CAUSES OF STRANGE FIRES.
Chemicals and Other Combinations
Which Produce Conflagrations ...
Some Pointers For Housekeepers
; I and Others. , ,
fetOK T Is rot generally known
A v that a combination of in-
O I O digo and linseed oil is a
f prolific source of destrnct
fOf lve fires. Fabrics dyed
with indigo and finished with a
a preparation of linseed oil will,
if stored in a confined place, take fire
of themselves. It was only a few years
ago that a dry good home was nearly
destroyed because the proprietor did
not know the destructive qualities of
Oil and Indian dye. Lampblack, when
packed awny in an Ill-ventilated room,
often generates enough heat to set It
elf alire. The laboratory of a per
fumer was nearly wrecked by an explo
sion. The ninker of seonts believed
that a discharged employe had set fire
to the building, but it was shown that
the fire was due to the evaporation of a
high spirit in a room in which n small
laboratory gas stove had been left
burning.
In all manufacturing establishments
a frequent cause of fires Is the rubbing
of leather belling against the edg.'s of
the aperture through which, it passes
from floor to floor.
In a fancy goods house a large Iron
vault was blown open by some force
generated within and there issued a
sheet of flame. Nobody had been In
the vault for at least twelve hours.
The steel box was fille.l with paper
dolls, between each pair of which there
was n film of celluloid. A three-Inch
steam pipe was placed against the rear
of the vatih. .and the heat it gave out
bad raised temperature to such a
degree that the celluloid had taken fire.
Gun cotton Is one of the component
parts of celluloid films and the explo
sion was the natural result of a eonibl
"tiatlon of the gun cotton and high tem
perature. One of the most stubborn
fires which ever visited St. Louis bad
Its origin In a plate glass window. The
pane concentrated the heat ol the Au
gust sun upon a celluloid comb. The
comb blazed end sputtered and soon
other samples of celluloid which were
around It were on lire. The flames com
municated to the remainder of a stock
of inflammable merchandise.
The overwhelming fondness of mica
for sulphur has been tho cause of many
fires. A fireman told the writer that lie
had In govern! eases seen nests of
matches which the rats and the mice
had made between the floors of build
ings. It Is no unusual thing to find that
rodents have lined their abodes with
V.A 1. .. I .......... .. . ! . . i . 1 rt'i .
tue- i illinium; nnuillU'U Kurus, Allu
mice and rats will steal an old-fashioned
sulphur match whenever they get
an opportunity ana take It away to
chew at their leisure. The gnawing
process results In the Igniting of the
matches,' and there follows a myste
rious and suspicious fire. Tho rodent
regards paraffin as a choice delicacy.
If the Insulation of an electric wire
contains this waxy product of petro
leum the rats will eat It. The bared
wire thus becomes a ready means of
starting a blaze.
In many cases the steamfltter Is re
sponsible for destructive fires. If a
steam pipe is too close to woodwork a
slow process of carbonizing takes place.
A little extra heat or a draught of air
may fan a flame from the carbonized,
wood. Another cause of conflagrations
Is the carelessness of carpecters. From
time lmmemornble it has been a habit
Of the trade to sweep the shavings In
between the Joists of floors. If either
the wire or the shavings were properly
insulated there would be no trouble.
But in one way or another the wire Is
exposed and communicates a spark to
the shavings which may be lying near
it. The sparks may smolder for days,
and then, in the dead of night, there
com 08 a cry of "Fire!"
FIRE TRArS OF THE RICH.
The houses of the wealthy, even In
-these days of fireproof construction,
re often greater tire traps than the
meanest tenements. The flues in the
Abodes of wealth and luxury ore often
defective. In many cases only the
Width of a brick Intervenes between In
tense heat nud highly varnished and
Inflammable cabinet work. Rich hang
ings and upholstered furniture give the
food upon which the fire fOL'ds. Defec
tive electric wirlug lias many sins to
-answer for In these days. Electricians
who are supposed to be competent will
cross wires nud violate nearly every
principle of common sense and electri
cal science. Some of them lead strands
of wire through wooden boxes, which,
in the event of flrp, become roaring
flues. Somo of the most destructive
fires known in the large cities luive
been duo to carelessness in placing the
wires for electric lighting.
There 'Is n mysterious property In
-oust wnicu, unuer certain conditions,
produces violent explosions. There
v Lave been Instances iu postoffkes
where the dust of the mull bags sus
pended In the rear of a close room ex
ploded with terrific force. Dust explo
sions nro of frequent occurreuco la
flour and drug mills.
Spontaneous combustion covers n
multitude of sins of carelessness. The
origin of many tires In tailor shops may
bo traced to tho so-called dry cleaning
of clothes. A rag dipped in unphtlia is
frequently used In removing grease
spots from garments. The rag soaked
with lullauiuiuble fluids is thrown upon
the floor.
When the shop 1b closed up and tho
-Sir is confined the uuphtha soaked ma
terlu! will of lftelf generate tire. Ilules
of cotton placed lu the hold oX flilp
nro often the cnur.e of f.i.mslrous fires.
Frequently a spark from a cigar finds
a resting place in n cotton bale, where
It smolders for weeks.
One of the most prolific causes of ten
ement house fires Is the dark hall. Fre
quently persons come in after night
and strike matches In order to find
their way. In many cases their senses
are befuddled with drink, and the
burning match sticks are thrown upon
the floor. Here the matches may come
In contact with greasy matting or with
bits of paper and start a fire which
smolders for hours and In the early
morning spreads through the hnusc.
Ilalny days cause all manner of fires.
It is the custom of the housewife to
hang wet garments in the kitchen when
the weather conditions will not admit
of the drying or the family wash lu the
yard or upon the roof. Frequently she
leaves the damp clothes hanging in the
kitchen near the stove. The garments
dry out during the night, ami becoming
lighter are easily blown against the
Move by draughts of nfr. They take
tiro and before numy minutes the
whole kitchen Is In flames.
Frequent recommendations have been
made by the chiefs of city fire depart
ments that the swinging gas bracket be
abolished by law. Whenever the au
thorities get a chance they order such
brackets to be removed or made sta
tionary. Hundreds of tires bnve been
caused by the cnrcl'sness of persons
who left these swinging brackets In
such a position that the Maine could
come In contact with lace curtains.
With n special reference apparently to
causing as many tires as possible the
gasiltter too frequently puts a swing
ing bracket where he knows the house
keeper will wish to hang a lacs curtain.
The combination of curtain and brack
et Is often fatal.
One of the most active causes of fires
Is ths mantel decoration. In many
homes a silken scarf Is hung from the
mantel Itself. Whenever there Is a lire
In the grnto there is dungr of the
flimsy scarf Inking tire. In tenement
hor.ses small stoves are often placed
before the mantel. The mantel shelves
are none the less duly decorated with
yards of embroidered and tinseled
cloth; In runny cases this decoration
has caught fire from the stove, fallen
to the floor and ignited fat soaked car
pet or jiiattjng. In some hous?s there
are wardrobes and clothes "closets near
the chimneys. The clothing hung be
hind the closed doors and subjected iu
the winter time to a steady beat from
the chimney Is liable to combustion.
In places where chemicals are kept
the varieties of fires are almost count
less. Comparatively innocent sub
stances in themselves may come In con.
tact and generate heat sufficient to
start n lively blaze. One of the Atlan
tic freighters came to port recently
with a cargo composed of crude chemi
cals and cotton. There had been on ex
plosion of acids and a fire. It seemed
impossible to check the fl.mios, which
had communicated to the cotton. The
fire, however, generated heat sufficient
to liberate the chlorine from n quantity
of bleaching powder. The chlorine ma
terially aided In keeping the fire In
check, although its suffocating fumes
nearly caused the death of some of the
sailors who went into the hold to fight
the flames.
In the storage of all kinds of mate
rials too miv.'h care cannot be exer
cised. Tho fact must be taken Into con
sideration that where air does not cir
culate tho chances of tire ore greatly
Increased. The observance of the sim
ple rules laid down by fire departments
would frequently obviate the necessity
of investigating the origin of myster
ious tires. Investigation shows that
less than one per cent, of "suspicious"
fires are the result of deliberate at
tempts to destroy property. St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
Vew Carbon Compound.
At a recent meeting of the Academy
of Sciences of France, held at Furls, M.
Henri .Molssan presented a paper con
cerning tho preparation and charac
teristics of a new carbon compound
containing molybdenum. This com
pound is obtuined by boating charcoal
with melted molybdenum and alum
inum in an electric furnace. The re
sultant metallic mass Is treated with
a concentrated solution of potash, and
needles of well defined crystals of tho
new carbon compound are obtained.
The substance Is very hard. Is hard
ly attacked by acids other than nitric,
and Is not decomposed by water or
steam lit a temperature below 000 de
grees C. It resembles the carburet
of tun:;ste:i, already known, which Is
not considered surprising, as the met
als tungsten and i-iolybdcnxn are
much alike. It Is thought that this new
compound may play a role lu molyb
denum steels.
The method of preparation shows
that even nt a rather high temperuturo
(that of boiling aluminum) u uiolyb
deifum compound is obtained which
contains twlco as much carbon as the
compounds formed fit tho highest heat
obtainable in the electric furnace.
United States Consul Covert, Lyons,
Fruuue. -
(iit-er I'l.nU.
Flants so highly cmtrged with essen
tial oil that fragment of their leaves
move about oil water lu a mysterious
fashion, owing to capillary action, due
to the spreading of the oil on the sur
face, are tfescrlbjd Ly M, VJrgllt
Eruudleourt.
SHOWED ALL OLD-TIME SKILL.
Geronlmo, Apache Chief, Roped Steer
In Short Order,
The monotony of the quiet life
which Geronlmo, the Apache chief,
has been leading was varied yester
day with a tinge of the strenuous life
of his youth. He participated In a
Wild West show. Geronlmo was the
guest of the proprietor, and put In his
appearance dressed in the full regalia
of the days of his former greatness.
The old man was given a good
horse and lasso, and a steer was
tnrned loose In the arena, and Ge
ronlmo was told to rope and tie It
Starting his horse at full gallop, the
chase began. After circling himself
around, the old chieftain whirled the
lasso and made the throw. The rope
settled around the steer's neck at the
first attempt. In an instant the roper
was off his horse, nnd with all the
cunning of his youth proceeded to tie
the animal fast and sound, accom
plishing the feat In a very short time.
The exhibition clearly demonstrated
the fact that In spite of his 76 years
he still possesses the strength and
arlllty of youth. St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
How Mexicans Test Eggs.
It Is a common sight In tho plaa
to behold a stall woman, who ts sell
ing two reals' worth of eggs, pick them
up one by one, put one end and then,
the other to her lips and hand them
over to the customer, who repeats the
same Identical operation.
To the Inexperienced onlooker It
seems as If they were tasting the ex
tremities of the egg. As a matter of
fact they never touch the egg with
the tongue.
Tho Idea of the performance Is
that when an egg Is fresh one end ts
distinctly colder than the other. The
end which has the air chamber Is the
warmer of the two. Vho human Hps
are exceedingly sensitive to heat and
cold, and even the novice at this form
of egg testing promptly becomes a
capable Judge. If both ends of the egg
reveal the same temperature, thnt egs
may be counted as hart, as It Is a
fairly good sign that the air chamber
Is broken and the contents spread
equally within the shell.
Enormous Debts to Milliners.
The other day I saw published the
balance sheet of a limited liability
milliners' establishment. If I remem
ber rightly, the debts unpaid were set
down at about 4130,000. By the amount
of credit in this one establishment one
can Judge of the enormous sura owed
to all milliners by their customers col
lectlvely. It Is well known that heavy
commissions are offered to ladles whe
introduce customers, and that many
ladles are not above accepting them.
London Truth.
The Hatraek.
OUT
ItUTU THAT
Iff G4&
WILY
flV& M4T
J-CAT
RACK
Carrier Pigeon Remembers Its Home.
I have known of pigeons Imported
from Belgium and kept prisoners for
years which, when liberated, struck
out for home, only to be drowned in
the Atlantic or picked up by some
ship at sea. This proves that no dis
tance appalls them.
During tho Franco-Prussian war the
French caught a homing pigeon which
was being sent to transmit Informa
tion out of tho besieged city of Paris.
The bird was made a prisoner of war
and kept In confinement for ten years.
When given Its liberty If at once ie
turned to its old home, showing that
ten years was not sufficient to drive
from its mind tho memory of home.
Country Life in America.
Poodle Traveled as Infant.
A Camden, N. .1., woman wanted to
take her pet poodle visaing with her
recently, but as clogs are not allowed
in the Pullmans she was much wor
ried about how she could keep It from
the clutches of the baggage man. Fi
nally sho dressed the hruto up In baby
clothes, put a heavy veil over Its head,
and the dog traveled as an Infant un
beknown to the conductor.
Immense Natural Sundial.
There Is a Jarge promontory In the
Egean sea. known as Hayou Horoo,
which extends 3,000 feet above the
level of the water. As the sun swings
around, the shadow of this mountain
touches one by one a circle of Islands
separated by regular Intervals, which
act as hour marks. It Is the largest
sundial In the world.
Odd Wedding Present.
One of the oddest of wedding pres
ents, was one received by Lady Mary
Grosvenor on her marriage to Lord
Chrlchton some time since. It was
sent her by Col. Rhodes and was a
burst shell from Ladysmlth mounted
In solid silver and done over to serve
as nn inkstand.
JE4
Scotch Whisky a Fraud
It I our present purpose to dispute
and confute the declaration that the
Scotch high ball is tho national drink.
It Is true that there Is L drink, beloved
of many, called the Scotch high ball,
but It Is only a popular delusion that
the tall glass contains In its depths,
In the midst of Ingredients of a chunk
of Ice of geometrical squareness, a
piece of lemon peel carved with pre
cision Into an elliptical form, and the
general covering of effervescent water
anything that opproxlmates what
the epicures consider Scotch whisky
with its smoky aroma. Its boggy after
taste, its bitingly smooth suggestion of
thistles and heather.
In proof of the assertion we desire
to quote no less an authority than Dr.
H. B. Wiley, chief of the bureau of
chemistry of the department of agri
culture. Dr. Wiley may not know
whisky, but he knows chemistry, and
the principles of that exact science he
has applied rigorously with a view to
ascertaining the purity of the foods
which Include the drinks that are
imported into this country. Presently
Take Time
Not only on account of his home,
but also on his own account, a man
should not keep business In mind all
the time. A bow that Is always bent
loses Its elasticity, so that it will not
send the arrow home with force when
there is need. A man who Is thinking
day and night about his business
weakens his faculties and loses his
buoyancy and "snap" by never allow
ing them a chance to become fresh
ened, strengthened and rejuvenated.
Ho becomes narrow and selfish; his
sympathies nnd affections become
atrophied or petrified. Home reaction
broadens a man, enlarges his sympa
thies, and exercises many faculties
that necessarily lie dormant during
the stress of business hours.
If he will make a practice, In his
leisure hours, of giving himself up
completely to recreation, to having a
grand, good romp with the children,
or a social game with the whee fam
ily, making up his mind that he will
have a good time during the evening,
no matter what may happen on the
Lang on Tablie-Tipping
I was once laying my hands, alone,
on a little table which spun about the
room, writes Andrew Lang In Har
per's Magazine. No doubt I moved It,
but I did so "automatically." I did
not, consciously, exert any force. I
said: "Ask the table a question," and
a lady remarked, "Where are the
watches?" The table then tilted; the
others used the alphabet In the ordi
nary way. I did not know what was
tilted out, but they told me that the
message was, "The watches are In
Frank's pocket In the children's
room." I asked: "What watches?" and
tho lady said, "I gave two to Frank
to take to the watch maker, and he
does not know what became of them."
"No more do I," I said; and thought
no more about It. Frank was a boy, a
nephew of the lady. I scarcely knew
htm by sight. Two months later,
when I was in France, Frank's father,
who had been present at the table
tilting, wrote to tell me that I "was
the devil"! The watches bad just
been found In an old greatcoat of
Frank's, in a drawer in the children's
Danger in
A medical writer of eminence said
lately that he "never knew a strict
dletarian who did not after a time
become a confirmed dyspeptic."
Shackles never produce strength in
the wearer. The body shackled by
constant conformity to rules loses Its
natural vigor, just as the tied-up limb
loses its muscular power.
People who are afraid to open their
windows lest a draught should give
them neuralgia, who are afraid to go
out if there Is a little rain, or a little
wind, or a llttlo cold, because they
are "so delicate," infallibly become
more so, and In time make themselves
as sensitive as hothouse plants, which
can only exist In one particular spot
in the overheated conservatory.
There are, of course, certain general
rules of health which every one
should understand and comply with,
it they with to avoid illness, such as
Where People Live Long
The pitiless logic of percentages, as
applied to vital statistics, fulls short
of accounting for one fact In the cen
sus reports the longevity of resi
dents of the few remaining territories
of the couutry.
Of the 100,000 persons In the popu
lation of the average American com
munity, taking the whole country
through, there is Just one which
reaches or exceeds the age of 100. As
tho census computers prosaically ex
press it, "99,099 die before that time."
One In 100,000 is, therefore, the per
centage cf centenarians in the United
States; but In Arizona It is ten ten
times as high as In the rest of the
country; nnd In New Mexico it is
nine nine times as high as In the
other portions of the United States,
Some stntea Arkansas, Minnesota,
Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho have no
centenarians. Bonis states Florida,
Cullfornla, New Hampshire, South
Carolina and Vermont have a high
a' nt centenarians threa times as
he will enlarge the field of his opera
tions, but now It is enough to know
that In his Investigations Into the
quality of the eatables and drinkables
sent us from the old world he hat
'discovered, and says boldly, that there
Is not a barrel of Scotch whisky In
the United Stntes; that the Importa
tions of this article are all concoctions
and should bo labeled "compound."
This may be news to the public,
thirsty and unthlrsty, but It Is borne
nut by the story of the London house
that was accustomed to send to fa
vored correspondents In this country
three bottles of Scotch whisky every
Christmas as a reminder of the pleas
ant feeling entertained by the home
concern of the efforts of Its American
ngents. Back In 18S7 Christmas
brought, Instead of the three prized
bottles of Scotch, an apologetic com
munication stating that the custom of
long standing had necessarily been
abandoned because there was no
longer any Scotch whisky. In tne light
of this statement we may conclude
that Dr. Wiley's disclosure Is belated,
but true. Detroit Free Press.
for Leisure
morrow, he will find himself In much
better condition the next day to enter
the business or professional arena. He
will be much tresher nnd stronger,
will have more elasticity and sponta
neity, and will do his work much ea
sier and with less friction than If he
thinks, thinks, thinks of business all
the time he Is nt home.
No matter It his business affairs are
not colng Just as he likes, he Is only
wasting the energy and mental power
which would ennbla him to overcome
these unfortunate conditions by drag
ging business Into the home, and wor
rying and fretting the family about
things that they cannot help.
If he would form the habit of lock
ing all his cross-grained, crabbed, ugly
critical, nagging and worrying In the
store or office at night, and resolve
that, whether bis business or profes
sion Is a success or a failure, his home
slinll be a success the happiest,
sweetest and cleanest place on earth
he would find It a greater Invest
ment than any ever made In a busi
ness way. Montreal Herald.
room which was not a room In the
house where the table was eo well In
spired. Nothing el.-e of the sort ever
happened to mo. It was an "automa
tism." I did not know what the ta
ble "said" till I was told, and of the
watches I knew nothing at all. I sim
ply do not understand the case; but
"spirits" did not even pretend to be
mixed up In It. The least inconceiv
able psychic explanation Is that
Frank, who was at school, "wired" on
to me, without knowing it, a fact
which he had forgotten, and that I,
without knowing it, made the table
tilt out the answer. '
Frank at that time was a queer, vis
ionary hoy, a "sensitive"; but to do all
this was rather out of his line. The
skeptical theory would be that Frank,
having heard the story, and acicdent
ally come upon the lost watches, put
tbom in the place where tho table
said they were, "and the same with ln
tent to deceive." But I did not even
know that there was a room In his
father's house called "the children's
room."
Health Fads
the danger of breathing Impure air
or drinking Impure water, contract
ing chills, eating and drinking too
much, and so forth. This knowledge,
however, need not turn the care of
the health into a bugbear. One can
make a "fad" of health as of any
other useful thing, say the London
Queen. One can grow monomaniacs!
on the value of fresh air or woolen
underclothaig, and the mischief of our
mania Is not the harm we do ourselves
so much as tho damage we do other
In turning them against the object of
our fad. Take the wearing of wool,
for Instance. Have not many people
horn resolutely set against It by those
faddists who persist in wearing their
flannel shirts ostentatiously, and who
maintain that their hygienic value Is
destroyed if their hldeousness is soft
ened by wearing linen collars and
cults with themf
largo as the average In the other
states, but much below the figures ot
Arizona and New Mexico. '
There aro few centenarians In New
England, but the number of persons
between the ages of 75 and 100 there
are more than in any other section of
tho United States; and the two New
England states which are most noted
on account of their great number of
old Inhabitants are Vermont and
Malno. Massachusetts has a consid
erable number, but the people of Mas
pachusotts ore generally of a more
progressive character than those ot
the farming districts ot Vermont, and
Maine, and urban lifo is uo generally
conducive to longevity.
The large number of centenarians
In the territories Is to be ascribed,
probably, to favorable climatic condi
tions, for both Arizona and Now Mex
ico enjoy celebrity as beneficial In
pulmonary ailments. The question ot
territorial oiganlzstion has probably
nothla to do. with It.
FASHIONABLE COIFFURE.
The fashionable coiffure will be the
Lady Curzon style, If the persons who
set these fashions are allowed to de
cide the question, There Is no more
becoming ornament for the head than
the tiara, and those women who are
fortunate enough to possess one may
follow tills style of coiffure with a cer
tainty of being correct.
Not so sure Is the question of becom
ingness. This arrangement will not
suit all faces, nnd the girl with thin,
pointed chin will find a low coiffure
more suited to her style. The hair will
be worn low as well as high for formal
evening -dress, the usunl ornament
when It Is worn low being a rose fas
tened carelessly at one side, behind
the ear.
SHOP GIRLS AS FENCERS. .
Parisian shop girls are studying
fencing. Milliners, seamstresses,
Howermnkers, and artists lu feathers
and embroidery congregate two or
three times a week In a hall, where
they don masks, gloves, etc., nnd are
Initiated Into the mysteries of fencing
by a mistress. They pin up their
skirts to allow freedom of motion, and
look very business-like as they lunge,
thrust and parry. They say they en
joy the lessons Immensely. Challenges
lire nlrendy In the ulr, nnd there is talk
of sending "cartels" to the chief when
lie has been In an especially bad hu
mor, nnd dendly duels with tyranni
cal mistresses are darkly hinted at."
New York Globe.
SILK MODELS IN MILLINERY.
Some hats covered with a dull thick
silk of tho peau-de-sole order are to
be seen, and probably will be more or
less worn when something very smart
is required.
One, of which I took note, had the
silk arranged flat over a greater part
ot the wide brim and then lu line
folds nt the edge, each fold having a
little dins of velvet beneath. Mlgouette
green was the color choseu for the
silk, the velvet being a few shades
darker. The silk was arranged lu re
serve box pleats round the base of
the crown, so s to pull up very full
over Its top edge. The only trimming
was a beautiful gauze aigrette, dyed
to match the shades of silk and velvet.
Paris Letter to the Millinery. Trade
Review.
DON'T WORRY.
It Is not hurd work that causes so
many of the breakdowns so often
noticed In our household duties, but
worry. Worry about trivial matters,
and the worst feature Is that the habit
grows rapidly, says Successful Farm
lug. The new thought of relaxation
and periods of complete rest at short
intervals during the day, Is doing
much to contribute to a better heart,
to better health nnd hnpplness among
many. If we can convince our readers
that one of their chief alms should be
to expel from their minds completely
the things which cannot be helped
past misfortunes, the trivial occur
rences thnt may have been freighted
with humiliation, we would feel that
our work la well done. It we think of
our past troubles, it does us no good,
but Instead robs us of peace and com
fort. Tho ability to forget useless
things Is a great one and we should
strive to learn it at any cost.
A WOMAN
"Can throw out of the window with
a teaspoon more than a man can bring
In on a shovel," Is a most homely old
saying with much truth.
A few out of the many dozens of ways
of tilling the teaspoon ot waste are:
Buying articles simply because they
are cheap and expected to "come in
handy" some time.
Using sheets for Ironing tables, nap
kins for dish towels and towels for
dishcloths.
Using silver forks and spoons la the
kitchen.
Opening tinned meats, preserves,
etc., forgetting all ubout tucui, and
leaving them to spoil.
Letting pieces of bread dry and mold,
find then brushing them away.
Placing brushes with tho bristle
siiles up.
Wearing tho same clothing each
week as it comes from the laundry.
Using tho same table and bed linens
each week as they come from the lauu
dry. Chicago Tribune.
THE "DRESS RECORD."
"Dress rcords" aro the latest novel
ty in the way ot scrapbooks now being
kept by girls in high society, and it is
a distinctly pretty and inexpensive
idea. For twenty-five or fifty cents a
good, strong scrapbook is . obtained,
und in this book are pinned small cut
tings of every dress which the owner
lias worn since a certain date, along
with the bits of the trimmings. Be
sides tho cost of the dress the special
occasions on which each was worn Is
written besldo the cutting. In later
yours It will bo refreshing to the mind
of the keeper of the record to note
such Interesting annotations as: "I
was wearing this dress at the Bar
ring' ball when Tom proposed," with
few Inches of pink satin snipping
of rlbboiu, laces and so on, and the
figures "00" alongside. Such a book
tends to foster economy, too, for most
young women are quite startled when,
by glancing through their 'dress r
cords" they find how much money htm
been spent on their personal adorn
ment. Chicago Tribune.
WOMEN LEARXtNG ORATORY.
"It has been said again and again
that women gain nothing from tfaelr
clubs," said one woman to man re
cently, "but If you were to hear some
ot them give after dinner speeches yon
would easily change your mind. Club
life has made calls upon women tor
abilities In the way of reading pa pets)
aloud and Joining iu public discus
sions, and although these tnlks haver
remained somewhat heavy in tone,
there is a marked decrease In the self
consciousness and awkward address
that really brilliant women used to be
guilty of when culled upon for n few;
words of acknowledgment that courte
sy demanded.
"Women are emerging from this
voiceless condition, nud nt a recent din
ner nt which a successful authoress)
was present, she responded to a toast
lu a witty speech, entirely extempore,
and given with an easy grace. Women
used to recite poems suitable to the oc
casion, but now reciting lias complete
ly gone out of vogue, so that the up-to-date
woman must be prepared to rise
gracefully and without blushes deliver
an address as long or as short as she
chooses. It is likely that women will
prove themselves as clever and as elo
quent as men who have made reputa
tions lu this way.
"I know many men avoid after din
ner speeches," meekly said the man,
"for they believe that this kind of ora
tory Is not dignified. Don't you think
women wilt Und so in time?"
"Ob, well, men only like an after
dinner speech If It Is particularly amus
ing, and unless they can be funny they,
don't want to speak, and as an ex
cuse they call it undignified. But wo
men, who are so apt and easy In adapt
ing themselves to social exigencies ot
all kinds, calling for tact nnd charm,
should excel In this field of bright and
Interesting talk. Many club womea
have mudu a special study of speech
making, and one or two ot them are
famed for their witty manner Of bring
ing certnln faults to light and reprove
lug offenders without lu any way,
seeming unpleasant. This method Is
more effective thun a serious rebuke
would be.
"At a woman's club after dinner
speaking recently, It was found very)
entertaining to have the women speak
without rising. By this method wo
men seemed to lose n certnln amount
of self-consciousness that is almost in
separable from being the one person
ou whom all eyes are fastened.
"It is said that some women speak
best when they wear their hats, veils,
furs and other belongings of their cos
tumes. A woman gains fur more con
fidence from her clothes than a mas
does, as they are In most cases vain
able aids to her good appearance. A
muff or a fan gives bor something to
do with her bands, and saves her from
the somewhat stilted attitude of the
average after dinner speakers.
"At a federation meeting one woman
got up and talked so loud and used
hap Imnfl, n mneh that it wna ilmnit
impossible to keep them from smiling.
Some of the women did not know
whether the speaker wanted them to
look at her clothes, which were ex
tremely attractive, or at her beautiful
diamond rings. But then she is an
exception to the rule, for the women
who are called upon to speak are usu
ally self-possessed and deliver speeches)
well worth listening to."
FASHION HINTS.
.The larger the purse the more popu
lar. Low shoes with white gaiter are to
be worn.
The evening slipper must match the
gown exactly.
Umbrellas will bo carried the color
ot the gown worn.
Mauy women are again taking read
ily to the long skirts.
Not only the high heel, but the point
ed toe are to be with us.
Black tot the buslnons woman's suit
Is still the most popular.
Collar and cuff sets of leather aro in
tended for automobilo wear.
The half dccollette gown Is to take
tho place of the extreme style. .
Red gloves worn with the black and
brown ure quite the craze in Paris.
Taffeta suits trimmed with piping
of red and bottle green are quite a fad.
Hand painted satin belts studded
with silver spangle ure exquisite for
evening. 4
Tun shoes, although rather cold
looking, ure strong ciuulidutcs for first
position iu the shoe line.
Calfskin, almost as thin and soft a
silk, In nuuierous color tones, Is one of
the autumn's smart trimming notions.
Onion and cocque de roche, the new
est shades of the season, are ulso to be
had In leather douo iu bells und small
accessories.
Among the newest aud handsomest
bats are those of golden brown,
trimmed, the lyre plume lu a burut
orange shade.
A young Phlladelphliin with a fad
fins Lad his phtotograpU taken more
Urna 700 time iu tn year.