SOME FILIPINO CUSTOMS
MPRF.SSIVE CEREMONY DAILY IN
THE HOMES AFTER NIGHTFALL.
Tlielr Manner of Eating Is Not Very rieas
nnt to "Witness—Tlio Natlvo Markets
Are an Interesting Sight Luxuriant
Hair of tlio Native Women.
The most impressive ceremony of
the Filipinos is daily enacted at night
fall, says the Washington Star. I no
ticed it first in the ancient, dirty town
of Cavite. The bell tolls in the ancient
cathedral, warning the inhabitants
that the night is on. Pedestrians gen
erally halt, remove their hats and say
their prayers aloud. From every open
door the mumbling is heard. This is
kept up until the bell ceases.
The writer was a frequent visitor to
a Filipino family of the better class in
Cavite. The family consisted 'Of a
mother and her three daughters. I
was present on several occasions when
the above ceremony was in progress.
After the bell stops tolling they would
all stop praying and immediately pro
ceed to their mother, the eldest first,
and each in turn, saluting her, "Bue-'
nos noche" (good night), kissing her
hand, which each would carry to the
■forehead. They then kissed their
mother's cheeks, then turn to their
American visitors with the salute, but
omitting the kiss. The Filipinos in
general have violent tempers.
The Filipinos, like the Chinese, are
rice caters, and It forms the principal
'dish at all meals. They eat with their
.fingers, which Is not very pleasing to
iwltness. They all have knives and
■forks in the house, which they pro
duce wht.n visitors nro present. Like
the Chinese, they are also fond of
(fatty foods. I have on a number of
beensious witnessed young ladies cat
lug large pieces of fat that caused ir.e
lo have fears for my own stomach,
nnd I would be compelled to turn my
head away.
i I am of the belief that the longer
lan American studies the Filipino char
acter the more complex it becomes.
For thirteen months 1 studied them
under many conditions, nnd when I
left the Islands I was under the im
pression that I knew but very little of
it) .- Filipino and hi 3 ways when not
under observation. They do not un
derstand themselves nnd do not care
!to, apparently. In the city of Manila
imany native jargons are spoken, and
■they cannot understand each other.
(Every province lias its jargon, and
were it not for their limited knowledge
; of Spanish they would be unable to
carry on a conversation.
They resemble very much our West
ern Indian tribes, which have their
tribal language or jargon, and were it
not for the Chinook language, origin
ated and introduced by the old Hud
aon Bay Company, our noble red men
would be at a loss for conversation
when members of different tribes
meet hero In Washington.
Nine out of ten children have revolt
ing sores on their bodies, generally on
their legs, which leads one to believe
that leprosy and other blood diseases
are common among the natives. I un
derstand the authorities have set aside
an island for lepers, similar to the one
In the Hawaiian group. The main
trouble will be in apprehending the
lepers, as there must be several thous
and in the vicinity of Manila. Under
Spanish rule there was a large leper
hospital in Manila, where probably a
thousand of these unfortunates were
confined. The day the Americans cap
tured the city the officials of this asy
lum became demoralized and aban
doned the institution. By the time
the matter was brought to the notice
of the American authorities the place
was deserted, the lepers having scat
tered all over the city. Many of them
were found begging in the streets. A
large number of them were never cap
tured.
r The most interesting rights of Ma
nila I found to be the native markets.
I would vise about 5 In the morning,
and after a cold shower bath would
start for a brisk walk through the na
tive section of Binondo, which includes
the largest market In the city. Dur
ing my sojourn in the city I took prob
ably a hundred of these rambles alone
crd never met an American, with the
•exception of a soldier, occasionally, on
•guard.
This market was destroyed by the
groat fives started by the Insurgents
In February, 1803. Just as soon as
the heat permitted the dealers opened
up for business amcng the ruins, mak
ing a startling picture. The products
of the markets arc not tempting to
Americans, who do not patronize them
except for fruits, eggs, chickens and
cne or two vegetables common to
) SAmerlea. They have their Csh alivo
d in tubs, but I would not advise any
" tody to buy them, ns their Co3h has a
sickening taste. This Is duo to the
water being always warm.
In these markets the Chinamen con
duct dry goods stalls. I wondered
why there was always a half dozen
Chinese to each of these, and upon In
quiry they told me tlicy were com
pelled to hand together to prevent rob
bery by the natives.
An Incident came to my notice one
morning at the market which assured
mo that the Chinese precautions were
necessary. Several young toughs had
taken some mangoes out of a China
man's basket and had refused cither
to pay his price or return them. I
could not understand their language,
but I cou'.d tell from their excited
pitch that a row was Imminent. The
Filipinos started to leave with their
booty, when the Chinaman blew a
shrill blast from a whistle. It did not
seem a second before a dozen Cliiiia-
J men rushed out from a side street, all
® hare headed. The leader was one of
the largest Chinamen I have ever seen.
Receiving a hasty explanation from
dealer, they made a rush for the
* Filipinos, who produced their ill-got
ten fruit with alacrity. After several
minutes of excited jabbering, during
which no blow was struck, the Filipi
nos were allowed to go and the Chi
nese disappeared from sight again.
The Filipinos try to be very clean
in their person and clothing. I believe
that they all take at least one bath a
week, although I could not see how
they derived much benefit, ns they
used only cold water and seldom any
soap. The dirty Tasig River is lined
every morning with bathers of both
sexes. The laundry women are also
out In force, and it is a sight to see
them beat the clothes into cleanliness.
They use a flat club as remorselessly
on a fine shirt as they would on a pair
of overalls. All clothes look alike to
them. For nearly a year wo were at
the mercy of these clothes finishers,
but now the city has several steam
laundries which do first-class work.
The Filipino women are noted for
their luxuriant hair. I would not call
It beautiful, being too conrse. They
soak a certain bark in a small bowl
and sal urate their hair with the solu
tion. They told me they owed their
beautiful tresses to this preparation.
If this bark docs "contain such won
derful properties I would like to see
the American ladles of Manila inves
tigate the matter for the benefit of
their sisters at home.
The writer was on the beach near
Manila when Admiral Dewey was
tl elling Fort Malatc, previous to the
assault by the troops. I was aston
ished at the lack of interest taken by
the natives. We were wild with ex
citement, but the natives looked on
unconcerned. There were several
thousands of them living in the vicin
ity, but very few were Interested
enough to walk a few yards to the
beach. Many of tliem had their backs
turned from the river.
I regard the Filipinos a very moral
people when It is considered what a
hard road they have had to travel. A
faithless wife Is seldom heard of, and
I was told cueh faithlessness was pun
ishable by death. They have some
sort of secret society which acts cn
such cases.
Marriages with Americans is not
countenanced by the Filipinos, and the
few who have taken the step have
been ostracised by their people. The
tir.it American soldier to take unto
himself a native wife was a hospital
corps man, stationed at Cavite. lie
or she made an unwise selection, as
the alliance proved to bo a total fail
ure and they soon separated.
Sty lbs do not worry the native belles,
as their costumes have the same cut
to-day that was in vogue 100 years
ago. I rather like their style of dress,
which I do not believe will last many
years under American rule, as Manila
now contains several hundred well
dressed ladies from America, and the
natives will become dissatisfied with
their flowing garments and copy after
their white sisters.
The Spanish ladies of Manila always
appeared to me to he over-dressed
and very awkward In their carriage
when walking, which they rarely in
dulged in, however. Their favorite
pastime is carriage riding or the Lu
neta after sundown. They always go
bareheaded or with a lace mantilla
over their raven locks. They greet the
occupants of the passing carriages
with a proud and haughty stare.
The native women are the most
graceful walkers that I have ever
seen. They carry their heads as proud
n3 any queen. This grace is inherited
and practiced from babyhood. It is
an interesting sight to see n mother
going to church accompanied by sever
al little girls, all dressed alike, and
walking in the same step and with the
same graceful carriage. They wear
no tight shoes and many none at all.
This peculiar gait has been largely
acquired by carrying weights on their
heads, at which they are exceptionally
adept. They can carry immense loads
upon their heads. It is a very com
mon sight of Manila to see a native
milk weman rushing down the street
with a beer bottlo full of milk bal
anced on her head.
Tito Mnrquls do Mores.
Tie Ilnrqulo do Mores was a strange
man, who came iatj the West as a
fantastic shadow out of another world,
and tried to fashion the big, raw coun
try after the pattern of things he
knew. It was his ambition to found
a great American house in the Bad
Lands. He was slain, as he slew his
man in the Bad Lands from ambush,
while loading a French military expe
dition in Tunis something more than
four years ago. His widow now ad
vances the claim that he was the vic
tim of a conspiracy on the part of
certain French Government officials.
He is still remembered In the Bad
Lands, where his green mansion
stands lonely and weather-stained on
the bleak, slant side of a treeless
butte, and his abattoir, wind-haunted
and falling to decay, marks the low
bank of the Little Missouri. The
acres of unproliflc soil over which he
held a lordly sway still hear his name,
and cattlemen smile grimly and point
out hero and there fragments of the
wire fences he built, Everyoody's
Magazine.
A Iforeigner's Ignorance.
The American tourist Is often
amused at some of the mistakes made
by foreigners in pointing out and de
scribing landmarks In the lower hay.
On one transatlantic liner a big Ger
man. who had exhibited during the
voyage knowledge of many subjects,
pointed to the big white lighthouse on
Saiuly Hook ami said to an interesting
group of friends: "That is the famous
tomb of General Grant, close to the
sea he loved so well. The site was se
lected with the battling sen 011 one
side and the peaceful hay 011 the
other because It was so typical of the
two sides of his great life. I tell you
the Americans are sentimental New
York Mail and Express.
| CHIMNEY TO ABATE NUISANCE. 1 .
' Difficulties In Construction Ovcrcomo la
Bnyonnc. N. J.
Indirectly, the smoke nuisance from
the Jersey shore, has caused to be
erected, in Bayonne, N. J., "what Is
said to be the tallest chimney In the
tvorid. Its construction is a result of
Congressional Inquiry Into ways and
means of relieving Staten Islaud of
what has long been a blot on its nat
ural beauty, and if this specially built
chimney proves a successful solution
of the smoke problem it Is possible
that more of its kind will be erected
along the Kill von Kull.
This chimney rises over the smelters
of the Orford Copper Works. It Is
built of brick, and is 305 feet high,
thirty-eight feet in diameter at the bot
tom, tapering to ten feet at the top.
The wall at the ground is eight feet
thick. To support this Immense
weight was a problem, as the soil of
the site was found to be made ground
of little more than oyster-shell stabil
ity. The foundation was finally se
cured by the use of driven piling, each
pile supporting from ten to twelve
tons, in addition to the wind pressure,
which, blowing at the rate of 100
miles an hour, means a horizontal
weight of 100 pounds against every
square foot of exposed surface.
The gases in the smoke, to be car
ried off from the smelters, was an
other difficulty to be overcome, since
these gases, coming Into contact with
the hydrogen of the air, form sulphuric
acid, and sulphuric acid will attack
iron or any brick containing iron in
Its composition. The brick used,
therefore, had to be manufactured out
cf absolutely pure clay, and to add
strength to the chimney's construction
the bricks were baked in the form of
perforated, four-inch cubes.
"These perforations," explained a
representative of the Custodis Alphons
Chimney Company, "allow the brick
layers, when building the chimney, to
force the mortar Into each brick one
half an inch from its upper and lower
side, Increasing the space of adhesion
one-third over the ordinary smooth,
fiat brick. The perforation also leaves
an air space inside of the brick, be
tween the two surfaces of mortar, and
air, being a good non-conductor of
either heat or cold, helps to maintain
an even temperature which is neces
sary to carry off heavy gases."
The construction of the lengthy pile
of brick took less than six months,
while the actual building time was
about eighteen weeks. The use of out
side scaffolding was eliminated, prin
cipally because of the cost of so much
timber. By means of an elevator shaft
inside the chimney, which was built
as the wall went up, working space
and a hoisting contrivance were com
bined In one. The work is now
finished, and a large American flag is
flying from the top, which can bo
plainly seen for miles from the upper
bay and the level stretches of New
Jersey.
The big chimney will be hitched by
means of flues to all the smelters about
Its base. Its cost was in the neigh
borhood of ss2,ooo.—New York Post.
Bound to Find Fault*
A Court street car picked up alamo
man at Harrison street the other day,
and in less than a minute it became
evident that the new passenger intend
ed to make a kick about something or
other. He was just turning around to
face the conductor when that individ
ual moved up three seats ahead and
said:
"Sir, I do not own any stock 1° this
road."
"No?" was the reply.
"And I am not the manager."
"No?"
"Nor a division superintendent nor
too official starter. lam not to blame
for open cars, closed cars, fast time or
slow time."
"Who said you were?" growled the
passenger.
"I simply conduct this one car to the
best of my poor ability, and I can't
even jaw the motorman."
"Well, what are you telling me all
this for?"
"Why, sir, I rather expected you'd
raise a kick of some sort, and I didn't
want to be blamed for what was not
my fault."
"Oh, I see. No, I didn't intend to
find one word of fault with anything
or anybody, but being you've called
my attention to it let me say that I
believe you'd look a durn sight better
with your ears lopped off and your
nose turned up at the cud."—Brooklyn
Citizen.
riKcon Flying and Cycling Scorching.
A peculiar side light was thrown
upon the methods adopted in homing
circles at the Northwich Potty Ses
sions recently. Three men were sum
moned for furiously riding bicycles at
Comberbach, and it transpired that
they were scorching along the road
to the postoflice with the object of
"wiring" the arrival of their birds.
The men, who pleaded that the hom
ing societies only allowed them three
miuutes per mile riding time, which
was equivalent to twenty miles an
hour, promised to abandon the prac
tice and revert to foot running, and
were lined live shillings each.—London
Globe.
Death Followed Quickly.
Foxall is a reckless young man. He
stopped a friend in the Street, and, in
a rash moment, said:
"Look here, Wiseman! There was
an argument among us yesterday as
to the way the word 'restaurant' should
be pronounced. Some of the fellows
held that Test-a-rong' was correct,
while others were ready to bet their
fortunes that Tcst-a-rout' was the
proper pronunciation. Which do you
say Is right?"
"H'ml Well—or those who pro
nounce it 'rest-a-rong' are right, and
—er—the rest are wrong," said Wlso
' man, whose inquest is llxcd for to
day.—Loudon Answers.
IGffiEAT VALUE OF TItEES
L FACTOR IN LIFE BEYOND THE
COMMERCIAL ONE.
I Tree* Accomplish f Vast Amount of
Work In n Day—Their StrujcKlo For
Self-Prescrvatlon nnd the Perpetua
tion of Their Species.
" Most people have formed the habit
of talking about shade trees, fruit
trees and lumber as If shade, fruit and
building materials were all for which
the trees were good. Of course the
artistic eye looks at them for beauty,
the entomologist as harbors for In
sects and the botanist for herbarium
specimens, but the true lover of the
tree thinks of it in Its wide value to
all living things in the universe.
Though trees lack the power of voli
tion and have no nervous system In
the ordinary sense of the word, they
nre highly organized forms of life.
They accomplish a vast amount of ac
tual work in a day and earn their liv
ing as surely as you and I do. Their
work Is the world's work of the unsel
fish kind. They struggle for self-pres
ervation and the perpetuation of their
species; they return to the soil nnd to
the atmosphere materials loaned them
for food; they are altruistic in provid
ing an abundance of fruit for the use
of others, they furnish grateful shade
to man and beast, nre the refuge of
birds nnd Insects and add to the
beauty of nature.
Think of the linden tree on the hill
side! In autumn it sets sail Its winged
nuts upon the breeze. Blown down the
hillside, n few nre hurled under the
dry leaves and the soft coverlet of
winter's snows. In March the sun
shine seeks them out. Moisture Ims
softened the tough shell of the nut.
The tiny embryo within throbs at the
touch of warmth, turns, lifts a hand,
nnd, creeping through a break In the
shell, buries itself in the grouud. It is
tlie Instinctive baby hand grasping a
protecting mother, and the kindly step
mother of the infunt tree Is Mother
Earth. Tills first tiny hand Is the
hold-fast root. Next comes one waved
aloft to greet the sunshine. This ten
der growth throws aside the out
grown nut shell and develops cell by
cell into trunk, branch, twig nnd leaf
of the linden tree. Sunshine, warmth
nnd moisture help it along, hut the am
bitious little tree knows bow to look
out for Itself as well.
Utilitarians consider the trunk the
important part of n tree. The trunk
Is a wise makeshift of nature which
towers aloft and tries to lift the vital
organs of the tree—the leaves—out of
harm's way and Into purer air and
brighter sunshine. Beneath the ground
the strong roots and rootlets liavo
hundreds of eager, thirsty mouths
which take nourishment from the
earth. Water and mineral matter are
carried upward by the process of ca
pillary attraction to the leaves In the
crown and the branches for digestion
and assimilation. A leafless tree
stands little chance of living. Trees
denuded of their leaves by caterpillars
and other mischievous things are de
prived of their stomachs and lungs at
once.
Every leaf on a tree Is unceasingly
industrious day and night. Examine
the linden leaf—or, in fact, any leaf
will do, the truth applies to all—and
notice how Its surface Is spread to
catch the sunshine. The under side
of the leaf has a different appearance.
The tissue is tenderer and a network
of breathing pores. A section placed
under the objective of the microscope
reveals tiny cells filled with a greenish
liquid called chlorophyll, which plays
an Important part In the domestic
economy of the tree. When undigested
food from the ground has been carried
to the leaves the chlorophyll seizes it,
and under the influence of sunlight
changes its nourishment. The chlo
rophyll also breaks up the carbon
dioxide with which It comes into con
tact. and, liberating the oxygen, sends
It out Into the atmosphere.
Digested food materials are carried
from the leaves to all parts of the tree
nnd aid In its growth. Leaves, as the
lungs, arc necessary in the process of
breathing. Like animals, the tree
needs oxygen and breathes much after
the manner of a human being. Not
only is the life-giving air taken Into
the lungs, or leaves, hut It Is inhaled
through tiny openings In tlio bark,
just as man and animals transpire
through the skin. These tiny breath
ing holes are called lentleels and may
be seen plainly on the bark of eheriy
nnd many other kinds of trees. As
the tree drinks water it sweats and
exhales water vapor along with oxy
gen east off from the carbon dioxide.
Tons and tons of moisture Is evap
orated from wooded areas. This Is
another beneficial act. Water vapor
in the atmosphere is essential to agri
culture. Trees transpire through
cracks and fissures in the bark, whero
the lenticels are hidden from sight.
Tills is especially true lu old trees.
From time to time scientists have com
puted the leaf area of trees and tho
results have been astonishing. An
ordinary linden leaf has a surface of
ten square Inches. Multiply this by
tho number of leaves on a branch aud
calculate the leafage area of the tree.
This entire surface is liberating oxy
gen nnd water vapor day and night.
In the arid sections of the West the
people nre beginning to see that fores
try and Irrigation arc the factors
which will count for their prosperity.
About 1,000,000 square miles, or more
than oue-thlrd of the United States, is
forest land. The destruction of for
ests has been so extravagant that the
Government has taken the matter in
hand and decided on thirty-eight res
ervations, where the forests will he
under intelligent supervision. There
l.as been some misunderstanding in
regard to these reserves. Although
the intent'on is to preserve tho forest
tuid eacowh-jm lie growth of young
trees, at the same time the land avail
able for settlement will be increased.
As forests conserve the rainfall and in
fluence the humidity of the atmos
phere, newly planted forests will
wedge in between farms on Ibc reser
vations and farms penetrate the clear
ings in old forests. Shccplierders nnd
settlers must bo taught intelligent for
estry and tree wisdom spread broad
cast over the land before the tree re
ceives the reverential respect due to It.
—L. M. McC., in Chicago Post.
California Crowding; Castile,
Among other Incidents of "the
American invasion" of European mar
kets the carrying of California fruits
to London and Paris in successful
competition with what would seem
to be the naturally superior facilities
of Spanish fruit-growers is not tho
least astonishing.
Paris Is not quite 500 miles distant
from Valencia, tho great fruit-ship
ping port of Alphonso's fruity king
dom. Yet, says a Valencia paper,
"California oranges, peaches, apples
and pears reach Paris, after travers
ing 0000 miles, In a more attractive
and appetizing condition than ours."
It goes on to say:
"We can compete with America only
by employing her methods—lmproved
cultivation, harvesting nnd packing,
cold storage and rapid, safe transpor
tation. Castile was once called the
granary of Europe, yet we have lived
to see foreign wheat, after paying
heavy transportation taxes, protective
duties nnd an adverse premium of
thirty-five per cent. In exchange, com
peting with our home-grown cereals.
Shall we live to see American oranges
competing with ours on the Valencia
market Itself?"
And so It goes all along tho line.
American ingenuity and "hustle" are
compelling the steelmakers of Britain
and the fruit-growers of Spain alike
to admit that they must Imitate us to
save their trade.—New York World.
Strange Reunion of Brotlieis.
A remarkable reunion has been ef
fected between two brothers in Henry
County, Indiana, after a separation of
nearly half a century, during which
time each thought the other dead.
Barton aud Jabez Guyer lived with
their parents In North Carolina. In
1852 Barton left home to make his
way In tho world. 110 went to Texas,
i thence to Mexico, finally returning to
Texas, where he located. Ho wrote
his brother repeatedly, but received
no reply to his letters and gave him
up for dead.
Jabez never received any information
from Barton. He lost all trace of
him, and likewise mourned him as
dead. Barton enlisted in the Confed
erate army, and served until peace
was declared. Jabez later on moved
with his family to Henry County, Ind.
Recently a relative of tho family
learned, through a conversation with
a traveling salesman, of a man named
Barton- Guyer in Harrisburg, Texas.
A correspondence developed tlie fact
that he was the long-lost brother.
Barton came on to meet his brother.—
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
Death to the Fly.
'Tls sad but truo tliat picturesque
means of discouraging flies, such as
window boxes of curtain flowers,
fancy wire screens, etc., nre not as ef
fectual as one could wish on a hot
summer day. Mignonnetto is sup
posed to be disliked by the pests, but
It does not keep them out of rooms
where It is placed, and wire screens
are usually more trouble than the
flics themselves and "strain" the air
to vanishing point. Some people ad
vise encalyptus plants in all the rooms,
others washing the windows, etc., with
a strong solution of sassafras or quas
sia; while all picture frames, etc.,
which flics haunt, should he well
washed in onion water, but, though
at times palliatives, these are not per
fect cures. An old-fashioned but ef
fective destroyer is said to he a tea
spoonful each of cream and brown
sugar well blended with half a tea
spconful of freshly-ground black pep
per and left about the room on plates.
—New York Commercial Advertiser.
Pacific Turns lied and Frcsli.
Following tho earthquake shocks
that visited the I'acillc coast the other
day, a peculiar phenomenon has de
veloped in the waters cf the Pacific.
Within a distance of sixty-live miles
along the Los Angeles County shore
line the salty waters, heretofore clear
tiad of tho usual greenish color, have
become a terra-eotta red.
This cclor Hue extends off shore for
several miles and is so distasteful to
the fish family that they have gone
far into the ocean to seek clear waters.
At night this colored sea water gives
off a phosphorescent light, and as the
long lines of waves roll, toss and
strike the beaches they cast a reflec
tion that enables one to read average
print.
At certain points along the beach
tho water has turned sweet. The
theory is advanced that the earth
quake opened a llssuo off the coast
that l'orce3 fresh water aud colored
matter to the surface.—New York iiun.
What Is a Newspaper?
It Is a library. It is an encyclope
dia, a poem, a history, a dictionary,
a time table, a romance, a guide, a
political resume, a ground-plan cf tho
civilized world, a low-price multum in
parvo, says the Newman (Ga.) Adver
tiser.
It is a sermon, a song, a circus, an
obituary, a shipwreck, n symphony
in cold lead; a medley of life and
death, and a grand aggregation of
man's glory and his shame.
It is, in short, a bird's-eye view cf
all the magnanimity and meanness,
the joys and sorrows, births aud
deaths, the pride and poverty, of the
world.
SPIES IN PRISON.
Falnable Information From n Felon'*
Confidence.
i It might bo thought that when the
police have arrested a criminal and
obtained for him a suitable term of
imprisonment their interest in him
lapses for at least so long as he is
j safely incarcerated. But such is not
I always the ease. Sometimes the po
i lice arrest and get convicted a man
j tvho might be able to give them most
' valuable information concerning other
crimes and criminals; and there is no
I time at which a l'olon is more frank
| than when in prison, and no person to
I whom he so readily confides his deeds
I in the past and plans for the future
j as a fellow-felon.
| In France every advantage is taken
!of this, and detectives are sent to
j prison—becoming for the time com-
I tnon jailbirds—for the express pur
j pose of meeting criminals and obtain
j lug their confidence. It is also done,
! less frequently, in this country, and
j from time to time the police secure
I in this way most valuable information
| which could not be obtained by any
J other means.
I Scotland Yard, London, has a staff
j of detectives who form one of the
I most mysterious bodies of officials in
' the world, so mysterious that not one
j person in a thousand knows more
I about them than that they exist. They
! are employed in eases where absolute
j secrecy is required. They never make
irrests, they never give evidence in
| any court—in short, they never do
I anything which would imply that they
j have the remotest connection with the
j police. Yet they execute most im
portant duties. So close is the secret
kept that none of the ordinary staff
know by Eight or name any of this
mysterious body of detectives. They
are totally unknown to each other;
, indeed, the probability is that the
, only person who is acquainted with
j them and could say how many there
i are is the head of the Criminal In
vestigation Department.
I It ia these men who, among hun
dreds of other difficult and danger
ous duties, have from time to time be
come Jailbirds and worm themselves
into the confidence of criminals whom
the police believe could render very
valuable information. For a famous
thief-catcher to attempt to disguise
himself in prison-dress and insinuate
his way into the trust of thieves
would, it is manifest, be the sheerest
I ttupidity; prison dress is about as bad
j a disguise as anyone could possibly
assume, and clever rogues make it one
j of their first tasks to learn the pev
! sonality of every Scotland Yard de
| tective.
I But the jailbird who at labor yearns
to say something to someone else -ban
| the members of the prison staff, and
I blabs out that he wants a pal for a
job he means to work when he gets
I out or some other equally interesting
I item of information, may, for all lm
knows or suspects, be whispering in
the ear of a Government spy who Is
I living like a felon simply on the
chance of eliciting the information
theu being freely accorded him.
Detectives often have put before
them clues and other matters the
source of which they cannot conceive,
and not a little of it is supplied to
j their chief by innocent men who wear
j prison-dress and cat prison fare be
'< cause it is a part of their duty.
Ignorance of the Newly Ilicli.
Wo still need a training school to
teach the very rich how to use the
I trappings of their wealth. In front of
! a famous store in Fifth avenue there
1 stood recently a luxurious carriage
j with a coachman aud a footman on
the box. Both servants, but particu
| larly the footman, were models. Th -■
j < wner of the turnout came out of tlio
| shop, walked to the carriage, and
opened the door for herself. The foot
man never moved. She gave an order
to the coachman; still the footman sat
like one of the Pharaohs, except that
he kept his arms crossed, which they
did not do even when laid out to be
mummies. Finally the woman stepped
into the carriage, shutting the door
for herself, and the equipage whirled
away without any sign of life having
been given by the man beside tho
coachman. The explanation was that
the owner of the carriage, who had re
cently attained to riches and also New
York, heard that it was the proper
thing to have two men on the box; so
she had them, and kept them there!
She probably classed the second man
v-th the erest on the carriage door, as
an ornament of a certain significance,
but no practical use.—New York Post
Extension of Chautauqua Work.
The Chautauqua movement is stead
ily extending its Influence and scope
of work. One of the most remarkable
of the reading circles is located in the
prison of Stillwater, Minn., where, for
the past ten years, it has exerted a no
table influence among the convicts in
the regeneration of life and character.
Active circles have also been carrying
on the work for years in the Argen
tine Kepublic, Chile and the Hawaiian
Islands. Jamaica in the West Indies.
Yokohama, Japan and India report
large new circles. Chautauqua read
ers are also pursuing the courses in
Mexico, Venezuela, Portugal. England,
France, Germany, Finland, Alaska,
Porto Itico, Cuba aud the Philippines
and other foreign islands aud coun
tries. Last summer over 120 Chau
tauqua assembles were held in thirty
four different States and Territories,
the attendance at which aggregated a
million of people.—Gunton's Magazine.
A Snake Chaso With Fox Hounds.
Willis Adams's fox hounds chased
a black snake-on Skaggs Creek, over
n mile nnd captured it. The hunters
were disgusted when they came i.p
With the hounds to find a dead snake
Instead of a tux,—Mt. Vernon (liy.)
Signal.