Evening Star Newspaper, October 17, 1891, Page 11

THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON. D.C. SATURDAY, OCTOBER47, 1991-SIXTEEN PAGES. A JAPANESE HOUSE. How It is Constructed and What It Contains. A DWELLING IN THE MUSEUM Skillful Workmen—Pecallar Tools and How ‘They Are Used—With Both Hands and Feet—The Kitchen and Its Contents—Guest and Tea Rooms. Written for The Evening Star. T= NATIONAL MUSEUM HAS NOW IN possession something quite novel in the form of & Japaness dwelling house. This house was imported from Tokio and is at present in process of reconstruction under the | hands of s Japanese workman. The material, from top to bottom, is Japanese throughout, and will be quite an instructive museum in ftaelf when finished. province in Japan has ® mode of building pe- vuliar to itself; for instance, the dwellings at Nacnskia are differently made from those of from those of | part of the empi ings con- middle class, the wenlthy clase and Kioto, while those of Kioto differ | Tokio and other in orthern. a wage | of building practiced by each province high and low class have their dwell ucted differently: they are the low class, the ‘the nobility, each with ite own form of architecture to suit wants and means. €¢& TEA ROOM IX KIOTO. |. The tea room is made for the purpose of holding the tea ceremony in, while the plsce to. receive visitors, as ite name room isa implies. It will be noticed by the ‘sccompany: ing illustrations that chairs or tables are no- where to be seen, and this is the case with all | Japanese rooms. ‘The soft matting which covers the floor is used instead, for who ever heard of a Japanese sitting in » chair when he had mat- ting? On this matting the Japs eat, sleep and work. The matting itself is woven very thick and heavy and covered with another one of a lighter material, not unlike the common Can- ton matting. “Knowing of the softness of this carpet the Japanese takes off ‘is wooden cl when he enters the door and thus saves wear and tear. But a foreigner, utterly re- gardless of the feelings of these , is apt to walk in with his muddy boots and tempora- rily spoil the matting. This isone of the many petty things which makes the Japanese dislike the foreigner. _ to WHERE MYRIAD MEMORIES DWELL. Wonder Talk About the Brain and the Pictures it Contains. 66J)iD IT EVER OCCUR To YOU TO STEPS TO HOUSE. ‘The house is 12 by 25 feet: the steps 6 2-7 | inches ltigh by 3 2-7 wide; the doorway 5 feet 9 | inches by 3 feet 11 inches, and the curiously carved front window 42 inches by 14 inches. The frame work of an ordimary Japancse | house jis simple and primitive in struc- tare. It consists of « number of upright beams, which run from th ground to the transverse beams and incline: above. The vertical framing is held together | by short strips, which are let in to appropriate | rotehes in the uprights, to which the bamboo | lnthing is fixed. There is no excavation be- | neath the house, nor ix there a continuons | stone foundation, as with us. The uprights | rest directly and without attachment upon single uncut stones; these in turn resting upon others which have been pounded solidly into the earth by means of a wooden maul. TE JAPANESE WORKMEN. When the foundation is laid and the carpen- ters commence, it isa curious sight to see these fellows at work, for they use their hands and feet | at the same time, their toes being as handy as | their fingers. At first there seems to bea great | advantage at their having four hands instead of two. and, although they seem to work with great rapidity, vet they do not accomplish one- as much as American mechanic in the same time. ere is one singular feature } among them in constructing a house which yazzles our American carpenters to account Jee When 0 Jep cose an cqorature that needs to havea piece of wood fitted in he givesa glance at the bole, takes up his ax, cuts off the Piece needed and it fits as accurately as if meas- ‘THEIR TOOLS. are very peculiar. For instance, they have a smoothing plane two and one-half inches long, one inch broed and one-half an inch thick. ‘The most ingenious article in their tool chest ios chalk line. It is s wooden cup containing 2 spongy substance steeped in India ink; this is pierced front and back and the marking line passes throngh it, the end of the line is attached toasmall awl, and the other end is wound zround a reel not unlike a fishing reel, which takes the place of the handle to the cup. To mark a line down a plank the Japanese car- penter sticks the awl in at one end of the pro- Posed line, carries the eup to the other. the ine playing itseif out as he does so. He holds the line down to the board when he reaches the desired spot, strikes the mark, takes up the cup and reels up the line as he walks back. When OUEST Room. to rip up « plank he places it which will elevate it a few ands upon the wood and cuts it seizing the cleaver-looking saw in both nde and priling ward him. Thus by a number of short, quick up strokes he gets zha plank: not co speedily but quite as ively as an American carpenter would with the long Lup strokes of the hand saw. tated by Mr. Morse in his work on Ja provided with rough handle. bending considerably at the lower end. “In summer the carpenters work with the scantiest clothing possible, and near! nt tartling sight to razor, and taking off an inch of his naked . itis ap at his work and exempt after his tie! 1! paint, varnish, oil or fi ked. The woo is left in which itleaves the cabinet ne, with a smooth, simple surface, workman leave a bit of lie avails bisaself of the op- by this illustration how ma: features for secorstive disp! ‘ornamental ope varied lattice. in screens with thetr rich sketehes of flowers aud Iandscape and the uataral woods. P; | sstrous. ‘The injared dresses are a sufficient think how many millions of millions of memories are stored away in your brain?” asked a learned man of a Stan writer. “Mem- ories are commonly thought of as things pos- sessing neither form nor substance, but psycho- physical science today considers that each memory is an actual thing with a» shape and structure of its own. Dwelling in the region of the mind the memories are preserved snd constantly nourished by the oxygen of the blood which surrounds them in the delicate capillary vessels. “The places where the different kinds of mem- ories are located are not distinct tracts separ ated from one another by definite boundaries. From this notion sprang the delusion called ‘phrenology.’ They are scattered about all over the convoluted surface of the brain. Yet there are corners where memories of the same kind are thickly crowded. Low down on each side of the head above the ears are grouped im- agea of sounds. There are all the old nursery rhymes, college songs, sonatas aud operas that have delighted us. Near by are the words of our mother tongue. They live deep in the folds of a fissure, called ‘Silvius,’ in the third frontal convolution. All the verses of our childhood, of which we have not thought for years and years, are there. The front corner of the ‘sphe- noidal’ lobe is the seat of smell, perfumes and odors, pleasant and disagreeable. ‘ihe part of the brain beneath the back of the skuil low down is full of images, and glows with colored pictures of allkinds. There are dear old faces of out friends ; there are the landscapes and all man- ner of instantancous puotographs of former sights and experiences. “Behind the bony wall of the forehead thoughts of a more abstract order are throb- bing. There are philosophical reflections and mathematical problems. On top of the bead, where it roands off toward the back, are to be found the movements of our limbs in their most complicated combinations. In like man- ner allthe memories and ideas are arranged and distributed. The mind may be considered asan immense empire of innumerable spirite that live together in the narrow space of about @ quarter of a cubic foot. Spirits they are, be- cause they are peychicalexistences. Yet at the same time they are material realities, having living forms of bodily presence, sustuined by the nourishing currents of the blood. “This vast spiritual empire in the human brain is exceliently provided with telegraph lines for intercommunieation. Thus are formed what we call associations of idexs. If it happens that a certain number of ideas asso- ciate themselves together #0 as to form some- thing new, like an invention or o poem, the discovery or ‘inspiration’ is ushered into our consciousness as if from without. Is it to be wondered at that the poet, the artist, the prophet are under the impression that they are instruments merely in the bands of a greater one than themselves? “Voluntary motions of the body depend upon the memory pictures in the gray matter of the brain. When a frog has been deprived of its cerebral hemispheres it will not make any movement of its own accord; in fact, it cau- not, becau® = its memory | geemso Laub taken away. It enjoys good physica! th. It tarned on its backs 1¢ Sill rise Yo te feet; if irritated it will make two or three jumps with a view to escaping. When thrown into the water it will swim until it touches the wall of the basin, then it will creep up on the edge — remain there. hype a ae ly reflexes produced by corresponding irrita- we Without irritation there is no move- ment—no voluntary action whatever. A brain- Jess frog left to itself will remain quietly on the spot where it has been placed, as if asleep; it will take no food, betrays no consciousness of hanger or thirst, shows no sign of fear, and, unless artificially fed, will in time dry up like mummy. All this because its memory pic- tures have been taken away. The great novel- ist struck a wonderful truth in psychology when he wrote the story of the ‘Haunted =. whose wish that he could be deprived of lection was granted by the Shadow.” ——— THE FEATHER BOA. How Pacific Coast Ladies Suffer Because of the New Fad. From the San Frane!sco Curonicie. Attention was called in these columns re- cently to the tremendous popularity of the new fashion of wearing feather bons. Every lady, married and single, seemed to be deter- mined to have a bos of her own, and the re- sult has been that the domand has exceeded the supply, with the direst consequences. The mannfscturers, driven to extreme measures, resorted to all ds of expedients to turn out boas enough to keep Kearny street in a constant flutter. ‘The most expeditious method of manufacturing the boas is to take a piece of ordinary hay rope dipped in mncil- age and roll it in a heap of newly picked | chicken feathers. The feathers adhere to the | rope in the required disorder and after bei | dipped in a thin solution of shoe blacking an: | shellac to give them the necessary luster are | ready to adorn the neck of fashion. Unfor- fortunately just as the _ for theve boas was at ite height last week it rained somewhat | briskly, aud the results have been most dis- source of anguish, but a worse calamity is the almost ut discoloration of alabaster necks, down which the home-made dye ran, leaving inky streaks that nothing but the stoutest ecrubbing brush and a strong solution of lye can remove. Numbers of fashionable ‘rs, both north and south of Market have bad their cuticle effort to restore them to the Caucasian race again that they cannot weat low-necked dresses for the next three morths, and the ball season is close upon us. ‘To make matters worse the feather ornaments have taken to moulting, ABOUT DOGS AND MEN Scenes at the Railroad Depots THE CANINES’ PRIVILEGES. A Dog Fight in the Crowd and the Result—A Countryman’s Indignation— His Store Pants ‘Were Damaged—A Family Hunting Party— ‘What Dogs Can Appreciate. Tro GROWLS, TWO BARKS, SNAPPINGS, howlings and then the indescribable racket of dogs’ voices engaged in a grand rough and tamble “scrapping match” wore the sounds that greeted the ears of the writer for Tux Stan while he was waiting at the depot the other day to receive a friend. Of course there was as grest panic among the people who were crowded at the gates trying to squeeze through to get to the trains. They were packed like sardines and the dogs had fallen out while they were down among the people's legs. Every- body jumped, for the pousibility of having in- roads made upon your calves by the teeth of a dog is anything but pleasing to the average man or woman. Adog fight usually ends in one round, es pecially if there are humane people around, and in this case owner of the dogs sep- arated them after they had inflicted but slight lacerations upon one another. ‘They stood panting and growling insults at each other and their muster stood over them threateningly. Presently he was approached by a young man evidently {of ruval make-up. The young man was suffering from suppressed excitement. He was quite pale, bis hariis and lips trembled, he pretended to be as cool as a cucumber and it was quite evident he was as hof as a furnace heated up to white heat. BIS TROUSERS WERE TORN. “Look a hero, mister,” he said to the man with the dogs, and he pointed to the left leg of his trousers. There wasno mistaking what was the matter with him or why he was hot now. The trousers were new and stiff and were of tho variety known as “store clothes” in contradis- tinction to those garments that are cnt out and stitched into so-called conte and trousers at home. ‘The left leg of these trousers from the knee to the foot was torn almost into shreds. Fortunately the young man from the country on boots, and appearances were not so bad as they might have been. nor was he in bodily discomfort from cold. “I say, mister,” he wenton, ‘est look at them nts, will yer?’ I bought ’em today and wow jest look at ’em.” “They appear to be torn, young man,” said the owner of the dogs. “Let me advise you hereafter not to climb over barb wire fences. Itia never safe. I have tried it myself and hi ‘times to the once that I h: “This ai come off whole.” "t from no barb wire, sir. Them panies tore by them doge o' yourn. That ird dog thought he had the hound by the ear, Dut he hadn't. He had me by the pants, and £ tell you jest what it is—I’m a-goin’ to Lev pay for them pants ef I've got tosue fur it,” “My dear sir,” said the dog man, “the law is against you. Be calm and accept our apol- ogies—mine and the dog's. You know the; wouldn't have doue it on purpose for the worl It was no sstisiaction to this setter to chew your trousers. Re wanted the fox hound’s ear and is doubtless much rined at his mis- take. But when you speak of the law you ought to know that you're in the wrong there, for theso dogs never bit anybody's pants be= f d you know a dog is allowed’ one bite It may have been this pacifying speech or it may have been the $5 bill that accompanied it that made the countryman go on his way. At any rate the incident ended. ‘THE LAW As TO DOGS. ‘The dog man spoke the truth about the law. Tis very kind to dogs. It arrests them if they are vagrants, it is true, but never for theft, or intoxication, or disorderly conduct. Even the vagrants can get loose from the pound, which is the dog jail, if a friend wiil pay 62 and bail them out. ’An attractive dog bein, arrested is likely to be taken out and i by some well-to-do dogiess person. He will be ven & good home, will never bave to work for his living and may even have a coupe and ir of fine horses placed at his disp. A log of any sort of average fortune is provided every year with a license, which describes him by name and supposed breed, and having this the only offense for which he might otherwise get into trouble is not charged against him, and he is at liberty to be as much of a vagrant ashe chooses. In the little matter of biting the law is lenient, too. The theory is simple enough. Until he is guilty of an offense the law presumes him to be innocent of all offenses. Until he bites some- body he is known as not a biter, and if sud- denly be does bite somebody it isn’t your fault, and you are not msible, se You never knew he did such things. ‘The law allows him this bite; but if he bites somebody again, then the case is against you and you are re- sponsible for the dainages he muy inflict, be- cause you had a warning from his previous bite that his disposition was disagreeable. A STRANGE COMBINATION. ‘To return to the dogs at the depot, the writer saw an amusing arrangement of connubial forces there the other day. The man and his wife were going away together, though why he hadn't left her at home or why she hadn't left him behind it was difficult to say, for it seemed pecially one of those occasion, where they would have been better apart. It was evident that the husband was going shooting, for he had a dog with him and wore a cap, « flanuel shirt and leggins, without which, as is very well known, no city man can shoot. What the wife was going to do was not clear, for she had her baby with her. Now,» wife may goon a shooting expedition with her husband, and the thing is sometimes done, especially by wives who have not known their husbands very long, but what on earth does a man want witha baby on such an oevasion? But the nmusing part of it was that this par- ticular husband led the dog with one hand and eagried a gripsack in the other, while his wife supported the baby with ove hund and carried the gun in the other. What is the connection between a baby and a gunandadog and a hand satchel? Babies are like guus in that they can make a loud noise sometimes, and dogs are like [agony im that both have mouths, but that loes not explain why the wite did uot carry the baby.and the satchel and the husband the do; and the gun. This would have been the natural order of things, since a setter dog anda gua are necessary accompaniments of one anoticr, and e baby without a hand bag containing bis bottles, toys and sundries isa thing entirely eard of in railroad annals. HUNTING DCGS AND HOUAE DoGs. At this time of year in Washington the rail- road depots have a good many dogs in them every day. Some are going to the happy bunting grounds in the neighborhood of the city, where there is capital sport to be found just uow, and others are returning to the city to take part in the approaching festivities of the seusov. Which doge are tue happier? There is a hardy manli- less about the hunting dog that every one admires, but the house dog has a pretty good i ides, he is no coward at all. baby, but he is no baby in disposition, for presently he begins to kick and bark’ and straggle furiously to get away, in order that be moderate dinner, but the terrior seems to wish for nothing and it is impossible, it is suid, for any man to ‘The kitchen differs from the guest and tea It is without ornament, and the ilsare , knives, char- il the burn! lint and tim ‘be form of sticks abunt a foot long. is 20 pipe to the stoves, uence the kitche ix offen filled with smoke, but aside from ‘the room altogether presents quite a neat pearance. fuil-dreased lady without looking as if he kept his wardrobe in the ben house. Bae on Bee ‘The difference isn't ‘enough to cause any serions annoyance ever, the latest ting in the shoe Line fe tended for just uch cases. It is known as reversible shoe. ig this ap- so much as to eat both of the upinstantly. As for them, the: ‘The; a itement and proapect fore them. They know is up, aud already they begin to suiff the to see’ if there is the odor of game in it. hey as their witnessed well,"" was the “Bat I thought you only one.” ‘then wig 40 you say “hey ate well?” “One dog ise very considerable ee hitaelf, roe seems to know a moment's peace or you wash him the right way you may of the pests that are devouring bim, bu i bathe cannot do fo ‘nibbles hlvnsel?, over himeeif and never quiet If rid him it bother is apt to make him sic! loge like boys and hate to be washed, altho are fond of swimming in the creck. What ing to do about it, then? Why, the ‘ey emt toe fo bane the dog ocity worrying and complaining enough for mn the fleas Don't be alarmed are best do | *¥ay from what they want. It takes a con- two. and 9 the fleas will leave him and come on you ‘They may frighten you oc iy, but they are not going to desert the dog in numbers, Fleas may be said to be like the witty French character (Mndame De Stael, was it not?), and have proclaimed in actions that speak louder than words that “the more thoy seo of men the better thoy like doga.” —————+e. ___. BUGS FORK FIG TREKS, OME VERY VALUABLE BUGS WERE Queer Insects Imported From Abroad. ™ ‘ported to this country for the first time in United States. The tree which bears this flowers at all. However, if you will open a baby fig you will find inside it parts of a» flower and pistils are there—namely, the male female parts—and it is only required that shall be mixed together in order that the July last. Upon them rest, so a'Stam reporter was informed, the hopes of persons who are anxious to make fig raising 9 success in the has a very marked peculiarity respecting its blossoms. They are actually inside of the embryo figs themselves, so that the cagual ob- server would suppose that thero were no necessary for repro- duction curiously packed away. Both stamens fruit out the and they fruit shall ripen. Unfortunately, in the case of the variety of fig which is preserved end brought hither from abroad, this mingling does not usually take place of fteelf. Thus the trees would be nearly if not quite barren were it not for the efforts of certain insects of the above refe: to, ‘THE INSECTS’ WoaK. cipient fig and wander about within until have incidentally caused a stirring togeth the pollen and pistils. Now ithappens tha bugs are not plentiful enough on trees, and so the growers abroad fetch laden with them from wild fig trees and them among the branches. For the purpose of eating the pollen these insects crawl in through a little hole in the in- kind ATTRACTIVE HOMES. Good and Poor Decorative Ideas. ARTISTIC SUGGESTIONS. Practibility and Tasteful Results Should Al- Written for The Evening Star. ONE'S ATTENTION 18 CALLED TO the subject of house furnishing and decorating it is soon forced upon ono that any amount of trash is written upon these same subjects, and unless the persons for whose enlightenment such ideas are pro- Tmulgated are wary they will be led into following advice . which will leave them far siderable amount of good taste in the supposed beneficiaries to discriminate between the good and poor ideas which fill the papers and maga- zines on every hand. It seerns all but incredible to think that some of the matter finds a lodgement, which is all ‘the time appearing in the guise of advice anf suggestions under the heading of “artistic ideas.” No wonder that the people who need such guidance from their very lack in the mat- ter often choose the bad and deliberately ad- mire what good taste finds atrocious. 80 amoug all the. benefit of widely circulating ideas one should study what to avoid, either from im- practicability or lack of tasteful results when ‘their labors are ended. TWo PRETTY covcHEs. have seen two pretty couches lately, which, if of home manufacture, did great credit to their projectors, and if not may well serve as models for auch from their simplicity of con- struction and tasteful combination of looks and comfort. I will say the foundation was a box, for so it soemed, and certainly a box could be used for either. One was covered with golden brown velours, serviceable, inexpensive and pretty. The couch wae set in a niche between the end walland man- tel of the room, the end nearest the mantel com- ing out beyond it for some distance,as the couzh was deeper than the chimney. As much of the sides of the box as showed—Icoald judge of no more—was covered plainly with the velours fastened at top and bottom of ench side with big braas-headed nails with the so-called “old” finish; these were round and plain, nothing fancy in shape at all. The velours came well up over the edge on the top, concealing the front edge. A tufted they er of t the ¢ cultivated twigs hang ff it were not for this th» quantity of the fruit produced in the world would be comparatively small, although yy poking the ripening can be effected b; Mitt splinters of wood into the blossoms and turn- ing them around. It has been found that figs of this sort, which are the kind valuable in commerce, cannot be produced on this side of the water without these ingect friends, and so consignments of the latter have been landed in California, where it is expected that they will be successfall; pect depends al tertained of fig culture ropagated. Upon this pros the ex oatan peeve ai er THE CREATION OF NEW VARIETIES OF FRUITS by artificial eross-fertilization has become a science. For example, efforts are being made at present to produce an applo that will grow and ripen in Dukota, Minnesota and other parte of the northwest, where it hitherto en found impracticable to cultivate thi fruit, owing to the trees by excessive winter cold. For urpose a hardy erabapple has been taken red for size with a the object being to get an apple that will the sturdiness of one parent with somewhi the flavor and size of the other. plish this the experimenter takes tree before its blossoms are open. inevitable destruction this and lesirable large variety, have at of To accom- ‘erabapple He opens each bud gently and cute off with a pair of scissurs-every stamen. Having thus removed the mule parts of the flower he covers the latter with @ paper bag and goes through same performance with number othera, Subsequently, have | opened of cord, he goes to each with ir len from a the of when the flowers then tres that bears great big juicy apples. Lifting off cach paper bag separately, he touches the pis- tils of the blossoms with a little brush loaded fruit he knows the parentage absolutely, and, if it is good, it tablish {tas a. variety by planting Ont of 500 seeds 499 will "very lil worthless, but the five-hundredth one, will grow into a sturdy tree and apple obtained from the cross. riety is established. SHIPPING POLLEN. imply remains for him to es- the seeds. ely = 4 new va- It has been found that pollen can be shipped for great distances—at all events, for miles—ond yet retain ite vitality. The 2,000 only requirement is that it shall be kept at a low temperature, say 45 di le to cross varieties which grow far apart graphically. Also it is made practi preserve the pollen of an earl awhile, holding it back until the rij ‘This is very im- Portant, inasmuch as it is thu» rendored possi. e0- 4 the blossoms of a later variety, with which itis ired to mate it. A cross between two varie- which are related very remotely ia alwa: likely to produce what pomologists call ‘mules, the seeds of the fruit obtained producing in nothing. A curious freak occurs sometimes the bearing by one branch of a tree of fruit entirely different from that borne by the other branches. It was by an accident of this sort that the nectarine was origiually developed on & peach twig. ee Raleee Czar and Soldier, Unarmed and unattended walked te czar ‘rnrongh Mase ‘The crowd uncovered as his face they saw; “God greet the caari” said they. Along his path there moved # funeral, Gray spectacle of poverty and woe A wretched sledge, dragged ‘Slowly across the snow. And on the sledge, blown by the wint tora pescemracre aang And he who drew it beut beneath his load With dull aud sullen air, ‘The emperor stopped and beckoned “Whos tou ie “Only a soldier, si ‘Only @ suluter dead.’ “Only a soldier,” musing sald the czar; “only # Russian, who was poor und brave. Move a, I follow; such a one goes not Unhonored to the grave.” He bent his head and roverent raised his ‘The czar of all the Russias, pacing a Following the cotfin ax again Slowly sctuse the swow went ‘The pasners in the strect, all wondering, Looked on the sight, then followed silently; Peasant and prince, and artisan and clerk, All lu ove company. Still us they went the Tw Led by that princely heart Hondred the poor but braves” a Ue Pecultarities of French Bread. Paris Letter to Chteuro Pcst, ———+o . w's busy #treets Ohe wintry day; by one weary man to the man; st to the ever” nomads, Tn Paris bread ia indeed the “staff of life.’ Itis carried about the vireots wit string around it. Women clasp affectionately to their bosoms and SEE mattress covered with velours was simply laid on the top, and the wealth of pillows, which is every honsekoeper's desire nowadays, were lux- urioualy piled about.” A mandolin was hang by ita ribbon on the wall above, a banjo re- posed among the cushions and the litle oa hext the open fire was very cozy on day I happened to seit. ‘A DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENT. ‘The second couch was similarly gotten up, as far as the fiat covering of the box sides went, but, instead of a separate mattress for the seat, the top of the box was stuffed. with curled hair, provumably, the cover drawn tightly over and fastened under the side covering, a rather wide pon tet top and bottom of the sides being the inish instead of brass nails, gimp tacks making it secure. ‘The covering of this second couch was of French cretonne of soft, dull tapestry coloring and and the pillows were nearly all plain, in some of the tones of tae cretonne. two, however, being covered with the cretonne itself. Both’ these piain-sided couches are rather newer than the draped ones or those with the plaited valances, and where economy isan object considerably less goods is needed for this style than the others. A quantity of illows seems an extravagance to some people, mut if the couch is gotten up as inexpensively as these may be that I have described some- thing may be saved, probably, to be invested in the pillows, which give the ait of luxury to the affair. Down may be used for a few, with feathors for the well-stuifed ones, whi the back. r ch give PORTIRRE RODS, One of the novelties which I have as yet seen only in the shops, not in use, is the swinging, crane-like rod to be put on door frames, and from which the porticre is suspended, instead of being fastened to the frame. ? Those come ia white, with brass rings and trimmings, and probably darker wood as well. ‘They have some curvesand scrolls as ornamentation. They swing back and forth aud are ingtened at one end only, so they can be adjusted ‘at any angle desired. ' I have seen pictures of these in use— one across a rather narrow stairw tiere looped high to aliow passing up ‘and down the stairs; another at right angles the wall at the foot of a couch, where tho head came in a corner, thus improvising a niche, Another picture bas at each ond of the tmeatels rod set out streight, with a cain from the outer end to the mantel again, much higher up. Curtains fall from these rods to the floor, making an ingle nook, but the chains give a drawbridge effect to one, aud the mantel would look better if they were dispensed with. ‘, with por- CURTAIN DRAPERY. Among many designs for curtain over- drapery there is one simple one which might Jook very pretty over frilled muslin curtains. tod which sapports the mus- ith either a rosette of ribbon, a cord and tassels, or simple band of the silk; it is then allowed to droop on each side ina graco- fal festoon, showing the rod and a little of the Under curtains above the curves, At each end the silk is caught up again and over the end of the rod and then let to fall for half or three- quarters of a yard, the ruftle making a pretty ANY COLOR THAT SUITS. ‘This silk may be in any color which best suits the room where it is arranged, the ruffle look- ing better on the lower edge than a fringe, for instance, the silk being a delicate color so not to be too pronounced i contrast to the mall curtains below. Inaroom where cretonne in delicate coloring is used, and yet white cur- tains are prefer: this would be a the room. In this case, however, a votton fringe of plain Gream color or of varied colors to ‘co nd wi goca |" SHELLS OF HIGH PRICE, Facts About Molasks and Their Carious ‘Ways—Treasures in Shells. 66] OLLUsks ARE AuoNG THE MosT interesting of creatures," said conch- ologist to s writer for Ta Stan. “There ie one species, somewhat like asmnall clam, thathas never been found anywhere clse than attached to the stomachs of a kind of crayfish in Pacific waters, It may exist eleewhere, but science only knows it as the friend and companion of the crustacean referred to. The curious bi- valve secures itself in position beneath the crayfish by a rope that it makes for iteelf, and there it lives, feeding upon the debris of what the crab eats. * “We know most shell fish as of sedentary habits, like the oyster and the clam, but in infancy they are all freeewimmers. By means of their finsand the ocean currents they travel to great distances and thus diffase their tribes over the earth. Countless members of these little voyagers aro continually drifting from the shores into theopen sea, where they perish, their tiny and fragile shelle’ becoming part of a deposit forever accumulating even in the deopest part of the ocean. BENEATH PaRENT SHELLS. “Some of these little creatures shelter them- sclves for a time beneath the shells of their Parents, while many avoid drifted away by spinning silken threads for -cables with which to moor themoelves. AS this period of their lives even young oysters and other bi- valves have eyes. After a few days of this sportive existence the sedentary mollusks scttle 1m the places where it is theit intention to re- main for the rest of their lives. Some of them secure themselves to rocks with cement; the ship worms adhere to timber; the razor fish burrow in sand or mad; the mussels spin ropes to hold themselves by, and the oysters attach themselves to whatever is clean eud bard by ieafy expansions of their shelis. POWER OF TRAVELING. “Othor-ribes retain the power of traveling at willand shift their quarters from time to time in soarch of food. The river mussel drage itself elowly along by protruding and contract- ing its exible foot: the cockle makes short jeans; op bounds raj 5 and shutting quickly ite tinted mien aoe r species are thus able to make leaps of one or two yards; a nearly related species Enrough the air. ond’ snails can gids clsey eair. Pon re the surface of the water, shells downward. The cuttlefish walk head dowuward on their out- spreed arms oF swim by expelling water from ir “Some mollusks, like the land snails, which are the enemies of the gardeners, are vegetable feeders, while others are of carnivorous habita. The bivalves live usually on infusoria or on microscopic plants in the water. Many devour their own relatives, aa boring whelks feed upon oysters. Mos: active aud rapacious of all are cuttleish and squids, which prey spon fishes and crustaceans. MOLLUSKS AS FOOD. “Many wild animals live more or lees on mol- lusks. The rat and the raccoon will devour them when pressed by hunger. Muskrats are very fond of fresh water mussels. The South American otter and the crab-eating opossum constantly resort to salt marenes and the sea in order to feed upon the moliueca. Wairnses live almost exclusively upon cortain kinds of mollusks. Cetaceans are great caters of equids and many quarts of their undigested beaks wiil sometimes be found in the stomach of the grampus. In regions frequented by whales may be seen thousands of bodies of cuttlefish, thrown away after the heads have been bitten offandenten. ‘The bodies are presumably con- sidered indigestible on account of the cattle bones which they contain. ‘The great octopus, notwithstanding its cunning and wers of de- fense, is Irequeutiy the victim of the coager eel, which seizes it in its most secluded retreats. KARE AND BESUTIFCL. “High values have been placed on rare and Denutiful shells from the earliest times. The Friendly Islander wears the orange cowry as a mark of chicftainship, and the New Zealander olishes the elenchus into an ornament more One species of univaiv ves of the rilliant than pearl. so much esteemed by the Hebrides that they will give in exchange for a single specimen balf | ton of sandalwood, 00. Sheil ornaments have been found together with the bones of prehistoric men in the eaves of southern Europe. Oneof themost i Of the world is the cypraen e Friendly Islands, It 8 of goiden hue and as big asa peach. ‘There aro mens of it in the collcetion at the Smithsonian Institation. It is worn by the natives as a sort of order of nobility, and is +o scarce that a specimen was formerly worth $250. Now one cun be bought for ¢10. FROM THE INDO-PACIFIC. “The most beautifal shells in the world are found in that region called the Indo-Pacific, and the business of gathering them for ehip- ping to Europe is a very large one. ‘The na- tives of all the South Sea Islands depend, to a considerable extent, for food upon molluske, which they procure by diving. Incidentally, they preserve the handsome shells. Owing to the fact that the sea bottom in the shallows is covered with white coral, anything that is pretty or shining can be readily seen. Another very valuable she is culled the ‘staircase shell,’ and vas formerly worth 100. Still another is colored with salmon and white. It is called the ‘glory of the sea,’ and no one knows where it comes from, the ‘ew specimens now in collections having been obtained through traders’ bands, The three lengest conchological collections in the world are of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Phila- delphia, the British Museum and the Musenm of Natural History at Paris. That of Philadel- includes about 140,000 a con- tained in 85,000 trays, all mounted end labeled.” —— LIFE ON THE OWL TRAIN. Sleeping Car. Bouxp Souta From Wasutnotox, Oct. 16. NE CAN OBSERVE MORE HUMAN NA- ture on a sleeping car than anywhere else in the world, 1 won't even except a watering place in the height of the bathing season. Just ‘as at the seaside, however, people on board a night train have a special theory of modesty, so to speak, entirely different from that which they follow under ordinary circumstances, I noticed several women this morning coolly fastening their corsets in the aisle in fall view of anumber of male passengers. If they had been seen at home by a strange man in such @ stage of their costuming they would have screamed with horror, Iam sure. Tt appears to me that modesty isa virtue the practice of which is altogether controlled by enfironment. I once endured the ordeal of & journey across the continent. During the last day or two of travel the fairly Passengers ‘the | abandoned all ordinary rules of decency. The (46 ARTISTICALLY ABBANGED TABLE. Ina certain handsome drawing room there is © round table of good sizo, covered with a large f brocade which nearly falls to the and ie fluished with irved | disadvantage on a sleeping car. The first tics | Of at all-night train is a large crowd grew evermore, hotbands st00d urouDe tae friendiess grave, | *@ at Brocaded silk vf furniture quality makes very table covers. An old-fashioned, H iets My impression is that my own sex appears to if you seo of a woman in the morning bump) the a! is ee i j fects into the aisle covered the berth. It abe is fat the ich ELE : tHE I FE fi i | : & § i iE Funny Things to Be Found on Board of a} American juarters, notwithstandi Seas the yrehesnnd cae lends propriety to the ment. Te be Just. as likely, however, to be a fat woman. ' Fat womon always ride in the upper berthe, 1 seems to me, though I can't imagine first thing I heard thie morning were fond sf “Portah! portah |” froma Baltimore in t berth opposite mine, who remed fashion that he had bis “pawats.” Tt turned out eerviter bad taken them Y TROUBLE IX THE xtomT. slept well myself, except for a remarkable sensation that occurred during the aight. It of it for the end of my letter. It must have been about 1 jock. car was waked up bya tremendous EEE hae 1S thum in irgin, save I heard the voice killed I am entirely. Ob, wirra, back is broke, an’ not e whole boue farther end. lay an object in white, not ‘clearly y ng light of the swinging lamps, from which the despairing howls continued to proceed. pon investigation it appeared that the Irish | maid attached to the person of a Indy on board bad been put in an — berth over her mis- | tress’ head. Never having been in a seeping | ¢ar before, she rolied out of bed and fe tl cived no burt beyoud a bruise or two. However, it was a lon; time before she couid be convinced ‘that she was not mortally injured, and then she could bein no manner persuaded to climb back into the berth again. Til set bere on ibe flure,” she declared, “and divila fut Pi move to get into the loft ggain this night, It's ‘most corpse already am. After much difiiculty the matter was accom- modated by an exchange of berths between hersolf and her mistress. Then I went to sleep again and I dida't wake up until I was roased this morning by the dude's ahoutiag his “pawnte.” Mancaner C. ——+_ POSSIBILITIES OF AGRICULIUKE. for the American Farmer. Secretary Rusk in the New York Tribune. As our population increases, the amount of cultivable lands necessarily reinaining station- ary, the ownership of land will naturally be more greatly desired. As everybody vow hae come to understand fally, it will not be a great many years before all land evailable for acri- cultural purposes without special preparation involving @ very considerable expense will be in the hands of private owners. Just as soon as that period is reached, we may look fora considerable rise in the value of land throngh- out the country, this being accompanied, as I opine it will, by a restriction of the many op- portunities which now exist for the employ- | ment of capital in various affording a |comparatively bigh rate of interest. |The attention of capitaliste will then be directed more and more to the possi- bilities of agriculture, which, though af- fording ® comparatively low rate of in- terest on ihe money iuvesied, will at the same time afford, in the ownership of land and its steadily increasing value, an clemont of sscurity as well as of uliimately increased value of the original investwent. These conditions will un- doubtedly also be accompanied by many others in the natural development of the coun- try, such 2s the extension to country districts of advantages and Jacilities now dificult to ‘obtain outside of our towns and cities, which will remove many of the objections which now exist inthe minds of many persons to resi- | dence in Moreover, the growing appreciation of tle importance of agrieui- ture, and of the inteliizence aud education necessary to successful farming, will tend togive to farm life greater attractions in the eyes 0 the coming generations than it now possesses ‘Tbe increase io land values will necesaril: ave the beueficial effect of inducing farme of comparatively limited inteliigence and means to part with all the land which they themselves are not able to cultivate, and will tuus multiply the number of small farms, and restrict the ownership of Inrge farms to men of the highest intelligence and education, with capital sufficient for the extensive employment of inbor and the possession of all the equip- ment necessary to the very best kind of farn:- ing. The realization of the needs which I have already indicated, and the march of time which wiil bring with it the changed condition I have spoken of, seem of themselves to indicate a wonderful and varied scope in the future of American agriculture. When the time shall come chat no agricultural product which cau be produced in the United States shall be pur- chased abroad; when the fullest and Intest in- formation is available to all classes of farmers in thie country as to the crops of which a sus- plus can be readily marketed abroad, and as to the extent of the demand for such surplus; when every section of the country is devoted to raising that which it can raise best and cheap- eet and which commands a ready and proti sale; whet wise legislation has reduced the bur- inet the farmer too minimum, and has at same time tly enlarged ‘his oj tunities; when diplomatic zeal shall bave ‘been exercised to smooth the way for the sale of our agricultural products in foreign countries with as much earnestness as bas Leretoiore beet shown for our manufacturing, mercantile and Secretary Rusk Forctells a Happy Fatare | de followed by a series of deplorable yelis | ins. Lvrary mad. reno. wont “Mascuif mat preanly for this Nervice us tue in connection Via Menur mery abd tor Orieans aud VickBbunc vt Bieber Washincton te 400 Ym a ory te all pune | and Soutawest. "Tiirvash coaches New Yura to } - r an Bullet Sieeper, New w | wo Reontite tan tetcthene” Beaveiee | sind Weetera, Noreh ‘Unroline' Divanoa. sad Washam ¥ tual . « Sasmmetos AND om DL }OD leave Wanthanston 9:10 a. ta day toete Bae, cont Sunday.” Weturatoe, daily, and 4285 p.m, exe unday. | See 3 Sesaineion 90am and od pm, aR, at. c von ad Bats JAMES L. ‘Val SCHEDULE IN RPREC rou Teas < 7 SEPTey 801. Union san08 och randest s-enery in America, with the ont combrote Sod Tein Baeviee sunats Past Line," with @ining ear satis, Seid Team fo Chee aus F.&P-railw, Bic woud Neti ON ins head oot til inkete at Compens*s Oca situa 14.7 Pena ave sed W FULLER, Geu't Passeweee Agee, eee, Cent Pern Agee YENNSTLYANTA Not 0 THY NORTH Week AND SOE: DOUBLE Tkack sc SiEEL aA aan eet TRAINS LEAVE Wasi ory OOkNEK OF 6 Bort rpitiscune be ‘de Eapeooa 1-30 pea * Went, witls three eiseper to hatter ror omic mano, 3 . Mecheter abd Rasacs Pails ‘cust Bude} 8 10a. "4:20 iw fUitK ch Mala, AND THE EAST, 100 1S, 2R0, Shedd ah jas Car. to Row Kors, Wied atu days with Daag EAD tits ONcx arta Accommpodatin tor (geste Srachtona and Woe owt, 3 ar pm, wees Traine weave Alexandre effect " Leave Ween stot Aareet 20. 2p. uted, financial interests; when our relations, in this | .o.° even of Avia—I am quite sure that the will far 7 Uring to apricalture t 1o ‘to agriculture cation and intelligence, the industry and a ore aninites), 11o5a. tn o: 110:40 0.2m... aise ‘Pou "Ne Philadelphia, New ork, boston and the: 4:06, 8200 AG Gary tssow ae, tab y Lyping car). 30 CASO pm. Sleeping Oak, AN) o'cuuck). ei Ba A Fi. S576 Atlantic City, 405, 10-00end 11:55 am Sua 405, 11358 m. Wuve'ot eubdroai trains see time tables, to be bad ticket arents, Gen. Pas. Awami _ POTOMAC RIVER BOA‘ MCR Veuxca,