Finland employs six thousand hand
in paper manufacture, mid in making
itself felt ns a competitor for the pnper
trade of the world.
Itnly gives to the world outside her
borders 2,5110,0(10,001) ornnges; Hpnin,
14,000,000,000; Portugal, 80,000,000;
Paraguay, (10,000,000; Floridn, newly
n ninny ns Paraguay.
A recent census of Ruenos Ayres,
Argentriiin, show fl population of
CC;t,Hi0, which makes it larger ly
100,000 thill) ltio de .Tmieiro, nud the
metropolis of South America.
The Imperial University of Tokio
hns nndertnkeii tlie task of preparing
nil exhaustive history of Japan, mid n
committee of sixteen scholars is how
tit work classifying the voluminous
materials.
Japanese eotton weavers jirefer the
long 8tnli pot ton of Texas to any
other they enn find for line in n mnjor
ity of their manufactures from this
Maple. Thnt accounts for the pres
elice of Jnpiiuese buyers nt the rottoli
exchanges of the South.
Electric lighting will cost New York
City $1,'2"0,000 this yeBr. Philadel
lliin will spend &r.J7,000 for the
nine purpose; lSrooklyn, $1(10,000; Hal
timore, $140,000; Cincinnati, $75,000;
Washington, 1). C, nud Ht. 1'iiul,
Minn., 8175,000 ench; St. Louis nud
Him Francisco, 8100,000 ench, nud
linlViil.) nhout 815,000.
In North Topeka, Kansa", there has
heen found n fnther, avers the New
York Kun. who gave his son twenty
five pents for doing soiiip work about
the house, liut repented nfter the lioy
bad gone to lied nud picked the little
fellow's Docket. To follow out his
creed to the end, he reproved the
fluid the next dny for cnrelessness in
luvitg the money.
The largest Lutheran synod in the
United States is that of Missouri,
which embraces many stntes within its
limits. According to the Intest statis
tics, it hns 2910 ministers, 1015 con
gregations, nnd !180, 000 communicants
It hns also 1527 purochial schools, with
87,008 scholars. The nuiuher of bap
tisms Inst year was 811,2:13, nnd there
were 18,1(17 confirmations.
Chancellor Iny of Syracuse (X. Y.)
university in an address to the Meth
odist conferei.oe, quoted the remnrk
of a Methodist some years ago that the
permission of tinsel mil in the university
would ruin the institution. But base
ball was permitted, and, while its
critic is dead, the number of students
has increased from (130 to 1135. Dr.
Pay was enthusiastic in his approval
of college athletics.
The total number of applications for
patents for inventions during 189(1
was 42,077. The total number of
patents issued to citizens of the United
States was 21,285, artd to citizens of
foreign countries 2027. New York
beads the list of states with 388 pat
ents, while Nevadn stands at the
bottom with nine. Connecticut leads
in the proportion of patents issued to
inhabitants, the total number of pat
ents being 083 or one to every 759
persons in the state.
A few years ago the world rejoiced
over tho discovery of cocaine as a local
anesthetic. Dr. Lambuth, declares a
writer in the New York Press, who
has been practicing medicine in Fekin,
China, says that the Chinese have long
bad a similar anesthetic, the principal
ingredient of which is frog-eye juice.
It costs $2 an ounce, and is prepared
in small, hard cakes, resembling bees
wax, tint of darker color and semi
transparent. He dissolved a piece in
water, which required twenty-four
bonrs, and tried the solution on his
lips, bands and tongue, each of which
became numb instantly.
The blind men of New York City are
combining. Every year each total
blind male adult who is a citizen of
the United States, and who has re
sided in New York City for three
years, is given a certain lump sum by
. the department of public charities.
Last year each deserving member of
' this class got $50. Since the agitation
of the Greater New York scheme these
men have been troubled. They fear
' that when the sightless adults of
Brooklyn, Long Island City and other
places are brought into New York the
individual allowance will be cut down,
Tbey are going to protest. They have
formed an associaton, with dues of ten
cents per month, aud the money will
be used to defray the expenses of mak
ing a proper representation of their
claima If last year's figure is made
the jMcutanent rule they will be satiated.
WHEN HILLS ARE CREEN.
Vfhen hills nre preen,
Pweet secrets lie In nil the earth,
The stone knolls, even, soon give birth
To blue-eyed violets, ami vie
In azure charms with nil the sky t
For hennty knows no elnn or clime
When hills are green.
When hills are green.
With springtime sympathy we henr,
All far ami near mid liilnt nml elenr,
Fwcct. wooillnml music, set sllost
Hy mnny n Joyous fetithereil throat
Xbo rl' hest p'hne of vocal rhyme,
When hills are green.
When lillls nre green,
The southern hreeses, clniielne, pass
With sun-tipped feet nlong the grnis.
And kiss the elover lilossoms out
Till spicy stents Mont nil nhout
Where er the wind limy rhoote. to blow,
When hills nre green.
When hills nre green.
Fnh rising curve Is ret with gems
'Hint spnrkle on their slender stems,
For snowy petals gold mid Mile,
III soft green cradles hud anew.
Ami Mooni where'er the south winds go,
Wh' n hills nre green.
When hills nre green.
O'lr life Is not ns yesterday,
The world seems one long holhlny.
We sing with everything that slugs,
And feel the lark's eestntlu wings
(live Impulse to our iulckenlug feet,
When hills are green.
When hill nre green.
The round white cloud like foot-hills rise
To distant mountains In the skies,
And fnlr life angels come nnd go
Along the lofty paths of snow,
And tear to earth spring treasures sweet,
When hills nre green.
Mildred McSeal. In Youth's Compnnlon.
An Army Wife's Sister.
HI OWEMIMlI.E OVEBTOS.
Army wives generally have unmar
ried sisters. These sisters always
come out to visit them, and the rest
goes by itself.
Mrs. Iiorrilard had nu unmarried
sister. Hhe was very attractive. She
was fur more attractive that Mrs. Lor
rilard ever poiild have been. The
gil l's name was Spencer May Spen
cer. She was IS years old, if you
took her word for it; and she was
blonde nud pink nnd w hite and plump.
She came from some place in (hio,nnd
she visited the Loriiliirds at Stanton
which is in New Mexico, 100 miles
from the railroad, across Dead Man's
valley (there is always a Dead Man's
valley) nud some steep bills and a lava
bed a mile wide. If you have never
seen a lava bed, yon cannot appreciate
that. You might try to imagine the
ocean lashed into fury by a simoon,
then fancy its great waves and billows
and swells changed suddenly to dark
gray-brown stone at the height of the
storm, and yon may form n vague idea
of what the hivn bed between Fort
Stanton and the railroad is like.
It frightened Miss Spencer badlv.
The ambulance went slipping nud slid
ing and coasting and thumping and
bounding over the one passable part,
in n wnv that onlv nu ambulance con
ducted by a driver who has spent his
life on Arizona and New Mexico
roads could possibly stand. It put all
the laws of centripetal force and equi
librium nt naught. D and the four
mules were laws unto themselves.
Miss Spencer was not accustomed to
that sort of thing. She stood it as
long ns she could, and then she told
Major Roche in whose charge she
was traveling that she meant to get
out and walk. She had bothered the
major a good deal already, and he was
getting tired, so lie ilnl not sav Bir
thing, but simply told the driver to
"slow up" and let Miss Spencer get
out by herself.
She fell behind after a moment, and
the ambulance went relentlessly on.
creaking, flapping its canvas, chinking
its chains, its brake screeching shrilly.
And as it disappeared, sometimes lost
to sight in a great hollow, sometimes
toiling up a smooth face of lava, Miss
Spencer felt herself abandoned, indeed
in a New Mexico desert, under that
terrible midsummer sun. The heat
was tlery, scorching, parching. The
sky w as like hot blueglass. She won
dered why, when the lava was hot
enough to burn her feet through the
soles oi ner suoes, it tint not melt or
grow soft. She kept on walking bo
cause she was afraid to stop. Twice
she slipped and fell and cut her hands
Under the porous, piled-up rock, lab'
lilts and owls aud quail were hidden
there were snakes, too, and lizards,
At first she was frightened when they
scurried by her, but soon, with her
head ringing and her eves dazed with
congested blood nud her mouth open
and as dry as flour, she did not even
notice them.
She reached the end of the huge
rock river at last aud found the ambu
lance waiting. The driver was asleep,
aud the major was drinking water. He
offered her some, and when she had
drunk it she held out her broad little
foot.
"My shoes are all cnt to pieces, and
they were new and awfully heavy,"
"You should have kept still," he
answered.
Now Miss Spencer wanted sympathy,
and when she didn't get it she took m
dislike to the major; and because she
disliked him she eventually made him
aorry.
For the first fortnight of her visit
she was not pretty. Hhe was sun
burned from her passage of the lava
sea. Her fnce was red and swollen,
then blotchy and lastly peely. After
that she returned to the normal pink
and white. She was the only girl at
the post, and there was a bachelor, a
brevet-buchelor, a young contract sur
geon, and Major Hoche's son. The
bachelor officer was studious the
kind that have much faith and think
that the great fathers in Washington
will reward lieutenant who pass high
exams, and bavs ideas on Indians, He
bail no time for young women. He
iaid bis one call and retired. The
brevet-bachelor is peculiar to the ser
vice. His wife is back Fast, visiting
her family. He differs from the real
article only in that he is ineligible.
He was devoted to Miss Spencer, but
he T.id not count. There was also the
contract surgeon. Of course he was
only a contract surgeon. Still, he was
tall nnd blonde nnd had a beguiling
drawl. He fell in love with Miss
Spencer.
Hut the exciting part of the story
hinges on Major Hoche's son. He
was 20, and he was no use on earth.
He was just a boy nnd never would be
niiything more. He had failed in
everything he had ever undertaken. He
poiildn t even dance, nud he was
fluid of n three-foot nceqtiin when
he rode. He depended on his pnpn
for everything, and he thought lie
knew women through and through.
Probably Providence sent Miss Spell
er to show him thnt he didn't but
the wnvs of Providence live inscruta
ble, nud I can't be sure.
Well, the contract surgeon fell in
love with Miss Speticer.btit.like Viola,
he never told his love. Now, ns the
bachelor was hidden, Miss Spencer
oitldn't have fallen in love with him,
nnd no one could have fallen in love
with Teddy Roehe.so she reciprocated
the contract surgeon's passion.
His name was Randolph Cnstis
Randolph, to match his nice blue eyes
nnd his chnrming drawl. His court
ship was of the eteriiHlly-on-hnnd sort.
The life of a gnrrison offers even
greater advantages for thin thnn that
of a southern town. He was with
Miss Spencer from guard-mounting
until long after taps. Hut Miss Spen-
er pined to see more of him,
"Mr. Hanil.olph, I believe you're
lazy."
"Oh! now Miss May why? That
isn't kind." He gazed nt the flag on
the flagstalT tenderly and dwelt initi
ally on each word.
"Hecanse."
"It is the privilege of a lady to give
that reason." His eves sought the
tennis poin t ill tender, blue abstract
edness.
"Well, I know yon are."
"Won't vou have pity on me nnd tell
me why?"
Hecause vou never are up until
almost gnnrd-moiiiit."
Oh, ilenh! ves I am. I go over to
the hospital at sick-call, you know."
hy don t I ever see you, then?
IVrhaps you haven't risen your
self."
"I'm always up nt reveille."
"No! Goodness; why on earth do
you do that?"
"I believe you go over to the hospi
tal the back way nnd aren't half
awake nud don't even have a collar
on. "
"Now, Miss May how unkind."
"Isn't it true?"
"I alwavs have my collar on." He
told a future truth. After this he
would wear a collar.
I hate lazy people." ,
Oh! Miss May how unkind.
You don't hate me, I hope." Ilia
eves were on the pink ribbon that
fluttered from her belt; he took hold
of it and wound it nrouud his finger,
getting gradually nearer to her.
"I do, if you are lazy.
"How can I prove to yoti that I n:n
not."
"That's easy enough."
"Do tell me' how?"
".lust prove it." '
"Hy rising early and letting you sje
ine?
"Well yes."
"I shall do so tomorrow."
"Hut I always go for a ride before
breakfast."
"May I not join you?"
"If yon like. I don't care." Which
is feminine for caring very much in
deed. So Dr. Randolph rode with Miss Spen
certhenext morniiig.niid he breakfasted
nt the Lorrilnrd's, nud he snt on the
Lorrilard's porch to watch gunrd
moiintiiig, and then he played tenuis
with Miss Spencer, and when it was
too hot to do that any longer, they sut
together on the porch again, shaded
by the crowsfoot and morning-glory
vines nnd rend nloud by turns. They
parted for luncheon, but immediately
afterward they met again in the Lor
rilard's sitting room to practice the
mandolin and guitar. Itaudolph dined
with the Loriiliirds, and then he and
Miss Spencer walked up and down
the Hue until taps, and after taps they
sat on the porch once more and talked
in undertones.
Occasionally the Itocho 1 oy made a
third, and though he was far from
welcome, he never guessed it.
Now it may seem incredible, ut it
is true, tint though this went on with
out a pause for ten solid months, Hnn
do'ph still modestly doubted if he
wcie loved and dared not voice his
passion. Mrs. Lorrilnrd liegan to
think thnt she hirl done quite aTt that
the family could expect of her, aud she
grew hopeless and weary, moreover,
of boarding free two hnugry young
people. She told Miss Spencer as
gently as possible that she might 'go
the uext time the ambulance went over
to Carthage, which was the railroad
station. Miss Spencer told Randolph
she was going and wept. And Ran
dolph consoled her from afar, aud act
ually thought she was weeping atleavr
ing her little nephew aud niece and
her sister. I here are men like that.
The ambulance went a week later
to carry Major Roche aud Teddy
Roche to the railroad. ieddy was of
fered a position at Tucson and was
going to take it ; the major bad gov
eminent business at Carthage. The
Carthage road is a branch; it joins the
main line of the A. T. aud S. F. at a
statiou called San Antonio. The
major would cunperou the young
woman to Carthage; thence she would
go to the main line aud East and
Teddy to the main line aud West
Only Teddy and May compromised.
They both went to Bocorro, which is
on the main line, a very little north
east of Han Antonio,
The contract doctor anil Miss Speu
per had a harrowing parting. The
latter lost her temper over his pro
crastination and burst into tears. It
nearly broke his heart and entirely si
lenced his tongue.
After she was gone. hopelessly gone,
he determined to reveal the seeret of
his heart by letter. Rut he put off
doing it. Instead, he swung in his
hammock nil day and thought of her
blue eyes and pretty far and guile
less smile nnd regretted his erstwhile
constant companion. The ambulance
would return, empty of its lovely load,
in five days. He knew that. He would
write when it returned.
So, on the afternoon of the fifth
day, he sat, still swinging in the ham
mock and smoking a pipe, the ashes
whereof besprinkled his coat, when
the four mules and the ambulance rat
tled into the post. They stopped at
the major's quarters in a cloud of dust,
nnd two men nud a woman alighted.
There was no doubt nbout who the
woman wn. In his delight Rnndolph
lost his bend. He strode down the
broad walk to the Roches'.
Miss Spencer wns still standing by
the ambulance, hunting with the
driver's help for something under
one of the sents. The major and Teddy
hnd gone indoors.
"Whv, Miss Mnv!" said Randolph,
nnd this time there wns no drawl
how delightful! What brings you
back?"
"Oh! my husband. Teddy and
got married in Socorro and joined the
dear old major again in Carthage the
same day."
"How delightful." Randolph re
peated, weakly.
"Well, Teddy seems to think so.but
the dear, sweet old mnior didn t. Any
wnv. vou know, he was so horrid
about niv shoes on the bad-lands thnt
dny." She smiled demurely.
And thnt was all anyone ever knew
nbout it. The Argonaut.
The Old Sergeant of the Itegiilar Army,
The characters reproduced from the
recollection of army life for many
years are typical and w ere once, and
are today, found in every regiment in
the army. Moreover, there is a char
acter who is a study alone, sui generis
the old sergeant. Discipline and a
stickler for discipline that he may
maintain his own dignity, he never
forgets the respect due his superior
officers, though he may, as he often
does, so thoroughly influence the cap
tain or lieutenant as to nil intents and
purposes command him as much as if
in control by special orders from the
war department.
In no instance is this seductive re
spect so manifest as when a rnw young
lieutenant just out of West Point is
given command of a scout with a vet
eran sergeant in charge of the detail.
The lieutenant is made to believe he
is in command, that he maps out the
day's march and selects the camp, but
it is at such suggestions as these :
"J Jiil I understand," says the ser
geant, very insinuatingly at reveille,
"the lieutenant to say we would march
to the Huerfano today? There is
good water there, as the lieutenant
knows, nud good wood nt hand."
"Yes." returns the lieutenant, "we
will march to the Huerfano today.
There is good water, camping ground
nnd nnd grazing there."
"Yes, good grazing," rejoins the
sergeant and the march mapped out
by the lieutenant is begun to the
sound of the bugle. Chicago Times-
Hernld.
A lllir Obl-Tlme Htnclc Knrin.
John Cnntiienzene figures conspicu
ously in the affairs of the Ryzautine
Empire in the first half of the four
teenth century. That empire was fast
decliningastheTiirks were hist getting
solid foothold in Europe. Cautacnzene
had experience in most lending matters
of state and church, including those of
the emperor and monk, and besides
he carried on stock farming in no or
dinary scale.
Oibbon gives us a view of this stock
farm. "He does not," says thnt his
torian, "measure the size aud number
of his estates, but his granaries were
heaped with an incredible store of
wheat nnd barley; and the labor of a
thousand yoke of oxen might cultivate,
according to the practice of antiquity,
about sixty-two thousand five hundred
acres of arable hind. His pastures
were stocked with two thousand five
hundred brood mares, two hundred
camels, three hundred mules, five
hundred asses, five thousand horned
cattle, fifty thousand hogs and seventy
thousand sheep."
Gibbon refers to this as "a precious
record of rural opulence in the last
period of the empire, and in a land,
most probably in Thrace, so repeatedly
wasted by foreign and domestic hos
tility." That was before Cantacu
zeue manipulated his way to the pur
ple. An Arizona 1'luin Tree.
Delegate Marcus Smith the other
day was telling a group of Washington
politicians of the wonderful results of
irrigation in Arizona. The glorious
climate of California.according to him,
was nothing as compared with Arizona
irrigation. He told of sweet potatoes
as big as beer " kegs; of watermelons
which made the Georgia product tAste
like pumpkin; of grapes so 'luscious
and fragrant that it was enough to im
bibe the atmosphere around them. He
told of these aud of other wonders
without making an impression. Fi
nally he hit an illustration which satis
fied the group of politicians that Ariz
ona irrigation was all he claimed for
it. "Why," said he, "I'll tell you
what we can do down there. We can
irrigate an acre of ground, plant a
plum tree this spring, and next fall it
will bear a plum for every fellow that
wants an office."
The latest eraser for ink and pencil
marks is attached to a finger ring, so
that it will always be in its place when
wanted.
UNCLE SAM'S SAILORS.
PROVISIONS FOR THE CARE AND COM.
FORT OF A MAN-OF-WAR'S MAN.
Rating the Men nt i:nlltment-Wnsh Kay
on llnnril stlilp .lurk's Holidays anil
Amusements Ynrlntt Unties of tlie
pVamen Taring for Their Health.
When the crew of a man-of-war is
enlisted, each individual has his "rat
ing," fr definition of the capacity in
w hich he is to serve. If he is a ma
rine, his daily drill and work will be
different from those of the others, but
he will be subject to the same disci
pline, and enjoy the same privileges
as the crew. Among the special rat
ings under which men are enlisted nre
those of ship's apothecary, carpenter,
cook, barber, tailor, shoemaker, etc.
The last three are permitted to charge
moderate fees to the men for whom
they perform work, although they also
receive regular wages from the govern
ment. The class of men known as
"petty officers," including the cadet
engineers, the "captain of the top,"
the "captain of the after-guard" nnd
the "captain of the forecastle" whose
titles sufficiently indicate their duties,
rank between the ordinary members
of the crew and the regular officers.
These petty officers are themselves di
vided into classes, those of the higher
grade messing separately, and those
of the lower with the crew. That
there may be no question on any point
as to his daily duties, ench enlisted
man has his "billet," assigning to him
his rating, watch number. part of ship,
mess, boat, and his station at quarters
and at fire-quarters.
The first incident of importance in
the daily routine is the rail to "quar
ters" nt 9.80 for the regular morning
inspection nnd drill. At inspection
each man's clothing comes under the
officers' scrutiny, nnd his general ap
pearance is scrutinized if necessary.
Ample opportunities and facilities nre
given to the crew for the making,
mending nud wnshingof their clothes,
so that a man who does not keep him
self neat, has no excuse for it but his
own laziness.
The w ashing, by-the-wny, is a most
impressive function which takes
place every Monday morning. No
one is excused from answering the
boatswain's whistle which summons to
this except the men in the engine-room.
who uaturnllv cannot drop their work
to rush to the call. They must ar
range, however, with obliging pom
rades, so that the cleansing of their
garments may take place just the some
The manner of performing the wash
ing would no doubt be rr girded by
ordinary housekeepers with distrust.
The garments, with the exception of
the flannels, nre laid upon the deck
nnd scrubbed with a "coya" brush,
after which they are rinsed in th
buckets or sluiced with water as they
lie on the deck.
The drill which follows inspection
may be with m v or all of the various
weapons of war. There is target prnc
tire with the cannon and with the
small arms, and the sword exercise, at
which the men are taught the seven
different styles of cuts which may most
effectively disable or kill.
When piped to mess, the men find
their "table." i. e., the deck, all
spread for them by that useful func
tionary, the cook, and, sitting down
cross-legged nbout the cloth, they fall
to with sen appetites. It is strongly
recommended in the naval regulations
that the men be not disturbed at
this hour, and that visitors should not
choose this time to pay calls to the
ship. The rations for each mess are
usually drawn by one man appointed
to the task.
Saturday afternoons nnd Sundays
are holiday times on board ship. To
be snre, a certain amonnt of cleaning
up is required on those days, the ex
tent of which depends largely upon
the captain's strictness in this regard,
and Ins desire for a "spicK-nnd-span
vessel.
Jack's chief nmiiseinents in his off
hours, after he has finished up any
necessary needlework which he may
haveon hand, nrereading, writing letters
home, playing cards or clieckers, and
above all, smoking. The regulations
governing his beloved pipe permit him
to enjoy it on Saturday and Sunday
afternoons, on holidays, jroni "all
hands" to "turn to," during meal
hours, and for limited periods in the
night watches. No smoking by the
crew is ever allowed below the gun
deck. or. in single-decked ships, be
low the spar deck, nud they must keep
to their own part of the ship, in the
neighborhood of the forecastle. An
other period in which the men may
smoke is from the time the hammock
are down, about 6 p. m., until "tattoo'
at 9 p. m., but they must remain on
the upper deck with tneir pipes at
this hour.
The greatest care is taken of th'
health of the crew at sea, and they
are not overworked or exposed nnnec
essarily to the beat of the sun, to wet
weather.or to disease.' When cruising
off unhealthy localities, such as the
west coast of tropical Africa, the lstu
mus of Panama, the West Indies and
parts of South America, shore leave is
frequently refused on account oi in
danger to health which it involves.and
natives of those regions are employed
for boat duty between the ship aud
the coast. In a similar way the men
tal wants of the men are looked after
by publishing for their benefit all use
ful and proper information concerning
the movements and destination of the
vessel, the postal arrangements in
different places, and any other matters
of the sort likely to interest them. The
"schoolmaster," who is usually the
ship's writer also, instructs the young
apprentice boys not ouly in their
duties, but in the principles of read
ing and writing, if they chance to be
dettcieut in those respects. New York
Tribune.
A CRAVEYARD OF HOPE.
President Hayes's l.lltle Book-Secretary
Foster's Sueressfnl "Kick."
Ex-Hecrctnry of the Treasury Charles
Foster was talking to me one (layabout
Rutherford H. Hayes. Foster repre
sented Hayes's district in Congress
when Hayes was president. They
were political and personal friends of
almost a lifetime standing. Said Fos
ter tome:
"I got plenty of patronage nnder
Hayes, to be sure, but for a long
time I never landed tho men of whom
I was most particular and earnestly in
terested. I would go to the president
nnd lav the claims of my man before
i in. He would usually acquiesce in
vervthing that I said, because in
most cases he knew the applicants as
ell as I did. Well, in every instance
here some devoted friend" was con
cerned, the president would say: 'Oh,
ell, Charlie, we will nx that in a day
or so. 1 lien lie would reach down in
drawer, pull out a small book and a
hurt stub of a pencil nnd make a note
f the mnn nnd his wants. I won Id
tin
len, for days to come, scan with
much interest the list of appointments
sent to the Senate, but none that had
mini a jilace in the president's note-
iook were to be seen among them.
Stilt, I didn't complain much, for I
new that Hayes wns doing the best.
he conld. Time went on, and finally
called at the White House to insist
that a certain friend of mine who was
then in Washington lie instantly ap
pointed as a consular agent abroad.
Ins gentleman had political claims on
me nnd also on the president. I
stilted my case ns briefly as possible to
the president, who listened attentively.
When I had finished the president
snid :
" 'Why.certninly, Charlie. Yes.yes,
be sure, nud then he dived for
that book of his.
"Just as he was opening its leaves I
grabbed his arm and said: 'Hold on
there, general, I'll be switched if that
man s name goes in that jackass book!
Die president saw the humor of it and
I got my constituent appointed then
and there." Chicago Times-Herald.
Men Working In Showers of Molten Kt -el.
Modern Machinery of Chicago, in de
scribing the work done in a steel fonn-
Iry, tells of remarkable instances of
nerve displayed by the men. When
the furnace is tapped there is a torrent
of scoria that scatters over n wide area,
descending in an umbrella-shaped
mass of sparks that envelop the men
nt the ladle.
Through the pyrotechnic display of
the rain of fire and luminous reflec
tions you can see a workman shrug his
shoulders or wriggle a little. This is
the only sign he gives that a spark of
molten steel has fallen inside his flan
nel shirt. The manager said that in
the performance of their work the men
would run into a deluge of Hying sparks,
so thick yon would think no one could
go into it and come out alive ; and that,
too, in summer when they were stripped
to the waist and had not even a shirt
to protect them. In the shadow of the
furnace and ladle it would often regis
ter 120 degrees, and the very life was
cooked out of the air. Some of the
men are singed and scarred more than
veterans of many battles ; heroes of
the workshop, they stand under Are
every day of their lives and expect no
songs to lie sung in their honor or
monuments to be erected to their mem
ories. '
The manager related an incredible
incident which he gave merely as a.
sample of the nerve these men have.
One day the foreman of the casting
department hnd started a ladle of steel
on its journey among the moulds and
was seen to shake his foot several
times. He went on, however, nnd not
until all the steel was safe in the bed
of sand did he hobble to the wall,
where he took a piece of steel as big
as his thumb out of his shoe. It hud
burned into bis great toe joint and the
man was laid up for weeks.
diving Away llrliles for a Living.
"In addition to our business of let
ting our wedding-dresses on hire,"
said a member of a well-known firm of
costniners in tho west-central district
of London, "we often perforin other
little services for the bride.
"You, of course, recognize the fact
that in this great city theve are scores
of hard-working girls who are miles
awnv from their relations, and ho
have always been too busy to cultivate
many friends. Well, when these girKs
are about to marry young fellows whoV
are similarly circumstanced, tlie ques
tion arises as to who ahull give away
the bride.
"I can answer that question for
them at once, for I have connected
with my business an ex-major in the
army, a member of an ancient family,
and a man, too, of unimpeachable
character. He is poor, but he dresses
well, has beautiful white huir, and
looks the kindly father to perle tion.
I introduce him to the bride aud bride
groom, and he, for a moderate fee,
gives the former away.
"Sometimes he takes the whole ar
rangements of a breakfast and so on
upon himself, and be is a fine speaker
on occasion. He is always a welcome
guest with these people after aid."
Answers.
. ..Hlleneed Hliu,
The master was asking questions
masters are apt to ask questions, aud
sometimes, too, the answers are apt.
This question was as follows:
"Now, boys, how many months have
twenty-eight days? "
"All of them, sir," replied a boy in
front. San Francisco Examiner,
Kebufled.
"How do you stand on this irre
pressible financial question, Chump
ley?" "Horry, old man, but I can't spare
yon a cent today," Detroit Ftoe
Press.