Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE SONGS OP LONG AGO. I'm weary of tit (Mfi of strife. _TW? ektat of vw,lk? dirnol tetht Owm, kt'i c? bad to low nd life. _ Tb* iwntw of tbi rm% bvMtk! Lit hi* who? gwttf mhfM kirn bur Bia h*** umkm m bo amy fed, thriokif from ammmum, hit /LUmg kit ow? mwtakni wojr. B?t tout oat ?fit ? oooc to aw From vktto At iwtn, ooft brnw blow Of happy toOm fe tk? troo Who afe| fft ioa|i of kx JL riBWMT of the koto and spite, l*e iealous carpiag and Um threats) Ctjn,k as look aeros* the height Tfc ?Wrt the sua in splendor seta, Bmabtrin that it wtQrb A|UB to-morrow to display Now glories an to hopefal ms, To %kt the faithful oa their wajft * Io?e cease a while tho mp of war, The dirso of death, the eEaat of woo. And thank the Lord salad songsters for Their happy songs otlong ago. *^8. E. Kmr. Miss Ashbell OXpTERNATION was de picted on the faces of the family croup assembled to hear It. when I finished reading the letter I had ion received from aunt. The troop consisted of myself? Mary, eldest daughter of the bonse tad hearth?brown, dark-eyed, tall and eighteen; Helen, not quite as brown, basel-eyed, almost as tall, and sixteen; Will, browner, dark-eyed, a head short er, and ten; and Carrol towering above all, blue-eyed. fair-haired, gold mnstached and twenty-one. Aunt wss. In fact, our great aunt, sister of our father's mother, but the only aunt, great or little, that we had -ever known. We had met her but two or three times during our lives, as she lived In far-away Illinois, and was too much occupied with grains and herds to think of frequent visiting, snd we? well, we were too poorly provided with gold snd silver to take long and ex* pensive journeys. 80 what little visit ing there had been, had been on aunt's side, with one exception, and then 1 was the visitor. We children had always heard twice a year from aunt?once collectively at Christmas, and once respectively on our birthdays?and each time thj kind, ly note which exhorted us to "be good. Industrious snd self-reliant." enclosed a check, larger or smaller, according to aunt's gains pn the preceding year. These notes we had been taught to an swer with many wishes for the old lady's welfare and thanks for her kind ness snd hopes for a speedy meeting; In short. In a manner bellttlng the only nieces and nephews of the Car mody family when replying to the friendly epistles of their only aunt, to say nothing of that aunt being the Wealthiest and most Influential mem ber of that family. A few days before our rather died he called us together, and said: "My children, it isn't at all likely to occur, but If your aunt should ask a favor of you. /rant It, no matter at what Inconvenience. She has been my best snd dearest friend." Poor father! I suspect aunt hnd often helped him out of pecuniary dif ficulties. Ho was an unpractical, dreamy sort of man. fond of birds and poetry and flowers, and didn't succeed very well in life. But, In spite of his dreaminess and his want of worldly tact, and his being so totally unlike her In most ways, lie was a great fa vorite of aunt's, aud when we tele graphed his serious illness to lier she left her vast possessions without a captain at a moment's notice, and has tened to his side, making her appear ance In a bonnet that Immediately suggested the' prairies, it wus so un limited as to size and so bare of orna ment, and which grotesquely obtruded Itself into the remembrance of that ?ad tlmo forever aftor. Since father's death things hadn't been very bright with us. In fact, they hadn't been bright at all. We found there was a cood deal of money owing, and what remained of the two hundred dollars aunt gave us on the day of the funeral?she bade OS "good-by" the Instant the ceremon ies were over?after our cheap mourn ing was paid for, went to the butcher, grocer and shoemaker. We were willing to do, and did. what ever we could supporting the house hold; but, dear! dear! talk about weeds; I never saw anything grow like bills. Carroh, who bad an aristocratic turn of mind, struggled with It; and I, who bad a dressmaking turn of mind, struggled with that; and Helen strug gled with her books, hoping to become a teacher in time; and little Will strug gled with somebody else's books, for he went Into a publishing house as errand boy?poor fellow! Besides the struggles, we had mother on our minds. A few weeks after we lost our father, wo lost our baby sister. A beautiful child she was, as bright as a diamond and as fair as a pearl, and the pride and darling of us all. Already sinking beneath the blow of her husband's death, when her little daughter died, too, my mother's heart (was nearly broken. From being a sun. shiny, energetic woman, she became listless and apathetic, sitting In her room day after day gazing, upon the pictures of the loved ones, or rocking back and forth, her hands clasped be fore her, looking with her eyes upon ,vacancy. "Oh, that she could be made to .Weep! That she could be roused from this dreadful speechless gloom Into which she had fallen!" was our con tinual prayer, for the terrible thought came to ns often that we should lose our mother In a much worse way than we had our father and sister?that her brain would* at last give way beneath Its weight of heavy despairing thoughts. Woll, the exchequer was low enough, and mother had had one of her very bad spells, and a lady customer had Just been In and abused me?yes. abnsod; I can see no other word; women do fly In such tempers at their dressmakers?about the At of her dress, declaring It to me "utterly ruined." when It only wanted taking up a little en one shoulder and letting down an Inch or so In freat; and Will's right arm was almost disabled from a heavy lead of books ao tarried a long dls twice the day before (how men can hare the heart to give a man's harden to a child I can't see), when annt'a let ter fell Ilka a bomb-ahell Into our near* tj disheartened little camp: "Dear Folks: A friend of mine*?en Ingllsbman" (annt's language was cor rect enough, but at times her spelling was somewhat peculiar) "who came here purposing to start In business, took the fever, lingered a few months and died, leaving. Heaven knows why. his only child, a daughter who will eventually be a not-to-be-sniff edat heiress, to my care. Having been deli cately reared In the midst o? devotion and tenderness, this place, only suited to bold, strong natures. Is a little too ruff for her. So she desires?at least I desire for her?her home to be with you. "My niece, Mary, who Inherits the disposition of her father to a. great degree?and he would have gone out of his way any day to give even a dumb brute pleasure?will. I am sure, be kind to her. Carrol will love her for her beauty. If for nothing else, and she Is most lovsble. Her maid will accompany her. "At present her affairs are In a tan gle, but I hope to unravel theui In the course of a few months, and then you will' be recompensed for whatever ex tra expense she may cause you. I would enclose a check at present writ ing, but all my funds are Invested In a speculation from which I expect to reap much profit. Do the best you can until you hear from' me agalr. when I will further unfold my plans In regard to Miss Ashbell, who, by the by, starts to-morrow. AUNT." No wonder consternation and dis may were depicted on every counte nance when I ceased reading this let ter. No wonder we looked gaspingly nt each other. What In the world were we to do with this fine young lady In our htimblo home? What could aunt be thinking about? Truo, she didn't know exactly how poor we were, for we'd been too proud to acknowledge our extreme poverty in our few nnd far-between letters. On the contrary, I am afraid we had led her to believe that we were In quite a flourishing condition. But for all tliat, she ought to have known that we were not flourishing enough to support a delicate and beautiful girl, us??d to luxury, tenderness and devotion, for even a few months. Was ever any thing so malapropos and vexatious? Of course Miss Ashbell would look with scorn on our s??vpn-rooined dwell ing, with a back garden twenty-flve by twenty-flve, and a court-yard ten by ten. An<J suppose?as aunt, with a short-sightedness very unusual to her, complacently remarked?Carrol should fall In love with her? The proud English girl would no doubt re gard him as a fortune-hunter, and In vidiously compare his frank. Impulsive, rather brusque manners with the re pose and "awful" dignity of the lan guid swells of her own native land. And somebody else might be attract ed toward her?men are so susceptible of woman's beauty?so me bod v who now thought my face the sweetest In the world! The very thought made my heart stop beating. And the maid? Even if we could make arrangements to accommodate her?and it seemed utterly Impossible for its to do so?Betty, our faithful ser vant for the last fifteen vesrs, would look upon her as an Interloper, snd treat her as such. Betty has been used to being "monarch of all she surveyed." Even in house-cleaning times?those that try men's souls and women's soles ?sho scorned the Idea of an assist ant. "No, ma'am, I'll have no stranger pokln' roun' me. When I'm not able to do the work of this house alone I'll go." And mother?dear, shrinking, grief stricken mother?how would she bear the advent of this flinty Miss Ashbell? But we could do Jbthlng to avert the Impending misfortune. Even if we had thought of disobeying our father's last command, and refusing aunt the favor she had not asked, but, in her usual decisive way, taken for granted, the young lady was on her way, and would be here In a day or two. And then we began to prepare for Miss Ashbell. Will's room was to be given up to her. and Will (Carrol's room was scarcely large enough for himself and bis art-traps, as he called them) was stowed away In the loft?a proceeding which he viewed with Im mense dissatisfaction. "I'll smother up there Ih hot weath er." he said, with a weary face. "Ob, I wish there wasn't any Miss Ashbell! Why don't she go to a hotel?" "Why don't she?" echoed I. I said we began to prepare for her. but for lack of the a fore-mentioned sil ver and gold, our preparations were of the simplest kfhd. Carrol made and put up two pretty brackets, and hung with a sigh?for he hated to part with them?the few pictures he possessed on the walls. I looped back the white curtains (freshly washed and Ironed. *lth much grumbling, by Betty) with new blue ribbons, and I covered the trunk ottoman with bright chlnts, and with Helen's help made a new mat to place before the bureau, and we turned an old tablecloth Into napkins, and bought a new napkin ring aul two or thrw nt-glaM goblets, mad a lovely ?UM MP Md MOMT, Ud, WbtB OH *u waited with ?btIw kwH Car Mr iwilttei rlaltar. Hotter ted shut heroetf ?pkter to tte iMntac of tte dey tffece; Md tte root of oo woro oil oo uncomfortable oo poor, proad, ahy, eea. Oltlve peoplo could te at tte thought of o perfect stranger'o lngreoo into tte very hoort of their homo, oad wish ing audibly oad Inaudlbly ttet Mloo Aohboll'o fatter ted aever brought hor from Bagtaad. when, oo tte oaa sank la the west. oad a cool, oammor breese. fragrant with tho breath of tte roos*. lifted tte curt*Ins of oar cosy bey-window, o carriage stopped ot tte door. "She's come, and I'm gone." said Will, flinging down his book oad then rushing out Into the garden. Carrol rose from his choir, ran bin Angers through his golden hair, and glanced In the mirror ot his new blue silk aecktle. Helen sank on the lounge with a sort of groen; ond I opened the parlor door as Betty went muttering through the entry la answer to the bell. "Is It Mrs. Csrmody*sT* asked a pleasant voice, with?yes. It woo a slight brogue. "Tee,** answered Betty, shfertty. And In another momeat a round-cheeked, unmistakably red-haired, good-natured looking young girl In a plain traveling dress stood before me. "Good gracious! Is this the beauty?"* thought I; and Carrol fell back a atep or two. "Are you Hiss Carmody?" she asked. *1 am." I replied, holding out my hand; "and let me welcome you;" when, turning from me, she gently pulled forward into the room the love liest little child I bad ever beheld In my life, with large, soul-lit brown eyes and sunny hair, tho exact color of our lost darling's. "This Is Miss Ashbell." said the mnld; "and I am to stay or go back, as you see fit." I looked at Carrol. He indulged In a long, under-the-breath whistle. Helen burled her face in the sofa cushions and laughed hysterically. The child came forward, and holding out her little hands, said, with a pretty drawl; "I am to love you, and you are to love me. Aunt said so." I went on my knees on one side of her, and Helen went down on her knees on the other, ond we kissed her till her dimpled cheeks glowed again (you see the house bad been so lonly without our little sister), while Carol looked on with astonishment, admira tion and tenderness blended In his handsome face, ond Will stole In with the only bud from my precious tea rose, the stem carefully stripped of lta thorns, and put It in her hand. "Thank you. boy," she salt!. "I will have yon for a brother; and you, too," looking with a bright smile into Car rol's face. "There's an angel at home, in a big picture, with hair and eyes like yours." Carrol caught her up In bis nrms, and away with her to mother's room. And there she bad no sooner said "my papa and mamma are both In heaven." than mother burst out In a blessed tit of weeping that left a rainbow behind it. And from that moment the weight began to be lifted from her brain, and soon I bad to resign my position as housekeeper, for we had our mother back again as she used to be of old? a little quieter in her ways, perhaps, but just as sweet, as kind, as unsel fish as ever. And Carrol's picture of "Miss Ash bell" gained him a place on the walls of the academy that autumn; and Will, who entered college last week, never ran away from her again, but has ever since been giving her roses freed from thorns, as he did the tirst night she came among us, bringing light and hap piness? God bless her!?to our sorrow clouded house. And I often think, looking at the two heads (there is only four years' difference in their ages) bending over the same book, that some day Will will tell her the old, old story, and she will listen to him with a smile. "I shouldn't wonder if yoti were right. Brownie," said my husband how I laugh when I think of my jeal ous fears about him once on a time? "you almost always are." And aunt's speculation turned out splendidly (she Is still living, n l'ale old woman of seventy-five), and she insisted upon our accepting what she called father's share, nr.d tbut share was no inconsiderable one. And the seven-roomed house has grown to a twelve-roomed one? Betty, by the by, has allowed her daughter to assist her in the housework?and the twenty-flve by twenty-flve garden to a hundred by a hundred, my corner just filled with rose bushes. And everything has prospered with us, and no lengthening shadows have fallen upon our path since that ro*y .Tune afternoon we so unwillingly opehed the door to let In the darling who loved us, as we loved her at Orst sight ? sweet, brown-eyed, golden haired Miss Ashbell.?Waverley Ma?** sine. Testing Floor at the Bljt Mill*. It is surprising to note the difference that exists between the var!o*Ji brands of tiour. It nil depends on hov,* the flour Is milled and on the kind of wheat from which It Is made. Flour made from hnrd spring wheat will give from twenty to forty more loaves of bread per barrel than that made from the softer winter wheat. It con tains a larger percentage of - gluten and abiorbs more water. The mills are exceeding); careful about the kind of flour they send out, and the testing department *s one of the most Im portant branches. After tte flour Is ground comes the crucial test A sam* pie Is taken and made up Into bread. We have four bakings a day. and from twenty to thirty loaves are baked each time, each one representing a sample of flour. After the test has been made the bread Is turned over to the Asso ciated Charities. You may have noticed that the color of flour is no longer a marble white, but a creamy white. This comee from the fact that the rich portion of the grain, right under the woody foot ing, Is ground Into the flour. Whot Is left can hardly be colled bran, for It Is only the coarsest port of the outer flbro.?Milwaukee Heotine/w ?HI WiKtlMS of Japan ***** An InS ItivNi m?IMm Salts tH I Saiiutt Isttar faljaati lafttar Tin ta In tnk a Inhral HERB tu * gladiatorial carnival* In Toklo to-day, ?aya A. O. Hal* In a letter ; written from the Japanese capital to the London News, and I went to see the show. Two dollars they charged for admis sion, which goes to prove that the ?howman here knows how to fatten himself as well as his brethren In the west. The srena was neither a costly cor a picturesque structure. It waa merely a rude sbtd. built of boards, thrown together im haphazard fashion, rooted In Just anyhow with fllmay matting. The seats were Just rough benches, on which no kind of comfort could be obtained, and In the centre stood a platform, two feet high, ap parently made of banked up earth. Four posts ran from the four corners of the platform from ground to celling, snd on the stage, seated on gorgeous Crimson cushions, were four officials, one against each post. Then came a man In gray garments, with a fan in his hand, who went about the stage weirdly chanting the praises of the gladiators who were about to sppear. All the time he kept thrusting out his arms, opening and shutting his fan. and striking attitudes. There were between 2000 and 9000 people present, men snd women, old and young, for nothing suits the subjects of the Mi kado better than a wrestling bout. They love It, and make much of those who follow It for a livelihood. Wrest ling Is to these people what cricket and football are to Britons, and any child in the street can tell you the names of the various champions at the different styles. Before the public display commenced I went behind the scenes with one who understood the manners snd the cus toms of the place, snd saw the gladi ators stripped ready for the fray. They were all big men, some of them huge. The smallest weighed perhaps twelve and a half stone, the largest about twenty. As they stood there ready for the arena they reminded me of Sioux warriors more than anything else I had ever seeu. They had yellowish bronze skins. Jot black hair, hard, harsh mouths, black resentful eyes, high cheekbones, and sinews of steel. They are a race unto themselves, these gladiators, handing down from father to son the tricks of their trade. When they marry they pick their mates with care, marryiug for strength rather than for any domestic quality, for It Is considered a shame to a wrestler to be the father of a weakly child. The career of a wrestler commences before he can walk. I saw the Initia tion of one of them into public life only to-day. The little squalling thing, with a tiny loin cloth on its tender body, was carried to the stage In the arms of u champion, a man of tremen dous size and strength. A guard of honor was given to the coming wrest* ler, consisting of ten or a dozen men, all noted in the arena. They marched out with great poiup and ceremony, and a functionary of the place, stretch, ing forth his arms, told the audience who the child was and what his father had done. In this way a professional wrestler's whole life Is known. Just as the breeding, pedigree, and perform ances of a racehorse Is public property In England. No people In the world, I think, loves ceremony more than do the Japanese. From two sides of the bulldlT.g two bands of wrestlers, each band n dozen strong, marched through lanes made in the closely packed mass of humanity. They were all naked to the waist, but depending from the waist of each man hung an apron which nearly touched the ground. The aprons were rich in color and ma terial, and quaint in design. The leader of each party was a giant, and around tho waist of each ropes as thick as a man's wrist were twined Just above the apron bands, not com mon ropes, but snowwhlte, and glis tening like silk. At the rear of each party marched a man bearing aloft a sword, concern ing which he seemed very proud. The colors of one band were blue and bronze, tho other red and gold. They reached the stage from opposite sides at the same moment. The men In blue sat down, while the men In red strode on to tho stage and made obeisance to the four Judges sitting at the four posts. Then the heralds made more chanting*, after which the red clan waved their arms to the north, south, enst and west. Each man drew up his right leg, balanced himself upon the left, and, reaching out so as to cover as much space as possible, brought his foot down with a tliur. I have seen the Maoris, the Zulus, and the Basutys do something similar to this, but never could understand tho significance of It, unless It means: "So will I cru?h my enemy." A long parley between the officials, and then the champions were selected, one rod. one blue. They advanced stripped ready for a struggle. There was more ceremony before the con testants got anywhere near to the business of tho day. At Inst, like two big gamecocks, they fronted one an other. Waugh?waugh! They had sprung upon each other with a hoarse shout. No ceremony now; no plsy, no Irlckefy?It was s grim game while It lasted. The red man gripped the blue a fid tossed him high, us if to hurl him clean over his bead. Hut, like magic, the big fellow In the air circled his arm around the other's neck, slid over his back, landed on his feet, snd, grab* Mng his man around tho middle, gave s mighty hesve, and tried to dash his foe to the floor by mere brute power. To do this, however, be bsd to bend Ms own body, and his bead came along toe's teak. In Another that had the gripping power of a rime. ?very time tho mu with tho body hold mado a heave to lift his opponent off his feet, tho other pat on a wrench at tho nock nntll it mm nil aa If inai thing moat break. They tugged and atratnad and healed, bat neither got a falL At laat they broke away, and atood panting. Then the Mae man nmdo a frantic rnah. and. ahootlng both arma out. with the palma of the handa extended toward hla foe. caught him on chin and throat, and nearly knocked him off the platform. That waa tho game; the man who either puahed. threw, or hustled hla opponent off the ring waa counted victor. Then began the funnleet bit of wreet ling I hare ever seen, and I hare aeen many styles. Both men rushed, and each shot out his arms, aiming foi tho throat and forehead, but always with the palms of the hsnda. First one fellow gave way. then the other; the crowd shouted their strsnge shrill yell; fans were waved and the excite ment became Intense. All at once, ss the blue man camo with the spring of a tiger, the red msn stepped aside and caught one of his Opponent's arms In the crotfk of his own; then, springing forward a pace, he put the whole might of his body Into one effort, whirled the other man off his feet on to his owu hips, and then sent him whizzing off the platform Into the front row of the audience?and the things that followed had no further Interest for that man. After that fall there was enough ceremony and parade to herald a rnv tlon'a victory over a world power. There were chanting of heralds and bowing and posturing of gladiators The allow had to last a half day. and fully two-thirds of the time was taken up In this wsy. A little later came some pretty wres tling?an exhibition of pure skill. Each man bad to go down on all four? and at a given signal leap at bis op ponent. and try with one quick turn for a firm bold on an arm. It had to be a clean grip to win; no struggling was allowed. ALASKA'S DEVELOPMENT. StMni* or Bmr PoMlbllltlM Unrealised-. Th? City of Haward. * It is not easy to keep with Alaska. It is a country of surprises, and the measure of ber possibilities Is by no means yet taken. We nre informed, says the Boston Transcript, that that vast and still comparatively unknown region is this spring experiencing the greatest boom In Its history. It is said that "every steamer available for the Pacific coast is pressed into service for the Alaska trade and every vessel carries every passenger and every pound of freight for which she can find room." The objective point to which the crowds are hurrying is not one of the destinations with whose names we have become familiar through the ad' ventures of northern argonauts, but a new place named Seward, which takes us back to the negotiations, so crit icised at the time, but which have add ed a new empire to the old one. Very few in the East have heard much about Seward for the reason that It has been in recognized existence only about a year. It Is not alone the old lure of gold j that is drawing people in that direc tion the present season. There are also immense copper veins nnd tin mines, besides oil wells, and the Standard Oil Company has already driven a stake In that region. Moreover, Sew ard is expected to be the entrepot for a great agricultural section. In the valley of the Sushltna River there Is fertile soli enough to support an agri cultural population of a million. The climate is described as similar to that of New York State, high mountains surrounding It on three sides and shut ting out the cold winds from the north, while the southern side Is washed by the warm Japan current. The harbor is free of Ice the year round, whilo magnificent forests tempt the lumber lug Industry to extensive operations. People talk of Seward as the com ing metropolis of Alaska. It certainly has the harbor to warrant such distlnc tlon. It Is located on Resurrection Bay. .which Is a mile wide at the en trance and extends eighteen miles in land, being four miles wide at tho upper extremity, with a depth varying from 200 to 1000 feet. It has been made by the building of the Alaska Central Railroad, now well on toward completion. A year ago there was only a wilderness there. To-day. there are 800 houses, with restaurants, hotels, and a theatre, and new buildings aro In proccss of construction as fast as men to bulhl them can be secured, and still the demand far exceeds the sup ply. Already it is called a city, and near It Is a large waterfall, wldch it Is proposed to utilized not only for pow er for lighting and transportation, but for a Water supply as well. Not only Is the new railway mak ing Seward, but It Is a powerful fore? for tho development of the whole ter ritory. When completed It will take passengers from Seattle to Fairbanks, I the heart of tho Interior gold fields. In five days, for $145. Hitherto tho same Journey has taken from twen ty-eight to thirty-three days at a cost of $285 to $.'$00. Of course, this sav ing of time and expense with tne con stantly unfolding new attractions at the other end of the trip will wonder fully stimulate migration to the new territory. At the present rate of de velopment there will probably be an other world's fair, In sixty years or s-?, perhaps Ip Seward, to celebrate the centenary of the purchase of Alaska by the man for whom the metropolis was named, a transaction only second In national Importance to the Louis iana Purchase. A flood Rill. A bin now before the Ohio Lcgiaia tare provides for the payment of a premium, or bounty, of $2 an acre for a period of ten yeare to any landowner of tho State who will plant and care for forest trees In compliance with tho rules laid down by the State Board of Forestry. For Sooth IMn. The mine owners of South Africa are entering into contracta with Chinese laborers to work in tho mlnee of that country. Shlpa aro already at Hong-Kong to convey theae laborers to the field <?f opera tlona. The contracta are guaranteed by tho British author ities, and are for throe yean. POPULAR SCIENCE * In the council chamber of the Tar!* I Academy of Medicine, which has just | been vacated. It was found that the floor was covered with no fewer thai: ten carpets, one upon another, molder* In* and swarming with microbes. ^ ? machine In the Bank of England, for weighing sovereigns and half-sov ereigns. Is so extremely sensitive that it can denote a tenth of a grain dif ference In the weight of a coin. It automatically weighs twenty-six coin* In a minute. The coins of full weight It throws to the right, aud the others to the left. Flammarion, at Juvlsy, hns subject* ed specimens of the Semitive riant and others, to red aud violet rays. Those under violet and blue glass had made no progretts after four months. Those under red and orange had achieved "extraordinary development." It is kuown that typliulil germs will not live In blue light. Interesting exp?rlments are being conducted In various places in order ! to ascertain the effects of light and tlectriclty upon the growth of plants. At Helslngfors University. Dr. I^m strom has showered statie electricity from a Hoi* machine through pots con taining cereal seeds. These sc?h1s grew forty per cent, faster than others in pots where uo electricity was used. Manager Duss has designed a glass soundlug board which is being made for him lu IMttsburg. l?a.. under bis personal supervision. The board will be erected back of his orchestra In a New York amusement concern, and it Is believed that this device wl'i throw out the sound so that the most sub dued passages will he plainly heard in the most remote parts of the audi torium. It Is especially so designed for open-air performances or those in iurge halls. A vivid Idea of the lack of the sim plest applications of practical scieuce in at least some parts of China is given by United States Consul Grucey at Fuchau. In all that city,, with its million inhabitants, he says, there is not a single pump, nor even a windlass, or any other mechanical contrivance for raising water from the wells. Any body who wants water must bring his own pail aud rope and draw it up. Water brought from the river is car ried on men's shoulders. There Is no sucli thing us a system of pipes. The lamps in use are also of the crudest sort. The whole of southern China, says Mr. Gracey, needs pumps, a pub lic water supply system aud lamps. THE VERSATILE COWBOY. Able to Adapt Themwlrtt to Almost Any Position In Llf*. The cowboy was versatile and could sing In the choir or clerk in a bank. When he saw his occupation going from him be naturally turned to the first calling for which he was fitted, says Andy Williams In the Omaha World. The State of Nebraska main tains the appointive office of inspector of couuty treasuries, something simi lar to a National bank examiner. Ir regularities and defalcations In Statu i and county funds necessitated the I office a* a matter of protection for I the public good. When the office was | created Ed Searle, of Ogalalla, an ex- I cowboy ami thoroughly qualified, was appointed by the Governor to the po sition, and during his Incumbency of that office there was not the defalca tion of n single penny. Honesty be came an enforced virtue under Searle's inspection. The question of what be came of the cowboy suggests itself. That the old West is a thing of the past no one disputes. A combination of unseen obstacles, such as successive severe winters, entailing serious losses on cattle, coupled with wire fences and railroads, killed the trail In a single yenr. Where, In 1884. over 700, 000 cattle crossed the northern boun dary of Texas at three fords on tlio Red River, six years later not n single herd passed over the trail. Then the cow towns of the West became way stations, and the rang? man disap peared. Bnt .when til? cowboy un saddled for the last time it was not his Intention to turn fro:r the range which h? knew and leved. There were numerous occupations Inviting him. and whether he opened a saloon cr started a bank, he possesed an .idvan tage In knowing the country aud its people. While many of them can be found following the occupation of the small ranchman of the present day, the great majority tv.rned to other pur frits. But they are scattered wide :*nd cm be found among the staid citizens of nearly any Western community. A Htory of tho Pope, ">Ty life hns been strangely ruled b.r tlie number nine," Plus X. Is ?,n*'.< d as taying previous to being chosen Pone. "Nine years I was a schoolboy at Ric8e; nine years a student at Padua; nine years a curate at Tom bolo; nine years a priest at Salzano; nine years a canon at ireviso: nine years n bishop at Mantua; now for nine years I have been a cardinal patriarch at Venice. As Pope?as long as God wills; perhaps another nine "ca.'s." Tamo i:?ln<le?r. The rang:? of the tame reindeer hns been widely extended in northern Aslu by the tribes that number him among their valuable assets; and now he is In process of being widely Intro duced Into Aluska. Civilization, there fore. has done much to extend the habitat of this animal to the South, but tho doWsticated reindeer has oot been Introduced into most of the great regions of the Arctic, whe?o the wild animal roams at will. Killad by the Light*. Beth Slnnot. of Saco, Me., found upon suterlng his parlor recently that tho tw? lower lights In his window, which were sixteen by thirty-two, were )soken In fragments. A dead partridge lay ander the window. It is supposed that the bird hit the sash when flying ?t great speed and was killed by the ?bock. Humor of Tbd^v The intrepid Dt Soto, When the Indiana said what they'd do (? Him and his pack If they didn't turn back. Told thoae aavagea where they could go taw ?Town Topics A Km Team to Him. **I notice that the Turner decision shut the Anarchist* out." "The Anarchists? Never even heard of the tea nil*'?New Orloaua_ Time* Democrat. Llnltxl. Henrique?"I understand you gratify your wife's slightest wish." Ottlnger?"Yes; It Is only her more expensive wishes that I do uot grati* ty."?Judge. All 9?r*nr. "Has Jones uu assured reputation ss an author?" "Absolutely. Why. he Kays he can now turn out poor work all tiic rost of Hi life."?Life. KxtlMlT* mC. ConrlanlTC. "We needn't call oa those pcoylo next door." "Why not?" "Aunt Selitia says she has neve* heard of tlieui."?Cluciaaati Commer cial-Tribune. Dltcovrrml at I^aiir. wife's going around to-day with a chip ou her shoulder," said Jackson Trays. "Why so?" "She found one In my pock?t this "?oming."?l?h lladelphla Press. The Una of (.tut i:?(litanc?. rtarber ?to absent-mlniled old gentle mau. who has called for a shave)? "Can't shave yer. air, unless yer 'old yer head up." Ohl lieutleman?"Nev'r mln* mako It a hair cut."?I^ondon Tailor. A Mprlntrr. "Here's an explorer claims that stewed boa constrictor is equal to calf." "I'll bet a II?e boa constrictor wouldn't be equal to two calves If I ?u\v it coming."?Houston Post 8elf-Can?cloti?. Miss Borde?"Oh. horrors! h;*re comos Miss Tawker. She's been abroad this spring." Miss Sliarpo?'"Yes. any one could tell that. She's got a broad grin on her face."?Philadelphia Public Ledger. Practical Demonstration. "Oh, how could you!" exclaimed the fair maid who had been kissed un expectedly. "It will afford nie pleasure to show you." calmly replied the audacious young man.?Indianapolis Sentinel. The Keaion Why. "Are you going it> the seashore this summer?" "No; niarmnn thinks we ran spend more money here in New York."?New York American. Still Other*. "All." said the fair widow, "you havo been In some pretty tight s<iuo^es, haven't you. Colonel?'* "Yes," answered the old warrior, put. ting tils aria around her waist, "and I'm not the _onl,y one."?Indianapolis *uu. Tlmo W?a Too Short. "So," Knobbed Illina Vaselincovitch, "Ivr.n Ninespotski died in batti ?! l)o yon say he uttered uiy name as ho was dying?" "Part of if." replied the returned soldier; "part of it."?fort Worth Record. Not to l!o l'"o<?lc:T. .*frs. Hubbub.??"I told Bridgdt to Ktr:iii; the beans this morning." Mr. Silbbubs--" Yes. Well?" Mrs. Subbubs?"Well, she flared up and told me 1 couldn't siring her; that we'd eat them Ikj.h* or uot at all" Philadelphia Press. Jrutliful "Didn't you say you had all the com. forts of a hoi.ie?" asked tlie indignant guest. "Well." answered Farmer C'orntossel, "after you ftdks nra gone we do havo 'eui. Thai's what we take boarders for."?Washington Star. Too ClmiiK?ltUf> "TTere. young man." sn'.d the old lady, with tire in her eye, "I've hrung back this thermometer ye so!d in*." "What's the matter Willi It?" de manded the clerk. "It ain't reliable. One time ye kok at it it says one thing, and the next time it says anotlcr thiug"?Phila delphia Ledger. Up* >in?l Down*. Lady (who is on a visit to her naUvo town)?"How is Mrs. CJrabbV I haven't seen her in n long tliue." Hostess?'"She is having her uiual tips and downs." Lady Visitor?"And what may Lfiey be, I pray?" Hostess?"Oh, running up bills And running down her neighbors."?Town and Country. A Fhtlofophcr. iClojteman?'Tetter he economical while you're on your vacation." Hponders?"Not much. It's too hard." Kloseman-'-It Is, eh? Well, If yon don't live economically then you'll have to afterward.* Spenders?"Yes, but it Isn't so hard to bo economical when you bart to."?, Philadelphia I'ublic Ledger