10 THE OMAITA DAILY HEB : SUNDAY. JAXUAKY 21. 1000.
WEIRD TALES OF HOBO WOE
Artistic Ghost Stories Reeled Off by Weary
Willies on the Wing.
JOSIAH FLYNT GIVES SOME EXAMPLES
JUoir n AVoinnn Wlio XPVPP 1-Vil Itrn-
Kftrn WIIN Pc-rmnniU-il to llrcaU Her
llulc I-'Irnt ln ) > - f I In * Week
with tliuVnjfiircrn. .
" 'opy righted , 1D 0. by Joslah Flynt. )
Besides studying the persons of whom ho
Ibpgs mid to whom ho adapts his "ghost
stories" as their dlfforont natures require ,
the tramp also has to keep In mind the tlmo
of the day , the slalo of the wenther and the
character of'tho community In which he Is
Legging. 1 refer , of course , to the expert
tramp. The amateur blunders on regard
less of these Important details , and asks for
things which have no relation with the time
of the day , the season or the locality.
It is bad form , tor Instance , to nsk early
in iho morning for money to buy a glass of
whisky and it l.i quite Inopportune to request
a contribution toward the purchase of n rail
way ticket late nt night. The "tenderfoot"
is apt to make both of thcso mistakes ; the
expert , never. The steady | trons of beg
gars nnd all old hands nt the buslncsH
ecldom realize how completely ad
justed to local conditions "ghost stories"
arc. They probably think that they have
licanl the story told them tlmo and again
nnd In the same way , but If they observe
carefully they will generally find that either
In the modulation of the voice or the tone of
oppression It Is different , on rainy days , for
Instance , from -what It la when the sun
Hhlncs. It takes a trained ear to discrim
inate and expert beggara realize that much
of their flneesc Is lost oven on persons who
Rlvo to them , but they arc nrtlstH In their
way and believe In "art for nrt's sake. "
Then , too , It Is always possible that they
will encounter somebody who will appreciate
their talent , and this Is also a. gratillcatlon.
NriiNOiinlilc lli'KKliiK.
Speaking generally , there Is more begging
rtone in winter than in summer , and more In
the cast and north than in the south and
west , hut some of the cleverest begging takes
jilaco In the warm months. It Is compara
tively easy to get something to eat and a
bed In a lodging homo when the thermome
ter stands 10 degrees he-low zero. A man
feels mean In refusing an appeal to his gen
erosity at this time of the year. "I may bo
cold and hungry some day myself , " ho thinks
and ho gives the beggar a dlmo or two.
In summer , on the other hand , the tramp
haii no freezing weather to help him out , and
has to Invent excuses. liven the story of
"no work" is of llttlo use In the summer.
This Is the season , an a rule , when work Is
most plentiful and when wages are highest ,
and the tramp knows It nnd is aware that
the public also understands this much of
political economy. Nevertheless , he must
live In summer as well ns in winter , and ho
has to plan differently for both seasonn.
The main difference between his summer
and winter campaigns is that ho generally
travels In summer , taking In the small towns
where people arc lees "on to him , " and wlnro
there arc all kinds of free "dosses" ( places
to sleep ) In the shape ot b.irns and empty
homes. In November ho returns to the cities
again to get the benefit of the cold weather
"dodge" or goes south to Florida , Louisiana
and Texas.
Probably ID,000 eastern and northern
tramps winter in the south every year.
Their luck there seems to bo entirely In
dividual ; some do well and others barely
live. They nro all glad , however , to return
north In April and go over their old routes
again.
An amusing experience that I had not long
ngo Illustrates the different kind of tactics
necessary In the tramp's summer campaign.
So far as 1 know ho has never made use of
the story that did mo such good service , and
that was told in all truthfulness , but It has
Klncc occurred to mo that ho might llnd it
useful and I relate It hero so that the reader
may not bo taken unawares if some tramp
ehould attempt to get the benefit of It.
A Clcvrr Triitnii'N St-lu-iur.
In the spring of 1S9S I had to make an In-
upection for a railroad company of the tramp
situation on foniu railroads In the middle
wept. During the first month of the Investi
gation I lived llko a veritable tramp , so far
ns traveling was concerned , but 1 paid for
my meals out of funds sent to me In small
Installments by u friend In the cast. Once
the remittance from the east was delayed
a llttlo and I found myself ono day at din
ner tlmo down to my last nickel.
1 was traveling in nuite a company of
lounders and on the day in question we
were "beating" our way on a freight train
toward u town where there was a poorhouse
night shelter. Noon tlmo found us all
hungry and wo got off the train at a small
Tillage to look for lunch. It was such a
diminutive place that it was decided that
each man should pick out bis particular
"beat" and confine his search to the few
houses It contained. If sonic failed to get
anything , thosn who were more- successful
were to bring them back "hand-outs. "
My "beat" was no sparsely settled that I
hardly expected to get to much as a piece
of bread , because the entire village was
known to hatn tramps , hut an inspiration
t-amo to me as 1 was crossing the fields ,
nndgot a "set down" and a hand-out" at
the first house 1 visited.
The Interview at the back door ran thus :
"Madam , " she was u rather severe looking
woman. "I havti exactly 5 ccntH In my pocket
nnd I am awfully hungry. I know that you
don't keep a boarding house , but I have
como to you thinking that you will give
iTio more for my nlckol than the storekeeper
will over in the village. 1 shall bo obliged
to you If you will help me out. "
A look of surprise cnmo Into the woman's
face. I was a now species to her , and I
Jsnew It. and she know It.
"Don't know whether wo'vo got anything
fou want , " HUO said , as If I were a guest
rather than a wayfarer.
"Anything will do , minium , anything , " 1
replied , throwing into my words all the I I
sincerity of which u hungry man Is capable.
Bho Invited mo Into the dining room nnd
pave me a most satisfying meal. There j
were no conversational Interruptions. I ate |
my meal In silence ami the woman watched '
mo The n w spci-los Interested her. |
Just a 1 was finishing she put some
AV. K. NKWMAK ,
Staunton , Va says : | "I wnsafllictpd
with Contagions Blood Poison , and
the boat doctors did mo no good.
In fact , I scorned to get worse all
th ) while. I took almost every so-
called blood remedy , but they did
not reach the diseases. At the advice
of a friend. I then took S. S. S. .
and began to improve. 1 continued
the medicine nnd it cured mo completely -
plotely , nnd for ten years I have
never had a sign of the disease tote
to return. "
, The
( Swift's Specific ) is the only remedy
which con eradicate Contagious Ulood
Poison. It is guaranteed purely rtqetablt ,
Book on Belf-treatmunt mailed free b/
Swift Specific Company , Atlanta , Qa.
, cuke and pie Into a newspaper.
1 had made n good Impression.
"There , " she ald , an I was about to go.
"You may need It. "
I held out my nickel nnd thanked her.
She blushed and put her hands behind her
bank.
"I don't keep a hotel , " she said rather
Indignantly.
"Hut , madam , I want lo pny you. I'm
no beggar. "
"You wouldn't have got It If you had
been. Oood-bye. "
Knoli linn UN "S.vntrtn. "
The tramps' methods of begging , ns has
been said , nro largely regulated by circum
stances and experience , but even the nma-
tours among thcoi have theories about the
profession , nnd they nro never more Inter
esting than when sitting around sonic
"hang-out" cnmpfiro discussing their no
tions of the kind of "ghost stories" that go
best with different sorts of people. Indeed ,
the bulk of their time Is passed In confer
ences of this chnrncter. Knch man , llko the
passlonato gambler , has a "system , " and ho
enjoys "chewing the rng1' ab.iul its In-
trlcacltfl. The majority of the systems are
founded on the tramp's knowledge of wo
men. Taking the country by and largo ho
sees more of women oil his hogging tours
than of men , nml It Is only natural that his
theoretical calculations should bo busied
mainly with women. Sane trnmps believe
thnt they can tell to a nicety what n blonde
women will give In excess of n brunette , or
vice versa , nnd the snmo of n large woman
In contradistinction to a small one. Much
ot their thoorlzlng In thcso matters Is as
futllo as Is the gambler's estimate of his
chances of luck , but certain It Is thnt after
a long apprenticeship they become phenome
nally accurate In "sizing up" people ; nod It
Is ho who can correctly "size up" the great
est number of pcoplo at first glnnco and
adapt himself to their peculiarities that
comes out winner In the struggle.
Next In Importance to the ability to np-
pralso correctly the generous tendencies of
his patrons , nnd to modulate1 his voice and
to concoct stories according to their tastcf ,
come the tramp's clothes and the way hi >
wears them. It probably seenw to mcst
persons that the tramp never changes hit )
clothes and that he always looks as tattered
and torn as when they happen to sec him ,
but the expert has almost as many "changes"
an the actor. Some days ho dresses very
poorly ; this Is generally the case In winter ,
nnd on other days ho looks as neat und clean
ns the ordinary business man. It all de
pends on the weather and the "beat" he
has chosen for the day'e work. Every mornIng -
Ing before ho starts out on his tour he takfs
a look at the weather and decides upon his
"beat. " The "beat" selected , he puts on
the "togs" which he thinks suits the weather
and away ho goes for better or for worse. In
New York City there are probably 100
scientific beggars of this character , and they
live ns well as does the man with a yearly
Income of $2,000.
Siimlnjnn ( lip Itnnil.
Sunday Is the most dlenial day In the week
to the average tramp the beggar who Is
content with his three meals a day and a
place to lie down in at night. Hut few
men who go on tramp for the first time
expect that Sunday Is going to be any dif
ferent from any other day In the week.
They usually reach "the road" on a week
day after a debauch , and they find that
their soiled clothes nnd general unkempt
condition differentiate thorn in public
thoroughfares very llttlo from hundreds of
worklngmcn. No policeman worries them
with auspicious glances , and In large cltlea
they pass unchallenged even : n the dead of
night. Indeed , they receive so little notice
from any ono that they wonder how they
had over Imagined that outcasts were such
marked human beings.
Then comes their first Sunday. They g t
up out of their hayloft , or wherever It maybe
bo that they lay down the night before , prepared -
pared to look for their breakfast Just as they
did on the day before , and , after brushing
off their clothes nnd washing themselves at
some pump or public faucet , they start out.
In a small town they feel that something Is
wrong before they have gone a block , nnd by
0 o'clock In large towns they ilecide to go
without their breakfast , If they have not yet
got It. A change has come over the earth ;
they Bcem out of place even to themselves
and they return through back streets to
their lodging houocs or retreats on the out
skirts of the town , sincerely resrettlng that
they are tiavelers of "tho road. "
A number of men In the world have to
thank this Sunday nausea that they are to
day workers and not tramps. The latter feel
the effects of It to the end of their days ; it
Is as unescapablo a death , hut , like o.iln
sea-faring men who never cot entirely free
of sea-sickness and yet continue as sailors ,
so old vagabonds learn to expect nnd endure
the miserable sensations which tiiey ex
perience on the first day of the week. These
sensations nro duo to the remnant of man
hood which Is to be found In nearly all
tramps. The bulk of them are for all
practical purposes outcasts , but at breakfast
tlmo on Sunday morning they have emotions
which on week days no ono would give them
credit for.
It was my fate some years ago to bo ono
of a collection of wanderers who had to
while away a Sunday In a "dug-out" on a.
bleak prnlrlo In western Kansas. Wo had
nothing to eat or drink , and practically
nothing to talk about except our dismal
lot. Toward nightfall wo got to discussing
In all earnestness the imlserahleness of our
existence , and I l\a\o \ always remembered
the remarks of a follow sufferer whom wo
called "West Virginia Drown. " Ho wcs sup
posed tn bo the degrucrato ticlon of a noble
Kngllsh family , and was ono of the best
educated' men 1 have ever met In Iloboland.
Ho took llttlo part In the general grumbling ,
but nt last there wus a lull in the conversa
tion and ho spoke up.
"I wonder , " ho said , "whether the g-cd
people who rest on Sunday , go lo church r.nd
have their best dinner In the week realize
how life Is turned upside down for us on
that day. There have always been men like
us In the world , and 11 is for us as much as
for any one , HO far as I know , that religion
exists , < iid yet the day In the week set apart
for i elision Is the hardest of nil for us to
worry through. Was It , or wasn't It , the
Intention that outcasts wcro to have re-
llglon ? The way things nro now WP are
made to look upon Sunday nnd nil that Itj ! j
mca.is with hatred , nnd yet I don't believe
that there's any one In the world who tries
to IP any equarcr to hlfi pals than wc > do ,
and that's what 1 call being good. "
The last "tho road" know of Drown ho
was serving a llvo years' sentence In a
Canadian limbo. Ills lot cannot be pleasant ,
but mcthlnks that on Sundays at leubt bo
Is glad that ho Is not outride.
JOSIAH KLYNT.
\Vliv llr.WiiK Afralil lo MM.
At an auction sale of miscellaneous goods
nt a country store the auctioneer put up a
buggy robe of fairly good quality , reports
nn Ohio exchange. An old farmer Inspected
It closely , seemed to think there was a bar
gain in it and yet ho hesitated to bid.
"Think It cheap , " asked the auctioneer ,
crying n 10-cent hid :
"Yes. kinder , " wa the reply.
"Then why don't you bid and get It ? "
"Wall , 1'vo bought heaps o1 things In dry
goods and so on , " slowly rejoined the old
man. "and 1 never yet took home anything
that the old woman thought was worth the
price. It I got that 'ere robe for even 15
cents she'd grab It up , pull at ono end , chaw
on a corner and call out , 'Cheated again
morc'n half cotton ! ' That's tb' reason I
dasn't bid. "
The moJern and most effective euro for
constipation and all liver trouoics the fa
mous llttlo pills known as DcWlU's Lltilo
Early Risers.
/ j 'DlSflUCT ' MESSENGER BOYS
Indispensable end Unique Adjuncts to the
Well-Being of Metropolitan Life.
OMAHA I'AS ITS SHARE OF BRIGHT LADS
Superior * to Ulclinril Iliirilliii ; DavlV
Iioniliin "III"iliiKKirM Arc Knilly
Found In Till * mill Oilier
Wrntcm ( . 'Kirn.
Omi of the a < est Indispensable nnd unique
characters of a metropolitan city Is the dis
trict met cngcr boy. He must be n hustler ,
must know the town so thoroughly that ho
can reach any street nnd number by the
eboitcst luute , must have no dread of dogs ,
must have boldness "gall" Ihe hoys call It
enough to carry him through any kind of
an emergency , but withal he must ho polite ,
| for the mt'ssengcr boy encounters all sldou
i of llfu. llii versatility must be so well de
veloped that ho can properlj acquit him-
] j sell In a pastor's study , although a few
minutes beforeho may have had business
that carried him Into the lowo.u slums.
Omaha has perhaps a larger retinue ot
messenger boys than any other city of Ilk !
slz In the west. The only reason apparent
for this Is thu fact that Omaha is populated
i by prospctous citizens able to afford the fee
i
exacted by n messenger. Many men about
town hire a messenger to carry a note , even
though they could make the same communi
cation over a telephone.
ll } N of Tontlrr Ajir.
A study of the district messenger offices
In Omaha reveals a surprising lot of boys
of tender ngo engaged In the service. Some
of them are not moro thnn 12 years old , al
though the average ago Is about 13. The
ninn who can excel these lads nt repartee
Is worthy of distinction. They have nn nn-
swci to fit every question and no Joke Is
too complex for their comprehension , pro
vided a Joke Is really involved.
The messenger oillees have two "shlft.s"
of boys one for day work , the other for
night. It Is glory enough for one day when
a lad bocomcs sufficiently skilled to bo trans
ferred to night duty , lie feels as ho did
when ho was changed from kilts to trousers.
The work Is supposed to bo more difficult nt
night , but what cares young America ? HP
is looking for adventure , and he fuels that
thi-ro Is moro of It to be found after sunset.
When ho has no call to answer at night
ho sltH on n hard board bench In the office
and swaps stories with other members ot
the < night force. Each ono vies with the
other to sec who can tell the most vivid
tale of adventure. As a matter of fact ,
these youngsters meet all classes of people ,
and If they are of an observant disposition
and they usually are they soon accumulate
a fund of stories that are Interesting.
The average messenger hey may be
trusted with almost any kind of a secret.
Ho Is not a tattler. Ho may know that the
man who sends homo a message to tha
effect that ho Is detained down down to
work on his account book Is telling an un
truth , yet the boy doesn't volunteer the
Information when ho hands the endearing
note to the patient wife. In short , he usu
ally knows a vast amount about other
people's business that ho doesn't tell.
In some of the larger cities messenger
boys have been employed by suspecting
wives to shadow husbands who keep late
hours , but If this custom has over reached
Omaha the fact has been carefully con
cealed. But there Is no doubt that the
messenger service Is nn excellent training
school for detective work.
Mi'xxonirerM Arc Tmxtpil.
Messenger boys are In a way trusted as
Implicitly as Is the hank cashier. They are
frequently entrusted with the delivery of
large sums of money , nnd they often carry
diamonds and Jewelry. They may not know
the precious contents of their package , but
It would make no difference if they did , for
as a rule they are rigidly honest.
A boy who looked as though ho had Just
turned Into his fifteenth year came Into The
Bco editorial rooms the other day clnd In
the regulation uniform. Supplemental to
this ho were duck legglns such as were
worn by Uncle Sam's soldiers in the Span
ish war.
"Don't you know the war Is over , and
that you should take off your leg wrap
pers ? " said one of the reporters to the
boy.
"Shuro ting , I knows de war is over an'
stuff's off , but dls guy's a rough-rider In
de etandln' army. See ? "
That was the lad's reply.
The full-Hedged messenger boy is supreme
authority on slang. He hears the newest
phrases ns rapidly as they nrc coined , and
ho probably coins many of them. But It
must not ho Inferred that he can talk noth
ing but slang , for ho can rise to any
emergency.
Telegraph messenger boys nro also Inter
esting characters In a way , but the district
boy's experience Is so vastly more cosmo
politan that ho overshadows the lad who
carries nothing but telegrams.
Hichard Harding Davis thought he was
doing something wonderful when he found
a London messenger by the name of Jaggers
who carried a note from London to ChlMgo
a few months ago , but right here in Omaha
are boys who can outclass Jaggers It given
transportation.
Ul'AIXT KKATI HUS OF Ml-'i : .
When Mrs. I'aulliui Militancy nt Jersey
City applied for letters of admlnlctratlon of
the estate of her husband. Michael Mill-
laney , deceased , question as to whether she
had really been Mullaney's wife was raised
nnd to prove her marriage she Introduced
a photograph of a tombstone which had Len
erected over the grave of her ton. I'arl
of the Inscription on the stone was nn fol
lows : "Our Llttlo Slmcy Simon 1C. , son of
Michael and I'aulluo Mullaney. Died March
23 , 1873. "
While- Deacon Mervln Miller of the Dap-
tht church of Montowcse , Conn. , was In nt- | I
td'd.inee nt n meeting of the church Irtis-j
( res some ono painted on the hack of his j !
si-ay in which ho had driven Into town , a ] I
largo whisky bottle. There Is sr.indnl In I
town , especially because. . Dcncon Miller ac
cuses the Montowi-se Literary club as be
ing responsible for the painting and be
cause , ho do.'lnrrn , the plcturn shall stay
on the shay as long as it lasts.
A new ' 'religion" han bren Invented In ]
Hockmurt , Ou. , by a Mrs. Roberts , one ot j
the tenets of which consists In offering anl- ] i
mal sacrifices. Mrs. itoberts Is high prlost- |
era nnd nho now has eighteen followers.
SMo was formerly a member of the Baptist
church for thirty years , Converts to the
n w faith are rr < ailo "by force and fear" nnd
the community Is being terrorized Ono of
tlu < beliefs of the faithful Is that all who
rldo bicycles will ho damned.
James Kgolf of Buena Vista. Va. , who Is
t
short ot stature , broke through the Ice while
tkatlng near the shore on the North river. 1
The water was over his head nnd ho had
gone down for the second time when a inun
over six feet tall stalked boldly Into the
hole and , standing on the river's bottom ,
1 eld Egolf up until help came. The rescuer's
name could not be learned. Ho wns sub
merged to his neck while aiding Kgolf.
The name Tommy Atkins applies to the
British soldier just as the name Jack Tar
1
applies to the British sailor. Years ago
the War department Issued to each soldier
a pocket manual In which ho was to in-
scrlbo hie name , homo address and other
Information about himself. In the form ,
Riven. Instead nf a blank wan Tommy At-
kins Instead of the legnl John Doc. The
IK ok w therefore called by the soldiers
Tommy Atkins and It wns not long before
the nnmo was transferred to the troops
tl.Miiselvcs.
The latest contribution to the hlntory of
how changes In public tnsto affect buslne * *
nnd employment Is contained In the story
told by Charles Wallace to the Now York
police authorities. Wallace Is a blind man
who made a good living by playing nn ac
cordion on the street corners In the "Ten
derloin. " He paid no attention , however , to
the rule laid down In ono of the current
popular songs , "You've Got to Play Itig
Time , " and never mastered that peculiar
j inea uio. As a consequence he snys his
business has fnllen off until starvation stares
htm In the fnco nnd he has been obllzrd to
nppp.1t to charity. It Is generally felt that'
If ho has really never played rag time ho Is
a worthy object.
Parts has n hoicl for working girls ,
founded by n wealthy woman nt the cost
of 1,000.000 francs , nnd It Is the home of
the Ainleltla club , with thirty rooms for
shop girls and a good nnd cheap restaurant ,
to which any working woman may have nc-
cess. Each of the members pays n small
sum toward a fund used In the common In
terest * of the association , which keeps up
lectures and educational classes nnd other
wise provides for the cntertnlnment and In
struction cf the members. The club house
Is a restored mansion 200 years old , near
what was once the hotel of Mmc. do Sevlgne ,
now the Musco Carnanlot , In the Hue de
Pare lloyale.
F. n. Thlrklcld. health Inspector ot Chicago
cage , Bays : "Kodol Dyspepsia Cure cannot
bo recommended too highly. It cured ma
ot severe dyspepsia. " It digests what you
cat and cures Indigestion , heartburn pnd
11 forms of dyspepsia.
* IN THE WHEELING WORLD. TT
f T
The bicycle trade Is up against the old ,
shelf-worn bluff once more. That position
U one of the features of midwinter show
time. At this season any old disturbance Is
welcome to fracture monotony nnd stimu
late talk. Besides , the manufacturers deem
it a part ot the business to Impress their
Importance upon jobbers nnd retailers and ,
Incidentally , remind them that rules and
prices muni be stuck to at any cost. Here
tofore the annual edict of the manufacturers
provoked the dealero to smiles. If their
rl.slhles are agitated similarly this season It
behooves them to exercise some restraint
until they are out of the woods. The Ameri
can Bicycle company has a large stock of
threats on hand and Is firing a few at thcee
outside the pale , and it Is barely possible
Independent makers of wheels and dealers
in their wares may bo obliged to bow down
before the bicycle Joss. The Independents ,
however , arc putting on some war paint ,
their back hair bristles and their collective
spine has taken on a perpendicular rigidity
that foreshadows a warm row. The pose of
the American Bicycle company at this dis
tance looks like that of the wolf which ac
cused the lamb rf various crlmen and mis
demeanors prior to the' mutton feast.
II. Lindsay Colcman of the board of di
rectors of the American Bicycle company ,
made the following significant statement the
other day : "Prices will he lower than they
over have been , nnd the bicycles will bo
considerably Hghteiv Although last season
was one of the bcemf.hc history of cycling ,
from the agent's jKjt of view , hardly a
salesman failed to dfccover on his own ac
count that n strong sentiment in favor of n
lighter wheel prevailed. Accordingly , the
1600 roadster Is In some cases as much as
live pounds lighter than last season. In the
chalnlrro model the maximum cut In weight
has been made. It is possible to add the
latest attachments cf ccastcr brake nnd
cushion frame to some ot ( ho chalnless
models and not increase the weight over that
of the 1899 wheel. In the matter of prices
I may say that wheels will never be cheaper
than they are this year , unless there is a
most radical improvement In the method of
construction , involving a saving in cost. For
a similar reason , there Is really some ques
tion whether wheels will not he dearer by
another season. "
The executive committee cf ( ho League ot
American Wheelmen has formally decided
upon Philadelphia as the meeting place for
the annual national assembly , which be-
gliiH on the second Wednesday In February.
Detroit , Hnrrlsbiirg and Boston also ex
tended pressing Invitations for the big
wheeling organization to hold Us annual
mooting in those- cities , but the committee ,
after weighing all considerations carefully ,
decided that Philadelphia was the most
conveniently located for the majority of the
delegates.
President Keenan , ex-Presidents Potter
and Klliott , presidential possibilities Sams
nnd Cooke of the League of American
Wheelmen say that the racing light Is lost
-.mil that it Is hopeless and suicidal for the
league to continue the light longer. The
racing element nevertheless claims enough
votes to defeat any measure looking to the
annulment of the racing Interests , hut
ground for this faction Is being lost dally
now ,
Senalor Pcnrosn of Pennsylvania has in
troduced the League of American Wheel
men good roads bill appropriation $ r,000.-
000 to bo devoted to thn construction of per
manent public roads in the several states ,
the npproprlatlcn to bo divided among the
states In proportion to the mlleago ot roads
In each. Sii3h a Bchemo might prove nn
object lessen which would lead the peopln
In the states lo take a greater Interest In
the construction of permanent raids , hut
so small nn amount ns would go to n stale
would not bo stilllclent to construct roads
In several localities , ro that the distribu
tion of the money , oven If the roads wore
built under the supervision of thebecrntary
of agriculture , would cause local jealousies.
Furthermore , if the precedent of building
roads In the states s-hould ho established , nn
appropriation of $ , " ,000,000 would lead to
appropriations of llvo or ten times as much
In the course of n few years.
The League of American Wheelmen has
now to lament the secession frcoi Its rankn
of tlip Century Wheelmen of Now York. At j !
Its lust meeting thU organization , which I
numbers Si members , withdraw from the .
league by a largo majority vote und thereby j
mndo a big hole In the League of American i
Wheelmen meinbprshlp list. This club left
the League of American Wheelmen because |
of the stand that was taken by It on the ! ,
racing question. The Century Wheelmen j
have rulil several hundred dollars a year
into the league treasury every since it | I
Joined the league and few benefits have been ,
oblalned by it In return. Last year cycle | '
racing was taken away from the League of' "
Acnorican Wheslmcn so completely that I
nothing at all was received by the Century'
Wheelmen in return for Its dues. The club '
proposed that the lc-aguo abaudon racing
nnd eave the money that was being wasted In
thu light. The answer that It got was not
a plrnsunt one and tbo natural result fol
lowed.
A new tire valve Is being used by moat of
the manufacturers this year that promises to
do nway with the trouble of leakage at the
valve. The trouble has been with the rubb'r
washer set insldo the dust cap that tcrews on
the outer end of the valve. This pleco of
rubber , designed to seal ihe valve , gets ti.fi
and is pressed back at the edge all around
by the urn of the valve so that la the center
1
| I there Is n llltlo protuberance , which -sink ?
Into the valve opening nnd presses the
plunger down. This Is partlculorly apt to bo
the cnjo In the spring , nftcr a wheel has
been left standing nil wittier nnd the rubber
hni bccomo old. In such cnses new wachers
should bo fitted. In the new valve , how
ever , this possibility Is d no nway with \ < \
i the cap being deeply cupped nnd the rubber
i w-lthln It arched to correspond so that the
I edges of the valve come In contact with the
rubber , while there Is nn open space above
the aperture even when the cap Is screwed all
the way down. This permit ? of another
peculiarity being Introduced , which l t that
the end of the plunger projects outside the
valve , so that It can bo pressed back by the
finger when It Is desired to deflate the tire.
With the valves of earlier date It has been
' necessary to use the llltlo point on the outside -
' side of the dust cap to press back the
plunger. Besides the features mentioned
i there la another that will save riders mak
ing a trip to the repair shop whenever n
valve refuses to work , The top of the dust
cap Is niado with a double slot that Ills
| onto the ncvk of the plunger and by simply
, reversing the cap and screwing ! the left
the whole Internal mechanism of the valve
can ho removed In one plr-re. leaving only
the cnrtrldge-HUe shell. This enables riders
to tnko apart their valves and remove any
grit or foreign substance so easily that any
boy of 12 yoara could do It without danger
of doing any damage.
The evil of starting n boy to doing hard
racing ut middle distance before he has nt-
tnlned hlo growth nnd become settled
physically wns lllustrnted In New York City
by a 13-year-old youth who became very
prominent Inst year by reason of his remark
able riding. Ho walked Into a cycling
academy where there was a trainer of wide
experience. As the bey went across the hall
and loft the trainer called attention to Ihe
fact that ho wan loping nlong on his toes In
a very peculiar way. "Thnt means , "
said the handler of nthletco , "that the bov's
tendons are all strained and ho Is probably
ruined for life. Every time there Is nn
easterly wind nnd storm he will suffer from
rheumatism. Ho has been pushed too hard
before his tendons became llrm. I know of
other Instances of the name kind. No boys
should bo allowed to do hard racing through
out n season before their bones and cartil
ages and tendons have become set. The
tendons should bo hard and llrm and the
mtiscIoH soft. That Is the rule , no matter
what any doctor nays. "
A new style of tire pump has been made
necessary by the use of the large sized pneu
matic tires on motor cycles and automo
biles. At ilrst these tires were Inflated by
means of stored jars of compressed air that
were filled by the use of machinery , but de
vices are now appearing that enable a man
to fill the big tires by hand without un
reasonable work. One maker has constructed
a pump which gives a pressure of GOO pounds
to the square Inch und will fill an automobile
tire with a few strokes of the lever.
A step that Is by all odds the most pre
tentious and Important in the cause of
good roads that was ever taken by the
League of American Wheelmen has been
arranged for and announced by President
Keenan. It is n bill to bo Introduced Into
congress providing for an appropriation of
$5,000,000 to bo expended In highway im
provement. Representative Graham of the
Twenty-third district of Pennsylvania will
present the bill and the active support of
every officer and member cf the league will
be called for to aid in securing Its pas
sage. The detailed provisions have not been
made known yet , but It Is understood that It
will call for the construction ot national
turnpikes between principal cities that will
servo not only for bicycles , automobiles and
general tralUc , but will ho practicable
military roads as well.
For nearly a year there has been a
wrangle In progress between bicycle makers
and the Georgia authorities because of a
tax of $100 that the stnito Imposes upon ,
manufacturers who sell bicycles ithere. One
western maker fought the matter In the
courts and lost. This maker Is now ono of
forty In the American Bicycle company and
the "trust , " ns it is known , has taken up
the fight. The Idea of the combination was
that It could sell all of itu forty different
makes cf bicycles by paying $100 as one
concern and a check was sent on January 1
to Comptroller Wright ot Georgia , neply
has been received by Secretary Dlckerson
of the American Bicycle company thait' $100
will have to be paid for every different
make of wheel. The officers of ihc "trust"
are moved to wrath thereat and there Is
talk of further appeal to the courts and
other talk of not polling In Georgia. Thus
far. however , the state has proven its abil
ity to enforce Us law In the matter.
THEORIES AHOUT FOOD.
Alxn n Few 1'lK'lH nn ( lie Slime
.Subject.
Wo hear much nowadays about health
foods and hygienic living , about vegetarian
ism nnd many other fads alcng the same
line.
Restaurants mny bo found In the larger
cities where no meat , pastry or coffee Is
served nnd the food crank Is In his glory ,
nnd arguments and theories galore advanced
to provo that meat was never Intended for
human stomachs , and almost make us be
lieve that our sturdy ancestors who lived
four score years In robust health on roast
beef , pork and mutton must have been
grossly Ignorant of the laws of health.
Our forefathers had other things to do
thnn formulate theories about thn food they
ate. A waitn welcome wns extended to any
kind from bacon to acorns.
A healthy nppetlto nnd common sense nro
excellent guides to follow In matters of diet ,
and a mixed diet of grains , fruits and meats
is undoubtedly the best.
AH compared with grains and vegetables ,
meat furnishes the most nutriment In n
highly concentrated form and Is digested
r.nd assimilated moro quickly than vegeta
bles anil grains.
Dr. Julius Kemnihon on this nuhjccl says :
"Nervous persons , people run down in
health and of low vitality should eat meat
nnd plenty of It. If thu digestion Is too
feeble nt first It may he easily corrected by
the regular use of Stuart's Dyspepsia Tab
lets after each mical. Two of these excellent
tablets taken nfler dli'no rwlll digest toveral
thousand grains of meat , eggs or other ani
mal fcod In three hours , anil no matter how
weak the stomach may be , no trouble will
bo experienced ! f a regular practice is made
of utdrcg Stuart's Dyspepnla Tablets bpr-ausu
they supply ; ho pepsin nnd dlastaso neces
sary to perfdct digestion , and every form of
Indigestion will bo overcome by their use.
Thnl largo class of j.enplo who como
under the head of nervous dyspeptics sh.uld
eat plenty of meat and Insure Its proper di
gestion by the dally use of n i-ifo , harmless
digestive moutclno llko Stuart's Dyspepsia
Tablets composed of tbo natural digestive
principles , persln , diastase , fruit acids nnd
"saltf ) . which actually crfonn the work of
dlgestlcn. Cheap cathartic mcliclnes , nus-
quorndlng under the nnmo of dyspepsia
cures are uselcus for indigestion ns they have
absolutely no effect upon thu actual diges
tion of food.
Dyt-pepsla In all its many forms Is simply
n failure of the stomach to digest food nnd
the sensible way to iolvo the riddle and
euro the dyspepsia Is to make dally use nt
meal tlmo of a preparation like Stuart's
Djspcpsla Tablets , whl.-li Is Indorsed by
the medical profession and known to contain
active digestive principle.- .
All druggistd sell Stuart's Dyspepsia Tab
lets ai Mifor full treatment
A little Lookit-t on I.IIIHP an. ) > uro of
stomach trouble mailed free by
! ' . A Stuart Co . Marshall , Mi'-h. '
icoll's
ular
nts
me
Commences Monday , January 22 *
A season's active trade has left us with some
thing like a thousand choice remnants
trousers lengths , coat and vest lengths ,
suit lengths , odds and ends , etc.
We don't want them !
We won't invoice them , or carry them over
for next season.
Just to see how quickly we can clean them
up , and at the same time win for our
selves the praise of those who appre
ciate a good thing we have hunched
them in four piles at four prices.
No need telling you
what they original
ly sold for.
You must see the fab
rics.
After you have exam-
tined /
inod them , and not
ed the quality , you
will quickly take
your place in line
with those waiting
to be measured.
Good tilings don't usually last long.
If you're wise , you'll make your selection
and have your order on our books early
'Monday morning.
Store open at 7:30 : a. in.
Some choice remnants for pants and vest ,
coat and vest or full suit at about cost
of making and trimming.
Observe the fabrics and prices in our win
dows. They tell the story quickly.
209-211 So. 15th Str. , . Kai-bach