Evening Star Newspaper, May 28, 1895, Page 12

12 THE EVENING STAR, 1895—SIXTEEN PAGES. TUESDAY, } Peeters, We're Happy. There’s a rift in the clouds at last! You've broken the speil that bad weather and an unsea= sonable temperature laid upon business. Today has been corker! If we keep up this pace May’tl end all right—the lost ground will be re covered. Profits ’il be missing—cost ’ll show } the wounds of our de=- termined efforts. But we'll be minus three thousand Men’s and Boys’ Suits. There’s something else besides money-getting at stake >with us. We can’t run the risk of having a surplus stock when the season closes. It has been our policy for years to clear the decks—never so early as this, tho’. But the ends justify the means. The method employed is an honest— effective one—sure in its results — relieving us — profiting you. a seedeetpety Ce i ts sletetede dete PEPOCLLOOOO OOS footers Hundreds of you today are taking your choice of 1000's of Men's and Boys’ Suits that have been $20==$18--$17.50--and $16.50 ! x | \ For : Yi Mm | = It’s a choice of the finest, most fashionable 30) 1 Fancy Cheviots ana Fancy Cassimeres im the Sacks and house. Cutaways. SINGLE BRRASTED SACKS. DOUBLE BREASTED SACKS. 8-BUTTON CUTAWAYS. 4-BUTTON CUTAWAYS. IN ALL SIZES. LINED AND HALF LINED WITH SILK—SERGE OR ITALIAN CLOTH. PERFECT FITTING—PERFECT MAKING. ss a a a ss We knew the medicine would cure. Sede peters tote Set Senter So Soe Sete set It’s Impressive— This sale of $20, $18, $17.50 and $16.50 Men’s and Boys’ Suits—because it’s genuine. We haven’t cooked up any ‘cock and bull’? stories. You’ve been given the plain, straight - forward facts. The cuts have been clear and severe — reductions from the actual selling price of actual stock in store. Not a garbled lot of trash that has been scraped up in the market. They are our suits—only as old as the season— made by ourselves—true and loyal to our reputa- tion and your satisfac- tion. You'll find them on separate tables, and any= thing there is yours for $12.50. Ifany little alter- ation is desired—it’ll be made free—and our guar= antee holds good just the same. Circumstances may upset prices, but it doesn’t sink our respon= sibility. So Sortens Seesoo eaaseeseeseeteterte a a A a Se Be AS ee ts SS eA te tS Oe ts ts AS ts As tA hs tes De tees tote ted Soageetoege s doeteegees SeeSeetonten = e TAKE YOUR CHOICE TAKE YOUR CHOICE TAKE YOUR CHOICE TAKE YOUR CHOICE TAKE YOUR CHOICE ¢ 3 OF OF OF OF OF = b 4 : 3 $ The Boys’ Short Boys’ Short Twilled Bea ONE Lor oF é : Boys’ Pants Suits Pants Suits | Outing Waists Boys’ Long Pants Boys’ Long = gett etnias | emasine | ato cr ae Pants Suits, { = effects, a t have en $1.50, s $ Doesn’t See ee eater ctiant scale Sizes 4 to 14 years, Sizes 14 to 18 years, AN Wool-and Worth §6,- FA sizes 5 to 14 years, De % Escape. FOR EOE Bow FOR FOR = 3 $2.00. $3.00. 25¢. 98c. $3.00. & : AKS AND COMPAN Seseedeeseeseteetertonte sss Sa i a Pennsylvania Avenue and Seventh Street—“SAKS’ CORNER.” Awnings Shut Out The Glare of the Sun— — Make things vastly more tolerable in torrid ct % ng them from us insures Very best © Copeland & Co., 409 11th St. Awnin: Decorations and Canopies. Estab, 1861. ° —not the imita- Alligator i tates. “we have them for SSc. for the 14-inch sort. These are the real skin—tan- ned and made by the best maker of Bags in this coun- try. Nickel trim- mings — leather lined and an in- side pocket. Send, us word if you've an old trunk or Grips, $1.75¢ aga Kneessi, 425 7th St. my27-28d A Splendid Lady’s Sailor, $1.50. Most of you want Knox's, though, for * nobody else can put ich style into a * hat. Knox Hats for men, too. This is © © Knox's selling agency for this city. e Sana pet Fancy Bands for ladi sallore 50c. bs ee? each. . B. H. Stinemetz & Son, 1237 Pa. Ave. -A--B--I--E- Need EVANS’ TALCUM POWDER. It cures my27-200 itching, “chafing — and prickly heat.” Plain and perfuimed. luc. box. Ei 938 F We furnish th P=0=W-=e-r. Drug my Store, 25-8d — Yon can make your home and office cool and comfortable “during the hot summer ¥ putting in Electric Fans and == andescent Lighis. Electricity 19 the — power and the coolest and surest and best Ught. "Phone us for curreut when Co., 20d .S. El 1ith st. nw. 'Phone 7 m, Don’t goAway this Summer me if you suffer M Without consulting n corns or bunions. ere both pall Tharges small, 25e. for remoy- RGES & SON, 1115 PA. AVE., Hours, 8 to 6; Sundays, 9 to 1. methods of Sand perm, Wells Drilled 2 c Atssesnwcies Why Physicians Use an “R.” From the Boston Traveler. A woman of an Investigating turn of mind started out the othem day to discover why physicians begin their prescriptions with the letter “R.” Well, she found out, but it took time and caused her some trouble. It seems that during the middle ages, when astrology was in fashion, a character very much like our “F was the sign of Jupiter, the preserver of health. ‘The physicians, being then equaily devoted to the science of medicine and astrology invariably began their prescriptions w: the following words: “In the name of Jupiter take the following doses in the order set down hereinafter.” In the course of time this formula was abbr un- til at present only the letter “R” remains to teach us that the medical art was once associated with the science of the stars. VIRGINIA BLUE LAWS. Quaint Ways of Regulating Society in Olden Times. Fredericksburg Letter in Cincinnati Enquirer. The so-called “Northern Neck” of Vir- ginia is a veritable reliquary of antiqui- ties relating to early American history. Here are concentrated countless memories of the past, when this modern world of ours was young, and the dream of a young yet giant-like republic had not come into the night hours of our forefathers. Every step upon the soil, reverently called sa- cred, revives these memortes, and calls in- to being again scenes of the past that are now glorious. Importation has not de- stroyed the old colonial spirit of these people. Virginia of these parts is the same commonwealth that it was in the days when Washington was a boy. The same old “customs obtain, the same old forms are observed, and the same old existence pur- sued. It is in the old court house that the an- tiquarian can reap the fullest benefit of researches into the laws of colonial days. Reading from the docket of one of his Majesty’s justices of the peace, William John, gent:, who presided with others at the courts held for Richmond county dur- ing the year 1717, it can be learned that moral waves were wont to rise and beat against the embattled shores of sin for a brief season and then recede, to leave the sea of public sentiment calm and undis- turbed. There are gaps in the records of Rich- mond county, which, it may be stated,were begun in 1 In these gaps, so called, there appear no presentments from the grand jury against persons for delinquency in the payment of tithes, absenteeism from church,drunkenness and “‘prophane” swear- ing. Then, again, the scrivener was kept busy jotting down in the queer engrossing script of those days the findings of the justices against victims of a Parkhurstian wave, and the humble answers of these victims to the findings in question. For “Prophane” Swearing. “Whereas, George Alsup of Hanover pish (parish) was summcened to answer the pre- sentment of the Grand Jury against him for being a Common Swearer, and for Pro- phane swearing one oath, and for being a common drunkard,and for being drunk and for absenting himself from Church for two months, the said George Alsup this day ap- pearing and offering nothing material to Excuse himself, It 1s Ordered that he be fined as followeth, viz: For being a com- mon swearer and prophanely swearing one oath, five shillings or 50 pounds of Tobacco, for being a common drunkard and for be- ing drunk, five shillings or 50 pounds of tobacco, for absenting himself from church for two months tenn shillings or 100 pounds of tobacco, and that he phy the several and respective fines unto the church war- dens of the said pish of Hanover, with ccsts ats ex.” Further along it appears that Mr. Alsup, with his sureties, appeared and bound him- self in the sum of “Lenn Poundes,” to be levyed upon his and their property to con- duct himself in good behavior “toward his Sd. Majesties as well as all Liege people.” Another page recites the doom of 10 evil- doers who failed to respond “Amen” from the church in Farnham parish, in the same county. It says: “Whereas, Luke Hanks, John Hanks, Thomas Spurlech, Richard Ellet, John Mii- ler, John Key, Wm. Samford, Richard Mil- ton, John Taylor and John Jacobus Ballet, all of Farnham pish, was summoned to answer the presentment of the grand jury against them for not going to church for one month and being now called and not appearing, it is ordered that the sheriff take them into custody and them safely keep till they enter into bond with good and sufficient security for their appearance at the next Court to answer to the said presentment.” One of the earliest recor of Stafford county goes back to the year 1699, and re- calls the fact that suffering and sorrow are as old as the world. This extract tells its own pathetic story “Know all Men by these presents that I, Anne Carmalt, late of Maryland, but now of Stafford county, in Virginia, Widow, do, for divers good causes, put and bind as a servant to my loving friend, Edward Bar- ton, of Stafford County, one of my children, now with me in this my great want & Necessity, as now being a poor widow, therefore for the more and better Christian care of my sor. John Carmalt ward Barton, his heirs, exrs. time and term of years until he shall come to 21 years, being now Eleven yeurs of Age the said Edward Barton and his heirs finding my son sufficient Cloathing and provision during the whole time or term from this my hand and seal this 19th day of October, 1699. unto for the full her ANNE -|- CARMALT. mark “Signed, sealed and dd. Thomas Chap- man, jr. “Signed, sealed and dd. in the presence of G. Mason, Church Warden.” —+e+— THE HOUSE BOAT. Yhe Luxury of Living in Them to Be Made Common. From the Brooklyn Eagle. to bulld house boats. Why not? The house boat is a good thing, if it is English, We have adopted the hansom cab, which is English and good, and the monocle, which is English and bad; the English melodrama, which is very terrible, and the English practice of tipping servants after we have already paid them through their employe which is a vile practice. As we stomach these matters there is no reason why we should not greet the house boat as one of the few things which come out of England that commends itself to a superior race on the score of sense. The house boat is a scow with a house built on {t. Ordinary marine architecture is avoided in the shape and fitting of this ark. The superstructure is a cottage rather than a cabin, and in some cases it is a mansion. A cozy parlor, a sleeping room or two, a kitchen with lavatories and store rooms and an upper deck shaded with awnings, brightened with fancy lamps, palms, flowers and supplied with hammocks and easy chairs make the thing attractive to view, especially when the boat is moored on the edge of a placid river or lake with hills in the landscape and fine old trees shading the decks from the too fervent heat of the summer sun. English house boats are small, perforce. As English rivers average a quarter of a mile long in length and ten feet wide, it follows that a house boat half a mile long and twelve feet wide would have to go about the country on rollers. But in this country there is room for the biggest boats that the new company can build. If they cannot find room on our great lakes and on the Hudson, Mississippi, Delaware, St.Law- rence and Gowanus they can find it no- where else on earth, and we shall evolve from the English models a far better, more stable, more artistic, more useful and more comfortable boat than the English ever dreamed of making. ———-—+e6e—____ Paper Horseshoes. From an Exchange. A practical invention by a veterinary surgeon !s now successfully applied at Berlin. He manufactures horseshoes of paper impregnated with oil or turpentine to make it water proof. After being sat- urated, it is glued together in thin layers with a cement which does not become brittle when drying and consists of a mix- ture of Venetian turpentine, powdered chalk, linseed ofl and lacquer. These horse- shoes are made in various thicknesses. The holes admitting the nails by which the shoe is fastened to the hoof are stamped through the paper when moist; it is then subjected to a very strong pressure, under a hydraulic press, and, when dry, can be filed and planed to fit the hoof snugly. The inventor has also attempted to make these horseshoes of paper pulp, adding chalk, sand, turpentine and iinseed oil in such quantities that the material is im- permeable to moisture. This composition possesses the necessary glasticity and toughness for the purpose; if can be pressed in molds and dried afterward, or cut out of blocks of the mass and placed under strong pressure. The shoes made by past- ing together paper sheets are preferable, as they are stronger than those made of the ccmpressed material. These shoes can be fastened to the horse’s hoof either by nails, as usual, or be cemented with glue consist- ing of gum of ammonia one part and gutta- percha two parts. The great advantage claimed by the inventor for the new shoe is the impossibility of the horse slipping on slippery roads. In New York a company has been formed : Prof. And This, Wang, is the Reason They\Annually Fly South. From the New York World. Why do the birds flit southward each autumn and return again with every spring? No one knows, but science, in the person of Prof. Wang, the eminent Austrian or- nitholosist, has just discios:d that the usual flippant answer to this question, “Because they like to travel,” is not far out of the way, after all. In a lecture that Prof. Wang recently de- livered at Vienna he gave some extremely interesting details regarding the migrations of birds, all of which migrations resemble one another in two respects: They follow the most direct line southward, and are | made with almost incredible rapidity: Nu- Say {| merous observations have been made at } Heligoland, which is the principal halting | Place of birds of passage from northern countries, and in Egypt, which is the win- ter home of many, and’ these observations "have established some facts hitherto un- known. The blue birds traverse the 400 nautical miles which separate Egypt from Heligoland in a single night, which is at the rate of more than forty geographical miles per hour. The swallow's spéed 1s over two and one-half miles per minute, or nearly three times that of the fastest rail- way train. Even the younger birds, six or eight weeks old, accompany the others in their long jouruiey. : Prof. Wang asks bimself what is the im- pulse which cases the birds, after the brooding and moulting season is over, to quit our northern climate. He does ‘not think it is fear of cold, for many species quite as delicate as those which migrate southward easily withstand the rigors of the winter, but that they have an irresist- ible humor for traveling. This is his idea of the fact, but he can give no explanation. ——_—__+ e+ ____ " MONSTER CIGARETTE FACTORY. The Government Works at Sevil Employ Neurly 2,000 Women and Girls From a Madrid Letter. One of the sights of Seville which no | tourist misses 1s the cigarette factory, in which the government employs nearly :2,000 women and girls. The showing about of visitors is accordingly looked upon as a regular source of income by the porter. and matrons. After getting perniission to” en- ter, you are placed in charge of a matron, who shows ycu through her cwn depart- ment, and then passes you on to another, and so on, until your stock of pesetas and half pesetas, put aside for fees, is ex- hausted. These matrons accompany the visitors, not in order to prevent the girls from fllrt- ing with them (nothing could do that), but to see that no tobacco, picadura or cigar- ettes may disappear, Before entering each room a bell is rung to warn the girls, who are in great dishabille on account of the sun, to put on their wrappers, and as the door opens scores of round arms and pret- ty shoulders are seen disappearing, while several hundred pairs of coal-black eyes are fastened on you. The passages are lined with cradles, and the poor young girl-mothers to whom’ they belong implore you with eyes and hands for a pefny for the Murillos of the future lying in them. These girls are more frank than subtle in their flirtations. There is not one in the crowd who will not be im- mediately conscious of a man’s gaze fixed on her, nor will she be the first to turn her eyes away. Some will wink and even throw a kiss from a distant corner at the rich Inglese (all foreigners are supposed to be wealthy Englishmen). They are a merry lot on the whole, these poor girls, the quickest of whom make on- ly two shillings a day, for which they have to toll ten to twelve hours. They are al- lowed to smoke if they wish, and may make use of this privilege. They are re- markably deft at rolling the cigarettes, but not all seem eager to make as many as possible, for some are idling and others are asleep; but no one cares, as each is paid according to the number she twists up, aided only by a piece of specially made cartridga paper and a small tin affair on her little finger. eee Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore, Md., has arrived in Paris on his way to Rome, and will remain for two days at the seiminary of St. Sulpice. ‘TBICYCLE TIRES An Interesting Account of How They Are Made. A BUSINESS OF GROWING PROPORTIONS ——-= Transforming the Crude Rubber Into the Finished*Article. GREAT SKILL REQUIRED —— From the Chicago Record. Everybody who rides a wheel nowadays considers a pneumatic tire indispensable. Beyond this point no two riders agree. Some must have tires weighing five and a half to six pounds to the air; others could not sleep nights if their tires weighed more than three pounds to the pair. Some want single-tube tires; others would not consider life worth living unless they could have a double tube. Therefore, what constitutes a good tire depends entirely upon whom is referred to for information. Each manu- facturer will tell you that his kind of tire is better than all the other kinds. His bus- iness is to make tires. One thing can be said with safety of all kinds of pneumatic tires, and that is that the business of making them has grown to enormous prcportions. One Chicago firm has two factories running day and night turning out tires at the rate of several thousand a day. This means a great amount of work, for a tire has to go through @ great many processes before it is ready for use. First, the “hams,” as the lumps of crude rubber are called, have to be boiled clean. They are then cut into pieces and “broken down” by being passed between two huge corrugated iron rollers running at differ- ent rates of speed. The friction thus caused warms the gum and kneads it thor- oughly, while a stream of water constantly running upon the mass washes out the dirt. After being broken down the macerated sheets of gum are subjected to further roll- ing, passing from one machine to another, under the most watchful care. Taey are then taken to the drying room, where they are subjected to a temperature of 90 de- grees for at least twenty-four hours. This causes a shrinkage of about 15 per cent, and gives the rubber an odor much like that of smoked meat. Having been dried, the gum is ready for mixing. What it is mixed with depends upon the purppse for which it is to be used. The kind and quantity of the ingredients ts one of the carefully guarded secrets of the firm. ‘The gum used for the inner tubes is left more neerly pure than that used for any other purpose. The gum and the other in- gredients are passed repeatedly between a pair of smooth, hollow iron rollers, running at different rates of speed. The friction thus caused generates a great deal of heat, so that it is necessary to keep the rollers cooled by means of a stream of water cir- culating through them. When the com- pound has been thoroughly warmed up by this friction it finally comes from the roll- ers in a smooth, semi-transparent sheet of a delicate chocolate tint. The sheet is then carried to the calendars, where it is drawn down to one-thirty-second of an inch in thickness. At the same time it is cut to the width required for making a tire. It is then rolled up on a wooden core, with a sheet of muslin between the layers of rub- ber. The Tube Room. From here the rubber goes to a room where a number of men can be seen mov- ing swiftly about in a dense white cloud. This is the “tube room,” and the dense cloud comes from the quantity of soap- stcne that Is freely used at every stage of the process to keep the rubber from stick- ing together. The men here work in “teams” of twelve. Firet two men unroll the rubber strips upon a table and cut them into proper lengths for a tube. The strips are then passed over to the next table, where they are rolled into shape after both surfaces have been covered th soapstone. Another man the work over to the next table, where a man attaches a nozzle to the end of the tube and blows a lot of soapstone through it to prevent adhesion of the i ner surfaces. The fourth set of men in- spect the tubes, cut them to the exact length, and close up the ends by inserting the forefinger, upon which is wrapped a piece of cloth dipped in benzine, and then sticking the ends into an ordinary clothes- wringer. The next stage is the curing room. Here the tubes go into a heater, where they are subjected to a steam pressure of forty pounds for three hours and forty minutes. Then they are inspected a second time and passed on to the tube room. The stems through which the tires are to be inflated are set cn with a rubber solution. Then the tires are subjected to a final rigid in- spection by being inflated with compressed air and immersed in a tank of water. If any bubbles rise in the water the workman knows there must be a faulty tube in the lot, and it is hunted out and thrown aside to be sold for scraps. Then the valves are thrust into the stems by a boy, while a second boy ties them firmly in place with strong cord. This fin- ishes the tubes. The casing stock, from which the outer part of the tire is made, is mixed by a different process from that used for the tube stock. After this the process of mill- ing and calendering and cutting to the requisite width is identical with that just described for the tube stock. The “friction cloth,” which forms the inner part of the’ outer tube, is made of a strong duck, which is tested by being sub- jected to a breaking strain of 200 pounds, and is then passed through a calender, which presses rubber, mixed by still an- other secret process, upon both sides and into the meshes of the cloth at an enor- mous pressure. This friction cloth is then cut into dia; al strips just half the length neces: for a tire, by two men, who stand one on each side of a glass table. A Delicate Process, In the building room the only skilled labor in the factory is employed. The builders work at benches the length of a tire. Two strips of friction cloth are laid on a bench with a little groove down the center. A steel mandrel the size the tire is to be lifted up on the bench and dex- terously rolled down the groove,the friction cloth being taken up and w the mandrel as it rolls. These mandrels are warm, having just come from the presses, and have been painted with a solution of soapstone to prevent the rubber from stic ing.A strip of casting stock is then laid down over the groove on the bench and the man- drel covered with the friction cloth is rolled back the other way, the builder gathering up the casing and pressing it upon the friction cloth until it adheres smoothly upen the outer surface. This is the most delicate part of the entire process. If the outer casing is not perfectly put on there will be blisters, and the tire will be worth- less. The workmen in this department are expert at their business. From the builders the mandrels go to the press room, where they are put in pon- derous iron molds and subjected to heavy pressure and heat. The men here work in pairs and each pair has a certain number of presses to look after. By the time the men have filled the presses the first mold is ready to take out. The mandrels are thrown upon a bench, where a man cuts a slit on the inner side about six inches Jong. Another man puts the mandrel in a vise and springs it apart so that another man can remove the miovable section. The slit is then slipped over one of the ends of the mandrel and is readily pulled off. The casings then go to the trimmers, One smooths off the outer edge with a pair of shears and another trims the inner edge. Next, two inspectors make sure that the casings are perfect, throw out faulty ones and turn the rest over to the perforator, who punches out the hole for the valve and a dozen holes for sewing up the slit. For the next process men with extra long reach are selected. This work is to draw the tubes through the cases. They do this by running a cord with a weight attached through the casing and drawing the tube throughs with the cord. The men who do this work will draw a tube through at two reaches. A man equipped with the ordinary length of arm would have to make half a dozen motions. After this a boy pastes a strip of canvas on the end of the tube that es under the slit to protect it from the rapped around’ sewers. Seven old tars, who have acquired skill with the needle from mending sails, - at a table and sew up the slits with a louble cord worked criss-cross to equalize the strain. A dexterous thrust of a nozzle attached to a drum of compressed air inflates the finished tires for their final inspection. 12 they are found perfect, they go to the storage room, where they are piled up in stacks yeaching to the ceiling to await shipment. ———_~+e--__. OVER THE DEAD CENTER. A New York Incident of the Financial e Squceze of 1893. From the Philadelphia Press. As the season of stress and storm which began in '93 is passing away the financiers who were in peril at that time are begin- ning to exchange confidences, and these anecdotes show how great the peril was and how often it happened that great business and financial houses stood on the verge of a precipice leaning over, and were only saved by mutual forbearance, kind- ness and the stretching of business cus- toms to meet the unusual emergency. I heard of one of these anécdotes a day or two ago. Right in the midst of the panic of "03 a financier and a great power in the world of trade, whose name is known alt over this country and Europe, went to a friend and said: “I am so near ruin as this, that while I have millions in securities I have scarcely a thousand dol- Jars in cash, and must have $25,000 today or I am Gone for.” He had thrown himself languidly into a chair, as though almost ready to give up the battle. He knew well enough what the announcement of his failure meant for the commercial world. It probably would have pulled down a score or more of im- portant institutions, and very likely wouid have precipitated general disaster. He had been everywhere with securities in his pocket valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, pronounced good then, but he was told in every place, “Your securities are good, but we cannot lend money now.” His position was like that of the castaway upen the ocean with “water, water every- where, nor any drop to drink.” His se- curities at their normal value were proba- bly worth as much as $10,000,000, perhaps more, but it was impossible for him to bor- row $10 upon them. The friend to whom he went knew as well as he what his faidure involved; knew that he was worth at least ten millions in securities, although he could not command the $25,000 which stood between him and the protesting of his paper. The friend said, “Well, I'l fry to help you. What collateral have you got?” He took from his pocket securities which be- fore the panic would have commanded easily $50,000, and said, “I can offer these. “They are good,” said the friend, oth: ing better. Let me see what I can do.’ He went out to a financial Inetitution of which he had long been a customer, and he said to the officer: “I want to borrow $25,000 on this collateral, which {!s worth 1,000. I will guarantee the paper, pro- vided I have recourse to the collateral in case it is not patd. “But,” said the bank officers, “we can't lend that. The collateral is good enough; but we can’t even lend on government bonds. Nobody is lending, everybody is trying to borrow.” “Well,” said the friend, “then I will sub- mit a proposition to you. If you will lend the money on this collateral it will earn 6 per cent for you. If you will not lend it, then I will draw my own check upon this concern for $25,000, and I will keep the col- lateral myself. Now, it is for you to say whether for the $25,000 that you've got to part with you will take security and 6 per cent interest or whether you will pay it out and get nothing for it, as you must do if I check it out. Of course the officer, confronted with such an alternative, could only decide to loan the money, and it was the biggest loan that was made that day, or perhaps for several days before or afterward—at least, the biggest new Ican. The friend went back to the capitalist and said: “The $25,000 fs at your com- mand.” When the capitalist heard this he became a new man. All the energy charac- teristic of him returned. Said he: “This will carry me over the dead center, for I am satisfied that before any of my other obligations mature it will be possible to borrow money on such securities as I pos- sess," and that proved to be the case. The capitalist is now cne of the conspicu- ous influences inducing a return of prosper- ity. He Is esteemed to be worth not far from twenty millions, and he can berrow upon his securities millions of money with perfect ease. He does not like to think of the day in 983 when $25,000 stood between him and ruin. -se+—____ . THE WRITER'S CRAMP. ‘The Various Methods Adopted to Re- Neve ‘This Affliction, From the Writer. The best way to prevent writer’s cramp is suggested by the small boy's composotion on pins: “Pins have saved a great many lives—by not swallowing them.” Taking as a starting point the idea that writer's cramp is usually caused by over-exertion of one set of muscles, it ts obvicus that It is necessary to employ as many muscles of the hand as possible in writing. Therefore, the positions of holding the penholder must be varied. Disabuse your mind of the pre- cepts of the school room. Write for awhile grasping the penholder between the thumb und first finger; then put it between the first and middle finger, remembering to Keep the thumb from resting too tightly against it. This is important, for, in the absorption in his work, the writer is apt to impair the circulation in the thumb by too much pressure. Penholders are usu- ally grasped too tightly, anyway. This pre- vents that free, easy style of writing which is so essential. The next position ts to put the penholder between the middle and fourth fingers. This, of course, alters the character of the writing somewhat; but more rest to tired muscles has been found in holding the pen in this way than in al- most any other. Still more relief is ex- perienced by grasping the penholder with the whole hand. As the person writes en- tirely with the arm movemert, it is obvious that the small muscles of the hand are not overtaxed. It is the same principle as that of putting a short pencil in an apple, the apple grasped in the hand half. closed. Many writers who are troubled with cramp from writing in the conve 1 way mnake use of this convenience ese varied po- sitions do not alter the handwriting as much as one would imagine. Steel pens, from their lack of clasticity, are to be avoided by one who writes a great deal. Gold pens. with broad, seft nibs, are much preferable. and they can be moved with much less effort. Pencils—if not too hard—and stylographic pens are still better, because no particular angle has to be maintained between the woint and the and the position of holding them can kly varied. Now, a word as to the holders. They should never be smooth, but should have a slightly roughened surface. Small steel penholders, by taking away the heat of the hand, should be discarded. It is not an exaggeration to say that many writers have all the symptoms of cramp before the really awake to the fact that cork hold- ers are in existence! It Is well to try pen- holders of various sizes. as even cork hold- ers used exclusively will overtax the same muscles. If you have a long piece of work to accomplish at your desk, write for a while with an ordinary roughened wooden holder, grasping it, as I have suggested, between the different fingers. In about twenty minutes put your pen in a cork holder; after a time fasten to this cork holder'a stray pencil by means of rubber bands. The size of the holder can be in- creased by fastening two cork holders to- gether. But, as a rule, the one with a pencil is large enough, unless the work should be quite prolonged. I have found the most comfort in strapping a cork holder and a fountain pen together, cover- ing them with a piece of chamois leather. This arrangement causes more elasticity than if a holder of the same size were used. This Is a very useful little device and a great comfort to weary muscles. ——_+e-—. The Utility of the Hairpin. From the Roseleaf. Instead of a hook, it buttons boots, gloves and such like. Instead of a needle and thread, it will festen together a ripped seam. Instead of mucllage, it fastens together the woman reporter's sheets of -opy paper. Instead of a corkscrew, it will open a bottle; instead of a paper knife, it will cut open magazine leaves. Instead of a candlestick, it does good service straightened out, with one end jab- bed into a ‘candle, the other into the mantel. It is so useful, the wonder is how men get along without ‘em. And they don’t, very well. = = —S CHARCOAL FOR GUNPOWDER. How It is Made of the Particular Quality Needed. From the Chicago Recowd. Charceal-making for gunpowder is @ much more complicated process than the ordinary field kiln manufacture. Only cer- tain kinds of wood are used—usually the young Shoots of elder and willow—and it is cut in the spring, so that the bark may be stripped off. It is then piled under airy, open sheds and allowed to remain sever: years, until it is thoroughly dried. When the powder maker is ready for a new sup- ply of charcoal the wood is cut into lengths of three feet and placed in tight iron re- torts, under and around which a fire roars continually. The dampers and pipes are 60 arranged that the workmen have complete control of the heat. At the end of the rev tort a hole is left for the escape of the ine flammable gases resulting from the chare ring process. A pipe caiches them as they leave the retort and conveys them into the furnace, where they take the place of @ good deal of fuel. When the flame of th gases become a deep-blue color the worl men know that the wood is sufficiently charred and the retort is cooled down as quickly as possible. The charcoal is then left for a week or more before grinding, because if placed in the machine at once there is danger of 4 eye combustion, Tho best charcoal is jet black, and frace tures show a velvety surface. The grinding machine is like a huge olde fashioned coffee mill—two rougheyed coneg turning one inside the other, As the pow- dered charcoal comes oit it falls upon & screen, and all that goes through it is taken to the powder mill and the residue “tailing over” ts returned to the grinder, ——+o2_____ Grant’s First War Service. . From McClure’s Magazine. Upon him the adjutant general also put the critical eye, when Grant applied to him, and seemed, like all the others, to be disposed to measure the unassuming man by his clothes rather than by his record and his intelligence. He, too, said: “Well, I don’t know that there is anything you can do to help us. We are pretty well organized. But,” he added, “hold on; you must know how to rule blanks for the making out of such reports as we make up. You certainly learned how to do that when you were in the army.” “Oh, yes,” replied Capt. Grant, how those blanks should be ruled.” “Well, you see,” continued the adjutant general, “‘we are short of these blanks. The department at Washington cannot forward us the printed blanks as fast as we need, the demand is so great. I think I'll set you to work ruling blanks. You may come around tomorrow.” Capt. Grant,came, according to appoi ment, and paper, ink and pen, with ruler were given to him. But he was not per- mitted to have a desk in the room where most of the clerks of the adjutant general worked. That was a room well carpeted, a room with handsome desks and other convenient and comfortable furniture. Just outside of it was a little ante-room, where the floor was bare, and the only furniture was a plain table and a hard-bottomed chair. There they put Capt. Grant and set him to work ruling blanks; and thus, in that humblest of clerical work he, who was a few years later to command all its armies, and finally to rule the nation, be- gan his formal service in the war. ——_-e+____ How Lincoln Looked in 1861. Gol. A. K. McClure in McClure’s Magazine. About the Ist of January, 1861, I re- ceived a telegram from Lincoln, requesting me to come to Springfield. I went directly from the depot to Lincoln’s house and rang the bell, which was answered by Lincoln himself opening the door. I doubt whether I wholly concealed my disappoint- ment at meeting him. Tall, gaunt, ungain- ly, ‘clad, with a homeliness of manner that was unique in itself, I confess that my heart sank within me as I remembered that this was the man chosen by a great nation to become its ruler in the gravest period of its history. I remember his dress as if it were but yesterday—snuff-colored and slouchy pantaloons; open black vest, held by a few brass buttons; straight, or evening, dress-coat, with tightly-fitting sleeves to exaggerate his long, bony arms; and all supplemented by an awkwardness that was uncommon among men of intel- ligence. Such was the picture I met in the person of Abraham Lincoln. We sat down in his plainly furnished parlor, and. were uninterrupted during the nearly four hours that I remained with him, and little by lity tle, as his earnestness, sincerity and cane dor were developed in conversation, I forgoh all the grotesque qualities which so co! founded me when I first greeted him. TRe- fore half an hour had passed I learned not only to respect, but, indeed, to reverence the man. —__--+0«_____ The Circus Kitchen. 5 From McClure’s Magazine. At 4:05 a shout from the crowd indicates the approach of the three huge cook Wagons, each weighing twenty tons and ¢rawn by six horses. From the first of them rise three chimneys, out of which black smoke is pouring. This wagon car- ries the sixteen-foot cooking range, where fires were started the moment the wagon was unloaded from the train. Already, while rolling toward the circus grounds, the ten cooks have been making active preparations for the breakfast which must be served within two hours to 700 hungry, people. When the three wagons have drawn up on the site of the still unraised cook tent three butchers with heavy cleavers at oncé begin work upon the sides of beef, legs of mutton and loins of pork (five hundred pounds in all) that must forthwith changed into steaming steaks, chops an cutlets. A boiler is set up, and steam pipes are connected from it with the big urn which must furnish two thousand cups of coffee shortly, and with the warming pans on the tables where the meats are served. While this i3s doing by one set of men others are raising the tent, building twelve long tables, and unpacking twenty large green boxes that contain six thousand dishes and countless kitchen utensils. ————_ + e+ ___ I know Hunting Moonshiners. From the New York Evening Post. Indeed, this business of prosecuting moon- shiners in the southern states is rapidly becoming a public scandal. It does not amount to anything in the majority of cases. I suppose the marshals want to earn their mileages and fees. For every, dollar collected, the government pays out $10, perhaps more. When I was in northern Georgia, the jails were filled with moonshiners ' who, unable to furnish bail, were being support- ed at the expense of the government. The majority of the prisoners were poor devils, who distilled corn whisky on a small scale. ‘The amount of the stuff they manufactured would not give the government much reve- nue, even if the tax were paid. Col. John W. Echols, a prominent attorney of At- lanta, Ga., said to me: “The whole matter is a farce. To illustrate: Last week the federal court discharged a poor negro who had been six months {n jail. He was ar- rested for selling 40 cents’ worth of illicit corn juice. The government paid the local authorities 50 cents a day for the prisoner’s board for six months, or a total of $100. The legal expenses were perhaps $20. In other words, it cost the United States gov- ernment about $120 to prosecute a 40-cent case, and the man was finally discharged. But I suppose the majesty of the law must be vindicated.’ ——___ 2s Telephones in Caurch, r From the Philadelphia Press. In order to enable the large number of persons who attend the Grace Temple Bap- tist Church to hear Rev. Russell H. Con- well preach, a system of telephones is to be introduced by which the entire service can be heard in overflow meetings, that will be held in what is known as the Lower Temple and in the forum of the college :d- joining the temple. It is proposed to place a properly ar- ranged series of telephor.es in front of the pulpit and at two other points of the ros- trum, and at a judicious position in the choir, and connect these with the other two auditoriums. The experiment has been tried before in two instances, and both have proven successful. One of these is in Christ Church, Birmingham, and the other in Paris ut the Grand Opere House. y Expelled. From the Indianapolis Journal. “What was Joblots up before the commit- tee for?” asked the first clubman. “It has been pretty well established that he was caught cheating at cards. I guess he is pretty sure to be fired “And it is no more than right that he should be. A man who can’t drop his busi+ ress habits when he enters a club has no ee to be in one, and that is all there is to it.”