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About Western news-Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1898-1900 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1898)
Auction of the vast nillhar , ? establishments .thai weigh so heavily upon many peoples in ilii ! of peace was communicated to this .Government with an earnest Invitation to bo Tenr-'seiiti-d In the conference which It I" contemplated to iiflsembie with a view to discussing the menus of accomplishing so desirable n result. Ills Majesty was at once Informed of the cordial .sympathy of this Government with ths principle Involved in his cale l proposal and of the readiness of .the Uuil.-d States to take part in the confer- onco. The claims of owners of American pealing TVepsuls for Kcizuiv by Itusslan cruisers In 'Behrlng ' Sea an * being pressed lo a setlle- 'inent. The recommcndalicn made In my special -nicssr.go of April 27 last is renewed , that ap propriation In- made to reimburse the master am1 owner.of Uie Russian bark Hans for svr gfnl arrest of the master and detention of iif vc cl in February , 1898 , by ollicers of the United Slates District Court for the n District of Mississippi. lately upon the outbreak of the war with Spain the Swiss Government , ful- fllllng th < - high m'ssion it has deservedly as- -suini'd n the patron of the International Red fri' s , proposed to the United States -and Spain tiiar they should severally recog nize and carry into execution , as a modus Vivendi , during the continuation of hostili ties the additional articles proposed by the Inlcrnntiotin ! conference of Geneva , Oct. 20 , 18GS , extending the effects of the existing Red Cross convention of 1804 to the conduct of navjil war. The Swiss proposal was promptly and cordially accepted by us awl Simultaneously by Spain. The newly accredited envoy of the Unite * . Stales to the Ottoman Porte carries Instruc tions looking to the disposal of matters In controvMsy with Turkey for a number of years. He is especially charged to press for a just st'ltlenu-nt of our claims for Indemnity 'by reason f Ihe destruction of the property < of American missionaries resident In that fcounlry during the Armenian troubles of 1895 , a. ; well us for the recognition of older claims of equal justness. The arbitral tribunal appointed under the treaty of February , 181)7 , between Great Britain aud Venezuela , to determine the boundary line between the latter and the colony of Urltish Guiana , Is to convene nt Paris during the present month. It Is a source of much gratification to this Govern ment to see the friendly resort to arbitra tion applied to the settlement of this con troversy. It urea n of American Republics . I have th" sat is faction of being able testate state tha ! the IJurcau of American Repub Y lics , fronted in 1SDO as the organ for promoting meting commercial Intercourse and fraternal relations among the countries of the West ern Hemisphere , lias become a more cflicient Instrument of t'io ' wise purposes of Its founders , and i.s receiving the cordial sup port of the contributing members of the /itcrnational union which are actually rep resented in its beard of management. During She last year the Important work Of collecting Information of practical bene fit to American industries rn-l t.ade throng' ' the agency of the diplomatic and consu. officers has been steadily advanced , and m order ( < > lay ? ei. data before the public with the least delny the practice was begun in January. ISiiS. of Issuing the commercial reports trom day to day , as they are re ceived by the Department of State. We desire , in common with most clvlli/.ed nations , to reduce to the lowest possible point the damage .sustained In time of war by peaceable trade and commerce. This purpose can probably be best accomplished by an International agreement to regard all privaic pn.-perly at se.i as exempt from cap ture or destruction by the forces of bellig erent power * . Condition of tlic Treasury. The Secretary of the Treasury reports that the receipts of the Government from vail snurces during the fiscal year ended June HO. lS ! i . including $81.731,223 received from sale of Pa ilk- railroads , amounted to $405- 82l.3. : ; ami expenditures to $443.308,582. There was collected from customs $149,373,062 and from internal revenue $170,900,0-11. Our dutiable Imports amounted to $324,733,479 , a deM--i.M' - f . < 5S,130G')0 ) over the preceding year , and importations free of duty amount ed to $2 : 1.41I.173. a decrease from the pre- cedMig . ear of $ ! ) fi.324.0GS. Internal revenue receipts exceeded those of the preceding year by S2l.2l2.cGS. The total collected on distilled spirits was $92,340.91) ) ! ) , on manu factured tobacco $30,230.522 and on fer ment -d liquors 39,313,421. We exported merehidi.S" during the vear amounting to f ! . : > : : ! .4 SJ.u. : : : : an Increase of $1SO,4SS,774 over the preceding yeai. On the 1st of December , 1S9S , the amount of money of all kinds in circulation or not Included in treasury holdings , was $1S3G- S79. . VM. an increase for the year of $103- 79i.i(5. ! ( Kbtimating our population at 73- 1S)4.U < ; < at tlie time mentioned the per capita circulation \vas $23.09. The provisions made for strengthening the re.s-nircvs of the treasury in connection with the war have given Increased confidence in the purpose and power of the Government to maintain the present standard , and has es- tablishnil mon- firmly than ever the national credit at home and abroad. A marked evi dence of this is found in the Inflow of gold to the treasury. I renew > . much of my recommendation of December. 1S97 , as follows : That when any of the United States notes are presented for redemption in gold nnd are redeemed in gold , such notes shall be ! : ept and sot apart aud only paid out in exchange fer gold. This is an obvious duty. It the holder of the United States note pre fers the sold and gets It from the Govern ment , he should not receive back from the Government a United States note without paying srold in exchange for it. The reason for this Is made all the jnnre apparent when the Government issues an interest-bearing debt t > provide gold for the redemption of United states notes a nou-lnterest-bearlug debt. Surely it should not pay them out ngaiu except on demand and for gold. If they are put out in any other way they may return ngaiu. to be followed by another bond Issue to redeem them another interest-be.- ! ing debt , to redeem a non-Interest-bearlug dc' r. " _ In my judgment the present condition of the treasury amply Justifies the immediate enactment of the legislation recommended one year ago , under which a portion of the gold holdings should be placed in a trust fund from \\hich greenbacks should be re deemed upon presentation , but when once redeemed "hould not thereafter be paid out except for gold. It i.s not 10 be Inferred that other legisla tion rein tins to our currency is not required : on the contrary , there is an obvious demand for It. The Importance of adequate provis ion which will Ins-ire to our future a money standard ivlated as our money standard now and to that of our commercial rivals Is gen erally recognized. The companion proposition ' tion 'that our domestic paper currency shall be kept safe and yet be so related to the ue ds of our Industries and internal com merce as to be adequate and responsive to such needs is a proposition scarcely less im portant. Prompt Adoption of 3Fsiritime Policy. The annexation of Hawaii and the chtinged relations of the United States to Cuba , Porto Kico and the Philippines , re sulting from the war. compel the prompt adoption of a maritime policy by the United States. There should 1 established regu lar and frequent steamship communication , encouraged by the United f rates , under the American Hag. with thes newly acquired Islands. Prevention of Yellow Fever. In my last annual message I recommended M , Unit Congress authorize the appointment of r a commission for the purpose of making sys tematic investigations with reference to the cause and prevention of yellow fever. It Is 1113- earnest desire that these problems may " be" considered by competent experts and that everything may be done which the must recent advances In sanitary science can offer for the protection of the health of nur soldiers in Cuba aud Porto UIco and of ou citi7..Mis who are exposed to the dangers Df infection from t'.ie importation of yellow 'eer. . Increase of Army liccommcndcd. The Importance of legislation.for the per- tiuiTient Increase of the army is manifest , * : : ! the recommendation of the Secretary of War for that purpose has my unqualified ap proval. There- can be no question that at this time and probably for some time in the future 100.0IM ) men will be none too many to meet the necessities of the situation. It Is my purpose to muster out the entire vol unteer army as soon as the Congress shaH provide for the Increase of the regular es tablishment. | In my last annual message I stated.The i Union Pacific Railway , main line , was fcold under the decree of the United States Court { for the District of Nebraska the 1st and 2d of November of Mils year. The amount due I the Government consisted of the principal of ; the subsidy bonds , § 27,230,512. and the ac- j crticd interest thereon , ? 31,211.511.07. mak ing the total indebtedness ? 38,44S,223.75. The bid at the sale covered the first mort gage lien and the entire mortgage claim of the Government , principal and interest. " Tills left the Kansas PacKie case uncon- cluded. 15y a decree of the court In that case an tipet price for the property was fixed at a .sum which would yield to the Government only 92,5')0,000 upon its lien. I5y a somewhat complicated transaction the Government secured an advance of $3,803- 000 over and above the sum which the court had fixed as tlie upst-t price , and which the reorganization committee had declared was the maximum which they would pay for the property. Department of Justice Building. I deem it my duly to call to the attention of Congress the condition of the present buildings occupied by the Department of Justice. The building now occupied by it Is pronounced unsafe and unsuited for the use to which it is put. A proper regard for the safety , comfort and convenience of the ofii- cers and employes would Justify the ex penditure of a liberal sum of money In the erection of a new building. In this connec tion I may likewise refer to the inadequate accommodations provided for the Supreme Court in the Capitol. Growth of the Poatal Service. The postal service of the country advances with extraordinary growth. Within twenty years both the revenues and the expendi tures of the Postolncc Department have multiplied threefold. In the last ten years they have nearly doubled. Our postal busi ness grows much more rapidly than our pop ulation. It now involves an expenditure of $100,000,000 a year , numbers 73,000 post- ofllces , and enrolls 200,000 employes. The war with Spain laid new and exceptional labors on the Postoflice Department. The mustering of the military and naval forces of the United States required special mail arrangements for every camp and every campaign. This necessarily was met by the prompt detail and dispatch of experienced men from the established force , and by di recting all the instrumentalities of the rail way mall and postoflice service so far as necessary to this new need. Under the same authority , when our forces moved upon Cuba , Porto Kico and the Phil ippines , they were attended and followed by the postal service. Iiiercasiiic the Navy. The following recommendations of the Secretary of the Navy relative to the in crease of the navy have my earnest ap proval. 1. Three sea-going , sheathed and coppered battleships of about 13rOD tons trial dis placement , carrying the heaviest armor and most powerful ordnance for vessels of their class , and to have the highest practicable peed and great radius of action. Estimated st , exclusive of armor and armament , ? 3- 000,000 each. 2. Three sheathed and coppered armored cruisers of about 12,000 tons trial displace ment , carrying the heaviest armor and most powerful ordnance for vessels of their class. and to have the highest practicable speed and great radius of action. Estimated cost , exclusive or armor and armament , $4,000,000 each. 3. Three sheathed and coppered protected cruisers of about 0,000 tons trial displace ment ; to have the highest practicable speed and great radius of action , and to carry the most powerful ordnance suitable for ves sels of tlu'ir class. Es hunted cost , exclu sive of armor and armament , $2,130,000 each. 4. . Six sheathed and coppered cruisers of about 2,500 tons trial displacement ; to have the highest speed compatible with good criusing qualities , great radius of action and to carry the most powerful ordnance suited to vessels of their class. Estimated cost , exclusive of armament , § 1,141,000 each. Additions to the Pension List. There were on the pension rolls June 30 , 1898 , 993,714 names , an increase of- nearly 18,000 over the number on the rolls the same dny of the preceding year. The amount ap propriated by the act of Dec. 22 , 1890 , for the payment of pensions for the fiscal year 1S9S was ? 140,000,000. Eight million sev enty thousand eight hundred and seventy- two dollars and forty-six cents was appro priated by the act of March 31 , 1S9S , to cover deficiencies in army pensions and re- pnyments in the sum of $12,020.33 , making a total of $14Sl'S2 892.79 available for the payment of pensions during the fiscal year 1S9S. The amount disbursed from that sum was 5144,031,879.80 , leaving a balance of 83,431,012.99 unexpended Juue 30 , 1898 , which was covered into the treasury. The total receipts of the patent oflice dur ing the last year were § 1,233,948.44. The expenditures were § 1,081,633.79 , leaving a surplus of ? 172,314.G3. Government I/ancls Disposed Of. The public lands disposed of by the Gov ernment during the year reached 8,433,890.92 acres , an increase of 014,780.20 acres over the previous year. The total receipts from public lands during the fiscal year amounted to $2,277,995.18. an increase of § 190,003.90 over the preceding year. The special attention of the Congress Is called to that part of the report of the Sec retary of the Interior in relation to the five civilized tribes. It is noteworthy that the general condition of the Indians shows marked progress. But one outbreak of a se rious character occurred during the year , and that among the Chippewa Indians of Minnesota , which happily has been sup pressed. Da\vc9 Commission Report. While it has not yet been practicable to en force all the provisions of the act of Juue 28 , 1S9S , "for the protection of the people of the Indian Territory and for other pur poses. " it is having a salutary effect upon the nations composing the live tribes. I cannot too strongly Indorse the recommen dation of the commission and of the Sec retary of the Interior for the necessity of providing for the education of the 30,000 white children resident in the Indian Terri tory. Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture has been active in the last year. Explorers have been sent to many of the countries of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres for seeds and plants that may be useful to the United States and with the further view of opening up markets for our surplus products. The forestry division of the department is giving special attention to the treeless regions of our country and is introducing species spe cially adapted to semi-arid regions. Forest fires , which seriously Interfere with produc tion , especially in Irrigated regions , are be ing studied that the losses from this cause may be avoided. The department is inquir ing into the use and abuse of water In many States of the West and collecting Informa tion regarding the laws of the States , the decisions of the courts and the customs of the people in this regard , so that uniformity maj' be secured. Experiment stations are becoming more effective every year. The annual appropriation of § 720,000 by Con gress Is supplemented by § 400,000 from the State : , . Nation-wide experiments have been conducted to ascertain the suitableness as to soil and climate and States for growing su gar beets. The number of sugar factories has been doubled in the last two years and the ability of the United States lo produce Its own sugar from this source has been clearly demonstrated. Centennial. In the year 1900 will occur the centennial anniversary of the founding of the city of Washington for the permanent capital of the Government of the United States. A movement lately inaugurated by the citizens to have the anniversary celebrated with tit ling ceremonies , including , perhaps , the establishment of a handsome permanent memorial to mark so historical an occasion and to give It more than local recognition. has met with general favor on the part of the public. I recommend to the Congress the granting of an appropriation for this purpose and the appointment of a commit tee from Its respective bodies. The alien contract law is shown by ex perience to need some "amendment ; c meas ure providing better protection for seamen is proposed ; the rightful application of the eight-hour law for the benefit of labor and of the principle of arbitration are suggested for consideration , and I commend these sub jects to the careful attentlou of the Con gress. WILLIAM M'KIXLEY. Executive Mansion , Dec. 3 , 1S9S. THE FARM AND HOME MATTERS OF INTERESTTO FARMER - ER AND HOUSEWIFE. Wheat Is Kin r How to Destroy Grain "Weevil Small Farms Arc an Advan tage-Set Out Frnit Trees ii the Sprinjj. H You may toll of your .armored cruisers , And your great ships of the line ; And swift or slow may steamers go Across the billowy brine. Like thunder may the cannon boom To greet their Hags unfurled , And for an hour they have the power To rule the frightened world. From ocean to ocean shore Lie lines of gleaming steel. And night and day , we hear alway The ring of rushing Avheel ; Though buffalo have left the plain , And Indian tents are furled , Nor steam nor hand at wealth's command Can rule the busy world. But where the hillside rises fair In terraces of green , And on the plain , where wind and rain Sweep fields of golden sheen , Where sturdy yellow stalks arise , With bannered heads unfurled , Here you may greet the great King Wheat , The ruler of the world. Oh , hills may shake and vales resound Beneath the flying car , And driven by steam and winds a-beam Our ships ride fast and far ; Cities may crumble 'neath the guns Which guard our flag unfurled ; Yet all shall greet at last King Wheat , For hunger rules the world. Youth's Companion. The Grain Weevil. . While there arc several species of grain wevils , the same remedy will defer for all. As these insects penetrate all through the entire bulk of grain , it is necessary to apply some substance that is equally penetrating in its nature. This is found in carbon bisulphide , which may be had at any drug store. The vapor of this substance is very poisonous , and will destroy all insect life with which it comes in contact. This material is also very explosive when brought in contact with fire. Keeping these two points in mind , it may be handled with perfect safety. In applying the material it is well to keep in mind the fact that it very volatile , and quickly passes into vapor , .which diffuses itself throughout the entire mass of grain , and as the vapor is heav ier than air it will have a tendency to settle. But in order to insure perfect results it is best to introduce the ma- rial well down toward the middle of the mass of grain by means of a gas pipe with a screen over the lower end , which will prevent the grain filling the pipe , and through which the poison may be poured. The pipe is then with drawn. One pound of the bisulphide is suf ficient for fifty bushels of grain. One application will be sufficient unless the grain is to be kept over winter , when n. second application may be necessary. The material does no harm to the grain in any way. as the poisonous fumes all pass away as soon as brought in con tact with the air outside. Indiana Ex periment Station. An Advantage in Small Farms. I have noticed that in the townships \vhere the farms are small in area the people are happier and the children better bred. Smaller farms increase the density of the population. This gives them better school facilities. The children feel the encouragement of numbers and are excited to greater ef forts by the competition. Besides , their parents can afford to hire a better teacher and build for their use a better schoolhouse. Then , too , in a thickly settled region the roads are kept in bet ter condition , for the land is of greater value and stand taxing to improve the highways. The people are brought close together and have more of social advantages. And social advantages are a great thing. Give a farmer's wife suitable company in the way of good neighbors and she Avill forget half of her troubles in talking with ) : er neigh bors. I believe there would be fewer disheartened women if they could have some chance to enjoj" social life. I pity the women on the big farms , each a mile square , where the nearest neigh bor is a mile away , and perhaps incon- genial. When neighbors are so few and so far away one can not choose one's company as one would if the farms were smaller and neighbors plentiful. Mrs. J. S. , in Farmers' Review. When to Fet Out Fruit Trees. All things considered , we believe one of the best plans of management with fruit trees is to purchase them in the fall in good season , heel them in care fully and then set them out in the spring. One of the principal objections to spring planting is that in a majority of cases the trees cannot be shipped from the nursery as early as is desir able for setting out. By securing them in the fall and heeling in , they are on hand ready for transplanting at the first opportunity. During the winter the ground may be plowed , and if neces sary manured , stakes may be set where the trees are to be planted , so that when the soil is in condition for work the planting may be pushed along as rapidly as possible. On the majorlty of farms work is always pressing in the spring , and it is an item to. make all preparations possible in advance. Trees heeled in will be growing fibrous roots through the winter , and in this respect at least will be. all the better for the work. In heeling in care should be taken to dig the trench wide enough to admit of all the roots with out bending or twisting and deep enough so that when covered well the roots will be safe from freezing. Bet ter lay them in a slantmjy position rather than to stand them uj straight. See that the soil is fined and worked In thoroughly among the roots. Thtr is essential , as allowing the roots to be come dry , is certain death to the trees. Good drainage should be provided , as it is veiy detrimental to the health of the trees to allow water to stand around the roots. The tree should be secured sufficient ly early so as to be heeled in properly before freezing weather sets in. N. T. Shepherd , in Farmer's Voice. "Wooden Plows. * One of the last of the wooden plow which preceded those with iron points is now exhibited with pardonable pride by a veteran farmer in Ashby , Mass. It was made by a Frenchman , who was one of the earliest settlers of that town. The plow is in an excellent state of preservation , though it shows that it has done service in plowing. All the parts of this old plow are wood , and wooden pegs rather than iron bolts are used in joining them together. It is pretty evident that such a plow must be used carefully , and would be ill adapted to any except level ground free from stones. Even the iron-pointed plow has been superseded by steel , or at least iron with steel surfaces , so as to be harder and less liable to clog in damp soil. If this old plow is preserv ed , it is likely to prove a greater curi osity than it is now , as there are prob ably few of them remaining. Ex change. Harvesting Paranips. The parsnip is usually grown on very rich ground , and when much manure has been used it often has a rank taste when gathered early. It is much bet ter to let the parsnips stay In the ground until the soil around it has fro/en once or twice. It may be gath ered after the first thaw and housed , when it will be found that the rank flavor from the manure has passed away , and the parsnip will be tender and sweet. Some people leave the parsnip in the ground all winter. It does not hurt it to freeze while in the ground , provided it is thawed in con tact with the soil. The greater danger in leaving parsnips out all winter is that they will be forgotten in spring until the warm weather has started the shoots for seed bearing. Then the pars nip becomes poisonous. But if dug as soon in spring as the ground is thawed , the parsnip wrill be better than if dug in the fall and wintered in a cellar.- American Cultivator. Peach Tree Borers , Dig away the earth around the peach trees to the depth of one foot and look carefully for borers. Then swab the trunk a foot below and above ground with thick whitewash , return ing the soil to the tree and banking up six inches or a foot above the level of the ground , leaving the tree in that con dition until next spring. As the moth lays her eggs near the level of the ground , she will begin where the earth is banked up , and when the embank ment is removed the work of destroy ing the borers will be easier. White wash may be beneficially used on all parts of the tree. Seed Corn. It is a somewhat common practice to discard the tips and butts of the ears when shelling the seed for planting , but the practice is of doubtful benefit. A number of experiment stations in both the North and South have made repeated tests of the productiveness of seed from different parts of the ear , but these tests have shown no marked or constant differences in yield , even when the selections have been repeated through several generations. Remedy for Cabbage "Worms. One of the cheapest , best and safest remedies suggested to prevent the rav ages of cabbage worms is to dissolve one ot.nce of kainit in a pint of water and sprinkle over the plants. This is at rhe rate of one pound of kainit to a gallon of water , and It is said to be a remedy for cabbage maggots , green fly and plant lice. Farm Notes. After the first frost cut down the tops of asparagus and burn thorn on the btd. after which spread manure , about . * > or 4 inches deep , on the bed and allow it to remain all winter. When foods are fed on the farm and sold in some other form the valuable elements of fertility are retained at home , and as long as this is done the farm may be cultivated to its highest limit of capacity , and becomes more valuable every ye ; r. A gill of crude carbolic acid ( which is much cheaper than the refined article ) made into an emulsion with half a pint of strong soapsuds and a quart of cold water then added , will be sufficient for moistening a bushel of sawdust , which may be sprinkled in the stalls as a dis infectant. Inexperienced persons who undertake the management of bees will find much to learn before they can succeed. The winter care is important , for the bees must not be kept too warm , and if ex posed they may perish. A special house should be provided , which should be kept at a uniform temperature. Long articles have been written on the importance of feeding liberally , but farmers are progressive and are dis posed to go to extremes. It may be safely claimed that at the present day most farmers overfeed instead of cur tailing the supply , which accounts largely for milk fever in cows , weak litters of pigs and diseases of the bow els. There is a right way to use blankets for horses. If the stable is warm the best covering for a horse is a sheet made of coarse unbleached muslin to protect from dust , but when standing outside , where there is no protection from winds , a horse blanket should be used , removing it and substituting the sheet after the animal reaches the stable. Dividing the In the States in which a system of State aid has been inaugurated the ur ban resident bears his share of the ex pense of improving and maintaining the highways instead of leaving them , as heretofore , to be cared for by the rural population , says the L. A. W. Bulletin. Under the old theory that the maintenance and care of the roads should depend wholly on the districts through which thej' passed great injus tice was done many persons whose in terest in the roads was less than that of others who bore no expense. To re move this injustice and provide an equable system is the purpose of Stare aid. Speaking on this subject recently , General Stone said that the farmers of Maine own one-fifth of the property of the State , and that one-fifth of the property has paid the entire expense of building and maintaining the roads of the State , which are just as neces sary to the people who live in towns and the people 'of other occupations than farming as they are to the farm er. Concerning New York , he said that there the farmers own only one-four teenth of the property of the State , and that every farmer has been making roads for thirteen other men to travel on , and he is getting tired of doing it. He is now about to stop it , and he finds the people of the cities and large towns , the manufacturing people and the commercial people , ready to bear their share of the expense of improv ing the country roads. The only draw back is that the farmers themselves have been afraid to let any change be made in the road laws of the country , for they have imagined that the people of the cities deign to impose heavier burdens on them instead of being ready to help them carry existing ones. By degrees all classes ot the people will begin to better understand each other on the subject and will get closer together. It was not strange at first that country people should be suspi cious of city people who took the trou ble to tell them how much they would be benefited by better roads. It was natural for them to think that such philanthropy was not wholly disinter ested , but as it become daily more evident that all classes , trades and oc cupations will reap the advantages re sulting from improving the highways , that the ultimate burden will not be Increased , and that all are ready to share it , the movement will acquire an impetus that will insure its future suc cess. Old Roman Roads. An authority on road construction Bays that the Ilomaus made their main roads to last forever. They were com posed of silicious and calcareous ma terials , and were far superior to the highest type of modern work. The large roads averaged four to four and three-quarters metres , the smaller ones three to three and one-half metres. In mountain regions the road was nar rowed down to a single carriageway , one and three-quarters metres. The sidewalks were large near the cities , but reduced to six-tenths of a metre in the outer districts. They were built of cut stone , at least on the border. At every twelve paces mounting stones were placed , and at every one thousand paces milestones. Some of the best roads were paved Avith marble. The minor or secondary roads were not so carefully made , though of "a solidity with Avhich few modern roods can com pare. A ditch was dug to the solid earth , which was tamped , rolled or staked ; then on a floor of sand ten or fifteen centimetres thick a layer of mortar was spread. This formed the basis of the four courses which consti tuted the road. The first was a cour.se of several layers of fiat stones , bound tby hard cement or clay. This layer was usually thirty centimetres thick , ind twice that in bad lands. On this : -ame a concrete of pebbles , stones and brok- ' ! bricks , strongly rammed with iron-si. athed rammers. The ordinary thicki ss of this layer was twenty-five cent ! : : cres. In the absence of mortar , loam was used. Superimposed on this was a layer of thirty to fifty centi metres of gravel or coarse sand care fully rolled. The top layer , or crust , was convex , and ran to a thichness of twenty to thirty centhlietres or more. It was made differently , according to the materials at hand. It was either paved with cut stone or laid with peb ble and granite or nu-talcd. Growing Gold. f It is generally supposed that rhe nug gets which are found in the river grav els of Klondike and other auriferous re gions have been brought down by the rivers direct from the reefs in which the gold originally lay. Many practical miners and scientific men , however , have long been of opin ion that rhis cannot be the case , for no masses of gold of so large a size are ever found in the reefs themselves. They believe , on the other hand , that the nuggets have grown where they are now found , just as a crystal of salt will grow in strong brine ; but with so insoluble a substance as gold it was difficult to understand how such growth could take place. Experiments carried out in Australia have shown that de caying vegetable matter will cause the deposition of gold from solutions of gold salts , but these salts are not known to occur in reefs. The mystery is now solved. A Sla vonic chemist named ZzSgniody has just shown that gold itself can exist in a soluble form. By acting on a slightly alkaline solution of a gold salt formaldehyde and .submitting the pi'od-f uct to dialysis he has succeeded In ob taining gold in. a colloidal condition , in which state it is soluble in water and may be precipitated by the addition of common salt. It is probable that some of the gold in quart/ reefs exists in tbis condition. It is washed out by the rain , carried away in solution by the rivers , and deposited in the river gravels wher ever there is anything containing salt to cause Its precipitation. In the course of ages a large nugget may in this way be formed. London Mail. THE FAMILY BIBLE. It Is Out of Date and There Arc Many of Them Pold Now. The family Bible , which at one tima played such an important part in most families , and Avas almost as Important a part of the wedding as the ceremony , is now very much out of date. It is old- fashioned , and wherever it Is seen as a window ornament , standing on a table where it is in plain sight of all passers-by , it may be taken for granted that the family which belongs to that house and Bible hasn't the least bit ol style , says a Brooklyn woman in the New York Times. The exodus of the Bible does not re flect , as some people might think , upon the morals and manners of the city or the religious tendencies of the Individ * mis. It denotes rather an era of com mon sense for which this generation is noted in many ways. If there is auj- tliing more useless than the big parlor table Bible it would be hard to find. It is large , unwieldy and difficult to use. It is too large and heavy to hold In the lap , and reading from a big book on a table is neither comfortable nor convenient. In the American Bible Society rooms , where an enormous number of Bibles are disposed of in the course of a year , the fact Is borne out that large family Bibles are not in demand as they have been. There have been 20 per cent , less sold on an average during the last ten years , they say , than before , and those that have been bought have been taken by the grandmothers , old aunties , and occasionally the mothers , who feel that they cannot let the young people begin life without the big Bible. But instead of the big family Bible there is a smaller tize which has taken its place and which is really useful. This is a good-sized book , bound In dark Turkey morocco , and with refer ences and maps. It has large , plain type ( small pica ) , is not too large to hold , and Is a serviceable book. It costs § 5.25 and really merits the appellation of family Bible rather than the other which has its place in the company room. Women are the chief purchasers of all Bibles sold , and at the Bible Society rooms they form perhaps two-thirds of the purchasers. Artificial Eyes. The Lancet publishes some curious facts with regard to the number of false eyes which are turned out annual ly by different factories in Germany and France. The number of these or namental appendages made in the Ger man empire is sqid to amount to the enormous total of 2,000,000 yearly ; and , at the same time , one French factory , out of many , makes 300,000 in the same period. But we must not jump to the conclusion that these figures Indicate in any way the number of human be ings who have been deprived of the sight of one eye , for the artificial eyes include those used by wax-figure mak ers , by taxidermists , and even by the doll manufacturers. It is noteworthy that the totally blind never wear false eyes. The person who has been de prived of the sight of one eye sees his disfigurement whenever he looks into a glass , and his esthetic sense or , per haps , his vanity leads him to make good the deficiency in the best way ho can. In the case of the wholly blind such feelings die out , or are submerged in the immensity of their loss. Cham ber.Journal. . Train The lighting of railroad trains with electricity generated by the friction of the car axles when the train is in mo tion and by some of this same electrici ty , stored , when the train is at rest , will , of course , do away with the resort to the black bottle while the train is in a tunnel as well as with the osculatory performances of bridal couples , which , from time immemorial , have been a fea ture of railroad travel , for though the light may sometimes fail as it does on the trolley < -ar when Oie trolley leaves the wire , not even the oldest patron of the road acquainted with all the tun nels can tell just when it will be flashed on again , making all sorts of inconve nient revelations. riiiladelphia Times. Memory ofLHotel Clerks. The memory of a hotel clerk is culti vated along peculiar lines. Hundreds of names and faces have to be accurate ly memorized , and he must be able at a minute's notice to tell the number of the room in which any of the hotel vis itors is quartered. If asked the num ber of the room occupied by John Smith , a good clerk can , without hesi tation , put his hand in the proper pigeonhole eon-hole and ox tract the key. Accord ing to the Now York World , the curious part of the operation is that he cafi rarely make it work backward. If ask ed who is in a given room .he almost in variably has to consult his books before responding. We have an idea that when a partic ularly wicked man goes to hell , he will have nothing in the way of fruit to eat except pawpaws , and nothing in the way of meat except "possum. The coming woman sometimes has her troubles.with the going man abo'ut 11 p. m. Base-ball is the one business in which an ocnsional strike is necessary.