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.