Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE NATIONAL BUNK OF AUGUSTA ? L. C. HATNK, Proe't. F. G. FORD, Cashier. Capital, ?250,000. Undivided Profits } ?110,000. Facilities of our magnificent Now V?nlt 'containing 410 >afoty-Lock Boxes. Differ ent Sizes ?rn offered to our patrons and the public at $3.00 to $10.00 per ?nnnrn, THE PLANTERS LOAN AND SAVINGS BANK, AUGUSTA, GA. Pays Interest on Deposits. Accounts Solicited. L. C. Kayne, Fresident. Chas, C. Howard, Cashier. THOS. J ADAMS PROPRIETOR. EDGEFIELD, S. C.. WEDNESDAY, JONE 19. 1901. VOL. LXVI. NO.??5 fl (I SCHOOL MEDALS. We Manufactut and College Mei Gold and Silver, prices. 702 Broad St. *<# '?r L ^ *A BUILDING A FAKM??OUSE SOMZ SUGGESTIONS TO THOSE WHO WOULD PLAN A HOME. Importance of a Well-Chosen Site-Gen eral Principle* to Ito Observed - Make Your Own I'lan and then Submit It to au Architect or Experienced Builder. A bulletin presenting suggestions to builders of farmhouses and which was prepared by Mr. George W. Hiil, chief of the division of publications, has just been issued by the depart ment of agriculture. 'There is no more important under taking on the farm," Mr. Hill says, "thau the building of the house which is to be at once the owner's residence, his office and in every sense of thc word his home. But notwithstanding this fact there is no undertaking which sometimes as a result of entirely un avoidable circumstances, more often from other causes, receives so little forethought, so little careful consid eration and so little skillful planning and workmanship. "Too often the farmer finds himself compelled to provide a residence for himself and his family on short notice and on a short bank account. The re sult In an inconvenient, poorly con structed, and frequently, in the end, an uneconomical house. Many facts and ideas which the farmer has stored away in his mind for such an emergen cy are crowded out or lost sight of in the press of time. Frequently tha nearest village carpenter has to be intrusted with many important de tails, and the result is far from satis factory. "It is with the hope cf being of ser vice to all who- have to build a farm ?hat^^. buffi who have'- neither . the time - nor the - funds to.build as they would.like to, and wlio must, therefore, begin in a "very modest w?y. To that end some very trite statements are made, some very Jmple facts stated-facts that everybody knows, but which many aro apt to forget at the very time when remembrance would prove useful." It Is said that by carefully designing a house so as to facilitate its subse quent enlargement money may be caved and its convenience increased. Additions costing $400 might have been Eo provided for In the original scheme as to have permitted of their erectiou for $350, and so on. Poorly lighted and inconvenient rooms and passages, inac cessible chimneys, steep or dark stair ways, etc., are likely to prove obsta cles in building additions to houses wherethe original plans did not take into consideration the probability of such additions. After reciting the necessity for per fecting title to the land, the bulletin treats of the matter of the site for the house. "The first, and by all odds the most important, consideration is that of healthfulness," says Mr. Hill. "Build on low, ill-drained ground and ' Hl-health will follow as inevitably as night follows day. A dry, well-drained soil Is absolutely essential, but the .? question cf air drainage 'should not be lost sight 01. A hollow, however, po rous and well-drained the soil, will prove a cold, frosty spot in winter, a hot and sultry one in summer. A site too closely shut in by timber will lose what it may gain in shade by the ab sence of free circulation of air. by the cutting off of every breeze during the sultry days of summer, and, In winter, the absence of sunlight is again a drawback. All things considered, a gentle hillside slope offers the great est advantages, and, if a hillside where the highest land is to the north and west, little more could be desired. In any portions of the country a strip of timber -ot greater or less extent to thc north and west ia an essential, not only to the comfort of the house, but to the comfort of those who are obliged to do chores about it in the severer weather, as well as the stock which must be quartered near it. Again, a few fine shade trees are a great addition to both the comfort and beauty of the farm nome, and while trees may be planted and will grow up, other things being equal, the advantage of building near a few fine trees should not be lost sight of. After the consideration of healthfulness, there is, perhaps none more important than that of water. A good well cannot be secured every where, and there is no greater incon venience than to have the well lo cated far from the "house. In fact, the nearer it is the better. "Having conceived the general idea of the house to be built, the next step is to lay it out on paper, and a far better idea of the size and proportion of the rooms will be gained if the drawing is made to a scale. This is not a difficult feat. Let one-quarter inch on the two-foot rule equal one foot- Allow for whatever thickness of studding may be decided on and add qne inch for lath and plaster on each side of the partitions, one inch each for lath and plaster, for sheathing, and for siding on outside walls, and a plan sufficiently accurate for practical pur poses will be obtained. Get the ad vice and counsel of the wife, explain ing to her whatever on thc plans she may not understand. By consulting her convenience in various ways you may save this busy woman many thousands of useless steps every week cf her life. Remember that comers m .e ali Kinds of School dals and Class Pins in Write for designs and J , Augusta, Qa. cost money and let In cold. Th? scar er a house approaches to a square or rectangle the cheaper will be its con struction and the more solid and sub stantial will it prove when completed. Bay windows are an expensive luxury and are no longer in style. Keep ia mind when planning the house th3 construction of the roof. A simple roof is cheaper and less liable to leak. Valleys are apt to cause trouble. "When your plan is completed to your own satisfaction submit it to an architect or experienced builder. Get him to point out any possible improve ments, and adopt them if you can see that they are improvements. Especial ly invite him to point out defects. Let him make your working drawings and prepare your bill of materials. Unless you have had wide experience he will save you all and more than his fee will amount to. Sometimes it will pay to let the contract for the whole or a part of the house; but in case that ls done insist upon your being your own super intendent, with power to reject any material or workmanship that does not come up to your idea of the quality contracted for, and have these condi tions specified in the contract" A large number of plans and draw ings are given in the bulletin and con siderable space is devoted to a discus sion of materials to be employed. FRENCH-BASQUE WEDDING. Matrimonial Ceremonies Antone; Peas ants in Southern France. The daughter of a metayer named Jean Marie lived with her father, a widower, her brother, Pelho, her sis ter, and little brother in the village of Sare, near St Jean de Luz. They all alike worked upon-the land. A- young neighbor, Juan Coche, very recently the ground ' that he wais^?oc ^a enough fellow to take his fair share in the farm work of the family. Thc girl threatened to go into service, and thereupon the match was allowed to come off in due course. The fiance found the money for an extensive trousseau, which was made up at the girl's home, taking six hired women and a sewing machine seven days to finish. As they were to live in the girl's father's house, no furniture waa required. Bridesmaids were as always chosen from the girls living in the next dwelling house in the direction of the church. Two days be.'ore the wedding two live sheep, well washed and adorned- with ribbons, was sent by ths bridegroom's father to the girl's house, to be killed for the feast. Next day in the afternoon there was a lot of gun firing on the part of Pelho, and during its continuance a procession of girls arrived, each bearing on her head a decorated basket containing gifts of bread, chickens and wine from neighbors. They went into the girl's house, were fed and danced all the evening. The bride's father contrib uted 60 pounds of beef, and the broth er a skin of Spanish wine (which sure ly never paid duty), as their respective offerings in aid of the wedding feast. Next day, at 9 a. m., in- pouring rain, the wedding procession marched under umbrellas to the maire, where the civic marriage took place, when a paper was handed to the bridegroom authorizing the religious marriage, which was celebrated afterward. None of the girls would sign the register, nor the husband, probably out of mock modesty. This, by the way, shows how faulty educational statis tics, derived from the personal of reg isters, are apt to be. The fee of the cure was G francs 50 centimes and a bottle of Rancio wine. After the cere mony the wedding party adjourned to the cafe nearest the church until mid night, when thc dinner took place at Jean Marie's, lasting until 5 o'clock, at \?hich no one except the bride, who had once been in service, used a knife and fork. The cook and waiting maids were cousins and aunts of the bride, and got the middle piece of the splendid cake, which, like all the food, did honor to Basque cooking. The old men became merrier than did the young ones, singing and smoking. Then dancing began to the strains of a hired flute-player.-Gentlemen's Mag azine. Fought Himself in Hi? Sleep. Lee Moser was an amazed young man when he awoke from slumber one morning recently. He was momenta rily not altogether certain of his own identity. His head felt big. Blood covered his face. One of his teeth was gone. What did it mean? Then it dawned upon his mind that he had bpen giving a fellow a severe thrash ing in his dreams during the night. Everything corresponded exactly ex cept his recollection of his opponent, who, he had dreamed, was some one else beside himself. But in reality he had been fighting himself. His better self must have fallen into conflict with his worser self. It was a sort of Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll case. He had a vivid recollection of striking h*? op ponent (himself) some very severe blows about the head and face. And he remembered, too, that he had I knocked a tooth out. but he thought it j was the other fellow's tooth. He Is j thinking seriously now of placing a : bodyguard around his bed at night, ! hereafter, as he does not wish to do j himself any more bodily harm.-Un- ? toaiown (Penn.) Genius WHY SOME MEN FAIL EDWIN T. JONES. My song is this: Why some men mis9, In life their chosen goal They seek to fill, with half the trill, A plan that needs the whole. They sow the seed on mount and mead, And wait to see it spread; While, haif concerned, they leave, un turned, The clod upon its head. They waste in play the lieht of day, Knowing that there will come, At even-fall, thc welcome caji To eat the unearned crumb. Thus down the tide of life they glide, In poverty and pain, Leaving undone, from sun to sun, The things that lead to gain. Eut when the last lone hope is past, No move to light their way; And all ia lost-they learn the cost - Of doing things halfway. -Success. WX+WW^Pf-W ?????????????* * ? ? - I ? By Charles Griffith Huffman. / / "T" "T" OU sent for mo, Lieuten \/ ant Prescott?" The offi cer ceased writing and "?*? turned to face the tall young soldier standing motionless and attentive iu thc doorway. It was al most a minuto before he answered, and when he did there was something akin to pity iu his voice. "Yes, corporal, and for a very dan gerous piece of work, too. You need net feel compelled to clo it, as it is vol untary service, but there is no man whom I eau trust so well as yourself." Tho corporal iucliucd his head slightly at tho compliment, and the other con tinued. "The truth is we are in a tight place, -and I must get a dispatch (to Major Upton at Tsing Pei to scud us rc-enforcements or come to our assist ance. It is a dangerous mission. Will you undertake it?" "I will do my best," was the simple response. "Thank you, corporal. One thing more. Mr. Latham here"-indicating by a gesture a gentleman sitting in an opposite comer of the room and hith erto unnoticed by the young subaltern -"has come down from the north to day and must get on to Pekin as rap idly as possible. He wants to accom pany you ou your ride." At the mention of Mr. Latham's name Corporal Frank Russell gave a slight start, and theu smiled grimly when he thought how secure a dis guise his mustache and sunburn would be. Like a flash the events of one sad day three years before went through his mind. He had been a "society man" in Chicago in those days, with a penchant for literature and art, an aversion to concentrating his ei gies on steady work, an unfortum . a eitern law that^ paupers shall mxc. presume to fall in love, but love laughs at such restrictions. Unkind fate led him across the path Of Gertrude Lath am, only daughter of a rich broker and mine owner, and she, in spite of the in equality of their positions, returned his love. Too late the girl was sent to Europe to make her forget him in the whirl of travel, while he was advised to cease his attentions to her for all time to come. He was honest enough to real ize that he had made a mistake, and so. unwilling to be the means of caus ing her any additional unhappiness, he lea Chicago, and after several months of wandering enlisted in the cavalry as a common soldier. Good couduct raised him to thc rank of corporal, and then thc battalion had been ordered to Chiua to assist in the relief of Pekiu. A vision of Gertrude as he last saw her passed before his eyes-her trim figuro set off by a gray walking costume, her auburn hair aud brown eyes, her cheeks plowing from a brisk tramp in the keon October air. With an effort Russell composed him self, and saluting respectfully, turned and left the room. Two hours later, mounted on fresh horses and armed for any emergency, the two men rode out of Yeuho Tcheng, taking the main road which follows pretty closely the Won Ho River and leads on to Pekin. There was not a little danger of their encountering roving bands of Boxers or bandits, for the detachment of cav alry which had left Pekin several days previous had separated into two or three smaller parties, using Tsing Pei as a base of operations, from whence, scouring tho country In every direc tion, they were ridding lt of all ene mies. One party, under Lieutenant Prescott, had pressed on up the river as far af lenho Tcheng, a town on the great wall at the Konnnkow Pass, where, hearing that a largo force of rebels were gathering in his rear, and fearing to bc cut off, he had found it necessary to send on word of his pre dicament to the commander of thc main hedy of the troops at Tsing Pei. They rode on in silence, not wishing tu make any more noise than possible, nor did Frank Russell care to converse with Mr. Latham, lest something in his voice or manner should betray his identity. Not ?lat ho harbored any re sentment against the elder man. but he shrank from having Gertrude know how much he had fallen from his for mer station in life. Occasionally they were compelled to follow paths through the forest in or der io avoid villages, and once they barely had time to conceal themselves as a parly of Chinese soldiers went by in an opposite direct iou. The road led close to the river, which was hemmed iu most of the way by heavily wooded mountains. When about two-thirds of the journey had been accomplished they caine suddenly upon a small ham let so closely wedged in between the stream and thc precipitous side of the mountain thnt rhere was no way to pass except by going directly through it by thc highway, n very dangerous undertaking, lt was best to try a Jas.i as they were certain to be discov ered in any case, so, spurring on their horses, they entered the hamlet at a gallop. Knowing the strategical im portance of thc place they felt sure sentries must bc posted to give the nlarm in the event of the main body of the troops returning by that road. As lt subsequently transpired ' a large Lumber of Boxers were quartered there. Scarcely liad they entered tie vii? la^e -when the alarm was given. Doors _ were thrown open and scores of men, armed with every conceivable kind o? ancient and modern weapon, flocked out on tho road. Sticks and stones were thrown nt them, and above the din of voices they heard the report of firearms. But In a minute more they had cleared the town and were dash in?: down the road on the other side of it. When all sounds of pursuit had died away, and they thought lt was safe to give their horses a rest Mr. Latham said: "Are you all right, corporal? I haven't a scratch about mc." "I am wounded in the side," said Russell, who, Mr. Latham now saw. was making a heroic effort to keep his? scat ia the saddle. "I am bleeding,, and I feel myself growing weaker every minute. Help me to dismount, and then ride on." "Nonsense, man! I won't l?ave you he-e to die," Mr. Latham responded,. | assisting tho youug man to dismount and prop himself against a tree by tncy; side of Hie road.. Yet, even as lie spoke, his heart sunk at the thought bf their terrible plight. They were pursued by hundreds of in furiated soldiers, and had no means of makins their escape. He listened: in tently, and thought he could aear a noise in tho distance. A few moments more and he recognized it for the howling of wolves, evidently just s- nlinp; the blood splashed along their trail. It is a well-known fact that even in thc thickly settled country in the vicinity of Pekin wolves are still so numerous as to be a menace to life, while back in tin; mountains they tray? cl In large bands. Russell heard the sound too, his own death knell, as be well knew. "Mr. Latham," he said, "I ca last much longer. You absolutely mus get those dispatches on to Tsing PeLV| Thc lives of many men are at stake. You can't help me by remaining herc, and unless you leave me I swear that I will shoot myself, so that you, can have no excuse for staying. Will you go?" "You are right-many lives depend upon my action. But It ls hard to j leave you to be devoured by wolves or j tortured by Boxers." Strong man as he was his voice broke j as he said this and realized what he J was called upon to do. :? "In the breast of my blouse," Rus continued, weakly but cheerfully, "you will find my dispatches. Pull them* out." With trembling fingers Mr. Latham did as he was bidden, drawing out some papers. On top was a photo grapn. Involutarily he glanced-at it.ii The moonlight felLon the nr>H--" ~ smiling frI-1 . said. "Do not r. ^.v.uc? yourself. You did the right thing. Poor as I was I ought never to have presumed to address your daugh ter. But that is all over now. For the sake of the past give my love to Ger trude and tell her I died doing my duty." "No, no! J. cannot leave you!" Mr. Latham said brokenly. "Then I must send you from me. Don't forget. Give my love tc He had drawn his revolver, unseen by thc other, and the last word he ever ut tered, thc naine of his sweetheart, was drowned in the report of the shot which ended his life. Mounting his horse Mr. Latham rode rapidly in the direction of Tsing Pei. He arrived lhere in safety and told his sad story. A strong force was imme diately sent to the relief of Lieutenant Prescott, whom they.found still able to hold oui. On their return they halted and burled the remains of the, heroic corporal. Frank Russell sleeps In an unmarked grave, forgotten by the world, but there are two persons in whose hearts he holds a binder place, and by whom he will ever be remembered.-Waver ley Magazine. Maddened by Solitude. The Canadian northwest is a proba tionary haven for wealthy young. Englishmen of nomadic instincts, j Hundreds of them annually purchase hunting and ramping outfits from the Hudson Bay Company and strike into the barren lands to prospect for min erals or take up land on the prairies. But most ofteu they return to the civilization of the towns with nothing but hard words for thc wilderness. The construction of the Temlscam lng Railroad induced the younger son of one wealthy English family to take a trip into that outlandish district.'He returned to Ottawa a disappointed man. "It's the most desolate country j you cnn imagine," he said to* his ! friends. "I have been out prospecting sometimes for a whole day without seeing a sign of animal life. Once the only living thing I came across was a bird, and it was so disgusted that It was trying to knock Its brabas out against a tree." He had seen a woodpecker.-New j York Commercial Advertiser. Thc Germ Theory. Thc origin of disease was formerly , a subject of mystery. 3%. is now pr?t- ' ty thoroughly established that almost every form of disease ls caused by the introduction iuto the human system of certain poisonous minute organisms. Thus one kind of germ breeds small pox, another scarlet fever, and so on. As it is the function of the leucocytes to destroy these and all other germs, I thc perfectly healthy body is really immune. It is only when thc system becomes weakened that the leucocytes are unable to do their work and the unchecked germs get a hold on the or ganism, multiply aud proceed to de stroy it as fast as they can. A widespread understanding of these incalculably important doctrines would | do much to raise tho general standard ; of health.-New York World. Beauty and li ml > p. Of course a pretty ?r'-1 ?nn't >:.> tiny brains, but that d for nil the feminine ur any means.-Detroit J ni V SLP OF THE UNITED STATES, S Wm ^ Rm a I Floating Exposition? I The twentieth century will undoubt edly bc prolific of marvelous cuter prises, and among them may possibly .figure the gigantic scheme suggested by Mr.- 0. P. Austin, Chief of tho Bu reau of Statistics, in a recent number pf the Geographic Magazine. This ls Dothing less than a floating exposition, .td cany samples of our merchandise around the world, bringing buyer and seller in personal contact, and estab lishing that mutual understanding of wants and conditions which would be an enormous factor in promoting :'trade. Happy in thc knowledge of our . superlative excellence as n*"*'" ists, as handier"**--, .nf ~ a given point to n exnibition i of thc products of the world's workers, those who re main at home are of greater number. These are the buyers whose trade might b? secured by the ingenious plan Imagined by Mr. Austin, whose .wealth of statistics enables him to dis burse facts with a liberal hand. From ".these we learn that the imports of Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Amer ican countries south of tho United States amount to over two billion dol lars a year. No Monroe doctrine can prevent our South-American friends from bestowing their patronage where they will; but if we "hustled" to show our misguided fellow-Americans that it would be vastly to their interest to trade with us, a goodly part of this colossal Bum might reach thc pockets of cur traders. Nearly all of thc im portations referred to are of the very class of goods which our people waut to sell-foodstuffs, textiles, mineral oils, machinery and manufactures of all kinds; yet our sales to these grund divisions in the best year cf our com merce, 1900, only amounted to about $200,000,000, or about ten per cent, of their purchases. Mest of thc cities through which these two billion dol lars' worch of goods aro distributed lie on the sca-coast, and could b? easi ly reached by a licet of vessels loaded with samples of American products and manufactures. The chief obsta cle to the introduction of American goods in these countries is the lack of knowledge of our producers as to local trade requirements. The Internal traffic of thc United States Is carried on principally among six geographical divisions. In New England dairying, trucking, and mixed farming have received their fullest de velopment, and the same may be said of New York and parts of other Middle States. The entire Northeast, includ ing New England, New York, and the leading Middle States, is also so large ly engaged in manufacturing ns to comprise what may be called thc in dustrial section of our country. The second division may be desig nated the cotton belt; Kansas and Ne braska the corn and winter-wheat belt; Montana and Wyoming thc spring wheat belt; thc Ito.cky Mountain States are devoted to the production of wool and live-stock; the Pacific Coast States are still pri-narily agricultural Wheat, barley, live-stock, timber, and fruits constitute the basis of their prosperity. This geographical group ing of economic activities lies at the basis of the internal commerce of the United States. A floating exhibition, carrying sam ples of these varied and marvelous productions of our soil's fecundity and our people's ingenuity, would bo .a re alization of the tabs of faerie to the Inhabitants of other lands than ours. Olive Logau, in Harper's Weekly. "Hen Hur's" Clono Siiucnlt. v Success with a book is something like having lightning strike you. Up tat-Mackinac last summer General Wal lace told me how narrowly "Ecu Hur" escaped publication. It was examined .?by two of Harper's readers, who im ported rather adversely on it, thinking ?it]would not be a good seller. Finally Mrs. Harper, a lady of strong religions tendencies, read it, and advised her husband to risk the expense of print ing the book. Then there was "Dr. .Tekyl and Mr. Hyde," which ran a 'Ur catiutlct ami wns al ' higton, In An Ancient Scorpion. . In the Silurian rocks of Scotland, which were laid down as calcareous muds when our earth was in Its in fancy, have been found many inter esting fossil remains. In this huge j cemetery of millions of years ago, arnon?; thc many reminders of former life, is found the arliest remains of SCORPION WHICH SXVSD MXLIJIONS OP TEAKS AGO. scorpions. Scorpions of those early days were sea creatures, and it is only in comparatively recent times, as the naturalist reckons it, that the scor pion has taken to dry land. In the current journal of Microscopical Sci ence, Mr. It. I. Pocock describes a new species, which he names in honor of its discoverer, Dr. Hunter, Palaeophonus Hunteri. Thus we find one of the very earliest air breathers possessed of a poison spine, and it will be noticed that tliey. have changed very little in ap pearance through the millions on mil lions of years they have been in exist ence since Silurian times. Horseshoeing Karie. Shoeing a fractious horse is not a task to be envied by anyone, and there is always danger of accident to the man who performs the work in the ordinary manner, as the animal seems possessed of the idea that the hoofs were made to defend itself. To over come these difficulties John Cea, of Grundy Centre, Ia., has designed the horseshoeing rack shown in the illus tration, thc inventor claiming that the mechanism will hold all parts of thc animal securely iu any desired posi tion, at the same time relieving the horse of all strain and depriving it of the power of injuring Itself or the blacksmith. It will be seen that num erous straps and windlasses arc pro vided, which will not only firmly hold PREVENTS INJURY TO SHOER AND HORSE. each foot, but will lift the animal bodi ly from tho floor and keep him sus pended while the labor is going on. It is also probable that after a few ap plications of the machine to a fractious horse he could be induced to stand quietly while being shod without the use of the appliances. Damages Por a Misfit Cork Leg. In tho District Court at Marion (Kan.) a citizen was sued by a Kansas City firm for the price of a cork leg furnished more than five years ago. The citizen set up in defense that the leg didn't fit, aud that it made him walk like what he called a "step-aud go-fetch-it." The jury must have thought that stcp-und-go-fetch-it gait was something awful, for lt no* -v released thc citizen from pa- .jg the ul, but also gave him damages to thc a'u-junt of $5.-Kansas City (Mo.) J ? aroa*. The number of deaf mutes in the United States ia over 111,000; the num ber ol totally blind is 88,924. PRODUCTIVE AREAS OF THE FRINC OOOQOOCOOOOGOGCQGOQCOQGOGG O O g Boats Made of Weapons.! 8 - ? O I'loals Easily Tbrown Together For g y Army Use. Q, O O OOQOOOOQQQOQGOQGCGCGCOQOGO It bas always been a special problem to make the cavalry of a great army more mobile by finding means and measures to cross streams and rivers in a quick and efficient manner. Of course, in case of necessity, those hin drances are simply overcome by swim ming, but these means are always ac companied with more or less risk and discomfort. The German Army administration has lately introduced new boats which are said to bc the best and most effec tive ever made for the purpose. It is a so-called "lance boat," and was in vented by Adolf Rey. The boat can be constructed by using twelve to six teen cavalry lances In less than five minutes' time, and may be readily FRAME OF LANCES READY FOR COVERING taken to pieces again in less than two i minutes. As soon as the lances are placed In the required position, the I frame thus constructed is covered with I a water-tight coat of canvas, and the i boat is ready for immediate use. Two '? or four additional lances arc in less i than one minute changed into rud ders. The rudder blade consists of a piece of canvas two feet in length and five inches in width; by means of eye lets and hooks the blade and rudder shaft are soon connected; the rudder IM aerial tor rKv?? Un? ftooTsf 1 j v loaded orv c\ Virvok hone blade, when folded together, can easily be carried in the pocket of the rider. The whole boat, including rudders, when ready, weighs sixty-four pounds. One of the accompanying cuts repre sents a pack horse carrying the entire outfit for three boats. Thc strategic value of these boats is said to be im mense. Up to a short time ago there were attached to each German cavalry regiment two special wagons, carrying LANCE BOATS JUST ADOPTED * several boats to meet such emergen cies, but this means of transportation presented many difficulties, and Tn | many Instances the boat-wagons were not able at all to keep pace with the riders, and in cases where the boats : IPAL COMMERCIAL STAPLES. -From Harper's Weekly. were most needed they were not nt hand. The introduction of these boats greatly cuts down the number of men and horses required for the purpose of providing a means of transportation across streams, and, therefore, repre sents a great saving, estimated to rep resent tho total of 050,000 marks. The entire German Army will be equipped with these boats in the next six months. Catching SquLtl a New American Industry In this country that modest cephalo pod, the squid, or cuttlefish, Is not much appreciated, being U6ed exclus ively for bait. The Chinese and many other people, however, ?r. ?xtrrrjely fond of if, and In the "at companylnfr1 photograph native Hawaiians rnr.y bi seen fishing for the squid with extou porized spears in tidewater puols, wherein the luckless mollusks have been left almost hi.^h and ory by t-? retreating sei. In auoex'ng DaftK'l we have annexed a race ;f squid eat ers. Squid, which furnish tho f. miifar cuttle bones for canarios to sharpen their bills upon, are the favorite food sf numerous fishes. Their "schools" sometimes number millions, and now. md then immense numbers of them ire stranded on the New England ;oast, owing, it is said, to a funny liabit they have of staring at the noon. On a moonlight night they will fix their eyes upon the lunar orb and swim backward with the help of their siphons, until at length they come up high and dry on the beach. Every squirt of his siphon forces his squid ship higher up on shore, until he is hopelessly grounded, and must perish miserably.-New York Herald. Social Tests. Only the other day an unhappy man ir? a New Hampshire city shot and killed his wife and then shot himself. When dyiug he told his friends that tbc mania to kill had been born in bis lioart under the influence of the gossip of neighbors. Ho knew nothing against his wife, but the whispering of persons he believed to be friends, and doubtless who thought themselves his friends, made him mad, and he killed the woman he loved. Be wary of the tale-bearer, who ap proaches you iu the guise or rnendshlp to speak ill of another. The person who listens willingly to gossip Is as bad as the gossiper. If we caunot speak well of another why speak of bim at all? Silence hurts no one. Idle talk often breaks a heart, mind q home, or takes a life. Gossip blighted the romance of Romeo and Juliet, and laid thc lovers cold in death. Gossip has ruined not only men, but em pires. Gossip is a vice, and the more dangerous because a common vice, and one that few persons even try to guard agaiust.-Boston Globe. 'OR USE IN THE GERMAN ARMY. The guava tree bears fruit more months in the year than any other semitropical fruit. Half the battle is lost when you ad* mit your own weakness.