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B?ttwy Avondhyg Hejghte lUcfc of KhAew After I mMjg Coaling Warships at Sea. A Naw Projection For Facil tLatins Operations in Rough W?ath?r. AT AVAL authorities are agreed la winking that a more satisfactory method could be found for loading warships with coal than ^ ,?ort for that purpose. Small er veNHclH, wbose special duty It Is to oanrfy supplies of fuel, often aceom pany a fleet when the latter is on the way to a point where it is to establish a blockade or watch for a foe. In tine weather these colliers can come along side with safety, to permit a transfer of their Cargoes. In rough weather there la dagger to both vessels In con sequence oi bumping sideways. Two thfngs must be considered. The coal must be belsted by derricks, on the collier or toe warship, from the hold of one vessel and swung around where It ean be lowered Into the other. Sev oral system^*. of performing the work hare been pfpposed. A more unique part of the business Is the prevention or lateral collision. For this second purpose an Interest ing suggestion h$s been made by A. C. Cunningham, a ftjvll engineer of the United States Na,vy, in co-operation with William Seaton. Their Idea Is to employ pumps. On either side the collier or the warship,' to drive out jets of wster from holes 1 In the vessel's side In the dii action ok the other craft. In the drawing which Is here copied from Engineer!og News, a Jet Is rep resented ss Issuing frotyi the collier. Tfcie other arrangement would work equally well, of course, though It may be questioned whether navtl construc tors would favor making this apparat us a feature of either a cruiser or a battleship. Mr. Cunningham says: The author has designed an appar atus for U9e In coaling ships st sea l?y means of which vessels may safely lie alongside each other for the purpose. The general principles of the apparat us sre Illustrated In the accompanying cut. In the Illustration the jet appar atus Is shown tts a separate Installa tion and iltt?i to flit* rollitT. The cir culating and bilge pumps may, how ever, b? used to produce tbe Jet, and the bitter may be Ittted to'the warsblp. instead of to tbe' collier. ? Wltb tbe apparatus projected tbe sblpM are kept froiu touching each oth er, and are maintained at tbe required distance apart l?y means of water Jets, which are the equivalent of elastic struts. Tbs required distance between tbe vessels Is secured by Hues passed between the ships, for there are"W rigid connections of any kind. It Is not Intended with this apparatus that any appreclsble ialerul speed should be produced; a tendency to separate tbe vessels sufficient to keep tbe con necting lines taut Is all that Is desired or necessary. A Itlrd Friendship. The rector of Woolstoue. Mr. Gilbert Coventry, has Just told me of a wild rock dove which one of his stable boys had reared from the uest. It slept in the open, however, and bad Its full liberty. Soon the good things on tbe rector's table attracted it, and it would appear through the open window at meal times, take hot soup with much zest, and even sip sherry from the wineglass. At night It often slipped In and and slept under tbe rector's bed, on Its back, under tbe coverlet One Sunday morning durlug the reading of tbe lesson tbe dove flew swiftly through an open window Into the church and settled on the rector's liesd. Broad smiles spread over tbe faces of the elders, and audible titters came from the youngsters. A gentle touch sent the bird down to tbe edge of tbe clerk's desk below, where It sat undisturbed.?Pall Mall Gazette. THREE MEM TO OME SPADE. Korea is away behind the age. Is, In fact, several centuries behind. This picture shows the extraordinary back wardness of their agricultural meth ods. Tbe three men are working one spade. Tbe spade has a handle about eight feet long. Tbe wooden bowl is tipped wltb Iron, and has two straw ropes fasteued to It. The man manipulating tlie handle pushes the spade Into the ground. TIipii those holding the ropes throw an Insignif cantly small amount of earth a dis tance of about two feet. Iu the Kor ean fields one may often see nine men thus employed on ooe spade. Criminals Kept In Rim|i?nM. In France, when a convict is sen tenced to death by the guillotine, the day of his execution Is not named in his presence, and he know, not when he Is to be led forth until within fif teen minutes of the fatal moment. REAR-ADMIRAL JOHN G. WALKER. Tb? PrMldHt of tho Isthmian Canal Commission. Tha raoont appointment of the Isthmian Canal Commission of Engl* neara, of wtych Hear Admiral Walker Is Chairman, marked the real be ginning of work on tba Isthmus by the United States Government. The Commission Is now engaged In studying the sanitary conditio^ of the Itthmna. Before work ran be really bernn, the towns of fannma and Colon mnst he drained and supplied with water, the barbor at Colon mnst be dredged, healthful qnartors for the workmen and cold storage plants must be built, and the problem of proper food solved. Itear Admiral Walker Will hare to super . lav all this preliminary work, wbiob la, indeed, the moat la^artant of r u. GOYAZ, CHIEF OP THE CAYAPO INDIANS. The great army of outdoor people everywhere will be glad to know that Caspar Whitney, the distinguished ed itor of Outing, has arrived home from 1 hla adventurous trip through 8outb Anerioa. Hla jotarney lay through the Interior of Bra all. where be was the guest of Chief Goyaa; through Para guay, the Argentine Republic. Pata gonia. Bolivia, and across the highest CHIRP OOYAZ. Andes to Chile. Mr. Wliltney report! exciting encounters with Jaguars, rev olutions, plagues and yellow fever, nil of which will udd interest to future vigorous articles in Outing. This trip completes Mr. Whitney's world wan derings. THE NATIONS' ORE PAODUCT. The accompanying diagram repre sents the ore product of the nations of the world In a very comprehensive (tanner. The column representing the TUB OKK PKOUtlOr OP THR NATIONS. Uolttfd States towers almvo the others like the chimney over a mill, and yet our nearest nelghlior, Canada, occupies tlie place the foot. World'* HmvlMt Man, The remains of Jesse Amos Baker, bettef known as "Big Hilly Bonno,* ttald to he the heaviest man In Ik* worUI, were Interred recently at Pre# ton iKngland) Cemetery. Baker, wIm was a native of the United State* weighed 01U pounds. Ilia waist meat ureinent wax seventy-three inchea chest, slzty-nlne Inches, and neck, twenty-seven Inches. The coffin was seven feet long and It took fourteen men to lower It Into the grave. Oola Mortal Vor Wuinau. Selrna I.agerlof, who has Just re ceived a gold medal for literary ex cellence from the Itoyal Swedish Acad emy. Is a celebrated Swedish novelist and the second woman writer to be so honored by the distinguished acad* emy. the other being Frederlka Bremer, . also famous la the field cf action. ? KANGAROO MBS8RXGER. T iwi to be a law of na ' ture that the lOAvoarlenced 1 should Buffer ridicule. All the world crer - beginner la conaldered "fair came." The new boy find* this out before he has been many hoars at school, anil the "tenderfoot" in America or the "new cham** In Australia la not a whit bet ter off tUpn the urchin whose compan ion* do tbelr best to make UJm realise his* own Insignificance and their im mense superiority. It bappeued not long ago that a young man went to Australia with the Intention of settling In that country. The atation he purchased was a con siderable distance from Syduey, and part of tbe Journey was taken by coach. Tbe young man secured the box seat, and, finding tbe driver an i Intelligent. talkative person. be thought It a good opportunity for gain Ing Information about the country. Tbe driver was quite willing to oblige him. and In tbe course of the next hour or two related many things which astonished him much. He won. dered how it was that the statements so seriously made by the driver seemed to afford vast amusements to the other passengera. But this did not trouble him. No doubt thew facts were an old story to them, while to him they were new and deeply Inter est lug. He began to ask about tbe wild an imals of the country, especially about kangaroos?were they dangerous. "Not at all," replied the driver, with a wink at a grinning friend in tbe rear. "It Is the easiest thing in tbe world to tame kangaroos; la fact, the squat ters hereabouts train them to be use ful In various ways." But the "new chum" had caught a sly twinkle in bis companion's eyes uud begun to suspect. "You think me rather greeu, I dare say?" he remarked, with an air of cau tion, "but I'm not going to believe that tale. It is n little too absurd." "Well, sir, I'm only telling you." pro tested tbe mischievous driver. "I nev er tamed a kangaroo myself, certain ly; but a friend of mine who lives not far from here has some very intelli gent kangaroos. He sends one down to meet the coach most days. I just pitch off the inailbag, and tho kan garoo picks it np. pops it into her l>oucli and carries it back tc her mas ter." At this moment the coach rounded n bend in tbe roiul. aud heboid, in front of tbem and not three yards from tbe roadside was u large kangaroo seated up on his hind legs and watching tbe approaching coach exactly as if he were there*on purpose. Curiosity must be a strong point in kangoroo nature, for, timid as they are. these animals seem easily attract ed by any unusual sound, and will sit up motionless, as if fascinated, until, with a sudden start, they awake to a souse of dauger and are off like the wind. Needless to say. the merry driver was quick to see bis opportunity. He drove as near tbe animal as be con sidered prudent, and then, waving bis long whip, be shouted: "I've nothing for you to-day, sir; nothing for you to-day!" And. as be expected. tbe kangaroo wheeled suddenly about, sprang over tbe bushes and disappeared. The "new chum" -was delighted. "Bless my heart!" be cried. "What n wonderfully intelligent creature! I never would have believed it If I had not seen it myself. I should like to have a kangaroo like that; I must learn bow to train tbem." Among tbe many things he learned during tbe next year of bis life kan garoo training was not included.?New York Weekly. SOFT!! AFRICAN UHO?T YARN. B. Fletcher Robinson tells the story of mi army captain?a "quiet, thick-set level-hended man, with a clear eye, ? strong will and enough common sense to run n morning paper"?who went to dine with some lady friends at an old Dutch manor house at Stelienhosch. First of nil, on his arrival lie was startled hy the appearance on the veranda of a huddled-up old woman, "with a long yellow face and thin lips." mid later on in the evening when, after some music iu the draw ing-room. he returned to the dining room for something lie noticed that a half-length portrait hanging on the wall was swaying from side to side with 11 slow, deliberate swing, and that the eyes of the man It represented were watching him enviously. Then it seemed to the captain that a fog or mist was rising iu the room. It crept up and up till it reached his chin, and then, with a shiver of wild -terror, he felt two hands fasten on his throat ?hands with thin yet muscular fingers that clutched even tighter, as if grow ing In strength as they materialized. And the man of the portrait, hanging clear of the gathering mist, still watched him with an evil leer. With an effort he managed to get away, hut ngalu, as he hurried from the house, he was startled hy the vision of the old, yellow-faced woman. On the following morning he heard that his friends had left the house, and that 0:10 cf them stated that she had been nearly strang^d in the night. Afterward the captain discovered (hat the house had for some time been ur.ed as a temporary hospital, and that two of the sick who had been placed In the dining-room had screamed for help I flurlas the night, imploring their at tendants to take them away, as some I o ie had tried to choke them. I Lastly, from local Inquiries, be learned that the amiable gentleman whose portrait had brought him so strange an experience had hanged him self. about 1810. after strangling his fnungest daughter in the dining-room. Von Iloltz was bis name, and the legend of the tragedy is still whispered In the district. It is a story to. which the captain rarely refers. But If you ask him whether he 1>ellcves in ghosts he says "Yes!" quite simply.? Jobana*iburg (8. A.) Star. SNAKES IN BBD.i No matter where he Is. or at what hotel he la atopping. John L Carter, a well known railroad character of Col orado. alwaya. before going to bed/ removes the cover* and shake* then thoroughly before daring to turn (p. That 1*. he does this iu the eiaw when snake* are around. While talk* ing to a group of friends In the lobby of the 8avoy Hotel. Mr. Carter told a story that explained thla unusual habit of his. It waa about the middle of one J?l; when be waa at Tucumcari. N. M., witb a construction party of the Bock Island road that the experience be re* counted befel him. After an unusually hard day's work he entered the quar-' ters of the engineers late at night, so worn out that he did not even strike a light, but threw o?T bis clothes and piled himself Into one of the beds along the wall. Iu a few moments be was sound asleep, but frequeutly dur ing tbe night be wa* awakened l?j what seemed to him a moving ridge beneath him In tbe bed. He was toe sleepy to get up and Investigate, how ever. and auyway felt that it was oulj n trick of his imagination. Rising early tbe next morning, he. as was the habit of tbe men in tbe camp, began tbe task of folding no and putting away tbe blankets on ibe bed. As be Jerked tbe third one from tbe bed and gave it a vigorous abake be heard a beavy thud on tbe other side, as of some body striking the ground. What confronted his eyes when be lowered the blanket almost paralysed bim with fear. There, all coiled and ready for battle, lay an immense prairie rattle snake. Later, when with tbe aid of some of the men about the camp who had answered bis call, be bad dis patched the reptile, he measured it aud found that it was exactly five feet in length and as large around as a man's wrist. That's why Mr. Curtei always inspects his bed In the snake sen30n.?Kansas City Journal. FIGHT WITH A LION. ^ Details of a terrible encounter witb a lion In Mashonaland are to hand bj tbe last mail from South Africa. An Englishman named Nicholson, accom panied by his Zulu servant, sighted tbe animal lying on top of a stony ritlge. With a view to testing the theory tliut a lion will, if l>oldly approached, turn tail and run. Mr. Nicholson advanced until be was about ten yards from the ridge, while his Zulu made a flank movement. As the lion was about to spring Mr. Nicholson sent a bullet from his Snider ritle into the lion's shoulder, and right through Its body. With an angry roar of pain, the beast sprang and n blow from the pad of his paw sent Mr Nicholson roiling down the slope for some twenty feet. On rising he witnessed a display of extraordinary pluck on the part of .lob. Ills Zulu servant. Without the least hesitation the native, carrying a shield and two assegais, made straight for the great brute, aud when It sprang at bim received It on the shield aud thrust an assegai into its chest. But Job fell, though fortunately under his shield. Mr. Nicholson then jumped to the rescue. Drawing out his clasp knife, be severed the tendons of one of tbe beast's hind legs and once more the lion attacked him and threw him clean over its head. Then It turned on the Zulu, but Mr. Nicholson succeeded in cutting the ten dons of the other hind leg. This com pletely disabled the brute, which raved and roared until Job, who had been roughly mauled and was covered witb blood, gave it tbe coup de grace witb two thrusts of his assegai. The plucky Zulu had lo undergo repairs. Mr Nicholson was only slightly damaged. --Londou Globe. IIOW CAPTAIN CURTIS ESCAPED A l?oy reader Interested in Captain Curtis* Indian story. Optured by tlx Xavajos. lias inquired of the Harper? whether the Captain himself was evei captured by Indians. To this questior Captain Curtis Iihs replied as follows "No. I was never captured by the Indians, I am pleased to be able to say No soldier ever looked forward to cap ture by them without expecting eer tain and sure death, with possible tor ture. I was onee in a fort which wa* besieged by redracn and realized wha? I bad sometimes rend as happening tr. army men?that wives have aske' their husbauds not to allow them to fall alive into the hands of the In dinns. In the stress of the siege re ferred to, when it was exceeding!.* doubtful that we should survive and all depended upon the swift nrrlva.' of a rescuing party. Mrs. Curtis asked me to make such a promise?to save one bullet for her should we be cap ttired. I did not make the promise for who could? aud for forty-eight hours suffered indescribable distress lr trying to contrive some way of con ceallng wife and child from n relent less and merciless foe." SAILORS PIOII'P TARANTULAS The Italian bark Auita Menotti re cently arrived at Philadelphia from Buenos* Ay res. Under her hatches s*he had 1000 tons* of hones. When the hatches* ?ere lifted and the crew went helow they found that a horde of ta rantulas. centipedes* and nameless hugs* were prepnred to give battle. When the sailors began the work of unloading the pesta fought them. The neiimen armed themselves with long strong bones*, and with these tlie> sought to beat off the tarantulaa and centipedes. As faat as one tarautula whs killed another took ita place. Several of the seamen were nipped in (lie legs, but saved from severe bites by their sea boots. The sailors in the hold soon became exhausted, and others of the crew took their places, but they could not. put down their te* nacious foe*. At last the sailors clambered out of the hold, leaving the tarantulas and their allies victors. It was decided to kill the tarantulas and centipedes by fumigating the bold. This was done by burning sulphur. HUNG BY ROOT ABOVE CHASM. At Mt. Carmel, Pa . George K?losky. a fireman, at a colliery, on the way to work, fell Into a mluo breach 300 feet deep. His full was stayed after drop ping ten fr by the root of a tree, to which he U .4 until a number of men formed a human cliala uul rescued him. News if tataost AFKO-AREUCANS Mo* Iwrteandad Jail. iMtkw lynching was attempted at Ipl>|lili1, Ohio, laat week, a crowd of Wurm auirouaded the Jail at ?Idalgbt to lynch WWtor Fisher. col ored. under arrest for killing Edward Stone. also colored. Sheriff Koutuhap had Juat returned from Dayton, where he took Fisher for aafe keeping, and ?9 advised the crowd, which yollad back that they would get Flatter when he was brought back for trial. ? ? ? ? Colored Peddlers Protected. At Macon. Ga.. recently, a perma nent injunction was granted by Judge Felton In the superior court restrain* Ing the mayor aud city council or any city employee from Interfering with Negroes who peddle for George W. Yates, a Confederate veteraa. The ruling follows several proceed ings which hsd been instituted against Negroes who peddle for Confederate vstsrans. It being the contention of the local authorities that no assistance could be given to the veterans unless their employees also took out a ped tier's license. Until the case Is decided upon by the supreme court Confederate veter ans can employ Negroes at will. ? ? ? * Negro Normal School Closes. The closing exercises of the State Normal School for Negroes, at Mont gomery. Alabama, evidenced a splendid condition of affairs at this well known institution. The total enrollment of the year was 1.015. President Patter son says he expects It to go far be yond that next session. The graduating class consisted of Anna I.,eon Brown. J. Add Beverly. Maggie B. Morgan. T*eo J. Blount. Countess M. Harris. Robert tDandrldge. Inez Odess Moore, Ixivell Beverly. Georgia Coleman.Wil liam F. Madison. Anna IS. Ghantt, Thomas J. Mayberry and Burkle May Miller. The class motto was "Your Best Is Only Good Enough." ? ? ? ? Blackmail Laid to Colored Women. The murder several months aj?o of j Andrew Green, known as the father i of Greaier New York and one of New , York's most promiuent public men.was : recalled a few days ago when suit ! was brought by John R. Piatt agalust i Hannah Ellas, a colored woman, to J recover certain real estate and money in banks held in her name. Green's murderer, a colored man named Wil liams. said his victim had interfered to separate him (Williams) and Hannah Ellas. Williams was declared Insane and sent to an asylum. He had an noyed Green for some time and Green had said he never saw the woman Wil liam* referred to. It developed xfter the murder that Hannah Ellas had become wealthy and occupied a cost ly residence In Central Park, West. Piatt In his suit asks the court to hold that Hannah Eli as holds prop erty as trustee for him on the groTtnd that money paid for the grounds and premises were procured from him by "fraud, duress, coercion and blackmail, without any consideration." In the papers filed Piatt says that he is upward of eighty-three years old. a retired merchant in feeble health and a widower. He says that lie first met Hannah Ellas, who is a bright mulatto, prior to January, 189f?: that she represented herself to be a sin gle woman of Spanish blood, but that he discovered afterwards that she was the wife of one Matthew C. Davis. The pnpers go on to say that r.oon after Piatt formed her acquaintance she told him that he had gained her love. Piatt says that these protesta tions of love were a scheme on her part to enable her to coerce and b'ack mail him Into glviug her large sums of money. More Colored Schools Needed. A Mobile, Alt., dispatch Hays: The first business of tbe sixth day's session of tbe general assembly of (he Presby terian church Id the United States was the submission of the report of the standing committee on colored evan gelization. The report was read by the chair man. Dr. A. W. Milster, of Russel ville, Ark., and It states that more colored schools are needed In addition to the four receiving support from the Msembly; also urges the necessity | for more liberal financial support of ; the colleges already established. More | white ministers are needed also to spread tbe gospel to Negroes In the | home mission field, and the Import ance of having white teachers In col ! ored Sunday schools Is emphasized, j The report concludes by recommend- j lag that the sum of $15,000 be raised j during the year for carrying on tho j work of colored evangellzstloo The report of the special conunls- | sion on education for th? ministry and j ministerial relief was read by the t chairman, Dr. H. G. Hill, of Max- j ton. N. C. Three of the four colored delegates to tbe assembly spoke In favor of raore aid for Silliman Institute for colored people. Blder P. P. Glass, of Montgomery, who Is business manager of the Mont gomery Advertiser, In dtsousslng the report of tbe committee on colored evangelization. touched the Nogro question, saying that It was for the Southern people alone to settle The churches, he ssfd, could aid matertaily in tho wise settlement of the mat ter. ? ? ? Industrial College Commencement. The commencement exercises of the Georgia Stale Industrial College for Negro youths at College, Ga.. occur red the past. week. Tho various ad dresses were of the vory highest order snd in some respects will make an epoch In the history of the college. Hr. H. S. Bradley, pastor of Trln Ity Church. Atlanta, delivered one of the most profound and eloquent speeches ever delivered on the ool lage grounds. His subject wan: "Altru ism." in selecting such a subject he Paid the highest possible' compliment to the mental caliber of the colored People and the close nttentton which the audience geve the divine showed plainly how highly his remarks were appreciated and showed, too. that he had not overrated his henrers. In treating this subject of altruism he showed that service for humanity wan la no way limited to race or clime, that all men are brethren, all must help each other. The college seems to have always been a favorite with distinguished white southerners. In the past years many persons, hon ored throughout Georgia, have, at vn rioug times, addressed nudience* at the college and have given strong evidence of the great interest which the Huurhern white man feels in the efforts put forth by the Negro to better hia condition. Among the great name* whose voices have be^n heard In tho college chapel have been the follow ing: General Clement A. Kvans. l)r. John D. Hammond. Judge S. B. Ad am*. Hon. Even P. Howell and others. ? ? ? ? Considering the great amount of dis cussion respecting Negro suffrage and what was the attitude of President Abraham Lincoln on this subject. it Is very timely and interesting to have brought forward just at this time a letter of President Lincoln to Michael Hnhn. the first free stste governor of I Louisiana. The letter Is owned by John M. Cramp ton of New Haven. Conn. '1 ho letter is In fine condition 'onalde.ing 'ta age. and the handwriting is so good that the letter is read easily. It Is entirely In the hand of President Lincoln. While It has appeared an one of the Important state papera of Lincoln, but comparatively few havfc had an opportunity of seeing the origi nal. Just at this time the h?tt<? ria doubly interesting on account or tho policy pursued in the south in disfran chising the Negro. The letter wis sent to Governor Pahn at i time when a convention was to be held for I ho purpose, among other things, of de fining the elective franchise suggesting that the Negro be let in. Micliael Halm was not a "carpet. bagger." but a native of Ne wOrleans. He was a strong opponent of secession, and after the war. in February. lStil. was elect ed governor of Louisiana under a proc lamation by General Hanks, the mili tary governor. The new const tttrion conferred upon the legist it tire the pow er to grant the right or suffrage to Negroes and to place the Negro on in equal footing wit'i the whit's before the law. The letter is as follows: (Private.) Kxecutive Mansion, Washington. March 1.1. 1st;I. Hon. Michael llahn. My Dear Sir: | congratulate you on having fixed your name In history as the first free state governor of ^Lou isiana. Now you are about to nave a convention, which, among other things, will probably define the elect tlve franchise. I barely suggest ft?r your private consideration, whether some of the colored people mav not be let in?as. for instance, the very Intelligent, and especially those who have fought gallantly la our rantcs. They would probably help In some try ing time to come to keep the Jewel of liberty within the family of freedom. But this |g only a suggestion not to the public, hut to you alone. Yours truly. A. LINCOLN. "WHISTLERS" OF THE AIR. Song of Birds Gave Rise to Quaint En glish Superstition. In some parts or England peculiar whistling or yelping noises are heard in the air after dusk and early in the morning before daylight during the winter months. Sometimes, however, the noise Is described as beautiful sounds like music, high up in the air, which gradually die away. The gon> eral belief Is that the "seven whis tlers." as they are called, are the foretellers of bad luck, disaster 01 death to some one In the locality. It is a very ancient superstition. B;?tb swifts and plovers have been suggest ed as the "whistlers." It may be noted that plovers are traditionally supposed to contain the souls of thos?? who assisted at the crucifixion, and. in consequence, were doomed to doit In the air forever. Iteally. the "whis tlers" are widgeon or teal, as they flit: from their feeding grounds, a passage alwrvs made under over of darknesi In Shropshire the sound Is descrlb'"* ns resembling that of many larks sing Ing. and the folklore of both Sliro;) shire and Worcestershire says: "They are seven birds, and tho six fly about continually together looking for the seventh, and when they find kira the world will come to an end." A Leaf for a Tent. What trees bear the largest leavos? An Kuglish botanist tells us that it Is those that belong to the palm family. First must be mentioned the inajs palm, of the banks of the Amazon, the leaves of whch are no less than 50 feet in length by 10 to 12 in width. Cer tain leaves of the Ceylon palm attain a length of 20 feet and the remarkable width of 16. The natives use them for making tents. Afterward com.?s the cocoanut palm, the nsual length of whose leaves Is about 30 feet. The umbrella magnolia of Ceylon bear* leaves that are so large that a single one may sometimes serve as a shel ter for fifteen or twenty persons. Chile and Her Nitrate. It Is a queer state of things that the national existence of a country should depend on one of that coun try's products, but this Is the case in Chile, where nitrate of soda consM ?tiles three-fourths of the export trade An expert, in summing up the eltua tlon. says that at the present rate >f consumption the supply of nitrate will be exhausted In twenty years, and that then Chile's life as a nation must ceaae, unless something thai is now unexpected should occur.