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From New York to Paris.
France, by rail, is the dream
of a French engineer, M. LoiCO,
de Lobel. The idea Is by no
means a new one, und If. Lo
bel Is confident that within
four years, certainly not much
longer than that it will I>«> DOS
Bible to step into a Pullman
coach at New York and go
through to Purls wll hou t
change of cars. That the proj
ect Involves the construction ol
a tunnel under Bearing Strait-
thirty-eight miles long, does not appear to If, Lobel an
Insurmountable obstacle. M. Lobel claims to have Inter
ested Americans. English and European capital In the en
terprise, and an advisory committee of American nnd Cana
dian euglneers has been appointed to look after the Inter
ests of the project on this side of the Atlantic.
The idea of nn nil-rail route from New York to Tnrls
originated with M. Lobel seven years ago. As a member
of the Paris Geographical Society he Halted Alaska bnck
In 1808, and the feasibility of the Trans-Alaska -Siberian
Hallway, ns the projected road is known, occurred to him.
He Studied the geology and climate of the country, made
foundings of Hehring Straits, which It is proposed to tun
nel, and since then has devoted his entire time to the pro
motion of the enterprise.
At the point where his rails would reach the water In
Alaska nt Cape Prince Of Wales, and Cape Siberia nt Enst
Cape, the Hehring Strnlt Is only thirty-six miles wide. Tho
chances of successful ferriage across the water were long
under discussion, while even a gigantic bridge was sug
gested to joint the two continents. These pinna, however,
did not seem to meet the favor of many of the engineers
he hnd consulted, and then M. de Lobel conceived the idea
of a tunnel under the straits, nnd this has been deemed,
after investigation, entirely practicable.
Naturally the most difficult part of the project will be
the construction of the tunnel, but the best sense of the
engineers is that this work can be accomplished. The
IF I MIGHT SING.
If I might slr.g for you ns waters sing
In gashing melodies, or as the birds
Whose rapture sours on free, unfettered
wing;
If from my life might spring
One song uiitramiiu-led of the net of
words;
Then might I praise you ns my heart
would praise;
Nor grieve though song should leave me
dumb through nftcrdays.
If I might breathe your beauty into eons.
The singing stars would tarry into flight
To hearken, dreaming that dentil's nu-
eient wrong,
Enthroned on earth so long.
Was scattered by the everlasting light,
And earth new winged with singing and
with flame
As when exultant she from out of chaos
CHIIIO,
—Pall Mull Gazette.
II SPIRIT IN FLESH
rrpHE SENATOR was cozy In one
jV~ of the secluded Oriental cornon
of Mrs. Aldt'ii a large reception
room. Reside him seemed to float an
intangible, indetlnable white mist.
Was It a dream, or was It reality '!
Dare he reach out his hand to grasp
it, or would it at his gentlest touch
softly melt away? Now It seemed for
the moment to be resting lightly,
breatJblessly, a mass of gold, a flush
of pink, poised on shoulders, glistening
'—gleaming—which seemed to rise
from endless billows of misty white.
Mrs. Hardy hud Introduced them
only a few moments before, and had
fumbled her name. Mrs. Hardy always
fumbled names. He wondered what It
was. Indeed, so eager had he been
to learn that when he found himself
cornered with the young woman he
was (julte calm In face of such calam
ity. The Senator avoided young crea
tures usually, but this one was differ
ent from all the rest. Already they
■were chatting and laughing. "gOMlp
ing,".,smiled the Senator to himself,
"like two "id women." He couldn't
remember that he had ever been guilty
of such conduct before.
They discussed each woman In turn
as they peered at them from behind
the curtain, where they sat. Mrs. Al
den's gown, Mrs. Rradway's hair, Mrs.
Hrowu's Jewels. Those jewels, she said,
were worth an enormous sum.
"How much?" asked the practical
Senator.
She breathed, almost reverently, a
fabulous sum.
"How would you feel with all thnt
on you? '
"Uni-um!" came the erratic answer
through closed lips.
lie turned aiid looked at her, slow
ly, shaking his head.
"No, never; that would make you.
then, a little like the rest of them—
earthly."
They were peeping again.
"I wonder where the authoress,
Miia Mitford, Is? 1 hold the evening to
dread because of her."
"Why?" she asked.
"Ob. these spinster writers always
corner and bore us to death, with—
ethics, philosophy and what not— they
■want the Inside working of this and
that—you would not understand—
they're a great nuisance," he sighed.
A gleam of seriousness came Into the
heavily lidded blue eyes.
-■ "la seems," she said slowly, "as it
i Alaskan coasts lie the Diomede Islands. There are two of
• tlit>in and the larger It Is claimed Will permit of the division
• of the tunnel into two sections of nearly equal length. There
• nlso, It is expected, they can erect works necessary during
• construction as well us n motive power plant for moving
trains either by electricity or compressed nir nnd nlso for
i ventilation of the tunnel.
Including tho approaches, the tunnel will lie about thir
ty-eight miles Jn length, nnd this with the 8,800 miles of
i railroad which they propose constructing In Siberln nnd the
1,2(i0 they Intend building In Alaska, will go to ninke up
i the Trans-Alaskan-Siberian Railroad. The rood will con
nect In Siberia with the Trans-Siberian road nt Irkutsk,
while the Alaskan road will pass through Council City, Xu
lato nnd Fairbanks, connecting at n point south of Dawson
City with the Grand Trunk Pacific, which It is expected
Will extend northward Into the Klondike gold fields.
The Russian government, according to M. Lobel, has
approved of the plans, and has granted n concession'of a
strip of land sixteen miles In width nlong the entire length
of the road In Siberia, almost 40,000,000 ncres. It Is calcu
lated it will require about (200,000,000 to complete the road.
It is intended to form an American company to undertake
the actual work of construction, and M. Lobel claims to
have the assurances from men high In finance in Russia,
France, England and the United States that they are ready
to put $200,000,000, and If necessary $300,000,000, Into the
enterprise.
men like you and others who are in
the midst of thin gaeat life would free
ly give a little of their knowledge to a
Woman who cannot learn these thing!
snve through the experience of others."
"Hut why do women bother with
such things? Why can't they all be
sweet and gay? Why!"' he exclaimed.
"I have had more genuine pleasure
talking frills and furbelows behind this
curtain here with you tonight than I
have ever had In rII my life talking
with one of those learned bachelor
women."
"Then you think n woman's mind
ought not to rise above the ruffle of
her petticoat?"
lie made no answer and she wont
on.
"This authoress you speak of as a
spinster—ls she old?"
"Yes"—emphatically.
"The paper stated she was only In
her twenties, and beautiful."
"Bother, she bribed the papers. She
is old and ugly."
The sweetest music he ever heard
cane In ripples from her red, red
lips.
"You have never seen her," une
cried, "yet you know It here, I sup
pose." She clasped her hands together
TO NIGHT I HAVE KUV.M) MY BI'IIUT.
nnd pressed Ukmu lightly over her
heart.
"Right there and there." He pointed
to his head.
"Oh, oh!" came in little gasps. "No
doubt you aro right." She entered Into
his spirit. "She U freckled, I know,"
she cried.
"Freckled," he nodded.
"And there'! something not exactly
hers here," she fumbled her muss of
gold.
The nod continued.
"And h.-r— her—beautiful, pearly—"
"Falee," he mattered.
"Ah. poor thing; ihg has only n
soul! A creature, hairless, tpotted,
toothlew, yet with n woman's uncon
querable desire for friends and love
she builds In tho realms of her Imag
ination a world of her own. Dear ones
tpring up about her; she lovea them
tenderly, de«-i>ly nnd secretly, which Is
the most beautiful of all, and at their
beauties glow upon, her day atter day
she feels the selfishness of her secret
and In the spirit of self-sacrifice reluct
antly shares those dear ones with tha
world."
"Great Scott! You make me fidgety
He turned to her with a new look In
hit eyes. "When tolas Mltford come*
I will tell her all I know, everything. 1
might etva* write out tome of th« «x-
waterovcrtheroute of the tun
nel is from liis feet to 180 feet
in depth, with Intrusive gran
ite as the underlying rock.
Between the Siberian and
citing events I have seen. Her spirits
nre always searching for new adven
tures, aren't they?"
She looked nt him and smiled. The
smile wns undoing. He bent closer
over her.
"I wonder If you are real," he whis
pered; "all these years I have dreamed
of you—beautiful, alluring, elusive— ill
night you gently shadow me, at noon
you sweetly mock—yet always when I
reach out to clasp and hold, you flee
my grasp and I am left alone. Tonight
I have found my spirit, yet I dare r.ot
try to touch one wave of that misty
cloud you float in. Tell me, are you
real or have you only come, in flesh, to
mock me?"
The curtains parted and Mrs. Al
rleii looked in.
Both arose to their feet a little awk
wardly.
"Miss Mltford!" she exclaimed. "I
have been looking everywherel—the
president Is asking to meet you; coino.'
She turned to go.
Miss Mitford started to follow, when
she felt her hand clasped in two
strong ones and drawn tightly to a
bearded cheek.
"Miss Mitford," he whispered, sav
agely, " I shall never let you go unless
you tell me when you will forgive."
"When forgiveness has been
earned," she flasned back, but so swee
-1? that he felt the kindness beneath.—
Indianapolis Sun.
RAILROADS OVER PYRENEES.
French and Spanish Governments Pre
pare to Build Three Lines.
An Important series of rnllway
works to be constructed In the near
future is the system of lines that,
piercing the Pyrenees, are to connect
France with Spain.
While so long ago ns 1879 plans were
prepared for crossing these mountains
by railways, yet for military and oth
er reasons they have never been real
ised, and the lines connecting these
countries, two in number, are near the
shores of the Hay of Biscay and of the
Mediterranean Sea.
Recently the governments of Spain
and of France have agreed on the con
struction of three Important lines, to
go directly through the mountains, the
effect of which will bo to put Toulouse
and Barcelona In cloeer connection, as
Well as other Important towns.
The most northern route will pene
trate the mountain near Canfranc, In
volving the construction of a tunnel
4.8 miles in length at an estimated
cost of 12,900,000, of which each gov
ernment will contribute half.
For the central or Salau route a still
longer tunnel, with a length of 5.4
miles, must be constructed at a cost of
$3,860,000, while in the French terri
tory the country is rough ami much
engineering work must be done on that
notion. For tlio eastern or I'ulgcerda
nuit.- there is no international tunnel,
but In both countries smaller tunnels
must be constructed through the moun
tains.
The three railways are to be con
struct simultaneously and are to be
completed Within ten years, ami will
Improve Important branch lines that in
both countries have been constructed
up the various valleys on each side of
the mountains.
Opposite*.
-Why does he wish to marry her?"
"He says people should marry their
opposite*."
"Why, they are both dark."
"Yes, but he hasn't a cent, and she
has a million dollars."— Pittaburg
Post.
HAVOC WROUGHT BY JAPANESE GUN%
The Orel was one of the unfortunate Russian vessels so signally defeated
by Admiral Togo in the naval bnttle of the Sea of Japan and she was among
the vessels pursued by the Japanese after they had scattered their opponent's
fleet. She was attacked near Liancourt rocks, surrendered nnd was taken
to Malscuru. Some idea of the destructive force of the modern naval gun
can be gained from the photograph here shown, the first taken after the
bnttle.
ROCKEFELLER'S FACE.
Ida M. Tbi bell's Description of the Oil
King's l'hysloutioiuy.
Study the photograph, the last taken
of Mr. Rockefeller, study George Varl
an's powerful sketch from lite marie
in 1003. nnd say if It be worth while
to be the richest man in the world at
the coat these portrait! show, writes
Ida M. Tarbell in McClure's for Au
gust Concentration, craftiness,
cruelty, v> A something Indefinably re
pulsive are in them. The photograph
reveals nothing more. Mr. Varlans
JOHN D. BOCKEFEIXER.
•ketch la vastly more Interesting for It
suggests, besides, both power and
pathos and no one can look long on
Mr. Rockefeller without feeling these
qualities. The impression he makes
on one who sees him for the first tima
is overwhelming. Brought face to
face with Mr. Rockefeller unexpected
ly, and not knowing him, the writer's
immediate thought was. "This is the
oldest man In the world—a living
mummy." But there is no sense of
feebleness with the sense of age; in
deed there is one of terrific power.
The disease which In the last three or
four years has swept Mr. Rockefeller*
head bare of hair, stripped away even
eyelashes and eyebrows, has revealeil
all the strength of his great head. Mr.
Rockefeller Is a big man, not over tall
but large with jwwerful shoulders and
a neck like that of a bull. Ills head
is wide and deep and disproportionate
ly high, with curious bumps made
more conspicuous by the tightly
drawn, dry, naked skin. The Interest
of the big face lies In the eyes and
month. Byes more useful for a man
of Mr. Rockefeller's practice* could
hardly be conceived. They are small
and Intent nnd Pteady, «nd they are an
expressionless as n wall. They see er
erything and reveal nothing. It Is not a
shifty eye—not a cruel or leering one.
It Is something vastly more to be
feared —a blank eye, looking through
nnd through thing*, and telling noth
ing of what they found on the way.
But If the eyes My nothing the
mouth tells much. Its former mask
the full mustache Mr. Rockefeller has
always worn, is now completely gone.
Indeed the greatest loss Mr. Rockefel
ler sustained wh»n bis hair went »n,
that It rerealed his mouth. It Is only
8. silt —the lips are quite lost, as if
by eternal grinding together of the
teeth—teeth set on something he would
have. It Is at one* tho crudest fea
ture of bis face—this mouth—the
crneleat and the moat pathetic, for the
hard, doee-set lice slants downward at
the corner*, girlng a look of age and
Mines*. The downward droop Is im
phartaed >-y Aeep rertlcal farrows run
ning from each side of his nose. Mr.
Rockefeller may have made hlmseli
the richest man in the world, but ha
has paid. Nothing but paying ever
ploughs such lines in a man's face,
ever seta his lips to such a melancholy
nngle.
VILLAGES ARE TO VANISH.
Three Hamlets to Re Obliterated to In-
crease New York's Water Supply.
Three more of the Croton valley's
most picturesque villages are soon to
be obliterated to meet the ever-Increas
ing demand of Now York City for wa
ter. The hamlets doomed by the wa
tershed authorities nre Croton Falls,
Cross River nnd a part of the town of I
Somerß. The houses, churches, stores,
shops and even the cemeteries are to
be blotted out, leaving only the bare
land, which will lie flooded with wa
ter, making two lakes, each about four i
miles long. The first of the vlllagei
to go will be Cross River, where New :
York has begun the erection of an im
mense dam to cost $8,000,000, one of
the busiest manufacturing centers of
Westchester County. It has a popula
tion of 800, with a postofflce, three
churches, two schools, a cemetery and
a half dozen stores and shops.
The place was founded in revolution
ary times and was famous generations
ago for its paper manufactories. The
people will l>e paid for their property
at "market value," but this will hard
ly compensate them for the loss of
their homes and the breaking up of
their associations.
About "00 persons in the three con
demned towns will lose their homes
and business, and most o£ them will
be compelled to go out in the world
and beglß life over among strangers.
In the case of the old people the cir
cumstances are pathetic, and many sad
scenes are erjfected when the time ar
rives for them to bid farewell to the
homes and neighbors they have known
since childhood.
BIRD WITH WOODEN LEO.
This Stork Walk* With Dignity and
Scorns to Limp.
This is a picture of a stork, one of
whose legs was broken quite close to
his body. It had to be amputated, and
a clever artificer made for the bird
THB STORK A«D HIS ARTIFICIAL LEO.
the artificial limb, which is also shown
separately In the picture. The stork
quickly learned to walk en his wood«n
leg, and he scorns to even limp a bit,
as do many men who have but Imper
fect control of artificial members.
———————— —_— -
The Kthloa or the Umbrella.
"Lend me your umbrella, dear. If ■
raining, and I've got to go to the Tea
try meeting again to-night"
"But, John, why don't yon take the
one you're been carrying for the las*
weekr
"What to the Teatry meeting? Whj.
that*■ where I got It."
.
Society la fitting the characters ana
Incidents of Mrs. Whartons "Th
House of Mirth" to people aud thin*.
In real life. In using the chronln a *
Bcanduleuse of high society Mrs. Wha f
ton most admirably sustains an illusion
of reality, rather than reality itself
The story Is certainly one of the ino»t
striking in the fiction of to-day.
It was recently sbited that \\i r%
Anue Warner French went abroad foi
"a complete rest." She now notlnog a
friend on this side that during the Urg|
six weeks of this "complete rest" * Q »
wrote a 1.1,000-word Susan Ciegg story
end a novelette of ;;7.uh) words. \*
would be Interesting to know .\j r «
Mrs. French's conception of work.
It Is said that the new biography at
Lady Burton, compiled by Mr. \y jj
Wilkins from letters ami papers left
behind upon her decease, is a lino vh*.
dieatlon of a noble woman from th#
detractions and petty scandals of th»
spiteful nnd malignant. The plaia
truth, as told from documents in th»
biographer's hands, controverts all
calumnies.
Robert Nellson Stephens continue*
popular as a writer of romantic nov
els, new editions of "An Enemy to
the King" (1897), "The Road to Paris*
(1898), "A Gentleman Player" (1889),
and "Captain Ravenshaw" (1901) hav
ing been printed this season. Mr. Ste
phens has turned over to bis publish
ers, L. L. Page & Co., Boston, the
manuscript of a new novel, "Th»
Flight of Georglana."
As illustrating Miss Jeannette Gli
der's receut discussion of the question,
"Does it pay to be n literary woman?*
it Is significant that the two most
prominent present-day writers of
short Btorlen Wi Italy and in Spain ar»
■women. Mathllde Serao is easily th»
most popular author in Italy, and no
other modern Italian, with tho excep
tlon of tho dramatist, D'Annunzlo, i»
so widely known in other countries. Id
Spain a somewhat similar position Is
held by Emilia Pardo Baxan, an to*
thor has been as prolific hh she ts
IK)pular. Besidei her admirable worlc
in fiction, she has maintained for sev
eral years In Madrid a'newspaper de
voted to theatrical criticism wrlttea
entirely by herself.
F. Hopkinson Smith deals with all.
sorts and conditions of men In "At
Close Range," his new book of short
stories, and one of the most amusing
characters of them all Is the courier,
"Joseph Hornblend, in the story called
"A Point of Honor." This man 1*
drawn from life, line for line. He still
lives and travels over Europe and A.sttj
and Is to-day as amusing and versatllo
n rascal as ever. By birth Joseph 1»
n Levnntiue from Constantinople, w!tl>
Greek. Armenian. Hindu and perhaps
Turkish blood In him. He also Is a
person of some distinction, having
been decorated by the SulUin for load
ing an expedition Into Asia Minor,
Ills control of language includes, of
course, all European tongues and ex
tends to Turkish, Arabic and Innumer
able dialects of the regions around
Constantinople. Kest of all, he has od
his busines cards the words "Joseph
Hornblend, Courier to General Nelsork
A. Miles, Mr. Hopklnson Smith and
the Emperor of Germany."
Marriage a Heal I,ottery.
In some parts of Russia a queef
• game Is still played which lms mud*
to do with the future lire! of the par
i tlcipants. Some prominent person la
the village announces that the annual
merry-making will be held at his houses
! On the appointed day the young men
and women hasten In huge excitement
to the meeting place.
There are songs and games and
dances, but they are sinvply a prelude
to the more Important business of th#
day.
When the time onnies the hostess
leads all the girls Into one room, wher»
they seat themselves on the benches.
Laughing and chattering, they areeacb
promptly muffled In sheets by the hos
tess. The head and hair and figure
are completely covered and when thl»
Is done the girls resemble mummies.
The young men draw lots and one>
by one they enter the room where the
muffled girls sit Helpless so far a»
Bight or touch gees, the puzzled lover
tries to find his favorite. Maybe she
would help him if her eyes were not
hidden, but she Is as helpless as he.
Finally he chooses one and then he
may nnvell her. This is the erlti<-a>
moment and disappointment or rap
ture will be the result of seeing her
face.
It Is the law and custom that the
man shall marry the girl he has picked
out, and if either backs out a heavy
forfeit must be paid. It Is said that
this matrimonial lottery Is productive
of many happy marriage*.
A Sample of ilifi Sea.
On his return to Cordova from »
visit to Mar del Plata, where he had
beheld the sea for the first time, Pedro
brought with him a bottle containing
about an Inch of sand from the shorff
and two Inches of salt water to enable
his parents, who bad neve' Been th*
ocean, to form some Idea of what it
wan like. We are informed ' Hi : l!*
parents were greatly impressed — **»
ta.
It is all right on a vacation to *•!
as close to nature as po«lbl "nil
we notice that those return us: '«"
mighty glad to get back to rhi '>ib
tub.
Perhaps one reason evert SSpIJ
a little girl Is,that she wll
her doll and make •<" B«l
