Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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FOR THE SCHOOLS. A Concensus of Opinion on the Sub ject of libraries. WRITTEN BY J. FRANK FOOSHE. Should Be Read by All Parents. Guardians or Others Who Are Interested in the Wel fare or Childi en. The following is the first part of an article written by NIr. J. Frauk Fooshe, editor of the Winnsboro News and Herald, for The State. The sec nd part will be published next week: As important as iN the school libra ry as a factor in the development of'I the very best in school work. the se lecting of the books that are to go therein is of far greater importance. The measure of success that will at tend any efforts in the direction of the establishment of a library will de pend in no small measure upon how well the details of this ditllult task are carried out. The getting of the most books for the least money or the getting of the book. that will be most ornamental will not atone for any er rors that may be made in getting those books that will not be read or in getting those that ought not to be read. As most school libraries have to be started on a very small scale. there is a great temptation to make l the first of the two blunders men tioned. But it is well to bear in mind that a few well chosei. books that will be read over and over, that are stimu lating in the matter of developing the reading habit, are worth many times over any number of those that may fail in these two most important respects. And even where the first books have been found to be well se lected, the problem of selecting tnose that are to be added is still a difficult one. Within the past six years about 400 volumes have been bought for the library of Mt. Zion; and as to how well this law of selection has been ob served the list that is appended below will attest. In keeping with the prac tice of the past few years about 50 to 100 volumes will be added thereto in the next few weeks. The committee that has in charge the selection of the books that are to be purchased decid ed that it would be better to spend a! part of the funds that will be availa ble in getting the views of others as to what books shouli be added. Ac cordingly they prepared a list of the books that are now in the library and sent the same to about 150 teachers -'and a few who had taught school. No lists were sent out of the State for the simple reason that the committee de sired its information from those who were personally known to Caem acd who had had to do with problems most similar to those confronting them. Then, too, they had already made a very free use of the many pre -pared lists that are often sent out. The questions were not only for sug -gestions as to the best books to be ad ded to the list, but also in regard to certain phases of library work. While the number~ of answers that have been received thereto has not been as large as had been hoped, yet many valuable~ suggestions were contained therein; * and a study of these might be profita ble at this time. E-pecially is this true at this time, for it is getting to be more and more a custom to direct' - the proceedinga arising from tne usu deCnristmas entertainments towards the establishing of a library. And when the proceeds are in hand the teacher has that difficult problem of making the best selection and cherish es any helps that may be given from any source in the solution of the same. The following is a list of those who answered .the questions: Dr. J. I. Mc~ain of Erskine, Prof. H. T. Cook of Furman, Prof. W. S. Morrison and J. S. McLucas of Clemson, Dr. D. D. Wallace of Wofford, Supt. E. S. Dreher of the Columbia city schools, Supt. W. A. Stuckey of the Newberry schools, Principal E. C. McCants of the Anderson Graded schools, Editor Zach McGheeMb the Spartanburg Herald. Prof. Patterson Wardlaw of the South Carolina c~llege, and Rev. .J. H. Bld ridge of Lancaster. The above list includes five college professors, two graded school superintendents, one; school principal, one editor and one minister. HOW TO START A LIBRARY. Inasmuch as the matter of estab lishing a library is one that is likely to be of the greatest interest their an swers on this point are giv-en first. *There seems to be a unanimity of opinion that the best way to get this work started is by getting the chil dren of the school interested in the matter. -It is not so much the getting the funds with which to start the work as it is in awaktening an interest that will result in the free use of the books when they have been purchas ed. -Br. McCain suggests that it is best to raise the necessary funds by1 means of "entertainments in whicb the children, themselves take a pro minent part," and "by such enthusi asm on the part of the teacher as will awaken a desire for literature in the school and in the community, and 1 lead patrons to contribute money and books." Dr. Boldridge takes the view that "a careful explanation of the need of the library wiiL create a willlingness to give to its establish ment;" and adds that in his experi ence in which he established several libraries that "I secured the coopera tion of the students." Prof. Ward law follows up the same idea in the 1 following sqggestion: "by contribu tion of mne, of b 1oks or of old pern-. odicals by citizen,: entertainments: donations by the len'd-a-hand society; contributions of public documents by congressmen, appro'priations by the~ board." To the ab se suggestiom. ~ Prof. Cook adds one that is most prac tical and is certainly within the reachI of all, as it is without money and without price: "If I were in a rural r section I would secure papers on farm ing, stock raising, bulletins which are a free from the experiment stations' and also the consular reports, whicb I are free. Our State is largely ag riculi tural, and I would try to interest I children in the farm and in the light now being thrown on the calling by exeperts. Consular reports give a bird's eve view of things not seen in t other papers-our trade aad market for our goods." THE sCHoOL LIBRARY ESSENTIAL. I In answer to the last question as tot whether the publ c funds should be x expended in equipping the library two very imp ,rtant points are brought:v out-that the library is an essential part in the equipment of a well order ed school and that the success of thet library depends more largely upon the a interest the teacher takes in directing a the reading of the pupils. Prof. Wardlaw is very emphatic in is answer about the essentiality of he library in the following statement: Since the library is an essential part f the apparatus (1 a pnperly equipp d school. there is the same reason or expeding public money on it as fur >uving desks. blackboardsor charts. Mr. McCants is no less emphatic in iis statement on the same point: "I mnow of no other plan whereby a chool board can vet so great a return n real good to a community with so ittle expenditure of money. A school sithout a library ought to be placed n the same category as the school .vithout a teacher--. as lacking in t very essential particular. Wherever )ussible school boards should make a early appropriation-no matter how ;mall it must be-for the library." Practice is the basis upon which Supt. Dreher endorses the expendi ure of public funds in this way: "I im heartily in favor of this. Our board does it every year. What is mare neeiei than any Whing else, according to Mr. Mcliee. is brains. "First of all. regardle:s of iny and all other considerations. trustees should spend their money on brains--that is. get good teachers and pay them well. If there is any money left. provided you have a com fortable schoolhouse, then it should be expended on the library." The- most important of all, accord ing to Prof. McLucas is the teacher: 'It should be remembered that. a library not used is worthless. More imortant than a library even is a teacher who knows something about books for children and is anxious tc interest the children in them." The person who is to direct the reading is not to be overlooked as an essential part in the successfull work ing of the library in the opinion of Dr. Wallace: 'For some competent person to guide the reading is almost as important in most cases as to have a library. 1 HE TEACHER'S DUTY. Not only is the teacher to t.ake an interest in the reading of the pupils, but must also be doing some gooC reading. After namingseveral of thE strong books printed in the list else where. Dr. Holdridge very pertinently remarks: 'Of course these are mostly for teachers and they ought to bE read by all teachers. The advanced scholars ought to see them enough tc know what they are and to have theii value explained to them." While it may be a new idea with many teachers. Prof. McLucas in the following statement makes it very clear as to what should be expect ed of teachers in respect to thc library: "*I have had no experienc.. in this matter and none in publi schools: but I should like to suggest that it is the teacher's main busines% to introduce children to books, an that they should therefore not wait till a library can be established to in troduce them. Fur as little as 2: cents from each child a whole year' reading can be provided for a class bi the method of rotation. A circulat ing library of this sort should b established in each class from the pri mary grade up. the teacher selecting such boolks as the children would like to read." The value of the library is not a: highly esteemed by Supt. Stucke3 as by the others: "The value of ar extensive library to a school is, in m3 opinion, very much overestimated. Had I money to expend for such a purpose I would simply purchase a few books to be used as parallel read ing in the lower grades. For the high school department I would pur chase selections from the various authrs whose -lives and writing the course of study might embrace, say such pamphlets as are published by Houghton, Mittlin & Co. After I did this I would then purchase an en cyclopedia and an unabridge diction ary. We have a small library here. but it has been of but little value tc the school, although it contains some very valuable books." The test of the successfulness of the library is the use that is made of it. Bearing on this point Mr. Mc Cants makes the following very per. tinent suggestions: "There are libraries and libraries, in some the books are too clean-too nicely kept. I like to see books get a wearing out under fair anti legitimate usage." NOT FOR sOU'THERN CHILDREN. Not only were suggestions asked as to books that should be added, but there was also a question in regard to books that should be taken otf the ist that was sent out. The answers t this question were of a unit in re ard to the eliminating of "'Uncle Lo's Cabin" where the matter was ouched upon at all. Then, too, it was found that there were some Lother ooks that did not meet with approval )n the part of some. Prof. Wardlaw made the following bjection: "'Tom Sawyer' and Huckleberry Fin' are excellent b'>oks 'or adults to laugh over: but in spite >f what has been published on the ubject, I believe that they are not rood reading for children, as they pre ent the wrong sort of boy for imita ion. 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' is not a ook for southern caildre~n to read." In regard to certain books that hould be left off, any list that might >e made up, Prof. McLucas has the ollowing to say about "Thelma," one >f the list that was seat him: "I hink almost any reading better than ione, provided the book is not dis inctively immoral; but boys and girls hould be discouraged from reading uch books as "Thlelma," when there Lre so manv that are better. Healthy .dventure and romance is good for hildren: but books whose chief charm is in mawkish sentimentality and ,bsurd pseudo-scientific inquiry into e unknown had better be excluded rom a library intended for the use of hildren." EXCLUDE THEsE. The "Elsie" books, which are so auch approved by some who make up sts of books for children to read, ave no friend in Mr. McCants: aturally in such an exceedingly 2iscellaneous collection youI have >uch that is of doubt tui value. I otice that you have a few of the 24 ,-called 'Elisie' books. I regard these s distinctly harmful, because the hildren drawn there are impossible. nd because as books they have no terary merit. They are about as nhealthy for girls as those of the Deadwood D)ick' series are for boys. lie is a lie even though told in a ood cause. and the point of view o1 hese books is essentially false.' The title of a book is no safe guide u what it contains, and a book is .ot to be read merely because of its itle. Mr. Mcchee makes some very aluable suugestions on this point: 'I havnever'read 'Stepping Heaven .ard.' but judging from its title I ar that it is an immoral book: and nless its contents greatly belie its itle I should take it out and send it few steps in the other direction. I n serious about this. A schoolb y heavenward. le ought to he stwp- t ping pretty lively on this earth, and with a broad Olat foot too. trying to be honest aiid useful and invinog and i true, gettina his rewLrd out of tlis !ind of 1 not puttig his e 11 harps and rosebeds and idlen2ss. 1):iit nisnjlerstand Ime. I htIivve i'.igion, bit this is av religion and mind you what is too namby parb- and sentimental for boys IS too much so for girls too. I have no patience With the idea that a girl is to be fed (on honeysuckle tea and kept ini an t'viary' ill she is married, being t then inn en which means ignorant andl to aliv untit for the companion sii of a !nan with brains. So strike out' yor sentimental nonsense and p-t sonethini h uman into the hands Yf our clild:en. 'an cversight Mr. McGhee failed to note that the list coiained several of the Alcott boks and this calhed forti from iJim the followving in re ,ard to these i oks which are so gen :eirally put into every sch(ool library: :I notice that you haven't Miss Al cott's books. I never read these book s ]and I r expect to-neither am I sorry for that great omission, for I have an idel that they are namby pamby. But I have never befire heard of a school librarv without them. A ~ii FOR ALL AL;E:. By an oversight on the part of the committee in printing the list "Plu tarch's Lives" was left off, and this called fort-h the suggestion from sev eral that this should by all means be in the list and also the following very valuable suggestion from Dr. Bo ridge in regard to the value thereof: "By all means get Tiutarch's Lives. This author helped to make Shakes peare, Napoleon. Emerson, Franklin, Alexander Hamilton. Nathaniel Greene and many others. Mabie is right in saying he furnishes p Li tr age for noble minds. Much can be absorbed from him." Through a similar oversight Web ster's International 1)ictionary was omitted from the list, and that brought forth from all the suggestion that no library was complete without I a standard dictionary. REDUCING TO A PERCENTAGE BASIS. The effort to get everything down to a percentage basis does not always take. Mr. 3MCants hit a death blow . at this percentage craz: "I teach mathematics, but I never think in per cents. In fact, it doesn't so much matter what per cent. of tictiin, as what fict-ion, how goad travels, whose history. biography. etc.. and what is contained inl Vur miscellany. I could make up a lirary correct in percent ages and otherwise worthless." Prof. Wardlaw finds it easier to place the relative values of the differ ent division of reading that should be in a library than to reduce the same to a percentage basis. Ie suggtests the following: "I cannot give the per cent., but the following would be the order of realative fullness; stories (whether tititious (r true), biography, history, travel, miscellaneous. There is a considerable difference in the answers that were given in which the precentage basis was made. Prof. McLucas suggests: FEnction. (50 per cent.: travel, hist'ry, biography and miscellany, 10 each. Supt. Dreher: Fictio~n, 13: travel, 30; -his tory, 30: biography. 20; miscellaneous, 5. Dr. Wallace: Fiction, 3C; travel, 10, history. 10: biography, 13; mis cellaneous. emphasizing paetry, 35. Prof. Cook: I listory, biog raphy, travel. tction. 10 p.er cent. each; miscellany, 60iJ. Mr. McGhee: Fiction, 10: travel, 20: history, 20: biogzraphy, 30: miscel laneous, 20. Prof. Miorrison: Fic tion. 30: travel, 20: history, 20; bio graphy' 20: miscellaneous, 10. Nel ther Dr. McCain nor Dr. Boldridge found themselves able to reduce their answers to a percentage basis, but each makes a good suggestion. Dr. MCain: "The answer to this ques tion would depend very miuch upon the age of the children." Dr. Bold ridge: "[ should not like to be posi tive in my answer to that ouestion. Each scholar would be a special study. One would need more of these divisi ons than would another. I believe in a good portion of each, but all should lead up to the higher study of history. There is one unest ion the answers Ito which never fail to inter-est, and that is the one in regard t' those Ibooks that have made a lasting im pression. On this point there is a very considerable variation always not only on account of the inaccessibility to certain books, but also on account of varying tastes that are always to be found in children. The answers to the question as to the three books that had made the most lasting im pression were as follows: Dr. MIeCain: Bible, " Pilg~m's Pro gress' and "Weem's Marion." Dr. Wallace: "Pilgrim's Progress. "'"Tom Brown's School D~ays." " Sanford an~d Merton." Prof. Morrison: " Pilgrim's Progress," " Tom Brownis School Days," " Eutaw." Supt. D)reher: Bible. "Tom Brown's School Days." "Mother Goose Melodies." Prof. Cook: Blue back speeling book, Milton, Bible. Prof. Wardlaw: Mayne Reid's " Ran1 Away to Sea." "Young Marooners," "Swiss Family Robinson,'' Weem' "Life of Marion." Mr. McCants Bible, "Robinson Crusoe." miscellane. ous lot cof old histories. Dr. Boldridge: "Life of Henry Martin," "T Iom Brown's Sebool D)ays," Shakespeare. Bible. Prof. McLucas: Bible, "A -I sop's F-ables." "Rob~nson Crusoe." In answer to the question as to the 10 books that should be in every school library, the variation was so great that it would require the nam ing of nearly as many b ioks as there, are answers. This was no doubt due1 to the fact that several seemed to contrue this to mean the 10 best not on the list, It is therefore best to take the answ.ers to that question int connection with those to the qluestion calling fojr the naming or five books not on the list that should be added out of the funds that were to be in vested. That list c'ntains the follow ing: Seton Thompson's "Wild Ani mas That 1 Have Kn'jwn." The Guerber Books. "Bo~y's Trow~n." '' Who Goes There'y" "Les Miserables," " A Child's Garden of Verse." 1fomer's Odsey (Brant". trans.lation), ''A sops F'ables." Fairy Iales (Ander~on t Girimm). Miss Andrew' s "Seven Si+ trs "e DIs. "Princ-e and Pa pet L-mb'les from S'rakespare " ithcs of D~ust, ".ush lloys" (a-a tor not iri n. Craik:'' "Hwow andr \Iew-New, "Lit le Lamo Prince.t "Ja'kanapes" by I ~wing~. c tlle'ctiron 'fI f m'itus verse by An ges iRipplier, ipl in' Jungle B'joks. Ilans i' '-tores~ f Il mer. RI.me and Arithur G: vols. .'oodie Two Shoes," by 4o isnjith. ''-Majo i Jt-. nes' C u rtshi p " Chl I:o ' y lvScudder, ''Little Lordh n' er- y.Iamues Lane All~: "C doIn:1- ''A ftermath." ''"Flute and iin. ''ini or WDe iolden Rliverse L'n's Dir~ y Ta'.:-. "'Bird's Christ Caro" by Wiggins, Child's History of Li 'ngland. ''Amerlican Boy's Handy L ries" by Taylor, Brooks' "Stories of liad and of 0)lyssey.' 'Story of a tad B&ioy by Aldrich. "Man Without Country by Hale. "COimt of Monte ;risto." THE GOOD ROADS CONVENTION Ii ! lit-ld in Columbia on Tuesday, .January 19. ro the EDitor to The State. The regular annual meeting of the ;outh Carolina Good Rads associa ion will be held in Columbia on Tues ay, January 19th, and we expect to iave a large attendance, as we have ,iven a special invitation to each and very supervisor and county commis 4iuner in each county in the State to be present, and we expect to have a representative from each township al io. as we have most of the counties md townships organized. We expect to have ore of the largest and best meeting. we have ever had since the >rganizition of the association. We are now making arrangements by whien we will have some of the latest road machines and rock crush ers on exhibition, so that the county oflials and others can see the prac ticil work. as well as labor-saving machines. As you know. the legislature will be in sesston at that time, and any amendments or suggestions the asso ciation may wish to make to the leg slature, they will then have an oppor tunity to do so. I am now get-ting up some data from each cjunty as to the amount of money that has been spent this year on raods and bridges, as well as how the money was raised, and hope to be able to throw some light on this subject at the meeting in Janu ary. I beg to say that I am now get ting in reports daily from the super visors of the State, and it is very gratifying to see the interest that is being taken in the counties heard from. Hoping that you will alLow this to go in your columns as a matter of in formation as I wish to have some thing more to say along this line a little later on, I am, Yours very respectfully, F. H. Hyatt, President S. C. Good Roads Associ ation. Columbia. Dec. 30, 1903. MISSIONARIES MASSACRED. Gruesome Tale Tells of Crime Com mitted Three Years Ago. At Washington, D. C., Minister Lyon has reported to the state depart ment from Monrovia, Liberia, under date of Nov. 4, last, the details of the massacre in the depths of an African forest of a white missionary named -) ohn G. Tate, with all his following, eighteen in number. It appears that the massacre took place as far back as March 15, 1901. yet this. the first de tailed account., has just come to hand in an affidavit by Mrs. Mary L. Allen, a white missionary at Nouna Kroo, Liberia. She had the story from some of the native Doo tribesmen, who knew of the killing. Tate had a large mission farm, and, beside he maintained a considerable school in the jungzle, and altogether nineteen people were in the mission when it was surrounded in the night by the Dzos. The first man who answered a knock at the door was shot. The in terpreter next was shot and as Tate appeared and tried to protect the body of the interpreter, he too, was shot and cut to pieces. The Daos then killed all-the remaining inmates of the house, cut otf their hands and plaing the bloody members in a coin, sent them back to their people as trophies. In explanation of their action the Do->s said, "We have no tight with the white man: but if we do not kill him now he will bring his country to make war upon us." Minister Lyon on the strength of this atidavit, has communicated with the Liberian secretary of state, with a view of securing fuller information and perhaps the punishment of the perpetrators of the messacre. A Negro Town. Buxton. Iowva, is solving the race question in its own way. The town is an unincorporated all black corn muniry, and claims a larger popula tion than any city in Monroe county. Of its twelve stores ten are owned and conucted by negroes. The depart mets of its four-room school are pre sided over by negro teachers. There are two churches. Methodist and Bap ist, arid both have colored preachers. Te only hotel in town is kept by a negro. Thre postmaster and all of the loal oficers ar-e black men. The town is prosp~erours. its main business >ing coal digging. The proprietor 01 11he local banik is a white man and i is learned that tire bank accounts of thre negro miners range in all sums up to $m.n 00. Tire negroes are buying pioperty, and one iner hras purchased eighty acr-es of coal land out of his earnings. The town is handicapped y having four saloons in_ its vicinity nd by having no municipal govern et. Tire nrewspaper recently start ed states its object is "to encourage thrift, economy. and accumulation of we:.th. combined with education, re Iigion and mnorality among the Afro mericans.'' This is the best in z:meie of a rnegro colony in the North trying to work out its own salvation. md( it will b~e wvatchred with interest. If it succeeds it will be followed by Wainted to Lynch Him. Neilly Zimmerman and George hiure, the negroes who narrowly es aged lynching at the hands of an in uriaedl mob, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, -ere Wednesday taken to the state enitentiary at Fort Madison, for ;afekeeping. During the afternoon ,he men were taken before Judge iVheeler and waived preliminary ex nination. The judge signed an order 'or their renmoval. During the day herilf Cousins learned of an organiz d plan to lynch Zimmerman and urke Wednesday and again made a uest for a com pany of militia to uird the county jail. F.eeling against he prisoners increased and during the .fternon small groups of men gather di in thre vcinity of the jail to discuss he matter. Sheriff Cousins thea de ided that the safer course was to re nte the men from the city and ap rled for an order of removal. F-our .s5aults wi thin a week similar to those nade on M1rs. Sparks and her daugh r had wrougrht up the working peo lof the city tc a pitch of feverishm 'xitment. A t Chicago, Ill , Frederick Lind trom. cashier for the tirm of Friend. [Lss & Norris. Wednesday called up is epoyers on the telephone and onounced that he had stolen $12.000 om them and was about to leave the ity. Mr. Friend, with whom he con ersed over the telephone, induced I .indstorm to come to the office, and e was arrested. It is said Lindstorm st the money beting on horse raes. POINTED PARAGRAPHS. Interesting News Items Condensed for Buay Readerm. Miss Frances Pettit, of Galway, N1. Y., got judgement at Albany for $3, 000 for the 1.236 kisses given her in fourteen years by the villiage black smith. L. Oliphant Dodge, owner of a flat building in Omaha, was granted a writ of injunction restraining Mrs. E. Berge, a tenant, from talking to other I occupants of the flats. With a court's judgement against her in the possession of $10,800, Mrs. Nannie S. Bryan, of St. Louis, by put ting the money under her clothing, held it against all comers. William H. Pugley caused the ar rest of his wife at Vermont, N. Y., on the ground of cruelty in forcing him to sleep in a chicken coop. Persons believing in the value of horse meat for food gave a banquet in Berlin, at which 600 guests feasted. The bite of a mosquito was charged to be cause of the death of Carl Stromquist of Chicago. C. W. Leadbeater, the London theosophist, after a visit to the Chi cago stoekyards, declared that, instead of smoke darkening the city, it is the ghost life of the millions of animals slaughtered every year in the arat toirs. Professor G. StLnley Hall, of Clark university, Boston, not only proposed a tax upon bachelors, but declared that..co-education was a bar to matri mony. A bill was introduced in the Minne soto legislature making it unlawful for any person to kiss another unless he be able to produce a clean bill, of health. As a consequence of the famine times, Stockholm legislators proposed a tax upon all persons weighing more than 125 pounds. Mrs. W. T. Richardson, a boarding house keeper in Detroit, was'refused coal by the clerk in a coal office, and, getting her change ready, and draw ing a- revolver, she held him up for a receipted bill for a ton of anthracite at $7.50 Seventy German poets in Berlikn en tered into a union, refusing to accept less than 10 cents a line for their rhymes. Mrs. Lafayette Taylor killed her husband at Monticello, N. Y., cut his body to pieces with a knife, burnt it in the stove, and fed the ashes to the chickens. Hairpins from the heads of women passengers in a Calumbus (0 ) trolley car saved a carload of belated people a long walk in the snow after a fuse iad burned out. Henry Bliss, of Chicago, was.arrest ed and locked up because, in inviting Miss Ida Lee to accompany him to the theatre, he used a revolver to per suade her. A Cowboy namei Wilson discovered two rnn floating on a cake of ice down the Republican river, in Ne braska, and, riding close to the shore, cast his lariat over one and then the other of the men, drawing t'iem ashore to safety. The Berlin Nueste Nachr-ichten an nounced the existence of a great corn ed beef mine in the Yellowstone Park. the deposits have been caused by the ingulfing of great droves of cattle dur ing the triacene period, the natural salts of the territory contributing to its preservation., Don Cameron St. John, returned soldier from the Pailippines, fell heir to $100,000 from his grandmother be cause of his clever verses on the army life in the south seas'. In the divorce suit of Ruthven W. Pike against his wife, the court re fused the invitation of the wife's coun sel to allow the jury to feel Mrs. Pike's mshscles in disproving that she ever threw ladders and cardwood at her better half. Arthur Van Meter, a prominent merchant of Salt Lake City, suffered from dropsy, and, after a fast of forty days, in which he took nothing but water, he found himself cured. E. C. Jones, a banker of New York, gave a dinner in honor of Miss Ethel Barrymore, where the plates for twelve cost,.$1,500. An investigation by the health board of Chicago showed it to have more men and boys in proportion to women and girls than has any other lare city in the world. William W. Black, head critic in the Chicago normal school, was placed on trial by the school powers, charged with the inability to smile. Shenkberg & Co., at Sioux City, Ia., sought an injunction against a shoe store to prevent the shoe dealers from selling 20 cent coffee at 5 cents a pound. Three judges of the supreme court of New York decided that to eat in the- modern quick lunch restaurant with one's hat on was quite proper. A t Oberlin college a young man hav ing a scholarship valued at $75 stole two kisses from a pretty coed, and was expelled from the school, placing the value of the Oberlin kiss at $37.50 apiece. Six babies were born in tive days at 393 Lt Salle street, Chicago, one girl weighing 17 pounds.. Frank Erwin, of Chicago, in the attempt tr~escape from a constable, ran through alleys and barns until, in the attempt to clear the open window of a barn just above the manger. he stuck so tight that two constables were required to pull hi-n out. A court in Berlin decided in favor of -a wife suing for divorce on the strength of the fact that her husband wears a wig, and that she did not know it at the time of the ceremony. Miss Mary L. Rogers, of Pawtucket, R. I., a graduate of Wellesley and the new teacher in the high school,] knocked out the captain of the foot ball team with a blow on the nose and landed twice on the ayes of his confederate who assisted at "beaking her in." Through a mistake on the part of Cook county otlicials Mrs. Hetty Green's tax of $ 1,105 on a piece of Cook county land was paid by a neigh bor, and under the technicalities of the law Hetty won when the neigh bor attempted to recover the amount. It. Killed Her. At Sharon, Pa.. Mrs. Margaret Ackerman, aged 69 years, died after a brief illness, said to have been caused by her failure to recover a supposed fortune left by a relative in Phila elphia. Mrs. Ackerman a few months ago was notified that she had C nherited property worth several mii- 11 ion dollars. She went to Pniladelphia I and learned the story was a myth. A ii iouse that was left to her she sold for e: $,800. The sudden shattering of C er hooes made her ill, resulting in V leath. THE NEW YEAR. L Few Words of Cheer and En couragement for the Housekee per. There are few that enter upon a iew year without the hope of the 'esolution that however good or poor he life, work and pleasure, have been luring the past, the coming year shall vitness improvement in their quality. Chose who feel that the record of the >revious year has been. in the main, rood, are stimulated to further efforts: hose whose hearts are sore because of vhat lies before them long earnestly or an improved condition of atfairs luring the days to come. So, what ver the life has beei. however the vork has fared, the true-hearted verywhers meet the new year with a ope and a prayer that in its months :hey may "Rise on stepping stones of :heir dead selves to higher things.' It is not to be expected, writes Elizabeth Lord Condit, in Minneapolis [ousekeeper that the homekeeper or :he housewife shall be exempt from :he number of those who desite to reach greater excellence. With her it rnay not mean more of individual ork, but it may mean more of giving the mind to work that is unpleasant )r disliked. It may mean a stronger tffort to systematize work, or to per form it in orderly fashion on the part f those who have little method in work, or who do things in a desultory. aphazard way. - It may mean for some the putting of conscience into the work: for other, the gradual apprehension of the up lifting truth that only in the discharge of duty-whether it be the perfor mance of homely household tasks that often seem to exhaust body and mind or in more congenial employment they advance toward the realizatior of the highest ideals: and, if the spitil has serene control, this is accomplish ed with the least friction possible, tlh least waste of physical and menta strength. When a woman comes to recognize her personal responsibility in thE faithful, cheerful doing of her worl as essential to the fulfillment of thE Divinie plan-not simply for herself but for the betterment of the work -she becomes a conscious worker witl God, and desire for self-advancenen gradually recedes into the background She does not efface herself, she re spects herself, and thus commands whatever her work-the respect o every right-minded person, and grow: into a broader, stronger, sweeter nobler soul day by day. Her outlool embraces both horizons-the earthl2 and the heavenly. This much of comfort every earnes and tired worker should take for he refreshment at the beginning of th year. When eyes ache because' o close scrutiny, nothing rests thi strained or weary nerve like the far off gaze. The broader field of visioi calls into play a fresh set of muscles the tension is relaxed, and, after ; little, the eye can return to the nar rowest limits with renewed vigor an< brightness. So it is with t e wearied home keeper. There is si .h a sameness il the necessary round of housework such a daily repetition of toil: threi meals a day to be prepared by one' own hands or planned for another t< provide; the family "tig leaves" to b made ready and looked after for dail; or special use: the house to be kep fresh, in order, and ready for famil; occupation or friendly visit: and th general oversight of the home with al that implies of forethought whic1 may include a range of months. If to all this, is added the care and train of a growing family, and also a ver; limited financial ability, the strain 0. a strong woman's strength is tremend ous; on a weaker woman is often mor than she can bear. See, then, the need of deliberatel; changing the range of vision at leas once a year. Perhaps the relief ob~ taned then will convince of the wis dom of more frequent looking off be yond the narrower horizon of hom: cares, duties and pleasures, into th< broader one of God's great world, an< the still broader one where mind ani spirit learn to interpret the grea truths of life and love to the materia comprehension and redemption. Ma; the New Year bring this joy and re freshment to all! An Important Decision. By a late decision of the Unite States Supreme Court, a new princi ple of law has been established--on of vast importance to those who hay business dealings with railroads. Thi principle holds that a railroad coim pany or any corporation acting as common carrier cannot enter into contract in an individual whereby the latter releases the corporation fron liabilities. The suit in question wa: brought by Hughes & .Fleming. o Philadelphia, to recover damages fo: injuries sustained by a valuable rac< horse. The animal was shipped fron Albany to Cynwid, and while in the freight yards in Philadelphia was badly hurt in a collision caused by a shifting engine running into the can in which the animal was stalled. Prior to the shipment of the horst Hughes & Fleming entered into at agreement with thl e Pennsylvyania Railroad Company, whereby the animal would be transported at 'a reduced rate provided the liability of the company was limited to $100. Oi. the strength of this contract the rail road company declined to pay more than the stipulated sum when the horse was injured. Suit was brought in Common Plea Court No. 2. Phmila delphia, and Judge Sulzberger charg ed the jury to ignore the contract anid render a verdict for the full amount. The Pennsylvania Rail road carried th e case to the State Supreme Court. and that body sustained the ruling of the lower court. Not satistied with this :lecision, the case was taken to the United States Supreme Court and Tustice Day renders a final ruling which establishes a very iminportan lt precedent and entirely new principle rrom those heretofore held. It prac :ically strikes a severe blow at all rail -oads and prohibits them from enter g into any further contracts with ndividuals as far as limiting their iability is concerned. Four Thousand Idle. A dispatch from Philadelphia says is a result of the high price of cotton ,000 nmen, women and children em >loyed in textile mills in that city iave been laid off indefinitely. This nforced idleness will continue until otton quotations tumble. Several her textile employes have been idle ince Christmas while the mills and aachinery are being repaired. Burned to D)eath. At Troy, N. Y., Moses T. Clough, ne of Troy's oldest lawyers, and Wil am Saw, also one of Troy's best nown lawyers, lost their lives in a re which destroyed the' Troy club arly Wednesday morning. Mr. lough was president of the club, hich included among its members Naval Maneuvers. The New York Terald is advocat inig a new departure in the matter of naIva maneuvers. A British squad ron of warships is coming across for a cruise to the West Indies. 'and the London Glube notes that "while at the West Indies the squadron will take part in combined exercises with the fleet on the North -American and West Indies station, returning to England on April 1." The New York Herald finds this movement of British cruisers at the present time highly significant, and reminds its readers that British war ships havea most enviable character istie of being in the required place at. the right moments, while at the same time their movements are made so unobtrusively that they pass unchal lenged and so leisurely that the objec tive point is unsuspected. "It is difti cult to believe, therefore, that the or ders to the cruiser squadron have no connection with recent events on the isthmus of Panama," says the Herald. It notes that a fairly equivalent American naval force will be gathered in those waters about the beginning of the year for the annual exercises, and why should not the United States government extend an invitation tO the British government to allow the participation of the British fleets in a series of combMied naval maneuvers' The Herald adds: "The American force would repre sent a defending fleet, the Britisi force an atacking or enemy's fleet. Commanders and men would enter into mimic battle with far greatei spirit, seriousness, determinations an profit for themselves than coulc possibly be the case in maneuver where one-half of the American fleel shojild simulate an attack upon thi other half, or where the English flee1 was divided into V and Z or red an< blue squadrons. Combined exercise. between the two forces, in fact, woul< be a sort of naval sparring about ih which American warships would b pitted against English warships. I has rie.ver been done." It is argued that, when two grea nations engage in a friendly and blood less war there is little or no dange that they will engage in what Rud yard Kipling has termed "the rea thing." Such a display would a least be an international game tha would interest the whole world, an and especially nations which seek ti rival the parties thus engaged in , joint display of naval equipment an< power. Let the South Alone. The New York Evening Post is en deavoring to arouse the people of tb North on the negro disfranchisemen issue and .to enlist them in a crusad against the.South, says the New Or leans States. It declares that "put lic defense of such undemocratic an inequitable measures is not possible, and it asks the leaders of the Repub lican party if it is not worth whil "to revivify a great party by *makin it the champion of equal justice? T ae Post weeps over the war amend ments to the federal constitutioi which make citizens of the negro an 1confer upon them equal politica rights. It demands that each negr shall have the same right to vote tha Seach white man has and as it regard t he South as merely conquered terri Story it asserts that the duty of tb North is to see that- this right is en forced. It seems, however, that ther< a-e very few leaders of the Republi an party who are in favor of the prc posed crusade against the South SThey know that in the states c Mississippi and South Carolina th -negro men of voting age outnumbe the white men of voting age and the b ave the authority of Booker Wash -ington that when the negroes are per Smitted to vote they vote solidl; against their white neighbors upoi every question and without regrar< whatever for the merits of the ques t ion. The Republican leaders als< -know that there are several hundred of counties in the southern state Swhich have negro majorities, andi these ignorant blacks were allowet "the equal justice" the New Yor IEvening Post demands, they woul< till all the county offices levy, Coollec and disburse taxes, assess propert and manage the public schools, ye -nine-tenths of these negroes canno even read the ballot they vote and have no more understanding of publia questions than a baby. A Plain Steal. SAccording to law each member. o congeress is entitled to draw mileage at the rate of 20 cents per mile fo: his jiourney home and back to Washi ington during the recess between the - specal and the regular sessions o Congrress. And here comes a nice lit tle question of official honesty or dis honesty. Technically, there was a re ecss in which the members of Congress are presumed to have returned to t.ht bosoms of their families, for whici they draw their mileage. In fact there was no recess, the special sessioi being merged into the regular sessior without the members leaving Wash ington. or even their seats. A very few congressmen are opposed to thi members drawing their mileage unde: such conditions, when no such mileagi was actually earned, but others ar4 determined to annex everything in th4 shape of coin in sight. If the mem. ers of the two houses have any desir4 to do what they require in others they will keep their hands off the treasury in this case. We would like to see the names of the Senators and Con. gressmen who indulged in this graft published so as the dear people could see who are the grafters. We hope no Senator or Congressman from South Carolina participated in this raid or: the treasury. It is a plain steal and nothing else. Search for an Heiress. A dispatch from Mobile, Ala., says Mr. J. M. Hasty, uncle of Miss. Ethe] Rovelle, the missing heiress to a fortune of eight million dollars, left her by an aunt in Colorado, arrived in that city Thursday night from Meridian, Miss., to search for the young lady, who is supposed to be in Mobile. Mr. Hasty said the young lady told him several days before her disappearance she had wanted to come to Mobile to visit the family of Mrs. Lee, who came to Mobile some time ago from Birmingham. Refused to Bnrry Him. "What a re we coming to," asks The State, which goes on to say that "a Philadelphia hearse driver left a cof i in the hands of the pallbearers, re turned to the stable and surrendered his job when he ascertained that the occupant of the coftin was colored. And Philadelphia is the city of Brotherly Love and Pennsylvinia is the State of unspeakable huge Repub lican maj'-rities. J. H. Russell, of Bronson, Mich., is tramped to death by a herd of steers| at the stockyardls, due to his pulling red handana kerchief from his p~xoc a enstod inspecting- them. Higher Cotton Goods. The cotton manufacturers are now making cotton goods at a loss, a condi tion of things that can't last very long. Cotton must either come down in price or cotton goods must go up in price. It would be a good thing all round if cotton goods would keep pace with cotton in price so as the mill people could make money as well as the far mer. Then the present high price of cotton would hurt no one, but as the matter now stands the mills are being gradually pushed to the wall. The farmers can stand a couple of cents per yard on cloth very much better with cotton at 12 and 15 cents .per pound, than they can to pay the'usual price of cloth, with cotton at 7 cents per pound. T - increase in price for cloth that the farmer would have to pay out for his family in one year,' would be made back with less than one bale of cotton, with cotton at 12 cents per pound. A 500 pound bale of cotton at 7 cents would bring the farmer $35. The same bale of cottoi at 12 cents would bring him $60. The farmer can well afford to pay a few cents more per yard for cloth, with cotton at 12 cents. We wourd be glad if the farmer got 12 cents for his next crop of cotton, and for that reason we would like to see the mills keep busy making cloth and yarns at remunerative prices. Then all the present crop would be used up by the time the next crop is put on the - market, and the mills would be eaeger to get it at 12 or 15 cents. But if the mills are compelled to make cloth or yarns at a loss it is only a question of time when they will have to quit busi ness and wait fer cotton to get cheaper. For this reason we:Would like to see all goods made out of cot ton take a decided upward move ,-n price. An Insult to the South. I The Philadelphia Inquirer says 1 that "if the - predicted twenty-tic-e cent cotton should come, it would be L a better excuse for a lynching bee - than is usually found." ow, wouldn'L that jar you, says the Augus-; ta Herald. The usual excuse for a r lynching -bee is the brutal and awfu - crime of lustful assault upon a woaa 1 or some desperate criminal deed al b most as revolting. But here is anz b eastern paper of character and I fluence coldly proposing that a doubl, ) ing of the present price of cotton t would be an allowable excuse for I lynching the people who bring such a price to pass. If conditions of crop. and demand make the price of cotton> 25 cents per pound now, as they made< it worth 50 and 60 cents just atterI the civil war, where does the criiMe; pf the occurrence come in? If th steel trust can'manufacture steel rails7 at $16 per ton and sell them for $2'8, by reason, of the tariff, and noklcz against this enormous profit Is worthi2 to be registered, -why should there bea any kick coming if southern cotto4 by reason af natural, or artiffeiaI trade conditions, goes to 25 cents pe pound? We do not follow the logic of>.. the esteemed Philadelphia Inquirer, unless it means to say that. anything which enhances the value of southern' .cotton is a high crime and should be Spunished after the Wilmington, DeL3 Splan. As for the south, she can stanid Sfor twenty-five cent cotton all right.% If it can be brought to that price,'. Sshe will not kick: So long as she rais-" es more cotton than her people con -sume she has as much right to what -ever price she can get for her surplus as Pennsylvania has to protection pro fits on her steel outputs. SAn Andean Notion About Soroche. rOn one occasion, crossing the Ta. Scora Pass, abreast of Tacna, Peru, I was severely attacked by mountain -sickness at an elevation of only about S7,000 feet above sea level. It .com Spletely prostrated ~me, but my Indian. arriero told me that "the spot was famous for soroche," the name by Swhich mountain sickness is known to Sall the Aymara and Quichna people Sof the Andrean range. "and that If : Swould continue my journey up the Coraalera it would leave me." SThe following morning I was lifted jinto my saddle and continued the as Scent of the pass, and within two hours was nearly well again, and before I Sreached the summit of the pass, Sabout 15,750 feet altitude, the soro che had entirely left me. The Indians among the Andes have frequently told me that "soroc33 is not the effect of altitude, but," -as they put it, "of mineral' veins." -It Smay be that the geological and atmos. Spheric conditions of certain localities are to some extent the cause of it, in addition to altitude, the formier being) perhaps the principal factors, al though imperfect digestion and consti pation invite it. During a long ride in southern Boll va at an elevation of from 13.000 feet to 14,000 feet I noticed that, before leaving the post houses, the Indians rubbed garlic on the nose and bress - of my mule. They told me that this. was "to prevent soroche."-London Times. -Underground Marvels. Particulars have just been published of a wonderful series of underground caves in the Stalden district of: Canton, Schwytz. The existence of> these places had before been vaguely known, but they have now for t~e first time been fully explored by a party, which 'went down fully provided with 5,000 yards of rope ladders, ace tylene lamps, rugs and provisions for eight days. They were underground for two full days, penetrating for a dstance of 2.500 yards through svast halls brilliant with stalactite -and: other crystals, and with other recess-. es branchirrg from them. There were also found swift subterranean- tor rents, powerful enough to work great industrial undertakings.-London Tit Bits. Lou Dillon and Flora Temple. I was very much interested in your diagram on the sporting page of to-' day's paper representing the positionl that various famous, trotters of the past would be in if racing on the same track with Lou Dillon. With no dsire to detract from Lou Dillon's record-breaking feat, I want to call your attention to the fact that Flora Temple, whom I saw in her best days, pulled an old-time, high-wheeled sulky which weighed as much as four sulkies of to-day. I feel convinced that If Lou Dillon had to rpull Flora Temple's sulky she could not beat the time of the old favorite. Those were great days, when horse flesh bad no so many np-to-date, pneumatic paraphernalia to help themn make records.-Philadelphia Press. Eefitting a Waitress. - Polk-She took part in your amate play, didn't she? Jolk-Oh, yes; she took the part: a waitress. Polk-What sort of costume didt - wear? Jolk-A fetching one, of course