WAKING AT NIGHT*
tVhtn I wake up alone at night Or else this noise like whirring wings,
I feel as if f had no eyes; dies with the first streak of light,
I stare and stare with all my might, May be the sound of baby things,
But only blackness round me lies. All growing, growing, in the nignt.
I listen for the faintest sound. C ol d ™' "nil!? i i"f'i cnt * s'i! 1 ,nlrs '
And, though 1 strain with either car, a 'loners,
Tiie dark is silent all around; \a
It's just us if I could not hear. AU ro '"S "> the midnight hours.
... ~ , u i > , , Am ' >' et 't seems of me a part.
15ut if 1 lie with limbs held fast And nothing far away or queer—
A sort ot sound comes like a sigh— It's just the beating of my heart,
1 erhaps the darkness rushing past, That sounds so strange 'as I lie herei
Perhaps the nnntites passing by;
I do not know why this should be;
Perhaps the thoughts in people's heads. When darkness hid- . the world from
That keep so quiet all the day, sight.
Wait till they're sleeping in their beds, I feel that oil is gone but me—
Then rustle out and fly away! A little child and the black nirfft.
—Mabel Beamier.
p CUT OUT FOR AN OLD MAID. |
/ I.ARENCE ARNOLD was eoin-
I f ing home after an absence of
y j eight years. M.v father bad
been Clarence's guardian, and
he had lived wltli ns all his life up to
the time he took a notion to travel all
over the civilized, and not a smjdl por
tion of the uncivilized world.
I lmd just been telling my kindred
spirit, pretty Jessie Mason, bow we
expected Clarence on tlie morrow, ami
wound tip by giving n description of
him in the following manner:
"He is awfully jolly, good-natured,
ever so handsome, flirts desperately
und si perfect tease."
I watched to see the effect of my
words upon Jessie. She opened wide
her big, brown eyes and looked at me
with a most comical expression of
countenance.
Now, in most things, Jessie and I
were very much alike. Whenever
there was any mischief afloat we were
the leading spirits. We moved in a
fun-loving circle. We were forever
romping and carrying on in a manner
very unbecoming our years—at least so
said our long-faced, vhregnr-visaged
friends of the bilious temperament, .of
whom wo always steered clear. Bur
then, people will talk, you know, and
perhaps it were better to talk about
Jessie and me than to talk about oth
ers who couldn't stand that sort of
thing as we could. But they talked
about me more than Jessie, for I was
nearly, four years older than she, and
of course my conduct was more of an
outrage on their bilious dignity.
Neither Jessie nor I ever thought of
those four ye::,s between us. We
loved each other dearly and were in
separable companions. She looked at
me now with those wondrous brown
eyes, exclaiming:
"Good gracious, Maud, -you're inter
ested at last! I have often wondered
what sort of a man you intended to
marry, and my disappointment is
great. Why, the man you are going
into ecstacies over is the fae simile
of the young men in our set, who,
you say, are very well to pass the time
away with, but to marry, as the song
says, you dou't feel inclined," laughed
Jessie.
".Nonsense," I said, feeling a little
annoyed that Jessie should put a
wrong construction on my words.
"I'm not interested in Clarence—that
is. not in the way you mean. I like
him, and I want you to set your cap
for hint. You must fall in love some
time, you know."
"And so must you," laughed Jessie;
' so I'll wait until you set me an ex
ample," and the scarlet creeps from
her cheeks" to her templos as she looks
out of the window.
"Then, perhaps you'll have to wait
forever. Mother says I'm cut out for
an old maid," said I, lightly.
"My dear Maud, you're no more the
pattern of an old maid than the old
man in the moon is. Tell your mother
Blie's a false prophet."
"I don't know that she is." said I,
laughing. "I'm nearly 23. and mother
thinks it is preposterous for me to
have arrived at such an age without
being marrieij She keeps telling me
that riiy sister was married at 17 and
I keep telling her that poor Marion
hns regretted it ever since. But theu
she says that marriage is a lottery
and every one cannot be expected to
lie satisfied with their drawing, and
I suppose mother ought to know. Dear
me! we'vi) lost sight of what we were
talking about. Clarence is evCr so
much nicer than any one we know,
Jessie."
"Then, why don't you fall in love
With him yourself, Maud?"
"Fiddlesticks!" said I, Impatiently.
"I don't want him."
"What keeps Charlie standing down
there?" sakl Jessie, jumping up.
"We'll talk about Clarence another
time. Maud." and Jessie was cm the
balcony and down on the lawn like
a flash.
I stretched my neck and caught
sight of Charlie Morse down by the
gate.
"That accounts for Jessie's Mushes
when she looked out of the window a
while ago." 1 thought. "I wonder if
she cares for him? I hope she does
not."
As I watched Charlie and Jcpste on
the lawn together, I thought Charlie
Morse was just such another as Clar
ence Arnold. I fell into a thoughtful
mood as I watched tlmrn. Jessie s
words came back to me. Why
couldn't I love Clarence ArrtrAl my
self? Why, Indeed?
I never was in love. Never coil hi
fall Into It and out agifiu like other
girls. Goodness knows I was willing
enough, but I couldn't for the life of
me. They called me a flirt. But, ns I
said before, people will talk, you
know—there's no shutthjg their
months—but 1 wasn't really— ttmt Is,
I never meant to flirt. I treated all
the really nice young men I was ac
quainted with alike. Never accepted
Invitations for places of amusement,
drives, etc., from any one in partic
ular. Was always a great favorite
With the young men of our "set;" but
then, they were extremely young—
that Is. a few of them were my own
age and all the rest younger. I treat
ed them all patronizingly. They
hadn't any sense yet, ami tlnvt ac
counted for me being such a favorite—
at least 1 could not help thinking so
—for all the older heads fought shy
of me.
Well, they say all girls think nbout
matrimony more or . >ss. I guess I
must have thought loss about It, for I
never thought anything about it uutil
now. And now that I did give it a
thought I examined the subject thor
oughly and became convinced that my
mother's words were true. I was cut
out for an old maid. It was strange,
too. There were men whom I wor
shiped from afar—hut what was the
use of talking—they were likely to re
main afar.
So I saw DO help for ft. In a few
years more I would lie laid upon the
shelf, hut my thoughts didn't stop on
the sludf. they carried me down tlie vis
ta of years, and I saw a woman with a
face looking like vinegar! Why my
Ideas of tlie poor, persecuted sex,
known as old maids, are associated
with vinegar I cannot tell. But I did
see that woman's face, and it did look
like vinegar; and she had with her
the two institutions of old maiddom—
a eat and a patrol, and that woman
was I.
Suddenly my hands flew to my sides
ami tears rolled down my cheeks.
"For goodness sake, Maud, what
are yon laughing at V" said Jessie, en
tering the loom, followed by Charlie
Moi-se.
"Oh. Jessie," I cried, "if you could
only see tlie picture tnnt I saw just
now you would laugh, too."
Next morning 1 came down stairs
rather late.
"Here comes Maud now," I heard
my mother say. "My dear," said my
mother to me, as 1 entered tlie break
fast room, "do you know this gentle
man V"
A man between thirty and thirty
live years, very tall, with great, wide
shoulders, his handsome fnce bronzed
anil liearded, riPe to meet inc.
I looked at the gentleman and shook
my head slowly in answer to my moth
er's question.
"So you don't remember me,
Maud?"
The bronzed gentleman laughed as
ho spoke, showing his teetli ayd eyes
to advantage—and why didn't I know
hiin at once? It was Clarence Arnold.
What a mistake I had made when
speaking of him to Jessie! I lost sight
of the fact that I wasn't qnite fifteen
when Clarence went away, and he
was four or Uvc-nnd-twenty, and I
never thought about the intervening
years. I expected to see Clarence as
he left us, about four-and-twenty still.
"Goodness me alive!" I exclaimed,
on the impulse of the moment, "I
thought you wore ever so much young
er."
"I>l<l ynu. Indeed?" he said, smiling,
but; there was such a grave expression
in the black eyes that were always
dancing with merriment In those days
gone by.
I looked over at Jessie. She was
looking straight at me, and as soon
as our eyes met wo both burst out
laughing.
Clarence's grave black eyes wore
still upou me. Of course he didn't
know what we were laughing at, and
it must have looked charming. Bnt.
then, that was what I always did. I
laughed when I ought not to laugh,
said what I ought not: to have said,
and 1 came to the conclusion long ago
that there was no help for me.
People said I hadn't a spark of com
mon sense. Now, 1 begged leave to
(litter with thorn—that is, in my own
mind, for I wouldn't satisfy them to
discuss the question openly. I thought
I was very sensible, only somehow I
never could show It like other girls.
Now, I saw at once that Clarence
was different from the young men
with whom I was constantly sur
rounded. lie had sowfd his wild oats,
and that was the sort of man I ad
mired. But, then, it was no use for
ino to let my thoughts run in that di
rection, for Clarence must have
formed his opinion of me at our lirst
meeting, and forever after, I supposed,
like all the rest of the sensible men,
lie would wish ine well—at a dlstunc-*.
One evening shortly after Clarence's
arrival we girls had our heads to
gether plotting mischief. I, as usual,
had the leading voice. Clarence and
my brother Tom were present. We
didn't mind them, as they were part
of the family.
"Maud, don t take part in such fool
ishness. You ought to have better
sense."
That was what Clarence said to me
when lie saw a part of our nonsense.
His grave, black eyes were upon me,
and lie spoke very seriously, I thought.
Well, perhaps I ought to have better
sense, but what business was it of
Clarence Arnolu's? Why didn't he
speak to Jessie, in whom he seemed
to lie so highly interested?
Yes. Clarence was interested in Jes
sie anil she was interested in him, hut
then I ought to have been satisfied, for
didn't X advise Jessie to set her nap
for him?
I looked up at Clarence when he re
proved me. He was so earnest that
I felt like withdrawing from the mis
chief at once. But I didn't withdraw.
I went straight on, dragging the oth
ers after me. 1 felt dreadful with
those blade eyes upon me. Why I
persisted in the mischief I cannot tell,
except it was as brother Tom said,
out of a spirit of downright pure cuss
edness.
One day, about, a week after, we
three—Clarence, Jessie and I-Avere
standing on the iiorch. Jessie stood
between Ciarffhee and me. Somehow
Jessie always came between Clarence
and me. Now, 1 only just mentioned
that, hut I hope no one will think
1 was jealous of Jessie. Why should
I he. Didn't I recommend Clarence
to Jessie?
To be sure I did, but somehow I
very often forgot that of lnte.
Charlie Morse came strolling up the
path. My heart jumped with delight.
Strange, what delight I took lately in
Charlie Morse's coming. Clarence
went down to meet him, leaving Jes
sie and me on the porch.
"Good gracious!" I thought to my
self. my delight vanishing instantly.
"Charlie Morse might just as well
have stayed at home if it is Clarence
that is going down to him."
"Isn't Clarence handsome?" said
Jessie, spenktng more to herself than
to me, while the pink in her cheeks
grew pinker.
"Oh! I think he's awfully brown,"
said I. Of course 1 had to say some
thing.
"But that is from exposure," said
Jessie, smiling. "One of these days,
Mnuil, his face will lie as delicate in
tint as your own."
"Maybe it will; hilt I don't know
anything about it." I said.
"Maud." and Jessie's blushes grew
deeper, and her eyes wandered to
where Clarence and Charlie were
standing, "no asked me to marry him.
I wanted to tell you flrst. you know."
If n tlmnderliolt had descended on
my head I could not have been more
surprised. A cold tremor ran over
me. Jessie must have noticed how
strangely I behaved. I tried to com-
I>oso myself by tliinltiug indignantly
of Clarence Arnold's indecent haste.
Think of it. he was only two weeks
in our house when he proposed to Jes
sie.
"Well," I said as soon as I could get
my breath, "he ought to have sent you
ids photograph and a proposal before
he arrived himself, he was in such a
hurry."
"Whom arc yoti talking about,
Maud?"
"Clarence Arnold, of course."
"O? but Clarence Arnold doesn't
happen to be the one that proposed
to me. It was Charlie Morse, and I
accepted him, Maud, for I knew you
always liked Charlie," and Jessie
laughed outright.
Something near my left side gave
another great bounce. Yes, it was
true what Jessie said. I always liked
Charlie, and I was so glad she accept
ed the dear fellow.
A year has passed away since then.
Charlie ntul Jessie were married long
since, and they are on a visit to crur
house now. I sit in the window watch
ing them out upon the lawn, just as i
sat and watched them n year ago.
Only that time ray watchful eyes were
accompanied by thoughts of au old
maid.
Well, you know mother said I was
cut out for an old maid, but I never
think of that now. Strange, I never
bother my bead about the old-maid
business any more, and guess why I
don'tV Oh! but it's a conundrum.
You'd never guess it if I didn't tell
you.
"Because I am Clarence Arnold's
wife."
Mayflower* on Cape Cod.
At Capo Cod. and not far from
where former President Cleveland lias
his famous at Buzzard's
Bay, the inhabitants have an odd oc
cupation. When the first fragrant
buds of the trailing arbutus, or May
flower, appear on the hillsides of the
big cape the woods are fairly alive
with men, women and children, all in
search of the delicate flowers. They
are not out collecting because they are
charmed with the early blossoms, nor
do they wander through the woods
plucking wild blossoms for their health.
Their industry is strictly commercial,
for the Mayflower is a favorite in New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and other
large cities of the East, and every
spring the woods are stripped of them
ami they are packed in moss and
shipped to towu, where they are sold
at high prices.
So regular is the demand for tlio
dainty, waxlike blossoms that profes
sional flower hunters make a business
of searching out the secret blooming
grounds of the arbutus, stake out their
claims as they would take up mining
claims every spring, and wait for the
blossom harvest. Gathering Mayflow
ers has become one of the Important
industries of Cape Cod. Providence
Journal.
Honeymoon In H Prairie Wacn.
Flow is this for a bridal trip? t,
young couple went to Flagstaff. Ariz.,
bought a eotiple of big wagons and
teams of mules, hired a couple of
teamsters and a good coolt and start
ed south for Phoenix. The principal
wagon was roofed with canvas and
wire gauze, witli every comfort, and
the trip is described as ideal. No fliee
or mosquitoes, good hunting, and th
"light of love" combining with that
from moon and stars. Upon arrival
at Phoenix the wagons were sold at
an advance, and the couple proceeded
by rail to Los Angeles In search r.i
new adventures. They may return
via Japan and India.—Washington
Star.
TO TELL GOOD BUTTER.
THItiCS WORTH KNOWINC ABOUT
THAT ISREAT STAPLE.
Ouirtlty six! Uimntlty of Thin ('<>■■ iXry's
Product ViutJy Added to by the Adop
tion of Scientific Method.—The Wet
3i.ro ttrc Great butter Maklikg ltt.lrier.
Denmark is the great butter pro
ducing country in the world,
but the United States is a
good second, and the cream
ery Industry which declined a few
years ago on account of a fall in but
ter prices is once more booming.
Twenty years ago the United States
know very little about scientific but
ter making. The Now York butter
supply came from the small dairies of
tin- farmers throughout the state, and
its Quality, depending largely upon
tlie mood ami skill of the farmers'
wives and daughters, was as variable
as March weather. Anything like a
uniform quality was practically an
impossibility.
"Occasionally," said the butter buy
er for one of New York's largest re
tall grocery lirms to a Sun reporter,
"a man—the same man who
talks about the pies his mother
used to make—bewails the pass
ing of the good old purple tubs
of country butter. Now, the fact is
that we couldn't to-ilay dispose of the
kind of butter we used to sell. Our
customers wouldn't have it. They
are used to uniformly good butter, and
they will not put np with any lower
ing of the quality. Of course, there is
Iwid butter on the market. Some of
the creameries turn out an inferior
article. So much depends upon the
breeding of the cows and their care,
the kind of pasture, the skill of the
workers; and those things vary. A
short time ago competition in tlie
creamery business WHS SO great and
proilt so small that a good many
creameries tried to cut down expenses
by hiring cheap workmen. The effect
was seen Immediately in the quality
of the butter. Just at this season
there's n fault in much of the butter
that is a result of carelessness or false
economy on the part of the farmers.
The pasturage is still very scanty; hut
in order to save heavy feeding and to
improve the color of the butter the
cows are turned out to grass. There's
very little grass, but there's plenty of
wild garlic, and the cows like it. The
people who use the milk and cream
and butter don't. There's the diffi
culty. Moeh of the butter in the mar
ket has more or less what we call the
onion flavor and is objectionable on
that account. Either the farmers
should have the pasture examined
carefully and the wild garlic rooted
out or the cows should lie fed until the
pasture is more luxuriant. After the
Clover and thick grass comes the cow
will turn up hor nose at the garlic.
"Jnne is tin? best butter mouth, be
cause the pasture is nt its best then;
and, as a cousuquewcp, the butter maile
then has better keeping qualities than
any other. Almost all the butter
stored for winter use and for purposes
of speculation is June butter. Of
course, the price is low in June: that's
another reason why June butter is
bought for speculation. There are a
pHxl many kinds of fancy butter on
the maket—butter put up in small pats
by certain creameries and supposed to
lx extra good. The cows used by these
dealers are fed with special care on
clover bay, Indian meal, etc.; and the
Imttec is put up in attractive shape
and sold at a fancy price. I • don't
know that, us a rule, it is any better
than the regular creamery butter;
but some of our customers will,
have it Mosl of it comes from
Peimsysvanki (armors. As a gen?ru!
thing, though, the individual farmer
can't compete with the creamery.
"Butter making is an exact science
now and the farmer's wife who thought
she knew all about it isn't in it with
the centrifugal machine, and the
weighing machines, and the Pasteur
izing apparatus. It's a good cow that
can produce a pound of butter a (lay
for nine months out of the year. Now
take the cost of keeping and feeding
the cow, the cost of making the butter,
the cost of the tubs, the cost of ship
ping, and the profits of the wholesale
and retail dealers. Add all those items
together, and remember that butter is
selling for 25 cents a pound. Where
are you going to figure out any profit
for the small farmer? So to-day,
butter making must be done on a large
scale and by scientific methods in
order to be profitable."
The West is the home of the creamery
industry to-day. Illionis, lowa, Min
nesota, Nebraska and neighboring
States produce 85 per cent, of tint but
ter on the market, and the market
price is determined by the Chicago
board of trade, although New York
city is tile greatest distributing centre.
The Eastern farmers, who originally
had control of the industry, were too
conservative to adopt the scientific
methods introduced with admirable
results in Denmark. The West saw its
opportunity. Large creameries were
established in the Mississippi states,
Denmark methods were closely
copied, and the Eastern farmer find
ing that butter making had gone out
of his hands, fell back upon milk and
cheese. Itooently, however, the wave
that surged westward has been re
ceding. and the East, New York in
particular, having at last awakened
to a realization that the new methods
are necessary, Ims been setting up a
number of large creameries.
Although the West linn been doing
the business, the East cnn console it
self with the thought that it has. at
least, been furnishing the science.
The pestive germ has had n great
Held in butter. Over in Denmark
scientists made amazing and unappe
tizing discoveries in regard to the
bacteria Ic butter; and a I'astcuriz
lug process was promptly applied.
That settled the bacteria, but It also
settled the butter. Gormless butter
proved sadly without flavor. The
scientists went to work once more and
found, by experiment, just what
bacteria wore a feature of the best but
ter. These aristocrats among germs
were then propagated carefully and
introduced In judicious quantities into
tlx? butter, after Pasteurization had
wiped out all plel>elan bacterid. The
up-to-date creameries ail use the pro
cess now. The cream Is subjected to a
temperature of IGO degree*. and then
is inoculated with pure culture.
One of the greatest authorities on
the culture of bacteria for butter is
a Boston man, who develops the cul
ture in his laboratory and sells It all
through the West. So new laurels are
due Boston. She's inculcating even
the butter of the land with pure cul
ture.
The centrifugal machine is another
great factor in modern butter making.
Through it the cream is separated
from the milk more thoroughly than
was ever possible in the old process.
Not live-tenths of 1 per cent, cream
remains with the milk. Ordinarily a
large creamery is a co-operative affair,
the farmers of the neighborhood hav
ing a share in it and furnishing the
milk. The farmer brings his milk to
front of the building*where it is ac
curately weighed. Then he drives
around to the back of the building
where the milk is delivered to him
again, having in tlie meantime passed
through tin? centrifugal machine and
been separated from tlie cream. The
skim milk is taken back to the farm
and fed to the stock. Almost all but
ter has a small percentage of coloring
matter—the winter butter containing
more lieoause it is naturally whiter
than butter made during the summer
when the cows are in pasture?. Less
coloring matter is USIHI than former
ly, and tlie public lias been educated
to a lighter-colored butter.
As for the adulteration of butter,
stringent laws have practically done
away with it. Oleomargarine is on
the market In large quantities, but the
law requires that it shall be stamped
as oleomargarine. Moreover, there is
a law in New York forbidding under
severe penalty the use of any color
ing matter in oleomargarine which, in
its natural condition, is white and
easily distinguished from butter.
Some unscrupulous retail dealers do
sell oleomargarine us butter, but the
risk is now so great that few are will
ing to take it.
The successful butter buyer needs
long oxiorience and a marvellously
educated palate. He must be able to
judge the grain of the butter, its keep
ing quality and the amount of color
ing matter used in it. If there is the
slightest foreign flavor in it he must
know to what it is due, and how it
will effect the butter in course of
time. The export can give a shrewd
guess at the food of the cows from
whose milk the butter has been made,
and can detect in a second any care
lessness In the making. Much of the
fault of the butter as served on the
table is due to the handling and
storing, rather than to the making.
"If we could only accomplish a
lightning transfer from the wholesale
house to the table," said a well known
retail dealer, "there would bo less
complaint about butter. By the time
it is brought from the wholesale to the
retail house, cut up ami stored here,
taken out and carted around in de
livery wagons with all sorts of other
packages, carelessly handled and left
lying around the kitchen at the house
where it is delivered, tucked away In
a refrigerator with watermelon and
meat and fruit, and finally served in
a lM>t, smelly kitchen, even the best
butter has lost a good dual of its
purity and sweetness."
The exportation of butter Is, of
course, governed by tin* price prevail
ing here; but it reaches large figures
each year. Last year 115,000 tubs of
Nutter were sent to Europe and
5,500,000 tubs to the West Indies and
South America.
Otuen About Wedding King*.
Many believe that the loss of a
wedding ring means that the hus
kind's love will be lost in turn. If
the ring is broken the husband will
soon die. In Ireland it is a general
belief that to rub a sore with a golden
wedding ring will cause it to speedily
heal. The wedding ring is supposed
never to tarnish and dim. A wedding
ring should tit the linger. 11' it is too
large it is a sign of shallowness of
purpose. If too tight, it is suggested
that the union pinches somehow. A
perfect-fitting ring is symbolic of a
perfectly harmonious union. Every
man may select the sentiment to be
engraved in bis bride's ring. The
groom's initials and the bride's in
itials. followed by the wedding date,
is most frequently the inscription.
But there are many beautiful senti
ments. and individuality and origin
ality in regard to these mottoes arc
Incoming very iopular. The date is
always engraved in the wedding ring.
Enllg)it?nini; an Fn^lUliinnn,
On the excursion given by Secretary
Lnngley to the members of the Na
tional Academy of Science down the
Potomac the other day. Bernard Green
of the Library of Congress is credited
with having told the liest story of the
afternoon. Mr. Green happened to
be crossing the ocean a few years ago
on the Fourth of July, which National
holiday was celebrated with great en
thusiasm by tin* Americans on bourn.
"I say," asked one of the English
men, "what is this anniversary of,
anyway? Isn't it to celebrate the hat
tie of Bull Bun or something of the
kind?"
"No," promptly spoke up an Ameri
can, "not Bull Itun, John Bull Run."
—Washington Correspondence Now
York Tribune.
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.
In southern Franco successful ef
forts have been made to arrest forest
flres by growing the juicy cactus
plants in open spaces separating the
sections of tlx? forests.
Water is the hardest of all sub
stances to heat, with the single excep
tion of hydrogen gas. The easiest two
ore mercury and lead, which stand in
this respect on nearly the same foot
ing.
In Germany at points where there
is danger of high voltage electric cur
rents, tlvere is a conventional represen
tation of a zigzag bolt of lightning.
This is painted on transformer cham
bers, poles and similar places.
Alfred Austin's latest verses on the
war n South Africa have taught us at
least one thing, namely, haw to pro
nounce Mafeking. We have grown
tired of hearing Ma-fook-ing, Mn-fake
ing, Maf-oche-ing, May-fek-ing, etc.
The laureate says Maffyking, or Maf
e-Ulng.
Authorities differ as to the rate ot
growth of the human hair, and it is
said to be very dissimilar in different
individuals. The most usually accept
ed calculation gives six and one halt
inches per annum. A mail's hair, al
lowed to grow to its extreme length,
rarely exceeds 12 Inches or 14 inches,
while that of a woman will grow in
rare instances to 70 inches or 75
inches, though the average does not
exceed 25 iuclu* to 30 inches.
In the Russian engineer corps an
Ingenious pile-diver which nets with
great Sliced, is used. On two sides of
tin* pile one-inch gas-pipes are placed
tn longitudinal grooves. At the lower
end the pipes are furnished with noz
zles inclined Inward toward the point
of the pile. A force-pump drives wa
ter into the pipes, and the water, is
suing from the nozzles under a pres
sure of 7d i>oun<ls to the square inch,
removes the dirt so rapidly beneath the
pile that it siuks three times as fast
as if hammered by a pile-drfver.
Luminous gla*ss letters for street
names, house numbers, etc., are a suc
cessful German product. They are
made in all colors from pressed glass,
are hollow, being open at the back,
and before Ix'lng attached to their tin
backings, they are filled with lumi
nous material, which is now supplied
by chemical factories. The tin back*
are nailed to the wall, the glass being
then fastened to the tin by a pin with
screws. Being protected from the air
and moisture, the luminous substance
lasts a long time, and is much superior
to coatings of luminous paint.
Some curious spiral fossils, recently
discovered in rocks of the Permian pe
riod in Uussla, appear to represent a
kind of sawlike appendage, armed
with enamelled teeth, and capable ot
being rolled up in the manner of a
spiral spring which once belonged to
a species of fish related to the rays
and dogfish of today. A French geol
ogist, Monsieur Priem, suggests that
the ifcxh carried this singular weapon
as an extension of its upper law. Ex
cept in its capability of being rolled up.
such an appendage seems to be no
more wonderful than that of the saw
fish or the sword fish.
As there Is nn absence of coal In
Switzerland, it is not possible for tin?
people of that country to produce tlie
iron used in many of tlieir manufae
tares, and it must be imported from
< lerniany. Instead of being depend
ent on coal for smelting tlie iron ores
which are to be found within the
boundaries of Switzerland, it bas re
cently been determined to make use of
the electric famine for this purpose,
and sncli a proposition Is now being
developed by Herr Mullet* iJtndsmann
in the Bernese Oberlnnd, near Molr
inpen. A concession lias been ob
tained from tlie government to work
an outcrop of hematite tvhieh occurs
along the mountain face at this local
ity, the vein having a thickness ot
seven fist, nnd being visible for about
two miles. Tlie ore will lie trans
ported by aerial ropeway to Innertklr
elien below, and power to tlie extent of
00,000 horse-power will be derived
from the Aar, and used to drive the
machinery nnd supply the current for
the electric furnaces. Switzerland Is
particularly rich in water-power ns
well as deficient in coal, and the re
suits of tills enterprise will be awaited
with much interest.
lliilt-fleni'lnsr f'lialn.
Ball bearings, which first became
generally familiar through their use in
bicycle bearings, have now become
part of innumerable mechanical con
trivances. Wherever it is desired to
reduce friction to a minimum, or to
obtain a particularly easily movable
part a ball bearing is introduced, so
that they are found in everything
from a ear axle to a chair castor, in
ventors have racked tlieir brains in an
endeavor to find new adaptions of this
principle and one of tlie most recently
evolved is a ball-boaring chain.
*1 lie links are provided at one end
with a concave, or hollow, rounded seat
In which the steel ball is placed. The
interlocking link engages with and
bears upon this ball, this position being
maintained by shoulders or abutments.
By such means u particularly flexible
chain is olvtaitiod and one which can
bo used for a great variety of purposes
where it is desired to keep tlie chain In
motion and where the energy to do
this is a factor to be considered.
—Family Cosmopolitan.
A Sifjn of flood Bonltli.
Faith is tin* barometer of tlie liven
—New York Press.