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