The military school of France now | includes English in the list of subjects for matriculation. No fewer than 5t>,000 men have de eerted from the English militia during tho last five years, and in the samo period nearly 70,000 of the same force joined the regular army. Massachusetts is still the prime abode, if not the paradise, of the gentler sex, observes tho Boston Herald. Sixty thousand more woineu than men demonstrates this fact. Connecticut observes a holiday in honor of Abraham Lincoln on October 15. The day is not au anniversary of any particular event of Lincolu's life, and was selected merely because it is a good time of tho year to have a holiday. The Wilmington Messenger declares that the authenticity of the Mecklen burg declaration of independence is clearly proved to the satisfaction of all North Carolinians by a receat pam phlet on the subjeot written by Dr. George Graham and Professor Alex Graham, of Charlotte. The consumption of coal per head of population is lowest in Austria, whero it is only one-sixth ton per an num, and highest iu Great Britain, where each person averages three and tbreo-tenth tons each year. Iu the United States the average is two and cme-fourth tons a year. Matthew Frazier, a man of eighty two, who died a few days ago near Lawrenceburg, Ky., had the rare dis tinction of being tho sole eau3e of a law passed by the Legislature of his Stato some years ago. He was a bird catcher—the only one in Kentucky— and he captured so many mocking birds and red birds that the Legisla ture, fearing that these two birds would become extinct, passed a law making birJ-eatehiug a misdemeanor. According to the New Y'ork Sun, so much fruit has beeu raised iu Califor nia this season that the looal markets have been glutted, and in San Francis co tons of melons, pears au l plums havo been thrown into the saa. Tho latter way of disposing of tho fruit was one of wilful waste, for it might have been given to tho poor of tho city—people too poor even to buy the stuff, cheap as it was. But this course would not havo been business nnd probably would have prevented sales on succeeding days. One day recently canteloupes wore selling in San Fran cisco for ten cents a crate, and water melons could not be sold even at two to five cents each. That same after noon 500 crates of canteloupes, 20J crates of watermelons, au 1 a great amount of plnnas and pears were dumped into the bay. Alaska has lately enteral into strong competition with the East for the Northwestern market for salt fish, 6o long a specialty of New England. The importance of the Alaskan fisher ies is but little understood outside the Territory, most of her products in this line being classed as from tha "Northwest," without special credit. There are about a dozen salmon can neries now running in Alaska, and the output this year will be about 2,353,- 000 dozen cans. A big industry in packing clams and making and bot tling clam juice has lately become es tablished, and about 50,03) dozen cansofolams were put up this year. Halt cod, herrings and other 6uch standed suited fish products have just begun to push their way into the Ore gon and Washington markets, which have hitherto been supplied from the East, and there are goo I indications that the industry will grow to great proportions. A number of the malo Indian pupils of Hampton Institute have been work ing the past summer on farms along the valley of the Hoosatonic, in Con necticut. Thus they supplement their industrial training with actual experi ence on alarm. Their wages are sent directly to the institute, instead of being given to them. Their employ ers usually find them strong and will ing workmen. One of those said of a young Cherokee whom ho had ou his farm for two months: "Ho is always in a good temper and nover shirks any work. But he has a curious lack of appreciation of the value of time. If he is put at auy such task as cradling, where the labor is of one kind and continuous, he does exceedingly well. But if I give him a number of odd jobs to look after, he is less satisfac tory. He gets through one thing, and it takes him a long time to start at the next. I have spoken to him about economy of time and he prom isee to try to do better. Ho seems anxious to learn." OPEN THE DOOR. Open the door, let in tho atr, The winds are sweet and tho flowors are fair; Joy is abroad in the world to-day. If our door is wide open he may come this way. Open the door. Open the door, let in the sun, He hath a smile for every one; lie hath made of the raindrops gold and Kerns, Ho may change our tears to diadems. Open the door. Open the door of tho soul, let in Strong, pure thoughts, which shall banish sin; They will grow aud bloom with a grace divine. And their fruit shall ho sweeter than that of tho vine. Open the door. Open the door of the heart, let in Sympathy sweet for stranger and kin: It will make the halls of the heart so fair That angels may enter unaware. Open the door. -—Chicago Inter Ocean. A DELAYEI) ERRAND. u ro "' ' lev y° u i? o '- 1 JS homo lit last!" Mr JS A roil-fueled anil JtMl'lVTj'i angry woman (/JJ/ stood in the kitchen door, her VW&J sleeves rolled up J, and her arms 'e-yzzjlakimbo. A meek i. "wir little man dis mounted from his horse at the gate, and proceeded to unbuckle the girth and take olt' the saddle, which he threw upon tho fence. A pull at the headstall removed the bridle, and the horse, with a snort of satisfaction, at oueo lay down and rolled in the sandy road. The bridle was thrown across the saddle, aud the little man opened the gate slowly and hesitatingly, ns one who knows what things the tor turer is preparing for him. "1 was a-eotnin', Minervy," ho be gan, but the strident voice interrupt ed him. "Comin'l Yos, I reckin so! So is Christmas a-eomiu' 1 Here I've had this supper ready oue solid hour, an' the coffee's not fit to drink by tbis time! An the ole red eow o' I'eterses has been in the corn again, an' no body but me to drive her out; but it's little you keer what I hev to suffer, so's you kin go to town an' set rouu' the stores au' tell lies with that 110- 'count gang that stays there! An'l know jest ns well as ef I'd a seen it that you never brung that thread nor them piepuns!" "I was a-goin' to git 'em, Miuervv," began tho little man, meekly, "but they wits up tbar makin' up a com pany—" "Didn't I know it, Jim Carroll! Didn't I know it? If ever there was a wouiau neglected nn' abused from one year's end to another, I am that wo man. Here I am, slaviu' an' slavin' from mornin' till night, an' never knowin' what it is to go nowhere ex ceptin' to preachin' oneet a month an' gracious knows if it wan't for bein' a Christian I never could stand this kind of a life, au' you know that well enough; an' hero are you, gaddiu' about like ef you didn't hev a keer in the world!" The red-faced woman withdrew into tho house, and the meek little man followed her. He hoped that tho worst of the storm was over, and ho ventured to remark with a conciliat ing smile: "I never thought you'd be so mad about it, Minervy." "Tliero it is!" shrieked the now thoroughly aroused lady. "Yoo kin tear around this house an' treat me worse than a slave, but if over I say a word the fat's in the lire. Things has come to a pretty pass if I cau't open my mouth hut what somebody has to accuse me o' hem' mad I I reckin I'll liev to he gagged after a while, EO'S I can't say uothin' 1 If ever I did see a domineerin', overbearin' man, you're that man. Here you kin insult mo as much as you please, but I don't dare to say my soul is my own. An' when you kuowed bow I needed that thread an' them piepans, an' you go all the way to town, an' then come hack with out 'em 1 Go out an' git a armful o' wood to git breakfast with ! I reckin you kin remember that ? Gracious knows, if all the men was like you the women folks would be a plagued sight better oft'without'em thau thoy air with 'em." The little man went out at the open door and around the house toward tho woodpile. He paused there to draw his hand across his perspiring fore head, and to make a remark to him self. Tho remark was simply "Whew!" hut it conveyed an amount of expression. Then ho picked up two or three sticks of wood, aud then he stood up, looking off down the val ley toward tho town, whoso lights he could just sec glimmering faintly in the gathering twilight. He stood there so long, absorbed in Lis own thoughts, that an impatient step began to resound through the house, and a sarcastic voieo was pro jected into tho gloaming: "Jim Carroll, air you a-comiu' with that wood, or air you a-goiu' to stay all night?" The sound awakened him as from a trance, and he stnrted so violently that tho sticks of wood fell from his arms. Home strange emotion soizod him at Hie uoise made by the falling wood. He pulled his hat dowu over his brows, gave oue glance back over his shoulder, scaled the fence aud fled wildly down the slope of the hill under the thick shadows of the trees. It was a long time before he could convince himself that he was not pur sued. The rustling of the leaves be hind him wings to his feet, A dozen times he felt Minervv's hand on his coat collar, and he knew that if it wore there ho would hare no choice but to go back. Such time was never made since the days of Tarn O'Shan ter. Over fallen tree trunks, around upturned roots, vaulliug over gullies, dodging low hauging limbs, dragging himself free from the embrace of too affectionate briars, away ho went down tho hill, pursued by tho avenging shadow of Minervy. At the foot of the slope, whero the hill aud valley met, he emerged into tho road. It was quite dark, aud the fear of pursuit haunted him no longer —that is, not to any great extent. Ho didn't run now; he only walked rap idly. He carried his hat in his hand, and mopped his perspiring brow with his handkerchief, and remarked in an amazed undertone: "By Ned!" In tho little town a vacant storo building was thronged with meu,many of whom had just enlisted as volun teers, aud mauy others had come to look on, tilled with curiosity, but not overflowing with patriotism. The war was but a few mouths old, and only vaguo minora of it had penetrated to those remote districts. This was tho first company of volunteers to go from this section, and it was made up wholly of those more daring spirits who were willing to risk anything in the mere love of adventure. A commotion back by the door told of a new arrival, aud the crowd will ingly made way for him. A little man, rumpled as t > hair and tattered as to garments, struggled into the clear space ill front of the enrolling officer and said : "Ef the comp'ny uiu't made up yet you kin put me in." Everybody knew him, and every body laughed. The laugh was a cheery one, brimming with amuse ment, aud it filled the room anil ex tended out into tho street. "How'd you manage to gil off from Minervy, Jim?" asked a tall fellow who was going to stay at home, pre sumably because ho couldn't "git off from" the wife over whom he domi neered. "Does Minervy know you're out?" shouted another jeeriugly. "Jist think of it, boys," drawled a third. "Think o'Jim Carroll j'iniu' the Smithvillo Tigers 1 He's a whale of a tiger, ain't he?" "Never mind," interrupted the en rolling officer grimly. "He'll make as good food for powder as nuy of you." With which cheerful suggestion Jim Carroll was duly enrolled us a private in the Smithvillo Tigers, and by dawn tho next morning the company was on the road, marching gayly off to tho tune of "The Girl I Left Behind Mo." About a month later ono of the Tigers, Silo Colburu, remarked in a genera! way to several of the others : "Wall, boys, fur's I'm concerned, you kin leave off liiughiu' nt Jim Car roll an' pokin' fun at 'im. Jim, he never growls at the marchiu', nor tho weather, nor nothiu' else, an' he does more'n his sheer o' the work, you all kuow that blamed well. Au' ho sleeps on the grouu' without any kiver so's to give me his extry blaukit all o' last week, when I wan't feeliu' so mighty vigris. I'll bet they wouldn't none o' the rest o' you 'a, done it." "Jes' wait till a battle comes up," said long Ben Finks scornfully. "You wou't never hour of Jim Carroll again after the fust gun fires. He'll pitch out a-runnin', an' he'll be a runniu' yit wUeu the trumpit sounds for the merlenniuui." Within three days there was a bat tle ; a battle for which some of the Tigers had longed, and which others had awaited with dread. The weak little man who had fled from Miuervy found himself, with the other Tigers, and dim, gray-coated ranks beyond charging up a hill, in the face of a battery that plowed through their ranks and laid rows of slaughtered men along the slope behind them, but still they rushed on, their faces set grimly. Jim Carroll was one of the first to leap upon a smoking cannon and snatch away the fuse, aud thenou in the pursuit, as the euemy retreated, stubbornly lighting their way inch by inch. Tho next day something happened. •Tim Carroll was offered promotion for bravery on the field of battle. "I'm much obliged," ho aaid, fumb ling with his hat in an embarrassed manner, "but if it's all the same to yon, I'd rather not. I'd lots ruther do jest plain lightin'." So Jim Carroll was left to do plain fightin', and there is no denying that he did it well. It came to be acknowl edged as a settled fact that the little man wtoni Minervy had ruled with a rod of iron did not know what fear was. The first guns of a battle fired him, as tho sound of tho trumpet roused tho biblical warhurse. He rushed into a charge with head up aud eyes flashing. His only trouble was that he could not bear to rotreat, and when tho exigenciesot battle domaudod a retreat he yielded with the most ludicrous unwillingness. His superior ofllccrs found him out, nud wheu there was a difficult or dan gerous mission Jim Carroll was the man to he sent upon it. Tho meek lit tle man with timid and appealing look made more than one journey into tho enemy's liucs, aud returned with in formation which no one else could have gained. Long aud lonely jour neys, through sections bristling with dangers, fell to his share, and lie was frequently placed whore nothing but quick thought and ready wit could save him. No one had ever suspected him of having either resource, but he came out of every difficulty unscathed and reported at headquarters with the old meekness and gentleness. "That Jim Carroll is a caution," re marked Hile Col burn to a crowd of his native villagers, when he was taking a little furlough on account of a bullet , through his lung. "It*J my belief , that Jim Carroll's the bravest man : that's lit into the war. Why, when ' our Colonel went down in that last I battle, what does Jim do but run right j back into the face of the enemy, grab j a loose liorse, git our Colonel onto 'itu I an' como a-bringin' 'im away, cool as ; a cucumber. The enemy yelled liko mad when they seen it, nu' lie could'a got a pcrmotion then an' thar ef he'd 'a had it. Hut *ho said no, I thank you, Jim did. He said he'd lots ruther do plain lightin'." The four years were past—the "plain fightin* " was over. Appromattox was a recent memory, and along all the roadways trailed dusty and forlorn ligures, their faces turned toward whatever region they had once called home. Two men iiinped painfully down the valley to tho little town lying peaceful and serene in tho even ing light as though there bad been no such thing as war in all the world. Purple shadows -of clouds drifted across the distant bill-, and along a strip of white roa 1 on tho outskirts of the town a company of small boys with paper caps and wooden guns were playing soldier. "Now, Jim," urged Sile, beseech iugly, "don't go back on your word. Remember what you promised, Jim. Don't ye go an' lot Mi nervy git tho stait of you ftg'in. Jest think how you lit into the war, an' stau' up for your rights." "I 'lowed I would, Sile," replied Jim, but there was a faltering in bis tone as ho glanced up tho hill toward tho cabin, where a thread of blue smoke curled softly up into the even ing air. "Now, Jim, cf you give down I'll bo plum ashamed o' ye, that's what I will. If you let Minervy get tha stare <>* you oucet more it's goodby to your chances. An* a mati that lit like you did, too." 4 'l'll take licer, Sile," said the her > of battle and scout. "I'ui a-goia' into a store a minute to buy something, an' tho i I'm agoiu' up home." Minervy had tli9 supper nearly ready in the littlo cabin on the hill. was in a hurry, because every thing must be cleared away before dark. Candles were too scarce to be wasted, and the tall woman in the homespun dress ha 1 learned all there was to l)e learned in the way of pinch ing economies. ttbo had set the yel low platter of "corn pone" on the table and was turning back again when a ligure in the doorway startled her. "Minervy, here's the wood you scut me after," said the meek littlo man, and he went across the room and laid the armful of wood beside the hearth. "An' here's that thread an' them piepans." A grim humor iu the utterance struck her, aud she fell back into a chair, Uughing and cryingat the same time, and clapping 'her worn, brown bauds. "Well, you waited for 'cm to grow, T reckiu," she ejaculated between sobs. "But it don't make no diff'- ruuee, Jim. I'm done sooldin' the rest o' my life. Supper's ready, Jim. I'm glad you got homo in time for supper." Aud while she cried, the "bravest man who fit in tho war" wiped away the tears from her face with a hand as tender as though it had never handled a guu or been blackened with powder. —New Orleans Times-Democrat. B.ul Drinking Water, Too much stress cannot bo put upon the necessity of pure drinking water. Not ouly is it important for village* and cities, but too often tiio location of tho well on u farm has been a nut ter of indifference. Either from care lessness or ignorance it has been made where it will take surface drainage or from somo underground fissure re ceive water from the b.aru or, worse yet, seepage from the kitckcu slops or other house drainage. The following sad experience affords a warning: Mishawaka, a little vil lage near South Bend, In 1., had been visited annually by contagious disease causing many deaths. Three mouths i ago au epidemic of diphtheria broke out, which quickly spread over the entire village, and caused a number of deaths. Workmen engaged ou an electric plant were obliged to shut oil the water yesterday and drain tho reservoir from which the water mains of Mishawaka aro supplied. Tho bed of tho pit was found covered with dead fish, snakes, eels, cats, dogs, and other animal-. The workmen who at tempted to clean tho pit were over come. All of the Mater used in Mishawaka | was drawn through this mass of de caying uuimal matter.—Farm, Field and Fireside. Discovery About Filter*. Tt is M'cll known that tho thickness j of the layer of fine sand in filteriug ' beds cannot be reduced beyond a oer : tain point without eudaugeriug tho quality of the water that filters j through. Dr. Kurth, ot Bremen, has found in examining water filtered through a layer not sufficiently thick that the number ot' bacteria was great ; ly iucreased, owing to tho prosence of a special microbe that could not bo • found iu the water before it eat or el I tho filter. Thcso microbes must, : therefore, have existed in tho filter | ing material and have been developed I by the passage of water through it. New York Sun. Preventive o! Ivy Poison. I A writer in Garden uud Forest says . a workman in his garden, m henever | he had occasion to meddle with puis* • on ivy, always pulls oue of the small ' leaves and eats a piece of it, asserting : that the workmen on railways along M'hose embankments tho plant abounds . alM'ays do this as a preventive meas | nre, uud escape poisoniug. THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE, THRILLING INCIDENT 3 AND DAR ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA. Nervy Men on the Range—Tlie I>es-j perado ami the Indians—Cattle j Hold Up a Train. SOME old plainsmen were sit ting 111 tho smoking compart ment of a car on tbo North ern Pacific when, just after sunset, it caiue in isiarbt of the dark dark red house trimmed with black, with its broad piazza overlooking a tiny stream, which tho Marquis do Mores built on his headquarters ranch at Medora. Tho view of that house started some of tho old plainsmen to telling stories of the range. "I was on a train coining out here one day," said one, "when lhe Mar quis had his private car hitched to the end of the train. It was at just about the height of the trouble he had with the rustlers, and if I hadn't known about it before, I would have learned the fact sure that trip. I had met the Marquis as a cattleman, and so when he happened through the train and saw me, ho invited me to have a cigar with him in hi 3 car. It was a good cigar, too. "Well, we sat there talking until we were about fifty or sixty miles from Medora, when the conductor came in with a telegram that said 300 meu, all armed, had gathered at Medora to givo the Marquis a reception that would end in killing him. The con ductor wanted to know what lie should do with the car of the Marquis. " 'Oh,' said the Marquis, 'I wouldn't bother about that now. Wait till we get there and I'll tell you what to do.' "So the conductor went out feeling about fts'nervous as ho ha l ever Celt in his life, as he said afterward, for ho know some of tho gang to bo very much in earnest in their determina tion to kill the Frenchman. But tho Marquis was not disturbed a little bit. Ho • iln't over mention tho subject after the conductor went out. After a couple or hours or so tho conductor came into the car again. " 'Here's your station," he said,'and they arc all waiting for you.' " 'That's all right,' said tho Marquis, 'just set my car on tho siding op posite the platform.' "Wo pulled up totho platform, and it was well covered with men, every one of whom would have been glad to see tho Marquis strung up to a telegraph polo, but that Frenchman, as smiling and chipper as ever lie was in a ball room, stepped oIT tho car, nodded to the men bore and thero whom he knew by sight, anil walking right through the gang, went up to his houee on tho hill there. It was liis norvo that saved hi in. They were just tough enougli to like it." "Wo had somo lively times in those days," said another. "I remember being on the traiu about hero one night. It Mas the east-bound train, any way, and about as dark as it is now, or a little later, perhaps. We'd stopped at a water tauk and I was smoking hero just as we aro now,when one ot my men camo into the car. It was a hundred miles from the ranch, and I was mightly surprised, for he was badly winded and could just talk I in a whisper. " 'Quick P he said. 'Hide me some- ; where. There's six of 'em after me.' "'(let into tho berth over 111 ire,' ai 1 I, telling liini my number. " 'lt won't do. They'll be in hero and search every berth,' ho replied, and so I just put him in my own berth and got in in front of him. 1 hadn't got my head ou tho pillow when they came ; and they looked into every berth, too, but when they saw me they didn't recoguizo me, and that is all that suved both of us."—New York Sun. The Desperado and the Indians. "It takes a special kind of courage to fight Indians," said Major Edward Itagsdale, of Topckn, recently. "They're pretty suro to surprise you and they're slippery as quicksilver and as hard to catch. Their yelling and whooping alono are enough to stampede men not trained to their stylo of fighfing. Sometimes they fight uuder cover and you catch a lire from an enemy you can't get sight of; and again, wliero thero hasn't been one to bo 6een, they seem all to spring out of tho ground at once, and charge you as thoupfli nothing could stand their ouset. Then there's the knowledge that if they catch you alive, you'll be skinned aliva or burned or your life tortured out of you by slow degrees in a thousand other ways they cau think up to mako you suffer. There's many a stout-hearted desper ado, a terror in white settlements and not afraid to have a pistol or snotguu scrap any hour of the day or night with a man of his own color, who doesn't count lor a row of pins in au Indian fight. "Take .Saiu Brown, of Nevada, for a case in point. He wasn't afraid of any man that wore boots, and he was tho terror of the mining camps every where he Meat. The Piute Indiaus got bad one time and a party was or ganized in the camps to go against them. Sam joined the volunteers, and everybody in tho party and all that stayed behind were talking about the big deedß Ham Biomu would do, and chuckling to think of the way those redskins would be wiped out u'keu they rau up against him. "Well, M-lien they eame upon the Indians things didn't turn out quite as thoy had expected. It was tho whites that got licked out iu short order, and those that weren't left on tho ground stampeded for safety. Sam Brown was :>ue of tho first ones to run aud tho pace he set bis horse as to get uway from those redskins was some thing that beat quarter racing iu the way of reckless riding. As they stampeded down a canyon, every man trying to bo foremost to get away, Sam hailed Joe McMurtrie, who was riding a better horse his: " 'Ob, Mac ! Pull horse a little so I can come up. Wo'll ride safer together.' ' 'MoMur trie's answer to that friendly invitation was to bend down to bis horse's neck, set in the spurs and get out of that canyon ahead of Sam and back to Bodie as fast as hoofs could carry him. Ho knew Sam Brown, and that if that worthy onco got alongside him he wouldn't hesitate to shoot him off his horse so as to get a better mount for himself. After thry all got back to the settlement he didn't go round to places where he was likely to meet Sam, lest it might stir him up to un pleasant recollections of their Indian campaign—people were that consider ate of others' feolings in those days when the other happened to be Ham Brown." Cattle Hold Up a Train; A fight between a locomotive and a wild bull was the spectacle that enter tained and delayed the passengers on a Spanish railway train the other day. Coming around a curve between tiio stations of Moravel and Canavarel, near the Portuguese frontier, the en gineer saw a herd of wild cattle on the track ahead. Ho sounded the whistle and the surprised cattle—all but one —took to their heels. Tho ouo that remained was a huge buli, who low ered his head and with a hoarse bellow charged straight at the oncoming en gine. The shock killed the bull and derailed tho locomotive. While the trainmen and passengers ; were doing their best to get the en gine on track again—so tho Spanish paper says which tells Hhe story—the herd of savage cattle, having got over their fright, returned to .the fray and charged tho workers, who retired hastily to tho cars, where they barri caded themselves. Then a veritable siege began. After tho first few mo ments of stupefied surprise had passed the gendarmes, who always accompany Spanish trains, gathered courage aud commenced an attack with stones upon their four-footed euemies. fu reading the Spanish journalist's spirited ac count of the heroism of tho military one becomes lost in a maze of conjec ture as to why they did not use their guns. At any rate, tho battle lasted two long hours, and toward nightfall tho wild cattle decided tu boat a re treat. The passengers and the train crew finally got the locomotive on the rails again and "cahin-caha" (which is French for "merrilly") it proccedod on its way. Bcateu and Whipped by a Snake. Homer Kodgers, of Ocala, Fla., who is about twelve years old, was bitten and whipped by a snake on a recent night. Tho boy's father has a sort of private "300," and among his collec tion nro several large snakes of tho "White Oak" variety. These snakes are said to be non-poisonous, and Mr. Rodgers has allowed them to run at will. Que night, as Homer was en tering the front gate, he was struck several violent blows in tho face by some object that lashed out in tho dark. Thou the boy felt something twine itself about his arm and begin to lash him fiercely. The boy ran into the house, screaming with pain and fright, and found a monster "White Oak" snake wrapped about his arm. Tho snake was striking tho boy in the face with its fangs aud lashing him about the body with its tail. Mrs. Rodgers pulled the suako away from the boy and killed it. The boy had been bitten in several places about tho face and neck, aud the wounds were bleeding freely. His arm was black aud blue where the suako had twined itself, and the lashes of the reptile's tail had striped his body. Tho boy's faco was horribly swolleu, but the doctors said he would recover unless blood poisoning set in. Tho snake ! was coiled on one of tho gato posts ! aud sprang ou tho boy as he passed. ! The GUII Had a Peculiar Click. Seeming tlilies have hanged many a man. Clarke Miller, of Dallas, prob ably realizes this. Miller was recently seuteuced to the penitentiary for life for the assassination of Hagan Roberts, a wealthy farmer. Last March Roberts and his family wore sitting by the fireside iu his room when they were startled by a demand to throw up their hands aud by the appearance of two masked men. One of the as sailants lired, striking Roberts, who died within a few hours. As the mau who fired the shot brought down his gun a peculiar click was recognized by one of Roberts's sous, who had used the same gun a few clays before. This click was duo to the looseness of one barrel. Clarke Miller and How ard Barton were arrested on the charge of murder. The gun with the pecu liar click was found in Miller's posses sion. Ho had run to his home, and, in order to avoid suspicion, had him self rammed down two charges into the gun and had gone out to joiu in the search for the murderers. When the loads were withdrawn, it was found that he had neglected to put any pow der in tho gun. Truth is stranger than detective stories. A Bicycle Twelve Feet Long. From one of the bicycle factories at Coventry, England, conies the latest thing in cycling construction. The machine was ruldeu in tho Coventry Cycling Club's receut fanoy dress pro cession to Backingtnn Bark. It is twelve feet long, three times the length of the ordinary bicycle, aud is easily run at the rate of ten or twenty miles an hour. It is not built for speed auci cannot be operated much faster. There is 110 particular advantage in it. The thing is simply a freak, and for exciting curiosity it equals tbe "giraffe" machine, which is known in Paris as the Eiffel. WHEN COTTON BALES COME IN, So the cotton bales are coming, aud thoy'U soou bo with us here, When the streets will all be gladdened wi'.b trie white liloom of the Year! From tho boats an I cars and wagons will arise a rhythmic diu. And tli9 world will bo n-V.ossoru when the cotton bales come iu! The world will be the whiter, Our hearts will all be lighter, Aud prospects loom the brighter, When tho cotton bales eoaie in! In tho upland fields au l bottoms, liko a spreading Summer snow, Old Kiug Cotton's been a-ilreaining of tho happy time lo go. For he'll bless a hundred Nations, aud above tho roar aud din. lie will hear the people's blessings, when tho cotton bales come in! The earth will glimmer newer, And bosoms beat the truer, While skies will boain the bluer, When the cotton bales come in! —Will T. Hale, in Memphis Commercial. HUMOR OF THE DAY, lie—"l cau tell a woman's age, no matter how eld she is." Hhe "You must be a brute."—Fuck. Magistrate —"Now toll me why you Rtolo that watch." Prisoner—"Oli, just to while away Iho time."—Phila delphia Record. "Help! Help!" cried the man who was being robbed. "Calm yourself," said the highwayman. "I don't need any assistance."—Town Topics. Adolphus—"Why, Ethel, are you looking at mo so intently?" Ethel (dreamily) —"1 was gazing at vacan cy, Dolly."—Boston Transcript. Manager "Yes, we advertised for a night watchman." Applicant "Then I'm just the ono for the place. The slightest noise will wake mo up." Customer—"These trousers dou'fc sit just right about the hips." Tailor "They're all right—what you need is something more in tho pockets."— Chicago Record. A. "Have you ever heard the eight year-old violin player who is creating such a sensation?" 15. "Oh, yes! I heard hira in Berlin twelve years ago 1" —Epbemere Comique. Alphocse—"You never hear of women cashiers running off with their employers' money." Ilenri—"Not often; but when it does happen they take the employer too." Old Girl "You sav that you woul 1 huslle after a man?" "New Girl "Yes, certainly." "Why do such an unseeming thing?" "lo reduce my wait." —Adams Freeman, "I've an idea in my head," exclaimed young Mr. Goslin. "But nro you quite sure that you can distinguish between ideas and wheels?" asked Miss Kittish.— Detroit Free Press. He—"What a pity that Miss Vcro de Vere should have lost her good name." Hhe (greatly shocked) "ln heaven's name, what do you mean?" lie—"Why, marrying a man named Jones, of course." "We must fly," said Murat to Na poloou, on one occasion when the bat tle had gone sorely against them. "It is impossible," repliod the latter. "The enemy has destroyed both vriugi of the army."—Harper's Bazar. Visitor—"l don't hear that awful piano up stairs?" Baglcy—"No, they don't play it any more." Visitor ''What's the matter?" Bagley—"l've bought a decrhouud which howls every lime ho heard music."—Chicago Record. School Teacher—"lf you had your choice, Willie, would you rather be as wise-as Solotnou, as great as Julius Caesar, as rich as Crcasus, as eloquent as Demostheues or as tall as Goliath?" Willie—"l'd rather be a drummer in a brass baud !" They were driving together, when Miss Rocks, unsolicited, gurgled forth her views upon niatrimouy. "Love is a dreary desert," she said, "and mar riage an oasis." Whereupon Mr. Shyly remarked that "it certainly di.l require a deal of sand." Weary Business Man (hanging lo 6trap) "Why in creation dou'fc you run more cars?" Street Car Bresi dent—"My dear sir, it would pain mo exceedingly to deprive courteous gen tlemen liko yourself of the privilege of giving up a seat to a lady," "Jeromiah," said Mr. Jingle's wife, as that gentleman came home some what late, "you don't write me touch ing apostrophes as you use to." "No," replied Mr. Jingle, "and you didn't used to talk question marks and exclamation points as you do now." Washington Star. Australia Sees Profit in Her Plagir, Rabbits may yet save the country. The Secretary for Agriculture has re ceived a letter from Mr. Berry of tho the Agent-General's office stating that it is expected ciuring the coming sea son that tho price of rabbits will bj from twenty cents to twenty-two ceuts each. The charges for "dock dues, cartage and commission at Loudon are about two cents per rabbit, au l lo Hull or any other manufacturing pro vincial cities about two cents extra. Ho adds: "There is not the slightest doubt that a very large tr ido in lee I is open to Victorian rabbits in the I great manufacturing districts, such in Leeds, Manchester and Bheflield, where all tho members of a family work at tho mills, and therefore have not much time to spare for cooking, i Rabbits can bo easily cooked, and are ! accordingly much favore I by mill workers, and it is no unusual thing when rabbits are cheap for them to bo the sole local meat food eaten by tho family during the week." Ho strongly urges Victorian shippers to take a small profit iu order to assist in pushing trade in rabbits iu these dis tricts.—Melbourne (Australia) Argus.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers