Evening Star Newspaper, September 2, 1893, Page 12

THE NATIONAL PIKE. A Wheeling Trip From Cumberland to Pittsburg. SKETCHES BY THE RIDER. The Remains of a Once Famous Highway. NOTES BY THE WAY. Written for The Frentng Star. ORNING DAWNED brightly and urged me along the streets of Cumberland into the country on my way to Pittsburg, when I had to do a Uttle scorching to get the kinxs out of my muscles. I was soon on the old national pike and riding along the rus- ty, pyramidal tron =~ mile posts, standing — like so many tomb- long, dead roadway, telling from Cumberland to Wheeling. is not the road it was years ago, four-horse stage coaches und the Conestoga wagons claimed the before the time of railroads. it was kept in order, men were em- for that express purpose and used and t about roadmaking. 4m only fair condition now, at places repair. But it is fast going to ruin. Where a few dollars would “sand- hundred will hardly do the re- years hence. leading across the Alleghantes t its zenith, bustling with when the iron monsters Hd BH H i A Farmer's Hoy. was kept fairly alive with people. Bsarcoly any hour of the day was tt with it a drove of animals or a lumbering coach, or @ covered emigrant wagon. @ string of Conestogas, which were ured convey goods across country from tl boats at Cumberland to the Ohio at Wheeling. vine-covered, octagonal _toll- standing along’ this interesting could tell many tales of gladness sadness could they but speak. Aid relay stables, where tired horses were Felieved with a fresher four, couid do the @ame, no doubt. ‘The stone walls of the latter and those of the blacksmith shop hard by are now and deserted, the rains and snows of so many summers and winters having their strong oak timbers. The windows of the eight stalls remain, how- ever, and also the chimneys, which ‘ell of ‘forges there yet. It is interesting to clamber over these ruins and indulge in day dreams of the time when the mail coaches went a-rum- bing over the noisy road. from the cities of the east to the Indian-infested region west of the Ohio. Few trips more than from one town to another, and still fewer of a greater d: tance are now made. The whole distanc: is seldom traveled. except by wheelmen and tramps. The latter are more frequently with, and go along with the nomadic and gypsies and organ and fortune tellers. Up the Mountain. ‘The road leads up a continuous incline to ‘Frostburg. and at that place one can get on the switchback and coast clear to Cumber- berland; but as soon as one leaves this lit- tle mountain town the grade increases and majestic old Sauvage mountain lifts his EB sg E | § i bit i the pleasanter, broader valley below. It made a delightful picture in the dusk. the tavern I slept in that night is a relle of stage-coaching ys. Commodious ani | massive describes it! Built of stone, with | walls two feet thick, it 1s a most comfort- able and lasting habitation. And, although built three-quarters of a century ago, it is as solid now as when put together. The landlord {s as old as the tavern and is just brimming over with reminiscences of the old stage road. I reluctantly left this place, but in the morning was up with the larks, climbing the mountains toward Uniontown. The morning’s jaunt led through some very wild stretches of country and I met no one along the road, except a band of Mexican gipsies. A Band of Gipsies. ‘They were coming down the mountain side, with their old dilapidated wagons groaning and creaking at every turn. Wo- fortune tellers, dressed in all manner of brilliant colors, plodded along over the stony road with bare feet. On their heads they wore white scarfs, thrown back to reveal their coarse, jet black hair and grim, dark faces. They jabbered away in Span- ish, sending words to urge on the spavined, bony horses they were driving and to ad- monish their lazy husbands,who were riding fn the vehicle, with cob pipes between ‘ ths. iteo th siong | behind, the wagons like veterans, and a thin girl sal astride of @ little long eared mule, with a monkey crouching in front of her. Several children, dressed in single garments, loiter. ed behind, gathering flowers woods, One of them, a bright, chubby little fellow of five, who could, unlike any of the rest, talk English, came running to where I stood sketching the disappearing train and breathlessly asked to know what Twas doing. Before I could show him his bright eyes glistened with excitement, and he asked: “Mister, is any naa in the hill; man him say one is buried where I pulled my flowers.” He thought my wheel was a nice wagon. With a smile and a good-bye he scampered off down the grade, giriking his hips with hands to imitate & horse's r When I reached the summit where the wild thickets lined the roadway and ex- fended unfenced over the rugged, untamed mountains, a bushy-tailed red fox came out of the underbrush and trotted along be- tore me for some distance. ‘Then I heard a low, proionged bellowing behind me, and when'I looked around saw @ bull come out of the bushes and com- Mence to paw up the dirt and dust, and shaggy with a shake of his head started after me. The grade descends very ra tight en idly there and was no wider than the room by two wagons; while on the left—an un- handy side for'a wheelman—was a steep embankment. The old fellow meant business and was coming for all he was worth. I dared not look around, but I got in a flatter omer and held the wheel in the road, ting to Providence for the rest. I had more to fear from the rapidity of the descent than from the bull, for at the rate I was going, had I left the road, I should have ‘buried in the sand in the creek head first up to my heels. * I had no time to speculate on the proba- bility of @ turn in the road or of Its being blocked with a team; but there was no turn. 2, and whirled around death-like grip, angle within a foot of the edge. I glanced behind me for the first time since the race started, just in time to see wahela River. the enraged bull half around the turn, then plough two great furrows in the roadside End “go Readiong. rolling over and over through the bushes down the embankment. It was enough to excite laughter, but I didn’t laugh. Before reaching Uniontown I could the black clouds in the west formit for astorm. I was in sight of the city and had sed along. An old colored man, all unmindful of its approach, went tottering along under a load of bean poles he had cut in the moun- tains before me, with his hat swinging. in his hand and the two bunches of white kinks over his ears abobbing to his feeble steps, toward the sky before him, as if to! ‘any further Ss. ‘This lofty height no doubt presents a splendid view of the surrounding mountain- ous country, but I could not see it. I was ‘wheeling among the clouds and It was op- Dreciably colder. . ‘As I approached the summit I was star- led as if by un apparition. A strange fig- ure stood in the road. When I got close enough I saw it was but_a mortal. He said he was Zeb. Why, Zeb Cutler, of course. Had walked from Sudville since 8 o'clock, begosh! was going to make it to Grantville before noon “ur spill sump- thin."* He looked it. He wore his whisk- ers on his neck from his chin to his miss- ing collar button. rantville is « funny, tired kind af place, where one could just loll around and whittle Store boxes and smoke stosies. Just im Time. A native near the next town stopped me nd wanted to know the answer to the fame question everyone asked: How far I come that day and where I was going. A Wreath of vile stogy smoke struck me in the face when the surprise in the an- gwer opened his jaws. en he stooped down to look at the tire and wanted to know if the “wind” would come out if he Grove a nail in it. A Picturesque Little Hamlet. ‘That evening I put up at Summerfield, @ picturesque little hamlet on the bank of the rippling Youghiogheny. After an ex- eellent supper, as the country folk only know how to cook, I strolled along the aver bank to enjoy the landscape. I stood near the rippling water and the Alleghentes raised their heights of green above to the sky. Up the valley could the river. reflecting the sunset fhe"woods and sncadiow fan's til 1 Qgainst the arches of the stone brides and @regt under to continue the wandering in out among | while he hummed and sang tn that musical, long-drawn tone peculiar to darkies: “Brer squ'r'l, he run up de scaly-bark tree, An’ say: ‘Br’er Rabbit, doan’ yo’ wush yo" wus me? | Br’er Rabbit, he hide in de hen-nes’ grass, For he see dat squ’r'l dorg comin’ long fas’: | An’ he say: “Breer Squ’r'l, I wouldn't be ¥ j ‘Cause I'se "feerd you'l swim in de Sunday stew.""" I listened and kept back awhile, but the storm was moving more rapidly than I ex- pected, and I had to hurry. T shouted to attract the old man’s atten- So as not to frighten him, but he didn’t hear, and when I whizzed past him he gave one loud ejaculation, “Oh-0-0-0 L-a-w-d," and sent his sticks flying through the air.’ He stood with quaking knees, try- ing, to realize what had happened; then he he burst out with a hearty laugh. After dinner in town I was in the country again, with a number of tramps for com- panions. ‘They were a tough set of people, but I enjoyed a chat with them. One with a flaming-red nose said in a tone that imme- Giately excited our suspicion that he was hunting work. Another, a dusky son of Italy, wanted to know how far I had come. I told him. With a look full of disgust he turned his back on me. and his hob-nailed shoes commenced beating a tattoo on the hard pike. Two of his brothers, wearing Tings in their ears and a grind organ and a monkey on their backs, stopped and sald they would “play al music and mek-a da monk do-a da dance for 3 cent-a.” At Brownsville. A coast of over two miles on a splendid macadam nearly burned the soles of my shoes as I held brake going down Laurel hill into Brownsville. The friction was so | great that I had to stop twice and dip my | shoes in the springs. That quaint town ex- tends up and down the Monongahela for two miles or more; it extends some distance; ck, too, but the houses are’ built }@gainst a mountain and are one above the other. I stayed long enough for the even- | ing meal, then rode over the long, covered bridge to the high bluffs (on my way to | Centerville), where I could get a good view of the town and the river, with its boats puffing away, back of several acres of coal barges. That evening I rested in the quiet little | village of Centerville, and next day said ood-bye to the national pike at Little Washington and wheeled north to Pitts- burg. A.J. K. Do Nor Weak impermeable and tight-fitting hats that constrict the blood vessels of the acal Use Hiail's Hair Kenewer occasionally and you wil ot be bald. THE EVENING STAR: WASHINGTON, D ©. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2. 1893—SIXTEEN PAGES, \ TREASURE INTRANSIT How Silver and Gold Are Shipped From Point to Point. SINGLE SHIPMENTS CF MILLIONS Precautions Taken in Handling Large Amounts. COST OF TRANSPORTATION. HEN THE FINAN- cial stringency be- gan to be seriously felt the receipts of the express company which handles the kovernment’s treas- ure in transit fell off rapidly. Now the business has picked up a little, because the Treasury Depart- ment is hurrying out national bank notes to be put into circu- lation so as to re- leve as much as Possible the scarcity of small bills. This national bank currency {s “incomplete” when it leaves the Treas- ury Department, for it lacks the sign: tures of the president and cashier of the bank which is to issue it. Nevertheless it is classed with the completed ‘currency is- sued by the government, and if the ex- Press company should lose any of it in transit it would have to loss, Just as though It haa lost cote cr sii. ver certificates. The banks pay the same rate for the shipment of this currency a8 they would for national bank notes. As customers of Uncle Sam, though, they pay ® small rate for handling the money. In some cases it is less than one-fifth of the rate which a private customer of the ex- Press company; would pay. ‘The contract for handling the money shipped by the government east of Utah is held by the Unite! Express Company. E. T. Platt, who is a son of ex-Senator Platt Money ia Transit. of New York, (the president of the com- pany) is in charge of the company’s gov- ernment service. He has had charge of it ever since the United States Company took the contract away from the Adams Express Company more than four years ago. The Adams Company received 2% cents a $1,000, while the United States Com- pany receives only 15 cents a $1,000 in most of the territory which it covers. This rate is for currency. That is what the Treasury Department ships in the great- est quantity. The rate for silver and gold ts much higher. ‘ Two Cases of Robbery. For this 15 cents the express company guarantees the safe delivery of the $1,000 at the point of destination. “Of course, on @ single shipment of $1,000 we would lose money,” said Mr. Platt, talking about the government service a few days ago. “Even in handling large quantities of money there ig so small a margin of profit that a sin- gle big robbery would wipe out all that we could make under our contract in years. Up to this time we have lost only $8,000. Part of this went in a robbery of a part of the contents of two packages out west and the remainder in the robbery of a sack not far from Washington. In both cases the work of the robber was so care- fully concealed that the packages were ac- cepted by the Treasury Department, which gave us a clean receipt for them in each case. Of course we made good the loss when the packages were opened and the money was missed. In one case the thief had broken the seal on the bag which con- tained the package of money and had then raised the seals on the package within. ‘The seals on the package he had replaced with mucilage and the express compariy’s seal on the bag he had imitated with a duplicate seal which had been made for him in Baltimore. A messenger was in- dicted and tried for this theft, but his con- viction depended on {dentification by the man who made the bogus seal, and this’ man would not swear to his identity pos- itively. The bogus seal was not put on very cleverly and we suspected fraud when the package arrived. So the seal was not broken, but the bag was slit and the pack- age taken out. If we had been able to identify the man who had the bogus seal made, we would have had the plain evi- dence of the wax impression against him. No, it is not customary to open our express bags with a knife, but it is not uncommon. If there is anything at all suspicious about the appearance of a package, it is always cut open so that the seals may be preserv- ed intact. They may be valuable evidence in @ trial, Sometimes it happens that one of our agents seals a package carelessly. Only this morning we handled a bag which had been imperfectly sealed. The cord with ‘which it was fastened had not been sewed through the cloth. We slipped the cord up and opened the bag without break- ing the seal. One of our old employes would not have made that mistake, But there 1s a good deal of education in our business and a man cannot learn his les- son in a day. In a very short time we will put into use a new bag with which we have been experimenting for more than a year. It is a seamless bag, fastened by a padlock which has a straight post instead of a ring at the top. This fits Into an oval hole in the ring which holds the neck of the bag together. The padlock turns in this hole and locks across {t. On the front of the padiock is a multiplying register with four openings for figures. Whenever the key is turned in this lock it registers. You cannot possibly get at the register without breaking the mechanism of the lock. The way bill which accompanies the bag will show plainly with what registry number it left the forwarding point. If it arrives at its destination showing some other number, the agent there will refuse to receive it. ‘If it 1s rehandled in transit, each messenger who receipts for it wili see that the number corresponds to the number on the way bill. So even if the messenger has a duplicate key to the bag, he could not use it without being discov- ered.” Could Not Work the Register. “Would it not be possible to work the reg- ister up to 9,9 and then from zero up to the number on the way-bill?” “No,” said Mr. Platt. “When the regis- ter reaches 9,999 the bag must be sent back to the factory at Bridgeport and “he lock made all over again.” Mr. Platt showed me the book in which these bags are to be entered and the spe- cial form of way-bill which is to be used in handling them. Seventy of these bags have already been in use experimentally. They were sent back to the factory for some al- terations. When the changes have been made the manufacturers will deliver 1,000 of these bags to the express company, and they will be put in use all over the system. ‘The book in which they are registered is ruled in columns, with the headin, “Date Forwarded, " “Register Number;” Each page of the book {s numbered to correspond with the number of the express bag. The first entry on Mr. Platt's book showed that bag No. 1 had been forwarded from Washing- ton to New York on a certain date under the register number 36, and had been re- ceived on the following day. The next entry showed that it had been sent from New York to Washington under the regis- ter number 38. Evidently some on in New York had been explaining the uses of the lock or experimenting with it and had thrown the register forward one number. But this was of no consequence, since the way-bill and the advices of the agent in New York to the agent at Washington showed that the number under which the bag left New York was 38 A spectal form of way-bill will be used with these lock- . At one end of the regular way-bill ‘will be a coupon with the word “Forwarded” in big letters at the top. At the other end will be another coupon with the word “Re- ceived.” On the back of each coupon will be printed Mr. Platts address. The man who makes out the original way-bill will fill in the first coupon and forward it to Mr. Platt by one of the express messengers. ‘The man who recetves it will make out th second coupon and forward it to Mr. Platt; but it will not come back by the messenger who handled the package. These >0u With the originally entry book, entry ‘The Treasury Department has not such an active interest in these protective meas- ures as has the express company. The com- pany {s ,under $500,000 bond to make good any loss'which may occur by accident or by theft. The express company ts the party at interest. The chief means that it uses to protect itself are the constant menace of Prosecution and imprisonment. How Packages Are Shipped. Small packages of money are shipped in bags. Large quantities of money going be- tween big terminal points are put in sta- tionary safes, which are bolted to the floors of the express cars. These safes are usually not opened from one end of the route to the other. No one can open them, because the handle is taken from the door when the car starts on its journey, and with this handle goes the dial of the combination lock. Expert safe robbers have found means of getting into combination locks; and of course it would be possible, by col lusion, for the messenger to learn the com: bination and so be able to open the safe in transit. But © locked safe, without a dial or a handle, {s a puzzle which has baftled safe robbers up to this time. There bas been only one instance of an express mes- senger getting ahead of the stationary safe. ‘This occurred through the stupidity of the express agent at Des Moines. He had a safe dial, and when he boarded the car he opened the safe to put in two packages. He found that the safe was filled to over- flowing. “I would like to get these two valuable packages in the safe, but there doesn't seem to be room,” he said. “Here are a couple of packages of jewelry whieh I can take out to make room for them,” said the messenger. Now it was the business of the agent to note these two “packages of jewelrv” on the express agent’s way-bill, after examin- ing them carefully. But he did not. The packages were really money packages. ‘They contained oe put these paci hi poc! an dropped off the train at the next station. ‘The express company captured him within’ twelve hours and recovered the money. The only weak spot in the stationary safe system was the man who held the dial. ‘That was the spot that gave way at Des Moines. But this is the one instance where the system has not worked perfectly. Most of Uncle Sam's money 1s shipped in stationary safes. Nothing has ever Leen lost in shipments from the ‘treasury Depart- ment or any of its branches. The losses are usually from packages of rutilated carren- cy sent in for redemption. ‘The number of these packages reaching the Treasury De- rtment now is comparatively small. The inks cannot spare the currency long enough to send it to Washington for ex- change. Just now the principal shipments going out from Washington are of ircom- plete currency being sent to the national banks. It comes to the oftive of the express company in the basement of the treasury building in packages nearly eight inches square. These packages are of heavy manll- la sealed with two wax seals, bearing the stamp of the controller of the currency. ‘The package is a patente? devica,the seams being folded in so that a knife-biwle insert- ed in one of them would “ot pass directly into the package, but woull have to go through the fold. On the outside of each package is plainly marked its destination and the amount and character of the con- tents. The express company gives a receipt for each of these packages. If they are go- ing to a big terminal point. th. g£o in one of the stationary safes. They are carried from the Treasury Department to the rail- road station in a portable safe of the fa- millar style, which you could see in almost any express wagon passing through the streets. Care in Handi: At the station the packages are removed from the portable safe, checked off on the way-bill, and locked in the stationary sare in the presence of three men. One of these is the messenger who has charge of the cur when it leaves Washington. The room in which the currency is receivad end put up for shipment is one of a long suite of 1ooms on the east side of the treasury building, facing on a court. When Mr. Plitt took me into this room he had te rep on the door and wait until one of the inen within had identified him through a “look-out” in the door. No one is admit this room except the employes of the Treasury Te- partment or the employes of the express company directly charged with handling the currency and coin, wiiess he comes with Mr. Platt. Gold cannot be hendled lke currency be- cause of its great weight. At the time that 80 much gold was going abroad a couple of months ago the Treasury Department wes shipping about @ million dollars in gold every day trom Washington to New York. This gold weighed two tons to the million. One of the portable safes, hold! igen nd bealed ry Departmen’ The portable safes have key locks. A trip of iron lips over the key hole, and 13 fasten in place once with a piece of string, xnj oace with a piece of wire. A lead seal is uacl on the wire, and a green wax seai on the string. To get at the key hole a messenser or a robber would have to break the seals or cut the string and the wire. ‘ihe fact that the safe has been tampered with would be plainly evident to the next person haniiing At ‘The safe, with its $200,000 worth of zold, having been sealed, ts hoisted with a fall and tackle into a “cage” express wazon— that wagon with wire ‘les. Anything that occurred in the wagon woull be plain- ly visible to persons passing on the street, and as the trips are taade ia browd day- light there is no possibility of the messen- ger in the wagon tampering with his charge, Besides the messenger who sits the safe with a shotgun in his hand an: brace of revolvers in his belt, there men on the front of the wagon. armed. The man in the wagon h: gun of Belgian make, breech tow barrel sawed off so that 't can be close action, The express company owns fifty of these shotguns, 99d each messen- ger has one in his car. ‘Transporting the Safe. When a wagon reaches the railroad sta- tion the safe is lifted again by means of the fall and tackle and put aboard the car. There is not much risk in handling gold because it welghs so much that a robber would have a pretty hard time getting away with it, But though the risk is not so great as in handling currency, the express com- pany receives 50 cents on $1,00 for tran: porting gold. Silver, which weighs so much more than gold in proportion to {is value, is still more expensive in handling. The express company receives $1 for each $1,000 of silver handled between Washington and New York or Baltimore or Pittsburg. From St. Louis to Colorado the express company would receive $4 for every $1,000 handled. If Congress should attempt to put the 90,000,000 silver dollars now in the treasury vaults into circulation by shipping them through the country the express company would receive at least $9,000 for handling them. A year ago, when the Treasury De- partment shipped $20,000,000 in gold from San Francisco to New York, it would have had to pay the express company $65,320 for the haul at contract rates. But San Francisco is outside the contract territory of the United States Express Company, and the Treasury Department sent the gold east as “registered mail” at a cost of a little less than $2,500, The banks which recelve money from the Treasury Department get the benefit of the department's contract rate with the express company. The commercial rate for sending money by express from Washington to Kansas City {s $1.25 per $1,000; the govern- ment rate is i5 cents per $1,000.’ The Treas- ury Department is sdving nearly a quarter of a million dollars every year by the re- duction of the express rate for handling currency from 2 cents to 15 cents, The biggest shipment of currency handled by the United States Express Company for the government was $15,000,000 shipped from Washington to New York four years ago. It was in bills of large denomination and they were packed in two small boxes. For this haul the express company received $2,250. The largest gold shipment handled at one time was $7,000,000 taken from Phila- delphia to New York a little more than a year ago. For handling this shipment the express company received $3,500. The gold was stored in two safes which were sent in a special car under heavy guard. Every effort was made to keep the time of ship- ment a secret. The fear of train robbery is always in the minds of the officials of the express company, The shipment of these large amounts is what makes the con- tract of the express company profitable. They bring the aggregate of money handled by the express company up to fully $200,000,000 a year. The United States Express Company has not lost anything on its contract with the government yet. But eternal vigilance is the price of its se- curity. GEORGE GRANTHAM BAIN. ———_-+e. Plausible Legic. From the Indianapolis Journal. “You can never make me believe that I have a soul,” said the bright young man. “You may be right,” assented the old clergyman. “The Lord sometimes makes mental idiots, and I see no reason why he should not make @ spiritual idiot if he 1,500 | CANNED FOODS ARE ADANGER People Who Eat Them Are in Peril of Poisoning by Metals. The Copper Employed to Green French Pease and Beans—The Lead and Ider From the Cans. ‘The most important conclusion reached by an investigation of canned provisions and vegetables, just completed by the De- partment of Agriculture, is that the public is in danger of slow poisoning by the cop- per, lead, tin and zinc contained in these foods. To begin with, copper is used to give a green color to the pease and beans which are imported from France into this country in enormous quantities. The employment of the metal in question for this purpose has long been familiar. Cooks took notice that the preparation of such legumes in imperfectly cleaned copper pots gave them @ deeper and more attractive hue. After- ward it was ascertained that the same effect was produced when the vegetables were cooked in ordinary vessels, with the addition of small quantities of copper salts. This method was much more convenient and was quickly adopted. Since then an immense industry has grown up in the “greening” of canned beans and »2ase by the simple process referred to. Copper 1s & poison, That it has ever caused death is disputed. Its salts act on the human system as a violent emeti On that account they are not us ally dangerous. But the metal has a tend- ency to accumulate in the body, especially in the liver, and with old and sickly people it 1s likely to cause functional derange- ments. There is said to be such a com- plaint as copper colic. Workers in the metal absorb it until they become so satur- ated with it that their eyes sometimes turn Breen and their urine reveals it as an in- gredient. Copper a Normal Constituent. Some authorities have claimed that cop- Per {s a normal constituent of many foods. More or less of it is found in the boiies of numerous animals, being originally derived from plants whose roots absorbed the salts of the metal from the soll in which they grow. A noteworthy instance is that of an African bird called the ‘ which feeds on plantains. Its wing feathers are colored red by a pigment containing about 6 per cent of copper. The metal is undoubt- edly derived from plantains. Most of the common vegetables reveal on analysis traces of copper. The metal is usuaily dis- covered in minute quantities in the liver and kidneys of human beings and cf var- fous domestic animals. ‘The cook books that were popular in 180 recommended the cooking of pickles and leguminous vegetables together with cop- per pennies to green them. So late as 189 @ French firm patented a | process for col- oring pease by which the copper vessel con- taining them was placed in connection with one wire from a dynamo, while the other wire was connected with an electrode hanging in the fluid surrounding the food. The current passing through the mixture dissolved enough of the metal to green the Pease. There are in Paris two canneries which tmpart to their vegetables a beau- tiful green color without the ald of copp« In one of these establishments the green- ing 1s done with chlorophyl extracted from spinach. In the other the natural green of the pease is retained by a method involv- ing the use of lime, soda and other non- metallic ingredients. It ts sald, by the way, that sea animals commonly contain a con- siderable amount of copper, as much ar 200 milligrammes being found in a dozen wipe lowever, the danger from copper in can- Red food is trifling compared with that from lead poisoning. It is well known that lead as a poison is more deadly than any other of the common metals. It has a,pe- cullar way of accumulating in the system and then suddenly manifesting ttself by Producing symptoms —commo: serlour and often fatal. “Wrist drop,” “printer's palsy,” “painter's palsy” and “lead colic” are vulgar names for maladies produced by its action. During the five years ending in 188) there were 324 deaths from lead pol- Gonins recorded in England. This ts equal fo about 20 per cent of the total number cf fatal cases from polsons of all kinds, But one was accigental and none was crim- nal, Source of Lead Posoning. The source of lead potsoring in canned food is generally solder. In making a can three lines of solder are left—one at each end and a third down the side of the can. More or less of this finds its way into the | Preserved juices. Lumps of solder are often dropped into the can during the process of sealing. To bite upon one of these small chunks of metal is not agreeable, as m persons can testify, The danger from thi Source can be imagined when {tis co sidered that the solder ts composed of tw parts of lead and one of tin. But the tin Plate of which the can is made also con- tains a certain amount of lead. The cheap- er the tin plate the more lead there is in {t, and naturally there Is a tendency umong canners to use the inexpensive grades. Tin plate is divided commercially into “bright” and “terne” plate, the former being cov- ered with more or less pure tin and the latter with a varving mixture of lead and tin, Only the “bright” plate should be used for canning. In Germany the tin employed for canned goods is not permitted to contain more than 1 per cent of lead. There is no legal restriction in this country on the subject and the percentage of lead In the cans Is sometimes as great as 12 per cent. Most people imagine that they render themselves Secure against these evils by purchasing such foods in bottles, often paying double the price. Unfortunately the percentage of lead in the bottles is often: greater than in the cans, The tops of the bottles are commonly of lead or of rubber, which from Australia, sardines from Italy, stand side by side on the shelves. In the United States the canning trade has kept full pace with the wonderful development of the country. Its extent may be judged by tak- ing the statistics for one single product— Sreen corn. In 1892 the pack reached the enormous total of 84,700,000 cans. ‘To certain vegetables it is not practicable to apply the processes described, because the high temperature injures their appear- ance. Accordingly, to kill the bacterial germs, certain chemical agents are intro- duced into the cans or bottles, such as boric acid and saccharin, but most of all salicylic acid. These preservatives are con- sidered injurious to health when repeated doses of them are taken. Furthermore, the same qualities which enable them to prevent the action of micro-organisms also inder the normal functions of the digestive ferments in the stomach of the person who eats the foods containing them. Thus they are harmful by delaying digestion. —_—.———_ LONDON’S DOG THIEVES. The Headquarters at Which These Gentry Nightly Congregate. From Donahoe's Magazine. Once in my life I consorted with profes- sional dog thieves. I wish it to be distinct- ly understood that I never stole a dog. al- though I am free to confess tbat I have been tempted, and I have told the story of how on one occasion a dog stole ne. But to return to my thieves, In the northern part of London, which you will reach by passing through Fetter and Leather lanes, continuing past the quaint Italian quarter with its cathedral, the interior of which is beautiful, although, the building is but crude externally, you will find yourself in close proximity to the rendezvous of the London dog thieves. Near by is a place called Hockings-in-the-Hole. It well named, being situated in a decided hollow in one of the worst quarters of the great city, Those In search of a fine, creepy feel- ing should visit it after nightfall, as I did. I then found myself in the bar of a small old style public house of very doubtt: character, or perhaps I shall express my- self better if I say that its character was not at all doubted. I was eyed curiously by the Joungers as I took some refreshment at the bar. I then quietly gave the countereign in accordance with the instructions with which I had armed myself. The powgrful and heavy necked publican changed his de- Mmeanor at once and ushered me throngh a side door and up a creaky, tortuous and dark staircase. At this period the creepy feeling was at its best—or worst. opened ana we entered a long room, the ceiling of which was very low. Yellow gas Jets. flickered here and there. A curious sight met my gaze. The room was full of men, three-fourths of whom held dogs of every degree. The men were mostly of an uncouth description, clothe in great part in corduroy, surmounted with the conventional caps that are worn by the London costermonger. They resemble in general appearance the touts and welchers of the English race tracks. Most of them smoked short pipes. The dogs yelped and whined anid the general hum of conversa- tion that came through the amber haze. My appearance excited no comment, and for this reason: It ts quite a common thin} for “swells with sporting blood in them” drop In upon these gentry and pick ip a good dog at a nominal price. The morality of the proceeding Is very questionable, but the fact remains. the low class of London, was brought in a Jug and served ins mall wine glasses. T ac- cepted the hospitality of my friends, the thieves, as I saw at once that it was ex- pected. Then I conversed with various members of the party concerning the points of the canines in their possession. They took my presence there as a matter of course and talked with perfect candor. Had I been able to forget the company I was in I might truthfully record that I spent a Pleasant half hour at Hockings-in-the-Hole. These men are not all thieves. Some of them are dog brokers, who sell dogs for. others or pick up a bargain to sell sgain. None of them openly admit that they are rofessional thieves, although, of course. it is understood perfectly. They “fini” lost dogs or else they are commisei.yn, dog that belongs to a “friend.” Not a small part of the'r income Is obtained through receiving rewards offered for lost dogs which they have been fortunate enough to “find.” During my visit t> them thelr demeanor was perfect. They might have been an assemblage of farmers ut a cattle show, r wo ——- LIGHTNING COURTSHIP. Infatuntion and Introduction, a La Chicago, on the Half Shell. From the Chiengo Tribune. In a cosy little parlor in a world's fair hotel they sat together—he and she. “Mrs. Chickwell,” he began, “may—may sk your first name? “Amy,” softly answered the charming young widow. “Amy! Lovely name!” he rejoined, tak- ing her hand. “It seems as if I had known you an age—" 1 “It has been at least three days and a half,” she murmured, dreamily. ‘Haven't we had abundant opportunity to Ket acquainted? Haven't we walked together the whole length of the manufac- tures building? Have we not been—" “But, Mr. pbatehley, think of—" “Call me Harry,” he pleaded, possessit himself of her other hand. a “Well—Harry—if you only knew—* “I don’t want to know, dearest! My heart tells me all I want to know! In my far away California home I have often dreamed of a time like this, when— "California? and my home 1s in New t wouldn't make any difference to me if you came from New Zealand!” “But, Harry—" ‘ “I know what you are going to say, “This is so sudden!” It isn’t sudden. I've waited more than three whole days and my mind was made up the minute i saw you! Don’t turn your head away, dea eee “I have a little surprise for you, Amy, said the enraptured young man hai hour later, in some embarrassment. cuse me a moment. He went out of the room and returned presently accompanied by a stout old lady holds sulphate of lead. On their voyage across the ocean the receptacles are as apt as not to be turned upside down, so that the lead comes directly in contact with the contents. With the exception of lead tin is of all metals the worst potson. It is decidedly the most common. In every sample of canned goods which has been put up for any length of time un is found dis- solved. On the whole it would seem that poor people should congratulate themselves that they are unable to afford to buy canned foods, which are not only dangerous to health, but of small value as nutriment. This latter point particularly refers to such vegetables as string beans, asparagus, &c. In canned beans the actual percentage of food material 1s less than one-twentieth. In buying 100 pounds of such provende: the consumer purchases more than % pounds of water. He really pays over $5 a pound for the food, the water being subtracted. Thus it ts ‘seen how enormously costly canned products are. They must be Te. garded in the light of luxuries or condi- ments rather than as nutrients to support healthy people. These facts may prove useful to the poor man by suggesting an economical avoidance of vegetables put up in this way. An expenditure of 10 or iB cents tn flour or meal will procure as much nourishment for a family as $3 or $4 spent tn canned goods, £ @ process of preserving food by can- ning dates back to a patent taken out by Pierre Antoine Angilbert in 193. His method did not differ essentially from that in use at present. The food with some water was placed in a tin can and a lid with a small hole in it was fastened on, Heat was then applied, and when the liquid in the can boiled briskly and all air was expelled the hole was closed with a drop of solder. Preserving foods in bottles is an older invention, but the method adopted for that purpose was the same in prin- ciple, the filled bottles being exposed to the action of boiling water, Pease and beans were put into botties raw. This process was devised by a Frenchman named Ap- pert in 1810. He received a prize of 12,000 francs for it from his government. A Wrong Theory. For a long time it was supposed that the food thus treated was preserved because air was excluded from it. This was a mis- take. Some of the bacteria of putrefaction can live entirely without air. But no bac- teria can survive the action of boiling water for more than a few minutgs. All such germs in the can or bottle having been destroyed, and the receptacle being her- metically sealed, prese-vation of the con- tents is assured. The exposure of the bot- tles to the boiling water Is, in fact, equiv- alent to the modern principle of sterilizing. ‘The preservation of foods by canning has become one of the world’s great industries. Canneries dot every country of the earth and their products are found on every table. All manner of food is canned and sold at prices which b-ing it within reach of the humblest pockets. Vegetables out of season are no longer a luxury of the rich. The common laborer may today have a greater varlety of food than Queen Elizabeth could have enjoyed with all the resources and wealth of England at her command. In the American grocery pineapples from Si pore, salmon from British Columbia, fruit from California, pease from France, okra from Loutsiana, sweet corn from New York, string beans from Scotland, mutton with a determined expression of counte- nance, ., My dear,” he said, “this is my mother. shy at rey = us, you know.” “So glad! And I have a litu: for you, too, Harry.” pea She left the room and returned in a mo- ment ears ie serigorten little girls, ap- parently ranging in age tr thirteen. cma es “These are my Uttle dariings, Harry,” she whispered. “Lydia, Minerva, Penelg » Rachel and Mehitable, kiss the genticman. He is to be your new ‘papa!” ‘ “ HOMESPUN FOR MEN'S CLOTHING. Materini From Canada im Great De- mand Among Men of Fashion. From the New York World, Rough, picturesque material of a light stray or creamy color and coarse as. a towel is occasionally seen in the streets of New York, worn by men of fashion during the hot weather, and usually all three pieces of the suit are worn together. Many peo- ple wonder where this cloth comes from, for it is not to be found in any of the tailor shops and is never seen in ready-made clothing. The material ts Canadian homespun. It is not the homespun which 1s made in steam mills, but is the real article, and it is made on hand looms by the inhabitants of Canada during the long winter here. No two pleces are ever alike, and it is im: possible to “match” it. This cloth is ad. mirably suited for hot weather. coat makes it look thick and heavy, but ‘it ig loosely woven and the wind blows through it. Then, again, it can be thrown. into a tub and washed. ‘This cloth comes in all varieties of gray and The habitant saves sheep, one or two of Its rough mien on Tiiely to be a black. ‘He mixes the black with the white wool,” an e has no blaci homespun will be all white“ * SeeD his The French Canadian farmer wears this homespun himself. It ts so cheap in Can. ada and so universally worn by the poorer classes there that a gentleman from ‘Three Rivers says: “Nobody making an: - sion to fashion or style in Canada Pyould wear the homespun of the count like blue jeans in some parts of thre’ foe regarded as the mark of the countryman Yet it is an excellent, honest, servicenble and handsome material. I have seen it in fashionable tallor shops of London.whers it is sold for a high price on its merits. It has an air of picturesque distinction post sessed by no other material for men’s 0 has ever seen American homespun? That, too, never gets into the New York market. The homespun made by the farm= ers and farmers’ wives of Maine is a hand- some closely woven brown material, stuined with butternut juice. In the moun: tains of West Virginia also a strong. cer- ¥iceable material is made and worn by the “poor whites.” Most of the Scotch home- Spuns are made in steam mills, as are many of the Irish. From a commercial stand- A door } Gin, the favorite drink with | | hands it contains no dye. | —E—=—V=—a=aS=@€l€"Vh0Q]’lh™_h_———~_——_—={={==E=—=E=anBnaSS— MISTOOK HIS MAN. ‘The Barkeeper Thought the Financier Was a Deadbeat. From the Pittsburg Dispatch. “There is plenty of money in the coun- try,” he said, pouring out about four fin- gers of rye. “What we need most just now is the restoration of public confidence. I have just now come from the street.” Another gentleman nodded his head ap- provingly, and the barkeeper Hstened to “Ninety-five per cent of the public busi- ness is done on credit. Did you ever think of that? Only 5 per cent is actually based “ithe ‘arkeeper nervo) and e bar) glanced yusty up own the bar and cautiously removed the “As long as my neighbor has confidence in me things go on all right. As long as I have confidence in my neighbor his word is &s cash. Now where is all this currency?” That was evidently what the barkeeper was thinking about, for he slowly pushed a check for 15 cents towgrd the speaker. “It is locked up,” cofitinued the man, an- swering his own question. “It is hoarded by the scared banks and the worse scared small investors. Money is getting tighter and tighter every day. It is as much as a man can do to scrape enough together to buy a drink.” if The barkeeper winked significantly to the other man and began to play with some- thing behind the bar. | “Nobody trusts anybody else. Public con- fidence is completely undermined.” At a sign from the barkeeper the boy who was polishing the brass work softly locked | the door. “Now, for example,” continued the finan- cler, intent on his own ideas, “#f I had a certified check in my pocket at this moment for $1,000 and had no currency wherewith to Mguidate the price of another drink—* “You pay for that drink you've had!” said the barkeeper savagely, “and we'll talk about another. And, what's more, we don't want no more guff about ‘credit’ and ‘con- fidence’ in here. See?” At the same time the smart servitor brought out a stuffed club about as big as a bologna sausage and brought it down on the bar with a whack. This startled the finan- cler so that he knocked the empty glass off the bar as he stepped out of range. The bar- keeper was evidently accustomed to the Bowery, and had no appreciation for finance oF financial conversation unaccompanied by a club. “W-w-what the —— do you mean, sir?” stammered the financier. and pale, and then said: “This is an insult; it’s a gross insult, and I'll report you to the proprietor!” He took out a big wallet full of bills and checks and drafts with a trembling hand to pay the score. The several gentlemen in the Toom looked indignantly at the barkeeper, and the boy quietly unlocked the door. The barkeeper apologized to the crowd and very humbly to the offended gentleman, and then opened a bottle of wine on the solemn prom- ise that nobody would say anything about it. “For I thought he wuz a-goin’ to do me, sure! See?" From the New York Press. It has all gone to eternal smash. There was no longer any possibility of delaying the end. Gray knew that before the next day,noon his business would be in the of the sheriff. He sat in silence. It was hard. Work and ability had failed and honesty had availed nothing. He grim- ly considered future possibilities. He could Ket a job in some other fellow’s office he supposed, and he thought that he might perhaps get on his feet again. The latter Possibility was no inspiration, for he was tired—deathly tired of it all. He didn’t feel like fighting any more. Then he thought of Molly. It was un- fortunate for her that she had marrieS him. This made him gloomier. He had ruined two lives instead of one. Poor little girl! How would she feel as the wife of a clerk? The picture aroused him to a new mental effort! He had stopped trying to break the weight of his own blow, but could he not do something to make it easier for Molly? The whirl of figures began in his head again, but he promptly stopped it. Arith- metic’ could not make failure spell success. He thought for an instant of dishonesty— other men saved money from their failures, But he quickly kicked that idea out. No, there was nothing he could do to make it easier for Molly. Hold on!—there was one thing. His face grew a shade paler. But the thought staid and grew and grew. He would be better off, for it would give him rest—the long, long ‘rest that seemed to his weary brain the only thing in the world worth having. She would be better off, be- cause she would be free. She was lashed to a wreck now. It would be wicked to make her sink ‘with it. Of course, she would feel sorry for awhile, but grief is not eternal. She could go back to her father, and need not, after all, know the bitterness of poverty. it was lucky that they had no children. Like a thief he stole through the house. Molly was asleep. He softly kissed her. Then he passed into his own room. He pulled out the bottom drawer of the dresser. An odor of camphor came from it; it was acked with some of his winter thi 5 fe took them out one by one. What he was looking for was at the bottom. Under an old dress coat he came to a soft, pink knit affair. Some of his wife's fancy work, he supposed. The needles were sticking in it. Tt was so thin that the shape of the re- volver lying underneath showed plainly. He lifted the fancy work with a trembling hand. He was about to throw it aside When he saw what it was. His face flushed and led and tears came to his eyes. Finally he turned slowly end went back to Molly. He did not take the revolver. He touched her on the shoulder and held up—a baby’s shirt, partly made. “Oh, Jack,” she cried, instantly awake, when'she saw what he had. “And I had hidden it so carefully Jt age reg Molly is now the wife of a clerk, and he is not too discouraged to try hard to get on his feet again. “What “They” Say. They say: That silver tollet ware is no longer the correct caper, but that every girl. who knows what is what is making a collection of brushes, mirrors, and tollet boxes of old yeliow ivory; That silk petticoats, however dainty, are to be superseded by fine linen and Jace- trimmed lawn for house and carriage wear; That gloves and shoes, to be thoroughly must fit easily, without pinching; is now the proper way to ‘That the-girl Anglo-maniac wears “boots” and “coats” and “petticoats” instead of shoes, Jackets, and skirt ibs” instead of bathes; never telegraphs, but “wires,” and says “i tani but under no circumstances guess, ‘That souvenir spoon collectors are a trifle tiresome; ‘That the ice cream habit is now reganied as a feminine vice, and should be dis- couraged; ‘That college pins and club insignia were never intended as a decoration for the feminine corsage, and are decidedly outre; ‘That the deadly fascination of the sum- mer widow has been one of the thorns in the pink flesh of this summer's girl That the smart young woman of the per- jod_never uses the word “gentleman” except in referring to waiters and coachmen; That the excessive use of perfume is in bad taste, but that handkerchiefs, fans and hosiery kept in sachet cases are extremely dainty and desirable. From the London Datly News. Our Berlin correspondent sends a sug- gestive account of the way in which a German detachment, operating in East Africa, was routed by a swarm of bees. They—the soldiers, not the bees—were rea- soning with a native chieftain by means of grenades. The native levies fied, but a swarm of bees, terrified or exasperated by the blaze of fire, sallied out to avenge the honor of the flag. Their stings drove the assailants in all directions and nearly killed an unfortunate sergeant who had been left behind. ‘These insects would be an exceed- ingly cheap defense of African nations, if they could be made amenable to com- mand. By a proper understanding with the locusts, the centipedes, the giant beetles and the glant ants of Africa, they might succeed in keeping a very extensive sphere of influence entirely to themselves. Noth- ing can resist a general levy of the insect World, as was shown the other day, In a sudden rising of the wasps. For our com- fort, they usually, like the fleas of the ler e ants could hardiy hate one another worse, for slight differences of color, race or habits, if they belonged to human kind. = coe His Courage Failed Him. From the Dalton (Ga) Citizen. Recently, in the lower end of the county, a bachelor whose locks were silvered by the snows of sixty winters, was married. ‘The event brought up recollections in the minds of some of the old people of the neighborhood of a time before when the bridegroom came near embarking upon the sea of matrimony, but failed through sheer timidity and bashfulness. Every. thing was in readiness for the consum mation of the nuptial vows; the house wa: ighted, the guests assembled and the wed- ding supper spread, but the bridegroom never put in an appearance. It was simply a. case of “faint heart ne'er won fair lady. point they better cloths than those made by hand, but they lack the individ- uality of the latter and are not so artistic. The B B. L. Extra Session. ‘Now statesmen meet in summer heat ‘With wisdom wide awake; But for Butts, the Bromo mi How hard their beads would ache He had driven up to the front gate with the marriage license in his pocket, but secing the house crowded with the wedding guests, his timidity got the best of him and he left the locality as fast as his horse could carry him. ‘His conduct was the joke of his friends for many years, and only the other day did he finally gather the courage to make @ second attempt. It was not, how- ever, the sweetheart of his youth. BABIES ARE SICK. Unprecedented Number of Deaths. Prevalence of Diarrhea and Cholera . Infantum. Ignorance of Mothers the First Cause. Physicians Advise the Use of Lactated Food. Infants Thrive Best Upon It, and It is Easy to Get. There was never atime for mothers to be more careful than now. Nearly @ third of the deaths in Chicago for s month past have been deaths of babies! Chicago {snotan exception Diarrhoea and cholera infau- tum are Low more prevalent in every city in the country than ever before at this sea-on. ‘The cause of this state of affairs is improper feeding. Half the deaths in July, August and September every year are of children under five years old. ‘Yet it was never intended; and the investigation of health societies everywhere has shown that there is no reason, but the im srance and careless Bess of mothers, for such au avnormal lows of life in early years, Mothers whose breast mUk 1s faulty shou nderetand that lactated food is the food that w Rearer mother's wilik than any other. And they should never fall to use it in preference toany Other. It nas been shown tn every investigation ‘that babies fed upon lactated food live longer and thrive better than those brought up on other diet. Lactated food makes vigurous, well-nourished. active babies when other foods fall. It contains the very elements for easy, perfect nutrition. Long trials have shown it to be perfectly ad apted to the age of growth, when the digestive organs are making enormous demauds to meet the needs of growth and development. “For upward of eight years I have been familiar with lactated food,” sare the well-known Boston physician. Dr. C. P. Thayer, “and my immediate Professional friends and myself have it always at hand.” One cause of the high esteem of the food Among physicians lies in the known cleanliness nd scrupulous care ured in its preparation. In lactated food the combination of the neces Sary elements of pure, healthy mother’s mick is accomp ished. Using pure milk sugar as a basis, there is combined with it the richest elements of Darley, wheat and oats, whieh by long subjection to high steam heat under pressure have been p. fectly cooked. Combined with the other elementa of the food, the result is @ homogeneous product ‘that is easily ansimilated by the feebiest stomach, Infants thrive upon it; they grow plump, strong, bright eyed and clear skinned. ‘The child who is puns, pale and sallow is likely to become an adult of inferior mental and physi- cal powers. The child that ts brought up on lac tated food starts life with everything in favor of health, Physicians of all schools recommend lac. tated food; thousands of mothers who have used it Praise at; babies like 1; it is within the reach of simple homes, WORDS ARE SILVER DOLLARS AT GROGAN'S, ‘When they take the shape of promises furniture and carpets. We want to ur the advisability of furnishing your Winter, Make up your mind that be comfortable all the way Griblets that you pay us once month, will scarcely be ‘Will be Lappy in the possession of « Rished house. Tell us what you meed- uch you desire to pay- ‘there ts to it. i ui tig i HY ij & i Fi ! i i tected i H Lief! rit ti UROGAN’S MAMMOTH CREDIT HOUSE, iu, 621, 623 7TH ST. N.W. BET. KANDI STS. She Saves Twise Who Saves Quickly.' THE FOLLOWING PRICES SHOW WHAT YOU CAN SAVE BY DEALING HERE, VIZ: Ladies’ @4 Hand-turn Blachers (fall styles) for ‘Mens @6 French Patent Caif Bais am Satin Caif Button’ Shoce «izes 4. 3 ‘Men's $4 Calf Bluchers (fall styles) for ‘Men's €3 Calf Boachers (fall tyles) for Children’s and Misses’ 1.50 Hand-Turn THE WARREN SHOE HOUS! Geo. W. Rica 019 F STREET NORTAWEsT. rehell's Family Tes. (spring eat) At cents «pound. quality Contino. ts leat me the ‘erades uf nese Tea. The prevent <ron e_exceptionsily ine. fetactory thon any ouser Tes = 0 aay store aulz XN. W. Burchell, 1325 Fat