One of the most encouraging signs of tho times is the growth of freo li braries. Many paupers have lived to bo a hundred years old, but there is no record of a millionaire having attained that age. A Chicago man by suit at law has recovered 820,000 from a fellow who beat and robbed him. The ordinary hold-up victim is lucky if lie recovers consciousness. A genius for figuros has worked out Ike problem of liow much gold thero is in the ocean. He places the amount at $120,000,000,000,000,000, but he is quite silent as to how it is to be got out. The latest number of Peterman's Mittollungen 6ays that "tho interior of north Greenland will hereafter bo known a3 Peary Land." The compli ment to tho American arctic explorer has been heartily approved by foreign geographers. Jacob IT. Sehiff has given the Columbia Uuiversitv, New York City, 83000, to be kiw<vn as tho students' loan funi. Under certain conditions tho money is to bo loaned to students iD need of temporary accommodation, ta enable them to pay their way through tho university. Iu the present dullness of tho lum ber trade the people who have bass wood to sell enjoy more than tho or dinary share of what business there is going in this market, says the Ohioago Times-Herald. This iB due to the faot that tho molding faotories use bass wood for picture frames, and Chicago is the greatest picture molding ccntet iu the world. The Volkssten records a striking mark of sympathy conferred upon Dr. Leyds, Secretary of State of tho Trans vaal republio, by bis colleagues. Hearing that he has been forbidden by his doctors to touch a cigar or pipe or to drink a glass of wine, the mem bers of ihe Chamber, headed by their President, have unanimously resolved to leaves thoir pipes at home, and smoking has been equally forbidden in the Government offices. St. Paul, Minn., has a pretty and useful annual custom which is worthy of imitation elsewhere. Each fall, at the close of the flower-blooming sea son, the plants that have blossomed iu the parks daring the summer are given to those who may apply for them, and are thus made to do duty in brighten ing the homes of many who could not afford to purchase euoh things. Tho city, of course, loseß nothing by tho transaction, as the plants if not thus dispostd of, would bo killed by tho frost, new stock being set out eaoh tpring. During the fall of 189G from the largest park in the city over 120,- 000 plants were given away. Iu addi tion, the smaller parks furnished many thousands additional. In the principal park the employes superin tend the annual distribution, but in the other parks tho people are allowed by the police to help themselves. It is a flower mission on a municipal scale. The Baltimore News bolieves that the time is not distant when the use of the typewriter will be taught in the publio schools. It says there is reason to expect this innovation. The type writer has become an indispensable appliance in the business world and as our system of popular education is being made more and more practical we may lcok for it soon to embraoo instruction in typewriting. The pro gress of the typewriter has been mar velous. It has been only a little more than twenty years since the first ma chine of this sort was placed upon the market, and it was several years later before there was auy general use of typewriters. Now there are soore3 of typewriter factories in the United States and the number of the machines they turn out is enormous. It is com paratively easy for a man or woman who is an expert typewriter to get employment. This invention has been a great boon to the great and growing number of women who have to sup port themselves and others. There is now hardly a business house of any pretension which does not employ one or more typewriters and they nre almost as common in the offices of professional men. The use of the typewriter increases daily. It has been found a great saver of time and by it correspondence is conducted far more satisfactorily than by the old method. All the business colleges and commercial schools of the country teach typewriting and it may not be long before thoso cities which have the best equipped publio schools will employ teachers of typewriting for those pupils who eare to receive in- Itruction of that kind. A SONQ OF RAIN. Tho cuckoo scurries to and fro; From green to whlto tho maples blow;— Tho longed-for rain is coming! Set every tub beneath its spout, For there'll be little stirring out When all tho roofs are drumming! w Forth creeps the thirsty, wrinkled toad; J .. The dust goes whirling down tho road; The slender birches shiver. Uncertain little flurries break The glussy surface of tho lake, And scud across tho river. Now darker grows tho drifting sky, And robin, with a startled cry, Wheels round the roofless dwelling. The troes begin to toss and lash; Far off, thero gleams a forked flash, Followed by thunder's swelling, Hark! 'tis tho rustle of the drops Among tho tossing maplo-tops— Tlie first cool dash and patter. The air grows wondrous soft and sweet • With smell of woods and grass and wheat, And marshes all a-spalter! Now thunders down the mighty flood, That turns tho dusty roads to mud, And sets tho eaves to spouting. Hurrah! tho silver ranks have come, With tempost-flfo and thunder-drum. And swollen torrents shouting! —James Buckham, in Youth's Companion. ANNIE'S ROOM, BY VrSOENT BELB. Wt was about five B| m ' uu 'es after tlio TujM second and last JPlgj whistle had blown >8"%? | JJS ■ ut Dart's shoe fao ■JlffiL-lfa tory when Annie | Velga came run ning down the f street, panting aud red of faoe. John Dart, stand ing on tho steps talking with two strangers, smiled as sho camo up, and said, in slight ly)'V '<a) '"..-Sf ' y surprised 1 tones: * ■3G "You are late 30 this morning, Miss 1 _ ' Volga—something never before known." "Yes, sir. I am sorry, but I over slept myself." "Up lata last night—had a beau, perhaps?" suggested John, roguishly, "No, sir I" retorted Annie, prompt ly, and rather snappishly, for, even though he was tho nephew of William Dart, the great shoe man, and the prospective heir to all his wealth, she considered he was taking a liberty,'es pecially before strangers. Perhaps pretty and prim little Annie had some other reason, too, for resenting his re mark. "Pretty girl," said ono of tho strangers after she had passed. "Yes," assented John, "and about the neatest, quickest girl ever in the work room," and then the stranger be gan talking again very earnestly as be fore Annie came up the steps. "Well," said John, "of course you may satisfy yourself, but I can tell you beforehand there is not one of our girls whom we do not trust. It will take you about all day, for they livo iu all directions from here, if you have to search their rooms. As uncle says I must go with you iu that case, the sooner it is over the better for me." Then they all three went up stairs to the girls' workroom. "Will those who stopped at Dingus's jewelry store last night on tho way homo from work please stand up?" said John. Over half of them stood up, while John took down their names and the number of their rooms, and the detectives watched each faco keen ly. So far no one was disturbed by r. guilty conscience. After ascertaining beyond a doubt that all who had been in the store reported, John an nounced : "We have received word that a val uable amount of jewelry wb stolen from this firm last night at about the hour you were there, therefore sus picion has fallen upon you, and eaoh girl must allow her room to be searched if the goods are not previ ously found upon her person." So the search began. A quiet, trusty girl, much older than tho oth ers, aud who had not been with them the evening before, was appointed to conduct the personal investigation in another room. One after another loft the work room to return in a few min utes declared innocent, until the offi cers were satisfied none of the goods were at the factory. "Now," said John, when tho last girl had returned. "Will each ono of you give me your key in turn, for I must aoeoinpnny this officer in his search while the other remains here." "Not this morning?" spoke up Annie Volga, quickly, whilo the smart detective felt the jewels iu his grasp, so to speak, and the reward in his pockets. John lookod surprisod— some said he turned a trifle pale as ho looked into Annie's flushed, guilty face. "Ifcß, of course, this morning." he answered gravely. "What difference is it, Miss Annie?" "None," answered Annie, hastily; but as John took her key, the detec tive thinking it best to search her room at onee, instead of in her turn, sho buret out crying and seemed so broken down tho remaining officer felt justified in plaoing her under arrest. Johu had visited Annie's room be fore, just once, not many evenings be fore. Ho had taken a book to read and a small basket of fruit, thinking that as neat away to begin her court ship as any. Ho had thought, as he left that evening, it was the prettiest, brightest little room he had over seen, far exceeding any in his uncle's grand mansion. He had little thought the next time he climbed the stairs to room No, 32 would be upon such a painful errand. He could not believe ' sweet little Annie guilty until it was proven, yet he climbed tho steps un willingly, and with more unwilling ; fingers turned iu tho lock tho key An j nio had surrendered. When the door was opeu ho stood for a moment ir resoluto. Tho room seemed the same, yet not the same either. Where, the : evening ho had called, a pretty Japan ese screen had stood,was now a rather shabby though scrupulously clean lit tle stove, and thereon a skillet with a few potatoes left from tho morning's meal; and a dainty bed, with covers thrown back aud pillows airing, was drawn out where had stood a small | book cabinet he had particularly no ticed. John reassured himself he was iu the right door by several little articles on tho wall, and while the busy detectivo was diving around in Annie's ono trunk and the | bureau drawers looking for the lost treasure John was looking around at this little jewel of a room, a fairy's paradise ns it seems to him. Across tho foot of the bed was thrown a dain ty night-dress, to bo sure, made of cheap muslin and trimmed in crochet [ lace, but John did not know the dif | ferenco between it and one of linen trimmed in finest thread. Two small slippers were set precisely under tho bed, and over a stool by their side was a pair of red stockings, turned in side out, as though to air. Indeed, I am telling the truth when I tell it, that while the detective's back was turned, searching Annie's small dish cupboard, John quickly stalled that pair of red stockings iu his coat pocket. Why he did so he never could sitisfactorily explain. Then as he sat there on tho bed, looking around upon the tidy dis order, it came across liitn what was the cause of Annie's confusion and dis tress, for, astute as mankind is gen erally believed to be, he could dimly imagino that no little woman as neat as Auuio could endure to have her eastlo caught in such confusion. Per haps had it been the detectivo alone sho would not have cared, and then John smiled complacently to himself. It was her neat fitting dross and dain- | ty linen collars, and always spotless white aprons that had first attracted John's attention, and then it was the i pretty face, with its pleasant smile | and independent eyes that had in creased that interest, until it had cul minated in his meauly pocketing her red stockings. At last the deteotive gave up in de spnir. "She never had them at all," replied John calmly. "Then what mado her act so guilty?" questioned the other, almost believing himself in bar innocence. "Don't know," answered John lac onically. When they returned to the factory thero was quite a coufusion aud hub bub, lor the jewels had been found by another deteotive employed by Dingus, in the possession of a no torious pickpocket, who, disguised ns a woman, had slipped into tho store with the crowd of factory girls. Everybody was glad and congratulated Aunio -even the smart deteotive did, although he could not help wishing she had been En cousiderato as to assist him to gaiu that reward. But Auuio could not look John straight iu the face. Poor child 1 what feelings would have been liors bad she known the enormous bulge in John's jacket poc ket wns caused by her very identical red stockings laid out to air that morning? John, of whom sho liad never dreamt as other than "Mr. Dart," even though sho worked faster when ho camo her way,and perhaps felt more anxiety nbout the smooth masses of light brown hair than at any other time. Well, when the two officers had gone, and ail had settled to work again, John came to Anuie's chair and said kindly: "Miss Annie, that detectivo turned everything in your room in such awful confusion it will take you all day to straighten it up again, so, if you like, 1 have gotten permission for you to tako the remainder of the day, and no reduction to be made." "Thank you—you are very kind," she murmured, but she would not look at him and seemed so confused that big, good-natured Johu turned away in pure kindness and let her mako her escape unnoticed. Annie tied homeward, dashed into No. 32, glanced wildly over the room, than burst into tears. "Oh, dear ! oh, dear!" she sobbed. "There was my night-dross on the bed, and my slippers, and my bod not up—and oh! potatoes in the skillet! Oh ! ho will think I am regular sloven? Why couldn't it happen any other time than when I had to sleep so late I couldn't even get my breakfast! Oh, dear, ho will never like mo again! 110 couldn't! after seelug such a looking room." She did not stop to think that her castle looked worso when they had left than when they entered,but as the disorder worried her so much she could not sit still and cry, slio began hot task. It was some time before tho de tectivo work was undone, everything in trim order with the mattress rollod up and the bed folded again3t the wall like a book cabinet,and tho few dishes washod, and tho tiny stove blackened and tho screen set around it, and the one table coveted with a gaily em broidered cloth, all of which trans formed the kitchen and bedroom in to a cozy little sitting-room as though by a fairy's wand. It was a dainty little place, nothing expensive, but exquisite in the taste und tact dis played. Tho prevailing colors were deep red and pale blue and gold, with many neutral tints blended in the various bits of fancy work. On a bracket was a bit of white statuary set on a delicate matting of the tender green leaves of a growing vine—tho only costly extravagance in the room, and Annie woll knew how long it took her to save enough to buy it. She bad Belectcd her room for its south window, and therein were btanding two geranium plants in full bloom, one a double red, and j the other a soft single white flower. As Anuio was viewing these little luxuries with commendable pride, and gradually plucking up spirits, she sud deuly bethought her of her stockings. She did not remember of picking them up, and as she only had three pairs, it was important that none of them should bo misplaced, 'i'lferefors she began to search diligently, and was beginning to get tired and puzzled in the useless search, when a loud rap which she had heard once before at the door oaused her to glance hastily in tho glass aud then timidly open the door to the knocker. It was noon. The whistle had blown just a few minutes before, and instead of going to his diuner, here was Mr. John Dart standing at her door. "Won't you come in?" asked Annie with a downcast face. "That's what I came for," responded John, honestly, and in ha walked. Then ho turned around, and taking her hands in his own ia tho time hon ored and approved fashion, he said: "I have been thinking of yon this long while, Annie, and now I feel I caunot wait any longer. You are aiono in the world, and I am almost so, al though utiole is very good. Let us make each other hajipy, and have a pretty little home like this, with"— glancing around the room —"with posies in every window." Ob, of course, Auuie said "Yes"— who wouldn't? Ancl when the quarter of ono whistle blew, John (who was very punctual) went from room thirty two to the factory as one walking on air—mayhap his empty stomach had something to do with the lightish feel ing, but ho never thought of that, of course. Annie sat and laughed and cried to think how happy she was, and spent the remainder of her holiday until evening building air castles, un til John oame baok and began to put solid foundations to tho same by moans of his pocketbook. They were married two months after ward, and the next day John gave his wife a small bundle rolled up in white paper and tied with blue ribbon. Pull of wonder, Mrs. John untiod the rib bon and behold—her lost red stocking I "Why John!" she exclaimed, in stinctively running her hand down to the toe. But there were no holes— only two or three dainty little darns, and it is safo to prediot that John's socks will never suffer.—Chicago Inter- Ocean. Eskimo Mother and Ilahy. The Eskimo are very fond of their children. There are seldom many of them in ono family, and those that are are very woll taken care of, according to an Eskimo's notion, which, of course, quito tits an Eskimo baby. They seldom cry, and lie around and suck blubber with great contentment all day long. Sometimes a very fond mother will make for her baby a queer kind of candy. There is a certain groat bird which tho men shoot when ever they get a ohauce, and which has bright red feet. The mother will out off these feet, and draw out tho bones, and by blowing iuto the skin inflate it to its utmost capacity. Then sho will fill the little red case with marrow, and tie it up for an extra good gift to her baby. The youngsters like this queer candy as well as our children like ohooolato creams, which, to be sure, aro not half so pretty to look at. When an Eskimo baby dies, his father and mother grieve over him very sincerely. Ono Arctic traveler tells of a mother who brought her child with her to tho United States. It died on tho voyage, and the mothor was unconscious for more than a day afterward. Tho baby was buried in a little New England cemetery, and, ac cording to Eskimo custom, his play things were laid on the grave. Among other things was a little tin pail, which a sailor had given the child, and sonio naughty littlo American ohild stole it from the grave. The mother was inconsolable. —Chicago Times -Herald. Extinction of Croat Names. It is a carious fact, says the Golden Penny, ono which docs not appear to have received the amount of attention it deserves, that a very large propor tion,perhaps the majority, of oar great est men have died childless, and of those who had children a large number predeceased their parents. But few of the greatest names in literature, eoienoe, or art arc to day borno by di rect descendants. The families of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Spenser, Mil ton, Cowley, Butler,Dryden, Cowper, Goldsmith, Scott, By ron and Moora are all extinct. There is no direct descendant living of Sir Philip Sid ney, Sir Walter Raleigh, or Sir Fran cis Drake, Cromwell Hampden,Monk, Marlborough, Clarendon, Addison, Swift, We.lpole, Chatham, Pitt, Fox, Barke, Canning, Disraeli, Bacon, Locke, Newton, Day, Gibbon, Mac auley, Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds; all these are reminiscenoes, no one of them being borne by a descendant. And in those cases where tho namo is yet extant it is borne by a collateral relative, or has been adopted by a dietant connection. Sale of Busts in Paris. Nicholas 11. is first iu the sale of busts in Paris just now, the place usually hold by Napoleon I. After them come Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin, Moliere,Racine and Comeille, Pasteur and Victor Hugo. When he was a prisoner at Clairvaux the Duo d'Orleans' bust sold well. Thoro is very little demand now for Gambetta and General Boulanger. Carnot leads Felix Fanre, who ruu3 neck and neck with Louis XIII. The Bicycle Bid It. Tho old cobblestono pavements arc passing away, and the bicyolo has done more to produce the welcome change than even letters to the newspapers,— Boston Treasci'ipt. FAMED FOR QUALITY. MICHIGAN PEACHES CARRY OFF THE PALM FOR FLAVOR. Hnvc Been Cheap and Very Plentiful , This Season—Millions of Baskets Shipped to Chicago for Packing and Distribution. A Luscious Fruit. Every time Chicago sits down to breakfast in the peach season, says the Chronicle, the yield of half a hun dred acres of Michigan peaches is con sumed, and the country west, rolling up a proportionate average, helps to pay off that vast army of pickers, pack ers, carters, vesselmen, teamsters, commission merchants and basket makers who, since early In July, have been part and parcel of the millions of the famous peach belt of the Wolver ine State. From Berrien County north, a broad hand ten miles in width along the shores of Lake Michigan is the la vored fruit center, and all this terri tory, with its millions of acres, Is de voted to supplying the Western markets with fruits and vegetables of various kinds, with peaches far in the lead as an edible, out of which many hand some fortunes have been made by in telligent growers. The present year has been a banner one for this inter est. More peaches have been shipped than in any previous season, for several days of one week some 20,000 bushels arriving in Chicago regularly, notwith standing the fact that the best varie ties dropped from $5 to $1.75 per bush el, and that thousands of 1-5 bushel baskets brought less than 9 cents apiece. Michigan peaches begin coming ns early ns the first week in July, and shipments continue until snow flies. Nearly all of them are sent by boat, and a morning scene in the Chicago peach docks is often enlivened by the arrival of n steamer carrying ns high as 70,000 bushels of the fruit. The mo ment these --rive a hundred stout armed men march in single tile down a gangplank, and, threading the bas kets in half-dozens, convey them to as many waiting cars. They are hur ried to tho great commission marts of the city, and the big steamer puffs its way back to St. Joseph for another load, to keep busy the odd 3,000 men who are engaged daily during the sea son about the various loading and un loading docks. There is a profit In raising peaches, notwithstanding the price fluctuations of tlie season, and fruit growers in such favored localities ns Benton Harbor, where transportation facilities are su perior, nre exceedingly prosperous and satisfied. Here is located the largest peach farm in Michigan, and that means In the world. It is owned by Holland Morrill, president of tho Mich igan State Horticultural Society, and lie has made a fortune out of It. It is nbout live miles from Benton Harbor, and contains 300 acres, 100 acres of which are devoted exclusively to peaches, meaning a yearly yield of 50,000 bushels. Ten acres is devoted to a late variety, known as the Golden Drop, which has yielded SIO,OOO clear profit within five years, being, there fore, most appropriately named. Other great farms are being yearly opened, one of which, owned by the West Michigan Nursery Company, will con tain 800 acres, and eclipse even the Morrill farm as soon as the trees be gin to bear. Thirty years nbout cover the history of the peach industry in Berrien Coun ty, for it was not until 1800 that or chards of any size were set out In the vicinity of Benton Harbor and St. Jo seph. The pioneers soon had fruit beariug land up to SI,OOO an acre. The year ISOB marked the appearance of sucli diseases ns "blotches" aud "yel lows" among the peaches, spreading until five years inter not a pencil or chard of any size was left in Berrien County. Orchards which had been worth fortunes were set back on a gen eral produce-bearing basis of value. The peach industry was dead, and not until ten years ago did a revival come. The disense gradually lost its hold, and Berrien County Is now tho banner peacli district of Michigan. Naturally, the peach tree is a sloven. It will grow out of shape in one sea son if left to itself. To correct this the grower goes over his orchard every spring, cutting off just half of every twig which grew the senson before. In another respect the peach tree Is very troublesome. It undertakes more than It can accomplish In fruit hear ing. It overloads itEelf. and the first work of the grower Is to tliln his ponchos. On an average it costs sl7 an aero to do this work. No skill is needed for it, and the Michigan tramp lias the reputation of doing the work. Provided with a step-ladder, he goes over every limb, flipping off the fruit, as nearly ns possible leaving the peach es four inches apart on the twigs. This Is done just before the pits begin to harden in the green fruit. First of Berrien County peaches comes the "Lewis seedling," one of the most popular varieties. It Is of medium size, red-coated and having white meat. The Crawford pencil is another favorite, and Is of a golden yellow; the "Stumps" pencil, beauti fully marked, with a white meat, is profitable, but of them all the "Elber la" peach Is king. Just now It is on tlie market, large ns an ordinary tea cup, blotched with brilliant red, and on tlie under side yellow as gold. It brings tlie top price of the market, tlie wholesaler In Chicago paying $1 foi seventy-two picked peaches. Peaches In Berrien County are near er perfection tlinn they have ever been, and to maintain this perfection or chards are watched for the first sign ol deterioration. No tree that Is no healthy is allowed to cumber the ground. The dreaded yellows have given way before this scrutiny, and even if no State Inspector were going tlie rounds of Michigan orchards the yellows would liav-3 little chance to Bpreail, for no progressive rarmer would let a suspected tree stand for an liour after it had been noticed. The foundation of a peach orchard is the nursery, in which pits from the peach orchards of Tennessee are plant ed. At one year old these seedling Bhoots are taken up and set out In the orchards in squares of twenty feet, giving 108 trees to the acre. In the fol lowing spring they are ready for bud ding. Buds are taken from bearing trees which have demonstrated the quality of their fruit. A branch is cut from the tree, and from this branch a bit of bark is cut in the shape of a dagger's blade, carrying with it Just one leaf bud. With a pointed knife a perpendicular slit is cut In the bark of the seedling, almost at the ground. This slit is about an inch long and at the top of it, at right angles, another cut is made through the bark, extending a quarter of an inch on each side of the perpendicular slit Into this cross cut the point of the dagger-like piece of bark is thrust and pushed down ward until it is snugly housed by the loosened bark, leaving only the bud protruding. On each side of tills bud tile bark of the seedling is wrapped and in a few weeks the incisions have healed, leaving the bud growing. Tile year following the budding pro cess the pruuer passes through the young orchard and cuts away the whole top of the seedling, just above the shoot from the bud, and the bud's growth is thinned to one straight shoot. At one year old this shoot will pro duce peaches. They are not allowed to grow, however, but are pulled oil before the pits in the fruit begin to harden. The next year they are allow ed to bear a few peaches, in the third year they bear a few more, and in the fourth year the orchard Is paying profits to the grower. After this year nothing else is grown in the orchard, but from May I to Aug. 15, twice a week, the ground is stirred by a "weeder," which loosens the soil to the depth of an inch or more. A man with one horse and this "weeder" cul tivates twenty-five acres a day on an average. Between crops bonedust and potnsli are sown broadcast over the ground, the Influences of which are manifest directly in the fruit, show ing Juiciness and color. HIS TIME HADN-T COME. Consequently This Algerian Pconndrel Arose from His Grave. Hanging, when done officially, is ex pected to result in the death of the man hanged. It does not alwnys have that termination, however, and Ameri can history records a few instances In which men who have been hanged and pronounced dead have been resusei tated and lived long and more or less useful lives thereafter. A similar case occurred recently in Tunis, Algeria. Moliamm<%l Ben Ahmed el Ilabibi was sent to the gallows for assassinating a fellow "religionist" at Bizerta, near Tunis, Algeria, quartering two of his children, and firing on the guards com missioned to arrest him. When the day of his execution ar rived a great crowd of Arnbs had gath ered near the gallows to witness the last writhing struggles of the doomed man. Finally the victim was led forth. The hangman seized him and put the silk rope around his neck. Immedi ately the assistant loosed the strap COOLLY ASKED FOR A DItIXK. and Mohammed Ben Ahmed swung out into space. Spasms shook the body of the murderer; then all was silent, und everyone thought that it was all over and well over with Mohammed Ben Ahmed. He was left suspended nbout a quarter of an hour, after which lie was cut down, placed on a litter, and carried to the criminals' cemetery. After the grave-digger lind finished his labors, the body was placed in tlio uuhollowed trench, and a few shovels of dirt were thrown upon tlio quiet form. Suddenly the still form began to show signs of life, and at last sat up with great difficulty, and coolly remarked to the digger: "Before you bury me give me something to drink." The unexpected resurrection so af frighted the sexton that he dropped his shovel, and fled t (Ft lie prison at Bardo, where he informed the director of ids weird discovery. From 0 o'clock until 12 Mohammed Ben Ahmed remained in the shallow grave exposed to the burning rays of the sun. Then he was removed to the hospital for convicts at Sadlki, where he was taken care of. Ho was soon out of danger, and was transferred to tlio galleys of La Ghulette, where lie is doomed to hard labor for life, which is looked upon as a commutation of sentence. The grave-digger was so af fected by the shock given his nerves that his life is in danger. An Early Intimation— I "Johnny," saiil the hoy's father, "I suppose that you are going to hang up your stocking next Christmas." "No, I'm not," was the reply after some thought. "Why not?" "Because," lie answered, lohkiftg his father straight In the eye,; "you couldn't put a bicycle iu my stocking." —Washington Star. SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL. The brain of an idiot contains much less phosphorus than that of a portion of average mental powers. < A clever Parisian has invented a machine which can split one human hair lengthwise into thirty-six strips. Many of the so-oalled "vegetable Ivory" buttons used on dresses are made of potatoes treated with sal phurie aoid. In fifty-six Austrian oities, with a total population of 3,536,194, the av erage mortality last year was 25.8 per thousand. A steel fly wheel twenty-five feet in diameter and requiring 250 miles of wire in its construction, has been made in Germany. Pictures have been obtained by the Roentgen rays through eight and one half inches of iron plate by Herr Dor mann, of Bremen. | JM. Maingauit, the famous anato mist, discovered that by foroing air into the larynx of a dead animal sounds could be produced very similar to those of the voice during life. Dr. Dawson Tucker has dsscovered that the Boentgen ray sexist in nature, namely, in the ordinary glow worm, whose light penetrates thin sheets of aluminum and othor substances. The prime of life of a man of regu lar habits and sound constitution is from thirty to fifty-five years of age; of a woman from twenty-four or twenty-fire to about forty years of age. A petrified fish found by Dr. New berry at Delaware, Ohio, weighed twenty-five pounds, and is as perfect in form, position of fins, scales, oto., as though it had died but yesterday instead of 2000 years ago. A new and very efficient insect pow dor has been introduoed in Europe. It oonsists simply of pyrethrum flow ers, to every hundredth part of whioh is added one part of naphthalin by weight. The naphthalin must be in very fine powder and intimately mixed with the pj rethrnm. It has been acoidontly disoovorod ihat a certain beetle has mandibles of Bnoh strength that it oan out metal. Some Brazilian specimens were tem porarily placed in a glass jar with a pewter top, and in less than forty eight hours they had out holes in the metal large onoagh to protrade their heads. Where tlio Deaf May Hear. Many an old lady goes to ohureh of a Sunday and sits through the service in a frame of mind devout to a degree, but never hears a solitary word of the sermon. There is a preacher in Syracuse, Bev. George B. Spalding, D. D., who has changed all that. Dr. Spalding is pas tor of the First Presbyterian Ohurob, a religions body made up in the main of wealthy folk to whom inonoy is no particular objeot. Moved at first by the lamentations of some of his aged parishioners that they could not hear his preaohments Dr. Spalding was a newspaper man before be joined the clergy, and is a praotioal soul withal—ho arranged, for the better delivory of tho Gospel to those deaf brethren and sisters, speaking tabes which ran from a largo metal receiver—really a megaphone— immediately in front of him on the pulpit, down under the flooring of the auditorium and up into the pews. The megaphone is bmlt into tho front of the pulpit, so that when read ing or speaking tho doctor addresses it direotly. So suocessfal did the clergyman's device prove, that speaking tubes ware put iuto overy pew in the great audi torium. Any person, who is hard of hearing and happens to be a visitor to tho oharcb, will find means ut hand of hearing the sermon. One deaf old lady, who went to Dr. Spalding's churoh the other day, hav ing heard of the speaking-tube system, burst into tears when she put the trans mitter to horear and oaugh tthe sound of the proaoher'a voioe. She said it was the first sermon she had heard for over a quarter of a oontury.—New York Journal. An lUrn in Parachutes. An Italian aeronaut named Copazzs has invented two balloon attachment, whioh ore said to have fully realized the expectations formed of them. The one is an enormons parachute stretched over a balloon, and the other a folded parachute hanging under tho basket. If tlie'aeronaut finds that his balloon is rising too fast ho opens the folded paruoliuto, whioh immediately acts a: a huge air brake and efleetually re tards progress. On the other hand, should tho air vessel explode through expansion, fire, or any other oan3e, the top parachute come into action and a descent may be made without the slightest inconveni ence. A New Telephone. A Russian eleotrioian named Eil isohewsky has perfected a telephone which praotioally disregards distance. At a recent test between Moscow and Rostoff, 890 miles, talking, singing and instrumental musio at one end ol the line were distinctly heard by lis teners nt the other. An experiment is to be made by land wires and Atlantic oables in talking between London and New York. Japanese Postago Stamps. Tho new Japanese stamps, whioh were issued on September 13th, were for the first time in that oountry adorned with heads of prominent per sons. The original intention was to make the stamps commemorative of the war with China, but the late Prime Minister Ito rejected the samples on the ground that it would not be well to constantly remind the Chinese ol their defeat.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers