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"The fresh atr fierd has been very much in evil .ce in- the various departments during the present colt spell," said a Treas ury Department. clerk, "He Is a .nuisance at any time, but -especially so during cold weather. The treasury Is not' the only building which fEsa.d diock of them on hand, for I have heard of them in the other departments. The fresh- air- fiend - is generally a peculiar todling man or wo man. He o- she is always a sufferer from catarrh, asthma. or some other ailment in the head, and the height of their ambition seems to be that every one else must be forced to work In a draft from an open wirdow, so that they shall contract the same disease. The particular fiend that I refer to works in a room in the west wing of the building. He wears his coat button ed up tight to his throat and frequently wcars his hat. He has an Idea that it is necessary that cold air shall be admitted freely into the room, and every opportunity he gets to open the windows he does so. The fresh air fiend manages to annoy every one who is employed in the room with him, but it is only in the departments that he can have drafts of cold air blowing in on others. When he goes to his own residence common sense prevails, for the fresh air fiend of the male kind generally has a wife, who will not stand any of his non sense, and who keeps all of the cold air out of the house that she can." "The late W. H. Wiggins, as was recently stated in The Star," remarked a prom inent hotel man. "though always addressed as 'judge.' was not a lawyer. For over twenty years he was a clerk in the file room of the House of Representatives. The judge prided himself very much over, a gold watch he won as the most popular man for President, which was voted to him durirg the Garfield memorial fair, held in the Capitol. The watch was given by a western watch manufacturing concern, and was a good one. It was put up to be bal loted for, the candidates beir.g Sherman, Blaine, Allison, Logan, and a half dozen others of almost equal prominence. At that time there was a newspaper corre spondent here by the name of Felix Cro craft. The votes were piling up rather rapid ly for the various candidates when Cro craft, as a joke, cast a vote for Judge Wiggins as the people's choice for Presi dent. Seme friends joined In, and before the evening had' passed -the Wiggins vote was rather respectable. The humor of the thing caught on and in three more nfghts Wiggins led all the others. Wiggins had served under Mr. Blaine when be was Speaker of the House, and Blaine himself cast some votes for him. Some of the friends of the, other pandidates thought it rather too serious a matter to joke over and went to work with a will to knock Judge Wiggins out. This aroused Billy Copeland of the Brooklyn Eagle, Charley Fowler of the Boston Traveller, and some others, wrho-were strong Wiggins men, and the restlt cf the contest was that Wiggins won out easily -and the fair gained over three hundred dollars for the watch." *i * s- * # *Though the penny of 1556," observed a numismatist, "was issued In great suffi ciency, the coins soon disappeared from eirculation, and are held as rarities. They are seldom offered for sale, but those which have been offered brought a large price. There are several theories existing among coin experts as to the disappear ance of this penny, being of the older style and large, but the one most generally ac cepted is that the penny was gobbled up in consequence of a rumor which was started on the authority of an employe of the United States mint where the pennies were nmade. This rumor was that in making the composition of the metals for the coin a bar of gold was melted up by mistake for a bar of nickel, and that the reason why the penny disappeared was in conse quence of its Intrinsic value. The result of this and other stories about the 1856 penny is that though there were just as many coined as there were of '54, '5, or ',i pennies, one of the '56 pennies will to day bring nearly one hundred times as much money as. those of the other years mentioned. Some numismatists have even gone so far as to test the composition. They found no trace of gold. It is one of the many peculiar things about the scarci ty of some coins." "For chilblains, though it may not be professional for me to say so. publicly," said a physician, "the best cure that I can new think of is snow. The snow can be. azspiled in any way, either by walking in the snow barefoot, as I did as a last re eort, or to apply the snow to the feet in a foot tub. or otherwise, What is needed is to get a good quantity of snow directly to the feet. My experience has been that the feet should remain In contact with the snow for at least five or ten minutes. There Is no danger from catching cold If the snow foot bath is used in a warm room, There are all kinds of remedies for chilblains, of course, nearly all of them good, hut snow is a cure in itself, not a remedy. There may be cases where It may fail, hut I have never experienced any." "I do not know when It was started," ebserved an old War Department clerk, "but for the past forty years I know It has been the custom for every clerk to cele brate his promotions in salary by banding around cigars to his fellow-clerks in the same division. It was a simple enough matter when I first entered the War De partment, but now, when some divisions have hundreds of clerks, It is rather a s rious affair. Woe be to the clerk who hands ar ound a poor cigar on such an oc casion. The cigars must be of the best, The proper thing of late years is to let a messenger hand the cigars around, with the compliments of the donor, though In Olden times the promoted clerk always handed them about personally. The box must go with the cigars, so that every one can see exactly what kind of a cigar Is being dealt out. The saw, 'a man is known by the company he Keep.,' bas been for such occasions turned into 'a man is known by the cigars he hands around.' The same or a similar custom may exist In aome of the Other departments, though I have never heard of it. The cases have been rare where promoted clerks do not celebrate. Now and then clerks give din ners and suppers to the clerks in their own room on occasions of this kind, bet the cigars have to go around to the entire di vision to have the celebration perfectly segular " * * * ** "The awarding of the contract for keep lag the Distriot prisoner. to a New Jersey lenttentiary re"md sme," said an eld cit tosn to a Star reporter, "of the doing away with the District pealtentiary. There wasn a well-equipped papiteattery here, large enog for all purposes for' many years, Jt was located in the arsenal grend-h $wo buildinga now occupied as amoe.e usarters in the middle of the arsenal grounds were the end buildueto the penitentiary. There was an om..... shoe betory, a broem feetery and other work heps eaneoted with it. Jest as the war brobs out a repunmentathve from the itheap histriet had am asusmat teebed onto an approprioaia NEB which gave the Depirt et Justses authority to send United psenm to the Abay peiesmmry, Swas the nd for anyv years aftR penitentiary also had a, contract with the state of New York and Albany county to keep its prisoners. 'Besidei receiving a good price for keeping the prisoners, the penitentiary owners sold the labor of the convicts to contractors,. in some cases re ceiving as high as $t per day for the labor of each man. To satisfy the labor organi zations the company pledged that they would never teach a convict a trade, and that they would allow him to Marn a part of a trade only. Thus In. the shoe shop men were frequently kept for years put ting on heels or soles or aL work on some other part of the shoe, but never taught how to make an entire shoe. Finally Al bany county bought out .The company, and now the penitentiary is owned.by the coun ty and is used as a county jail and peni tentiary. The matter of transportation has been very costly in sending prisoners up to Albany. This will be reduced under the new contract. It would have been much cheaper and better all around had the pen itentiary been kept here. There was no reason except private greed on the part of a corporation- which caused the change to 'Albany and -the abolition of the United States penitentiary. The climate at Albany has been specially fatal- during winters, especially to colored persons sent from here and other places further south." * * * ** "The quickest marriage tie-up I ever heard of," remarked the c'harming and ac complished New York drummer, to a crowd of ordinary drummers, "took place on a Baltimore and Ohio train in the state of West Virginia, about three years ago, and I was a witness to it. I was coming through from the west, and somewhere In the neighborhood of Deer Park a very comely and wholesome-looking mountain woman got aboard. Sie was, I should judge, about forty years old, and had every appearance of thrift and widow hood in a long-established condition. She had with her a boy of about fourteen, who was her son. She was garrulous and friendly, as some women sometimes are, and it wasn't long until she was asking me all manner of questions. She was talking along at forty miles an hour. and at one of the stations about twenty miles west of Cumberland, a man, who would have been considered an excellent match for the wo man, came on and sat down across the aisle from the lady and myself. I thought at first he was going to mingle in the conversation, but he did not, though he listened to the woman as if- she were an angel speaking out of the clouds. "Naturally the woman doesn't live who could stand that sort of silent adoration business, and it wasn't long until she was really talking across the aisle to the new comer, though she was apparently still talking to me. Just as the whistle sound ed for Cumberland the man arose and came over to us, stopping with his hands resting on the back of the seat the woman occupied and on the back of mine. " 'Excuse me, ma'am,' he said, loud enough to be heard above the noise of the train, so there might be no mistake, 'but what might your name be?' "'Well,' she responded pertly and with a blush of some inner consciousness of what was in the mind of the man, 'it might be the same as your'n, I reckon, but I s'pose it ain't.' "'Why ain't it' he inquired nervously. "It was the oddest performance I had ever witnessed, and the dead earnestness in the voices and manner of both the strangers impressed me so that I turned' full around to hear what the woman would reply to this apparently irrelevant, not to say silly, question. 'Indeed. I'm sure I don't know,' she said, looking him square in the eyes, 'but I reckon it ain't, 'cause you never asked me to.' "Thereupon he asked her to.eplump. and without any circumlocution, and she ac cepted him, even before she knew what her name was to be and before he knew what name she was giving up for his. P - fore the preliminaries were concluded the train had stopped at the station, and. with a short 'good-bye' to me they hurried away up town to find a preacher to tie the knot thus strangely and quickly tangled on the train." "Speaking of newspapers," said an old journalist at the Raleigh the other evening, "I wonder if Horace Greeley's spirit is where it can see and comprehend what is going on here. If it is, and if his shade has the gift of original and picturesque expression with which he was blessed while in the flesh, it would, barring a streak of unique profanity pretty certain to run through it, be entertaining and in structive to hear his opinion of the little supnlement of the Sunday - New York Tribune, entitled 'Twinkles.' With all his old command of forcible condemnatory language I am afraid he would feel that he couldn't do the subject justice. Still, I should like to hear his effort." .. * * * * * "The wooden peg, as far as the cobbler Is concerned," said Uncle George Wayman, an old-time shoe cobbler, "has about play ed its part and will never be heard of again. The steel nail or tack has taken its place, and is used exclusively by cobblers now, except in ouiding a heel, where we can run in a tew wooden pegs before we put on the last'-top, which is nailed on with steel nails, The wooden peg makes a much easier wearing job, but, as nearly- all shoes are now factory made and the welts put in them are very thin, they are not strong enough to hold the pegs as-we can- shave off the ends, If we used the old-style shaver it would - cut the' wel't to pieces. Shoes are manufactured so cheap in the pant few years that people find it cheaper to buy a new pair of shoes than to have them cobbled to any great extent. Time was when shoes were made so that they would wear out three or four sts of heels and soles, but that time has passed, It is rarely these days that they will stand more than one set of heels and soles. Few, very few, persons think of having shoes made to c-rder any more in comparison to the large number in former days. This ready-made shoe business has been stead ily growing for the past twenty years, As for boots, except for a few old-fashioned persons who will not change, they are seldom made any amore. Many is the hun dred pair of boots I have made for the older residents of Georgetown and Wash ington. But all of my customers of forty years ago are long since dead. Why I am left over I do not know, but I was taught and always believed that God moved in a mysterious way His wonders to perform. There wan a time when I had a number of customers who wore four pair of boots in a year. I got from $10 to $12 for each pair. I haven't made a pair of boots for over twd years." Several members of the Ohio delegation were sitting in the cloak room during a roil call in the House, "Well," said one, "'CoL. Donn Platt had an appointment to meet a friend in the lobby of the hotel, and was standing by the stove talking with the clerk, who was the only other person there. Presently the hotel 'bus drew up before the door, a young lady entered and her trunk was deposited on the floor, The clerk stepped behtind the desk while she registered, and Col. Denn wan left alone by the stove, He was some what surprised when she directed him in a peremptory manner to carry the trunk to her room, Dean understoqd at once that she thought he was a porter. He did not say anything, but took the proffered coin and grabbing the trunk struggled up the stairs, followed by the young lady. The clerk grasped the joke and caned out the number 'ot the room, the location of whaieh Denn happened to know. He deposited his burden, and rtrigadded sosmehin to his fee and had a dikwith the elesk." 'he third man in the group also bad a story- "A young lady." he said. "some years age was riding up to Calm. 'the air & the oer was close and he amanered to raise a window. It ws the same ai window, hewerer, and wooit mt esa, Ike baed ab N as and apposeity det jW s her me. spps.m. Xewed b t soapy ie har seat, me the lshk e amehe ke which thus compelled an old man to per form such work. He pulled at the window with even a greater display of age and stiffness, the young lady the meanwhile expostulating and begging him to desist, becoming profuse I her apologles for hav ing disturbed an old man. The window was rafied, and he shamabled out into the aisle. The young lady continuing in the same strain, a shadow of displeasure passed over his tape at her remarkg on his age. lie stood for a moment in the aisle with Ms arms at his side. Then he sprang into the air, and, turning a backward somer sault in the confined space, landed by the side of his seat. He resumed it and once more became the stiff old man. "Who was he? Why. the elder.Ravel. one of the most wonderful acrobats ever seen in this country." ** * ** "If there Is no more truth in history," said an old resident, "than we see in some of the published records of th e past as to happenings with which we are conver sant, history is not worth much. Even such authority as Frost (and I have known half a dozen other authors, including the acccmplished Grace Greenwood, to make the same mistake). states as a fact, that President Taylor contracted the disease which led to his death, on July 9, 18.), while attending the corner'stone laying of the Washington monument. As a fact, that ceremony took place during the ad min'stration of President Polk, on Febru ary 22, 1848, and I do'not think that "Old Rough and Ready," was- present then. It is true that Gen. Taylor contracted. his illness- at the monument, but the occasion was an immense Fourth of July celebration by the Sunday schools of the District, aid the day being intensely hot, many suffered from the heat, and I have no doubt that President Taylor was but one of a number who ccntracted fatal illness that day.' * * * * * "An old resident in talking to a Star re porter recently was somewhat out of the way," remarked one quite as old, "when he stated that the old Columbia Fir$,Com pany, after being located near the: Capitol for a number of years, was in later..years con Per.nsyivania avenue and 8th"'etreet, near the market. The Columbia company had an existence of sixty years as asvol unteer company and was looatedatirstumast of the Capitol and then nonth .'add ihidly south of the building. :T.he "m n' at the market was knowni fuf3t ever ance, and prior to its 'loktiuii was called the Patriotic, and the app82f s was housed on 8th street near E northwest. The fact that the "I'ersy" was at the market is probably better known by old time boys than any other because Its bell nightly struck for 9 o'clock, when all ycurgsters were supposed to leave for their homes, and 10 as a signal that They were liable to be taken up by the auxiliary guard (police)." An Easy Victory. - Mr. Meekton's wife had been making a few remarks to which her husband listened with a patience which showed that his dis position is diplomatic rather than bellicose. The theme of her discourse was the in feriority of men and their usurpation of power, a topic on which she can be depend ed to wax eloquent, even if she has to say the same things over several times. "Henrietta," ventured her husband, in a gentie tone, "I do not think that you were quite right in saying that the whole scheme of creation shows that women are superior beings." "You-do-not-think-what?" site de manded, in ominous accents. "I do not think-er-that is to say, I ad mit that you bring some very good argu ments to hear on your side of the question." "You speak as if there were any other side to it, Mr. Meekton." "Well, I was just trying to make home. conversational and pleasant, you know." "Proceed." "You offer facts which very strongly sup port your theory when you refer to the success with which queens have governed and to the brilliancy of the Elizabethan period in particular. It is also worthy of note that we intuitively refer to a great government of a great ship as 'she.' But there is one important truth which you cannot controvert." Her eye warned him, and he hastened to add, "That is to say, an important truth which most people would have difficulty in controverting. You cannot deny that after the Garden of Eden was prepared, Adam tras the first to ap pear on the scene." "Of course I cannot," replied his wife, with lofty serenity. "You are obliged to concede that man was to be found upon the earth before wo man was." "Certainly. It is precisely on the same principle that you expect your subordi nates to be at work, in the office before you get down there in the morning." It Made a Difference. From the Chicago Record. He had made something of a study of women. "Will you marry me," he began, "to" "No," she interrupted promptly and with emphasis. "--to enable me to win a bet?" he went on, without noticing her interruption. "Um, well," she said, hesitatingly, "I er-how much is the bet?" 'Unreasonable. Fhom the Detroit Free Press. Boarder-"This egg is not quite fresh, madam." Landlady-"Oh, of course not. You peo ple will be demanding next spring's chicken before another month," A Gentle Hint. From Up- to-Dat. DeQuill-"I have resolved to launch upon a literary career." DeLush-"Glad to hear It. Of course, you know at every launching it is customary to crack a bottle of wine." Why He Dared. From Life. She-"I think I might love you more if you were not so extravagant." He-"It's my extravagant nature that makes me love you so." Reassuring. From the Cicsso Tribune, "Papa, here's a thing that came through the faucet that looks like a tiny alligator." "Is it alive?" "Yes, and it's wrigglin' lik~e ev *~x~, "Then the watier can't be so bearblyabad. Tell the cook she needn't bolI inpre1nban half an hour now." e - . From Puck, Client-"Twenty-five dollars for procur ing h divorce?" Lawyer-"Yes, maanm; or we wouild make a two-years' 'onutract to procure any divorces you may need during that time, not to exceed six, for one hundred dollars," Somethng Simiar Frome the rIminee. Beumasl. "Last night I dreamed I was dead," maid the drummer from Inianapoenum "And the heat woke you up?" the drum mer hastened to ask. "Pretty much the same thing as what you Imply. The brakeman was caling out 'Chicago!' " Prem the Detroit Jomm...a. She tremabled. "My pat," she bltere, "I a sealed He gladly ofEsed her'~ p week, Freos the point et view o the neat thing to a tesrribia pest was-a jeast thsat was a sealed book. The ReaL. 1em ta Detsuiu.....r -". I Una~.hGn it, reate a.t al~ to esaBi spade a spade." " m't the desig Irtamr to emR 3eety mush everythlag. spade'" To be mere. dema was but theshashtager of new Ufe; Maam hee 6fte to weduade ies; but that, ,t - ssdei n~ SOCIETY REPAMRT .- - Just a Eat of the Wit One Osam:Fian in 'I the Soeial swim. There are some people who love to point the finger ,of -sco+ .at the brilliait cal:- 1a versation 'h illsna th society e- s cle as is the 'society circle.' and the same peoble bxv tade -their ineonsidertate and c unchacitable' remanks about- repartee. u4tih t people who can Irdulge in .repartee do not do so for fear of the unkind criticism it f will provoke. Still there are some bright minds which will flash and scintillate in spite of all a the dampers _ and extinguishers that may n be brought to bear upon them. c Of such is the mind of -a certain Wash ington gial who is "real smart" despite her elevated social position. Several evenings ago she was having a e cheerful little Cupidious colloquy in the a conservatory with a naval lieutenant who c probably has more heart than head and more Invitations to dinner than salary. f, After talking for a half hour or so he t became slightly tropical In his tone and she hedged a bit. s it I "Love comes likel a summer sigh," he h sighed and added, nI'd like to knol the difference between smmer sighs and win ter sighs." f' ' "That's easy enough," she said with a sense of relief, for she was rich enough to be afraid to be left too long at the mercy of a Washington- bean He looked at bed('as if he didn't know 7 what -she wasitalking about and she didn't know either. I -" ts "Oh, that's all right," she laughed gaily. "I know; the Smm sigt are larger then the winter sighs beeause heat-expands and 0 cold contracts.' ., t A few minxited laser--the actual size of 9 it occurred to him and he was so pleased c with her wit; that he- would have asked her to be his 1fe, but it -was everlastingly too late, for abe he noted the signs and a given warnidtot h*r- obaeron. s r ' b The Theater ai a Tea her. W. D. Howells is liarim's Weay.e The theater. has been calied a school of p mcrals, and the faet is not affected by the s other fact that it is' far oftener a school a of in.morals. It is-both one..and the other; t bpt it is the fault, the shame, the crime of the state that the theater is ever a school of immoraliE. If in any pulpit were preached by mock- L eries of purity and appeals to lubricity p such as we are-used to in the theater; If-ly Ing were inculcated, and passion put above E luty; if revenge were taught-as something d noible; if homicide were lightly invoked, a a.nd adultery treated as a' comical affair; t< somehow the law would reach that pulpit, o although the state professes to have no , relation with the church. In like manner, b if in any private school or college the hu- t: rnanitics were imparted by a chair de- j, voted to the study of those authors whose li work befouls literature the law would t somehow intervene to prevent the mis- fi chief, although the effect might be logically e blamed as a socialistic meddling with pri- s rate erterprise. The theate:. however; is p left unmolested in almost any excess; ideas ti ire enacted if not expressed there which b are simply abominable. We all know; we tl :an prcve it'at an-y time; it is undeniable. o w A -Royial Grease' Stain. o Pom the Phlidelphs Tim es. Sir' John Brown, the great Iron master Df Sheffield, whose death has just taken t place, owes his title to a visit paid by the ti Prince of Wales to Sheffield at the time C when he held the position of master cutler trAl mayor of that great manufacturing n ity. On that occasion the prince stayed c at Sir John's house,.-and. while watching a a game of billiards after dinner, happened to q I'an his Illustrious head against the wall, g :n which he left quite a large-sized grease stain. On Sir John's attention being called to this after the prince's :departure, he paused it to be covered with:glas .and our- L rounded by a beautiful. gold frame, while in inscription below related in ultra-royal a larguage that -it was there that the head of England's future king had rested. The room has often been redecorated and ie- a papered since, but no one has ever been o a-llowed to touch or remove that golden a frame or the grease stali which it borders, a And Her Was Carroesed OI. - v Prom the Bosten Poet. . . c Traveler (p.t a crowded hotel)-"How s much do 3 owe yuta -What's my bill?" Ii Hotelk'deyer-"Let' ue seed your room ti was-" ' Traveler-"I..didn't have any. room. I w slept on the billiard'~fable." w Hotelkeeper- 'Ahl, well, forty cents an hour." b .y d - n d Hlie-Wimaing Sun. Prnl the Clevelsd Lealer. p Mrs. Kfrt~an -"Aid iwhy do you think, c hr. Dunley, that the world is better now a i and more beautiful than it was thirty-five rears ago?" ' 1 a Mr. Dunley (who is after her sweet laughter)--"Betuse-because you were ti lot in it then.- 1 y Papa Kirtland's oljections to the young ti nan have beet) ove ridden. q IntlUig at and Sly. t From Fliegende Blatten5, r rw 01 -- - c0 ss 31 - ti a u A MODEUR ROMANCH, he inad One May Dissover in Mowe Places Than He Thinks Fro. It is not necessary to be explicit M the eation of the following brief society retch., If any one of those who read It can e Lte it he will not be writing to the paper t give it away. The m'un in the case was old and ore mundly in love with a young, beautiful rid fashionable woman. Whether she loved him in return is not rid; It is enough to say that she per ditted his attentions; nay, more, she en luraged them. In fact, they were to be married. Is It necessary tp state that he was rich? "My darling," he said to her as he clasp I a magnificent bracelet of diamonds bout her wrist, "I love you more thant I in tell you." He spoke the truth, too, for it is easy >r an old man to love a younx and beau tul woman who smiles upon him. "Oh," she laughed as she tapped him layfully on his bald bead, "you don't eve to. Money talks, you know." And the old man thought it was so very right and funny that he stooped down and lased her. LEARNING AN INSTRUMENT. he Unecasiig Toil of the Master of Musie. roni the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Nor have many persons an adequate Idea r the amount of labor bestowed by vir iosos in practicing upon their chosen In truments before entering upon a public ereer' as performers. When Liszt was arning the piano he. practiced ten hours day for over twelve years, and even then, tch was the severity of training demanded y his masters, and so little did he think of Ig*Qtn pioweTs that, in a letter to a friend, a. wrote: "I despair of ever learning the lino. The more I learn, the more there tens to be to learn, and I am ready to lye up altogether." Ole Bull spent over renty years in almost constant practice x the violin, and then modestly said: "It lemside wIe as though I were just begin bxie daarn.' With Paganini, the violin lafL tedisbudy of a lifetime. He had what called a marvelous genius for the instru tenb' :that' is .to say, he found exquisite lesure in what many persons consider the rudgery of practicing. It is said that for vrr twenty-five years he never allowed a ay to pass without eight or ten hours ent in playing such exercises as would *nd to improve his fingering and facility r execution. The playing of scales was, ith -him, a sort of passion; he would pass ours, violin In hand, running up and down ie scales. If any one might be supposed > need no practicing it was Paganini, but is wonderful playing was the result of all is hard work. Rubinstein devoted over fteen years to study and practice on his losen instruments before he deemed him tif worthy to appear in public, and with aderewski the piano is the study of a life me. It is said that every moment poesi le is devoted to practice by this genius of te piano, whose attainments and facility execution have astonished the musical orld. His success is not the consequence inspiration, but of hard work. The same atement is true of every virtuoso on any strument, no matter what. Mozart, when arning the harpsichord, gave ten to velve hours a day to the keyboard; Sebas an Bach was equally indefatigible at the avichord and organ. Schumann declared a would rather play scales than eat! aydn had to be forced from his Instru ent to take his meals. In each and every tase success - was attained only after an mount of labor that, in any other calling, ould probably have achieved equal or reater results. North Dakota Life and Castomas. etter to St. Louis Globe-Democrat. One of the marked features of life in this iction is the great popularity of out-door ort in the summer. The summers here re delightful, and they are spent in the .en: air. People go picnicking and to fairs ad races and all sorts of games. There re no woods within sixteen miles of this lilage, and yet people gladly go in great owds twenty miles to a picnic.. Base ball, nnis and foot ball are very popular. The immer nights are very short, and one can i June play tennis until 9:15, and some mes later. Ice sports are popular in the inter.- Every village -has its ice rink, here ganes on the ice are features, and here the great game of curling is played. The celebration of Fourth of July here at summer and every summer could not s otherwise than amaze the stranger. It ust be admitted that far more attention given to the races, which always accom ny the day, than to the oration. But the lief odd feature of the day is the appedr ice of the streets. As stated above, this own has no grove and few trees, none at I in the business streets. But the people e determined, and the evening before the lay we celebrate" wagons come from the inber twenty miles away, loaded with ung saplings. These saplings are sold r the merchants and nailed to the side alks all along the streets, thus giving the ppearance of a street lined with young ees. Of course, these saplings wither be ore the next day, but for that day the wn is filled with an aroma of the forest. His Grip Name. rem the Philadelphia Times, Mr. Smith, an English traveler, arrived te evening at a hotel in Austria. On the ay he had picked up a smart German md hired him as a servant. In Austria 'ery one staying at a hotel is obliged to gister his name and occupation in a book, hich Is kept for police eamination, so r. Smith told his servant Fritz to bring is book for himn to write his name. "I have already registered, milor," said ria, "as an English gentleman of in pendent means,. 'But I've never told you my name, so sw do you know what it is?" "I copied it from milor's portmanteen," snwered Fritz. "Why, it isn't on my portmnanteau," cried r. Smith; "bring the book and let me see bat you have put down." rhe bock, was brought, and Mr. Smith, his amusement, discovered that his ever servant had described him as: "Monsieur Warranted Solid Leather Grip Lck." A Wated Dine. wnthe New York Weekly, iig sister-"Dick, I wish you would go get Mr. Nicefellow a glass of water." *r. Nicefellow-"Yes, my boy, and here's aime for you." Little brother-"Thankyou; rl go pretty oen. Mamma said I shouldn't leave the irior until she canme back," .A Climatie Ts'ait. n the Phin delgata North Ameas.,m Michener-"Straws tell which way the id is blowing." Oldpart (from Kransas)-"Out thar in our ,untry houses, trees an' homses tell ther ime tale." ..Eggs at the Meeting. em the Galeego News. Guite-"I hear' tihat Spoutier Is not entirely sponsible for, the.unibasaded ehargea that made. Enit say that the adiene egged in on," Quay-"Ne, they egged hita o'. A R'gsfensimosIma-le. Bill (reading in newspaper portion of an 'Ucla on lngTush' composition)-"DId you e that, Jimnt. Long sentee are quite tqt ihmeo The short stence is new ntwholly uminia with prissa *ss-Qieright. tho. No senaee gIlt to he mno'e thann seven aye Ma. 'Wanher-"I thish JM sea he em ness Jer s sey ae than a ss 'PIiILANDW. JO?HNON - Viudtett. Derringer pan had declined all invita tions to join his associates in the usual evening pastimes. It was a bitter cold night, and he sat close to the stove, reading la boriously, but with great interest. 'res ently he shut the book with a slam, and, gazing into the fire, exclaimed: "That's the way of it! As soon as a man gits fooled hisself, he ain't satisfed ter go ahead an' play a lone * , - hand. He alls wants a partner er two ter help 'im along weth a bis notions." "That book must have had bad news in * tt," remarked Bron cbe Bob. "You sem excited." -No. I ain't excited. I was just meditatin' in a caln, philosophi- . cal frame of mind over the tack that the next time anybody ca Somes around here a tryin' to take up a a collection for the heathen' he'll have ter a explain a lot and talk quick. And when 1 come ter think of it a second time. I dun no's It'll be worth while ter stop fur the explanation. I guess I'll go ahead in si- i lence and tie a lasso under his arms.' Then t I'll take the other end and git on a pony d and help him out of the 'county wethout no cross words nor hard feelin's." "The last one that was here was a mighty smooth talker." "Smooth? He sat down one day and spent twenty minutes teilin' me about how them people in Afric didn't have no clothes ter their becks. He'cailed my attention to my own red shirt, and told of their ouf ferin' fur the want of such a common ne cessity as that In a way es brought tears e ter my eyes. I tell ye. I don't know when I've been so stirred up as I was by his pic ter of the %misemies of life wethout no red shirts. Before I knowed it. he hd got' I possessirn of two ounces of gold dust, three Mexican dollars and some confederate E money that I was keepin' as a relic. He said I was so interested in the subjecit that ' he'd gilvme this book ter read." "That was perllte in hin, anyhow." "It was mighty thoughtless. It je' turns the light around where i kin see through the backs of his cards. I don't say es how he didn't mean honest; but I do say that I wisbt I had my dust and my Mexican dollars back. This book is about Africa. Do you know what them fellers he wanted the red shirts .fur is doin' now, while we're stickin' jes' ez next ter the stove es we kin ter keep from freezin'? They're climbin trees an' pickin' palm-leaf fans ter help S 'em keep cool. It's so hot there all the year tRound that. when a native finds a I3 shady spot, he kin git rich rentin' it out by turns ter the idest of the tribe. I hate O ter lose my temper. but it riles me ter see so much energy directed wrong. What 1 them heathen Is wallin' after ain't red shirts. It's ice cream and linen dusters!" * * * Psetry by the Bulbul. "It is a long time since I have burst into tj song." writes the Bulbul of. Pohiok, "owing d to the fact that we all have gone into the 1, chicking business, b which do take a great b deal of time until it gets well under way. " But do not think, gentle reader, that you cannot tend b chickings and have thoughts at the same time. If I had not anything to do ex- c. - cept to think and write down. day in q and day out, I would most likely turn out ' a great deal more portry than what I do; but I think that t mebbe it is all fur the best. Poems is r not artificial products. Like eggs, they come in the natural course of events, and there is no use of trying to crowd the hen. The true poet always chooses the subjeck t that is closest to has or her heart, and therefore the title of this piece is: CHICKINGS. Oh, gentle two-legged animals, your feath ers Protect you in all kinds of weathers. And though The chilly winds of winter blow. You do not care how much they do so. But let them go ahead and blow, c And blow.. Bounteous nature showers on you Her generosities the whole year through. She furnishes you with a covering rare With which, for beauty and durability, ourd Sunday clothes cannot compare With graceful plumage your garb she trims, And you are born with rmes around your limb. Therefore, oh, chickings, look up and cease repining! Youir lot is full -of glee. Thou hast many reasons for declining To change places with such as me, as mee, e To chnge places with such as me. For you do not heed the seasons shifting, Nor the clouids which into a life are drift- h Though skies are bleak and branches t--are, You get your board and lodging free and do not care. With me it is a very differ'mt thing. When the snow has fell and the birds do e not sing, And the mercury i4rope with great peisist ence. I think of my own sad, cold exIstence. So take this lessen and ponder it over; Do not trifle with the heart of a fand true t lover, el Lest, like me, you find your hopes all fris- a men; k Me, who am no one's and might have bees hls'n." * b * * Minutely Expasned. Mr. Dolan and Mr. Rafferty had sat for ri some time in silence before the kitchen 4 stove, when the former remarked: "Talkin' about foightin', Rafferty-" P "01 nivver said a word an the subject." protested his neighbor. "No. But ye wor t'inkla' sheet it. An' a whoile we're an the topic, what's yer opin ion av the war in Cuba?'" "There's no use o' me tellin' it," was the reply, In tones af amn'g'et "It's ta changed tweice since day befoar'yesterday, ti an it's iiely ty be alteother different a agin ho tomarry mernia'. Wan day Grin a dancin' a reel an' singan* sag av wictary al wid the inuragents an' the next Orm as al cheerfalner nor a yard as emaps, Yes emast el tell by the reperters whether the Cuban gover'mlnt is ready for a wake er a ahrist ti unin'." "Thot's simply because yes don't males' ahta' the .anin ax warfare ta gea* a' an," reusoned Mr. Deuas -wth sae de mity. "~What you want is a war wid preat- I ad prmigramm, us* munic, an' reciaems. Is se betwees,-here us' there, ty add 37 the da- pi versinu. Deuft you were thei in- tI mee-th torsethim M ansgut hemeerts aes'i M ie thseee t Thydte er. ftn a ogi usight ubne~ e 1se th-t happens ty he handy ty make he divoidin' loine iechune the two armi.'s. low, the first thing he knows. Gineral Voiter gits notice from the Spanish gov r'mint that he's rl'he ty lose 'is job if he on't win a victory. Thin Wolier wile -exed an' says. discouraged bike: 'Mur herin' Molke! More werk!- Whtat do thim eeople want fur their money'' "How much does he getr" "Oh. I dunno, exackly. But 01 don't doubt hot a good gineral thot knows 'is business in bov shteady work at eight or tin doe ure a day." 'He the powers, it's a fine thradel" "Thin he goes out wid 'Is army. As seen a they see 'im comis' the insurgents get ver an their own soide av the trocha, not atn' any rasons fur takin' risks axia uperior numbers. Thin the Seanmards hteps first wan fat and this the other over ho trocha. an' thin they say 'haoroo. yen uban spalpeens,' only not very loud. aw i a minute they're bock an the way W awn ex fasht so the horses 'U take 'em. he niat thing the Spannards do is ty pro are fur the cilibration av the victory. As' rhoile they're singin' songs an' tellia' htories an' paesin' a dhrop now an' this, long comes the Cubans. who wor watch 'g' em all the toiane, moind yes. an' takes ossession av any troops an' provisions aw mminition they kin lay their han's os. ,n' the Spannards is that busy merry-mak i' an' pinnin' medals an one another that tiey niver know what happened till neat ay.", "An' the Cubans done thot," said Rat erty. "wholle the inimy wor taktn' thei' elazation in the avenin'7' "To be sure." "Dolan, it's wrong. We ought ty mind m a committee." "But all's fair in war." "Oe don't care. It's a case fur a wsia' elevate. It amounts ty the same t'ing as rorkin' overtoime, an' it sets a dana'rom sample." * * * A Be.Ite eham. t was indeed a perfect day. I scarce recall the weather: ut autumn calm and bloom of Ma/ S"em mingled there together. hen melody made sweet the hours; Each sentence was a ballad. he rocks were jewels; wends were Bowers, When Mary dressed the salad. o vernal scene whose blandishment Will welcomely beset ts. an have the fascination lent By that small sprig of lettuce. nd vainly must musicians toil From stage or festal wagon. 'or tones like those with which the ed Came loitering from the Aaron. tr'nge how there merchant-chemist. mar Each once-alluring saver! ow tasteless Is -the vin 'gar* How dull the pepper's flavor! ftimes when stern.-r Iioods are planfl, Those memories come pressing; hat Ealad day: tie ssndhinE and The girl who made the dressing. * * * Natural acaecettm. The old' colored man, who stepped ca lonely into the depot. appearze to be tessed for an important oc asion. His mg breadcloth-eoet was wetk-r rusty. and is silk hat did not seem used to being rushed the right way. He' tidod just in ide the door. and, bending over, with his mbrella behind him, peered cautiously round through' the spectacles which he ad been polishing with great care. His anner seemed so diffdent that one of the tea employed in the place was moved to ame to his assistance. 'Anything we can do for yoaT" he is mired. "Yassuh. I reckon dar is." was the am wer. "Is dis de place whah de kyabs tahts away rum to whah der's gwine at ?* "You mean, Is this the place where the rains go out?" "Yaasuh," was the answer, with a grate sa smile. "Yes, this is it. Where are you bound tr' "No place in purticklar. I jes' wants tar ravel." "hut you must have some destination!" "I didn't know 'bout dat. But mebbe do r lady was posted an' packed it up fob me. Dah's er pow'ful sight o' col' vittles n' fiRin's In dat kyahpetbag." "But where do you wish to go?" "Jes' travelin'. 1 sin' nobber been away um home. We done got some money Eved up an' de folks all 'lowed dat I orter eiebrate my birfday by takin' or 'scursio n' seeln' de sights er dis great country. a got twenty-foh dollars an' eight cents. [ow much is half er dat?" "Twelve dollars and four cents." "I reckoned I'd git on de kyahs an', travet at much worf one way an' den git hle con uctor ter stahit me back fob de balance o' e money." "Haven't you any Idea about the trais ou want to take"' "When do one go"' "There's a 9:31) train." "An' ef I doss git dat I reckons I'll hafter 'alt tell termorrer." "No. There are Iota of trains; the 141:16 'aln. the 11:25, the 11:50, the 12:15, the "Dem all noun's good. But, honey." and e leaned over confidennttle, "'dah's one ing I'd Ske ter ax yer'." "What is it T' "Yoh see, Sishere's a kin' er frolic foh me, an', thile gob wus =ama'n eam over, it is' hapned ter strike me. Yeb Isn't get rT:11 train, is yer"" *0 A Uemm Comm be..as. "Young ins." said Sa-r Serahum te me protege of whom he expects to ake a accessful polItecian, "I am afraid that you re drifting toward methods that do net vite the calcium glare of pubicity." "I don't qute understdod," was the em rrsmed ansder. "It -s-ems to mee that sme of the plan. su contemnglate would cause you ear-. mement if you were called spon to cdud ste their detaIls." *'Well, senator, you're what they emil a ractical pelitictan yourself." "Exactly." was the selt-appreelatie gu ly. "And as such I am prepared to dis lis all considerations of setnt ad to shrnewledgoe no criterion except sanama." "Weln, a good many men keep a few cards p their sleeves." *Tiertainly, my boy. And 'the great mise ide they often make is to Insist em ringing tees into the game when they hold the aning had anyhew. I have see many mm.anpeS a straight GOhof natural allity and courage far the sake of hnnaiany a adequgate p*i of anes, is thes wae mlcame.. "That Isat they waw' u'e taned soe mse ago." "What di I eayT" "You remarhed, among other thir s, that ery aa -has hb stes." "'Ein. That's am et the semieces v:bech aset age eftn -e..m heeanee titer eat. aS and hems anbedy Is saia to 'eae -se .eas ag er ths etisar. But at aeest af the geetisa is maadmnis mi neet e6 assesn shit Iase sepa" in i esame te web as epierammnase. ton a- Is to han out theuk' g w0 wh esmninlt.VEsepi gu lbsth that apummis a th es m eduee a essa en emM ams am es e'u to a dan deShe goads. ag he esse al asa-s as m h asim IiwiT.amarneIIaarase