OCR Text |
Show INDEPENDENT. mkar.OOaon, - - Editor. & V. Jmdmm, Barian Xanagex. i ISMUd lvry Thursday Mornini. TMMS OF H'MCRiniOX. Om Tear Jg .no Hx Unuu l oo M AMU. rO ADTIKTIIIMG R1T1U. ggmmeriDf Pigs. Let pigs run with the dam until twelre weeks old, provided Bhe la fed liberally with a warm, well balanced ration of shorts, oats, corn meal and screenings, says Farm, Stock and Heme. This last mentioned food for bogs, of which the Northwest has an Immense bulk, is lost to the farmers and being utilized by sheep feeders at the Twin Cities and other central points. To the above list of foods add a ration of oil meal, bran, and even corn on the cob. Let the little pigs also have access to whole oats. Care should be used so as not to overfeed the sow. Once off her feed she will fall to produce milk, and it is difficult to restore good digestion and milk production. pro-duction. The clover field must go hand In hand with this good feeding, but on stormy days they are much better cared for In their pens with an abundance abun-dance of freshly cut clover. By July there should be a field of peas, where the pigs will grow and do well. The field of peas is next in value to the clover field. If not convenient to pasture pas-ture the peas, then cut and feed to the young pigs. To this method of feeding feed-ing upon clover and peas, add regular feeding hours tor concentrated feed. This Is of vast importance. Pigs should not be allowed to stray all over the farm. When confined at night in well-regulated stables and in well-littered yards, there is made a large return re-turn for food consumed. The pigs should be promptly returned in the morning to the pasture after feeding. By this method little if any manure is lost, and a steady increase in the fertility fer-tility of the soil will be the result. By such methods of feeding during the summer and finishing or ripening the animal on a mixed food of squash, shorts, oats, peas, meal and corn, the previous feeding of bulky clover and peas will have distended their stomachs stom-achs and put them in fine form to ripen rapidly into the desirable hog. Success Depends on Management. When the market quality is considered consid-ered we find many desire size, says Poultry, Fruit and Garden. The best breed for size can easily be named, but It Is not the "best breed," however. It may have size, and yet lack quality of flesh, and it may be of excellent quality of flesh, full of juicy meat on the breast, and not be large. It may quickly fatten on a small amount of food, and be easily kept on a city lot, ar.d- yet with all these points in Its favor It may be a very Indifferent breed for laying. Some breeds can give better results on corn than will others, and some will fatten so readily on corn that they will be rendered useless use-less as layers altogether, for there is an art in feeding, and it is often the case that the "best breed" depends on the "best man," for upon the management manage-ment of the flock depends the results expected. Heavy Pruning. Heavy pruning of old trees' will cause them "to make extra efforts to produce a heavy crop for a few years, but it will be at the cost of the trees. The wounds made will never thoroughly heal; and even if new wood grows over the cut you will find a rotten place in the tree which will continue to increase until the tree dies. The first indication of the tree's decay will be a growth on the body of the tree near the ground of a toadstool-looking substance, which will continue to Increase even after the tree is dead, and if there are any large roots near the surface it will sometimes grow on them. Never cut any wood from an old tree except dead or broken limbs. Clean up all grass and weeds during the winter or early spring and burn them. It pays, for if there are any apples in this neighborhood neighbor-hood you are sure to get them. Rural World. Fighting Grasshoppers in Algeria. The state department has a letter indicating in-dicating that Kansas is not the only place where grasshoppers eat things. In Algeria, it is stated, the standing crops will be seriously damaged and In some cases destroyed by the clouds of grasshoppers moving in a northerly direction. Ten thousand francs have been appropriated for the first expenses ex-penses incurred in fighting against the Invasion and steps have been- taken to secure 200,000 francs additional for the same purpose. Near Bisera 3,200 camels are being employed in the transportation of inflammable material which is being burned where c. posits of eggs are found. In all parts of the colony men are at work plowing up eggs and destroying them. Italy Exporting Butter and Cheese. According to the Italian trade returns it appears that the quantity of Italian butter exported to Great Britain in 1897 was about 31,500 cwts. and of cheese 42,900 cwts. These commodities are for the most part exported overland through other countries, chiefly through Belgium, and consequently the annual statements of trade of the United Kingdom for 1S97 show only 1,349 cwts. of butter and 1.S92 cwts. of cheese as having been imported into that country from Italy. The total exports ex-ports of fresh and salt butter from Italy in 1897 were 93,600 cwts., and of cheese 173.400 cwts. Dried Blood. The principal food Ingredient In-gredient in blood is nitrogen, which is also the most essential substance in albumen or the white of gg. Dried blood contains about 14 per cent of nitrogen, while green bone may contain con-tain but 1 or 2 per cent, as the bone is mostly phosphate of lime. Bone rarles. If it has adhering meat it will contain more nitrogen than if clean. Blood cannot entirely take the place of bone, as the bone contains phosphates. phos-phates. The dried blood will answer as a substitute for fresh blood, but no kind of dry food, whether animal or vegetable, is equal to that which 'is fresh. Ex. The Profit In Poultry. The profit In poultry is Just what we make it. If we pay out large sums of money for eggs, birds and equipments, we must make large sales and lots of tnem if we expect to make a profit. If e neglect our poultry, no matter how little we pay out, we will lose money. Ex. Horse "Beef." A large plant for the slaughter of horses for "'beer' is going go-ing P at Medora. N. D. The object of this concern is to supply the meat hungry people of Europe with horse flesh and our own city PPle wlta canned horse, to te labeled "beef." SCIENTIFIC TOPICS. CURRENT NOTES OF DISCOVERY AND INVENTION. To Bring Death Quickly Paper sit the Telephone Failure of Oil-Fuel Test A Deadly Motor Quadricycle Cold Does Not Make Stetal Brittle. Failure of Oil-Fuel Tests. It has been decided to abandon the trials of oil fuel that have txsen made i the torpedo-boat destroyer Surly of rhe British navy on the ground that it is impracticable unless some special arrangements are made for consuming the smoke produced by the oil. The experiments have been in progress about a year, and important results were anticipated by believers in the system, who argued that the liquid fuel not only would be cheaper and cleaner, but would also save labor in stoking. In the course of the tests the Surly went to sea but once, when it was found that the speed and power developed de-veloped were far less than when coal was used, owing to the low evaporative dualities of the oil fuel. Various appliances ap-pliances were tried to prevent the escape es-cape of heat with the smoke, but no solution to the difficulty was found, and owing to the density, dirtiness, and nauseous smell of the smoke, it became a positive nuisance. The failure fail-ure of these tests is not entirely a disappointment dis-appointment to British naval men In view of the enormous changes that would have to be made not only in adopting the present machinery of war vessels to new conditions, but also in securing and maintaining adequate supplies of oil fuel at coaling stations and naval depots in various quarters of the globe. A Deadly Motor Quadricycle. Military attaches in London have expressed ex-pressed considerable interest in a new military motor quadricycle. The machine ma-chine is driven by an automatic petroleum petro-leum motor, and mounts a twenty-seven twenty-seven pound automatic Maxim gun, capable of discharg'ng 600 rounds per minute when traveling along at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. The driver is protected by a bullet-proof steel shield of extreme lightness, while in front of him within easy reach he carries, on two specially designed trays, 1,000 rounds of ammunition in cases, each containing 100 cartridges. Should the machine be disabled, the gun can be easily taken from the car and mounted upon a tripod. The other day the operator sent his machine flying fly-ing around the track at the maximum speed while he fired with startling rapidity 100 rounds in volleys of ten at stationary objects. The experiment was witnessed by the military attaches of the embassies of France, Germany, and the United States, and by a large contingent from the British war office. Power of the Minnllcher Rifle. The power of the Mannlicher rifle was recently demonstrated in an accident acci-dent near Prague, the Bohemian capital. capi-tal. Two gendarmes entered a room in an inn and closed the door, putting their rifles in the corner. One rifle fell and discharged itself, the bullet going through the door into the next room, where a party was dancing, passed through the body of a musician, killing him, and then through the bodies of five other men, all of whom were dangerously wounded. Electric Lifters. In come steel manufactories electromagnets electro-magnets have been substituted in place of hooks for lifting plates and bars. The magnet being put into contact with the center of a bar or plate, the current is turned on, and instantly the magnetic grip becomes effective. The crane then carrying the magnet then swings its load to the required position, posi-tion, when the current being turned off, the magnet immediately releases Its hold. To Bring Death Quickly. A doctor of Baltimore is the Inventor Inven-tor of a contrivance for hanging criminals, crim-inals, which he claims will not fai: to break the neck, says the News of that city. The number of instances in which the culprit dies a slow death from strangulation are well known.and the device, a cut of which is here published, pub-lished, has worked admirably on dolls and manakins. The contrivance does away with the hangman's knot and cannot slip. A bar of steel, curved to the shape of a human neck, has ropes leading to the center of the Inside of the curve, which pass through a hole In the middle of the bar. By pulling the ropes out a few inches and crossing them one over the other a perfect noose is made, easy In slip, but when once attached rigid in action. The Inventor In-ventor would have the condemned stand on a low platform, with no drop, and the other end of the rope attached to j weight heavier than the criminal. When all is ready the weight is dropped from a shelf and plunges heavily to the ground, jerking the criminal in the air with such force as to surely break his neck with the doctor's doc-tor's device. Having reached the tenith of its flight the body would as ipeedily descend, the neck being thus Siven another killing wrench, whleh would certainly cause a fracture if the 5rst movement failed. Cold Does Nt Make Metal Brittle. The common belief that steel and Iron become brittle and more liable to break when subjected to great cold it j contradicted by the results of exjmri- ments made tit Cornell university. It i feas been shown there that the strength of steel and wrought iron is least at a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, Fahren-heit, and that It Increases when the temperature either rises or falls from that point. At 500 degrees above zero ind 60 degrees below zero the strength Is increased about 20 per cent. The elastic limit also rises slightly with 'ncrease of cold. Steam la Place of Gnnnowder. MaJ.-Gen, Schaw has suggested, before be-fore the Institution of Mining Engineers Engin-eers in London, the substitution of water for gunpowder in blasting 4r-tridges 4r-tridges used in coal mines. His rfan 's to fill the cartridge with pure wjter. Insert it in the drill hole, andAhen turn the water 'nto high pr?sure steam by means of an electric current of low tension. A cartridge made to resist a pressure of 150 pounds per square Inch could be caused to burst, according to Gen. Schaw's calculations, within about one minute after the turning on of the current. Paper at the Telephone. A desk or table convenient for Jotting Jot-ting down memoranda fs regarded as a telephone essential. In the wall telephone the battery box is made with an inclined top suitable for this purpose, pur-pose, and a recently patented device, the invention of Daniel H. Moore of St. Louis, Mo., combines with the battery bat-tery box desk a roll of paper, which ia always convenient for the purpose of making notes. The top consists of two parts, hinged, and one folding over the other. The top one forms the ordinary desk top, but being lifted reveals re-veals a sheet of paper. This sheet forms the end of a reel, which is held in the top of the battery box, and the necessary notes being made the sheet is drawn along by means of two rollers and the used part severed by means of a convenient knife edge. Recent Inventions. To increase the tension of exercising apparatus which employs elastic cords in place of weights, auxiliary cords are provided, with hooks at either end by which they can be fastened in the rings which connect the main cord with the base and grips. For the amusement of the children a new toy is in the form of a parachute, which is attached to the head of an arrow, ar-row, to be shot into the air in a closed condition, the stem of the arrow acting as the balance and causing the para, chute to open in its descent. t As a protection for cycle frames during dur-ing shipment an Englishman has patented pat-ented a covering of felt tubing cut into lengths of the proper size to fit the different dif-ferent tubes, with spring clips secured to the felt on the outside to hold it securely in place on the frame. Boiler tubes can be rapidly and thoroughly thor-oughly cleaned by a Michigan man's device, an accumulator being ormed of sheets built up of strands of vegetable vegeta-ble fiber, with wires interlaced, making mak-ing a circular mass, which is surrounded sur-rounded by a wire cage to scrape the flues. A Vermont man has patented a snow plow which can be attached to an ordinary or-dinary pair of sleighs, consisting of a V-shaped plow suspended on two vertical ver-tical rods, with pivoted levers set in brackets in the box to engage the rods and adjust the height of the plow Curves of any desired shape can be drawn by a new Swedish drawing instrument, in-strument, which has a straight, screw-threaded screw-threaded rod, on which are arranged a number of revolving sleeves, which carry flexible steel strips, to be formed into the desired curves by moving the sleeves. Churns can be operated by the feet by the use of a new mechanism, in which an upright frame carries a sliding slid-ing head, to be attached to the dasher, with springs to raise the head, a pair of hinged pedals being attached to the base to depress the dasher in the cream. An electric door-opener has been'pat-ented been'pat-ented by which a push button can be used to draw the latch and allow a caller to enter, a sliding bar being suspended sus-pended in proximity to a magnet, so that a push on the button completes the circuit and pulls the bars out of connection with the latch. An English woman has patented a beparable muff lining, which can be fitted to a muff of any size, being formed form-ed of a soft fabric shaped Into a tube, with flanges at either end, the central portion being provided with longitudinal longitu-dinal tension cords to take up the lining lin-ing until it Is the right length. Boston, Mass., a Model City. Boston, Mass., is generally regarded as near a model city as the United States can boast of. It has the best paved streets, the most comprehensive sewerage system, the most adequate water supply and the most satisfactory public park scheme of any city in the country, while its school and library facilities are also of the best. The city auditor's report, just published, gives an idea of what all that costs the 500,000 people resident there. The total expenditure of the year was $40,-203,678.34, $40,-203,678.34, of which 534,071,743.83 was for regular department expenses. The public library cost $324,368, the parks $551,878, the schools $3,302,487, and the water $3,302,487. The total expenditure expendi-ture for parks since the present system sys-tem was adopted is $15,196,320, of which $6,540,138 was for land and $8,-656,182 $8,-656,182 was for construction. Often That Way. From the Chicago Post: "Whenever "When-ever my wife shows a disposition to nag me," he said in explaining his system. sys-tem. "I simply put on my coat and go to a hotel for the night." "Your hotel bills must be something enormous," returned the intimate friend of the family. Putting Him In the Right Place. "I," said the university youth, "intend "in-tend to be a stump speaker; or, in other words, a stump agitator." "All right, Jeemes," said his horny-handed horny-handed parent, "you'll find the grubbing grub-bing hoe on the porch. Just step out and agitate a few of those stumps in the back lot." A Fraternal Privilege. "No, Mr. Kicker," said 4he sweet girl, "I can only be a sister to you." "Well, then," he savagely replied, as he heard a subdued chuckle, "as your brother I shall claim the privilege privi-lege of lying under the sofa while you make fools of the other fellows."; Brooklyn Life. His Unerring Instinct. "Excuse me, sir, but aren't you Mer-ryman, Mer-ryman, the golf player?" "No, I'm Schmidt, der sausage-maker." sausage-maker." "Thank you. sir. I felt sure there was some suggestion of the links about you." Cleveland Plain Dealer. Chance gives us relations, but "we must make our own friends. FOR WOMEN AND HOME ITEMS OF INTEREST FOR MAIDS AND MATRONS. Beantlfnl Gown for a Miss The Latest Blouse from Paris Mildew and Other 8 tains For Stoop Shoulders Toilet Dints Our Cooking- School. Old Letters. The house was silent, and the light Was fading from the western glow; I read, till tears had dimmed my sights Some letters written long ago. The voices that have passed away. The faces that have turned to mold, . Were round me in the room to-day And laughed and chatted as of old. The thoughts that youth was wont to think. The hopes now dead forevermore. Came from the lines of faded ink As sweet and earnest as of yore. I laid the letters by and dreamed The dear dead past to life again; The present and its purpose seemed A fading vision full of pain. Then, with a sudden shout of glee. The children burst Into the room, Their little faces were to me As sunrise in the cloud of gloom. The world was full of meaning still, For love will live though loved ones die; I turned upon life's darkened hill And gloried In the morning sky. F. G. Scott in Boston Transcript. Mildew and Other Stains. Mildew and iron rust are almost indelible in-delible unless they are taken out at once. One of most successful methods of removing mildew is as follows: Mix half a cup of soft soap with equal quantities quan-tities of powdered starch and salt. Squeeze in the juice of a lemon. Spread this mixture on the mildew spots, on both sides; spread the spotted cloth on the grass and let it lie in a strong sun one day and remain until the next morning, then turn it over and let it bleach another day on this side. Take the cloth up and rinse it well. Of course such stains can only be removed from white goods, as this stain erad-icator erad-icator would remove the color from colored col-ored goods. Remove iron rust stains with salt wet to a paste with lemon juice. It is said that the juice of a tomato to-mato and salt are equally efficacious. Fresh ink stain3 may usually be washed out in clear water, if no soap has been used on them, and the faint remnant of dark color left bleached out on the grass after moistening it with soda and boiling water. If the stain is obstinate soak in sour milk, then wash and bleach it out. An excellent rule for removing the stains of shoe blacking, black-ing, ink, mildew and other obstinate marks is as follows: Stir and strain through a cloth one pound of washing soda and half a pound of chloride of lime dissolved in one gallon of. boiling water. Put it into an old jar, not into a bottle or into anytning where the light will reach it, as it takes away some of the strength. Let it stand about an hour, stirring it once in a while before using it. To free any goods from sweet apple or fruit stains, mildew or blacking, soak the part stained in this solution until it is al most gone, and then rub it with soap and water. This mixture leaves a yellowish yel-lowish spot in place of other stain3, and it will come out easily with good rubbing in soap and water. The soap prevents this strong mixture from eating eat-ing Into the cloth. This last stain eradicator must be used with caution. To Arrange Kurnltnre. Many people have a natural gift for arranging rooms, and may be called artists in the art, while others have no idea at all, and their rooms, despite costly or really beautiful articles of furniture or ornament, are always prim everything is so very badly placed. A table in a drawing-room should never be in the center of the apartment. Let it be pushed away, and the chairs disposed in such a manner man-ner that it may be seen that they are intended to be sat upon. Chairs placed against a wall or rammed into corners cor-ners is an ugly and inappropriate arrangement. ar-rangement. Have what the French call little etablissements in the room, if it be large enough. For instance, near small or large tables, have two or three chairs or a chair and a lounge, enabling those visitors, should several call at the same time, to talk comfortably, com-fortably, which is impossible if a large party have to sit in a circle and join in a general conversation. A table upon which ornaments and books radiate ra-diate in a star-like shape is very ugly. Let the books and ornaments be placed in studied carelessness, and avoid primness in every way. It is rather the rage in the present day to decorate rooms with trifles. This is a mistake, and often really pretty ornaments are not seen to advantage because of this. Allow sufficient margin of space between be-tween your pictures and ornaments, so that each may be properly seen. A superabundance of Japanese fans, common com-mon knickknacks, bit3 of pottery, china animals, cheap frames, and gim-cracks gim-cracks generally, should be avoided, though on the other hand much that is tasteful in the way of ornament can be had nowadays very inexpensively. The mistake is in the crowding of too many of them together, and having gewgaws which are really rubbish. Do not have newspapers and magazines maga-zines scattered all over the room. Let the old ones be put by and the latest be laid on a table kept for that purpose. pur-pose. Unused lamps should never be kept in a drawing-room, especially when they diffuse an odor of kerosene. They are out of place by daylight and should only be brought in lighted when necessary. Candles should always al-ways be begun, and even if not in constant con-stant use should look as if they were. Candles not begun have a very senseless sense-less appearance and look as if placed for ornament, which, as a matter of fact, they can hardly claim to be. All clocks should be kept going, if the clock will not do its duty send it to be repaired, and if it declines to go after judicious treatment then put it aside, for a silent clock is a depressing object. ob-ject. Brackets are very inexpensive, and with a little taste can be made to look very pretty. Ovals, shields, rounds or shamrock-shaped pieces of wood covered with velvet or plush are excellent backgrounds for china. They are better undraped. In fine, with books, natural flowers, a work-basket, pretty hangings, and a little care and taste expended in the general arrangement, arrange-ment, the drawing-room may look charming, and be in perfect taste, even though it is very small indeed, and the Intrinsic value of its contents be trifling. For Stoop Shoulders. X stoop nas many causes. There is the student stoop, brought on by poring por-ing over books; the writer's stoop, brought about by bending over a Sesk, and short and weak sight causes a disposition to round shoul-lers, shoul-lers, says an exchange. Again, a weakness of the system often brings ibout this state of things, in which tase nhysician -- a consulted. tC'TJM k fill ) ill Ordinary cases are benefited should the victim sleep with only one small, flat pillow; walk straight, hold the head erect and expand the chest, keeping the eyes on a level with people's peo-ple's faces, and not dropped in the dust. Women should, as a gymnastic exercise, walk about the room with a book balanced on the head, and read from a book that is open on a bracket on the wall slightly above the head, so that the chin must be held well up to see the lines. Beautiful Gown for M iss. The Eton and short tunic are softened soft-ened by a frill of crepe de chene, the same tint of green as the gown, headed by band3 of deeper toned velvet ribbon. rib-bon. OUR COOKING SCHOOL. Here are a few good and simple recipes rec-ipes for the use of eggs: Cupped Eggs. Butter half a dozen cups, break a fresh egg into each, set in a steamer of boiling water until the whites are cooked. Serve at once in the cups. Scrambled Egg. Break eight eggs in a bowl and beat gently until the yolks are broken. Melt a tablespoonful of drippings in a frying fry-ing pan and when hot turn in the eggs. Stir constantly until they are set and serve immediately. Omelet. Separate the whites and yolks of twelve eggs. Beat the yolks light and add to them one teacupful of sweet milk; season to taste with salt and pepper. pep-per. Lastly add the whites beaten until un-til stiff. Pour into a hot, well-greased frying pan and set over the fire until It becomes firm. Then set it in the oven for a few minutes to brown. It should be very light and spongy. Deviled Eggs. Shave a fourth of a pound of cheese fine; spread the cheese in the bottom of a well-buttered shallow baking dish, spread the cheese in the bottom with bits of butter; sprinkle with salt and cayenne. Break six eggs on a plate and slip on top of the dish. Mix a tea-spoonful tea-spoonful of French mustard with half a cup of cream and pour over. Set in a quick oven for ten minutes and serve hot. Egg Vermicelli. Boil five eggs until hard. Separate the whites and yolks. Chop the whites very fine and rub the yolks through a sieve. Boil a pint of milk, and thicken with a tablespoonful of corn starch. Salt and pepper to taste. To this add the chopped whites. Have ready five pieces of toast; pour the mixture over them, and over all sprinkle the yolks. This is a very attractive dish for luncheon. The Latest Blouse from Paris. This Imported blouse Is made from ivory taffeta with a border of raised black velvet spots. This bordered edge is used in such a way as to form the trimming. The V-shaped opening at the back is filled in with muslin and lace. Toilet Hints. A complexion brush of firm, even bristles is good to remove the dust from the pores and should be used with pure white castile soap which is heal ing and good and tepid water. After the scrubbing a cream must besmeared on, so that the skin will not show irri tation. If the skin is excessively oily a few drops of alcohol may be added to the suds. Three pints of water should be taken each day. Half the women don't drink enough water. It is just as necessary to take a bath inside as out. It takes a long time to cure enlarged pores, and the best way is by the use of the brush and a pure hygienic soap. By this process the pores, which have become enlarged by the clogged secretions, secre-tions, are kept free and gradually they will contract and become normal in size. Lemons should be an indispensable article on a woman's toilet table. A little diluted lemon juice applied at night is an excellent bleach for the hands, and, unlike most bleaches, soft ens the skin. It is agreed by the medical author ities that olive oil is one of the best tonics for the nerves. Plenty of olive oil in salad dressings, etc., will aid digestion, di-gestion, while a teaspoonful taken clear once a wek is the best medicine for a run-down system and it will also help clear a muddy complexion. A good hair tonic is made as follows: fol-lows: Phenic acid, two grams; tincture tinc-ture of nux vomica, seven and one-half grams; tincture of red cinchona, thirty grams; tincture of cantharides, two grams; cologne, 180 grams; sweet almond al-mond oil, sixty grams. Apply to th roots of the hair with a soft sponge once or twice a day. This lotion is especially es-pecially good for very dry hair. Never pull out a gray hair, for twenty twen-ty will come to its funeral. When a gray hair is pulled out the dead fluid at the root is scattered among the healthy roots, and grayness follows. The white of an egg, so often advised, ad-vised, will dark blond, auburn or chestnut chest-nut hair. Borax, an even teaspoonful to a cup of warm water, used once a month, is the best wash for light hair. The day after the application rinse first in warm water, then in cold water, wa-ter, and dry in the sun, if possible. Borax will tinge the hair yellow and should never be used for gray hair. A few drops of indigo in the rinsing water wa-ter gives gray hair that clean, silver appearance and will not injure it. This Is Awful. "I discovered a peculiar thing in my room last night," said the snake editor. "Kissing bug, I suppose," said the horse reporter. "No; it had four legs and only one foot," replied the s. e. "Been mixing your drinks again, eh?" queried the equine authority. "What was it, anyway?" "A bed," answered the other, as he winked knowingly at the office cat. No More Tonlo Needed. Mrs. Smith (thoughtfully) I'm afraid I shall have to stop giving Rob-by Rob-by that tonic the doctor left him. Mr. Smith (anxiously) Why, isn't he any better? Mrs. Smith Oh, yes! But he has slid down the banisters six times this morning, broken the hall lamp, two vaees, a jug and a looking-glass, and I don't feel as if I could stand much more. Tit-Bits. Effect of the Scandal. The savages were not a little disturbed dis-turbed by the report that the mission board would, perforce, reduce expenses. ex-penses. "We hope they won't send us canned or refrigerated missionaries!" they said, as with one voice. It was thus apparent that the army scandal had penetrated even to that remote shore. Detroit Journal. A Last Kesort. Boston Traveler: Maud "Dick proposed pro-posed to me last night." Ella "WThat did you tell him?" "I said he had better ask mamma, and what do you think the wretch said?" "Goodness knows!" "He said he asked her already, and she wouldn't have him." The Man Who Would Be Boss. Chicago News: "Put me in Washington," Wash-ington," said the egotist, "and I'd show you how to run the Philippines." "The Philippines don't run," replied the bystander. "It's the Filipinos that run; but you couldn't run them by staying in Washington; you'd have to go to the front," At the Health Resort. "This new man wants a room to himself; he says he has nervous prostration." pros-tration." "Well, give him No. 20. at $8 a day-that day-that will either kill or cure him " HER FEIESI) SAID NO. rhe manager threw the manuscript down upon the table, tilted his chair. thrust his hat a little further back on hia head, and gave two or three satisfied satis-fied puffs at his cigar. "We've got a winner there, Colby," he announced decisively. The stage manager took up the manuscript and looked over the list of characters. "Looks like it if you get the right people," he assented; "but it calls for a strong company." "Oh, I won't spare expense! I'm gotng to give it a production that will make it the talk of London. It's splen didly advertised already, you know! The people are crazy over Crinton's work, and this is the best thing he's done. Supposing we could get the people, peo-ple, how would you cast it?" "Beverly, of course, for Lord Roth- say, Norris for the heavy, Ellerton for young Hal, Barry for Sir Jerry. Benton Ben-ton for the low comedy, Mrs. Frisby for the dowager, Carbridge for the earl he's the best old man on the stage. As for the adventuress," went on the stage manager, checking off each name rapidly as he spoke, "Lady what's her name? I don't know a woman who could beat Wallace in that role. She'd be great! Little Dellaboy would make a good Kitty Darling the part suits her down to the ground!" The manager took his cigar from his mouth, and gazed at it meditatively. "Don't let such a trifle as the salary list bother you," he commented briefly. Colby stopped his checking to look keenly at his chief. "You've got to have the best," he answered. "I know they're all high-priced, but it will pay you to engage them." "How about Lady Clare?'' asked the manager. "You've mentioned nobody fur that, and it's the star role of the piece." "I don't know. I've been running that over ever since I read the play and nobody no-body I've thought of seems to equal it. There's Maud Lester she'd look the part to perfection, and she's sympathetic, sympa-thetic, but she hasn't the power. He'.en Dracy's got power and intelligence, but she hasn't the looks. Can you suggest anybody? The success of the piece depends on Lady Clare." "I know of only one woman who can play It as it should be played, and has the looks to go with it," said the manager. man-ager. "That's Edith Kingsley." The stage manager shrugged his shoulders. "Her declination was very decided," he remarked. "I've known women to change their CAN YOU ANSWER THAT ARGUMENT? ARGU-MENT? minds occasionally!" said the manager, man-ager, with flippant sarcasm. "But she said her retirement was final that she would never act again." The manager bestowed a look of pity on his subordinate. "Kingsley had the world at her feet when she married and retired two years ago. She's had time to think it over, my boy; the novelty of private bliss must have worn off somewhat by this time." Colby gave another look at the manuscript. "If you can get her it's a success," he said. He had too much on his mind to enter en-ter into the ethics of the philosophy of a woman's change of mind. The manager gave another self-satisfied puff at his cigar. "I'll see Kingsley today," he said. Two hours later he was ushered into the pretty drawing-room of a house in a fashionable quarter of the city. With his practiced eye he took in the handsome surroundings, while the neac maid carried his card to her mistress. "She's got all the money she wants," thought the manager; "but money isn't everything to an ambitious woman." Something on a table near by attracted at-tracted his attention. He went to it, and took up a large tinted photograph of a beautiful, grave-eyed girl in Juliet's bridal robes. "H'm!" he chuckled. "She hasn't forgotten her old triumphs." As he put down the picture the mistress mis-tress of the house entered the room and greeted him with outstretched hand. "How glad I am to see you, Mr. Hunt. Is this a social visit?" With a keen, professional eye to effect ef-fect he looked on the beautiful woman wom-an before him on the queenly pose of the stately figure, on the deep-set flashing dark eyes, with their long lashes and perfectly curved brows; on the' straight, patrician nose, with its thin, delicate nostrils; on the small red mouth, with its short upper lip and its Cupid's bow; on the white, resolute chin, cleft with a deep dimple; dim-ple; on the delicately clear cheek, with Its faint rose-flusb; on the soft wave In the masses of velvety black hair; and the managerial heart within him rose in revolt against this waste of youth and beauty on the desert of private pri-vate life. "My iear Miss Kingsley I beg pardon, par-don, Mrs. Arnold I have come In person per-son to urge the offer I made in my letter." "But I answered your letter!" 6he replied, smiling, but with a very decided de-cided curve to the red lips. "I am happily married my old ambitions are dead." The manager's eyes turned In a swift glance toward the Juliet photograph. Her voice dropped suddenly. "I never had a home before; I lived on the stage." "Best child-actress we ever had!" promptly broke in the manager. "Now, listen to me." He . pulled out his watch. "Will you give me half an hour? I want to show you what you ase throwing away. Nature had endowed the manager with a gift of plausible eloquence which had tided over many a crisis in his theatrical career; but never had he sounded so plausible, so eloquent, even to himself, as when he tried his persuasive powers on the woman before be-fore him. When his half-hour was ended he felt that be had made good use of It. "Don't think me Infcospit&bl if 1 must ask you to eay goodby," she said, as she held out her hand. "You have spoken very persuasively, but I can not answer you at once. I hav a dear friend a very dear friend whom I must consult. Come tomorrow, and you shall have my answer." When the manager walked into the office his face was glowing. "I think you may cast Miss Kings-ley Kings-ley for Lady Clare," he said. The stage manager looked up incredulously. in-credulously. "You don't mean to say she has consented?" con-sented?" "Well, she's to talk It over with a friend, and I'm to go for her answer tomorrow. But I rather think, Colby, that friend Is going to decide in our favor." The manager still felt sure when h went next day for his answer. It was not in human nature, he argued, to refuse to sparkle as a bright particular particu-lar star in the leading piouucaon of the season. "That woman isn't human hu-man if she resists it," he murm'ired, just as the tall, graceful figure he was mentally posing before the newspaper camera entered. "Well?" he said. "I have consulted my adviser, and I am convinced that my original decision deci-sion was best. The manager groaned aloud. "My dear Mrs. Arnold." he said, "I think, if I could see your friend and talk to him, I could convince him that you are making a mistake." She shook her tead. "His opinions are very positive." "You don't object to my calling on him?" She smiled. "Not at all. And lie Is very near in fact, he happens jusi now to be in the house. Will you come with me?" The manager followed her, a little mystified. She threw open a door, and they entered en-tered a large room flooded with sunshine. sun-shine. '"Here is my friend, Mr. Hunt. He is ready to hear all your arguments." The mauugei lairly gasped with as tonishment. He found himself standing stand-ing at a little crib in which lay a fat, round, rosy baby, crowing to himself in perfect content. "The gentleman wants to talk to you, darling," she said, bending over, with a tender thrill in her voice new to the man standing beside her, well as he thought he knew its every accent. ac-cent. The baby's great bright eyes looked up at them; then, as he'saw his mother's moth-er's face bending over him, he gurgled ecstatically, while the little face broke into dimples of delight, the fat little fists clutched eagerly at her, and the bare, rosy little heels beat a triumphant trium-phant tattoo in accompaniment to the gurgles. "Mam-mam-mam!" he cooed, rapturously. raptu-rously. She turned to the manager with shining eyes. "Mr. Hunt, can you answer that argument?" By this time the manager had recovered re-covered himself. "My dear madam, this is hardly fair " he began. "By-by," said the baby. Answers. CATS IN COLD STORAGE. How Six Months in a Low Temperature Changed Their Appearance. The effect of cold upon the capillary properties of certain animals was strikingly illustrated in New York some time ago. A warehouseman on Jane street was annoyed by the ravages rav-ages of hordes of mice. He had little trouble in the main part of his building, build-ing, where a couple of well-trained cats kept the place tolerably free from the pests, but in the cold storage portion por-tion the mice had full sway. They nibbled nib-bled into packages and boxes and destroyed de-stroyed such quantities of fruits that heroic measures were necessary. It seemed rather a cruel experiment, but the nuisance became so unbearable that he decided at last to install a cat in the cold storage warehouse. Provision to a certain extent was made for her comfort, and she was left to her own devices and the mice. Pussy seemed to flourish, notwithstanding the cold, and In the course of about a week became be-came the mother of a fine litter of six kittens. After a time three of the latter lat-ter were removed, but the old cat and her remaining progeny were left in their arctic quarters. When allowed out it was noticed that she grew weak and listless. She tottered about in an aimless way, as though all energy and interest in life were lost. As soon, however, as she was returned to her cold quarters, she recovered her vigor and became as bright and active as usual. A curious feature was soon observed ob-served in the kittens. They grew to an immense size, their coats became long and shaggy, and the fur much coarser than that of an ordinary cat; it had also a peculiar tendency to curl. The feelers, or whiskers, too, grew to nearly double length, so that when they were placed beside the members of their own immediate family the difference dif-ference was so marked that they might have easily passed for an entirely different dif-ferent breed. The change took place within three months, giving a curious example of how suddenly and completely com-pletely nature will adapt itself to the exigencies of climate with the young. John Wesley and His Habits. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, Metho-dism, was born at Epworth, England, June 17, 1703. This celebrated preacher preach-er and religious leader was one of the hardest workers known to biography. For fifty years he arose at 4 o'clock in the morning, summer and winter, and used to preach at 5. He called this "the healthiest exercise in the world." Living before the days of rapid transit, he traveled from 4,000 to 5,000 miles a year, usually alone in his carriage. He always spent three and often ten or twelve hours alone each day, In this way finding time to read much and write extensively. He was a very careful care-ful liver, disliking suppers and sometimes some-times not tasting animal food for years. It is said that he once lived four years on nothing but potatoes. From childhood child-hood to death John Wesley enjoyed the best of health and boasted that he neve lost a night's sleep. He attributed attrib-uted his good health to his regular habits, his temperance and his abstemiousness. abstem-iousness. He was a little man with long hair, which in his old age turned silvery white. This beautiful silver hair contrasted against his fresh complexion, com-plexion, made him a striking-looking old man. Always generous, he lived frugally and gave away all that remained re-mained of his fortune after paying his bills. In this way he distributed perhaps per-haps $150,000 in charity during his long life. His money was made chiefly from the sale of his writings. He was his own printer and bookseller. He died March 2, 1791, of old age. England has one flock of pure merino sheep. Ex. |