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A* the time our views met much severe criticism from those who regarded the trees as objects of beauty, and to b» spared, whatever they cost to the faHn- er. But the loss from plowing, wasting seed, and labor in cultivating crops under trees and getting nothing In, re­ turn has convinced most who a few years ago were critical that they were backing a luxury that not one farmer in ten can afford. Keep the trees If you wish In land that Is to be always in grass, but if it is to be plowed and cul­ tivated, cjear them out so that all the labor applied may have its fullest ef/ feet.--American Cultivator. AGRICULTURAL THINGS PERTAINING TO THE FARM AN & HOME. BILL'S RAGE FOR HIS LIFE Somehow we never feel that we would like to pursue an acquaintance with a girl after we have heard her use the word "erstwhile." immm - .. . V • ' • ' 5 • • ' , ' ' . . j ; | ̂ OR over a week it had been ! H threatening great things. For a JL week nobody on the "Lazy H." ranch had caught more than a momen­ tary glimpse of the sun. :• Chill winds whistled and roared over the bleak and desolate prairies on the range and fit­ ful whirls of rain made it all the more disagreeable to the weary boys who were at work night and day to keep the uneasy herd from rushing away to the desert of the south. Although it was early for wintry manifestations, yet that a serious storm was imminent was realized by all the men employed on the ranch. Great bunches of cattle milled at various points on the range, but little effort was made to break the mills, for fear they would be followed by the more serious danger of a general stam­ pede. Riders constantly watched the fretful animals when they became weary from hunger as they rushed around in that ceaseless grind. Noth­ ing but a wall of horns was to be seen, as the steers presented an unbroken front to all comers. With the mutter­ ing of -the-thunder came io wings and tossings of the horns with added en­ ergy in the tramp, tramp of the fright­ ened animals. f It was hard and weary work to keep the herd from starving as well as rush­ ing wildly towards the gulf. All over the Panhandle country the same con­ ditions existed, and that gloomy week In November was probably the most exciting tour of duty the ranchmen ever put in in a region where hard work abounds and the rewards are small. Ten thousands pairs of horns were enough to keep a small army of "Lazy H." cowboys fairly busy when every­ thing was pleasant Now there was need for double their number. They were scattered in groups under sub- bosses, so that every man was doing two men's work and that, too, without an opportunity for rest, excepting sucn as could be snatched when the milling bunches were quiet for a few minutes. "If this thing keeps up much longer," said "Curley" Brock, as the week was boss put his pony into a violent gallop and raced off toward the bunch, shout­ ing out his orders as he rode. . He was mounted on a strong broncho, and it was well for him that the pony was comparatively fresh, for he soon found himself in a position of serious danger, and there he stuck for a long time. He was caught in that stampede and hur­ ried off toward the gulf at a terrific spec*. his pony straining efery nerve to keep ahead and the steers racing furiously behind in their efforts to get away from the storm. As Bill dashed off to turn the flank of the bunch, just as the^animals com­ menced to chahge their revolving mo­ tion for a straight-away inn, "Curley" lifted up his voice and quirt and made a furious onslaught on the nearest steer. He swung his deadly quirt and thwacked that bull with great vigor, communicating a sudden impetus to the animal's movements. This had the effect of starting many others in the same direction, and a couple of hun­ dred bore rapidly down on Martin, cut­ ting him off and putting him in the dl- rect pathway of the stampede. "Whatever are ye doin', ye blamed fool," roared Bill as he saw what had happened. "Come arqund on the other side, ye cayote, an' head them bulls offen me. Durn yer skin, think I'm part of this bunch?" "Curley" saw the mischief and at­ tempted to divert the enemy, but it was too late. The other man had followed his lead and the steers instead of head­ ing for the gulch were racing in a wild scrimmage straight away to the south, hunting solitude. Bill went with them. He had to. It was his duty, anyway, a thought that afforded him little conso­ lation, for it was a race for life, with the chances about fifty to one on the bulls, with the same odds against him. Still, being a man of family, he gave his pony free rein and raced as he never did before or since, as he has frequently said himself. It was all "Curley's" do­ ing, as that astute cowboy charged with undue impetuosity at an angle making record-oreaking time In a coun­ try where hard riding and-plenty of it is the daily pOrtlou of all. Over shelv­ ing, broken land, down into small arroyos and out again up the steep grades plunged and seethed that maSs of struggling cattle. Some of the boys behind noticed here and there the fallen, figure of an exhausted steer as he fell from sheer weariness. They yelled en- couragemeiit to Bill, for this was a good sign, and indicated that the herd was rapidly reaching the point when It would be compelled to stop. On they ran, however, without wavering, pur­ sued by the storm and chasing the fly­ ing figure of the boss. Would he es­ cape d%th? Nobody could tell.; As the beaten pony struggled up a steep incline after a mad dash down into a gulch, Bill felt the hot breath of the advance guard of the-cattle, fiyious as a furnace at his back. He cast a de­ spairing glance backward, urged his ,pony with foot and voice, and was tossed headlong to the ground; He fell from the stirrup, rolled about for an in-> •fctynt, and then lay still as he saw that mighty herd leaping over the spot where he went down. Bruised and shaken by the tumble, half conscious from the shock, he lay there and with the curious inconsistency of him in 1m-. ^inent peril, commenced , a desultory counting of the black forms, which plunged over him. ' Where his pony was lie did not know, and he fell to speculating concerning .him. On ran the steers and still Bill lay there, hlg dazed mind going through all kinds ol arithmetical problems. Finally, the last of the herd passed and the boss, one of the most experi­ enced ranchmen of the wild West, rose to his elbow and sent a careful glancq to the rear, He saw his men racing furiously after the cattle and suddenly ducked again as the boys plunged ovei; his position. Then it, dawned on him where he was. He had fallen into a natural ditch too deep to wade over and just the right'width to leap easily. This fact tad saved his life, for the first steer leaped the ditch and all of the others blindly followed suit. Bill was safe and he crawled out of his hole not grateful for his escape, but with a mind full of wrath against "Curley," the cause of his downfall. The ditch had also saved the pony. The little broncho fell when he threw his rider, and being deadbeat lay where he fell. As he had as much sense as his master, he kept quiet, and when Bill arose he saw that broncho quietly drinking at a small pool, his flanks still riling with undue rapidity, for he was very weak. Bill arose and intro­ duced himself by taking the bridle and giving the unoffending brute a savage kick. He then remounted and followed after the herd slowly, knowing that by this time, the storm having broken, the steers were willing to quit, and that with plenty of hard work they would all be collected. Well, it was as he expected. He final­ ly found the herd scattered about on the plans, some lying down and some graz­ ing, but all showing evidences of that wild flight from the driving storm. He also found those cowboys, lying about on the wet grass, too tired and too sav-^ age to care what became of him. He advanced on the party and swung down from the saddle and stood scowling at the men as he hobbled his pony and prepared to arrange for the night. ON ON Best Method of Preserving Fodder^ Corn--How to Relieve Choked Cattle --Late Maturing Potatoes Are Most Productive. Preserving; Corn Fodder. A report from the Vermont Agricul­ tural Experiment Station says for two years past experiments were conduct­ ed to determine the best method of pre­ serving the corn plant for winter use. Four methods were tried. First, whole ensilage was made by running the new­ ly cut corn through a cutter, reducing It to one-half inch lengths, then putting into the silo. Second, the ears were husked, cribbed, dried, ground, cob and all, and fed in connection with the stalks, which had been previously cut and made into ensilage; this was called stover ensilage and meal. Third, the fodder was preserved in large shocks, $nd before feeding was run through a cutter, ears and all, and cut into one- halt inch lengths Fourth, the corn was husked from the fodder, ground with the cob and fed with the stover, after it had been run through the cut­ ter as needed from time to time. Samples frOm the material preserved, by the different methods were carefully analyzed, and the fodder:was fed to a herd of Honjteen milch cows. It was found that each Of the methods pre­ served about, four-fifths of the dry mat­ ter harvested. the loss from each being practically the same in quality and in character. The fodders kept in the shock lost more and more dry dry mat­ ter as the winter progressed. The ears in the silo during the last test lost more of their food value than those preserved in any other way, this being the reserve of a previous test The relative cost of placing the same amount of dry matter in the manger was greatly in favor of whole ensilage. Time and money spent in husking and grinding the ears were wasted, as bet­ ter results were obtained when, the ears were left on the stalk. The en­ silages were relished much better by the cows and they do better upon them. --Farm News. ' ---•' Relieving Choked Cattle. "1 have never known my method of relieving choked cattle," says a writer in an English farm paper, "to fail in giving instant relief; I cut a stick about four feet long and one-half an inch through at the larg*£2fend, with prongs like fork tines about one inch long at the small end. The stick wants to be straight and smooth. I generally cut a small gray birch. Then wind the prongs with yarn until well Governed and sew over and through this a piec« of cotton cloth, making a ball some Inches in di­ ameter securely fastened to the small end of the stick. Grease the ball well with lard, insert in the animal's throat, and push it down the length of the stick if need be, or until the substance is forced into the stomach. Then with­ draw the stick a.nd the creature will be relieved. I have been called in the night to go four miles to relieve an ani­ mal that had choked for hours. I re­ lieved her in two minutes after the stick was ready, so that she commenced eating immediately. Two or three men had tried every way they knew for hours without success. The creature was choked with a potato." Plowing and Reseeding. Within the past few years "there have been more than usual complaints of grass and clover seeds not "catching" well, and of "running out" after an apparently good.seeding had jjsSen se­ cured. Drought,, or hard--freezing In winter, are commonly given as reasons for these grass failures. But in many cases we suspect that this does not ex­ plain the whole difficulty. As vegetable matter in the soil decreases It much more injured by drought than it is while the soil retained its virgin fertility. Our <- climate is not a moist one, like that of England, and our winter cold is much more severe. We cannot expect per­ manent grass either for pasture or meadow. To plow and reseed every second or third year seems to be a ne­ cessity of good farming in our Northern States. Nor is this necessity any real hardship. The first year or two after seeding the crop is always better than after, and then, too, there is the best; sward to plow Under, English turf may keep thickening as the years pass by, but our grass lands are sure to grow thin. The longer the replowing is de­ layed, the more difficult it is likely to be to get a good catch with the new seeding.--Ex. Keep Live Stock in Good Condition. It is the best and safest plan to put all the live stock on winter rations in good time and before they become really hungry and lose flesh by the want of, nutriment in the food gathered from the fields. As soon as a frost has taken the starch out of the herbage and les­ sened Its ability to nourish an animal the main supply of food should be given from the winter stores. To fall off now Is to keep out of condition all the winter. It is quite possible to stall- feed an animal with success in the win­ ter, but the consumption of food will be considerably increased over and above what would be required at any other season. It is an old saying that an animal well summered is half wintered. It is perfectly true, for once the system is in a thrifty condition it is more easily kept so than it can be recovered from a lowered state of health and vigor. Thus just now it should be-the effort to pre­ vent any falling off in the condition and put all the stock into winter quarters in as fine a state of health as is possi­ ble.--Orange Judd Farmer. HUSHED BILL, AND RUirHED THE CATTLE." 1 almost gone, "I allow I'll jump the game. I'm almost all cashed in now and kaint stand it much longer. Just look at them bulls, a-millin' and a-mill- in' there. Ever see anything"so mean? ^•Why, they ain't done nothin' fer a /whole week but tramp about and go off their feed. I allow there ain't no use of trying to break 'em, whatever." "They'll break pretty sooh, or I lose r toy guess," said the boss. Bill Martin, figure that them clouds'll bust some­ where hereabouts, and then look out. Wisht I had some more ponies, or least- >at were fresh. We got to >le hard to keep^p ef they iich I allow they will." a long tongue of brilliant clouds and, winding a de­ vious and uncertain way across the black skies, plunged into the earth at no great distance from where the ranch­ men stood. Instantly it was followed by a roar and rumble of thunder as if a park of artillery had suddenly gone into actioni The sound was deafening, the thunder in that country often being sufficiently severe sto "shake the nerves ef the strongest man. Following this came a roar as of some mighty catar­ act, as the wind took sudden volume and that huge bank of clouds bore rap­ idly down upon the milling beasts. Just as suddenly the animals halted in their march and turned frightened eyes In the direction of the advancing storm. Then they moved uneasily, tossed their horns and dug up the turf as the first spattering raindrops fell all about and upon them. "Here, you fellers,' yelled Martin. "Get busy there an' head off them blamed steers. Don't ye see they are goin' to stampede? Hurry, and p'int at that gulch over ther. Bide, you devils, as you.never rid* before." . Suiting the action to the word the calculated to produce the result he had brought about As-the cattle raced consent additions were made, until it semed that the en­ tire herd was chasing Bill. He reflect­ ed as he ran that he had this advan­ tage, that when the ride was over, if he survived, he could locate all of the herd without much trouble. Just how long it would take to terminate the drift was the problem, as the herd was mostly made up of young sters, full of life and fleet of foot. Bill was busy particularly in his straining effort to avoid being inclosed in the rushing herd. He had a little the start of them; could he maintain it until a chance offered to quarter the drive and escape to one side? He dug his rowels into his pony's flanks and swore vengeance on "Curley" as soon as the fun was over. On rushed Bill, and on rushed the cat­ tle. Behind them, with yells and shouts spurring them to great efforts, raced the boys. They were all pretty evenly matched, sq^ that there was little change in their relative positions for a long time. How long Bill does not know. It seemed a week to him, but nobody in his plight could measure time with any degree of accuracy. The rain fell in torrents and the plains, now darkened by the fading day and the heavy green black clouds, was fitfully lighted by the constant flashes of light­ ning. wh^'ch mockingly illuminated the pathway in front of Bill, likewise the steere. At every flash and every roar of thunder the bulls toote: on more steam, and after a short time Bill saw with apprehension that they were gain­ ing on him. Would they trample him in the mud? It began to look as if they might, for his pony's wind was about gone and his panting was becoming short, sobbing gasps. On they plunged, rider and pursued. "I allow yer about the best bunch of skunks I ever see," was his greeting. "Whatever do ye mean in stampedin- that herd? Get up an' get busy, all of ye. Scatter and see that them bulla don't drift to where we all kain't find 'eih. 'Heir me?" "Which we do, Bill," drawled "Cur­ ley" from where he lay all sprawled out in the ground. "An' we all ain't goin" to do nothin' of the sort. I allow them, bulls is all right where they be, and they ain't no use in stirrin' of 'em, none whatever." "Who's boss of this gang, me or you, ye wutliless cayote? Ye done all the michief with yer durned quirt Get up out of this or I'll sink my boot into ye." "Which ye won't do nothin' of the kind, Bill," was the growling answer, as "Curley" half rose and returned the scowl of the boss with interest. "I al­ low they ain't goin' to be no bootin' yere. I also allow I'm goin' to stay right yere. Ef they's goin' to be any bootin' I hereby declares myself into the game, and so I tells you plain." Kin ye shoot?" roared Bill, unlimber- ing as he spoke. The two men gazed wrathfully at each other for a moment and then the pistols blazed out, shot following shot until all were empty. When the action was over "Curley" was lying still on the ground with a hole in his lungs and Bill was nursing a badly wounded shoulder. •>' . Well, it was a bad business, but then none of the others felt any call to in­ terfere, and the combatants were hast­ ened back to the ranchhduse and med­ ical aid summoned. ifortunateiy neither was fatally hurt, but "Curley" did hospital duty for the rest of the season and Bill took charge of the sta bles. He was scarcely "fltten," as ha , said, tor duty with the herd. Late Maturing Potatoes, Most of the very large growers of po­ tatoes plant mainly of the late-matur­ ing varieties. There is a good deal of loss in marketing early varieties, espe­ cially those dug while their skin is stiil tender, and is broken by being rubbed against. In hot weather such potatoes rot easily, andf though the price is high-- er there is not so great profit as for the more productive later crop that can usually be marketed without injury. Early potatoes do not generally pro­ duce heavily. Hot, dry weather short­ ens the crop, while with late potatoes planted late much of the growth of the tubers is made aftef* the heated term has passed. Salt Destroj's Seeds. Wherever salt is sown so that it comes in contact with germinating seeds it will rot and destroy them. The first germ of seeds is very tender, and as it starts out the seed gives out some mois­ ture which dissolves the salt. The ef feet of very small quantities of salt is to decompose vegetation of all kinds. A large amount might pickle it and prevent decomposition. But either small or large, it is destructive of the germs of vegetable life. But if there is a great deal of rainfall the salt Is dis­ sipated, and so mixed with surround­ ing soil that little injury to the seed is produced. An Impromptu Filter. An impromptu filter will be found convenient. Buy 5 cents' worth of powdered charcoal; put it in a piece of flannel, together with some small stones--fine pebbles are best--and tie it to the spigot The water running through this will be quite clear. Be sure you. have coarse flannel, as the charcoal sifts through muslin. If it runs too slowly put something under the spigot and let it run while you are doing something else and dip it out af­ terward. The increased clearness of the water will repay you. ... Keep Flour from Taint. Flour should be kept with the great­ est care, (as it takes on the odor of things about it, and becomes tainted al­ most as easily as do' milk and butter. As it also becomes heavy and moldy In a damp place, it should be kept where weather changes will not affect it. The lightness and dryness of the flour, of course, has a great deal to do with the superior quality of the bread and cake made from it. When flour is bought by the barrel, a patented convenience that consists of a swinging shelf that raises the barrel a few inches from the floor, so that the air may circulate free­ ly about it, is liked by housekeepers Who have space for it. Odds and Ends. An easy way to remove spots of paint from glass is to make a strong solution of soda in hot water and wash the glass with a flannel dipped in this. Tumblers that have been used for milk should never be put into hot water until they have first been rinsed in cold waiter. The heat drives the milk in and gives a cloudy appearance to the glass, which cannot be removed. Clothing that has become spotted and whose color has been destroyed by acids may have the color restored by applying ammonia and afterward chloroform. Occasionally your pet canary bird should be fed with a hard-boiled egg, chopped fine and mixed with cracker crumbs, giving it not more than a thim­ bleful of the mixture at a time. The Strawberry Patch. The family strawberry natch Is not usually large, and can therefore be given the best of attention. Rake the beds and clear off all the refuse, or burn the beds over. Then sprinkle fine bonemeal and muriate of potash.,over the rows, or use well-rotted manure that is free from litter, covering the beds with straw or salt hay. and plac­ ing cornstalks or brush on the hay. Early in spring remove the mulch and sprinkle nitrate of soda over the rows before the plants begin to grow. Trees in Tilled Fields. A few years ago we wrote on the ex- pensiveness of keeping scattered trees left for shade In pastures In fields that every few years had to be broken up and used for tilled crops. The grass may or may not be Injured under +he tree, according to its variety and habit, of growth. But wherever the field was planted with either corn or potatoes the blighting effedts of the tree sapping the soil of moisture were to be seen as tar either way as its roots extended. Farm Notes. There Is no charm in slipshod farm­ ing, none in weedy fields, fences, fence cornel's or barns, or with buildings in a general' state of disorder. Before the ground freezes see that good drainage is provided around the stables and sheds, the fruit and vegeta­ ble pits and In the orchard. Turkey raising is becoming more prof­ itable and popular. Like sheep, they grow and fatten in the fields on what would be otherwise lost; besides, their eating of insects by the million Is a benefit to the crops. A good crop of turkeys brings a fine income for a little expense. Their long; legs enable them to move more easily anywhere. The fall is the time to ditch and till the land for drainage, as the work can be then done at less cost than at any other period of the year. Lands in the West that have been tilled have gained sufficiently in one year, by the in­ creased yield per acre, to more than pay the cost of drainage. Every year that wet land is left undrained is a loss ot just so much time that could be gained by drainage. An orclmrdist says: Peach trees will not bear choice fruit when growing in sod. In fact, there are few fruit trees that will not produce better fruit and more of it if the grass Is prevented from growing near them. Fruit trees in poultry yards, where the ground is kept constantly bare of all vegetation usually bear excellent fruit. Of course some allowance must be made for the fertilizing benefits received from the droppings of the fowls. In harvesting, as well as in storage, potatoes should be exposed I to light as little as possible, says Farmers' Bulle tin No. 35 of the United States Depart­ ment of Agriculture. In storing pota toes a low temperature is required. The potato tuber Is uninjured by a tempera ture of 33 degrees F., and one authority gives the freezing temperature of po­ tatoes 30.2 degrees F. Warmth favors sprouting, which injures potatoes, both lor planting and eating. CHINESE ARE THRIFTY FELLOWS Start In Bnaine-s'on Borrowed Capital and Always Repay the Loans. "In some respects the much-abused Chinamen," said Hong Sing Long, one of the Interpreters and general agents of the Chinese Six Companies, to a St^ reporter, "are way in advance of the ordinary worklngman, and particularly so in regard to their Ready Money As­ sociation." Hong Sing Long spends most of his time in New York, though he visits Washington several times each year. He is an educated Chinaman and has had the advantage of several years at Harvard and besides has been gradu­ ated as a lawyer. "With the exception of one, all of the Chinese laundry places in this city are the result of the Ready Money associa­ tions; that Is, the. money necessary to start them came from the Ready Money. The plan Is not unlike the building associations, which I am told have quite a clientele here, and which were prigihally started in Philadelphia. The Chinese plan is to start Ready Moneysi as often as a party of Chinese find they have any surplus money on hand, the idea being to keep the money moving along. It is the custom of the laundry boys, for Chinamen always speak of each other as boys, to gather about on Monday, that being their off day, and gossip. All who have spare money put it in a pool and authorize some one to keep It personally as a deposit in a bank. As soon as the pool gets; any size, the word goes: out and it lsy«fid; tg the largest bidder, if there 1^ inWethanoheapplicantfor.it "As a general thing there is but one applicant and he gets it, at a rate of interest agreed upon. It starts him In business and in a few weeks he begins paying back. Now and then there is no demand for the money. It then goes to the cities where it is needed. Just now the Chinamen are starting laun­ dries in a number of small towns of the South, and my errand here now Is to get some of the Ready Money funds to be advanced for that purpose. Safe! Perfectly safe. The civiliza­ tion of the Chinese is no new thing. It is 5,000 years old. " They have found out that honesty is the best policy; not on account of the moral or religious question involved as you understand it, but on account of the business proposi­ tion involved. Honesty is best because it pays, as for many other reasons. In business dealings Chinese are very strict, much more strict than any other people. "The Chinaman knows that if he bor­ rows lie must pay back, and that the consequences,of not doing so are very serious, much more serious than it is with Americans or Europeans. He knows this before he gets the money and does not take it unless he means to pay back. The man who acts as secre­ tary of the Ready Money is also the treasurer. He takes pretty good care to give a good account of his stewardship, for his happiness depends upon his con­ duct. The Chinese Ready Moneys fre­ quently close up in a week, though or­ dinarily they last longer. Each trans­ action is a separate one. A man may be a member of a dozen or have all of his money in one. The great advantage of the Ready Money is that it gives everyone who wants it money to open up business for himself whenever he sees the oppor­ tunity. There is no waiting--no secur­ ity is needed except a promise to pay. The payment never fails, except for ood reasons, such as accident or sick­ ness. In fact, it does not pay to fail to pay, for it will cost more in the long run. When your civilization is 5,000 years old, you will know more than you do now,'and will understand things that now seem to be wonderful in us."-- Washington Star. Electricity. The paradox of modern science is furnished by electricity. In no other department of science has progress in the matter of application been so great that experts can well afford to ac­ knowledge that what they now know with regard to the true nature of the subject is less than what they pro­ fessed to know a quarter of a century ago. An expert, writing in a recent num ber of one of the magazines, asks, 'What is electricity?" and replies to his own question, "That is a question no man can yet fully answer." A college president said not long ago. No man knows what electricity is," In his "Dictionary of Electrical Words, Terms and Phrases" Dr. Houston de­ fines electricity as "The name given to the unknown thing, matter or force, Or both, which is the cause of electric phenomena." Twenty-five years ago the text-books on physics attempted to give a clear understanding of whatpositive electric­ ity is and what negative electricity is. The definition to-day of positive elec­ tricity is, "One of the phases of elec­ tric excitement," and the definition of negative electricity is the same except that the word "electrical" is used in­ stead of "electric"--both meaning the same thing. The intimate connection between electricity and light is well known, but the knowledge seems only to make the true nature of electricity more myste­ rious than before. Yet electricity has come to be a "mat­ ter or force, or both," that is almost in dispensable in the daily life of the civ ilized world. The "unknown thing' has been made to furnish power, light and heat. It "has been harnessed for the service of mankind, and no man knows what is the tiling in harness, The street car motorinan who calls it "juice" knows as much about the real nature of It as the wisest experts know. Likes and Dislikes of Birds. It is said that birds are nearly as sen sitive in their likes and dislikes as dogs, Some people can never gain the friefed ship of a caged bird. A bird lias to leam by experience that It Is safe with a human being before it will respond to kind treatment. Aubrey De Yere has practically flak Ished the preparation of his "Remini»- cences." John Davidson's "New Ballad*" have Just been published as a companion vol­ ume to his "Songs and Ballads." : Edward W. Townsend'is "Chlmmle •Fadden" has at length found an intro­ duction to London society through the ' Osgood publishing house. The next volume in the "Stories ot the Nations" series will be "The Balk­ ans," by William Miller. Mr. Miller calls the Bankan peninsula the cockpit of Europe. Mrs. Kate Douglas Wiggin's new book, "Marm Lisa," shows the same ^ remarkable inislght Into-child life as her former stories,. besides a decided ad­ vance in the art of construction. The first volume of Prof! Sloane's monumental life of Napoleon, which ran for about two years in the Century, has appeared in its new and. sumptuous form. The full-page illustrations are chiefly done in colors. . . % • Clement K. Shorter^ "Charlotte" Bronte and Her Circle," which has just - appeared, contains some new material, reluctantly supplied by the Bev. A. B. Nicholls, in: which he "breaks the si­ lence of forty years." Little, Brown & Co. have issued a new and handsome two-volume edition of Herman Grim's famous "Life of Mi­ chael Angelo." It contains over forty photogravure plates from celebrated paintings and sculptures. Renan's "humble birthplace at Treg- nie, in Bretagne, part of a fisherman's cottage--for that was the profession of the illustrious Frenchman's father and unclose--has had a slab added to It to commemorate the birth of the celebrat­ ed villager. ; Rudyard Kipling's story, "Captains Courageous," is a tale of the Gloucester cod-fisheries, and has a boy for. its hero. It shows a liberal share of the genuine Kipling power in action and character delineation. The Rev. Walter Weston's long-ex­ pected work on "The Japanese Alps" is at last about to appear in London. Tho work deals with the scenery in the un­ familiar mountain regions of Japan, and also with the picturesque tradi­ tions and superstitions of the people in those regions. The French public is very much amused over a work called "Miseries of Military Life in Germany." It is an, amalgamation of two volumes, "Golden; Misery" and "Barrack Misery," fori which the writer, Lieut. Rudolphj Krafft, was sentenced to a term of im­ prisonment and forbidden to wear unl-j form. Of course, the French transla­ tors have seen to it that such a choicei bit should lose nothing in translation. Messrs. Macmillan promise a volume* of. travels by an Austrian princess--th© Princess Mary of Thurn and Taxis. Slio has been wandering in "Unknown Aus­ tria," meaning by that the country ly­ ing inland from Triest Here, she says, we have a region not only of great scenic beauty, but a region which is full of "memories and of classic associa­ tions." She instances the relics of old Roman life and grandeur, and a very, historic castle, that of Duino. The Princess tells the story of this seat, and elsewhere unearths other tales of real romance. An Innocent Culprit. Cape Town, South Africa, claims the honor of possessing the smallest crea­ ture ever known to have been a gunner in the Royal Artillery, or any other ar­ tillery. The Brockton Times tells the story of its exploit. At the castle, Cape| Town, it appears there is a magnifi­ cent gun worked by electricity, used; for giving the midday and evening time., One day the military and civilians of Cape Town were surprised to hear the gun go off at half-past ten in the morn­ ing. The general commanding the sta­ tion sent to inquire what such irregu­ larity meant; the brigade major did the same. The commanding officers of each regiment and battery stationed in Cape Town sent messengers, but no one could be found upon whom to lay the blame. The officials could give no ex­ planation; they were as much surprised as anybody. • The general in command of the sta­ tion became furious at such an un­ heard-of infringement of discipline. He was sure there • was mismanagement somewhere, or the act would not have been possible. Strict search was or­ dered to be made, but although the or­ der was carried out to the letter, the culprit remained undiscovered. Then, when the search had been prac­ tically abandoned, the little gunner was accidentally discovered and arrested. There he lay inside the instrument that transmits the electric current from the Royal Observatory of Cape Town ft) the great gun. This instrument is call­ ed a relay, and is in the central tele­ graph office of the station. The action of the current going through the instru­ ment's main moves a sort of light tongue which is so finely set that the slightest touch will affect it. The tongue forces the current Into what are termed the time fuses, which, fire the gun at the castle. Right Inside the relay was found the little gunner. It was discovered by an official who was examining the instru­ ment, and who was surprised to see in­ side--a big brown spider. In its ex­ plorations within the instrument the spider must have touched the tongue sufficiently to move it, and thus fired off the gun. > The genei«.l sent the spider to the Cape Town Museum, where it is now to be seen with a card underneath en­ titling it fhe "Little Gunner," and giv­ ing a full account of its exploit with the Cape Town midday gun. Irrigation in Wyoming. Ditches are now in course of con­ struction in the Big Horn basin, in Wyoming, which will irrigate 125,000 acres of land. There should be, something said on tombstones about husbands having been good providers, and less about "gentleness" and "love." • The purchase of a 500-acre lot near London, to be gradually covered by an immense ethnological museum, is urged by Professor Flinders Petrie, who finds existing museums far too small to re­ ceive the materials explorers are so rap? idly unearthing. ;:,V v' ~L ' j£