.
It-
e
And that's not all either
Columbus Automobile Go,
The Seal Automobile House
EXPLODING A THEORY.
The Practical Method Adopted by a
French Scientist.
At the beginning of tlie nineteenth
century the French Academy of Sci
ences offered to give a prize to the
first person who would solve the fol
lowing problem: If you take a vase
full of water and put a stone or any
similar body in it the water will flow
over. If, however, you put into it a
fish, the volume of which is equal to
that of the stone, it will not flow over.
Explain this phenomenon.
Learned essays on the subject pour
ed in from all quarters, but the prob
lem was not satisfactorily solved in
any of them, aud consequently the
prize was not awarded.
In the following year the same ques
tion was again propounded, and for
five years answers continued to pour
in to the academy. Then it suddenly
occurred to one of the academicians
that, after all. the problem might be
incapable of solution, and he deter
mined to make a test for himself.
Filling a vase with water, he put
a stone into it aud saw that the water
flowed over. Then he took out the
stone, filled the vase again with wa
ter and put into it a fish, the volume
of which was the same as fhat of the
stone, and saw, to his surprise, that
the water again flowed over.
lie told the academy of his discov
ery, and the result was that the offer
of a prize was at once withdrawn.
LONDON CABBIES.
And the Lost and Found Department
and Scotland Yard.
"That lost and found property de
partment at Scotland Yard is one o
the best things they have In London,"
said a woman who has spent much
time In England. "Last summer I had
experience with it.
"I fell into a sort of habit of losing
things. First it was a valuable um
brella. I did ttot miss it until I got to
my hotel aftenan after theater supper.
The nest morning I made my husband
take me to the theater and the two
restaurants where we had been the
night before, but without result.
"Then an American friend suggested
Scotland Yard. I went there, and there
it was. It had been turned in by a
cab driver.
"Twice afterward I lost that um
brella and got it back in the same
fashion, each time leaving as a reward
for the cab driver a per cent of the
value of the umbrella, as required.
Then one night I lust a (hie pair of
opera glasses, and 1 got them back.
"It is an excellent system the police
over there have of encouraging hon
esty. A cab driver who finds anything
in his vehicle is required to turn it in.
aud he knows that if the owner claims
it he will be rewarded." Exchange.
An Old Welsh Custom.
The kindling of bonfires on bills is
the simplest of celebrations at any
time. The Druids made four great
fires at their festivals in February,
May. August and November. Wales
seems to have been a country esie
cially tenacious of this custom. Each
family used to make its owu tire, and
as it was dying out each member
would throw a white stone into it. the
stones being marked for future iden
tification. Then all said their pray
ers and went to bed. and in the morn
ing they tried to find all the stones
again. If any stone was missing it
betokened that the owner of it would
die within a year. Some superstitions
are pretty aud picturesque and attrac
tive. This was one of the many which
were cruel as well as picturesque. It
would take hut a slight accident to
cause a fright that might be actually
dangerous to a superstitious person,
and It would not be hard for an ene
my of such a person to cause that
fright by stealing his stone from the
fire.
A Roman Dinner.
A Roman dinner at the house of a
wealthy man cousisted chiefly of three
courses. All sorts of stimulants to the
appetite were first served up. and eggs
were indispensable to the first course.
Among the various dishes we may in
stance the guinea hen, pheasant, night
ingale and the thrush as birds most in
repute. The Roman gormands held
peacocks in great estimation, especial
ly their tongues. Mncrobius states that
they were first eaten by Ilortensius,
the orator, and acquired such repute
that a single peacock was sold for 50
denarii, the denarius being equal to
about eigbtpeiice halfpenny of English
money. Chambers Journal.
Saved by His Wits.
The Duke of Wellington once met
by accident an officer in a state of In
ebriety. -Look here, sir." said the Iron Duke.
"What would you do if you met one of
your men in the condition in which I
find you''"
The officer drew himself up. gave the
military salute and replied with great
gravity. "1 would not condescend to
speak to the brute." His wit saved
him bis commission.
Appreciation.
"Father." said little Rollo. "was
George Washington a greater man
than Santa Claus?"
"I won't aty, mysou. that he was
greater, but be has proved much less
expensive." Washington Star.
A STORY OF BLUCHER.
The Old General Gave His Son a Let
son In Gaming.
Speaking of military men who were
gamblers, Ralph Nevill In "Light Come,
Light Go," after noting that Napoleon
only played in an amateur way and
never seriously and that the Duke of
Wellington, while a member of Crock
ford's famous gambling club, was not
particularly fond of play, goes on to
relate the following about Blucher:
Another great soldier, on the other
band, repeatedly lost large sums at
pla3 This was Blucher, who was In
ordinately fond of gambling. Much to
his disgust, this passion was Inherited
by his son. who had often to be re
buked by his father for his visits to
the gaming table and was given many
a wholesome lecture upon bis youth
and inexperience and the consequent
certainty of loss by coming in contact
with older and more practiced gam
blers. One morning, however, young Blu
cher presented himself before his fa
ther and exclaimed, with an air of
joy, "Sir, you said I knew nothing of
play, but here is proof that you have
uudervalued my talents," pulling out
at the same time a bag of rubles which
be had won the preceding night
"And 1 said the truth," was the re
ply. "Sit down here and I'll convince
you."
The dice were called for, and In a
few minutes old Blucher won all bis
son's money, whereupon, after pocket
ing the cash, he rose from the table,
observing, "Now you see that I was
right when I told you that you would
never win."
SUSPICION JUSTIFIED.
It Was Not a Mouse the Master Heard
In the Kitchen.
The late Rev. Dr. Wigbtman, sitting
one night later than usual engrossed
in the profundities of a great tome,
imagined he heard a sound lit the
kitchen inconsistent with the cautious
ness of a mouse; so, taking his candle,
he proceeded to investigate the cause.
His foot being heard In the passage,
the servant began with much noise to
rake out the fire as if preparing for
bed.
"l'e're up late tonight, Mary."
"I'm jist rakiu' the fire, sir, and
gaun to bed."
"That's right. Mary. I like timeous
hours."
On his way back to the study he
passed the coal cellar door and, tarn
lug the key, took it with him. The
next morning at an early hour there
was a rap at his bedroom door and a
request for the key to get some coal.
"Ye're up too soon, Mary. Go back
to your bed."
Ilalf an hour later there was an
other knock aud a similar request, in
order to prepare for breakfast "I
don't want breakfast so soon, Mary.
Go back to your bed."
In another half hour there was an
other knock, with an entreaty for the
key, as it was washing day.
Tills was enough. lie rose aud
banded out the key, saying, "Go and
let the man out" As the preacher
shrewdly suspected, Mary's sweetheart
had been imprisoned all night in the
coal cellar. London Family Herald.
Vanity Tickled.
During the early excesses of the
French revolution a rabble of men aud
women were rioting in the streets of
Paris. Lafayette appeared and ordered
a young artillery officer to open fire
upon them with two cannon. The of
ficer begged the general to let him try
first to persuade them to withdraw.
"It is useless to appeal to their rea
son," said the general.
"Certainly," answered the officer,
"and it is not to their reason, but to
their vanity, I would appeal."
The officer rode up to the front of
the mob, doffed his cocked bat pointed
to the guns and said:
"Gentlemen will have the kindness
to retire, for I am ordered to shoot
down the rabble."
The street was cleared at once, for
none could brook the idea of being
classed with the scum of the city.
An Acute Sense of Taste.
William aud Lawrence were in the
habit of saving a part of their dessert
from the evening dinner for consump
tion the next morning, aud in accord
ance with this custom two small cakes
had been placed in the cracker jar for
them. William, belug the first up on
the following morning and being hun
gry, went to the jar. He found only
one cake, and a large piece had been
bitten out of that Full of wrath, he
went upstairs and roused his brother.
"Say," he demanded, "I want to
know who took that big bite out of
my cake!"
"I did," sleepily answered Lawrence.
"What'd you do that fori"
"Well, when I tasted it I found it
was your cake, and so I et the other
one." Youth's Companion.
Marriage.
Muriel (letting him down easy) I
should advise you" uot to take It to
heart I might prove a most unde
sirable wife. Marriage Is a lottery,
you know. Malcolm (bitterly) It
strikes me as more like a rattle. One
man gets the prize and the others get
the shake. Smart Set
LOCATING TRUFFLES.
The Hunter Works With a Trained Pig
ami a Pointed Staff.
The truffles looked exactly like white
potatoes that had been very thorcczh
ly dusted with powdered cinnamon.
They were the size of white potatoes,
and they had the white potato's Irreg
ular shape.
"On the way to the Riviera," said
the host, "I stopped at Marseilles In
order to see a trufBer, or truffle gath
erer, at work. Truffles come only from
France. They cost, even over there,
about $5 a pound. The taste? Well,
mushroomy, but much richer.
"Our Marseilles truffler carried a
pointed staff. His Indispensable col
laborator was a trained pig on a leash.
The pig was like any other, only his
snout was longer and better devel
oped. "We spectators had hardly walked
100 yards over the fields when the pig
stopped and began to root near the
foot of an oak. The truffler helped
him to dig with the pointed staff.
Some truffles appeared a foot under
ground, and the truffler pushed the pig
aside, threw It an acorn and put the
truffles in his bag.
"He found, or. rather, his pig found,
a dozen truffles In the hour we watch
ed him. At every find the pig was re
warded with an acorn. These pigs
cost $60 apiece. The man made about
$4 that morning." Exchange.
HIS OWN COIN.
Knox Gava Root What Root Had
Passed Out to Depow.
Senator Depew told a little story on
himself and Senator Root 'In a speech
at a dinner in Washington to Mr.
Root by the New York Republican
congressional delegation.
"When Root was secretary of state."
said Senator Depew, "I went over to
see him and asked him If he couldn't
do something for me In the line of
consular npiwlntments. He said: 'Sen
ator, I'm sorry. I would like to do
something for New York, but' and
Mr. Root picked up a paper from his
desk 'I see that New York's quota is
now exceeded by 14 per cent
"Well." continued Senator Depew, "I
kept going to see Senator Root for a
year. Every time I went to see him
he would remind me that New York's
quota was exceeded by 14 per cent
Finally I said. 'Mr. Secretary, I think
you're a great statesman, but your
mathematics are inclined to be auto
matic' "After awhile Mr. Knox became sec
retary of state," Senator Depew said
when the laughter bad subsided. "Sen
ator Root went up to see him about
consular appointments. 'I'm sorry,
said Mr. Knox, 'but' and he turned to
a document file I find that New York's
quota Is now exceeded by 14 per
cent' "New York Sun.
Major Pond and Bill Nyo.
More than one successful lecture star
bad to thank Major Pond for his start
He had keen discrimination and not
infrequently sought out and dragged
upon the lecture platform' an obscure
genius who never thought to see him
self before the footlights. Such a
genius was Bill Nye. When the major
found him he was acting as postmas
ter and editing the Laramie Boom
erang over a livery stable. ("Walk
down the alley, twist the gray mule's
tail, take the elevator Immediately!")
Pond persuaded him to try lecturing,
and as there proved to be both money
and useful publicity In It Nye was
grateful aud used for years to remem
ber the major with characteristic
notes, one of which bad the following
exhaustive signature:
Yours with a heart full oZ gratitude and
a system full of drugs, paints, oU, turpen
tine, glass, putty and everything usually
kept In a first class drug store.
BILL NYE.
P. S. Open all night.
Old Times at tho Capital.
In recalling the lively and pictur
esque incidents which the old timers
enjoyed in Washington one Is moved
almost to tears over the commonplace
nature of his own times. John Adams
used to bathe In the Potomac every
morning at daylight because he bad
no bathtub in the White House, and
no one ever pulled a kodak on him.
President Taylor used to walk about
the town and stop and chat with ev
ery one he met like a policeman. A
reception in the White House In these
days Is relieved of monotony only by
the great crush of guests, who trample
the clothes off one another's backs.
Another president set up In the east
room a COO pound cheese and Invited
the multitude to come In and help
Itself, which the multitude proceeded
to do.
Fat and Thin..
The two women encountered each
other at a dance. They bad not met
for several years.
"How thin you have grown!" ex
claimed one.
"How fat you've got to be!" the oth
er cried, and they stood gazing at each
other in some dismay.
"Before you come to blows," re
marked a mutual friend who stood by.
"let's take a vote as to which Is worse,
to get too fat or to get too thin." New
York Press.
Finnish Respect For tho Law.
In Finland there Is a deep and pre
vailing respect for law.
"Can I have a shot at an elk?" asked
a stranger of a peasant who lived on
the fringe of a forest well stocked with
this noble game.
"No, sir. It's against the law."
"What Is the penalty?"
"Two hundred Finnish marks."
"All right Will you come along with
me if I agree to pay the fine?"
"No, 1 won't It's against the law,
and I'm not going to break it!" "Rus
sian Characteristics."
Distant Neptune.
The period of man's whole history Is
not sufficient for an express train to
traverse half the distance to Neptune
from the earth. Thought wearies and
fails in seeking to grasp such dis
tances. It can scarcely comprehend
1,000.000 miles, and here are thousands
f them. When we stand on that the
outermost of the planets, the very last
sentinel of the outposts of the King,
the very sun grows dim and small in
the distance.
BRANDED BY TARTARS.
A Greek Robber Who Was Tattooed
From Hsad o Foot
A remarkable case of tattooing came
to light In Professor Hebra's lecture
room In a hospital In Vienna a num
ber of years ago. The man was the
subject of a lecture, and one of the
spectators at first mistook him for a
bronze statue. He was tattooed from
head to foot, and not a quarter of a
square Inch of his entire person was
Intact
The skin presented an appearance
resembling the tracery of an exceed
ingly rich cashmere shawl. The color
ing was done with Indigo principally,
with enough red Inserted here and
there to give It effect His name was
George Constantlne, a Greek by birth,
who with a band of robbers entered
Chinese Tartary to commit depreda
tions. The gang was captured, and
this man, with others, was ordered by
the ruler to be branded In this man
ner. On the palms of his hands letters
were tattooed which explained that he
was "the greatest rascal and thief In
the world.' It took three months to
tattoo him, the Indigo being pricked
Into the skin. The designs represent
ed elephants, lions, tigers and birds,
with letters worked In between. A
couple of dragons ornamented his
forehead. He said his body swelled
up very much at the time and ever
since had been sensitive to changes In
the weather. Westminster Gazette.
A DELICATE HINT.
Tho Present Girard Sent to One of His
Ship Captains.
One of the sea captains In the em
ploy of Stephen Girard. the founder of
Glrard college, had a rural Yankee's
fondness for whittling with bis jack
knife and on one trip succeeded In get
ting away with a large part of the
rail, although, feeling that be was not
without the artistic sense, he really
regarded the rail as greatly Improved
In appearance. When the vessel came
to Philadelphia, GIrard went aboard,
made a general Inspection In the cap
tain's absence and as he was about to
return to shore asked one of the sea
men who bad been cutting the rail.
The seaman told him the captain and
then, afraid his telling might have un
pleasant consequences were the cap
tain to learn of It In a roundabout way.
Informed that official of the Interview
with GIrard. The captain was in ter
ror of a reprimand, but. hearing noth
ing from bis employer, supposed the
Incident closed. As he was about
weighing anchor ready to leave port
a dray loaded with shingles drove
down to the wharf, and the driver
hailed the vessel.
"There must be some mistake!"
shouted the captain. "Our bill of lad
ing doesn't mention shingles."
"This Is where they belong," sung
back the driver. "Mr. GIrard himself
told me to deliver them. He said they
are for the captain to whittle."
Self Examination.
Every man's life Is an Imperfect sort
of circle which he repeateth and run
neth over every day. He bath a set
of thoughts, desires, and Inclinations
which return upon him In their proper
time and order and will very hardly
be laid aside to make room for any
thing new and uncommon, so that call
upon him when you please to set
about the study of bis own heart and
you are sure to find him pre-engaged.
Either he has some business to do or
some company that he must entertain
or some cross accident hath put him
out of humor and unfitted him for
such a grave employment And thus
it cometh to pass that a man can nev
er find leisure to look into himself, be
cause he doth not set apart some por
tion of the day for that very purpose,
but foolishly deferreth from one day
to another until bis glass is almost
run out and be Is called upon to give
a miserable account of himself In the
other world. Dean Swift
A Pheasant's Blind Flight
Speaking of the habits of pheasants,
Bailey's Magazine says:
"A very curious incident was record
ed In October. 189a A ben pheasant
was flushed In a field of turnips, and
as she got up flew Into a piece of rot
ten, wet leaf, which clung around her
head, completely enveloping it and
blindfolding her. She kept ahead to
wind, so that the wet leaf still re
mained plastered over her eyes, and
in this plight fluttered higher till she
became exhausted and gradually sank
to earth agalu.
"The frequency with which pheas
ants fly through windows, sometimes
with fatal results. Is thought to be due
to the bird in Its baste being deceived
by the reflection in the glass of the
landscape behind it"
Sledgehammer Education.
The teacher of one of the grades In
a primary school was astonished to
receive the following communication
from tbe parent of a pupil:
Dear Miss Thinking it might become
necessary. 1 hereby give you permission
to beet my son anytime It Is necessary
to lem him his lessons. My Tom is Just
like his father: you have to lern him with
a club. Just you pound noledge Into him
the way 1 want Don't pay no attention
to what his father, says. I will handle
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
Tho Matter Explained.
"Why do they say 'as smart as a
steel trap?' " asked the talkative board
er. "I never could see anything par
ticularly Intellectual about a steel
trap."
"A steel trap Is called smart" ex
plained the elderly person In bis
sweetest voice, "because it knows ex
actly tbe right time to shut up."
More might have, been said, but In
the circumstances It would have seem
ed unfitting. London Tit-Bits.
Tho Similarity.
"My husband Is like a rooster In one
respect"
"Indeed?"
"Yes; when he gets op early he
crows over It" Judge.
Tho Right to Work.
Drum of tbe Village Orchestra I
don't care what you do say, the tune
ain't finished. I've only bit 'un dree
'underd an fifteen times Instead of
lower 'underd, as Is my share. Lon
don Punch.
A WONDERFUL SNAKE.
tt Defied tho Attacks of tho Serpent
Killing Iguana.
Snakes on the pampas of South
America have many enemies. Burrow
ing owls feed on them, and so do herons
and storks, which kill them with a
blow of their javelin beaks. The ty
rant bird picks up the young snake by
the tall and, flying to a branch or
atone, uses the reptile as a tall until
its life Is battered out The large liz
ard of the pampas, the Iguana, Is a fa
mous snake killer. It smites the snake
to death with its powerful tail. Mr.
Hudson In his "Naturalist In La Pla
ta" tells this story:
One day a friend of mine was riding
out looking after his cattle. One end
of his lasso was attached to his saddle,
and the remainder of the forty foot
line was allowed to trail on tbe ground.
The rider noticed a large Iguana lying
apparently asleep, and, although be
rode within a few Inches, It did not
stir. But no sooner bad the rider pass
ed than the trailing lasso attracted
the lizard's attention. It dashed after
the slowly moving rope and dealt it
a succession of violent blows with Its
tall. When the whole of the lasso,
several yards of which had been pound
ed In vain, bad passed by, tbe iguana,
with uplifted bead, gazed after it with
astonishment Never had such a won
derful snake crossed Its path before.
THE HEDGEHOG.
Tactics It Employs In Making a Meal
of an Adder.
The hedgehog Is tbe possessor of
tastes which, like Sam Welter's knowl
edge of London, are "extensive and pe
culiar," says the Scotsman. Scorning
fastidiousness, It can make a hearty
meal of nearly any Insect and Is one
of the vertebrates which can tackle
the cockroach. For effectual exter
mination of beetles and crickets it is
as useful as a mongoose among tbe
rats, but it Is not generally known that
It has a partiality toward snakes and
adders.
The methods It employs for the at
tack are Interesting. Having come
upon tbe adder, it goads that reptile
to tbe offensive and at the first dart
immediately rolls Into a ball. Tbe ad
der Is then left to attack the spines,
In which encounter it naturally comes
off second best. After awhile, when
tbe hedgehog feels that bis antagonist
has exhausted his power, it once more
opens out and makes a bite at the ad
der's back, thereby breaking Its spine.
It then proceeds to crunch the whole
of the reptile's body by means of Its
powerful jaws, and after that It Is
said to start at tbe tail and devour its
prey.
Subtle Flattery.
Walters Nos. 1 and 2 peeped out at
the baldbeaded man, then ducked be
hind the screen.
"None of him for me," said Waiter
No. 1. "He doesn't tip."
"Same here," sakl Walter No. 2.
"I'll fix him," said Walter No. 3.
He took an order for soup. Before
serving it be showed the two muti
neers a hair floating on tbe surface of
the soup. They marveled then, and
they marveled still mqre when at the
end of the baldbeaded man's dinner
the waiter returned with a dollar bill.
"Ninety-nine baldbeaded men in a
hundred can be worked that way," be
said. "If tbe customer doesn't see the
hair himself I call bis attention to it
and make him think it fell out of his
own bead. The fact that he had a
hair to lose so appeals to his vanity
that he loves me for finding It aud
gives me a tip big enough to cover the
cost of a dozen plates of soup." Chi
cago Tribune.
Her Way of Putting It
A gentleman stepping on board of
an ocean bound steamer just before
she started inquired of the captain
where the old steward was. "Oh," re
plied the captain, "he was discharged
some time ago." "Why did he leave?
He seemed a first rate fellow." "Well,
to tell the truth, he got too big for
his breeches and we had to get rid
of him." This was overheard by a
bright little girl, the daughter of one
of the passengers on the steamer. Soon
after another passenger arrived, and.
after looking around, said, "I don't
see the old steward. What has be
come of him?" "I think he was dis
charged." said some one. "What for?"
"I know," said the little girl, "but I
do not like to tell." "Oh. but you may
tell me, surely." said the passenger
kindly. The modest little maiden
hung her bead and slowly answered.
"'Cause his trousers were too short"
Forgot Doctor's Fee.
A former St Mary's student, writing
from Sao Paulo, in Brazil, In tbe St.
Mary's Hospital Gazette, says: "A few
days back I was giving chloroform to
a patient when I felt a touch on my
shoulder, and a voice said, The pa
tient Is very still.' I said, 'lie is quiet
all right' and the voice replied: 'I am
his brother; If he dies you die. I have
a pistol, and there are eight of us!'
Here. If any one is ill. all the family
collects, and they sit in the same room
as the patient and watch what is
done." The doctor adds, "Unfortu
nately, though there were eight of
them, they forgot my fee."
Tho Difference.
Mrs. Dash Tbe Idea of Mrs. Rash
having society aspirations! Why, her
father was a peddler! Mr. Dash Yes,
she's entirely too forward. She ought
to hang back until people have forgot
ten it. Now, In your case, my dear,
it was your grandfather who was a
peddler.
What He Had Done.
"I'd be ashamed tu beg if I was a
big. bealtbf looking man like you."
said tbe sarcastic woman. "You ought
to look for a job of some kind. Have
you done auything at all during the
past year?"
"Yes. ma'am, I hev." answered the
husky hobo meekly. "I jist finished
doin thirty days, ma'am." Chicago
News.
The Test of Salesmanship.
Anybody can sell goods everybody
wants, but It tabes a real salesman to
dispose of something that everybody
ought to want Detroit Free Press.
Most of us are extremely wise when
It comes to knowing what other people
ought to do.
PERSONAL MAGNETISM.
A Great Asset In Business as Weft ae
In Society.
There have been great advocates at
the bar whose charming manner. Ilk
the presence in court of some of the
world's famous beauties, would so
sway tbe jury and the judge as to en
danger and sometimes actually divert
jsstice. says Orison Swett Marden tat
Success Magazine. A gracious, genial
presence, a charming personality, a
refined, fascinating manner, axe wel
come where mere beauty is denied aid
where mere wealth Is turned away.
They will make a better Impression
than the best education or the highest
attainments. An attractive personali
ty, even without great ability, often
advances one when great talent and
special training will not
There is always a premium uon a
charming presence. Every business
man likes to be surrounded by eopl
of pleasing personality and wlnnlug
manners. Tbey are regarded as splen
did assets.
What Is it that often enables one
person to walk right Into a position
and achieve without difficulty that
which another, with perhaps greater
ability, struggles in vain to accom
plish? Everywhere a magnetic per
sonality wins Its way.
Young men and young women are
constantly being surprised by offers
of excellent positions which come -to
them because of qualities and charac
teristics which perhaps they have uev
er thought much about a fine man
ner, courtesy, cheerfulness and kindly,
obliging, helpful dispositions.
ABSURD COSTUMES.
Outcoma of a Curious Wager Made In
England In 1806.
A wager was made In 1S0G In tbe
castle yard. York. England, between
Thomas Hodgson and Samuel White
bead as to which should succeed in as
suming tbe most singular character.
Umpires were selected whose duty it
was to decide upon the comparative
absurdity of the costumes in which
the two men were to appear. On the
appointed day Hodgson came before
the umpires decorated with banknotes
of various values, his coat and vest
being entirely covered with tbem. Be
sides these he had a row of five guinea
pieces dowu bis back, a netted purse
of gold around his head and a placard
on his back bearing tbe legend. "John
Bull."
Whitehead came on the scene dress
ed like a woman on one side, one half
of his face painted aud a silk stocking
and slipper on one foot and leg. Tbe
other half of his face was blackened
so as to resemble a negro. On the cor
responding side of bis body be wore a
gaudy long tailed linen coat, his leg
on that side being incased in halt a
pair of leather breeches and a boot
with a spur. He wore a wig of sky
blue braided down his back and tied
with yellow, red and orange colored
ribbons.
.One would naturally fancy that be
presented tbe most singular and ludi
crous appearance, but tbe umpires
must have thought differently, as tbey
awarded the stakes, some 20. to
Hodgson. London Tatler.
Testing an Explosive.
One of the most dangerous of ex
plosives is iodide of nitrogen, a black
powder which the slightest touch will
often cause to explode when dry with
great violence. In experiments to de
termine the cause of its extreme ex
plosiveuess some damp iodide of nitro
gen was rubbed ou the strings of a
bass viol, it is known that the strings
of such an instrument will vibrate
when those of a similar instrument
having an equal tension are played
upon. In this case, after the explo
sive had become thoroughly dry upon
the strings, auother bass viol was
brought near aud the strings sounded.
At a certain note the iodide of nitro
gen on the prepared instrument ex
ploded. It was found that the explo
sion occurred only when a rate of vi
bration of sixty a second was com
municated to tbe prepared strings.
Vibration of the G string caused an
explosion, while that of the E string
had no effect
Mild Result
The courtroom was crowded. A wife
was seeking divorce on the grounds of
extreme cruelty and abusive treat
ment Guns, axes, rolling pins and
stinging invectives seemed to have
played a prominent part in the plain
tiff's married life.
Tbe husband was on the stand un
dergoing a grueling cross examination.
The examining attorney said: "Yon
have testified that your wife on one
occasion threw cayenne pepper in your
face. Now. sir, kindly tell us what you
did on that occasion."
Tbe witness hesitated and looked
confused. Every one expected that he
was about to confess to some shocking
act of cruelty. But their hopes were
shattered when be finally blurted out:
"I sneezed!" Everybody's.
How He Remembered.
A diffident young ltoseville man went
to a party. If you are diffident your
self aud know how hard it Is to re
member names when you meet a
crowd of strange and lovely ladles
yon will be able to understand why It
was that the young man's dance card
read as follows:
L Twostep Helen.
2. Waltz Harry's friend.
X Twostep Tall clrl.
4. Waltz-Violets.
&. Twostep Swell eyes.
6. Waltz-Fluffy hair.
7. Twostep tittle blue.
8. Waltz Beauty spot
SL Twostep-Pink ribbons.
10. Waltz-Helen.
Newark News.
Courting a Belle.
"Would it be any barm to deceive
her about my age?' Inquired tbe elder
ly millionaire.
"Probably not."
"I'm sixty. How would It do to con
fess to fifty?'
"I think your chances would be bet
ter with her if you claimed seventy
five." Kansas City Journal.
Tho Pleasanter Route to Ruin.
"Prosperity has ruined many a man."
"No doubt, but if 1 were given any
choice in the matter I'd rather be
ruined by prosperity than by adversi
ty. The process Is more enjoyable."
Chicago Post
CARE OF PARROTS.
The Proper Way to Feed. Cage and
Teach tho lirds.
As few people who own parrots real
ly know how to care for them, a few
good rules may. be of Interest.
As to their food, it should be seeds
canary, hemp (but not too much), mil
let boiled maize, linseed, rape and .the
like. Bread soaked in hot water Is
good, given twice a day. and fruit in
moderation aud la variety Is whole
some, such as grape, apples and
pears, an occasional raisin and let
tuce. Gray parrots are very fond of rice,
and almost all parrots appreciate rice
pudding and have a taste, too. for
bread and butter. Meat is had for
tbem. Clean, fresh wood should he
given them to gnaw bits of elm. birch,
larch and chestnut Fresh dry gravel
must be sprinkled at the bottom of
the cage every day and fresh water
be put in the glass.
It Is important that parrots should
have the opportunity to stand flat foot
ed, so If the cage has wires at the
bottom it is well to remove them. Al
ways to have his claws clasping a
round perch Is injurious to any bird,
and two perches of different size are
advisable, so that he may change his
posture at will.
When a parrot coutinues to scream
he wants water or food or feels ill
and uncomfortable or maybe Is mere
ly dull. Music, which he loves, will
cheer lilm up at all times.
A parrot learns to tal!: only from
one who speaks very slowly and dis
tinctly to him and preferably when he
is about to fall asleep. Last, but not
least, a parrot should be carefully
covered at night London Mail.
THE PYGMIES.
.Curious Made of Life of the Dwarfs of
Rhodesia.
Of the pygmies of northwestern Ulio
desia a modern traveler writes: "The
Batwa stand about four feet high anil
are long armed, short legged and ugly,
being unusually prognathous. The
legs are disproportionately short the
feet large, and the body is covered
with a sort of down. Itoth sexes af
fect a state of complete nudity. They
have their own tongue, hut usually
know a little of the language of their
big ueighlmrs. No attempt Is made to
till the ohmi forest glades. They de
pend for ford on game and what they
steal from the fields and plantations
of tbe surrounding tribes.
"Though there are seven diTerent
tribes of pygmies, they appear to have
no tribal organization. It is the cus
tom for a group of families to-attach
themselves to a negro chief ami in re
turn for food to assist him to tight his
euemies. The standard of morality of
these little people Is high, and, strange (
to say, they are remarkably Intelli
gent "The wild beasts llviug in this for
est are killed for food, even the ele
phant. Pitfalls, snares and heavily
weighted spears are used, but their
favorite way of hunting an elephant
appears to be with bow and arrow.
Poisoned arrows are shot into him.
and the great beast is followed until
he falls, when the little hunters camp
around the body and feast ou the car
cass until it is finished."
Catch-as-catch-can.
She gave him a playful pinch on the
cheek.
"New suit!" she exclaimed. "And
what a beauty!"
"Hat her nice, isn't It?' he agreed,
surveying himself proudly in the glass.
It was a spring suiting of the very
latest style. Even the editor of the
Tailor and Cutter could have found tm
fault
"And doesn't it fit well?" she cried.
"Turn round. To a T! Lovely! It
must have been expensive!"
He put his lingers on his lips.
His other band wandered affection
ately down a very pronounced crease,
and bis eyes filled with a look of
pride.
"Hush!" he wbisiiered. "Not so very!
Five bob down and five bob every time
the collector sees me first!" London
Answers.
Hoar and Evarts.
On one of his later birthday anniver
saries Senator Hoar wrote to William
31. Evarts and congratulated him upon
his length of years. In his reply the
aged lawyer saiu. it brought to mind
an old lady in New England who had
occasion to write to a friend about
some matter of trifling Imjiortance ami
when she had reached the end of the
thirteenth page awakened to the fact
that she had been rather diffuse and
added. "Please excuse my longevity."
Out at First.
Tbe hammock was built for two.
but she was occupying it alone.
"I have noticed." said the man on
the porch chair, "that the prettiest
girls always marry the biggest fools."
"Say no more. Mr. Slowboy." rejoin
ed the fair maiden. "I appreciate your
friendship, but I can never be your
wife." Chicago News.
Natural Gas.
Natural gas is a member of the par
affin series formed by the decomposi
tion of animal matter, as in Ohio and
Indiana gas. and from vegetable mat
ter, as in Pennsylvania gas. this decay
having occurred within tbe rocks and
probably at moderate temperatures.
When once formed It accumulates in
tbe pores of the rocks In which it orig
inated or In tbe overlying layers, hut
Is usually kept from escaping to the
sarface by the presence of some layers
of impervious rock. It Is then obtained
by the piercing of these strata by
wells, or where the beds have been
fssored by folding or faulting it may
Issae from natural channels. New
York -American.
An Inspiration.
"What's tbe name of her successful
story?"
"Bylloxlperboof!"
"Gracious: What does It mean?'
"She doesu't know."
"Where did she get It?'
"Why. she was on a train wonder
ing in a discouraged way where sne
would get a name for tbe story. And
Just then the brakeman opened tbe car
door and called tbe next stalon."
CHrreJaad Plain Dealer.
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