HIS BEST DAY.
"I know a boy likes Cbrls'mas best
'CoH Santa Cl.tus nrucs then :
-He likes to hang his rocking ti. > ,
Au' take it do .11 a.iin ,
An' count his pivsonts out but I
i'druther have it Fourth July.
"That other boy likes Chris'mas best
'Cos o' the Chris'mas trees
'To Sunday schools an * things to eat ,
An * when they's been a freeze ,
He likes to slide and skate , but my !
What's that iougside o' Fourth July ?
Thris'mas is good , but Fourth July !
That day's the best of all
O my ! \visht could be the Fourth
All summer an' all fall !
No other time begins to be
So good as Fourth July to me !
"I hope * ar when the Fourth Is here
My mother' ! ! think its right
To let me creep down stairs an' fire
My crackers off 'fore light.
-I'll blow my horn , and shoot my gun !
An' wake up pa ! an' have such fun !
" "At dark I'll fire my shooting stars.
An' let my rockets g.jre ,
.An' set my Koman candles off-
Whizz. Hush ! Buzz ! Bang. Pop ! Flare !
' < ! hrih'nins is good 'nough , but my !
I'driitht-r have it Fourth July !
I wisht : tw.iB always Fourth July ! "
Womankind.
OOOOOOCCJOCXX3OOOOOCOOOOOOCO
A Fireworks Capture , o
OOQOOaCQOQOQOQOOOaOOOOQOOa
ROUBLE raged on the irrigation
clitrb. The upper gang and the lower -
er gang were at outs. The former
, linl lost a horse and the lower gang was
supposed to include the thief.
"it just means a fight , " exclaimed Mack
-to Simpson , as the two members of the
lower gang rode over the plains one sum
mer night. "There cau't be any horse
stealing around these parts and not have
fighting. "
"No ; and the feeling isn't any too good
already. " added the other.
The ponies loped easily , and turning
down the trail went swiftly into the thick
sunflowers of a ravine. It was nearly sunset -
sot and the tall weeds seemed to be al
most like young saplings. Suddenly the
horse * stopped ; ahead was an unusual
eight , a white-topped prairie schooner.
"A one-horse rig , too , " exclaimed Simp-
son. looking at the thills that were on the
-front of the wagon.
"And deserted , too , " and Matt drew
-.nearer to the strange outfit.
"Well , what do you think of a man that
will do this ? " He pulled the curtains
.aside and showed the sleeping form of a
Iboy perhaps 7 years old. The little fel
low looked peaked and helpless and the
sympathies of both the men were aroused
by the sight.
"Well , he's a rascal. " was the reply at
'last and the curtain was dropped.
"He ain't a rascal , " came from the in
side of the wagon. "My papa is good to
ano. "
"Hello , there , what are' ' you doing here ? "
asked Matt.
"Waiting for fireworks : papa has gone
.after them. He always gets them for me
on the Fo'ther July. "
"What did he say ? " asked Matt.
"Says his father has gone after fire
works a likely story. The boy's hungry ;
that is what is the matter with him. "
"Well , let's feed him. I'll go over ami
get him something from the camp. And ,
say , I'll bring him some fireworks , too.
I'd forgot it , but to-day is the Fourth of
July , and the boss has aot of rockets and
things ready to fire off. All the men are
out hunting for the horse thief and they
have forgotten all about it. I can steal a
few. "
Away rode Matt in the gathering dark
ness , and although the pony went very
fast , and the man did not stay in camp
.more than a few moments , the wait seemed -
ed a long one to the watcher in the ravine
with the boy. The child was hungry and
nervous and confided to the man that he
had been "awful sick. " Simpson felt ex
ceedingly sorry for the little one. and was
more and more indignant at the actions of
the man who had forsaken such a precious
charge.
"Here he conies , " he said at last , when
the rattle of horse's hoofs was heard on
the prairie sod. Matt came down the ra
vine and had some difficulty in finding
the wagon hidden in the sunflowers. At
last he opt'ued the package of food and
laid the fireworks on the grass beside the
boy.
"Supper first. " was the order from
.Simpson , and the three ate the generous
supply that had been brought.
"Good thing not to take the kid to the
ranch , " said Matt. "The men will have
_ a rough time there to-night , and they
wouldn't spare the boy. "
"Now for the fun , " and away went one
of the rockets into the darkness , scatter
ing its splendor over the level plains that
spread from the edge of the ravine. The
jack rabbits aud the prairie owls saw it
and wondered what it could be.
Somebody else saw it. for away off to
the south , where its light was visible only
. .as a faint glimmer , there was a company
of horsemen , and they turned their ani
mals in that direction.
"Hark ! " said Matt , as the fun was at
its height. "Somebody's coming. "
The light of the last rocket had given
A passing view of a man on horseback at
the crest of a ravine. In a moment the
man was near them and he was accompan
ied by a large number. In the midst of
the party , with his head bound in a large
red handkerchief , was seen the figure of a
man tied on a horse.
"We have got the thief , " said the leader
of the newcomers.
"Well , " replied Matt , "what are you
bringing him here for ? "
"We kind of lost our way and we
thought this was the camp. But we are
.going to settle with the rascal right here ,
-anyhow. It might not be best to take
him to the camp , after all. "
"Sure it is the man ? "
"Bound to be. got the horse. "
In the dim light of the little fire of sun
flower stalks that somebody had kindled
the prisoner was brought fortn. He presented -
-sented a pitiful appearance and the men
-almost felt sorry for him. Still , they
knew the unwritten law.
"What have you there ? " remarked one
of the newcomers , pointing to the boy who
stood by , looking with open-mouthed as
tonishment on the weird scene.
"Nothing but a kid that wo picked up , "
.answered Matt. "Let him alone , will
"
.you
"Say , fellows , " went on the visitor ,
" "what's the matter with letting the boy
fire some of his rockets and make a re
spectable illumination for this proceed
ing ? "
The others agreed , and the child was
.placed in position at the head of the two
* * lines that hud formed and had in his hand
31 big rocket that was to be fired at the
* * vui r - v * ir * w
asr A -
1. Jnck Rabbit Polly , want a cracker ? 2. Poll I'll go you. But won't you
Poll Not on your life , Jacky. I've have a cracker , Jack ? Do have one on
sworn off smoking. me.
Jack Then let's have a Fourth of July
race. I'm a regular crackerjack at sprint- ,
ing.
\W * > * <
" * Kf5& _
-A
-
Mf * "is :
-Si-
3. Humph ! This looks like one on me. 4. Tut ! tut ! What's this ? I smell
powder.
ess M
teJfiPK
5. Polly How's that for a cracker , 0. Zip ! Kerzoom ! End of the Tale.
Jack ? San Francisco Examiner.
signal , and then the bands were to be
taken from the prisoner and he could be
hit by any one who was quick enough. It
was thought that he would get enough
punishment to prevent him from ever re
turning to that section again. He evident
ly thought so , too , for he was trying his
best to escape. ,
"All ready , " called Matt. "Go ! "
The bandage was dropped from the
man's eyes and the ropes came from off
his feet and arms. A dozen whips were
raised to strike , but before they could be
used a dramatic scene followed. The boy
who was to fire the rocket dropped the
signal in the grass and the bunches of
fire went skurryiug away in the tall sun
flowers. For himself , the little fellow
made one leap , and before a whip descend
ed he was clinging to the man's neck with
both arms around the same in an embrace
that meant a great deal.
"Oh , it's papa ! " he cried , and the man ,
instead of running , stood holding the child
to his breast.
"Well , this is H go , " said Matt. "What
have you men been doing ? "
"Make him run , " called one of the more
excitable ones among them. He raised
his whip again , but Simpson stood be
tween and would have received the blow
on his own shoulders.
"You have captured the wrong man , "
said the stranger.
"But you didn't say so. "
"How could I when you had put a yard
of cotton over my mouth ? I was looking
for something to eat , and you made a
rush and got me tied before I could get
word to you. I tried not to let you get me ,
though. "
"Yes , you fought like a tiger. "
"My boy and I are traveling back east , "
went on the man. "One of our horses gave
out back here a ways , amf we had to get
along with one. The boy's mother died
in the mountains , and I must take him to
my folks. We are very poor , but we are
honest. "
"Then how did you get the horse that
belongs to the gang ? "
"I did not get the horse. This is my own
horse. "
"We'll see about that. Come on , hoys , "
said the leader , and they went toward the
ranche house , where the men had their
headquarters.
"Bring little fireworks and his play
things , " called one of the men , and they
gathered up the remainder of the rockets.
On the way the boy fired several , and their
path was thus marked with fire and shout
ing , for the men enjoyed the sight as well
as he.
As they came into camp they saw all the
upper gang men and the remainder of the
lower gang employes gathered there. This
unwonted sight made them afraid that
trouble was in the air.
"We have got your horse , " called Matt ,
as they drew nearer.
"So have we , " came the strange answer.
Sure enough , as they entered the camp
there was brought a horse with a piece
of picket rope tied to his neck , and when
they stood him beside the horse ridden by
the stranger the two animals looked like
as twins.
"But this is the right one , " explained
one of the men. pointing to the rope. "He
had boon in the tall weeds and was tangled -
glod by his rope. "
"Seems to me that we owe you an apol
ogy , " said Matt , addressing the stranger.
"Let's celebrate it. " added the happy
Simpson. "If it hadn't been for the boy
we would have given the man pretty bad
treatment. Lot him fire his rockets. "
So the remainder of the fireworks went
into the dark and illuminated the scene
that was so unusual on the plains.
"While we are about it. " went on Simp
son , "let's shake hands and be friends
again. "
The men of both gangs liked the sugges
tion aud spent a happy evening together.
When the boy and the emigrant drove
on east a few days afterward they were
seated behind two horses , and the good
wishes of both camps went with them.
Chicago Record.
Tlacinjj Tern >
r
" % ! J
"They're off in a bunch. "
The Modern Casabianca.
The boy stood en the backyard fence ,
Whence all but him had fled ;
The flames that lit his father's bnrn
Shone round him o'er the shed.
A bunch of crackers in his hand ,
Two others In his hat
With piteous accents loud he cried ,
"I never thought of that ! "
The flames flew wide , flew thick , flew hot ,
They lit upon the brat ;
They fired those crackers in his hand ,
And e'en those in his hat.
There came a burst of thunder sound
The boy ! Oh , where was he ?
Ask the winds that strewed around
His fragments on the lea !
A top , a knife , three marbles and
Some flsh hooks and some yarn
The relics of that dreadful boy
Who burnt his father's barn !
Vim.
HURRAH FOR THE FOURTH !
Minneapolis Journal.
Crane Fliea.
A correspondent sends specimens of
vrorms that infest his strawberry , rasp
berry and dewberry fields. He says :
"They work on the roots and cut them
off ; cut off leaf stems and fruit buds
of strawberries , and work similarly on
dewberries ; cannot see that they are
injuring raspberries. Land was all in
crop rotation before planting berries.
Berry patches are one and two years
old. What are they , and will they do
serious damage ? "
The worms sent are the young of
what are known as crane flies , the long-
legged , mosquito-like insects that are
sometimes mistaken for Hessian fly ,
and are supposed by others to be the
parent of cut worms. This is the first
time that these insects have ever been
reported as injurious to strawberries
or dewberries , so far as known to me.
In England they are called leather
FTY.
jackets , and are sometimes destructive
in fields. I have known them to de
stroy fields of young wheat in Indiana
in early spring , where the land had
been devoted to clover the previous
year , and the ground broken very late
in the season and sown to wheat. There
is but little doubt that they will de
stroy red clover and wheat in early
spring under the conditions previously
indicated.
If your ground was thickly shaded
last fall , and especially if there was a
rank growth of clover during the late
summer , these insects , in all probabil
ity , laid their eggs among the clover
pfants , and these hatching to maggots ,
shown at left in the figure , became half
or two-thirds grown before the winter
set in. I do not know that there is
anything you can do to stop the depre
dations of these worms. If I am not
badly mistaken you will soon see the
ground full of holes ; in many cases out
of these will be sticking empty shells ,
shown at right in figure , and your
fields will be quite thickly populated
by these large , long-legged flies.F. . M.
Webster , Ohio Experiment Station.
A. Plieep Trough.
A correspondent of the Iowa Home
stead has a trough which he considers
peculiar to his own view of what a
sheep trough ought to be. It is so con
structed as to be convenient for both
sheep and lambs. No sheep will jump
into the trough , and lambs will not lie
in it as they will in larger ones. First
take one six inch board the desired
length and bevel its edges a little for
the bottom. Nail to this two more six-
inch boards for the sides , so the tops
will flare a little. Use a four-inch
board for a guard rail with supports
at each end at the middle of a long
VIEW OF SHEEP TROUGH.
trough. The figure shows a view of
the end of the trough in a perspective.
June Grass for Hay
The reason why June grass or blue
grass is not thought much of for hay
is because it is never cut until its seed
stalks appear , when the plant has lost
most of the nutritive qualities that
make it valuable for pasture. It may
seem too much bother to cut and save
a mass of leaves , but if cut before the
seed stalk appears it may be cut often
on rich land , and will make more hay
in the form of cured grass than can be
got from the land by pasturing it.
. . _ * *
Non-Tuberculous Milk.
It seems that , after all , much of the
public alarm as to the danger of the
spread of tuberculosis through the
drinking of milk is unnecessary. For
some years the station officials at the
New Jersey experiment station have
been closely observing several tubercu
lous cows , formerly part of the sta-
f
| tlon's general herd. When the animals
1 reacted under the delicate tuberculin
test they were not slaughtered , but'
, were segregated and studied. Thej find
| that the uillk from these cows has
been tested and analyzed again and
again , but thus far no germs have
bean found in it. So that , from a scien
tific point of view , these cows have
produced clean and healthful milk. One
criticism of this achievement points
out that , although no germs have been
found in the milk , it is not safe to say
that the milk hah never contained any.
The germs may be found in unsuspect
ed corners , and in one milking and not
in another. The testing apparatus , too ,
Is not yet perfected. The general effect
of these investigations , however , is to
make the public much more comfort
able as to its dairy milk supply.
Take Thought for Wife and Mother.
In a recent farmers' institute one
farmer said : "Much of your success
depends upon the good health and
cheerfulness of your wife , doesn't It ?
Then why don't you take steps to light
en her labor and preserve her health ?
Most of you have good wells with
windmills , and you have taken the
pains to run pipes to your barns be
cause the expense was not great , and
it saved you the trouble of either carry
ing water to the barn or leading your
stock to water. But I wonder how
many of you have run water pipes to
the house , thus giving your hard
working wife the convenience of step
ping to a sink and drawing the fresh
water whenever it is needed , without
the labor of carrying it.
"I will tell you , fellow-farmers , we
should take better care of our wives.
Why , in the community where I live ,
three farmers have buried their wives
within the last six months ! And it is
my honest opinion that two of them
were just worn out with hard work ,
and neither of them past 50. The fine
homes they had helped to build up are
saddened by the absence of those
mothers. "
Educating ? Farmers.
No State has been more active in the
education of its farmers in improved
dairy methods than the State of Wis
consin. As a result of the education
of the people of that State in this di
rection , the net gain in the manufac
ture of butter in ten years has been six
and a half million dollars , and the net
gain in the value of cheese manufac
tured in that time has been a round
million dollars , making a total net gain
in ten years for butter and cheese
alone of seven and one-half million
dollars. And the increase in the value
of the dairy cattle has been many
millions more , to say nothing of the
saving of feed and labor that was for
merly thrown away on poor cows that
did not pay for their keeping , but were
kept at a loss. This shows that the
education of the farming classes adds
to the wealth of the State , and is a
benefit to all the people.
A Good Butter Record.
The cut herewith represents regis
tered Shorthorn cow Sally , the proper
ty of the Lyndon Shorthorn Stock
Farm , Lyndon , Vt. She has a butter
record of 3 pounds 1-3 ounce per day ,
and transmits her dairy qualities to her
offspring , as is shown by her three-
GOOD BUTTER COW.
year-old heifer's butter record of 17
pounds 11 ounces. During the butter
test they were fed four quarts corn
cob and oats ground and one pint cot
tonseed meal once per day. Sally rep
resents an ideal dual purpose cow ,
great size being combined with good
dairy qualities.
* ucrcestions for
Beginners will find in the following
suggestions a help in selecting breed
ing poultry stock : "The male bird
should be a model and exhibit the dis
tinctive character of the breed to which
he belongs. He should be good-sized ,
healthy and full of activity , with no
constitutional defects. He should
have a clear-cut profile , with smooth ,
glossy plumage and a keen eye. He
should have a broad chest and carry
himself with a proud , yet graceful air.
The females should be chosen to com
bine good size , pure and even color ,
strong constitution and symmetry in
form. When selecting hens for breed
ing we should look first for good layers
and the most perfect in general appear
ance , and by this combination we are
sure to obtain a superior offspring. "
1 humps.
If the sow gets too fat when the pigs
are quite young and they have not be
come used to exercising , then thumps
will be most sure to follow. It can be
avoided by driving the pigs about the
pen after the dam Jias left the pen. and
if the weather gets so warm so the j
pigs can go outside the pen , then make !
them follow the dam. The cause ofj -j
the thumps is the fat that gathers
around the blood-making machinery of
the pig , and makes the blood flow slow
ly , and , of course , the pig gets slug
gish , and if not attended to soon dies.
Washing : Milk Pans.
It is always important to wash milk
pails as soon as possible after their
contents are emptied. If left to stand
two or three hours , some of the milk
dries on the wooden pail , and then the
more hot water is put on it the closer
it sticks. Always wash milk pails first
with cold water to remove the parti
cles of milk , and then scald with hot
water to destroy any germs that may
remain.
WASHINGTON'S LAST SLAVE PEN
MoHt of the Old Inhabitants Had For
gotten that ItVUH Still Standing.
Washington's last remaining slave
pen has lately been demolished. Many
old residents admit that they did not
know of Its existence until they heard
that it was to be destroyed.
The city formerly had two "nigger"
pens. One was over on what Is now
known as the Smithsonian reservation ,
and the other was the building in the
center of the block between Four nn I
a Half street and Sixth , and between
Louisiana avenue and C street.
No one appears 1o be able to say
when this slave pen was erected , but
it is supposed to have been put up in
the forties. When it was in use It was
the only building In the block , and oc
cupied a central place. It was 30 feet
long and two stories in height.
The work upon it was of the most
durable character. The brick work
and joiner-work defied the efforts of
strong men to separate them , the
beams being large and still sound , the
yellow pine of which they were made
having turned gray with age. but still
defying rot.
When slave dealers arrived in town
with gangs of slaves , they would take
them to this or the other public pen
and leave them there to be safely
housed until the dealer could run out
and hunt up customers.
The slave pens were ahso used to
confine low criminals. To be locked up
in the pen with slaves was considered
extremely vexatious and humiliating
by all well-raised criminals. As there
was no other jail in town at one time ,
there was always a number of sla\es
and criminals iu the pen together.
When owners of slaves found their
property incorrigible , the "chattels' *
were sent to the pen to await the pleas-
use of the owner , who might have them
held in the pen as prisoners until a
good offer was obtaiued for the prop
erty , either to serve some other Well
ington master or go with other negroes
suffering transfer to Carolina or be
yond. New York Times.
THIRTY-EIGHT MULE TEAM.
And the Little Busy Hee liaised Great
Confusion in Its Hanks.
Without a capable man in control , it
would hardly be possible to use the big
reaper that , according to the San Fran
cisco Chronicle , was employed last
summer on a ranch near Corning , Cal.
Thirty-eight mules furnished the
power for handling nearly a million
pounds of wheat. The grain was cut
from the stalks , the chaff threshed out ,
and the residue placed in sacks , which
were sewed and piled ready for the
mill all by the huge machine , which
acts with almost human intelligence.
As for Frank Johnson , the driver of
the team , his fame as an "animal-train
er" went far and wide. He controlled
the two leaders with the lines In his
hands , and taught the others to move
with them. An eighteen-foot lash as
sisted him iu the direction of the nearly
two-score mules.
On one occasion a bee , busy as usual ,
came near causing a serious accident
to the team. They were descending
the side of a very steep hill , when a
mule in the center of the string became
provoked by the bee , which lit on his
ear , and left its sting therein.
The sufferer reared and kicked his
follower , who retaliated on his tail
mate , and so the kick was passed along
until it became the turn of the last five
to assert their strength. This they all
did together , to the discomfiture of
Johnson , whose reins became entangled -
gled , so that the mules and machine
began to roll down the slope.
Through the driver's presence of
mind , no damage was done. He leaped
off and ran to the heads of the leaders ,
whom he subdued in a minute.
"Why They Swapped Pines.
Travelers in Europe are limited by
the railroads to a small quantity of
baggage carried free , usually about fif
ty-six pounds. In a train in Belgium
recently two fellow travelers got into
conversation and came upon the sub
ject of free baggage , when one asked
leave to measure the other's trunk. The
result was that the measurer said :
"Your trunk is seven and a half cen
timeters too long and has no right to
be in the compartment of free luggage.
I am a railway inspector and must fine H
you 5 francs. Please give me your
name and address. "
The proposed victim of misplaced -i
confidence was , however , equal to the |
occasion.
"Kindly lend me your measure that
I may satisfy myself on the subject. "
Then , with a polite smile , "I am a
director in the royal weights and meas
ures office. To my great regret I notice
that your measure is not stamped , as is
required by law ; so that , firstly , your
measuring is not legally valid , and , secondly - p
ondly , it is my painful duty to subject
rj
you to a fine of 50 francs. Please give
me your name and address. " New *
York Press.
An Odd Su te of Furniture.
Perhaps the oddest suite of furniture * 'j
in the world is owned by Joseph Ber- j
ger , an hotel-keeper in Budapest , the
Hungarian capital. For many years
he has made it a business to collect " "J
t
match-boxes from factories in various "
countries. His collection aggregates
4,000 boxes. He ordered a skilled cabj-
net-maker to equip a room with furni
ture made of these boxes. The outfit
consists of a writing table with smok
ing apparatus , a fire-screen , a cabinet
a chair , and other smaller articles.
Though the boxes are empty , they are
adjusted so ingeniously that the pieces
are fully as strong as the ordinary fur
niture.
Truth lies at the bottom of the -well
and anglers never go there to fish.
The noblest remedy for injuries if
forgetfulness.