Manchester Democrat. [volume], December 06, 1899, Image 6

About Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930

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V.
tljc democrat.
BBOKBOH k, CARK, Publishers
MANCHESTER, IOWA.
The leather trust is a tough proposi
tion.
Considering the last part of its uame,
the chrysnuthemura is very lond.
One difference between oil election
and a prize fight is that an election Is
never declared a draw.
Taking that kind of a vote in a cam
paign Is something on the order of suck
ing comfort through a straw.
Speed has frequently marked mar
riages, but that Chicago man's two
forty record shows how he went the
pace.
if the tallow trust does not slip up
on its own product, then Sbakspeare
was right and there's nothing In a
name.
A man who was 60 years old commit
ted suicide the other day. It seems
Impossible for some people to live long
enough to 4earn to be patient.
The more the Czar looks at the Dar
danelles at this stage of the game the
more he is inclined to think that every
family ought to have some of them.
The celerity with which Admiral
Dewey got bis house furnished and
moved luto Is thoroughly characteristic
of the man as his country knows him.
Baldness, Fn the judgment of an em
inent physician, is a proof of intellect.
The presumption is that the pressure of
the intellect forces the head up through
the hair.
Ait organization called the Loving
Cup, Club has been formed. It would
be possible to make up a pretty large
social club of the distinguished men
upon whom mugs of this sort, have
rained recently. y-
The suddenuess and completeness
with which Capt. Dreyfus has dropped
out of sight demonstrates that fame
Is usually evanscent. The permanent
variety can be achieved only by the
roan who wing a glove fight or has a
5-cent cigar named after him.
Prof. Lanclann, of Rome, says the
skyscraper was not invented In Chl
cago. He claims that there were
twelve-story buildings in the Eternal
City during the reign of Augustus.
What a weary lot the old Romans who
lived on the top floors must have been
—or did they have elevators, too?
In Chicago some tbives, wlio were
provided with a derrick and a four
horse truck, succeeded In Betting away
with a steam boiler. Some interesting
Individuals tried to carry off a wood
and iron staircase from one of New
York's hotels. Enterprise and nerve
are always interesting, no matter how
immoral they may be in their applica
tion.
There is considerable, sure*asm con
cealed in the assertion that Cornelius
Vanderbllt was "cut oft with a beggar
ly million and a half dollars." More
than this could* be of no advantage to
him much less would enable him to
-keep the wolf from-tlie door. Those
who sympathize- with tlie young man
are sorry victims of morbid sentimen
tality.
Henry Olews believes that civilization
is largely a matter of beef steak, pota
toes and wheat and corn bread. These
ivlth tlie bath tub, be believes, are more
potent than missionaries. Degeneracy
is a blood disease aiid good food and
sanitation reach the blood. The Chi
nese. In Mr. Clews' view, are weak in
intellect because they live on rice. Give
the orientals the stimulus of western
meats and cereals and they will come
up to the standard' of our civilization.
Mr. Clews does not hint at enlightened
selfishness in his plan of redemption,
but It may be added that we have the
meat and bread for sdle.
The divorce agitation that pervades
the country, of which ministers of ev
ery denomination are speaking and
church conferences are passing resolu
lions, is not to close tbe doors so as to
render escape from unhappy marriage
impossible. Neither-Is it Intended to
throw the doors wide open and to al
low all to pass-through without ques
tion. It is not all for the Interest of
women, as many'have supposed. It Is
for men, women, home and society that
the people are discussing with great
earnestness, are viewing in all Its as
pects and revolving In their minds the
great question. In twenty years there
were 324,710 divorces granted, of which
212,178 were given to women, indica
ting that men are guilty of violating
the marriage bond more, frequently
than women, an assumption that few
would care to dispute or are prepared
to refute. gggs
When science uses technical speech
the uninitiated listen respectfully, but
are conscious of an aching void in their
apprehension. An every-day compari
son, however, brings fact and specula*
tion within reach of the average man.
Fossil remains described In plain Eng
lish can be seen .with the mind's eye.
A. dinosaur, for example, could be pic
tured in scientific terms and but little
more than a vague sense of vastness
would be the unlearned hearer's por
tion. But when a scientist says of a
monster discovered by .him, that a
round steak taken from the ham of the
... animal would have been at least twelve
feet In diameter, or more than thirty
flve feet In circumference, tbe ordinary
meat-eating Individual has a definite
and suggestive fact ready for use.
Speculation as to the number of waiters
and the size of the tip, In case prehis
toric man had ordered such a steak. Is
inevitable If not important.
The old legal question of the liability
of Insurance companies where the pol
icyholder commits suicide has been
ruled upon anew by the Federal Court
of Appeals at St Louis In the affirma
tive. The decision takes new ground!
It does not assume that the man who
kills himself Is necessarily. Insane. It
declares that the company is bound to
pay unless It can be shown that the de
cedent took out bis policy with the In
tention of committing suicide—a fact
which it would be practically Impossi
ble to prove. The ruling seems to bear
heavily against the companies, but It
is more in appearance than In reality.
Few men will commit suicide because
of the knowledge that their heirs will
get their Insurance money. On the
other band men will be induced to in
sure by the knowledge that there will
lie no quibbling and wrangling should
they die under circumstances which
might favor the Suicide theory. The
tfcbfoo
thus favor* tPtb
sides Mid
iu accord with public policy. Life in
surance is one of the blessings of civil
ization. It is only necessary that the
niau who pays premiums year after
year shall have every assurance that
liis dependents will receive the amount
of his policy without havlug to fight for
it in tlie courts.
Whether most people wish well to
their fellows Is a question of locality.
The world over, probably more people
wish each other III than good. The sav
age is cruel and selfish. The half-civ
Histed races are vain and covetous.
Envy and jealousy have still a mighty
show in the politest circles. Yet one
cannot help believing that iu prosper
ous, educated communities of our land
the vast'majority of the people are well
wishers as they meet and greet their
neighbors. A decidedly major part of
such a neighborhood are really pained
when misfortune overtakes one of their
number. The sincerity of the regret is
not to be doubted as they lament one's
overthrow, or talk in pitying words of
sickness or bereavement The struggle
of life Is so much the same thing in ev
ery ambitious household, the knowledge
of what must undoubtedly be the inside
facts of each home is so perfect—thanks
to our democratic institutions—that the
sympathy of the average American is
real and worth something. The day
may be far off yet when we shall do as
we would be done by but we are get
ting to think of others as we would be
thought of. The world is not nearly so
"cold" as it was when poets invented
the phrase. In trade, do we not prefer
to see each other get ou? Whatever
may be said of harsh methods, is there
not a measureless amount of amiable
and chlvalric good will among mer
chants? The keen contentious of mod
ern business and professional life we
do not believe are so desolating that we
are lapsing Into heatheuism. The re
venges of the age of the knights are
rarely pursued, except among politi
cians. The frank, bustliug business
man is disposed to forget and waste no
time on "getting even." Injury foi the
sa'ke of injury Is rare in a commercial
age. In fact, a commercial people take
little stock in purely sentimental sins.
The millionaire who built his own for
tune is rarely vain. He carries a light
baggage train of likes and dislikes, for
they do not pay.
PUMA SHOWS ITS GRATITUDE.
Big Cat Amazes Its Keeper by ail Ex
hibition of Friendship.
Keeper Mullen is constantly exposed
to the wild beasts In the zoo in giving
them their food and iu cleaning their
cages. Last week he was engaged in
the pleasant occupation of brightening
the outside apartment of a large puma.
For-reasons ot his own he hits always
been in the habit of permitting the ani
mals to roam In the Inside cage while
he cleaned the outside one. But this
time he somehow forgot to lock the
door, and the puma walked out upon
blm.
There was a brief pause, during which
time Mr. Mullen hastily reviewed his
past life. The puma stood in the door
way blinklng-at the light and blocking
up the only means of escape. All around
were the hard iron bars of the cage.
The puma, waving Its long catlike tall,
slowly approached, and Mr. Mullen
brought bis broom to a position which
In army parlance is known as charge
bayonets. Great was the keeper's sur
prise wheta the fierce animal meekly
rubbed its sleek sides against the trem
bling leg, very much after the manner
of a large cat. It exhibited signs of
recognition and pleasure and began
purring loudly.
Mullen could scarcely believe his eyes.
He fancied the animal was only sham
ming and biding his time, and expect
ed every moment to feel its sharp fangs
in his leg. Not to be outdone by the
animal, he began bluffing, too, acting as
if it were the most natural thing in the
world that he should be patting the
puma's head. He tried to make the
animal feel how much he was enjoying
It, and the result was that they were
soon romping on the ground together
like two friendly children
This is the explanation of It: Keeper
•Mullen had removed a tumor from the
side of the puma. The operation was
performed by the aid of catgut and took
some time. The puma suffered a great
deal with it and seemed relieved when
It was over.
It has shown great affection for its
keeper ever since, permitting him to
pat Its head betweea the bars, but not
until lie accidentally found himself In
the s.::ue Inclosurewlth itdld the keeper
believe that he could ever enter Its cage
and come out unscathed.
Keeper Mullen naturally attributes
the display of affcction to the operation
which he performed, and he says that
hereafter he will not be afraid to enter
the puma's cage any time he may see
fit. He knows that hereafter they will
be good friends.—Philadelphia Times.
Entertained by a Hen.
The ways of a hen are often original
and sometimes niirth-pilovoklug, and a
Plymouth Rock did novel and amusing
tilings to the Joy of a car-load of pas
sengers, on a recent trip from Braddock
to Pittsburgh.' The Pittsburgh Com
mercial Gazette tells the story.
Carrying a hen proudly a man who
was evidently a foreigner got on the
trolley-car at Braddock. He was
drowsy and not quite sober, add he
crossed his legs, set the hen on his lap
and went to sleep.
Four miles out of Braddock the hen
suddenly woke from its own reverie,
nnd cackled. Its owner opened his eyes
and found himself and bis lien objects
of Interest He was annoyed but the
passengers had more or less excuse for
staring they had discovered a fresh
egg resting snugly on the man's lap.
No one could speak tlie man's
language, but every one was bound
that he should know what had happen
ed. Twenty Index fingers pointed to
the hen, and forty eyes were turned in
the same direction. Finally the stran
ger lifted the hen tenderly, aud the se
cret was revealed.
Then he was wide awake. With his
left hand he held the egg aloft, that all
might see with bis right hand he af
fectionately stroked the hen. Every
body smiled. All at once It seemed to
occur to him that refreshments were
in order. He grinned at Ills fellow
passengers, tapped the shell on tlie seat
to open a way to the Interior, aud
swallowed the egg.
Europe's Princes an.I I'lincessi
A statistician has recorded the pain
ful fact that there are 71 marriageable
princesses of the royal blood in Europe,
the bonds of matrimony. The conciu
and only 47 princes of age to enter into
sion Is that there are 24 princesses who
must either contract morganatic mar
riages or become St. Catherines.
Spasm nt Decency in Paris.
The French Society for the Suppres
sion of Vice Is going to try to prevent
indecent exhibitions among the attrac
tions at the Paris exposition, which
have of iato years been allowed ao
much license ou such occasions on the
plea that they Illustrate tbe ciistomi
and amusements ot other
la
k'VS'
csoubMm.
w,
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THE CULTURE OF TEA.
SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENTS ARE
MADE IN THE SOUTH.
Hardens in Sm1 Cnroliha Produce 'a
Superior Article at Twenty-five Per
Cent. Profit-A New and Growing In
dustry tor the Southland.
Some years ago a few far-seeing men
of the Southern States looked far
enough ahead to see that cotton would
not always be king, and opened to dis
cussion the problem of raising ten. Ai
that time cotton was king, nnd there
was no denying it, so the effort to cre
ate an Interest In tea raising proved
abortive. In* less than fifteen years
came a great war iu which the South
was swept clean as by a hurricane.
One result of the war. minor perhaps,
besides some of the other results, was
that cotton was dethroned. Into the
new South was Introduced other forms
of agriculture, and not only that, but
manufactures which the South hereto
fore bad despised with pride in Its
"splendid isolation."
And now, a generatiou alter the war
has closed, after King Cotton has been
deposed, Southerners themselves have
taken up the culture of tea iu earnest,
bound to make it contribute to the gen
eral prosperity of that section of the
country. A leader among these leaders
is Prof. Charles U. Shepard, of Pine
hurst, Suminervllie, S. C„ and In a pub
lication of tlie agricultural department
in Washington he tells of the success
of bis experiment.
Since ho has made a profit of 25 per
cent, on bis venture the undertaking Is
entitled to be taken out of the class of
experiments anil put In with tlfe solid
accomplishments that will endure. It
Is seven years since he first reported
on the operations on the Pinehurst es
tate. He says that it seems probable
from the facts so far gathered that the
cultivation of tea can be made profit
able In the warmer portions of the
United States in two ways. One is by
establishing a plantation on the scale
of the experiment at Summerviile with
capital sufficient to carry the work to a
point„where the product can be offered
on equal terms with teas holding an es
tablished place In. the markets of the
United States. The other Is to grow
tea for home use In the farm garden.
In either case tea growing can be un
dertaken safely only where the tem
perature rarely goes lower than 25 de-
ROSE TeA GARDEN WITH ASSAM-HYBRID TEA
grees Fahrenheit, nnd never below
zero, and where a liberal supply of
water can be depended upon. There
Is probably ao place In the United
States where the ralnfal) Is sufficient
for the best results with the tea plant,
and Irrigation should where possible be
provided for ingrowing tea.
The experiment at Suminervllie, on
tlie growth and manufacture of tea, be
gan about teu years ago. At the be
ginning it was wisely on a small scale,
but has gradually been lucreased until
now over fifty acres have beeu planted
I in tea. When the plants arrive at full
bearing the yield should be nt least
10,000 pounds of high-grade tea and
this should suffice for the object in
view, viz.. to determine whefher com
mercial tea may be profitably grown
under the local conditions of soil, cli
mate and labor.
One of the most productive of the
Summerviile gardens is that called the
Rose gardeu. The output of green leaf
from It has been: Crop of 1802, 56
pounds crop of 1893, 81 pounds crop
of 185)4, 151 pounds crop of 1895, 333
pounds crop of 1800, 000 pounds crop
of 1897, G48 pounds crop of 1898, near
ly 1,200 pounds. One thousand two
hundred and sixty pounds'of green leaf
will afford 300 pounds of standard Pine
burst black tea. But the "Rose Garden"
te not to be regarded as an exceptional
result, nor of difficult imitation. Two
larger gardens, also formerly plney
woods pouds, planted with DaFJeeling
seedlings, promise successful rivalry
within a few years, and yet others ap
pear to be awakening to a more vigor
ous productiveness.
Without undue endeavor. Prof. Sbep
paid sold his crop of 1898. about 3,000
pounds, as also about 500 pounds of the
crop of the previous year (which had
been bought to maintain prices), at a
profit of about 2"i per cent. The Pine
hurst black tea has a distinctly charac
teristic flavor and. like some of the
choicer Oriental teas, its liquor has
more strength than its color iudlcatcs.
These qualities render its introduction
slow. But It has always proved a diffi
cult matter to change the taste of tea
consumers notably so In the introduc
tion of Ceylon tea Into Great Britain,
the-mother country of Its producers.
Nevertheless there has been a steadily
Increasing demand for Pinehurst tea.
and a great many people will driuk uo
other.
Green tea also is nilide at Pinehurst.
and has attracted keen interest In the
trade. There Is probably a greater de
hiaud Iu the United States for green
than black tea. At present, a large
amount of sophisticated green tea is
consumed iu tills country. As it is
chiefly made of inferior leaf, highly
colored with Prussian blue, and faced
with powdered soapstone, etc., so as
to hide all natural defects. It canuot be
regarded as either nutritious or health
ful. But tlie uuturc of the demand In
dicates a decided preference for the
taste and qualities of green, I. e.. not
oxidized, teas, aud should stimulate us
to supply in its stead a pure, wholesome
article of the same type. Unfortunate
ly. green teas can as yet be maae by
hand only they represent cheap Ori
ental labor, aud In the lower and me
dium gradeR competition by American
manufacture is well-nigh impossible.
Black teas can he made by machinery
iu almost every step after the delivery
of the leaf in the factory.
The cost of production ofr tens iu this
country is high, owing to the compare*
#ve dearnees of labor, This rcust 't#
"M
met by a greater productiveness In tbe
field, by the substitution of machinery
for hand labor in the factory, and by
the manufacture of varieties of teas
which, from Inbercnt chemical causeB,
cannot be brought from the Orient.
Filling Out Gnrden Corners.
There Is a large class of people wbo
mlgbt profitably add the cultivation ot
tea to that of flowers and vegetables,
filling out !\je corners of tlicir gardens
and home fields with tea bushes, as
they do in China, or substituting use
ful as well as ornamental evergreen
hedges of that plant for the present
unsightly and costly and frequently un
reliable fences. Cultivated Iu this way,
the outlay of rime, labor and money
could hardly prove burdensome and,
as one result, the household should be
able to supply Its own lea—pure,
strong and invigorating, instead ot tbe
wishy-washy, often far from cheap,
stuff generally sold throughout the
country.
As these little tea gardens are ex-
TKA NUHSl'.RY I\ JUI.Y.
tended ond multiply factories will be
established in each neighborhood for
the larger manufacture of commercial
tea, whither the products of the gar
dens surrounding may be brought and
sold, precisely as canning factories qnd
dairies consume the surplus production
of fruit and milk.
One feature In the cultivation of tea
has only to be stated to appeal to every
one who plants, namely, that the season
for gathering the leaf lasts In this cli
mate for six months. Thus a crop Is
not dependent, for at least partial suc
cess upon the weather of any one or
two months, as is so apt to be the case
with most of the objects of the bas
bnudfnan's labor and solicitude.
For tbe present It will be wiser to
limit the production of tea In the South
to the better grades, such as retail at
from 50 cents to $1 per pound. The
greater cost of unskilled labor in tills
country than in the Orient should con
stitute a smaller fraction of the total
expense if the product commands a
1
i/
higher prlcc. Other thiugs being equal,
the quality, of .any tea depends ou the
"fineness" of the leaf plucked.' If only
the tiny, tender, youngest leaf be pick
ed, the quantity of the crop must be
comparatively small but Its quality
will be decidedly superior to that ob
tained by "coarse" plucking, which also
embraces the older, larger and neces
sarily tougher leaves.
Problem of Cheap Labor. •.
Leaf-plucking demands the careful
attention of ilie tea grower. It Is a
light employment, suitable for women
aud childreu. but they must be taught
patiently aud their work must be scru
tinized strictly. At Pluehurst colored
children do the picking, aud very satis
factorily. A free school Is maintained
for them every pupil of suitable age
and size is required to pick others are
excluded from the gardens. Regular
HOI.UNO ANI) DHYtXO I.OOSl.
attendanccaudbetterdisi'iplineare thus
secured. But, otherwise, there would
be uo difficulty in secUriug an ample
force, as the wages earned—prove In
themselves a sufficient attraction. The
older children earu from 30 to 50 cents
a day the younger one in proportion.
The tea gardeus are picked twenty
times a season, or once every ten days,
and It takes three days for the average
force of twenty children to make the
round of the gardens. The more in
dustrious and skillful pick from ten to
twenty pounds of fresh leaf a day. It
takes four and a fifth pounds of fresh
leaf to make one of dry lonf.—New
York Press.
MALADIES GF TELEGRAPHERS*
Subjcct to 'J'ubcrcu'.oeia, iicart Trouble
and llruiu Congestion.
"Telegraph opetalois are kepi iy /i_
constant state of cctcbiul
oays ir. iiuji, I'ie.^hti in oi" the KaiYwa.v'
and Telegraph Workers* Union. "They
are exposed to a great number of mala
dies, aud it cau \\:M be said, that their
work is dangerous. A telegraph oper
ator reads .better w.tli h.s ears t».a.i
with his eyes. Uc carries out au es
sentially mental ope.ai.on by uslug
the nerves of hearing. This taculty is
consequently gnly develop, in li
case. In the oidiuar.i work of reading
twenty words a iiiiuuie the telegraph
operator must distinguish l.Ui aiie. nate
strokes or intervals, au.l when theie
is a rush of work this ngure can go as
high as There i.s al*o the turns
forming tlie sounds litio v.s.bie sym
bols, or writing, which implies another
mental process. And whereas the nor
mal aiJKiiuii of var.cd sensatory im
pulses per iniuute is 120, the telegraph
operator has to accomplish 150 to 450.
"Without taking extreme cases into
consideration, it may be said that the
sense of hearlug in a telegraph oper
ator is two and a haif times more pow
erful thaii Iu au ordinary Individual,
Again, in telegraphy the coutiuulty of
the oervous stimulation, the mouotoay
of ?oub48 and the of Attention
ire further causes of exhaustion. It
1p found -also that during forced work
the telegraph operator's breathing Is
affected, his heart's action precipitated
and ills brain congested. As a result
of these phenomena It is noticeable
tliat a general decline of the organism
follows, ending- in tuberculosis."
According to Mr. Hull, the ordinary
death rate for tuberculosis is 13.8
that of telegraph operators Is 40.0. And
what Is true of tuberculosis applies to
other affections of the respiratory or
gans. The general death rate for the
latter Is 3.5, but It rises to 18.4 among
telegraph operators between 15 nnd 25
years of age, to 23.1 between 25 nnd 35
years of age. Instead of 4.0, and to 12,
Instead of 5.3, between the ages of 35
aud 45. From 45 years upward It de
clines, being 4.3, Instead of 53. but
tills diminution Is very delusive, seeing
that it is due to tbe elimination of tbe
weak members who have died off In the
preceding years. It becomes more
marked, with increasing age. Between
5r nnd 00 it stands nt 0.5, instead of
5.4, and above G5 nt 0.4, Instead of S.2.
But these are not the only affections to
which telegraph operators are liable.
Tbe nervous tension which they endure
often gives rlBe to a state requiring
immediate withdrawal from their
work.
A HUMAN HIVE.
A Place Where Most of Our Jewelry
Is Made.
Providence, R. J., has tbe largest sil
verware factory In the world, the larg
est screw factory, the largest manu
factory for small tools and the largest
file works. Perhaps It Is especially
unique In producing more jewelry than
any other city in the United States,
says the Nashville American, and.near
ly as much as all the rest of the coun
try combined. There Is no city which
possesses so mauy separate and dis
tinct shops for the manufacture of a
siugle commodity as Providence does
for the manufacture of jewelry. There
are at '.east 250 separate factories de
voted to the making of gold, silver,
rolled-plated, electroplated and bras*
jewflry and novelties. In addition, the
auxiliary Industries for furnishing sup
plies of special labor to the Jewelry fac
tories number more tbaq seventy-five.
Many of the Jewelry shops are small,
Employing only ten or a dozen bands,
while some employ ss high as 300, and
In one case 1,400. By the State census
of 1895 the capital Invested in this in
dustry in Providence is 1112,000,000
average number of bauds employed,
7,000 annua! wages paid, $3,500,000
value of material used, $5,500,000
value of annual products, $14,000,000.
Had these figures been taken in 1896
they would hare been at least 83 per
tent. more. Iu almost every case the
shops have been started by poor men
with small capital, and as a. result of
success there lias arisen a large class
of well-to^o people, neither rich Tior
poor, but prosperous and contented.
:'i
'"'x
Picrons as a Naval Force.
A number of pigeons are now official
ly recognized by the British Admiralty
and form part of the naval force, states
a writer in the New Penny Magazine.
Whale Island at Portsmouth 'is the
iieudquarters of the. homing pigeons
belonging to the navy—the birthplace
of the birds supplied by other lofts at
Devouport, Malta aud Hong Kong.
This particular feature of the Royal
Xayal Barracks was .Introduced In
1893 at the Instigation Of Capt. Login,
who ivas then the commanding officer,
and has beeu developed nnd brought to
its present state of efficiency by that
gentleman's successor, Capt. Bayly.
The cost of keeping the birds—about
£2 per month—was defrayed by tbe
officers and men. The pigeons are
used, of .course, for tlie conveyance of
messages, of which several thousand
have been received since the establish
ment of the loft. There is electric com
munication between the huge cote and
the buildings, so that when a bird en
ters its domicile it emises a bell to ring,
aud so announces its arrival. Many of
the missives brought by the pigeons
have been of great imoprt^nce, and
have been telegraphed to the Admiral
ty. Some of the birds, too, have done
excellent performances. The flight
from Jersey lias often been made In
two. bours but the "record," at least
for distance, is from a ship off the
Eddystone, 182 miles away—a big "lly"
that was accomplished in three and a
half hours.
A Nation of Conks.
There Is scarcely an individual In
China-who Is not competent to cook
himself a rcspectablu meal. The peas
ant sits down to dinner cooked by the
babd of his wife or daughter-in-law.
lijjiarge establishments the cooks are
^invariably men. Half a dozen cooiics
will 8(imit round a bucket of steaming
rice and from four to six small savory
dishes of stewed cabbage, onions,
scraps of fat pork, cheap tisb. etc. They
fill their bowls at discretion Trom the
bucket. They help themselves discreet
ly with their chop-sticks from the va
rious relishes provided. Ou ordinary
occasions even a wealthy Chinaman
will sit down to spine such simple fare,
served Indeed ou a tabic Instead of ou
the ground, but in almost equally sim
ple style, it Is only when a bamjuet is
subslituted for the usual meal that eat
ing
Ih
treated seriously as a fine' art,
In a manner worthy Its importance to
the Oilman race. Then the guests will
assemble between 2 aud 4 In the after
noou aud will remain steadily at the
table until any hour from 10 to mid
night.
A bridegroom can get a good deal of
credit for helping bis wife with tbe
housework, by going out once or twice
a week, aud upsetting a few things in
the kitchen.
The average married wornau acts as
If stje fouud her husband easy to get.
expects to liftve iiQOttwr W-*
The Present lay PIk,
The pig of to-day is InBnitely supe
rior to that which was generally found
in this country, say. a quarter of a
century since. Of this there appears
to be little doubt, and, further, the
breeders of pure bred pigs would ap
pear to be well within their right when
claiming that this marked Improve
ment was mainly owing to the pigs
which had been distributed from their
herds, principally for crossing In the
more ordinary farm pigs. But do the
pure bred-, pigs of to-day possess any
thing approaching as many of those
commercial points aB they should pos
sess or are they so much In advance of
the common country pigs as they were
two or three decades since? We fear
not And yet the difficulty of improv
ing the pig stock of the country Is
now far greater than It was In years
gone by, owing to the difference in
form and quality between the two
classes of pig having become less pro
nounced.
Another difficulty presents Itself to
the breeders of pure bred pigs of to
day—the public taste, or fashion, de
mands a pig ot the form and substance
which Is somewhat contrary to the
form of the original pig, which car
ried the greater part of its weight In
the fore quarters, whereas now tl^e
pig of to-day must furnish the greater
portion of Its me^t from the ribs and
hind quarters. Thus the pig of to-day
must be a manufactured article, since
the wild hog, from which all our do­
THK PIQ OF TO-DAY.
mesticated pigs nre descended, was so
formed for defense and for the search
for roots, bulbs, etc.. that tbe major
portion of Its weight was in the fore
quarters. We not only have to attempt
to produce pigs totally dissimilar In
form and character to the original
foundation stock, but we have to be
most particular In mating animals
from as similar a source as possible,
or we Inevitably produce a pig with
many of the undesirable points of the
parents, and with few of those quali
ties which we are anxious to see ex
emplified in the pig of to-day.
1
Great Yield of Wheat.'
iu Belgium they sow a small piece
of a few square rods with wheat, sow
ing seed broadcast and rather thickly,
usually in 'September. They then pre
pare a field by plowing deeply In nar
row furrows, putting on edge several
times, and- then unrrowing with fine
harrow to kill any weedB tbnt may
con)e. It Is, however, left In the rough
furrow after the last plowing, which
gives a chance for the. frost to pul
verize tbe soil, and kin ipsect eggs or,
pupa. In tbe spring" this field is heav
ily .manured, plowed, harrowed, and
Anally raked with an iron-toothed rake.
A marker then marks rows (en Inches
apart, and furrows two or three Inches
deep are made along tbe mark. Anoth
er takes up the plants from the bed
where the wbeut was sown In tbe fall,
separating them to single plants and
rejecting any-poor ones. These plants
are put. In tbe furrows about four
Inches apart, the roots well covered
with soil, and then patted down solid
with tbe back of tbe shovel. At times
tbe soil Is stirred with a hoe and all
weeds killed. Where four or five work
together, each doing his or her own
part of tbe work, for women and chil
dren assist at It, the' transplanting is
done very-rapidly. The plants being
strong stool out to 30 or 40 stems each,
tbe ground Is well covered, and it is
said 100 bushels per acre Is a common
yield, and from that to 150 bushels. A
three-acre field is a large one there, but
lit yields as much as many 20-acre
fields in this country. Labor Is more
abundant tbfen land, but a little seed
on a little land produces a large crop.—
American Cultivator.
Flies and Mosquitoes.
At a meeting of cutomologlsts at Co
lumbus, Ohio, last summer, a paper
was read in which un expert connected
with the Russian Goverbment reported
that tbe gadflies, sometimes known as
horseflies or deerltles in different sec
tions, would be destroyed by covering
the surface of the pools of-water from
which they drink with a thin flint of
kerosene oil. Sometimes covering one
euch pool will destroy them over a large
section of country. Some time ago
Prof. L. O. Howard, Of the Agricultural
Department, reported that tbe use of a
small quantity of kerosene in this way
on ponds and other pools of stagnant
water would destroy the larva of the'
mosquitoes that bred tli^re, and If It
will also destroy gadflies It would be
Weil worth making use of It in sections
where these insects nre a continual tor
ment to man aud beast, and more es
pecially to the poor beasts that must
stay all day ill the pastures near these
ponds nnd swamps
HuuUnic Shocked Corn.
When I went to haul in my shocked
coru. sa.vs a correspondent, having no
low-wheeled wagon and no one to help
me. I fouud It would be poor business
loading by myself from the ground. I
took a good inch plank about eight feet
long bored a' hole near one end, tied
to rod at back end of wagon bed, close
up, so one end would rest on end of
bed floor and other end on the ground
nailed several cleats on top side to
walk up ou, put all on bed from ground
I could, after standing two pieces in
front end between end-gate and rod
then take up armful, wAlk up on plank
and load to front end'and walk down.
Let plnnk drag. -Always ready when
you stop. Commence unloading from
tlie back end. Unloaded under shed
all by myself.
Killing Sparrows.
A writer tells of tbe nuisance Eugiish
sparrows were about his bouse and
barn, until he got a guu, and in about
200 shots he killed twenty-five of tbeui,
and scared away a million, more or less.
We think his tnarkmansblp wns not as
good as that of tbe Boers. We saw one
of our uelgbbors kill thirty-three of
tbem at one shot, aud It was not a large
flock of sparrows either, at least after
the shooting. Feed tbem onts a few
times in some convenient spot and they
will soou gather there, so that with a
good charge of flue shot, a tnau ought
eMily to kill balf the dock every tlms
I* Itw.
TUobb
tbat
ara
«csr*4
$
will live to come another day. After he
has bad a few sucb shots each fall, tbe
sparrows will avoid that place and Its
vicinity, and if every one would do so,
we migbt see and hear some of our na
tive song birds and insect destroyers
around tbe buildings again By the
way, those sparrows make a nice little
pot pie, as we know, for we helped eat
those thirty-three, bnt the picking and
dressing them was worth more than the
game.—Exchange.
A Great Potato Crop.
The average yield of potatoes In the
United States is said to be 85 bushels
per acre. The Canada yield is report
ed as averaging SO to 25 bushels high
er than that, while In England a good
crop may be 240 bushels, whl&h Is no
more than some farmers here obtain
who manure liberally and try to grow
good crops. But on the estate of Lord
Rosebery at Dalmeny, Scotland, they
nre reported to obtain an average of
T20 bnsbels to the acre. How docs he
do It? He puts 30 gross tons, 2,240
pounds to the ton, to the acre, of ma
nure, mostly from tbe city of Edin
burgh, plowed In upon a clcan stubble
In the falh.then in tbe spring be'grubs
In 448 pouuds ot "ground" lline, and
at planting time be puts In the drill
pet- acre 448 pounds-of superphosphate,
nnd 112 pounds each of muriate of
potash, sulphate of potash, fermented
bone meal and sulphate of ammonia.
Here, then, is 890 ponnds of good fer
tilizer material In the drill, besl.de tbe
lime, and the 30 tons, which we should
call here 33 tons, 1,200 pounds of ma
nure.
Profit in Bquaba.
Make each pair of birds take a cer
tain box. For Instance, If tbe birds
seem to prefer a high box. give It to
fhem If a low one, choose one nearer
the floor. One can always judge by
their notions. All the empty boxes
tnust be kept closed. It Is surprising
how quickly tbey will learn'tbelr own
boxes, and once settled the male bird
defies all intrusion. By so doing you
learn all yftur birds by sight, and If
tbere are odd or strayed ones In the
flock they may be removed. At night
Is the best time to look them over.
Feed little besides corn and wheat,
with a box of oyster shells and grit.
To avoid disease clean the lioxes from
which the squabs bave been taken to
kill and scrape'thc floor once a week
or every two weeks. Keep air-slacked
lime and carbolic add scattered about
profusely and the disease will soon de
part. This must be done frequently
the year round, as perseverance and
constant attention are tbe only way
to success.—Farmers'Voice.
V/ ... .-.
Here's a Water Heater.
There Is no question about tbe advis
ability of taking the chill off the wnter
that is given lo cattle in the winter.
The problem
Ik
lo secure a practical,
cheap way of warming the water. The
illustration shows how this may be
done. The trough is raised as shown,
and a circular opening cut in the bot
tom. A thick body of white lead is
spread about this opening nnd a sheet
of galvanized iron Is then tacked firm-
A PRACTICAL NVATBlt IIKATS8.
ly down upon the lead as shown. Un
der this Is made a box and In It is
placed a small oil stove. Have two
small boles in tbe door and in tbe rear
wall of the box near the top. With
the cover down, a whole troughful of
icy-cold water cau soon be brought to
a temperature where it will be safe
for stock to drink it. and that, too. at
almost no trouble at all, and at hardly
more than a cent's expense.—American
Agriculturist.
Silage for Fattening Cattle.
At the Ontario Agricultural College
they fed three lots of two steers each as
follows: Lot 1 had 57 pounds of en
silage each, lot 2, 31 pounds of silage
and 9 pounds of hay, lot 3, 43 pounds of
roots and 11 pounds of hay. Each bad
about 12 pounds a day of grain, consist
ing of ground pens, barley and oats.
Lot 1 weighed 2,789 poundsat the begin
ning, and In 146 days gained 555 pounds
or .LO pounds eacb per day. Lot 2
weighed 2.735 pouuds at first and
gained'in same time 448 pounds, or 1.53
pounds each per day. Lot 3 weighed
2,672 pounds, and in the time gained 537
pounds, or 1.84 pounds a day. The gain
by feeding only ensilage and grain was
uot much larger than tlia*. on roots and
hay with grain, but all estimates indi
cate tbat tbe silage is much more easily
and cheaply produced, the 57 pound^
requiring less land and lejs labor than
the 43 pounds of roots, to say nothing
of cost of tbe bay.
Large Trees.
Raleigh, N. C., has the largest pair
of oak trees in the United States, when
perfect symmetry of trunk and top Is
taken Into consideration. They stand
300 yards north of the capltol. There
Is practically no difference In their di
mensions. The diameter of truuk at
til® ground level Is 0 feet, and six feet
higher up Is 7% feet. It is thirty feet
from the ground to the first limb. Tlie
branches radiate iu the most symmet
rical manner, and cover a space of 170
feet iu diameter. Under one tree the
entire Episcopal diocesan convention
once met Tlie height of the oaks Is
98 feet. Their trunks arc not Irregu
lar or roughly buttressed. They are
red oak'B, and their age is estimated at
000 years. Their vitality Is perfect.
Value of Breeds*
The value ot breeds Is greater than
is known to some. Formerly it wns
considered necessary to keep a steer
until 4 or 5 yekrs old before sending to
"hiurket, hut. with the use of Improved
breeds steers cab lie now marketed at
2 and 3 years of age, and will be heavier
than those of twice that age that are
not well bred. Good breeds save time
and feet], Increase the weight and lead
to higher prices.
Watering Trough for Poultry.
To make a. watering trough for poul
try take three pieces of board 1x6x3
feet long make a square trough, then
take a board that will fit inside and bore
It full of %-lnch holes, put Into trough
and till with water. The board always
floats ou top, aud it is impossible for
young fowls to get themselves wet,
they will do when drinking from ai) pr
41WH7 trougb.-W. A.
MM
A GOVERNMENT JOB.
M?
tt Very Often 8ap thfe Energr of 111
Holder.
The narcotic effect of government
Employment Is notorious, explains an
Eastern newspaper writer, but* as ilk
•ther cases, tbe victim of tbe sedativsl
habit does uot believe and cannot real
ize its power until it Is'too late.
There is a certain fascination to tbe
old and hardened to watch tbe young
struggle ngnlnst their fate. The same
sensations may be secured by obserr
Ing the operations on a sheet of fly
paper. The victim is "foot loose" and
Is looking around for a favorable open
Ing. In tbe meantime It seema d'eUr
able to have some temporary lodgment
-standing-room, as It were—until tk»
delayed opening appears. So the Ay
steps Into the soft Government stlck
um. At first It doea not seem so bad,
and It is only when he feel* his feet
sinking that be decides to quit. But
this be finds it not so easy. H« pause*
and begins to cast about for a little
leverage or a way to wade out. In Hie
operation be tangles up another mem
ber or two. By this time be suspects
that the danger Is serious and buziM
frantically. Tbe result is the same,
and while be Is resting from tbe erer- ,K
tion he tangles up one wing. Tbe other
waves for a while, the emblem of a
disappointed and hopeless ambition,
now and then buzzing about toe time
to come when be will qttlt tlie dot
ernment fly paper and enter business
or profession. Then be rents a,Urgei\
house and hla wife takes a fewitpmds
to board. His body Is submerged In
tbe Government glue and he Is In the
Government service for Hfe.
As Secretary of the Civil" Service
Commission Mr. Doyle has had oppor
tunity to observe the number of- Gov
ernment employes who leave the ser
vice for other occupations and then re
turu to it. "A few years ago." said
Mr. Doyle, "my attention was called to
a man by tbe excollence of the exami
nation which be passed. He (ecured
the place, but after a year or jo be re
signed. He bad saved money and. was
going to Yale College. After fouf"years
I heard he had graduated an'd was
studying law. Then I heard be bad
been admitted and bad gone -to New
Vork to practice. And. Just tbe other
day," he continued, "the man came In
and made application to take the ex
amlnatlon for his old place In the de-'
partment."
NINA VAN ZANDT.
Woman Who Was Married by Prosy to
August Spies, tbe Annrchlst.
Nina Van Zand t. tbe woman who
was married 1y proxy to August .Spies,,
the anarchist, almost upon tbe eve of
his execution, is now Mrs. Stephen
Malato, wife of a prominent Italian
politician of Chicago, and has been llv
ing quietly since her marrlige, four
years ago. She now dlamlsaes tbe esca-.
pade of her proxy marriage to Spies
by saying: "I was a foolish young girl
then." She Is the daughter of ah ex-
NINA VAN ZAXDT-MAt.ATO.
pert chemist, who lived in a fine house
on Huron-street.
When tbe Hay market riots occurred
she was only 17 years old. and fell iu
love with Spies wben she saw blm at
the preliminary bearing. She became a
constant visitor to tbe courtroom, al
ways elegantly dreesed. ^She made no
secret of her Infatuation, sending: flow
ers and meals from expensive restau
rants to tbe jail. Her parents made
no effort to break off tbe attachment.
When Spies asked bor to mirry blm
she consented, but the sheriff Inter
fered. It was then decided to use a
proxy, snd Miss Van Zandt was mar
ried to Chris -Spies, acting for his
brother. The girl continued her visits
to the jail, and used every endeavor
to save her proxy husband's life. For
a long time after the anarchist's death
Miss Van Zandt shut herself up In her
borne on Huron street, and denied her
self to.all callers. She bad a marble
bust of Spies made.
Unmistakable Evidence.
Aguinaldo: "Why do you suspect he
Is an American spy?"
Filipino: "Hlstl He bas on a 'Un
ion' suit!"
A Journoy or IJSO Yean.
A well-knowu astronomer calculates
that it an express train ruiililng sixty
miles an hour day and uigbt, without
stopping, kept it up for 350 years, it
would joist about complete the diameter
of the circle made by the earth in Its
yearly Journey round tbe snn. Now
let this immense circle be represent
by the lady'a finger ring, and taking
that as tbe standard of measurement
tbe nearest fixed star would.be a mile
distant, and tbe farthest visible through
tbe telecope at least twenty miles.
Abo
of the Yew Tree.
It Is believed tbat the yuw tree even
exceeds the oak In age. Iu Euglaud,
Scotland and Ireland It Is uothiug un
usual to find yew' trees which, accord
ing to authentic accounts, date from
1000 A. D. Many of these trees are
celebrated in history and legend.
There Is an Immense yew tree {n
Wiltshire, Eng., with a hollow trunk
capable of accommodating a breakfast
party.
Wisconsin Christmas Trees,
As early as September orders were
placed In Wisconsin for 50,000 Christ
mas trees, to be shipped Eaist.
It is uo disgrace to work for a living,
but the living gome mea nt f$r tbolr
lrdrk ii dlifrtcefit).
m"-