Evening Star Newspaper, August 10, 1895, Page 13

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1895-TWENTY PAGES. F 13 NOTES OF VIENNA The Wealth and Popularity of Emperor Franz Joseph. HOW HE IMPROVED THE CAPITAL Comparison of the Characters of Two Royal Brothers. THE HEIR TO THE THRONE Special Correspondence of The Evening Star. VIENNA, July 30, 1895. TIS NOT GEN- [ex known that Franz Joseph is not only the wealthiest monarch, but also the richest man in the world. His pos- sessiors in Austria are enormous. A greater portion of the fertile country be- longs to im alone; the railway bearing his name he owns outright; nearly the whcle of the Salzkammergut, with its in- exhaustible deposits of salt, throwing off millions of revenue annually, is his private property. The Praier, the great park fac- ing the Danube, and adjacent to Vienna, verre nearly five thor nd acres; the Folks Garten, in the very heart of the capital—the extensive drilling grounds, the Schmelz, embracing nearly a third of the Meirepolis—scores of palaces and estates scattered all over the empire, together with interests in hundreds of factories and thousands of buildings, are among his pos- seesions. No individual could ever com- pute it. To guess at the worth of the im- perlal jewels and the works of art of this one man would be nothing short of a ven- ture. It is simply impossible. Suffice te Say that they alone are worth hundreds of millions, and that, notwithstanding many beliefs to the contrary, they are the most complete and extensive in Europe. AEE S4iyy FACE ARG \ Francis Joseph of Austria. Through the judicious expenditure of his enormoys income and his yearly salary of | fifteen million florins, he has made Vienna what It is today—the most beautiful mod- ern city in the world. It was Franz Joseph who removed the unsightly barriers—the inner and outer walls which encircled the city, and which in the early days of the empire served as a hindrance to the con- stant invasions of the warring Turks. It was he who built upon this site the Ring strasse, the most magnificent thoroughfare conceivable. He also erected the two co- lossal museums of natural history and art, and during his reign the stately city hall reared its wall. The Votif Kirche, the grandest example of Gothic architecture; the university, the most beautiful exponent of the French Renaissance, and that grace- ful Grecian temple, the house of parliament, which delights the eyes of all, were erected unier his guidance and supervision. By the construction of that enormous aqueduct which taps the eastern Alps, and which, for a distance of over forty miles, carries a volume of the purest mountain water, he conferred a lasting boon upon suffering humanity, and so improved Vienna's wa- ter supply that that terrible scourge, ty- phoid fever, which found its Nidus within its confines and fairly decimated its popu- lace, has been entirely removed. Franz Joseph also, in 1848, projected the first mountain railroad over the apparently in- surmountable Semmering, and up to the present day it remains as the boldest piece of railroad engineering in existence. Generosity and Popularity. Of all the European rulers, the pres2at emperor was the first to recognize Ameri- can citizenship, and that in the face of the fact that he was deeply grieved in the non- interference of the United States in behalf of his younger brother—the unfortunate and misguided Maximilian. Through his stint- less contributions to the imperial opera and theater, as well as to the societies of decd» rative art and the varied sciences, he has developed a spirit of culture within his em- pire second to none, so that Vienna has be- come a recognized center for art. Every in- dustry and worthy undertaking this mon- arch has fostered, and in justice to him it can be sald that his conservative policy and wonderful diplomacy have done so much for Austria that it commands the ad- miration of even the disinterested. Franz Joseph has never been a warrior, but what is better, a peacemaker and a statesman. In the face of the powerful opposition has given his country a parliament almost as liberal as that of England. Charitably Inclined, he has lavished millions and mil- Mons of his private funds upon his people, and during his reign as king and emperor has relieved more suffering and distress than th ined rulers of Europe. Today he is the most popular ruling monarch, and as a child reveres its parents so do the Austrians reverence Franz Joseph. After his death his memory will live for years and his influence, whatever the future form of governmeut may be, will be felt for cen- turies. The Successor to the Throne. With the death of his son, the crown Frince, {t became necessary to select a successor to the thrones of the Austrian empire and the kingdom of Hungary. It was the patriot Kessuth who, failing to establish an indeperdent republic in Hun- gary, succeeded in obtaining for his coun- try a king and an indcpendent parliament, go that the Emperor of Austria, while be- ing at the same time ruler over Hungaria, fs its king, restricted by a constitution framed by his subjects, instead of being, as before, an absolite monarch. Stephanie, the widow of Rudolph, and the Arehduch- ess Elizabeth, his only child, are ineligible in both coun‘ries by reason of a law en- acted since the ‘eign of Marie Theresa which forbids a woman to rule over “the realms of the Hapsburgs.” The nearest heir is Karl Ludwig, the emperor's eldest brother, It is he and not his son, Ferdi- nand D'Este, as is generally supposed, who has been selected as the next ruler of Austria, his facher, at the earnest solicita- tion of his wife, having withheld the with- drawal which he had prepared in favor of his son. ‘The Two Brothers Compared. Compared to Franz Joseph, Charles Louis fg by no means as brilliant or as diplomatic @ man, and his mannerism and arrogance are such that the enthusiasm and popular- {ty which the present emperor receives at the hands of his subjects will not be shared by nim even in a small degree. In the two brothers there fs no particular re- semblance with the exception of their un- usually large figures, which at all times them conspicuous personages in a , and which, together with their sol- bearing, contribute much to their terly dignity, ‘The Hapsburg features and that Hp of which medical men are accustomed to ribing a certain diathesis are of both, yet with the excep- of their height and these facial re- gemblances they look exceedingly unlike. Franz Joseph is slender, while Karl Ludwig is inclined to obesity. The expression of the emperor's countenance Is pleasing, one which involuntarily elicits the sympathy of his audience; that of Karl Ludwig is re- pulsive to the extreme, his face being of a sensual rather than a spiritual order. The lines about the eyes, cheeks and chin of the one are refined, while those of the other are coarse and heavy. The emperor has an un- usually low forehead, and for which reason he appears to better advantage when wear- ing his cap. The opposite is true of his brother. There is a certain pallor of the foriner’s face, betokening worry and anx- iety, while that of the latter is free of care and always flushed, suggesting the truth— an excessive resort to the cup. Refinement and grace stamp the one, while a jaunty air and haughtiness mark the other. As the emperor is beloved by the people of the dual monarchy, so is Karl Ludwig despised by the Bohemians, the Tyroleans, and es- pecially the Hungarians, who look upon him as a treacherous foe, ready for per- sonal gain to sqcrifice the interests of their kingdom and parliament, obtained at such a cost of perseverance. Unpopular Charles Louis. ‘The latter's conniving at critical times during the last quarter of a century has been keenly felt in Hungary and in Buda- Pesth; there is no more unwelcome person age than Charles Louis. Whether on ac- count cf an appreciation of his unpopu- larity, or fear of the accompanying danger attending a visit, he is not often seen at the Hungarian capital, where there is a more independent spirit of the people than anywhere else upon the continent. His ideas are so radical and border so ‘much upon the tyranny that it is doubtful as te whether he or his wayward sons will ever be allowed to seize the reins of govern- ment, It is a mooted qvestion whether his interference in the passage of the civil mar- riage bill, which has been agitating the kirgdom for the last ten years, has not cost him the throne, and there is not only great danger, but more than a probability that the threat so often made by the Hungari- ans will be carried into execution, namely to throw the objectionable nabob and his sons aside and substitute in their place the daughter of the emperor, as regent until her son shall have reached his maturity This would be the greatest political move that has ever been made in Austria, and would do more to strengthen the empire than the institution of any policy or the formation of new alliances. The latter and her husband are most popular in Austria. and their son, following in the footsteps of his illustrious grandfather, would be more than acceptable to all the heterogensous mass of people composing the empire There is an old legend which predicts that with the death of Franz Joseph will come the fall of Austria. ws l While it is not probable it is nevertheless pessible, for who at this moment can say how long the triple alliance will remain in effect, and how much the next emperor can rely upon his army and the clerey. Charles Louis and his sons, even !f they become emperors and kings, are not states- men enough to hold together the diver- sified and turbulent masses,which, strength- ened with the introduction of a powerful socialistic element, tend to weaken their cause. Ferdinand D'Este. But as Charles Louis is but little younger than his brother and of the two appears the older it is not at all probable that he will outlive Franz Joseph. Ferdinand D'Este and his next younger brother, Otto, are the ones to be looked upon more than the father. Franz Ferdinand, the elder, who has assumed the title, Ferdinand D'Este, at the wish of a relative who de- sires the perpetuation of his name and who holds the same and with it the sec- ond largest fortune in Austria upon the condition that he will relinquish both title and wealth to his brother in the event of his becoming king is an exceptionably kandsome fellow, but below the average intellect. He is perhaps even better look- ing than his cousin, the late crown prince, Rudolph. His face, however, has a dull and stupid expression, and that profundity so characteristic of Rudolph is entirely wanting. He possesses no magnetism what- ever, is indifferent and careless, and seems to care but little for his father, the em- peror or the throne. Hnjoyment is his only thought, and though matrimony has been urged upon him repeatedly, up to the pres- ent time the much desired and rumored match between him and the Archduchess Stephanie has not been arranged. It would strengthen bis cause to a wonderful de- gree, for Stephanie at least shares the sympathy of her countrymen, which he does not. Why he has not married the princess fs not known, but perhaps the reason lies in the fact that Stephanie her- self is a barrier to the marriage. For the welfare of Austria may neither Kar! Lutwig or his wayward sons ever be- come its emperor. JOHN H. METZEROTT. A Social Function in Kentucky. From the Courfer-Journsl. A big dance on Brushy fork of Tygart creek Wednesday night, which was attend- ed by a majority of ghe people of that and adjoining neighborhoods, ended with a sensational incident. George Daniels and Jack Spencer were rivals for the hand of Miss Lotta West, and Daniels accompa- nied her to the dance, a proceeding which so enraged Spencer that he did not at- tend the dance, but secured a companion and went hunting. About 10 o’clock their dogs caught a skunk, which they intended “to take home. On their way home they were compelled to pass the house where the dance was in progress, and upon looking in at the win- dow Spencer saw Daniels and Miss West standing a little closer together than he thought they should. This further enraged Spencer so much that he took the polecat by the tail and threw it at Daniels. His aim was not good, and the animal struck Miss West squarely in the face, nearly knocking her down. Daniels lost no time in getting outside to see the author of the unpleasantness, and, seeing Spencer getting away, started in pursuit, overtaking him in a few mi,utes, and bringing him back to where the crowd had gathered outside the house. Several modes of punishment were suggested, but the one that met the heartiest approval vas the following, which was suggested by Miss West and carried out immediately: Spencer's hands were tied securely behind his back and the skunk fastened to his breast in such a manner as to make it impossible to escape the foul odor arising from it. The fellow was then told to go home, a mile distant, followed by several to see that he did not get the animal loose. The proceeding broke up the dance and also won the young woman for, Daniels, as he and Miss West are to be married next Sunday. —____—$-eo—____—_ Strange Relationships. From ‘fid Bits. It is rarely that a daughter becomes her mother’s mother-in-law, yet this curious coinc‘dence does occasionally happen. A friend of mine, a colonel in the army, had been a widower for some years, and resided with his sons and daughters in Plymouth, At a ball given by the officers of his regi- ment he met a beautiful young girl, with whom he fell desperately in love, and, to make a long story short, they were soon married. At the year’s end there was an addition to the family. Of course the mother came to be with her daughter on this interesting occasion, and, being a handsome, well-pre- served woman, the colonel’s eldest son be- came much attached to her, and before long led her to the hymenial altar. Thus the daughter became mother-in-law to her own mother. Another strange relationship is that of a lady who is mother-in-law to her two sis- ters In a somewhat similar fashion to the above, they having married her stepsons. I myself arm cousin to my own sister, she having espoused my husband’s first cousin, and am second cousin to my nephews—her sons, . << __. How He Earned His Reputation. From the Chicago Tribune. Mrs. Finkenbinder—“You, Georgiana! Come into the house this minute or I'll have ycur father whip you within an inch of your life!” Mrs. Finkenbinder (to Mr. Finkenbinder next day)—“I wish you wouldn't be so cross to the children, Lemuel. You are a perfect brute. No wonder they are ail afraid of you.” —____+e+____ Making Real Progress. From the Chicago Record. “You musi ve an expert rider by Pedall—“‘Sure thing! Knocked a man down at a crossing today.” Cyclist—‘Well? I don't see the point.” Pedall—“That's easy. If I hadn’t been an expert rider I would have lost my nerve and dismounted.” THE DUCKING SEASON Tn About Six Weeks the Gunners Will Be Busy. FINE SPORT ALONG THE POTOMAC Great Variety of Ducks to Be Found in This Locality. BLINDS AND DECOYS Written Exclusively for The Evening Star. 4 O THE ENTHUSI- I astie sportsman no rain is too wet, no weather too cold, no amount of exposure or hardship is too se- vere, if only his ef- forts can be reward- ed by a bunch of wild ducks to exhib- it to adm'ring friends and congenial spir- its on his return. The writer fortu- nately (or unfortu- nately) is one of those who will go farthest and endure more suffering from exposure to get a shot at a duck that he don’t get than the majority of gunners, and having lived mostly in a county where canvas- backs and red-heads are unknown, has had to content himself with the smaller and less lordly of the aquatic tribe—a con- dition of affairs that prevails almost en- tirely around Washington. Granted that the pursuit of canvas-back and red-head ts ducking par excellence, still as we don’t set it here, let us.make the most of what we haye and I oan assure you from abun- dant experience that royal good sport can be had. Barely six weeks intervene before the season opens—and the big army of birds that have passed the breeding season in Buflle-Head. northern waters will begin to wend their way southward. Before they come, just a word tc our Washington gunners. Far better shooting is to be found within five miles of this city than the majority of persons are aware of, and I have seen big- ger bunches of biras brought in to show for a day’s shooting within sight of the monument than could be had for a ten days’ absence from the city, and an ex- penditure of a hundred <iollars. Mind you, I do not say this can be done at all times, even when ducks are plenty, for even in the middle of the si on a whole week may elapse and not a bird is to be seen on the river, when suddenly, without warning, they appear in abun- dance, remain a few days and as rapidly disappear. To keep informed as to the movements of the birds is, of course, the prime factor, -and this is readily done by paying some one down the river to notify you when the birds appear, at the shooting Shoveler. grounds, or ev2n the captains of the river boats can give you the information. With two exceptions, the best ducking I ever had has been between here and Alexandria. You will seldom get over eight or twelve birds, but the excitement and pleasure de- rived at so small an outlay, and so near home, makes up for the comparatively small bag. Washington is peculiarly situ- ated in the path of bird migration, so much so that a far greater variety of species are found Here than at points only a short dis- tance north and south. Not only is this true of the duck family, but it applies equally as well to the entire host of eastern bird spe- cies that annually pass southward. Barring an occasional canvas-back an? red-head that strays up here at times, there cre six- teen varieties of ducks that one may rea- sonably expect to run across during a sea- son's shooting. There are the American, red-breasted and hooded Mergansers—total- ly unfit for food, and hardly to be counted, save that it takes as much skill to bag them as any other bird; then comes the mallard, black, shoyeler, pintail, wood, greater and lesser scaup ducks, she grecp wing and blue wing teal, the golden cye, buffiehead, old squaw and ruddy ducks— quite a respectable assortment after all. These are all more or less numerous at certain seasons of the year, and, in the case of one or two species (mentioned later), im- mense flocks, frequently numbering hun- dreds, are to be found. The best ducking ground lies along the western margin of the river from Long bridge down as far as about a mile this side of Alexandria, and in spite of the fact that the market gunners are constantly patrolling this region, any one can get 2 good day’s sport if he goes at it in the right way. The portion of the river lying off Four Mile run is probably the best ground of all. Should the day be unfavorable for decoys, the ducks plenty but not flying, you have your choice of rowing upon them, or, if windy, of bearing down on them in a sail- boat, and it is surptising how close you can get to a flock of ducks if well hidden be- hind a sail. This is quite a favorite method in this locality. The scheme of rowing Pinstall. them down fs an old one, and while rather tough work, is often quite successful. To work it requires two men, one to row, the other to shoot. First, a pile of brush is built up in the bow of the boat and extending out each side for a distance of two feet; behind this lies the gunner; the oarsman takes his seat in the stern of the boat and softly but slowly paddles the boat toward the unsuspecting ducks, and upon his judgment and skill with the pad- dle generally depends the result of the ruse. The same flock can frequently be ap- proached several times in succession if small in numbers, but if a large flock—say 50 or 100, as is often seen—it is useless, as an increase in number seems to increas wariness, and long before the boat 1s with- in gunshot the birds are up and away. Of course, there is no sport quite like shooting over decoys—every ong udmits that—and quite a number of places are to be found where decoys can be put out from land with decided advantage, while in others—and, in fact, on some of the best feeding grounds—blinds are built on poles driven down in the muddy bottom: far out from land, to which the sportsman is taken in a boat and left for his day’s shooting. This mode of ducking is quite common, and numbers of these blinds are to be seen any day between Washington and Alexandria still standing from last year’s shooting, These blinds are private property, and it is not every day that a stranger can get the use of them. To construct one requires but a little labor, and the independence felt is abundant reward. Their construction is as follows: First, four-posts are driven to a sufficient depth ang. bound together by ckoss pieces; upon,;these cross pieces is built a platform, around which brush is Red-Heaa. fastened, so as to; completely hide its identity. Care’ must be taken to make allowance for the tides, or an accident will happen similar to that which befell a friend of the writer, who chanced to construct his blind at low tide, seated himself for a day's shoot, but was driven out by two feet of water over the platform, and was taken off after standing on a three by five platform for two hours up to his knees in ice water. However, one don’t mind ‘ little thing like that’ when out for sport. Once in the blind the oarsman puts cut the decoys, which should never be less Wood Duck. than thirty in number, and then rows away. His business is to keep the ducks moving and to return occasionally to pick up any dead birds or to give chase to the wounded. I said the decoys should num- ber thirty. These, if properiy distributed make a big flock, and a big flock is necessary if it is hoped to decoy the larger bunches of ducks. Small flocks, eight or a dozen,, will decoy to either a small or large bunch of decoys, but when a flock of say two or three hundred ruddy ducks wings its way up the river, nothing but a large flock of the wooden dummies will make them swerve from their course. Of the Mergarser, one only, the hooded, need claim any particular attention, as both the American and red-breasted are rather rare here and not particularly handsome. The hooded, however, is one of the hand- somest of American waterfowl and quite common. They decoy well and drop in singly or some times in flocks of ten or a dozen. As previously stated, they are un- fit for food, but if a male bird be shot, the stuffed and mounted skin is a trophy well worthy of a position on the center table. They are not here in abundance until about Christmas time, but are frequently taken as early as the middle of October cr first of November. Feeding as they do on fish, they are necessarily expert divers, and a wounded Merganser is one of the most difficult of all ducks to secure, ard will even hold on to grass growing from the bottom until he dies rather than submit to capture. 4 The common mallard and black ducks may be speken of together. They are very abundant, both in spring and fall, decoy well, both singly and in flocks, and are among the finer of out table birds. Both are essentially swamp birds, and are often shot in the ponds and inlets. A favorite resort for the mallards is the large swempy tract just beiow New Alexandria, called the “Dyke,” and here also at the peint is of the best places for early morning shcotirg. .Four-Mile run is also favorite feeding ground—in the pond bac’ ‘| of the railroad, and even up the stream for scme little distance. During the mallard season this latter placetis probably the fin- est ducking ground around Washington. As a night roost it offers great attractions, and large numbers have been killed by gunners stationed on the bridge as the birds flew in from the river at twilight. At such times they generally fly low and within easy range, and as this kind of shooting ¢on’t begin until sundown, the man ef business can get an early dinner and enjoy an hour’s shooting without any damage to his interests. There is another place this side of the run, where a little spring starts from the hillside, and flowing throustr the fields tinally empties into the river in the form of a’little lagoon, perhaps ten yrds across. To the casual eye it is nothing mere or less than it appears, but a close inspection by one versed in bird life tells a different story. Scattered feathers, bird droppings on the stcnes and floating wood, and the grass and wild celery pulled up by the robdts signify a duck roost. Go there any evening about 5 o'clock, screen yourself well behind the trees, and even although there ray not be a bird in sight at the time, a couple of brace of mallards tay reward you for two hours’ patient waiting. As for the pintail and shoveler, they are less common than the rest, and rank next to the canvasback and redhead in abund- ance. I don’t mean to say they are un- common, but 2s compared with the others fourd here they are sparse in numbers. To Canvasback. secure either, reliance must be placed in the stilt Llind, previously described, and the flock of decoys. More single birds will be found than flocks, although occasional bunches of a dczen of each kind will ap- pear. They decoy beautifully, are easily Killed, and a full-plumaged male shoveier or pintail wil' form a fitting companion for the hoodeu Merganser. But what shall we say of the wood duck, the very prince of American water fowl in beauty, gameness and flavor? It is the one duck that remains with us throughout the year, and at all times is to be found in the marsres or along the shores of the river. Popularly known as summer duck, it is hunted the year round, and the only won- der is that they are not exterminated. Early in June the young are brought from the hollow tree in which they were hatch- ed to the river, and long before they are able to fly the prowling market gunner bags nine out of ten and often the whole flock. Fortunately, the species is very abundant elsewhere, or in a few years the handsomest of ducks would be numbered with the great auk and Labrador duck: The mandarin duck of, China is admitted to be the most beautiful'duck in the world, and ts regarded with reverence by the in- habitants, it beingie crime to kill one, while our own wood duqk. is ranked by ornitholo- gists the next in point of beauty, and yet they are ruthlessly slain, even before able to fly. A pair breeds*annually in the swamp at the dyke below New Alexandria, and another pair in the'woods just below Mount Vernon, on ‘the Opposite side of the river, about a mile’ from'‘Marshall Hall. A pair of wood ducks“have faised their young for years in the hollow“of an old cotton- wood, while still knotherpair resorts to a similar location eyery yebr on the Eastern brar ch. 3 In the fall, while In ‘flocks, they decoy readily, but during the ‘winter they occur singly or in pairs,“and aré far less likely to swing into the blind than any of the other spectes. A peculiag, fact about them is that Hooded Merganser. after the breeding season the males get to- gether in big flocks, leaving the females to shift for themselves; as a result a flock raked by a discharge from both barrels may show either all of either one sex or the oth- er, and seldom a mixture. ‘The scaup ducks are among the common- est of our water fowl; locally they are known as “black heads,” “raft ducks” and “bluebills.” They often occur in large flocks, frequently numbering fifty or a hun- dred, although I have seen flocks of several thousand birds in Florida. Two kinds are found here—the greater and lesser—the lat- ter being only about two-thirds the size of the former, although almost identical in markings and color. The lesser is by far the commoner of the two; they decoy well, either singly or in flocks; are expert divers, and are frequently caught in the meshes of the shad nets through. - I have seen an entire flock annihilated in a twinkling in this manner. They afford good sport, being fairly good flyers, but their flesh is classed with the poorer ducks, although relished by some. Another species seen in large numbers, and even in greater flocks than the scaup ducks, are the little ruddy ducks, and I do not exaggerate when I say that I have seen flocks numbering 500 or 1,000 birds. One such hung around Four-Mile Run for nearly three weeks during March and April of the present year, and afforded no little sport to a few who knew of their ex- istence. Such flocks as that never decoy, and the only way to secure them is to creep upon them in either of the two ways pre- viously described. ‘The full-plumaged male ruddy duck is an exceedingly handsome bird, but they are seldom secured—why, I cannot say. Thous- ands are killed annually on-the river and Chesapeake bay, and yet I have never seen a perfect male exposed for sale in the market. They are comparatively strong flyers, and in small flocks fairly tumble in among the decoys, are easily killed and are fairly good eating. Of all the shooting on the river, the lit- tle teal ducks afford the best sport, if the season chances to be one of abundance for them. An old gunner once said that‘it took two men to shoot teal, one to say “here he comes,” the other to say ‘there he gces.” They are the swiftest flyers of the duck tribe. It will be readily seen, therefore, that a great deal of skill is required to bring them down. First to arrive in the fall, the blue wing reaches us about Sep- tember 1, and is closely followed by the green wing a week later. Both decoy well, die easily and are delicious eating. They fly best just at daybreak; in fact, I have had them come into my decoys before I could see the sight on my gun, and could only distinguish numerous dark forms hov- ering in the air. During the day they se’ dom fly at ali, and almost never deco; when they do. But you can tind them in some little open pool among the rushes in the swamp, well screened from view, feed- ing and sporting in tne water or sunning | themselves on the bank or drift wood. Un- like the other ducks, if disturbed, instead of going out into the river, they merely change to a similar location at some dis- tant point. The buffie heads, golden eyes or whistlers and old squaws are not constantly met with, but occur at intervals, sometimes in large numbers. The old squaw or south southerly ducks are rather rare; an entire season may pass with only a few seen, und then, again, quite a number are taken. The canvas back and redhead are too well known ‘to require any mention, Here, then, we have all told cighteen varieties of ducks, all mor2 or less abund- ant, and some common, almost any time from October to April. Surely, there is abundant sport, if one will but avail bim- self of it; and while, perhaps, not so grand oer so extensive es can be had on an ex- tended trip, still for the tircd-out business man, with nerves unstrung and spirits down to zero, if he will but follow the svg- gestiors contained :n this article, he can have all the fun he wants every day in the week. ———————— A Horse Mind Reader. From the Agriculturist. “Horses are almost as superstitious as men, but, unlike men, they can be reasoned with and made breadminded, liberal, free- thinking philosophers. The horse is the neblest animal that walks the earth. He nas most of the good traits of the humay race, with some of the bad ones.” It was Prof. Bartholomew who spoke in this ex- alted strain about the horse. “When a youth I was a cowboy, and one cf the rough riders of the west. Like other cowboys, I delighted in a bucking broncha but I soon learned that the wiliest horse can be tamed in an hour so that he will fellow his rider about and tet himself be ridden without a struggle. I have tamed hundreds of horses fresh from the prairies, and never failed to make a complete con- quest in a short time. I treat horses as intelligent beings, and after a manner ask them if they can do things. Often they re- fuse, and again they say as plainly as if they used words: ‘Why, yes, I can do that,’ and they do :t. . “I train my horses in classes. I take a dezen and ask each to do a certain thing. Some will start blindly, while others step up briskly and_ say, that.’ Then I ask them to do something else, and then those who wtre quickest at first will halt, while those who made no response before are anxious to do the thing. Thus I soon learn the class of work each i3 especially fitted for ard develop them along their special lines. In this way they are just like men. Now, I nave tried numer- ous ways to make a living outside of horses, but always fail and drift back to my hobby. “Horses are like men in the amount of courage they can muster up. If I want a horse to do extra long jumps I select a creature that is finely built and has all the physical qualities, but perhaps he is a coward and afraid to leap. Some little half-developed creature possessed with a dare-devil spirit may outdo him in every respect.” We plant sweet flowers above the spot Where rest our unforgotten dead. And while the roses bud and bloom We beautify their lonely bed. We rear the snowy marble shaft ‘That every passer-by may learn How sacred memory Keeps her trust In votive gift and storied urn, But, oh! the hearts that ache and break Through all the long bright summer days For some sweet word of tenderness, Some generous and outspoken praise; And, oh! the ‘ars that fall O'er life's mis and _cruel fate, Ke ‘Tout all things which the heart most craves Of love and glory come too late. ‘Then take the rose that blooms today And lay it In some loving hand, And wait not till the ear grows dull To tell the sweet thouzhts that you planned. One kiss on warm and loving lips Is worth a thousand funeral flowers, And one glad day of tender love Outweighs an age of mourning hours. —D. M. JORDAN. How She Keeps Baby Busy. From the New York Herald. The idea that the members of the Profes- sional Wemen’s League are entirely unac- quainted with practical thoughts simply be- cause they reverse the unthrifty grasshop- per's method, by dancing all winter, is de- stroyed at some of their club meetings. A housewife might profit by some of the ex- periences of observant actresses. One of their number told at a recent meeting that during a call upon her washer- woman she had been surprised at the amount of work don2, althougn the woman had a small baby with no one to care for it. “But don’t you find it very ditficult to keep the baby amused throughout the day?” I asked. “Oh, no, not at all,” was the reply. “Wait one minute and I will show you.” Then she daubed each of the tiny fingers with a bit of molasses, and through a little rip in a pillow pulled out a feather, which she stuck to one of the fingers. Immediately all the remainder of the ten were at work, trying to remove the feather, which was transferred to each of them in turn. “He sits there ani picks that feather un- til his little head nods over it. I put him in bed until he finishes his nap, ani when he wakens I just start him chasing a new feather round his fingers.” Celery Culture. From Meehan’s Monthly. It is well known that the celery plant delights in a rich and moist soll, ang those who have the opportunity to use ligquld manure in the cultivation of this plant haye a great aglvantage over others. In addition to this, some cultivators whe grow the celery for market are introducing water artificially, and find it to be a profit- able practice. In Allegheny City, western Pennsylvania, one grower has 2 supply pipe from one of the city water mains so atrangcd that at the end where the flow commences guano or some other artificial fertilizer can be placed in the water pipes. He can get double the crop from the same ground as by ordinary methods, and stalks that bring a much higher price in market. —+0e+- The Purpose, From the Chicago Record. Critic—‘I hear that you have been writ- ing a novel ‘with a purpose.’ ” Author—“That’s right. I’m going to get $2,000 for 11 in attempting to pass | HATCHING LOBSTERS An Interesting Experiment Under the Auspices of the Fish Commission, The Cannabalistic Tendencies on the Part of the Little Fellows Present the Greatest Difficulty. Written for The Evening Star. The stocking of the Atlantic coast waters with artificially hatched lobsters is the most interesting experiment that now engages the attention of the United States fish com- mission. Scarcely more than a beginning has been made in the work, this being only the second season during which it has been carried on. The enterprise is being con- ducted at Wood’s Holl, Mass., where, dur- ing the present summer, the enormous num- ber of 81,800,000 lobster eggs have been taken and subjected to the incubator pro- cess. Of these, 71,000,000 were actually hatched. To suppose that the artificial hatching of lobsters is attended with any special diffi- culty would be a mistake. That is not where the knotty part of the problem lies, as will be explained presently. The female lobsters in spawn are obtained from fisher- men, and each one is held by the tail while the egg masses are removed by gentie scraping with a dull wooden knife. The eggs are attached to the swimmerets of the animal. A mother lobster carries from 5,000 to 80,000 eggs, the latter being a rea- sonable allowance for an individual meas- uring sixteen inches in length. They are olive green in color, and as the time of hatching approaches the shells become so translucent that the little creatures may be seen coiled up inside of them. ‘To hatch them is the simplest matter in the world. They are put into an ordinary glass jar, such as is employed for hatching the eggs of shad and other kinds of fishes. The jar is so contrived that a continuous stream of fresh water flows through it, keeping the eggs agitated. After a few days the young lobsters emerge from the shells, shrimp-like and almost transparent. They look not in the least like adults of their species. Now comes the dangerous part of their existence. By the time they are forty-eight hours old they have begun to prey upon each other. They are veritable cannibals, those little lobsters, and no mat- ter how much food is given to them, they let no opportunity slip to gobble their com- panions. Their pugnacity is remarkable, and owing to this wicked disposition it is out of the question to keep a number of them together in a tank. They Must Take the Chances. This is where the trouble occurs in the artificial propagation of lobsters. If it were only practicable to keep them for a few weeks, until the danger period should be passed, they might be put into the sea full- fledged, so to speak, and able to take eare of themseixes. But this could not be ac- complished except by providing a separate compartment for each tiny crustacean, in order that he might not get at his fellows or be eaten by them. Such a plan could scarcely be carried out. Accordingly, the experts of the fish commission are obliged \o take the infant lobsters when they are only about a day old and dump them into the ocean to take their chances. The like- hood of the survival of any individual among them is very small, as may be judged frcm the following facts: Baby lob.ters, like juvenile oysters, are free-swimmiag arimals. During the early part cf their lives they float about at or near the surface of the sea, a prey to all sorts of firhes and numerous other enemies. From a life-insurance point of view they are extremely bad risks. Not one in a good many thousands ever grows up. Be- sides, they change their shells at short in- tervals, that being the only way in which they can grow bigger, arid this process is accomplished with much danger; many of them die in molting. At the age of about seven weeks the young lobster undergoes its fourth molt, and thereupon it assumes the shape of an qdult, leaving the surface j for good and descending to the bottom, where it spends the rest of its lifetime in walking about cr hiding in holes among the rocks. Baby lobsters are abcut one-third of an inch long when newly hatched. They will eat almost anything, and powdered clams and crabmeat are suitable food for them. But the most wholesome provender is ob- tained by towing nets of fine gauze along the surface of the sea. Thus are collected quantities of little shrimp-like animals and other almost microscopic creatures, with which the surface water fairly swarms. When they are a day cold the young lob- sters are put into twelve-gailon milk cans, one of which serves to hold 2,000 or 300,- 000 of the infant crustaceans. They are taken in a boat to suitable localities in Buzzard’s bay or Vineyard sound, where they are let loose in the water. Thence- forward they must take their chances. It is hoped that one out of 1,000 of them lives to grow up. If so many should survive the Atlantic coast waters of the United States would socn be repopulated with lobsters. Unhappily, the estimate is in all probabil- ity tco flattering. Still a Deubtful Problem. Lobster hatching by artifice is so new that nobody cen tell whether it is going to be a failure or a success. This season 71,000,000 young ones have been liberated, but who can say how many of them will escape the perils of molting and the maws of the fishes to attain-full growth? If the scheme is worth anything, there ought to be a large increase of the number of lob- sters taken by fishermen in New England waters within half a dozen years. Lobsters require several years to attain maturity— just how many years is not known. Cer- tainly, however, they do not reach mar- ketable size under four or five years. They begin to reproduce their species when they are from eight to ten inches long. ‘The reason why the process of molting is se dangerous to lobsterg is that with the external skeleton is cast off the lining cf the stomach and intestines, as well as the internal skeleton, which consists for the most part of a complicated linkwork cf hard tendons. At the time of shedding a store of lime is laid down in the stomach for the purpose of supplying material for the new skeleton. “In an adult the lime is in the form of two white lumps, about the size of filberts. These, better known in the crayfish as ‘“‘crayfishes’ eyes,” were con- sidered by the ancients to be remedies for a great variety of disorders. It is believed that adult lobsters cast their shells every otrer year. The lobster covers itself with mud in cold weather, and under certain conditions it burrows as extensively «s the prairie dog. This interesting animal is cenfined to a comparatively small strip of the Atlantic ocean, stretching from Delaware on the south to Labrador on the north and extending in breadth from the coast line out to a depth of from 60 to 100 fathoms. A_ Proposed Pian. Frofessor Francis H. Herrick, who has had charge of the lobster-hatching enter- prise at Wood’s Holl, thinks that some plan may yet be devised for rearing the young lobsters in confinement until they are of an age to take care of themselves. If that could be accomplished there would be no difficulty in restocking the depleted waters of New England with these valua- ble crustaceans. One of the requisite con- ditions would be the making of large in- closures, where overcrowding, which in- evitably results in destruction to the young, might be avoided. There ought also to be a supply of pure sea water, as free from sediment as possible. Surely this problem may be considered: from a hopeful point of view when one thinks of the wonders accomplished within a few years in the stocking of the Atlantic ccast waters with artificially hatched cod- fish, Thanks to the efforts of science these valuable food fishes are reappearing in great numbers on grounds from which they had wholly disappeared, owing to overfishing. The results of the work were first seen in 1889, when vessels on new banks took $250,000 worth of cod, all the evidence going to show that the millions of fishes representing this value were incu- bator bred. Whereas, in a state of nature the eggs of the coGfish float on the surface of the sea, only a small percentage of them being hatched, nearly every one treated in the incubator represents a liberated fish half an inch tn length. During the fiscal year ended June 30 the United States fish commission hatched 710,000,000 fishes, of which 70,000,000 were cod. Of the balance 250,000,000 were fresh water pike perch, 130,000,000 were whitefish and 120,000,000 were shad. RENE BACHE. FOR NERVOUS DYSPEPSIA Use Horsford’s Acid Phosphate. Dr. T. P. WYNN, Tarboro, N. O., says: “No other preparation compares with it” in ordinary cases of nervous dyspepsia.”” STEEL BIRDS’ NEST. A Remarkable One Preserved in @ Museum at Soleure. From the Pittsburg Dispatch. A very remarkable thing in the way of bird’s nests is preserved in the Museum of National History at Soleure, in Switzer- lend, whither it was brought by one M. Rudolph Rueder. It is a nest made en- tirely of steel. There are a number of clockmaking shops at Soleure, and in the windows of these shops there are often found lying disused or broken springs of clocks. Early last summer M. Rueder, one of these clockmakers, noticed a bird’s nest of peculiar appearance in a tree in his yard. He examined it and found that a pair of Wwg-tails had built a nest entirely of clock springs, which they had picked up here and there about the village. The nest was mcre than four inches across, and a per- fectly comfortable one for the birds. After the feathered architects had reared their brood, M. Reuder presented the nest to the museum of the town, where it is pre- served as a striking illustration of the skill of birds in turning their surroundings to° advantage in building their nests. Probably next year the birds will build another steel nest, and unless the clock niakers of Soleure guard their springs more closely, steel nests will not be so much @ curiosity as is this first one. ———-e+. WHY CHILDREN LIE. An Instauce Where Duplicity Was at High Prexsure. From the Philadelphia Press. Dr. Nathan Oppenheim, in one of the magazines, scientifically explains “why” children lie.” I have always thought that the little romancers should be gently dealt with, for very often their “‘whops” are a mix- ture of facts, dreams, imagination and the narrow horizon natural to their lim- ited experience. A child who won't at- tempt at times to squirm out of a trying situation must be either heavenly good or very stupid. But I do not know exactly what to think of a little vixen of a girl whose naughty brother flew at her the other day and bit her on the arm. The mamma was from home, and after a few moments the slight impression of the bad brothers teeth began to fade away, the indignant and revengeful vic- tim feared the enormity of the offense might not be realized by a belated parent, so every once in a while she bit herself anew in the same place, and by this means kept her dumb witness in a fine glow, so was able to produce quite a sen- — when dirner time and mamma ar- rived. Papa and bad brother had a spirited in- terview at bed time, and it was some days before the truth was discovered. ———-+ee_____ An Unfortunate Question. Frem the Boston Budget. : An ex-governor of Massachusetts tells the following, illustrative of a calling for Lusiness: Two brothers had for many years dene an undertaking business in a subur- ban tcwn. The elder had a son, Thomas, and desiring to establish him in life, ob- tained from his younger broth>r a promise that Thomas should be taken into the business. Tom made good progress and was soon sent to arrange for the funeral of a wealthy man who left as his chief mourner a widow who had already bur:ed two hus- bands. The young man returned, having made satisfactory arrangements as to car- riages, music, flowers, &c., much to his uncle’s joy. On the following day the uncle himself went to see that all was go- ing smoothly and found Mrs. X. in igh dudgeon. Expressing his regret and sur- prise he told Mrs. X. that Tom had re- turned on the preceding day with every- thing arranged apparently satisfactorily, and asked her what was the matter. “Well,” she replied, “Tom did very well until we di issed the time at which the services should be held. I hud not quite made up my mind, when Tom, meaning to help m2 out, said: ‘At what time have you teen accustomed to bury your husbands, madame?” ——_+e+_____ Odd Things in Japan. W. E. Curtis in the Chicago Record. One sees lots of odd things in Japan, and Mr, Kaneko, the assistant minister of commerce and agriculture, tells me he is writing a book on the peculiarities of his people. ‘The Japanese address letters the reverse from what we do, writing the country first, the state or province next, then the city, street and number, and the name last of all, which, when you come to think of it, is a very sensible method, and would be encouraged by our postman and the distributing clerks in our post offices. ‘The Japanese carpenter has the blade of his plane fastened face upward in the top of his bench, and sha the board or the plank across it. He pulls his saw toward him, instead of shoving it away from him with his weight upon it. The needlewoman sews from her body instead of toward it. The eye of the needle is at the point, and the thi is not cut from the spool until the seam is finished, but is drawn along through every stitch. She uses a paper thimble, oiled and waxed, instead of a metal one. When you buy a few yards of cloth the merchant always unrolls the whole piece and cuts it off the inside end, in order that you may not have to take the part that is faded and shopworn. —__—$_s00—___—_ Now. Life. Feller what shirks an’ is lazy Ain't no use livin’, I vow! But I tell yer who is the daiss— ‘The feller thet does things now, From He's never procrastinntin’ An’ tellin’ ye “why” an’ “how,” When the doin’ on’t 's what he’s hatin’: He jest goes and does it, now. Ef the cordwood calls fer a tussle ‘Thet'll bring the sweat to his brow, He gits out his saw with a hustle, An’ tackles the job right now. ‘The chap thet talks of termorrer Is crooked somewheres, I "low; In payin’ what he may borrer, He never gits ‘round ter now, But the feller thet starts on the minute— ‘The crows don’t roost on his piough— Bf 't rains he ain't workin’ out in it, *Cause he gits his bay in now. Ef yer lookin’ fer what'll sult yer, Yer kin take off yer hat on’ ‘Ter the chap thet’s short ca the future ‘An’ ekerly long on now. —__+e+ They Advertised. From the Oakland (Cal.) Enquirer. When a dead whale came ashore at Santa Mcnica a few days ago, and failed to at- tract the attention of which so odorous an object is deserving, the Southern Pacific Company invested $50 in advertising, at- tracted 40,000 visitors from Los Angeles, and took in $20,000. Oakland, like other towns, is full of storekeepers who believe their establishments are too big to need advertising, but the Southern Pacific Com- pany knows it is not too big to advertise with good effect, and does a great deal of it. It is an example to the men who do business on a few thousand dollars capital and in a room with tweaty-five feet front. Se Pleasure in His Work. From the Chicago Record. “That sour old fellow, Grumpus, has @ job that just suits him.” “What's that?” “He's station master. where fifty trains go out every day, and he sees 801 miss every one of them.” —_— —+0+____. “Her Hair Stood on End.” From Life. .