Evening Star Newspaper, February 6, 1892, Page 14

- ball THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON. D.C. SATURDAY, ‘FEBRUARY 6. 1892—SIXTEEN PAGES. 13 A BiG CROW ROOST. Where the Birds Make Their Home in the Winter. THOUSANDS GATHER THERE. They Leave in the Morning, Fly Miles to ‘Their Various Feeding Grounds and Re- turn at Night, Making the Hills Black With ‘Their Numbers. Wistten for The Evening Star. VERY FALL, BEGIN- ning about the middle of October, if one looks = skyward about 4 or 5 in ? ger the afternoon, scattered a -mpanien of crows may be seen winging their way in a westerly direc- tion: if a few miles west i of W ington this PET AT... flight will be found to Oe ~ 7) be in an easterly direc- eres" tion: if north, in = southerly direction, and vice versa, Later in the season these companies inerease in size until the last of November, and throughout the winter vast hosts nightly wing their way to a common center, and before the majority of people are astirin the morning have dispersed in every direction throughout the surrounding country uy Toa great many their destination isa prob- jem, as generally they are flying long after @usk. To those who are accustomed to drive fn the vicinity of Fort Myer and Arlington the problem is ina measure solved, for here they may be seen gathering on the hillsides from ail quarters. Even with this part of the problem atrest very few, I think, are aware of th actual circumstances attending the gathering and of the fact that Arlington cemetery is the Mecca to which this sable throng nightly re- sorta. 5 ‘There are many curious and interesting facts still unrecorded concerning even our com- monest and best-known birds, and while it is 8 fact well known to ornithologists that during the winter crows congregate at night in vast numbers to roost, it appears not to be so gen- erally known as one might suppose. THE ARLINGTON CROW ROOST. Arlington cemetery is one of the most noted crow roosts in the United States and one of the largest on the Atlantic coast, and while nearly ail are accustomed to look at it from one point of view—the resting place of the nation’s dead—a visit paid at dusk, and from an entirely ferent point of view, will, I trust, prove in- teresting to some. Within the past few years much has been written concerning this notorious cornpuller: but until recently little or nothing has ap- peared pertaining to the roosting place of one of our commonest birds. It has been my pleas- Bre to visit two rookeries and to observe closely the birds composing it, both at the roost, where they congregate at to seek rest and pro- tection in each other's company, and many miles away from it, and under nearlyail cirew stances. The first of these is situated a jwo miles east of Syracu: known as “Tamarac put in a locality This swamp, toa marrow six hundred yards in width P- t down strip. not exceedin, by one and a haif miles k the nroth and south by hills, what is known aa a dry swamp, composed o «, beech, bireb, tamarack and oal in this strip is a stretch of young weraging twelve feet in height, and this ely wooded g, hemmed in on and has become pines, spot, in preference to tle more portion, hasbecn chosen as the winter home of Arlington is too well known to re- description. LIVELY IN THE MORNING. to these roosts in the daytime is ex- tremely interesting, but one paid at dusk,when are coming in, is not only interesting. iting. Shortly after the first break of day the vast throng of black bestirs itself. First a loud clamor betokens that the birds are awake; then, with a shake or two, they lauach forth in quest of the morning's breakfast. Leaving singly. in pairs, by dozens and in flocks of Lundre:is and thousands, each group Wings its way to where the previous day’s meals were secured ch of new feeding grounds ne the roost is a eight ink nd the trees and ground beneath are i covered with the dro the birds. having much the ap- pearance of having been ple ly bespattered with whitewash. fhe air is foul tue odor, mingled with that of the putrefying bodies of the dead birds that here an dot the ground, while among the bra: ‘on the groun: weak, emaciate in the morning f ily approached and are o im the bands. led to par- These are ften to be caught ‘THEIR DAILY LiFe. Addrive through the surrounding country will now give a glimpse of their daily life throughout the winter. Anywhere and every- y may be seen insearch of that which sustains life, but with the usual frozen condi- tion of the ground this asa rule is obtain. Along the river and streams they may be seen walking on the ice im search of @ pos- sible dead fish or a stray mussel. breaking through the frozen structure itself where not n order to get at the soft, unfrozen th, and in many places the surface for a conside-able area resembies the land more than the ice, from the quantities of this mate- tial thrown out. Here they of course secure considerable vegetable matter, mingled with an occasional shell fish, but the suppiy is poor at best and they generally have a hard scrape ter. At this season of the Fear there is scarcely a spot unvisited by them ince traveled in going to and from ng grounds is surprising. I have seen them a7 «distance of some twenty miles from the arty, high in the air, and mo steadily in the direction of the roost, and have no idea how far they may Lave come before observed. BEGINNING TO RETURN. Up to about 3 o'clock the birds are busy feed- ing, and the passer-by would hardly believe that within an hour, or even less, these same birds will be miles away, and in company with tens of thousands of their fellows. About this time an inclination to mov sted by a few, who iy away just over the tree tops calling loudly, as if to induce the rest who eull tarry to follow. There too soon depart and by 4 o'clock or half-past the sky 1s filled with the host en route for the rendezvous. An iden can best be gained now of the count- lees numbers that nightly resort to this place, for althouyl it is obviously impossible to attain anything Like accuracy a know that at any given si thousands pass over our bh i pling ors | to the numbers, we | busy settling themselves for the night. Utter now but so much as agyilable and the entire army with renewed cries and in the direst c: fusion takes flight and seeks another part o the wood only to repeat the same performance. T have never as yet remained in a roost long enongh to ascertain whether or not the birds became absolutely quiet. I have remained until quite late, and on coming away could hear them for some lite distance after leaving the roost and doubt exceedingly if there is an hour in the night when there is not more or leg noise and confusion existing. might be well to add that these roosts are oceupied each succeeding winter, the birds be- ginning to congregate with the approach of cold weather and remaining until the milder approaches of spring. E. M. H. —<——— HOW A BAKOMETER GOT FOOLED. On Ordinary Occasions It Worked All Right, but This Time It Acted Queer. From the Detroit Free Press. There was @ lean, long, lank, white man sitting on a box of meatat the end of the depot platform, and, as I walked up and down, I noticed him rubbing his left leg. “Rheumatism?” I asked as 1 stopped before him. “No, not exactly,” he replied, as he rubbed away. “Fact is, we are gwine to have rain by tomorrer noon.” “How can you tell?” “Seo thar'?” he replied, as he pulled up his trousers leg and displayed an old sear. “Reckon you don’t know what made that?” “Looks to me like a bullet wound.” “You've hit it right, stranger. I got that at Appomattox jist befo" rrender and I've bin limpin’ since. “And what has that old wound to do with the weather?” “Heaps, sah. It's my barometer; when the weather's gwine to change fur the wuss this old scar begins to itch and take on and let me know all about it. Gwine to have rain befo’ twenty- four hours, sah.” “The weather looks settled.” “Can't help that, sah. I'd bet a dozen mewls agin a chaw of terbacker it will rain by noon to- morrer. “When to see my old mother, and one day, along dinner, [ felt some mighty curus’ sensa- in that leg. The weather looked all right, but I says to mother: ‘Mother. we're gwine to have a big chango afore tomorrer. Mebbe thar's a hurricane comin’. Letter take in your clothes line and see that your winders are fast.’ “Shoo!” says mother in reply. “That ‘ere leg o’ yourn may tell all about the weather up in K ntucky, but it ain't wath noth ; You jest go ‘long with your signs jut that leg kept on acting up, and I knowed we was in fur achange. Fust it would itch; then pains would streak up and down; then I'd feel a crinkly feelin’ clean upto my knee and down to my toes. I knowed it, sal knowed thar’ was @ powerful change comin.” About sundown I felt suah it was rain. Afore dark Td have bet all I was wuth it was rain—a reg iar ole second flood comin’. That's whar’ I but it was the only time.” hs ' down WORKING BY RULE. How the Department Clerk's Record is to Be Kept. MEMORIES OF OLD TIMES. How Change Has Been Wrought in the Daily Life of the Government Employe—No Sinecures Now—The Days When Clerks Used to Follow Their Own Inclinations—The Merit System. ECENTLY THE EM- rw) ployes of the Interior XK Department have be- %\ gun to make a familiar Klecquaintance with Di cipline, which, in this case, ought to bespelled with a large D. Not that it is meant to be inferred that there has Y been a lack of system in Interior Depart- ment and the employes have been allowed to do about as they pleused. On the contrary, iscipline, as indicated alone by the quality and quantity of work performed, has made its home in this department for years past. The employes have always been obliged to work. That is to say, this has been the general rule, and no exceptions have ever been officially recognized. But under the system which has _ recently been inaugurated by direction of the President the work done is now to be classified and arranged so that figures representing the aggregate of the daily, weekly and monthly toil of each em- ploye can be set down in columnsand preserved in permanent form. For some months past the employes of the Post Office Department have been put under a similar system and so have the employes of the other executive de- partments. ‘Ihe Interior Department em- ployes have not, therefore, been singled out and distinguished above the employes in other departments. ‘The order of the President re- quires the application of this system to all the epartments. FORMER ATTEMPTS AT REFORM. The projection of such a scheme into the off- cial lives of the clerks might have caused con- siderable consternation and alarm had it not been for the fact that all government employes are more or less accustomed to measures of this kind. Sometimes it is the idea of the head of the department, then again it is a chief cleric, or morecommonly itis some bureau chief or his satellite, who, inflamed with the ambition to make the world of his official life alittle bet- tea by his having held office for a time, projects some scheme of reform, which dies out with the official breath of the author. A. clerk who has been in the government service for ten or fif- teen years can recall a good many examples of the ficeting course of reforms and reformers in “Why, @ tarnal airthquake eum alon; shook about haif the town down, as you ma} remember! No wonder I felt them curus streaks and pains and flashes. hat leg was ali right on snow, rain, wind, hot and cold waves, but that wae the fust time she bad ever struck an airthquake and she didn’t know just how to act.” “Nary one. See! She's turned sorter blue around the aiges and she wants to be rubbed with a splizter. That means rain. Wind'li chop to southwest tonight and cloud up and be- fore noon tomorrer she li be pourin’.” At noon next day I was ata town twelve miles away and the way it did pour down from that Lour until sundown kept everybody within joors. —+e-—___ What He Told Him. From the Detroit Free Press. Reginald Marston had been talking with Miss Alexander for at least two hours on the piazza where Fred Wheelington had presented him to the heiress. All his best powers had been ex- erted to please her and it was quite evident that he was more than successful. As Wheel- ington came out at 11 o'clock into the fragrant summer air of the night Marston arose to go. “Not yet, I hope,” said Miss Alexander de- tainingly. “Yes, I have stayed too long already,” —— almost whispered, as he took bee nd. With a short good night to both he left Miss Alexander and Wheelington on the piazza, Wheelington took the chair Marston had va- | cated, and with the familiarity of an old friend drew it nearer that of the young woman. “What have you been saying of me to Mr. Marston?” she began impulsively. “Nota great deal of 4 complimentary char- acter,” be replied, banteringly. “There isn’t much to say, don’t you know.” “Ob, of course not,” sh so earnest, so honest, so per- sistent in finding in oneall the graces of foman- kind. He did itso gracefully and so charm- that really I bave quite fallen inlove Wheelingtoa eoughed significantly and she urged, w that’s a real nice big brother,” and she took hishand caressingly an hers. “BatI didn’t tell bim anything,” he in- i, without making any violent effort to take bis hand away trom hers. “That is,” he said atter a mome not much.” “Oh, but it must have been a great deal.” “No, it was only a word or two, “Pehaw,” she exclaimed, snatching her hand from his, uldn't teil him anything about me in a word or two which could possibly have had any influence upon him.” “It seems, however, my dear Miss Alexander, that I uid,” he said exasperatingly. She jumped up from her chair and walked across ihe piazza, where she stood against the rail pulling a honeysuckle to pieces. “How perfectly idiotic,” she exelaimed, throwing the flower to the floor. “What was i told him you were very rich.” She crushed the flower under her foot and weut into the house. A Big Chicken Ranch. Port Townsend Special to Fort Worth Gazette. On the islaud which lies off this city in Puget sound is one of the largest chicken ranches in the world. This ranch 18 the property of George Hills, and oceupies the entire island, which ts about one thousand acres in extent. ‘The ranch was started ten years ago with the idea of making a little money by supplyitig the adjacent cities with poultry, but it was soon | discovered that the place had excellent qualifi- | cations for such a business, and the proprietor Mf every crow in the cou: "was passing be- ft B exactly oppo- ay will reveal # lke nother the next day the same, ant of the been cov same t the locks are not observed twice and what an rong must be gathered together at ker, Having ‘now traced our birds through their aily wand-rings it is in order to visit the roost at nightfall and watch them come in. We must be there before dusk, and have but to take our stand in the center of the piace, close beside some tree, in order to avoid observation. COMING BACK IX CLOUDS. At about 5 o'clock they began to arrive, singly nd in tocks, tarrying at times at some neigh- boring feeding ground, but some seeking the Vicinity of the roost.” Strangely enough, in- stead of repairin ing place, they on the surrounding hills. from all parts of t: creases until the country, the number in rei with ng after the sun | they tinue to arrive. ‘The | is deafening. and when at times they rise and circ at in the air it seems as were about te Bess settles afew of the bolder « mter the Foost, these are fullowed by small bunches of fifty or a hundred and there in turn by others interspersed with stragglers. Suddeni: Boweasof a mighty burricane,« v. GQrises and makes a dive fur the roost. all. As dark- This is closely followed by another, and another, and stili another, until fi ne numbers on the ¢ sigue of thinuing deepens they come in ¥; pell meli, brushing past the face, al- most fying against us and alighting on the first branch they strike against. It is so dark they an scafcely see, and it is amusing to see them flopping about waiting for a chauce to throw a branch in their way. Every tree and bush is packed with them, and stul they continue to pour down, finding a roosting place somewhere and adding clamor to the deafening bubel already exisung. SETTLING DOWN FOR THE SIGHT. Bimaliy all appear to have arrived and are Coming, as they do, | made preparations to go into it on # grand | scale, with the result that he now not only sup- | plies the entire market in thisstate and Oregon, | but sends large shipments of poultry to San | Francisco and Sacramcnto, and is even contem- | plating the shipment of poultry to New York | and other eastern cites. There are now on the ranch 90,000 chickens, | 20,000 turkeys, 4,000 geese, some being wild | ones, winch have been raised in captivity, and | bring much better prices for eating than the tame varieties; 10,000 duck» of all kinds and Pigeons innumerable, Mr. Hills has made the udy of raising tine poultry his life's object and is going very extensively into the breed: of large species, us weil as those which are good layers. He has'as yet used no incubators, but is arranging to have a number of them at work next year, and thinks be can thus greatly in- crease his output. | From Lite, Stran; Florenes Stranger. girl? Florence—Cause the decree gave me to papa.” —"Whose little girl are you?” “I'm papa’s little gurl.” nd why aren't you mama's little Unaccountable. the departments. The policy pursued by a bureau chief who flourished not many years ago is often re- called. After he had inade sure that he really had the place and that his name was on_ the roll kept by the disbursing clerk, he called the clerks together and notified them that he pro- posed to have the work done promptly and that he did not intend to permit any idling. ‘They were to be in their places in the morning at 9 o'clock and they were not to leave until 4 o'clock. “If there is any loafing to be done in this bureau,” he said, “I want you to under- stand that it is to be done by the chief.” He was as good as his word. He came and went as he pleased and did no work, but he ex- acted the utmost in work from the ‘clerks and as rigid in demanding the strictest _punctu- ity. Probably, however, the successor of this disciplinarian was an easy-going man and un- der his rule the clerks had what is commonly called a soft time. ‘These changes in policy have been the rule in department life and no doubt a large major- ity of the clerks look upon the system recently introduced as another ephemeral movement. At any rate the new rules have become a part sof the department routine without causing any friction. . THR RECORDS OF THE CLERKS. The record now made in the Interior Depart- ment shows in the case of each clerk the esti- mation placed upon him in regard to the fol- lowing particulars: Punctuality, attendance, industry, accuracy, aptitude, conduct and ability. "The object is to consider when a pro- motion isto be made the rating obtained by him on these points in connection with an examination. Ax the appointments are made through the civil service and are based on merit rather than influence it is the purpose to minke promotions on the same grounds. So that the merit which brings a person into the departnent service will attend him as he ad- vances through the different grades. It remains to be seen whetuer this system, which is rather elaborate in its details, will be carried out or whether it will be abandoned after awhile. Judging from the past some of the clerks look upon it as only temporary. But whatever its future may be there is no doubt that this system marks a phase in the movement which has been a growing feature of the departmental service since the war and which has ali the time been gradually tending toward better results trom departinent em- ployes. At one time there was a very general idea, and in the main it was no doubi correct, that'a government position was practically a sinecure. The pay as compared with that given by private establishments was looked upon as large and the duties were believed to be light. How near to the truth this concep- tion of a government position was, say twenty or thirty years ago, it is no longer true. Gov- ernment employes are now obliged to work hard for their living. THE INCREASE OF Wo! ‘The volume of business has increased ina ratio that is much greater than that of the ad- ditions to the clerical force. The situation is that the business of the departments has been growing constantly and it is now absolutely necessary that the present force of clerks ould be worked up to its full capacity in order to keep up the curreut business. Of course there are places where the work is easier and there is less of it to do than in other: but in a general way it is nafe to say that a gov- ernment position in this year of grace 1s no sinecure. It used to be the case and some of the veterans in theservice remember those da when the clerks were practically free from all rules. There was only one thing required in the good old days and that was to do the work. If that was done it not matter to the department officials at what time in the morning a clerk reached his desk or when he went away. There was no record kept of the daily goings and comings of the clerks aud no questions asked. If, however, in addition to the enjoyment of these privileges, a clerk failed to do the work assigned to him, then there was apt to be trouble. In the’ days long before the war the departments were small affairs and only a handful of clerks employed. If a clerk wanted to spqad a few hours in ‘the morning” or in the etternoon shooting reed birds along the river fr was not necessary for him to ask permission to go. He simply went, WHEN CLERKS WENT To THE RACES. The free and easy discipline which prevailed in departmental service in the early years is aptly illustrated by the following story which was told by the late James Lawrenson, » vet- eran clerk in the postal service: About the time he entered the department service au organized effort was made, with the pproval of the Postmaster General, then W. Jarry, to induce Congress to increase the salaries. ' A committee went before the proper congressional committee and represeute: them the arduous duties the clerks were obliged to perform and the meagerness of the com- pensation. ‘Their representations proved so | effective that a subcommittee was authorized to visit the department and make an examina- tion of the methods of doing bnsiness with the view of being able to determine exactly what was needed. The committee of clerks, thus assured that their petition would receive atten- tion, retired, and when they reported the facts to their associates in the depart- ment there was great rejoicing. ‘This Joy was somewhat dampened by the fact that the weeks rolled around and the committee had made no effort to fulfill their promise and there was a general fecling that their little matter had been forgotten. However, the congres- sional commi:tee did appear one day at the de- partment, and, calling ujen the Postmaster ‘Billy, kin yer -tell me why it is when the rich f kin afford to buy all the clothin’ they want for theirselves that they prefer to go had their desks. The committee decided to be- gin with the upper floor, and ascending the stairs they reached the door of the room. On looking in they found, instead of a group of hard-worked clerks, nothing but a collection of desks. Not aclerk was in sight. “Where are all the clerks?” was the aston- ished inquiry made to a colored messenger, who was the only employe in sight. “Dey'se all gone to de races,” promptly;re- sponded the messenger. Then one of the members of the committee, recollecting the personnel of the delegation Which ealled upon them at the Capitol, in- quired: “Where is Mr. Smithson of the Foundry Church? Has he gone to the races?” “Oh, no, sah,” said the messenger, “but he never comes to the office on race days, because = knows none of the other clerks will be are “But where is Rev. Mr. Lipscomb?"finquired another member. “I hope,” he added with some sarcasm, ‘that he has not gone to the races. ell, you see, sab,” exclaimed ,the'messen- ger, “the Reverend Lipscomb lives across the riyer and he never comes in on race days.” The committee made no further inquiries and it is needless to say that the bill for the relief of overworked clerks was not intro- duced, CLERKS WITH INFLUENCE. During the war and afterward the public business increased enormously and the civil service grow larger and larger. As the necessi- ties of handling the public business became more pressing measures were adopted for cou pelling greater diligence on the part of the clerks. “The rules adopted had particular refer- eto punctuality, and efforts were made to persuade the clerks to observe office hours. hese efforts met with indifferent success. Sometimes the records were correct and some- times they were not, and then there were a great many clerks who seemed to be in- lependent of authority. When it came to & question of which was the bigger man, the clerk or the head of the bureau, the chances were that the clerk would demonstrate that politicully he was the superior. ‘The same anomaly is not unknown at the present day, although the examples are neither as many nor a prominent as was once the ease, “However, with the decay of mere “fluence” in the de- partment service it was found possible to carry into effect rules regulating the conduct of clerks. The system just inaugurated is per- haps the most “elaborate ever devised and it Will be interesting to know how it will work. peedicdecteheliaad TEMPER OF ANIMALS, The Carnivora by No Means the Most Vin- dictive. From the London Spectator. Animal temper is naturally pacific, equable and mild. Bad temper is the privilege of more highly organized natures, and the mild resent- ment of the placable tiger finds its develop- ment in the apoplectio fury of the mandril and the measured malice of mankind. Horace’s suggestion that Prometheus added to the ill- temper of man the strength of a mad lion must be taken literally. The general law of good nature in the animal world makes the excep- tions all the more remarkable. Quarrelsome species appear among a friendly tribe, just as an ill-tempered individual does in kindly species. ‘The ruminants are a most peaceful race, yet deer are savage, and so is that handsome Indian antelope the nyignan. A tame stag is a very dangerous pet, and even the beautiful roebuck has been known to kill a boy ina wild fit of rage. But the fiercest and most vindictive of all, with the exception of the Cape buffalo, is the South African gnu, which never loses its ill- temper when tamed, and always remains among the few dangerous animals which the keepers at the Zoo have to deal with. Hardly less ill-tempered are the zebras and the wild ses, which suggests that human mismanage- ent is not entirely to blame for the occasional ill-temper and obstinacy ot mules and donkeys. To the ill-tempered species we may add the camel and the two-horned black rhinoceros. ‘The last is really ferocious, charging down on any creature, man or beast, without provoca- tion, and capable of inflicting mortal wounds even on the lion, the elephant, or its own kind. But among all the largor creatures of the an- imal kingdom it is difficult to tind more than a dozen species which are, asa class, ill-tempered, unless we include all those carnivorous animals which exhibit a certain ferocity in the capture of their prey. But it will be found that, apart from this law of their being, such animals are not, as a rule, either ill-tempered or malicious. On the contrary, their natural bias is toward good nature, and it may be inferred that the fierceness exhibited by them when actually striking their prey is rather a gradual develop- ment from a particular necessity than an es sential part of their nature. ‘The good humor of the lions and other feline was weil illustrated by a scene at the Zoo a few weeks The young lion from Soketo was much in- tent’ on breaking in the iron shutter which separates the house it now occupies from its former quarters next door. Apart from the very proper wish to assert fa right to its former domicile, it had the irri- tating stimulus supplied by an ill-tempered and decrepit old leopard which was growling on the other side of the shutter, and even went so far as to insert one of its longest teeth into the craek between the shutter and the wail, asa reminder to the lion of what was waiting for it on the other side. ‘The lion was striking con- stant heavy blows on the door, and was so in- tent on its occupation as to disregard the cul of its keeper. ‘ihe keeper quietly attracted its attention by pulling its tail!—and the lion at once desisted, rubbed its face against the keep- ers hand, and lay down to be stroked, patted and have its mane caressed. A very Beautiful puma close by exhibited all the pleasure of a friendly cat at being stroked, and the tiger from ‘Turkestan allowed itself to be fondled ike a big dog. ——_—-er—____ In Dream Gulch. From the New York Sun. “In its enrlier days,” said tho old '49er, “Dream Gulch was full of bad men. The stranger who wont there to view its natural beauties was apt to carry away a livelier im- pression of the inhabitants than of the scenery. A committee waited upon new comer and extended to him the hospitalities of the camp. In other words, they invited him to take a drink, and this meant a drink at each of the twelve saloons in the Gulch. Perhaps the stranger didn’t want to drink, but that was a matter of no concern to the committee, “There appeared one day in the shanty that served asa hotel a stranger, who registered as Nathan Slocum, Jasontown Junction, N. J. Mr. Slocum was tall; he had a long gray’ beard, wore spectacles, and was sedate in bearing. He begged to be exoused when the committee called, Lut the committee insisted, ‘ “At each of the places visited the stranger's unwillingness to drink and his drinking under compulsion afforded some amusement to the crowd, but he didn’t begin to furnish the diver sion that had been expected of him, and at times his calmness was almost depressing. Apparently the Gulch whisky had no eflectupon inn. He kept on steadily until they ame to the last of the saloons, the Grizzly Bear Casino. There, with that appearance of reluctance which’ had characterized him throughout, he took his twelfth drink. An instant later he stood with his backto the bar and the Casino was in an uproar. With a single blow of sur- prising suddenness and surpassing power the stranger had knocked the chairman half way across the room. “They came at him from the front and from both sides, but the stranger was present to a very extraordinary degree. Knocking down men seemed to be just fun for him. After knocking down seven men singly he floored two at once. Half a minutelater he performed the amazing feat of knocking out four men at once, using both hands and both feet all af the same time. At this critical moment when all hus forces were engaged, and when for an in- stant of time he had no reserves whatever with which to defend himself against attack from a new quarter, a spry little man in front made a grab at his long gray beard. He got it, but it came off at a touch, revealing the rugge: features of Big Bill Belten, the error of Devil’ Claw Canon. “It was just a little lark of Bill's, but, in one respect at least, it led to @ permanent reformation in the manners of the Gulch. It set the bad men to thinking, and when they had reflected upon the dangers of making mistakes and had considered the subject generally in all its bearings, they came to the eonclusion that it wasn’t exactly a square deal to make game of a stranger. ————_+e-____ Not a Five-Cent Loaf. From the Lewiston Evening Journal. While treasurer of the Maine Central Mr. Linscott always made his own bank deposits, taking the immense amounts in bills wrapped ina newspaper under his arm as he roce up town on a street car. “Why does that old gentleman carry up that loaf of bread every day?” on one mm in- fa rnien framcon yn him that they had come to for themseiv:s the work that was being done see by his clerks with the of making such Feeommendations as woul tend to relieve their burdens. The Postmaster General expressed bie ratification that the committee aa oomne partment —_ personally a once summoned the C& clerk to ‘The third-story floor was mainly occupied by one large room, where « number of the clerks {The valve ofthe leaf of breed was probably ue of the was ‘Ot far from $50,000. gecbvccices he SO A New York man who was liberated from a hospital a few days ago danced so violently for Joy that he burst a blood vessel and died. A Remedy for the Grippe Cough. ‘Take small and frequent doses of Kemp's Balsam WITH GAUZY WINGS. How the Problem of Aerial Naviga- tion May Be Solved. STUDYING INSECT FLIGHT. Mr. Maybridge Proposes to Bring His Bat- teries of Cameras to Bear on the Minute Creatures of the Air—What is Hoped From the Proposed Experiments. T WOULD SEEM AS though the main en- ergies of modern scien. tific inventors have been turned more gen- erally to the solution of the long-delayed prob- Jem of aerial naviga- tion than to any other object. The perfection of surface travel, the application of steam * and electricity and their combinations to the transfer of men and goods along the land ‘and the sea, the increase of speed to within a few degrees of the safety point and the reduc- tion of cost ina marvelous proportion have all tended to make this matter of traffic much ® past question. Artificial light has been im- proved through the agency of the magic fluid and brought into practical use by its cheapness. The reproduction and transmission of the human yoice—seemingly impossible projects fifty years ago--have each startled the world. Indeed, it would appear that, one by one, apparently impossible things have in turn been made the actual, and one result isa tendency toa belief that nothing is beyond the range of os a All these triumphs have encouraged the ho on the part of both the scientific and the “9 scientific that in time all this scientific energy may result in the mastery of that evasive prob- lem of the navigation of the air. Many capable men have attacked the probiem from different sides at once, but so far with only theoretical success, and the practical accomplishment of the object in view is apparently yet afar off. Anew element hgs entered into the field, however, that promises more hope and the students of aerial flight have concluded that there may yet be some data obtained that will lead to definite results in the near future. Most of the efforts that have been made so far have been based on the application to the problem of man's flight of the principles of the bird’s wing and its motions. Instantaneous photography has played an important part in this and whatever advance has been made is largely due to its developments. TO STUDY THE FLY. From a horse to a fly is a large jump, partic- ularly for a photographic camera, yet it is not too great when there is such a goal ahead as the emancipation of man from the shackles of the earth. ‘Twenty years ago Prof. Eadweard Muybridge, a photographer of San Francisco, began a series of experiments with the co-op- eration of the governor, now Senator Stanford, in the line of photographing a horse in full mo- tion in various gaits. The results produced have practically revolutionized the art of an- imal painting and sculpture, and the worker has recevied the plaudits of the world for his persevering, painstaking work and the inval- uable data that he has secured. He has labored for most of the time under the auspices of the University of Pennsylvania, and during the past few years has been lecturing in this country and Europe, and on Wednesay night he made his appearance before a Washington audience at the Corcoran Art School. Prof. Muybridge has photographed #hat may be termed the whole field of animal motion by means of an ingenious device that has enabled him to take successive impressions on sensitive plates of men, women, children, animals and birds while engaged ‘in their natural move- ments, walking, running, posing, playing, and he has in @ certain sense formulated his results in the shape of rules of motion that have proved extremely useful to modern artists in their work. At allevents the photographs themselves, in the absence of any rules, are a revelation and the result is to be seen in a gradual change in the gerierally accepted or conventional types of the figures of motion. THE MOTION OF INSECTS’ WIxas. Having run upand down the ecale of the ‘animal kingdom and photographed every avail- able species, even including the wild beasts of the tropics—obtained from menageries and zoos—this wizard of the camera now proposes to go down into what may be termed the of his field and begin a series of experiments foward determining the rules of the flight of insects, He has found it comparatively easy to poke emap shot at a horse and a man, and even ittle birds, but the task he has now set for him- self is apparently far more difficult than any he has yet planned. There will probably be a more practical use for the results of this series of experiments than for any other that Prof. Muybridge has undertaken; that is, he hopes for more from this work, asit is his theory, based on his former results obtained from ‘the photographs of birds in flight, that the wings of insects will furnish more reliable data for the building of the coming air ship. He has been in consultation for some time, by Personal interview and correspondence, with Prof. Langley of the Smithsonian Institution, who is one of the foremost workers for the fly- ing machine. It has been agreed between them that there must be a vast fund of infor- mation to be discovered behind the blur that appears to the eye when an insect whirs roagh the aie, aa accordingly Prof. Muy- bridge will go to work as soon as possible in his effort tochain the light flashitlg from a rap- idly moving membrane of the wing of a com- mon house fly even as he has done with that coming from the flying fect of a galloping horse. HOW EXPERIMENTS WILL BE MADE. Prof. Muybridge gave an interesting view of his plans the other day to a reporter of Tne Srar. “Inall probability,” he said, “I shall not be able to get to work upon this project of photographing the flight of insects before the middle of next summer, yet I have devised my machinery and made my calculation for the work, and there need be no delays when I am once started. I may go to New York, and perhaps I shall return to my old studio at the University of Pennsylvania, where I made my first definite results with the zoo praxiscope,as I have termed my battery of cameras. ‘here should be no insurmountable difti- culties encountered, for the work to be done is merely a microscopical reproduction of that which I have already carried on successfully. I shall, of course, use a different lens, probably an inch in diameter, and without any dia- phragm. It will probably be capable of a very short focus, so that I can get the greatest pos- sible definition. I have found considerable trouble ensuing from the long focus lenses that I have had to use in my former work in photographing the horse and other animals, and it is my hope to eliminate all this in this series of experiments. THE MAIN DIFFICULTY. “The main difficulty, of course, will be in getting a sufficiently high rate of speed tomy shutters to ty ded the light that will flash from the object with almost incredible rapidity. Let me give youafew figures to show you how great a probiem this is. Take the wing of a igeon, for example. It is, say, twelve inches in length from the root to the tip, and thus its path from the extreme height to the lowest point of its reach is twenty-four inches long. the round trip, representing one complete flap of the wings, is forty-eight inches. I have found that the average flight of a pigeon in- volves about ten flaps of the wings each second, and thus each wing travels at the rate of 480 inches asecond. A railroad train going at the rate of forty miles an hour cuts through 700 inches of ‘space each second. In oth words, the average pigeon wing and the aver age train are not far from similar in their peeds. It is quite easy tc photograph a mov- ing train, and so it is to get a detail of the bird’s wing, yet in the case of the latter the field is so small and the tip of the moving ob- motion on the part of the shutter is required. “A horse running at a one-forty gait moves his hoofs very rapidly. The foot describes a curve, the ends of which have the greater pitch, and there the motion is comparatively slow.’ But on the long and fiat part of the curve the of the foot, I have estimated, feet Now, I have estimated that the wing mon house fiy is about a ject is so finely drawn out that the very keenest | & ee extreme rapidity so as to get a complete series of motions. I have estimated that it will be possible for me to obtain an exposure of not more than one-twenty-thousandth part of a second, yet I do not think that I shall need so high a'rate. Iam aided in this by the reduc- tion of the size of the lens, which, being but an inch in diameter, can be covered and un- covered much more quickly than one of three inches. of a new instrument suited to this more micro- scopic work that I have projected, and I hope to have it complete? in time to begin with it next summer. I ehall depend altogether upon electricity to produce a very high rate of mo- tion, that shail then be applied to the shutters by means of making aud breaking the cur- rent. Now, the problem is to get as accurate a photograph of the wing of an insect as L have of the foot ofa horse. 1 hope to be able to get ‘an impression on my plate of at least an eighth ‘of an inch in the case of the common house fly, and perhaps of half an inch. This will, of course, be enlarged for the purposes of anal- yris and study. ‘This process may be accom- plished by means of photography, projecting the image upon a Rog through a lens, or it may be done by an artist, drawing with such a rojection on & screen asa model. I have no loubt that Ishall be able to obtain sufticient detail for as much enlargement as may be necessary. HOW A BIRD FLIER. “I was, perhaps, the first to demonstrate be- Yond a doubt thats bird in flying moves the wings not only in the direction that we diseern with our naked eyes, but in au independentman- ner, by turning the primary feathers edgewars to the air, and so reducing the friction. This had been theorized upon by a Scotch zoologist, Prof. Jeffries, but he had no facts at his dis. posal, When Isent out my results I heard from him to the effect that he bad already formed a theory in this direction. My first at- tention was called to the maiter through a peculiarity which I noticed in some of my photographs of birds, for which I could not ac- count, except upon the theory that the bird had a voluntary control of the individual feathers of the wing that aided it in its flight. I thereupon had the demon- strator of comparative anatomy at the Un versity of Penneylvania dissect a bird? and we found that it was provided with « system of tendons that gave to it a voluntary control over each primary feather of the wings. When we pulled these cords the feathers described a quarter of a revolution, and gave to the wing & lattice-work appearance, and enabled it to move through the air with the least possible amount of friction. We also found the bird does not move these feathers in this way when- ever it flaps the wings, unless it so wishes—that is, the two actions are entirely independent. {his gave us an important result for use in the experiments in the line of aerial navigation. Iam now convinced that the bird-wing theory is not the correct one, and that in the flight of insects we shall find a’much simpler and there- fore more practicable method, that may afford @reasonabie basis for success. I have com- municated with all of the leading scientists who are now engaged in the study of this prob- Jem, and they agree with me that there is yet a vast field left unexplored. “Ihe question is whether or not the insect wing makes the return of the flap without independent motion. It seems to be a matter of the plane adopted, and yet there is nothing to prove that there is not a sort of hinge in the center of the wing that folds and thus pro- duces the same result as is obtsined by the bird’s turning of its feathers. At ali events the motion must be much simpler and therefore better adapted to the uses of man. I am not promising anything nor do I predict, but I think that there may come from this series of experiments some usetul information for the students of the flying machine. have communicated with all of the pri cipal workers in the problem—Edison, Lang- ley, Sir William Thompson, Sir John Lubbock and Prof. Ray Lankester. Mr. Edison 1s heart- ily in accord with my views and 1 have an as- surance of his belief in the practical nature of my plan ina recent letter, in which he says that a competent investigation of the mov ments of the wings of insects would be a great aid in solving the problem and that the in- formation likely to be acquired by euch a line of research would be of the utmost practical value in many other ways,” a MOUNTAINS OF COAL ON FIRE. A Scene on @ San Francisco Wharf That Suggested the Inferno. From the San Francisco Examiner. For nearly two weeks the bunkers of the Pa- cific rolling mills at the Potrero have been like the hell which Milton describes in “Paradise Lost.” Thousands aud thousands of tons of forcign coal had been heaped in these twenty- year-old, seventy-teet high buildings for a time that is forgotton by even the workmen there. Three months ago the men began to talk omin- ously of “‘steam’” that was creeping out of the huge piles, and old men who had been on tramp colliers at sea suook their heads with a dubious wag. Twelve days ago the flames burst out in the northern bunker. These bunkers are only huge sheds, with rails built along just un- der the roof, over which cars are wheeled to convey the coal to the dumps. In the northern bunker the coal was piled forty and fifty fect high, till it reached to the car rails and the top stringers. c A hundred carts were put on wheh the fight began to remove the coal to safer places. The fire boat Gov. Irwin was set close to the wharf y streams of night and day. It w: and long fight, but yesterday the fire as finally driven into the northwestern corner of the bunker. y night was an exciting time for the worn-out men who had carried away 8,000 tons of coal in their carts and were threatened with death on the eve of victory. The gaunt pillars that support the structure were weak- ened by burning and the dilapidated roof sagged “in a dozen different spots, ready to fall without & moment's warning. The electric lights hung like faint stars shining through a fog. ‘Ihe roaring of the mills, the shouts of the bosses who were driving ‘the gangs of shovelers at the glowing masses of coal, the cries of the men straggling wiih the writhing hose above were alla picture for the painter of the hideous. Every one was in a burry, for there was a dull, ominous roar in the middie of ail the smoke and mingling of stitied lights. There | tea Written for The Evening Star, DOGS THAT DRAW SLEDS Some Curious Facts About Vehicles Which the Eskimo Use THE ARCTIC REGIONS WHERE ONLY the Eskimo find life very well worth living, content with adiet of blubber and houses made of snow for winter residence, during most of the year all travel must be done over snow and ice in sledges drawn by dogs. Such vehicles are usually made of driftwood and some- what resemble the sleds which boys use in this Intitade, only that they are much Digger, the ranners being sometimes as much as fifteen feet long. The latter are con- nected by cross-bars of wood and are shod with whalebone, ivory, or the jaw bones of « whale. Attached to the back of the convey- ance is a pair of deer's antlers, to which the load is tied, the knife for cutting the snow and the harpoon line being likewise hung upon them. Other sledges are actually made out of slabs of fresh-water ice, which are cut and allowed tofreeze together in proper shape. Some- times, in the absence of planks or bones of whales, a substitute is found in walrus «kins oT sealskins, which are wet and frozen solid, be- ing thus rendered as serviceable for the pur- Pose as thedbest wood. In Boothia frozen salmon are utilized in the same way, and, after having served this purpose in winter, are eaten in the spring. DOOS MUST KNOW THEIR LEADER The dogs which draw these slodges are of a pationt breed, but not little art is required for managing them. They wear simple, but ingenious harnesses of seal skin or deer skin. Ina team of them the strongest and most spirited animal has the long: trace and is| lowed to run a few feet in advance of the rest asaleader. Next to the leader follow two or three strong dogs with traces of equal length, and the weaker and less manageabic beasts are held close to the vehicle. A team is almost unmanageable if the dogs are not accustomed to one another. They must know their leader, who brings them to terms re is a quarrel. He must be the | acknowledged chief, else the others will ou | into disorder and refase to ivllow bum. When the dogs are fed he take the choice morsels: | when two of them quarrel be bites both and | ‘thus brings them to terms. | Though the authority of the leader is not | disputed by his own team, | n will not submit to Bat when two teams are accustomed to travel in company the dogs in each will have son regard the | A ler of the other, though continual rivalry | and quarrels goon between the two leaders. Almost any dog which is bar wed into a strange team will at first be unwilling to draw, | and it is only when he is accustomed to all his | companions that be will do his work satisiac- to: Though all these peculiarities of the dog» give a great deal of trouble to the driver, he tmust take care not to punish them ‘too rely lest they become irightened and for fear of the whip wili not work ai all. In winter the shoes of the runner of the sledge are covered with a thick coat of ice, which | hes the friction on the The al ually done with water, the driver taking « | thiul and carefull third of an inch im thickness is produced. | Then the icicles male by the water which ruus down the sides of the runner are carefully re- moved with the snow kuife, after which the | bottom is smoothed with the same implement and finally polished with the mitten. lu done, the sledge is turned right side up an loaded, STARTING A SLEDOR. After the sledge has been loaded, the dogs are hitched to it and the driver takes up Lis whip in readiness tor starting. The handle of the whip is of wood or bone and quite short, but the lash is from twenty to twenty-five feet in length. ‘The lash is made of walnut or seal | hide. In starting the driver whistles to the dogs, when they jump to their feet | and are off. 11 they are lazy or tired, however considerable lashing and other persuasion inay be required. Ihe Eskimo constantly stimu- lates the animals to exertion by exclamauions, and he directs them to the right or ieft by | calls as well as with the whip. ihe work with | a heavy load and across rough ice is often very | ind occasional will lie down, ader looking ar ully, a8 af to say, “We cannot do more!” y dog of the team is lazy the driver eal out his name and larhes him, but it is neces: to hit the dog called, tor, it ‘another as struc he feels wronged and will turn upon the au- inal whose name has been called out. At on the leader enters into the quarrel, and soon the whole pack is huddled :uto oue howling und biting mass. No amount of beating will sep- | arate them, and the only thing possible is to | clear the’ traces and wait until their | wrath has abated. If two persons are the sledge y must not speak to each other, for, as soon as the dogs bear them,.. they will stop, turn around, sit down and uisten to the conversation. he sledge is usually steered with the right foot of the driver. Late | in the spring. when the snow has melted and | sharp ice needles project everywhere, the tect ot the dogs are covered shoes of leather tied to the Jegs, with holes for the toes. HOW THE DOGS AKY BROUGHT UP. The Eskimo rarely brings up more than three or four dogs at the same time. Ifthe litter is larger than this number the rest are sold or given away. ‘The young dogs are cure- fuliy nursed, and in winter they are allowed to lie on the couch in the suow Louse or are hung up over the lamp ina picce ot skin. When about tour mouths old ‘they are first put to the sledge and are trained to pull with the others. 1f food is plentiful the dogs are ted every other day. audeven then their shure is by no’ means rge one. ‘Iney are given the beads, entrails, bones and skins of seais. Sometimes in traveling they have no food for five or #ix days. If at liberty, they are entirely able to provide for them- selves, feeding upon what they can find on the Leaches in the shape of clams, codfish, de. There is u very fatal dog's disease prevalent in the arctic régions wi wipes out whole acks aud frequently leaves the untortanate Ectimo without any team to draw hia sledge. Human Beings in the Mammoth Age Vienna Dispatch to the Lonuon Standard. Near Brunn, the capital of Moravia, impor- tant discoveries of prehistoric remains have been made which are likely to attract the attention of palxontologists ail over the globe. Asacanal was being dug, foar and a balf skulls were brought to light of dolicho-cepba- lous (long headed) character, and of anexceed- ingly low state of development. ‘The sume | gliste ‘The Reason Why They Were Not Served ‘ata Dinner on Massachusetts Avenue. ‘T WAS ALREADY FIFTEEN MINUTES past the hour set for dinner, as the old come modore discovered upon glancing at the large golden turnip which be extracted with ditt culty andagrant or two from the pocket of his waistcoat. The guests, for whom be had ordered the most elaborate repast that wae cooked that evening on Massachusetts avenue, were hungry. Nay, more; the delay began te be embarrassing, owing to the not snusual dificulty of sustaining conversation in ecom- Pany that was waiting to be fed. The hostess hadexcused herself for » moment and had gone, presumably, to eee what the matter was, She returned presently to the drawing rooms and said ina brief whisper amide: ‘The oysters have not arrived Damnation!” replied the commodore bee neath his breath. It wasaword he bad learned in the navy. That he had need of it on this ov- casion Was not eurpri considering what trouble he bad taken to order the oysters thas f the exact hour It was becanse the oveters were late that the two colored gentlemen who had been engage® » the house on tin trays burs <i they not been um wach baste ita Probable that ‘one ‘of them would not have amped into the other on the very sidewalk 1m front of their destination. As i was the cole lision was so violent as to scatter the bivalves borne by the latter in every direction. The individual thus suddenly bereft of hig Precious burden glared angrily at his com~ panion, who, far from exhibiting any sorrow for the disaster he had caused, grinned from ear to ear You fool nigger!” exclaimed the injured he could summon speech. t fo"? roared the other, evidently mirth. Tay?” Gemanded the second could reply, convulsed as he was with lau . This wastoo much. Te lose hus oysters and to be laughed at intothe bargain was more than the injured party could endure. Suddenly drawing back his night log he let fly a tres ‘k which struck the waiter carried nion fairly on the bottom. It flew airand the oysters it had held deseribed thre ward every point od the victim of this jonixhed and with » proc sudden cessation o Hub!” remarked the other briefly. Fora minute or two they paused and gazed ateach other. Then the one who bad been 60 imprudently merry said What we goin’ to de "bout it?” Pick ‘em up,” suggested the other. “How “bout de dirt?” stipe m off wid yo’ apron.” No sooner said thandone, it was moonlight and a plentiful sprintling “of rew Blue Peres ed bere and there upon the bricks of the nidew Some were scattered on the asphaltum roadway beyond the pavement's edge. One by one they were gathered up and each placed neatly inashell. Five dozeu oud of the six dozen were thus collected and ar- ranged upon the Waiters. Save for lack of they natural liquor they were apparently ae go0d as ever. Itwas at this moment, unfortunately, that the oid commodorezeame out on his front steps to give a last look for the expected oysters betore ordering dunner served without them. ‘The two colored gentlemen were so earnestly engaged at their task that they failed to observe him. ~Lcan’t tind no mo’! said one of them, pol- isbing off with his apron the last mollusk be had picked up. “We've got "em pooty near all,” replied the other. “De resi cll in de grasa, “cept two an er dat muf't baruly tit to ape ear on a ge n's table. coughed the commodore from bie point of observation ou the top step. Ihe guilty pair gave one look upward, then turned and fled, leaving waiters and oysters behind. Nothing hax been seou of them sin However, tius explanation will account for the fect that the dinuor that evening Was Dot begum with blue points. Here's a steam-hip taler ‘Coming across last time there was on board @ middle-aged Scotchman, for many years a resie dent in the states, but who bad beens yoar visiting his relatives in Scotland. He was exe asperatingly well inform: rican, ax I nad ample evidence, year be tad been away was “all my So after a couple of mild yarns, I started im one nigit after dinner, not addressing him, of puta friend,with whom I exchanged@ ponderous wink. “puithers,” quoth I, “have you beard of the to?” suid he. “What's it like? ew big hotel out in Califore ning Foom 400 fect long—= kitchen ditto—immense distances — waiters alll ou noiseless roller skates—palatial affair,” £ rattled on. 1 threw a glance at the Scotchman. He fairly bristled with an odd look of disbelief. ain't beard of it, of course, but didn'd lie have nerve enough to break in, being uncere n. tain where the fact stopped and fancy “Most unique thing in whole establisument, though, is the truly epicurean service. Clis mute is wonderful there, you know, and righ® outside dining hailina courtyard are two beaue tifal pools, one sait water and one fresh, stocked with about all the fish you find in either. When you Walk in in the morning head waiter meets ou with silver salver and # silken scoop “What will you have this morning, be, little trout, sea bass, mackerely tossing ia 8 few bits of biscuit.” “Just give me that pickerel over there,” you say. A deft swish of the net, alittle founder- and the salver disappears kitebenward. ‘You walk in, sit down, nibble « bot roll and sip your coffce slowly, meanwhile glancing over the “Ten minutes elapse and @ waiter comes swiftly skimming up the long vista. He stops atyourtalie. lou lift the cover. Therelies your pickerel, done to a turn. ‘By this time a man on my right bad caugh® on. He heaved « sigh, and said: es, that's 60. Dreadful expensive, Bat wasn’t the revolving verauda # ‘Thus encouraged 1 sailed in again. “But the most wonderful thing of all are the musical soup plates. Fact! Made in Ei place contained bones and teeth of mammoth rhinoceros and reindeer. Close to the skulis was little use im trying to see the fire from the ground; the heavy vapor was too thick. But on top of the adjoining loft there were things tosee. It took a perilous climb up a rickety ladder with its first four steps burned away to get there, but areporter made the trip under the guidance of Fireman Michael Barry ‘There were holes burned through the floor of the lott, and through these holes six men have dropped during the past ten days. ‘The la who went fell to break two ribs on Monday night. He fell on the red-hot coals, too, and three men were brave enough to jump for him. ‘The shoes were burned off of them. Creeping along through the nauseating and cloud there was only safety in clutching the guide's hand, for every few feet were the holes and only columne of fog whiter than the rest showed danger to the practiced eye. At last one of the tramways was reached, and, threading a narrow stringer over a chasm of fire and vile vapor, the men could be seen tearing away the tery coals far below. “It’s been @ tough pall,” said Barry, “and Saturday night I didn’t see how they'd save anything. You can see how thie building has one in. Look at that stringer over 1 vay, I was standing on it at 3o'clock in the morning with two men behind me. I had the nozzle and two fellows were holding up the hose to help me guide it. All of a sudden the stringer went smash, but just slow enough to let the two men backing me drag hard and pull up to the track. “Some aay it was foolish to play water on a like this, and perhaps it was. When a heavy stream of water drives into s pile of coal it sends all the ‘fine siftings down to the bottom so that the heavy lumps get a good draught through them that keeps the fire e rf gt eel uElle * li lay more than 500 fossil snails.several calcinous stones with holes in the midile, a rude figure cut out of a mammoth's tooth with a hole run- ning through the middle. ‘This discovery is the first of the kind in Austria, and is highly important from being a proof that there were human beings in the mammoth period. ———+2o- & MAN AT THE MATINEE, His Views of the Proscentum at— From Puck. somewhere--perfectly unig it a ——— ees Scotchman couldu't ‘suppress snore of incredulity he now gave “Greatchance fur on. “You sve, they ei dy they inde « plate plas got ‘Annie Itvouey,” Tow.” Bat now I had an experienced ally in the suslly voracions captain Soe emme I conversation with: "Yes that's & those it plates. were in thls ony veeeh ond Retomeber because of the terrible time they the custom Louse.” “Yes,” said, “that's « wonderful San Jacinto—something that every “*utfell” said tus’ Seotcbenan 7 x ™. Glad you hiked the place so well. "I bau is The crowd collapwed. fig ™ profoundly interested in writing @ “Weren't you up to see your girl lastnight?” the man next to him. “Yes. I'm writing to her father now.” “That so? Asking him for her?” “No. Asking him for my overcoat and hat he didn’t give me time to get as 1 went out.”. Detroit Free Press.