A SONG OK
2Je lilies bloom in her silver tight;
JMseems some wonder is waking under
xne star-Hovered quiet of middle night.
From pole to pole, like a singing scroll,
jThe spheral sounds of the Mar -song roll;
lne Dir is gleaming with shapes of dream
ing; A mystic music is on my soul.
The Cloudburst
BY DANE
3K
TfejQ w yarn before the
!Sf ' S8 dnv flint V.vra Kllnu- flip
dosort prospector, camped
at Old Tehachapi the rocky
mountains above liim bad
barely felt the touch of
tain. Those were the years of drought
in California, 1897 and 1S9S; and when
the low lands along the coast went
dry, it was a drought Indeed in the
Tehachapi Mountains, for they faced
the Mohave desert.
On this day In June a great mirage of
heat overspread the shimmering sands,
In the semblance of a vast lake dotted
(With: Islands and trees; but the heated
Bryness of the bed of the Tehachapi
River dispelled all Illusions as to the
Jake below.
It wa9 not the first time that Ezra
Bhaw had camped by the river. For
live years he had stopped at the same
place on his way to his prospects on
the desert, and more than once he bad
een that dry river-bed bank-high with
muddy water. But to Philip West-
torook, a young mining expert from the
'Bast, it seemed a very unreasonable
precaution to cross the river-bed and
vamp upon the hot mesa when there
twas such a fine cottonwood tree down
In the bottom.
"How long since there's been a flood
In this stream?" he demanded, when
Ezra drove past the cottonwood on his
way to a scrubby juniper on the oppo
site bank.
"Let's see," said Shaw.' "It was two
years ago last Saturday."
"Well, if that's the case, let's camp
(flown under that cottonwood. I'll risk
cloudburst to escape a sunstroke any
day."
It was frightfully hot on the open
mesa, but a cool breeze drew up the
canon and fanned the cottonwood
leaves into a soothing rustle. Far up
bove the mountain heights puffy thun
flereaps loomed against the sky, radiat
ing a sultry, oppressive heat.
Ezra Shaw looked them over critical
ly before he made reply.
"As I was saying," he continued,
"It was two years ago Saturday, and
the weather was hot and muggy, just
like this. You see that mark on the
cottonwood tree down there, about six
feet above the ground? That's where
Itlie water came. Came quick, too. Do
ffon want to chance it?"
' "I certainly do," replied Westbrook.
Those clouds have hung round up
there for a week, and not a drop of
rain have they given up, with all their
jwind and thunder."
So down In the boulder-strewn river
tied they camped, and the prospector
Boon had a meal cooked and spread In
the shade of the cottonwood. West
brook was going out to Inspect one of
his mines in the Interests of an East
fern mining company, and Shaw knew
the desirability of humoring him, even
, at a slight personal risk.
kBut for twenty years he had lived on
the changing desert, and he knew Its
extremes too weU. ' So while he cooked
and fed the horses, hVcast an occas
ional glance up the canon. The sug
gestion of the act irritated young West
brook, who took it for a silent rebuke.
"What's the matter with you?" he
demanded. "Are you afraid a cloud
burst will jump round the point up
there and drown you. where you
atand?"
An Indulgent smile wrinkled the heat
blackened face of the old prospector.
"Two years ago last Saturday I saw
something like that happen," he said.
"A teamster was camped here at the
time. That's one of his wagon wheels
lown there by the lone cottonwood on
the knoll. Ho didn't get drowned, but
be was sure surprised. And now, If
you hare no objections, I reckon I'll
book up and pull out of here. It looks
kind of black away up there on the
fjeaks."
"Well, I'd like to rest a little in this
hade before we go on, but of course
If you Insist "
"No insist aboiit it! None at all! You
fust lie right down and rest, and I'll
harness up and drive out of this river
bottom. It hasn't rained in a long
time, but If that water up there hap
tens to come this way, it will come on
the jump. It's ten miles up to where
rou see that black cloud, but it's all
Sown hill."
Without seeming to hurry, Shaw
packed the dishes in the wagon and
et about harnessing his horses.
Yet If he had been alone he would
bare worked like lightning. A great
bush lay over the deep canon, and the
Wrind blew In little gusts toward the
towering thundercaps, which touched
the mountain peaks with a base of Inky
nd frightful blackness. -
From that black base rain was fall
ing somewhere. And whichever canon
bappened to receive that torrent at its
bead was sure to be swept like a great
lulceway. On those peaks the rain
4Id not fall In mere drops it fell in
sheets.
In ' the canon of the Tehachapi,
caxrtd and scoured by the torrent of
IF
THE NIGHT.
The wonder grows, like an opening rose;
The face of heaven with a halo glows:
For joy or fearing, sonic charm is Bearing;
I leei us wings o er tne worm unclose.
It fills me; there, in the middle air,
A splendor as of a meteor's hair!
The gates of heaven are open; the seven
Urcat angels glitter upon the stair.
John i'ayno, in The Living Age.
at Old Tehachapi S
COOLIDGE.
the past, a tense silence settled. Even
to Philip Westbrook, dozing lazily In
tne stiade, the stillness seemed om
Inous.
He raised his head and ldlv walched
the old prospector as he climbed Into
the wagon.
"Going to leave me?" he asked, a lit
tie scornfully.
"That's right," replied Shaw. "And
if you'll take a fool's advice you'll get
out or tins wash quick!"
He turned his head up the canon and
listened a raiment. Then he kicked
off the brake, yelled to his horses, and
started for the bank on the run
"Pile in behind!" he called back to
estbrook. "Don't you hear it roar:
We re In for it this trip!"
Above the hammering of the wagon
wheels against the rocks there rose an
unmistakable roar a dull rumble
mingled with sudden cracks and
crashes.
Then a solid wall of browtt svnter,
eight feet high, swept majestically
round the point above them, rearing
Its crest In the air and seeming to lean
forward in its flight.
Writhing in the deptliR behind, great
treetops slashed up and plunged from
sight like spectral hands; and, racing
furiously before the wave, there raced
a little cloud of dust, only to be licked
up the next moment by the towering
wall of water.
One glance at its Immensity, and
young Westbrook scurried over the
washed boulders of the river-bed like a
desert lizard.
"You can't make the bank! Catch on
behind!" cried Shaw, as Westbrook ran
past the wagon.
The bank was indeed too far away,
the inundation too Imminent. Not
knowing what else to do, he obeyed,
and the next moment the horses were
headed down the canon toward the
lone cottonwood tree on the knoll the
tree which showed the water-mark six
feet above the ground.
In a mad runaway the two horses
jerked the light wagon over rocks and
bushes, fleeing fom the bank of water.
Spreading far out across the widening
river-bed, the torrent lost for the time
its burst of speed.
Then a second great rush, like the
surge of a tidal wave at sea. leaped
high above the point, and rolling on,
swept down the middle of the canon.
When that tremendous mass of
water, twice as high as at first, ap
peared, Ezra Shaw knew that he was
caught. Yet he pulled the horses into
a new course and lashed them Into a
fury.
Fighting against fate, he now tried
to get in line with the lone cottonwood
knoll, so that when the water struck
them they might perchance be washed
against It, If it stood before the storm.
Whlshee whlshee whlshee! they
heard the sage brush bowing before
he wave front.
Brr-up! came the slapping water be
hind the wagon, and then up they
went, while a great surge of Icy water
lapped over them, taking their breath
like the cold doueho of a shower-bath.
For a moment the horses rose with
the water. Then, as the bed of the
wagon began to float above the run
ning-gear, they sank from sight. The
heavy wagon wheels dragged them
back and down, and the wagon bed
swept upon them.
But although the leaky wagon bed
rocked wildly beneath him, Ezra Shaw
did not abandon his struggling team.
Gripping the reins, he braced his feet
against the dashboard and heaved their
heads up from the muddy water. Then
the wagon bed crashed into something
solid, and stopped. The horses were
swept past, and the wagon wheels
fouled and stuck fast.
They had struck the lone cottonwood
that stood upon the knoll, and in a
moment there was a bewildering tangle
and uproar the horses hung by the
heads against the current, great clots
of brush and small trees smashed
against the wagon bed and stuck fast;
and above all was the thunder of the
brown water rushing past.
For a second the two men balanced
where they were and looked at the
roaring torrent. Then the old pros
pector handed the reins to v embi colt,
ana clambered out dn the s ajiug
wagon box, now stacked high with
drift.
Back he came with a lone ulcket
rope, one end of which he tied hur
riedly to the bending cottonwood.
We've got about three minutes to
get out of here before the whole Island
goes!" he shouted in Westbrook's ear.
Til go down and cut the horses loose
first, and then we'll swim for it."
Then he threw the free end of the
rope out over the hprses' backs and
slid down into the water.
Firet he passed the rope through the
slack of their belly-bands and knotted
it swiftly. Then, as they hung by this
support, he twicbed the relni frem
Westbrook, cut the horses apart,
reached down and slashed the tugs,
and beckoned for him to follow.
Before the pressure of the flood the
lone cottonwood groaned nnd popped,
bending slowly. On each side of the
accumulated sung n mill-race of bob
bing trres, posts and bushes swept
past, and the rumble of huge boulders
rolling on the bottom sounded above
the swash of the tumbling waves.
But deepest of all, like the growl of
some destroying monster, came tha
roar of the immediate waters, burrow
lng beneath the roots of the sturdy
cottonwood, washing its little Island of
soil away like sugar, nnd- threatening
at every moment to root it up and over
whelm horses and men alike, as they
hovered behind its protecting bulk.
There was no choice about it for
rhllip Westbrook. He went down the
rope with a rush, clutched the first
horse, nnd was passed on by Shaw to
the second.
Then, at the touch of his knife, the
picket rope popped like a rifle shot, and
they were swept on with the torrent!
Huge, sinuous waves, four and live
feet high, yet flowing smooth and oily
over their new-formed bed of sand,
showed where the current ran swiftest,
nnd into this Shaw headed his horse,
making for the left-hand side of the
stream, where, in the perpetnni wind
lng of the river, a long sand-spit Jutted
out almost toie opposite shore.
But hardly had ho reached the middle
of the current when there was a great
crash behind. Rising on a wave, he
saw- the lone cottonwood- and all its
mass of drift heave forward and rush
down upon them.
Beckoiiing frantically to Westbrook,
he turned ills horse's head from the
shore, nnd drove straight ahead with
the swiftest current. Behind, the con
fused mass of trees and drift, bound
together by a great section of barbed
wire fence, spread out like an enor
mous drag-net and swept after them.
Although at each plunge their horses'
heads went through the crests of the
waves, Shaw and Westbrook still held
to the swiftest current, for to be caught
In that tangle of barbed wire nnd
splintered wood meant certain death.
Already light sticks of wood and
masses of punky drift were bobbing
round them, but the drag-net of barbed
wire and trees was hold back by its
greater weight and the catching of
scraggy roots.
Yet where the current was strongest
a great loop, a drifting tangle of wire
and cedar posts, reached after them
like the feelers of a great monster
clutching at its prey. Then the more
buoyant of the free cedar posts shot
past them and darted on over the
waves.
In a ruck of sticks and driftwood the
swimming horses were carried swiftly
round the point of the sand-spit and
into the lower bend of the river. Part
of the wire fence caught on the point
and hung dangling; then, as the other
end was sucked past, It tore loose and
dragged along behind.
But no sooner did Ezra Shaw pass
the turn and see that the wire was
caught than ho pulled his half-drowned
horse to the right and urged him for
the shore. Below them stretched out
another point; it was their last chance
to escape. Desperately the tired horses
pawed the water, fighting to gain the
shore, yet swept on by the current.
As they checked their flight and
turned against the current, once more
the loops of barbed wire, hurried oq
by the swiftest water, reached out to
enwrap them.
Nearer and nearer they crept, and
Shaw saw that they were caught.
"Swim for it!" he yelled to West
brook, who followed near, and plunged
into the muddy waters. Desperately h
kicked and floundered, but his heavy
boots weighed him down, and he wa9
glad to seize upon a fence-post and
float. Just then he saw his horse,
freed of its burden, striking boldly
out for the shore.
Throwing aside his float he lunged
fiercely after Jt, and with a final flurry
of hard swimming managed to catcb
it by the tall. There he clung -until, ig
nonilnlously, he was dragged into shal
tow water'.,M,H -
But Westbrook proved n better swim
mer, and was able to gain the shore
unaided, while his horse, landing on
the tip of the point, barely escaped
(he onrush of the terrible barbed-wire
fence.
Two hours later, mounted on thelt
draggled horses, Ezra Shaw and West
brook rode back along the clean-
scoured river-bed.
Scarcely a trickle of water mean
dered down the channel In the wake ot
that awful torrent. In the dusty road
down which the travelers had plunged
into the treacherous dry-wash the
tracks of their wagon wheels were still
clear and fresh not a drop of rain
had fallen to lay the dust; but that
wagon was now probably ten miles
down the canon, its wheels burled deep
In the sand, the bed piled up on some
mountainous snag.
"These cleudbursts are sure sudden,"
said Shaw, surveying the river-bed
ruefully. "I reckon you understand
now why I generally camp on the
bank."
And Westbrook said he did.-Youth't
Companion.
No Cans For Alarm.
The silent partner was glancing
over a statement he had found on the
cashier's desk.
'Do you mean to say this is all the
money we've made this year?" he
yelled. "Why, there's been gross mis
management here and somebody is go
ing to get fired!"
'Don't get excited, Bill," aald the
head of the packing-house gently.
'That's Just a little document we've
been getting up. There's an Investi
gating committee around."
Busy Sheffield.
Sheffield probably employs more
workmen in the steel industry thaa
tay ether city In the world. .
WHERE BROOMS COME FROM.
Crop For 1905 Estimated at 42,000,000, and Worth
$15,000,000 Industry Started by Benjamin
Franklln--IIowIt Spread to Illinois and
Oklahoma Areola, 111., Broom
Corn CentreRich Town.
o. a. a a a a a a a a.
AONi F It really is true, and Ion
X as V It has been asserted' as
O I o fact, that a new broom
1 )S sweeps clean, what can bo
SfOW expected of 42,000,000 new
brooms?
Forty-two millions Is the harvest of
1905, says an Areola, III., correspon
dent of the Indianapolis News. That
Is $13,000,000 worth of brooms. Pile
them into cars for shipment and they
pack about 4000 to the car and you
have 10.000 carloads of brooms. Ten
thousand cars means t!00 long, fifty
car freight trains, aud 'JOO such trains,
pulled by 200 big mogul engines, menus
almost 100 miles of brooms a string
of trains reaching front Indianapolis
far east or west over the Ohio or ill
Inols State line. I.ny those 42.000,0(10
end to end and the broom trail would
be 40,000 miles long would reach one
and a half times around the world.
The broom harvest Is Just over. It
sounds like talking Greek, perhaps, to
speak literally of a broom harvest. The
broom stand back In the corner behind
the door, and it has been a member
of your family for a long time, and still
you arc not oh social terms with it.
Good, faithful, . old servant a little
run down at the heel, perhaps, and the
stick worn too shiny, but still faithful
and constant whnt man's dog could
be more faithful to him than his wife's
broom it to her?
The nation's broom harvest is Just
over and It has been a great sight to
see 15,000,000 new brooms growing and
harvested over In this part of Illinois,
which Is the home ot the fine broom
that is, the aristocratic broom that yon
do not buy unless you pay a quarter
or more. Another 21,000,000 cheaper
ones have just been taken out of the
September weather down in Oklahoma.
Those gathering In the sheaves over
In Kansas have plucked about 4,000,000
more brooms from nature and another
million or two have been gathered In
Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas nnd
from scattering broom corn fields over
the country. There in a nutshell is the
summary of the source of supply. The
big brooms come from Illinois, Okla
homa, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas
and from Kansas; the whiskbrooms
como from Kansas.
While the broom grew, yet it didn't.
Nature floes not make brooms with
hard pine handles and with straws
bound with trust wire and decorated
with combine tin and monopoly velvet,
but nature does grow beautiful brooms.
They are raised like great plumes into
the scenery of the broom corn country
In August aud September, aud these
plumes are borne ten, twelve nnd even
fifteen feet into the air by graceful
bamboo-like stalks. The plumes them
selves are heavily laden with n beau
tiful golden seed that bends them more
gracefully and adds beauty to the ma
jestic plant. It is indeed unfortunate
that the man thinks he must improve
on nature's bloom, for ho loses much
beauty In the process. He strips the
stalk of its graceful plume; casts aside
the beautiful seed tassels and, with his
bent of genius, he applies machinery,
and the result Is the broom that wo
find standing In the grocery ready for
our money.
Tho broom Is a corn crop its stalk,
though slighter, more graceful and tall
er, grently resembles that of the In
dian maize. It tassels out in the sum
mer like the maize; It is cultivated
much like corn, and though it bears no
ears nothing but its two foot long
graceful plumes it has come to be
called corn broom corn.
Just exactly where it came from no
one really seems to know, but it is in
teresting to find that the oroom the
kind of broom that we Americans
know and have is an American insti
tution, though broom corn came to us
from India. Older people in the coun
try remember when their brooms were
made out of twigs and bristles, as nrc
most of the brooms used in this day in
European countries by the common
people. It was during the life of Ben
jamin Franklin that a crude whisk
broom was brought into his home, and
while be was admiring It he noticed a
few seeds clinging to the fibres or
straws. It is recorded that he had the
remarkable foresight to see that here
was the teed for a new industry in
the Colonies.
He plucked the seeds from the fibres
and carefully planted them In the
spring in his garden and they were
the parents of the broom industry in
this country. He raised two or three
beautiful stalks ot broom plant from
them and he gathered the seed and
gave it to friends the next year. It was
the beginning. Inasmuch as a bushel
of broom corn seed is about enough to
plant a Congressional township it was
not long until tho crop of seed was
sufficient to establish the broom mak
ing Industry in this country)
The Quakers and the Shakers took it
op and the first extensive cultivation
of broom corn was in the Mohawk
Valley, where the first broom factories
In this country were opened, poss.bly
by the Shakers. The brooms made a
great hit, and there was a scramble
for them, and the broom corn raisers
received as high as $500 or $000 a ton
for their crops. With the opening of
the Western country the seed was
brought out in the new country by
settlers, and the first extensive culti
vation in the West was in Ohio, some
where near Columbus, and In the
South It was in Tennessee.
In the early 60s a Col. John Cofer,
aaaaaaaaaa
an Illinois farmer, living nenr Areola,
brought some of the seed Into this
country from Tennessee and plnnted
it nenr tho Coles-Douglas county line.
Cofer found a spot peculiarly adapted
to the cultivation of the crop, and with
in a few year Illinois benme the broom
corn State of tho Union. Though at
this time it Is second in tonnage to
Oklahoma, it is rightfully still regard
ed as the national source of our broom
supply, for from n limited region ex
tending in a radius of thirty miles
around Areola, which Is the broom com
centre of the country and practically
of the world, is grown tho corn from
which practically all of the high class
and best brooms of the world are maile.
The cultivation was taken up around
fialesburg, 111., and a colony of Swedes
there made sonic success of it. This
colony threw oft" a branch to Kansas
and that branch took the seed Into
that State, and from there the culti
vation has extended down into Okla
homa within the last four or five years.
While It Is a fact that broom corn can
be raised with some success In almost
every part of the" country in which
good Indian corn can be raised, and
while also it Is pretty generally de
nied that there Is any peculiar quality
In the soil of the Illinois, Oklahoma
and Kansas broom corn districts,
which, after-all, are mere pockets, the
fact remains that the production of the
corn is limited to these fields and they
are closely defined and are the national
sources of supply. Attempts to engage
In broom corn raising have bei n made
In Indiana and other big corn States
even in other parts of Illinois but
without any success.
The secret may, Indeed, bo found in
tho fact that the cost of preparing to
engage in the cultivation on a good
basis Is heavy. In order to raise and
market broom corn of tho first grade It
Is quite as necessary to build largo
drying sheds as It is to build similar
shells in the tobacco countries in which
to dry the tobacco crop. Peculiar
thrashing outfits have to be bought.
The crop is cultivated much the same
as corn, except that it Is a much faster
crop than Is corn. It is planted im
mediately after the Indian corn crop
is planted nnd Is harvested in early
Srploraber. In fact, it is a ninety day
crop. The fields in Illinois are from
ten to 100 ncreas in area, and are very
beautiful. The annual acreage In
Illinois runs from 30,000 to 50,000
acres.
The harvest Is picturesque. Unlike
most other crops, broom corn must be
harvested just at a certain time In the
growth of the plant just when the
seed Is In a milk state. The cor still
is green so is tho broom fiber, and
It contains a certain percentage of oil
and moisture and is very tough nnd
flexible. When properly harvested and
dried slowly in the shade, it retains
lliese qualities to a great extent and
tho fiber remains so flexible thnt it can
be twisted and tied iuto knots without
breaking. It also retains its beautiful
green color, and it is this green color
which the experienced housewife seeks.
She knows that such a broom will
wear much longer than the yellow,
light or red strawed brooms and that
the straws will wear down to a stub
and will not break off. Practically all
of the green straw brooms are Illinois
straw brooms. The Oklahoma broom
Is less flexible and most cheap brooms
are made of it. Such brooms, shed a
great many of their straws.
Kansas raises some good broom corn,
but tho bulk of her crop consists of
dwarf broom corn regular hand
brushes, which are made up Into
whiskbrooms. In fact, practically all
of our whiskbrooms nrc grown In Kan.
sas. The production of broom corn
runs about one ton to every two or two
and a half or three acres. The market
prices in Illinois this year opened
n round S80 to $90, and in Oklahoma
from $25 to $.10. The source of supply
Is so limited that it has been possible in
the last few years for men to corner
the Illinois crop at least once. Then
the price was sent up to $1.10 a ton.
A ton of Illinois broom corn will make
1200 to 1500 brooms; a ton of Okla
homa broom corn from 800 to 1000.
Because of the necessity of harvest
ing the crop while It is in its right
stage of growth there Is an unusually
active demand for labor through the
broom corn country the last two weeks
In August and the first two weeks
In September. The trump fraternity
has learned this and the members of It
begin to arrive In the broom corn sec
tion on August 15.
They are there for two purposes to
get employment for 1.50 a day and
board and to do as little work as pos
sible at least so the growers say.
They nre picturesquely termed "broom
corn ennartf-s." Whence they come no
one knowcth; whither they go is as
grca't a mystery.- All are panhandlers
and refrain from supporting railroads
with their "substance." While many
seem to be men of considerable capac
ity the large majority are said to be a
very objectionable lot. Great swarms
of these men are necessary to harvest,
thresh and handle the crop in a hurry,
and in the protest of the wives of the
growers , to cooking and caring for
these men Is said to be found the ex
planation of the decreasing acreage in
Illinois. Many big growers have gone
out of the business, in recent years be
cause of their wives, though the broom
corn crops brought higher revenue an
acre than any other crop grown.
REPORTING McK'NLEY'S DEATH
Bow the Associated Press Worked to Give
tha World Iba Mews.
On the afternoon of September fl,
1901, worn out by a long period of ex
acting labor, I set out for Philadelphia,
with the purpose of spending a few
days at Atlantic City. When I reached
the Broad street station in the Quaker
City, I was startled by a number of
policemen crying my name. I stepped
up to one, who pointed to a boy with an
urgent message for me. President Mc
Kinley bad been shot at Buffalo, and
my presence was required at our Phil
adelphia office at once. A message had
been sent to me at Trenton, but my
trnln had left the station precisely two
minutes ahead of Its arrival. Handing
my baggage to a hotel porter, I jumped
into a cab and dashed awny to our
office. I remained there until dawn of
the following morning.
, The opening pages of the story of the
assassination were badly written, and
I ordered a substitute prepared. An
Inexperienced reporter stood besldo
President McKlnley in the Music Hall
at Buffalo when Czolgosz fired the fatal
shot. He seized a neighboring" tele
phone nnd notified our Buffalo corre
spondent, and then pulled out the1
wires, in order to render the telephone
a wreck, so that It was a full half hour
before any additional details could be
secured.
I ordered competent men and expert
telegraph operators from Washington,
Albany, New York and Boston to hurry
to Buffalo by the fastest trains. All
that night the Buffalo office was pour
ing forth a hastily written, but faithful
and complete account of the tragedy,
and by daybreak a relief force was on
the ground. Day by tiny, through the
long vigil while the President's life
hung in the balance, each incident was
truthfully nnd graphically reported. In
the closing hours of the great tragedy
false reports of the President's death
were circulated for the purpose of in
fluencing the stock market, and, to
counteract them, Secretary Cortclyou
wrote frequent signed statements, glv
lng the facts to the Associated Press.
From Melville E. Stone's "The Asso
ciated Press," In the Century.
Stated tha Facts.
The editor of an Indiana paper be
came tired of being called a liar so he
announced thnt he would tell the truth
In the future. The first Issue there
after contained the following:
"John Bonln, the laziest merchant in
town, made a trip to Bcllvllle yester
day." "John Coyle, our groceryman, is'do
lng a poor business. His store is dirty.
dusty and noxiously odoriferous. How
can he expect to do much?"
: "Rev. Styx preached last Saturday
night on 'Charity.' The sermon was
punk."
"Dave Sonkey died at his home in
this place. The doctor gave it out as
heart failure. The fact Is, he was
drunk, and whisky is what killed him."
"Married. Miss Sylvia Rhodes and
Tames Conham, last Saturday evening
at the Baptist parsonage. The bride
Is a very ordinary town girl who
doesn't know any moro than a jack
rabbit about cooking, and never helped
her mother three days In her life. She
Is not a beauty by any means, and has
a gait like a fat duck. The groom is
well known as an up-to-date loafer.
He's been living off the old folks all
bis life and don't amount to shucks.
They will have a hard life."
The paper had no sooner reached the
public than a committee was sent to
him bearing a petition asking him to
continue in the good old way, and
stated that they believed him to be
a truthful and honest man. Burlington
News.
The World's Most Powerful Gun.
; Describing the making of the most
powerful gun in the world, Day Allen
Willey says, in the Technical World
Magazine:
i "Technically this great 'peacemaker'
Is called a slxteen-Inch breech-loading
rifle. It is, perhaps,- unnecessary to
say that the 'sixteen inches' refers to
the diameter of the bore, or the calibre.
In fact, this is so large that a man of
ordinary size can crawl Inside the muz
ele without difficulty. A better idea of
the gun can be gained when It is stated
that the forgings for the tube nnd jack
et weigh no less than 184 tons. The
tube Itself Is forty-nine and a half feet
In length, and. as the gun is of the
built-up type favored by artillery offi
cers of the present day. it is reinforced
at the base by the jacket, which was
shrunk into position. The tube is fur
ther strengthened by four sets of hoops,
which really make It of four thick
nesses of metal between the centre of
the tube and the breach."
Which Should He Rave Used
They were on the golf links when a
targe snake was seen nestling in the
sand by the bunker.
"O, kill it! kill it!" she shouted In
terror.
. "Walt a minute," he cried, as he be
gan to take out a brassie.
The snake began to wriggle. .
"No, I believe the lofter would he
better," ho said, as the snake gtW
more nervous.
"After all," he said, "I believe I
could do better with the masbie." ;
. "O, dear," she sighed; "hadn't we
better go back and ask the Instructor?"
When they returned the snake was
gone. Indianapolis Star.
' Why It Happened.
He occupied the seat; she was swing
ing on a strap. She was trying to
ehame him into politeness; he wouldn't
shame worth a cigarette. A lurch of
the car threw her against him and in
the scramble she landed on his feet
with both heels.
i "You're on my feet," he growled.
! "If you had been on your feet, It
sever would have happened," said she
fweetly. Detroit Free Press.
TfJSINEM UAJtDeV
Q MlDOIULS.
4TT0RRITAT-LAW.
Notary Pnhlia, raal estata a teas, tttmH
loured, collections made promptly 4aa
In 8ya:!eate bulldlot , KeyncldsvlUe, Pa,
JJR. B. 2 HOOVKil,
RKYNOI.DSVILLB, PA.
Resident dei'iin. Ii the Doowr kalKlam
mn tret Centlenefts In ccratlug.
J)R. L. L. MEANS,
DENTIST. '
Office on seoond floor of First fTty
tional bank building-, Main ttreet,
J)R. B. DEVERE KINO,
DENTIST.
Office en second floor Reynolds-Tin
Ileal Estato Building, Main street.
BoynoldsTllle, Pa.
NEFF,
JUSTICE OF THE' PE ACS
Aud Be.nl Estate Agent
, ReynoldiTiJJ, P
gMITH M. MoCREIGHT,
ATTORN CV-AT-LAW.
Rotary Pqhlla and Kent Ettata 4 runts. Ci
leoltons will SAaetva prompt aitedtloa. Ofllo
In clis BeyoalUdTllle Hardware Co. Building,
Katn street, McynolUsvllle, Pa.
MAIIK.BTS.
PITTSBURG.
Qraln, Flour and Feed.
Wheat No. 1 red I 75 77
Kyo No. 2 72 7S
Corn No 2 yellow, er Ki M
No. 8 yellow, shelled m fit
Wlied ear -II 49
Onts No. 2 white M m
No. a white g) m
Flour Winter patent 4 41 4 80
Fancy straight winters 4 00 4 to
Hay No. 1 Tlmnlhy IS 00 MM
Clover No. 1 10 flO 10 50
Feed No. 1 white mid. ton I9 60 tOOl
llrown middlings 10 50 17 M
llrun. bulk KM 16 00
Siraw Wheat 7 00 7
Oat 7 00 7 60
Dairy Products.
Butter Elgin creamery t 24 M
Ohio creamery 92 94
Fancy country roll 16 It
Cheeen Ohio, now 11 19
New York, new 11 19
Poultry, Etc.
nns per lb t 14 11V
I'hUrkons dressed 19 IS
Eggs Fa. and Ohio, fresh 26 30
Fruits and Vegetables.
Apples bbl J,-, so
1'otatoee Fancy white per bu.... so ift
Cabbage per ton . .. ja on IF) no
Onions per barrel (go 2ii
BALTIMORE.
Flour Winter Fatent f 5 05 j r,
Wheat No. 9 red gj 94
Corn-Mixed 6l H
Egg" 24 25
Butter Ohio creamery (4 ga
PHILADELPHIA.
Flour Winter Patent $ 6 05 6 95
Wheat No. 9 red g4 S5
Corn No. 2 mixed 50 51
Oats No'. 9 white 31 99
Butter Creamery 94 2&
E.SSS FennsylTanta firsts 94 99
NEW YORK.
Flour Patents f 5 OJ 6 16
Wheat No. 8 red W (
Corn No. S 69 60
Oats No. 9 white 81 82
Butter -Creamery 94 96
Kggs State and Pennsylvania.... 24 26
LIVE STOCK.
Union Stock Yards, Pittsburg.
Cattle.
Etra, 1,450 to 1,(!00 lhs t 6 $6 60
l'rlme. 1,800 tn 1 ,100 lbs 4 90 6 20-
(iood, 1,900 to 1,30) lbs 4 60 4 7"
Tidy, 1,0m) to 1.150 lbs...... 4 25 4 40
Fiilr. 900 to 1.100 lbs 8 40 4 10
Common, 700 to TOO lbs 8 00 8 40
Common to good fat oien 8 00 4 00
Common to good fat bulls 8 00 8 60
Common to good fat cows 1 60 8 40
Heifers, 700 tnl.lOOlhs 9 75 4 00
Fresh cows and springers 16 00 60 00
Hoge.
l'rlme heavy hogs $ 4 95 I 5 00
Prime medium weights...., 4 95
Best heavy Yorkers...., 4(9) 4 95
tiood light Yorkers 4 R5 4 W
Plgf, as 10 quality 470 4 7
Oommon to good roughs 4 25 4 IV
Stags M 8 2i 8 75
Sheep.
Prime wethers f S 25 6 60
Oood mixed ., 8 00 595
Fair mixed ewes and wethers.... 4 60 4 76
Cullsand common 1... 2 00 4 00
Culls to choice lambs 6 00 7 76
Calvee.
Veal Calves $5 00 7 7S
Heavy and thin calves 8 60 4 60
The Southern Cotton Association
has undertaken a novel experiment,
whose results may establish new
principles -In economics. In its con
vention at Aslioville, North Carolina,
It resolved to fix a minimum prlt
of eleven cents a pound for the new
crop, which it estimates at 9,588,133,
bales, or nearly ftve million bales
less than Inst year's output. Here
tofore the price of cotton, liko that
of other farm products, has been fix
ed by the freo play of the market.
If the Southern Cotton Association
can have its way, the rate will be
regulated hareafter, at least as to its
lower lim'.t, by majority vote, con
tinues Collier's Weekly. The prices
of sugar, oil, and steel rails are fixed
by edict, and the totton growers may
be able to accomplish the same thing.
If thay succeed they will be essenti
ally a trust. Their success woulo?
na'.urally lead to the formation of
s'mllar trusts among the wheat grow
ers, the corn raisers, and the" hay
makers. Labor trusts are already in
successful operation. Thus the evils
of monopoly may cure themselves
through the spread of combination
to a point at which everybody.. Is
monopolist.
MIRRORS.
If you are fond of home carpenter
ing you can make all -sorts ot tilings
at trifling expense. Mirrors for in
stance come much cheaper If the
plate glass is purchased by the square
foot and -set Into a framework fash
ioned by the home canpenter.
The porters of the market place m
Pari carry, strapped on their backs,
great baskets full ot garden produc
X.