m~ Jfc— ■ ■■ I -I ■!■■■■ ... ■ l-l-l ■ " !■ ■ ■ ■ 111 I III II. \7nclc Sam's Vast Projects for Irrigation of the Waste Lands . ..-l .. .. ■' ' ' .. ■ 1 PROJECTS AND AREAS WITHIN WHICH LANDS HAVE BEEN RESERVED FOR IRRIGATION AND RECLAMATION. TAMPED WITH RED CLAY. Traveler Tells How Firecrackers Are Made in China. “I noticed a lot of fireworks in an' East Water street window recently,” said a Minneapolis man to the Milwau kee News. “When I wras in China I used to see them made. The fire cracker has been in use there a few thousand years. Few people outside of China know the method of manufac ture. The straw paper is first rolled by hand around an iron rod, which varies in size according to the size of the cracker to be made. To com plete the rolling a rude machine is used. This consists of two uprights supporting an axis, from which is suspended by two arms a heavy piece of wood slightly convex on the lower side. There is just room between this swinging block and the top of the table to place the cracker. As each layer of paper is put on by hand the cracker is placed upon the table and the suspended weight is drawn over the roll, thus tightening it until no more can be passed under the weight. For the small ‘whip’ cracker the work man uses for compression instead of this machine a heavy piece of wood fitted with a handle like that of a car penter’s plane. In filling crackers 200 or 300 are tied together in a bunch. Red clay is spread over the end of each cracker with a punch. While the clay is being tamped in a little water is sprayed on it, which makes it pack closer. The powder is pourecT in the other end of the cracker. With the aid of an awl the edge of the pa per is turned in at the upper end of the cracker and the fuse is inserted through this. That is the way the Chinese make them. In China they can be purchased at a cost of sixty two cents for 10,000, although the best quality commands twice that price.” Painter Had Studied Subject. Great vigilance has to be exercised by the antiquarian painter. This was demonstrated by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema's picture, “The Finding of Moses.” Looking at the picture, a well known botanist examined with admi ration the painting of the lifelike larkspurs which form the foreground, and then turning toward the artist and congratulating nim on the suc cessful rendering, pointed out that the larkspurs were of comparatively re cent growth. The painter laughed as he replied, “So I thought, until dried specimens of them were discovered in some of the recently explored royal tombs of Egypt.” How We “Get On.” Getting on means, according to our philosophy, getting a lot of money, anyhow, by any means; living in a big house chockful of furniture; eating and drinking whht we call the best, which doctors will tell you means things very bad for the liver, leading to dyspepsia, chronic headache, and general distaste of life; dressing our selves in expensive clothes, in w’hich we fancy our stout persons look re markably well; inviting hundreds of people to our house, the majority of whom we personally dislike; dressing our daughters like peacocks, and pay ing two or three hundred a year to have our boys taught iootball.—J. K. Jerome, in “To-day.” Emerson Saluted by Swimmers. The following story was told by the Rev. Theodore Williams, late princi pal of Hackley. Mass., who was ac quainted with Ralph Waldo Emerson: A number of boys were swimming in Walden pond, when Emerson was seen approaching. “Oh. there is Emerson,” one said, and all scrambled for their hats. When he went by he had to pass a row of naked boys, who were taking off their hats to him. Emerson returned the politeness, as far as his hat went, but retained his apparel. SCIENCE OF THE GHOSTLY Andrew Lang Tells of Mysterious Experiences for Which He Is Unable to Find Any Explanation Andrew Lang, relating mysterious experiences of his own, says: “I did once believe myself to have met the late Prof. Conington in Oriel lane at Oxford and said so to my frietds next day. Mr. Conington was, in fact, on his death bed at Boston and died within two days. But people who never saw him may think that mis taken identity explains the case. He was in cap and gown, close to his col lege gate, and I could have sworn to him; that is all I know. Bat on two other- occasions I saw—once in the hall of an old manor and once through my study window at my door —two friends,1 neither of whom was bodily present. They are alive and well. “I have superintended experiments in staring into a glass ball for the pur pose of trying to detect the object of the thought of a third person not in contact with the gazer and the results left no shadow of doubt in my mind that something strange was occurring. The gazer would describe not only the person, never seen or heard of by her, of whom the other party to the experi ment was thinking, but would also describe that person’s dress and what he or she was doing or had recently been doing. “A series of such successes, tem pered by three or four failures, per suaded me that, whether you call the process ‘telepathy’ or associate it with the ‘N’ rays (which I reckon absurd), there exists a faculty in human na ture which demands attention. If only the general public would under stand the importance of recording in stantly, with corroboration, all cases of hallucinations of the sane, of co incidental dreams and so forth that occur, we might make swifter ad vances.” Unfortunate Selection. “You say the prisoner was singing. Did you notice the song?” “Yes, your hohor. He repeated it so many times that it impressed itself upon my memory. It was something about a daffydil.” “A new song?” “I had never heard it before, your honor. It was a sentimental song— something in the popular line. No doubt your honor knows the sort.” “Perhaps I do. Can you sing it, of ficer?” “I can make the attempt, your honor. The air is simple, but the words are a trifle hard. Do you want me to sing it, sir?” “Yes. Silence in the court.” “One xr*ment, your honor. Will your honor kindly recollect that the prisoyr was intoxicated at the time, and that it was not altogether easy to catch the exact words?” “Proceed witn the song.” “Yes, your honor. It was like this: ‘By shaty noog an’ guggling rill I sawed for thee, my Daffydil. I bat my heart bees till, bees till, an’ criefl all oaJ ior Daffydil. Oh, Daffydil, my Daffydil, I love thee still an-never Poor Cookery in England, will. The days zat go are all zo slow. “Of all the arts, that of cookery is I miz see zo, my Daffydil!’” the least known in England.” So said “You say the prisoner sang that?” tne hishop of Salford to the girls of ‘‘Yes, your honor.” the Manchester high school, says a “Six months at hard labor. Next London correspondent. Out of the case.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer. fullness of the heart the mouth speak - eth. The bishop has perhaps suffered Bars Wedding Rehearsals. But this wail is not new. It was Vol Rev. Charles E. Guthrie, pastor of taire who moaned that England had Park Place Methodist Episcopal fifty religions and only one sauce church, Baltimore, announces that in From time to time the brave men who future he will refuse to read the mar- having found after labor and pain, o riage service at rehearsing parties, good cook, have made sure of her by Moreover, he discourages the idea of marrying her, have been regarded fashionable weddings in churches, with envy by ladies and silent adwi which make rehearsals necessary, ration by men. It is to be hoped that holding that such affairs make too the girls of Manchester will invaria much of the dramatic effect and dress bly digest the remarks of the bishop. display and too little of the solemnity —___ of the obligation that is being as- Communion for Sir Knights, sumed. Mr. Guthrie believes that an The communion was administered Important contributing cause to the di- to the Knights of St. JohIT of Jerusa vorce evil lies in the fading out of the lem on June 24 in the crypt chapel oi religious idea regarding marriage. St. John’s, Clerkenwell, London. The -last service was held there in 1640, Keep Hats on Straight. just before the priory of the order Policemen in Washington have# re- was dissolved by Henry VIII. The ceived an order to see that their bel- crypt Is 700 years old, but is in ex mets are on straight cellent preservation LIMIT HAD BEEN REACHED. Clergyman's Threat of Making Trou ble Had Little Weight. De Wolf Hopper, back in New York and at the Lambs’ Club, is authority for a story which contains rather a fair amount of philosophy. “Often when I have been having a run of hard luck,” the comedian declares, “this tale has made me see the hum orous side of the proverbial ‘last straw.’ “While we were traveling in the Middle West one day last March my attention was attracted to a sorrowful looking man with a small boy whc sat across the way from me. Oppo site the pair was a lanky clergyman of the sort who make’s every one’s business his own. The man was be rating the boy, and, judging by ap^ pearances, the clergyman didn’t like it. Finally, goaded on by some par ticularly violent rebuke, the ministei leaned forward and said: ‘I can’i permit you to talk that way to youi son. If you persist 111 make trouble for you.” “Evidently this was too much foi pater familias. He broke out violently ‘You'll make trouble for me!’ he ex claimed with infinite scorn. ‘YouT make trouble for me! My wife fell oil the train at Des Moines, I lost my hat out of the car window twenty minutes ago, this kid has just sat on the lunch and you’ll make trouble for me!’” Precious Stones’ Rivals. Talk about a yellow peril! Jewelers face enemies that are green, brown pink and blue, in the form of neck laces of semi-precious stones, which have become so popular they have caused a- slump in the sale of dia monds, says the New York Press Many women who would scorn tc wear imitation gems, no matter how attractive they were, are ready tc adorn themselves with chains of kun zite, onyz and jade, for those mineral? make no pretense of being other that they are and are wonderfully effective Mrs. George Gould has a necklace Ot the water stones of Uruguay, which she sometimes wears with white gowns. They are semitransparent anc every one holds a drop of water in it? center which moves with every mo tion. With simple attire such orna ments are much more suitable thaz pearls. Making It Easy for Him. “The most difficult part of a pas tor’s duty," said a well-known preach er, "is the pastoral calls. I have al ways remembered one of the first 1 ever made, when I was a green youth just out of theological seminary. I had been called to the bedside of a mem ber of my church, who was well known for his peculiarities and crankiness After talking with him a few minutes. I said: “ ‘Shall I offer a short prayer with you?’ “ ‘Short or long, use your own judg ment,’ he said. “More and more embarrassed I hes itated, and then said: ‘What shall J pray for?’ “ ‘Exercise your own discretion as to selection of topics,’ said he.” — 1*111 * American League Notes. Lajoie thinks the “spit” ball should be abolished. Captain Collins looks about fifteen pounds over weight. Emmett Heidrick is playing occas ionally with the Clarion (Pa.) team. Harry Bay again is playing a re markably speedy game for the Cleve lands. Hickman is back at Detroit’s first base, Sam Crawford having returned to the outfield. It is rumored that Tri-State mana gers are after the Chicago American battery. Smith and McFarland. The Washington Post thinks that Lew Drill is a 50 per cent better play er than he was when with Washing ton. Manager McAleer said that nothing astonished him so much as that Hei drick failed to report to him for uutv this spring. For a team minus two star outfield ers, Barrett and McIntyre, the Detroit bunch is running along in a manner very much to the Japanese. Clark Griffith has signed George Duquette, a young left-hander of the Paterson team, Hudson River league. Griffith saw him pitch against Pough keepsie on Sunday. He will give him a month's chance to make good. The suspension of Pitcher Joss and Catcher Buelotv, of Cleveland, lasted only three days. In consequence of that punishment Manager Lajoie has positively prohibited all wrangling with the umpires for any cause what ever. National League News. Selee’s new pitcher, Ruelbacb, is certainly a wonder. Clancy is of the opinion that Ames has th« best curve he ever saw. Cincinnati has taken an upward slant since Jack Barry was placed on the first bag. “This year will about close inde pendent baseball leagues,” says Presi dent Harry Pulliam. Johnny King of Chicago says bar ring accidents he will catch one hun dred games again this season. Fred Odweli is playing 18-carat ball in the Cincinnati sun field and slam ming out the ball in the good old way. The Cincinnati club has sold Catch er Cliff Blankenship to Seattle, giv ——— r ing the base runners with twenty Stol en bases. A.merican Association. The St. Paul club has released Catcher Elmer Pierce and Jack Za lusky. President Grillo goes on record with the prediction that Toledo,will finish in the first division. Critics in the American Association cities pick Milwaukee to win the pen nant in that league. They say that Jack Doyle is far from being all in. He is banging the ball at a stout clip for Toledo. Catcher William Schriever of the Louisville club has been given his un conditional release by President Te beau. For three weeks Ed Grillo has been trying to get Gessler, the Brooklyn outfielder, but has just found out that Hanlon has decided to keep “Brownie.” Infielder Barbeau of Columbus has now' shown himself in every tow-n and i has pulled off plays which have forced ! the people to give him a bang-up : rating. For a man who is supposed to be all in and his baseball days ended. In fielder Jack O'Brien, of Watervliet, is putting up a grand article for Mil waukee. New' York Americans won’t get Tate Cromley and Frank Roth, the Indian apolis battery. “We are trying to strengthen our team instead of weak ening it,” says Manager Barrow. Outfielder Charley Hemphill, of the St. Paul team, formerly of St. Louis, has made a record for batting safely in thirty-three successive games. Pitcher Scott on June stopped him. Three-I League. Pitcher Harry Wallace of Richmond has signed with Rock Island. John Gertenreich, a Chicago out fielder. has been signed by Decatur. Dubuque has released and Bloom irgton has signed Pitcher Guy Balliet. The Springfield club has released Pitchers Frank Dick and Clarence Holmes. Taft, released by Springfield, has been signed by Decatur as change catcher. The Davenport club has signed Out fielder Harry Reed, late of the Mis i souri Valley league. - JOHNNY EVERS. Second Baseman of the Chicago (N. L.) Club. ing him half of the purchase money, about $500. The Pittsburg club has yielded to Otis Clymer. who demanded his re lease or $150, which had been de ducted as fines. He got the $150. All Jack Barry needs is a frequent change of scene. He is now going as fast for Cincinnati as he did for the Phillies and Chicago when he first joined them. The Boston club has decided to re lease Outfielder Bayard F. Sharpe to make room for “Cosy” Dolan. A re port had it that Young, Wolverton, Sharpe, Raymer and Delehanty had decided to jump in a bunch to the out law Tri-State league. Manager Ten ney and Harry Wolverton denied the report over their signatures. Southern League. Manager Otto Jordan of Atlanta leads his team in batting with an av erage of .300. The Birmingham club has sold Pitcher Sales to the Meridan club, of the Cotton States league. Just outside Atlanta, Ga., there is a baseball team imposed of seven brothers and two cousins, all the members of the nine answering to the name of Jenkins. All the members are bricklayers in the off season. Little Rock has loaned Montgomery the services of Catcher Andy Ander son. who was drafted by Detroit last year, but reverted to Little Rock. He recently refused to report to Little Rock because that club refused to pay him salary from the beginning of the season. Three prominent directors of the Montgomery club have signified their dissatisfaction, it is‘said, at the man agement of Tom O'Brien by resigning. The association has a year's contract with O’Brien, and it is said that he will be offered full pay for the rest of the season if he will resign. Big Bill Phillips, the New Orleans twirler, is leading batters of the Southern League. Eddie Hahn, a new comer, who is receiving his first trial in fast minor league company is a close second and really leads, as he has played in five times as many games as Phillips participated in. There are thirteen "three hundred” hitters in the Southern league. Wei kart is leading the home run batters with five to his credit. Duffy is lead- . The Peoria club has signed O'Leary and Schafer of Chicago, and Dorsa oi Dallas, Tex., all infielders. The Springfield club has signed G. J. Shea, a catcher, hailing from St. Louis, and Pitcher J. A. Swan of Louis ville. Dubuque has signed Pitcher Kou kalish of Chicago; Pitcher Mertens ot St. Louis and Infielder Henry Reitz of Milwaukee. At Davenport, Iowa, June 11, all Three-Eyes league records for long inning games were broken when Da venport and Decatur batted for. six teen Innings before a man was senf across the home plate. Davenport won in the sixteenth on singles by Harrod and Hughes and a wild throtf from the field by Shea, Decatur's cen ter fielder. Both Hughes and Barr? pitched great ball. Central League. Pitclifer Teddy Corbett has been pur chased by Portland from the St. Paul club. The Seattle club has purchased Catcher Cliff Blankenship from the Cincinnati club. Catcher John B. McLean of the Pqrtland team and Miss Rose M. Knepper of St. Louis were married at Los Angeles, June 10. Gus Klopf has “yumped his yob” as umpire in the Pacific Coast league. The life was a bit too strenuous for Gus, w'ho got the hammer good and plenty in every town. W. B. Bray has been appointed to succeed Klopf. There has not been a .300 hitter in this league to date this season. Not a player, not even a fielder, has hit up to this mark. No wonder Morlej wants to do something for more bat ting. The Webfooters have at last taken a brace and have risen from the cellar to third place. The Portland boys are bittiDg opportunely and although the pitching_staff is not in the best of con dition, the twirlers are all working hard and playing good ball. Pete Lobmaa. the veteran catcher with the Oakland team, proposes that the rules be changed so that the same rule which applies to ninners at first apply to the plate. This would dc away with tie mixups which follow sn effort to touch a runner sliding home, in wh-*.h any number of catch ers are knocked out every year. I 0 Few Timepieces in Liberia A young negro from Liberia, George H. Northam, is now visiting this coun try, from which his parents emigrated to the negro republic many years ago, spoke of an interesting phase of the trade in Liberia. “It is a curious fact that we buy very few clocks. They are regarded, I know, as an essential part of the furnishings of the home in ail civilized countries. The comparatively small number of our people who have fairly good incomes have clocks in their houses. But most of the Liberians are farmers and laborers, and they never think of purchasing a clock. The fact is, they have little use for clocks, and I think the reason will interest you. “You know', our country is only a few degrees north of the equator. The result is that for a good part of the year the sun rises at exactly 6 o'clock, or within a few' minutes of it, and sets at 6 o’clock. Here are two points of time quite accurately fixed for us. “Then when the sun is directly overhead it is noon. Of course, the sun in its apparent movements be tween the tropics of Cancer and Capri corn varies a little in these positions, but only a little anywhere in the trop ics, and the most ignorant of our peo p!e soon become expert in determin ing the time for all positions of the sun. “I do not suppose there is a man or woman in Liberia who cannot tell the time in any part of the clay with in fifteen minutes of the true time, and usually with a closer approxima tion. When the farmer is in the field he knows exactly when to go home to dinner, and his wife has the meal waiting for him as he reaches the house. “If he has an appointment at 3 * ^ p. m., and also has the habit of punc tuality, he meets his engagement al most on the minute. Our farmers say they have not the slightest use for clocks. I presume Liberia is the only country with any claim to civilization that does not regard clocks as neces sary in the business o£ life. “I am told that down in the Congo Free State the missionaries teach the natives to read the information that a clock gives. This is very well as a matter of information, but the natives understand the relation of the sun to the time of day as well as we do. and I do not think a large number of clocks will ever be sold to them.”— , New York Sun. Easy to Be Mathematicians A certain representative in con gress from a Brooklyn district used to teach school. Yesterday he met a former pupil in the person of a pros perous young merchant of Manhattan, who now has youngsters of his own old enough for school. The merchant is as mild-mannered a man as one could hope to find. “Congressman,” said the business man, “do you remember telling my father once what a remarkable mathe matician I was developing into?” “Very well,” said the representative. “Have you retained your interest in mathematics?” “No. I never had any interest in mathematics,” said the business man. “Indeed!” said the representative; “why you were the best mathemati cian I ever had.” The business man laughed. “Say, do you remember what a re markable class you thought ours was for mathematics?” he asked. “The best the school ever had,” the legislator declared. “And do you remember how often ‘Fat’ McGowan used to fall down stairs?” The representative had forgotten “Fat’s” mishaps. “Well,” said the business man, “for the sake of speed in class work, you used to list the names in the class, and after each name put the answer to the problem given out to that particular pupil. I've forgotten who it was that discovered that you kept this list on your desk, but one of us did, and after that we used to get you out of the room in some way long enough to copy that list. We had a good many different contrivances, but the favorite one was to have ‘Fat’ McGowan ask to leave the room and then fall down stairs. While you were out picking up ‘Fat’ we used to run to your desk and get the answers to the problems. “I will say, though,” he added, “that you made me ashamed of myself once during that performance. After you told my father what a fine math#mati cian I was becoming he gave me half a dollar. I can remember even now that I was a little ashamed to take the old man’s 50 cents.”—New York Press. An Old Kentucky Earthquake ■ - ^ ... — - ■ 1 ■■.... -.- • • -. This vivid description of an earth quake was written by Audobon, the naturalist. It occurred in the year 1812: “Traveling through the bar rens of Kentucky in the month of No vember, I was jogging on one after noon when I remarked a sudden and strange darkness risiag from the west ern horizon. I had proceeded about a mile when I heard what I imagined to be the distant rumbling of a violent tornado, on which 1 spurred my steed, with a wish to gallop as fast as possi ble to a place of shelter; but it would not do; the animal knew better than I what was forthcoming, and instead of going faster, so nearly stopped that I remarked he placed one foot after another on the ground with as much precaution as if walking on a smooth sheet of ice. I thought he had sud denly foundered, and, speaking to him, was on the point of dismounting and leading him, when he all of a sudden fell a-groaning piteously, hung his head, spread out his four legs as if to save himself from falling, and stood stock still, continuing to groan. “I thought my horse was about to die, and would have sprung from his back had a minute more elapsed, but at that instant all the shrubs and trees began to move from their very roots, the ground rose and fcdl in suc cessive furrows, like the ruffled wat ers of a lake, and I became bewil dered in my ideas, as I too plainly dis covered that all this awful commotion in nature was the result of an earth quake. The fearful convulsion, how ever, lasted only a few minutes, and the heavens again brightened as quick ly as they had become obscured; my horse brought his feet to their natural position, raised his head and galloped off as if loose and frolicking without a rider. “Shock succeeded shock almost every day or night for several weeks, 'diminishing, however, so gradually as to dwindle away into mere vibrations of the earth. Strange to say, I for one became so accustomed to the feel ing as rather to enjoy the fears mani fested by others. The earthquake pro duced more serious consequences in other places.” Tells of Japanese Traits Traitors among the Japanese officers are not treated pleasantly when their miseonduct is discovered. Bennet Burleigh in his new book on Japan tells of an instance. Two Japanese transports laden with men, stores and heavy siege artillery had been sud denly attacked by the Russian Vladi vostok squadron; one was sunk, the other escaped with difficulty. Who had given the information of the sail ing of these ships? “The Japanese made search to find out who had blabbed and ultimately traced it to a high official in Tokyo, one holding sea rank and engaged in the admiralty. A Russian check for a large sum was traced into his hands. He was con fronted with it and his receipt signa ture thereon. Then he was led into a secluded room, where a number of his fellow officers had gathered. They stripped him naked, spat upon him and kicked him to death.” An odd practice of firing the same shells two or even three times devel oped during the siege of Port Arthur. Mr. Burleigh says: “The Russians’ supply of big-gun shells completely gave out, so continuous search was made for unexploded Japanese mis siles. These, when found, we fired back from our guns and in some in stances shells were found which had been twice fired at us by the Japa nese. The fact that such was the case was shown by the copper gas check bands, as our rifling is in the opposite direction to that of the Japa nese guns, the bands Oowmg two marks of their twist and toe of ours.” Concerning the curious Japanese custom of carrying song birds when out for a walk the same author com ments: “Yes, it seems ridiculous to see an oriental bearing a cage on either hand when he goes out for a ramble, with song birds for compan ions; no stick and no dog. But our grandfathers laughed consumediy when they saw the first umbrella opened in London. It seems but yes terday that I saw a lovely blossoming tree in a Tokyo junk shop, kept there solely for the owner’s private delec tation.” A Cruelly Deceived Woman If it wasn’t for the children the woman would get a divorce. She has been deceived for ten years. That is the period of her married life. The courtship leading up to that nuptial contract covered two years. In that time the man and woman wrote man} letters. The woman wrote 746 and the man 715. The day betore the wed ding the woman said: “Henry, have you kept all my let ters?’’ “Every one,” u id H«nry. “How sweet oi you,” murmured the woman. '“Now, I’ll tell you what we will do. I have made two sofa pillows, one for you and one for me. Instead of stuffing them with cotton or feath ers or sweet balsam we will fill them with our old love letters and keep them forever and ever. Won’t that be lovely?” Henry said he thought it would be. So the woman gave him his pillow cover. It was very pretty, also it was J appropriate. It was made of green ' satin, embroidered in gold. It said 1 “From one I love.” His pillow also was an ornate affair. As soon as the woman and her husband went to housekeeping she placed the two pil lows side by side on the sofa. When they began to get dusty she packed them away in scented tissue paper and put them in a dark claset. Once a week she took them out and patted them and said. “Dear Henry.” One day last week the woman re membered a certain poetic effusion ^ she had one time written to Henry T She wished to see just how she had worded it, so she opened the soft pi.* low and looked for the letter. It was not*there. none of her letters were there. Instead of stuffing his pillow with her .loving epistles Henry, the wretch, had used old bills and busi ness letters and circulars, because, as he shamelessly admitted when taxed with his disloyalty, he didn’t want to / take chances on being made to feel like a fool by having “all that tommy rot brought up against him when he ^ reached the age of gray hairs and dl» cretion.” \