Freeiand Tribune Established 1888. PUBLISHIfiD EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. BY TIIE TRiEUNE PRINTING COMPANY. Limited Office ; Mais Stuket Above Centbe. FREELAND, PA. SUBSCRIPTION KATES: One Year 81.50 Hlx Mouths 73 Four Months .50 Two Mouths 25 The tiuto which the subscription is paid to t§ on trie address label of each paper, the change of which to a subsequent (late be comes a receipt for remittance. Keep thl figures ia advance of the present date. Be port promptly to this office whenever papei Is not received. Arrearages must be puU When subscription is disooutinued. Make all momy orders , checks, etc,,payable to the Tribum Printing Company, Limited. Sir Thomas Lipton took back with him something better than the Amer ica's Cup—tho good-will and respect of our people. Napoleon 111. built better than lie knew when he shaped the phrase "the logic of events." In a tumult of popular passion the wise man can often wait iu patience, knowing that tho temporary madness will pass when the logic of events has shown whero the truth lies. There could be no hope of moral progress in a world made on any other plan. Tlte municipal farm at Berlin is successfully solving the able-bodied poor problem. It already employt 1000 men. It is modeled after tho one in Holland, which is a tract of public laud containing 5000 acres, is divided into six model farms; and to one of these is sent the person who, by reason of not being able to find employment, applies for public xelief. The United States Court of Appeals at St. Louis has decided that when the holder of a life-insurance policy commits suicide the insurance com pany is still bound to pay the death claim unless it can show that when he took out the policy he did so with intent to kill himself. This is a decision of far-reaching importance, settling a question long in dispute. It is manifestly just, too. The parent's right to rule is by no means absolute. The child's right to personal liberty is as positive as that of any man, though subject to certain limitations. It is the parent's right and duty to govern the child whero governance is for the child's own good or where it is necessary to keep "aim from wronging others. The wise and just parent will not rob his child of the discipline incident to self control. The action of the warden of the penitentiary at La Porte, Indiana, in abolishing the employment of the lockstep in that prison has given rise to some discussion of the question whether the step may bo recognized in discharged prisoners. It was on the ground that traces do remain in tho gait of prisoners who have been accustomed to the step for any length of time that several Western prisons have done away with the system. The South African war threatens to inflict great hardship upon .numbers of innocent people far removed from the theatre of its operations. Among thein are the wives and families of the Cornish miners employed in the Hand gold mines, who for a loug time have been living in Cornwall upon the re mittances sent then; by their bread winners. The failure of the supplies from this source for months to come seems certain, and much consequent distress is expected. Wheeling has done much for the improvement of women physically. In moderation it is an exhilarating, de lightful aud beneficial exercise, aud a most enjoyable pastime. Carried to extremes it is very harmful. Xo possible good can result from tho craze, which lias developed to an alarming degree, for record-breaking at the risk of health. it is an idiotio perversion of sport which should be frowned upon by all sensible people, and especially lk " true lovers of tho wheel A Don's Resrnrtneiir. From the London Daily News: Lord Sandwich had two intelligent, com panlonable, little white dogs. He was very fond of both. They were very ir.uch attached to him aud devoted to each other. One white pet fell sick, and he watched over the little crea ture. But no care sufficed to save it, and it died. The loving master said that he himself would bury the dog. and did so. The living Pomeranian (If that was the breed) stood by. grieving as sincerely as the bereaved master. But the survivor could never again en dure Lord Sandwich, shunned him and was utterly Irreconcilable for all time. He thought that the master had killed and bnrled his canine comrade. ON THE WAY. There are days of glory corning, If you'll wait - If you stand prepared to challenge Any fate; There's away laid out for each Leading through the gloom to light, And ly striving you shall reach The fair station on the height Soon or late. There arc problems to bo mastered Day by day: There are prices all the winners Have to pay; There are hardships great and small And the road is l-ug and rough, But it's easy, after all, If you jolly men enough On the way. —S. E. Riser. ♦ Little Kittie Kenyon. { LBY LOUISE KENNEDY MA3IE. T When Tom Ainslie's cousiii Maude announced her engagement to Wil liams, the rich leuthermau's sou,every oue gasped and then sail: "Wonder how Tom likes it?" Tom wondered a little himself. He had long been devoted to his cousin Maude, ever since he could remember, iu fact,and lie bad always had a vague idea that at some definite time they might "make it a go together." it would have been a convenient thing for them both, lor she would have brought Clill'ton back into the family, aud Tom had the uiouey she lacked. "But 1 wasn't worth while," sighed To n to himself pityingly leaning back iu his chair aud sk etching his long legs out toward the lire. "I'm sur prised that I don't feel worse. Al ways was fond o:' Maudie,and *■ would have been a nice tiling all around. Hope Williams is all right for her. Always fancied the beggar myself. And it seems I'm the best man. Beast ly nuisance; all girls and frocks and wedding cake. I'll have to go through with it, though for Maudie's sake. And little Kitty Kenyou is to bo maid of honor. She has never been decent to me; seems to bear me a grudge. Little Kitty Keuyon,"and Tom sighed again. The wedding was to take place at once, and a church rehearsal, with a supper at the bri le's home, had been planned for the evening before. Tom arrived at the last moment, just in time to reach the altar as the proces sion came up the cliurch. First the ushers, then the six bridesmaids, who walked stiffly, as if with the weight of nations 011 their shoulders. Tom's eyes twinkled as lie watched them. On they came, these pietty girls, sobered beyond their usual wont. "First time in her life Elsie Yates hasn't danced along," Tom thought. "That Ashton girl is so ugly. Oh, by Jove—" Tom's eyes were fastened upon the small figure of a girl walk ing alone. Such a pretty girl, with great black eyes, that sparkled, aud such a graceful girl, swaying slightly, iu time to the stately music. She glanced up as she neared him, aud a demure look of exaggerated pity came into her eyes. Then she had passed him, and takeu her pluce near the : bride. "Little wretch," thought Tom, bit | ing his lips, * 4 I always seem to strike I her as a joke." J The short rehearsal was over, and Tom was walking down from the altar | with the tiny maid of honor at his I side. | "You're so far awnv I can hardly ; make you hear me, Miss Keuyon. I have attempted it three times, and you ! are utterly oblivious." I She glanced up at him quickly, ' "Oh, no, only sad, Mr. Ainslie. I am so sorry for you. You bear up so I wonderfully well, too. if you want |to cry a little, walk behind that pillar and I'll ex use you to the rest. Just for three minutes. No? Don't need it? You can stand it a trifle longer?" I "What have leer done to you. Alias Keuyon? I'm an innocent individual who never did you any knowing harm. Will not your kind an 1 pitying heart speak for one who is only anxious to let you walk on him? And who only • succeeds in rousing your na-ty, evil little temper?"said Tom,in a distinct ! ly melodramatic manner. | She looked at him serenely for an Instant. "Stuff and nonsense," she said, aud ran oft' to Maudie, who was calling her. He managed to secure the chair next hers at supper, though Sheldon had his hand upon the back of it, and Kcrowlod darkly at Tom when lie sat down. Miss Ken yon looked up with a smile. I ")b. so you are feeling kinder to ward me now, aie you not?" he said, I bending over her with the devoted air |he had toward women. "Because I want to ask you a question, and I i want you to answer it se iously. You I will? Well, why do you not like me?" { The girl gave him a curious little glance, and her lashes fluttered a mo ment. Then she answered, looking straight at him. "You have too much of the 'Cou , queriiig Hero' air about you." ( didn't know that," said Tom meekly. "Can't you help me to :chungoit? I n anse I like you, you know," in a low voice, "very, very mu h." He was staring at her very hard, an 1 saw the rose tint deepen in her cheek, She turned her shoulder to ward him. "Mr. Sheldon," she called, "you are neglecting mo shatuefull . Won't you come over here I eside me? Mr. Ainslie is just lea\ing." She glance I ' at Tom out of the corners of her eyes. : Ainslie got up instantly, looked at 1 her a moment, then with a quick bow cros-ed the roo a to his < ousin# ; "Sorry, Maudie. but must be leav ing. Williams, I'll see about those I tickets." And lie was gone. Sheldon sat down with a radiant smile, but after a few moments his luce clouded, and tlife radiant smile was gone. Miss Kenyon evidently did not feel like talking. All the next day, Tom could not get her out of his mind. He was angry. "The impudence of her," lie thought to himself, aud resolved to ignore her completely. But when he stood with the bridegroom in the big church that afternoon,and saw her coining toward him in her lovely white frock, his heart gave a queer little turn, aud then seemed to stand still. In the quick glance he had of her, lie thought she looked a little pale, but so pretty, so wonderfully pretty. As she passed by him, she looked up at him a mo ment, Tom's eyes were fixed above her head, ami he never glanced at her. All during the leceptiou and supper it was the same. His eyes never seemed to rest upon her, although he was wildly aware of Sheldon's devo tion. But after the excitement of the bride's departure had died away, and almost all but the house party had gone, Tom came up to her as she stood talking to Sheldon. His manner was as cool as it well could be. "May I see you a moment, Miss Kenyon?" he said quietly, looking at Sheldon. "Mr. Sheldon will excuse me?"said the girl, which Sheldon did, with as pleasant an expression as he could muster. They walked through the long drawing room to the little rose recep tion room under the stairs. It was quite deserted. "I wish to apologize, Miss Kenyon, if I offended you last night. It is perhaps needless to assure you that it was unintentional. Will you pardon me?" He stood before her, very stiff aud straight, with his blond head well up. The girl was picking a rose to pieces. Her fingers trembled a little. "I am sorry if [ was rude to you last night," she said, "I assure you it was quit j intentional on my part, but I was very sorry after I had done it." Tom moved quickly. "Do you care for that fellow," he said. "Sheldon?" "Xo," she whispered, her eyes downcast. He h sitated a moment. "Could you ever care for me, little one?" he said wistfully. "Because you know 1 love you, dear. So much, so much. I can't let you be so hard to me," and his voice broke a little. "Couldn't you try to love me just a little?" She looked up with a mischievous little smile. "You are not the least little bit of a 'Conquering Hero' now," she said, and he took her into his arms. Mr. Sheldon did not attend the wedding. JACK'S GRIEVANCES. How Ho Makes Tlinm Known to the Captain of the >hip. There is now but one way open for the enlisted man, bluejacket or mar ine who has a kick to register. He must show his hand and tile his com plaint iu his own person or name, verb ally or iu writing. If twenty, fifty, a hundred enlisted men have u common grievance, they must present that grievance in delegation to the com manding officer, or in the form of a tvritteu bill of complaint, with tbeir signatures attached to it in the order of their relative rating. In most caseß the method of presenting grievances iu delegation at the mast is resorted to by the enlisted men of the Ameri can navy of today. The man with the individual grievance occasionally puts his complaint iu writing and addresses ! it to the secretary of the navy. Com manding officers are compelled by regulations to forward all such com plaints to the civil chief of the navy— 1 with, however, whatever indorsements thereon they elect to make. it's generally a moderately bad job for an enlisted man to write a nana- ! tive of woa t> the secretary of the navy. Such u chap doesn't frequent ly find his after caree • in the navy one long dream of peace and quiet. En listed men who have drawn up un reasonable complaints—even com plaints not entirely unreasonable— and thus a Idressed them, have gen erally shed quite some saline tears in their hammocks afterwards over the foolishness of the act. It seems rea sonable to suppose, too—for human nature is the same on sea and laud— that no bluejacket or marine can pos sibly add to bis sumtotalof comfort or happiness aboard ship by more or less bluntly informing the civil head of the navy department that the commanding officer of the vessel on which he serves is h;i unjust man, a bully or a muu who doesn't know his business. Yet this fact, which looks so obvious, is very often ignored by rash enlisted men, II fitiunn'a Indnpftiiilnnce. Josef Hofmnnu, the famous young pianist, is fond o all sorts of sports, especially of skating, in which, as a buy, ho excelled. When visiting St. Petersburg a year or two Josef was summone I to play before the ex- Empress, the hour being named from 3to 4 in the afternoon. Jt was a perfect day. The Neva was frozen over, o/course, and the skating was at its height. Immediately after luncheon Josef's father found his son dressing as if to go to the palace. "Where are you going.'" he de manded. "To play for the Empress." "But you are not goiug until 3 o'clock." "Three o'clock! If I wait until then it will be too late to go skating, j I'm going now." He went. And it is not a surprise to any one who knows Ilofmann to learn that he played for the ex Empress as ROOU as lie reached the palace, and that he then went off aud skated the rest of the afternoon. SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. The superior flavor of Smyrna figs is ascribed to certain Asiatic iusects, which produce a more perfect fertili zation of the flavors of the fig trees in Asia Minor than is commonly effected in other countries. The fla vor appears to depend upon the num ber of ripened seeds in the fruit. During the past year the department of agriculture has imported some of these insects from Asia into Califor nia, and it is hoped that they will multiply there and improve the flavor of American ligs. The reconversion of the groat Sahara desert, which was onco an in laud sea, to its former state is proposed. It is argued that a canal sixty miles long, connecting with the Atlantic the im mense depression which runs close up to the coast nearly midway between the twentieth and thirtieth parallels of latitude, would solve the problem. The water would not, of course, cover the entire surface of the desert, here and there portious remaining above sea level, these becoming the islands of the Sahara ocean. A new computation of the period of the fifth satellite of Jupiter, discov ered by Mr. Barnard iu 1892, shows the extreme accuracy of astronomical calculations wheu they are based upon along seiies of < outiuuous observa tions. This computation deals very continently with thousandths of a second, the period of the little moon being set down at 11 hours, 57 min ute j , 22 seconds aud 647-1000 of a second. The satellite whose time of revolution is thus accurately deter mined moves with great speed. Its distance from Jupiter's centre is about 112,500 miles, and its path is practi cally a circle, so that the distance which it travels during a revolution is, in round numbers, 858.250 nii'es. As it accomplishes this distance in less than 12 hours, its velo ity is almost 500 miles iu u minute, and this, sin gularly enough, is about the same as the average velocity of Jupiter in Ins revolution around the suu. An English railway engineer has invented a car for lessening the loss of life in rail way accidents. The plan adopted, which is favorably regarded bv English experts, is extremely sim ple. Gp the ground that the danger from railway ac. ideuts is in the tend on-y of the modern car to telescope, aud iu the inablility of the present style of bufi'ers to take up very se vere shocks, the inveutorhas designed a car tha' will take up and break a very heavy shock without injury to itself, except in extreme cases. His butler car is filled with powerful springs, calculated to resist ordinary pressure, but to telescope under in tense stiain to one-third its normal size, thus exhausting the force of the sho k and saving the passenger < ars from injury. The cars ae to be used in pairs, one to follow every train and another to precede the baggage car, separating it from the engine and tender. The force of a coltish, u would thus be broken, whether it should come from the front or rear. Some very pertiuent suggestions appear iu the Werkmeister Zeituug as to the best ti eitmr-ut of driving belts, in older to insure the most perfect working. Thus, from the fact that the good (hawing of a belt in! l eases with the friction between licit and pulley, it is to be considered that the belt must surround as large a portion of the pulley as possible, for which rt asou or. ssed belts alwnvspull better than open ones, so that, it' in any way practicable, open belts should cover at least almost half the pulley. Further, if the circumference of otic pulley he very small in proportion to the other thus allowing the belt t > cover only a small portion of the smaller pulley— a sliding of the belt frequently takes place, especially if the distance be tween the two pulleys be slight. Again, as a slovr ruuniug ol the en gine makes a strong stret hing of the belts necessary, a tightening pulley is frequently placed midway lit tween the two pulleys, so as to avoid a repeated renewing, and, if, a large power is to be transmitted at little velo. ity, a broader belt should be e uployed th in would be necessary with greater veloc ity, or two belts are made to run on top of each other. To Much 11*1! for II in Fish. They were passing a good story at the court house concerning a young lawyer who was admitted to practice a short time ago and recently hung out his shingle. His office isn't a very pretentions affair, but he didn't think it necessary to apologize to his friends for his'little eigtit by ten, with several feet partitioned off for the use of his "clerk." The other day lightning struck and the door opened slowly, while a voice charged with a st ong Irish accent asked if the lawyer was in. "James" said the rising disciple of Blackstone, go.ting up from a couch at the time, "1 wish you'd siep around to the First National Bank a id tell them tbu' the amount of that draft isn't quite right; it should be $1575, instead of $1525, and before you return drop into Mr. Johngre's 'office and tell him I've collected that SBSOO claim of his. While you're tlie.e step across tho hall aud inform Mr. Fogoboll that uuless that note for SIO,OOO is pvd in the moruing I shall begin foreclosure proceedings. Dou't lose any time, as I've a great deal of work for you this morning." "Be hivins," gasped the client prospective, who had progressed as far as the doorway into the inner office, "this lie's noplace for me wid er two dollar fifty ciut claim tor k'lect," and he departed.—Milwaukee I Evening Wisconsin. NEW FOREIGN PLANTS. EUROPEAN VEGETABLES THAT ARE DESIRABLE FOR OUR CARDENS. They Are Not Known Here am! the Department of Agriculture Propoftea to Introduce Them Noveltie* in Fruit Suitable for Cult i vat ion Here AUo Found The officials of the department of agriculture, Washington, are highly pleased with the results obtained by the special agents who have been studyiug the seeds and plants of for eign countries with a view of intro ducing them into the United States. This study is being carried on with the $20,000 appropriated by Congress to collect, purchase, test, propagate and distribute rare aud valuable seeds, bulbs, trees, shrubs, vines, cuttings and plauts from foreign countries for experiment with leferdnce to their in troduction into this country. Walter C. Swingle of the division of botany has returned from a visit to the Mediterranean countries, where he studied the agriculture of southern Europe and northern Africa, and gained much valuable information. Before leaving for home he made ar rangements with nurserymen to send to the United States such seeds and plants as might be called for. While studying grape culture, tig capritica tion, date growing, etc.,he came across a number of new vegetables which it is hoped will prove acceptable to Amer ican tastes. Of these lie says: "The crosne or stacliys is a Chinese aud Japanese vagetable. It has white tubers two to four inches long and the size of one's linger, but looking like a crowded string of large beads. They were imported into France, where their value was discovered by M. Pailleux, a gentleman of leisure, who devoted his grounds at Crosne, near Paris, to the culture of strange and new vegetables from all parts of the world. He was so pleased with this one that he did everything possible to bring it into notice. After several years he succeeded and the vegetable is now well known in Paris. It is called after the name of M. Pailleux's place. Boiled or fried and served with meat it is delicious. The plant is per fectly hardy and grows iu all soils, yielding as much as five tons to the acre. Two other tubers of delicate flavor, much esteemed iu Paris, are the tuberous-rooted cherville aud tu berous-rooted nasturtium (the mayna of Chile). "In the Mediterranean countries much use is made of the vegetable marrow, of which many species are kuowu. It is a sort of summer squash, aud is eaten before fully ripe, wheu it much resembles a large green cucumber. Cooked aud served with ment it is excellent, and no food is considered more easily digested. Many varieties are known iu Italy, Greece aud Turkey, as well as in Germany and England. Among other vegeta bles of great merit might be men tioned two species of asparagus, new to America. One of these came from Alueria, aud the other from Naples, called asparagus kale, is said to be the most delicious of the cabbage fam ily. The cos lettuces of Italy and Turkey are exceptionally fine. Mr. Swingle also brought specimens of the pistache nut, which he thinks likely will prove of great value to California and Arizona. Large quan tities of these nuts are imported for use in flavoring ice cream, etc. In the Mediterranean regions they are eaten like nuts and considered even finer than the splendid almonds aud walnuts produced there. Mi. Swingle thinks there is a great future for this nut when it becomes known to Ameri cans. The choice varieties are propa gated by grafting, and arrangements have been made to secure u (plantity of slips for use in this country next spring. Another novelty obtained by the de partment is a large-fruited over-beat ing strawberry, which lias been brought out in France within recent years, Tlse ordinary varieties of strawberries yield ouly for a few weeks, while this one produces for mouths 011 the suine stem I. The two best varieties of 1 lie new plant are called the St. Joseph aud the St. Anthony, and were origi nated not by professional growers,but by a modest country priest, the Abbe Thevolet, residing 111 one of the cen tral districts of France. Lovers of cuutalopes will be interested in the introduction of the kirk ugach■ musk melon, which has a great reputation for fla r or and sweetness in the country around Smyrna. Au American mis sionary who returned home on a visit a year or two ago informed Mr.Swingle that he had been unable to eat the American cautelope on account of its inferiority to the Turkish, to which he had become accustomed. Mr. Swingle visited Smyrna and obtained some of the seed of the note l melon, and it will be cultivated here. Speaking of the artichoke, Mr. Swingle says: "This vegetable is highly prized by rich and poor alike in Europe and is cultivated extensively in France and Italy. The plant is a perennial, aud the fine varieties are propogated by suckers from the roots of the old plant in the same manner us pineap ples. In order to introduce the cul ture of this much-ueglected vegetable we have imported a quantity of care fully pottejl suckers. iu spite of all piecautions many died. Enough survived, however, to produce a stock which can HOOU be multiplied indefi nitely. The New York market is now supplied from France and Italy, Naples being a heavy exporter. The absurd ity of shipping a delicate vegetable 6000 miles wheu it can be grown with perfect success at home is evident. Artichokes have long been grown ex tensively around New Orleans, where there is a good local market for them, but their use as a vegetable is practi cally uukuowu iu the south elsewhere. The department will endeavor to •* tend their cultivation in the Southern States, and it is thought a demand will arise soon as the qualities of the tuber are known to the people generally. • THIS SCHEME WORKED- A Swindler's Slick Way of Gettinff Money on a Draft and a Forged Copy of It. A novel fraud by which a Minne sota bank was induced innocently to abet the robbing of a Montana bank lias perplexed recently one of the detective agencies. Inquiries made last week at a St. Paul hotel as to a possible guest who wore a silk hat, a Prince Albert coat and gray mutton chop whiskers revealed the nature of the criminal scheme. But the inquiring detective would not repeat names. A few weeks ago, said the detective, the very respectable gentleman with the silk hat bought of a country bank not far from St. Paul a draft on New York for #IOOO, paying for it in currency. He explained he was going to a small town in Montana and that he did not care to take so large a sum with him iu cash. Would the cashier kindly notify the only bank iu that Montana town that he had sold the New York draft to Mr. Hat, and that Mr. Hat would cash the draft at the Montana town? Certainly the cashier would write. He did write. And when the owner of the draft appeared a few days later at the Montana bank, he found not the slightest difficulty in cashing a forged copy of the draft. " You're Mr. Hat of Philadelphia. Of course," said the exchange clerk in Montana. "We received a letter from the bunk that sold you the draft. Let's see? Tall, gray sidewhiskt is, very subdued manner. Oh yes! that's all right. Description, a matter of form, you know. Your signature? exact, of course." Ho with apologies for taking the usual precautions, the clerk, upon comparing the signatures of Mr. Hut, accepted his receipt and gave him all in gold, us became a banker of the miuiug state, #IOOO. As the new customer went out he made a particu larly good joke about the Montana weather. The old gentleman with the subdued manner hud copied the original draft upon a blank that he had somehow secured from ttie Minnesota bank. The letter from the bank would natur ally have quieted any susj icion in Montana, for the latter gave,as usual, the number of the draft and other details, which were fully corroborated in the forged copy. Inasmuch as the letter proved to the Moutaua bank that Mr. Hat must possess an original draft for the amount required, the bank would never entertain the thought that a forged copy would be presented by the holder of that origi nal. Thus the cashing of the forgery was eusy. At once the gentle defrauder took the next train to Minnesota. He re appeared before the cashier of the Minneßoto bank, and smiled through au unctuous apology. 4 'l am extremely sorry to trouble you again," said the urbane geutle man. 4 'But yon see, I've decided not to make that Montana trip this month. J have found a little real estate deal up in St Paul where I (au invest the money to better advantage at least for the present. Now, will you be good enough to cancel your draft here." (extending the bona fide original) "aud let me have the $1(500." The Minnesota cashier was as agree able as had been the Montana clerk. The agreeable Philndelphian received his secoud SIOOO. Ho smiled. The chnsier smiled. The Montana clerk kept smiling whenever lie thought of tle affable stranger who made so pleasant a little joke about the weather. Everybody continue 1 smile until the Montana hank drew U] on the Minnesota bank for SIOOO advanced upon a draft. Then there was but one smiler left—the polished, the respectable, the witty Mr. Hat of Philadelphia." Fighting Forest Fires. The lighting of a forest fire is about the most hopeless task human beings ever undertook. The cold truth with regard to forest tires is that once started they cannot he extinguished by anything bvt the rain from heaven as long as there is anything to burn. Their ravages can be lessened by pre vention only, and, though mucif iuge nuity has been expended in the de vising of measures to this end, noth ing of real efficiency has yet been per fected in America. They do better in Europe somewhat. There,despite the existence of many extensive stretches of forest growth, the pro portionate destruction of trees by tire is much less than here. This is be cause of stringent rules against the starting of casual fires in Hie woods and the enforcement of the rules by a rigid patrol system. The United States will be much older than now before any efficient forest patrol can be maintained here, though special patrols are established temporarily iu some sections in times of drought. Another plan, involving the cutting of wide lanes of timber and clearing all the stumps from the ground, so that an advancing lire would he checked by lack of fuel, have been advocated repeatedly, but the scheme has never been put into extensive operation. One reason for this is found in the circumstance that snch limes would have to be of width that is virtually impracticable in a virgin forest le gion. Often fiery brands are carried a mile or more when a genuine woods fire is on, and the air sometimes be comes so hot for miles around as fairly to dry tlie trees into flame. Twenty foot planks, all blazing, have been known to be lifted into the air and carried a full half mile ahead of the advancing fire.—New York Press. I BOERS STILL GOOD SHOTS. So Phlegmatic Tliac They Do Not Gel Excited Under Fire. W. H. Forbes-Townseiul of Liver pool seems to be the English globe trotter of whom so much has been written, for apparently from his talk he has been in all countries. He spoke most interestingly of the Trans vaal, saying: "I spent eight months there just prior to Jameson's famous raid, and became thoroughly familiar : with the country and its inhabitants, although 1 cannot say 1 ever became intimate with any of them, as the Boers are absolutely the most uncom municative people I have ever seen. I spent a large part of my time there in Johannesburg, which is a typical mining town, although it has been largely built up and has some very handsome buildings. "The Boers themselves are very dull mentally, non-progressive and phlegmatic; this last, however, tells in their favor in biittle, as they do not become in the least excited when un der tire. It is a mistake to think thut they have lost their ability as shots, for they practise marksmanship cou tiuuully and are the most expert shots 1 have ever seen. I myself constantly saw the small Boer boys practising shooting on the Veldt, and some of them couldn't have been over six years old. "1 also trekked (prouounced treek ked) up to the Limpopo river, which is t.he boundary Hue between the Transvaal and Mntubelelnnd, for the shooting, which is the finest for both bird and beast T have ever had. I got a pretty good idea of the lay of the couutry, and it has the most perfect natural defences in the world. On the Natal border the few passes there are so narrow and of such a charac ter that forty men can with ease hold themselves against a thousand, and the same is true of all their other frontiers. Then the country from its nature affords natural second lines of defonoe,for it is made up of successive ranges of mountains, with level plains, or veldts, between, and ail the moun tains can only be crossed by passes of so difficult a nature as to render it possible for a few men to stand oft* a large number. "It is also a mistake to think that the Boers are unable to handle artil lery. Young Boers are sent abroad for their education, and large num bers of them have studied iu the mili tary schools of France, Germany, and even England itself. As in the past, iu each company of Boer soldiery a number of sharpshooters are told off whose sole duty it will be to pick off the officers of the euemy. These com panies number übout 100 men each. When we were in Han Francisco we met a number of prominent mining men there who have been in the Transvaal and were thoroughly ac quainted with the country and with the Boers and their characteristics, and while we all know that iu the end Great Britaiu would undoubtedly con quer, we ull agreed that it would nevertheless take her a long time to do it, and that the nut she has set her self to crack is likely to prove far more difficult than most people at present realize." The GHten of Gibraltar. Quite the favorite sight at Gibraltar is the daily procession at sundown for the locking of the town gates. The keeper of the keys, looking very like a prisoner despite his uniform, marches through the town in the centre of a military guard, preceded by a regi mental baud, which plays inspiring familiar tubes. The keys, of enor mous size, are borne aloft before him us an outward and visible emblem of the vigilance of Britain iu guarding her prime military treasure. On ar riving at the gates, the guard sabites, the martial strains strike up with redoubled peal of triumph, while the great doors slowly swing to, and are solemnly locked for the night. Then right about turn, and the procession marches back to the convent to de posit the keys in the governor's keep ing, conveying by its passage an as surance to the people and garrison that they may rest in peace. Once the gates are shut it were easier for a cam a' to pass through the eye of a ne le than for any unauthorized per son to go into Gibraltar. Even a be lated officer returning from pig-stick ing beyond the lines would be con fronted by so many formalities and the necessity of inconveniencing so high personages that he would probably prefer to encounter the discomfort of a Spanish inn without. Too Much Faltli In a I>off. It is not always safe to put too much trust in a dog. An Ellsworth man had a highly prized dog, and when a neighbor presented a bill for hens which he claimed had been killed by the brute the dog owner was grieved and positively refused to believe the charge or pay for the hens. A few days later the Ellsworth man was driving by the farm where the hens had been killed. The dog was with him in the carriage. He drove into the farmer's yard to prove to him that his dog was not guilty. "Let out your hens," he said, 4 'and I'll call the dog out of the carriage to prove that he will not kill the hens." It was done. Before the dog could be stopped he had killed four. The owner of the dog, who never dishonors a just bill, pulled out his wallet and settled for six hens.--Bangor (Me.) Commercial. Pink Itnin. According to a Hong Kong vernac ular paper the people living outside the Lieu Gate of Amov were startled to witness pinkish-colored rain for an hour or so during a recent thunder storm, in consequence of which the local wiseacres prognosticate that "there will be au ere of blood and war within the next twelve months for Fukien province."
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers