Evening Star Newspaper, July 31, 1897, Page 17

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, JULY 31 1897-24 PAGES. 17 THE GRIM DESTROYER Intended for the Destruction of Pesky Little Torpedo Boats. THOSE NOW BUILDING FOR OUR NAVY ——— + -——- Splendid Examples of the Cunning | of Marine Engineers. ee DEVELOP HIGH es TO by R. G. Skerrett.) (Copyris’ ‘Written for The Eventeg Star. : N JUNE 21 BIDS] were opened at | the Navy Depart- | : ment for the con- | struction of three :0- | knot torpedo boats, | to cost, in all, not | over $840,000, Mad | those bids involved the bu ing of as many battle ships of the larg no more intense interest could have been manifested by <he mg element of this count as ten serious bids were receiv n the designs of the bidder: lly a month has been required to determine to whom the awards should he = ‘The matter has new been s the Navy Department has ace and terms of the Harlan lingsworth Company, Wilmington, Del.: the Gis Engine and Power Company, New York, and of Wolff & Zwicker, Portland Oreg. Hy this disposition, one of the boats Will be built on the Paciti The torpedo beat destroyer marvel of m al achie t. and the fastest craft afloat; and ii Is easy to how far-reaching must be the fame of | builder of such a vessel. Herce, the | strong tition. Out building destroyers coast. today a the ‘om| f a fleet of eighteen boats, Muilt or | I z not three the edv ly ha a we iw AND GINE ¢ these latest boats we shalf have nearly alf as many destroyers as we have typi- cally modern torpedo boats. The reason for this is two-fold. First, because a foe | can bring to bear upon our coast only the rgest of her torpedo boats, together with lestroyers, and to meet them success- We must have the strongest means retaliation at hand; and. second, be- » the torpedo boat destroyer Hy proved itself the torpedo boat's su- r for hazardous work in heavy weath- | the minds of many thoughtful na- our own needs, he of t bec needf: > them for the lim- | service | risky > of th involvin, + destro torpede in specd from 20 t n, the ‘ther ty-two de Of these fort and butl specd of range from 2 torp figure of the w vish to she ngularly ork of the uvers of s the Brit- n, in spite of a ually blockaded eld them in The Largest. three new boats, that ¢ lan 1 Hollingsworth Com largest and most formidable. the Har- ny is the She may be said to be an improv Thornycroft type, builders have declared it their tn- to spare no pains or expense to an impressive success. She has a long, finely modeled hull of 231 feet 4 heg over atl, with a maximum } just There will be a berthing space for twen- ty well forward; the bunks being made to turn up and out of the way when not in use. Accommodations for twelve firemen will be provided just abaft the engine space. Next follows provisions for three machinists, while the quarters for the pet- ty officers, the chief engineer, the execyp- tive and the captain are further aft. While arranged with a very careful re- gard for space, the officers’ quarters will be very prettily and comfortably appointed, and everything will be done to make them as commodious as the necessarily limited space imposes. - The boat will be lighted entirely by elec- tricity within, and without, too, for the purposes of navization. The boat is subdivided into something ke a dozen unbroken water-tight com- pedoes of the 18-inch, Whitehead type, and 198 rounds of ammunition will be provided for each of the 6-pounder guns, The contract cost, exclusive of arma- ment, is $214,300. The Gas Engine and Power Company's boat is last, but by no means the least in- teresting. This is the first time that the company has done any work for the navy, but its well-known work on fast yachts and launches of fine performance augurs well for the performance of this 30-knot boat. This boat is something on the lines of the British Poplar boats of 240 tons, but some- what larger and more powerful. She is 206 feet 9 inches lorg over all, and has a maximum beam of 19 feet. Her load displacement will be 265 tons, but she will be tried on thirty tons less. She will have WOLFF & ZWICKER BOAT. partments, without any means of inter- communication, passage up to the deck and down again being required for travel from one compartment to another. This is done to give added security in case of accident, and to obviate the danger of im- perfectly working water-tight doors. Her Powerful Engines. The boat will be driven by two sets of je-expansion engines, actuating twin These engines, in a common com- are of four-cylinder type, ure cylinder of 21% inches, en intermediate pressure cylin- der of 32% inches, and two low-pressure’ eylinders of 34 inches in Ciameter. They ve a common stroke of 18 inches, and will make 400 revoiutions a minute when running at full speed. team wili be supplied by four Thorny- croft r-tube boilers placed in two com- [= At ser partment, and .have the each a high-pre POWER CO.'S BOAT. pertments, and enough steam, at a_ working pressure of 240 pounds, will be generated to induce an indicated ho-se power in the engines of 7,200 when running at full speed. For the sake of protection against mod- erate’ gun-tire the coal is stowed abreast the boiler: A small steam windlass forward will raise the anchors and handle such heavy weights as the boats may be required to carry. ‘ ‘As a torpedo boat ¥ a battery of sev guns. There will reyer, she will car- n 6-pounder rapid-fire be one on top of each cenning tower, to be worked from the en- circling bridge, one on each bow abreast the forward towe' three amidships along tie cente! ch 6 pounder will be supplied with of ammunition. In her capacity as a torpe-lo boat, she wil! carry two 18-inch tubes for the dischar; o? Whitehead torpedoes. These tubes, © abaft the other, are placed on the | center-line petween the after smokestack and the after conning tower. There will be a supply of four torpedces, the two spare ones being carried in cases on dec 1 ontra er is $236,000. ‘The next boat, t of size, be built by the Wolt and Zwic She feet long over all, and has ay feet 5 inches, and upon placement of 60 tons will have a maximum she will placement of At the stem s out of water, wh 2 feet 2 She will pansion ¢ These enj draft of St% feet of water. Wever, upon a dis- be will be 8 feet 8 inches le amidships she will be mches lowe he propelled by two triple ex- of the four-cylinder type es will be placed in a common engine room abaft the boilers, and each will have one cylinder of 19% inches, one of 31 3-4 inches, and two of 35 inches in diameter, with a common stroke of 18 inches. They do not state how many revo- lvtions the eng are to make a minute, nor do they gi the estimated indicated horse-power, but ft is quite certain the pro- pelling machinery will make quite four hundred turns a minute, while the indi- cated horse-power will be fully 6,000. In Water-Tight Compartments. Steam will be supplied, at a working pressure of 250 pounds, by three water- tube boilers, type yet to be determined. HARLAN & HOLLINGSWORTH BOAT. beam of only 22 feet. Upon her trial dis- | ement of 340 tons—about seventy tons than her load displacement—she will | a maximum draft of 7 feet 3 inches of water. Her bow is cut away, giving a clean, easy entrance Into the water, and that, In conjunction with her goodly free- | board forward of eleven feet, promises to | wake her an exceptionally dry craft for her kind. Her height above water, amid- ships, will be 8 feet 6 inches, and her long. flat run aft will keep her from settling by the stern when running at full speed, while materially increasing her seaworthiness. She will carry two conning towers, one ferward and one aft, ané each will be sup- piled with both hand and steam steering gears, while upon the bridge just abaft the forward tower there will be a third steering gear for navigation in fair weather. Each of these conning towers will have the usual speaking tubes, telegraphs ard elec- trical communications with all points of importance, besides means for spreading out the charts for plotting the course. = The decks will be covered with Inoleum, These boilers are placed in two water- tight compartments, the middle and after boiler being worked from the same fire room. The coal bunker capacity wil] be 121 tons, and that fuel will be stowed abreast the engines and boilers for the sake of pro- tection against mild gun-fire. The crew will be housed forward, and the officers aft, and everything will be done to secure all possible comfort and convenience within the allotted narrow space. There are two conning towers, and each has both hand and.steam stee: wheels, together with the usual electrical, me- age and vocal means of communica- ion. The battery will consist of four 6-pound- ers and two 18-inch torpedo tubes. One of the 6-pounders_will be mounted on the forward tower and worked from the surrounding bridge, the ‘rest will be dis- Posed at points of vantage along the deck. The torpedo tubes are placed on the cen- ter line, one forward and one aft of the af- and such wood as is used will be fire- proofed. ter conning tower, and each will have a wide arc of fire. She will carry four tor- a maximum draft of eight feet over her screws. Forward and at the stem she has pard of ten feet, while amidships it venty feet five inches. She will be driven by two triple-expan- m engines of the four-cylinder type ar- ranged in a common compartment. These engines will each have one cylinder of twenty inches, one of twenty-nine inches, and two of thirty inches in diameter, with a uniform stroke of eighteen incehs. When running at full speed, the screws will make 400 turns, and an indicated horse-power of ill be induced. Steam, at a working pressure of 245 pounds, will be suppiied by four Seabury water-tube boilers. These _ boiler: two water-tight compartments, wi flank the engines forward and aft: and this arrangement is calculated to lessen some- what the danger of general disablement in making attack or In fleeing. The coal sup- bly is stowed abreast the boilers and ahead and athwart the forward boiler. Again, so long as the coal lasts, this disposition of the forward coal may help to shield against fire in approaching. The boat, like its predecessors, is sub- divided into some ten or a dozen water- ught compartments entirely closed to in- ternal commnnication. For Officers and Men, There are.accommodations forward, for thirty-six, and quarters aft for seven offi- warrant and commissioned. ing berths are provided for the enlisted men, while transom berths are fit- ted for the office the nice ad- Justment of spa fort and convenience assured as far as pos- sible. About ihe only woodwork in the craft will be in the oificers’ quarters, and there pretty paneling will do a good deal to give an attractive finish to the cozy surroundings. Tiis boat, like the others, will be fit with baths for the officers, but Jacky will have to take his bucket of water on deck or go dirty: and it may be remarked he tha » in active service, offi- cers and crew alike will be very apt to choose the latter. The decks will be covered with linoleum, and, like the others, she will be lighted by ricity and veniilated by blowers, while smail steam windlass will do most of the pavy lifting. AAs in the other boats, there are two con- ming towers, each fitted with the usual means of internal communication. Ske wili carry four 6-pounders, two of which will be on the deck, while the other two will be placed, one each, on the con- ning towers. Jt may be remarked that while these guns on the towers have su- verior arcs of fire, they are, neverthele: sriously hampered b: on, and the experie augmented vibra- abroad, except in moderate weather and under easy speed, has proven them very unreliable. she wili carry two torpedo tubes for 18. inch Whitehead torpedoes, placed on the ter-line amidships, and way aft, where | have effective arcs of fire. ve of armament, the eis $210,000, ald statement of the features and ions of these boats gives no notion they really are as pieces of naval architecture and examples of the cunning ef marine engineers, nor from such facts and figures can a layman grasp the work that these tiny vessels must do, nor appre- ciate the tax upon the men that have to Manage them. The vibration of those racing engines transmits a tingling jar to every bit of her get-up, and, also, a taxing quiver to every soul on board that will wear out the hardiest nerves. In times of serious serv- ice this must be aggravated by the nerv- < tensien of apprehension and danger, t all times when at full speed the and engineers must face the cease- less drain the service of those engines and beilers puts upon them. Every ten min- utes the boilers evaporate their contents of water and drive it out in the form of potent steam to feed those tearing en- sines. To do this the firing must be main- ined aimost incessantly, the gauges watched a: the pressures checked, and all this while the furnaces glow with a blinding incandescence and the air swims wie aye particles of coal dust. a locomotive were on wheeis t of the propellers of these boats ere driven four hundred turns a minute it would make quite eighty miles an hour. These boats will make between thirty and trirty-one knots—something over thirty- five miles an hour, and the service of her engines and boliers will demand a much more exacting watchfulness on the part contract of her firemen and engineers thai in ever speedtest locomotive called for. ey e torpedo boat destroyer is an a e- gation of great powers, enormous stteses and high speed, and the men that man them must respond as far as human fiesh can to the same-exhausting drains. ———.__ Boom! From the New York Sun, Wheat is jumping, ° Fotely bomping, ith an upward pace ts pumping, And the farmer wears a smile Beer seen before. Gold is pouring, Miners boring,” Unknown arctic For the millions fields explorii which the earth bas held in store, Silver's dropping, Theortes popping, While the Pops their eyes are ing, As the mortgayors are paying off their debts. All is hustle, All 1s bustle, Work for brain and work ‘The Calamityites are pasture Ranke cis: ———_+ e+ —_____ Rather Previous. From the Weekly Telegraph. A poor man lay dying, and his good wife was tending him with homely but affec- tionate care. “Don't you think you could eat a bit of something, John? Now what can I get for you?” With a wan smile he answered, feebly: “Well, I seem to smell a ham a-cooking somewheres; I think I could do with a little bit of that. “Oh, no, John, dear,” she answered, fremptly, “you can’t have that. That’s for the funeral.” Dancing term—“The Boston dip.” —Life, BIRDS AND BLOSSOMS Summer Rambles Through Wooded Uplands and Bosky Bells WELL REPAY THE LOVER OF ¥. \ To Such a Man She Speaks a Various Language. THE CHANGE SINCE’ SPRING Written Exclusively for The Evening Star. N APRIL AND MAY the rural environ- ments of the city were overflowing with an animated, debonair and mot- ley throng, whose ef- fervescing spirits found constant ex- pression in song and sportiveness. They were on their way to their northern homes, and the way was fair, and love and courtship kept them company. It was their holiday time, when, free from care and responsibility, they had nothing to do all day long but enjoy the many pleasures abundantly strewn upon their pathway. What bright and happy little things they were! Darting about amid the fresh and tender foliage; playing ‘tag’ among the tree-tops; sometimes flashing down almost to the ground in the exhilaration of the sport; throwing off. little bits of melody, “the overflow of the full joyousness of their hearts; they set the whole forest a-quiver with gladness, Can it be that these sober little creatures silently stealing about un- der the leafy covers of the August woods are members of that breezy company? They are in truth our merry friends of the spring; but how changed! Their gala cos- tumes have become soiled and faded by the season's wear, or in some instances have been replaced by traveling garb of duller and more neutral hue. Their songs are hushed, and they have neither time nor disposition for the mad frolics that marked their northward journey. The labors and anxieties of house-building and trood- Goldfinch, raising have taught them that life is not all one continual round of pleasure and jollity; and sobered by the summer's les- sons and reminded of their changed gondi- tion by the young families that are Laking their first journey to the south with them. they quietly make thelr way through the land, giving so little indication of their presence that one who would greet ,them as they pass must watch keenly and assid- uously in order not to miss them. They do not appear in a compact body and take full possession of the land, as they did in the spring. Fortune has distributed her favors unequally among them. Upon some she has smiled and all their ventures have been successful, enabling them to Promptly and speedily finish the summer’: duties and make an early start on their long trip to the southland. Others, how- ever, have had various mishaps and vicis- situdes to contend with and have been de- layed in consequence. Perhaps several un- successful suits were necessary before the lover could find a lady of his choice (one who would accept him). Perhaps one of the parties to the union had heen destroyed and a second and more difficult quest for a wife or husband rendered necessary. Per- haps some destructive accident had hap- pened to nest or eggs or young, necessitat- ing another commencement of the sum- mer's nidification. These and many other valid excuses might be offered if any were required to account for tardiness in set- ting out for the winter’s quarters in the tropics. They certainly appear on the scene in a fashion very different from the comparative simultanelty of their spring arrival. And it is not until late October that the last belated straggler takes his de- parture for the south. Just Like Some Men. All during August the arboreal hotels are registering boreal guests. Indeed, some very businesslike individuals who waste no time on sentiment, but mate and build and breed as unromantically as royalty itself, are enabled by their thrifty attention to business to commence their southward journey in July. First among these is the tree swallow, who usually registers himself Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. and wife and family here about July 10. What a very unpleasant hustler he.must be in his home relations! We can imagine him building his nest. As Mrs. Swallow meets him coming to the half-finished struc- ture with material and greets him,,with terms of endearment, we con hear him say- ing with a mouth full of feat , “Don’t interrupt me, my dear, don’t you see I’m busy?” But when he attends board meeting (on the telegraph wire) he js content to swell out his unruffied shirt front {nf one spot for so long a time that no one jrould suspect how precious bis moments, are. Perhaps he explains the apparent incon- sistency to his wife by telling her that he has to attend these meetings th order to keep his standing in the com ity. And perhaps she believes him, but st{f] waohders if that is the case with all the of na what the effect would be if noi ied. One of the earliest arrivals August comes to us in a changed garb and char- acter and under a-different name from those of spring. In May his rather flashy suit of black and white was conspicuous in the meadows, while his rollicking song scintillated among the clover tops. We knew him then as the bobolink. But dur- ing the first part of August tf would meet him on his return you must go to the marshes beside the river, and watch for a very quietly dressed little bird, who will address you with no note save a. pe- culiar metallic “‘chink;” or ask some sports- man there wading about in the mud to gratify the killing instinct he inherits from remote ancestors. to pgint out to. you the reed bird, fur such is the name by which our friend bobolink is now known. _ He is a bird of aliases, thia little cousin to the blackbirds and orioles. After he leaves us he goes to the rice marshes of South Carolina and Georgia, and visits them awhile under the name of rice bird be- fore he finally passes on to his winter home, south of the Amazon. On the same day that the reed bird ar- rives in the marshes you may lnok among the branches of the forest trees for the dainty little blue-winged yellaw warbler. A day or two later comes the Canadian warbler, still wearing the necklace of jet over his rich yellow vest that marked him So conspicuously in the spring. Then follow the chestnut-sided warbler and others in close succession, accompanied by flycatch- ers and sandpipers. After the middle of Butcher Bird. the month we may expect the veery, the only one of the thrushes to return to us in August, and the rose-breasted zrosbeak, a handsome cousin of our own cardinal gros- beak. These and many other migrants are with us in August; but their presence is completely hidden from the casual observ- er, and even the searcher who peers into the dense foliage to penetrate its secrets must look closely in order to know that it contains more than its usual aumber of in- habitants. A Victim to Fashion. While receiving these accessions to the bird life in our midst we suffer but one loss during the mcnth, and this only a visitor who, after nesting further south, had com: to take a short trip to Washington or some more northerly point before going finally to the far s6uth for the winter. This bird, the American egret, spends its time while with us beside some lonely and retired stream. It has reason for seeking seques- tered localities. It has been for some years the subject of a war of extermination, now nearly completed. And for what? It is not a pest, nor is it a game bird, one of those unfortunates selected by man for enjoyable slaughter. Alas! it is possessed of a fatal beauty of plumage during the breeding season that has docmed it to destruction. Ard It is gentle womankind that has de- creed its destiny. It has certain long white plumes for which it is hunted while it is caring for its young, and, owing to 1s strong parental instinct, it falls an easy prey. It is shot without difficulty, the cov- eted plumes are plucked from the fluttering body and the wounded bird and the young brood in whose defense it received its death blow ure left to perish. Hundreds of thou- sands of egrets are annually slaughtered in this most heartless fashion in order to supply the demand for “aigrettes,” as the pretty plumes are called in the market. Thus is thoughtless feminine vanity grati- fied, and thus are the beautiful egret and its progeny devoted to extermination, an4 yet we are supposed to have emerged from barbarism. Among the arrivals of the month is a winter visitor. Coming to us in August it does not leave again until the following April. Indeed, I am inclined to suspect that it is Hable to be found here at any time throughout the year, though it ha neyer yet been seen in our vicinity in M June or July. This is the loggerhead shrike or butcher bird, a name more appropriate, for it is almost human in Sts cruelty and indifference to suffering. It is thicks with a hooked, hawk-like beak, and is rather strikingly marked with black hori- zontal lines, at eye and wing and tail. Perching upon sume commanding spot it keeps watch for grasshoppers, small snakes, little birds or whatever other bit of animeted Ife it may choose for its pre Suddenly it darts down, seizes one of these victims, carries it to a nearby thorn tree or barbed wire fence, impales it upon the thorn or barb, and then quietly resumes its perch to watch for another, heeding the tortures of the poor creature no more than the aigrette hunter heeds the suffering he leaves in his path. Of course there is some justification for the butcher bird. it is simply stocking {ts larder with nec: sary provisions, and it takes a convenient though cruel method of doing so. Perfectly Willing to Try. The butcker bird is a very inferior singer, aithough, like many of the human kind, he does not allow this fact to deter him from frequent exhibitions of the limited vocsl Pcwers he possesses. His voice is creaky, and his standard of melodic beauty is somewhat low. Still at the time he appears among us he has very few competitors to cast his performance into disfavor, for most of the birds have reached that point in their annual career when musiz, which played so important a part at first, has been allowed to sink lower and lower, until finally it has fallen into disuse. Some of the birds may be heard, however. The red- eyed virio continues his monotonous mono- logue in the forest, with the indigo bird in the meadow keeping him company. An oc- casional song may be vouchsafed by the cardinal, Carolina wren, wood pewee, tuft- ed titmouse, chickadee or chipping spar- row, while the field sparrow’s pzstoral lay still falls upon the ear with scarcely dimin- ished frequency. ‘The call of the partridge, the ventriloqual “hanh, hanh” of the white-breasted nuthatch and the anxious- sounding chatter of the goldfinch, will once in a while greet the rambler. But gener- ally the songs have subsided, their place being supplied by the chirping and shrilling of insects in the grass and the space-filling buzzing of the locusts in the trees. Insects are so numerous that impromptu hunting parties are often organized among the birds of an evening, amateurs such as the blue birds and sparrows of various kinds join- ing with the professional king birds and wood pewees in the “‘sport.”” @ugust is a dangerous month for insects. Not only do they have to serve as subjects ot this friendly competition and as meals for less merry, but quite as deadly, birds, but if they escape these dangers they are Hable to become enmeshed in some of the numerous spiders’ webs that are now be- coming common in the woods. These webs as well as a menace to the insects are a source of annoyance to the human wood frequenter, for the spiders have no regard for the rights of the user of a pathway or read, but erect their puny barriers across either with the utmost indifference to the convenience of the public. Usually it is only a line or two that breaks across the face of the passerby; but often a full web will be encountered, with the owner him- self perhaps in the center. It is sometimes amusing to watch the tactics of the spider when disturbed in his web. He tries to frighten the rash intruder by methods sim- ilar to those attributed to the Chinese, who are said to have turned somersaults before an advancing foe in order to strike terror to his heart. I have seen a large black and yellow spider hang by a single long thread and turn round and round, the yellow fiash- ing out Hke the intermittent light of a. re- volving light house. This maneuver not producing the desired effect, he clambered up the line, placed himself in the very mid- dle of his web and shook the whole struc- ture rapidly back and forth with clock-like rhythm. Then he moved to. another_portion of the web and gave another shake, and then tried various other positions and dif- ferent kinds of shakes, all with the hope of terrifying the big enemy who had touched him with his stick. = Midsummer Rambles. ‘These finest webs are the beginning of a nuisance that grows to be quite a draw- ‘back to woodland rambles as we advance into autumn. Still a stick (and one should always carry one on a jaunt, it is useful in so many ways) kept constantly moving before the face somewhat mitigates the annoyance and saves the face from many” a contact. However, the Au- gust rambler is more apt to seek meadows shine in its full force, yet if th warm enough to make this object’ he will find still greater discomfort in the close atmosphere of the woodland shades, | where breezes do no? penetrate and w | too, in addition to the spider web n' he will be apt to be tormented by gnats stinging flies. But for another reason than mere comfort he will be impelled meadow- ward. The floral attractions offered by the open country far surpass those of thc he forest. The incre former and the decrex latter noted in Juiy have become marked as the summer has progressed. Still the woods are not devoid of inte est, so far as flowers are concerned. 1 tick trefoils, whose pretty pink bloss: of the butterfly or pea type—papiliona is the technical term—give a distincti character to the undergrowth, are ample reward for an occasional stroll ito the leafy arbors. The pure waxy clum Indian pipe, often as beautiful singular; the large and brilliant rm soms of the showy cardinal flower, w grows in damp spots: the frag’ clusters of wild clematis clambcring over bushes and small trees; the pungent, purple-flowe ed dittany; the tall stalks and deep large yellow cups of the false ioxgley yellow-rayed and dark-cent«red flowers cf the wild coreopsis — these are all well | ¥erthy of the seeking, even at the expens: of s®me personal comfort. ‘~ wealth of sing wealth of still m + nd the Then, too, there are some of the orchils which the August woods offer as ne to the botanical explorer. The ¢ orchis, whose tall stalk, surrounded | many blossoms, has a certain be own, though the flowers are in size and of an incor color. Not so much diminutiy ntive fly uty of ather is x sn nish the be spicu can be said for coral root (which should sought toward the close of the month). 8 it has an attraction to the botanist becaus« of its membership in a distinguished family and may, perhaps, be allowed an individual claim to attention on account of the curious The id easily rincipal family root from which it derives its nan rein orchis is also rather small overlooked, and must rest [ts p claim, like the coral root, upon its name. When Meadows Are Gay. In the meadows the fioral display Is over- whelming in its variety. Daisy fleabane yarrow, wild carrot, Deptford pink, S:. John’s-wort, cone flower and hosts of other blooms combine gracefully and in attract! groups to fill the landscape with beauty and The purple heads of the brightness. self- Spotted Sandpiper. he mullein is in its e heal are now abundant; glory y clusters of jronweed and y and larger ones of Jae Pye weed are m: in low places, watered by a hide when, in company with the frow E heads of the boneset, or thoroughwort, they stand on each side to protect the little mu- sician at their feet. Various kinds of sun- flowers, ranging in size from the large heads of the variety so dear to the heart of the “Afro-American” dweller in rural pre- cincts, to small heads no bigger than a silver dollar, turn their faces upward to greet the god of day, whose namesakes they are. These are all weedy plants, But the Au- gust meadows hold many of a manner so delicate and ornamental that even the average rustic mind would concede to them the title of “flowers.” The brilliant pink clustered blossoms of the centaury would lift it into that higher class, while its kin- ship to the noted and elegant gentians ac- centuates its claim to distinction. The odd- shaped blue blossoms of the monkey flower —supposed to suggest the facial peculiari- ties of a monkey—would have no difficulty in obtaining due recognition. And no one would think of classing with weeds the blue (or sometimes pink) little of the blue curls, which begin to come into prominence near the close of t month. The ladie: s has, of course, an indisputable right to the title, as it is an orchid, but it can afford to waive consid- eration of family distinction and rest its case solely upon the small spiral columns of white blossoms it lifts a few inches above the ground. The name of the meadow beauty indicates the common opinion of that rather » pink flower, that expands its petals in damp places as its ibution to the month’s bouquet, but eserving of the name only in its natural place. for when transferred to a bunch of gathered flowers it has a dis- agreeable habit of losing its petals and presenting a poor stump to the view. Nature's Face in August These are a few, a very few, of the choice blossoms that greet one who seeks them in the August wilds, a courageous venture, perhaps, on the hot sunny days that are commonly remembered, but very “éasy and delightful on those charming days that are commonly forgotten. If you will watch for them and note them, you will probably be surprised to find how many days there are during the month that are suggestive of spring or autumn. When the goldfiuches, inspired by the pure air and cool, refresh- ing breezes, burst into one of those ecsta- tic little choruses that were so frequent during the days of courtship; when the song sparrow in the thicket beside the brook sends a spring carol «cross the fie when from the grove of clustering oaks nearby comes the vibratory pedal-note of the flicker, it requires little imagination for the Istene> to transport iimself in fancy to t days when the year was young. And When, on the other hand, a it Summer Warbler. ° cool wind sweeps through the trees, which here and there show painted spots, its rough sport followed by the sound of loose leaves fluttering to the ground: when the warmth of the sunshine feels gratcful, when the elfin horn of the nuthatch is heard again, and the clarion tones of the Carolina wren suddenly ring out; while dis- tant calls of crows and jays are borne upon the air, then does it seem hard to believe that this is the summer of the white man and not that of the Indian. Bee HENRY OLDys. ——~+o+—___ Woman. From Leslie's Weekly. “I think it’s horrid of the men to stare so, Don't you?” “Yes. Let’s hurry and get into the water.” “Oh, wait a moment. I see Mr. Fiend coming this way with his kodek.” AND ARTISTS ART The good sketching weather that has thus far prevailed this summer has enabled Max Weyl to accomplish a great deal. In t. he has done very little studlo work this season, but has devoted his energies to setting down his impressions from 1 ture. A re in two effe sesti trip to Glen E canvases, a quick & storm, a carefull “I wood interior, The s pair Aspot just a little below thes amphitheater, a qui Dok, where the s of the little stream now hurry nois- ly over the amors-covered rocks in deepe pt scarcely a oO resulted sug- her tive fan ay one proach) the ¢ stud ter and new je breaks the surf: viacta expanses is mirréred overhang tree ators of the mich spaces, where Ue e ct of |. Ue he sparkling cascades is finely managed. and in truth, the artist has never handled a yee sub tin more theroughiy satis ‘actory ner, [Another motive whi Mr. Weyl obtained a few days age in sew of the Potomac marshes, a favorite with him and a reg that he has familiar to th h his slowing color studi ud effect is Very sirtking in this may be said of a view which he n the hills of Arlington a st k he will leave anvas, and the same ime the etty to Join My at Keswick, Albemarle county, Va M yl is enthusiastic about the material wnd in that y and beng sit- r Monticelle home 0 Jette » and not far from Charlot the utiful sub; aroi utiful subjec & around these places will * ~* In » water colors » has been doing Miss Atwater has demonstrated, as Ot ine artists have, that there are just as good Motives to be found fn and ut Wash- ton as may be obta a Wandering far away the summ months. She is well qualified to carry to successful = on which f he son of her ma ot recent 4 both on account nd by re Hassam, th i Her venue jon er f the vith the new post ¢ 1 up in the middle distar und jome of the Capitol rising at th of the thoroughfare. She never sunlight th end og into her outdoor work, and ce quality about her skies i sketch made near th Own ca a study one > quaint | color study youngs with its d Miss Atwa ndrew best modious st An inte that she has made udio offers an paint when she and her pup’ mind * * Mr. H. B. ford’ has jaiely by bis work in ch: drawing. He has just com lent portrait in harcoal which is commen e both as a likeness as an artistic piece of portraitu A from this, Mr. Iford been working on a nur neil sketches of horses and carefully studied from nature. A re n and ink ketch, representing an old man reading a ewspaper, and a young hopeful pestering him with questic s interesting as a piece of illustration, and also in that the man in the drawing is a very good likene of Mr. Bradford's father Mr. Bradford has a good deal of othe 1 ink work which he ha: lately, In ing a num Various po: . anda ilhou and white of a dog snapping at of a young woman. Whether Mrs. H mer in the empirc giny” she has not yet settled. to the former region sh If she expects to be in Yonkers for some time. and io do som ajtong Huds Wherever oes the time she devote to will be spent main’ work. Hoyle will uniertake a number of oil aits on fer ‘turn to ihe city next fall. * x * Before le town this week for summer Miss G M. Patten executed quite a striking portrait of her mother in oll. This was about the last work of any eonsequence that Miss Patten did, but previous to this she painted a portrait of ex-Governor Perham of Maryland, and has also done a number of sm: things dur- ing the past wee ew a portunity to do some ver ve seape work where she expects planning to devote her time ma branch of work. * * * M Hat Burdet left the Thursday for a pretty spot in M. where she expects to divide he ye tween work and recreation, She has not done very much color work since her bition in the spring, but If to black and white. ed recently which is in full color head of a dark-haired beauty. * * * Letters that have been received from Miss Clara Hill, who went abroad to study in the spring,-bring the information that she has entered one of the Julien studios She is residing in the suburbs of Paris with her mother and Mrs. W. Irving Adams. nfined he te oct Giant of the Tar-Heel State. ‘om the Salisbury, N. C., World. William Austin, the tall man of Stanly county, is now working at the old black- smith shop on Lee street. He was twenty- one years old on the 13th of April, meas- ures 6 feet 94% inches in his stocking feet and is still growing. He weighs 225 pounds and is apparently a skeleton now, but with large bones and muscles. He lifted when only nineteen years old a bale of cotton weighing over 500 pounds and carried it some twenty-five yards. Only recently three northern gentlemen offered him 55.000 to go in training for five years to fight the champion of the world. He has never smoked, chewed or drank any intoxicants, and looks the picture of health. coo consin Blondin. A Wi From the Milwaukee Sentinel. Charles Helbach, a well-known slack an tight wire walker of Neenah, has decided to imitate Blondin and walk a cable stretcheed across the Niagara Falls. Hul- bach has not the money to carry out t underteking, but Henry Fitzgibbon, a prom- inent attorney of Neenah, has signified his intention of backing Helbach. The latter will leave for the falls in a few days. Hel- bach is a young man of twenty-five years and has frequently attracted attention in this part of the state by performing dare- devil feats on a wire. Recentiyhe stretched a rope ecross two high buildings and amused his friends by giving an exhibition. He has traveled with several circuses and has acquired quite a reputation in his line, He anticipates no trouble fn crossing the fails. Arrangements are now under way for the act. —___+ 0+ ——_—_. His Natural Failing. From the Atlanta Constitution. An old darky was arrested for stealing a silver dollar. The dollar was found on his person and produced in eourt. “You stole this money?” asked the judge. “Dat's whut dey says, suh!” “Well, what have you to say for your- self?” “Well, suh, nuttin’ much, ‘ceptin’ dat I wuz driv ter it.” “Driven to it?” “Yes, suh. You see, jedgs, aat dollar had a bird on it, en it look so much like a game chicken dat I thought I wuz in a hen roos’, en des nachully bagged it.” — pity a man who is not beloved by chil- iren.”* “Don't lavish too much 5) hy on him; he can wear a linen suit all day and look respectable.”—Chicago Record,