Because of the difficulty of collect ing the poll tux in Colorado, Gover nor Mc In tire has recommended that a poll tux receipt bo made a qualifica tion for voting, A circular bus been issned to all the Tillage chiefs throughout Egypt, beg ging them to spare the monuments ot the past ns fur us possible iu nil future quarrying operations. Says the Brooklyn Eigle: The most sensible thing yet proposed for the celebration of Queeu Victoria's next coronation anniversary is to make a little public park or playground iu every village in England. It has long been knowu that Pitts burg is one of the dirtiest of civilized cities, but the fact that it Pittsburg liuudrymuu who recently died was able to carry 3400,000 life insurance is additional evidence 011 this point. With the failure, already clearly foreshadowed, of the wheat crop in Australia, there will necessarily be a heavy demand iu that country for American grain during the next yeur. The Australian shortage, roughly es timated at 5,000,000 bushels, will open a ready market for the wheat growers of the Pacilic slope, and will naturally tend toward higher prices for the American cereal ail over the Coiiutry. A writer in the Detroit .Journal has attempted to provide Major McKiuley with a long line of illustrious ances tors. He traces the Canton Napoleon's lineage iu a direct liuo back to Dun can Me Duff, the celebrated Thaue who was born about theyeur 1000, and who was afterwards made famous by Shak speare, who told of some interesting experience this Scottish chieftain had with Macbeth, who bad trouble with his bauds aud one Buiquo, a gentle man, with a ghost. The New (Orleans Picayune re man;-; The States are not cl misli. Illinois has never yet had a native governor. Texas has had but oue, ami m> with many other states. We ure oil" people. That is the right spirit. The ioyal Amoriean doesn't ask the state from which a man hails. We all Btau I behind 011 c flag and are one peo ple, and president and Congress should guard alike the interests of every state. State pride is well enough,but should never be allowed to grow into selfishness and claunishness. It has been a theory long accepted by miners as gospel ihul a goid ore veiu disappears after reaching a cer tain depth- and many nines in Cali fornia have be 11 abaudoued 011 just this ground. A discovery was mude the '"•her day, however, that upsets all this. In the Kennedy mine in the Grass valley a rich vein thirty feet wide has been discovered at a depth of 2,100 feet, and the deeper it goes the wider the vein becomes. The dis covery may lead to a revolution in the mining methods in California. The successful English stock pro moter Hooloy, who recently cleared $10,000,000 for himself and his asso ciates by operations in Dunlops (pneumatic tires for bicycles), bus re c.-iwd a novel appeal from the work ers iu the company's factories in Cov entry. 1 hey ask him to subscribe to 11 fun I for promoting a strike organ iz •I by them. Since he succeeded in milking a great fortuuu in the course ot a few weeks out of Duulops, they assume that he may help them to get another penny for au hour's work. Labor conflicts iu Merry England are not without their grim pleasantries. Wheeling, W. V.., is a small city which claims to have solved the cheap, cr-gus problem through municipal ownership. It is a city of 43,009 in habitants, not large enough, it may be said, to have invited corruption in the c induct of its public business. Up to 1871 the people of Wheeling paid a private concern $3.50 per thousand for inferior gas. Then the city bought the gas plant for 370,000, and reduced the price to $3. A few years later the price was successfully lowere 1 to 82 and to 81.3), aud iu 1883 it was made 81, with 25 percent discount for prompt payment, practically 75 cents. There is hope of even a further re daction. The gas is reported to be of the best quality, and the plant has been rebuilt and modernized with the profits. In addition 840,000 has been paid out of the surplus 011 an expenditure of 8120,00) for an elec tric light plant for street illtimina tion, ud this plant is being run on theproiitsof the municipal gas. There are said to bo 110 restrictions to pre vent private gas or electric companies from entering the field, but of course iiouc lias attempted to compete with the municipality. Sweet Content; Art thou poor, yet hast thou golden slum bers? O sweet content! Art thou ri -h, yet in thy min i perplexed ? O punishment! Dost thou laugh to see how fools are To add to golden numbers, golden num bers V O sweet content! O sweet content! Can'st drink the waters of the crisped spring ? O sweet content! Swimmest thou ia wealth yet sinketh in thine tears ? O punishment ! Then he that patiently want's burden bears, No burden bears, but is a king, a king ! O swoot content! O sweet content I THE BIG ARMCHAIR. BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES. "It wasn't my fault," said Mrs. Brickett; "nor yet I won't take it upon mo to say that it was Briokett's. But we couldn't agree, mo aud Brick ett. So we separated." "Dear mo!" said Mrs. Marrowfat, "it was ail about Grandfather Gnuu's big armchair," said Mrs. Brickett, stitching resolutely at her new Suuday gowu. "Now I look back on it, it does seem silly that I and Brickett should quarrel übout such a little thing. But when your temper's up, you know, you cau't stop to reason, as you do at ordinary times." "No, indeed!" said Mrs. Marrow fat. "Grandfather Gunu willed Brickett that big armchair," went on Mrs. Brickett. "Ho hadn't a great deal to leave, poor old fellow, but he did what he could. It was a great, ugly, old-fashioned thing, us cumbrous to move as a horse and chaise, and dread fully old-fashioned in the make. So says I, 'lt ain't fit for any place but tiie store-room.' 'Store-room, in deed!' Rays Brickett. 'My Grand father Gunn's armchair aiu't going to be hustled away into uuy store room. I'm just going to have it down stairs, where I cau set in it, and take my comfort,' says Brickett, Bays he. 'lt don't match any of my furniture,' says I. 'Then take vour furniture somewhere else,' siys Brickett. Well, the first wo knew, we came to light words, mo aud Brickett. Til go home to mother,' says I. 'The sooner the better,' says be. 'l've stood your temper till I can't stand it no longer !' So I came home to mother—aud Brick ett, he's let the farm and gone out West, so the YV idow Simmons writes me; for, of course, I've no way of knowing anything about it myself." And Mrs. Brickett brushed a tear out of the corner of her eye with the frill of her apron. "Dear, dear!"said Mrs. Marrowfat. "I suppose Mr. Brickett was a great trial to you?" "No, I can't Ray that lie was," acknowledged Mrs. Brickett. "He had a temper of his own, had Brickett; but so had I. I'm 'most sorry, now, I didn't let Grandfather Guuu's arm chair stand by the settin'-room fire— just where ho wanted it!" "Why don't you write and tell him so?" suggested Mrs. Marrowfat. "I won't be the dust under any man's feet!" said Mrs. Brickett, with spirit. "I've left him, and I'm not the worn 111 to go fawning back again ami ask his pardon, for standing up for my own .lights—no, that I'm not!" But after Mrs. Marrowfat had folded her kuitting work into its bug, put her best cap into a pastebourd box, and gone home, Mrs. Brickett sat sadly looking out where the tall, red hollyhocks nodded their heads above the garden wall, and the bees came humming home from the white blossomed buckwheat fields beyond, aud thought of the pleasant old farm iu the Unadilla Valley,with the stoop roofed, old-fashioned house, and Grandfather Guuu's big armchair standiug vacant by the unused hearth stone,aud she almost felt as if she had done wrong. "But I'd die before I'd own as much to Brickett!" suid she. So, byway of securing n change of air and scene, uud diverting her mind from the folly of her couduot, Mrs. Brickett concluded to go out West, and visit an old schoolmate who had married and settled there. "Perhaps, if I like Kansas, I shall stay there," said she, to herself. "It don't matter very much whether I live in one place or auother, nowa days." It was n long, tedious journey—es pecially so to Mrs. Brickett, who was not au accomplished traveler. The evening of the second day closed iu wet and windy, as they came steaming steadily along on the edge of an almost interminable prairie. They had atoppe I for supper at an insignitlcant little town where they changed conductors, and, ns Mrs. Brickett leaned back iu her corner, with 11 veil over her face and a cam phor-bottle nt her nose, she could see the stalwart figure of the new con ductor gatheriug up the tickets right and left. "Just such a man ns Brickett used to be,"" thought the poor., solitary wife. "Dear, dear ! I don't see what keeps putting Brickett into my head the whole time!" and she cried, quietly, behind her veil. "It's because the camphor is so strong," said she; but she knew better all the while. The conductor had taken up all his tickets at last. He came and sat down beside a stout, genial-faced man, iu the seat directly in front of her. "So your going home, Wallis,"suid he. •("My goodness me, it is Brickett!" gasped the weary traveler, ut the familiar accents of the voice.) "Yes," the genial-faced man made prompt reply. "I'm off duty until Monday morning; and I haven't seen my wife iu a month—nor my home." "It's a great deal to have a home to go to," said Conductor Brickett, a little huskily,*"aud a wife. I've got neither." "Your wife is dead?" "I have lost—her," the conductor replied, evasively. "I suppose you set a (leal of store by her?" said the stout man, sym pathizing Iv. "I did," answered the conductor; "I do now. But I've lost her." He rose abruptly from his seat, and went to the glazsd door ut the end of thecal* —it was the last 011 the train to look out at the wild luudscupe —the eternal flat sameness of the prairies. Presently, u touch fell lightly on his arm. "Brickett," said a soft, hesitatiug voice, "you have lost me!" "Hester!" he cried out, with a start; "it is never yon! Here? and alone? "I've behaved like a fool,Brickett," said the wife, trying her best to keep down the hysterical lump iu her throat. "Aud I won't say that you was alto gether right " "1 was u brute, Hester!" ho inter rupted. "But, oh,Brickett! I haven't known a happy moment siuce I went away and left tue old farm iu the Uuadilla Valley !" pleaded the wife. "Nor I!" he uttered, hoarsely. "Hester —wife —shall wo go back?" "And how about Grandfather Guun's armchair?" she said, half luugliiug, half crying. "We'll split it up for kindling wood," said Brickett. "No, we won't,"said Mrs. Brickett. "We'll varnish it up and recushion it, aud set it by the sitting-room fire — just wher-' you wanted it!" Mr. and Mrs. Brickett wont on to the end of the journey, and tbeu Mr. Brickett resigned his couductor'a cap uud badge. "Isn't this rather a sudden notion of yours, Brickett?" said the superin tendent of the road. "Well, yes, rather," said Brickett. "But I've made up my tniud to go back to farming." So Mr. and Mrs. Brickett returned once more to the old homestead. Lavi Cartwright, the incumbent, was only too glad to leave the farm, lie was tired of the monotonous life. "But there's 0110 thing I'd ought to tell you," Miid he. "The keepiu'-room ceil in' fell down one day last week folks don't put up plaster now iih they did 111 my 'teens—and smashed that there old armchair of your'n iuto splinters. Good thing uo one chanced to be settiu' in it just then ; but we was all out at the back of the house, liivin' a swarm of bees. Real provi dential, wasn't it?" Aud Mr. and Mrs. Brickett looked at each other, atul ugroed that it was. —Saturday Night. History ol Steam Power. The power of steam, says the St. j Louis Globe-Democrat, was knowu to 1 Hero of Alexandria, who exhibited what seems from the description to have beeu a small steam engine to Ptolemv Philadelphia and his court, about 153 B. C. Piiny describes a small boat, built by a "magician" of Route, which moved by means of a wheel,"driven by a pot of hot water." Watt's inventiou of u rotary steam engine was patented in 1709. The first railway locomotive WHS built bv Trovithick, in 1894; the first practical locomotive was perfected by Stephen soil iu 1829. As early as 1707 Denys Papin built a model of a steamboat, which was destroyed by a mob of boatmen. The first practical steam boat was built by William Symington in ISO 2. In 1803 Robert Fulton, iu connection with Chancellor Livings ton, built a steamboat, which was tried on the Seine. In 1807 the Cloromout begun trips from k to Albany. llHilling in Dreams, James Bolton, a New Yorker who visits tho Adiroudacks every year to huut deer, has a lean-to camp ou a a stream iu Northern Herkimer coun ty, where he entertains his friends. Ho sees things and docs things some times in his dreums that make him a source of anxiety to his friends and his guides. Last fall Sara Cooley, one of Mr. Bolton's guides, was lying in the guide's shelter half awake, when he Biw some one slip out of the owner's carnp with a rifle iu his hands. What was more serious, the figure was slip ping 38-culibre shells into the maga zine. Cooley diviued the situation instantly, and started toward the man, whom he recognized as Bolton, but Boltou got beyond tho firelight before the guide could reach him, aud theu stopped and seemed to bo steering off into the woods. Up came the rifle, and seven shots were fired, each sounding like a can non's roar in tho perfect night quiet of the woods. Everybody except Bol ton woke up, and the dogs let out howls of woudermeut. Meantime Cooley had grabbed a water pail half full of water aud thrown the contents over Bolton just as ho was about to fire aguin. It was Bolton's turn to howl theu. Tho cold water woke him up, and he was incliued to swear at tho guide before he realized tho danger he had been iu. lie had been shooting, he thought, at a buck deer. All tho bullets were found next day iu a hem lock stump, and they could have becu Covered with a hat. Mr. Boltou ouco went still hunting, a little alter midnight, and was not found until 7 a. m. Ho had awukened ouce during his trip,bat had been un able to make his way back to camp. A fisherman fell asleep while fishing for black bass at Philadelphia, N. Y., one day and dreamed he had a bite. He yauked his pole up aud a one pouud bass swung into his face. Ou waking up ho found that he had pulled up his pole, but iusteud of a bass, a tin can swung against his cheek.— New York Sun. Products of Hawaii, Besides sugar and lice, tho staple products, coffee, bananas, oranges and other fruits ure largely grown. Food products are abundant, especially of the kind suitable to a hot climate,suys "Paradise of tho Pacific." The native food consists largely of tho taro plaut, of which the best va rieties are grown in the shallow ponds of fresh water. From this plunt is made tho poi, which is the ordinary food of the Kanaka. The sweet potato grows even among the rocks aud flourishes abuuduntly iu good soil, while the common pota to sometimes grows well, though it is often injured by worms. The quality of tho coffee raised is equal to the choicest. The climate is also very favorable to the growth of tho long staplo sea iulund cotton ; but us this variety must be picked by hand, the high price of labor in the islands reuders its culture unprofitable. Tropical fruits of nearly all kinds grow in tho richest abuudauce, tho orange, lemon, lime, mango, pine apple, hirimoyu, or custard apple, tho ulligator pear.pomogratiute aud guava, all of which are exotic. The banana is indigenous, and is the most abuuduut of all fruits; be sides it there are the ohia apple—a fruit peculiar to the Pacific islands, soft, juicy and mildly acid—many varieties of palms, the choicest trees of India, tho caoutchouc, the papaya,the traveler's tree of Madagascar aud other foreign plants. Measuring Starlight. Among tho curreut inventions re corded iu tho scientific papers is that of an instrument by au English in ventor for accurately measuring tho qnuutity of light given out by a star, stars beiug designated us of the first down to the twentieth magnitude, ac cording to tho intensity of the light from them. By this new devico tho rough designation of magnitude is represented by numbers, which give the exact ratio of oue star to another iu light-giving power, tho star Arc turus, for example, being estimated by this means to give 75 3-4 times the light of Hegulus. The amount of light which reaches the earth from the stars varies according to the state ol the atmosphere, aud it is claimed that this instrument will be of valuable service not ouly in astronomy, but in meteorology also. Equipped, "One of your wife's luugs is gone my dear sir." "That doesn't do me any good, doc tor, the one she has left is a stur."— Truth. FEEDING CADETS. A. Unique Feature of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Discipline and Hard Work Are Required in Serving Meals. Among the unique parts that make up the commonwealth of the United States Nuval academy at Annapolis, tad., is a band of the most expert and perfectly trained waiters, on whose promptness and attention to duty largely depend the exact movemeuts of academic autonomy. The battalion of cadets must have their fast broken in time to begin promptly their bustl ing day of busy work. For that pur pose the first man who starts the preparations for breakfast reports at tu. m. Ho is the fireman. lie starts the fires and begins the first opera tions for the coming meal. At 5 o'clock the assistant cooks arrive and begin to round up the meal. At G o'clock all the cooks are iu the kitchen, These are six iu number. Three bak ers have been at work all night making bread. Warm rolls or some kind of hot bread ure given at every break fast. The meats are started to cook at G, for it takes good, large quanti ties of meat to serve 250 hearty cadets. Fish and eggs vary with the meat us relishes. Breakfast is served ou the tick of the watch at G. 40, giving just live minutes for morning formation aud inspection by the officer iu charge. At 7.15 breakfast is over, and the Chnplaiu comes iu and loads morning service—consisting of reading a pas sage of Scripture and prayers. After that the waiters, cooks, aud assistants, forty-eight iu number, have their breakfast. That over, the service corps begins to make ready for gen oral inspectiou at i) by the Assistant Commaudaut of Midshipmen. This inspection goes to the cleanliness of the mess hall, its utensils, aud the en tire kitchen, and means that every pan shall be in order aud "shining like a new pin." The forcp, save the cooks, is now dismissed until 11.45 a. m., when the head waiter musters his meu, calls the roll, aud reports to the ollicer iu charge, aud he inspects tho personnel of the force to see that the white aprons and jackets are spotless. Then preparations for cliuuer are rounded up, for at 7 a. m. tho work had been beguu. This meal is served with military promptness at 12 35 p. m. When tho bugle blares for dinner, the four carv ers start to cut up the joints of meat, the cooks begin to dip up the soup, and the waiters to HOTVO the butter and the salads. This is done in a hurry, uud the waiters line up await ing the order to serye the soups. At this order each waiter starts with four plates of soup, each having eight ca dets to serve. Soup eudod, every dish is cleared from the table ami the vege tables ure served, each waiter briug ing iu six dishes ut u time. Thou the meat plates are taken to tho carvers' room, when each waiter returns to tho hall currying eight plates in his hands, for uo travs are ever used by these ex perts, who hnvo nevor had a crash iu all the rush of waiting in the mess hull. Individual orders are now lillod until dessert is served. The waiters line up to receive this order. Dinner takes forty-five minutes. Bupper is served after tho inauuer of breakfast. This work means exacting duty for some of the meu aud fidelity in all. Colored meu form the waiting corps entirely, aud are drawn from tho best class of colored people in Annapolis, for only those who are sober, reliable and nlert cuu hold these places, where nil the regularity of military order is observed and the whole body of waiters are required to answer three roll calls daily. The men who compose this capable corps take pride in their calling, which has nil the incentive of deserving promotion iu it, for while the steward has tho power of discharge, promotion goes by couduct, aud long service brings increase of pay, and finally comes transfer to the cadets quarters, to keep these in order, where pay is en hanced and positiou continues as long as the incumbent is capable and faith ful. Fire-Alarm Boxes, Charles T. liill contributes an arti cle eutitled "Au Alarm of Fire by Telegraph" to St. Nicholas, dcscrib ingthe firo-alnrm system of New York. Couccrniug the fire-alarm boxes, Mr. Hill writes: This box forms part of a lamp-post, tho post being so con structed that the box is irtertcd in tho middle. The box is painted a bright red, and tho lump ut night shows a red light, thus making ft easily discerni ble either by day or night. The wires from tlio box lire convoyed down through the center of the post to cou duits bur/ed in the street, auil thence on to lire headquarters. White letters on n rod pane of glass, in the lamp over the box, give direc tions how to send an alarm,—the same directions in raised letters are found on the fuce of the box. If we turn the large brass handle on the outside as far as it will go a loud gong will ring inside. This is not the ularm, but simply a warning bell to notify the policemun on the beat that the box is being opened ami to prevent the sending in of malicious or false alarms of lire, an offense that is punishable in Now York State by a line of SIOO and one year's imprisonment. Turn ing this handle as far as it will go opens the outer door, and we find in side another door, with a slot at the left hand side, and at the top of this slot a hook projecting. By pulling down this hook once and releasing it, we set at work certain clockwork me* chauism inside, aud this sends in the alarm. When the first officer arriving at a fire discovers that it is of euough im portance to warrant his sending for reinforcements, he opens this inner door and with the "Morse key" sends in a second, third, fourth, lifth, or sixth alarm, as the casu may be, or a call for any special apparatus that he may need. The inspectors of boxes j can also carry on a conversation iu the ' Morse alphabet with the operator ut headquarters on tliis key and souuder. A Sagacious Otter. In Forest and Streum there is a story about Tommy, a tame otter that lived in Grayling, Mich. Tommy was captured by a saloonkeeper on the Sauble river, aud he soon became do mesticated, wandering to and fro for two or three miles along the river, fishing and hunting, visiting the houses of the region, and always re turning home. Tommy grew to ho a good friend of other domestic ani mals, rolling over and over with the dogs, and trying hido and seek with the cats. Not nil cats were frieudly toward the otter. Some cute offended the otter, but they never did so twice. Tommy would grab a hostile cut by the buck, carry it to the nearest piece of water, and hold it uuder uutil bub bles ceased to come up. Tommy could fight dogs as well as cats. One day a big bulldog came through Ginyliug,nnd,uot being used to otters, grabbed Tommy aud almost killed him. Tommy recovered and lay iu wait for the bulldog. One uf teruoon the dog c me to towu again with its master and picked a fight with another dog. Tommy happened around about that time and while the town dog held the bulldog the otter nearly ate the bulldog up. "He would nip great mouthfuls of flesh out of him, and pull and lug him till he had about killed the dog, when the town boys took Tommy off," says the writer. Tommy knew all the Gray ling lishermeu, and was always giad to go fishing with them. When ho had caught ail the fish he wauted to eat he fished for the fishermen, catching more fish thau all of them put to gether. When a man shot Tommy the whole town mourned. Bull Fighting, Carll, the ex-Mexicano, says: "I would rather see u hull fight thau any thing on earth, but it is the most bru tal sport known, and the Mexicans are a barbarous people. I saw a mure named Molly enter the ring. She was a complete wreck,with hardly strength euough to get out the bull's way. The horses used in bull fighting are invuriubly cast-offs, unfit for nuy pur pose of business or pleasure. The bull, an unusually lusty fellow, ripped Molly's flank open so that her bowels fell to the ground. She soon went down, falling upon her side and im prisoning her rider. Tho bull would have made short work of him had not assistance come. The bull never has a chance. When he enterq the ring he goes to die. Poor Molly! Hers was u sud fate."- New York Press. Avoiding Entanglements. Sprightleigh—Hello, old mau, what are you moping hero for? Why aren't you dauciug? Fnuxpns—To avoid entanglements. Sprightleigh—l didn't know you were so desirable. Fauxpas—Huh ! I'm not. Fact is, first dance I hud I caught my foot iu my partner's dress aud ripped a mile or two of trimming off it; next time, some awkward fool tripped me, and we both went down on our bauds and knees opposite each other, as though wo wore barkiug ateuch other, uud the last, I caught my cuff-button in MissFluffy's hair, and it took mo an hour to get loose. Next time I dance it'll bo a ghost-danced"—har per's Bazar, FLOATED BY KITES. Novel Experiment by a United States Army Officer. He Was Elevated Forty-Two Feet by Four Kitea The utility of the kite in war times has been tested at Governor's Island with satisfaction, says the New York Press. Li enteuant Hugh D. Wise of the Ninth lufautry, who has been ex perimenting for mouths, was elevated to au ultitude of forty-two feet, auil swept the surrounding country with his glass. He was assisted by Corpo ral Lewis and five other officers of the post . Four kites were used. They were attached to u wiudluss runuiug out a halt-inch niuuilla cord connected with au iron ring drawn up fifty feet above tho ground. From the ring the kites ran up on two oue-iuch cords. Two kites, one above the other, were attached to each of the latter cords. To the ring was also attached u tackle and block runuiug a heavy rope to the ground. On this rope Lieutenant Wise was pulled iuto tho air by two of tho offi cers. At the time tho estimated pull ing force of tho kites was 4'JO pounds. The wind was blowing at tho rate of fifteen miles per hour from the soatll wost. Lieutenant Wise placed himself ill a seat attached to the tackle rope. At first the kites were uuablo to lift him more than twelve feet, owing to the variation of tue wiud. When a steady blow was finally on at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, ho was hauled up u little above the eaves of the officers' quarters, ut which tho test was made. The distance-was estimated at forty two feet. He remained there for some time, brought his glass to bear ou all sides, aud thou signaled to be lowered. The test was repeated, and Lieutenant Wise expressed himself as highly gratified. The four kites used weighed sixty five pounds und their cost was calcu lated to be about sl2 each. In form they were paruilolopipedous, consist ing of frame boxes braced out with wire and covered with strong cotton cloth. Lieutenant Wise is the only person in this country who has succeeded in accomplishing this much with kites. Experiments, however, have been suc cessfully made iuEuglaud and Austra lia. Captuin 11. Baden Powell, of the British army, was elevated one hun dred feet a year ago, and Lawrouco Hurgruve ascended forty feet recently in Australia. When seen Lieutenant Wise said: "Captain Powell had tho nso of a parachute iu his ascension. I may use a parachute in connection with tho kites in u uhort time. I think that tho kite may ho exceedingly useful. ►Such able persons us President Lang ley, of the Smithsonian Institution; Professor Marvin, of the Weather Bureau, and Civil Engineer Chanut of Chicago, have been investigating the subject. I think ultimately a kite will be perfected which will curry a man iu a gale which would tear a balloon into pieces. The portability of these contributes to their usefulness. They will, however, always labor under the disadvantage of requiring a stroug breeze. My kites urea modification of the Hargrave invention. I attri bute my success to hard work and study. I have never mudo any experi ments without working the theory out beforehand. I had a great deal of bad luck, and the number of kites broken, and the work was sometimes very dis couraging. I have now, altogether, about sixty kiteH of various sizes and forms."—New York Press. The teredo and the Cable. An Atlantic cable has, fortu nately, few animal enemies, al though in tho Euglish Channel, the Irish Sea, and the North Sea the teredo, the special cable pest of the Mediterranean, does some mis chief. This "miserable little mollusk," as the cable men call it, first made itself a reputation by eating up wooden ship hulks, uutil builders took to plating them with irou, and by burrowing iuto the dikes in Hollaud until the whole country was threatened with inundation. When tho cable came, it took to it at once. It wriggles its way in between the steel wires of the most tightly wrapped core, and eats away jute and guttaper cha until there is nothing but a wire skeleton left. Happily, however, as already indicated, our owu particular cable has little to fear from the tere do ; aud the best wish we can give it, as it lies at tho bottom of the Atlan tic, is that it may never have a his before* the ££*3 it again.— Henry Mulr in Madura's/i, j ' T
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers