I Phenomenal Progress* w £ £ J —| t- HE progress of the good J I } roads movement in this ' country during the last ~g~ ten years," said Secretary Crandall at the headquarters of the American Road Makers, New York City, "has been phenomenal; in fact, more momey has been raised and ex pended in that period than in the pre vious 100 years. New Jersey, Connect icut, Massachusetts and New York have been pioneer States in carrying ion this work. The sentiment favoring highway improvement has been infec tious until nearly every State in the (Union is now vying with its neighbor In an effort to better its highways. Millions of dollars are now being spent .where hundreds of thousands were ex pended ten years ago. New York State, as in most other things, seeks to lead in this, and started a movement *w last year to expend $1,000,000 a year f upon her public highways for ten con secutive years, half of which was to be paid by the State, thirty-five per cent, by the county, and fifteen per cent, by (the township within which improve ments were made. All of the proposed Improvements were to be of a volun tary nature; that is, no county or town- Bhip would be obliged to improve any of its roads except from choice. The million dollar a year scheme failed, but (SBOO,OOO was appropriated by the State and expended during the last year." According to State Engineer Bond, who Is the First Vice-President of the American Road Makers, this plan for Improving the highways of New York State has been far more successful than Its promoters dreamed of. Mr. Bond (states that during the last year, "There (have been 193 miles of road completed, Y comprising seventy-two roads in twen- !ty different counties. There are sixty / two miles of road, comprising forty eight roads, in eighteen different coun ties, in process of construction, thus making a grand total of 333 miles of highways completed, or partially so. In addition to this, 33S miles of road, Comprising ninety-nine roads in twen ty-two different counties, have been surveyed and mapped, for which the Board of Supervisors of each county has appropriated its half of the cost, estimated at $1,391,913. These county officials are now waiting for an equal appropriation from the State before proceeding with the construction. ■ "Hp to the present time 400 miles of road have been surveyed, a portion of which is mapped and in the hands of the Supervisors, and 848 miles of road have been petitioned for. which have not yet been surveyed or mapped. A . grand total of 2007 miles of road, in of the sixly-one counties of the State, have been petitioned for Blnce the operation of the Higbie-Arm- Btrong law. The various counties have petitioned for 1752 miles of road thus (far, for which the State has made no appropriation, and which, at S4OOO per mile, would require as the State's share, about $7,000,000." Extends Educational Idea, 1 The idea of the National Government taking an active part in the construc tion of the highways, so popular three quarters of a century ago, has for sev eral decades been considered obsolete. But the Interest manifested in the Brownlow bill, which provides for na tional aid to road building, shows that this idea is very much alive, i It is now ten years since the popular demand that Uncle Sam do something to help out of the muddle to the estab -4 lishment of an Office of Public Road *1) Inquiries in the Department of Agri culture. The work planned was to col lect and disseminate practical informa tion concerning the roads of the coun try and means and methods for their Improvement. The preparation of bul letins and circulars on road building occupied several years, and it was well done. Uncle Sam's "good roads" office Is a veritable "information bureau" on the subject. The educational idea was carried fur* ther, and during the past three years the object lesson feature has assumed greater importance. The idea as car ried out is very simple, d When the people of some progressive dofllmunity, or the authoUties of some educational institution want a piece of road built to illustrate the benefits of good roads and the methods of building them, application is made to the De partment of Agriculture, and, when , ever possible, a Government expert Is <sent to supervise the work. . Recently a number of prominent and progressive railroad men have come to the conelusion that the improvement of the roads in the territory tributary to their lines would materially increase their business. So popular has this Idea become that the officials of some of the lending railways have come for ward with offers to co-operate with the Government in the object-lesson work. Another voluntary factor in this co operative work is the manufacturer of road-building devices who desires to bring his machinery to the attention of the public. In this co-pperntlve work the Govern ment furnishes the experts, the manu facturers the machinery and the rail roads the transportation. This idea has proven extremely popular. Object-lea ' son roads have been built under Gov ernment supervision in twenty States, and so great has been the demand for national aid of this kind that a large number of applications have to be re fused every year because the funds ap propriated by Congress are insufficient to employ and pay the expense of enough experts to do the work. - Already Congress has twice made an increase in the appropriations for this work, but the $20,000 now appropriated annually has proven wholly inadequate to meet the demands for this education al work. What Mud Costa. "Mud" is a present, living, national issue, affecting the happiness of all classes and ages everywhere. Its ex termination would be one far reaching, perpetual victory for peace and pros perity. Mud costs the nation more an nually than all other drains upon its resources combined. It breeds isola tion and ignorance, poverty and pollu tion. MALADIES OF THE RULERS. Nearly Every Monarch Suffers From Some Duneerous Sickness. Mental and physical diseases have in a peculiar measure ravaged royalty, the percentage of afflicted crowned heads being much greater than that ot any other group of individuals. Ex cluding illness of the nature of King Edward's and restricting ourselves to chronic and incurable diseases, it is found that almost every crowned ruler is a sufferer from some dangerous malady. The Czar of Russia has been afflicted with melancholia since Ills earliest days, and his malady has increased in intensity and in the frequency of its manifestations since his accession to the throne of the Romanoffs. Not all the skill of the renowned mental spe cialists of Germany, Britain and France has succeeded in removing the ever present blighting malady of the emperor of all the Russians. It will not be forgotten, moreover, that the present ruler of the Muscovite Em pire owes his accession to the mental incapacity of his brother, the natural heir. Germany's strenuous kaiser leads an embittered life because of Ills para lyzed arm and an incurable disease of the ear, which -will ultimately reach his brain. It will be remembered that the emperor's father, Frederick, suc cumbed to cancer. Alfonso of Spain is admitted to be stricken with scrofula, and It is con fidently asserted that the youthful monarch lias frequently exhibited signs of insanity. The Sultan has only very infre quent spells of freedom from melan cholia. and harrowing pen pictures have been drawn of the abject condi tion to which the "kingly malady" re duces Turkey's despotic monarch. The late King Milan of Servia was the subject of oft recurring fits of mad ness, and the King of Wurtemberg does not enjoy entire sanity. Bavaria's last ruler terminated a wretched ex istence a frenzied suicide, and that country's present monarch suffers from softening of the brain. Hapsliurgs, Romanoffs, Bourbons and Guelplis have been scourged by the dread disease, which have to a peculiar and striking degree, marked out royalty for their own, and the poisoned blood which has flowed from their veins lias cursed a dozen dynas ties. WORDS OF WISDOM. Originality is simply a pair of fresh eyes.—T. W. Higginson. Avoid popularity; it has many snares and no real benefit.—Penn. The greatest and sublimest power is often simple patience.—Bushnell. A life of pleasure even makes the strongest mind frivolous at last.— Bulwer. Follteness is as natural to delicate natures as perfume is to flowers.— De Finod. Most people Judge others by the cora ; pauy they keep, or by their fortune.— Hocbfouenuld. It Is not the place that makcth the person, but the person that maketh the place honorable. —Cicero. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself; nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.—Emer son. The conditions of conquest are al ways easy. We have but to toil awhile, believe always, and never turn back.—Simms. Whoever pays you more court than he is accustomed to pay, either intends to deceive you, or finds you necessary to him.—Courtenay. Next to knowing when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forego an advantage.—Disraeli. There are only two powers in the world, the sword and the pen; nnd in the end the former is always con quered by the latter.—Napoleon. The President's Mended Trousers. "If you do not believe that Mr. Roose velt is the most democratic President we have ever had, look at his trousers. I doubt if any of his predecossors ever wore patched garments while occupy ing the White House." This was the remark of a visitor at the executive offices the other day as he came out from an interview with the President. Curiosity prompted the man addressed to look at the Presiden tial trousers when he was admitted, and, sure enough, on the left leg of a pair of neatly creased striped trousers was the evidence that some skilled needle-woman had repaired a rent lu the garment. There had been a tri angular tear in the leg of the trousers just below the knee, which had been closed very neatly with needle and thread, but the extent of the damage was still plainly visible. As the patched place was just over the spot where the President received nn injury in the trolley accident last summer It looked very much as though the pair of trousers be wore then are still do ing duty.—St. Paul Pioneer Press. Some people measure success by what they cgn borrow. A Wife'® Secret. On his 'way to his office after a hur ried breakfast the merchant, Karl Namelos, received n letter from his wife. "For the letter-box?" "No, dear; It's for your own self, but . . "For me? A letter from . . "Yes, darling! Flease ask no questions, but do as you are bidden. Don't read it until you are In your office. Now go." It was an uncommon experience. His own wife, with whom he had just been chatting at the breakfast table, now formally gives him a letter, whicli lie Is to read in his office. Curious! What could it mean? At the office be opened it. The writing was straggling. The beginning was solemn. He read: "I am forced to make you a communica tion, which will doubtless evoke your displeasure. But it is my duty to make the fact known to you, nnd I am firmly resolved to follow tile dictates of my conscience nnd divulge it. tie the consequences what tlicy may. For more than a week I foresaw that I should be driven to take this step, but I locked the secret In my breast un til this morning, nnd now the truth must be told! But do not blame me too harshly for the action I am tak ing. nnd. above all tilings, do not let it worry you too much. . . ." Here Herr Namelos turned the page, with trembling hand nnd palpitating heart. "The fnct is," the letter went on to say, "the coal-eellnr is empty, or very nearly so, and I want you to order coals this very moment, or else we shall have no tire even in the kitchen. You always forget it when I ask you in the ordinary way, nnd, at the risk of rousing your wrath, I determined to bring it to your notice in an extra ordinary manner. I trust that you will not forget it so easily this time." And lie did not. Neither did tile lady, if the gossips speak truth.—Berlin Correspondence London Telegraph. How It in Sometimes I#ne. Good journalism is so valuable that It is a pity that there should be so much bad journalism. Yet we have all learned not to trust absolutely to the daily press, and we never can trust it absolutely so long as such a story is possible as this, which is vouched for by the London Globe: A British journalist of good 'reputa tion was called on suddenly to write an obituary of the late Bret Ilarte. He sat down full of enthusiasm for his subject, and with what seemed to him pretty complete knowledge, and wroto a glowing article. He sent it to the printer. When it came back in proof he was appalled to see that he had written a column and n half about Mark Twain. Time pressed. There were only a few minutes to get his article Into the paper. So.he simple changed the book titles and let It go. How Santos-Dumont ltelaxes. Sanfos-Dumont, the intrepid experi menter wvith dirigible balloons, quite naturally, when on solid earth and at home, prefers to find recreation in pur suits of a tranqulllzing and non-ad venturous kind. Yet a recent visitor to his house admits surprise at the par ticular form of mild diversion selected. "His whole house, or rather the rooms where he is now staying in tile Elysee Falace Hotel," records a visitor, "are filled with pieces of embroidery, tapes try work and knitting of his own do ing. When he is studying out a troublesome problem in connection with his airships lie knits. When he returns home, tired and nervous, after several hours spent In the sheds with his workmen, lie knits. He says it is a relaxation, and Insists that he likes It."—Tit-Bits. A Famous " White Flair." In Lord Roberts' town house in Port land place is an interesting relic which never fails to attract attention. It is a small and not over clean "white piece of linen" of irregular shape, and is placed in a very conspicuous position. Very few visitors fall to notice it, tint r: me can even guess what it is until they are told. They they learn that it is Cronje's "flag of truce" which he sent in preparatory to his surrender at Paardelierg, now nearly three years ago. "Bobs" is an enthusiastic me mento collector, and his house is liter ally crammed with relics which he lias picked up in the course of Ids lengthy military career, nnd all of which have some interesting story attached to them.—St. James' Gazette. When She Took Ont Her Teetll. She was not yet middle-aged and she was not ill-looking. She was better dressed than most others among the women suburbanites going home to Jersey. But sho didn't care. She had a bad cold and sneezed and coughed alternately. The tears ran down her cheeks and her nose grew redder every minute. Something else, too, made her uncomfortable, and more than a little apprehensive. Every time she sneezed a look of alarm spread over her face. At last there came a time when she could not stand it any longer. Under the battery of sympathetic eyes she took out her front teeth, sneezed twice in comfort and slipped them in her lit tle reticule.—New York Sun. Elephant Stealing. Elephants ai'e not the class of goods in which one would expect petty lar : ceny to be brisk. In Siam, however, elephant stealing is remarkably preva lent. One British forest company alone had fifty elephants stolen from it in a year. The average price of a working elephant In Siam Is $730. Emigration From Antwerp. Last year altogether G2,7i)9 persons emigrated byway of the port of Ant werp, Belgium. Of these the far greater number were Russians, Poles and Hun garians, and nearly 53,000 of them went to the United States. The re mainder embarked for Asia, South Africa and South America. DISGUISED CATARRH A Stealthy, Insidious, Weakening Enemy to Women Many Thousand Women Suffer Needlessly From This Cause. There are a multitude of women, espe cially housewives, and all other women obliged to bo on their feet constantly, who are wretched beyond description, simply because their strength and vitality is sapped away by catarrhal discharges from the pelvic organs. These women get up in the morning tired, drag themselves through their daUy duties tired, only to go to Ded at night as tired as before. Mr®. Era ltartho, 133 Kant 12th Street, I*. Y. City, N. Y., writes:—"! suffered for three yeais with what Is generally known as lmcorrhoa, In connection with ulceration of the womb. The doctors advocated an opera tion wh'ch I dreaded very much, and strong ly objected to go under It. Heading of the | value of Peruna, I thought It best to give , this well-known remedy a trial, so I bought I three bottles of it at once. Now I am a changed woman. Peruna cured me; It took nine bottles, but I felt so much Improved I kept taking if, as I dreaded an operation so much. lam to-day In norfect health, and have not folt so well tor fifteen years."— Mrs. Eva Bartho. MIIS. EVA BAIITHO. | MIIS. ANNA MARTIN. Mm* Loulfto Malion, 3 Glen Untile Street, Toiou to, Out. ( nii.,Necretniy ot the Kiuu'tf Daut;hit)ii, mul Secretary of l.ndy Mucca been, write*:—"lf al women knew of the benefits to be derived from taking Perunn wo would have Diany happier and more hcnlth ti 1 women. My loa th has never been too robust, and J um easily fatigued and can not etund much. About a year ago I v, as so run dowu that I hud to take to my bed, aiul lx came weaker and weaker. A friend advised me to try Peruna, and I have great reason to | be gratutul, for in two weeks 1 wnsout ol bed ! and in a month I was perfectly well, and I ' now find that my health is much more robust I than formerly, so that I take Perunn once or | twice a month and keep well."-Louise M ahon. Peruna is such a perfect specific for each ! case that when patients have once used it ! they can never he induced to quit it until they are permanently cured. It begins to relieve the disagreeable symptoms at once. The backache ceases, the trembling knees are strengthened, the appetite restored, the digestion made perfect, the dull head- j ache is stopped and the weakening drains i are gradually cured. These results certain- I ly follow a course of treatment with Pe runa. Barbara Alberty, corner Seventh and "Walnut streets, Appleton, Wis., writes as ' follows in regard to Peruna: "For years 1 have suffered with back ache and severe pains in the side. I doc tored so much that I became discouraged. A Bchool friend told me how very much Peruna had benefited her and I sent out I or a bottle, which did more to relieve me than all the other medicine I have ever Degrees for Women. It is believed that the University of Dublin will soon throw open its de grees to women, and it is said that with this following in the footsteps of the Scottish universities, Oxford and Cambridge will hardly be able to con tinue much longer their policy of ex clusion. Striking resemblance has been point ed out between the remarkable ancient ruins at Zambabwe, in Rhodesia, and antiquities in Cornwall. THE MEN AND WOMEN Who Enjoy the Choicest Products of the World's Commerce. Knowledge of What In Dent More Im portant Than Wealth With out It. It must be apparent to every one that qualities of the highest order are neces sary to enable the best of the products of modern commerce to attain permanently to universal acceptance. However loudly heralded, they may not hope for world-wide preeminence unless they meet with the general approval, not of individuals only, but of the many who have the happy faculty of selecting, enjoying and learn ing the real worth of the choicest prod ucts. Their commendation, consequently, becomes important to others, since to meet the requirements of the well In formed of all countries the method of manufacture must be of the most per fect order and the combination the most excellent of its kind. The above Is true not of food products only, but is espe cially applicable to medicinal agents and after nearly a quarter of a century of growth and general use the excellent remedy. Syrup of Figs, is everywhere accepted, throughout the world, as the best of family laxatives. Its quality Is due not only to the excellence of the combination of the laxative and carmin ative principles of plants known to act most beneficially on the system and pre sented In the form of a pleasant and re freshing liquid, but also to the method of manufacture of the California Fig Syrup Co., which ensures that uniformi ty and purity essential In a remedy in tended for family use. Ask any physi cian who is well informed and he will answer at once that It is an excellent laxative. If at all eminent in his pro fession and has made a special study of laxatives and their effects upon the sys tem he will tell you that It Is the best of family laxatives, because It is sim ple and wholesome and cleanses and sweetens the system effectually, when a laxative is needed, without any un pleasant after-effects. Every well-in formed druggist of reputable standing knows that Syrup of Figs is an excel lent laxative and 13 glad to sell It, at the regular price of fifty cents per bot tle, because it gives general satisfac tion, but one should remember that In order to get the beneficial effects of Syrup of Figs it is necessary to buy the genuine, which is sold in original pack ages only; the namo of the remedy- Syrup of Figs and also the full name of the Company—California Fig Syrup Co. —printed on the front of every package. Vapor Motor for Boats. The first large vapor motor applied to navigation is to be placed on the fishing boat of M. Emile Altazin, now being built at Boulogne. The vessel, which is 90 feet long, and is designed to carry 300 tons, will be provided with a 200-horsepower motor, together with sails, and will also have a 25-horsepow er motor for operating nets. The mo tors will use either gasoline or alcohol, of which the tanks will contain 8,000 ! gallons. Universally. 1 l Laxativ^^^J' SYRUP OF I Recommended by ft Many Millions I The Well-Informed Throughout the World- j Manufactured by '' I ' T \ -"4| i^HMNIAffe^RUP^ San Francisco* Cal. Louisville* Ky. New York* N. Y. FOR a ALE BY ALL LEADING DRUGGISTS. PRICE FIFTY CENTS PER BOTTLH taken. I used it faithftl-!y for two and it completely cured me. I have not had any pains since, anywhere, but feel like a new woman. I am truly thankful for what Peruna has done for me."—Bar bara Alberty. Mrs. Kate Mann, 800 ftathnritt Street, Toronto, Ont. Can., Vine President of the Ladles' Aid .Society, writes:— "l am pleased to give praise to Poruna for the blessed relief I found through Its use. I Buffered for years with backache and dragging down pains and often had to go to bed and stay ther* when I was so busy that I could illy bo spared. It was therefore a simple godsend to me when Peruna was brought to my notice. Every drop seemed to give me new life, and every dose made mo feed much better, and I prom ised myself that if I found that it cured me I would advocate it BO that othor Buffering womon should know of it. I have been in perfect health for one year, I enjoy work and pleasure because in such fine health, and no trouble seems too heavy to boar when yon are in good health. Peruna has simply been a household blessing, and f never will he with out it again."—Mrs. Kate Mann. , Mrs. Anna Martin, 47 Iloyt St., Brook lyn, N. V., writes:—"Peruna did so rauoh for me that I feel it my duty to recommend it to others who may be similiarly alfilcted. About a year ago my health was completely broken down, had backache, dizziness and ir regularities, and life seemed dark indeed. We had used Peruna in our home as a tonic, I and for Cold* and catarrh, and 1 decided to try it for my trouble. In loss than three months I became regular, my pains had en tirely dlaippeared, and I am now perfectly well."—Mrs. Anna Martin. Mrs. Wm. Hetrick, Kennaxd, Washing ton Countv. Neb., writes: "I am nlty-six years old and have not felt well since the Change of Life began ten years ago. I was in misery somewhere most of the time. My back was very weak and my flesh so tender it hurt me to lean against the back of a chair. 1 had pain under my shoulder blades, in the small of my back and hips. I sometimes wished 1 mvself out of this world. Had hot and cold spells, dizziness and trembling of the limbs, and was losing flesh all the time. After following your directions and taking Peruna 1 now feel like a dilferent person. —Mrs. Wm. Hetrick. If you do not derive prompt and satis factory results fioin the use ot Peruna write at once to Dr. Hartrnan, giving a full state ment of your case, and he will be pleased to give you his valuable advice gratis. Peruna can be purchased for $1 per bottle at all first-class drug stores. Address Dr. Hartman, President of The Hartman Sanitarium, Columbus, 0. The Aerial Tournament. Leo Stevens, the American rival of Santos-Dumont, has leased a part of Cayuga Island, in the Niagar River, a few miles above Niagara Falls, for his experimental work in airship construc tion, with the view of producing a ma chine to compete in the aerial tourna ment at the World's Fair in 1904. Thirty tons of cauliflowers from Italy are being landed dally at Folke stone for the London market.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers