" c - - ssv . ll.vij::
t ,
HELMET MADE
To the savages of the South Sea is
lands, from whose viewpoint nearly all
of the world seems to be made up of
ocean, everything that has to do with
the sea appears to possess a peculiar
potency.
The sea god is the greatest of all di
vinities, they consider, and the fishes
and other animals that dwell in the
briny deep are more or less powerful, in
a supernatural sense, in one way or an
other. Hence it follows that a spear barbed
with the ivory "stings" of the stingray
is particularly prized. It is a formid
able weapon enough in realty, inasmuch
as ic cannot be withdrawn from a
ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT DISCOVERED.
Dr. Seybold, professor of oriental
languages at the University of Tubin
gen, has' discovered among the Arabic
manuscripts of Dr. J. G. Wetzstein, for
merly German Consul at Damascus, a
hitherto unknown story, which forms
a part of the celebrated work known as
"The Thousand and One Nights."
The manuscript, which is supposed to
be the oldest of the kind in existence,
is now being translated by Prof. Sey
bold, who will publish both the trans
lation and the original text as soon as
his work is completed.
WHERE EDITORS ARE POLITE.
Polite as American and European
editors are when dealing with persons
whose manuscripts they are unable to
accept, they nevertheless do not soothe
the disappointed ones in the graceful
manner that Chinese editors do.
Here, for example, is a letter which
was recently sent by the editor of a
Pekin newspaper to a gentleman who
had offered an unavailable article:
"Glorious brother of the sun and the
moos," it runs, "behold thy son. who
throws himself at thy feet and begs for
thy favor. We were intoxicated with
joy when we read your beautiful manu
script We swear by the ashes of our
ancestors that we never read anything
equal to it.
"The result is that if we had pub
lished it the emperor would have is
sued an edict prohibiting us from pub
lishing in future any article which
might be in the slightest degree infe
rior to your sublime composition. This
would mean that we might have to wait
ten years before we could bring out an
other issue of our paper.
"That is why I return your article
with 10.000 apologies. Behold my
hand, which trembles a3 I write.
"Your very humble slnvp,
"LI TO TSCHE."
CENTURY'S GREATEST WORK.
Many of the most eminent Germans
were recently asked to express their
opinion as to what was the greatest
work of the last century, and their an
swers, when classified, showed that the
tpajority attached most importance to
the following achievements:
1. The establishment of the Ger
man empire.
2. The proclamation of the rights
of man.
3. The discovery of steam as a mo
tive power.
4. Applied electricity.
5. The discovery of narcotics and
of anti-sepsia.
6. The promulgation of the law of
conservation cf energy.
7. The work of Darwin.
8. The discovery of the modern sci
entific method of Judging things, which
is based on exact observation.
9. The discovery of the spectral
analysis.
10. The discovery of the X-rays, 1
TO MAKE D R
Separating vapor or steam from wa
ter Is the object of a new apparatus. It
consists of several sieves, or sifters, of
fine gauze wire, through which the
moist vapor passes on Its way from the
boiler to the machine in which it Is to
be utilized.- The sifting of the moist
vapor produces a friction of the mole
cules of vapor and of the fine particles
of water with which It is charged
against the threads or wires of the
gauze.
The result is an elevation of temper
ature and a sfigbt lowering of pressure.
" " I, ,, J ' ' i
OF FISH SKIN.
wound except by cutting it out. But
these savages imagine that its potency
is mainly due to the influence of the
divinity which in some manner is rep
resented by the fish. It is the same
way with the sword that is made out
of the nose of a sawfish, with its row
of sharp teeth on either side.
They used also a very curious helmet,
one of which, shown here, was for
merly worn in war by a South Sea is
lander. It is made of the skin of an
armor-clad fish called the "sea porcu
pine," which is covered with sharp
spines. This kind of helmet, when
placed on a man's head, is proof against
any ordinary weapon, even an ax.
Prof. Seybold has also found' among
Dr. Vvetzstein's manuscripts a hitherto
unknown book, which purports to con
tain a full acount of the extraordinary
religious practices of the Druses, who
have so long lived in Lebanon.
As, however, it contains merely a
series of cabalistic figures, the book
would be of little value If it were not
for the fact that Prof. Seybold luckily
found, at Munich, a short time ago, an
other manuscript, in which was given
the full meaning of each of these fig
ures. 11. Beethoven's ninth symphony.
12. The second part of "Faust"
13. The convention at Geneva.
14. The primary school and com
pulsory education.
15. The movement in favor of wom
an's rights.
16. The exploration of Africa by Eu
ropeans. TRICK WITH A COIN.
Place a piece of money on a shallow
J plate, pour some water over it and
j then ask someone to take away the
com wiinout wetting nis nngers. A8
the coin is covered with water he nat
urally replies that he cannot do so.
To show him that it can be done, take
a large glass, hold it upside down and
burn a lighted strip of paper inside of
it. The instant the paper is burned,
place the glass, still upside down, on
the plate. As a result the water will
at once disappear and: the cause there
of will be the warm air In the glass.
The plate will then be dry and the
the coin can be removed without wet
ting the fingers.
.Halsutta Mioca, a full-blood Indian,
has been elected chief of the Seminoln
tribe In the Indian Territory, defeating
John F. Brown, a half-breed. The elec
tion may hasten the dissolution of the
Seminole tribal government
The purity of Japanese copper ob
tains for it a market all over the world,
It having the highest known electrical
conductivity of any specimens of this
metal procurable. The value of the
copper exported in 1900 was $0,499,525.
STEAM.
and these conditions bring about the
vaporization of the water, since they
act in the game manner as a surplus of
heat would.
A practical apparatus of this kind
has as a foundation a steam pipe, con
taining a section of fine guaze wire,
which are separated from each other
and held In place by frames of suitable
form, These frames and sections of
gauze wire are connected with each
other and with the pipes by means of
long pins. A separator of this kind Is
generally planed in the steam com
partment of the boiler.
THE VILLAGE DOCTOK.
Alonir the village streets whore maples
lean
Togi tMcr li'-.e old frienda about the fcay,
A faithful j.alr oft und anun were gem
Hm and Lis nag, both growing old and
sr.iy.
What secrets lurked within that old
souI'h breast.
Of mother-love, of throb of pains and 111.
All gaiety kept beneath that buttoned
veKt,
Jtect pint le of powders and of pills.
Thrice happy ha when some fond moth
er's eyea
Orew moist with love unspeakable to find
Bnucped to her breast her bat who.e
parading
Within her soul and bosom were entwined.
Ilo.w .oft tut held- the -wrist to- mark the
slow
Fu"; atlnna of the feebly flufrln heur'
.i mie nis Kind w.jrda. sofe-murmurlng
ana low,
..siw, ea to calm the mourner's pain and
...nun.
ne was to all a father, brother, friend
intir joys were his .their sorrows wer
his own.
II sleeps in peace where yonder willow
I fiid
Above the violets that kiss the trm.
Horace Seymour Keller, New York Sun
Finding ev. New Stcvr
BY ELIZABETH CHERRY WALTZ.
(Copyright, 1901, by Authors' Syndicate
R fondled with lnv and
& H I lare the great new tele
it- II scone which had int been
set up and which three
cloudy nights had pre
vented him from using to
explore the heavens.
"You will know, after
10 years' more study, just
towards this beauty," he
how I leel
taid to KitUge,
his student and
assistant.
Kktsge, who was woefully near
sighted, actually trembled with pleas
ure.
"We might look over the flats a lit
tle." mused the professor, working at
screws and table busily, "It is not pos
sible to understand these adjustments
too well, by friend."
Kittge, who never saw much only
tnrough tne' wonderful eyes near him
could not speak for joy. His red. sparse
hair bristled about bis forehead and his
long, sharp nose was very near.
Htand back a trifle." said the pro
lessor, "and I will first observe yonder
hill a crow, the stream. Ah! What a
focus! Would you like to see a cabin
in the woods? There, see even the
dweller sitting on a stone In front of
his door. It must be miles away."
After Kittsge had seen his long fill,
the professor adjusted the instrument
again.
"Now for the fiats. Ah, how the peb
bles sblne along the lake! It Is beau
tiful. A boat far, far oouL Fishermen
a steamer. You shall see the sight in a
moment, Kltuge. I shall first diminish
the focus. There O my soul! Why
what's this?"
He hastily made a new adjustment
and looked again.
" 'Ti3 true, 'tis true! A man, nay
here is another, carrying a woman from
a carriage to a boat on the shore. Her
yellow hair hangs. She is young, she
is finely dressed. A crime, a crime!
And we are miles away."
KitFge forgot his reverence.
"Let me see. let me see, sir."
"Yes, my good Kittsge. see that you
also have the story. And I will run to
the telephone and have the police go.
Keep your eye there and move not,
move not. my very good Kittsge."
The professor ran down the ladder to
the rooms below, his voice dying away.
"And she Is young her hair Is
yellow." ,
Christopher Kittsge looked and trem
bled. Far away, mlls across the flats
In a singularly Isolated and dreary spot,
a carriage stood and still further away
a sailboat waited on the lake shore.
The men half dragged, half carried the
woman. Kittsge reached his hand
gropingly for a lead pencil and made
unseen scrawling notes on a bit of pa
per on the stand. AEtronomers are
ured to doing that.
Vp came the professor in long jumps.
"How far to the boat, Kittsge?"
"A quarter of a mile, sir."
"Headquarters will reach them by
telephone and the mounted police can
make it You can watch until I get my
breath. Is she conscious, think you?"
"No, sir; her bonds hang limp."
"Is the carriage there?"
"It goes toward the bridge. Ah, sir,
I see a galloping policeman beyond the
bridge. He comes fast His helmet
shines In the sun. The men have now
Kee the picem
mad, sir,"
"I will take the telescope now," said
the professor, "and tell you the story.
Ah, the police! There are four there.
They Rtop the carriage. They go on.
Are they lost? Ah. Kittsge, they go in
the wrong direction and the men are
frightened. They're running with the
woman, dragging her cruelly. She Is
certainly drugged. Kittsge. Run .you
down and telephone again that the po
lice are In the wrong direction but.
no! now, now they are right now they
advance! They see the men far away.
Ah. the men drop the girl and they flee!
'TIs a crime, a crime that this telescope
has thwarted."
Kftsge stood beside the table, his
face working.
"Have they found her yet?"
"They see her prone on the sand.
i ney ganop towards her they are
there one Jumps off, and another.
They lift her."
"Is she dead?"
"Ah, no. no!"
"They lift her to'the man on the
horses they go toward the carriage.
Come. Kittsge, we shall go, you and I,
to the headquarters. Aye, and the
other policemen now have the men.
One with a beard, one bare of face.
Come, KitUge, we are needed."
An hour later a utrango irroiip was
gathered In the room of the chief of
police. The professor and Kittcge, a
portly man of evident wealth, several
pale women and two Greeks, one old
and one young.
"It Is somewhat a family affair, you
see," said the portly man, coolly, "and
done with Demarl ' own Ideas of re
rene on me. I stole nis daughter In
Creta 20 years mo. ghs became my
wife, and now he seeks rerenRs by kid
naping mr daughter. Demarl, If yon
and your son. Carl, will tear America
at once, I will try to arrange this mat
ter. K not, yon can take roar deserts.
Toe shall hare money and most prom
ise not to return, it you an. i w"l
4
1gS
A growling and whispering consulta
tion took place between the prisoners.
"We go." announced Demarl, "we go
for !5.0U0 to take to Crete."
"Two thousand and go hang your
selves," retorted the millionaire, "that's
all. I know how to treat you beggars.
And my daughter shall now know all,
and be able to defend and guard her
self always."
Another growling consultation and
the terms were accepted by the uncle
and nephew.
"And now, professor," said the fath
er, even more coolly, "we owe you and
your telescope a great deal more than
we can ever repay. Will you and your
friend here dct roe .the honor to. dine
with us tomorrow, and let my daughter
St"lla thank you H person?"
The professor bowed and smiled awk
wardly. He was thinking.
"Stella," hp muttered to himself.
"Stella? A new star."
THE WEDDING KING.
Slilwr.ukee Sentinel: Is the wed
ding ring doomed? Will brides of the
future plight their vows without the
aid of the golden circlet that has signi
fied wedlock for centuries? These are
the questions that are agitating the
minds or, more fittingly, the hearts
of thousands of American young
women who are contemplating matri
mony as a near or remote possibility.
The cause of all this near-burning
and mental distress is the recent utter
ance of Prof. Frederick Starr, of the
University of Chicago. He shattered
the ideals of several pretty "coeds" in
the anthropology class by cold-bloodedly
declaring that the wedding ring is
a relic of barbarism, and that it repre
sents the nose-ring or manacle, by
which, In past ages, the sold slave was
leu away from the mart by his nsw
master.
The origin cf the wedding ring is
shrouded in mystery. The primitive
marriages were those by capture, in
which the bride was forcibly taken
away from her friends by the bride
groom, and Invariably there was con
nected with the ceremony some token
of the wife's total submission to her
lord and master. Tradition has it that
in many instances this token of sub-
mlsion was a ring or fetter placed upon
th finger of the bride as a token that
hereafter she was the absolute proper
ty or her husband.
The same symbol, expressing the
same Idea, was used when marriage by
purchase and marriage by dowry sue
ceeded marriage by capture. The Ro
mans, the Greeks, the Babylonians, the
Assyrians, the Parthians and many
other peoples sold their women, the
price paid being fixed according to the
beauty of the woman. When the mar
riage ceremony was performed, a ring
was put upon the bride s finger as a
token that the purchase money had
been paid.
Although there is no people more
tenacious of the marriage ring than
the Jews, yet there Is no record of the
early Hebrews using them at all.
Neither the Bible nor the Talmud
speaks of the ring, although both des
cribe marriage ceremonies in detail. It
was not until betrothal and wedding
rings came to have a sentimental sig-
ninance as an earnest of lasting affec
ion that they lost the fetter-like sym
bolism. Monkish legends relate that
Joseph and Mary had a brilliant betro
thal ring or onyx or amethyst, which,
when discovered centuries afterward,
worked many wonderful miracles.
Pliny is authority for the statement
that the prospective Roman husband
gave his betrothed bride an iron ring
without any stone in It, a proceeding
which, while it was probably appt-
ciated by the Roman girls, would hard
ly be looked upon with favor by the up-to-date
damsels of to-day. At her wed
ding the Roman girl received another
ring bearing the figure of a key upon
it, betokening that her future home
was in her charge.
In the early days of the Christian
church the ring was put upon the
bride's right brnd. There is in the
Salisbury manual an account of a
quaint old ring ceremonial used at
marriage. According to this, the bride
groom was to receive the ring from the
priest with the three principal fingers
of hlB right hand, and then, holding the
right hand of the bride with his own
left hand, he was to say, "With this
ring 1 thpe wed." He was then to
place the ring on hr-r right-hand thumb
and say, "In the name of the Father,"
then on the second finger, and say ."and
Son." then on the third finger and say,
"and Holy Ghost," and finally on the
11 wa8 10 remaln'
and say, "Amen
Among the classical anelenta, how
ever, the betrothal and the wedding
ri:igs were worn as they are today
upon the third finger of the left hand.
The reason for this was an old Idea
that some particular nerve, vein or
artery leads directly from that finger
to the heart, the seat of life, nnd also
of the affections, according to the old
time view. Other reasons given for
this preference of finger and hand
were the facts that the left hand is less
used than the right Rnd that the third
finger Is more protected than any oth
of Inferiority or subjugation, and as in
the ancient times a wife was distinctly
the Inferior partner In wedlock the left
hand was used. During the time of
the Georges In England the wedding
ring, although pliiced upon the third
finger of the left hand, was afterward
worn upon the thumb, a fad which Is
still affected by actresses and nltra
fashlonable women.
According to many religious beliefs
It Is absolutely necessary that a mar
riage ceremony be performed with a
ring. This custom is referred to In
many stories of English life where the
persecuted heroine applies for shelter
at the door of some Inn or private
home and Is turned away because there
Is no wedding ring upon her third fin
ger. The wedding ring required by
the church of England may be of any
material or of any size. Weddings
have been solemnized In England with
rings of brass, with curtain rings, with
the church key and even with rings
made of leather.
Jewelers say that there Is a gradual
change In the character of the modern
wedding ring. The plain gold band Is
being gradually modified Into n deli
cately chased affair enameled with the
birth stones of the bride and the groom
or with other sentimental devices.
The Persian government has agreed
to the construction of in overland wire
from India to Teheran la order to re
liers the Jask cable and serve aa a
feeder for the Indo-Baropeaa llae.
HISTORIC
One of the most famous trees In Eu
rope was teeently destroyed by a storm.
It was a poplar, and had stood for cen
turies near Wittstock, In Germany.
Of great size, it was also remarkable
for the historical events with which it
was connected, as well as for the fact
that in course of time some of IU
branches had assumed grotesque forms
of animals. The branches were so in
terlaced and twisted that at one point
they presented the appearance of a
monkey preparing to climb to the top.
This tree was popularly known as
the "Swedish tree," because It was a
HAMMOCKS THAT WEAR.
In Ecuador curious hammocks have
long been in use, and Perry M. de
I-con, United States consul general at
Guayaquil, think., so highly of them
that he wants to see them used In this
country. Their special merits, he says,
are the strength, delicacy and elasticity
of the fiber of which they are compos
ed, and he expresses confidence that if
they were Imported "in quantity by
some enterprising merchants the re
sults would be gratifying." '
The raw material is derived from the
leaves and shoots of a palm which is
found in some of the coast provinces of
Ecuador and which is known as the
"mocora." It attains a height of 18 to
24 feet and la very thorny. At 8 or 10
years of age it matures, and if the
shoots are properly cut it will live for
an indefinite period.
Hammocks of this kind are known as
"manavi" hammocks, and, so far as
known, were first manufactured in the
district of Pajan, Manavi.
"The favorite sizes," says Consul
General de Leon, 'are nine to 12 feet in
length by Ihree to six feet in width,
and tne fiber is of a whitish yellow col
or, like wheat straw, and Is generally
stained red in narrow stripes. The fib
er is made Into stout corda, which are
intertwined every half Inch with spiral
crffp strands; the color scheme Is
f.tiaint without being gaudy, and from
12 to 24 manila cords are strung Into
the ends and bound together with the
suspending rope.
"A good article, if not treated rough
ly, will endure ten years of constant
use. In Ecuador the hammock Is an
indispensable household adjunct, being
uned as a hammock by day and as a
Led at night.
BEEHIVE TOMB.
Miss Harriet A. Boyd, assistant pro-
fespor of Greek In Smith college, Mas
sachusetts, secured the $1,000 stipend
from a fellowship established at the
American Bchool at Athens for original
arcneoiogieai researcn. sue has re
cently concluded excavations at Kavou-
sl, In the Island of Crete, where she has
f
made a series or brilliant discoveries
which throw a new light upon ancient
Cretan civilization.
Mlis Itoyd unearthed a great struc
ture, evidently a palace, containing 13
rooms, located upon a high, rocky
acropolis, which is Slippered to have
been the home of one of the Homeric
klng. What was thought to be the
crowning find of all was a large beehive
tomb on the side of the mountain. In
this had been placed all the valuable
objects In the shape of pottery, vases
etc., that belonged to the owner who
lived In the great structure above.
OUT A8 WELL AS IN.
Washington Post: Senator Depew,
who left yesterday for Europe, told a
good story before he departed. Ac
cording to Mr. Depew, there was a
stuttering citizen of New York, who an
nounced! bis Intention of entering tbo
ministry.
"How can you expect to be a suc
cessful preacher with that affliction?"
he was asked by a friend.
"The L-l-l-ord will p-p-put w-w-'
-M-nouth," was his re-
"Well," aald his friend, "the Lord
Buy put them In, but he will hars to
tend somebody to pail them out"
DVfe
TREE DESTROYED.
witness of the battle of September 24.
1636, in which the Swedes fought
against the Germans. It was also
known as the "Uuuer poplar," because
Generals Baner and Torstenson knelt
beneath it and thanked God for giving
them the victory.
Though the old tree is dead, an off-
Fhoot, which grew' beside it, was unin
jured by the storm, and with the object
of preserving it more effectually an
iron railing is to be placed around It,
and beside it is to be erected a monu
ment, on which will be inscribed the
history of the famous poplar.
NEGRO AND CIRCLE.
Why the native African's eye and
hand run to circular rather than rectil
inear and concentric rather than ec
centric lines is a problem for the psy
chologist to solve. It Is a fact that
the peculiarity exisU.
"Give a Zulu boy a plot In your gar
den to work," says a lady who haa long,
lived In Rhodesia and Natal, "and go
presently to see what he has done. You
will find that he has laid everything
out in circles, has sowed your seed In
circles or dropped your plants In cir
clescircles within circles being his
favorite design In garden work, as la
almost everything else.
"He will use no rule or plummet,
nothing to measure with or by, yet he
will give graceful, accurate circles."
The comb in the picture furnishes an
Illustration in point It is adorned with
free circles, made by a black savage of
the Congo with a crude knife, tolf the
product or native blacksmlthlne Ho
used no artificial measurement: his eye
is his only guide. The comb la
curious looking affair. It Is of an ex
ceedingly black, fine grained wewd Is
nine Inches long by four wide and very
Ufa J .
It is difficult to see how
belle ever managed to carry such a bur
den In her locks, close, kinky and re
tentive though sin h lfck may be. The
comb belonged at one time to the Com
missioner of Gnzaland, who gave It to
an American lady living In Rhodesia
He got It from a native carver In the
Interior.
Docs the American negro preserve the
Africa's gift for making circles? Doe
the tendency to make ijjtrve rather
than straight lines IndhKte a corre.
ponding peculiarity of character? From
what you know of the negro, dex s ho do
things In straights or curves? !) he
go directly or Indirectly for what he
want? Those wbo know him best here
will say that he keeps to his curved
lines.
Senator Hoar's house In Worcester
was purchased by him some 40 years
ago, when property was cheap, and Is
therefore, a very large plot of ground
almost In the center of the city it
used to belong to John Hancock. 0f
revolutionary fame. The house is a
roomy but unpretentious building, and
s chiefly remarkable for Its enormous
library. Thousands of volumes are
and Mr. Hoar spends bptua and hour
mom Ma book. "
- r --tnts x..
Illfll
i
' 1 . .'ft' ,
1.