THE NORTHWESTERN. ■ENHCFOTEK A OITOOS, Edaand P»ba LOUP CITY, * • NEB. The trades unions of San Francisco have raised nearly ISO,000 by assess ments and donations to maintain the strikes of the planing mills in their effort to gain an eight-hour working day in California. Salt water is held to be much more effective than fresh water in putting out fires. A system of piping is now being placed in the Brooklyn navy yard, by which water from the harbor will be carried by gravity through a large main to an electric power house. A shipment of 100.000 young peach trees from Georgia nurseries, bound for Cape Colony and Natal, South Af rica, will be made next week. They go largely into Natal, and a large num ber of the trees going to that country are consigned to Ladysmith. Cape Colony fruit growers g*'t less than huif of the shipment. The Siberian railway will cross alto gether thirty miles of bridges, and of these the line of Irtusk required a large number. Including such import ant one3 as those over the Irtysh, at Omsk, 700 yards; over the Ob, at Krivashekovo. 840 yards; over the Yenissei at Krasnoyarsk, 930 yards, and over the Uda, at Nijml Udinsk, 359 yards. An original device for evading the prohibitory law was recently un earthed by plumbers in a house In Rut land, Vt The liquor, stored in a secret nook, was conveyed by hidden pipes to a radiator in one of the principal rooms of the house. A small faucet attached to the radiator was the means by which the liquid was drawn off for use. Judge Clifford Smith of Cedar Kalis. Ia., holds that good citizens are needed more in this country than mere voters. Therefore he refused to grant naturali sation papers to several foreigners who came before him because they were un able to understand some simple ques tions which he put to them. None of them could either read or write Eng lish. and the Judge told them tnat he did not think they were as yet ready for citizenship. A recommendation of the recent Par is conference on international copy right is that no modification of an au thor's work shall be made without his consent. Is not this principle morally binding after an author's death? The rapid multiplication of denominational hymn-books has led compilers so ma terially to alter the verses used that they often express opposite tenets from those the author held. It is a serious offense to attach an author's name to a hymn so altered. It's rank nonsense to presume that a man can’t love a woman just as well if she is the daughter of a mil lionaire as if she were, only a sales woman, and just as silly, too, to think a woman can't be as devoted to a man with a title as to one who is a motor man. for instance. It's all in the man and it‘s all in the woman. There's just as much so-called love among ti tles and dollars as there is among the roses, and the chances are as good for permanent happiness in one ease as in the other. All of which is apropos of the wedding of Miss Zimmerman with the duke of Manchester. Henry Hagemeister, treasurer of the Wisconsin Brewers’ associa.ion, says beer-drinking is on the decrease in the state. The days of fortune-mak ing in breweries has passed, and sev eral large establishments now fail to return a fair percentage on the money invested. This condition has been brought about in large measure by in creased consumption in homes. When people drink beer at home." says Mr. Hagemeister. "they are satisfied when thirst is appeased. In saloons the so cial or treating feature makes them drink a great deal more. The result to the brewer can be easily under stood.” The album habit is so strong and its expressions are so varied that little wonder ought to be felt at an account of an album in which a young woman has placed a piece of each gown she has bought, and has noted on the page the datp of purchase and thp time when the garment was last worn. The price also is attached, both as an en couragement and a warning, it is to b-> supposed. An observer of the other sex might suggest an enlargement of the album pages so as to include a summary of the miles traveled in se lecting the dresses. There might be added an estimate of the total of re grets that other patterns were not pre ferred or different fashionings or dered. N’o one, of course, would cloud the pages with surmises as to the ag gregate of sighs of envy or whispers of criticism which each dress called into being. There is yet another child prodigy in the world of music the daughter of M. Anton Kneiser. director of the Bucharest School of Music. This young lady is now six years old. but her little fingers began to manifest a singular facility for the keyboard of the piano before she was two, while at four she had given several public per formances as a pianist in the capital and several other towns of Roumania. One or two of the pieces are her own compositions. 6he is now in Paris, where she is to give a series of re citals. t People who did not Know tae Bert rams wondered how it were possible for so many children to live in so small a house. When Dr. Bertram built the house it was considered of very good size, but that was many years ago, and since then five bright, happy children had come to crowd the little brown house. On one side of them lived a little boy who was an only child and the idol of his father and mother. He had the enviable reputation of having everything he wanted. When some of the little Bert rams wished they were as fortunate as Lawrence Cole, their sister Helen, who was 14. would say: “Oh, it wouldn't be nice to have all the tilings we want—there wouldn't be anything to wish for, and wishing is such fun!” Of their neighbor on the other side the children stood in great awe. He was a bachelor named Samuel Jorden, who lived all alone, and who detested children; and how in the world he happened to build a house right next to the little brown Bouse full of them is not known. But, in spite of all the wealth on either side of them, the Bertrams were thj happiest, most contented of fami lies. There was always such fun there, with never a dull day, so that i every child in the neighborhood loved to go there, but after dinner at night was the jolliest time, when Dr. Bert- I ram was at home. They would all gather around the open fire in the li brary and everyone had to tell what he and she had been doing all day. Then they would have a little music from Helen and her mother, and the girl would transfer them all to an ideal world with the music from her i violin. Then came the procession to I bed, where Marjorie would be carried, half asleep. The queer thing about the Bertram family was that everyone w'as utterly different in look and char acter. so that one never knew Just which one they loved best. It was only the third day before Christmas, when Dorothy, who was just "half past six," went up stairs to find her mother. She had a wistful look on her little face that one could never resist. "Mother, dear, have I got something for everybody now?” "Yes, Dorothy, 1 think you have, and you have helped me very much, besides," answered her mother. "Well, then, would you please give me just fifteen cents more and let me go out all alone and spend it?” "Why, yes, my child, you may have that. I suppose it is some great mys tery. isn't it, and 1 mustn’t ask?” Baid Mrs. Bertram. "No, please don't ask—-ever!” said the child earnestly. "Ever!" thought her mother, as the child went out, “what ran she be going to do with it? It was almost dark when Dorothy opened the door of a florist’s little shop, two blocks down the street. Nev er was a child who loved flowers more than this little maid, and she would talk to them as she would to her dolls. She was a frequent visitor at this shop, and when the other children hurried ofT to a candy store with an occasional five cents, she usually spent •T WANT ALL YOU CAN fclVE ME.” hers for a few pretty flowers. So as she stood there hesitatingly, the man smiled and asked her what she wished. "I want all you can give me of some kind that smells sweet, for fifteen cents. I suppose the flowers are all very dear, aren't they?” she added du biously. hut the man had disappeared inside the glass closet, and when he brought out a lovely bunch of Doro thy's favorite cinnamon pinks, she fairly danced. He was very generous with his little customer and gave her eight blossoms, sweet and fresh. It was Quit© dark when Dorothy ar rived home, but she went straight on past her door, and, wonder of won ders! she turned in at the gate of Mr. Jordens house! “Please might I see Mr. Jorden for a minute?” she asked the astonished maid who opened the door Just wide enough to look out. “Well, I never! you don't know how He Hates children. I guess," she said, opening the door wider. A big lump, which she tried to swal low, came up in Dorothy's throat. “Yes, I do, but may 1 just see him a minute? I won’t bother him." “Well, I don’t know what he’ll say. I’m sure," said the girl, as she led the way through the beautiful hall to a door at which she knocked. “Here, sir, is one of them children that lives next door. She's got some message, I guess.” And in one second Dorothy found the door shut behind her, and there, in the chair before the fire, sat Mr. Jorden. "Well, what is it you want, little girl?" said he as he turned toward her. "Be quick, for I am very busy." "Oh, are you buEy?” a.*ked Dorothy, surprised, because he was not doing anything but looking at the Are. "I— I only wanted to give you these, sir, and I'll go right away. The man stared hard at the white paper parcel she held out to him. "Flowers?" said he. “Yes." “For what, may I ask?" “Just for Christmas, because you live all alone. Good-bye,” and she was gone. The pretty flowers had begun to fade by the warm fire before Mr. Jorden came out of the brown study into which he had fallen. “God bless her brave little heart," said he, as he held Dorothy’s flowers. * * • * • The first joy of the Christmas tree was over, the presents were all dis tributed. and every one of the little Bertrams were sitting around admir FLOWERS?" HE SAID, ing the candles and the clever trim ming of the tree. "There goes the door bell again," said someone. "Do you think Santa Clau.-- has come back?" asked Marjorie. It was a great disappointment to her when she saw her mother shaking hands with Mr. Jorden. He looked rather sad, though he smiled at them all. There was a bright carnation in | his buttonhole, the sight of which made Dorothy want to get behind someone. "How happy you look." said the vis itor, sitting down. "I could see you through my side windows—I have of ten looked in upon you, and tonight I took the liberty of joining you for half an hour. Shall 1 intrude?" "Not at all," said Dr. Bertram. “You are very welcome." Mr. Jorden drew Dorothy toward him and kissed her. "Do you know," he said, turning to look at. them all, “that a man may grow to be fifty years old and learn for the first time what he should always have known. It is this little girl who has taught me how sweet and com forting a child may he. and I used to think they were put into the world only to annoy people." This was Mr. Jorden's conversion, and though all the children grew to love him, it was Dorothy who became his daily companion and friend. Christmas 1Waits. In England the "waits" are musi cians who play throughout the towns and cities at. night, for two or three weeks preceding < hristma. . They call on the inhabitants for donations. At one time it was the custom to let out this privilege to one man, who was | privileged to hire as many waits as b«! chose and to take a goodly per ! centage of Ihe profits, none others but his players being allowed to engage in this occupation. She Knetu. “What are pauses?" the teacher asked the first class in grammar. “Things that grows on cats and dogs," answered the smallest girl. Do not dare to live without some clear Intention toward which your liv ing shall be bent. Mean to be some thing with all your might.—Phillips Brooks. Cast Care to the Winds. Ht)Ily berries red and bright. Wealth of candles flickering light, Christmas In the air! Childish faces all aglow. Outside sleigh bells in the snow— Banished is dull care. Older wiseheads for the time Join in sport and song and rhyme— Happy Chrlsmastide! Mem'ry brings bark golden youth. Eyes then seeing only youth. Ever at its aide. Joy tonight is crowned the queen Of the festive Christmas scene. May her rule be long! None can claim a rebel heart With her foll'wcrs forms a part— Theirs a gladsome song! A Bit of Deception. She stood beneath no chandelier Entwined with mistletoe; I glanced the hall-length far and near, I looked both high and low; No license for a kiss was hung, 'Twas near a failure flat. When lo. I spied a sprig among The feathers on her hat. Hoy Farrell Greene. Old Santy is no phantom prim— The cheer he brings cures many Ills; Thro' dreamland's door we follow him. And lose the thought of New Year's bills. Old English Customs. It was customary in former days, in Cornwall, England, for the people to meet on Christmas eve at the bottom of the deepest mines and have a mid night mass. In some parts of Derbyshire the vil lage choir assemble in the church on Christmas eve and there wait until midnight, when they proceed from house to house, invariably accompa nied by a keg of ale, singing "Chris tians. Awake'” During the week they again visit the principal houses in the place, and having played and sang for the evening, and partaken of the .Christmas cheer, are presented with a sum of money. In Chester and its neighborhood 1 numerous singers parade the streets, i and are hospitably entertained with meat and drink at the various houses where they call. The "ashton fagot" is burned in Devonshire. It is composed entirely of ash timber, the separate branches bound with ash bands and made as large as can be admitted to the floor pf the fireplace. When the fagot blazes a quart of cider is called for and served upon the bursting of every hoop or band around the fagot. The timber being green and elastic, each band bursts with a loud report. In one or two localities it is still customary for the farmer, with his family and friends, after partaking together of hot cakes and cider (the cakes being dipped into the liquor pre vious to being eaten 1 to proceed to the orchard, one or the party bearing hot cake and cider as an offering to the principal apple tree. The cake Is for mally deposited on the fork of the tree and the cider thrown upon the cake and tree. A superstitious notion prevails in the western parts of Devonshire that at 12 o'clock at night on Christmas eve the oxen in their stalls are always found on their knees us in an attitude of devotion. One John Martyn, by will, on Nov 28, 1729, gave to the church wardens and overseers of the poor of the par ish, St. Mary Major, Exeter, £20, to be put out at interest, and the profits thereof to be laid out every Christmas eve in twenty pieces of beef, to be distributed to twenty of the poorest people in the parish, said charity to be continued forever. Vanfa Will ~J~tay. / . 1 here are a lot of people Who love to wag their Jawa And tell the children plainly There is no Santa Claus. No Santa Claus what nonsense Down childish throats to rani, You might as well inform them There is no Unde Sam! R K. Munkittrick. tragedies of soul Bw(*r Made a Stranger In New Tork Berome a Seer. There are tragedies of soul and body in fortune telling. The story of one of the craft is something like this: What precedes his arrival in New ; York yon need not be concerned with | except that it shows a capable, a learn ed and brave man. But New York is a hard city to get a footing in. Sick ness came; two pupils in bookkeeping, the only ones he could get, should have paid each a fee of $25. They didn t. The man and his wife came down to ^taking neckties at kO cents a gross. One week he reached the high water mark of $8.50. They paid $5 a week for a room and lived on a dollar or so. One day they overheard a man laugh: ‘Til have to live on liver for a month to make up for this extravagance.” The wife pinched her husband's arm and whispered: "Liver! Strikes me that's pretty luxurious.” The landlady said one day: "Mrs. So-and-So, you don't go out often enough for your meals.” They had been smuggling loaves of bread and such things into their room. After that they went out and shivered in the parks with noth ing to eat, but staying out long enough to have gone to the restaurant. He knew something of palmistry, and read up more. A saloonkeeper that he knew advanced him the money to furnish up a soothsayer's flat, and now fortune smiles on the rogue that frowned on the man trying to be honest. And yet need he be a rogue? Is there not a legitimate impulse to seek counsel from a stranger, advice as to the con duct of life and on matters which one does not wish to lay before a lawyer, which do not come within the province of the physician? The priest used to hear such, but it is not absolution that is sought, and anyhow, a la rye part of the population of America fears the confessional. Besides, the clergyman is not a man of the world and takes a view of things which, rightly or wrongly, is not shared by many oth ers. How many there are that would be glad to go to some one and open their grief and there receive an an swer to the question: 'What ought I to do?' They do not find any such now that process to gratify this im pulse. All have something to do with the occult, and it is the experience of those who have seen much of life that the occult world, like* fallen Babylon, ‘is become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit, and a case of every unclean and hateful bird.’ Ainslee s Magazine. HE USES BAGS. An Inventor I>e\Ues New KiIicuhj to Prevent ships from Sinking. French engineer, M. Henri Mariolle, claims to have invented a system by which the sinking of ships can be pre vented. M. Mariolle proposes to at tach to the sides of tlie vessels a large number of bags. Each of .these bags is to have a capacity of 15.000 litres, and will be covered by several coats made of a mixture of wool, cotton and Indian rubber, the latter preponderat ing. These bags are to be placed all around the ships, a trifle above the water line, and can, when empty, lie placed in holes in the ship’s sides. A strong iron sheet then shuts up the holes containing the bags. From tha lower part of the bags a tube leads down almost to the surface of the water closed up at the bottom by a little valve which opens Inward; in each bag there is a certain quantity of calcium carbide. In case of an accident and when the ship begins to sink, it cannot dive to more than to one-third of its size, for the water, rising around the vessel, opens,by means of pressure, the valves of the above described tubes, penetrates the bags, wets the calcium carbide, and a quick develop ment of acetylene gas takes place, whereby the bags are Inflated, thus removing the sheet iron cover. This process is performed within a lew sec onds. As all bags work simultaneous ly, the vessel is considerably lightened and kept above water. Mariolle has calculated that a big ocean steamer can in this manner be saved from sinking if it is provided with 150 of these bags, each containing fifty kilo grams of calcium carbide. Boston Post. Women Suiter to Retain Iteauty. Nowadays the profession of the beauty doctors ought to t>e a very lu crative one, when every woman con siders it her duty as well as pleasure to keep young and .youthful looking as long as possible—and sometimes longer. Many are the wonderful skin and wrinkle cures, some of them ex tremely painful, which these seekers after beauty undergo with wonderful heroism, the result in many cases jus tifying the suffering; hut, unfortunate ly. the result is always in doubt, us even the beauty doctor will tell her patients, and to endure the pain and discomfort of having a new skin pro vided for one, only to find that it is no improvement upon the old. must be bitter indeed, especially as the fee for this particular process is a very large one. »w Theory of Galveston'* Ruins. It is believed by the engineers who are repairing the Galveston-Mexico cable, which was broken by the Gal veston hur ricane, that I he storm was accompanied by a submarine eruption. The evidence of this eruption is found in the twisted condition of the cable. The sheathing is found to have beeu ieversed, and the wires binding it to the core turned the wrong way. Fankake—To vure long letter ov three pages and two postscripts, in which you ask me if horse trotting and horse racing baz improved the breed ov horses, I answer out loud. I don’t think it haz. From Nothing to 990,000,000. The late hanker Abraham Wolff, 0f New York, w hose estate has Just b0. 1MM When you teil a secret it is no longer a secret. * LOSS OF MEMORY * r \ » is often derived from an unlooked for source—the Kidneys. Odorous urine or that w hich scalds or stains is an in fallible proof that you are progressing towards Bright's Disease or one of the other forms of Kidney Trouble all of which are fatal if permitted to glow worse. rownrd will be pnld for a case a of ImcUuclie. norvousne##, ifeep lcrnticis, weakness, ions of vi tality, incipient kidney, bladder and urinary disorder*, that can not be cured by MORROW'S KID-NE-OIDS the great iwlontlflr discovery for shattered nerves ami thin Impoverished blood. NEBRASKA ANO IOWA people cured l>v Kid-ne-olds. In writing t Item please < ncluae siamped Bddresaru envelope. Mrs. I.lllr Trnlt. 1010 l St.. I.lneoln, N’*b. Mrs. lloht. Henderson, W. Market St.. Bsetrlce, \eh. Mr. II I, Small. 1810 Ohio St.. Omohn. Neb. W illiam Zimmerman. 2iV, White St., DubuqUSV Frank Hand. 2nd St., Fast Dubuque. Mrs. I mm a llanw'a ISM ISth St.. Dubuque. K. 1). Nagle. SI", Iowa St., Dubuque. Morrow’s Kid-uo-oids are not pills, hut Yellow Tablets and sell at fifty cents a box at drug stores. JOHN MORROW & CO.. CHEMISTS. Springfield. 0. For Top Prices Ship Your 4- % II ■>: A A f» l» O I I, T K ¥ 'I o Hindquarters a. \\ IrUi n A rompniiy. Butler, Kgg*, \>a . Hide-* and Furs. Potatoes, Onion* In Carload hots. Omaha, Kebraska. n ATCNTQ I ■ il g mm Send description; ■ ■ “ ■ and^et free opinion. ■ .8111.0 II. STFVKNS A CO., KeUb. 1IW«. Dlv. 2. HIT 14th Street, W ASH JN41TON. D. 1 . Branch office#• C hicago, Cleveland and Detroit. _ . .1 11,»I! .. ... I...