RKHEST GOLD DIGGINGS IN THt WOULD.
Noise Gty. Alaska. Where Men Have Been Digging
the Valuable Stud Out o( tbe Beach.
Report* at rtrh finding* of gold at
Cape Nome. Alaska, have bees of un
0—1 interest la and around Boston.
Icmw ff<g Che resident* of Nome
nijr are a number of men whose
homes are is or near Boston, says a
writer In the New England Home Mag*
atlas.
Nome City Is oa Norton sound, about
miles northwest at the mouth of *he
Ynhon floor. There are a number of
rtrh rlaims along the «reeks a short
t stance inland but the most remark
able phase of Nome City mining is
trse bench digging Ooid is found in
rich quantities in the sand which lines
the snore.
tiaM In in* nek
for miles to the west of Cape Nome
the beach runs straight away iu a
•trip of fide land, varying from forty
to sixty fort in width between high
*nd low water mark. extending up to
the “tundra" or black alluvial soil,
which Is from three to §ve feet higher
than the beach proper.
All of this tondra and all the terri
tary along the cteeks and rivers east
rnd went for thirty or forty miles and
barb into the mountain* for ten or
' welve m lea had been staked. but on
the long strip of tide lands no man
had a better claim than another, or
could hate, under the tide-land laws,
and here the grand army of gold seek
ers camped and In very short order
bad converted the barren *trand into
a site of tremendous and enthusiastic
industry At the same time business
*f all kind* began to respond to the
ta-om from the brarh. and the usual
‘ olloction at gambling hells, saloons
and dance halls went into operation.
A few weeks ago it aras estimated that
l .wi* or 1JM miners were at work on
the bench, extend ng west for twenty
miles. All these work with rockers,
and they occupy just as much territory
to the man or group as can work it
It In nod Onmtai for one small square
hit of hunch to pan out flu to ft; an
boor, hot. of coots*, the span- is »u<»n
exhaust* * and the lucky digger must
Wewtow Via si How*.
Albert J. Lose of Newton Highlands
Is one of the lucky miners who has
pcodted by the tnd at Nome City With
cculd not enjoy civilization, the great
comfort me miss. When you see strong
tren sit dom*i and cry and then get
drunk for the lack of a home, you un
derstand how much it is missed.”
Fmilnlnr Financiering?.
That women are the best financiers
of he world we have often had oppor
tunity to acknowledge, says the llono
is it? If we keep lip our gloominess
shall we not be a very ugly race in a
few more generations? Let us try tc
cheer up and be gay. This is not such
a bad world after all. We are not all
of us starving to death or in danger of
being eaten by plutocratic octopuses.—
New York Journal.
TESTAMENT FOR AN EMPRESS.
China’s Sovereign Han the Costliest Copy
Ever Printed.
From Leslie’s Weekly: The poorest
can now buy the new testament in
English for a nickel and yet—strange
contrast!—perhaps the most sumptu
ous copy of the new testament in ex
istence is that splendid edition de luxe
presented to the dowager empress oi
BEACH COMBING AT NOME CITV.
1 • :r iph it t ie novel method of digging gold at Nome City.—Sent from
Alaska by a Newton Man.
win Independent. We have seen them '
at the auction sales when they made
a bargain" by buying an article they
Lad no use for whatever, and we have
►»** n them haggling over the price of
«heap <alico for a reduction in price of
ime ««nt a yard, and then triumphant
ly carry their purchase to a fashion
able dressmaker and paying her $10
fur making a ‘morning" dress. This
morning we could uot help smiling
while watching a lady credited with
possessing good business sense, buying
‘ Chinese birds" on board a mail
.-tean.ej. haggling over the price of the j
China on the occasion of her sixtieth
birthday, the presentation having been
made in due form by the British and
American ministers. The book is a
royal quarto volume. 2x10x13 inches
in size and was manufactured by the
Presbyterian press and Canton silver
smiths. It has silver covers, embossed
with bamboo and bird designs, and is
printed on the finest paper with the
largest type, and with a border of gold
encircling each page. It was encased
in a solid silver casket, ornamented
with symbolical designs, the whole
weighing IOV2 pounds, and upon the
cover of the casket there is a gold
plate which relates that the boolv is 1
the gift of the Christian women in
China. Not long after the presenta
tion of this magnificent volume the
eunuchs were sent from the palace to
the bookstore to ask for a common
copy, so that the empress and her
ladies might compare the two texts.
Surely the circulation of such a book
is one of the wonders of the world!
“Age cannot wither, nor custom stale,
its infinite variety.”
The Czarina anil Her Chililren.
No royal children are surrounded by
Mich imposing ceremonial or regarded
with such superstitious interest and
reverence as are the three infant
daughters of the emperor and empress
of Russia. The fai t that a son and
heir has been so eagerly awaited in
vain is not allowed to militate the
smallest degree against the care lav
ished on the baby grand duchesses, al
though. according to present Russian
law. they can never hope to succeed
their father on the imperial throne.
After the birth of Grand Duchess Olga,
the eldest, the empress wrote a touch
ing letter in which she said: “Every
one except ourselves seems disappoint
ed that baby was not a boy. For 11s
there is no question of sex; our child
is simply a gift from God.” The czar
ina prefers that her children's nurses
should be English or Scotch. Besides
nominally they have twenty such at
tendants each, drawn from various
Russian provinces. Immense sums are
lavished on the dainty lace trimmed
and embroidered garments of the
czar's daughters and the magnificence
of their surroundings is medieval in
barbaric splendor. Everything in the
--—I
PREPARED FOR A LASKAX WINTER.
Bartn wrn4 X««tM mm, Who are spe&dni? the winter in Xonie City, a
richer r*!4 section t ban the Klondike.
k*« other mm from Boston and ck-ia- ,
fty. he left home for Alaska in Febni- :
ary. lfltL He rutted Havtua City and
Forty Mile creek, bulk famous mining
section*. b«t was better pleased with
Nome City. Mr. Lowe evidently finds
time to Indulge la politics, for be U
now a common councilman of Nome
cay.
Some eatracts from a letter which
he ha* written tell of life in Nome
City more graphically than any of the
published reports from that section.
lie wrote: **Thia is probably the
last Inter t can write to you before
tar winter shuts ns in from the out- |
aide world and perhaps until next
the Ice. which I think doubtful, as it
not be carried hundred* of miles by
dog*, and that Is very uncertain around
the Hrhrtng *ea
TypSM r**»» rsbiiini.
"A great deal of sickness prevails,
and In nearly every «ase it i* typhoid
fever caused by sleep ng cm the wet
pound and living ou beaus. We have
built a good hospital. In the first two
day* four men died in it. Ten have
been burled and a number sent on
stretcher* ou hoard the steamers. Our
put** department selected some of the
rough* and shipped them out of the
section. Capt Jarvis taking them on
the revenue ruttrr Hear Here are
same of the prices we pay foal. |12C
a tuu- lumber. fJld to fab* a thousand; j
fr o f!i per cut; all canned good*. 75
rent* a can; sugar. S5 cent* a poun!.
It Is hard to buy anything at tho*e
prim*. No coal or turn tier .*u be
nought Cigar* and drink* are » '
cents onrh. beer, fil a bottle: whisky.
fS,~ Mr Lowe says the gold t*rpuMi
about Xnmc la more general thiu la
thr Klondike country He think* sev
eral new town site* will be opened t;p
l ear X«Cf before spring.
riMi«f m* «>w'n«»tii
Mr Invr U)» there iri gr-.it open
ings at Koose Tor tug <ompaniew to
work large pirns ol ground by buying
up the dolma which wo_U be hard for
a singhr owner to work.
1 fed fully warranted in prophesy -
tag that this country Is going to be the
greatest mining dfiMKrj In the OaMhfi
nudes. tf not In the world It is aif
f I tout from the Klondike country.
whet* the gold la deep and spotted, in
this country the deposit 1* very gen
eral. and. oo far ns known very rich.
-We hare two aorfous drawbacks.
The CstSfcttc condition* cannot be
'
bird* and beating down the seller of ,
seven fine specimens by fifty cents of
ih»- original price. In the meantime
b*-i hack was waiting, and the driver
charging. She made her bargain,
however, saved fifty cents on the birds
an i paid the hackman one dollar for
waning. That is female financiering.
•tr» W> * (iloouijr NationT
What is the matter with the people
in our streets? Do you notice how
gloomy all their faces are? Should j
'
ELECTION DAY l N NOME CITY.
* 4 the main street in the new boom city of Alaska, where the gold is
dug from t he beach.
-i —i.ru-L-i- jL-L-L-u-u-u-i. Lrunj-Lru-u-u-LTLnj-j-ij-u-u-u r. n n nru'u i_n n n n n
you we a mau or woman smiling or
laughing on a New York sidewalk you
would probably say to yourself: "I
wonder what is wrong with that per
son." Such laughter as cue hears is
usually aroused by the quotation of
*<m* more or less stupid juke, or more
frequently by a misfortune that has
befallen a fellow creature. If a man
slips on a corner, falls or bumps his
head, that becomes for the time being
a cheerful corner in New York. But
we don't seem to lie able to find any
cause for cheerfulness in bright sun
light. or blue skies, or any of the other
little blessings which Providence be
j stows upon us. What is the matter
with us? There is plenty of gayety in
France, in Germany, in Italy. There
is even a little lc England. Why
should this nation be so gloomy? Do
we live too test, work too hard? What
imperial nurseries is of gold or silver,
and the richest furs, quilted silks and
velvets are used where in other royal
nurseries quite ordinary materials
would be called into requisition.
M:ule Hill Too.
A small boy from the slums had beer
[ brought into the mission school, anc
for a couple of Sundays he had been
instructed in the rudiments. On the
third Sunday he. brought with him his
brother William. To test his memorj
j the teac her began to go over the pre
S vious lessons. "Who made you?” she
asked. "God,” he replied, promptly
j “And what else did God make?” Tht
youngster studied for a moment anc
looked around hopelessly till he noticec
his brother, then his face brightened
"He made Bill, too, I guess,” he an
swered, triumphantly.
THE LUCKIEST MAN.
I.
“Ho, you beggars, why don't you
raise a row an’ give us a chance o'
fightin’ and’ glory, an’ maybe promo
tion?'*
Corporal MaeBean shook his fist
savagely at the colossal barrier of
mountain peaks that barred the hori
zon, rummaged among his pockets for
his tobacco and pipe, and sat himself
down to smoke furiously and to think
upon the incomparable beauty of Miss
Janet Sloane.
Indirectly Miss Sloane was the
cause of the remarks with which my
story opens, remarks addressed not to
the mountains, but to the swarthy,
turbulent throat-cutiing crew who in
habited them, for there was, for
once in a way, peace upon the north
western border of India, and Corporal
MaeBean was thirsting for war and
promotion—all for the sake of the
bright eyes of Miss Janet Sloane, the
daughter and heiress of Sergt. Sloane
of the Sappers.
Miss Sloane was certainly a very
pretty girl.
So it happened that many gallant
sergeants and privates without num
ber, and even a sergeant-major, who
possessed house property at home in
distant Woolwich, were all sighing
more or less for the love of Janet
Sloane.
But Miss Sloane encouraged none of
them, but smiled impartially upon
them all, protesting all the time that
she couldn’t a-bear soldiers.
And even to the most hardened and
callous warrior a smile from Janet
was an experience not easily to be
forgotten.
Corporal MaeBean was not a recent
victim of Janet’s wonderful smile.
Over six months had elapsed since he
had first fallen under the influence of
that fatal smile, and, unlike most of
his fellow-victims, he had not recov
ered.
un this particular afternoon he
could find no refuge in day dreams,
for that very morning he had seen
Janet smile with divine sweetness up
on the sergeant-major,and the thought
of that smile, and of the legendary
house property at Woolwich, rankled
in his bosom.
In this inventory he was ungrateful
enough to forget a very important item
in his claims upon the attention of
Janet Sloane.
Alio, Beano!” cried a little voice
at his elbow.
Corporal MacBean turned, and the
careworn puckers in his bronzed face
smoothed out as his gaze met two
round blue eyes fixed upon him.
'I his was the forgotten item—Miss
\ ictoria Donelly, daughter and sole
heiress of Capt. Donelly, the special
charge of Miss Sloane, and the darl
ing of the whole garrison of Fort
Curzon.
Miss Victoria was just three and a
half years old, and was already begin
ning to develop the faculty of observ
ation to an abnormal extent. She
knew every man in the garrison pretty
"ell by name—even the Ghoorkas,
whose names were beyond all pronun
ciation.
She was very much attached to
“Beano.” as she called Corporal Mac
Bean, in accordance with the tradi
tions of the garrison, and Beano
shared in the popular adoration ac
corded to tnis frail, motherless baby.
Beano was always good for a game
of horses, and once in harness would
toss his head and paw the ground and
curvet more nimbly than any real
polo pony. Furthermore, he could
dress rag dolls better than any other
man in the garrison, the regimental
tailors not excepted.
“Good afternoon, missie,” replied
Corporal MacBean in answer to a long,
inquiring stare.
“Private Doolan got the toothache,”
announced Chubby solemnly.
“Has he, missie?” replied the cor
poral.
“Yeth,” lisped Chubby, with import
ance. “I heard the doctor pull it out
in the 'othpital juth now. Private
Doolan did ’oiler!”
“Did he, missie?” inquired Corporal
MacBean absently.
He was wondering where Janet
Sloane could be, for her little charge
had evidently given her the slip dur
ing their afternoon walk round the
cantonments.
“1 don’t think Private Dooln’th a
very brave man,” continued Chubby,
judicially.
“Why not, missie?” asked the cor
poral.
“You wouldn’t holler if you had a
tooth out, I know. Nurth said you
wouldn’t, because you are too brave,”
added Chubby emphatically.
“Did she, though?”
Corporal MacBean sat up with sud
den interest.
“When did she say that, missie?”
he added, his face growing pale under
the tan.
“When Private Doolan said, ‘Yow.
yow, yow!’ And 1 asked her if you
would ’oiler like that.”
“Did she, though, now!” said Cor
poral MacBean with animation. “D’you
know what I am going to make for
you, missie?”
“A wockin'-’orse?” inquired Miss
Victoria affably, as she squatted down
comfortably by his side.
"Better than that. A whole bloom
in’ Noah’s ark, full of lions an’ tigers
an’ camels an’ cows an’ jackals. An'
then there’ll be Shem, ’Am and Ja
cob, in green hats an' yellow
breeches-”
"An’ red eoaths!” interposed Chub
by breathlessly. “Of eourth they’d
have red eoaths if they were in the
service. Then there’d be yabbith-”
“Of course there’d be rabbits, mis
sie, with long ears-’”
“Like some other donkeys I know
of—leading that child away wher. I’m
looking for her everywhere, thinking
that some o’ those gun-stealing heath
ens from over the border had gone and
got hold of her! It’s ashamed o’ ye I
am. Misther Corporal MacBean!” in
terrupted a clear voice from the crest
of the rampart.
II.
Corporal MacBean sprang to his feet
like a shot. Then he saluted and
blushed down to his heels, for there
stood Miss Janet Sloane, in all the
glory of her white-stringed bonnet,
regarding him with a none too friend
ly look in her fine eyes.
“I beg your pardon. Miss Sloane,”
said Corporal MacBean humbly and
ponderously. “I was not aware that
you were in any anxiety about Miss
Victoria, cr I would have brought her
to you at once. 1 -was just telling
missie that I was going to make her a
Noah’s ark.
“A nice Noah's ark you'd make!"
replied Miss Janet with scorn. "I
wonder you don’t try and improve
your mind, instead of loafing about,
reading a lot of trashy novels, and
putting ideas into that child's head!”
The rank injustice of this charge
reduced Corporal MacBean to the
dumb silence of utter astonishment.
"You are unkind, nurth.” piped
Chubby’s little voice. “An’ you told
me that Corporal MacBean was so
brave an’ good only just now when
Private Doolan hollered.”
“Hold your tongue, miss, and come
along o’ me at once!” cried Miss
Sloane, blushing furiously and seizing
Chubby’s arms. “Don’t I keep telling
you that no good’ll come of you always
talking to a parcel o’ nasty common
soldiers, learning their bad manners
and their impidence? I wish you a
very good afternoon. Corporal Mac
Bean,” she added. "And I’ll trouble
you not to go asking sneaking ques
tions of a poor little innocent child
about people who don't want to have
anything to do with the likes of you!
A corporal, indeed!”
Janet snorted indignantly as she
, disappeared down the other slope of
the rampart. And Corporal MacBean
sat down again in despair, for he did
not understand women. One thing, he
decided, he must distinguish himself
st on that he might have an opportun
ity of asking Miss Sloane to share his
lot as a sergeant.
The opportunity came a few nights
afterward. A half hour or so before
dawn three shots rang out. Then a
sentry was found lying curled up on
! the ground, with a long Afghan knife
through his shoulder.
“More rifles stolen!” suggested
those who came running up. The gar
rison of Fort Curzon were wrell accus
tomed to night visits from the well
greased and slippery rifle thieves from
the hills.
But the word soon passed that
something more precious than rifles
had gone this time.
Chubby was missing.
Then it was remembered how ven
geance deep and dire had been sworn
against Capt. Donnelly, in that he had
procured expatriation to the Andaman
islands for the last pair of rifle thieves
who had been captured within the con
fines of Fort Curzon.
The bugles blared out the “boot and
saddle.” Corporal MacBean heard a
SALUTED AND BLUSHED.
scream from Janet that cut through
his heart like a knife. A red mist
shut across his eyes, and he rode
like a madman toward the mountains
ahead, losing all sense of time in the
beat of the wildly galloping hoofs.
The best horse in the garrison was
his.
The dawn broke in a swimming mist
of blue-grav. Then the distant moun
tain tops grew pink, and Capt. Mac
Bean rode on with his eyes fixed on
a cloud of dust a mile ahead.
There were four of them. One, two
three, four, he counted. Then he re
membered that he was unarmed.
A rocky defile opened around him
as he drew steadily up to the group of
horsemen that galloped wildly ahead
of him. One of them turned in his
saddle, and a shot came whistling
back. Then they all drewr rein, and a
corporal’s heart beat thick and fast as
he saw a white patch drop from the
saddle bow of the leader.
It was Chubby, unharmed; for she
ran a little way, then paused, and
perched herself on a small bowlder.
The horse beneath him thundered
on. He saw the horsemen draw to
gether, w'hile four rifles were leveled
at his breast. A spurt of flame, a
sharp whistling about his ears, and
he was upon them. One horse rolled
over before his as he crashed into the
group and felt his outstretched hand
grip the beard and the jaw of the man
he had marked. There was a sharp
jerk. His knees tightened on the sad
dle with a grip that twisted the mus
cles of his thighs to writhing knots of
redhot iron. He heard a crash behind
him. and saw’ that his right fist gripped
a handful of dark hair. He reigned
his horse upon his haunches and
turned again. Two men lay on the
ground very still, and a small voice
cried from a neighboring bow’Ider: “Go
it. Beano!”
The other two men had dismounted
and were crouching behind a bowlder,
which quickly sent forth two jets of
(lame, seemingly emptying MacBean's
saddle. He had fallen on the body
of one of the men who lay so still, and
his enemies arose as they saw his
body twitch. Corporal MacBean was
simulating the last agonies of death
as he slipped one of the scattered car
tridges into the breech of his fallen
foe’s rifle. Two knives snicked out
of their sheaths as his adversaries ran
toward him. Then the corporal, cud
dling his rifle between his knees, Bis
ley fashion, sighted and fired. The
rigm-nand man toppled and fell, while
the other doubled and ran just 300
yards before the pursuing bullet took
him between the shoulder blades, so
that his soul went out in one great
cough.
Then he ran and picked up the little
white figure that danced excitedly on
the bowlder, straining her to his
broad chest in a paroxysm of relief.
“I was fwightened a little bit until
I saw you coming,” admitted Chubby,
“but I didn’t ’oiler. What makes you
shake so. Beano? Are you cold, too?”
“It is a bit chilly, missie, isn’t it?”
said the corporal, as he wrapped her
in his jacket and tarried her to his
horse.
"What’s the nutter with those
naughty men?” added Chubby.
“They’ve gone to sleep.”
“Yes. missie; they’re very tired
through being up so early,” answered
the corporal, grimly. “Now you go to
sleep, too, while we t ide back and find
Janet.”
• • * m
“Why do you keep on kissing Bea
no?” asked Chubby of Janet, ever so
long after they had found her.—Lon
don Answer.
IRVING’S WAY WITH CALLERS.
Story of a Man Whom He Scared Near
ly to Death.
“I was scared half out of my wits the
first and only time I ever met Sir Hen
ry Irving,” said an actor to the Chat
tanooga Times man. “It was in New
York, during his first visit of ’96, and
I was anxious to ask him about a
young relative of mine who was then
a member of his London Lyceum com
pany. A mutual friend scribbled a line
of introduction on a card, which I sent
up at his hotel directly after he re
turned from a matinee performance. I
was shown to his apartments, and
found him seated by a table with his
chin on his hand. He murmured some
sort of greeting.motioned me to a chair
and fixed me with his eyes, which, as
you know, are extraordinarily somber
and piercing. His eyebrows, moreover,
are the most remarkable I ever saw in
my life. They are enormous, jet black
thatches, and in moments of concen
tration the outer ends go up and the
inner ends go down, giving his face a
Mephistophelean expression that is
absolutely hypnotic. I was nervous to
begin with, because I have always re
garded Irving with almost superstitious
reverence, and when I began my little
tale those terrible eyebrows bent down
on me like an incubus. The more 1
tried to be brief and cle*r the worse I
wobbled, and all the while Irving's
strange scrutiny was growing fiercer
ana more intense. He said not a word,
but those deep, glowing eyes of his
seemed to bore me through like two
augers, and before I reached the point
of my errand I lost my head entirely
and jumped up to beat an ignomini
ous retreat. “Stay!” he exclaimed im
periously, and for over a minute he
continued to glare at me in absolute
silence. Then suddenly he smiled and
scribbled something on a piece of pa
per. ’You will pardon me,’ he said,
suavely. ’I was trying to recall a name
and have just remembered it. May I
trouble you to repeat what you have
been saying?’ At that I realized that
he hadn’t been seeing me at all and I
gasped with relief. Then I went over
my request. He listened attentively,
and gave me the information I de
sired. It turned out to be a charming
interview. I don't think he ever
dreamed what a bad quarter hour I put
in.”
Hindoo Idol Fulfilled the I.egend.
Mystics will be interested in the dis
covery that Mme. Carnot, the widow
of the assassinated president of France,
in her will, has left a request to her
children to rid themselves of a certain
Hindoo idol which was in her posses
sion. This idol—a little one, of stone
curiously carved, as are most of these
objects—was presented to Carnot by a
learned friend on his return from In
dia. Carnot then was merely minister
of finance, and did not expect to attain
the presidency. The friend warned
Carnot that the legend connected with
the iucl was that it assured supreme
power to its owner and also that the
owner would die a violent death by the
knife. It had belonged to the dynasty
of the kings of Khadjurao, and the last
rajah, having arrived at power by its
means, and fearing the dagger, sought
to conjure death by giving it away. In
terested by this story. Mme. Carnot ac
cepted the little fetich with pleasure.
M. Carnot attained the presidency, and
Mme. Carnot wrote at the time to the
friend in India that it was “all due to
the fetich.” Carnot died by the knife.
Musical Statistics.
To those who are studying the times
the phenomenal increase in the num
ber of women who are playing the vio
lin. the ’cello, the double bass, clari
net. cornet, horn and other wind in
struments is a matter of astonishment.
Fifteen years ago the piano was the
first study of nearly half the students
of music; now it is the first study of
only one-third, while the number of
those studying the violin has increased
more than four-fold. Fifteen years ago
the male students numbered nearly a
quarter of the total, while today they
have decreased to a little more than a
sixth. A writer in the London Specta
tor. who has examined the figures of
the entries of the Royal Academy of
Music for 1884 and 1899. has found the
following curious results: In 1884, out
of a total of 173 entries (131 female
and 42 male). 83 chose the piano as
their first study, 72 singing and 10 the
violin. In 1872. out of 220 entries. (1S2
female and 38 male). 94 chose singing,
73 the piano and 45 the violin.
Schoolboy Ks*ay«.
Among a number of amusing school
boys’ essays contributed to Cas
sel's Saturday Journal is the fol
lowing by a youthful essayist, aged
10: “Kruger and Kannerbulism is
one. He is a man of blud. Mr.
Chamberling has wrote to him
sayin come out and fite or else give up
the blud of the English you have took,
he is a boardutchman and a wickid
heethin. lord Kitchener has been sent
for his goary blud and to bring
back his scanderlus head ded or alive.”
By another juvenile writer Tennyson
is thus summarized: “Tenyson wrote
butifull poims with long hair and
studid so much that he sed mother
will you call me airly dear. his
most greatest poim is called the
idoll King. he was made a lord
but he was a good man and w'rote
many hoads. he luved our queen so
much that he made a poim to her calld
the fairy Queen.”
■ ■ - ■ —.— —
W»H Informed.
Patron—"Are you sure you know all
about this girl?" Manager of employ
ment agency—“Well, I ought to. She
has been in my own family for the
past week.”—Detroit Free Press.
When men have more money than
they need they think they need more
than they have.
WITH “PALM OIL.”
Some Inside Points on How Chinese
Concessions Are Secured.*
The usual procedure in securing Chi
nese concessions is somewhat as fol
lows: There first comes to Peking the
advance agent, the typical concession
hunter, to look over the ground and
find out what China has to give away
that can be taken up by a public com
pany and secure the support of the
share-buying public abroad. Some
times he is sent as the representative
of a group of capitalists who have a
definite idea of what they wish to se
cure, and in such cases he is furnished
with formidable letters of credit, to
supply the very necessary sinews of
this financial war. Sometimes he
comes unsupported. and, having
"hooked" some conditional grant,
posts hot-footed to London or New
York to see what ear. be done with it.
Occasionally promoters are of a dif
ferent class entirely; namely, the
agents of foreign governments, trying,
under the cloak of private enterprise,
to advance a political design in some
of the empire in which these govern
ments seek a predominating influence,
says Charles Denby in the Forum. Ex
perience has proved that these advance
agents need not be gentlemen of the
highest education or refinement, but
they do need to be endowed with a cer
tain instinct for diplomacy in its lower
forms, and they must be. above all.
shrewd and persistent, of indomitable
perseverance, and with a faculty for
making friends. Scruples as to meth
ods are with them superfluous, but a
willingness anti an ability in the ap
plication of "palm cil” are indispens
able. They must, also, be men of their
word toward those who work with
them. What they promise to those
who aid in the negotiation of their
contracts they must faithfully fulfill;
because while Chinese business integ
rity does not rise in the Quixotic
height of refusing to enter into cor
rupt contracts, it expects scrupulous
exactitude in their execution. The
promise of the promoter to his Chin
ese aiders and abettors in social cir
cles becomes a debt of honor, pay
ment of which is. or should be, abso
lutely sure. On such terms as these
have offices in China been secured,
promotions obtained, enterprises au
thorized. for hundreds of years; and
the foreign promoter must, as his
initial step, give his adherence thereto.
The method of procedure of the ad
vance agent is to make the acquaint
ance of the mandarins of Pekin; secur
ing here and there an ally and a
friend. Then, at some favorable mo
ment. he lays his project before the
proper department of the government;
relying on the support of his friends
to secure it favorable consideration.
One of the greatest concessions re
cently signed in China enriched in its
negotiations numberless officials. The
writer himself saw a promissory note
for 135.000 payable to a small official
upon formation of a certain company.
This was but one palm "greased," and
the outlay on this head by the conces
sionaire must have amounted to hun
dreds of thousands of dollars. For the
consolation of future promoters it
must be added that methods are now
much simplified; such liberal “squeez
es" being no longer necessary.
TO CUARD QUEEN VICTORIA.
Horsi-s of Royul Stable Taught Not to
Fear Automobiles.
Few lives in this world are watched
with such care as Queen Victoria's,
and those of the members of the royal
family. This is an old saying, but it
is particularly true in the case of what
might be called automobilism. which
as yet is only a hobby in England. Still
steps have just been taken to protect
her majesty from any danger while
driving through the use of automo
biles. All the horses in the royal sta
ble have been drilled in the presence
of an automobile. The horses in the
three stable yards at Windsor were
first led and then driven around a sta
tionary car. Then the car was pro
pelled around the horses. Finally the
car was moved between the horses in
a dangerous way as they stood near
each other. The automobilist finally
made the car as objectionable as pos
sible. The horses were very amenable,
as they had already been schooled to
such noises as the playing of bands,
the noise of cannon and railroad train<
and the cheering of crowds. The best
bred horses proved to be the least sen
sitive to the novelty, a pure bred Arab
stallion showing the least concern of
all.—New York Sun.
Priceless Volume.
About four years ago a London
blacksmith noticed on a second-hand
bookstall a very old book priced at 2
cents. He bought it, and after at
tempting to read it, threw it aside and
soon forgot it. One of his lodgers
happening to see the book recently,
and, noticing that it was dated 1450.
asked permission to show it to the
British museum authorities. A day or
two later the blacksmith was request
ed to call, and the secretary, to his sur
prise, asked him what he would take
for the book. In some slight confus
ion the man said. “What will you
give?” “Will $250 suit you?” was the
answer of the secretary. The black
smith was so dumfounded that the
secretary thought he was ridiculing
his offer, and thereupon immediately
increased it to $500. which was at once
accepted. Sooner than have lost the
book, however, which was the first
book that Gutenberg ever printed, and.
therefore almost priceless, the mus
eum authorities would have paid al
most any sum that had been asked.—
Cincinnati Enquirer.
A Glob* Trotter.
Customer (Backhampstead, Ct.)—
Wal, I don't know about that calico; I
think I’ve seed better. Storekeeper—
Nancy Jane Bosworth, there ain't no
better calico than that on alrth! I
know—for I have traveled! I have
been to Springfield, I have been to
Hartford, and I have been to New
Haven! In fact, Nancy Jane Bos
worth. I have traveled this wide w'orld
over! So you can safely take my
judgment ’bout that cal.co!—Puck.
No Difference.
Parson Featherflew—Yo’ doan’ need
to be fear’d ob me, fowl; I’s er minis
tah ob de gospel. Musical rooster—All
coons look alike to me.—Judge.
