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|§||lfl k nigh, our •OTIEN THE REGIMENT PASSED. (Am was din in the street, there was robing of feet, into* hum and the thrum of a far-away dram, tWeey eye in the town watched a road winding down 0ft meadows of ripening, yellowing wheat, •BvMjr being was filled with the beat that Had thrilled . whirred as it stirredMike the wings of a bird %>. i the sunuy air clear, growing near and more near, fed all other sound in creation was stilled! SThen awfift, came the gleam of a moun- side stream, _ {Wluch quivered and grew like the stars, 7*' like the dew, Bike the Hun's darting glance where little waves dance, Wke a glittering river that wound from a dieam. it broadened and spread till a vibrating , tread ' > beat through the dust to our feett ft drew every hue, from the heavens* calm blue i tfte poppies' red blood through the y:?-5 wheat field shed! Aft'1*; plume floated White, and- they *»roke on our sight JVitfi is bugle note clear, they drew near, MS®' •"*&* cheer • - ' . ' Stunt from Us;, then dumb at the roll of the drum Hfg. lAa tfcey reached us and touched'us, and dumb- with delight, We drew nigh, "we pressed hearts throbbing high, the tun-ult of joy iu the heart of a Mgjl havl) . ; • ; • (crowded about, and a flag floated ont, we uttered a shout that rang up to ll|l|i!IR: the sky! ... |ftj, it rings for me yet! Can I ever forget Sfcat thrill and that joy in the heart of a boy ?) men, r> barefooted throng, we marched proudly along, Snowing naught of farewells or of eyes that \sere wet, Searing only the beat of the drum and the feet . , ^reading onward to war, growing faint, growing far, Arcing only the track, dust enclouded, whence back IwVed never a man to that village street! •aw we lingered around, listening low if? for a sound, 0 • the thrum of the drum was a clover % bee's hum! we marched a retreat through the •till village street '(Bart followed the footprints which cov­ ered the ground! UMHwuen weary at last, how we happily east PuialTts down in the wheat, talking not of defeat, Seeding not the wild red where crushed poppies were shed, 9r the thunder and dread closing round, closing fast; •kt shut in by the rim of our dim moun­ tains massed, We gave thentbut glory and fame unsur- Ifffg;? passed, a While for us was the hour--when the Regiment passed! •--Tooth's Companion. horses regard "herd time" as a proper occasion for fun and frolic. They en- Joy the herd as much as a lot of school­ b o y s d o t h e i r r e c e s s . - 7 - In every, troop art sonie old horses that are full of mischief on herd, and are Inveterate stampeders.; If they can only get the rest of the sherd to fol­ low them and run ahead.of the herd­ ers, they are delighted./ The herd guasds have to watch these: old-rogues vigilantly^ for once the^y o!>ta*n a start, a stampede is sure to follow. Then, if no obstacle prevents, the hetd will run for hours--they have been known to run forty miles before they could be stopped. ^ Most bold and- daring riding on the part of the herd guards is re­ quired to head off a< cavalry stampede and turn the leaders. i ! • Horses soon learn all tie trumpet calls. "Stable call?' in the afternoon is the favorite one, I imagine, as it means "dinner." nv.vHi!'"'"; -1 <• .» A trumpeter's horse, in a certain troop at a Western post was condemned for disability, and sold to a milkman. One day, when the milkman was driving near the drill-ground where the troop was drilling, his horse, at the sounding of the "charge" by the trumpet, bolted for the troop. Of course the funny H PUZZLED BY AN OWL mP to: :7\ P| m - HORSES IN OUR ARMY. fef® i Perhaps few persons are on more in- ttmte terms with the horse family in general than some old cavalry soldiers. the friend of his horse the sol- must be a good one; a horse was known to favor a bad one with confidence, for horses are infallible of soldiers* An old cavalry cap- whonr I know used to say, "I of the characters of my men by way they get along with their mm® aSssP A -i"' the old frontier days cavalry sol- thought far more of their horses they do now, for their lives often depended on them, and if a man neg- fcoted his horse he was sure to have to fi*1*1* on foot before long, which is !wexj distasteful to a cavalryman. In- iead, it was necessary to guard the for- wsgon and the water holes to pre- aaen stealing more than their al­ lowance for their horses. Even now, tf you watch some old gray-haired fel- iwa at the "stables" of a cavalry tamp, you will see they have not for- pten to be greedy on behalf of their sonants. A recruit horse is like a recruit sol- apt to be clumsy, unevenly gaited, nancy and conceited. The old horses Bathe stable yard treat him exactly as <atd soldiers treat a recruit. They at- twaapl to frighten him by biting at him, Bi.iPC him, chasing him from one earner of the yard to another, pulling Sis none and ears; in fact, they try to awbf his life miserable in every way. WfcJs lasts for a few days only; then new horse gets a chum, and they •taks- an agreement to stand by each •Uher. This offensive and defensive aK&nce prevents the rest of the herd freas taking any more liberties with the recruit. The "chum business" is one of the •uosf remarkable features of horse life 6n the army. The "churns" are insep •arable; as soon as the herd is turned mat toto the yar<J the chums seek out 4pcb other, as if for a morning "con- mr and remain together, all day Stocking into the yard at any time, one see them rubbing noses, blinking aawther, or following each other Hill! the yard. Take a new horse ;y from his chum, and he will great jmmr ^ -B8cat lt- Tic him uear tliC stables whinny plaLntively to his chum wito will answer from the corral. All horses In our service are taught to lie down. A new horse, when first tferown in the riding-stall, with straps tfce use of which he little suspects, is CWKtly surprised. This painless throw of horses is very effective in dis eqplioihg morally, for the horse soon mUzes that he is completely mastered, and after he has been thrown a number •f times a marked change takes place lllS? Jh his temperament. Soldiers who abuse their horses in way are severely punished. There ti*. indeed, no sight more obnoxious • good1 cavalryman than to see a horse abused. * The old cavalry horse seems to have % rasent it. POOR DANJ)T. sight of a milk cart charging with a troop of cavalry caused great merri­ ment to all. except the milkman. During the Geronimo campaign some years ago in Arizona, a remarkable il­ lustration of how great an affection can exist between a soldier and his horse occurred in a troop in which I was serving. An old Irish sergeant had a splendid brown horse called Dandy," to which he was so Blngular- ly attached that the care and caresses he bostowed on it would have satisfied the most exacting sweetheart. The beautiful and intelligent animal seem­ ed to be almost human, so much did he appreciate the affection of his master. Now it happened that during a long march the sergeant became very tipsy by drinking some fiery Mexican "mes­ cal." Reeling in the saddle to and fro, he jerked the/horse's sensitive mouth' with the cruel curb till it bled profuse­ ly, and every little while his sharpj spurs w$\!fd tear Dandy's flanks. Suf­ fering afi*tiis/ pain, the .4lorse calmly walked in ranks without showing any resentment, ahd apparently knowing that his master was out of his senses. Shortly after this happened we were fired upon from ambush. The sergeant, who was in the leaiii was shot dead in the saddle while riding along the brink! of one of those steep canyons which abound in that part of Arizona. So ho pitched head foremost out of his sad­ dle down hundreds of feet into the canyon-bed. j. , . ^ During the next few days Dandy ate almost nothing,, and appeared dull and listless. ,v All the men being mounted, he was led and a pack-saddle put on him. About a- week later;- as we were riding along the brink of another can­ yon, very similar to that in which Dandy's master had found a grave, the command was halted for a rest, and the men, dismounting, let their'horses graze on the few bunches of dry grass in the vicinity. Presently we saw Dandy walk to the edge of the cliff and look down into the black canyon depths.' There was some­ thing in-the horse's manner that at­ tracted attention, and we were silently watching him,"when he crouched on his haunches, gave a quick spring far out into the iir over the edge of the cliff, and went turning and twisting down 500 feet to be dashed to death on the bowlders in the canyon-bed. As clear a case of suicide as I have ever seen," our captain said. Poor Dandy--his heart was broken! Can it be that the horse is passing away from us? Let us hope not. If he is, we are losing a noble friend.--A Cavalry Soldier, in Youth's Companion. Savanta at the Capital Thought the , Monument Was Haunted. In one of the many glass cases in the Smithsonian Institution at Washing­ ton Is a stuffed owl. This particular owl is the one, in the worda of the late President Hayes, "that jarred the Washington monument," and therein lies the story. During centennial year Congress re­ vived to provide the necessary funds for the completion of the monument, which up to that time had been work­ ed at only while the several smaller ap­ propriations lasted. It was discover- *ed, however, that the original founda­ tion was likely to prove Incapable of sustaining the enormoirs weight of marble necessary for carrying the shaft 550 feet above terra firma. A new foundation wSs therefore needed, and architects thought a solid concrete bed 100 feet square and ^nearly -fourteen feet in thickness would accomplish the strengthening desired. During the operation of replacing the old foundation it was considered ex­ pedient to provide means for noting carefully the slightest vibration of the walls lest the monument might be in danger of collapsing. Accordingly a heavy weight was suspended by a stout thread from the apex to a pan of thick sirup located in the base, so that no chance drafts of. air would be likely to sway the weight. An ingenious con­ trivance was so attached to the weight that the slightest vibration of the shaft would be faithfully recorded, and its in­ security would at once be an establish­ ed fact. One morning a few months after these careful precautions had been taken there was a great commotion among the workmen. A complete rec­ ord of numerous perturbations and tremblings had been written on the In­ dex, showing conclusively that the mammoth obelisk had jarred, swayed and settled during the night. Scientific heads were dubiously sAiaken. After much persuasion one of the men finally consented to go to the top and examine into the cause. The astonishing report came into the midst of the anxious throng below that an owl in seeking shelter in the lofty tower had somehow managed to catch its wings in the thread and was still hanging there, suspended to the interior of the monu­ ment, and the innumerable flappings and struggles of his owlship had all been recorded by the index as testi­ mony against the stability of plumb- laid marble blocks and solid concrete.-- Philadelphia Record. Early Opposition to Anaesthesia. Every discovery has met with an­ tagonism. Each advance in medicine has been opposed until the proofs have been so manifest, that the great majority of antagonists have been over­ whelmed thereby. The Ninteenth Cen­ tury has an article on "The Advance of Medical Science During the Victorian (Era" from the pen of Malcolm Morris, P. R. C. S., in which the opposition to the use of anaesthetics is described. Dr. Simpson was its champion. After depicting the attacks of the dally papers and the refusal of suffering pa­ tients to have chloroform administered to them it says: "These feelings were by no means confined to the nonscientific public. There was strong opposition from some surgeons who held that pain was a wholesome stimulus; on this ground the use of chloroform was actually for­ bidden by the principal medical officer of our army in the Crimea. The clergy naturally bettered the instructions of these enlightened professors of the art of healing. I need only to quote one philanthropic divine who anathematiz­ ed chloroform as "a decoy of Satan ap­ parently offering itself to bless women,' but 'which will harden society and rob God of the deep, earnest cries which arise in time of trouble for help!' SiApson answered those fools accord­ ing to their folly. He quoted scripture to prove that the Almighty himself per­ formed the first operation under an­ aesthesia, when he cast Adam into a deep sleep before removing his rib. He fought the battle of common sense with such convincing logic and such an overwhelming mass of evidence--chem­ ical, physiological, clinical, and sta­ tistical--that he finally shamed Ills op­ ponents into silence." AGRICULTURAL NEWS THINGS PERTAINING TO FARM AND HOME. THE m Georgia's Fire Clay Deposits. Georgia Is claiming the possession of the best fireclay in the United States. The State, says the New York Post, has been a producer of clay in a modest way, standing twentieth in a list of the clay-producing States, but It hopes soon to take a much higher position. Tlhis hope is based on a report by Dr. G. E. Ladd, the assistant State geologist, who has been testing the Georgia clays for a year, and who has found a bed of the very best clay, extending across the State from Columbus to Augusta. This clay, Dr. Ladd says, is " the most refractory in the- United States;" that; is, it "will stand a greater heat than any clay I have ever tested in Ameri­ ca." The bed varies in width from five to fif .een miles, and follows an ir­ regular line, sometimes running north and again to the south. At some points the clay is very pure and refractory, but often It is full of impurities and is not valuable. The best of it is worth $10 a ton in the markets. In South Carolina, just across the river from; Augusta, there is a clay deposit of the! same character, wliksh brings in $300,- 000 a year. The clay is shipped to New Jersey for manufacture. The Price of Hay Is Regulated by Its Color, Not Its Worth--Oreen Fodder Goojl for Stock -- Keep the Feac« Corners Clean. Marketable Hay. There may be markets that will take the richest hay at a sufficient advance In price to repay the farmer for fur­ nishing it, but. I know of none, and am sure that there are not many. It sells by color, and there is more danger of having some of the hay blackened and dusty when the grass is cut in full bloom than when It is sufficiently ma­ ture to require only a short exposure to the weather in the swath. It is a big and risky job to cure a large amount of grass that is as full of sap as tim­ othy In full bloom, and consumers in most local markets are not inclined to pay for all the extra labor, risk and loss in weight of the total product due to early cutting. Dead-ripe timothy is not wa.nted, of course, and its color con­ demns it, but there is a middle ground which should be taken. There may be glory in furnishing the market with timothy cut when in full bloom, but there is rarely any profit from the ex­ tra effort and risk. In the long run just as attractive and a more profita­ ble lot of hay may be put upon the mar­ ket when the bloom is shed. The feed­ ing value Is less, but this is doing unto others as they would do unto us, which is the silver rule of commercial trans­ actions.--National Stockman. Green Fodder for Cows. Early fodder-corn, when eaten by the cows, will make a satisfying feed, and it will also largely increase the quan­ tity of milk. Fodder feed when half grown or immature is very poor feed, as it is mostly water. The cows will consume a large amount of such fod­ der, and give a very small quantity of milk. Give to each cow four quarts of mill feed, in the morning, when they are being milked; then turn to pasture, At noon give each cow an armful of the fodder, spread over the pasture, and the same quality of mill feed made into slop, and one armfUl of fodder; after the mill feed and fodder is eaten, turn out upon the night pasture. If the cows have to be kept in the stable- yard, give them, in addition, a small forkful of oat hay, or well-cured clover hay. The cows must be given all they can eat. On such a ration, good cows will average from two and one-half to three gallons of milk per day all through the summer, and the milk will be of good flavor and rich in cream. As fast as the fodder-corn is cut off, the ground between the rows should be well worked up with the cultivator, and then run out with the one-horse plow, making the furrow about five inches in depth, and sowed to fodder- corn. Sow one large handful of bone phosphate to every three feet of row, and about twelve grains of corn to the foot. Cover the corn as fast as it is sown. It will pay to keep the cows in good condition; if they are allowed to be­ come thin, it will take a large quantity of grain to get them in order for the winter.--The American. Clearing Fence Cornern. Nothing more clearly shows the painstaking and careful farmer than to have fence corners between fields or along the roadside kept free from weeds, grass or shrubs. As a rule all the old-time fence corners were kept scrupulously clean. A good deal of valuable hay was made from what the scythe reached in and cut there. But when the horse mower and the self- binding reaper fcaiiie into use, it every year became harder to find anybody who could be hired to clear out the fence corners. The result was that the ax rather than the scythe was requir­ ed, and the growth, instead of being restricted to fence corners, encroached each year more on the cultivated fields. Beat the Drum in 1812. Sunday, May 16, New Hampshire's only survivor of the war of 1812, Eleazer Smith, of Danbury, was 99 years old, rounding out the century of his life in unimpaired health, with acute senses and with much of the sprigMliness which once filled his youth. Notwithstanding a slight lame­ ness, his carriage is erect and his shoulders square. His eyesight, is particularly good for a man of his age. NeveiNihas he needed medical attend anc^-and only once, and that foui years ago, lias he ever suffered. Eleazer Smith, was born in Grafton, N. H., May 16, 1798, and was one of a family of eight children. All his brothers and sisters have been dead for more than twenty years, one brother being killed in the civil war. His grandfather was a soldier of the Revolution, participat­ ing in many engagements. He saw General Warren fall at Bunker Hill, and was himself wounded. Eleazer resided on his father's farm till 1812, when he became Imbued with a desire to go to the defense of his country, but his extreme youth made him in eligible until 1814, when at 16 years of age he enlisted in the face of opposi­ tion from parents and ridicule from friends.--Hanover (Mass.) Cor. Boston Globe. They Are Po lrifferent. "They have a law In Vienna which obliges circus proprietors to give their performances exactly as they are pic tured out in the lithographs." "By George, I wish that sort of law could be made to apply to the glris who claim to wear the charming bath ing costumes we see on th.c woman's page."--Cleveland Plaindealer. A Farmer's Outfit. The better machinist a farmer is. the more time and money will be saved. He should understand thoroughly ev­ ery machine he uses, and be able to re­ pair all but the most serious breaks for himself, and avoid being dependent upon • paid service. It is wise fore­ thought to keep on hand duplicates of such parts as are most liable to break, thus saving valuable time, especially in the haying season. A well-equipped tool chest, with screws and nails of all kinds, should be a part of every farm­ er's outfit. If one of the boys shows taste for mechanics, give him a chance to develop it. He will be a val­ uable man to have in the neighbor­ hood ,and will probably be able to turn many an honest penny by helping out his less skillful neighbors--Massachu­ setts Ploughman. by weight, she would give a large* profit on fewer eggs. Selling eggs by weight gives both the producer ahd the consumer, a fair sale and purchase, and farmers would begin to select the breeds that produced large eggs. They would then be compelled to improve their flocks in order to secure the best market prices for their eggs.--Poultry Keeper. Ventilation of Horse 8tables. j It takes a good deal of care to keep the horse stable sweet and fit for healthy living during the summer sea­ son. Unless it is quickly covered with ^rth, gypsum or something equally efficient In absorbing odors, the decom­ posing manure will not only waste am­ monia, but It will be worse than wast­ ed because it will injure the health and especially the eyesight ^f animals. Many a horse has gone blind because of the ammonia affecting his eyes in poorly ventilated and dark stables. This is the chief advantage of underground stables in summer. They are cool, but it is very hard to keep them well ven­ tilated and without offensive smell. But if the underground stable has, as it should, a cement floor, it may not be worse than the Overground stable that has a plank floor filled with the urine and other secretions that have soaked into it. Bine Grass Pasture. There is no better pasture grass than the blue grass, which in some parts of the country is known as June grass. Its roots run near the surface, and the pasture is therefore sweet and good so soon as the grass starts. In midsum­ mer these shallow roots have another great advantage. They are benefited by the light raihs which only penetrate one or two inches, and which will not reach down to the clovers, whose roots strike down Into the subsoil in time of run more deeply. The clover roots Strike down into the subsoil in time of drought, and the clover grown then is best. With June grass the best pas­ ture is in June, as later it will prob­ ably be dried out too much. Remedy for Pear Blight. A remedy for pear blight, and one that is very important if it accomplish­ es what is claimed for it, is given* by a fruit-grower of thirty years' expe­ rience. He states that he uses salt, ac­ cording to the size of the tree, from one quart to one bushel, evenly spread on the ground, extending beyond the range of the roots. It should be done In the spring, .just as the frost is leav­ ing the ground, so that the fiber roots will carry it to the sap. "The salt de­ stroys the germs of the disease. It should be done at least before the buds begin to swell, and the frpit-grower who gives the valuable Information advises each grower to try the remedy with a single tree, and the cost of the experiment will not be over 10 cents. The remedy is so simple that any one can give lt a test, and as the salt will destroy some of the insect enemies it will at least prove beneficial in that respect. To Kill the Hornfly. The best way of fighting the trouble­ some horn fly is by the application to the cattle of an emulsion of some kind which will kill the insects already there, and keep others away. Fish oil, to which a little carbolic acid--about a tablespoonful of the acid to a pint of the oil--has been added, makes a very cheap and effective application. Ker­ osene emulsion used as a spray is also good, being especially adapted to large herds. The emulsion is made by add­ ing a half pound of soap (dissolved in a gallon of boiling water) to two gal­ lons of kerosene. This emulsion, when thoroughly mixed and allowed to cool, assumes the consistency of clabber milk; when used as a spray, it is di­ luted with water in which tobacco stems have been boiled.--Farm News. Advantages of Well-Bred Stock. It is particularly iu the time when all farming is least prosperous that those who have been careful to secure only the best bred animals have the advantage. The first effect of a de­ cline in prices is to make the scrub ani­ mal Unsalable at any price. All through the period of depression the scrub stock farmers are changing from poor or in­ ferior stock to that which is better. By the time they have all secured the best stock the times will have improved so as to make farming profitable again. It is really a case of cause and effect, though not often recognized as such. «great disdaL ridden little Jkeood and a new soldier. When fruit he appears as if a I am sure that some es can tell a recruit quickly as can the ^mounting." all the horses rd," as It Is call- jver the grass rpleasant. The t*Wji Not Up in Spelling. A French confectioner, proud of his English, and wishing to let his patrons; their wants would be at- ^once without any delay,; ?tlce, "Short weights1 zed on her hus-! know n «o well off as a widow band's A. Moving Appeal. A Wabash college boy, having been admitted to the same Greek society to which his father belonged., introduced his next request for a remittance with "Dear Father and Brother."--Minne­ apolis Journal. We have a new interest in wanting to go to heaven; we want to find out from Joseph Schlatter why he didn't lay hands on himself. . To Ward Off Fruit Rot. When fruit rot has attacked the peach crop, the best method is to re­ move and burn all dried or mummified fruit from the trees, in winter, and spray early in spring with bluestone. When the fruit buds begin to swell, spray with Bordeaux mixture, and again just before the blossoms open. Repeat, the spraying when the blos­ soms: .are falling, adding a little paris green tp keep off the curculio. Two weeks later, spray again. As the Bor­ deaux mixture coats the fruit with the lime mixture, use copper acetate, a colorless solution, for the last two sprayings. In Delaware, a ten-fold in­ crease of sound fruit lias been ob­ tained by this process, at a cost of about 12 cents per tree.--The Agricul­ turist. Kkk8 by the Ponnd. If eggs were sold by the pound it would revolutionize the breeds. As we have before shown, the hen that lays the largest number of eggs may not really be performing as much ser­ vice as one that lays fewer eggs, but which are of larger size. Suppose hen lays 120 eggs in a year, the eggs averaging ten to the pound, her prod uct would be twelve pounds of eggs in one year. Now, let us suppose that an other hen in the flock laid 104 eggs, the eggB averaging eight to the pound. In the first case the hen that produced 120 eggs would be the most valuable, yet she has not performed as much ser­ vice as the one which produced but >104 eggs, as the eggs of the latter are a pound heavier, and, if eggs were sold •*' %•< f J - . ' Vi' / • * '- •' . Street Potatoes. Before the vines start to run, culti­ vate the ground between the rows, and, after a few days, throw a furrow to the plants on each side of every row. Take the hoe and draw the earth up close to the vines, and cut out all weeds. The after cultivation consists in stirring the ground between the rows with the cultivator set to run shallow, and of hoeing the ridges and preventing the vines from rooting at the joints. As soon as the vines com­ mence to turn yellow the potatoes are ripe, and, can be dug and sent to mar­ ket. It is more profitable to dig and sell direct from the field. Protecting Cows from Flies. A very weak dilution of carbolic acid will keep flies off from cows in hot weather. The carbolic acid may be made stronger and mixed with some grease to put around the cow's horns, as the horn fly is more persistent in its attacks at this point, and there is no danger of the acid here where the cow cannot get at it to lick it. No cow likes the odor of carbolic acid. Soil for Radishes. To grow good radishes, one needs a sandy soil, thoroughly fertilized. It is practically impossible to grow a fine quality on a heavy soil. The roots grow very slowly, and they become tough, and, In many cases, wormy. A loamy soli will do very well, but a heavy clay is not suitable. TO .STOP LONDON'S GROWTH. Sixteenth Century Laws Designed to Stop overcrowding of Population. It Is a curious feature in the growth of London that it Jias always been con­ sidered to be overbuilt. As far .back as 1580 it was forbddden to erect new buildings "where none had existed be­ fore in the melnory of man"--the rea­ sons given that "it was calculated to encourage the existence of the plague; create a trouble in governing such multitudes; bring about a dearth of victuals; multiplying of beggars, and an Inability to relieve them; an in­ crease of artisans more than could live together; improverishing other cities for lack of inhabitants." The decree also stated that "lack of air, arose out of too crowded a city." But it was Im­ possible to stem the increasing tide of population. The only result was to cause overcrowding, which proved a still greater evil than overpopulation, and led up to the horrors of the plague year. Even at the beginning of this century, when London consisted of 160,000 buildings, standing in 8,000 streets, lt was decided that London was overgrown and too big; and there was an outcry because the parishes had to pay £10,000 per annum to scavengers for removing ashes and refuse from the houses, whereas in former years the scavengers used to pay the parishes £25,000 for the priv­ ilege. of talcing away the ashes for brickniaking purposes. Those were .evidently the days of the "Golden lljaistman." Yet building went on, until 1873 there were 6,132 nuiles of streets and 528,794 inhabited houses. During the Queen's lifetime cobbled roadways have almost disappeared; caibs and omnibuses have come into vogue, rail­ ways have supplanted the stage coach; the toll gates which met Londoners at every turn have been pulled down; the Fleet prison has gone, with others wrhich had rivaled its evil reputation; Templar bar has been removed and endless changes effected.--London Standard. Rather Too Literally. Instances where clerks and others-- mostly new hands -- put rather too literal an interpretation on instructions given to them come within the knowl­ edge of perhaps the majority of em­ ployers. Some of these cases are by no means lacking a flavor of the ludic­ rous. A rather raw youth, recently fresh from school, was one evening directed to call next day on his way to business and colleot a small debt from a retail tradesman. T "It's been overdue six months. Don't come away till you get it," said his priucipal decisively. Midday arrived and the youth put in no appearance at the office. The after­ noon wore on, and still he was absent. Just before closing time a messenger arrived with a note from the debtor. Your clerk, armed with a thick stick, has been sitting In the shop since 8:30 this mornAnjg. He says he cannot leave till he gets the money. I am un­ able to give it to him, but I promise faithfully to pay. on Saturday. Am I to lock him up with the shop or not?" Needless to say the faithful guard­ ian -was withdrawn. Engaging a new porter, the manager of a manufacturing firm particularly impressed upon him the need of always carrying out his orders to the letter. Soon afterwards a customer, for whom a special article had been made, objected to the price and said he would not pay it. Threatened with a law ac­ tion, however, he withdrew' his protest. The article was then sent home by the new porter. "But don't part with it unless you get the money. He's a tricky fellow," were his instructions. At the customer's house the portei held out his hand for the money. "Here it is," said the gentleman. But first give me the goods." "No," said the porter, "not till you give me the cash." So they faced each other, wrangling for half an hour, when the portei* re­ turned to his employer with the goods, to know if, in the circumstances, he might slightly vary the procedure. Wouldn't Take Him Long. It is a great satisfaction for a man who possesses learning and a large amount of general information to have also a small son wfcrjse bump of curios­ ity is largely developed, because then the learned father has a never-ceasing opportunity to show off his knowledge. A friend of one such gentleman--a man of science connected with many learned societies--relates an incident which occurred in his household. This scientific gentleman was going out of his house in a hurry one day, and had his overcoat on and his hand on the door knob, when one of his boys hailed him Father! before you go will you please tell me something?" "I haven't time now ?" "Oh, it's only a little thing " "Won't It wait till I get home?" "I might forget it" "Try to remember it--that would be good practice. Good-bye." "But it won't take a minute!" "Are you siure?" "Of course?" "Well, go ahead. What is it?" "AM I want to know is, how do they work miracles? and how do they make condensed milk?" And the small boy thought it was very unkind because his father insisted upon postponing the answers until hia return home. V „ Theory and Practice. "Miss Heftilass thinks a woman ought to have just as many cares and responsibilities as a man," said one young man. "When did she say that?" asked the other. "Yesterday evening, while she let mc do all the pedaling up-hill on a tan­ dem."--Washington Star. Paralyzinu: Coolness. "Your pocketbook, young woman, demanded the footpad, as he reached forward. " * , "Haven't any," said the young wom­ an, "this is a hand-book." And she walked away leaving him paralyzed by ber coolness. awab^ Did Not Miss Fire. \ Greensburg, Pa., mother while chastising her 12 year old son, the other day, exploded several packages of toy pistol caps which were concealed in the youth's hip pocket. When fhe smoke had cleared away she discovered that the family was out one suit of boy's clothing and had a badly lacer­ ated youth to care for. This is another warning to mothers to make sure their so"« ore not loaded before apply­ ing the paddle. You are liable to find almost anything in a boy's pockets. The Way of Women. "I wish you would help me with this letter, Harry." "Well, dear, what's the,difficulty?" "I don't know what to put in the postscript."--Pi ck-Me-Up. A man should not be called stingy because he refuses to be held up and rpbbed by a ticket selling fiend; he should be called sensible. -v.ijJ " SH RAILROADS IN RUSSIA Six Thousand Miles of Ballroad Art L Now Being Built. The State of Illinois has 10,600 miles of railroad, Iowa 8,500 and Michigan 7,500. The three States--Illinois, with a land area of 56,000 square miles; Iowa, with a land area of 55,000 square miles, and Michigan, with a land area of 57,000--have collecti vely 26,260 mi lea of railroad* or more than the empire of /1 Russia had, according to the last offi­ cial reports, which showed that at the beginning of the present year the total length of railways open for traffic in Russia was 25,975 miles, cf which 15,- 230 miles belonged to the state, ex­ clusive of 945 miles of the Transcaspian Railroad, which is in the hands of the Minister of War. The area of Russia in Europe.is 2,100,000 square miles and of Russia in Asia 6,400,000 square miles, a total of 8,500,000 square miles. This deficiency of communication, how­ ever, is being, if not rapidly, at least steadily, overcome, and lt is computed that there are now 6,000 miles of roads in course of construction, and it :s esti­ mated that by the end of the century there will be something like 32.000 miles of railroad in the Russian Em­ pire, two-thirds belonging to the state. The growth of the railroad system In Russia, modestly begun in. 1837, has been very rapid since 1S90. The first road constructed was sixteen miles long, front St. Petersburg to Tsarskoe- Selo, and in 18-10 this was the only line in the empire. At that time the United States had in operation 2,800 jmles. In ;1850 the mileage of Russian railroads had increased to 300 miles, and in 1S(>0 it was still less than 1,000. The rail­ road mileage of the United States in the same year was 30,600 miles.,, In 1870 the mileage of Russian railroads was 7,000 miles; in 1S80 it was 14,000; in 1890 it was 19,500. It has since in­ creased with such rapidity that, as stated, it is expected that before 1900 there will be 32,000 miles of railroad in Russia, though, of course, these fig­ ures compare poorly with the totals in the United States, where there are 1S0,- 000 miles of railroad. One difficulty from which the railroads of Russia have heretofore suffered severely lias been the lack of "freight business. In other words, the Iiussiau railroads have* been run chiefly for passenger traffic, the profits of which are rela­ tively small and the expenses of which inordinately large. Up to twenty-five years ago the railroads of Russia car­ ried twice as many passengers in a year as they did tons of freight, though gradually the disparity between the two has been lessened, and since 1880 the proportion of freight carried has been materially larger than hereto­ fore. In the United States about 70 per cent, of the railroad earnings are fuo'm freight, and this is the chief item of profit in operation on all the lines. The Russians are beginning to utilize their railroad facilities for the trans­ portation of freight to a greater extent than was formerly the case with them, and as a result of this managers of the various lines have found it profitable to extend them.--New York Sun. ' The Kind of Man for Spain. "A man who caai stand turning down for the cabinet as well as he did ought to make a good minister to Madrid," the President is reported to have said to a friend shortly before he sent to the Senate the nomination of Steward L. Woodford. Placidity of temper, coupled with strong resolution, recom­ mended the New Yorker as fit for the difficulties of the Madrid mission. Per­ haps the President did not recall the bearing of Gem. Woodford upon a cer­ tain very trying occasion long before the cabinet Incident. If that had come to his mind he might have felt ad­ ditional force in his estimate. Many years ago, says the Washington cor­ respondent of the St. Louis Globe- Democrat, there Avas a serikational political homicide in Kemper county, Miss., Judge Chisholm was the victim. His case became of -national interest. The general government took up with vigor the punishment of the crime. Steward L. Woodford, of New; York, was selected to go to Mississippi to assist in the prosecution. The action of the government was resented. Threats were made that the Yankee lawyer would not see his home again if he made himself too offensive. On the day that Gen. Woodford walked into the court room he looked into an array of forbidding faces, and observed that there seemed to be an average of one shotgun to each Misslssdppian pres­ ent. He put down his law books on the table, slowly surveyed the crowd, and in a tone indicating perfect com­ posure, said: "There seems to be a good deal of display of arms here. Personally, I don't know that it is objectionable. I have had some experience in looking down the barrels of pieces of larger caliber. Still, if this case is to be tried with shotguns, it may be well to have an understanding to that effect before we begin." <• *:• The possessors of the shotguns drop­ ped out of the court room one by one, and when they came back they were not armed. Tea Drinking. There is a pretty legend as to the origin of tea-drinking. The story goes that one of the daughters of an East­ ern sovereign was greatly enamored of one of the young noblemen of her father's court. One day her lover, without the knowledge of her attend­ ants, presented her with a few green branches, one of which she carefully kept, and on reaching her apartments placed it in a goblet of water. Some time afterward, while fondly thinking of the young nobleman, she was seized with a sentimental attack, and im-( pulslvely drank the water in which the green twig had been standing. The water to her suuprlse had a most agree­ able taste, whereupon she ate the Sis and stalk. The flavor pleased princess so much that every day had bunches of this tea tree brought to her, which she ate, or put in water and drank the infusion in memory of her lover. The ladies of the court seeing her appreciation of the new drink imitated her example, and with such pleasing results that the practice soon spread and speedily be­ came universal. A Slender Outfit. "I have just finished a story where the girl was as 'thin as a hop pole/ and the hero 'as scrawny as a pine sapling.'" , That sort of story should be padded