Monsieur Henri Barceaux was In
this country rerently on his way home
from Paris to the South Sea Islands.
Though a native of the French capital
M. Barceaux baa little In common
with the Inhabitants of any great city,
except the desire to make money anil
plenty of it. At bis Island home In
Tahiti, in Paris and in New York, he
Is known as a dealer In pearls, which
he buys from the native pearl divers
and selU to the jewelers of the great
capitals.
M. Barceaux stopped off in Chicago
for a few days and made an excursion
up into Wisconsin to look Into the
pearl fisheries of the inland rivers and
creeks of which he has heard so much.
Personally M. Barceaux looks least
of all like the popular Idea of a
Frenchman. He Is a huge fellow,
more than six f.?et tall, and both his
hair and his beard are yellow. He
speaks English with only the slight
est accent. Incidentally he told inter
esting things about the brown skinned
divers who bring up the pearls-bearing
bivalves from the bottom of the
South Pacific.
"As I suppose everybody knows,"
he said to a reporter in Chicago,
"pearls are now the most fashionable
and popular of jewels and have Im
mensely Increased In value within a
few years. Also 1 believe they are
yearly growing harder to get, so that
the Increase In price Is perhaps nat
ural. "The most romar'table thing about
the pearl fisheries In the South Sea
Islands Is the beautiful character of
WISCONSIN PEARL HUNTERS AT
WORK.
the men who daily risk their lives In
the work. Often they are abused and
Imposed uoon by the whites, and yet,
almost without exception, they retain
what might bo called an ideal Christ
ian attitude of mind. If a dealer
cheats one of the native divers, for In
stance, the native will not attempt to
'get even' in any way. He will, how
ever, go to the man who has defraud
ed him, and state the case In a mild
and gentle way, thereafter refusing
to have any business dealings with
the delinquent. As ne:irly as I can
Judge these natives are Ideal gentle
men. "There was a crabbed old Scotsman
.who came out to the islands a few
years ago to buy pearls. He thought
It legitimate to take advantage of the
natives In any way he could and
once ho swindled a native chief out of
more than half the value of a consid
erable collection of pearls. The chief
said nothing, but waited his opportun
ity. Finally, one day the Scotsman
wanted to be rowed over to a neigh
boring Island and could find nobody
to make the trip but the old chief,
who at once, when asked, agreed to
take him over tn bis canoe. Once out
on the water the chief freed his mind,
telling the Scotsman that ho know he
had been defrauded and saying that
a man who came from a Christian
country ought not to stoop to rob a
poor heathen. The Scotsman grew
angry and abused the native slmme-
THUS HANDICAPPED THE NATIVE
SWAM ALMOST TWO MILES,
fully, on he himself, afterward ad
mitted. To this abuse the chief made
no answer, maintaining a dignified
Hence.
"While the eanoe was still two miles
from land a sudden and violent storm
wept up and struck the frail boat.
Id aplte of the efforts of the native
the craft was overturned and both of
the occupants thrown into the water.
The Scotsman could not swim and felt
sure that he would be drowned, but,
to his great surprise, the native chief
swam at once to his side, told him to
lie over on his back and placed his
own hand under him, so that his head
PREPARING PEARLS FOR JEWEL
ERS. was kept out of the water. Thus
handicapped the natlve3 swam a dis
tance of almost two miles, finally
landing the exhausted and almost un
conscious Scotsman on the sandy
beach, where he left him and went to
givo warning to his friends. After
the Scotsman had recovered he sought
out the chief and tried to apologize
to him. But the native would not lis
ten to him.
" 'You cheated and robbed me.' said
the native calmly. 'When I complain
ed you abused me. Because I saved
your life you wish to apologize to me.
There Is no occasion. I would do as
much for a dog."
"Then the chief walked quietly
away and refused to listen to anything
further. But he told his friends
among the pearl divers how he had
been treated and after that the Scots
man found It almost impossible to
buy pearls at any price. Within a few
months he had left the Islands for
good and gone back to England,
"The native divers all work for
themselves and sell what they find to
the highest bidden among the dealers.
They go out two or three In a boat
to spots where the water Is from six
ty to 100 feet deep, Without clothing
of any kind on the diver drops over
the side of the boat, his feet resting on
a heavy stone which Is fastened to a
rope. When they are ten or fifteen
feet from the bottom they dive off the
stone head foremost, and so reach the
SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS DlVINCi
FOR PEARLS,
bottom, where they grope around for
the precious shells. The first shell a
diver secures he places under his left
arm, the second he holds In his left
hand, and the others, If he Is fortun
ato enough to get more, he carries like
an armful of stove wood In his left
arm, Then, swimming with his right
arm and his feet, he conies to the top
and Is lifted Into the boat.
"I have llcd In Tahiti slxtem years.
All my children have been bjrn there
and It Is home to all of us. Even la
belle Paris has not such attractions
for mo as my far off Island home. Life
and property are perfectly secure
there. In fact, the only demor .llzlng
Influence Is the greedy and domineer
ing white man. No where else In the
world have I found such unselfishness
ar.d such gentle manners."
The New Reporter Again. "Al
ways," said the astuto city editor to
the new reporter "always be on the
lookout for any little touch of humor
that may brighten up our columns."
That evening the new reporter turned
In a story nbout a burglary In a butch
er shop, which commenced: "Mr, Hi
ram Cleaver, the well known butcher,
Is losing flesh rapidly these days."
Baltimore American,
After the Game Bucklln "Did
Throhall make a home run today?"
Ijinli "No; unfortunately for hlm
nlf and his poor, waiting wife, he not
no further than the first saloon."
Brooklyn Life.
I : 1
ANGLO-AMERICAN ROMANCE.
Vwu I'liHea la the I Hilar! Htatet Knrlrh
an KnglUhmau la Need.
To few men is it given to make a
fair competence, lose It, and suddenly
and without expectation find two for
tunes thrown at their feet. That has
l.ejn the experience of Mr. Josept
Samuel Stadden Russell. At the be
ginning of this year he was employee
in the humble capacity of groom; to
day he is in possesion of a fortune ol
160,000, most cf it Invested In free
hold property in New York and Pitts
burg. The story has most of thos
elements of romance with which th
popular imagination clothes the unex
pected acquisition of wealth. As in sc
many other cases, it is the rich uncle
In America would there were more ol
them! who has played the part of a
generous Providence. In Mr. Russell's
case, however, there we,re two uncles,
but from neither did he entertain any
expectations of an inheritance. One
lived in Pittsburg, the other In New
York; one was his uncle on his fath
er's side, the other was the brother of
his father's second wife. Mr. Russell
himself was born in London, "within
the sound of Bow bells," but he has
spent fully thirty years in the States.
Both his uncles went out there when
very young and very poor, but they
rapidly advanced and became consid
erable property-owners. Recently Mr.
Russell returned to this country and
started a public house at Maidstone, at
the same time depositing all the mon
ey he had saved In America with Dum
bell's bank. When the bank failed he
lost everything, and at 50 had to face
the world penniless. It was then that
he took a place as groom, but he had
not been long In that situation when
the news came that his father's broth
er had left him a fortune, which was
originally stated to ba 50,000-odd,
but in reality came to be something
more, nearly approaching 100,000.
That, however, did not exhaust Mr.
Russell's luck. Only the other day he
received intimation from a firm of so
Ilciotrs in New York that his uncle-in-law
had bequeathed to him a sum
which, with the previous windfall, put
aim in possesion of 160,000. It Is an
extraordinary revolution in the for
tunes of an unambitious man, and all
the more extraordinary, perhaps, be
cause it was quite unexpected. Mr
Russell is a shrewd, level-headed Lon
doner, who is under no apprehension
that he will be tempted to Bquandei
his fortune. London Chronicle.
In the Kehool of Work.
Charles A. Dana of the New York
Sun, was a man of extensive learning
and attached great importance to col
lege training, but was quick to recog
nize the value of the practical educa
tion that a man of good parts may
pick up in this work-a-day world
outside of university walls. A young
man went to the Sun office one day
and asked to see the editor-in-chief.
He would not he rebuffed by the sub
ordinates, and after some delay he was
admitted. He stated his business
without a moment's loss of time. "Mr.
Dana," be said, "1 believe I could be
of some use on this paper, and I want
you to give me a trial. If you don't
find me of any use you needn't pay me
any salary, and it you do I shall want
a good salary. If I don't find my
proper groove in a month you can
drop me out."
Mr. Dana looked him over. "Voting'
man," he said, "I like your looks.
Have you ever attended any institution"
of learning?" "Yes, sir. I am a
graduate, of two newspaper oHlees
one a country weekly and the other
a dally paper in a city of one hundred
thousand Inhabitants." "I'll take yon.
Go and report to the managing edi
tor." And Mr. Dana turned again to
his work. Youth's Companion.
ll Hled T hi-m I p.
They met in the narrowest aiale of
the department store. They were both
very stout and Immediately traffic was
blocked in both directions. Their con
versation, Ktenogruphically reported,
was as follows: "Why. Mrs. Jones
how d ye do?" "How dye do, Mrs
Smith? Who would have thought of
peeing you?" "Yes; I bavan't seen you
for ago." "Well, why don't you comt
up some time?" "Oh, It seems as
though I never go anywhere any
more." "Yes. you always say that."
"But, really, I don't. Why don't you
come down?" 'Tve been on the point
of coming several times, but it always
seems as though something always
happens to prevent It." "Well, make
another effort. I'm Just dying to have
a good, long talk with you." "Yes; so
am I. Do come anil see me." "I will.
And you come up, too." "Yes; I will."
"Now, don't forget." "No, I won't."
"Well, good-by." "Goodby. Liars,
both of them," grunted a red-halnW
man, who had bren trying to squeeze
through. "They never expect to (all on
each other, and they know It." Phila
delphia Record.
C'onal Tolntoi'n Fattier,
In a recent article Count Tolstoi
draws a portrait of his father. e wut
a largo and handsome man, who al
ways wore clothes of a fashion differ
ent from Mint of others. He hnd t.
great contempt for the younger gen
eration. He won millions and lost
them again. Moral principles he seem
ed to have none. He had his senti
mental moods, and when he read aloud
from a book his voice would tremble
and lils eyes moisten at a pathetlr
passage. He was fond of ordinary
miiBlc romances, gypsy ' melodies,
operatic tunea but frankly confessed
that Beethoven put him to sleep,
Twenty per cent of the prisoners In
the Chicago jail are victims of the
morphine, cocaine or other drug habit
NOTES ON SCIENCE.
CURf.ENT NOTES OF DISCOVERY
AND INVENTION.
Clironlr Hrouchltll How HaUlnru May
lie ure1 Ad Innect 1 tiat Uiiu Mugs
--IU Only Mission I to Eitermluute
Caterpillar Selentitlc Xoten.
CHKOMC JtKONt IIITIS.
While an attack of acute bronchitis
:n adult life is usually of brief dura
:lon and of little gravity, Its repeated
jceurrence is to be dreaded as possibly
ading to the much more serious
;hronic form. This form occurs for
;he most part in persons beyond mid
ile life.
It may supervene upon an acute at
:ack which has been neglected, or It
nay come on more gradually after a
uccesslon of such attacks, each one
adding a little to the bronchial Irrita
tion left behind by its predecessor, un
til the actual disease is fully estab
lished. Subjects of the so-called uric
acid diathesis are very prone to suffer
'rom chronic bronchitis, and so are
patients with heart and kidney disease,
and hard drinkers.
The two main symptoms of chronic
bronchitis are cough and a more or
less profuse expectoration. The ex
pectoration varies considerably In dif
ferent cases, and in the same case at
aifforent times. Insomecases it is rath
2r scanty and sticky, and the effort to
xpel it results in frequent and violent
paroxysms of coughing, quite resem
bling whooping cough. Inothercasesthe
secretion in the bronchial tubes is wa
tery and easily expelled, but Is formed
in such quantity that the cough is al
most incessant.
Pain Is seldom complained of, but
shortness of breath Is quite common,
even at the beginning, and is constant
in the later stages of the disease. At
first this difficulty in breathing is
noted only on exertion, but later it is
habitual and becomes asthmatic in
character. It is the result, usually, of
dilatation of the air cells in the lungs
eai'sed by the strain of coughing.
Chronic bronchitis, like nil other ca
tarrhal affections, is much less trouble
some in summer than in winter, and
in those who live much in the open air
than in the house-bound. From this
simple observation may be drawn the
lesson that the best remedy for bron
chitis i3 pure air. This is generally
conceded in the case of consumption,
hut the world even the medical world
is slower to recognize that an abund
ance of oxygen pure air is equally
essential to the Oiire of bronchitis
other chronic diseases of the organs of
respiration.
The good result is due not only to
the improvement in the general health,
but also to the direct effect of the oxy
gen upon the diseased bronchial mem
brane. The patients should pay great atten
tion to the care of the skin by cold or
cool bathing, friction, and so forth,
should dress warmly, and should
change damp clothing Immediately on
entering the house. . ,
to rfiti; mai.dshss,
The use of gas to make the hair
grow Js one of the latest medical dis
coveries. The gas employed is oxygen.
A large cap fits tightly round the bead
and is supplied with oxygen from a
lag which is slung over the patient';
fclioulders. It is worn for a few hours
every day, and even In cases of abso
lute baldnr?7, it U said to produce a
more or le.-.s luxuriant ciOp of hair.
Tec discovery wi9 made at the
Oxygen hospital, London, The gas Is
used for the cure of quite a number of
diseases. A woman was undergoing
the oxygen cure for skin disease, and
one of her arms had been for many
days placed in a light air-tight box
filled with the gas. it was scon no
ticed that on the part of the arm that
was unaffected by the disease the
growth of hair was much stimulated,
and this naturally suggested oxygen
as a cure for baldness. The first ex
periment was made upon a woman
who had completely lost her hair, and
APPARATUS FOR CURING BALD
NESS. t was found that after a few weckd'
reatment there, was quite a strong
growth.
The gas lins also been found benefi
cial for weak eyes, and Is used In a
very similar manner, a hollow flexible
cup being placed over the upper part
ot the face. This Is connected by
means of an India rubber tube to a
small gas bag, and Is worn day after
Jay until a cure Is affected.
But by far the greatest service that
sxygen Is to perform Is In the cure
jf consumption. The patients Inhale
the gas for ten hours every day, and
find almost Immediate relief. The
term of the disease cannot exist In
"ixygen alone, though In common air
m X -
they multiply rapidly. This la. at
present, the only weak point of the
system, for It is found that In prac
tice the patient loses during the night
almost all the benefit that he has de
rived from the inhalation of oxygen
during the day. But this objection Is
to be swept away when a new labora
tory has been built where consump
tives will be made to breathe the gas
day and night until a cure has been
effected.
IT IS A IUG ERBANT.
Nature has once more proved that
she knors how to manage affairs In
THE CATERPILLAR'S ENEMY,
her numerous departments. While
the suburbs are still bewailing a
plague of caterpillars she has begun
the work of extermination. She has
sent a bug to do the work, and it is a
wonderful bug Indeed a bug errant,
one might say, for it has a lance and
a suit of armor and just as much de
votion to duty as any knight one ever
read about.
This remarkable bug does not seem
to have any mission upon earth except
to fight caterpillars. It would rather
fight than eat, and whenever it fights
It eats, so that it takes an enthusias
tic interest In the campaign. Its appe
tite would be disgraceful in a bug of
less exemplary pursuits. There is a
specimen in the Philadelphia . North
American office, says that paper,
which has devoted more than ten
times its weight in caterpillar in one
day.
But the most remarkable thing
about this ferocious insect is Its meth
od of attack. It does not use sharp
claws like some beetles, nor poison,
like spiders. It has a little way of its
own, says the Chicago Daily News.
Fastened b a flexible joint to the
lower part of the body is a lance and
.',1. .lnnl waatuin ilia IlllIT ftnpS
wui ";7";";77p;
rnnM ovpcnt nn Tr flttaeks a eater-1
pillar like a torpedo boat attacking an
unprotected cruiser. It creeps on Its
prey quietly, then makes a sudden
rush. Raising itself when near the
victim, it lets the lance drop forward,
then leaps upon the poor, fuzzy thing
and drives the sharp point home.
There follows a violent struggle of
course. The caterpillar squirms and
twists and rolls Itself about, but the
lance holds and there is no escape.
AN ASIMAT. CTKIOSITV.
There are not very many transpar
ent animals, but recent studies of two
larval eels which possess this peculiar
iiy, and vfllich belong to the National
Museum, see.ni to show that among
the possible advantages of being trans
parent Is economy in personal decora
tion. In ordinary opaque animals the
color markings are symmetrical on
the two sides of the body, but. this is
not the case with the transparent ees,
Each of them, when looked at from
one side, appears to have seven large
black spots arranged at nearly regu
lar intervals along the length of its
body, but closer examination shows
that lu each case three of the spots
are on the left side and four on the
right, and irregularly Bpaced, but in
Biich manner that, on looking through
the body, all seven appear in a sym
metrical row.
Ql'AI.ITIKS OK QUARTZ TL'HKS.
Experiments with transparent tubes
made of vitrified quarts show that they
possess many remarkable advantages
over glass tubes. They can be plunged
suddenly into an oxy-gas flame --
nut inlurv, as their aubst' "ltn-
Scticany solidupto' , ce rfalns
praciH aiiy r u temperature of
2,700 Fahrenheit. Thfiy do nQt
U plunged lr-o cold water, oj even into
liquid air. Tt Is believed that such
tubes can be employed for thermome
ters intended to measure very high
mperatures, tin, or some other met
al, hi a molten stale, being substituted
for the DKrc,lry of ordinary thermom
eters. NCIKNTIFIC NOTKS.
Electricity In Abbey.
Electric lamps are to be used in
the place of gas jets In England's fa
mous abbey. It is averred that gas
has proved injurious to the great
church by setting up chemical change
in the limestone of which Its walls,
arches, vaults and carvings are com
posed, thus hastening the disintegra
tion of the building.
Microbe on Haw Vegetable.
Slgnor Ceserole of Padua has dis
covered the existence of more than
fifty noxious microscopic parasites and
microbes In tho washings of vege
tables from market gardens. Among
the micro-organisms found by him
was the bacillus of tetanus and an
other analogous to that which pro
duce typhoid fever. He ascribes the
Infection largely to the contents of
watering pots.
Tho approved cooking utetMlli are
of aluminum. There's no dangw In
them.
HARD WORK FOR PILOTS.
Climbing Up the Sides of th Grast
Ceeau Liners Horretlmes la Fatal.
If ocean steamsipB continue to grow
In size, the pilots of this harbor will
need airships soon to board them, ay
the New York Press. It la as much as
they can do to get up the vast glisten
ing, black sides of the great lra, and
sometimes more, for the pilot commis
sioners have recorded two cases where
pilots have dropped dead on reaching
the deck of the vessels.
If all the front door entrances of
New York buildings were closed and
the intending visitor had to climb up
the side of the house to the fourth or
fifth story on a thin, twisting, spin
ning rope ladder, he could form some
idea of the pleasures experienced by
the pilots when they face one of the
big ships, with flanks towering sixty
feet above their heads.
And the ships do not stand like a
house. They pitch and roll. Pitch and
roll No. 1 send the pilot swinging far
away off the side of the ship like a
pendulum. Pitch and roll No. 2 bring
him back quickly, and slap! he goes
against the iron plates. As most of
the pilots are elderly men and Inclined
to fleshiness, the ascent of a big ship
is not viewed with unmixed delight
by them.
Aiueu nauuier ana jonn nuviu aie
the two pilots who paid with their
lives for boarding big ships. In each
case they dropped dead almost on the
instant that they reached the deck.
Baudier had his hand stretched out to
grasp that of the ship's captain when
he fell. Both had been suffering from
heart disease, and the violent exer
tion of climbing killed them.
D. A. Nash, the quick, sharp-witted
and keen-eyed secretary of the board
of Commissioners of Pilots, has been
laboring for a long time with the
steamship companies to provide an
improved type of ladder. The one that
is used commonly consists simply of
four ropes, with knots at intervals to
hold the little foot ropes In place. A
person can climb up on these ladders,
but so can a person stand on his head.
There are, however, occupations more
comfortable than either of them.
A favorite idiosyncrasy of the com
mon rope ladder Is not only to sag to
one side and then the other, but It
also writhes like a serpent with indi
gestion. Then usually, when the pilot
is half way up, the thing adds a new
trick to the others. It begins to twist.
Sometimes it twists slowly, sometimes
it twists so fast that it spias like a
tcp.
' It happens so often that a pilot Is
thrown while mounting one of these
(things that it is the invariable rule
i
for the yawls to shoot away from the
side of the Bhip as soon as the pilot
has begun climbing. This Is done so
that, if he falls, he shall fall Into soft
water, instead of into a hard boat. ,
VISIONS OF HEAVEN.
Most Popular of AU Legends of tha
Middle AgcJI.
Most popular of all the legends of
the Middle Ages Is that of the seven
vears' pilgrimage of the Irish saint
Breridan, the Slndbad of Christianity,
he who set forth in a ship with his
companions to seek the Islands of the
Blest upon the actual seas. Tho'.'gh it
is rather the vision of Barintua the
hermit that dwells In the memory,
since It was he Who lured St. Brendan
to the quest by the tale of his own
i landing -with his nephew on the happy
Bhores. Eastward in this case also lay
Paradise, "an island," to quote from
Mr. Baring Gould, "wide and grassy,
and bearing all manner of fruits,
wherein was no night, for the Lord
Jeans Christ was the light thereof."
The two abodo there, we are told,
a long while without eating or drink
ing "ami when they returned to the
monatery the brethren knew well
where they had been.for the fragrance
of Paradise lingered on their garmentsj
for nearly forty days.'! Fragrance
light and m,usic are among tha fchjuft
characteristics of these visinB"
may bo recalled. iyvt k jt
the frequent " jSe were also
Buddha's'1' accompaniment of,
b transports. As when, after
- dad obeyed the call of the TTnsepn
Power, and renounced earth's Joys
that he might live the divine life, the
air about him was filled with falling,
roses, while music, multitudinous as
the roll of waves upon the shore,
sounded in his ears. Or, as when the
whole universe appeared to him liko a
garden of fragrant blossoms; and a
splendor of light outshone, piercing
even to those very darkest recesses
which, according to the audacious im
agery of the east, the united rays of
nevcn suns would fall to penetrate..
St. Brendan was the uncle of another
notable seer of the seventh century
that century so rich in visionary lore
ol. r ursey, wno fell, says Bede, into
a trance, and, quitting his body from
evening till cockcrow, "was found
worthy to behold the choirs of angels
and to hear tho praises which aro sung
In heaven," with stray echoes of which
ho afterward edified all Christendom.
Gentleman's Magazine.
Asklt "I understand that the heal
er who treated by (he laying on of
hauls is not so prosperous as he uaed
to be, and has discharged most of
his assistants." Telllt "Yes,
laying off his hands now." Baltimore
American.
"Don't you think Dachsle likes bis
new collar, John?" "How the d.uce
do you expect mo to tell from here?
Do out In the kitchen and m if n)t
tail U wagging." Life.
The number of dogs In the United
States Is estimated at from 1.000 0oo
to LBOO.OOO.