University of South Carolina Libraries
Irn o - 1 HEOTUD | "Ways of Ma! i Interesting ' BY FRANK * HERE are teii potent lea^ V sons why we should study O r|^ Q birds. The first, is a sc,ienr.M K one' because birds are iJWr very sensitively organized and respond so readily to environment that they furnish the scientist with the host illustration of thp work ins? out of I natural laws. The second is an economic one. By preventing the undue increase of "insects and small rodents and acting as scavengers they probably prevent the earth from becoming ^uninhabitable. Then, being the most conspicuous of the higher animals, they may be the most easily studied. They are the most j eloquent of nature's voices, and surpassing in grace and beauty. They exhibit the most exquisite human trtfits of character in their home life. And, last of all, the individual bird lives in the species. The robin's song is the same in our age as in our youth, 1 so that birds never seem to grow old, They bring back to us more vividly than anything else in nature the memories of youth, and are the closest bond [ between man and nature. But how shall we study them? We cannot pick them, like flowers, or impale them on pins, like bugs. The means of close study resolves itself 1 into the opera or field glass. But I would not antagonize a child by a too ' scientific attitude at first. A person may -love birds and hate ornithology. ; I would present the human side of the < bird's life at first?something like the < experience of the little girl I knew in ' Virginia, who tamed a chipping spar- 1 row so that it came to her every day 1 to be fed. Never make a bird into a human be- ! ing. A bird is far more interesting as 1 a bird than dressed up in false cloth- < 'ing. But take up first the points of 1 human interest in the bird's life. Don't 1 jtry to teach children to observe birds in classes or families at first. Begin 1 ("with the seasons. Why concern our- j . selves with birds of summer when the < snow is on the ground? I would sug- s r gest beginning the study of birds in j winter, when there are the fewest 1 birds. As each season comes in, teach ] the child to recognize the birds that 1 come with that season. The first in- i terest in birds is roused when he 1 learns to know them by sight, and ever 1 after his bird pictures will rest in a 1 lovely framework of the passing sea- s sons. ' \ 1 How will the museum help you in all 1 this? The museum has, first, a gen- 1 eral collection of birds of the world, then a general collection of all birds found within fifty miles of New York. In the latter, in addition to the two ( cases of permanent residents, there is ? a case of seasonable birds. You need not hunt out the birds of each season T In the general collection. To-day you < will find the October birds in that j case, and next week the November ] II birds of this region, and, furthermore, ? upon your request, the museum will . r%~ send you a little traveling museum of. j the season's birds, to remain in your ? |||: classroom three weeks. , ; As soon as the child learns to know ( $*1/~ the bird-by sight he wants to know j more of it. The first classification of 2 his knowledge is to lead his attention . to the fact that one-half of all known 1 pjp birds, and eighty or ninety per cent, of j all that come under his observation, ( belong to the class of perching birds, j I.: distinguished by toes of great grasping ( power. All the perching birds are di f Tided into not more than seventeen , - or eighteen families. Some prominent j member of each family is generally j known to the pupils, and with the j cases of birds from the museum it is , not a difficult thing to learn the dis- , tinguishing marks of each family. . The beauty of bird study is that it ( does not end with school days, but ] life. A child will find out that certain j birds have certain well defined haunts , * and he will learn where to look for , fthem. When the apple trees are in 1 blossom they are always full of ori- , oles, and, curiously enough, the oriole , always arrives in this section just as ( the apple trees begin to bloom. So each bird has the haunt it loves. After some knowledge of seasons and types has been attained the atten& ,v tion is turned to nests. Tlfb detached nest brought by the teacher 'to the ; * schoolroom is of some interest as a specimen of bird architecture. But the real interest of the nest lies in the place where it is built. That tells the whole tale of the bird's life; and so all the nests in the museum are shown as placed in their original location. How much more interesting, for example, is the bank swallow's nest when we see the sandbank, riddled with holes like a pepper box, with the nests sometimes three feet in from the surface. ' Birds change their nesting habits according to their surroundings, both natural and artificial. The black crowned night herons of Long Island build their nests in trees seventy or eighty feet high. But in wild Manitoba the same bird builds low among the reeds. All along the Atlantic coast the fishliawks build in tall trees, but on Gardiner's Island, where the owner has protected them for years, { they build flat upon the ground, the most marked example I have ever known of a variatien of habit to meet artificial conditions. Sometimes individual birds will adapt their nests to special conditions, like the shape of wall3, in a way that betrays actual intelligence. y ofBirds king Subject to Children. 1. CHAPMAN. After thp npst pomes the oircr. As it is believed that the birds descended from reptiles, mid as all reptiles lay white eggs, it is believed that all birds originally laid only white eggs. Color has come for protection. This is proved by the fact that all birds that lay in protected places, like owls and woodpeckers, lay white eggs; while all that lay in exposed places . are almost exactly like their surroundings. The tern's egg in the open beach cannot be distinguished from , the beach pebbles without close inspection. The gre'>e lays white eggs in a low nest, but she never leaves , the eggs, no matter how hurriedly, 5 without pulling the nest materia! over ^ to hide them. : Then come the young birds, and hu- man interest multiples, and the cam era becomes of immense value. The study of the traits of young birds is most fascinating. Their first instinct, j after that of hunger, is that of a'oso- .< lute obedience to the parents. Young ] birds feel 110 fear til! they are old j enough to try to escape. Before thai j they will regard the intruder with per- j feet fearlessness. But at a .single note j of command from the parent they will c lie low, silent and motionless till the j danger passes. Young skimmers on ^ tue Virginia Deacn win iet you step ? upon them in this blind obedience. I watched a nest of newly born biuejays for an hour and three-quarters : one day in hopes the mother would t come back and sit for her picture, -v Those little birds had been fed every v 5ve minutes up to that time, and yet, t though starving, they maintained ab- g solute silence all that time, in re- \ sponse to the parent's command. Eit- ( terns at seven days' old Lave no fear -c of the camera. Ten days later it a throws them iuto a paroxysm of j fright. Then there is the feeding. How does the parent raise a nest full of birds, ill equally fat and well fed, when s ?very little morth is a gap every time a she comes to the nest? Amid so many c lttractive openings, how shall she i snow the one most in need ef food? t Perhaps the little scamp fed last gets I :he/new worm or bug. But there is a I nvoluntary reaction of the muscles d which does not take place when the C oird has just been fed, and the parent, ? ceeping tab on the greedy onec, r snatches out the tidbit deposited in o the wrong place and puts it where it a will do the most good.?Xew York Tri- i tmne. ? - s Old War HorsesQ These old horses never forget the t ;alls, no matter how long it has been since they last heard them. c - - ?r, T K Une aay some years agu, \>ueu j. tvas passing an open lot in the out- i skirts of Chicago, I found a boy try-: ^ ng to play on the cornet. While the j . loy and I were at work on the cornet, ' in old ash hauler came along driving !' in animal that had once been a good i ^ lorse, but was now only a collection of : skin and bones. The horse stopped j * when he heard us and stuck up his I ?ars. I came to the conclusion that le had once been a cavalry horse and j isked the old man where he got him. cj 'From a farmer,"' he said. I could ! a lot find a "U. S." on the horse; he had ! c irobably been discharged so long ago that his brand had been worn off. But raking the cornet, I sounded the stable >, trail, and the horse began to dance. "Hold fast to your lines, now.'" I warned the old man. "I am going to ^ make that old horse do some of the fastest running he has ever done since tie left the cavalry.'" Then, beginning t with the call for the gallop, I next j sounded the charge, and the old plug j went plunging up the road at his fast- x >st gait, dragging his wagon after c him. I gave him the recall next, and he came down to a walk, much to the j relief of the old driver. He said that j this was the first time he had ever seen the horse run. He had never been able to get bim to go faster than a slow t walk before. "You don't feed him well enough to get him to do much running," I told him. "That horse, when he did have to run. got his twelve j pounds of corn and all the hay he could ] eat every day."?Forest and Stream. i He Surely Had the Blues. ( "What's the matter, old man?" he ] said, as they met the next morning' ; after. "You look blue." i "I feel blue." 1 "But last night you were the jollies}- j member of our party." , "I felt jolly." j "You acted like a boy just let out of >1 school." "I felt like one." ] "You said that your wife had gone . away for the first time in three years, and there wasn't anyone to say a word if you went home amd kicked over the mantel clock." "I remember it." "You said that if you stayed out until four o'clock there was no one to look at you reproachfully, and sigh, and make you feel mean." "Yes, and I stayed out until four \J \.iVV.Uj VJ A VA * * V A * "You certainly did." "And I gave you a war-whoop on the front door-step." 1 "Yes, and you sar.g a verse from j> comic opera song, and tried to dance a clog." "Yes, and my wife missed that train Now, please go away and let me alone."?Sunday Magazine. ..V- .. , ... -j ; - ' V~15WIWgS J fewORTH KNOWIN^: The Sahara desert is tnree limes as large as the Mediterranean sea. A prize of six thousand francs ha3 been offered for an electric-current meter by the French ocaety of Mauu Henry Fucbs, who died recently at San Francisco, was tli > inventor of barbed wire. It is said that he made a fortune from his invention, but lost ir ail in Alaska when he went in search of gold. Over seventy-eight thousand rats were killed on the London wharves by the health authorities last year, but a greater crusaue will be waged against them next year, as it is tKought that the rodents are still increasing. The oldest sacred tree tiiat has any uitlientic history is the great Bhoo tree in Burmab. It has been sacred :o Buddha for twenty centuries, and oo one is allowed to touch its trunk. When the leaves fall they are gathered carefully and sold as treasures. The Government fish commission has it'eii making investigations about the suitability of fish skins for clothing. it has been found that salmon skins nake excellent leather, and have been lsed for boots by the Eskimos for this inrpose for years. These Northern icople also- use tanned codfish, for oats and waterproof garments. The ish commission has also found that vhale skin makes beautiful, leather aid takes color well.. A cueer of Tioetnn- superstition'3me to light when the mueh-tnlked-of resty between Tibet and England vas drawn up. The powers at Lhassa efused to sign the lirst draft of the reaty because it covered several beets of paper, so the treaty had to >e engrossed 011 one huge sheet. The Mentals thought it would bring them >ad luck if they put their names tonytliing which covered more'than, one >age. A Talented Indian. In the service of the DaweS-Commision there is a man who holds an unissuming. position, yet who has proved >ne of the most valuable aids the Com-| nission has had because #f bis- versa- ! ility- The reference is to Mr. Alex 'osey,. a Creek Indian of Fus Fixico setter fame. Mr. Posey is in the Creek tivision. He is used for interpreter,, 'reek diplomat, counsel and emissary ? his department.. A. friend of hisace and intelligently comprehensive ? the destiny thereof, he has proved, n invaluable factor in bringing abeut teeded co-operation 011 the par\ of r.ealcitrant members of. " ae tribe and' ecured desirable- data for the Government.. It was he who last week, suceeded in bringing Chitto'Harjo before he Commission,, at Okmulgee,, and. for he first time got the stubborn old Snake leader to give testimony under atli.. It is not likely that there is an>tlier man in the nation, who could tave- accomplished this. Mr. Posey s a newspaper man by instinct and raininpr, a princely fellow and a valuable aid to the Government in. many vays.?Muskogee- Times. He-TOas Persevering.. Tommy?"I want the hammer."' Mother?"No,. Tommy can't have it.**" Father?"Excuse me, my dear, you. to not adopt .the right method. Never irouse the spark of antagonism in the dild's breast. I Tommy?"I want the- hammer." ? - "i, o nit.' Jtainer?"iomui}:v cuiuc hchook at tliese pretty pictures." Tomrnj*?"I want the liaminer."" Father?"Dad will draw you an ele> hani." Tommy?"I want the hammer." Mother?"It doesn't seem to mt. hat " > Father?Xo system is complete vithout persevereitce. Doesn't Tom-1 ny know 'that he might hurt his tin- ( jer with it?" Tommy?"I want the hammer." Father?"Come here. Tommy.. (Tom* ny comes and gets a spanking). . Tommy?"I want the hammer.*'' Father?'"Oh. thunder! Here,, tak. he hammer'?Answers. , The Pleatare of Old Agev Free from the distractions of life, the tged are at leisure to observe and adnire. "I never knew," said Coruaro, 'that the world was beautiful until I eached old age." This period was frequently declared by him to be the most beautiful of his life. Writing at the ige of ninety-one, he said that he felt ,t his duty to make known to the world that man could attain to an earthly paradise after the age of eighty; but :>nly by means of the two virtues, selfrestraint and temperance. At that time he was writing eight hours a day. walking and singing many other liours, enjoying the beauties of nature, und abundant in labors for the good of ? - ? ? ^3 C'rtA.l W no T11? 'liaiiKixiu.?u^vu The Oregon Exposition. The next great fair will be the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition at Portland. Ore., opening June 1 and closing October 35, 1005. The exposition grounds cover a space of 407 acres and include a beautiful natural lake. The United States Government has appropriated for its buildings and exhibits $475,000. The approximate cost of the whole exposition is $5,000,000. The exposition will celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the exploration and annexation of the "Oregon country," now comprising the States of Oregon. Washington, Idaho, and a large part of Montana and Wyoming. i PLEA OF SELF-DEFENSE, Russians Will Claim Most Ample Grounds for Firing Upon Those British Fishing Eoats. A Paris special says: The Russian defense before the international coin* mission which is to inquire into the North sea incident is practically completed. The main features are: " First. That the firing by the Russian squadron was justified as a defense against attack. This entails proving the presence of Japanese I torpedo boats. The Russian delegates I inform the Associated Press that they possess this proof in the most positive and overwhelming form. Second. That even if the Russian? were not attacked, they believed they were, and therefore the denfensive measures taken, were in absolute good faith. Third. At most, it was an incident at sea, where the dangers and risk^ are extreme, analagous to the British battle ship Camperdown ramming and sinking the British battle- ship Victoria and the recent firing by a British warship* upon a coasting ves,sel during target practice. The preliminaries of the conraris'sion have clearly shown that the British are anxious for a prompt disposal of the case, while the Russians do not object to delay. Therefore the postponement of the opening of the sessions of the commission owing to the . noir-arrival of Rear Admiral Daris> the American representative, developed an incident showing the rather significant grouping of the delegates, the Russians sharing the American view that Admiral Davis "was entitled to ! ample time, while the British and tVnwni; nojt!man+ ?r?+ jmnrnvf of" tire' postponement. NATTVE SCOUTS AMBUSH ZDLieutenant and Thirty-Seven L misted Men srain on Samar Island. A Manila special says: The PUl'ajanes have ambushed and killed' at Da- i lores; air tie Island of Samar, a liu- j tenant and thirty seven enlisted' men of the Thirty-eighth company of the native scoots. Two thousand' FUlaj?.nes, it is reported,threaten the town of Dolores,, and the situation- is- said to be critical. Lieutenant Abbott, in command' of I tie scouts, has requested that* aid' be* seiir uuu. A Washington dispatch says: First! Lieutenant George F. Abbott; whocommand's the Thirty eighth company of Philippine scouts, which was ambushed* by natives at Dolores, Shmar, and one lieutenant and thirty--seven enlisted" men killed, -was a corporal* in the Ninth United States infantry in the fight at Tienstin, China; during the Boxer- tronbles. Officer^ In Washington familiar- with his record say that he distnguished himself in that engagement by- seizihg the colors when the color bearer felt and" holding them itr. the- fine;. DODGE TELLS SOME THINGS. i rmpTi'cates Seven Prominent NewYorkers in Notorious Divorce Case. Brought to New York from Texas* ; through the persistent efforts of District Attorney Jerome to face a charge of perjury in connection- with the 'Morse-Dodge divorce tangle, j Chartes E. Dodge, former husband of | the present wife of Charles F. Morse, received his liberty upon the recommendation of the district attorney, who personally appeared before J*ndge | Owing, in the court of general sessions, and asked that Dodge be disi charged on his own recognizance. This turn in the case followed an all-night conference at police headquarters, where Dodge was taken immeditely upon his- arrived in the city, where it is said he made a con fesslon that will' leead to the making of serious charges in connection with the Morse-Dodge case against seven men of propiinence in New York. Cement Pfant Destroyed. Fire has destroyed the plant of the Wayland cement works, near Parkinsville, N. Y., entailing a Toss of $200.000, partially covered by insurance. WITNESSES SENT TO PRISON. Court Takes Advantage 0f Statute tfrat is Rarely EnforcedJudge Evans, of the federal court, at Louisville, has sent two negro women t ojail at the government's expense. to insure their appearance in the spring to testify against the policemen and negroes under indictment for interference with an election. The women will be paid $1 and expenses and offered no objection to being held in custody. This is believed to be the first time the federal court has taken aovantage of a stat- | ute permitting the confinement and payment of witnesses. I SEVEN KILLED IN WRECK. Disastrous Head-On Collision occurs Between Trains on the Southern. The passenger train which left St T .miIc of Q ^ CCU %J V ViVUU Ull tuc U^UtUVyi I ' railway collided head on with the train leaving Louisville about the same hour, near Mauds, Ills. Six* employees and one passenger were killed and two passengers and eight employees injured. . - ' . - ?. % | NAN STILL IN PRISON. I Jury in Notorious Murder Case at ; New York Fail to Agree and Mistrial Results. I A New York dispatch says: Following a day of intense nervous strain, N'an Patterson was returned to the Tombs, ill and perhaps on the verso , )f a breakdown, but with constant atj .endance. j The former show girl. expecting ^ quittal at the hands of the jury, which had listened to the evidence in her i trial for the murder of uaesar Young, last June, went into court at noon to , learn that the twelve men chosen to | decide as to her innocence or guilt j had been unable to reach an agree| ment?in fact, had divided evenly over the question as to whether or not she held the revolver which ended Young's life ! The jury .stood si* to six?half for acquittal, the* other half for convicj tion. Although no official announce; ment was made further than this, I court house talk had it that of the six deciding against. Miss Patterson, none was for conviction of murder in the | first degree, that one nelu out for murder in the second degree, two for man| slaughter in the first degree and three ; for manslaughter iir the second de! gree. j Immediately after the announce; raent of the verdict was- made Miss j Patterson broke into & fit of weeping, j which continued even' after she was j led from the court room to' a retiring chamber, where physicians were calli ed and restoratives administered, i Then she was taken to the Tombs. but she again wept and muaned and became hysterical, and' fclie% efforN of , her aged father, the prison matron ahd i attendants to quiet her \sferer futile. ! The demonstration in- the eotrrt af-1 I ter the announcement* of then disagree- j ment was somewhat remarkable, many , greasing forward to express? sympa- j thy ror the young woman: j HAY WORKING FOTT PEACE. Secretary of State Sends- OUt "Feeler" Anent Peace- Conference. That the further interchange of views preparatory to the formulating of a program for another- peace conference at The Hague - . be effected through the international' bureau under the control of the permanent administration council of" The ETague is the suggestion offered by Secretary Hay in a second ^circular note-to the powers just made public at the state department. The note was dispatched* about a week ago, but its publication was withheld until it had reached" t&e va rious American embassies and" legations abroad. The secretary summar. i'zes the replies of all of the powers to his note of October 21. and" expresses nf tho nresiffent at I tile graimvauuu v* the cordial reception of his invitation. Having taken this initial" step; however, the secretaary says the- president : feels that he has gone as firr as be appropriately can. and that with the general acceptance of Kis- invitation in principle, the future conduct of the affair may fitly follow "its- normal channels." Regarding the conditional* acceptance of Russia, Secretary- Hay says that while the postponement which this reply necessitates Is to be regretted. this government1 recognizes- the weight of the notice which induces if. 'DIAMONDS CREATED SUSPICION. Supposed Wife of Robber Nabbed By Chattanooga Detectives. A handsome woman dressed in cost ly garments, was arrested at tne Southern hotel ih Chattanooga on suspicion. When the woman: was searched at the police station, the matron found on her person diamonds valued at thousands of dollars and several hundred dollars in- cash. The lowest estimate of the amount she had on her person was $12,OW. The police arrested the woman on the suspicion that she was the wife oi a man named Harry Roberts, held at ' the county jaiT on the charge of robbery. The woman has given several difj ferent names and it is impossible tc | learn what her right name 5s. Horde of immigrants from Russia. The Hamburg American Lint steamer Patrica, which arrived at New York Sunday from Hamburg: I brought 1S1 cabin and! 2,435 steerage passengers. The greater number oi those in steerage were from Russia and came over to escape, conscription Negroes Cremate Italian. Christmas night, Baroni, an Italian was murdered at Borscyville, La., anc his body cremated by a gang of ne groes. The affair occurred about 11 o'clock, when Baroni was closing his' shop. I DETECTIVES KIDNAP INCENDIARY After Twenty-Five Years of Immun ity Letcher Comes to Grief. San Francisco dispatch says: George E. Letcher, of San Jose, whc is wanted by the Ohio authorities or the charge of arson committed r that state 25 years ago, and who ha been resisting, by legal expedients extradition, has been kidnaped by d( tectives and is now out of the juris diction of the courts of California. TCGO ENDS WORK I I I I Withdraws Nearly Whole of / ' 'yp-l j Fleet From Port Arthur J |IS NO LONGER NEEDED- jje 1 Jap Admiral Pays High Tribute t?, Vessels and Men Who Have Served so Faithfully Under v < .L^ His command. A Tokio dispatch, under date cember 24, announced that Admirali i Togo had- w.tharawn the majority ot\ ~ %?% ; the fleet from Port Arthur. | Admiral Togo, telegraphing under J date of December 22, says: "After 203-Meter hill was occup^ as the result of a gallant and aespeisr ate attack. by tne oesieging army, me ^ bomharament of the euemys ^quadI ron? by siege and other heavy 'jsSgj0??*& became effective. In consequence the * +y I battleships Poltava and Retnzan wewT*--' jw, ; sunk,, and subsequently the battle snips Potueda ana peresviet, tne pro- . teeter, cruiser Bayun were sunk. "The. battle ship Sevastopol escap- ^ ed tlie. land bombardment, left the i harbor and. anchored near Chentia mountain. She was attacked there continuously hy our torpedo boats and > : heavily damaged. The main strength of the enemy is completely' crushed. Only a weak, gun boat, the Osvashm, : ; and several, torpedo boat destroyers remain afloat Under the circumstances our. combined fleet has been. /./ removed as. unnecessary from ;the . ' f-v f| I blockade of Port Arthur, which had C Z ^ j been maintained since i'.ay 14. J "I have arranged for a closer waU^h ! for ships attempting to run jthe bio chads and to watch the remnant of the y,. enemy's squadron. We suffered from / f\ the enemy's, mines, both laid and float-/ [ ing on the rhigjL seas, and from dena* , y fogs. The cruisers Miyako, Salyett . * ' and Yoshino,, Hatsuae, battle ship Eni- mon, gunboat and neiyen, coast defense vessel;. were sunk, and many gallant and loyal officers, and men were killed; lint we succeeded In '. , - 5 maintaining, the blockade. When the enemy emerged from the harbor, our | fleet successfully engaged him, and v ./ finally, with the valuable support of ' /.,-;-j the besieging army, succeeded ia v crushing neariy all the enemy's squad- j ron. Our-second* squadron so heavily 1 damaged the Vladivostok squadron J that it has. since- been unable to leave yO "All th'lS; success is gratefully at? M trlbuted' to the bril ant virtue of our 'J emperor. "During the blockade all the shlpe #. I under my command splendidly accomplisbed the work and duty assigned fl to them, v Especially to be noted are -; M some of those who are engaged - in M the difficult and* risky task of blockading, or who tirelessly accomplished ,xJ| the work of laying mines in the.prea- fjm ence ofthe enemy .others who, brav- .-f/lI ing air dangers, were engaged in the>'m work of clearing mines away, an<y others still who- were posted to watch.- jJ the enemy and guard against the enp^ V ay's dhips. Their combined work \m strongly contributed to the ' accom- M plishment of the blockade. I deem it* 9 H my duty to especially mention myrecognition of the valuable servicer I * rendered by the officers and men." B CZAR NICHOLAS ISSUES UKASE.. IB Fearing Rebellion Autocrat of Rua^ .V sia Promises Some Reform#. " ~ mtB A St. Petersburg dispatch eays:- - >,? 19 Emperor Nicholas' long expected re- j*m form ukase was issued Monday night 9 The document deals, under eight *T special fteatls,. with practically- all th* . -9 subjects brought to the emperorifi- at- . . 9 tention- by the memorial of the con- jfl gress of zemstvos presidents held' itt ' 9 St. Petersburg last month, and. while not specifically pledging the govern* ment to carry out the various reform. >^^B in their entirety, as demanded" by the 9 memoriar, promises that each shall bo B referred to the council of ministers. B with orders to report promptly on t&e fullest measures of relief which can be accorded on the various subject*. J BANKER HLLO FOR AR&ON. JH ; Chicago Grand Jury Returns indictments Against Isaac Perry. U^9 The grand jury at Chicago returned fcfl^B I two indictments against Isaac N: Per? |H ry, former president of the Natkmal, ' Bank of North America. /3B The indictments charge him with1jfJ^B arson in connection with the burning Bi of the place of the Chicago Car and fttH Locomotive Works, at Hegewisch, DL He was liresident of the locomotive; |fl company, which was in financial difAcuities, The works were heavily in?|^lg^M sured. "V >. .i r T \i\yJAPS SUFFERED HEAVILY. * ~ MB Kuropatkin Reports a Lively Skirmish)^ Near Tapjnlin. |H A St. Petersburg dispatch says; .fjn^H General Kuropatkin reports skirmisit?^K^^| ing December 24th near Tapinlin. Russian advance post were drivemjit j^Hj by the Japanese,. but afterwards vanced again and >occupied their former position. The Russian were trifling, while those of the anese were heavy.