Evening Star Newspaper, March 19, 1900, Page 11

THE EVENING STAR, MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1900-16 PAGES. Poeeesecccccs eee Se eeererccesecesccecs === THE RELIEF OF MAFEKING : PARKER, BRIDGET & CO. eee PARKER, BRIDGET & CO. weescees See ee reeeeesecesceses PARKER, BRIDGET & CO. ABOUT HUNDRED MILLIONS 1 36. Imports of Cuba, Porto Rico and Our Pacific Posseesfons. Lord Methuen Starts North With a Mounted > Oolumn. Garrison Was on Quarter Ratio: the American Exports to Those Islands—Stutistics of Last Sevéh , Mon Last “Account — Webster Davin’ Mission. Statement to the Public H A dispatch from Cape Town, dated Sun- day, March 18, says: The mounted force from Kimberley proceeding to the relief of Mafeking, under command of Lord Meth- uen, has arrived at Warrenton. As the force neared Windsorton the Boers evacu- ated the town, blowing up the bridge. The advance column, Cols. Drummond Pa and Peakman commanding, had a sharp en- || Early Closing on Saturdays. Be ee rey eae eee Hi Streams. The British succeeded in driving Hi the Boers off. They had only a few cas- Hi x i ualties, It Is reported that the rebels who re- i} In reply to the many inquiries why we have failed Pe eeeeeeeeeeeces The prospective’ value of Cuba, Porto Rieo and the Hawaiian, Philippine and Sa- moan Islands as markets for the products of the farm and factory in the United States is Illustrated by a recent publication in the Moniteur Officiel du Commerce, an official publication of the French govern- ment, which discusses at considerable length the consuming powers of those Is- lands and their consequent economic value to the United States and the prospective in- crease in their consuming powers through enlarged production under American capi- tal. The statement is as follows: “At present the imports of these coun- tries amount to about $100,000,000. Those of Cuba were in 1892, which was an aver- age good year, $52,101,682; of the Phil- ippines in 1896, $28,815,0 of the Hawalian Islands in 1898, $11,650,890, and of Porto Rico In 1896, $3,656,578. The imports, how- ever, show already an increase, as is seen by the American export figures to these islands, those to the Hawaiian Islands for 1899 being $9,305,470, as against $5,907,155 for 1898 and $4,600,075 for 1897; those to Cuba, $18,616,317 in 1899, as against $9,561,- 656 In 1808, and $8,259,776 in 1897; the re- spective figures of exports to Porto Rico being $2,685,848 for the year 1899, as com- pared with $1,205,946 for 1898 and $1,088,885. for 18%. There is no doubt that with an increased productive power, which must naturally be followed by inereased con- ‘sumptton, the volume of the foreign trade of these islands fs Hkewjse bound to- in- crease considerably. “The consumption of foreign products by these islands is made up almost equally of articles of manufacture and of agriculture of the temperate zone.: Out of $20,125,321 worth of products exported from the United States to Cuba in 1894, the value of $9,440,953 was in products of agriculture, and out of $18,616,477 worth of exports for the year 1899, $9,799,518 worth belonged to the same category. The exports from the United States to the ‘Pearl of the Antilles’ are made up princtpally of cereals, live animals, salt meat, cotton goods, machin- ery, footwear, instruments, etc. “Spain, under normal conditions, sold an- nually to Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip- Pines about $40,000,000 worth of goods, principally manufactured articles, besides wines, oils, flour, meats and vegetables. Out of 135,000,000 pesetas worth of mer- chandise shipped from Spain to Cuba in 1896 about 50,000,000 represented the value of products of agriculture. The proportion was nearly the same in the case of Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands. “Speaking generally, we may assume that under normal conditions the surplus pro- duction of Cuba and the Philippines before the war amounted to about $125,000,000 an- nually, and their consumption to $100,000,- 000, but that their productive power is capable of great increase, which in turn will cause a sfivilar increase in consump- tion. About oné-half of the imports into these islands was of Spanish origin and the other half came from other countries proportionate to their proximity or dis- tance. Thus the United States furnished the greater part of the imports into Cuba and Porto Rico, while the Philippine Is- lands received whatever Spain was un- } Explaining our position as to the LECCE e ° fused to accompany the Transvaalers when the latter vacated Taungs and Vryburg, north ef Warrenton, are preparing to trek into Damaraland on the approach of the British, but that the Hottentot chiefs are getting ready to bar their escape. It is reported that Commandant Eloff, with a commando, has left Zeerust for Mafeking. f} Commandant Schwartz, with 150 men, is threatening the railway near Aasvogel Kop, north of Lobatsi. A British patrol, which reconnoitered within fourteen miles of Mafeking, found i the railway uninjured and the telegraph wire untouched north of Pitsani. Garrison on Quarter Rations. A dispatch from Mafeking, dated Satur- day, March 10, says: “The garrison is holding its own. We have heard numerous rumors that the siege wiil be raised, but so far that is not the case. We are pegging along patiently on quarter rations, supplemented by the occasional capture of cattle. “Our home-made gun erratically bom- bards the Boer trenches. Horrible stories are current that the Boers are inflicting nameless tortures upon captured native Tunners. These may not be true, but they are tending to inflame native passion to such an extent that it may soon im- possible to hold the natives in check. “Owing to the Boers having deliberately bombarded the native stadt, which is full of women and children, Col. Baden-Powell has armed the natives, but he has only al- lowed them to act on the defensive, al- though they have clamored to be allowed to go out and attack at the point of the as- segal. “They will be prevented as long as pos- sible from inflicting reprisals on the Boers.” Webster Davis En Route Home. i LONDON, March 19.—The Naples corre- | | Spondent of the Daily Mail telegraphs an interview he has had with Webster Davis, United States assistant secretary of the in- terior. According to this, Mr. Davis said: “When I left Pretoria the Boers were be- coming desirous of peace. President Kruger and Gen. Joubert were the strongest op- ponents of the peace party, but they were becoming exceedingly unpopular. I do not believe the Boers will resist much longer.”’ The correspondent says Mr. Davis de- clined to speak regarding his mission, but that the general belief in Naples is that he is bearing peace terms and a request for American mediation. i to continue closing our three stores on Saturdays at eeeee i 9 p-m., as recently decreed by the American Federa- tion of Labor, and in consequence of which we have Hi been placed on the unfair list by the Central Labor POO eee eeeeeeeeeees Union, we herewith publish a circular letter, a copy of which has been sent the secretary of each union. We publish this letter to justify our position be- fore the friends of this worthy movement, and ask a careful perusal of its contents. eeee omen's Costumes, Wraps, acxets and Silk Waists, This Women’s Dress Salon of ours is truly a wonder; not alone in its beauty or bigness, but in the marvelous success it has attained in one year’s time. Your words and actions tell us that it is the accepted Largest and Best Department of Women’s Ready-to-Wear in Washington. Your kindly criticism will help us toward further betterness, if possible. This opening introduces the new Easter Gowns, Wraps, Jackets - and Silk Waists for Spring and reflects the fashions that the style- centers of the world have accepted and are showing. The Tailored i Respectfully, WM. HAHN & CO. o ° . ° PS ° ° ° ° ° ° PS o ° o ° 9 . ° ° ° PS ° ° ° . . o ° ° PS ° ° . ° e ° e ° . i Cor. 7th and K. Hl) to914 and 1916 Pa. Ave. N.W. 233 Pa. Ave. S. E. . ° . ° . ° . ° ° PS . . . ° PS . . . ° . ° . ° | i Washington, D. C., March 15, 1900. ‘To Organized Labor of the District of Columbia: Because of many misleading stories circulated in respect to our position {a re- i Intion to the early Saturday closing movement, we make the following statement: Our firm conducts three shoe establishments In this city, one at Nos. 930, 932, 934 Seventh street northwest; one on Capitol Hill, at 233 Pennsylvania avenne south- HH ewst, and one In the West End, at Nos. 1914 and 1916 Pennsylvania avenue north- west. The buildings of each of these stores are our own and were erected with Union Labor exclusively, and we have always been considered fair. ° ° ° ° ° o ° ° . ° ° ° ° ° ° ° o ° . ° . ° ° 4 able to furnish them with, from Hong i -] 5 ° When the agreement looking to an early closing of the atores on Saturdays in LONDON, Merch 10, Me Trovane sends | oné,,Shanshal, Yokohama, ‘Singapore, | Suits were never so handsome and perfect, and it is fairly acknowl : this city was presented to us for signature. we sigued the same, adding a clause in aoe an eres eee ee eee Soe 4 edged that the most correct and best are shown here. uite natural : aurariewias [ ae ; to the London papers a letter he has re- Comparative Statement. . watatunce: that i 0 be bi rided stores tn : ; ae exine Moslat' Untacia as aleisd tara Te se oaseent to ee cee Bay railway acblication drtbunal’ welt |. The following statement, preparea by the}> it should be, for our business connections in Europe and New York help: ebaze i ae S = +. treasury bureau of statistics, shows the | * and presuming that all others would close, we closed ALL OUR =e to the effect that the award will probably Seporee Ea tae arated Site Be eid : us to gather more choice and uniformly dainty garments than we be- x oa the first Saturday that the agreement went Into effect, to wit: February 17 be officially proclaimed in about a month. cipal articles, to each of the isl: = 5 ° last. To show our good faith tn the matter, we bad advertised the fact, and glven The Standard. commenting editorially | tioned in the abave discussion. The stec.|2 eve will be found in any other store in Washington; in fact, noother : notice to unr trade that we would close at 9 o'clock. can advocate, says.” ™ ‘® Amer" | ment covers the seven months ending with |: establishment in the world reaches above this in its showing of Women’s We found, however, upon investigation, that although we had closed, THAT NOT “When this protracted arbitration has {| January, 1900, and compares that period |s NOTHER SHOE STORE IN OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITH- ¥ FIVE SQUARES OF OUR SEVENTH STREET ESTABLISHMENT bad closed, and that these other stores bad gotten the benefit of the trade which we had ex- cluded by reason of oar compliance with the agreement. We further found, 90 far as our Cupitol Hill and West Ead stores were ecercerned, NO STORE OF ANY KIND In those neighborhoods had closed its doors at the appointed time, and Wwe wore informed by members of the labor committees which walted on us that none of such stores bad even been solicted to do so by the representatives of the labor organizations. This left our establishments as the only shoe stores {i thelr respec- tive sections which closed at 9 o'clock. The result was that our regular customers, finding our stores closed, carried thelr trade and patronage to our competitors, that we had complied with our agreement with your this because of the fac committees We take It that you appreciate that competition in trade now Is very sharp, and that it Is unreasonable to expect a business man io drive his trade to bls com- petitors, which Is what we did, and are now asked to do. Finding that our competitors, as we have already explained, did not propose to close their establishments as we did, but that they, on the contrary, calculated on keeplug open and deriving a benefit from our trade should we close, we notified your committee that inasmuch ag they had not insisted upon the other shoe stores fa our respective neighborhoods closing, that the agreement was not operative as to us until they would succeed in obtaining the consent of our competitors, or @ reasouable number thereof, and for this reason we bave been placed on the unfair list. It must be understood that our Saturday night trade has always been a very heavy one, and that the closing of our stores at an early hour on that night, if tbe other establishments in our neighborhood, and within a reasonable distance thereof, are permitted to remain open, will result in the loss to us of our regular customers and patrons and would simply result tp building up the business of our competitors and the destruction of our own; this we do not think apy organization would require of us. We have always been willing—and have repeatedly expressed ourselves to that effect—to close up all three of our stores at any time that « fair majority of the other stores in the sume line of business In our neighborhood can be induced to close, so that no one can obtaln an advantage over the others in honorable bust- ness competition. Compelling us to close, and allowing the others to remain open, simply works a hardship upon us, bestows a benefit upom the others, and DOES NOTHING TOWARD THE GENERAL CLOSING MOVEMENT. Subsequently, in order to show that we were well disposed toward the move- ment, we made a second proposition, offering to close our Seventh street store at the speelfied hour, regardless of the action of our neighbors and competitors, but this was rejected. Why WE should be required to close our Capito} Hill and West End stores when EVERY ESTABLISHMENT OF WHATSOEVER KIND is in full blast in those sections, we cannot understand. We also understand that an erroneous statement Is being circulated in reference to a remark made by our Mr. William Habn before the Central Labor Union at thelr 5. To correct any misapprehension in this matter, we hereby meeting on March 5. repeat what was sal Mr. Habn stated: If we agree to close up the Seventh street store at a cer- ‘ain hour, tt would mean just what I said, but we would not like to be placed in the position to Lave to crawl out of any agreement made, and I would therefore state that we are willing to close for a time to see how far the Federation would succeed In getting other houses In our neighborhood to close. If we should find in the course of time that the majority of other houses would stfll remain open and that this would injure our business, we might be compelled to open up again after stving you fair notice." When asked by 2 member of the Federation for how long = time he would be willing to continue closing Saturdays at 9 o'clock AS AN EX- PERIMENT, be answered: “Not lesa than a month."* As a result of the circumstances we have been placed upon the unfair list and 2 boycott ts now being waged against us. ‘The early closing movement, as we understand it, was Inaugurated for the pur- bose of affecting all stores in the business section of the city. Why a boycott should be waged against those who are willing to close, providing that thelr com- petitors are closed, is beyond our comprehension. As we have stated, we are willing and always bave been willing, providing we are placed upon the same basis ss our competitors. We do not understand that heretofore we have been in such bad favor with Union Labor as to justify it in ruining our business and enterprise for the purpose of benefiting and improving the condition of those in competition with us, aud WHO ARE NOT WILLING to subscribe to the early closing move- ment. How the agreement bas operated we have already stated: compel our -compett- tors to subscribe and carry out the agreement, so that all of us will be in the same Position, but do not expect us to close up and allow our competitors to remain open and carry off our trade. We submit this statement for your verification and consideration of all the facts, feeling assured that when our position tn the matter has been stated to you, you All that we ask is equality of treatment and fair consideration, and invite any in- vestigation, whether by individual or committee. We shall at all times be will- ing to make any further desired explanation, b 2 Very respectfully, WM. HAHN & CO. 3 Reliable Shoe Houses, CORNER 7TH AND E STs. 1914 AND 1916 PA. AVE, 233 PA. AVE. 8.E. been settled we shall be in a position to deal with Portugal on the entire subject, and we may possibly secure for the Angli- cized Transvaal improved commercial fa- cllities. It would be a welcome coincidence if the award should coincide with Lord Roberts’ arrival at Pretoria.” Capt. Reichmann Returns to Pretori A dispatch from Pretoria, dated March 15, says: Capt. Carl Reichmann, the United States army officer detailed to observe the conduct of the war from the Boer side, re- turned here this morning from the Modder river. Report of Boer Losses. A dispatch from Pretoria, dated March 16, says: The chief of the intelligence de- partment, Mr. Molengraaf, announces that the federal losses prior to the relief of Kim- berley and Ladysmith were: Killed, 677; wounded, 2,120. Accidents, sickness and other disabling causes, he says, bring the total to 4,351. The British officers here have been re- moved from the model school to new quar- ters in the outskirts of the town. The Boer defenses along the Biggarsberg range have been completed and are said to render the positions impregnable. It is officially denied that the siege of Mafeking has been raised or the town re- lieved. -oo—___ PECULIAR ACCIDENT ON L ROAD. Coal Chute Drops in Front of Train in New York. Nine persons were injured yesterday morn- ing in an accident to a 9th avenue ele- vated railroad train near Rector street, New York city. Five of the nine are se- verely injured, and one of these, David A. Finley, is at the Hudson Street Hospital suffering from a fracture of the skull. Four of the injured are at Bellevue Hospital. The others Were sent to their homes. The train left South ferry for Harlem and passed the Battery place station at its usual speed, and was approaching the coaling station. The engineer did not need coal for his engine, and so did not signal to the man in charge of the coal- ing apparatus. In an unexplained fashion, although the coal man says that it was through the vibration caused by the ap- proaching train, the coal chute dropped down almost at the moment the train reached the station. The chute struck the reof of the engine cab and tore it off, at the same time throwing down Engineer Barlow and Fireman Hutchings to the floor of the cab. Barlow's hand was on the throttle at the moment of collision, and as he fell his hand turned on the pressure still more and the engine dashed ahead at full s: up the tracks, stopping only when it had reached Barclay street, because of the ex- haustion of the steam. Meanwhile the chute had wrecked the roofs of the two passenger cars, and the dozen passengers in the cars were thrown in every direction. —_—-e-___ WOMAN'S CLUB MEETING. imgton Society Elects Delegates to Federation—General News. Special Correspondence of The Evening Star. KENSINGTON, Md., March 17, 1900. The Woman's Club held its regular fort- nightly meeting yesterday at the home of Mrs. J. T. Freeman. It was voted to send a delegate to the State Federation of Woman's Clubs, which meets in Baltimore the last. week of the present month, and Mrs. J. Harry Cunningham was elected, with Mrs. A. H. Thompson as alternate. Parliamentary drill was conducted by Mrs. L. A. Langille; Miss Mary E. Little ‘read a paper on “New Modes of Travel and the ‘Telegraph;” Miss Clare Mannakee, a paper on “Causes and Results of the Mexican War;” Mrs. E. B. Cham! @ paper on “Changes in Politioal Parties and Civil] War,” and “Current Events” were given by Mrs. J. T. Marshall. Mrs. W. E. Lewis read criticism on the last 4 The road leading to the 7th street pike, which has been in a bad condition for sev-> eral years, is being repaired, under the direction of the town marshal. . W. H. Wheatley has donated broken stone to be used for this pu: : Mr. Benton G. Ray, formerly of the High- lands, who Is e1 in ranching in ‘Texas, visited friends in this vicinity recently. Mr. George Peter has commenced the erection of a new house on Fawcett avenue opposite the Methodist Church, ——__. Thousands of situations have been ob- tained through the want columns of The with the corresponding period in earlier years, thus indigatt ports from the Gnited lands since 1897: the growth in ex- States to those is- Ze ¢ #22 23 cf agF > i fae 5 a Par zs : i "SE Bs 3° “le ae cry 8 ie ES Fi dl nel oe Bz | $2. oa BSssi¥ 1 a, 3 285 2852822 FARMERS’ CLUB OFFICERS. Election Held at Recent Meeting— School Matters. Special Correspondence of The Evening Star. HYATTSVILLE, Md.,-March 19, 1900. The Vansville Farmers’ Club met last evening at the home of Luther Brashears, Cedar Hill, near Muirkirk. Among those present were: President Luther Brashears, J. D. Cassard, Charles N. Stanley, Dr. R. 8. Hill, John Snowden, 8. W. Beall and W. H. Mulliken. The guests were: Dr. H. B. McDonnell, state chemist; Clarence S. Mul- likin, Z. T. Chaney, Benjamin Brashears, Lawrence Burke, L. Brashears, jr., and E. A. Tuller. Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows: S. W. Beall of Beltsville, president, and D. M. Nesbit of College Park, secretary. Dr. Joseph R. Owens, register of the Maryland Agricul- tural College, was-unanimously chosen a member of the club, The club adopted a resolution to be for- farded to the senate and house of dele- gates and also the Prince George's county delegation, against the passage of Delegate Walbach’s bill to amend the law relating to fertilizers. A collation was served after the club adjourned by Mrs. Brashears, as- sisted by Mrs. Columbus and Mrs. 8S. W. Beall,» The next meeting of the club will be heldyat.the residence of J. A, Blundon at Riverdale, April 14. The appointment ef.achool commissioners for Prince George's. county, under the new law, gives minority representation on the board, and therg. ig a;host of candidates. Three commissiqners will be appointed by the governmenj.... The democratic ap- plicants are ‘W. >W. Duval, Harrison Sasscer, Phil. W. Chaw and Hugh Percy. The republican Ryon and J. Sel a There is a general sentiment in this coun- ty against the ta authorizing the count Prince George's, co nty the sum of $25, to struct a turnpike between Laurel and the District of Colum- bia line and the nt route or contiguous thereto. Alenough the, people are in favor hey are 0] -to the is- suance of bonds for this purpose. It Is argued that the county is not in a condition to increase its indebtedness. os Damage Amounts to $200. An alarm was turned in from box 431 at 13% street and Maryland avenue south- west. The fire resulted from an explosion of gas, and did about $200 damages. The President a Slave to Catarrh. ligants are Dr. N. bin, Sasscer = Ready-to-wear. eocccccce ing sightseeing. . . ° ° ° ° . ° ° ° ° . ° ° rs . ° ° ° . e e ° ° ° e e oe Our success is mot due to luck or chance, but is the result of careful, painstaking and an earnest and exhaustive seeking out of the newest, best and most beautiful. your confidence, and we shail strive to hold it by ever selling garments of highest character at fairest prices. _ Tomorrow new elegance will be added to the exhibit, so come again and see all that genius and skill have conjured and wrought in Ready-to-wezr fashion—all of dress charm and refinement. enough and more to fill a half day with refreshing and most interest- Thus have PARKER, BRIDGET & CO., Head-to-Foot Outfitters, Pa. Ave. and 9th Street. SHOOTS HSCS HOS OE HOSED EEE H EEE SEES ESE EE EE EEE EEEEseseeeses we merited and won There is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MYSTERIES OF THE MOON. Interesting Observation: Pickering of Harvard From the Boston Journal. In a broad, flat expanse on the moon's northern hemisphere, known to astrono- mers as the Mare Serenitatis, there is a whitish spot, some four or five miles in diameter, to which the name of Linne has been given. It has been assiduously watched for many years, because about 1866 something occurred which caused a vonderful change in its appearance. Before it looked like a crater, but little elevated above the plain and its throat filled with black shadow. Suddenly, instead of a crater, it appeared as a white spot. Later on a dark center showed in the spot, as if the missing crater had yawned again be- neath its mysterious covering. But no fur- ther change occurred, and as more than thirty years have since passed without any alteration in the aspect of Linne, some astronomers have begun to question wheth- er the observers of a quarter of a century ago did not make a mistake. ‘Now Prof. Pickering rescues Linne's rep- utation as a genuine marvel, but at the same time increases the mystery. Watch- ing if during the eclipse, when the shadow of the earth passed like a cooling cloud across the face of the moon, he.found by careful measurements that the size of the white spot surrounding Linne increased while buried in the shadow, the amount of the expansion in the dlameter of the spot being about one-sixth of a mile. As the eclipse passed off it began to contract again. But this is not all. Measurements of the enigmatical spot made when there was no eclipse showed that it undergoes a similar but much more extensive fluctuation in con- sequence of the variation in the intensity of the sunlight falling upon it in the course of the lunar day. A day upon the moon is equal to about fourteen of our days—that is to say, nearly two wecks elapse between sunrise and sunset at any point on the face of the moon. Measurements of Linne made two days after the sun hes risen u} it give it a diameter of nearly five miles. M after it has been exposed eight days to the unclouded sun, its diameter is less than two miles and a half. During the long lunar afternoon, as the sun gradually sinks and the fierceness of its heat becomes a little tempered, Linne begins to increase again in diameter, and when the sun zets near the horizon the wonderful spot is seen to have almost regained the magnitude that it had just after emerging from the lunar night. by Prof. iversity. or a cloud alternately gro’ and con- tracting influences. The fact discovered by Prof. Pi : even the ickering mano e the-earth Steno tenes upon spot causes it toa measurable degree shows how sensitive it is_to alterations of temperature. and changes visible to our eyes, their Regn A Snes peacey rire eer ger yet more interesting things in the “lunar a : Hal a Er affect most of the other well-known mark- ings on the moon. At the time of his eclipse observations Prof. Pickering carefully watched three or four remarkable localities on the lunar surface, where craters yawn or flat plains lie extended, but not the slightest alteration was observed in their forms or appearance during the time that Linne was expanding under the chilling effect of the earth’s shadow and then shrinking again as the untempered blaze of the sun fell upon it. There is, however, at least one other lo- cality on the moon where curious changes of a similar origin have been detected—the ring-shaped plain called Plato. This is also in the northern lunar hemisphere, about 500 miles from Linne. It is astonishingly regu- lar in outline, about sixty miles in diameter, very flat, and completely encircled with lofty, steep and sharp-peaked mountains— as fine a valley for a nation of hermits to inhabit as could well be imagined. A few thousand Boer riflemen stationed on the kopjes of Plato cotld make it safe from in- vasion against the entire lunar world. In this singular mountain-ringed valley it has been noticed that the rising sun, just a ing above the surrounding peaks, looks down upon a vast whitish gray expanse, filling the whole of the immense interior. But as the solar orb’ swings clear of the mountain tops and the shadows of the pin- nacles and ridges become shorter upon the plain beneath the gray color first brightens and then rapidly fades over all the surface of the valley until at lunar noon Plato has turned almost black, while at the same time {ts inclosing mountains of chalky whiteness are ablaze with the sunshine. appearances, taken in connection with the remarkable phenomena reported by Prof. Pickering, indicate that there are cer- tain places on the moon where the contrast between daylight and darkness or between heat and cold manifests pecular effects, and in those places the search for further discoveries should be pushed. Some day our silent satellite may astonish us with reve- lations of greater human interest-than any that far-away Mars ccn offer. —---______ Longevity of Whales. From the Popular Selence Monthly. Some light was thrown a few years ago upon the subject of the vitality of whales by finding one of these animals in Bering sea in 1890 with a “toggle” harpoon head in its body bearing the mark of the Ameri- can whaler Montezuma. That vessel was engaged in whaling in Bering sea about ten years, but not later than 1854. She was afterward sold to the government, and it is estimated the whale must have car- ried the harpoon not less than thirty-six i i i ie § i ee eg i g ii Ree it ju BS ft Fe 3 PRESIDENT DIAZ. His Great Work the Development of Mexico in a Few Years, From the City of Mexico Herald. It is astonishing what pulling power a lo- comotive has. In sixteen years it has hauled Mexico, plunged in creole proyin- cialism, its dream interruped by occastonal cannon shot, up to the higher plane of wide international activities. Mexico, the pre- historic Mexico that Porfirio Diaz found, has gone forever. Old men and some cler- ical newspapers mumble their protest and lament the past, which was picturesque but incredibly backward. On the whole, the change is better for Mexico, which is now part of the great family of nations. Mexico now has a national credit and an addition to its legitimate stock of self-re- spect. This statesman. Porfirio Diaz, is something of a compound locomotive him. self. We have seen him tugging at the inertia of a Mexico wedded to the past, trying to pull it over a steep up-grade That was back in 1885, when the credit of the nation was nil, when the treasury was empty and employes were lucky if they got their pay at postponed dates. We heard men standing idly in their counting Tooms predicting that the big Diaz loco- motive would blow up, plunge down an em- bankment of revolution, &c. Mighty few were the capitalists here who then, in dark days, stood by the President, of Mexico. He knows that; he can count over the roll of the pessimists, of the hid- den critics, of the prophets of despair. But he kept on pulling for all he was worth, and that was much, as we can attest. He worked sixteen, eighteen, twenty-four hours a day; his courage never failed him, and lucky it was for Mexico that he had a constitution hardened in many campaigns, @ man of iron and fire. Porfirio Diaz beliéved in steam and tron; his creed was a locomotive; he was ready to give charters for railways, he welcomed with glad hand the men of positive force. He surrounded himself with big- brained, hearty, resolute men. And they all pulled together. So this statesman of locomotives, this keen-eyed, undaunted be- lever in what they could do for Mexico is vindicated. He sees Mexico prosperous and progressive; men everywhere believe in him; he is going to be president four years more, and he looks over the broad land, and, discerning everywhere factory chim- neys, and noting the trailing white banners of hun on hundreds of locomotives, he feels sure that his work has been for his country’s Some 5 ; Bact E