Evening Star Newspaper, October 25, 1890, Page 12

19 iff’ EVENING STAR:. WASHINGTON, D.C., SATURD yt AY.. OCTOBER 25. 1890—-SIXTEEN PAGES. TIME IS WORTH MONEY One Million Dollars Worth of It Sold by a Telegraph Company Yearly. EXACT TIME EVERYWTIERE. Sis SAB! The Government Supptics the Commod- ity Free of Charge and Union Selis 1t_Why Other People Are Protesting. fees) eS O NE MILLION DOLLARS’ worth of time. porter was informed. is Lelegraph Company every year. To make this clear it is necessary to explain that the big naval observ- > atory at Washington con- : siders it an important part (an of its business to deter- mine and give away to any ene who chooses to ask for it absolutely correct time at noon each day. Experts paid by Uncle Sam make the computations and press the but- ton at precisely 12 o'clock, thus communicat- 4ng the hour to the various departments in this city. The Western Union is permitted to have ite instruments in the rooms whence the mes- sage is sent, with an attachment to the button, so that the news is flashed directly from the observatory, without even the aid of an opera- tor, all over the United States, reaching even so distant a point as San Francisco witbin the space of not more than one-fifth of a second. For sach is the utmost twinkling required for | the passage of an electric spark through 3,000 miles of wire. To accomplish this the telegraph company is obliged to take all other business off the wires each bo § just before 12 o'cive: Three mu utes and a half before noon arrives operators im all parts of the country cease sending or Feceiving messages and devote their attention te attaching wires in such a manuer as to es- tablish unbroken con: ions from Washing- tou with points in every section of the Union to which the lines extend their ramutications. A dozen seconds before the time bell is to strike a few warning ticks come flashing along, and at the very moment wheu the sun passes over the seventy-fifth meridian « ent gives a single throb trom Maine to Florida and from the Atlantic to the Pacitic, intorming an ex- Pectant nation of the time of day. TRE DIFFERENCE OF TIME. Of eourse, there is a difference of three hours between Washington and San Francisco, but that difficulty is got over by dividing the whole country into four perpendicular strips. each strip setting its clock by the time of the meridian that bisects it from north to south. ‘Thus each strip is always one hour later than the next strip to the east. When you get to Chicago you put the hands of your watch one hour back; having reached Onuha you set them another hour rearward, and upon arriv- ing in San Francisco you find yourscif still one hour im advance. In this wxy the noon is sent out from Washington serve to indicate 11 a.m. for Chicago, 10 a.m. for Omala and 9 a.m. for San Francisco. HOW THE MONEY Is MADE. Now, the way in which the telegraph com- pany makes money by distributing the time in this manuer is by selling it to people all over the United States who have clocks and find it of importance to keep them richt. In this manner it keeps corrected by electricity to ab- solute solar time no less than 7,000 clocks in the city of New York alon Each clock is charged for this service $15 a year, which makes an income of $105,000 so derived from the metropolis only. Doubtless quite 31,000,000 annually fe obtained from the setting of clocks once a day in the populated centers, small and large, of the Union. All that the company is obliged to pay for the time wich sells tor so Yast a yearly sum is the cost of maintaining its instruments at the observatory and the wires eonuect these iustruments with the Office in Washington. Butit must be rem bered that the cost of stopping telegraphic ons for four minutes in the busiest part b day throughout the entire country is not inconsiderable. PRIVATE OBSERVATORIES PROTESTING. Nevertheless, the profit is sutiicieutiy great to excite the indignation of the private observ- stories, which wish to sel! time themselves, egainst the Western Uniou. They contend that although they are able to make aud de- fiver an equally good and accurate quality of time themsei: he prestige naturally at- taching to government time drives their product outof the market and ruins the local wade they might otherwise tind profit in. Who is going to buy time of them when the same commodity is to be purchased at a cheap rate from the national astronomer? In response to their protest, addreseed to the Secretary of the Navy, the latter has replied that anyone is welcome to share the same privileges enjoyed by the Western Union com- pany in the jing of time free of charge; the postal telegraph. for example, is weicome to pat ite own instruments in and flash the mes- vege of the button wheresover it listeth. As ‘things stand at present the government is glad to extend iu any fashion the courtesies of the hour to 60,000.00 people,and more partien- Isrly to secure the accurate dropping of the noon-time balls in all the important seaports. in order that mariners may be able to correct their chronometers. This last was from the start the prime object of the service. So far as the expense of obtaining perfectly accurate time is concerned the Western Union or any other concern could establish und run an effeot- ive plant at a first cost of £5,000 and $2,000 a year. The clocks that are set every noon in a thousand cities and towns by a single pressure of the button in Washington are equipped with Pecaliar electric contrivance, so that the cur- ent passing through them springs the hands - — timepiece simultaneously to the point RECKONING TIME. The observatory does not reckon its time by the eun, but by the so-called “fixed” stars, which are so far off that their position with | relation to the earth docs not change appre- ciably within a few months or years. Star time is the only true time therefore. The operator looks through a bib telescope and watches for « given star that he knows to cross As it crosses he it does so, as clock with a twent L. Thea consults a printed table that shows him at just what number of hours, minutes and weconds the star in question must actually have crossed the meridian plane. The table wright, and by as much as the star-time clock differs from it the latter is wroug. No attempt is made to set the star clock right, allowance be- ing simply made in subsequent calcuiatious for ‘the error thus discovered, wuich amounts ouly ‘to @ fraction of a second in some days. Next. the corrected time, as taken from the star clock, ix reduced to sum time, which requires some figuring. inasmuch as the star year is one day louger than the sun year. A sun time or ~wtandard”™ time clock stands close by. and the amount that this varies from the truth baving deem ascertained, allowance ix made jor the error im sending the noon stroke all over the country. REGULATING CHRONOMETENS. At the observatory all the chronometers made for the navy are tested and regulated before they are sent out on vesseis, exch one of which is supplied with three first-ciass chronom- eters, as well as one thatis half used up, led a “back,” for carrying at and for rough service generally. It takes twenty-one ks of testing to properly reguinte and prove hronom and part of the trial consists in subjecting the instrument to the action of cold in an ice box and to heat communicated through steam pipes. Exch ‘chronometer, when given out, is accompanied by a chart telling just bow under certain temperatures. A curious exhibit pow shown at the observatory includes eight chrouometers that went down in the great gale that swamped afair part of Uncle Sam's navy at Samoa. ‘Their glasses are broken and their works so far Used up that they are n0 good any longer. DISCOVERING THE MOONS OF MARS. The astronomer of the national observatory, Prof. Hali, who made the famous discovery of the moons of Mars not long ago, spoke of those two interesting satellites yesterday as being each about the size of a forty-acre lot. Revolv- ang about the pianet like two pretty little golden shuttles, one of them presents the phenomenon of traveling around more than three times as fast as Mars himself docs. Thus is produced a very surprising appearance of things from the point of view of the Martian inhabitants, who see this rapidly moving moou seemingly rising im the west and setting in the east, while its moment shown by a star-tim four-bour y comparatively slow, the cast and sets in the west. In this way both moons are seen in the heavens st going ene way and the other the Thr Sran | old by the Western Union | other. They are doubtless dead spher the one that pursues its endless journey green cheese. It is an astonishing fact that these two moons of Mars, so recently discovered, were referred to with much accuracy of description. by both Volteire and Dean Swift in their satirical writ- ings, thus anticipating astronomical science, at which their sarcasms were aimed, by a century, one of the most remarkable guess Describing his voyage to Laputa inhabited by a people given over to the science of Gulliver says: hkewise discovered two lesser ites, which revolve about Mars, innermost is distant trom the planet exactly three of its diameters, and the outermost five of the diameters of the planet; the former revolves in e of ten hours and the latter in twenty. da half hours.” ‘, the fact is, as discovered only the other stars or sate! whereof the an inner jo ‘The diameter of Mars being @ little over 4.000 miles, Guiliver’s esti- {mate for the distance of the inner moon from the planet was ebont 12,000 miles, whereas it is actu 10,000 miles awa: For the outer moon Gul liver ‘es 20,000 miles 28 the distance, which 18 really only 15.000 miles, So he was only 5,000 as to th Gull the time ot revolation for the inner moon as seven other. er mentions and one-half hours; it is actaully ten hours, The time for the outer moon is set down by the imainary traveler at twenty and one-half hours; in fact it ix only «a utte over thirty hours. Pretty good for a guess at moons that never offered to human observers un'il a cen- tury later the slight evidence of their exist- ener Voltaire described the journey of Microme- gas, an inhabitant of Sirius, who leit the great dog star for a visit to the solar system. “ traveled,” wrote the satirist, “about 100,000,000 of leagues after leaving Jupiter. Coasting” by Mars he saw two moons circling about the planet, which have hitherto escaped the ob- servation of astronomers on the earth,” Prof. Hall has named his moons Deimos and Phobos, after th udenuts of Mars, who are spoken of in book 15 of Homer's Hiad as uelp- ing to acconter the god of war for contlict, Ho wpsice and gamsonad Fear and Fiicnt to yoke Bi de und s lorious arinor on."" MAUS INHABITED, _ Prof. Hall says he has little doubt that Mars is inhabited—perhaps by human beings like ourselves. Conditions there are suitable to such life and strougly resemble those found on the earth, [ts more eccentric orbit takes it at times im its journey around the sun farther away frow that great source of heat, so thatits winters must be more severe; but cold Ww modified by atmosphere, is known that Mars has an atmosphere, because clouds are frequently seen obscuring its surface. The planet, the di ot which is oue-half that of the earth, is about equally divided as to its area between land and water. Its poles are capped with ice and snow, and these white caps, plainly visible through | the telescope. in- crease in size in winter and diminish in the Martian summer. Prof. Hali has no difficulty in seeing through the mighty telescope at the observatory the wonderful “canals” mepped out by Schiapareili, the Milan astronomer, on the surface of 3 ‘These canais, so called because they don't look like ‘anything else in particular, and also because they seem invariably to counect sea with sea, intersecting every which way, must be several miles in width as well as thousands of wiles in length. Whether they are great roads, canals, bridges or any other sort of public works there ix certainly nothing approaching them in this world. Bat Prof. Hall does not think that they are artificial at ail. Though entirely at a loss to expiain them he supposes that they are natural markings on the planet. OTHER PLANETS THAT CAN SUPPORT LIFE. ‘The question whether other planets are in- hebited is always an interesting one. It is cer- tain that the four great outer ones—Jupiter, aturn, Uranus and Neptune—cannot support life. Their density is small and their ney more or less liquid and yaseous, Jupiter, biggest of the planets, the diameter of which is more than ten times that of the earth, is a sun not yet quite extinguished and even now giving out heat. From time to ume & spot appears on its surface, which is a black hole in the midst of the fire big enough to drop the earth into. Saturu is hot, too, while Nep- tune sud Uranus are so far off that nothin, much can be ascertained about them beyon the fact that Uranns has four moons and Neptune one. There may be life on Venus and Mercury, though it must be warm, inasmuch as Venus isa third nearer the sun than the earth and Mercury is not half #o far away. WITH GREAT VELOCITY. All these planets, together with the sun around which they revolve,ure traveling with a velocity inconceivable directly north toward the constellation Hercules, Doubtless the solar system on this mighty journey is pursu- ing the path of a vast orbit around some cen- tral point unknowa. Once it was thought that this point was Sirius and xzain that it was Al- cyone, in the Pleindes, but neither is true. Our sun and its system are but a small affair | altogether, any way. What we call the orb of day is only one-eighth of the «ize of Sirius, Aud even this latter giant sun is far surpassed in magnitude by ever so many other suus that | are wheeling through the heavens with their attendant constellations in plain sight. To | make them more beautiful these suns are of | different colors. Vega, in the constetlation of | the Lyre, bas x huge sun of an exquisite blue | tint, Sirius is white and Alpha—one of the sev- eral gigantic suns in Orion—ia red, coe An Excusable Mistake, From Life. (who has just sla] tranger on the b —Oh, 1 beg yo’ pay D. sah; thoughtit was my fren’ Smithers. Yo" | bab on de berry same clo’s he gen'r'ly wars.” Stranger—“Yes, Smithers sttinded de same pokah pawty I did last ebening, He am at present confined to his room,” cee What a Mistake Cost. The mistake of « typewriter has cut Edwin | Whitehead Forb: ew York out of a fourth part of his mother’s estate. He had displeased her and was disinherited. Four days before her death she sent for a lawyer, as she wanted to make some changes in her will. The lawyer was out of town at the time and his clerk went to her house. Mrs. Forbes told bim that she wanted -the will changed so that her four sons should share alike. He took the will to the office and, as he thought, made the change allright. After her death it was found the change had been made in th ‘lause and Edwin over berlrae wrong clause was still ——_——-e0_—___ Don't lend your umbrella Or your name to a bill. The tirst won't come back, Bust the other one will. —Chioage Post, in fn nar mecnan jer eed AT TR ACTIVE HOMES. Some Effective Novelties That May Be Needed by Housewives TO PUT UNDER ORNAMENTS. Some Pretty Little Mats Found in the Stores—Etfective Table Covers—China fer Amateur Decorators—Linen for Wea g Prevents. oS Written for Tux Evenive Stan HILE ONE IS DOING the necessary yy errand and shopping that naturally (\\8pertain to the season incidentally many novelties and attractions catch the eye and attention and one getsa foretaste of the good things that are on every hand to supply our wants or imagined needs, It is well, too, to bear in mind just where one sees certain things, then when at occasion arises for using them no time is wasted in hunting the shops where they are for sale. Sometimes itseems as if the one thing we are seeking is unattainable and again while looking for some- thing entirely different we are suddenly con- fronted by the very thing we had given up looking for in despair of ever finding it. This Was brought to my mind the other day by see- ing something Ihave never seen for sale be- fore, and that is mats to put under ornaments, which were really in good taste, and at reasou- able prices. A piece of bronze or porcelain if set ona polished surface will always deface it seratches and. unless a covered table or tel, should always be provided with a mat as a safeguard. People have made their own for the most part, aud it is quite a task to make all that may be needed for a house. Some tawdry ones at prices too high ior their looks have appeared now and then, but it is only lately that Ihave seen anything good in that line. ‘Lhe on fo are of different size: thi uches square and quare possibly. weil as pink, bine, sage aud olive witn caiton fanuel and straight edges witha bead or gimp stitched on, 11 which is a thread of tinsel. They are #o pretty in shades and so unobtrusive in style that they must ited, — Lhey are im- ported and the size is 75 cents and the largest, a» L remember, ¢2 or thereabouts, PRECTY IMPORTED TABLE COVERS are also seen with satin centers of pale colors embroidered in chwin stitch, and with a plush border edged with tassel fringe. These are in the soft colors are quite at- tier tomy mind are some enst- table covers, though I think th come from France. One is charming with white ground of a thin cotton substance, with adesign of yelow silk woven in, and silk ssels of the same lemon color to finish it The almost transparent ground makes this quite ethereal looking in the way of a table drapery. Anoih 1 cover i8 of white é f h is stamped an ne edge, while the with @ star-and-crescent sspread is lined, and on the edge ts « guid fringe an inch wide. Some- t similar im style is & long narrow cover, are lined are finished on the Which would suit an upright piano, or could be jaid as « scarf wherever stuck along one would be suitable. This is of a beautiful soft yellow cotton crepe, with a gold border stamped on and a flower in gold at set spaces over the cou- ter. It is also ed with gold fringe and jined with canton flannel the same color as the outside, EXCELLENT COVER FOR SOFA PILLOWS. Canton flannel by the way is an oxcellent cover for sofa pillows under silk. When down pillows are bought in the white covors they need an additional cover under the silk, or the down will come through, and canton flannel, the fuzzy side out, makes the silk softer and more pleasant than anthing else can, CHINA FOR DECORATION. Among other new things in the shops js a prettier assortment of white china for decora- tion than amateurs have been able to find heretofore. Shapes that [ bought in other cities six months ago wake their appearance here now for the first time. Lovely odd shaped plates for wafers or bon bous have a slightly raised design upon them, wuich aids some- times in the decoration. In this same style are little odd pitchers of which a housekeeper cun never huve too many, Small trays with and without handies are in greater variety than ever before, and make such pretty trifling gifts when decorated, Little dis! have irregular edges, and may be used in the three gradations for bon bons, almonds and salt, These jast may also be made useful on the toilet table, or mauicure tray, for rosaline aud nail powder. Pretty after dinner coffee cups ure always with us, and are in demand as ever. ‘Lhe tiny desk candlesticks are new. too, and decorate charmingly. Pretiy little affairs are the small tubs for mustard and catsup with little china spoon, all to be in Dresden style. with plenty of gold in delicate traceries, but these I have not seen here as yet. SUITABLE WEDDING PRESENTS, Just now, when there seems such an epidemio of weddings, a suggestion may be in order as to wedding presents. While so many brides are overloaded with duplicates and even more of the same article there can never be @ sur- plus of household linen, and av most young people begin # honse of their own something in that line will be always acceptable. A set of hemstitched towels has been proposed as a gift, and a good one they would muke. if one wishes to give some of ber own handiwork she can buy fine, handsome huckuback towels by the yard and hemstitch the ends herself, Each towel should be one and « quarter yards when finished and the hems two imches wide. A double hemstitch is the prettiest and most du- rable and for this more threads can be drawn, It one wishes to add initials the towels will be much handsomer, but only work them in white, either with embroidery cotton, linen or siik. If in cotton use satin stitch for the letters. Linen may be used in this way or for Russian cross stitch, which is rather the newest way of marking. Silk filoselle may be used for out- lining satin or cross stitch and would look rather nicer than eitber of the other threads, This making towels is very pretty work and @ set of them folded and tied with ribbons would be ever so pretty # gift. To add washcloths hemstitched all around with a half-inch bem would make tho present complete. CASE FOR SILVER. As pieces of silver are often given to brides by the dozen without cases, and as they can be kept better when not ino case, I will mention a receptacle which may be new to some of my readers anyway, a8 1t was to mo when I re- cently heard of it. Take for instance a dozen forks, and for them make 6 case as follows: Out of chamois skin cut a strip av long as will hold the forks side by side, aud wide enough to allow two inches of the chamois at top and bottom of the forks, First bind tnis strip all round with white ribbon by machine, the satin edged gros grain beivg the prettiest. Then along the middie of the strip lay the mbbon, pinning it in spaces wide enough to slip in each fork, the slack being gotten by laying a finger under the ribbon between the pi When this is properly spaced, stitch the di sions on the machine, Enough ribbon to tie in bow and ends should be sewed at one end of the ribbon, and when the forks are slipped in their places roll the case up and tie as one would a needle book. I heard of one bride who had dozens of spoons and forks arranged in this way, and while they looked very pretty among her other gifts, the chamois being the best possible thing to keep unused silver in, she had no farther provision to make for them. ‘TABLE DECORATIONS, Chrysanthemums are once more giving us their annual beauty to use for decoration of our homes, and nothing can be more effective than these flowers in all their variety, For table adornment they are prime favorites, the yellow ones taking the lead perhaps. A large mass of them in the center, of several ades, with @ bail of the same suspended from the chandelier above is a fashion that some people favor. The growing plants are very satisfactory in@ room, as they look well for some time and are truly decorative in form and coloring. ‘A pretty novelty for a table is to have sev- eral yards of soft silk ‘‘bunched and billowed” over the center of the table, caught here and there by designs io natural flowers, ‘This sug- gests @ brocaded effect, which is very hand- some. Besides the candles colored much as anything to the beauty i oe ofthe table. Acritic of the modern table ar- rangements says that “in spite of remonstrance liliputian trifles are everywhere.” FROM DINING ROOM TO BED ROOM. To go from dining room to bed room, whose renovation 1s a fit occupation for the colors to match woedwork and picture rod, enameled so they can be cleaned if desired and adding a tou2h of daintiness to light col- ored furnishings now so desirable. Applique work is one of the fancies of the day and a way foran original taste todisplay it- pews ie & plain surface Pea rataee or je covers, and with the pret imps an braids fashion a dosign that will ‘be at once unique andinteresting. In a portiere, for in- stance, have your design hung from the top, on it were, with quirls and turns of the gimp. and | at the lower end of a spiral or simular pattern have «flower form of pinsh applique, which the gimp will outline, and gold thread accent the center. This mght be made quick work with a rather wide gimp. and perhaps three of the plush forms on one width of goods, as no decorated curtains would hang in fall folds which conceal the design. SHEEPSKIN RUGS. For bed rooms especially the sheepskin rage in the soft golden tones are most suitable. Be- side a bed they are much softer and more luxu- rious feeling than fur, and the creamy tones harmonize with aimost any furnishing. Black rugs, too, are even more effective than white ones insome places, In yellow rooms, for in- stance, they lock especially well, and black and yellow combinations are much thought of just ow. Smyrna rugs are favorites with many people and this vear there are some in the dark color- ing and small figures of Persian rugs which are very good. Some in prayer rug designs and brilliant coloring are as bad as anything could weil bein the rug line, Smyrna rugs ona bare floor slip so easily that they are too treacherous for comfort, but in a suitable coloring are often a very good thing to spread over a lounge which 1s shabby as to seat though respectable in other parts. They are often @ passable substitute for the desirable Tarkey rng. of which there can never betoo many in ® pretty home. — WHAT IS NEW FOR THE HOUSE. Some Hints as to Things to Buy in the Way of Furnishings. THE TENDENCY IN WALL PAPERS I8 TOWARD GREEN AND YELLOW EFFECTS—HOW PORTIERES SHOULD BE HUNG—¥RENCH PARLOR FURNITURE THE FASHION-—WHAT SORT UF CARPETS TO GET. Es, THERE IS plenty that is new for } the coming season in the way of furnish- ngs for Washington households,” said a dcaler in uphoistery and furniture to a 7 tau writer yesterday, “People here in tis town are leas disposed, for some reason, to take up novelties than in most other cities, and are apt to be about a year behind the latest fashions, For oxample, there is very little chance of our being able to successfully introduce this winter the newest styles in wall papers, which are very decided greens and yellows, But we offer whatever is fresh- est and shall recommend, if asked, what is really the proper thing in friezes, which ought to be given what we call the ‘one-third treat- ment’—that is to say, they should cover a third of the wall, Dados, of course, have almost entirely gone out. Correct wall papers have many floral desigus, particularly roses, but are all in very supducd tints as to figuring. INDIVIDUAL TASTE. +We people who furnish houses do not have as much power to control and direct popular taste as we had some years ago. Then custom- ers would come to 13 without any very definite ideas usually as to what they wanted and ex- pect us to decide for them, "But now it is dit- lerent. E,ueation im matters of beauty has become widespread, and nearly every one has ideas of his or her own about fur- nixhing. No longer do we make sug- gestions unless we are requested. Necew- sarily there are many persons who are gifted by nature with bad taste, and in them esthetic perception cannot be developed by any amount of cultivation, It is ordinarily conceived that an individual who has bad taste simply does not kuow how to appreciate the difference between a pretty thing and an ugly one; but I contend, judging from my own observation, that an individual will INVARIABLY SELECT THE UGLY in preference to the pretty, imagining it to be the more beautiful. You wili hear it often said that there are all sorts of tastes, implying that beauty differs according to the observer; but I assert that beauty is an absolute quality. A thing has a certain degree of beauty or ugli- uess absolutely and without relation to the impression it produces upon any person's eye. ‘Those who have good taste are able to perceive the beauty inherent in the object, while those who have bad taste are not able to see it—that is all. The funny thing seems to be that the latter should, as I have said, prefer the ugly things 4o invariably. “IN PORTIERES AND CURTAINS wo do no more than offer whatever is best and newest and let our patrons choose; asa rule they do it with discretion. Satins, velours, datasks and brocatelles are the proper materials at present. Brocatelles are what we sell inost of and they sre very beautiful, going up as high as $308 yard. Nowadays people are so fond of having special designs in hang- ings made for themselves” that we keep five designers constautly at work turning out curtains and _portiercs to order. Portieres ould = not hung any longer from poles between the sides of adoor. The pole ought to be above the wookwork over the door, the hanging conceai- ing the architraves. If the porticre is intended to merely separate one room from another, it must bang straight and have no drapery what- ever; but it it is meant for ornamental pur- poses, it must be looped up ut each side and overhung at the top with a drapery. The Japanese portieres of reeds, which are so pleas- ing to the eye, are becoming steadily more popular. Before long, bowever, they will be overdone and will go out, FRENCH FURNITURE. “For drawing room chairs and sofas French designe are in greater favor thanever. Some of this sort of furniture is imported, but most of it is now made in this country. In France they understand somewhat better the art of putting on gilding that keeps its freeh- ness. Three styles, which are simply differ- ences in curves and outlines, are in vogue. the ‘Louis Trieze,’ the ‘Louis Quatorze’ and the ‘Louis Quinze.’ Damask and silk tupestries are the materials chosen for uphole- tering. For other furniture than French ‘over. stuffing’ is best, the framework being cush- ione: A remarkably good imitation of the famous Verni-Martin finish is the latest thing for parlor tables, etageres and so forth. Only one factory in this country is able to produce the counterfeit of this exquisite effect of sprinkled gold dust in a polished wood surface, with hand painted figures. OAK FINISH. “By the way, the sixtcenth century oak fin- ish, which has been having such a popular run, is still correct in such light goods as chairs and desks, but it is growing pusse in bed room and dining room furniture, So far asthe latter is concerned English oak is taking ite place. What we call a finish, you know, is the prepara- tion of wood so as to make it look different from what it is naturally. The object in view may be to make it seem old, to resemble some other wood or simply to render it prettier, In preparing @ piece of wood in suc a mixture called a ‘filler’ is first rubbed thoroughly into the grain. Being rear pme largely of wax or some such material, the mixture FILLS UP THE GRAIN of the wood and by making it darker renders it more perceptible. Then shellac is put on and sand paper is applied. After the sand paper comes « coat of varnish and next a rubbing down with oil and pumice, Four coats of var- nish, with rubbing down after each cont, are used for high-priced furniture. Antique oak is ® finish that bas come to stay and natural ma- hogany is going to be very popular. Furniture for the bed room and the dining room is going to be more simple, without so much carving, The place of the carving will be taken to some extent by oxidized brass mountings. “Axminster carpets are the swell thing for those who can ‘afford them. Plain colors in Vilton’s are most correct for halls, In the newest and most beautiful things are in Algerian mohair, the middie part uncut and the borders cut. You can see for yourself that they are particulariy lovely in such shades as terra cotta, Nile green and old rose, I should mention that fret and grill work for the upper part of doors where ceilings are high enough is bet haem in fashion as well as most deo- orative.” ———coo+____ Littleton’s Hard Lot. From the Boston Transcript. “When Littleton courted Miss L. he used to speak of her as a ray of sunshine coming into his life.” “Iknowit, And now, it is said, sbe fre- quently tans him.” ———___ce0+____ The Two Mothers. For fondling erm, waria breast and life's sweet le, ‘What dost thon to 6 thy mother make return? Some side, Few tears at hast thou ebove her urn, TO THE MEMORY OF BRAVE MEN. The Jeannette Monument to Be Un- veiled at Annapolis. BEAUTIFUL IN DESIGN AND EBXECUTION—A RE- PRODUCTION OF THE ARCTIC CAIRN—HOW THE MONUMENT WAS SECURED——THE CEREMONIES NEXT THURSDAY. (A. EXT Tharaday a large mamber of men | IN distinguished in naval and etvil life will | gather at Annapolis for the purpose of doing homage to the memory of the brave men who perished during tbe famous “Jeannette arctic expedition” of 1879. ‘The occasion is the unveiling of a noble monu- ment that has been erected in the cemetery adjoining the grounds of the United States Naval Academy by the officers and men of the navy. It is a beaa- tiful work, simple, suggestive, striking and both in its design and its execution it is worthy of its noble object. It takes the form of @ representation of the cairn that the Mel- ville rescuing party erected over the remains of Commander De Long and his comrades, who perished in the arctic snows, The origi- nal cairn was made of simple boulders, un- | shaped and rough, piled together to protect | the bodies of the dead from the elements of | total destruction, and this would have been exactly reproduced had it not been for the changes that take place in this climate so sud- denly that there would be dapger of its de- struction, THE MONUMENT. The blocks of stone have therefore been hewn to an even surface and givena more symmetrical appearance, although the shape and dimensions of the cairn have been pre- served. On the base itis twenty-two feet in length and twelve feet in width, From the ground the sides of the mound of stones slope inward until the length of the capping slab of white marble is fourteen feet the width eight feet, This slab is ten feet from the ground, and from this point upward the materials used are white marble and bronze. A second truucated pyramid is on top of the slab and supports the surmounting fig- ure, a chaste cross of white, twelve feet high, ou the top aud arms of which the frozen snow drips down iu chiily, desolate points, telling Yoiumes of the sufferings of those whose lives were sacrificed ou the altar of science and progress. On the side of the smaller pyramid is a square tabiet of bronze, bearing this brief inscription: “Commemorative of the heroic officers and men of the United States uavy who perished in the Jeannette arctic exploring expedition, 1381,” At the base of the cross is a bronze anchor, with its metal cable twined around the shaft so as to givea fine finishing effect in dark tones to the pure white of the monument, yi ABOUT THE MONUMENT. The design was made oy Lieut. George P. Colvocoresses, in charge of the department of drawing at the Naval Academy. Tho execution of the work is of the most artistic order and reflects credit upon the contractor, Mr. J. F. Manning of this city. The monument has been erected in ono of the most striking positions in the cemetery, which is situated on ahigh promontory sepurated from the acad- emy grounds by a smail creck and bordered on the other side by the Severn, The shaft is in plain sight from the academy campus and forms @ fitting addition to the increasing col- tection of monuments erected to the memory of brave men who have perished in the naval service. Among those whose deeds have thus been immortalized in stone is Commander Cushing, the first successful operator of the torpedo launch, who destroyed the rebel rai Albemarle in Piymouth barbor, Roanoke river, &, FUNNY THINGS ABOUT DOGs. They Know Lots More Than Most Peo- ple Think—Some Anecdotes. N ASTONISHING affinity seems ‘to exist between the dog and the soldier,” said an army officer to a Stan writer the otber day. “I don’t know how to account for it, but the mutual inclination be- | tween the two seems to be m- stinctive. A company will start out on the march without « single dog and within « week it will have 100 curs in ite train. Not curs alone either, for so fond are soldiers of their canine friends that they will steal them from their owners whenever they get a chance. “Funnily euough, in a regi- ment the officers’ dogs and the Blu men's doge form two distinct caste among themselves. The quality of breed has nothing whatever to do with determining the dividing lines, which is simply fixed by the ravk of the masters, Acur that is the prop- erty of » lieutenant will not associate with the best bred dog owned by # private. The private’s dog responds with hatred to contempt of the officer's dog. and they snarl at each other whenever they meet. Something of the same spirit and appreciation of social differences you will find exhibited by dogs that are much kept as pets in houses, They will rarely have anything to do with the servants, though the latter may do all the feeding. “Dogs have far better reasoning powers, I think, than is generally supposed. Every sum- | mer at the time when the catchers are vigor | ously pursuing their employment the anim: fairiy swarm into the Washington na) where they seem toknow that they from pursuit. How can they be aware of this unless they communicate such information one very curious experience with a pouter | Ne had orders never to lie on my | bed, but Lknew that he disobeved because I | always used to find his “poor” on the coverlid | when I came home at night. 1 never could | catch him in the act, and when Lacrived he was always fast asloep on the hearth. One evening, however, I thought 1 would try an experiment and leaving my shoes at the bi tom of the stairs Lmade my way without any noise to my room. Looking through the crack in the door, which stood ajar, I saw Woif lying on the bed. Without disturbing him I stole carefully down stairs again, waked up about a8 noisily as usual and entered my chamber, ‘There was the dog, not on the bed, but secm- ingly fast asleep by the fireside, He got # beat- ing that time which cured by “Speaking 0! soldiers’ stealing dogs reminds me of an occurrence ina small western town where I was stationed for a while. A gentle- 1 man resident m the pisce lost a very valuabie | St. Bernard, and asked me for advice on the | subject. He said that the animal had disap- | peared on the saturday before, and I at once remembered that that was the day on whic company D of the —th infantry had passea through. * ‘Lelegraph to Jonesboro,’ I eaid, ‘where the tion of your } reno doubt that you will get it | “My advice was obeved and the dog was re- | turned, As I suspected, it had followed or been curried off by the soldiers, “The funniest thing I over heard of a dog do- ing occurred here in Washington. A tramp cur | appeared on certain premises and decline: go away, apparently fearing the dog caichers, Orders Were given that it should not be ted, | and it happened about the same time that the | tamily cow's yield of milk exhibited much | diminution in quantity. No surmise was made as tos connection between the two circum- stances until the master of the household found the undesired beast one morning in the act of milking the cow. It was growing fat on the | best of Jersey cream. I give you my word that | that story is @ true one. ‘No one can justly accuse a dog of being a selfish animal, The eelf-devotion it will show toward its master is proverbial, but I have rea- son to know that it frequently displays a most generous impulse toward its own fellows. A small bu unwelcome tramp cur ouce appeared at my own Louse and I declined to feed it, lest itshould stay. About the same time | noticed that my dog Wolf had a habit of taking the | first bone that was given him off behind | a big tree to eat. [is subsequent bones | at each meal he went through no such | amid great countless dangers and difficulties. THE UNVEILING will take place amid the most impressive cere- monies and in the presence of the most dis- tinguished of men. It is expected that the President will attend. Secretaries Tracy and Proctor will undoubtedly be present, and pe: haps other officials of the administration. An invitation has, of course, been extended to Mrs. De Long, the widow of the gallant leader of the explorers, to attend. The unveiling ad- dress will be delivered by = Prof. Soley, assistant secretary of the navy, who has already become known in the field of letters and history, and his intimate acquaint- ance with naval matters renders him particu- larly useful on this oe The ceremonies will begin soon after 2 o'clock with a prayer by Chaplain H. H. Clarke of the Naval Academy, followed by brief address from Commander Barber, the chairman of the memorial committee, formally transferring the monument to Capt. K. L. Phythian, superin- tendent of the academy. Alarge party of Washingtonians will be taken down to Annapolis ona special train pro- vided by the memorial committee, The train will leave the 6th street station at 1 o'clock and will arrive at Annapolis an hour later. ‘The ceremonies will be attended by the offi- cers on duty at the academy and by the battalion of cadets with their famous band. Among the arctic neroes whose presence will appropriately mark the occasion are Engineer- in-Chief Melville, who led the rescuing party, and survivors of the Jeannette expedition, Louis Noros and William Nindemann. BOW THE MONUMENT WAS SECURED. The movement to erect an appropriate me- morial to the heroic martyrs of the ted expedition, which was sent out for general scientific purposes in 1879 by James Gordon Bennett, the proprietor of the New York Herald, was begun almost immediately after the recep- tion of the news of the loss of the Jeannette and the discovery of the dead bodies by the Melvi ty. It was headed by Lieut. John H. Moore, now the agent here of the Hotchkiss Gun Company, who was 80 vigorousin his prose- ecution of the object that a committee was soon appointed with full power to collect funds from the officersand men ef the service. It was composed of Commander Barber, chair- man; Lieut, Moore and Paymaster John KR retired, secretary and treasurer, ut. Moore left the country on a cruise at the beginning of 1885 he had succeeded in athering about $2,500, which he invested in | fnitea States bonds and other securities. When he returned three years later this sum had in- creased in value by nearly a thousand dollars, which almost — brought it tothe required amount. Work, however, was morning for the purpose of seeing what he ha done with the first one. To my surprise I | found the tramp cur in the act of devouring the bone which ration, The beast was small and so the pro- | Vision was sufficient. Wolf had evidently been | regularly feeding the stranger dog out of bis own provender for a good many days. “Lhad a friend who vouches for what seems | to me an extraordinary story of « dog that was | brought from Queenstown to Boston. The ani- mal appeared disconsolate and homesick. and | frequently it disappeared, onl waudering about the wharf at which it had dis- embarked. One fine day it disappeared and nothing more was aeard of it for quite three months. when its former owner wrote from | England that the dog had mysteriously reap- peared at his place. From subsequent investi- Ration it was evident that the intclligent beast | had gone down to the wharf in Boston day after day until he found the ship that had brought him from Queenstown and had taken passaje when it fiually came in fora return voyage. | Upon reaching England he had started straint | for home. “You might imagine that many more dogs would go mad in this warm climate than farther north, but the fact is that a rabid am mal is almost an unknown thing in Washin; ton, while in Boston there is a mad dog scare every summer regularly. You must remember, however, that what people call rabies is in ninety-nine cases ont of one hunded simply fits, and the unfortunate dog is the victim of the misapprehension. Fools deny the existence of such a disease as hydrophobia, asserting thut it is purely imagination. If so, why do little children so frequently die of it? many persons doubtless perish from fear of it. Two very fanzy superstitions are generally entertained on this point. One is that by kill- ing the dog one may prevent bydrophobia from following its bite; the other that a lick from a dog’s tongue, if it touches a scratch or a sore place, will produce bydrophobia if that dog is ever afterward attacked by the com- plaint.” A Few Queer Experiences Related at the Club by Diners Out. HE funniest bachelor dinner I ever partook of,” said a well-known club man the other evening, “I ate one night last week with a married friend of mine in the suburbs, whose wife was away. My host, knowing that I was something of a gour- met, spread himself for the occasion, as I plainly could see. The repast furnished was evidently of unusual elaborateness, and it went begun at once on the monument and a week ago the full sum necessary to close the account was made up by a check for about $300 sent by James Gordon Bennett aa bis contribution to the monument fund. Mrs. Locket—‘‘Can’t you find the pocket?” Mr. Locket—“Yes, Lucy, I have found the pocket, all right.” “Then why don’t you ‘me my thimble?” “| have found the pocket, but I have not yet found the way into it.” a At the convention of the Brotherhood of St Andrew in Philadel) fairly well until the salad came on. I could noteat any of that after the first mouthful, which I managed with difficulty to swallow. Observing that I refrained from the dish, my entertainer said: “Tm afraid you don’t find this first rate,’ “Tt has s peculiar flavor,’ I admitted re- luctantly. “sah,” replied my friend, who had finished with apparent gusto his own help of the salad, ‘I was afraid that it might not Ve satisfac- tory. You see, there was no olive oil in the house, and, having nothing better on hand for the , I used castor oil for the dressing.’ “ile dans appear at all embarrassed at making this statement, but what broke him up entirely for the moment was the appearance at of a hunk of ordinary grocer's cheese. ‘Why! he exclaimed, ing the ser- vant, ‘where is the Roquefort that I ordered ded the handmaid, ‘if sent home today?” ‘Begorra, sir,’ 0 mane the chase come this afternoon rom the store, it was that moidy it had to be thrown away, and I sent back to the grocery for this, that is nice and fresh.” ‘The other men in the little at the club window smiled ‘at this story, but the bald-headed member said: past nat T enjoyed very mach tho other day in t joyed very muc! o y a but it here in town. What me ly on the I of was the exceptional was evi- EE crit lta 2 some time ago I | 3 to | A ceremony with, aud finally I followed him one | # j Volf had evidently left for its | } to be cool 1 } Warner's sate Fs ee 3 Proxrxest Axoxe Ove List Or SOUVENIRS For this week are two lots of OVERCOATS, Rive and Black Besver. Regulsr retail price #15. They co st $8.25 POR THIS WEEK ONLY, ali full ‘Pewuler sizes SOUVENIR No 8. FULL DRESS COATS AND VESTS, (oILK LINING) Rewular retail price @20. They goat $10.75 FOR THIS WERK ONLY. SEE THESE : It will require no guessing to arrive at aconclusion, The mere sight of them will convince you that they are ofa rare aud redical species, being absolutely SEEDLESS—SEEDY GARMENTS are net in Among our patrons, SOUVENIR, No 3 EAVY PLALD OVEROOATS, retail price @6.75 They go st@4 75 70R PEK ONLY. ‘Laugh on, “Laugh and grow fa, usb, and the world laughs with you; Weep. and you weep alone.” However you may ridicule the price—the garment sPexcelicnt one Anexamination of which willturs ridvoule sto amazement SOUVENIR, No. @ WOODSTOCK CASSIMERE SUITS FOR MEN. Regular retail price $10. They ost @6.50 4 SUID POR THIS WEEK ONLY. SOUVENIR, No. 8. BOYS' OVERCOATS WITH CAPES Regular retail price @4. They goat $2 A GARMENT FOR THIS WEEK ONLE, SOUVENIR, No. @ BOYS’ SUIS, Sizes 4 to 14 years, Hocular retail price @250, Thay xo at 8158 A SUIT FoR THis WEEE ONLY. We are Manufacturers made Cloths Retaiiers of Fine eady- om and Boys, too. We clothe beat ‘sey, and even elegantly, at pars Prise to the very humblest of our Patrous, Duck is our busiuews and we mean to STICK To IT, SOUVENIK WEEK. SOUVENTR WEE SOUVENIR WEEK. 7 Bexinuing MONDAY, October 20, at 7am,end +11 pms ending SATURDAL, Uctobe VICTOR E. ADLER'S Den Per Cont Coching House, Hats, Caps and Gen }urnishing Goods, 927 ana Yew 7 ©. cor Massachusetts ave, SUMICTLY ONE PRICE, Open Saturday until 11 pam, 020 Ovex Au. Nicnr. Jotion “four enstomers and the an «swore oven all might in charge I> & CO. DRE Nie : at ree MAS Pu Our prices for pie prov a turers We cheer imat Us departivent by physiriana, item Ly pophos ites, a oud, per bottle. od = nid? War Wyet’s Bew BY Willisuie’ “Pi w w Willisnas? Qu tian pes Prevents, chaypane. bottle, 25e. Every indy take the piace. jor Mase! de Le ft ¥.S. WAL THE TEMPLE DRU@ _ cor. th and F ete, De Licnrenz Has resumed his practice and removed his offee to his resdence, 1411 K ST. Nw, EARLY MANIFESTATIONS OF CONSUMPTION. Af & person has an obstinste cough, which com- Menowd without at Bree dry for w time with frothy or miucilayginous-looking expec- Aer LoL, accompanied by wandering pains about the Clitst and lone of tlesi:, even Wo aabght extent, he ism aL probubility consumptive. I, besides, there be ba2uoptysis of spitting of blood, even to the amount Stadrachm, the probability as increased to almost certainty. If, an xudition w these symptoms, the Dreathing becomes Lareh, burned and deep iuspire- tious evoke a few clicks of a dry aud cracking sound, oF if the voice becomes permauently weak and Loarse, there can be little doubt that the person is suffering from consumption. Ifa person, tree from dysentery. and who has not re sided m1 tropical climates, euflers irom obstinate diare hea, which goes on month aiter month, with alighs Fewission or intern: even though there be no cough, be is most likely consumptive Should this Giarrhoss be followed by chest «yuptoms of the slight est amount, the exisience of consumption is an ab- solute certainty. I young adult, mot sddicted to euervating habits und not leading « dissolute life, without clear cause steadily loses weight, be ia, im ail probability, consumptive, though Bo chest symp- toms should have appeared. When such, Wanifest themselves additionally the establishment Of cousumption 1s aimost s fixed fact. Im sll cases where any of the manitestauions described make their appearance We should advise an unmediste examina thon of the chest and & prompt resort wo apppropriate treatment. Atan early stage of consumption « radical eure cam be frequenty eflected, aud health placed upon a firm and permanent fooung, while with every step im ad- ‘Yauce which the disease 18 allowed to take the chances fora perfect reouver) dimgnish correspondingly. Our readers must bear in mited that the most akilifal and efbcient treatauent can do uo more than tomakesound and useful anmuch of the lungs as is presentet the Umme when the progress of consumption becomes sus DR LIGHTHILL, ‘Wer thirty years specialist for the cure af “JATAREH, DEAFNESS, ASTEMA (Abd diseases of the EaB, NOSE, THROAT AND LUBGH ‘Office Hours from 8 a.m until 12, and from StoS pm sw