One of Forbes' Scoop * .
The following story Illustrates the
Sate Archibald Forbes' cleverness In
getting his news reports In ahead of
bfs fellow correspondents :
Hero Is a little scene : Time , near
midnight , after a hard day's work.
Everybody done up. "Hello , Jones , "
says Smith. "There's Forbes already
Asleep , like brass."v "By Jove , yes , "
quoth Jones ( incipient snore from
Forbes ) . "It would take ten horses
to wake him up * I'll turn In , " says
Jones. "Time enough to get our stuff
off tomorrow , eh ? " "Right you are , "
responds Smith.
In ten minutes the wearied warrior
scribes are dead asleep. Forbes rises
cautiously , passing out like a ghost ,
sits him down in a hidden corner with
the stump of a tallow candle , writes
like a whirlwind for a couple of hours ,
linishes with the last flicker of his
dip , saddles a horse , off he goes helter
skelter across the country , gallops for
an hour , delivers his letter , gallops
back , Is in bed by 4 , sleeps this time
"like brass" and no mistake.
"Hello , lazy bones , " exclaims Smith
at 7 a. m. , shaking the sleeper. "Time
to be up. old man , " adds Jones. "What
are you up to ? " quoth Forbes drowsily.
"We are thinking of getting our stuff
off. " "The devil you are ! Why hur
ry ? Let's have another snooze. "
At last Smith and Jones get their
stuff off and in three days discover to
their bepuzzlcment that they were 24
hours behindhand. Very provoking
to Smith and Jones. But if Forbes
had been the victim of the little ruse
he would have been the h'rst to laugh
over it and to congratulate his suc
cessful competitor.
Couldn't See the Joke.
Once Offenbach graciously accepted
the invitation of some friends to visit
them in Etretat As his hosts were
waiting for him at the hotel , one "of
them , who was very intimate with the
composer , suggested :
"Let us give him a rousing wel
come. "
'The idea was taken up and devel
oped. One of the party possessed a
collection of old weapons. This was
rdnsacked , and some two dozen young
fellows were soon equipped as halberd
iers. Another mounted a donkey and
waved the flag of the club.
When Offenbach's carriage came
in sight , a drum beat , the halberdiers
presented arms and fireworks were
set off from the balcony at 3 o'clock
In the afternoon.
As the composer stepped to the
ground a venerable old man approach
ed and presented to him the key of the
hotel on a silver platter.
Offenbach , vain as a peacock and
accustomed to all sorts of queer re
ceptions , entirely failed to see the joke ,
though it was as broad as anything
In "The Grand Duchess" or "La Belle
Helene. " He took it all seriously as
a tribute to his genius , and , with tears
in his eyes and in a voice that shook
with emotion , he murmured :
"Gentlemen , this is too much , too
much ! "
A Unique River.
Unique in its kind is no doubt the
Mocona waterfall in the South Ameri
can republic of Uruguay , situated
about two miles below the mouth of
the Pipcri Assu river into the Uru
guay. A great rock divides the river
into two separate streams in such a
manner that the right arm continues
its flow on the original level , while
the second arm falls gradually , so that
it finally lies 22 feet below the level
of the other arm. The bed of the up
per part of the river is not very deep ,
and the water flows partly in a right
angle to the river , thus forming a wa
terfall of more than two miles in
length.
This unique view presents Itself to
the traveler , however , only during the
winter , for in the summer , and espe
cially during the rainy season , the
Uruguay contains such immense quan
tities of water that both arms form
one single stream , navigable even for
the largest freight steamers. The fall
has been known for centuries , and a
description of it was published as early
as 1C91 by the Rev. Antonius Sepp. a
missionary from Tyrol , who spent over
20 years among the Indians of Uru
guay. n
S
3Ian Compared.
If man grew as fast in proportion as
a silkworm , he would be bigger than
an elephant in two months. If he
could navigate as fast in proportion
as the average house fly , he could cross
the Atlantic and back in the time it
takes him to eat his breakfast If he
had as many eyes in proportion as the
butterfly , he would have 40,000 , to say
nothing of an extra pair in his head
for skylights. If he could spring as
far in proportion as the spider , he
could jump over the tallest tree in
California , and it wouldn't bother him
in the least. Man isn't the whole thing
after all. Freeport Journal.
Artificial Sponges.
Artificial sponges are made in Ger it
many by treating pure cellulose with
zinc chloride. The product swells in
water and on drying becomes hard.
But to prevent this action alkalihaloids
are used. A pasty mass is thus obtain
ed , which , being treated with rock
salt , is then placed in a mold. When
removed , it appears to be traversed
by canals in all directions , and after
having been washed in alcohol and
a
water the sponge is ready for use.
s
S
Choice. ,
"Did you have any trouble in selectIng - "
Ing a name for the baby ? "
"None at all. There's only one rich
uncle in the family. " Richmond Dis
patch.
"Much learning makeib a man sad , " n
says one proverb , and another says , S
* 'A little learning Is a dangerous
jthlng. " So what are you going to do r ;
about It ? Chicago News. i b
Look Tlienc Up.
In many educational journals nowa
days we see pronunciation tests , catch
words , etc. , which may be valuable for
technical use and yet not being needed
every day In everyday talk are , like '
certain folks I know , chiefly InterestIng -
Ing on public occasions. I .should like
to put down here a list of words that
are very generally mispronounced.
Everybody knows how to pronounce
them perhaps , but being such common
little tilings , mere street waifs , with
unwashed faces , nobody takes the trou-
ble to "speak them fair. " Now , to
know what Is our duty and fail to do
it is a much more culpable thing than
not to do it because we don't know
what our duty is. So here they are ,
little , commonplace creatures , which
arc mispronounced every day :
Toward , again , bade , brooch , apricot -
cot , often , catch , hearth , aye. lieu ,
greasy , sew. scare , years , idea , area ,
bouquet , ague , bleat , rise ( noun ) , arc
tic , shone , route , gaunt , canine , juve
nile , infidel , corporal , tete-a-tete , trous
seau , amendment , restaurant , bicycle ,
were , recipe , frontier , depot , process.
recess , romance , tirade , essay , tarpau
lin , won.
The above are in common use and of
common abuse. Some of them of course
come from our sister , France , and
people are I'kely to say that they are
not expected to pronounce foreign
words correctly. Texas School Jour
nal.
A Natural LIprlithon e.
Stromboli , one of the Lipari islands ,
has constantly and usefully performed
the function of a lighthouse for at least
2,000 years. Circular in outline , the
island culminates in a conical shaped
elevation , due to past volcanic agen
cy , which rises to the height of 3,090
feet above sea level and is visible over
an area having a radius of more than
100 miles. During the day masses of
vapor are seen issuing from a point
high up the mountain side , and at
night successive displays of red light ,
varying in duration and intensity.
.somewhat resemble those of the gigantic -
tic flashlight on the coast. The flashes
last from under one to over 20 minutes.
gradually increasing to a ruddy glow
and as gradually fading away.
This island is referred to by several
very ancient writers as the great nat
ural pharos of the western Mediter
ranean. Now it serves the same purpose -
pose for the constant stream of trafI
fie passing to and from the French
and Italian ports in the gulfs of Genoa
and of Lyons , through the straits of
Messina ; for which Stromboli acts as
a "leading" light. To such an extent ,
is this the case that , although the other .
principal islands of the Lipari archipelago
pelage are marked by lighthouses.S
nothing of the kind is placed upon
Stromboli. '
A Dream Thpt Came True.
"Talking about dreams. " said Mrs.
Smith as we sat around the parlor ,
"I once had a very strange experience.
I dreamed that I was just stepping out
of my bouse for a walk when a funeral a
passed by. A man with a cap marked
nine and a red scar running across
his forehead jumped from the hearse
and. approaching me , asked , 'Are you
ready ? ' 'No , ' I replied , and with that
I awoke.
"A few months later I was stopping f
In Chicago. I was on the top floor of
one of the big houses and just about
to step into the elevator when I re
membered another thing I wanted to
buy. I stopped and looked through
my notebook. 'Down ! ' exclaimed the
elevator and then asked ' 'c '
boy , me , 'Are
you ready ? ' 'No , ' I answered , and the 41
door closed.
"The next instant a great crash was si
heard , and the occupants of the eleva- P'fi
tor were dashed to an untimely death. fiai
"The cap of the boy bore the figure ai
9 , and he had a red scar running *
across his brow. " San Francisco
Chronicle.
is
That Boy.
1.1
"Mamma , does money make the 1.1ai
ai
man ? " aiHi
Hi
"I am sorry to say it does sometimes.
g
Tommy. "
si
"Money will make a man go any
where , won't it ? "
b
"I suppose so. " In
"If it was down in Cuba , would
. . . ai
money make a man go to raising man h
goes ? "
b
"Don't bother me. "
"Do monkeys eat mangoes , mamma ? "
"I presume so. I wish you wouldn't
talk so much. "
"Then , if money makes the man go tlgi
to raising mangoes , and monkeys eat cc
mangoes , don't the monkeys make the cl
mango go" clai
Whack ! Whack !
cc
"Ouch ! " Chicago Tribune.
lo
ti
A Natural Wonder.
hi
Buenos Ayres seems to have the
largest "rocking stone" yet discovered. ofhi
It is situated on the slope of the moun
tain of Tandil , in the southern part of
the province , and measures 90 feet
long by 18 feet broad and is 24 feet tu
high. Its bulk is 5,000 cubic feet , and tum
weighs at least 23 tons. Neverthe si
less , it is so beautifully poised that a siui
single person can set it rocking. When flj
the wind blows from the southeast , Pi
the stone , which is pyramidal In form , in
sways to and fro on its foundation bi
like the branches of a tree. biw
Jn
The Tomato.
The tomato was known up to 1830
as a "love apple" and regarded with
suspicion. It originated in Spanish so
South America and , being Introduced at
into Italy from Morocco , was named he
"poma dei mori" Moor's apple. The
French called it "pomme d'amour. "
not
Bl
After.
Willie Pa , did Adam and Eve kick til
much when they was t'run out of the
garden ?
Pa Well , no ; not just then , but they
raised Cain afterward. Now go to
bed. 7
A Famous Square.
There Is said to be no equal in the
world to the grand and imposing
square of Paris , the Place do la Con
corde" . On one side of it in the Tuile-
riefl , oo the opposite side the Champs
Eiysees and on a third the river Seine.
in the center stands the obelisk of
Luxon , a magnificent monolith of red
Egyptian granite , 74 feet high and
weighing 000.000 pounds. Tills obelisk
was one of two of the same shape and
size , erected in 1350 B. C. , by Rame-
_
ses the Great at the entrance of the
temple of Thebes. Mohammed All ,
pasha of Egypt , presented it to the
French government , and in 1S3G it
was removed to its present position In
the Place de la Concorde. The re
moval and erection on the new site re
quired an outlay of 80,000 and the
employment of 800 men , the obelisk
,
being transported to France in a ves
sel built especially for the purpose.
The Place de la Concorde is rich in
historic interest. It was there that the
guillotine was erected in the "reign
of terror. " after the deatli of Louis
XVI , and It was there that the signal
was given for the attack on the Bastille
in 1789. Louis XVI and Marie An
toinette were beheaded there in 1793 ,
and it was the scene of great rejoic
ing In 1848. when France was pro
claimed a republic. The Place de la
Concorde has also been termed the
Place Louis XV and Place de la Revo
lution.
Rnttleannke Polnon.
. "Years ago. when I was a boy at
home , " said a southern man , "an un
cle of mine , who lived near Mont
gomery , was out on his plantation one
jj
day when lie saw an enormous rattle
snake stretched in a furrow of a cot
ton . field. lie seized a hoe lying near
by . and made a pass at the monster.
At the same time it struck out at him
and broke off one of its fangs on the
edge of the hoe blade. My uncle dis
patched the snake and then picked up
the fang and brought it to the house
_
as a curiosity. It was sharp as a
needle , and a faint yellow stain at the
tip showed where some of the virus
.
had exuded.
"The bit of bone lay for at least three
or four years in an ebony box on my
uncle's writing table in his study ,
when one day a stupid negro servant
girl , not knowing what it was , used
. .
it to extract a splinter from her thumb.
In less than an hour her whole lower
arm was swollen , and she exhibited
all the characteristic symptoms of
snake poison.
"My uncle had studied medicine and
by . prompt measures saved the girl's
life , but for some mysterious reason
gangrene subsequently appeared in her
arm. , and amputation was necessary.
My uncle lost no time in burning his
murderous relic. "
Two and Four.
"Two ? " demanded the peremptory
conductor as he took a quarter from
the woman who had just struggled to
place on the trolley.
"No. four. " she replied.
v
Four fares were rung sharply , and
the conductor handed back 5 cents.
"That isn't right ! " exclaimed the
woman indignantly.
"You said you wanted to pay for
four , " retorted the trolley employee.
"I didn't. " denied the woman. "You
asked if my little boy was 2 years
old. and I said no. he was 4. I sup
pose I'll have to pay for him if it's the
rule , but I don't think it's right"
The remainder of the sentence was
lost in the discords that issued from
the throat of the enraged conductor ,
who thrust ten pennies into the out
stretched hand and retired to the rear
platform ' to relieve his feelings more
fully by refusing to stop the car for
any one for ten blocks. New York
Press.
Piccadilly.
One of London's most famous streets
Piccadilly , which consists of shops
the ruffs , or "pickadills , " worn by the
and fashionable dwelling houses. The
name is said to have been derived from
gallants ! of .lames I and Charles I , the
stiffened points of which resembled
spear heads or pickadills. Some years
before the introduction of these collars ,
however , "Piccadille" is referred to ,
and it is surmised that the collar may
have ; been so called from being worn
by : the frequenters of Piccadilla House.
The Atmospheric Ocean.
The atmospheric ocean surrounding
the earth is frequently disturbed by
gigantic waves , which are invisible ex
cept when they carry parts of the air
charged with moisture up into a colder
atmospheric stratum , where sudden
condensation occurs. In this manner
long , parallel lines of clouds some-
times : make their appearance at a great
height , marking the crests of a ripple
air waves running miles above our
heads.
Japanese Art.
The Japanese is a born lover of na
ture. Whatever he produces , from the
most painstaking work of art to the
simplest household utensil , is after nat
ural models. In the representation of
figures and scenes the Japanese display
<
play a perception which is astonish
ing. With a couple of strokes of the
brush they reproduce what they see
with a truth to life which is almost
Incredible.
IIIs Only Fear.
The undaunted Corporal Caithness ,
conspicuously daring In a "pinch"
the battle of Waterloo , was asked if
did not fear they should lose the $
day.
"No. no. " said he. "I knew we could
do that. My only fear was that we
should all be killed before we had
time to win it"
An Anplrntlon.
There is woe and whoa , and if woe
would only obey our whoa It would be
worth w'hile driving. Milwaukee
Journal.
He Mfa the Ticker.
A London dettccUt visiting Glasgow
met a Scotch police official on the
street and in the talk that followed
spoke contemptuously of the ability
of Scotch thieves as compared with
the English experts.
Taking this as an aspersion cast on
the astuteness of the Scottish police as
well , the Glasgow detective wits nett
tied and thirsted for revenge. Look
ing around , he espied a little fellow !
who had been dogging them and who
was known as an expert pickpocket
Crossing the street he addressed the
boy , and , pointing to the retreating
figure of the English detective , lie asked -
ed If he would know him again.
"Aye. " replied the boy. "Whataboot
it ? "
"I want you to lift his ticker. He
says no one in Glasgow can relieve
him of it"
"Ah , it's a' richt See ony green ? "
"Honor bright. Tommy ! I'll give
you half a crown when you deliver up
the watch to me. "
"Ye will ? An what else ? "
"Nothing else. "
"Let's see , then. I'm to lift the tick
er , an you're to pay half a crown for't
on the spot ? "
"Yes , that's it. "
"An wad ye ken it if ye seen it ? "
"I would among a thousand. "
"Is that it , then ? " And the boy , div
ing into Ills trousers pocket , displayed
the identical watch and explained that
he had secured it "while the gent was
chafiln aboot the prigs.1 "
Oriental Punishments.
The heathen Chinee deems the dese
cration of graves one of the most un
pardonable of crimes , and , according
to law , any man finding another in
the act of robbing a graveyard may
legally kill the villain on the spot with
out fear of consequences.
If a Turkish baker palms off a loaf
of bread on you that is proved to beef
of less weight than it is represented ,
you can instruct a policeman to nail
the defaulter by one of his ears to the
door of his shop so as to be in full view
of the passersby. The poor wretch will
then be provided with a sharp dagger
or knife , with which he can cut himself
fee so soon as lie can summon up the
necessary courage required for the op
eration of self maiming.
In many of the oriental countries ,
where precious stones are looked upon
as well nigh sacred objects , it is no
uncommon tiling for a jewel robber to
be punished with death. In Tibet the
penalty for falling from your horse
when taking part in any military op
erations or public athletics is death.
One writer recalls how he saw a man
shot in Montenegro for appearing at a
review wearing a stained uniform.
Sacrificed the Mustache.
Thomas B. Reed at one time wore a
mustache of a few straggling hairs ,
so often seen on the upper lip of ex
tremely fleshy men. How Mr. Reed
parted with his hirsute apology can
best be told by a certain barber in the
house of representatives who attended
the gentleman's wants :
"One day the big man from Maine
settled himself in the barber's chair and
requested a shave. When the operation
was completed. Mr. Reed straightened
himself and asked. 'Have you any of
that old fa.-hioned pomade to wax
mustaches with ? '
"The barber hustled among his pots
and jars and produced a French prep
aration in vogue a quarter of a cen
tury ago and then proceeded to wax
the ends of the Maine statesman's few
wirelike hairs.
"When the man of snapshot sentences
arose and contemplated himself in the
glass , he turned to the astonished bar
ber and said , 'Cut this blanked blank
mustache off. for you have made me
look like a confounded catfish. ' " New
England Home Magazine.
irh
Old Teeth Bought. h
The following curious advertisement c
recently appeared in a London paper : 01
"Old False Teeth Bought Many ladies tl
tlai
dies and gentlemen have by them elder ai
aiw
or disused false teeth , which might as w
well be turned into money. Messrs. R.
D. and J. B. , of ( establish
ed since 1833) ) , buy old false teeth. If
you send your teeth to them , they will w
remit you by return post the utmost a1H
value ; or if preferred they will make H
you the best offer and hold the teeth "
over for your reply. If reference is vihi
necessary , apply to Messrs. , bank hi
ers , Ipswich. " cc
tlai
Impression Correct. ai
aiw
"Diuguss , didn't I lend you $10 a w
month or two ago ? " 01
01h
"Shadbolt , you did. If you had a h
good business head on your shoulders , '
you would be able to remember a loan B
like that with absolute certainty and sc
scm
wouldn't have to ask anybody about m
it" cr
crT
Frowns and passes on. Exchange. To
at
L'p In the Air.
This cyclone story is vouched for by
the Minneapolis Better Way. It is
that a cow which was picketed on a ai
rope was picked up by the cyclone and aiTl
carried up the length of her rope , about Tl
! 0 feet where she remained until the lu
storm had passed , when she quietly
climbed down the rope and resumed g <
her grazing. w
Pi
Scene Fainting : .
a
A good scene painter may pet any
where from $400 to $1,000 for a scene.
The average price paid to the best half
dozen scene painters for a scene is m
$500. But there are a great many more
scenes painted for $100 than $500. w
LI
As soon as a married man gets a
comfortable home built he begins to
worry his wife by talking about sell pa
ing it Indianapolis Journal. br
qi ;
There is nobody quite so busy as the
editor who tries to publish a ten page
newspaper in a four page town. th :
Washington Post dr
Made Itn Own Funeral Toilet.
There re certain Insects tliat have
such a respect for Mrs. Grundy and
are endowed with such an Innate love
of neatness and order that not even
death , or rather decapitation , can prevent -
vent them from making one grand
final toilet which Is clearly designed
to give them a sedate and respectable
appearance after death.
Dr. Ballion. a skilled entomologist ,
discovered this remarkable fact. "Duri
Ing I one of my recent horseback rides , "
he says , "I frequently caught one of
those large flies which annoy cattle
and horses so much , and I promptly
got rid of it by crushing its head ,
One day. Instead of throwing the mutilated -
tilated Insect away , I placed It on the
back of my hand and Indolently watchi
ed It For some seconds the insect remained -
mained motionless , but then , to my
unbounded surprise. It moved Its front
legs forward to the place where the
head should have been , and , after it
had rubbed them nervously together ,
apparently In anguish , it began to
brush its body and to smooth Its wings
with Its hind legs. Under the gentle
pressure of these limbs the bed } ' gradually -
ually became extended and the exI
tremlty curved , while the wings gradually - "
ually changed their natural position
and left the upper part of the body
exposed. Meanwhile the hind legs
continued to brush each other from
time to time.
"Naturally I watched this extra
ordinary sight with great Interest , and ,
in order to see the finale , I took the
insect into my study , where It lived
an entire day , spending the time at
the ungrateful task of making its own
funeral toilet"
CoiiUln't Itc.iInt.
An eccentric clergyman In Cornwall
had been much annoyed by the way
the members of the congregation had
of looking around to see late comers.
After enduring it for some time he
said on entering the reading desk one
day : "Brethren , I regret to see that
your attention is called away from
your religious duties by your very
natural desire to see who comes in
behind you. I propose henceforth to
save you the trouble by naming each
person who may come late. "
He then began , "Dearly beloved , "
but paused half way to Interpolate.
"Mr. S. . with his wife and-daughter. "
Mr. S. looked rather surprised , but
the minister , with perfect gravity , re
sumed. Presently lie again paused.
"Mr. C. and William D. "
The abashed congregation kept their
eyes studiously bent on their books.
The service proceeded in the most or
derly manner , the parson interrupting
himself every now and then to name
some newcomer. At last he said , still
with the same perfect gravity :
"Mrs. S. in a new bonnet"
In a moment every feminine head in
the congregation had turned around.
Millinery Trade Review.
A 3Iyutery of the Sea.
One of the most curious finds ever
made from the sea was that which
came to the Azores in ISoS. The is
land of Corvo was then in the posses
sion of two runaway British sailors.
One morning there drifted ashore :
craft which had evidently been frozen
in the ice for a long time. It was an
ancient and battered brig , without
masts , bulwark or name , but the
hatches were on. the cabin doors fast
and the hulk was buoyant. She had lit a
tle cargo , and that consisted of skins
si
and furs in prime condition.
No papers were found in the cabin ,
01
but it was figured that she was a
u
sealer or trader , carrying a crew of
10 or 12. and that she had been pro-
visioned for . The flour
a year. was
fc
spoiled , but the beef was perfectly fcol
preserved. She had been abandoned
ct
when frozen in an iceberg and drifted
for years. The date of the letter found
ir the forecastle showed that the brig
had bean abandoned nearly half a
century before. The two sailors got
out the furs , which eventually brought
them $4.000 , and two barrels of beef
and then set fire to the wreck. No trace
was ever found of its name or owners.
Just an Ordinary Steak.
"When in Hamburg , we supposed i"
is
we must do as the Hamburgers did , so
our first meal there we asked for S
Hamburg steak. " said the woman m.
'Besides ] , we wanted to see how that
viand would taste upon its native
heath , anyway. But to all our requests , ,
couched in our best scholastic German ,
the waiter shook his head. Like many * ? .
S1
another prophet , the Hamburg steak
was apparently without honor in its
own country. At ail events , our waiter a
hadn't : heard of it 'Oh. well , ' we said , 5 ?
'just bring us an ordinary beef steak.
p
But , lo and behold , when the meat was
served there it was all chopped up and
made into small cakes what Ameri
cans call , ii fact , 'Hamburg steak ! '
Hamburgers a Hamburg steak was
'ordinary steak. ' " New York Sun. s °
ai
A Good Scheme.
Mrs. Younghusband Do you notice sn.
any difference in the milk , dear ?
Mr. Younghusband I should say so. ot
This is a much better quality than WP :
have been getting latelj' . th :
Mrs. Younghusband Indeed it is.
got it off a new man. who said DP pli
would it be In
guarantee to perfectly
pure. So 1 uought enough to last for be
couple of weeks. otl
A Doom.
"The undertaker is very jolly this
morning. " in
"Yes. Three hundred new doctors tin
were > graduated last night" Harlem I
Life. tin
tin
The man that talks about the news ind
papers misquoting him is the man that afl
basn't any good excuse for getting
quoted originally. Chicago Journal.
When appetite prevails over reason , '
qu [
he first step to make the glutton and
drunkard is taken.
They * . . - - - .
the other day n
At n dinner party
well known and deservedly popular
dramatist took A lady down to dinner ,
neither knowing who1 the other was.
the theater was started ,
As a subject
as It is so often under similar circum
stances. .
"I can't think why they have reviv
ed that piece at the King's. " tfe lady
said. "I never liked it , and It's so
worn that I should have done better
than that ? "
"Yes , " the dramatist replied , "per
haps 1 so. It was one of my first pieces ,
however 1 , and I had not had much ex
perience when I wrote It. Let's change-
the subject"
The lady was quite ready to do so
and wished , no doubt , that she had
known who her neighbor was. Ho
presently said :
"Are you interested in the Fenton
case ? " speaking of a cause celebre
that was in progress.
"Yes. I've read all the evidence , "
was the reply.
"He'll lose it , of course , " the drama
tist went on. "He never could have
had the faintest chance from the first.
It's a marvel to me how any lawyer
could have been Idiot enough to allow
such a case to go into court ! "
"Well. " answered the lady quietly ,
"my husband was the Idiot. Let's
change the subject" ,
How He Dealt With Cowards.
In appearance Osman Pasha , the
lion of Plevna , was handsome and proi- _
possessing , looking a born leader of
men. Like Napoleon , he was always
distinguished by the plainness of his
uniform. He had a queer habit of al
ways , even in battle , carrying a pen
cil behind his ear , butt end foremost
He was taciturn , grave , abrupt and
disdainful of forms and etiquette. He
hated all foreigners , especially Germans -
mans , Russians and English. As for
war correspondents , he entertained the
utmost detestation of them , whence
the deeds of his army were never
chronicled as they .should have been.
He had a strange method of dealing
with cowards. lie would send for
them and publicly box their ears.
When really angry , his rage was terri
ble.
After the sortie and the surrender he
was seen to be weeping tears of rage
and shame. lie was , it may be , a
little touched by the Czar Alexander
II , who came up to him and said :
"I congratulate you on your superb
defenseIt is one of the finest feats
of military history. "
And that is the judgment of posteri
ty. Pittsburg Dispatch.
Good to
All native African races eat locusts.
With many it takes , and has to take ,
the place of the British workman's
beef and mutton. In a good many vil
lages sun dried locusts are an article of
commerce. The Sudanese are particu
larly fond of them.
Before they are eaten they are toast
ed. The wings and legs having first
been torn off. the long , soft body and
the crisp head form the delicacy.
I determined not to Jet my European
prejudices influence me. but to give-
the dish of grilled locusts a fair trial.
I thought how John the Baptist had
enjoyed them plus wild honey.
The one I was eating was rather
nice. I agreed with my Arab servant
that , should the meat supply fall short
disli of locusts would be a very good
substitute.
By the time I was eating the second
end locust it seemed to me absurd
why one should have : i sort of lurking
pity for John '
the Baptist's daily menu
unless it be for its monotony , and I
felt convinced that I should get tired
of honey sooner than I should of lo
custs. Current Literature.
The Sontv of the Yukon River.
"There is something peculiar about
the Yukon river that I have never
heard of in connection with any other
stream. " said Captain Gray , who has
been running boats on the big Alaska
artery. "From the mouth of the Yukon
up as far as there is any navigable
water the stream is constantly sing
ing. No
matter where you are , there
a sound like that made by escaping
steam. At first I used to think that
maybe it came from
. the boiler or en
gines. . But when we were tied up at
night , with everything cold , the sound
was the same. I have puzzled my
brain to find an explanation of the
phenomenon . , but without avail. The
singing goes on day and night
"When you get up stream some dis
tance , you can also hear the rocks
rolling over the bed of the river , and
this produces a most peculiar sound. "
Portland ' Telegram.
Freaks of Explosions.
Gunpowder explosions
have
one re
markable feature. The bodies of per
sons killed in such an accident are
always found without clothing but
frequently one foot will have the shoe
. This is true of liorses also If
sue of the feet is in the air and an
other on the ground , the shoe will be
ound torn from the foot that was on
he ground and not from the other.
When men are killed in powder ex
plosions , the foot that happens to be
the air when
the shock came will
found wearing the shoe , while the
tner foot will be bare.
It Clear.
A newly appointed French mayor
naugurated : his regime by a notice to
following effect :
"On the feast of our patron saint
fire brigade will be reviewed in
afternoon if It rains In the morning
in the morning If ft rains in the
Afternoon. "
Soothing.
He Look here. Matllde , I'm not
uite such an idiot as I look !
fc
