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j ONCERNING a specific instance, of tho continuous decrease of, surfaco water from the earth/ especially in Asia and Africa, the "dry continents," Advocate: Eugene N. Marals, H. J. P., writes' from Itletfonteln, Watorborg, South Af rle-/, an astonishing article recontly published in a report if the.Smithson* Ian institution. After mentioning some of tho gen* era! facts relative to tho drying up of the wholo earth, which, according to the French astronomer Flammarion, will ultimately cause tho end of tho world, tho author cites a number of ?ppalling Instances of the increasing diynoas of mirica. rTgami, a real lake less than fifty years ago,, is now no inore than a marsh thrcatenod with speedy extinction, and Lake Rudolph ls rapidly shrinking, which fact Ta alarming when lt is realized that Qils body of water feeds tho Nile and wa ters Egypt. Mr. Marals behaves falso tho old cjctrine regarding thc- porfect cycle of moisture-evaporation and precipitation; hoing equal-and thinks ?hat the earth is sucking up moisture like a gigantic eponge* PRIMITIVE; Tilo jaime "Waterberfc was giver, orig! lastly when thia country was vcr? fertile, watered by Jakes, {streams, springs and dotted with marshciv Ac cording to tho writor,. its nama waa synonymous with a Kort ?i?oths land : of : fertility'lt ? literally overflowed .with m?k, honey and frnlts^ It waa >'.-also the laat atronshold' of tho.big gamo.of the northern Transvaal. To ; day. after tho culminating drought of t$lS, it is practically-a.deeeirt, with, dried op water. courses and springs, dead orange groves, some of thom ovor. fifty yedra old, treen three centuries ' oljd.now Hfelcsa.'deBolnto pasture latida d?v'?ld Of cattle aud other lifo. Thora if? no Ramo, either birds or animals, .nritt . th/> iUiidn wli">ro n? ,.ereps once grew are "?ow, pareil ed hud dead. No Hunnlnc Waler There. lt ia hard to believe, but true, that in tho^ catho district cf Watorborg.. which'ls: larger ?han tho Freo Stale, ibero vr?? 'last-year no ruWlng.w&ter, and in *ho tiorth of tho district there is a, tract over 4,000 squsre milos in extent where there ls no single drop of' water, running cv stagnant, above ?J?h$ Bixf?ap? ?? tao ground. Thajprea\ Limpopo itself; ia dry for ail tie dl? totu-o that its'-to'urao covers in this dlo-v i?iat. and only by digging deep in'ita sr.rdjr bed can drinking vs?ter. he found. Kven after a very- heavy rain' lu tho Neighborhood of il ita source, which , flood6d ';"ita tributaries nt the .tira?r Vtho'' stream reached : ?\ut a littlo . ';w a?; down tho-^Limpopo, -and. n?i;,ofce1 drop of, th? water which foil itt tb? n^ ...poj;re?rfo3is :;ireraoh?.iJ:th? .ac?; 'afloat' An th? hiirrJngr'aa??d'?'^o^ bo'.!. Only tho fairly-numoroha thermal Mi?f?t^^^? ;'at?lir?ct: reihum " ?naf'-i Hiern; movements in all directions fol low, so anlmat-llke ari to leave one in doubt whether they aro really seeds or insects. First each seed disentan gles itself, thou tho sesdhead is liftM clear of tho ground, following which a band pf tho supporting toll turns the torpedo head earthward, and tho nee dle point with its bristles is thrust into tho damp soil by a continuous pressure of tho tall. This latter move ment is continued until tho seed ?8 embedded in tho coll, the whole opera tion occupying -1.6 minutes. It the soil is only slightly dump, the seed pene* Crates just beyond - thc .lino ' of mois ture and remains without germinating until enough'-<p*itt' in J.iren the ?ate sprinting of tho futuro seedling. Thus equipped, tho tum? grafts exists despito the severo drought against .which Ute sweet grass is helpless. . All Animal Ufo Fled. The effects of tbe drought wore so for-rcacbijg on tho animal world that those animals capablo of escape fled carly from tho stricken area-matt with bis live Stock among the first-: and npw tho ? entire middle rela is without btiraan Inhabitant, end ; the - ! ' nor?? practically a d^ert Ovor v^ory thing Hos tho silence of absolute llfiH lessnoss.' i ii seem* as lt tito desert bad roached out nn.arra and^takeh. unto it self for all timo thia; great oxtebt nfl once fertile country, whore for, four, r.nd ? half ?/uira dally in nb .spot1: isl tho temnerat iro lesa than 100 dogrcea l Fahrenheit : " .'Tho terrible heat and tho absence I . pt ail.molature c-tusaisihguujir,eu,j6cfi;' I tho hair, is so elcctri?ed that when I '/atrpked ligutly "a crachiirig shower ol r.par'ks ls evoked, and thv, finger nalia become;BO brittle they break -conraim I ly; both bair and nhils aoom to jhava I .lost all power, ot growth. All collu* I Ibid .substances, break up. amt rubber I , beCQfUf^ji ft ?i?ftl?nc? ?triArttry. tn ra no.?'.fTltn I ?': horres*'is^shtag^ tolls crackleinca's' '..^?t^:--'aMiA;>:stan(? out. in diaheveWu I .bi&hoa. each individual hair as it wired, tuul in tho night thoir flanks I seem Hp bo eurr?undet!. -hy miniature . , auroras; of electric ; discharges. ; .'.?' '?" I 1 .*1l3jho big game have nearly; all <$tsap> paarcd, moat; ot th ota having, trekked to more fertile country. Some bf th?! remaining animals have had to change ^?lr'/aat??al'; 'habits; ? tho . u?cin'rnai ;*- 'wifr?'??r'^; torced .to 'search its food lu broad daylight on account ot tho fat! . that; tho ants xn the hard grou5'I>??*-. ppt bo dug out during ^ night Wost Ajcfurnal beasts of prey nlao hunt (suring the day aa Weil; as by nifcht; abnio leopards raided a nearby camp in tho early afternoon; and tho baboons. > usuniiy so, aiEiun- pt xno aats; seem K&eVer to s?eepi "but walk* ?bouV.hpth tho auWo^f/?psiiy':.;waea fti0?& -foi . water-ip:^ four; aha" a half foot to^ettft'the surface.' ' "ibis ^'Ppl^^^ :: aama ^.prhich ^tetjtouad near by, $ HjfrftHvlveil ta a: ?kart ilusa*? titrai?' >Hcatioa ot viator. , Animals, a?t '.'??il fe??lpp^ tb.^Ig. to the water follpt? ' ':?aosevaip^^a*tu]i|?io:: anti .ase, 'their ^??m^ofmU^mp . tho wartratti m&$t?t*& tt^-?m-W* ret?a*? g^ijtf&a^.??^^ INDUSTRIAL POLAND HHS ?ROUBLES When the Shortage in Coal ie Overcome Raw Materials Scarce. Lodz, Poland, Dec. 28.~When tho] Germana first occupied Lodz per-1 mnncntly they found the industries in a bad way because of a shortage of coal, due to the crippling of the mineB by dynamiting, und to the difilculty of getting freight cars in which ebal could bo Imported. This difilculty was overcome, but coal no sooner ho gan to come in titan a shortage of raw materials again tied things up, und, If lt contii. s. will bring every fac tory in Lo? to a standstill not later thar Marc' it ls estimated. If this conuitlon of affairs comes it ls feared that tho present very great need wlli increase, and that thousands will faco actual starvation. Lodz in the past bas been a large importer of cotton, both from Ameri ca and from Turkestan. Neither mar ket ls nov/ open to thom.. The little that remains from Old supplies ls be ing doled out in quantities sufficient to allow a few of the niiUs to. operate throo days a week. About 40 per cont of the full quota ot laborers in the textile mills now work i 30 hours a week.. In addition to'the' food, and: fuel Shortage that exists today everywhere In Poland,. Lodz waa particularly handicapped from the very start hy a j shortage, of cuan.- The.Russians had token every rouble they' could lay, their hands,on,-and such factories as woro.'running could pay off tb sin bauds; only with difficulty. . . ? Tho City accordingly was necesBl-l tated tb issue paper currency in 20 and 50 kopeks, and one and five ! rouble noteB. A total of ?2,000,000 roubles was put out. Of this aura, ; 1,650,090 roubles were issued on the j strength of the promised loan of 8,-. 000,000 roubles from the Russian .gov ernment. This. sum had boen prom ised before tho German occupation to help Lodz hear the expenses of the war, but only 350,000 roubles had beeu paid. . . The balance of the Issue was guar anteed by industrial firms and. mer* ohants,, who were rt?quired to' back the .paper with securities and credit in twice the sum ot 'tho Issue. Thhr paper flows hack! and forth and tem porarily, .supplies the needs qt tho population, but will be taken up gradV h?liy by the notes of tho proposed national hank which is;io be .estoh-. Iishcd for air Poland al)out the first of Jnuuary. Lodz's, debt gradually piled up be cause with tho withdrawal of- the Russians all, taxation .ceased. The .Ocnh?hs. found it out ot the question to Impose Jtaxos for the simple .reason tha.t. tho people had no money with, '.Vilich to pay,thorn. ' In place of col lecting taxes. In "fact; the Germaps hayo had to pay out some 3.000.000^ ip arks to tho wives of reservists and pensioners, whoso incomes, from thc Russian government hilve.' stopped, and. in' addition aro .feeding between 100,000 and 150.000 of tho population: A force of 900 . Germaji-speakin? Polish policemen has been appointed to tako tho placea of those who fled with the Russians. The old force consisted,' on paper and tho payrolls,' of 400 mon, in actuality of only 300, ?.hardly ono of whom. remained on Den ?cemher 6, 1914. i . Untjl Fobruary.'of thia year tho ad 'ministration of Lodz was purely mili tary. Hindenhurg at that time order ed.the croatloh of a city, government after the German model, wit!? a mayor, landV? .city council. This lutter body, which at the start b'I to he appoint ed, eventually W.T. he elected from tho Poliah, German-and. Jewish poptt latlon,- t There, ar? at '. presoht Boh?o, C)50iCOO.pcr?r>H"? 'ivins in Loda and tts fc?h?rbs. j\n?ox? Jio .*hfrd are -Jf?wey l?.O^OOj Germana and tho balance Poliah. ..;' . . Tho. industrial cr?ala. ha3 been help ed by tho emigration hf some "30,000. Loris .workers , tb''., Get 1 nany, .. where j workhigV-^hdlbbn's' are more favor?' I able, than! oVe-r* before In history. ; Thirty th<m?a?\d, / however, aro little bettor than,? .drop.Ianthe;hucket:lr d cit}'whoro not only men hut ; wemen, bed children have, always been work-' ero." .. -'- .. ..'''.-.;.'..-. -".'-/' , ; Thh government han installed *>otlt rt. coat and a meat roonoply, for ide j purpose hot only, of regulating the distribution of the avallante supply bht also'..; to stop, tko pernicious ac tivity of speculators. Tho police pf??ld?dt - of Lodz, von Oppen, has nhargo of the Z?trilniiisa of coal to wholesalers', and- factories, while the hivlljiaaglatfate ;ot Lodz watches over Oie 'distribution .teethe/ P^^hs^ir*^.' . New; iv*- sterafewi ''Egg?. '. - lu Form and Fireirido - we'.-read*'ot tie latest tainir in aahitatjen; U "A sterilized, egg oatapaoy haa bet?. tortnodt afe'Alexandrlay ^ilbnesota, for '?trewttd^: -'eggs ?s?. they" will k?&p for '?>. .so^fcai?e?l Indefinite p*rtcd.< The ?ma rhhio which : does, the wef,V": destroy a .fae Cmzryo of .- the egRv xr?aklO??)ft ls* fertile, .st?rliji^>'tSe.v^\'.anii(-:*th?ii ^hermetically .,'se&1a it to prevent Ihiinfcagejhj: evaporation, end also' td Iteep?-^?erie?','froth ?-rca?Mag.ibo con ,TA*?ta? '. Cfc'The machine haa a capacity ; o? tw?iva .ihe?sahd dosen ?> day ?' P?s*iy* in O?llforhi? ere ?aid \ to have hesh thoroughly eatlefactdry. - ? igdverh< meet *.r??rt f^ubw mvesting th? mat? .'ter : t$.. rea?V%h?th?r'. fM 'he Wi ls ? A- ISLAND ct fragrant spices, JA a land of enchantment that JU? ' fulfills the romantic dreams of Jj~ ?: '. youth, v. veritable paradi&e of . emerald verdure; bordered Wk j tho shonn waters of a troploal sea&f that is Ceylon, And of Colombo,! what can bo s?id? It is there that th?f world travelers from tho four vvdhdh ; meet; it io thoro that ene hears t-hp' languages of almost every land in tho two hemispheres sp?kon>, writes W.|?.: Hornaday in.Grit.. |? In no city ot tho world is' thereffi be found day hy day a more conmopoVi* tan transient population thau in Ck?l-> ombo. .It is a port of call tor many steamships that ply. regularly between . pomta in tao far East and.Europe, abd ' between Australia,- ?low Zealand and ; Europe. It io there one meets elophtttt : and tigsr hunters of . India, tea pioi?it ers, cplco buyers; ofneers of the avtay and navy Of many nations, wool bmf.i era ' who .pass to and ' fro betwe&i Ehgland, Franco and tho far off landa . of .Australia and 'New ..Zealand'. T/?e .Island kings-tho cocoanut prmcejSk from i tho coral dots of tho, Indluii ocean, and tho South S?as gnther thef o for a season of social pleasures; ti-.o American millionaire, comes into tho harbor in his yacht and lends to i&e ip?yety ; of the/jMjH^bho^e by- wa prodigal way 1 ii ^iitch' ho sealtors^Hif money around. V - ' Yjfy'?ttf Singatsa?/. mau ?r.iV, liby - 'i natural marchant ai^^ri^er.V^^^K tho youngest to tho' oldest'4hcy''!'.?K have au rye "to husiriess. '"? .f?vctt^'HE street "nrabli^?^^'')p?nwj^4^ y?jft? their 'teci?sHba^^'?i^;^&^?F. tho..whlt.O. \:i5itc.r v-'.'ii r. .?: o.uf. :r.c ; pn\^o^ - .. ... . ? ? ? ? . y-w^r i-r-Tfn-.-- "tf 1 TcTf I ^TOF' ' . How they ' could ftcll t;??>ita Ar, can I ?^-uns;bb.ti%???^<!ft?Vit'\irih ?httH?al ^?ne^f/them to-eay: . . ..''Mftrst?r/^tc'p^h- and ; let .m? -si jon things ver^^?j'.m?l?? inoaMmB fol present for rcnrstsr'B fo&mfll America," . "I said to ono of them: "Wh. you mean by calling me aa'AmcjWBI I live in Bombay." The youngster: sailed ?v?;owhis?y;?ci4 ; replied: '"pht-ii?j- xa?. thaw- mar?i'.:-' : lean-rae can tori; i .' ."jamv Cub you .tftlim^tosSrv faq' ??lidW;shr,iic?;?? his shoulq$ts\ sudsmiled, bat did hoi ?*p??ia th . . era. .. ':.Co?t?as to allou?" ot y^WF* tum ?pirdens, tlie .Buddhist _. .. Beggars . 4 " ?^?'tjb.^:tr<jta' ?i. o: -ftiiptiior .b?fi^ihi; '6hst>?? *? '.^Vl?nfcal col! i\ atuf?y, '.a e?oNVT?>t\nfiHv. ..'Iles and 0hQ?yesi;o? books. ' afJy/t?'ibav!, . ? xviii il ri?r -srWri .rjjoyed i1 nee ot . I',.ytsit to -.tho. . big' - na^y?;;^?a??QB? itf rapj??_tp vfmtetn. oyes/wbr^m " ilttctB on fejido. u . .\ . .?!?s was a deal ? i caU ps in tx .loua v. \ o tains ;?lko ??antleu; o;. : lr Ely,.'ely,' ely, j ly, i?y, ily, o?y, ply, \ TO, my csi-E. if -? /Ilip3;an.a^ ?o??pt at. s?irfiugv . ' . . ' . ???'?'w??atJf?rid orrong that ?oJi?w mxzinkV i zaku? ?ta Jnlcv; |?cp?npanied mo. loun?og.-'tbo o??niseB,".'-' 'replied 'isy j . jjpls pilli ' . 0 * .f-' : - ' r ? ,..." ? . .' il .;'?,' ... 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