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OUR COLONIAL Some of the Islands Which Will Be Ours When the Treaty of Peace Has Been Signed. Special Correspondence. Slowly but surely the conviction that the United States should acquire - a .great - colonial - empire is gaining ground. When President McKinley urged - the congress to declare war against Spain for "human ity's sake and incidentally to avenge the Maine, the popular impres sion was that the conflict would, be oveff in a few weeks, that Cuba would be declared an independent republic ! and that we would demand a money in demnity from Spain just sufficient to defray the cost of the . . campaign. Everything was to be done for the sake"' of -humanity, for the starving recon centrados and the brave Cubans who fought against fearful odds for the precious boon of liberty. The first man to knock this pretty scheme into smithereens was gaUant Admiral Dewey who took possession of Manila bay before Washington had bad time to think what'should be done toward obtaining a foothold in the Philippine islands. Then Capt. Gla'ss. the intrepid commander of the cruiser Charleston, captured the Iiadrone islands; Gen. Shafter and Commodore Schley conquered the eastern end of Cuba, and Gens. Miles and Brooke have Puerto llico at their mercy now. As a sort of entre acte congress passed the Hawaiian annexation bill, and by legislative enactment "acquired 7,269 square miles of territory and aqueerly assorted job lot of 90,000 new citizens. Empire making truly has I begun in earnest, and heaven only knows where it wiy end. - ' It is not generally known that the United States already possesses a "group" of islands in the Pacific ocean, although it was acquired as long ago as 1857. These islands are neither very . populous nor fertile, but are of in terest because they were our first colonial possessions the beginning of our great Pacific J empire.- The islands are known to geographers as PORT OP GUAIIN. CHIEF the Baker and Howland islands. Baker ; island is in latitude 13 degrees 20 min utes north, longitude 176 degrees1 29 minutes 30 seconds west. Howland island is about three miles north of "Baker. Neither of them is inhabited and the total area of both is about one square mile. ' Another unique American domain is the Marquis of Weeks island. . It was discovered by Capt. Foster, com mander of an American sailing ves sel, who, by permission of James G. Blaine, who was then secretary of state,' hoisted the stars and stripes over the deserted spot, which is sit tiated about 2,700 miles west of Hon olulu. It has an area of three square miles and v 50 inhabitants. Unlike Baker and Howland islands, Capt. Fos ter's little discovery is well watered and bright with vegetation. Moreover, it lies in the track of vessels sailing between llawaii, China and Japan, and v almost within hailing distance of Ma nila; and will therefore make an ex cellent coaling station for our Asiatic fleet. In West Indian waters we have for some time owned Navassa island, located about 20 miles east of Hayti and 90 miles east of Jamaica. It was discovered half a century agoby Peter . Duncan, who assumed owneyshipun- der an act of congress and was the or ganizer of the famous Navassa Phos phate company, which purchased his title to the property. - I As colonial possessions go those which we own now are not worth very much, but it is perfectly safe to say . that before the Spanish-American war closes we shall at least have Puerto Bico, one of the world's garden spots. . It is one of the richest of the West Indies, baing; the fourth in size. It is 90 miles long from east to west and 36 miles broad. A lofty mountain - range runs through the island from -east.to west, its highest altitude being - nearly 4,000 feet above the sea,, . Its v aren is 3,530 square miles, with a pop ulation of 900,000. Of these half are .-white 240.000 mulattoes and 75,000 ne groes. It has in. the past paid an an I .nual tax of $3,000,000 to Spain, Almost - evtry commodity the soil can produce - is raised in the island, and its climate is far superior to,that of Cuba.-. Even binder the repressive influence of Spain jts trade has amounted to $25,000,000 -n, year a sum that will be vastly in creased under the beneficent influ nce. of the United States. Strategical ly the island is- bound to prove of great value. It has a number of splendid narbors, to say nothing of the thrifty and well built cities of San Juan, Ponce, G uayama, Arecibo and Fajardo". "With Puerto Ilico go the islands of Pinero, Culebra and Bieque; ell of them small, but of .remarkable beauty and rare .fertility. EMPIRE Even among annexationists of the most pronounced type there is some question about our permanent occupa tion of the Philippines with their mot ley and semi-barbarous population of 7,000,000 people. From a commercial point of view the islands might be de veloped into a valuable colony, "in the course of half a century, but they would for generations be a disturbing factor politically. Millions of the Filipinos, as they are called, are savages, worse in every respect than the North American Indians. They are a mixed race, with the vices of the Polynesians and Chi nese coolies predominating. Spain, al ways considered the best and most cruel tax gatherer, has never derived any direct revenue from the islands, the cost of administration and suppres sion of rebellions more than eating up the revenues from all sources. With the Iiadrone islands" the case is different. They are inhabited by a slow going but thrifty race, many of them descendants of Mexicans who emi grated to the Pacific group early in the century, with a sprinkling of the na tive stock, and" will form a valuable ad dition to our colonial system. For coal ing station purposes the islands are without a peer and when decently for tified they will enable our warships to dominate the highways of the Pacific. The group has an area of 450 square miles, .with a population of about 10, C00. The chief products are cocoanuts and' bread fruit, which grow spontane ously everywhere. One cocoanut tree, it is claimed, will feed a man; hence a grove of fruit trees, according to a re cent writer, is to the islander what a. herd of cows is to the Pennsylvania farmer. Other products are guava corn, wheat, bananas, figs and arrow root. Fish is found in great profusion in the thousands of lagoons with Which the inlands are dotted, and can be caught without seine or hook. Nature, in fact, has been so bountiful that man can support himself absolutely with TOWN OF THE LADRONE3. out work, and that accounts for the proverbial indolence of the natives." "" Another Pacific group belonging to Spain which may.be ours before long are the Carolines, with an area of 580 square miles and a population of 40,000 souls: The Carolines are divided into three groups," the eastern, western and central. Spain originally claimed all but a few years ago Germany grabbed the Marshall islands, and has held them ever sinoe. The central, or main group, which, still belongs to Spain, comprises 48 smaller groups, or a total of 400 or 500 islands. Among the products of the Carolines are rice, corn, wheat, sugar, cotton, tobacco, indigo, "bread fruit castor oil and other valuable export ar tides. - The natives are particularly thrifty; the women being neat and at tractive and highly virtuous and the men industrious - and ingenious. ' A change, in the -government of the islands, which guarantees property rights and assures just methods of tax ation; would be welcomed by the gen tle natives, who have, like the Cubans and ' Filipinos, suffered for many dec ades from Spanish tyranny and extor tion. , ; In the course of time the Carolines are destined to become a popular win ter resort for American tourists, be cause a perfect climate and the rarest scenery In tie world combine to make them an earthly paradise. Among the curious natural -features of the group are palm trees which produce vegetable ivory, and banyan trees that grow downward, the seeds being planted by birds high up in other trees, deposited in bark and crevices, sending down rootlets to gather sustenance and mois ture from the soil. Another tree bears fruit so offensive ' irf odor that" 'no stranger can endure it, but once in a mouth its fruit is simply delicious. : : a. w.-weippiert. Ratless Michigan Town. - It is a curious fact, says the Evart (Mich.) Review, that Evart has no rats, or at least has none up to this time, and in our nearly 20 years residence here we"have never seen or heard of but one rat being seen here, and that was several years ago, when one was killed "at the depot: But it seems that we are in line of progress in this mat ter, as well as in others, for the other day Will Bamsey killed a large one at the Evart roller mills.. The rodent was seen, several weeks ago and the men have been looking for him. vSo far as known there waVbut one and it may be that we are not to be cursed by the pests as are other places ryet for awhile. - " - , Qaeer. - It is strange how very few women are willing to admit that they remem ber anything of the late war. A VETERAN HONORED. Capt. Bartlett Succeeds Admiral Er ben as President of . the Auxiliary Naval Board. Capt. John E. Bartlett, United States navy, who was oetauea a iew weens ago to succeed Bear Admiral Henry Erben as president of the auxiliary naval board, with, headquarters at Washington, is an officer who is popu lar in the entire navy, and has seen more than the average sea service of line officers. During his entire service cn the active list for 3S years he has seen duty in almost every branch, of the navy. He was born m New xork in 1S43, and was appointed a midship man from Khode Island on November 25, 1S59, and was" sent to the naval academy at once. He remained there until the beginning of the civil war, and then, upon his own application, got duty on the steam warship Mississippi, West Guff blockading squadron. About CAPT. JOHN R. BARTLETT. (Admiral Erben's Successor as President of the Naval Board.). a year later he was transferred ta the Brooklvn. and was at the bombard ment and passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, Chalmette batteries and the capture of New Orleans. He was also in the attack on Yicksburg, in June, 1862. On September 8, 1SC3, he was pro moted to ensign, and on February 22, 1864, was commissioned as lieutenant, when he was ordered to the steam" war ship Susquehanna in the North At lantic blockading squadron. On this vessel he was at the bombardment of Fort Fisher, in December, 1864, and was one of the leaders of the assault ing party at the capture of that fort in January, 1865, when his conduct ex cited favorable comment." He was promoted to lieutenant commander on July 25, 1866, and continued on sea duty until early in 1867, when he was ordered to the naval academy as one of the instructors. In 1869 he went on a special cruise on the frigate Sabine, after' which he was ordered 'to the Tehuantepec and Nicaragua surveying expedition, upon which he served near ly two years.: Following this he was detailed to special duty in the ord nance department, Boston, Mass.; hvdroffranhic office. Washington, and bureau of equipment at Washington; later he was in charge of the hydro- graphic bureau from 1882 to 1888; com manded the coast survey steamer Blake for nearly three years from 1879 to 18S2; commanded the Marion from April. 1891, to December, 1892 and was on special duty from then un til May, 1893, when he was ordered to the command of the Atlantic. His pro motion to commander was on April 25, 1877, and to captain July 1, 1892. He was put on the retired list on July 12 1897. In general appearance and car riage he resembles Admirals Bamsey and Dewey, and is one who may be classed as a "born military man and leader." -SPANISH PRISONERS' MAIL. Men at Annapolis May Be Allowed to - Write to Friends at Home. A step taken by the post office de partment indicates that the Spanish prisoners at Annapolis possibly may be permitted to communicate with their friends in Spain. All letters de posited at Annapolis by the prisoners are held by the authorities, as an or der of the postmaster general prohib its all postal communication with Spain. f The letters deposited by the prison ers at Annapolis were sent to the d'ead letter office, but an inquiry as to what was to be done finally with them was referred to the navy department. The officials of that department expressed a desire that they should be submitted in order to be censored, and an order has been issued to the dead letter of fice directing that the letters be sent to the bureau of navigation for that purpose. What further action will be taken is not yet clear, and- no order looking to the transmission of letters to Spain has yet been issued. A GRATIFYING SHOWING. Latest Report Shows That Practically All the States Have Supplied Their-Quota of Troops. The war department feels that it has reason to be gratified with the results obtained under the first and second calls for troops by the presi dent. The statement just issued shows that practically all the states have supplied the quotas called for in these two calls. It is explained that the dis crepancy between this statement and the one published a week ago, which. caused so much criticism and put sev eral states, including Massachusetts. Nebraska and North Carolina, in the unenviable condition of having con tributed only a small number of the troops called for, was caused by the fact -that owing to failures to make prompt reports these states appeared to oe ceiicient, , BELLS AND LAMPS. Why No Bicyclist Should Object Ordinances Makinx Their Em ployment Obligatory. - The press, bicycle riders and gen eral public should strongly advocate the passage of ordinances requiring the use of 'bicycle lamps in all commu nities. While bicyclists have some times objected to the passing of or dinances compelling them to carry lighted lamps at night, yet it is a fact that after such ordinances become law, and the riders "experience the great advantages accruing and the largely increased safety, they would not be willing to do without either the lamps or the law. Bicyclists and driv ers having a proper regard for their own safety -and that of others, will never be on dark roads without a light. It eives a warnine1 of approach as nothing else can, and a broad, well- reflected light enables the rider to avoid all obstacles and bad places in the road. . It is not enough that the law should be respected; when it requires the use of lighted lamps at night, but for the personal safety of every rider he hould protect himself from the prob ability of accident by giving an il luminated warning of his approach in the dark. In those cities where bicy cle lamp ordinances have not been brought into effect, the city fathers are shirking their duty to mankind, and this paper willwelcome the day on which lamps become a legally necessary part or. tne nocturnal vcy- clist s equipment. Bells, too, - should be required Lamps by night and bells by day are as essential to the safety of the wheel men as to that of the pedestrian. Cleveland Cycling Gazette. MICE ON A BICYCLE. Singular Method of Advertising Recently Adopted by a Sen York Wheel House. A clever bicycle advertisement thown in the illustration, which copied from the New York Press. "A mouse cage with a floorless extension and a couple of mice," says the Press, together with a bicycle, form the property of the act." The bicycle is so placed that its front wheel is free of the ground and can revolve easily, The cage is fastened to the steering head of the machine. The extension MICE RUN THIS "WHEEL. (its over the wheel and the place of its floor is taken by a section of tire. Two mice are put into the cage; their ten dency to explore things takes them down into the extension. The weight of the mouse starts the wheel revolt ing, and the mouse tries to run back to the hole. But the faster he runs the quicker the tire spins. Usually both mice get on the tire, and their race for liberty is interesting, to say th least. Occasionally the tail of the rear most mouse becomes wedged between the wire netting and the tire, acting as a brake, which brings the wheeito standstill. Then the other mouse is enabled to get back to the cage, but the one that's held fast by his tail must remain so until released by hu man aid. A Few Uinta for Summer. "Many riders. suffer from blistered feet, a disc6mfort which may be ob viated by rubbing the soles with methylated spirits mixed with tallow (it must be pure tallow, not composi tion) dropped from a lighted candle into the palm of the hand. A good remedy for sunburn is a mixture of olive oil and glycerine, in equal propor tions; for use at bedtime. It must be well shaken before being used, but the oil will be found to disappear much more quickly than the glycerin, when more should be added. - Glased Emery Wheels. ai oiten nappe ns tnai an emery wheel has become glazed ixrtthe course of grinding and is unfit for work. It is possible, however, to restore the cutting qualities of the wheel if it be taken off and lapped by putting a lit tie emery on a plate of cast iron and rubbing the glazed side of the wheel on it. The emery will cut the glazing and leave the cutting surface of the wnseel as good as new. - Effects of Bicycle Ridins;. Dr.' Sargent, of the Harvard uni versity gymnasium, says that the chest capacity of the person who sits upright on a wheel is 240, one who sits at an angle of 45 degrees, 260, and the one who assumes the scorching pose 210. Dr. Sargent approves of a rider leaning over at an angle of 45 degrees, "provided the head is held properly. JOINING THE CHAIN. An Easy Thins; to Do, Provided Yon Know Joit How to Go About It. When a rider is about to replace the chain upon his machine it frequently happens that difficulty is encounterea in the effort to join the ends and in sert the chain bolt. Sometimes, in de spair, he loosens the rear vheel and hoves it forward, although he knows that the chain adjustment was right before the chain was removed. The trouble is due to an effort to join tne ends of tne chain in tne wrong way. He should begin by lay ing one end on the large sprocket, as shown at left of the picture, and hold HOW TO JOIN A CHAIN, there with the right hand, while carrying tne cnam over tne smaii sprocket and around forward under neath with his left one. Then change hands. Hold the end of chain on top of sprocket with left hand, and pick up the other end from below with right hand, and bring it into position shown at right side of picture. Bo ends will then fit over the teeth of X sprocket wheel and will fall exacr into place, so that the bolt will fit without difficulty. L. A. W. Bulletin RIGHTS OF WHEELMEN. Bicycles Have ns Many Privileges iu the Public Highway as Other Wheeled Vehicles. An example should be made of some of the teamsters who insist upon dis- regarding the rights of wheel riders in the public streets. Many drivers of teams take especial delight, apparently, in occupying as much of the paved streets as possible They do that particularly on streets where there are railway tracks. Driv ers of heavily loaded trucks and wagons insist upon getting in the mid die of the space between the curb and the railway tracks, and will turn neither . to the right nor the left to let wheel rider pass, when they could easily make room without inconven ience to themselves. Perhaps the drivers are not aware of the fact that a law was passed at the recent session of the legislature which provides that wheel riders shall have the right of way in the gutters of all roadways, and making it a misde meanor for any driver of a team to re fuse or neglect to turn out when noti fied to do so by a signal from a wheel- rider's bell. It is pure meanness which prompts drivers of teams to obstruct the way of wheel riders, and if the police would arrest a few of them a good example might be set. Bicycles have just as many rights in the public highways as have other wheeled vehicles, and, inas much as wheel riders are forbidden to use the sidewalks, an effort should be made to save the portion of the streets to which they are entitled from un necessary obstruction. Cleveland Leader. SCREWING ON PEDALS A Subject Old as the Safety Bicycle Itself Is Affatn Coming Up for Discussion. The question how pedals should be screwed into cranks is being discussed on the other side, and much the same arguments are being used that were used here in a similar discussion some time ago. It is curious how intelli gent, practical and experienced men differ on this subject, and how various are the explanations of those whose opinions do coincide. After every thing, is said, however, one fact re mains, and that is that the right side pedal pin must have a right-hand thread and the left side pedal' pin a left-hand thread. In other words, it is necessary to have both pedal pins screw towards the front of the ma' chine as they are put into the cranks. Experience has proved conclusively that, with a good fit, pedals, put on this way need to be screwed up but moderately tight, - while pedals screwed on the reverse way (toward the rear) have to be jammed hard in a disadvantageous and injurious man ner in order to make them hold. L. A. W. Bulletin. Automatic Chain Cleaner. A Providence (TL I.) inventor has ad vanced an attachment for automatic ally cleaning the chain of a bicycle when it is in motion. The inventor claims to have provided a device operating with practically no friction and simple in construction. It con sists of a rotary brush on the arm at tached to the lower stay on the sorocket side of the wheel. The lower portion of the sprocket chain passes between the forks of tne arm, rests uoon the -brush, and. as there is al ways more or less slack in the chain at this point, its own weight keeps If in ' contact with the" brush, which is made to rotate and clean the chain as it passes over it. Th Strensrth of Wheels.. - Four or five men can be supported on two bicycle wheels, whose rims do not weis-h hut half a nound apiece. This great strength, of course, is se cured by the peculiar form and the lacing. Each wire of the 28V or 32 which appears in the wheel is tested till it is certain that it can hold 520 pounds itself and the whole makes one rigid piece of great strenin, A PUT-AWAY DISH. There Should Be Positively !(o Metal or Anything But Glass for the Food to Touch. . Several of our best housekeepers have inquired of me for something ia the way of a dish for holding left-over articles of food that require the tem perature of the ice box," said the teacher of a large and flourishing Cooking school, whose pupils have learned many new things as to the care and utilizing of articles of food, not wanted for immediate consunrp- tion. I have been," she continued, to all of the leading stores, and some of the manufacturers and can get no sat isfaction whatever. Really, there is Nothing to fill the want. The require ment is a glass jar with a rubber and cover, only that the cover must be al most or altogether as large as the cir cumference of the jar itself. Jars with narrow tops are a nuisance, and are tolerated only because housekeepers have nothing better to use. There should be positively no metal or other material than glass for the food to touch. The rubber is necessary in or der to exclude the air and include the odor of the contents. As it is one cannot put fish, strawberries, bananas or many other things in the ice box where the milk or cream or butter are kept, because their flavor is at once communicated to the milk prod ucts and spoils them within an hour. Wide-topped jars holding two, three, four, five or six quarts would be a boon. to those housekeepers who have but one ice box and must keep everything in them. We manage very well with straw- Berries and such small fruits. When . they come in they are at once made ready for the table and put into quart jars, screw the covers down and place them on the ice. Uut large truvts ana many other things cannot conven iently be put into these jars. Beside, they are quite troublesome to wash. as they are too small to admit the A and. Half a dozen such dishes as I have described should be in every household and would save their cost In food during every week in hot weather. When the steak or chops come home there is the place for them and they can be put in direct contact with the ice. The butter can be made perfectly safe from contam ination provided the cover is always fastened securely. Dishes that are highly spiced or seasoned soon com municate their flavor to everything in their vicinity. Milk especially, which (s one of the most susceptible . of all food products, and butter, becomes positively nauseating when saturated with a combination of flavors. If any one doubts this, just try the experi ment of putting bananas and butter in the same compartment of the ice chest and note the results. The glass receptacle is the only alternative I can imagine. Stone pots, as they are, do not answer the purpose at all. If they acquire the flavor of any dish that is allowed to stand and become rancid no after treatment will render them sweet and usable for delicate viands. Metal would rust and wood becomes tainted and unsavory. Only glass will answer, and the new idea chape is imperative." X. Y. Ledger. TWO MEALS FOR STOUT WOMEN No Breakfast for Those Who Want to Reduce Their Burden .of Flesh. . -.;$; ' At 12 o'clock sharp the first meal of , the day should be taken: Two well broiled chops, or sweetbreads, or eggs in any form, one slice of well-baked whole wheat bread, buttered and thor oughly masticated, and one - green vegetable. ,Eat enough to satisfy hun ger, but of the more nitrogenous com pound. For dessert a cup custard, or fruit grapes, peaches, oranges .or baked apple. For the night meal have a clear soup, a red meat in fact, any meat except pork and veal a succulent vegetable, like, spinach, cooked celery, a little lettuce; new peas, string beans, a lit tle raw cabbage or well-cooked cauli flower. All meat must be broiled, roasted or boiled not fried. A half pound of meat may be eaten at this meal. A piece of well-toasted whole wheat bread, without butter, a bit of well-ripened cheese and to cup of clear coffee may form the dessert. The suc cess of this treatment lies in doing without breakfast. The patient may eat sufficient to satisfy hunger, but no more; in a few days she will find that the so-called hunger is not felt at the pit of the stomach, and in lets than a week she will enjoy the two meal a day the first at noon and the last at five or six o'clock better than she has ever enjoyed her three meals. Mrs. S. T. Borer, in Ladies Home Jour nal. "" Sandwiches for OsWoor Luncheon. The rolls for sandwiches for out door luncheons should be perfectly fresh, and should be rather small, with a tender, crisp crust. The round graham rolls are exceedingly nice for this purpose. Bemove from the top of the roll a pieceof the crust the size of a silver dollar, and with a Llunt knife or spoon take out the center. Th space may be filled with any highly seasoned chopped meat, fish, lobster, crab, or even fruit, the lid replaced, and the sandwich served in a pretty basket. Tongue sandwiches may be made by either chopping the tongue or cutting it into thin slices. Where the tongue is chopped it should be rubbed and highly seasoned. Mrs. S. T. Borer, in Ladies Home JoumaL Cocoanut lee Cream. One pound of grated cocoanut, one pound of sugar, one pint of cream. Stir- the cocoanut slowly into the cream, boil gently until the flavor of Vi Tint ia- vtro ftrl thin nniir tTi cream .into a bowl and stir in the sugar. When cool stir in three pints of fresh cream and freeze the mixture,' Good Housekeeping.