Evening Star Newspaper, October 9, 1897, Page 18

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1897-26 PAGES. ‘tte clusively for The Even! De eesemiat enlaces but I would like some of the old customs to be restored in the departments,” remarked an old clerk in the customs division of the Treasury De- partment to a Star reporte here wes a time, but it has been some years £0, when pocket knives Were resularly issued to the clerks. They got one each year. ‘The knives were of a fine quality and were issued as stationery. They w the same as erasers are now supplied upon the requisition of the clerk, approved b y the chiefs of the divisions or the chief clerk of the department. Of cou the ordinary clerk does rot have much v-hit- ng to do in connection with his dutie it he has some, and especially in sharpen- ¢ lead pencils, and in cases where he has for three penc black, red this is considera’ An eraser can be used to sharpen pencils, but there is not one man in ten who can use an eraser as he can handle a penknife. The knive were issued by the Treasury Department of a standard grvle, the same kind every year, and always of the best. The same custora prevailed in all tne other de- partments. with the possible exception of the War Department. The State Depart- ment issued a very nice knife, and I think does so still. There has, however, not been a knife issued in the¥freasury Department for over twenty years. I do not know who was to blame for deing away with a cus- tom which had prevailed, 1 am informed, almost since the department was estab- lished.” xe OK OK * “There is no explanation for the laws of business, but they are much more clean eut and generally observed than the laws which are practiced in the court houses,” said a prominent commercial traveler to a Star reporter, “and one which I find ex- ists everywhere is the rating that is given unmarried women who are in business. ‘There is hardly any exception to the rule as regards credit to them. When a wo- man sets up in business and makes any kind of a success in it all laws of credit are in her favor. She is given goods on her own terms as far as time {is concerned, and given any amount that is within rea- son. Neither is she pushed very hard in se she encounters a dull season, but is waited on until she has caught a better hold on her trade. In this respect it is different than in the case of men, or even of widows. The idea controls in business than an unmarried woman is good pay for it is understood that she will pay some time. It is a a fact tfat unmarried wi men, those who learned their business t fore they went into it, fail less frequently than men. They are, as a rule, more con- servative than men in their purchases, and ul and discriminating as to credit to. But let the an get married, and there are who care to sell her goods. > different then, and, as sellers © net only has to carry on and sir but in nineteen cases has to carry on and sup- Icok at support her bi out of twent ort her gets married has ipport her husband, but the laws of business from experience s and governs itse!f accordingly. Some weeks ago I was out in Chicago, and st customers there was an Her line was ladies’ goods . I knew of a dozen other drummers who called on her regularly to seli goods, for we ull knew that she was good for all she bought. By an accident I learned that she had recently Leen mar- ied, to a very pleasant gentleman, too, by the way. Now, without auy other rea- son in the world, I skipped her during my stay there, simply and almost unconscious- ly applying the laws of business to her case. She had paid my house every dollar that she had promised to pay, and paid it on the day promised, but somehow I did not care to sell her any more goods. “While in Chicago and other cities in that section, I met a half dozen drummers who are in my line, and in talking over business matters, I found that they, too, had learn- ed of her marriage and had failed to solicit apy orders from her. Like myseif, they knew the husband, and knew that he was a straightforward man, and had long been eennected with a business house in Chi- uusiness so czgo, though in a different lin But the laws of business knew no yielding, and they concluded that they would not run any risks. Now, the result will be that that lady, if she carries on the business, and I am informed that is her intention, will have to pay casa for her goods, while others in the same line and on the eet will have th y to nin@ty days’ time. Anc that unless she has a good- account to her credit she will have to go to the wall, not bec. she {s not geod pay, but because she viola“od one of the laws of busine se * * * * “Though I had often read about it, I never believed im the north and south posi- * said one of the assistant of the city hos- Tam new ome person it is of great » of on porter, that with conditi will not ence 1 pu in i it w tention was brow: n the ‘ications, nt to it. pital ing of some wards #s ‘quiet’ wards rooms ‘quit’ rooms, al- © was no difference as regards ts of them, changes being of weekly occurrence. Some time jents, a literary man, who was being treated for sieeplessness, left his own room for the reason, as he said, that he could seldom get any sleep in it, and by a mere chance was moved into & room on the opposite side of the ward. The change was ve ul to him, and without giving any p: r reason, he gave the credit for his :mprovement to the hew room. I noticed that the beds in what are known as the ‘qui+t’ -ocms all are placed with the heads to the north. The theory is that magnetic action has some- thing to do with induciag sleep, and that beds which have their heads to the north are best situated to g benefit of this Wwagnetic condition. mind you, I don't say for certain that’ there is any- thing in magnetic action, whatever that may mean, though I do say that some per- sons are ally benefited by having their heads placed that way. 1 am so firmly con- v¥inced of this that I have had my own bed The nurses and as daily since one of ur ps or Now, ued | remember, I do | s from one of them that my at- | ave got in the habit { | | canes were used Placed that way, and though it may ve imagination, I think my sleep is mere rest- ful in consequence of the change. 1 would lik: | who are interested to try it and jvdze for themselves. I vm sure no harm will result and it may be that benefit wiil ensue.” exe KR x “anes are not as much in evidence now as they were a couple of seasons ago,” explained a d r to a Star reporter. “They have simply gore out of fashion temporarily, and as # great proportion of by those who carried them not because they needed them, but because it was tke proper thing to do, there is a temporary dullness in the cane market. The business will pick up aga though, and I think it will be in the direc- tion of lighter canes. The dude era, which is about going out of existence, unfor- tunately for cane manufacturers, turned in on canes. It took the form of exag- geration in size and weight, and finally brought into existence a cane that was ridiculous in size. Then the caricaturists got in their fine work, and they increased it in size tenfold. The comedians on the stage took it up where the caricaturists ett it off and carried a cane almost as big as a pump Ridicule did the rest, und for a while the cane will be less active. The duae era ried the ecli of the The fellow who follows the dude e, because he is differ- rily to do different Of course there is no let up in es, Which are carried entlemen because they have rried them aid who do not propose to allow the dude or his successor to in with their habits or desires. The fancy » stick umbrellas have also supplanted cane with many on account of the double purpose for which they can be used. It will be noticed that the hundreds of very young men who curried canes a couple of years ago never carry any now. Many of them gave up the cane because it was ‘not in it’ any more, but the great majority got out of the habit the moment they be- gan riding the wheel. It is wonderful how many changes in things the bicycle has brought about.” ee “The wishing tree still has its friends,” said one of the watchmen in Lafayette Park to a Star reporter, as he pointed out the large chestnut tree now loaded down with burrs, to the west of the statue of Jackson, “and scarcely a day passes that some one does not speak to me about it, or tell me about their success or want of it in their wishes. Whether the tree gets all the wishes that are asked for or not, it furnishes the wishers with a great deal of fun, and it does not seem to do the tree any harm. One of the nurse girls who visits the park every day with her charges told me yesterday that she wished for a husband and wished real hard. She did not get a husband yet, though there is no telling how soon she will come out, but she did the next thing to it, by finding a pretty wedding ring on one of the waiks ten minutes after she had made her wish. I don’t know that anyone or any park has a tree that can do better than that all inside of ten minutes. But nurse girls are not the only ones who go to the tree with their wishes, I assure you.” x kK KOK “It has happened that I have attended hundreds of ceroners’ inquests, in this city and elsewhere,” volunteered an old news- paper reporter to a Star reporter, “and my experience has been that coroners’ juries always find the verdict that the coroner tes out for them. It is very rare that objection is made to it. I know of but one case where the jury brought in a verdict exactly contradictory to that the coroner had prepared. It was in the case of the sudden death of a lady who ‘resided in the northwestern section of the city. It was some years when coroners’ juries were composed of ‘twelve men, good and true,” instead of six, as under the ex- isting practice. The latter, 1 think, how- ever, is an improvement on the old num- ber, and on the same plan it would be bet- ter to abolish them altogether and let the coroner or some of his assistants investi- gate the case and bring in the verdict that s the circumstances. It it is a serious matter, the grand jury has to investigate the case anyhow, and they can just as well investigate it on a verdict brought in by one experienced man as by six inexper- ienced men. The case that I refer to is one of those sad suicides, the victim being a young married woman, who took exactly twenty times as much strychnine as she needed to, to end her existence. “Four of the jury, like myself, were news- ‘aper reporters, and we saw right away that it was a case which should be ended up right—otherwise the husband, a de- partment clerk, and his two baby chil- dren, when they grew up, might be sad- dened by it. After hearing the obtainable evidence, we asked the coroner and old Police Lieutenant Noonan, who, as sani- tary officer, superintended all inquests, to retire, as we wanted to agree upon a ver- dict. They were both shocked, for for years they had run inquests in their own way. They declined, and the jury retired on its account, with a remark by the fore- man that they would at some future time inside of a month fix up a verdict and maii it to them. The coroner got very warm and demanded that as all the facts showed a se of suicide that should be the verdict. The jury replied that it mat- tered not what the facts were, they had decided that it was a case of ‘accidental death’ and they could not think of finding ny other verdict. In a week they signed £9, a verlict and as far as the record hows the death was ac The hus- band is still living and the children have ‘n up. Their family record has not spoiled by the blot that a suicide would have put on it. It was bad enough or the mother to suicide, but there were reasons for it, and that coroner’s jury did not propose to make a lot of innocent per- sons suffer in consequence of it. —— ee The Congressman Bailey Cucumber. the St. Louls Republic. A McKinney correspondent has discovered the “Bailey cucumber.” Here is what he ys about it: “Bill Cargal, a well-known farmer, living seven miles east of McKin- ney, was in town today exhibiting a large cucumber. It measured 18 inches in length and 2 inches in circumference, and weighed 10% pounds. The seed from which it was grown were sent Mr. Carga! last fall by Congressman Batley from Washington. He planted quite a lot of the seed, which sprouted vines of the most thrifty growth and rapid maturity, resembling the ordi- nary vine in nearly every respect except in prolificness. But only two vegetables ever grow on a single vine, though the pro- Gigious size of them makes up what is lack- ing in prolificness. Mr. Cargal is very proud of his production, whieh he has nomencla- tured the ‘Bailey cucumber,’ and which he says he will exhibit at the Dallas state fair.” —————+e+_____ Makes All the Difference. From Puck. Miss Highgear—“Yes; I regard Mr. Good- bye as a model young man.” Miss Nickers—‘‘A '97 model, I trust?” . HAND-MADE SHOES. Rarely Seen Nowadays in Comparison With the Machine-Made Articles. “The making of shoes by hand is an art that is not carried on as extensively now as it was thirty years ago, when I first came to this city to learn my trade,” said a leading New York shoemaker to a writer for The Star recently. “Nowadays there are very few first-class bootmakers, that is, men who are capable of turning out fine shoes from the raw. material without the aid of machinery. Those who work in fac- tories, or do ‘team work,’ are no more shoemakers than an iron molder is a steam fitter, or a street paver an engineer. A ready-made shoe takes only from e‘ghteen to twenty minutes to make, and in the process of manufacture passes through no less than thirty hands. ‘This work at Its best calls for no independent thought; it only requires a systematic machine, a thing of imitation. A good pair of hand-made boots or shoes with oak-tanned soles will wear twelve months, and look well all the time, and even after that they can be re- pairsd and will serve for second best for several months longer. The price@will range from $7 to $10, according to finish. Such shoes are light, almost impervious to wet, springy and cling to the feet like a second skin. There are no nails or pegs perpetual- ly cropping up to injure the feet, no break- ing of the shank, no running down at the heel, nor turning up at the toes. “Yhe great difficulty in getting ready- made shoes to fit is the variation in the size of the feet during the day. They are nallest the first thing in the morning and expand most during the afternoon, es- pecially in hot weathe: A man who makes hand-made shoes usually understands this, and consequently makes due allowance for the variation, but if you buy a machine- made pair of shoes in tne morning they are apt to pinch you regularly toward evening, while if you take the afternoon for your shopping the shoes will feel uncomfortably large every morning. In either case corns are created. “The majority of people’s feet are dis- torted and turned from their natural growth by the obstinate and misplaced Vanity of the general ready-made shoe buyer. Very few persons get their s long enough. The masses buy short, broad shoes, so that widths such as double C and double D, that ougit never to be manufac- tured, are much in demand. When men and women, especially, tell the size of their feet they like to make use of a short num- ber—nothing is said about the breadth. Besides, when one goes into a store to try on shoes the feet are usually contracted from the exercise of walking. They are then in the best condition for making them feel easy and comfortable in new and ill- fitting shoes. = “A woman who habitually wears a No. 3 shoe can, when necessity demands, don a 3% without great sacrifice. She still re- tains the integral number 3, which in some measure compensates her for the adaed fraction, but a new integer, No. 4, is dis- tasteful by reason of its formidable sound. If shoes, ike hats, could be graded by eighths of an inch, she could take refuge in a 3% shoe, and yet be comparatively happy. But from a No. 3% to a No. 4 is too great a trial for a woman's nerves, and she usually insists upon cramming her feet into shoes that bring torture whenever worn. ‘The Chinese are not the oniy race who disfigure their useful extremities. They go systematically to work to accomplish their deformities, while American men and w men, especially, do it by blindly tgnoring the pedal space that nature demands. The Mongolian feet are shortened by a long turning up of the toes, ours by cramping the members in poor shoe leather till the instep is slowly raised in self-defense. A natu but on if not y high instep is a thing of beauty, that is elevated by force is nothing otesque. When Americans think I of appearances and more about the fitting and quality of their shoes, more walking with | fatigue will be accom- plished, and we shall then perhaps become nation of pedestrians, instead of a na- tion of wheelmen.” —— BEST TO BE PREPARED. The Mountaineer’s Wife Wanted to Re Ready for Any Emergency. The best-looking married woman in that particular locality of the Cumberlind mountains was Bill Magee’s wife, and it was the constant wonder of the entire sec- tion why so much sweetness had wasied itself on such an ornery and doless desert as was Bill. In line with this was another wonder why Bill's wife, Susan Martin, hadn't married Jim Fergusoa, as every- body thought she should have done. Byt that had all happened a year before I came into the mountains, and it gave m2 no con- cern whatever. Like any gen:leman cf taste, I admired Mrs. Magee und felt es- pecially happy when, as it happened some- umes, the clerks in the company’s store Were busy and I could wait upon her. It Was thus one day that 18 she entered tie stere I hopped around behind the counter like a youngster of twenty. “What can I do for you today, ma’am?” 1 said, with a fine bow. “Got any mournin’ goods?" with delightful hauteur. “Anybody dead?” I asked, forgetting that it wasn’t my business to be asking ques- icns. 'No,” she hesitated, “they ain't egzackly yit, but I thought I might as well be sorter lookin’ round.” “What do you want to see particularly?" I inquired, very curious to know what she Was after, “I reckon I might as well see the whole shcotin’ match, fer ef I want part I'll be wantin’ all thar is,” i threw down two or three pleces of mourning stuff and piled black ribbon and all the other habiliments of woe in the shop down alongside. Them’s righ. nice,” she said, after tak- ing a gcod look at the display, “but 1 ain't quite ready to take anything yit. You see ivs this a-way, colonel. Last nigat Bill d Jim had words caze Jim he the footlog comin’ from meetin’, and this mornin’ Bill he took his gun and went huntin’ fer Jim. You know Jim and you know Bill, colonel, and ef they run acrost each other you know what's goin’ to happen Thar's a chance they won't meet up with each other, and I reckon I'd better wait.” “Probably it might be betta “I reckon 1t would,” she concluded, mov. ing slowly toward the door, “but you kia kinder hold back a dress pattern fer three er four days, can’t you?” When I heard from there Mrs. Jim Ferguson. oS THE SOUL OF WIT. she inquired, ”” I ventured, last she was The Den m Also Thought It a Good Thing in Sermons, Among the very many good and excellent people who reside in the quaint and delight- ful old town of Alexandria, Va., is a dea- con, who, notwithstanding his great piety, is a man of practical common sense and be- lieves in the expediency of things, just as some of his illustrious predecessors in Testament times did. Among those things which he considers of especial commenda- tion is brevity in sermons, and the minister of the church at which the deacon attended was always known as a short-sermon man, and his congregation was always corres- pondingly long. On one occesion it is narrated that the deacon, when the church last needed a pastor, went to a theological seminary of the proper denomination to hear some of the young men preach, if so be among them might be one who would find favor in the deacon’s sight. It being some extra service of the church, there was preaching on Sat- ‘urday and Sunday, and the deacon had an opportunity to hear several sermons. Sun- day evening at tea the president of the seminary asked the deacon what he thought of the sermons he had heard. “Um-er-um,” hesitated the deacon, “I can’t say that I am altogether satisfied, doctor.” “Why, bless my soul, deacon, what's wrong?’ exclaimed the president in aston- ishment. “Well, they don’t seem to quite exactly strike me right,” sald the good deacon, hedging for charity’s sake. “That is beyond me,” continued the president, half musingly, as of he were trying to work the problem out in his mind. “All of them are picked men, dea- con; our rising young preachers.” — “Is that so?” responded the Deacon with smile of hope shewing in his honese face. “Indeed it 1s,” said the president, “Then, doctor, smiled the “sup- Fose you let me hear tonight one of your wit down I think 3 ART AND: ARTISTS % te 53h After a period oft inactivity caused by illness, Mr. U.&. J.\Dunbar is again busily at work, and has ii'number of things on hand. One thing which has been occupy- ing him lately is the design he intends to submit in competition for a soldters and sailors’ monurfent to be erected at Jersey City, thé prificipal figure for which he has ace eyplved from the clay. Another piece tf work recently begun is the nude figurt of-a little boy, designed to serve a pufpose’of utility as well as beauty. The miniature sketch in clay shows the grateful pose of the little fel- low, whose outstretched arms, when the subject is executed in bronze, in life size, or rather larger, will hold a ring to re- ceive umbrellas and the like, thus making a very novel and practical application of artistic skill. Fy Miss Lillian Cook, who left town early in the season, returned a week or two ago from a long vacation at Eastport, Me., and is again at her post at the Corcoran Art School. Although that portion of the Maine coast is exceedingly pleturesque, Miss Cook did no sketching while there, but counted the summer well spent in the rest- ing which has resulted in greatly improved health. * * OK The Art Students’ League began its work on Monday last with good prospects, the class In decorative and industrial design especially starting out with a large num- ber of students, * * * Mr. William H. Coffin’s picture of the Pawnee war dance, recently mentioned in this column, has been completed, and is now on exhibition at the Corcoran Gullery. Although such a subject is ene which pre- sents obvious limitations from the artistic standpoint inter has handled it cleverly, areful drawing and com- position and by making good use of the setting for the scene, has produced a work which is not merely noteworthy because of the event it portrays, but also for con- siderable artistic merit. * * Ok Several Washingtonians who have been abroad during the summer have had the good fortune to see the international ex- hibition in Munich, and all give entausias- tic accounts of it, It has heen held for the last seven years in the “Glas Palast,” an enormous building admirably adapted to the display of works of art, but each year it has seemed to be more and more the ambition of the Munich Kunstler Verein to cover the immense space than to create an exhibit of really good work. Although some good pictures have been shown every year, the international character of the exhibition was almost lost, and the major- ity of the local pictures, such as would rot have been accepted by a competent jury. But this year the great painter, Lenbach, in accepting an important position on the committee and jury, called attention to this degenerate tendency, and insisted that all pictures should be subjected to a more rigid scrutiny, in order to se the stand- ard. In order to partially fill the space made vacant by, the exclusion of unworthy aintings, Lenbach exerted himself to or- ganize a retrospective exhibition, dating from Rubens and Vandyke down’ to the early part of this century, including the early work of some prtists still living—as Kuaus and others. Moreover, joni. ar impressfonists who jd an independent exhibl- he Glas Palast, to show their werk thi To beautify, ihe grand ibule, which has always peen filled with huge, but ustally worthless canvases, th. tapestries were secy the kingdom, making it a P ful decorative peauty, Len obtain foreign cessful, the Dutch, Belg! well teprese ed, with, very good French work, while the Amexicans made ashe which reflects credit. upon our ‘national ideals of art. from ‘all nters being * * * Miss M. G. Irwin has‘been taking 2 much- needed rest, and next Tuesday expects to go to Pittsburg, where she will remain for scme months. probably returning in. the late wirter or spring to this city. While away she plans to keep on with her paint- ing, chiefly in miniature. to which she has devoted most of her attention lately. * * There will be no special exhibitions at Mr. Veerhoff’s galleries for weeks to come, though many things of interest are to be seen there fiom time to time. He has just put on exhibition a bust of Col. Jas. G. Berret, so well known to Washingtonians, by Mr. J. 8. Noel. The portrait is con- siderably over life size and shows very careful modeling. This is the first work exhibited by Mr. Noel, who has been in the studio of Mr. Ellicott for the last two years, and was previously a student at the Art League. He has also made an ana- tomical figure larger than life, which is in use in the Medical School of the Columbian University, and which has already been approved by a number of artists and phy- sicians for its scientific accuracy. He is hoping to place this figure in the Leland oa University also in the near fu- ure. * * ok Mr. R. L. Johnston has moved his studio down town, and is’ now established on the first floor of the little old brick church on 19th street above G, where he has fitted up a pleasant and artistic working place. The only finished picture he has painted lately is that of the interior of an cld New England sheep barn dug out from the hillside. ‘The scene is dimly lighted, except in the center, where light falling from above: shows a number of sheep and one or two chickens at home in winter quar- ters. Since the beginning of the pleasant fall weather Mr. Johnston has been out sketching frequently, gathering material to be worked up during the winter, and has made eight or ten delightful ‘little studies around the city, along the canal and over in Virginfa ’ In the last. re- gion he found one'‘or two particularly good motives. In one simple, almost bare land- scape, which forms the background for a little ‘fleck of sheep, he has caught exact- ly a certain peculiar effect of light in late afternoon. Then there are several bits of landscape which’ give hints of the city in the distance, and ‘ire full of the outdoor spirit. Most’ of them have a great deal of atmosphere. Mr. Johnston is going to keep up his sketchiig ’xpeditions until cool weather, and hgpes'tp collect considerable useful materiat’ = 2 * <The Society ‘bt Washington Artists met jast Wedne: evening. at the studio of Mr. Dunbar, with thepresident, Mr. Messer, in the chair. twenty members were pres- ent, and several matters of importance were considered. Th new gallery on Con- necticut avenug Is approaching completion, and is nearly ready,)for the covering of the walls, after whtch the artists them- selves will tak thé! decorations in hand. The opening $f the; gallery“on Saturday evening, Novempber 2), will be made quite a feature. It fs to be a full dress affair, ang tickets willybe placed on sale at placcs hereafter to be designated. For this oc- casion and for, tenddays following, it is expected that the best possible collection of paintings and sculpture, both ancient and modern, will be shown, making a fine loan exhibition. Following this the Water Color Society is to open its exhibit on De- mber 6. Mr. Parker Mann has resigned the chairmanship of. the executive com- mittee, and his Frank Moss. MAKING PLATE GLASS. An Operation That Requires a Deal of Skill and Care- A visit to a plate glass works reveals nothing perhaps more interesting than the casting tables on which the heavy plate glass used in most store windows is cast. “The casting tables,” said the superintend- ent of a large New York plate glass fac- tory to a Star reporter recently, “are the most important pieces of apparatns in this establishment. Each table is about 20 feet leng, 15 feet wide and from 7 to 8 inches thick. The heavy strips of iron on either side of the tables afford a bearing for the roliers and determine the thickness or diameter of the giass to be cast. “The rough plate is commorly nine-six- teenths of an inch thick, but after volish- ing it is reduced to six or seven-sixteenths. All casting tables are mounted on wheels Wich run on a track made to reach every furnace and amnealing oven in the factory. The table having been wheeled as near as possible to the melting furnace, a pot of moulten glass is lifted by means of a crane, end its contents poured quickly out on the table. A heavy iron roller then passes from end to end, spreading the glass to a uni- form thickness. This rolling operation has to be done by expert hands quickly, as the boiling glass, when it comes in ‘contact with the cold metal of the table cools very rapidly. When the rolling process has been completed, the decor of the annealing oven is opened and the plate of glass is in- troduced. The floor of the annealing oven is on the same level as the wheels of the ‘casting table, that the transfer can be made by rail quickly. When the glass is ready to be taken out of the oven its sur- ce is very rough. In this condition it is used for skylights and other purposes where strength is desired rather than transparency. But when intended for win- dows it is ground, smcothed and polished, and is then ready for the market.” —-__ FACTS ABOUT CIGARS. Information as to Size and Shape Given by the Name. “I am often astonished, aud sometimes amused, at the ignorance displayed by the average smoker in regard to the meaning of the various names applied to cigars,” said a large dealer to a Star reporter. “For instance, I frequently hear men laud Per- fectos to the skies, as though the word per- fectos were a name signifying quality. Only yesterday a customer teld me that a Per- fecto which I had sold him was not geri- uine, because it was altogether different in flavor from one he bought of me a week or two ago. How absurd such a statement was will be plain to you if you understand the real signification of cigar names. “The word perfectos is used in the trade to designate the peculiar shape of such cigars. Workmen get more for making them than for forming others, as it requires a skitiful hand to roll the material into the perfecto shape. For this reason a perfecto neces- sarily costs more to manufacture than a cigar of the same tobacco, but less difficult to make. But as far as the word goes it is used in trade only to indicate the shape of the cigar, which is fairly long, big-bellied, and usuelly dark in color. Besides words used to designate the shape, we have words which refer to size. Such ‘words as finas, grandes. Of the terms applied to shapes, I may cite Tr: bucos, Londres, Cor.chas, Reina Victoria Regulias—these words being plurals. The language, you see, is Spanish, and the names were first applied by the Cubans. Words which indi size and shape are Intantes and Coquitas, applied to tiny cl- gars, Princesses and Elcgantes. Figaro is a shape between Coquita and Concha. In- vincible is, perhaps, the largest cigar of all, though pertectes are made that have as much tobacco in them as the Invincible. * panatella is about two-thirds as long as rdinary lead pencil, with almost the same diameter throughout. Combinations of size and shape are indicated by su names as Conchas Finas, Conchas § cials, Londres Grande: you heve the shape and size of the cigar. “In choosing cigars the majority of smok- ers know very little about any particular brand beyond the one they are in the habit of smoking. This selec ally made from experience. e of this the choice is purely haphazard and, by the looks of the cigar, limited by price. Half the time a dealcr Offers such a customer what expe- rience has taught him his patron will like. For instance, a man comes into my store and looks helplessly in a show case, say- ing: ‘I want a medium cigar, imported, about two for a quarter, or fifteen cents straight.’ He may add ‘fresh’ or ‘season- ’ but he usually takes what is offered This indecision enables the unscrupulous dealer to sell such a customer a cigar cost- ing a half cent or a cent less than another cigar which is retailed at the same price. ‘There are really but about twenty brands of imported cigars in demand, and half as many domestic. The long glass cases, full of open boxes, which one sees in big cigar stores are merely fer show. The cigars commonly called for can be displayed in a four-foot case. Consequently, the counters and cases running Gown the entire length of some cigar stores only serve to confuse the purchaser. The cigars in such a dis- play are merely repetitions. Stands, of course, differ, according to the nature of the average customer, but a case that will half a dozen brards will reasonably cover the deinand of any retailer. ———_— How to Clean Fars. “The ancient idea that really good furs will last forever Is a fallacy, and many an owner of a fine sealskin jacket or fine ermine cape will soon be astonished when she looks at her furs for the first time since thelr long summer seclusion to find that they look very shabby after lying in a camphor chest for six months,” said a New York furrier to a Star reporter. “If a dealer has had charge of such ar- ticles during the off season they are kept in good condition, because he has every con- venience for cleaning and taking care of furs. But if the owner has taken them to her own keeping she will no doubt be glad at this time to learn how her treas- ures may be renovated and made to look ‘as good as new.’ rmine and sedtskin are best cleaned with soft fiannel. Rub the fur delicately against the grain, and when it has been thoroughly lifted and reversed, dip the flannel into common flour and rub lightly any spots that look dark or dirty. Then shake the goods well and rub the fur with a clean, dry flannel until the flour is all removed. “Sable, chinchilla, squirrel and monkey skin may be very effectually cleaned with hot bran. Procure a smal! quantity of bran meal and heat it in an oven until it is quite warm. Then rub it softly into the fur and leave the goods fcr five or ten rainutes before shaking to free it from the bran. “Mink may be cleaned and freshened with warm cornmeal, and, like the other short- haired furs, may be done without remoy- ing the lining. But the long-haired goods are best ripped apart and freed from stuf- fing and lining. “Those who may not care to go to the trouble of taking fur garments apart will find that the simple remedies I have men- tioned will go a long way toward making the jackets and capes look clean, even if not ripped apart.” —__. Not So Much. She had never seen a game of base ball, but she has a friend who is one of the most enthusiastic “fans” amongst Wash- ington’s fair sex, and had often heard her discourse learnedly on base hits, errors, thefts by umpires, hard luck and “root- ers;” and although she did not quite com- Prehend all these things, she thought she had a very fair idea of what a rooter is. Some years ago she studied a “system of talking about: “May is a good catcher, but Y'don't think she Is much of a grunter.” —_—-_— ‘From the Somerville (Mass.) Journal. Patron—“Why do you call it ist art, anyway?” Artist—“Oh, because the fellows it labor under the ~ JOHNSON Written Exclusively for The Evening Star. Longing. What makes life worth living is learning; Each morning we seek for the mite That shall silence the soul and its yearn- ing And give us repose for the night. For, day with its splendor, alas, is no more Than a season of striving and grop:ng. Mid the shadows the record we turn to €x- plore And measure our deeds by our hoping. And often I turn on my pillow And toss, as I struggle to clasp Ere it fleets on oblivion’s billow The thought I was eager to grasp. And the down that is spread as a rest for my head Seems turning to fierce, dreamless this- tles, As my memory I test in mad quest for the rest Of the tune that the office boy whistles. oe Out for Bargains. She went into the store where they sell men’s wear, with the look of determined expectancy which indicates that a woman is out after bargains. “I observe,” she said to the salesman, “that collars and cuffs are very cheap to- day.” “Yes,” replied the salesman, who did not allow the surprise which his face betrayed to appear in his remarks, “we always offer those goods at reasonable prices.” “It was lucky I happened to come by just when I did. My husband needs some collars and cuffs, and this is one of the best opportunities I ever came across. I'll take a dozen collars and half a dozen pairs of cuffs—of course you are selling a standard brand.” “Yes, we handie only in that or any other line. irst-class articles “I don’t see how you can afford to do it— you can gic me No. 16 collars and No. 11 cuffs. Lei see, a dozen collars wil be 24 cents and half a dozen pairs of cuffs will be 18 cents; how much is that alto- gether? “I beg your pardon, madam,” the clerk said as he paused in the work of wrapping up the wares; “but you are not under the impression that you are quoting our prices for those goods, are you “Certainly; I am going by your own ad- vertisement.”” “But our collars are 12% cents apiece and our cuffs 25 cents a pair. We aren't allowed to cut the prices under any cir- cumstances. oung man!” she exclaimed gravely, “don't attempt any tricks with me. I have heard of stores that advertise fictitious bargains so as to get you to come in, in the hope that you will be too bashful to make any complaint about it. I warn you that I will stand up for my rights. I want those collars for 2 cents apiece and those 3 cents a pair. I have your own ent to gO by.” May I ask where it is?” Right outside the door. way and pointing to a sign, “There it is in black and white. “Yes, madam, I can't deny it. Only that isn’t our sign.’ It’s the schedule of prices for the steam laundry next door.” * She led the exclaimed: * * The End of the Centary. In autumn comes a mighty crew, Each to a task that wearies; Student and serf give homage to Minerva and to Ceres. Go, noble youth, to school and tread The paths of knowledge pleasant. Bow with respect to ages dead, But don’t disdain the present, Bestow the veneration due To mighty Alexander; ‘Mongst generals you will find but few More powerful or grander. But were he here, he couldn’t run An army for a minute; He wouldn't know a Maxim gun From a plate with air-holes in it. Lycurgus had a mighty mind; ‘That Spartan legislator Worked hard to benefit mankind. Than him few men are greater. He lived afar, such was his luck, From modern tricks and bluster. He would have weakened had he struck A first-class filibuster. And Aeschylus, the poet, heed. He fascinated nations. His plays witk wonder still we read, Though mostly in translations. But just now, could he make a hit? This question pause and answer— Cculd he have writ a play to fit An agile ballet dancer? The list pray scan; there’s.many a man Whose fame will last forever, Who couldn’t strike this era’s plan— Not by his best endeavof. And ere you copy their careers— The simple truth let none dread— Remember there are numerous years “Twixt then and 1900, * + * Approaching Festivities, A man with his hat pulle? down over his eyes stood, stroking his ©, arse whiskers, waiting for the grecer to ge through with another customer. “Got any rice?” he asked when the gro- cer got around to him. “Yes.” “Is it good, solid rice?” as gro’ “Well, gimme couple of pounds.” “It's remarkable,” the merchant said, as he adjusted the seales, “that this grain is not more freely used in this country. It is palat- able and nutricious, and ought to take rank among the leading articles of det.” - “Did you think I want to eat that rice?” “Of course.” “Well, I don’t. There’s going to be a wedding at our house.” “Ah, I see. It's an old custom, and a Pretty one. Who is to be married?” “My daughter and a young man who hes been hanging arourd the house, against my wishes, for years. I don’t want you tc imagine for an instant that this is any joy- onrwhy didn’ om ar fell him to keep ks = in’t you away?” “My daughter and her ther wouidn’t 8 5 Ss HEI Won't be in it at all?” said the grocer, sym- pathetically. “Yes, it will,” was the emphatic rejoin- der. “There is nothing in which I sould feel more enthusiasm. ‘That's a nici package you've made,” he went on picked it up. “Now, I'm not xoing ¢ the sidewalk up and make trou servant. Just as the bride and groom siart for the carriage I'm going to thr. . rice. I'm going to throw it j 5, paper, string and all, and if at hit - hind the ear and makes him dizzy, they'll have to set it down to my not k ne any better. That's the onl out of the entire we The young man who had insinuated him- self into the avquaintance of everybody in the party was a striking example of how the bitter may be mingled with the sweet. The young women pronounced him lovely, and the young men linked his name with fierce though unuttered maledictions. 1 Was a striking Musiration of the ease with which a man's motives may be misjudged. His first name was Adolphus, which fact was calculated to damage his popularity among the men from the first. They were admiring the beauties of the seenery. “See how that mountain rises in the dis- tance,” exclaimed one girl. “It’s great!” said Charley Chuggins with enthusiasm. “You wouldn't think it’s as big as it real- ly is, to look at it from here,” remarked Dicky Dodd. “You'd think it was big enough if you had walked to the top, as I have, mented Billy Bliven, vivaciousiy “It reminds me,” Adolphus murmured, “that the heights by great men reached and Oe wee com- kept were not attained by sudden fligh but they, while their compani i were toiling upward, in the night.’ The young men glared at him, but one of ris whispe: to the othe th ‘isn't he lovel, Have you he: rd about Mame's engage- one of the young women rem: a, after pause. ment,’ es,” replied another. “She has broken it. He has sent her back all her letters,and she has returned his ring.” Billy Bliven was about to offer some opin- ion, when Adolphus interjected: ‘To the noble mind rich gifis wax poor when donors prove unkind.” The girls looked at one another with ecstatic approval. “Mame is a nice girl,” said one of them. “Then turning to Adolphus she said, “Do you know her?” “Yes,” he answered. “I met her once and found her charming. When she had psessed it seemed like the ceasing of exqui- site music.” “The trouble was that she thought he was marrying her for her money,” com- mented the informant ‘Ah,” came the response, with a deep sigh, “to whom can riches give repute or trust, content or pleasure, but the good and just?” “I honestly think that Mame feels worse about it than he does,” commented the in- formant. “Yes,” said Adolphus; “man’s love is of man’s life a thing apart; ‘tis woman's whole existence.” He had the conversation all his own way after that. Some of the other young men talked about base ball and kindred topics. but most of them lagged along in gloom: silence. When the girls had left them they got together and held an indignation meet- ing. It’s an outrage, I'll bet he’s an uxmitigated cad claimed another, who had not observed the approach of Adolphus. nything going wrong?” young gentleman genially. “Yes, there is something going wrong,” replied Billy bliven, who is roted for h's directness of sp “We don’t like the wey you talk. are plain people, and we're tired of hearing you try to show off every time any of us opens his mouth. “I think I have succeeded in making ladies,"’ replied Adol- said one. asked that rently. You don’t expect us to be happy over that, do you, when the tacans by the way you did it was to provoke comparisons to our disadvantage?” “I can understand your feelings. can’t blame a man for d a business-like manner,” soothingly. “Do you mean to say that you make a business cf this sort of thing?” “Every man who engages in commerce ought to be prepared to demgnstrate the value of his wares. That,” he went on, while reaching intc his inside vest pocket, “ts what I have been engaged in doing for your benefit. I have here a little volume for which I am sole agent. It is entitled ‘Conversation Made Easy, or One Thou- sand Selected Quotations Suited to All Emergencies.’ The type is clear, the pa- per good, and vet it is so compact that it may be carried without attracting atten- ticn, so as to be available for any occa- sion. The publishers of this work are not mercenary persons. Realizing that the \cve of money is the root of all evil, they are content to do good by stealth and Mush to find it fame. I am, for that reason, en- abled to offer you this work, whose yalue is inestimable, at the absurdly low figure of $2 per copy.” Sige, welled Feet, From Harper's Weekly. But you sing business in be proceeded