Evening Star Newspaper, December 4, 1897, Page 25

YANKEES IN CHINA American Capitalists Building Rail- roads in the Flowery Kingdom. THE BELGIANS ARE THEIR RIVALS A Scheme Set Up Something Like the Credit Mobilier. RAILWAY DIRECTOR — SHENG From the Railway Age. ‘The latest in regard to Chinese railways is that the Belgians, who were expected to furnish the £4,500,000 provided for in the agreement signed several months since, have flatly refused to produce the money, and that the whole ceal has fallen through. The agents in China of the Belgian cap- italists still say the contract will prevail; but the belief that the Belgians are not Satisfied to loan money under the peculiar conditions provided in the agreement is strengthened by information which comes to me from Chinese official sources. The preliminary articles and the articles which Governed when the several parties to the big deal drew up and si d the final con- tract, provided that the Chinese company, to whom the loan was to be made, should apply to the imperial government for pe’ mission to mortgage the railway prop- erty to the Belgians; but there does not appear to be any provision that will allow the foreigners to operate the road in ¢: of fo sure. This what nee the Belgians. Ex States Consui General Jernigan has interested himself very much in the proposition of American czpitalists to build railroads in China, and was especially inte in what is som times ©. the “sensational syndicate,” the big combination of which Senator Ca vin Erice is a pro’ nt member, and in behalf of which Senator W. D. Washburn came to this country last winter and un- dertook to effect a loan. There Wax Compctition. ‘There was a great rush of representatives of four or more countries that were anxious to deal with the Chinese in this matter. Serator Washburn was treated with consideraticn by Sheng Taotai, who particularly friendly toward Consul eral Jernigan. Senator Washburn received a number of propositions, but he did see fit to accept any of them. He offered to build. the proposed Hankow-Peking trunk line for something less than 40),000,- OO tae which, according to is about $25,000,000, The senator wanted to build the r: for so much money, take » whole property for s the Chinese government gt he contract. This latter request inated, the senator appa feel- ature of t lirec- of railw ntal guarar confidence to preg at felt Ge approve of the the road, and nf stock and a of the property. n to the propo. ould assist in ng the property, although he fre- y and emphatically declared he fidence in the horesty and rail capacity of the Americans t he had in any other from whom he recei So the thing so far as the were concerned fell through, and Senator Washb returned to Am fea. While his mission was a failure, it is the opinion of the best in Shanzhai that he did th: rejecting Sheng's proposit International Affair. Mor-over, I am able to say that if the Belgians have r@Jected the agreement is rumored, Chinese officialdom at Peki will pot regret it. Considering the t action in the light of more recent occ re Tences, the Chinese do not themselves fan- cy the bargain they made. They are now convinced that Rt and France have greater interest In this matter than the Belgians themselves, purpose of Belgians is wholly c mone ir; gians stand Russia and France wi larger object in having some friendly ¢ party get a financial grip on the Chinese vernment. or Jernigan is also hopeful that the ire the contract for the Hankow-Peking line. A. W. Bash, the energetic American who was instrumental in bringing about the organization of the American syndicate, has not yet abandoned the field. He now belie is off, and believes the more fully than they ever realized before, that Americans can build railroads better than any other people in the world. and also that there would be absolut to fear should the Americans the management of railroads in China Sheng Seun Wy, better known as Sheng Taotai. director general of imperial Chinese railways, is certainly one of the most in- teresting acters and foremost men in stial empire teday. Sheng the “Grand Old Man of Chi Hung Chang, in the affections and good graces of the young and impressionable emperor. Protege of Li. ys of Chinese officialdom are prst The plucking of one of Li ‘The w finding out. Hung Chang’s peacock Peathers, the cut- ting ff of a bit of the nationally sacred his jacket, and then adding in- injury by causing the venerable maker, contract jobber and globe “r to pay a heavy fine for treading particularly sacred section of the t Peking, y be mis by the outside world. banqueted bility and feasted by royalty and no- where, and lest he might grow 1k himself a “bigger man” than the or, he was thus humiliated. ng Taotal ts really a protege of Li's ders seem to be pull- ns just now. So far arances go, Sheng and Li are now The advancement of the Shang- an and the humiliation of the aged diplomat have apparently reversed things, so fur as the two men are concerned. Sheng has unquestionably absorbed some of Li's progressive views. Sheng is the lead- ing spirit—the arbitrary dictator, it would seem—in the great financial movement which has resulted in the recent establish- nt of the Imperial Bank of China. Be- sides being director general of the Chinese Failways and head of the government tele- ph, he is president of the big China Merchants’ Steam Navigation Company, and is the controlling spirit in cotton spin- ning, iron, coal mining and insurance com- panies. He is giving each and every plan thor- ough consideration. He had his own Ger- man engineer make a survey of the thou- sand miles of territory between Hankow and Peking. He was pleased exceedingly with the opportunity to employ Captain Rich, agent of the American syndicate, and is awaiting the forthcoming report with a@s much interest as if he was entirely un- famflixr with the whole proposition. Sheng Taotal is fifty-three years of age, a men of very pleasing address, affable in manner, graceful in conversation, a man of few words when discussing general busi- Ress tters, direct and forcible. oo = Germany's Marriage Schools. the Gentlewoman_ In Germany they have started a new idea marriage schools. I was curious to know the working out of the scheme; !t struck me as so comical, and so 1 only made in- quiries. “Ah! you will laugh; you will point the finger of scorn!” murmured a German friend. I tried to look grave. “: shoul! very much like to hear all about it I replied. “So fa told my friend, “the rtaking has met with undoubted suc- No girl is admitted to the ‘marriage ol unless she has finished her ordinary ation. Her principal instruction is in ping, although she keeps up more or less the cultivation of her mind. At a school where I have visited about twenty giris are admitted. Each has her own hed Toom. At the opening of school, after termgthe mistress singles out four girls, and tcils them she expects them to take entire charge of the house. Two servants, hhousemaid and cook, are kept only to do thé very rough work. The four giris, then, From ‘Li! had been } are expected to rise with the lark and see that the servants get through their duties. Breakfast they prepare with thelr own hands. After breakfast they go the rounds and see that every room is perfectly neat. Dinner (under the mistress’ tuition) they must cook themselves, Later on they pre- pare supper, tidy up the kitchen and go all over the bouse to see that every door is properly closed. The girls off duty make and mend their own and their companions’ clotkes. The following week another quar- tet of girls is chosen. Walks and bicycling in the country enter into the day's pro- gram. Very frequently guests are invited to dine, and the girls in turn play at being hostess. They carve the joints, set the ball of conversation rolling; and so forth. Dances and musical parties, too, are given in the evening. Again the girls act as hostesses and arrange the whole entertainment. Of- ficers and professional men attend the solrees, and are charmed at what they see and hear."’ My friend stopped to take breath. “And how many girls,” I asked, “out of twenty are supposed to capture an officer or professional man husbana while at the school?” “At least eight out of the twenty,” was the emphatic reply. --—_ + @«—-___ THE CAUSES OF POVERTY. Hard Condition of Humanity Estab- lished by Nature. Francis A. Walker in the Century. In the first place, 1 should without hesi- tation say that easily chief among the causes of poverty is the hard condition of the human lot as by nature established. The prime reason why bread must be so dear, and flesh and blood so cheap, is that the ratio of exchange between the two has been fixed in the constitution of the earth, much to the disadvantage of the latter. When it is written that God cursed the ground and bade it be unfruitful, bringing forth briers and thorns, that man should only eat his bread with a dripping brow, the Scripture does not exceed the truth of the unceasing and ever painful struggle for existence. Taking it by and large, it is a hard, cold and cruel world, in which little is to be got except by toil and anguish; and of that lit- tle not all can be kept by any degree of care and pains. There are, indeed, regions where the earth spontaneously brings forth fruit enough for a small population, and where moderate effort wili largely in- ‘ase that product, while the climate is so benign that life is easily protected from ex- posure. But these are not the regions where man ever has, or seemingiy ever can, be- come a noble beiug; and even here, in the midst of tropical plenty, the serpent sting: the tiger prowls at night around the vil ; the earthquake and the tornado work weir frightful mischief; cholera and ma- laria kill their millions; while every few ars gaunt famine stalks over the land, ving it cumbered with corpses. Throughout all the regions inhabited by our own race life is a terribly close and ing struggle. From four to seven hs the earth Hes locked up in frost, wretched inhabitants cower over fe scanty fire and try to outlast the win- ter. When summer opens it is to a harsh soil that the peasant resorts to win the Ireans, scanty at the best, of barely pr serving life. Sterility is the rule among the soils of the earth, mountain and plain ulike. The exceptions are a comparatively few fertile valleys in which are concentrat- ed the productive essences of nature. The literature of primitive peoples is ever tell- ing the story of tl.is unceasing Wrestle with the hard conditions of existence, and the same dreary tale is repeated down to our own d Aleman, the “the son of short fare; forty years ago the Irish pea “the starving season” which reek, calls spring "and less than nt spoke of immediately year. If, then, you complain of poverty, make your com: plaint manfully and squarely against the Maker of the earth, for poverty is largely His w ocialist is simply dishone: Try upon so- r tly more to re- lieve misery than to create it. Tomb. yrin at Napoleon From the London Times. The fellow extract from her majesty's journal 1855, describes the pilgrimage to Napoleon's grave, during the state visit to the emperor at the Tuileries: After this, as the queen wrote in her jcurnal, “We drove straight to the Hotel des Invalides, under the dome of which Napoleon lies, late as it was because we Mere most anxious not to miss this, per- ps the most important act of all in th very interesting and eventful time. It was rl i. All the invalides —chiefly of the former, but some of the present, war—were drawn up on either side of the court into which we drove. in ‘There were four torches which lit us along, and added to the solemnity of the scene, which was striking in every way. The church is fine and lofty. We went to look from above into the open vault . . . the coffin is not yet there, but in a small side chapel de St. Jerome. Into this the em- peror led me, and there I stood, at the arm of Napoleon III, his nephew, before the coffin of Engiand's bitterest foe; I, the granddaughter of the king who hated him most and who most vigorously opposed him, and this very nephew, who bears his name, being my nearest and dearest ally! ‘The organ of the church was playing ‘God ave the Queen’ at the time, and this sol- emn scene took place by torchlight and dur- ing a thunder storm. Strange and wonder- ful indeed! It seems as if in this tribute of respect to the departed and dead foe, old enmities and rivalries were wiped out, and the seal of heaven placed upon that bond of unity which is now happily estab- lished between two great and powerful na- tions. May heaven bless and prosper {t!"’ ++ Mistook Him for a King. From Odds and Ends. A famous naval architect was the guest of a prince of the German imperial family, and, when out walking with his host, ob- served that the side of the path he occu- pied was smoother and easier than that upon which the latter was walking. 'Think- ing it to be only ordinary politeness, he changed from the left to the right side. Then he noticed that the notables whom they met saluted the prince with profound respect, but stared at him as if they were very much surprised and wondered who he ras. In a skort time the prince said: “Did observe that after you changed to my t side the people whom we met looked nigh at you in great surprise Yes," was the archit 3 reply; and then he explained why he had changed his position. h, yes! just so!” laughed the prince. Well, I will explain why they looked so intently at you. It is a rule of the German court that the person of the highest rank shall occupy the right-hand side. All the people whom we met knew me, but when they saw you on my right-hand, they sup- posed you to be a king, and wondered who you could be.”” ‘The guest promptly got back to the left side. —-——__+ e+ —__ Senses Sharpened in the Wilds. Letter In the Chicago Times-Herald. I made bold to say to Dr. Nansen that thousands upon thousands* of men who were not specially interested in arctic work had read his beck with delight, and that to me the marvel was not that he could do what he did in the field, but that he could write such a book about his experiences. “The best thing in it, to my notion,” I said, “is your description of your dramatic meetifig with Jackson on Franz Josef Land, and the best part of that was your refer- ence to the manner in which the wild man's sharpened senses discovered the fragment of the soap which the civilized European has used in his morning ablutions.” “It is really true,” replied Dr. Nansen, at I could smell that soap as plainly as if it had been a strong perfume. Johansen noted the same thing when he came up. In fact, for several days our sense of smeil was wonderfully acute. As I approached Jackson's hut I thought I could smell ev- erything it contained, and give a sort of inventory of its stores without entering. In a day or two this acuteness wore off, and we became quite normal in that, as well as other respects. But I wonder if a man were to live wild for a few years if his sense of smell would not become quite as keen as that of an animal?’ The Trip Postponed. From, Harper's Bazar. “Silas, we can’t take your umbrella to Europe with us,” said old Mrs. Stiggins. “The advertisement says that no cotton will b> carried on the passenger steamers.” “Then we'll stay home,” said Silas. “I ain't a-goin’ across anything so wet as the Atlantic ocean without my umbrells.” THE EVENING STAR, CHOOSING CAVALRY HORSES Great Care Taken by Experts in Their Selection. - - Must Have Good Size and Solid Color, With Intelligent and Do- eile Disposition. G. E. Weleh in Count=y Gentleman. Notwithstanding the decline of the horse through the popularity of the bicycle and electric cars, Uncle Sam must have his full quota of good cavalry horses every year, and he will not retire from the business until some fertile-brained inventor finds a good mechanical substitute that will ac- complish all that the intelligent brutes are credited with. Our cavalry horses are not- ed for their achievements on the plains and in battles, and it would require some invention possessing an intelligence little short of human to replace them satisfac- torily. Every large breeder of good horses inci- Antally keeps the United States cavalry service in view, for it is possible he will find in Uncle Sam a good purchaser for many of his horses that fail to come up to the required standard in other fields. Not that the quartermaster of the army, or his assistants, are deceived into buying in- ferfor horses, but the needs of the cavalry service are very peculiar. A horse that is useless for breeding purposes, and not fast enough as a trotter to make a race horse, may yet be eminently fitted for the caval- ry. It is for this reason that the breeders remember Uncle Sam when they have fail- ed to develop racers out of some of their stock, The cavalry service needs about 700 new horses every year, and prices varying from $125 to $250 are paid for these. A few years ago these prices were considered so low that the offers of fine horses were not very numerous. Good horses brought double these sums in those palmy days of horse breeding. The quartermaster would ad- vertise for the horses, and the different lots offered were of such an inferior order that not one in fifteen would suit the needs of the government. But today there has been a_ radical change inaugurated, and Uncie Sam never had such an opportunity for selecting fine horses at his own price. The price of horse flesh has dropped to such a point that D is now considered a fair sum for some pret- ty fine animals, racers as well as roadsters and work horses. When the quartermaster goes into the field to select his horses to- day he is deluged with offers, and such fine animals, too! There are trotters in whose veins courses the noblest blood of the lead- ing racers of a past generation; sleek, well- formed animals, whose slender, rounded imbs and intelligent eyes and gracefully curved recks betray their Arabian ances- try; and pedigreed stock whose aristocratic lineage goes back to the days of the Nor- mans and Romans. The work of choosing from such stock becomes a pleasure rather than a duty, and the only regret is that so many finely bred animals are going beg- ging. For the cavalry service a certain type of horse, however, must be selected, and the claims of others cannot be listened to, no matter what they may be. The animal must be gentle and free from all vicious habits, and a fair, nimble trotter. Each one offered must pass a rigid examination before v terinary experts, who test every Part of the body and limbs for defects or blemishes. Even the mouth must be mod- erately sensitive, and not so hardened to that a rider could not turn him running into a stone wall. The color has something to do with the selection. White horses have been seen in the cavalry sery ice, but as a rule they are not allowed there. The object is to get a uniform color that will wear well, and not require too much grooming to make it look presentable. Sorrel, black and bay are the colors chiefly desired, Every animal must be a gelding, and from fifteen to sixteen hands high, and the weight ranging some- where between 950 and 1150 pounds. Horses under five years will not be taken, nor those over cight. The average life of the hors in the cavalry service is fifteen years, and to stand the rough and fan riding re- quired of them they must be in the prime of Jife when selected and trained. Nexi to being perfect sound and free from all defects, the &eneral intelligence and brightness of the horses largely decide the officers who choose them for the r= vice. The ideal cavalry horse is a kind, af- fectlonate animal, but withal so intelligent that he can all but guess the thoughts and wishes of the rider and owner. When the horses are chosen they are sent to the dif- ferent forts or to West Point, where n the soldiers begin to break them in. As one man has full charge of each animal the two soon become fest friends, and the horse, if at all intelligent, soon learns to love his master. Sometimes the soldiers get choice animals, and after years of training and close association their com- panionship is almost human. There are over 7,000 horses in use in the United States cavalry, and about 10 per cent of these die or are discarded each year. To fill up this annual gap the quarter- master and his assistants make their pur- chases, selecting promiscuously all candi- dates that pass the examinations. Ma: y of the horses come from the western plains, and are easily adapted to their new life: others come from the large eastern breed= ing establishments and from the farms. but probably the largest percentage of them come from central Kentucky, where the Strains of both the thoroughbred and trot- ting horses have been blended through many years of careful breeding, The cavalry horses, when first purchased, are branded with the ietters 8.”" on the side or shoulder, and a number is burned into the hoof of one of their feet. ‘The same number is recorded in a hook kept for this purpose, with a full description of the ani- mal's appearance opposite. When this has been performed the animal is regularly es- tablished in the United States cavalry ser- vice, and the next step is to pick out a master for him. His future owner may be some fresh young student at West Point, an officer in the service, or some common cavalryman stationed at a far western fort. There is no discrimination shown in the matter. The cavalryman 1,000 or miles away from Washington stands as good a chance of getting a prize as a West Point student. ee Vaiue of the Maple Tree. From the Toronto Monetary Times, There are more than sentimental reasons why the maple tree should be held in re- gard by Canadians. As a source of com- mercial profit the value of this tree is not sufficiently appreciated. According to tle census of 1891, the annual production of maple sugar in Ontario amounts to 5,663,796 pounds, which means, at average market prices, almost $500,000. This industry is capable of greater developments, and the merchants of the country should be in- terested in encouragirg farmers to take it up more extensively. The sugar bush at the Michigan Agricultural College yields an annual return of 12 per cent, valuing the woodland at $0 an acre. A Simcoe county farmer estimates that the yield of ten acres of maple trees, when the sap is converted into sirup and sugar, gives a net return of about $10 per acre. In addi- tion, there is to be considered_the annual growth of wood suitable for fuel and farm uses, which would amount to five cords each ycar. In what Industry can the far- mer obtain greater returns with the ex- penditure of an equal amount of labor and capital? The bulk of the maple sugar pro- duced in Canada is consumed here. We have not mentioned the usefulness of the wood of this tree for cabinet-making pur- poses or for interfor decoraticn. But peo- ple in other countries admire it and value it, if we do not. Perhaps we are so far familiar with it that we have ceased to consider its worth in this aspect. Still, this is another of the directions in which the maple is of value. —_—— e+ __ ‘The Csar’s Car. From Tit-Bits. The height of luxurious traveling has benn reached by the czar and czarina, The empress’ private car is upholstered in pale blue satin. The electric lamps are all in the form of lilies, and it contains writing and tea tables made of mother-of-pearl. ‘The nursery is the next apartment, and is as comfortable and handsome as the same rooms in any of the czar’s palaces. There are dining rooms and drawing rooms and several sleeping apartments; in fact, this train is a miniature palace. The wheels are covered with india rubber tires. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1897-26 PAGES. 25 ~ RANDOM VERSE. poe at Writton for The Evening Star: I once knew a little #nite: Who had a blue-eyed’kitten whites But it stole the milk one:jay, So grandma gave th¢,cat,away. The little maid, with dips,apout, Her tearful protest thus sobbed out, “Oh, dear, it’s dreadful! “I don’t know Why grandma will wasté kittens so! In many an alley, many 4 street, Patter homeless little feet; In poorhouse grim, asylum staid, Dwell many a little man and maid. While well-kept parlors, lifeless halls, Somber firesides, soundless walls, Bespeak a place which “grown-ups” own, And where they live, content, alone. But when I think of childish eyes, Their funny questions, odd replies, Their soft, entwining little arms, Wee hearts unguarded from life's harms, This neglect seems strange as sad; When staid old houses might be glad, I wonder with my heart aglow Why people will waste children so! —HUGH MAINE. —_+__ The Dying Century. Felix Gerson in Philadelphia Ledger. Old century, tottering to thy rest, All vainly dost thou beat thy breast; A new dawn gilds the mountain crest. The glory of thy wondrous day, With all its glitter and display, In twilight shadow dies away, Almost the poet, in whose rhyme Thy praise is sung in verse sublime, Begins his lay “Once on a time.” Strange fancies fill thy time-worn brain; Thou dreamest thou art young again, With battle cry on land and main. And a dread turmoil of unrest Embroils the Orient and the West; Alarums sound at thy behest. E’en Israel's children, in thy throes, Imagine o'er again their woes; And many a hope toward Zion goes. The world is mad—men shout and cry— Beholding wonders in the sky, Renewing faith in prophecy. Old century, we love thee well. Thy fame the chronicler will tell When long forgot thy funeral knell. For many a noble thought hath sped To nobler action by thee led, And many a high-souled word was said. New happiness came in thy wake, Righted was many an old mistake; An age-worn thirst thy springs did slake. Rest thee—new hopes begin to play; They drive thy death-born fears away, And usher in the newer day. Rest thee, brave requiem shall be thine, Whose lustrous deeds will long outshine ‘The strange vagaries of decline. —+0+— Come Back Asthore, From the Northwest Magazine. My colleen machree! \I ain longing to be Again by your side as of yore; The heart in my breast ean never find rest, turned tyour sweet eyes from Since you’ our shor e. Mavourneen aroon!' the sad light of the moon, As it falls cn my pathway Seems to mourn for your pmile, left our green isle, , 0 lone, ince And its beams arg less bright on our home. Alanna machree! let, your heart turn to me— In pity, colleen, I implore; Turn my night into day, mavourneen, I pray; Come back to our island, asthore! Let me hear your laugh ring like the joy- birds of Let me spring: ‘@ the love-light shining clear In your eyes turned to me from over the sea; My colleen! I wait for you here. coe Absence, If_not now soft airs may blow From thy haven unto me, If_not now last autumn’s glow Thrill delight "twixt me and thee, Call up Memory, oh, entreat her, In the present there's none sweeter, One true thought and constant only To that pleasurable time Me sufficeth to make lonely All the void and mocking prime Of this summertide, whose story Pales in that exceeding glory. —John Arthur Blaikie. ee The Song and the Voice. A mother sang to her child one day A song of the beautiful home above; Sang it as only a woman sings, Whose heart is full of a mother’s love. And many a time in the years that came He heard the sound of that low, sweet song; It_took him back to his childhood days; It kept his feet from the paths of wrong. A_mother spoke to her child one day In an angry voice, As if an arrow had sped that way And pierced his loving and tender heart. And when he had are, He fell; for that mother’s angry words Had left on his heart a lasting scar. —Chas. S. Carter. ———+ e+ ___ A Fearsome Prisoner, From Life. T've locked myself within her heart And given her the key. In_terror thus I crouch, for fear That she may set me free. -+e+——_—___ In Aora Glen, Neil Munro in The Sketch. In_yon valley I had friends once, There I have friends no more, For lowly lies the rafter And the lintel of the door. The friends are all departed, The hearthstone’s black and cold, And sturdy grows the nettle On the place I loved of old. The fires s.re scarce in ember, Or the windows blank and dim, And the song was scarce concluded, Or the garden out of trim, When up came gopd Sir Nettle (frue friend to me this day! And the signs of man's futility He hid them ali,away. Oh! black might He, tht ruin Where my fathi elt so long, And nothing hide the shame of it, The ugliness and wrong; The cabar and the, corper-stone Might bleach in winds and rains, But for the friendjy nettle That took sucha cgurtier’s pains, Here's one who hi With the nettle thick and tall, That wraps the ¢heerjess hearthstone And screens the humbled wall, That clusters on the fogtpath n¢ quarrel Where the childgen uged to play, And guards a hoi 's sepulchre From all who come the way. There's deer upor’'the mountain, There's sheep along 'the glen, The forests hum with feather, But where are now the men? Here's but tne lowly laroch,* - Where soft the footsteps fall, My folk are quite forgotten And the nettle’s over all. “Laroch (Gaelic), site of a ruined house. ———+e+__— The Bird and the Beacon. Poor bird thet battlest with the storm To gain the beacon-light, Then fall's ‘a wounded woefut form Into the guifs of night! re A thousand lips that light may bless; To thee ’tis the last bitterness. s A light was given to the earth, Wearing a woman’s name: A thousand tongues have told her worth And deathless is her fame. But F wes the spent mee eee there Salvation sought, and found despair. ‘ et ¥F. W. BOURDILLON. u've that made him start, grown to man’s estate, And was tempted and tried, as all men STEALING THE FALLS An Engineering Scheme to Divert the Waters of Niagara. 5 An Electric Power Plant milar to That on the American Side to Be Bailt Upstream by Ca From the Philadelphia Record. Interest has been revived at Niagara Falls in the water power privileges con- trolled by the Welland Power and Supply Canal Company, a Canadian company in- corporated by special act of parliament of the Dominion for the purpose of utilizing the water power of the Niagara river and Welland canal for promoting manufactur- ing enterprises. The organization of the Canadian Power League has had a ten- dency to arouse public interest to a great extent in power projects, and this interest has given new life to the company referred to. The power plan of the company is very similar in its idea to that now in process of development at Massena, N. Y., but it ls recognized as being far superior to the Mussena project because just as large a volume of water will be available for pow- er purposes, while the head of water ob- tainable will be nearly four times as great, meaning, of course, greater power. Two miles above the falls on the Canadian side is the little historic village of Chippawa, and there the Welland river, or Chippawa creek, flows into the upper Niagara. This small stream has so slight a descent that a little deepening of its bed would cause it to flew the other way. Therefore, it is felt that by enlarging its channel it can be made the outlet of a goodly portion of the water that now passes over the Horseshoe Fall. Five miles from the mouth of the river the body of water would, according io the scheme outlined, be emptied into a canal that would carry it to a point on the Niagara escarpment or bluff, which is a continuation of the Queenston heights, where a fall of 150 feet would be obtained, the water to be carried in huge penstocks from the canal basin or reservoir on the top of the bluff to the wheels below. The mountain or bluff to which it is thus Proposed to transfer the power resources of the Niagara runs along on both sides of the river for miles. The scheme proposed by the Welland Power and Supply Canal Company ts very similar to that of the Model City Company on the New York state side, with the slight advantage that in the Welland river it has a channel for its canal for a portion of the distance. The canal they would construct, according to their present plans, from the Welland river to the bluff would be about 100) feet wide, fourteen feet deep, its length being several miles. It is estimated that 150,000 horse-power at least could be developed. it is estimated that a capital of $5,000,000 would be required to complete the project and put the entire plant in operation. Considering the variety of questions that have arisen as to the rights of companies to divert water from the Niagara river, hich is an international boundary, the tight of the Dominion to authcrize the di- sion of so much water as is proposed may be questioned. It is apparent to any one knowing the relations of the Niagara river, Welland river and the line of the pro- resed canal that if the new waterway was made large enough the entire body of wa- ter, at least the greater part of it now pass- ing into the river from Lake Erie, could be nade to flow through the new’ channel, and thus the Dominion would be in full on of all the power developed from ‘a, not only robbing New York state of ils great power development, but the world of that sublime spectacle, the Falls of Niagara. #pparent that the commissioners of ew York state reservation at Niagara for at their ann York city adopt Meeting held in New on Thursday, November 18, they da resolution authorizing Andrew H. Green, president of the board of com- missioners, to take steps to secure by in- ternational agreement the protection of the falls and the upper river. There is no doubt that this step is taken because of the proposed diversion of water on the Canadian side, and because of the organiza- tion of the Canadian Niagara Power League to promote the extended develop- ment of ihe water power of the Niagara on the Canadian side of the river. ———-+e- ANESE WOMAN J WRITER. Otano Watanna Writes Clever Stories of Life in Japan, Ficm the Chicago Times-Herald. Kitishima Kata Hasche is the real or family name of the clever Japanese girl who is living in Chicago at present and winning fame by writing for the maga- zines and newspapers of Chicago and the east under the pen name of Otano Wat- anna, while more dollars eccme from her work as stenographer. Miss Hasche, or, 8 she prefers to be called, Miss Watanna ames meaning the same thing, but belonging to different Japanese dialects —although scarcely t her twenty-first birthday, has seen more of life and exper- fence than the average woman of twice her age. The realism’ which makes her fiction so true to life and so keenly inter- esting is based on a knowledge of life and the world which has been acquired in the most practical way. Born in Yokohama, Japan, sie was taken by her parents, and in company with the three brothers and nine sisters who shared with her their care and supervision, to Liverpool, England, and trom thence to Manchester, before she was eight years cf ay The journey from Japan to England was made by sailing vessels, and occupied an entire year, From Manchester the family emigrated to Canada, settling in Montreai, and it was in this city that Miss Watanna received most of her education. Shorily after en- tering her teens she taught herself short- hand, totally unaided except by a book on the Pitman system of shorthand, and she left Montreai when only sixteen, to go to the West Indies as court reporter and cor- respondent for the News Letter of King- ston, Jamaica. While filling this position she was the only woman allowed to be present at the sessions of the British par- liament, and her reports, differing from those of her fellow workers in that they were unofficial, were witty and sarcastic enough to call general attention to their writer. A severe attack of yellow fever, with its consequent weakening of the entire sys- tem, made necessary her return to New York, and Miss Watanna’s older sister now occupies her former position in Jamaica. Another sister, also a writer, is married to one of the best known philosophical and scientific writers of America. After remaining in New York for some months Miss Watanna came to Chicago. Here she made the acquaintance of Miss Florence King, the woman lawyer, wno Possesses the distinction of being the enly representative of her sex to be registered at the United States patent office, and by Miss King was set afloat in the business and literary circles of Chicago. At present the Japanese writer is busily occupied with stenographic work during a portion of every day. The remainder of her time, in- cluding many midnight hours, she devotes to the writing of short stories and poems. Some of these stories, nearly all of which deal with Japanese life and customs, and which are peculiarly fresh and unhack- neyed in treatment, have been recently ac- cepted by the editors of Munsey’s Maza- zine, the Ladies’ Home Journal, the Black Cat and the Iroquis Magazine. The Metro- politan Magazine was the first to bring out a bit of the Japanese writer's work, and she has also contributed to some of the leading newspapers in eastern cities. A Japanese novel, written by Miss Watanna some time ago, is soon to be dramatized as a serious representation of Japanese life and tragedy, and W. G. Gillette has been asked to prepare the manuscript for stage use. The Onion and Dramatic Art. From the Chicago Times-Herald. Several weeks ago a bank in Shipshewana, Ind., was visited by burglars, who blew open the safe and secured a large sum cf money. A famous pack of bloodhounds was to continue the chase. A prisoner now in jail at Ligonier, Ind., bas turned state’s evidence and given the recognize the seriousness of the situation, | police all the acts concerning the bank burglary and the subsequent escape of the men. He saye the bloodhounds were thrown off the scent without any trouble by rub- bing an onlor on the shoes worn by the burglars. He adds that no bloodhound can be induced to follow an onton trail. If this discovery is verified, what is to be- come of the terrible man-hunting blood- hounds which ever since the days of “Uncle Tom's Cabin” have figured so ex- tensively in saffron literature? What is to become of Eliza and that wonderful trip on the floating ice? Who henceforth will be thrilled by the blood-curdling baying of the hounds L. U. E. when he knows that Eliza could easily bid deflance to pursuit by using a lowly but self-assertive onion? The play must be revised. The river of ice may as well be left out altogether. Just at the critical moment, when the approach- ing hounds are in full ery, Eliza—the new Eliza—shall open a lunch basket, take out an onion, wave it triumphantly and cry “Saved!” just as the curtain falls. Why not? If tne stage hopes to keep abreast of the age it must pay attention to those re- alistic details which, combined, make per- fection in dramatic art. ————— SCHOOLS IN THE ORIENT. There is Abundant Chance to Get an English Education There. From the Chicago Inter-Ocean, Throughout British territcry, in the Orient, churches and schools are scattered about, and always are at headquarters, military or civil. All the subjects of her majesty the queen can enter the Christian churches and Christian Sunday schoois if they wish. They are not the “destitute heathen” of the old-time phrase—“destitute of the means of grac: and the “Eura- sians”—Europe-Asians, hybrids—ambitious to be classed as “Europeans,” crowd promptly into the Christian churches. Their main rush is for two, either the Protestant Episcopal or the Methodist; first in prefer- ment the Episcopal, the old established church of England, because there all offi- cials go—the viceroy, the local governors and their familics—whoever represents the ruling power: and the next the Methodist churches, which, as here, have the popu- larizing, drawing faculty, being zealous and energetic. There, as here, the Roman Catholic churches get more people than any other church. Their pictures of saints and angels and the Madonna and the Savior, thet dressed statues and their processional cele- brations the non-educated can get hold of at once, as a story; and a story with points of resemolance to their inherited faith. Christianit heroes and heroines march well into line with sacred biography which they before were familiar with. Their old- time heroes and heroines were very gro- tesque, but, for all that, sacred; sacred somewhat. That whole people is grotesque. Their art is grotesque. We are different. But we are not symmetrical. In fact, we also are grotesque. Oh, wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursel’s as others sec us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us, And foolish notion. A Zetana teacher and twenty years lead- er of such work in Caleutta told me that when the bright Bengali Brahmanis were first told the story of Jesus Christ's par- entage, birth, childhood, etc., they ex- claimed: “That is Krishna And t belief could not be removed, that Khrist is an English story of Krishna. At first the English books on India spelled it Crish- na, but not now. Krishna is the very favorite hero of the Hindoo women and children; sacred and yet familiar. As favorite also is Kris of the Sanskrit-reading Brahman. Kri na, the god-and-man character, was doubt historical. = Krishna is “the milk-and-butter god,’ because he began as a milkman; rather, a cow boy. The favorite toy of Hindoo chil- dren is the somersetting Krishna, a divert- ing statuette in yellow bronze. +o. Bicycling and Insurance. From the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Dr. R. E. Tomlin, a life insurance ex- aminer of long experience, has called at- tention to a new class of risks which is giving life insurance companies some anx- fety, vi riders of the wheel. What he has to say on this subject is valuable as a note of warning against the abuse of a health- ful exercise. Bicycling in moderation is a splendid exercise, beneficial to people of every vocation; but excessive indulgence in the use of the wheel is conducive to heart and lung diseases and shortens the span of life. Young men and men of middle age immediately after bicycle exercise show a great increase in the pulse, an irregularity in its rhythm, a tremulous condition of the whole body and murmur of the heart, which continues for a considerable period. A chronic dilatation may be the result of too much wheeling. There is also danger, in case of tuberculosis in a family, that phthisis may be developed by over-exercise on the wheel. This may come from the in- halation of dust, and the rapldly enforced breathing making too great a strain upon the lung tissues. Dr. Tomlin believes that any person over fifty years old runs a great risk in using a wheel, especially if he rides with young people. who would make the pace. This opinion, however, cannot be accepted unreservedly, as the issue must be greatly influenced by the ex- tent to which an athletic habit of life has previously been maintained. It is found that a large proportion of the wheel women are injured by the excessive strain put upon their muscles by rapid and long-con- tinued riding, and insurance companies are proposing to be exceedingly strict in their Inquiries of both male and female appli- cants as to their use of the wheel. In a recent discussion on this subject it was resolved that “many men, and women also, are going to their long homes from inju- dicious wheeling,” and there ts no doubt that many riders who, before taking up the wheel had never practiced systematic ex- ercise, have not the patience to build up gradually the power of endurance which active indulgence in their new recreation necessitates. ——+e- An Ancient Almanac. From the Boston Transcript. The most valuable almanac ever made is that now in the British museum, which is priceless. It is believed to be at least 3,000 years old. The days are written in red ink on papyrus, in columns, and under each is a figure, followed by three char- acters signifying the probable state of the weather for that day. The most elaborate almanac in the world is that issued by the Chinese government in twelve thick volumes, which gives full information as to lucky times and places for performing the acts of every day life, which is con- sidered an essential of success by every good Chinaman. The Nautical Almanac costs the British nation £3,042 a year. At its office, No. 3 Verulam buildings, Gray’s Inn, London, the superintendent, A. M. W. Downing, doctor of science and fellow of the Royal Society, receives £600. Edward Roberts, fellow of the royal astronomical and statistical societies, the chief assistant, receives £4), and there are eleven other as- sistants, several of whom are graduates of universities or members of learned societies, who are paid from £100 to £3) each. The most curious calendar at present in use is that of the natives of Central America, where the months are only twenty days, and these are named after animals. Among most modern European ones the “Almanac de Gotha” has been the longest in ccn- tinuous circulation—upward of 135 years. n= no Passing an Examination, From the Boston Transcript. A charming anecdote ts told by Prof. D'Arcy Thompson, the expert sent by Eng- land to investigate the seal question. While conducting examinations at an English uni- versity, he learned that one of the students to be examined, a young woman who was @ candidate for a degree, was so timid and So nervous that it was likely she would not do herself justice, and he was asked to make allowances for this. Professor Thompson asked to be presented to her be- for the hour for examinations, and after meeting he suggested that, as they had a few moments at their disposal, he wquid be pleased to have her show him about the museum. She gladly assented to this, and they spent a delightful half hour; when the dreaded time approached the nervousness of the young woman became appareni. Finally she summoned courage to ask when the ordeal would take place. The conclu- sion of the story is obvious—Professor Thompson tok her the dreaded hour was over. While they sauntered about the IN THE PHILIPPINES Why the Uprising of the Islanders Has Failed. THEIR GRIEVANCES THOSE OF CUBA Climate of the Islands Mild, the Products Rich. CHINESE CONTROL IN TRADE nen Frem Leslie's Weekly. Much has appeared in the American newspapers and magazines about Cuba, Where the brave people for three years have been fighting for thelr liberty against Spanish tyranny and Oppression. But at the same time, while the valiant fight made by the Cubans has been watched in the United States with intense interest, the struggle of the inhabitants of another ise land who for centuries have equally suf- fered from Spanish domination and mis- rule, has received here but Ittle attention. The writer refers to the revolution which for over two years has been going on in the Philippine Islands, the pearl of East Asia. In spite of the numerous reports which have appeared at tum: in the Spanish pewspapers, the insurrection in the Philip- Pine Islands has not been subdued. The latest reports received from Manila clearly show that the insurgents, under the leader- stip of Gen. Aguinaldo, have defeated the Spaniards in a number of warm engage- ments which took place in the province of Pampango. It is true that the Span claimed to have won numerous vi but this contention on seems strange, in view of the f inforcements have been se Gen. Blanco, the new Cuba, was with: because he * insurge their part act that re- nt to the islands, captain general in irawn from the Philippina Was too lentent In dealing with and in his place was sent Polavieja, who ts responstble death of Dr. Hizal and Francisco the insurgent leaders. Undaun: however, by the death of these monn awe revolutionists, over twenty-five thousand strong, are now Preparing for an aggres- sive campaign in the province of Pame Pango. Not United. The question has been asked, How {s !t that the uprising in the Ph hilippine Islands has not met with the same brilliant suce as the one in Cuba? The reason for conditicn of affairs is due to the fac up to this time the best ele Population have not joined the cause of the insurgents. A large part of the people of the Philip, have refused to be Part of the revolutionar is mainly composed of 1 called “Mestizo Chinos,”” 4 tive and Chin . for w ter classes of the islands have ecntempt. It had been the pla Marti, the Cuban lea: ss ome a ause It , the soe ture of r om the be a profouy President the Cuban war had been put under © to go to the Ptilippine Islands and organize the revo- lution there. He saw cleariy that the half= leaders, Gen. zal, while brave and sess the nece fully with t guinaldo and I triotic, did not Sary qualities to ‘cope sucy Spaniards and to draw their standards the ari ‘atic inhabitants of the islands. Unfortunately, the death of the great Cuban leader put an end to the plan of co-operation which he had pro- posed. The result has been that a large rumber of young men, who should now be fighting for the liberty of their countr Ve remained in the Spanish army becau {hey found it impossible to affiliate with the Ri- s. tion in Cuba have produce the Philippine Islands. For centuries Spaniari ve ruled the people with the same high-handed methods, with the same tyranny, injustice, systems ruption, absolutism a Cuba. They have neve he condence of the natives contrary, he’ ard to their ploitation, ed to the revolu- ising in the the up: to win put, on the onsidered them only with own enrichment and ex- Corrapt Government. Bribery is common, not only in the cus- tom houses and the municipalities, but also in the courts. The judges of the tribunals are casily bought, and the average lawsuit takes from five to twenty years before it even comes to trial. It is utterly impossible for a person to win a lawsuit in the courts of the Philippine Islands unless he has much money and influence. The govern- or general, the ruler of the islands, in addi- tion to the large salary which he ‘receives, makes immense sums of money, and when he leaves the office carries away with him millions. Then, too, hundreds of adventure come from Spain and have re positions and cffices, while the of the Philippines are not allowed to hold of- sons fice. The Spanish government also, in its efforts to keep the people of the islands completely in subjection, is assisted by the church and the priests.’ So bitter has the feeling of the people become against the priests that in the recent outbreak in the province of Pampango, priests were drag- ged out of their convents and hanged. The Phihppine Islands consists of a largo group. The principal one the Islay of Luzon, upon which is situated the capital, Manila. Manila is a cosmopolitan city with a population of over four hundred thousand inhabitants. There can be found representatives of all nationalities of the world. It is a city having all modern im. provements, such as horse cars, electric lights, and railroads. Manila city is di- vided into two parts, the old and the ne The old part, having a population of be- tween thirty and forty thousand, is the seat of a Spanish garrison and of the Span- h archbishop. while in the new part the foreigners reside. Resources and Climate. The main industries of the island are the manufacture of cigars, and the produc- tion of tobacco, mangoes, bananas, guavas; of the celebrated flower “ilang-ilang,” from which fine perfumes are made; coffee, ma- nila paper, rice, indigo and jute. Gold is found in considerable quantit in the Philippines. The climate is salubrious and healthful, and the average temperature in the summer ts rarely over cighty degrees, with seventy degrees in the winter season. The main population of the islands are the so-called Tagala, who are Catholic: and there are also many negroes and Chi- nese. A large part of the population formed by the so-called “Mestizo Chinos,” who have already been mentioned. The peaple of the islands are extremely hos- pitable and kind-hearted. They are easily led, and if properly treated by the Span- iards would be faithful to them. The na- tives are very musical, and love cock fight- ing, bull fighting and gambling. A large part of the trade of the islands is in the hands of the Chinese. They are the biggest merchants in Manila, and have gained much power and influence by pay- ing liberally for important concessions which have been granted them by the Spaniards. It is an inteyesting fact to note in this connection that no merchants of Manila get more credit. from European houses than do the Chinese traders. The Philippine Islands have also at- tracted attention recently by numerous earthquakes, typhoons and cyclones, which at all times have caused terrible havoc and destruction, The last destructive earth- quake occurred in 1880, and great damage was done. Cholera is of frequent oceur- rence in the islands, being brought from ‘hi ner are very few Americans at the present time living in the Philippine Is- lands. They have been driven away by the unjust treatment of the Spaniards. One large steamship company was compelled to seek protection from the British govern- ment, and since that time has not been troubled by the Spaniards. —cor_____ College Girl a Saloon Keeper. From the Kansas City Journal. The niece of an ex-governor of Indiana ts running @ saloon at Wichita. She was educated at one of the leading