THE STATE TAX LEVY
TO BE SAME AS LAST YEAR.
11*11 road AMMinati Redar#d bat Rail
road Mm Nut KaiUflrU Goitruor
Adams Opposed tbs Kadurtloo.
Denver, Sept. 30.—The state tax levy
has beeu fixed by the Board of
Hiiualization. The approximate as
sessed valuatiou is $185,000,000. The
tax revenue is estimated at $740,000.
A horizontal reduction of 10 per cent,
on the assessed valuation of all rail
road property in Colorado has beeu
made by the State Board of Equaliza
i ion.
This action was takeu at a meeting
of the board <ield in the office of Gov
ernor Adams yesterday aftenioou.
All the iueiiil»ers of the l»oard were
present. Representatives of the vari-,
ous railroad companies were in attend
ance and presented statistical figures
to supiK>rt their claim that the valua
tion of railroad property lnul l»een in
creased. while that of all other prop
erty had been steadily lowered during
the* past- nve years.
The representatives of the railroad
companies asked for a hortzontal re
duction of 20 per cent. This tin* uieui
-Ik*rs of the board would not listen to,
but finally agreed to a reduction o»*
10 |mt cent. .
The decision in favor of the reduc
tion was not a unanimous one.
Governor Adaius opposed any change
in tin* railroad assessments from the
liegiuning and protested against the
reduction to the last, but lu* was over
ruled liy the other members of the
board.
The representatives of the railroad
companies an* not satisfied with the
decision of the board. After the meet
ing yesterday afternoon Mr. Freeman
announced that they would light the
matter out In the courts. Their action
will lw» based, he said, on the ground
that the assessment upon railroad
property Is in excess of that upon
other classes of property which Is as
sessed by county assessors.
The tax levy will Im* made up as fol
lows:
General revenue 2 1-10 mills, ngr.
cultural college 1-5 mill, school for
mutes 1-5 mill. State university 1-5
mill. School of Mines 1-5 mill, insane
asylum 1-5 mill. State Normal school
l-f» mill, stock inspection department
3-00 mill, capital building Mi mill, inter
est on Insurrection bonds 1-10 mill, an
aggregate of 4 1-10 mills. The im»11 tax
will be $l.
According to the approximated as
sessed valuation of the state the tax
revenue will hi* al>out $740,000 this
year. These figures are uot exact, as
a few of the counties have not com
pleted their returns.
However, in approximating the state
valuation the figures of last year have
been used where returns are not com
plete. This places the approximated
assessed valuation of the state at $185.-
000,000. This is a decrease of $8,000,-
000 from that of last year, when the
. tax revenues amounted to about $832,-
000.
COMMISSIONERS INTRODUCED.
i AaaricMi Md Spaniards Tabs Break fast
Together at Paris.
PsrlA Sept. 20.—The United States
Pence Commission held anotlier session
this morning, after which, accompanied
by the Uufted States ambassador. Gen
eral Horace Porter, they drove to the
foreign office, where the commissioners
met and breakfasted with the Spanish
commissioners.
* In addition to the commissioners and
the ambassadors, the minister of for
eign affairs, M. Delcasse, had invited
the three head officials of the French
foreign office, the first secretaries of
the embassies and General Uegron, sec
retary of the Elysee palace.
The breakfust at which the peace
commissioners met for the first rime to
day was an informal affair, given by
M. Delcasse in hip private apartments
at the foreign office.
• The breakfast, or luncheon, as It
t would lie termed In the United States,
occupied eighteen minutes. Coffee and
cigar were served In un adjoining
apartment and after half an hour’s
ebatting the party broke up. both com
missions leaving simultaneously with
courteous adleux. The Americans re
4 gard the function as lining a happy
f leans of maklug the two sets of com
liHsloners acquainted with each other.
INTROOPS ORDERED TO PANA.
Bat They Hut Nut Directly Aalat the
Mlue Owner*.
Springfield, 111., Sept. 29.—Governor
Tanner was called up by telephone this
afternoon by Sheriff Colburn of I*ana.
The sheriff said that be had no further
control of the striking miners, that he
feared there would be an outbreak
within a short time and that he had ex
hausted all his resources. He asked
that state troops be scut there.
Governor Tanner immediately or
dered Captain Craig of Battery B,
Galesburg, to go with his men t6 Fans,
at once, and Colonel John B. Hamilton
■of Elgin was also ordered to start with
two of the best equipped companies of
his Sous of Veterans.
Governor Tanner ordentd Captain
Craig to camp within the city limits
3 cd protect the life and property of the
Ittaens. but under no circumstances
ttould they aid the miners or mine
owners in the operating of the mines
with foreign labor, to which the gov
ernor la much opposed.
•
M«UU for Mini Mm.
New York. Sept. 2J). —Cltlzeus of
Brooklyn to-day teMtltted tbelr appre
ciation of the eruiHer Brooklyn’* ser
vices during the war, when the men
and officers of the warship gathered
la the Thirty-third regiment nrmory.
There w«e speeches by ex-Mayor
Schleren. General Stewart L Wood
(ford and St Clair McKelwny, singing
by school children, and a medal of
honor waa pinned on the breast of
each of the Brooklyn's officers and
men. Mrs. Schley received in a box
a medal to be delivered to Commodore
Schley. Captain Cook received a gold
bllted sword.
- Testa a.bbees Mot Osoabt-
Denver, Sept. 30.—The men who at
tempted to blow up a train on the Den
ver 4c Rio Grande railroad, near Monu
ment Wednesday nigbt. bare no far
In eluding the posaes that
Went In aearcb of them.
The best bloodhound In the state fol
lowed their trail ten miles ami loat It,
and a.** cm* of tliclr pursuer* ex
pressed It: ••They didn’t leave any
more trail after that than a bird. It
wan just a* though they took wlug.”
The desjieradoc* have gone west, as
far as flrnu iudicaic. through Wood
land Park and to the Cripple Creek dis
trlct. where they are probably s«*crei
ing themselves a: this time.
Theaecoud js»ss** lias uot returned a.
midnight. Sheriff Hoyuton said earlier
in the evening that lie did not know
when the men would be hack, but did
not expect them until to-morrow. 'Hie
men are following clue* which devel
oped during the day. and of which the
first poase was not aware.
A SPLIT IN NEW YORK.
»Um Demorrau Will Put up a Ticks* uf
Tliclr Own.
Syracuse. N. Y.. Sept. 20. - The Chi
eago platform lietiioeratn, who adopt
**d resolutions last night, instructing
the committee on organization. com
posed of one nietnlM*r from each Senate
district iu the state, to place in noml- j
nation a full ticket by petition should
the convention to-«lnv fall to affirm the J
Chicago platform, had another meeting
to-day after the rejsirt of the regular
committee ou resolutions invaim*
known.
The Instructions of tin* conference re
quire tiiat a full ticket be tiominati*d
within forty-eight hours. Tile cotumi:
tee on organization will meet at the
Union Square hotel. New York City, t«>
morrow night and sided u candidate
for each place* ii|mui the state tlekot.
The Democrat!!* conveutioti of New
York state chose tlds ticket:
Governor—Augustus Van Wyck of
Kings.
Lieutenant Gov«»rnor —Elliott bun
forth of Chenango.
Secretary of State— Geurge W. lta
ten of Niagara.
Comptroller Edward S. Atwater f
Duchess.
State Treasurer K. I*. Morris of
Wayne.
Attorney General Thomas E. Con
way of Clinton.
State Lngim*er and Surveyor—Mar
tin Seliciick of ltenssalaer.
Contrary to all expectations aud to the
indications of last night anil early this
morning, the* convention was harmon
ious, the only contest being for the
nomination of governor, aud only one
ballot Indug taken on that.
STORM RISING IN SPAIN.
Djruwl; l< llooinnl aud Everybody Ki
perm a Krlgn of Terror.
Madrid. Sept. 2!». While jxdltical
parties aud writers uud pretorians are
still conspiring, the people do not re
spond. hut are awaiting the signing of
the Paris treaty ami the development
of Weyler’s plan to force a dictator
ship upon the country and secure the
support of the troops when they arrive
from Havana.
Nobody here believes 1t possible to
save the*dynasty, but there U n general
foreboding that blood will certainly
tlow before the end of the year.
It Is believed that the Paris Commis
sion will finish its work by the end of
November. Historic precedents are Im*-
iug cited iu the case of other territorial
cessions and annexations following
military conquest* in order to furnish
grounds for getting rid of the Cuban
debt. Bulgaria. Lombardy, Savoy, the
pontifical states, etc., are given as ex
amples.
It Is said here that Porto Rico will
be evacuated by the end of October
and Culm by the end of February.
Spanish agitators are being arrested
mid expelled from Portugal and Por
tuguese partisans of the Ilierlau Union
art* being arrested iu Spain. The
friends of the union of the two coun
tries are not numerous in Portugal, but
they are very active.
COMBINE OF BOSTON BANKS.
Tea or Twelv* National Concern* May lie
Con Mandated.
Boston, Sept. 20.—The Evening Iler
eld says: Consol Illation of ten or
twelve of Boston’s natloual banks is
as good as assured.
A circular has been Issued to tile
savings banks, who practically own a
controlling Interest In these banks,
naming a price which win lx* paid for
their holdings. The Intention Is to
liquidate these banks and organize a
new national bank with a capital of
$5,000,000 or $5,000,000.
The largest capitalization of any
Boston bank at the present time Is
$3,000,000—the Merchants’. 'Hie banks
mentioned are tin* Boston, Columbian.
Eagle. Harvard. Markee, "North Amer
ican. Globe. Lincoln aud Massachu
setts. However, all these bauks may
not lx* included.
J. P. Morgan & Co. of New York are
said to be behind the movement.
POLICE FORCE FOR SANTIAGO.
Tha LawlNi W.II Thai Hr Chrckad Whan
Troop* D la band.
Santiago de Culm, Sept. 30.—Ar
rangements have been completed for
the formation of a force of Cuban
mounted police for the province of
Santiago.
The force consists of a commandant,
with the rank of ma>or, three captains,
six lieutenants, ten sergeants and 240
enlisted men. The rates of pay for the
enlisted men are the same us in the
United States army, while the officers
get two-thirds.
General Castillo ha* charge of the
preliminaries of the appointments. He
must select capable men who have
served only in the Cuban army, and
the officers must have held similar, or
a higher, rank in the Caban army.
This police force will have a large
territory to cover, and It is expected
that us soon as the Caban troop* dis
band, the lawless element will break
loose and will have to be kept in
check. Even now quant It lea of cattle
are stolen and complaints are frequent
to General Wood and General Castillo,
and they are determined to put an end ,
to this state of affairs.
The Cubans are beginning to under
stand that the sudden changes they
wanted after the surrender would have
caused disorder and confusion, while
now every day a number of Cubans
are appointed to positions of power and
emolument.
I "Toorehlita Eiptllad From IwttMrlasd.
Berne. Sept. 29.—The Bundesratb,
the National Federal Council, to-day ex- 1
pelted eight anarchista from the coun
try. The government Is determined to
rid Switzerland of members of the cull ,
for good and alL
THE FOREST FIRES.
IN ALL PARTS OF COLORADO.
A Shower la Middle Park «Uvm Hope,
bat the Flrra Kage at Mauy Other
Tola ■ a.
Denver. Oct. 1.- The followings spe
cial dispatches to the Hooky Mountain
News give information about the forest
fires:
SteamlHiat Springs, Colo.. Sept. 30.
A heavy rain tell lasi night, with snow
in the mountains, and as a result the
dozen forest fires wliieh have de
stroyed hundreds of thousands of dol
lars' worth of timber are to-duy
smouldering.
It was the first rain for six weeks.
If the weather clears up the tires will
start again. At Columbia tlie shaft
house and outbuildings at the Currou
mine were destroyed. Other build
ings iu the town caught tire and were
saved only after a desperate effort.
They have lieeii fighting tire for a
week. A great deal of fine timber Ims
l>eeti destroyed.
Visitors report that fully half of the
White river timber reserve, the great
game region, has been burned over
and the smoke almost clouds the sun.
ltaiiehmeu in Williams fork have lost
over 500 tons of hay. The Chnpmau &
I Mole rsindies in Kgeriu have been de
stroyed by lire. All buildings and
1 several hundred toils of hay were de
| -troyed. Additional fads regarding
! ihe tire at Ilahn’s lVak say that
Judge Kueker unloeked the jury partly
j to fight tir«* rnd partly for fear that
; die eouuty buildings would be de-
I Ktroyed.
j Two hundred men fought fire under
1 charge of the sheriff and ids deputies.
Ouray, Colo.. Sept. 3". The wind Is
blowing a gale here tills morning and
the mountains lietween here and Sll
verton are in flames. Reports came In
tlds afternoon to the effect that tlie
timber Is burning so llercely that it is
impossible to ascertain tin* amount of
damage being done. There are several
mines in the track of the tire, but
whether they have escaped is un
known.
Glenwood Springs. Colo.. Sept. 30.
The tires in lie mountains near here
have taken fr«*sh life to-day. owing to
high winds. The sun lias lieen nearly
obscured all day, and the atmosphere
is heavy with smoke.
The stock oil the range, as far as
heard from, has escaped the tire.
Illght winds are blowing to-night In
this vicinity and the flames are rapidly
increasing.
Montrose. Colo.. Sept. 30. -The In
cipient forest tire southeast of town
nltoitt twenty-live miles has now
reached large proportions and can
plainly lie seen from town. The range
lietween Hairpin mesa and Saw Tooth
mountain is nearly devastated, and
what was at Ilrst considered to be of
trivial nature may result In serious
loss.
Idaho Springs. Colo.. Kept. 30.—The
sky here to-night is thick with smoke
and the moon has a burned-out appear
ance. Report* coming In from the
White river country and the Gore
range of mountain* are alarming.
Camper* who would have stayed an
other month nre fast returning
through here on tlielr way home. They
say the destruction of timber 1* un
paralleled and that every farm lias suf
fered by tlie loss of fodder within a
radius of thirty-five by ninety miles.
There Is no doubt expressed anywhere
ns to the cause of the fire taring the
negligence of limiters. There Is not an
Imlinu in the whole district. This nf
ternoon Mr. 11. F. May. accompanied
by the Misses Hart, daughter* of Dean
linrt of Denver, and a lady friend of
their* from New Y'ork. returned from a
trip in the park. They report great
danger from the fire and corroborate
niuiiv of the tales told. They also
nay that the lire is making alarming
headway toward North park. Hbould
it actually reach there the destruction
will be awful.
J. J. Rlierwln. president of the
Chamlier of Commerce of Idaho
Springs, accompanied by Ed Chester
and I)r. J. C. Johnson and William
Dole of Denver, have Just returned
from a three weeks* hunting trip over
the Medicine Bow range to North park,
down the Bear river to California park.
They report tlm game as exceedingly
scarce owing to the fire, and only ob
tained the amount necessary for their
own consumption. Fishing was good
on the Bear and the Laramie rivers,
hut the North Platte, where they ex
pected to get tlielr best sport, was com
pletely dry. there having been no rain
fall since June. The party saw the
conflagration from a distance and
knew great damage was being done,
but suffered no Inconvenience from It.
Denver. Oct. I.—A dispatch from
Meeker to the Republican says:
The forest fire on White river has
burned over an area of 100 square
mile* and is still sweeping eastward in
a stretch ten miles wide.
The people of upper White river have
fought fire for three weeks, day and
night. In this they have been a idee!
by Forest Rangers Dunn and Olblet.
Parties from that section say they
have seen nothing of the other govern
ment rangers.
The blaze was started by a man from
New Castle, who got le»st and built a
fire for the night and elid not extin
guish the fire In the morning.
IlMirjr Ooorga Nominated.
New York, Sept. 3p.—.At a meeting of
the Chicago platform Democrat* to
night, Henry George, son of the single
tax advocate, was nominated to head
an independent Democratic ticket. The
nomination of Elliott F. Danfortli for
lieutenant governor by the regular
Democratic convention at Byracu*e was
Indorsed.
Pr»far« Daatta to (krtlnr.
Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 30.—Albert
Nlcken*. corporal of the Second Ten
nessee. home on a furlongb, committed
nnlclde In this city by taking morphine
to-day. It la believed by friend* and
hi* family that he killed himself rath
er than go back to a hard service. He
told a young lady be would rather die
than go back.
Kingston, Jamaica, Sept 30.—The
Weather Bureau reports that a cyclone
northeast of Jamaica is rapidly ap
proaching. The weather at this port Is
fair, but there I n an ominous sea awed
1 >n the north and east coasts
SENATOR HANNA’S OPINION.
U« the Should Not Cl*
It «rk to Hptln.
Cleveland. Ohio., Sept. 30. -The Lead
er has from it* Washington correspon
dent the following interview with Semi
tor Hanna concerning the Philippine
question. The interview is believed to
represent the view* of President Me
Klfilej :
“I do uot know what the instruction*
given to our |n*aco com in lsw loners are.”
said Senator 1 lamia, “but so far ufc
concern* the negotiations which will be
Instituted in Paris to-morrow. 1 can
see no other result than that Spain will
have :o relinquish her sovereignty ovei
not only Luzon island, but tlie entire
Philippines archipelago.
“Spain has no rcn*>n to expect to
be able to retain any portion of tin
group. She went Into the war and
lost, and now ought to Is* prepared t<
suffer tin* consequences which such a
defeat implies. 1 regard the Philip
pluos as lost to Spain, and that being a
foregone conclusion, in my opinion, tin*
proU' in which next confronts us re
lates to tin* form of government which
we will give the islands.
“When the Philippine question first
presented itself there was a strong sen
timeut among conservative, far-seeing
and 'Pinking men in this country
which favored the retention by the
United States of merely a naval Imse
and eoaling station iu the islands -this
ba*e presumably being Manila, amt tin
bay eontiguous thereto. Sima* then,
however, this sentiment apparently
lias undergone a marked change, aud it
now ipjMars that for the most pan
the**- -01110 men who at first lielleved
we should occupy Manila alone arc ad
vocating the termination of Spanish
rule :i the whole group.
“Aside from the fact that the gen
eral ''-tit 1 incut of the country seems to
Is? against returning any of the is
lands to S|min. the United States is un
der obligations to the insurgents to es
tnbli-h a stable and enlightened form
of government throughout the entire
archipelago. When tilt* war broke out
the Philippine islands Insurrectionist*
became iu a certain sense the allies of
the Americans, and it. therefore. I* our
morel duty to set* that In the future
they will he assured safe and civilized
rule, and until the United States deter
mines in Just what manner the Philip
pines ultimately shall in* governed, wc
necessarily will have to consider the
Philippines our wards.”
EXPOSITION’S FINANCES.
Has Moiiry In Him Itwnk, After all Debt*
Ar«- miml a Month Vet to Itun.
Omaha. Sept. 30. Every one Inter
ested in the welfare of tin- western
country will bo pleased to hear of the
wonderful financial success of tin
Trans-Mississippi Exposition. now
uearing the close of Its five months*
run at Omaha. If it* gate* were closed
to-day, there Is money enough in the
bank to pay every dollar of indebted
ness and return to the stockholders a
large portion of the stock subscrip
tions. If there is any truth iu the old
gaylng that “nothing succeeds like
success," the month of October should
be marked by a prosperity unprece
dented in the history of expositions.
Aeeordltig to the books of Secretary
Wnkcljeld, the finances of the exposi
tion on September 2(Jth stood as fol
lows: Pash balance iu hank. $128,000:
all liabilities. $0.8.000; uet balance.
$«)0,000. For some time past all bills
have been paid whenever presented
w ith the proper vouchers, and the cash
surplus lias steadily accumulated.
When the above figures were given
out the exposition had thirty-six days
to run. October, on account of tic
prace jubilee celebration, aud other at
tractive features, Is expected to draw
by far the greatest crowds of any of
the five mouths of the exposition sea
soli.
’l'lie present indebtedness consists *-x
--clusively of balances due on contract*
and the operating expenses for Septem
ber. The first aggregates $20,000 and
the latter s4B,o»K> at the maximum
cost of $2,000 a day. Of this latter
amount SB,OOO lm* already been taken
up on account of weekly pay rolls, and
the total obligation on account of oper
ating expenses Is $40,000. Notes ag
gregating s2,ot Ml arc outstanding, mak
ing a total Indebtedness of $68,000.
The exposition will close November
Ist.
The ascension* of the war balloons
which were at Santiago de Cuba, the
drill of the United States life saving
<-re\v on the lagoon, and the exhibit of
visual signaling by the United State*
signal service corps take place daily
on the grounds. During October the
famous Inno* band of New York city
will give two concerts daily on the
grand plaza, besides other musical
features.
FIGHT LOOKED FOR NEAR PANA
Striking Union Mon Hold up a Tralu and
send Colored Men Hark to Indiana.
Tower Hill. 111., Sept. .'lo.—Three
hundred striklug union miners from
I*ana to-day held up a special Balti
more & Ohio southwestern train, con
veying fifty-live Washington, Indiana,
negro miner* to Pana to take the place
of union miners.
The negroes were taken from the
cars and compelled to walk hack to
Tower Hill, where they were locked up
in the depot until ten o'clock to-night.
At that hour the negroes were placed
on iKiard an east-bound train aud tak
en hack to Indiana at the expense of
the Mlncnf union.
The miners were all armed and
masked.
Mataafa May Now Ketarn.
Washington, I>. C.. Sept. 30.—'The
Suite Deportment give* confirmation to
the report that it ha# given Its assent
through the American consul at Apia.
Samoa, to the return to Samoa, after an
exile of ten year*, of tlie former King
Mataafa.
It is assumed that this chief is to be
made kin*. to succeed tin* lute Kin;;
Mnlletoa, who died about u month agn.
Colon.l John Hey Sworn In.
Wnxblngton, D. C.. Sept 30.—Colonel
John Hajr waa sworn Into office an tec
rotary of atate at U o’clock this ineru-
Ing.
The ceremony took place ir. the
President's room at the White House
and the oath was administered by Jus
tice Harlan of the Supreme Court. Mr.
Hay Immediately Joined bla colleagues
In the regular Friday Cabinet acadon.
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS.
'
SOME GOOD STORIES FOR O’JR j
JUNIOR READERS.
The lirerue of the Kitten*, u True
Story f€»r the Juulur* —Hetty'* Arith
metic l.«'**ot> —Horn ami Juiule *n«l
Jack.
The tluttertly'ft
Poor little butterfly.
Dead on the walk!
Take him up. Rose.
With u violet stalk
Now in a lily-leaf
Let him bo wound.
His cotnn a pease-pod
That Johnny has found.
In mamma’s flower-pot
Dig hint a grave;
Let the geranium
Over him wave.
Rest, little butterfly,
In your nice bed;
A rose at your feet.
And a stone at your head.
The Keftcuo of tlic Kitten*.
“Let’s go and see the kittens in the
engine house!" said
"All right,” answered Dora.
“I’ll come too. said Jamie.
"Let me come with you!" cried
Jack.
"I'm afraid It’s rather dirty for your
slippers.’’ I answered, doubtfully.
"I’ll carry him across," said Dora—
she was t lie biggest.
It was Sunday, so we did not race
round the buildings to the engine
house, as we should have done on a
week day. We walked sedately round.
Jack in Dora’s arms
When we got to the engine-house she
set him down.
"Now, take care you don’t go near
the engine, and black your pinafore!”
she said.
Then we began to call. "Kitty! Kit
ty! Push, Puss!” hunting In the cor
ners for the kittens, who were wild
little things and liked hiding behind
anything. The engine-house had a
warm, oily smell, and the floor was
so black it was difficult to hunt for
the kittens and not mess our Sunday
drosses. We looked in every hiding
place, but found nothing. Then we
stood still and listened.
A faint mew came through the door
that led into the chaff-house. In the
chaff-house was a well from which the
engine drank.
"They’re in the chaff-house!” cried
Dora, and begun hurting behind some
bags of chaff.
"Listen again,” oai 1 Jamie.
We listened and heard faint mews
from the coiner where the well was.
"They’ve tumbled into the well and
are drowning!" cried I.
We rushed to the corner and lis
tened.
Yes, there were cries of distress
; coming up from the well.
"They’re In there right enough,"
I said Jamie.
i "Listen! They’re getting fainter!
j They will he drowned,” cried I. "Can't
> we do anything?”
j We hung over the well. It was cov
j ered with an arrangement like a Inrgo
i box, with a lid on the top. We opened
this and the mews sounded louder,
j “Couldn’t we tie up a big bundle
; of straw anil let it down? ” I suggested,
j Perhaps they'll cling to it and let us
I draw them up.”
"No, that wouldn’t be of any use —
j you’d only drown them faster,’’ snld
| Jamie.
j "Then he listened again, nud added:
"I don’t believe they're in the water
at all. I believe they’ve dropped down
on to the llrst sta-je.”
| "Well,” suid Dot a, "couldn’t we get
them up from there? Let’s diop a
basket down, with a string tied to it.
and see if they'll get Into it.”
Jamie and I ran off, and soon came
back with a basket uud a ball of string
string.
I had only Just escaped Mrs. Jones —
she was our cook who saw me going
out with the basket, and called out to
know what I wanted with it, but 1
waa gone before she could stop me.
We tied the string to the basket
and let it down into the darkness.
Presently we felt it s‘op, and the mew
ing ceased.
We waited a few minutes, and then
drew it up again, but it was empty.
We looked blankly at each other.
"Can't we get someone to go down
with a ladder?"'said I.
"On a Sunday!" returned Jamie.
"You wouldn’t card) any of the men
going down in their Sunday clothes,
and besides, they’d have to pump all
the bad air out first."
"Is there bad air down there?" ask
ed Jack. “Will it hurt the kittens?"
But no one took any notice of him.
We stood round the well helplessly
listening to the mews that had re
commenced.
Then we heard a little splash, and
stifled, far-off cries.
"Oh, dear! There’s one fallen right
down! tVe must do something!” 1
cried.
“I don’t know what we can do.” said
Dora; get a candle and put it in the
basket alight, to let them see what It
in. Then draw it up, and let It down
again without the candle, and per
haps they’ll get Into it.”
I was off like a shot-through the
stables, so ss not to be seen from the
house. Then as quietly as possible
through the gate, without a click of
the latch. Softly across the bricks, a
moment’s breathless listening at the
bark door. That was Mrs. Jones’ step,
carrying the best dinner service up to
the pantry cupboard. The pantry door
was Just opposite the scullery door
where the kitchen candlestick stood,
but she would have her back to ft till
she had put the china It# the far cup
board. If she saw me 1 should gee no
candlestick, for wasn’t it always pol
ished on a Saturday night, and always
jealously kept from children’s hands
till towards the end of the week? And
un appeal to higher powers, even If
successful, would cause- u delay which
might be fatal.
I slipped iu, trembling with eager
ness. "
Alas! The •andlestit.k was on the
top shelf.
I climbed quickly on to the broad,
lower shelf, and secured the treasure;
but Mrs. Jones was winning hack. I
stood still, hardly breathing, holding
on to the top shelf with o. j hand and
the candlestick with the other. J had
slipped the matchbox into my pocket.
Was Mrs. Jones coming into the artil
lery, or going back to the kitchen?
What a relief! It was towards the
kitchen she turned. I sprung down
Iroru the shelf as noiselessly an possi
ble. and flew out of the door
Mrs. Jones, hearing a noise, r ime
out. but too late.
"What 1)0 ye up •» now?" sin* cull
ed after me. "Sont# rnishtitT, I’ll be
bound."
But I was half way through the sta
ble.
"What a time you’ve been!" ra d
Dora, when I arrived, crimson and .
breathless. "Have you got matches?"
"They’re in my pocket. 1 was near
ly caught again." I answered. "I had
to wait. Have any more tumbled
in?”
’’N*». I don’t think m
Do»*a lit the camll* . put it in the
basket, and lowered it carefully. We
all watched the point el light go down,
down into the darkness. Then it
stopped.
"I expect tlie bail ail will put the
cancle out." said Jamie.
But I suppose thi air was not very
bad. for the candle burnt fairly well,
and by its light wc could sec three
littli kittens with shining eyes.
The kittens looked at the light In
the hnHi<ot and up at us.
Then we drew It up again, tools the
light out, and sent the basket down
empty.
After a few moment* of breathless
waiting we started it on itn return
journey.
";t’s heavier!" iri'd Doru; *'t’m
sure, there’s a kitten in it.”
J: mle leant down with the cuidlo,
and there, sure enough, was a little
blar.k kitten, looking very frightened,
but sitting quite safely in the Imsket.
As soon as it was near enough, 1
sna-Ched It out and kissed it. and then
made Jack sit on the chaff, and put
the kitten in his lap.
Then the basket wae sent dbwn sgaln
and one more little black face appear
ed when the basket came up to iho
light.
The second kitten was given to
Jug'*, and the basket m nt down again,
and Again came up with its living bur
den.
Tren we sat down together on the
lieaj* of chaff,forgetting Sunday dresses
and rejoiced over thjhkittens, with a
tear or two over t e unfortunate fourth
whoffe cries hud cease J.
V e speculated as to how they had
got down there, and concluded that
one hail crept through between the
boards at the hack and slipped down,
and that the rest, hearing its cries, had
followed one by one.
We always thought it wan very clov
er of the kittens to know that that
basket was the way to safety and iho
upper world. —Margaret Wilson.
Hetty'* Arlthmet 1< 1 .Aaron.
Betty was eating one of mamma’s
lovely round turnovers and studying
fiactions. She had Just begun to take
little nibbles from the edge of the
turi over, "to make it spend,” when
papt gave her n question to work out.
"Frhm foyr-fourths take one-fourth."
Betty thought fractions dreadfully
stupid thing.-. She didn’t try to think
out rhe answer in the way papa had
explained to her over and over*, hut
gue’vscd it would be "seven eighths!"
and put it down cn th»* paper that. way.
Then she took another nibble out of
the side of her beloved turnover.
Pipa looked at th' answer and then
1 at Betty. Then he look<*J a* tho
turnover and lastly at shaggy old
Br*no, who had Just come into the
room. He took out his kuife, and
tak rg the turnover be cut it into four
quartet*.
"Now, Betty,” he paid, cheerfully,
"as 1 told you yesterday, and a« you
see here, there are four-fourths or four
quarters, in the whole of anything.
Now if we take away one-fourth —
hero, Bruno! —what is there left?”
Betty saw a quarter of that beauti
ful turnover disappear down Bruno's
■ throat!
1 "Thr-ee q-arters!" she said, with a
little gasp in her voice.
And if you believe me, Betty never
forgot how to work in "fourths” alter
• that. —Youth’s Companion.
A Hit of Advice.
Children dear, when you hear drop
ping rain upon the pane, Just be hap*
py, never fear; sunshine always follows
[ rain. Children sweet, when your feet
make the grown-up people fret at the
! noise of girls and boys, tell them you'll
, be sober yet. Children pray, when the
L day does not go quite right at school,
i think of this, that perfect bliss comes
of'minding every rule.—Margaret B.
Sangster.
• They were having a drill In com
parison of adjectives, and the teacher
. asked a small boy in the front row to
compare ’sick." "Sick, worse, dead,’’
[ was the instant reply.
I tlarrrd Oat.
“You are not printing much war poe
• try now,” said a caller to the editor.
"No: I have erected a trocha."—
I Judge.