FAY -
Borne nigliU I try to keen awaks
Jo tee how fairies really look;
RYou have to watch so snarp and still
oo says my mamma's Fairy -Book!)
I squint my eyes a tiny wavs
And. then I gee them, one by one,
Uome trooping in from fairyland
With funny little hop and run.
IMPRISONED BY LAVA
By ALBERT
t 3 UhHN 1834 tl,e brig-of-war En
Pa- iU docia. Onnt. Henker
I'l T.ftmbe, was sent on an ex
J ploring expedition to the
I C5JII Antarctic Ocean to deter
mine certain points of the Southern
Continent, the most cheerless and in
hospitable of all lands. The vessel
touched at Cape Town late in Novem
foer, and a few weeks later again set
sail.
Among the brig's company were two
midshipmen, Harry Furness from Bris-
tol and Riebord Scoresby of Liver-
pol, who had been together in the ser-
ylce for two years, and had become
close friends.
The Eudocia righted Kerguelen
Island, and slightly altering her course,
kept due south for several days. On
January 14 land, or rather the glaciers
that fringed it, came into view upon
the southern horizon.
The ship ran for three days along a
sheer wall of Ice, from one hundred to
two hundred fret in height, through a
eea filled with floating bergs arid floes.
Although it was the Antarctic summer,
enow-squalls were frequent and the
(wind was at times piercingly cold.
On the morning of the 18th a column
Of black smoke was sighted above the
Ice-cliffs for to the west, rnd as the
iressel approached, this was seen to
be Issuing from an active volcano, a
etrange spectacle In that land of Ice
and snow.
It was decided to effect a landing, If
possible, and ascertain the height of
the peak. Upon the coast, rot far from
the base of the mountain, two ice pro
montories stretched out on each side
of a natural basin, almost circular,
tw-Ub. an opening about a hundred
yards wide affording an entrance from
the sea. The cliff at this point was
' considerably lower than elsewhere, and
black volcanic rocks and ravines .were
(risible along Its front.
A boat was sent ahead to examine
this harbor and to make soundings;
and as a result of its report, the Eu
docia was soon riding snugly at anchor
upon the sheltered expanse. At the
bead of the little bay was a beach of
Volcanic debris, with a ravine leading
np to the tableland above. Beyond,
the smoking cone of the mountain rose
over a disfigured region of blackened
Ice and snow. Streams of water, melt
ed by the heat, were running down
the cliffs.
Furness and Scoresby were detailed
Co go ashore with a boat's crew, to
make observations, examine the sur
face of the plateau and determine the
belght of the peak. The eervlce was
one Involving no little fatigue and even
b considerable degree of danger, for an
Ice-field at the base of a volcanic
mountain was likely to be seamed with
crevasses and filled with hidden pit
falls. The young officers were, how
ever, much elated at the prospect of
exploring an unknown land.
A few strokes of the oars brought
their boat to the beach of volcanic
rock and ashes. The boys landed, tak
ing their surveying instruments and
two of the boat's crew. But the men
vere wholly unable to keep up with the
nimble youths, so they were sent back
to 'the shore, whence a boat took them
off to the ship.
After a hard scramble tip a steep
gorge, over black boulders and slip
pery ice, In full sight of ihe Eudocia,
the boys gained the summit of the
cliffs. From this point a gradual slope
of rock and ice extended upward to the
base of the mountain, half a mile dis
tant. Toward this tne boys now made
their way, but with considerable dif
ficulty. The slope that had appeared
co smooth from a distance proved, on
closer approach, to be a broken coun
try, guttered with' deep fissures and
ravines, from some of which smoke
and steam were rising. There was also
perceptible a slight tremor of the earth
and an occasional rumbling."
At last, after much labor and fa
tigue, tho two explorers reached a long,
narrow stretch of fairly level surface,
parallel to the base of the mountain.
(Beyond lay a deep ravine, apparently
Impassable. Here they stopped, and
made observations to Ascertain the
height of the peak. A rough calcula
tion gave its altitude as a trifle over
four thousand feet.
- By this time the long Antarctic af
ternoon was drawing to a close, and
the boys started back toward the ves
sel, which lay hidden from view be
neath the edge of the cliffs. They
moved Slowly, observing the configura
tion of the inud as they went.
Suddenly the deadened boom of a
gun from the brig came to their cars.
Its echoes had hardly died away before
(there came another report, and then
another. What did it mean? t
Involuntarily they glanced back at
the mountain, and a cry o" rurprise
and alarm broke from both In place
of the thin, tapering column of smoke,
.great clouds of pitchy blackness were
colling up to the sky, as if some giant
FOLK.
They nod and whisper to themselves-
Then scamper oil across the floor
As if they'd never, never seen
A little coy like me before!
But if you ask me how they looV,
Somehow I cannot seem to tell;
For pretty soon they've slipped awav;
And then I hear the breakfast bell!
Laura Kimondson, in Lippincott'f.
W. TOLMAN.
were heaping fuel on the subterranean
fires beneath. Even as they looked,
there came a series of muffled explo
sions, and dull red fla-ces began to
flicker about tho crater. The ground
beneath them trembled ominously.
"Hurry up, Dick!" cried Harry.
"There's going to be an eruption.
sure: '
He had hardly spoken when a tre
mendous roar came. The whole upper
part of the mountain disappeared in a
burst of flamj r.nd smoke. Great
stones began to fall about them, and
deluge of fiery lava came pouring down
the sidles of the peak.
The boys put down their instruments
and ran for their lives.
They reached the gorge leading to
the sea, and plunged headlong down
it. Half the distance had been cov
ered without mishap when Dick, look
ing behind, gave a cry of horror:
"Run higher up, Harryl Keep out
of the middle!"
At the head of the ravine appeared
a crest of glowing lava, which hung
for a moment on the verge, and then
darted down toward them. The boys
leaped up to the higher ground above
the middle of the gorge, still keeping
on in their rapid course. And it was
well that they did so! In fifteen sec
onds a lava stream six feet deep was
flowing down the channel .where they
had been running!
It overtook and passed them, and
swinging a little to the right to follow
the deepest part of the ravine, plunged,
hissing and steaming, Into the sea
about a hundred feet from the landing
place. At it passed the base of the
cliffs, it had swerved abruptly toward
their foot, almost touching it, and cut
ting off the boys' retreat to the water.
For an instant they stood in horror,
looking at the crawling stream of
boiling lava. Then the danger of their
situation roused them to action.
"Quick, Harry!" cried Dick. "Run
for your life! It's only six feet broad
below there! We must Jump it!"
They dashed on over the boulders to
a point farther down, where the cur
rent of lava was narrow. Dick, with
out pausing a moment, gave a quick
leap that landed him on tho other side.
As he passed over the stream, the
intense heat seemed to scorch his
clothing.
Having heard a cry Just as he
Jumped, Dick looked about for Harry.
On tho other side of the fiery current
he saw his friend struggling to rise
from the ground, and falling back,
Harry had twisted his ankle on a
slippery stone, and could not stand
upon his feet.
Just for an instant Dick hesitated,
uncertain what to do. Then he ran
bock a short way to get a start, and
another leap carried him back over the
lava. A faint cheer from the brjg came
to his ears, showing that his action was
appreciated. He put his arm about
Harry, and half-carried, half-dragged
him back toward the foot of the cliff.
With a sudden swelling, the width
of the current increased a foot on
each side.
"O Dick," groaned Harry, "don't
trouble with me! Save yourself. Tou
can Jump it yet. Quick!" he added.
It's growing broader every minute!"
It is no shame to the memory of
Richard Scoresby to say that for a
moment the wild desire for life, the in
stinct of self-preservation, came upon
him strongly. To remain where he
was seemed but to invite a speedy and
terrible death. He could jiot save his
companion. At best he could only die
helplessly with him.
He looked at the red stream. It had
broadened to twelve feet, but it was
not yet too late.
"Jump, Dick!" moaned Harry. "Ton
can't help me any more. Go, and God
bless you! Quick, before it's too late!"
"No, Harry," Dick said. "Here I
stay with you. Whatever comes to
us we'll meet together."
The next minute took away the last
possibility of escape across the flood.
Wlthi sudden surge the stream broad
ened to twenty feet, red, fierce and im
passable. Just behind them was a mound of
debris several feet high, which had
fallen from the overhanging cliff at
this spot, leaving a space between.it
and the foot of the rocks, und thus
affording some protection against the
heat of the stream in front. Dick
drew Harry behind this natural ram
part, and they were able to breathe
more freely, for the current of cool
nir drew in from the sea along the
base of the wall. , Here they awaited
what might come.
Meanwhile Captain Lanibo, when
the eruption began, gave orders to
weigh anchor on the Eudocia and get
the vessel under way, saying to his
first lieutenant, "If one of those stones
falls aboard it may scud us to the bot
tom or explode the magazine. We
must get out of range until the erup
tion is over."
Just then the 'boys appeared at the
head of the ravine, and a boat was
manned at once to go to their rescue.
But it had 'barely left the side of the
brig when the boys were encompassed,
08 I have Just related, and orders were
given reluctnntly for the recall of the
boat. Every minute of delay in the
harbor was endangering the lives of all
on board.
All sail was set, two boats' crews
took a line ahead, and the Eudocia
moved out of the basin into the open
sea.
As long as the daylight lasted the
officers earnestly watched with their
glasses the two figures at the base of
the cliff, beyond the stream of lava.
After twilight came and all through
the night rockets were sent up to en
courage them and show them that the
vessel was lying by to take them off
at the first opportunity.
That night was never forgotten by
the two young officers. Through its
long hours they lay gasping at the foot
of the cliff, 'saved from the falling
stones by the overhanging wall above
and shielded from the Infernal stream
in front by their rampart of rocks.
The heat of the eruption caused a
strong wind to blow from the water,
and this undoubtedly saved the boys'
lives, tor It swept away the sulphurous
smoke and gases, and gave them oc
casional opportunities to breathe the
fresh air.
The possibility of escape hardly en
tered the boys' heads. At first there
was the dread lest the stream of lava
might rise to fill the ravine; but as the
hours went by and Its flow did not
materially Increase, their fear wos re
placed by a dull endurance of what
ever might be in store for them.
There was little sleep that night on
board the Eudocia. Tho two boys
were favorites, both with the officers
and the crew. All hoped for the best,
but feared the worst As the brig lay
rolling in the heavy antarctic swell,
now and then a strong gust would
blow aside the clouds that hid the land,
and they could see the black peak
spouting its fiery fountain, and the
lava streams winding down to the sen
like dull red serpents, and entering it
with a hissing that could be heard for
miles.
The short polar night soon passed,
and as morning came every eye on the'
vessel was turned toward the shore td
detect, if possible, some signs of life.
The force of the eruption, however,
was still unspent, and it was not safe
to approach very near the coast. The'
brig was compelled to pass that day
cruising to and fro in anxious doubt.
Another night came, and with it a
strong wind from the north, which
drove the smoke back upon the land,
and once more revealed the outline of
the coast. When the second morning
dawned the aspect of the shore was
changed.
The long white wall was seamed and
guttered with deep ravines, and black
streams of lava and rugged slopes of
rock showed here and there. The little
harbor in which they had lain was
gone. Scattered- along ithe broken
coast line rose columns of hissing, roar
ing steam, but the force of the volcano
was spent. No stones were falling
and the flow of lava had almost ceased.
Hardly daring to hope that his mid
dies were alive, Captain Lambe drew
in again toward the shore. Suddenly
the lookout in the foretop gave a shout.
At the foot of an overhanging cliff
Richard Scoresby rose from the ground
wildly waving a short Jacket. Besldo
him was seen Harry Furness, striving
to rise to his feet A cheer went up
from the brig, for it -was apparent that
both boys were safe. They had spent
two nights and a day in their shelter,
and come out of the fiery ordeal un
harmed. How to rescue them was the next
question, for the lava stream was still
impassable. Finally a landing was
made farther along the coast and a
rescuing party with ropes succeeded
in gaining the summit of the cliffs
above the boys' position and hoisted
them safely up. Youth's Companion.
First Typesetting Machine,
In answer to the query, How old are
typesetting machines? the London
Chronicle prints an extract from a copy
of the local llernld, of 1823: "Dr.
Church is now nt Birmingham prepar
ing his new printing machine. The
compositor has only to sit down at the
curious mechaulsm as he would sit at
a pianoforte, and as he strikes the
keys the types all fall from the case
into their proper places with a velocity
that keeps pace with the most rapid
speaker. ' The ' form having been
worked off, the type moves into the
melting pot, from which it is returned,
recast into its original state, and thence
distributed Into the case quite new.
One of these machines placed at; the
bar of the House of Commons would
always Insure a correct report of the
debate. Dr. Church, the inventor, is
a native of Boston, in New England."
Governmental Wisdom.
New South Wales, the most pro
gressive State of the Australian Com
monwealth, has for years been building
tip its population and productive capac
ity by advertising its natural resources,
climatic advantages and commercial
opportunities throughout the world.
One branch of its publicity campaign
is conducted by a salaried press agent,
who supplies thousands of newspaper)
in Europe and America with New
South Wales prosperity pabulum. His
Government has learned by experience
the value of newspaper advertising.
Philadelphia Record. ' N
A Bare Bird In England.
The Zoo has Just received the first
humming-bird which has reached the
garden, aud the second which has ever
arrived in England alive. It was
brought from Venezuela by Captain
Fain, and its food is syrup mixed with
extract of beef. The bird is a dark
green in color, with blue cheeks.
Loudon Chronicle.
HOW BOGUS GEMS ARE MADE
AN INDUSTRY
Skilful Methods of Turning Out Paste Diamonds-. How They
Are Cut and Polished.. Cementing; Two Small Stone
Into One. .Manufacture of Imitation Pearls.
AOK. HE passion for precious
V v stones which has reigned
O I O ill the minds of men and
1 i women almost from time
iWHr immemorial has, of course,
given rise to much counterfeiting of
the more valuable stones, says the Lon
don Tit-Bits.
All are more or less familiar with the
cheap glass imitations where the
worthlesBness of the article is so np
parent that there is no suggestion of
fraud. Few, however, realize to what
an extent skilled fraud exists in this
trade, more especially on the Conti
nent, where much of the diamond cut
ting is done. The manufacture of imi
tation gems of specially prepared glass
is quite an Important industry.
It Is now possible to produce In paste
an Imitation of almost every precious
stone which is capable of deceiving the
eyes of all but the most expert Not
only Is there a superficial resem
blance but a skilfully prepared "paste"
stone exhibits the same lustre and
high index of refraction and dispersion
as would a diamond of the first water.
The purity of the materials employed
Is such that an equal degree of- clear
ness and transparency Is given to the
Imitation as Is found In the genuine
stone. Color Is imitated also, so that
a ruby, emerald, sapphire or other gein
made of glass Is practically Indistin
guishable from the reol Jewel which
may hove cost hundreds of pounds.
The material of which these imita
tion stones ore made Is known as
"strass." This is made according to
different recipes, but usually includes
red lead, rock crystal, potassium car
bonate, borax and white arsenic. The
greater the amount of lead used In the
production of the "paste" the greater
will be the brilliancy and play of
prismatic colors in the finished stone,
and at the same time the highest will
be its specific gravity. On the other
hand, the stone loses in hardness
what it gains in brilliance. An old
time, but still serviceable, rough and
ready test for a stone is to see whether
;t will scratch or cut window glass,
which is, as a rule, harder than most
imitation stones.
It must not be imngincd that these
close Imitations of the real diamond
or other stone can be produced cheaply.
This is far from the case. A largo cap
ital Is required In the manufacture,
and the high degree of purity necessary
in all the materials employed necessi
tates an amount of care, and incident
ally waste, which is exceedingly ex
pensive. Moreover, the imitation gems
have to be cut and finished in precisely
the same manner as the real stones,
and this is perhaps tho most expens
ive part of tho procedure.
Another method of deceiving the un
wary purchaser of precious stones is to
palm off on him genuine stones which
have been "faked" in some way to
make them appear more valuable than
they really are. A device commonly
practiced is that of cementing two
stones so that they appear to bo one
large one. At first sight there does
not seem to be any object in such a
proceeding, but diamonds increase very
much In value if they are largo. For
instance, while 10 would bo a very
fair price for a diamond weighing one
carat, 150 might be paid for a five
carat stone of the same water.
Eastern Jewelers are particularly
skilful in this direction. An Indian
dcoler will think nothing of selling for
a large sum a beautiful stone, which
on examination by an expert proves
to be, perhaps, only a skilfully pre
pared piece of bottle glass. It is not,
of course, claimed that there is neces
sarily anything fraudulent in the skil
ful preparation of imitntlon stones to
resemble more valuable gems. Many
of the most reputable Jewelers deal in
these stones, charging a price for
which no one would expect to procure
the genuine article. So long as the
customer is taken Into .the Jeweler's
confidence there is nothing to object
to in the bargain.
A yellowish red stone called hya
cinth, and also the blue sapphire, lose
their color on being heated, and may
then be set as diamonds. Similarly,
various stones may be colored in such
a manner' as to make them resemble
others of a higher value.
A favorite method of preparing prec
ious stones so as to make them ap
pear more valuable than they really nre
is by means of the "doublet." This
may be done at the request of a cus
tomer who wishes to make a finer show
than he or she would otherwise be
able to do, or it may be practiced by
an unscrupulous dealer to deceive the
unwary. It is said that a great deal
of this work Is done ofi the Continent.
A doublet consists of an upper part,
which is genuine, secured to a lower
part of some less valuable stone or of
glass. The two parts are cemented to
gether and ground so as to leave no
trace of the union. The fire of the
genuine portion of tho stone is seen
through the imitation, which Is Itself
made of some paste with a high degree
of brilliancy. If the doublet is secured
by cement the two portions will fall
apart on Immersion in hot water.
When the base is composed of glass,
however, it is usually fused lo the up
per and genuine half, so that the fraud
Is very difficult to detect.
Another way to prepare n doublet Is
to make the upper portion of rock crys
tal, or some timiif.r transparent ma
THAT REQUIRES LARGE
CAPITAL.
terial with a high degree of hardness,
and the lower portion of tinted gloss,
which seems to impart its color to the
whole. This fraud hiny be readily de
tected by holding the stone to the
light; but as it is usually employed in
making up Jewelry with closed settings
the purchaser has no opportunity of
making this test.
Finally, colored stones are imitated
in a particularly ingenious way by
means of rock crystal ground to resem
ble the usual oppearauce of the partic
ular stone to be imitated, but with a
bqllow cavity . inside, .which is filled
with colored woter. The cavity is
then closed by means of a plate of
rock crystal skilfully fitted in, and
there appears, perhaps, an exquisite
ruby, sapphire, emerald or amethyst
very difficult to distinguish from' the
genuine stone.
Every one is familiar with the pretty
strings of imitation pearls which can
now be purchased everywhere. These
are usually made of onniina Ktno
treated carefully with hydrofluoric
uciu, ana it would not occur to any
one to attempt to nass them nff ab
anything else. Very good imitations
or tne genuine pearl nre made from
mother-of-pearl also. This material is
turned to the required shape and pol
ished beautifully, when it has an np
pearnnce very similar to that of the
genuine article, though an expert can
readily distinguish the imitation pearl
from the real one.
Ever since the seventeenth century
beautiful beads closely resembling the
finest Indian pearls have been Bwnu
factured. Glass beads of the reonlreil
pattern are first made. They are then
coateu inside with a material made
from fish scales and bavin? the liistrn
of the genuine pearl. The beads are
men filled up with wax. These beau
tiful imitation pearls nre hv no mentis
cheap, however. This is not surprising.
wnen we learn that it takes 20,000
fishes to yield one pound of the sllverv
white material which, is used to pro
duce tlie necessary pearl-like lustre.
WARTS
What This Ordinarily Trivial Annoyanos
Keally Js.
An ordinary wnrt is a local over
growth or hypertrophy of the papillary
layer of the skin. It may bo covered
on the top with the 'epithelial layer,
which gives it a smooth surface; or
the epithelium may fall away and
leave the separate strings showing at
the point of the wart, like so many
brown or black seeds whence the
name of seed wort
Warts of this kind occur most com
monly on the hands of children. They
ore caused usually by the irritation of
the many sorts of dirt into which the
youngsters' hands are so constantly
plunged. It seems probable that warts
are slightly contagious, and that they
may be spread through a schoolful
of children by direct contact.
Sometimes warts are quite broad
ond flat, of a smooth surface and yel
lowish in color. Such occur frequently
about the face and occasionally also
on the hands.
Another form of flat wart may come
on the back in the aged. It is broad,
Irregular in outline, with uneven
seedy" surface, and sometimes cov
ered with greasy scales.
Warts vary a good deal in color.
Some are indistinguishable in color
from the surrounding skin, while oth
ers are pinkish, yellow'ish, brown, or
even quite black. The dark color may
be due to the deposit of pigment in the
body of the wart; but it is more often.
especially in children, simply dirt
which has been worked down between
the "seeds. Soaking them in warjn
soapsuds and scrubbing with the nail
brush will usually restore the natural
pinkish color. Some warts are," how
ever, deeply pigmented, constituting
true moles. These nre more common
on the skin of the chest, abdomen and
back.
A wart is usually a trivial thing,
but its removal is nevertheless advis
able. Its prominence above the sur
face exposes it constantly to slight in
juries which may keep it in a painful
condition; it is never an ornament,
and may be most unsightly; and final
ly, in persons getting along in years,
it may take on new growth and develop
into a tumor.
In children warts come and go with
out apparent reason, and treatment is J
often unnecessary; but if they persist
for a long time, or when they come on
the adult skin, it is better to get rid
of them. Sometimes soaking in warm
sea-water for ten minutes two or three
times a day will cause the warts to
disappear. This can be tried first, and
if it fails and application of salicylic
acid in collodion or touching the wart
with a drop of glacial acetic acid on
the end of a match will suffice.
Youth's Companion.
Willing.
A bashful suburban counle souirht a
city minister, says the Boston Herald,
and asked his aid in getting married.
"Very well," said the clergyman.
"Will you be married with a ring?"
"Whv. VPS." Riihl ilie crrnnm lietlfnK
ingly, "ye-es If if you have one handy
i guess wo win.
In most of the Japanese cities there
are young women who earn a living as
professional entertainers.
SHARK FISHING
a "Sport" That Is Both Dantjrroui and
Kshllaratlnc
With a splosh sufficiently vigorous
to scare a sleeping whale, over goes
the hook half a hundredweight of
Ironware, fastened by a steel chain to
a rope, cable, capable of standing a
tested strain of five tons. One does
not fish for the tiger of the seas with
silk lines and drawn-gut custs. The
hook is bailed with a four-pound lump
of fat, bilious-looking suit pork; or,
belter still, with a piece of porpoise
blnnber to which a small square of
tough hide is sllll attached a bolt
which no shark that ever swam could
resist
Our quarry is, not unnaturally, some
what frightened by tho splash mafle
purposely, by the way, with the Idea
of attracting his attention with which
this delicate lure is thrown to him,
and sheers off doubtfully. His hesi
tation, however, does not lost long.
Ho remembers the delightful flavor of
the delicacy he has already hod, and
comes up with a rush to enjoy the sec
ond course.
There is a slight 'oily swirl, a flash
of white from his belly as he turns
over, two double rows of sharp, mur-deroug-looktng
teeth come together
with a snap, and bait, hook and a foot
or two of the rusty chain nre swal
lowed without a gulp. Then, as the
point of the hood bites Into the cartil
aginous framework of his head, lie
becomes alarmed, and tries to break
awny. No use; that five-ton cable
will hold hltn. Hand-over-fist he is
hauled in to the side; a running noose
Is dropped down the line and around
his body, and a dozen eager anglers
haul him unceremoniously up on deck.
And then the cream of the fun begins.
He looks bigger now than lie did
when he was in the water. His lash
ing tail and viciously snapping jaws
are not to be approached without due
caution. A slip might mean the loss
of an arm, bitten off clean by one of
those convulsive snaps. He squirms
about, mixing up into a general hotch
potch everything moveable which
conies within his reach; and it is not
until his power of attack has been
most strictly limited by the tangle
of ropes of all kinds which have been
Jerked and twisted around him by
tho more daring of his captors, that
the majority care to come within reach
of his jaws or tall.
A plank is now slipped cautiously
under his tall, and, with one short,
crisp chop of the cook's big chopper,
it is severed from the rest of him nt the
thinnest part, nnd carried off to be
nailed to the jlblioom "for luck." De
prived of his In 11, the shark is consid
ered to be practically harmless; nnd
now it is that .luck whips out his
sheath-knlfe, and becomes for 1ho
time h cruel, vindictive fiend. Every
sailor considers that he has n grudge
to pay off against that quivering, de
fenceless mass of fish, and there and
then lie proceeds to pay it, revelling
in the torments he inflicts, nnd warmly
applauding any device of torture which
strikes nlui as being peculiarly fiend
ish. Pearson's Magazine.
Ths Interview That Fallxdi
Following the somewhat indistinct
directions of n small and impertinent
errand boy, we sought out the Great
Man's chambers, and knocked at the
Great Man's door. Receiving no an
swer or assistance from within, we
admitted ourselves, and beheld the
Great Man seated at his desk, with his
bock towards us. For a while "we
stood unobserved, till at last, by cough
ing for a third time with offensive
noisiness, we attracted his attention'.
Without turning around, he ad
dressed us in the following gracious
and outspoken manner .... "I
have paid my Income Tax, I cannot
give you bread, money or hospital
tickets, nor do I stand in need of any
body's backache pills. You need not,
therefore, stay."
"Excuse us," we replied, "we are not
tax collectors, beggars or touts."
"In any case," he said, "you will find
tho door behind you."
Encouraged by this genial welcome,
we proceeded to the object of our visit,
nnd arranging In our minds a series of
questions as to the Great Man's past,
present nnd probable future, his own,
his wife's, his children's, nnd his ser
vants' domestic pets, we opened with
the usual question: "You are, we be
lieve, the renowned Mr. Ettseterer?"
"I am," he replied, "not."
Feeling that further interrogation
was as unnecessary as it would bo im
polite, we wished our host a cordial
"Good-nlglit," nnd, whistling merrily,
took our leave. Punch.
Castro Vary Short of Money.
I oin informed by diplomatists who
keep in touch with Venezuelan affairs
that President Castro is very short of
money, owing to a serious dimunltion
in the customs, due no doubt, to his
provocative policy abrqad. All public
(ivoiks have been stopped, and Govern
ment contracts are being annulled. As
for the French Cable Conipuny dis
pute. President Castro has tried to in
duce an English firm to provide a tele
graphic service with the United States
by laying a cable via Trinidad. P.ut
Trinidad refused permission, and the
Euglish firm declined the proposal. In
the meantime the quarrel with France
is as far from settlement as ever, but
there is no truth in the rumors indus
triously invented that the French Gov
eminent is about to use force. I learn
unofficially, but on very good evidence,
that the difficulty is likely to be settled
in quite another way. If France will
only wait patiently and give Preslde-it
Castro n little more rope, he will hni.
himself. There is little doubt that a
revolution Is. In prospect, which would
probably end his perverse career. Lou
don Standard.
In Paris the average price of pure
milk is 133.8 cents a gallon.
GOOD
m ROADS.
Merely Common Sense.
Charles Sumner once sold: "The road
and the schoolmaster are the two most
Important agents in advancing civiliza
tion." Common sense teaches that the
difference between good and bad roads
is equivalent to the difference between;
profit nnd loss. 'It teaches that goodl
roads hove a moTiey value to the whole
people as well ns a political and social
value, and leaving out convenience,
comfort, social and refined influences;
which good roads always enhance, and1
looking at them only from the "al
mighty dollar" side, they are found'
to pay handsome divideuds each year.
People generally have come to realize
that road building is a public matter;
common sense docleares it to be a func
tion of government.
Sand-Clay Roads.
Almost every community is favored
with on abundance of stone, gravel,
sand or clay, and by the proper man
agement a desirable road can be con
structed with cither one of these. A
there is a wide difference in the char
acter of the materials pTcat care should'
always be exercised In selecting only
the best such as contains sufficient
toughness and cementing qualities as
will form a surface sufficiently hard,
and durable to endure the volume of
traffic, and at the same time make the
road less impervious to wntor, which is
its worst enemy.
In successful road building too much
attention cannot be given to the proper
drainage, surfacing and rolling; and in
doing this work the use of the lutest
improved machinery is very necessary
in the construction of any kind of
road if the best results are to be" ob
tainod. Anything thai; is worth doing
is worth doing well, is an adage that
might aptly bo applied in connection
with this question. This rule Js not al
ways adopted, however, but it is far
better to build permanent highways so
that they will need little or no repairs
for n long time to come. In some local
ities conditions nre such that a good
stone road may be built r.i a cost rang
ing from $'J0OO to $3000 per mile, but
in others $"000 or $10,000 are expend
ed; while good sand-clay roads can be
built from $200 to $500 per mile.
There are many phases of the ques
tion of road improvement of whlcn
much might be said, but at present
the writer wishes to direct attention
more particularly to the improvement
of tho common- roads by the sand-claw,
method, which is quite inexpensive.
When sand abounds in such quantity as
to render travel on tho roads difficult,
nn application of clay may bo made to
good advantage, and where clay is
equally objectionable sand may be
similarly applied and with equally as
beneficial results Progressive Farmer.
flovernment Aid to Pnbllo Koadn.
Following Is n resolution' introduced
by Mnj. W. A. Graham, of North Caro
lina, and adopted by the Farmers'
National Congress, recently in session
at Richmond:
"Whereas, the National Government
wisely makes appropriations for the
Improvement of our harbors, rivers and
lines of railroad transportation, to ply
mote the commerce of the nation by af
fording markets for selling the prod
ucts of the people nnd for purchasing
tho needed goods of other nations; the
same wise policy could be promoted
and extended by appropriations to es
tablish and improve the public roads
In the respective States in order that
the farmer may be enabled at least
cost to place his productions at the
places of distribution. If the domestic
and foreign commerce is advanced by
appropriating to horbors, rivers and
extended or 'through' lines of domestic
transportation, It will be benefited in
an increased mnnner by appropriations
to the public roads or highways, so
as to enable the producer to reach the
markets of his section at reasonable
cost. There can be no valid reason
why benefits that are extended to tho
buyer and seller should be denied the
farmer; therefore be it
"Resolved 1. That his Excellency,
the President of the United States, is
most respectfully petitioned to recom
mend to Congress in his message some
system of appropriations to improve
the public roads in the States.
"2. That Congress is earnestly peti
tioned and urged to enact a law, or
raws, niaKiug nuequaie provision ior
the betterment of the public roads by
sufficient appropriations to the purpose.
"3. That a copy of this paper be sent
by the President of this Congress to
His Excellency, the President of the
United Stales, and also the presiding
officer of eaeli House of Congress, with
request to present them for considera
tion to the body over which, he pre
sides." Portable Wireless Telegraphy.
Tortable .wireless telegraph statloi.1
are now manufactured in Germany or
such light weight that carts or wagont
are no longer needed for their trans
portation, the parts being carried by
men. While, with stations moved by
wagons, the air conductors are at
tached to balloons or kites, with port
able stations they are attached to steel ,
masts. These musts, three in number.
can be pushed together like a telescope
and are then about twelve 'and one
half feet long, but can easily be pulled
out to u length of thirty-three feet.
The electric energy required is fur
nished by so-called "tread dynamos,"
counted upon a sort of stationary bl
cy with a light seat for the man,
win, eeps the machinery going with
his fee. Tho electric energy can also
be suppled with a portable storage
battery.