The Abbeville press and banner. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, August 11, 1897, Image 6
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CIlAmK XVII. x
FOUND. ;
"I know him at last!"
The fervor with which Arnold Dacre a
ottered those sentiment words, held joy,
amazement, and fierce reseutment com- e
mingled. His eyes glowed, his fingers fc
slowly clenched and unclenched, his
nostrils slowly expanded, he fairly
crouched,like a blood-thirsty ticer poised
for a spring upon its unsuspecting prey.
He had guessed the identity of the
strange spy who had so annoyed, so per- r
Unacinnslv shadowed him. He did not v
positively know it?be did not recognize
any familiar feature, only, as the un- o
spectacled eyes camo into full view, a t
flashing intuition, a shrewd surmise pro- 1
Jected the tumultuous, overwhelming
query?"can this man be Ray Webster t
disguised?" v
The more Arnold Dacre thought of it, c
the more certain was he of the accuracy
of his conjecture. He reflected deeply
for some moments. Then he went into t
the tavern again. He proceeded straight
to ihe landlord with whom he had made e
friends before. Birds of a featner, the
one an apt fleecer of customers, the other a
a deft fleecer of outsiders, they were con
genial spirits in any scneme 01 irauu vi
cunning. i
The ever-efficacious money bribe was
brought into immediate requisition.
Pressing a ten dollar bill into the fat v
palm of the avaricious boniface, Arnold
Dacre said craftily:
Til double that to have a sample of
the handwriting of your boarder upstairs?the
blue-spectacled man."
"Eh!" projected the landlord, "you I
will? Well," with a chuckle, "you shall I
have it." v
He proceeded to the desk in one corner t
of the room. From its depths he pro- t
cured a dusty, time-worn blank book.
"Haven't kept a register for ten /
years," he grinned to the watching Da- i
era "Guess I'll begin now. Here! you
register."
Arnold Dacre wrote his name. Several
other guests followed. Sitting back ;
In the shadow, Dacre started expectaut- ! f
ly as the blue-spectacled man appeared, j J
and walking up to the landlord, asked
blrc II he couia waKe mm at earnest i
dawn, and supply him with a saddle (
horse for a littla trip into the country.
"Certainly, certainly," assented the *
landlord heartily. "Oh, by the way,
Mr.?
"Graves, Georco Graves," supplement- c
ed the guest. r
"Good. Would you mind registering?
You haven't yet. Thanks." 2
Without a thought of intrigue, the '
blue- spectacled man took up a I
pen, and dashed off the required I *
record. Then he went up stairs to his j *
room again. Arnold Dacre fairlv sprung j 1
to the register. He surveyed the last j '
written line it bore with eager, scintil* '
lant eves.
"It is he?it is Websterl George *
Graves, or any other assumed name, 1 I '
tnAuM \r??r\\\r K<o V?or?rl urritinfr I ^
He has signed bis death warrant!"
Yes, it was Ray Webster. There could 1
be no doubt of it now.
"I want to talk with you," spoke
Dacre excitedly to the landlord.
Tbu latter led him to a retired room. 1
Arnold Dacre bad resolved to take no
further risks. He ordered a horse saddled
at once. Ho was going tD leave,
but first did tha landlord want to make
$50? 1
-r v Did he! The avaricious eyes sparkled
gloatingly. 1
"You know tho man who lust signed
the register?"
"Yes, George Graves." *'
"He is no more George Graves than J
am."
"No?" uttered the landlord, surpris
edly. ?
"No." 'J
"Assumed name?"
"Exactly."
"Then " I(
"He is an escaped convict, for whom
the State ouers $50 reward."
"What luck! and I'm to have it?" *,
"It you follow my directions. Yes.
Make no noise about it, but send the .
con?tables to nab him and lock him up.
I'll be back to-morrow and identify him.
Can I rely on you?" "
"Fifty dollars? Well! I should remark,"
ejaculated the landlord.
One hour later, two constables were
led to the sle^pinc apartmeits of
favern by the landlord, and were Riven
whispered instructions. They reap- t!
peared an hour later. They had found
the inmate of room 17 asleep. Intoxicated,
too, it seemed, for they had to h
fairly carry him to the jail, where he a
now was, a safe prisoner, lie had made
do resistance. a
"Very good. Wait til! my friend Mr.
Dacre returns to-morrow, and I'll toll
you wbo be Is. Keep him close," ordered
the landlord.
Arnold Dacre had braved the terrors
?f a dark ruttv road, derpite the charcoal
burner's warnines. He dared not 7
delay. Too much was at stake
It was just daylight, when, after
arduous exertions, he located the cave as b
described in the duplicated verbal de- ti
scription of the destroyed document.
He penetrated it and lit his lantern, c
He bad memorized the charcoal burner's v
message. Step by steo he followed it. b
Progress tallied with the directions. p
He reached a cavity in the rock. His
heart beat high. Here was the climax |,
o! hope, or the depths of despair. He h
extended bis hand witnin the orifice. It
closed with a thrill over a soft, compact [
substance. n
With a wildly-beating heart, he drew e
it into view. With a riuciiiK cheer of
the most extravagant delight, he seized e
it
He had found the precious missinc s
package, at last!
CHAPTER XVIII. *
AT BAY. 'f
It was found at last?recovered intact, t
In the possession of the man who had s
so sinned in striving for it?the precious 1
packace! 1
Yes, there was the same manilla covering,
the identical string, the same
bulkiness, Arnold Dacre thrust it into
his bosom with a gloating cry of delight.
He did not open it. What, need of
that? Only too well he knew its con
tents?the residue of the banker's ready | '
cash, and the lortune belonging to Flora 1 0
Merwvn, which tho dead banker had | ?
brought to Ridgefield the day of the riot. v
How gilded seemed the future now ?
Wealth was Wis unquestioned. Tin; one S
enemy he feared, apprehended by th<
landlord, lav a prisoner In the town jail
at Deepford. His spirits revived. He
had but one longine now?to locate j 8
and secure Flora Merwyn. I g
The old plotful nature asserted Itself, j a
as he drove back the road he had tra- t
versed the niebt previous. Yes, he must I 1
c ?i T.> I ? Iihf iv Vwi rfifi hf 1111 o'> Vfnu I
miu nuia ituu uv. uv.v.v....... ,
Webster certainly knew. Could lis |
wrest that information from him? j
threaten, bribe, cajole? He would try it, p
at all events. ' ?
It was biirb noon when Dacre came P
(n sight of tbe little town. He pro- "
tended at once to the hotel. .Seated v
p, -?
' 1
IWYNSFORTUNE.
35=^
,t a sumptuous repast, ho was joined b
he loxy-eved, sinister-faced boniface.
"Well." smirked the latter, "you lool
,3 if things were going your way."
"They are," acquiesced Dacre spiril
dly. "What about the mau with th
ilue spectacles?"
"He as calls himself George Graves?
"Yes."
"He was arrested last nieht."
"And is now in jail?"'
"Exactly. I had it done quietly. H
lever resisted. I didn't tell the officei
vho he was."
"Good!" cried Dacre, "that just suit
oy plans,I wish to have a talk with hin
icfore we send him back to tbe pen
,entiary."
"By the way. I have found out som<
hing more about him that may intcres
ou," spoke the landlord, with a covei
rin.
"What is that?"
"Yesterday be sent a little fellow froi
icre with a letter."
"A letter?" repeated Dacre interesl
dly.
"Yes. the boy delivered it. It was a
. Innplv hut down Rideefield wav."
Arnold Dacre's eyes flashed eagerly,
"lie brought back an answer. Whe
t came, you see, we couldn't deliver it.
"Why not?"
"Ha! ha! our spectacled gentlema
iras in jail, see?"
"Then you still have the letter?"
"Yes."
"Where is it?"
"Here."
The landlord handed over a raissiv(
t was addressed to "Mr. George Graves
Jeepford." Evidently, Kay Webster ba
vritten to Mr9. Alden at the lonely co
aee concerning Flora Merwyn, and d<
ailed his plans, and asked her advice.
Without ceremony or compunctior
Arnold Dacro opened the sealed et
relope.
Eagerly he scanned the enclosure.
It read:
"Flora is perfectly well. I 'was compelled 1
?n nil O.o Imt ImnHHf rontidoncfi i
'our plane, but begs you to be careful ac
r.ary of the man you "are tracing? a Bhrew*
leaftless villain."
"Thanks!" muttered Arnold Dacr<
vith a grim, bitter smile. "That moan
oe? Now then," to the landlord, "ca
rou tell me where this lonely hut is?"
"Yes," and a brief direction followcc
Arnold Dacre reflected for a few mc
nents. Quick thoughts came to hi
eady mind.
lie had located Flora, she was i
harge of a Mrs. Alden, unprotected
,lone, except for her guardianship.
Like a general marshaling his force
tefore a battle, the cashier arranged th
arious complications in the case i
iand. He held the advantage in ever
vay. He had the fortune, could he, t
ubtletv, force or fraud, win the girl?
Evidently, a clear, bold, plan wa
uggested to his mind, and he acted upo
t. He looked up at the fox-eye
ioniface.
"I)o you want to make a hundred doi
?*?> U ~
iirs.' IJU iwn-u.
"Me? 1 should say so!"
"Very well. Didn't you toll mc yes
erday that you were a justice of th
ieace?"
"I was, once. Yes."
"Not now?"
"No."
Dacre's-brow clouded. Then he con
inued:
"It don't matter?vou were authorizci
o perform marriagi ceremonies'.'"
"Ortainly."
"You could straiu a point, and per
orm one now. couldn't you?"
"But it wouldn't be lecal."
"How is an ignorant person to kno\
hat? Once a justice, always a iusticc
a! ha!" and Dacre slapped the hesitat
UK bonlface familiarly on the shoulder
'Come, it's cash! Saddle two horses."
"All right. I reckon you wouldn'
;ad me into any trouble."
"Not a bit of it"
An hour later, both men drove fror
he tavern m ihe direction of Ridge
ield.
"Well, where now," queried the land
3rd.
' To the plaeo where the boy took th
jtter," answered Dac re.
"Mrs. Alden's hut?"
"Yes."
"Very well, only?"
"Well?"
"Don't vou want to see the prisoner ii
he town iail?"
"Oh! tnat will keep, until I return."
Thev proceeded down the traverset
ighway. At a point several milei
head, they diverged. The >way wai
artuons and difficult. Dusk wasfallinf
s the landlord halted finally.
' There you are," he announced.
"What? Mrs. Alden's cottace?"
"Yes."
"I don't see it."
"That lieht straight ahead.^
"Oh, yes! Now, you ,wait here, wl!
ou?"
"Certainly, I'm under you orders."
Arnold Dacre dismounted, and niadi
is way through the tangled underbrtisl
awards a distant point of light.
lie advanced more cautiously as hi
arae upon the vioe-embowered cottag*
/hither Ray Webster had conveyed th<
anker's persecuted daughter a few day
revious.
It's door stood open, and a lamp with
a illumined the liviDg room of the hum
ile hut.
Peering past the threshold, Arnoh
)acre s heart beat wiiaiy. res, tie ha<
ot come in vain?he had not plotted fo
rnpty results.
A fair girl sat at a table shadine he
yes with her hand, and reading.
Her face was pale, the expression sad
tricken, but resigned.
She was alone, and in his lmpetuou
riumpb. the plotter never heeded th
iounds of low conversation emanatln
rorn an adjoining room. With glowin
;yes and arms extended, triumph in hi
.inister face, victory in his plottin
jcart, Arnold Dacre sprang into th
oom. with the wild, tumultuous cry?
"Flora! I have found you at last!"
[TO UK CONTINUED.]
China Waking Uj>.
China is about to reorganize her army oi
ha llnaa r\f tho r?ArKMin mSHtartr nr?r
rders for rifles have been placed In Gcr
lany. Anew Chlnoso fleet is to bo con
tructcd, half of the contracts for the nev
essels going to England and half to Ger
aany. The Armstrongs ^will supply thi
;uns for the new fleet.
Reviving Croquet.
Croquet eoems to be really taking hoi
igain in England. They are playing th
;ame more this season than they aid last
ind important matches are announced t<
ake place almost daily for the next tw<
oonths.
Ink For ruWlc Uceorils.
The Connecticut Legislature* recently
u inw requiring me u.-<u ux omy suet
aks on public records as have been ap
roved by the Secretary of State. One him
red dollars ia the penalty provided for th<
iolation of the act. >
WORK OF AMERICA'S HEN
HER VALUE IS NOT LESS THAN
AAA AA/\ VP A f"?
M I C.Mn>
Worth More Than the Entire Wheat Crop
( of the Country?Not So Far Behind
the Earnings of the Railroads? Could
Easily Buy Several States of the Union.
H. W. Collingwood, of the Rural
New Yorker, says in the New York
y World:
Mrs. American Business Hen is one
k of our most useful citizens. She is a
shrinking, unassuming creature, too
'r modest at times even to cackle over
e the birth of her own egg, leaving that
.? celebration to her husband; and yet
Mrs. American Hen has been quietly
paying off mortgages, driving wolves
from the door and hatching out nest
o eggs for thousands of featherless bi's
peds.
In 1890 there were in this country
Q
Is
>>
0
SUPR^l
I
? 258,871,125 chickens and 26,738,315
s jther fowls. In that year the Amerin
can hens laid 9,836,674,992 eggs.
It There are now 350,000,000 chickens,
which will lay this year 13,750,000,s
000 eggs. These eggs are worth
e ?165,000,000, and the poultry meat sold
n during the year will bring $125,000,000,
y which gives 3290,000,000 as a very low
y estimate of the earnings of Mrs.
3 American Hen for one year of the
.. I rrrfiftt, denression.
d The 350,000,000 hens are worth
$105,000,000 of any man's money, but
I- we will not consider that, but take
simply the earnings of the hen. The
average length of an egg is two and
'' one-half inches. The 13,750,000,000
eggs will, therefore, make a chain
512,218 miles long, while the total
weight of this production of hen fruit
is at least 853,125 tons.
i- Does any reader of the World realise
tvlinf this immpnsA nrndnntirm of
^ eggs and meat means to the oountry?
Here are a few figures for comparison:
.. Value of silver production 572,510,000
Value of wool cnp 38,146,459
Value of all sheep ?, 65,167.725
Value of all swine 186,529,745
v Value of mules 103,204,457
!. Value of horses 500,140,186
- Value of petroleum products... 62,383,403
Value of potato crop 78,984,901
Value of tobacco crop 35,574,220
. Value of cotton crop... 259,164,040
Value of oat crop 163,655,068
Value of wheat crop 237,938,998
Imports of coffee one year 84,793,124
n Imports of tea one year 12,704.440
!- Total of pensions 139,280,078
Total of school expenditures 178,215,556
|. Total interest onjmortf?ages? 76.728,077
Cost of i'ost office Department... yo,u^u,a9B
Net earnings of railroads 823,196.454
Dividends on railroad stocks 81,375,774
The value of all gold produced in
American mines in 1895 was $46,610,D00,
and all silver $72,051,000. The
value of all minerals, including iron,
n gold and silver, taken out of Ameri
Vassal^TW
0
?T GIGANTIC UMBRELLA FO]
p ..
can mines in 1894 was $208,168,768.
e Americans are given to bragging about
our immense mineral resources, and
yet you will notice that the hens paid
for it all one year and had enough left
to just about pay the interest on all
mortgages!
a Mrs. Hen will earn enough this
1 year to pay the entire State and county
tax (which in 1890 was $143,186,007),
and have enough left for every
' cent of pensions that are paid to old
b soldiers.
The average cow weighs 130 times
a.s rnueh as the average hen, and yet
all the milch cows in the country have
d a total value of but $263,955,545.
? "Irs. Hen in one year will earn enough
j to buy every cow, and put the entire
3 tobacco crop in her pocket as well.
She could pay out of her year's earnoil
+ K/1 foo C&Twl 1 "mil f Iff?
ed in one year and all the petroleum
f products, and have enough left to buy
i all the tobacco grown in 1890. The
total assessed valuation of the followj
ing States fall below the hen's yearly
) earniugs:
\
t
JMsw Hampshire, Nebraska,
Vermont, Alabama,
Delaware, Mississippi,
Arizcoia, Idaho,
West Virginia, Louisiana,
North Carolina, Arkansas,
South Carolina, Montana,
Utah, Oregon,
Florida, Wyoming,
North Dakota, Colorado,
South Dakota, New Mexico.
Nevada,
In other words, Mrs. American Hen
, could buy any of these States from
I .-.no voor'a ecrcr n.n<l nlliflken monfiT.
? -co *
She conld buy in this way New Mexico,
Arizona, Wyoming, North Dakota,
Idaho and Montana all put together.
The total cost of conducting the
Postoffice Department last year was
$90,626,296.84. Wo can pick out
50,000,000 of our best hens that will
cover every dollar of this outlay in one
year.
The net earnings of the railroads in
1895 were $323,196,454. The railroad
dividends paid amounted to $81,375,774.
The American Hen paid nearly
DAN HEN OVER COMMERCE AND AGRIC
twice the profits earned by American
railroads.
The total earnings from passenger
traffic amonnted to $261,!6-40,598, or
less than that of the hens. It cost in
1895 slightly over two cents to carry
one passenger one mile, .0184 of a cent
to carry one ton of freight one mile,
and ninety-one cents to run the average
train one mile. One single hen,
laying 150 eggs per year, could have
215 days of vacation, and -would still
bo able to pay for carrying one passenger
100 miles, or for hauling ten tons
of freight 10,000 miles, or for running
ari ordinary train two miles. One hundred
and forty such hens would pay
the salary of the average teacher employed
in the public schools, while
seventy-five hens would pay the average
pension to old soldiers.
OMAHA'S IMMENSE UMBRELLA.
When Raised It Will He 250 Feat Above
the Earth.
The last Paris exposition had its Eiffel
tower, Chicago hail its Ferris wheel,
Nashville has its giant see-saw. The
department of concessions of the Omaha
trans-Mississippi exposition of 1898
has also received an application lor
space for the erection of a novel mechanical
device. It resembles the
framework of a gigantic umbrella more
than anything else which might be
mentioned. The part corresponding
to the stick of the umbrella is an immense
cylinder, thirty feet in diameter,
constructed of steel plates firmly
riveted, making a standpipe which
rears its head 250 feet above the level
of the ground. At the extreme top of
this cylinder are fastened twelve long
arms, resembling the ribs of an umbrella.
These are steel trusses, reaching
almost to the ground. At the lower
\ THE OMAHA EXPOSITION.
end of each of these ribs is suspended
a car for carrying passengers, each car
having a capacity for twenty persons.
These monster ribs are raised by hydraulic
power, acting by means of steel
cables operating through the cylinder,
aided by ft mechanism greatly resernb?.ing
that portion of an umbreda which
comes into action when the umbrella
is opened. By means of this mechanism
the gigantic arms are raised until
they are horizontal, the cars in the
meantime being carried outward and
upward until they reach a point 250
feet above the ground, the diameter of
the huge circle formed by the suspended
cars Leing also 250 feet. When
the highest point has been reached another
mechan.-.sm comes into play and
the suspended cars are swung slowly
around in a circle, after which they
are lowered to the ground. The sides
of the cars arc of glass, so that the
passengers may secure an extensive
view of the surrounding country.
The University of Palermo has
about 1110 students. _
REMARKABLE PEAR TREE.
Trained to Grow at the Side of a House in
a Wonderful Way.
One of the most remarkable of old
trained pear trees that we are acquainted
with is the splendid specimen
of Uvedale's St. Germain at Wes
ton House, Shipston-on-Stour, the
residence of the Countess of Camperdown.
The accompanying illustration
is published in the Gardener's Magazine.
Mr. Masterson, the gardener at
Weston House, writes that "the tree is
admired at all times of the year, but
more especially when covered with
large handsome clusters of flowers.
In autumn, when laden with quantities
of big fruits, it also presents an
attractive appearance, and there are
many who also admire the tree when
tJae stems are Dare, ana certainly at
this season it is interesting, as the
training is very remarkable. The tree
seldom fails to ripen a heavy crop of
frnits, cropping right down to the
ULTURE PICT0RIA1LY SHOWN.
ground. It has never been fed or root
pruned, and its roots are in the bed of
the carriage drive, gravel also encir
cling the stem at t,ne Dase, wnere it
measures six feet in circumference. It
is, however, very protable that the
; roots have penetrated a considerable
distance and come into contact with
the stable drains, thus deriving the
nourishment required by so large a
tree. The fruits are seldom thinned,
/
WINTER VIEW OF THE PEAR TREE.
as the tree is so vigorous as to be capa-,
ble of carrying very large crops, and'
yet the fruits weigh from half a pound
to one and a half pounds each. The
total weight of the crop last year was
two hundredweight. Many first prizes
have been won from this tree, including
firsts at the Crystal Palace in 1894and
1895."
Qneer Flsli This.
There is a new kind of fish on view
in the Aquarium. It comes from Bermuda
and is called the "trunk fish."
Three specimens are on view.
With a little stretch of the imagination
the fish looks somewhat like a
Saratoga trunk. It has a triangular
cross section, its belly being flat and
its sides rising from a sharp angle to a
sharper edge along the back. Along
these edges are queer flaps that resemble
the ruffles on a sofa cushion.
The scales are thick and hard. When
viewed head on it looks remarkably
like a pig without legs. Its tail does
not seem to fit at all. The body seems
to cut off abruptly some distance from
where the tail should be and the
caudal appendage stuck on wherever
it would go.?New York Herald.
Precious Manuscripts.
Sir Walter Scott'B manuscript of
"The Lady of the Lake" has just beeu
sold in London for ?6450; thirty years
ago it brought SI000. The manuscript
of "Old Mortality" sold for $3000.
Lord Nelson's autograph memoir of
his own life, with some autograph letters,
was sold ior $5000; twenty-three
other letters of his to Trowbridge
fetched $1400. Robert Burns's private
journal, begun in 1787, "The
Edinburgh Commonplace Book,"
brought $1815. Eight manuscripts of
A. C. Swinburne, poems published in
his first volume, sold fbr ?198.
Garden In an Old Umbrella.
Last summer au ingenious woman
found an ornamental use ior au oia
umbrella frame. A large nail was
driven in the end of the wooden handle,
so it would press into the ground
with more ease, the frame was opened
and the handle planted in the middle
of a round flower bed. A pretty trailing
vine that had a white blossom was
placed where each wire rib of the umbrella
came and twined around. Low
flowering plants were placed around
the remaining portion of the bed to
keep it in good form.?New York
Journal.
The Firnt Prepiilcl Post.
According to M. Piron the idea of a
postpaid envelope originated early in
the reign of Louis XIV. M. De
Velayer in 1(563 established a private
post, placing boxes at the corners of
the streets for the reception ot letters
i wrapped in envelopes, -which were to
. he bought at offices established for
i the purpose. And it is said that a
Swedish artillery officer, in 1823,
petitioned the Chamber of Nobles to
i propose to the Government to issue
stamped envelopes for prepaid letters.
COLONEL TOM OCHILTREE,
The National Character Who Jetted His
Bills Through Congress.
Colonel Tom Ocliiltree became a
national character a few years ago
wtyen he came to Congress as a Repre
TOM OCHILTREE.
sentative from Texas. He was conspicuous
to look upon, and he rarely
said anything that -was not conspicuous.
He made friends and he was so
good-natured to his enemies and so
quick -with his wit that the men who
were opposed to him were anxious to
get over their tilts. He was pointed
out on the floor of the House as the
first native Congressman from hie
State. It was also related that his
district was wider and longer than
many of the States of Europe, reaching
over a territory of twenty-seven
counties, and running from the gulf to
Eagle Pass, on the Rio Grande. This
area comprised 37,600 square miles.
Ochiltree was practically the king of
it. He was the only man in the district
when power was in consideration.
Ochiltree went to the top of capital
favoritism at a single bound. He was
a prince of story-tellers. The beauty
of his humor was that it hit no one so
1 j :a u.-i.iv: rr~ ? :-l.?
utt.ru a,? 1i> mi liiiiioeii. jj.c wao ? juac
to himself. He rarely appeared upon
the floor of the Forty-eighth Congress
that he did not put the House into a
furore of laughter. The country members
used to declare that he was more
fun than the minstrels. His bills and
appropriations were jested through?
the jest always bearing a strong argument
why Texas and Texas harbors
should be the especial care of the
country. He called himself the "Red1
headed Ranger from Texas," and the
title was enough to get him a hearing
before the business committee. It was
his custom to send in word to an important
session of a close-mouthed
and dignified committee that the
"Red-headed Ranger from Texas" had
a few remarks he would like to make
covering a few points in a measure the
august body had in its pigeon-holes.
The admission of Ochiltree meant a
good laugh?a long series of good
laughs?and it is a part of Legislative
tradition that the Colonel's stories have
done for him what plain,' unvarnished
and prosaic logic failed to do for others.
?Chicago Times-Herald.
The Mystery of Heredity.
Out of 222 pupils in the grammar
schools of Chicago who attained a certain
percentage of efficiency only
twenty-five were boys. This would
indicate that girls are about four times
as bright as boys. It is hard to unstand
these things and to straighten
ap the rules of heredity. It is, we
believe, an accepted rule that boys
"take after" their mothers and the
girls after their fathers. If, then, the
'women are the smartest, the boys,
"taking after" the mother, should
also be smartest. If the men are the
smartest, then the girls," "taking
after" the father, should be smartest.
! It is a difficult riddle to-unriddle.?
Baltimore Sun.
Moving Staircase for Passengers.
A moving staircase for passengers,
I n T i 11-? 1?
| in tue suape ux ttu euuican icuiuci ucn
j transferring them from one story to
; another, is now in use in some of the
I great department-stores of Paris. It
i is called a transporting carpet. End!
less belts of canvas have been used
! for some time to corvey packages from
place to place within the stores.
WORLD'S BICCEST JUC.
| Nearly as Tall as a Man and Will Hold
175 Gallons.
As a curiosity there may be some interest
in "the largest jug in the world,"
i but there is little use for such a receptacle.
An Illinois pottery firm has conj
structed an immense jug of the shape
I onrl ormenMiicd r>f t.hfi familiar little
brown jug of history. It is so heavy
that several men would be required to
lift it high enough for one man to
drink out of it.
It is almost as tall as a man, being
sixty-one inches high.
It is thirty-six inches in diameter
and holds 175 gallons. The jug is perfect
in every respect, and expert potters
have declared it the finest piece
of workmanship ever seen.
The owners have been offered handsome
sums for the jug by firms desiring
to use it for advertising purposes.
It is no small task to finish a
BIGGEST JCG EVER MADE.
vessel of this size, and the greatest
care must be taken, for if a single flaw
creeps into the clay it is liable to burst
when being turned and create great
havoc in the workshoi).
An octogenarian vagrant was lodged
at a St. Joseph (Mo.) police station
one night, - ...
i
(
VHHHN
MUST HAVE COMPANYMHMB
A safer world this earth would be
If every Joking elf
On folly bent WH
Would be content
To frolic by himself.
. > ; %.
The man who loves to rock the boat
nas never yei oeen juiowu
To drop into
The briny blue'
While rgwing oat alone.
The_"dMn't-know-'twas loaded" flendf
Would free us from much care
If he'd explode ?
That rusty load
Out in the woods somewhere.
vgfl
The scorcher racing with the wind,
Whom all men dread to meet,
Is joyless till
He tries his skill
Upon the crowded street.
?Washington Star.
PITH AND POINT.
"Pretty Polly!" said the lady. "Gal
Polly talk?" "Polly," replied th<
Boston parrot, "c$n converse. "-J
Indianapolis Journal. * |
"Whut some folks call 'er hopeful
disposition," said Uncle Eben, "ain'
nuffin' bnt laziness an' trustin' ten
luck."?Washington Star.
Hicks?"Have a good time outridi
ing this evening?" Wicks (neophyte> '
?"Not so good a time as the peopli
who were watching me."?Boston
Transcript.
"Even a fly can do good by getting
a man awake in time to attend church. 1
"Yes, but it doesn't put him in th$
proper frame of mind to go there.
Chicago Eecord.
"He is one of the leading lawyerB of
the town." "Gets pretty big feefl,
eh?" "I should say so. Why, it i4
almost as cheap to buy the grand jury
as to hire him."?Truth.
"I'm so grateful to Mr. Chumpleight
for sending me his photograph,? "1
"Why, I thought you hated him.'* 1
"Yes, but just think, he might hare
brought it."?Brooklyn Life.
"There is one thing I cannot over*
look in a woman," said Mr. Smalley.
"What is that?" asked his friend.
"A high hat in a theatre," said Mr,
Smalley.?Washington Capital.
"Are you one of the striking
miners?" asked the woman at the door.
"Yes, mum. I'm what dey call a
pioneer. I struck thirty years ago and
I've never give in yet."?Detroit Free
Press.
Mrs. Gilfoyle ? "Mrs. Bargain
-r-r _ <1
numer is a morougniy consiswm
woman." Mrs. 'Kilduff?"la she?'*
Mrs. Gilfoyle?"Yes; she is. She
has marked her five o'clock teas down
to 4.57."?Pack.
A?"Well, how did you sl?ep last , "
night? Did you follow my advice and
begin counting?" B?"Yes. I connted .
up to 18,000." "And then you fell
asleep?" "No; then it was time to
get up."?Tit-Bits.
Mr. Failupski?"Ha! ha! Ho! hoi"
Mro "Failimsfei?"Vot is der choke.
Isaac?" Mr. Failupski?"Dot baper
brints der notice of my assignment
nnder der heading of 'Business
Troubles.'"?Puck.
She?"How would you punctuate
the following: 'Bank of England notes
of various values were blown along the>
street by the wind?'" He?"I think ,
I would make a dash after the notes." A
?Household Words.
"They say people in this countr^^M
spend more money on bicycles thai^B^H
bread." "That's queer; Bicyclesca^^^B
be eaten." "I know; but then peo*
pie can't show off with a loaf of
bread."?Chicago Record.
"Any fool can write a novel," said
Griggle; "yon can make things comd *
out just as you want them to." "Very
true," replied Dixon, "bat you must
admit that there are some fools who
do not write novels."?Boston Transcript.
"Do you always say your prayers
at bedtime, Mary?" asked the Sundayschool
teacher affectionately. "No,
miss, not regular, I don't," was the
reply. "Why, Mary, are you not
afraid to go to sleep at night without
asking a blessing?" "Not when I
sleep in the middle, I ain't, Miss."?
Household Words.
Snail Farming. ./
Snail farming forms a pecular branch
of agricultural industry in France and
other countries, and the consumption
of them in France is very large, says a
contributor to Chambers's Journal.
"Eflihle snails varv trreatly in size; the
large white ones are the real escargot,
bnt this term is usually employed to
designate all edible snails adapted to
table purposes. But in the markets,
besides escargot, there are two other
varieties known as limace and limacon,
the former being of medium size,
and the latter quite small. Though
the great majority of the edible snails J
produced in France are of natural M
growth, their artificial culture is carried
on to.a very considerable extent. JP
They are propagated from August to
October in ground especially prepared ^
for the purpose, and fed with cabbage, ^
Clover, etc. .uuniig me wiurei iucj I
are sheltered in houses composed ol
brick or wood, and they are gathered
and marketed from April to June.
In the Tyrol from June to the middle
of August the snails are collected
from every available damp place and
taken to the feeding ground near the
owner's dwelling. This is a bit of
garden ground, free from trees and
shrubs, and surrounded on all sides
by running water. In this feeding
ground are little heaps of mountain
pine twigs, mixed loosely with wood
moss, and these twigs when dry are
f/vnlono/1 lvc fresh nnes. Everv da\
",l"uvv-" *v V
they are feil 011 cabbage leaves and
grass, and when cold weather sets in
they go under cover?that is, thej
collect under the heaps of twigs and
bury themselves up for the winter.
When this has been successfully accomplished
they are collected, packed
in perforated boxes lined with straw,
and sent off to Paris and other towns.
Have Fish a Memory?
A distinguished German professor I
thinks be has succeeded in proving I
that fish have no memory. The seal J
of memory in man and other animaW JH
high in the scale of being is supposed Mg
to be certain cortical centres of the
brain. The learned professor hasy^H
shown that no such things exist in
fish, and he regards that as ccncluJ
sive. Yet the layman may venture to
inquire whether all animals depend
for the same functions upon the same
r>r<rona Porliflnsfish are distinsruished
w*eMUI" * v*?sr sprofessors,
for instanc#, who do nol
think ^ith their heads.
t
y j