THE CLUMSY MAN. Tow Ca Never Up Sure of What III" Next llnak Will He. The great virtue ubotit the really , clumsy man Is that he never exhausts his capabilities. When you think that tlie bedrock Is michixl, there la still n j lower dentli. If n detrimental relative should taint, the clunnjr ninn nska nft er his health with great pnitleulnrlty nnd will not bo nt lulled until lie re ceives a full nnil detailed reply. .Should there he nny Incident In your past which everybody has generously agreed to forKCt It Is the clumsy man who Bclr.o the one, the Inevitable opportu nity, when the club Is at Its fullest nnd says loudly; "Somebody was talking; the other day about that unfortunate little affair of yours In '05. Now tell me!" When on meeting him you say ensu ually and with no doslro for Informa tion, "How aro you 7" ho Insists on tv lng you complete data, and ho In as full of small complaints as a refractory pauper. It 1h only fair to add that he will ask affectionately after the colds of yesteryear, and hlf favorite locale for this Is at the corner of a drafty street, lie might bo subsldb.ed by In fluenza or he might get a commission on sore throatH from his eagerness to pin you Into tho most dangerous posi tion that can be discovered. One desires an adequate amount of sympathy In distress, but our man al ways goes a little beyond this point. You aro growing thin, and he says that you aro wasting away to a shadow. You are growing stout, and ho tells an unamuslng nnecdote about apoplexy. Ho can bo moro critical than a hair dresser If occasion gives tho least ex cusePhiladelphia Ledger. WATER RIGHTS INVIOLATE. BJtrlnK nnil Wlln In Pnlestlno Aro t'ottrrtcit tr Severe l.nvr. Water Is the most precious thing In Palestine, and the laws which protect springs and wells are very severe. Most of tho wells are artillclal, lllch men at very great expense have chis eled basins and reservoirs out of the rocks to receive tho How from springs, and In many places where no springs could be found they have drilled through tho llmostone a hundred feet and sometimes twice that dlstanco to the artesian basin. None but very rich sheiks can afford such an expenditure. Nevertheless, thoy hnvo not only been the greatest benefactors of their fellow men, but those who have sunk wells and built fountains have erected monuments to their fame more enduring than palaces or temples or shuftn of gmulte. Tho temple of Solomon has vanished forever, but the pools which ho wnlled up with masonry and lllled with water still remain. The wells that Abraham and Jacob drilled In the rock as acts of piety as well as power aro as Im mortal as their names and will live for ever as long aa men feel thirst. According to a Just custom of the country, water rights could never bo forfeited. No man who owned n well might refuse his neighbor water for his family or his Hocks, but the lord of tho spring was inviolate. No cred itor or enemy could tnlco his water rights away from him. To Injure or fill up n well waB an unpardonable crime. When tho Philistines threw earth and stones Into tho well of Abra ham, they Intended to challenge him to a war of extermination. These cus toms and regulations rcmnln today. Chicago Itecord-Hcrald. A UNIQUE DORMITORY. One Thnt In Owned by the Uitlveralf y of the South. Dean HolTninn was noted for char itable Impulses, which his large Income allowed him to Indulge In. Some years ago tho dean Invested heavily In land In a small southern town which was then enjoying a "boom" period. Among tho dean's other Investments was a beautiful little hotel, exquisitely ap pointed nnd perfect lit every detail. After awhile the "boom" foil through, nnd the llttlo hotel became a losing In vestment. At this time the chancellor of tho University of tho South, an old friend of Deau Hoffman, was on a hunting trip with him In tho mountains of North Carolina. "Wo aro badly In need of a dormitory down at Suwanee," said tho chancel lor. "Yes," said Hoffman and sat think ing for n moment. "Well, you can have tho hotel building down at H ," nam ing the town. "You can tnko It to pieces nnd rnovo it to Suwanee. It ought to mnko a pretty llttlo dormi tory." Tho chancellor was greatly pleased and made all tho arrangements to movo tho hotel, when, to his nstonlsh inent, tho citizens of tiio town obtained nn injunction against Its removal on tho grounds that tho hotel In n way was public property and thnt to re move It would leave the town without any hotel accommodations. A legal light followed, but the university won out In tho end. So the University of tho South revels In tho luxury of tho most unlquo dormitory In tho world. Now York Times. THE ARABS OF YEMEN. The Home of the KlmlcrKnrten. Tho Jnpanese hnvo the most perfect kindergarten system In the world, in fact, they originated this method of In structing by entertainment Instead of by punishment Indicted. Their play ap paratus for such purpose Is elaborate, but all of It Is adapted to the Infant mind, which It Is designed at once to amuse and to Inform. The little ones of Japan even become somewhat inter ested In mathematics by seeing and feeling what a pretty thing u cone, n sphere or a cylinder is when cut out of wood with a lathe. They mnko out lines of solid llgurcs out of straw, with green peas to hold the Joints together, nnd for tho Instruction of the blind lint blocks are provided with the Japanese characters raised upon them. A. Story AVhleh Throw u Strong I.lKht Their Character. Tho Times of India tells tho follow ing story to show the character of the Arnbs of Yemen. A man of Zaranlks who several times cut the telegraph lines nnd who was punished more than once was caught on one occasion by nn Arab sheik In charge of the lines. Tho shell; Intended to send him to Mcedy for Imprisonment, but tho wife of tho nccused came In nnd stood as a guarantee for his future good behavior. Tho sheik uccepted the ball nnd re leased him, but shortly afterward ho again resorted to his old practice of cutting tho wires and bolted nwny to another vlllngo at a distance of a day's march, where ho had another wife. Tho Bhelk then sent for his flrst wife, who stood security for him, nnd told her ho would disgrace her among tho Arabs If sho failed to bring In her hus band. Tho woninn asked tho sheik not to "spread the black Bhcct" (a custom of tho country when any ono commits n breach of trust) until tho following day. She started that night, taking a sharp dagger concenled under her clothes, to the village where her hus band wns staying. She found him asleep In his abode and stabbed him, cut his throat and carried his bend back to her home. The next morning sho went to tho sheik nnd presented tho head of her husband, saying: "Here Is your criminal, and I am freed from tho bnll. Please do not ndlx tho blnck Bheet." London Telegraph. ItiiutimilA ItemcillpN. However hopeless you may consider your case, be slow to tly to drugs for relief from Insomnia. A rubber bag full of broken ice applied to tho back of the neck and a hot water bag at the f cot aro highly recommended as a reme dy for insomnia even In obstinate cases. Tho circulation is equalized by this treatment. Tho secret of hot milk euro also rec ommended for sufferers from Insomnia lies In sipping tho beverage. The act of Blowly Bwallowlng tho liquid Is soothing In Its effect and generally produces tho much desired drowsy feel ing which leads to tho coveted sleep. Illuh Tciuiicriiture. Tommy had had pneumonia, so hnd been for some time In hospital, whero they treated him so well thnt ho was much nrorse to tho prospect of being discharged as "cured." Ono day the doctor In charge was taking his temperature, and while Tommy had the thermometer In his mouth tho doctor moved on nnd hap pened to turn his back. Tommy saw his chance. Ho pulled the thermometer out of his mouth nnd popped It Into a cup of hot tea, replacing It at the flrst Blgn of the medico turning. When thnt worthy examined tho thermometer, he looked flrst at Tom my, then back to tho thermometer nnd gasped: "Well, my mnn, you're not dead, but you ought to bo!" London Chronicle. M-S-M--r-rH X IKr D?xnIrv Of No. 201 BY DAVID H. TALMADGE 18 i CoiiyrlRht.imi,liyI.H.,rnlniHtl' X The accommodation train, No. 01 of tho schedule, on tho branch rond was stuck In tho snow, and there seemed to bo no relief for It. No provision had been made for bucIi a contingency bo cuusu the branch, sheltered by trees and bluffs, had been considered proof against such misfortune. Tho ungl neer, who had boon on tho run for twenty years, was too astonished for words when tho small locomotive failed to cut tho drift Into which it had plunged so confidently, nnd he snt on his seat staring dumbly nt the con ductor, who sworo shockingly nnd geu tlculated with his arms. In the coach were two paaumgers, both young men. Ono wns tho typo of jcominercinl salesman sent out by small Jobbing houses, well dressed, self as sertive, crudely philosophic; tho other, by nppenrance, plnlnly n farmer. Ho wore a baggy, shiny blnck suit, and his white collar was attached to a ging ham shirt by a white bone button, sowed with black thread. Ills appear ance wns enhanced by n carefully trimmed shock of hair nnd whiskers. The commercial salesninn had arisen when tho train stopped nnd hnd walk ed to tho door. "I guess," ho remarked after a min ute, "that we're Btalled." He whistled a popular melody ns ho walked down tho aisle and noted with fiomo nmuscment that the other man wan clutching tho bnck of n scat, his eyes tilled with consternation. "Provoking, isn't it?" the drummer said iiH he lighted n cigar and drew a paper covered book from his grip. "Y-yes by cat!" tho other stam mered. "Sny. do you mean thnt wo'ro ntuck?" "That's It exactly. Here's the con ductor now." i The conductor slammed the door vi ciously and shook the snow from his cnp. "We're up against It, gentlemen," 'ho announced In disgust. "The con founded teakettle Ib dying like a sick pig out there In a drift no blgger'n a washtub. We're two miles from Dllk port, nnd the snow's so thick you can't sco your hand before your fnce. Lucky we've been to supper." "Then wo won't get out tonight?" nsked tho farmer anxiously, looking nt his watch. "That's tho bIzo of it. As wo'ro up here on this pea vine the section men won't lenrn what's tho mntter with us till tomorrow. We've got plenty of coal. It might bo worse." "Yes," snld tho farmer, "I s'poso It might, but I don't seo how It could bo much worse for mo." Ho picked up an overshoe. "You see," ho explained, fastening the buckle, "I've got n particular en gagement tonight up nt Dilkport, nnd If tho train nln't going I'vo got to hoof It." no put on the other shoe nnd rose, reaching for tho wolfskin coat which dangled from one end of the pnrcel 'holder. Tho conductor nnd tho Bales man contemplated him In astonish ment. "Ilut, 'man, you can't do It possibly," Bald the conductor. "You'll fnll through n brldgo or something, nnd then you'll freeze to death." "I reckon 'tis a bit risky," admitted the farmer, "but I nln't nt all sure it wouldn't be riskier not to. You see, my wife's nt Dilkport, nnd she's sick. Sho may be dying. I'vo got to go to her.' In n Higher Position. "Mo darter Nora Is golu to marry Casey, that wurrucks In the basemlut iv thot bulldln', but 01 do bo tlllln' her that she molght hcv looked higher!" "Indnde?" "Yls. Sho cud hov hod Murphy, that wurrucks on tho top story lv thnt snino BkoJscrnpcr." Baltimore Herald. Xnturu III Hlreil Sinn. It was In tho far south. "How's times?" nsked tho tourist. "Pretty tolerable, stranger," respond ed the old man who was sitting on a stump. "I had somo trees to cut down, but tho cyclone leveled them and Baved mo tho trouble." "That wns good." "Yes, and then the lightning set flro to tho brush pllo nnd saved mo the troublo of burning It." "Remnrkablo! But whnt are you do Ing now?" "Waiting for an earthquake to come along and Bhuke tho potatoes out of tho ground." Chicago News. l'uttliiir It Gentlr. "B"ut Ib sho pretty?" "Well, I don't believe In talking about a girl's looks behind her back, ner father's worth nbout ?20.000,000, and they've taken her to Europe twice without bringing bnck any titles, so you can form your, own opinion." Chi cago Itecord-IIorald. Even If n boy Is nlwnya whistling "I Waut to Bo An Angel" It is Just as v. til to l;op the raspberry Jam nnd choose cakjs on tho top shelf of tho pantry. Darned StocklnRN. Tender feet nre often mndo bo by the uso of much darned stockings. Wcnr light woolen stockings, nnd let them bo of tho cheap kind, that you will not mind discarding directly they become worn. To harden tho skin it Is n good plan to yib the soles of tho feet with methylated spirits overy day or to wash them over with salt water. Happily Not So Sure of It. Raynor This fortuno telling busi ness Is nil humbug. Ono of theso pro fessors of palmistry told me a llttlo while ugo to look out for n short, blond man. Shyno I don't know nbout it's being nil humbug. I'm blond nnd I'm short. Lend me n ten, old fellow, will you? Chicago TiT- -no. English kings eallod thomsolvos kings of France till n cntury ago, and Frnch kings eallod themselves kings of Jerusalem until the revolution. An expression of sympathy came up on the conductor's face, and thnt of tho salesninn took on n midden gravity. "There are certain circumstances," tho farmer continued In explanation, "which make it more important that 1 should seo her than you might natural ly think from tho plain fact of her be ing sick. I haven't treated her Just right, to tell tho truth. I've been stu pid nnd unreasonable. Wo were mar ried only n year ago. I won her away from three or four other fellows. Any ono of 'em would have mndo her a better husbnnd than me. Funny how such things go, nln't It?" "It's a blooming queer old world," said tho conductor, nodding his head sagely. "And the queerest things In It nre glrlB," added tho salesman In the tono of an authority. "Wo were married at Dilkport, where alio was raised, and we went to my farm to live. Wo were happy as could bo for maybe six months, nnd then I noticed thnt something was wrong with her. A sort of cloud come over jher. It wnB nothing but homesickness, I s'pose, but I couldn't see It nny other way than that bud was sorry she'd married me. And one day I happened to find a ahet of paper a part of a letter she'd been writing that had dropped from her portfolio, nnd I rend it. There weren't many words on tho sheet. The llrst ono was 'disappoint ed,' ending n sentence she'd begun on tho sheet that went before. And then It said: 'It is not ns I had pictured It. I wish to go home' And right thero It ended. I said nothing to her. I didn't think It was necessary to have a Bcone, ns they call It. But I was hurt hurt clean to the core nnd In trying to cover up my feelings I s'poso I was unkind, maybe cruel. After two or threo days of brooding I got into a regular bad state. I told her sho'd better go homo to her folks; that I'd de cided wo weren't made for each other. When sho tried to put her arms about my neck, I wouldn't let her. When sho nsked for my roasons, l fold her sho knew well enough and turned my back. I was an unnatural, unreason able brute." "Correct," said the conductor frank ly. "Well, she went. For four months I'vo been baching It on tho fnrin, grow ing crnbblder every da y, and this morn ing I happened to meet n young chnp in tho store at Pepperdock that knows my wife's folkB. He lives nt Pllkport when he Vsu't traveling around the country soling things. " 'I s'poso you've heard from your wlfo this morning?' ho nskc me. 'No,' snld I, with n snap; 'I hnln't. 'Well, I'vo Just come from home,' said he, 'and thero was a report on the street when I loft that who wns liable to die. Tho kid's all right, though.' "'Huh!' said I, stnrtled to death. 'The lvldl' 'Yes, snld he, looking at me In u sort of peculiar way; 'didn't you know there was u kid born yesterday?' 'Why, yes, of course,' 1 said, shamed into the He. I was that dazed 1 didn't know my name for u minute. " 'Your wife's a line womnn,' the young chnp went on, me listening llko one In n dream. 'I Bent her u pntcnt dish wnsher nbout six months ugo on trial. It didn't suit her, but sh didn't do as most women would hnvo done. Sho wrote me a real nice letter, telling me that It had disappointed her; that it wasn't what she'd pictured It. She said she wished to go home 'o Dilk port for n visit In n short time nnd that when she come Bho'd bring It up with her, saving me the express charges. I tell you, n fellow In this agency busi ness learns to appreciate llttlo things llko thnt.' "And then in n flash I saw It all. Tho letter I'd seen was tho ono sho wns writing nbout that dish washer. I bolted homo without getting the things I'd come to town nfter. I hustled around and spruced up u llttlo and got somebody to enro for the stock, nnd nnd I'm going to get to Dilkport to night In splte.of blazes; that's all there is to It" He left tho coach, followed by the conductor nnd the salesman, who felt impelled by sympathy to seo him off on his perilous trip. They climbed over tho freight cars through tho blind ing storm townrd tho locomotive. "Look out for tho next cnrl" called the conductor. "It's loaded with oil barrels. Better lot mo go nhend with tho lantern." Tho fnrmer stopped. "All right," he Bald. "Is thero any oil in tho barrels?" "Thoy'ro full of It. Why?" "I was Just thinking that onco I bought n barrel of oil, and on the way homo the sled tipped over In a drift, and the bung came out of tho barrel, nnd the oil run on to the snow. It wns a pitch dark night, nnd I didn't have n lantern. I wns In bad shape, but I gathered together n pile of straw that had been in the sled box and lit it with a match, nnd the first thing I knew that oil soaked drift wns melting." "By tho holy green light!" exclaimed the conductor as the other's idea be came clear to him. "Do you Bupposo wo could do it?" "I'd bo willing to stand tho expense of three barrels of oil toward trying It." The conductor Jumped Into the cab nnd laid the plan before the engineer, who had stubbornly refused to leave tho engine until compelled by tho cold. "It might work," said tho engineer nfter a few minutes' deliberation. " 'Taln't like ns if we were buried. Wo'ro Just tangled up a llttlo; that's all. If I could get a start, I'd go through. Jim" addressing the fire man with sudden energy "coal up! Make her hum!" The conductor called tho two brnke men nnd the express messenger, nnd with the usslstance of the two passen gers threo barrels of kerosene were rolled from the car nnd carried to the front end of tho train. The heads of the barrels were broken In, and the oil wns scattered upon tho snow by pail ful nnd shovelful. Then, when no more remained, tho conductor lighted a great handful of greasy waste and threw it upon the drift. It sputtered n moment, flickered, all but went out. Tho fnrmer rolled ono of the empty oil soaked barrels within reach of the burning wnste. "It's no g" There wns n blinding glnre, followed by a sizzling, hissing roar. Tho drift melted ns If by mngic. The flames licked the drive wheels of the loeonio- tlvo nnd reached nlmost to tho cab. "Coal her! Coal her!" shouted the engineer to the flrcnian. The conductor Jumped up nnd down excitedly, waving his lnntern. "AI1-1-1 aboar-r-rd!" he yelled. Half an hour later the train pulled into Dilkport. Tho conductor received a note the next day. It read: "Everything's all right. She's been getting better from the minute I got here. I wanted to go down to tho station to see you, but I enn't seem to tear myself away from her nnd the baby. Send mo bill for tho oil." To which tho conductor replied: "Glad to hear you'ro O. K. Wo all of ns want to shako hands with you. Tho company pays for tho oil." Miscellaneous Advertisement. IH ill ill GUARANTEES VICTOR FLOUR TO BE ABSOLUTELY PURE Nothing But TALK Backs Any Other Nebraska Flour SOLD ONLY J.JY" - THORNTON & CO ALLIANCE, NEBRASKA. THOflAS BECK, .DEALER IN- HARDWARE; Plumbing and Furnace Work. Your Patronage Solicited.... Opera House Block. ALLIANCE, NEBRASKA. NELSON FLETCHER, Fire Insurance Agent, REPRESENTS THE FOLLOWING INSURANCE COMPANIES. Hartford Fire Insurance Co. surance Co. North American of Philadelphia. German American Insurance Co., Phoenix of Brooklyn, New York. New York. Continental of New York City, Farmers and Merchants Insurance Niagara Fire Insurance Co. Co., of Lincoln. New York Underwriters, New York. Columbia Fire Insurance Co, Commercial Union Assurance Co., Philadelphia Underwriters. of London. Phoenix Insurance Co., of Hart Liverpool, London and Globe In- ford, Conn. Office Up-Stnlrs, Fletcher Itlock. Alliance, Nebraska. T diamonds, Watches, Gold Jewelry, Souvenirs . . Repairing in all its Branches. flail orders promptly attended to.- AAI. O. Barnes, Jeweler and Optician. Contactor and Builder. Turning and Scroll Work and all Kinds of Shop Work Estimates Furnished. GEO. Q, GADSBY, ..Shire Horse.. In 0. A, Anderson's Ulucksmlth Shop, f Alliance, Neb. Taken by Surprise. There nre some hospitable creatures who are greatly disturbed If they can not meet every demand made on them, although thero nre cases when It Is ridiculous to expect them to bo nblo to bo equal to the occasion. Recently n bnrn took flro on n largo estate, and the firemen of the vlllago worked hard to put out the llames. After it was all over the husband nsked the flro light ers Into the house to partake of coffee and whatever edibles were on hand. Ills wlfo welcomed the men with steaming cups of coffee, doughnuts nnd pies; thon she said apologetically, "Oh, If I had only known this was going to happon I would have had n lot of things bnkod up." FINE BOOTS and SHOES MADE TO ORDER. REPAIRING A SPECIALTY. ORDERS CALLED TOR AND DELIVERED R. MADSEN, First Door south of lluuehscnstoln's Cigar Fiiclory. Thorns ltK. W. M. lOQEMCE, ATTOR-NBy - -A.T - Ti.A."W" 1'rnetiMtt'iu "11 lite omrts Homiugford, Neb 'Weston Tom' III (8580) Bred by William Ward, Weston, Spalding Line, England, and the French Coach Horse, ii Quinault," Will niako the season of UKJ nt my ranch, sl tnllus vot and two mtU north of ilumhiKford. Turmsi-ilO.OO to Insure, muro in foal. All luarun hred at owner's risk. I ro servo rltht to rejwt nny inure. It ownor lwrts with muru she will ho considered in foal und ftns due ut itttctt. Partio t u illhtiim-tt can leavo mures ami Imve thum hred fur 1 1.00, cash, extra, A. S. EN YE ART. i ; 1 (1 ' r v, tJrnl V !'?.---.- "3g.. V