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About Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930 | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1902)
A TRAPFM RV A JnAlimJI m / E happened to come out of the club together , and o walked along the boulevard with M. n man with a kindly face but marked with au iuUnite me.ancholy. "Will you wait a miuu.e lor uie ? " laid I , as we reached the postoliice. "I rish to go in and telephone. " Be started at the last word , and I paw his grip tighten on his cane. When I returued , he seemed nervous , and to break an uncomfortable silence i made tome commonplace remark about what I marvelous invention the telephone was. and wha't Inestimable services the ) rogre8 of science is doing us every fay. "Do you think so ? " replied M. Maroux , in a tone of bittery Irony. "It leeius to me , on the contrary , that sci ence , far from aiding us. oaly euipha- lizes our human weakness and cruel.y Multiplies the means that can cause us fullenug. But you will understand me t > etter if i give you au example of what I mean from my own experience : I was spending my autumn vacation With Louise , my wife , and Marcel , my tittle sou. at my country-place at Mor- fcude , which 1 had just bought , it was tn the country , about thiee leagues out > f Marseilles. NaueUe. our old servant , feras both housekeeper aud co k. B. .is j , who was devoted to me , delighted at being once more near tue city where bis worthy old mother lived. fulli.ieJ the functions of gardener and had his quarters In a detached out-house. With my gun on my arm and uiy two logs at uiy heel , i Uaed to wander about ill day with my wile and baby in ih.it delightful solitude. To UUIKC amends tor our isolation. 1 had a telephone l.ue ut up to connect with the central of- ? re at Marseilles , anil by it every even- Ing , as 1 sat in my bedchamber. 1 could jearn what had been done during the flay at my factory iu Pans. Our peuceiul hie was interrupted by ft notice from uiy superintendent ; by taking application I could probably ob tain an important government order. The weather was so tine and Marcel feenied so well that Louise decided to wait lor me at Moraude. But on tlio eve of my departure for Paris , the ra.u Tell In torrents. When the hired vehicle ftrrived before my do r. at sight o tae Immense blackness of the Ueids and Woods 1 felt a sudden gripping at my * heart. "You will be away only two nights , " Louise reassured me ; "Nanette will Jleep near my room ; Blaise has your pun , and from the house where he tlceps be could bear us call ; and the flogs are an excellent guard. What tould happen to us ? " 1 kissed Louise and Marcel nnd start ed on my journey. On the train I passed a most uneasy night , and I had no sooner reached Paris than I jumpeJ put of the carnage and hastened to a telephone office. Communicatou being established. 1 heard , nasal and mutlied , but still very sweet to me. the voice of toy wife. "Hello ! " I called. "Flow did you pass j the night. Louise ? Were you very frightened ? " "Yes. a little Nanette especially. We Hid not get to sleep until almost day break , because Nanette thought she -beard steps In the garden. The dogs , trhich we bad forgotten to untie , had been barking a long time. At last we pened the window and called Blaise. He took the gun , loosed the dogs , aud Hade a tour of the house , but be did uot Ind anything suspicious. Babyho fid not suspect anything , the flue little fellow , has waked up and Is calling me. Dood-by. If you have a moment before tinner , call me up again. " Ouly half re-assured. I plunged Into the business in hand , and was uot able to go to the telephone again until after light o'clock. I had to call a long time. "Hello , hello ! " I called. "Why don't fou answer , Louise ? What Is the mat ter ? " "Something we did not expect this ftfteruoon. The shutters had been fast ened , the dogs untied , aud Nanette had put up a bed for Blaise in the hall. In irder to save us the * terrors of last Bight , when a boy from the vilage brought a uote for Blaise. His mother fead suddenly been taken very 111. and Ihe wanted him to come to her irnme- iiately. The boy , whom we had never leeii before , went away again as soon ts he had delivered the note , without giving us any further Information. Blaise. who adores his mother , waa Quite upset He did not want to leave Ds aloue before daylight but his sor rowful face told how dearly the delay would-cost him. I thought that If this woman dies to-night I shall have pre I vented poor Blaise from receiving her last blessing. So I overcame my scru- i ' pies aud made him go. He promised to return this evening , and to save time be will drive back. I have just bolted Ihe doors after him. That is why I kept you waiting. Now. how Is that business affair getting along ? " "Very well , but let us talk about yourself. You should not have let Blaise go. Even if he drives back , he can not return before ten or eleven o'clock. My sole confidence was know ing that he was near you. aud now lie | Is gone. And then that boy who ran ' away before you bad time to think of.I I I making sure his news was true ! At any rate. Bl.-ilse has left you tbe two dogs "and the gun. has he upt ? " "The two dogs are asleep , on the porch As for tbe mm. Blaise must bavp left It hi the hall. I shall go ami 1 ; make sure. Cau you hear Marcel ? ilo is sitting in my lap. and is saying good night to you. Listen ! " "Good-night , papa , good-night" "Good-night , my darlings. I must get a bite of dinner now , and then I will call you again. " Once outside 1 felt oppressed with what my wife had just told me. I had dissimulated my own anxiety in order not to add to her fears. But that un easiness , which had hardly been qu et- ed by the first conversation , now waxed dtrouger at the thought of this strange , incredible letter which bad taken away my wife's one defender , the only man In the house. My thoughts took so dark a l ru that by the time I reached the hotel I could uot swallow a mouth ful. I left the table to return to the telephone office , but my agent found me and laid before me a lot of details which were essential to the success of my venture. I could uot dismiss him immediately , and it was late when I re-enteredtbe telephone office. My heart throbbed with impatience , and my h.md trembled so that I could scarcely ho.d the received to my ear. It was some seconds before I could hear anyth.ng. "Hello , Lou.se , hello ! " I cried. "Are you there ? Answer me ! " i At last I heard her voice , but It was low , oppressed , filled with terror. "Oh , it's you at last ! For the last hour I have been nearly crazed. I could not find the gun that boy must have stoleu it when he went away. Blaise has not come back , they must have got him out of theway on purpose. Oh , 1 am losing my head. 1 can scarce ly breathe for terror I think I hear- In the garden far away Wait while I listen ! " j Clutching at the box for support , I could only cry : "Louise , I beg of you , do not leave uie In this silence what do you hear ? " i "Tbe dogs are growling now they are barking barking furiously. They have run to the bottom of tbe garden- now , suddenly they are still there Is a deathly silence ! But yes , it sounds like rnuflled footsteps on the pebbled walk as if some one were coming to ward the house " "Go on , speak , Louise ! I am strang ling. I shall go mad ! What do you hear ? what do you hear now ? " "Nothing , now almost nothing yes , there is a gentle , steady grating sound , as if r 'hisel were being slipped under a shutter to force It the sash gives way a window Is broken oh , I ana ten-Hied ! " 1 shook the telephone-box In my agony. "Telephone to Marseilles , " I cried , "to warn the police ! " "How can I ? the city is three leagues awa3 * they would come too late and I cannot oh. I am going mad " "Call for help ! or Hide yourself yes , that's It. Take tbe little one and hide ! " "I cannot. I have no strength left they are coming , the stairs creak they are in tbe ball they are feeling along the wall , they try the door Marcel ! My God help , bel " There were two muffied cries of ter ror. Then a vague , confused noise. Then a jumble of , indefinable-sounds , then silence. Something seemed to crack in my braiu , and I fell uncon scious. Gapping as If he had lived through this terrible scene again , M. Maroux concluded : "From the Gazette Judi- ciarie you can learu the details of ihe crime. It is known as 'The Morande Atrocity. ' By it I lost my wife , my child , and my two servants. vBut no report can describe , no mere words can ever express , the hideous nightmare that modern science brought me , the frightful torture of a man who , at a distance of a hundred leagues , hears tbe despairing eriesTotfhls wife and son , who are being strangled while he 13 powerless to do more than batter im- potently on a wooden telephone-box. " I'rauslated for the Argonaut from the French of Charles Foley. A Genial Encounter The tsar's last visit to France has ailed the French papers with reminis cences of his formep'Stay. One day he drqyj ipeoffnito to the louse of Loubet.'then'president of the seuate , and while his companion went n to announce the visit , he amused ilmself by putting his head out of the ivindovv and..Iqoking at the people who massed. T7 * A whistlingstreet * boy approached iud' recognized him. in spite of the ) Iainness of his equipage. He stopped , ook off his cap and said , cheerfully , 'Good day , sir ! How is the empress ? " The tsar was naturally surprised , but le replied , with a smile : "Thanks , young man. The empress s quite well , and has enjoyed the trip -cry much. " The boy seemed glad to bear it , nod- led , and went whistling away. The sar said. In telling the storj.that he , bus cordially accosted , was the only me of the two to be embarrassed. Impolitic. "I see this shoe pinches you a trifle , " ourteously ventured the salesman to he lady who had crowded a No. 7 foot uto a No. 5 patent leather. Sir ! " she exclaimed , tearing it off. How dare you talk to me iu that Im- mdeiit manner ! " It was thus that the firm lost a cus- oiner and the salesman a job. Ohio ! tate Journal. A man will talk for his Interests , even f it is necessary for him to"8ay * tliat lack Is white. . 'HE WOKE UP A SLEEPY TOWN. How a Commercial Traveler Had Fun with the Bald-Headed Men. "One of the rnos notable features of a certain little Western town I used to cover was its extraordinary number of bald-headed men , " said the commer cial traveler , who would rather lose an order than fail In perpetrating a prac tical joke. "Preacher aud people , rich and poorall had heads like billiard balls. It was a dull town , so one night when a vaudeville troupe was billed for the place I regarded It as a golden opportunity to have some fun. I had met the company In my travels a fly- by-night show , with a ballet that was a choice assortment of animated ca davers. "I went to the opera . house and bought up the front row , twenty seats circling round the stage , which I stamped 'Not Transferable. ' Then I picked out twenty of the baldest men in that bald-headed community and spent the , day circulating those inter esting bits of pasteboard. I bad a reg ular lingo , like this : " 'Going to the show to-night ? " 'I dun know. ' " 'Well , you'd better go. It's a good thing. Here's a complimentary ticket I'd like to give you if you will surely go , for you see it's not transferable. ' "Of course , every victim was wild to get something for nothing , so I nail ed my men hard and fast. The town bad the usual quota of small boys , and just before the play began I filled the gallery with them. Everything wei.i beautifully. My twenty baldhcads sni in an unbroken circle around t-he stage the gallery was jammed with young sters who thoroughly understood tbe.r part of the drama. "TJien I took my seat where they could all see me. After the usual pre amble by the orchestra the ballet put in an appearance and swung into line a scrawny crowd of superannuae : < dancers. The leader stood with up lifted baton , and tbe ballet was wa.t ing for the signal. At this moment I raised my hand , and from the gallery came the bellowing chorus : " 'Baldbeads to the front ! ' "In an instant the aud.'ence of slow wltted people 'caught on , ' as they saw that circle of baldheads around rhe stage. The orchestra had a hard time trying to keep track of the tune ; the ballet tied themselves Into hard knots , and the gallery gods sent out a deafen ing tempest of howls and cat calls. "Each one of the baldheads looked at his fellow and grew red and wrathy. Then they laughed as only bald-headed men can laugii , and I knew there was no necessity for me to sneak out of town. Again the house went wild , and the orchestra nearly smashed their in struments before tbe pandemonium ceased. It broke up the everlasting calm of that town. The story spread to every surrounding hamlet ; busine s boomed , orders were doubled , and ev ery time I went there the boys 'set 'em up. ' I was awfully popular , but never again could I Induce any one to accept a complimentary ticket to a show. " GNOMES AND DWARFS. Tales of Folk-iLore May Have Been Founded on Py mies of Africa. It is just possible that this type of pygmy negro which survives to-day in the recesses of inner Africa may even have overspread Europe In remote times. If it did , then the conclusion is irresistithle that it gave rise to mos of the myths and beliefs connected with gnomes , kobolds and fairies. The demeanor and actions of the lit tie Kongo dwarfs at the present da > remind one over and over again of the traits attributed to the brownies and goblins of our fairy stories. Their re markable power of becoming invisible by adroit hiding in herbage and beh.nc rocks , their probable habits in sterile or open countries of making the.i homes in holes and caverns , their mis chievousuess and prankisb good ua ture , all seem to suggest that it was some race like this which inspired most of the stories of Teuton and Celt re garding a dwarfish people of quasi- uupernatural attributes. Tbe dwarfs of the Kongo forest can be good or bad neighbors to the big black people , according to the treat ment they receive. If their selfish depredations on the 'banana groves or their occasional thefts of tobacco or maize are condoned , or even if they are conciliated by small gifts of such food left exposed where it can be easi ly taken , they will in return leave be hind them in thetf nightly visitations jlfts of meat and products of the chase , rach as skins or Ivory. I have been Informed by some of the forest negroes , , , says Sir Harry H. fohnston In McClure's , that the dwarfs n trill occasionally steal their children nj md put in their1 places pygmy babies j ) f ape-like appearance changelings. In 'act bringing ; up the children they mve stolen injthe dwarf tribe. These Elections of pygmies , which one can scarcely calljtribes , certainly exhibit Tom time to time individuals of ordi- mry stature and witb features not strongly resembling those of the pyg- ny type. 01hi - Bo He Did. hi Mrs. Slimson Willie , your shirt la Iripping. ii Willie Yes'm. Some boys tempted ne to go in swimming , and I ran away rom them so hard that I got into an w iwful perspiration. al When a woman goes away on a visit ind her baggage arrives at the house , m he always says to her hostess : "Good- Less , you woijld think by the amount o if baggage I Brought I intended stay- 01 ng forever. " TVby is Jt that every one looks uglier V a winter ? ij . * * ' * " . ; - df "TICKETS , PLEAbc.1" Woman Had Decided Not to Pay Tor the Bi > y. Tbe conductor was one of those gift- ad men who remember where each pas- > engergot aboard , and can look through ut the conscience of a trave.er and Iind out if a ticket is still due the railroad. He stopped , says the Detroit News- Tribune , by a seat in which was a sma.l boy. kneeling , of course , so that hs shoes were soiling the plush covering of the seat , and a womanvh -v face was a declaration of independence. She banded the man lirurass buttons a pink trip slip , then folded her bauds as if her duty was done. But tbe eon- ductor was not satisfied. His official' glance took measure of the boy , whose back was turned to the aisle and who was staring at the landscape through greasy finger-marks witb which he bad decorated the window. "I shall have to ask you for a ticket for that boy , ma'am. " "I think not. " "He's too old to travel free : " "That's all right" "He occupies a whole seat and the car is crowded. " "That's the , fault of the road , , not mine. " "And there are people standing up. " "Well , that's not my affair. " "See here , ma'am , I haven't time to argue the matter ! " "It wouldn't'do you any good to argue \t witb me.F/ "You'll have to pay for that boy. " "I never have yet and I'm not goin to begin now. " "Don't you expect to begin some time ? " "That's not the question now. " "If you haven't had to pay for him you've been mighty lucky , or else you don't do much traveling. " "Oh. yes ; I travel about six months a year. " "You'll have to pay for him. ma'am , or I shall he obliged to put him off. " "That won't help you to get my money out of me. " "You know what tbe rules of tbe road are , ma'am. " - "No. I never read them. " "How old Is that boy ? " "I don't know. I never Raw him be fore. You'd better ask the old gentle man who's asleep'three seats up. They got on together at Beckenham street. " WELLINGTON'S TENDER HEART. Mourned After Waterloo Because He Had Lost His Dearest 1-riends. Mrs. Charles Bagot , In her new boob entitled"Links with the Past. " gives some interesting glimpses or the Duke of Wellington and his kind heart , as well as an amusiug and impressive rec ord of the confidence which the peop.e of that time had iu the great soldier. "The duke came into Lady West morland's opera box. when 1 was sit ting. Lady Westmorland reminded liirn that by my recent marriage I had become his great-niece. He spoke very kindly to me , took my hand and kept .t throughout the act My husband > aid to me afterward : " 'Why did you uot speak to the duke ? ' " 'I could cot. ' was all I could say. 1 liad been brought up with such intense idmiration of him by my father and uncles that I was struck dumb. I s.rn- ? ly felt that I was sitting hand in hand ivitli the savior of England and Eu- ope. " As an Instance of the confidence the hike's presence inspired. Lady Morn- ngton tells the story that when firing MS heard in Brussels ( where shets \ staying ) at the oneniug of the Battle ol Waterloo , she went to wake her maid , i woman called Finlay. The womar nerely sat up in her bed and said : "Is the duke between us and the Drench army , my lady ? " "Yes. Finlay. " "Oh , then , my lady , I shall lie down ind go to sleep again. " Lady Mornington says further that vhen she first saw the duke at Brus- els after the battle and congratulated lira , be put his face between his bands o hide bis tears and said : "Oh , do not congratulate me ! I have ost all my dearest friends ! " When the duke was told of the death if Alick Gordon he shed tears. c Located No matter how widely some peoplt ravel , they remain provincial , and told the village they live In as the tarting-polnt of all knowledge. A prl- ate soldier once introduced himself to -Incoln as the brother of tbe man who aye the Fourth of July oration In To- eka. An Andover clergyman is said have fixed the town he bailed from ritb equal precision. He was present at a gathering of oted scholars and professors In Berlin. . distinguished German philologist ast introduced to him. asked wha. art of America he came from. "Andover , " said the clergyman , with roud confidence. "Eh ? Where is Andover ? " "Next to Tewksbury , " replied th .merican. Philosophic Mannderings. The physician who never worries ° 31 ight to be fairly prosperous , since he is plenty of patience. Probably the reason the peanut gal- ry enjoys the show is that the stage out of sight. The man in business who tells the hole truth , and nothing but the truth. ) out his goods without being found it , is an artist Some men are born great , others ihieve greatness ; but the man who its under tha furnace when the hot- m drops out has grateness thrust up- IKCT i him. CT No man cares to hold his girl's hand hen it can't do better than nines and w luces. ' " Baltimore News. _ _ , \ \ \ Time works wouders iu woman's ideas of the man she will accept fox a husband. No man in the world has a dignity shat is superior to/haviug / his hat blown off. IMPURE BAKING PO WDER SEIZED. he New York Hoard of Health Find it Coiimin * AIntn mill ttock. Declare it < to I11 1th > l Dump it into the Bir r. The Tfew York pape s report that the llralih ifepirtineiitof that cii\ ' 't bus seized as dageruus 10 health near ly iwo ions of cheap mixtures sold fo ' ba * ing powders and dumped them iiih the oilal sc w to be destroyed. MOD or the powder WHS found 'in a Sixil ave. deparunent store. The repor ( if the analysis of the Health Depart mrnt Mated that it was 4 an alun baking powder ' coutaiuiug alum am puivenz-d rock. The different Health Authorise- srem to have rtiflVrent ways of repres- iug the sale of bart baking pov\rler > In England they have pnsecuted tin iirocers umier ti eueneral law and on- ken up the traffic. Jn ML-Niuri tin Kale of lum baking powder is autualh prohinited by law. In New Y rk th ' . \ seize 1 he unwholesome stuff arui can iLinto i he rivi-r , without any discu > sion. The latter way is certainly el fee ive. Theallum baking powders are UKU al y offered at a low price , ten i- twenty cents a pound , or with sum * prize , as a temptation to the hou&i wile. Consumers can protect * themselves- by bu.\inir only high-tirade bakiiu powder of established name and re | uiaiion. Do not be tempted by tin grocer 'o lake surnei hint ; else as * 'ju > asycMid" or ' "our own brand , " for il" ti ials show that i he grocer himself i often d ceived by unscrupulous makei * iind is selling an alum powder without knovMnu it. There a re several good powders 01 the market ; let the housekeeper insh on having what.she knows is riyh" " and not lie induced to risk the lite o ihe-tamily for an imagiuary saving o a few cents. The Kafflrs in the Ornnpe Rivei colony have petitioned the Briisl. government for representation in any parliament that may be forme there. Cannot He Cared bjr local applications , as tliey cannot reach the di cu ed portion of tho ear. There Js only one way to cure deutiieis. ami that iby con titn- tional remedies. JJeafiiB'S Is catted hj an iu- fruneil condition of the miicoiit lining of the Di-.tachian Tube.VIien this tnoo U inflamed you have a rumbling sound or Imperfect hear Inland wlien It I , untilely clo ed. Ieufnev > i the result , and nnle-is the Inflammation can he taken nut and tliitube restored to it.nornuil condition , hearing will bo destroyed foie\er. Dine eaes out of ten are rim etl by catarrh , which Is nothing but aa uiiktmed condition ol tiie mucous Miilaee- . . \\'e will pive Uno Hundred Dollars for am en e of Deafness ( eaiiae < l by catarrh ) tliat can' Dot be curoil-by Hall's Catarrh ( jure. Send lur eirculurs , free. F. J. CnEN'EY & CO. , Toledo , O. t27 Sold by Druggets. 76c. Hall's Family 1'ills are the best. The longest bridge in the world crosses the Yellow sea. near San- zang , China. It is called the Lien. Bridge , and its length in live aw1 Dne-quaiter miles. It is suppi rteo by 300 huge arches , is 70 feet above the water , and is inclosed in an iron network. Sentimental youth often chang s nto the most prosaic middle age. His First Dr.'ss Suit. He was a very youthful lookin-- nan an he wore a natty opera hat ind a lengthy raglan which caused lim to be the cynosure of all eye- n Ihe Arch strepfc trolley car. " It was ) robably the first time he had ever Yoru a dress suit , and as he walked nto the car his painful embarrass- nent was noticeable. Many smiles lifted across the passenger's feat- ires , and the young fellow noticed t iach one and blushed deeply. I But more trouble was in store. At C , ieveneenth street two red-faced t srvant girls boarded the car. They B rowded into a seat and began to \ alk volubly. t "Yis , " said one , "tbj misthresf f ive me a ould wrapper an' she " She paused here as her wandering aze rested on tbe conspicuous young aan in the corner. "Ssiy , Ellen , " she said loudly , and rith a giggle , "how would you like fl bat for a feller ? " The young man left tte car hur- ledly before it had reached the street 'here he. wished to alight. Phila- elphia Telegraph. The oldi Best Insurance Pi Vogeler's Curative Compound famishes ic best insurance at a very Mnall cost. The ires which it has made of blood , nerve , tin , liver and kidney diseases , are most siB larvellons. It insures protection against B IB development of those every day ailments , tii hich are a menace to life and happiness. A few doses of Vogeler's , when dyspepsia , ai > nstipation , headache , or nervousness tl jpear , will insure good health. tlm A free sample bottle will be sent on appli- m ition to tbe proprietors of St. Jacobs OU , td. , Baltimore , Md. Sold by all druggists. PROVIDENCE ROAD , GORLESTO.X , CT. YARMOUTH. I have used St. Jacobs Oil for several sars for lumbago and sprains and find it e greatest pain reliever before the public. had a severe sprain on my right ankle fiicn I received last week , and by using ilf a bottle of St. Jacobs Oil it is thoroughly Ui ired. It acts like magic. All my friends UiW ( Gorleston , through it having cured me , are ing it . when occasions _ . require , and say it 'a jrth its weight in gold. m < JAMES SMITH. cp SHIPBUILDING OF THE WC America Kunki Second to Including Colonies. United States Consul Mon ; rh m iit Chemnitz has made a report to ! St2t Department In regard to ih < r world's shipbuilding for 1900. The total number of vessels of over 100 registered tons built durimr UfcS * is given in German returus as 31 ! ) Kilt- Ing vessels and 9ULJ steamships , witb a total tonnage of 2.208.838 tons. Of thl number. 20 sailing vessels am ) 7t steamships , with a tonnage of 211.XJ * tons , were built by Germany. The following table gives tbe relntiv * position of the shipbuilding countries for 1900 , number of ships and reI - tered tons : England ( exclusive of col onies ) 098 America 15)7 sai , Germany 00 France 65 KM : Italy 37 According to these figures 10 per ecu * of the whole falls to Germany. During the six mouths ended Doe. 31. 1901 , there were built In the Unite * States and officially numbered by tut bureau of navigation 717 rigged ves sels of 154,073 gross tons , compare * with 568 rigged vessels of 179.221) gross tons for the corresponding six mouth * of 1900. Canal boats and uuriggef barges are not Included. The principal decline. 19,752 tons , to on the Atlantic seaboard , and is attrib utable to work on several large weu steamers , which will be completed dur ing the coming six months. Include * . In the six * months' figures are tulrtj- elght vessels , each over 1.000 tons mut aggregating 103.832 tons. Of thes fourteen steel steamers , aggregating . " 2.310 tons , were built on the great lakes. Four are for the seaboard. tw banana steamers , Watson and Bupfc- man , each of 1.820 tons ; the Hugoma , 2,182 tons , and the Minnetonka , 5.27t tons. The Minnetonka will be cut t two to pass the canals. On tbe seaboard fifteen woodr * schooners of 24.SU4 tons were built , ' says the Washington Star , five steel i' steamers for the coasting trade and on * steel ferryboat , aggregating 20.9 : > 4 tons. Square-rigged vessels are th * steel ship William P. Frey , 3374 tons and two barkentines on the Pacific , ag gregating 2.310 tons. About Gems. The diamond , although not so rar or precious as the ruby , holds the first place as favorite among precious stones with almost every one. Th high estimation in which It is held Is due to its remarkable hardness , rarity and brilliancy. In spite of Us beauty , it merely consists of carbon a slmpl * elementary substance , and In Its great est beauty. Although diamonds ar usually colorless and clear , like water ; occasionally from some slight foreiga inter-mixture they are white , gray , yellow , green , brown , and more rarelj uranse. red. blue or black. The hard ness of the gem as everybody knows renders it incapable of being scratch ed by any other substance , and in cut ting and polishing diamonds diamond- lust is employed The art of eumny Jiamouds , although long practiced la India and China , was' not known in Europe until after the middle of th * ifteenth century. Poor Actres-es' Costumes. In Germany there Is a society for th elief of needy actresses. As ordinary ictresses have to supply their own co umes It is often most difficult foe hose who are poor to obtain good ea- ragements , says Home Notes. Accord- ugly certain practical philanthropist * itarted a society for their benefit The society is now In its second year , ind In the first report It is stated that 'branches have been established la Berlin. Cologne , Munich. Stuttgar Karlsruhe and Mannheim , and it is la- ended to have a branch in every Ger- nan city of Importance before the en * f another year. In every city 'h luslness of the society Is conducted ! y joint committee of wealthy society romen and the most conspicuous acfr > ess in the place. So far the demar4 , or costumes has been much larg r tian the supply , but this condition ha nly 'impelled the women workers t reater activity. " Faith nnd Works. A piece of bright class-room repwtet : > nies from a Western college. The pr > issor had been annoyed by the tardy atrance of a student Into the lecture x > rn , and pointedly stopped talkinf a til the man took his seat After class the student went , to tte ssk and apologized. "My watch was fifteen minutes on * ' the way , sir. It's bothered me a goc4 ? al lately , but after this I shall put n * ore faith in It" "It's not faith you want In ft , " r - ied the professor ; "it's works. " British Electr c Railway. The estimate of the cost of coa- ructing the electric railway betweea rlghton and London Is In round fig- es 7.338.403. The stations will cost 130,000. and accommodation bridges id viaducts 1,128,301 , while no less ian 2,408,720 Is to be spent on tun- Pass It On. "Have you had a kindness sbowa ? Pass it on. 'Twas not given for yon alone Pasa it on. Let it travel down the years Let It wipe another's tears. Till in heavtm the deed appears , Pass it on. " "Women in Ghis oiv University. Lmoug the 2.038 students at Glasgow 1 ilversity last term there were 350 ) iuen. s - - - rhe man who Is willing to lend ytra > ney to-morrow always wants to l- nr to-day. j
