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i ~ ^ ^ ^ ^ " ^PG^ C.. ' ."". .... \ ^^^^ _ UJE OF SPIDER'S WEB IN OPTICJ" A. L. Clement, in Nature, Peris Translated and Condensed For Pub lic Of inion. It is tbe extreme fineness of the spi der's web which makes it very valua ble for the reticules of astronomical in struments. In autumn the spider lays .a great number of eggs which it sur "THE WORST BRIDGE IN THE III AINEERS HAVE BEEN KNOW] IN THE MIDDLE.- I . rounds with a cocoon made of a thick and closely woven wadding of golden silk. Placed in boillug water contain ing gum and soap, this cocoon easily di vides and gives a thread so fine that 18, 000 would make a strand no larger than ordinary sewing silk. If the silk of the cocoon is not to be had, one may em ploy the threads of the cobweb which the spider places ou the trees, or one may disturb the spider, catch the thread which it unrolls ns lt falls and by tinning it on a pencil preserve It perfectly. 1.-METHOD OF PRESERVING WEB. 2. -DIAPHRAGM WITH BET100LE. 3. -SPIDER COCOON. When the thread has been procured a piece is detached and each end is placed in a small ball of wax, in the middle of which there has been previously placed a shot. Then the diaphragm which is to have the reticule is taken from the telescope. This uame is given to a sys tem of threads crossed at right angles which serve for the purpose of deter mining the optical axis, the name in practice including the diaphragm itself with its threads, the crossing of which should occur at Its very centre. The diaphragm also has very fine lines which have been' carefully engraved upon it ?nd after cleaning them care fully the thread held hy the balls of wax is placed on the diaphragm, where it ls slid with the aid of a magnifying glass until it is firmly fixed in the prd per lines. Ordinary -reticules are formed of two threads, but for observa tions of great precision reticules with many threads are employed. Old Man-of-War Dlrcovemd. In thc. battle off Dungeunes between Admiral Torrington's fleet and the French, in 1G00, the British seventy gun ship of the line Anne was run on the sands and scuttled. She sank in the quicksands, where she has been buried until a few days ago, when bc hulk appeared at low tide. It was found that many of her brass guns were still on board. How to Interest People. To Interest a man talk about him self; to interest a woman talk about ebody she wishes were talking to instead of you.-New York Press. Germany's exports grew from $i)9,G0G, 000 in 1001 to $114,405,000 in 1002. ^ A View ? This illustration shows the sunn Lick Observatory. The photograph with snow, although in the valleys bc A Remarkable Bridge. Tile . large half-tone on this pago shows a remarkable bridge over the River Indus at Rondu, In Northern Kashmir. This frail-looking- structure ?-which crosses a rocky.gorge, throtrgh ?.which the river nina at a tremendous j rate-consists of three ropes, one foot I rope and two side ropes, joined to gether by short lengths of rope at lu ?MALAYAS" - INTREPID MOUNM. NT TO TURN SICK WITH TERROR -From a Photo. terrais of a few feet. The three main, ropes consist of long switches of brush wood roughly bound together, the two side strands being kept apart bj' forked stakes nt intervals of twenty feet. Needless to say the crossing of these swlugiug, swaying structure: is not a very pleasant experience, and intrepid mountaineers have, beeu known to turn sick with terror in the middle, although the native coolies cross most light heartedly with heavy loads. The bridge been in the photo has been described ns one of the worst in the Ilimalaj-as. Wide World Magazine. SIDE SLIP PREVENTED. Non-Skidding Device For Automobile Wheels. An English invention to prevent "side slip" in an automobile, is shown in the accompanying cut. According to the Londou Engineer, the device itself, al though capable of construction in num berless ways, consists in its present Corm of two flexible wire hoops, one on either side of the whecd-the hoops beiug connected together by stool chains passing zigzag from one to the other around the tire. The hoop on in side of tho wheel is endless, while tl... hoop outside has a right and left hand coupling; affording means for adjusting the device to the wheel. The diameter, jof the hoops ls such that they cannot, TTnsr?vei ititi perrpfterj uf tire rv hud lbj use, and the whole combinatiou centres itself in running, and cannot come off even in the case of deflated tire. Thc chains are each a separate piece, and after excessive wear any chain is easily sliped out and-replaced by a new one without disturbing the uon-skidder. The effect in running is said to bc timi the uon-skidder creeps around the wheel, so that regarding .for thc mo ment one chain only, ibis would never press thc tire in the same spot in two or three consecutive revolutions. With this end in view lHs-of the utmost im portance that, though, thc nou-skiddcr should fit its tire loosely, it must on no account be so tight as to cause visible 'impression on the tire by any chain. Corporations In Germany. The director*, in German companies get no salaries unless thc annual divi dend e::eeods four per cent., and the limit they may receive is ?G000 a year. : The law forbids the manager of n com pany being a member of Its board. De tailed statements must be printed for stockholders prior to a stockholders' meeting. A Significant Sign. When a woman begins to praise her husband to her friends for his goodness to ber she has given up hope of every thing else.-New York Press. >f the Lick Ob uit of Mouut Hamilton, near San Jose, Cn was taken In the wiuter, when thc higher low oi'tmges are ripening and. flowers bloc AN INGENIOUS FOLDING GLASS It Occupies No More Room Than a Pocketbook. M. L. Petit bas just invented a very ingenious glass, ono that closes like an ordinary pocketbook with a clasp and occupies no more room in the pocket. The apparatus is composed of a flat and light frame .which has the eye ENGLISH AUX -Above are sb^wn some beauties-not lish beauties ready- for the-road". Both:\ In biscuit, fawn, blue or black, which ox pieces fixed to ?ts upper portion. These eye-piec.es slide by means of a setting screw. On the lower portion of the frame are fixed the object glasses mounted on a pivot, which follows the line nas%ing through their centres, thus allowing them to swing around their axes so that they may be brought to occupy a position that is perpendicu lar to the plane of the frame, or, on the contrary, to place them in the plane of thu frame, according as the glass is open or closed. The cut gives a clear idea of the construction. Go'd In tlie Snow. lt is said that there arc some places on the Copper River whore the snow, when molted and strained through a cloth, leaves a small trace of gold de posit. No perfectly satisfactory ex planation of this has been given, but some scientists say that the gold : ny have been brought from the far North bj' the heavy winter gales that- sweep over that part of the country. It is possible that if all tho snow in that re gion could be melted it would leave on tlie~gronnd millions of dollars in gold dust, and yet no artificial way has been found of making lt yield in pay ing Quantity. An Impossible Tunk. The worst thing about making love in poetry to'win a woman is the living up to it in prose after you have won her.-New York Press. The points of lightning conductors, the pointed leaves ?iud spiuos of trees, are always radioactive, and It has been largely shown that freshly fallon rain is so, too, and retains this property for about an hour. Running lessens tho blood supply in the legs. ii., upon which is located the famous altitudes of the tuountuiu arc covered NEW ELECTRIC LIGHT CONVENIENCES Lamp Stands Which Will Prove Val uable For a Variety of Purposes. The copyist nt the .typewriter find? that thc best tlilnrv designed for the purpose of holding the notes of nianu COrYHOIiDES AND LAMP bTAND. script being copied ls a stand which lins\a desk-life surface designed to bold the matter. before the operator nt a slight angle, and just below the level O HEADGEAR. tb? Sulfa u of Turkey's own, otu &ng? -i feils nud hoods are in waterproof silk, eludes wind, dust and rain. of the eyes. This bas been in more or less general use for soma time, and in order that the light may fall proper ly on thc work ?he combiued lamp stand and copy bolder shown iu the accompanying cut has been designed. The desk is adjustable 60 that it eau bc raised and lowered to any desira ble point, and thc lamp, too, is mova ble within limited lines. Another lamp stand is also shown, which will be found useful Cor many purposes where the current is available: It is especial ly desirable for an invalid's room or for j the general reader who desires a light! without tho inconvenience and heat o? oil or gas. The copy holder is twenty-five Inches ro UT ABLE ELECTKIC LAMP STAND. iu height, wolg.s five pound's* rind throws a light'on the keyboard of the machine, as well as the copy being trjk scribed. The height of the Hoot lamp is three feet when' not extended but when raised the lamp is five feel from the fioor. Want Waxed Paper lingo. "I should like to get my hands oh the man who pegan to line the or dinary paper bag of commerce with waxed paper," said an up-town grocer "Women will not have their order? sent homo in anything else now. Tho coarse brown pa j ?er bags that our mothers used to get ?ire almost out of business. If a woman wants to keep a tiling dry she asks to lia ve It sent in a waxed paper b:ig. If she wants to keep lt moist she also wants a waxed paper bag. Tea and coffee go Into waxed paper to keep 41 . dry and frosh. A nico bead of lc c calls for waxed paper to keep lt moist. Cakes, candies mid confectionery of all soils must be put in wax paper bags. Sugar and Hour arc about the only things for which we can usc tho' old-fash ioned bags. It was once only a fad in the trade, calculated to please some what fastidious customers who wanted to carry n small parcel home without soiling their gloves. Now it is a de mand In the business, oven for deliv er}' orders."-New York Times. A Wontlorfa! Cane. "Tropical growth Is an endless won der," said Senator, Dcpow to a bevy cf his colleagues ?it thc Metropolitan Club, Washington., "On one of my visits to thc lower latitudes I saw a cane two miles long." The company looked in er?diiTous. ''Perfectly true, I assure you, gentlemen;" said our Chauncey., after n pause for effect; "it was u bur rlcuneV'-Ncw York Press* ---ss A LAP OF LITTLE BAL DEATH^VALLEY THE LONELIE! REGION IN THE WORLD? ?>? ? - The Pajpabls Sense of Mystery in t DesertyAir Breeds Fables Chiefly Lost>Tl?easure-Hills That Have t . Lotus '? Charm.' Property equipped, it "ls possible ;o safely' across that ghastly si (Death Tvaliey-the .Armagosa desi In eastern California), yet every ye lt takes 'ita toll of death, and yet m find there,,, sun-dried mummies, whom no trace or recollection is pi served^lpfnir^erestiniate one's Uni to pass^a^kLcen landmark to the rig or left, .to And. a dry string where o looked for running water-there is help for any of these things. Along springs and sunken watt courses.-, one is surprised to find su water-Iov>Dg-plants as grow widely moist ground, but the true dest breeds:tts own kind, each.in its partie lar hafyt?t..*T?n'e angle of the sloi the frontage of a hill, the structure the soi? "jietermraes the plant Sout looking^hills are nearly bare, and t tree-line ^higher here by a ?thonsai feet. Canyons running" east and we will havo?\>ne wall naked and o clothed. Around dry lake3 ad marsh thc herbagje preserves a set and orde ly arrangement. Most species ha well defined areas of growth, the be Index the voiceless land can give t traveler of his whereabouts. Nothing the desert produces e presses -if? better, than the unbap] gr?wth^ojr^?ic tree yuccas. Tormente thin forests'of it stalk drearily in tl high mesas,, .particularly in that ti angular^slit that fans out eastwa from' the'- meeting of tlie Sierras ai cc>astwis<5*?Tlls where the first swin; across the southern end of the Si Joaquin valley. The yucca bustles wi bayonet-pointed leaves, dull grce growing shaggy with age, tipped wi panicles oEfetid .greenish bloom. Aft death, walch is slow, the ghostly, he low network of Its woody skeleto with hardly power to rot, makc3 tl moonlight fearful. Before tho yuc< has come) to full flower the Indiai roast its D.tids for their own delectatip Other yuccas, facti, low herbs, a thou 'and sorts? one finds journeying ea from the^ coastwise hills. There neither-p?verty of soil nor species i account"for the sparseness of dese growth, b??t simply that each plant r< quires more roo.2. So much earth mu must be tore-empted to extract i much moisture. /The real struggle fe existerice,|the real brain of the plan is underground; above there is xooi for ' a : romide?, perfect growth. 1 Death [valroy,: reputed the very core < desolation^-are nearly two hundrc identified^species. Above tue tree-lin which is also the snow line, mappe out abruptly by the sun, one fine .spreading" growth of pinon, junipc branched''nearly to the ground, lila ?age, an^j|whlte pine. ' There Is no special preponderance c self-fertilized or wind fertilized plant: but every weher the demand for an evidence-of insect life. Now wher tnere/are "seeds and insects there wi be birds and small mammals, an wher? these are, will come the slinkin sharp-toothed kind that, prey on then Go as far as you dare- in the heart c a lonely land, you can not go so fa that life and death are not before yoi Painted lizards slip in and out. of roc crevices, and pant on the white, ho sands. Birds, humming-birds ever nest in the cactus scrub; woodpecker befriend the demoniac yuccas; out o the stark, treeless waste rings the mu sic of the night-singing mocking-bird. I it bo summer and the sun well down there will be a burro wing owl to call Strange, furry, tricksy' things dar across the open places, or sit motion les9 in the conning towers of the creo sote. J The poet may have "named all thi birds without a gun," but not the fair: footed, ground-inhabiting, furtive small folk of the rainless regions. The] are too many and too swift; how man] you would not believe without seeing the footprint tracings in the sand. The] are nearly all night workers, findinj the days too hot and white. In mid-des erl, wbere there are no cattle, then are no birds of carrion, but if you ge far in that direction the chances an that you will find yourself shadowei by their tilted wings. Nothing so large as a man can move un spied upon thal country, and they know well how the land deals with strangers. There are hints to be had hore of the way ir which a land forces new habits on its dwellers. If one is inclined to wonder at first how so many dwellers came to be in the loneliest land that ever came out of God's 'hands, what they do there, and why stay, one does not wonder sc much after having lived there. None other than, this lone brown land lays such a hold on the affections. The rain bow hills, the tender, bluish mists, the luminous radianco of the spring, have the lotus charm. Tjey trick the sense of time, so that once inhabiting there you always mean to go away without quite realizing that you have not done lt. Men who have lived there, miners and cattlemen, will tell you this, not so fluently, but emphatically, cursing the land and going back to it. For one thing there is the divinest, cleanest air to be breathed anywhere in God's world. Some day the world will under stand that, and the little oases on the windy tops of hills will harbor for heal ing its ailing, house-weary broods. There is promise there of great wealth In ores and earths, which is no wealth by reason of being so far removed from, water and workable conditions, but men are bewitched by it and tempt ed to try the impossible. The palpable sense of mysitery in the desert air breeds fables, chiefly of lost treasure. Somewhere within its stark borders, if one believes report, is a hill strewn with nuggets; one seamed with virgin silver; an old clayey water-bed where Indians scooped up earth to make cooking pots and slaped them reeking with grains of pure gold. Old miners drifting about the dosent edges, weathered into the semblance of the tawny hills, will tell you tales like these convincingly. After a little so journ in that land yon will believe them on their own account. It is a question whether it is not better to be bitten by the little horned snake of the desert that goes sidewise and strikes without coiling, than by tho tradition of a lost mine. For all the toll the desert takes of a man lt gives compensation, deep breaths, deep sleep, and the commun ion of the stars. It comes upon one with new force in the pauses of the night that'the Chaldeans were a desert-bred people It is hard to escape the sense of mastery as the stars move in the wide, clear heavens to risings and settings unobscured. They look large and near and palpitant; as if they moved on some stately service not needful to declare. Wheeling to their stations in the sky they make thc poor world-fret of no account. Of no ac count you who lie out there watching nor thc lean coyote that stands off in the scrubv from you and howls and . howls.-Mary Austin, in the Atlantic Monthly. HORSEBACK RIDING. How lt Should Be Done In the In terests of Health. "I understand that by reason of Pres ident Roosevelt's devotion to horse back riding this healthful exercise has taken on new life in the capital," said Albert Townsend, Bon of a well-known attorney of New York, " and if my experience will be of benefit to those in Washington- who are seeking health -and I believe it will-I gladly give it. "I am on my way from the metropo lis to Atlanta on horseback. These trips are often recommended by phy sicians to delicate young men, but I think I can tell you why they do not in meet cases p-rove a success. They havo. with me, and season and weather do not count under proper?ccnditions. I am journeying south, and each day I have improved and expect to continue to do so; in summer you can go in any direction, but In the fall and winter it" must be toward1 the south. "I have changed myself from a pale, underweight man to one of sound phy r,'que with increased weight, but it has taken time and considerable money. I travel atone on my trips, that is, with out human companions, and with only ray bulldog Boxer, and, by the way, Boxer is a casehardened traveller and ilghte-r. I found that when I travelled with a companion when I wanted to tie up at a place for better weather or any other reason,' or when I wished to push ahead or turn this way or that, my riding companion, be it that he was otherwise agreeable, usually had a positive or silent objection. This kills sport of this kind. I found it to hav? a bad effect upon the nerves, temper and appetite. Absolute freedom of in dividual action must prevail. Again, my companions have'always been in a hurry to get on to the next town; if one must hurry on a horseback trip for health, then stay at home. "Doing as yoii^pT?^?^^lieves these trips of monotony which o0????^ii?e is detrimental. With a good fighting dog to whom you are attached, you are en tertained on tba road. Boxer has fought and-whipped, except on one memorable day, every dog from Com munipaw to Washington that he has engaged. I have had the fun of getting him out of the dog catchers' hands three times, and on the other side of Wilmington he went up agains*. three Great Danes that exceeded him in size and weight, but not in courage. He lost that half of his right ear," ob served Mr. Townsend, admiringly, in dicating a handsome big bull lying at his feet who Avas minus a good piece out of one erect ear, "in that unequal .fight, but I got him away with the leaden buitt of my riding whip. I ex pect him to maintain the record with the dogs south of the Mason and Dixon line until we get to Atlanta. "Another point on horseback riding (trips for your health is that you must have a good, sound horse, and you must^not allow yourself to feel lonely or discouraged. Blend with the exer cise a roving spirit, even if that be un natural; it can soon be cultivated. Have a small trunkful of serviceable clothes sent ahead from paint to point, as a stout woollen suit, a short, warm jacket and rubber slicker, the latter two be carried back of the saddle, are all you need. Stay as short or as long a time in a place: as you feel inclined; this is one of the beauties of the trip. Every minute there ls something to interest or attract your attention and to take your mind off yourself-the great desideratum to all those seek ing health. "Practise up on riding for a little while before you begin to toughen the muscles. Once you are under way the first thing you will notice about your self is thait you are hungry; many min would give a.. large yearly sum to feel genuinely hungry twice a day. You are astonished at your capacity for food so soon, and you sleep through the night. Your nerves are strengthened wonder fully and you begin to wonder why you ever thought you had 'troubles.' You can largely avoid taking cold by never venturing out in the face of a storm."-Washington Star. Precedence in Australia. The recent distinction conferred by the king on the cities of Melbbourne and Sydney in giving their chief mag istrates the enhanced dignity of lord mayor and the title of right honorable, has raised some questions of etiquette and precedence. It is contended in somo quarters that the title of right honorable gives the lord mayor of Mel bourne, the temporary capital of the commonwealth, rank and precedence over the president of the federal sen ato and the speaker of the house of representatives, who are only honor ables. If at the next great viceregal function the lord mayor of Melbourne attempts to go in ahead of the com lonwealth, complications may possibly arise. But pefhaps in the meantime thc Herald's college in London will be consulted on this and kindred points, and an amicable solution arrived at. By the way, Montreal and Toronto, the leading cities of Canada, are in quiring why they also should not have lord mayors. Well, if they bestir them selves and request in the right quarter, doubtless their ambition will be grat ified. Tho Canadians are not so push- i ful in "making representations" as the Australians.-London Chronicle. The record yield of timber from one t ree ^s.^?-OOO feet from a redwood 30 fcet^ii diameter, cut last year in Cali fornia, Wagons. Buggies. FURNITURE. ? Large Shipments of the best makes of wagons and buggies Just received. Our stock of furniture, housefurnishings is com plete. Large stock COFFINS and CASKETS always on hand. All calls for our Hearse promptly responded to. All goods sold on a small margin of profit. Call to see me, . I will save you money. G. P. COBB, Johnston, S. C. . -._._ -1 The Artist's Favorite The Matchless Unsurpassed in touch, tone, workmanship and dura bility. Sold "on Terms of Easy Payment. Factory and Warero oms, Cincinnati, Ohio. J. A. HOLLAND, Traveling Agent for South Carolina, /NiNETy-six, s.e. W. J. Rutherford. R. B. Morris. MANUFACTUEEES OF Cement, Plaster,'-Itali1, Fire Brick, Fire Clay, Ready Rooiing and Other Material. Write Us For Prices. Corner Reynolds and Washington Streets, AUGUSTA, ?= = GEORGIA. A BIT OF GREEN. . . ' 'A bit of green" for the living room in winter has a wonderfully trans* forming effect. Thu most simply fur nished room looks lovable with the additibn of a growing plant. Among vines that lend themselves easily to this treatment the manettia is per haps the most desirable. It grows freely and twines about any sort of support, even itself, if nothing else offers. The pairs of little tube shaped blossoms, scarlet and lemon yellow, show in cheery contrast with the masses of dark glossy green leaves. It is a '^companionable, homelike sort of plant, and deserves the epithet of "amiable" given it by one grower. "I never have rubber plants," said this home keeper. "They are easy to care for and make a good showing, but they are such stolid, un sympathetic things. I like compani onable plants." The manraudia vine is anothor dainty plant for house culture, espeoi ally for hanging baskets and bracket jars. The leaves r,re ivy shaped and translucent and thc blossom tubelike sorce two inches long and flaring in fhe face. Whitp, pink and purple are the commonest colors. This plant is particularly nardy, resisting even light frosts. Th? Kenilworth rvy, with its tiny leaves and dainty bios soms, ls always in order, making an attractive covering for the large pots Df other plants. Two or three seed lings of this placed about the roots of each plant will soon hide all pots and boxes under a wealth of virile growth. CLEANING SILVER'PLATE. For cleaning silver plate the follow ing mixture is recommended: To two ounces of prepared French chalk add one-quarter ounce of ammonia, four ounces of alcohol and two ounces of water; add to this when the chalk and water are thoroughly incorporat ed ten grains of cynaide of potassium dissolved in two ounces of water. The resulting mixture should be of a creamy consistency. To give lt a pleasant odor add twenty drops of oil of sassafras. 'The mixture should be placed in a bottle and thoroughly shaken before used. Apply with a jeweller's brush over the whole sur face of the article. If this happens to be deeply engraved, use what painters call a stippling stroke, which consists of jabbing the bristles into the re cesses and a grooves of the chasing. If highly polished do not. use a brush, mak6 a pad of cotton flannel filled with cotton wool and apply the mix ture. After thc article has been re stored to its original brightness wash thoroughly wi'.h caatile soap and wa ter, rinse in scalding wate?, and .-ipe with ft loft flannel, .>' . -.V*. v . ..* TIM* . ..<...?.-?.- --..? *. THE CARE OF CARPETS. A good layer of newspapers under' heath a carpet will preveat all danger from moths, which have a strong ob jection to printers' ink and will not come anywhere near it to lay their eggs. i Fresh papers should be used every [ time the carpet is taken up. Tea leaves, damp salt or newspaper that has been soaked in water and then squeezed dry and torn into small pieces are ail very good for taking up . the dust when sweeping, but tea leav?3 6hould always be rinsed in water be fore using, especially if the carpet ia a light one. Damp salt brightens the colors won derfully If tliey are at all faded or ?oiled. Remeber that a carpet should always be swept the way of the nap. To brush the other way is to brush the dust in. Attend to all stains as soon as pos sible. If yeft, they gradually sink in to the carpet and are much more diffi cult to remove than if done at once. Certain French papers have lately been devoting much space in the effort to prove that Gibraltar is no longer 'che key to the Mediterranean and that modern steam-driven ships have de stroyed its usefulness to England as a fortress. On this account they^are warning Europe to watch closely the designs of perfide Albion on the op posite Moroccan coast. In reply to this English papers are pointing out that Gibraltar has never been the key to the Mediterranean save in the sense of a point d'appui for the British ravy, and particularly the Mediterranean fleet. While it is true that modern guns might carry across the strait the chance of hitting a warship In mo tion are all but nothing. It is no longer regarded as anything more than a supply station for the navy, but as such it is as important as ever. Eng land could not hope to command th? strait, even if she had fortresses on the other side, without the help of her navy. There are thirteen miles of water at the narrowest point and no land guns couid prevent a fleef from passing through. TO WASH FLANNELS. It is possible to wash flannels witfc out shrinking them, but the average laundress does not know thc process. Therefore it is worth while to know how to restore shrunken garments to their original size, or something like Try laying the article to be re stored on the ironing board, and lay oa it a piece of cheesecloth which has been wrung out of cold water. Press with a hot iron until the cheesecloth ls perfectly dry. The garment wiU stow t/ marked improvement,