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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1895)
* * * * * * * * * * * PART in. 3 THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE. PAGES 17 TO 2O. ESTABLISHED JUNE 19 , 1871. OMAHA , SUNDAY MORNING , APIn > 14 , 1895 TWENTY PAGES. SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. { STREET SCENES IN HANKOW Experiences of an American in an Interior Chinese Oity. EVER CHANGING STREAM CF HUMA' ITY Ilotr the ChlnrKB Do HimlncM I'eiltlleri of llaniuii I lair In u t'lilnosn lleiit.iuriiiit AVorniK , Minkcminil tlnrpcnkiiblo Illtli-Vlvld llincrlptlon. , ( Copyrlghtcil , 1803. l > y Prank O Carpenter. ) The close of the present war may bring About an era of travel and exploration In ! ChinaAs It ts , many great cities of the ' 'empire have never been visited by foreigners There are certain provlnc ° s , containing more people than the whole United States , In which It has nlwajs been unsafe to travel , nnd there are hundreds of curious tribes and clnns which nro practically unknown to the people of the western world Take , for In stance , the Hakkas. How many Americans have heard of them ? The ordinary Chinese cannot understand them , and still they live . hero and there all over China , and have ' "villages and customs of their own. They do not bind the feet. They wear broad-brimmed hats Instead of caps , and the children wear rings of silver around their necks. There nro clnns In China who do nothing but beg , nnd there are other clans who are thieves from generation to generation. Who has over written up the porcelain districts of China , nnd how little Information wo have about the provinces bordering on Burmah and Thibet ? Numerous descrlpt'ons ' of . Chinese cities have been published , but these ! V are usually from travelers who have been carried rapidly through Shanghai nnd Can ton. They will tell you that all Chinese cities are the same. Whereas , the fact Is the Chinese towns differ ns much as our American cities , and every great center ( I have visited I have found full of strange things , which I saw nowhere else. A WALK THROUGH HANKOW. Take a walk with mo , for Instance , through the great city of Hankow. It contains a million people. It Is as big as Chicago. It Is surrounded by a wall as high as a three- atory house , and so wide that three railroad trains could run side by side upon H without touching. Inside these walls there Is a mass of narrow streets , lined wltb ono , two and three-story houses. Cutting through these there are lanes and cross streets , and most of the streets are six feet wide The lanes are often not more than two feet wide , and both streets and alleys are covered with the vilest of slime , and jou pick your way through a mass of Indescribable filth as you go through them. The widest of the streets nro the great thoroughfares , walled w th stores and shops , and which arc packed with a mass of Chinese humanity from sunrise un til dark. This mass surges this way and that. It Is worse than a Jam at a county fair , and laborers , carrying all kinds of wares , push their way through It. The nar rower streets are little more than alleys , walled with houses , comprising factories , dwellings and business establishments The entrance to many of these are merely holes In the walls. Others have wide doors leading Into courts , and others Introduce you Into the shops of mechanics , where you see halt naked coolies doing the thousind and one things of a busy Chinese city. Walking w through these lanes , the foreigner seems ' * * " " to be taking his llfo In his hands. The streets are so narrow that jou can Bland In the middle and press the opposite walls with your hands. Two men can hardly pass , and jou Instinctively squeeze yourself In your efforts to tighten your skin and keep out of the collisions which appear Imminent at every curve. Here comes a coolie , bare backed and bare-legged. Ho is one of the thousand slop carriers of the town. A bar elx feet long rests upon his shoulder , and from the ends of this hang two great buckets , each holding four gallons of the vilest of slop. Ho comes toward jou on a swinging trot , and the buckets screw up nnd down , and the slop splashes to and fro , as he passes jou You put jour smelling bottle to your nose , draw your knees close together and hug the * wall , to let him go by. Behind him come two ecowllng Chinamen , carrying hides. They liavo a half ton of raw skins swung In the center of a pole , which rests upon their shoul ders and they grunt and grunt In a harmony of woe , ns they rush toward you. Other laborers behind follow with other loads , and you note that every couple has Its own pecu liar grunt or sound. Some cry , " 0 ah , 0-ahj Q-he , G-he , O-ho , 0 ho. Q-he " The men on the wharves have their own grunt , and even men working alone make spasmodic noises of t ( the most horrible kinds to help them in their j ) work. I * But behind these laborers comes another 1 i machine , which lias n screech of Its own. It I , la the Hankow wheelbarrow , with a half ton > " of freight strapped to Its side It almost Bcrapes the walls , and you would be ground up by It were there not nn open doorway In which you could step These nheelbarrows are nil mude so as to screech out their song of toll , and their larjnx Is a piece of bamboo , which Is purposely fitted In , so that It presses against the wheel ot the barrow. These bar rows are unlike any other jou see In China , and they are peculiar to the province of Hupeh. Uy Uio time you have Jumped out of the way of one of them jou find yourself ! rushing Into something else. There are dirty Chinese hogs , black and ugly , splattered with mud , and thcro are jollow dogs , covered with mango and fleas. The hogs try to run be tween your legs. The dogs snap at jou , lend whllo they will let the Chinese go by without barking IheT e'an recognize a foreigner three blocks away , and they will howl until ho Is out of sight. HOW THE CHINESE DO BUSINESS Dut let us get Into the business parts of the elites and take a look at the stores There ; are tens of thousands of them and they arc packed together like the booths of a Ir.he , s > They -are all opened to MID itreets , and the r most of them arc filled with customers. They nro walled with shelves , and twelve feet etm squaru makes a , blg store. Some of them have floors of cement , Boms > are boards and others no floor but dirt. The signboards dsof hang up and down the stores , Instead of across the top as with us. These signs are i eo many that they almost fill the streets , v. They nearly cover the fronts of some of the shopi , and the drug stores advertise their patent medicines by such signboards. These ; signs are pushed this way and that by the crowds which continually move through them. What a curious crowd It Is. Jump f up on this stone and take a look up and down the street. A river of Chinese human ity Is flawing both ways below you , mixing In and out In an ever changing stream ot blues , whites , reds and browns There ) ( > cjollfs by the hun dreds , carrying great bundles. are are coolies hurncsscd to big AS , which would load down a wagon , coolies carrying barrels ot oil , boxes ot tea , loads of brick , buckets p ( ducks , and , In short , everything under the Chinese sun. There nre men rushing along with the big chairs of mandarins and with the little chairs Irsof women. There are dirty boys by the hundreds , who have greasy pigtails hanging down their dirty backs , and who look at jou and yell out "baby kidnaper" or "foreign devil" as coon as your back h turned , There are women who seem to almost fall as they hobble along on their mutilated fet. There are old China- men In big spectacles , and joung Chinamen In silk gowns. There are dandles and dudes , scholars and servants , merchants and me chanics , each In his own dress , pushing and shoving his way through the mats. There ore queer Chinamen from the country , with great straw hats turned up at the sides , who gawk along like a farmer boy during hit first visit to New York , and there nre dilettante blase Chlneie gentlemen , who move slowly along and keip up their dignity as best they can in this curious , ever-changing river of . . -Chinese humanity. L S-t QUEER CHINESE TRADES. Keep your place upon the atone and note L queer things that are going on all atottnd you : Hie street la narrow , but It Is tnade narrower by the peddlers nnd squat ters. It scorns to l < e free fer all , and the shoemaker , with a box like that of a Hack- sir llh , ells and sews away In the street half-soling the shoes of his cuitomers while they wait. He uses tacks , the heads of which are as big an a nickel , to hold the sole , and Instead of leather he puts on soles ofwl cloth I'm ( her on there Is a fortune teller with a lot cf forms and cards about him His finger nails are T foot In length and he can tell ! you jour past and your future by the stars. stars.What What Is that veil of black hanging against tilgu opposite wall. There Is a man In a blue guwti standing beside it He has a box of money ncur him and his customers are many. He Is selling something. U looks llko horse hair , and those who leave carry away long strands ! , which he takes off from nails which have been driven Into the white wall. It may bo he IB selling fly brushes. Let us get closer. No , they are not fly brushes , they are Inng : switches of human hair , which the Chinese buy to braid Into their queues. There Is a gicat trade In hair , and cartloads of It are brought from Corea every year and the peddlers of false hair carry on a regular business. I bought a queue myself at the name time. I carried my queue for some weeks , and when I changed my servant It disappeared , and I have no doubt that my boy Chung Is now wearing It IN A CHINESE RESTAURANT. As we go on with our walk we find hun dreds of curious stores , and we see every where evidences that the Chinese appetite Is Gargantuan , and that the mighty Chinese stomach takes much to fill It. There are stores which sell nothing but fowl and dried ducks. Geese and chickens hang from lines stretched across the front of the store , so that they make a veil , shutting It off from the sidewalk There are butcher shops where pork and mutton are offered for sale , and there are little booths , In which there are great vats of water filled with live fish Wo stop and watch the fish peddler serve a poor customer A small-footed woman , dressed In a long , blue cotton gown , wants n pound of fish , and the peddler pulls a largo squirming fish out of the water and lays It on the counter. Ho takes a long knife , which Is as sharp as a razor , and cuts a slice out of Its quivering side. The blood flows , and he throws the letnalns Ot the now half-live fish Into the water , hoping that It may live until another customer comes along to buy the balance. Here Is a Chinese restaurant. Let us go In and get a bite to stay our stomachs , which have been turned over and over by the disgusting sights of our trip. It con sists of a do/en rooms , separated by screens of carved Chinese fretwork , on the back of which white paper Is pasted. Each room Is filled with teak-wood tables , which look like ebony , and which are about four feet square. There are chairs beside them , and we take our seats , while the frouzy servant brings In cups of tea , with the saucers turned over their tops to keep In the aroma. We take'off the saucers and tilt them so they act as strainers for the cups , just touching the tea and keeping the leaves back as we drink We are next served with little bits of pork , and then with the cteu , which Is thick with cubes of chicken , about the size of a dice We pick these out with clean wooden chop sticks and cat the eoup with a spoon. I take out my pencil and begin to sketch. A crowd gathers about me , and the Chinese waiter , whose picture I have taken , looks sheepish nnd mad. I ask as to the prices , and find that I am pajtng twenty-one cash , or about 1 cent per dish. I can get a pipe of tobacco for three cash , or one-sixth ot a cent , and a good handful ot watermelon seeds for fourteen cash , I am surprised to see how many people eat such seeds. They are the peanuts of China , and they are served at every thcaler between the acts All classes cat them , and nearly every Chinaman has them somewhere about his clothes There are tea saloons In every Chinese street , and jou can get jour cup of tea and jour watermelon seeds anywhere , There-are res taurants of all classes , from those that sell dogs' and cats' flesh , and which you find In the slums , to others where you can pay $3 and upward for a good dinner The Chinese are good cooks , and I had a number of fairly good meals In the common restaurants. The chief \lands were boiled chicken and rice , roast pork and roast duck , and If any tender dogs , cats or rats were palmed oft upon me I did not know It. HOME OF THE DOUGHNUT. I looked In vain for any signs of baking , and the Chinese have no such thing as baked bread. They boll their dough , and jou can get boiled biscuits almost anj- where. They are great on frying dough In grease , and north China may be called the land of the doughnut. It Is the general opinion that the Chinese live almost en tirely upon rice This Is a great mistake. Rice is expensive everywhere , nnd the people ple of the north are tqo poor to cat It. They use millet seed and sorghum seed , which are ground up like we grindwheat. . Rice Is the bread of south China , and pork Is the chief meat all over the empire. The average Chinese hog is the dirtiest animal In the world. It gets Its living off of the foul refuse of ( he city's stre.es , tand the biggest of the Chinese cities permit the pigs to run vvlldwithin them-There arc different grades of pork In China , as there are In America , and the finest kind of pork comes from an Island south of Hong Kong The pigs here ard fed ujfon chestnuts. They arc shipped to all parts of China , and they bring high prices The belter class of Chi I- nese will not touch rats , and dogs are usually eaten by the well-to do Chinese only as medicine Sucking pigs form a part of each : big feist , but they are brought on the table cut up Into Ittd cubes , so that they can be eaten with chopsticks. WORMS AND SNAKES TOR FOOD. The Chinese are fond of sorte kinds of worms , and thcro Is a greenish-brown worm , which comes from the rica field , which : brings high prices In the markets. They cat silk worm grubs , and In some parts of the empire the poorer people eat snakes In Amoy and Swntow snakes are sold for food and they are used to make soup. They are ( pilta expensive and a good sized snake reot the right variety will bring 75 rents otI found the Chinese restaurants well patron ized , and thcro are peddling cooks every where The average laborer buys his lunch where he works , if be belongs to the cities , and wherever thcro Is a band of workmen you find from one to a dozen lunch peddlers It Is the same as to smoking On nearly every corner you find a table with a lot ot pipes upon It , and a man standing beside It ready to rent them out for a traction ot a cent a smoke. The pipes are made of cop per , and they are a sort of water pipe , with which you draw the smoke through the water before H comes Into jour mouth The bowls hold obcut a thlmblefull of tobacco , and the pipe has to be lighted about every two minutes. Ot late years the Chinese of the seaports have taken to smoking cigar ettes , and jou find great quantities of Amer ican cigarettes consumed In Shanghai and Canton. SLIME AND TILTH. In my walks through the Chinese cities the things that Impressed me most were the things that I did not see. I looked In vain for street lamps. There was no signet ot sewerage , and the public buildings were more like stables than anything else he only fire prevenllves were wells , which ad been dug here and there , and which were kept full In order to use In case of conflagrations flagrations , and great clay Jars which were placed on the roofs of some of the houses. I was told that the bouses were numbered , and at the corners I saw char acters which give a description or census ; ot tbe families of the neighborhood Most of the streets of the cities which I visilej outside of Peking were paved with stone , which had been worn smooth by the bare and ( hod feet of a thousand generations of human beings. Ontsldc' of the hogs and the dogs , you see few animals In one ndof these big towns. There are no carts and no carriages. The men ride through the ktreots In chairs , and the merchandise Is carried by men or pushed and dragged through the city In wheelbarrows. There ? are no statues and no public , squares , ex cept here and there , where a place may have been left for a market. There are no le graph lines and no tall building * . Tbe afs are of heavy black tllea , and most of the city houses are built of blue brick with a founda tion of stoneI aaw no signs of cellars , though under some of the streets there are drains , and tome have gutters. Both drain * and ' gutters arc usually stopped up , and they form the breeding places for disease and bad smells. The filth of a Chlneso city U , In fact , be yond description , Peking Is worse than a barnyard- , and the vilest cow yard In America Is cleaner than the mud through which you wade In walking through Hankow. You have to ketp jour ejes on your feet , and there Is no bone factory In the United States which surpluses the smell arising from the streets on a wet day. Here and there along the business streets or In the side streets Just off of the most thronged parts of the city you will pass great vats splashed with the vllost of dirt. Theto are public water clos ets. They are owned by private parties , who grow rich by selling the sewerage to the farmers You go on and on through scenes llko those I have described until you can stand It no longer , and give your guide direc tions to hurry jou back to your hotel. 1MVIK11KS. Ople need relates the story of a meeting of Old Billy Hell and two profane teamsters. Old Billy was a Georg a mountaineer and evan gelist , who frequently thumped grace Into obstreperous laymen. The teamsters had met In the narrowest part of the road , and each one had refused to get down , turn his horses and back his wagon far enough Into the briars for the other to pass. The preacher got up from hlu fireside , humming a tune , lighted his lantern and went out to the place where the two men were swearing at each other. "Ccaso the blowing of your Iniquitous spray , " Old Ullly commanded , waving his lantern. "Who are you ? " one of the teamsters shouted. "I am a soldier of the cross. " "That so ? What brigade ? " "The brigade of Galilee. " "Well , you go back to headquarters and tell your commander that jou have got a leetle bit out of your terrltorj " "Hah , it Is evident that you don't respect my Commander. But perhaps jou respect me " "Who are you ? " "I nm kt.own as Old Billy Hell. " "That so ? Parson , I take It all back. Say , podner , " he added , speaking to the other teamster , "we both better back our wagons and then draw straws by the light of the lantern lo see who shall pull out first. " The oth r man was willing enough to adjust the difficulty , and graciously declared that he would back his horses and let the other man pass , and when this had been done , Old Billy remarked : "You have very nicely smoothed over the offense which you gave each other , but what about the offense you have given my commander. Get down there In the road and pray , or I'll whale the llfo out of both of you. " "Ain't that asking a leetlo too much ? " "Get down , or I will snatch you off that wagon ! " The man popped his whip at his horses , nnd the next moment Old Billy's hand was In his collar. He Jerked him to the ground , dragged him until he was within reach of the other teamster , seized him , bumped their heads together , put his foot on them , on first one and then the other , and twisted them as though he would ring oft their heads. "Feel like praying now ? " "Believe I do , " ono of them answered. "I never was so keen to pray In my life , " the other ono spoke up "Well , come on Into the hou e. " Ho prayed with them , broiled meat and fed them , and then sent them on their way. A bishop had been hiving some repairs and . dictations done to his palace , and , as most pecplo are awarp , there Is no more certain way of getting rid of money than this , relates Household Words. When the work was fin ished , the biihop called for the architect and complimented him upon the success of his labors , adding , "I suppose I ought to pay you now. " To this the architect grimly replied "It Is usual. " "How much Is jour fee ? " "A hundred and fifty guineas. " "Dear me , that se ms a great deal of money. Why , do you know that there are many curates In my diocese w ho are working all the year round for less than that ? " "I dare say there are , my lord , but I regard myself as In the position of a bishop In my profession. " There was nothing more to be said. One of the prominent business men of Cen tral City , Neb , owns a bible. This Is singu lar , perhaps , but nevertheless true. It was a present to him In early life. Ho thinks a good deal of that book , not because It Is a bible , but because It Is a present. Last Sun- Jay his wife was reading the book and an notatlng with a pencil The gentleman said to her , "you ought not to make marks In that bible. " She replied. "Never mind , Joe , you will never see the marks. " A Scotch elder was asked how the- kirk was getting along. Ho answered ; "Awecl , we had 400 members , then we had a division and there were only 200 left ; then a disruption , and only ten of us were left ; then we had a heresy trial , and now only me and Brother Duncan are left , and I have great doubts ot Duncan's orthodoxj' . " _ _ _ p Detroit Tribune : The pastor bade her pro- ceed. "Tell mo all , " ho urged , kindly. "I put n button In the contribution box , " she faltered. He smiled. "And did your conscience trouble you ? " he asked. The woman raised her eyes earnestly , "No , " she answered. "I put In the wrong button and broke a set , and I would llko to exchange It , If you please. " Indianapolis Journal : "I guess I'll have ono of those Methodists broiled today , " said the king of Muwpka. "May it please your Tloyal Highness , " ventured the high chief steward , "tho Pres byterian batch Is much the fatter. " "You do what I tell you , " thundered the monarch "I have been eating Presbyterians for a week now , and the court plijslclan has ordered a change of diet. " Chicago Tribune "I've heard your preacher half a dozen times , " said the boy who was whittling a stick. "You people pay him $3,000 a year. Ho ain't a bit better'n our preacher , and nil we pay our'n Is $300. " "Yes , but our preacher says eycther and nyether , and your'n don't. " replied the boy who wag sharpening his knife on his shoe. Armenia , O , Armenia ) Will nations heed thy cry , Oh must thou feel the Moslem's steel Till nil th > people die ? Thv land , Unit once held Eden , Where Adam wept to dwell , The savage Turk bj ( earful work Until made It now a hell. Here Nonh's mlphty mountain Uplifts Us ancient head , And views n plain piled high with slain , Armenia's martyred dead ! Where maidens , Christian maidens , Knelt down to fiendish Kurds , And on the nlr they breathed a prayer We dare not frame In words. A prayer that even Satan Might listen to with pain , An daughters fair with bosoms bare Ueggcd simply to be slain. Towoman's prayer was answered A demon's mocking laugh , And then the knife that ended life Seemed kinder far by half. O chivalry of England ! Of Europ l Of the earth ! Your swords should Hash , your cannons crash , For human right and worth , Ought TurkMh tigers- shepherd This primal Christian fold , And boast of crimes. unnumb ° rc < l times , Too awful to be told ? Wake , Lion-hearted TUchnrd ! Shake oft the clinging nod ! And once again lead England's men Against these foes of God. LOUIS F. CURTIS. Lot Angeles , CaL HE OCEAN AS A TELKHONPE nventors Striving for a Syslfm of Tele graphy Between Ships , t HE PROBLEM DISCUSSED BY EDISON iTlntt Una lloon Uona Toward Keeping Ocenn-OoliiR Ship * In Constant Touch with Laud 1'lnnn for further Improvement. ) ( OpjrlRhtcd , 1S 5 > NEW YORK , April 9. Thomas A. Edison may take up the question of long distance ommunlcatlon between ships at sea. In a ecent Interview he spoke ot the great ad- antage to bo derived from some system vhlch would enable the captains of vessels o communicate with each other , even though eparated by some miles. Any system which \ould make this possible would also Include otnmunlcallon with shore , In which event the cean would no longer be the sealed book It s now. Picture a vessel In distress on the ! gh seas , or one that Is wrecked and about o sink. Under the existing conditions no vord can be sent off , but with appliances for eng distance communication captains would o able to transmit an account exactly detall- ng . her condition , her whereabouts and all ho circumstances of her wreck , Including a 1st ot her passengers and In 'what direction ler boats would endeavor to go The great } ccan liners could make dally reports of their ondltlon and passengers aboard , nor miss an tern of the news of the day. A criminal tound to a foreign port would find escape no easy matter. The authorities on shore voul < l transmit a description of him to every essel on the ocean , and his Imprisonment vould begin long before he reached land. This Is a picture of tbe vvlslied-for condition. What ot the actual probability ? Mr. Edison made a number of experiments jears ago , with a view to ascertaining some ; oed means of communication , but suspended hem under the pressure of his mining bus- ness. Now , however , the loss of the Elbe and the anxiety over the detention of La Gascogno have made the necessity for orlg- natlng something tangible In this direction very Important to him. EDISON OUTLINES A GENERAL PLAN. "I have tried several methqds for com munication , " he said , "and I hope ultimately o produce a commercial article , one that can be used on any steam .vrfsseL At my place on the Clootahatchee river In Florida : made a number of experiments. My plan s to establish nn International system of communication , In which a regular code , like .hat of Morse , would be used by all vessels. Let us say that the captain of our vessel wishes to send a message to the shore. He would take his signalling apparatus , what ever It might be , and signal any -vessel within reach. That vessel , In Its turn , would take up the word and pass It along to an other vessel , and so on until the shore was reached. Now , I suppose we may be able to communicate by electricity , using Induc tion to transmit sounds. All vessels within say thirty miles , of the first Vessel would take it and send It thirty miles farther Every Jump would bo for thirty miles. It would not takovlong idr a message to reach shore. The reverse action would be the same , of course. It Is very fcften necessary to bring a vessel back to s hbro. Perhaps our extradition law would not hnvo to be used so often were such a system In opera- "There would be several ways of Induclnt a current to flow over such a distance ant without metallic connections. The principle would be the same as I used In telegraphing from one moving train to another on the Le- hlgh Valley railroad some years ago. By static Induction a current flowing along a wire at the side of the railroad track wll' make Itself manifest In the metallic roof o a train of cars. Another train of cara would take the place of the wire , and so ono mov Ing train would communicate with another The apparatus to b3 used on shipboard would have to be especially Introduced for the pur pose Static Induction would bo used , the current being made to flow to a metallzet canvas sail which would be stretched from the main to the foratopmast. In case It was found on occasion that the resistance to tin wind was- too great , a smajl balloon , alsi metallzed , would be sent up Into the al Instead and the flow of current received In this waj' . Just how much space , or nrea o water , could bs controlled by this inductlv process would have to be determined by experiment. But of the various method tried this would be the best if It succecdei at all , for the telegraph and possibly tin telephone could bo used. CAPACITY OF WATER TO CARRY SOUND "Falling to secure a sufficiently good re suit from the process of Induction , I thin ! good results could bo obtained by utlllzln the Immense capaclly which water has fo carrying sound. It Is a well known fac that a submarine diver when on the bottom of a river can note any disturbance over large area of Its surface. Ho can , for Ir stance , hear the throbbing of a steamer' engines , or the noise ot Its paddle , or pro peller wheels , even though the steamer bo mile or more away. Taking advantage o this phenaiienon , an apparatus could be ar ranged In the keel of every vessel for trans milling a series of toots , or throwing sounds THE DIAPHRAGM. which could b9 received and , transmitted by other -vessels within a reasonable dis tance. Down on the stern of a vessel and deep under water I would ha.ve constructed a diaphragm operated by compressed air. I would expect to obtain from this a series of explosive sounds which would be sent re verberating In all directions. The apparatus would also be arranged to receive reverber- atlve sounds , The Morse coda , would be used of course. The vessel needing help would begin tooting out an agreed upon signal of distress , for the length In time of one minute. Then the operator would wait a minute for a reply. Falling to get It he would signal for another minute , and teen on , until a reply was received. Of course a vessel might bo surrounded by an area of water larger than the sound-carrying capacity of her apparatus. She would then have to go on signaling until EDO steamed Into tbe area of another vessel , or until another vessel steamed Into her area. I should Bay that such an apparatus could control an area of ten to fifteen miles In every direction , though this also would be learned by experiment. PROTECTION AGAINST COLLISIONS. "If the Induction process can be put Into operation It would do away with nearly all collisions which are due to the negligence of lookouts or to the Impenetrability of a fog. Long before the vesseU were within balling distance their captains -would know all about each ether , the speed of toe vessels , what direction they were going , and every thing. In fact , that It would be necessary to know. That other great danger to ships at sea the Iceberg might bo looked after by employing some vibratory apparatus rap- able of producing a musical note , which would bo disturbed by the Immense blocking up of the clear space ot atmosphere. This phenomenon , changing the musical note In nn Instrument , has been observed and tested In the west , the buttes of the plains acting In place ot the Iceberg. "It was my Idea that steam vessels cap able of carrying an electric plant should bo compelled to flash the Morse code upon the clouds by means ot the searchlight. If a largo steamer would do this during a storm the chnnces of collisions with other steamers would be greatly lessened. The low lying clouds would receive a series of dots and dashes In light that would be very effective. Even In clear weather the operation of such a system would not be a bail practice" THE INVENTIONS MADE AND MAKING. Mr. Edison Is confident that some method will bo placed In operation before long Sev eral patents on apparatus designed to In sure the safety of the seagoing public have been Issued by the Washington office. Edl- eon has an apparatus on the stocks , as It Is When It Is perfected Is may prove to bo one of those revolutionizing forces , such as have been the phonograph , the electric light and the klnetoscope. It Is not to bo made public as yet , for If there Is anything the Inventor delights In , It Is to make the unbe liever eat "boiled crow. " Therefore , ho METAL1ZED BALLOONS. keeps most of his schemes as private as possible , until the final moment when ho can place them fully developed before the public. There has already been Invented a thcrmo- call for use on vessels , which will ring nn alarm when the ship osproachcs an Iceberg But as It is successful only under certain conditions , It cannot be relied upon. It de pends for Its action upon the Increasing 'oldness ' of the water as the -vessel ap- iroaches the Iceberg. The fall In temperature .cling on the apparatus changes It enough o throw an electric current In or out of ictlon. But there may bo no fall In tem perature as far as the vessel Is concerned , nd for this reason- The specific gravity of ice Is so great as to cause the most of the iere to remain below the surface. Thore- ore , the berg may not always flow n the direction of the surface current , but bo controlled by a stronger current running far below the vessel's keel. As the ship approaches the berg , so also may the surface current. Under these conditions the surface current ivould not become cooler near the ship , as It Js practically coming from a warmer region The thermocall would not act and the vessel ivould have1 no time to turn aside before It truck the berg. The diameter of the small est circle the vessel could describe In turning [ vould be too long. To stop In time would be .mposslble. Some of the ocean liners cannot stop under two miles after going at full spesd , and certainly none of them could reverse under a mile. From all Indications the time ts not far away when we will have an indicator on each vessel on the ocean , whose needle will deflect when another vessel carrying the same apparatus approaches. Such an ap paratus attached to a Morse key or a tele phone receiver , so that a continuing musical note broken Into dots and dashes could be .nterpreted , would be the .means of cheating the sea of many a victim It now claims THEODORE WATERS. An Historic < liurcli. The Cathedral of San franclsco , In the city of Chihuahua , Mef. , deserves to be placed on the list of the wonders of the world. Beautifully - fully located on the principal plaza of the city , Its slender , graceful tower rises high above the trees and glistens cool and white against a background ot bleak mountains and bluest sky. "Graceful , massive , beauti ful , magnificent , " exclaims every visitor , but If the grand cathedral Itself Is extraor dinarily nttractive its lilstory Is no less so , for It Is as strange as If made during the days of the pyramids. Two hundred and nineteen jears ago , in 1075 , "Chihuahua , " "the place where things are made , " was only a lively frontier Catholic mission. The cathedral was built on Ideas borrowed from both the Moorish and gothlc architec ture. The rich facade , In Its elegance and purity of complicated filigree , contrasts agree ably with the severer style of the rest of the grand mass. It Is the work of on artist who was sentenced to death for some crime , but was promised that the sentence would I not be carried out until he had competed ' ornamenting the front of the cathedral. Tor twenty-one years the joung artist stood upon the platform and cut Into stone his beauti ful dreams , and for twenty-one years armed sentinels paced the walks down below and conveyed him to and from his prison. At last , old , broken down and sick , he notified the authorities that his work was done and ho was ready to die. Then came pardon banquets and honor with mocking rapidity , but it was too late and his eyes closed before ho reached the ship that was to carry him to sunny France , and today even his name has been erased from the manuscripts and from the cathedral that Is ills monument. As the walls arose slowly thousands o men , soldiers and slaves , brought dirt In raw hide bags on their backs and slowly and la boriously built up huge Inclined planes al around the building. No scaffolds or der ricks were used In the construction of the shell , but each Etono was pushed and pullet ! up the long Inclines and to the summit o each wall and tower by human liamls , toll ing under a tropical sun and smarting under the lash of cruel taskmasters As the tcwc : rose to a height ot over ICO feet the Inclines from each were over half a mile long , and the dirt fell over and covered the church and by the time the towers reached thel full height of over 230 feet the church had disappeared in a vast mound of earth. Fo seven long years the patient workers tollei to remove the mountain they had themselve ; built up sack by sack , and thus dig out tin marvel they had conitructed. In 1886 the root of the church was crowdei with Mexicans watching the progress of th battle between tlielr forces and the troops o Maxamllllan , but hastily climbed down when a cannon ball cracked the big bell In th northeast tower. Two years ago a mining man offered to give the church a new bell fo this cracked one , which he wished to sent to the Columbian exposition , but an examlna tlon proved the Interesting fact that the bell had all been cast In the towers wlicn th church was built , and that now there wa now way to get them out without tcarlnx.tb towers down. G. E. BAILY , lire * Itnbtilt. Ily John Rurroughi , With us the hare Is of the remote norther ; woods , the rabbit Is of ti , flelds and bush margins of the woods. OYT& retreats befor man and civilization , the other follows I their wake. Tbo rabbit U now common I parts of our state ( New York ) when In m iljK > ybood only the bare was found. The rabb It evidently loves to bo neighbor to mnn nnd profits by It. Nearly every vtInter ono take * up her abode- under my study Moor , nnd when the snow Is deep and the weather It cold she usually finds every night a couple of swot apples on her threshold. I suppose she think * they crow there , or nro blown there by the wind , llko the snow At such times she does not leave her retreat ; the apples are good fortune enough If I neg lect to put them there , In the morning I sec where she has gone forth over the lawn looking for them , or for some other food. One summer a wild rabbit c.imo up within a few feet of my neighbor's house , scooped out a little place In the turf and reared her family there. I suppose she felt more so- euro from prowling cats and dogs thin In the garden or vineyard My neighbor took mo out to let me Into her secret. He pointed down to the- ground a few feet In trout of us and said , "there It Is , " I looked and saw nothing but the newly worn turf with ono spot the size of my two hands whcro the grass was apparently dead. "I see no rabbits nor signs of rabbits , " I replied He stooped to this dry spot and lifted up a blanket or carpet of matted grass and revealed ono of the prettiest sights I had ever seen , nnd Iho only one of the kind I had ever looked upon ! Four or flvo little rabbits half the slzo of chipmunks , cuddled down In a drj , fur-lined nest They did not move or wink , and their cars were pressed down close to their heads My neighbor let the coverlid fall back , and the ) were hidden again as bj magic. They had been discovered a few dnjs b'- fore when the lawn vvns mown , and one , ns It sprang out from the ne t , was killed by the mower , he mistaking It for a j-oung rat. The rest of them fled and disappeared through the grass , but the next morning they were back In the nest , where they remained for several dajs longer Only at night , as far as observed , did the mother visit and nurse them. There was no opening Into the nest , the mat of dried grass covered It completely , so that the mother , In her visits to them , must have lifted it up and crept beneath. It was a very pretty and cunning device. One might have stepped upon It In his walk , but surely his cjes alone would never have penetrated the secret I am told by men , wise In the lore of the fields and woods , that the rabbit always covers her nest nnd young with a littl ? blanket , usually made of fur plucked from her own breast. lack. Few people , who have not lived on Inti mate terms with a mule , are willing to ac knowledge that he is more intelligent than a horse. Careful study of the two animals , under varying circumstances , shown a keener perception and more wisdom of thought , In the long ears. The members of the United States geologi cal survey , who for months at a time live In the saddle , and use mules for saddle and pack animals , claim that horses are neither tough enough , sure footed nor'smart enough , for rough , conllnuous mountain work. Jack was a taddle mule of the survey for four years. Ills master was the head of the inrtj' , and n daring , fearless rider , well u ed to wild mountain climbing , and surveying He declares that Jack knew more than his master , and that his thinking powers were human. He sajs : "Jack was big , black and very strong Ho knew mo perfectly , and how' far he could trust mo. In my early acquaintance I got him Into quicksands once or twice , and lie learned to doubt my Judgment of rivers and sandbars. Without a fear I could ride him Into a rocky ford , no matter how deep or rough , but If I struck a sandy one old Jack would absolutely refuse to step In. look at me , anil I at him. No persuasion affecled him. So I would Jump oft the sid- dle , wade In sometimes up to my knees , showing him that the bed of the river was quite hard , get back into my saddle and without a prick of his big ears Jack would stop carefully In. "Who says Jack didn't think ? He had more faith In my ability as a mountaineer than as a waterman , and would follow me wherever I thought It safe to go "In northwestern Arlrona , after a long , hard day's ride , I was hurrjlng toward camp , when suddenly my way was cut oft by one of those long escarpments In the plain , where a sudden drop In the strata has left a long line of low clll , which I must descend 1 rode along U. . tor of the bluff for a mile or more ; finding no possible descent , till at last , about dusk , we came to a broken place whsre I thought a mule might slide down the sloping face of the rock , ten or fifteen feet , to a less steep descent below. I got off and tried to lead him. "Not a step would Jick take I coaxed and urged nnd pulled. He stood firm as a rock. "I left him and walked up and down on the bluff ; looked down below us and above us ; Jack followed me with his eyes clear , He saw that I found no better place Put ting my hand on his head , I said , Made , old man ' , got to try it ! ' Patting him I went ahead. Jack made no objections , drew his four feet close togelher , and followed ! He slipped safely to the bottom , and stood still until I was In the saddle. "In eastern Utah wo btruck an old , camp where three years before Jack had carried mo over a terribly dry land. Ho had since that seabon been In entire different terri tories. We made camp after a tedious day , but found no water. We turned the mules loose , and Jack , with ono of the pack mules , started for the bluffs They led all the rest up the steep bluff through a deep canjon , tea a beautiful spring of water , where three years before we had all camped and drank. Every member of the big survey party had forgotten but Jack ! "I grieve tp say that smart , old , knowing , thinking Jac" has died. " i'n.iTTf.i : or TIII : Teacher Now , Robbie , you may tell us how tbe earth Is divided Robbie So that everjbody wants more of It. Little Dot Uncle George says I'm "too loquacious. " What does that mean ? Mamma That means you talk too much. Little Dot ( after reflection ) I s'poso big words was made so folks could say mean things wl'fout hurtln' anybody's feelings Tommy Do jou say jour prayers every night7 Jimmy Yes. "And does your ma say hers ? " "Yes , " "And does your paw ? " "Naw , paw don't need to. It's almost day light when he gits to bed " Little SUtcr Any new studies this term' Little Brother One elocution. "What1 that ? " "It's loarnln' how to read a thing so It will sound as If jou was at the other end of a drainpipe. " "What Is the matter with that man ? ' asked the Inquisitive small girl In the thea ter. "The man sitting In the front row' " "Ycs'm. The ono whose hair Is too small for him. " Willie Sllmson Mamma says she feels so sorry for you. Mrs. Wlnlerbloom Why , . Willie ? Willie Because you are going to have your reception the same day as hers. Sunday School Teacher When George Washington's father forgave him for culling down the cherry tree , what lesson did 1 ; teach ? Little Johnnie That he had burled the hatchet. "Well , Johnnie , do you think you will get any of the prizes In school this term ? ' Johnnie Yes'm ; If there's ono for tbe most blots on the copybook I will. Mother Don't you feel able to sit up to day ? Boy No , mamma , I nm too weak Mamma Well , let me see. I guess you wll. bo able to go to school Monday. Tomorrow Is Saturday , and Boy ( Jumping out o ; bed ) Saturday ! I thought It was Friday. Little. Ben lives In a new house , one OL the most modern of modern houses , where light , water , heat and other things are to be had by turning a knob or touching a bell. He lives In a state of perpetual mar vel over these things , and the other night wben suffering from a headache , ( he younj feliow said to his mother , who sat beside him : "Please turn bn the dark , mother my eyes hurt me. " Murdoch Oh , mamma , see the carrlag wheels making successful rebellions ! Mam ma What do you mean , dear ? Murdoch- Why , mamma , teacher said that revolution are succeeiful rebellion ! . THE SCHOOLS OF THE PEOPLE Questions Affecting Their Wolforo Con sidered and Shortcomings Pointed Out , COMMON VICES IN BOSTON SCHOOLS Or. I .j nm u Aliliott on tlin Only niul ll < x l > oiinllillll } of Toiu her * Htiittn ol AVomcn In rimipmin Unhiml- tlc IMticiitloiinl Notes. Boston schoolmasters Imvo been discussing the vices which arc to bo found among the pupils of the public schools , sajs the Now York Evening Post , and they are agreed that ly'ng ' Is the error Into which the girls most rc.idlly fall , whllo the bojs arc subject to the vice of unclcanllness Girls are seldom noticeably co.irso or profane In their speech. Even the girls \\1io como from homes whcro profanity Is li.ibltn.il ; ccm to consider the strong ' language used by thilr fatlurs and brothers unsuited to fcmlnlnu lips , but deceit niul untruth are casj vices for girls to learn and hard to conquer Ono Iloston tc.ichcr said that her girls cared too much about creating a good Impression ever to use coarse language and she believed , their habits of de- celt came from the ( nine dcslro to please ! With the bojs the teachers find difficulty In forming liablts ot ptrbonnl neatness. They are careless and are quite apt , among the lower classes especially , to bo filthy In per son , dress and conversation The tobicio habit , which prevails too extensively , may bo named as the cause of niiicli of this un clcanllness , and for this reis-on the work of the Antl-Clgarollo league among the boy Is encouraged by the teachers. The use of to bacco Is forbidden , of course , on the school grounds and In the buildings , but occ.islomlly a boy Is found w'no has Indulged himself so fur as to become unfit for study , so sleepy and languid In fact as to bo hardly able to sit erect at his desk. The teachers nro ex pected to take such cases promptly In hand and try , first by persuasion and later by discipline If necessarjto break up the habit which is weakening the boy's phjslcal and moral powers How far this personal work shoul 1 be carried by the teachers and by what methods arc questions which arc being dis cussed by tfio Boston teachers , particularly In connection with the school work of the Evangtllcal alliance. A SCHOOL DANGER. The old slate and pencil has been banished from many Amcrlcin public schools liy the school committee. The three reasons for this step furnished In the report ot the committee on hjglrne and phjslcal training arc ns fol lows. (1 ( ) A slight gray mark upon n slightly darl.tr gray surface Is more or less Indis tinct and , therefore , trying to the cj'cslght. (2) ( ) The resistance of the hard pencil upon the hard slate Is tiring to the muscles and this resistJnco leiils to pcrvor ed habits , wh'tSi ' have to be overcome when the pupil begins to wrlto with pencil or pen upon paper. (3. ( ) And last , but not least , the use of slates , shto pencils and tpongcs Is a very uncleanly custom and leads to and establishes very un cleanly habits. So the slate , slate pencil and sponges have Irnd to mike way for the paper , lead pencil and rubber for school uso. A contemporary points out that there Is na good grounds for appreheridlng the formation of uncleanly habits with paper and lead pen cil as with slate and slate pencil. And the microbe Is quite as likely to taUo refuge In dirty paper ns In dirty slatei. Another source of danger Is the surreptitious loaning and exchanging of these pencils , which It is almost Impossible to entirely prevent. There Is one point of ( supreme Importance ) In alt these expurgating contrivances and sani tary schemes I'uat Is too generally loft out of consideration ; that Is that the teachers of children are as much In duty bound to Inculcate cleanly habits In children and hence to enforce sanitary rules of Individual con- uct as to teach reading , writing and nrlth- ' nctlc. Jt naturally belongs to the morals of ho business of the Uacher. WOMEN IN KOIIEIGN UNIVERSITIES. Regarding the status of women In tli" uropean universities a writer In the Torutn ajs : "Tho University of Cambridge grants 10 degree to women , and this is Iholr most erlous grievance and one which cries out for arly redress , slnco thc-lr position Is apt lo misunderstood outside the precincts of he university , and particularly In foreign lounlrle" Instead the unlverslly confers a ertlflcato ( which men do not receive ) stating tut the woman In question has passed the tqulred preliminary examination , kept the required number of terms , passed the ex- amlnitlon of the particular tripos and been placed in a certain cla ° s The certificates are signed by Iho vice chancellor and bear ho university seal. The v\omen's \ class list s printed in the university calendar after the ncn's Admlbslon to the tripos examlna- lens admits women to the study of classics , mathematics , natural science , history , phlloso- ihy , modern laguages , Oriental languages , ivv and theology , but not of medicine. They nay take the examination for a degree in mi Me. "At Oxford matters are not very disslml- ar , though the history of the movement has passed through different stages. In 1878 ha Association for the Higher Education of Women was started at Oxford , and the ar rangements In regards to women's studies iavo always been In Its hinds Instead of under he direction of the Individual colleges. The course for a degree at Oxford requires three examinations. By special arrangement with the authorities women may use the libraries and museums. They receive a certificate , not from the university , but from the dele gacy of the local examinations. Henca their : onncctlon with the university la less formal than that of their bisters at Cambridge , but lie re , too , they have obtained the substance , though the formal acknowledgment by tha right to use the degree will be Immensely valuable when once It Is obtained. " MORAL TEACHING. The readers of the April Century will have been attracted by Dr. Lyman Abbott's nblo article on "Religious Teaching In the Public Schools " This Is one of the questions fore most In the educational circles ot America , Tha absolute separation of state and re ligion l the very foundation of our Institu tions ; certainly no American would think ot disturbing or violating this fundamental prin ciple. Educators , however , are beginning to real ize that our public school system Is weak upon the side of practical moral teachings. The teaching ot religion might make up for part of this falling Hut we- cannot have re ligion , and irany eminent thinkers bellcvo that some means could surely be devised by which practical morality might , at any rate In some measure , bo taught withoutcvon , tha accompaniment of religious majesty , How to do this IB the question of the hour , "Tho plan which will bo finally adopted , " says Dr. Abbott , "must clearly Inculcate a public recognition of the fact that the public school Is a moral Institution , that no one but per sons ot a profoundly moral nature have- any right to appointment on the school boards or as tcliool teachers , and that our liberty to use our moral power In Inculcating a spirit of reverence for law and a spirit of service and Belt-sacrifice must not be restrained , but encouraged. " EDUCATIONAL NOTES. In one school dlilrlct in the city of Brook lyn there are 4,000 chlldrc-n of school age and school accommodations for only 1,700 , Last Tuesday was the centennial of the es- > tabllshment of free public schools In New York state. I/claml Stanford university has secured ono of the flntit private libraries In Germany that of the late Prof. Hlldebrand of Lelpzlc. It contains labout 15,000 volumes , principally upon philological subjects. It was offered to the unlveulty because- favorite student of the professor , Prof. Gwbel , lisa the chair of German literature and philology there. The price paid was | G,000. Of the three Harvard students selected to represent their college In the debale wltb Princeton , one Is from Denver , ono from Ohio and the third from Maine ,