Daily press. [volume], March 13, 1898, Image 4

About Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
GIGANTIC 1S-ESTS.
WONDERFUL MOUNDS BUILT BY THE
MALLEE BIRD OF AUSTRALIA.
They Ar. a* T*ijr Jis a City Block and Arc
Occupied i>r Vast Numborn of Feathered j
Kamille*?The Young Scramble Out ol '
Their Shells an Best They May.
The mallee hen of Australia lays It?
eggs in a huge nest. The nest is real?
ly an artificial mound of gigantic pro?
portions for the size of its maker, and
the purpose it is to serve. The arti?
ficial mound is a co-operation incu?
bator. It is built by many pairs of
birds, male aDd female working alike
to construct it. These same pairs or
flocks of birds annually repair and en?
large the queer looking cone which
rises up like a turret dome from the
level prairie.
Sometimes these tunnels attain a
height of fully fifteen in the perpendic?
ular, with a radius or equal measure- |
mont. Ma?y of these nests have j
A JfF.ST AS BIO AS A CITY LOT.
measured as much as 50 yards, or 159
feet around their base. That would
give the largest one measured a diam?
eter of about fifty feet. These mound
nests are entered through a sort of
funnel cavity at the top of the cone.
The hens of all the building and
repairing pairs lay In this Immense
nost. The eggs are deposited ubout
six feet below tue surface. While
each hen lays, her ogg In the family
mound, no hen drops her egg closer
than twenty inches of that of lief
neighbor. These eggs are deposited
in a cavity made for it wherein it is
placed in a vertical position, carefully
covered, and the surface as carefully
smoothed over by the hen before she
quits the nest. Contrary to the usual
practice of the bird and fowl species,
these mallee hens lay at night instead
of in tho day. Several days elapse
also between tho dropping of Vwo eggs, j
The eggs of the mallee hen are out of
ail proportion to her size. They tire
as large as those of a goo.-^e. and of
large hens, are very much larger.
The eggs thus laid and covered in
this great sand oven In the hot dis?
tricts nre never again disturbed by the
hens. The eggs are hatched by tho
heat the sun bakes Into the soli where
they lay. It has never been known
"h?w tho young chicks are excavated
from their egg grave, for the eggs ar?
deposited fully six Inches below the
surface, and the hardening rains do
not aid their exit very much.
The hen Is so very shy and vigilant
that no one Is able to study her ma?
ternal and domestic habits with satis?
faction. As she lays her egg at night,
and transacts most of her affairs in
the night watch so that no naturalist
or curious Individual can ferret her
out, possible she steals to her expected
brood under cover of night also, and
gives them the parental unearthing
which they must surely need after the
pipping of the eggshell.
Hush naturalists have been curious
to know how this peculiar fowl builds
Its nest. The birds have been seen
working at It, and the mounds have
been inspected, but the piling of the
dirt Is not from the immediate vicin?
ity, for that is undisturbed. Small
springs and the like enter Into the
plastic masonry, which stands storms
and heavy rains, when they do fail,
without serious injury.
These huge cones stand for years, to
be annually nested In by the same
flock which originally constructed the
family incubator. When detected the
hens emit a pitiful little cackle, and
flutter away like a wounded Innocent.
The young of a covey either root un?
der the sand or hide behind some
mound or object of a friendly color.
Victoria'? Oldoul Subject.
? InTTlittle cabin at Owen Soiind.-C?n^
ada, lives Queen Victoria's oldest sub?
ject. He is "Daddy" Hall, and he
claims 114 years. He Is a half-breed
negro and Indian. He was a scout in
the war of 1812. He is remarkable as
the man to whom nature vouchsafed a
new set of teeth and a new growth of
hair at the age of ninety-five, when his
first supply left him. He has been
married four times, and Is the father
of nineteen children.
Bold Bi.rglurt.
Burglars recently robbed the general
store of John D. Davis, near the Ohio
line, at Jamestown, Penn., of about
$200 worth of goods. The thieves then
retreated to the United Presbyterian
Church, where they built a fire, using
the Psalm Hooks for fuel, and then
cooked a meal.
In Weston, W. Va., there is the
youngest page in the world. lie is
Robert Chidistex, aDd he Is five years
old. He has been appointed pajje to
the Circuit CourL
Royal Eyri.
Cleopatra had large, deep-blue eyes.
Frederick the Oreat had large blue
eyes with the luster of polished steel.
The Emperor Nero wj? excessively
near-sighted and used a small gem in
the shape of a lens to see at a dis?
tance.
Mary Stuart was not exactly cross?
eyed but one eye moved more than tho
other and gave the Queen that appear?
ance.
Elizabeth of England had clear, li?
quid blue eyes and always glanced
sideways at the person with whom she
"m ronversfne.
OLD GRADDLES HAD APHASIA
A I>?iuion-tr?Moii In Nervous Fatholom
That Cost SS. 40.
Old Hardy Graddles, who had limped
around In the Teton Basin for years or
a muscle-tied foot, at last wearied ol
tho wobbly exertion, went down to
Salt Lake to have the defective mem- j
ber treated. He camp back after a:'
absence of a month, and his no!g:iboi *
gathered about him to hear the Siran;
tales which he would have to tell ol
experience In a great city. He describ?
ed the Temple and the Tabernacle and
the Dooley Uuilding. and quite en?
chanted thcui.
"What was the finest thing you see?"
finally asked Si Redce, iu recapitula?
tion.
"Well, men," said Hardy, "the best
?reely the best?thing I see was a fei?
ler in tue hospital. lb- In-trusted me
a iot, an' I bcerd ail about him. 11;
had aphasia," Bpe iking the last word
with a proud deliberation. Itedee look?
ed at Watts, and Wutts glared intently
at Hod Pete liable. The last mention?
ed broke the spell.
"What's that? A for'n country, ain't
it? Kecioa I beer,I of it afore in a jog
glfy."
"Maw," said Hardy, scornfully. "It
ain't a place- -it's a thing, tfometb.lt?'
out o' gear, you know."
But they did not know. They were
even worse confounded than before.
"Like a Russian thistle, mobbe," said
Pete, dubiously, still clinging to the
geographical theory.
".No such. .'? man fergits bow to
talk or somethln'."
"Deef an' dumb man? I seen"?
"Nuw. Nuw. Man that kin talk Jia'
fergits how. Ferrits everythln'."
"It can't be did," declared Tote with
decision.
Hardy looked at him pityingly.
"Log it all. I say it kin; I soen it.
Here?I'll show you. Who's got a ?1Q
note?"
Among them they got together 8S.40,
and Hardy said that he could illustrate
to some extent, perhaps, with that
amount. j
"Now," he said, taking possession of
the money, "you all know that you j
give me this money, don't you?" They
did and f-ald so.
"Well," rolling his eyes and assum- ;
leg a rigid attitude. "I've forgot It. Fer- '
got all about it. That's aphasia." i
"Humph!" grunted Ruble, "Seems a
fool of a thing, don't it? tllmme my
?2.40."
Hardy gazed at him in a stony, va?
cant way.
"Give me my $2.40," Ruble repeated
with some show of sternness.
"I?1?seems like I heerd somethln'
about a sum o' money somo'res," Har?
dy responded. In a hesitating way.
"There's a dollar and a hall coinln'
to me," Redee uttered fiercely.
"Gents." said Hardy, sorrowfully, "I
can't remember it. I'm sorry. I don't
know what you're talkln' about. I've
got that there aphasia,"
They gathered around him, clamor?
ing for their funds. They now hogan
to understand. Hut they could not con?
vince him.
"I'm sorry, as 1 say, gents," Hardy
said, meekly. "Hut its Bclentifick. It1
ain't my fault. On the subject of any
money you might 'a' give me?an' meb
be you ditl give me some, p'raps?my
mind Is like a blank sheet o' paper. I
am a poor victim of a pc-cti-liar disor- j
der, as you might say. Good-day."
He was a man of six feet, four inch
es, and, although along In years, ho
had been the hardost and best tighter
in the Hasln. eveu in his crippled
time. They looked at him gloomily,
therefore, as he walked away, and no
man dated say him nay. Otjly Red
F'ote Ruble expressed the general sen?
timent when ho made certain feeling
and torrid remarks which imparted to
the world at largo the fact that he was ;
utterly disgusted with science in all Its I
forms.
Intensely Practical.
Harry Dountown (to country sweetheart)
?Miss Milkyweigh, do you play and sing
"When the Cows Arc in the Corn';'"
Miss Milkyweigh?Lord bluss you, no.
I get the dogs and chase 'em out.
A Pollll, ?I Trip.
Should it he your one ambition to wrilp
& humorous verse, pick out some
ancient subject and express in
language terse. The"editor
^, may reject it, if the me
?_j ler's out of joint;
^fck^-. but if you fashion
iStf^i. he'n R?rely
I "'-ir^ f-'.'j.? ' seethe
' point.
A I..10,0.
Rmployment Agent- "Seo hero! How
s this? You stayed two weeks In your
ast place. How did that happen?"
Domestic?"Sure, 01 dunno. Oi must
iv overshlept meself."?Now York
j (Veekly.
Kccaperi by a Hair's Itre-urith.
Dulby (would-bo novelist)?"I've Just
Sclshed a now novel. If you have a
moment to spare I'll show you the
proofs." VViiby "Oh, never mind
tbotit the pronfs. I'll take your word
!or it."?Chicago Record.
Illicit Terry'? Parrot.
Miss Ellen Terry's parrot, Mr. Pigott,
Is known familiarly as Nell. Miss
Terry bad acquired It for the sake of
its green hue. its mauve head, scarlet
beak and pink breast, and it hail Juet
arrived, hut its accomplishments were
an absolutely unknown quantity. Sir
Henry living called, and Miss Terry
said, "This is a marvellous bird; talks
beautifully!" and placet] it on Sir Hen?
ry's finger. Quoth the bird instantly.
"Henry!" and its fame was secured,
It only knew two words, and this was
one of them.
I THE IDOL OF HA YAW
iTHIS BULL FIGHTEII A GREATER MAN j
THAN OLD BLANCO.
A Spectacle to Cause One Who is Not n De- j
vot.ee of the Nut lor iU Sport of Spain t?'
\ Kub Ills Eyes?Who i the Vrcal Ma/.r.an
tlne Dines.
Four privates of lite Orden PuMico .
Corps, armed with eword and revolver, I
reinforced thesolittry little policeman 1
who usually moons up ttuti down in |
front of the Hotel [nglaterra, In Ha
vana, Cuba, a few i ights ago, writes a i
war correspondent, und the American
colony began to whisper that trouble \
was brewing among tho volunteers, j
The wisdom of this precaution became
apparent when, during the dinner j
hour, it was seen tint the gendarmes
were only able by the most heroic ex- I
srtions to save tho hotel from being |
carried by storm by a mob, whose ob- J
|ect, however, was so obviously of a j
pacific character as to quite disarm the I
apprehensions of even the most tierv
ous of the guests. * j
By the time the Llrltish Consul, who :
Is Invariably the first man at the table, \
had taken his seat, all the wide doors
and windows of the restaurant opening j
on the street were choked with an ex- j
Sited throng, in which soldiers, sailor.-, i
volunteers, smart young clerks, respec?
table elderly citizens and professional
mendicants struggled on terms of per?
fect equality for front places.
The attention of all these was rivet?
ed on a table in a remote corner of the j
restaurant, and it was noticeable that i
the attitude of the crowd was not that j
of mere vulgar curiosity, but rath' r of j
Seep, reverential awe. 1 noticed in the j
front rank at the door two blind beg?
gars from Obispo street, who. on yield?
ing their places to the pressure of the
crowd behind, vanished with faces il?
lumined with a "now leitest Thou thy
servant depart in peace," expres?
sion.
Some of the more enterprising en?
thusiasts tlodged through the cafe and
gained the rear of the restaurant,
whence they enjoyed an linobi tructed
view, but these were speedily discover?
ed and hustled out by the police. Mow
and then the gendarmes would clear
tliu sidewalk with a sudden charge,
after which the whole squad invariably
lined up in the doorway and quite lost
themselves in reverential gazing until
rudely aroused to action by the surg?
ing of the crowd.
The cause of till this commotion was
a tall, powerfully built, midde-aged
man, with a smoothly shaven face, a j
laughing eye and a queer little wisp of i
hair sprouting from the back of his i
bead, and (fattened down In a black j
coil that stood out in startling relief J
against the shiny while expanse of a ;
bald pate. At his table sat a ring "of
Spanish officers In full uniform, and
without that a second and a tiiird ring,
j ill of whom kept silence, with eyes
reverentially fixed on the great man.
When he smiled, whic h he occasional?
ly condescended to du, they all smiled,
and when lie spuke, whh h he usually
did with his mouth full, they all ob?
sequiously nodded assent. In the cir
I :le were generals, colonels, majors and
captains, bedizened with flaming or
I ders and medals, and showing, every
I aiau of them, that the occasion was
one of the proudest moments of his
life. It was perfectly apparent that in j
;he eyes of all the big man with a fun- j
j ny little wisp of hair was a per- j
j ionage of infinitely greater importance
I than Hie Captain General.
On Iiis part the great man accepted
! all this adulation with the air of the j
j most deliriously affable condescension. 1
? Occasionally he even deigned to be
stow a word on the proprietor of the J
j hotel, who stood humbly behind Iiis j
rhalr to receive and present with his
own hands the various dishes brought
by the waiters.
One officer, evidently an old ac
j quaintnnce, was honored above his
I brothers, for, as he entered the room,
the hero saw him, and spring?
ing up and striding dramatic?
ally forward, clasped him in his
arms with such fervor as to sadly dis?
arrange hi* little wisp of hair, where?
upon, on his attention having been
railed to the fact by half a dozen ad?
mirers, he we.l his lingers and carefully
plastered it upon his pate before re?
suming his seat.
Marvelling who the man could be
who commanded the obeisance of the
highest officers in the Spanish army,
1 demanded information from my wait?
er. The fellow gave me a look of un?
disguised contempt for my ignorance, j
and then, with a smile of pity, whis
pered, behind his hand in awestruck
accents, "Mazzantini, the bull fight?
er! "
"A great man?" I asked.
"The greatest In the world!"
An Amerie.nn IVefrrn Abroad.
The highest grade of negro is the
piivate car porter. He was such a ne- ;
gro, young and with many flue man- j
nerisms and some money, who decided
to take a trip to Europe. In London \
he made the acquaintance of several
English-brod negroes. By these ho
was shown the sights and introduced
into society. One evening lie was in?
vited to "sit in" a little poker game. ;
lie was well acquainted with the game
as played at home, and did not hesltato
to play. His limited acquaintance with
English money cost hlin several good
(tots. At hist lie got four aces and
knew exactly where he was, for four
ares have their value the world over.
His opponent "skinned" Ills hand care?
fully after cards had been "doled" and
said: "Ah'Il just bet yo' a pound, MIs
tah Johnsing." "Well," said the Amer?
ican, "Ah don't rightly know how
much a pound is, but Ah'll just raise
yo' a ton."
To clean Shetland shawls dip in a
lather of boiled stmp, slipping gently
through the aands. Plunge into clear
j water and pin on a sheet to dry.
UugaMant Delaware.
The Supreme Court of Delaware has
decided that women cannot become
law student, nor practice in that
State.
Bleaching the Hair.
It is an unsettled question whether
oleaching the hair IihuIs to softening of
the brain, or softening of the brain
leads to bleaching the hair.
TWO ROYAL CHILDREN.
I'rlnco Carol anil Princess Elizabeth Con?
soler. <?r Roaminla's itnfm.
Among Queen Victoria's numerous
great-grandchildren are the little
Prince Carol und Princess Elizabeth of
Ftoumania, whoso mother, tho wife of
the Crown Prince, was Princess Marie,
the eldest daughter of the Duke and
Duchess of Coburg. At the time of the
Jubilee the dangerous Illness of the
Crown Prince prevented Prince Carol
and his sister from going to England.
Instead, they were intrusted to the
care of the Queen of Itoumania.
Since the Queen of Roumania. bettor
known to tho world as "Carmen Syl
va," lost her only child she was always
unha] ] y until the son and daughter of
her husband's heir came to console nor
in her s rrow. Her Majesty Is never
so happy as when the Prince Carol and
Princess Elizabeth are In her exclusive
charge, and under tho influence of the
little companions, her attacks of deep
melancholy have entirely disappeared.
Prince- Carol is a manly boy who al?
ready sc :ns to give evidence of great
mental ability. His most striking
characti rlstic is his devotion to his
tiny sister. The Princess Elizabeth ro
sembles her mother, who was tho
handsomest of the four Coburg sis?
ters. She is named for her grandmoth?
er.
When the royal children wore last in
England on a visit, they lived at Os
borno Cottage, on the Isle of Wight,
with their Hub' cousins of Hesse. The
illustration shows them In the nation
al costume.
Women's Hrnss Hand.
A musical organization which la
meeting with great success in the State '
of Oregon, is the Ladies' Brass Hand of
Heppner. Its membership is made up
entirely of the fair sex, and includes
tho maids and matrons of the most
prominent families in the town, whose
social standing is pitched with the bon
ton. Tho band was organized a yeal
ago. It was to be a self-supporting or?
ganization entirely. An soon as or?
ganization was perfected ways and
means were canvassed by which funds
could be raised for uniforms and in- j
struments. it was decided to give a
concert, which proved a grand success
financially, at which the band made its
first appearance in public. The audi?
ence mildly enthused over their play?
ing?it was so much bettor than was
expectod. The ladies' band was a j
great suc< ess. Then when the Prosi- '
dential campaign opened they were at
once in demand. The Ladies' Brass
Band became the fashion, and no can?
didate ever thought of making a speech
iu their neighborhood without first
having secured their services as an at- !
traction. Their popularity led them
Into church socials, picnics, &c., until
now they are famous throughout the
entire State.
Mary Anderson liefere the, t'amera.
Miss Frances Benjamin Johnston,
who has just come home from Europe,
litis brought with her a series of inter?
esting pictures. She spent several
months in out-of-the-way parts of Eng?
land, and visited the village of Broad- J
way, whore Mrs. Mary Anderson-Na
varro's home is. Mrs. Navarro is an
old friend of Miss Johnston's mother,
who was a dramatic critic in Baltimore
where Mary Anderson made her de?
but as Juliet. For one whole day she
posed before the young photographer's
camera, though she had not been pho?
tographed more than once or
twice since she left the stage.
The trunks that hold her stage
wardrobe were dragged from their
attic corner, and Juliet. Perdlta,
Rosalind and Galatea lived again for
the camera's benefit. The wonderful
Navarro baby was photographed In his
beautiful mother's arms. and Miss
Johnston declares that Mrs. Navarro
Is really much more beautiful than
Mary Anderson ever was.
A Quoeu'a Circus Riding.
Queen Henriette of Belgium, by birth
?n Austrian Archduchess, continues, in
spite of her snow-white hair and rank
as a grandmother, to occupy her time
with circus riding. A year ."go she
gave in the riding school of the royal
palace at Brussels, a semi-public per?
formance, in which she and her
daughter Clemintlne put their horses
through all kinds of fancy paces and
trick riding with the skill of profes?
sionals. They leaped their horses
through burning hoops and over flam
ing hedges, and her majesty jumped a
pet horse over a dinner table covered
with flowers and lighted candelabra.
Then she drove a team of twenty-in
hand herself, mounted on her favorite
mare.
rtaelielor M?l<:s l orin a Trust.
A number of young unmarried wo?
men from the liest families of Cape
May, N. J., have banded themselves
together In an organization which
they have named "The Bachelor Maids'
Club." Us object Is mutual protec?
tion of their interests along matri?
monial lines. They have adopted a con?
stitution and by-laws, with penalties
for violation. One rule, which was
adopted by a majority of one after a
heated debate, is that no member can
accept an offer of marriage without
the unanimous consent of the society.
A social tea will be given the mem?
bers onto a month. Young men gen?
erally regarded as good catches will be
entertained at thes,e functions.
Hair llrusheH.
Hair brushes should never be loft
with th.e bristles up. They are ad?
mirable dust collectors. [?' irthermore,
in these days of jrcity and inexpen?
sive toilet utensils there are few wo?
men who have not brushes with more
or less ornamental backs.
tre.de Oil to Kindle Fires,
Tic- Baltimore and Ohio Southwes?
tern Railway Company for some time
lias been experimenting witli crude oil
for kindling fireo in locomotives in
place of using cordwood, and the re?
sults obtained have been so satisfactory
that it will hereafter he used on the
who!,, line. During the month of No
vember, 1S07, at the company's shops,
which are located at Washington, Ind..
and Chlllicothe, Ohio, 1,22C fires were
starie,i With crude oil at a cost of $17.:S2,
or 1.11 cents per fire. To have started
the same number of fires with wood
would have cost $306, or 24.Oil per fire.
This reuresents a saving of S288.G8.
A KITCHEN ON HA TL,
THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT TO
MAKE A NOVEL EXPERIMENT.
The Dominion IIa? Constructed a Commis?
sary oil Wheels Capable of Providing
Kations for More Than a Thousand Sol?
dler? in Case of W?r
The Canadian government has just
had built, in accordance with designs
furnished by the military authorities,
a car that will play an important part
in any future warfare in which Cana?
dian soldiers take part. The car is a
gigantic kitchen, capable of furnishing
meals, on a pinch, to as many as 1,500
soldiers without overtaxing its capaci?
ty. The immense extent of territory
which it would be necessary to protect
in case of a general war has been for
some time a source of uneasiness to
the Canadian government. It has been
evident that the sparsely settled couu
try, so different from the thickly pop?
ulated states on this side of the bor?
der, would be a very weak basis for
a line of battle. While the United
States would have rich foraging should
supplies run short, the British would
find only barren hills and empty wastes
ill a large part of the region over
which they would be spread to guard
the frontier. To provide against this
emergency it was decided to build a
ear that would be a gigantic kitchen
on wheels, and to make a careful test
of its capacity for feeding troops with
a view to ascertaining how many of
such ears would be required in time of
war to feed the entire military force
of the dominion.
The car is now finished and experi?
ments will begin at once. A train is
to be dispatched over the Canadian Pa?
cific railway from one side of the con?
tinent to the other. On this train
there will be a body of soldiers which
will depend for subsistence entirely
upon the rolling kitchen that accom?
panies them. Meals will be served ac?
cording to a carefully prepared sched?
ule, and the officer in command will
take notes of the incidents of the trip,
in order that the government may have
the fullest possible data to guide them
in their calculations to determine the
value of the idea.
The ear from which "Tommy At?
kins" will draw his sustenance in fu?
ture fights?and on excursions and field
days in time of peace as w?ll?is
known as commissary ear, No. 1S99. It
Is an unusually large one, being longer
than the ordinary baggage ear, from
which it differs in construction by hav?
ing a vestibule at each end. The sup?
ply room is entered from the fronL
Here all is in readiness for the com?
ing experiment; there is room in the
car for supplies capable of sustaining
1,000 men for a period of ten days.
From the store room entrance is
obtained to the kitchen, which is the
most interesting feature of the ear.
Down one side runs the range, which
is in reality two ranges, with a total
length of twenty-two feet. Everything
is up to date in construction and
planned on a large scale. It would be
I beyond the strength of one man to lift
the immense copper kettles in winch
will be stewed the beef that "Tommy" is
supposed to revel In, and they are to be
raised by means of derricks and chains
fitted above the stoves. With these ap?
pliances the kettles can be manipulated
with the greatest ease, and swung over
to the tables, ready for the distribution
of their contents.
Opposite tin; stoves Is a gigantic
water tank, capable of holding 2,500
gallons of water, and directly above
the stove is another tank. In the rear
i Of the car are sinks, with hot and
cold water, and the various applian?
ces necessary in preparing meals on a
largo scale. Yet only five men are re?
quired to operate this plant. The cooks
have been carefully selected, and no
stone has been left unturned to make
the experiment a success.
The car is set upon double trucks of
six wheels each, and is constructed
; with a view to securing the smoothest
j of running. It would not seem to be
' tin easy matter for the cooks to handle
huge cauldrons filled with scalding
j soup while the train is running at full
'?? speed, but with a proper use of the ap
j pliances provided it is thought that no
I mishap will occur. The greatest diffi
1 culty, however, will be experienced at
I such times. When stops are made?
I and several have been arranged to test
the value of the ear kitchen as a base
of camp supply?the cooks will havo
an easy time.
Across China on Bicycles.
The three English bicyclists who
left London in July, 1S96, for a ride
across Europe and Asia have just ar?
rived in Shanghai, having traversed
14,322 miles. They say the roads are.
very poor in the Celestial Empire, and
that they were obliged to carry their
wheels hundreds of miles on t7le.tr
backs. Armed with voluminous pass?
ports and red visiting cards several
incites long, with their names in Chi?
nese characters, they went from town
to town, interviewing mandarins and
missionaries, and living on pork and
rice. They penetrated China from up?
per Burmah. Throughout the jour?
ney an officer rode on ahead, giving or?
ders tit all military posts that their
safety should lie looked after. The
worst tho cyclists had to rontend
against was the desire of the Celestials
to show what they could do in the way
of cycling. _
t Euhrclln Handles'.
To have a small purse attached to
the umbrella handle, instead of a tas?
sel, is the Winter girl's newest wrin?
kle. _
It lias been decided to build the new
capitol of Pennsylvania of white mar
tile, to be quarried ib the State.
Russia the Home of Platinum.
Platinum Is worth not quite h:i]f as
much as gold, weight for weight, and
the product of that metal comes almost
entirely from Russia, where it is found
in the southern Ural Mountains. At
present the increasing demand for
platinum has caused a sharp advance
In the price of the metal and a corre?
sponding increase in its production.
1'ostag^ Stamps.'
The various countries of the world
now use 13,400 different kinds of pos?
tage stamps.
6??.o*>e? i sl<?*><"- '?? > Re aril.-.
LUCKY LARRY LONN1GAN,
A Fairy Shtory for the Chlldher.
Sure, chlldher, 'tis a larng toima
since I tould yez a fairy shtory. An'
It's wondherln' I am if I lver tould
yez about Lucky Larry Lonnigan. Be
mo sow! thin, an' he was th' caution
to cats. Egobs, sorra bit of bad luck
'u'd set upon him at arl at arl. He
lived In that paart of Oircland that yoj
san't find on the map.
Whin he was a young lad about six?
teen the fursht of hie good luck fell up?
on him, an' the way of It was this way:
Egorry, an' a vi'lent, crass woman was
his mother, always boxin' his ears for
no thing at arl, an' so wan day whLo
Larry med the innerclnt observashin
that divvie a bit more wood would be
cut up, th' ould woman ralchcd out
her oogly roight hand an' gev' him a
cuff. . j
"An' Is it a cuff ye gev me?" says
he, rubbin" his ear. an' wid that he
leps out of the doo-r an' starts fer j
town. Now some byes would ha' cried |
at resavln' the cuff, but Larry was not |
I the crylu' kind, but bein' of a shrewd
! tlmperamintality he noticed that the
i ruff bad ? handsome button In it, an' ]
he thought he'd take It an' sell it to I
the Jewolery man that 1 tould yez
about one tolme. An' egobs! the jew
! elery man gev him two shillin's for it.
j Well, Larry felt that rich that he wint
! to the fair at Lantrim, in the county
; of Buscobble.
i 'Tis tho fine booths they do be hav
; in' at that fair, an' Larry soon spint
tho whole of his money until he had
i but a happenny. An' wid that he
i bought a beautiful peach. I
! An' thin he thargbt what a big
: omadhaun he was to be spin diu' arl
his money upon the belly of hlra. Fer
i It was cakes an' pies an' sweets was
i Inside of him till ye could not rlsL
j Well, he wint on atin' mechanical loike
! an' wid his moind annywhere but in
' his head till he kem to the pit. 'Twas
! tho fursht paich he'd lver aten. an' the
I pit surprised him. But he'd halrd till
1 of the fortunes made in pits an' wid
i out so much as sayln', "Here's an' alsy
dear, to you," he wint down in the pit
widout a light. 'Tis as brave as a
sparrer, he was.
I Egobs! chlldher, 'tis lucky he was.
! for he found that at the bottom of the
j pit was a mine of soft coal; coal that
soft it would plaise yez to bnnap ag'icst
j it. an' he kem up to the mouth of the
pit, an' seein' an English capitalist
handy, he sold him the roight to mine
In It for noine hundhred an' noinety
? noine yairs for a hundhred thousan'
i pounds.
CHARLES BATTELL LOOMIS.
Tale of Two Citizens.
CHAPTER I.
"Hosklns, lend me a dollar, will yon"
I want to buy some postage stamps. I
came away from home carelessly this
j morning, with only 25 cents in my
I pocket, and that went for lunch at
; noon."
"Sorry, Lusk, but I've got only
; enough money to pay my carfare
home."
CHAPTER II.
A few hours later.
They met again?accidentally.
At the box office of a theater where a
sparring match was on the bill of fare
tor the evening.
"It seems to me, Hosklns," stiffly re?
marked Lusk, as he threw down a sil?
ver dollar and picked up the bit of
pasteboard the ticket-seller gave him
In exchange for it, "that this is no
place for a man who has only enough
money to pay his car fare home."
Having exchanged the dollar he held
in his hand for a similar pasteboard,
Hosklns turned to his friend.
"Lusk," he said, in a tone of mingled
ladhess and reproach, "If you paid out
all the money you had for lunch, and
louldu't even buy a postage stamp,
j what the St. Louis are you doing
aere?"
What She Needed.
She was looking over a fashion pa?
per when he entered.
"Trying to make up your mind what
rou ought to have?" he asked.
"No," she replied; "1 know what I
night to have."
"What?"
"Money."
It is always unsafe for a man to jest
vlth his wife upon any subject oon
iected with raiment and such things,
rle knows that now.
The Old Man Knew Him.
An old Georgia negro, hearing that
lis former master had decided to enlist
n the Cuban arnitf, said to him:
"Marse Tom, doan you do no sich
'ool thing ez dat?doan you do it?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Kase, Marse Tom?" and here the
ild man lowered his voiee?"you'se got
i touch er de rheumatism, en you can't
un ez fast now ez you run en-durin' er
le war!"
A .Taundlced View.
"I don't see why it should be deemed
i disgrace," the youthful bachelor re
narked in the course of the conversa
:ion, "for a woman to ask a man to
narry her."
"It isn't a disgrace," replied the el
lerly maiden. "Idiocy is a misfor
une."
SPattence Rewarded.
Iis first love's age was Just twenty
five.
When at twenty in marriage he
sought her;
le failed; but again at forty did strive,
And this time he married her daugh?
ter.
Lofi by the Wayside.
"Is Miss Passay single from choice?"
"Yes; all the mon she knows hay*
hosen other girls."
?The Hiiltlnn (Jrnrrnl's Glans] Bye.
A Haitian Generu.l having lost an eye
in battle sent to Paris for an artificial
one. The maker sent in return one of
his best. Shortly after the General
returned It, with the remark that the
eye was too yellow, and recalled to
his mind the Spar.ish flag, adding at
the aame time that he would wear on?
ly an eye having the colors of his own
country. The maker thereupon made
one with red and green predominating,
(these being the Haitian colors). This
so pleased the General that instead cl
wearing the eye as originally intended,
ha added it to his collection of medals.
USEFUL TO SHOPPERS
FRENCH NAMES TOO GENERALLY
USED IN DRY GOODS STORES.
Explanation of r. Number of tho Term* Ap?
plied to Commonly Used Article*?Few
Veoplo Who Know That Thon? Marne*
Ever lind Any Meaning.
Many of our fabrics and dress goods
have French names?and we use them
without much idea that they originally
had any meaning
Armure is a material woven so that
the cloth has the effect of being wovea
with small seeds on the thread.
Barre refers to a fabric crossed by
bars of a contrasting color.
Bayadere comes from the dancing
girls of the East, whose garments are
made of stuffs crossed from selvage to
j selvage with stripes, and when worn
these stripes appear to run around the
body.
j Beige?Composed of yarn in which
j two colors are mixed,
j Boucle?A fabric having a marked
i curl or loop in the yarn, which is
j thrown to the surface. Boucle la
j French for curl.
Bourcette?This puts a lump Instead
of a curl on the surface. The word
comes from Bourer?to stuff.
Carreau?the same as checks, car
reaux meaning squares.
Chene?A printed effect.
Crepon?A crepe or crinkled effect.
Damasse?A figured fabric showing
a contrast in lustre between the
groundwork and the figure. We have
! the same idea carried out in damask
i linen.
' Drap d'ete?An all wool fabric with
a twilled face and broadcloth back;
woven as a twill and finished as a
broadcloth, with the gloss showing on
the back of the fabric.
Drap de Paris?A twilled armure. In
the weaving the seed-like effects are
given a twill effect, as in a serge.
Etamlne?Openwork effect.
Frise?A fabric in which the pile
stands up from the surface in uncut
loops. Friser Is to curl, or, as we say,
to frizz.
Gloria is a silk and wool material,
Jacquard ? A weave called after
its inventor, in which every warp
thread can be made to move independ?
ently of any other, Intricate figures be?
ing thus produced. All such complex
figured fabrics are classed under the
broad name of Jacquards.
J Matelasse?A fabric whose face Is
broken Into rectangular figures and
puffed up so as to resemble quilting.
Matelasse may best be translated as
1 tufted.
I Melange (literally, mixed)?A fabric
produced from yarn that has been
either printed in the wool or dyed of
j different colors and mixed together be
! fore being spun.
Satin Berber?A satin faced wool fa?
bric with a wool back. The effect Is
one of finish rather than of weave:
Satin Solell?A satin-faced armure
i fabric woven with a ribbed effect.
I Sicilian?A plain weave fabric com?
posed of a cotton warp and mohair All?
] Ing, with the tilling threads less twisted
: and broader on the surface than in a
I regular mohair.
Twill?A raised cord running in a
I diagonal direction in the fabric from
left to right. Any fabric with this
weave may be called a twill. The
number of twills to the inch in cash?
mere and other standard fabrics is ort?
en used to indicate their quality.
Vigoureux An elect produced by
printing the y irn of which the fabric
Is conipo-ed -nd c ing it without any
regard to oi. tr or resign.
Zibelir.e-' wool material used in
imitation of s:;hie 'nr. It haB on the
face long hairs that give it a fur-like
appearance, and may be produced in
several ways, but all give the same dis?
tinguishing feature. A "camel's hair"
fabric.
Ex-ljueen LH'?Crier.
It is reportol that the grief of the de?
posed Queen of Hawaii, Liliuokalani, is
very deep for the loss of her royal robe,
THE ROY VI. ItOBK.
a gorgeous garment make from the feathers
of an extremely rare bird. The robe is
very valuable as it took many years to col?
lect the foatftrs. The Dole, government
confiscated the garment when it went into
power.
Vetorinary Surgery Not for Women.
Women may cot be veterinary sur?
geons in London. The Royal College
of Veterinary Surgeons haB refused to
admit a lady to examination, asserts
lng that all Its charters and its rules
were drawn out on the assumption
that men alone would seek qualifica?
tion, and that, therefore, it would un?
duly strain the statutes to admit wo?
men. It Is said that the lady thus re?
pulsed intends to appeal to the law
courts.
Paris Forbids Hlg Hats.
M. Blanc, the new Prefect of Police
it Paris, has issued an order forbid?
ding women to weer high hats In the
iheatres.
Every man who works in a drug
store is finally known as "Doc"
A .Motable Violin.
If the best violin is tiiat made from
the oldest and best seasoned wood.
Franklin Richardson, of Canton, Me.,
must have a marvel. It Is made from
a panel of the cabin door of the Consti?
tution, taken out when the old ship
was repaired at Portsmouth Navy
Yard, thirty-five years ago. The pan?
el was given by one of the carpenters
to Mr. Richardson about thirty years
ago. It is a beautiful bird's-eye maple,
and the instrument is of remarkably
clear tone and has great carrying pow?
er. The violin ia worth several nun
dred dollars. . ...