Democratic Press, Volume 1, Number 39, Decatur, Adams County, 11 July 1895 — Page 7

AV «-«~i KJ

|ggjp CHAPTER XXL Considering his naturally indolent easeloving nature. Mr. Fulton certainly gave B aimself some trouble in attaining his ob- £ jcet. He spared no pains. If Lady Grag| hame went to the opera, he was sure to be seen in her box. Whatever ball or party she attended, he was invariably pres* ent. People began to say, “If you’ ask l«ady Grahame, you must not forget Mr. Fulton; he is her shadow.” It so happened that just at that time Squire Grenholme, of Grenholme Park, near Oulston, died, and the greater part of his property, consisting of lands and houses in Oulston. was for sale. Mr. Fulton’s solicitors told him of it. The Hall -Would not l>e suld until the death of the •quire’s widow, now old and infirm, but the other property was to be had at a gnat bargain. In the course of a few years, when that frail life ended, he could purchase the Hall, and would become, as Squire of Grenholme, a man of position and eminence. The opportunity was too tempting to be lost. The purchase was concluded, and Mr. Fulton found himself a large land owner, and possessor of numerous houses in the pretty town of Oulston; and when all was arranged he went triumwiantiy to Lady Grahame, to tell her what he bad done. ‘‘lou have acted very wisely.” she said; “money is very well, but nothing gives one such a good standing as the possession of property. Did you say Oulston? Lord Bayneham’s estate is somewhere near there, is it not?” “Yes,” replied Mr. Fulton, who had carefully ascertained all the “bearings” of his new acquisition. Bayneham Castle Js about six miles from the town. It is E the chief place in the neighborhood, I believe.” “I should imagine so,” said Lady Grahame, indifferently; “and if ever you should purchase the Hall, Mr. Fulton, and become Squire of Grenholme, you B will find them charming neighbors. The I Dowager Lady Bayneham is one of my p dearest friends. Her sou is abroad just now.” k “You have so many friends, Lady Grahame!” sighed her admirer. “Is the young earl married?” replied her ladyship; “he married last year one of the ’oveliest girls in England; they are in Italy now, 1 beB lieve. The young Lady Bayneham will be one of our brightest stars. 1 never \ met any one so exquisitely lovely, graceful and refined. | Paul Fulton, as he styled himself, rejoiced to hear all this. He saw his way clearly now; and once Squire of Grenholme. husband of the fashionable widow, and near neighbor of the young earl, he should attain the summit of his ambition. It was at his club that Bertie Carlyon made the acquaintance of Mr. Fulton. They became friends in some degree, although there was little in common between them. Bertie was gifted, and, what is more rare, he was industrious. His works were eagerly read by the Thoughtful men of the day. He was courted alike by wise men and beautiful women; for that Paul Fulton sought him. He was a rising man, whom to know was a greater honor. So they dined together occasionally, met at their club, and discussed passing events, all unconscious of the tragic link that bound them. From Bertie Carlyon, as from Lady Grahame. Paul Fulton heard warm praises of the young lord’s wife. He thought much of his neighliors who were to be when he was Squirt- us Oren holme. He was, in his indolent, lazy way. anxious to see the beautiful young countess, of whom all the world spoke, and spoke well. To Mr. Fulton Bertie confided his intense det-ire of entering into Purlin mentary life. “The borough of Oulston returns one member,” said Mr. Fulton, “and from all the rumors floating now, 1 should imagine the country to be on the eve of a genera! election. I had some thoughts of offering myself as a candidate, but I tell you what. Mr. Carlyon, introduce me to your friend, Lord Bayneham, and we will try if you cannot be returned as the Liberal member for Oulston. I have some influence there, you know.” Bertie Carlyon grew intimate with, and even liked, the gay. good-natured man who seemed so anxious to further his interests. CHAPTER XXII. Under the blue Italian skies where myrtles and citrons bloom, by the fair German Rhine, by the snow clad mountains us Switzerland, and on the sunny plains of beautiful France, Lord Bayneham lingered with his young wife. He watched the pale sweet face brighten gradually. He never suspected any mental suffering, and would have laughed at the idea. He believed his wife to be suf sering from the effects of over-exertion and too much excitement. Their winter at Bayneham had been a brilliant one. and she had been a marvelous hostess. He blamed himself for not having sooner perceived her fatigue and languor; bur. in his own quiet way he was doing his best to atone for it. During the whole year they lingered among the fairest scenes of this fair earth. They spent Christmas in Florence. and the spring brought them home. Private letters and public papers brought to Lord Bayneham tlie news of a general election, and he knew then that his place was in England. They went at once to London, where the young earl found the leaders of his party anxiously awaiting him. New combinations were forming, great events loomed in the distance, and Lord Bayneham was asked if he had any influence in Oulston; if so, let him use it for the return of a Liberal member. He inquired, somewhat carelessly. if there was any candidate in the field, and be became

i fell fire and interest when he heard that tne man they were anxious to secure was no other than the great political writer, ms dearest and best friend, Albert Carlyon. may consider the election as good as made,” he said to the chief. “I shall go down to Bayneham and take Carlyon with me. There will be but little opposition.” M hen that interview was ended Lord Bayneham rushed off in search of Bertie. He found him busily engaged at the office, and heartily pleased to s.*e him. “We may hope Lady Bayneham and I Miss Earle will now find their way to _ London, said Bertie; “they have been at < owes, I understand, since Christmas.” ’Dine with us to-morrow,” said Lord Bayneham. “and you will see them both. 1 hey will be in town this evening. Now, Bertie, let us discuss business. What is , this about the borough of Oulston? You know yon may safely reckon on my assistance.” Bertie then told his friend bow anxious he was to begin his Parliamentary career. “I feel that my vocation is essentially a political one,” he said. “I can serve my country honestly and well. Mr. Fulton, the new man who has purchased Squire Grenholme’s property, has promised to do all he can; and I think there is every chance of success.” “I am sure of it,” said Lord Bayneham. enthusiastically. “I tell you what, Bertie, when the election comes on we will all go down to Bayneham together, and I | will ask this friend of yours to join us. Lady Hilda and Miss Earle shall canvass for us. You will come in with a wonderful majority. Y’ou shall see if lam not a true prophet.” "You are a true friend,” said Bertie, gratefully. "I should like to introduce . Mr. Fulton to you. Shall you be at the club this evening?” “I will be there just for that purpose, , even if I cannot remain,” replied his friend. "Y’ou will come to-morrow, Beri tie 2". Trying to conceal his delight, Bertie promised, and Lord Bayneham went ( away. Evening brought the countess and Barbara; the latter radiant in health and spirits. They were delighted at the i change in Hilda. She had grown more beautiful during the year of secret sor- , row, and thought gave fresh loveliness . to her face, and the dark violet eyes wore a new expression. She looked taller and more matronly, and in all England one could not have found a more perfect type of a young English wife. . “I did not think time could have added a charm, Hilda,” said Barbara Earle; “but it has managed to do so Change of ; air and scene has improved you won- . derfully.” i Lady Bayneham gazed with proud . pleasure at her son’s wife. Even her critical eye could not see one fault or one cause for remark. They were a pleasant family party, and Lord Bayneham left them after dinner to go round to his club. Bertie introduced Mr. Fulton to him: ami Lord Bayneham, who liked all pleasant things, was struck by his gay, easy, graceful manner, and his flow of conversation. “I have not many minutes this evening,” he said. "Perhaps, Mr. Fulton, you will favor me with a call some time tomorrow; then we can discuss the Oulston business at our leisure.” That being settled, Lord Bayneham 1 returned home. The ladies were pleased i to hear of Bertie’s prospects, for the handsome young secretary was a favorite : with all. Barbara Earle made no remark; ' but her face Hushed and her eyes shone brightly. She looked serenely fair and ■ calm. That evening, when she stood alone I in her room, she took from a little pearl I casket a small golden apple and touched i it with her lips as though it were somei thing living, smiling as she did so at her • own pleasant thoughts. ■ “I am always coming across old friends,” said Lord Baynelram to Hilda, the day following. “I met your old admirer, Captain Massey, this morning; he ' is leaving England in the autumn, and will dine with us to-day.” It was a party of old friends who met that evening in Grosvenor Square. Lady Bayneham professed herself delighted to see Bertie. Barbara said little, her greeting was kind and gentle; but that did not satisfy the handsome secretary. Perhaps Captain Massey was less at his ease than some of the others. He had dearly loved Lady Hutton's ward, and her marriage with Lord Bayneham had been a bitter blow to him. Not that he thought himself worthy of her. or that she ever gave him any encouragement. He loved her hopelessly and humbly. There were times when he raved against fortune and fate, wishing he were anything but a brave captain, with nothing but an honorable name to recommend him. After Hilda’s marriage he left London, and had just returned to make arrangements for leaving England on a mission of some importance. Then Lord Bayneham met him, and greeted him warmly, pressing him to waive all ceremony and dine with him. Captain Massey was sorely puzzled. He longed to gaze upon the fair young face that had been the one star of bis hope and love; he lunged to see her in her own home, surrounded by luxury and love. Then he could take the picture into exile with him, and think of it when he felt dull and lonely. So he yielded, and went to dinner, looking with sad eyes upon the one face that had been all the world to him. She welcomed him warmly and kindly, her little white hands outstretched to meet him. There was no thought of love or lovers in that pure, guileless heart. She had never known that he eared for her. And this man, who had loved the fair young girl so deeply and hopelessly, saw what others had never noticed. He read the expression of that face aud those clear, true eyes more correctly than did those who lived with her. She was even more beautiful than before her marriage, but the beauty was changed. The first flush of youth and happiness had died out of it, never to return. He saw something of constraint in the smiles that had once seemed ever to linger round her lips. He noticed that when she was neither speaking nor listening an expression of deep thoughtfulness came over j

her, amt then Captain Massey said to himself that the women ho loved either had a aecret or was not happy, he could not tell which. "Hilda," said Lord Bayneham that evening to his wife, “we must be more careful this time than we were last winter; but as you are mu- h stronger and better, I thought of asking a few friends to Bayneham—what do you say?” "Are you going there?" she asked, trying to bide the fear liown both in her face and voice. “Yes,” replied her husband, “we are bound this time on a patriotic * expedition. The safety and well-being of the country- demand the return of a Liberal member for Oulston. We hope Bertie will be successful; but he w ill require our aid. No bribery, mind; they are al! free and independent voters; still what yon and Barbara can do by the magic of voice and smile may be safely accomplished.” "Does Barbara go with us?” asked Lady Hilda. "Yes,” replied Lord Bayneham, “and my mother, too. You will enjoy the canvassing. I must ask Bertie’s friend. Mr. Fulton, and one or two more. You do not smile, Hilda; do you not like the pros poet?" "Why should I not?” she asked, calmly; “if 1 am only with you it matters very little to me in what place.” "And you promise to smile, with all the fascination that you can command, upon the noble voters of Oulston?” “I promise," said Lady Hilda, “and 1 hope Bertie will get in. Do you know, Claude, I begin to think ho cares for Barbara.” ”1 kuew that, little wife, many years ago,” said Lord Bayneham; "I should like io know if Barbara cares for him.” They said no more; but al! that night there lay on Lady Hilda’s mind a weight of dread, as of some coming heavy evil which she could not avert: and once in her sleep she sprang up, wildly crying, "Claude, do not go to Bayneham. I have dreamed that I lay dead there.” CHAPTER XXIII. “Will you go with us, Claude?” asked Lady Bayneham on the following morning. "I am going to take Hilda to call on Lady Grnhame.” “I should be delighted,” he replied; “but I have a gentleman—Mr. Fulton—coming on rather important business; I must therefore defer the pleasure.” For the second time Lady Hilda heard that name uttered before her. and did not remember it. The carriage drove off, and she sat serene and smiling by Lady Bayneham’s side. They saw a tall, handsome man go up the broad flight of steps, but no warning came to Hilda, no impulse or instinct told her that he was man whose cruelty had doomed her mother to death. “I am glad you are come, Mr. Fulton,” said Lord Bayneham, courteously; “we will go into the library, as we shall require pens and paper for our calculations.” The visitor followed his young host. Was it chance that directed Lord Bayneham there? The library wns a grand apartment; its chief ornament was a magnificent picture hanging over the mantelpiece, It was the portrait of Lady Hutton's ward, taken by the celebrated artist, Mr. Seaton, and valued by Lord Bayneham above all other treasures. The summer sunbeams fell slanting upon it, lighting the golden hair aud beautiful face with a bright radiance. It was a face to dream of, so pure, so fair and lovely. The violet eyes and sweet lips smiled at you; the tender, Innocent heart, the guile less, loving nature, sweetness, constancy and truth, were imprinted on every feature. The sunbeam was not brighter than the sheen of the rippling golden hair. As Mr. Fulton entered the library hit eyes fell upon the picture, and it startled him so much that he uttered a low cry. lie went up and stood before it. He asked himself was he dreaming or awake. The room, Lord Bayneham, and the present faded from him ; he stood in Brynmar woods, under the cool shade of the green trees, the lovely face blushed at his passionate words, the fair young head drooped beneath his gaze. He was there wooing Magdalen Hurs: in the opening of her fair youth aud beauty. It was for but a moment, and something dimmed the eyes that had long been dry. He started; what, was he, Paul Fulton, sentimental? —going to cry because a beautiful picture resembled his dead wife, making a sinipletqn of himself for a painted face? “Y’ou admire that painting,” said Lord Bayneham; “it is considered an exquisite gem of art.” “I —I —once knew some one whose face resembled this,” stammered the visitor. “Indeedl” said Lord Bayneham. quietly; "she must have been very beautiful, then.” "She was,” replied Mr. Fulton: and then there came across him a v ision of his dead wife’s face as he bad seen it last, white ami worn with the misery aud anguish of pain, deeper than death. (To be continued.) A Moral Victory. The closing hour of the Fifty-third Congress witnessed a notable triumph for the cause of public morality. In the passage of the bill forbidding interstate traffic in lottery tickets. In the Senate at nearly half-past two in the morning of tin- last day of the session Senator Hoar called the bill up, at the exact moment when the subterfuges of the enemies jf the bill were exhausted. In a few minutes the bill was on its way to be enrolled and signed; In an hour or two, but only a few moments before final adjournment. It had the President's approval; aud the long, hard fight of two years how hard only those who know the inner history of the matter can say -was over at lust. The new law makes It uu offense punishable by imprisonment or fine, or both, to bring into this country from abroad, or from one State int ■ another, any lottery ticket.circular,oradvertisement. Since the lottery companies have been denied by law the use of the mails so far at least as regards money orders and registered letters—they have carried on their business mainly by express, and the law is particularly aimed at this method. But as the mall is still largely used for conveying lottery matter in sealed letters, the Postmaster -General is now authorized to refused to deliver any mall to persons known to him to be engaged in lottery business. The new law Is stringent, and It is hoped that it will be effective.

NOTES AND COMMENTS Theiie are at present 850 electric railways in the United States, upcrsliug over 9,000 miles of track, aud 23.000 cars, representing a capital investment of over $400,000,000. Shanghai. China, papers report a ghastly incident at a recent execution. Just at the moment of the execution the victim's hands nervously grasped the garment of the executioner and held on after decapitation. Before the grip could be loosened the executioner died of fright. Thrbe-wiiksebd vehicles are the rage. The latest carriage invention is a tlireewheel affair. The newest cycle has the same number of wheels. Each seats two persons and threatens to unseat the reason of a lot of people who already have too many wheels. If a man is a pessimist be is sure to grumble continually at the weather. The optimist, on the other hand, always sees the bright side of the subject. If it rains w ith him it is “ good weather for ducks,” and if it’s so sultry he can’t sleep nights, he consoles himself with the thought that at any rate it’s “ good corn weather.” The war department has just granted a medal of honor to Alonzo H. Pickle, sergeant of Company B, First Battalion. Minnesota Infantry, for saving the life of an officer who fell desperately wounded between the lines in a battle of the late war. Mr. Pickle ought to be thankful that he lived long enough to give the government sufficient time to find out that lie had done a heroic deed. The Belgians are careful of their historic souvenirs. In the front of a house situated in the Faubourg de Shaerbucb, in Brussels, there is to be seen, half buried in the plaster, a cannon ball which was tired from a Dutch cannon at the period of the revolution, of 1830, and has ever since been permitted to remain. Recently it was determined to restore and refront the house, and it was decided to make the repairs without disturbing the canon ball. At the recent Sloane-Burden wedding, two of the richest families in America were united—the Vauderbilts aud the Burdens. The guests represented $800,000,000. Quite $1,000,000 was spent in wedding arrangements. The bride’s trousseau cost $40.1)00: the wedding presents were valued at $700,00; 180 carriages were placed at the service of the guests, and the largest hotel in Lennox, Mass.. was chartered for their use. Is 1804 the railways killed 7.833 of their employees, or 904 less than in 1893, and injured z 3,422, or 8,307 less than in 1893. The passengers killed numbered 324, an increase of 25, aud the injured numbered 3,0-14, a decrease of 195. This commendable saving in lives aud limbs of railway employees is ascribed by the Interstate Commission in part tq the decreased number employed and in part to the increased use of automatic appliances that have rendered railway employment much less dangerous. Among 178 babies exhibited at the recent New Y'ork baby show, 14 bore tlie name of Dorothy. Next in favor came Marjorie, Helen, Katherine and Marie. It would appear, then, that Dorothy is the fashionable name just now, at least in Gotham. This matter of baby-naming should be carefully considered. Supposing Miss Trilby Trotter in the year 1930 is sensitive about her age. She will have hard work convincing the wise ones that she was uot born during the Trilby craze of 1895. The current number of Harper's Weekly contains a particularly interesting article by Mr. Edward Atkinson on “ The Cost of Our Government,” in which be analyzes the figures of revenue and expenses for the last fifteen years, and shows the average cost of different branches of the public service and the expense for pensions and clearing off war debt. In 1880 the revenue per bead was $0,835 and the expense $5,298. In 1883 the revenue was $7,587 and the expense $4,916. In 1890 the same items were respectively $6,577 and $4,749, and in 1894 $4,455 aud $5.346. If you want to know the character of your friends, just study their thumbs. The conditions are simplicity itself. The weak man’s thumb is weak and pendent; the strong man’s thumb is strong and erect. Tlie parallelism is so marked that you can tell from a glance at a man’s thumbs whether he is an aimless thinker or a man who carries his ideas or somebody else’s into action. Men should mark well the thumbs of the women of their choice. If a girl’s thumb, be it ever so prettily rosy, has a tendency to stand lit right angles to the hand—well, the gray mare will need a bit, that’s all, while if it lies flat or droops a little you can count on marital submission to the master mind, and that's tlie sort of domestic paradise all you sons of Adam are looking for, isn’t it? With the wailing of the powers of frame and brain comes the depression of the thumb, aud whether in senility or idiocy the thumb is always turned in. And then, when you turn your face to the wall and know no more summer’s heat nor winter’s cold, those that stand about you and say: “ Well, poor old chap, he’s gone at last,” will find that you have tucked your thumbs away in the shelter of your bauds, just as you bad them when you were a little baby. The business men of Boston have been giving attention of late to the conditions which surround the foreign and domestic commerce of that port. There has been some talk in the newspapers of Boston’s “ decaying commerce,” and it was perhaps the sting of this unwelcome phrase w hich led the Chamber of Comim ree to consult concerning possible means of improving tlie harbor, and induced the Boston Adver tiser to make a careful conparison of the city’s foreign shipping with the marine traffic carried on from other principal ports. The Advertiser claims that Boston’s commerce is uot decreasing, but is, on the other hand, showing an annual rate of increase more creditable than can be claimed by New Y’ork, Baltimore. Philadelphia, New Orleans, or San Francisco. Reviewing the facts collected and givihg comparative results, the Advertiser says: “ Boston, which had an annual commerce of $80,000,000 in 1875, shows $110,000,000 for the first ten months of the last fiscal year, and $113,000,000 for the corresponding period for the present fiscal year, or 50 per cent, taore than the annual total of twenty years ago. Even New York, the only other port to show any increase of commerce sin 1894, can show

I but 10 per cent, increase over its 1°75 j totals. On tiie other hand. Baltimore eats , can shew but 35 per eent, Philadelphia i 3u per cent.. New Orleans a deerea-w of 13 per cent.. and San Francisco an increase of about 6 ]»er cent., as compared with the annual totals for 1875, ami if an earlier date were taken, the showing would be | still more creditable to Boston ” There does not seem to be a scientist i living to-day who can tell why the hair precedes tlie lieard and mustache in grayness or whiteness, or vice versa. In the case of persons of blbnde or demi- | blonde complexion, who have hair and • beard of light brown or sandy hue. the process of growing gray seems to proceed , pari passu, but with the brunettes it is an even chance whether the hair or the beard and mustache first show the signs of advancing years. There must be some ■ scientific reason for three or four things i which we cannot have failed to notice. I What causes baldness? Why does the • hair turn gray or white sooner in one place . than anot her ? Why does one man’s head turn silver white, while another’s remains I only grizzled ? Why are there so many ; more bald-headed men than women ? Why, i of two brothers, should one be equipped | w’th a full, strong, permanent head of hair. ' and the other become bald almost before ) reaching years of manhood ? These questI ions may not lie vital to the human family, : but they are certainly of interest, and they I should be capable of scientific answer and I solution. A head of hair is a crown of glory, whether to man or woman, and there ought to be formulated definite ; scientific rules under which the hair may ibe preserved in its natural state. To make : hair grow on a bald head is deemed practically impossible, but to preserve the hair in a healthy scalp or ou health)' cheeks , or chin and to make it retain the most of its natural color should not be impossible. We have specialists in every other department, why not encourage the education i and development of specialists in the department of crinosity ? There should at least be money in the business of hair preservation. A Clever Swindling Scheme. It’s not an entirely new buncoing artifice j among the thieving gentry, but the manner i in which a wealthy woman customer of a ' New Y’ork dry goods store was swindled, j is entirely new to the dry goods trade. The 1 customer mentioned went to the store and I purchased a bill of goods. “ Send it to my address,” she ordered. I “ and my servant will pay the bill. I have left money with her.” No one at the tune observed a genteel ; looking young man standing close by who j had purchased a pair of thirty-seven cent vases and had them under his arm. He, f however, bad listened to the woman customer’s order. An hour later he rang the bell of the wealthy woman’s residence and gave the to the servant with an order to collect $7.37. The servant paid, and the I man went away. Soon after the mistress returned and found the thirty-seven cent vases and the ; receipt for $7.37. Now the customer is mad, the dry goods firm is studying up the new scheme in fraud, and the police are looking for the slick young man who made ■s7 from a thirty-seven cent investment. Fireworks Cheap This Year. Herbert Wycherley, of Parkville, N. Y., a manufacturer of fireworks, said to a re- ' porter: “Fireworks generally are about ' one-half this year that they were last year, Even the firecrackers, the cheapest, most I obnoxious and least profitable of all forms of pyrotechnics, only bring fifty cents a I box this year against $1 a box last year. You asked about novelties, though. Well, ! there are very few novelties, strictly speaking. There are two, however, that are new in effect, though both of them are old enough in form. We have a pinwheel in stock that is made up to look precisely like 1 an old-fashioned Catharine-wheel, as they call it in England; but it is made witii magnesium, so that it is almost too brilliant to look at while it is burning. Then j we have small torches made up in a simi- | lar ivay, that give out a light so fierce as to dazzle the eye. Aside from these, I don’t believe there is anything new.” Fireworks of all kinds are so cheap this ’ year that, if the small boy's money holds j out, there will be nearly twice as much disturbance around town on the glorious Fourth as there was last year. Heroes of To-Day. Tlie Stanhope gold medal, annually ! awarded by the Royal Humane society of Great Britain to the bravest deed in saving i life, was this year given to William MugI ford, of Torquay, who saved two comrades 1 from drowning for several hours by lioldi jng them up seven hours, when all were I overtaken in a sewer by a sudden flood I from rain outside. Louie Alter, 10 years old, of Frankfort. , Ind., went the other day to the help of her younger sister against a big vicious dog, and. after a hard tight, beat the brute off with a piece of board. A small boy in Lowell, Mass., whose fingers were blown off by some dynamite lie was playing with—queer plaything! — mourned because the ball club in which he was shortstop was to play a match game next day, aud he “ felt rotten to be out of it.” John Fox is totally blind, but he goes about a number of Michigan towns repairing sewing machines for a living, and has no notion of becoming a public charge. Population of Great Britain. Tlie population of Great Britain in 1894, according to the returns of the registrar general, was 38,776.154, England and Wales having 30,060.763, Scotland, 4,124.691, and Ireland, 4.590,700. The birth rate for the year, in England and Wales, was 29.6 per 1,000 , 2 per 1,000 less than the mean for the previous teu years, and declared to be the smallest ou record. The death rate, 16.6 per 1,000, was also the lowest on record, being 1.5 per 1,000 less than the previous lowest rate, that for 1888, and 3.6 lower than the teu year average. Monkey Roosting Places Copper wires are used fur Mexican tele, graph lines so that they will hold ths weight of the birds and monkeys which crowd them at night.

PURSES OF HUMAN SKIN. Gruesome Souvenirs Made from the Cuticle of Desperados The rejrirt comes from Tacoma, Wash., that the cuticle of Tom Bianck, a desperado who was killed a few days ago. will lie tanned and made into pocketbooks. While in jail in Seattle, Bianck made a wooden imitation of a pistol, with which he held up the jailor am! escaped. He was followed by the jailor and a posse and killed, as he would not surrender. Exactly how the pocketbooks will lie disposed of is not stated, but judging from the results of several enterprises of this kind in the past, the owners of Blanck's skin will have no difficulty in disposing of their manufactured stock, • >ne of the inhuman practices brought to light by the investigation set on foot by Gen. Benjamin F. Butler into the affairs of the Tewkesbury ( Mass. > poorhouse was the skinning of dead patients and the making of souvenirs of various kinds of the skins, for which the keepers or others in the scheme found a ready market. The same state of affairs is said to have existed at the Ohio State prison, in Columbus, fifteen years ago. Prisoners wereknocked in the head or shot on the slightest provocation by the keepers and guards, who were all banded together for the traffic in human skin souvenirs. These outrages finally became so flagrant that au investigation was held, which resulted in tlie turning out of all the keepers and guards in the prison. None of the men was ever prosecuted, as it was impossible to get tangible evidence. There must have been money in this human skin traffic or tlie men engaged in it would not have taken such chances. There are many persons whose morbid tastes make them delight in the possession of just such gruesome souvenirs, and it is not infrequent that some man of a reek less, roving disposition and a checkered past is seen proudly displaying a tobacco pouch, purse or other “pocket novelty” made from the skin of a human being. Tlie use of human skin in making small articles that could be carried in one’s pocket was quite common in Mexico and tlie wild Southwest forty or fifty years ago. It is more than possible that some of the possessors of these articles flaunted them as an evidence of desperate and bloodcurdling tendencies. During the French revolution tanning of human skins was common, and volumes of Rousseau’s works are said to have been bound in the cuticle of those who had derided him. Oldest Woman in America. Mrs. Anna Collins, of Troy, Tenn., is probably the oldest woman in the United States. She was born in Robertson County, Tenn., April 7, 1788, and is therefore in her 108th year. Her husband, Francis Collins, was born March 11, 1791, and came from .South Carolina to West Tennessee. He was one of tbe most noted Methodist evangelists that was ever in the South. It is said of him that in one of his revival meetings such enthusiasm was manifested that there were iu two weeks 845 conversions and 4-56 accessions to the church. Five children were born to Francis and Anna Collins, two of whom are still living, the eldest being a man of three score and six years. She lias used tobacco constantly for fifty-five years, and is as strong to-day as most women at the age of 45. Odd Accidents. All ingenious boy of Hannibal. lias succeeded in shooting a playmate with a gun which had no trigger. Andrew Coleman, of Athens, Ga., had his eye put out, and later died, from the effects of a pin shot from a child’s toy gun. J. M. Pike, the “Orchard King of Kennebec,” was loading a cart in his ban cellar when he saw the cirt tipping up. 11, sprang upon the pole too late to keep it down, and the end of the pole pinned him to tbe ceiling by the head. He couldn’t shout, but made some noise which attracted attention tn him, and he was released. Sewickley, Penn., has its council chamber over the lockup. When the latter was cleared out recently so many bedbugs climbed upstairs that they broke up the next council meeting. Left Hand vs. Left Leg. An English officer tells the following story of a game of billards he once witnessed in India: •• As the result of an animated discussion, a match was agreed upon, 500 up, between two of the best billiardists among the officers—one to play with his left hand, tbe other to use his right, but to play standing on the left foot only. The latter was allowed to sit between strokes, but had to proceed from bis seat hopping and make bis stroke while only standing on the left leg. Left leg was tbe favorite, but the result proved that billiards require two leet to play them, for. when game was called, the officer playing with his left hand was found to be more than seventy ahead of his opponent.” Seeds of the Mushroom. Tbe spores seeds !, composed of a twocoated cell, are borne on tbe gills or tubes under the cap. One plant often produces ten million spores. To see these tiny spores you must cut the top of,a toadstool off and lay it right side up on n sheet of black paper. After a few hours, remove it carefully, aud an exact representation of its shape will remain on tbe paper, formed by the thousands of spores which have fallen out. If the spores fall on favorable soil, they germinate and send out great numbers of tiny threads. These, becoming intertwined ami woven together, cover the ground like tiie'tinest web, and this is known as the mycelium, or “ spawn.” The threads absorb nourishment and carry it to the quickened spore.—St. Nicholas. Financial Astronomy. Sir Robert Ball, the famous English astronomer, has been reckoning the cost of a trip to the stars, supposing a ctlestial railroad could be constructed. At the rate of 2 cents per hundred miles, which would never enable a company to pay dividends, it would cost $3,865,000,000 for a single fare and 5,000 huge carts would be needed to convey the number of half eagles required to defray expenses. At the rate of making change at certain offices how many passengers would be likely to catch tbe train?