Evening Star Newspaper, December 11, 1897, Page 24

24 THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1897-26 PAGES. LOCAL CYCLE CLUBS Current Matters of Interest to Wheelmen. IN AND OUTDOOR RECREATION What is Going on in L. A. W. Circles. IN THE DISTRICT DIVISION It seemed to be a pity that such a beau- tiful moon as marked tae past week should pass without an opportunity of enjoying reuch road riding. This would hardly have been the case had the roads been in any Kind of condition. The rain of the fore part of the week was sufficient to make the highways rather disagreeable for bi- cycle riding, and this fact kept many from geing out for a pleasure spin awheel. The improvements on the Canal road were practically completed during the week, and when the place is cleared of everything the highway ought to be ex-* cellent for bicyclists. The work of im- proving the stretch between the Aqueduct bridge and the hill at the foot of the Fox- hall read cost the District government something like $3,000. Since the commence- Tent of the improvements the highway has been in a rather bad way, but during the week several coatings of gravel, the top dressing, as it were, completed the work practically. Two large steam rollers did the rest, and they were run over the sur- face to press the earth firmly together. When the rolling process is over the high- way ovght to be the superior of any road in the District. Last Sunday was good for road riding, and a number of riders took advantage of the occasion. The conjecture of the Weather for tomorrow places the condi- tions as pleasant, and if this be true, a good number of riders can be looked for on the road. After the close of this montn there is very little promise of good riding. Century Cycle Club. The Century Cycle Club did not make the run to Ashton last Sunday on account of the bad condition of the roads, due to the rain of the previous day. The regular business meeting of the club was held Monday evening and the resigna- tion of Mr. Frank Hourigan, as secretary, and also that of Mr. A. E. Weesner, as treasurer, were read and accepted with regrets. Both members are obliged to leave the city to accept positions in Syra- cuse, N. Y., and Chicago, IIL, respectivel: Mr. Howard Fisk was unanimously elected secretary and Mr. R. C. liams as treas- urer to fill the unexpired term caused by the resignatiens. It was decided to take clut rooms in the ¥ the District rd at the Center Market Hall. pect to be quartered in their new y next week. The basket bail team of the club is in fine shape, and with a Lttle more practice will be sble to make a much better showing in schedule of games for the winter. The mbers of the team are handicapped by not having a place in which to > regularly. While the Washington rps are very kind in their of the armory, it is im- the amount of practice that other clubs get. on his new white " with ribbons and pink fe and drop cup, won by eral weeks arrived. It is a beauty, and will with the other trophies to help set off the new clubhouse. A vote of thanks was Sent to the Baltimore boys for the hand- scme trophy. Rialto Cycle Club. meetings of the Rialto Club have nged frora Wednesday evenings to Thursday, as the latter date was more agreeable to the club members. The regu- ting of the club was held Thursday the residence of Miss Frech, 15 avenue rortheast. last meeting of the club two new dim-tred, Miss Sietz and ves the total member- arly twenty-five mem- of the club to ne club was entertained at the last € of Miss Lithgow, street south After the busi- sting, a general evening of enjoy- as inaugurated. A sewing contest for the benefit of the male mem- ich man was given a handker- stitch. Mr. Fred Libby, the owner em, proved to be the best sewer, ured the first prize, while the cendolation was awarded to Mr. Louis Frech. The prizes were appropriate. The tandem, like Banquo’s ghost, cannot pt down, and the id weather of the past week brought it into use again. Miles Cycle Infantry. An examination of the non-commissioned Officers of the Miles Cycle Infantry was heid last Saturday. Four of the five ser- geants went through the oral ordeal, vith @ good record, the fifth officer failing to show up. It will be several weeks before the results of the examination are an- nounce A company signal drill wi Gay e building. The mombers have some plan on foot for an entertainment during the Christmas hol- but just what form the event will is not known. It will most likely be followed by a dance, to be given some time in February. Arlington Wheelmen. name of E. J. Murphy, who was i captain for the year 1898 at the last monthly meeting of the club, was inady ting at the resider BR 1009 ress ment was he! bers. 3 held Wednes- ng at the quarters in the srmory y omitted from the lst of newly elect- ed officers which was furnished The Star, and consequently his name did not appear in Wednesday's issue. The second lieu- nt's name was given as J. H. Walker, should have been Harry Walker. mplete list of officers for the ensu- ar is as follows: President, William vice president, E. B. Terry; sec- retary-treasurer, J. F. Broadbent: captain, E J. Murphy; lieutenant, R. H. Stone: sec: ond lieutenant, Harry Walker. A run, dif- ferent from those generally taken by the club, has been called for tomorrow morn- ing. It to a photograph gallery, where the pictures of the riders in the recent cen- tury road race, and also of the entire club, Will be taken. The members will meet at 10 o'clock at the Cleveland Cycle Company, 14th and New York avenue northwest. Though the worst of winter is fast ap- Proachin day, the club will, every good Sun- call a run, thus affording members their f-fends opportunities to partici- Juring the winter months in the club which always prove so enjoyable during the summer. Levant Wheelmen. the regular meeting of the Levant Wheelmen, held Tuesday evening, the fol- cers were nominated for the en- year: For president, Lee L. Herrell; for vice president, Webb Lindsey; for sec- retary, Andrew Marschalk; for treasurer, H. L. Herreil; for captain, William Norris: for lieutenant, Arthur Tew. » boys had one of these large and ele- gant times which are a characteristic of the ¢luu at Hoban’s Monday evening. It was the settlement of the wager over the re- cent century road race between the Ar- lingtons and the Century Cycle Club. A splendid supper was served, with plenty of side di d the affair lasted until the big hours of the morning. Andrew Kilgore, when last heard from, was in Newberry, He is on a trans- continental trip, and expects to reach San Francisco, Cal, some time next May. L. A. W. GOSSIP. During the week there were 309 new fembers admitted to the league from all sections of the country, which swells the total actusl membership to 101,481. Lhe membership roll is still increasing steadily, and by the end of next season it is pre- dicted that the total membership will be 125,000, if not larger. At the rate of in- crease for the present year, the number will be above that. During the week there were three new members admitted to the local division, which makes the total membership now #41. There were no renewals at all. It now begins to look as though the 1,000 mark will not be reached this year, though there is hardly eny doubt cf this number being reached before next spring. The new mem- bers are as fcllows: Jobn H. Magraw, 1926 N street northwest. Dr. J. W. Shaw, 1453 Rhode Island avenue. Clinton P. Townsend, room 151, patent office. There is hardly any change in the 'ead- ers in the competitien contest of the na- tional organization. J. A. S. Heath of Phil- adelphia is still in the lead, with 2,602 ap- plications to his credit. The second man is fully 1,000 behind him. He is J. Samuel Stephenson of Philadelphia, who has 1,t59 applications to his credit. J. H. Wright of the same place is third, with 1,491 applica- tions, and Samuel L. Tanguy of the same city is fourth, with 1,131. The total num- ber of names received through the competi- tion contest up to date is 22,439. The past week, out of an increase of 309 members, 202 names were sent in by the competitors in the contest. The election of the Massachusetts di- vision has resulted in the chcice of Sierling Bllott as chief consul. His opponent was George W. Dorntee of Malden, a member of the racing board for New England. The contest prior to the election was a lot one, and on accornt of previous remarks Dorn- tee was vigorously assailed by a number of cycle papers and ridiculed by a good many writers on cycling topics. Elliott received @ total of 6,420 votes, while Dorntee re- ceived 1,078. é A danger sign has been placed on the market by the league to be used where the roads are in such a bad condition as to make riding dangerous. The signs are about 10 by 20 inches in size, and have a hand pointing in the direction of the dan- gerous riding, with the following painted in large letters: “To cyclists. Ride with caution. League of American Wheelmen.” ‘The signs are to be placed where there are steep hills, unguarded gullies, embank- nents or other dangerous things. The executive committee of the league will hold a meeting on Tuesday, January 4, at 277 Poiter building, New York city, to recommend the place for the next meeting. According to the cfficial announcement, a “formal invitation from the Indiana state division and from a committee of citizens of the city of Indianapolis has been re- ceived, in which the members of the league are invited to hold their annual Icague meet for 1898 in Indianapolis. This invita- tion confirms a previous paper of the same character sent to Secretary Bassett in July 1 ‘In order that this invitation may be act- ed upon only after the most impartial hearing and consideration, the executive committee has postpened action until Tues- day, January 4, at which time a meeting of said committee will be held in the city of New York, and positive action taken toward the disposition of this question. A new departure by the League of Ameri- can Wheelmen will soon be officially made known to the members of that organiza- tion. The idea originated with Presideat Potter, and it is thought that it will result in securing great popularity for the L. A. W. Maps have heen obtained from the De- partment of the Interior of all sections of the country, and it has been decided to make ¢ of these, with the purpose in view of furnishirg pocket maps to all league members, showing the roads in the ection in which they live, as well as the ography. They will be the first really good maps that the wheelmen of this coun- try have ever had. It has not been decided whether to give the maps to the members or charge a nominal sum for them. The probabilities are that they will be given away. It is anticipated that the distribu- ticn of these maps will result in nearly doubling the L. A. W. membership. Work ing rapidly on the maps, and the st copies will be finished within a few . The proofs are very satisfactory, and these who ha’ seen them say the maps will compare favorably with the gov- ernment maps of France and Germany. A New England manvfacturer of bicycle bells has atranged a bell which will con- tain on the top surface the emblem of the League of American Wheelmen. Of course, only members of the L. A. W. will be al- lowed to attach this bell to their machines. The next national assembly of the League of American Wheelmen, which will con- vene at St. Louis on Wednesday, February 9, 1898, will be composed of about 360 dele- gates from the various state divisions. The opening day will be devoted to ‘good roads,” the usual custom, with a dinner to follow, and no other business will be al- lowed to interfere. It will take two ad- ditional days to complete the work of the assembly, and some lively discussion is looked for over questions pertaining to the sport of cycle racing. It is expected that » Pacific coast riders who followed the California secession movement, and were permanently stspended for competing in unsanctioned races, will apply for rein- statement, and that their requests will be granted, as the seceders’ organization has Fractically yielded to the L. A. W. The question of admitting the profes- sional riders to active membership is sure to be brought up, and, though the proposi- tion was overwhelmingly defeated last year, there is a growth of sentiment in favor of giving the professional a representation of some nature in the league, as {t controls all his actions on the racing path, which furnishes him a means of livelihood. It is altogether unlikely that the word “ama- teur” will be stricken from the constitu- tion, but an associate membership for pro- fessionals might be created, which would be satisfactory. aang SOME CYCLE CHAT Nething has been done on the proposed new third-of-a-mile track, which it is con- templated to locate inside the half-mile track at the Brightwood Driving Park. The projectors were undecided to do any- thing this fall or wait until carly spring before commencirg the work. It now seems as though the latter course has been pur- sued... It was thought to be much better to commence the work and rush it through to completion at the same time, thus af- fording no delay whatsoever. The plans for the new track were pub- lished in The Star several weeks ago, when it was announced that the contract for the work had been practically given to Andrew Gleeson, the contractor. Mr. John Hayes, the secretary of the Brightwood Driving Park Association, who seems to be the manager of the new scheme, was seen by a Star reporter a few days ago, and ne stated that the work had been postponed until next spring, for the reasons given abo h » “When the work Is started,” said “it will be pushed right along, and no @ will be lost, and the course will pe ready for the riders in as quick time as it is_ possible.” ‘The work of building the track will neces- sitate the erection of a new grand stand, the present structure being too dilapidated to accommodate a very large crowd, In addition to this work, a high board fence will be located all around the ground, so as to keep cut these who would otherwise beat their way into the premises. The lay of the land is excellent for constructing a cycle track, and very little excavating would have to be done. Have any readers of the cycling page tried kerosene or coal oil as a preventive for the cracking or breaking of the tire? Some time ago mention was made in this column about one cr two riders washing their tires regularly in a pure kerosene bath, and it now seems as though this practic> is on the increase. The original user of this method claimed that by prac- tical experience and observation he ascer- tained that the kerosene would not only remove all dirt and other foreign sub- stances, but would permeate the constitu- ents of the tire and cause them to hold to- gether more firmly. This being the case, the tire would not crack or break with the crdinary wear. This must be followed with the statement that the life of the tire is prolonged considerably. This, of course, “| does not include occasions where the tire is cut by the rim or injured through punc- ture. The average life of a tire is about two years; if anything, less than that time, There are very few tires that will stand a longer use than through two sea- sons, while a great many crack and break when entering upon the second season. If the kerosene remedy prevents this it indeed be a good thing. Those who and are using it claim that the olf will complish this. It may be true, but Hy oils when applied to the rubber have a tendency to rot it and ruin the tire in short order. It may be that on account of its thinness the kerosene does not injure the tire. The subject is a good one for in- vestigation. An interesting bet was made between two local riders during-the week, growing out of the relative speed of different gears. One, whom will be designated as A., rides a seventy-two gear, and the other, to be known in this article as B., rode an eighty gear. A. bet that he did not have to make one and one-third the number of revolu- tions that B. made in order to go a mile or two. B. thought it would take just about one and one-third. They agreed to permit the bet to be decided by a disinterested person. The referee was able to solve the problem through a table of speed that he had secured from some source, based on the speed per hour and the number of revo- lutions per quarter of a minute. The table is as follows for both gears, being copied direct from the original: 72 GEAR. Revolutions % minute. 7 fl $0 GEAR. Miles | Revolutions Per hour.) ¥4 minute. Miles per honr. SHESSNSEESRS Rpererererererererey 2 ts! The principal novelty of an English com- pany will be its new fork-end chain ad- justment. This is made on the eccentric principle, the fork ends having a sr plete | sunk hole, into which fits a circular plate. The latter has a hole bored in it eccentric- ally to take the hub spindle. The plate can be moved around in the countersunk hole, by which means the spindle of the hub is brought nearer or further away from the crank bracket. The advantages of the ad- justment are its extreme simplicity—the impossibility of even the veriest novice get- ting the back wheel out of the center of the forks—and the fact that the chain can be adjusted without interfering with the hub bearings. To adjust the chain it is enly necessary to loosen the nuts on the hub spindle and turn a sma!l n:!!led-headed screw till the necessary adjustment of the chain is effected. The mechanism of a new brake is de- signed to be hidden within the tubes of the machine, and there is nothing external to bend or rust except the spoon. The brake is applied by rotating the right handle, the motion being conveyed through the handle- bar by a flexible shaft made of several uni- versal joints. At the end of the shaft is a pinion gearing with a rack on the upper end of a rod passing down through the front member of the diamond frame and coming out between the front forks. On the end of this rod Is the spoon. This brake does not require to be held on; once it is applied there is sufficient friction in the mechanism to keep it on without further effort on the part of the rider. A brush is used to save the tire from injury. It is extremely likely that a six-day con- tinuous race will be held in this city dur- ing the present winter. A party of capital- ists are making arrangements for giving such an event, and have selected W. C. Clark, the secretary of the International Athletic Park, to manage the affair. The details of the event ve not as yet been arranged, but things are now being worked to have a full representation of well-known riders from all over the country. In fact, negotiations are now pending for a number of the mea now racing in the event at- Madi- son Square Garden, New York. About ten of the men have already signified their wil- lingness to ride here, with more than tl number of riders yet to hear from. No place has as yet heen selected at which the race will be held, but this will not be # serious drawback, as Convention Hall can be secured whenever needed for the pur- pose. The general talk that women cannot ride fast for any length of time is denied by the performance of the riders in a six-day race at Cleveland, Ohio. There are six entrants, including Dottie Farnsworth and Tillie A derson. The lead during the first night’s ride changed considerably, but the folla ing is the time for distances of five mile: Five miles Ten mile Fifteen miles Twenty mile: Twenty-five miles. Thirty miles.... Thirty-one miles Thirty-tive miles Forty mites.. Owosso, "s cycle club of tienty members, the weight of the aggregation being two and a half tons. No affidavit accompanies this statement, but it is generally understood to be within a few hundredwefght of the correct figure: The Owosso fat man’s organization unique in that the by-laws strictly demand that a member shall not refuse to at any and every invitation to do so. And, according to the rules, no member may en- tertain a serious thought during a mecting of the club under penalty of a heavy fine. Despite these rules the club has a large and heavy waiting list, showing the favor in which it is held. The wives of the mem- bers recently organized an “auxiliary,” and last week the club gave a dinner in honor of the “auxiliaries.” It was a grand suc- cess and the townspeople have not yet fin- ished talking about it. The menu wa tempting. It told that there were blue- points, bouillon, cold turkey, cranberry jelly, Saratoga chips, apple salad, wafers, Peach ice cream, cake, fruits, candies and other good things for the asking. After the feast came the flow of wit, and some of the speeches were so funny that the club pro- poses to print them in book form. Se STOLEN WHEELS, * Since November 1 and up to the fore part of this week a total of forty-seven thefts had been reported to the detective in the police department to whom has been as- signed the task of looking up stolen bicy- cles ‘and cycle sundries, This is an aver- age of more than one a day, and shows that the risk of leaving bicycles unlocked has not diminished in the least. Detective Bob Boardman has charge of the matter, and he has done good work in his line, managing to recover a large number of the stolen articles. The thieves do not appear to be par- ticular as to what they steal, and in the following list no mention is made of miss- ing repair kits, cyclometers and other small things which can be detached from a wheel. Only one saddle was reported as missing, while another case was the theft of an entire front wheel of a bicycle, tak- ing in the cyclometer and everything. This is the most unique steal of any reported. A. F. King of 25 Lafayette square lost his saddle while the bicycle was standing in front of his home. E. B. Stewart of 1008 9th street northeast was the victim of the thief who removed the front wheel and cyclometer. There is a large increase in the number of stolen lamps, aggregating fifteen in all. The victims are as follows: Raymond Lamb, 13382 Whitney avenue, lamp stolen from wheel. I. C. Bowen of 616 12th street northwest, lamp stolen from wheel. H. G. Kimball of 620 North Carolina ave- nue southeast, Searchlight lamp, stolen from hall of his home. Harry McKeldon of 1242 H street north- west, Silver King lamp, stolen from wheel, C. C. Wells of 1311 2ist street northwest Searchlight lamp, stolen from wheel, Dr. F. P. Vale of 1327 L street north- west, King of the Road lamp, stolen from wheel. W. N. Multer of 1407 New York avenue northwest, Pathlight lamp, stolen from wheel. ~ Miss M. T. Graves of Anacostia, Search- light lamp, stolen from wheel. Rev. Mr. Schneider of 1315 19th street northwest, Searchlight lamp, stolen from wheel. R. W. Bretney of 1316 E street north- west, Neverout lamp, stolen from wheel. F. H. Riordan of 1111 10th street north- west, Frontlight lamp, stolen from wheel at National Rifles’ Armory. LeRoy W. Herron, Neverout lamp, stolen from wheel. Findley Harris, M. and W. lamp, stolen from wheel. Leon Sory of 1328 Maryland avenue ea eee Searchlight lamp, stolen from whee The preponderance of the number of lamps stolen direct from the bicycle shows clearly that some method ought to be de- | vised by the rider to fasten the lamp in| such a manner that it cannot be easily re- moved by thp deft-handed thieves. If the lamp could be locked to the bracket and the bracket soldered to the head of the wheel, there would be a decided dimunt- tion in the nusgber of thefts. The total number’of bicycles stolen dur- ing the same périod‘teached an even thirty, almost one for every day of the time. The owners of the wheels were as follows: W. Lockheadot 3d street northeast,an F. V. V. bicytle, stolen from 14th and 8 streets. ‘b B. H. Milliken of 1113 K street, Warwick bicycle, stolen from in front of 1331 F street. : £ R. I. Marshall of‘ 508 11th street north- west, a Barnes! White Flyer, bicycle, stolen from in front of residence. George Pitkin of 1312 P street northwest, a Fowler bicycle. E. R. Ellis of 1608 a Rambler bicycle. N. W. Carpenter, 14th street and New York avenue, rented a Sterling wheel to a white man who faiied to return it. A. F. Rawlings of 1136 6th street north- west, an Envoy bicycle, stolen from in front of residence. G. L. Haley of 603 E street northwest rented New Era wheel to white man, which was never returned. A. C. Bergland of 716 10th street north- east, a Cleveland wheel. Monroe Wilson of 1328 13th street north- west, a Fowler bicycle. C. A. Barnes of 700 14th street, American wheel, stolen from in front of above office. Walter Isel of 903 North Carolina avenue southeast, a Fowler wheel, stolen from in front of 609 New Jersey avenue. Harry Garnett of 1881 3d street, a Comet bicycle, stolen from the Central High School. Dr. J. E. Bliss of 1313 M street north- west, Wilhelm bicycle, stolen from in front of residence. D. W. H. Wunder of 501 7th street north- west, Spaulding bicycle, stolen from in front of 220 C street northwest. L. W. Haskell, No. 7 Cooke place nerth- west, Columbia bicycle, stolen from in front of residence. Chapin Brown, 323 4% street northwest, Lovell Diamond wheel. E. 8. Keys of 1017 I street northwest rented a Liberty and a Modern Special bi- cycle to white man, which were never re- turned. C. L. Cornelius of 478 C street northwest, Adlake wheel, stolen from in front of resi- dence. F. G. Berger of 2523 K street, Warwick bicycle, stolen from in front of 1200 18th street. W. Morris of 1104 15th street northwest, Victor bicycle. Samuel Terrell of 1645 19th street north- west, Columbia bicycle, stolen from in front of 1718 Pennsylvania avenue. C. J. Morton of 2013 Vermont avenue, ‘Tappan Special bicycle, stolen from in front of Ebbitt House. W. H. McCuen of 1104 Connecticut ave- nue, Sterlirig wheel, stolen from in front of residence. G. M. Day of 202 East Capitol street rented Eldridge wheel to white man, who never reappeared. T. H. Barnard of 234 N street, an 808 bi- eycle, stolen from in front of residence. Theodore Friebus, jr., Crawford bicycle, stolen from the Carroll Institute. Fred Grogan of 123 10th street northeast, Overland bicycle, stolen from 9th street and Pennsylvania avenue. pe ganna, WHY SO FOOLISH. 13th street northwest, Why are some cyclists so foolish as to attempt to make a sharp turn on an as- phalt pavement, when the surface is wet? The lesson learned by others seems to have no effect on them. Why are some riders so foolish as to select the most dangerous riding possible? There may be enough danger in riding without necdlesssl¥ looking for it. Why are some Wheelmen so foolish as to ride between the tracks when cars are e bicyclists should learn by Why are some cyclists so foolish as to ride along with their hands clasped be- hind the back"to show their skill with the silent steed? ‘They’ may think they look too lovely for anythirg, but what other people think 1S a different story Why are other riders so foolish ride in the slot of the cable or ele iracks or in the grooves of the rails them- selves? The Only time to adopt this rid- ing is when a new set of tires are about to be bought. Why 2 some other rigers so foolish as to endeavor to make a dealer believe the wheel broke dewn on its own accord, when the cause was the result of col- lision? Give the dealer credit for having a little Lit of sense. Why are some cy: collide with a street car? The roadways are wide enovgh without attempting to tuke in everything. Besides, the car sel- dom gets hurt. Why are some wheelmen foolish enough s0 foolish as to to ride a deflated tire, ‘when a few mo- ments’ delay will probably remedy the difficulty. It is a good thing to have a little money, but it is perhaps a better thing to have more brains. Why are some riders foolish enough to their abilities when out on the than run yourself. Why do some riders be so foolish as to use cyclometers, the mileage figures of which run way up in the thousands? You night be able to fool some people, but you cannot fool every one. Why are some riders so foolish as to sbow their speed on asphalt streets, when they cannot do anything on the’ rod? Their frends will soon find out the case. a guerre FROGS EATEN IN NEW of seriously injuring YORK. The Consumption is Greater Than in Paris, From the New York Herald. “Are there many frogs’ legs eaten in New York?" the reporter asked of Commissioner Blackford. “There is not a city in the world,” said Commissioner Blackford, “that consumes so many frogs’ legs as New York." “More than in Paris?” “Yes, indeed,” replied the commissioner. While years ago the French were com- monly known as ‘frog eaters,’ the New Yorkers today should more properly be celled. ‘frog-eating pecple,’ rather than the Parisians. menus in the restaurants of Paris, while in New York you can get them at nearly every first-class hotel and restaurant. This dish is not common in London, and only a few of the high-grade restaurants there prepare it.” According to Commissioner Blackford’s figures, fully 75 per cent of the frogs for the New York market are shipped from the Ontaric district in Canada. The re- maining 25 per cent come from the Adiron- dacks and the state of Maine. Frogs are very plentiful in all of these districts, and tkey multiply so rapidly that there is no danger of a decrease in the supply for years to come. About six of the saddles of these frogs wéigh“a pound, and retail at 75 cents. ‘ The largest frogs4n the wozld come from the state of MissoUri, but they are scarce and do not réMlargely in New York's market. Three of these saddles will make a pound. Gredt quantities of frogs are to be found in the New Jersey meadows, but they are so small that a pound of dressed legs cannot be obtained from less than two. or three dozen! frogs. Occasionally a farm- er’s boy will bring!40 or 50 of these frogs to market, but thé pay is so small com- pared with the‘amount of work required in the hunt that!ino ome makes a regular bus- iness of searching ‘the adjacent meadows. The frog-taking stason begins about June 1 and continues steadily until September 1. Throughout Ganada there are many men who male a‘tegular business of frox catching, whide in the Adirondacks the work is donevby the guides during their spare hours. The animals are caught with a hook baited with red flannel and suspend- ed from a rod about 10 feet in length. There is a strange fascination about red flannel that the ordinary croaker cannot resist. The moment it is dangled within a few inches of his nose he makes a wild leap at it, with jaws wide open, and is promptly hooked. He is released and placed in a big basket carried on the back of the frog hunter. Sometimes the frog is found to be sleep- ing. Then the k is placed under him, and a quick jerk lands him. When the bases is filled the ree are oetiell os nm in one corner ie pond near the juts of the hunters, and are kept there until there is a demand for them from New York, They are then popes out of the pen with a net and killed dressed, This operation is very simple. The frog is stunned with a blow on the head and im- mediately the head is severed. Then. the skin is loosened at the top and in a jiffy it comes off like a glove. e saddle’ is sepa- “Have visited every beach on the Atlantic coast, but none compares with this”— Hon. BERIAH WILKINS, the “Post.” “T consider it the most de- lightful of all seaside resorts.” Rev. D. J. STAFFORD, St. Patrick's Cath- elie Chereb. Another PUBLIC SALE Of Choice OCEAN CITY Building Lots, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON Dec. 15, 4:15 O'clock. Sloan’s Auction Rooms, 1407 G St. N. W. ia Ocean City, Maryland, IS DESTINED TO BE America’s Most Popular Health & Pleasure RESORT. “The place is beautiful, and particularly beneficial to chil- dren” — Hon. J. C. CLEMENTS, Interstate Com- merce Commission. “IT am convinced that it is the place for genuine rest”— Hon. LAWRENCE GARDNER. Rapid Transit Next Year. PEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EE EEE EEE EEE EE “I am in love with the place”— Hon. J. C. S. BLACKBURN of Ky. seeeeeett “Much better than Long Branch, Atlantic City or Cape May"— Hon. ADOLPTH MEYER of La. EECEEEEE Best Bathing, Climate, Fishing, Gunning, AND ALL ELSE TO RECOMMEND. EEA ELAEEEEEEEE rated from the body with one blow, and the legs are folded together as one would fold his arms. They are packed in boxes of chopped ice and are ready for shipment. During the summer months the New York market receives from 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of dressed saddles daily. The retail price then reaches the lowest notch of 25 cents a pound. At present about 2,000 pounds pass through the markets every day. As it is Impossible to take the frog during the winter immense quantities of the saddles are frozen during the early autumn and stored in ice boxes. The meat retains {ts full flavor, and is as good as if it had been killed the day previous. A great many attempts have been made toward the artificial propagation of frogs from the eggs, but none has ever succeeded. Seth Green, one of the most successful fish culturists in the country, made many tests several years ago, but met with failure. During the past summer Commissioner Blackford received several orders from France for live bullfrogs, which were to be used in stocking the ponds in that coun- try, as the supply was found to be falling below the demand. — +00 A PLOT FOR A NOVEL, One Offered Ready-Made for the Des- perate Literator. From the Toston Journal, A novelist in Boston—do not laugh. there are novelists in Boston, yes, and actually ing here—said to us the other day, “If I eculd only find a plot!” Here is a plot for him free of charge, and the story is a true one: In 1739 a lady—a real lady—came into Birmingham, Ergiand, with a handsome equipage, and desired the landlord of the inn to get her a husband, being determined to marry scmebody or other before she left the town. The man bowed, and supposed her ladyship to be In a facetious humor, but being made sensible how much she was in earnest, he went out in search of a man that would marry a fine lady without ask- ing questions. After many repulses from poor fellows who were not desperate enough for such a venture, he met with an excise tran, who said he “could not be in a worse condition than he was,” and accordingly went with the innkeeper and made a ten- der of himself, which all he had to be- stow on the lady, who immediately went with him to one who gave them a license and made them man and wife, on which the bride gave her spouse £200, and without more delay left the town and the bride- groom to find out who she was or unriddie this strange adventure. Soon after she was gone two gentlemen came into the town in full pursuit of her; they had-traced her so far upon the road, and, finding the inn where she had put up, they examined into all the particulars of her conduct, and on hearing she was married gave up their pursuit and turned back. ‘Truly a noble dame, one worthy of a full length portrait in the gallery constructed by Thomas Hardy. Why did this noble dame offer herself to the first comer? And why were the re- spectable males of the town so backward? There was no hint of scandal. Who were the pursuers? Did she wish by one sudden marriage to escape one deliberately con- trived and repugnant? Was the excl: man a pretty fellow in spite of his abject I seldom found the dish on the’! cerdition? Did she ever see him again? Did she ever regret that she had not braved the world and lived with him? Perhaps the memory of her apparition haunted him; perhaps {t roused him to doughty deeds. It's a pity that Mr. Hardy has not account- ed for her action and her fate with his grim irony. —___—__+e+______ THREE BRAVE GIRLS. Heroic Conduct of Three English Young Women, From the London Standard The report of the Royal Humane Society is more than usually interesting this month. If evidence be wanted of the strength and courage and hardihood of our young wom- en, here it is—with a vengeance, old-fash- foned folks would add. The silver medal is granted to Miss Fullerton of Dudhope Terrace, Dundee; of such a heroine every detail is worth note. Miss Fullerton was strolling on the Forfarshire coast, appar- ently, when she observed a manufacturer in great distress out at sea. We are not told whether she threw off any of her clothes, but since the man was seized with cramp and was drowning, it is to be sup- posed that she did not. The distance was 300 yards and the sea “heavy,” but Miss Fullerton swam out, and, “exhorting the manufacturer to preserve his presence of mind”—also “holding him up’’—she con- veyed him safely until a boat picked them up midway. This is something like a “rec- ord.” “Our fathers would not have be- lieved it possible for a girl to swim a quar- ter of a mile in her clothes through a heavy sea, bat this brave young athlete actually supported a manufacturer—who run to weight as a rule—in the agony of cramp. Miss Joan Harris of Belfast also plunged into the sea without undressing and res- cued a grown girl; further circumstances are not given, but swimmers know that it was a feat, anyhow. Miss Louisa Bright of Reading, too, did not waste time in preparations when she saw a schoolboy drowning in the Kennet. It is not many years since swimming was regarded as a dubious sort of accomplishment for woman. The Fife. From Chambers’ Journal. It is sald by some that we owe the fife— “ear-piercing,” as Shakespeare calls it—to the Swiss, and Sir James Turner, who busied himself in writing on military mat ters, names it the “Allemaine whistle. In France it was employed at least as early as 1534, In which year it was ordered by Francis I that each band of 1,000 men was to have four drums and two fifes. A few years later, in England, we find “drommes and ffyffes” included in the mus- ter of Londcn citizens. Shakespeare re- fers to the musician, not the instrument, when he speaks in the “Merchant of Ven- fice” of “the vile squealing of the wry- CARLYLE IN CONTRAST. Pictures of the Old Scotch Thirty Years Apart. From the New York Tribune. Two “I went to see Thomas Carlyle,” said Dr. Theodore L. Cuyler, “* at his house in Chelsea, not far from the Thames. As I entered the room where he was I found desk with an open d before ion him sitting at his German volume spre gave me an impre: of scrupulous neatness. He was dressed almost com- pletely in black, wore a surtout, a high ccilar, open at the front, and an old- fashioned black steck, and looked at first sight altogether like a substantial coun- try deacon appareled on Sunday morn- ing to go to n ling. But his head was the massive head of Carlyle. Over it his iron-gray hair, well brushed out above the high forehead. Four of the great men 1 have met have come up to. the physiczl standards eur fancy has set for him. He them. These tour are Gladstone, Web- ster, Carlyle and Whittier. You could not have passed them in a crowd without turning about and looking after them, and admitting that they were entitled to be called kings of men. One of the guests at a dinner given for Webster ence told his hostess that Webster must be a fraud because no man could be so ‘at as he looked. ‘Thomas Carlyle’s first words were, ‘You're a which I responded to. me vera young man,’ to “Yes, but [ll get over that, I hope.’ Then he repeated my name and sa 2're Dooteh, aren't ye? When the Lord made Dcotchmen he gave thim mair coorage than y_ other nation. Wnhin Pheelip sent the Dook of Alva to squelch the Dootchmen, the Dootchmen squciched the Dook of Alva like a rotten EE. This he followed up by calling Napoleon a ‘bit rid rag of a Frinchman.’ I told him he should come to America, and he said: ‘Ah, ye can talk aboot yere democracies and all yere ither cracies, but the secrit of yere happiness is thot ye have vast Ceal o’ land for a vera few ; people.” Then I told him I had just come from the land of Burns, and ‘that the an who kept the cottage where Burns d died had killed himself drinking to the health of Burns. At that he let out a great peal of laughter and said: ‘D'ye tell ine thot? Ah, but a bit drap’ll send a mon a lang way.’ “Biographers on the sides of both houses have told us much of Carlyle’s domestic | life that should never have been told, but if you ask me what I think of it, I'll say that if you unite a man who's fearfully dyspeptic and who suffers mach from in- somnia to a brilliant, proud-svirited and sensitive woman, you have all the mate- rials for spontaneous combustion. Thirty years afterward I again saw Thomas Car- lyle. I was in London and wrote him a note reminding him of my visit of thirty yeurs ago, and requesting another inter- view. The reply I got was probably the shortest letter ever written. It was the scrawl, ‘Three p.m. T. C? And at 3 p.m. I went with my friend, Newman Hall After we entered the room Carlyle entered. In place of the strong, hale man I had seen thirty years before there shuffled feebly cross the room a limp old man, with hollow cheeks, a red spot as big as sailling burning in either cheek and clad in a long blue gown. He sat down and glared at us in a peculiar and rather terrifying way. It was difficult to start conversa- tion with such a man, and by way of do- ing so I introduced my friend, Newman Hall, whom I thought Carlyle must have beard of. His reply to my friend was: ‘An’ where do ye live. sir?” Newman Hall top hamper came down with a rumble, as the sailors say. I spoke of John Bright's popularity in America, and Carlyle sai ‘Jchn Bright’s naething but a Manchester bobman. He ought to go to parliament with a@ strap around his waist an’ samples in his pocket.’ He was in a pessimistic vein, and expressed the belief that England had gone down into a cesspool of utter damna- tion. During our interview he must have used the word ‘damnable’ twenty times, but after each outburst he would give vent to a hearty laugh.” a BRI{N DORU’S HARP. The Oldest Instrument of the Kind Preserved in Trinity College. From Lloyd's Newspaper. No more interesting relic of Ireland’s old historic days has come down than the in- strument preserved in Trinity College, Dub- lin, and known as “Brian Boru’s harp.” It is the oldest instrument of the kind known to exist in the land of Erin, and probably in Europe. The legend attached to the harp gives it the honor of having been played at the court of King Brian Boru, slain at the battle of Clontarf, in the year 1014, having passed into the possession of his son Donough, the murderer of Teague, in consequence of which act he was de- posed by a nephew. Donough retired to Rome. Thither the avenger carried the re- galia of his assassinated father, and also the musical instrument. Deposited in the vatican, it remained there centuries, until sent over by the pope to Henry VIII, then honored by the pontiff as the “Defender of the Faith.” This is only fiction. One of the greatest of Irish antiquarian scholars, the late George Petrie, has exhaustively and con- vincingly shown that the story has no foundation in fact. From its size, peculiar structure and heraldic decoration.Mr. Pe- trie deduced, to the satisfaction of archae- ologists, that the harp belonged to the smaller class of instruments used by the Irish ecclesiastics to accompany voices in the singing of hymns at private devotion or in the seryices of the church. The in- strument is but thirty-two inches high. Thus Mr. Petrie contended it was too small to have been a bardic instrument, quite unfitted to have been played by the min- strel at festal functions. The scholar also points out that his argument for the in- strument being one for devetional purposes is strengthened by the appearance of the letters “I. H. 8S.” carved in relieve in the Gothic character. It was the opinion of the antiquary that this harp was made for one of the two O'’Neills who flourished in the fourteenth century, the first as bishop of Clogher, the second as bishop of Derry. One of the last minstrels who struck har- mony from the strings of the instrument E: wrought, and there are other embellish- ments in the same metal. There is also a large crystal set in silver under another Stone, now lost. Some ef the wood is much decayed. Ireland, in old days, had rare craftsmen in wood and the metals, and “Brian Boru’s harp” is a most striking exe ample of their skill. ++ WINDMILLS, A Multitude of Things That the Wind Will Do. From the Youth's Companion. The first barley mill was introduced inte Scotland from Holland by an ingenious me: chanic named Andrew Meikle. But it was many years before the invention came into general use, owing chiefly to the supersti- tious prejudice of the country folk, who lecked upon the grain thus cleaned with suspicion, as procured by “artificially crea= ted wind.” The clergy even argued that “winds were raised by God alone i that it was irreligious in man to attempt to raise the wind by his own efforts.” Scott is evi- dently expressing the popular sentiment when, in “Old Mortality,” he makes one of his characters chide those who would raise wind “by human art, instead of soliciting it by prayer, or waiting patiently for what- ever dispensation of wind Providence was 1 to send upon the shealing nil ories are stil) told in the neighborhood where Meikle lived, of the labor-saving contrivances he adopted in his own house- hold. One day a woman came to the mill to get some barley ground and was asked to sit down in the cottage, hard by, till it was ready. With the first sound of the mill wh the cradle and the churn at her side began to rock and to churn, as tf influenced some supernatural ney. No one but herself was in the house, and she rushed from it, frightened almost out of her wits. Such incidents brought an ill-name on Meikle, and the neighbors declared of him that he was “no canny.” He was often summoned to great dis- tances, for the purpose of repairing pumps or setting mills to rights. On one sion when he undertook to supply a gentleman's house with water, so many country me- chanics had tried it before and failed that e butler would not believe Meikle when he told him to get everything ready, as the water would be sent in the next day. “It will be time enough to get read: the incredulous butler, “when we water.” ikle pocketed the affront se but set his machinery to work early the next morning; and so well did the engineer fulfill his prom- ise that when the butler got out of bed he found himself up to his knees in water. from Meikle reaped no financial reward his invention; his name is scarcely m ed in Scotch biography; yet the statement on the monument erected to his memory is literally true: ‘He rendered to the agricul- turists of Britain and of other nations a more beneficial service than any hitherto recorded in the annals of ancient or modern science.” ————— THEIR NOSES WON THE SUIT. Heirs to a 00 Estate Identified by Their Physiognomy. From the New York Journal. The heirs to a large estate, left by an uncle who died intestate, Nettie E. V. Peas body and Geo. F. L. Kipp of California, have thought themselves powerless for @ Icng time to establish their identity. For years the brother and sister have fought for their share in the estate of their uncle, Andrew Kipp of Saugerties, N. Y., worth to them about $30,001. Having no papers of their father, James Brown Kipp, the task of establishing their identity was no easy ene. But finally they conquered, having conclusively proved their identity by means of the peculiar shape of their noses, such noses being a siriking characteristic of their father’s family. Today, Former Sena- tor Linson of Kingston, N. Y., as referee, decided the famous Kipp case, celebrated throughout Ulster county, in favor of the California claimants. When And Kipp died, his William E. Kipp, claimed to be heir. He was appointed admini the estate. Then the California c put in an appearance and demanded their nghiful s James Brown Kipp, their d. He was murdered in Los in 1886 by a drunken husband was endeavoring to proiect the brother, thi only or of cimants wife. James Brown Kipp, away from his home in Saug: when ran » N. Yow because of an undeserved thrashing that his father administered to him for breaking a jug containing rum, which his brother William had broken. He was never heard from until his ch'tdren appeared to cluim a share of their uncle's estate. The children had photographs of their father, however, and in each photograph the enormous and queerly shaped nose stood out in bold relief. The son, George F. L. Kipp, had a nose almost exactly Eke that of his father, and no one who looked first at the photograph of the dead man and then gazed at the Mving son could for a moment doubt the striking resemblance. Some lines of writing in the Kanaka larguage, written by the late James Brown Kipp on the fly leaf of an old Bible, also figured in court, as a means of identifying the dead man's handwriting. Though the Bible was sent all over the country and submitted to many learned men, it was found impossible to find any one who could decipher the writing and correctiy inters pret it. Long Stems Are More Decorative. From Gardening. We lately saw a church altar decorated with cosmos where the stems were not over six to eight inches long, utterly spoil- ing the effect of this beautiful flower, and saw the same error committed on a home decorated dinner table at the house where extensive grounds enabled the owner to gather cll the flowers desired and with ag long stems as nature attached to them. ince of bow to use them so deracted rom their beauty and grace that the table would have looked better without a cut flowers should have enough thelr themes and foliage to allow them to be placed loosely in the vases, and to furnish their own green. Cosmos should be cut with stems two and a half to three feet, and with them, as with all flowers, the fol- fage attached to that part of the stent that is immersed in water should be rex ‘mover, as it fouls the water.