Evening Star Newspaper, September 10, 1898, Page 23

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1898-24 PAGES, HOW ANIMALS —— ~ SLEEP Almost Ali Seem to Have Some Love of Home. RETURN NIGHTLY 10 THE SAME PLACE Chosen Because It is Suitable for Rest and Quiet. ee BIRDS AND THEIR HABITS Paget eee From the Spectator. As animals’ beds are almost the only pieces of furniture which they construct, so their sleeping places or bed rooms rey resent most nearly their notion of “hom The ected to pi the hours of sleep, whether by night or day, is more often than not deveid of any efforts at con- struction. It is chosen for some qualities which strike the owner as suitabie for rest and quict, and frem that moment it arouses in the animal mind some part of the human sentiment which we know as “the love of home.” This association of édeas with their sleeping places is entir ly distinct from the so-called “homing in- stinct,” or sense of direction. It is a sen- timent, not a mental process, and is ex- hited by creatures which are not com- monly credited with memory or the power of thought. Some butterfties, for example, return regularly to the same piace te sleep, and their proverbial flightiness docs not prevent them from enter’ ning the senti- ment of home. The first vindication of butterfly meinory was occasioned by the regularity with which a small butterfly named Precis Iphita returned to sleep in a veranda of a musical club at Manghasar, in the Dutch East India Islands. Mr. C. Fiepers, a member of the Dutch Entomo- logicai 3: noticed that this butterfly returned to the same place on the ceiling during the evening. In the day it was ab- sent, but at mghtfall, in spile of the bril- liant illum >a of ‘the veranda. It Wi again sleeping in the same spot. “It was not to be found in the daytime, being prob- ably absent on business,” writes Mr. Piep- ers: “but as civilization has not advanced so far in slanghasar that it is there con- sidered necessary to drive away every harm! creature which ventures into a human dwelling, 1 bad the pleasure of ad- miring the memory of this butterfly for six consecutive nights. Then some accident probably befell it, for 1 never saw aay trace of it agai Insects and Birds. It is difficult to Imagine a spot with less orn the home than dor f res to a piece of the bare ceiling of a tropical ve- randa; but th chment of animals to their chosen sleeping place must rest on quite clear to their own hough not evident to ie ses the ground of choice is all blue Bi ish buttertiies spotted backs to their wi fly regular!y to shei chalk downs Where they downwards on the top: ch there flour- ish, and. lowering their wings as far as possible, look exa: like a seed- head on the ¢ night is colt they creep down the stem and sleep in helter among the thick lower growth of gra The ha s in regard to sleep are very unlike, some being ve solicitous to be in bed in good time, while others are awake and about all night. But among the former eping place is the true home penetralia. It has nothing with < ne other often pre They want a bed room to r complete isola- ves. Sparrows, which appear to go in companies, and sometimes do so, after a vast amount of talk fuss, Not rest cuddled up against one like starlings or chickens, but have priva holes and corners to sivep in. They are fond of siceping in the sides of straw Ticks. but each sparrow has its own little holiow among the straws, as each flock of makes its own picte”™ on s for two » almost as which the tented. It came pon a narrow a house in Ons- the bare white- portico, there were no cosy iat eighteen imehes fre the s the gas-lit portico lamp and ests gular return nee that it re- but why did it "0 in place of square? " Year After Year. It isa ar ery” from South Kensington to the southern cliffs: but the same sen’ of home which brought the sparrow back nightly to his London portico brings the cormorants and the falcons to the same Spot in the same precipice year after year in the Culver cliffs. There is a certain which the peregrine fal- nter and summer in the white ipice. and every night at nts fly in to sh Pp On their i pedestals en an ther por- t of alla und caverns are ent istingu: ric man, the znd of the prese caves their bed rooms, ard these in the ght of ain, for they return to die there eros slept bones were he last English rhinoc- byshire cave where his only & matter of caves are the natural s of nearly ali nocturnal croa- by protection from from the disturbing light. serve the smalier creatures. But the greet caves, especially those é tropical forest. whether on the Ociedes ee in Central America, or the Indian archi. pelago, or in prehistoric Kentucky, hove been the sleeping pla of millions of creatures from the remotest ages of the earth. There sleep the legions of the bate: there the “dragons” and monsters of ald dreamed evil dreams after undigested sur- eits of marsupial prey or of -» i Fee ee marsuplal prey or of prehistoric : and there the wolf, nd the giant snake the hours of day. Sleeping Together. Other : Is, In place of seeking and maintaining a private bed room, prefer to sleep together tn companies. Aristotle's remark that “carefulness is least in that which is common to most” holds good cf these communal sleeping places. Even Clever creatures like pigs and domestic ducks have no “home” and no permanent sleeping quarters. Like the Australian black, who, when bresented with a house, Pointe Out the pecullar advantages offered ¥ square buildings, because they y offered spaniel the bear, the panther a still sleep away a@ wall to ep against m e, whichever way the wind blew, they hove to shift their quart ccordjng to the weather. With these ations, pigs are extremely clever in choosing sleeping quar. ters. The wave of heat during the senond Week of August was preceded by two days of very low temperature and rain. Ina Tow of model pig sties. during these cold days, nothing was visible but a large flat heap of straw in each. This straw waa “stuffed” with Uttle pigs. all lying le sardines in a box, keeping each otner warm, and perfectly invisible, with the Straw for a blanket. Then cam * the heat, and some hundred swine were let loose ‘in a paddock. By Reon the whole herd were lying in the shadow of a large oak, every pig being fast asieep, close together in the shade circle. In another meadow two flocks of Ailesbury ducks were also fast asleep in the grass. in the shadow of the oaks. But social ant. mals, which live In herds and often move considerable distances in search of their @aily food, are known to resort to fixed sleeping places on occasion. Among the Jin wildest and least accessible creatures of the old world are the wild sheep. Hunters in the Atlas mountains commonly find chambers in the rocks which the aoudads, Brrbary wild sheep, use to sleep in Seme are occupied by a single ram, others are uscd by small herds of five or six, or an old sheep with her lamb. The ovine ent, so strong near domestic sheepfolds, always clings to these rock chambers of the wild sheep. The “big horn” of the Rocky mountains is also found in holes in the hills, but these are betieved to be made by the sheep eating salt-impregnated clay, until they burrow into the hill. They may be “bolted” from these holes like rabbits. Even park deer sometimes occupy bed rooms. In one old deer park in Suffolk some of the giant trees show hollow, half- decayed roots above ground, like miniature caves. Into these the young deer used to creep in hot weather, when the flies were troubiesome, and lie hidden and cool. Watery Bed Rooms. Fish, which not only need sleep Ike other creatures, but yawn when drowsy, and exhibit quite recognizable signs of som- nolence, sometimes seek a quiet chamber to slumber in. This is obvious to any one who will watch the behavior of certain reck-haunting species at any good aqua- tium. The “lump-suckers,” conger eels, and rock fish will retire into a cave in the grotto provided for them, and there go fast asieep; though as their eyes are open their “exposition of sleep” is only proved by the absence of movement, and neglect of any food which comes in their reach. Their ccmparative safety from attack when py in open water may be due to the sersitiveness of their bodies to any move- ment in the water. But pike are easily shared when asleep, probably because, be- ing the tyrants of the waters themselves, they have less of the “sleeping senses" pos- sessed by most animals which go in fear of their lives from hereditary enemies. eee eS DECLINE OF PETER'S PENCE. Our War With Spain Has Affected the Finances of the Vatican. From the Pell Mall Gazette. The Hispano-American war has had a considerable influence on the finances of the Vatican, and especially on that branch Known as “Peter's pence.” This voluntary centributien of the faithful toward the sup- port of tne head of the church reached its maximum on the occasion of the first ju- bilee of the present pope, in which year about £1,000,000 was gathered in. This con- siderable sum was not only not surpasse’ or reached afterward, but the contribu- tions gradually diminished, principally in Italy, which, being near the Vatican, feels less the fascination and sense of power of that institution. In France, where the re- publican policy of Leo XIII did not meet with Catholic favor, the same diminution is to be noted. The cause at work in Austria and Belgium to the same end is the with- drawal of the holy see's support of the Catholic socialists, after creating the party; in Spain and Portugal the falling ay in revenue is due to the ever-increas- ing poverty there. A considerable blow was given to Peter's pence by the Insti- tution of the Propagation of the Faith of Lyons, which refused to pay the annual tribute of f£4,(kK), ich has been given from time immemcrial, alleging that, the Vatican bears no longer the expen protecting French missions In the L they consider themselves free from obliga- tion. The Vatican, however, did not allow the matter to rest here. Negotiations wei entered into and the institute agreed to £8,000. the war stands pre-eminently above ther causes that make for a falling in papal income. From Spain and America alcne, in the first six months of this ye Peier’s pence was £12,000 : than last year. This shrinkage directly af- fects Leo XJIfs personal income, which amounts to about £280,000 a year, partly taken from Peter's pence. Of this sum th pontiff keeps for himseif only £20,000, not only for his small expenses, but also for the presents which he now and then makes to sé and heads of states, and for the charity which he wishes to dispense pri The remainder of the £280,000 is sz as follows: Twenty-eight thou- san pounds for the so-called Cardinali di Curia, who receive a yearly sum, known as the piatto cardinalizio, of £ £18,400 to the poor dioceses; £72,000 to the prefect- e of the palace, which out of that sum the ex es of the court, palace and This is not very extravagant tay when one considers that the Vati- es 11,000 rooms. The office of the of state, which is the foreign of- €, absorbs £40,000, the Vatican employ £60,000, and the free church bls £31,600, ————— cee = Proposed to a Queen. From the Londen Chronicle. The art of making a proposal of mar- riage to a queen fs one in which it is no disgrace for any of us to plead ignorance 4 perience. A resident of Malta has essed one of the dusky queens of thu the South Pacific Island “Her Gracious Queen: most willing excuse me for having the im- pudence to write to you in this manner, and ac I hope you will the reason for my doing so is, when I was reading the pay yesterday I read about the steamship Bonanza being drifted on your isiand, and the women under you be- san to select husbands from crew, and that you, my queen, wanted for a husband a man that would love you and make you y. 1 have been thinking the matter . and I have come to the conclusion that if you will have me for a husband, back and Jet me know; also that you ld send me the money for my passage out, so as I can come to you, and I will repay you the money when [get to you. If, queen, I will suit you, write back me Know as soon as possible; also a paper note for £23 or £25, and I at once.” Maltese gentleman wonders why he 1 no reply to the businesslike pro- al, it may interest him to know that it ever reached her majesty. His letter was 1 by the head chief, who handed it to the principal white trader, who posted it to his Syd firm, who in its turn sent it Daily Telegraph. The post- that it had passed through sland, Sydney, Samaral and will come If th rec pertshoh. see Rain in Cuba. From the London Ma A sudden pattering in the trees, a sud- den darkening in big spots of the white canvas, and down came the tropical rain. How it rained! Like waves breaking; great heavy biobs of water volleying at yom lik2 bullets from a machine gun. Men who were ten yards from their tents were wet through before they gained shelter. An five minutes th> camp was under wa- tar; on the slopes were rushing torrents; on the levels were deep swirling pools. Down the trunks of the trees the water pour2d cataracts. From the lower edge of every tent it flowed in a broad stream. ‘The men, drawing up the corners of thir rubber blankets so as to keep the flood away from themselves and their belong- ings, crouched under their tents and shiv- erad. it rained for two hours without stopping. In the first half hour every man in camp was wet through, so that many of them tcok off their wet clothes and stood naked in the rain for the remainder of the time. The sun came out again soon afi+r, hoi- ter than evar, and the damp earth steamed ull the camp was an open-air vapor batii. But blaze away as the sun might, the ground never got dry again that day, and at night we turned in shivering with th> damp earth striking cold through the rub- ber sheet and the blanket. Pity the poor devils now who, when they were march- ing in the sunshine, threw away their rub- ber sheet and the blanket. co- Largest Hotel in the World. From the Philadelphia Record. The sultan is said to have nearly com- pleted the largest hotel in the world at Mecca. This establishment is to lodge 6,000 pilgrims at once, with, presumably, their camels and other beasts of burden, and Promises to be one of the most picturesque places to stay at in the world, although, of ceurse, infidel dogs are not allowed to ap- proach it. Its vast size has drawn atten- tion to monster residences. The largest dweiling house in existence is in Vienna, where there is an apartment-house with 1,500 rooms in it, occupied by more than 3,000 people. ‘This building has thirty-two staircases, thirteen interior courts and 850 windows on the street. FLIT AMONG THE FLOWERS Bich Colors of the Humming Birds Make Them Very Attractive. Are Able to Fiy Backward — Their Beautiful Crests—Varied and Wonderful Tails. From the Philadelphia Ledger. Most of che hummers sip honey from the flowers. Peised on wings that move so rapidly that they appear like a semicircle of film around their swaying bodies, the birds insert their long beaks into the tubes of flowers and extract nectar with relish. It is true that some of the warblers and kinglets will sometimes poise in this way before a leaf and peck an insect from its surface, but this occurs rarely, and it is not a regular habit of these birds. The susutrus of the hummer’s wings, as he balances in the air or darts from flower to flower, has given the birdling his name. One of the most wonderful, features of hummer flight is the bird's ability to move backward while on the wing—probably the only instance in which a bird is able to accomplish this feat. Mr. Ridgway says that this movement is greatly assisted by a forward flirt of the bird's expanded tai ‘There are, however, a few exceptions to this rapid manner of flight, even in the hummer family. One of the most striking s that of the giant humming bird, which flaps its wings in a slow, leisurely way as it hovers over a flower, much like the des- ultery vibrations of a large butterfly’s wings. During flight its tail is constantly expanded and closed like a fan, and its body is kept in an almost vertical position, ana seems to be suspended from a central point. It is not to be wondered at that the hum- ming birds a-e sought for deccrative pur- poses. Their rich colors and bright orna- ments make them a tempting prize to the lovers of gaudy fashions. Vast numbers are slaughtered in Mexico and South Amer- ica, being killed with fine shot or caught with nets and line. On account of this ruthless destruction, some species are said to be on the verge of extinction, and, of course, it will be the most beautiful kinds that will be exterminated first. At a sale held in London on March 21, 1888, more than 12,000 hummer skins were dis- posed of, and in one week 400,000 hummers and other American birds were sold in Lon- don at auction. A brilliant hummer, flit- ting airily amid the foliage and flower: is “a thing of beauty and a joy forever. On a woman's bonnet such a decoration is little short of garish. All the colors of the spectrum, wich many intermingled tints, » combined in their plumage, so that me of them seem to be truly kaleido- scopic. One of the most striking orna- ments of many of the hummers is the “gor- .’ as it is called—t is, a gleaming throat patch of imbricated feathers. In the common ruby throat it is ruby, as the name implies; in several species, like Costa's hum- i . the tips of the feathers-are pur nd the basal portions snow white, In they gleam in the most metallic red or violet. Somecimes the feathers of these gorgets are clonguted into a beautiful ruff on each side of the neck or into a bearded tuft reaching down from the chin. Still more wonderful are the crests worn by a number of the species. There, for instance, is Guerin’s helmet crest, wh« head is surmounted by a tall, slender top- knot that looks like a miniature pyramid, while a pointed beard of almost the same length depends from its chin. Princess Helena’s coquette has a double crest, both parts running to a sharp point, making them look like two tiny horns, while its gorget is decorated at its base with a semi- e of elongated feathers that stream out like pennants. The spangled coquette has a crest of the finest spray spread out in the form of 2 round fan, dappled with me- allie b'ack spots. No *s varied and wonderful are the tails of the hummers. Robert Ridgway says: “The shape and development of the tail feathers of the humming birds vary to a degree that has no parallel among other birds, many of the forms assumed being also entirely unique. There are deep- ly forked and scissor-shaped tails, wedge- shaped ‘ails, double-rounded and double- emarginated tails, tails with streamers of tails with racket-shaped hers, ana tails whose quaint and elab- ate structure defies description by any specific veral species have long feathers that sweep around in graceful f toons, either running parallel or else cro: ing each other. These pennants are often free of vanes, save at the end, where there is a broad, fanlike expansion.’ In one form these elongated appendages make a grace- ful double curve, and cross each other twice. In another they bend outward and then turn and cross each other near the end like two curved swords.” ects Sierra Leone. From the F Sierra rtnightly Review. Leone nas a memoradls history. Through more than two centuries the haunt of siave dealers and pirates, who followed the example set by Capt. Jchn Hawkins in 1562, it was the site chosen for the first practical attempt to make some reparation for the grievous wrongs pre- vievsly done to West African natives. In 1787, at the instigation of Granville Sharp and other philanthropists, the British gov- ernment sent to it a cargo of about four hundred liberated blacks thea wandering about in London, with about eighty white women of loose character to keep them company; and, on a piot of land Lought frem the native chiefs, Freetown was started, as the basis of a free community of colored British subjects. This exrly set- tlement, added to and replenished by other onsignments, was none too prosperous. The newcomers quarreled with one another and with their neighbors. They were tur- bulent and indolent, sickly and short lived. Matters improved when the enterprise was aicen over by a ra Leons Company in 171, but it was only saved from ruin by the self-sacrificing energy of Zachary caulay, the historian’s father, who governor of the struggling colony trom to 17y0. Jn these and later years the poputatioa, in spite of an appeilizg death rate, was steadiiy increased by fresh supplics’ from the West Indies and eisewhere; and it grew more rapidly after 1807, waen king- land's share in the slave trade was ¢bolish- ed by act of parliament, aud whea Sierra Leone, again placed under the direct rule of the crown, came to be the principal asylum for captives rescued from iVicit las for runaways from the According to the census of 1891, it then contained over 26,000 liberaced Afri- cans and their descendants, hesides--in so much of the terrtory as was under any sort of settled rule—more than 40,000 other black people and 224 whites. 15 “Lucky” Baldwin's Bad Luck, From the Chicago Times-Herald. “Lucky” Baldwin is no longer lucky. He can’t raise ready cash. He has plenty of real estate—whole square miles of as fine land as exists anywhere, but nobody wants to buy, and so he remains poor. At one time. what with his mines, his ranches and other interests, he was worth $30,000,000, ‘That was not long ago, but even twelve or thirteen years ago he was very rich and was lord of the vast end beautiful estate in the San Gabriel valley, near Los Ange- les. Along in 1894 it became known that Mr. Baldwin was in need of moncy ané@ present!y he began to sell pleces here and there of bis grand estate in California, “Lucky” was not living up to his name. Today, the owner of land enough for a small principality, he finds trouble in lay- ing his hands on a hundred-dollar bill. Mr. Baldwin has been l'ving in San Fraacisco pretty regularly for the past three years. He is now seventy years old and is show- ing his age. He is by no means the pte- turesque Man he was When his Volante wa3 king of the turf. But “Lucky” is a pretty gocd man yet, even if he ts losing his mil- fions. Among all the shrewd, wise men who became bonanza kings and miilicn- aires in the brisk days of California there was none shrewder cr wiser than Balé- win. He has played many parts in his time and played all well. He has been a canal boatman, groceryman, hotel keeper, brickmaker, liveryman, theatrical manager, turfman, mining operator, farmer and al- ways a speculator. He has been able to manage and direct five or six big businesa- es, from a magnificent stable of race horses te a gold mine, hotel, ranch, winery, vine- yards and a brickyard. He may not leave as many millions behind as he might once have left, but there is hardly any danger of his going to the poor house. RANDOM VERSE. September. Bir Goldenrod stands by and grieves Where Queda September goeth byt Her viewleas feot diniurh the leaves, And with her south the thrushes: fly, Or Totter “mid. flo runiling wheaven,. = And search ‘ahd fall, and wonder why. ‘The buigher eat-tails'stiMy bow Beside the marsh, The aaters cast Thels purple corcnets, and below The brown ferns shiver in the blast, And all the fretted Repeats thé cold, clear, yellow sky. The des, loved simmer days are past, And tringwil goce ths Queen to dle, S. WEIK MIT¢ ELL. —_—_+e Laat Tap, Theodore Roberts in the Independent. Carry him out and put bim away, Reveille no more Wekes him no: x We've sounded his last “Lights out” today, And the dust hes fallen on iips end brow ‘So leave hi there, leave him there, resting still, With beed no more for retreat or drill. prot aglow Lead hts horse back to camp again; Lead the beast kindly, for, don He frets at the guidance of other men— He misses the press of familiar knee So lead him back over the glaring sund’ Kindly for sake of the other band. you see, Three volley: over the trooper’s grave, And he moved ro eyclfd at noise of the three. “Ave,’’ the first, to the soul of the brave, And the second “‘Gocspeed”’ from the company, And the third said “Vale,” and then we tarned And left him awaiting what peace he had earned. We shed no cear and we make no moan For the man who has left us to rest awhile. We pity him, lying there all alone. We recall vid gestures and quiet smile; But- why should we weep for him now when he Wanted ‘Lights cut" through eternity? ‘Tampa, Fla. ee . Playing Soldier, From the Chicago Record. My soldier marches off to war, Fierce, sturdy, stanch, defait— With blie eyes sparkling bravely for Offending witch or giant, Or Spaniard—worse than all the rest ‘Or sty hostile trifle Like that; in denim dressed, And bears a wooden rifie. He -outs the old piano box, He charges on the chickens Observing warfare’s dreadful shocks, My pulse paternal quickens. I watch his garden-lot campaigns ‘em— And take a deep pride in My soldier's horse has kit His martial cloak is de At last the field is fonght and won. (He always wins; he's Incky3) He drops nis little wooden gun And eke bis charger plucky, And undernerth a cherry e With war spoil all arcond him Sinks into rest. Thus daily we For three weeks back bave found him, Well, let him sleep; a soldier needs me rest from his endeavor, @ easement from beric deeds: on forever, four, and brave and game, And sold “iT take him Up to bis all the same, Where w eun't wake him, ses — ‘The Disappointed Volunteer. James Walter Shette! In Life. He never resehed the battie'’s front T> fight for freedom’s cause: He never heard the sereaming shells, Nor stared into jeath's jaws. They left him lyiag back in camp Until the war was o'e To drill each day until nis And feet were very sore. arms nd beans, . round and square, ace of spades, ng, I swear. He dicted om pa And hardt With cofes bl And much toa, st He never Keard!the batile’s roar, Yet needshe not despulr, For, though of war be cannot tell, He can tell of war fare. + +--0+ The Returning. Margaret Sangstet in Collier's Weekly. They mar ttered flag, Our But spent ‘The weary id. slow their footsteps lag, inen-at-arts. allant haste,they stormed the bill, With And dared ihe deadly trey; They bad no lzck of nerve or will In battle’s fearful day. Thovgh bulleté ewept their thinning ranks, >: They did nog pale with dread. Today they smile and utter thanks Abive that veil of dead. . a willer craft, i them since the ‘fight; A Witter cup their lips have quaffed. Fever, and cold, and fright, And fami Have bad them for thelr prey. Well may they lag behind toe flag, Our men-at-arms this day, Through te How cruel w that blu r can be. Ballade of the Fan, From the Pall Mall Gazette. Wd mother-o"-pearl, ‘Tortoise }, satin and lace, . wanting eyes of a girl, ton her laughing facet we embrace, 1 fri ets purl umer-linguid pace, ty its airy e race woods of Pan, And powdered Pbyilidas out of place On a bit of a printed fan, Drifts of éherry-bicom whirl, Swallows their flight retrace Biossoms such as the spring m young west wind to chase, aud xno arin An mit of Puji-San Shoots mHUk white from its blue-girt base Ou a bit of a painted fan, Prince. or marquis, or e: At your best hut /a im: You are les Of a bit of min! fore the twirl Im Arecady. From the Spectator. Not a movement, » t a murmur in the wind; Dind-note, vot a whisper in ney, hot a feeling in the mis But the one thought, “It Is very, very fal And the fume. what a perfume, of the pine! And ibe azure, what an azure, there below, Whete the waters in a Jong and creamy line Come in wavelets! Ab, the Ocean has Its snow. Oh, the beauty of the downw: As they fall, or seem to The enchantment, old encha With the mystery of silene -dropping rills, ull, without a sound? nt, of the hills, ali around! As If Spirits of tue mountain and the deep, Faney's loveliest creations, stil were there, Who nilgbt wake rp any moment from their sleep, Nymph and Nalad, beauty’s semblance, yet more ‘air, Something dearer than the stillness of the wood; Something livelier thau the radiance of the green; Who might teach us in a yolce we understood, ‘That # beart ts there In Nature, though unseen: That a mother's heart 1s beating in her grace; She hath wisdom, she is wonderfnlly wise; There is purpose in each wrinkle of her cheek; Love Is lurking in the glances of her eyes, ' And the wildness ins départed from her life; Peace ts sb hee battletields of old; Here the mountaly gelis pf earthquake and of strite; ‘There the valley ‘has fts ecrufeld, and Sts gold. So we lingered. till the With the golcenthaxe And we knew notjthe All was passing wich All was passing, ygt It,cometh oft again In the evening. ike a weil-beloved guest, ‘That remembrance of a@beauty without stain, Of a world juscfor-aqnoment at its best. 0+ Folde@ Hands. Albert 3igelow Paige tm the Baltimore Herald. Dear, patient nandg, that toiled so hard for me, At rest before now I see them lying, ‘They tolied 30 hard: ang yet We could not see ‘That she was aytbs. 3 "1 Poor, rowgh, red tands-that drudged the livelong Sti busy when the midnight off was burning, Oft tolling on util she saw the gray Of day returning! If T could sit and hold those tired hands An¢ feel the warm life-blood within them beat- Jandsetpe seemed to blend f su je passing of the day. ing And gaze wita her among the twilight lands, Some whispered words repeating, I think tonight that I would love her so, And I could tell my love to her so truly, That e’en though tired she would not wish to go And leave me thus urduly. Poor, t!.ed heart, that had so weary grown That ‘loath Wane all unheeded o'er It creeping, How still it Ik to sit here all alone While she 1s sleeping! Dear, patient heart that deemed the heavy care Ot ‘drndgirg household teil its highest duty; That laid aside its precious yearning there Along ‘with duty. ~ Dear heart and ‘80 pulseless, Mt and cold! cefull area ‘she's sleeph shrewd about them silent fold = And leave me weeping. PARADISE FOR SPORTSMEN | Wild Game and Fish of All Sorts Abound in Cuba, Boar Huating, Deer Driving and Quail Shooting—Rare Sport With Rod and Keel. Jobn T. Hyatt, jr., in Field tnd Stream. While Cuba offers such a haven to the in- valid, it is a paradise for the sportsman, wild game and fish of all kinds being abundant. Parties of gentlemen on horseback, with their packs of hounds, hunt the fleet-footed deer. | When they arrive in the locality which the game frequent, the hunters, as Wiln us, stauon themselves in the paths where the deer are likely to pass and the dogs are turned ivose. It is a commou thing ter a smail party to kill eight or ien deer in a day. When night falis and the men are through wath the chase, surround ed by their wophies of the day's sport, ihey spend the eveuing with pipes and wies at the campiire, iaver to swing their ham- mocks irom the neighooring bougns, aud, free from care and iruubies ana amigst tc moonignt aud shadows and scent of iux- uriant lowers, to sieep thal sicep whicn gives health and iite. ‘The wild boar is plentiful, and sometimes, if cornered, dangerous, especially the om master of the hera, called “un solMario,’ Which will tear a dug .o pieces or make a green hunier climy a tree, but a Cuvan easily Kius him with a machete. The isi- and boar sometimes weight 200 or 3 pounds, and nas huge tusks, often live or SiX inches in length. The meat of the fe- maie is much relished by the natives. Wild dogs and cats, wild caitie, horses and jack- @sses abound. isut the Juuia, peculiar oniy to Cubs, which looks like a cruss between @ squirrel With a rat’s lal and a rabbit and which lives in the trees and feeds oa nuis ey leaves, is the great delight of the Cu- n. owls are in great numbers. hens and turkeys are found from 25 to 100. The and the fiutter of the are heard on all sides in the rural and mountain regions. Ducks in abundance come over from Florida in the winter and return with the spring. Wild pigeons, with their white tops and bodies of blue, larger somewhat than the domestic bird, Offer, in hunting, the greaiest sport to gentlemen who will be restrained within reason. in the early mornings the Pigcous generally go to feed on the mangle berries when ripe, and which grow by the sea or near some Swampy place. I have known of a party of three persons to kill 1,500 of the pigeons within a few hours. Robiches, tojosas and Suanaros are found in ihe thick woods Mocking and biue birds, orioles, turpials, poemies., Parrots and a thousand Kind of songsters and birds of brillia age fit from tree to tree. ee ‘ The waters About Cuba, at night strange- ly phosphorescent, are marvelous in their transparency. Objects can be seen at a depth of 80 or 90 feet, and the endless riety of botanical and animal life in the depths afford great p!easure for those wio love the realm of nature's mysterious lore. Brown lichen, great white coral trees, kelp and nimberless shelis, with fish whose bright colors emulating the tints of pree- ious stones and the hues of the rainbow, darting hither and thither, combine to form a most enchanting aquarium of nature. The natu » Poey, says there are G41 distinct species of fish in the Cuban waters. Amcng those that delight the sportsman are the red snapper, lista, manta, gallego, cubera, surela and gar fish. The sierra, which weighs from 40 to GO pounds, is ex- Wild guinea in tlocks of whistle of the quail pheasant and perdiz trerely game, as is the ronco, so-called because it snores when brought out of the water. For heavy sport, fishing for sharks, which are good for nothing, cr the gusa, which weighs from 400 to 600 pou and ts excellent eating, offer abun- dant exere It is a daily occurrence to see school of fish, numbering from hun- dreds to many thousands, each fish weigh- ing from one to four pounds, imunin; around the bays and harbors waiting for a bait. Any American who enjoys good fishing can find his fondest dreams more than satisfied in Cuba. Delicious shrimps, crabs and oysters end clams’ abound. The have no claws and weizh from eight pounds. They are caught at night in shallow places along the ndy beach, a torch, harpoon and net being the nec- essary outfit. Some of the rivers abound in alligators, but few hunt them. BIRDS ON TALL BUILDINGS. How the Old Ones Teach Their of- spring to Fly. m Our Animal Friends, Since the tall office buildings have come into vogue the sparrows have gone up- ward to build their nests, and broods are reared every season a hundred feet or more above the street. The young fledge- lings are safe from cats and annoying small boys, but their security in that Te- spect is offset by the danger of falling out of the nest. The parent birds are so fear- ful of such an accident that one or the other stands on guard at all hours of the day. When the time approaches for the young birds sto fly the parents show their anx- iety In many ways. They seem to try to induce their young to remain in their nests until their wings are strong enough to sup- port them; but if one should flop out be- fore the prever time the two old birds go to the rescue. An instance of this kind happened a few deys ago at old Trinity. The steeple of the church is a favorite breeding place of the sparrows, and clumsy nests are poked away in every nock and corner. In a nest perched nearly up to the cross that sur- Mounts the steeple the second brood of young sparrows have just reached the fly- ing age, and the other day the foremos youngster flopped over the side of the nest and came tumbling down to the hard pave- ment below. His vain efforts to use h wings only multiplied his strange gy1 tions through the air, but before he could reach the ground the two parent sparrows had darted downward in time to receive him on their backs. It was impossib'e for them to fly with the bird on their shoulders, but they glid- ed slowly downward with wings outspread until they reached the top of the trees, where they managed to land the young- ster safely among the sheltering branches. Then they gave a chirp of delight and re- turned to the nest to warn the others against any such foolhardy venture. The first lessons in flying are very diffi- cult fer young birds reared in such high homes. The first flight of a fledgeling must of necessity be short, and if he should attempt to fly downward to the streets below he would undoubtedly plunge forward with such impetuosity as to kill him when he reached the pavement. Con- | different hue: on. When the urtamed camels first arrived ai our camp I heard a tremendous growl- ing In front of the dcor. and, on going ou I saw one of these amiable beasts be led by his keeper, but walking along with every expressicr. of disgust both in his ecuntenance and vcice. The man siopped {aitto camel), and attempted to tie the ast’s forelegs together, when it reared, and. striking out with its forefeet. ianded on the keeper's stomach and head, sending him flying through sjace as if shot oul of a cannon. The man picked himself out of the ditch with « hand on each bruised part, and the camel, which had never cearet rearing, was taken in charge by two other and more vobust nati and led to the tents, or rather induced to <o by energetic assistance of a very sbarp iron rod appiled In a most vigorous and miscellaneous ma ner. Similar exhibitions are being co: ducted here daily, and we are now * lead the recently broken camels. three or four days th I first formed my opi years ago, when I rode across the Arabian desert and se» no reason to alter it any way. The creature has so many t enis and s0 many ways of exhibiting them. And, to begin with, It can kick harder, higher, swifter and oftener than a mule, and can use all four feet at one time in a kicking match. Then it can bite worse than a viclous horse, and buck In a way to make a broacho blush with absolute shame No rider ever itved who can stay on that perch seven feet from the ground dur- ing a camel's exhibition of gymnastics. Then he can run away when he feels like it, anc is often seized with a desire to slope, Upon an occasion of this kind his rider ex- perlences a sensation between being blown up with dynamite and struggiing against the throes of an earthquake until all his Joints are dislocated, and he drops, a limp, Inert mass, to the ground. Then thts sweet creature has a way of evincing his dis- pleasure that ts at least effectual and con- vincing. He twists his snake-like neck tn- to a circle, and, poking his ugly nose nte the face of the rder, opens his cavernous mouth and lets out a rour of disgust in such a fetid breath that the elevated human victim ts fairly blown into the mid- die of the coming month (a week being too short a distance). And yet, with all these high recommendations, which some people might consider objectionable, these are the dear snimais I am constantly brcught in contact with, and for which I am even beginning to form an affection.” W ey become tractable. fon of a camel some AN AMERICAN “BLUE GROTTO. A Beautiful Cavern Located Beside Lake Minnewaska. From Science. Many of the beautiful phenomena seen at the celebrated Blue Grotto of the Island of Capri are reproduced on a small scale in a cavern at Lake Minnewaska, New York. This lake is situated on the Shaw- angunk range of mountains, at an eleva- tion of about 1,700 feet; it lies im a basin, excavated in glacial times, about haif 2 mile Jong and less than a quarter in width, and of depth reaching sevent The rock on ull sides is a white quartzite known as Shawargunk grit, which rests upon shale, but no outcrop of the latter is visible feet. at the lake. The quartzi compact to granular, and contains in a pebbles of white quartz; it is very. fm m feldspathic admixture, so that yields to the water very little soluble m ter. Bare cliffs rising fo the heizht feet bound the vast side of the la the KS well wooded. The cliffs are vertical a% aged at ther base by the usual talus, wlich, how-y-r, is ma up of blocks of wausval The cavern fs fo rocks overhanging ¢ a comparatively dark hole, an] between the under side of the slopir and the water varies from to not more than two inche. faces the southwest; it is very irregular in shape, and at one point tha roof 4 walls reverberate in cesponse to a bass note. The w the entrance: of the cavern is th’ two or three feet very transparent at consider As the rocks overhang sv water, the optical effects can onl by a swimmer, and ‘t was while wo swimm! along the shore nat L ciscovered (he Amer- ican blue grotto ‘nree rs_ao. As ore approaches the mouth -f th? cay bluish color of :he water is roric , nut the beautiful effects best seen by en- tering the operng sooking outward toward the light. ‘The water varies in or from Nile green through turquoise } and sky blue to deep indigo blue, and in these shades exhibits the silvery appear- ance, when agitated, characteristic of the grott, at Capri. A body immersed in the ater has a beautiful silvery sheen, similar the reflection of moonlight. The water hours, but they are the zenith; nting rays of sun enter the opening and light up the rn, greatly diminishing the optical ef- nm the and to has these colors at strongest when the late in the afternoon the s sun the cavi fects, The w (but without the silvery sheen) on cloudy days, and even during . being especial- ly strong when fleecy white clouds ba direct sunlight. The relation between the green and blue, to the as- pect of the sky, whether clear or ove cast, is not evident. Another pleasing phenomenon mentioned. J below the w: where the rocky sides are lapped by the waves, the white quartzite exhibits a. bril lant sislan-green hue; this bright color {s limited to a space about three or four inches below the level of the lake and to certain walls of the cavern. The bare arm immersed in the water partakes of the green color when the light is reflected at one angle, and of the silvery biue color at another angle. The interior size of the cavern is not easily given, but the face of the overhanging rocks measures about forty feet and they project about fifteen to twenty feet, and it is surprising that = must be ter Mne, small a cavern can preduce such a variety of fine effects. oo He Happened to Own One. From the Electrical Review. The auxiliary cruiser Yankee, which ta manned by the New York naval militia, Includes in her crew a large number of electrical men. During the Yanrkee’s re- cent visit to New York, shore leave was granted to the crew, for the first time since they joined the ship. “There are funny things in spite of the hard work,” said one of them. “We were out at sea, and one of the boys—you know him—was doing his trick at the wheel. Commander Brownson came up alongside him, and, after watching him a few min- utes, said: “*You steer very well, my man.’ “Billy just saluted—being up on naval etiquette. “ “Been practicing since you joined the ship?’ asked Brownson. ““No, sir, I haven't been much,’ said Billy. “Well, you handle this ship as if you'd steered before,’ said Brownson. “Yes, sir,’ said Billy. ‘I have.’ “ Where?’ says Brownson. ““All along the Atlantic coast,’ Billy. “ ‘What did you steer? says Brownson. practicing says sequently the parent birds direct the first flight. elther to a neighboring roof a short distance below, or, if the high building stands alone, they teach the fledgeling to jump from their nest first straight out and then upward, and at last back again to- ward the building. They thus describe an upward circle and land with a flop upon the roof. On these tall roofs the young birds re- ceive their regular lessons, flying back and forth in perfect safety, with neither cats nor small boys to disturb them, and there they remain until their strength and their wings are fully developed. Then they are taught to fly down to the roofs below, and from there to the streets. The first attempts of the young birds to fly from their nests to the roof overhead are amusing. They jump out into space. and flutter with uncertain flight upward, and then attempt to turn a sharp angie. They are not always successful, and some- times begin to descend before they have reached the edge of the roof; but if there is danger of their missing it the parent birds flop against them with such force as to knock them several feet toward the buil@ing. It is a rude way to treat the little ones, but it is safe and effectual, EXCITING CAMEL TRAINING. The Animal of the Desert Has More Vices Than a Mule. From The Road. An officer whe has been residing some time in Egypt, where camel riding has been cbligatory, scnds the following graphic de- scription of his experiences with that amia- ble and useful arimal: “You can weil im- agine that there’s a circus around here while the usual riding instruction is going “‘My own steam yacht, sir,’ says Billy. “ “How big is she?’ says Brownson, after a pause. “ ‘About a thousand tons, sir,’ says Billy, “I see,” says Brownson. “ ‘Thank’ee, sir,’ says Billy, saluting. “And the ‘old man’ went to his state sos How Steel Gets Tired. From the New York Herald. “When first I read of that steel truss in the Brooklyn bridge buckling,” said a civil engineer and bridge builder, “I thought it might have been due to fatigue as much as to the expansion of the cable. “Fatigue? Why, certainly. The capacity for becoming fatigued by exertion does not entirely belong to bodies animate. There are many inanimate things, including iron and steel, which grow fatigued (tempora- rliy sapped vitality, the same as yourself after a hard bit of work,) and iose much of their strength and elasticity through long continuous subjection to stress er vibration. But if they are allowed to rest for awhile these metals recuperate and recover their original strength and dependent virtues. “Tests condurted with great care and ac- curacy with full-sized brigge members and various other ccmmercial forms of stec} and iron have been made and have so thor- oughly proved this observation of fatigue in inanimate things that it is generally ac- cepted by members of my profession as a positive and well-understood law. “The effect of constant vibration upon steel and iron is to cause fatigue and weak- ening of the metal. An English engineer of high authority years ago called attention to the fact that iron wires kept in torsional ter retains the characteristic color | 23 PREMIER OF JAPAN —_ —_ | Count Okuma Will Figure in the Af- fairs of Nations. THE COUNTRY NOW HAS PARTY RULE Outlook for the Future is Brighte Than Ever Before. - ~ AN ABLE _— — STORY OF MAN From the New York Herald. tical ure ot A new figure has sprung into the pe arena of the world’s nations—the ¢ a Uttle Jap, with one leg. He ie Count Shigenobu Okuma, the new premier of Japan, and what he lacks in a physical sense 1s more than made up tn those men- tal qualities which have won for him the respect and admiration of his people. It ts safe to say that no foreign power will at- tempt to trifle with tte Okuma at Li Heng Chang is to China Count Okuma ts to Japan, and more, for he repre- sents the people of Japan. In hix recent elevation to the premiership the death kne® of the government of the clans was sound ed, and Japan now enjoys the comparative freedom of party rule. It ts really a reve= lution in Japanese politics, and the peoples are assured of representation. Count Okuma its the father of the reformatiun. He has had ample experience in the past as minister of finance and minister of foreign affairs. in order to thoroughly understand the situation it is first necessary to take a brief survey of Japanese politics. For the last thirty years Japan bas been ruled by the ministry composed of the nobles of Satsum and Choshu. There were times when Tosa and Hizen men were members of the cabinet, but the kitter were gradual- ly frozen out, and of recent years all the important government positions have been filled by representatives of the two famous clans. The Growing Discontent. Japan suffered long and un- der this yoke of clan government, but finally the clamoring of the people for a change resulted in the establishment of the patiently diet in 1890, and at once it became the mouthpiece of the people's dise. nt. Aa address to the throne charging governs Ment With misadministration or a vote of -confidence in the reigning mini. the rejec f an important gov measure became the usual feature diet. The government would reply v th Suspension or dissolution. The clan gov- ernment managed to Continue its exist there were no poiiucal parties str ough to everthrow it. Th derals and sives, the two leading parties, at loggcerhea but on a sure involving taxations th d their forces The leaders of the two parties, Count Okuma and Count Magaki, got t eether, and as a result the great popular party un- der the name of “Ker constitu- tional party, was born. The ing ceremonies of the new party were ed on Ju As a result of this Marquis Ito resigned the premiership, ample wed by all the oth binet Marquis -Ito,, himself ighted judgment, t 5 ng a policy poli parties. But with no support, so he resigr ing so he recommended to the his successor Count Okuma The emperor summoned Counts Okuma and Itagaki to the court, and they were in- trusted with the task of a cabinet forma- tion, with the result that Okuma the premiership and at the same time be- came minister of foreign affair ; change in the ministry was at once nounced and went into effect at once. A Prophecy Fulfilled. This very thing was predicted by th he , and in do- met emperor late Jokn A. Cockerill in 1895, when he was the Herald’s special commissioner in Japan. In one of his letters Mr. Cockerill said, in speaking of Count Okuma having set foot outside of Ja out understanding a word of a foreign lan- guage, he seems to have grasped the genius his own country und the spirit of th “Without ge more fully than any other Japan with whom I have ¥, He is a great force today, although retire from all active political Mfe and eer It is the universal beil nould this war result in a polit publ f that 1 revu sion, as now ms more th yrobal he will succeed Viscount Mutsu in the forcign office, and he may even be lifted inte the premiership, now held by Count Ito, This much ts hoped for by the vast party be- hind him Count Gkuma is a native of Hizen, a province of Kyusyu Island, and is nearly sixty years old. But he suil calls himself a young man. His father was one of the Hizen but was not blessed with abundance ‘of this world’s goods. Meager as his o ortunities were, Okum: ever glected an opportunity to cultivate th eminent scholars and leading men of his time, and he learned to take a deep interest in the affairs of his country. In 1877 the Saigo rebellion took p and follow came exceedingly that th dis » nation's finances be- ered. It was then that he was appointed minister of finance, and demonstrated his keea judgment in matters ¢ state. MH ter found himself at the head of the foreign office. How He Lost a L In 1890 he had almosi carried to comple- tion a treaty with Great Britain. He bad been vi th ‘ously opposed by some zealots ot schouls of politics,*and on aggressive day, while returning to his office in his ca riage, he was ulted by a fanatic, who threw a dynamite bomb into the veticl The explosion tore off the greater part « the count’s right leg. The assassin, with- eut waiting to ascertain the result of his fiendish work, drew a Knife and very prop- erly proceeded to rip himself up in ancient Japanese style. He died mi iy, whi the count still lives, enjoying the respect of the whole country and carrying with him the hopes of millions of his men, Count Okuma fs active in developing the modern sciences in Japan. in iss, wich that far-sighted study of the nation’s needs which characterizes all bis movements, he vuntry- founded an institution of learning for young men. Just across the way from his residence, in a suburb of Tokio, known as Waseda, he erected the first buildings and endowed the institution with $100,000, This is known as the Tokio Seyymon Gakko, and it has enjoyed great prosperity There are at present about a thousand stu- Gents. The university embraces thr sep- arate schools, one of Japanese law, one of political science and one of literature. His dome and Family. The count’s house is a delightful com- bination of the modern and the ancient Japanese. In the front his rooms are car- peted, papered and equipped in European style, while in the rear sections we find the little Japanese porches, sliding screens and papered windows. His grounds and gar- dens are as fine as anything in Japan. He has, indeed, an ideal rural home. His post office address is No. 70 Shimo Totsukamura Minami Toshimagora. Count Okuma is happily married and dearly loves the seclusion of his own home His wife, the countess, is a lady of qui demeanor, and proves an admirable hoste at their numerous and ever-hospitable re ceptions. The lady has many friends among the nobility and the youth of the land. She takes great interest in the Sem- mon Gakko, and invariably graces the commencements and other public occasions with her presence. The only son, Mr. Hidemaru Okuma, heir to the title, is forty years of age. He spent seven years in the United States pursuing his studies, graduating at Princeton in tsTs. He returned to Japan in time to be the frst manager of the college bis father founded. He still devotes part of his time to teach- ing certain branches In the Semmen Gukko. ‘Well versed tn English language and lit- erature, he still mainta'ns an interest in all things American, especially those connect- ed with his alma water, Princeton, In the new Japanese cabinet two mem- bers of the former cebinet have been re- tained, Viscount Taro Katsura, minister of the army, and Marquis Yorimich! Saigo, minister of the navy, a high compliment te heir merits. t ot