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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1904)
AFITTE BY J'lARY gEVEREUX •VITH fLLUS7T?ATlON5 9Y DOM C. VYJL5CN (EbpyrrjfAt, 1902, by £ rtfc, Brorvp, e/xf Company) C4ff &rg)h JPrxmx/J CHAPTER V. It was the afternoon of the fourth day when Jean, fearing lest Laro might come to seek him, and thinking i that perhaps Greloire also would be [coming, decided to go to Le Chien fe'ureux. Pierre having already gone jit to see some of his military friends. J The air was crisp, and Jean, walk ig rapidly, was turning the corner of *ie street leading down to the inn, khen he saw Laro approaching. “Ha. runaway:” the latter called aut, a smile lighting his dark face. “I was but just coming to see you. I put ; to sea this night.” lean started and stared. “Aye; this very night with the ‘Algle’ set sail for Louisiana.” contin ued Laro. “Would you not like to go with me—you and Pierre? I wdil take both, if you but say the word.” Jean's cheeks were tilled with sud den color, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. But this all passed away as he said sighingly, “Aye, I would like to go; but—*’ “Then it is but for you to come,” urged the tempter. Jean paid no heed to this, but in quired, “Why are you going in such haste?” “W’ell,” replied Laro, lowering his tone. “There is in the city a certain wealthy royalist who has fled from Paris with his daughter Roselle, a most beautiful demoiselle of eighteen, le and a few others have made it rorth my while to carry them to auisiana, where they will seek new homes. “Come, lad,” he added coaxingly; “make a run of it, and come with me [over seas. Come with me, I say, and jyou’ll reap more gold in shorter time [than did ever an aristocrat of France.” “Not on this trip, Laro,” replied lean, calmly, but with unmistakable Irmness. “You have said you would coming and going; so some day I around a table at the farther Bide were several men, while somewhat apart from them sat two women. As Thiel entered, with Jean close behind him, the men ceased talking, and stared with evident displeasure at the boy—all except Laro, who called out, “Aha, my young mate, is it thyself? Welcome, my sea-gull!” He put out an inviting hand; then, as the lad came to his side, he said, turning to a slenderly built man of middle age seated next him, with an elbow- on the table and a hand sup porting his cheek, “Count de Caze neau, permit me to present to you my young friend, Jean Lafitte, who is some day to be my mate, and who is as dear to me as an own son.” The count did not cnange his posi tion, but stared moodily at the hand some boy while murmuring a cour teous acknowledgment of his pres ence. As tor Jean, he scarcely heard the words, so engrossed had his senses become with the beautiful face confronting him from the other cor ner of the room. The young lady was looking at him; and from her clear blue eyes there flashed a smile that opened the red lips to show two rows of little pearl like teeth, as she said in a voice whose sweetness held yet a note of command, “Come over here, pretty boy, and talk to me. I was feeling lonesome in this dreadful place, and if the sight of you is so pleasant, what may not your words do to cheer me?” And she smiled again. He knew' her to be the count's daughter, of whom Laro had spoken; i and he felt a still more poignant re gret that he was not to sail in the “Aigle” that night. “Have you been long in Toulon?” Jean inquired, somewhat at a loss what to say, and yet longing to man ifest his sympathy for so lovely a being. “Since last summer,” she answered; j * “I will give you this ring of mine.” Fwill turn my back upon France and go with you.” ‘‘Well, well; be it so. then,” said * I^aro, although with evident reluc tance. “But you’ll not speak to any one of our sailing to-night?” I ‘‘Nay—not I. Why should I?” asked Jean, as he opened the door. “I’ll see you again before sailing time.” Jean walked slowly along the streets, seeing nothing for a time. He was going toward home, and had al i most reached the narrow street upon M which stood Margot's cottage, when f he saw approaching that which sent his dreams flying, and with them all thoughts of Laro and Louisiana. It was Greloire, who appeared to have seen him at the same moment; for he paused, as if waiting for the boy to come near. “Tell me—have you seen him? What said he?” Jean demanded, be fore they had gone half a dozen steps. - “Never mind whether or not I have ^ seen him,” replied Greloire, rather Y wlowly. “Let it suffice that he knows of my having met with you, and of your anxiety to see him. But he bids you, with his love, to stop at home for the present. WTait quietly here, as he asks of you, and you will be sure to see him in a short time.” “See him—here!” exclaimed the boy. “How can that be?” “I cannot tell you that; only wait, and you shall see. He was not pleased that I ever thought to encourage your leaving the city; and so you must promise not to attempt it.” A rebellious light shone for a mo ment in the dark eyes turned to meet the soldier's stern look. Then it was gone, and Jean answered with a deep *jgh, “Yes; I will do as he wishes.” '”•***• It lacked but a few minutes of eight o’clock, and the neighborhood of Le Chien Heureux was unwontedly quiet. Inside, however, there was the usual gathering of soldiers and citi zens. Laro was not in the room with the other customers; and Jean, upon in quiring for him, was told in a low tone by Thiel that the captain was in his own apartment. He then invited Jean to follow him, and, after bidding Pierre wait where he was, and to open the door to no one. he led the way to the passage. Dropping on bis knees, he grasped a ring, and a square of the appar ently solid wall rolled up with a grat ing noise until it was level with his head, as he still knelt; and a rush of damp air, as if from out of doors, stirred the short locks on Jean’s fore head, as he stared with wonder-filled eyt-s into the dark opening that gaped before them. $ A minute later the boy’s eyes were nearly blinded, as he followed his companion into a cave-like room, with « floor of rock, which was also the material of its ceiling and walls. It w as furnished but scantily; and and bent toward him as from a sudden impulse while she said, “Did you ever meet people who were strangers to you, and vet who from the moment you looked into their faces seemed otherwise?’’ She had laid a hand upon his shoul der, and a puzzled expression showed in his face as he looked into her earn est eyes. But this gave way to a half-mischievous but wholly winning I smile as he replied, with a gallantry ; hardly to have been expected in a lad of his age, “Never—until this mo- j raent.” She laughed, and drew her hand away, the wild-rose color deepening in her cheeks The smile was gone as she said, speaking in so low a tone that he scarcely caught her words, “Is he re lated to you—this Baro?” “Oh, no, ma’m’selle,” he whispered; “I have known him only a few weeks.” “And do you like him?” She—pernaps unconsciously—raised her voice a little; and the gravity of its tone, coupled with that which showed in her face, caused Jean to stare at her with surprise. She leaned forward until her face was close to his own. “Jean Lafltte,” she said slowly and distinctly. “I never had a brother; but if I could have one, I would wish him to be like you. I should not like it that you grew to be a man such as I feel this Baro must be.” Again Jean was slow in thinking what to say; and all he did was to look into her lovely face—into the lustrous eyes fixed so intensely upon mm. “You may forget me. Jean,” she re sumed, as he did ^jot speak; but I shall hope not. Yet, for fear I may slip from your memory, I will give you this ring of mine;” and she drew one from her finger. “I wish you to wear it. and to think it says always, ‘Roselle de Cazeneau gave me to you; and she will always pray for you— that you may be a gallant gentleman, loyal to what is true and right.’ Will you have the ring say this to you?" Her words touched deeply the boy’s chivalric, impulsive nature; and bend ing over the hand that proffered the ring, he pressed his lips to the jew eled fingers. “Thank you,” he said, as, now' with a smile, she slipped the little circlet upon the fourth finger of his left hand; and the touch of her own, w-arm and gentle, sent a thrill of delight through his young veins. “I shall never forget you,” he de clared, looking up into her face; “and no matter what or where I may be, you and yours will always have my love and service.” “It is now my turn to thank you,” she said; “for”—and a far-seeing look chased the smile from her eyes— “who shall say but that I or mine may call upon you to make good your promise?” Before he could reply, they were In terrapiea oy me entrance or Lara, ■ with Thiel close behind him; and fol lowing the two was Pierre, who with open eyes and mouth stared about him wonderiDgly. Laro gave his orders hastily, but clearly, after which he turned to Pierre, who stood near him. “Good night, my boy; 1 am sorry you are not to go with me, for I would like greatly to have your stout heart and strong arm aboard the ‘Aigle.’ You will come with me next time?” laying his hand on the boy’s shoul der. Jean remained silent, standing with lowered eyes, while the bell jangled a second time. “i'll be in this port again within two years,” added Laro, “and then I am sure you will be ready to come with me. Until then, dear lad, good night.” And he moved awray, mo tioning for the others to follow. “Good night, Jean, and adieu,” said Roselle, as she was about to pass him. “Do not forget me, nor what I have said to you.” She was gone, leaving the boy standing mute, sensible of the odor of violets, and regretting ruefully his In ability to have acknowledged her gra cious farewell. But the sound of Thiel's voice soon aroused him from his self-reproacbings. “Come,” the landlord said sharply— “come writh me.” The hooks of a rope ladder were soon fastened into two iron rings bolt ed to the rock. A coil of rope was then put through the opening, and lowered carefully, until Laro, who kept a hand upon it, felt it grow taut with a pull from below. “Good night again, boy; my heart is sorry to leave thee behind,” he said to Jean, who was close to him. “Good by, again. aDd good luck!” He had, while speaking, stepped through the opening, and, as the fare well came from his lips—disappeared down the ladder. Ropes were fastened under the arms of the young girl and of her maid. One of the count’s friends fol lowed Laro; then the maid after him; next the count himself, and then his daughter, the twro remaining gentle men going last of alL There was no sign of fighting when Jean and Pierre left Le Chien Heu reux that night:; and the sough of the rising wind was all that broke the silence. “Next time I will surely go,” Jean said to himself, as he and Pierre, af ter putting out the light which Mar got had left for them, took off their shoes and crept softly upstairs to their respective bedrooms. “Laro said he ; would return within two years; and , in two years I shall be larger, and she will not call me a boy. I will go, and I will find her.” (To be continued.) MORE TRUTHFUL THAN POLITE. Ungrateful Husband's Reply to Wife’s Plain Question. Capt. Ingersoll of the Naval War j college was talking about the disas- j ter that came near to destroying the battleship Connecticut at her launch ing. “What do you think about this busi ness, sir?” a reporter asked. ‘It was unexpected,” said Capt. In geisoll. “That is all I can say—that it was unexpected. As unexpected, in fact”—and Capt. Ingersoll smiled— "as the retort that the poor man made to his rich wife. “This poor man, being handsome, chose an elderly and plain heiress for his bride. He was on the verge of ruin at the time, living in a $4 board ing house, and behindhand in his pay ments even there. Nevertheless the • heiress married him, and soon he was \ driving a four-in-hand and winning races with a motor boat. "But he was ungrateful. Husbands like him nearly always are ungrate ful. And on account of his ingratitude ! there were a good many quarrels be tween his rich wife and himself. “One day, enraged beyond measure, she said, bitterly: “What would you be now if it wasn’t for my money?’ “The man laughed. “ ‘A bachelor,' he replied.”—Kansas City Journal. An Insult to the Cook “We had just engaged a new cook,” said the young matron. “I was going out, and as lots of little things were lying around in my room. I locked the door. Imagine my surprise when I returned to be greeted in the hall by a veritable fury impersonated by this same newly-arrived cook. She hurled all manner of violent language at me, and, surprised as I was, and incoher ent as she was, I managed to make out that she had been accused of be ing a thief. “Why she felt so bad about It was the puzzle. ‘Why do you lock your door?’ she howled. Of course, that explained it all, and so, very gently, I asked her how she had known it was locked. She was only silent a moment in order to think up an answer. ‘I wanted a needle, and so I went up—' she was saying, when I interrupted with: ‘But that was quite wrong.’ I was just about to send in an alarm when my husband came home. He did the rest. We diced out.”—Philadel phia Record. Respect for Age in Japan. In Japan there is no such thing as disrespect from youth to age. No ] Japanese boy or girl could ever think in a light or disrespectful manner of his or her superiors or teachers; and this may account for the earnestness so unusual among young children. When a student enters a master's presence in Japan he bows to the floor, and when the lesson is finished be bows again, with expressions of the deepest gratitude, as he takes his de parture. The teacher, sitting in most cases upon his feet on the flor, grave ly returns each salutation, then lights his little pipe and waits for his next class. There is no hurrying of mas ters from room to room, as in some of the schools in our enlightened land. Corporal’s Shot Kills Three. A French infantry corporal at Vienne, who had been punished by his captain, fired at the captain with his rifle and missed him; but the bullet passed through the bodies of four soldiers, killing three of them on the spot T The Old River. ^'h*B night drops down over field and town. At the end of the weary day. i *it and dream of a rippling streaa— Ah, many a mile away. 1 sit and dream of a rippling stream. Of the ebb and the quiet flow; Of the reeds in ranks by the wave-wash ed banks And lilies that bud and blow. From her mud-built nest In ft cranny pressed The swallow swoops to the tide; A swerve—a dart—and with Joyous heart She shakes the spray from her side. The red sun shines through the needled pines. And lo! on the watery floor. A path of red for a fairy's tread Lies stretched to the farther shore. The swimmers cry as they climb on high To the rock of the silver sands. Till, one by one. in the setting sun. They poise with their outstretched hands. They poise—they leap from the rocky steep Where the evening air blows cool. And the bodies flash as the brown arms splash In the depths of the quiet pool. Though. now-. mayhap. In the river's lap Thcie grow 1 ut the waving reeds. And the water's flow through the hills, 1 know. Is lost in the tangled weed.-?. Ve., wnen night drops down over field and town. At the end of the weary day. I dream and dream of the rippling stream— Ah. years upon years away. —Hoiatio Winslow, in Leslie's Weekly. NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD. — Items of Interest Gathered from Many Sources. Labor unions of Kansas City arc i again discussing plans for a labor : temple. The Journeymen Tailors’ union of America, will nold a convention in Bloomington, 111., the first Monday in February, 1905. The next convention of the Brick j layers and Stone Masons’ Interna | tional union will meet in San Fran | cisco Jan. 8, 1905. The third annual convention of the International Hod Carriers and Build ing Laborers’ Union of America will meet in Minneapolis, beginning Jan. 1, 1905. i Philip Weinseimer, former presi I dent of the New York Building Trades Alliance, was found guilty on the charge of extorting $2,700 from | George J. Essig for calling off a strike. The International Bricklayers’ ; union, through a referendum vote, de j cided not to_affiliate with the Struc tural Building Trades Alliance. Of nearly 13,000 votes cast hardly 4,000 were in favor of the proposition. The arbitration board of the execu j rive council of the Hod Carriers and ! Building Laborers’ union of Chicago has succeeded in reducing the hours | of labor from ten to eight a day since its formation, and in securing an in ■ crease in wages from $1.50 for ten . hours to $2.70 for eight hours. The ! increase affected a thousand bod car riers and building laborers. it is announced that the immense i plant of the Acme Harvester com pany at South Bartonville, 111., will resume immediately, giving employ ment to 900 men. The plant has been practically closed for a year, owing to financial difficulties. The United States Steel Corpora tion has declared that.$1,000,000 will be spent, if necessary, to beat the Amalgamated Association in its bat tle against the Carnegie Steel Com pany at Youngstown, O., and Girard, O. The victory of the company in | this fight would mean the annihila i tion of the great Amalgamated Asso ciation of iron and steel workers of America. Among the propositions sent to a vote of the members of the Bridge and Structural Iron Workers’ Inter national Union is one to change the location of the parent body from New York to some other city. Among the candidates for the place are Chicago and Cleveland, but New York wants to retain the headquarters. The Amalgamated Association of Iron. Steel and Tin Workers has adopted a novel method to regain some of the nonunion steel plants in Pittsburg by declaring them to be “open shops’’ and permitting men to work there if they wish and still be recognized as union men. The move is expected to result in a great ad vantage to the steel workers’ union. The headquarters of the Interna tional union, which have been located in the De Soto block in Indianapolis 6ince 1894, will be moved to the New ton Claypool building, corner Pennsyl vania and Ohio streets, opposite the new federal building, to-morrow, where a suite of eleven rooms has been secured on the sixth floor. The new mill being installed in Youngstown, Ohio, by the Republic Iron and Steel Company, will be equipped to roll rails as well as sheets and tin bars. This is the first de parture of that concern to make rails. The Texas State Federation of La bor has resolved to co-operate with the Farmers’ Union and other organi zations favorable to the majority or all of the demands of labor in order “to advance the interests of those who toil for their daily bread.” Girl cutters are now employed at the factory of the Millet-Woodbury Shoe Company, Beverly, Mass. The firm is teaching them to cut shoes with the hope of breaking the strike declared by the Knights of Labor at the shop. Girl cutters are employed In a number of places in the West The president of the International Union of Steam Engineers has been placed under salary for the first time in the history of the organization, and will receive $2,500 a year, for which he devotes his entire time to the work. The a ilary of the secretary treasurer was increased $600, and his office help $2 a week. The Department of Health of New York Is preparing to make a more rigid inspection of food products sold in the city. Two extra chemists have been added to investigate the extent of adulteration, and the department this year will spend more money along this line than heretofore. The new chemists are now engaged in ex amining syrups for adulterations or deleterious combinations. James G. Woodward, who was elect ed mayor of Atlanta, Ga„ on Oct. 5, is a member of Typographical Union No. 48 of that city, ana is one of the union’s trustees. Mr. Woodward hat been a member of Typographical j Union for thirty-five years He ha* always taken an active interest in tha affairs of organized labor and is proud to be known as a mayor who win carry a union card in hi9 pocket, j The strike of the sheet metal workers in Philadelphia and other eities was settled through an agree ment with the employers by which strikes and lockouts are forever barred. The men have obtained an increase from 37% to 40 cents an hour in wages and a guarantee that only union men shall be employed, while I the employers have gained the ad vantage of immunity from all labor troubles in the future. Recently published census figures show that every fifth child betweer j . the ages of ten and fifteen in the United States is a bread-winner. One out of three of these child workers is a girl. There are said to be 1,750,17# children regularly employed, an in crease of 33% per cent in ten years Alabama has the highest percentage of child labor, finding woik for 27.2 per cent of her children, while Massa chusetts has the lowest, having only 0.5 per cent of her juvenile popula tion at work. The governing board of the Struc tural Trades Alliance proposes com pulsory arbitration for disputes be tween the building trades anions and contractors. A board to consist of an equal number of contractors and union agents is proposed. The idea has not been ratified by the unions, but has been submitted to the con tractors. The Alliance does not rep resent all the building trades. The proposed arbitration board would be organized on lines similar to that ol the Associated Teaming Interests. Steps are being taken to establish at Denver, Colo., a home for aged and indigent carpenters. A commit tee was appointed at the recent con vention of the Brotherhood of Car penters and Joiners to investigate the proposition and make a report there on. The carpenters generally are said to be favorable to the proposi tion. Leaders of the movement point out the success which has attended the institution of the printers’ home at Colorado Springs and the good work they say it has accomplished. | The influence of the trade union is for probity, temperance and cleanli j ness, both in habits and in person The court records will support the as j sertion that the percentage of union men arrested for crimes or misde j meanors is far below the general per centage, and with the plain drunks and hoboes excluded from the latter The trade unionist rarely develops any of the characteristics of the crim j inal class. It is the very essence ot his creed to live by his own efforts and not by any sort of parasitism, le gal or illegal. No man costs the state less than the unionist, and no one, does so much for the enriching of the state, in proportion to what he re ceives. I he Cigar-Makers Journal says: “The membership of the International Union is greater now than it has ever been before, having reached about 42,000 regular 30-cent contributing members. This argues well for the future and is a sure indication that we are on a solid foundation and that nothing can destroy us except our own folly. No power from without can accomplish our defeat or disrupt the International Union. The best way to convert the non unionist to our way of thinking and making him a member is by the use of argument and facts. Violence and abuse make enemies and drive the nonunionist further away from us. There is a difference between the willful scab I and the ordinary nonunionist. The j first is viciously mean and should be j treated accordingly, while the latter is, in most cases, such owing to en vironments. He should be shown the error of his ways and urged by kind j ly argument to become one of us. It is the duty of the International Union to lift up the whole craft, and all members should apply themselves to this task in a rational and business like way.” One of the weak spots in the American labor movement is the lack of preparation in times of peace for war; the small war chest in the shape of a permanent reserve fund, says the Cigarmakers’ Journal. What am munition and provisions are to a reg ular army a strong reserve fund is to a trade union; ample to support mem bers on strike for an indefinite time. The weapon of the Employers' Asso ciation is the lockout, the attempt to starve the employes into submission by a long struggle, with the ultimate aim to crush the organization, and re duce wages to a mere point of exist ence. A general at the head of an army, ignoring the commissary de partment in providing ample provi sions in times of peace, is incompe tent and should be relegated to the rear. The London Board of Trade, through its Bureau of Labor, has just issued its eleventh annual report showing changes in the rates of wages and hours of labor throughou* the United Kingdom in 1903 and the first six months of 1904. The report! shows a net decrease in wages. Coal mining, iron and steel working, en gineering, shipbuilding and glass manufacturing are the trades most affected by the fall in wages. The report shows that about 897,000 work people had their wages changed dur ing 1903. Of these 21,000 obtained increases amounting to about £1,500 ($7,280) a week, while 875,000 were re duced in amount about £39,000 ($189 794) a week. Changes affecting 78 per cent of the total number of work people affected were arranged by ar bitration, wages boards, sliding scales or other conciliatory agencies. The changes in the first six months of 1904 resulted in a net decrease in the weekly wages of £13,038 ($63,450), affecting 275,227 work people, against a decrease of £10,354 ($50,388), af fecting 825,389 work people, in the corresponding period of 1903. The trades mainly affected were the same as in 1903. New Oil Engine. A new oil engine is the recent and fruitful development of the iaternal combustion motor and its adaptation to the use of crude oils or oils of a specific gravity that precludes their use in motors of the ordinary type. Like all engines suitable for crude oil the latest innovation has provision for the’ injection of water into the cyl inder before compression. This has the e^ect of allowing a much higher compression without preignition than is ordinarily possible, and it has other important effects. The builders say that the water vapor prevents the de composition of the petroleum to an extent, enabling the engine to run long periods with crude oils without leaving an excess of deposit on the vaporizer’s walls. It is not easy to understand why water should prevent decomposition of the petroleum. The engine works on the four stroke cycle and uses the heavy black petroleum cils and the semi-refined or inter mediates, as well a-s the ordinary re fined lamp oil. There is a cylinder fourteen inches in diameter, giving fort}-seven brake horse power with horse power with crude oils. On the suction stroke of the piston air is drawn into the cylinder through the main air valve, and oil is pumped through the oil sprayer into the va porizer, which receives a further sup ply of air through a shifting valve. At the same time water is pumped through the water sprayer and enters the vaporizer. This charge is then compressed, and, as the crank of the engine passes the inner dead center, is ignited by the hot igniting tube, giving the working stroke. The ex nauBt valve then opens to allow the burnt charge to escape, completing the cycle of operations. The ignitions are continuous on all loads, and the ignition tube is therefore retained r.t the required temperature without the aid of a lamp except when starting the engine. The speed of the machine is governed by varying the amount cf water and oil injected, so that on heavy loads full charges of oil and water are delivered, while on light loads small charges are given. Automatic Railway Signal. Misreading of signals and failure te execute them are the most potent causes of accidents on railways and it has been the work of many in ventors to lessen these dangers by introducing automatic signals, which shall relieve the human mind of the responsibility as far as possible. Thus the block systems now show signals which are supposed to prevent the train next following from running into the one which has set the sig nal. But these signals depend on the Stops Engine Without Aid. vigilance and action of the engineer, and so it may be wise to go a step further and make the block system not only set a signal against a train following on the same track, but also operate a mechanism to bring the sec ond train to a standstill should the signal be unheeded. How' this may be done is shown in the illustration. There is a lever depending from the engine on the small forward truck, with a cord con necting with the throttle and also with the bell and whistle. Beside the track is a long, light rail, which is elevated or depressed after the man ner of the signal arms. A reverse lever is provided for use when the en gine is backing and, seemingly, there is little chance now for a train to run past the block set against it. The inventor of this system is Orr C. Fisher of Delphos, Iowa. Electric Launches in Venice. The Italian ministry of posts ani telegraphs has received authority’ in parliament to establish telepnone eon : nections between Brescia and Ber gamo. Lecco and Bergamo, Cremonh and Piaenza, Genoa, Pisa and Leg horn, Naples, Foggia, and Barletta. Naples, Reggio, Calabria, and Messina. The authorities of the province of Rome propose to build an electric railway between the city ot Rome and Civite Castellana. The city council of Venice has decided to purchase a number of electric launches for use on the canals of that city. The gen eral inspector of the Adriatic railroad, whose office is in Rome, has received permission to purchase 150 electric accumulators. The Adriatic Railroad company is planning to build an elec tric road from Chisso to Como and Chiavenna. * A Pocket Umbrella. An umbrella small enough to go in side a pocket is a recent invention, it is designed on the principle of the tele scope, and consist of a series of tele scopic slides, a carrying case and a piece of silk covering. On opening the case in which it is contained the con tents resemble a bundle of steel rods in a wrapping of silk. These are. witn a little manipulation, converted into an umbrella of the orthodox shape, the short handle of which draws out Into a stick of the requisite length. The cover is described as being quite as stout, tight and rain-resisting as a flrat-class umbrella of the old style. Radium Argentiferum. Particulars are out regarding the new metal discovered by the Tuscan engineers, Travaglini and Fabiam. The discoverers have given the new metal the name radium argentiferum. The metal is composed of copper, iron and infinitesimal portions of silver, radium and phosphorus. The chief se cret, it is said, lies in the phosphorus. It is claimed by the patentees that radium argentiferum is stronger than steel, does not oxidize, is a better con ductor than copper, and can be manu fact^k-d in large quantities at one tenth of the cost of bronze. There fore they expect that it will be large ly used in making cannon, munitions, etc., and that it will supersede copper in electric wires. FOR CHICKENS Iff WINTER. Well-Built Concrete Houae That Will1 Defy the Cold. F. V. G;—I would like to learn how to proceed to build a concrete house for little chickens in winter. I usual ly keep about 200 chicks on hand, sell ing them at about three months old. I have no place to keep them in win ter. Please show how to build a suit able house of concrete and give an estimate of the probable cost The chicken bouse represented In the accompanying cut is 12x24 feet; it is 5 feet high on the south side and 8 feet high on the north side. It is built of concrete, the walls being six Inches thick, with 2-inch strapping and is lathed and plastered. Port Front View of Concrete Poultry House. land cement being used Instead ol lime in the plaster. By using Port land cement in the plaster the chick ens will not pick the plaster off. The floor is of concrete and a wooden floor is laid on top of it. This will keep the rats from getting under the floor or troubling the chickens in an> way. The cost of the concrete worK would be 10 barrels of Portland cement, making the concrete one of cement tc nine of gravel, 9 days' labor for one man and 12 yards gravel. The othei material and labor would amount tc about $14 for lath and plastering and $27 for windows, door, roof and labor. The inside can be sheathed up with matched stuff if desired instead ol being lathed and plastered, but the walls can be more easily kept free from vermin if plastered. In order to get the sunlight into the chicken house, the windows should not be more than one foot from the floor, if higher than that the rays of the sun will not strike the floor as it should. The walls are built between planks. This is done by standing 2x4 inch uprights every three or four feet, both Section of Ground Plan Showing Con struction of Wail. A.2 by 2 in. strapping; B, lath and plaster; C, 2 in. hollow space; L>, wood, brick; £, concrete wall. oa the out and inside of wall, and op posite each other, leading twelve inches between the outside and ilk side uprights. A 2x12 inch plank i» now placed on edge both on inside and outside of wall with an inch wedge between the planks and up rights. By using a small spread stick six inches long between the planks it will keep them in their plaee. In raising the planks loosen the wedges and raise the planks allowing them to lap down on the concrete 11-2 or 2 inches, drive in the wedges and pro ceed as before. Poplar Shoots. S. W. M.—How may the roots at poplar trees in a neighboring garden be prevented from throwing up shoots in my garden? The poplar shoots which come up in the yard may be prevented by sinking a strip of galvanized iron along the edge of the garden. The roots from which the shoots spring are usually w ithin a few inches of the surface and a strip of galvanized iron one foot.wide should suffice, if this is not found practicable, the roots should be pre vented from entering the garden bv means of a ditch, or in some other way. Once the roots are prevented from entering the garden the shoots may be gradually eradicated by dig ging them out. Jaundice. S. B.—What is the cause of a he® turning yellow in the head? We lot* one from this cause this summer and another is going the same way. This is undoubtedly a case of Jatm dice, which is a form of liver derange ment brought on by improper feedinf cf unsuitable food in too great quanti ty. It would much simplify matter? if you had stated the age of and kind of fowls you have, on what was fee and in what quantities. Very often such complaints are the result of the feeding of too much soft food in th# shape of mash. As a result the giz zard i8 not exercised enough, and dis ease follows. The mash should be varied from time to time and not feo too frequently or in too great quanti ty. A healthy gizzard means a healthy bird, and no bird can be in propel health without its gizzard getting wfork to do. How. By feeding a well-bal anced ration. Spelt for Stock Food. F. B. S.—1. Is spelt a good food for horses, cattle and swine? 2. What time of year is it planted and Bow 1« the ground prepared? 1. Spelt compares favorably wit* wheat, oats and barley as a food foi stock of all classes. It has a cling ing husk, similar to barley, and an in ternal grain of much the same nature as wheat. As a stock food it would probably be as valuable as a mixture of wheat and barley, or wheat and oats. Spelt is a comparatively hard grain and should be ground for feed* icg. 2. Spelt requires about the same method of cultivation as other cereals as wheat, oats or barley, and it should be sown at about the same dates in spring. From 80 to 100 pounds of seed should be sown to the acre. It will thrive on light soils and withstand drought well.