FERTILE FORMOSA,
QUEKR ISIiAXH JI ST ACQUIRED
11Y JAPAN.
Oxen t'srtl In Place of Horses
'Sknll Chambers" In tho Homes
IlaMts of the People-rhlef
Source of Camphor Supply.
NAVAL officers and diplomat
nre especially interested in
the effort which Japan is
it ranking to get possession of
the Island of Formosa ns a part of tho
result of her victory over Cliiua. Thoy
consider it a very shrewd move and as
ahowintr how fnr seeing the statesmen
and diplomats of that Nation of "East
ern Yankees" are. Formosa is the
most southerly of a long rnngo of isl
ands stretching southward from Japan
parallel with the coast of China.
Gradually and very quietly Japan has
K.VTIVE FORMOH.VX.
for years been extending her influence
and ownership along this range of isl
ands, which command the seacoait of
bor ancient onumy, China, and now
she proposes to seize as a prize of war
the most important of them all, For
mosa. Controlling most of the north
ern part of this range of islands al
ready, it will be easy for her, if she
obtains this one, to gather in the re
mainder and thus command to a large
degree the ocean front of China.
Formosa, although spoken of as an
islaud, is a large as Massachusetts,
Connecticut and Rhode Island, and
has about as large a population as thoy
bave. But it must bo admitted that
as a whole the people of Formosa nre
a little behind the latest developments
in cultured New England. For in
stance, when a Forinosan wants to
make a trip to the neighboring village
or to see his best girl or otherwise, be
does not travel by railway or trolley
or carriage, but quietly saddles and
bridles his ox and makes the trip in a
atyle that would be at least novel in
this country. Horses are an almost
unknown luxury in Formosa, espe
cially in the eastern part of the island,
whore the natives still hold sway.
It is about 400 years sinoe Eu-
FORIES FORMOSAXS.
ropeans became aware of the existence
of Formosa, and those intrepid navi
gators, the Portuguese, gave it the
name "Ilha Formosa," which is trans
lated to mean "Beautiful Inland."
Since that time it has been called by
the Chinese "Taiwan," which means
"Terraoed Harbor," by the natives
"Kaboska" and "Qadiva," by Eu
ropeans "Formosa," and also is often
spoken of as "the granary of China,"
A 8WATOW F0DHO8AN.
because of its iertility and large pro
duction of wheat, corn, rice and many
other article of food, which it sup
plies to the mainland in enormous
quantities, taking in exchange the
manufactures of the people of China.
Formosa way become, if Japan gets
possession of it, an interesting spot to
American tourists. Visit to japan
lave .become quite popular of late, and
with Japanese steamers plying he
tween Tokio, Japan, and Tamsui, For
mosa, those Americans who want to
enjoy the luxury of riding upon oxen,
listening to singing fishes, making the
acquaintance of monkeys in their na
tive forests, sleeping in "sknll cham
bers," to tono np their flRhting quali
ties, or making their own supply of
camphor gum, will find tho visit to
Formosa pleasant. As already indi
cated, ox riding is tho popular method
of traveling there, singing fishes are
found in tho rivers, as are also flying
fishes, the making of camphor is an
important industry, and tho natives
of tlio eastern pari of tho island all
have their "skull chamber" attached
to their houses, whero they' display
tho skulls of all tho Chinese that thoy
and their ancestors have killed, and in
which their young men sleep in order
to tone np their ncrvo and mnko them
valiant in battle.
There has been for generations a
constant hostility between the nntives,
who are of the Malay type, and the
Chinese, who have for 230 years lorded
it over them as best they could. The
warfare has been very bitter, and it
is said that the Chinese even went so
far as to transport tigers from the
mainland and turn them loose in the
woods of the island in order to reduce
the number of natives. As they grew
more thoughtful and expert in the
ways of "civilization," however, these
cnnningChinese substituted a cheap
er and more deadly destroyer, and
one much more easily introduced
brandy. The natives are gradually
succumbing to it in combination with
opium, and although they still retain
control of the eastern portion of the
island are not very troublesome, es
pecially as the section which they oc
cupy is of little value.
A long range of mountains rnns the
entire distance of 400 miles which tho
island stretches from north to south.
The eastern slopes are rugged, steep,
picturesque in their tropical products,
and a good retreat for the natives,
whom the Chinese have thus been un
able to dislodgo. The western slope,'
from which the mainland of China is
only ninety miles distant, is fertile and
produces wonderful crops of rice,
wheat, corn, barley, millet, tea, sugar,
indigo, peanuts, jute, hemp, and many
other articles. So it has been peopled
by Chinese who have como over from
the quiet agricultural provinces of
Fekin and Swatow, just across the
channel on the mainland, and they
have brought their customs and dress
and style of honseB and ways of living
with them. They are Chinese in ap
pearance, though some of them later
mingle and intermarry with the na
tives, adopt some of their customs,
while the poople east of the moun
tains cling to their Malay habits aud
dres?, iu part, at least, wearing a
scanty cotdume of blue cloth, staining
their teeth rod with the betel nut,
burying their dead on the very spot
where they expire, ornamenting their
chambers with the skulls of their
slaughtered enemies, but gradually
giving way to tuo inroais of the
Chinese, either by being killed off in
war or with brandy and opium or by
intermarrying with them and adopt
ing in part thoir dress and methods.
The. illustrations show the various
classes of people now inhabiting For
moEa. One is a group of the natives
rhobave made little progress ioward
accepting Chinese ways; they dwell
in bamboo cottages, raised on ter
races,- have no written language and
live under a sort of tribal or patri
archal system, using lances, bow aud
arrows and a few guus in their wars.
Another show a group of Fokien peo
ple who Lave to lurgely populated the
western part of the islaud. A third is
a type of the Bwatow people who have
also added largely in making up the
Chinese population in the island.
Formosa has been for year the chief
source ol camphor supply, though of
late a good deal ha been made in
Japan. Outside of these the only
supply of camphor in the world is that
of Borneo and Sumatra, where it is
obtained by splitting the tree and ex
trading the gnm from cracks and fis
sures in the trunks and branches. In
Japan and Formosa, however, it is
prodnood by boiling the wood of the
camphor tree and obtaining the gum
by distillation.
THE CORACLE.
Most Ancient Form of float Is Com
ing Into Fashion Agntn.
It is rather curious that tho most
ancient form of boat known to us is
now coming ajrain into fashionable
use. Most people will remember a
vision of their school days when in
some history book they learned with
interest of the wood-clad Briton em
barkod in his rude boat of wickcrwork,
covered with tho shin of some wild
animal. This coracle, which our re
moto ancestors nsod of necessity, Eng
lishmen of to-day are beginning to
nso of choice, and many a wealthy
fisherman may bo fern on our streams
seated in one of these funny little
boats, diligently whipping tuo water
for trout or salmon.
It is a tributo to tho merits of tho
coracle that it hat never been allowed
to disappear from our rivers; notably
on the Deo, tho Wye and tho Severn
it always has been and still is the fa
vorite companiou of tho men who
look to the river for a living. On the
Dee, not only is it nsed for rod-fishing,
but also for a special form of net
ting for salmon.
Curious, also, that in shape it still
resembles tho half of a walnut shell,
which the early Britons seem to have
taken for their type, and that the
skin, which there are now no wild ani
mals to supply, is only replaced by
rough sacking, thickly coated with
tar.
The reason why the coracle has
lived through so many hundred years
is undoubtedly its portability. A
fisherman lifts it out of his cottage
corner and slings it, by a strap at
tached to the seat, across his shoul
ders, then he places his paddle across
his back, so that the tail of the boat
will not jog his legs, and he is ready
EASt TO CARRY.
so light is the weight for a good
long walk to the stream he has select
ed to fish. Should fish not be plenti
ful there, it is not much trouble to
carry his coracle to a more likely spot
and embark again.
To a man who nnderstands a coraole
there is no safer boat, but to one who
has not mastered its little ways it is a
terrible "bucker" and will almost cer
tainly part company with its occupant.
The boat is so light and so flat-bottomed
and taks suoh little water that
it requires very careful getting in and
out.
The manner of propulsion is one
entirely peculiar to the coracle, and
is best described as sea sculling re
versedthe paddlur sits facing his
work and moves the paddle in semi
circles through the water in front of
him, at the eamo time pulling the
blade toward him. But it takes some
little time to learn this peouliar
stroke ; a very slight exera pressure to
right or lolt will set the little boat
spinning round and round like a top.
Nowadays many amateur fishermen
are adopting the coraole, and a super
ior build of boat has boen brought
BEST TPE
MISS EDITH GIFFIM, SELECTED AS PRIZE WINNER BY THE COMMITTEE OV
. JUDOEB Ut XUE CAXU'QUMA BEAUT V CONTEST.
into existence, in which the willow
frame is replaced by one of light laths,
and painted canvas takes the place oi
EAST TO MT.EH WHE TOP KNOW HOW.
the tarred canvas. Even such a lux
urious boat costs very little to build.
Westminster Budget.
A Ilenlllihilest of Drinks.
The Journal of Hygiene says that
lemonade is the healthiest of all drink
and should be nsed instead of alcohlio
drinks, coffee or tea. Here is recipe
for making hvgienio lemonade : For a
quart, take the juice of three lemons,
using tho rind of one of them. Care
fully peel the rind very thin, getting
just the yellow outside. This cut into
pieces aud put with the juice and pow
dered sugar, of which use two ounce
to the quart, in a jug or jar with a
cover. When the water is at boiling
point, pour it over the lemon and
sugar; cover at ouce and allow to
cool.
"As Scarce as Hold Dollars."
A Chicago paper tells about a gen
tleman of that city who a short time
ago wanted fifty gold dollars for some
purpose. He applied to his bank for
them, and was offered tho amount in
larger coins, but the dollars they did
not have. He looked further, and
soon found that there were no gold
dollar to bo had in Chicago, not even
at the sub-treasury. He wrote to New
York and Washington, but the dollars
could not be found. Finally he learned
that they could be had in San Fran
cisco, but only on the payment of fifty
per cent, premium. It is said that
there has not been a gold dollar coined
in forty years, and that altogether but
1,004,000 have been minted.
A Bicyc le Prodi try.
Alton E. Torter, son of J. W. Por
ter, of Boston, Mass., is probably the
youngest bicycle rider who races
against time and "goes after" the
LITTLE ALTON E. PORTER.
records. Although less than five
years old he has ridden one-third of a
mile in one minute aud five seconds
and made twenty-live miles in threo
hours aud five minutes. He. is in
great demand at athletio entertain
ments in Boston aud viciuity and is a
favorite with the bioycle public. On
all his trips he is aacompaniod by his
father, who superintends his training
and takes proper care of him. Tho
little fellow rides a bicyolo said to
weigh nine and one-half pounds.
OF BEAUTY.
DOINGS OF THE G. i R.
TAYLOR'S TOMB.
Comrales Should Visit It While In Louis
villa in September.
In view of the fact that the next National
Encampment will be held at Louisville, Ky.,
It may La ot Interest to tho comrades, as well
aa others who attend, to know that Oen.
Zacharjr Taylor's tomb and monument art
ocnted four miles east of tlist city. I wsi
n Louisville the 1st ot tiny, and concluded
I would visit the grave ol the hero at Duona
Vista. 1 romln Inquiries ol some of the old
residents of the city about the locality and
the facilities fnr getting; there, and was very
muca nsionisneu ni we ignorance manifested
tiy men who had lived In the eity all theit
lives. They nil seemed to know the Oon
ernl was burled east ol the city, but were
profoundly litnornnt ol the exact locality 01
the route. I finally pot a young buslnesi
man ot the town to accompany me in a buggy.
When we were ready to start I met an old
comrade, a resident of the city. He said he
could not give ma the Inforranton I wanted,
but If I would go to tho City Hall the ( blel
of Police could give me all the Information I
Doeded, beenuse he was a grandson of the
Ununrnl, However, we had become skep
tical by this time, and our tlm was limited,
aud we thought It Just possible the grandson
bad forgotti-u where his great ancestor was
burled. Ho we drove out Main street to t S
iibuih of Clltton, and when wo came to tb
tollgnte we Inquired of the old lady who koM
the gate. Hhe she said we were on the Har-
roilMliurg road; we w.mld have to coos over
at the reservoir to the Ilrownsboro road.
Although she never saw the monument, she
the thought It wns eight or nine miles out on
that road, We thanked her and drove on
as directed, and about three miles Irom t) 0
tollgate we came In sight of the monument a
quarter of a mile from the Ilrownsboro pike,
In family graveyard on the old Taylor farm,
Tho monument stands about one rod south
ot tlietcmb. or vault, where the General Is
burled. The vault Is doted with a very rusty
Iron door, on which Is the simple Inscription,
'Zachary Taylor." The monument is of grnn
lte, and about :10 feet high, Including the life
sized llgure of the General, whluh stands at
Earade n-M, In full uniform, with the left
and resting on the bill ol his sword, and the
right thrust lu ins bosom. On the south side
of the monument Is the following Inscription:
"I nm rendy to die. My only regret It for the
friends I leave behind me." And below this
Is; Major General Zachary Taylor, Twelfth
I'resnient ol tne lulled Htntcs. Dora Nut.
24th, 17H4: died July the 8th. lHIO." .
Un the west tide are the names of his bat
tles in Mexico I e la Palmu,Montery,Buena
Vista. Itesaca, I'alo Alto.
Un the north side Is the eagle and shield
and two muskets and two flags crossed.
On the east side ot the monument Is In
scribed, "Fort Harrison, Illack Hawk, Okee
chobee." J asi-kb Vbowk, Evan Landing,
Indiana.
KANSAS STATE ROME
During the last session of the Kansas Rtats
Legislature it made an appropriation ol
r 104. (Jul) ior the malntenauoo ol the Mate
Soldiers' Home at Eort Dodge, for tho years
m'.ia uu, me tamo tniiig considered quits
liberal to run the institution aud more lhan
bad been allowed In previous yean.
At present capt, 1). Lu Hweeney. architect
and builder, bnd a competent corps of stone
masons ana carpenters nutuy engaged erect
lug cottage houses, several ol which are la
course ol construction, and when finished
families will be admitted. Heveral bdd lea-
tiont are on file with Commandment, but ow
ing to a lack of quarters and funds they can
not be admitted. Home 30 cottages will be
built within Jw years and with the fnolll-
tiet In view, It will be the means of relieving
the distress ot the most needy ot the old sol
dlers and their families.
During the month of March last Eaostlaed.
Commaudant of the Home resigned, and Ma).
C. M. Cunuiugham received the appointment.
The Major it full of energy, and busily engag
ed at present, to that much improvement it
belug made at the Home, He has during
this i-hort time made vast Improvements in
fencing, making street and totting out trees;
many of them be tent for at a distance; they
are choice evergreens. The Major aeemt to
be a pleasant gentlemen, very plain and
agreeable with all whom becomes in contact,
and, at a rule, the inmate seem to like him
very well.
There are at present over 800 men. women
and children cared for at the home; they vary
In age from one year up to 87 the oldest.
The garden ha all nppearance of producing
this teasnns It It Irrigated bv water pumped
Into reservoir. As for depending on anv other
iirouuouun irom meson in tuts part of the
Ktnte. It It only a mere chanco. as the drv
windt parch everything. We are proud of
our Governor. He has said ho would try a' J
make the Home a comfortable resting p' cs
ior ine comma"-, at least, during nit AO .lu
Ittratfon. We Couslder Comrade E. Su Mer
rill the friend of the old soldiers, and be hat
proven It when la Congress and while Gover
nor of Kausat. He can be relied upon at all
timet aud under all circumstances. Thomas
Hiciiiini. Htata Holdlert' Home. Fort Dodgt,
Applo Itust. '
Who that bus aeon a elder-press In
operation has not admired tho doep,
rich, goldi n-brown or golden-red color
that tho Julco of the apples assume ns
It gathers In the receptacles? This
characteristic Into of elder Is almost
as pleasing to the eye ns tho flavor of
tho fresh, sweet Julco U to tho seiwo of
taste. It reminds cno of tho colors of
tho autumn landscapes timid which the
apples Imve ripened. But scieneo snvs
that cider owes Its benutlf jl color to the
fai t t hut it oxidizes or rusts.
A Frouch chemist has recently shown
Hint tho upplo contain un oxidizing
ferment, n kind of dlutosc, w hich pro
duces the brownish or reddish color of
elder. Tho manner In which this sub
ctanco produces oxidation enn rertdlly
bo observed by any ouo who cuts an
apple open and leave It exposed for a
short time to tho air. Tho cut surfaces
gradually turn re:l, no th3 oxygen of the
nlr unites with tho Julco, or lu a word,
the applo rusts.
This rusting of an applo may also be
brought about by simply bruising the
fruit without breaking the skin. Ev
erybody knows that apples that bave
fallen violently to the ground show red
or rusty nits underneath tho bruised
rind. In thin case the oxygen Is de
rived from the blr contained in the
ducts or Interstices among the tissues
of the fruit, and it becomes actlvo
through the breaking of tho cells that
Inclose tho cildislsg ferment
If an apii'e is cooUed befcro its skin
Is broken ttasusa do not or.tdlao
when exposed to the air. This la ex
plained on the supposition that the
oxldlzlrg properties of tho ferment are
destroyed ty beat
But let tho applo rust if It likes; the
uneouatrl thousands who lock cpon
it aa the kins of frulto will usver rvgard
tlrjlr favorite the leas fondly far tlwit.
And who Ltowi how tnub o Its del!
ciouscens la the mouth u&y be Cue to
tho very cln:ni that cauces It to ox
(JUAIST 1SU ITMOCS.
Tho sequoia is the big tree- of Call
for n in.
A planter near Alpharotta, 'Oa,, has
large field of red cotton.
In Hamburg, Germany, the author
itles tax a dog according to its size.
The driest place in the world is
Hint port of Egypt between the two
lower falls of the Nile.
More than 1.000,000 horses and
mules liavo been thrown out of a job
in the United States by the trolley
wires.
A first-water diamond, engraved
with tho figure of a two-headed bull,
has been discovered by the excavators
at Pompeii.
An unpublished letter of Columbus,
addressed to two ofllccri of the King
of Arrngon in 14M, wns road- ot the
lust session of tlie Academy of Moral
and Political Science lu Paris.
H. M. Chattel! of Chicago, has nu
Egyptian coin more than 2,000 years
old. It Is a silver piece of the time of
Queen Berenice, wife of Ptolemy III,
who reigned about 243 B. 0.
Custom ofllcers noar Boigrade re.
cently seized a lot of human bones
coiisiguod to a Vienna bone-boiling
house. They had once belonged to
Russian aud Turkish soldiers who fell
in tho war of 1878.
Lewis l'ierca of Batavla, N. Y., was
wounded twice iu tho last war, and has
been struck by lightning once, twice
hipwroekod at sea, and smashed and
crushed in several runaways. The
other day a finger was crushed.
It is related of a Portland, Eng
land ship owuor, who read of his ves .
sel being reported that hp took tho
latitude and lougitude in which the
vessel wns said to hove been seen, and
found she was in the desert of Sahara,
Bank notes, or "flying money,"
wns first issued in China 2097 B. C.
These notes were printed in blue ink
on paper from the fibre of the mul
berry tree. One issued in 13!)9 B. C.
is proservod in the Asiutio museum at
St. Peterburg.
Among the Arabs a practice from
time immemorial has prevailed ot
churning by placing the milk in
leather skins, which are shaken or
beaten until the buttor comes. A bag
of milk is tied to a short rope, the
other end ot whioh is fastened to
saddle, and the horse made to trot
Puff-nulls iiood to Eat.
Probably you have all noticed the
little white puff-balls in spring, and
'shot oil" tho same in autumn, wheu
they nre dry and full of dark powder.
This is one of our choicest eatable
mushrooms. Ouo admirer says ho out
a slice from a giant puff-ball, which
grew near his home, every dny for a
wook, aud hnd so many fresh fritters;
n borons, if he had out it all down the
first day, it would not have made
nearly so many delicious meals.. One
giant puff-ball, when young and
creamy, if well cooked, will satisfy
tho appetites of twelve people. In
olden times slices of this mushroom
were used to bind up cuts, and were
said to iusure thoir speedy healing.
Iu tho days of flint and stool,, before
matches were invontod, tho powdor ol
the dried buff-balls was of to a tisod to
catch and hold the sparks.. Another
strange uso to which it was put was
to burn it before a bee-hive. Tho
fumes mndo tho bees drowsy, and the
honey could be removed without dill-
culty. St Nicholas.
Money Struck By Lightning.
Fragment of a two-dollar treasury
noto wero presented at the Sub-Treasury
for redemption roocutly by a resi
dent in ono of tho counties of Mary
land. "This was struck by lightning," he
said, as ho exhibited two pieces of the
note. Tho noto had apparently been
burned lengthwise through tho middle
leaving the top aud bottom margins.
The burned portion that was missing
was frouf a half to ouo and a half
inches wide. The edgcB of the re
maining parts were charred.
The man eaid his home in the coun
try was reoeutly struck by lightning ;
thnt the note was in the cupboard at
the time, and that the lightning en
tered the cupboard, burning the note
as dosoribod.
The number and seal on the parts
of the note were legible and genuine,
and consequently the note waa re
deemed. Burlington Sun.
Iiidrreulbli,
Mttdge A fellow called me a blamed .
idiot last night. Would you ohalleuga
him if you were I?
Yabsley Xo, You couldn't be
blamed idiot, because an idiot is not
blamable. Therefore his statement U
sot worth contending over. ludittu
apolit Journal.
dlze when lcit vautlcg In the alrl