Evening Star Newspaper, January 7, 1893, Page 10

10 THE EVENING STAR: THE CITY OF CARACAS Delightfully Situated and With the Most Charming Climate. - VENEZUELA'S CAPITAL. Temperate and Tropical Products Growing Side by Side The Story of the City's De- struction by an Earthquake Citizens Dts- elplined After Dark Some Mistakes Made. - Brom The Star's Traveling Comimiewoner Canacas, Vawxzonia, November 20, 1392. F yor WANT TO getas near heaven as je in this disap- | ting world—at . so far as climate ae go half the tor enongh oF to sect scinmer time. with a hint of frost im t breeze that a far enongh to escape excessive heat and tropi- eatly to our surprise we find near eal dienes. that ¥ med resorts in the u disunet + up am vd vt were and 4ow he ame Caracas capies perhaps, t! about 6.000 f wing of greedy traverse the | watered the Jans, who are | excessively ford and proad of their capital, are sure to tell you. The city contains about 000 inhabitant~. and is lait out with the pre- cision of a checker b its thirty odd @treets, which ru went, bras many more ru: ath, forming “blocks” a squaren: ine and plumn could make them. The rough. uneven ridges that enter on the valley are dack with forests te the horizon. their foot hills bright with emerald grass. their lower slopes covered with pale yellow mgar cane and dark green coffee, ocoanut and orange groves. The houses are fonstructed in the usual Spanish-American “of Esien crossed | canacas, Style, their thick walls of ered with cement that looks @iaborately stucesed facades and all Htile covered roofs and courtyards * with trees growing in them. The city u» well | laminated with gas and clectric lights. The €lean. narrow streets are paved with small, Sharp cobble stones and the sidewalke are of Portland cement. There are several lines of Rarrow-gauge tramway. with queer little cars of English make, ench square box fitted with four benches. Though the war is some time ever and the triumphant revolutionists have established a semblance of order, the country | fe wtill in so disturbed a state that scldiers patrol | the town aud guard all the arenaes of approach | andare very particular concerning the business | ef people who happen to be walking abroad after lamp lighting. CMALLENORD AFTER DARK. ‘When vou are challenged by the words “Alto. | Quien vive’ top. Who You do not halt instanter ax Jabbed in The other evening a ited Slates was Aafter s confererc sul. during which ne’ two streets by two guards at « fn the fright and confus moment Memory took thght and he could remember nothing to say but “Ail right. Don't shoot. ‘That, of course, was no avail, bang. bang muskets of both guards, without, | tng any damage to Siw dropped ‘bis dignity ard too to hi @ anybody else would ba el done under the | etreamstances A story told of araw recruit among the Venezuelan soldiers ; lutioniste are mostly raw reervit received the Wenal orders to challenge all passe: by by @eaying “Who goes there?” three timer. and who ebeved his orders so literally the first | that at footstep he ieard while on y Gian rive tree recenz" “Stop. Who goes there times?"") =nd fired his musket with- ut waiting for an answer. DESTNOTED BY AN EARTHQUAKE. Caracas stands upon the bed of a lake «aid to Rave been dried up and elevated by some early earthquake. ‘There is nothing Indian ab now except ite name, and no trace is lef: Proud and hardy race that the conquero: found in the beautiful valley. Bat everywhere | te traces of the earthquakes to Andean regions are pecu! the whole city was shaken down of 2,000 people we: led “Alt Thursday. when the entire population the charehes to tender hom- the mortality was greater than if the poople had ret) been thus massed together. A uumber of times then the town has been partially destroyed by terrimotes, and people live im commtans expecta thon of rimiler disaster, +0 that at the slightesy trembling of the earch or rattling of dishes on the shelves at any hour of the day or night they F that there is danger to be appreben are prone to wander of from that ef conversation to Kans blizzards and Minne- than by earthquekes in Vene- any other country, and that such great as bave devastated Chicago, bos- | Thougn | long in mere anticipation. the | | ton, Mitwaukes and other northern cities are | infinitely move to be dreaded. | ‘THE IN¥ OF THE AMBASSADORS. | You shoald see this Posada de los Embaje- | dores, “Inn of the Ambassadors,” as Caracas’ principal hotel is called becanse several foreign | ministers reside within it—where we are tem- | porarily domiciled: It is » ponderous, two- | story affur, evidently built with an eye to | earthquakes rather than to architectural effect, |and bas the usial paved portal from | a= the street to the central patio, in which a beat tiful little garden is protected by an iron rail- ing. Awning shaded balconies, into which all the rooms open, surround this patio, decorated with baskets of orchids and native trained over trellises. ‘The huge dining room is on the first floor directly opposite the main entrance, and that portfon of the balcony directly ‘above it, fronting the doors of the British legation above the main entrance, | bulges out into an open space whore the guests | (at least those of the male ‘persuasion’ take their after dinner coffee and cigarros and dis- | cuss the political situation (or guardedly do it minus the first syllable of the word if not in ympathy with the popular side) through clonds of tobaceo smoke. Here, as elsewhere Spanish-America, it is customary for even though accompanied by their hus- and ons, to iake their meals in the se- ion of their own apartments; and for ladies | | BEWIND THE MOUNTAINS OF CARACAS. mpanied by male relatives it is impera- Just why etiquette shoald compel females partake of cold food in stuffy bed rooms, while their lords and admirers lnxuriate in the | airy and well-appointed dining room nobody can say for a ce except that it is el com CULTURE OF OYSTERS. How They Are Reared by Hand in France for Market. LUSCIOUS BIVALVES. Elaborate Processes by Which They Are Pre- Pared to Tickle the Palate of the Connois- seur—Raising Seed Oysters and Greening— Prospects of Oyster Culture in This Country. HE ‘PROJECT TO cultivate oysters on @ large scale in the tidal rivers, bays and estu- aries of South Carolina, as well as in other At- lantic constal waters,hias led the United States fish commission to make a thorongh study of the methods adopted in France for the propa- gation and rearing of the luscious bivalves, Oyster culture in France is of comparatively recent origin. Halfacentury ago the natural oyster banks of thnt country’s coast were deemed inexhaustible, like those of the Chesa- peake, and were allowed to be dredged. The depletion brought about by such destructive fishing obliged the government to interfere for the protection of the few remaining oysters, and measures for restoring the supply were dis- cussed. In 1953 M. de Bon discovered that bits | of wood and stone might be profitably em- tambre, from which in thege countries there is no departing througl mturies. Certainly | hrongh fear of from the other | no men on tho of the earth are | y courteous, considerate and re. ial well-behaved women than This H Whose euisine is » ju of the French proprietors’ ideas to suit be the best on the here vonth of New Orleans, but ying that ite charms are en- ier the unaroiduble experience of dirt E mat La Guayra, CWEAP HACK MTR. re a number of other very good hotels hat the traveler has no dificulty x himself. Hackney coaches her South American cities, and @ car- who are shivering in various line of the trip reg to La iare being, I believe, about Paxste B. Warp. ages inz St: Written for The Ev A Sound That Thrills the Soul. weir mustcans use Orpnean hands of ski paonies of soand, tm dulcet-murmurs the soal awake; | trembling organ hess And roll a swelling anthem through the human White choirs of prima donnas chant sweet melo- Thi oat on rippling ether-waves from pole to pole;— Their most enchanting annoy Compared with childhood’s laugh, the happy laugh that thrilis ‘The sou! and dlls the heart with thoughts of love and joy ‘Tilt grieving Sorrow bathes her eyes in Rapture’s rilla, ains are discords that —Brnrox T. Dorie. —see. Purely a Bluff. From the Chiearo Daily Tribune. “Your musical taste, Miss Quickstep,” ob- werved the young professor, looking over the piles of sheet music that lay on the piano, highly creditable to you.” “Lam glad you think so, professor,” mur- mured the young woman. “I am sure of it,” he rejoined positively. “It is only the traincd musician, whose taste has been carefully cultivated, and whose ear is attuned to the diviner harmonies breathed forth from the souls of the great masters, that is capable of aking #0 unerring @ selection of parely classical music a8 this. “Schubert's Ser- enade.’”” he continued, looking the pile over again and reading the titles, ** ‘Rha groise No. 2,’ ‘Selections from Chopin—— Ido so love Shopang,” interrupted Miss Quick+tep, softly. “He is adorable. ‘Gems from Mendelssohn's Songs Witbout Words,’ ‘Beethoven's Symphony in A Minor,’ ‘Arias’ from Gluck’s Iphigen: riations from Vom Him- ou ever heard Jollbare is wonderful, wonderful!” m-—yes, in many things he is indeed ad- ble. Here, I wee, are some rare selections naido,’ from Hayan’s ‘Die Iahreszelten,’ “Gems from Graun,” ‘Beauties of Judas Maccabweus’— everything — classical— uurely classical! And yot I must not linger too You will favor me, Miss Quickstep, with something miral from Handel's * Tam su from “Ob, professor “L shail not presume to dictate your choice. Your own exqutisite taste, I am persuaded, will guide you frr betier in the seleetion of —" Professor, 1—I don’t play.” ai donot play! Do I understand you ht, Mine Quickstep?” eed youdo. I can't playanote. This isa lot of music I got xt the recommendation of a fri a” You astound me able collet You are right, professor, said Miss Quick- step, drumming carelessly on the table with her fingers. merely a bluff.” to Try. »."s Monthly. ‘arent (wishing to console his widowed No wonder you grieve for him Fond daughter my child: you will never find his equal.” Affticted One—“I doubt if 1—Ican, but Ill do my be oo Too Late. Prom Indew. ployed to grow young oysters upon, and this was the ,beginning of what has since grown to be an enormously profitable industry. Owing to unfavorable natural conditions, such as turbid waters and muddy bottoms, the French haye come to rely almost wiiolly npon artificial devices for growing oysters. ‘They have twoen distinct species, one of which is called thi oyster and ix native to the soil, as one might say. The other is the ‘“Portu- guese” 03 having been imported from Por- tugal ina very odd and economical manner. A cargo of 0} entirely epoiie the mouth of ¢ time the few 0; alive whe: @ great ers from Lisbon, being almost as thrown overboard near river Garonne. In course of ms in the cirgo which were thrown away multiplied and formed vater bank. Very little attention has been paid to the culture of this kind of oy Deenuse it is inferior in favor. Its shell is quits ec hly like a human foot, with notches resembling toes. Attempts have been made to introduce the American oys- ter inta France, but ihey have been unsuccess- fal, owing to the extreme saltness of the Frencia Gur oyster is a brackish-water species, occurring naturally in river mouths and sounds plentifuily supplied with fresh THE FRENCH FAVORIT ‘The “flat” oyster, whieh the French consider far superior to the American, is flat and round in #hape, the animal itself being much smaller than its shell, iut in color, with a brown or pinkish margin. [t possesses a piquant taste, with a slight metaliie or “coppery” flavor is said to have two sexes, whereas the Ame nd Portuguese species arc hermaphrodite, sessing both sexes in the same individnal. business of cultivation is div portant branches—the production of seed | oysters and the raisiug of the latter. It will be most interesting to consider the varions pro- cesses in their regular order. Thus it will be secn, to begin with, how the free- swimming young of the mollusk attach th selves to cemeni-coated tiles, and how subse- quently, when they have reached the size of a inger nail, the baby oysters are separated from | the tiles and sold to’ the grower, who raises | them for market. The latter arranges them in | wire gauze cases until they are large enough to be pretty wate from enemies. Ho then trans- fers them to inclosures called “parks,” which are fed daily by tidal water. Later on he may fatten them and give them a desirable color by sojourn ina shallow stagnant pond, and Ins of allhe may make them worth the highest price by a process of cleaning before ship- ment. In France, ever since De Bon showed how young oyster fry might be collected upou sticks And stonen, trial bas been made of all worts of methods for producing the greatest number of seed oysters at the least expense. Before going any further it must be understood that the new- born mollueks are swimming animals during the first few days after they have emerged from the shell of the mother oyster, resembling in no way the sedentary shellfish they subsequently become. After a short time they attach them- selves to whatever solid and stationary object may be most handy, and proceed to form shells and grow up. They cannot live on a muddy bottom, because they would be smothered, aud in fact it is the exceptional young oyster that is fortunate enough to secure a suitable place to grow upon, where, holding firmly to a secure anchorage, he may develop to adult age, open- ate ing his mouth to receive the microscopic food which each tide brings. Inasmuch as each breeding oyster produces an cnormous number of fry, the problem of cultivation has been sim. ply to provide the latter with hard objects to take hold upon. Such objects, placed in the neighborhood of natural bed, are called “‘collectors,” and for this purpose such devices have been employed as anchored bundles of brush, platforms of wood, suspended strings of shells, &c. The se- rious difficulty was always that the collectors would speedily become coated with slime or sediment, which would prevent the youn; oysters from attaching themselves or would stifle them subsequently. ON EARTHENWARE, TILES, The device which at length was found to be best for this purpose was a sort of roofing tile of earthenware, not flat, but curved like the sido of a flower pot. Such tiles are arranged in stacks alongehore near the line of low water, with the convex surfaces up. On these upper surfaces the sediment and slime gather, but the holiow under side of each tile forms a recess almost free from sediment, which becomes thickly incrusted with young oysters, called “spat.” Ordinarily a tile 14 inches long and 6 inches wide will afford accommodation in this way for at least 200 “seed” oysters. ‘The oys- tera, having attached themselves, are permitted to grow on the tiles until they’ have reached about an inch in diameter, when they are ready to be removed from the tiles and sold tothe person who rears them for market. Formerly it was customary to break the tiles up insuch a manner that each little bivalve should have attached to it small fragment of tile. However,a much better method than this has been found, the destruction of the tiles being too expensive. Before the tiles are set in the water they are coated with lime cement, which renders sible to remove the oysters very easily, thus leaving the tiles tu be used again and again. Early in the spring the grower of seed oysters dries his tiles thoronghly in, the sun, A vat of cement is then prepared with a mixture of lime and sea water, often with a proportion of sand and mud, and stirred to the consistency of a thick cream. The tiles are rapidly dipped im this fluid, allowed to drain off and set aside to dry again. ‘The crust ‘of cement thus formed is brittle, readily frém the tiles in flakes. The latter are set out in the water about the Istof July. ‘The time when they are set is of the utmost importance, in- asmuch as the tiles so quickly become slime covered. The greater part of the spawn- ing takes place quite suddenly, and the object in View ia to’set the tiles gy a before it will take place. Accor the culturist examines the oysters in the breeding | the water is seldom renewed, WASHINGTON, D.- ‘When the grower: them they are only as ie abe eases vee nas her most favorable conditions for development and fattening, must care for them and send them to a critical marset, fect in shell, | plump and delicate in flavor. work begins | when he receives the freight of millions of seed from Archacon or Auray. These are unpack carried down to the low-water line and in fint rearing cases of wire gauze. The cases are as important to the industry of culture as the tiles, for they prevent the oysters from being stided by mud, render growth regular and rapid, and above all them from their enemies—crabe, and star fishes. By this means the of oysters during the entire three years growth to marketable size may be reduced aslow as 10 t cent. The simple affair, being merely a large flat box, feet 4 feet wide and 6 inches deep. and bottom of stout wire gauze. tray isuupheld a few inches above the muddy bottom by four corner is. The cases are arranged below the water line, side by side in rows. In each case as many seed are put as it | will hold, the oysters being sometimes edgewise. Thus a case of the size described may contain 25,000 young oysters. Their rapid | growth renders it necessary to pick out | the biggest ones each fortnight and transfer | them to fresh cases. This labor is performed | at low tide by women, who at the same time sort out the dead shells. Along muddy river | banks their bare feet are shod with great square mud shoes. Being obliged to make use of muddy bottoms the culturist macadamizes the surface mud with sand and gravel. soas toform a crust, which eerves admiragly for his purpose. By this means miles of bay and river banks are constantly being brought into cultivation. FATTENING OYSTERS. ‘The most prized of the French oysters are those which come from Marennes. They are green or binish-green in color and have an ex- quisite flavor. ‘These qualities are obtained by transplanting the bivalves finally before send- ing them to market to artificial ponds, In that neighborhood are great areas of meadow and imarsh lands, and here have been formed, by means of turf-covered banks, rectangular pond basins. American oystermen would be surprised that oysters could be kept ve, much less grown or fattened, in such | small and mnddg salt ponds. ‘These are, never- theless, the so-called “‘claires,” famous for fat- tening the oysters and for giving them special favor and color. ‘The bottoms of the ponds are of the consistency of a plowed field. and the natural sedimont from the muddy water would destroy the oysters if the basins were not ar- ranged with a marginal ditch into which all sedimeyt shifts conveniently for removal. On the other hand, all conditions conspire to afford the richest feeding. Minute plant life is forced ing water, slightly freshened by surface drain- age. Of the vegetal organisms present by far the grenter number are diatoms—a race of microscopic plants which pos- * a curious power of navigating about apparently nt will, They are transparent, incased in a delicately fretted shell of glasa, and contain par- ticles of coloring matter. One kind plentiful at Marenni . though rare elsewhere, has a green pigment, which the oyster feeding upon it| Libre Parole crowd madearush for the prin- | ois- | cipal disturbers, upsetting and smashing seats | or, | and trampling down all antagonists in their | in stores awn: his pigment is suid by c sears to the mollusk an inimitable as if savored with mushroom or truffle. view to higher m: + studied how to give his oysters the greenest, color in the shortest time. Correctl tribut- ing the ion to the green diatoms, which he calls “moss,” and discovering that this moss develops most readily in muddy basins where he bas con- structed bis ponds in the swamp and salt meadow, drawing fresh supphes of water once a week from intersecting canals. Under favor- able conditions the oysters will green ina fort- night, With EDUCATING THE OYSTER. Before shipment to market two further pro- cesses are employed, giving the oysters an ad- ditional value to the epicure. The first cleans them inside and the second cleans them ont- side. Oysters which have fattened on a soft bottom usually show traces of black, un gested matter contained in the intestine. To get rid of this the bivalves, on being taken from the claires, are scattered over the bottoms of stone basins in clear water, where they are allowed to remain for aweek or 60. These basins are for several days allowed to fill and empty with the tides. This accustoms the oysters to being out of the water, and thus they are edu- eated for transportation, so that they hold their shells more tightly togetherand retain their fluids while on the way to market. Finally the shells are cleaned witha brush anda jetof water. Shells incrusted with plant life are scoured with a metal brush. Green oysters of the best grade cost at retail as high as 4 cents apiece. ‘The French have a very poor idea of Yankee oysters, just as Americans when traveling are wont to regard French oysters aa “coppery and colored with verdigris.”” The prospect of rais- ing oysters from seed in this country is con- sidered promising by the fish commission. It would be necessary to adopt the rearing-case method in order to make the business pro! able. The methods of oyster culture at pre practiced in Long Island sound and elsewhere slong the Atlantic coast are exceedingly crude. The oysterman buys his seed oysters by tho bushel and strews them over the bottom at a depth of two fathozas or more. In the course of time he rakes them up and finds that nearly allof them have been destroyed by crabs, snails and star fishes or by shiftings of sand and mud. Sometimes he loses his entire har vest. Each wire-gauze case, witich is an abso- lute protection against all of these dangers, costs only $3 to begin with and 50 cents a year for repairs. In quantity, by machine manu- facture, the cost might be reduced to $1.50, in- cluding tarring and labor of putting in posi- tion. Case culture would moreover render of value many tracts which are now useless solely on account of softness of bottom. SOUTH CAROLINA OYSTER BEDS, The entire coastal margin of South Carolina is welkprovided with natural beds of oysters, which appear in the shape of reefs skirting the shores of river mouths and estuaries. ‘These reefs are uncovered at every low tide, so that the bivalves live as much of their lives out of the water asin it. Often the ledges appear to the eye curiously like a hedge of frosted’ herbage, grayish green in color. A nearer view discloses branching clusters of clumps of oysters, densely packed together. ‘The individuals which cap the clusters project upward like fingers, alonder, narrow and long, shone shape Sas given this in te south 15 name of “raccoon paws.” Hence these natural grown oysters are termed “raccoon oysters.” Ages ago in South Carolina the oyster lived under conditions more favorable than those of today. Shell marls and fossils afford evidence that in ancient times there was a greater sup- ly of fresh water entering gravel-bottomed [he cedecteries, ‘fnoun are found the fossil sheils of myriads of oysters, small and thin shelled like the blue points, 'Theso were overwhelmed by black river ooze. and the few that survived adopted a new method of living, avoiding the mud by growing in clus- ters and by casting anchor along the firm shore line. Often they were obliged to create the very land on which to sur- vive, and having learned to live as much in air as in water, they are hardened to endure the cold of winter and the scorching heat of the wan. It is these raccoon oysters which are counted upon to afford seed for future cultiva- tion of the bivalves in the waters of South Cerolina. Raccoon oysters themselves are not very to eat, being tasteless and watery; but by transplantation to suitable beds beneath the low- water mark they are altered in every respect, Their long thin shells become rounded and heavy; the animal itself grows portly ‘and solid, and ihe meat acquires an excellent flavor. In- cidentally the oysters, being no longer obliged to gather in masses in order to keep above the suffocating mud, adopt the habit of living singly. There is no great difficulty involved in raking the “raccoons” from a convenient bed from time to time, looking for the gray spawn—the nurselings which the bivalves me shout to eject. TAKING UP THE YOUNG OYSTERS. ‘The “set” of spat on the tiles having been obtained, there is nothing further to do but to wait until the young oysters are big enongh to be safely separated from the tiles, By October they are as big or bigger than one’s thamb nail, and then the tiles are fished out of the water and floated tothe shore on lighters, Each cargo is precious to the proprictor, the tiles being worth $10 per 100 in statu quo. They are 4 in small heaps and the ‘oysters from each tile is adherent, accom- in the manner i 4 ledge and scattering them in water about a fathom in depth where the bottom is suitably firm. ‘They will do the rest. INVESTIGATIONS OF THE FISH COMMISSION. Success in oyster culture depends to a great extent upon the feeding conditions which the oysters can obtain. ‘The French have shown that oysters should be well fed, like fowls, if they are to be marketed profitably. It has been proved thata cultivated oyster may be- into luxusiant growth by warm and food-bear- | shell slightly open and with the dark-colored ins of its mantle it draws ina food bearing water current, from which it care- fally screens out the minute food particles. of cone-bearing trees is common; found in the stomachs of the South Carolina oysters, ‘The oyster erab as a messmate of the bivalve has been a subject of comment from prehistoric ue! atuett a refage mall tees agortia igs "shall a refage and ‘ves upon of the oyster's food. Pliny quaintly spenke of it as 4 discreet , Who, in return for safe quarters, pinches the oyster whenever there is danger, warning it to close ite shell. Plutarch states that these is a part- ership between the crab and the oyster, the crab contributing eyesight and the oyster the entrapping shell. Prof. Ryder says that thé erabs are found in as mary as 5 per cent of the oysters opened. Never more than one is found in a single mollusk. ‘The crab m usnally found ensconsced snugly between the oyster’s palps, where food organisms are constantly collect ing, so that it readily helps iteelf toa selfish share of the incoming food. - os MORES CAUSES A RUMPUS. The Marquis’ Anti-Semitic Speech Throws a Meeting Into a: proar. The great anti-Semitic meeting was held at the Tivoli-Vauxhall, Paris, last evening, under the supervision of the Libre Parole group. The hall was packed and the first. two speakers were received apparently with enthusiastic ap- proval. ‘The principal speaker of the evening was the Marquis de Morse, who took the plat- form at 9:30 o'clock. He began his address with a general onslaught on the Hebrews as the corrupters of French honesty and the haters of French honor. Atremendous uproar greeted theso asser- tions, and about fifty men started forward to dispute with the marquis his place on the plat- form. At the steps of the platform they met some thirty partisans of the Libre Parole group, who showed fight. Police Commissi Veron’ announced that uniewa the dis ceased he myst dissolve tho meeting, and a short lull followed. The Marquis de Mores expounded at some ngth his ideas on socialism and strikes, and He: | then suddenly returned to the eubject of the | | Hebrews, with the declaration that were it not | for them’ and other capitalists like them the social question would ved easily. ‘The Hebrews, he «nid, had brought about the te of affairs which was culminating in the Panama sandal. They rejoiced in euch ruin of French reputations, ero: AND HISSES, and hissing as the Marquis de Mores reached | this climax. The rest of the audience cheered or shouted for order, so that the speaker might proceed The marquis, whose voice had been partially inaudible for ceveral minutes before the out- break, conid not be heard by those almost arm's length, although he continued [talking and gesticulating. Eventually the | way. Commissary Veron then called in two ket price the culturist | bodies of policemen, each 100 strong, and | wit! | cleared the hull, Many were removed unconscious from the hall, and numerous arrests were made. Serious clopments were averted only by the moder- ation of the police. Sos DEMOCRATIC SUCCESS ASSURED, ‘The Republicans Give Up the Fight for Senator Sanders. Both houses of the Montana legislature have adjourned until Monday, The most important business done yesterday was the appointment of n committee on elections by the house to consider the contest of the seat from Choteau county. This committee consists of two repnb- licans, two democrats and Beecher, who is chairman, has heretofore acted with the democrats. ‘The democratic and populist members have came to an understanding. Hamilton, the democrat, will be sented not later than next Wednesday. The democrats will thus have thirty-six members, juat a majority of the whole legisiature without the aid of the populists, The reputlicans have given up the fight upon Senator and will content themselves with com- plimenting Sanders with their votes. ‘The democratic contest for Sanders’ seat is becoming bitter. Marcus Daly's action in opening Dixon headquarters is believed to be a .d to throw votes to Daly at the proper mo- ment. A count of noses indicates that Houser will have 15 votes in the eaucus, Clarke 12 and Dixon 19. who are not counted in this estimate, are said to be ready to vote for Dixon if the ‘contest comes up in open joint ballot. 200 The Reading Secures a Big Loan. It ia announced that the Philadelphia and Rending railfoad had about concluded nego- tiations with a syndicate formed by Messrs. Sheyer & Co. of New York city, by which it will receive between 25,500,000 and $6,000,000. ‘This will suffice to pay tho interest on the Reading’s three sets of preference bonds and have a surplus to be applied to its floating debt. ‘One-half of the amount is to be in the form of a one-year loan, and the syndicate is to pur- chase enough bonds from the company to make up the difference. The loan and purchase is made by the syndicate, which is composed of both New York and foreign houses, The col- lateral is understood to be the company’: lateral trust bonds and, with the loan, is an option to purchase the bonds at 9214. This settles the question of the payment of the interest on the Reading’s preference bonds, Se SRE ee Their Feet in It. From the Detroit Free Press. ‘Never be the first one ata party if you can help it. A couple of young ladies, who were ap- parently the first to arrive at a ball given at a country house, found the dressing room nnoc- cupied, except by « young girl who was sitting by the open fire. “Help me off with my wraps,” said one of the young ladies, and the girl did as she was bid. “Now unbutton my shoes and put my slip- pore on,” she continued, holding out her foot. jen she said to her friend: “It's your turn next. Oh, do you suppose Senator H— and his daughter will be here? T'm just dying to see her. They say she is tho tch out. I do wonder what she'll wear. “Oh, she'll look like a fright,” said her friend; “debutantes always do. You know she is just out and ix doing the girlie-giriie act. Td rather know the papa, Ho hasn mint of money and isa widower into the bargain. your slippers and gloves are on she can do mine.” mated, “but I must go now, but I will see that uu will have a dressing sft alone. “Good gracious! Who do you suppose she h, some visitor in the house—nobody of any juence;” then, as a servant enteréd, “Who was that pervon who just loft the room?” ‘ daughter,” was the “Senator H—" “Rion ee ie aa ny : a imagined. = All a Misunderstanding. As the coupe ran skimmingly westward Jackson boulevard the flickering street lights revealed and concealed her face. The light and shadows enhanced her beauty, for he had never seen her so entrancing before. Up the broad steps into her home. burned iow. Her # ? est P ie He looked “EF it : £ i iat oe at i a fl i Hi RE 4 il i & : E a é t 33 i i i fre tHE | About three hundred persons rose groaning | one populist, | “Exeuse me, Indies,” said the “she” inti- | developing and bi maid,” and they were | the b bo | insects, nearly over | bozes filled with earth. in | BRED UNDER GLASS. Obnoxious Insects Hatched and Reared by the Government. THE DISPLAY AT THE FAIR. A Conservatory Built for the Purpose—Both- ersome Beetlen and Flies Terned Out by the Quantity—Stuaying Their Life His- tories, oe HE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture has re- cently erected a build- ing for the breeding and rearing of in- secta. Attached to it ism large glass con- servatory, which serves asa sort of hot house for tae propagation of bugs of ever so many species. ‘Those selected for hatching out and bringing up are such as are of economic importance: that isto say, which are injurious or beneficial to neefal | Plants. Like other animals they require plenty of light and the air is kept warm and moist all through the winter for the benefit of their health. Along shelves in the conservatory are ranged a great number of glass receptacles of different sizes. Some of them are ordinary jelly glasses, while others are large jars,and yet others are tubes open at one end only and corked tightly with plugs of cotton. Each of these contains | though just now most of them are torpil | ing the winter in the chrysalia. For example, in one jar are two or throe sunflower heads which were infested by the larve of a beetle. | The littio worms have buried themselves in the pass spring they will emerge as perfect beeties, ready to lay their eggs in fresh sunflowers, By thus confining an insect where it can be watched its life history may be studied at leisure. All its transformations may be noted, the breeding being carried on with many species for generation after generation. Ina small jar half full of beens there are hundreds of bean-eating bugs, which will continue to re produce their kind so long as the food supp holds out. A similar receptacle contains sev- era’ immature grasehoppers buried in earth, | which have been there six years. They will jnot come out as fect locusts for eleven years more, becanse they are jof the” seventeen-vear variety. B | ho vantageously. Most of the jars are covered fh inuslin gauze, so as to admit the air, while | othors are closed glass tops to retain | moisture. SOMP. CUKIOTS SPECIMENS, In one jelly glass filled with little flies is an Irish potato riddled with holes by the maggot- like larve of the flies. A jar contains a few twigs infested with 1 worms, which will come out after a while as beetles, In another full of sand are eome yucca They have been abandoned receptacle ha 3 ods lying ab the sand, where they will undergo n_ trans- formation.emerging next spring at theblossom- ing time of the yucca in the shape of white moths. Yet another vessel holds half a dozen | huge oak galls, three inches in diameter. They | are tumor-like excrescences caused by small | gnat-like insects which sting the stem of the | plant in hundreds of placea close together, depositing an egg in each wound. Tina irri- tated the tree forms over the injured part an the offspring of the gall bug until they are ready to go out into the world and lay more eggs. perhaps on the stem which fostered them. Some galls are woolly and others are of bril- medicinal uses. Every day all the glass receptacles are exam- ined, Newly hatched insects, when wanted, are removed and killed, after which they are stack on pins in boxes, arranged according to es as books are’ arranged in a library. ‘The boxes, shaped like hollow books and open- ing in the same way, are stmilarly placed in rows on shelves, the back of each one labeled. A catalogue serves as an index to the entire collection, every individual bug having a num- ber. Up ‘to date only asmall fraction of the insects in the world have been named and clas- sified, it being estimated that not less than 10,090,000 apecies exist. In one jar are a few piecos of bark honer- combed by woodborers. In this case sawdust instead of sand is provided for the larvm to bury themselves in, preliminarily to coming out as flies, A jolly glass contains little wheat flour, together with some beetles of a kind that devours stored grain and flour. These latter are readily bred and can be watched throughout their development from the egg to the larval form and from the latter to the beetle. In like manner wheat moths are propagated in a vessel with kernels of wheat, and “Joint worms” are observed in the act of feeding upon stems of the wheat plant. Root-attacking bugs are propagated very simply in earth in pote, to- gether with the growing plants whose roots they feed upon. ‘To prevent them from escap- ing when they come out of the ground glass jars aro inverted over plants and pots. ‘An important feature of this work is the study of parasites of the insects themselves, There is hardly any kind of bug which is not reyed upon by one or more other species. As Br Johnson remarks: “Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite ‘em; While they in turn have lesser ones, and so_ad infinitum.” SAVING OF CROPS BY THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED. So it is with other insects, and the best way to exterminate a pestiferous bug is often to introduce a hostile species to tho region where the damage is being done. In this manner the Department of Agriculture has saved the orange-growing industry of California from being destroyed by the fluted scale insect by importing from Australia the lndy-bird bug, which preys upon the scale. The operations of such parasites are watched in the same jars with the inseots fed upon, and thus knowledge is obtained of their habits which is likely to be most useful. In one jar are several chinch bugs, together with some of the fungus which attacks them as a destructive disease. This vegetable parasite ia being extensively utilized in bags affected with it being scattered broadcast to spread contagion among their kind. In other receptacles are combs of bumble bees and wasps, which are being kept for the purpose of insect ites that have attacked the larve in the Of course, umblebee is an aminal of economic im- insects of some kind in process of development, | sand with which the vessel is half filled and next | rtain grubs, which have buried themselves | odd-looking growth, which serves to protect | Kant colors. They have mnany commercial and | one of them is being attacked by some sort of ‘bug. Here experiments are made with insecti- TRE COLUMBIAN EXHINIT. The damage done to useful plants by insects ie to be exhibited at the Columbian exposition inavery picturesque fashion. The burean of entomology bas prepared for this purpose a series of illustrative models, showing varions bugs in the act of attacking vegetal growths. counterfeit nature so artfully that it | is bard to realize that both insects and plants | sre not living. For example, one of them | represents a potato plant swarming with po- tato bugs, some in the larval stage and others full-grown striped beetles. On one of the jleaves = big green tiger beetle is seen ppronching a potato bng and on the point of devouring him. Ou another bran ® queer-looking brown insect has thrust proboscis into a larval potato bug and i ing itelife ont. In @ ve the plant | hovers @ fierce sol to pounce upon a potato bug. as ine, are the most active destroyers of the potato- eating pest. imilar modelx will show the tomato worm attacking the tomate plant, leaf-rolf pillars on a grapevine. cotton w the cotton plant the orange tree, high, representing a hill of star | corn that will never ripen satisfactorily, since | every part of it is being preyed on. The ears are infested by the boll worm, chinchbugs ate assailing the stalks and grasshoppers arg cating the leaves. The entomological exhibit will also include an assemblage of real insects of «pe which are injurious to agriculture, moun’ in cases series, 60 an to sh | transformations and the parasites whi | them. Actual specimens of fruits, foliage. &c., | destroyed by them will be on view likewise. | Incidentally collection of spide this country, which have no econom | tance, will be displayed, i i the giant | arachnids of New Mexico and Texas that catch | birds and sometimes fishes. Uncle Jerry Rusk’s idea is t | the Department of Agricultur | turesque, so as to interest th fanggestion a number of m resenting beasts of cconomi been prepared—such as a coy | sheep, a mink killing a ém | Held ‘mice, a wideat with gr ‘cons on a stip, prairie 0 there will be a ain goat, which | rapidly appre seven great ca and birds which These predacis the exhibit of » killing @ skunk killi A i Mo: mammals neficial to agrics re. Ly mammal- | ORY and crnithol show a model of the Death valley region, which |was recently explored by | ment, aa well as a reproducti ture of a mour: the wor n slope in th zones of animal on it as th from a eemi-tropical co tie cli: mate, where the fauna and flora are such as be- long to the frozen north. A FOREST SCENE 3 SINIAT One of the m exhibit will be a fo ¥ will be represe growing. hundred species will be shown, all of quisitely counterfeited, the poisonous being grouped separately from those w edible, it is desired to ¢ the and people generally respecting th murhrooms ax an agricultural pro dentally, this work of art wil! il the causes of forest decay, whi assisted by the destructive ageucy of fungi. ‘The bureau of animal industry will co: 8 eeries of in’ ing models, o7 if whi be a reproduction on a small scale of the Kansas City stock yords, showing the methods of quar- aniining and inspecting catde as a precauti against Texas fever. Another will illustrate th tugging of export cattleat Chicago, Two women will be actually seen engaged in inspection of pork for trichine. Only 2 per cent of the hogs murketed in this country are thos exam- ined, being intended for export to Europe. In the United States pork is not eaten half raw, as it is over there, and thorough cou ing is the only precantion needed. Models | of trichine and other animal parasites many | times magnified, and likewise bacterial ger | of disease, will be displayed. There will also jabnge globe showing the distribution of Jeuro-pneumonia and other complaints which attack domesticated beasts all over the world. ‘The weather bureau, which is now under ¢ Department of Agriculture, will Lave sepa: rate building. which will be regularly equipped asan observing station, with all the meteoro- logical instramente, &c.’ in it will be set up a complete reproduction of the forecasting sys- tem in use at Washington, Local forecasts will be made every evening by the officers in charge just as they are made here, from the reading of the cipher ing weather conditions of the country to the tiem ex- kinds vain parasitic various of in printing parts the lithographic weather maps, which will bo given away to the public on the spot. each maj ‘On the back of Will be printed a description of the yy which predictions are turned out. tures on meteorology will be delivered daily, assisted by the stercopticon. THE MOST COMPLETE EXMIEIT OF PRODUCTS. The show will include the biggest and most complete exhibit of products of the soil ever got together. ‘The tobacco-raising industry will be illustrated by samples of leaf tobacco of every kind grown in the United States, as well as by models of barns and implements used in to- bacco culture. There will be 3,000 samples of grains, mostly displayed in small boxes under glass, while some standard varieties will be mounted in the straw upon boards, Also there will be 1,000 sampies of American wool and 1,000 samples of cotton, every cotton-growing county being represented. The division of pomology will show 2,000 models of fruits, ns well as a collection of nuts improved by cultiva~ tion. The botanical divisio& will contribute an ex- hibit of the forage grasses and medicinal plants of this country, together with an herbariam containing 8,000 American economic plants and illustrating the manner in which specimens are rved for scientific pr The division of forestry will show several hundred samples of woods valuable for lumber; also models il- lnstrating the methods by which tan bark, tur- pentine and wood pulp are obtained. The dif- ferent kinds of woods will be displayed most turesquely, a specimen in the rough, another serneeigent of trait and foliage and a map showing the geographical distribution of the tree being in each case inclosed together | in a frame made of the bark of the| tree. The chemical division will have | & laboratory in operation, with ex- iments going on for analyzing foods. for voring tobacco by inoculating inferior leaves | with bacteria from the Cuban product, &p. | ‘The division of vegetable pathology will show Ras models and pictures of diseased plants In the open air will be ethibited an assemblage of growing economic plants. If possible it is intended to include among these some of desert piants of the west, such as cacti and the agave, which are found useful in regions where they are native to the soil. telegrams announe- | | proposed to begin early in the Uclor a ctene chase whieh treme tie BISHOP MALLALIEU IN CHING. AU. 8. Consul’s Description of His Herep- ton at Foochow. United States Consul Gracey, at Foochow, China, writes of the episcopal visit of Bishop Malialieu Inst November to the Methodist con- ferences in the orient as follows: lefore entering upon the daties of the Foo chow conference Bishop Mallaiien made « visit of a few days to outlying stations, accompanied by Rev. Dr Sites, who acted as his interpreter there, c# wellas throughout the conference ta thie city “As they neared the city of Hing-Hwe about alf way between Foochow and Amor —« large aber of native Christians came owt to meet him and escort him into their city with Chinese bands of muric, flags and banners and the fire ing of firecrackers, while thonsnds of people fon the streets witnesen| bis triumpbal-tike en- trance as he pr 1 to the church and heme the resident missionary. The charches were paded to overtowing with Chretians and at every bed. or made publte ad- seven thraes on thie A sew persona, re childre Pooehow by way of Heh- Chang. from which place a Iatge company came them, bringing an immense bige chair with foor bearers for the de. The Chinese presiding elder om wek and a band o including thetr royal weleome to Hob-Chang bast P preac (On arriving back at Foochow, ® o'slock in soning, he wae met at the pier by mative achers and colle jents, who formed @ mon with bar d torches te escort in an » the home of rtained during \t | line along the street. nm his vedan chat amd, witha Dr sia Sek Ong on vd down between the tines, tof the Diazing torches « in their vernacular ® sich the biehep comld the words, until into the restful home A womeg « Mallaiies i nowen route to the and will shortly reach New Tork. L Sites is well known to the ebarehes “city, being formerly a meaber of the Mr rch aod went from bere *a mosionary to China, a . two years ag. MULEERE a A coop FRUIT | The Malberry Crars of Long Ago—low the Berrica Are Grows. nitaral ata’ at Cornell University: vtheenltare of mulberries, in charge declare to bea The agri has been going t which the expe neglected frnit. If the growing of trees of this kind were taken up a very delictons orchard product might be added to the namber of euch juxuries available forthe table. It afforésen excellent desert, whether served an natarel or in varions other ways, and ite eniture fe very enay, the pre period of two to to’ With the failw n this co mull Many people now Hiving remember of the thirties This # maultioaulia” ef by cry. brought to As raltinulis craze » variet which sik worms are raised in China. fame of it «preed rapidly, and there aro-ca fever of speculation such ao has never been known in any other horticultgral venture in th ty. It was almost as bad as the fume: « tulip frenzy in Europe, The wed reads like fletion, Many all other basiness that they 1 of wha ght grow r : they renhzed enormous tits, The seeret of the Chinese silk bad been discovered. it was imagined Every availal acre from New Engl to the gulf must be covered with the marvelous herb- eof this plant,and men must train their hands to the breeding of the worms end the spinning of silken threada, One nurseryman, who is still living, went to of the West Indies that he might grow thousands of the trees during the w great was the haste for plants, | over the country were cager to secure trees et | aay price, ‘Then came the reaction, The mar- | Ket was supplied and soon overstocked. A die- j ease appeared. The winters of New By | Were too severe, One man near Hartford test | nearly 10,000 trees from cold. Men lost thelr ft In 1839 the bubble burst. One maa b clphia eold 250,000 trees at one ane that vear, realizing 24 conte na, of trees never ground i So the silk worm mulberry passed the autumn ¢ . and the present generation knows nothing of it, urseryman grows it, ‘The last «pectmen im past, Ko far as any one knows, was ent down | nearly ten years ago. It stood on the old battle ground at Germantown, Only one tangible re- | sult of this great contagion remains. Charles Downing. whore name will long remain « bouss- hold word among thowe who love gardens, pre- duced by grafting the mulberry which still bears his name. Anybody who wishes ean procure mal scions by applying to the Cornell station. The tree when mature is as big ae an tree. The fruit falis as soon as it is ripe, In Purope cress is sometimes sown under the trees late spring to afford « temporary carpet te catch the fruit, The tree is grown for fruit, ornament, hedges and daall timber, as well as for silk. “The mulberries be used for making jellies and preserves, y are good also for poultry and for piga. snitlinglibts A Church Site Secured, A deed was recorded yesterday conveying te Edward M. Douglass, Henry A. Cady, Mi. Matthews and G. M. Davis, trustees, lote 4, 5, 6, 7,8 and 9, in block 12, of Grammer's dition to Takoma Park, as « site Episcopal Church. Part of this ed to the church as a memorial gift th Thornton of Port Royal, S. Thornton and Mra, R The other part was sold ‘The transaction secures to pal Church what is considered one of church sites in the District of Colum! Jand comprises the west half of the fronting west on 7th street, north avenue and south on Vermilion in all about 11-17 crea, It is balf squares west of the one square north of the electric f ri urd fsettldt f i i Ly 2 situation of the land will command this whole section of country. ——— . inasmuch as it does a great deal of usefal work in the fertilizing of plants, Without ‘its aid in this way there would be no red clover. For the study of insects which attack water gventually, taki familiar € is the dragon iy, looking are aleo open i i 2 E Title jop. ealthily is iif ; j | i Fa i it F z i 8 6. fi i H Hi H i i if if f is i eels fat ia E, a t in { ie E i g Hf a Li if A ul i i anil [ i i | B 8