im; b . icairu la running Spain's ship of State have rocketl the boat once too often. The cost of railroads all over the trorhl thus far has been $36,G85,000,- 000, and it is estimated that the street railways cost $2,500,000,000. It is said the Cuban insurgents are half-naked. Go back to history and compare that information with the condition of the American patriots. Canada and the United Kingdom are to have a two-cent post. Per haps we, too, shall some day com municate with our Auglo-Saxon brothers in England at the same do mestic rate. The women of LaGrange, Mo., de serve something better in the shape of men than they seem to possess. While their husbands were sitting around on (dry goods boxes telling each other how the war should be conducted they or- ' gani/ed a battalion, appointed officers and cut down the weeds in the princi- ' pai residence streets of the city. The Washington correspondent of the London Daily Mail reports an iu. terview with a distinguished American officer, who is represented as dilatiug upon the immense superiority of Ameri can warships over British, especially iu armor and armament. The officer is said to have declared that the United States battleship Alabama could blow j the British battleship Majestic out of ! water, aud to have predicted that iu the next century America will be build ing warships for everybody. "Even ! now," lie says, "the United States is able to build much cheaper than Ger many or Euglaud." The Daily Mail, j commenting editorially upon this ! startling statement, say 3: "We have : verified the data and are compelled to i acknowledge the correctness of the I statement. We know also that there ! Vs a distinct uueasiness in the highest ranks of the British Navy at the under 1 armament of our ships." The coming textile fibre, according ' *o Textile America, is that of the ' ramie plant. Already, it appears, manuft cturers of hosiery and fancy goods are using the fibre on a large qeale, and the facilities for washing such textures have contributed to their iucreasiugmanufacture for table linen, bed sheets, etc. The fact is also im portant that the different tests made with this and other vegetable fibres, ' such as Hax, hemp, cotton, etc., have been in favor of the ramie, and for this reason it is gradually gaining favor iu another branch, namely, the produc tion of sailcloth, awnings and cover ings for carriages, on account of its being less sensitive to atmospheric influences, acids aud septics. Knitted underwear made of ramie—this indus try, it may be remarked, bciug one iu which the material has been most suc ressfully introduced—is not only one that lias acquired quite a liking from Ike public because of its extreme dur ability and silky finish, but also for its fstimated hygienic advantages; these latter are based on the substance ad mitting of normal perspiration without venerating or retaining the disagree tblc heat caused by textures matle of tt-lier fibres, while hot water aud soap will also cleanse it without any ex- ! | osure to strong friction. The report on railways in India for A} 97 8 has just been published by the Indian Office in Loudon. The follow ing is a summary of some of the re emits pointed out: The total length of railways open on March 31, 1898, was 25,454\ miles, being a net increase of 920 miles over the preceding year; of ibis mileago 21,1561 were in full operation on that date, being an in crease of 766. The mean mileage worked during the year was 20,531, being an increase of 748 miles. The gross earnings for 1897-8 amounted to $51,190,339, which is an increase of nearly $5,000,000 over the previous /ear. Iu the same period the work ng expenses amounted to $31,200,000, a kick was a little more than last year. The net earnings amounted to $32,- 710,000, being a decrease of $210,872. Of the total gross earnings, 73.87 per cent, was earned by the standard gauge lines, 25.52 per cent, by the meter gauge, aud ths balance, .61 per cent., by the special gauge lines. The total number of passengers booked in the year showed a decrease of 5.94 per cent. The passenger earnings de creased by 7.31 per cent. What is termed "other coaching" traffic showed au increase of 26.01 per ceut. The report explains this seeming paradox by stating that the falling off in "pasr senger traffic" iu 1897 was chiefly dud to the prevalence of the plague aurj the lamiue, while the increase under "other coaching traffic" was princi-! pally due to the abnormal receipts on account of the northwest frontier mili tary eupeditiou. g&BiBMiBHmKSHmKK3iBBSB!BBfIB!SJg.'iSSj I THE LADRONES AND CAROLINES, j fWKi £ §§§ Value and Beauty of These Much-Discussed Islands | §M in the Pacific Ocean. §|§ | A ttlF.lill PEOPLE WITH ({I EEREK CI'STOMS. I SifjS ? Fur out iu the Pacific, where the map looks as if a charge of bird shot had peppered a spot no larger than yonr thumb, the American flag is flying over the Ladroues. They are but specks on the face of the deep. Yet there is an empire of island wealth amid the rarest scenery in the world. An earthly paradise it is called. The enpture of the Ladrones by the United States with a seizure of the Carolines just to the south ofj the group makes them of new interest to Americans. The Ladrones are a chain of vol canic islands extending north and south from lntitude thirteen degrees twelv# minutes north to latitude twenty degrees thirty-two minutes south and in longitude about ltd east. They were discovered by Magellan, March G, 1521, and named Ladrones from the supposed stealing propensi ties of the natives, Later, in IGGB, the islands were named Mariana, in honor of Maria Anne, of Austria, the widow of Phillip IV., King of Spain. The inhabited islands are Agrigan, Saipan, Tinian, Rota and Guam. On the other islands are volcanoes spouting fire and steam. The mountains range from 1000 to 3000 feet high, about the altitude of the biggest of the Catskills. The Spaniards have controlled the islands without interference or seri ous trouble from the natives. There is a small garrison at Agaua, the cap ital, where the Governor-General has resided. Many natives of the Caro -1 iue Islands have been imported into the Ladrones aud the races are inter estingly mixed. The blending of the tall, copper-colored, curly-haired, long-bearded and mustached Caroliu iaus with tho Pkilippian-looking La droues, with their dark Malay skin, A LADRONE BELLE. lias given a new tint to a large num ber of young men anil women. The chief products for sustaining life are cocoauuts and bread fruit. They grow spontaneously everywhere. It is said that one cocoanut tree will feed a man. A grove of the fruit trees to the islander is what a herd of cows is to the Pennsylvania farmer. These, with tho tons of fish in the lagoons, which are natural fish ponds, are responsible for the profound in dolence of the natives. They can support life without laboring. Home of the bread fruit trees are ten or twelve feet in diameter. A single tree is considered equal in life-sup porting capacity to two acres of wheat. Theu there are other pro duets—guava, corn, ordinary wheat, bananas, figs and arrowroot. The islands forming the Ladrones, — I THE BUSINESS SECTION OF AGANA, PRINCIPAL TOWN OF THE LADRONES j beginning at the northernmost, are Farnllon de Pajaras, an active volcano J 1000 feet in height; a group of three j rocky islets known as the Urracas; | Assumption, a partially active vol j canio peak ii.SIS feet in height; Agri gnu, seven miles iu length, uiouutaiu- J ous, aud the northernmost inhabited , island; Pagan, having three active j cones, and peopled by a few natives; t the uninhabited islands of Alnmagau, I Guguan, Sariguan, Anataxan and i Farallou de Mediuilla; Saipan, fifteen j miles long, fertile, and having about ! 1000 inhabitants; Tinian. originally possessing 30,000 inhabitants, and now a place of segregation for lepers, with a population of 300; Aguijan, of 110 importance; ltota, with 500 inhab itants, and Guam. Guam, or Guajan, the southernmost and largest of the islands, is thirty two miles long and has a population of about 9000, two-thirds of whom are in Agaua, and nearly all the rest upon the seaboard, the country inland be ing almost without inhabitant. Agaua, BAHLDONAI\ A TYPICAL TOWN IN THE CAROLINES. the capital, is also a convict settle ment. It is beautifully clean, and possesses good government officials, a hospital, schools and a church. The Spanish residents have usually num bered about twenty, and the regular soldiery about 200, all quartered here. The militia, comprising about all the male population, is commanded bv native officers. The civil government is similar to that of the Philippines. Postal communication has been quar terly. When first discovered the Ladrones had a population of about 00,000. Not one of the original race survives, anil the islands are peopled chiefly by Tagals and Bisayans from the Philip pines, mixed "descendants of South American Indians, a colony of Caro line Islanders who founded Garapan in the Island of Saipan, andnumerons Chamorro-Spauish half-breeds. The census of 1838 reports a population of 0476 iu Agana, aud a total of 10,172 in all the islands, 5031 being males 5138 females. There are eighteen schools iu the Island of Gnam. Only ten per cent, of the Ladroue Islanders aro unable to read aud write. Spanish is the recognized language; but many of the natives speak a little English. Tho climate is good and equable; sev enty degrees to eighty degrees Fahrenheit is the range of the ther mometer. The present population are de scribed as "wanting in energy, of in different moral character, and miser ably poor." They are descended in part from the original inhabitants, called Chamonos, aud from the Mesti zos, a mixed race formed by the union of Spaniards with these natives. On the island called Stiypan a colony from the Caroline Islands, which lie to the south of the Ladrones, was estab lished some years ago. These people are tho most active aud enterprising inhabitants of tho Ladrones. Spain lias derived no revenue from theso islands, and has done little to civilize the people. At one time a few suiall schools were started, but they were soon abandoned. In 1850 an epidemic destroyed oue tliird of the population. August aud September are the "hot test months, nnd tho rain fall in the summer mouths is very hoavy. Agaua, the capital, is well built of timber, nnd many of the houses have tiled roofs. There aro twenty small villages on the Wands. So little has been done to civilize the people that they live iu about the same primitive fashion as character ized them when Europeans first visited them. In one thing the people of the La drones excel all the natives of the Polynesian islands—this is their faculty for building and sailing a won derful water craft with a lateen sail. Sailors of all nations for over 300 years have admired their skill with these vessels. They are built entirely without metal, and the largest of them wilt carry abont seven men. The boat has an outrigger which is carried pn the lee side to prevent up setting. It is said that jthese boats ■ make wonderful speed, and that they eaii lie. closer to the wind than any other sailing craft known. i uatoms, superstitions, ilress, j NATIVES AND HUT IN THE LADRONES. : ligiou, etc., prove that the people of j the Ladrones have a common origin I with the other races of Polynesia, but | they have lived so long by themselves that they have a distinct language. | Some writers have argued that the ] race is of American origin, while j others hold that they are an offshoot of the Japanese. Gobien, the French writer, who studies the people on the spot, says of them: "The natives are not so dark as those of the Philippines, and are larger of body than the average European. They lived on roots, fish and fruits, and were extremely active and quick. Many of them lived over 100 years." Another French writer says that he saw them dive and swim so well that they caught fish iu their hands under water. Iu character the Ladrones are gay and amiable, loving pleasure, and spending much of their time in out door amusements. The women are usually lighter in color than the men, and many of them are extremely beautiful, with luxuriant hair reaching almost to the ground. The Carolines are like the Ladrones, only more extensive iu number and area, and densely populated. The islands aro widely scattered into three great groups, the eastern, western and central. Spain originally claimed all the groups, but Germany recently took the Marshall Islands. The cen tral or main group, now belonging to Spain, comprises forty-eight smaller A CAROLINE WARRIOR. groups, making a total of four or five hundred islands. Among the products of the country are rice, coru, wheat, sugar, cotton, tobacco, indigo, bread fruit, castor oil and kindred necessaries of life. Among the curious natural features are the palm trees, that produce vege table ivory; banyan trees that grow downward, the seeds being planted by birds liigb up in other trees, de posited in bark and crevices, sending down rootlets to gather sustenance and moisture from the soil. Another tree bears a fruit so offen sive in odor that no man not in pi no tice can endure it, but once in a mouth the fruit tastes so delicious'y that he cauuot stop eating until it is devoured. The women of the Carolines are neat and attractive at home or among their cocoanut trees. The men are indus trious—everywhere displaying ingen uity and gentle thrift, The Caroline Archipelago consists of thirty-six miiuir groups, of which the niue following are the principal: The Palaos or Pelews, Yap, Uluthi, Uleai, N'amonuito, Hogolen or Kuk, the East and West Mortlocks, Bouabe or Ponnpe, nud Kitsaie, otherwise called Ualan orStrong's Island. The Pelew group contains some 200 islands and islets. The principal isl and is Bad-el-Thaob, which iu area is equal to all the restpnt together. The most important of the others are Ivor ror, Uruk, Tapel, Mnlk, Peleleu aud Augaur. The population of the Pe lews is estimated nt some 3000, but is probably much more. The language is a very peculiar and bizarre Malayan dialect, somewhat akin to that of Sula Archipelago. The principal products are turtle shell, copra and beoho de mer (Holothuria), which in the Chin ese markets brings as much as 8400 gold per ton. There is always civil war going on in the group between the various tribes, and a firm hand is needed to keep things in order there. Captain Butrau, of the Velasco (lately suuk at Manila),who visited the group in 1885, gives these natives a good name. Cap tain O'Keefe, however, a wealthy trader of Yap, gives them a doubtful reputation, putting them down as a folk of piratical and turbulent charac ter. The enormous quartz wheels, the famous and curious stone money of Yap in this group, were quarried in the Island of ICokial. In olden time there was great commercial activity here, and the Yap and Pelew folks went on extended voyages of trading and con quest. Bab-el-Thaob is rich in good timber. Great quantities of yams, bread-fruits and coeoanuts are grown. Alligators are found in some of the creeks,and a peculiar kind of a horned frog, There are two kinds of snakes, which the natives called Bersoiok and Nguus, both somewhat venomous. There is abundance of good pasture for horses and cattle. Goats are plen tiful, probably introduced by the early Malayan settlers. The Spanish have done next to noth ing to show their occupation, and everything goes on much as before. There is no Spanish garrison. The country is well worth opening up to honest and energetic trade. DIVINC ELKS. Trttlnecl to Perform Tricks That Seem Almost Supernatural. There seems to be no limit to the ingenuity of man in devising sensa tions to please the public. Especially is this true in the matter of training animals to perform feats which at first seem impossible. One of the smallest of insects, the flea, and one of the largest of animals, the elephant, have been put through a course of training which has resulted in their performing A DARING DIVE. feats which seem almost supernatural. However, it remained for Mr. Will H. Barnes, of Sioux City, lowa, to train an animal which was generally con sidered to he the dullest of quad rupeds, namely, the elk. His efforts have proved beyond a doubt that the elk is by no means lacking in in telligence, and'his famous diving elks elicit admiration and wonder from all who see them perform. Mr. Barnes secured the elks when they were young, and though it required un limited patience, he finally succeeded in breaking them in harness. While training the elks, the owner noticed that they seemed utterly indifferent to what height they jumped from, and he then conceived the idea of teaching them to dive. The process was a slow one, but now, after two years of labor, they have attained a marvelous degree of ability iu this feat, as they make a headloug plunge of fifty feet into a tauk of water. Herewith is presented a cut representing the elk making the dive. As will he noticed, the animal makes a headlong plunge with his feet extended. Strategy in tlie Hank*. Captain J. W. Pratt has told a mighty military story that came to him somehow from the big camp of the United States volunteers at Sail Francisco. An infantryman had over stayed his liberty. Detection meant a fine and perhaps some imprison ment, with the most disagreeable sort of police duty. The infantry chap was a genius. He pinned strips of white paper down the legs of his trousers. Then he made officer's shoulder straps out of banana skins. Then he boldly walked right through the line, an swered "officer," nud accepted the uight honor of the sentry.—Pacitio Commercial Advertiser. The Impossible. He—"What would you'say if I were to steal a kiss from you?" She—"But that is impossible." He—"lmpossible! Why so, pray?" She—"Because you can't steal any thing I haven't got, and no one has ever given me a kiss—see?"— Chicago Post. Tlie Old Bookkeeper nt Lunch. "The habits that use doth breed" AGRICULTURAL TOPICS When to Cut Flowers. Flowers cut in the morning will re tain their freshness twice as long as those cut in the middle of the day when the sun is shining upon them. Hot Wafer For Ilorers. W lieu borers have made their way into trees, some hot water nt a tem perature of 140 to 160 degrees, or as hot as can well he borne by the hand, injected into the holes they have made will destroy them. Such a tempera ture will not injure the tree. With a syringe and Hexiblo rubber tube with a small nozzle, enough water should be forced up to make sure that the borer is killed. All insects can bo killed by applying water to them nt a temperature not high enough to be in jurious to vegetation. Melon Vines In Itows. Most people are so used to plantiug melons in hills that they deem this the only way. But very successful melon growers think that making a very slight ridge and planting the seed in a row pretty closely together is a better way. So soon as the vines begin to run their tendrils clasp others, and this keeps them from being blown about by winds. By making the ridges eight or more feet apart the cultivator can be kept ruuniug through them until the vines spread out and occupy the whole of the vacaut space, which they will sure ly do before the summer is ended. If the vines appear to be too close to gether in the row the poorest may be cut out without leaving a vacancy, as would be the case if they were planted in hills. Charlock in Spring Grain. If there appear yellow flowers scat tered here and there through fields of oats or barley, when these grain have grown a few inches high, it is a sign that the field needs attention and weed ing. These yellow flowers belong to charlock, a plant of the mustard fam ily, and which is an intolerable pest in spring grain. Itouly grows on ground disturbed in spring. Each plant bears hundreds to thousands of seeds, and as these will lie in the ground for years, and only grow when the ground is spring plowed, they soon make the growing of spring grain impossible. Wherever this pest abounds seeding should be done with winter wheat or rye, and no spring cultivation of theso grains can be allowed, as this will start the weed to growing, just as it would in spring grain. We have seen this weed grow in wheat fields in the tracks which the mau made across tho field in sow ing grass and clover seed, and step ping in the muddy soil. Wherever the foot disturbed the soil, there the char lock would appear, and nowhere else in though all the soil was evidently full of it.—American Culti vator. Hon to liaise the ltcst Queens. Queeu bees that are produced in the natural way, namely, by swarming, are superior to others, that is, a much larger per cent, of them are. They are hardier, more prolific, live longer and do better service generally. We can only secure such queens during the swarming season, while the cells are present. After a colony swarms their first swarm there are a lot of those cells in the hive, and three or four days after the swarm comes out is the proper time to secure these cells. The colony containing the cells may be divided out into several nuclei or small colonies, with one of these cells to each nuclei. Combs of bees and brood may be taken from any col ony and a cell engrafted info each one. and we can use all the cells by thus forming these small colonies for them. They will soon hatch out and become fertilized and will begin to lay eggs and are then ready to either introduce to other colonies or to build up just as they are by adding more frames of brood to them, and iu short time they will be good, strong colonies. In breeding queens we should breed only from our best and choicist stock. That there is a great difference iu the qualities of bees is very evident, and wo can rapidly improve them by thus selecting our breeders. —Agriculture Epitomist. Sanitation in the Dairy. A scientist who has devoted much attention to the subject informs us that iu the averago dairy the ordinary precautions as to cleanliness and sani tary conditions are almost entirely ignored. Samples of milk taken from the ordinary dairy herds show 15,000 bacteria, while 330 were found .in the same volume of milk where all of the conditions of cleanliness were met. This is a somewhat serious showing and emphasizes the need of much more care than is ordinarily exercised. The same author tells us that milk should be subjected to a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit before be ing used as a beverage. Iu haudling milk the care should begiu with the cow. The animal ought to be thor oughly washed if then; is the slightest indication to the eye that she requires it. That she should be groomed daily goes without saying, and that milking should never be done without brushing the sides of the cow, where dust is likely to adhere. Theso rules, however, are entirely secoudary to the feeding and general care of the an imal. Very few dairy herds are given the proper nutrition. Instead of clean grain aud the best care, they are iu many instances fed upon brewer's waste and whatever pasture they can pick up. Sometimes cows develop abnormal appetites. When this oc curs they should be taken at once out of the dairy herd and fattened for beef, as they will never recover their normal condition. Kitchen slops, dish water and garbage shonld never be put where cows can get at them. They lead to the formation of depraved tastes and make the milk unfit for use. —New York Ledger. The sale or use of dynamite fire crackers is forbidden in Chicago. LETTERS FRL. CAIV.P. Takes absence to rattle u teller, au' make him understand The trorth of a wifely vo.'ee, the strength of a wifely hand; An' the little old farm seem 3 dearer, the cottage in town the same; They loom as a sacred plctur' with an aureal fer the frame! Takes absence to stir up a feller, an' show him mistakes he's made— Neglect of the hearts that loved him, when the sun should have driv' out the shade; An' I tell you at last, my darlin', ere the flghtin' Is over an' doue. It takes a few weeks in the shudders to set us n-prizia' the sun. Takes absence to soften a feller an' the bane of selfishness kill, In the camp when night is broodin' an' everything is still; An' a smell of tho clover blossoms an' a hint of your dear eyes' gleams But tears ain't the tiling fer a soldier; good-night au' the sweetest dreams! Will T Hale. HUMOR OF THE DAY. "Wibley is most liappy when with his inferiors." "Unhappy man!" - Cincinnati Enquirer. 'ggs—"Was the hour late when you arrived?" Waggs—"No, the hour was on time. I was a trifle late, however." She—"l'd like to take a ride on tho tandem." He—"All right; I'm the man to second vour motion." New York World. Willie—"Pa, what do they inako talking machines of?" His Father "The tirst one was made out of a rib, my son."—Life. His Ma—"Tommy! Tommy! Don't yoti hear me calling you?" Tommy ■ "No, ma—not a word. Please holler a little louder." "A man can't be in two places at once," observed his friend. "Ok, I don't know," replied the office holder, reflectively.—Puck. He—"Then you think kissing is not wrong?" She—"The idea! Why, I wouldn't bo seen doing such a thing!"— Cincinnati Enquirer. "Isabel wauts to sell her grand father's slock." "Is she in reduced circumstances?" "No; she has bought an older one."—Detroit Free Press. Friend—"Why are you joining the nudieuce in hissing your own play?" Author—"lf 1 don't they'll find out I'm the author."—New York Journal. Mother—"Dear me! The baby bas swallowed that piece of worsted." Father —"That's nothing to the yarns she'll have to swallow if she lives to grow up." Friend—"Doyou raise vegetables?" Suburbanite (sadly)—"No, I only plant them; anil, as you will observe, my neighbors' raise them," —Jtidge. - Mrs. Newed (engaging cook)— "Have you had much experience?" Cook—"Yes, mum; I've worked for tin families in th' lasht two wakes." Harlem Life. "We've got to economize," said Mr. Gargoyle to his wife. "Very well," r iplied the good woman, cheerfully. "You shave yourself and I'll cut your hair."—Tit-Bits. "Is he a mau whom one can trust?" asked Gazzaui of Maddox, speaking of Twitters. "He is a mau who is will ing to be trusted with anythiug."— Detroit Free Press. Mother—"What! Swinging the cat by its tail again! How often have I told you to be kind to dumb animals." Tommy—"But, ma, she ain't dumb; listen to her holler!" "I suppose there is a great deal of interest in His Lordship since his marriage?" "Certainly. It is highly interesting to see him with visible means of support."—Puck. "This war will do us good, I know." "In what way?" "My husband probably will come home feeling brave enough to help me discharge Bridget."—Chicago Record. "Will yoti be brave and fight for your couutry, Henry?" "Well, I will fight for my couutry; but I tell yon honestly, I shall be scared to death until I find myself safe home again." Miss Spacer—"l suppose when a joke gets into an ulmanac it is sup posed to be old." Mr. Scribbler— "Oh, no!—a joke cannot really be called old until it gets into an Eng lishman."—Puck. "Tho subject of Alice's graduation essay, you remember, was 'Aim High.'" "Yes." "Well, slxej has been throwing herself at the" new preacher's head, and ha is six feet tall."—Cincinnati Enquirer. "Here," said the ambitious boar 1- er, "is au advertisement of bicyile clothes. Do bicycles have to warr clothes?" "Every well enameled wheel," said the Cheerful Idiot, "has at least four coats."—lndianapolis Journal. "I asked little Jim the difference between 'inertia' and 'momentum.'" "Did he know anything about it?" "Yes; he said 'inertia' is something that won't start and 'momentum' is something that won't stop." De troit Free Press. Mrs. Wiggles—"l didn't know that Mr. Binks had a title." Mrs. Wag gles—"Neither did I. What is it?" Mrs. Wiggles—"Well, his servant says that everything comes addressed •James Binks, C. O. D.'"—Somer ▼ille (Mass.) Journal. Mrs. Brown —"I see in the paper that they won't allow any man to en list who can't read and write tho Eng lish language." Mr. Brown—"Write the English language? Gracious) Are they only going to take college pro fessors and a few literary men.' Harper's Bazar. "Pardon me, sir," said the burglar, "but I'm going to a ball and mistook the house." "No mistake," said tho householder; "don't apologize. Tho bail is here!" and he covered the in truder with his revolver until the Vunion of the law made his tardy ap pearance.—Pick-Me-Up