The prisoners released under the czar’s amnesty order for political offenders came out of the damp dun
geons of Schlusselburg, notorious in Russian history for the horrible crimes that have been committed
within its walls since it became a prison in 1702. It is situated on an island at the junction of the Neva
river and Lake Ladoga, forty miles from St. Petersburg.
MASSACRE OF RUSSIAN JEWS.
Recent Horrible Butcheries Explain
able in Two Ways.
The butchery of the Jews in Odessa
is explained in two ways. In offic
ial circles the Jews are blamed. It is
said that they offended the patriotic
sentiment of the rabble by unseemly
demonstrations of delight when they
heard of the czar's manifesto. It is
said that they made insulting remarks
about hint and tore down the national
Hag. Then the "loyalists” fell upon
the Jews —the innocent as well as the
guilty —and, being greedy as well as
patriotic, plundered their houses. The
explanation of the liberals Is that the
rioters were egged on by govern
ment officials. The liberals assert that
the simultaneous manner in which
attacks were made on the Jews In
many towns Indicates that they were
dictated from St. Petersburg, but they
are in error. Counte de Witte has
done all in his power ; to stop the
attacks on the Jews.
When men are in a passion, as
most Russians are. they make wild
charges. It Is almost incredible that
the mob which massacred at Odessa
was incited by government agents. It
would be altogether incredible as if
were not that there have been occa
sions where the dregs of the populace
have been given to understand that
of they engaged in the pastime of
Jew baiting they would not be Inter
fered with by the authorities. At
Kishenoff two years ago the author
ities were so supine as to leave no
doubt of their complicity.
It has been the domestic policy of
the autocracy to divide to rule. It
has stirred up race nga'.nst race and
religion against religion as if fearing
that, peace and harmony would en
danger the govenment. In the Cau
casus the Tartars were induced to at
tack the Armenians. The troops re
mained passive while the fighting went
on. That tolerance of disorder led
to the fearful destruction of property
at Baku and the neighboring oil fields
and the temporary paralysis of the
petroleum Industry. Probably the
direct loss is not less than $95,000,000.
That is what the playing off of one
race against another in one corner
of the empire has cost.
The autocracy has long been aware
of the spread of socialist doctrines
among the Jews, especially among
those in the manufacturing towns of
Poland. The Jewish Socialist union,
or bund, is one of the large and un
compromising socialist organizations
in the empire. The autocracy has
reasoned that whatever tended to lm
bitter the relations between Jews and
Christians would serve to keep the
different organizations apart. The
"programs," ns these raids on the
Jews are called, serve also to keep
the criminal classes in the cities
quiet. They let the government alone
when they have other game to pur
sue.
It is asserted, also, that on different
occasions the same classes have been
instigated by the police to fall on
students and other "liberals.” They
have called themselves "loyalists.”
and in the name of loyalty have-at
tacked respectable people who were
petitioning for a liberty and reform.
It Is a relief to read in the sicken
ing tales of the massacres in the cities
of southern Russia—tales which, it Is
to be hoped, are exaggerated—that the
Jews have begun to arm and defend
themselves. They have long borne
with wonderful meekness and patience
the manifold outrages inflicted on
them. As Dr. Hirsch says, they have
given Christians a lesson in Christian
ity. But "who would be free, them
selves must strike the blow.” The
Jews of Russia are taking the first
step towards freedom by procuring
arms and using them to defend their
lives and property when attacked by
mobs. —Chicago Tribune.
Offends the New England Ear.
Is there any way by which this un
happy French word, chauffeur, which
has been annexed to the vernacular,
can be correctly pronounced by the
general public? As it goes now. it Is
accorded an infinite variety, the best
of which is "chaffer.” Suppose, this
being an easy one. it should be ac
cepted as the "correct” name for the
man who holds the wheel? It is a
base corruption of the sprightly
French language, but It would be bet
ter than some or the mispronuncia
tions now heard.—Boston Herald.
Cat Had the Toothache.
N. C. Yost, cashier of the Markle
Bank, Hazleton, Is the owner of a
handsome pet cat. which In the past
few days gave indications of suffer
ing intense pnin.
Mr. Yost, who received the cat from
a friend in the West, objected to hav
ing it killed, and summoned a veteri
nary surgeon. The veterinarian found
that the cat was suffering from tooth
ache. He extracted three bad teeth,
and pussy is now purring in content
ment. —Philadelphia Public Ledger.
FORTRESS AND PRISON OF SCHLUSSELBURG.
AMERICAN SOLDIER’S BRAVE DEED
While Sitting Bull with his 5,000
warriors was engaged in the annihi
lation of Gen. Custer and his devoted
following of troopers. Major Reno's
squadron of the Seventh cavalry was
battling with a band of Sioux not
many miles away in the country of
the Little Big Horn.
The "Custer massacre” overshadow
ed all the other Indian fights which
took place in that red month of June
in the year IS7C, and thus It is that
but little is known outside the circles
of the army about the gallant fight
which the unfortunate Reno and his
men put up that day against the
swarming hordes of savages.
After it was known that Custer
and his command had been killed
there was criticism of Major Reno for
not pushing forward to Custer’s as
sistance. The major had been given
orders to take another trail, and when
he felt the shaft of criticism he de
manded that a court of inquiry bo
convened to pass upon his conduct.
The court met. heard the evidence
and found him blameless.
Later in his army life Reno, a man
of tried courage, committed indiscre
tions which resulted in a court-mar
tial and a sentence of dismissal from
the army In which he had served in
peace and in war for years.
Sergt. Hanley’s Brave Act.
There was an incident in connec
tion with Reno's fight with the reds
nearly thirty years ago, concerning
which the only facts set down in
army history are that for a specific
act of gallantry on that field of battle
Sergeant Richard P. Hanley was
awarded a medal of honor. The non
commissioned officer received his dec
oration for riding a njule, a danger
ous proceeding on that day of battle
so precarious that neither Hanley
nor his comrades believed when the
ride began that it could end in any
thing but death.
Reno found himself confronted by
a tremendous force of Indians. The
fight that ensued was one of the fierc
est ever fought on the plains. A
charge made by a part of Reno’s com
mand. a charge that literally led the
troopers into the jaws of death, turn
ed the tide of defeat, though a score
of officers and men gave up their
lives that victory might come.
The men in Reno's command knew
that they were a match for five times
their number of savages, hut they
were short of ammunition and every
time that the Sioux were driven away
they returned again to the assault
and every assault cost the troopers
dear in powder and lend.
Stampeded Ammunition Mule.
Finally all the ammunition in the
outfit with the exception of that which
the men carried in their belts was on
the hack of a huge, bad-tempered Mis
The Empire of Dollars.
Wall Street is the capital of the
Empire of Dollars. Like all other
capitals, it has its intrigues, Its favor
ites, Its duels, its cabals, and its ca
marillas; and. like all other capitals, i
it gives its color to those who spend i
their lives there. It has even a sort i
of patriotism -‘‘wolf honor” —which j
brings its citizens together, at times. '
in defense of the dollar and of prop
erty right.
The Empire of Dollars is not al- |
together a noble spectacle. We are j
not thrilled at the mere thought of
those Venice hankers who "financed” j
the Crusades. We do not like to think
of those Wall Street manipulators
who tried to corner the gold supply
during our Civil War. when the nat
ion needed gold.—Samuel Merwin in
Success Magazine.
She Proved It.
"That Mr. BHvins has a remarkably
distorted vision?”
"What makes you think so?"
“Didn't you see him sitting in the
street car coming home with all those
ladies standing in the aisle?”
“I saw him.”
“Did you see how carefully he avoid
ed looking up by concentrating his at
tentlon on the daily paper?"
"Yes, hut that doesn’t prove his vis
ion is distorted, does it?”
“I think it does. The paper was up
side down.” —Cleveland Plain Deale*.
Muskrat Caught by a Tin Box.
A large muskrat, with its head fast
in a rusty sardine box, was caught
recently in the Susquehannu near the
lower bridge at Milton. Pa.
It was seen swimming around in f.hc
river without apparent direction or
purpose. It did not resemble any
species of four legged animal known
to the oldest inhabitant along the
West Branch until It was caught snd
the sardine can was removed from
its head. Then it looked like any
other big muskrat.
souri mule chosen for the job of cart
ridge carrier because of his prodigious
proportions and his unflagging energy.
The mule was witli the pack train
to the right and rear of the squadron,
which was lying along the edge of a
wood with Its face toward the enemy.
A Sioux warrior who was no sharp
shooter sent a bullet which might
have been aimed at the noonday sun.
Probably before it came to earth it
tore a fragment out of a cloud,
hut on its way to the ground it
“creased” the ammunition-hearing
mule, which instantly broke loose
and, maddened by pain and fright,
went tearing through the wood, knock
ing down a trooper who attempted to
stay its course, and then nmde
straight for the outlying masses of
the enemy.
When the flying mule had reached
a point about a hundred yards dis
tant from where the feathered heads of
the reds were showing, it stopped
short and forgetting its pain began
to graze on the hunch grass.
On the hack of that mule was the
ammunition upon which depended the
troopers* salvation. In order to
reach the animal, any man bravo
enough to make the attempt must
needs cross an open plain swept by
a thousand rifles.
Ran Gantlet of Death.
The officers consulted and a des
perate plan for the recapture of the
mule was under discussion. Sudden
ly one of the enlisted men called at
tention to a movement in the grass
far over to the right. In a moment
the head of a white man was Been.
It was a trooper who was crawling
slowly toward the stampeded animal.
Word was passed swiftly down the
line and volley after volley was di
rected at the Sioux to keep their at
tention away from the mule and fiom
the soldier who was making his vay
toward it. The trooper crawled t*n
and on. He was close to the sav
age line ami discovery meant deatn.
He reached a point within twenty-five
yards of the grazing animal, then
suddenly he stood tip; bolted forward
and vaulted on to the mule’s hack.
Digging his spurs deep Into the ani
mal’s side. Sergeant Hanley, for he
was the trooper who dared the death
to save the ammunition, started the
animal hack on a run toward the
squadron. There was wild yelling
from a thousand red throats. Hun
dreds of rifles were emptied at the
mule and Us dauntless rider.
Straight into the lines Hanley rode
unhurt. He had taken one chance
j in a thousand and had won out.
I The army mule lived, hut It did
not escape unscathed as did Hanley.
As a man In the fight said afterward:
I' “That mule came hack with ns much
lead In its hide as it had in its pack.”
—E. B. C. In Chicago Post.
Knotty Question for Commission.
A curious commission lias been sit
ting at the French ministry of war
It is to decide what kind of bed is to
he provided for the soldiers of the
French army. So far. the soldier's
i bed has been a mattress laid upon
i hoards or else canvas stretched on
! hoards like a particularly hard ham
1 mock. The fatherly M. Berteaux, wai
minister, whose policy is to kill anti
| militarism by kindness, proposes to
' give the soldier a spring under his
I mattress. But what kind of spring?
i And when that spring is chosen, what
j kind of mattress will he best to go
on the top of it? These he complicated
questions, and a commission whose
work is being carefully recorded was
' the least important body that could
hope to answer them. It Is toiling
j faithfully.
Monkeys Helped to Build Railroad.
I Some years ago a number of British
• engineers employed monkeys to assist
: the workmen in carrying material to
a railway extension in Cape Colony.
It appears that a score of monkeys
j came regularly every morning to the
line to watch the laborers at w'ork,
i and the engineers in charge, rightly
I believing that the imitative faculties
I of .he creatures would render them
useful in railway work, had them cap
j tured. They were immediately put In
training, and soon proved themselves
; invaluable as carriers.
Coon Causes Drowning.
Willie trying to recover from Clear
| Creek. Redding. Cal., a coon his broth
; er shot. Bon Martinez, son of G. G.
1 Martinez, of French Gulch, became
; entangled in the roots of a tred be
neath the surface of the water, could
not relieve himself, and was drowned
i while his brother and father searched
in vain for him. A dog awakened
the family and treed the coon in a
! tree on the creek bank. The boy
was an expert swimmer, hut the roots
I held him fast, until he was dead.
THOROUGH TILLAGE FOR ARID LANDS
By W. H. Olin. Profes of Agronomy
Coll
Regions having an : nl rainfall of
loss than twenty and than eight
inches are usually coi • : . <| as semi
arid. To successful) :o\v crops in
such regions requires refill study
of soil and climatic < i ions, with a
selection of crops as n adapted to
these conditions as able. Even
when all requirement seemingly
met, a failure is sonn • the only re
sult. Experience, and % pertinents al
ready conducted ill n parts of our
Nation’s semi-arid h< demonstrate
thr.t the preparation - .»il reservoir
of good depth sever; oaths before
seeding, the thorough dime of this
ground before and at "-ding, the
selection of suitable \ i s of crops,
the seed of which is wn under dry
farming conditions. essentials
which very largely <i mine success
in farming lands in ( do where ir
rigation can not he pi - d.
The preparation of soil reservoir
and seed hods calls fu ml plowing,
harrowing and sub-si packing.
1. Plowing.—Jethi i ill nearly two
centuries ago said “Ti is manure.”
Roberts’ Fertility s; that .stirring
and mixing the soil ;h-- one funda
mental labor of agric . The object
of plowing should b- pulverize the
soil, making it possi) to prepare a
good seed bed for tli :• <■< ption of the
various farm seeds, TI depth to plow
must depend upon th • me of plowing,
the character of the .1 and the crop
to he grown.
Shallow plowing preferred for
shallow soils underlaid by an inferior
sub-soil lacking in pi food. Spring
plowing for early cr- ; should not he
as deep as fall plow for the same
crops. Experiments 1. . . shown that
deep plowing of stiff or clayey, adobe
land in the spring tun. up uuworked
or new soil in which i tof the plant
food is not available mi account of the
mechanical condition of the ground.
Crops on lamds thus plowed often make
an unfavorable growth. It is nearly al
ways desirable to plow sandy and
sandy loam soils deep, since the plant
food contained in tli- soils is easily
available and the deep plowing brings
more plant food to the surface for the
tender young plant to feed upon, giv
ing it a sturdy growl h at the start.
All deep plowing is best done in the
summer or fall. This permits the
weathering of the soil through the fall
and winter, making its mechanical tex
ture more desirable and the plant food
available. Deep plowing assists water
to percolate or pass through to lower
depths. Hence it increases t lie water
holding capacity of lie soil, a most
important element in semi-arid farm
ing. The deeper the plowing the
greater the soil reservoir. Experiments
conducted at the Cornell Experiment
Station, New York, by Dr. Roberts,
show that an acre of average soil in
good tilth will hold twenty to twenty
five per cent, of moisture and not he
too moist for cultivation. It is esti
mated that an acre of soil twelve
inches deep will weigh 1.800 tons If
it contains twenty per cent, of mois
ture, 1,020 tons if it contains eight per
cent, of moisture —ili<- amount upon
which plants are able to grow and
maintnin themselves. I)r. Roberts says
that an inch of rainfall brings to each
acre 112 7-10 tons of water. If this
could nil he retained in average soil
it would mean almost 7 2-5 per cent,
moisture, nearly enough to maintain
plant growth. Well fined soil Is ca
pable of taking up two inches of rain
fall in the first ttfoi of Hoil and still
he in good eondi'tijj to cultivate. Sup
-I*oßo that this soil is deeply plowed
and contains liftmen per cent, mois
ture; an inch or a two-inch rain would
find the soil res- rvolr able to hold it.
If this ground wore shallow plowed,
say four Inches, an inch rain would sat
urate the reservoir, while a two-inch
rain would overflow the soil reservoir,
causing a loss of water and severe
washing away of the surface soil. Deep
plowing, therefor* 1 , increases the stor
age capacity of moisture in our soils
from which the plant draws as it has
need.
Good plowing gives a clean-cut fur
row on side and l»ottoin. It turns the
inverted furrow slice upon edge in a j
moderately well pulverized condition 1
with btit few air spaces at the bottom I
edge of the furrow slice, A good coul- |
ter lessens draft and aids in making j
a clean-cut furrow. Disking the
ground before plowing Is advantageous j
hut increases the - xpensq of preparing ,
the seed bed.
A seed bed from one to three inches
deep can he prepared without plowing.
The young plants may grow sturdily
at first, but if thi ->ii Is not in a physi
cal condition to store the moisture nec
essary to dissolve the plant food and
render it nvnilahl" for the growing
plant, lack of nourishment will bring
It to an untimely • nd and the crop will
prove a failure. Very successful crops
are grown tills way. when the moisture !
is supplied by ditch or sub-irrigation,
hut it is always hazardous to attempt
cropping without thorough tillage un-1
dor semi-arid conditions.
A disc plow will often leave the soil
In a good condition for the harrow
when the ground is too hard for a mold
hoard plow to do satisfactory work.
The drier the ground the more narrow
should be the furrow, whether the
plow be a mold oi a disc plow.
2. —Harrowing the Ground. —Tlar ;
rowing is the i-'oeess of stirring the
soil by some form of a toothed or I
circle knife implement. Its purpose is
the pulverizing of the soil, reducing it ,
to finer tilth than the plow left It, ,
filling the incistices left by tin* plow j
and thus leveling the soil. I believe
that the spike toothed harrow is a
superior implement for pulverizing
after the plow. It should follow as j
near after tic plow as possible so as
to prevent loss of moisture by evnpo- 1
ration from tic newly plowed earth |
and the formation of clods. Each half I
day’s plowing should he 'harrowed
that same half day in which it is
plowed.
Ground that is harrowed first
lengthwise with the plowing will re
tain its moist un- better, since it regu
larly and even I > fills the interstices or
openings at the bottom edge of each
furrow slice. Always harrow
lengthwise and later cross harrow if
the ground is not in fine enough tilth
for the seed. (Pound that is inclined
to be cloddy should he worked with the
disc harrow Instead of the spike tooth,
double disking or half lapping length
wise with the furrows. See that your
disc is the proper size to do the most
effective work in pulverizing the soil.
A fourteen to sixteen-inch disc gener
ally pulverizes lietter than an eighteen
or twenty-inch disc, and the draft is
correspondingly greater. Experiments
seem to indicate that the smaller
diameter disc s are better adapted for
fanning conditions on the Colorado
plains than the larger . diameter
discs. Experiments conducted by
experiment stations and by Mr.
In the Agricultural College at Fort
iins.
H. W. Campbell of Lincoln.
Nebraska, show that disking grain
ground after the harvester prevents
loss of moisture on stubble ground
through too rapid evaporation, and pre
pares the ground for the ready absorp
tion of rain.
3. —Sub-Surface Packer. —This tool
consists of a series of wedge faced
wheels attached to a common axle.
These wedge-faced disks are eighteen
Inches in diameter and placed vert
ically on the shaft six Inches apart.
This machine is better than a smooth
roller for a roller firms the surface soil
with little or no effect upon the under
or sub surface soil. The packer
firms the soil In the lower
portion of the furrow slice, restoring
the capillarlety where plowing had ar
rested it. This firmed undersurface
soil is enabled to draw moisture from
below and give good normal root de
velopment. In case a sub-surface
packer is not obtainable, a corrugated
roller can be used. It firms the ground
but not to the depth which the sub
surface packer does. These packers
should be followed by a smoothing har
row to produce an earth mulch which
shall arrest capillarity and thereby
chock evaporation.
A spike toothed harrow with lever
attachments for regulating the angle
of the teeth is a very satisfactory im
plement for this purpose.
4. —Summer Culture. Fallowing
Ground—leaving the land without *•
crop for one or more seasons —was a
common practice with the ancients.
Dr. Roberts in his work on “Fertility
of the Land,’’ says this was a neces
sity for them. The imperfect tools
then used made but a small proportion
of the plant food in the soil available
and the demands of the crops grown
soon outran the obtainable plant food.
Then the only method for renewal was
to let the soil "weather out” enough
plant food, with the decayed vegetable
matter to sustain another crop. Some
centuries later the French found that
“manoeuverlng” the land—causing
the particles of earth to change place
by tillage—made it more productive.
Experiments now show that Burner til
lage in our semi-arid lands has an
added value—lt conserves the moisture
while it. renders more plant food avail
able. Good results have been obtained
In eastern Washington, eastern Oregon
Utah and many sections of Colorado
from summer culture of the land every
other season. It has been found that
in this way sufficient moisture can be
stored from the year’s rainfall to ma
ture a crop, in many localities.
After the snows of winter have
melted in the spring, plow the ground
at least seven to eight inches deep.
Level tliis down with the harrow and
packer, following this process with a
smoothing harrow, forming an earth
mulch to check evaporation. This
mulch should not be too fine ns the
winds of the plains will tend to rift
the soil, or blow the earth mulch en
tirely away. If possible, stir the sur
fact soil from two to four inches every
ten to fifteen days throughout the sum
mer. Allow no crust to form after
summer nhowers, as this will increase
the evaporation of the soil moisture.
Keep the ground clean—free from
weeds.
If fall grain is to be sown it is ad
visable to drill in the grain, as this In
sures getting it below the earth mulch
which is really a dry earth blanket
used all summer to hold the moisture
in the soil below. Get the seed into
this moist under-soil where It can have
the moisture so essential for germina
tion. It is advisable to seed fall grain
not later than the last week in Sep
tember in the lower altitudes and noi
later than the first week in September
In tiie higher altitudes; better still, tli *
third or last week In August.
Ground that has been well cultivated
for several years will produce two
crops in succession and can be given
summer culture the third year. In this
way it is possible to grow two crops in
three years.
If a farmer expects to cultivate
eighty acres he should divide it into
two crop divisions—cropping > forty
acres the first year and giving summer
culture to the other forty acres.' This
gives him a crop on one half of his
land each year while he is storing up
moisture in the soil reservoir of the
other half to make tin* next year’s
crop. Farmers in the southern part of
Larimer county. Colorado, have been
able to raise quite satisfactory wheat.
I barley and forage crops by following
this method of cropping.
Mr. Geo. I). Porter. living at Akron,
Colorado, near the center of the plains
region, has used this method of crop
ping, for a small area, for several
years. He reported last fall, when he
i seeded his winter wheat, a soil reser
voir in which there was five feet of
j moisture. Last season gave us an un
j usual amount of rainfall but this sum
mer culture has been practiced in
some parts of California for more than
forty years with satisfactory results.
The writer knows of one section of
California where it seldom rains from
April to September, yet here some of
the finest fruit and grain is grown.
This region in California has tin ample
supply of moisture in the rainy sea
son—the winter months. This illus
tration is simply given to show the
value of the earth mulch in holding the
moisture which is already In the soil
reservoir.
Mr. S. S. Peterman has a cherry
orchard near Fort Collins that has
never been Irrigated. He depends
upon rainfall for his moisture iu a
region that averages scarcely fifteen
inches per annum. As soon in the
spring as possible he cultivates his
orchard and continues to stir the
ground until the fruit sets. His trees
bear fine flavored cherries In a satis
factory quantity, while his orchard is
the cleanest one in bis neighborhood.
This orchard is eight years old, but
has not jet weathered one of our “dry”
years.
Summer culture keeps the ground in
good tilth, keeps down weeds, renders
the plant food easily available for the
next j’ear's crop, while it stores up th :
moisture so necessary to the plant in
assimilating its food.
The following wash or paint for
rough work, such as hen houses, lasts
several years.. No more should be
mixed than is used in a day: Stir into
one gallon of whole milk about three
pounds of Portland cement and add
sufficient Venetian red to give a good
color. Ami other color may be used.
The milk holds the paint In suspension,
but as the ct m< nt is heavier it will
sink, so it is necessary to keep the mix
ture w II stirred with a paddle. This
feature of constant stirring makes it
a job unsuited to untrustworthy help.
Whole milk sets the cement better
than skimim d. Six hours after paint
ing, the coat becomes hard and very
protective.
FOUNDER OF THE YOUNG MEN’S
CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION DEAD
aav. -as? .fr7/j:zd/Zs’
Sir George Williams, founder of the Young Men's Christian Association, who died Nov.
B nt Ills home in London nt the nge of SI, had been frequently honored hy member.) of
the organization throughout the world. ll*- was made the i.residlng officer at suveral i*f
the International conventions und was an earnest worker In the cause uj> to thu time of
Lis death.
SPLENDID RECORD OF Y. M. C. A.
Njw Great Power for Good Among
the World’s Workers.
Slxty-one years ago Mr. George Wil
liams of Hitchcock. Williams & Co.
London, and eleven other young men
ln«l(J an informal meeting In a room In
St. Paul’s church. They organized a
Yig.ug Men's Christ bin Association
“tot" improving the spiritual condition
of young men engaged in the drapery
at;d other trades.”
Jlr. Williams was elected president
of the little society. He Inaugurated
a course of lectures, extended the or
ganization to all parts of London, to
alj parts of Great Brltlan, to all parts
of Europe. It came to Boston In 1851
and spread to all parts of the United
States.
It grew amazingly In numbers and
ill Influence. It was so great an or
ganization on Its semi-centennial in
11*94 that Queen Victoria made its
fuuader Sir George Williams. He re
mained at the head of the British
society until his death.
Men have been knighted for
achievements in military and public
life, for services to the state or In the
C-2.U30 of literature and science.
George Williams was knighted be
cause he founded and organized the
Y. M. C. A.
There are now 7.370 Y M. C. A. As
soclations in the world. Of these
1.8j3 are in the United States. Can
ada, and Mexico, having a member
ship of 373.502, The American as
sociations own property to the value
of $20,200,000 and expend annually
In their work $4,492,000.
The little society or George Wil
liams has grown into a groat inter
national association working through
nearly a million members. It has
worked with the churches of all de
nominations. has extended Its activ
ities to every country in the world,
and, while it has undoubtedly brought
the several branches of thp Christian
church closer together.
Independent of its relation to the
churches, the Y. M. C. A. has worked
on lines laid out by the founders and.
in the larger cities ami on the rail
ways of all nations, on the merchant
fleets of all the maritime powers, in
the armies and in the navies of the
great military powers, has pushed its
active work to the benefit of mankind.
Sir George Williams could look back
over sixy one years and see tin
growth of his corporal’s guard of 1811
to a great army of earnest crusaders.
The Man and the Hour.
Conditions In Russia sire ripe to-day
for a great man. And by the same in
scrutable law which has obtained al
ways the great man Is on the spot.
M. De Witte takes up the mighty
burden of Russia’s woes as a giant
might take up a hurt child, bind up its
wounds and comfort it. Tin* new
hero stands for humanity. All the
moral force in the world is with him.
Men may wonder that the most auto
cratic ruler on earth should meekly
submit to a man of the people, and
that an oppressed, despairing nation
should look up at his coming with new
hope. But it has been the law
through all the ages. Somehow, from
somewhere, the man of the hour
coines and triumphs.—Albany Times-
Uulon.
A Border Battlefield.
Five skeletons have been unearthed
on the Border battlefield of Halidon
Hill during the plowing operations on
the farm of Camphlll, which is situat
ed on the site of the battlefield. An
ancient vault has also been discov
ered. Swords, cannon balls and other
implements of war have been dug up
of recent times, one sword bearing
the Percy crest now being in posses
sion of the duke of Northumberland.
Edward 111 routed the Scots at Hali
don, and won Berwlck-on-Tweed for
England.—Weekly Scotsman.
Huge Petition.
The famous Chartist petition of 1848.
presented by Feargus O'Connor to the
British Parliament, was said to con
tain no fewer than 5,700,000 signa
tures. So hopeless seemed the task of
counting these names that the Public
Petitions Committee actually directed
a clerk to take a yard measure, count
the number of signatures in a yard,
and then, by ascertaining the number
o/ yards in the petition, make a rough
calculation of the -.otai number of
oameu.
MEDICAL INSPECTION A FARCE.
Much-Heralded New Plan Presents
Few Advantages.
The much-threatened medical In
spection of flrst-clusH passengers ar
riving at New* York by steamer did
not prove very terrifying. To begin
with, W. K. Vanderbilt and Mrs. Van
derbilt escaped Inspection by the sim
ple process of going ashore in a tpg
before It began. Then It Is recorded
that passengers who said they wore
residents of this country passed quick
ly. while foreigners, even the most
important had to endure considerable
questioning. The actual medical In
spection appears to have bepn con
ducted for the most part hy surgeons
looking at the passengers while they
stood in a strong light before the Im
migration offit ials. In older and sim
pler times the declaration of the ship's
surgeon was (haunted of some value.
Now, with tho courtesy which Is a
notable characteristic of the treat
ment of those who land in this coun
try. It Is tacitly assumed that the sur
geon Is not a man of character and
that those who ere employed on laud
must he. -Hartford, Conn., Times.
CONSULS AS BUSINESS AGENTS.
Kansan City Journal Points Out Flew
in the System.
Under the pre s .-nt arrangement a
consular officer is a commercial agent
pure and simple. When he Is expect
ed to piece out his salary with agent's
(ommlssions he usually secures tho
agency for several American manu
facturers and exporters and quite nat
urally he devotes n ost of his time to
his outside business When a consul
on commissions lx asked to make
an investigation in a certain direc
tion for an American company
in which there is little prom
ise of substantial pay ho will not de
vote as much serious attention to this
business he will to selling ills own
goods on commission. Tims the aver
age consul is merely » foreign sales
man doing business on his own ac
count under tho guarantee of the
United States. This is a good thing
for some favored manufacturers and
exporter.-, but it is exceedingly bad
for others. -Kansas City Journal.
TO ESCAPE DREAD PNEUMONIA.
Freeh Air and Simple Living All That
Is Necessary.
The pneumonia season, which in
those latitudes and especially along
the lakes, lasts from early fall to early
summer, fairly open, and for the next
seven or eight months many peoplo
will live in dread of a disease that is
on the whole more easily prevented
than most ills of the flesh to which
mankind lias fallen heir. Fresh air
is the deadly enemy of the pneumo
nia germ. To exclude it from
living, working and sleeping rooms
is to invite an attack of tho
disease by removing the most ef
fective means of defense. In short,
to escape pneumonia It is only neces
sary, speaking in general, to avoid
excesses of every kind and live sim
ply, cleanlj* and rationally. If one can
bring himself to make that by no
means heavy sacrifice nature can bo
depended upon to do the rest. —Cleve-
land Plain Dealer.
A Cougar's High Leap.
Frank Parker came in last week
from ills ranch In tho Coast Range,
some thirty miles west of here. He
informed us that a few nights before
he left they heard considerable of a
racket about the place and next morn
ing found their house cat dead and
also two goats. The animal leaped
an eight-rail fence with a goat with
out disturbing a rail.
With the assistance of a neighbor
and his dog the animal, which proved
to be a cougar, was treed and killed.
—Junction City Times.
Public Baths for Dogs.
Dresden has developed a curious
Idea. The public baths of that city
will shortly receive an addition that is
probably without parallel. The new
annex will consist exclusively of bath
ing establishments for dogs, organized
on the strictest lines of class distinc
tion. The: will he first, second, and
third-class, subdivided into swimming
and single wash-baths. It is even
gravely stated that there will be a
hair-dressing department for caniu*
customers.