Nebraska Newspapers

    Dakota County Herald
daxotav city, msa.
John H. Rmub, . riirtinm
Poor liftle Infant Cuban republic! It
died teething.
Never call a raan a had egg unless
all possible tests prove lilm to bp hope
lessly bnd.
The farm Is the place for safety. Ev
ry man who Is nlilo should provide
himself with a farm.
"Do your meals fit?" n writer ask.
No, they arc generally either a Utile
to skimpy or rlso too full In tlie waist.
EvcrylKxl.v In ('u')a except I lie per
sons who ore holding the others sc-ms
to want tho United Stales t Inter
rene Marie Corelll vows that she loathe
America. This Kettles It. We ;iiv go
Ing to admit that Hall Cairn l.:okt like
Shakspearo.
There is ono argument la favcir of
Spelling rpforill lint Its mlvo.Mle-; M-em
to have overlooked. The English un
opposed to It.
Naturally the dialect writer ar.- oj
posed to tin- general 11 ilot it I :i of tin
simplified form of spelling. It would
kill their business.
In England n widow I ILr.rgins
Is suing a tradesma i for bre i -h of
promise. Probably t:-ylng t. squeeze
him for all she can gt t.
According to a New York r.ev pa
per, "the new alcohol will stimulate
trade." The old kind, however, will
contlmio to paralyze people.
"Thoroughly" is another cample. It
Is a word that "conveys l?o law an
Idea" to be expressed ::Ii-pi.ilcl.v by
such o shabby, sorry, lil looking inon
itroslty s "thoruly."
The Argentine Itepuhlle lnte:nls to In
vest f 29,000,000 In war ships. It may
oon be time for some other great pow
r to make a hasty purchase of war
hips In South America.
If the Nestor of American humorists
Is in earnest In advocatli-g the new or
thography be ought not to spell his
ame "Samuel Lunghoriie Clemens"
nd pronounce It ".Marl; Twain."
Notwithstanding the fact that -J.SCo
persons wer.e killed while walking on
the railroad trucks lu this country In
1005, there are still plenty or theatri
cal people taking that form of exercise.
The Indian who has Just wedded
Mary Klck-a-hole-in-the-sky and ac
quired a mother-in-law Afrnldof -no-man
may soon he lu a position to un
derstand why marriage Is often a fall
are. I
Under the grant of liberties lately
made to Finland, tho right of suffrage
Was conferred on women. A few weeks
later the legislative council of Victoria,
Australia, rejected for tho fourteenth
time a proposition to permit women to
rote. This Is one of the differences be
tween autocratic Itussla and a demo
cratic British colony.
American men, and especially Ken
tucky men, haTe always brra u&ted
for their appreciating of American
women and their gallantry to them.
Now they have their reward. Thirty
six Kentucky "sehoolmu'ums," who
pent the summer traveling on the con
tinent, remarked, when they set foot
uiKui their natlvo coll again, thut as
compared with the Americans the men
of Europe are "u most orncry-looklng
and ornery-acting lot." The girls seem
to have 'accomplished Burke's Impos
"ilblllty of Indicting a whole people.
Pennsylvania may now be ranked
ivlth thqpe States which have secured
new capltol buildings erected within
the amount appropriated. The new
capltol in Harrlsburg was turned over
to the building commission by the con
tractors four months ahead of the date
on which It was to have been finished.
The cost of the building Is $40,000 less
than the amount appropriated. The
building Itself Is a splendid pile of
granite, covering two acres of ground
and surmounted by a dome 202 feet
high. The Stat has followed the ex
ample set by the nation In 'the Con
gressional Library In Washington, for
the original appropriation Included sev
eral hundred thousand dollars to be
pent on Interior and exterior decora
tions by noted American painters uud
sculptors.
Co-operation In the vending -of agil
cultural products has made some prog-
res lu tula country, for example, In co
operative creameries; but the Idea has
not pone as far In practice here as la
European countries: In Denmark
three-quarters of the million cows are
owned by farmers who are associated
lii the thousand or more co-operative
'. creameries, and many bucou-curing e&.
tabllshinents are organized on the co-
cporutlve system. Uollund has a Yd
oration of co-operative dairies organ
ized under royal patronage. In SI
berlii there are more than two thou
sand societies of farmers, which not
only sell produce, but promote Irriga
tion plans and other agricultural actlv
(ties uud buy Implements, fertilizers
and other farm supplies at wholesale,
The development of the granges lu
America has been accompanied by noma
effort at economical co-operation, but
far this form of union bus not mado
great progress, owing icrhnps to the
fact that prosperity has rendered such
device of economy less uecesary hen?
than In Euroi-. The fact thut the
fmniicrs are scattered over a vaster ter
rltory has also Mood lu the way of
widespread co-operation.
Atbertoii Browucll contributes an ar
ticle entitled "The Commercial Annex
ation of Cuba" to Appleto,u' Magazine,
the facts and figures in which are of
siu-cUl significance la the present Cu
bau citsi. '. slio-v tUat the Interest
of the Tnlted Stales In Cuba Is differ
ent In the year lliisi rrom what It was
In 1S0S. Up to the earlier year Amer
ican Interests bad Invested In Cuba
about fso.omi.ooo, principally In sugar
and tobacco. As much more 1ms been
Invested since the war, so that now the
American capital Invested In the Island
amounts to. fKMMXXi.Ooo. About 4.307,
000 acres of land In Cuba, about 15 Jer
cent of the whole nrea of the Island,
or a much larger iercenlage of tho
land under cultivation, belongs to
Americans. Three fourths of the $10,
000,000 worth of cattle on the Island be
long to Americans. One-third of the
money Invested In railroads, $21,.VX),
'Mi, Is American, ns against $48,031,
000 Cuban nnd British. Anx-rlenn cap
ital monopolizes electric transortu
tic, ii, telegraph and telephone systems
In Cuba. The bonds of the Cubnn re
public were bought by a New York
h')Ue. American capital lias given
new life to the Island, and our Inter
est Is no longer merely a sentimental
one. The Cuban market Is the only
one In the world where the United
States wlls as many goods as nil idhcr
nations combined. Cuba's buying power
is about $100,000,000 onnuaily, and
one-half of this Is spent In tho United
Slates, Chile, Pern, Uruguay, Bolivia,
Argentina, Venezuela, and Brazil to
gether do not buy us much as Cuba.
Its 1.7o.nH people, If there are that
many there, buy from ns inoe than the
.-,fX, xi( i,ii id people of Japan and China.
Cuba has an open door. Americaniza
tion of Cuba will be n slow task, If not
an Impossible one. If by that Is meant
the substitution of AngIo-Saxn.n habits
of thought In social relations or In
business Interests for the Spanish type.
America iilza Hon in the sense of mak
ing the I'nlted States the dominant fac
tor in the material prosMrlty of tho
Island and In the value -f the Inter
ests as represented there has pro
gressed n long way since the lost
Spanish governor general sailed nwoy.
American occupation, temporary though
It Was, freed Havana from the yellow
fever pest and taught lessons of sanita
tion which have made the Island n fit
place fe.r Americana to live In, and the
number of colonists who have gone
there from the United States Is not
luslgulllcant. Atherton Brownell, In
Appleton's Magazine, sums up the situ
ation by saying that "In the four years
since the Intervention period n move
ment quietly has been gojng on that is
rapidly tending toward practical com
mercial annexation." Under whatever
form of government develops In Culm,
provided Uiot It preserves order, fur
ther Injection of American capital Is
Inevitable. The future of Cuba uud
that of the United States are linked
together by ties of mutual advantage,
and us the natural resources of the Is
land develop the time -will soon come
when a majority of tho people of Cuba
will be of American birth and alle
giance, and a majority of the wealth
will be an American possession. Then
the Cuban problem will have disap
peared. WHILE MOTHER WAS AWAY. 1
The Princess of Wales has trained
her children so carefully lu habits of
obedlenco and veracity that they are
most trustworthy llttlo persons. Before
her royal highness started on her trip
round the world with her husband she
drew up a list of rules to be observed
In tho nursery, and added a series of
light tasks to be fulSllefi by each one
of tho youngsters before the date set
for her return.
The rules were to be enforced by the
nurses. The performance of tho tasks
was left to the honor of the children,
und In addition there was a list of
things they must not do.
There were occasional lapses of mem
ory as regards the forbidden things,
and some carelessness In carrying out
tho tasks, for royal children, despite
the severity of their training, are chil
dren still. But In the main they re
spected their mother's wishes and com
mnnds, and took no advantage of her
abseuco. Upon one occasion, however,
they were sorely tempted. This was
when their loving and beloved grand
mother, Queen Alexandra, brought them
a big box of bonbons. But when the
sweets were offered to them, one child
after another reluctantly but (Irmly de
clined to take any.
"We like them, but mother has for
bidden us to eat them," explained the
eldest prince.
"You can have the sugar plums If I
ay you may," said the Indulgent
queen. "I will tell mama all about It
when she returns."
Prince Eddie wavered momentarily,
then reiterated his refusal.
"We'd like them," he sighed, "but
that's what mother said."
The queen was slightly annoyed by
this opposition.
"But if I say you may" she said.
Prlnco Eddie stood his ground, a hero
between two fires the wishes of his
adored mother and those of his almost
equally adored graudmothci.. Ills sis
ter and his brothers followed his lead.
When the queen went away sho put
the bonbons on tho nursery table and
there they stayed for months untouch
ed, a hundsome monument to the thor
oughness of the princess' training and
the respectful love uud devotion of her
children.
Nafllfleally Identified.
- She walked Into a branch bunk ou
upper Broadway and pushed n check
through the paying teller's window.
"You will huve to be ldentltled." said
he. "I don't know you, madam."
"You dou't, eh?" said tho woman
wth flre In her eye. "Aren't you the
father of the Smith family that has a
flat lu the Pilereiulii apartments?"
"Yes."
"Well, I am tho red headed Junltrest
thut your wife's always complaining
about. I heard you suy: 'Emily, If
our children get lighting with that old
fury In the basement dou't quarrel
with her. Walt till I get home and let
me talk with her Now, If you think
you can get the best of an argument
with"
"Here's your money, madam," said
, the paying teller. And she took It aud
, wont Everybody's Mcgazlue.
Young blood
A STRIP OF RAIL FENCE.
It binds the en! of tlif- orclinrd
That slopes nwoy to the east,
And stored in Its tangle borders
Is many a luscious feast.
A butternut guards one corner,
Wild grnpos weave a leafy screen,
Ami flaunting Its orange berries
The bittersweet creeps between.
Each spring It hides In its shadows
A bright-eyed bird on a nest,
And curves in alluring fashion
A rail that invites to rest.
It leans in quiet contentment
Against a thornapple tree,
And watches over a meadow
Where bobolinks sing in glee.
Dark stained and warped by the weather
And furrowed by rainy tears,
It wears odd pntehes of lichen
Put there by the passing years;
Yet clothed It is In a beauty
That changes from day to day.
And leaves on my mind a picture
That never shall fade away.
New York Sun.
POOR WILLIAM always used to
wipe his feet on the mat before
be came Into the house," ob
served Mrs. Uanderson, with a sigh.
He was always considerate In that
way."
'I wiped my feet," protested Gamier-
son. "I never full to, wipe my feet.
I've done It all my life, and It Isn't
likely thu,t I'd forget to do it now."
"Then what Is that mud?" demand
ed his wife, pointing to some spots
on the oilcloth. "Nobody else has been
In here this afternoon. I dcui't sec
why you should say you have wiped
your feet If you haven't. You've got
a perfect right to track up the whole
house If you want to. It's your house.
It may make a little more wuk for
cid, but then I harcu't anything sia-iinl
to do except to clean up after you,
and If I had It wouldn't mutter, would
it? Not enough to make you deny It.
That was ono thing about poor Wil
liam. If lie did anything he'd always
own up to It"
"Of course," sneered Gnndcrson,
stooping to unlace his shoos.
"Indeed be did," assented Mrs. Gon-
derson. "Poor William "
"Darn poor William!" muttered tho
man. "now long before suppers
ready?"
"James Broderlck Ganderson!" ex-
cl aimed his wife.
"Well !"
"Well! I'm surprised at you. To
say things like thut about the dead!
I wruider there Isn't a Judgment on
you. But you always did seem to have
a grudge against poor William."
"Not me," said Ganderson, surlily.
"I'm sorry he died. 1 wish he was
alive and well agnln this minute. I've
no grudge against him, further'u that."
Mrs. Ganderson set tho teakettle
that she was holding with her apron
down on the stove and upplied a cor
ner qf tlie garment to her eyes.
"Well, there, now, I didn't mean to
hurt your feelings," said her husband,
half repentantly. "Only you always
told me that you nnd be didn't get
along together any too well, and now
you're always throwing him up to me.
He didn't do this and be didn't do
that, and he always used to, do this and
that aud the other. I'm sick of him
But what's the uso of making a fuss?
Ftorget It."
Tho woman gave her eyes another
wipe and sighed. "How would you
like me to forget you?' she asked
"Poor William had his faults, as we
all have, but "
Gaudcrson threw the shoes he was
bojdlug at a corner of the kitchen,
missed It aud knocked a pot of ferns
off the window gill. Then be kicked
the kitten to one side and strode out
of the room. Mrs. Ganderson sunk
Into the Boston rcyker and burst Into
sobs. A thump or two overhead aud
the slam of a dou Indicated that
Ganderson hud sought the secluslou of
the spare bedroom.
The fat In the frying pan on the
stove U-gau to bum uud emit unpleas
ant odors, but Mrs. Ganderson re
mained oblivious until a ring at the
doorbell tumuded shurply through the
cottage. Then she Jerked the pan
quickly off the stove and set It In the
ltik aud stood listening.
The bell rang again, still more
sharply, and as there wus uo sign of
response from above Mrs. Ganderson
untied her apron and ojtened the door.
A sour-featured, thin aud elderly wom
an dressed In black stood before her.
She uttered a cry that was almost
one ol dismay. "Why, Mother Wa
I POOR WILLIAM. J
s r i .
t r.
wages old age an unequal battle in
ters!" nhe exclaimed, nnd, hesitating
an Instant, bent forward nnd pecked
nt the old woman's cheek.
"I ain't got but an hour to stay,"
said the vlslto. depositing n small tel
escope in the ball. "I'm on my way to
Lucy's folks an' I had to change cars
here, so I thought I'd stop In nn see
you. No, I won't go into the settin'
room ; I'll go Into, the kitchen. You've
got somethln' burnln there. What ore
you doln'? Gettln' supper? Is your
husban' to home?"
She looked around the kitchen with
a disparaging air nnd seated herself
I u the rocker and loosened her bcyjnet
strings. "What done that?" she de
ninnded, pointing to the broken flower
pot.
"I I guess It was the cat," replied
Mrs. Ganderson, as the old woman con
tinued her survey of the room.
"Hm m!" said tho visitor. "I don't
see as you've bettered yourself much,
by the looks o things."
"What's the matter with things?"
queried Mis. Ganderson, rather sharp
ly, In her turn.
"What did you do with what poor
William left?" asked the old woman,
still looklug aro.und and disregarding
the question.
'Do you mean his debts? I went to
work and paid 'em off," replied Mrs.
Ganderson, with increased resentment
lu her tone. "That's all he left me."
"You must have been In a kind of a
hurry to marry agnln, seems like," said
the old woman, with a sniff. "Pocr
William! He little know!"
"He little cared, too, I can tell you,
Mother Waters," said Mrs. Gander
son, with heightened color. "I don't
call three years being lu a hurry. 1
didn't see why I shouldn't have a
chance to be happy once In my life,
and when Mr. Gnndersojn "
"You've been cryin'," snid Mother
Waters, accusingly. "You needn't tell
f V.
'IIC LED ME A DOU'S LIFE."
me. Talk about belli' happy! When
I come In an' see broken crockery an'
men's shoes lyln' around on' a woman
cryln I guess I cau put two nnd two
together. I expect yo.u've got a nice
sort of a man. When poor William wus
alive"
"When poor William was alive
well, 1 don't want to speak too harshly
of him, but if you start talking that
way about the best man that ever
walked, I'll say my say. When AVI1
11am was alive he led me a dog's life,
If ever a man did. There wasn't a day
when he didn't abuse me, aud you
knuw It Just as well as I do, nnd you
encouraged him lu It. Mr. Ganderson
may have his faults, but I cun tell you
there aren't many of them, and he
doesn't stay out till night and then
come home aud Bwear at me. He's
as klni and good as he can be, aud If
I was crying It was because I was a
fool, and I don't thank you now for
earning here and trying to make trou
ble." Mother Waters rose. "I'll certainly
uot stay where I'm not wanted," she
said. "I won't trouble you to s-e me
to the door. I can find uiy way my
self. Oh, poor William!"
A moment later the street door
slammed, and a man wh bad been
leaning over the railing of the stairs
withdrew his grinning face and tiptoed
back to the spare room. As be gently
closed the door he smothered a chuckle.
"I wonder If poor William did wipe
Ills feet?" he said. Chicago Dally
News. '
WOMAN'S WAY WITH A MAID.
How One Housekeeper lUioe til
the NerYKiit I'rotilem.
During lifteeu years I have had lu
my service six girls who have been a
comfort and help such us no mere ser
vant can be, says a writer in Good
Housekeeping.
I have never paid wages higher than
my neighbors have done, und our home
Is so small thut a muld has to be cou
tent with humble accommodations.
I have given, however, what every
mistress does uot bi-stow frequently
does uot believe In a certain friend
liness, cordial sympathy, an Interest lu
the Inner life of a girl whoso th-sh aud
blood, whose heart, umbtttons and lives
are uot so different from my own.
Oue plan I have carried out for years
has aided me largely In making the
tit dMvIS
'fvw ' j f rifc di
business life.
best of each maid who conies Into my
household. Once n month I give her
nn afternoon of companionship, not In
the duties of the house, but In some
little trip for recreation she chooses by
herself.
Sometimes 1 accompany her to a mat
inee, while on pleasant summer days
we go picnicking In the woods or to
some shore resort. There have been
nl'ternoons spent in museums and art
galleries, where a glimpse of things
rare nnd beautiful means much to such
a girl.
If you will try It. making yourself a
key to the mysteries of such nn exhibit.
you will really find n great deal of
pleasure In It. Hundreds of women go
out of their way to do such work from
a settlement standpoint, but it never
occurs to them to give such n pleasure
to a girl working In their own kitch
ens. It Is not alone the pleasure given
that Is appreciated; It Is the compan
ionship and kindly Interest I And most
valued. The holiday I give is not the
weekly Thursday off, !t Is some other
convenient day, nnd you will find as I
do that the work has all been satisfac
torily completed before the vacation oc
curs. CHINESE SKILL WITH AXES.
Carpenter ol t'olhny Will 1'umpuro
with Occidental.
Naturally pre-eminent among the
skilled craftsmen of China the carpen
ter still maintains tlie leadership.
Though almost Invariably wedded to
the use of the tools of his ancestors
nnd to their methods, Judged by re
sults be Is more edlclent lu his line
than are the avcrngo of the foreign
trained fitters nnd machinists In theirs,
though a constant diminution of the
difference Is lu progress.
In Judging the H-rfurmnncc of the
native workmen It is almost Impossi
ble to avoid the popular bias that ad
diction to their own methods nnd tools
invariably bespeaks fatuous conserva
tism. Though this is In many cases
true. It will often be found on careful
observation that what has passed for a
stubborn blindness to the virtue of In
novation Is In reality a keener percep
tion of comparative merits than the
Judge himself was aware of.
'.'his is particularly true of Chinese
carpenters. While most of their com
monest tools differ iu some radical way
from our own, it Is never safe to as
sume the superiority of the western
product. Their smnll ax, for example,
Is a beautifully balanced tool and they
are remarknbly adept In the use of It,
being able to work us true n surface
therewith ns can be obtained with nn
adze In the hands of the white num.
On heavy work It Is customary for
two to hew together on opposite sides,
striking alternative blows. Both hands
are used and the recover Is over the
shoulder, alternate right nnd left.
There Is a freedom of swing with an
accuracy of delivery that Is a treat to
watch and the rapidity of blows Is al
most bewildering. Engineering Magu
7.1 no.
Near the IlrcnLlntr 1'oiut.
The engagement between a wealthy
Baltimore belle and an Impecunious
clubman of that city was at one time
last winter perilously near the "break
ing off" point, nnd all by reason of the
uufortunate mistake of a florist's as-,
slstant of whom the young man had or
dered flowers for his beloved.
It apiwars that the young fellow had
hastily dispatched to the florist's estab
lishment two cards, one bearing nn or
der for roses to be sent to the young
lady's nddress and the other Intended
to be attached to the flowers.
What was tho astonishment and In
dignation of the beloved one when on
taking the roses from their box she
found ntllxed the card bearing the le
gend :
"Hoses. Do the best you can for
Harper's Weekly.
What a HtrdleBa World Would He.
If the world were blrdli-sM, n natur
alist declares, man could not Inhabit
It after nine years' time In spite of
nil the sprays aud mIshus that could
le manufactured for the destruction
of Insects. The insects and slugs
would simply eat all the orchards and
crops lu that time.
Tarn About.
"Her letters used to l terribly mis
spelled." Areu't they now?"
"No, since Uoosevelt's spelling-reform
move her letters are perfect and in!ne
nre misspelled." Hc.uston Post.
The advertisement say of a certain
soap: "It Is us pure as the thoughts
of childhood."
"How will you have your eggs?" a
waiter Inquired of a spiritualist "Me
dium," he replied.
Origin of the t'lrpna.
All tho boys and girls ami grown
people, too like to gn to the circus, and
perhaps they would be glad to know
when and where that popular form of
show originated. It Is said that It
dates back In 1770, when Philip Astley,
a discharged English soldier, improvis
ed a ring at Lambeth, England, nnd
gave exhibitions of horsemanship. His
success was great, and soon afterward
he built a rude circus near' Westmin
ster Bridge, en the site now occupied
by the building that hoar bis name.
There was no roof over the original
fitrucrure. except that part of It occu
pied by tho spectators, the ring belli:-.
In the open air. His wife took part
in tlie performance, being the first wo
man to enter the arena. This venture
was so successful that Astley was able,
in 17.no. to put up a large and haml.umi
amphitheater.
ten.
It is very nice, indeed,
To play at having tea ;
To bring our cups and Mair-rs oat
And invite coin pan?.
To set the dainJy augaied cakes
All iu a row no nice;
Ad! play a glass of water
Is delicioiu lemoa ice.
To sit and chat and feed our dolls,
Beneath a great shade tree.
Ah, that is just the sort of fun
For girls like you and me.
No Bnby in the Ilonne.
No baby in the house, I know,
'Tis far too nice and clean ;
No tops, by careless fingers thrown
Upon the floor, are seen ;
No finger-marks are on the panes,
No scratches on the chairs ;
No wooden men set up in rows,
Or marshaled off in pairs;
No little stockings to be darned,
All ragged at the toes;
No pile of mending to be done,
Mado up of baby clothes ;
No little troubles to be soothed,
No little hands to fold ;
No grimy fingers to be washed.
No storirs to be told ;
No tender kisses to be given.
No nicknames Love and Mouse
No merry frolics after tea
No baby in the house !
Now la the Watchword.
""Now" Is the syllable ticking from
?i clock of time. "Now" is the watch-n-ord
of the wise. "Now" Is on the
banner of the prudent. Whenever any
thing presents itself to us In the shape
Of work, whether mental or bodily, we
should do it with all our might, remem
bering that "now" Is the only time
for us. It Is u sorry way to get
through the world by putting off till
to-morrow, saying, "Then I will do It.''
"Now" Is ours. "Then1' we may never
have.
Firefly l.nnlerns.
The fireflies of South America are
very beautiful and brilliant. So bright,
Indeed, are they that two or three will
Illuminate a hut us well us caudles,
nnd tlie natives often read by tho light
they give.
When the Indian hunter prepares for
a Journey through the forest at night
his lantern Is one of these beetles fas
tened to his toe. Not only does It light
his way, but also frightens away snakes
and other dangerous reptiles.
The Symbol of Japan.
The Imperial house of Japan owns
three symbols which are carried before
the Emperor on nil state occasions.
These symbols are the mirror, the crys
tal and the sword, and each has Its own
significance. The mirror signifies
"know thyself ;" "be pure and shlue" is
the message of the crystal, while the
sword Is a reminder to "be sharp."
What a I.lttle Girl Said.
One evening when 4-year-old Leunie
ivaa watching the full moon rise she
exclaimed :
"Oh, come! See the suu all faded
out!"
Getting- Hubber In Nigeria.
Since the production of India rubber
has become one of the Industries of
British Nigeria, says the author of "Af
fairs of West Africa," tlie collection of
the sap is carried on by whoe villages
In much tho same happy companionship
as that with which American children
go gathering nuts in the fall.
Soon after dawn all the available
men and women of a village gather to
gethera light-hearted, jabbering
crowd. Extraordinary animation reigns
throughout tho village. The ground Is
ttrewn with calabashes, machetes,
knives, dried yams In bags, bottles of
water, spears and flint-lock guns. There
Is always something on the prowl in
til African forest a man. a leopard or
a "spirit" and the tM-ap.jus are u nee
osstsry precaution.
Through the village and beyond it,
passing plantations of millet, yams, In
dian corn nnd cassava, winds the cara
van, with implements and utensils
burnt- on heads. At the edge of tlie
forest, reduced to single tile und a mile
or more long, It plunges Into an ut
uiorphere of gloomy, fantlstic wh-rd-uess,
and dlsapjxars among the silent
shadows of the giant trees.
The bare feet of the natives sink
noiselessly in generations of rotting
leaves. The air is humid and enervat
ing. The procession glides along as it
oppressed by some awesome presence.
It Is a world of black shadows and
mysterious depths. A hot breath, ladeu
with sickly aud overpowering jM-rfume,
rises lu stifling gusts till the brulu reels
and one longs for nir and light and a
sight of green fields.
Suddenly Is given n glimpse of para
dise a view of tho heavens where
some great tree has fallen, leaving A
rent In tho forest dome. In that tem
porary clearing nature seems to have
latlshcd all her gifts. Festoon 4 cf glo
rious orchids stretch out raprl.i.nH
blooms, nnd wild tamarinds, with ex
quisite, plush-llkc fruit, Invite the
touclb Countless butterflies hover about
fruit and flowers.
Iu the caravan every inemls-r acts
now Independently of the rest. No
sooner does be pilch upon a sp-)t which
seems propitious than down comes tho
load off his bead. A lunchean of yams
and water refreshes him. nnd g.dng
from tree to tree, lie makes gashes in
the bark and bangi his calabashes to
cutch the sap. Then feeling fully sat
isfied with his labors, he casts himself
down upon the ground, and lies there,
heedless cf the crawling lcgiom of In
sci t s.
Now and again he la.il.v rises and
makes tin- rounds of his calabashes, to
see that all goes well. If ho is Indus
trious be will thus collect three or four
pounds of rubber iu a day. The whole
caravan will average perhaps two
pounds to each person. When the cala
bashes are all full or night is e. lining
on tlio return march begins. The h.r.no
eoiiilng Is marked by general cvn,-r.itu-latioiis
on the part of those who f t.iyed
behind, while every proud owner of a
calabash or two of rubber recounts ter
rible adventures, iu the slipe of sp.ioks,
leopards and what not, which :.ive be
fallen III in In the forest.
The rubber must then be boiled In nn
Iron pot to make It coagulate. Itolled
Into a ball, It Is then carried to a
trading station to ho sold. As tlie pay
ment goes by weight, a stone or piece
of Iron or lead is often placed iu the
ccrter of the bail which tlie white man
discovers by cutllng up the ball before
he weighs It. The negroes seein to de
light In the work when carried on thus
In their own way, and In British and
French West Africa no difliculty Is
found In persuading tliem to do so. As
a result, the rubber exports from the
west coast are increasing with great
rapidity.
TO STUDY DESERT FLORA.
Ilr. II. T. lHol)ouRnr Pimm tor M
lean 1 n ventlunt Ion Water rinnta.
Dr. Daniel Trembly MacDougal, di
rector of the department of botanical
research of the Carnegie Institution at
Washington, has left New York for the
City of Mexico, whence lie will proceed
ou ti trip for a general examination of
Mexican deserts, says the New York
Post. He will go southward to the ele
vated desert valleys (lying nt an alti
tude of about (i.ooo feet and make a
study of the characteristic plants of
the region. In this work lie will be
Joined by Dr. J. N. Rose of the I'nlted
States National Museum, .who is en
gaged, with Dr. N. I Britton, director
of the New York Botanical Garden, in
n critical study of the caetacea-. Dr.
Itose has preceded hhn to the City of
Mexico.
By arrangement with the New York
gnrden they will ship to it specimens
of the cacti collected, to enrk-h the
already admirable collection of these
plants in the Bronx conservatories.
Tehuacan. tlie region to be visited,
lies about ;',(! miles south of the City
of Mexico. Its flora is reputed tj In
clude several species of tree cactus
quite as large as the giant cactus, or
siiguaro. of Arizona, which are but Ut
ile kin,tii in .-cientllic men. It Is hoped
that living specimens ofv -these may be
sent safely to the New York Botanical
(iurdcu and also to the Desert labora
tory at Tucson, Ariz., which was estab
lished by the Carnegie Institution.
Tlie especial object of Dr. MucDou
gal's trip Is a study of the storage or
gans of desert plants, a subject to
which he has paid attention for several
years. So far as present observations
go. be says, devices for storing water
in bulk are found chiefly in plants liv
ing In regions In which the total rain
fall of the year comes within very lim
ited periods. Some species have been
found which are provided with such
massive reservoirs that a supply or
water sutlielent to meet the needs of
the plant for n quarter of a century
could he stored within them. The
Tehuacan region is said to comprise
some species or which Individuals can
hold In reserve from fifty to 100 gallons
of wnter.
The total desert area of North Amer
ica is placed by Dr. MacDougal at not
less than 2,000,000 square miles. This
will be his first visit to southern Mex
ico. He has nlready visited, for botan
ical exploration, the deserts of north
ern Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Nevada,
Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
and California. After passing about
six weeks in the Mexican desert val
leys, he will go to tho desert laboratory,
where he will remain most of the time
till late In the coming winter, carry
ing forward experimental Investiga
tions of desert plants which are al
ready under wav.
W'aya of the Tobacco l aer.
Ill Europe, more especially In the
British isles, the consumer of cigars re
quires that they should be dry; in fact,
almost brittle. It Is a common Inci
dent in that country to see u smoker
take his cigar aud place it to his ear to
see if it will give forth a cracking
sound, and if it does not crackle tho
cigar is considered too moist. Pipe
smoking tobaccos, however, are re
quired very moist. In the I'nlted States
the proper condition for cigars ami
pipe-smoking tobaccos is Just the re
verse. The American smoker require,
his cigars In Mich a condition that tho
wrapper, binder ami tiller will yield to
the pressure of the lingers without
cracking or breaking the wrapper, while
ou tin- other band the smoking tobac
cos, especially the granulated tobaccos,
must be moderately ih'y. ScW'iice.
Talked Mioji.
"1 spent u pleas.uit half hour In a
barber's chair ye-tcrtlay."
"How was that':"
-Listening to the barber's story f
how bis brother went suddenly Insane
and slashed n customer, -phe barber
explained between strokes that Insanity
ran iu fumily."--Columbua Press
Post