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.