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BUYING FARM LAND DON'T BE TEMPTED TO BUY TOO MUCH. - t*revailine Tendency Is to Bay More than Can Be Cultivated) and the farmer Takes on a Mortgage that Weighs Him Down. " TERRIBLE : TEMPER son occasionally cb'^ftferacts the effect of a lesser quantity, jj.vkl Tthink," with a smile charmingly ItipnMenfcial, "it is something the same way .with gossip-- don't you?" "• It was Miss :M«rp&y\s turn to gasp. Such a girl! Buttheai one' neyer could understand Jessica Biy, Miss Murphy thought it was time to go. With the cessation of conversation concerning personal affairs her internal died a nat­ ural death. She r^£-a verse;, to wading in foreign waters." ̂ jThe inodorous pool scummed over with village scandal suf­ ficed her. She feared aught else. £ "Good-by, my dear," -with a bewil­ dered shake of the tinseled bonnet. "I am so sorry I had to tell you. Life is full of unpleasant duties: I never like to interfere in other people's affairs. 'Charity,' I always ^ay; 'charity and silence.' If there Is anything I partic­ ularly detest it is talebearing. Well, as I said, I must be going. Good-by, my dear. I'm so glad you don't mind." "Good-by," cordially.,, "We ail thought," pausing at the door for a parting thrust, "that it was to be not only a marriage de convenance, but a genuineiove affair on both sides." "Indeed!" said Jessica, brightly arch- ins her pretty brows. And then at last the door closed on could afford to be silent. She had j her visitor's broad, black-silk back. The dropped her small shell and it had ex- "If there, is anything especially ob- noxious to. me," avowed Miss Murphy, In solemn conclusion, '• it is interfer­ ence with the affairs of others; but in this case I said to myself, 'Duty, Mary Anne Murphy, duty!' " ' "Or" gasped Jessica. She had sunk back in the rose-beribboned rattan rocker in quite a tremor of dismay. A very charming'room, this suburban '* jttrlor, into which gold bars of sun- snhie slanted through the half-closed Venehans. Worthy even of pretty Jessica--it, with its tiled hardwood floor, its silver-fox and bearskin rugs, its Madras-draped windows, its quaint­ ly modern mantel of polished oak. its eccentric chairs, its grotesque tables, its dainty aquarelles, its Chinese cabi­ nets, its siender but admirably chosen collection of bisque and Limoges. And surely eye, however critical, conld crave no sweeter picture than little Miss Ray made in her pale blue Bnrah tea gown, cascaded with Valen­ ciennes, and all her bronze-bright rip­ ply hair braided in childish fashion down her back. But just now the love­ ly face was curiously colorless, the pur- * ple-blne eyes wide and startled under their long lashes. There was silence after that sharp exclamation of Jessica's. Miss Murphy j blitheness born of bravado died out of little Miss Ray'6 face. She went slow­ ly back to the rose-beribboned rocker plodedwith a most satisfactory- report. She sat rigidly erect in the conscious­ ness of duty done, every fold of her j and sat down therein for a good,heart- black silk visiting costume stiff with j.sick, discontented, mortified, miserable propriety, every pompon on the brown j cry. When she had been very, very Liege bonnet bristling with respecta- young and charming, and Jack Suther- bility "I don't believe a word of it!" de­ clared Jessica, slowly. If impolite, the remark was in no de­ gree insolent. It was simply the utter­ ance of a conviction. Miss Murphy was not offended. She removed her gaze from a gem of Van Elton's on the opposite wall to fasten it on the agi­ tated little lady in the rocker. It took some endurance on Jessica's part to sit meekly under the scrutiny of those fad-, ed blue eyes--eyes tolerant, placid, beaming, as those of a benignant old cow. "It is true, my dear. He said it. I beard him with my own ears!" This really was unanswerable. "They were in the front parlor," pur­ sued Miss Murphy, folding her plump, tan-gloved hands with aggravating leisnrc and serenity. "I sat sewing Just behind the portiere. I never would have staid could I only have foretold what was coming. They had been talking about other things, and were client for awhile. Suddenly my Ned burst out laughing. 'So you've seen her,' he said, 'and you don't fancy her, eh? 'Fancy her,' echoed Jack. 'Weil, I should say not!'" • "Well?" urged Jessica, steadily. She would hear it out, she told her­ self--she would--every word of it! "Well, then," slowly, to heighten by suspense the effect of her narrative. "Ned said, 'Tlie boys around here all like her immensely. Roy Pates savs she's a daisy!' " $ "O!" moaned Jessica. "You must ex­ cuse that nephew of mine, my ri-.-nr; you really must. Ned but repeats what he hears. Besides, you know, he is only a boy yet--just IS. What Ned said is of no importance;? "Pleas0 "-o " »» I ~ on." ' I She sat erect again, Very pale ard imperative, indeed. "If you insist ou hearing," hesitat­ ingly. "Jack replied, 'Well, I don't. I did just at first. I confess for awhile she deceived me. But a few days gave me enough of her.' Ned said: 'Why, we all thought you were in great luck to get her.' 'Luck!' cried Jack in an­ swer, so loud my deari I fairiy jump­ ed. 'Luck! l'es, the most confounded piece of bad luck I ever struck!' I am ashamed to say, my dear, but to be veracious I must say that here Ned, quite carried away by his youthful sympathies, inquired: 'Can't you get out of it?' And Jack said: 'Confound it, no! That's the worst of it. I can't break such a contract with any honor to myself. But I only wish some other fellow stood in my shoes just now. I've promised to take her, and I've got to do it but it's a deuced bad bargain'--oh, my dear Jessica, you're not going to faint!" Jessica put out her hand with a slight, repressing gesture. "No, Miss Murphy, I am not going to faint. Is, that all?" Miss Murphy was rather disconcert­ ed. Her shell had not exploded noisily, it is true. But now that the smoke was clearing away she, at whose feet it had been flung, was not dead--not even \®unded. f' "Yes, I believe that was all, for just then some one summoned Jack. But . as he went out he called back to'Ned: 'I'll see you at Bryant's to-morrow night and talk this unfortunate blun­ der over again. Be in my study at 10. I'll meet you there.' " "And that really is all?" queried Jes­ sica, quite her own possessed self ip again. _ Miss Murphy started. To once more drop into similes, her balloon, which bad sailed up so straightly and secure­ ly at first, had suddenly collapsed and was falling with startling rapidity. "I should thiuk," severely, "it would lie quite enough." "Enough?" airily. "That's it! it's too much! You know an overdose of poi- land an awkward lad of 10. their fath­ ers had planned a marriage in the fu­ ture. The planning stood, by the way, upon an agreeably substantial basis, looking at the affair from a financial point of view. Soon after Jack's father had died and Jack had gone to live with his mother's relatives In England. He carried with him the memory of a pair of swreet eyes, for all the world like big, blue, dew-wet forget-me-nots, for wee Jes­ sica had parted from her playmate with a particularly tender and protesting farewell. Twelve years passed. Neith­ er chafed--as in novelistic traditions bound--against the paternal decision of thelr ehildhood. No fair English maid­ en displaced his first love in Jack's loyal heart. As for Jessica, she had grown to think of Jack as a hero who was coming across the sea to claim her. When she anticipated that coming be­ fore her mind's eye forth pranced a snowy charger bearing a plumed knight. One day, just two weeks ago it was, she went down to the drawing-room in reisponse to the servant's announce­ ment. A gentleman standing in the window turned at her entrance. He came swiftly forward, both hands ex­ tended, his face brightening with gay admiration. "It is--it is--little Jessica!" She knew him then. Without cur­ veted no splendid steed. By his side swung no jeweled scabbard. Around his neck swung no mandolin. From his sliouldetf iell iio cloak of ruby vel­ vet. Not stalwart statured was he, nor raven haired, nor flashing eyed. Not the grand creation of her girlhood's sweet foolish dreams, {in truth, his riv­ als would have^ said, 'a very ordinary young man. But he had come! Jessica's heart gave a great throb. A tine wom­ an, though, ego, an arc.li-hypocrite, she put her hand in'his with an air of cool surprise, a touch of weUhred reproof in her greeting. v.\\ "And you are--Mr. Sutherland!" Neither had in any way suggested the odd relation in which they tacitly stood to each other. Both felt the cfiain that bound them, for all its massive goldea links a very frail and brittle one in the passionate strength of youthful im­ pulse. Neither would .be slow to fling it off if the bandage proved oppressive, However, it did not. The childish, ig­ norant. romantic affection which had been smoldering in their hearts siuce the sorrowful parting of the playmates, at a word, a touch,, a look, blazed up into a pure and strong and steady flame. Of his courtship Jack Suther­ land made short work. Putting aside the understanding between their fath­ ers like the man he was he wooed her for her own sweet sake. jV Just two nights ago he had told her in his own direct fashion how dearly he loved her. And Jessica--well, last evening had come the sapphire ring that--only last evening and to-day this If Miss Murphy's neat little shell had not brought death it had caused pain akin to it. "It's the money!" moaned Jessica "It's the horrid detestable money he wants. It isn't me!" And then a facc with clear brown eyes and a kind grave smile arose before her and she broke down crying afresh. But after awhile she sprang up, rub bing two very small resolute fists in two very pink eyes. ""I won't sec him to-night. And I'll b,e In the library at 10. And I'll hear what else he has to no, I won't! I won't eavesdrop. But I'll look my very loveliest--I will--; will!" • * And she did.. As she came up the parlors at Mrs Bryant's "small and early" Misa Mur­ phy--always first on the field--looked at her in amazement. Quite a bewitch lng vision little-Miss Ray to-nlgbt, rose lipped, star-eyed, smiling, her slim, dusk draperies of lace trailing softly behind her, a huge duster of violets at her bosom. It was after 10 beforp she could escape from her companion and make her way to the library. Her hand on the portiere dividing that apartment from the morning room, she paused. . Voices. She didn't.intend to eaves­ drop. Of Couitee, it was unintentional- all was said and over so quickly. Equally of course It was dishonorable, but I think as a rule we are not apt to consider questions of ljonor with ex­ treme nicety when -our hearts are very sore. "I've decided to take her," Jack's quiet voice was saying, wearily. "It's -the only thing I can do now." Ned spoke. ° , "She's skittish, I know, but (by way of cousolation) she may outgrow that." Jessica groaned Involuntarily. Jack glanced toward the curtain. "Well, drop the subject." In a lower voice:; "Keep it dark, like a good boy. I don't want people to 'know I am such a young fool as to be taken in by a bag of bones, all paint and drugs." Jessica was.plump as a partridge, and her complexion was a "bloom" pat­ ented by nature's self. The morning room Was unlit save from the hall. Thank goodness for that! She felt her­ self growing faint and dizzy. Was that Jack who talked so--could it be--her Jack? "O, come now!" laUglied Ned, "you know you are exaggerating. She's not quite as bad as that!" "Pretty nearly!" ruefully. "I don't so much mind her skittisliness--I could break her of that, 1 flatter myself--but she has a terrible temper!" _ - - She must not faint, Jessica told her­ self frantically. O, she must not! Was that dark thing beside her in the shad­ ow of the portiere a fauteuil. She sank down on it heavily, weakly, exhausted- ly. Horror of horrors! It at first suc­ cumbed a second to her weight, then moved, protested with vigorous ener­ gy, shrieked. All faintness banished, Jessica leaped to her feet, her soft, quick cry of alarm mingling with that muffled roar of rheumatic agony. "That's aunt!" gasped Ned "Jessica!" cried Jack. forward and flung aside the portiere. The light from the library poured Into the shadowy morning room. It fell on Jessica standing just within, very white and trembling, and it showed on the floor a large and ungraceful heap of crushed drab silk and bugles, dis­ ordered "front," and grewrsome groans. For a moment they stood and stored --speechless. But Miss Murphy kept on groaning. "What is it all about?" queried Ned bewilderedly, helping his aunt to rise. "I--I," faltered Jessica, "sat down on Miss Murphy!" "What?" cried Ned. "We were eavesdropping," confessed Miss Murphy, with venomous candor, "and Jessica took me for a footstool and " "My darling!' whispered Jack (no, not to Miss Murphy) "I thought when I heard your voice you were hurt or----" Jessica flamed up. "How dare you? StShd back, sir! Here's your ring." She tugged brave­ ly. but it fitted well. "I have heard in what manner you speak of me. No," disgustedly, "don't appear astonished! Recall your conversation of yesterday morning with Ned Sales." Ned stared at being thus abruptly referred to. Jack looked dazed. "I did not intend to hear such another con­ versation as that which had been re­ peated to me, but I did. If I'm--I'm," the rose crimsoning in her cheeks, "skittish," bringing out the hateful word with a jerk, "and--and a deuced --bad--bargain," slowly, "and if I've got a ter--ter--here's your ring!" She had wrenched it off at last. But Jack did not take it. His dumb dismay had turned to uproarious mirth It was well a noisy polonaise was in progress in the drawing-room. He laughed. He kept on laughing. Sud -°1 denly the wrhole ludicrous misunder­ standing bursting on Ned he struck in with a very howl of delight, and they fell into each other's arms like a couple of crazy boys aud supported each other and laughed. But, recollecting Jessica standing there, Sutherland explained, between shameful relapses into laughter: "It was--a horse. I thought I knew all about horseflesh. I knew nothing. I have to take her--the idiocy is mine. I fondly fancied I had found a Maud S. im Smiley's famous nag could beat he.r. I gave a thousand for her. She's worth--and. now you understand!" For Jessica had sprung forward, mouth and eyes three sweet, remorse ful "O's!" "Jack--Jack! And how l talked just now!" all riotous blushes. "I must have, after all, a--a--the kind of a tem­ per you said the horse had." "I'll risk it," laughed Jack. Heedless of Mrs. Bryant's small nephew who had entered and stood stock still, an exclamation point of in quisltive delight; heedless of Ned, who lung in silent, spasmodic convulsions to the portiere; heedless even, this rash young man, of Miss Murphy, that an­ cient virgin, who. rigid and frigid, lowered at him in an access of scan­ dalized modesty, he took his sweet­ heart in his arms with a good, long, loving kiss, and thus adoringly address ed her: "Doubted me, did you? You--con­ temptible little--wretch!"--New York Dispatch. Buying a Farm. A great many men when they set put to buy a farm are tempted to buy three, six or nine times as much •land as they can handle. They want a quarter sec­ tion for each member of the family or they want to play off as a farmer on a mammoth scale. To carry out his plans he has only half as much money as he needs, and he borrows enough tQ carry him through with the purchase at least. He at once comes under mortgage for half the value of the land he lias bought. He begins in the new country at the bottom, has no money to improve with or to pay hired help With. He flounders in a desperate way until the end comes. He lias no money to buy fuel for the cold weather.season, and in case of a general failure of the crops he has no money to buy grain or other feed to carry his'stock through the win­ ter. We know of cases out West where men are land.poor. They own sections of land--tracts so large that they can­ not work them. It' is choice laud as need be, but they cannot sell it. They are tied to it. We know of another case where a man had a strong notion of be­ coming the largest land owner in the world. He bought land until his boun­ dary lines were counted by miles Ui length. Then lie went to farthing. He bought all the improved patent farm implements, that were known, and left the most of them out of-doors the year ouud. This kind of fanning resulted just as such farming always will re­ sult. Huge fields of corn left to go into the winter unhuskedr the regular fall work half done. .. • Another class of men must cut a re­ spectable figure as farmers, and they buy a half section or a section of land; may pay for the whole or go in debt for a part of the purchase money. The He strode | ̂an<^ pay be first rate, but the man has more land than lie can work. He can­ not more than about half farm the land he has undertaken to work. He cannot keep down the weeds nor properly fer­ tilize his ground.. The hiring of help as wanted is very uncertain, these days especially. A speculator buys 8,000 or 10,000 acres of land in a good locality. He is Interested in having settlements made as fast around his purchase as possible. He has bought with the calculation that the settlement of the country will make him a fortune. The speculator's land is usually offered at a strong advance on the price originally paid for it, but on long-time payments, bearing a healthy rate of interest. In this way a good many farmers have been drawn into trouble and some speculators have made money. It is, however, the policy of the government of this country to have ail lands sold in small holdings. A man going into a new part of the country to buy a farm should make his calculation to buy just as much land as lie can pay for and have enough money left to" improve the purchase with. He should have buildings of the right size and for all purposes, and should have fencing of the right kind, so stock could neither break in upon him nor break out. After the farm is well fixed ev­ ery farmer should have a bank account of $300 to 5500, which is far better than to have a mortgage to nurse from year to year. How much anxiety and trou­ ble has the mortgage made. We have seen it stated lately that the amount of public laud outside of that which has been entered, exclusive of Alaska, is 000,000,000 acres. Of course, whatever the amount is, the estimate takes '.n mountain, hill and dale, sa'hd, plain and every kind of worthless, un­ productive land. It will yet be a long time before all the land that is really desirable is taken up and put to prac­ tical use. The Indian reservations, when they come into market, sell quick­ ly, and tliey are all choice land.--Rural Home. Pekin Ducks and Water. The Pekin duck is a very valuable variety, but it has the reputation of not being hardy. . If left to swim all they will In cold /weather, the fowls will stiffen and become helpless. We long ago learned that this variety needed less water than any other, and will do well if only occasionally on warm days allowed sufficient water to bajtlie and wash themselves in. If kept from water the Pekin duck is a valuable variety, being very prolific and matur­ ing early. ' SnfcsoiHnc for Orchards. • In setting out trees of any kind it is best not merely to make a'fvide, deep hole, but to thoroughly subsoil all the land that the tree robts are expected to occupy. If this is done there will'be much less injury from dry weather the -first summer; as the subsoiled earth makes the best reservoir for water in time of need. This subsoiling is im­ portant for land to be planted with nursery stock, and is commonly prac- ticed by the most successfurgrowfc'fs. Shorthorn Carrots, * ' The large, coarse varieties of" carrots most used for stock feeding ate not so nutritious as is the shorthorn, which grows most of its bulk near the surface or slightly above it. As the shorthorn caiTot can grow more thickly in the row, it is nearly as productive as the deeper setting varieties, and it Is also more easily harvested. Five to six hundred bushels of the shorthorn car­ rot may be growrn per acre. This is a paying crop at the usual price of this root. . -f Feas for Poor Soils. There is no better way to fertilize poor land than to sow it with peas, using phosphate of lime to furnish the mineral fertility that this crop requires to perfect the seed. It is not nitrogen which the pea crop most needs other than what the pea roots supply by dis­ integrating air in the soil and liber­ ating its nitrogen. But to form the grain both lime and phosphate are re­ quired. With these supplied the soil will grow richer every year. / Mineral Manures for Spring Crops To be effective mineral manures for spring and summer crops must be ap plied early. They need some of the spring rains to dissolve the fertilizer so that the plant roots can make use of it. Besides, as weather and soil be­ come warm and dry there is less need of the fertilizer, as the soil itself re­ leases more of its own fertility under such conditions. Fine Seed Bed for Onions. The roller is indispensable tor prepar­ ing onion ground either for seed or sets. That with a shallow cultivation to the depth of two inches will make a •^better seed bed than will deeper tillage. If the soil is made friable deep down the onion may grow large, but it will likely be thick nocked and grow a crop of scullions. Dwarf Pears. There is one great advantage of dwarf trees over standard. They come into bearing earlier. A dwarf pear, for instance, is produced by budding on a quince stock and matures sooner than if on a pear stock. Dwarf trees should be pruned at the top, otherwise they are liable to fall over. More trees can be planted on given space than of stan­ dard size, but of course each tree will not bear as profusely. The yield is nearly the same per acre for both. They are in high favor with many, because pruning, thinning, spraying and gath­ ering fruit can be done so much more easily from small trees than from high ones.--Fruit Garden. Gooseberry Culture. I have the best success with goose berries that are not cultivated. I use hard and soft coal ashes and cinders as a mulch and find that the bushes I treat in this way are in every way su­ perior to those not treated with the cin­ ders. I shall treat all my bushes, both current and gooseberry, in this man­ ner as fast as I can get the cinders. W. B. H. ONE HUNDRED PEOPLE PERISH •BY FIRE. Awful Work of flames in acCrowded Bazar Being; Held for Charity--Mem­ bers of the French Nobility Anions the Victims. Paris Fire Horror. Fire broke out at 4 o'clock Tuesday af­ ternoon in a crowded charitable bazar in the Rue Jean Goujon, at which the Diich- ess d'Uzes and other well-knqwn patron­ esses were present. The bazar was open­ ed for, the first time Tuesday, and the stalls were in Charge of the most prom­ inent people in the capita). One hundred corpses were quickly laid out in the Palais de 1'Iridustrie. It is believed that another hundred are. be­ neath the ruins. Among the injured,who number 180, are the Duchesse de La Torre, the Princess Kotchonbuy, the Vis­ countess D'Avene! and Mesdauies Mo- reau, DuBrouil, Malesiux, Eugeno, Chal- leinel, Recamier and St. Didier. « Unable to Kecape. The building was erected in the flim­ siest manner, the nudity of scaffolding being concealed by inflammable tapestry hangings. Moreover, there was only one exit. The bazar was in full' swing, when the cry of fife rose'in- the quarter where the kinematograph was being exhibited. Before the firemen could arrive the roof of the bazaricrushed in, burying numbers of those who had been unable to make their egress, many of whom are supposed •to* have previously " succuifibed to the Stifling, smoke. The building was con-' structed about six months .ago. At time it Was remarked that it would .burn like matchwood. The interior was di­ vided into shops a la oldJParis, construct­ ed of prettily painted canvas. Recovering the Dead arid Injured. The prefect, M. Lepine, was one of the first officials to reach the scene, and he directed the operations for rescue and dis­ tributed the injured among the various houses of the vicinity. The dead were piled in heaps, and near the exit the charred remains feet deep. In some cases only the trunks remained, with no vestige of clothing. The firemen and a company of infantry followed to clear the ruins and search for corpses. The news spread like wild­ fire. All the cabinet ministers in Paris went immediately to the scene. Hun­ dreds of equipages streamed, along the Champs Elysees, their occupants, with anxious and tear-stained faces, inquiring for their relatives. Many Heartrendinsr Scenes. There were many heartrending scenes of grief and despair. Cabinet ministerax ambassadors, noblemen and members of the highest social and financial circles were side by side with the lowliest and the poorest, anxiously inquiring for their missing relatives. About thirty were saved by Fere Ambroise and Pere Bailly, who helped them over the wall with a lad­ der to the printing room of'the newspaper La Croix. The staff of the Ho'tel du Palais lent valuable assistance and saved 150 persons through a barred window overlooking the bazar, where, while tho hotel employes were carrying away the bars, they saw three persons burned to death. Corpses Terribly Mutilated. Policemen, their hands covered with gloves, have been deputed by the prefect Capt. Hinde's book on the "Fall of] the Congo Arabs" is to be published! soon. " Wh$n Nansen's publishers paid himj $50,000 for his book they showed a con-4„ fidence that has since been fully jus-j tilled. In a little over a month 40,000) copies of the work'were sold. ' j > "Ibsen on His Merits" is the boldj title of a book in which Sir Edward* R . j Russell and Percy Cross Standing arei about to examine into the strange in­ fluence of the remote Norwegian dram-: atist over Europe and America. ^ j * Andree Hope (Mrs. Harvey), whose) name was formerly well known among) British readers ot Action, has written a story of France and Siberia which! she calls "Ivan Alexandrovitch," and! which she has dedicated to Mr. Glad-| stone.. . • 0. . Col. Baden-Powell is writing a vol-' u,me on his recent experiences In the! war against the Matabele. He. waa one of the leading officers engaged la that African campaign; The book is to be embellished with photographs, some of them actually taken under fire. Hei means to call the volume "Campaign­ ing in Rhodesia," ' ,*••[ i Americans In England and on the! Continent are hereafter to have a news­ paper devoted to the news of their own' country. Arthur Pearson will start! such a publication, under the title, the Daily American. The London editor says his journal will Contain all tha information in the American papers* boiled down and served fresh. "Does Modern College Education Ed-j ucate?" is the important query started in the April Cosmopolitan. This is^bUC the opening paper in a discussion! which is to be taken part in by Presi­ dent Gilman, of Johns Hopkins, Presi- of Yale, President Scliur- man of Cornell, President Morton of Stevens Institute, Prof. Harry Thurs­ ton Peck, Bishop Potter, and other dis­ tinguished educators of America andi Europe. The Cosmopolitan promises a! memorable shaking up of the subject! of educational methods. Average Length of Human Lifte. The question, what constitutes a gen­ eration? must he admitted to have dif­ ferent answers, according to the coun­ try to which it is applied. It is calcu^ ated by statisticians that about thirty- three years constitute the average term of human life for all the inhabitants oi the globe, but some contend that, as a fourth to a half of the human race die before reaching the age of 2, this aver­ age Is much too high. The inhabitants of mountain countries, owing, perhaps, to. the purity of the atmosphere, theiu outdoor life and abstemious habits,) have a hlghei' average than residents of lowlands, while these in turn are longer lived than the inhabitants ofi flat, marshy districts. Still, however; even here there are contradictions, for /the Netherlander, a large part ofi ot police to pick out the portions ofr^/ country is bei0w the level of the mains and to wrap them in pieces of 0?5TUI A , ^ An Insane Bird. I saw a bird temporarily insane once, I believe. I had been wandering over the beaches on the Wenatchie Divide after an unsuccessful pheasant hunt Seeing a big red-headed woodpecker on a yellow pine, I let go my 22-caltber Marlin at him, and knocked him down. Going to pick him up, I saw the bird climb the tree from the ground, and when he was about ten feet up he b< gan to peck as fast as he could, aud to screech likte the deuce at the same time. He paid no attention to me, but kept on pecking and screeching, in spite of my efforts to reach him. I finally succeed­ ed in getting him, but he stil pecked and screeched. (I couldn't imagine what was the matter until after wringing his neck I examined him, and found that the bullet had simply scraped the skull, producing, I suppose, concussion of ihe brain at first and a temporary I so to speak--Forest and Stream. Fnttenine Calves, The first question which a butcher asks about a calf offered for the sham­ bles is'liow it has been fed. If it lias been allowed to suckle the cow, the' calf is in his opinion all right, and will dress as well as it looks. But this de­ pending on suckling, though good for the calf, helps to dry up the cow, and to make her uneasy when the calf is taken from her. The advautage of the suckling process is that the calf gets Its food slowly, and always warm. The slowness with which the calf gets the milk, and the muscular effort of the mouth required to get it, mixes more saliva with the nutrition and insures better digestion. But the owner of the cow may properly insist that the calf shall not run with it^dam, suckling a little every hour or two. Give it two meals per day, as nearly twelve hours apart as possible, and the last few minutes milk the richest part of the milk, the strippings, into a pail. It is very rare that a calf will get from the udder all that the human hand will do. It Is this retention of the strip­ pings in the udder that tends to dry cows so quickly when their calves suckle them.-7-Exchange. Anions: the Poultry. Peking ducks are good market fowls For large, heavy fowls have the roost low. Dampness causes leg weakness in ducks. The good layers are active and gen cHilly on the move. Dry earth is a good material to scat­ ter under the roosts. When a thrifty bird is fully matured it is easily fattened. Early hatched, well-developed pullets make good winter layers. Stale brefyl, soaked in milk, is a good feed for young poultry. Thrifty, vigorous one-year-old hens make reliable winter layers. Cleanliness and good feeding are the secrets of success with poultry. On the average it will cost one dollar to keep a laying hen one year. Leghorns and black Spanish lay eggs with the whitest shells of any breed. Scald and allow them to stand over night in a place where they will not freeze; this is one of the best ways of- feeding oat's to poultry. It is natural for some breeds of poul­ try to moult lighter each year, and hence what are often taken for defects are only natural to the breed.--St. Louis Republic. rap tnem in pieces ote^tni y to be transferred in ambulances tlie^l^ Palais de 1'Industrie. The remarfils pre­ sent a horrible spectacle of limbs puTiiecf and twisted. \ Arrangement of the Bff/ar, The proceeds of the sales at each stall were devoted to a separate charity. The stalls were presided over by Mme. Fev- ri'er, the wife of Gen. Fevrier; the Mar quise de.l'Aigle, Mine. Macobs, Barojne del la Lucette, the Marquise de ' St. Michel, the Duchesse d'Uzes, Mme. Mig- notte, the Baronue de Stoldier, the Com- tesse Dzalynska, the Marquise le Goues- tier, the Marquise di Argence, the Mar­ quise de Pitti, the Duchesse d'Alencon, a member of the Orleans family; Mme." d'Arlu, Mme. Boisseaux, the Bardnne F, de Schiekler, Mme. Moreau, the Mar­ quise Oosta de Beauregard, her royal highness the Duchesse de Vendome, the Marquise de Maison and the Comtesse de Grefful. Mdlle. de Florez presided over the refreshment stand. These ladies were assisted by many equally well-known so' ciety ladies, and all perished. The dowager Duchesse d'Uzes is one of the most prominent women in France, and is said to have provided 3,000,000 francs for the propaganda of Gen. Bou- langer. The Due d'Uzes is the premier duke of France, the creation of his title dating back to 1565. As ioon as President Faure heard of the disaster ho sent the most pressing in­ quiries for full particulars to the prefect of police. All the theaters in Paris closed at night. At midnight it was learned the wound­ ed number at least ISO. Mme. Flores, wife of the Spanish consul, expired at the Hospital Beaujon, where are several oth ers injured. M. Faure has visited the hospital and the Palais de 1'Industrie to pay his respects to the dead. ea, have a very large percentage Of ^individuals who have attained extreme uld age. It is asserted by some authori­ ties that the people of the rural dist tricts live longer than those of cities, and an argument is therefore drawn, to the disadvantage of the latter, al­ leging the greater nervous tension and excitement under which residents in cities live. The wiiole subject, how­ ever, is beset with difliculties of such a character that even the professional statisticians are unable to give a con-, elusive answer. Buyinjr Sweet Potato Sets. .Most nurserymen and seedsmen are glad to furnish.sweet potato sets for planting. They can do it, too, more cheaply than the average farmjer who has no greenhouse can do it for himself. More sweet potatoes"ought to be grown by Northern fanners. They need a warm, rich soil. By selecting a cloudy day, with probability of rain, the sets will get rooted in a few hours and be­ fore the top wilts. The home supply of Title of Admiral. It should here be explained that the title of, "Admiral" was not used in En­ gland in the earlier days, says the Lon­ don Nautical Magazine. In fact, the better opinion is that it was not so used before the beginning of the fourteenth century. He was called Capitaneus Maris (Captain of the Sea), "Keeper of the seacoasts," "Captain of the King's mariners." The title' "Admiral" or "Amlral," probably derived from the Arabic amir or emir (prefect), was used in foreign countries much earlier than In England, and came to us from France. Prynne ("Animadversions," p. 106) states that there were Admirals and an Admiralty Court in England as early as the time of Henry L, derived from our ancient Saxon kings--Alfred, Edgar,., Ethelred and others who had the dominion of the British ocean. None of these kings probably was more potent that, King Edgar, who, possess­ ing an absolute dominion of the neigh­ boring sea, sailed round about it every year and secured it with a constant guard. These ships being very^ stout ones, were in number 1,200; some writ- ei*s even affirm that there were 4,800 sailing ships. People are like silver-plated knives and forks; good care makes a big dif­ ference in their looks. Greece Tired of War. The Athens correspondent of the Lon don Daily Mail says the ministers of war and of the interior have returned from Pharsala and made their report to the cabinet. It is understood that as the result of their inquiry the war will be discontinued. News of Minor Note. The construction of a $600,000 cotton mill, to be erected by Boston capital, was begun at Cordova, Ala. The cruiser Brooklyn and the battle­ ship Indiana will be sent to England to take part in the queen's jubilee exercises, The Portuguese gunboat has complain ed to the Government at Lisbon at being stopped by Greek cruisers near Salonica. Burglars blew open the safe of the post office at Lewisburg, W. Va., securing some $700 ia stamps and cash. Ex-Champion Pugilist Tom Allen was arrested for creating a disturbance in a St. Louis saloon and passed the night in a cell. A plan is on foot to colonize in Kansas all the negroes who have been driven from their homes in the flooded districts of Missouri. A movement is on foot at Indianapolis to place limits upon the territory iu that city within which the liquor traffic shall be confined. ~ The collector at Tacoma, Wash, has been instructed to hold a gang of some 100 Chinamen, who are said to hold forg ed certificates. A rigid investigation will be made. As the result of the defalcation of Cash ier Cassin of the Washington Loan and Investment Company of Atlanta, Ga that institution baa gone unde^, the third of, its kind in as many days. Cassin is ,in jail. Harry Clark, cashier of the First Na tional Bank of Bridgeport,'^Ohio, hurried ly disposed of his propertyvand has disap peared. His accounts with "the banks are all Correct. 1)1 health is given as the I annumt cause of his peculiar actions., ' Our Oldest Regiment. The Third Regiment of Infantry in the regular army of the United States is our oldest military organization. It began its history as the First Regi­ ment, established in June, 1784. It was with "Mad Anthony" Wayne in his In­ dian campaigns. It was also promi­ nent in the war of 1812, and spent a de­ cade of its existence in the Great Lake regions. Then it went to Florida dur­ ing the Seminole war, and had its place at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Mon­ terey, Clierubusco and Vera Cruz in the Mexican war. The Third also fought Navajoes and Apaches for up­ ward of twenty years, aud during the Civil War took part in twenty-one bat­ tles and sieges, losing in killed and wrounded and missing 267 men. The fighting regiment paid Pennsylvania a visit during the riots of 187T. Value of Wild Animals. The small boy who measures the standard of the circus by the number of its elephants, is very nearly right, as to method. The pachydermata pro- boscidea is the most costly animal in captivity. African elephants are now quoted at from $6,000 to $7,000; an In­ dian elephant at about $5,000. Giraffes are worth about the same price as an African elephant on account of their scarcity, but as the elephant is the most popular for exhibition purposes its price keeps up. A fine hippopota­ mus may be purchased for $3,000, a big African lion for from $1,000 to $1,- 500, and a fine lioness for $800 or $900. Bengal tigers are also worth $800 to $900, and camels from $400 to $500 apiece. 5 A Chicago Craft. On one of the wide avenues of Chi­ cago there has lately been seen the queer spectacle of a cart with a neat pair of sails--mainsail and jib--spin­ ning along before the wind, turning around corners, or tacking to an ad­ verse breeze. This craft, runs on four bicycle wheels and has a body built like the deck of a boat. It was Invented by two boys of the Windy City. Brittany Marriage Custom. In Brittany there is said to prevail a curious marriage custom. On certain, fet^days the young ladies appear in- red petticoats, while white or yellow borders around them. The number of borders denotes the portion the father is willing to give his daughter. Each white band denotes silver--100 francs per annum; each yellow band repfe- sents gold--a thousand francs a year. Bate for the Brazilian Loan. It is stated that the recent loan ofi £1,00$000 made to the Brazilian Gov­ ernment "by. the new French bank es­ tablished at Rio de Janeiro was made at the rather unusual rate of 8 per cent.