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lit PLAINDEALER SLYKE^ Editor and Pub. R"'. K9&.V3 '&•*}• 38$g HoBBNRY, ILllNOI®. BESIDE THE STAIR. Pollr (ah! how sweet she was As alt alone, beside the stair ' Wt stood a moment, while I held Her h;ind and told her she was fail)" ' CO - ' Said Polly (ah, I'll ne'er forget Her rose-red cheeks, her drooping ey« And tempting lips; I see them yet, . ' 'v", As Well her pretty, sweet surprise^-- Said Polfy (we were fell alone, The hour was late, and dim the light)-- Said Polly, and in earnest, too: *Htop that! How dare you. sir? Good r!t, night!" VERSAILLES LOCKET. W/ f: * k' k- r»t s , cw., li'l S<r * I - im- t&v w: M: r Ik-' •St., 1 R. R E G INALD Fontaine ow£d his property largely to personal skill as a workman, and to 1c o r r e c t tastes. In part, also, his success was the result of economy and that sound judgment that led him, when once he had saved a little money, to good corner shop in town and to vertlse briskly. And part was due his name, Which had an aristocratic sound. / Fontaine/was a young man of fine ad- dram, witii a knack of apt apparel, and he quickly became the leading Jeweler. His credit wks excellent from the start. He bought discreetly of the manufac­ turers, won and held a popular retail trade, and in flvfey^ears rose to a good commercial position) One September morning a stranger Inquired for Mr. Fontaine at the shop; a gentleman of foreign accent and ap­ pearance, handsomely attired, and with a shrewd, energetic face. He was trav­ eling for a French manufacturing firm. His prices seemed high, although his wares were original in pattern, and the stones jof superidr purity and luster. Indeed, they were a class of jewels more costly than Fontaine had yet kept In stock, and it appeared doubtful if hi* quiet town would justify such ex­ pensive investments. Accordingly, he declined to buy. N The strahger retired, but In half^an hour returned again. He made in­ quiries at the banks and satisfied him­ self of the jeweler's responsibility. He now offered to leave a few article^ on commission, for the purpose of intro­ ducing his style. Fontaine welcomed this proposal and gave the required re­ ceipts, obtaining a dozen very hand­ some gold breast-pins, bearing rubles, sapphires and emeralds in unique set­ tings, and a costly locket He exulted over the brilliant addition to his ex­ hibit, which would at least do credit to the stock and add to his repute. The locket, especially, was a notable accession, and he gave it a conspicuous place on the plate glass shelf of his corner show window. It was oval in form, of solid gold, adorned with deli­ cate bas-relief work and dainty enam­ el. It was studded with a cluster of diamonds on each side. These dia­ monds were clear and vivid, uniform in size and quality, and of radiant depth. "We ought to give that locket a name," said John Fontaine, as he stood by the window admiring it. John Was Reginald's brother and chief clerk, a skillful and competent assistant "Suppose we label it 'Formerly prop­ erty of Marie Antoinette?* " suggested Reginald, who was wont to maku use fit his imagination. "No, no!" replied the more prosaic John. "We can't ascribe historical qualities. It looks too new. We might call It 'A Congo Souvenir,' or 'The Tonquin Trophy.'" Reginald demurred. "Not one in ten of our customers know that it is French, or even under­ stand such a name. They will think it was made in Birmingham unless we state the contrary. I will have a little placard printed naming it the 'Ver­ sailles Locket,' and anounclng myself as Importer." \ Accordingly, next day appeared a delicate advertisement in blade and white: | "The Versailles Locket Our Own! Importation. Direct from France Genuine Diamonds. Fine Gold. Hand Graven. Price, Six Hundred Pounds." Time passed. The ladies of the tow came, examined and admired the et Christmas went by, and sti Jewel lay in its satin bed upon th glass shelf unsold. The breadt-pins were taken, but the locket pjoffed too' expensive for Fontaines-patrons. Five handled pounds was/the sum he stood! accountable for to the French manu­ facturer in payment for this locket shonld he make a/sale, and although In confidential moments hqgoffered It to special customers at five hundred and thirty pou^ras, no one profited by unt from the set price, s locket was carefully burglar-proof compart- e steel vault, and every morning its rflush box was restored to the show spelt; but the jewel seemed likely to/femaln as an advertisement traveling salesman appeared again to claim it One day a gentleman came in and left his gold watch for repairs? He was a tall, majestic person, whom Fon taine had often seen of late about the streets, wearing a heavy ulster, with collar and cuffs and pocket-laps of seal fur, and clad throughout with deference to fashion. His watch was heavily cbased and very valuable. He was par­ ticular to take a receipt In the name of F. F. Barton, and departed abruptly without so much as recognizing in Reg­ inald Fontaine the proprietor of the premises. At the appointed time Mr. Barton re* turned for his watch. Fontaine in per­ son waited on him, and noticed the mas­ sive signet ring worn Jby his customer^ Hie onyx monogram of which seemed cracked,, Mr. Barton threw down a ten-pound note with an indifferent air, and gather*^ up the change without appearing to take count of It, hooked »the golden loop of his heavy chain into his button-hole, restored the watch to his pocket with an air of satisfaction, and turned away. "I see that your signet is broken," nald Fontaine, respectfully. win this liberal dig Every night pat away in tt ment of the hi "A little," reputed Mr. Barton, draw­ ing on his glove. "Should you wMi te have the stone replaced at any thn% I can have it du- nlirate<3 with £?sc«s«uiu at reasonable cost" The visitor bowed as be palled on bis other glove, and replied: "It is an heirloom in'my family, and was cracked a century ago. Nothing could ever replace it." . "In that case, of coarse not,** rejoined Fontaine. He drew from & drawer a ring tray. "If you are interested in rings, ex­ ample these. I have some odd forms here. I don't expect you to buy, sir; but I am an enthusiast in my trade, and If anyone likes to look, I like to show the goods." In fact. It was a feature of Fontaine's sagacious policy that he tried to have every customer see as many of his wares as possible. Mr. Barton glanced incuriously over the tray. "I've seen acres of rings," he replied, with a curling lip. And he continued to button his gloves. "Is there anything I can show you that you are interested In?" continued ' Fontaine, politely, replacing the tray, j "Family plate, tableware, children's j or ladies' ornaments " j Mr. Barton had faced toward the door. He turned about with a feeble curiosity to ask: "What have you in the way of ladles' ornaments?" Fontaine led his customer to a show­ case glittering with bracelets, combs, pins, and so on. "The variety has been ,a little broken by oar Christmas sales," he began. "No matter; I need not trouble you," Interrupted Mr. Barton. "There Is nothing here that I care for." "It Is the best assortment In town," returned Fontaine. "Very likely. But I came from Paris only a few months since, and shall re­ turn In the spring. I think that I can afford to wait until that time before I buy." With some warmth Fontaine flew to the show window and caught up the locket He put this before his scornful visitor. "Here Is something you have never seen excelled in Paris or elsewhere." Mr. Barton looked at the locket In silence. He drew off his gloves. and took up the jewel. He examined it minutely, and said, at last: "A very handsome affair--very hand­ some. This came from France?" "Versailles. It Is a masterpiece, sir, known as the Versailles locket** "What Is the price?" "Six hundred pounds." Mr. Barton inspected it Closely, and laid it down at last with manifest change of bearing. He looked at Fon­ taine more cordially, and said, in an insinuating tone: "I presume you. would reduce that price a little for cash?" "I might, a very little," returned the jeweller, now speaking coldly in his turn. "Well, I'll see. m send my wife round to look at it She likes such toys, but whether she will buy or not is quite uncertain. Luckily for me, she has money of her own. For my part, six hundred pounds is too much to put into a jeweL" He laid down a card neatly engraved with his name, and sauntered out Three days later a messenger came to Reginald Fontaine with this note: "Sir: Please bring the locket to the Castle Hotel at 2 o'clock this afternoon. My wife wishes to see it and is unable to leave the hotel. I can't promise you that she will buy, but as you like to show your wares, I shall be pleased for you to submit your locket to her. Yours, F. F. BARTON." Fontaine thought for a moment Then tils dignity asserted itsfelf. He called his trusty brother and showed him the note. "John, I'll let you wait on these peo­ ple. Sell the locket if you can. Get five hundred and thirty pounds if you can't do any better. Take good care of the locket" A servant led John that afternoon to room twenty-four, and knocked at the door. "Come In," said a voice within. John went in. A lovely young <^0^^ man, richly clad, with pale face and languid air, reclined in an easy chair. Before her on the table was a tray of wine glasses. Mr. Barton stood op­ posite, and upheld a newly opened bot­ tle, from which he had Just poured a tiny glass of dark wine. He nodded to John. ,ou are from the jeweller's?" sir." tep forward. If you please." The porter went out and closed the door. John handed forth the locket, which Mr. Barton passed to his wife. "How beautiful!" She held it to the light and examined it critically. Had you not better take this now?" said Mr. Barton,. proffering her the glass of wine. She took it and looked toward John. "Perhaps this gentleman " she said, suggestively. Certainly," replied Mr. Barton. He poured out two more glasses, and push­ ed one toward John. "Will you try this? It Is port Do you like sweet wine?" John was very temperate and unused to liquors. Bat here were a couple ac­ customed, no doubt, to the use of wine. It might give offense to refuse, and bar­ gains often hang on trifles. He re­ sponded courteously, and dranlc the sweet port to the bottom of his glass. "Take a seat," said the lady. John accepted a distant chair. She turned her bright, dazzling eyes upon him. dia- crylng out in alarm, "John! John!" ft only stirred his wratit. Then followed «sllenft% asiJ ue sat marveling at the luxurious surround­ ings and the mystery of his presence. The turning of a key was followed by the quick entrance of the hotel pro­ prietor and Reginald Fontaine. The jeweler darted forward to his brother and ffasped his arm; he looked into his dilated eyes ani bewildered face, and cried: "John! John! What Is the matter? Where Is the locket I" / The locket! Joan sprang up/ His lethargy departed. He understood, and, tottering toward his brother,,, fell | senseless at his feet. Ten days later the French traveler reappeared. In vain Reginald Fon­ taine recounted! the facts ani urg«-d delay until the swindlers could be cap­ tured and the locket recovered. The Frenchman only shrugged ind•listen­ ed, and at the end repeated: "I must have a sett'.-meut." Fontaine at 'ast drew a check for the amount of his indebtedness, and the Frenchman dlsappearod. Time passed. No trace was found of Barton and bis love!/ wife. One day, In London, Reginald visited the rogues' gallery at Scotland Yard. He/ft^w many faces ther?, and among 0 those of F. F. Barton and the Wenc salesman who had left the looker. Although the police could not v plain the coincidence, pud scouted his conclusions, Fontaine always believed himself the victim of a double con­ spiracy; that the knaves traveled the globe with ample capital, one placing jewels stolen abroad In the bands cf responsible dealers in small English towns, the other following to recap­ ture the prizes, and the original con­ spirator returning to demand payment for the loss. But while he never placed hands ci eyes again upon the French traveler, he had the satisfaction of adding his testimony to the catalogue of evidtr.ee against Mr. Barton at a later day, and seeeing him consigned to prison. The Versailles locket, however, never ap­ peared; but Mr. Reginald Fontaine concluded that his experience was worth the five hundred pounds which It cost him. He deals no more with un­ known, foreign manufacturers; neith­ er does he trust valuable jewels among strangers.--Yankee^Blade. £ i c TS MINING FOR GOLD. The Fascination of the Work to Those Kngaged in It. T. L. Bailey, of Cripple Creek, Colo., who for years has been engaged in prospecting in the Rocky Mountains, while talking to a party of friends in the corridor of the Lindell last evening, says the St Louis Globe-Democrat, gave the following description of gold mining in the far West: "It's the prettiest work I ever did," he said. "It's the fascination of It; when you have struck it pretty rich and see your gold right in front of you, when you are piling it up every hour of the day, with a nugget now and then as big as a bullet to cheer you, and then, when evening comes, you count it up and you find It worth hun­ dreds of dollars, just picked up out of the earth in one day--well, I tell you, there is nothing like it Then, when you don't strike it, you always think you are going to the next day; and it is just as exciting hearing other men tell in the evening what they pull­ ed out during the day as in counting your own. Why, I have gone for months at a time without mailing a dollar, and without a cent in my pock­ et but the excitement of the work doesn't give a man time to realize how hard up he is." She Had Him. He was an English lord of the bluest of blue blood. SJhe was a rl^h New York heiress with enough rich near relatives under the sod to ma$e life well worth living, at leapt from a finan­ cial point of view. He had proptraed-f* the day before, and she was hesitating. They sat now in a box at the Metropoli­ tan, whispering in undertones, uncon­ scious that over a hundred opera glasses were leveled at them at the mo­ ment Why do you delay your answer?" he pleaded. "You must know, my dear Miss Stocksandbonds, that this sus­ pense Is very painful to me." She was thinking what cruel delight she was taking In this ardent noble lover's Impatience of love, whereas~&^ was thinking of his forty-dollajps^a-day board bill at the Waldorf all this time. Besides," he continued, 'Tom must know that it Is a great conje-doyrt^Cpr a real British earl of jioblg ancestry to marry an unknown foreign^j-^v-"/ The maiden straightened ^Htfughtily. "A come-down for you, is lt?"lshe re­ torted. "I think It Is a great come-down for me. I have to come down'yrlth a cool million dollars In hard cash> What do you come down with, prayT' But his lordship didn't come down with any thing but a sickening thud, and the or chestra roared Worse than ever.--New York World. EATURES that are perfect do not count In the mat- $ter of beauty with that delightful ap­ pearance that can only be defined as well groomed. This is not bestowed through any heredi­ tary descent, bor does it come with­ out many hours of care and thought' given to*the minor details of the toilet Every day we see slipshod pretty wom­ en who show most plainly that they have slighted their coiffures, given but a moment to their hands and made a dab with a face cloth answer as sub­ stitute for a thorough bath. * Their clothes likewise show a disre­ gard for the little niceties that go to form a perfect ensemble. The bodice never seems to belong to them, even through at the beginning it may have been pronounced a good fit Somehow this portion of ythe slipshod girl's attire gets a twisted and consorted look that can be directly traced to a careless disregard as to whether it is riding up and showing the skirtband or Is wrin­ kled where it should be quite plain. The shoes of my lady slipshod always have a half-worn appearance, the heels In particular being most mournful specimens of neglect, and even though" the owner and wearer of these various bits of apparel is as beautiful as an houri whom we have been led to be­ lieve was a sort of composite Russell- Langtry and Helen of Troy, she would never received a second glance if the well-groomed party were to appear up­ on the scene, provided the latter was not cross-eyed or her features absolute­ ly cut on the bias. The well-groomed woman is the per­ sonification of neatness, the glowing embodiment cf personal care. Her hair is glossy from much brushing, her s&alp white and hef skin in such good condi­ tion that the blindest observer at once realizes that she is wedded to daily baths and healthful exercise. Her clothes are always well brushed, there are no stray ends of skirt braid, or loose slx&en ruffles in which to catch run-over heels. Her shoes own all their allotted number of buttons and fit beautifully. Her hands are well kept and her teeth white, even though not symmetrically even. In fact the well-groomed woman is a Joy to the eye wherever you meet her, and we for one admire her from, the inmost recesses of our heart Another Horrible Example* When a young Woman achieves suc­ cess in any line of work not connected with domesticity jor femininity, she fre- paid Reginald Font "You are sure these are real mtaids?" '"^Varranted genuine, madam," re­ turned John. ' His voice sounded thick to his own ears, a strange oppression rose to his brain, the world seemed rocking upon endless waves, and the lady and the locket appeared to float away--away! When John awoke, twilight tilled the room with fantastic shadows, and rays from the street lamps fell flickering on the walls. He knew that he was in a place that he had seen before, but all was so unwonted, and the languor that lay upon him was so delicious and en­ chanting, that he felt.atire he was in a dream from whlcli he womd hate to awaken. Even the loud knocking at the door failed to aro'ise him to reality, and when he heard his brother's voice ylrf Bench, Bar, and Beard. The regulations for shaving ob­ served In the bench and bar probably came down-from Roman times, and the history of the custom among that people Is a curious one. Pliny st^ys that beards were universally cultivat­ ed as a matter of goi?rse till about 300 B. C., when ~SicilianNaarb«rs, who probably acquired their ar* from Greece, first came to Rome, anil Sclplo Afrlcanus set the fashion of shaving every day. Thenceforward it became so much the vogue In good society that the term barbarous, outlandish, was long supposed^to mean bearded, in allusion to the unkempt hair of un civilized nations. Increased accuracy in etymology has shown the real mean­ ing to be akin to balbus, stammering, in allusion to tbelr uncouth speech. For three centuries barbers had it all their own way in Roman circles. Then came the Emperor Hatrian, who, as Plutarch affirms, grew his beard to hide some ugly scars, and forthwith it became the mode. Lawyers and priests, even more conservative in their observances than other folks, continued to shave; hence, It is sup posed, came the traditional practice of the English bar, through the law courtf of Italy and France.--Good Word!. 1 - A Monster. The largest electric locomotlTe in the world (2,000 horse power) was built at Zurich, Switzerland, in 1802. i, v , quently makes the mistake of trying to look like a man •whose place she may be said to have usurped. Nature having had other views on the sub­ ject renders this Im­ possible, and the re­ sult Is a caricature. MISS MEBCER. Here is one such. It Is the picture of a young woman of un­ usual intelligence and skill: She has not displayed these qualities in her outfit and make-up, however. When she found that she could design build­ ings she promptly parted her hair on the side. Not content with that, she proceeded to - part it on both sides, brushing it up and back aggressively In the middle. Then she took to collars, shirt fronts, men's ties, waistcoats, and coats. The result is the above--a sin­ gularly and deliberately unattractive young person, who has to be labeled Miss Mtjr^er of Pittsburg" in order to be distinguished from a Mr. Mercer of anywhere. The mere fact that she has designed a building for the Atlanta exposition Is no excuse, though It may be some explanation, for the young woman's attire.--New York World. by the mothers of the race. It has made our elections quiet and orderly, No rudeness, brawling or disorder would be tolerated at the polling booth. There Is no more difficulty or Indelicacy In depositing the ballot in the ijrn than dropping a letter in the postofflce. It has not marred domestic harmony. Husband and wife frequently vote op­ posing tickets without disturbing the peace of home. Divorces are not as frequent here as in other communities, even taking into consideration our small population. It has not resulted In unsexing women. They have not been office seekers. "Women are generally selected as country superintendents of schools, offices for which they seem to be par­ ticularly adapted, but they have not been applicants for positions. Equal suffrage brings together at the ballot- box the enlightened common sense of American womanhood. Both these ele­ ments govern a well-regulated house­ hold, and both should control the polit­ ical destinies of the entire human fam­ ily. Particularly do we necta In this new Commonwealth the home Influ­ ence at the primaries and at the polls. We believe with Emerson that if all the vices are represented In our politic* some of the virtues should be." Capote for a Matron* 1 Babies and Babies. I remember very well when Charlie, my oldest, was a baby, he was simply angelic. I was sometimes tempted to pinch him, just to see if he could cry. He slept hour after hour and always awoke with a smiling face and a coo­ ing voice. And I, silly young thing that I was, plumed myself on what an ex­ cellent mother I was and felt a deep contempt for all mothefls of crying ba­ bies. But I was doomed to have a fall. When Willie came, I don't think there was ever a more sensitive bunch of nerves existed. He cried, it seemed to me, continually, and woke from his fitful slumbers on the lightest pretext and I was ready to run to the gate when I saw visitors coming to apologize for what I had said in the past, and to ask them please to walk softly. I then learned that there are babies and ba­ bies, and physical conditions have everything to do with a child's temper­ ament"--Womankind. To Make a Chair Cdshion, Not a new way, but a very good and simple way to make a chair cushion, is as follows: When it Is desired to give the cushion height square corners may be secure^ by turning in the corners, after the cushion is filled, and sewing together the two vertical edges thus formed; the amount turned in decides the heightfor thickness of the cushion. This Is much simpler than the sewing of a strip between the top and bottom of the cushion. In covering the same plan may be pursued, except that the material for the top should be cut large enough- to cover the sides and front, turning over the lower edge where it may be faced with anything conven­ ient If preferred the cushion proper may be made in the way described, and the cover made with a strip of the same or a contrasting material sewed between top and bottom to form the sides.--Womankind. Relied on His Wife's Judgment. A man who has returned within a short time from Samoa, and who saw much of the Stevenson family "While there, adds another to the many com­ ments upon the devotion of the novelist to his wife and his complete reliance on her judgment He never undertook any trip or excursion, however unim­ portant, without deferring to her opin­ ion, and if she held the slightest dis­ senting notion he promptly relinquish­ ed the Idea, as he said she was his beet doctor. Mrs. Stevenson was very care­ ful In looking after his health and zeal­ ously guarded him from overfatigue. Etiquette of the Wedding Present. * It Is customary to write upon a card which accompanies a wedding gift 'With best wishes." The present may be sent at any time between the re- The Life of a Shoe. According to an intelligent and ob­ servant member of the trade, the aver­ age purchaser of footwear counts the life of a shoe by the number of times it requires resoling and heeling. If a shoe is resoled and heeled twice, the wearer l t of the weddi invitation and thinks lt is a better shoe than the omr+^e date of the wedding-the earlier which, though giving lon^r wear, will hardly bear resoling and j^eling more than once. The same re^ller, claims that some manufacturers take advan tage of this knowledge and j»it Inferior leather in the soles and hec&p, and thus attain the apparently lmp&^ible feat of Increasing the reputation of their goods, by using inferior maU^ial. It is certain, however, that reputalJe manu­ facturers do not adopt this ignestiona- blepollcy. Woman Suffrage a Suoi&jsa. Chief Justice Groesbeck of the Su preme Court of Wyoming, in speaking of the effect of woman suffrago in that State, says: "It has been weigfeed and not found wanting. It has tended to secure good nominations for public offices. The women, as a class, will not knowingly vote for Incompetent im­ moral or inefficient candidates. It has tended to make women oolf-rellant and Independent ana to turn their atten­ tion to the study of the science of gov­ ernment, an education that Is needed the better.--Ladies' Home Journal. Oat for a Morning Walk. THEY ENG. A Cartons People Who Un In W«rt Virginia. Ginseng grows In all thp rich nnl«nd woods of North America, from Canada to the mountains of the Southern States, but especially in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. It grows supera­ bundantly In the West Virginia moun­ tains, and there the professional sanger Is found in all his uniqueness. The sang, or ginseng, diggers of Minnesota, Penn­ sylvania, and other States are usually farmers and., their famines, who har­ vest thistfop as an incidental, though profitable, addition to their regular farm products, but in West Virginia there are whole communities the dwell­ ers in which do no other work than dig­ ging ginseng and have no other Income than the proceeds of the sale of the root It Is probably hardly necessary to say that these sangers are of a low order of humanity. There are scattering, no­ madic tribes of them in other parts of the State, but In the Isolated counties of Greenbrlar, Webster, Pendleton and Nicholas a race of these people have a fixed habitation. They are a people by themselves, and a curious one. Their origin is unknown. There are deer and bear a-plenty In the mountains, but the Sanger Is no hun­ ter. He does not take to a gun, yet shot Is always among the supplies be orders in return for his ginseng. He is as expert fisherman, though, and fol­ lows the rare trout streams of his habi­ tat with great results. The sangers of West Virginia are of small stature, a five-footer being an av­ erage-sized man. They are tough, tire­ less and agile. Tbey are peaceful and not given much to the use of intoxi­ cants. Their garb is grotesque in the extreme, being made up of any and all kinds of cast-off things, and frequently a covering, or half covering, of rags and tatters. The only attempt at agricul­ ture these people make is the scratch­ ing up of a little ground to raise the to­ bacco they use--and they all use it re­ gardless of age or sex, chiefly by smok- • Ing it in a corncob pipe. The women drink a tea made from pungent roots or sassafras bark. The members of the tribe live in log huts, with chlipneys made of clay. There is never more than one room to a hut and that serves for all the needs of the occupants. They sleep on the floor, and, although in the winter time they are frequently put to great straits for the necessaries of life, they seem happy amw\heir want and squalor. w Ginseng root is sold grfee*rto the coun­ try stores by the diggers. The rural dealers frequently offer prizes for the heaviest single root, and for the great­ est number of pounds brought in by the sanger. The price paid varies with the season, all calculations being made up­ on the basis of dry sang. As soon as the root is bought from the sanger it Is either dried In the sun or In,kilns made for the purpose, or steamed and quick­ ly evaporated. It behooves the man who is dealing direct with the sanger to be up to all the tricks of the trade, for if he isn't he will get left The exporter will not buy a pound of ginseng that is not as dry as punk and absolutely free from all other roots. The tricky sanger has a deft way of mixing poke root, colt's foot, angelica, elecampane, and other roots that are difficult of detec­ tion with his sack of ginseng. The sang is very porous, and the sanger long ago discovered that by soaking it in water before taking lt to market he could add materially to Its weight. But ramming shot into the roots and skillfully hiding the holes where they went in has al­ ways been the fraud of which he was most proud. QuitW-A Difference. Mistakes in speaking a foreign lan­ guage are not always merely amuse- ing. A tourist was climbing the Alps with a guide, who persisted In talking bad English Instead of Indifferent French. The guide had just crossed a snow bridge over a wide crevasse, and turned to await the tourist on the fur­ ther side. He was asked if the bridge was weak, and replied, "No--strong." Naturally, the*Tburlst walked boldly across the bridge, which promptly col­ lapsed and dropped him into the cre­ vasse. However, it was not very deep, and when he crawled out, looking like a snow-man, he discovered that his guide had meant to say that the bridge was <4Not strong." The tourist then strongly enjoined unon him to reserve his English henceforth for use in the valleys. Snlky lifps. Writing of sulky people, Mrs. Lynn Lynton cites a wedded pair wbo lived together In the same house, meeting at the same table for meals, receiving guests, housing friends, and going through all the formalities of society, yet for years and years never speaking to each other. All the communications which perforce had to be made between them'were made in writing. No spoken word unlocked the closed portals of their sulky lips. Padlocked against each other, they lived in mute un- broken enmity for the rest of their natural lives. Sulky to the last only when death dissolved the cloud of tem­ per which had enwrapped his soul and mind did she come out of hers. Good Idea. , A new departure in public night schools has been made In Philadelphia by devoting one of the schools to a course of lectures on the history and working of our political system. Na­ tional, State and municipal government will be taken up In turn. Three lec­ tures a week will be given, intended more particularly for young men, bat free to all who choose to attend. Organ Grinders. In Montreal, organ grinders have to pay $20 for a license, and are only al­ lowed to play within certain hours. In France there Is the same limitation of hours, and a certificate of character and special badge are Insisted on. In St Petersburg no street music is al­ lowed, and in Spain one only hears the guitar. Lightning's Energy. Prof. Carl Henry, the noted meteor- Qlogist and all-round scientist esti­ mates that the energy of the average lightning stroke is equal to that ge»r erated by a 100-horse power engine in ten hours of constant work. If we don't have to work any more than a school teacher when we go to heaven we will be satisfied. - - - *&*1 ==̂ --• .r. UN mm SAMS FLAW" need In tfc*2«>urjr Are MmOm & Brooklyn. Before a m&a-G'-w&f is completely equipped she must be supplied with & varied assortment of the flags of all na­ tions. The flag lockers of a cruiser like the New York will contain more than 200 different ensigns. All the flags of our navy are made at the equipment building at tto Brooklyn navy yard. Thp floor of the flag-room is covered with lines repre­ senting the exact measurements of the various ensigns, and it is no easy mat­ ter to turn out a flag which will be ex- tctly according to pattern, both as to de­ sign and measurement There are eight colors used'ln flags--red, white, blue, orange, yellow, green, brown, black and canary yellow. The canary yellowjs used Instead of white in flags used for signaling. Thiols because it is found that when signaling at if "distance a white flag or a device on a white ground blends with the horizon and becon^es almost Invisible. The largest American flag made Is called No. 1. It measures 84.80 feet in length and 13.12 f§et In f breadth, anu Is very rarely used. The size calledjNo, 2, which Is considerably smaller, Jjg the one generally used by war-ships. Cruisers carry the Stars and Stripes In seven different sizes, but f only the Minneapolis and the Detroit fly the gigantic No. 1 size. The most difficult flag to make is that of San Salvador. This flag requires all the colors, and Costa Rica runs lt close, requiring all but brown. Our own flag Is by no means an easy one to. make. The forty-four stars in their blue field have to be mathematically arranged, and the stripes mathematical­ ly exact according to the official pat­ tern. The stars are made of muslin, folded twenty-five times and punched out by a steel punch, which cuts a dozen or more stars at each operation. There are used In the navy yard annu­ ally 50,000 yards of bunting, which la all made up In the United States. Be­ fore being made up Into flags the bunt­ ing Is put to a very severe test From each lot a sample is taken and steeped in fresh water for twenty-four hours. After that it la thoroughly scrubbed with strong soap and then rinsed and dried. It Is then exposed to the direct sunlight for ten hours, and if it shows no fading in color It Is accepted. The Industry gives employment to a great many men and women.--New„ Yoglc. Herald. • Literary Blunders. One of the numerous blunders Into which most of us have probably fallen without taking the trouble to look about us, Is the use of the word "ani- malculae" in the plural. There is no such word plural, as any Latin scholar knows at once if he stops to think. Anl- malcula Is the plufol of animalculum, an«J yet one fancies that lt would re­ quire some courage to use "animalcu- la" In the plural in a mixed assembly without explaining, so strongly has this particular error taken root The best word to use Is, of course, the Eng­ lish plural animalcules, but most peo­ ple cling to the incorrect Latin with great pertinacity. The coining of the word knises, which was originally only a misprint for knives, Is laughable, and shows how much value is lo be set up­ on far-fetched derivation. Many mis­ takes in proper names are due to igno­ rance of spelling or pronunciation. The town of Joliet named, as many supposed from the French priest of that name and Americanized, was, accord­ ing to a certain young woman's solemn asservatlon, christened for the heroine of one of Shakspeare's plays. And its propinquity to a town named for a hero of that very tragedy makes such a supposition most likely! Joliet was near enough to Juliet and 1£ not that; why was Romeo so nigh? VJ4>ingbats." The Boston Journal gives various theories as to the meaning of the word "dingbats." One writer, who spent his boyhood in Maine, thinks it means to spank, because his mother when getting ready to use the slipper thr&t- ened to put the "dingbats" on him. From Wilbraham Academy comes the explanation that it means the break­ fast biscuit which the students dispose of by sticking it to the under side of the table, throwing it at the heads of other students or eating lt. A Con­ necticut pupil states that to receive punishment at the hands of the teach­ er is known as "getting the dingbats." Two Philadelphians agree that It means money, as in the sentence "I've got the dingbats for it" But New Hampshire agrees^Avlth Maine that 11 means spanking^and so the majority appears to si<te~wth the maternal slip* per. It is from such "little acorns" that the tall tree of our almost cosmo­ politan language has grown. We got "blizzard" from the West "ku-khtx** from the South, "boom" from the am­ bitious cities, "crank" from the eccen­ tric minds In every part of the country* "pantata" from Italy, and "cballtaa** from Russia. "Dingbats" la going to be a great convenience. ̂ Strict Rules. The following notice posted In a foreign hotel seems arbitrary to the lovers of freedom; but it evidently seeks to ensure the comfort of the mass rather than that of the Individual. Thus it runs: "For your polite ob­ servance--Each guest on his entrance must conduct himself WitH due de­ corum; he* must make no noise, nor hold any conversation in a loud tone of voice. Whoever desires to remain herein is to be seated. If he should not be able to find a seat then it la quite clear that there is no place for him, and he must immediately draw. In no circumstances must one stand about the room. Also, for a person to roam about from one room to another is strictly forbidden. Each guest must remain In the seat he elect- ed to, sit on hla entrance Into Tm;"L_ J f Old Ocean's Depths. A little more than thirty miles from the^Coast of Japan the Pacific Ocean la found to be over 4,643 fathoms deep. Some officers surveying for a telegrapb cable had their wire break at this depth without reaching bottom. This is sdidt to be the deepest sounding ever made. Exiles of the Bourbon Family. All the princes of the Bourbon fam­ ily have for a long time- llvfed In exile. That man never lived who was not cross when called upon to settle his mull bill. A girt begins to forgive a mast •oop as she falls in love with hi^ " ; ' I J m