The Leon reporter., March 07, 1901, Image 9

About The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Iowa

                
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MATIN EK GIRLS' FAVORITE.
Mr. John Drew immediately he ar
rives in Chicago plunges headlong in
social dissipation of the small and
early type, and his hosts are among
the swellest set who .delight in the so
ciety of players, writes Amy Leslie in
Chicago News. The sacrifice of Mr.
©rew's mustache is akin to disaster,
{for the expanse 6f Mr. Drew's visags
^without the adornment usual is some
thing to bo gone over studiously and
^declared as monotonous as a redistrict
jpd political ward. Still, his Carvel de
jmanded it, and should John's ador
pbly drooping Du Maurier mustache
Stand the way of his art and gate
'receipts? No! It is all right until Mr.
Drew rips off his carefully folded Car
vel stock and brown George and sub
situtes a sleek coiffure, a standing col
lar and teclc for his neckwear, a per
fect fitting frock coat, a cane and a
polished tile—then the Drew rnus-
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JOHN DREW.
tache rises like a ghost and proclaims
its right to be recognized as a lost
chord in the Drew social symphony.
Girls, romantic, pretty, cuddling girls,
refuse to adore the Carvel of Mr. Drew
and lament his downfall into the pe
dantic, booky line of work. They go
and grieve for the absence of Mr.
Drew's expected languor in the love
scenes, his quiet humors and elegant
vests they rise in swarms and ask
whether they have been mistaken all
these three long years their proper
guardians have permitted them the
theater or whether Mr. Drew is the
only one who is mistaken. There is a
terrible blunder somewhere and the
matinee girl is the sufferer and sh:
wants redress even if she has to aslc
her money back and wait until John
buys a real Haddon Chambers comcdy
or rescues Fitch from comatose obscur
ity.
To behold this ambitious, whisker
less Drew lambasting about with burly
arms, pitching into his love scenes like
I schoolboy after a widow, jars on the
VnJlri
MRS. CARTER S FIVE PLAYS.
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MRS. CARTER'S LATEST FiCTURE.
j**v "Vi
matinee nerves. John no longer bit:®
his nails gloomily and shyly rais his
peeled onion orbs to the object of his
temporary stage aberration, but jump.
at her, holds her fiercely and shout1
out that he loves her and will hava
her, as if he were a kidnaper. An:)
when he is poor and .hopeless and an
outcast he destroys all set rules of tym
pathetic brain-wave communication by
picking up a foolish little mail with
an apron and no lines in the piece am)
twirling him about like a golf stick
Altogether, the girl buys her Saturday
afternoon violets and box of choco
lates dismally assured that she is n:1
to see Drew but a kind of Carvel anc
be convinced of the comedian's verj
discourteous behavior toward his ten
derest supporters.
KDAILND KUAN'S I)EHUT.
Edmund Kean made his first appear
ance as King I-Ienry V. at Covent Gar
den, February 22, 1SC0. He was ther
'13 years old. The great actor's memoij
had left him three years before wher
he attempted to create a new role. Bee
Nazir. There are few more pathetic
pen pictures than the dramatist's gra
phic account of this melancholy occa
sion. For the debut as Henry V. there
was every hope that the faculty was
enthroned again. But "lie broke down,
addressed the audience depreeatorilv,
muttered something about being the
representative of Shakespeare's heroes,
and lamented at little more than 40,
what Macklin did not plead till he wa:
past 90—his decaying memory."
TIIE.YTUTCA GOSSIP.
Mme. Modjeska is being very cor
dially received in the southern states.
Isabelle Irving has been cast for the
leading role in Charles Frohman's pro
duction of "To Have and to Hold."
The Roger Brothers' receipts for
four weeks in Chicago were very near
ly $56,000.
Joe Welch, the Yiddish dialect mono
loguist of the varieties, is talked of as
a next season star in a play called "A
Lucky Stroke."
Julia Marlowe is to follow her imper
sonation of Mary Tudor by appearing
as the heroine of Ronald MacDonald's
"The Sword of the King."
Walter Jones and William Burress
will star early next season in a bur
lesque entitled "Those Billionaires,"
by W. J. Thorald and Ben Hammer
stein.
John E. Kellerd denies a report that
he is to be seen in the varieties, and
adds that he intends to try again with
Charles Klein's play of "The Cipher
Code."
Blanche Bates, Edwin Abeles, Frank
Carlisle Campbell Gollan, Margaret
Robinson, Grace Elliston and ROSJ
Synder will be in the cast of Paul
Potter's "Under Two Flags."
Prominent theatrical managers in
New York are arranging for a benefi'
in the interest of Mme. Janauscheck
the famous actress, who is now almost
destitute and unable to move a muscli
on account of a paralytic stroke.
William T. Prince is seriously of
the opinion that his establishment of
a School of Playwriting should dimin
ish that pest of a manager's life—the
overwhelming burden of unskilled
plays.
Joseph Jefferson has paid more tlian
?50,000, it is said, for property at West
Palm Beach, Fla., where it is intended
to build a ?100,000 hotel. Several
prominent Florida men are interested
in the scheme.
George Alexander has a new play by
C. Haddon Chambers, called "The
AwakeniDg," and it is said that he had
to obtain permission to use the title
from Estelle Burney, the author of a
drama of similar name.
rs. Leslie Carter has at least five 1B collaboration with H. J. W. Dam.
which she is ready to produce at Mr. Dam arrived from London recent
moment On^ft "The Red Mouse," ly, and Is now working with Mr. Be
ll
18
writing for her lasco in New York.
W THE ODD CORNER.
OU&ER AND CURIOUS THINGS
AND EVENTS.
Kiirene or Upper Burma Delay Tlielr
Weddings and Funerals Until Tlioy
Can Celebrate Twenty or Hitrty of
Tliem at Once—American Crocodile.
Snoiv flakes.
Out of the b.osom of the air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her gar
ments shaken.
Over the woodlands, brown and bare,
Over the harvest fields forsaken.
Silent, and soft, and slow,
Descends the snow.
Even as our cloudy fanc!e3 take
Suddenly shape in some divine ex
pression.
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels.
This is the poem of the air,
Slowly, in silent syllables recorded
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded.
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.
•—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
The American Crocodile.
A writer, George A. West, describes
in the Bulletin of the Wisconsin Nat
ural History society substantially as
follows his experiences with the
American crocodile: "A true croco
dile, Crocodilii3 Americanus," he. says,
"is found only in Florida," and it'io
there restricted to an area not. exceed
ing fifteen square miles. A colony waj
found in Indian creek, about six miles
north of Miami, and others in two un
named creeks, about half a mile apar^
and extending back from Black Water
bay four or live miles to the Ever
glades. His native guides, who were
familiar with every foot of Southern
Florida, informed him that the croco
dile lived in only these two locations
and that no alligator lived within sev
eral miles of tlielr abodes. The animal
was found inhabiting only brackish
water, not streams of fresh water and
mud, as they are claimed to do by'
most writers. Their homes were in
clear water their sunning beds on the
highest and driest banks they could
find, from which every pa.tlcle of earth
was invariably cleared away, leaving
the white, clean coral for'a "bed. Their
places of retreat were caves in the
coral, never muddy bottoms, like those
of alligators." The author then de
scribes his difficulties in getting near
them on account of their extreme wit
ness, and his inability to attract them
•by suspending a wounded pelican from
an overhanging limb to within a few
feet of the water. He says most writ
ers credit them with depending prin
cipally on their sense of hearing and
smell, but that he is convinced of the
keenness of their sight that while
watching them from a tree on the edge
of a pool that they invariably, al
though he was as still as possible,
stopped opposite where he was and
fixed their eyes upon him. Also, that
sometimes they would row over one
lying in the bottom of a stream, which
would remain perfectly motionless un
til it was looked down at, when it
would dart away with lightning speed.
Contrary to the common idea, they do
not use their tails in striking, but
strike side blows with their heads.
When attacked they hiss like a ser
pent and emit a strong odor of musk
from glands located in the lower part
of the jaw. They are of a drab or
lead color on the back, shading into
a white below, and grow to a length of
about sixteen feet. The dermal armor
he found to be quite deficient in bony
plates, so far as the neck was con
cerned, allowing for greater freedom
of the head than is generally the case
with this family. The interesting ar
ticle concludes with a description of
the teeth, brain and other anatomical
characters.
Eu rial Weddings.
The Karens, of Upper Burma, not
only delay their weddings till they can
celebrate 20 or 30 at once, but make
the same occasion serve for their fun
erals as well. When a man dies, says
Answers, his body is cremated and the
ashes are kept until the time for the
formal funeral. When a bad harvest
or a prolonged rainy season occasions
the need of a little excitement, and
some enthusiast arranges a burial
wedding, the ashes are arranged along
a low, narrow platform, while the men
stand on one side, the women on the
other. There are no mourners, for the
dead men have been forgotten during
the convenient interval, and the
dresses suggest only the pleasanter
side of the double function. Proceed
ings are commenced by a sort of po
etic competition between the men and
the fairest maid. If the latter i3 not
satisfied with the compliments paid
her, she avoids the embarrassment of
a direct refusal by bidding her suitor
come for her "before he is awake."
In this case he consoles himself with
a pipe, and, after a short interval,
transfers his addresses to some less
exacting lady. As soon as the young
people are equally paired off, the eld
ers compete for the more valuable
portion of the dead men's property.
Jewels or weapons are set swingingly
by a string while the claimants pass
in single file. The one who is nearest
when the pendulum stops swinging se
cures whatever is attached to it. When
each has thus secured a momento of
the day, the rest is handed over to
the children to be smashed up with
all the crockery of the deceased, and
buried with their ashes on some
neighboring hill.
A Plague of Dew Slags.
Max Peacock contributes the follow
ing to The Naturalist:
"On September 25, 1890, I sowed the
fish pond field at the Warp Farm,
Bottesford, Northwest Lincolnshire,
with Schooley's 'wheat.' The seed
germinated well and cami up an ex
cellent crop, braiding well. During the
following winter my friends often re
marked on the healthy sook of the
plant. This continued to be the case
until the middle of March, when' all
at once I noticed a great change for
Ihe^^wprse on tne eastern side of the
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tXi
field. This soon spread across ths
whole extent of the piece. On exam
ination we found a vast army of Dsw
Slugs (Agriolimax agres.is) cutting off
the young plant near the ground. We
tried rolling the fie'.d, but this did not
seem to do much good, although thou
sands were killed. For one that per
ished beneath the rings of the Cam
bridge roller a thousand more seemed
to spring out of the ground. During
the day the host ol the enemy retired
Into worm holes or under small clots
of earth. It was in the early morning
and evening when the dew was on the
plant that the enemy came forth to
slay my crop. However, I had neigh
bors at hand who could master the
pest. The Blaclc-headed Gu'ls, or, I
suppose I ought to say brown hrade.l
gulls (Larus riuibundiss) came*to my
aid and soon cleared away the noxious
marauders. There birds ome in thou
sands from the gull ponds at Twi?
mocr, Sentton Common, and Crosby
Black Rabbit Warmi. So hc:i tily did
some of my neighbors feed that, they
were unable to fly. The fle'd at that
time looked as if it hart b?en eater
down with sheep—only a ft\v withe-ed
blades were to be se~n. I made un mv
mind to plough it up and drill oats in
its place, but gave It a few dys' grac
to see if the ant w.rild shoot again.
In a few days from the gul's' comins
I could ses a vast, improvement, and
in ten days the field was a~ain green,
so 1 let it stand. At haivest time this
field produced by far the best crop.
I had six quarters per acre on it
against five, or even less, in my other
fields. The sample of corn was out
and-out the brst I saw that season
shown at our local markets."
The I5u!l nml tlio I-onnct.
Fashion has d&crecd the wearing of
gold roses, with green foliage, in la
dies' hats. An incident which took
place at the Duolin Cattle Show .sug
gests that the new mode possesses
disadvantages hitherto unsuspect?d.
A lady armed with a drawing-block
and pencil, says tlis Freeman's Jour
nal, was sketching one of the big,
nlack polled bulls, and backed away t:
get a good view of him, until she heed
lessly brought herself within range oi
a similar beast on the opposite side.
Bull No. 2 being thirsty and bored,
took note of the gleaming rose and
succulent-looking leaves worn in th$
lady's hcaugear, and made a snatch at
them. 1-Ie obtained more than IK,
bargained for—no less than the whole
hat—and then the astonishing specta
cle was witnessed of an intrepid wom
an attacking a brute like a black buf
falo with a pencil.
Pavrn liroUcr's Sign.
The three balls used by pawn brok
ers as a sign were originally the arnu
of the Medici family, the earliest an4
most important money lenders of Lorn
bardy. The three balls were first useO
in London by an agent of the Medici
and were afterward copied by others
who went into the same line of busii
ness. Rcscoe, in the "Life of Lorenzo
de Medici" (179S) tells how the family
adopted the three balls as its arms.
Averado de Medici, a commander un-,
der Charlemagne, slew the giant Mu
gello, whose club, which had three
iron balls upon it, he bore as a trophy
and in commemoration of this victory
the family adopted the three balls as
its arms.—San Francisco Call.
Six Hours Afloat.
A London paper relates the trying
experience of an English sailor. He
could not swim, and was six hours in
the water during a storm. He had a
life-preserver, but was in constant ter
ror lest it should slip from his grasp.
If it did he knew he could never regain
it. He had fallen off the bow-chains
of the vessel, ar.d from midnight to
daylight the life-boat was searching
for him while the ship lay to. Many
captains would have desisted in an
hour or two, but this one persevered,
and the men were finally rewarded
with a sight of their comrade a mile
away. A day's rest, restored his
strength, and he resumed his danger
ous duties.—Youths' Companion.
Sneeze-Wood.
Among its many curious products
South Africa includes the "sneeze
wood" tree, which takes its name from
the fact that one cannot cut it with
a saw without sneezing, as the fine
dust has exactly the effect of snuff.
Even in planing the wood it will some
times cause sneezing. No insect,
worm or 'barnacle will touch it it is
very bitter to the taste, and when
placed in water it will sink. The color
is light brown, the grain very clos-e and
hard it is a nice-looking wood, and
takes a good polish. For dock work,
piers or jetties, it is a useful timber,
lasting a long while under water.
Think or 143,000,000 Stars.
Today, the stars visible from the
first to the thirteenth magnitude ag
gregate to about 43,000,000, of Which
nearly 10,000,000 have been photo
graphed. In the most powerful tele
scopes, even the fifteenth magnitude
has been revealed of this magnitude,
perhaps 100,000,000 stars are suspect
ed but knowledge concerning them is
uncertain. In the Milky Way alone
there are some 10,000 stars, separated
by vast distances. To the eye at the
telescope the sky seems no longer dot
ted with constellations, but powdered
with gold dust.
Frog Farming in Massachusetts.
Frog farming is a new industry in
Massachusetts. Adjoining the town ol
Ware a company has leased ten acres,
with a running stream. A series ol
artificial pools will be constructed,
where the eggs will be hatched an^
the young frogs cared for during the
two years necessary to fit them for
market. The demand for frogs comes
from colleges and medical schools as
well as from restaurants.
Temper Affected by Color.
It has 'been noticed by the matrons
of infant asylums that a 'baby will
be cross all day if dressed in a gray
frock, but contented and happy if
dressed in a .bright red garment Chil
dren from 2 to 4 years old are much
affected by the color of their dress.
It is commonly ob3eved in kindergart­
ens that the younger chiMrsn prefer
the red playthings, while th« older
children prefer the blue.
ALCOHOL AND HEALTH.
Few questions of the present day
are capable of arousing more bitter
ness of dispute than that concerning
:he effect of alcohol upon the human
system. Solne assert that its daiiy
Jse in moderation is, if-not essential,
it least beneficial to health, while
others hold that the word moderation
is inapplicable to the use of wine even
in the most minute quantities.
Science, which is impartial and seeks
eacts alone, without regard to their
possible application, does not hold to
aither nf these views in its entirety,
but inclines rather to the side of the
total abstainers. It does not regard
alcohol as a food in the sense that it
can be taken regularly as a substitut3
for the aJhumens, the fats and the
starches ol' ordinary food but it does
say that it may act as such, in the ab
sence of other food, lor a short time,
and that its use may in an emer
gency be life saving.
This is practically placing alcohol
with the drugs—substances which may
be useful in sickness, but are injuii
ous in health and that is realiy
where it belongs.
It is common belief that a drink of
whisky or brandy is warming, but the
reverse is the fact. Alcohol dilates tho
blood vessels of the surface, and so
makes the skin feel warm, but at the
same time radiation of heat from the
surface is increased and the tempera
ture of the body' is lowered. The
action of alcohol is also to lower the
vital processes by causing a slow
oxidation of the waste products.
For these two reasons it is often a
useful remedy in fevers, especially as
it may spur up the heart to increased
action for a time, and so enable the
system to tide over a critical period.
It may even be useful to prevent a
cold when the body has been chilled,
provided the exposure is passed, by
restoring the equilibrium of the circu
lation. But in these and other cases
the remedy is employed to meet an
emergency—a very different thing
from its habitual use.
The very fact of its interference with
the oxidation of the tissues of the body
causes depression of the vital forces,
and so of the resisting power of the
organism by disease germs. And here
practice supports theory, for it is a
iact of common observation that un
der equal conditions of exposure tho
habitual drinker almost always suc
cumbs sooner than the abstainer.
Ki-zr.rs noA( IU OFF TAIII.R.
To find roaches crawling on the din
ing-room table fills the heart of many
a housewife with disgust, and she is
tempted to kill them instantly, which,
of course, soils the cloth. The best
way is to prevent the pests from
climbing up the table legs, and that is
just what the invention of a citizen of
Gilberton, Pa., is designed to accom-
3UG TRAP FOR TABLE LEGS.
plish. We illustrate the idea in the
accompanying picture, a portion of the
trap being cut away to give a
view of the interior arrangement.
The bug who climbs this table leg
must not only know how to swim but
also be able to find his way out of
the trap when once inside, and the
chances of his reaching the top are
small indeed. The slanting upper wall
of the trap is highly polished, and this
causes many of the insects to fall into
the liquid as soon as they attempt to
crawl across it. The liquid may be
kerosene or some poison, making it
impossible for the insects to long sur
vive a bath in the trap. The inven
tion may be used on tables, beds, dress
ers and, in fact, any article of furni
ture on which castors are used, as it
comprises a castor with an extra long
shank, having the trap surrounding
the lower portion and adapted to sup
port the leg as shown.
A BALLOON VOYAGE.
On the first of September M. Jacque
Faure, a member of the Aero club or
Paris, crossed by balloon from the
Crystal palace, London, to France. He
set off on his jurney at six o'clock in
the evening, and safely descended at
Alette near Boulogne at ten minutes
to eleven, the journey having occupied
four hours and fifty minutes. The
balloon traveled almost throughout
the entire distance at a height of 200
feet. This is by no means an excep
tional performance, since Mr. Percival
Spencer, the well-known aeronaut of
London, has crossed from the Crystal
palace to France one several occasions,
with varied success, but the trip has
never before been attempted by night.
The advantage of the night journey
is that the air being condensed does
not rarefy the gas in the balloon, as
is the case when the sun's rays are
directed upon the vessel during the
daytime. So long as the temperature
of the atmosphere remains at a cer
tain point, the balloon will maintain
Its equilibrium at a regular altitude.
M. Faure intends to recross from
France to England, starting from
Cherbourg,, with the first suitable wind.
On this occasion special floats will be
attached to the balloon, so that, in the
3vent of its unexpectedly descending
Into the water, it will be kept afloat
•fit
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ITSII ENEMIES TO MOSQUITOES.
Now that special efforts are bcin§
made to exterminate mosquitoes, ow
ing to the belief that certain species of
these insects are responsible for the
spread of malaria, the fact that small
fish are great destroyers of mosquito
larvae assumes increased interest. This
fact is vouched for by Dr. L. O. How
ard of the department of agriculture.
He tells of two small lakes formed
nearly side by side in Connecticut by
an invasion of the sea, one of which
contained half a dozen small fish,while
the other was Ashless. Subsequent ex
amination revealed tens of thousands
of mosquito larvae in the Ashless lake,
but the other contained not one.
WIIY DOES SAP ASCEND?
Prof. S. H. Vines, president of the
section of botany in the British Asso
ciation, referred in a recent address
to the force by which water is raised
from the roots to the topmost leaf of
a lofty tree, and remarked that it must
be regretfully confessed that one more
century has closed without bringing
a solution of the old problem of the
ascent of sap. One of the suggested
explanations requires that in a tree
120 feet tall the transpiration forcc
must equal a pressure of 3G0 pounds
to the square inch. But Prof. Vines
says there is no evidence that a ten
sion cf anything like such an amount
cxista in a transpiring tree.
scrrouT roil YIOMMSTS.
Any violin player, and especially tha
beginner, is aware that one of the diffi
culties to be mastered is the gripping
HOLDER REPLACES CHIN GRIP.
of the instrument with the chin to
keep it in position. The object of the
invention which we present herewith
is to do away with this necessity of
the player holding his head down in a
cramped position, providing a support
which is attached to the garments
and is an effective substitute for
the old manner of holding the
instrument. The device is sim
ply a clamp, with a srrew ar
rangement for attaching it to the
»necktie or the upper edge of th° vest.
The dotted lines show the position cf
,a wire brace which is inserted inSf.-'
band portion of the tie if the eld.
to be fastened to that article of ap
parel. From the face of the clamp
projects a short stud or spindle, on
which the instrument is mounted while
playing, allowing it to turn freely in
the hands. The inventor claims that
the support will afford much relief to
the player, enabling him to hold his
head erect and thus not only relieving
him of a cramped and painful position,
but also enabling him to have the free
use of his head and neck with refer
ence to reading his notes and observ
ing other matters of importance to him
in effecting a successful rendering of
the music.
A rilOTOGnAI'IIIC SPEED DKTECIOIS
A Parisian inventor, Monsieur Gau
mont, has devised a hand camera, by
means of which the speed of a passing
bicycle or automobile can be ascer
tained. The camera shutter has two
slits, separated by a fixed distance, each
of which in turn makes an exposure as
the shutter flies across. The result is
a picture containing two nearly super-,
posed images of the moving object.
The time elapsed between the expos
ures being known from the velocity o(
the shutter, it is only necessary to
measure on the negative the distance
between the two images of a hub, for,
instance, in order to have the data for
a simple calculation which will show,
the speed of the vehicle at the instant
the photograph was made.
SAWDUST FOR FUEL.
In some parts of our country saw
dust is burned at the mills, not as
fuel, but simply to get rid of it. Bii{
in Europe a better use has been found
for sawdust. In Austria, for instance,
sawdust is impregnated with tarry
substances, and then heated anjl
pressed into briquets, which are read
ily sold for fuel. These briquets,weigh
ing about two-fifths of a pound each
bring from 95 cents to one dollar pei
thousand. In heating power they equa?
lignite, and they leave only 4 par cent
of ash.
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CHAMOIS
Attention is called in French scien
tific journals to the disappearance ol
the chamois from the French Alps
These graceful animals, in spite of tin
fact that they conceal their homes and
places of refuge in the most inacces
sible spots, at heights varying from
2,600 to 11,500 feet, are mercilessly
hunted out and shot down, -so that
there is danger of their complete ex
tinction. In Italy there is a ge re
serve on which the chamois a pro
tected, and the formation of a similar
reserve in France is advocated.
MOLTEN WOOD.
Forest Inspector De Gall of Lemur
France,has invented a substance called
"molten wood." It is produced by sub
mitting wood to a process of dry distil
lation and high pressure whereby the
escape of gases is prevented. Aftei
cooling, the mass resembles coal, ex
cept that It is without organic struc
ture. It is hard and can be shaped
and polished. It is said to be a per
fect non-conductor of electricity.
KUI
A STEAM WAGON.
A
PATENT OBTAINED FOR NEW/'
CARRIAGE.
Twenty-Seven Feet In Length anJ Hal
Carry Three Tom of Merchaudlie—
For Use on England's Perfect Country
Roads.
(London Letter.)
An Inventor in Brompton-Croscen?
has obtained a patent for a wagon tp
be propelled by steam upon commor
roads. The carriage is twenty-seven
feet in length, including seven feet ftu
the fire, boiler, cylinder and tho
mechanism connected with the drivini
wheels. Instead of an axletree passing
through 'both the front or both th»
hind wheels, as is usual in other car
riages, the axis merely passes through
the nave of each wheel sufficiently tc
support on each side uprights, wlnob
strengthen and connect the frame ol
the wagon. The direction of the car
riage is effected by the action of a
bevel pinion connected with a spi
which is governed by the coach)
this pinion acts on a wheel -B
movements compel those of ce.
Iron braces fixed to the exterior
front wheels, which turn upon
same spot where they touch
grou-nd so much power is gaine.i
this pinion that little force is req
from the coachman to produce
necessary direction. TheTe are
safety valves calculated at fifty pc
upon a square inch, while every pa.
the steam apparatus has been proved
at the rate of 200 pounds upon a square*
inch. The steam is conducted into
two condensers, formed of tiat coppa
tubes that part of the steam1which is
condensed, falling to the bottom of th.
condenser, is conveyed to the reser
voir of water for further use, while
the ancondcnsed steam is conducted
through tho chimney and hers ex
tinguishes such sparks as may oc
casionally find their way from the
charcoal, combined with coke, of which
the fire is made.
The fire, placed undar the boiler,
surrounded by iron plates, and so far
removed from the part of the carriage
destined for goods that no possible
danger can be apprehended.
The weight of the carriage and the
whole apparatus may be calculated a'
AN AUTOMOBILE OF 1S23.
one and a half tons it is destined t»
carry three tona of merchandise, mak
ing a total of four and a half tons
upon wheels conformable to the regu-
lations established by law and subject
to the usual restrictions.
The first steam wagon ever built was
constructed in Yonkers, N. Y., in 1S23.
A picture of it appears above.
1
ROG BREEWPj*^
H&3sacliii sotts Mca Wlio Wilt Make
Business or It
Some Boston capitalists propose t#
raise frogs on an elaborate scale. Ar
organization has been perfected ana
land has been purchased, where arti
ficial ponds are being constructed
They will be lined with cement, an4
the smallest will be ten feet long an4
three in width. In these ponds th»
process of breeding will take place
and at certain stages of development
the little creatures wil be transferred
to ponds of greater dimensions. A1
the age of two years the animals woul'1
reach maturity. The food required fo»
the frogs is of an extremely simp)'
character and will cost but little, ani
it is expected that ultimately the com
pany's investment will yield big re*
turns. From 20,000 to 40,000 frogs wiK
be grown annually, and if it is deeme
advisable the yearly output will be
creased to 100,000. While the prodi
will be available for all the uses
which frogs wil be put, dead or alh
the principal demand is expected
come from colleges and medicat
schools. It is averred that in the past
such institutions have, through the'
inability to secure desirable specimei
of the sort, have been seriously handi
capped in the prosecution of experi
ments in medical research. Schools ir
the east, for example, have frequent!
been obliged during the winter to sent'
to California for the animals which
upon their arrival here, have been u/
fit for analytical study. The Mass
chusetts frog breeders intend to i'
move the cause of all this inconvei
ience by supplying frogs in abundant
the year round.
WM Wen Supplied*
When the Shah of Persia goes a vi
iting he creates consternation in th»
royal and imperial households whicfc
are, for diplomatic reasons, obliged
receive him. The fact that among tho
priceless gems and curios which adoir
his treasure room in his palace at Te
heran is preserved such a curiosity at
a toothbrush will give an inkling
why the Shah-in-Shah is not a deeir*
able guest. Most of his gorgeous robe*
(A:
4y*3S
fe,
SUP
y',
of state he has made in England, bat
of late has rather affected the Freact* Vf,
shops. The story is told of an enter
prising firm of French ehirtmakwr
who, on the occasion of the recent vlstT
of the Shah to the French capital,
thought to do a good stroke of busi
ness by getting his patronage. To thu
end they sent for the Shah's iaspeo.,
tK'a a dozen of their finest and moat^
costly shirts. "Ah, very pretty," re
marked his majesty, "but I brought'.^
it a
v.
Klcku .mw Unpopular* /-r.-'V
A perfect revolution has come about?
in the matter of using pet names ori
nicknames outside of the family cicie^
In the public schools and particugjarlyv
in the high schools, teachers are
sisting on the use of the Chr
name of their pupils. In fashloQata
society, /too. j'iane Is just plain Jan
and Mary/Mary, and Sarah, Sarah/aat£
the Jfenlty and beautjr of these old-|
tszA^ned names go far to envalayi^
posseseork with their poettwl
historical S'lss
-i-P JT"