TOPICS OF THE TIMES.
A CHOICE SELECTION OF INTER.
ESTINQ ITEMS.
fwiaU aa4 Critic iama Baad I po-a
the Happealaga of (ha liar Mir
tarlcal aad News Note.
Chicago doesn't tolerate any red flag
feoUshueas. Chicago ha bad all the
red flag tregedles it want.
Lieutenant Peary did not discover the
pole, but be got close enough to dis
cover tliat dog meat la better than star
vatloo. The success of I-abor Day celebra
tions. It la fair to assume, waa due in
large measure to the Improved condi
tlona of labor.
Tbe bicycle may be driving tbe horse
out of employment, but It is not making
ny appreciable diminution of horse
play on tbe mage.
It often bapina that a man says he
la going to vote a straight ticket when
he really means that be W going to vote
a crooked straight ticket
It is nab! that ISostou cleared $425,
GUU on the recent Knlghta Templar en
campment. Who would have supposed
there was such a profit In beans?
Mr, I'.allington Booth's criticism of
the new woman Is all right as far as It
goes, but tbe probability Is that It will
not go very far with the new woman.
A grateful country remembers that
Hon. John I Sullivan did all his fight
ing with bis bunds. The maxillary pu
gulsts should open an auction shop or
found a school of elocution.
"Henceforth," says the Taunton Ga
xette, "It will be unlawful In this Slate
to bunt foxes on horseback." That's
right; we don't think a fox on horas
back should be bunted anyway.
A current paragraph ruus thus: "It la
aid that tbe suerlorlty of English coal
makes the westward trips of Atlantic
steamers faster than the eastward. The
fact, however, may be also partly ac
counted for by the prevalence of west
erly winds." It la now In order to ac
cotmt for the July beat In New York by
the prevalence of northerly winds.
A recent traveler through Alaska
nays the Territory will become to the
I'nlted States what Norway Is to Eu
rope, die favorite resort of tourists,
hunters and fishermen, and that quick
growing hardy vegetables can be raised
there successfully. No two visitors Ben
Alitska in tin same light, and unless
Congress gives It more attention Its re
sources and possibilities will not be un
derstood for many years.
Modern science occasionally reaches
conclusions In a very striking manner,
Tbe geological specimens recently
brought home from the Antarctic region
by Norwegian explorer have been
analyzed and found to contain mlcro
le granite, with garnets and tourma
line and mica schists. As these have
never been seen in an ocean island, tbe
conclusion Is that a continent exists
around the South I'ole.
A Boston woman who carries on Die
business of railroad contractor with ex
cellent results says that what the wom
an In active affairs needs is common
sen e, a well-balanced mind, earnest
news and directness of manner. Once
when a man attempted to rob ber of a
bag of coin, to quote her own words,
"I used a revolver and took the lobe
off bis right ear." The existence of sev
eral varieties of the new woman may
as well be conceded.
The romance of the New York pilot's
life Is hereafter to be somewhat cur
tailed by the arrangement made
through the Board of 1'llot Commis
sioners for diminishing the cruising
area, and lessening the number of bouts
by half. Wbat traveler does not re
member among the Joys of his first
homeward voyage across the Atlantic,
tbe eager race between pilot boats (the
sauciest and trimmest craft ever built
In America), sometimes four or Ave
hundred miles from laud; and the lusty
cheer that went up from hundreds of
throats when the victor In the race
came clambering up tbe ladder to the
ateamshlp's deck-like some gruff sea
god Issuing from the brine? Gone are
those spectacles, and now the pilot
will cruise prosaically between Fire Isl
and and Barnegat. On that track they
may now and then meet with wild ad
venture, but the times when they lay,
facing death In the storm, far out lit
sea In the track of Incoming vessels, nro
gone forever.
The speculation in African mining
shares, commonly known ns Kaftlrs, has
been so wild that It has been evident to
the clewr heads from the first that col
lapse was Inevitable. Tbe wonder is
that It should be delayed so long. The
fact that many of tbe African mines
are In reality rich properties and some
of the shares of sound value has doubt
lean helped to crpc!iiate faith In those
numerous stocks that are compose.!
chiefly of wind. But this has served
Imply to put off the evil day. Collapse
must follow wild and reckless specula
tion as surely as effect follows cause.
Cable dispatches are giving Indications
of trouble In I'arts. Many banking
bouaea are closed, the reorts say, and
many private fortunes ruined. The
mining craze extended to all classes of
society. The oldest actress of the Thea
ter Kra ncals la ruined by the specula
tion. A former king baa been obliged to
pay $4,000,000 through a banker who
Is a friend of hla. A Smyrna peculator,
who ruled the bourse for Are years,
loses $30,000,000. Tbe head of aa es
tabilshmeot that le known everywhere
loaM $16,000,000, and hla eldest brother
la at 14 to he so angry that be refuses ts
alit him. To the French Finance !
Minister, 41. ernuel, the broker, and
Baron Alpbone de Ilotiiachlld saiu the
crisis waa due to the fact that the peo
ple old Turkish and French securities
to buy mining shares, and w hen they
wished to sell mining shares there wan
no sale for tbetn. When the mining
craze baa spent Itself there will be a
better demand abroad for American
securities.
Tbe cable brings a peculiarly dis
tressing tale to ns from Home. It
appears that the Baroness Gina Sobrero
has just secured a divorce there from
her husband. P. W. Wilcox, of Hawaii.
Wilcox Is now serving a thirty-year
sentence in the Honolulu penlteut'ny.
A few years ago he made a jur
through Italy, where he met the baron
ess, and, posing as the belr apparent of
the Hawaiian throne, won her baud In
marriage. Gina went sailing through
Italy, cutting a very wide swath be
cause "ber husband one day would be
the king of the Sandwich Islands." Last
year she accompanied her husband to
Hawaii, and on arriving there learned
that Instead of being immensely
wealthy and a king in embryo be was
the sou of a poor carpenter and a Kan
aka woman. He had not a cent, and
no more claim upon a royal title In Ha
waii than In England. So Gina went
home, sued for divorce and secured
one. She Insists that her heart has
been broken, but close observers of
such things are inclined to think that
the fracture can be patched up with
court plaster If the right man does the
courting.
Although the great European war that
has been on the verge of breaking out
for the last ten years Is still cozlly
ensconced In the Imaginations of the
prophets, It Is a time of wars and ru
mors of wars In other parts of the
world. Most of them are being waged
by civilized against uncivilized nations
for the simple purpose of conquest or
subjugatiou. In the course of these
campaigns the Invading armies of two
civilized nations sometimes meet on dis
puted border lines for the world has
now been parceled like a garden patch
and then the home governments are
compelled to Interfere and settle the
dispute by International law. For civ
Hissed nations are arriving at a point
where they do not fight one another
It Is too dangerous and too expensive.
It Is much worn convenient to let the
foreign ministers come to terms through
the devious channels of "diplomacy."
It Is worth noting that the battles be
lng waged at the present time are al-
most entirely directed against either
the poorly armed or the Ignorant and
semi barbarous nations. There Is Spain
marching her armies through Cuba and
threatening death to every patriot who
opposes her rule. There is France wag
ing fierce war on the Hovas lu Mada
gascar, expecting soon to take Antana
narivo, where the disheartened Queen
Is encamped. England and Russia are
both trying to occupy Chltral and the
English already have a heavby armed
garrison within Its borders. The French,
tbe English and the Siamese are march
ing over a little state In Klang Kheng
on the I'pper Mekong and they are also
clashing In Central Africa over the
question as to which power owns a dot
of fever-Infested, savage-ridden Jungle.
There Is reason to believe that If It
were not for the United States little
Venezuela would long ago have been
swallowed by Great Britain. In addi
tion to all these petty combats there are
the Armenian-massacre question and
the Chinese outrages, either of which
may yet become a cause of hostile
"demonstrations." It is a fairly reason
able h.vxthels for tbe discussion of
the peace societies that these numer
otts squabbles iK'tween large powers
and petty dependencies or Ill-equipped
nations may be affording the safety
valve through which the civllhsed half
of the world loses the surplus energy
which might otherwise be directed Into
war of vaster proportions. It Is to be
noticed that while tbe smaller eneoun
ters are going on unchecked the "great
European war" Is quite as remote
probability as ever.
Personal Nomenclature.
It Is (he custom Just now to give to
tbe children old-time names, such aa
Mary, Adelaide, Martha, Sarah, Man
nab, Charlotte, Henrietta, Madeline,
Itebekah, Ellen and Isabel Others,
more fanciful, are Gladys, Wllnelralna,
Virginia, Oeraldine, Gwendolyn and
Jacqueline. As for tbe ultra-fashlona
bles, they have unearthed all the anti
quities Imaginable and are Introducing
such names as Hephslbah, Betsey,
Phoebe, rrlscllla, Salome, Mehetabel,
Etuniellne, Abigail, Patience and Pru
dence. When naming boys It should be
remembered that the child will oue day
be a man, when he will prefer a name
that will sound dignified. A favorite,
and In the writer's opinion an excellent,
custom, Is the giviug of the mother's
family name to the eldest son. This
Identifies the mother's family with the
father's and gives to the son a name of
distinction. Names which ore seldom
used are those which are too short and
lack dignity, such as Guy, flay, Hoy,
(Haude and Halph. The most popular
names are John, Joseph, Frederick,
l,ewls, Daniel, Andrew, Stephen and
Thomas, while Jacob Is rapidly becom
ing "fashionable." Others equally as
desirable are Aubrey, Geoffrey, Gerald,
Godfrey, Kenneth and Lionel.
No Males of Any Kind,
At the seashore.
"Strange thing about mosquitoes.
They say only the females bite."
There Is a long pause.
"Busier'
"Yes, Clarar
"I wonder If all these female mos
quitoes are aa lonesome si we are?"
Exchange.
Store blacking Improves tbs appear
sacs of a stove, but It keeps people out
at tbs boose half tbs winter wbea It li
burning off.
gP0OO0OO0O000O00OOOO00000O:OO00OO000O00O000OO0OOO0O00
j UNMAKING LOVE.
M,
Y dear fellow, suddenly I saw
that she loved me. I saw It in
ber eyes, as the saying is
Imagine my consternation. I am by no
means Insensible of the great good luck
of a man who Is loved by a good sort
of woman, though quite capable of pre
tending not to envy blui. But this
wouldn't do at all. She was tbe pret
tiest girl there, and I bad gravitated
toward her beauty as a matter of
course. I always pick out the prettiest
face, and go straight for it mechanical
ly. Of course, I don't often arrive;
there may be olrtstaeles, and I am quite
content to make my bow to the next
Venus. It would be a real shock to
discover that there was a degree, a pos
sibility between what I bad achieved
and what I bad abandoned, that I was
paying my homage to a star of lesser
brilliancy than necessary. The fact Is,
I have quite enough of reason and ideas
and intellect generally when I am at
work, and we are all of us eternally ap
plying some principle, and that's phil
osophy. When I Join the ladies, all I
care about is to have my eye and ear
agreeably stimulated, not because they
are not capable of making me think,
though I don't say they are, but be
cause at those times I want amusement,
not Instruction. That's why I am so
severely logical about feminine charms
of person, and feel a personal loss when
I worship ut a shrine of ninety beauty
power Instead of 100. However, I am
not often In this dilemma, as nature
doesn't cut things so fine.
Well, what was I to do? As I said,
It wouldn't do; she had no ideas; there
was nothing for me to cling to. We
might have gone Hke that the rest of our
lives, I admiring ber Dcauty and she
existing beautifully. I don't think I was
to blame; I faced the question fully,
and bororably acquitted myself. I
never sought her society, but when we
met I certainly did enjoy her musical
small talk: she had a charming voice.
I don't know what we talked about I
can't remember her saying anything
worth rememlKrlng, and I certainly
didn't attempt to converse. There was
a string of questions and answers. Just
like a royal commission, and about as
romantic. But the whole thing, her face,
her voice, her easy chat, the frou frou,
was a perfect holiday for me, and I
felt some of the acquiescence of steep
without any of Us unconsciousness. I
am a utilitarian person, but I never
reckoned the time wasted. The sun
shine warmed my fallow mind and
made it stronger to bear more drastic
Impressions. It strikes me now that
the disengagement which I displayed
may have looked Hke patience to her
Ingenuousness, and that there may
have been a trace of gratitude for the
Implied compliment, though all the
thanks were certainly on my side. How
ever It came about, It did come about
or course, 1 might be wrong; in that
case It wouldn't matter what I did,
out I knew I waa not wrong. At anv
rate I elected to assume I was right
and 1 had to do something.
Clearly, I couldn't run away. In the
first place, this was practically incon
venlent Like other people, I am teth
ered In the shallows of circumstance.
And, secondly, It smacked of the heroic,
of which, of course, I have a horror. I
won afraid, too, that she would take a
feminine pleasure In feeding a senti
ment for the absent, and my obvious
policy was to discourage, not Inflame,
her Imagination. Externally I had to
maintain the old attitude, but It would
have been a false pretense to do so with
the old nonchalance. I took the first
opportunity of denying myself.
"Have you been to eee tbe pictures?'
she said.
"Not I." I replied.
"What do you mean? Don't you like
beautiful things?"
"Only when I am looking at them
and even then I am haunted by the fear
that I am wasting time and might be
more profitably employed."
"More profitably?"
"Y'es; storing up sources that will last
facts, thoughts, goods, money, any
thing but fancies."
"You are coming out In a new light,"
she said
"A new darkness, you mean," I re
plied. "I suppose yon are what Is called a
dark horse," she rejoined.
We both laughed and she went a way
puzzled.
Next time 1 managed to startle her
We were talking of the latest novel.
"itomance,"Isald,"lsallvery well, but
It mustn't be contemporary. Put It Info
bygone days In as large quantities as
you like, but (he tale of to-day, which
deals with us ami our friends, ought
only to encourage sober business prin
ciples." She ought to have retorted "Such as
answering a fool according to bis fol
ly," or by referring to tbe fact that most
Action was designed to atave off bank
ruptcy, quite in accordance with my i
theory. But she only said:
"Don't you think we want a change
from our every-day life?"
"I don't," I aald, "because my chief
amusement consists In watching other
people's."
"I didn't know you were such a critic.
I hope yon haven't reckoned me up."
"Tbe critic," I aakl, "shuts one eye
In order to get a better view; the cynic
purposely puts on glasses that don't fit
him; the philosopher sees one thing
with one, tad tbs opposite with the
other."
"Have you got a better view?" she
asked.
x have no view or views," I said,
"I am the plain man who is supposed
not to exist Now, the plain worn
an "
1 know lobs," she said, "and very
nice they are."
hat a pity it la," I said, "that only
women can understand women. J hat a
why it lg that men never really mak
them good companions. We think too
highly of them; for instance, we think
that they are all beautiful."
"But you know better all the time?'
"Of course we do in practice, but the
theory is a good one all the same. I
is an attempt to take their own view
to put ourselves in their place for a
moment The fact is that very few men
take any Interest in individual women
it Is the sex that they think about the
whole lot at once; It's so like a school
book; I hate anything dry."
"Tea?" I said.
"With pleasure, v said she, smiling for
the first time; and we went off together.
Well, we were getting on, but still I
didn't see the end. Chance came to my
rescue, as It does to everyone If they
only wait long enough. There was a
new play, the great situation in It was
the heroine, who was universally sup
posed to be a light and unsubstantial
woman, demonstrating quite without
design her love for her husband; every
body was talking about It. On this oe
casion conversation was general, and
some genius remarked that his only oh
Jectlon to the new woman was that
she was so hopelessly old she was al
ways relapsing Into weakness of this
sort; there was no strength in such a
character. A strong woman would have
acted quite differently in the second
scene, where she could have deserted
with honor
A well-groomed youht sitting next to
her remarked pointedly that,. if she did
love her husband, you know, that made
all the difference. She said If wives
didn't love their husbands It was their
(the husbands') own fault
"Quite so," I said, 'If they will per
sist in being satellites instead of having
an oroit or their own, playing Damon
and Pythias Instead of Darby and Joan
they cau'texpect that the wear and tear
of their society can be made good, un
less they allow the proper Intervals for
the worn and torn to discover that oth
er people continuously please, either."
"That's a nice view of married life,'
she said. "I know yon don't mean it"
"Unfortunately," I said, "the expert
ment can't be made, or you'd see."
"What should I see?"
"Well, something, I fancy, would as
toulsh you. The fact Is, I don't think
any one has nnderstod matrimony be
fore me, and I've had no experience of
It It has long been recognized as fatal
to love, If it exists, and more or less apt
to produce It if It does not, Just aa there
are places which give you neuralgia if
you don't take it there, and euro yon if
you do. But 1 don t think love has any
thing to do with the matter; that's a
detail Important enougli in the early
days of meeting, but not comparable to
the bargain which is the essence of the
business."
"The bargain?" she almost gasped.
"Yes," I said, "the bargain. Then he
says: I must have feminine society. I
must have the female point of view al
ways there whenever I want It; my
own womankind won't do. In the first
place, I can't rely on their punctuality;
and then at any moment they may
lapse Into seriousness, think hard for
mo the very thing I want to avoid, and
the mischief is done. Besides, they
know you; they never give you a
chance. Now, matrimony at Its best
must be lwtween people who don't
know one another, and who never will.
That's the great secret It's the only
chance of a revelation. It Is the only
hope of getting anything read Into you,
and then learning the lesson yourself,
especially anything high, noble or not
commonplace. There Is no room for
love here. That discolors such a union
ueh a contract If you like with all
the pageantry of the rainbow; It Is very
natural, a pleasant sight, but It effects
nothing. On the other hand, the she
says: 1 am tired of this kind of life I
want something new. Whatever I like
In my present existence I can practical
ly keep; he will make a new woman of
me. Iteally, what she wants, too, Is
a trusty companion; If she has any
qualities they must come out because
she Is in a new world. So what each
demands Is to be developed and made
the most of; really, I'm not at all sure,
when 1 come to think of It, that an en
lightened system of polygamy may not,
after all, be the greatest encourage
ment to man to advance to his highest
ends. At any rate, It would secure the
requisite amount of absenteeism."
I could hardly refrain from smiling
at my own paradox, but she was quite
serious, gradually maturing to grave.
"Don't yon agree with my theory of
a bargain now?"
"Well," she said, "there must be give
and take, of course, but 1 I think I pre
fer the old fashion."
"It Is the ofel fashion I am pleading
for," 1 said. "At least, it is what I be
lieve and hope; of course, we never
know, because those In the secret never
tell us. But common sense tells us It
must be so. Marriage Is an agreement
for occasional companionship on terms,
and very strict terms."
"Oh, dear," she said, with a genuine
sigh, "I dare say you are light, but bow
horrid!"
"Anyway." I went on, "that's the
type, and so it ought to be. Idealise it
as much as you like, but remember that
there Is nothing In tills life which may
not be idealized crime, dress, furni
ture, a fashionable 'at home,' school
boys, irapecuniosity, even bourgeoisie
comfort, so why not marriage?"
I was just going on, "If ever I have a
wife " when I reflected that such a
parting shot would be too crude. Be
sides, she had clearly lost her interest.
So I trailed off automatically. "Talk
ing of 'at homes,' are you going to the
Idyls?" I asked.
She said she was.
"Don't you think that kind of hospi
tality a mistake?"
"Well, of course, It Isn't a dance, but
what do you prefer?"
"Where each sticks to his or her kind;
he foregathers with bis bachelors, and
she, like Jephthah's daughter, with the
maids of her youth till they desert; the
two tributaries ought never to mix at
the matrimonial confluence like Mr.
Dombey's party."
"Then, how about seeing your
friends?" "
"You oughtn't to want to see them all
at once; the frequent, though not un
limited, meetings of husband and wife
ought to be enough for the purposes of
companionship; all other friends are
superfluous. Indeed, society is to be
recommended as a means of avoiding
them. Good cutting acquaintances are
enough."
"What a queer idea! Wbat a prospect
for the woman! What do you think is
to le her fate in this scheme?"
"Singleness," I said, "tempered by a
husband."
"Who may turn out " she went on.
"Who may turn her out," I said.
She laughed artificially and went off.
In three weeks I heard she was en
gaged to the well-groomed youth. Pal)
Mall Gazette.
An Underground City.
The Russians have made, a singular
discovery lu Central Asia. In Turkes
tan, on the right bank of the Arnou
Daria, is a chain of rocky hills near the
Bokharan town of Karkf, and a num
ber of large caves, which upon exami
nation were found to lead to an under
ground city, built apparently long bo-
fore the Christian era. In Popular
Science News we find the following
description of this singular city:
According to effigies, Inscriptions and
designs upon the gold and silver money
unearthed from among tho ruins, the
existence of tbe town dates back to
some two centuries before the birth of
Christ.
The underground Bokharan city Is a
little over a mile long, and is composed
of an enormous labyrinth of corridors
streets and squares, surrounded by
houses and other building two or
three stories high. The edifices contain
all kinds of domestic utensil.?, pots,
urns, vases and the like. In some of the
streets falls of earth and rock have
obstructed the passages, but generally
the visitor can walk about freely with
out so much as lowering his head.
The high degree of civilization at
tained by the Inhabitants of the city
is shown by the fact that tlwy built in
several stories, by the symmetry of
the streets and squares, and by the
beauty of the baked clay and metal
utensils, and of the ornaments and
coins which have been found.
It is supposed that long centuries
ago this city, so carefully concealed In
the bowels of the earth, provided an
entire population with a refuge from
the Incursions of nomadic savages and
robbers.
Ilaxors Made by Machinery.
The manufacture of razors by ina
hlnery has now become a fixed teu-t
n Germany, and the quality of the ar
ticle is stiid to compare favorably with
the best Sheffield product the process
King also applicable to sclssors-mak-ng.
A die bearing the impress of a
razor blade aud tongue, or of a scissors
blade and 1kw, as the case may Ik?, Is
screwed into the bottom of a drop ham
mer, which Is worked by hand over
lulley, a corresjiondlng die being
placed on the anvil upon which the
hammer fails. The end of the steel
bar or ramrod having been heated to a
red heat Is laid across the anvil die, and
the hammer, falling with a weight of
about thirty hundred-weight or less, ac
cording to the size of the article to be
produced, forces the mtaJ into the
mold, this, when withdrawn, appearing
In the shape of a perfect rasor or scis
sors blank, but surrounded with a fray
or fringe, which is afterward pared
with the stripping tools as waste. This
operation is repeated Indefinitely, ac
cording to the extent of the order in
hand, the tools being then changed on
o anolher size of blade or scissors. Re
peated blows af the hammer are re-
11 1 red to forge some of the blanks, ref
lated by their size and shape.
Animal longevity.
A carp taken in Germany six or seven
oars ago had a ring through Its lower
Jaw, on which It was recorded that the
bearer was placed In a particular water
in 181(1. This appears hardly credible,
but there is little doubt that many
carps have lived for upwards of a
hundred years.
Until some eight years ago the eldest
Inhabitant of any English collection of
birds was a black Vassa parrot from
Madagascar, which died after a resi
dence of forty-four years In the He
geut's Park Gardens.
Geese are naturally a long-lived fam
ily, and there are several records of
birds of this species attaining to sixty
or seventy years.
In 1888 the Philadelphia Zoo had a
cockatoo known to be more than elgb-ty-flve
years old.
A parrot died six years ago In Paris
at the reputed age of one hundred and
three years.
In France ravens have been known to
live over one hundred years.
Women could do their marketing
mors Intelligently If butchers bold
string ssusa by tbs yard.
OUR MINERAL WEALTH.
No Country la tbe World So Kick mm
Thia.
When the mind is startled by statis
tics showing the indebtedness of our
sountry, our municipalities and our peo
ple, especially to foreign creditors It
amount to several billions of dollars
we may turn with satisfaction to tbe
yearly showings of the country's pro
ductions. Onr national debt. Including the cur
rency and all other obligations, and
without deducting the cash In the treas
ury, amounts to somewhat more than
a billion and a half dollars. But in a
single good year the crop of corn, wheat
and oats alone may surpass that great
figure. This was the case In 1891.
Again, the yearly product of the
mines of the country la so great that if
tbe production never exceeded that of
1894, which was a bad ven.r It wraiM
be more than sufficient, if applied to the
purpose, to wipe out the net national
debt in two years.
In the last calendar year, according
to an official report, the value of five
hundred and twenty-five millions of
dollars w as dug out of the ground in
tbe I'nlted States.
This sum, wiilch seems so prodigious,
was really a great disappointment, for
It fell far below the output of 1S03, and
still farther below the output of 1892,
which was worth almost six hundred
and seventy-five million dollars. -
The decrease In production does not
mean that the mines of the country are
becoming exhausted. It Is a part of the
general depression which prevailed In
1894. The pig Iron production, for In
stance, was affected by the decreased
demand for iron In the manufactures,
and fell off in amount nearly half a mil
lion tons, while the value of the pig
Iron which was produced fell off nearly
twenty million dollars.
The largest I,pm by far In our mining
account Is coal. It Is much greater than
the com blued value of all the gold and
silver that is mined.
Of gold, our miners dug in 1894 a lit
tle less than forty million dollars'
worth. Tills is In itself a very respect
able amount. Of course It Is much less
than the world's waste and Its need for
manufacturing aud coinage purposes;
but Australia and South Africa con
tribute large supplies In addition.
The production of gold In this country
has lately decreased. More was mined
in this country last year than in any
year since 1878. It still, however, ranks
behind silver In value. Sixty-four mil
lion dollars' worth of that metal waa
mined In 1894.
For a time the value of the copper
product was greater than that of gold;
but the account now stands the other
way. In 1894 the value of the gold
product surpassed that of copper by six
million dollars.
Tbe silver product has been falling
off. Thia la probably not because there
Is lees silver In the earth to be mined,
but because the low price for it has led
many mines to diminish or suspend
their production. Not so much by ten
million ounces was mined In 1894 as
In 189;?.
There is no country in the world so
rich In the products of the earth's sur
face and of the ground below Its sur
face as the United States. Agricul
ture Is still, and happily, our greatest
source of wealth; but we have in coal,
in gold, in silver, In lead and copper, in
petroleum resources of future wealth
far beyond those of any other nation.
Though we do, Indeed, owe enor
mous sums much more, no doubt, than
we ought to owe we may console our
selves with the reflection that these
vast sums have largely been used In
developing Just such resources of
wealth as our mines supply. And the
wealth Is present which will eventually
more than pay the debt Youth's Com
panion. Repairing Mail Bags.
Mail bags are made of canvas or
Jute, and are subjected to considerable
hard usage. Even an expert baggage
smasher does not handle the luggage
of the traveling public with more reck
lessness than the mall bags are treated
in their long pourneys.
lime Is a prime requisite In the dis
patch of malls, and the bags are load
ed into wagons, and from thence Into
cars, or the process is reversed, and tbe
main consideration Is the saving of
time. When the bags become worn or
torn or damaged In any way, they are
gathered together and forwarded to the
great repair shop lu Washington. There
Is a small repair shop In Chicago,
where, however, only minor Injuries
are made good. At the shop lu this city
some two hundred thousand mall bags
are received, overhauled, and sent to
different parts of the country every
thirty days. Some of the mall pouches
are made of leather, and experts are
needed to make the necessary repairs.
There Is. in addition, a mail lock shop,
where fifteen skilled mechanics are
employed, and almut thirty other men
and boys.
The pay of those who repair the mail
bags is not large, but the labor Is un
skilled, and It consists mainly in sew
ing and patching the canvas sacks. It
Is a singular thing, but occasionally
mall matter is found In the sacks which
are sent to the repair shops. For this
r paso 11, the bags are carefully Inspect
ed before they are placed in the hands
of the work people.
Honestly Won.
"How did you get the title of 'gen
eral'?" asked a hero-worshiping girl.
"I cut my way to It," was the proud
reply.
"On the field?"
"No, In BUI Wiggins' hotel. Thar
was only two men In our town In Ksn
tucky that had ever been In tbs army
at all, so ws cut ths cards to ass which
should be 'general' and which 'cola
nsl'." Washington Star.
A girl's Ida of modesty la to 1st
loose quick when aba abakss bands
wKn a strange i