per- formed at least cvery firteen. years, if not oftener.”’ At the same moment Una Barnard was clinging to the bride, whispering brokenly between gisses, “Una, Una darling, whatever happens, don't forget that you promised for richer, for poorer!”’—From the Youth's Companion. worse; grasped sir, did married answered ear- ’ WHEN A PROMISSORY g NOTE IS A FORGERY ¢ NINGONENENINE © ENI/7ENEV/ ENE In Bradstreet's it is reported that the Supreme Court of the State of Maine has held, in the case of the Biddeford National Bank vs. Hill that where a person did not intend to sign a promissory note, but by fraud and deceit was tricked into signing an instrument which after- ward proved to be a promissory note, such instrument was a forgery, al- though the signature aflixed thereto was genuine. This is a very important decision and we are glad that it has been made, and we would like to have the courts of other States pass upon this matter. The case upon which the decision is given is one which has very ma- terially affected the retail merchants of the country, and it is one which, in the years past, we have been called upon to deal with not infrequently. For example: Representatives of cer- tain manufacturers call jon a retail dealer and induce him, by roseate representations, to put in a stock of goods, making all kinds of tacit verbal agreements relative to the sale of the goods, paying for the same, and the return of unsold mer- chandise. These gentlemen are usually good talkers and as they run on they deft- ly shove a printed agreement in front of the dealer, leading him to under- stand that it is an order for goods, or some such generally harmless agreement. Usually this is accom- panied by deft manipulation of the agreement which is printed in blank and filled in with pen. Some time or other, it may be sooner or it may be later, the dealer finds that he has signed a promissory note, which he usually ascertains when payment is demanded, either by the parties to whom it was given or through a bank with which it has been placed for col- lection. The retail merchants have been particularly marked for this sort of fraud by unscrupulous persons who have thus obtained their signature to promissory notes. Of course, a promissory note is the strongest possible legal document, and when a person has been confront- ed by a note bearing his signature, the genuineness of which he could not dispute, he has known the fu- tility of making any objection and has usually paid it and pocketed the loss. In the past it -has been gen- redress for a person whose genuine signature appeared upon a promis- sory note; how it got there mattered little; it was there and he put it there, and presumably he knew what he was doing, and rather than con- test in the courts a promissory note most people would pay them. This decision, if it stands and is held to be valid, will enable justice to be done to a good many people who, by various causes such due influence, oversight, misunder- standing, a lack of business sagacity, hurried manipulation, and so on, at- tach their names to promissory notes. When this is accomplished, even if it is their own free act and deed, it is fraudulent and was obtained fraudu- lently with fraudulent - intentions. Such notes should not be held valid, and this decision of the Maine Su- preme Court is very important and far reaching. , No Corner in Executions. No, Mildred, the hanging gardens of Babylon were not the place where all the executions of murderers oc- curred.—Somerville Journal the | PENNSYLVANIA STATE NEWS CAR RUNS INTO CROWD Many Are Injured—Motorman Falls Unconscious at Switch When Struck by Brake. A West Penn railway's from Uniontown to the derailing switch street crossing railroad in New jury to seven the front of car, running left Main sreensburg, at the Haven, DErsons, a store. The Injured. Mrs. Catherine Mickey bilt, severely bruised: Province of Connellsville, ternally: Mrs. Vanderbilt, Miss Rose cut and causing in- and wrecking of Vander- Mrs. J. injured in- bruises; of Connellsville, bruised; , Miss Josephine Rinehart of Connellsville, injured about the chest in the rush to get out; Charles Lakin. motorman, of Mt. Pleasant, serious contusions of the head and shoulder: Mrs? Andrew Dunbar, suffering from shock. " Motorman Lakin was applying the handbrake to stop the car at the de- railing switch when it slipped from his grasp and struck him in the stom- ach. He dropped unconscious and j falling his hard struck turning the power on full. Leaving the rails at the switch, the car shot across the pavement into the front of Henry Rhodes’ department store. Wemen waiting a trolley car were painful cuts aud Dunston the controller, on the sidewalix [or knocked down and customers in the store were panic stricken. The. whole front of Rhodes’ place practically demolished. All those injured in the accident will re- cover. is BANKER LUJBEC False Pretense Some of His Denositors. John Lujbec, banker, have represented $200,000 when he tional - Exchange Bank at five months ago, was arrested at his home in Johnstown on the charge of embezzlement and was jailed at ler. Lujbec’s affairs have been gle and the bank crippled manager left mysteriously ago, taking with him, it $5,000 of the. bank's funds. paid some depositors and settled a half dozen suits. He claims to have paid out $4,000, partly in checks on a Johnstewn bank. Some of the checks went to protest. Suits were started against Lujbec and this week when he failed to ap- pear a charge of talse pretense was placed against him by depositors. IN JAIL Charged With by said to worth interna- I.yndora who is himself opened the as in a tan- since his five alleged. Lujbec is PROSPERITY Monessen Tin Plate Plant Goes on Full Time Next Week. Monessen is getting its share of the increasing prosperity and it is now apnounced the big tin vlate mill of tHe Anierican Sheet Steel and Tin Plate Company at that point will be running fuli in a short time. Some 1,400 men will then be at work. The plant is cone of 28 mills. last. October but 13 of them been in operation, but last week eight more were started and next week the remaining seven will start. All will run full time and it is expect. ed work will be continuous. INCREASES Since have BROTHERS ARE RELEASED Evidence Too Flimsy to Hold Them on Murder Charge. Lawrence and Harry and Charles Lyons, all of who were arrested on- a murder, a month ago, re- | ceived a preliminary hearing before Justice of the Peace John Young, of Beaver, and were released because of the allezed fiimsy eharacter of the evidence vinst them. a Two yea ago. Thomas Stein. who had been seen with the feur defend- ants, suddenly disappeared. A few days afterward his charred remains were found in the ruins of a box car, which had burned. Christmas Couses Tragedy. Because he did not have buy a: Christmas present for his sweetheart, Homer V. Ammer at- tempted suicide at Butler. He was found in his room nearly dead from wounds on his wrist and neck inflict- ed with a razor. When taken to the | hospital Ammer told cf the loss of his | savings, and said he would father die than fail to send a Christmas gift to] the young wgman to whom he had been paying attention . He will prob- ably recover. Luther, brothers Industry, charge of Duck, | money to Woman Collects Weasel Bounty. To Mrs. Celestine Stevenar of ur: gettstown, belongs the distinction of | | ‘ Indiana. as un- ; = 00 bein erally understood that there was no i 8 the first Washington county woman to collect a bounty on a wea- | sel scalp. When Mrs. Stevenar heard | a commotien among her chickens she | armed herself with a club and discov- ering the weasel dispatched it. She brought the trophy to Washington and secured the reward. Leaves 130 Grandchildren. Rebecca Smith, wife of] Smith, died at her home in She was 84 years old. She her husband, 11 chil- grandchildren and My. Smith is counle were mar- Mrs. Michael is survived by dren and 130 great-grandchildren. vears old. The ried 64 years ago. Pennsylvanians Get Piums. The senate confirmed a number of nominations including thé following: George W. Woodruff, of Pennsylva- nia, to be assistant attorney general for the interior department; William Wallace Brown, of Pennsylvania, to be assistant attorney general before the Spanish treaty claims commis- sion. Andrew Iloltman, of Hillside, was run down by a fast train near Derry, sustaining injuries from which he will likely die. He is at the Greens- burg hospital. of the Pennsylvania | D. 1 Margaret Williams of | in | But- | weeks | { minated |. mer, priest, | Inte i ture | been serving | at Steelton | without delay. t to MURDERED IN CELLAR | Throats Are Cut; Police Are Searchs ing for Boarder Who Was Or dered Away. Mrs. Mary Perkatis, 40 and her four-year-old son, John, were murdered at their home in Shenan- doah. Their throats were cut. The crime was discovered by the | eight-year-old daughter of the mur- deréd woman about four hours after {its commission, who, with another little child, went down into the cellar and found the victims lying side by side in a pool of blood. The police are searching for John { Rodgers, a boarder at the Perkatis | home. He had been ordered Satur- day to pay his board or leave. Sat- urd2ay he drew his pay and spent a considerable amount of it for drink. Monday he quarreled with the landlady and after she had gone into {the cellar to get a bucket of coal i he sent the daughter to the store to | get him his tobacco. | The little boy held i the top of the broken { nrother. When the girl returned found the door locked and then to a mneighhor's where ‘she {'several : hours. © When’ she there no one in the Rodgers left on a tr: about, "hours before the erime was ed, bound for New York, | has been telegraphed along { for his apprehension. The was at work in the mines at vears old, | i the ea steps at his she wont ved returned house. ndle for was vin two discover- and word the line husband the time {of the murder. SHARON WANTS COUNTY SEAT Mer- County Court House Re- built There. Sharon business men are ends to raise R100.000 to have a court house erected in Sharon, ing the destruction of old Mercer, : If the amount offered along commissioners change the Attorneys impossible to change the county seat. The have already taken ste at Mercer. Will Gffer Inducements to Have cer leavor- new follow- at ing the one will the to it to inducement to Sharon. is practically the location of commissicners to rebuild here site raised with a an countv seat claim it is be oa als 1S ps TAKE CASE TO COURT Proceedings Instituted to Determine Who Will Be Burgess of Washington. controversy between Marsh: of Washing R: Wright, to which The ACh goss J. ton, as of the Burgess and Bur- of KE Washing- is chief executive consolidated municipality, cul- in quo warranto proceedings instituted by Wright quesriening the other's right to occupy the burgess’ seat. i The rion, ast court to granted a rule requiring Marsh make an answer on Decem- ber 30. The action is based on the claim that West Washington was the older borough. Marsh contends the spirit of the law makes him burgessy* regardless of technicalities. : ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION Enemies of Polish Dynamite Under he Priest His Residence. alleged have part in breaking a Exnort mines last sum-< John Getschi, a Polish the object of an assassi- Explode Because is to taken ‘an active strike at the Rev. was nation plot Dynamite placed house was exploded, intention of wrecking and killing the inmates. sion only damaged the shattered the windows. an - effort: was made church. under the with the evident fhe building The explo- porch: and l.ast summer to burn the parish ‘Issue Exsovtion Roast Bondsmen. the Peoples Bank of closed. had an execu- the note for $20,000 Stroud and: Cary for. OQ, F. Piper, bank, now in the They have refused fight. Stroud has a large hardware store at Coal Center and Cary Piner has drug at California, Charleroi and Donora. Water Tank Bursts. The bursting of a water tank, at the Macbeth glass plant, in Charleroi, was the cause of the destruction of the cutting shop, entailing a loss es- timated at $5,000. The tank had a capacity of 3,000 gallons. The build- ing swept away was a brick struc- and had been in use only three weeks. Counsel California, now tion issued on given “by W. A. Piper, as bondsmen cashier of the Washington jail. to pay and will for stores Not a Citizemn. Although John Arnold, a negro, has as a tipstaff in the Dauphin county court at intervals the past five years, has voted in Harris- burg for four years and previously for many more years it has just been developed that he is not a native of the United States and has never been naturalized. Priest is Threatened, Father Gottsel, of St. Mary's Slav- ish church, at Ashley, received a second letter threatening him with death unless he leaves the parish The police are trying locate the writers. Father Gott- sel is being guarded by several of i the faction which favors him. Much Suffering, Preacher Asserts. Many New Castle families are in actual need of the necessities of life, according to Rev. Herbert Dyke, who has been making an investigation. He declares the condition of the poor is worse than in many years past. Increase of Capital. The Capital stock of the Brookville & Mahoning Railroad has been in- creased from $1,300,000 to $10,000,000. This road is building from Brookville, Jefferson county, to Freeport, Arm- strong county.