Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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^ W T Mynheer .Joe BY ST. QEORQE JtATHBORNE. CHAPTBB VI. [Continued.] ? "They told mc joo were engaged in % street brmwL I came hurrying up, ?apposing jou had been marked b j mwt sympathisers of the False. hUlhct. known to be In Cairo, only m And that they hare deceived me." "Not at all. my dear fellow." ?Do yon mean to say yon hare been t? itr "I must plesd guilty." ?They pitched on to your* "On the contrary, I think I did the hggresslve. Never could see a big log set on a small one." "Oh, that's the way the game runs, fts It? Well, did you chaw the big dog *P r 44 1 think I knocked him out. He's to that cluster over yonder. It's a lesson to him I hope, though I must admit the little chap was deuced s&ucy. and the other didn't give way ?m til forced almost beyond human en durance." "For my part, I'd have let 'em alone, flfcsuse a man Is small. It's no reason he should impose on those who are larger. The chaps need a lesson to leach 'em something," says the sil ver king, with a shake of the head. " Hynheer Joe laughs softly. "Let me complete my confession, my fHend," he says, with charming frank ""Willingly." "There was another reason why 1 threw myself Into the breach and took op arms against the more powerful sMe." Mr. Grimes elevates bis eyebrows End looks at his companion in a pe culiar way. "Well 7" he says. "It was on account of beauty that I took part in this disgraceful affair." "What! Was the old villain beating his wife?" 'Nonsense!' The thought of Molly Tanner spurred me on to interfere." "Come, no joking! What has she to flo with the quarrels of street brawl ers?" "You are very obtuse. Mr. Crimes, (t was her father who was in the af fair." "Oh, a light beams upon me." "Glad of It, sir. You see, 1 couldn't Stand by and see a little man like Demosthenes Tanner being Imposed apon. I brushed him aside and told his adversary to fight some one nearer his size. IIo did so? well, the result Is yonder." "A little man, eh?" "Well, he's little when compared With? say you or myself, for Instance." Mllfcfc Jn>HPSr? olfc yes, of course," with a grin. "And, really, the other man towered above him like a giant. I never felt better than when I faced him and gave him his quietus." "Is he down there yet?" ?*1 think he's getting over it now. Bee, the crowd parts. That's he sit ting there, with his hand up to his head. I reckon he's dazed." Mr. Grimes looks. Then he utters a low whistle. "You've done It, my dear fellow!" lie says, aghast. "Ob, he'll be over it presently; may have a headache to-morrow. But these knock-out-blows, If properly given, don't kill," says Joe, coolly. "It ain't that," continues Mr. Grimes. , "What, then?" "Well, you see? Deuce take It! Here she comes! Now there will be the ? mischief to pay!" Mynheer Joe hoars his words, and, turning his head, glauces around. There Is no difficulty in discovering |ust what Is meant. From the direc tion of the piazza a figure in white ad vances hastily. The lights of the piazza flash from the diamonds in her nars and at her neck. It Is Molly! Straight she comcB to where they ore standing, ns If In that motley crowd ber eyes have fallen upon these two figures first of all, and In them she yccognlzcs friends. Mynheer Joe feels a thrill of lion 1st pride as It flashes upon lilra that this beauty will soon be thanking blin from her heart for standing up in her fear old governor's place and meeting the attack of an entaged giant. It Is a pleasant sensation that creeps about his heart, for he feels that he bas done a good action. In these flays when a man dashes Into a burn ing house and saves a child at the risk of his own life, he knows hp has flone a heroic act, though his modesty may prevent him from boasting about tt Molly Tanner reaches them. It Is Mynheer Joe she sees, and to him appeals. Her looks are startled. lie will never forget how lovely *lie ap pear* jxUr., she clasps his arm and. fh a breanrfetfi mtranrr. gnftpR* "Oh, Mynheer Joe, is It true? Has ny dear old governor been hurt? lie la always so Impetuous? so ready to take offense. Tell me the truth. I can stand the worst. Indeed, I can!" Her voice Is pleading. One would Imagine that he Is endeavoring to hold back something from her that she fcbould know. "Miss Tanner, calm yourself, I beg," be snys. wondering how he can ex plain matters without bringing bis own share of It Into notice. "I am calm. Now tell me all," she replies, assuming, with an effort, a repose she Is certainly far from feel lug. "There hns been a little affair here over a dispute. I believe your father was engaged in It. Blows werb ex changed " ' "And my dear old governor ," she erles, tightening her hold upon hlf arm. "Wss unlnjnred. See, there he Is yonder at this moment," says the de lighted Joe, pleased because she does not leok upon Demosthenes Tanner, poundet and bleeding. catches j ffy closr x> his. ears. llolly la no longer standing theft1. Quick aa a flash of light she fllta across the open apace. Mynheer Joe heara a hoarse chuckle beside him. and knowa It proceeds from Mr. Grimes. Hla eyes follow the figure of the belle of Cairo. To his amazement, ahe passes the ^pugnacious little bantam without a look. What doca this mean? She lb on her kneea bealde tho recov ering Western cyclone! Mynheer Joe groans. He calls himself a fool, a dolt, as the truth flash ea upon him and he realises that It la Molly Tan ner's dear old governor whom ho has so scientifically knocked out! CHAPTER VII. ma FBOM OVEB TBS OCX 1.1V. Mynheer Joe. for once In hla life, feela a cold perspiration come out upon his forehead, which he nervously wipes away. He wonders Is this fear. The roan who haa braved ail mauncr of dangers In the past, faced death in its most horrible forms, in the poison ous swamps of interior Africa, through the jungles of India, where cobras, ti gers and vengeful natlvea lie In wait; meeting the crazed Mohammedan der vlshca of the False Prophet face to face In many an assault at Khartoom ?this man * actually trembling with fear because he dreuds the scorn of a woman! He laughs at himself for the fancy, but It la a nervous laugh, not at all natural, and turning, finds Mr. Grimes surveying him in a comical sort of a way. "Tell me, did you really think that little nincompoop was Demosthenes Tanner?" asks the silver king, in a half-choked voice, for to him the whole situation is inexpressibly funny. "I certainly did," answers Joe, won dering if It will remedy matters any if he should pass over and shake the lit tle terrier until his teeth rattle In his head; he has conceived a sudden ha tred for him. "A terrible mistake, my dear fel low," grins the other, nodding his head seriously. "Well, rather, under the circum stances. Tell ny? who that man is." Not that he is particularly anxious to know, but the question is a natural one. and will help to carry him out of a predicament. "The little man? That's the baron, one of Miss Molly's most devoted ad mirers." "Confusion! now came it that he quarreled with her father, then?" "1 don't know. He must have met Tanner before, but it may not have en tered his head that he is her father. Anyhow, the baron Is used to serfs, and Imagines he can run things with a high hand wherever he goes." "A Russian?" "Heaven knows what ho isn't? Rus sian, German and Austrian? he lias served under all tlieir flags. At pres ent, I have learned, he is under Alex ander, and bound for India by stages. Russia has dark designs on the rich possessions of England on the Indinn Ocean, and some day the hosts of the White Czar hope to rush over the mountains and overrun the whole of the empire along the Gauges. Wu may not live to see' It. but it will come, as sure as the vvorld moves." Mr. Grimes talks ia this way with an object in view? he Is interested in the subject, and at the tame time hopes to divert the mliul of his friend from the awful contrcuips Into wb'cli he has stumbled. In this latter he meets with a fair measure of success. As a traveler and explorer Joe Miner is interested in the movements of armies on the chessboard of Europe*. tUoligK' his knowledge of diplomatic entangle ments Is very small compared with that of the war correspondent. liy this time Tanner Is on bis feet. His late antagonist feels as though be would like to slink out of sight, not that be is in the least ashamed of the part he took in the recent engage* uient, but because he dreads the mo ment when Molly's eyes must fall upon hhu after her father has pointed out the man to whom be owes his 'lownfnl!. . He docs nothing of the sort, how ever, but manfully holds his own. They pass on to the hotel without no ticing him, whereupon Joe heaves a ?igh of relief. Then he takes himself mentally to task. Why should he care whether this young girl detests him or not? She Is nothing to him? can be nothing to him. Her coming across his path has been a mere accident ? a gentle ripple on the broad sea of his plans and existence. Then his mind goes back? he sees himself struggling In th* waters of the blue Mediterranean, while the boat beats back to his aid? his arms clasping the fair young girl who clings to him so confidingly. How often has this picture presented Itself before his mind during days and nights of peril, when death howled at the walls of devoted Khartooro. and brave Gordon fought back the hordes of dervishes agalu and again. It Is useless for Mynheer Joe to de dare that this young p!rl has no In fluence npon his life. He knows even while thus endeavoring to deceive him self that there Is something back of It all? a hidden power that manipu lates the wires- a fate that controls tnelr destinies. Accompanied by Mr. Grimes he again reaches the plnzzn, and seeking it quiet, retired nook they start In to on joy their cignrs. Mynheer Joe seeks to throw this hist disturbing element tn one side, and being possessed of re vmrkable will power, lie manages to <*.o so, concentrating his mind upon other matters. They chat about se veral things In general, and seem to be very comfort able. The explorer, when bio c igar Is half smoked, takes a glance around, and notes that they are quite alone, *~r the piazza at this point Is ed i the iraDftred la the dQjtiUou of tfninwii roML tor the hotels, olainr^al^r - It i| no killer Wterijr park. Tbe remnant of a February moon has uifl up over the bortaon. and lends a penciling of silver to t|i Bpptlan landscape. It Is very romantic. for tbe moonlight gleams freak many a dome-like mosque and towering min aret. ' Mynheer Joe. after noting the fad that they are quite alone, turns to his companion and makes a remark that* has a peculiar ring: "This is as good a time and place for explanations, Mr. Grimes, aa wo can find" The silver king looks at his compan ion and breathes out rings of smoke. "Explanations ? My dear fellow, to what do you refer?" he asks, but the expression on his face proclaims that be at least suspects. "There is no need of concealment between us. Mr. Grimes. You may de ceive these good people at tbe hotel, hut I have beard of you. sir." "Oh!" mutters tbe individual ad dressed. "Yes.** Mynheer Joe goes on quickly, as though his mind |g_ made up; "you ..ass as a silver king at Cairo.' Across the water, Sir. Grimes, you are known as oue of the shrewdest detectives in the country." lie pauses again as If *o let this shot go home. Both puff away at their cigars, as thougn tbe action may clear their brains. It is tbe explorer who b rent 8 the silence. "You don't deny the soft impeach ment, Mr. urimes?" be says, with a query In his voice. "I have no reason to, with you, sir, although 1 should not like this subject to btcomo common property." replies the stout man. In a singularly cool tone. "Perhaps I can even guess the object of your visit to Egypt in this year of eighty-five." "Make a try at it, now." "You are searching for a certain In dividual, by name, Joseph Miner." "Bull's-eye, first shot," laughs Mr. Grimes. ."Come, now, how In the tleucc did you know all this?" "I have been looking for a visitor from across the water. Something told me I should find him In Cairo. Your especial Interest In me caused me to be doubly watchful.' I remem ber your name through some peculiar Incident that happened when last I saw New York, and as a result I un masked the silver Ling." While he thus speaks Mynheer Joe shows no slgu of uueasl'iess. lie has not the manner of a man who has any thing to fear when he liuds an officer of the law following him. One who has embezzled a great cum of money might show signs of alarm, but this man evidently has no such burden upon his mind. It is with a far differ ent object in # view Mr. Grimes has sought him; ' that is evident. The pscudo silver klug watches him from the corners of his eyes. Now that his journey in the burning land of Egypt Has reached Its flultfon he begins' fo entertain doubts as to its ultimate success. Mynheer Joe ?* rudoubtcdly a man with I determined charactcr. not easily Influenced. Can he offer :uiy Inducements whereby the traveler a.i-.y change his plans ?'_*d revoke a vcw made in the past? Whatever se cret he carries with li'.in, Mr. Grimes fco.H'S it may prove efOct'.vc. "There is little use, then. In my ex plaining why I am over here," he says, laconically. "The same old story? to patch up a peace between Colonel Carrinsford, my uncle, and myself. I understand, (t means much to him that this thing la done, but. although I tiust I don't harbor ninlicc, 1 never want to see his face agn?n." "Nor will you, sir," says the other, quietly. "Ah! Then the colonel Is dead?" "Just ?o. He succumbed to hU en emy at last." "Peace be to his ashes! I've r.o doubt he kept his word nud disinher ited me?" with a peculiar inflection of the voice, as though tbe subject natur ally has some interest for him. "No? and yes!" "Come, that's a singular answ?r, Mr. Grimes." "It Is on that account I am over ! here. Perhaps you remember Jacic Austin?" "One of my best friends in the Qua ker CUy." [To be Continued.] Garlic, salt, bread ind steak are pot Into the ciadlo of a new-born b?by In Uolland. GREATNE38 THAT WA8 HIDDEN The New Reporter's Awful "Break," and It* Effect. There Is a well-known newspapei man who Is old enough to be married and have a family ? and has one ? whe is withal of slight physique, small stature, and elects to wear a smooth face. He has had some rare assign merits; has been a war correspondent has been to see Mont Pelee blow up, has lived among the ruins of Balti more, has been Intrusted with man} Important commissions, but he can not get over the habit of looking young. One evening recently he wenl to a public dinner to write an Intro ductlon, and a young reporter whe has been In the business about six months was assigned to the same place to report some of the speeches. The experienced reporter has had all of the public dinners he vant?, so he drifted In with the cheese, whereas the new reporter, to whom such things are a novelty, was on hand to get the oysters and secure his share of drink. The new reporter Is a youth of Impos Ing presence and magnificent self-con fidence. which will land him In an edl torlal chair In time. Ho had Just lighted his cigar when the expert enced man blew In and took his seat, modestly, on the edge of the circle of scrlbblcrs. The two men who figure In this narrative had never met one another, so neither paid any attention to his neighbor till the fresh young man had finished his cigar and his draft of the chairman's address, when he turned to hlu senior, gave him a quarter, and said: "Sonny, run across the street and fetch me a couple of cigars " And they tenderly bore away the remains. ? Brooklyn Eagle. For star tins early tomato or other plants la the bona* or la hot-beds use soda cat Into three -Inch cubes or nee old tin cons with th* solder melted off, or little paper boxes which hare only to be wet when placed in the ground. The transplanting Oaa then be done easily and well without checking the growth of the young plants. 'mdlig OmMk MmL It Is doubtful if there ia any value, from a atandpoint of nutrition. In corn cob meal, lta chief -ralue being that when fed with the meal of the corn It prevents the Impaction of the latter In the fctomach of the animal, some thing that must be done when large quantltiea of corn are fed. It is not advised that the mixed product of the market be bought, but If one wishes to determine for himself the value of the mixture with his particular herd, have the corn on the cob ground and then mix It with corn not ground with the cob, in varying proportions until the proportion is obtained upon which the stock gives the best results. This is the only safe way of feeding it. Gooil Orchard Treatment. In central New York there Is a four teen-year-old orchard that has always been managed on an exceedingly sen sible and profitable plan. The branches are trained to the spreading habit which opens the tree to the air and sun. For about eight years the or chard was plowed and plsnted to crops, which require thorough culti vation like corn, beans and potatoes. Then it was seeded down with alfalfa and inoculated. This developed a very thick sod which is cut three times a year for hay. This hay is fed to stock and then the manure Is ail hauled back again and spread around the trees. Under this system toe orchard baa made a very remarkable growth. Manure For Clover Land*. Considerable lias been written in this department in favor of spreading the manure 011 the farm during the winter as fast as It is made, provided the weather will permit. Undoubtedly this method of disposing of the manure for the benefit of the crop applies to any soil that is reasonably level, but Its good effects are more noticeable on clover lands than elsewhere In the experience of the writer. On every open day during the winter the ma nure is carried from the barn and put on the clover until such fields Lave re ceived all needed. The result is that the clover gets an early start and when it Is to be plowed under for the corn crop, we follow clov er with corn in the plan of rotation. It Is two feet high and all that It has gained from the manure Is turned back to the soli for the benefit of the auccceding crop. This is sensible ar gument, is It not? Try It and see how much greater profit is made from the manure supply. ? Good Pruning. 1-uttier Burbank, writing in Rural New Yorker, says that every experi enced nurseryman trims all the small side roots off his nursery stock before planting. Tbis is a universal custom, and in my experiments I have found that seedlings and very young trees should always be treated in tbis way under all circumstances. A young seedling tree which has Lad its roots cut off to within a few Inches of the rollnr, and the top almost wholly re moved, will In nil cases make a far better growth than the one planted with ail lts~ roots, even if the top should be removed. Of course, it is necessary to remove the top in pro portion to the amount of roots re moved, nnd strange as It may seem, it -Is especially necessary to prune the roots short when they are to be plant ed on land that has little moisture near the surface. For trees having many side roots divide their forces In Starting In all directions, instead of making a good, substantial main tap root, which the closely pruned seedling will always proceed to do. Though of universal application, these facts are especially applicable to dry climates like California and Texas. A One Horse Drnjr* At this season "if the year, when many farmers put in some time in re pairing and overhauling farm ma chines and conveniences and In figur ing on new ones, it will be worth while to consider the following from Orange Judge Farmer: Of the many tools introduced for pul verizing the soil none Is cheaper and less used than the ding. Some farmers term It "block," "leveler" or "clod masher." Its use can begin with a two or three horse size Immediately after breaking, when it levels the laud, so tooth or disk harrow oan do most HOMEMADB ONB flORSR DRAG. thorough work, and this fame form does admirably preceding grain plant ing of all types. But It 1* the one horse style used immediately after the cultivator In growing crops where the nicety of work proves it one of the most profitable tools. In early cultivation It gently hills the plants, doing away with on enor mous amount of hand hoe work, nnd leaves the surface In Its natural level ; condition, Insuring uniformity of depth i of future cultivations. During dry pe I rlods it is invaluable. All other tools loosen the surface, while the block on previously well lined land packs and jars the earth to the depth cultivated, retarding evaporation without Injuri ous root disruption. A one horse drag almllar to that sliown In the above cut can be made by any one at very small cost It may be modified or Improved to milt AIM'S faary.? ConascUcut Faratr. ItltMN la *M MQ The relations of oil wd water to tbr ?oil may be b?Mer understood by some easily made experiment*, which any one can undertake. If a pot. pall or any suitable vessel la filled wltb a cer tain weight (say, 100 pounds) of per fectly dry soil (dried In an oven), the beat, of coarse, changes the soil mois ture Into vapor and drives It off Into the air. If this dry soil Is weighed several days later it will be found a few- pounds heavier, the Increase being due to water absorbed from the air by the soil, just aa happens wltb quicklime or salt. If the room is closed and water boiled on the stove until the room is filled with vapor, the soil In the pot may gain an increase in weight. This Is called the hygro scopic moisture of the soil, deriving its name from having come from a va porous condition In the air, where its amount can only be measured by \ means of an instrument known as a j bygroscope. This hygroscopic junc ture enters into the very fibre of the i soil particles, rather than attaching j itself merely to their surfaces as does j capillary moisture. If a fine spray is I how thrown on the soli in the pot the j tiny drops would be eagerly seized l>y the small particles of soil. for. while the soil cannot gather and condense more of the vapor of water from the air. and associate it with its own par ticles, it at once shows a strong at traction for water in the liquid form. The water and the surface particles seem to desire the closest touch with each other, and, as water is a mobile fluid. It spreads out over the surfaces of the minute soil particles, euters in to the pores within the particles and fills the capillary spaces between them. A hard rain packs the ground, tbe moisture, however, going into the ground that has been loosened instead of flowing away. Water will evapo rate from tbe ground during warm, dry days, and as tbe moisture from the surface is lost that from below rises by capillary attraction to take its place. Millions of small tubes are formed, through which the water is drawn upward, and to prevent the loss the tubes should be broken off or sealed at the top. This is done when tbe surface soil is stirred to tbe depth of an inch, tbe dry earth serving as a blanket to keep the moisture in tbe soil. If a shower comes and again dampen? tbe surface the stirring of the soil should be repeated.? l'niiautti* phia Record. Hudlini Unruly IT oca. Any one who has tried it will testify j that it is not an easy task to handle a stubborn bog, and most hogs are stubborn. If one has occasion to do this work the device shown in the cut is simple and effective. Take a strong rope about tbe diameter of a clothes line and about, ten or twelve feet long. | From this cut off three feet *nd tie a * loop in each end; then tie the remain- J ing piece in the centre of the looped ! piece and bring tbe loop over the snout J of the bog after slipping tbe loops in j the first piece over his hind feet. Have j HALTER'FOn TTNRPliT HOGS." a ring in the long looped piece nnd through this Blip another ropo also looped so as to come over his neck, as shown In the cut. This rope may he heavier than the first one, and if the animal is unruly and strong the end which is shown over the back of the hog extending to the hand of the one who is driving it, may he slipped over his rtunp nnd into the lower loop and tied, leaving the long loop in the driv er's hands for better control. The il lustrations show clearly how the con trivance is constructed.? Indianapolis Newr " ? ' I Ylftlry WIb<1oih. Results Simpiy show what Ttlnd of . a man is behind the cow? so look out (live once or twice each week a few apples, potatoes or carrots to give va riety. Watch the bowels and if they are constipated give a little more lin seed meal. Cows should be fed and milked at the same time each day and in the same order. They quickly form habits, and any interruption or disappoint ment is quickly noticed by the lessened product in the pail. The food of lielfors must be such that it will nourish all parts of the body. They may manage to live on | hay. but they will be stunted in size I and *111 never equal their dams. | though the sire may be of n line of | the best butter makers. Ilesid^s that. ; i o I r constitutions will be weh?fned. and they will be subject to every epi demic that conies around. Stretch a wire the whole length of the stable behind the cows. Attach a snap with a ring on this wire and hang the lantern in the snap. It can then l?e pushed along where the most light is needed. A similar wire should be placed in front of the cows. A lantern should never be placed on the floor. If accidentally overturned a disastrous fire is the inevitable result. Too much stress cannot be put upon the manner in which cows are treated In the stables. A cow soon comes to like, or dislike, a person who cares for her, according to the way in which she is handled. Pet your cows, talk to them, railing them by name. They soon learn to come at call and to ex pect a pat or a gentle stroke. Good feed will be lost on a cow that Is eru elly ?r carelessly treated. A differ ence of twenty-five per cent, in pro duct has often been known to take place between cows that were equally good. They were fed the same, bul treated differently. A Utwl Ibwdi. r the time of the year when the frost is coming out of the ground and nearly all ttie roads in -and around our country towns are long lines of mire one cannot help wondering, when considering the sub ject of our highways, wby the liov ernment Is not quicker to respond to the appeals for aid in their Improve ment, and why it does not push the ndoptiou of a system of roads that tvill last for long periods -with but cMglit expenditure for repairs. N?irly seven yenrs ago the office of Ilond Inquiries of tlie Department of Agriculture conducted exp; rim cuts with steel rails for use on country roads, and made arrangement* with a large steel works for the rolling of suitable rails for this purpose. At that time the eight-inch rails l'or a mile of steel roadway weighing about 11H> tons, could be purchased for about $3500, and the price has not increased much since. A sample steel road two miles In length between Valentia and CJrao, Spain, had then been in use for five years under exceedingly heavy traffic, and had shown splendid re sults; yet the United States did not, and has not as yet, profited by this experiment in an ordinarily unprofit able foreign country, and we have to day no steel roods for commercial pur poses save the short section in Murray street. New York, laid about a year and a half ago. As for the foreign ex ample mentioned, during the time It has been In use, the annual cost of maintaining the roadbed has been $380, against $5470 yearly expended to keep the flint stone road which pre ceded It In repair. The average traffic over this road is 3200 vehicles per day. This example of a steel road and its lasting qualities is not the only one abroad, but It is the most noteworthy. But aside from the permanency of such a road, and the slight cximmisc* of keeping It in repair, the greatest ad vantage that it offers is the reduction in power required to haul loads over It. Tests have shown that while it re quires five time as much power pull a given load on a loose gravel or dirt road as it does over good mac adam, and ten times as much power to pull the same load through looso sand or mud, on steel rails only one sixth as much power is needed as on macadam. This great reduction in power, and consequent dimishment of wear and tear on draft horses. Is ail the more valuable in that it is perma nent and lasts throughout all sea sons; so that the farmer is not obliged to figure on a greater loss of time and fatigue of his horses at one season of the year than at another. If self-pro pelled vehicles are considered, these need not be nearly so powerful as they would otherwise have to be, and they can be operated with great econ omy. The importance of a special track for self-propelled vehicles was recognized in the early days of the locomotive. Such n track was built and improved until the steel railway track of to-day was finally developed. Now that the self-propelled vehicle has again come on the scene in the form of the automobile, it has drawn attention to the needs of good roads for all vehicular traffic, since the In crease in power needed to pull a ma chine through the mire can no longer be "whipped out of a horse," but intist be drawn from a large reserve, and. in the ease of the electric auto mobile, can be accurately measured on every machine. Thus, when it Is brought directly to one's notice, and the total mileage of tlu> machine is greatly reduced because of it. and t lie I owmr sees li is expense account rap- | idly rising, aiul demands a bettor j highway. This demand is soon to lie i fulfilled by private corporations, which have recognized it, and have' devised systems of steel roads that j can bo built at 110 greater cost than I n macadam road, and maintniufMl at i far less expense. It is to be hoped j that the supervisors of roads in the ' various States will investigate the . steel roads more thoroughly, and that I trial sections may be built for the J purpose of comparison with the best | macadam roads. ? Scientific Ameri- j "an. fioori Hoj?<l* (letting Into rolillcft. ? The contest for nomination to Con- I Kress between Lieutenant llobsoti. the hero of the attempt to bottle up Cer- j v? ra's fleet at Santiago, and Kepre- | tentative Rankhead, of Alabama, has j attracted wide attention. Hut it is j ?'?t generally known that the <jues ?11' of National aid to road improve ?nt was one of the hading Issues : the campaign. Lieutenant llobson rongly opposed the measure as un emocratie and unconstitutional, *!ile he talked in favor of great ap propriations for the navy. Mr. Rank uead, on tin* other hand, argued that i to aid the States in improving their j roads would be a better and wiser i n so of the National revenues. This . argument took with the voters and j Mr. Hankhcad won ibe nomination. | The rennsylvania State Republican j Convention has declared in favor of > the National aid proposition; also t lie | Republican State Convention in Ten* | o'essee. Maryland Adopt* State Aid. .Maryland has Just joined the list j of States working under the State aid | plon. The Legislature lias opproprl- I ated $200,0(10 to aid the counties of , the State in improving their roads. This distribution among the counties I is to be made on the basis of road mile- , age. Maryland is also the first State to | observe a "CJood Roads I>ay." The j day selected was April 15th. Director . I>odge, of the Office of Public Road 1 Inquiries, was the orator of the day ! ?t the celebration given by the State ! Agricultural College. Tb* ririt Cultivated Rote. 1t is raid that the first cultivated rose was planted In Heigium in the year 1522. The damask rose whs taken to England from France in l."7:i, : the rtioss rose about 17^4 and th? thlna rote fifty year* later. AI?RTICULTURE f TO KEEP APPLES FRESH. Take a sugar barrel, cover the bottom vith sand, put In a layer of applee, lien cover with sand and so on until Mrrel la full. Keep barrel In cool cellar. U?t year we kept russet ap )les as fresh and crisp as when first plucked until quite late lu the spring, tnd 1 see no reason why any wlntef rarlety should not keep the same way# -John Jackson, in The Epitomlst. .k PLANTING TREES. 'v A number of fruit and other tree* ire planted In the fall, up to the tlm? hat the soil freezes up. and at least or apple and peer trees it seems to be ; safe practice, says Farm and Fire* ilde. While It may be a question vhether we have not already a suf? tciency of commercial orchards of such Tults, and whether contraction would tot be more advisable at present than ?spausion in this field, yet as we are ontinuing to build homes, we muaf ?out in ue to plant home grounds with ill manner of fruit and ornamental rees mid shrubs. I cannot imagine a ?oinpiete home? a home that Is all thaf he name implies?without trees and 'lirults and vines and plants surround* ng It. The planting for home use and tdornment goes on. and often it is don? n an abominable manner,? Grecn't fruit Grower. ONION STORAGE.^^-? ^ The onion storage house shown here s located on the south side of a hill i ml l'acea south and east. It Is forty !eet long by twenty -four wide and has i stoue basement. The stone walla on ?lther side are seven and a half feetf ligh and two feet thick, the wall af Jie west is twelve feet high, the oue it the east end eight feet. There are ;wo stories above the basement. The loors are formed of boards three and t half inches wide and one and a quar? :er inches thick, with a half inch ipace between boards. The roof is nade of matched lumber, well put to* (ether, covered with several thick' aesses of building paper and shingled* The interior of the building Is lathed ind plastered, and the onions wilt ttand zero weather without freezing. On the ground floor there Is an alley Into which a wagon may be backed Tor convenience in loading. The build' !ng is provided with a return steam heater, so that it may be wanned iu the coldest weather. . There is also a forcing window 011 the south side, next to the east end. The cost of storace house, steam heater and 14HH? crates tor onions was $1000. When weil cured I store my onions ONION HOUSE. frith toyis on, and they keep just as Jvell as liny tliat Ik well cured, says a Michigan farmer, who gives the fore< polng description of his onion house in Drange Judd Farmer. They are not topped until sold. For convenience in putting In the crop there is a traek on^ the west end of the building running from the ground to the top tloor. The unions are carried up in a small cur iml dumped into the l>ius below. IIOUTICULTIJUAI* NOTKS. Keep your potatoes and oilier I'ruitB and vegetables out of the light as far as possible in your cellar, and keep them as cold as possible. Huckleberry plants, or blue berries, are not offered iu nursery catalogue*! for the reason that it is difllcult to secure young plants in quantity and that they are ditllcult to transplant. 1 believe in planting trees closely to gether in orchards or in garden rows, but when the trees begin to crowd pach other, or to completely shade tho ground. I would not hesitate a 1110 uient to dig out every other tree: Work in the garden is very pleasant In the spring, as the weather Is then pool and the ground not very dry and liurd. Ladies who make a specialty 5f flowers, or early vegetables, will lind the out-of-door work very bene liclal. The children should each have a little plot for their own use as a means of enjoyment. On/hards should be cultivated from parly spring to August 1, but they should be so managed that every year pome green crop can be plowed under to furnish humus and keep the soil loose and fertilized. In August or chards can be bowii to rye, or some other crop than can be plowed under the succeeding spring. Vnless there is a convenient market for the sale of vegetables the garden should be no larger than is necessary to afford a full 'variety, and In nhund' nice, for the family, ns the keeping down of the weeds ami grass in the garden Is a mntter that may rcqulro attention just at the time when the farmer is busy with his spring plant' Ing: but every farmer should have a garden, even if but a few kinds oC vegetables are grown. Hidden Tattoo Murk*. An escaped convict was on trial be* fore a French court, and the question turned upon his identity with a pris oner known to have been tattooed*' There was no appearance of colored marks upon his arm. and the question' submitted to M. Leroy, the mcdlco-le-' teal expert, wa? whether the man had pver been tattooed. M. Leroy applied' strong friction to the skin of the man'*' arm. This had the effect of bringing' out white lines ns cicatrices, with a' flight bluish tint. Ity this means the' Word "Sophie" was plainly legible In Wfllte marks on the reddened skin. This proved the identity of the con* Vict ? '