SPREADING LIGHT IN ASIA. r I! mA dnngcrotifl business too clangor- s -nus lor mo: i wonucr now uicao lire- men Ret tho ncrvo to rlak tholr llvoa llko UintT" nml tho grocery clerk who liad lioon watching a crow of flromon liulld a chain of ladders up tho sheor, fiald Rldo of tho blazing tenement liouso opposite, dodged to get out of tho way of a tiro engine. Unmindful of tho suffocating nmoko and tho flamea, firemen wero sailing lho high wnll. By means of ladders, 'consisting of hickory stlcka, from which branched short pogs for steps on either bIiIc, with a hook nt tho end, 'to hang tho ladder from tho window sill above, thoy built a porpcndlculnr Btalrcaso from tho pavement to tho roof. Then, climbing nimbly from sill o sill, thoy begnn tho work of res cuo. Tying ropos around tho half razod tenement dwellers, they low crod them swiftly, but snfely, to tho utroot, or, grasping children In tholr arms, thoy themselves sprnng Into tho .air, and by moanB of tho life ropo twlstod around tho hooks In tholr "belts, they slid down to tho street aa lightly .as a ball of down. Thoso who, llko tho grocery clerk, wonder how tho fireman gets his mervo, imny lenru tho reason by visit ing flro ihuadquarters, In East Sixty seventh street. In tho big yard to itho rear, which faccB In Sixty-eighth wtreot, tho raw recruits who hopo omo day to wear tho bluo uniform and flro nx buttons of a Now York Jlroman, nro taught how to savo llfo, and, most of nil, how to get n llr.0 Mian's nerve. ' Tho morning class was thus bolng put through tholr round of work ono day recently, nnd one of ,ho pupils liad fastened his scaling ladder In tho top window on tho sixth' lloor of tho I-'Iro Headquarters building, on tho .rear of which tho then aro drilling, j-whon Capt. Andrew F. Fltzgorald, who ,vas Instructing tho class In tho ah- isonco of tho chle'.', shouted: .,. . "1,oy. thoro,. No. 4, what's tho mat- orr Afraid'" Tho man had fnstoned jus 'oador aiVl was climbing up to tho window nbovlp with a cautious, ner- .vous tread, nk ir ho expocted overy 'instant tho bidder ho wns on would .urealc and ho (would go crnshlng down into tho llfo nlot below. No. 4 mndii no !;BWcr' b,,t I'nly clung to tho ladder ;WWf,,pt" Hhouted tho Instruc- -7fn'6"?iig'3 your hands, your ladder Is """uHut." ,Jt No- climbed still moru cautiously, and reaching tho troof at last, slowly drew himself over Itho jpdgo. "That follow will never mako a fire- .man," said tho Instructor, In an under- tono. "Ho wants to do tho work, but ho can't. Ho can't got tho ncrvo." jiThon, aftor a pause, tho captain said: "Now watch this man ami seo tho difference. TIiIb fellow Is born for tho business." Turning around to the class, ho shouted: "No. G, build n chain." No. 5 leaped from hU scat, graspod scaling ladder, hung tho two-foot stool hook at Its end on tho sill of tho second story window, and then, lightly tWmi If P. lilf i-iJIL WW It if Using Life-Lines and 8callng Ladders, as a cat ho climbed up Its peg steps, ltoachlng tho second story sill, ho fastoncd tho hook nt his belt Into tho laddor and then throw back his body till it hung at an nnglo of thirty do rees to tho wall. Hero ho wnltod until a comrado from below reached tip to him another scaling laddor. With his body still hanging by tho hook, No. 5 quickly hung tho ladder liardod htm, to tho sill of tho third story window, nnd then, unfastening Tils hook, ho nimbly climbed up to tho next story. Again ho hooked himself fast, caught another lndder, hooked It Into tho next window and so, quick ly and apparently without tho least fenr or shrinking, mounted to tho roof with n dash and a spring, which mailo the crowd of children who wero watch ing Mm In Sixty-eighth street, give a mingled howl of torror and admira tion. With tho samo confidence In himself, No. 5 descended from his lofty perch, unhooked tho ladders, passed them down to tho mon below him, nnd finally leaped to tho ground with a broad smile on his face. Tho Instructor had not said a word through tho whole performance, until No. 5 had taken his sent, when ho said: "Good work, No. 5. No. 7, build a chain," and another man started t Firemen Using the Scaling Ladders tc Get From a Window to the Roof, Over a Cornice, repent tho feat. After tho work ot building chains of Indders, teams of two men each wero put to work "standing on the sills," and thus ono man would stand on the sill of n win dow, and hook a ladder Into tho win dow above, while his comrado would stand Inside nnd hold fast to his belt. In this way two men, with a slnglo ladder, would quickly mount to tho roof. Tho font of "straddling tho sills" followed, where a man without tho help of a comrado within, hung to a window nnd hooked his ladder Into the casement nbove. "I wouldn't order any or them to do that kind of work when they first eomo hero" said tho Instructor. "I don't believe In endangering tho lives of tho men. I work them higher us thoy develop nerve. All these mon aro what aro called probationary men. After making out an application for a position on tho force, they aro given a mental and physical examination, nnd If successful thoy aro sent hero for Instruction. After tho three weeks ot work here, learning to handlo scal ing InddorB, to tlo knots, and, most of all. to got norvo, tho probationary man Is assigned to a flro station, where ho learns tho alarms, tho ap paratus of trucks, engines, harness and all tho various appliances of flro machinery. After ho has shown hi? fitness hero ho gets his uulform." "How mnny of ;:ics- probationary men get tholr uniforms?" was asked. "Nearly all," was tho answor. "Xhoso follows linvo matlo up their mind to bo flromon before they mako application. Thoy have a pretty good Idea of the work. Although they do not, perhaps, realize fully the hard ships of tho life, they know It Is no barkeeper's Job. They como to tho training yard and seo what a course of sprouts thoy will bo put through, and tho cownrds quit beforo thoy start A few llko No. 4 show soon that thoy can't got their norvo, and drop out from sheor fright. Tho out sldor says that wo risk our lives. Woll, wo do sometimes; but, as tho llfo Insurance companies will toll you, thoro Is no greater porcentago of denths among firemen than In tho average tade. And that Is becauso wo hove confidence In ourselves. In other words, wo get norvo. They fol- low this llfo becauso thoy lovo It." New York Exchange. The Pleasures of Polo. James II. Proctor of tho Myopia Hunt club, Boston, treasures a unlquo souvenir of his last gamo of polo. Ho recently received a terrific blow In tho mouth from an opponent's club. Tho Jaw was broken and ono tooth loft deeply Imbedded In tho bend of tho mallet. This pleco of Ivory In Its wooden setting is now ono ot tho most conspicuous trophies In Mr. Proctor's collection. First Railway In 1825. Europe had Its first railway In 1825, America two yours later. THE LC9T When yen have p-tsard, nnd earth, grown dark liehlnd you, I.tca far upon the outworn verse of tlrno, When my hand, searching, mny nu longer Und you In nny clime, If I but dream your utep by bill or hollow Has left It. eeho falling on tho wind, I will arise uml Klnl myself nml follow ThoiiKh I bo blind. Or If clear sighted, I hall but discover That, In the. dew ot dawn, your foot prints ll) Where, through long fields, tho nlilitlliu; of the pluvi r Comes like n rich. And should they leutl me down to Death's MICHIGAN AT Whnt part did Michigan take In tho battle of Gettysburg, tho crowning vic tory of the civil wnr, nnd what was her loss? Of tho seventocu loyal Btntes engaged, her loss was tho third In numbers and the first In the propor tion to tho numbers engaged. Tho following- Michigan organizations, numbering 4.S34 men, wero engaged at the bnttle of Gettysburg: First Michigan Infantry, Third Michigan In fantry, Fourth Michigan Infantry, Fifth Michigan Infantry, Sev enth Michigan Infantry, Six teenth Michigan Infantry and Twenty-fonrth Michigan Infantry, Companies C, I, K nun IS, Herdan's Sharpshooters; Duttery I, First Ar tillery; Michigan Brigade of Cavalry under the gallant Custer, consisting of the First Michigan Cavalry. Fifth Michigan Cavalry. Sixth Michigan Cavalry and Seventh Michigan Caval ry. MIchlgnn hud killed, wounded and missing, 1,131; killed, 191.'. Many died afterwards from wounds receiv ed. In 1S87 the legislature of Michigan appropriated $20,000 for monuments to be erected on tho battlclloid In tho "A MONTANA BLUFF" What Is regarded ns one of tho tall est "bluffs" on record furnished Capt. Edgar Russell, chief signal officer in tho Philippines during the Insurrec tion, with u story, which ho tells as au example of western nerve. "Wo wero outbldo of Manila In some little scrap," said the captain, "and about seventy-five natives wero lying In a trench ahead ot us, shoot ing away merrily, but not hitting any body. "By and by I noticed a little dis turbance In our front. Presently four Montana troopers trotted out of our Hno3 and started straight for tho Fili pinos. Everybody looked at them with wonder, and waited to seo them all killed. Ilullcts whistled nil nround them, but they never halted. "Slowly, just at n trot, they Jogged GIRL MADE GOOD SOLDIER A story Is told that whllo tho Union army was at und near Chattanooga, Col. Burke, of tho Tenth Ohio, ex changed a largo number of prisoners with tho rebels. Tho colonel noticed a particularly natty young soldier among thoso ho received. Tho soldier gave tho namo "Frank Henderson, and cnld "ho" belonged to tho Nlnetoontli Illinois. It developed that this soldier was a young girl, and that sho and her brother at tho outset of tho war, had enlisted in tho Eleventh Illinois. Tho pair wero orphans and woro devoted to each other. Sho could not bear tho thought of being soparated from tho brother who had been her only companion from babyhood. At tho expiration of her enlistment for three months In this regiment sho was WHEN STEEDMAN LAUGHED "Among tho Ohio Democrats who wero In tho army early," said tho cap tain, "was Gen. James B. Steedman, and ho has a monument at Toledo. Steedman had been a canal contractor and a '49er, and was given to rough usage of mon, and when his regiment, tho Fourteenth Ohio, was organized, the boys did not tnko kindly to their colonel's rough language and ready profanity. On ono occasion ho order ed a sergeant on duty to remove a pile of cracker boxes from a particu lar spot In camp and to do It as quick as the Lord would lot him. as ho had decided that his own tent must stand Just whoro somo lnfernnl idiot had placed tho boxes. "Tho sergeant, Irritated, but not THE FOURTH Ono of tho most famous organiza tions in Washington on tho occasion of tho Grnnd Army encampment was tho Fourth Army corps. Tho corps wub distinctly a lighting machine. It was born of a great battle. It obtained Its namo and splendid birthright from tho consolida tion of tho Twontlcth and Twenty first army corps, which had boon re duced In numbers on account of dis ease nnd bnttle losses, aftor Chlcku innugn. No body or defenders of the Union saw and boro moro of tho brunt of the groat strugglo than this organl- TRACK. black liver And, by tbo rooks 1 bear tho whirl pools Hllll, Though Iwart and soul shall quail and body quiver, I will wndu In. O Iteartl beyond tho tumult of the cross ing If thero should bo no voice nor any truce, Only strange wind on leagues of gruaaes forming And the wide space, Only Eternity with world to wander, A soul milling the unknown souls of men, And, u my heart, no clue, no footprint yonder. What then? What then? GETTYSBURG different positions held by the differ ent organizations, Tho Infantry regl1 Wilts' monuments cost each $1,350 the sharpshooters, $500 each, the bat lory $1,000 and tho cavalry brigade ono monument, cost $5,100. Tho First Michigan monument Is located 01 what Is known on the battlefield at "The I.oup;' tho Third Michigan In fantry In tho Peach Orchard; tho Fourth Michigan Infantry In the Whcatneld; the Fifth MIchlgnn In fantry on Cemetery Itldgo; the Six teenth Michigan Infantry on Little Koinul Top; the Twonty-fouth Michi gan Infantry In Reynolds Grove near Wlliowby Run; the Sharpshooters on Little Round Top; the Battery Monu ment on Cemetery Rldgo; tho monu ment of the Cavalry Urlgado located on Runnel's Farm, about three miles east of the vllluge of Gettysburg. The monuments were dedicated on tho 12th of .Juno. 1SS0. They nro a credit to our noblo stato, and tho people ot MIchlgnn can take a Just pride In her volunteer soldiers who fought In this glorious battle and the grand monu ments erected to their memory on the battlefield or Gettysburg. D. G. Crotty, In Detroit Free Press. on toward the enemy. Tho nntlvcs tired and fired, but for so mo unknown reason did not hit. On nnd on went tho quartet, disdaining cover. "At last, there was a. shout, and, to our utter astonishment, we beheld the seventy-flvo Filipinos Jump out of their trenches and take to their heels In mad flight. The nerve of the Mon tana troopers was too much for them. "When thoy had all fled, throwing tholr rillos awny as they ran, tho troopers came back, their arms full of guns. That Is what the army has como to call 'a Montana bluff.' It's a sort of nerve that lota a man open a jackpot on a pair of deuces." Now York Tribune. Nothing Is so great an Instnncc of Ill-manners as flattery. Swift. mustered out, and next enlisted In the Third Illinois, where her sex wns not discovered. In that rcg'.mont sho made a most excellent record, but being wounded In ono of tho engage ments, sho was again discharged and sent home, only to re-enllst in the Nineteenth Illinois. Sho served In all tho battles of Col. O'Mara'a regiment and finally was taken prisoner at Holly Springs. Tho girl soldter was taken to Atlan ta, Ga. Thoro In attempting to escape sho was shot In tho leg, 'but oven In her confinement to the prison hospital her sex was not discovered. After recovering from tho wound Inflicted by tho prison guard sho was sent to Graysvllle, where sho was exchanged. She was sent to her Illinois home. frightened, looked ovor tho ground, returned, saluted, and asked, 'Whero will you have tho boxea put, colonel?' Tho colonel rose In his wrath and told tho sergeant ho was a blankoty blank fool. Tho sergeant saluted again and said: 'But whoro will you havo tho boxes put, colonel?' Steedman roared: 'Tako them away, mau, I don't caro whoro; tako them to holl.' To this tho imperturbable sergeant replied with a salute, 'Excuso mo, colonol, but wouldn't thoy bo moro out of your way and less likely to trouble you again If I took thorn to heavon?' Steedman was amazed, but ho turned his back on the sergeant to laugh In tho face of his adjutant aa ho murmured, 'Tnko him away.'"- ARMY CORPS bation. It consisted of seventy-six roglments of infantry nnd nlno bat teries ot artillery, who boro their, colors to tho front on ninny a hotly contested field. Tho states represented in tho corps wero as follows: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Mis souri, Kansas and Wisconsin, Tho three divisions of tho corps wero com manded by Major Gonornls David S. Stauloy, Philip H. Sheridan, and Thomas J. Wood. Goncral Granger soon gavo placo to Gen. O. O. Howard, and Sheridan to Gen. John Nowtou. UrJt iCfrtop'Jolj'o K&bomtyipg 'RE'S my neighbor hav ing tho outside of his house cnlcltnlned," grit 111 b led Herr Mayer, under his breath, "and I can't afford It for mlnot" He looked disconsolately at the workman who wns preparing to begin the Job. Tho latter w&h. going about It languidly, with nn Incident air of abstraction, after the manner of house painters. He had not finished tho pro llnilnnrles before the clock struck mid day. Then he took from his dinner pail the wherewithal to compensate him for so much physical exertion, and, after consuming It, with the con comitant ration of a quart of beer, stretched himself out at full length upon the scaffold. Soon afterward he was sound asleep, snoring with that full-toned vigor which bellts an honest heart and an unclouded conscience. Into the brain of the onlooker, who was not overblessed with this world's goods, there flashed the Idea of a traitorous plot, as ho eyed the slum bering figure. His neighbor was ab sent for a couple of days on a Journey. The street was deserted. "Quick" he cried to nis faithful spouse. With her nld he moved tho scaffold, with tho sleeping painter still upon It, moat cautiously from tho front of ono house to that of tho other, and then hastened back to his chamber to noto, from behind tho curtains, the progress of events. After a good half hour tho painter got up, rubbed his eyes und yawned, and then began to daub tbo house, which to strain an Idiom had boon placed under his nose. Tho good man did not observe the change, but work ed on and on, and so diligently that actually two drops of sweat fell from his heated brow. Having finished the Job, tho painter sinV-, with a self-satisfied smirk was Just refilling his plpo when suddenly Herr Mayer, apparently much nstonlshod, emerged from his house, and ex cluimed: "Who gavo you the order to calci mine this house?" "Who gavo me the order? Why, tho Herr household of the house, Herr Muller, of course!" "Herr Muller! But tho next ono Is Herr Muller'tJ house; and this Is mine. Confusion to you!" shouted Herr Mnyer, with simulated anger, while In wardly laughing at tho chopfallon pnlnter. "Blank tho blankoty-blnnk-blank-blank!" audibly sighed the latter. "There's nothing for mo to do but to calcimlno tho right house to-morrow and charge tho Herr household, Herr Muller, for two days work, is there, sir? What do you Bay to that?" "Why, nothing nt all!" laughed Herr Mayor, and he vanished within bis own door, smiling llko the open faco of a Waterbury watch. From tho Fllgendo Blnetter: Trans lated by Vanbenort Dupree lu tho Now York Times. An Unfortunate Giant. At Warrnnnbool, Victoria, Australia, an application for an "old-ngo pension" has recently been mudo on behalf ot a young mnn, named M'Lean, whoso height is 7 feet 4 Inches and his ago twenty-four years. It was stated that owing to a heart weakness this youthful Goliath would never bo ablo to work, and that hu had no ono to rely on for support. For some time ho had been an Inmate of tho local hospital, whero two beds had to be placed together In order to accommo date uIb recumbent form. Gen. Booth's Long Tour. William Booth, tho vencrnblo Salva tion Army leath has a largo Itinerary laid out for his visit to this country that is, largo for a man of 73. He will go as far west as San Francisco, south to Birmingham, Ala., and cast to Boston. Tho tour will bogln Nov. 9 and will Include twenty-flvo of the I principal cities, i 1 I III -"TV, j ( y,', . i i'l Lm Tii I 'Octj JL " civ t ' 7 (Villi iVllfeSl ' ' fi'S IB! I ji Rallroadc Being Laid Over Scenes of Former Barbaric Splendor. The distant nnd almost legendary regions In Asia Into which Russia la Infusing a now civilizing spirit al ways oxert over tho Imagination a peculiar attraction. New Interest Is dlrectod to them by the extension of tbo trans-Casptati railway southward towards tho Porslan Gulf. Tho sandy composition of the soil explains the, desolation of tho land, overal con turlos of comparative sloV'i and neg lect on tho part of tho Inhabitants hav ing Intervened slnco tho time when it was highly productive and boasted of flourishing towns. Merv Itself, ono of the lnrgest and most magnificent cities of Contral Asia, was swallowed up by tho sand and destroyed In the eighth contury. Its ruins still glvo an Idea of Its former greatness. But tho city of this region above all others whose name awakens tho memories of an heroic past Ib Samarcand, known also as Maracanda. It Ib one of tho oldest; cities of the world, and has witnessed many of tho mighty events of history. At Samarcand Is still seen tho Kok Tasche. a throne or stone upon which tho ceremony of coronation was per formed, ono of the finest relics of tho reign of Tamerlane. It la an Im mense block of grayish granite, with black veins running through It, flank od by four pillars and guarded by a balustrade. On this stone Tanicrlann Remains of University of Chlrdar. f gave audience to foreign ambassadors and to messengers and 'petltloneri from all parts of his vast empire. H nlso sat ujion It when pronouncing Judgment of llfo and death, and a great vaso of stono near at hand re ceived tho hcadB of the countless vic tims who were executed beforo hli eyes. For the Western visitor the point ol chief interest In Samarcand is the plaza called RIghistan, which, consid ered lu Its relation to the rest of tha city and tho veneration In which It la hold by the natives, may well bo com 9 pared to tho Piazza dl San Marco, al Venice. Hero was tho University ol Chlrdar, once so famous In tho Orien tal world. Architecturally, its ro mains are still beautiful. FINE INSTINCT OF ANIMALS. Seem to Know at What Season to Fear Human Beings. An English periodical says: The Instinct whereby wild creatures dotect thoso of the human species who are likely to be hostile to them nnd thoso who may bo regnrded as harmless Is of so subtle a quality that It almost appears to partnke of tho nature of metaphysics. In tho nesting season plovers will actually buffet the angler who Is fishing too close to their broods; but by tho date of tho shoot ing season they would not allow him to get within two fields of them. The wood pigeon soems to know exactly tho range of tho modern fowling piece and will flash boldly past at an inter val of 100 yards and upward, but Is careful quickly to put a tree between himself nnd a sportsman It disturbed at any rango within gunshot. The foi knows that ho Is sacred from gum and will audaciously seize a fallen pheasant and decamp with It within twenty paces of a retriever; ho li quite awn 10 that tho latter Is no fox hound. Hawk Who Reasoned. A strange instance of sagacity to two peregrines is reported. They had often been seen following trains Id Croatia, Hungary, without any ex planation suggesting Itself. Ono after noon tho train suddenly put up 1 envoy of young partridges. Down swooped tho hawk at tho covoy, ami carried off one of them, and this gav the answer to tho riddle. Tho cun ning bird had surely noticed, while soaring for his pleasure, that tho nols of tho train often put up game, and this gavo him the Idea of making us of tho train as a beater for his cspo clal benefit. New England Fish Harvest. The total harvest of sea fish sold al Gloucester and Boston, which are tha principal markets, during the past year, officially reported, amounted tc 162,218,921 pounds, worth $4,385,102, of which the Newfoundland banks pro duced more than 65,000,000 pounds, while tho grounds off tho New Eng land coast yielded nearly 97,000,00? pounds. Helen Gould's Bodyguard. Whllo traveling MU3 Helen Gould la constantly attended by a man named Tutt, who acts as hor bodyguard. One of his special functions Is to keep ko dak floods from taking pictures of Miss Gould. During his long sorvlco ho has boon arrested sovoral tlmoa fer smashing cameras, but Miss Gould, of course, always gots Cm q;. of the trouble. He Is a giant In staturo and weight. Increased Use of Coke. Coko, a byproduct In the manufac ture of gas, has IncreaseJ 200 por cent In price In five years. '