The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 11, 1904, Page 6

-_ | ing it richt.” Has? | miles from Glasgow, understanding what's wrong an’ poot- “Do you guarantee a cure in every a, na,” he arswered, shaking his head, “not in every case. Those aw can du nothin for aw leave alane, but maist times something can be done if they're na too old.” Rae was born at Larkhall, then a sparsely populated village some fifteen anG when a lad | began to earn his living by working lnv a colliery. He rose to be pit-head fore- | man at Larkhall, but before he was out | of his teens, yielding, as he says to | ‘something that told me aw had it in { me ” he began to practice bone-setting, | | giving his services gratultously at first, | f Osera. ial Correspondence. HEADQUARTERS OF THE CALL, 'TA STREET, LONDON, June Jovers here had their anticipations da reports from Monte the merits of Saint-Saens’ lo as to new opera, “Helene,” which was given in the Riviera for the first time last February, and its production at Covent Garden was waited for with uncommon interest. First night opinions nounced the new work, which is in one act, worthy te rank with its author’s best efforts, and it may be said with- out exaggeration that nothing more cally at the Royal bouse in many years than this piece by the author of *“‘Samson h The scoring, beautiful been heard Opera- new .t D balanced, is an impressive feature *Helene,” and particularly satisfact to the modern ear is the low-toned, ®cnorous bass, which lends dignity to the effect of the music, Seldom, at least in London, has an opera been staged more beautifully. The scene is Troy, and this has given the opportunity for a series of stage victures which are a delight to remember. The whole thing is the story of the fight of Helen and Paris turned of course, into a love allegory and purposed to show the supreme royalty of love over al] the other passions of man. Melba, who sang the title role, already had done so at Monte Carlo, but since that time the composer has made many changes in his score, so that the prima @cnna had to relearn her part entirely However, she was in her best form and wes recalled many times after the fall of the curtain, as was M. Dalmores, the Paris, and Miss Parkina, the venus. \'ez Scotch Lorer GLASGOW, June 5. —Whatever skeptical medical men in America, bas- ing their cabled opinions on cabled re- ports, may think of William Rae, the Scottish bonesetter, whose exploits are the talk of the United Kingdom, no one can visit the little village of Bilan- tyre, in which he has temporarily es- tablished his “surgery,” withoud ob- taining abundant evidence that the is really possessed of a wonder- I found the little place full of mostly from Lancashire and Yorkshire, afflicted with every variety of deformity, many of fied the doctors for y No need was there to ask where Rae liveds I sim- ply followed the throng umtil I came to where a crowd stood around the gate of a humble cottage which has miready become ous throughout England as the Scottish Lourdes. Some of the pilgrims limped painfully on crutches. Others wore boots and irons. Gray-headed men and women and Jlittle children in arms were emong them. While I stood there, tak- ing in the scene, a young woman, with tears of gladness trickling down her cheeks, came out of the Wouse, and in response to eager inquiries related her experience. For years she had been suffering from hip disease, one leg be- ing shorter than the other. Doctors #he had tried without relief and at last her friends advised her to go to Blan- tyre. “It didn't hurt me a bit,” she said. *not one bit. He just got hold of my leg, gave it a pull, then pushed it right back and it was all over. Of course I walk just a bit lame still, as you see, but it feels, oh! s0 much easier. 1 am to bathe the joint every morning with cold water and walk as much as 1 can. Eb, but he's a clever man, he is.” Passing in by the open door I found the tiny passage lined with patients waiting their turn. The front parlor was full of them; they stood in two rows on the narrow staircase; and as I entered the waiting-room two little boys were tying up their crutches in & bundle so as to carry them away the easier. “Has he cured you?" I asked. “Sure, I'm cured, meester,” piped one of them, “Eh, but he’s a wonder, mees- ter; just look at what he's done for me,” chimed in the other as he walked proudly across the room, with his crutches under his arm. Slipping into the little bedroom which serves him as a surgery I found the “Doctor” seated in an arm chair smok- ing a pipe and enjoying a brief respite from his hard work. Tall, strong framed and rugged of feature he is in appearance much the same as thousands of other Scots. Yet there is something strikingly - intelligent in his homely face. Shrewdness, good humor and kindliness shine from the gray eyes be- neath the bushy brows silvered with the passage of years, for he is now well over sixty. The firm mouth and chin, the latter partially hidden in a short beard, indicate a character of forceful doggedness and clear purpose. “What is the secret of your treat- ment?” I asked him after greetings had been exchanged. “Secret?’ he exclaimed, scornfully, “ther’s na secret aboot it; it's juist pooting tha bones back in tha places ‘where they belong.” - - Rising to his full height—he measures 2 good six feet though somewhat stoop- forth his man ful gift pilgrims, pre- | « dexterous or tunefully re-| vhich have baf- | clump-soled | but as experience rendered him more expert so numerous became his patients | that he found he would either have to linguish his work at the colliery oi ndon the practice of bloodless sur-! He decided to stick to the latter and in a rough way, by means of such | beoks as he could get hold of, he udied anatomy, but in the school of experience he has gained nearly all his ak gery. training. For doctors generally he has a great contempt. which ,is not un- nutural, seeing how many come to him for relief, and often obtain it, too, whom doctors have failed to benefit and pronounced incurable. i “Doctors!” he exclaimed scornfully, what du they knaw aboot these things? Maist of the puir people that ccme to me have had doctors enoo fooling with 'em an’ na guid have they done 'em. They juist tak their money an’ label their trouble with wrong names an’ maybe, after a lot of experi- | menting, tell 'em they can’t be cured. I've had lots o' such cases that juist! needed some bones being set straight to mak’ all richt. There's doctors for ye!” When he had finished his pipe he said. “Aw must begin wark again, noo; there’s lots waiting for me,” but he acceded to my request to be al- jowed to remain and see how he op- erated. The first case was a little chap with a six-inch pattern fixed on to one ! boot. His mother brought him in and told the old story that the “doctor” | must have heard hundreds of times before. He hardly seemed to listen to it. though his face lightened up, for the e was a good one. ing just neo,” he observed to me after having carefully examined the youngster's thigh, “that the doc- tors know nothing aboot these things. Here's an instance. They ca’ this hip disease an’ do nothing to cure it. It's juist a dislocated hip; that's what it Juist watch what I'll do with it.” Suddenly seizing the limb he gave jerk. there was a sharp crack, a sharper “Ow!” from the boy, and the doctor seated himself in his chair again and relit his pipe. Ye may poot him in level boots, noo,” he id to the mother, and be- fore she realized what was happen- ing her “laddie” was walking about the room. delightedly waving the pat- ten-weighted boot in the air. An old man next entered the room. One leg was fairly straight, but the other bent inward, so that he rolled rather than waiked. He had been that way for “nigh on fifty years.” he said. The ex-miner passed his hand care- fully over the leg that was ail awry, only to confirm the judgment he had ndicated to me 1 = a significant glance when the man entered the room that his e was a hopeless one. Ye've bin ower lang, mo he said returning to his chair. “Ye should ha’ haed this seen to when ye were a bairn.” The disappointed sufferer |'slowly pulled on his socks and boots and then as slowly put his hand in | his pocket. na,” | o "I it said Rae, with a wave of | his hand, “ye can poot that back an’ | gang awa’ hame, my mon.” A vouth of about sixteen, whose‘ap- | | pearance plainly proclaimed curvature | of the spine, wag the next patient. | “Look at that, noo,” exclaimed Rae | angrily, after the lad had pulled up | his shirt and exposed his back. “He! | fouks had brought him in to me when | !he was a bairn. No man in the world | need ha’ a humpit hack if it's taken | in hand early enoo’. He made the boy lie breast to breast | with himself and began handling the spine, apparently with the object of pressing it into place. This process he continued for quite five minutes. When | at length the lad stood up he declared that he felt much better, and, encour- aged, presented a thumb that had been damaged by a ball in a game of cricket. | Rae felt it, pulled it, there was a click and the boy's face lighted up as he| bent it to and fro. “Gum! it's a’ richt,” he exclaimed, | “an” I'll be able to play in the next| gateh.” So things went on for the couple ot‘ hours that I remained in the room. Two little mites, swathed almost tromr head to foot with bandages and sur-| gical appliances were brought in by their mother. She said the doctors had | told her they were suffering from hip and spinal diseases, and held out small hope of cure. When rshe .>parted with them, radiantly happy, the surgical ap- pliances had 211 been discarded. Sev- eral other cures were wrought on the | spot. In nearly every instance Rae was | able to afford some relief. Wien he | could accomplish nothin he would ac- | cept no fee. In other cases his charge was to all the same—$2 50. But when patients were obviously too poor to pay it he bestowed just as mu.h care on them for nothing. So great have been | the demands on his skill that the rail- way has run special excursion trains to accommodate those who sought re- lief from him. In a single day he has treated as many as 200. The train by which I returned to Glasgow was filled with people who were loudly proclaim- ing their admiration of him. One Scotchman, after pitching the crutches that he no longer needed out of the window, declared his conviction that ‘William Rae was a greater man than “Robbie” Burns. “/Confound the railroads!” exclaimed Suburbs, as he entered the office an hour late and took off his coat. . “Train late again, I suppose?” asked Townley. * “Not at all. For the first time in llxnonm&em&l.vum time, and, of course, 1 missed it."— Town Topics. wouldna have a humpit back if his| 1p, pank clearings keep about where they have been THE SAN FRANCISCO CAL ONDAY, JULY 11, 190 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL JOHN D. SPRECKELS, Proprietor . . . . . . . .. . Address All Communications to JOHN McNAUGHT, Manager Publication Office . veseeesecseeenens .. Third and Market Streets, S. F. MONDAY CHEERFUL TRADE REPORTS. 1 HE commercial and financial elements of the coun- try are now in the height of what is usually termed the midsummer lull, and at this season nobody ex- pects any activity. Even in the liveliest times business 1s always slack tember. ceived and none report trade actually dull during July and August and part of Sep- Yet irom all sections cheering reports are re- The spirit of pessimism which so generally prevailed during the spring has almost wholly disappeared, and all markets reflect the tone of confidence which became perceptible about a month ago and, which has been gradually in- creasing ever since. This confidence is based upon three factors: First, the general abundance of money both in this country and in Europe; { of the three or second, the generally excellent condition four important crops, and third, the con- viction that the coming elegtions will not result in any violent disturbance of financial and commercial condi- tions. It is distinctly seen that the country is on a sound business basis and that there is nothing in sight to cause any apprehension as to the future. As far as th concerned the most cheerful reports are coming in. excessive rains Northwest have materially important ‘industries of the country are True, the West, Southwest and reduced previous estimates throughout of the yield, particularly in Kansas and the Red River Valley, but in satisfy the requirements of the country. less for export, spite of this the crop will be ample to There will be but the export of wheat is not the over- shadowing factor that it was some years ago, for as the country’s population more diversified, and care less for an exportable surplus. increases and its wants become we are needing more wheat at home Still, we shall probably have a respectabie guantity for export in any event. the chances for zood prices excellent. The cotton crop bids fair tc be very large, with Cool weather has been rather against the corn crop of late, but an ample yield of As for wool, this cereal is almost assured. it is remarkably active. Boston reported last week that the demand was livelier than for a year or more, the American Woolen Company alone taking some 8,000,000 or 10,000,000 pounds of the raw material, while the demand in dented In Wy the Northwest of late has been unprece- oming and Montana Eastern buyers have teen scouring the country for fleece, and such has been their eagerness clip on the sheep’s for supplies that they have bought the back. According to a reliable au- thority there some 20,000,000 pounds have thus far been secured and abont half of it brought 17¢ per pound. It ha: been a amble for wool. Buyers have not waited for ihie usnal public sales, but have dispatched mounted men io every nook and corner in quest of fleece, and prices have advanced from 1¢ to 3¢ per pound. Not for ars hav e cnrrent prices been equaled. boom in wook will be received by the manufacturers and what cffect it later on remain far 1 The jumber trade continues quiet is dépressed, w ¢ grower has will have on the manufactured product to be seeh, but one thing is certain—thus made a lot of money. and in some sections ith stocks burdensome and the mills de- creasing the output. Prices for iron and steel products are slightly lower, with all markets reported quict. This industry. which maintained such a fever heat for five or six >ecrs that its soil produced the steel trust, is now well down toward the tail end of the industrial column. The hide market has been firm of late, with fair activityyeported. Pro W estern weeks, ns. are ve apparent disposition no cago Board of lines of packing row produce, sich have been more active and firm at centers during the past two or three showing less activity and the pacicers ceased to support the marker. T'ne to sell. Speculation on the Chi- de has been somewhat livelier in all the wet weather throughout the T West has unsettied the markets and imparted a feverish tone to a pre The statistics are now running better. iously tame and uninteresting situation. The railway earnings for June as far as received show gains of from 3 to 4 per cent over the corresponding month last year. Collections at the end of the fiscal year closing June 30 were better than anticipated The reduction in the out- put of many products has led to a corresponding reduc- tion in stocks of general merchandise, and the jobbers and retailers are making better reports in consequence. for some weeks past, the aggregate weekly clearings averaging about $1,800,000,000, while the loss from last | year ranges from week was 3.6 5 to 20 per cent. The decrease last per cent, with the largest cities about equally divided between losses and gains as compared with 1903. The failures for the week were 206, against 104 last year, and included none worth talking about. The national market for securities, such as railway and industrial shares, has apparently emerged from its stagnant and despondent state, which may be character- ized as a prolonged fit of the blues, and is now buoyant, | with a tendency toward a higher plane of quotations. There are now signs that the public, which so long re- fused to touch stocks even with a long and safe pair of tongs, are now nibbling at the market again, though nothing is expected in this line until the midsummer holidays are over, some weeks hence. The situation in Wall street is clearly expressed by a leading bond house as follows: “The present activity in the bond market, which has been apparent to all since the city of New York succeeded in floating its big May loan, ought to continue well into July. Conditions are very much different this summer than they were last. A year ago there was an utter lack of confidence in the financial situation and investors were afraid to buy any- thing. Confidence is now returning. Investors have had time to separate the wheat from the chaff, and they are re-entering the courage.” investment market with caution but with There is a general feeling that the crops can- not turn out very badly, that we have seen the worst of the business depression and that the election of Mr. Roosevelt is a certainty. Investors who earlier in the year believed that they could buy bonds during the sum- mer at lower prices are now coming into the bond mar- ket because they believe that we are to have a steady improvement in prices.? Our local coast situation remains unchanged. There is no depression here, nor has there been any. It looked for a time as if the wave of recession llovly advancing westward across the continent would soon reach us, but it has not and may never. Trade is quieter than last year at this time and margins of profit are probably narrower, hut considering their abnormal width of the past five or six years what pruning they have received thus far in 1004 will not seriously injure any int lumber are the st. Ships and quietest lines on the coast at present, al- most all others being fairly active and in good condition. Crop prospects continue excellent. How this | RUSSIAN PATRIOTISM. HE dogged tenacity shown by the Japanese on T land and sea and the surprise given by them to the world in encompassing for the first time the defeat of European troops by an Asiatic army makes in- teresting any information as to the contributing causes thereof. No factor bears more directly upon success or defeat in battle than the quality of patriotism within the breast of the common soldier. As it is upon him the brunt of the battle falls, anything tending to stimulate or detract from his potriotism is of high importance. At the out- break of the Russo-Japanese war reports were circulated of the great enthusiasm with which the cry to arms was hailed from end to end of the Czar's domain. It seems now that the light which is beginning to sift through the despotic envelope surrounding that country will show that the conditions are hardiy as they were described in the beginning and that the Russian autocracy is whist- ling to keep its courage up. The limelight which was thrown on Finlahd by the assassination of Governor General Bobrikoff has brought into prominence the desperate efforts made by the little father in attempting to force his military policy upon that country. It has been apparent that the heavy penal- ties imposed by Bobrikoff upon those not complying with the summons to military duty has had little effect. In fact, in many places the summons has been entirely ignored, not a single recruit appearing, while in other localities only those presented themselves who were cer- tain to be rejected on account of bodily ailments. The economic depréssion and political discontent within Russia are undoubtedly accentuated by the war and from late reports the condition of things is not likely to be bettered. A number of large firms in Moscow have be- come insolvent and business in Poland and Siberia is practically at a standstill. Suchenformation has not acted as a stimulus upon the Russian soldier, and per- sistent reports of many desertions from the Russian army come from widely scattered points. Besides that, the socialistic propaganda has greatly interfered with the mobilization of troops in the manufacturing districts. A correspondent writing from the seat of war to a Russian paper published in Geneva declares there is little truth in the reports of the high military spirit and patriot- ism felt by the Russian soldiery, but that on the con- trary he has never heard an expression of enthusiasm { | | light hair and only 66 red or auburn | darker hair or eyes. or even of satisfacgon trom them.*He says.the regulars | g0 to the war resignedly because they are obliged™to go wherever they are driven and that the reserves all look and grief-stricken, as nearly every one of them is leaving behind a wife and three or four children without means of support. They do not approve the war and believe it is one of military conquest. In speaking of the condition of the men the writer says the soldiers are aware that while they get perhaps hardly one-tenth of what is appropriated for them, their superiors are eating and drinking of the best at their expense. The mode of transporting the soldiers to the front is described as being enough to kill the most ardent enthusiasm had there been any and that while the Red Cross is appealing to the public for warm clothing, the reserves have to sell for a trifle civilign overcoats. which have in many cases done duty for a whole family, because the Government makes no provision for returning them free to their homes. These reports may account in some measure for the gradual giving way Russia’s troops, without heart are fighting with a valor born of desperation, and may make patent the fact that the existing conditions are not calenlated to strengthen the moral authority of that Government in the minds of the men who are struggling to the death in her defense. any or throw of who Local milkmen have become decidedly more tractable to the demands which the Board of Health has made upon them for the proper sanitation of dairies and the | | and speaking into his friend's left ear, purity of the liqguid most frequently misnamed milk. It will soon be the public's turn to take part in this vitally | important controversy and to determine by experience whether or not this new refornt is simply the repetition | THE DAY WE CELEBRATED. of an old story of imposition. HE general movement against the toy pistol T proved ineffective in keeping down the number of Fourth of July accidents. The reports next morning from a small part of the country, brought the details of fifty accidents causing fifteen deaths and with the lock- jaw returns to come. The toy pistol and did-not-know- it-was-loaded shotgun were in evidence in several States and Territories making jocund the grave digger and bringing joy to the undertaker. The rocket’s red glare injured the insurance companies by over-glaring on a great many buildings, and even the fizzy pinwheel started things going in several towns, resulting in a fine crop of burns, blisters and burials. The press and police of the country joined in trying to have a less sanguinary celebration than usual, and there were hopes that they would succeed. But there is no perceptible diminution in painful accidents and loss of life. Watchfulness seems to be in vain. Carelessness is not confined to juvenile patriots. The adult article figures in the returns along with the children, and the killed and’ wounded were greater in number than the victims of most of the battles in any recent war. There seems no way to stop it. Warning and experience are unavailing and the only thing that sensible people can do is to get away from the crowd that is determined on dying for its country. The bonds which Oakland generously voted recently for the erection of new school buildings and for the improvement of those now in existence have been pur- chased by Oakland banks and the great public better- ment will soon be under way. The city is to be con- gratulated for the progressive spirit that inspired the bonds, for the confidence Oakland people have in their own financial resources and for the general benefit to the State in the advancement and prosperity of one of its cities. The Dutch contributed another bloody page to the his- tory of European aggression recently, when in one of their campaigns in Sumatra they killed hundreds of men, women and children. Hundreds of years ago this butchery of inoffensive and helpless people would have adorned the record as a triumph of arms. Now it passes into human history as it is, a dreadful, wholesale murder that stains the honor of those that permitted it or made it possible ' twere put in known and on that account many of away their : | tunities. | among the blondes than among the "—____—_.—_-_————__'——. TALK Ol‘ g H}} TOWN Complexion and Insanity. “Several months ago I happened across a pamphlet published by the government of a, Southern State in which were some interesting statistics regarding the complexion of the inmates of the State insane asylum,” Hobart Langdon said. “Only 3 per cent of the total had light hair and only 2 per cent blue eyes. “It struck me as a rather curious fact that dark-haired and dark-eyed people should so largely predominate among the insane, but the matter of Jatitude might play some part in this, I thought; for naturally there were more dark than light-haired people in that section. Just as a matter of curiosity, however, I thought I would write to asylum authorities in certain other parts of the country to see what the ratio of light-haired inmates was to those who were dark, and expected to find the percentage increase in com- munities where the total of light- | haired was larger, but in this I was mistaken; so I am led to infer from the statistics I gathered that there is a greater possibility of insanity among dark-haired than among light-haired people.” “My figures were obtained from sixty-eight asylums, located in nearly every State in the Union, and a few in .Canada and England. The total number of patients in these institu- tions was 16,512, of whom 703 had locks. In other words, 96 per cent of the inmates were brunettes, with either black or brown hair, the Ilatter in varying shades. In one asylum in New England there was not a single in- mate that was mot a brunette. Of course, I do not know how to account for this, for I am not a specialist In such matters, and only secured the statistics out of pure curiosity, but it certainly looks as though blondes were Tess liable to insanity than those with “Another peculiar feature about the facts I obtained, however, was that the percentage of those regarded as incurably insane was much greater | brunettes. The totals show that among the dark-haired inmates only 53 per cent were marked hopelessly insane, while among the blondes 81 per cent this eategory, and that only three among the red-haired pa- escaped the same classifica- St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Spoke A certain young man about town is | affiicted with the extremely bad habit of borrowing money from his friends and of never repaying the loan. His reputation on that score is generally in Wrong Ear. his friends get out of his way if they see him coming first. One day an elderly friend of his acquaintance met him in the street before he could dodge behind the near- est telegraph pole to escape his impor- Now the elderly one is rather deaf so far as his right ear is con- cerned, but hears perfectly well with his left. He braced himseif for the “touch,” which he knew was inevitable, as his young friend approached him. “Hello, governor,” sald the Ilatter, grabbing his hand and addressing him- self to the right ear. “I am a little short to-day. Can you accommodate me with the loan of ten dollars?” “I can't hear very well in this ear; go 'round to the other,” said the partly deaf man. The young man did as he was bid said: “I say, old chap, can you let me have $207 The “old chap” winced as he heard the second request for the increased loan, and as he handed over the dou- ble eagle sorrowfully said: “Dear me, I wish you had spoken in the left ear in the first place.” Royalty Prefers Partners. That royal women are so passionately fond of dancing is not to be wondered at since it is only within a compara- tively recent period that the rigorous etiquette by which they have been sur- rounded has been modified to the point where it is permissible, in a game of golf or tennis, or any game whatever, for an opponent of less exalted rank to play his or her best game without infraction of the rule that, not even by accident, should the royal player be defeated. Golf, tennis and such games lost interest with those who were obliged to play under these con- ditions, and it was only natural that queens and princesses regarded the ballroom as the sole place where they might indulge in exercise on an equal footing with the partner instead of an opponent. Queen Wilhelmina of Hol- land prefers the waltz. Queen Alex- andra, although over sixty, still waltzes with as much pleasure as in the days of her youth. Her sister, the Empress Marie of Russia, despite her widowhood and her many grandchildren, is still an indefatigable waltzer, as is also Queen Charlotte of Wurttemberg. So important, indeed, is the matter of dancing to crowned ladies that many foreign governments make a point of selecting for certain missions envoys noted for their skill as waltzers. Throughout the reign of Queen Mar- gherita of Italy the British Foreign Office took care to be represented at the Italian court by the best dancer availa- ble, the late Lord Vivian; his successor, 8ir Francis Ford, and after him the late Lord Dufferin, having been as much noted for their dancing as for their diolomatic skill. Germany, too, followed the example of Great Brit- ain, and was for years represented at Rome by Count Solms, who was in- variably selected by Queen Margherita to open the ball with her at any enter- i tainment where she happened to be present.—Illustrated Sporting News. Queer Championship Contests. Among the little known but keenly contested honors is that of being the champion bootblack of London. Since the title was created two years ago it bas been held by W. Couts, but recent- ly at.the annual competition at the headquarters of the Central Shoeblack Society, in Great Saffron Hall, the honor was won by C. Smith, who for a year will have the right to wear a gold medal and bar. At a given signal the six competitors attacked the boots of six members of the committee, and the rapidity with which the transformation from dirty to clean was effected was marvelous. Lord Kinnaird, who was present, distributed the prizes won. The Tuileries Charmer. There is no city in the world, proba- bly, where animal pets are made so much of as in Paris. The half-domesti- cated birds of the city’s nymerous open spaces come in for a large share of this affectionate interest, and of these birds, the saucy sparrows (the ‘“pier- rots”) are easily first in popular favor. Nearly every park and square has its sparrow charmer, who is a good deal of a personage in his district, a sort of local celebrity, in fact. A few of them are veritable Parisian celebri- ties, notably Monsieur Pol (commonly called Pere Pol), a retired Government employe of a highly respectable aspect, who has fed the sparrows of the Tuil- eries twice a day for many years. The Tuileries’ sparrows have implicit confidence in Pere Pol. They perch on his hands, his head and his shoulders and accept bread from his fingers or his lips indifferently. He has given names to his favorites—Madeleine, Belle Etoile, Marguerite, Bobinet, Joli Coeur, Garibaldi, Secipio Africanus— which they recognize and respond to with exemplary promptness. At a word from him, “Choec or “Rivol or “Jeannette,” or “Qui-Veut-I"Argent™ poises like a huming-bird before his face waiting his orders, and then, the order given, salutes him with a dainty peck on the lips, which is intended for a kiss, or pounces, with the sure agil- ity of a king-bird, on a crumb in mid- air. All the “pierrots” appear to be keenly sensitive to both the praise and the blame of their devoted friend and take a comical delight in the trans- parent little jokes he plays upon them. Pere Pol is on terms of intimacy with the pigeons also—with four in partic- ular, “Ferdinand,” “Ernest,” “Baland- ard” and “Mon Canard” by name—but he plainly prefers the “pierrots™ and he often sends the pigeons away be- cause they prevent, by their greediness, the sparrows from getting their ra- tions.—Boston Transcript. Men as Projectiles. A Singhalese newspaper published in Colombo, Ceylon, is tired of the paucity of news about the war and in order to regale its readers it now and then manufactures some, of which the following is a sample—a translation by the Ceylon Times: “The Sultan was communicated with regarding an approaching con- flict and, being a great friend of the Japanese monarch, he sent a specially trained company of swordsmen, each of whom with a sword In his hand is shot away from the mouth of a gun at the enemy just as ordinary shrap- nel would be. On arrival among the enemy he makes short work of them by his sword play. These swordsmen are now fighting for Japan and gain- ing victories.” Small wonder that Kinchou and Nanshan fell! Answers to Queries. NEW YORK GOVERNMENT—A. D. S., City. It costs $55,000,000 a year to run the government of New York City. There are in round numbers 46,000 per- sons on the pay roll THE ZALINSKI GUN—E. C. D, City. In 1883 D. M. Medford of Toledo, Ohio, first adapted the air gun to throwing dynamite and shortly there- after Lieutenant Zalinski and Captain Bartlett of the United States army per- fected the gun named to meet the uses and needs of a weapon in warfare. PETERBOROUGH—M. G., City. Peterborough, an episcopal city and parliamentary borough, is chiefly in Northamptonshire, partly in Hunting- donshire, England, on the left bank of the Nene. It is thirty-seven miles rortheast of Northampton and seventy- six miles northnortheast of London, by rail. TO EXPRESS THOUGHT-C. H., City. If you wish to express your thoughts fluently and corfcisely go to the Free Public Library and call for books that contain the speeches of many of the best orators. By studying these you will be able to form an idea of “how to string together wordsy phrases and sentences.” GOLD QUARTERS — Subscribers, City. The United States mints never ccined any gold quarter dollars. The smallest gold coin issued out of the United States mint was the dollar piece, first coined in 1349 and coined continuously each year until 1889, when it was discontinued. What are called gold quarters and halves are manu- factured by jewelers and can be pur- chased in large quantities at face value. —_————— Townsend's California Glace fruits in artistic firesetched boxes. 715 Market st.* —_———— Special hxor-u— supplied hflw o Press Clipning Bu (xll’leen reau - ifornia strect. Telephone Main lfllm