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ABOUT CHAINED LIGHTNING ,
How the Oity of Mexico is Lighted with
Electricity.
OPERATED UNDER DIFFICULTIES
The finish Plant In Hoston An Im
portant Electrical Question Dif
ficulties of Underground Wire *
An Mloctrlcnl Itoad.
W. J. Johnston , editor of the Elcctric.il
\Vorld , in writing upon the electrical in
dustries of Mexico : Just imagine.
if you can the authorities of
BUCU a city as Cincinnati , or New
Orleans , or Sin Francisco , giving the ex
clusive right of running electric light
wires through the streets to one com
pany , and then stretch your imagination
n Jittle further and think of the company
enjoying such exclusive privilege saying ,
in answer to a request for an electric
light in front of n business house , that its
utmost capacity is only 118 lights , all of
which are taken by the city , so thai if
you want an electric light in front of
your store , you must either put in a pri
vate plant , or wait until some arrange
ment is made by which the company
having the exclusive right of running
wires through the city for electric light
ing purposes can increase its plant stilli
ciently to furnish lights to the public !
That is precisely the condition of af
fairs to-day in the City of Mexico , the
capital of tin1 republic , and a city with a
larger population than either Cincinnati ,
Now Orleans , or San Francisco.
So far as I was able to learn , the elec
tric light was introduced into Mexico for
the first time in 1877. The pioneer plant
was brought from Franco in that your-
add was installed in a small cotton fac ,
tory in the little village of San Angel-
about seven miles from the City of Mex ,
ico. It was put in as an exhibition plant ,
with the expectation of getting the City
of Mexico to adopt the system. Owing ,
however , to defects either in the manage
ment or the system tin ; experiment
proved a failure. The dynamo refused
to work on the third night of the exhibi
tion , and has never , they tell me , run
since , it now languishes under a collcc- .
lion of old mill iron and cobwebs.
The Brush appears to have been the
lirst American company that made an at
tempt to introduce an electric light
system in Mexico. A representative of
that company went do\Vn there about
1880 , and two years later made an ar-
i ! rrangement with thn .Mexican . Gas Light
company for the control of the Brush
system throughout the Republic of
Mexico.
The company that has the exclusive
right of rtmninir electric liirht wires in
the City of Mexico is an English ono ,
known by the name of the Mexican Gas
N
Light company. It has two sixty-light
I. . Brush machines , and supplies , as I inti
mated above , 118 lights all of them to
the city. Mr. S. B. Knight , the manager
of the company , has lived in Mexico a
long timo.and does not appear to have at
much faith in the future of electric light
ing in Mexico as have American electri
cians who go down there. Mr. Knight
says that the company has a contract
with the city for a considerably larger
number of lights than arc now running ;
that the finances of the city are so low
that the company has been asked to carry
out , for tiio present , only a jiart of the
contract , and that to do this taxes the
present capacity of the company to its
utmost. The plant , says Mr. Knight , is
to bo extended to ( iOO lights of 2,000 candle
power each , in addition to ten towers of
1(1,000 ( candle power each. "Just as
soon , " ho adds , "as the city tells us to
go ahead , we will at once put in the nec
essary apparatus , not only for the extra
lights required by the city , but also for
what will probably bo needed by the
public. "
There are several curious things about
the City of Mexico which will interest
electricians. The altitude is so higli
7,000 feet that an ore dynamo that is
ordinarily intended to run at a speed of
a thousand revolutions will furn'ish one-
third more current in the City of Mexico
than it would , say , at Vera Cruz , with
the brushes in the same relative position.
The consequence of this lias been that ,
through carelessness , a largo number of
armatures liavo been burned out in the
Cily of Mexico.
The air in the City of Mexico also ex
erts a remarkable cll'cct upon gas. The
high altitude seems to make the gas slug
gish ; and it requires a much larger pipe
and more pressure to force the gas re
quired in that city than in any place at
the JoVc ! of the sea. In fact , cas that
would have an illuminating power of 100
nt Vera Crux , would under the same con
ditions have only , an illuminating power
of seventy at the City of Mexico.
I like to see circumstances of this kind
taken advantage of and turned to prac
tical account , and it looks to mo as if
this is an important point in favor of the
incandescent light. Mr. Knight told me
that it was the intention of his company
to introduce incandescent lights and give
outtomcrs the choice of 'cither gas or
electric lights , just as they preferred.
As I stated in the last article , coal 1
costs (93 a ton in the City of Mexico , and
gas is made from wood which costs f 14 a
cord. The price of gas to the city is $5.r > 0
a thousand and tit private customers
| 7.f > 0.
There are three factories in Mexico
lighted by the Brush system two in the
City of Mexico and ono on the road to
Vera Crux. There are 4fi 1,800 candle
power lights in ono of these , 80 1'00
candle power lights in another nnd 10
2,000 candle power Ifghts * In the third.
Vera Cruz has a plant of two lit light
Brush dynamos and supplies ! i3 lights.
Electric Road for the Auntrlan Alps
The Austrian government has granted
a charter to the firm of Siemens Ac Halske
to make a preliminary survey andaloca-
tioB of n railroad from Lend to Bad
Gaotoiu and Bockstein , in the Austrian
Alpg , to bo operated by electricity. The
maximum cradn will be 4 per cent , the
entire length in 3 English miles , and the
coit is reckoned at f355OjO. From the
Dtation nt Lend the road will , by a series
of extensive cmvcs.avoid the high grades
until It reaohca a point above the falls of
the rive1 ; then It will bo laid through the
Klamm pass , and the bed of the river
Ache , until the level of the village of
Gastcin is reached. This plan was adopted
in preference to * that of two competing
firms for its cheapness and practicability.
They proposed moro direct lines , which
would Rave necessitated the use of the
rack rail for some short sections with
teep grades which would have been
unavoidable.
The New Pullman Train.
The magnificent now Pullman train of
fire palace cars , that has lately been on
exhibition in various cities , is now being
eqalppcd with incandescent lamps and
storage batteries by the Electrical Accu
mulator company. The electric light ts
the only one that goes well with such
taite and beauty , or that it will not spoil
the elaborate decorations. The train
COM on the Pennsylvania road to run be
tween Chicago and New York.
Tbo Telephone In China.
The syndicate which is now about to
develop the telephone in China has , it Is
aaid , a backing of 120,000,000.
Butter Maklnn by Electricity.
At the agricultural nnd dairy show iu
the Madison Square gardens , last week ,
ny > the Electrical World , a "Silver1' '
eJturn was driven by a C. & C. motor
eoHoneted up in the regular , lightning
, lirouit. The butter made iu this way S
pronounced excellent by all who have
tried It and It was in brisk demand. A
great many of the people who saw the
motor running the churn have gone
homo to think that matter over seriously.
It wns n new Idea to them ,
Arc hump Kleotrlcity.
Boston Herald : "Does It not affect a
watch to stand near a dynamo machine
whim it is in motion ? " wns asked of the
night superintendent of the Brush station
on Ferdinand street.
"Oh , j'os ; very seriously. "
"And "
why ?
"Because the works become charged
with electricity. The steel absorbs a
greater quantity of the lluld than the
brass , and the resistant inlluenco upon
the latter metal by the former becomes
KO great that the wheels are held in check
and the watch stops. "
"is it dangerous business to work
about a dvnamoJ"
' 'No ' ; we haven't had an accident here
since the station was established. The
line mcn.howevor.frcquentlyget a shock ,
but it is seldom they receive uny serious
injury. "
"Can you toll when a lamp goes out on
a given circuit ? "
"No ; but if two or three should fail ,
those little dials upon that shelf over
there would warn us of the fact. "
"Arc you troubled much with your
lamps failing to burn ? "
"No. If tno rods are properly covered
and the other mechanism carefully at
tended to , we have no dilllculty. A lamp
with ordinary care ought to run six
months without repair. After that it
should bo thoroughly overhauled. "
"What power does it take to run a
slngli ! lamp ? "
"We reckon onc-horso power to each
lamp. "
"What is this amount of power worth ? "
"When wo hired it we paid $100 a year ;
but with our machinery it costs about
$15. Experts differ on this subject , however -
over , some claiming that it costs nearer
? ( ! ( ) to develop a horse-power. "
"How many lamps do you run on a
circuit ? "
"About sixty. "
"And how many circuits have you ? "
"Thirtv-threo " running from this sta
tion. "
"Of course the nearer j-our lamps arc
together the cheaper it is to run them , as
you have so much less wire to look after. "
"Yes , that is true. But what do you
think of two lamps three miles apart , as
is the case on one of our circujts in the
outskirts of the oitv ? The prolit on these
illuminators can't bo great when the cost
of the wire and the attention necessary
to keep it in repair are taken into con
sideration. "
"Why don't you put your wires under
ground ? "
"That wo will willingly do when some
one invents a properly insulated cable.
You see the nature ot the electric cur
rent is to reach the earth , and if the in
sulation is not complete it jumps from
the wire and its intensity for service be
yond the defect is thereby reduced. Our
company has spent $10,000 in cxpnrment-
ing with underground cables , but all the
results have been uupatisfactory. It
would cost an enormous sum to bury our
Wires , but it would be a good investment
even at that , because we would then es
cape the nuisance of continually repair
ing thorn , as is now the case , and also
avoid the constant complaints of people
over whoso buildings the wires are
strung. It , is a popular belief that elec
tric lighting wires endanger property
from lire , and the moment one of them is
run over a house for the lirst time the
owner immediately declares war against
us , as he thinks wo are plotting to' cre
mate him. The record of lircs caused by
electric wires you will lind to be very
small. Many claim that the premium of
their policies is increased when the wires
are attached to their buildings. But it
seems to me ridiculously absurd for an
insurance company to raise its rates
under such circumstances , as mice nib
bling at matches cause 100 fires to our
one ; yet we never hear of them being
taken into consideration when an insur
ance rate is given on a building. "
"How many men do you employ
here ? "
"Ono hundred and thirty , divided into
three reliefs. "
"What is the combined intensity of all
your dynamos ? "
"Strong enough to instantly kill every
person in the city of Boston , were they
to stand iu line and take hold of the
wires. "
An Important Klcotrlcal Question.
Philadelphia Telegram : How long is
electric Kghtiug to bo supposed to bo
"on trial ? " The question has oc
curred , no doubt , to every citi'/en ,
and the current proposition to remove
street gas lamps rendered useless by the
new lighting , so as to place them in
new neighborhoods not soon likely to bo
reached by electricity , may bring it to an
issue. We believe there will be no dis
position to hurry matters , yet naturally
the question must be decided al some
limo. When shall the marvelous new
invention be considered fully installed ?
To retain the gas lamps as an alternative
after the entire sufficiency of electricity
should bo demonstrated , would not be
business-like. When gas suporccdeJ the
street oil lamps , the early cumbersome
apparatus was retained for a while , iu
expectation that some time it would be
needed through n complete gas tiiilitrn. i .
But , in the end , lamps and boxes had to
go. The present situation is much the
same as that one. There is not an exact
parallel , since the gas mains will con-
tiniu ) to run everywhere for the use of
private consumers , and the street lamp
attachments make a simpler system than
the old lamps did , which stood for them
selves jtlono. All the same , when tno
gas lamps arc delinitoly shown to bo useless -
loss , should they continue to encumber
the streets ?
Uiirtcruounil Klcctrlclty.
Pittsburg Commercial-Oa/.ctto : before
the legislative committee yesterday , S.
A. Duncanof the electric light company ,
gave testimony on the subject of under
ground wires. Ho said the electric light
company had not experimented in this
line very extensively in this city , but pro
posed during the present summer to lay
a line of underground , cables on Virgin
alloy. Owing to the strong current re
quired over these wires they became
dangerous when placed underground , as
had been demonstrated in Philadelphia.
The manufactured gas was apt to collect
in the trenches or conduits , and in many
instances where the wires had come in
contact with each other sparks were
omitted which caused disastrous ex
plosions. Also , where the lines hap ;
pened to touch the iron covering of
fO
sewer are pa , the latter became so
charged with electricity as to cause the
tenth of animals stepping on them. 10e
He did not favor the idea of a large ;
conduit in which the wires of the differ-
cnt telegraph , telephone and light com
panies would be placed , as the induction
from the many wires , which even now
overhead Is a source of trouble , would
bo largely augmented nnd seriously in
terfere with the business , especially lilt
the telephone companies. lti.
Ho suggested that by way of experi i.
ment the city place all their own wires
under ground and give the system a trial
before it undertook to compel the com
panies to incur an enormous expense for
something which was at best a risk.
CADET WHITTAKER.
The Late Career of the' Famous C'ol-
eruct Fraud.
A Washington dispatch to the Minne
apolis Journal writes : Five years ago
Johnson Chestnut Whittaker , who had
then just escaped a sentence of ono year
in prison for having , as it was alleged ,
mutilated himself to escape the result of
failure to pass his examination at the (
academy , wa * induced to go to buffalo to
tell the people of that olty what he knew
of the color line al West Point. A Buffalo
newspaper man conceived the Idea of In
troducing the "colored cadet from West
Point" to the rostrum. The venture
was not a great financial success ,
and Whittaker was dropped. Then
another man took hold of him ,
and by taking him to the smaller
towns in western New York succeeded
in aiding him to make a very fair living.
Finally , however , some enthusiastic col
ored minister in South Carolina turned
the head of the ex-cadet by offering him
$100 for a speech in Columbia on the
Fourth of July. Whittaker was certain
that this was the tide In his all'airs which
was to lead to fortune. He declined to
fill any more engagements in New York ,
and at last inducuilouo of the men who
had befriended him to go sou tli with him.
Ho declared that Haltimorc , on account
of its great colored population , would bo
a good ono night stand , and against the
judgment of the other a stop was made
in the Monumental city. The result was
disastrous. Although they stayed a
week in the place , and advertised the lec
ture extensively , there was only $ ( ! .riO in
the house , and the partnership dissolved.
Whittakor was v * y angry at the cool
ness with which the colored people
greeted him , and to vent his temper ho
Ditched into President Arthur for Ms ap
proval of the findings of the court mar
tial of Lieutenant Flipper. This indis-
crci't act cost him clearly. It was the only
portion of the lecture reported by the
Baltimore Sun. A few days later Whit-
taker , through the Influence of Cong
ressman Smalls , was about to bo appointed - '
pointed to a place in the surgeon gener
al's oilice of the war department. His
appointment had been made out and was
in the hands of Secretary Lincoln for his
signature , when the attention of that of
ficial was directed to the Baltimore
speech of the ex-cadet. That settled it.
Ho was not appointed , but instead went
on to South Carolina , and was , I am in
formed acmitted to practice at the bar.
it is said that lie is doing well ,
MUSICAL AND DUAMATIU'
Miss Vernniia Jarbeau will star next sua-
sou In a play of her own.
It is said among .Mr. Lester Wnllack's inti
mates that he has a ilesiie to an la Kn laud
to live.
A Now York contemporary asserts that
Sarah Hcnihanlt Is a "born ruler. " That
may be true , but to u.- ) she looks like a yard
stick.
It Is said that Dlxey will not play ln-ro
next season , but will go on the mail. He
will produce "Adonis 11 "
, nt the Bijou on
May 30
Koso CoRhlan , Osmond Tearle , Kyrlo Uel-
lew , John ( Jilburt and Mailanic I'onisi will
be members of the compary at Wallack's
theatre next season.
The gossips say that Mr. Frederick ( let-
hard Is a partner with Mrs. Lanijtryin her
theatrical ventures. Mr. ( .iobharu has the
happy faculty of combining business with
pleasure.
A Kansas City contemporary , evidently
with plte , says that a theater will chortly bo
erected in that bun ; "that will knock the
spots olf'n the measly old Grand opera house
of Paris. "
Modje.tka will proilueo a new play next
season , "The Witch , " an adaptation by (3.
M. Itae. an KndUli dramatist , of "Die llcxe. "
a six-year-old German drama. It lias been
tried in London.
Mr. J. M. 11111 has secured an additional
lease of live years on tno Union Square
tli'-atre. ' Dtirln.-the summer Mr. Hill will
maUu several alterations In the house , and
redecorate it throughout.
Mr. Lawrence Barrett's season will close
in this city next week. Mr. Uarrctt will
spend the summer at Cohasset , Massachu
setts. Xext week he will play in "Hamlet , "
"Ulchelleu , " "Yorick's Love , " "Tim Mer
chant ot Venice" and "David Oarrick. "
Manager llu entiiest ] tias pin bused a new
play by Lawrence .Marston. called "Hypo
crite , " and will proilueo it at.the Fourteenth
Street tlieatre , on Monday uvpnliir , Juno C ,
with'Osmond Tearlc , Herbert Kclcey , New
ton Gottliolit and Annie Kobe iu the leading
parts.
By the terms of the agreement between
Mrs. James Brown Potter and Harry Miner ,
she will make her lirst appearance in New
York on October 10 , remain there for six
weeks and then make a tour ot the principal
cities. The company , scenery anil ptoper-
tie.s are to be subjected to Mrs. Potter's ap
proval.
Miss Helen Dauvray will travel ( lurinc the
whole ot her next season by .special ears , so
arranged as to accommodate nil the scenery
and properties usvd by her in "Walila
Laiunr" anil the comedies In her repertory.
This will , to a certain extent , obviate any
difficulties which mi.-lit arise through the op
erations of the inter-state commerce bill.
MiS3 Dauvray will be one ot the few stars
who will carry with them n laix-o amount of
scenery. She thinks that it is due to her
audiences throughout the country to produce
her plavs In the same mauner as was done In
SAFE FROM CYCLONES.
Apartments of a Southerner.
Suvunah Times : Perhaps the largest ,
best I arranged , best furnished and most
costly cyclone pit in the country is owned
by \ Edward Brown of Eatonton. It is sit
uated near the buck door of his residence
and is large enough to accommodate his
entire family. The walls are of brick ,
laid 1 in content , the lloor is carpeted , has
a fireplace anil u chimney , and the room
is i handsomely furnished. The family
could spend the night there witli as much
comfort as in the dwelling. In repairing
it Mr. Urown had an eyu to its perma-
nonoy ' and spared no expense in making
it pleasant and comfortable.
To guard against the contingency of
the house blowing over on it and impris
oning the inmates , n large sewer pipe
leads ofl'from the pit in an opposite di
rection of 100 yards , through which the
family could escape. The unique under
ground dwelling Is thoroughly protected
against water rising from below or run
ning in from above. The cost was over
| 500.
Chinese Temples a ml Altars.
San Francisco Bulletin : In and near
Canton are 125 temples. Every store
keeper has n picture ) of Confucius or of
some other sago conspicuously placed
on the rear wall of his store. To these
homo altars inoenso is daily burned.
The temples are usually lilthy ; a
crowd of fortune-tellers , gamblers ,
sellers of small warns and beggars infest
the popular places. One of the temples
has .100 life sisso genii , nil in a sitting
posture , and each with a different ex
pression or with his hands in a peculiar
position. One wise man had whiskers
and a decidedly European cast of counte
nance. Upon asking what Gcd he was I
was told that it was Marco Polo.
It was my lirst interview with Mark ,
and he seemed to be pleased at meeting
mo. At least n benign smile rested on
his wooden face. Patience has its re
ward. Marco was accused of lying be
cause ho tola the customs of the Orient ,
but now ho is enrolled among the Bud-
dims and sits composedly among those
500 gilded idols. The god who holds up
the moon was shown to me. The left
arm is much longer than the other.
There is also a temple , a Tartar temple
1 think , devoted to the live genh who
come to the city on rams licariug gifts of
grain to the city. The rams were turned
tostono and are there to convince the
obstinate rive rough-looking stones ,
about &s largo as a man's head showing
that the rains wore condemned when
transformed. Thorn Is also a largo boll
here with a piece knocked out of the bet
tom. It was a tradition that whenever
the bell should sound calamity would fall
upon the city ; and when the English and
French besieged the city in 1857 , ono of
their cannon balls struck thn bell , broke
oil'a piece and caused U to sound.
In sight of this temple is a tower built
by the Mohammedans in the llth
century. The next object of interest was
the Flowrey Pagoda , the stories high ,
about twenty feet in diameter and with
a great amount .of carving on it.
IDE ROCK OF' GIBRALTAR ,
The Present Condition of the Famous
Fortress ,
ADDITIONS TO THE DEFENCES.
Adequate Wntnr Supply Visitors and
How Thry nro KognlntcJ
A Jolly Place for
Jack Tar * ,
A correspondent of the San Francisco
Chronicle , writing from Gibraltar , says ;
There is no port on the European station
hailed with more delight by the crew of
an American man-of-war than is Gib
raltar. Let a hundred tars go over the
side on liberty with a month's pay in
their monk bags , and depend on it the
Scotcli Highlanders will soon be singing
"Yankee Doodle" to the tuuo set by the
jolllest crowd of tars that ever stepped
ashore.
There is something connected with the
"rock" that Is just to Jack's taste.though
the merry fellow will admit that the
lassies are not equal to those in Monaco
and Naples.
The good-natured Highlanders get along
famously well with our blue jackets , and
thus save the ship's marines no end of
trouble.
To the ollicers of the vessel there is al
ways much of interest to bo seen at Gib
raltar , and especially to one who has
onlv recently comu on the station. Our
vessels always touch at the "rock" when
going ui ) the "straits , " and it is often the
lirst port made after leaving homo.
Gibraltar has so often been written up
that 1 doubt not that many readers of the
Chronicle have more than a general idea
of the famous fortress , for it is by no
means apart from the highway of the
traveler ' and pleasure seeker. The ex
pression "as strong as Gibraltar" lias be
come well nigh trite , but the simile is
well chosen it one nan but conceive of
the immense strength of the place.
Though Gibraltar has not been sub
jected to the attacks of vessels of war o !
the present ( lav , still it has withstood a
siege before which no otiier fortress in
the world could have held out. Since
that famous sii'go of the last century
everything has been done to make
the place , humanly speaking , impreg
nable.
That this lias been accomplished even
a cursory glance sulllces to show , and
Jack ! will tell his messmates on some
foroicn station that "the bloody 'lime
juicers' at the. 'rock' add a gun for every
new year , and now tliey have l,8S7 , guns
in position. "
The "rock" itself is not more than
seven miles in circumference , and its ele
vation above the-sea , at the highest
point , does not exceed 1,400 feet. The
town is situated on the western slope , for
on all other sides the ascent is very pre
cipitous. Tiio isthmus which connects
Gibraltar with the main land is a little
more than a milo wide , and. it is on this
isthmus that the famous neutral ground
is marked oil'by the two parallel rows
of English ami Spanish sentry boxes.
Apart from the position of the "rock , " it
is greatly strengthened by the presence
of remarkable natural caverns with which
it is perforated. These caverns are all
dillictilt of acces . The largest , St.
Michael's , lias a hall hung with stalac
tites reaching from roof to lloor. Its en
trance is 1,000 feet above the level of
the sea , and is connected with
other caverns beneath of unknown
depth. No doubt the presence
of these natural caverns suggested the
idea of the British of excavating and
tunnelling the "rock. " A system of gal
leries have been cut facing the harbor
and neutral ground at an enormous ex-
peusc. Much of this work was carried
on by prisoners. At intervals of twelve
yard's ports have been cut for guns , and
some of the ordnance mounted is of very
heavy caliber. The galleries arc tunnel
ed in tiers , and several extend to a dis
tance of two or three miles , being wide
enough to admit of the ox-carts of the
fort. On the western slope there are
many level spots , but the "Hats" of Gib
raltar are near the top of the "rock. " It
is here that the infantry is drilled and
exercised. The garrison consists of
nearly 5,000 men , and it has always been
the custom of the "Horse Guards , " in
London , to send out a great many High
landers to Gibraltar , though they do not
compose the full force. The garrison is
one of the hardest drilled in the British
service , and the men are usually the pick
of the army. The feeling of pride will
allow only the llower of the British
troops to hold Gibraltar. Report has it
that General Grant considered this garrison
risen the linest body of men of any he
saw during Ins tour around the world.
There are a great number of Moors
and Jews hero beside English , and not a
few Spaniards. All foreigners visiting
the town are required to take out a per-
mis do scjour , and must lind bondsmen
to go security for their good behavior
during the ten , fifteen or twenty days for
'which the permit is made out. However ,
his stay may bo renewed alter the expira
tion of the time limit. The authorities
prevent as much as possible any acquisi
tion in the way of new residents. This
is to the town only. Inside the limits of
the barracks no strangers are admitted
after nightfall. The ollicers. however ,
may introduce a friend for a period of
a month , but arc held in strict account
for all his actions. Justice is adminis
tered according to the laws of England ,
but there is a prevailing spirit of the
military court martial in all the proceed
ings of the court. The air militairo is
inculcated in all pertaining to the
"rock , " and is more than an apparent
Beaming.
The majority of the houses in the town
are built with Hat tops , which enable the
inhabitant ! ) to secure a considerable
amount of rain water. Tanks are built
under the buildings and arc lilted with
drains leading from the roofs. It is the
writer supply which has always proved
of vital importance to Gibraltar , but the
authorities have finally mastered the
question , and the "rock'1 ' is now well
provided with good water. Two largo
tanks , ono containing 0,000 and the other
11.000 gallons , are kept constantly full
With which to supply naval vessels.
Gibraltar stands to-day the key to the
Mediterranean , and is the center of that
linn of fortresses which connects Greaf
Britain with those enormous fields of
wealth in the East Indies. The strategetic
importance of this position was observed
by the Saracens as far back as 711
A. I ) . , and under a loader named Lorik
fen Loyad landed and fortitieil
the place in that year. During a period
of 700 years from "its lirst .acquisition by
the Saracens , Gibraltar was held either
by the Moors or Saracens , nnd was a
constant cause of war between these two
races. In 14(12 ( a Spanish foroo under the
Duke of Medina Sidonia wrestled the
fortress from the Moors , and so strength
ened it as to be considorcil impregnable.
But in 1701 the combined English ant !
Dutch fleets , under Sir George Uooko am
the prince of Hesse-Darmstadt , took thn
"rock" from the Spaniards and held it
until 1713 , when it was confirmed to
Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht
The Spaniards would not let Gibraltar
eo without another struggle , nnd attacker
the irarrison in 1727 ; but a cessation o
hostilities soon came about on thn sign
ing of preliminaries of peace between
Spain and England.
The noted siege , which lasted from 1779
to 1783 , marks one of the greatest annul
in British military history , nnd never dli
troops win greater renown than the fa
mous garrison that held Gibraltar ngains
the combined forces of France and Spam
Ml the implements of modern warfare
vcro used by the bcslcgers.btit the "rock"
> rovcd Impregnable. Captain Drink-
vnter of the British army Is authority for
fating that 1,000 guns wore brought to
> ear by the allies , nnd that in the outer
mrbor were anchored forty-seven ships
) f thn line , carrying the ensigns of Franco
mu Spain ,
The stubbornness of the defenders wag
voii'lerful , lighting , as they were , against
uch odds ; but in the end il brought vie-
ory to the British standards and humor-
alf/.cd Eliot and his men.
British troops mav never again bo called
ipon to hold Gibraltar as they did in 1780.
jut the garrison of to-day is over prepared
o defend the famous "rock" against the
runes and llects of the world.
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.
'en ' Picture of Homo ashlonnlilo
Wanton.
New York Sun : It was the last Patti
ight , and la diva smiled her farewell.
Waves of song surged through the
rrand opera house , the scent of roses
lied the air , the light Hashed on the
iamond-decked brow of a woman whoso
ace betrayed weariness of her world ,
she had led her set through so many sea-
ons. The haughty face rarely reflected
motion , but that night she sighed at the
ml of an act , nud said to a man by her
ido :
' It is so long since 1 heard that won-
lerful voice. I feel old to see the look of
youth yet in its possessor's face and i's
lastielty in her step , and to think that
re lonjr she must lay aside the sceptre
'f ' song. The world is leaving us be-
liiul , inon ami , but the songstress yonder
s part of its history still. "
Like a cameo it looked , with white ,
liiselled features and black velvet
aught to the women's breast by great
hams of gems.
Patti sang in the olden days to this
voman young and fair , with a song of
oy in her heart , light as the singer's
awn. It was silenced long ago , and
lamoiuls shine now where the rose of
illcction once rested.
Like the song of the bird , the voice of
he sweet singer rang on the car of the
i&tcning throng.
A woman heard It with bitter smile
itul jealous glanco. It recalled the
lights when she stood in her flower-
vreathcd beauty and sang to eager
jrowds , when lovers sued and the puulic
encored. Gone together , both changeful
is the sunshine of an April day. A
lethroned queen , stout , fade and for
gotten.
Many singers have come and gone
inco Patti lirst warbled to us , while she
still wields the sensuous spell of the
. orici , but lurs us lo pleasure alone.
The voice went to the heart of a
voman with burning eyes and hectic
check. Her brief reign bad almost ended
n the kingdom of tashion. Her rare
gift of song had no utterance now , and
she had come to take with her the sound
of la diva's voice into the realm of the
riiat unknown.
Snatching the flowers by her side she
.iirow them at the singer's feet , a compli-
nent which seemed irreater from the
lying girl than the jewels that bla/.ed on
. 'attrs breast.
Many eyes followed a tall , lissome
iguru in a shining satin bodice resplend
ent with gems as it moved in and out of
i box. .Hie prominence of the man who
md bought this loveliness made it more
noticed still.
She had the beauty ot Gretchcn , with
the gi ts ol thn tempter about her white
throat
In the hush of the music our fancy
Iriftcd back to the time when the woman
ivas a child playing in the sand on the
shore.
With eyes like wet violets and hair
.ike spun gold , she Hashed among the
jreakers. Her joyous laughter ringing
like a silvery chime amid the ocean s
roar.
We saw her dancing like a sprite to
the music of the baud , in the muslin and
, auo of her ballroom attire. She grew
up like a lily , tall and fair , and girlish
coyness merged into maidenly coquetry.
Next her beauty Hashed upon us amid
the whirl of a Saratoga season. She
wore white muslin still , with crimson
roses at her waist , and the freshness of
lier complexion attracted every eye. The
lovely hair formed au aureole about her
Grecian brow.
The laughter sounds less often on her
rosy lips , nnd within the pansy eyes a
strange seriousness seems to rest.
Studying her among the jostling
throng , we fancied that the shadow of a
doom seemed gathering over the pale ,
smooth brow , an.1 that the litfulness of
life already touched the depths of her
eyes , which had the innocent look of a
child '
We likened her to Vera in "Moths. "
and her blonde mamma to the Lady
Dolly.
The prince came. He was old nnd
hardened by distrust nnd caro.
Ho had known Dolly these many years ,
but the child he had scarcely noticed
until , like a great white pearl , she
gleamed before him ami caught the fancy
of his wearied eye.
" restful " ho said. "I
"She is , can trust
her , 1 think , because her eyes do not lie ,
nor has she yet learned the tricks of her
world of womankind. Dolly's daugh
ter seems odd to trust , but I will chance
it , " the old millionaire said , and into his
crusty heart a new emotion crept. "
"Sue is unlike her kind ; 1 will wed
her , " he decided.
"These dudes and swells bring flowers
to you. This man oilers jewels , " clover
Do'llv whispered in her daughter's ear.
"He will give you the power that rules
thn world gold. Listen to his wooing , "
heartless Dolly said. .
Decked in costly stufls and strung with
gems , the llowor-faced girl became the
old man's bridn. Her carriage Hashes
through the park , her luces Heat along
the corridors of the watering place ho
tels. Jewels burn like lire upon her icy
heart , and the shadows of a loveless
youth have chased its brightness from her
' '
C'i'will go to hear Patti to-night : it niay
give me pleasure , " she said to a Inend
as they drove through the park in the
fading sunlight of the late afternoon.
Yet women envied her in her box with
her gems , and youth , ana gold to make
life fikoadream.
Dolly looked on with a fiinilo like that
of an auctioneer who makes a good sale.
She wore diamonds , too , and the world
said "a pretty woman is Dollywho looks
as young as tno daughter at her side.1
A battered face , all patched with cos
metics and crowned with a wig of pale
gold , caught the eye. The shade of the
hair brought out the lines of the face ,
which once may have worn the Hush of
beauty. It was the same that was
crowned with snowy hair but a few
nights before. Was it a woman or a hair
dresser's model , with it curly wigs of
varied hues and the pink and white face
of a doll ?
The model serves a purpose the wo
man makes us pity more than jeer.
Outward the music rang on the air of
the still , starry night. La diva made her
final bow behind a bank of ( lowers. I ho
women of high fashion smiled their
sweetest , and thn curtain rang down on
Patti's last night in America.
WIIKS thn stomach lacks vigor anil
regularity there will bo flatulence , heart
burn , nausea sick-headache , nervousness ,
use Dr. J. H. McLean's Strengthening
Cordial and Blood Purifier , to glvo tone
an4 regularity to the stomach.
Mrs. Hannah Buxton , widow of Aaron
lUixton , died at her homo nor r Pleasant
Hiilgo , Hamilton county , O , , last Satur
day afternoon in the eighty-seventh year
of her ago. Her husband was buriet
about three years ago and was about the
same age.
" "
"HEADQUARTERS ,
Tl , A , Ul'TOX. Z. TlWMASO'y '
M , A , UPTON & CO
Business Property , Residence Sites ,
Trackage Locations , Vacant Lots ,
Business Property
77 feet on Farnam street cast of Twentieth , on grade , well improved ,
$ 10,000 ; iI.r.,000 cash.
44 fent on corner Nineteenth and Farnam , improvements will rent for $250
per month , $118,000 ; $10,000 cash.
CO feet on Farnam east of Twenty-fourth street , ! ) room house , all modern
improvements , rents $75 per moirth , $10.500 , one-half cash
00x132 , corner Twenty-fourth and Farnani , elegantly improved , $3\000 ,
only $5,000 cash.
77 feet on Farnam just west of Twenty-eighth street , $200 per front foot.
Good business property. Stores adjoining.
CGxl.2 ! on Dodge street between Eleventh and Twelfth , $27,000. This la
$3,000 cheap , for nothing between Eleventh and Sixteenth streets on Dodge
street can bo had for less than $300 n foot and upwards. This is to be taken
at once or the price will bo $33,000 in a few days.
109 feet on southwest corner Eighteenth and Hartley. Gilt-edge busi
ness property , $11,500 ; $15,000 cash.
44x00 corner on Tenth and Douglas , improved , $21,000 ; ? fl,000 , cash.
25x150 near Williams street on Thirteenth street , paved. First-class busi
ness lot , two notices on it , stores all around and a line block to bo built nearly
opposite , $5,000 ; one-half cash. This a bargain and no mistake. This prop
erty will bring $300 a foot before the year closes.
00x132 corner lot Sixteenth and Jones , $10.000 ; $17,500 cash. Tills is 133
feet on Sixteenth street.
132 feet square , corner Davenport and Sixteenth streets , $00,000 ; one-
third cash.
08x185 , corner Eighteenth and Lcavcnworth , 185 feet on honvcnworth ,
$ -10,000 ; $10,000 cash , balance on long time.
75x132 , corner Eighteenth and St. Mary's avenue , improvements , rents for
$110 per month , $30,000 ; one-third cash.
22x132 , between Douglas and Dodge , tiirce story biick building , will rent
for $2,500 , a year , $22,000 , one-half cash. This is good for permanent invest
ment.
Choice lots of Sixteenth property , south of viaduct , at $103 front foot. All
about on grade not the low stuff on west side of street. The time will soon
be here when this will be line business property for retail purposes , then
you will buy it for $300 or f-100 per foot.
RESIDENCES.
Lot 7 , block 0. Dcnisc's addition , 43x150. Good 5-room house , furnacebarn
etc. Everything in nice repair , $4,500 ; $2,500 cash.
132 feet square on Ninth street , just south of Bancroft , fiva-room house and
barn. Now hold your breath while we quote a price on this half aero. You
guess it will bo about $0,000 , , don't you ? Well , $3,200 , will buy it for a few
days ; one-half cash. Breatlo. :
A line lot on South Eleventh strcet.north of Bancroft.in . Bowery Hill ; house
20x28 , in good repair , $4,150 ; $415 cash.
Lot 11 , block 1 , Kountze's 4th addition , on Eleventh street , just south of
Centre , lot 60x138 , house rents for $13 per month , $4,500.
Lot 13 , block 7 , ShulPs second addition.six room house , cistern , city water
cellar , etc. , lot 03x108 , south front on Popplcton avenue , house will acnt for
$27.50 per month , $4,050 ; $2,000 cash , balance to suit.
100x150 on Georgia avenue , ono block from street cars , twelve room , two
story house , city water in house and yard , cistern , cemented cellar , small
fruits , largo barn for six horses and four carriages. An elegant and com
plete homo , $12.000 ; $8,000 cash , balance to suit.
132x140 , cast front , corner Fifteenth and Dorcas streets , good Inuso ; an
elegant half acre , only a little over a mile from Farnam street , and half
block from Sixteenth street. $10.000 cash.
We have other residences in ShulTi ad in Hanscom PlaceShinn's.Idlowild .
and most other additions.
Remember that we can fit you out with any kind of property.
TRACKAGE ,
Lot 5 , block 225 , corner Sixteenth and Mason , 132 feet on Sixteenth street
U. P. railway has bought up everything around this corncr.two stores on this
lot that are bringing good rent , only $19,500. Money in this and no mistake.
The trackage lot we advertised last week on Marcy street is gone. The
owner is $5,000 ahead on it.
69x132 , just north of Nicholas on Eleventh street , will bo worth $5,030
before the year is out. $3'000 will buy it this month.
60x182 , south front on Izard street , track in alley , $0,030 , , ono-thiril cash.
This is between Twelfth and Thirteenth streets.
VACANT LOTS.
Vacant lots ! It is useless to enumerate them. Wo have them anywhere
and everywhere , inside the city limits of Omaha and South Omaha , nnd wo
have good purchases that cannot help but make the buyers money. Wo will
not guarantee that you will double your money in sixty days or any such
nonsense. But let us tell you ono thing , Omaha is a growing city. There is
no boom hero , no excitement , but rapid , substantial growth , which indi
cates permanency. Keep in Omaha or South Omaha and you arc all right.
You will get good interest on your investment. Wo are now in our now
oflice , 1519 Farnam street , where wo have plenty of room and are fully prepared -
pared to accommodate and show property. Call and talk matters over
with us. Our door always opens easy.
M. A. UPTON & CO.
1519Farnam St.
' '
HEADQUARTERS.
