Edgefield advertiser. (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, July 06, 1898, Image 1
Ttt?S. J. ADAMS PROPRIETOR.
EDGE FIELD, S. C.. WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1898.
VOL. LXIII. NO.
THE ?
Oh, the drum!
There is some
Intonation in thy grum
Monotony o? utterance that strikes the
spirit dumb,
As we hear
Through the clear
And unclouded atmosphere
Thy crumbling palpitation roll in upon tho
ear.
There's a purt
Of the art
Of thy music-throbbing heart
That thrills a something In us that awakens
with a start,
And, in rhyme
With the chime
And exactitude of time,
Goes marching on to glory to thy melody
sublime.
And the guest
Of the breast
That thy rolling robs of rest
Is a patriotic spirit as a Continental
dressed,
And he looms
From the glooms
Of a century of tombs,
And the blood he spilled at Lexington in
living beauty blooms.
1 FOR BLOOD
1 "
/V\ By \V. S. 1
??HM?
ISS WARING- sat
silent, noting the
rapidly growing
dusk on the wide
prairie. The stars
were just begin
ning to show like
glittering d i a *
mond-points. Just
the suggestion of
the autumn was in
tho cool night air.
The stillness as
Jim and she drove along over tho si
lent plain was broken now and then by
a sharp, starling rattle, a sound once
heard never to be forgotten, the danger
signal of the deadly rattlesnake coiled
up in tho long, brown grass.
"flit appears to me," Jim was say
ing, "that that air wind don't bode
any good to the settlers 'round
about.these here parts."
"Why so, Jim?""
"Guess you hain't ever ben on one
of our Dakoty pcraries afore, Miss
Waring, or you wouldn't havo asked
such a question. There's two things
out byar that's more feared than the
Old Nick himself-one on 'em's a
perarie fire and another's a perarie fire
with the wind a-blowin' a forty-mile
an-hour gale."
They rode on again in silence.
Agnes Waring had come from tho far
grea1; city to visit her brother on his
Western ranch. Jim, the man-of-all
work, was driving her ont from the
station, fifteen miles from tho ranch.
"By -tho-Iocg-horned spoons!" said
Jim suddenly, rising in his seat and
stopping the horses with a tremendous
jerk; "look over there, will yon?
Thar's bizuess for us, sure's you're a
foot high! Git up there!" he' yelled
to the horses and, giviug one .them a
stinging blow with his whip, they
sprang into a run. Across the level
plain shone a light, the light at the
ranch headquarters nearly a mile away.
To the left of it a dull, reddish glow
had come up and, now and then, at the
horizon line, where tho darker part of
the sky was lost in the prairie, sharp
flames were darting up.
"Don't you be skeered," Jim ejacu
lated, as ho whipped the horses into a
yet more furious pace; "there ain't any
danger-leastwise for us."
Alice was a self-possessed city girl
with n generous stock of old-fashioned
common sense; but she was startled at
Jim's actions aud her face had grown
pale.
"Everything's all right," said Jim,
as reassuringly as he could under the
circumstances; "don't you be
skeered." He had seized the reins
between his firm, strong teeth and
now with one hand, now with the
other, now with both, he was whip
ping the horses iuto still greater
speed. "Hate-ter-lick a team
like this"-as the wagon bounced and
tumbled and rattled along; "hate ter
do hit-but hit-can't bo helped
when there's life-depends-on it."
A few moments more and the horses
dashed up to the big rauch headquar
ters house.-. Jim threw tho J ines to
thc ground, and, seizing Alice by the
waist, jumped out with her.
"Sorry to bc so unperlite, but
there ain't auy time to wait-kin you
ride hossback?"
Barely waiting for au affirmative
answer from the girl, who was pas
sionately fond of riding and who
modestly owned the gold medal for
superior horsewomanship in her city
ridiug club, Jim ran to the bairn, dung
a man's saddle on a beautiful horse
and before Alice had time to recover
from her surprise at this novel intro
duction to her brother's establishment,
the horse wa3 before her.
"Yon say you kin ride; wa'al, here's
the best chance to show hit you ever
had in your life. Thar's the best
hoss in McLeod Couuty-racin' blood
for five ginerations; there ain't nothin'
but a perarie fire kin ketch him.
Jump him, Miss Waring, ride straight
toward the fire yonder; thar ain't no
danger now till you git ter Mnle
Crick. Jest over the crick a quarter
of a mile or so thar's a Russian woman
an' her six weeks' old baby. She's
all alone, fer I saw her husband in
town when we left. They hain't back
fired an inch, and you've got to git the
woman and her baby over the crick.
See? I'd go myself, but the wind is
shifted and this hull ranch'll bein
danger afore long. You'll pass your
brother and a parcel o' men backfirin'
along the line: don't stop fer any ex
planations, but ride fer the crick an'
ride as if the Old Harry was on yer
track! You been't afeered, bo you?"
The blood had come back to the pale
cheeks.
* "You say there's little danger of my
losing my life, Jim?"
"Not a bit-ef you only git the
woman across the crick in time; but
don't wait-jump quick, fer the Lord's
sake, or you'll be too late."
- With a rude toss ho threw her into
the saddle as if she had been a child,
and handed her the reins. As ho did
so he thrust a short, cruel rawhide into
her hand.
"Don't hit him with that unless you
have to-he's never bin licked in his
jjfej ?nt be kin outrun a cyclone, Ei
)RUM.
And his eyes
Wear the guise
Of a nature pure and wise,
And the love of them is lifted to a some
thing in tho skies
That is bright
Red and whito,
With a blur of starry light
As it laughs iu silken ripples to tho breeze
day and night.
Then with sound
As profound
As the thunderings resound,
Como thy wild reverberations in a throe
th.tt shakes the ground,
And a cry
Flung on high
Like tho flag it flutters by,
Wings rapturously upward till it nestles In
tho sky.
Oh the drum!
There is somo
Intonation in thy grum
Monotony ot utteranco that strikes tho
spirit dumb,
As we hear
Through tho clear
And unclouded atmosphere
Thy rumbling palpitations roll in upon tho
ear.
-James Whitcomb Riley.
WILL TELL, k
- *
HARWOOD, ^
yon have ter hit him, give it to him
red-hot!"
It is long, sometimes, before a horse
and its rider become acquainted with
one another; but it seemed but a few
seconds to Alice before she and the
noble animal were old friends. Jim
was right, Prince Hal could run; and
after the first fow tremendous jumps
and Alice had steadied herself in the
saddle, the thrilling excitement
stirred her blood like an intoxicant,
aud she realized that Jim had told
the truth ; it promised to be the race
of her life.
"Je-ho-sa-phat!" exclaimed a man
who was plowing a fire furrow along
the edge of the ranch where the men
were at work, "Mr. Waring, look, wil1
you! Look at Prince Hal!"
Mr. Waring had not moro than tin
to look up before he saw his choice
mount pass by him like the wind
girl with hair flying behind her on
back, tho horse going at a pace t
not his fastest Kentucky ancestor e
matched.
On the horse went as if he,
knew of the life-saving mission o
hour. The foam came back fro a
teeth, and his flanks were .
Alice leaned forward in the s
as she urged him on, and stroli. . :
neck.
A moment more and they v
the creek,'a shallow stream. ?
Alice could seo a low ho -
houetted against a great red
flame. The fire wa3corning.
she could feet the intense
leap anda bound; they wen
stream and on again with st
flight. It was a matter of se
until the low-sod house m
In front of it was the Buss,
woman, frantically tryiug t<_^
of her household goods by dragging
them with one hand further from the
course of the lire, while in one arm
she clutched the baby, around which
she had thrown a wet shawl to protect
it from the heat.
"Why didn't you run?" cried Alice,
as she jumped from tho horse; "don't
you sec, tho fire is almost on you?
You cau't save your thiugs; run for
the creek! Hun, I say I or you'll be
burned to death."
Alice grabbed the child from the
woman's arms and sprang up iuto the
saddlo as best she could. The woman
stood as if stupefied, the red glow
from the coming flames lighting up
her stolid face. Thc fire was coming
on faster now; they could hear the
roar and crackle r.s it swept through
the loug, man-high grass of the swale
beyond the fence.
"Quick! quick, I say! no, you can't
run fast enough now to get to the
creek; jump up behind me, quick!
quick! or wo shall all be burned. I
can't leave you herc to die!"
The woman's stolid nature was
aroused at last by the animal fear of
danger, and while the heat grew more
intense every iustaut sho clambered
up behind Alice.
Prince Hal's face was toward the
fire. Ho had not moved since he
reached the spot; heseemel like some
beautiful statue, his body motionless,
his ears sharp and erect, his nostrils
distended; the awful fascination of the
fire was upon him.
Alice pulled at the bit to turn him.
Ho paid no attention. She spoke
sharply, but he only moved uneasily;
he would not stir from the spot.
Swifter than an electric shock came
the thought to her miud that horses
in burning buildings would stay and
die in the flames before they would be
led out. It would be impossible to
reach the creek on foot; in half a min
ute more the flames would be on them.
Grabbing the wet shawl from the baby
with one hand, and swingiug thc child
backward to its mother with the other,
she threw the shawl over the horse's
head. With the sight of the fire shut
out he quivered, turned as the bit
gave him a sharp twist, and, just as
the flames were leaping over thc sheds
hard by the house, he sprang away.
It was a race for life now-for three
lives; for the winn ha l increased to a
gale, and there is nothing more ter
rible iu this world than such a relent
less ocean of flames r.s was rolling
over the grass-grown plain.
Alice thought of Jim's parting ad
vice:
"He's never ben licked in his life;
but, if you have ter, give it to him
red-hot!"
WTith a sharp cry, urging the horse
on under t?s heavy burden, site struck
him with all her strength on the quiv
ering flauk, not once, but mcny times.
He jumped as if stung by a rattle
snake and, seizing the bit. in teeth,
shot away as if shot from some
mighty catapult.
Alice had lost all control of him
now. She could neither guide nor
check nor urge him The blood of a
noble aUcesti-y, the blood or a racer,
was on fire in his veius. Down the
short hill, over the brook, np the
further side, on over the plain like
some wild spirit of the night he ran.
A cheer that you could have heard a
mile, and that, mayhap, was heard
clear up to the atara o' heaveu, rang
out aa Prince Hal, white with foam,
flow by the crowd of men.
"Wa'al, ef you ain't the pluckiest
gal!" said Jim, as he helped Alice
from the saddle; "an' you ain't agoin'
ter faint, nuther; I kin tell it by your
eye. Didn't I tell you he could out
run a cyclone? But there had ter be
somebody atop o' him who knew how
ter ride."-New York Independent.
Marvelous Buildings.
The longest wall in the world is tho
famous stone defense made by tho
Chinese against the Tartars about 200
B. C. It is twenty feet high, twenty
five feet thick at the base and stretches
for 1280 miles over hills, valleys and
rivers.
The largest dwelling house in the
world is the Freihaus, in n suburb of
Vienna, containing in all between
1200 and 1500 rooms, divided into up
ward of 400 separate apartments. This
immense house, wherein a whole city
lives, works, eats and sleepsj has
thirteen courtyards-five open and
eight covered-and a garden within
its wdis?
The most magnificent tomb in the
world is deemed to be the Palace
Temple of Karnak, occupying an arei.
of nine acres, or twice that of St.
Peter's at Borne. The temple space
is a poet's dream of gigantic columns,
beautiful courts and wondrous avenues
of sphinxes;
The largest room in the world, under
one roof and Unbroken by pillars, is
at St. Petersburg. It is 620 feet long
by 150 in breadth. By daylight it is
used for military displays and a whole
battalion eau completely manceuver in
it. By night 20,000 wax tapers give
it a beautiful appearance. Tho roof
is a single arch of iron.
The most magnificent work of
architecture is the Taj Mahal, in Agra,
Hindustan. It was erected by Shah
Jehan to tho memory of his favorito
queen. It is octagonal in form, of
pure white marble, inlaid with jasper,
carnelian, turquoise, agate, amethysts
and sapphires. Tho work took 22,000
men twenty years to oomplete, and
though there were free gifts and tho
labor was free, the cost was $16,000,
000.
The greatest structure ever raised
'.^e hand of man is the great
it Cheops, founded 4000
and measuring 746 feet
the base and 4i9 feet high.
;c wenty years in constrnction ;
. meu worked for three montho,
^eing then relieved, were suc
1 by an equally large corps. Tho
ve stones were bronght iroui
.a, 700 miles away. The cost of
..orle is estimated at $145,000,000.
?oce?Bft- ..: .. - .?.:...
ofFerf
'arm'; . .o '>.'.? r,: ?V
.. ffiuC ^M&? i?: ? i:>- .. .
.? ment, It is practically
. ' wever, to firo invaria
bly whe~ decks are horizontal.
No matter how careful the gnnner,
the piece is almost always exploded
just before or just after tho proper
instant.
The American practice, both in the
army and navy, has always been to
shoot low and always to save ammu
nition until it was possible to use it
effectively. In the navy the tradition
to Bhoot low has crystallized into a
stauding rule, unwritten indeed, but
none tho less religiously observed,
and its wisdom has Leen proved on
moro than one occasion of great im
portance. *
Tho precise form of this unwritten
naval rule is to "wait for tho down
ward roll." This is the converse of
tho maxim obtaining in the British
navy that it is best to take advantage
of the "upward roll," which has been
observed almost from tho beginning
of naval fighting by the gunners of
English ships.
ThiB was rendered the more certain
from the fact that the spherical pro
jectiles then in uso would ricochet
along the surface of the waves if they
struck the water, exactly as a stone
will skip along tho top of a pond when
properly thrown from the hand of a
small boy.-New York Press.
Giitnt Tortoises Cornered.
A Southern Pacific Bailroad freight
car containing seventy-five gigantic
tortoises from the Galapagos Islands,
in the Southern Pacific Ocean, passed
through this city last Saturday night.
The shipment was in charge of Mr. C.
M. Harris, of Hyde Park, Mass., re
turning from an expedition sent out by
theBothschilds especially to secure the
an i mal F.
Mr. Harris stated that he had been
about ten months, eight of which were
spent on the islands, making the trip
and securing the tortoises. He said
that he was sure he had got all that
were on the islauds, and, excepting
those he had, he thought there were
no others in existence. Ho had cor
nered the market, as it were.
He bad spent about ?10,000, and
valued the collect:on at $30,000. He
had secured some specimens that br .
longed to a species that was supposed
to bo extinct; in fact, the entire fam
ily had become nearly extinct, and was
only to be found on these islauds. The
animals varied much in si^e, some
weighing several hundred, pounds,
while others were much smaller. Some
of the largest were said to be at least
1000 years old. They were all in a
semi-torpid condition, as the weather
was somewhat cool, and they live in a
warm climate.-Cincinnati Commer
cial Tribune.
Makins Tectli.
This country is ahead of all others
in the art of making artificial teeth. A .
recent computation makes the number
of artificial teeth [fabricated here as high
as 6,000,000 annually. In one of the
most complete factories, where min
eral teeth are made, tho ohief ingredi
ents comprise feldspar, silica and
clay; those of subsidiary character are
sundry metallio oxides, to produce
the tints of discoloration whioh are
necessary to make the imitation a
good one.
Denmark has an egg-exportation
compauy, with 18,000 members, The
eggs we eold by tho pound,
TENT BI
AJ
jg SNAP SHOTS D
& MESTIC SI?E
f
ULLY a mile and- i
q?artei ndrthf?
the Court Hoi?s<
on Franklin street
in a grove of Flor
ida pines, lies th?
camp of the Unite
States forces
Tampa.
The Northerner reaching Tampi
night now can hardly realize that ho
left New York or Washington so short
a time before, .The real color of this
first impression i'n given by the brown
faced, roughly Jothed troops, who
tramp up and down, and gossip in tho
doorways-men who show in their
faces the grit and daring that hay0
led to victory since Caesar's time, and
in their bodies the endurance cf
Indians and the strength of ?'Var
sity rush-line. At first theuiareless
ness of their attire creates an unfa^
vorable impression. Half of theui
parade the streets in their shirts.
Every man seems to have au individ-5.
EVERY SOLDIER HIS O
ual way of wearing his hat. Some
stick the top straight up, others-i?^ 1
."...cop!*? r?lw:'.y :i:.>r..-.:..: it , ...*><.
worn, '."hi.-ir i?f,? - v'??"s
?rease ." hixt ^?? ? i'-: w?:y.'\
': i wv. { t???'ir :.".?'#?:..?; ..?.
\\ i > : :: fi- CT-" ? tl * '> . i ? c ? "il*- -
.. . _.,:>;" nt? . M:. ;
... T. liitVs .:.?.; B ol vi-?.r.
foti * f ,.>'- ?? _ -r
rifles stacked
SHOWERY WEATHER.
. down the com
pany streets, and
the ammunition
bolts, each carry
ing two hundred
cartridges, hung
I k\\ ?.ver tUem* Tho
. PJ^!*** n*ew' bayonet is a
knife-liae weapon
several inches
shorter than those
of the old triangular form, and fur
nished with a haft.
Most of the men, when at leisure, go
into town, the others lounge in their
tents, reading and talking. A reason
able amount of good-natured horse
play is seen among them. Among the
men nothing but words of praise are
to be heard for their officers, and
among the officers nothing but good
things of their men.
The officers know
that in battle the
troops under them'
will do as they are u
ordered, to the let- 4?
ter; and the men
know that they will
be told to do the
right thing at tho
right timo.
Outside fatigue
duties, their regu
lar routine consists of drill at ais in
the morning, half au hour's march in
full kit at noon, and "guard mount"
in the evening, followed by "retreat."
At all times of the day troop-trains
with artillery-men, and pack-trains
with their guns and horses, pass
through Tampa on tbeir way to Port
Tampa; white and colored fly through,
followed by cheers and blessings.
Then tho last car swings out of sight,
and we know that in half an hour an
other battery will be under canvas in
AFTER THE RAES'.
the neighboring camp, and that an
other pawn is moved to help in the
checkmating of Spain.
In the camp there is drill .every
morning at seven; regimental drill and
brigade drill. As an instance of how
regiments are scattered among the
cramped army posts of the United
States, it is to be noted that many offi
cers have now seen regimontal drill
for the first time. Brigade drill is a
still greater novelty. Af ter ' morning
drill the men are allowed and expected
to loaf. In this hot weather loafing
is, in fact, a part of tho regimen. The
camps look like very sleepy p ces'by
noonday, though all as they should be.
j On Sundays there is still greater re*
laxation, Many go to the long rail:
i . . . . . ... j *
i
mi
CRIBING THE DO
OF CAMPING.
way piles and
docks at Port
Tampa, where a
breeze may be
had if wai ted for
'long enough.
One excursion
?is to Battery
Point, on the
other Bhore of
CAHP FORAGERS OAP- the stubby pen
TURE A PRIZE, insula which
supports Port Tampa. In the fore
ground is tho high hulk of a vessel
left to strand there several years ago
tunder yellow fever quarantine, and
since used for storage purposes by a
phosphate company. The vessel is
or was the Osceola, of Buenos Ayres.
Blue-shirted soldiers fishing for suck
ers and occasional pompano from her
rotting decks or stripping and swim
ming in the shade of her uplifted bilge
are among the exotic sights in Tampa
these days.
The camp of a regiment is laid out
.inili'-arv . xe???aiw3lK: 1. ?lafl. in
.'?-?-....vi'?.''?i:".-;- jt?.? ?tttbb'?i?t?U
.v i. yo cvtfir?* ondai . i of ?ea?
is responsible for tho prisoners ho ia
in charge of.
STORY-TELLING ABOUND THE CAMP-FIRE.
When a regiment is going iuto camp
the busiest and mest harassed person
in it . is the quartermaster. He it is
who has charge of all enmp equipage
and who is responsible for the trans
portation of it. Also ho must stand
ready to supply any deficiency, from
feed for horses or mules to a coat for
some private who is suddenly minus
his; , and he and the commissary ser
geant, his right hand man, think not
of themselves until the regiment is in
stalled under cover. Each officer car
ries his own camp outfit-tent, blan
kets and mets chest-and sees to it
before he leaves garrison. There his
responsibility practically ceases aud
falls upon the shoulder of his"stryker"
-not a socialist, but a servant pro
vided an officer by army regulations.
The stryker is a sort of general facto
tum, and is usually a mau from the
officer's own company or troop. He
is a jack of all trades, aud good at
them, too; and when the regiment
3E RE VILLE.
reaches camp ho blakes at once for his
own particular officer and looks after
him. It is the stryker who pitches
the tent and unpacks what luggage his
superior may have after he has first
extracted it from the pile of regiment
al impedimenta. He fetches water
and puts the towels by the hand ba
sin, and sometimes he even builds a
bed.
In the meantime, while officers'
tents are going ap, those for the com
panies are being pitched with perfect
order, and in au incredibly short time
are taut and fast. They are laid out
in sets of two lines on what are called
the "company streets," und day and
night are patrolled by sentries who
httvfl two hours on auef four off after
nately? Near the company street are
the kitchens-the tents where the
"grub" is cooked for the men, and for
the officers as well, who have theirs
served in the "mess tent," where two
or three have gathered together to
be served aa one set instead of eating
separately. .Not only do the officers
thus have ene another's society, but
clubbing together cuts down expenses,
for whatever an officer has in mess
outside of the commissary provision
he pays for from his own pocket.
There aie always several "messes"
(the work strikes civilian ears most
unpleasantly) through the regiment,
and those officers who are known to
be hons viveurs under all conditions
are eagerly besought to take into
theirs those who are not so expert in
providing the goods of life even when
they have the money and inclination.
The offioers' "line" is always a little
away from the men's tents, which are
ander the immediate charge of the
first seargeant and corporals of each
company, and at the top of the "line"
is "headquarters," where the colonel
and his staff aro established.
The men in camp usually smuggle
in some kind of a pet or "mascot,"
which is not always left behind when
the order comes to move, unless it
may be into action.
The Antiquity of Gunpowder.
It is generally conceded that gun
powder was used by the Chinese as an
explosive in prehistoric times. When
they first discovered or applied its
power is not known. It is said that
in the century before the Christian
era a cannon was employed bearing
the inscription "I hurl to death the
traitor and extermination to the rebel."
It has also been asserted that India
has equal claims with China to the first
acquaintance with gunpowder. The
ancient Sanscrit writings point very
plainly to the operation of some primi
tive sort of cannon, when, in record
ing the wars of the Egyptian Hercules
in India, it is stated that the sages re
mained unconcerned spectators of the
attack on their stronghold until an
assault was attempted, when they re
pulsed it with whirlwinds and thun
ders, hurling destruction on the in
vaders; and a Greek historian of Alex
ander's campaign testified that the Hin
dus hud the means of discharging
flames and missiles on their enemies
from a distance. According to Meyer,
the preparation of gunpowder was
described by Julius Africanus, A. D.
215. In 1073 King Solomon, of Hun
gary, bombarded Belgrade with can
non, and in 1085 the ships of Tunis,
in a naval battle near Toledo, were
said to shoot "fiery thunder." All of
which would go to prove that the cus
tom of ascribing the discovery to Ber
- - " <s$-g ;" 1330. or to Roger
Sac?n in 120?, *.?. fr?qut'ttfcij Sofie,
A fip.?!r.rr.2ii ii lon .. ;:. v". b
ship ic ab j>Uufa t"." ?u?hal Hie;
; v<.:\ ?h?jre ?ve- few Snips, .'.ail or
rr< :.-t;. thgt ;i; no? garry ''lt o? pori a
seem to be for company, or associa
tion, or something of that sort, for the
oldest mariner never heard of one of
the hens being killed for the mess,
and a hen at sea absolutely refuses to
lay eggs, and small blame to them.
The hen coop is generally placed on
the forward deck, near tho fo'c'sle, in
which the sailors live. They have a
box of sand in which to roll and are
made as comfortable as possible. Af
ter one or two voyages the hens bo
come excellent sailors, and it is a
queer sight to see them balance them
selves on their sea-legs when the ship
tosses and rolls.
When the ship is in dock the fowls
are always driven into their coop and
kept there until the ship is at sea,
when they are released and given the
freedom of the deck. At night they
seek the shelter of their coop of their
own accord.-Kansas City (Mo.) Star.
A Runaway Star.
There is in the constellation of tho
Great Bear a famous little star which
has been called a "runaway," because
of the extraordinary speed with which
it is moving. But it is so far away
that the effect of its motion fm only
be noted by careful astronomical ob
servations. Professor Simon New
comb has said of this star, which
bears the name "1830 Groombridge,"
that the united attractions of the en
tire known universe could not have
set it going with such velocity and
would be unable to arrest it. Now
Professor K*?pteyn announces tho dis
covery of a telescopio star in the
southern hemisphere, in the constella
tion Pictor, which appear to be mov
ing considerably faster yet. What
its real velocity is, however, can only
be told when its distance is known.
San Francisco Chronicle.
Elastic Shoestrings.
Our English cousins have added a
great convenience to the toilet in the
form of elastic shoestrings, elastic cor
set'laces and other similiar articles.
They are far superior to the old sty!*
of elastic cords, which are made b^tn
there and here. They are remarkably
Htrong and durable, and give a play to
the muscles and joints, which prevents
stiffness and discomforts. For low
shoes they are simply delightful, as
they enable one to have a laced shoe,
which is the neatest and trimmest of
all footwear, and at the same time to
have the give and yielding quality
which is the chief oharm of elastic
gaiters.-San Francisco Chronicle.
ALL THE WAY ROUND !
How the Publisher Made One Illustration
Answer For Four Chapters of the Novel.
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CHAPTEB I.
"Projeoted by her fnther's
boot Claud pitched headfirst
down the stairs and through
the portieres,"
-Brooklyn Life,
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3ffi*X/MOIOIO{OIOtOIQiOfC{^
i GOOD EOADS NOTES..I
Instruction In Koad-BuUdlnfr.
With the building of better high
ways there has arisen a demand for
practical road-bnilders and competent
. highway engineers, not only for occa
sional work in constructing country
roads, but for permanent positions as
street superintendents and road com
missioners in towns and cities. This
demand is beginning to be recognized,
and prepararions made to meet it, by
affording courses of instruction on the
subject in various instituiions, public
exhibitions of the working of road
machinery, and in other ways.
As Massachusetts was among the
first to improve her highways, so she
was about the earliest to provide in
struction on the subject of road-build
ing. In the Institute of Technology and
the Lawrence Scientific School, Har
vard University, complete courses of
instruction are given; models, draw
ings and photographs are used in -the
the lecture rooms, and visits are made
to works in 'process of construction.
Anyone may enroll himself in the
course in highway engineering at the
Lawrence Scientific School, by the
payment of a small fee.
But, however good the instruction
furnished to young men in institu
tions of learning, it will be sqme years
before their training is completed, and
more years before they acquire the ex
perience that will make them mest
valuable. In the meantime, roads
must bo built, and those engaged in
building them, and others who are re
sponsible for the care ">f them, require
practical instruction. To afford this,
in connection with the construction
of the State highways, has always
been a feature of the work of the
Massachusetts Highway Commission.
In the last four years the State has
expended nearly two million dolhrs
on its roads. The work has been lo
cated in 125 different municipalities
scattered throughout the State, out
of a total of 353, or over one-third of
I the entire number. Fifty other muni
cipalities have built modern roads, or
175 in all; so that almost exactly one
half of the entire number of towns
and cities have had experience in first
class road-building. As towns are
given the first choice of taking con
tracts to construct State highways in
their own. territory, and many have
undertaken it, there are hundreds of
men scattered over the State who have
had actual experience in building
some of the best roads iu the world.
This alone has proved a valuable
means of disseminating information.
.One result is th<*t good foremen.can
now be readily scctxred>f>here, four
vears ago, it was a di il' *%^t?\jki..- -
^??./u?d the ? !". .. - ? . .
; TLv::: ?!cf! l>V?i:!w..);' '. ! '.....i . .1
tttid ..i. ?ajageiliia bu?iiid3< nadi&v<
RO . ?Uife-"..- : . ?tOtOO a.*?!- ?
i.adding , _. : i
roads are constructed near their doors,
under competent supervision, they are
quick to appreciate it.
The Highway Commission employ
about sixty resident engineers, one of
whom is stationed wherever the
State builds a road, to instruct the
contractor in the methods to be em
ployed, and he remains on the ground
from start to finish. These engineers
are, in turn, looked after ?by five di
visional engineers and a chief engi
neer, to secure uniformity. At the
end of the season, all the engineers
aro called together, and discuss tba
year's work iu detail. The meetings
aro lively and iuterestiug, and anyone
who haS attended them will appreciate
their value.
Besides this, the Commission holds
a public hearing iu each county every
year. Town officials, and all ?others
interested in the roads, attend them,
and views are freely interchanged. An
association has also been formed, at
whoso meetings experiences are inter
changed and papers read. By these'
methods the young aud inexperienced
man learns both theory and practice,
and the older practical man becomes
acquainted with modern theories.-L.
A. W. Bulletin.
Free Delivery Depends on Bonds.
To promote the business, social and
educational interests of the people are
the objects of the Boad Inquiry Bureau
and the Postofnce Department of the
Government. Having these things in
view, they desire to extend the system
of free rural postal delivery, and will
test it under all conditions. Routes
have been selected in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania over stone, gravel, day
and dirt roads, and the results in each
case will be carefully noted. It is ob
vious that they must prove most satis
factory where the work can be done
most rapidly aud regularly in all
weathers-that is, on the best roads.
Jr msidering this question, E. G.
T ?.. -, the Government road expert
"the advantages of delivering
.otters to factories and other industrial
establishments, particularly where
large numbers are employed, need not
be dwelt upon. The mails left at oub
lie schools can be distributed to a
great number of families through the
pupils living remote from postoffbe and
carrier routes. Letters brought to the
nearest school for mailing can be col
lected by the rural letter-carrier to the
nearest postoffice for mailing. Teach
ers eau use these letters as object
lessons in giving suggestions and in
struction in regard to proper, plain and
neat addressing, etc. In schools re
mote from postoffices, the teaohers
vaight, with advantage, be made stamp
agents, and in this way families far
away from postoffices can be supplied
with stamps, stamped envelopes and
postal cards. This will promote letter
writing and use of mails, and will also
insure more regular school attend
ance. The rural districts are anxious
for free postal delivery. They need
it. It will come with good roads and
be a practical advantage which they
will realize and appreciate."
Circulation is Life.
The roads and highways of a civil
division are as the vein? and arteries
of the human system, says the Suffern
Independent. Life and health, that
is, business and prosperity, of each
part can be had and secured only by
the freest circulation, aud the conduits
must not be allowed to clog. White
the limb would wither if the circu???
tion was interrupted, the heart would
also suffer. Where would the proud
oily of New York be without her mag
nificent railways, and what would have
been her condition if the great blizzard
of 1888 had continued a month?
The village with its ;>aved streets
and flagged walks may say, "let the
farmer build his roads; he is the party,
beneficed." Theflord of the manor
who surrounds his grounds with a high
wall and morass, and then beautifies
his place for his own 'enjoyment and
benefit, may be wise if ? he has within
himself all he requires to satisfy his
needs. The, village which has placed
its streets ia perfect condition and has
neglected tire highways leading there
to, has arranged, like the lord of tho
manor, to live in seclusion.
Has the village all it requires? Does'
it depend upon anything or anybody
for its existence, growth and prosper
ity? Is it, not, in fact, most depend
ent? Does not every village depend
upon the extent of the accessible area
of which it is the centre and metro
polis, and the prosperity of that area?
The village cannot shift tho burden
upon the farmer, nor the farmer upon
his brother farmer. Each is interested,
arfd the contiguity of the highway is
but an incident. Suppose fie Erie
Railroad were abandoned; whose loss
would be the greater, that of the far
mer living within one-half mile, or the
one a mile distant? j
Effect of th? New York Law. \
The rood improvement bill passed
by the New York Legislature is valu?
able for what it makes it possible to
accomplish, and as opening the way
for active work by the State. It de-'
pends for actual results, however, on,!
first, State appropriations to make
Stato aid a reality; second,- public
sentiment in the counties which shall .
be strong enough in favor of making
improvements to force the supervisors,
or property owners, to apply for them;
and, thirdly, sympathy with the more'
ment on the part of the State engineer,'
in order that when applications are
made for improvements they may be
granted.
The measure is conservative in nar
ture ?nd permissive in form. While
opening up great possibilities, it is
not mandatory in effect, nor does it
force any improvements on any sec
tion. A local initiative is required.in'
order to secure State aid and start1
work in any locality. The people*
have it. strictly in their own hands tor
decide whether any road work shall
be inaugurated. Under these circum
stances it seems strange that it should
have encountered any opposition. It
merely opens the way for work to be
done, if the people favor it, and it
leaves, the people entirely free to say
' ~ ""'H ?nter upon it.
U'/i --.....JV Ay- <i . C>v''? *'v
?-?re' *.t ri. j-.?).;
?'.VJ Ss?&r Lo ky-CCC' -:- *. 'MUS ..?'j
a tor oouei
.r .. .ted with unabated vigor;
1 "rv<i.m'- Alies With Wide X'roa, '
Wid?T?res are not oniy goou tui?6of
but their value is much increased if
they are used on axles of different
lengths, so that four distinct tracks
are made by the wheels instead of
two. A concern *n central New York
does much heavy hauling with four
inch front and five-inch rear tires, and
rear axles fifteen inches longer than
the front ones. It carries four and
five-ton loads and keeps the road sur
face good and smooth. . * .
- \
Shots at Bad Boads.
There are no less than 1,400,000
draught horses at work in the United
Kingdom. At least one-tenth of these
could be dispensed with were the
roads in good shape.
A Pennsylvania paper says that a
Mississippi steamboat could have
steamed along the placid bosom of
some of the roads in the State recently
without fear of grounding.
The State-aid appropriation for
roads in New Jersey is ?150,000 for
1898. The counties add $300,000 to
this, and enough local expenditures
are made to foot up a considerable
sum.
Many students of the highway ques
tion believe that there are more public
roads in the country than are needed
and that hard roads, in each direction,
two miles apart on the average, would
meet every possible requirement.
Wheelmen and farmers with ad
vanced ideas in New Jersey have been
endeavoring to persuade Governor
Voorhees to sign the bill increasing
the road improvement appropriation
of that State by $50,000. They have
not yet succeeded.
The State Organizer of the Missouri
Good Boads and Publics Improvement
Association is a woman. She visits
all the county seats, organizes road
improvement societies, sees all the
voters and secures a good membership
list. Her work is reported to be very
successful.
A study of sixteen Frenoh railroads
seems to show that branch lines con
tribute io the main line gross receipts
1 4-10 times greater than those which
the main lines earn. If this be cor
rect the importance to the railroads of
good highways is simply enormous, for
the country roads are the feeders of
the railways.
Ephesian Theatre Unearthed,
At Ephesus, near Smyrna, a large
theatre of the Beman period has been
unearthed by German excavators. It
is well preserved, three rows of seats,
the orchestra and the stage being in
tact. Under the orchestra some brass
musical instruments and some actors'
costumes were found. In addition the
aqueduct of the town, by which means
water was conveyed to a height of
nearly 300 feet, has been found, as
well as a great statue of Nemes: .
Cuba's Flag.
The flag of Cuba Libre is as old os
Cuban insurrection. Its origin dates
back in 1820, when the revolt against
the tyranny of Spanish misrule was in
its infancy. The provinces of the
Queen of the Antilles are represented
in the flag by. the three blue and two
white stripes; then? union in the cause
of freedom being fittingly signified in
the single white star in the triangular
red field-the star of free Cub.-Phil
! adelpbia Record,