Evening Star Newspaper, July 4, 1896, Page 13

THE EVENING STAR PUBLISHED DAILY EXCEPT SONDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, Cor, Lith Street, by ‘The aoe Company petalememanil Kew York Oifics, 49 Potter Building, pumas Let ‘The Evening Star ts served to subscribers in the ¢ity by earriers. on thelr own account, at 10 cents week. or 44c. per month. opies at the counter Brecnts each By matlauywnere in the United States of Canada—jostage prevald—80 cents per tent 2 Suturday quintupl> Sheet Star, $1.00 per year; With foreign postaze aided, $3.00. (Entered at the Post Office at Washington, D. 0., “EO-All mail ubecrigtas must be pald in advarce. mail ubscriptloas Rates of advertisiar made Known ea applicative. THE NATIONAL GUARD What is Said About the Armory Rent Appropriation. COMMENTS MADE BY SOME OFFICERS ——_>+—_—_. What is Said About the Personnel of the Rifle Team. ——-— MATTERS OF INTEREST oe Some of the District National Guard of- discussing with y the con- r officers in doing business District Commissioners aim that the proceeding in >t only foreign to all military also extremely unfair, for, lege, as soon as the new armory was completed the commanding netal notified the Ist BattaHon that quarters would be assigned the battalion in ne. rs of the battalion mentioned a at they did not are to leave their building, and were thereupon inform- ei that no rental could be allowed them, ix Congress had made an ap- I tion for the rent of an armory t Similar understanding, it ts said, was had with th rs of the National it, it is charg rtain officers of is broke faith by appear- 53 and asking appropria- ore the ercentage of the several officers that the ar- ngton sht Infantry Corps is ve quently rented for other : cycle shows, latest of all, has agement of the vor convention for the en- thus rendering imposel- vi work therein. directed wo commatic valis, and, yund t scon as = general is furnished with District Commissioners to do in the mat- rd_ appropriation called upon erred to Wi r conduct. 4 May Be Postponed. ners are respon- to camp. More than fore the appropriation the commanding gen- measure, asked the Comm iis on as to how » the fund for the i in violation of the riet, © pre was placed in ides that the for ai the plans th: sort t of babilities some k of the ycat the Dis- is > probable that the will be pos*poned until next ; s ood that tne command- sey 3 1 tpone the © proportion ted men have com- for their ann‘al s which, in fairness to be overtucned at this . z present are that there is of Old F Absence ‘in bles. an official circular iquarters announc- for the selection team that will sent the brigade in. the annual a few day e1 from he Sea Girt next September. The d to the team have hereto- shei in The Star, but it may ng to hat the team of edly consist of less known of former years, and he twelve men finally on the Jersey range strong in marksmanship as not a few persons will i the new note nce of Corporal Maurice -d_his place of residence o New Jersey, and there who do say ‘that Gen. 1 a soldier and team ca take advantage of the opportu- al the former engineer corporal folks is too of the Je team. Pri- no longer a Guardsman, ef course, excludes him ng of the per- . James Stewart, of the District's eam since its inception, is at pres- x and the chances are breathing Connecticut air period of shooting at Sea Girt. Carleton, who recently re as master of laws, 13 ex- leave for Florida, there to cal “politi = Material in Plenty. In all events, it may be stated practically as a certainty that not more than eight of the men who shot on the team of 1895 will be among those to defend the Hilton tro- at coming competition. But on the er hand there is lots of promising ma- , and some of it is not with- Particular attention is to © be paid to the new men, and if they can be worked into shape during the next two months, strong hope exists of the team reaching the standard established last fall. Outside the membership, the team of ‘M} will far surpass those of days gone by he way of equipment, for the men are to be provided with every known m: anism that has proved an aid to marks- manship. The range at Ordway is now undergoing @ thorough cleaning. The grass is being mow 1a large force of men are work- ing steadily fixing things in tip-top shape. in As to Free Ammunition. The idea that seems to have found stand- ing reom in the minds of some guards- men to the effect that the department of rifle practice is organized for the purpose of throwing ammunition all over the coun- try is a slight mistake. Free ammunition to twenty rounds a day per man, be ued to no one who has not completed the required gallery practice. ‘Those men who could not find time to com- piete their scores during the six months set asi for that purpose, have no cliims at the present time for the issuance of ammunition. And again, the ammunition will be issued only to Guardsmen whe. are likely to develop and show improvement. if, after two or three issues, aay officer or man failed to display signs of progress, further supplies of ammunition are to be cut off. Battalion inspectors of rifle practice will be supplied with check books, and on their recommendation ammunition will be issued at the range, if it is clear that the man presenting the check has completed his gallery practice; the question will be easily determined by reference to a ‘ist of those who have finished the indoor work, which will be handy at the range office. The work of loading shells at the armory has been suspended until the arrival of supply of bullets that has been ordered. The ammunition for the brigade team is to be specially constructed, and the work of loading it will begin in the near future. Medal Presented by Capt. May. Capt. Hearg May, aid-de-camp, has pre- sented to the Guard a handsome and costly medal, which will be awarded the winner of the “May medal match,” to be inaugurated at the coming fall rifle com- petitions of the Dis- trict National Guar:i. The die for the medal is the work of Tif- fany, and is in the possession of Cap- tain May, who will have a medel struck off every year. The medal proper is a circular gold piece, and on the front is the figure of an old Puritan sharpshooter, inclosed in a wreath. On the rear is en- graved: “Presented to the D. C. National Guard by Captain Henry May.” The medal is suspended from a red and black ribbon, the colors of the monogram of the May family. The “May medal match” will be at 300, 600 and 700 yards, and no one below the grade of sharpshooter during the year preceding the match will be eligible for entry. It may be stated in this connection tha’ all qualifications for entry into the rifle matches hereafter will be based upon the record of the preceding, not the cur- rent, year. First Battalion Field Sports. Company C, ist Battalion, is forging to the front with commendable activity, and the members of the rejuvenated command are arranging for their first annual day of fleld sports, Saturday, July 11, at 4:30 p.m... at the International Athletic Park, with much enthusiasm. This company has recently been thor- oughly reorganized, and placed upon a new line of work and action; new officers and new men, all determined, through a spirit of unity and friendship, of placing it among the foremost of the militia cempantes of the District National Guard, if not at the head. It is stated to be the desire of the present members that the company should repre- sent the Ist Battalion in the interstate competitive drills which may take place in the future; this, of course, takes a little time and preparation, a little hard work and patience; but with the encouragement received in the past six months the outlook 1s certainly for a bright future. Variation From Tactical Training. The athletic entertainment to be given is somewhat of a variation from the tactical training and disciplined duties of a soldier, but it is the wish to inculcate an interest for physical development and social enjoy- ment among the members and friends as well as the more strict military require- ments. The program includes an individual drill, open to members of National Guard com- panies, fora costly gold medal. The United States army driil regulations adopted Octo- ber 3, 181, are to be followed, and the drill is to consist of the manual of arms, with @ without the numbers; loadings and firings, standing, kneeling and lying down, beth as front and rear rank. « Among the Guardsmen who are to offl- ciate as officials of the field day are Quar- termaster Sergeant S. Porter House of the alion, First Sergeant W. E. Thomp- scn of the ist Battalion, Capt. James L. Mock of the 2d Regiment, Capt. William Horton of the brigade staff, First Lieuten. ant A. P. Robbins, Battery A, Light Artil- ; Second Lieutenant Jesse B. K. Lee of Ist Battalion and First Lieutenant ¥. Grant of the Ist Battalion. First Battalion Meeting. At the monthly meeting of the First Battalion Wednesday evening last Second Lieutenant Jesse B. K. Lee, who has been in charge of the reorganization of the Company C, turned that command over to the corps with a membership of forty-sev- en. As soon as an election of captain is ordered Lieuterant Lee will undoubtedly be promoted to the permanent command of the company. The election of Capt. John S. Miller to the captaincy of Company A was approved, and District Attorney A. A. Birney was unantmously elected a member of the or- ganization. A resolution to increase the Initlation fee and the dues was laid on the table until the October meeting. Discharges, Honorable and Otherwise The dishoncrable discharges of H. L. B. Atkinson and Augustus Hartfield have been revoked and honorable discharges granted in their stead. To accept promotion by commission, the following have been honorably discharged: Sergeant Fabian Columbus, Third Separate Company; Color Sergeant James B. Webb, Second Battalion, and Candidate First Ser- geant William Fischer, Company B, Fifth Battalion. On their own applications, the following have been honorably discharged: Corporal Samuel M. Croft, ambulance corps, and Private Charles F. G. De Moll, corps of field music. In the interest of the service the follow- ing have been discharged: Privates William Keefer and Clarence K. Young, both of Company C, Fourth Battalion. Notes. Capt. Harry Walsh, superintendent of the armory, has announced that hereafter the indiscriminate borrowing of keys from his office will be discontinued, and men desir- ing to secure admittance to the company rooms must get the keys from their re- spective company commanders. Company A, Second Battalion, has sus- pended drills until the announcement of camp. An assembly roll call, however, will be made Monday evenings at 8:30 o’clock. Workmen have been engaged during the week frescoing the walls of the rooms oc- upied by Company A, Third Battalion. When the improvements are completed it is expected that the quarters mentioned will be as handsome as any in the armory building. It 1s expected that Second Lieutenant George N. McLoughlin, ambulance corps, will tender his resignation within a few days, as it is his intention to remove to Tennessee for the purpose of practicing medicine. Private James E. Porter has been assigned to duty as embulance driver of the corps. ———— A Rattlesnake Skin for a Necktie. From the New York Tribune. A necktie made of the skin of a rattle- snake and with eight rattles left on was discovered in a paper box as it was pass- ing through the mailing department of the general post office yesterday morning. It was addressed to A. Vonnegut, Munster, Germany, and one of the clerks peeped into the box to see if the contents were of a class that could legally be sent through the mails across the sea. The post office officials ruled that it contained goods of a salable value and could not be sent through the mails unless properly sealed and post- age at the rate of 5 cents a half ounce paid. Unless the sender reads about the detention of his novel present, and calls at the post office and pays more money, his German brother in the fatherland will probably not have the pleasure of wearing this strictly unique specimen of American ingenuity in haberdashery. —_+o_ An Earnest Prosecutor. From the Indianapolis Journal. “We got the earnestest prosecutor in our county on earth,” said Rubberneck Bill to the wondering tourist. “Earnest?” said the touist. “You bet. Every time he don’t hang a feller he is prosecutin’ he takes it as a = insult and shoots the feller any- FOR COLORED WOMEN Meeting of the National League to Be Held Here. WORK OF THE LOCAL ORGANIZATION Preparations to Entertain the Af- filiated Societies. SOME LOCAL WORKERS —_._—_ The evening of the farewell session of the big Endeavor convention will witness the opening of a very interesting convention of colored women in this city. The National League of Colored Women, the first na- tional association of the kind ever organ- ized in the United States, will hold {ts first convention here the 18th, 14th, 15th and 16th continent. tendance, of July, and from present indications it promises to be the most important gathering of colored women ever assembled on this Representative colored women from all parts of the country will be in at- as the National League has branches in nearly every state of the Union. The convention will be held in the Fif- teenth Street Presbyterian Church. At first the plan was to open the convention on Wed- nesday morning, the 14th instant, but at a recent meeting of the convention commit- tee it was decided to have the preliminary opening the evening of the 18th, when there will be a recep- tion to the public. The program commit- tee is arranging to make this the most enjoyable occasion of the convention. Ad- dresses of welcome will be delivered by Commissioner Ross, Rev. F. J. Grimke, Rev. Alexander Crum- mell, D. D., and Mrs. Helen A. Cook, and a delightful musical program will be fur- Mrs. A. J. Cooper. nished by Mrs. Alloe Strange Davis, who will look after the music during the sessions of the convention. The formal opening of the convention will take place-the following morning, when Mra. Helen A. Cook, national president, will de- liver an address to the assembled delegates, after which the convention will settle down to business. ‘The first day will be devoted to the question of education among the col- ored people, and especially the colored wo- men. Philadelphia; Cambridge, and Mrs. elty. cons men. ticing law United States vention will in Papers will be read by Mrs. Fanny Jackson Coppin, prin- cipal of the Institute for Colored Youth in Mrs. Maria:L. Baldwin of Mass., Mary Church Terrell of this The second day will be devoted to the ideration of the professions as they relate to colored wo- The principal address will be de- tivered by Miss Platt of Chicago, the only colored woman BraC eee nuanwos. On the third day the con- old its session at Harper's Ferry, the delegates going to this historic town in the morning and returning in the afternoon to hold the evening session in this city. Mary C. Terrell. The last day will be devoted to the elec- YE Washington of tion of officers and the consideration of the question of the home life of colored women. The princi- pal addresses on this subject will be de- livered by Mrs. Silone Yates of Kansas City, Mo., and Mrs. Booker Tuskeege, Ala. The local branch of this organization, known as the Colored Women’s League, en- Joys the distinction of being the oldest and largest in the coun- try, and it was main- ly through its efforts that similar societies were established else- where, and finally welded into a national association. It prides itself upon the practical and ef- ficient work it has done in the District in the way of promoting the interests of col- cred women, and its members have been working diligently the past three months making preparations to receive and enter- tain the affiliated societies. The movement for national organization having started in this city, it was but natural that when, last year, the national organization was Washington women. perfected’ Washin, should be made its headquarters and the management was given hat largely to The president of both the national and local organization is of this city. Mrs. Helen A. Cook She has put her heart and soul in the work of building up, strength- ening and extending the work -of the league. She is the wife of John F. Cook of this city. Mrs. Cook is a remarkably energetic executive officer and a lady of culture and refinement. : Mrs. A. J. Cooper, the corresponding sec- retary, and gentle have and is teaching fi the Colored distinctive the which success is the authores: Voice From the South, and intellectuality,as well as her sweet spirit, impressed themselves upon the efforts of the associ- ation in a most per- manent and bene- ficial manner. She is a native of North Carolina, a graduate of Oberlin College, of the book “A and her culture High School of this city. One of the most features of the work of the local organization is with it has con- ducted evening in- Mrs. Thurman. dustrial classes for the henefit of women who have no cther time or opportunity to avail themselves of such training. These classes are under the personal supervision of Mrs. B. K. Bruce. most zealous league She is one of the workers, and is fre- quently spoken of in league circles as a “presidential possibility. Among the other active league workers of the District are Mrs. F. J. Grimke, wife | ginlans, and of the pastor of the FifteenthStreet Pres- byterian Church; Mrs. Ida Bailey, a native of Virginia; who has brought to the league work the energy and thorough- going enthusiasm characteristic of Vir- Mrs. Terrell, who is a member of the board of school trustees. Among the most prominent of those who will attend the convention are Mrs. Fanny Jackson Cop- Mrs. Washington.pin of Philadelphia, head of the colored women educators in who stands at the WASHINGTON, D. O, SATURDAY, JULY.& 1896-TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. this country; Mrs. J. Silone Yi sas City, Mo., the most active er outside of Washington; . Booker T. Washington of Alabama, and Mrs. Lucy Thurman, W. C. T. U. organizer among colored women in the United States, whose visit to this city a few weeks ago aroused so much interest in temperance circles. Mre. Thurman is a lady of large. rience and influence as an organizer, and will in all probability be the next president of the national association. —— MOVING GREEN BAND of Kan- gue work- A Curious Species of Tropical Ants and Their Habits, In Orderly Array Like an Army, They Carry Green Leaves in Thetr Strong Jaws. : I once had {t brought home to me in an impressive manner that I had been very uncbservant of the things immediately about me. It came about in this manner. I was camping alone on the island of To- bago, and had taken the trail leading from iny hut on the beach into the deep forest— @ path over which I had walked at least a score of times before—and I presently reached a sopt where the shade was so dense that it made a sort of twilight. Sud- denly there appeared to my astonished cyes something that caused me to rub them in doubt whether I was not dreaming; for right in front of me, crossing the path, was a band of green, stretching across the brown, dun-colored earth, and as my eyes became accustomed to the dim light so that I could observe it more particularly, I Saw that this green ribbon wag moving regulerly along, like the belt over a factory wheel. At first it seemed to be solid and unbroken, but soon I detected many di- visicns in the line, and saw that it was composed of thousands of bits of leaves, each about half an inch in diameter. Up- on turning over tome of these leaf-frag- ments, I found that the motive power of each one was a big red ant, who clung to it desperately, and as soon ag released took ita place in the ranks again. For many minutes I watched the verdant pro- cession, but'it seemed no nearer the end than when I first saw it. Out of the dusky woods on one side the path it emerged, and into the depths on the other it disappeared, traveling tirelessly onward to some destination unknown to me. I could not very well trace its course, the forest being so dense; but there must have been millions of ants in the column, all marching in perfect order, and evidently with some definite end in view. We know that these insects have ex. ed the wonder and admiration of all obser ers, from the time of Solomon to the pres- ent. They seem to possess instincts which border close upon reason; for they build bridges, bore tunnels, excavate galleries; some of them make slaves of other ants, and others keep a sort of insect cows that yield them milk. Their Mfe-histories have been carefully studied by some of the most eminent naturalists. The very species that I had the good fortune to §n@ crogsing my path that morning in the forest is de- scribed by Mr. Alfred Wallace, who found itin the Amazon region of Brazil. It seems to prefer a district where red earth is abundant, and there it builds great mounds, sometimes twenty feet across and thtee or four feet in height. ‘These hillocks,” say the famous naturalist just mentioned, “are riddled with holes in every direction, and into them the ants may be seen dragging little circular pieces of leaf, whicn they cut of€ from particular trees’ preferred by them. Orange trees and leguminous shrubs suffer most from their ravages, and these they sometimes entirely strip of their foliage in a night or two. Young plants, too, suffer very much and cannot be grown in some places on account of them. They remain in one locality for a long time; fcr, on my observing to a gentleman at a cattle estate near Para how remarkably the track of these ants was worn across the pathway and through the grass, he informed me that he had observed them marching along that very track for fifteen or twenty years, This, then, was the explanation of the green ribbon across the trail; it was com- posed of ants carrying to their nests leaves with which to line their cells. Those which do this work are what is known in the ant world as ‘“neuters.”” They are very strong and have tremendous jaws. These insects, which are known as the great-headed red ants, not only use their powerful scissor jaws upon the leaves of trees and plants, but should they find a tablecloth or handkerchief, or anything of that kind on the ground, will cut out of it neat little semi-circular holes, taking the pleces away to their nests. Whether or not they use these bits of cloth for lin- ing their nests, or put them to their prop- er use as napkins and handkerehiefs, I cannot say. At certain seasons of the year, however, the Indians of Brazil make barbarous re- prisals for all their devastations. “At one time of the year,” says Mr. Wallace, ‘the female ants come out of their holes :n great lumbers, and are caught by the Indians by the basketful. The insects are very slug- gish, and never fly, though furnished at the time with wings. When they come out there is great excitement in the Indian vil- lage, all the young men, women and chil- dren setting themselves to catching the ‘saubas,’ as they call them: They are kept in calabashes and bottle-shaped baskets, the mouths of which are stopped up with a few leaves. It is a rather singular sight to see for the first time an Indian taking his breakfast in the ‘sauba’ season. The insects are actually eaten alive, the ant being held by its head, as we would hold @ strawberry by its stem, and the abdomen bitten off. The only part eaten is the ab- domen, which is very rich and fatty, from the mass of undeveloped eggs. Having se- cured the edible part of the ant, the head and thorax, with the wings and legs at- tached, are thrown to the ground, where the wretched insect crawls about, as though unaware of the loss of its powter- tor extremities. The Indians not only eat them fresh, but elso smoke and salt them for future use, regarding them as the choicest of their daintles.’” I was not aware of all the uses to which these ants could be put when they crossed my trail in the woods; but if I had been, I doubt greatly that-I should have consider- ed them available as articles of diet, cven though my larder was not always supplied. The Dog Found His Money. From the New York Tribune, John A. Staats, proprietor of the Sheri- dan House at Elizabeth, has a setter dog named Fe1-nie, for which he has refused offers of several hundred dollars. Yester- day Mr. Staats had the receipts of the ho- tel for Saturday and Sunday. in the safe, and in the afternoon he made up his ac- counts and pleced the bills and checks be- tween the leaves of his bank book. About the book he placed an elastic band. He put the book in one of his pockets and started for the bank. When he reached the bank and placed hie hand in the pocket the book was gone. He searched his other pockets, and then started back to look for the miss- ing bcok and money. Just as he left the bank he met the dog coming toward him with the book in her mouth. The money and checks were undisturbed. It is sup- Posed that he dropped the book just as he left the hotel, and it was picked. up by the dog, and she followed him. A Cultivated Taste. | From the Cincinnati Enqutrer, Mr. Moth—“What a hotrible vor of moth balle this sacque has!:’ Mrs."Moth—“‘Dear me, Atgernon, ‘you are Positively disgusting. Don’t you ki that @ liking for carbolic acid and tar, is the best evidence that one has moved society and acquired @ oultivated tas tid ri RAILROAD DOINGS The Southern System About to Ex- pand Anew. LINE OF POTOMAC STEAMERS IN VIEW B. and O. Freight Receipts In- creased by Ore Importations THE DEFAULTED DIVIDENDS Tt is understood that the Southern Rail- way Company contemplates the establish- ment in the near future of a line of pas- senger and freight steamers between Wash- ington and Norfolk, Va. This, it is thought, can be done et but slight expense. The pew steamer Atlanta, recently completed by the Cramps at a cost of $250,000, has been put on the company’s new route be- tween Baltimore and Norfolk, and the same firm is about finishing a sister steam- er, equal in all respects to the Atlanta, in- tended for the same route. Should the company desire it this will relieve them from the necessity of keeping several ex- cellent boats heretofore used on the York River line, between Baltimore and West Point, Va., and admit of their being placed on other waters. Within the present week the route of the York River boats has been established to Norfolk, to which port a daily service is to be maintained, but the steamers of the line will only go to West Point three times a week in future instead of daily as formerly. The Atlanta raade her first trip promptly on time, and the run both ways was emi- nently satisfactory, both to her officers and owners. She not only carried a big pas- senger list and a heavy freight cargo, but developed all the speed that was called for in the contract, and it is believed that she could easily be made to exceed the maxi- mum rate stipulated. The Southern May Expand Further. There seems to be no disposition on the part of the Southern railway people who are posted on the subject to deny the state- ment that the Southern is about to buy the Mentphis and Charleston road at fore- clesure sale, and incorporate it into their present system. The f¢ losure of the Mortgage on the road has been asked for by a majority of the first mortgage bond- holders and Mr. John D. Caldwell, a promi- bent lawyer of Knoxville, Tenn., who is slso connected with the legal department of the Southern Railway Company, has gone to Aberdeen, Miss., to file a bill to foreclose the mortgage and ask for an or- Ger for the sale of the road. Similar bills have already been filed in the Tennessee court at Memphis, and the Alabama courts at Huntsville. Mr. Caldwell also represents his brother, who acted as special commissioner in the sale-of the old East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railway system. It is believed by those who are usually well informed in reference to the inside workings of the Southern Railway Company's affairs that the road will be ordered sold within a few weeks, and that the Southern will become the purchaser. The Memphis and Charleston is one of the oldest, best and most important railways in the south, and it is believed that, if purchased by the Southern company, it wiil prove a most valuable addition to their al- ready magnificent system, in harmony with which it is now operated. As originally chartered it was intended that the main line should conneet the cities of Memphis and Charleston, but it has never been con- structed beyond Chattanooga, which {s about 400 miles from Memphis. The route is magnificent, and it passes immediately at the foot of “Lookout Mountain.” It has also a number of branch lines, including one formerly known as the Mississippi ane Tennessee, 100 miles long, to Granada, Miss., and a branch known as the Nash. ville division by which passengers reach the capital of Tennessee. At Chattanooga it connects with a perfect network of railways, which radiate into every part of Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Ten- nessee, and with the Cincinnati Southern, which runs in almost an air line between Chattanooga and the “queen city of the west.” Cincinnati's Pet Railroad. The latter road was built at a cost of $16,000,000 for the purpose of attracting trade from the merchants in the heart of the south and contiguous territory to those of Cincinnati, and the principal portion of the money used in construction was furnished by the city of Cincinnati. It is also for-sale, as the enterprise has not been successful as a payer of dividends on the investment itself, and tne people of Cincinnati have, through their representa- tives, expressed a desire to be rid of the burden the road imposes upon them in the way of taxation. So far, however, as being the means of drawing trade to the city from Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee is concerned, the investment made has proven all that was claimed by the promoters of the work when the building of the-line was agitated and the money for its construc- tion voted, and the disposition of the peo- ple of Cincinnatt to part with their “pet” railroad is believed to be simply in line with the course that has been found to be advantageous by most citles, which, as corporations, were induced in the past to assist in building railroads. Ore Importations From Cuba. The loss of revenue sustained by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company as freight on coal from western Maryiand and West Virginia points to those in New England, through the operation of the present tariff, is likely to be more than made up by the resumption of the importa- tion of iron ore from Cuba by the Car- negies. For many years previous to 1891 the great iron manufacturers whose plants were in western Pennsylvania imported large quan- tities of iron ore from St. Jago, one of the most important of the Cuban ports, but about five years ago importations began to fall off, and presently ceased entirely, and the first cargo of ore that has reached Baltimore for a long time fram St. Jago arrived there this week. The cargo was brought in a British steamship, and was loaded directly from the hold of the ves- sel on the cars of the B. and O., and thence taken direct to the Carnegie furnaces. Within the last few months the coal carrying trade of the B. and O. between the George's creek and Elk Garden regions, as the coal-producing sections of western Maryland and West Virginia are respect- ively named, has fallen off appreciably, and this decrease is thought to be due to the operations of the tariff bill, which re- duced the coal schedule so much that the manufacturers of New England have found it largely to their advantage to buy their semi-bituminous coal in Nova Scotla. No one, not even the Nova Scotia operat- ors themselves, will deny that the coal mined in Maryland and West Virginia is far superior to the Canadian coal for pro- ducing steam, but revertheless the New England peoplé have placed big contracts for coal withthe Nova Scotians, and are likely to add‘ to these orders in the near future, and the resumption of the impor- tation of iron ore at the port of Balti- more is therefore especially gratifying to the freight officials of the B. and O. The, Be ©. Affairs. Receiver Cowen has been elected presi- dent of the Winchester and Strasburg Rail- road Company, as the corporation that owns the Valley division of the Baltimore and Ohio is known. Mr. Cowen succeeds Mr. Charles F. “Mayer, former president of the Baltimore-and Ohio. ‘The office of President of the Winchester and Strasburg ig always held by the president of the Bal- timore and Ohio, as the Baltimore and Ohio ia the lessee, and absolutely controls its policy. The old board of directors have also been re-elected for enother year. A meeting has been called, to be held next week, in Baltimore, of the committee representing the holders of the first pre- ferred stock of the Baltimore and Ohig, to take action in reference to the default in the guaranteed dividend. As heretofore stated in The Star, the amount of this steck is $3,000,000, of which $1,100,000 is held by the Johns Hopkins University, and the remainder by Baltimore capitalists. The committee, which is composed of Messrs. John Gill, John A. Whitridge and James L. McLane, with Mr. J. Hall Pleasants, -hair- man of the finance committee of the Johus Hopkins University, as chairman ex-officio, has retained Messrs. Bernard Carter, Ar- thur George Brown and John J. Donaldson as counsel for the committee. The three lawyers are among the most eminent of the profession at the Maryland bar, and Mr. Carter is chief attorney for the Penns: vania Railroad Company in Maryland. War Declared. As was foreshadowed by The Star several days ago would be the case, war has been declared by the Seaboard Air Line Rail- road Company, which s also the owner of the Old Bay Line of steamers between Baltimere and Norfolk, and the Southern Railway Company on account of the plac- ing by the la‘ter of a new line of steamers between the two points named. ae TO KNOW TORNADOES. HOW Some _ Characteristic Features These Unwelcome Visitors. From Harper's Weekly. Perhaps the most important distinction to emphasize is that between the appearance of a thunder storm and a tornado, since, if this can be defined, much needless fear at the approach of black but harmless thun- Ger storms can be avoided. When not com- bived with tornado manifestations the thun- der storm sends aloft a narrow line of black clouds in advance, which remains bkigh in the air. At the right and left the black clouds seem to reach the earth, but this is caused, not by a descent to the earth, as in a tornado, but by distant edges ot the high black clouds receding below the horizon line. It is one storm which spreads to the left and right. There is no eplitting up of clouds with the formation of a aif- ferent storm at another part of the hori- zon. The tornado ts easily distinguished from this perfectly plain edge of black with its Lighter rain mist extending to the earth. Whether the funnel is veiled by rain or not, it s ordinarily so black that as it ap- broaches it appears as a column of dense darkness, narrowest at the earth, with lignt breaking through on eiiher side of It. The most marked trait of all is that other clouds secm to be approaching, others mov- ing at right angles, and a distinct storm of light hue is coming up from the southwest. This is all caused by the tornado, which ‘s drawing clouds and air currents toward itself from great distances. As the ornado funnel comes nearer, with its dark mass of rubbish reaching to the earth, the roar is frightful, giving the observer fifteen or twenty minutes’ warning. The southwest corner of the cellar, if the tornado is ap- prozching from the south or west, is the safest place of refuge. ‘The tornado carries the wreckage to the rorth and east, and if the funnel is seen in the north or east it need not be feared, because it will almost certainly move away. Of GW tornadoes sp cially classified, all but thirty-five moved from southwest to northeast, and nearly all the thirty-five moved eastwardly. The funnels have a rotary motion from right to left, and this motion ts not due to electrical action, but to acceleration of con- ficting air currents. Lieut. Finley shows that the lightning supposed to be in the fun- nel is already in adjacent thunder cloud: The broken and withered buds, bruised by tne action ef the air, are evaporated by the stn after the tornado, causing the foliage to lcok seared, giving rise to the error that the tornado manifests burning electrical power. It has been demonstrated by study of wreckage that as the funnel leaves the carth and rises into the air its force slight- ly diminishes, and that this bounding mo- tion causes the funnel to spare one butld- Ing and demolish another. The funnel, with its small end to the earth, spins like a top, moving along at an average rate of ebout forty miles and hour, but the ve- locity of the spin {s incalculable. It is like the motion of air impelled by an explosion. Tornadoes generally occur between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., and not more than one in a thousand takes place between 10 p.m. and ncon of the following day. I have heard of only two instances in which the tornado oc- curred between midnight and morning—one at Hohokus, N.J., and another in southern Michigan, which caused slight loss of life. Since these are cnly two in about 2,000 cases, the danger from tornadoes at night is so small that it need not be considered. —$—s- He Knew Secds if Not Latin. From Harper's Round Tuble. Every lover of art knows of the celebrat- ed works of Mcissonier, the painter. Now, Meissonier not only could paint, but he cculd tell a good story, and he was es- pecially fond of relating this little anec- dote of his gardener, wiose horticultural erudition was remarkable: A smattering of learning is a dangerous thing, and Meissonier’s gardener had a It- tle knowledge of the Latin tongue, whic he was fond of using to name his different plants. Meissonier for a long time was skeptical of his gardener’s Latin, so one day he set a trap for him by giving him the roe of a red herring and asking what seed it was. Withcut hesitating the gardener gave it a long Latin name, and promised that it would bloom in about three weeks. Meis- senier chuckled to himself, and agreed to ir epect the blooms in three weeks or more. When the time came the painter ques- ticned his learned horticulturist about it, and that party led him into the hot house to an enorn.ous flower pot. There, sure enough, were the blooms in the nature of the heads of six red herrings just emerging from the dirt tn the pot. Meissonier breath- ed a deep sigh and shook his gurdener’s hand, exclaiming: “What a wonderful man Fish That From the Spectator. It is not generally known that fish yawn. The writer saw a turbot yawn twice, and @ cod once—the latter being one of the widest yawns accomplished by ahy animal of its size. The yawn of a turbot, being something not commonly” cen, deserves more particular description. A turbot’s mcuth 1s twisted on one side, rather as if it had belonged to a round fish which some one had accidentaily trodden on and squash- ed half flat. The yawn begins at the lips, which open as if to suck in water. Then the jews become distended, and it is seen that this Is going to be a real, genuine submarine fish's yawn. But the yawn gces on, works through the back of its head, distending the plates of the skull, ard comes out at the gills, which op2n, show the red inside, are inflated for a mo- ment, end then, with a kind of stretching shiver of its back, the fish flattens out again, until, if unusually bored, it relieves itself.by another yawn. —— Weary Wageles, Diplomat. From the Cleveland Leader. Tramp—“W'ot a beautiful baby that is, miss. Your little sister, ain't it? Looks just like you. Mrs. Gulling—“No, that’s my little daughter. Poor man! You look as if you had walked a long way. Do you take sugar ani milk in your tea?” eg een gee The Least That Might Be Don From the Chicago Evening Post. If Spain’s only desire is to make a slaughter house of Cuba it should at least make a study of the improved methods of killing. REAL ESTATE GOSSIP Some Views in Regard to the Supnly of Public Halls. WHAT IS THOUGHT 10 BE THE NEED Water Supply Problem in the Sub. urban Sections. ERECTION OF BUILDINGS eee eee ae It is kely that the subject of the supply of public hells in this city will be one of considerable interest in the near future. People who have to arrange for places where societies and organizations can hold their sessions are just now realizing in a practical way that the number of such places has been decreased by at least one One of the halis which, owing to its central location, was quite largely used was Metz- erott's Hall, on 12th street near F, but now that building is in the hands of the work- men, and in the course of a few weeks the transformation into a theater will have been completed. = It has not been announced that any one at present contemplates erecting a building designed for such a purpose, und it is quite possible that the situation will cause a re- vival of the talk which was so common some time ago in regard to the necessity Since of putting up a building of this kind, the last agitation of the matter the above the Northern market i been utilized, an but d Convention H the largest place of the sort in the city. Another hall has been fitted over the $ih street wing of Center market, and while both of these places are capable of holding large numbers of people, yet, after all, it is said, they do not meet ai irements of the situation. There is t to be a demand for a hall of medium s which can be used by organizations and sc Which, in connection with their 1 desire to have some soctal feature a reception or a banquet. It is believed that a building of thi , SUC sort will be found to-be generaily available, and @ good many people think that it repre one of the pressing neces: According to the position tal who hold this opinion it believe the needs of th large halls are concerned and those representing the opposite capacity are now well supplied, and it remains to provide @ butiding of medium capacity which can. meet the somewhat varied requirements re- terred to above. Water Supply in the Suburbs, One of the indications of the growth in population of the suburbar settlements is evident that city as far which are so numerous in the country about the city is the di on which is going on relative to supplying these places with sewer and water facilitie e town of Rockville has taken the initiative in this matter, and, hay ured the au- thority froni the legis - of Maryland, is preparing to esta @ water supply, which, through the artesian yply fresh water for the use is. According to the plans, the system promises to be effective and not at sll expensive. It is likely that other pla Situated as Rockville is example and that independent Water will be secured. As long as t lation in these places remains scattered water obtained from w edequate for all aom Is is fo nd to be fc purposes, but as Scon as neighbors begin to crowd each other aud are built near tw each other it is found that the ground becomes contaminated from the refuse from dwell- ings and as a result the water in the wells is affected. It is thought by some that a remedy for this evil will be found in pro system, but It that so long as there 1p- ply—in other words, nile the drinking water is drawn from the ground in a thick- ly built up section—there is liability of its being infected and spreading ¢ death. On the ot hand, if tained from a where it is entire free from all local sources of corruption then the community can feel assured that there is no danger from such a source. The practical execution of the plan in Rockville will be watched with interest by residents in other suburban tow An F Street Transaction. A real estate transaction of some interest Wes recently closed. Messrs. Pitney and Bradford, real estate dealers, sold for Henry M. Baker, to Stilson Hutchins, the property on the south side of F street be- tween 9th and 10th rn as 932 end 934. This prop a frontage of 87 feet 1 inch, cular depth of 116 feet and contain ef It is im- proved by a 1 h is un- der rental. The pri in the transaction was $S5.4kK), punt Was represented in part by property at the southw and H strects, which transferred by Mr. Hutchins to Mr. Baker. Jas. M. Hoke's New Home. Plans have been completed by Frederick B. Pyle, architect, for a handsome cotontal residence, to be erected on the south side of S street between 19th and 20th, for Mr. James M. Hoge. The house will be situat- ed on the corner of an alley, affording an exposure on three sides. The dimensions of the building wiil be 22 feet 6 inches by 68 feet 4 inches, and ther will be a parlor, entrance and ion halls, dining room, conse! i. 2 and kitchen on the first floor; a finished basement, arranged for cold storage; laundry, servants’ quarters, with bath and t t, fvel and beating rooms. In ad- dition, there will be six chambers on the vo upper floors, with large storage room and handsome tiled bath on cach. The first floor and front stairs will be finished in herd wood; the rooms throughout will be finished in diffe; of wood, the decorations harmonize. The general details tionally fine, and call for a suy» of work. Some Improvéments. A two-story brick store and dwelling will be erected for Chas. Baum, by W. R. Coon, on 14th street between L and M streets. The front, which is thirty-eight feet, will be of pressed brick. The depth is 127 feet. Plans have been prepared by A. B. Mul- let & Co., architects, for the remod- eling of the dwelling at 1007 3d street northeast. A two-story addition at the rear is to be erected. A. Goenner, architect, has prepared plans for a three-story residence to be erected at 507 Stanton square for Mr. A. Gehmann. The dimensions will be 20 feet & inches by 6) feet, and the front will be of” buff brick and Indiana Mmestone. The interior will be finished in hard wo. and every modern improvement will be vtlized in the con- struction of the building. A new store front will be put in the first floor of Odd Fellews’ Hall, on 7th street between D and E streets northwest. Six show windows of neat design are to be put im by. W. H. Childs, contractor. Melton & Watts, builders, will erect, for D. M. Lea, five brick dwelings on’ 8th street between F and G streets northeast. Each structure will be 17 by 32 feet, and have threc stories and a cellar, The fronts will be of gray brick with half-mansard roof.