LIFE OF THE MINE MULE
GtUEER TRAITS OF THE BURDEN
BEARER OF THE UNDERWORLD.
His Marvellous liitelligcncp and Skill in
Avoiding Danger—All lie Wants is a
Clear Track—He Has a Certain Brava
do About HI in Too.
The mine mule, the sturdy burden
bearer of the underworld, lias enough
of the abnormal about his make-up
to induce curiosity. If not admiration.
In the average person's mind. In the
sunless black, the unwearied night,
this Krebus of the lieasts reigus su
premo. Ills sinewy shoulders, just
behind the long, flapping ears, tug
down and up the tunnelled caverns
and there seems something of the mys
tic and the magician about him as he
stands immovable in the deep darkness
of a pasasgeway or cut-throflgh.The
pit mule, as his years grow, assumes
a fine indifference to trivial matters.
His life has liecn so full of half-averted
tragedies that he has neither the time
nor inclination to bother about the
, small things. Ills drooping cars would
not move an inch if the cage fell five
feet away from him.
But ho docs not leave his stubborn
ness nor his brnius behind hint. IB
can knock enough front teeth out of
a driver's head to spoil his chances
with any girl in the county deep down
in the dusk of a heading just as cosily
as he would on a country road at high
noon. His accuracy in gauging dis
tances would make an excellent me
chanic of him were he not. a mule.
He has a certain bravo about him, too,
which runs into a cunning deviltry
as he grows older. If the lights go
out he is sure to run away with a trip
down a grade, aud If it does pile up iu
' a wreck the mule is almost certain to
be the only thing which escapes un
harmed.
Many of Ihe mines in Ibe Coiinells
villc coke region of Pennsylvania are
shafts, running from 200 to 700 feet
deep. To get the mule ou the cage
is not a pleasant duty. As soon as lie
smells the warm air from the pit,
sometimes accompanied by slreakings
of steam on account of the difference
of temperature between the air from
the mine and that outside, the brute
plunges and attempts to escape. lie is
usually put upon the cage by sheer
force. Sometimes he is blindfolded be
fore being dropped to the bottom. The
trembling animal is taken from the
bottom of the shaft to the stables.
These are located at a little distance
from the shaft bottom, and in the Con
uellsville region are lighted with elec
tricity, are coo! and very much superior
to many upper world stables.
The mine mule Is obliged to keep
his head under very trying circum
stances. and he is In a short time a
much wiser animal than his brothers
above ground, whose every movement
is guided by rein and voice, There
, is no harness worthy of the name in a
mine, and never tiny rein. The mule
* is hitched to a singletree, which is at
the end of a loug chain or rope. There
arc no holding-hack straps. The mine
mule's business is to pull when he
is on an up grade, and to keep out of
the way on a down grade. Ills won
derful sagacity is shown in his accu
rate gauge of the speed of the wagons
behind him. He maintains just gait
enough to keep his rope well stretched
and never allows it to become en
tangled under his heels, nor does he
get his heels caught under the wagon.
Just a bit stolid one would think the
mule until a mine wagon gets away.
Thou ho shows his brains, tin he gal
lops. sure-footed as a chamois; over
the crossties, over the ditches and
waterways, over tin- steam pipes he
pounds, with a roar like an avalanche
behind him. A clear track is all he
asks. •
The agility of the mine mule was
well demonstrated once in the mine
of Leisenring No..'{ in tin- Ciinnellsvlllc
region. A gang of workmen were put
ting in an air line, and had their work
ing truck on one of the main headings.
Suddenly the laboring men heard a low
rumbling up the heading. All the trips
were being switched off on to another
track while the men were at work,
hut this one seemed to lie coming
nearer. It grew louder and louder.
Oue of lite men put ills ear to the track
and realized in a second that the trip
was coming down the blockaded head
ing. The men ran for their lives, leav
ing the truck on the track. As they
went they saw there was no light on
the runaway trip, showing that, it was
without a driver. (Inly a dim safety
on the edge of the heavy truck showed
.where It stood. Like thunder the run
away wagons rumbled nearer, and
with a crash struck the obstruction.
The laboring gaug came from their
places of safety expecting to see the
f- \mtle crushed to pieces. Instead their
lights flashed on hint quietly standing
—upon their side of the truck! lie had.
In one comprehensive glance, taken
in tlie situation by (lie flickering light
on the corner of lite truck, and had
jumped clear over the obstacle—to save
himself! His trip was piled behind
him in a crushed heap of debris.
A mule, which had been in the pit
but a short time, once came tip the
main heading at Mammoth slope. He
had gotten away in the mine and
started for flesh air and green pas
tures. He had <o keep ahead of the
trip being hauled up by the hoisting
engines, and keep his feet free front the
entangling ropes of the haulage way.
He also was obliged to cross from oue
track to another when the down-going
trip passed him. He galloped up all
the loug slope, anil wheu he reached
the top jumped from the mouth of the
pit just in time to escape being hit by
, the fast up-coming trip.
W- At another mine there is an old mule
which for years lias pushed the cars
Bnto the cage. As soon as tb# cage is
lowered she puts her breast against
the car and pushes it off, putting an
other on iu the same manner. She
stands by the shaft bottom just close
enough to allow the descending cage
to miss her nose a couple of inches,
yet she has never been struck.
The demands made on the mules'
strength and intelligence are so indeli
bly stamped on their minds that even
if they be brought up to the surface
for other uses they do uot forget them.
When two mules are needed to haul on
an especially steep grade in the mine
they are hitched tandem, and when
two mules that have been hitched this
way in the mine are let loose in the
pasture field they tramp about the
meadow all day. one behind the other,
in their accustomed order, nor can they
lie induced to reverse their position.
This is one of the after effects of their
rigid training. In his own sphere
the mine mule is a very ungallant an
imal. He hates a woman. It may be
that he wishes the Pennsylvania State
law'to be respected, but whatever his
reasons, he dislikes the sight of a
petticoat in his domain. A hundred
men may push him aside and pass in
some narrow alley-way, but it is not
wise or safe for a woman to attempt
to pass the same quiet animal when he
is not busy. He is not an argumen
tative animal, the mule, aurl the only
way to get along with him in the pit,
as well as on the surface, is to respect
his likes and dislikes.—New York Com
mercial Advertiser.
Peculiarity of Barbers.
"1 lmvc noticed one tliiup; that is pe
culiar to all liarbers in all sections of
the country," said a traveling man,
"and that is the fact that they never
completely dry the customer's face
after having smeared it with lather,
dashed it with perfumeries and other
sweet smelling things found in these
places. Wonder why this is? Now, the
most disagreeable thing in the world
is for a man's face to feel wet It is
worse than wet feet. It is worse than
ihe welting which one ocasionally gets
in a leaking boat while on a fishing
trip. The mistake is not made by
careless barbers. The most expert men
in the business overlook this important
thing of drying one's face well when
the razor is laid aside. It is a bad
thing for one's complexion, and is even
worse in its effect on the skin of one's
face. This tiling of putting powder
on one's face before it is dried well
is an abomination in the sight of men.
One's face feels like a wad of dough,
and one does not like to feel like a
dough-face. Bui this same condition
is met with everywhere, whether the
barber is rushed, shaving a man a
minute, or whether he goes about it
in the most leisurely way imaginable,
lie will do it slowly, patiently, deliber
ately, and occasionally 1 have won
tiered if there was not an element of
malice in it. Barbers are ordinarily
Midi polite and affable fellows, and
they do so many little things in an
effort to make one feel well and satis
lied with the work, that one is really
ashamed to say anything about one's
face not. being dry enough, and so the
average man will just griu and bear
it rather than hurt the barber's feel
ings."—New Orleans Times-Democrat.
A Scientific Treatment For OcufiieftM.
Mr. Ma rage has lately communicated
10 the Paris Academy of Sciences a
scientific treatment for deafness which
is substantially as follows:
(1) Measure accurately tile auditive
sensitiveness by causing the patient
to listen, at a constant distance, to the
sounds of a siren reproducing the fun
damental vibration of the vowel
sounds. The intensity of sound being
proportioned to the pressure of the
air the auditive acuity is—when the
pressure must be u millimetres in order
that the sound may be heard. The nor
rnal acuity, unity, is that of the ear
which hears the sound under a pres
sure of one millimetre.
(2) Make the patient listeu to the
sounds of the same siren through a
tube provided with a membrane which
transmits all vibrnlions without intro
ducing or suppressing any of the har
monics. This is a kind of massage of
the ear made by vibrations which it
is destined normally to perceive. This
treatment is never painful aud never
produces buzzings or increases the
deafness, and has frequently produced
excellent results.
The "KeyHtona State."
Pennsylvania lias been called the
"Keystone State. - ' Two explanations
have been given of this name. Accord
ing to tie first, the Declaration of In
dependence was trembling in the bal
ance, six colonies having voted for
aud six against it, the vote of Penn
sylvania was cast in favor of the decla
ration, and thus a majority was se
cured. According to the other expla
nation the name was purely an acci
dent. When the Itock Creelc bridge
was constructed, near Washington, the
stones of the great arch were inscribed
with the names of the States, aud
when it was finished tile discovery
was made that the name of Pennsyl
vania was on the keystone of the arch,
and thus was applied afterward to the
State.
Fright Turned u Black"Htilt) Cray-.
A remarkable freak of tile flood was
unearthed at the Maple Hill Colliery.
A big mule, the only one of thirteen
to escape death, lias turned gray with
fright. The animal before the deluge
was coal black, but is now a light gray.
Identification was established liy
| means of a flesh brand.—Philadelphia
Times.
California's Mineral llelt.
The mineral-bearing belt in Califor
nia extends through its entire length,
n distance of oyer 800 miles, and only
a small fraction of It has yet been ex
plored.
lAfcIFOHNIA FRUITS.
An Imlnstry Tbnt litis Been Crowing r
Many Years.
"Perhaps more fruit is imported from
the State of California to the National
Capital and other Eastern cities each
year than from all other States in the i
Union combined," said W. W. Lough- !
rey, a prominent California fruit grow
er, to a Washington Star reporter. "I
have noticed this fact particularly dur- |
jhg the Christmas holidays. Nearly i
all of the fiuest fruits displayed by
your dealers were the products of my
State. The exact state of the fruit
culture in California is best told in
the report of a Government field agent
of the Division of Statistics who re
cently visited the State and says:
•' 'Few people know that the fruit in
dustry of California was practically
begun during the establishment of
missions by the Franciscan monies. As
early as 1702 there were about 5000
trees growing on the different missions.
Apples, pears, oranges, limes, lemons,
and olives constituted the greater pro
portion of 'these trees, and as they
nearly all did well they proved the
possibility of fruit culture in Cali
fornia.
" 'ln 1830 some attention was given
to the cultivation of fruit in Sonoma
County, and several small orchards
were planted. Several years later the
planting of fruit trees began in Los
Angeles and Yolo Counties, but only
In a small way. It was at the time
of the great gold excitement, however,
in 1840, that the industry really re
ceived its first impetus. While the
majority of the immlgrautsto the State
thought of nothing hut gold, a few of
the more conservative obtained posses
sion of some of these old orchards and
found a handsome profit in selling their
fruit at exorbitant prices.
" 'Since that time the demand for
fruit from our State has steadily in
creased. The climate of the State is
particularly favorable to the Industry,
anil as a result there are many kinds
of fruit produced successfully in Cal
iforuia which cannot he raised iu most
Eastern States. This is particularly
true of the citrus and subtropical fruits
which grow in great profusion with
us and pay handsomely. Even the
high mountain valleys are adapted in
both climate and soil to the raising of
hardy Northern varieties, and between
these and the low valleys of the south
may lie found conditions of climate
admirably suited to the production of
nearly all kinds of fruit known to do
mestic commerce.' "
A Hundred Yearn Hcncn.
The twentieth century is not closing
without issues to be settled, says John
Bates Clark, iu the Atlantic. You know
what foreign relations now mean; not
a struggle to keep from lighting, but
an effort to adjust trade connections
and other vast, and involved interests.
The very intimacy in which nations
live, while it guarantees peace, makes
work for the international courts. In
individual morality we are not yet at
the portal of the millennium; for pros
perity has brought its sore temptations.
Here, indeed, our gains seem to be in
some danger, and in this direetioa the
strongest effort is ueeded in order to
save them. A certain manly quality
in our people gives assurance that
we have the personal material out
of which a millennium may grow.
Fraternity abounds where once it was
rare. We can all look with toleration
on our new billionaires, knowing, as
we do, iiow little the excess of their
fortunes really does for them. In the
retrospect it seems to me as if the
ship that carries our fortunes had once
been half disabled by storms, but had
outridden them, and were well on its
way to port. More wealth, strength
and virtue are yet to he attained, anil
in the struggle agaiifst evils we shall
gain moral stamina. There are con
tests enough still in progress to give
virility to the popular character. You
have work before you, children of the
twenty-first century; but my hope is
that the area of greatest danger lias
been passed, and that your tasks will
be lighter than ours have been, and
your strength greater.
Locking tlie Gibraltar Fortress.
The Gibraltar correspondent of the
Military Mail describes the ceremonial
of locking the fortress. Twenty min
utes before first evening gun fire, the
dram and fife band of the regiment de
tailed for this duty parade at the Con
vent and pick up the key sergeant, who
takes the keys from a safe iu the Con
vent and falls in rear of the band with
an escort of one non-commissioned offi
cer and two men, with fixed bayonets.
Then, led by the sergeant drummer,
tliey play with great ceremony through
the main street to Casemate square,
where the key sergeant proceeds to
lock all the gates leading into Spain,
while the drummers sound "retreat" on
the gnn firing. The same ceremony is
observed on his return, and he duly
locks up the ancient keys securely in
the safe on again reaching the Convent.
Once the gates arc locked they cannot
be unlocked unless by special snuetion
of his Excellency, the Governor.
Valuable Pebbles.
Between the northern point of Long
Island and Watch Hill lies a row of
little islands, two of which—Plum Isl
and and Goose Island—possess a peculiar
form of mineral wealth. It consists
in heaps of richly colored quartz peb
bles,, showing red, yellow, purple and
other hues, which are locally called
agates. They are used In making
stained glass windows, and there is
sufficient demand for them iu New
York to keep the owners of one or two
sloops employed in gathering them
from the beaches, where the waves
continually roil and polish them, bring
iug out'the beauty of their colors.
California is the home of the orange,
the olive and the lig.
BEFORE HE TOOK VOGELEH'i
He Could Not Touch His Wife's Dinners
and They Wore "Fit For a King."
Bo writes our esteemed friend, Mr.
Frank Chambers, of 9 Bennett St., Chis
wick: "For over two yearn I suffered agon
ies from indigestion, and became reduced
to a mere shadow of my stalwart self. I
would return home from my business feel
ing so faint that I could hardly drag one
leg after the other; my dear wife did all
she possibly could to tempt me with dain
ty dishes, and a9 I entered the house I
sniffed and thought: 'Oh, how good; I
know I can cat that.' But alas! no sooner
had I eaten a few mouthfuls, when I felt
sick; severe pains shot through my chest
and shoulder blades, my rye 3 swam and
everything seemed black. I became
alternately hot and cold, and got up
from such a dainty dinner heartily sick
of living, and feeling I was a sore trial to
everybody. I may mention that I was
ah- very much troubled with a scaly skin,
and often boils. But one evening I no
ticed my wife seemed more cheerful than
usual. I questioned her and fonnd she
had been reading a pamphlet she had re
ceived, of men afflicted just as I was, and
who bad been cured by Vogeler's Cora
pound. Said 6he, 'What gives me more
faith in it is that it is n\ade from the for
mula of an eminent physician now in ac
tive practice in the West End of London,
so I am sure it is no quack thing.' "All
right, dear, let's have a bottle,' said I.
After taking the contents of the first bot
tle I felt very much better, and deter
mined to give this remedy a fair trial, and
I can positively assure you that a few bot
tles have made a new man of me. I can
sleep well, eat anything and thoroughly
enjoy life. I have told several of my
friends, whom I knew were suffering the
same as myself, and they all wish me to
say that they are like new men. I sin
cerely bless the great physician who gave
you the formula of Vogeler's Curative
Compound, and also yourselves for mak
ing its virtues known to a suffering pub
lic." The proprietors (the St. Jacobs Oil,
Ltd., Baltimore.) will send a sample free
to any one writing to them and mentioning
this paper.
Explorers have approached within 238
miles of the North I'olc, but the nearest
approach to the south has been 772 miles.
Qarfleld Ileadaoho Powders are espeoially
adapted to tho nopds of nervous women.
Chin music must be the result of the
wind whistling through a man's whiskers.
Best For tlie Bowels.
No matter what alls you, headache to a
cancer, you will never get well until your
bowels are put right. CASCABETB help nature,
euro you without a gripe or pain, produce
easy natural movements, cost you just 10
ceuts to start getting your health back. CAS
OABETH Candy Cathartic, the genuine, put up
in metal boxes, every tablet has C. 0. C.
stamped on it. Beware of imitations.
The New York Chamber of Commerce
was incorporated by George 111. on March
13, 1770.
GarfleM Headache Powders! 4 Powders arc
■old for 10*. One Powder euros a headache.
The poor we have always with us, but
that is better than having them against ue.
Are Anxious to Pay Their Fines.
Among the anomalies which the
prohibition law has given rise to in
Kansas is a fervent desire on the part
of certain Jaw breakers to pay tho
penalty of their crime. At Wellington
the temperance folk started to get out
an Injunction prohibiting the city
treasurer from accepting tho fines
which are Imposed on jointkeepers
every month. And the jointkeepers
headed off this move by rushing In
and paying their fines, S3OO each, six
months in advance.
t' ■
—-—=S "j*# 1
(f THE CHILDREN ENJOY *§||
Life out of doors and out of the games which the)' plav and the enjoj'- •
. ment which they receive and the efforts which they make, comes the C"
V J /5 greater part of that healthful development which is so essential to their V
happiness when grown. When a laxative is needed the remedy which is
r f // given to them to cleanse and sweeten and strengthen the internal organs 7
//V on which it acts, should be such as physicians would sanction, because its Q
/ if component parts arc known to be wholesome and the remedy itself free from
lit every objectionable quality. The one remedy which physicians and parents, s
iff well-informed, approve and recommend and which the little ones enjoy,
iif because of its pleasant flavor, its gentle action and its beneficial effects, is—
Vfe- Syrup of Figs—and for the same reason it is the only laxative which should V'v .<" 'V/?
J"y.. be used by fathers and mothers. V,s£&' s^':
"vVv v Syrup of Figs is the only remedy which acts gently, pleasantly and
' r Y".yV naturally without griping, irritating, or nauseating and which cleanses the
system effectually, without producing that constipated habit which results .•■!■■■
from the use of tlie old-time cathartics and modern imitations, and against 7
\ v which the children should be so carefully guarded. If you would have them •-%.•>
/ ■ grow to manhood and womanhood, strong, healthy and happy, do not give , ' 4*'
them medicines, when medicines are not needed, and when nature needs ( *
.t'. assistance in the way of a laxative, give them only the simple, pleasant and ...
gentle—Syrup of Figs.
Its quality is due not only to the excellence of the combination of the -
' laxative principles of plants with pleasant aromatic syrups and juices, but
-'.y also to our original method of manufacture and as you value the health of
the little ones, do not accept any of the substitutes which unscrupulous deal- " jj
H y ** era sometimes offer to increase their profits. The genuine article may he )
\ bought anywhere of all reliable druggists at fifty cents per bottle. Please .{
\ * u to remember, the full name of the Company— ... •' '7-
.pjs CALIFORNIA FIG SYR-UP CO.-'s printed on
• . X - 'Vsi - 'V.i'^'V tlle ' ro "t 0 i every pack- ~ V V
* B- In order to get its ,s's WV. f-"Pr .'/>•} '
Wk rXS I \ \
'•• ••V--/T7y. J ; ; • :
Wants Warm Hotel Bedclcthing.
Congressman Charles F. Scott has
received a demand from a Kansas
woman for the passage of a law "to
compel keepers of hotels or sleeping
rooms to keep on each bed four quilts
and one blanket, each quilt to con
tain not less than five pounds of cot
ton batting (not coarse hair), and to
be covered with at least 14 yards of
cloth (seven yards on each side), two
and one-third yards long and at least
two yards wide; and the blanket to
weigh at least two pounds; this cov
ering to bo kept on the beds from Sep
tember 10 to May 1.
There were 3,516 immigrants refus
ed admission to the United States last |
year.
Dyeing is a? simple as washing when you
use PUTNAM FADELESS DYES. Sold by OIL
dmggists.
There are on the Swiss lakes sixty-five
steamers, of which the largest can carry
1200 passenger?.
Send to Garfield Tea Co., Brooklyn, N. Y.,
for samples Garfield Tea and Headache
Powders—two invaluable remedies.
The Chinese have twice 6ac.kcd Moscow,
once 'n 1237 and again iu 1293.
FlTSpermanently mirefl. No fits or nervous
ness after first day's use of Dr. Kline's Great
bottle and treatise free
Dr. R. H. KLINE, Ltd.. 931 Arch bt. Phlla.,Pa.
Taking everything into consideration
the suspension bridge is without a pier.
Mrs. Wlnslow'sSoottaing Syrup for children
teething, soften the gums, reduces lnflamma
tiou, allays pain, cures wind colic. 25c a bottle.
The total length of ocean cables is ICO,-
842 miles.
I do not believe Piso's Cure for Consump
tion has an equal for coughs and oolds~-.ToHN
F. BOYEB, Trinity Springs. Ind., Feb. 35,1900.
The woman who marries a crank discov
ers that life is a grind.
Garfield Tea cures constipation.
Some people are so lary that even their
livers won't work.
VMpSalzer'S/
iPfclf- Seeds m
V '"S/W£&>// BROMUS INERmiS A
ewal, froduelni fmwtoMhohe!ff *rair> and i una
>•" r." ;;;i v.
FwliScv P/-IK<a, <BW.04I .-Mid CJ.iv.-f , , :|
"""' '^' Kfnirr? (
My Lungs
" An attack of la grippe left me
with a bad cough. My friends said
I had consumption. 1 then tried
Ayer's Cherry Pectoral and it
cured me promptly."
A. K. Randies, Nokomis, 111.
You forgot to buy a bot
tle of Ayer's Cherry Pec
toral when your cold first
came on, so you let it run
along. Even now, with 8
all your hard coughing, it
will not disappoint you.
There's a record of sixty
years to fall back on.
Three sizes: 25c., 50c., SI. All druggists.
I Consult your doctor. If be says tr.ke It, i
then do as he says. If be tells you not j
i to take It. then don't take If. Ho knows, t
I Leave It with him. Wo are wining.
J. C. AYER CO., Lowell. Mass.
Hiiiiimmiiii iii imniiwiiiiiiii IIIIHI11 li' mnrmii
IWET WEATHER S/ffS
MAB& BV TM& MAKLpRi ©F
; ! U
IgSSS OILED CLOTHING
fjFWj HAV6 THE SANs POINTS
OF EXCEkkENGE AND GIVE
r ! COMPUTE SATISFACTION.