Current
3
Old Fairbanks He-use.
Ono must search far and wldo to
find a more curious and interesting
old dwelling than the ancient Fair
banks hoiiao In the town of Dcdham, a
lew miles from Boston. This old
houno was built by ono Jonathan Fair
banks In the year 1G36, and It has
.been the Mecca of hundreds of pll
gTlms Interested In tho architecture of
more than 2S0 years ago. It Is easy to
pcoplo the house with tho ghosts of
tho tnon and women who have lived
and died beneath Its roof. Ono regrets
that so little Is known about tho his
tory of tho old house, but no writton
history could add to tho plcturosquo
ncss of Its appearance Generation
after generation of tho Fairbanks fam
ily have occupied tho old house. In
deed, It has never been occupied by
any ono but descendants of Its builder.
AN ANCIENT HABITATION.
It camo near being destroyed by flro
in tho spring of the year 1893, when
It was struck by a freaky shaft of
lightning that killed a dog lying under
a bod on which Miss Rebecca Fair
banks was lying. Miss Fairbanks her
self received no worso Injury than a
shock to her nervous system.
Jfclo Ha-den's Fine Old Elms.
New Haven, tho "City of Elms," has
been so neglectful of her lino old trees
that in a few years tho best of them
will bo gone. In violation of law,
horses nro hitched to them, and they
knaw tho bark so that tho trees prac
tically aro girdled. Insocts destroy tho
leaves and bark, and tho pavements
coming so close to tho trees keep out
tb.o moisture which Is absolutely nec
issary to the Ufo of .tho troes, and keep
in tho poisonous gases from tho gas
and sewer plpe3. Moro than 20 per
cent of theso trees, which havo been
tho pride of New Haven for two cen
turles, have died In the last fifteen
years, or else are so damaged now
that their early death Is certain. For
ten years the subject has been causing
serious concern in the city, yet nothing
posltlvo has yet been dono looklns to
tho certain preservation of these elma
, t. Paul Tailsfor "Repairs.
Tho American liner t. Paul Is now
at tho Cramps' yard at Philadelphia,
for repairs. It will take months to ro-
iplaco her star
board engines and
propeller, which
were ruined when
she struck a sub
merged derelict in
mldocean. An ex
amlnatlon of tho
hull by tho Cramps
at tho navy yard
dock verified tho
report of Naval
Constructor Bowles
Tho St. Paul, that neither tho
hull nor tho rudder had been Injured,
but the damago to tho threo engines
connected with the starboard propeller
was irreparable.
"The working parts of tho St. Paul's
machinery on tho starboard were torn
apart," said Charles H. Cramp. "Ev
crything has tho appearance of having
bcon subjected to a tremendous pros
sure."
Che "Butterfly Fad.
Tho. latest fad of women, dellcato
little paintings on the shoulders when
in evening dress, was started by tho
Gaiety Girls, who now set tho London
styles. Two of them appeared at a
supper pnrty given by a spendthrift
young carl at tho Lyric club dressed In
extremo decolloto gowns, and on each
shoulder wns n delicately palnted.small
but gorgeous hued butterflj'. Tho work
was exquisitely dono by a prominent
water color artist.
Vp Goes "Prices.
Tho prico of beef, pork and mutton
has been put up one cent r pound by
itho beef trust. This trust csntiob tho
nrlco of meats throughout tho entiro
country, and ono cent a pound will pay
tho trust an Increase profit of $16,000,
000 on beef alone, $20,000,000 'on pork
and $4,000,000 on mutton, making a
total addition to tho pr&Sits of tho
, : : 1
trust of $39,000,000 a yea:
Topics
Queen Draga "Reported Dead.
Queen Draga of Servla, whoso mar
riage to tho young King Alexander a
few months ago caused such a sensa
tion, has died of fever. Tho death of
Draga1 Maschln Is regarded by many
hero as a fitting, It tragic, climax to a
strango romance. She was a lady In
waiting to Queen Natallo when tho
young king fell in
lovo with her. Na
tallo was Indignant
at tho presumption
of her wnltlng
woman In receiv
ing :he attentions
of her son. When
Alexander publicly
announced his bo-
trothnl to Mmc,
Maschln tho minis
try resigned, and Queen Draga.
ex-King Milan
throw up his position as commander-
in-chief of tho army and loft tho coun
try. Nevertheless the peoplo rejoiced
In their king's choice and tho nuptials
wore eolobrated by fetes throughout
tho country. Slnco their mnrrlago Mi
lan Is reported to havo plotted to kid
nap Alexander and to havo htm eon
fined In a madhouse. More recently It
was roported that King Aloxnnder had
declared ho was tired of his wlfo and
would dlvorco her.
Crime and Cold Weather.
When cold weather begins street
robberies suddenly become frequent.
Either there is an Influx of hard cases
from tho country to tho city when tho
lifo of tho tramp becomes chilly and
disagreeable, or tho shorter days give
moro hours to footpads In which to
work. It so happens that nearly every
year there Is about this tlmo what Is
popularly called an "epidemic or
carnival of crime." Men and women
are stopped on tho streets nnd forced
by threats of violence to glvo up their
property. Tho community takes alarm,
asserts that thero never was so much
crime before, and denounces tho pollco
force for Its incfllcloncy.
The ftlexandro-Ona Hat. 0
This bowltchlngly pretty hat has
been christened in Paris the Alexan-
drovna, a now French compliment, ap
parently to the cherished Russian alli
ance. At nil events, this is tho stylo
par excellence of the moment, and
young women aro wearing thlB shapo
to tho exclusion ot all others. The
example photographed hero Is of ashes
of roses velvet, faced with masses of
closo folded cream chiffon, tho top
overlaid with yellow lace, and thero is
a mass of yellow and blush roses under
the left brim.
To "Become a "Baptist.
Henry C. Smith, the successful con
gressional candidate in the Second
Michigan district, may bo credited
with having set a new political fash'
Ion. Whether it will becomo a favor
lto with candidates remains to be seen.
Mr. Smith's district la a somewhat
closo one. This little southern Michi
gan hamlet has bcon noted for its
piety as well as its politics. Its re
ligion apparently is uaptfst. In ono
ot his meetings thero Congressman
Smith promised his audience that if
Woodstock went for him ho would
Join tho church by Immersion. It Is
probable he never dreamed that ho
would bo called upon to redeem his
promise, ns Woodstock va3 supposed
to bo hopelessly against his party.
When tho votes wero counted Smith
was found to havo 37 plurality. Wood
stock has unanimously nnd enthusias
tically extended tho light hand ot fel
lowship to Brother Smith. A delega
tion ot tho villagers has waited upon
him nnd notified him they expect him
to keep his promise, and he has In
formed them ho will do so with the
slnglo condition that tho Interesting
event shall not tnko placo until warm
er weather arrives. In anticipation
of his Immersion the ladles ot tho vil
lage aro making him a hundsomo bap
tismal robe, nnd undoubtedly great
numbers of tho population of his dis
trict will bo In attendance to congrat
ulate him when ho enters tho fold.
Jebus and floriculture.
Max Schoenteld, a former Phlladel-
phtan.but now a resident of Rorschach,
Switzerland, bus Just given $10,000 to
tho national farm school at Doyles-
town, Pn. Tho money is to bo used
In tho purchaso of farms, which aro to
bo rented to graduates of tho school,
Thoy will thus havo an opportunity of
demonstrating tho vnluo of whatovcr
instruction they havo received and tho
capability of Jowlsh youth to support
himself by means of agriculture.
III tlK PUtllC fciK
ImuuHummnniniunmmil
XSo iid Humanity.
Daniel Osiris, a Greek millionaire
residing In Paris, has Instituted a,
prize on tho lines laid down by Mr.
Nobel, though his offer Is for French
men only, except In a Paris exposition
year, when it becomes universal, lie
has set asldo a sum to bo awarded
every thrco years In perpetuity to tho
discoverer, Inventor or .producer ,of.
tho most noteworthy idea or object for
tho benefit of humanity. Tho prlso Is
to be never less than 100,000 francs and
may be double that sum.
May Succeed Tettircto.
Congressman Robert J. Gumblo of
Yankton, who It Is Bald will succeed
Richard Franklin Pcttlgrew, In the
United States senate, has recelvod, It is
understood tho pledges of moro than
HON. R. II. GAMBLE.
eighty out ot tho 116 Republicans who
wcro elected to tho legislature.
Irmy "Reorganisation.
In tho plan of army reorganization
propnrcd by Secretary Root congrcsB
should recognlzo what appears to bo a
final and satisfactory solution of a dlf
flpult problem. In brlot this plan pro
vides for the establishment of a per
manent organization of 60,000 men
This will bo tho nation's regular army,
tho nucleus of whatever land forco Is
to bo raised In tlmo of war. Tho pres
ident, by the terms ot tho plan, will
hold discretionary authority to In
crease this army up to. a maximum nf
100,000, each company of sixty men
being recruited up to Its full maximum
strength of 120.
Wales Likes K.itts.
During tho first years of his married
Ufo tho Prlnco of Wales spent a portion
of each year at Blrkhall house, in
Scotland, nnd In thoso days both tho
prlnco and princess mado a point of
annually visiting tho great Scottish
chieftains, a splendid welcome being
accorded to them at Dunrobln, which
nt that tlmo was twenty-five miles
from tho nearest railway station
When In Scotland his royal highness
,1s fond of wearing the kilt, and ho also
prefers to sco thoso about him so clad,
yt Girl Merchant.
Tho town of Chicago Junction, Ohio,
Is a llttlo city. It contains about 4,000
people, and to supply their needs
number of largo
shops aro conduct
ed. Ono ot them
Is owned by Mrs.
Streeter & Daugh
ter. This is tho
firm name. Durjng
the last two years
Mrs Streeter has
not taken an actlvo
part In attending
to customers or
buying goods.
Really,, her daugh
ter has been the
head of tho store.
Ethel Is nlno years
old, but does not look over
seven. Sho has to buy and sell
cloth for dresses, pins, needles
and other notions, hats, ohocs,
china, tinware, groceries and a thou
sand nnd ono things which go to mako
up what In called In tho United States
a "general store" Sho knows tho
prices of everything on tho shelves
tho proper qualities to buy, keeps all
of tho accounts In tho llttlo desk in
ono comer, writes tho business let
tors in a plain, round hand, carries
tho money to tho bank to bo deposited
and does everything but sign bank
checks, which, according to law, alio
Is too young to do. Ethel has two
clerk8, both of whom aro much older
than she, to direct.
"Ridding Ha-Oana of Hogs.
Havana used to bo overrun by own
crlcss dogs almost as badly as Con
stantlnoplo. The mangoy curs wero
everywhere about the streets. Sine
tho American occupation tho work of
clearing Havana of these nuisances has
bcon going on, and now tho streets aro
comparatively free. In tho last year
nearly 0,000 stray dogs havo been cap
tured In tho streets and killed by tho
municipal dog catchers,
Farts Fair Closes.
Tho fifth In tho series ot lnternntlon
al exhibitions held In Paris by tho
French government, substantially at
eloven-ycar Intervals, beginning In
1855, has Just closed, having registered
an attendance of over du.uuu.oou, as
against 27,639,521 at tho exposition In
this city In 1893, 25,121,975 In 1889 at
Paris, 16,032,725 nt tho samo placo In
1878, and 9,010,990 at Philadelphia In
187C.
Slnco 1890 the center of population ot
tho United States has shifted n llttlo to
tho north nnd a llttlo to tho west. It
Is still In the state of Indiana, not tar
from Columbus, tho capital of Bar
tholomew county, In the southern cen
tral part of the state. On tho old pivo
tal point arises a monolith monument
erected there May 10, 1891, by'a Chi
cago nownpapcr.
Tho center of population Is tho cen
ter of gravity of tho population of tho
country.oach individual being assumed
to havo tho same weight. Tho method
of determining that center Is as fol
lows: The population of tho country
Is first distributed by "square do-
grces," Us tho area Included botween
consecutive parallels nnd meridians Is
designated. A point Is then assumed
tentatively ns tho center, and tho cor
rections in latitude and longitude to
this tcntatlvo position aro computed.
In 1890 the center was assumed to bo
at tho Intersection of the parallel of 39
degrees, with tho meridian of 86 do-
grecs weBt of Greenwich. This would
have- mado tho center ot population of
tho United States Just two mlea.duo
north of Seymour, In JackBon county,
Ind. From this assumed baso tho veri
fications were made nnd tho true cen
ter was located.
Tho movement of tho center has
been steadily westward. On tho ac
companying map its unwavering
march toward tho west, with occasion
al dips to tho south and tho north, Is
shown. In 1790 It wns cast of Balti
more twenty miles. In ton years It
had moved forty miles westward. Tho
annexation of Louisiana brought It
south, and west, and in 1820 It was
sixteen miles north of Woodstock, Va.
Ghastly Dispatch.
A ghastly dispatch Is that from Ber
lin about tho "Interesting target prac
tice" going on at the Imperial military
grounds, whero tho exports nro test
ing tho capacity of tho latest Mauser
modol. As targets, says tho dispatch,
"several hundrcdB of pauper corpses
aro being used," and It goes on to
describe tho frightful effect of tho
bullets upon tho bodies. If tho corre
spondent had taken tho troublo to in
form us how many "hundreds of pau
per corpses" constitute tho dally bup
ply ot Berlin and vicinity, ho would
havo added a llttlo to the verl-slmlll-tudo
of this extraordinary tale. That
such an experiment might bo mado
upon ono or moro dead bodies Is con
ceivable and would bo a proper moans
of ascertaining the actual effect ot the
bullets. But tho ''soveral hundreds"
carries the talo Into tho region ot tho
grotesque. It may bo suggested, how
ever, that tho German military author
ities would not hesitate to carry ex
periments of this kind to any extent
possible. Tho wny In which tho Ger
man troops In China aro described ns
shooting Mauser bullets Into living
bodies does not Indicate any super
fluous tenderness, whether or not n
IlvoChlnaman bo considered tho equiv
alent of a dead German for experi
mental purposes.
ffcto yorKs "Di-dorcc Mitt.
How dlvorccB can be obtained,
"without publicity," has bocn shown
In Now York by tho arrest of tho on
tlro outfit of a well-organized dlvorco
mill. Tho mnnager Is a lawyer, who
undertakes to secure the divorce. Ho
furnishes tho lawyer for the opposing
sldo and also tho correspondent, or
whichever sox Is required. Ho puts in
tho bill, the other lawyor flies tho an
swer, the case goes to a refereo and
tho false witnesses glvo conclusive
testimony of 'tho lnfldoltty of tho re
spondent. Tho referoo reports accord
ingly nnd tho dlvorco Is grnntcd, with
out tho second -party In intorest know
ing anything nbout It. Tho exposure
of this dlvorco mill camo about
through somebody who Identified tho
fair-corespondent as having occupied
tho same relation In thrco soveral
cases. When arrested, sho confessed,
and tho. wholo gang will probably go
to Jail. It Is a pity that Homo of their
clients might not bo Included in the
haul.
JWctvs from "Peary,
Tho arrival of Dr. Kahn, who has
been leading a party of scientific ex
plorers In tho Arctic regions, brings
nows of Lieutenant Peary's expedi
tion later than any other, pointing to
tho belief that Ills summor's work has
been only moderately successful. This
Is shown by the fact that ho Is prob
ably wintering at Fort Congor, whoro
ho would scarcely bo It ho had at-
J M yctAUKSovnc I JT ISIOK hA,f YtfVV I4
- L x J "V ,8S0 r s VM?V7
CEJSr&EH 190 of.
In 1340 tho pioneers ot tho west
brought It north, nnd In 1850 It had
moved south again. Texas had como
Into tho union. Tho growth of tho
great west had switched It back to tho
north In 18G0, and it was near Chilli
cotho, Ohio. War reduced tho popula
tion of tho south In tho decado be
1890
2V ii 5S HUT
MONUMENT OF 1890.
talncd tho Polo during tho summer.
His surveys, however, had been con
ducted successfully, and will fill up
many vacant spaces In the north polar
map.
Tho shell that killod Genoral Villa-
hols do Marouil near Boshot has boon
mounted as a trophy on nn obony
baso, and Is to bo presontod to Lord
Galway and tho officers of tho Sher
wood Rangers, Imperial Yeomanry, tq
commcmorato tholr first ongagomont.
Eighteen years ago Sir Frederick
v '
j
VEA THS' COIJVCIDEfifT.
HENRY VILLARD.
Marcus Daly and Henry Vlllnrd bo
th died on tho same day. Theso two
men, whoso careers had such a slmll
nrlty, passed away within a few miles
of each other, and ulmost at tho Bam
o tlmo. Both wore born abroad, com
ing to this country while Btlll boys,
nnd both won fame and woalth in tho
groat Northwest, which thoy did mil
ch to develop. Doth, wcro millionaires
at the tlmo of tholr doath. Vlllard, no
ted ns a nowspaper man, railroad
builder, nnd financier, was born In Go
rmnny, and ran awny from homo at
an early ago, coming to Illinois, who
re his flrst work was dono ns a news
paper reporter and correspondent. II
Is career Ib briefly stated aa follows:
Roported tho Llncoln-Douglna dobnto
b. Reported tho flrst Lincoln cam
paign. War correspondent, tho civil
wnr. Foreign correspondent of Amer
ican newspapers. In 1861 owned Now
York Evonlng Post and Nntion. In
1875 prcsldont Oregon Steamship Co
mpnny. Rccelvor of Knnsas Pacific
Railroad Company. Completed In 18
83 tho Northern Pacific Railroad.
President Northern Pnclflc Railroad O
ompany. President Edison General
tween 1800 nnd 1870, nnd tho contor
moved north near to Cincinnati. In
another decado it had cleared Cincin
nati in Its westward progress, nnd In
1870 It hail settled In central southern
Indiana.
Tho past ten years has carried tho
center westward about twenty miles.
mid northward about seven miles.
Thero Is no reason to belle vo that it
will not continue on Its courso with
tho sun and shift to tho north until it
Bottles near Chicago, thoro to remain.
Without a Country.
Gcorgo W. Smnlloy, the Now York
corropaondont of tho London Times,
writes In a sneering vein to that paper
upon tho American government's atti
tude) toward China. Mr. Smalley Is an
American by birth, who during n long
rcsldonco in England dovelopcd nn
affection for English Institutions and
Ideas. He cdntrlved, nevertheless, to
mnko himself so unpopular with Eng
lishmenwho have a wny of disliking
men who abuso nnd bellttlo their own
country that London boenmo uncora
fortnblo aa n placo of abode. So ho
camo to New York and began publish
ing his libels on tho United States by
cnblo. Ridiculed In his former homo
nnd despised In tho country of his
birth, Smalley Is rnthor to bo pitied.
Ho is now a man without a country.
Tho old homo ot Stonewall Jackson
in Lexington, Va., Is now a tenement
houso, nnd tho dwelling which onco
sheltered ono family comfortably now
swarms with a largo numbor of fami
lies. Tho Suuday school in which
Gonornl Jackson taught tho negroes is
still flourishing.
"t i tf ah .1 ta WHO mil rrinrod In PhoetllX
VU v Uliuinu " ...... --
Park, Dublin, by sympathizer wltlu
tho "forco" party In IrlBh politics.
Slnco that day Lady Frederick Caven
dish has never appenrod in public
Bavo In black. Her thin, careworn
fuco Ib known by many women who
aro engaged In charity work, which is
now tho widow'B chief concern.
VIco Admiral Sir Harry Rawson, tho'
now British naval commander on tho
China Btatlon, will proceed to his com
mand on the now battleship Glory,
tho lntcat addition to tho British fleet.
MARCUS DALY.
Electric Company. Chairman in 1889
of tho Northern Pnclflc directory.
Daly was a natlvo oMroland, camo t
o tho United States nt the age ot 13
years, settling In California. His flrst
work was at digging potatoes, and for
years ho earned his living as a day I
aboror. When ho dlod his holdings
wero ns follows: Capital represented
by him, $100,000,000. His personal
wealth, $22,000,000. Copper intorests
ropresontcd, $75,000,000. First prlco
paid for his copper mine, $35,000. Hi
s annual wago roll paid, $8,000,000.
His horseB cost $1,000,000, His work
h of art coat $300,000. His prlvnto
car coat $40,000. His hotel coat $200,
000. His porsonal living cost per an
num, $5,000. His annual lnconio was
approximately $2,500,000.
Tho will of R. II. Eddy, tho patent
lawyer, leaves $20,000 to R. H. E. Por
ter, son of Genoral Porter, and $30,000
to tho City of Portsmouth, N. II., for
tho croctlon of an equestrian-statue of
tho genoral. Tho bequest becamo
avallablo on tho doath of Mrs, Eddy,
who has Just died, and will now go
Into effect.