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Show SCIENTIFIC TOPICS CURRENT NOTES OF DISCOVERY AND INVENTION. Driven by Brnntne Motor Spiral Wire Barrel Hoop The Intensity of gnu-light gnu-light Chinese Eupcror'i Musical Clock Scientific Jottings. Bowling Alley Illumination. An improved system of illuminating the bowling alley has been devised by Gustave Burkhardt, of Chicago, 111., and as this game has recently become very popular, a description of his invention in-vention will be of g:eat interest to the devotees of this sport, which now comprises com-prises a great army. This invention is in the nature of an improved appliance appli-ance for reflecting the light and Indicating Indi-cating the set of the pins, and it primarily pri-marily seeks to provide a reflector of an economical construction and in which the reflector walls are so arranged arrang-ed relatively to the light that the rays thereof can be positively concentrated concentrat-ed within a desired radius and the burner bur-ner held invisible. Thus, a blaze of light is shot around the pins without Tnaking any shadows and without dazzling daz-zling the eyes of the player. Another feature of this invention lies in providing pro-viding a supplemental portion having a triangle or pin set face shape, with light openings for numerals corresponding corres-ponding in number and arangement with the set of the pins of the alley, whereby the bowler can see how every pin is numbered, so that when any pin is not properly spotted he can readily call the number and have the matter cemedied by the attendant. Intensity of Sunlight. In order to measure distances, surfaces, sur-faces, volumes', time and force, standard stand-ard units were long ago found indispensable, indis-pensable, and this is, of course, absolutely abso-lutely so in determining or measuring the quantity of light in any luminous body. This unit is the intensity of the light of the standard candle, which Is a sperm candle weighing one-sixth of a pound and burning 120 grains an hour. By this means it is found by astronomers as-tronomers that the intensity of the sunlight is such that when the sun is in the zenith it illuminates a white surface about 60,000 times as strongly as a standard candle at a distance of thirty-nine inches. Comparing then sunlight with that of the full moon, the surprising result is arrived at that the former is about 600,000 times that of the latter. Again the interesting fact is now established that of all the different kinds of artificial light that can be produced as yet by man, the most intense is the brilliant spot In the so-named crater of an electric arc, but, dazzling as it is. it is but one-third as bright as the surface of the sun itself. Queer Shoes for Horses. In Iceland horses are shod with sheep's horn; In the valley of the upper up-per Oxus the antlers of the mountain deer are used for the same purpose; the shoes being fastened with horn pins; in the Soudan the horses are shod with socks made of camel's skin; in Australia horseshoes have been tried of cowhide. A German not long ago Invented a horseshoe of paper, prepared by saturating with oil, turpentine tur-pentine and other ingredients. Thin layers of such paper are glued to the hoof till the requisite thickness Is attained. at-tained. And the shoes thus made are durable and Impenetrable to moisture. Chinese Emperor's Musical Clock. One of the masterpieces of musical clocks has just been completed for the emperor of China, in whose palace, besides be-sides pointing out the correct time, it will play selections with a fully equipped automatic orchestra. It is pronounced the most complete musical automaton in the world, having eight divisions, each of which has a repor-tolre repor-tolre of eight melodies. All oft the pieces played by thi3 musical clock were selected by the emperor himself, and consist of forty foreign and twenty-four Chinese recitals. The case of the clock is made of rosewood, in Chippendale Chip-pendale antique style. Driven by Benzine Motor. R. Hadden of London has invented a new motor cycle. The bars, which connect the benzine receiver and motor, mo-tor, also carry the lighting apparatus, and the bearers, which are connected with the motor and back axle, carry the driving gear, comprising toothed wheels, leather covered wheels, etc. The small wheel is always leather covered cov-ered and the large wheel metallic in order to secure quiet working. The driving gear is constructed in such a manner that three different speeds can be obtained. The machine is operated through a friction coupling by means of levers running along the benzine receiver, re-ceiver, on each of which there is a bolt whereby it can be secured when adjust ed. In order to cause the motor to run quickly or slowly there Is arranged on top of the dome of the benzine receiver receiv-er a regulating device, by means of which the cylinder can be supplied with a small or large quantity of gas. Scientific Jottings. Scientists are recommending the electric light bath. It is free from the exhausting effects of Turkish baths and is soothing to sore muscles and joints. Nervous headache yields to this treatment, and the bath is of very great benefit to persons of sedentary habits, such as teachers, doctors, lawyers law-yers and professional men generally. Combined with a cold shower it is said the electric light bath is positively rejuvenating. re-juvenating. It was in October, 1894, that the big python at the London zoo fell Into the deplorable error of swallowing his companion, com-panion, a snake only a few inches shoiter than himself. A similar disaster disas-ter is reported from Bombay, where for some years past two large Indian pythons had occupied a cage In the museum of the Bombay Natural History His-tory society. There was some misunderstanding misun-derstanding between them over a partridge, part-ridge, for they were found so tightly entangled in each other's coils that the utmost endeavors of peace-making keepers failed to effect a separation, and they were left to settle the matter according to their own lights. Next day there was only one very stout python py-thon visible. These large reptiles evidently evi-dently know but one way of settling a quarrel. In Germany potato bread is used by the natives of Thurlngia to feed their horses, especially when they are worked work-ed hard In very cold weather. The animals an-imals thrive on it, and their health aad strengta are excellent. The method meth-od of preparation Is simple and inexpensive. inex-pensive. The potatoes are slowly stew e till soft; they are then mashed thori oaghly, and an equal amount of corn mea! is added. It la mixed into a thick paste with a small quantity of salt. The paste is then divided into four pound loaves and allowed to bake till thoroughly thor-oughly done. In the slow country ovens ov-ens it generally takes from eighteen to twenty hours. When cold they are fed to the horses and cattle doing heavy work at the rate of four loaves a day viz: one in the morning, one at noon, one at about 4 o'clock and one at night. With the last about ten pounds of poor hay are given. It is claimed for this method that horses can do much more work on the same amount of food and that it is good for their teeth. Burglar Device. One of the latest burglar devices is directed against the intruder who wishes to appropriate the contents of our safes. It is to place a grating in the floor near the safe, and hide under it an arrangement for heating water by electricity. When the safe breaker steps on the covered grating and sets to work there gradually rises a volume of steam, which soon makes him hurry off. Spiral Wire Barrel Hoop. George M. Depew, of Canandalgua, N. Y., proposes to displace the wooden barrel hoop by a spiral wire, for which he has just received a patent So greatly has grown the demand for barrels, many of which are shipped out of the country, that it has been found difficult to meet it, the chief source of trouble being to secure the wooden hoops used for this purpose. The spiral spi-ral wire is said to answer the purpose faultlessly. It permits of the same treatment at the hands of the cooper, and the spiral exerts a tension which enables the barrel to withstand rough usage to a greater degree than the wooden hoops. Locking Up at Gibraltar. Perhaps the favorite sight of Gibraltar Gib-raltar is the daily procession at sundown sun-down for the locking of the town gates. The keeper of the keys, looking look-ing vpry like a prisoner despite his uniform, marches through the town in the center of a military guard, preceded pre-ceded by a regimental band, which plays insprlng, familiar tunes. The keys, of enormous size, are borne aloft before him as an outward and visible emblem of the vigilance of Britain In guarding her prime military treasure. "On arriving at the gates, the guard salutes, the martial strains strike up with a redoubled peal of triumph, while the great doors slowly swing to, and are solemnly locked for the night. Then right about turn, and the procession pro-cession marches back to the convent to deposit the keys in the governor's keeping, conveying by its passage an assurance to the people and garrlsou that they may rest In peace. Once the gates are shut it were easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for any unauthorized person per-son to go into Gibraltar. Even a belated be-lated officer returning from pig-sticking beyond the lines would be confronted con-fronted by so many formalities and the necessity of inconveniencing so many high personages that he would probably prefer to encounter the discomfort dis-comfort of a Spanish Inn without. Tit-Bits. Locating Responsibility. Washington Star: "The milk has a very bitter taste this morning," said the suburban resident. "Well," was the answer, "if you want good milk you ought to be will-in' will-in' to help some. I've wondered time an' again why you didn't chase the cow out of your front yard. All them geraniums an' chrysanthemums an' things is enough to spile any cow's milk." Annoyed. "Do you know of a doctor who has lived in Kentucky?" asked Col. Stil-well. Stil-well. "Why, haven't you seen a physician yet? You were ill yesterday." "Yes, I have seen a physician. But he shattered my faith, and I'm going to get somebody who ha3 a chance of understanding the case. The first thing this young man did was to warn me not to drink much ice water this warm weather!" Washington Star. A Question of Grammar. A young lady was sil :ing in a recess In a ballroom with a handsome young officer, her small niece on her lap to "play propriety." When the company assembled they were rather startled by the following discourse: Small Child Kies me, too, auntie! Young Lady My dear, you should not say "Kiss me two," but "Kiss me twice." Sketchy Bits. Comforting. Little Elmer Grampa, why do you look so bad? Grampa I was just thinking. Here I am 60 years of age, and I have never done anything that will be likely to make posterity remember re-member me. Little Elmer Oh, well, don't worry. Mebby you'll still have a chance to live in history as somebody's some-body's grandfather. Chicago Times-Herald. Times-Herald. Coder Heavy Obligations. Chicago Record: "Mrs. Boddy came over and said, as we were going away, she would like to borrow our lawn mower, porch chairs, hammock, Icecream Ice-cream freezer, water filter and your bicycle." bi-cycle." "Did you lend them to her?" "Of course; you know she is going to take care of our parrot. Genuine Spot. "Sun spots." said the lecturer on astronomy, "are something of a mystery. mys-tery. What they are has never been explained." "Sun spots!" Bhouted a rural lad lo the gallery, "are freckles, and anybody any-body that has ever dug out in a lot without shade can tell you the same." The Good Old Days. The Man What makes you look so sad? The Merchant I was just thinking what fire sales those Sodom and Gomorrah Go-morrah clothiers must have had. Kansas Kan-sas City Independent. "Wont your wife sing for us?" asked one of the callers. "I daresay she would; I Just asked her not to," replied re-plied the knowing husband. FROM THE GAtLERY.I ; la the "third floor back" of x diimal-looklng diimal-looklng lodging house in a street near Waterloo bridge, a man was standing, singing. In a dilapidated armchair by the window, his audience: one wee, pretty lassie was curled up, wrapped about with an overcoat, for it was the afternoon qX Christmas day, and tbere was no fire in the cheerless grata. "Shall I light the lamp, daddy?" she asked, as he ceased to sing and began to execute a grotesque dance, still whistling the refrain of his song. "It has grown so dark that I can't see to give you your cues," and she held up some tattered manuscript as she spoke. "No, Babsie; that will do for tonight. Don't try your eyes. Shall we have our usual chat in the dark, pet? There is no rehearsal tonight Ugh! how cold it Is. Have we no coal or wood, dearie?" "No, dad; but It Isn't very much colder without fire, because the silly smoke won't go up the chimney, somehow, some-how, so I have to keep the window open when we do have a fire." "My poor little frozen baby," he said sadly, taking her In his arms. "We will find lodgings where the smoke does exit the proper way after Boxing night," "Dad." she said, as she nestled close np to him in the armchair, "shall we have a Christmas pudding some day?" "Shall I sing to you, Babsie?" he interposed in-terposed hastily. And, gently stroking her soft curls, he broke Into a lively music hall ditty. Babsie was soon fast asleep. He lifted lift-ed her up and placed her on the bed. "Heaven help her!" he murmured sadly, as he gazed upon the sweet white face. "If I had only been a laborer la-borer you would not have gone hungry hun-gry on Christmas day, my pet. I wonder won-der how many poor mummers are waiting wait-ing eagerly for Boxing night? I have looked for work without ceasing. I wonder if the noble army of bogus managers with whom I've been so closely acquainted of late are dining well tonight while she Is starving. I'll spend every penny I earn this pantomime pan-tomime upon her comfort. Oh, if I can only make a hit, now my chance has come! Oh, my Babsie, my brave little lit-tle Babsie!" "Daddy, It's the glorious Boxing day at last!" cried Babsie, dancing round him In her excitement, as he was preparing pre-paring to go to the theater. "Everything wasn't quite smooth at dress rehearsal," he had explained to her; "so I shall be at the theater all day." The latter part of this statement was not true; but he saw that there was barely food for one in the cupboard, and his pocket was quite empty. As he ran down the stairs a little WAS BEING CLASPED IN HER FATHER'S ARMS, shoe came clattering after him, and a saucy, smiling face peeped over the balusters. "That's for luck, dad!" she called out. He noticed the little shoe had a hole right through the sole, and he sighed. When he reached the theater he found only a few shivering nobodies assembled on the stage. They all waited for about two hours for the stars, who had never intended to appear, ap-pear, and then the stage manager dismissed dis-missed them. Halliday met his manager mana-ger as he turned out of the stage door with the intention of strolling about the streets until evening. "Hallo!" said that individual, genially. gen-ially. "Hope all the plum pudding you had yesterday won't affect your top notes. I think your song will fetch 'em upstairs. There's money in it " Halliday uttered an exclamation, and, stooping down, picked up a quarter. quar-ter. "There, what did I tell you?" laughed the manager, as he slapped him on the back and went on his way. Halliday hugged the little coin in his palm. It meant so very much. It meant a little Christmas for Babsie, and it had entirely changed his plans for the day. He hurried homeward with a lighter heart than he had carried car-ried for months.only stopping at a coster's cos-ter's barrow on his way to Invest some of his treasure in rosy-cheeked apples. , He sprang lightly up the stairs to bis home, calling "Babsie!" as he ran, so anxious was he to see her astonishment astonish-ment and delight. But no answer came; no patter of little feet. Tho dreary room was empty. He sat down chilled and uneasy, and the apples rolled roll-ed unheeded to the floor. But one hour twr hours three hours passed, and still no Babsie. The fog was growing denser and denser. The anxious father paced up and down the little room. At every footfall on the stairs he rushed out and called her name. The callboy at the Regal theater was calling out "overture and beginners" as he made his way along the passages when a man rushed past him and disappeared dis-appeared into one of the dressinf-rooms. dressinf-rooms. It was Nigel Halliday, white and trembling, and with huge beads of perspiration on his brow. "He'll never be on!" said the performers per-formers in chorus. But he was at the side, dressed and made up, fully five minutes before his first entrance. The other performers were looking at aim curiously, for his face was twitching and he spoke to no one. "Nervousness or drunkenness," they all agreed. There was a ripple of laughter as he made his first entrance. It acted like an electric shock upon him. He knew what was expected of him, and he worked desperately. "He'll do!" said the anxious manager, sagely, as he watched his grotesque exit and listened to the applause that followed it As soon as Halliday was off the stage after the fourth scene he caught the assistant manager by the arm. . "I'm not on until the palace scene," lis said eagerly. "How long is my wait?" "Oh, about an hoar tonight, was the reply. Halliday rushed down the passage to his dressing-room, removing hie kingly robes as he ran. "What the deuce are you doing?" cried one of the men. as ha watched him struggle into his overcoat "Axe yoa drunk tonight, or what?" "Don't stop me!" panted Halliday. "Hands off, I say! It's my long wait ru be back In time. My child is lost missing since morning. I'm crazy with anxiety; she's my only one." Through the streets he ran, threading thread-ing in and out the traffic, heedless of the drivers. The fog had cleared away, and the night was starry. "Babsie! Babsie!" he panted, as he tore along. "Babsie! Babsie!" as h vaulted up the dark staircase to hia home. All was silent in the desolate room. He stood 'there one moment and threw up his hands in voiceless prayer, and then he hastened back to the theater. Just before his entrance in the palace pal-ace scene the doorkeeper made his way through the crowd and said something in a low tone to the stage manager. He saw them glance toward him and in a moment he was beside ' them. "In heaven's name tell me, Grahams! Is it news for me? Dofl't He; I know It is!" "When you come off, Halliday after your song. There's your music playing play-ing now. Go on, old man.' "Tell me first," Halliday replied hoarsely, "and I give you my word I'll go on!" "A little girl run over taken to Faith hospital. Don't know who shj belongs to. Died unconscious," Gra-bame Gra-bame replied hastily. "Thank you," was all the wretched man said as he staggered past them onto the stage. A child in the gallery laughed gleefully glee-fully at his grotesque entrance. It sounded just like Babsie's laugh. Babsie Bab-sie now, perhaps, lying a little mangled man-gled corpse in the Faith hospital. Why was he there? he asked himself, if his darling lay dead. What did he care for money now? But Babsie had been so fond of his "drinking song." She had looked forward for-ward to hearing him sing it. He would sing it for her sake. Then his voice began to falter he swayed sllghty. "He's breaking down," was the terrified whisper. "Won't some one step in to fill the gap?" And some one did. Right from the very back of the gallery it came a child's voice that caught up the refrain just as the wretched singer was about to rush from the stage, and the astonished aston-ished artistes, looking up to the "gods," beheld the singer, a little girl perched upon the shoulders of a stalwart stal-wart coster. It was Babsie Babsie alive and well. By the time the little girl had got through the chorus and the gallery had shown their appreciation by applause ap-plause and whistling, Halliday had regained re-gained his self-possession, and he sang the remainder of his ditty with such joyous vigor that he carried his audience au-dience along, and the infection of gay-ety gay-ety from all the smiling faces on the stage made itself felt all over the house. "That kid in the gallery Is an old music-hall dodge," said one petite to another. "Yes, but this was Jolly well worked. I thought the chap had really broken down," replied his friend. Behind the scenes the "kid In the gallery" was being clasped in her father's fath-er's arms amid a group of sympathetic people In motley attire. Babsie's story was sxn told. She had been offered a quarter by a neighbor to mind her babies while she went out The temptation to see her "dad" perform per-form had been too strong, and the little lit-tle girl, with her precious coin in her hand, had patiently waited outside the gallery door for many hours. As she had not expected her father home all day she had not been in the least uneasy. un-easy. Then Manager Vaughan and Stage Manager Grahame claimed her attention, atten-tion, and the performer slipped a brand new dollar bill Into her hand. "It's what I owe you for that unrehearsed unre-hearsed effect," he said, laughing. Forget-Me-Not LAWN PLAYHOUSES Large Enough for Three or Four Little Girls and Their Dolls. The latest novelties in the smart toy shops are large playhouses, to be set upon the lawn for the use of the little girls of the family. These come in very pretty des'gns, counterparts of the Queen Anne cottages In which the little lit-tle mothers really live. They are large enough to accommodate three or four little girls and their dolly families. The interiors consist of one large room, which is furnished with small chairs, tables, couches, beds, bureaus, bookcases book-cases and so on, all of which articles of furniture come In very attractive forms and can be purchased at any of the large shops dealing in children's toys and games. These houses will be welcomed gladly by the little misses, for they open out a vista of afternoon teas, parties and receptions at which the hostess can play at being a real live mamma and social leader. Placed In a shaded corner of the lawn, or out in the orchard, the girls of the family will pass many a happy hour when the sun is too hot for outdoor exercise. A Social War at Simla. Recent advices from Simla are that a bitter social war has been raging at the Indian capital because the mother mo-ther and sister of Lady Curzon, Mrs. Levi Leiter and the Misses Leiter of Chicago, demand the same homage paid to them by Simla society as is due to the wife of the viceroy. Several officers' of-ficers' wives struck against such an order or-der of things and refused to attend th functions at which the Letters were present. As there are only 600 white people at Simle, the situation became exceedingly uncomfortable, and the social so-cial season has been a failure. Many prominent women left Simla rather than put up with the Letters' social demands. de-mands. Mrs. Leiter, they say, is anxious anx-ious to lead in Indian society, and th refugees have appealed to the queen to settle the dispute. The protestanta claim that it is too much to expect them to render the same homage to Lord Curzon's wife's relatives that they they would to members of British Brit-ish royalty. The Indian papers are ridiculing the whole dispute. ' Courted Lucy Webb. New York Tribune: A lawyer was recently called to Salina, Mo., in the interest of certain heirs of the late Nathaniel Na-thaniel Head, a rich old bachelor who died there a month ago. Among other reminiscences of Mr. Head's early life this lawyer relates that he was once the ardent lover of Lucy Webb, the girl who later became the wife of Pres ident Hayes. Mr. Head lived and died a bachelor, and perhaps it was due to this disappointment In his youth. Dangerous Place. First Tragedian Just listen to this: "In California there are ostrich eggs weighing three pounds." Second Tra gedian Great Scott! Isn't It lucky our troupe didn't get a chance to play in California this year? JEAN DE BLOCH. THE FATHER OF THE PEACE CONFERENCE. A Tremendously Rich Dutchman, Whs Has Devoted His Whole Life to the Study of the History of War, and Wrote a Great Book Upoa the Subject. Schoeveningen, Holland, Correspondence: Correspond-ence: An English translation of M. Henri de Bloch's great work on war has just been secured for publication In America. Not the czar, but M. de Bloch, Is the father of the peac conference con-ference at The Hague. It was my good fortune to see him whe he was on the very ground and watcning the tremendous tre-mendous result of his life's labor. M. de Bloch is a man of 65. He is short. He is fat. He Is grayheaded. His beard is trimmed closely to his ohin. Great shaggy eyebrows overhang a pair of piercing eyes. M. de Bloch, when he becomes the least excited, is fierce in appearance and in manner. He is the last man who would at those times be taken for an advocate of peace. He is always excited when he is talking. Early in his youth he became be-came impressed by the awful horrors of war. He began to make a study of them. He considered the cost of war In misery and in money, and he considered con-sidered its results. He found the two incommensurate. He took up every phase of arguments of men who had planned means of preventing war. In those days most of these men were dreamers and their plans were wild and impractical. But Bloch did not despair. He was fortunate and the world was fortunate in that he was Immensely rich and could afford to carry on his studies untrammeled by the limitations of poverty. He devoted devot-ed his time to many important mat ters in his own country, and became loved and honored throughout Poland and Russia. But never for a moment did he forget his one mission that of alleviating the horrors of war. He studied, studied, studied. His work was unceasing. His arguments were mending. From every quarter of the earth he gathered material on the subject sub-ject which always filled his mind. At last, eight years ago, he had absolutely mastered his great subject. He had not satisfied himself without knowing all about modern wars and their mis eries; he had begun at the beginning. His information concerning the early Greek and Roman wars was scarcely JEAN DE less complete than the mass of material he had gathered concerning the Franco-Prussian and other great armed struggles of his own time. At last, eight years ago," he said to me, "I found myself In a position where I could really begin my work. Everything up to that time had been preliminary. I then sat down and wrote my little book." The conversation took place in the private dining room of M. de Bloch's suite in the Hotel d'Orange at Schoeveningen, Schoe-veningen, a summer resort not far from The Hague. This resort opens late in the season, and M. de Bloch had gone there long before the place was actually actu-ally ready to receive visitors. He was almost alone in the hotel. He had just finished his afternoon nap of three hours, which, with four hours' sleep at night, gives him his rest. He was eating a most frugal supper not at all the kind of a meal which a great millionaire would be expected to order. or-der. "At last, eight years ago," he repeated, re-peated, "I sat down and wrote my little lit-tle book." M. de Bloch's English is somewhat difficult to understand at first. He speaks it in common with about ten other languages, of which French and Russian (his native tongue) is his favorite. fa-vorite. His English accent is somewhat some-what gruff. In keeping with the fierce expression of his face. But there was nothing gruff about the way he said: "Let me bring you a copy of my little book." He 3ft the room and came back in about five minutes with his arms full of his "little book." There are six volumes of that "little hook." and they are large volumes. The edition which he gave me had been hurriedly prepared, and was a French translation of the Russian original. The pictures had been lifted bodily from the Russian edition, and their titles ti-tles were printed in the puzzling characters char-acters of that difficult language. He explained them to me until I became confused by their vast number. There are 1,200 pictures in M. de Bloch's little book. Its first five volumes are devoted to an exhaustive study of war in all its branches and in all its details. They amount practically to an encyclopedia of everything connected with battles and with fighting men. No other one man has ever accomplished so tremendous tremen-dous a work of research. The first volume is a description of the mechanism of war. It deals with everything from the cross-bow of the ancients to the smokeless powder of today. It tells of fortifications, It deals with features of attack and defense, de-fense, It omits nothing. The second volume is headed "The War Upon the Continent." Unfortunately, Unfortun-ately, and now greatly to his own re cret M. de Bloch failed to consider America as 8 fighting possibility at th time this volume was written. H studies in detail the effectiveness o! European armies, discusses their existing exist-ing preparations for war, their plans of mobilization, the training of their officers, offi-cers, their camps, their fortresses, the possibilities of night and day fighting, the general esprit du corps, the operations opera-tions of all of them during the wars which have occurred in the last century; cen-tury; Indeed, he omits no one thing which might by any possibility be useful use-ful to the student. This volume alon6 contains more than 800 pages. The third volume Is the briefest ana the least important of his work. It deals with naval warfare and the subject sub-ject is not competently treated. In the fourth volume he treats of economic problems and their probable effect in the war of the future. It goes into the subject (of course intensely interesting in-teresting to America) of the supply and maintenance of troops. It considers the cost of the military as compared with the revenues of all nations. It shows what tremendous advances in relative cost will mark the war of the future. It points out the inequality of the preparations for war made by different dif-ferent European countries and It shows the influence different factors have on the spirit of armies and the character of their preparations for war. The fifth volume tells of the development devel-opment of the idea that may lead toward to-ward peace. It goes into details concerning con-cerning the literature of perpetual peace among civilized peoples. It deals with socialism, with anarchy and with the propaganda of anti-militarism. It telle of the different ideas of various countries concerning causes for war. It discusses the influence of armies ar-mies actually in existence upon the people of the different countries. It goes into the matter of wounds and sickness resulting from war most exhaustively ex-haustively even to the point of calculating calcu-lating the penetration and general effect ef-fect of every bullet now in use by a civilized nation. The marvelous detail de-tail of this volume cannot be described in a brief article. No possible point is omitted, and every conceivable detail is given in full. The records of the United States government concerning the effects of wounds during the civil war has never been more completely summarized than are the studies of M. de Bloch in this volume. But it is in the sixth volume that M. de Bloch says those things which it has been his mission to say. Over thirty different headings, each one elaborate in its detail, are covered in this one book. I am not writing a criticism of BLOCH. M. de Bloch's "War." I am merely trying to give an idea of the magnitude of his work. I doubt if there is a hu man being today who Is competent to criticise Bloch's marvelous book. Cer tainly no one has ever studied the sub ject as he has. I have in my posses sion some typewritten copies In French and English of his notes on certain subheads on the one matter of the Im possibility of aiding wounded on the field of battle, his revised and condensed con-densed notes amounting to fifty closely written typewritten pages. An ex tremely brief sketch of what he has to say about the penetration of modern rifle bullets covers forty-three pages. It is in the sixth volume that he sum marizes his arguments. Before it is half finished he leaves his descriptions off war and his data concerning battles and soldiers and begins to speculate on the possible ways of preventing inter national conflicts. In order to justify the statement which I make near the beginning of this article, that M. de Bloch and not the czar is the father of the peace conference, I must again call the reader's attention to the fact that this book alone occupied in the mere writing eight years, and that before be-fore he could begin writing It he had to spend an entire lifetime in the gathering gath-ering of Information. Thus his idea long antedated the czar's. His plan of international arbitration as suggested suggest-ed in this final volume of his book is almost identical with the plan laid down by the czar in the call for a peace conference, which he issued to the nations of the earth. After M. de Bloch had brought In his "little book" to me he spoke very freely free-ly concerning the international European Euro-pean situation. He discussed the terrific ter-rific burden of armament which the nations of Europe are obliged to carry, and talked of the awful hardships which compulsory military service works upon the citizens of the countries coun-tries where it is practiced. Of himself he would say nothing. Alcohol for Automobiles. The majority of motor cars are now driven by petroleum, but a French engineer en-gineer recommends the use of alcohol instead of it, and motors are being altered al-tered so as to consume It. There is no fear of explosion with alcohol, and it is said to cost less than petroleum. We might, therefore, paraphrase the national poet and say, "Put it In your cars to save your legs." Bill "It's hard to understand some women." Jill "Why?" Bill "Ths other day a woman In a Brooklyn court refused to kiss the Bible, but caressed her pet dog a dozen timef while on the witness stand. Viola "I've just finished a unique sofa pillow. It's stuffed with old love letters." - Cody "Indeed ! How very nice and soft it must be." THE WAR SECRETARY SHORT SKETCH OF ELIHU ROOT'S CAREER. A Native, of New York State Largely Interested in Legal Business Dp to the Time of His Appointment Defended De-fended Tweed in a Celebrated Case. Elihu Root, the new secretary of war. was born at Clinton, Oneida county. New York, Feb. 15, 1S45. His father was Oren Root, for many years professor profes-sor of mathematics in Hamilton college. In his youth he taught. school and paid his way through Hamilton, subsequently study ing law there, and he completed his course at the University Law school in New York. He then entered the law office of-fice of Mann & Parsons. His first part nership was formed with John H. Strahn, and the next with Willard Bartlett, who became a judge of the supreme court. Mr. Root was connect ed with the municipal reform movement move-ment in New York city in 1871. In 1879 he was the republican candidate for judge of the court of common pleas, but was defeated, though polling a large vote. He was chairman of the Republican county committee in 1886 and 1887, and for many years executive execu-tive member of the Twenty-first assembly as-sembly district. He was appointed by President Arthur as United States at- ELIHU ROOT, torney for the southern district of New York and served two years. During Dur-ing his long career as a lawyer Mr. Root has been leading counsel in many noted cases, notably for Tweed and In-gersoll In-gersoll on the exposure of the frauds perpetrated upon the county of New York by the Tweed ring, for Judge Hilton Hil-ton in the Stewart will case, for the executors in the Hoyt and Havemeyer will cases, and for the contestants in the Hammersley will case. He is now counsel for and director in several banks, is attorney for several steam railroads and the chief adviser of the syndicate controlling the Broadway railroad. He is also counsel for many large private corporations. Mr. Root was chairman of Governor Roosevelt's Roos-evelt's campaign committee last year. FORGERS NOT DETECTED. Torments Suffered by Honest Men Who Yield to Temptation. "At least one-half of the forgeries committed in any great city are never detected," said an old bank clerk to a New Orleans Times-Democrat man. "I base that statement upon the observations observa-tions of years. It happens now and then that some man finds himself In desperate need of money, yields to the temptation and discounts a note bearing bear-ing a forged indorsement. The cash tides him over the crises and by the time the paper matures he is able to take it up and put it in the fire. That wipes out the material evidence and the secret remains locked in his heart. Occasionally he fails to raise the money in time and then, of course, the affair comes out and he is ruined; but I am convinced that the proportion of discovery is small. The feeling of a man jwho has been honest before and who permits himself to take any such desperatf chances must be terrible. A prosperous merchant confessed a transaction of that kind to me once, and I have never forgotten his story. It was shortly after he started in business busi-ness and in a moment of frightful pressure he cashed a forged note for $1,100. The paper had ninety days to run and he felt certain he would be able to collect enough outstanding accounts ac-counts to pay it before the time elapsed. But once the deed was done he became a prey to all manner of horrible hor-rible apprehensions. Risks and possibilities pos-sibilities he had never dreamed of suddenly sud-denly loomed like mountains. He heard accidentally that the bank cashier cash-ier and the man wThose name he had forged belonged to the same club. What if the note was mentioned by chance in conversation! The thought went through him like a bullet and he nearly swooned. For two months, he said, he kept a loaded revolver in the top drawer of his desk, fully determined deter-mined to blow out his brains on the instant of discovery. Eventually he paid the note and the reaction sent him to a sick bed for a week. He assured as-sured me that the memory of that transaction had kept him on the straight path of honor ever since." How to Succeed on the Stape. "The personal qualifications of the girl who seeks a life on the sts,ge should be, first, inborn dramatic talent; tal-ent; then, youth, health, magnetism and abundant capacity for good, hard honest work. A valuable adjunct is a temperament which will enable . her, when the clouds of adversity are thickest, to wait until the sun shines again, with abiding faith in herself and her own lucky star. The aspirant aspir-ant possessing these qualities will sooner or later find a place in the profession, pro-fession, and there is always room for her. To study for the stage, a gi should study everything. Broad culture cul-ture is of inestimable advantage. She should study people, see good acting and should begin to act herself at the earliest possible moment Coaching before the first plunge is a great help, for in a short time one is then able to acquire many little things which otherwise would take months to master." mas-ter." Florence Rockwell, in Leslie's Weekly. Fads of Authors. How novelists write will always be of interest to readers. Each seems to have some favorite place for attacking attack-ing the muse. Roe wrote "Near to Nature's Heart," Hay "At the Seaside," Sea-side," and Besant "All in a Garden Fair." Verne wrote "Twenty Thousand Thou-sand Leagues Under the Sea," Dryden "In Sunny Lands," and Auerbach "On the Heights." While Gibbon wrote For Lack of Gold" and Payne "In Peril and Privation," Black wrote "In Silk Attire" and Haven "Out of Debt, Out of Danger." Horatio Alger wrote "Slow and Sure," Williams "On and Off," and Pike "Every Day." Most curious of all were Bellamy, who wrote "Looking Backward," and Parker, who wrote "Upside Down." Puck, POUR MONTHS UNDER GROUND Long Sojourn of a Kitten in a Montana, Mining Shaft. Little Annie McGinn of West Bntte owns a kitten that has just emerged from one of the strangest adventures that ever befell any liltlz gsrl SUne pet, says the Anaconda Standard. This cat in particular, after wandering through the mine workings under Butte since last fall, reappeared on the crfara tnr miips from the place where .,mhl Ar.-a.-n a shaft. PUSSV spent fully four months wandering through. underground Butte, but has surviveu in rH shanp The cat. becoming frightened at something, jumped down a shaft near the big Poulin hoist, sue survived and opened up a howling con test by herself. Little Annie was Bean-broken. Bean-broken. Her brother secured a long rope and lowered it into the shaft, hop-iriP- that the kitten would "catch on" and be hoisted, but the cat enly howled louder. Annie used to carry bits oi meat and bread over to the howl and throw them down for the cat to eat. After a couple of weeks the moaning in the shaft ceased. Annie gave up her pet as lost forever, and Christmas at Annie's home was not as cheerful for the owner of the lost kitten as it might have been had kittie not been so venturesome. Early in the winter the miners in the Green Mountain, the Mountain Con and other shafts in the vicinity imagined they heard sounds similar to those made by a sick infant. in-fant. Later the same noises were heard in the Anaconda, Mountain View, Gray Rock, Modoc, Mountain Chief, Rarus and the other workings on the Meaderville slope. While some children chil-dren were playing near the dump of the Colusa mine they were startled upon beholding a cat tumbling down a pile of rock with a carload of waste that had just been dumped. The cat meowed piteously as it rolled over just in time to escape a big chunk that came bounding past. The children ran to the rescue and found a sorry looking look-ing species of the cat family. Its hair was matted and soiled, its eyes red, and it was sore and lame. The only mark of identificat'on was the little ribbon about its neck, to which was attached a small brass bell. The feline fe-line underground explorer was returned re-turned to its owner at once. PUNCH BOWL Was a Pronounced Success, but a Tliinff of Deceit Nevertheless. The bachelor girl had a house cooling cool-ing the other night. The house warming warm-ing is so effete that she disdains it, and instead gives frequent and merry house coolings. The house cooling takes place whenever she moves, and as she moves whenever she gets tired of the wall decorations her parties are one of the standbys of the season. The last one before her summer flight took place the other evening in the literary colony, which still flourishes over in Greenwich village. It did not differ from the ordinary, except that a huge punchbowl, surrounded by a Bacchanalian Baccha-nalian wreath of grapevines, completed the artistic beauty of her dining table. Whether the claret cup was better than usual or whether it only seemed so, who can tell? At any rate, the house cooling was a success, so much so that the next flat neighbor stayed after the last guest had fluttered away, and when the next flat neighbor stopped to discuss dis-cuss matters it was a sure sign that the evening was a red letter one. "Tell me," said the hostess, after the portiere had gathered its Bagdad folds together, "was it all right? Could you detect?" The next flat neighbor demanded further fur-ther explanations. "Why, the punchbowl," punch-bowl," whispered the bachelor girl. "If the lynx eyes of my dearest friend did not discover it I could trust my enemy. That punchbowl, with its Bacchanalian wreath of grapevine, is only an old washbowl which I borrowed for the occasion." MISS HARRADEN'S NEW NOVEL. Beatrice Harraden's latest novel has been one of the greatest literary successes suc-cesses of the season in England, and in this country it has had a large sale. Miss Harradan rather discounted her early success in Ships That Pass in the Night by writing several stories which treated in a commonplace way are extremely ex-tremely disagreeable people. It was a surprise therefore when her new novel appeared recently to find that she had made such great strides in literary skill and had acquired so much command com-mand of her exceptional resources in satirical humor. UpoD her heroine she has certainly lavished great pains, yet the girl does not strike one as differing dif-fering from several other girls of the same type in recent fiction. The villain, vil-lain, however, is original, and his contentment con-tentment in establishing a malignant mental supremacy over a young and impressionable girl is satanic. The best character of the book. Nurse Isabel, is a purely original creation and it is well worth reading the novel to make her acquaintance. The story shows fa- BEATRICE HARRADEN. miliari,ty with sorrow, for no one who has not passed through "wintry terrors" ter-rors" could have put so much feeling Into the woes of the heroine. Jewels Live. Real jewels, scientists now assert, possess organic life. It has long been known that opals and pearls grow dull when worn by invalids, and latterly rubies ru-bies and turquoise are found to share the same sensibility. Pearls are more indicative of the condition of the wearer wear-er than any other gem. Though this delicate stone lives longer than a flower, flow-er, it seems to have a form of life, which, like that of the flower, loses its color and brilliancy and actually dies. Nor is this property unfounded in f reason. Science has latterly learned much concerning gems and their influence influ-ence In the propagation of health and disease. Those invisible emanations which surround the person wearing gems penetrate the interstices of the jewel and actually increase or decrease its brilliancy. The inference is a true one that rings and pins should be laid aside by the invalid. Even in good health it Is better to give them a reat To inclose them In their cases and put them away is to insure an access of lustre. Even clothing should also be treated to rest. It freshens up wonderfully won-derfully the frock or wrap to shake and brush the garment and hao it in a dark closet. |