Evening Star Newspaper, April 25, 1896, Page 16

ee aet ae TH E EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1896--T'WENTY-FOUR PAGES, “TAKEN FROM The following is a THE ENEMY.” translation of part of a speech delivered in Switzerland, November, 1876, by HM. Edw. Faure-Perret, the chief Commissioner in the Swiss department and member of the International Jury on watches at the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, and is worthy the attention of every good American. “Gentlemen, here is what I have seen. I asked from the manager of the Waltham Company a watch of a certain quality. He opened before mea big chest. I picked out a watch at random and fixed it to my chain. The manager asked me to leave the watch with them for three or four days regulate it. On the that they might contrary, I said to him, I want to keep it just as it is to get an exact idea of your workmanship. On arriving at Locle I showed this watch to one of our first adjusters * * * who took it apart. At the end of several days he came to me and said literally : » is incredibie. to compare with that ‘I am astonished; the result You do not find a watch in 50,000 of our make.’ This watch, I repeat to you, gentlemen, I myself took offhand from a large number, as I have said. One can understand by this example how it is that an American watch should be preierred toa Swiss watch.” The watch movement M. Edw. Favre- Perret picked out at random was @ “RIVERSIDE,” and all that he said of it then, and a good deal Do not be misled or more, is true to-day, persuaded into paying more for a Swiss watch which is not so good as a “WALTHAM.” Be sure that the name “Riverside” is engraved on the plate. For sale by all retail jewelers. CARE OF WINTER ( LOTHING This Has Reference to the Time When You Must Put It Away. From the Phila. Times. In putting « whether it be im the form of ; arel or household fur avy cur- tains or beddin ry for one to exer t care in order to guard ravages of | moths. er how la-| bortou e being much at stake, and the s being quite too serious to be trifled with in tpe very least. ¥ curtair hich are used only ter time as a protection, and all as blankets and | o the sun and | for a air ains being well beaten dust and the blankets 3 hen they should he wrapped in large | laid away in the linen m, upon suk antial ean and dry, accom- panied by a goodly supply of camphor. All heavy arti of rel, such as | gowns, coats or wraps of any kind, shou be taken out of doors and hung upon the Ine to air, after h they should be | thoroughly ‘shaken and brushed until ail and y kind have been re- atom affording food in rive and revel. This having hed, the garments should be made expressly | S$ or trunks that | for th® purpose, I are not in us it being quite immaterial so long as all air is entirely excluded. All woolen underwear should be carefully washed and dried, then rolled up and put into clean paper sacks, or old cotton pillow | cases—care being taken to see that there are no holes in them—with a generous quantity of pure camphor or moth cam- phor, the latter possessing the great ad- vantage over the former of being much less ve, although the odor is perhaps te'so agreeable. Bags of all sizes and descriptions are In- valuable at such a time of year for holding that are to be put away until the cold season has rolled round again. These could be made of any short material, and, if desired, could be adorned with the own. er's initials, which should be embroidered in white or colored Roman floss. Furs should be packed away in their own boxes, with plenty of moth camphor, after all dust has been beaten out of them. Felt or velvet hats should be carefully cleansed by means of a soft hat brush. then wrapped in tissue paper and put away in their respective bandboxes. Each box. package. bag or trunk should, for conveni. ence sake, contain a label upon which 1s legibly written a list of the contents. This Will prove # great saving of time and trou- e. ———_+e+____ A Curious Court Scene. From the San Francisco Argonaut. A strange scene was that which took place in a San Francisso court room one day this week. Mrs. Virginia McMullin had brought suit for maintenance against her husband, Thurlow McMullin. They were married In 1871, a son was born to them in 1873 and they separated in 1877. During all these years they have remained and the son testifled to this effect. her was seated a few feet from him, but the son swore that he had never seen him to know him. “I may have pass- ed him on the street, id the son, “but I never knew it if I did.” In the evidence it also came out that the father was em- ployed in Tillman & Bendcll’s, and the son in Baker & Hamilton's, hous: two business oniy a few blocks apart. It seems rdinary that in a city the size of rancisco two human beings so close- ly related as are a father and son should bass twenty years in ignorance of 6ne an- other's identity. +e+—_____ An Editor's Apology. From the Press and Printer. “Wx hopx,” sald a leading article In a western paper, apologetically, “that our rxadxrs will pardon this wxxk’s issux and thx sxxmingly mystxrious absxncex of a cxr- tain Ixttxr. “Shooting Sam Bibbxr camx into our officx yxstxrday, and statxd that as hx was going shooting, and had no ammunition, hx would kx to borrow somx of our typx for shot, Bxforx wx could prxvxnt it hx grabbxd ali thx Ixttxrs out of thx most important box and disappxarxd. “Our subscribxrs can hxlip in rxplxnish our stock if all thosx who wxrx shot by Sam sgavx thx chargx whxn it is pi®kxd out o! and rxturn it to us. Nxvxr mind if it i battxrxd a littlx.’ 250,000,000 POKER CHIPS. The Annual Product of the United States Factories. From the New York Sun, Enovgh poker chips are manufactured in the United States every year to make a stack over sixty miles high if placed one on top of the other. If laid edge to edge they would extend along the entire length of the Erie canal on the towpath and back again, with a sufficient number over to stock a hundred high-playing gambling houses. This is only the annual product. What the total number of chips in. this country is no man can tell. For years the novelty and specialty com- panies have been turning out the chips, and, taking into consideration the lasting qualities of the disks, one may estimate conservatively that there are many more than 250,000,000 of these tokens that are used to represent the com in games of chance. Where, when, or how the poker chip orig- inated is a mystery. The name of the ge- nius who discovered it was easier to lose a colored bit of meial or bone than to part | with a portion of the universal circulating medium is lost to history, but his wisdom is still recognized and his example followed. ‘The poker chip industry 1s not an adjunct or a side line to a manufacturing establish- ment, but a business that is recognized as legitimate, productive, and profitable. ‘The chip is one of the simplest things to make imaginable. Ivory chips have had their day; so have the bone ones. Men will not pay the price for these articles when the substitutes do as well. The time was when old sckcol gamblers played with square, oblong, and octagonal markers, but now the devotee of chance stakes his for- tune on the circular chip, and cares not whether it be expensive or cheap, as long as the banker is honest in the redemption of it. To make poker chips is as easy as the childlike pastime of making mud pies, and the process is somewnat similar. South America is one of the largest con- sumers of chips. The people of the repub- lics there seem to take to playing games of chance as naturally us a barnacie takes to a ship's bottom. Mexico uses an enor- mous quantity, usually of an expensive va- riety. The Mexicans are fond of ornament and their faro and poker chips are bright with gold and silver, inlaid in rich designs. ‘The lumbermen of Canada call for thou- sands of the cheap kinds, and, in fact, every civilized and semi-civilized nation outside of Europe uses the American-made article. The process of manufacture is Interesting because of its simplicity. The composition —and each firm has its own formula for this, which is kept secret—is mixed and dyed and then passed between stone roll- ers, from which it comes in a sheet about half an inch in thickness. These sheets are cut into squares of about eight inches and allowed to harden. Afterward these squares are put on heated pilates and soft- ened to the consistency of dough. The workmen cut them into narrow strips and lay the strips across the face of a heavy steel die, which is now subjected to a pres- sure of 60,000 pounds. After a minute un- der this heavy weight, the die is opened and the chips fall out. Girls put them on a polishing wheel with wonderful rapidity, and then the chips are ready for boxing and shipping. You can have your choice of grades In chips, from $1 a thousand up to $ aplece— it all depends on your taste and your wil- lingness to spend money—but the fancy ones are not included in the returns of the manufacturers, for any order below 100,000 is too smaJl to be booked in detail and is regarded as a nuisance. — To the Author of Kathi¢en Mavour- neen. a Kathleen Mavourneen, the song is still ri ‘As fresh and as clear as the trill of the bird, In World-weary hearts it 1s sobbing and singing, In pathos too sweet for the tenderest word. Ch, have we forgotten the one who first breathed tt? And have we forgotten his rapturous art? Our mead to the master whose genius bequeathed it; On, why art thou silent, thou voice of my heart? Kathleen Mavourneen, thy lover still lingers, ‘The long night Is waning—the stars pale and fow. ‘Thy sad serenader, with tremulous fingers, Is bound with his tears as the lily with dew. ‘The old harpstrings a quaver, the old voice ts shaking. Tn sighs and in moans the yea: refrall The old vision dims and the old heart is ing— Kathleen Mavourneen, Inspire us again! —JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY, Qualified. From the Bostoa Transcript. Adolphus—“When a fellow gets on to his bicycle he has to think of nothing at all, or, first thing he knows, over he goes.” Kate—“Dolly, I suspect you are one of the best riders there ever was.” ~ WHERE THE McKINLEY CROWD WILL BE QUARTERED. ACTIVE PREPARATION| For the Great Republican Conven- tion at St. Louis. ABOUT QUARTERS AT THE HOTELS Where the Leading Candidates Will Be Located. FOR M’KINLEY MEN (Copyrighted, 1896, by Frank G. HS, April 1, OR THE NENT two months the eyes of the peorle of the United States will be on St. Low less than ei Carpenter.) ht Ai) 150,000. re p ublicans i will be coming he \ from all parts of the i} United States, end ile the newspapers will be loaded down with the descriptions of oye of the greatest conventions of our The probable size of the crowd daily. Already the best quar- ters at the big hotcis are taken, and ap- plications for accommodations are coming in by the hundreds. The question as to how the city will take care of the crowd is, in the minds cf many, a serious one, but-it seems to me that the arrangements are such that Yhere will be room and io spare. St. Louix and Its Accommodations, St. Louis is a bigger town than is gen- erally supposed. Its citizens now claim a Population cf more than 600,000, and this number is scattered over a territory of more than sixty square miles, or of more than 240 160-acre farms. It is a city of homes. A vast number of people own ‘he houses they live in, and I am told that hundreds of these homes will be thrown open to accommodate the crowd. A s: tematic canvass of the city is now being made for the purpose. The committee of arrangements and the Business Men's League have a bureau of intormation at the exposition building, where all who will take guests are now registering, and quar- ters are already being apportioned to such as apply for them. The work is being sys- tematically done. Each house is investi- gated before it is registered, and if there is the least suspicion of its being anything else than a place of good character it is rejected. Fixed rates of board and rooms are to be charged in all cases, and these are given in to the bureau at the time cf application. Good quarters with board at private houses can be gotten for about $3 per day, and the economical man who hes to attend the convention and bring his wife had better app'y for the private house quarters than to go to the big hotels, which will be more expensive and which will be jammed fror cellar to garret. St. Louis has beautiful suburbs. It has one of the largest park systems of the world, and its three hundred-cdd miles of electric car lines will bring one in a few minutes from any part of the city to the convention - hall. St. Louis Hotels. The St. Loufs hotel accommodations are larger than are generally supposed. The city has a half dozen first-class houses and a score or so of second-class ones, Before get- ting the convention the Business Men's League called at the principal hotels and made contracts with them that they were rot to increase their rates per day. They will, however, put four persons and upward into a single room, and the man who does not want neighbors will have to pay to keep them out. The rates for single per- gens at the best hotels will be from $3 to $7 per day. The ordinary small hotel room will be expected to hold four, and would hence cost one man from $12 to $20, accord- Ing to its location. A large room, big enough for three double beds, would hold six, and will cost the man who wants it all alone $30 a day. Most people expect to double up, however, at such times, and parties of four, six and upward are being made up over the country to take. rooms together—each paying about a $4 a day rate. Not a few men, however, are en- gaging whole rooms and paying $25 a day and more for them. Among the finest of the hotels are the Planters, the Southern, the St. Nicholas and the Lindell. They are all centrally located and all near together. These hotels will compare favorably with the hotels of any city of the United States. The Planters has 450 rooms, and at least 2,000 people will be crowded into it at the time of the convention. It will have a number of headquarters, and some of the delegates have already secured rooms in it. Among others who have alrezdy contracted for quarters at the Planters are Frank His- cock, Tom Platt, Chauncey Depew and Hamilton Fish, which leads to the belief that it will be one of the centers of the New York crowd. It will have also Matt. Quay, Tom Lowry, H. Clay Evans, J. Hub. bell and John C. New. It will have the Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennes: Missouri, Montana, New York, Kentuc! y and Indiana headquarters, and will be one of the chief centers of presidential scheming. Its rates will be from $4 to $7 per day per person, and many a $4 man will sleep on a cot in the halls. The St. Nicholas is the swell European hotel of the city. It has seventy rooms and {ft will crowd about 800 persons into them. The Lindell will accommodate about 800 guests at $3 and upward in 237 rooms, and the La Clede 600 guests in about 150 rooms. All of these will have state delegations and delegates. There are also a number of smaller European and American hotels in the u>ighborhood, con- taining from 50 to 150 rooms. and in other parts of the city perhaps a dozen good- sized hotels. The Heart of the Convention. The center of the ccnvention scheming and plotting, however, will be the Southern Hotel. This has the McKinley, the Alli- son and the Reed headquarters. The greatest number of rooms has been en- gaged by the McKinley men. Mark Han- na, McKinley's manager at Cleveland, has engaged thirty rooms, the Tippecanoe Club of Gavelnog has the old restaurant, the largest of all the rooms, and while I’ was in the hotel the other day I sgw Mr. Hahn, the Ohio national committeem: giving directions as to the fitting up of a Mc- Kinley headquarters in a big room just off the hotel office. Thomas B. Reed has, I am told, the best rooms in the Southern. Colonel Joe Manley engaged them in ad- vance of the convention. There are six- teen of them, including the grand parlor and a balcony, which will be hung with flags and Reed mottoes. The Illinois dele- gation is also in the Southern, and the Cook county crowd from ago have secured seventeen rooms here for them- selves. Among the other headquarters will be those of Ohio, Massachusetts, Cali- fornia, Connecticut, Michigan and the headquerters of the national republican committee. The Southern has, perhaps, a larger hotel lobby than any other hotel in the country. Ten thousand people could easily stand in it and gossip without crowding, and {t will fairly hum next June. McKinley's Bix Crowd. The friends of McKinley are making; the most extravagant preparations ever made by the followers of any candidate at a rational convention. ‘They have rented quarters everywhere, and are evidently preparing for an army of enthusiastic beomers. In addition (o the hotels the have taken for the convention the St. Louis exposition building, and have leased it outright for that tm ‘om cellar to garret. This building cov four ae 5 300),000 feet of floor space for exposition purposes—about seven acres—and in addition has room for offices and two big amusement halls. Its theater, which is in the building, will seat fe usand peo, nding room seats for 1,544). ld oceupy’ thirty eis room on the ! H y men, an army Xenophon Jed in his that : In addition to this, the: s retreat. theaters and oth of the building, which will prebabl sleeping places for five thousand mi Think of 15,000 McKinley shouters in one building and you get some idea of the p: ns being made for th to be the leading candidat« iman who see Will Harrison's Name Be Sprang? ne indications are that, though Harri- n's name will not be put forth on the first Not, his friends will keep his forces in line and will be ready to ig him on the con- vention If there is any sign of a deadlock. Harri ‘quarters were eng. a the P fore he withdrew his name These up, and the politician Rab- bit in the Unc low who is son dent said to me to opus be a deadlock, and su 2 one of the ballots § its vole for ison, Indiand would swing solidly into d the convention might nominate “I think not, but it would be natural for his new wife to want to go down into bistory as one of the ladies of the White Ho I know that both she and Mary McKee were anxious that he get a second nomination at Minneapol ‘As for Harrison, he is, I think, s with his present position. He has venient law practice which enab take such o as he can try easi which give him big fees, If the law funds run low he can write a page for one of the popular ladies" magazines and get $1,000 for it. “And, then," the man continued, “I think Harrison is afra re-election. He is afraid of stubbing his toe if he gets into the White House a What I mean is this, he has left a good record, and will go down into history as an able executor the times have changed. The situati He knows this and is afraid.” The New St. Louis. St. Louis’has been generally looked upon as a very rich but very slow city. It has always been noted fer its substantial busi- ness men,*and today its average of wealth per capita is higher than that of many of the cities of the United States. It has a large number of millionaires, and its homes are among the best of the Unie! Within the past few years, however, St. Louis seems to have taken a tonic. The blood of the citizens now flows almost as fast as that of those of Chicago, and there is now no more enterprising and pushing town in the United States. The St. Louis of today is not only up to date, but it is a little ahead. Its eyes are wide open, and it is looking over the United States ready to grab everything and anything that will better its condition. It has a board of trade, a number of clubs and associations that work together for the city’s interests, and in addition to these, its leading men have United in what is called “The Business Men's League.” This organization might be copied, with advantage, by other cities. Its sole business is to push St. Louis to the front, and it is ever on the outlook for new things for St. Louis. It has a nunber of working committees and a corps of salaried officials, who devote all their time to ad- vertising, corresponding and such other things as will make the city known and tring new people and business establish- ments to it. It has as its secretary Mr. James Cox, a bright newspaper man, who was formerly in the employ of the Globe Democrat, and who is a walking encyclo- paedia on all St. Louis matters. He is the author of a beautiful book, called “St. Louis Through a Camera,” which will be distributed by the tens of thousands to the visitors at the convention. Among the committees of the Business Men’s League is one called the convention committee. This started out at the first of the year to get all of the national conventions to meet at St. Louis. It succeeded with the repub- lican, the populist and the bimetallic con- ventions, but failed as to the democratic, through the opposition of Senators Brice and Gorman, who did not like the treat- ment they received from St. Louis at the time of the last democfatic convention here. How St. Louis Works the Railroads. This club of business men watches the railroads more carefully, perhaps, than any other board of trade in the United States. It has a man employed at a salary of 310,000 a year to devote his time to detect- ing, Investigating and correcting any dis- criminations in freight rates that may be made by the railroads against St. Louls. This official is known as the traffic man- ager of the leagué. His name is Joseph S. Leeds, and he was connected with the traffic department of the Missouri Pacific until within a few years. While aciing with the Missouri Pacific the road was in a pool, by which St. Louis was discrimi- nated against. Leeds, either by orders from the Jay Gould interests, or otherwise, disregarded the rules of the pool and made special rates for St. Louis. The result was that the freight came pouring into this city, After a time the other roads in the 061 discovered the fact that the Missourl Pacide was not living up to its rules and demanded that theGould interests discharge Leeds, or the road would be fought by the pool. The situation was such that Leeds Was discharged, and since then he has been in the employ of the city. Another man is hired by this club to do nothing else than read the papers and magazines of the country and to look out for articles for and against St. Louis. If anything unfa- vorable is printed an attempt is made to trace the source of the article and the writer. If he is connected with one of the newspapers of St. Louis he is warned not to repeat the offense. Another man is em- ployed to watch ths hotel registers and to report such Glstingulshed guests and cap- italists as may visit St. Louis. As soon as thelr presence is known some of the committee on enterta'‘nment call upon them. They show thém all favors and do what they can to make them carry away a good impression of St. Louls, Then there are other men ‘who are pald to keep watch of the state legislature, and prevent them : 9° = ; tA Far Warning : : For the Family. : Unknown persons are not admitted to the family. Who are you? is the necessary’ preliminary to ac- quaintance. What are you? precedes intimacy with those who have learned that “rank is but the guinea’s stamp, the man’s the gold for a’ that.” Why not test medicines, as well as men, not by name only, but by nature? It’s not the name of the medicine that will help you or injure you; it’s the nature of the ingredients that make the medicine. Ask the medicine what are you? before you admit it to the family. That was the test applied at the World’s Fair of 1893, to all medicines entering as exhibits. The World’s Fair received no medicines whose ingredients were secret. That fact shut out all sarsaparillas but Ayer’s, whose formula is open to physicians at alltimes. It’s a Fair warn- ing for the Family: Secret sarsaparillas are not safe. Get Ayer’s. PL he Cr hohe de aioe Crake rads dr rk Loa Sho he irs Bera ry Ayer’s “Curebook.” A story of cures told by the cured. . “ye b Free. J. C. Ayer Co., Lowell, Mass. é« SF re a al mF mse < nana BICYCLE FOR TWO. HEARD A STUTTERING CAT. It is Not Wise to Have Lovers’ Quar- | Misadventure Soldiers Whe rels on a Bike. Were in Search of Whisky. pays $100 From-Black and White. From Harper's , and the as- ‘On a bic: —Old Song. During the late war Capt. Smith of n that it aracters—Franc ; Annette, a| Richmond with two friends chanced to can on short noiice raise a large amount girl. be in the vicinity of a certain farm hous of m in the attic of which (so rumor stated) was stored a goodly number of demijohns filled with fine old spirits. The captain, who had a stammering tongue and a weakness for the “rcsy," suggested that his companions and himself should stop at the house in question at such an hour in the eve would elicit an invitation night. The plan was a execution. The three were assigned to the same sleeping apartme host had bid them “go Scene—A level country road upon an au- tumn afterncon, Properties—One pocket handkerchief. Tandem discovered travel- ing homeward, Francis B., Annette F. Annette—“I'm sure this machine does not easily as it used to do!” s because we are married. (Remembers, after they were engaged, how | he used to exhaust himself to the point of death going uphill, lest she should tire, be- she 0 pretty). What do you mean?” Why, we don’t work so hard.” Louis Convention Preparations. Just now the league is busy about mat- ters relating to the convention. A number ‘ntion committees have been ap- ng the leading men of the every detail that will contribute is being provided for. Mr. » the head of the commit- ments, has told me some- thing of what is being don per- opted ae cob eats agea, | ceived in one corner of the room a roush man and a cart will be kept busy on every Sip pide ed fiying for hours | Stairway, at the head of which was a trap block all day long going about and picking | that she might think him strong, because | 900T. This evidently led ‘to the loft of up any dirt that may fall. The city is to an eo eta which they had heard, and the captain have new street signs at every corner be- seized the candle and ascended the Annette—"No, I think you don’t; but I . do.” (Remembers how when she formerly | UPfortunately, however, when he had rore@t to wove Nt ait nor otters reached the middle of the attic a sudd Francis—“No, Netty.” gust from some opening in the wall extin. iow Cade souate Z— > guished the light, and, in groping his “Don't try and look around;| ! the darkness, he struck against an ott youl have ae er Sect, which fell to the ficor with a noise Annette—"Good gracious, shouting lke | Which sourded through the house. “Ame. that, and I know how to balance as well as| Ment afterward he heard a door on the you; I've been on a tandem oftener than | frst floor open, followed by the heavy tread of the farmer making his fore next June, and the municipal council has, I am to!d, appropriated a large sum for this purpose. The league has adopted such plans as will give the crowd no trouble in finding quarters. The bureau of information will have office at the de- pot, and uniformed messenger boys will be sent with those who visit it to their hotels and boarding houses. New places for the accommodation of visitors are now being registered at the rate of thirty and up- ‘That's good, considering I have | story. to the upper ward daily. Some of these are several | always taken you" Discovery .and disgrace were imminent. miles out and others are close to the ‘Annette—“Ob, have you?" Escape was impossinle. In his despair a pot. Those who want rooms in private! (Francis takes no notice, though he wants | strategy sugges : t feder- houses without board can get good ones . ate, and in a man medium, he ized caterwat followed this effor tadly to know what she means; sees her waist and her neck, and her pretty hair fcre him; thinks she is not so pretty as she was; thinks she does not do her hair the same; notices wrinkles across the back of her bodice; is sure she never used to put on her jacket so). for about $1.50 per day, and good restau- rants are to be found almost eve! here. “The Biggest on Earth.” This Business Men's League is aided by the Mercantile Club, which is another big uttered silence and then, to his infinite relief, the retreating steps of his host smote upon his ear. When quiet again reigned the officer signaled cautiously to St. Louis institution, and together they | Annette (after a short pause)—“No, you| his comrades, and guided by their voices are so enthusiastic over the greatness of | Gidn’t always take me out; some one else | succeeded In getting back to his room ana their city that you wonder if, after all, | did ha-ha finally to bed. The next morning as they res, before——" 0, afterward.” ‘o you mean that you let that is brute Spencer—” te—“He’s not a brute,and he doesn’t sat around the breakfast tabl entertsiner exp! ed guests had rested well. mered the captain, “p-p-p-pretty well, but a co-confounded cat got in that loft over our heads and made a th-thunderin’ no and waked us up.” “Yes,” said the farmer, dryly, “there cre a good many cats about here, an’ I often hear ‘em hollerin’ aroun but last night was the very first time ever heard a stutterin’ cat holler.” os Above Suspicion, From Vanity. Mrs. Bigwad—“It must be terribly embar- rassing to be as poor as the Joneses—they never give anything to charity.” Mr. Bigwad—"But we don’t, either.” Mrs. Bigwad—“Well, they can’t say that it is because we hayen’t got it to give.” to Black Ingratitude. From St. Paul's. Chicago has not moved from Lake Micht- gan to the Mississippi. Among their claims are that “St. Louis is the largest city on the lar it river of the world,” that it has the biggest railroad station, the big- gest hardware hovse, the biggest drug house, the biggest tobacco factory, the big- gest lead works and the biggest brick yards that are anywhere to be found on this big round earth, As to the United States alone, they claim the largest brew- ery, shoe house, saddlery market and street car factories, while they boldly state that they have the biggest mule market and the finest street cars. The city has excellent streets, and it was the first town in the United States to light its alleys by elec- tricity. It has water works which have cost, or will cost when finished, $8,000,000, and it claims that its water is pure and palatable. It may be both, but strangers who have no better stomachs than mine had better temper each glass with a finger of whisky until they get used to it. It is said to be a healthy city, and ought to be, as far as drainage is concerned, for it has more than $10,000,000 invested in sewers. It is a well-educated city, and is far in advance of all the other cities in the south in culture and educational facilities. It has one public library of 80,000 volumes, and the Mercantile Library has over 5v,000 more. The Washington University of St. Louis has more than $1,000,000 invested in buildings and grounds, and the public schools of the city contain 50,000 scholars. All told, St. Louis is a very wide-awake town, and the people who come here in June will find much to surprise them. FRANK G. CARPENTER. —_—_——>——_ Broke the Bicycle’s Impact. From the London Telegraph. A lady protected herself against the rush- ing advance of a cyclist in Brompton road, London, in an original and commendable fashion. The cyclist was racing along at his best pace, and the lady was crossing the roadway. Instead of making a detour to avoid her, the man simply rang his bell and rushed on without abatement of speed, considering that he had thus done his duty to society. Pedestrians on the footpath and 'busmen on their perches saw that a collision was inevitable. So did the lady, who braced herself for the ordeal and re- solved on offensive tactics. Giving her body—not by any means that of a pigmy— a rapid swing, she brovght the strongest and most padded part of her figure into contact with the front wheel of the ma- chine ond the bicyclist himself, and sent them both sprawling into the roadway. Then, giving her skirts another swing, just to prove that they had suffered no damage, she finished her journey across the road, and turned round and laughed with others at the unhappy cyclist as he picked up himself and the disjecta membra of his once perfect machine. He made his way to the curbstone, where he sat down to contemplate the damage, and finally put the thing on his shoulder and carried it away. their rural ‘He's a great roaring bounder.” N Annette (beginning to like him again)— “No? Well, don’t. Francis—‘“‘Anyhow, that does not affect the point. I was often out with—I'd better not say who.” Annette—“Oh, well, before—" Francis—“No, not before.” Annette—“Now you're talking.” Fran m I? Did no one ever tell you about May Fletton?” Annette (knowing a great deal of May Fletton, but not* enough)—“Frank, you never took her out Francis—“Be careful; you'll have us over.” Annette—“Frank, you didn’t?” (Tries to look around at him again.) Francis—“Be careful, silly; yes, I di Annette—“You shan’t speak like that; I'll get off.” Francis (making up the pace with a few bard strokes)—“That’s what little May sald: ‘Til get off,” once, when I—- But she didn’t mean it.” (Bicycle goes at the rate ef twelve miles an hour.) Annette (sighing in vexation)—“Oh! How dare you! ‘Little May;’ you know she's tons! Oh, I wish mamma could hear you. T'll never come out again, never!” Francis (to himself,working hard)—‘Dear, dear, little thing.” (Sees a stray curl and her little ear; is awfully sorry; wishes he had not vexed her; tries to see by her back whether she is going to cry or not; thinks she is.) “Netty, you know I don't mean| 4, anything.” (She does not answer; he jeans forward, his face over her shoulder, in- stinctively by practice.) Annette—“Don’ (Swings suddenly aside. Bicycle lurches violently.) Francis (bracing up and recovering)—“By jove, you nearly did it that time. It’s a foolish trick. Do you want to break both our necks?” (Slows down.) Annette—“Now you've called me a fool— yes, you did, you called me a fool—you did— yes, you did—I don’t want to hear—don’t— €on’t speak to me—you said I was a fool— you called me—I'll tell mam—I'll nev—I'll *' (Sobs; he sees her hand come round for her handkerchief; bicycle goes very slowly.) Francis—My own dear little girl, you must not, really; you know I did not call you any such thing, nor ever could—you know it, Netty, I waa hasty, but don’t; don’t; I know it was wrong. I should not— Oh, my girl—don’t cry li that, you'll make me—” Annette—“G—go—on; to get home.” Francis—“No, no; we must make {t up. I can’t bear this (in her ear) dearest—all you are to me—remember—Netty—come.” (Ho cans over and kisses her; she tries to turn to him; bicycle upsets.) ———+e+—______ Discouraged. From the Augusta (fe.) Journal. A Norway (Me.) philosopher, commenting on church decorations—and by inference, at least, other public-spirited enterprises—re- “Here fs an egg. It would be only, Kind to sit on‘it.” 2 . I want ———_+-e+______ ie Her Curious Neighbors. From the Chicago Tribune, Agent “Can't T put a burglar alarm in| marked: “The folks that do the work get your , ae so tired they can't enjoy It. ‘The folks Lady—‘No, we don’t need it.’ * who didn’t hel; and think how much t—"But—" better they could have done it.” Latiy—‘“No, I mean it. The family across the street watches is. Place so closely that Spite. even a burglar couldn't get in without be- From the Indianapolis Journal. Minnie—“I wonder if knickerbockers will be form this year* Mamie—“Yours wouldn't.” ing seen!” For a pue, sweet gigarette the latest— Sweet Moments. Noue better, “7 . : 4 The rest is silence.