FREEUID TPIBUHE. KSTAIiI.ISIIi;i> IB.HB. PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY, VTEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY, 11 v TUB TRIBUNE PRiNTING COMPANY, Lilllitcfl OFFICE; MAIN STUKET ABOVE CENTRE. LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE. SUHSCIII I'TION IIATEN FREELAND.—riIe TRIBUNE isdoUveredby carriers to subscribers iu Freehold at the rate of 12U oents por month, payable ovory two months, or $1.50 a year, payable in advance. Tho TRIBUNE may be ordered directform tbo carriers or from the office. Complaints of irregular or tardy delivery service will re ceive prompt attention. BY MAIL —The TltinuNE is sent to out-of town subscribers for $1.5.1 a year, payable in advance; pro rata terms for shorter periods. The date when the subscription expires is on the address label of each paper. Prompt re newals mast bo made atthc expiration, other wise the subscription will bo discontinued. Entered at tho Postofflco at Freeland. Pa., as Second-Class Mutter, Make all money orders, checks. etc. ,payable to the Tribune l'rinling Company, Limited. r Wouldn't it look bettor if John Bud could take his defeats on the turf mora gracefully ?_ French gallantry, of late years said to be banished from the earth, seems to have found au abiding place in the French courts. The judge who res cues a distressed American heiress's millions and restores them to the carc f her anxious family is surely a beau chevalier, though he does not wear a eword and take great pleasure to die for one. President Jones, of Hobart College, thinks that too much money is spent nowadays in furnishing college under graduates with enervating luxuries and not enough in paying fair salaries to college professors. The professors, he says, are sadly underpaid, but for the lads whom they teach and who never pay the cost of the education they are getting, luxurious clubhouses are built and furnished, and a manner of life made possible which is unsuited to their years, and not conducive to profitable training. The latest development of science provides that ships can go to sea with frozen ammunition. A method of util izing liquefied air on warships has been discovered which will render the explosion of a magazine, even when the ship is in action, almost Impossi ble. The method is to so place the liquid air that it will freeze tho am munition to several hundred degrees below zero. In that condition it could not explode, even if a shell should burst in the magazine. Wonders will uever cease. Coast defense is tlie most important topic dealt with in the annual report of Chief of Engineers Wilson. He points out that the war with Spain had the effect of hastening the work on the coast defenses to such an extent that now, ten years after that long neglected work was begun in earnest, he is able to report that fifty per cent, of the work is complete. Twenty-five of the principal harbors of the United States now have a sufficient number of heavy guns and mortars in place to offer an effective defense against naval attack. Existing projects con template the mounting of a great num ber of additional guns. The cost to consumers of the anthra cite coal strike calls attention to the benefits resulting in England from the Co-operative Wholesale Society. This society is a federation of 1046 retail co-operative societies, representing 1,053,504 individual members. By the operation of this society consumers lire enabled to supply their wantß at I purely economic cost—that is, not jubject to the penalties of "jobs," com bines—the common tricks of trade that affect prices under general conditions. During the first thirty years of the society's existence a profit was real ized of .$6,731,725, that went hack into the pockets of the consumers. Vienna is excited over great Jewel robberies that have deprived some of her finest dames of their gems. Not long ago the wife of a nobleman noticed while at a ball that her dia monds did not sparkle witii all tho brilliancy their cost demanded, and, looking closely nt them, she discovered that they were not diamonds nt all. hut paste gems of the cheapest kind. She made a great outcry, and all the other women instinctively looked at their jewels. The outcries became general. It seems that nil the women who live in tlie same quarter of the city discovered tlmt their Jewels had been taken, and had been replaced by cheap imitations. The work is sup posed to have been duue during the summer mouths. ANB THE MAS '<&\sr^' eve mmmm R ODD 40, with the eoal bin piled high and her water box full to overflowing, backed sul lenly down on the baggage enr of the 7.30 "local" from Worcester, and with n savage "ker-cliunk" that sent a shiver through the entire train, allowed herself to be coupled by the quick fingered brakeman. It wan ed but five minutes to the half hour, but already a steady stream of passengers heavily laden with all kinds of mysterious looking parcels was pouring down the platform and into the ears. For this was the even ing of December 24, and the spirit of Christmas was over the land. But happiest of all this happy crowd was Ben, the train hoy. In a little Dver an hour and a half he should be home witii his dear mother and young brother Dick and his sister Sal. As lie sat on a trunk iu the baggage car witii his pile of papers by his side, waiting for the train to start, he could think of nothing hut that happy reunion. Ben had been saving up for tills Christmas with more than the usunl stinting and self-denial, and the result of it all now stood before him neatly packed in a wooden box. Two men there were aboard the "7.30 local" whose faces reflected nothing of the Christmas eheer. Presently the fireman put down his oil can and looked tip at the engineer. "What time is the strike ordered for?" he asked. "Half past eight to the second," growled the engineer. "Why, that'll leave i s ten miles from no where!" cried the fireman, whose name was Stelibins. "Nice Christmas we'll have. Lucky if we find a roof to cover us. Why do we hnve to strike on Christmas Eve, of all times?" he added, wrathfully. "'Cause the president takes this train out to Edgetown to-night so's he kin liev Christmas with his old mother. We got tlie tip no more than an hour ago. The men thinks tliet ruther than get stuck between here and thai- he'll cave in and grant us wot we ask." At that moment a well dressed man of thirty-five or so, satchel iu hand, came briskly dowu the platform and got into the smoker. It was the presi dent of the road. lie was a very young man for such a position, but he had long since shown himself equal to its responsibilities. The conductor took out Ills watch, It was already thirty seconds past starting time, but on Christmas Eve one does not like to think of anybody losing tho train, and so perhaps los ing a Christmas dinner. At exactly 7.31 tlie signal was given, and with a great hissing of escaping steam and a slow "clioo-choo!" as BEN SAT ON A TRUNK IN TOE BAGGAGE OAR WAITING FOR THE TIIAIN TO START. though the big engine were taking breath for its long run, the train rolled majestically out of the station. Ben war on his fourth round—"can dy and bonbons" thiß time—when there was n sudden jolting and jarring as the train came quickly to a standstill. Some folks, thinking it a station, gathered up their traps preparatory to departure, but Ben knew better. He knew they should be halfway between Sandsville and Henderson, which was the last stop before Edgetown. "Ilot box. I reckon!" muttered Ben to himself. "That'll mean a half hour delay, and motlier'll got uneasy." The train boy stepped out on the platform, and, leaning far out, he saw a knot of men standing by the engine, their faces lit up by the light from the cab. I Hpin B K m the . Christmas cup Grim Snapdragon comes h '2 h : l'i'om the wassail-bowl. With his mimic ire, ,k\ \\<? -= ///b' V i I Now the flame leaps up And his feast of plums -'A ■ ' tVv "Vneli t ' th U rud< y ™ ul! Smothered in the lire. I A/- —M Till the ■ In the glowing blaze O the days of mirth, ' Ajj a. i tf? r, ln S- Hmv the dancers spin! And the nights akin! Peals itf ™ , AT A, I th maze Heap the Christmas hearth; 1 cnls its answering! JJinible Harlequin! Hale the Yule log in! Quickly clamboring down, he ran up to the group. Facing each other were the engineer and the president. "This is a dastardly plot of yours," Mr. Pearson, the president, was say ing. "But you won't force me to give in by any such course." "All right, sir!" replied the engineer, sullenly. "Then we'll have to quit the IP?! "STAT JEs' WHERE YEU EE, STEBBINS!" train right here. Stebbius, dump the lire!" The president felt himself beaten, but at that instant Ben's voice, shrill with excitement, rang out sharply: "Stay jes where yer be, Stebbins. I'm not going to have the president's Christmas and my folks' Christmas spoiled by any o' yer fool orders!" When Ben had realized the situation he had dashed madly into the baggage car, wrenched open his Christmas box and taken from it the shot gun in tended as a present for his brother. In a trice he had loaded it and then had climbed up on to the engine from the other side. The sight of the gleaming barrel very much disconcerted the strikers, and they hesitated. "Five hundred dollars to the man who drives the engine—it's only thir ty miles?" cried Mr. Pearson. No one moved. "I think I conld run old 49," said Ben, timidly. "You, boy!" muttered the president, sizing up the sturdy form of sixteen year-old Ben. "What do you know about an engine?" "If you please, sir, my father, John Dixon, wus an engineer on thir road afore he died, an' often's the time I rode in the cab with him He showed me how to work the lever and the whistle valve and all the rest of it. If you could only get some one to fire now ■" "I'll fire," replied the president quiet ly. Then turning to the trainmen lie said: "This boy and I will run the train. Go back and tell the passengers that we : re going right through. Then you can stop here or go on with us, just as you choose." Then the news was passed along the train that a substitute engineer had been found and the train was to go through after nil. Aboard the engine, his gloved hands wielding a shovel, was the president of the road, while Ben, with his face out of the cab window, kept his left hand on the throttle. In the meantime the brakemen held a short consultation with the con ductor and had concluded that the best course for them was to quit the train and leave it to its fate. A couple of the male passengers vol unteered to act as brakemnn and con ductor, and with this strange crew the train presently got under way. It had been decided that as trouble probably awaited them at Henderson, where a large rowdy element was lo cated, the train would stop a half mile this side of the town for the passen gers, and then Ben was to run through Henderson without stopping. On the station platform a group of a hundred men were grimly awaiting the arrival of the train. Its approach had been heralded by its whistle five minutes before. "If the train slows up, board her. nnd pull off the engineer," commanded the head of the gang. "If she doesn't.stop, shoot at the scabs, and smash all the windows you can!" Suddenly a hoarse shout went up. "Here she comes! Bless me if she ain t slowin' down!" cried one. "Beady, boys, with yer brickbats!" cried the ringleader, revolver in hand. Leaning far out of the cab window, his face smutched with coal dust, his eyes shining like stars, was Ben. The president, who had forgotten to re move his kid gloves, stood just be hind, shotgun in hand. The revolver was raised, a hundred stones were poised in the air. Then as the pale, set face of the young engineer showed up for an instant by the flickering light of the station lamps the man with the revolver lowered his weapon and sprang forward. "Hold oil!" he yelled, "It's Ben!" But (here was no need for the warning. The men had recognized the lad at the same Instant and with one accord their hands dropped. They would have as soon shot their own sons as to do harm to Ben. So the president had his Christmas with his mother after all, aud so did Ben, and the boy thought it the hap piest Christmas he had ever known. During the day Mr. Fearsou drove over to see him, and when he departed he left behind him a check for SSOO and the promise that when Ben was old enough he should run 40 every day. "But I won't promise to act as fire man again," the president had added laughingly. This all happened thirty odd years ago, and the erstwhile train boy is now general manager of the road, and a very dignified gentleman, indeed; but down Edgetown way no one ever calls him anything but plain Ben.—Douglas Zabriskie Doty, in the New York Her ald. The Yictlmiied Itnliy Protests. When I'm older I'll he glad; Now my life is horrid sad; Folks give me at Christmas time Toys that only cost a dime. A Holiday Echo. "Why didn't you attend the Christ mas dinner, my pretty maid?" "Nobody axed me, sir," she said.— Life. ISjf SEP BBEAKFAST. Christmas oranges. Cereal flakes and cream. Sirloin steak. English buns. Doughnuts. Coffee. DINNER. (Service for ten persons). Hot clam broth and whipped cream. Ripe olives. Celery. Lobster cutlets. French peas. Pickles. Roast goos , with potato stuffing. Apple foam sauce. Boiled chestnuts and onions. Spinach mold. Lettuce, French dressing. Cheese crisps. Mince pie. Frozen plum pudding. Salted peanuts. Bonbons. Coffee. BUFFET LUNCHEON. Shrimp sandwiches. Olives ill tomato jolly. English yule dollies. Iced orange juice in glasses. Fruit and nuts. The season when "Yule fires glow and parlors are green with the mistle toe bough" seems to have come so soon again, and the feasting is also at hand. Much of the Christmas prepar ation may be made considerably in advance of the day. Each dish should be so finished aud garnished as to ap peal to the eye and accord with the day. Nothing offers a clearer idea of a hostess' good taste than the manner in which she sots her table. The Christmas wreath effect may be made very beautiful by tying a wreath to the back of each chair, laying a large one in the centre of the table and a larger one half way between it and the table edge, the latter wreath being mnile of ground pine roping. All meats and desserts on the Christmas dinner table should be ornamented,*if possible, with holly. Yule Dollies—Cream together oqe lialf cup of butter and one cup of su gar. Add gradually two well-beaten eggs, one tablespoonful of cream or rich milk, one te;,spoonful of vunllla and three cups of Hour, with which has been sifted two teaspoonfuls of baking powder; then stand for an hour in a cold place. Have ready a tin cutter in the shape of a doll about five inches long. 801 l out a portion of the dough at a time, about a half-Inch thick; cut into dolls. Brush each over with milk and dredge lightly with powdered su gar; use small currants for eyes and bake in a moderate oven. When cold decorate the skirt of each doll with ruffles of frosting. Wrap separately in sheets of waxed paper until ready to serve. That Wonderful Tree. The Christmas Tee has the unique distinction of growing with the same vigor in all climates and bearing fruit without any preparatory blossoming. Like Jonah's gourd, it springs up in a night and withers into nothingness in a day or two. No soil is too poor to prevent its growth; no soil rich enough to prolong that growth beyond its ac customed limit. Churlc* Dickon*'** Good Work. But for the great novelist, Charlea Dickens, there is little doubt, but that the keeping of Christinas, except as a purely religious feast, would have died out many years ago. Ilis efforts led to a revival of Christmas as a fes tival of general rejoicing and jollity. Too Good to Live. If the small boy were always as good as he is on Christmas Eve he would certainly die young.—Puck. Cliriatmn* Morn. Kris liringle's happiest moment. HIS ESQUIMAU BABY'S MITTEN. Romance In I.lfo or Sailor Scalp. YCh Killed Himself In Brooklyn. According to the stories of the few who knew hiin there seems to hnve been both mystery and romance in the life of Nicholas Sealp, said to have been one of the crew of the battleship Maine when she was blown np in Havana harbor, who shot and killed himself at 237 Union street, Brooklyn, last Friday. Scalp was a quiet, reserved man, saying little to any one in the house where he lived, and rarely alluded to his previous life. He was evidently a Norwegian by birth, strongly and line ly built. It is said that he had a knowledge of the Greek language. Many things about him led those who knew him to believe that he was a man of good birth and more than or dinary education, though for years he served as cook on vessels of the United States Navy. Whether Sealp, the name he went by, was assumed or not, is unknown. He was, however, a Mason of good standing—the only piece of information about himself which _ he ever gave. Once he told his land lady's niece, who was his only con fidante, that he did not wear his Ma sonic pin for fear he should meet a poorer brother in the street, who would ask his assistance and he would be unable to grant it. He is snid, however, to have had considerable ' money at times. Among Scalp's effects were discharge papers showing that he had been a member of the crews of the United States ships Essex and Bnehe. several letters, his Mnsonic badge, and a curi ous fur-topped bag, something like a mitten, containing seventeen copper j coins, souvenirs, no doubt, of voyages around the world. It is with this little bag that a strange and touching romance in the lonely sailor's life is snid to be con nected. It is of curious workmanship A and exactly like the mittens which " Esquimau babies wear. Its material is heavy, untauned skin, lined with fur, with another piece of fur on what might be the palm. Once Scalp showed it to his landlady's niece, but would tell her nothing, except that he treasured it as a memento of a former day. As a matter of fact the mil ten once belonged to an Esquimau baby who died long ago. Many years since, Nicholas Scalp, it Is said, went in the ship Bnche for a voyage to the Arctic regions on a Gov ernment expedition. While in Green land, the snilor, then a young man, fell in love with an Esquimau girl and married. The mitten containing the dead man's coins belonged to the little daughter who was born to the couple, and was treasured by the old sailor in her memory.—New York Sun. How a Hog Stopped a Ilog Fight. 11 On one of the most pleasant side streets of Cleveland live two dogs—a large, dignified hound and a saucy, small fox terrier. The two are the best of friends, and the big dog is always watching over the little one and doing his best to keep the pert fellow out of a fight. But the other day his watchfulness failed. Another terrier came and hurled defiance at the hound's comrade and when the big dog arrived upon the scene it was to behold a frantic, tumbling, snapping heap, of which his favorite was part. He seemed to consider the state of things, then gave a sigh of patient dignity and began to walk around the combntants, keeping a critical eye on I the struggle and evidently acting the part of umpire. His favorite was get ting the worst of it, but he did not in terfere. Maybe he thought the pun ishment of defeat was better than any he could bestow. He watched silently till all at once his friend gave a yelp of real pain and trouble. Then sud- J denly the big dog awoke. With a c bound he was beside the olher two. ( With one tap of his paw he sent the j victor over into the dust, grabbed hit j favorite in his mouth as a eat grabs her kitten and made off to his own back yard. During the next hour he licked, scolded and fondled the repentant ter rier. And now the two are more de voted than ever, though the little dog seems more meek aud decidedly more obedient than of yore.—Cleveland I'laiu Denier. Hn Win a Rellllst. She could not see his face as he knelt and asked her to be his. She was glad of that, for she did not wish to know how much suffering her re fusal caused him. | She told him as gently as she could that their lives could not be linked to- j gather; that, although she him, she felt that It would be risking ' Ills future as well as her own to con sent to a union where she was sure no ntliulty existed. It was a touching speech, and she threw so much heart into it that she did not observe that -y he was taking notes in shorthand, •' When she had concluded he arose and put his notebook in his pocket. Ex tending his hand, he remarked, genial ly: "I'm ever and ever so much obliged to you." "S-i-r-r-r-r!" "You did it ever so nicely, and I'm under a thousand obligation. I'm writ ing a novel, aud I have a scene lu whicli a girl refuses to marry a man. I was anxious to avoid the stereotyped style of depicting such incidents, and make it realistic. You're the seventh girl I hnve proposed to, and every one of the others accepted me. If you had said 'Yes' I think I'd have been com pletely discouraged."—Tit-Bits. Scores of sheep and hogs have been killed recently ou the borders of Vir ginia and South Carolina by animals which seem to be half dog aud half wolf.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers