WHALE CAPTURING.
An Exciting Catch Mado off the
Island of Bermuda,
Harpoonor'a Thrilling Ride on
the Levlathan'3 Back.
In yenrs gone by there wns a whnl
ing station in Bermuda this speck
lying upon the bosom of tho Altnntio
can, seven hundred miles enst by
1 1 11 m JNntr lnrt ami I HI mi eft enai
of Charleston, S. C. lint of late ycnrs
the whales bare been living "away
tip ia the North sea," and the indus
try has been abandoned. Recently,
however, the writer had A thrilling
experience during tho enpturo of a
whale on tho reefs of these coral isles.
While the stanch steamer Trinidad
was nearing the const, captain Frszor
spied a school of eight wbnlos. The
un was at its zenith and its rays
shimmered from the whnles' backs.
No suoh leviathans of the sea had
been seen in this neighborhood for
many years, and tho fnct was signaled
to the islands. By a code of military
flag signals this information was soon
known from one end of tho group to
the other.
Presently Joseph C. Foxnnd screw,
in tho whaleboat Bhnmrock, put out
from the shore and started in pursuit.
At tho same timo a pilot was brought
in a skiff to tho Trinidad, and the
writer, on informing tho captain that
he represented the Spy, wns allowed
to leave the ship in a small boat. The
Trinidad passed on with its joyous
passengers, and the whalers went in
the opposite direction. By this time
the whalers had divided into three
groups two in one group, and three
each in tho other two groups. Mr.
Fox deoided to attack one of the
whales in the third group, and, tak
ing advantage of a change in the direc
tion of their course, he so manenvred
the Shamrock as to got directly in the
path of the nearest whalo.
As the monster approached, quite
unconscious of dnnger, for a sperm
whale cannot see an object lying
directly ahead, a skillful movoment
of the steering oar brought the boat
within five feet of the whnle and en.
abled Mr. Fox to send a well-aimed
harpoon into its body near the right
fin.
This made "his whalelets" mad, for
instantly his tnil flow straight up in
the air and he began what is termed
"sounding" that is diving straight
down. The coil of rope ran out so
rapidly that it kept thrco men busily
engaged in drenching it with water to
prevent fire by friction. The whale
was a good diver, for ho stayed under
half an hour before ho came up to do
his "spouting."
While he wns iu tho act of throw
ing off the vaporized water, which was
just beginning to form a pretty siphon,
Mr. Fox fired a bomb lance, which
exploded in the whnlo's side. This
onrnged the monster so greatly that
he upset tho small boat with his tail,
nd threw one wbuleman high into the
ir. The man fell on tho whale's
back, and while holding on to the har
poon, rode several miles before it oa
ourred to him to get off and suffer
himself to be reaoued by his compan
ions, who in the meantime, bad been
picked, up by the larger boat The
hero of the bonr was the one who
rode on the whale's buck, Isaac Nadolo,
native of Ohio, who had served in
the French army during the Franco
Prussian war. He has bad many ex
citing adventures, but he voluntarily
told the Spy representative that it was
the first time he was ever really
frightened.
Then the attnok began again.
There were many thrusts of the har
poon, while the bomb lance was fired
occasionally to vary the monotony.
TUo "big fish" did not '-sound" any
more, but lay most of the time on the
surface of the water, rolling and beat
ing tho sea with its Hum and tail.
After a struggle of two hours and a
half the whale auoeunibed, and an
other half hour sufficed to strap up
the carosss and take it in tow.
It was fifteen miles from land. The
whale was sixty feet long, and it is es
timated that the blubber will yield
sixty barrels of oil. The catoh is
. eaid to be worth something like
41.600.
. The writer had steak out from the
whale's aide, and the French chef at
' the Princess hotel toasted it to a beau
tiful Xrown. It lacked that tooth
some flavor often discovered in the
steaks of Worcester boarding horses.
''Enough was as good as a feast"
The waiter was told to take it away.
Woroeater Spy.
The area of Chiua, whioh la all
habitable, is 6,600,000 square miles,
and that of the United States
4,936,106 square miles,
A Notable Flight of rig-con.
Aided by a southerly wind and a
perfectly clear sky,the first test of the
pigeons which are to represent the
first Chicago Homing club in tho Na
tional Federation races this yenr wns a
most tiolnblo success. It took plane on
a Saturday morning, and the trial was
remarkable in more than ono feature.
Two hundred and eighty-one birds.tho
largest number which the club has
ever liberated from ono racing sta
tion, made tho trip, and of that num
ber every bird wns reposing peacefully
in its loft by 1 o'clock in tho after
noon. The timo mado by the first
birds to arrive homo was tho fastest
ever mado over the course, and repre
sents a speed of more than a mile a
minute.
The birds were liberated at Moneo,
forty-two miles nwny from the near
est loft, at 7.30 o'clock, and White
Wings, ownod by L. Verschuoren,
stepped back into his loft at 8.14 1-2.
Whito Wings was closely followed by
nearly half the flock, and fifty arri
vals were roported between 845 and
8.17. Inasmuch as every bird spoilt
at least five minutes in circling before
starting on a line for home, the ipeed
shown is materially more than a mila
in ench sixty seconds. The members
of the club were delighted over tho
performances of their pets, and tbey
unite in saying that the club will be
the richer by sovernl of tho federation
racing diplomas before the sesson is
over.
As an illustration of how little even
tho best fanciers are able to judge of
the merits of their own pets, it is in
teresting to note that White Wings
hnd been considered almost worthless.
Only a month ago he wns flown from
Sixty-first street a distance of eight
miles, to his loft, and took sixteen
days to make the journey. This was
his first trial, and be was sent
to Monee quite as much iu the
hope that ho would be lost as for any
other reason. Chicago Chronicle.
Bold American Counterfeiters.
Walt street money brokers have
been interested in the reports re
ceived here that the Spanish Govern
ment has for several years been made
the viotim of Amoricau counterfeiters.
Thousands of silver five-peseta pieces
are said to have beon scattered broad
cast over the Spanish-Americas, es
pecially Mexico and Cuba. Money
brokers in this city are given the
credit for exposing tho sham. The
coin is of equal fineness to the genuine
Tho weight is tho same, but tho dies
toll the tale. The counterfeiters, it
is claimed, have their headquarters iu
or about this city. Tho Secret Service
of the Trasury Department has been
appoaled to by tho Spanish Govern
ment to locate the moo. A five-peseta
piece is equal to about ninoty-six
cents of American money. That value
is not the exchange value.tho brokers
giving only sixty cents for the coins.
A five-peseta piece contains 383 8-10
grains of silver bullion, or ninety-five
grains less than an ounce. Commer
cial bar silvor sold in this city the
other day for 60 3-8 cents an ounoe.
It is claimed that the oouuterfeitors
bought bar silvor when it was lower
than the price quoted, and by using
tho standard weight of silver in the
fraudulent ooins they reaped a hand
some profit New York Advertiser.
The Home of a Maine Family.
Down near Jonesport the hulk of a
schooner lies high and dry on the
shore. It is slightly careened, and
the timbers are not sound enough to
take a swim in the surge, Tet they
can stiffly breast the wind and the
sweep of the rain. The sohooner is
stranded in a lonely cove, and doesn't
look very inviting, yet the family of a
lpbster fisherman dwells there in great
oomfort
They have oonverted it into a sort
of a seaside rudder grange. 'Tweeu
decks ha been partitioned off, win
dows have been cut through the hull,
and funnels protruding through the
deck carry awuy the smoke from the
'two stoves. Within, this extempor
ized homo is fairly oosoy, even if the
floors do have a tilt to starboard. The
children have lots of fun rolling mar
bles down the iuoline, and as the lady
of the housealwayssweep"dowu hill"
her work is greatly lightened, Lew
iston Journal.
Novel Picture Gallery.
The Hull House Settlement of Chi
cago ia about to establish a circulating
picture gallery. The scheme is very
simple ! the pictures are framod aud
are to be eiroulated just as are books
from a library ; any oue picture may
be retained for two weeks, with the
privilege of renewuL It is said that
the pictures moat in demaud in the
Hull House oolleotion are the "Para
dise" of Fra Augelioo, the Sistine Ma
donna and other works of a devotional
I oharaotsr.
THANKS TO THR W'HRRL.
Bicycle dress has brought about a
reformation fur soma women iu skirts
for rniny days. They are worn short
enough to clear the ground by four
or five inches. For women who can
not hold up their skirts neatly aud at
the same timo effectually, this fashion
is a blessing.
ACCOMMODATING WOMAN TEAOHRnn.
The big department stores of Chi
cago have hit upon a novel schema to
attract a certain Hue of custom. It
consists in cashing the warrants issued
to publio school teachers in payment
of thoir salaries. It is sometimes iu
conveniont, for various reasous, for
the teachers to have their wnrrnuts
cashed by the city treasurer, aud,
though the department stores do not
exnet thnt the teacher shall buy any
thing, still there are few women who
can ruu the gauntlet of a glittering
array of tempting goods with a full
purse and not make some purchase.
San Francisco Argonnut
WHV WOMEK LIKE TO DRESS WELT
It would bo a most difficult mnttor
to tell for what object women choose
their drosses. Sime wiseacres say
womou dross to exoite the envy of tho
less fortunate; others say to attract
the attention of men. Harriet Pros-
cott Spofford says: "Women are
actuated only by their perceptions of
tho beautiful," and this generous sen
timent fills the case of the large ma
jority of womeu. Thero are a few
whose miudi are so warpod they can
enjoy nothing which does not excite
jealousy and envy iu the hearts of
others. But, taken as a whole, it is
undoubtedly truo that womon dres
themselves for tho lucro lovo of the
beautiful aud because they have a
keen sense of tho fitness of things.
New Orleans Picayune.
Colorado's dairy commissioner.
Mrs. Anna D. Cleramer, tho dairy
eommissiouor of the State of Colorada
is an euorgotio woman, who has done
much for the west. Sho was born
in Danbnry, Ct Her husband's
health failing, she accompanied him
to Colorado. Beared in a homo of
plenty, an only daughter, Mrs. Clem
mer had never known a hardship un
til callod upon to face pioneer life in
Colorudo. Today she is described
as a handsome, self-reliant, pro
gressive woman, whose gray eyes look
out frankly upon the world and at the
duties of life unflinchingly. She is in
the prime of lifo, aud a busy woman.
She lives at Boulder, whore, besides a
pleasant home, she has Jersey herd,
and with ber own hands makes 200 lbs.
of butter a month. Two miles from
Boulder she has a hay ranoh of 160
acres and 1,000 chickens, to all of
whioh she gives ber personal atten
tion, besides looking after her office in
Denver.
BIOH COLLARS FOB OIRLS.
Summer girls are to wear chokers
this year. Their collars are to be as high
those worn by their brothers, and will
be of the same patterns. One of these
iollars, two and a half inches high,
with eorners which tnrn over slightly
andur pressure of tho chin, is known
is the "Poke" point It is a most
alarming example of neckwear, and
the girl that wears it is sure to keep
her head up. She must, unless she
means to cut her throat Some girls
with particularly long necks, will go
another half inch in their collars, aud
wear the "Puke" point fully three
inohes high.
The stook oollar has been worn for
the last few months iu silk. Now it
is to be made in summer goods. It
will be in grass olotb, madras cloth,
piques and lawns. The atook collar
ia a necktie and oollar oombinod. It
is a wide band of material that goes
oompletely around the neck, and is
tied in a bow in front It is all ready
to put o ., bxiug msde like nien'a even
ing ties, with a loup thut fastens to a
button at oue snap.
All the collars worn by the summer
girls will fit auugly. They are made
with buttonholes to fit tightly to the
buttons aewed npou the shirt waist, no
that the whole arrangement ia solid
There are do oollar buttons to oome
off and roll under the bureau cither
For the tailor-made girl there is the
"mufti." It consists of three pieces
a high whito turnover collar.a stock
and a four-in-hand tie. The t iilor
made girl can slip on this combination
in a seoond. Then sho slips on her
jackot, her skirt and her hat, and she
is dressed. She needs not ono pin to
cumplete hor toilet, which is ono of
tho great advantages of beiug a tailor
made girl. New York Press.
TIXR RICHEST WOMEN.
The United States claims two of the
six richest women in the world. The
remaining four are of different nation
alities. Senora Isidora Cuusino, win Be
name stands first on tho list of these
notablo women, is a native of Chile,
Senora Isidora Cousino has hor home
in Santiago, She was an ouly ohild,
aud at her father's death inherited
magnificent landed estates, which had
beon accumulating for gel e atious.and
upon which rich coal mines havo since
been developed. Hor husband was
iiIbo an extensive' land owner, aud
dying soon after her fathor.the senora
was left the possessor of lauded estates
which, under her supervision, have
increased in value until their present
estimate is reckoned at the magnifi
cent sum of $200,000,000. Tho revenue
from her coal lands alone amounts to
890,000 a mouth. Sho is royal in her
beuellconces wherever her fauoy
leads. Some years ago, when the
American fleot was at Vulparuiso,
tho admiral aud his ollluors
were invited to become hor
guests. They wore most royally cuter
taiued at her p.ilutial resideuoe. Hetty
Robinson Qreeu is tho richest woman
iu tho United States and the second
iu the world. Her birthplaoa is given
as Rhodo Island. Her father was a
wealthy ship owner at New Bodfoid,
Mass., aud later at New York. Ho
accumulated huudrods of thousands
of dollars from the profits of Lis
whale ships. Ho diod iu 1801, or
thereabouts, leaving an immense for
tune to Hetty, which, by Bhrewd man
agement, has increased to its prosont
colossal propurtious. By those who
have the best opportunity of judging,
her fortune is estimated to be about
$50,000,000. Hetty Oreou has two
grown children, a sou aud daughter.
Her husbaud is an invalid, who sits in
his easy ohair iu thoir unpretentious
home in Rhodo Island, while his wife,
in the plainest of bluok bonnets and
gowns, flits here and thero eugngod in
litigation against somo trust or rail
road company, some executor or trus
tee. "Life is apparently with Hetty
Greon oue long business tangle."
Chicago Times-Herald.
EA8HION NOTES.
Llerre effects in lace are new.
Bluets are superseding violets ia
popularity.
Wide wedding rings are not con
sidered good form.
White and black effects are airier
thun black aud white.
The summer girl will know what
tormentiug viciousneBS lies oououaled
in an obstinate collar button.
A crushed collar having an enor
mous bow attached is a new idea, and
makes an improving addition to any
one-colored waist
Fiohus have made their dobut, and
will increase in favor as the season ad
vauces. Beiug low at the nook, they
wake a very desirable hot weather
collar.
Some few summer gowns show small
flounces at the hem, which are made
to tuke scalloped lines nnd are trim
med with narrow black baud of velvet
ribbon.
Many plain parasols of light and
dark colors having the Dresden floral
pattern are being shown. Also a large
number of printed warp Persian ef
fect The silk-hnndkerohief waist is as
popular as ever, i or evening wear
embroidored chiffon over silk or satin,
either of contrasting or self color is
the mode.
Gross liuen with embroidered dots
of teverul oolors, sotuotiines three
colors, is a noteworthy feature. The
trimming is chosen to match one of
the three colors.
LEVEE JTENDING.
stopping Urevi3S33 in tho Mis3:S3
ippi's Artificial Banks.
It is a Thrilling Moment When
a Laak is Discovered.
When the floods rise nnd the winds
sweeping over the bosom of tho swol
len Mississippi, dash cutting waves
against tho earth works, the mon em
ployed to watch tho levees to stop
leaks, to streugthen weak sections and
to do all iu their power to provont a
srevnsso from forming, are on duty
night and day. Ench gnng is in
shnrge of a "high-water foreman," a
veteran who has earned his spurs in
many a hard fight with tb? father of
waters,
Ho is there to hold that levee
against nil comers, flood, hurricane,
waves, in ink rats, and seepage. 'The
alarm is given that at a certain place
the levoe is in danger. The foreman
with his force of men hurries to the
place. His rxperieuoed eye locates
the poiut of greatest danger at once,
and like a good general be lays out bis
plan of campaign. Small time is
givon to him for this, for when the
water once finds a leak or makes a
break the levee goes out in great
lumps, and ovory minute counts.
Sometimes, whoti the waves have
made a cut iu the front slope of the
embankment, planks are driven dowu
into tho levee, anchored at the bottom
with cleats and reenforoed by other
planks nailed lap streak, and then
earth is tilled iu behind the wooden
wall.
Brush, cotton Btalks, bagasse the
refuse of tho sugar mill cluy aud
small trees are sometimes piled behind
the timber palisade,but the high-water
foreman's favorite weapons in fighting
floods aud storms ore sacks filled with
earth or clay. These sacks aro kept
on hand for just suoh emergencies.
Thoy are generally now and of two
kinds, oue turgor thau the other.
Tho foremau divides his men into
squads of three; ono to hold the sack
aud the other two to fill it When the
sack is filled it is sowed tip and laid iu
position before the caving, crumbling
part of tho dyke. The men who
place the filled sacks in position are
experts at that work nnd hardy enough
to Btond tho exposure, for they work
in cold water up to their waists.
Tho work is so severo that they nre
relieved at short intervals. The sacks
are placed according to tho situation J
somatimos with tho butts toward the
rivor nnd somotimes thoy aro luid
parallel to tho Btrenm.
The break in tho lovco may bo so
wido aud tho ourrent of tho flood
rushing through the gap may bo so
swift that the crovnsso oaunot be
closed. Then tho foreman bends all
bis cuergios to prevent tuo crevasse
from becoming wider.
To do this ho must protect tho ends
of tho levoe from tho ourreut, and he
strings loadod sacks on ropes or wiros
and, beginning at tho bottom of the
alopo lays thorn evonly aud solidly
over the fsoe of the brouk to the
water's edge.
When this method will not keep tho
water from undermiuing the levee
and thus widening the gap, piles are
driveu out from eaoh end of the break
and sacks, brush aud other material
aro thrown iu botween the row of
piles and the embankment This
makes a breakwater which turns the
current away from tho embankment
and generally stops the nuderoutting.
Small crevasses can be olosed by
throwing sacks iuto the gap until a
temporary levee of earth-filled saoks
is made. Then the men hastily fill in
back of the sacks with clay aud earth,
brush and othor material uutil the cre
vasse is closed.
Another method of closing gape is
to drive small piles of scautliug from
each end and throw saoks in front of
the piles. This is doue by driving a
pile in close to the embankment A
piunk thou ia l'd on this pile, with
one end on tho levoo and the other
end overhanging.
A workman standing on the ovor
hanging end drives another pile with
his heavy maul, and thia operatiou ia
continued uutil there is a row of up
right timbers aoross the crevasse. The
wutor rushes between the piles, but
other workmen, carrying out filled
saoks on the bridge thus formed,
throw them in front of the timbers
and thus gradually build up a dam
whioh holds the flood iu chock until
earth, sand and loam can be brought
to niuke a new levoe.
Before it levee is built, the ground
on which it is to stand, ia thoroughly
cleared of stumps, trees and vegeta
tion of all sorts. Stumps sometimes
are removed with stump pullers, bat
the popular method is to blow them
out of the ground with powder,
It has boon found that dynamite 1$
too rapid In its work to thoroughly
remove the roots. When it is used,'
the stump is blown to pieoes, and the
roots remain. It is necessary to re
(novo the roots, for they rot and form
chauuols under tho levee, which are
enlarged by the water.
Powder, acting more slowly thau
dynamite, lifts the stumps bodily- out
of the grouud, bringing with them
tho roots.
When tho ground is all cleared it
is plowed so that the fresh earth
thrown tip to make tho levee will form
a closer union with the foundation.
Wheeled scrnpers generally are Used
in building levees, and, if possible, the
dirt is taken from tho ground between
the river and embankment
Aftor the embankment is made it is
sodded with tufts of Bermuda grass.
This is a jointed grnss which spreads
rapidly, and serves to bold the earth
firmly aud thus partially proteots the
levee ngninst wind, rain and waves.
Where it is possible the engineer
who has chnrge of tho levee, leaves
heavy uuderbrush growing between
tho levoe and the river, for it offers a
strong protection against wave ac
tion. Chioago lteoord.
Fleet or Foot
Captnin IL L. Scott, of the famous
Seventh United States cavalry, re
lates some marvelous tales of the
mwers of enduranoe and flootness of
foot of the members of I troop of
his regiment, whioh is composed of
Chiricahua Apaohe Indians from Arl
zouia,to a Sioux Falls Argus reporter.
II.) relates that on one oooasiou full-
grown and able-bodied deer ran
through the cavalry camp and in
stantly with a series of wild yells the
Indians gave pursuit on foot 8tK' by
exceeding swiftness and skill they
actually ran it down, caught it about
nine miles from camp, and brought it
iu unharmed.
On one occasion nine of them were
returning to camp, after a full day of
hard work, riding upon a government
wagon drawn by a mule team. A
coyote was seen close by the trail,
pursuing a youug calf. Instnntly the
fatigues of the dny's lubor were for-
gotton, tho dusky driver, in his wild
enthusiasm, even forgetting the team,
and tha whole gave chase, and after a
wild yelling, scrambling chase of two
hours, tho wolf was captured, tied,
gagged aud packed into camp. . The
mules had menntime quietly and de
corously wended their way to camp.
This soems strango to tho average
pale-face, and the Sioux look upon
these wonderful foats as something
approaching the supernatural ; this,
in short,indioatos tho difference whioh
different mothods of life, pursued
through generations, makes in psople
of the samo general raoe. Tha pale
face would full by tho wayside in a
niilo, the Sioux would shrug his
shoulders, grunt and lie down, or
would fly to his trusty pony, on whioh
ho will do more work probably than
any other man living, without regard
to the cbaractor of his mount
California Redwoods.
A now venture has been tried in the '
shipping of California redwood to
England. Two British ships have
lately started on their homeward voy
age carrying cargoes of rodwood.
This wood, whioh is nsed nuiversally
and recklessly here in general build
ing, has in England attracted the at
tention of decorators and architects.
Its rich reddish tint renders it adapt
able to interior deooratious, panelling,
and wainscoting. The two ships just
started are taking their cargoes on
speculation. This is another menaoe,
to the redwood forests, whioh, as it is,
are rapidly disappearing. Those in
terested in the preservation of the
Golden State's beauty have unsuccess
fully tried to stop the wholesale dem
olition of these famous forests the
wondor and beauty of California.
Save in tho few cases where the red
woods have gained the giaut growth of
"Big Troes" no attempt has been
made to presevo them. Ai they only
grow iu tha foldings o! the Sierra, the
iis Is not fur distant when tha
canyons will be swept bare of them,
and California will wake to the realiz
ation of the vandalism that has
robbed it of its greatest scenic charm.
Harper's Weekly.
It Is a Disease.
Mr. Banks. I sea that it has been
discovered that paper money carriee
the germs of disease.
Mrs. Banks Ah I then that ie the
reason so many bank, oashiera go to
Cauada for thoir health. Puck.
The longest Egyptian railroad bow
extends to Girgeh, 330 miles from
Cairo. It is soon to be extended to
the first cataract, 710 miles from the
coast This means, of ouurse.au ulti
mate railroad connection with the
British possessions ia South Africa.