No tower tbnn twenty-seven expedi tion in search of thu North pole Imvo been made iu .o lust twouty-ilvo yeurs. Tlicro nm between nix nnd Keren million Hebrew in the world nnd two million o these, Sir Siimnel Montagu estimates, might be reliud upou to go to Fulestino if asked. Hnrdtnclc in doomed in the French navy. M. Lickroy bus ordered tlmt oft brend bilked oil bould shall henceforth lio sei veil out to the sail ors iustcud of ship's biscuit. Tho Atlanta (On.) Jonrnnl 1ms been sending a reporter nronnd to weigh himself on tbo scales of various gro cers. He found bin weight vnry from 121 to 134 founds on various scales. The population of Itnly is increas ing with great rapidity. This seems, to the Washington Star, to bo in line with the philosopher's observation that the poorest people somohow have the largest families. Canon Gore, in a sermon at West minster Abboy, London, told his congregation the other day that much of tho Bible must have been taken down by shorthand. St. Stephen's sermon, Acts vii.he thinks, could have been reported in no other way. The publishers' circular estimates that in Great Britain the output of books is as follows: Sermons, one vol ume a doy J novels, five a day ; educa tional books, two a day; art nnd soi' ence, two each every week j histories or biographies, six a week j and law one every two weeks. i ... From statistics just given to the pub lio by the Philadelphia Board of Re vision of Taxes, that city has fairly won the designation of "The City of Homos." According to this state ment thoro are in the city 203,249 buildings, of which 240,033 are dwel ing, leaving out the whole number of buildings in tho city only 22,104 do votod exclusively to business purposes other tbau dwellings. It is a subject of nowspaper com ment in southern California that cents re beginning to bo used there in the tores and in commercial transactions geuerally. It is only a few yenrs since any coin smaller than a nickel was a great rarity anywhoro west of the Missouri. If the price of anything figured out two cents tho odd couts were deducted, if three or four cents tho purchaser paid a nickel In the French departments where forests have been cut down there has been a marked decrease in the num ber of births and an increase in that SSt deaths during thirty years. In tho Jsst five years tho excess of deaths over births was 89,082, and the mortality ia the departments was nine times as fercat as in the rout of France. M. Jeanuel infers from this that the forests ore an important factor in the health of France. The recently cabled report that Mark Twain has sold the copyright of his forthcoming book for $50,000 may or may not be true, but it is significant, to the New York World, that such nnm is not considered incredible for the copyright of a piece of light lit erature. It shows how greatly the multiplication of books has enhanced the earnings of successful authorship. The more extensive the field and the keener tho competition in it the greater the rewards of suocess. And compe tition was never keonor nor the field larger nor rewards more glittering than now. It is true that they are 'only for the few only for those who really succeed in giving the reading pnblio what it demands but they do exist, and tho multiplication of sohool houses is increasing them year by year. In the absence of dramatio novel ties, London is smiling over the o- counts to hand of a play being pro. dnced at the principal theatre of Bang kok, Siam. If it shows some biologi cal oonfnsion in the Siamese mind, it also exhibits flights of fine fancy much more daring than Ibsen, Pinero, or even Sudermann attains. It makes Ceylon the eapitul of EnglaniLnnd the drama starts with the assumption that the King of Siam has promised to marry Queen Victoria,, and has found it inconvenient to keep bis contract. The British Queen, accordiugly. invades Siam in quest of breach of promise damages, and there ia a magnificent scene in "wuioh the Duke of Cam bridge, whose youth ia miraculously restored, has a terriflo battle-axe com bat with three Siamese war fairies. The English ere defeated with tre xasndoos oarnage, bnt then the King of Ciam relents, explanations are ex changed, sad he leads the blushing Cuma Vlotoxla to the altar site all HER CAREER. BY CLARA X. WHITB. "Well Kathryn, here you are at last. Do you know that it is just a year ago today that we graduated? Dear old Wellosley 1 When shall I see the beautiful place again ? Littl'j did 1 think that it would be a wholo year before you and I should have an other talk." "And little did I think, Marjory, that iu a year I should be summoned to help you prepare for your wedding. Do you remember that last night when we spent tho midnight hour to gether talking over our past and fut ure? , And do yon remember how you declared yon should not marry Jack, even though he had asked you before you came away to college ? And then, you kuow you announced your inten tion of following a literary career? You bad not quite decided whether you preferred editing a newspaper or writing popular novels. I huve laughed over it many a time since you wrote me of your coming marriage ? " "Well, you neodu't laugh, Kituryn Ball, it's a very serious matter the engagement, I moan ; and as for my career "Don't look so suporior, now. I suppose you will go on teaching, and climbing up and up, till you are a col lege president, but I dou't believe you will be a bit happier than I." "All right, Marj, I am not going to dispute thu point, because I am dying to kuow how it all came about, this amazing change iu your views of life. "Honestly, I justesunot help laugh ing, whenever I thiuk of it." And she burst into a pout of morri mout, in which Marjory, though she tried hard to stand ou her diguity was at last forced to join. 'You don't duNorve to be told a word about it, but I'll be good aud tell you anyway, for I must vindicate myself, if possible." 'How charming I Well, begin right away." And Kathryn settled back lazily among the cushions in her hammock, while Marjory, in a low rocker at her side, proceeded to relate what she culled her "conversion." " Of oourse Juok called bright and early the very evening I returned. It was a gorgeous night and after I hud sung for him, we took a little walk in the garden. No sooner had we reached the end of the walk, than he grabbed both my hands and said, 'Marjory, those miserable four years are over at last. Now whon shall it be?' "When shall what be?' said I, pre tending not to know what he meaut, and trying to pull my hands away. ' "At that he actually kissed mo ? Why, I was so angry,! don't know what I did or said. It seems the silly boy had taken it for granted that I was going to marry him as soon as I got out of sobool. I told him that I had novor given him to understand any eucu thing, and that I had quite made up my miud uot to marry for a num ber of years, if I did at all. " 'Lot's sit down here and talk it over a bit,' he said. Hcscomod quite as serious as I, nnd asked mo if 1 minded ti lling him what I inteudod doing with my life. Ho was so spin- pathetio and nice, thut I just told him how my great desire was to become a newspaper woman. I said that I thought either of goiug to aome small plaoe aud editing a paper myself, or of editing some special departmuut of a oity paper. On the wholo I thought I preferred the latter, as then I could stay at home aud get a little ao quainted with my family, after baviug been away from them for so long. " 'That would suit mo a littlu bet ter, too,' said he, aud then I wished I had said I was going to North Dakota or South Amerioa, but I preteuded not to hear his remark and went on. ".'Now do you suppose, Jack, 1 could get such a position as that on the Times?' " ''He stroked his mnstaohe for some little time, and I verily believe now it was to hide a smile. At last he asked very gravely whether I had evor had much practice iu writing. "'Why, 1 could do it perfectly well,' said J, 'I nm sure. My essays and the!' at college were always con sidered very fine.' " 'I don't doubt that,' said he, 'but you see newspaper work is so entirely dilT reut. I am afraid you would have to begin, like the rest, with reportiug, and work up gradually.' " 'If that is necessary, I will do it,' I declarod. "He thought an instant and said, 'I'll tell you what I'll do, Marjory, if you am really iu earnest about this thing. The editor o( the Times, Mr. Browu, is a personal frioud of mine, and perhaps I cau get you some re porting to do.' "Of CJiirse I was delighted and told him I was ready to begin that very minute. Thou I asked him how long he supposed it would tako to work up. . " 'Well, that depends, of course,' ho replied, 'on your work. From what you say as to your abilities, vary likely it will uot be loug. You must show them what you can do, that's all.' "Well, sure enough, the next day there camu a letter from Mr. Brown, oiTuriug to let me try my huud at re portiug, if I so desired. I was to come to the office the next day aud have aumn work assigned me. ' I was there at the nppoiuto 1 hour and re- ceivjd my instructions from tho city editor. Indued, I had no dealings with Mr. Browu in person, aud in fact never saw him." Marjory paused a moment, but a voice from the hummock said, "Go on, go on, this waxes interesting. "Very well. I won't stop just now to tell you of all the adventures I had when out on my rounds; how I weut to all sorts of places aud to interview all sorts of people." "You didn't actually iutorview strnngo people, Marjory?" 'To lie sure I did. I'o you sup pose I would flinch ut niiythiug? I was determined to go through the necessary apprenticeship." "And was your work always accept able?" "it always went in. Sometimes, at first, it whs rut a good deal, but UHUnlly it was just as I had written it. Don't you suppose a college girl could do acceptable reportiug, if she ouoe made up her miud to do it?" "I never could huve dono it, I know. But where wus Jack all this tun.'?" "Oh 1 Jack called often and took ine out a good deal, nnd sometimes when I had to be out lute at uight.aud would be just quaking iu my shoes, he would suddenly turn up at some dark corner aud see me safely home. "One day a note name from Mr. Browu telliug mu that he would like to have me try my baud at writing some weekly articles suitable for the Womau'a Column. I did so,and they proved quite a success. My pay was increasing right along, aud I was quite happy, feeling that I wus work- lug up. "I his went on for several weeks, aud Dually, about the last of October, Mr. Brown wrote that the lady who edited the Woman's Column was about to leave the oity, and he thought m8 quite competent to go on with her work. Perhaps I wasn't delightod at Hint! He asked mo to come to his kanclum the next day at ten to make final arrnugomeuts. ."I had always felt greatly in awe of that room. I had never beou in it, I thiuk I droisod with special care that morning. At last I entered the suno turn. The editor sat writing away at his desk. He lookod up as I olosed the door, aud he was Jack." Jack I" gasped Kathryn. "Yes, Juok. I just couldn't speak, roy feelings were so mixed, you know. So he rose and said, 'Marjory, I do hops you will forgive me. You know if you bud taken uiuoh interest in my oureer, it would not have been possible for me to have practised this deception.' "I winced a litllo at that and felt a blush slowly mounting to the parting of my hair. " 'You have doue splendidly,' be wont on. 'I bad no idea at first that you wore so gifted. I am in sober earnest about the offer. We might make it a partnership affair. What do you say ?' "So now you see, Kathryn Ball, I have not given up my oareer at alb and as a married womau I shall go right on with my literary work." Womankind. The Boers anil Tho Cyclist, About three years ago a wandering cyclist threw a whole district of the Transvaal into a paroxysm of super stitious terror. Traveling by night, his advent would have been unnoticed if two young Boers, early abroad in search of strayed bullocks, had not seen the "spook" or track of the whootman. With the curiosity of thoir race, they followed it for some ml! os, being anxious to see "the man who could trundle a wheelbarrow so far without a rest" After an hour's trackiug, one re marked: "This follow must be a thiof ; let ns go and toll the landdrost (magis trate)." Aocnrdiugly, the worthy Dutch "beak" was brought on the scone, and he was accompanied by a soore of armod Boers. The whole party followed the path taken by our cyclist Halting at noon while the horses grazed, the myster ious trail was the objeot of much scrutiny. Suddenly one farmer exclaimelt "Look here, landdrost,if it was a bar row, whore is the 'spook of the man who wheeled it? " "My gooduesst" exclaimed the of ficial, "I never thought of that Let's see yes, herd is the wheel right enough, but where is the footprint P It is, it may be yes, yes ; ride, boys ride, its a spook (ghost) I" To this day that portion of tho road is not traversed by any of the DutoU farmers. London Answers. A Substitute for Building Stone. An enthusiastic advocato of wood pulp for building material as a sub stitute for stoue is Mr. . G. D. Bice, who has made the subject one of close study nnd investigation, says the New York Sun. His conclusion is that it possesses tho neodod elements of a durablo constructive substance, being ut the same time devoid of some of those features which detract from the value of stone and brick. He sum marizes some of the qualities pre sented by this uew factor in building as consisting iu its beiug light in weight, exceedingly hard, a poor con ductor of heat aud sound, aud suffi ciently olastio to meet all the usual re quirements for the purpose; it is tough, though a nail can be driven in to it, nud it cun also be drilled, while tho other necessities of a stoue substitute, ns enumerated, to gether with resistance to frost aud In nt, with ability to stand strain, aud so on, are said to be met, besides the important item of saving the cost i transportation. It is urged further that the difficulty of proouring per fuotly square stoue blocks, exoept at high rates, is thus overoeiuo, for tho pulp blocks, beiug cast in a square mold, are necessarily uniform. Dif fering from stone and briok, which absorb so much hont iu summer, the proposed material is claimed to be cooler iu summer, while in cold weath er it preveuts dampness, so common in stoue. Paper World. The River a Streak of Sand. "In parts of Texas aud Arizona T found a river to be a streak ai sand across the prairie, while a lake is a body of sand surrounded by mosquito bushes," said P. L. Ireland of St. Louis at tho Metropolitan. "No truce of water is visible in some of the lakes and rivers, exoept immediately aftor a rain, but they are vuluuble nevertheless, ns by scraping a bole in the sand water oan be ob tained. The Virginia Dale gold mine is situated at the end ol one of these lakes. It had a five-stamp mill, and was run with profit for so small a plant While I was out there, a storm came up, the sand shifted, and for several days no one could venture out on acoount of the sand. When it subsided, no trace could be soen of the stump mill. It had been oovered by the sand. It would cost more to dig it out than to build a new mill, so the company is now putting up a new ten stamp mill on top of tho old one. A thousand years from now, some one may unearth the mill and write learned artioles upon the age in which it was built Washington Star. He Took No Chances. "Here's a good scheme," she said, looking up from the paper she hsd been reading. He seemed a trifle suspicious, bnt it was so evldf it that he was expeated to ask about it that be made the inquiry. "Why.it, says that some wives shave their husbands and in that way save what they would ordinarily pay to the barbers," she explained. "Mary," he said, after a moment's thought, "you may get that gown yon spoke about this morning. It won't be necessary for you to get at my throat with a razor." Cbinaao Post M0DELINGJN CLAY. How Sculptors Prepare Their Dif . ficult Work. The Principal Tool Is t he Artist's Forefinger. Modeling in clay is completely a practicul art The tools, called mod cling tools, are made of wood and wire, but no tool is mure useful than the linger; indeed, tools have beou Invented as mere aids to the fingers, and are designed only to do what they cannot perform. Wiro tools are the most useful, beiug fashioned into loops of various shapes and sizes, round and angular, nnd fixed into woodon handles. The wire is some times notched or indented, to give a rough surface to the cluy. The wooden tools are made of box and ebony, of various shapos nnd sizes curved, straight, pointed, rounded and flat and broad the broad tools being notched, and designed chiefly for working the large convex masses or large folds in drapery. In model ing a bust, especially tho features, great nicoty is required, nnd the mod elormustbe particularly careful not to injure what is already done, by re touching with the tool while clay is adhering to it, or he may risk the complete destruction of his work ; the adheriug clay will drive np the sur face. The clay used is common potter's clay, but should ba of tho best quality. It must be so wet that it will not stand in a mass much higher than its own width without support. Tho supports for tho day are a most important con sideration, for, if not properly at tended to, the finished work, the fruit of months of labor, might suddenly full to pieces by its own weight. Soulptors generally model figures of the ordinary size upon a bench or stand called a banker, about thirtv inches high and about thirty inohes squure for a bust it must, of course, be much higher; above this a solid circular plinth is fixod ou a wooden boss, aud is revolvod upon six of more wheels, or, what are bettor, short, slightly couical rollers, fixed on the pliuth neur the circumference. On tho centre of the plinth there must be fixed vertically a strong iron bar, about the height of a man, and from abont six to ten inches iu oir cumforouce, according to the weight of the figure ; it must necessarily be strong aud firmly fixed, as it is the main support of tho whole skeleton of supports. In modeling a bust very little sup. port is necessary, an upright piece of wood with a orossbar at the shoulders being quite sufliciont, bnt a small crossbar at the hend would do no harm. Another essential part of modeling is preserving the moisture of the clay, which should be alwsys nniform if possible ; it must never be allowed to dry, and it cau be kept moist with very little trouble. When tho model is complete, the next process is to take tho cast to work the marble from, or to make other oasts from. The whole model, while wet, must be oovered iu two or three masses, or more, if nocessary, with plaster of Paris; when this is fixed and dry, the whole may be separated at me joints, wuuout any regaru lo the preservation of the model, for when the mold is taken the model is no longer of any value. When the olay is oompletely removed from the mold, the oomponent parts of the mold must be again put together, aud iu the plaoe of the original clay it must be filled with plaster of Paris, and, when the oast ia well set, the mold may be oarefully broken off in fragments, aud the cast is exposed and complete, the finished work. If casts of it are required, a new working mold or tata mold, as it is termed, must be tuken in mauy parts, aud, if the figure is to be executed iu marble, it is jopiod by the carvers, with the assist incn of the pointing machine. It ia to contrived thut it cau diminish or inorease the soale of the model with perfect ease and nicety. It is always best to make the model of the size of the intended figure if practicable, be' cause any error in a small model be oomes multiplied in a larger one in proportion to the diff ranee in size. The anoient soulptors used to bake their models, but this is not so good a plan as making plaster casts from them, though less tronblesome and much cheaper. These baked models re called terra ootta (baked earth) figures, are extremely numerous and re generally of small dimensions, but there are a few of a large aize iu vari ous European museums. There aro four at Naples which were found at Pompeii, and the inferiority of these works is some proof of the advantage of the modern method of taking plas ter costs from the models over the ancient system of baking tbom, for ' the errors in tho proportions of these works are probably to a great extent due to the shrinking of the clay in the oven. The aucionts made also molds of clay, which they likewise buked, and they formod their oasts by the pressure of clay iuto these I This practice of pressing clay or any malleablo substanco is still occasion ally had recourse to in works of fins art, and constantly in the potteries and by fruiuo makers. The Architect I'tlllxfs Turtle In Ills Business. "There are ingenious contrivances that do not find their way into the patent office," remarked a clerk in -that department to a Star reporter. "I might also say, in the same con nection, that there are men who aoem to be able to turn almost anything to account I was thinking of a fisher man I know down, on the Florida coast. A cnumial observer would see nothing remarkable about him, and a visit to his rude hut would give the impression that he was poor and shift less. The prinoipal thing that inter estod me whon I happened to call at his house for a drink of wator while hunting one day, was tbo presence of two monster ses turtles, both alive. "We started a conversation, the re sult of which was that I omployed him to take me in a boat on a fishing expe dition the following day. "In the morning I called at his bouse, and he was ready. He held two stout leather thongs in his hand, one end of each being attached to a turtle. ' I was somowuut astonished when he started driving the sea rep tiles ahead of us, but in reply to my questions, he said, 'You'll see.' "And I did. We entered the boat. and the turtles began to swim, draw ing the boat through the water at a good rate of speed. The thongs were fastened to their neoks, and be could guide them by simply turning their heads, exactly as he would horses. , "Iu about an hour we reached the fishing plaoe, aud tying his turtles to a tree on land, my companion pro ceeded to the business of the day. We went back drawn by the turtles in the same way." Washington Star. Furs From Southern States. The ruw fur trade of the United States is estimated at $4,000,000 an nually, and it is likely to surprise many persons uot connected with the trade, says the' Tradesman, that the Southern states contribute largely to the fur markets of the world. Dur ing the season of 1893-94 the follow ing amounts of furs were shipped from tho Southern markets, and as'vis , always the case many furs are sent di rect to New York and other markets by trappers aud small dealers. The exact amount is cousiderably larger than the figures given here: Blaok bear.2,200, worth $15,000 ;otter,2, 700, worth $12,500; leaver, 3,100, worth $15,000 ;gray fox.14,000, worth $7,000 ; red fox, 13,000, worth $15,000 ; mink, 223,000, worth $140,000; opossum, 270,000, worth $39,000 ; skunk, 840, 000, worth $230,000 ; muskrat, 440,000, worth $40,000; raccoon, 210,000, worth $84,00t, a total of nearly $000,. 000, besides small shipments which would amount to probably $50,000. It is safe to say Cincinnati and St Louis manufacture enough fura from this section to make the value of a season's catch fully $1,000,000. Saa Franoisoo Cbrouiole. The AwTul Truth His Weapon. Dr. English of Hun Francisco, who is now stoppiug in Philadelphia, is a practical joker of rare ability. The doctor possesses the most essential qualification of a joker that is, per feot command of his facial expression. A few days ago, while a rr.instorm was at its height, a pompous man of large girth rudely pushed the physioian uBide as he rushed for a Tenth street car. Just as the fat man puffed his way to the platform, Dr. English yelled and wildly beckoned him baok to the pavement With much astonishment and labor the passenger waddled to the curbstone and asked what was wanted. Plaoing his hands on the fat man's ahoulders the doctor asked him earnestly if he knew the day of the week. " Why, it is Tuesday, " was the reply. "Are you sure," entreated the doo tor. "Yes, sure." "Great heavens I" yelled ngliah,as he hopped on a passing oar. "Then yesterday must have been Monday."- Philadelphia Record. ' Ah Wang, a prosperous ' Chinese laundryman aud merchant of Aurora, III., is about to marry Georgia Shra der, a Oermau girl, who bos been for some time a clerk in his store- A i V
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers