iitoh:,'- Cinty llciald
pohn fl
PabttBfbev
Kals ft Mg family and uphold 1
President' hands.
There are two tides to every ques
tion. Your side nnd the wrong side.
jxumerous unsocial rubbernecks lire
making anxious Inquiries as to this pro
posed elastic currency.
It Is extremely doubtful whether
Oount Bonl would prove a fiiccess as n
head waiter If tlie Job call for any
nead work.
The London writers have started n
movement to put a slop to the practice
of tipping. The fear of dying rich must
be spreading rapidly.
Spain Is building a new unvy.
Spain has jio more colonics on
tinnds the chances are tint the
Bayy will prove a durable one.
As
her
new
Mr. Eckels has hit the nnll fairly on
Hie head. What we all need Is a "re
sponslve currency," one that will come
When we whistle or call It by name.
A Connecticut Judge has decided that
turtle Is not an animal. The Treas
ury Department would probably rule,
for purposes of duty, that It is canned
anluion.
The acrainbio among Oklahoma towns
to become county seats promised to
equal the toad rush for claims when
the territory was thrown open to set
tlement
A woman s magazine asks: "What
Implement ran equal a hairpin In the
eft bands of woman?" Well, In some
cases a hatpin In the deft hands of
another woman.
"There are some things," notes the
Richmond Times-Democrat, "that you
can t say even to a Plttsburger." For
Instance, you can't ask him to be proud
Of bis Idle millionaires.
An English astronomer, after years
of careful work, ventures the opinion
that there are 04,184,757 stars. Some
people are sure they saw more than
that the first time they put on roller
' skates.
Andrew Carnegie wishes to have It
understood that Sklbo, the name of
his place In Scotland, In pronounced
Ekeoboo. If Andrew doesn't wateb out
Bow Irreverent ieople may get to call
ing It Skldoo.
At Dresden, Germany, a public bath
ing boUHe for dogs has been opened.
If Dresden Is one of the places where
dogs are utilized In the sausage busi
ness, It Is no more than right that
they should be kept as clean as possi
ble. The number of women who kill men
unfortunate enough to have Incurred
their displeasure and then Invoke tho
unwritten law Is getting uncomfort
ably large. Perhaps there may yet be
necessity for going to tho extreme of
seeing If the other kind of law doesn't
fit
In view of tho trouble In Eurojm the
peoplo of this country may vell con
gratulate themselves that the fathers
settled the relations of church and state
lit the very beginning of our existence
as a nation, and settled it for all time,
for no one wishes to Interfere with the
conclusion reached.
Happily the horse has a faculty for
upsetting the gloomy predictions that
Jie' Is fated to be put out of business
y the automobile. Tho horse business
has kept right on developing In spite
of tho fact that the automobile Indus
try has been engaged In a similar un
dertaking. Tho demand for horses Is
till great Tho supply of some classes
f them Is inadequate. Tho prices are
high. The automobile may scare tho
horse Into tho ditch, but It isn't likely
to crowd hiin to tho wall. There- will
always be a field for the horse, as
there will always bo a field for the au
tomobile. Reports from places which used vot
ing machines In tho recent State elec
tions show the superiority of tho ma
chine over the lead-pencll-and-ballot
method. In no place where the ma
chines were used were returns later
than one-half hour after tho closing of
the polls. In most places where the
old-fashioned way of voting prevailed
there waa seldom a complete and accu
rate return wlthlu twenty-four hours.
Machines are uow In use In more than
600 cities, towns and villages In the
United States. Iluffalo, Syracuse, Sau
Francisco, Indianapolis, Milwaukee,
Cleveland and Omaha aro among the
larger cities where they have been
adopted.
It Is not sufficiently recognized that
agriculture Is a scientific pursuit aud
that In order to get tho very best re
turns out of It a niau could to ad
vantage utilize a sieclal scientific edu
cation as truly as does the doctor or
lawyer or tho engineer. It Is not mere
ly because of the Increased material
return that such education for the
farmer Is of valua. The Intellectual
aud moral dividends would by means
of such training be equally Increased.
It Is a great loss In human power aud
happiness that thousands of men en
gaged In one of the most scientific of
pursuits should go about It without get
ting the same moral and Intellectual
eatisfactiou that comes to men lu other
callings In wuicli the professional ele
ment has been more consciously rc?og.
sized.
Herculaneum, tho rich aud splendid
tltj that was burled, along with Pom
pel! and Stublu', by the eruption of
Vesuvius lu A. D. 7!), is to be dug from
the mass of tufa which covered It aud
Its buildings aro to be disclosed to
view,
Professor. Waldsteln of Cam-j
bridge University has induced the Ital
ian government to consent to the work,
ea condition that tt bs officially direct-
ed by Italians, find that the assistance
of foreigners, financially and otherwise,
shall bo unofficial. Should the enter
prise be carried out, we shall soon bavej
much light throwu on the manner of)
lire or the Ilonians of the first cen
tury. Ilerculnneutn, far more than
Pompeii, was the residence of wealthy!
and cultivated cltlr.cti. Their house!
were filled with artistic objects and
their libraries contained the best liter
ature of the period. In a partial exen
ration nearly two thousand manuscrli
rolls were found lu one house. Pour
pell was covered with small stones an
soft ashes from the volcano. Ilercu
laneum was burled beneath a torrent o
mud to the depth of from thirty to a
hundred and twenty feet On top of It
two large modern villages have been
built. General excavation has not been
undertaken, lest the stability of the vll
Ingcs should be threatened. Plans now
making provide for tearing down these
villages, so far as necessary, to get at
the city beneath. In the comparatively
near future we may expect to hear re
ports of the uncovering of fine bronze
and marble statuary, of beautiful man
slons, of libraries filled with ancient
books, some of them for centuries
known by tradition only. In short. It
will be as If we were taken back mors
than eighteen hundred years, and were
able to look upon the city as Its In hab
itants suddenly left It when Vesuvius
poured forth the flood of mud, molten
rock nnd scalding water upon the towns
of Hs seaward slope.
The present criod Is distinguished
for two things prosperity and dlscon
tent. Despite many glaring Incquall
tics or Inequities In the distribution of
Its results, great prosperity has pre
vailed In the United States for eight
or nine years, and there are no visible
signs of Its Interruption. Yet It Is a
matter of common remark that only In
a few trying times of great Industrial
depression, when millions of working
peoplo were deprived of optsirtunlties
to earn a living, has there been so much
discontent as Is seen and heard and
felt In these time cf amazing prosjier
Ity. Never liefore wore attacks on the
great trusts made with such determina
tion and effect. Never before were the
people so united and so zealous lu war-f.-re
upon political graft In all sections.
ie discontent of the period Is not
i ..-re grumbling. It Is enlightened de
sire for better conditions. Such dis
content Is the parent of all progress.
If the American people were more con
tent with a full stomach they would
be less energetic and progressiva To
an Individual, a tribe, or a people who
are contented, who have all they de
sire, progress Is Impossible. Hut for
those whose Ideals are higher than any
resent attainment, the longing for bet
ter things, vtho have shown up here
and there In all the ages aud who have
ecome more numerous and more In
sistent as one after another their aims
and longings have lnn gratified, tho
rogrcss of tho human family would
never have advanced lcyond naked bar
barism. Wo are a discontented jaxqile
there's no denying It, and no reason
for trying to deny It. Because we are
discontented we hustlo and "get there."
The discontent Is not at all due to tho
prosperity, but the prosperity Is very
largely due to the discontent. We have
not reached perfection yet and the fact
that we know It and kick about It Is
the best possible assurance tlmt affairs
will steadily grow better.
Is Switzerland to loso Its glaciers.
The subject bears a close resemblance
to that as to the exhaustion of tho
British coal beds. It will scarcely be-
como acute ln our time; but nonethe
less scientific observations of tho move
ment of the glaciers during 11)03 shows.
as similar observations In previous
years have shown, a shrinkage ln tho
surface. Somo of tho glaciers have
Bhrunk as much as 21X) yards since
1000. lu no lnstanco has growth been
reported.
According to the results of recent ex
periments the flame of acetylene Is per
haps the hottest known except that of
tho electric arc. The following figures
have been given by Mr. Matll: ISunsen
burner, 1,871 degrees; acetylene flame,'
2,548 degrees; alcohol flame, 1,705 de
grees; Denayrouze burner half alco-
hoi, half petroleum 2,053 degrees; hy-j
drogen flame, ln air, 1,000 degrees; gas
jet flame, with oxygen, 2,200 degrees;'
oxygen flame, 2,420 degrees. These are!
all Centigrade degrees. One degree
Centigrade equals ono degree and eight
tenths Fahrenheit
The lowest temperature yet recorded,
says a medical Journal, Is that reached
recently by K. Olszewski ln an attempt
to liquify helium. By tho aid of solid,
hydrogen he cooled the gas to minus
259 degrees 8. Under 180 atmospheres'
presaure; then, suddenly releasing the'
pressure to that of tho atmosphere, a;
degree of cold was created which, byi
calculation from Laplace and UolBsonV
formula, amounted to minus 271.3 do-;
grees C. Helium, however, did not;
liquify, and he accordingly assumes
that Its boiling point must bo below
minus 271, and that there Is but little
prospect of reducing it to a liquid.
A French scientific writer ltolnts out
that a mere gain In weight should not
lu Itself be taken as an Indication of
Improved Udlly condition. It Is, ac
cording to hiin, rather a question of tho
density than the quantity of tissue
which covers the bones. When in
creased weight results from Increased
density, then the health Is really Im
provid. In order that this prlnelplo
may bo practically applied, lie suggests
the u so of baths containing a known
quantity of water and supplied with
appliances . for measurement whereby
the density of the Immersed body may
be calculated. In the manner lu which
Archimedes nsccrtulucd t lie density of
King Illero's crown of adulterated gold.
A alural Ksplaaatloa.
"There Is always so much gossip
about the flirtations which go on In
Mrs. Nurltch's conservatory."
"Possibly because It contains so
many rubber plants." Valtiiuort
American.
f jP-tf!?? T'f jA
"s&a
- m ."N
Charity. Charity Is the true coin to
day; hatred and contention, tho dis
gusting counterfeit. I!ev. It. Mc.VvI
line, Catholic, Freiichvllle, Pa.
Thought. The Christian needs to
learn bow to think of others, how to
think of himself, and what to think of
his work. Kev. 10. A. Ott, Independent,
Chicago.
Loyal Americans. America, the land
of the free, should be ruled only by
loyal Americans, whether native born
or adopted by naturalization. Kev. C.
II. Lemklii. Methodist. New York City.
Creed. It Is better to have a gisxl
human creed than to have no creed,
but, U'tter still, to have a divine creed
which Is a personal faith in a personal
Christ. Kev. M. E. Harlan, Disciple,
Brooklyn.
Creation. No evolution could pro
duce man. He Is a creation, but
through the use of evolved material.
God is the creator: he breathed Into
us the breath of life. Kev. Kobt. Mac
Donald, Baptist, llrooklyn.
Government. We want a govern
ment for the benefit of the people; a
government which, to use Mr. Glad
stone's words, "will make vice difficult
and virtue easy." Kev. Lyman Abbott,
Congregatioiialist, llrooklyn.
Honesty and Purity. (Quietly nnd
steadfastly stand for honesty and pur
ity in public and In private, and you
shall serve your generation more than
by steamships or railways or all ma
terial wealth. Kev. W. H. Faunce,
Presbyterian, Providence, 1J. I.
P.lg itry. There are Congregutlonal-
Ists ami Presbyterians and Methodists
with equal loyalty. Hut the Christian
should be lui bigot, anil no species of
bigotry Is more offensive than that of
th" denominational bigot. C. A. Har
bour. Baptist, Kotiicstcr, X. Y.
Kingly Christians. The love of God
has gone Into the palaces of kings and
queens and made them act kindly to
ward their subjects, Queen Victoria
was a hlg'i example of the love of God
tiling in the heart of a monarch. Kev.
C. II. Gariirh, Baptist, Albany, X. Y.
Environment. Man finds himself in
the midst of a double environment of
: od and evil, and subjected to Hmlta
lons. Yet who can say how far he can
go beyond apparent limits? The ideal
we have to-day Is not The Ideal of yes
terday. Kov. .S. Kirk, Independent. Des
Moines, Iowa.
Modern Marriages. What part has
iod In the great majority of modem
.larrlngos? It Is a libel on God to say
that He Joined In holy matrimony those
that know Him not. Countless thous
ands of miserable marriages are the re
sult of not being Joined together by
God. Itev. John Thresher. Baptist.
Pittsburg.
Higher Consecration. If society la
ever led to the purer and loftier
heights It will be when the Christians
of our land live up to the standard and
march forward with It. It may require
a little higher consecration, but It will
not be any higher thau the Bible re
quires. Kev. L. r, Ludden, Disciple,
Lincoln, Xeb. '
Ideals. It Is true that we may not
be able to carry out our plans fully nor
to reach our ideals. It Is said that
Kaphnol turned away from his Sistlne
Madonna, dlsupioiiitcd, that P.eethoven
heard grander symphonies In his soul
than he was alio to write on paper.
Kev. J. It. Miukward, Lutheran. Wilk
Insburg. Pa.
Final Words. If a man ever ulters
his true convictions at any time It Is
when he speak his last words. Final
words are the ones that usually live
and wield the posthumous inlluence.
The dent Illicit message has furnished a
text for many a sermon and many a
song. Kev. W. A. ' Frye, Methodist,
Lansing, Mich.
Social Life. Blessed are they who
do hunger and thirst for righteousness
In social life. What the social life
needs Is a strong Infusion of righteous
ness, so that there shall be considerate
uess, chnrltableness, modesty, temper
ance, healthy amusement, und intelli
gence. Kev. S. II, Harris, Methodist,
Amherst, Mass.
A Higher Life. Wo must build a
higher Intellectual nnd spiritual life. A
sound mind nnd body aro necessary be
fore we can proceed, and we must have
a spirit of love und forget nnger by em
bodying the spirit Inculcated by God by
persistent faith In God and rejecting
all wrongs. Ker. P. G. Senrs, Episco
palian, Mcrldcn, Mass.
Work lu the Church. There Is a
way to relate yourself to your faith by
your works. Some people seem to have
a terrible fear of working too much,
esiHH-lally for their church. Every
inemls'r of a church should select a
specific thing to do. Each one set him
self, for Instance, to securing one new
member each year. Kev. W. H. Mc
Glautllln, Unlversaltst, Atlanta.
Hungers of Maturity. Maturity l's
headstrong and dominant. It is quick
tempered and brooks no restraint. It
has the willfulness of conscious
strength. It presents opportunities that
no other age presents and so tempta
tions from within are abetted by cir
cumstances from without, and there la
but one result that can come to t lit un
guarded. Kev. C. L. Goodell, Metho
dist, Pro. l.lvn.
One Too Mtuiy;
"Keiilly," said Dr. Yoiiiigui.tn, "I
have more patients than 1 know what
to do wli'i."
"You don't tell me," replied Dr. ES
'dor. 'How many have you?"
'One. The trouble Is I cant tell
what's the mutter with him." Phlla.
delphla Press,
TcacliliiK tbm Younw Idea.
Pop took him to the roller riuk -
Alas ! for poor old pop I
Hc'h lying, fuming some, in bed J
Pop lias a huttd prop.
Houston Post.
I i UN IN THE
Cofl,, MkH' thnl fu" ,n "vln' ln th
When the frost Is In the furrow an'
im,.. , .... . .
i m il iiiu u.i, nit cooi no rrifqiy, an ine nignui nave nrinuior niara,
An' you hear the tinkle of the bells acrost the pastur' bars. '
Thsr's lots of fun In llvln' when the woods are full of haze
An' you hear fhe fiddle surgln' whsr the" cabin fires blase I r '
When the gals are candy pullin', an' they've robbed the honey beesf
An you're dancln' when you want to, an you're spark In' when you please!
O, the whlrrln' of the partridge an' the
The treeln 'of the 'jmssum, and the rabbit's foot for luck I
I The barkin' of tho squirrels on the oak an' blck'ry trees
An' you find 'em when you want to, an' you shoot 'em wen you please!
I i
That's tho time that gits mo! for the world Is good to see i
When the fiddle Is a-slngln' an' my sweetheart smiles on ine?
An' If It Is a quadrille I'm not tnkln any chance,
But I'll bet you that the prettiest gal Is goln' to have a dance':
Atlanta Constitution.
... I
2 A Guardian Wraith L
T FT F
r?ACK EVERETT, the "third trick"
jtJJ dispatcher, with steady nerve nnd
- sound digestion, woke that even
ing with his mother's voice ringing In
his ears. ' .
"Be careful, Jack," It said softly,
but warning!-.
This was the second time he had
heard It. Once liefore forty-eight
hours before and the same words.
Ills mother was miles eastward,
away over tho mountain, but the voice
spoke to him so plainly that he caught
himself forming a surprised reply. To
be sure, she was coming to him as fast
as the fast schedule of the Pacific Ex
press would permit, but that she would
be ln his arms to-morrow was n ex
planation' of her voice to-day.
Had he been dreaming? Xo, the echo
of the voice was ln the room, and be
sides he' slept the dreamless sleep of
a healthy boy whose troubles have not
begun.
Hallway suKrstltIon that makes
much of "warnings" began to oppress
him.
Blindly anxious to do something,
cnything to shake off the uncanny
feeling, he hurried down to the tele
graph office. The Pacific Express was
i
i 1 1
i -"1 ,JL tIW?'.i'.SSBS'
IS THIS THE WAY YOU WATCH OVEB
LIVES f
marked up on the blackboard as four
Lours late. He could catch it at Tos
tou, on tho Montana division, with a
word to his mother. He scribbled and
toro up, Bcrlhlcd and tore up again,
until, consulting his watch, he handed
this message to the oiorutor :
"Missoula, Mont, June 3.
"To Mrs. Fanny Everett On Xo. 1,
Toston: I am on duty at midnight and
will watch over your safety, mother
dear, from the time you leave Helena.
Don't worry, sleep sound, and dream
of JACK."
) "You've got twenty minutes to get
. 'em ln, Jimmy, and now I'll see If I
can eat some dinner!" was his com
ment, as he strolled off to Draco's
restaurant and ordered a meal, still
groping for a solution of the mystery.
I For years he had wandered, but the
' weekly letters between his mother and
himself knew no break. Xow as he
thought of them, there sounded an
eerie note through the letters to ' him
In key with the warnings. He had
! never noticed It before. How many
times she hud Insisted that she was
watching over bun; insisted that she
could and would be near him In time
of need. Why. In her last letter he
had received l only that morning, the
. last one to come before she would be
with him she had said:
"Jack, dear, I love you so, my boy,
that If danger should threaten you, at
that moment you will find your old
mother at your side to tsand between
you aud Its shadow."
He had looked on the letters as epis
tolary lullabys that crooned of the days
when they would be together; when his
boyhood would be lived again. She
seemed to be singing happily of her
child coming to her with bis troubles,
looking to her for ready consolation.
That, with boyish condescension, was
the way ho had Interpreted them.
The warning words struck another
key. The theme was full of minors
that set bis nerves quivering.
"Bo careful!" What was ho but
careful? How could he answer for
the safety of those In his care, for the
lives, except by being careful. Where
a single oversight would pile up en
gines and cars In horrid chaos re
sounding with the flying prayers and
curses of those his mistake had inur
dered.
He bad seen a man once who had
forgotten, pacing the floor In white'
lipped eusiK'Hse, waiting for news of
the crash of two traius he had sent
racing Into each other. Wasn't the
muiiory of that mail's oversight anil tlie
agony which followed enough without
these words sfioUeu out of the mystery
of the night?
Mechanically he paid his check, leav
ing bis meal untastcd, and walked out
Into the quiet street to reason MtU
himself.
For miles he tramied. He must quiet
bis nerves, must get himself lu control
before be went on duty.
The buttle waa wou at lost and be
ii fey II 1
.1
-r
po'"r'' 8,1 "round.
the" green Is turnln' brown,
... ... .... , i
boundln of the buck!
reached the office Just before- midnight
hot dusty, root weary, but with
brain cool and alert.
And w hile he walked the little moth
er lay In her berth In the sleeper
"Oneta" on Xo. 1, the telegram folded
In one hand, unable to sleep, and
thiuklng bo busily of him. Of Baby
Jack, with his cunning ways; of
nooiboy Jack, with his bovlsh
pranks; of Jack, the youth who left
home to seek his fortune, and lert her
heart almost breaking.
Up Placer Hill, down past the barren
sides of Clasoll, and through Prickly
rear Canyon, Bill Dalrymple drove the
417. The sleerers swuved and rocked.
and the berth curtains swung with the
curves they rounded, but It was not
until the train slowed down In Helena
jurd that her weary eyes closed.
Every man on the Koeky Mountain
division knew thnt Jack Everett's
mother was coming out on Xo. 1, and
as Jack was the apple of the eye of
every man on the division, from super
intendent to section boss, there was a
general feeling that No. 1 must take
her over the division In style.
Though "Black" Swayzey, of the 423,
and Dan McLane, of the 470, had an
lntlmnte acquaintance with every bolt
and bearing of their big machines, that
acquaintance was personally renewed.
ami prolonged visits paid with torch,
wrench, soft hammer and oil can be
fore they would allow the engines to
be taken out of Helena roundhouse.
They sjioke words of wisdom to their
firmen, too. Words of railway wisdom
that told volumes of what the furnace
stuffers might expect if they failed to
furnish steam In plenty fr the run.
which the engineers suggested would In
all probability keep them busy.
So It was that everything was ready
for a record-breaker, when, as Jack's
mother fell asleep lu the "Oneta," the
engines backed down on the traiu;
SawhlU's silver-plated lamp swung out;
and with echoing toots they picked up
their load with Jack's orders to run
three hours late from Helena to Mis
soula for the Montana division had
made up nothing of the four hours.
"Let's see," said Jack to himself as
he received tlx) report of their depart
ure at his office where the Kattlesnake
and Hell Gate Join their waters, and,
tipping back at the open window,
blinked at the familiar face of the
clock. "Four hours that will give
Swayzey a chance to pick up ten min
utes on the hill and fifty minutes from
Blossburg to Missoula, and still keep
on the safe side of that order. He
surely cau't do better than that even If
I do want to get 'Marmsie' here as
quick as I can."
Tho situation looked good to him,
and he began to give way No. l's time
to freight trains with a lavish hand.
He believed ln the maxim that freight
trains pay passenger crews' wages.
But "Black" Swayzey hadn't taken
orders from Jack for two years for
nothing and,' knowing the young dis
patcher's habit of helping those who
helped themselves, chuckled as be hook
ed the 423 up and opened her out to
tear off the miles.
"If you keep the old beast hot," he
yelled across tho cab to "Shorty" Mc-
Cone, his fireman, "we'll have Everett
canceling a lot of those orders be Is
paslng out to freight trains, and then
he'll give us a show," and "Shorty"
grinned, for the escaping steam was
singing over the roar of the exhaust
even then as he steadied himself to
round the curve at Blrdseye, and
squluted at the cloud of black smoke
pourtug out of the big McQueen's
stack.
Digging along behind In desperate
effort to keep the pace, the "hog"
coughed frantically, with Dan McLane
leaning half way out of the cab win
dow keeping watch on a pin that was
a bit tender. It made Jack's eyes
sparkle with delight when the operator
at Butler reported the double-header
by without having stopped for water.
That meant ten minutes saved.
Other duties called his attention.
Two freights Just In from tho west end
were ready for orders, waiting to pull
out of Heron; a stock train was calling
for orders at Horse Plains; Trout
Creek wanted help for a delayed way
Irelglit up White Pine Hill against No.
3; and a heliwr at Arlee must come
over the mountain to have Its boiler
washed out. By the time he had si
lenced the clamor of the night hawks
west of Missoula the ojMrator at Bloss
burg rcsrtcd No. 1 rolling out -f the
tunnel.
They bad made up twenty-five min
utes coining :ip the hill. A record run
sure '.'nougn. It meant that they would
crowd the order to run three hours
late before Swayzey whistled for tho
Garrison yardpost. They must he glv
m a chance, aud, telling Blossburg to
copy for No. 1, Jack quickly picked
up the freights to which he had given
away the time, aud sent an order can
celing the favors against No. 1. nnd
giving that train an order to run three
hours late to Elllston and two hours
lato from there to Mlssoulr
anra station repeated the order back,
the train crews signed it and wete re
hased, and Swayzey, now freed from
McLane's lumbering giant, dropped out
of Blossburg so precipitately that Saw
hill had to forget bis dignity and catch
the first coach he might or get left be
hind. Jack tipped back In bis chair again,
loosened his vest, and filled his irngs
with the cool night breeze of June that
blew from the foothills. Then with de
liberation stuffed tobacco Into his pipe
and aided Its purpose with a match.
The moonlight tlpicd the distant
snow caps with silver. It shone over
the little town which was all isleep
but for the chugging activity of chubby,
Important switch engines that kicked
and pushed and pulled cars here nd
there In obedience to waving lamps,
spitefully banging those they cast off
against their fellows slumbering on the
side tracks. The clang of Iron on Iron
echoed through the still air ami
brought a long-drawn "yap yap yar-r-r"
of defiance from a lone coyote on his
haunches In the Indian burying ground
on the nearest terrace of foothills. The
roar of the Hell Gate over its rock
strewn channel readied the olliee In a
murmur that was music to the young
dispatcher's ears, until the sharp chat
ter of the sounder broke In to tell him
that his charges In the west were again
after him to straighten out their tan
gle. He bad Just told Xoxon for tho third
time that If Cameron's special would
not help Itself he could not reach out
and pull It along, and begged Its crew
to remember that a little time honestly
stolen Is a lot of help lu getting over
the road, when the pages of his order
book shivered with a sudden draught
There seemed something strange around
him.
He could not understand the sensa
tion. He was all alone, but there was
the compelling feeling of eyes that de
mand response. From sheer perverse
nes he resisted the lnflunce as long
as he could, perhaps for a minute, call
lug himself a fool for his nervousness.
It was of no use. He looked up from
the train sheet
Stauding between the door and his
desk was a little woman gray garbed,
no covering on her gray hair that was
drawn smoothly bnck from her face.
Per eyes like Jack's own.
His mother, his darling mother but
how did she get there? By any process
of reasoning she could be nowhere ex
cept in her berth on Xo. 1, still miles
out on the division ; yet here she was.
He could not mistake form or feature,
or the Indulgent .smile, which had so
cfteu tempered her reproof of his boy
ish misdeeds.
His lips moved In a meaningless at
tempt, but be could not utter a sound.
She came slowly toward his desk as
though groping her way, her eyes fixed
on the train sheet She pointed to its
margin, nnd said ln mild reproach:
"You told me to sleep soundly for
you wqaild guard me safely. Is this the
way you watch over the lives lu your
charge, Jack?"
Dumb with fear, his eyes went back
to the record of the trains once more,
realizing some awful sight awaited
him ; something which had brought bis
mother to hiin to keep her promise;
some explanation of the warnings he
had so little understood.
Under the extended finger and at the
extreme edge of the sheet were the
figures showing Maglll's special east
had passed Garrison Just after mid
night when Jack had given them the
three hours' time on Xo. 1. 'ihey had
gone on to Lester's siding for the crew
to load five cars of ties. They had
been bottled up there with no telegraph
office when he changed tho order to Xo.
1. The figures on the sheet were so
small ho had overlooked them, and
knowing nothing of the change of pro
gram the traiu was even then hurrying
on to make AInslee for the express,
which Swayzey, In the belief that he
had a clear track, would surely get
there first.
The horror of it roused the boy. Tho
thought of the crash of engines, tho top
pling over the coaches down the till,
went -through him like an electric
shock.
"Oa-os-os Xo. 1 by, three hours late."
Elllston was reporting Swayzey paring
his time order close, tt'be 423 bad
struck her gait and would make up
fifteen minutes more to AInslee.
Railway training asserted itself.
How bis warning came, how his mother
was at bis elbow was not a question
to be dealt with then. Ono of those
trains must be stopped.
If be might get Avon! That station
had no night operator, but the agent
slept ln a little room off the telegraph
office, aud if he had not cut out bis
instrument the office call might wake
him.
"Av Av Av" rang out sharply
as' Jack grasped his only chance.
"Av Av Av " the brass sounder
seemed to change Its metallic clatter
to a human cry for help.
"Av " once more; then
"I I Av " ticked back, sleepily,
and Jack was on his feet with excite
ment "Drop your signal and stop Maglll,
special east," ho snapped.
"O. K. Maglll here; what do you
want with him?" rattled back the op
erator In a way which spelled Indig
nation at broken similiter.
"Get hlm on the siding quick nnd
take this order," answered Jack, his
breath coming thick as he bent a copy
.of the order given to No. 1 at Bloss
burg, and which meant so many lives.
A heartbreaking pause, then It was
related, the signatures of Maglll and
his engineer were added, and before
the Ink was dry ou the order book,
Avon reported No. 1 passing line the
tall of a comet
The sisxlal started east The thread
snapped.
Mike Schenck, the yardmaster, threw
Ice water over Jack half an hour after,
doused hlm unsparingly, and revived
hlm pale and bedraggled. No one knew
hy he collapsed and let trains run
themselves for thirty minutes! no one
In authority, . at least kuew of the
narrow escape of No. 1 ; and Jack's
mother could not understand why the
dispatcher's office seemed so familiar
to ber wheu sue met hlui there aa No.
1 arrived In Missoula, although she
never before had seen It
And while no one In authority re
ceived any rtsrt of the mysterious
visitation which had prevented a fear
ful catastrophe, there will not be found
many railroaders who will deny the re
ality of such occurrences; few will as
cribe them to the imagination f the
person who receives the strange warn
ing. But the puzzling question which
remnlns, and defies solution, Is this:
How did Jack's mother "get away from
herself" and traverse the space that
separated her from her son? Pennsyl
vania Grit
DIAMONDS THAT ARE LOST.
Manx Valuable fttnnea AVhlcli nininp
pear Sievrr lo lie Itecovered.
At what figure can we estimate the
diamonds that get lost? One can only
reply approximately.' Although It seems
enormous. It appears that ono can place
at 15 per cent the diamonds that no
longer belong to anybody.
First of all, what do we mean by
lost diamonds? When n stone goes
astray It generally occurs that, If the
owner does not find It again, It has
fallen Into other hands. It Is not lost
to commerce. It Is not thus, however,
when a diamond, badly set, for exam
ple, falls to the ground. At least un
less It be of size sufficiently Important
to attract attention one must see there
Is little chance of It being saved.
In the city It goes directly Into the
gutter nnd thence to the sewer. In
the country, on the main rond. It be
comes covered up ' by the pebbles nnd
earth that are stirred up by vehicles
and pedestrians. One can feel sure
ln this case the gems are lost to the
world and will never return to useful
ness. But, one will say, we are still far
from the 15 per cent given as the
actual loss of diamonds. There are,
after all, not such a great number
that get lost and are never found again.
That Is true, but It is necessary to take
Into account numerous other sources
of loss, such as-those occurring In fires,
shipwreck, etc. , Again, there are per
sons who express In their wills the
formal desire to be decorated with
their Jewels when dead. This Is
customary in some countries.
All these causes explain easily how
nearly a sixth of the diamonds can
completely disappear.
The Bank of France every year has
a big balance coming from bills that
are never presented for payment. It
Is therefore not at all surprising that
the same should happen with precious
stones.
In this reconlng are not computed
the losses arising from recutting. The
splintered frasiments and pieces are
serviceable still In some way or other.
We do not admit bort, black diamonds
and 'diamonds used in the Industries,
but refer only to gem qualities.
One might mention the 25 per cent
indicated by the loss on rose cut stones.
Of all stones these roses show the
greatest loss. Le Dlnmnnt.
WOMEN TO THEIR RESCUE.
Aaatrallan Politic Itefarmed by the
Worlc of the Fair Sex.
A Queensland man told me that he
doubted If In his part of the country
they could have achieved much If It
had not been for the women. Every
avenue of employment was absolutely
In the hands of the intrenched govern
ing classes and every man that agitated
for election reform was not only dis
charged hut blacklisted and boycotted.
Ho found It impossible then to obtain 1
employment anywhere; no man dared
to hire hlm.
George Kyland was blacklisted for
five years. They would not let hlm
plow nor chop wood nor drive horses.
It looked like a hois'less fight against
a iwer so great and so arbitrary.
Often the men were discouraged, but
the women, never; they had more pluck
than the men. The savage Injustice had
stirred their utmost resentment; one
and all they urged their husbands to
keep on nnd never to yield. In many
cases wives assumed the burden of siqi
porting the family. Some turned dress
makers and some -ooks.
One family that I know lived four
years on a weekly income of between
$3 and $4 earned with her needle by
the wife aud mother. The husbnnd
tramped Queenstown looking in vulu
for work. With such a spirit among
the women the situation could not long
continue. A body of voters grew up
not of the labor element but painfully
convinced that existing conditions were
wrong. These united with the few la
bor men that had the franchise, tho
"U'tter" element was outvoted nnd
overturned, the suffrage was reformed,
the labor party swept Into possession of
the Queensland state government and
holds the gavernment today. Every,
body's Magazine.
Left In the Cloak Hoom.
There was a sophomore who was
hard up lu the early fall, and pawned
all bis good cle.thes.
A little before Thanksgiving he got
a check from home, and according'?,
like a wise sophomore, redeemeu his
wardrobe.
Wheu he got home for the holidays
his mother said she would unpack lils
trunk for him. The first thine
his '
mother took out of the trunk was an
overcoat, and on It was pinned, be saw
to his horror, the pawnbroker's ticket
that he had forgotten to remove.
Hastily grabbing the ticket, he sa d:
"Hello ! They must have forgotten
to take this off at the Smith dame,
when I left It In the cloak roe.ni."
A moment later his mother took on":
his evening trousers. They also had n
ticket on them.
"Why, Frank." she said, "surely you
didn't leave these In the cloak roo-n,
too, did you?" Philadelphia Bulletin,
A ire:it 4 uaxitlc-rullfin.
"You consider him tho foremost of
our arctic explorers?"
"I do," answered the publisher. "I
know of no one else whoso literary stylo
approaches his." Washington Star,
If a man follows the family clock
ln taklug a train, he will find when
be goes to the depot that he la going
to-morrow, when he really lutended ta
go yesterday.
