Nebraska Newspapers

    The Harrison Press Journal.
C. C. BURKE, Proprietor.
HARRISON, - - NEBRASKA
GEXEKAL NEWS NOTES.
Natal was annexed to the British
empire fifty-nine years ago.
Every year salmon become scarcer
In Scotch rivers.
Poultry Imported Into Jersey from
France now has to undergo quaran
tine."
The Brazilian coast city of Bahla has
about 200,000 inhabitants, who live iu
17,000 houses.
George X. Dale, consul at Coaticook,
Canada, reports a decline of American
trade In Quebec as the result of high
duties here. '
Since he began yachting about fifty
years ago Lord Brassey has sailed
nearly 200,000 miles in a dozen yachts
of varying tonnage.
A publisher in St. Petersburg has is
sued a directory giving, la 228 pages
the addresses of all the pharmacies and
drug stores in Russia.
The Bulletin des Halles (Paris) esti
mates the number of horses in the
world at 74.600,000, the number of mul"S
and asses at 12,100,000.
The Prussian state railway adminis
tration has begun to use American
electric light apparatus for the lighting
of postal and passenger cars.
Consul C. Donaldson reports from
Managua, March 23, 1S02, 'that the crop
of coffee now nearly gathered is the
largest ever produced in Nicaragua.
Leipzig, like the American universi
ties, has found it necessary to estab
lish a course In elementary Greek lor
. young men admitted from the itea:
Bchulen. Eight hundred representatives from
, seventy German towns protested unan
imously at a meeting in Berlin against
any increase in the duties on neces
saries of life.
Dover's (England) municipal electric
tramways made a clear profit of $j,'.u0
and carried over 3,000,000 passengers
during the working year just com
pleted. Some of the girl students Imprisoned
In the Boutirka jail at Moscow have
refused all food for several days and
have been removed to hospitals in a
state of collapse.
William Ernst, now grand duke of
fiaxe-Weimar, is the only person liv
ing who would have a valid claim on
the throne of Holland were Queen Wil
heimina to die.
Prof. Albert Mlchelson of the depart
ment cf physics. University of Chica
go, has invented a machine so deli
cate as to be able to measure the width
of a hair. By its means, it is said, hj
has discovered that matter of any kind
Is no more solid than water, save in a
degree.
Pittsfield, Mass., which cans itscif
the 'gc-m city of the Berkshires," has
been the home at various times of
many literary celebrities, among them
being Longfellow, Oliver Wendell
Holes, Hawthorne and Herman Mel
ville. On East street stands the houe
In which Longfellow wrote ' The Clock
on the Stairs." '
The sultan of Turkey recently re
ceived petitions from the officers in
garrison at Uskub and three adjoin
ing towns setting forth that their pay
had faileJ to materialize for a long
time, and that promotion was at a
' Standstill. ' Abdul Hamid responded by
promoting sixty-five officers of the gar
Tison at Przina . who had not peti-
tionta. ' ' ' iv :
' ,
The youngest princess at the corona
tion services will be Victoria Alexandra
of Wales, who has just had her fifth
birthday. The little earl of Arlle, who
is in his ninth year, will, it is said, be
the youngest peer to take part in the
coronattbn. The father of the boy died
leading a cavalry charge in South Af
rica over a year ago.
King Charles of Itoumania, born
April 20, 1S39, was elected prince of
Itoumania, April 20, 1886. More for
tunate than his elder brother, Pr.ni-e
Leopold of Hohenzollern, whose elec
tion to the Spanish throne had to be
declared of no effect, in spite of which
it caused the Franco-Prussian war, he
reigned wisely and prosperously for
thirty-six years.
It was gravely decided last week by
Justice Marean of Brooklyn that a
wife may hit her husband oti the head
with a' stove lifter without being ad
judged guilty of giving sufficient pro
vocation for a divorce. Mrs. Louis
Hartman deemed It necessary to reg
ulate her spouse and while doing so
employed '" the domestic Implement
named, giving htm one smart rsp on
the head. Then his stepson threw
him downstairs. Louis appealed to the
court for relief from Mich a strenuous
home life, but his honor gave the de
cision not:d above, holding that the
assault did not establish cruelty with
in the meaning of the law affecting
limited divorce.
t. H. Hale of South Glastonbury,
Conn., large peach grower and gen
erally accepted a good authority, es
timates that the peach crop of Con
necticut this year will reach 1,000,000
sNMheta, which la more than In any
9rovsMMi year.
,'Fwar hundred masons from all parts
ac the state gathered at Austin, Minn.,
the ether meat to wanes the laitu
tim af all brothers Charles, James,
strpwr, WtBtUs. ParM and Ocorg
-r -af." " ,... , ' . . . '
BBJCT HABTB.
There Is quiet hi the valleys.
And the pines are bending low;
On the sandy, desert mountain all Is bar
ren, dry and hard.
For the minstrel n iioul is dying,
Kar away from home he's lying.
All the winds and all the waters wail the
passing uf the hard.
He has gone. like those before him,
And his work in life is done.
Honor crowns the gifted singer; glory
smooths the care-worn brow.
But we feel we cannot leave him.
And his country lon? will grieve him:
Ob that we could call the dying to return
and meet us now:
S. E. Greene.
The Black Cat's Warning.
BY SPEN'CER BOTD.
(Copyright. 1M2. by the S. S. McClure Co.)
RMAN and a woman stood upon the
broad piazza apparently in the
. act of parting. A cat. black as
midnight, perched upon the
girl's shoulder and formed a pleasing
contrast to her white dress, and set off
to advantage her blond loveliness.
Flora, in defense of her pet, was vont
to declare that it possessed a soul that
had once inhabited the body of the
Magi, or even that of Zoroaster him
self. "For, said she. "he literally wor
ships the fire, adores all the sunny
places and his powers of divination are
wonderful."
Mr. Lyndon did not share her admira
tion of the animal it seemed to regard
him with a peculiar malevolence.
Just before leaving, she asked his
assistance In closing a number of win
dows, which had been left open on ac
count of the warm evening.
The situation of the house was some
what remote, sheltered from the street
by extensive grounds and intercepting
shrubbery, and to one unfamiliar with
the place, might have appeared lonely.
This tendency was ordinarily restrict
ed through reason of the immediate
family consisting of some five or six
persons, but for various reasons, as
Flora explained, almost every member
had been called away from the city, and
now there was only her brother at
home, though her father was expected
on a train that arrived about midnight
Mr. Lyndon listened to this explana
tion with great apparent interest. It
was surprising. Indeed, with what grav
ity and attention he hung upon her
words, or, rather, it was natural and
nattering. Not the least pleasing ele
ment In his consideration was that his
regard seemed more deeply enlisted as
the evening wore to a close a striking
tribute to the girl's fascinations.
He performed the task of closing the
windows with great care, which may
have accounted for the time it occupied,
or perhaps he was deliberate rather
than careful, so as to extend bis visit
and engage to the furthest limit a social
Intercourse so charming.
Indeed it must have been the latter
reason, for one of the windows was
left unfastened, though the negligence
was not apparently detected.
It was now near 11 o'cock. and all
having been arranged, Mr. Lyndon took
his departure.
Flora passed Into the house, and as
she did so, a certain uneasiness pos
sessed her an occult prophecy of evil
which she vainly tried to banish. As is
usual with these Impressions the cause
was direct, and, in this case, even im
mediate; but failing to appreciate the
logic of the situation the girl felt tor
mented and mystified. She proceeded
to her rom more agitated than she
would admit, and especially oppressed
by the ghostiy siieuce of the opai-lous
bouse.
A bat careered through the ball, cre
ating intense alarm with its silent
gbost-llke rushes.
The silence and the sound were equal
ly terifying and intolerable. She de
termined to knock on her brother's
door, that, even though ridiculed, her
fears might be allayed. There was no
light within, but she persisted In her
rummons. first with a timid appeal,
then with peremptory vehemence.
No answer was elicited and finally
she opened the door. The bed was un
occupied, and the girl realized that she
was alone in the house.
She proceeded with deference to un
known conditions and softly opened the
door to her room, as though fearing to
intrude. To her relief there was no
one Witt's.
She then very cautiously deposited
upon the bureau a package, tbe con
tents of which had quite recently occu
pied Mr. Lyndon's attention as well as
her own.
She felt now that she had been Indis
creet, for Mr. Lyndon was a compara
tive stranger, yet the desire for display
bad overcome her scruple, and her
judgments and she felt, with some re
gret, that she bad allowed to go unchal
lenged a laughing estimate of tbe cas
ket's value one very largely in excess
of the trutb. Tbe casket contained
some score of diamonds.
Mr. Lyndon, in the meantime, pur
sued his way towards the center of the
city. Happening Into a saloon which
was frequented by college boys, he saw,
with half a dozen comrades, the broth
ed whom Flora thought safe within bis
own room, 'while lounging near the
group he inadvertently heard that the
party was about to adjourn to certafn
private rooms where the great Ameri
can game would occupy their attention
for' some hours.
This, of course, was but slightly In
teresting to Mr. Lyndon, so he proceed
ed on bis way. after discovering that
the train which Flora expected at 12
was some hours late.
He slowly extracted a purse from his
pocket and proceeded to examine its
contents. This was effected with speed
and accuracy tbe purse being empty.
He stood and studied the time table
with earnest attention, seemingly en
grossed to the exclusion of all other
duties and diversions.
Flora determined to remain dressed
until her father should arrive. She was
a girl of more than ordinary courage,
and. though at first the loneliness op
sressid her, abe felt reasonably secure.
She settled into an easy chair and be
gan reading.
Tata was an excellent Idea, aha
thought, and well designed to protect
ker from any feellag of nervousness.
After reading for some tine aba,
merely out of curiosity, raised her eyes
to look at the clock. ' To her surprise
tt hag Mooned, yet no, aha distinctly
hoar it ticking. i
It wan 10 minutes after 11 when ahe
began reading and now It waa three
attautes later. He ted rand far at lanat
half aa Mwr of towne aba had and
it aunt tar tow ttat Of tioeft had
stopped and then resumed its work. In
the morning she would have tbe clock
repaired.
Four times she read for similar half
hours, and four rimes the clock stopped.
Therefore it must have been after 1,
though the clock Indicated less than a
quarter of an hour for her entire liter
ary recreation.
She rose to her feet, wondering why
her father did not come. Feeling op
pressed, she opened a window and gazed
inquiringly into the unanswerable
night
The cat purred contentedly on the
arm of her chair. "
For some reason she did not continue
her study of tactics she had been read
ing the "Manual of Anas," lea through
her brother's error.
She now determined to retire, feel
ing perfectly quiet after her first ner
vousness. It wag really absurd that
she should have felt agitated at all.
How different everything would ap
pear in the morning the sunshine's
tranquil gold dreaming upon the floor
the melody of the birds whose notes
fell In liquid showers amid the showers
of dew. She would listen, too, for the
woodpecker with Its crimson head of
fire burning behind its driving bill, like
the glare of the explosion that gives the
projectile its furious energy.
She would know the exact time to
arise by noting through the transom
when the golden lance of sunshine
ripped the palpitating shadow in the
hall.
As she lay meditating, with her hand
upon the soft fur of her pet, she felt
soothed and lulled byits soft purring.
Suddenly the sound ceased. The cat
rose with arched back and glaring eyes.
Glancing up, she 6aw outlined against
the transom a human head. Death was
hers for the asking, and less!
She looked upon the floor and In a
moment it was peopled with shadowy
fates, and she felt the carpet torn by
champing teeth.
The paralysis of her terror was also
her safety. She made no sound that
would direct the attention of the head
j from the diamonds to herself.
Terror had wrapped her so close in his
weaving that she could not wound her
self against the thorns of danger.
Slowly the girl realized her situation.
The first signal was like a stunning
blow; then she came to the realized
snguish, the nerves working into tor
mented surprise, tbe chaos of misery,
excitement of fear.
Shu wondered what would be the out
come. Death, indeed, but under what
circumstances?, .
Remote from human aid choked
with strong hands about her throat
that grinning sepulcher of a head
against her face, while the congested
veins blackened. Oh. the horror of such
a death! And worse than all physical
pain, the nameless agony of fear.
Was there no help? Could that des
perate intruder terminate the whole
design and mystery of her existence?
Doubt and agony and groping hope
lay upon her heart.
How long she lay In that condition
she could not tell. Ages cf torment she
knew, records of uncaHng minutes were
lost.
Tbe great house seemed burled in
night and silence. The world had fal
len away in its circuit, and this frag
ment whereon the house was bullrled
lay lost in space. She felt that the fath
omless ocean held no more imperious
or sterner solitude.
After these maddening moments that
deride the longevity of the centuries,
she suddenly thought of an escape.
She rose slowly. It were easipr to
step barefoot on burning plowshares,
yet the girl did not falter. She reached
the bureau where the diamonds lay,
drew them with trembling fingers from
their case and stood absently fingering
the blazing jewels as though loath to
leave their sparkling company; then,
without replacing any of the stones, she
left them in scattered confusion and
walked slowly to the other end of the
room.
Those blazing crystals might well
hold the attention of that terrifying
head for the moment at least
Thea summoning all her resolution,
she rushed to the door and with furiouB
haste pressed tbe spring that closed the
heavy transom.
As It closed with crushing force upon
the clinging fingers an unearthly cry
rang out upon the stillness of the night,
and the black cat sprang through the
open window Into the impenetrable
bioom. '
Some hours later Flora's father and
brother returned. Their return was
not coincident through design, but the
result of an accident which was elicit
ing an earnest but coherent narrative
from tbe younger man and an appear
ance of dark disapproval from the
elder. Their conversation was abrupt
ly terminated as they entered the house
by moans and curses. Tbe two men
sprang up the stairs in mad haste, and
a moment later stood before Flora's
door.
Hanging suspended from It. his
bloody fingers a mangled, monstrous
mass of bruised flesh, was Lyndon,
Calmly regarding him with malig
nant eyes lay the black cat, while upon
Its ebon fur the blood from the wound
ed hand fell in long, spattering drops.
Flora lay within, huddled In a scarce
recognized shape of chattering fear, ex
citement and tears.
The cause of the tragedy the dia
monds by that common law of per
verse fate, were the only actors In the
piny that showed no sign of the ex
perience. STRANOEB BIRO,
Kitting of a Big Pelican Hear arfTJli
sola City.
Inter-Ocean: W. D. Fluent killed a
big pelican recently on the dike In Al
ton harbor. The bird had been hover
Ing along tbe river, and was apparently
Injured when he was first seen. He had
been flying alongshore and cloae to tbe
water, frequently swimming, and Mr.
Fluent crossed the river In hla naphtha
launch to get a shot at tbe big bird.
The pelican measured 9 feet from tip
to tip of ita wings and waa t feet I
Inches from the tip of Ita beak to the
Up of Ita toll.
The pelican la a Strang In this part
of the country, although they some
times coma op the river la flocks. None
as big as tbe one killed has baa Men
In this part of the country la many
yean. It will be stuffed and mounted
by Mr. fluent
The late Lord Klmberley once said:
"Almost the greatest crime which any
one aaa commit oa my estate la to kill
aa, 01" . -
uncle: bill
INO
IS these days uv trusts an' mis
trusts, it behooves us farmers
ter have our corners well round
ed out." said L'ncle BUI, as the
editor handed him the latest market
quotations with the remark, "I see that
streg touched the highest market of
the season yesterday.
"A steer can touch most enything he
starts after if he only has the right kind
uv a combination behind him," contin
ued Uncle Bill. "My, my, seven dollars
an' forty cents a hundred, on foot, makes
atelier feel like doffln' his hat ter a steer.
I took a load In ter Chicago last week
an' they brought so durn much money
that I kinda hankered ter buy 'em back
ag in. One stock broker said 'Wall, ole
man, yer got the right stear on the
market this time,' an' I said, guess I
did, sure enough, an' at that I Jumped
straddle uv a steer an' he started ter
go pell mell through the stock yards.
I prabbed hold uv his tail an' one horn
an' hung on fur keeps, until we finally
fetched up in a bull pen, with the steer
a leetle might winded, an' me a breath
in' sort uv hard. It created some ex-
A Settin' on the Beef Trust.
citement an' when they asked me what
I done that fur I told 'em that the gov
ernment was a tryin 'ter set on the
beef trust, an' I wanted ter show 'em
that the only way ter do It was ter jump
on an' hang on until they had it
winded."
"Don't you think that the beef trust
is a good thing for the farmer?" asked
the editor.
"Its my opinion that if Uncle Sam
would jump on ter some uv the trusts
what is, an' has been trusts fur years,
that he Would have a more practical
ground ter work on; the law uv sup
ply an' demand will always regulate the
markets on meat Ktuffs. The combine
may have some effect on It at times, but
they're bound ter have a bargain day,
sooner or later, an' the farmers out our
way are agin' trusts uv all kinds. We
can hold our cattle, but gosh '11 mighty,
who'll hold us, if this thing keeps up?"
"Do you mean the price of steers?"
asker the editor.
""I mean the price uv meat ter the
workin' people. Why every hotel a
feller stoss at the subject uv the beef
trust is the topic at the table; one hotel
I stopped at 1 asked a travlin' man
what he thought uv this meat proposi
tion, an' he was tryin' ter cut a pleco
uv beef at tbe time, so be said, "It's
tough, ole man, tough,' an' at that the
hotel man stepped up an' said, 'gentle
men, tbe beef trust has got everything
cornered, an' that was the best I could
git, and the travelin' man told blm that
whatever be done, ter be cheerful about
it, fur the 'Lord loveth a cheerful liar,'
an' If he bad eny tales ter tell 'bout
tough meat ter go an' tell 'em ter tbe
butcher.
"The butcher Is a weary man these
days," quoth tha editor.
"Yea, It's terrible harraaaln' on bit
nerves ter git a good place uv steak
out uv the neck uv a critter, bat the
hotel man helps him on. The average
hotel man can And steak closer tor a
Tha recent census returns show that
tha population of Belgium now stands
at latMlO.' having doubled daring the
last 6 years. Belgium la now tha moat
densely populated country In Europe.
The Women's Protective Health As
sociation of New York la demanding
that fruit sold on tha walks be covered
to protect It from dust Tha sale of
candy la already regulated la this re
spect Christian Da Wet, tha elusive Boar
general, la aald to be tbe descendant of
Da Witt, the great Dutch admiral of
tha 17th century. .
nrB55v ', U v A STvI
'
Olt a Corner on Pork. '
teer't ears than the butcher can 'cause
bis conscience aon i auu u.;,
said Uncle Bill.
"The pork market is not far behind
that of beef," remarked the editor.
"The hog Is a hard thing ter corner,
said Uncle Bill, an' eny one as don't
believe that, let him git out an' try
ter corner one. I tried ter git a corner
on pork the other day; sold a lot uv
hogs fur seven cents a pound, but one
uv 'em didn't want ter leave his happy
borne ough ough ough, so I said the
market's got yer cornered this time an'
yer has ter go, but argument is wasted
on a hog when they git contrary, for
jest as I thought I had him in the corner
uv the fence I'll be durned If he didn't
make a break an' went through my legs.
I grabbed forijs tall, an' say, I skinned
a cat qulcker'n yer could say scat, an'
when I got up agin the hog an' me was
both a wanderin' down the path that
leads the other way. An' I'm afeerd
that when the government gits through
tryin' ter corner the beef trust they'll
both be in the same fix."
OIL FOR HIGHWAYS.
Denver Will Make a Liberal Test of
Petroleum on Her Dirt Roads.
The b)ard of public works will
sprinkle several stfeets with oil In-
.'stead of surfacing them with macad
am or asphalt. It is said that the oil
lays the dust, keeps down weeds, and
permeating the natural surface of
roadways, forms a coating within six
months which possesses many of the
attributes of asphalt. This surface
hardens into a kind of cushion one
and one-half Inches thick, sufficient
for streets where there is no heavy
traffic.
President Speer of the board or pub
lic works said yesterday that the
board had been experimenting with
oil as a road-making material since
last February, lie got the Idea from
Los Angeles, where 14 miles of Btreets
have been improved by the use of
oil. The board has tanks made for
sprinkling the streets with oil. The
board's early experiments showed
that Colorado oil will not fill the re
quirements because it has no asphalt
base. The base of the state's oils la
paraffino. A carload of oil from Beau
mont has therefore been shipped by
the board. With this will be mixed
residum from the oil refineries at
Florence. The board thinks that this
is the best combination for Denver
soil.
The streets to be sprinkled will be
first graded, rolled and graveled. Then
the oil, heated to 250 degrees, will be
sprinkled over them from the tanks.
The oil will gradually harden between
the particles of gravel and earth and
packing make a firm surface.
President Speer estimates that
roadways of the city can be Improved
in this way for an average cost of
$1,000 a mile. To lay a mile of as
phalt costs $100,000 and with other
materials from 35 to 50 per cent less.
After the original thorough sprink
ling with oil the surfaces of Btreets
will shed water. According to state
ments of the public officials In cities
where the system Is in use. one an
nual sprinkling with ol! Is all that is
required to keep streets so treated in
good condition, except where they are
cut hy heavy vehicles. Denver Re
publican. ELECTRIFIED HOUSES.
Explanation of an Apparently Be
Markable Phenomenon.
Cassler's Magazine: An Instance of
non-familiarity with simple scientific
goes the round Tof tho nr. oam 18 lnKhe thU:k and afU'r lhat Han(1
ZIXm$zLPZ Hl"!1 an indefi.
the electrified bouse. The article
A 1 Tk..M.W
ly states that some one hag
that everything be touches in his house
the radiators, picture frames, banquet
lamps, etc. gives him an electric
shock. Hence, he fears there Is some
connection between the arc-light wires
end the water pipes near his residence.
The eleetrlc-llght inspector Is, there
fore, summoned, and reports that the
wires of his company are intact and
that the electricity must come from
some other source.
It does not dawn on any of the people
consulted that the discoverer of the
phenomenon Is unconsciously perform
ing one of the simplest and oldest of
electrostatic experiments, the shuffling
of his shoes over the dry carpet raising
the potential of his body to several
thousand volts, which discharge at
every opportunity. One may even get
electric discharges from bis knuckles
to the brass lock of a handbag which
be may be carrying while walking on a
stone pavement duriug cold, dry
weather.
But. dismissing newspaper nclenee.
It Is somewhat astonishing, in view of
the many ways In which in cold, dry
countries electricity Is unintentionally
devoloped and manifested by sparking,
that the first knowledge concerning this
phenomenon did not come to the an
cients In this way rather than by the
attraction of light substances by amber.
The explanation of this, however, may
be that the scientists of bygone days
did not reside In cold, dry countries.
A new portrait of president Buchan
an, painted by William Chase, of New
York, has Just been bung In the green
room at the white bouse, and tbe old
portrait, wblcb became discolored, has
bean removed, at tbe request of Mrs.
Harriet Jane Johnson, President Bu
chanan'! niece, who replaced It with
the new Ilkeneaa.
Dacca la situated 160 miles northeast
of Calcutta. In the seventeenth century
It waa the capital of Bengal. In 1800
It bad a population of 200,000, and was
noted for Ita product of line muslins
Growing Imports of Manchester cottons
ruined Ita industries, however, and by
list tbe population had dwindled to
12,000,
A Bavarian governmental report
states that tbe American locomotives In
use on Its railways have proven super
ior to those of German make. This re
fers to the engines, which were said by
various continents! papers to be alto
gether unsatisfactory. ,
CUBIOUI HOKZ FOB BIBJM.
A Fair of House Wrens TJtUiaa aa
Unoccupied Hornets' Heat
Charles C. Abbott. M. D.. In St. Nich
olas: Those who are familiar with our
common house wren know how often It
happens that very strange nesting sites
!re at times decided upon by this bird.
It Is not so long ago that a small water
ing pot, hanging within easyHch of a
pump constantly used, was taken pos
sesion of. and the wrens, all unmind
ful of people constantly coming and go
ing very near them, raised their brood
and returned the following summT. A
permanent box was placed In the spot
. . ,i ...... ,) ........ n nn,f thfa K.i
itjipr inf. Hi-i mill c ajun . uu,
-since been used.
Wrens have been known; too, to-en-ter
houses through open windows and
attempt nest building indoors, and In
places, too, very Inconvenient to the
family, as In a card basket on the piano,
and on the pole supporting portieres.
But more curious than all other In
stances. It seems to me, is the follow
ing: In tbe spring of 1901 a hornet's
nest that had long hung In my hall was
temporarily placed in a covered porch. .
Some weeks later, a pair of wrens were
noticed examining It very critically, ami
they finally decided that as a nesting
site it was in every way admirable. The
fact that I was frequently sitting on
that porch, often with two or three
people, in no wise troubled them. The
birds were absolutely fearless.
Having chosen the hornet's nest as a
summer residence, the wrens first clear
ed out sufficient space for their use, and
chipped a new circular entrance to it.
This they made the more secure by
placing in front a platform of twigs,
many of which were thrust through
the paper walls. This was not always
easily done, and gave rise to some cross
words, or so It seemed. Except a few
feathers, there was nothing carried Into
the hole made by the wrens In the body
of the hornets' nest. As soon as all
was to their liking, eggs were laid and
the brood sucesfuily reared.
While the parent birds were notice
ably tame during the days of nest-making,
they were even more so when there
were young birds to look after. With
out really troubling them, I tried In
many ways to test their confidence In
my good will toward them. Several
times I leaned against the pillar sup
porting the roof of the porch, so as to
bring my face within IS inchen of the
opening to the nest. Twice, under such
circumstances, one of the old birds
darted past me and entered, but at oth
er times waited most Impatiently until
I again sat down in the chair near by.
One fact that Interested me greatly
was that, when Interrupted by my com
ing, the wren, firmly holding a wrig
gling worm In its beak, would scold
crossly, making a loud whirring anrt
shrill sound. How the bird could
make the sound and yet retain the worm
In its beak 1 leave to others to explain.
TO BRIDGE SALT LAKE.
Southern Pacific Is About to Build a
Long Trestle Across It
One of the most remarkable tasks
of railroad engineering undertaken In
the West In recent years is about to
be begun by the Southern Pacific in
Utah. For tbe sake of saving four
and one-half miles the railroad is
about to build a new lino lofi miles
long, and for part of the way the road
will run on a timber trestli! across
the Great Salt lake. It now runs
around the northern end of the lake
over a route bothered by many sharp
curves and heavy grades.
The work will ake three years to
complete. It calls for an expenditure
of $800,000 a year. The moBt formid
able part will be the building of the
trestle across the main body of the
lake, at a point where It is seven
miles across.
The lake bed Is comprised first of a
layer of fine sand from 6 to 30 Inches
in depth. Then comes a hard strat
um of soda formation from a foot to
-mil Ul-Utll. ..
1 be road will be built
l2iri fn" thla mas T
on, ' nflcg
he trestlA
will be built high enough to allow for
a rise of the water, which at this
point Is now about 30 feet deep.
It has Imen the experience on the
lake hitherto tliat sand tends to ac
cumulate around driven piles, if thia
should be repeated here the result
wllf bo a shallowing of the water and
increased security along the road.
Besides saving time on the South
ern Pacific, the construction of the
line will bring Immense deposin of
guano on Islands in 8alt lake wlthlr
easy reach of a market. New York
Sun.
HOTEL FUNERALS.
They Are Infrequent, Because
jected to by Landlords.
Ob-
Baltimore Herald: "Landlords of
hotels object to funerals, for their
houses are eminently places rf good
cheer, and on that sunshine of good
cheer they want no shadow of sorrow
cast. Hence, when a guest dies under
the roof of one of the landlords he
uses all means posnlble to have the
funeral services held elsewhere.
"And as a rule, the landlord has no
difficulty In achieving that, because the
dead guest's family wishes his body to
be burled from his home. For he In
nearly always a transient guest, and It
would seem both heartless and Irrever
ent to bury him otherwise. But, If be
Is a resident guest (a thing that hap
pens once or twice In a thousand years),
the landlord easily arranges with the
undertaker to hold the services In tbe
Iatters parlors.
"And thus It happens," concluded tbo
observer, "that not one man In a tbous
na ever sees a funeral from a hotel,"
The Baal Problem.
She I found the sweetest little flat
yesterday, and If we have to live In a
flat after we are married I want it
And It was only f,600 ayear.
He Yes, but
She But whatT
He-My Mlary Is $3,000. What shall
we do with tbe other 600?-New York
Bun. .
Hot tha Latent
Helen la tht the latest book you
are reading, dear?
Miss Rwder Oh, no dear, no! Why.
this book has been out since noon yes
terday. Ohio flute Journal