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>'• "Will you marry me?" she repeated, her lips an inch from his. He replied affirmatively without a word. There is now one obstacle the less between the husband of the fascinating Muriel Mallett and the earldom of Ilex- liam, for his lordship died suddenly from apoplexy 011 getting a telegram from an old club friend concerning his son's marriage with the fascinating actress.--The Sketch. Travel with a Frieucl Who will protect) you from thos« enemies-- nausea, indigestiouY malaria and the sick­ ness produced by rocking on the -waves, and sotnotinfes by iiiiand traveling over the rough beds of ill-laid railroads. Such a friend is Hoistetter's • Stomach Bitters. Ocean mari­ ners. yachtsmen, commercial and .theatrical agents and tourists testify to the protective potency of this effective safeguard, which conquers also rheumatism, nervousness and biliousness. Buy SI v-urth Dobbins Floating i;>rai Snap of PKKtfr. tjfina wrapper* to Dobbins -nap Mrs. To., Phil­ adelphia. Pa. They will send jrmi. fr .• of cusrge. p ml- pald. a Worcester Pocket Dictionary. 20-< pagftj, eiotb- bouud; piufutely illustrated. Offergood till Aug. l only. Mrs. Winslow's Hoothish Sybcp tor Children tcfttiing: sottens the (rums, reauces iutliiniruatiou. allays pain, cures wind colic. 25 eeu» i bottle. •FIVE * THOU IP ILLITERACY IN THE NATION. Percentage Now Greater in New England than in the West. J The report of the Commissioner of Education presents some curious and interesting facts with regard to illit­ eracy in the United States. This infor­ mation is derived mainly from official records and deserves careful attention. tIt appears that the number of person:? over 10 years of age who cannot read and write is 0,324,702, or 13.U per ce'nr. of the total populationT ncc.ondinir to the latest statistics. In 1880, the- rate of illiteracy was 17 per cent., and a de­ crease of 3.7 per cent, since that tiiife is gratifying in the sense that implies gradual improvement:, but the situation is still lamentable, and no good citizen can, contemplate it without experi­ encing a certain degree of humiliation. The government is, based .upon the idea of popitlai^ intelligence as an .aa- suranee of political safety, and prosper­ ity, and vast sums of money are ex­ pended. for educational purposes. There "is really no excuse for ignorance in a country where free schools abound and instruction is within easy reach of :ill classes. Nevertheless, over thUvoofi uut nf every 100 of the people are-una­ ble to read and write. This great army of illiteracy is a standing reproach, as well as a menace, and there is 'no more important duty than that of reducing it as rapidly as possible. There was a time when New England led all the rest of the country in the general average of popular intelligence, but this is no longer true. It is now in the West, and not in the East, that the best showing is made of the education of the masses. Nebraska stands at the head of the States in point of literacy, only 3.1 per cent. of«its population be­ ing unable to read and write. No State west of the Mississippi River, with the exception of the four Southern States. j -anks as low as 'Massachusetts in the number of illiterates in its population. This means, of course--and the fact is a very significant one--that a large per­ centage of the educated element of the East lias removed to the West, thereby materially modifying its "wild and woolly" condition, and it means further­ more that the West has been doing a great deal in the enlargement of its educational facilities. The public schools of such States as Minnesota, Iowa. Kansas, Nebraska, and the Dakotas are equal in every re­ spect to those of any of the Eastern States, and their academies and univer­ sities are rendering effective service in the sphere of higher learning. So far as the South is concerned, allowance must be made for the presence of the colored nice, the illiterate members of' which constitute nearly one-half of the total number of illiterates in the Vnit. 'd States, but even with this serious draw­ back. the Southern States are making substantial gains in education, and the conditions promise'an acceleration of such progress from year to year.--Min­ neapolis Times. Hall's Catarrh Cure. Is a constitutional cure. Trice 75 cents. tract, when, with rule, pencil, brushes and bucket, she assumed command of the side of a brick-building at the cor­ ner of Prospect and Hiefcox streets and commenced her work. It was a funny sight, and during the day hundreds of people stopped and discussed her situa­ tion. She gave the onlookers nor the slightest attention, but continued her work in a purely businesslike manner until "»:30 o'clock, when she surveyed the result of her day's labor and made ready to return to her hotel. Her working costume consists of a serviceable skirt, a jumper of blue cloth and a cap which she manages to pull well down over her face in order to keep off sunburn. Iler mittens con­ ceal a pair of dainty hands and feet which are incased in patent leather boots corespond in neatness. Miss Waymaek began upon her sign painting career more than three years ago and has traveled over a gre^t deal of the western country with her uncle, who is also a sign painter. Miss Way- mack's home is Bellefontaine. Ohio. 4Best Cough Syrup. Tastes Good. Use M in time. Sold by druggists. B*t Life of w m , Mc k i n l e y By Itobl. I*. Porter. It is tbs-ctity complete lit« of Mr. McKiuley published, amt a^uts Una it a old mine localise the j>eop> walitltT* Ag ibfs ivporttrt- meiuious h<|.-k. Send 2."i ceuts-in si.v-r for saiupio copy. A. SIMMONS. CMma. 'Michigan. Results prove Hood's Sarsaparilla the best blood purifier, appetizer and nerve tonic. In fact Sarsaparilla NSIQJ Is the One True Blood Purifier. A11 druggists. $1 Hood's Pills cure all Liver Ills. 25 --GIVEN AWAY KNIVES 3yrs In last war, 16adju< PATENTS. TRADE-MARKS IN writing1 to Advertisers, plcuse douot f»ll to mention this paper. Advertisers ilk*, to know what mediums pay them best. Examination and adrtce as to Patentability or Inven­ tions. Send lor Investors' Oiuik, or now to OUT a PXTMSi. i'atriek O'Farrell. Washington, 1J.C. Current Condensations. . It 's a long lane that has no turning, but it may turn in the wrong direction. Stains on linen can be removed by rubbing them persistently with salt and lemon juice. Mr. (ioschen. the secretary of war. has followed Mr. Balfour's example and taken to the bicycle. Mr. Swinburne has in the press a larger and more important poem than any he has published for some years. Mr. Balfour is an intensely indolent mini. He so arranges his work that he can lie abed until noon at least live days out of the seven. An aerolite which recently fell in Australia iiatl a spot in one side nearly twelve inches in diamefer which was composed of pure copper. , What time Dr. Jameson does not spend at Bow street, he appears to be occupied in refusing proposals of mar­ riage which reach him by mail. The lirst counterfeit greenback (se­ ries of 1S(i2) was made at Lawrence, Intl. . by Pete McCartney and the crim­ inally famous Johnson brothers; Paderewski has commissioned the brothers De lteszke to buy him a Polish estate on the line between Cracow and Warsaw, and here the great pianist proposes to build a chateau. Of every 1.000 clergymen between the ages of and t>."> only lo.SW die an­ nually: but of every 1.000 doctors be­ tween the ages of and GT>. no fewer than 2S.0'!. it is said, die eVer.v year. Slate pencils are now manufactured of bone. Tlley are not likely, how­ ever. to meet with approval of" the small boy. as'lhey are unbreakable, and. si ill woi'se." noiseless. The pecu­ liar and delightfnli.V shrill, musical screech of the' old-fashioned slate pen­ cil is naturally a great source of amuse­ ment to the young. The Cuban rebels have adopted a novel way of .setting tire to sugar cane fields. A,..small piece of phosphorus coated with wax is fastened to a snake's tail and the creature let loose to make its way among the cane. The sun melts the wax .<iud ignHes the phos­ phorus and the business is done. Mili­ tary protection or other efforts are claimed to be unavailing ill the face of such a formidable foftv Everything the farmer sells Is low. Who sells low to him ? \V?**a'c repeatedly refused >Xg to join, and, therefore, defeated windmill combi- nations, and have, since '89, reduced the cost of tl wiud power to one-sixth what it was. } We believe in low prices, high grades and large sales. No one knows the best pump or prices until lie knows ffylwHijflMRSHn ours- We make short hand and long power stroke pumps, with best seam- CHlOaoT* 'ess brass tube cylinder, lower than *"0 iron ones--a 2% x 16 inch at S2.12. Tell J Qkjf your dealer. Buy none other. Aermotor prices and A ijw goods are always best. Through gratitude, and because we are price makers, and are safest to % deal with/the world has given us more than half its windmill business. We have 20 branch houses-- one near you. Writo for beautifully illustrated circular^^^SM^ Chewing and Smoking" [The only ANTi-NERVOUS. ANTI-DYSPEPTIC L , and NICOTINE NEUTRALIZED 9 JACK KNIVES and -PEN KNIVES, % Q Stag Handle; Razor Steel, First ® 0 quality, American manufacture, Q 9 hand forged and finely tempered. • • Fine RAZORS, Highest Grade • © Steel; Hollow Ground. ® Coupons explain liow to seenre tho Above. One Coupon in each 5 cent ('2 ounce) Package. - Two Coupons in each 10 cent (4 ounce) Package. Mail Pouch Tobacco is sold by all dealers. Packages (now an sale) containing no coupons •will be accepted as coupons. "2 02." Empty Bag as one Coupon,, "4 oz." Empty Ban as two Qoupons. LLUSTRATED Catalogue of other Valuable Articles with explanation how to get them, Mailed on request. TheJJloch Bros. Tobacco Co., Wheeling, W. Va. Xo "Cbunoua exchanged after July l, 1897 TkR.T. FELIX fiOURADD'S ORIENT A I. JJf R EAM, OR MAGIC AL BEACTIF1ER, ~ - Kemore* Tan, Pimples, Freck- Moth Patches, Hash and Skin diseases, and every bletn < o lah on beauty, and o~ la /fj>t|deliv s detection. It 5S « ;',oray a !u\k lllias'stood the test of fitif years, aud is so _iolEg j pjb HiO// liarmless we taste it t, s 9/ to be sure it is prop- go ^ fcTY erly made. Accept y\ Sy j n o counterfeit o f C3 Of I similar name. Dr. a J-ji p I L. A. Say re said to a Mr JB3 w/Ai \ lady ot the baut-ton ^ \ <a patient):" Aa you SSvtltff 1 \ lanl-S will use them, / J'\Wa^s5v ») I \ 1 recommend 'Gou /V® VTSV I mud's Cream' as the f Ji I !eost harmful of nil 1 / | oa < tS^1" • the Skin preparu- J tions." For sale by •/ 1 oxar v all Drusifl»<s and Fancy-Goods l>eal- ers In the United states. Oanarras and Europe. FERD. T. HOPKINS. Prop'r, 37 Great Jones Street, N. T. Will Not Submit to Dictation. The subjci-t renewing the ]»rlrl- lejres of the l>anlc of France will short­ ly come nj) for discussion in the cham­ ber, after having been in abeyance since lSll 'J. when the senate approved a bill for the purpose. The bill has not since been modified and the provisions included in it will, it. is thought, be adopted without ma­ terial alteration. One of them, which was to empower 1 he bank to increase its note issue from H),000.(XM) francs to 4.000,001 UK 10. was passed as far back as ISO.'?. The* charter expires 011 Dec. :?1. 1S!)7. and the proposal is to extend it for a period of twenty years from that date, in consideration of the bank making certain concessions to the state. J Among these concessions is one by which the bank is to forego all future interest on the government debt. 140,- 000,000 francs, and not to demand re­ payment of the capital so long as the charter is in force. The bank is to undertake the service of the national debt and transact other business for -the treasury, both at the head office and branches, free of charge, and make an annual payment to the latter for li.000.- 000 francs during the first year of the currency of tlie new charter and U.oOO.- 000 francs per annum subsequently. It is to open several new branches and make advances to agricultural co­ operative societies). It is not improbable that an effort will be made tor convert the bank into a state institution, but such a project does not command support either in financial or ministerial circles, and is not in the least degree likely to meet with success.--Edinburgh Scotsman. A Ijong Shot. .Tames Shields was elected to the Sen­ ate in .1 S-l.N. defeating his predecessor. Senator Kreese. Shields had distin­ guished himself in the Mexican War. and at the Battle of Cerro (iordo lie was shot through the lungs, the ball passing out at his back. His recovery, was one of the marvels of the day. Shields' war record is believed to have secured to him his triumph ov>-r Kreese. When the news of Shields' election was received, a lawyer niiined Butter- field was speaking of it to a group of friends, when one of them remark­ ed: "It. was that Mexican bullet that did the business." "Yes," retorted But- terfield. "that was a great shot. The"' ball went clear through Shields with­ out hurting him. and killed Breese one 1 housand miles a way," Heard While Waiting. A passenger, while waiting at a rail­ way station for his train, amused him­ self by watching the queer looks and antics of a tailless cat as it played about 011 the platform. The stationiuaster happening to pop out of his ofiice, the intending traveler pointed to the cat and said, "What kind of a cat is that- Manx '!" "No." replied the stationnias- ter, with a sly smile, "Brighton Ex­ press." v Lots of people are afraid of a cyclone who are not afraid of the devil. Drink HIRES Rootbeer when yoiCre hot; when yoiCre thirsty ; when callers come. At any and all times drink HIRES Rootbeer. Made only by The Charloj K. Hirn Ci>.. Philadelphia. A 25c. package ibakei 5 gallon*. Sol.l ererjirbere. - " "TP 4 A Will pay for a 8-UNE advertisement L T i'fl tour weeks n lOOhiifh grade Illinois Al l newspapers-- lOO.tXOcirculation per week 1 111 guaranteed. Send for catalogue. Stan- 10 I It# darrt-Cnlon. 9SS. Jefferson St..Chicago. ao aw There is no dividing line. KIDDER ̂PASTILLES.! :H»bft Ctirail. Kst. in 1871. Thousands cured, t^heap-st and best enre. Frf.k tri- ai~ Slatecase. 1>r. Marsh.Qulnev. Micti. DON'T FORGET for 5 cents you get almost • as much "Battle Ax" as you do of other brands for JO cents. DON'T FORGET that " Battle Ax " is made of the best leaf grown, and the quality cannot be improved. DON'T FORGET, no matter how much you are charged for a small piece of other brands, the chew is no better than 44 Battle Ax." , . DON'T FORGET, " Economy is wealth," and you want all you can get for your mo^ey. Why pay JO cents for other brands when you " can get "Battle Ax" for 5 cents? Pill Clothes The good pill has a good coat. Tho pill coat sarvas two purposes; it protects the pill, en­ abling' it to retain all its remedial value, and it di3guise3 the taste for the palate. Some pill coats are too heavy; they "will not dissolve in the stomach, and . the pills they cover pass through the system as harmless as a bread pellet. Other coats are too light, and permit the speedy deterioration of the pill. After 30 years exposure Ayer's Sugar Coated Pills have been found as effectivo as if just fresh from the labor­ atory. It'aga good pill v/ith a good coat. Ash: your dru^p^fnr < - thartic Pills KtAyer's Curr®K-M(i pages. lier ;how to tight." The Earl's eyof) jrieamed. "We'll teach her, won't wel Ponder, what, litigation means'.'" Then he told a lengthy, stale tftle of his syc- It is not a sin to steal things at a gro- •ery store where you "trade." •