THE H'COOK TRIBUNE.
SUPPLEMENT.
McCOOK , NEB
JIOUS'EHOIiD HINTS.
Slain on cups and saucers may ti
removed by rubbingwith ashes.
When sponge cake becomes dry it is
.nice to cut in thin slices and toast.
/ If ntitmecs are ejood when pricked
: wilh a pin , oil will instantly ooze out.
To remofre mildew , soak Jn butter
milk and spread ou the grass in the
sun.
sun.Boiled
Boiled starch can be much improved
by the addition of a little sperm or a
little salt , or both , or a little dissolved
gum arabic.
' Never put salt iuto soup when coolc-
'injr till it has been thoroughly skim
med , us salt prevents the scum from
rising.
If mattings , counterpanes or bod-
spreads have oil spots on them , wet
with alcohol , rub with hard soap , and
then ricse with clear , cold water.
A liquid black lead for polishinc
staves is made by adding to eacli
pound of black lead one gill of tur
pentine , one gill of water , and one
ounce of sugar.
To keep insects out of bird cases tie
up a little sulphur in a bag and sus
pend it in the cage , lied ants will
never bo found in closet or drawer if
a small bag of sulphur be kept con
stantly in these places.
When a cold snap comes suddenly
you can best protect the plants in the
windows by putting some newspapers
between the glass and the inside shut
ters , or by covering up the sash with
newspapers , so as to pad all the
ci neks.
Hugs are pictures now a days , and
are valued accord'ngly. Handsome
ones are as often Ining up against a
blank wall or a dead white door as
they are put to use under foot.
Lounges and square arm chairs are
frequently upholstered with some rich ,
soft rug instead of other material.
Apple Custard Make a custard of
four beaten eggs , three pints of milk ,
one cup of sugar and a little salt.
Into this stir one pint of stewed ,
sweetened and seasoned apples , and
bake half an hour in a quick oven. Or
use live eggs keeping out the white of
two with which to forst the top ) , and
brown in the oven. No sauce re
quired.
A delicious prune pudding is made
by stewing a pound of prunes till they
are soft , remove the stones , add sugar
to your taste , and whites of three eggs
beaten to a still'froth. Make a pull
paste for bottom of pudding dish. Af
ter beating the eggs and prunes to
gether till they are thoroughly mixed ,
spread them on the crust Bake for
half an hour , or until you are sure the
crust is done.
Ravigote sauce is made by chopping
lino two-thirds of a tablespooniul each
of tarragon , pepporgrass and chervil
and half a teaspoonml of celery and
of burnot. Put all in a saucepan with
a little salt and peeper ; cover with
broth ; set it on the tiro and let it boil
for twenty minutes ; then strain. Mix
two ounces of butter with enough Hour
to make a paste : put it on the lire with
the sauce , adding a tablespo < nfull of
vinegar. Simmer until the Hour is
cooked , and serve.
Potato Soup Wash and peel one
dozen medium sized potatoes , put them
into a saucepan with two onions ; add
three quarts of corued beef water ; boil
one hour and a half , until the potatoes
fall to pieces ; pour the soup through il
sieve and rub the potato through it to
a line pulp ; put the whole in the sauce
pan again ; when very hot add a pint
of hot , rich cream ; salt and pepper , if
necessary ; whisk thoroughly ; pour in
to a tureen ; add croutons and serve.
The Cook.
To Preserve Pears Cook them in
water until they are soft , having pre
viously weighed them , after paring
nnd'cor'ng. Set them aside to drain.
Take three-quarters of a pound of
sugar for every pound of fruit ,
the juice and "thin pared rind of
: i lemon to each four pounds.
Take of the water in whicn the
pears were boiled a gill for every
pound of sugar. Cook this with the
flavoring until it has boiled for fully
five minutes , and is well skimmed.
Then add the fruit and cook for lif teen
minutes.
How Humorists are Paid.
The remains of the late Henry G.
Shaw are daily expected from Cali
fornia , and the question has been
raised whether his epitaph should not
be in that phonetic spelling in which
his utterances appear Both Artemus
Ward and Josh Billings are illustra
tions of a style of humor in wliich few
succeed , although they had many imi
tators ; and they also show how profit
able such a gift can be made. Arte
mus Ward died early , and yet he had
received enough to have made him
rich had it been properly cared for.
Josh Billings , who was too much of a
Yankee to let money slip through , his
lingers , leaves $100,000 , and perhaps
more. These men also were prolitablc
to their publisher ( Carleton ) , who no
doubt cleared nearly as much as the
authors. Humor has paid better in
America than in great Britain , where ,
indeed , jokes seldom turn into money.
The three funny men of the present
day Artemus Ward , Josh Billings and
Mark Twain received a colden tribute
from the public such as would have
astonished Tom Hood and other wits
of London , whose poverty and other
misfortunes have so often awakened
sympathy. New York Letter to the
Cincinnati Enquirer.
A Suspicious Symplon.
A young man recently called on Dr.
Perkins Soonover , of Austin.
"Doctor I am not feeling right. I
believe a change of climate would do
me good. "
v "Are yon the cashier of a bank ? "
"
asked th"o doctor , who is of a suspicious
disposition. Texas Siflings.
New Fork police magistrates get tho same
pay SIB cabinet officers , bes'des frhlch tbere
arc peiqn sites unknown to the latter.
WOMISST WHO SPECULATE.
Choir Successes and Failures Actresses
Who Dabble iu Stocks.
New York Mail and Express.
"That women speculate and do not
stop at ordinary ventures I know to
be a fact , " said a prominent banker ,
when approached on thesubject ; "but
they usually employ men to do their
work. You see , they cannot operate
in person because of the prejudice of
their own sex , but they can study and
scheme and direct and this is what
they do. The cases in this city where
brokers carry heavy lines of stock un
der their own nanies which really be-
loiig.to their clients are not a few , I
can tell you. These women , however ,
do not all live in New York. Bless
your heart , they represent every coun
ty in the State and , for all I know ,
every city and town. They are usual
ly women who have inherited proper
ty , wards of indulgent guardians or
women who have , seen the world.
By this I mean women who have trav
eled and learned of the wonderful
achievements in the stock line of some
noted foreigners ; titled or untitledand
desire to outshine them. "
"And are they successful ? "
As a rule , yes. "Women have a
very keen appreciation of the 'per
haps. ' Then , again , they are content
with a small margin of profit. And ,
finally , they seldom play , like a man ,
for a four-time winner , as it were , to
press" the limit. If the purchase of
to-day shows a gain they are content
to pocket that gain , rather than wait
for another advance to-morrow ,
which advance is not always sure to
come. "
"But if they lose- '
"They lose as little as possible by
getting clear of thsir stock as soon as
they see it is going contrary to the
way they want it to go. They are
very philosophical and cautious , arc
these same women. But all the wom
en who are represented on the street
mid in the exchanges are not moneyed
parties by long odds. "
"No ? "
"Far from it. Many a woman sends
her last $10 to put up her margin
when the day shall begin. "
"Ishould not think a broker would
bother with a business so small. "
"The brokers in those
cases are us
ually the woman's brother , sweet
heart or cousin. She wheedles a few
bank notesout of papa and gives
them to her agent , who in turn gives
them to some small broker , and very
often the miserly little sum of the
morning is quite a respectable bank
account by night. I remember an in
stance when a young woman came to
New York to attend lectures at the
Woman's Medical College. She found
living , tuition and other expenses so
very much more than she had ex
pected that she was not willing to
commence her work until she had re
alized sufficient money to see her
through her studies. Listening to the
advice of a male cousin , she sent § 50
by him to put up as margin on oil.
That $50 in a week's time brought
her back nearly $1,000. "
"All women , however , are not so
successful. "
"I should say not. There are thou
sands of doll jus swallowed , up in mar
gins every day that represent many a
young.woman's pin-money for a
month. Women are natural-born
gamblers. They take to gift enter
prises , lotteries , speculation and bet
ting as a duck does to water. If you
want a good proof of it go any day to
these large tea stores where the pro
prietor gives away a piece of crockery
or a silver-plated spoon with every
pound of ten. You will find women
coming there to buy from districts
miles away. They really spend more
in car fare and time than the gift is
worth , besides getting an inferior
grade in their purchase. The proprie
tor , however , knows their weokness
end profits accordingly. "
"Are there any female brokers in
business in New York ? "
"None that I know of. Men brokers ,
however , have their female aides-
women like VicWoodhull and Tennie
Clafliu and these women are power
ful allies , I can tell you. "
"Whatis their method of operat
ing ? "
"It depends upon circumstances.
As a rule , they seek the confidence of
some recently bereaved widow one ,
bear in mind , who has not been left
moneyless. Then they proceed to ad
vise her against trusting the wicked
men in matters of business , invaria
bly winding up by recommending their
banker or broker as the man above
all others to look after her affairs.
The same plan is followed with young
girls who succeed to legacies or young
women from the country who come to
the city looking for safe investments
for their savings. "
"As a class , what women do you
think have the greatest , use for a
broker ? "
"Actresses. There is hardly an ac
tress in America to-day , that is one of
any note , that does not dabble more
or 'ess in stocks. The reason fbr this
it , I suppose , that no class of men be
et me more intimate with ladies in the
theatric il profession than the banker
and bi ok > r. Confidence , of course , be
gets cont'.deice , and in a short time
the actress has made the plunge iuto
tlie financial maelstrom. There is an
up-town firm of brokers whose busi
ness is almost entirely made up of or
ders from prominent actresses. Mrs.
Langtry , Lotta , Maggie Mitchell , Rose
Coghlan , Modjeska , "Mary Anderson ,
Fanny Davenport , and others of equal
fame all have a , nice little bundle of
good-paying stocks , and , as a ruleare
ready to buy more. "
Arnotix , a young homing pigeon ,
was given wing at Pensacola , Fla. , on
Aug. 3 , and on the 26 hist.vns found
cooing in his cot at Newark , N. J.
The flight up the coast was for the
distance of 1,010 miles. This exploit
places Arnoux fourth in the list. The
smoky-blue hen Alabama stands first ,
that bird having flown from Mont
gomery , Ala. , to Fall River , Mass. , 1-
04.0 miles , from Aug. 21 to Sep. 12.
Progress of Half a Century.
A short time ago Colonel It. M. HOG ,
ttie senior member of the famous Hoe
press manufacturing firm of New
York , went to Baltimore anil paid a-
visit to his old friend , Mr. A. S. Abeli ,
of the Sun , at the lattor's country
seat , Guilford , in Baltimore county.
Both having borne an active part for
a half century in the work or a period
remarkable for its progress in every
field of endeavor , and , while retaining
fully their interest and individuality
in current movements , having exceed
ed the threescore and ten years that
commonly mark the limit of vigorous
old age , their meeting possesses a more
than personal interest. The fifty
years of their friendship and business
activity embrace changes , industrial ,
political , andsocial , that constitute a
veritable revolution in the conditions
of existence as they first knew { .hem.
The world of their early manhood
is hardly recognized to-day. They have
seen the beginning , and have , step by
step , traced the development of most
of the great powers that science has
placed at man's disposal powers , the
utilization of which so sharply distin
guished modern times from tho slug
gish ages that preceded them. Few
persons , perhaps , realize the number
of new agencies placed at our disposal
in the last fifty years , or the vast ex
pansion given in that time to inven
tions and discoveries previously
known. It was within this period
that the Baltimore & Ohio crossed the
Alleghenies , and by its advance to the
Mississippi Valley began the great era
of extended and cheapened transpor-
tion facilities that has so profoundly
modified the industries of the Eastern
States of the Union and of Europe.
Within that period also falls the es
tablishment of the first line of trans-
Atlantic steamships aud the shorten
ing of the time of transit from Europe
to America from fifteen to less than
seven days. The iron .and later the
steel ship has to a very large
extent displaced the wooded ves
sel , in the building of which
Baltimore once excelled. The
wooden man-of-war with its
- - , many
decks and numerous guns , has given
place to a steel fighting machine clad
with metallic armor of immensethick-
news and armed with a few 100-ton
breech-loaders , not to mention loco
motive torpedoes , Gatlings , Norden-
feldts , and other weapons unknown
even by name to our tars a generation
ago. 'The steam engine , which had
fifty years ago accomplished wonders ,
has since been so improved , both
ashore and afloat ? that it now con
sumes but one fourth of the fuel that
it then employed , and has more than
quadrupled its efficiency. The Morse
telegraph has revolutionized business
methods , aud by traversing laud and
sea with its network of hues has co
operated with the railroad to alter
most of the conditions under which
the arts of peace and "war are to be
successfully prosecuted. The tele
phone is a thing of yesterday , but iu
its narrower sphere has already done
much to modify business andsocial
habits. The electric light is a still
more recent application to practical
purposes of a property of elec
tricity long familiar to scientists.
Other great inventions of the last
half-century are the dnguerrotype and
its sequel , the photograph ; the sewing
machine ; the McCormick reaper ; the
use of iron for purposes of construc
"
tion in" houses and bridges ; the Hoe
type revolving cylinder press ; the Bes
semer aud other quick processes of
making steel ; the making of aniline
dyes , and various artificial vegetable
coloring principles from coal tar , and
the introduction of the papier mache
matrix as a resource of the stereo-
typer. Omitting many other things
th.'it deserve mention , it may b ? ob
served generally that there has been a
vast improvement in all the mechani
cal processesso that articles formerly
in the reach of only the wealthy are
te-day to be had at moderate prices.
This has been accomplished by asys
tematic division of labor , which in its
turn has been made possible by tho
phenominally large amount of capital
now at the command of thu manufac
turer. Social changes have been no
less marked than those of an industri
al character. The sphere of woman
has been greatly enlarged , and new
theories of the relation of the citizen
to the state have come in vogue tho
world over , producing unrest and at
times disastrous wars. In literature
realism lisa been substituted for
romanticism , and in philosophy
Herbert Spencer , Darwin , and Maud-
sley have for many minds taken the
place of philosophers of the school of
Sir William Hamilton. In a word , in
all the walks of science and learning
changes extraordinary for their ex
tent and character have taken place
within the past fh'ty years , and it is
worthy of note that these two old
friends , pioneers in their respective
callings , have kept steadily at the
front in the march ot progress. They
are'the only survivors of the original
board of directors of the old Magnetic
Telegraph Company , the precursor of
the present vascly extended telegraph
system. The original Hoe rotary
printing press found immediate appre
ciation from Mr. Arbell , and. keeping
pace with all subsequent improve
ments , the Sun now has in use Colonel
Hoe's latest improved perfecting press.
Colonel Hoe left for New York , whence
lie sails for Europe on the . Vurania
with his wife and daughter , but before
going felt constrained to come over
and shake hands and have a talk with
his old friend , about the happenings ol
the long period during which their in
timacy has continued. Baltimore
Sun Editoral.
The Philadelphia Record concludes ,
irom data furnished by the house-to-
tiouse inspectors , that 35,000 to 40-
000 residences in that city are centres
of pollution more or less dangerous to
liealth. This momentous fact , shows
that the public are heedless of sanitary
precautions or incapable of suggesting
and carrying out measures of relief.
Knocking a Hole in u Hirer's Bed ,
About fifteen miles north of King-
wood , West Va. , along the Cheat river ,
can be seen some of the most rugged
and inspiring scenery to be found any
where in West Virginia , if not any
where in North America , east of the
Rocky mountains. On either side of.
the river , for probably halt a mile , !
there is a perpendicular wall of solid
limestone about 350 feet in height.
From the top of those walls , or cliffs ,
on the east side of the riverthecrngay
and timbered mountain , with a slope
of about GO deg. looms up more than.
2,000 feet. Near the top of this mount
ain has stood for unknown apts a
great rock , measuringtwentyfeetfrom
he top to bottonC and averaging
about eighteen feet in thickness. It
contained about 9,480 cubic feet of
hard , flint-like limestone , and allowing
100 pounds to each cubic foot , thq
weight of the monster was 048,000
pounds or 324 tons. It was deter
mined by the people in the neighbor
hood to give this rock a start down
the mountain. A tree was cut down
-that stood against the stone , and the
earth dug. away. A correspondent
says : I was up the mountain prob
ably twenty yards from the rock to
get a good view of its course from the
river , and was watching closely for
the start.
"Now she goes ! " came to my ears ,
and I could see the top of the great
rock going out from the mountain
now slow.now fasternow a crash , and
then craslics upon crashes. The scene
presented by that rock tearing and
thundering down the mountain can
be imaginedbut it canuot be described.
It had a tendency to confound the
sense and bewilder the reason. Great
trees were torn from the earth and
hurled into the air like twigs in a ,
whirlwind , and the trunks of mam
moth oaks were torn and slivered in
quick succession. On and on it went ,
making a clean cut road from the
start. The mountain trembled , and
the spectatorsstooil spellbound. The
rock gained in speed as it neared the
river , which was in view .at the lower
curt of the great limestone walls. It
now striffck the last precipice , and.
after going outward aud downward
more than 200 feet it fell into the river
with a , roaring sound.
After the dust and leaves aud flying
pieces of limbs had settled we could
see a peculiar action of the waterbut ?
we were too far. off to discover the
cause , A walk of more than a mile
around , as it was next to impossible
to go straight down the mountain
from where we were , brought us to the
river , but instead of seeing the rock
we saw the water rushing from every
direction clown iuto a huge hole prob
ably thirty feet square. During the
halt hour we were there not less th.'ii
ten saw logs were drawn into the
whirl and disappeared.
It is supposed that the cave extend
unierthe _ river , and that tho weight
of the immense rock coming clown
with such force and rapidity"caused
the roof to give way. Whether or not
the water will soon fill the hole up
and theriver flow on as before will de
pend upon the extent of the cavern
md the existence of an outlet to carry
the water from the cavern to some
other streamor to some other part
of the country.
When I left that district tho water
was still rushing clown the hole , car
rying saw logs and every other
floating substance.
Changes in Western Climate.
"When I came here iu 1872 , " said
President David B. Perry of Deanc
college , Crete , Neb. , to a correspond
ent recently , "many people were iu-
redulous of the growth of this state.
The atmosphere was excessively dry
: incl it was doubtful whether corn or
ame grass or fruit trees would grow.
The socl was touch and stubborn , aud
shed the little rain that fell quickly.
We had interminable wind storms.
It would blow , blow , blow , clay after
day , till the din was unbearable. I
have seen people fairly worn out with
tho incessant , strenuous , wearisome
blasts that so relentlessly kept a whirl
and racket about them. Aud there
used to come , in summer , occasional
hot blasts from the south that would
wilt ourgrain , especiallyour corn.
But there lias come a most remarka
ble change. The atmosphere is not
nearly so dry. Ladies have to guard
within doors , against mildew occa
sioned by dampness much as they do
at the east. We have much more rain ,
and it is much more evenly distributed
over the year than it used o be. We
have fewer and lower wind storms ,
and tho heated winds that did such
mischief clo not trouble us at all. See
for yourself the crops we raise ! Look
at that corn-field. There aie 200 solid
acres as line as any in tho world. "
"Well , but what lias induced so gteat
a change ? Are you sure it is perma
nent ? " "I am sure it is permanent
because I know what has caused it.
Hundred of thousands of acres , year
after year , were plowed up anil the
soil rendered porous. You know we
are the great soldier state. There was
a vast army of men at the close of tho
war , who went home to find their old
places occupied and their occupation
gone. They came out here. They put in
their homestead and timber claims for
government land and went vigorously
to work at farming. The people at
Beatrice have a Grand Army reunion
shortly and they count on 00,000 of
* ? * boys being there. Such wide
spread tillage of wholly new land has
prepared the surface soil to receive
and retain moisture. The corn itself ,
by its shade , prevents rapid evapora
tion. So do our countless groves.
Arbor daj is a great institution out
here , as you can anywhere and every
where see. "
' And you think the moisture in the
earth increases the raiu-fall ? " "Most
certainly. The influence of the
clouds and soil becomes reciprocal. " j
"But what should effect the winds
so remarkably ? " "This tame circum
stance of a more moist atmosphere.
The air is heavier , less volatile. Be 1
sides the groves are very important in 1h
their influence in breaking the force of h
the wind. It cannot now t-\eep across | (
the state as if it were a sheet of water.
The groves constantly interrupt aud
break its force. " *
"Ic seems almost incredible that so
radical a change should have occurred
so soon. " "Yes , I would not believe
it if I had not seen it anil felt it. You
can judge for yourself whether we are
troubled to raisecrops. Wehavehad
live successive years of them. Last
year the railroads themselves were
dismayed at the corn to be moved.
Away out. loO miles to the west of
here , in Phelps county and Gasperand
Lincoln , the cultivation is going on
so it is north of the Platte , and'also
south of us in Kansas. "
The Most Beautiful Woman in
the "World.
From tho Louisville Courier-Journal.
They were sitting , a number of kin
dred spirits , spinning yarns in the law
office of Cox it Grider the other after
noon. Tho conversation had turned
upon the subject of beautiful women
and where the handsomest women
were to be found. There was a great
diversity of opinion expressed , the
majority stoutly maintaining , of
course , that the girl par excellence
was not to be seen outside that glori
ous sovereignty of old Kentucky.
"Gentlemen , " remarked the old Col
onel who had been appealed to for his
views of the situation , "the most
perfect figure and prettiest face I ever
saw were in the wilds of Arkansaw. A
party of us were out hunting , over in
the swamps between the White and
Arkansas Rivers. Toward sunset we
came to a deep and muddy bayou ,
which we knew at a glance it would be
impossible to ford. On the op
posite side a canoe of the "dug-out"
pattern , indigenous to the country ,
was moored. Away behind the trees
a blue wreath of smoke curled quietly
heavenward , marking the place where
some settler had built his cabin in tho
lonely waste. After a series of yells
from our guide that would have re-
'ilected credit on a Comanche brave
about to take the war-path , a woman
glided clown to tho bank on the other
hide , gracefully seated herself in the
canoe and commenced paddling to
wards us with strong , swift strokes.
As she neared the place whore we were
standing we all saw she was young-
not more than 19 aud with a face of
surpassing loveliness. Hercomplexion
was of that peifect brunette tyyeonly
to be found iu those whose ancestors
for many generations have lived be
neath sunny skies ; her cheeks had
that indescribable tint so often seen
ou the sun-kissed side of a ripe peach ;
her mouth was exquisitewith pouting
lips like twin cherries ; her hair floated
clown her back in silken , shining wave
lets neaily 1o the ground ; anil her
eyes ! ah , gentlemen , how shall I do-
scribe tho midnight splendor or tho
transcendent plorics to be seen in the
liquid depths of those dark orbs ?
"As she steproil lightly out on the
bank and stood holding the 'dug-out'
for us to get into , " continued the old
gentleman , "she displayed the most
' '
ravishinply perfect figure' ! ever beheld.
She was clreused in the single cotton
garment , fashioned out of coarse 'fac
tory , ' which is worn by the females of
her class in these distant wilds. It had
evidently been made a year or two be
fore , for she had outgrown it to such
an extent that it imperfectly perform
ed the dutie-J for which it had been
constructed. It revealed a bust , with
which in artistic outlines the famous
Venus cle Medici could not for a mo
ment compare. The short skirt per
mitted a glimpse of her ankles that
were absolutely faultless , and "
"I have a book here , gentlemenhieh
I should like to show you , if you will
permit me , said a dapper little fellow ,
stepping briskly iuto the room.
lie was met with a howl of dissent
from the major and the judge and the
captain ami the olil squiro.so wild and
fierce that he never stopped running
until he was down the stairs.
"Go on.eolonel ; oh. no ou ! " was the
unanimous demand of his listeners.
Tho old judge stepped quietly over ,
closed the door and locked itremark-
iutr , his American heart would be dad-
hinged if he proposed that story would
be interrupted any more if the court
knew herself , or words to that effect.
' I don't know that I have any more
to tell , " was the reply.
"Colonel , " solemnly said the veu-
'rable Major ' 'If leave that
: , you peer-
lessirl standing there holding a canoe
an the bank of that muddy bayou , I'll
iiold you personally responsible Iwill ,
is sure as there is a God in heaven. "
"Wecliiln't leaveherthcre , " respond
ed tho Colonel. "She paddled us
icro s thestream. and when we asked
ivhat she charged , she said , 'Oh ,
iiutnin' , I reckon ; pop went a b'ar htin-
L'U' this mawuin' an' took all the ter-
jacker with him ef one o' you fellers'll
; ive me a , chaw I'll call it squar' . ' We
yive her a chaw and wenton about
3iir business. I never saw her again. "
"I believe you're a liar , " vociferat-
> d the Jiuhre , " as ho unlocked the
loor ; "an infernal old bald-headed
iar. ' '
"So do I , " ' chimed in each of the
isteners as they passed out and fpl-
oweilthe irate leader down tho stairs
.he streets below.
The question of which State pro-
luces the most beat if ul women is btill
jefore the house.
A well-informed correspondent , who
s said to be officially connected with
; ho German general staff , has during
; he last two mouths contributed to
he Berliner Tageblatt a series of ar-
; icles on the armed strength of Europe ,
n the event of war. the .disciplined
oldiers that could within three
nonths be sent into the field by these
ountries mav be numbered as follows :
ioumanin , 102,000 ; Hervia , 73,000 ;
Julgaria. 72.000 ; Greece. (51,000 ( ;
Eastern Roumelia , 25,000 ; Montene-
; ro , 24,000 ; Turkey , 284,000. The
anit ! . authority estimates that the
siaxinmni available strength of the *
reat powers foi : warlike operations in
European Turkey within three mouths
if the outbreak of hostilities would
.e . : Russia , 810,000 ; Germany , 430.-
100France. ; . 320,000 ; AustrSa-lIuu-
ary , 320,000 ; Italy , 207,000 ; uncl
Ji"jit Britain. 80.000.
ASigrnal for War.
' 'Hey. Rube ! " called out aground
and lofty tumbler from the stoop of a
Union square dramatic asency , says
the New York Herald , and at the cry
some half-dozen gentlemen who had
graduated from the sawdust turned
around , clenched their fists , aud tried
to look savage.t
The tumbler laughed.
" You don't understand that hail , do
you ? " he asked a . .reporterwho ; WHS
with him.
"No ; what is it ? "
, "That's circus Hugo , " said' he ,
" 'IIcv , Rube ! ' is a sort of grand-hail
ing sign of distress among the profesh
ou tlie road. How it came iuto use I
don't know. I suppose it was star ted
iu some old-fashioned row under tho
canvas , and has lasted up to this.
Anyway , I've heard it in ir.y life pretty
often , and every time there was blood
ou the face of the moon. "
'What does it mean ? "
"Well , it signifies to a circus com
pany , from the star rider down to the
caravan driver , that hejnust hustle
'
around , get a bale stick or p'omethiiit : .
aud then use it for all he's worth. It
is not easy for a person in New York
to understand the trouble circus men
meet with iu country districts. Some
times they bring it on themselves , I
admit , by cutting up too much with
the country folks , and causing bad
blood that way. But , as a general
thing , you'll find that the hay-seed
roughs and tho game birds of the
factory towns will try to pick a quarrel
with the circus hands , and then there
is no end of rows between thorn. Oqo
would think in the old days that a
circus company was made up of yqtu
later-day pugilists , and was goint :
around for the express purpose of
.fighting the best men at every stand
.they had. It those times it-was cus-
.tomary for the country fellows to get
together and. beat the admission ,
carry the entrance with a crush , and
, do what they felt like inside. Well ,
.sometimes they succeeded and got in all
right. Then a new responsibility fell on
theringmasterorwlioever was master
of ceremonies. lie had to put all the
hands ou their guard and prepare
them for action. A littlecoolness a'nd
sonic deception were necessary. He
never stopped the performance. That
would have given tho intruders a cue
for raising mischief. The exorcise-
kept right ou , but when the riuc mas
ter was ready he just went out in the
sawdust , where he could be heardand
shouted , as though .he wanted one of
the boys : 'Hey , Rube ! Every one
kncv , what that meant , and in a
twinkling every soul who could bear
arms , so to speak , was eqipped and
ready for the fray. Then , if there was
occasion for it. a 'bouncing act' was
performed that knocked your metro
politan shows of thajt kind into the \
shade. Sometimes they were down
right pitched battles fought hi the
tent. But. generally the circus people
came off all right. "The cry of 'Hey.
Rube ! ' put them ou the alert , and
were never causht napping. That's
why all the old timers on the road are
stirred up when they hear that cry. ' '
TTImt Oysters Eat to illalcc Them
* so Palatable.
The only condition requisite in any
organic body to fit it for food for the
oyster seems , says J. A. Ryder , to bu
that it shall be small enough to be
Hissed through tho wide but vertical-
y-constructed mouth aud throar.
The great bulk of its food , however ,
jrobably consists of the miu.ite larva-
of marine animals , of infusoria and of
the microscopic one-celled plants
known as diatoms. The vegetable ,
living part of thcc diatoms is enclos
ed in a siliceous case , and the empty
cases are found in great munberV
among tho matters contained in th-j
intestine and stomach of the animal.
The extent of the reproductive or
gans of an oyster at tho spawniugsea-
.sou is quite large , but they diminsh
greatly iu bulk or disappear altogeth
er after the season is over. The ma
ture ova of the American and Portu
guese species measure about one-live
hundreth part of an inch in diameter ,
and a large American female ovster
may contain more than 100,000,000
ova. They begin spawning at one
year old. The generative tis : > ue is dis
tributed over the surface of the body
mass in this spawning season of a-
thick , creamy , white , superficial laver ,
consisting of a number of little sacs
embedded in the connective tissue.
These sacs pour their contents into
nucats , which finally empty into an
oviduct opening into the water space
above the gills , so that the ova cscune
by way of the cloaca.
.John Chatham's Last Dram.
Says a dispatch from Williamsport ,
Pa. : John Chatham , of Pine Station ,
has been known as a heavy drinker ,
and has been held
up to youths as an
example ot what degradation will fol
low the use of intoxicating liquors.
It was made known Monday mornin"
that John died Sunday after drir.khi"
a pint of whiskey. Chatham had been
ou a protracted spree. All his money
wjis gone. He was thirsting for a
drink and he walked to the hotel bar
and asked for a glass of liquor. The
bartender said : "If you drink a pint
of whisky you can have it for noth
ing This liberality astonished
Chatham. Recoveringhimself
, hesaid
in an excited manner , "Give me apiut
and I'll drink , it. " The bartender
poureu out a pint of whisky in a large
glass Chatham grasped the glas .
raised it to his lips and never lowered
it until the last drop gurgled down his
throat. Smacking his lips he laid tho
glass on the bar rubbing his hands in
ecstacy lie exclaimed as he tottered
toward the door , "That has made a
new man ot me. " He fell to the floor
unconscious. The bartender picked
hm up. Chatham was dead.
The createst number of persons
carried on any one day last vear bv
orkelevateilrjlil-o ds was
10007(5