A Whale's Terrific Battle With a School of Thrashers. AN AWE INSPIRING CONTEST. The Unequal Fight Was Ended by the Death of the Courageout Mammal, Who Wa Torn to 8hreda by Her Ferocious Assailants. Early one morning while engaged In building new quarters for the light house keeper nt Breaksea island, near Itottnest, Western Australia, the ex tractor and his men notice a bull whale, with a cow and calf, passing the Island some distance off. Tbey watched them with Interest for awhile, noting the Immense size of the two parents and the methodical regularity With which columns of water rose from their blowholes and then resum ed their labors. An hour or so later about 9 o'clock, to be exact the men were startled by an extraordinary noise, apparently coming from the eastern end of the Is land, a noise unlike anything they bad ever heard before. Dropping their tools and staring toward the east, tbey beheld such a sight as It falls to the lot of few people to witness. There, not BOO yards from the shore, was being waged a battle to the death a fight between the great cow whale previously seen and a school of thrash er sharks. The calf was swimming about distractedly, but the old bull had disappeared, having basely desert ed bis family at the first approach of danger. The. sharks, as though acting In ac cordance with some preconcerted plan, had completely surrounded the two Whales and, apparently realizing that nothing was to be feared from the calf, concentrated all their efrorts upon the cow. Again and again they charg ed In upon her, their jaws snapping, tearing at her ml!;: sides until the sea was red with blood. Meanwhile the cow lashed her tail furiously, hurl ing up sheets of reddened water and occasionally crashing down with ter rific force upon one of her voracious opponents. Maddened with pain and rage, she dashed this way and that, but the sharks hung to her side with a persistency and ferocity that made the fascinated onlookers shudder. Now and again the wildly lashing tail would catch one of the assailants, driving it beneath the waves no doubt killed or disabled but the remainder rushed In undismayed, tearing viciously at the mammal's bleeding flanks or butting her with the force of battering rams. Presently the spellbound spectators realized two facts first, that the calf had disappeared In the melee and, sec ond, that the tortured whale was un doubtedly becoming weaker. It was obvious that the unequal struggle could have only one ending. Still, however, she foujjht on doggedly, win ning admiration and sympathy by her exhibition of hopeless courage. Alter ing her tactics, by a supreme effort she hurled her whole great bulk clear of the water for a moment, and the fasci nated onlookers beheld the sbnrks hanging from various parts of her gleaming body by their serrated teeth. Then down she went again with a crash like thunder, and for an Instant whale and sharks were buried amid masses of foam, heavily colored with the poor mammal's Ufeblood. Rising again, she essayed another change of plan, making for the rocks and desper ately striving to rub off the clinging sharks against their edges. But the thrashers were equal to the occasion. While those on the outside maintained their grip, the others dived tinder their nemy and charged her anew, tearing at. the whale's side In an ecstasy of ferocity that was bloodcurdling to wit ness. More and more feeble grew the whale's struggles, and at last, to the heartfelt relief of the spectators, for her death fight had been terrible to be hold, the great body turned over and flank beneath the red tinted water. The unequal battle was over, having lasted from 9 o'clock until noon, as awe Inspiring a contest as man was ever privileged to witness. The men -went back to their work greatly Im pressed by the unique spectacle, and expressions of Fympathy for the whale were heard on every side. Forty-eight hours afterward the whale's body, which had In the mean time become distended with gas, rose to the surface and exploded with a roar like a miniature powder maga tine, causing the startled people to rush to the shore to discover what bad happened. On examination of the re mains it was discovered that every shred of the outer flesh of the whale had been torn off by the sharks, who had doubtless gone off to repeat their tactics upon some other hapless levln than. Victor ntt-Eethley in St. Louis Tost-DIspatch. What He Sold. One of the witnesses in a case in a Dublin court was asked. "Did you sell Major Studdert a horser "No. sor." ,'4'Did your father sell Major Studdert horse?" "No, sor." "Did your jrandfather sell him a horser "No. ' Bor." "Well, then, did any member of your family sell Major Studdert any thing?' "Yes, sor." "Who did. then?" "1 did, sor." "And what did you sell Major Studdert?" "I sold him a mare, or." The counsel sat down, and the court roared. Politeness Is like an air cushlon .there's nothlmr In it. nnt It Mae the 'joints wouderfully. ' - ' THE UMPIRE Did You Ever Hear the Fans Cheer Him For Hia Work? There Is one unique phase connected ; with the life of the umpire winch per haps has never occurred to most lov ers of baseball. - You have often been to a theater and seen the hero or hero ineyes, even the villain win round after round of applause for xume ex cellent bit of acting. You have been to a footbnll game and heard some bull gladiator rheered to the echo for making a loug run that resulted In a touchdown or for a fly ing tackle that prevented Imminent defeat When some player Is Injured they convey their sympathy to him by cheering his name. You have been to a ball game and heard the fans cheer some crack pitcher because In a pinch he Vanned some mighty batter. It's Just the nat ural way of the American to show ad miration and appreciation. Back your brain, think your hard est, recall every game you have ever attended, then see If you can remem ber a time when the umpire drew ap plause for his work. Have you ever heard the fans cheer the name of the umpire after he has worked a fifteen inning game which fairly bristled with close and unusual plays and got away without a kick? If you can recall such an Incident. Just dot It down In your notebook that you were present at a very, very unusual happening. Do they cheer the umpire's name when be stops a foul tip with his shin or has a swift shoot bounced off his mask? Yes, they do not Any Injury to the umpire usually, gets a round of derisive laughter from the crowd. Generally, if he has been going bnd. some leather lunged Individual re quests that he be killed or chloroform ed. Of course there are many people In the stands who sympathize with the umpire. Their sympathy is usually silence. That Isn't much balm to his Injury or feelings. Applause would sound so strange to an umpire's ears that he would proba bly become so thoroughly frightened he would Jump the back fence. Billy Evans In New York Tribune. THE TELESCOPE. Galilei's Rude Inetrument the First Used In Astronomy. The first telescope was pointed to ward the sky on Jan. 7. 1610, when Galilei first tried bis rude instrument and was rewarded by discovering some of the moons of Jupiter. No great magnifying power was needed for this, as at least one of the moons Is large enough to be seen by the naked eye did not the nearness of the brilliant planet prevent this. Lenses had been known for a lonjr time and were nt thill time in i-oinmnn use by near sighted persons. The nann of the real discoverer of the telescope seems to he unknown, bill the accepted story now Is thai two young sons nf n Middelmry op tician named l.lppersley some time between K!0r n ml WON. while playing with some lenses, happened to hold two of them al a distance from each other ntid were surprised nml dollght ed to llnd Hint the weather vane on n neighboring tower seemed to come near them when looked at through tho two lenses. In April. 1000. a little telescope made In Holland was offered for sale In Paris. The next month tinlllel. then a pro fessor In the university at Padua, heard of this Instrument and realized at once its importance In the study of astronomy. From the description of the Dutch Instrument be had one made at once, and In August he as tounded the people of Venice by show ing them from the top of the cam panile persons entering the doors of the church at Murano. This spyglass was less than two inches in diameter and magnified three times. From this crude instrument of Galilei to the monster telescopes forty Inches in diameter of the present day Is the de velopment of only three centuries. Argonaut An Interruption. Among the primary pupils enrolled In a Baltimore school Is the son of a Dromlnent business man of that city. says Harper's Magazine. One after noon at close of school the youngster sought out his father In his office, to whom he said: ' "Dad, I'm getting tired of school. I think I'll quit" "Why," asked the astonished parent "what's the matter. Tommy? I thought you were fond of going to school." "Sr T am. dad." responded the young ster, suppressing a yawn, '"but It breaks up the day so." Hia Opening Break. , A congressman had returned to bis constituency to deliver a carefully pre pared address. The day arrived, and, loosening the first button of his Prince Albert he uttered his carefully pre pared prefatory remarks, and to this day he cannot understand the ripple of laughter which swept over his au dience when be uttered his opening sentence. "Before I begin to speak to you I desire to say something.". He said it Kansas City Star. - On the Way. "I understand that you owe every thing to your wife," said the tactless relative. "No," answered Mr. Meekton. "but I will if I don't stop playing bridge with her and her mother." Her SliD. Be Do you think If 1 were to kiss you your dog would bite me? She Well er he's never done it to any I oo bejore, . , . The Making of Lensse.' The essential part of any device for the study of the starry millions the suns, planets, comets aud the nebulae that are perhaps new worlds In the making Is the lens or the optical train that consists of u series of leuses. It Is this that makes the modern science of astronomy possible. There is abso lutely no other human occupation that requires the accuracy of observation and the delicacy of touch that are requisite for the making of the finest lenses. These are the most perfect products of human hands. It may convey some Idea of the labor requir ed In the making of a large lens to say that at least one year's time Is re quired for the grinding and polishing of a thirty Inch object glass. A little lens two inches In diameter requires the unremitting care and attention of a skilled workman for two. or three days. It Is easy, then, to see why it is that even leuses of high class photo graphic work are costly. A forty Inch object glass or a large telescope can not be made In much less than four years' time, and if everything does not go Just right it may require much longer than tbat-Kansas City Star. Persian Jests. " An exceedingly ugly man, says the Persian Joe Miller, was once in the mosque, asking pardon of Allah for his sins and praying to be delivered from the fires of hell. One who over heard his prayers said to him: "Where fore, O friend, wouldst thou cheat hell of such a countenance? Art thou re luctant to burn up a face like that?" Another story the Persian Jester tells Is that a certain person with a hideous nose was once on a time wooing a wo man. Describing himself to her and trying to make an' attractive picture, he said, "I am a man devoid of light ness and frivolity, and I am patient In bearing afflictions!" "Aye," said the woman. "Wert thou not patient in bearing afflictions thou hadst never endured thy nose these forty years!" All of which is more witty than kind. Harper's. Bohemians and Wedding Rings. "Here are two wedding rings that I have Just made over." said the Jew eler. "They are for Bohemian wonitm. They lost their own rings, so they had their husbands' rings cut down to .fit. That Is a custom In their country. Both husband aud wife wear wed ding rings there. If the man loses bis ring he has to buy a new one, but if the woman loses hers she wears ber husband's. I do a good deal of that kind of work. Other women who lose wedding rings Just buy another one and say nothing about it. but these wo men are too conscientious Tor that. Usually I have to make the man's ring smaller, but once In awhile It has to be spliced to make It tit. The women are always considerably chagrined over the splicing and offer all kinds nf explanations to account for their his fingers." New YorlfSun. . ' Ths Roulette Ball. That capricious little ball that de cides our fortunes at the ever fns-l- naling game of roulette at Monte no lo occasionally tiles from tlie suiiiiin croupier's hand, though not often One afternoon It slipped from Its manipulator's lingers and found its wav into tin I'.nglisliiiian's coot pocket So Impressed was l-lie Englishman that he promptly lost a couple of hu:i dred pounds. But the little ball om e found a far stranger destination, than that. Ksc-iplnu from the croupier';' hand. It tlew straight Into the month of n German onlooker, and lie was so Impressed that he promptly hwiiIIowco it London Bystander. Tea In Paraguay. When the natives of Paraguay drink- tea they do not pour It from b teapot Into n run. but fill a goblet miule nut of a pumpkin or gourd aud then sutk up the hot liquid through a long reeo Moreover, the tea which they use is altogether different from that which comes from China, being made out of dried and roasted leaves of a palm like plant which grows in Paraguay and southern Brazil. The natives say that this tea is an excellent remedy for fever and rheumatism. Sparrowgrass. It Is stated that a well known riddle sh written bv a costermoneer. The riddle In question is a charade and runs as follows: My first's a little bird as 'ops; My second's needful In 'ay crops; My 'ole Is good with mutton chops. The answer, of course. Is "sparrow grass." which the learned Dr. Parr al ways insisted on using in preference to the politer "asparagus." London Notes and Queries. A Real Poet. Toetry." said the literary girl, "is the art of expressing Intense feeling in figurative speech.". . "In that case," replied Miss Cayenne. vthe man who writes baseball news Is sure a poet" Washington Star. She Wanted to Know. Bridegroom Now that we are mar ried, darling, we must have no more secrets from each other. Bride Then tell me truly. Jack, bow much did you really pay for that engagement ring? Illustrated Bits. She Was Numerous. "I want a license to marry the best girl In the world," said the young man "Funny, Isn't it?" commented the clerk. "That ninkes 1.300 licenses for that girl ' this season." Philadelphia Telegraph. I do not know of any way so sure of making others happy as of being so oneself.-rSir Arthur Helps,' 1' Dying .o Order. Dying to order is one of the most sacred customs of the American In dian. Many years ago Standing Elk went to Major James McLaughlin, the author of "My Friend the Indian," and said, "Father, my wife will die today, and she wauts a coflln from you." The major asked hlni what the ail ment was, and he replied: "Just nothing but that she heard the ghosts calling and must go." Somebody had told her, It turned out that she was sick, so she had "painted for death," and all her rela tives had gathered about to bemoan her and Incidentally uiviuo ner prop erty as soon as she was dead. There was no use in the major's arguing about It so he had the coffln made. In manv cases those "painted for death" are actually bullied Into dying, but Mrs. Standing Elk was still too vigorous. Finally In despair she car ried the coffln Into the uouse on ner own shoulders, and several years later the major saw It still standing on end In her house. Shelves had been fitted intn it and it was doing duty as a cup board. Pittsburg Chroulcle-Telegraph. Improving Americans. '. "Nothing Is fixed but the certainty of change," said Goethe, and we know that the future American will repre sent a change. He may be taller or shorter or thinner or fatter than the American of today, but there Is noth ing in the existing state of society and we use society In Its broad sense to Indicate that be will not be better In many ways. Confidence In this Is based largely on the evident determi nation of the American of today to leave our Institutions and our Ideals better than he found them. Every American, native or foreign born, wants his children to have a better ed ucation than it was possible for him to secure. He wants to have his chil dren live in a community of higher standards and Ideals than be has; he wants betterment in local, state and national conditions, and the result of the want will bo Improvement and a demand by his children for still great er Improvement St Paul Pioneer Press. An Economical Man. A commercial traveler told of a man who was riding on a train and pretend ed to become ill after eating a sand wich. The man opened his grip and took out a hot water bag. "He got a sympathetic porter," the commercial man continues, "to fill the water bag with boiling water, and then he opened up his lunch basket, took out a piece of fried steak and warmed it up on the water bag. You talk about your light housekeeping! Then after he had warmed the steak he cut it all up with a pair of scissors and fed It to himself with a pnir of sugar tongs, because he would not take a chance with a fork going around a curve. But his finish was a limit After ho had eaten the steak he unscrewed the stopper of the water bag and poured himself out a cup of hot coffee. He had the grounds in the bag all the time." In a Quandary. The young lady sighed deeply anil was almost affected to tear "Harold," she said, "declares thnt If I don't marry him he will end his life. And I am afraid he will." She stifled a" -sob. then continued: "And Randolph declares that if 1 don't marry him he will go Into poll- tics and become great and famous, and then ho says I shall see what I have missed. And I am afraid he will keep his word too." Overcome by emotion, she burled her face In ber bonds, not knowing wheth er to sa ve a lifo or to spare the coun try another politician. Exchange. An Amendment. "Are you ready to live on my In come?" he asked softly. She looked up Into bis face trust ingly. "Certainly, dearest," she answered, "lf-lf ' "If whnt?" "If you get another one for your self." New York Journal. Ths Drsadsd Doctor. "How did you like your dinner?" in quired the epicure. "Well," answered the dyspeptic, "It was admirable In every respect But my doctor has put me Into such an apprehensive frntne of mind that when ever I really enjoy eating anything I become utterly miserable." , The Analysis. "Did you hnve the soil of your back yard analyzed by the agricultural de partment?" "Yes. They said It consisted largely of glass, tin and. putty, with traces of builder's lime, and suggested that It might do to raise a mortgage on." Louisville Courier-Journal. Great Achievement. "And whnt do you regard as the greatest triumph of modern surgery?" "Collecting the bills." promptly re sponded the great practitioner. Lon don Spare Moments. Especially In the Subways. "There alu't hot one trouble with this here city air," snd Uncle Itufe. sniffing the atmosphere speculatively; "It do need vcntllntln.'" nolland'a Magazine. " Hia Reason. . "Why do you always leave the house, James, when I begin to sing the old sougs?" I pouted Mrs. Howllt. "Fresh air," said Howllt Harper's Weekly. , He who has the truth In bis heart need never fear the want of persua sion on bis tongue. Ruskln. Know What Clothes ScienceMeans DATHER a technical term to use for Clothes, but when you learn its true meaning, you will see how it describes Clothcraft Clothes. CL0THCMFT: All-WoolCloihes10to25 This Is your Invitation to come in and see our great 'gathering of Clothcraft Clothes.1 Bing-Stoke Company. REYNOLDSVILLE, PA. Northampton Hard Vein Roofing Slate A superior product, does not absorb moisture, is unchangeable in color and does not fade, rust or decompose. A roof of Hard Vein Slate needs no repair. Sold by THE WOODWORK SUPPLY COMPANY REYNOLDSVILLE, PA. THE RURAL LETTER CARRIER will accept your registered letter containing money or oheoks, and give you the reoeipt of the Government therefor, thus insuring safe delivery. Mail your deposits to this strong and popular bank, whioh wlU forward bank book recording the entries by return mail, and pay you FOUR PER CENT PER ANNUM, on your money. Officers of this bank are among ths most careful, eonsoientioua and experienced bankers in the United States, and your money ia absolutel r safe in their hands. It is further secured by asseta of over SIXTEEN MILLION DOLLARS, and a much larger cash reserve than the laws of the State require. PITTSBURGH BANKjorSAVINGS 4-ih.AVE and SMJTnFELD iST. lcJJ A33ETO OVER. 16 Call or Write Mi -a . Niagara Falls Five Day Excursion $4.00 Saturday, May 28, 1910 BUFFALO, ROCHESTER & PITTSBURGH RAILWAY Train leaves Falls Creek 2.32 a. m. and 1.06 p. m. PENNSYLVANIA :: RAILROAD BULLETIN SUMMER The time is coming No other countryon the face of the globe contains so manyjdelightful summer resorts as the United States, with its near neighbor,JCanada. The Pennsylvania! Raifroad will issue its popular SummerjExcursion Book on June 1,-and you will find it fct.a wonderful help in plotting out your summer trip. It contairisjdescriptions of about eight hundred of theleadiug resorts of North America, lists of hotels and boarding houses at these various places, a map, routes and rates from the principal stations on the Pennsylvania Rail- Lf. road, and other valuable information. , ETIT. H If you have grown tired of the resort you have visited for years, y ou may make a selection from this book for fea a stayof a day, a week, a month, or the whole summer. ' jjj, You may plot out an extended tour covering mountain and seashore.Jor a fishing trip, or a hunting teSSjaunt, by rail or boat, or a combination of both. Egr Any Ticket Agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad will be glad to furnish 'a copy of this valuable book for ten cents, or it will be mailed you postpaid on receipt of . twenty-five cents, by Geo, W: Boyd, General Passenger &vo.y.. PV.;ior1o1r1i,'fi I Pa The makers have in vented 207 different appliances that reduce the cost of production to a minimum. So you can now get Clothcraft Clothes at a third less than other clothes of equal high grade. That Is Scientific Tailoring. It means economy and satisfaction foryou. We make a special feature of Clothcraft Clothes. They are guaran teed pure wool and will hold their style and shape until their last day. - MILLION DOLLARS for Booklet O M. VACATIONS. for summer outings. Have you
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers