The people. (Camden, S.C.) 1904-1911, April 28, 1904, Image 8
HA MVI& THE OWL*
Am lemu'i Wonderful Story Thai
HI* Frie.*s Doubt
Am Iceman told t story tho other
ermine, a story which he says is tb?
tntth and nothing but the truth. I*
wss a new departure for an teaman
t relating (acts, but he stands ready tc
vouch (or IL
He was going to a pond a mom in f
or two ago. rathsr early, and to get tc
the scene of his labors was obliged tc
pass up a railroad track. His atten
tton was attracted by a peculiar object
Jutting from a little pool where 1?
had formed, and he stopped to exam
Ine It. It moved, and closer lnspec
tkm proved It to bo a little owl. whlcb
In some manner had become frozen
In the Ice.
The Iceman swears that the ow!
made several dis|lnct signals of dl?
tress, and he. of course, was In duty
bound to reader all needed assistance
A strong pull failed to separate the
(eet ami Ice. so he dug out the bird
with tbi* help cf Ms knife. The owl
was unable to walk, and he carried It
home, whero medical aid was given
The bird wss all right in a day ox
two aad now. says the Iceman. It re
fuses to leave and will est only from
bis hand. The iceman has related
this bird story to sll who will listen
to him and becomes very indignant il
his veracity is Questioned. ? Taunton
Oasette.
* Stepladder a Treasures
German housewives have a step
ladder contrivance which, if univer
sallv adopted, would do much in the
way of the elevation of mankind ? thl?
Is not a pun ? and the diminution of
the use of strong language. The lad
der Is built on the plan of the ordl
nary household article, except that at
the top it has a
platform which en
able* the hausfrou
to step from the
front toward the
wall, and within
comfortable reach
ing distance of
anything mion
which she is work
ing.
Every one knows
that many of oui
ordinary stcplad
dors, haviug the
brace at the back
to preserve the
equilibrium, keep
the worker stand
ing on the top at a
distance from the
wall, and the high
or the ladder the
greater is the in
cline of the brace
and the furthei
the woman at the
top Is out from the point she wishe?
to reach. Thin in not only inconve
nlent* hut dangerous, for there is al
ways a chance of a fall.
From the top of the German ladder,
and from the step below, is a double
platform, held with braces and ad
justable, so that it can be folded in
when not in use. When the platform
is in place the housewife or maid hav
ing climbed the ladder to the step be
low the top. steps forward upon the
lower platform, which brings her out
over the grave at the -back, in the
place where she would be on the lad
der proper if she were using the ordi
nary household Inconvenience. The
upper platform is curried cut a little
further. Standing comfortably upon
the sectiou below, well toward the
wal* -he has her pail of water before
her upon platform No. 2 and can do
her work without effort.
"A Tooth for a Tooth."
Before artificial leeth were created
deficiencies had to be made good by
the real article, so body ^catchers r..v
aged the cemeteries at night, breaking
up the Jaws of the dead to extraet
their teeth to sell to dentists for ir.ser
tion In live men's mouths. An arm?
of these ghouls followed Wellington's
army. They were licensed a* sutlers
but once night loll, out came their nip
per* and they prowled over the bai
tlefleld extracting the Ueth of the
dead or dying.
Kuman Head Grown in Wood.
Posing as an altar in the Grant'i?
Pass (Oregon) lodgeroom is an odd
looking fir stump, its top shaped like
a human head. Even the feature*
grow there naturally, and except fcr a
little carving to Improve one eye. no
alteration was necessary after u wood
man discovered the curio in the midst
of the fornht. A right ear Is the ouly
lacking feature; There is even a
heard? reprooanted by u white fungu-*
growth.
Burglar's "Fitted" Coat.
To escape observance fn.ra cht- jx>
lies the up-to-date housebreaker iu:!
blu coat fltted with loop* into ?v ! a i o 1 ?
lie allpa his assortment of thieve;' iui
plements.
Improved Freight Facilities.
A modem train of eighty car< wl!i
move 3,600 tonflof freight a? again/*
the 945 tous of a 35car train of :
.decade n*o
Made a Difference.
Dr. Van Dyke inet a young girl
whom he la fond of teaming.
"Not married yet?" axked the Doc
tor.
"No. ahe replied, "but I'm engaged
to Charlie Hrown and I want you to
?arry us."
"Why the last time I Haw you you
told me you had Just given him a flat
refusal."
"Yea.1' mild ?he. "but this time he
lldr't offer a tlrU. 1 1"?? a whole house."
? New York Time*
CURIOU* IDOl? WOMMIP.
#>W>lptf Writ* Their >wytr? an#
Threw TMrn as Ipft Balls.
Along Che sacred road of Nikko. In
fapaa. la aa Idol about which center*
mm of 'the moat curious worship* la
Jie world. Upon the surface of tae
itstue are seen little pieces of what
appears to be dried paper. If you
Uandby the Idol for a while aad wait
tor a worshipper to come clone, you
sill see what these bit; of paper are.
The devotee halts In front of th?
tease, then scribble* a prayer on ?
>lt of paper. The wad he then chewo
ap Into a ball and hurls at the cod. If
:t hits the face aad stick*, the prayei
s sure to be (ranted, and the pious
pilgrim goes away happy. If the ball
atlcks to some portion of the body,
the omen is not quite *o propitious,
and if It falls to the ground there la
absolutely no hope.
Such a mode of prayer is even more
curious than the praying wheels ol
the Buddhists, who set the wheel re
voiving and reel off prayers by ma
ch'nery. As John L. Stoddard, the
lecturer, says: "One sees, of course,
numberless strange rites connected
with religion In traveling about the
world, but Japan is the only land I
have ever visited where deities serve
as targets for masticated prayers!"
ELECTRICITY USEFUL.
Even on Coa! Dock Where It la Ulilia
ed for Motive Power.
Even on a coal duck, where saving
fuel would seem to be as uuiiecessar)
as anywhere on earth, electricity has
b;*en adapted as the sole motive pow
er (or tramways, hoists, and othei
machinery. This dock, with one mil*
01 water and 2,000 .OKI) squart
feet of area, in a; Duiuth. .".linn. It b
owned by the i'iv.neer i'uel Company
and is said to be the most perfect!.*
equipped fuel dock in the country.
Many other coal yards are plamtini
to adopt electric motors iu the sam?
way. for the convenient manner ii
which thpy can be distributed offer,
advantages that overbalance even th<
consideration of a superabundance o
fuel for sicam power. The electrl
drives are used for operating cars aiu
derricks, and the other appliances fo
loading and unloading the coal, a.
well as to do all the repairing requii
ed. In fact, all the work that machin
ery does ic the yard Is done by eler
trlclty.
Car P'atform for Real Use.
This is the roomy rear platform o
a new trolley car ordered by the SI
Iwouis Transit Company for service t.
and from the exposition grounds
While the front platform is . rathe
short, the one on the rear is a regula
balcony, with an area of nine feet on>
inch by seven feet, divided into thre?
parts. On each section are hand raK
lngs ic r supporting the platform pat)
tensers. Tin? chief advantage of th?
scheme is that an open passageway
U always maintained for the entranc*
and exit of those who ride inHlde th?
oar. The railings are opeu at eact
??nd, so that one may move around
\hera.
Early British Cemetery.
Ploughing operations at Diiston
North Tyne, have lately revealed at
?arly British burwil place, or. cist, urnr
having been found containing the
ishcs of a funeral pyre. It is suppos
?d that the burials date from the
later bronze ago about 500 or 1,000
years before Christ, the relic thus be
!ng from 2.f>00 to 3,000 years old. The
urtia are of what is known as the
Mriuking-cup" type, ornumcnted with
markings made on the clay while
nioist. Unlike the Hoiuan pottery,
which was turned out on a potter's
wheel, they are hand made, probably
l>y the women of the family of the
ieceased. and burned on the funeral
pyre.
Loses Quilting Record.
Mrs. Mary Dininger of New ilar
aiony. Ind.. who Is reported to have
made a quilt containing 2,900 pieces,
will have to relinquish the quilting
record to Mrs. John T. Prohert of
Pate. son. N. J. Mrs. Prohert has two
quilts which contain !>,836 pieces each.
The blocks tn both quilts are one inch
square.
Trampling Rebellious Spirit*.
Should a Korean girl die before
marriage her life has betfn a failure,
since she has never been under th?
rule of a "lord of creation." Were she
to be burled lu the family cemetery on
the hillside her unruly spirit would
cause trouble among the ancestors, so
a hole is dug in one of the great
highways and her remains are depos
ited therein without ceremony. It It
believed that as travelers pass day
by day <>v?r th? grave th?y will tram
ole h*?r unruly spirit ln*.o subjertloa
AM OOO INDIAN RILIC.
Adttflraph LMtor fro i Thorn? Jef?
tor? n. Written CiwlMry Aft.
An autograph letter from TIkmui
Jeffereon. written a hundred years ago
to the ladtaas of the Loulalaaa pur
chase. has recently been uaearthed
from the archives of the Sac and Fox
Indians In Oklahoma The Indians la
whose possession the document has
been for a century have not known Its
value, but Intuitively they hnve care
fully kep' the letter during all their
migrations. The letter, which Is quite
Ions, revests Mr. Jefferson's astute
ness In desllng with the Indians. At
his Invitation several powerful chiefs
Journeyed from west of the Mississippi
river to Washington nnd were enter
talned at the nation's capltol. Whet
they stsrted on their Journey home
they carricd the president's letter. It
the letter Mr. Jefferson called atten
tlon to the long Journey they had
made through the white man's terrl
tory and bow the white men had im
proved the land during the short whilf
they had been In possession of It
The letter tactfully shows to the In
dians how hopeless would tife a con
against the whites. Jofferson it
the letter called the Indians his child
ren and advised ag?lnt:t tribal wars
Temperature of Insects.
The temperature of the human bod}
:s essentially the same In the tropic:
?nd in the polar /ones. Insects at res
.lave a ten?:>era?ure practically th?
<amo as that of the surrounding air u
ordinary conditions of heat and o:
numldity. Under usual conditions th<
temperature of an insect rises wltl
That of th?* surrounding air. only mon
slowly. When the air is very inuls'
he Insect's temperature may rlsi
more rapidly than that of the ait
When the insect begins to move it;
temperature rises and continues t<
until the motion cease3.
Bride cf 18C0.
This was the way wour grandmotb
er was dressed as a bride.
Old Smallpox Germs.
A peculiar case recently came t?
light at the McKlnley Wood ranch
southwest of Big Horn, in Wyoming
A member of the Matlock family. wh?
reside at the Wood ranch, was strick
en with smallpox. Th*> ranch wai
quarantined aud the patient recovered
For a time the physicians were at t
loss to know where the patient cor
traded the disease, for he had no
been away from the ranch for man:
months. The fact Anally came ti
light that .McKinley Wood, forme
owner of the place, died of sniallpo?
seven years ago. Evidently the germ*
were not completely eradicated, am
after a lup.e of seven years infectei
the present sufferer. The doctors sa;
this case is almost without a paralle
in the history of this disease.
Fish Stsry of Interest.
In the harbor of Sydney. N. S. W
thirty-four years ago a fisherman killei
slid towed ashore a shark, cut him up
und found a i^ondou newspaper itibld>
of him. In the paper was the an
nouncement of the war betweei
Frunee and Ciermuny. The shark ha<
outdistance.-! the steamer by whicl
the mail was coming, and the discov
erer had the rews to himself. Hi
gave his information to a wealth.*
wool dealer, who bought all the sea
son's clip at eighteen cents a pouni
and sold at seventy-two cents a ih>uu<
after the news of war had arrived b;
the ordinary channel. He cleared, i
is said. $20,000,000 by the deal. Th'
man who killed the shark and extract
(Ml the news received a battered sill
hat and a live-shilling piece for hb
information.
New Guinea Mask.
This two-ntory turtle hIicII mask I*
me of the many unique disguises
worn by the people of New Guinea in
'.heir dance*.
Record of Insurance Man.
Col. Dickinson of New York in a
tingle year wrote policies for
100? the largest record of Insurance
over done in the world In one year by
one Individual. His operations ex
tended over the West Indies and SoutA
Amerlejr
Goes Back to Native Land.
Rev. Carl Goedel has resigned the
rcctorshlp of the Mary J. Drexel home,
a Philadelphia charity. H* explains
that after ten years in the United
States he finds himself still "a self
conscious, convinced Prussian and
German." and that in his view of the
matter "whoever does not want to be
come an American does not belong
permanently In this country."
Prepare for Future Event
At the birth of a child In Cyprue ft
vessel of wine l:? buried, to be served .
tip afterword at It* mortage. ,
?HCTACH? ON THZ D&AO.
Undertaker Ptaut Wmiii on CirpM
Only at Wiynl af Relatives.
At a recent funeral It was noticed
that the face of the And was adorn ec
with glasses. Naturally the quee.
decoratlpn occasioned surprise. Bvei
the uadertaker ti? ri hardly to know
what to mske of H.
"However." he said, "this Is not tlu
first time 1 have hnrled a man wilt'
Classes on. But the Instaaces hav?
been so few that 1 haven't got used u
the Idee. Certainly 1 never ndd that
finishing touch of my own accord. 11
Is always done at the request of tlx
family. In every CM*. I find that the
deceased and his glasses were Inspp
arable In life, snd la order to preserve
the likeness they are to be still un
divided In death. Personally. I think
the notion Inartistic, but art Is not
my business. When anybody wants tc
be burled In glasses that's the way I
bury him."
Squats te Writs Letter.
When an Equadorlan woman writes
a letter she sits on the floor and uses
a squatty table like the one in this
picture. The table is a rough, bench
like thing, so simply fashioned that
even an amateur carpenter can put it
together without difficulty.
CAST FROM WHITE HOU8E.
Several Chandeliera Are Reacued Be
cause of Thair Associations.
Having been cast aalde by the execu
tive. several chandeliera of historic
significance to thoae familiar with the
White House have been rescued ami
sent to Congressional committee
rooms. It was when the White House
was being overhauled that the olii
relics, dating from President Grant'*
term, were sent to an auctioneer to be
sold. Superintendent Elliott Wood ot
the National Capitol heard about it
and had them withdrawn from the
sale.
The finest of the chandeliers wa<
i?laced in the rooms of the Senatt
Committee on the District of Colum
bia. It weighs 800 pounds and con
tains 5.000 pieces of crystal. The
original cost of (his one. together will,
four others rescued, is said to have
been $27,000. They were imported
from Euglaud. and originally were de
signed for accommodating gas lights
but now they have been remodeled foi
use with electricity.
To Cushion Elevator Shafts.
To safeguard against injury those
who are unfortunate enough to fal!
down an elevator shaft, a St. Ixiuis
factory inspector has Invented a de
vice. consisting of a woven wire net
covering the bottom of the shaft and
supported by stout arms. Under the
net is a pair of compression springs
The combined action of net and
springs breaks the fall. While the
let gives and sags, the arms close ur
like scissors and are resisted by the
?jiovement of the springs.
Fond of Good Society.
While a menagerie was being derail
m1 at Plauen. In Saxony, one day last
turamer. a bear escaped and bolted up
the main street of (be town. An elec
'ric train frightened the animal, and
!t made for the open air bathing lake
n the park. A number of ladies were
ii the water, and were frightened
ilmost out of tneir wits when the
shaggy beast came plunging In among
'hem. With one accord they all clear
!>d out of the water and ran for their
fives, leaving Bruin in undisputed ik>s
session.
Was Hore du Combat.
A horse and a cow had a set-to on
?he premises of their owner. Mr. Wal
ter Sherman at Newport. It. I.. Tues
day. There were several rounds, the
cow being victorious. When "time'
was called Dr. Bertram was called
The horse was buried a few hours
later.
Trim? Tree* He Planted.
George l? Newton is tfimming the
trees in the state house grounds at
Montpeller, Vt., some of which he set
out 43 years ago. at which time he
charged the state $1 apiece for them.
Some are now thirty inches in dlame
tcr. *
Oum Wae Her Mether'e.
A Cambildge teacher told one ot
her charge*, the other day. to put into
the waste basket a huge chunk of
gum that she was chewing. The child
looked as though she would like to
obey, but couldn't, and Anally begau
to cry. The teacher again repeated
her order, and this time the child
said, "I'd like to, teacher, but I can't
It belongs to my mother."
Cathollea In America.
There are about 11.000,000 Catholto*
lo the United fttate*.
SCYTHES AS ORNAMENTS.
Plaoed Th#r? to Cemmemorate Pta
unto' Qrfiim of Their Faith.
Ai Ant lifht the acythe Is a Strang*
ornament tor a church, but there It
nothing Incongruous In these curlout
agricultural Implements as seen In thi
parish church of bt. Mary's at Horn
:astto. In Lincolnshire.
Thirteen of these blades are nallec
above the door in the north chapel. A
jne time the blades numbered fort;
>r fifty, but owiag to rust and deca>
many of them nave been loat. Eact
of the scythes Is about a yard ii
length.
The general belief Is that them
blades were placed in the church It
commemoration of the seal of peas
ants who wielded them in defense o<
their faith In the rebellion known ai
'The Pilgrimage of Grace." which hat
Its rise at Ixwth In 1536. When th*
people saw the ruins of their churchet
snd abbeys, they rose In revolt, am
arming themselves with the Instru
mentc of husbandry, such as scythes
they went forth to encounter tin
?nemv. They were beaten and dis
jereed. but in the eyes- of theli
countrymen they were heroes, and th?
*ude Implements with which thej
'ought were deemed worthy of an abid
ng place la the old church where the
peasants had worshiped. ? L'hrlstia*
\ge.
Capturing a Sea Bass.
Royal Bliven of Pleasant View. R. I.,
? *aptured a 9%-pound striped sea bast
i few days ago on the Iteach. Mr
Bliven was walking alorg the bead)
A-hen he saw the fish floundering ir
:he shallow water and succeeded in
landing it on the sand. The stripeu
tea bass is not uncommon 011 the New
England coast in the full, but are
jxtrcmely rare at this time of year
Tax on Letters.
It is part of a Spanish postman's
1uty to collect a tax of a cent apiece
>n every letter sent from within the
kingdom which 1><? delivers at th'6
house. To Have expense, large bust
ness houses send to the postoffice (01
their mall. letters from abroad aru
delivered free.
Bribing Mr. Dsn Cupid.
Durban was lately greatly exclteil
by the information that a woman of
foreign origin, who had arrived b>
steamer, and who for some reasor.
was treated as an "undesirable" ant.'
refused permission to land, was offer
ing ?300 to any one who would tnarr>
her and thus enable her to evade Un
law which prohibited her from golny
ashore. Very soon some threescore
mcu. mostly "out of works," made a
bee line to the vessel, but even thost
who got there first were too late. The
ship stayed only a short time, and
the hopes of immediate possession ot
funds were destroyed as the leading
batch of aspiring husbands saw the
prize borne away to sea. ? St. James
Gazette.
Eels Sold "by the Grab."
London possesses a curiosity in the
Southwark eel market, which is said
to have been held regularly for ovei
300 years. It is little known except
In the neighborhood where It is held?
viz.. near Blackfriars Bridge. Origin
ally the eels sold were caught of!
Blackfriars Bridge, but now they como
mostly from Holland and Scotland
They are not sold by weight, as Is
usual, but by the handful, the price
being "4d. the grab."
Automatic Shoe Shiner.
is electricity to oust the bootblack
from bin livelihood? A Chicago In
ventor answers "Yes." The invention
Is called an "automatic electric shoe
shiner." There is an elevated plat
form, on which are arrang< i stools
and around which is a brass railing.
To the edge of the platform are at
tached mechanical devices with re
volving pulleys and little belts. The
man places his foot on the rest in
front of one ut these little machines,
and the apparatus begins to get busy.
He does not move his fc?r? lb#
shoe Is shlned.
Quits Business at 112.
Dotores Soinasla, the oldest man fn
Jjo s Angeles county, and probably the
oldest Mexican In California, has de
cided to retire from active life. Re
oentiy he refused his annual job of
chopping and hauling wood for th?
people of Acton.
Dolores is 112 years of age. and has
for 60 years past lived the life of a
recluse In a :imall, rudely constructed
shack ffear the outskirts of that town.
?New York Journal.
News of Interest
AFRO-AMERICANS
Lynching* Ar? Deplored.
At the New York conference of th-i
Methodist Episcopal church a resolu
lion was unanimously adopted deplor
ing the increase in the number of
lynching* In the north as well as In
the south and Insisting that the strong
right arm of our country's power be
. engaged to secure the inalienable right
of trial by Jury of every citizen, re
gardless of color, or the crime of which
the man may be suspected.
? ? ? ?
Farm Bought for Ex-Slaves.
The committee of ex-slaves, which
is endeavoring to provide a homo to? !
ex-slaves in that immediate section,
has purchased a farm near Atlanta.
Ga., and expects to have a number of
homes located on the place within a
short time.
The farm cost J6.250.- II is located
in DeKalb county on South river, less
than two miles from Lakewood. The
location is considered an excellent one.
and the commit too believes that the
farm will furnish acceptable home for
ex-slaves.
The place already has several houses
on it, and it is th? purpose of the com
mittee to erect a number of other cab- I
ins and to arrange small garden spots
on which the occupants may work at |
their wish. Moses Bentley, the weil
known barber, who is chairman of the |
committee, stalos that several notes
will have to be met on the first of
May, and he is anxious to receive all
of the assistance possible in furthering
the ex-slave home project.
? ? ? -
Success Lies in Work.
Says a Chicago dispatch: In work?
work mainly of industrial character ? i
that will render him useful in the com- |
munlty in which he lives, will the No* |
gro find his chief source of protection
and development, accent ing to Booker
T. Washington, who delivered an ad
dress on "Race Building" at Qtiinn
chapel. Washington was greeted oy
a mixed audience of white anil colored
people that, included many of the prom
inenl citizens of Chicago.
The colored educator spoke for more
than two hours, principally on indus
trial education, iu which he Saw the
future .of the race.
He frankly recommended that thoy
consider their weakness, that not 10
strive too much for higher education,
remembering that most, of them must
live by their hand*
He saw the best opportunity for the
Negro in the south and advised him to
cooperate wilh the white man, with
whom be must live, rather than engag-3
In needless opposition. The speaker
otood firmly for an equal franchise foi
both races in the south, and depreca
ted lynching.
? ? ? ?
Opera House for Colored People.
Birmingham, Ala., has a Negro oper.i
house and attractions for and by col
oied citizens will bo put on from weelt
to week. llano's auditorium, a build
ing in the northwestern part of t lie
city, has been leaded by If. Greenstone
who will conduct the same as a regu
lar theater. He will set aside the first
three rows of the parquet to the white
people who might want 10 patronize
the establishment. Greenstone be
lieves thai an establishment for col
ored people, with melodrama fare;#
comedies, rag-time operas, musical
comedies and other things dramatical
ly and muscilly by and for colored
people will be a paying investment.
Nothing of tii is kind lias ever been at
tempted in Birmingham before except
at an open air park, near East Bir
mingham. and i< a as i.<<u ,i
affair. Greenstone as.;ci!'. that if
the scheme works out in nivmiugnam
it is not improbable thai efforts will I
be made to get house*; in other south- I
srn cities where there are numbers of !
colored people theatrically inclined. j
It is not believed that t hare is going '
lo be much trouble in getting the at- j
tractions for the new theater. II in !
Intended by Greenstone and his back- !
org to organize some colored minstrel
troupes and start them on the road j
playing smaller lowns uuill they (level- i
:>p and then m 'iking larger places. I
The scheme is novel and may provo
very profitable.
? ? ? ?
Melden on Race Question.
In a New York conference recently, j
of the Methodist Episcopal church, the |
session held under the auspices of the |
Kreedmans and Southern Educational 1
society, the Rev. Dr. ('. M. Melden. of 1
Ft 'ovldence. R. I., formerly president j
of Clark University. Ulauta. discus; i
ing the -Negro problem iai t i:t par':
"Unfortunately there are many poo |
pie in the north who think ilia1 the j
business of solving 'lie N e/.ro i)ro!?le::i j
ought to be left to southerners. t\?
you know what that m<\un? !? means I
that if such work was i ?*f ' to so't'hcrn '
ers i:ke Senator Tillman and Money i
and Governor Vardaman the < >!ore l
man would be reduce. I to virtual peon
age. They threaten t;> ma-tsacre rai It
er than give the Negro all hi.* rights
ttuder the constitution. Sena'or Mon
ey Is a man of the same strips as Till
man but not sitoh n Iitud talker. B it
the men 1 have mentioned represent
a loud-mouthed and lar^e class in the
south.
"To me it seems to be a national
question. It is Impossible for America
to take a high place among 'he na
tions while millions and millions of col
ored people are sunken in darkness
and like a festering mass are breeding
disease that is |"kc moral malaria. Be
cause of this menace to the count r/.
the subject is a national ono."
* ? ? ?
Suffrage Case Argued.
A Washington dispatch says: Ar
gument in i he suffrage case of Wm. S
Solden and others v.-v Governor Mon
tague of the sta'.H ?f Virginia, was con
tinned la the United States auprema
court by Attorney General Anderson
and P. W. Christian, both or whom
contended for the validity of the sf*
frago clause of the new state constitu
tion. which is attacked by the proceei
ins. Mr Anderson dealt especially
with the constitutional question Involv
ed. claiming that a* the suffrage pro*
vision makes no discrimination on ac
count of race, color or previous condl- ?
tlon of servitude, it does not conflict
with the fifteenth amendment, and
when that amendment is not vlolatod
each state has an unquestionable right
to regulate its owu electorate. He
went so far as to say that in "detertu
iuiug what the qualifications of a votjr
?hall l>e it is competent for the state
to Ax as tests of fitness characteristics
which, though possessed by both white
and colored citizens, are possessed *?y
the whites in larger proportion than
the blacks." As illustrations or su"h
qualifications, lie Included those of in
telligence. military service in time ot
war. the ownership of property or any
other qualities or attributes which are
not based on the race, color or pr**
v ous conditions of servitude of the
citizen.
Mr. Christian confined himself large
1> to the presentation of tho question
of jurisdiction. holding that tho pro
cedure was not such that it was com
petent for a federal court to act.
The arguments were closed by John
S Wise, who asserted ihat the con
trol of the state affairs in Virginia hid
been stolen from a hundred thousand
disfranchised voters. His argument
was highly pleasing to his clients, and
provoked an enthusiastic reception for
him in the rotunda of the capitol as
voon as ho had concluded.
OLD CLOCK A WONDER.
Ancient Timepiece Furnishes Minister
on Sunday Mornings.
The old-fashioned grandfather's
dock is becoming a rarity, snd only
now and then one of them in offered
at a public sale In the country dis
tricts. Then they bring big prices,
one recently selling tor when tho
competition between descendants of
the original owner was lively.
Recently C. C. Mover of Orwigs
burg. Pa., bought one of these anti
quated tlmepiec - s, and as a result of
his reconstruction the clock, instead
of merely striking the hour, now
shows the d'lt \ ?!.iv of the week and
strikes ?!itY?". e::' h.?l!.s fcr the hour and
the haif-::^ui\ Then on Sunday morn
ings. at precisely the clock's
church chimes ring, a small door
opens above the dial, and the figure
of a man appears, book in hand. Thi i
figure remains above the dial all day
Sunday, disappearing late on that day,
and not appearing till the following
Sunday.
Young Moyer. who is 24 years old.
is noted v'or his ingenuity. At an early
! age he became interested in the con
I struct ion of odd machines. The old
I clock adorns his home ar.d is a tvueh
admired piece of furniture.
A Land of LUtle Soap.
It is gratifying to lesfn that thtf
consumption of soap in China, accord*
Ing to official statistics, has increased
over 100 per cent of recent, years.
In this connection it Is rather a
curious fact that if a Japanese emi
grates It is specified In his contract
that he is to be furnished doily wltb
so many gallonr. of hot water, in which
he may. according to custom, parboil
himself. The Chinese as a rulti
never bother their heads about sue!:
a detail, an*' though at home they
have their bathing houses, the greatet
part of the people never go near them
nor indeed ever see tho inside of one.
"Do you wash your child every day?'*
asked a foreigner of a Chinese woman
who was seen throwing shovels full
I of dust over her progeny, and then
wiping it ofT with an old broom. "Wash
him every day?" was the indignant
res|Kjnse; 'he has never been washed
since he was born!" To the Chinese
generally the motto could never be
made intelligible which was put in his
window by a dealer in soap. "Cheaper
Chan dirt."
Clock Centuries Old.
A clock which, it is believed, was
used iu the days of Columbus, ha*
lately come into the possession of
Kmii Kuehwl of Manchester, N. 11.
When it was discovered recently in
tho garret of a house St was supposed
to !>o of little value. The face Is of
wood and the figures representing
the hours of the day wore cut Into
the wood by a ja< kknife or some such
instrument. The ancient timepiece
was given to Chas. Wolf, who, in turn,
presented it to Mr. Kuehnel. who had
it cleai??d up. On the upper part of
f!:-< v-ooden face of the clock a profile
ii( I'oiumtris has been carved in tho
wood, while on the lower pnrt "Anno,
is neatly carved. Two bottles
pre used as weights. On either side
of the clock the queer weights aro
attached to a cord, which runs over a
little wooden cog wheel in the clock.
One bottle is heavier than the other,
and as the weight carries tho other
bottle ;tp. the cog wheel over which
the cord runs moves two other cog
wheels, the hour hand of the clock bo*
ittiC attached to one of them.
A Chinese Superstition.
Religious superstition asserts itswlf
In Chinese architecture, and (lie uni
versal sacredtieas of (he numerals
three and nine is shown in the ar
raugement of temple doors. There ii
a triple gateway to each of the hall.*
of the Imperial palace, and the yam"
order prevails at tho Ming tombs, and
the sacred person of the empcrot
when he was In his Pekin home could
only bo approached, even by the high
est officials, after three times three
prostrations. The temple of Heaven
has a triple roof, a triple marble stair
case, and all Its mystic symbolism
points either to three or ltd multiple*
Had His Wife's Skirt.
A Putnam. Conn., man went to
church the other evening, carrying on
lii* arm what he thought was his
overcoat. When he started to hang It
over the back of his seat he was
somewhat disconcerted to discover
that his wrap was oue of his wife'*
blank sklru