Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, August 24, 1896, Image 2
This year's recruits for the Russiau army number 270,000, which is con eiderably more than the wholo British army. William Dean Howells, the novelist, recently declared in a magazine arti cle that the practice of accepting •'tips" was degrading and un-Ameri can. John Burns proposes to have a law passed by Parliament making it com pulsory for employers to givo domes tic servants "a character" on dismis sal. Laws to that effect have long been in force in Franco and Germany. Parisians who went to the Russian Czar's coronation were astounded at tho unpaved condition of Moscow. They found that it would cost 830,- 000,090 to pave the town, and that the work would practically have to be done over every year on account of the effects of frost. Tho maritime provinces of Spain are holping out the Government in the acquisition of a navy. Sevillo and Barcelona have already collected money to buy a warship each, and subscriptions are being vigorously pushed for tho same purpose in Ma laga, Cadiz and Tarragona. Once in live years tho Mayor of Newcastle, England, is rowed up tho river in an Elizabethan barge, and, landiug at a village green kisses tho prettiest girl he sees and gives her a sovereign, to clinch Newcastle's right to the foreshore. Some of those old English customs are not so very silly ufter all. Three great life insurance com panies whose home offices are in New York City havo policies in force amounting to more than 82,580,000,- 000. The similar engagements of tho twenty-six principal American life companies exceed $5,881,000,000. The grand total of American life insur ance policies in force, those of tho assessment companies and orders in cluded, is reported to be $13,048,452,- C 64. The Pittsburg Chronicle Telegraph notes that of the long list of philan thropistswho have given $1,000,000 or more to the cause of higher education in this country, only one is a college graduate. The single exception is Seth Low. Girard, Peabody, Cornell, Cooper, Rockefeller, Rich, Parker, Hopkins, Clark, Drexel, Yanderbilt, De Pauw, Lick, Stanford and the others had not the advantage of col lege education, but thoy appreciated the value ot such a training enough to assist other men to obtain it. Herr Albert Joly, formerly a confi dential messenger of Prince Bismarck, who entrusted him with tho carrying of documents and telegrams of special importance, died at Schonhausen re cently. He was well known m Berlin as "tho Black Rider," his hair, his clothes, his horse and the hag in which he carried his missives being all of that hue. Prince Bismarck gener ally took him with when ho traveled. When the Prince resigned in 1890 Herr Joly also left tho public service, and was appointed Keeper of the Bis mark Museum nt Schonhausen, to tho arranging of which he devoted his last years. An ideal, but we are assured quito necessary, state of cleanliness for henlthful school rooms requires that the floors shall be dampened and swept every day, with all tho windows open; the dusting to be done tho next morning with a damp cloth. In addi tion to this cleaning, Dr. Adams, who is Prcsidont of the Orange County (New York) Medical Societies, be lieves that at least every othorday tho floors should be thoroughly scrubbed with soap and water. The various women's clubs throughout the coun try, whose members are interested in the work of tho public schools, will do well to find out how near the school rooms whero thoir children spend the greater part of their waking hours ap proach this state. "Eeal Estate Mortgages in the Unit ed Stateß" is the titlo of a volume just issued by the Census Bureau, the work having been delayed until now on ac count of the rush at the Government Printing Office. According to this publication, during thedecadeof 1880- 1890 there were 9,157,717 mortgages fdcd, representing an incurred debt of $12,094,877,793. During this time aero tracts were covered by 4,747,078 mortgages, representing a debt of $4,- 890,771,113, and 4,770,G39 mortgages were placed on lots to secure an in curred debt of 87,198,100,081. With in the samo period 022,855,091 acres were covered by 4,758,268 mortgages, not stating the amount ot debt secured by them, and 8,027,031 lots were cov ered by 4,778,075 such mortgages. DIFFERENT STANDPOINTS. "If I were but a farmer," sigboi tho mer chant. "Oh, to bo From all the9e petty dragging cares for Just a twelvemonth free. "No books to keep, no trust accounts, no bills lDng overdue; No fret from fussy customers because a thing is new. "Bocause a thing is old or wrong, too dear, or underweight; No worrying to suit thoir tastes from early day till late; "But flowered fields, and lowing kine, and pleasant fireside chat llow gladly would I give this life if I could change to that." "If I wero but a merchant," sighed the farmer. "Ob, to end This life of tugging, dragging work which makes the body bend "To stoop of ago ere age has come. IPs plow, and plant, and ronp, And milk tho cows, and feed the pigs, and mind the calves and sheep "From morn till night, from year to year— and tnxjs ever high, And children's feet that must be shod, and children's clothes to buy! "No toil-worn hands tho merchant has, for weather cares he not; How gladly would I take his place and think it happy lot." —Mary Clarke Huntington. THE UNKNOWN COUSIN. EY nnLEN FOIIKE.iT GRAVES. (T\ ET out, you old ~ ecamp!" I' was n brill f( laut July day, [Oe with skies of A n \ cloudlesss blue, |~jn • air scanted li-;'! V; with clover blos- V&VjfcS' soms, and the V' )ro °' 1 wending i\ i f /f,\ rfb its melodious way V' unJcr s roe " ,n " sies ol i ,L 'p- I permint, and —ll Mr. Carey, who fj had walked a KJS long distance and had just fallen into a doze under the refreshing shadow of a gnarled old apple tree, started galvanically up at this ungentle address. "Ma'am," he said, "I assure you I am not trespassing; I—" But his apologetio words were cut short by the rattling of a stout stick on the stone wall close to him, and in another moment a belligerent looking red cow came plunging through the high grass, directly towurd his haven of refuge. He started to run, but his foot catching in the gnarled root of an an cient tree, he fell headlong. The eow executed a hurdle leap over his pros trate form and vanished in a clump of hazel hushes, and a resolute, bright eyed woman came to the rescue, with a flapping Buubonnet tied ovor her ears, ami tho stick balanced across her shoulder. ...."Don't strike!" pleadod Mr. Carey. "I'm getting oO the premises as last I can. I assure you, I didn't know I was trespassing." Desiro Wellaud blushed very pret tily as she pushed back the sunbou net and endeavored to adjust her lux uriant red-brown hair, which had broken loose from its pins. "Oh, I'm so sorry !" said she. "It wasn't you I meant at all, sir; it was the eow who had got into the cabbage patch. Did I hit you with the stick? But I never dreamed of any ono but Bossy being there. Oh, do let me run home and get the camphor bottle !" Slowly Mr. Carey raised himself to a sitting and then to a standing pos ture; slowly he felt his knees, elbows and collar bones. "I'm not hurt," said he—"not to signify, that is. It wasn't your stick, ma'am ; it was the roots of this tree. It's enough to startle any man, don't you see—to hear himself called an old scamp?" "But it wasn't you I meant!" breathlessly cried Desire. "It was the cow. Won't you let me run up to the house and get a capeine plas ter? Oh, do?" Desire was fair to look upon, in spite ol her forty summers, with big black eyes, a laughing cherry-red mouth and cheeks just browned with the healthful hue of mountain breezes. Mr. Carey felt himself gradually Boftening as he looked at her. "No," said he. "I don't care for a capeine plaster. But I've walked a good way, and I should like a bowl of coiloe if it's handy." "Come up to tho house then," said Desire. "It's only a step across the orchard. Oh, that cow, that cow! We must, certainly have her hampered after this!" "Perhaps,"said Mr. Carey,solemnly, as he endeavored to straighten the edges of his hat, "you know a family by tho name of Welland who live hereabouts. Two old maids, who manage a farm all by themselves. Very peculiar females, I am told." Desire stood still and began to laugh, while deep crimson suffusod her cheeks. "Why," cried she, "it's ns! It's me and Malvina. Wo are the Welland girls." It was Mr. Carey's turn to flush and look awkward now. "Oh," said he. "Well, it don't matter. I've business at the Welland farm—that's all." "Isn't it strange that things should happen so?" cried Desire, opening tho gate into tho dim. shadowy orchard, where scarlet lilies grew in the tall grass and robins darted in aud out of the drooping boughs. "There's the house. You can see it now. Malvina and I have managed tho farm ever einoe father died. Philo—that's our brother—has a house and an estate of his own, and his wife don't want any Bingle relations. But we've done vory well, every ono says. Here's the place. And here's Mulvina!" Miss Malvina Welland was diligently hoeing sweet corn in a man's hat and boots. She was a tall, Amazoniqn sort of female, with high cheek bonos, hair cat short and a masculine way of leaning on her hoe. She lookod sharply around at tho sound ef footsteps. , "Is it tne new hired man?" said sho. "Then, Desire, you may toll him that we don't want help that comes at this time of day. I'll have no eight-hour men on my place." "Oh, Malvina, hush?" cried the younger sister, in despair. "It's a gentleman on business." In came Brother Philo from the back yard, with an auger in his hand. "Eh?" said Brother Philo, a wrin kled, hard featured man in blue over alls and boots that looked as if they might be carved out of lignum vitae. "Business? It ain't a sewin' machine, I s'spose? or a patent reaper, nor any o' these labor savin' humbugs?" "It's about your Cousin ltolf," said Mr. Carey—"Paul Welland's son. He's come baok from Australia. He requested me to eome over here, as I happened tc be passing this way, and see what his relations would do about giving him a home." At these words Mrs. Philo Welland emerged from tho currant bushes, whero she was picking the sparkling, ruby colored fruit to make jelly. For Mrs. Philo believed in always picking her neighbor's fruit before sho began on her own. "A home, indeed 1" said Mrs. Philo. "It's what I always told you, Philo 1 Says I, that man'll be sure to come back some day poorer than poverty, says I. And he'll expect us to take care of him, then. But we've worked a deal too hard for our money—me and Philo—and if he wants to bo sup ported, lot him just go to the poor house. Paul Welland always was a rovin' creetnr, and ltolf ain't no bet ter, Pll go bail!" Mr. Philo Welland screwed up his face into an expression of the utmost caution. "P'rhaps you're his lawyer, sir?" said ho. Mr. Carey nodded. "I act for him," said he. "Then tell him," said Philo, sue cintly, "that if ho expects we're going to support him. he's con-sid-a-bly mis took! We'vß always took oare of our selves ;he can do the same ! Come, Betsey, we'd better be goin'l" "Philo!" cried oat Desire, "how can you be so selfish? ltolf Welland is our cousin. If he is in want or trouble, whom has he to look to but us? Malvina, you won't be so hard hearted? The old farm house is big enough for our Cousin Rolf as well as for us. You never would turn a sick ly old man adrift upon tho world?" "No, I wouldn't!" said Miss Mal vina, thumping her hoe upon the ground. "Look heie, stranger, tell ltolf Welland he's welcome to a home with us. We live plain, but we'ro ready to give him a hearty welcome. Tell him to come here at once. The sooner the better. "Women is fools," incidentally re marked Philo Welland, chewing a stalk of currant leaves. "If you lost what little you've got, do you s'pose this relative} o' yourn would raise a finger to help you? Let evory man tako care of himself, says I." "And who knows," cried Desire, brightly. "Perhaps we can get him the district school to teach? I heard Squire Loamos say that the new teacher wasn't going to stay more than a quarter longer." "I'm glad you can afford to take ree boarder," said Mrs. Philo, acidly, "Me and your brother—we can't!" "Do como in, now, and get the cof fee," said Deßire. "And a lew late strawberries, Mr.—Mr.—" "Carey is my name," said the stranger, who had stood immovable beneath the fiery hail of this conversa tional episode. "That is to Bay, it is my name now. I changed it to make myself useful to a rich old gontleman in the East, who took a fancy to me aud left me his property in his will. The only condition appendod was that I should take his name in addition to Imy own. And Carey isn't a bad name." "Certainly it ain't," said Philo, with watering eyes. "I only wish we had a few of that sort of old gentlemen out this way. I'd chnnge my name half a dozen times a day if it would be any accommodation to 'em. So you're rich, eh? {Betsey"—to his wifo—"if this gentleman would bo so kind as to come and take dinner with us to-day—" "No," said the stranger, in a clear, decisive voioe. "Will you be so kind as to hear me out? Carey, as I have already told yon, is only my adopted name. My real name is Balph Wel land." "What?" roared Philo. Mrs. Philo scrambled so hastily to her feet that she upset the pail, half full of curronts. Miss Malvina drooped her hoe; and Desire, who had just brought out a little saucer of lato, luscious, red strawberrios, stood amazed at this rovelation. "You!" she cried, "our Cousin Rolf? And I nearly hit you with tho stick chasing the cow and half startled you out of your senses." "And taught mc," said tho old bach elor, with a strangely-sweet smile, "that there is yet left a spico of un selfishness in the conglomerate called human nature. Cousin Desire, I thank you for tho lesson. Believo me, I shall not soon forget it." And before the day was over he had helped Miss Malvina finish hor pajch of sweet corn and mended the defec tive fence rails where the offending cow had broken through, besides staking up the sweet-williams and nailing the big roso tree to the frame from whence its over-blossoming weight had dragged it. "I deolare," said Miss Malvina, "he's a real comfort about tho place." "And he has traveled so muoh!" cried Desire. "And he talks so beauti fully ! I only hope he'll be contented here." There wns no sort of donbt about that. Rolf Welland Carov was very well contented. Ho had always hun gered and thirsted for the details of a home life. Here it was to perfection. But Mr. and Mrs. Philo were not so well suited. All their spasmodio efforts toward friendliness were oheoked with Arctic frigidity. "It's too bad 1" said Mrs. Philo, al most orying. "He'll be certain sure to go and make a fool of himself by marrying Desire, and wo shall never get a cent of his money. Desire ought to be ashamed to think of such a thing at her age 1" But Desire was only forty, and there are late roses as well as early ones. At least, so Mr. Welland thought. At all events, he married Desire, and tl.o Philo Wellands'were disconsolate. "It's all our bad luck!" said they. For they had forgotten all about tho passage in the Biblo that speaks of entertaining angels unaware."- Saturday Night. Freak Factories. "How do you manago to find now freaks and curiosities?" waß the ques tion BBkcd of the managers of a travel ing "show" that had pitched its tent ia a London suburb. "Don't havo to find them," was the laconic response. "They find us." Tho freak business is as regularly es tablished as nny other, and has its wholesale and retail firms, traveling salesmen, brokers, prico lists, fac tories—" "Factories?" queried the reporter, aghast. "Why, certainly—factories —of course. The freak business is divided into about three factorios— foreign, domestic and fake. "In tho first class tho collectors travel all over tho world in search of rarities, but the very best freaks como from India anil the Malay peninsula. In theso countries thero uro many peo ple who breed frenks. They buy young children and animals, and de torm them while their bones arc soft by all manner of means. Then they are constantly on tho outlook for gen uine natural freaks, anil in those lands tho birth of a freak occurs very fre quently. The headquarters of this business is at Singapore. "Then there ore any number of men who devote themselves to the discovering and placing of froaks of all kinds nnil varieties, and there is scarcely a day goes by that we do not receive packages of photographs anil illustrated circulars from some freak merchant or other. "Of course, there are the 'faked* freak men—a perfect host in them selves. If the proprietor of some lit tle show needs an additional attrac tion and does not have the money to hire something good—for, like every thing else, freaks have their price—ho can get something for little money that will serve his purpose. "The real, genuine, live freaks al ways command high prices, and travel all over the world in order to exhibit themselves. Most of them have rog ular routes mapped out by their ad vance agents, just like theatrical com panies, and as they only appear at a place at long intervals they never get stale, and sometimes make bigger hits on their second or third appearance than on their first."—London Mail. Cowboy Ingenuity. A novel method of perforating iron plates is reported from Salt Lake City. The city is being supplied with elec tricity for lighting and power, gener ated fourteen miles away in the Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was found necessary for the purpose of pipe con nections to cut four forty-eight-inch openings in tho seven-foot penstock, tbo plates of which were half an inch thick. The workmen began to cut with capo chisels, but the progress was made too exasperatingly slow for the engineer of tho works, It. M. Jones, who is known throughout tho West as the "cowboy cnginoer." Mr. Jones took up hie rifle, and, using steel bullets cased with copper, shot a line of holes through the plates from a distance of about thirty iect. The intervtsniug edges were afterward easily cut out, and in a very short time tho job was finished. Letters Without Stamps. Tho Postmaster-General recently discovered a clover scheme on the part of certain railroads to avoid postage on mail matter intended for officials of railroads and their employes by an interchange of mail botween roads car ried by the baggage masters in large envelopes. The scheme was worked principally in New York, New York City, Buffalo and other terminal points exchanging mail matter, thus avoiding postage. Tho outcome of tho discovery was a communication sent by the depart ment to the railroad officials stating that tho Roviscd Statutes forbids regu lar post ronto roads carrying mails other than in regular mail cars, except when all letters arc inclosed in stamped envelopes. —Atlanta Constitution. Cooking in the Army. Tho British Army has at last clis oovered a sure method of rendering itself invincible. It has, in fact, ar ranged for a regular fcoinpetition amoug the army of cooks, and has an nounced that prizes will be awarded to those culinary artists who can sot before soldiers in a most acceptable manner a regular meal of fresh her ring, boiled potatoes, pudding and rhubarb tarts. Needless to say that the rank and file of tho army, and es pecially those who knew anything about tho food that was served during the Crimean War, aro delightod to he-r of this innovation. THE FIELD OF ADVENTURE. THRILLING INCIDENTS AND DAR j ING DEEDS ON LAND AND SEA. A Homeric Flslit at Sea—A Bicyclist's Perilous Trip—Au liable Defends Its Nest. WE were cruising in the Strait of Molacca, between the Nicobars and the Malay Peninsula, Bajß a writer in Nature, and had succeeded in kill ing a full-sized sperm whale. Ho had been a tough customer, needing all our energies to cope with him ; but a well-directed bomb closed tho nego tiations just before sunset. The whale was secured alongside, and all hands sent below for a good rest prior to commencing to "cut it" at daybreak. I had the watch from eight bells to midnight, and at about 11 p. m. was leaning over the lee rail, idly gazing seaward, where the rising moon was muking a broad lane of sii very | light upon the smooth, dark waters. Presently there was a com motion in the sea, right in the way of the moon, and I immediately went for the night glasses to ascertain, is possi ble, the nature ot it. In that neigh borhood there are several active vol canoes, and at lirst I judged tho pres ent disturbance to bo one of tuose, sending up debris from the sea bed. A very short examination satisfied me that tlie trouble, whatever it might be, was not of volcanic or seismic ori gin. I cull the captain, as in duty bound, but he was indisposed to turn out for anything Bliort of actual dan ger ; so the watch and I had the sight to ourselves. We edged away a little under tho light draught of wind, so as to draw nearer to the scene, and pres ently were able to realize its full significance. A very large sperm whale was engaged in deadly conflict with a monstrous squid, whoso far reaching tentacles enveloped the whalo's whole body. The livid whiteness of those writh ing arms, which enlaced the cachclot like a nest of mighty serpente, 8100.1 out in bold relief against the black bowlderlike head of tho aggressor. Presently the whale raised itself half out of tho water, and we plainly saw tho awful-looking head of the gigantic mollusk. At our distance, something under a mile, it appeared about tho size of one of our largest oil casks, which held 336 gallons. Like the reet of the calmar visible, it was of u pecu liar dead white, and in it gleamed two eyes of inky blackness, about a foot in diameter. To describe the wonderful contor tions of those two monsters, locked in a deadly embrace, is far beyond my powers, but it was a never-to-be-for gotten sight. The utter absence of all sound, for we were not near enough to hear the turmoil of the troubled sea, was not the leust remarkable fea ture of this Titanic encounter. All around tho combatants, too, were i either smaller whales or immenso i sharks, who were evidently assisting ; in the destruction of tho great squid ! and getting a full share of tho feast. I As wo looked spellbound we saw the j writhings gradually ceoso and tho en circling tentacle gradually slip, off tne j whale's body, which seemed to fioat j unusually high. At last all was over j and tho whole commotion completely j subsided, leaving no trace behind but I an intensely strong odor as ot a rocky coast at low tido in tho full blaze of I the sun. Since that night I have never hud a doubt cither as to the origin of all sen serpent stories or tho authen ticity of the old Norse legends of the kraken; for who could blame a seaman witnessing such a sight, and all unac customed to tho close observation of whales, for reporting some fearsome monster with horrent mane and fioat iug "many a rood?"- -Nature. A Bicyclist's Perilous Trip, The days of "tho foot log and tho trail" are not yet passed in Oregon, und tho pioneers who broke the trails and put the foot logs across the "branches" will be interested in learn ing how they answer for bicycle trnvel. A Portland lady has been visiting friends at Rosebuig, and a few days since she started from there to visit relatives living about thirty miles out in the mountains. She is au energetic and accomplished bicyclist, unit got along very well 011 her journey lor about twenty-five miles, when tho road gave out. She found a trail, which she followed for about a mile, when she came to a foot log over a narrow but deep stream. She was afraid to try to walk across the log with her wheel, but having confidence in her skill as a rider determined to ride across. When about half way over something went wrong, and siio and the wheel plunged into the stream and went to the bottom. She rose to the surface and, being a good swimDier, succeeded in reaching the shore. She then determined to have her wheel, which had remained at tho bottom. Securing 11 long pole, with a limb near the end which lormed a hook, she started in to fish for her bicycle, and after tome trouble yanked it out. The trail beyond tho oreek was level and in good condition, and, as night was approaching, she determined to mount and make a desperate effort to roach her destination. She bad just got under good head way aud was scorching along when she saw a bear on the road abend. The bear seemed tho worst scared of the two, and stood staring in amazement at tho strange wheeled figure ap proaching. As has been remarked, tho Portland woman was a skilled rider, and, having been accustomed to having everybody clear tho way for her, she was not going to back down for a bear, so she chargod down on him at full speed, ringing her bell like mad. Tho bear, seeing certain death or six months in tho hospital inevita ble, wheeled out of her path, and the lady whirled by in a blaze of golden glory. She did not stop to look back, bat "put her beet foot foiward," and fortunately soon arrived at the house of her friends. She did not attempt to come back alone.—Portland Ore gonian. A Montana Mati Shoots an Eagle. W. C. Orr, of Great Falls, Montana, is the proud possessor of three young American eagles, cantured in the Bad Lands, which, however, cost a hazard ous experience to secure. About two weeks ago, while making a trip through the country not far from Minot, hie attention was called to a huge bird soaring aloft over the rocks high above the roadway. Ho recog nized the bird as an eagle and decided to capture it. As it settled among the cliffs he became convinced that there was a nest, so, climbing the mountain side with his gun, after an hour's labor, he reached the pinnacle of the cliff'. Looking over he discovered that his 6nrmiee was true. At the same time the noise above attracted the at tention of the mother bird, and with a loud scream she rose from the nest and at once began to prepare for fight. Continually screaming, she rose high until almost vertically over Mr. Orr. Then with her talons wide spread she began to swoop down upon him. Realizing his position, Mr. Orr raised the gnu to his shoulder and when the bird was within but a few feet of him he fired. The dead bird measured over nine feet from tip to tip. Over the cliff' 100 feet below he could see the young birds. A rope was procured and tying one end around the waist of a boy who was with him he lowered the little fellow over the edge. T'ho nest with the young birds was raised to the top safely. The birds, although only three weeks old, aro as large as a hen, and can eat meat equal to a full-grown St. Bernard dog. An Idaho Hero. Ferdinand Trentman performed two acts of heroism at Hailey, Idaho, Wednesday morning. One was the saving of a human life, and the other placing his own life in jeopardy. The warm weather having caused a very perceptible rise to the water in the river, it became necessary to remove the brush that had accumulated on the edge of tho dam at the foot of Bullion street. James Riggen and Fred Trent maD, a young blacksmith, were car ried out to the dam in a chair, secured to ropes drawn down by pulleys. Having au ax apiece, they soon cut the brush adrift. Riggen then caught hold of the life-rope, and was drawn to the shore. Trentman did not, how ever, even try to catch the rope. Tak ing hold of the axes he floated on the brush to the bridge, about 100 feet away. As be ueared it ho yelled to those on the bridge to get out of tho way. He then threw tho axes on the bridge and jumped on tho bridge him self as he got iu reach. Tho brush must have been moving at the rate of twelve or fifteen miles an hour. If ho had failed to jump just when he did he would have been a dead man. The same morning, Joseph Yetzor, Trentman and others tried to dislodge a huge tree which had lodged against the central pier of the main bridge. Yet zer, who was standing on the bridge, attempted to lasso the trunk, but lost his balance nnd was pnlied into the river on tho upper side of tho bridge, but reappeared ou the lower side in a second or two. Trentman instantly jumped into the raging torrent, swam to his drowning partner, nnd succeed ed in pushing him ashore, about 200 feet below.— Portland Oregonian. Homicides in the United States. We find that during the last six years there have been 43,002 homi cides in the United States, an average of 7317 per year. In the same time there have been 723 legai executions and 1118 lyuohings. These startling figures show that crime is rapidly in creasing instead of diminishing. In the last year 10,500 persons were killed, or at the rate of 875 per month, whereas in 1800 there wore only 4290, or loss than half as many as in 1895. This bloody record shows a fearful in crease of the crime which destroys human life. We are all alike anxious for a rem edy, but be r ore we can obtain one we must know the cause. Wo can easily recognizo that tho greatest evil of any civilized age is confronting us, not only in the shape of crimes committed by individuals, but also of crimes com mitted by masses of men who are en deavoring by bloody and improper means to seek a remedy—l mean those who bnnd themselves together as mobs to seek that protection which they fail to obtain under the forms of luw. —Xorth American Review. Stone Against Steel. An experiment was recently made in Vienna in order to test the relative resistance, under pressure, of the hardest steel and tho hardest stone. Small cubes of corundum and of the Bnest steel were subjected to the test. The oorundum broke under the weight of six tons, but the steel resisted up to forty-two tons. The Steel split up with a noise like the report of a gun, breaking into a powder, and sending sparks in every direction which bored their way into tho machine liko Bhot. A Poisonous Frog. Teople in general look upon all spe cies of the frog as being perfectly harmless. Should you be traveling in New Grenada (United States pf Col ombia), however, you would do well to let a certain little tree croaker se verely alone. He secretes a poison equally as deadly as that of ttie rattle snake. It exudes from his skin intbo shape of a milky liquid and is used by the natives as a poison for their ar rows. THE MERRY SIDE OF LIFE. STORIES THAT ARE TOLD BY THB FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS. Longfellow Revised—Bald-llcartcd The New Art—lt Seemed So to Him—Nothing New, Etc., Etc. "Try not to pass," the biker said, As he the other cyclers led, "Unless you want to break your head." —Excelsior. BALD-HEADED. "Davie, do you know Mr. Baldley?" "Is be th' feller that's troubled with ingrowin' hair?"—Tudge. UNAVOIDABLY HEAVY. He—"Wonderful bow some people weigh every word they say." She —"More wonderful that they don't break the scales."—Judge. THE NEW ART. Tommy—"Paw, what is a designing villain." Mr. Figg—"Ob, the description would apply to one ef these poster artists about as will as anything." TOO ACROBATIC. "That was tough on Davis." "What?" "He stepped on a banana peel, fell, and was arrested for giving a street performance without a license."— Truth. IT SEEMED SO TO HIM. Mamma—"l think tho baby is grow ing very fast, clou't- you?" Papa—"Decidedly. I thought ho weighed three pounds more at four o'clock this morning tiifrn he did at two."—Truth. EQUAL OFFENDERS. Little Clarence —"Pa?" Mr. Callipers—"Well?" Little Clarence—"Which is tto more abominable, pa, the man who knows it all or tho man who has al ways heard it before?" UNDER ANOTNEIT HEAD. Old Olivier (atthelibrary)—"Whore will I find that trreat anthropological work called, 'Man, the ltuler of the World.' " Bluestocking Librarian (scornfully) "under the head of 'fiction,'sir." —Truth. A POINTER ON SKEPTICISM. Brobson—"l'm a good de*l of a skeptic!" Craik—"Well, skepticism is dead easy. All a man has to do is refuse to believe whatever he cannof compre hend ; nnd the bigger fool he is, tho greater skeptic ho becomes."—Puck. NOTHING NEW. Adorer (nervously) —"lsn't that your father's stop on the stairs?" Sweet Girl—"Yes, but dop't mind that; it's only a scare. He won't come down. He always stamps around that way when] sit up with young men after eleven o'clock."—New York Weekly. A NEW WAY OF PUTTING IT. Ho—"Now, darling, you know how strong is my love for you. Do not say you will be a sister to me." She—"No, George; I Mill not say so. You—" He—"Then you will—" She —"You may bo a brother to me, George."—Judge. HIS EXPERIENCE. Jones—"There is a raau with a great deal of faith in human nature." Smith—"l thought that was Klew?, tho detective." Jones—"So it is. Ho has known peof)lo who were accused of all sorts of things, but he never could find any thing against thom."—Puck. A PROFITABLE INVESTMENT. Cobwigger—"lt's no wonder he bo fame a millionuaire, for he is the best business man I ever saw." Merritt—"l guess that's so. Before ho announced his daughter's engage ment to the Count lie advanced the fellow enough to settle all his debts at fifty cents on the dollar." -Puck. REGRET. Business Man—"Yes; I'm euro it is a useful book. I'm rather sorry I didn't get it some time ago." Canvusser—"Then you'll take a copy?" Business Man —"Oh, no 1 It's too late now ! But it I had it before you called it might have saved both of us a great deal of valuable time." NIS VIEW. He Urchin—"Say, Mag, did yer hear do lady as just went in dere tell de little girl what she has wid her as sho could have all she wanted ter eat?" Sho Urchin —"Yes." Ho Urchin —"Well, dat was all a bluff. Dere's two pies left in de win dor, an' dey're bote gettin' up from de table." —Puck. Both Rubbers. "Now you know tho details of the affair," saiu the doctor to the lawyer a few days later, "what would you ad vise mo to do about it?" "Go back to your practice," re plied tho lawyer, promptly. "You have no case. Ten dollurs, please." "Now that I have told you the symD toms," said the lawyer to the doctor a few days later, "what would you ad vise me to do?" "Go back to your practice," replied the physician, promptly. "You have nothing seriously wrong with you. Ten dollars, please." Thus it happens that two men are calling each other robbers. —Chicago Post.