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NTMynhe: BY ST. QEORQl CornsiGHT 1893, Bob OillMIMI I Ill MII1IM? BOOK I. ^h# Messenger From Khartoom, CHAPTER I. *4T SHEPHERD'S, ON THE SQUARE CALLED I ESBEHIVI'.H. "Backsheesh!" hoarsely whispered a j Itout, red-faced traveler, bending over I small, nervous man, who, seated on the piazza in front of the well-known Shepherd's Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, flashes off page after page of lead-pencil work, aided by the lights that illumine the grand plaza. .The latter individual never raises his eyes, but with a groan and a me cnanicai movement w iue tum ui?n? -a plaster from his pocket and holds it to up, which miserable coin is gravely taken by the man in the plaid suit ind traveling helmet-bat. He does not move aw.*ty, but stauds there at the elbow of the scribe, waiting for that interminable scribbling to bo lone, and meanwhile watching the 4lvely scene upon the great square of Esbehiyeh. It is certainly a good sight for foreign eyes, and one ihat. will never be forgotteu. Although the month is -February, a delicious, balmy atmos <>here hangs over the old city on the Kile. Music throbs upon the air, aud, fudging from the gay scenes to be met with after night closes In. It would be hard to believe the Mohammedan fast corresponding to our l.ent is in ^J^rogress. The Koran, however, only BBNmanus observance of strict rules from sunrise to sunset, so that in all oriental countries the devout worshipers make night a period of feasting. Just at the present period many lanterns and flambeaux and lamps il-! iumine the grand square, from which ! arise discordant sounds, a perfect babel of confusion. Here, under a *?ln?tor of nalnis. a snake-charmer bandies his cobras vrith apparent ini- j punity, boxing their heads and caus-1 4ng them to do all manner of strange i things. Near by are dragomans, or ! guides, haggling with owners of don- ' keys, who, in turn, seold or cuff the boys in charge of the little beasts. Close by are fakirs, pretending to j ?ell wonderful things for a trifle; I mountebanks, dealeis in turbans.' fezes, relics and handkerchiefs, and a j general conglomeration of Idle, curi- j ous strollers. The light discloses a picture that ?can probably be looked upon In no I other city save Damascus, llere miu-' jgle Turks, with their red fez and national dress; Arabs, la white bournous and turban; native fellahin. or Egyptians, wearing blue gowns and the everlasting brown skull-cap; Jews, with long beards and sober garments; Nubians. Persians. G teeks and a sprinkling of foreigners. The red coats of British solllers give way pretty much to the sensible white th:it is worn in all hot countries; still there ! Is enough to lend color to the kaleidoscopic picture. The stout mail sees nil this without emotion; he seldom if ever, allows : himself to be so deeply interested in j ?g?iytbing as to forget himself. Stand- ! back of the tilted chair of the smaller man, who writes sheet * after sheet with railroad rapidity, he j puffs away at his cigar and calmly j waits for the time to come when his friend Will have exhausted the subject or blunted all his pencils. Everything comes to tl?e one who has pa- ; tiecce, and this is the most prominent ! trait in the character of the stout tour-1 1st 'Eureka! I have done it! Glowing de- i script!bn! Burniug rhetoric! Do you proud, my boy! Now I'd give a piaster to run across Grimes." , He has hardly spoken these words half aloud, when the man with the florid face and heavy hand deliberately raps him on the shoulder. "Pay your debts, young man. 1 claim the reward by virtue of discovery. Here's one miserable Turkish coin you've shoved on me. French money is preferred," he says, solemnly. "Oh! It was you who groaned 'Backsheesh" In my ei r, was It? I've beard uttie eise since 1 sirueic i^gypi. it s a howling paradise of beggars. I go to bed with a big of piasters?give 'em out in my sleep I assure you, Grimes." Sandy Barlow is the correspondent of a great dally journal In the United State's, and is never known to be in anything but a hurry. In piping times of peace he finds material to employ Ms pencil In various foreign countries. a|id his letters have been considered fine reading on .lccount of their piquancy and crisp style, characteristic of everything the man does. Those who know Sandy best have discovered that the war correspondent has a warm he. rt. and wjll readily go out of his way to help one whom he counts a friend This stout gentleman whom he calls Grimes is?so rumor says?the wealthy owner of several mines in Colorado, about which he occasionally speaks. He keeps his own counsel, however, and any one who is a good Judge of physiognomy would have little difficulty in reading on his resolute face all the signs that go to make up a determined character. , "Are you at liberty. Barlow' If to, I'd like to have a little talk," rejnatks tLe silver king. | $ / ? j 'O er Joe. I - nrfTinADMr" L J\MI ncumw. 99999999 L est BorjrxE's Soxs. J "Great Caesar: w ay r.icr.rt you say so before? Singular man! Didn't want to interrupt the flow of genius, eh? But I'd drop even my pencil to oblige you." . "There was no great need of baste. You were the tirst one I' thought of wht-n old Tanner brought me the news. You know him:" "Like a book! Gruff old party; lovely daughter. Molly. Go on. What was his news. Is England aroused at last to the emergency ?" "Just the contrary. Listen to what I say: Old Tanner tells ine his dahabeah, or house-boat, has just come down the river; they left it some two hundred miles above and hastened on by railroad to Cairo. This evening it nrnvea, ana me i-v?, ui lupuim, called upon him at t\ie hotel here with certain news that has given Tanner some uneasiness. lie was puzzled to know what to make of it, and, seeing me. put the whole case in my hands. < I have promised to go dowu to the i boat and interview the man who is now asleep on board?a man they picked up afloat on the river far above ?and who they imagine is some sort of a messenger sent down from Khartoom by General Gordon." Sandy Barlow is out of his chair like a 6hot, all eagerness and animation. ' "Come on!" he exclaimed. "I'm in i this game. Great Caesar! If I can get the only authentic account of that i event! What keeps you, man?" i "I'm not ready to go yet. Don't i make a scene, Sandy, and. above all, whisper not a word of the truth. The I False Prophet has many friends in < Cairo who would like nothing better than a chance at this person who < comes from the south, with seimiter i or yataghan. Sit down again while i we talk it over." Sandy has hard work subduing his intense eagerness to discover the truth, < but he is equal to great emergencies, and finally sinks back in his chair. As for Mr. Grimes, the silver king, | he straddles a rattan seat and rests < his arms across the back in the most ! careless manner imaginable. "What did the old orator seem to think of his men picking up a passen- < ger?" asks Sandy. "He was wrathy at first, until he i found the man was a Frank, or for-,! i eiguer. That made it all right. He hates these swarthy natives?Turks, fellah and Arab." "Yes. I have heard him whisper gentle words about them in his own pe- | culiar way. Lovely soft voice the Honorable Demosthenes has. lleminds me of a steam foghorn." "Hush! #IIere comes his daughter!" "Miss Molly, for all the world!" mutters the correspondent between his teeth. A vision in white floats up to where they are seated, and l>oth men spring to their feet. This American girl is a fair, fresh picture?a healthy daughter of the land across the sea. She is not actually beautiful, but there is a charm about face and manner that draws a host of friepds to her side. Mollie Tanner Is a taking girl, vivacious, quick, tender-hearted?true. You can read her constancy In the clear, frank, fearless gray eyes. Lucky the man who wins her heart It will lie for all time. "Oh, Mr. Grimes, 1 have been looking for you everywhere! I feared you had gone!" exclaims the young lady, laying a white hand, which shows some traces of sunburn, on the arm of the mining king. "Fortune favors me, Miss Molly. In what way can I do you a service?" "Yon see the coventor hns lust been telling me all about that poor man j on beard our boat, and I feel so sorry! ! I would like to know whether there is j anything I can do for him." Some people might be shocked to hear Molly Tanner thus designate her parent, but the word is uttered with such tenderness that the same persons would secretly listen in the hope of hearing it again. Mr. Grimes and the correspondent exchange glances, and then smile. "Really, until we have seen the party, we cannot exactly say," begins the former. . "That's Just it! Why not allow me to accompany you to the boat?" The girl speaks eagerly, as though she has quite 6et her heart upon it. "Your father would not consent." "Leave that to me?I can manage him!" "And I reckon you're about the only one who can. Miss Molly. Outside of that I don't believe it would be safe. You see, to reach the river where the boat is tied up. we have to pass through one of the worst quarters of the city called Musr, aud with a lady in our company, there might be trouble. No. I am sorry to refuse, but 1 must positively decline to accept the responsibility." Molly Tanner does not pout, but laughs, proving that while the old governor has done his best to 6poil her, he has not yet succeeded. "Very well, I shall uot insist, Mr. Grimes; but when you return, promise to let me know how the young German pilgrirn Is," she says. "Who said he is German; your father did not say anything of that sort to me?" declares the stout silver king, in some surprise. "l-erhaps I only Judged It from his name. You know the Germans and Ital'ms are working down along the East Coast." "Even his name the governor iA\gleetod to state. What might it be, Miss Molly?" asked Grimes. "I a in sure be said Mynheer .Toe." "Mynheer Joe!" gasps Sandy Harlow. "Mynheer Joe!" drops from the usually undemonstrative silver king, now greatly e::< ited. "Why. gentlemen, what is the matter? You seem to he astonished?" says Vfnllv snprovtiif first one Jllld then the other in wonder. "Astonished? I'm dumbfounded ?knocked nil in a heap?flabbergasted! To think that I should meet my dear Joe again in this way!" bursts out the impetuous correspondent. "And, on my part, after all, I'm not surprised. It's Just what I might have expected, knowing what I do of the man. Yes, Mynheer .Toe has been with Gordon at Kliartoom: he was last heard of there. Now we shall see what news he brings. I am ready if you are, Mr. Barlow." Sandy smiles as he remembers that this man. now all eagerness to depart, was in no hurry before, but took things /n a cool manner, as though the world was not made in a day. and Obed Grimes had no need of haste. Circumstances alter cases, and the mere mention of a name has put new energy in Mr. Grimes. Nor is the war correspondent less eager to be oti the way. He has received something of a shock upon hearing Molly speak that name. Memories of the past are recalled, which take him to other scenes. "You will pardon us for leaving you?" says the polite Mr. Grimes to the young girl. "Certainly. Indeed, you cannot go too soon to please ine. I am anxious to hear what this poor man has to say. To me General Gordon has always been the hero of the heroes, and any one who comes from him demands my attention and sympathy. Go then to this poor German, see what he most needs, and if Molly Tanner or her father can in any way help bfm, do not neglect to give me notice." Again the two men glance toward each other and smile, hut although she sees this, there Is no explanation made of their actions. Bowing to the young American girl, they turn away, leaving the piazza of the hotel. "Remember!" floats her warning .1 On,, thom ;irwl Mr GrimOS. cumins, waves his hand. Then they are lost in the crowd that jostle elbows in the square called Esbchiyeh, in front of Shepherd's Hotel. Around them sound the voices of dragoman and fakir, mule driver and peddler, mountebank and camel driver, while the barking of dogs can be heard everywhere, the streets of Cairo literally runniDg wild with eurs. "Are you armed?" asked the correspondent, as they cross the grand piazza and head into - street that leads from it down to the River Nile. The sdver king chuckles. "Never go without a revolver, my boy. Learned that habit years ago," he replies. "Yes. you Western men generally do carry a who>e armory on deck. Beastly region wo Lave to pass through. Black as?as?well, Egypt." "Let's hire a light?no getting around in this quarter without one." They discover near by one of those link boys, nho?e trade Is fast (tying out in Cairo Sihce the improvements advanced by British rule. TIia* was, and not so very long ago, either, when, after sunset on moonless nights, the great city on the Nile was wrapped in darkness and the law compelled any one moving abroad to carry a lighted lantern or liambcau. The city being divided Into three distinct quarters, separated by gates, and known as the region of Copts, Jews, and Franks, no one could pass through after nightfall unless bearing a light. In many parts of the strange, whitcd c-lty on the east hank of the Nile, it is still necessary to carry a torch 01 lantern, unless one means to invite all manner of dangers, although the law with to *<<> thing haj fallen Into desuetude since the Engllsl have made so many innovations witl their charge of affairs after the bom bardment of Alexandria in 1882. A boy is engaged to go ahead witl a light, and the two Franks, as al foreigners are called in Egypt, holdlj nlunge into the lower region of Cairo fronting on the Nile. Now and then they pass remark" and joke, for lhe newspaper eorre spondent is nothing if not humorous The frequent mention of that singulai name, "Mynheer Joe," proclaims .tha they are exchanging confidences re garding their experiences in connec tion with this person in the past. Sandy is frank in all he says, anc there can be no doubt regarding hi! fervid admiration for the man whon: they expect to find on board the daha beah of Demosthenes Tanner. "It was at the storming of Alexan dria I first met Mynheer Joe. I wa: then, as now. a correspondent, am ready to undergo all manner of dan gers, in order to get the freshest news even to holding a wire all day rathei than let another man beat me. ITo be Continued.] Good Move of Y. M. C. A. The Young Men's Christian Asso eiation of the Bowery, New York, ha: leased a farm of 130 acres in Xev Jersey. The farm is intended t< serve as a temporary home tor mei who are awaiting employment. The] are not expected to remain then longer than two weeks. While the] arg working on the healthy upland tb< extensive employment machinery o the M. C. A. is working mtheir in terests. > I THE NAVY'S NEEDS Secretary Reports a Deficiency in Officers. ' WANTS MORE CADETS APPOINTED. Extension at Annspoiis and General Increase in the Service Seems to Be Necessary. I Washington. T>. C.?Sorrpir.ry of ;L? Navy Moody hf.s made Iris report for the iiseal year ending June 30. Tl'.e report deals with the ships under construction, those authorized by Congress. those in and out of commission, the personnel of the service and with lie future of the Navy, as seen by Fecretary .Moody. Of the vessels under construction, the report says: "At the dose of the last fiscal year there were under construction for the Navy, by contract, the following vessels: Eight battleships, si:: armored cruisers, nine protected cruisers, four j monitors, thirteen torpedo-boat destroy, ers. seven torpedo boats, and seven j submarine torpedo boats. The general progress upon ttiese boats, partlcuiarlv those of the larger class, has not been found to be satisfactory.. The battleships were, o* the 30th- of June, 1902. from ten to twenty-nine mouths behind contract time: the armored cruisers from four to thirteen months; the protected cruisers from six to eighteen months, while the monitors were from ! sixteen to nineteen montns in arrears. "During the fiscal year the following vessels have Deen nnaliy accepted: The battleships Alabama. Wisconsin, and Illinois; the torpedo boats Bailey, Bagley. Barney. Biddle.Sliubrick and Stockton. The torpedo boats Thornton and Wilkes, and the destroyers Decatur, Perry and Preble have been preliminarily accepted. Between July 1, 100?, and No vena tier T. 1902, the Thornton has been finally and' the following ves- i sels preliminarily accepted: The moni- ! tor Arkansas, the torpedo boat destroyers Barry. Chauncey. Dale. Paul Jones, j j Truxton, Whipple and Worden, and the j ! torpedo boat De Long." Of new vessels the authorized report i j continues: "At the last session of Congress the ! construction of the following addl- : ; tional vessels of the Navy was author- j i ized: Two battleships, one to be built j I at such Navy Yard as the Secretary I : might designate: two> armored cruisers j | and two gunboats. In pursuauce of j this act the Department without delay I ! approved plans for the construction of | 1 the two. battleships and directed that j work on one of then, the Connecticut. ] I be commenced at once at the Navy j Yard, New York.** Of the future of the Navy the Secretary saysr "If the policy of strengthening our power upon the sea to the poin'/ where it can respond to the National needs he not abandoned, the Navy has manifold needs. There must be additional naval; and coaling stations: more ships, fight' toe and auxiliary; and au increase of officers and men. "The most imperative need of tile Navy to-day is of additional officers. I cannot overstate this neeo. It invites the instant attention of Congress. The administration of the Department is embarnssed almost daily by the- lack I of officers itelow command rank. This condition has been approaching for some years, and vras clearly apprehended and stated by my predecessor in office. It is acute to-day. and. when the ships already authorized are completed. it will be desperate ualess there Is early action.'" The report shows that at present there is a deficiency of 577 officers for the ships of the Navy. It speaks of the ways in which m^re officers may be obtained", and adus: "I therefore earnestly recommend that without a year's delay the number of midshipmen at the Academy he increased sufficiently to meet present and prospective needs of the service." The report continues: "From time to time during the last forty years attempts nave been made by various foreign governments, as t well as by our own. to utilize oil as , n fuel for naval service. Fourteen i official tests have oeen made, from [ which valuable lnfomation has been Becured. "As a result of the Investigations thus far conducted the Chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineerlngrecommends 1 the Installation of liquid-fuel appli1 ances without delay in at least a third r of the torpedo boats and destroyers. With respect to the larger war vessels and particularly the battleships, the in, stalls tion^ of liquid fuel presents se rlous difficulties, entirely apart num the question of the satisfactory use of oil under boilers. f "In recommend in g that the GoveniI ment obtain control of all wireless tel egraph stations the-. Chief of the Bu. reau of Equipment says: 'In tftne of war the department wilt "Undoubtedly I And it necessary to rommtinfcnte by menus of wireless telegraphy with cer3 tain receiving stations along tlio ' const. Nothing should be permitted to interfere with the transmission of such messages, nor should it be possi. ble for unauthorized nersons to receive 3 them." ' Dlatrirt Attorney Rethea Reappointed. President Roosevelt re-appolnted Sol onion II. Bcthea United States District ' Attorney for the North rrn District of Illinois. Mr. Bethca is the officer who gathered the greater part of the evidence which led lo the prosecution ol the combination of meat pacl:ers by the Federal Government. '* . Eighteen IUer> l.oit In l ake Erie. 3 Eighteen men. the entire crew of the steamer Sylvar.us. J. Mney. lest their ) lives during a furious southwest gale l on Lake Erie. While trying to weather r the storm of? Port Burell the vessel a sprang a leal: and went to the bottom carrying down with her all on board. 8-10,000 For Birth of Priuceaa. 1 King Victor Emanuel of Italy has - signalized the birth of the Princess Mafaldi* by giving $20,000 to the Foundling Hospital and $20,000 lo the Free Hospital at Rome. n ' - A. ;.\-V A FATAL TRAGEDY Terrible Ending of a Secret Marriag# i ?Murder and Suicide. Nichols. Special.?A tragedy occurred here Monday arternoon as a result or i which Duston H. Sarvis, a telegraph | student, lies dead, and Miss Josephine J Burns, a popular young lady, of thistown, is seriously wounded. It seems that Sarvis and Miss Burns were secretly married on September 22nd and lately the girl has begged Sarvis to acknowledge her as his wife. He refused and threatened to shoot her if she should divulge it. She went to him and demanded that he go to her people and tell of the marriage, as it must now b? known. She said she had told her parents aid they would publish it if he did not. Upon this Sarvis shot her. the builet I entering the centre of the forehead, i ranging up and passing through the J scalp. As she fcii Sarvis turned tin pistol on himself ami sent a bullet under his ear and through the base of the brain. His death was instantaneous. Both Sarvis aud the girl who claims to be his wife are v/ell known and the terrible tragedy is greatly deplored by the community. Sarvis is from Loris, Horry county. He was about 22 year* old. Nichols, the scene of this tragic ocof the Atlantic Coast Line ,and is in. o fthe Atlantic Coast Line, and is in. Marion county, . Up Count ry Rice, Spartanburg. Special.?Col. T. J: Moore of Moore, a leading citizen and planter of the county, was in the city last week on .his way to Columbia to represent-Cedar Springs Institute at the meeting o! the trustees of State institutions, which was ht'ld in that c'itv Whilp horp P.nl \foorp talkpcl in terestingly to the State's representa- j tive in regard to rice culture,. in I which he has been experimenting with I success. Among his many landed pos- j sessions. Col.. Moore possesses -. 10ft i acres of fine bottom land on Tyger [ river, and 50 acres of this is devoted I to the cultivation of Bermuda grass, and the remainder to rice. The mode of I irrigation for the rice is effected by a j canal one and!one-half miles long extending from the mouth of Tyger river I to the bottom land. He has gathered | his rice crop for this year, and stated ! that on the 50 acres he had averaged a larger, yjcld p.er acre than any other section .of South Carolina, or any other rice producing State. This encourages i him to raise more rice next year. The | vegetable he produces is as fine as it J grows anywhere, and there is a ready sale for, it] at; from 75 cents,tu> $1. Carnival at Laurens. Laurens, Special.?Negotiations are j pending between the I.ayton Carniva1 ; company anil the local Knights of Pythias lodge for the holding here oij a carnival and street fair some time] next month, probably from the 15th; to the 2.0th. Toe manager of the Lay ton company. Best Hoss. has con-' ferred with members q? the order under whose auspices it; is proposed to thn foil. nr.g ? Vx ~ tv4 * *-- iiitr irtii , auu wiiu< tuc ma>ui a?u an answer is to be given tomorrow morning. The matter will come up anu be decided upon at tonight's meeting , of the Knights of Pycftias. These carnivals are quite poputar and according to reports are successfully connected.; Negro Gamblers. Negro Gamblers. Laurens. Special.?Monday arorniug Magistrate Hudgens sent up to court eight cases against that many negroes j for gambling ijjd carrying concealed j weapons. They were captured Satur-1 day night by Sheriff Ducket, Deputy 1 Power, Chief of Police Hughes and Officers Bagwell and Arnold. They | were half a mile beyond the city-1 limits and were engaged in a game I hen the officers pounced upon theoi. Most of th.*m have giwn bond. Fire at Excelsior Mills. Anderson, Speciak?Fire at tbo Excelsior mill at 3 o'clock Monday morning caused a loss of about $500. The j cause of the fire Is not known but i when discovered the engine room wa3 , in flames and but for the prompt ac- j tion of the fire department the loss j would have been very laree. as the ! mill has on band large Quantities of seed, hulls oils, etc. This flre was confined to the engine room. Texas Fiood Situation. Dallas, Texas, Special.?The flood situation in Texas is generally relieved. Many of the railroad lines which were suspended by washouts and flooded tracks have resumed operation and all of the other damaged lines are expected to resume tomorrow .All overflowed rivers are subsiding and the end of the trouble is considered at hand. The damage to country roads by the flood is estimated at $100,000. News of the Day. Great is the Industry and fertile Is the Imagination of Guy Boothby, the English novelist. In less than eight years he has published some twentysix books, the majority of which have , achieved more than ordinary successs.. Mr. Boothby is a South Australian Dy birth and is 35 years of age. A London sartorial magazine having remarked that "the trousers of today will not only be the trousers of the next fifty years, but the trousers of civilization for all time." the Louisville Courier-Journal comments: "Most of us would be satisfied if the trousers of today would hold their shape long enough to be the trousers of next month." ' Crum.Not to Be Collector. Washington, Special.?The Post says that President Ro'osevelt has decided not to appoint Dr. Crum, the colored political leader, collector of the port of Charleston, S. C.-It is understood, The Post says, that the I President's decision is the result of statements concerning Dr. Crum's political career furnished to the White House by members of the colored man's party. ;-v y/% " - ' HE POSTAL REPORT Staternejit of Receipts and Expenditures For 1901 MILLIONS DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR The Annual Report of the Rbetmas <?r rii?i(>ral R?ni>(lt? nf Pnrnl. Fred Delivery. * V" Washington. I>. C.?The annual" rcpt i\: of ;ho Posininsier-llcneral for the year en?!!n;c Juur last shows total receipts for the year of .SI21,SIS,047.116, as compared with the previous: year's le.vlpt.s of Sni.d.lDu.tJh.. Tiie expenditures for *he year v.-ore $12i,7S3,? 07.07. as compared with. Si 13.554,020.87 for lite preceding yea.. The excess of expertoit tires. $2.0#7,040.81, was-.less thau the previous year's deficit iiv :tI>Si?,?>T7.GT.. The estimated deiic-ii for the year ending .June Ut>. 1004. is ?S.242.ST)t;. \ ISffons have been made In the past and are now is. ing made to better, wherever possible, to.: condition of postal employes, the report says.. This is especially s> in the ease of clerks- in postofliees. There were upwards of 12,000 clerks- promoted on. July 1 last, the aggregate-allowance for these promotions being about Si,200,000.. Fully 11.000 of these promotions were of clerks who received less than $1000 per annum. The- working hours of clerks in the larger postoffices were also reduced so as : it to average more than eight hours a day.. The report, continues: , "Rural free delivery service has become an established fact. It no longer in the experimental stage and undoubtedly Congress will continue to increase the appropriation for this cnrvloA until yll ^hn nonnlc f\f thft /Mllin. try are reached, where it is thickly enough settled to warrant it. The-estimates of the department are to the effect that the available territory for this service embraces about 1,000,000 square miles, or one-third of the-country's area exclusive of Alaska.. The 11.C50 routes now in operation- eover about one-third of the available- territory.. The rapid extension of the service will, of course, increase the-deficits during the next three years. After It is completed the revenues will: quickly feel the effect of Its establishment, and whatever deficit may be occasioned will gradually disappear. It will also be Interesting ro note that rural free delivery carriers received applications during the past year for G2o,946 money orders. ? "Specific instances have been brought to the attention of the Department where the prompt delivering of live stock quotations indicating a temporary glut in- the market to farmers intending to ship to the stockyards, by enabling them to hold back their shipments till the markets- resumed their normal conditions, has saved to indl- ' vidual cattle raisers more than the total cost of one year's rural delivery ' i-- ut-u IUAJ over rue routes on wun-a mey n?cu. "The number of domestic money orders issued was 40,474,327. amounting * to S313.531.279. The number of International money orders issued during the year was 1,31T,1H. amounting to 522:974,473. The number of International orders paid during the year was 307.079,. amounting to 53,821,729. It will* be interesting to note that the amount of the foreign orders Issued was nearly four times as great as the amount paid. The fee at present for an order of $100 Is thirty cents, and it Js recommended that legislation be passed authorising the Department to rednce this ft* to twenty-five cents. "The star service discontinued during the year ended June 30.1902. by reason of the establishment of rural free delivery service, amounted to $205,013.98. "Legislation is needed for the protection of railway postal clerks while In the discharge of their duties. This 1s a matter which has been fully pre*** onntrnl ronnrtc arimru 1IX pivijuur* uiiuu?u ?V|/V? "Last year the Department paid for tlie transportation of foreign mails the sum of $2,245,025.55." On the subject of the parcels post the report says: "From the statistics taken it appears that the average "weight of parcels despatched from this country to all conntries only sliJitly. exceeds three and one-half pounus. me average weight of parcels despatched from this country to Germany is two and two-thirds pounds. In view of the fact that four ' pounds as a limit of weight will fairly meet the requirements of this country, the Second Assistant Postmaster-General recommends the tender of parcels post conventions with England. France, Italy and ether countries of Europe, similar to that now in fore? between this country and Germany, with the exception thai the weight of parcels be lirajted to four pounds and . v that six month's notice be given to Germany of the desire of this country to modify the existing convention so as to reduce the weight of parcels from . / eleven to four pounds." Attention is invited to the remarks of the Second Assistant PostmasterGeneral concerning the need of a unli versal stamp, or some substitute for it, which will facilitate international correspondence. WoulO-Re Duelists Reconciled. Thomas Braniff, Jr.. and Manuel Eicon Gallardo. the young society men, of Mexico City. Mexico, who were arrested and held by the police to prevent them from fighting a duel, hare secured their release by shaking hands in open court and promising the Judge That they would abandon their dueling plans. Braniff tfas lined S1S0 and Gallardo ?1C0. which they paid. Schenectady Boycott Called Off. In one of the most exciting meetings in its history, the Trades Assembly at Schenectady. X. Y., declared off tho boycott against the Schenectady Railway Company. The vote la favor of rescinding was three to one. and the meeting lasted nearly three hours. Shot Wife, Daughter and Himself. jj In the mountains of upper East Tennessee R1 hard G; .-hot l.is wife _ imd daughter and then $hot and killed himself. It is snppcsed jealousy luoT.rlty was the ca.rcc of the d?o&..ABBA . A