Evening Star Newspaper, August 1, 1896, Page 25

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1896—-TWENTY-FOUR PAGES. 23 HUNY ADT JANOS, The World’s Best Natural Aperient Water. 25 Years’ Success in U. S. Highest Reputation all Over the World. CAUTION: None genuine without the signature of the firm “Andreas Saxlehner,” On the Label. mb21-sat,26t Rortententontecteete te tesostosGecetratento teense oa estes eatoa aes ose oaononos ee Sesoatontoa ote tennonteste? PLANTS AT NIAGARA. A Botanist Studies Around the Great Cataract. From Garden and Forest. Nature never fails to give us her over- tores when she plays her great sympho- nies any more than do the great composers. We cannot fail to catch the softening and mellowing thus lenc to the musical strain, for hearing is involuntary, but we must so often be taught to see what is right before us, and our teachers are so few, that we not infrequently miss all but the most daz- zling part of the outdoor picture. The devotee of field science is never more aware of this than on visiting Niagara Falls. Standing a fortnight ago on Prospect Point, perhaps the most striking scenic spot in the werld, I leaned over the edge of the sheer and partly overhanging wall and looked down, not at the great sheet of water, but at the rocks that continue the gorge north- ward. ‘There is often scarcely a handful of soil to the square foot, and sometimes apparent- ly none at all on the face of the great prec- ipice, yet it is clothed with wild plants al- most from top to bottom. So hidden are they by the perpendicular wall and the ar- tificial coping above it that many of them are hard to rake out, but new discoveries are made at every change of position. The columbine, Aquilegia Canadensis, loves the spot so well that its bright red blossoms appear sometimes after they have disap peared from gardens. The plant is the most ventureseme and hardy of any there, and appeacs in a rock crevice where noth- ing else but the bare wall is seen. It is difficult to understand how it subsists or even clings to the wall, but it is content and holds out no hands for sustenance ex- cept to the humid air. One or two wild roses are there, and the wild o0seberry sends up sturdy stems near the top of the wall. A Spiraea, prob- ably tomentosa, is at home, and golden rods. Rhus texicodendron and probably Rhus radic: as it is everywhere abont the falls, Ampelopsis quinquefolia. Creepers are rampant, hardly less so than in the woods on Goat Island, where the wild grape attains great size and runs freely over the tops of quite tall trees. The will grape on the edge of the gorge was just setting its crop and showed a luxuriance of bunches that. would charm a vineyardist. Bittersweet and Solanum Dulcamara are also there. These vines do net venture far down the wall, as they need soil, but they are in the spirit of the place, and are seen rising from its base and sometimes making their way far up the moist surface, while the Aquilegia and some smaller greenery that it is hard to make out In the distance crop out of every seam and ridge and terrace from base to summit. it is this acceptance of the wild spirit of Niagara that makes its flora so accept- able. The soil is naturally thin and ster- ile, so that the effort to turn the river bank on the mainland into a cultivated park is so far indifferently successful, and the ambitious evergreens that were planted cn Bath Island are all gone. But this make no difference with the wild plants: they flourish everywhere and are as indifferent S the soi: as any but actual air plants can 'e. The wildest of our native plants do not yield naturally to cultivation, because they demand atmospheric conditions that cannot be transplanted with them. The result is that they linger awhile out of their native element and then disappear. Let Niagara pretty generally alone and it will never want for flora that is appropriate to it. There is very doubtful need of the forest tree nursery that is made to disfigure a part of Goat Island, or the thicket of snow- berry, Symphoricarpus racemosus, that be- gins to shut in the drive from Bath Island. ——_——_+e+______ Emery to Corundum. From Science. An electric process of converting emery into corundum by means of the alternate current arc has recently been patented. As heat and not decomposition ts aimed at continuous currents would be unsuita- ble. This furnace is made of firebricks and stands on two bridges; the hollow underneath serves as a receptacle for the fused mass, there being a small hole in the bottom of the furnace. This hole is ccvered with a glass plate. The electrodes —carbon rods—are approached to within one inch to two Inches, the space between being packed with lumps of carbon. The emery, the finest dust, of little use other- wise, mixed with powdered coal, the amount depending upon the fron oxide im the emery; for 25 per cent of oxide 5 per cent of carbon is reckoned. The coal is soon burned by the oxygen of the iron oxide and the arc forms. The inner mass begins to melt, and the glass plate gives way, and a_ stream of fused corundum flows out. The hard outer crust is then broken with iron rcds and new material thus fed to the arc. This addition stops the flow, which starts again after ten or fifteen minutes. The baseplate is strewn with fine emery powder to protect it from the Intense heat of the fused mass. The resulting corundum is almost free of water, of which the emery contains about 5 per cent. It is crystalline, coloriess, and then resembling quartz; pink or blue, fine, small crystals of sapphires have been found in druses. The current is kept at 250 am- peres and the pressure is 40 or 60 volts. ———__-e-_ The Old, Old Questio: From the Indianapolis Journal. “Mabel—Miss Featherworth, I should say,” said the young man, “is your father at home? I want to ask him something.” —yes,” said the young woman, tremu- lously. “I wish to ask him,” he continued: “I wish to ask him the question that nearly every man has found necessary to ask. In short. I wish to ask him—* The young weman tittered and the young man “switched. “I wish to ask him,” said he, with a ma- lignant tone m his hitherto honeyed voice, “what is the exact meaning of 16 to 1. The Lady Ermyntrude—‘Well, I THE ’SQUIRES PET FISH. Just as He Had Taught It to Live on Land It Fell Into the Water and Was Drowned. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer. There was a man in Marietta yesterday who told about the biggest fish story ever heard in this vicinity. His name is Henry Wilson, and he hails from up near the head of Middle Island creek in West Virginia. Wilson's story is this: Near his home in West Virginia is an cld "squire of the name of Spencer, who be- iieves that any lving thing can be taught to live out of its element. Several months ago he caught a large catfish without do- ing it any injury, and proceeded in an ex- periment to prove his theory. He dug a hole in his yard, which he filled with water, and in which he deposited the fish. Every day he took out a portion of the water un- til there was very little left. This he let evaporate, and, wonderful to say, the fish still lived, accustoming itself to the air and apparently thriving. Finally "Squire Spencer took the fish out of the hole and kept him in the yard,where he fed him and treated him in much the same way that he would treat any barn- yard animal. The fish at once took on co- cile habits and became very affectionate. Whenever it saw its master it gave forth a sound of recognition and wabbied itself as near as possibie to him. Spencer peited him and became so fond of him that he would often take him along with him when he went away from home. One thing peculiar about the fish was that it would never have anything to do with the other members of Spencer's fam- ily, but would show great fear at their ap- proach. Spencer was very jubilant at this apparent vindication of his theory, and was preparing to exhibit the phenomenon at the county fairs in his section. But the most remarkabie part of the story yet remains to be told. One day, as Spencer was starting off for a short walk, the fish started to wabble along after h'm. All went well until Spencer crossed a shal- low creek on a foot log, and the fis! tempting to follow, got as far as the middle of the log. lost his balance and fell into the water. Spencer could have saved the fish, but supposing that it could swim, let it alone, when. to his surprise, the after making several desperate floun-lers in the water, keeled over on its back and drowned. Bee-Keepers. From Lippincott’s for August. The natural home of the bee—and so of the bee-keeper—is in a temperate climate, where the flowers bloom all the year. Thus we find that our greatest honey production ccmes from that state whose synonym is “the land of flowers.” In Cahfornia bee- keeping is regarded as an industry worthy the fostering care of the state, and the yie'd of honey is no mean factor in contributing to the individual and general wealth. A single bee-keeper there has as many as 6,000 colonies, which produce a total yield of 200,000 pounds of honey in a year. So far as Statistics are available, this is the largest apiary in the world. But even in California prejudice is still rife, and, because of the mistaken idea that the interests of the bee- keeper and those of the fruit grower are inimical, the bee ranches are usually rele- gated to remote nooks among the foothiils and in the mountain cancns. The California bee-keeper is a man who deserves more than passing notice. “Remote, unfriended, solitary.” are the words that come to my mind instinctively as I think of the isolated huts upon the mountain side or in some narrow cleft between the hills, where I have so often found him. He is always pe- cullar, and often a type that would do credit to Philiscus himself. But if you can once penetrate through the crust of the man, pity for his solitary condition will soon vanish. The bees are his friends, and with them he has little need of mortal com- panionship. Often he is a man who has known the world, and who has tired of it, and now, like quaint old Zimmermann, who had known schools and courts, finds his most keen delight in the solitude that na- ture affords. He is no mercenary; yet the bees toil for him as they would not for any other, and his hives flow over with honey. ———e-—___ Absent Mindedness. From the San Frarcisco News Letter. Judge Hawley of the United States cir- cuit court related recently from the bench @ good story at the expense of a distin- guished lawyer and United States Senator, whose name was not mentioned. This Prominent member of the bar was very ab- sent minded at times. One morning he was on his way to court in a great hurry, and, happening to overtake a friend, remarked: “I dressed in such haste this morning that I forgot my watch.” A little further on he said: “I wonder if I have time to go back and get it?” and, as he spoke, he pulled out his watch from his pocket. “No, I have not tim he concluded, after con- sulting the dial, and he walked on. Near- ing the court house he hired a messenger to go for the watch, paying him a dollar for the service. The messenger returned with the information that the timepiece could not be found, whereupon the lawyer exclaimed, looking up from h‘s books and papers, “That is very strange!’ Then he took a swift glance at his watch, and said: “It makes no difference, anyhow. I can do without it. The judge fs late and there is plenty of time.” And he paid the messen- ger another dollar. —— +e. _______ An Exaspernted New Woman. the Cleveland Leader. "m sorry to hear that you and your husband have parted. What's the trou- ble?” ‘| “Oh, it has become impossible for me to put up with his exacting notions. Night before last,when I got home from the club, he siood on the stairs and yelled that he wouldn't open the door because he was afraid I was a burglar.” POINT. certainly do not intend to go another yara!* The Lady Dorothea—“And I certainly intend to go on!”” The Ladies E. and D. (together)—“Which do you intend to do, major? (The major, an accepted authority on etiquette, hasn't the faintest idea.) STARS FOR AUGUST How to Read the Heavens the Com- ing Month. OPHIUCH], A CELESTIAL TRAMP An Erratic Wanderer in Space That Puzzles Scientists. ECLIPSES BOOKED TO OCCUR Five stars of the first magnitude will be above the horizon at 9 o'clock this even- ing. They are Vega, in the Lyre, nearly cverhead; Arcturus, in midheaven in the west; Spica, at a low altitude between west and southwest; Antares, the Scorpion’s “Heart,” between south and southwest, at about one-fourth of the Yistance from the horizon to the zenith, and Altair, in the Eagle. at about two-fifths of the distance from Vega to the southeastern horizon. he brilliant orange-yellow star which may be seen about midway from Spica to Antares, and which forms with Spica and Arciurvs a large triangle with two nearly equal sides, is the planet Saturn. The stars should all be identified readily, and they will aid in locating the constella- tions indicated on the planisphere. Ob- serve that Hercules and the Northern Crown lie between Vega and Arcturus; Ophiuch| the Serpent-Holder, 1s _be- tween Vega and Antares, his head, a bright star of the second magnitude, being at rather more than a third of the distance from the former to the latter star; below Vega—between tt and the northeastern horizon—is the Swan, or Northern Cross; between Hercules and the Pole Star is the Dragon, the “eyes” of which are in a line between Vega and the Great Dipper, now low in the northwest. In the northeast, at about the same altitude as the Dipper, is the W-shaped figure of Cassiopeia. The Square of Pegasus has but just fairly risen a little north of east, and Andromea re- clines upon the northeastern horizon. One of the most interesting of the stars iow in a favorable position for observing— a star about which a good deal has lately been said in z2stronomical circles—is that known from its number in Flamsteed’s catalogue as 70 Ophiuchi. It is a star of the fourth magnitude, near the right shoulder of Ophiuchus, and now crosses the meridian at about 9 o'clock. It is the most easterly of three stars of about the same brilliancy to the left of the third magnitude star which marks the shoulder. - A Remarkable Star. A small telescope will show that 70 Ophiuch! is a double star, having a rose- | colored companion of about the sixth mag- nitude. It fs am extremely pretty object for such an instrument. It is, further- more, a “binary” star, that is to say, it is not merely double, but the two compon- ents are revolving round each other, or, rather, around their common center of gravity, like a pair of dumbbells thrown into the air. Althovgh it is one of the most easily observed of this class of stars—per- haps for this very reason- has given as- tronomers no end of trouble. Repeated attempts have been made to determine the orbit of the companion star and to ascer- tain the period of its revolution, but all such attempts have, until very recently, been signal failures. The star has suc cessfully defied the most expert mathe- maticians. No sooner has an ‘orbit been assigned to it than it has proceeded to start out on a new route of its own devis- ing. In 1872, ninety-three years after its discovery by the elder Herschel, it had per- formed a complete revolution round its primary; but in so doing it had carefully shunned every one of the tracks that had been laid down for it by astronomers, and, as is now known, it was considerably be- hind its true schedule time. This obstinate star, 7 Ophiuchi, which has so long played fast and luose with the English and German mathematicians, has firally been corralled, so to say, by a young American astronomer, Dr. See, of the Uni- versity of Chicago. As long ago as 1818 a conjecture was Mazarded by an English as- tronomer, Capt. Jacob, that there was in this system a third and invisible body, which was creating all the disturbance, and Sir John Herschel, one of those who had wrestled with the star unsuccessfully, was inclined to the same view. Dr. See has worked upon this supposition. With in- finite plans and with an amount of labor which would seem fabulous to one whose notions of the “higher mathematics” are derived from even the most intricate of commercial problems, he has compuied an erbit for the companion of 70 Ophiuchi, which he believes will be found to be en- tirely satisfactory to the star, so that we shall have no further trouble from it. Ac- cording to Dr. See, this companicn star is attended by a dark satellite, the mass of which must be very considerable, and which revolves around the star in a period of thirty-six years, while the two together perform a revolution arourd the larger star, in a highly elliptical orbit, in a period of eighty-eizht years. Those most compe- tent to judge are of the opinion that Dr. See has solved the problem. A few years will suffice to decide the matter beyond a doubt, Law of Gravitation, But why se much anxie:y over the behavior of an insignificant little star, and why so much rejoicing as there is over the solution of the mystery? The problem in- volves vastly more than on its face it seems to do. In the first place, the law of gravitation itself is still on trial. Jt has not yet fully demonstrated that this law, as it has been learned from a study of the solar system, is universal in its application, al- though there are probably few, if any, as- tronomers whose doubts upon this point are very serious. The orbital movements of the distant stars afford just the data necded to set this question definitely at rest. If these stars are found to move as they should do in obedience to the law of gravitation all dcubts that the law is oper- ative where they are must vanish. In the second place, these binary systems, which differ in so striking a manner from our own single sun system, are believed to con- tain the clue to some important questions relating to the origin of star systems in general. Eventually, it is thought, they will throw a strong light on the history of creation, the grandest of the problems at which astronomy is now at work. All in- formation that can be obtained about them is, therefore, cheap at whatever cost. Finally, if Dr. See is right, he has added ancther mite to the slowly accumulating mass of evidence that space abounds in non-luminous as well as luminous worlds. Fifty or more years ago Peters and Bessel concluded, from certain irregularities in the proper motions of Sirius and Procyon, that each of these stars was attended by a dark Satellite sufficiently massive to cause the luminous body to have an orbital motion. The companion of Sirius has since been seen—it was discovered in 1862 by Alvan Clark, jr., while testing the performance of a new telescope—and though that of Pro- eyon has thus far eluded the closest search for it, no astronomer doubts the existence of such a body. Altair’s Odd Satellite. Another star of the first magnitude—one of those visible tonight—has recently been added to the Mst of suns which evidently have dark or nearly dark massive satellites revolving round them. Observations made last year upon the spectrum of Altair, at the Paris Observatory, for the purpose of determining the rate of the star's movement “in Hne of sight’—that is, directly toward us or from us—give evidence of a regular variation in its movement, which has a period of forty-three days and a secondary period of five days, and the conclusion reached is that Altair is in orbital motion under the influence of one or more massive bodies with which no telescope has thus far been able to reveal. a ‘To return to the star 70, Ophiuchi, its ap- parent insignificance is, after all, only be- cause of its enormous distance’ from us. According to a measurement of its “paral- lax,” made by Dr. Kruger in 1858-62, this distance is about twenty “light years”— rather more than twice that of Sirius. Its distance being known, the actual dimen- sions of the system can easily be deter- mined. The combined masses of the three badies which compose the system are 2. times that of the sun. It is fair to assume, therefore, that the larger of the two visible stars considerably surpasses the sun in size. The mean distance apart of the two stars, or suns—for that is what they are— is about twenty-eight times the earth's dis- tance from the sun, or very nearly that of Neptune from the sun: but so great is the eccentricity of the ortMt of the smaller sun —the other being regarded as stationary— that their greatest distance apart is nearly three times their least. The secondary orbit of the companion star—that in which it circles around the dark body—is consider- ably larger than that of the planet Mars. It will be seen, therefore, that small as this star system looks from’ our distant point of view, it occupies a section of space quite twice as large as does the solar system. August Meteors, On the nights of the 9th and 10th of the month we may look for the August meteors —the “Perseids,” as they are now commonly called. The position of the “radiant” of these meteors—the point in the heavens from which they all appear to move, in whatever part of the heavens they may be seen—is indicated on the planisphere. As will be seen, it is at 9 o'clock low in the northeast, beneath Cassiopeia. Meteors be- longing to this system may be seen from the 20th of July to the end of August, but they are the most numerous on one or the other of the nights named above. Of late years the display of the Perseids has usually been exceptionally fine. They are well worth taking a little trouble to observe. On the 9th there will be a total ecli of the sun, not visible, however, in any part of the United States. The line of totality runs from a point at about the middle of | the North Pacific ocean, where the eclipse begins at sunset, on the Sth, across the | island of Yezo, in Japan,through the north- ern part of Asia, the island of Nova Zembia and the northern part of Norway, where the eclipse will begin soon after sunrise, on the 9th. Two parties of American astrono- mers have meade arrangements for observ- ing the eclipse in Japan. One of these ex- peditions, sent out by the Lick Observa- tory, is in charge of Prof. Schaeberle. The other was organized by Prof. Todd, the astronomer of Amherst College, who has ; charge of it. Mr. Arthur James Curtis bears the expense of this party, and has taken it to Japan in his yacht, Coronet. English astronomers will observe the eclipse In Norway, and Russian in Nova Zembla. The observations will be mainly directed to a study of the corona, photo- graphic and spectroscopic, this being the only solar feature which can be observel at no other time than during a total eclipse. The totality will last less than two min- utes, so that some very lively work will have to be done. A partial eclipse of the moon will occur on the night of the 22d and morning of the 23d. It will be visible throughout the United States. The moon will enter the shadow at twenty-four minutes past midnight, east- ern time, and will leave the shadow at 3:30 a.m. At the middle of the eclipse about three-fourths of the moon's face will be obscured. Planets of the Month. | None of the planets is now in position to be of espectal interest to the naked-eye ob- server. The position of Saturn has already been pointed out. Uranus is a short dis- tance to the eastward of Saturn, at the point indicated on the planisphere, but fs invisible to the naked eye. Mercury, Venus and Jupiter are all evening stars, but are too near the sun to be visible. Mercury will, however, make its appearance low in the west after sunset by the middle of the month, Mars is now In the constellation Taurus, about ten degrees southwest from the Pleiades. It is now an evening star, rising at about 11:30 p.m. Neptune, invisible, of course, is also in Taurus. It rises about an hour and a half later than Mars. New moon will occur this month on the 9th, at two minutes pgst midnight, Wash- ington mean time—cotgcident, of course, with the total phase the solar eclipse. The moon fulls on thg 23d, at 2 a.m.—the time of the middle o&sthe lunar eclipse. The moon will be in ‘igee’’ on the 11th and in “apogee” on the 27th. Her position at 9 p.m. for every evening of the month on which she is above the horizon at that hour is shown on the plahisphere. ae aes Song of Amos Quito. F. A. D. in Life. bn I am the chief of summer swains, The best of blood flows in my veins; My serenades oft chase your sleep, My kisses leave an impress deep. The summer season I awalt, To meet you at the garden gate; But if you come not, ah, my friend, Somewhere you'll learn the bitter end. PRACTICAL PEDALING A Railroad Bicycle That Has Proven to Be Labor-Saying. FORTY 10 FIFTY MILES AN HOUR A Novel Invention That Was Born of Necessity. SAVING $1,000 A DAY With the overwhelming popularity re- cently attained by the bicycle, it is natural to suppose that a practical use of the noise- less wheel would follow. All the new ideas advanced for the improvement of the ma- chine have been in the way of comfort for the pleasure rider. It remained for the brain of a western man to put forward a Wheel that could be used on the railroads, thereby resulting in quick repairs of the road, and the resultant saving of labor and wages. There was recently issued from the pat- ent office in this city letters of patent on a railroad bicycle that for simplicity and ef- fectiveness stands alone. ‘The patents Proper belong to clever devices attached to an ordinary wheel, whereby the bicycle is held to the rails and at the same time retains its chief claim of usefulness, light- ness of weight. A concise description of the wheel would be about as follows: An ordinary solid-tire wheel is used to start with. Two small spools or broad-grooved wheels, ithe groove being of the same shape and size as the top of an ordinary T-rail, are placed directly in front of the forward and behind the rear wheels. A rod of the lightest steel is bolted to the frame of the forward wheel, but back of the axle, the bolts being locse enough to allow this rod to be moved up and down at will. An Ingenious Device. When in position for use the rod projects in front of the forward wheel diagonally to the rail upon which the machine is to run, and at the point of juncture, about eighteen inches in front, one of the tron spools is attached to an axle that permits it to run easily. Beyond this the rod runs a few inches, turning up slightly and being welded together in a graceful curve. These spools can be raised and the machine used on the public highway if necessity calls. Just pack of the rear wheel and so close up to it as almost to touch, is the second spool or wheel, identically ‘the same size as tne one already described. But it is at- tached to the rear wheel in a different man- ner, being fastened by bolts to the lower part of the diamond-shaped frame connect- ing the two main wheels. Like the for- ward spool, this, too, can be raised in a second from ihe track and fastened to the frame without bothering the rider. From this description it is obvious that these two spools will hold the large wheels of the bicycle exactly in the center of the rail, provided some means be furnished for maintaining the machine in an upright po- sition. That means is most plain and sim- ple. From the frame of the rear wheel of the cycle a light steel rod runs to a third and smaller wheel, on the opposite rail, and the outer end ir made into an axle upon which this smaller wheel revolves. As braces, reds run from this one, close to its outer end, back to the diamond frame, one being attached to the nardle bar and one to the ‘rear angle of the diamond frame, just be- hind the saddle. All three rods are fas- tened to the main machine with pins, which can be removed instantly, end thus the entire balance wheel attachment be set aside whenever desired. The rods are also made so as to telescope at one-half their length, and thus the entire attachment can be packed into the most compact space when not in use. To Carry Luggage. These rods have still another the machine fs in operation. At center of the space between the main ma- chine and the balance wheel the rider fas- tens the necessary luggage or tools to them. This weight adds materially te the stability of the machine, and does not interfere in the slighest with the ease or rapidity with which !t can be driven, in fact, at the first trial it was demonstrated that very little pedaling was necessary to send it along at a very high rate of speed. A veteran bicyclist seated on one of these wheels thoroughly equipped for the rail- rcad, could not help but smile with rat faction at the way steep grades are climbed compared with the extreme hard pedaling that is necéssary to climb the hills on the country roads. No grade, on the average railroad, can compare with those of a country road, but even the longest and steepest can be be overcome with the ease that a bicycle is propelled on a level turnp:ke. It is claimed by the invencor that a speed of twenty to twenty-five miles an hour can be maintained without difficulty, and that being hard pushed, a speed of forty miles an hour could easily be reached. Whether the general use of such a time and muscle-saving device as this would be permitted by the railroad owners remains to be seen. Certainly, traveling with such an apparatus has great advantages over the use of the ordinary wheel, expecially for long distances, the ability to transport sufficient baggage and supplies for comfort being not the least cf these. Of course, the rider wouid have to keep Posted upon the ruaning time of trains that he would be apt to meet, as he would be at his own risk. If the railroads should refuse to allow such machines to be ridden on the tracks, it is difficult to see how they are to prevent it, except in the most thickly settled regions, for it may be so readily converted into’ the ordinary road- Ster, and Is withal so speedy that to catch more than an occasional one : Tigh iamipoeTities would be well For Railroad Use. It is probable that the greatest use of such an attachment would be by the rail- reads themselves and by line repairers working for telegraph companies. The or- dinary railroad tricycle is a clumsy, mas- sive affair, a regular “man killer” to oper- ate, while this new ralflroad bicycle is very light and can be propelied far more rapidly and with the expenditure of no more than a tithe of the muscular effort required by the machine now in use. A light wire- woven basket can be attached to the bal- ance wheel rods in which the line or track repairer can carry such few tools as he needs, and he can thus be enabled to patrol a great extent of track and reach any point where his services may be required with the loss of but little time. In conversation with a prominent rail- rcad official one evening during the past week a Star reporter inquired whether the railroad bicycle was much thought of by railroad men. Among other things, in the way of a reply, he said: “While all of the eastern railroad officials are fully conversant with the advantages of the lately invented railroad bicycle, the western men are the ones that will have the most to say as to its real practical value. In the east such an apparatus can only be used on branch lines that run, say, a half a dozen trains a day, and on electric lines that run for some distance in the ccuntry. “In the former case track inspectors and telegraph line repairers could quickly reach the scene of trouble and without the neces- sity of ordering out special engines or wait- ing for regular trains. On electric lines, instead of hauling cut the clumsy repair car, the new wheel could be kept at both ends of the line and a repairman would be on the scene of the trouble almost as soon as the ordinary repair car is shifted out of the car house and on to the main track. Discussing the Invention. “I but recently returned from a month’s vacation, during which time I inspected over a half hundred railroads and branches between this place and the Pacific coast. While I was in San Francisco several of the railroad officials connected with the Southern Pecific were still discussing the benefits to be derived from the inspection of their lines by the newly invented rail- road bicycle. When the idea first went into effect it came pretty near bringing on a general strike of the trainmen, as they did not want to take the risk of running the trains over the road inspected by men on bicycles. “As a rule a track inspector never goes use when about the ‘over eight or ten miles of road a day, but under the new rules the inspectors were expected to cover from forty to fifty miles @ day. As @ result of the new order of things the inspectors protested to their section bosses that it was not fair to hold them responsible for small defects in the track, as they could not discover them as easily as when on foot. They claim that their attention is continually diverted through the working of the mechine, and that unless something turns up in the way of washouts or broken rails, to discover the smaller defects will be almost an im- possibility. “The trainmen learned of this situation and, of course, felt shaky about going over @ road that had been inspected so care- lessly, but as no accidents had occurred their protests went for naught. Saving $1,000 a Day. “I learned throvgh one of the prominent officials of the Santa Fe road that in abol- ishing the track-walker or inspector, the corporation got rid of 582 men west of Ei Paso and Ogden and south of Portland, a saving to the company of fully $1,000 a day. The men discharged had been with the company for years and their experi- ences would make thrilling reading. “The San Francisco officials claim that the first man to ride a railroad bicycle was a discharged engineer named Ricacy, and that necessity brought about the invention. Richey was in Oakland and Wesired to join relatives in Texas, but lacked the neces- sary funds for transportation 2nd was on the outs with the railroad, which prevent- ed him securing free transportation. He possessed an old bicycle and fitted it up very much on the order of the one that has been patented by the Michigan man. “Richey was fully posted on the running of trains and knew all the bridges and grades. He started from Oakland one morning directly behind an east-bound ex- press and created lots of amusement by his appearance. His machine in the first place weighed nearly a hundred pounds, the apparatus that held {it on the track fully twenty-five pounds more and besides he weighed nearly two hundred pounds. With this clumsy outfit and weight no cne expected Richey to last longer than a day at the most. “The engineer and trainmen of the cx- press behind which Richey was pedaling laughed derisively at his efforts, the rear flag an going so far as to offer a rope 48 a tow line. When Oakland was left be- hind the engineer started to ‘pull out’ and so increased his speed that he forg>t all abcut the single bicyclist. But Richey was there and staid with the train until he was arrested for trespassing at Fresno, but the justice discharged him on account of the novelty of the legal question and the lone bicyclist kept on toward Texas. ‘The Rear Brakeman’s Story. “The rear brakeman of the express which Richey started out to follow gave a good descripticn of the trip from Oakland to Fresno. He said at first that he expected the new-fangled machine to go to pieces on the first curve, and at the least come to a standstill on a steep hill. But Richey hung on to the express with the greatest evse, and as a result several passengers ercwded out on the rear platform and cheered him on. Watches were held to ascertain the time made, and in some places the train ran as fast as fifty miles an hour, and Richey was right behind us. “On level stretches, the rear brakeman said, Richey didn't seem to exert himself at all, but when a steep grade appeared he seemed to throw a little more exertion into his footwork, and as a result he could have passed the train had he been on an- other track. “But cn the steep down grades, the brakeman said, Richey did his best work and displayed an amount of nerve that demonstrafed he was thoroughly familiar with the railroad busin The train would be drifting down t hill at_a ter- rific speed and right behind came Richey, coasting like a thoroughbred. When we would strike a curve he would lean over just like a professional racer on a curved track and passed the ticklish place without turning a hair. His work was so re- markable that the passengers grew en- thusiastic over his exhibition of skill and nerve. “At a watering tank the conductor te graphed to headquarters the exhibition Richey was making of our fastest train, and as a result instructions were sent to Fresno t> have him arrested. But the next day Richey was on the road again, and, as usual, kept right in the swim. What made the bicyclist keep so close to the train ahead was that he knew it would have to take a switch to pass a west- bound train, and he wanted to be up close so as to do some switching himself. His railroad training taught him this pre- caution. A green man might have loafed along and been hurled into eternity by the first west-bound train that was en- countered. “It was reported on the coast th Richey cculd be found a counter for patent rights would be made against the Michigan patentee on the railroad bicycle, but as yet the pioneer, both as to idea and practical use, has not appeared as a claimant.” ——— MEETS HIS SPIRIT. CHONNY An Episode of Social Intercourse at a d Pienie Park. She was from the east side, fair of figure and countenance, with hazel-brown eyes and light brown hair, shaded with just a tinge of auburn, which was carefully combed up behind, making the contour of her head attractive. She wore a cheap sbirt waist with green and white stripes, a white butterfly tie, and a black figured satin skirt, while a trim sailor bat with a white satin band rested jauntily on her head. She stood up on a grassy mound at the picnic grounds, where she caught t eye of Chonny McCue, who, with his chum, Mikey Farrel, had wandered into the picnic in the hope of “catching on” and having a dsnce. It was at one of those Staten Is- land picnic parks so popular with city folks in the lower wards who want to have a whole lot of fun for a very little mone: Chonny was togged out in his Sunday bes! He wore light trousers with a very bright blue serge coat and waistcoat, a straw hat with a bright red and white striped band, a_ bright blue necktie and yellow shoes. a away the stump of a cigarette, he said: ‘Mikey, I’ve found me spirit. Watch me while I git together.” He started up the mound at a slow pace. She saw him coming toward her and nod- ded her head slightly in response to a nod from him. Then she turned her head away; but Chonny, encouraged by the nod, marched bravely up. “"Scuse me,” said he, with uplifted hat and a short, jerky bow, “but didn’t I coi- I'de wid you at Newport last summer? “Maybe you did—but I wasn’t there,” said she, biting her lip in an attempt to conceal a smile. “Dat’s how I come ter meet yer,” said Chonny, grinning broadly. “You don’t sagoshiate so?” she retorted. This was a new one on Chonny, and he was stumped for a moment; but his ready wit helped him the next as he blurted: “Say, Mamie, what is yer first name, any- how?" “Why, it’s Susie—how did yer guess it?” Then they both laughed. “Well, how are yer on der swing?” said Chonny, pointing to a scup swinging from a near-by tree. “Oh, I'm a good thing; just push me along,” said she, and Chonny just fell in alongside her and led her over to the scup. He lifted her on the seat and was soon swinging her industriously. Their intro- duction had been accomplished. Mowing Hay as a Reward. From the Philade'phia Record. The spectacle of a gang of convicts in prison garb, each supplied with a scythe, busily engaged in cutting the high grass in front of Moyamensirg was witnessed one morning last week. The men were guarded by uniformed keepers, heavily armed, but, despite the presence of these grim reminders of their position, their faces were wreathed in smiles, and they sniffed in the air of freedom with evident relish. Strange as the sight was to one not ac- customed to it, the practice of selecting convicts to do the chores about the prison is not an unusual one. It is considered a rare privilege to be assigt.ed to such work, a privilege gratefully accepted by the fa- vered ones. Convicts selected to perform such tasks are those whose sentences have almost expired, who are exemplary pris- oners or thore whose frequent sojourns within the walls suggest that they are bet- ter satisfied with prison fare than none at all. From Puck. If the votaries of the wheel continue to increase in number, it will simplify matters if the stray pedestrian will ring a bell as he approaches the crossing. Ready To-day. Midsummer Holiday Number. THE CENTURY « FOR AUGUST. . Four Complete Stories “THE VATICAN.” / Superbly Illustrated by Castaigne. The First of GLAVE’S ARTICLES ON AFRICAN TRAVEL. “British Raids on the Slave Traders.” Fully Hustrated, LI HUNG CHANG Described by his personal friend, JOHN W. FOSTER, Late Confidential Adviser to the Emperor of China. The New Discovery in Egypt. ‘ - W. D. Howells’s Novelette of Saratoga, “AN OPEN-EYED CONSPIRACY.” Etc., Etc., Etc. 35 cents. Sold Everywhere. THE CENTURY CO. Immense Rose Bush. om the San Francisco Call. San Francisco has an immense rose bush, which looks like an enormous bouquet. At the top on one side hang clusters of pire white roses. In the middle at the top are red roses, blooming in profusion. Pink roses harg in gay garlands at the top on the other side. All over tae bush are branches of roses of other lines and colors. The delicate La France, the white Mme. Planties, two varieties of Homer roses, the Pauline, Lebeau, the Black Prince, the Castillian and the white La- marque lend variety and attest their pro- lific blooms to the virility of the stock upon which they were grafted. The owner of this rose bouquet is H. L. Barker, who is connected with the state Lureau of mining. Once there were thir- teen tinct varieties of roses on the bush, but the tea roses grafted cn proved to be stort lived, and only the hardier va- rieties have survived There are enough now, eight in all, to make the bush a cu- riosity. Mr. Barker's explanation is that he likes to experiment with plants, and this rose bush is about fifteen years old. Branch after branch has been grafted on. abbage less The original stock is the June oi rese. The width cf the top is not than twenty-five feet, and the hel equals the width. There are many » or trunks springing from the root bon is plentfully supplied to intensify the color of the blossoms. — Ruling Opinion Strong in Death. From the Indianapolis Journal. “Tiresby,” said the friend of the corpse, looking down into the coffin, “was a pretty gcod fellow, though he aid ride the wrong kind of wheel.” The deceas rose to a sitting posture. ‘Scorchum, he remarked, “you are @ liar! ‘Then he lay down and the funeral pro- ceeded. Death comes in the guise of con- sumption more frequently than in apy other form. Fully one-sixth of all the deaths in the world are at- tributable directly tothis one disease. The symptoms of coming con- sumption are many and varied. ‘The man who neglects them is trifling with his life. He is playing an unequal game with death. He is fencing with a superior adversary. The downhill road from health runs di- rectly to consumption. Consumption is the disease of weakness. A debilitated condi- tion, from whatever cause, Icaves a broad road for the beginning of this disease. Its name tells its story. It means not only con- sumption of the lungs, but consumption of the ea wed : 8 : Loss of tite, loss of sl , loss of nerve ealg s of Tena msaplicg fore~ runners and indications of consumption. The tearing down of the bodily tissues should be met by a building-up process. An unusual bodily state exists, and it must be met with unusual measur The un- healthy body needs medicine, just as surely as the healthy body does not. The body that is starting towards consump- tion needs Dr. Pierce's Golden Medical Dis- covery. It will cure ninety-eight per cent. of all cases of consump’ It is an infal- lible blood maker and flesh builder. It stimulates digestion, invigorates the nerves, makes the brain clear and the body strong. It is not a new and untried experiment. It has been curing people for thirty years, and thousands have testified to the wonderful help it has given them. “The e's Common Sense Medical Ad- viser" has had the largest sale of any medical work in the Enghsh language. Nearly 700,000 copies of it were sold at $1.50 each, and now half a million copies are being given away-absolutely free. The book consists of 1,008 complete medical ibrary in one volume. It will be sent (paper- covered) post-paid, to any one sending 21 one-cent stamps, to cover the cost of mailing only, to the World's Dispensary Med: EF ical Associaton, Buffsl If French cloth, embossed binding i g cents extra, (31 cents in all) to pay the extra costof this more baudsome and curable binding. and isa OB ay PDD. DDD DID 20Z.Sack 10 Cents. g Cgaretie paper with ¢ _each 2 0z. Sack. OOOOH. We: g ny 3 oe = | @