Evening Star Newspaper, August 16, 1890, Page 12

12 Written for Tue Evexrve Stam. THE OLDEST CHURCH. The First in This Country Erected by English-Speaking People. A¥ ANCIENT STRUCTURE IN VIRGINIA WHERE JOEN SMITH'S COMRADES GATHERED—A SUBSTANTIAL RUIN RESTORED—MEMORIALS OF HISTORIC MEX AND EVENTS PLACED IN THE BUILDING, BOUT two hundred miles south of the city of Washington and a few miles from the south bank of the mouth of James river, in the ancient county of Isle of Wight, in the state of Virginia, stands the oldest building erected on this con- tinent by English-speaking people. It is a ebareh built entirely of brick and called “St. Luke's,” and “Old Smithfield Church,” while its historic name is “The Brick Church.” For two hundred years the house of worship from time to time of the six generations that sleep around it under the fine grove of oaks, sycamores. walnuts and cedars, it now resounds with 10 voice of praise and prayer, it having beea abando-ed im the year 1836 as@ church, ©n accour.: of most of the members having died or remov- ' from the parish. This vagerable church was built in the year 1632, owe Yandred years before Washington was Dorn aes vary tweive yearsafter the landing of the piige’ms at Plymouth Rock. The antiq- uity of the church is proven by two deeply marked date bricks that came down with the east wall in the year 1887, when the original top fell in. The church was erected under the superintendency of Capt. Joseph Bridger. a “man of affairs” in the sbire of Isle of Wight st that time, and finished after that substantial Some Facts About a Very I Summer Creature. UGUST is supposed to be WasHington's month for mosquitoes, Happily, however, the national capital is but slightly afflicted by these peste at any time. People go from here to seashore and moun- tains to become » prey to the demoniacal little vampire that finds con- genial haunts in every part of the known world, even to the icy Dac oy. wastes of Greenland, There are in existence one hundred and fifty species of the mosquito, the larger kinds being found mostly in tropical regions, where every- thing pestiferous attains the utmost si In the southern states some v big varieties of mosquitoes are found. According to the stories told by natives. these gallinippers are some- times seen sitting in rows, like anipe, along the fence rails by the rondside. It is very certain that they do grow to be more than haif an inch in body length, and they find no difficulty in Dor y their bites through a thick woolen coat and flannel shirt beneath, FROM EG@ TO BEDSIDE. Every one feels more or less of a personal interest in the mosquito aud something about her life history cannot be otherwise than in. teresting. Doubtless you are aware that it is only the female which bites, the male not being equipped with a beak suitable for the pur- pose. She lays her eggs fashion intended to last for ager today the massive walls are as strong as whon first put up. In architectural style it seems to be Normau-Saracenic. being much like some parish churches in England and among the Syrian Christians in the south of India, with its square tower reaching fifty feet in the air, set in the middie of the west end of the oblong square nave, with its sloping roof, pointed arch windows and ascending buttresses sup- porting its side walls. THE INTERIOR. The chancel was the east end of the nave vailed off. 13x9 feet in size. The pulpit, wine glass in shape, with its handsome sounding bvard above, was set against the sink wall about the middie and the rest of the nave wai up to pews. Two aisles admitted the people, one from the tower door. five or six feet wide, and the other from a wide. square door in the south wall, the two formingaT. On either ide of the chancel was a pew—one for the warden aud the other for the parsou’s family. Immediately over the entrance from the tower there stretched across the church a gallery, ap- proached by steps from the church and through which the parson made his way from the vestry room in the second story of the tower. The chance! (exst) window is 18x12 feet in size. square at the bottom and a quarter circle in shape at the top. It is composed of seveu- teen small windows, ranging in size from 5x2 feet to 2x1 feet. The orientation is perfect, the rising sun shooting his first rays directly through it. Exch side of the church contains four double- lancet windows Sx6 feet in size, and the second Story of the tower (vestry room) is lighted by three like shaped windows about 6x4 feet. The vestibule in the tower has an elliptical window in each side about 30x24 inches in dimeusious. and the third story has four win- dows shaped much like the chancel window. The dividing mullions are all of ornamental brick. RESTORING THE OLD STRUCTURE. The church having been abandoned as a house of worship in 1336, in the year 1885 the Rev. David Barr, then rector of the church at Smithdeld. Va., and now the assistant minister of the Church of the Epiphany, Washington, D. C., undertook the work of having the old church put in perfect and complete order. Since then he bas devoted much time to his labor of love, and with great success, At this time there is lacking only about $1,000 to finish the work. Inthe restoration twelve of the mall windows composing the east window. the ve windows and vestry room windows are to be memorials. In the east window will be one each to Washington (the only memorial window to him in the United States); Lee Bridges, the builder of the church; Rev. Mr. Hubard, last colonial parson of the church (up to 1802, when he died); Bishops Madison, Moore, Meade and Johns, Virginians four de- ceased chief pastors; Sir Walter Raleigh, Capt. Jobn Smith, John Rolfe, husband of Pocahon- tas, and the Rev. Dr. Blair, founder of William and Mary College. ‘The southeast corner window in the nave will be a memorial of Pocalontas, provided principally by her descendants, and the two Opposite ones are memorials of Parsons Hunt and Whittaker, first and second chaplains with mith in the Virginia colony. Whit- ed Pocahontas and married her to Seven of the othereight nave and tower windows are memorials of local people of prominence in ancient and modern days of the parish, aud the remaining one, in’ the northwest corner of the nave, is in honor of the Venerable (English) Society for the Propa- gation of the Gosvel in Foreign Parts and is given by a Philadelphia gentieman, who also gave Dr. Silair's window and the fine Italian marble font of the restoration period. The east window was made in London of fine glass and all the others in New York of Eng- lisp cathedral and American opalescent glass combined. REATURES OF THE WorK. All are paid for except Raleigh's, Smith's and parts of Bishop Madison's, Parson Hubard’s end Rolfe's and some trace: The first roof Was puton the church in 1633, the second in 1737, the third about 1821 and the present new one in 1837. All have been of heart cypress, The original top frame was made cf solid oak. while the present new one was made of Georgia and Virginia beart pine, more durable than eak. The window frames of Virginia heart ime are in, the walls are ready for the plus- rer and the flooring and wainscoting are in hand ready to put on. It remains to be told that one of the most charming features of its present status is the fact that everything doue, except some minor matters. is paid for. The great window is still in London. Under the advice of Bishop Ran- dolph of Virginia Rev. David Barr undertook to restore the church, and he determined, as it was the oldest Protestant churcli in America, to make the work national as nearly as possi- ble, and the thousands of doilars that have been raised by him for this work have come from twenty-one states and the District of Co- lumbia, while oid Evgland—church-building England—is represented in the person of Mr. Edward J. ville Stent, architect of New York who early in the onerous undertaking offered aud gave bis talents for the whole work of res- foration. The contributions for the work, more than four hundred in number, have come in sums from 1 cent (the first by a little Virginia girl) Bp to $200 vy a Californian ard have been made by rich and poor, the eminent and the Jor hite and colored, Episcopalians, Ro- man Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Bap- tists and Unitarians. At an early day it is ex- Pected that the work will be completed and the “Old Brick Church” again open for the Service of God as in the d: past, A Tiny Bug That Likes Tobacco. From the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, Tobacco sellers are troubled just now by the visitation of a tiny brown bug that seems to be confirmed tobacco chewer and something of “connoisseur of the weed also. The bug is about the size of a seed of flax and is almost the color of tobacco. It bores its way into cigars and eats large holes in the filler. It bur- rows its way through packages of smoking to- bacco and lives on the fullness thereof, Que or two observant dealers, John C. Davis for one, have noticed that the bug will bore into cigars made of Havans tobacco and packages of smok- ing tobacco in which there is a Havana mix- ture. ‘The effects of tne work of the bug aro very destructive, for they ruin a cigar by mak- ing a hole in the wrapper, and all smokers know that a tiny le or two any- where in the wrapper, except near the mouth end, ruins the draught of a cigar. It is the first time the bug has ever been noticed, in Cincin- pati at least, in a little boat-shaped mas# onthe surtace of still water and they are hatched out into littie “wrigglers” that navi- gate tho water actively until they are ready to make their appearance in the world in fledged condition. When the wriggler considers that he has wriggied iong enough and is prepared for graduation fromorr ror THE SEASHORE. water into air, it comes to the surface and pro- ceeds quietly to extricate itself from its skin. After it has accomplished this process it uses the cast-off skin as a raft and stands upon it out of the water while it dries its wings. This i the danger point in the mosquito's life, the slightest breath of wind that ripples the water is likely to upset the little raft and drown the unfortunate passenger. But, no such unhappy accident occurring, Miss Mosquito, as soon as her wings are dry and stiff enough to fly with, abandons her float and flite airily away, first, however, depositing her eggs he water, they in turn to produce more mosquitoes, This is an ingenious scheme on the part of nature to prevent the possibility of such a misfortune as the mosquito’s dying out. For now that her eggs have been laid it will not interfere with the reproduction of the species if Miss Mosquito should chance to be killed by a well-aimed slap or otherwise. THE MALE MosguiTo. Now, the male mosquito, realizing that he is of no earthly use, save for continuing his species, does not make any appearance in s0- ciety, but stays in the woods or other secluded places until he dies, which is not long, because he uever eats anything. His female relative however, seek inhabited dwellings and hu: for gore. Itdoes not appear entirely certain | that this blood-sucking habit of the mosquito | is an entirely normal one. Not only is it un-| necessary to the continuation of the creature's life, but some authorities imagine that a single gorge of blood causes the death of the mos- quito for want of powers to digest it. The mosquito has projecting from its nose five long needles, which it masses to- gether in the shape of an awl and thrusts the point into the flesh of its victim. The five needles thus put together form a sort of tube, through which the pest sucks up the blood. It has long been believed that the mosquito introduces into the blood, when biting, a poisonous fluid, for the purpose of making the blood more liquid. so that it may flow with greater freedom; but this has never been demonstrated scientifically and in all probability it is not true, inasmuch as no poisonous glands have ever been found among the animal's organs. ‘Iwo of the five needles are barbed at the ends, and it is surmised that these may cause the irritation consequent upon a bite. There are plenty of authenti- cated cases where human beings have been killed by mosquito bites. Men have been known to be driven to commit suicide to escape the mosquito torture. a TREASURES OF THE SEA, Immense Sums “of Money Lost in Wrecks on the Ocean. From Cassell's Magazine. ‘The close of the last century scems to have been very prolific in wrecks. The British fri- gate De Brook, lost in a storm of Lewes, in the United States, in 1798, is stated to have had on board no less than $52,000,000 worth | of specie and jewels, taken from an intercepted Spanish fleet while on her voyage to Halifax, and with it were also| taken 200 prisoners. The latter were in irons | on the lower decks when the vessel foundered | and ull were lost. Many years afterward (in| 1881) search was being actively prosecuted by | a diving company for the purpose of recover- ing this specie, the result of which las not yet been chronicled. It would scarcely be believed that valuables have been recovered nearly two hundred and fifty years from the date of the wreck, but nevertheless it is recorded that the good ship Harleem, which was driven ashore in Table bay in May, 1648. and became a total wreck, had on board many cases fall of curiosities and | antiquities for sale to European museums. These cases contained idois, rare china, glass, silver, &c. As lately as 1883 salving operations were rewarded by the recovery of several of these articles, The china was not at all injured by having been two hundred and thirty-five years under the sea, but the silver articles had suffered considerably. Another very notabie | case—not only for the amount of treasure on board, but also for the big “windfall” | for the _salvors—is that’ of the| Thetis, a British frigate. wrecked off | the coast of Brazil in 1430, with £162,000 in bullion on board. The huil went to pieces, leaving the treasure at the bottom in five or six fathoms of water. The admiral of the Bra- zil station and the captains and crews of four sloops of war were engaged for eighteen months in removing the treasure. The service was attended with great skill, labor and danger, and four lives were lost. "A good deal of litigation was the regult, as disputes arose between the parties ag to the umount of reward for the salvors. The court of admiralty awarded £17,000; the privy council, £29,000, and £25,800 for expenses, In the reign of James II @ very successful salving expedition took place. A rich Spanish vessel, which bad been lost on the coast of South America, rewarded her salvors with no less than £300,000, stated to have been forty-four years at the bottom of the| sea. A medal was struck in honor of this event in 1647. One of the most recent cases | of successful salving operations is that of | the Spanish mail steamer Alphonso XU, bound | from Cadiz to Havana, in February, 1885, and sunk off Point Gando, Grand Canary, in 25 fathoms of water. She had on board treasure valued at £100,000, The underwriters who had | insured the vessel organized a salving expedi- | tion, which was dispatched to the scene of the | wreck in the following May. It is reported that a few months later most of the specie was recovered, ——_—_+ee____ __ Hard on the Bachelors. From the London Telegraph. Dr. '# astounding proposal to tax bachelors is being discussed seriously in Paris, and his views receive the sanction of many of his scientific colleagues. M. de Laferriere, | another social philosopher, has now come to the front with a thick pamphlet on the depop- ulation question. in which he too suggests that unmarried men should be subjected to an im- t. The idea, however, is not new, and, = been pointed out, there existed a law in France in 1791 which obliged bachelors to pay more rental than married men, while in 1793 & decree was Lgtwe> rot ordaining that votaries of celibacy should only receive half ON M TAIN HEIGHTS, Springs. A QUAINT OLD DWELLING—PLAY ROOMS MOST ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE FOR THE LITTLE FOLKS —A QUEER BED CHAMBRA—THE SOCIETY OF THE MILLIONAIRES, Correspondence of Tax EVExIxo Stax. Prrtssvno, August 15, The cottage g€ Cresson, Pa., which President Harrison and family will occupy next week is 9 short distance from the Mountain House and in the midst of the Pittsburg residences, Even the President of the United States has never had richer neighbors than he will have at Cres- son. There is, on one side of his cottage, the house of Harry Darlington, the wealthy Pitts- burg brewer; on the other side that of B. H. Painter, aniron manufacturer of Pittsburg, who is richer than anybody knows about. The cottage of Andrew Carnegie, a name that con- veys a clearer idea of wealth than does a row of figures reaching into the millions, is not far away, and beyond it is the handsome cottage of B. F. Jones, another rich man, both by in- heritance and personal effort. His cottage is beautiful one that is worthy of « better. fai than to be ata summer place unoccupied for nine months of every year. Outlying from these are the cottages of more millionaires— Park Painter, Gus Painter, Mark W. Watsou, Wm. Thaw and others. all of them foremost among the reiiable business men of Pittsburg. A SUMMER TOWN. Cresson Springs consists of a railway station, @ hotel—the Mountain Houso—and the twenty or twenty-five cottages built within the hotel grounds. Probably five hundred people live at Cresson in the summer time. but in the winter the population is a solitary telegraph oporator. Six of the cottages belong to the company own- ing the Mountain House; the remainder are the property of Pittsburg men only. The people living in them belong to the ex- ceedingly exclusive circle of Pittsburg, and when they go to Cresson they take their exclu- siveness with them. ‘here are no dealings be- tween the guests of the hotel and the cottagers asa general thing, except in a few isolated eases, and they only serve to make the distance ordinarily observed the more pronounced. This feeling even extends to the nurseries, the youngsters hardly out of bibs and into the alphabet ignoring each other religiously— one set because it does not chvoso to recognize, the other becauso it knows it won't be recognized. The cottages are numerous enongh and the people in them powerful enough, having once created this atmosphere, to keep it up. The winds that blow over the hills at Cresson in mid-winter are not more icy than the looks with which the high-born dame living in a Queen Anne cot- tage overlooks the woman, perhaps as high born but not as Pittsburg born as herself, when they meet on the board walk at Cresson, THE PRESIDENT'S COTTAGE, There ‘are three rows of residences to the right of the hotel, and in the middle one 1s the cottage for the presidential party. The house, which is not much to boast of in its outward appearance and within is still less worthy of regard, belongs to Mrs, David E. Park, a resi- dent of Pittsburgh that went to live years ago in Washington and who now ié traveling in Europe. If not the oldest, it is at least one of the oldest cottages at Cresson. It has been built in sections and was at first “I” shaped, Now it looks like a cross. ‘he fivo original rooms have had six added to them and the cottage now is partly one, partly two storied, with the most amazing design of turrets, roofs, and eaves that ever decorated a single houso, It has a little lawn like its neighbors, sloping gently back, while some of the beautiful oaks and pines for which Cresson is noted almost hide the villa from sight, No fences separate the grounds of the different residences, and people walk goodnaturedly over their ’ neighbors’ grass, allowihg their neighbors to do likewise with ‘theirs in return, When Mrs. Park left the cottage she took with her very little of its furniture, 80 that things look a good deal like what they did in her time. Almost all the heavy furniture was in the honse originally, but there has been a judicious dotting round of light bits of art—tuble and cbairs—that have transformed the rooms and brightened them generally. A piazza surrounds the front and sides of the house and from it entrance is gained to THE RECEPTION HALA This is a pretty, cool-looking room, witha hard-wood floor and a hard-wood ceiling; this last, however, is concealed now by drapings of cretonne that gives itan exceedingly dainty and almost bridal-room effect. An art square lies in the middle of the room and rugs are scattered here and there. On the windows are China silk and lace hangings. A chair or two and a sofa completes the reception hall. To the right opens the President's bedroom and to the left what is already termed the Presi- dent's study. Both these rooms are plainly, indeed, poorly furnished. The study floor is covered with China matting and a Brussels carpet is on the floor of the bedroom. The bed room furniture is of white ash made in antique English style. Everywhere are read- ing lamps in abundance, “for the Park cottage is not lighted with gas, though it is the only house in the place without this con- venience. A tiny hall, a narrow continuation runs between these two rooms and comes to a stop at four doors leading to as many rooms. Oue of them is a kitchen, which, of course, is toa certain extent an ornamental affuir, prob- ably there because of its home effect, for the cottagers take all their meals at the hotel, The kitchen is next the study. Across the hall from itis another bed room and it completes the little house built in ‘si, This second bed room has been set apart for Mrs. Russell Harrison, and adjoins but does not connect with the bed chamber of the President and his wife. All the rooms are small, about the size of those generally found in rented city houses, and tar from imposing. THE NEW PART, Now for the new part. It is perplexingly arranged, or rather disarranged, for certainly no plan was ever followed in building it, The hall of the old part, already described, stops at | the new addition by changing the course of its parallel walls and coming to a point. From this point extends onward the division wall of the next two rooms, and to get to the re- } mainder of the house the room either to the left or right must be passed through. The last addition to the house is the play rooms, which were built by Mrs. Park for her grand- children. the little sons aud daughters of Mrs. Fred Leech of Pittsburg. In this part of the house, too, is the stairway, if adozen steps may be so designated, leading to tour more bed rooms on the second floor. To describe their arrangement is im- possible. Imagine the most circuitous way of reaching from any one point to another (tha extreme opposite of a straight lime) and that will give @ fair idea of how the secoud floor is | planned, The rooms, if anything, are larger than those downstairs and one of them at least is the haudsomest in the house, It is furnished entirely in cherry-finished mahogany. Another has blue furniture, with hangings to corre- spond, ‘The two remaining rooms are for the servants and have a private stair to them from the kitchen. As the shape of the roof 18 fol- lowed exactly in the second-tloor rooms there are some curious results, In an alcove of the “blue” bed room where the bedstead stands the roof almost comes to the floor and, as the bedstead tits the space exactly, to get into bed one would need to climb over the footboard. This, again, is not prac- ticable because of the low ceiling. There is ouly one way left, aud that is to wheel the bed- stead out, get into bed and have it wheeled back again to its place. The three play rooms, kitehen, dining room and parlor, where Baby McKee ‘will reign are cnough to send that small child into spasmsof delight. Everything is real, from ® real sink toarenl clock that looks like a real Swiss chalet. There is a real | stove—a Little Darling No. 6—at which the babies may burn themselves with real fire or at which they can cook with real pans and sauce- ‘ = The clock has not gone since its former itt ile owners were at Cresson. It is waiting for the chubby fingers of Baby McKee to start it once more on its course of usefulness, The cottage, which the Mountain House manage- ment has furnished and renewed at considera- ble expense, will be turned over to the Prosi- — when . wants a bea at © price he pays, whether he stays one or one month, se MC. a Sica Se Sunday Rest in France. A Paris Dispatch to the Loudon Daily Newa. A short time ago MM. Jules Simon, Leon Say and Cheysson, in the name of the league Sunday rest for wor! people, wrote to the oe of public can to appeal to the railway com- the usual amount of relief in the event of their suffering from plagues or accidents, In the second year of the first French republic unmarried men over thirty had to pay one- quarter more taxes over other citizens and this was afterward augmented by the lawgivers of the same Both Dr. Lagneau and M. de Laferriere have thus good precedents in — history for their much coe Mr. Wanamaker has issued the postal card for women. We suppose it has P. 8. en;raved near the top.—. York Commercial Adver- ‘discussed pro- | would so arrange panies, They did not ask him to use any com- simply to show himself favorable jects of the league in asking the com- how thoy might possibly meet them, and whether it wouid not be possible to sus- ene wanes ot Iaealiy, goods elie on. Som in answer. states that has submitted the application of the railway companies in the Tegulations traffic as to be able to grant one Or at least a part of one, to those ————¢e £2 Rate Nanld bo Sever poor there were fewer miserable —Van Dorn's Magazine, \ 4 SHELLS FOR MONEY. interesting | The President’s Cottage at Cresson | Employed Largely For Currency Even at the Present Day. HELL fish have from time immemorial contributed enormously to the wealth of the world, Not merely have they given up to man pearisof price, as well Y as the material of their own dwellings for ornamental purposes, but they have sup- Plied him for centuries with all the money be needed to spend. Before gold, silver and copper came into use ss a medium of exchange shell money was ‘used for the same purposes all over the world. To this day it is em- Ployed as cash to an enormous extent southern = A: islands of the Indianand South Pacific oceans and in many parts of Africa, In these re- 3s gions the “cowry shell” is the one chiefly em- _moxzY vownY. ployed, for the reason (Pacific Islands.) that it is of convenient size and the natural supply of it is limited, so that no one cowry shell may be considered to represent a definite amount of labor in the process of finding, and there is no material chance of a sudden in- flation of the currency by the discovery of ® great deposit of cowrfes, One hundred are worth 2 cents, and strings of receivable where they are cur- rent for merchandise, labor or anything pttrchasable. One can build house, for in- stance, worth $2,000 and discharge the expense with 10,000,000 cowries, For purposes of trade in the Indo-Pacific and Africa vast quantities of cowries are imported to England, whence they are carried by merchants for use in bar- ter. On the weet coastof Africa a young wife can be bought for 60.000 cowries, equal to $12, while an ordinary wife not guaranteed as to youth may be had for 20,000 cowries. In the Sondan there is no other currency in use. The late firm of Godeffroy & Co., Hamburg, was accustomed to send each year fourteen vessel to Zanzibar for cargoes of cowries with which cargoes of palm oil and other produce was pur- chased on the west coast of Africa, Cowries were formerly largely used in the pur- chase ofslaves. The main source of supply of this species of shell is the Maldive and Lacca- dive Islands, in the Arabian sea. INDIANS AND THEIR MONEY, Before the settlement of America by the whites, and foralong time after, shells were exclusively used for money by the Indians, mostly under the name of ‘‘wampum,” which consisted of disks and pieces in other shapes cut out of shells of various kinds. One of the shells most commonly used for this purpose was the common round or ‘quahaug” clam. About half an inch of the inside of the sheil is of a purple color, and this the Indians used to break off and convert into beads. Cash in the early days of this country’s settlement was chiefly, apart from tho shell money employed in trade with the natives, beaver skins, beads and musket balls, The island of Conanicut in Narragansett bay was originally sold to the whites for one hundred pounds of wampum. Wampum was originally worth $2.50 a fathom, strung on ordinary twine; but enterprising merchants in New York, then New Amsterdam, set to work to make it by machinery, the result being a great depreciation in this sort of cur- rency. The California Indians were accustomed to manufacture large quantitics of wampum, to take the place of the constant wastage caused by their custom of burying big sums of shell money with every one of importance who died. In their country $100 worth of shell money would buy two very desirable wives, Peri- winkles were largely used for money by the Indians. The sort of greatest value, however, was the abalone of the Pacific coast, which was worth as much as $10 and $15a shell. Out of the flat part of the shell were taken round $1 pieces, and, where the curve was shar] 25-cent pieces, The beauty of these shells is much appreciated at this day, and in those times a fine one was considered a fair equiva- Jent for a horse. ee PLAGUE OF FLEAS, It Strikes Washington in Spots—How it Should be Combated.;: ASHINGTON is assailed by a plague of fleas. Happily, the afiliction is not universal, but householders here and there are complaining, particularly those who have dogs about the prem- ises. But some without dogs say that their dwellings have been suddenly overrun by these highly objectionable insects. In some cases people returning to town from the country haye been horrified to find their houses fairly aswarm. Wpon entering a room the creatures were discovered leaping about literally by thousands, immediately attacking the owners and making things palpably unpleasant, The proprietor of one establishment thus invaded was convinced that it would be necessary to move out at once, but he was fortunate enough to ascertain a method by which he was able to drive ont the pests and avoid so dismal an al- ternative. He purchased a pound and a half of Persian insect powder and took one room. at a time for his experiment. From room number oue he removed the rug that covered the floor and shutting all the windows and doors, he put a few red-hot coals in a tin pan and poured over them some of the insect powder, the pan being placed on the hearth to avoid all danger of five. ‘Then he left the room as quickly as possible, for withia a very few moments it was filed so densely with the fumes of the burning powder that there was no breathing in it, The room was lett shut for two or three hours, at the end of which time it was aired and nov a single flea was to be found in it alive. By applying the same process to each of the other rooms of the house the entire dwelling was freed of the nuisance. The operation was labo ious, but it was considerably easier than moving, ‘As for the rugs and two or three so into which the fleas had made their way, they were sent down town to an upholsterer. who has an iron room into which he puts carpets and furniture that are infested by anything objectionable, the temperature of the room being raised by hot air pipes to the point neces- sary to destroy the iusects, However, it is probable that this was not all that was neces- sary, and that if the rugs and sofas bad been left in the room while the fumigating was going on the fleas in them would have been effectually destroyed. Fieas breed in the cracks of floors among other places, and in in laying down the carpets again after such a erformunce it is well to spread insect powder Freely beneath them. All this is wful bore, of course, but it is the only way known of to cure a plague of fleas. Washington is said to be a bad town for fleas, as it is also for moths; but the flea plague has been making trouble also of late in Baltimore and Phiiadeiphia, whence accounts | reach here of a horribie oriental flea, brought over from Turkey in rugs, that spreads with wonderful rapidity aud is ever so much more dreadful than the ordinaty kind, So far as infected carpets are concerned it will be found effective to sprinkle them thoronghly with benzine and hang them up in the sun for two or three days. Before they are relaid it is recommended tbat the fioors be cleaned with hot water and soft soap, It is to be hoped that this flea plague will not spread very generally | over Washington, but for those who are suffer- ing from it or likely to suffer this information 1s given. —-—_—_ His Victory Came Too Late. From the Detroit Free Press. A Detroit wholesale house sent an agent into one of the northern counties the other day to investigate and report on the failure of a dry goods man whose assets were below zero. The bankrupt was perfectly willing to explain how it all happened. “You see,” he said, “I got married about two ears ago. | Up to that time the postmaster and fs wife bad been at the head of society e and run the ranch. He had the only swallow- tailed coat and she the only silk dress in the a “I see.” “We had to make s lead for the head and I bought my wife a $12 bonnet and a diamond " The pos ter bought bis wife a broncho pony a « pair of diamond earrings.” “Yea,” “Then I subscribed $200 to a new ch gute two lows pariies ant hed agagfeangend Tee nes eee house, gressive eucher party and gave 250 Yo tye heathen of 7 “Well. T had in to smash him or lose a lung and so I m: ‘the "8 salary for a year, lost ona in wi kept two hired girls, bought three THE PORE YOUNG MIDD' An Entertaining Story in the Cockney Dialect. The following amusing little story is taken from a collection of studies in the cockney dis- lect, just published in London, and entitled “Thenks, Awf lly.” As the train moved off from the Mansion House station—I was alone in the compartment —the door opened and a good-looking young midshipman, to whom I lent a hand, flung him- self in. He at once burst into conveysation: “Thenks, awf'lly! I nully missed the trine. Bah Jowve! Thenks, very metch. These yaw them up from the floor, len in the little scuffle, f ter sea termorrer, Ow lor! pree I've ‘ed ter be shaw! Sitch Aout on the loose ivvery naht. Moosic mpine seppers—thet’s the wy ter mi e Menny flab! Bra Jowve! I ev mide it fial T've spent a ‘undid en’ twenty paounds in jess'n @ week, en’ naow I'm a-goin’ to see mah sister in Bizewater ter borrer menny ter git me aboard mah ship. D'joo’eppen ter ‘now ’ow fur it is ter Bizewater? I've nivver bin in Lendin afore. I ashaw you I've ‘ardly got a ‘arf-craown left in the world, bet I down't rigrit mah apree. Lor! wot fen I've ‘ed to be shaw! You ‘evn't got a ‘undid paounds ter lend a paw devil, ev yer?” And here he burst into so rollicking a laugh that I instantly fol- lowed suit. Dear! dear! just one of those fools who are nobod, but their own. What pity! ndsome lad, too, leviay watch th’ ether dy—a prisint from the guyner—sawlid gowld chrenometer with abaout ‘arf a dezzin little fices w'ich towld joo all sorta er things—tho dy uv the menth, the tahm in Perris, en’—ow lor! I cahnt reek- erlec’—bet tchoo ‘now the sort er thing I mean. Sir Jawn Bennitt, uv Cheapsahd, is the miker, en’ it cawst a ‘undid en’ fifty guinnays, en’ this is the sort er thing I'm a-wearin’ of naow. The poor fellow pulled out # battered old silver watch of tho frying pan variety, and con- tinued: “I pawned the paw roul gevner’s prisint fer ten paounds, en’ I bought this fer 'arf a sovrin, jist ter eva watch uv sem sort, down't tcher now. “Then mah rings—dimins bowth of 'em— wen frem mether, en’ th’ether frem_ sister Jine. Mether’s cawst seventy paounds, en’ sister's twenty—pawned the two fer ten paounds. Wot thieves them pawnbrokers is ter be shaw! Ere’s the tickets. Now use to me—bvetter tear ‘em ep I spowz.” Hers ho passed over the pawn tickets, which I glanced at. “They're now use ter me noaw, for bah thie tahm tomorrer I mest be on jooty at sea, or else mah prospics will be blahsetid. I 't be beck fer two or three year. [ spowz zhoo wouldn’ care ter ‘ev ‘em? Thet watch is a stanner en’ now mistike, en’ them rings—wy you should see them dimins a-sparklin’! If I'd tahm, I dess-sy I could sell these yer tickits fer twenty or thirty paounds, en’ then uv kawsh I shouldn't ev ter treble ‘mah sister fer any menny. Ten paounds would do me, en’ then 'd gow awf ter sea, Give us ten paounds fer men’ I’mshaw you'll nivver rigritit, They're menjis bargin. aow, see wot tchoo're a-doin’ of,” he con- tinued impressively, “‘a peeaw gowld Sir Jawn Bennitt chrenometer with aht-a-dezzin little fices wot tells zhoo all sorts er things—undid en’ fifty paounds; en ensim dimin’ ring—cawst seventy; enether ring, dimin’ not quaht sow big, twenty; the lot in pawn fer twenty acunds, Another ten en’ they're yaws! Wod Jor ay? I was sorely tempted. after a pause, “goto your sister and borrow the ten pounds from her—and leave her the tickets—she's the proper person to redeem these valuable things,” “Look ‘ere, sir,” said the middy, earnestly. “I'now I'ma idjit ter sell these ‘ere tickets fer ten paounds w’en I kin git twenty easy, bet wile we've bin a-talkin’ I've dissardid not ter gow ter mah sister's aouse, en’ if you won't buy “em sembody else will, en’ Ieve'nt a-gowin beck from mah word.” Well, here was @ situation with a vengeance! To throw such a chance away seemed an act of supreme folly and then and there I closed with the offer. “But,” eaid I, “I haven't got ten pounds in my pocket, my lad—you'll have to come to my house and we must get out at Kensington Hig! street station.” “Ow! d'jer live Kemdin ‘Ill wy?” said my new frien “Campden Hill way? Why you told me eo now that you'd never been in London fore.” That lad's cheeks went rosy as acouple of autumn apples at the implied suspicion. “Blesh you, I'now thet Kemdin 'lll is clowse t’ "Igh street. Kinsint’n stytion, ‘cause a pel o’maha in mah last ship—en'’e waz a real nabsh yeng feller en’ now bloomin’ errer—lived theré, en’ wuz allwiz a-talkin’ abaout it.” Then tho lad abruptly changed the subject and told me a lot more about his foolish doings during the last few days, When we left Kensington High street station, and got into the street and I saw that artless middy cross the road and go straight up Horn- ton street, leaving me ta follow, I was aston- ished for the second time that afternoon. Said I: “Why, how on earth do you know your way’ “Ow, mah oul’ pel thet I towld joo of wuz very ‘owm sick, en’ ‘ardly talked uv anythink else, en ’e wuz allwaz a-drawrin’ litile meps uv Kemdin ‘Ill, en’ it sims ez if I’now'd all abaout it.” “Well, I really think you do,” said I, “anda very clever lad you are.” Andso we marched onward until my honse was reached, when I said: ‘Come in and I'll give you the £10 for the tickets.” “Now fear! Not me! I eyen't a’kemmin’ inter now aous. I'll stop aoutsahd "ere wahl you gits the menn: “Not come in? “Why, there’s no one in there except my wife and the servants.” “Well, it's lahk this downt tcher see. Some- | body wot 'nows me maht be there en’ I waunt ter git awy ter mah ship, en’ I eye’nt a-gowin’ inter now bloomin’ aouse, en’ thet’s the bloomin’ truth, en’ sow I tell yer strite.” “Very well, have your own way.” I went indoors and in a few minutes returned with ten | sovereigns, My midshipman had walked to the corner of the street and was evidently on the lookout for somebody. He woulda’t come to me, so I went to him and said: to be so nervous. One would think you were atraid of something.” Iput the ten sovereigns ina willing hand and with a terse “ee y'are, into another equally willing, and then one of us seemed to melt awa: When I told my wife what had happened she said some particularly nasty things, and she is not giveu that way either. At least, not very much. “Wait, my dear,” said I, “until you have seen the watch and the rings. If ever there was a genuine unsophisticated middy——” “Well,” she interrupted. in vague sort of im very glad = didn’t come into the Early next morning I unearthed the pawn- broker in aslummy new street that had gone to decay, Shepherd's Bush way, . ‘ant tosee the gold watch and the two diamond rings,” said I, producing the ticket, “Unlesh you py th’ interest ep to dite, yeu cabn’t see 'em. “How much?” “T'teen en’ nahn.” “Eighteen and ninepence! There must be some mistake. It's iny ible that interest should have accrued at that rate. ‘These things have only been in pawn a few days.” “Thet’s wot's doo on them there tickita.” Well, Ithought, in for a penny in for a pound, so I laid down a sovereign and re- ceived the change. “Now, show me the watch.” A stout-cased old-fashioned ble- looking gold watch with an ordinary vs ene produced. It was ticking. ‘How is it that the watch is going?” “Ow, a watch. down't tcher see, awfen sto: w'en it’s put bah, en’ wen it’s tyken ep agin uv kawsh it gows, down’t ther see.” “But this isn’t the watch. It was described to me as having half a dozen dials, maker Sir John Bennett, and——” “-Thet’s the watch fer this ere tickit, en’ now ether. Look for yawself.” I knew perfectly well that my honest-faced middy had not deceived me, and his own words, “Wot thieves them pawnbrokers is, ter be shaw!” came back to me with telling force. However, the watch was cheap enor o0d- ness knows! So I paid the ten it in my pocket. “Now for the rings,” said L The rings were soars kidney “No, my lad,” I said, | “Hang it all, man, how stupidly foolish it is | he put the tickets | 1 flashed splendidiy. I examined the watch and the hali marking of the thick gold cases. Then I quietly left the house and went to see a jew- eler in the High strest with whom I dealt and told him shortly what had happened. He first looked at the rings. “The settings are all right.” And, aftera examina- tion, “the etones are all right—at least [ think 80. But I'm going to Hatton Garden tomorrow morning and if you'll ¢ them with me I'll find out all aboutthem.” Taking up the watch he said: “This isali right. A httie bit old-fash- ioned—worth, I should say, about £15 or £16.” My spirits rose, But alas! the next day when I called on the “tages I was told that the rings were exceed- ingly clever imitations. Said he: “I think you had better let me have ano! look at that watch.” And that, too, turned out to be base, The end of it was that rings and watch were disposed of by the jeweler for one pound five and a penny. About a month later my wife read out to me one morning with much glee an account of a plausible-tongued young midshipman who was sentenced at Birmingham to six months’ hard labor for being concerned in some jewelry frauds, ia which pawn tickets played a promi- is to laugh at.” 0 said my wife, turning very red, ‘ou're a born fool.” To this outburst I did ‘not reply. WEDDED IN THE CIRCUS RING. Bride and Groom Form the Chief At= traction at a Show Reading. A unique and unexpected feature was intro- duced at the evening performance of T. R. Bark’s circus at Reading, Pa., in the shape of a wedding ceremony in the ring. The bride was Miss Lizzie Jonos and the groom was D. O. Bauman, formerly a resi- dent of Ephrata, Lancaster county, but re- cently employed as a driver by the Keading Transfer Company. The circus was exhibiting at the lot, 6th and Greenwich streets, and the regular performance had just been completed, when, with the consent of the management, the bridal party entered the ring, stepping to the music of Mendelssohn's “Wedding March,” Playod to order by the circus band. The groom | was mer, accompanied 4 by Alderman = Kra- R. Burk and J. W. Lovelance, and the bride was attended by Miss Jennie At- wood. A | latform had been erected in the yimounted, Alderman After the ccre- mony the groom kissed the bride itl traditional fashion and the couple received the congratu- lations of their friends. The audience mean- while had been looking on with breathless in- terest and when it was all over they set up a mighty cheer. At the conclusion of the wed- ding the management of the circus $100cash to the couple, who left the circus Grounds in a coupe, followed by the lusty cheers of the n@ititude. Sei eeceennn Boston’s Beautiful Parks. W. H. Ingersoll of New York city writes as follows to the Boston Transcript: “Allow me to offer my tribute of praise for the magnifi- cent art-gardening work in the public garden, Thave seen the finest work of the Paris norti- cultural exbibition and the Swiss gardeners’ work, but I have never seen anything to equal the picture work in planting and_trim- ming your artist-gardener, William Doogue. is of flowers and ‘colored plants representing the corps signals and badges and Grand Army devices were of course designed and planned last spring, aad they represent the forethought and plan long ago arranged for the honor of our noble veterans, and, like all noble deeds, the work honors those who conceived it as well as those whom it was intended to honor, Asa study of what can be done with plants and flowers by one who knows how, this achievemont ought to be visited by all who care for beauty in art and nature com- bined,” 5 Marriage by Wholesale. There lived some years ago in western Penn- sylvania, according to “Harper,” an old circuit Preacher, Father West by name, whose genial humor and kindlinoss of heart had greatly en- deared him to all the people ot his district. He ‘was a particular fovorite with the young folks matrimonially inclined, and his opportunities to “tie the knot” were numerous. On one oceasion he found upon his arrival at a certain town several couples awaiting his blessing. The old man was tired and wished to make short work of the job. nd up,” he began, “and jine han Which being done, he rattled through @ marriage service that, like himself. was original. “There,” be said, when it was finishe ecan 0; ye’re man and wife, ev'ry one o’ y Two of the couples hesitated and finally made it apparent that in the eudden *ining” they had become confused and bad taken the hi the wrong persons. The old preacher's eres twinkled as he took in the situation, but he in- stantly straightened up and with a wave of his hand dispersed them. _““I married ye all,” he said, “Sort yourselves.” see A Long Sermon. From Vam Dorn's Magazine. Stranger (to sexton minister been preaching’ Sexton: “He began before the war.” Stranger: “What is the text ae In the Quiet Country. From the New York Sun. Thad been staying at an Indian farm house all night, and next morning the farmer said be would give me a litt into town. When he was ready to go he called to his oldest boy: “Bill, is that shot gun loaded with salt for tramps?’ “Yes.” ,{'Got the gates shut so that no mad dogs kin git in’ “Well, keep a lookont for windmill, lightning rod, organ and sewing machine men. Don't have any truck with the peddlers or poultry buyers. Don’t let in any patent gate or wire fence men. Keep clear o” patent hayforks and don’t waste no time on churns, force pumps, ice cream freezors, bug holders, patent barrels, fruit trees, wagon jacks nor owl traps.” o “And say, Bill!” calied the old man, after we had driven forty or fifty rods, “don't buy no cure tor the heaves, no fire-proof paint, no — gate hinges, pitchforks nor eucyciope- ins.” We had driven about three miles, when he suddenly pulled up with an exclamation of dis- ust. “What is it?” “Hang my hide if I didn’t clean forgit to warn Bill agin Bohemian oats, New Zealand clover and thom pesky insurance agents! Wail, it’s too late now. but I guess I kin git back home afore the mob overpowers him.” Morocco and the Rebels. The Suitan of Morocco, says the Pall Mall Gazette, has vanquished the rebels who routed his son a few daysago. His majesty set out from Rabat at the head of 20,000 meu. Sosud- den was his action, so rapid his march, that he took the rebels by surprise, and, surrounding their camp, did not allow one toescape. Hor ever, tothe surprise alike of the European aud the Moors, the sultan pardoned ail the rebele, Not a single act of cruelty was com- mitted, aud, what is more, the merciful ruler remitted @ portion of the taxes due to him from the rebels. This magnanimity 1s, per- haps, explained by the fact that the Beni Zem- nots are the fiercest aud most rebellious tribe iv Morocco. Though often punished by the imperiai troops they have rebelled again and again, and possibly the sultan is trying to effect with miidness what severity cannot do, i. ios iy middy's at sea,so I don't see } resented | | until GENUINE TURKISH BATHS. Bathing an All-Day Diversion With the Women in Constantinople. From Constantinople Letter Just outside the limits of Constantinople, up in the Golden Horn, is Ags-Hammam, « bath frequented by many ladies of the highest po- sition, not because they have no baths of their own, but because they are sure to meet their friends there without restriction and havee good time. It has always been a great pisce for mothers to take their marriageable daugh- ters, and forother mothers to goto choosee bride for their sons, and, as wives are not chosen for their mental, but physical beauties alone, certainly this is the place to choose, where beauty is quite unadorned, and, there fore, of this bath we will speak. The ladies arrive, each one ateended by her own personal servant and another who bears @® very substantial lanch basket and a handsome gold-bordered bathing wrap. The ennachs remain outside or go away and come back ab the hour the bath is ended, es it cooupies sev eral hours, First, the ladies are divested of their cloth. ing and receive a crepe sheet, which they drape ut them while they sit the regulation time in the first room, During this time they chat with each other, though not very familiarly, and they keep up the preteuse of the drapery until they reach and pass the next room, after which the sheet and modesty are thrown off, and, with their abundant hair atreaming loose and unconfined. they walk erect into the inst room as Eve did about the garden of Eden, There they stretch themselves out upon the marble, slabs white two attendants rub them and lather them and pour hot water over them seems as if they would be boiled. Each lady ie inid on a marble slab, which is slightly inclined, and two attendants begin their le- bors, one at the feet and the ot Ther use a sort of clay called pile a thick, white iather, which so several inches thick. T ing but this soapy cla: cleanse their subject with, and knead and punch until it seems they would re- duce the flesh to a pulp, allthe while | this lather to accumulate until the bather looks like asuow bail. Another kind of soap is used for the hair, an again for the face, but the lather i left to gather thick, as the worker rubs and toils, the perspiration rolling in streams down ber own glistening body. rub and A little silver basin stands at hand and after the Indies have soaked in soap long enough they take quite hot water, entirely too bot for anybody but a Tarkish woman who is used to it, and pour it gently over them, not dashing the water, but sof ptying it, #0 that it soon washes off al! the lather, leaving the flesh rory and fresh. ‘This pouring of water is continued sometimes half an hour and the rubbing, roll- ing and kneading of the body, after which the ly is at liberty to plunge into the basin, af wishes, among the other laughing and frolicking en, black and white mingling indiscriminatety. Words cannot depict the utter abandonment to fun and sport that takes possession of these women, and children, too, for after « girl is nine years old she is admitted to women’s so- ciety uurestrainedly. The young girls are all plumper than our young girls, and they have in the main fine figures, though the knees are always big and prominent, which is probably caused by the habit of sitting crossed-legged, as they do. Their #kin is very white and pur spite of their unwholesome diet and indole habits, a SOME LONG VACATION TRIPS, Where a Man May Gio in Six Months and What It Will Cost. From the New York Times Ifa man has three to six months at his dis- posal which he is willing to spend in a vacation there area number of long trips he may take from New York which are pleasant and not as expensive as many persons suppose. Of course, there are long rail trips, as to San Fraucisoo, the City of Mexico or Vancouver, British Co- and rail and water trips, as to Alaske, and there are short ocean trips, as to Europe, to New Orleans or to the Bermudas or to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, but the real long vacation trips are pot of that kind. There are ocean voyages where weeks may be epent be- yond the reach of the mails, where twlegrams may not come and where business cares are | only a matter of recollection and not of daily growth and newperplexities. If it is early summer, say, and the proposed vacation is a matter of three months, there is a delightful trip to Greenland. Passe traffic between the United States and the broed- ing place of icebergs is not heave enough to warrant the estabishment of « line of ocean greyhounds to the north, and even the con- scicncelcss subsidy hunters have not ventured to suggest government aid to that end. But ac- commodations can be secured in sailing vessels going from Philadelphia to Ivigtut, on the southern coast of Greenland, or in April or May as far up as Upernavik. The trip takes about four weeks each way, and the ships remaine fortnight at the Greenland port while taking onacargo of oil and other products of the country, The entire trip will take about te weeks and the cost will be about $3 a day, or, say, €200 for the round trip. Thero is almost certainty of storms and a fair prospect of being present at the birth of an iceberg from o Greenland glacier; so all in all it would bee rather interesting trip. In th opposite direction and about half as Thither one may go in @ steamship ata cost of €160 each way. The trip each way takes about twenty-five days, To add interest to it the Tropic of Carter and the equator are each crossed twice in this trip. If sailing into southern waters should attractive there are two other trips in that di- rection. One is a water, rail and water voyage to San Francisco by way of the Isthmus of Panama, taking ® steamship for the ocean voyage. This will cost only E00 each way and consume about twenty-eight days to go or to come. This is a reaily inexpe! trip and it is said by those who have made it to be # pleas- ant one. The other trip to the south is to Sam Francisco around Cape Horn. This takes about 120 days and costs €300. It is one of the long- est straightaway trips out of New York, haps the ma gy One can get to Calcutta ine sailing vessel in the same time, to Zanzibar im out 100 days, to the Cape of Good Hope in eight weeks. and Alexan; we, Be in less than a month, in « sailing ¥ each in- stance. ‘There is another trip that ought tobe » pleas- ant one, Lecause it is a mixture of and water, and because there is a line with a regular “summer and fall” service. It is to Yokohama aud Hong Kong by way of Vancouver. A first class passage to Yokohama from New York costs #260, exclusive of sleeping car berth and meals to Vancouver. The berth will cost $22 and meals @2.50 or so a day. To go onto Hong Kong will cost about €@25 more. A sec- ond-class passage for the trip costs about 840 less, and @ steerage passaxe will cut the cost down to a little over €100 to Yokohama or Hong Kong. From Vancouver to Yokohama takes sixteen days and to Houg Kong nine days longer. eee Shoes For Every Occasion, From the Shoe and Leather Reporter. It as easy to account for the increased eon- sumption of shoes, Our ancestors of either sex seldom possessed more than one pair of “best” shoes for Sundays and special occasions. A cout ir made of moro‘ carefull; sung whee not in won futedln women boo or three a lighter of heavy calf