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ELECTRIC STORMS. Hen's Ilulr Stands on End and 6tonf Crao lilo Under Their l-'eot. ••Perhaps the most peculiar oi. the mountain phenomena are the so-called electric storms. There is no precip itation, no lightning, no thunder, and usually no wind. Nothing to be hea*d and nothing to be seen except the gath ering clouds, llut much may bo felt. Everything is charged with the elec tric iluid; the earth, the air, the very stones and trees, and even human be ings are full of it A mining engineer. Visiting a tunnel located on a moun tain side at an elevation of 13,200 foot, describes his sensations during one of these storms. All alone he was climb ing up the trail to the tunnel, where he wished to examine a vein of ore. Great black clouds began to gather on the 'horizon, and were soon rolling about the mountain side below him. A calm prevailed, then an unnatural stillness seemed to be in tho air. Steadily the clouds rolled up the mountain side like a llood of black water. The stones, as he stepped on them, began to crackle and snap, like dry wood in a lire. Realizing these un usual conditions, he hurried to tho sheltering tunnel above him. His hair felt as if a swarm of ilies bod settled in it. When he tried to brush them away with his hand, he found each hair standing almost straight. Tho stroking of his hair increased the pe culiar sensations he experienced, and, tingling from head to foot, tho now thoroughly frightened man ran into the tunnel. No sooner had he passed the entrance than tho peculiar sensa tions ceased. After resting awhile, he went to the opening and discovered himself entirely surrounded by clouds BO black and dense that he could scarcely see five feet away, although the .hour was not far from noon. Step ping outside to investigate, he received a shock that sent him reeling back in to the tunnel, where he remained for over aq hour before the storm passed. Such electrical storms seem to be formed in strata. If a human being should make such connection as to draw the charge from one of the lay ers, he would instantly be incinerated. Tfns accident, however, has never been known to occur. Electrical storms pre vail throughout the mountain region, but the severest storms of this nature are met only at the great altitudes. With all the severity of electrical storms, and thunder showers, it Is a fact that human beings are seldom struck by lightning in the mountains. Death from that cause is much more frequent on the plains bordering the ranges than in the mountains them selves.—Ainslee's Magazine. BIR: Mining Contract. The largest contract ever let by 0 mining company in the state of Colo rado for the delivery cf ore to reduc tion works or smelters was made last week when Dudley M. Gray of Crip ple Creek closed a contract with tho Independence mine management for the delivery of 200 tons of ore per day from that mine continuously for a pe riod of five years. The work of break ing ore at the mine for transfer under the terms of the contract agreement with the reduction firm has been be gun. Outside of the immense magni tude of the contract in tho matter of tho ore tonnage which it involves for the whole period stated, it also repre sents the greatest amount of value in ore production for any line period of tme which has ever been made from any exclusively gold-producing claim containing the same amount of pro ductive territory within its prescribed limits. All Should Swim. The remarkable number of deaths by drowning proves that too many per rons venture Into waters without knowing how to swim. About SO per cent of those drowned so far this ram mer did not have that knowledge. This Is al? the more wonderful when knowl edge of swimming may so oasily b had. A person of average physique should be able to swim several hun dred feet after a dozen lessons. Even weaklings may be taught to swim 25 feet or more without exhausting them selves. There are dangerous places on the ocean beach, where the sea pull or undertow will sometimes overpower the strongest swimmer. Even on the beaches of the great lakes there Is at times a strong and dangerous under tow, but a knowledge of swimming li within the reach of all. There were 197 wolves killed In France last year and the bounties eaualed 13.0T5 francs, or £523. If ..A PAIR OF PLOTTERS.. 1111 "For tile best o£ all the miracles the summertime can work us. 13 the canvas-tented, sawdust-scented, much-frequented circus!" "A circus! Comin' to town!" Old Marth Stebblns, pressing out her youngest grandchild's Sunday gown, paused with iron suspended. "For the land's suite, Billie! Do tell! Are you sure?" Billie was thrilled by the interest which his news had awakened. There fore. he looked as imperturbable as possible. He hoisted himself up on the table, and sat there picking sandburs off his sleeves, and stringing his bare legs. "Gimme a coolcy, an' I'll tell you all about It." There was no compromising with Billie. He was a young man of his word. Of this his grandmother was aware. She looked at him hard a mo ment. Then she set the iron down, and went into the pantry. She came back with two cookies. "There!" she said; "now go on!" "After I'd been to Bill I went up town. There was two men puttin' pic tures on the blank wall near the livery stable. They'd got 'em up already by the lumber yard. Another feller was goln' into the shops, and gettin' signs put in the windows. And, I say, grandma, you just want to see them pictures. They're—they're jiuiming gee." Grandma Ironed on, but less ener getically than before the return of Bil lie. "Go on an' tell me about them pictures," she urged, "i used to like awful well to go to circuses when I was young. Seems like I went to every one that come to our town. One ain't been near this place since I come hero to live with your ma. That was when Emily Louise was born—lifteen years ago." Blltto went on to tell her of the glor ies of the posters. Ho gallantly gave ladles the preference in his descrip tion. He first told her about the bare armed female, standing in the Roman chariot, driving the plunging steeds; about the little girl, standing on a white Shetland pony; about the ra diant damsel in tile abbreviated skirt, who made flying leaps through paper hoops; about the muscular sisters who swung from trapezes. Then the men came in for their share of admiring re marks. He was half-way from the ringmaster to tho clown, and grandma was listening with breathless delight, when a stop was heard in the hall. Qrandma guiltily picked up her cold iron and pattered across the kitchen to the stove for a hot une. "Mother! Vou got that ironln' most done?" Tho voice suited the face, a hard, intolerant face, with dull eyes and con- Verging lines around the mouth. "Mostly, Belinda!" cried back the old lady with nervous cheerfulness. "Ain't moru'n half a dozen more pieces. Billie here's got back from mill." She moistened tho tips of her fin gers with her tongue, and spatted away on the iron to test its temperature. "I can see that," tartly. '"Billie, your father git off with that stock? That's good. Now, I don't want you settin' round lilto this when there's his chores to be done well's your own. You hear?" "Yes'm." There was a brief silence when she hpd gon'a. Martha Stebbins seemed to see through a mist the garments she was ironing. Suddenly the kitchen seemed smaller and hotter than it had five minutes ago. All at once, too, the lovely ladles, and dashing men, and wonderful animals of the circus seemed more distant, inapproachable. "Are—you thiukin' you'll he let go Billie?" "Dunno." He lifted his foot and looked pensively at the stonebruise on tho toe. "Will If I can. I'll see if I rant get a job carryin' water for the elephant. Lot's of boys got in that Ivay." "The elephant!" She looked across Jt him with brightening eyes. "Have they got real elephant along? I ain't neon elephant I don't know when." Something wistful in her tone struck Billie. He was not a particular ly bright boy, but he was affectionate in a dumb and clumsy way. Ho hud never known the joy of self-expression, but 110 and grandma had had some se crets of their own. These secrets, in volving as they frequently did her con nivance and her silence, were neces sary to his humanity and protection. Now ho wished—he hardly knew what he wished. "Say, grandma, I kinder think you'd like to go to the circus yourself!" "Me!" she shrilled. "O, dear, no! Whatever put such an idea in your head Me —I'm that old! And besides —gracious, if I ain't gone and scorched that shirt! I hope your ma won't no tice it, but I got that flustered —to think of such a thing!" BilUe looked puzzled. "Well, some how," he persisted, stubbornly, "I do think so, gramma. And," he added boldly, "I don't see why yen shouldn't, cither, If you got a mind to —there!" "Why, Billie!" she cried, weakly, kait there was a yielding tremor In lior voice. She put down the iron, glanc ing furtively at the door a3 she did so. She went over to the table, and stood next tho audacious young fellow. i "Your ma would never hear to such a thing. Besides, we ain't got tho I money." "0, we couldn't get a cent from her!" Involuntarily he lowered his Voice, as was his habit when a fish ing-trip was projected, and the ques tion of secretly securing provender therefor, confidently discussed. I can work enough to pay for myself sure. You've got that 15 cents Mis' Murray give you for niakln' her check-row siinbunnlt. I can sell Tom Cass my pigeon-house. He'll let mo have a dime for It. The only trouble Is the gettiu' there. It's a good four-mile to town. Ma wouldn't hear to us takin' the horse out after sundown, and you never could " "I could—O, I could, Billie!" she broke in excitedly. Her wrinkled old face was radiant —hor knotty old hands were trembling. " 'Twouldn't be enny harder than bein' on my feet from 5 in the mornin' till after supper like I am. I could walk every step of It, but " the enthusiasm began to fade out of her face. She drew a long sigh —a sigh of bitter renunciation, "Be linda " "Gramma!" Ho leaned forward, whispering as he did when he was ask ing her to leave the back buttery win dow open when he was to be out after hours. "Ma don't need—to know—a single—thing about it!" He unlimbered himself from the table. "I'll manago it!" he avowed confidently. The week that followed was one of the most intense, the most absorbing anticipation Martha Stebbins had known in many a year. She went about the drudgery of her daily tasks on winged feet. She laughed at the jokes of the hired man. She brushed and cleaned Billie's best clothes until they did not look within a year of their age. She put a new band on his hat. *=) I { i^k. She fixed over her own ancient black bonnet during the temporary absence of her daughter. She smiled to her self when she was alone. Once, in deed, they even heard her singing. 'That don't sound like a hymn tune, mother!" remarked Mis. Malone, sus piciously. "It's 'The Bunks and Braes o' Bon nie Doon," said the old lady softly. O, the myriad fluttering moments and apprehensive instants which led up to that night! Tho temerity of un dertaking a flight so unwonted, the danger of discovery, of recapture— these but euhanced tho ecstacy of It all! They made their escape while the youngest scion of the house of Malone was being put to bed upstairs. Down through the dusk, between the rows of straggling gooseberry bushes that caught at her gown, out into the path around tho wheat field skirting the corn, grandma skurried like a little gray rabbit. And there, on the high road was Billie waiting for her —Billie, kindJy, encouraging, swelling with the importance of the adventure. How ho did strive to restralu hor Impetuosity. How he did explain that they had lots of time, that the seats were already secured, that she would be tired out before she got there. But neither speech nor movement was to bo regard ed in the exhilaration of that delicious experience. How sweet the ?reen things smollcd with the dew on them! Ah, never would the memory of that night fade —that "witching, wonderful night!" The entrance into the lively town, the sight of the domed canvas tent, the hurrying crowds of pleasure seekers, the lighted shops, the smell of the sawdust, tho glimpse of tired faces, tho torches, the music—best of all, 0, incomparably Itest of all—the circus it self! Never did so stately a ringmas ter stride Into tho arena. Never did A &t &t ( How the Chinese Line i& >,;,!> *f V \ Their Pockets at 5. * in China \h Expense of Tfij ) Foreigners. C& i*W¥*WW¥*¥*WW&*W¥*¥*W¥*W&k A curious Instance of the exploits of the Chinese secret societies Is fur nished by a European who is familiar with tho country. China, he says, is honeycombed with secret societies. It is practically the exception for a Chinaman not to belong to one of these associations, not' &U of which, however, aire intended to serve such mischievous ends as those aimed at by the Boxers. Many of the societies aro comparatively harmless, and much re semble the guilds of mediaeval Eu rope. Almost every trade and calling has its Beprct society. The occult power wielded by these bodies is ex perienced by residents in China in connection with their domestic serv ants. The beplgtalled cooks and butlers are adepts In .the art of lining their pockets at their masters' ex pense, their favorite practice being to overcharge their employers in con nivance with the tradesmen. The trou so witty a clown break his hones on collapsable barrels, and set the benches in a roar! No such agile acrobats ever balanced ladders and dangled from tra pezes. No such lovely ladies over poised and pirouetted on bareback horses. No such stately Amazon ever lashed her steeds to victory. And all the rest merged for Billle into one ex quisite glow that was almost pain— pain and rapture—when he beheld: Upon a milk-white pony. Fit for a fairy queen, The loveliest little damsel His eyes had ever seen! It was over. They had enjoyed it all. They had seen the animals —every one. They had eaten popcorn, and drank lemonade, and munched peanuts. And now they were plodding back to the farm along the road that stretched ahead lik a ribbon of amber velvet Neither spoke. Their hearts were toe full —hers with memories, his with im aginings. They were as Daudet repre sents Parisians after the Salon: "Sa tiated, but not weary, still thrilled by that air charged with artistic elec tricity." They made no mention oi the morrow. Not even reproach then could wrest this experience from them. "Are you tired, grandma? Rest on me—lean hard." "O, I ain't tired, Billle! I couldn't be tired tonight I've had a beau-ti ful time!" The night was magical. The sleep ing world was sweet. The hour was the full-blown rose of— The peace of out-lived bliss! —Chicago Tribune. A TRACEDY RECALLED. Twenty-One Yearn Ago the Prince Im perial WHS Slain by Zulus. 3 It is 21 years ago that General Dul ler, then a colonel commanding a detachment of the Frontier Light Horse, saw one day, as ho was stroll ing leisurely near his camp in Zulu land, four men galloping wildly to ward him. The foremost horseman was Lieutenant Carey, the three oth ers his escort. They brought the news that prince Imperial of France had been killed by the Zulus. Buller eent the cavalry brigade at daylight the next morning to recover the body. When they came to the place where Carey and his men had been sur prised by the natives they found the horribly mutilated body of a aead trooper, and a few yards further on the body of the' prince. He had the marks of many spear thrusts in his body, but was not mutilated in any way. Round his neck was a thin gold chain, and slung upon it was a minia ture of his mother, ex-Empress Eu genie, and a tiny gold reliquary con taining a fragment of the true cross. The relic was given by Pope Leo 111 to Charlemagne on the day when he crowned the great Prankish lord em peror of the west. Since then dynasty after dynasty of French monarchs had worn that scrap of gold and wood as a talisman. And as a talisman the Zulus regarded it, and they stayed their savage hands abovo the poor slain lad.—Utica Globe. Furniture for Hoy's Room. Of course, John's room does not want a tea-table, but he does want a desk an