MAN RULES CLOUDS. 'EMPLOCING ARTILLS.RY AGAINST THUNDER AND HAILSTORMS. As Many as 15,000 GUN Have Keen En- BUgi-d iu This New U nrlare Ainu; tlie Ko and Its Bordering Plains—T li e Battle* Take I'laeo at Nlglit. Travelers In tlio valleys of the I'o anil the Ithone during the past season have hail an opportunity to witness a new and thoroughly scientilic use of -cannon in battles fouglitwithout blood shed, yet ending with rout on one side and victory on the other. The vine growers of Northern Italy and of Southeastern France have begun to em ploy artillery against thunder and hail Storms. In many cases the women have been the cannoneers and the roar of the contest has frequently recalled that of an actual battle Held. As many as 15,000 guns have been engaged in this new warfare along the great val ley of the I'o and its bordering plains, and government assistance has been given to tlie combatants in botli France and Italy. The enthusiastic reports of tliose who have taken part In the novel defence of tlie vineyards ure tilled with stories of constant success against the enemy. These battles with storms have thus assumed great practical and scientific Interest and importance. It seems to have been demonstrated that it is per fectly feasible by shooting at the •loiuls of an advancing and gathering thunder storm to break up their array and to introduce so much confusion in their ranks as to prevent entirely the formation of hull, the fall of which during such storms often results In tlie ruin of many acres of costly vines. A single cannon on a commanding emi nence suffices to protect about 00 acres of surrounding land. But isolated guns are not efficient. They must lie ar ranged in batteries covering many sali ent points suitably chosen with refer ence to one another, and the system of pickets connected witli tlie guns needs to be as carefully organised as in the case of an army. Many times these battles take place at dead of night. Tlie sentinels seeing suspicious clouds gathering, give the alarm, and imme diately at all the stations within the threatened district the guns are manned and, at a signal, are fired in Concert at tlie elotuls. Twice a minute the volleys roar at Urst, and after that more slowly until the danger is past. Blank charges are used, and annular whirls of air, like smoke rings, dart from the muzzles of the guns to a height of a mile or more, tearing ns sunder the gathering clouds and caus ing so much commotion in tlie electri cally charged vapors that tlie condi tions which lead to the formation of hail are prevented, and only gentle and refreshing rain falls instead of the dreaded bombardment of icy projec tiles. The l>cst reply, perhaps, to those who doubt the efficiency of this system of defence against storms is that the in surance companies have reduced their rates to the vine growres in the protect ed regions .'l.l per cent, since tlie guns have been in use. What works so well in France and Italy would doubtless work equally well in tills country, and Professor E. W. Ililgard lias already suggested that tlie system should be introduced in our middle west, where great damage is caused by thunder storms. When n beginning like this Is once made nobody Is ever able to predict what tlie end will be. It has long been the dream of some meteorologists that man would eventually attain to a suffi cient command over the elements to enable him, if not absolutely to rule the elotuls, at least to interfere successful ly with their movements and forma tion. It is an old superstition among many races that magicians and wizards can make and prevent rain and direct the wind in Its course. Whether this is half-conscious memory of some past age of human mastery over atmospher ic phenomena or a prophetic tendency forecasting the direction of scientilic progress, at any rate the success of tlie vine growers' protective artillery proves that man's control over tlie powers of tlie air is not all n dream. A few years ago the failure to pro duce rain in a season of drought by tiring dynamite bombs from balloons 'discouraged efforts in the direction of the artificial production of desirable states and conditions of the weather, hut now it seems that the problem only needed to IK- attacked from a different side in order to give promise of at least a partial solution. There would he no cause for wonder If In a few years it should he found practicable, by means similar to those employed in Italy and France, not only to protect vineyards from hailstorms, hut to dis sipate the destructive power of many local tempests nnd even of tlie dreaded Western tornadoes themselves. That tlie Immense atmospheric dis turbances. hundreds nnd thousands of miles in lirienr extent, which are tech nically known as cyclones, will ever submit to human control is far too much to expect, but tlie world will be n pleasanter dwelling place after local storms have been robbed of their ter rors, and man will lie a proud rider when he can feel that the winged horses of tlie air obey his bridle rein.— Prof. Garrett P. Servian In the New York Journal. A Soerat ic Say I nor. Socrates hail some good, old-fashioned notions. As he used to saunter nround In Athens he was accustomed to say: "A horse is not known by his trap plugs. but qualities; so men are to be esteemed for virtue, not wenth." HOW A TORNADO STARTS. Tlio Observation* of an Eyewitness of a Nebraska Storui. One of tile most interesting facts con cerning tornadoes is tlie record of how one began. The account was sent to the weather bureau by one of its ob servers. The following is an abstract: "By A. H. Gale, Voluntary Observer at Bassett, Nebraska. "Dated, July 28, 1889. "Sir. A. Brown, five and one-half miles northwest of Johnston, saw the tornado form. He was at work in his barnyard and noticed it coming across his field as a light summer whirlwind, such as Is noticed on any still, hot day. Air at the time was calm. Mr. Brown says he was harnessing a horse, and as the light whirl passed him it gently lifted the straw edges of the roof of his cowshed, but had not enough strength to lift his hat, and passed on. At this point it was devoid of any color, and was mainly noticed by tlio whirl it made uuiong the grass, straw, and chaff on the ground; he watched its onward movement indiffer ently, nnd soon saw it gather a color which made it definable, lie then paid closer attention to it and noticed it becoming black angry and gyrating vigorously, chips, straws, and dirt fell into it, and were absorbed by it and a smoky veil began to envelop tlie whirl ing column as it mounted upward. "At the same time a funnel began to lower Itself from a turbulent low-hang ing cloud of an area of about 40 acres; the column and funnel soon connected, and with this union the 'thing' took on a terrifying aspect; up to this time he had no feeling of apprehension. When tlie whirl passed bim he said he was aware of its passage only by its action on the ground. No color. A black cloud above, in commotion, followed the whirl on the ground, which latter was eight or ten feet in diameter. This cloud was alone, separate, and clear from a higher strata of storm clouds above. When passing his point, and as long as within his line of view, he es timated the speed at ten miles per hour, line of path east by south. I will say here that the entire path from start to end was 18 or 19 miles, and In that distance it made a southing from a due enst course of two and three quarters miles, and ranged from one to three rods in width. Two and one-half miles from Mr. Brown's point it crossed a large cornfield, and here it received much of its coloring matter. "That the affair was at this time in comfortable order was demonstrated by the shock it gave tlie first house it struck as it left the cornfield—Mr. John Strohm's. Mr. Strohm and Ills family saw it as it arose along the slant of the cornfield to his house on its edge, and dove for the cellar. Tlie destruction at this place was complete: house of heavy logs, windmill, and tower, and stable, in all seven buildings, complete ly leveled to tlie ground, fences upset, broken down. Fence wire woven and interwoven with broken lumber, straw, debris of all sorts, plastered with mud. Every fence post standing in tlio track formed a dam around which was massed debris of everything imagin able, tlie whole daubed with mud; it was a picture of desolation and ruin— (lisniiilin tlie extreme." —Theodore Wal ters iu Ainslee's. QUAINT AND CURIOUS. Whales from 300 to 400 years old are sometimes met with. The age is ascer tained by tlie size and number of the whalebone, which increases yearly. The telegraph poles along the Savan na li and Statesboro railway, in Geor gia, are growing. They are made of cypress, and must have been planted with the roots. They are sprouted at tlie top, nnd serve a double purpose. They are shade trees, as well as a sup port for the wires. Divorces are rarely if ever heard of in China; and as for breaking the plighted troth the man binds himself by three solemn oatlis to commit hari kari If lie proves faithless, while the girl liy tlie same oatli agrees to de liver herself over to tlie care of the beadsman. But it is usual for them to pass over tlie "Wood Ding" without catastrophe. A widow in China cannot remarry without loss of reputation, niul a girl who has lost her Intended often takes vows of celibacy in his memory. Truly there were giants in Colonial days. One Daniel Leake of Salisbury, N. 11., made during Ills lifetime nnd was paid for a million shingles. Dur ing tlie years lie was accomplishing this colossal work lie cleared 390 acres of land, tapped for 20 years at least (100 maple trees, making sometimes 4000 pounds of sugar a year, lie could mow six acres a day, giving nine tons of hay; Ills strong, long arms cut a swath 12 feet wide. In his spare time be worked as a cooper and he was a famous drum maker. It is n peculiar fact that nearly all monnrclis favor some unique piece of jewelry. William II wears a small bracelet hidden by his cuff. Tlie C'zar of Russia has a repeater worth 4000 rubles, which he prizes very highly. Marie Christine changes her rings sev eral times a day, which she can easily do. as she possesses about 275 of them. The late King of Italy always wore a scapulary chain of platinum. King Leo pold of Belgium is a crank on ancient time-pieces, of which lie possesses a fine collection. One of the most valua ble specimens is a watch that belonged to Marie Antoinette. The Sultan dons a chain shirt of gold and silver, and his hands are covered with a mass o rings of all kinds and sizes. MongtroHltlea in Lumps. All st eS of monstrosities are to be found in lamps. There are all kinds of strange designs to put Into them, more, perhaps, than Into any one other article made for real use. I'ale Green Enamel, Time was when white enamel, or rose enamel, or pale blue, was desired in bedroom sets. The green wicker chairs and lounges and green enamel bedroom sets are now in request. It is a pale willow green, cool looking and very pretty. It is easier to keep such furniture in order than when it Is pure white. It Is not desirable to have any touch of gilding added. The green chiffonier is a pretty piece of furniture. Care of Unenn. Linens that have been stained by ten or coffee may be cleansed by mois tening the spots with water and hold ing them over the fumes of a small piece of burning sulphur, or a few sulphur matches. Wash immediately with water in which a little ammonia or sotln lins been dissolved. Stains that nothing else will remove are often taken out by the vapor arising from burning sulphur, but the material must be washed thoroughly at once. Using the Odds and Knds. "Never waste anything" Is the ad vice that greets the housekeeper on all skies. Suet and drippings have their use. Bits of meats and odds and ends of vegetables ore over-flowing with edible possibilities, and even stale cake may be made into some thing more appetizing than cabinet pudding, although cabinet pudding is wonderfully good when proper care and expense are bestowed In the making. The truth la that good cookery can never be extremely plain and Inexpen sive. The woman who wonders why some one else's hashes and stews and made-overs are delicious, while hers are not, will generally And that she needs to cultivate a more lavish hand when it comes to butter or milk or something In the seasoning line. To make a very good pudding from stale pieces of cake, begin by well butter ing a mould that will contain one quart. Add a few raisins and cur rants and nut meats. Now put in the small pieces of cake with some more raisins and currants until the mould is nearly full. Beat two eggs until quite light, thou add to them two cup fuls of milk, a heaping tablespoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt and po over the cake. Cover the mould and put it in boiling water to cook, being careful that the water does not reach to the top of the mould and so get in side to the pudding. Boil for one hour, When served hot with a fruit sauce, this makes a really good desert In fact stale calcc has many dishes in vented for the sole purpose of taking care of it that far surpass first-hand dishes of less richness. AwX RWms Oak Hill Potatoes—Cut four cold boiled potatoes and five hard boiled eggs in one-fourth-inch slices. Put layer of potatoes in buttered linking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with layer of eggs. Repeat, and pour over two cups thin white sauce. Cover with buttered cracker crumbs and liake until crumbs are brown. Mayonnaise Eggs—Boil five or six eggs halt an hour, cut in halves length wise, put whites aside in pairs. Rub yolks through a colander and work to a smooth paste with mayonnaise dress ing. Fill the whites and press the halves together. Fill the center of a plate with cress, stand the eggs upon it, surround with overlapping slices of the meat, and garnish with cress. Ilrown Bread—Scald one quart of milk and pour it over a mixture of one and one-lmlf pints corn meal and one pint of rye meal (not flour); add one cupful molasses, one tnblcspoon ful melted butter, one teaspoonful salt nnd the same of soda, with one egg; turn Into a buttered tin nnd steam four hours. A person once eating this brown broad will never wish for any other kind. Dutch Peucli Cnko—Rift together two cups Hour, liulf a teaspoonful of salt and two teaspoonfuls of baking pow der. Work in lightly one-fourth cup of butter; stir in one cup milk which has had one beaten egg added to It; turn into a buttered pie tin and press into the top of the dough four peeled, stoned and quartered peaches. Sift three tnbleßpoonfuls of sugar and one of cinnamon, mixed, over the top. Bake and serve with butter. Peach Pie—Line a plate with plain paste with a pastry J agger cut several half-inch-wide strips of puff paste; put three of them across the pie and then three more at right nngles with these and a strip around the edge. Put half a peach In each of these squares, hol low side up. Mix one teaspoonful of cornstarch with half a cup of sugar and one cup of cream. Pour this care fully Into the spaces between the fruit. Bake until the paste is a deli cate brown. CURIOUS FACTS. Jesse Foary, a legless and armless Inmate of the Cincinnati workhouse, wrote a letter with his teeth, askiug for a pardon. Two large wooden shoos wore sent through the mail to Frank E. Deer burg, of Holland, Micli. Twenty one cent stamps were on each shoe, ar ranged along the outer edge and over the instep so as to form an ornamen tation. Dr. Johannes Bresler in Freiburg, Silesia, is about to open a museum of a novel kind. It will be devoted to the study of psychiatry and will contain models of various lunatic asylums and samples of every appliance in use in such institutions. Emmet Boylcs, who lives near Itos endale. Mo., has found in a ravine a mine of curiosities. Among the things found are a petrified cat, a petrified white oak log, mussel shells, snails, etc.; also, some fine flint Indian arrow heads and line specimens of different kinds of ore. An Austrian inventor has just pat ented a speaking clock which lie claims will be of the greatest value to persons of forgetful and irregular hab its. It consists of a clock-phonograpli combination. In place of the regular striking attachment is a phonograph, which can be set to speak a sentence at any time desired, thus becoming an unfailing reminder to its owner of the duties of each successive hour. Henrik Ibsen employs a curious aid in his writing, which is thus described in the Cosmopolitan. "Upon his writ ing table a visitor saw a small tray containing a number of grotesque fig ures, a wooden bear, a tiny devil, two or three cats (one of them playing a fiddle) and some rabbits. Ibsen lias sakl: T never write a single lino of any of my dramas without having that tray and its occupants before me on my table. I could not write without them. But why I use them is my own secret.' " The Nurse. The care of the sick can scarcely reach its Highest ideal save where per sonal attachment supplements knowl edge and skill. Therefore, it belongs to the life of every woman. There are few households, indeed, where any girl can grow up without some oppor tunities lor this experience. Such op portunities may well be supplemented by lectures, courses of reading and well-planned demonstrations. If every woman could (as she shouldl under or dinary circumstances undertake the care of the sick in her own home, this would but accentuate the value and raise the status of the "born nyrses," who, never liappy save in the special exercise of their gift, would thou quite suffice for hospital cases and the grand occasions of major operations. The sight of the cap and veil of the hired trained uur.se when imported into a household with women members scarcely raises one's ideas of the fam ily morale!—Chambers'r Journal. Kitchen Pastime*. "Football is my game," remarked the gridiron. "Iloot! It isn't in it with the golf," answered the tea caddy. "Baseball for me," retorted the pitch er. "Prizc-figliting's mine," said the mug. "Cards for me," suggested the poker. "Pshaw! Yatelling's the only thing." remarked the gravy boat. "Target practice for me," replied tlic range. "Curling," whispered the upstairs maid's tongs. "Ladies," said the potato masher. "Hunting," hinted the poacher.— New York Commercial Advertiser. New UKPH For Wotting Paper. The manufacturers of blotting paper find their market constantly extend ing. Here are some of the new uses to which it lias been successfully put: It is employed instead of corks as stop pers for bottles, for capping the ham mers of pianos, tailors use it for stiff enings in linings, jewelers find that it serves very well for polishing. Elec tricians have discovered that, treated with certain baths, it is an excellent none-conductor. In Germany bathing suits are made out of it. In hospitals it is used in place of linen for band ages, and after each dressing of a wound the bandage is burned. Lnrgeßt Induction Motor. What is said to be the largest induc tion motor in the world is In use at the Geneva water works, an J is used in operating a centrifugal pump, run ning at 455 revolutions per minute. This motor is of 100 horse power, it works on a two-phase circuit of 5000 volts. The combination is employed to pump water to a height of 400 feet. Insect Effjg* by the Ton. It is difficult to comprehend the sig nificance of the figures given by the report of the Argentine Commission for the extirpation of locusts, accord ing to which in 18U7-S over 20,500 tons of these insects and over thirty-three tons of locust eggs were destroyed, and four-fifths of these iu a single province, that of Santa Fe. Needed. "I recommend to future genera tions," said Uncle Nathaniel, as he put away his bandana handkerchief, "that they encourage the growth of two noses—one to take cold in, the other for general use."—Harper's Bazar. The Neyr Woman's Progress. A number of ladies of Albuquerque have organized a rifle club, and nearly every afternoon may be seen practic ing at targets placed in the western part of the city.—Albuquerque (N. M. Journal-Democrat. Every mother possesses information of vital value to her young daughter. That daughter is a precious legacy, and the responsibility for her future is largely in the hands of the mother. The mysterious change that develops the thought less girl into the thoughtful woman should find the mother on the watch day and night. As she cares for the physical well-being of her daughter, so will the woman be, and her children also. When the young girl's thoughts become sluggish, when she experiences headaches, dizziness, faintness, and exhibits an abnormal disposition to sleep, pains in the back and lower limbs, eyes dim, desire for solitude, and a dislike for the society of other girls, when she is a mystery to herself and friends, then the mother should go to her aid promptly At such a time the greatest aid to nature is Lydia E. Pink ham's Vegetable Compound. It prepares the young system for the coming change, and is the surest reliance in this hour of trial. The following letters from Miss Good are practical proof of Mrs. Pinkham's efficient advice to young women. Miss Good asks Mrs. Pinkham for Help. T , _ . June 12th, 1809. DBAS MRS. PINKHAM I have been very much bothered for some time with my monthly periods being irregular. I will tell you all about it, and put myself in your care, for I have heard so much of you. Each month menstruation would become less and less, until it entirely stopped for six months, and now it has stopped again. I have become very ner vous and of a very bad color. lam a young girl and have always had to wl work very hard. I would be very much pleased if you would tell me what to do."—Miss PEARL GOOD, 2utk Avenue and Ycslar Way, Seattle, Wash. vfil 'rfSrV) "fiSiW „ February 10th, 1900. W DEAR MRS. PINKHAM : —-I cannot praise Lydia \\ r\ U E - Pinkham's Vegetable Compound enough. It is \ I 3 ust simply wonderful the change your medicine \■ 2? / has made in me. X feel like another person. My a - y! work is now a pleasure to me, while before using I your medicine it was a burden. To-day I am a )STY>, hcalth y antl h ppy ffirl. I think if more women \ would use your Vegetable Compound there would be /TMnJiII less suffering in the world. I cannot express the relief 1 have experienced by using Lydia E. Plnk- MISS PCARL GOOD nam's Vegetable Compound."—Miss PEARL GOOD, I*"" - 'I Cor. 29th Avenue and Yeslar Way, Seattle, Wash. SESES jfPSt (FSk m M GTS ffj °" in S ',"■ ffct th.tsome skeptical I 11191 1 H F BLF AL'X ENS M 1 R*°P LE nve from time to time questioned F n Li S 1)1 3 BttSa M ttMUBLkIiT the Kenuinenemof the testimonial letters fcl rl t(*l tt ftj 'J B wsth the National City Bank, of Lynn, Mass., $5,000, 0 V !SB BJ J vh j? h wi, J paid to any P ers<n who can show that the above VA-/ writer's special permission.—LYDlA IF. PINKHAM MBDICINB CO! ' Blacksmithing Without a Fire. A blacksmith's shop without a forge seems a novelty, indeed, but there are several in operation, declares the Chi cago Inter-Ocean. In these shops there is applied a patent horseshoe made of a special steel which is soft enough to permit of its being hammered and shap ed, as far as may be necessary, without heating. There are anvils here, and hamrpers arc used, so that these time honored accessories of the blacksmith's shop still remain here, but there is 110 fire, no bellows, with a grimy, swarthy, stalwart blacksmith swaying on the han dle with one hand, while he gently pokes the burning coal in the forge with the other. There is no smoke here and no flying sparks, nor is there the long fa miliar odor of the burning hoof when the hot shoe is laid up against it. These places arc horseshoeing parlors. One of these horseshoeing shops oc cupies a long room that was designed for a store in a building that stands on a corner. The shop proper, occupying the greater part of the space, opens on the side street. The office, or reception room, of the horseshoeing parlor, at the front end of the store, occupies a square of space of the width of the building, and running back about 20 feet, where an office railing is placed, dividing the reception room from the blacksmith shop. On the floor of the office, or reception room, there is a S2OO rug; there are comfortable chairs about, for visitors or for customers; there is a desk for the manager, and there are potted palms. And all this is separated from the shop itself only by that office railing across' the inner end of this reception room, beyond which one sees down the length' of the shop men busily engaged shoeing horses in this blacksmith's shop with out a fire. Forestry—lts Need In This Country. American forestry has not yet gone beyond the preservatibn of our old for ests, for general reasons. Tree culture for profit, which forestry signifies in the Old World, is here not thought of—nor will it be wdiile we have forests to burn. In the Old World forestry is a business. The artificial, hand-made forests of France, and especially Germany, supply most of the timber used in those coun tries. England depends on outside sources almost wholly for its timber. England paid about $10,000,003 for for eign timber last year. Her bill is an nually growing larger. But it is slow work to make a profit on timber plant ing. Thirty-five years is long to wait. — Median's Weekly. Canada's foreign trade has grown $46,000,000 during the past year. [ All the flowers of the Arctic region I are either white or yellow, and there are 1762 varieties. ,J> Ilowarc of Ointment* for Catarrh That Contain iTlcrcury. as mercury will surely destroy the sense of smell and completely derange the whole system when entering it th rough the mucous surfaces. Such articles should never be used except on prescriptions from reputable physicians, as the damage they will do is ton fold to the good you , can possibly derive from them. Hall's Catarrh Cure, manufactured by F. J. Cheney & Co., Toledo, 0., contains no mercury, and is taken internally, acting directly upon the blood and mucous surfaces of the system. In buying Hall's i atarrh t uro bo sure to get the genuine. It is taken internally, an I is made In Toledo, Ohio, by F. J. ( henoy o. Testimonials free. C-WSold by Druggists; price, 75c. per bottle. Uall's Family I'ills are the best. | Two British ships, each over a ccn itury old, were still sailing the seas last year. Rest K*or tho liowels. No mntter what alls you, beudache to •aucer, you will never get well until your I powels are put right. CASCAIHITS help nature, cure you without a gripe or pain, produce easy natural movements, cost you just 10 cents to start getting your health back. CASCAUKTS Candy Cathartic, the genuine, put up in metal boxes, every tub let bus (J.G.C. stamped on it. Bewure of imitations. ; It is a noteworthy fact that farm I wages run highest in Scotland, where [schooling has long been better than else where. It requires no experience to dye with PUTNAM FADELESS DYES. Simply boiling your goods in the dye is ull that is necessary. It is estimated that rural free mail de livery is increasing the value of land ill Colorado, where it is in operation, $5 , an acre. _ To Cure it Cold In One Day. Take LAXATIVE BROMO QUININE TABLETS. All dtuflrglstg refund tho money If it falls to euro, ifi". W. GROVE'S slguatur© Is on each box. sJSo. The distance from Liverpool, Eng land, to Halifax, N. S., is 2.450 miles. ! PiSo's Cure for Consumption is nn infalli ble medieiuo for coughs and colds.— N. W. SAMUEL Ocoun Orovo, N. J., Feb. 17, 1000. The prairie chicken, it is predicted will soon become extinct in Kansas. ' Th© Beat Prescription for Chill. and Fover Is a boltl© of () nova's TASTKI.ISS CXJII.L TONIC. It Is simply iron and quinine I U a taatolo.s fori*. No cure—no pay. l'rloo SOo. A watch will lick 160,144,000 times in a year ii it is kept continuously running. Druas hare their use, hut don't store them In your stomach. Penman's Pepsin Gum aids nature to perioral Its (unctions. Paris consumes more than 2,000 tons of snails annually.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers