Evening Star Newspaper, September 14, 1895, Page 13

‘THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 44, 18982TWENTY PAGES. : 13 INTERVIEWING FRANK BEARD. TAUGHT BY PICTURES Frank Beard Believes in the Cartoon in Religion. A CHAT WITH THE ARTIST How He Came to Invent the Chalk Talk.” WAR-TIME CARICATURES (Copyrighted, 1895, by Frank G. Carpenter.) CHICAGO, September 12. “ HAVE JUST HAD A talk with Frank Beard about him- self and American caricature. He is, to a certain extent, the father of the Ameri- ican cartoon, and Ne has been making funny pictures for the newspapers all his life. He,is now about fifty years of age, and his first picture was publish- ed when he was under ten. He has opened @ new field in cartconing as the editor of the Ram's Htrn. This is the Puck and Judge of Chicago, but its pictures are semi- religious instead of political. In it Frank Beard is trying to reform the religious world by expssing its shams Its fleld was well expressed -by Mr. Beard during the talk, when 1 esked him ag to what he thought of the future of American car- ricature. He replied: “I think we are just at the beginning of the use of the cartcon. Pictures can often tell stories quicker and better than words, and I believe that cartoons can be used in the service of religion, righteousness, truth and justice without being subject to party. I believe in the fundamental principles of Christianity, but I can take a text from the Bible, and with the utmost reverence can, through the medium of the cartoon, apply it to the civilization of today. I can point a moral in this way, and by a picture can make @ tract which every man who sees it must read. The First Chalk Talk. Frank Beard is as deaf asa post, and ke has been so from birth, The only way to talk with him is through a biack rubber tube, about as big around as a garden hose and as long as your arm. This he aiways has about his neck. Mr. Beard is an inveterate sketcher, and during my cenversation he illustrated his points by drawing pictures, talking all the while, so that it seemed a race between his tongue and his pencil as to which should convey the idea first. There is no man in the United States who can give forth ideas in this manner as he can. He is, you know, the originator of the chalk talk, and there is hardly a town in the United States in which he has not given this sort of a lecture, standing on the platform with a roll of paper stretched on an easel before him, and with a haif dozen colored crayons in his hand. He car- ries his audicnces with him while he draws Pictures illustrating the philosophy, fun and satire which he throws at them in solid chunks. There are today a score or more of this kind of entertainers in the United States. Frank Beard, however, was the author of the business, and he made,“the other day, a sketch for me in illustration of his story as to how he came to make the first chalk talk. Said he: “It is now more than twenty years since T gave my first talk of this Kind. I was @ young artist in New York, and had just been married. My wife was an en- thusiastic churchgoer, and a great dea! of our courtship was carried on in going to and from the Methodist Church. ‘The re- | conctuded to make a short talk, and draw of it. TI wrote ed it a half dozen times beforehand. ‘he entertainment was for a Thanksgiving celebration, and my rehearzal took place at home, my wife, my muther-in-law and the turkey, which we ted up in the chair, forming the audience. Well, my wife survived, my mother-in-law did not die while I was talking, and the tur- key was not spoiled. The exhibition came off im the church, and ir was a great suc- cess. Other churches heard of it, and I had applications to repeat it again and for ten jokes. This was a fortune for a schoolbey, and I was the envy of all my companions.” Frank Beard’s First Cartoon. “Do you remember what that first joke Mr. Beard?” 5 “Yes,” -replied the cartoonist, with a lavgh. “It was not the most elegant, but it was such as a schoolboy might naturally originate. It represented a lean, old school mistress, with a spelling book in one hand and a ruler in the other, sitting before a alttle boy perched upon a bench, who was ssying his spelling lesson. Under it were these words: — what does b-e-n-c-h “Bobby—I don’t know, mum.’ “Teacher—Why, what are you sitting on?’ we sobby—'I don't like to tell.’ “You were in the army, Mr. Beard; how could you pass the examining board with your deaf ears?” I asked. "replied Frank “I tried to pass the officers, but failed. I was just eighteen when Fort Sum- ter was fired upon. With the first shot an epidemic of patriotism broke out all over the north. Every one wanted to go right away and fight for the country. I got the epidemic and was crazy to go. I went cown to Camp Dennison, near Columbus, Ohio, and attempted to pass the examiners. ‘This was at the first of the war, and they were more particular then than later on. I knew they would not pass me if they dis- covered I was deaf, so I learned. the order of the questions and committed the an- swers to be given to them. I met a num- ber of men who had been examined, and I thought I had it down pat when I went in. It happenei, however, that one of the board had heard something of my infirm- ity, and at his whispered suggestion the order of the questions was changed. In- stead of asking me my name the first ques- tion was: “How old are you?” ‘Frank Beerd,’ I boldly answered. ‘What is your name?’ ‘Eighteen years old,’ was my reply. A Volunteer in Truth. “This went on for perhaps half a dozen questions when the oflicers burst into laugh- ter, and I saw that it was no go. They re- fused to admit me into the service. I hung around the camp for a short time and avas about to go back home in despa‘r, when one of the captains took pity upon me. He | told me that I might so with his company without pay, and that he would get mea WHY DON’T YOU TAKE IT? again, ily consented. I never thought of charg- ing for it uutil the demands became so numerous that I was unable to fill them. It was taking much of my energy and lots of time. To put a stop to it my wife suggested that I charge so much for each entertainment. So, when the next appli- cation came, “I replied that I could oblige them, but that it would cost $30. To my surprise they accepted my offer by return mall. It was so with nearly every one who wrote, and I soon found that I was making more at-my chalk talks that at my news- aper work. I then charged $40, then and so on until I now get what Is considered a very good price. I don’t like to lecture very well, however. The Wear and tear {s too sreat, and you have to hurry too much to make trains.” A Boy Sketcher, “When did you make your first cartoon, Mr. Beard?” I asked. “My Inclination to make caricatures dates back to my boyhood,” was the reply. “My father was an artist, you know, and he At first I was flattered, and I read- | THE SCHOOL TEACHER uniform and musket. He did so, and I served throughout the war as a private without pay. I did some sketching, but not much, and made just about as much out of my p:cgures as I would have -eceived from Uncle Sam had I been on the regular Pay rolls. This seems rathe: extraordinary now. You can hardly understand it. It was not strange in 1861. Patriotism was then alive. The country was on fire with it, There were thousands of young men who would have done the same. The First Great War Cartoon. “The war was practically the mother of American newspaper caricature. The illus- trated newspayer grew rapidly during the war. The cartoon most in vogue prior to the war consisted of stilted figures with words coming out of their mouths, and the words and not the pictures: told the story. I think I am the author of what was per- haps the first war cartoon. It was in 1861, and it represented a southern march on Washingten. Gen. Scott was in command of the army, and was defending the capi- Je Fr 2. AND BOBBY. has paiated some very good pictures. When I was a boy, away back in the fifties, we lived at Painesville, Ohio, a little town neat Cleveland. The chief county paper at this time was the Yankee Notions. It would bs considered a very poor thing today, but it was the best of its kind, then. As soon as I saw it, I became one of its regular subscribers. All of my spare pennies went for it. When I wag about ten years old, I came in to my mother one day with this THE FIRST CHALK TALK. —____2— - sult was that I struck a revival and he- came converted. This occurred shortly after I was: married, and, like other en- thuslastic young Christians, I wanted to fo all I could for the church. I was on hand at all the meetings, and I took part {nm all the church work. ‘Now our church, like many others in the United States, was very hard up. We were always need- ing money for something, and we tried to supply this by means of entertainments and socials. Svon after I had joined the church the young people gave an entertain- ment, and the ladies suggested that I draw some pictures as a part of it. 1 con- sented, but I feit that the standing up be- fore an audience and sketching without paying anything in illustration of the ple- lures would be a very silly thing. perer in my hand and satd: ‘Ma, I am going to draw some pictures and send them to the Yankee Notions.’ “All right, my son,’ was the reply, ‘if you think you can do 0.’ = “TI then asked her to give me the jokes, that I might make pictures to them. She objected to this, and told me that I must make the jokes, as well as the pictures, and that the man who made the one al- ways made the other. This bothered me, somewhat, but I finally succeeded in mak- ing a joke and a picture. I mailed {t to the paper, and in due time received fifty cents for it. This scemed a# great deal of money to me, and for a long time after that I thought of nothing but jokes and pictures. I kept sending more jokes, and sometimes, I remember, I got as much as $5 at a ume tal. The rebels were threatening to march to the north. I made a ecaricon represent- ing. nm. Scott as a big bulldog wi cocked hat.on its head, sitiing behind plate contal on.” : a a a bone marked ‘Washing- “This cartoon made a great hit. It was lith- ographea, and we sold it in Cincinnat! for ten cents apiece. It was copled all over the country. It made a great sensation. ‘The newspapers published it and commer- cial houses had cuts made from it and put on their envelopes. Had I had the sense to have copyrighted it, I would have made a@ great deal of money out of it. But I Was a boy then, and did not know as much as I do now. “After the war closed I went to New York and made sketches for the Yankee Notions. I did work on a number of dif- ferent papers, and turned my hand at any- thing I could find to do in the way of sketchi at first, and sometimes I nearly starved. I have walk- ed the streets night after night in New York because I had not enough to pay for lodging, and I have made many a lvnch off of crackers and cheese. I could have gotten money, of course, by sending home, but I was too proud to do so. After a while, however, I got a foothold, and I éid work on nearly ail of the illustrated papers.” The American Cartoon. “The first paper that published cartoons was the Yankee Notions of which I told you. This was owned by a man named -Strong; anid it had a long run. Then Knick- knacks appeared, which was followed by the Comic Monthly and Frank Leslie's Budget of Fun. Then we had Vanity Fair and then Mrs. Grundy, illustrated by Thos. Nast and published by Harpers. Puck and Judge were later creations, and now the daily newspapers are publishing their car- toons. “What is the effect of this upon artists and illustrators?” “It increases their value, of course,” *e- plied Frank Beard. “But It also brings up a great crop of new sketchers and of mediocre men. By the poor processes of printing now used in the -papers th sketches of the best artist lock scarcely better than thcse of the amateurs who scratch out pictures on the chalk plates in the country newspaper offices. Take Dana Gibson’s pictures. They would lose half their force if published in the daily news- papers instead of in the magazines. Still, the increased demand helps the better art- ists, too. Prices are twice as high now as they have been in the past, and the de- mand for drawings has never been so great as it is now. It is easy to find a man who can draw. It is hard to find one who can tell what to draw. What the world ne2d3 is men with ideas. We want creative men, and such men receive higher prices every year. They will be worth more and more as time goes cn. Machinery does not hurt them.” FRANK G. CARPENTER. PAST AND PRESENT An Interesting Contrist in the Life of Newspapers. IMPROVED MEN AN) ECHANISH > rr ‘Perfect System Observed by the Great Journals ofithe Day. OLD REPORTERS AND NEW SS Alorg about 1876, when the writer first felt an itch to see -his mental emanations | in some print more renowned than the “old boys’ column in the monthly college paper, he went down 4% street one day and saw a lot of broken glass on the pavement in front of a shoe shop. It was early in the morning, and the street cars were run- ring at infrequent intervils, but the point of destination was the 11th street wharf, where it was his intention to ascertain if the early fish would take the worm as dili- géntly as the early bird-. The breken glass would have never caused any interest save perhaps a piece of might have heen picked wp to u: ne the butt of his fishing pole smoot ht in the midst of it was a jong piece of steel, with a slightly turned-ep and sharpened point at one end of it, and he stopped to gather it in, Just then a sleepy man came out of the door next to the shop atd immediately-be- came wide 2 ». The door of the shop had been broken it had been open, but closed again, so that only a p » familiar with its appearance woi! re noticed it. ‘The man entered the place, and then his wails rent the close atmos foul with the smell of hal worked out in the st attention of a policeman, v der in these days, was wit and teree. It was a very funny followed between the man the shop and the police the jatter got there. in broken En) that showed its pos- sessor was Low PF desk had pulled top: rey had been brok Misery Turns to Joy, “Have yez losht angting?” asked the po- ticeman. The man stared. His senses slowly re- turned. Then his joy became intense as his lamentations had been mournful. A broken docr and a broken lamp chimney made up the sum total of his trouble. He seized the pice of steel, which the youth- ful fishermen end which his later experience teaches him was a “jimmy,” and waved “I vant a bel triumphantly. The policeman never thought of taking p sion of the burglar’s tol...No such thing 3 a clue ever entered jhis gbtuse cranium. He departed, swinging his club, and the n swept away the broken glass. The young fisherman, dangling, his legs over the lth street wharf, felt, his risibilitles rising time and time again, as he waited patiently for nibbles. There was much humor in that meraing experience, and next day he sat down and wrote an ac- count of it. It was a.ernde and labored attempt, perhaps, but it met a managing editor's eye whe t awful personage was in a genial mood. Something in the situation atl the dialect, perhaps, struck his fancy, and he told the trembling author of it to ng him some more “stuff like this’ when he ran across #. If that first d reached the city eaiter first in all Ss article, wopld never have . for the éity ‘editor in those only coid facts, without gar- nituré or firessing. - ¢ Starting in as x A year later saw tha youngster regularly engaged as a sub reporter in the capital of the nation. A leg for,distance was as good, almost, in thoze days as a nose for news. Being well equipped with shanks and an in- dustrions readiness to utilize -them, he passed muster in the city recom, and re- ceived distant fledged toleration from the full- veporter A full-fledged reporter yS Was cre who never failed to et meme when an alarm of fire was sounded, the name of the officer or eltizen turning it and the way the fire was first discovered. The damage, the insurance and the companies carrying the tisk were mattcrs of secondary considera- tion to him. The police stations were as far apart then as they are now, and es there were:no telephones, personai visits by the reporters were necessary to each one. After the cars had stopped running it was one of the delightful privileges of the ar dent young sub.. whe gloried in six dollars a week and If in print, to go down oa the across the dark after midnight, to get items at the tion, and then when he returned to the office to be sent over near Rock creek to discover what there was in the rumor of a fight in Foggy Bo There was a queer telegra ence at police headquarters, over which old Mr. Kendig presided. It was a circular Sisk, having arranged upon !t the alpka- bet and the num Is, with punctuation marks and a dollar mark. There was a contriv- similar contraption in each of the police stations, and if th thing of immense 2 cate, the station keeper would labori spell out the mes @ was a murder or any- ly letter by letter, and 1 take ft down. There, ks played on that primi- line by mischievous re- old Mr. Kendig we Some Reporters’ Practical Jokes. Sometimes one would be at an outlying station after inight, and would send a message recounting some shocking -occur- rence. There was always a reporter drop- ping in at intervals of a few minutes to Mr. Kendig’s office, and if he stood well Wich that old gentleman he would be iold about it. Then, with yisions of a great scoop before him, the reporter would util- ‘ze his gifted lezs and make tracks to the precinct of the distant scene of the sup- posed crime, oniy to find at last a sleepy station keeper, who gave him a half-snor- ing laugh of contemptuous scorn. Some- times the sleuths who represented the Bal- timore papers were sent. on wild goose chases of this sort. One rainy and disa- greeable midnight a countryman appeared at detective headquarters, In the basement of police headquarters, a few doors below their present location, on Lotfisiana avenue, with a woman's shawl’ afd hat and a found them on Benning bridge. The note tcld a story of intended <elf-destruction. The countryman casually yemarked that some people were trying tolfind the body when he left. The bright young man_who wes then local correspondent of the Balti- more Sun was the only reforter present. He swore the detectivestto lence and hur- ried to the night liner stand at 7th street. He hired a man to drive him like mad to Benning bridge. He returned at a slower pace, a sadder and a wtser’man. Some of the other reporters, kngwing John’s great predilection for scoops,,had, employed the countryman down at the American House to do his little,act at tNe detectives’ room. The trap was laid for the Sun man, and he got caught In fine fashion. When the Sun turned down his expense account for the oceasion of $1.59 he felt worse. In the old days there were few reporters who were not hard drinkers. Especially was this the case with men on morning papers. It needed a strong character to withstand the temptations continually be- setting. It may be remarked that the same thing holds good today, It is one of the singular peculiarities of Mfe that a person ean transact business with a lawyer, doctor or any other professional man without the thought of alcoholic assistance, while in nine- ty instances out of a hundred the individual who wishes to transact a matter with a rewspaper man regards a drink as a heces- sary preliminary, and a frequent repetition as @ paramount requisite to the proper completion of the matter In hand. There was less denial on the reporter’s part in the }old days. The writer has seen every re- porter, the city,night and managing editors and the foreman of the composing room on a big morning daily loaded to the guards at midnight, and yet get out a brilliant, interchangeable, baal newsy paper, pext morning, Drinkers Now at a Discount. But such a system could not be kept up, and today the man who lets liquor get the best of him, even at long intervals, cannot hold a position on any reputable journal in this country. He may manage to confine his Mbations to the hours when he is off active duty, but the unerring instinct of the editor will discover his habit, and then there will arise in the editorial mind that distrust which inevitably leads to a short final inter- view and a new man on the run around town. s It is not difficult to understand why this is so absolutely necessary now, when It was not regarded as being so twenty years ago. Then newspapers were largely con- ducted with a regard to their political in- fluence. The means of international—in- deed, interstate—communication were very meager. There was but liftte demand on the part of the public for anything more than the news of its particular community. The press associations made one great ef- fort during the year, and that was at elec- tion time. Reporters were engaged ex- ciusively for particular routine work, and having attended to t' is, satistied themselves and their employers. They wrote their re- ports in regular stereotyped style, and the reasons for news or the results the events making the news might lead to were of no importance to them. Actions were record- ed, while motives and probabilities were. of no moment. The change came when the facilities for gathering news and putting it, mechanically, In shape so vastly im- proved. To the writer's mind, the remark- able improvement in the mechanical part of journalism made it imperative that the intellectual portion should become more awakened and enterprising. The cylinder press replaced the fidthed; stereotyping tcok the place of impressions from type; the telephone saved the reporters’ legs and made his brain matter- more active; then the type-setting machines completed a metamorphosis a8 mz° celous as it is actual. Vhe Newspaper of Today. Today a we ipred paper like The Evening Star is tie very quintessence of se‘f-reliant power. It !s a great mental machine of which each part is a requisite, a'tho: gh not an ab olu‘ely recessary factor in the whole. This seems to be paradoxical but it ts easily explained. The system Is such that when the managing, news or city editor is absent, there is no noticeable evi- dence of the fact in the afternoon issue. Why? Because the newspaper employs a force that is separate in its entitles, but whore parts are yet transferrable from one ro nt of vsefulness to an ther. - Wh le inter- devendent upon each other, they are still and the absolute relia- y of each for whatever. duty may be gned is the secret of the magnificent stem that only the gravest and most un- ual accident ean disturb in the slightest. This system, too, marks the management of every first-class newspaper. Twenty years 9g0, when it was necessary for a managing editor to send a man away from the city of publication on a mission, it was 2 question with him whom he could trust to attend to the duty without “falling down” on him, as the expressive saying is. Tcday he is confronted with no such difii- culty. He knows he can send any man on the force whom he considers equal to the character of the work to be done to the ends of the earth, and that he will perform the mission conscientiously, quickly, and get out of it all that is possible, and come back to drop into his place again as un- cencerned as if he had just returned from midday lunch An illustration of this confidence which makes modern journalism possible may be cited in concluding this article. Some time ago a Star reporter was about to he sent of to meet a distinguished man and have a talk with him. “Any instructions?” be inquired of the managing editor. i “Petter take your overcoat along; it’s lla- ble to be chilly in the mountains,” was the reply. It is that absolute faith in the integrity ard ability of the reporter of today on the nart of his superiors, and his indomitable de‘ermination to deserve it, that makes the system of the modern newspaper what it is—the m’raculous mechanical equipment, noticeable for its excellence, steam and electricity, is but secondary to the complete harmony of the minds which keep it in motion, cc. HE WAS ONLY CURIOUS. ‘Are Photographers Bern So or Are They Otherwise? n the Chicaco Times-Herald When the photographer came out of the daik room he found the man wke had or- Gered some photographs sorme three weeks ore looking over aa album. ‘Oh, ycu've come for thos2 photos—” be- gan the photographer, with the air of one who has a guilty conseience. “Not at all, not at all,” replied the stranger, carelessly. “I was passing, you , and just dropped in.” “I am very sorry,” said the photographer, “but you know the weather-—’ “Oh, don’t d's‘ress yourself,” interrupted the patron again. “The question of the photographs is immaterial. I ‘just came in to have you settle a dispute.” “With pleasure,” said the photographer, with evident relief, “What is it?" “Well, I had an argament with a friend a little while ago,” explained the patron in a pleasant, offhand manner, “He said that the habit of procrastination was born in ; pkotographers; that they can’: help finish- ing jobs a week or two after they have promised, and that they really don't intend when they say you can surely have hotographs the latter part of next rut the clouds—” began the photog- rapher, in an apologetic way. “Oh. they have nothing to do with It at all. It ts purely a matter of ethics, you know. I told him that some photographers were not that way, and he denfed it, and we got Into a row. ‘Then we agreed to leave you. Now, all you have to do is to tell e name of a man who once got a job lone on time and I'll win.” ochWhy, si, I" ‘The phot8grepher began to show some nervousness. AJ “Can't recall it offhand, I suppose,” satd the patron, cheerily. “But there must be one. Never mind bothering your head now, though. The name will come to you In a day or two, and then you can drop me a win, never mind them. It must be the weather, of course. We've had one or two Ciondy days, some with bright sunshine and some with medium bright sunshine since you first promised to have them done, but I suppose none of these weather samples exactly suited. You can send the photo- graphs up when you send the answer to my question. Good day!” “John,” said the photographer, after the patron had gone, “put everything else aside Bnd see that those Robinsen photographs are finished up the first thing. Then mail them to him I wouldn't have him come in here again for $1,000." o+—_—_—_ Information From Afar. From the Portland Oregonian, August 80. In the mail received by Mr. James H. Page yesterday was a letter bearing an English postmark, addressed to his son, F. H. Page, who left for Europe some six weeks since. Mr. Page opened the letter, and it proved to be from Samuel. Har- greave of Rye Close Cottage, Mawbray, Maryport, Cumberland, England, who writes that while he was walking on the beach on the morning of August 15 he found a bottle just washing ashore,-and sceing that there was a paper inside he ex- amined it and found the following note: “To whoever finds this: Address a letter to F. H. Page, 120 Front street, Portland, Oregon, U. S. A., for some valualle infor- mation.” Mr. Hargreave adds: “Mawbray is a farming village on the Solway Firth, about midway between Maryport and Sil- loth. The bottle came ashore at 5:20 a.m.” Mr. Page supposes that his son and some friends must have been drinking a bottle of mineral water or something on board the steamer, and that some of them, in joke, placed the note in the bottle, corked it and threw it overboard, little dreaming of ever hearing of it again. —_——_-o>__. Not-in It. From Tid-Bits. Prompted by the feeling that it was his duty, the bishop remonstrated with one of his clergy for attend!ng a local hunt. “Well, your lordship,” replied the offender, “I really do not see there fs any more harm in hunting than in going to a ball.” “I presume,” answered his lordship, “that you refer to having seen my name down amorg those who attended Lady Somer- ville’s ball, but I assure you throughout the whole evening I was never once in the same room as the dancers.” “That, my lord, is exactly how I stand—I was never in the same field as the hounds.” Then the bishop sat down and silence reigned. PROFITS IN CROAKERS Frog Farms Furnish Fine Fields for » Capitalists, —=>_ + EASY WORK .70 RAISE TADPOLES There is a Steady Market for This Delicacy. ETTER THAN CHICKENS eet T HAS LONG BEEN a wonder to me,” said a prominent fish mer- chant at the Center market the other day, “why some of the enterprising young men of Washington do not turn their at- tention to frog cul- ture. Lots of people have made small for- tunes by raising chickens on a large scale, but there is even more money to be made by cultivating green-back frogs.” Any one wishing to carry out this sugges- tion can find any number of more or less stagnant ponds in the outlying districts, that could, with very little expense, be converted into frog farms, and it is safe to say that if the business were properly look- ed after the managers would reap a sur- prisingly large profit. The man that could raise a million of frogs and get them safely to market would be a wealthy person. A number of Washington boys and farmers in the country near the city devote a good deal of their time during the summer months to catchiig and shipping frogs to Washington, where they are always in de- mand, and, although they make a very neat sum of money by their industry, they do not realize nearly as much as they would if the business were carried on in a systematic manner. So far as is known, there is not a single frog farm within 100 miles cf Washington, or any place where they are raised on economic principles. Such establishments are frequent in Massa- chusetts, and the frog markets of Boston and New York are supplied almost entirely by these farms. The supply is never equal to the demand, and “saddles,” as the legs are called, can always be disposed of to retail dealers at from 50 cents to $1 a dozen, according to their size. Those sold to the clubs and hotels bring better, prices, but most of these establishments have regular agents in the field, who send them in as fast as caught. Doesn’t Cost Much to Start. It requires very little capital to start a frog farm. If there are no ponds in. the neighborhood where it is desired to locate, they can easily be made by digging to the proper depth and filling in with water from some hear-by stream. It is well not to have the ponds too large, as trouble may be experienced in capturing the frogs when wanted for market. It is a good plan, when the ponds are to be artificially constructed, to make two, one above.the other, so that they can be drained and the frogs caught without difficulty. Ground should be chosen that is rather springy or marshy, and with soft muck at the bottom, as ‘the frogs hibernate in the mud during the winter months. A light board fence should be built around the pond in order to keep out svch enemies of the frogs as lizards, snakes ard coons, and it should also be built close to the edge of the water, so that no birds can stand on the inside and pick up the pollywogs. ‘After the pond has been pre- pared, the next step is to secure the spawn. This can be found in almost any pond or sluggish stream inhabited by the Jong-dia, tance jumpers. A close investigation will reveal a small glutinous mass, which is to be picked up with a dipper and placed in ‘a pail of water. Take it to your hatching box, which is made after the fashion of a shad hatching box, two feet long and eighteen inches wide, with fine wire net- ting on the bottom. This method need only be followed when it is desired to distribute ‘the young in various pondg, as they wiil hatch just as well when deposited in the pond in the first place. Great care should be taken in gathering spawn not to get toad spawn. The spawn of the frog is found in a bunch, like a sponge of jelly, ard is clear, with black spots in it. It should be gathered very carefully, and the jelly, which is essential to successful hatching, should be broken as little as possible. Toad spawn is laid in a string, and when lying in the water it looks Itke a glass tube with small shot distributed through it at intervals. The Hatching Season. The spawn will hatch in from seven to ten days, according to the temperature of the water, the warmer it is the faster being the development. No trouble will be had tn feeding the pollywogs, as nature provides for this important feature. They exist on the sediment that collects cn floating logs and cn the vegetable matter in the water. In tbe course of time the pollywogs, or tad- poles, have developed into frogs, but there seems to be some doubt as to the lengtn of time required in making this change. It sometimes occurs In a few weeks, and it has been claimed that pollywogs have ex- isted In the early state for over a year without showing any signs of becoming a frog. The hind legs are the first to break through the skin, and are followed by the front, the perfect frog taking its size ac- cording to the size of the tadpole. When the frog state is reached the animal re- quires a change in its diet, and subsists on insects, small fish and meat. Naturally it will only take living Tood, the difficulty of supplying which forms the main obstacle in frog- culture. When mirnows and ilies are scarce the frog will often turn upon end devour the unfortunate tadpole. Stale meat scattered about the pond will attract flies, and if the meat is cut up finely the frogs will get a taste for it and learn to eat it. When they have passed into the frog state they must have a chance to get | cut of the water into the grass and sit on the banks and sun themselves. No Expense After the First Year. ~ Probably no returrs will be realized from the first year’s effort, but after the initial season the annual profits from a well con- ducted frog farm will ‘ncrease with aston- ishing rapidity. All the labor and expens> of the enterprise is entailed at the start, and each succeeding year all that is neces- sary is to market the product and pocket the proceeds. When this delicacy first came into popular favor, great trouble was found in getting them even in small quantities, but since fancy prices are being paid for choice “‘saddles,”’ the country people living rear streams and ponds have devoted a good deal of time to capturing them, and they are now more plentiful in the markets. The season for frog hunting opens with the first croak of the male and is continued through the entire summer months. They reach their prime, however, in the month of September, when they have grown fat and plump after a season of campaigning on flies, minnows and water bugs. The work of capturing these agile jumpers is a difi- cult matter to the amateur, but when under- taken by the experienced hunter and sports- man it becomes a pleasure and affords the finest sort of sport. Whether they are caught by the “pot hunter” or by the novice, the excitement afforded is equal to that in landing the gamest trout. To Catch the Croakers. There are several methods employed in catching them, but the one most universally used is to hunt them at night with the ald of a skiff, a flash lantern and a long pole. The boat is poled along the banks, and when the croak of a frog Is heard the lan- tern is flashed full upon him. The bright light has the effect of stupefying him, for he remains motionless, and a quiek blow with the stick disables him, and he is thrown into a bag. Men who make a business of catching frogs for market hunt them in this way, and frequently bag as many as five dozen in a single night. A frog will bite at almost any bright and moving little object, and a piece of red flannel on a hook is the means of landing a number of them. This is the favorite method of the small boy. In order to be successful on such hunt- ing expeditions strict quiet should be ob- served, for frogs have keen ears, and are quick to take alarm. The young frog is a —$—$————i Do You Realize That the great trouble of the American nation is Kidney Disease? Very few men and fewer women have perfect kidneys. Did you know this? And did you also know that there is but one remedy known to science for this great trouble: Warner’s Safe Cure. If you have peculiar pains in the back, or anywhere else in the body, they probably come from disordered kidneys. If you are weak, sickly and do not know the cause the chances are it is kidney trouble. When the great and only cure for this is so easily obtained, are you, perhaps, not wasting time and run- ning a great risk if you do not se- cure it? — giddy and thoughtless creature and falls a ready prey to the craft of the hunter, but the older ones are sly and tricky and are only captured by the most expert sportsman. Frogs Dict. Frog eating is not confined to the United States, for they are esteemed as a delicacy in France, England, and, in fact, in almost every country. The Frenchmen, however, were the first to make use of them as a table dish, but they were soon followed by Americans. As a rule, only the hind quarters of the frog are eaten, but in Ger- many every part, with the exception of the intestines and the skin, is made use of as food. Many persons will no: eat frogs, be- Meving that they are unclean, yet they have no hesitation in partaking of lobsters and crabs that feed upon the refuse ant. mal matter of the sea. Thé frog’s flesh ig very white, tender and nutritious, and when nicely cooked is one of the most dalaty dishes that an epicure could desire, with a delicious flavor. A lover of the dish gives the following recipe for preparing them: After the skin. has been removed, the legs’ should be placed in come fresh, cold water. Next they should be drained and dried an put to soak awhile in the white o! eggs, well beaten up. Now powder them over with flour, and finally fry them in plenty of olive oil until they are crisp and brown. Add a Icmon, some red peppery, brown bread and butter, and you have the proverbial dish fit for a king. ee COLOR IN EVERY PHOTOGRAPH, Wonderful Skill of the Chinese im Detecting and Reproducing It. From the Chicago Record. On one gecasion, while he was prosecut- ing attorney, Luther Laflin Mills came upon an indictment returned against a Chinese laundryman upon the charge of having assaulted an Irish policeman with intent te kill. He thovght this an excep- tionally curious case, ard upon examining the prosecuting witness and others, he threw out the indictment as being wholly absurd. The compatriots of the Chinaman were very grateful for this act of ‘justice, and in pigeon English assured Mr. Mills that they would not forget his kindness. Five or six years after this happening the affair was-recalled to Mr. Mills’ at- tention by a very pleasant incident. One Sunday, while Mr. Mills sat on the lawn in front of his north shore home, two car- riages rolled up and out stepped a delega- tion of Chinamen attired in native cos- tumes. One, who was superbly attired in silks, addressed Mr. Mills and recalled the affair of his persecuted countrymen. “I have just returned from China,” said he, “and I have brought with me certain ar- ticles which I crave permission to present to your family as evidences of my appre- ciation of your kindness to one of my coun- trymen when he was in trouble."” The delegation was ushered into the house, bearing numerous packages of teas, fans, silks, etc., which were distributed about to the several members of the fam- ily. Before taking his departure the spokesman of the party asked Mr. Mills to let him have a cabinet photograph he saw on the mantelpiece; it was a picture “of the Mills children, very prettily group- ed. Mr. Mills thought the request a strange one, but under the circumstances he could hardly deny it. “By and by you will know. why I want it,” said the Chinese gentleman. This incident remained a mystery until quite recently, when there arrived a parcel from Hong Kong containing an enlarged water-color reproduction of the photo- graph, giving the details of expression and color with startling fidelity. “Tais 1s our present to you,” said the Chinaman. “But how was it possible for that artist on the other side of the globe to know what shade of color to give to the hair and eyes of these children whom he never aod That’s what puzzles me,” said Mr. s. The Chinaman replied that the art of photography was so thoroughly understood in China that it was easy to determine from the revelations of the magnifying glass just exactly what color and what shade and what tint were represented by such and such impressions as the photo- graph retained and exhibited. Among the very many beautiful works of art in which the Mills mansion abounds there is none more exquisite than this example of Chi- nese skill, and, naturally, enough, with all the associations which its history involves, it Is Mr. Mills’ most precious possession. ———_ +e+—___ Something New in Politics. From the Chicago Thnes-Herald. He had a great scheme, and he went through the city hall corridor lke the heavy villain in a melodrama. When he finally found the man he was looking for he pulled him off into one corner and be- gan to elucidate his scheme with the most mysterious air. “It’s great,” he sald; “the finest thing out. Can't fail.” “What is?” asked the other. “My plan for securing patronage.” “Rats! There ain’t any way to control. that now.” “But you haven't heard my plan,” per- sisted the conspirator. No use anyway,” returned the other. “Yes, there is. It all in knowing how. What we want is to organize.” “Organize nothing. You can’t civil service law by organization.’ “Oh, yes, I can.” “How?” “Just by organizing on the right pian, You can’t do it by organizing for political 03 and for work at the primaries or at the polls.” “How can you do it, then?” “That's my secret. That's just what I am letting you in on. I’ve gone into partner- ship with a school teacher, and we are going to start a civil service trainin: school. I tell you it is a great scheme and we will have all the boys in line.’” ERGURIAL - POISON Is the result of the usual treatment of blood dis orders. The system 1s filled with Mercury ang Potash remedies—more to be dreaded than the disea: in o short while is in a far worse condition than before. ‘The common result is RHEUMATISM for which S. S. 8. 1s the most reliable cure. A few bottles will afford relief where all else has failed, I suffered from a severe attack of Mercurial Rheumatism, my arms and legs being swollen 70 twice their natural size, causing the most excruci- beat the ating pains. I spent hundreds of dollars without reliel, 'but_after taking a few. bottles i I improved rapidly am now a well completey cured. can heartily recom- mend it to any one suffering from this Prine! incase. . F. DALEY, Brooklyn Elevated R.R. Our Tr atise on Blood and Skin Diseases matied to any address. SWIFT SPECIFIC OO., Atlanta, Ga,