{ title: 'The White Plains argus. (White Plains, N.Y.) 1896-1908, March 09, 1897, Page 2, Image 2', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn2003060372/1897-03-09/ed-1/seq-2/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn2003060372/1897-03-09/ed-1/seq-2.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn2003060372/1897-03-09/ed-1/seq-2/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn2003060372/1897-03-09/ed-1/seq-2/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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. . OLD MEMORIES. z^trong .lu my heart ^) 1<1 memorlos awake, T6-nfghtl Live on my lips dead kisses burr; Hot to my eyes wept teams return; Forgotten throbs my pulses shake, .To-nlglit! 1 ^ ^ Love Is avenged — my burled lovq-- To-nlgbt! The weakling Present slips away; Tho giant Past alone has sway — Potential ns the gods above — To-night! And let him rslgnl Pll hold my soul, . To-night! In grand Hof to this m'ghly Past; In fulso allegiance off I cast — 'Deny the Present ’ s potty toll, To-night! Take loyally, great Past, my king, )-nfght! ' To-iiibrrow's sun may thee unthrone; t eyes, Ups, h< art — all that I own Of treasure — I bo/ore thee fling, )-njghtr . ;{■ — Household Words. M rs . K l W ood ’ s G ov BY JENNY WREN. ... P-v v^HEN first Edith Lor- \jng realized the sad strath that ' she was orphaned, that tho father who had fCl^jjavifibed upon her nil that wealth could ,yield had died a bankrupt at an unexpected crisis in the financial world, the double shook seemed more than she could bear. • Ecr a time it paralyzed her energies, bat when at last the , dread question, What should she do? was put before her in all its unvarnished plainness, pride and .her own strength of will came to her rescue, and she answered, brushing the tears from- her bright eyes and holding erect the regal head : “ Anything rather than live depen dent upon others. I will work. ” Then, when the weary (fays merged into weeks and months, and she finally sought and obtained a\ position, as ... _ governess in Mrs. Ehvood ’ s family, and bade farewell to her old home, where she had spent so many happy hours to enter upon the threshold of her new life; it seemed as though a hand of iron had grasppd her heart and clutched it in a vise. Sho lived two [fer liyes^an outer life, in-whioh: her sweet: voice never wavered, and where she wore a smile whoso hollowness tho children, her little-charges, could not fathom; and an inner life, 'which Sometimes grew to such agony that qlmost it betrayed her ; but the tears rarely rose beyond the fountain-head. And though at times the orown of thorns she daily wore pressed hard -' i 4-^npan*the,tirad,yQung_brow,she,car- ried it unflinchingly. At first, as the days brought eaoh their fresh burden and every hour seemed to give birth to florae new and. harder duty, a hope, unbidden, shone ever through the - darkest clouds that Pouglas Railings would release her ere.herJdiraHdom became unbearable. In bygone days, though no positive engagement bound ■ them, his words, his every act were un mistakably the word s and acts of n lover. At her father ’ s, death she had heard nothing from him, but eaoh day some fragrant flowers had been sent her, which she felt assured could come only from him. Then followed the announcement of ' hordossof fortune, and from that day she hud heard nothing of the recreant save thq hews which came to her through others that he had sailed for .Europe. -Not even this did she learn until weeks had passed, and then she ’ bade farewell to tho hope which had .served to buoy her through these many trials, and wrapping herflelf in a man tle of joy reserve, piled high the sod . upon a>,grave within, her . heart, ? nor shed one tear'to keep its memory green. It is winter to her, within as well as without; and as now and then, glanoing from th 6 Window, she sees the handsome sleighs, with their mer ry dooupants, dash pash, she wonders . could it be she who, one short year ago, ■: revelled-like these, tho gayest of the ■ r ». tv r “ Miss Loring, ” a sweet, childish voice cries, interrupting hei reverie, “ mamma says will you not join us in a ride? There is a vacant seat in the eleigh, and she should be very glad to have you fill it. ” * “ Certainly, dear ; I will be there in a moment* ” and*: rising to her feet, she donned her outer wraps and hast ened to meet Mrs. Elwood in the hall below. i Before the door stood two sleighs, one that belonged to her hostess, the . other a beautiful little butter, with a pair of prancing steeds, held by a groom in full livery, while in. the ‘ drawing-room tat its owner, waiting for Mies Elwood, the daughter of the house, who hud this winter made her debut ia society. Edith, unconscious -of any one ’ s presence, ran hastily into the room to see if Mrs. Elwood awaited her, and for a moment the blood surged up in a glad tide, for there before tho open fireplace .stood Dougina Railings, alone. He had oomo then at last; bat her .outstretched-hand drops to her side, hfer look > of happy surprisq ^vanishes,'as she reads in'his face only utter amazement at her sudden appar- \ ition. In a moment sho realizes it is - not she whpmTie seeks, . V “ Pardon me* Mr. Railings. 1 thought the drawing-room deserted, or expected to find only Mrs. Elwood. J imagined you were abroad. ” “ i returned only last week, and this is a most welcome surprise. May 1 ^ tell-you ho w; Vjflry glad I am to find you? Are you visiting Mrs. El wood? ” “ 1 am residing here permanently., ' asi Mrs, EKvooiPs governess. Good . morning, ” ; ............... “ Stay, Edith ; why are you so cold? Let me be your friend — do something, anything, to lighten your burden. ” “ Thank you. My own shoulders are siiffioiently broad to bear any bur- ; don laid upon them. Once more, goodanorning, ” and in another mo ment Edith stepped into the sleigh beside Mrs. Elwood, and was whirlbd from his sight; As he turns.a moment later to meet Miss Elwood, there is a jy^rplexud look in his faco which he can.scarcely hids in the smile of wel come he so well knows how to assume. But she deteote nothing beyond the Booming delight which ho can so well express in courteous . WP^dii; and springing lightly into the sleigh by his side, as tie groom releases the horses and they speed off as an arrow sent from its bow, sbo feels only lion ored by his preference, and his' com panionship. Two days latek- a little note is placed in Edith Loring ’ s hands. It is a polite invitation from Mr. Railings to accom pany him that afternoon to drive, which she as politely and formally de clines.' , Ooctfshmolly she hears his name mentioned in the household; learns that his attentions to Miss El wood are growing marked; sees the happy flush mount to her brow at mention oj his name, and wonders at the icy indifference with, which she hears it all. Sometimes for a moment the' old , pain throbs and surges, but she bravely lights it back and comes forth conqueror _In all these mpnths she rarely meets him. Once, as she is passing through the hall with Ler little charges, she unexpectedly confronts him. in his old* . winning wa y — a manner which she has learned so well — he asked her once more to lot him bo her friend. “ Atieast* Edith, let me explain. ” . “ Explain, Mr. Railings? I cannot understand, sir, what explanation is necessary. : Allow me to assure you I consider Uohodue me. ” This is all that passed between them until one morning, when Mrs^Eiwood ■haifcj^biK-.iibg^a:-hqliday.,and-^)h,q..l|aa. taken advantage of it for a quiet walk, she hears behind her a quick tread, and in another moment Mr. Railings had accosted her. :: “ This is a most uuexpeotedrpleas* uro, Miss Edith. Will you allow me to join you? ” “ I oumo out, Mr. Railings, to bo alone, and I should prefer it. ” “ Edith, listen to me; I must speak . 1 Why do-yon-avoid me?^ When I left this c&Ontry for Europe I wrote you u little note, explaining why I wasoalled away, leaving you-my address and begging yoh to write to me. No letter reached me, and on my return I. heard of your added misfortilnes. I could hoar nothing more. When 1 found you'.at/last, so bravely earning your own support, it gave me a new respect for you. I know full well how little worthy I am to ask a favor at your hand, but at least let mo try to win baok some of the friendly feeling I feel assured yon oboe gave me. ” “ That Etyiil not deny, Mr; Rdlliiigs ; nor will- I deny that, for a time, I ■missed my .iriondhut cl .. have so schooled myself that that feeling has grown into callousness. The rose, once blighled, cannot reblossom ; the heart once trampled upon bears the cruel impress forever. I have learned at leas^ontoutmout, and\ let mo beg tliat this shall be our last interview. ” . “ Have you indeed grown so hard,' Edith? When I knew that you had lost everything, and was dependent solely upon the labor of your own brain and hands, I longed, darling, oh, so earnestly, to say to you : ‘ Oomo to me. Let me share your burden,' or lighten it all I Can. ’ You have judged me oruelly, Edith. I am not so Base as you-imagine. I -have enough for both. Let me try to win back \at least a little of the, old feeling, with the hope that.at a later day I may plead with you to be my wife. ” ForuTnomentEdith-waveredf There was a ring of truth in his words sho could but recognize. But was he not; in thus addressing her, playing false with Miss Elwood? How foolish for her to listen to his idle words. “ Lot tho dead past bury its dead, Mr. Railings,” she answered at last. “ Too many, changes have taken place for us over again to be the same to each other. Words are very empty things, and though you have learned their fullest power, you are no longer addressing the girl who, one short year ago, thought all tha world was true. Can you think that I, living in tho house with Miss Elwood, can be iguor- uut of the attentions yon have . paid her? Nay, do not attribute this to personal feeling, for; believe riie, it is a mutter of indifference, save that your conduct is unworthy u gentleman. ” “ In visiting Miss Elwood, if I have erred, it has been through my love for you. . I hftve gone there hoping to see you, yearning for the knowledge that you were well at least, and longing to break through the orustof icqin which you infolded yourself. I admire Miss Elwood only as a friend, and do not for one moment flatter myself she entertained a different feeling toward This is, tolly, dear. Look at me once, Edith, with yojirold, frank gaze,' and if my eyes speak falsehood, banish me forever. ’ * ‘ It is hopeless, Mr.- Railings. I have ceased to pare for you. If I did not know how small a matter it was to you I should say, *1 am sorry, ’ but in the long months when a friendly word would have been, oh ! so welcome, only silence met me; and if, as you sivy, a mantle of toe infolds me, it is becaiise I have so long lived banished from the sun that its rays can no longer pene trate the frozen interior. It is best s 6 . ” 1 • “ You call it best, then — besf that the heart, once so .warm and t rue, should become an iceberg ; best that your faith should be converted into skepticism* your belief into unbelief. Rest happy, m yqur creed, then. Miss Loring, but take care lest yon do not wreck yourself against the sharp rocks of suspicion,” . \ Six months later. Edith Loring, sitting in her school room, is inter rupted by Miss Elwood. “ Oh, Miss Loring, ” she says, “ Mr. Railings has been thrown -from his horse and badly injured. They fear he will not live. Is it not sad? ” “ Very sad,” was the quiet reply, but as she spoke the words the ice seemed breaking from her heart, and she fell fainting to the floor. During all these months she had scarcely hoard . Douglas Rftilings ’ s name, and, to her surprise, his absence from the household had been but casually mentioned ; and Miss El wood, in hef daily round of pleasure, sfeemed to have no time to note, that such was the case. His words. were true, then, when he tol.d her he had been to her only as a friend. Could it be that it was she who had honored him, and not ho her ! When qonsoicTusness returned,, and with it the memory of their last meet ing, her coldness and indifference, his earnest, loving words, she knew she had deceived herself, and tho love she supposed buried beyond resurrection deeper, truer, more intense than before it had been tried by fire. Poor child! She was weary of the fight, and now sho could never tell him that she owned herselfj worsted in the battle. But one evening a few weeks later his card is put into her hand. Sho has learned ere this of his re-, covery, but she .is amazed when .she goes forward to welcome him to see what an impress- his illness has left upon him. Pale and worn, he stands before her with outstretched hands, but it is with the old tone he speaks. “ Little one, I came to find my wife. Is she here? ” Her answer was not word-spoken, but with her fair head pillowed on hia breast, he needed none; and when, two months later, he Claimed his wife, Miss Elwood' stood with her at the altar as hoLohosen friend. — New York Ledger. A Wondrous Waterfall. : Thevdlyhlpio ' MdlrlitalnP h avP- prb- dneed jiuother attraction, the beauty of which is not excited pn the western slope;- What is said to be a grand waterfall coming from the snow capped peaks above the clouds 'over a bluff, falling a perpendicular distance of ever 1000 feet and disappearing in the bosom or a beautiful plain, has just been discovered near Lake Ores cent by two ranchmen. Theinlesorip- tioh of the scene iwofild ; exceed auy= thing of similar character in the Yel- lowstonePark. BUDGET OF EUN. an* I ’m puttin ’ this sign here so ’ s I ’ ll know whnr they are, an ’ not feel wor- i, b ’ goshM ” — Judge. ried about ■ From the snow on the crests of the Olympics, wherb^whifelhen \have never visited, comes a little stream, which rapidly grows' in volume until it reaches the edge of, a perpendicular cliff overlooking a beautiful plateau of 300 aores a thousand feet below. For centuries the water has poured, over the precipice until it has cut a smooth passage, sorhething like a large pipe split in half, in the side of tho moun tain. Here and there it strikes an ob struction, and oirt of the mountain ’ s side spurt oth . r falls. Standing alongside; of the clifi a ahoft 'distanco away tlie see no is beautiful and looks as though there were half a dozen rivers bursting out of the mountain. The huge volume of water disappears in a w ild -lookin g cavern, and becomes an underground river. It flows be neath the plateau for a distance of two, miles, and then again bursts out of its imprisonment in the shape of an-oval bridal veil, and dashes over the rooks and cataracts down to Lake Sutherland and out to sea. The country is very rough, wild and hard to penetrate. There is an abun dance of wild game isolated around the falls. -The discoverers of the falls killed nine elk in half ian hour and said there wore ' 100 more in sight. — Seattle~(AYaah.)J?oatrIntfilIigenaer. ..... _ Firing UnUev-Water, A stage was'erected in the harbor at Portsmouth within tho tide mark ; bn this an Armstrong gun of the 110 pound pattern was mounted. The gun was then loaded and carefully aimed at a target while the tuie vvas low. The.target itself was placed only twenty-five feet from the muzzle of tho gun. It was composed; of oak beams and planks,; and was twenty-one inohes thick. In order to make the Griper invulnerable, a sheet of boiler plates three inohes thick was riveted l to the water logged hull in direct ’ range with the oourso the ball was or.* peoted to take if not deflected by the water. On all ot these — the oaken target, the boiler plates, and the old yessel ’ s hull — the effect of the shot from the submerged gun was really startling. The wooden target was pierced through and through, the boiler .iron target was broken into pieces, and driven into its “ backing, ” the ball passing right out through both sides of the vessel making two huge holes, through which tho water poured in torrents. Taken altogether, the experiment was an entire success. Tiniest Slicai ’ s Ever RailO; A clever workman in a cutlery fac tory in Sheffield, England; has recent ly made a dozen pairs of shears eaoh so minute that they all together weigh less than half a grain. That is about the weight of a postage stamp. Each pair was perfect, and would out if sufficiently delicate material could ba found. Lying on a piece\ of white* paper, they seemed up larger than fieaa. — New York World, Surprised Her — Apologized . Each TTme — -It^Went — WIIHV ik : to Marry Him — Had Ills Fears — DIp- Ininufic, jfitC;* EtC; lie paused, os one In deepest maze. - Of some dilemma caught. - Then slowly said, Ju tone Of speech With hesitation fraughb . - “ I ’ ve half a mind — I ’ve half a mind — ’ Bhe Interposed thereat And archly said, “ I never thought You had r ArOTiOGIZED EAOH TIME. ■ Clara — “ Did ho apologize for kiss ing you? ” Maud — “ Oh, yes; several times. ” I t went . Young Huggins — “ And now scien tists are saying kissing muej go, ” ....... Dolly Swift (ingenuously) — “ It does. ” — Judge. A CONFESSION. Maude— “ Miriam is .trying to keep; k£r engagement a secret. ’ ’ Martha — ‘ ‘ How do you know ? ” “ She told mo so. ” ' WILMNfl TO MARRY HIM. He — “ Am I good enough for you, darling? ” She — - “ No, George ; but you are good for any other girl. ’ ’ — Puck. HAD ins FEARS. Young Author — “ Don't you think my play caught the audience? ” Manager — “ Yes, this time; but I fear.it will neve r do so again, ” — Puck. . CLOSE-FISTED. . 'J [ Willie; — “ Are you the nearest rela tive I ’ ve got, mamma? ” ; ' Mother — “ Yes, love, and your pa h the closest relative you ’ ve got. ” — Tit- Bits. DIPLOMATIC; - ■ She — “ Then papa didn ’ t refuse to listen to you? ” He — “ Not a bit. 1 began by telling him I knew of a plan whereby he could save money. ” — Cincinnati Enquirer. Mr. Dyer — “ Where is ' the bargain counter? ” The Floor Walker — - “ There-are sev eral. What are you looking for? ” “ I ’ m looking for my wife. ” — Life. MIGHT BE WORSE. Miss Fosdjok — “ My bicycle lamp is always going out. ” Mr. Dolley — “ Well, a bicycle ]am$- that always stayed at home would hot be of much use. ” IN NEED OF A BARBER. Wood — ‘ ‘ Say, thafewaa pretty rough on Jones to-day, wasn ’ t it? ” . Stone — “ What was that? ” Wood — “ His board! 0 He hasn ’ t been shaved for a week. ” — Twinkles. IN TIME TO COME. Mrs. Strong — “ I suppose yon have heard that miss Ricketts and Miss Gazzam are deadly enemies now? ” ' Miss Small — “ Yes, f heard; biit I didn ’ t hear who was the man ,at the bottom of it. ”— Judge; • • • - . - •• OFT IN THE STILLY NIGHT. Mrs. Quiverful — “ Do you know, dear, tkat-I think the baby sometimes crio? in her sleep? ” Fr. Quiverful (savagely) — “ I don ’ t kno'W about that.; but I knovY she of ten prie^ in mine. Pick-Me-Up. ” THE BRUTE. Mrs. Rumpus — “ George, when we were courting yon used to say you liked me because I was just the height of .your heart. ” . Mr, Rumpus — “ But I forgot that it was in my breast I carried my pooket- book. ” — Pittsburg News. ................. - ............ USEFUL.-- - ......... “ Do you think, professor, that the theory that Mars is inhabited has any practical value? ” “ Do I think so? ” returned the pro-, feasor, “ 1 know it. Some periodicals pay $20 » page for articles on the sub- iect. ” — Washington Star. THE MATTER WITH IT. “ How came Jack Huggins to break his engagement with Miss Thirty- smith ? ” “ He said he could not marry a girl with siich a past as hers. ” “ Good gracious !' What ---- “ Oh, there was too much of it. ” TOOK A FALL OUT OF EAOH OTHER. Hobson— “ Heavens 1 old man, how you have torn your clothes! I hope yob jqron ’ t hurt. You must have had a terrible fall from your bicycle. ” Dobson — ^ ‘ Nothing of the kind! Robson and I got a-talking about the best kind .of. wheels; that ’ s all.” — Puck. • JUMPING AT CONCLUSIONS. Cbolly (who stuttors) — ^P-P-Per- haps you have noticed it, Mias Ethel, but I M-l — I-er-H-1 — Ethel (trembling violently) — “ O Charley! — er — this is so sudden, you know 1 ” , , Oholly- 2 - “ 1 1*1 loft nay umbrella here two weeks ago, and should like to re cover it. ” — Puck. SURE TO FLOCK THEBE. Skater — “ What are you planting the danger sigh there foy, mister? Why, the ice hereabouts ia th'i thickest and safest on the pond. ” Elderly Gent- — * 'I know it. My boys arc cornin ’ here skating this arternoon. A MISMANAGED ■ COMPLIMENT; • ‘ ♦ s . “ I guess, ” remarked Willie; ‘ Wish- mgton hopelessly, ‘ . ‘ tha t X h ave said tlie v? f 6 h g ; tlii n ~ 5 a gain ;* : “ To whom? ” “ Mina Booranbraqin; , I waa compli menting her on her costume, and on^a venture I told her that she looked the part completely-'that it was positively life like. I have just found, out the character she was f assuming. ” “ What was it? ” ‘ ‘ A lady of the preceding century. ’ —Washington Star. THOUGHTLESS. ^ “ .Of course, ” said the jevveler, “ you - meant well, but don ’ t do that again. ” “ What do you mean?” inquired the man in charge of the repair depart- ment. 1 j ■ “ You charged that last man. so much that instead of having hie old watch fixed he bought a new one that I had marked down to cost as an advertise ment. — Washington Star. INTENSE SARCASM. “ I called to ask where you buy your street oar stoves, ” said he to the pres ident of. the line., “ It is useless to ’ tell you, sir. You can ’ t sell uh any. ” \Oh I ’ m not a stove agent. I / wanted to know where you bought them so that I could go to the same place. I want to get one to use as a refrigerator next summer. ”— Harper ’ s Bazar. HIS STATUS. G rims haw — “ It isodd how a man •will often mistakehis true vocation in life and persist in-following out a cer tain line of endeavor, when-he ., was. .1 clearly predestined for one radically different. There is Rhymesmith, for instance. He insists that he is a born poet; when'in-reality he was oat . out fora chemist. ” Askins — “ How do you make that out? ” Grimshaw — “ Everything he writes hocomoa a drug in tho market; ” — Judge. Lodge Room in a Cave. One of the most . fanciful lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fel lows in the State of Tennessee, outside of the Rities, is Gap City l^odge No. 72, which Has for its lodge room a large cave in darter County, eight miles east of Johnson City. So fas cinating is the Lome of this lodge that some' of the order in nearby towns have transferred their membership . to it. Gap Creek Lodge has a membership of seventy-five, and , has been holding its meetings in this cave mow for over a year. The subterranean chamber is rented from the owner; Dr. Nathaniel Ryder. ' — ThiB-strangeHodge rgom i s locate d in.an elevated strip of woodland. The entrance to it faces the east, and on approaching it presents a sombre ap pearance, , which might be considered typical of mysteries-that are known only in the hearts of the faithful membership of a great secret order. From the outer doors one passes down a stairway to the first chamber, or anteroom. This apartment is fourteen by eighteen feet,jind is provided with all the necessary equipment |;o ma£e it a desirable place in which to pre pare candidates for initiation into the order. ' To the rear' oF this chamber is a hallway,and twelve feet lower down; with tlie floor slanting at an angle of forty-five degrees, is the lodge room proper. . - This ’ chamber, is eighteen by sixty feet, and the ceiling is some eight feet in height.Viewed through the en trance from without the rooms present a! dark and mysterious appearance; sufllcieut light is nevertheless reflected from the outside to penetrate both chambers. Taken altogether these underground apartments are quaint and striking quarters for a bbdy of men whose deliberations are secret. — ^ Philadelphia Times. POPULAR SCIENCE. The greatest danger in the ndalfcor- ation of milk by-water lies, in the ih: 1 trod action of dangerous species of dis- easj). germ.?; - . There is no reliable case on record , where resuscitation has takenT 'place after the complete freezing of the body in man. ^ From figures recently published at Munich, Bavaria, it. appears that there arc now in central Europe 15,044 gas engines, which aggregate 52,094 horse power. Numerous experiments to determine' the best fire-resistipg. materials for tlie - construction o.f doors have.proved.that wood covered with tin resists fire bet ter than an iron door. - > - A German statistician says that of every In, OOQ^ohimneys three are struck by lightning* while of the samec num ber of towers and windmills sixty and [eighty respectively are struck. A number of plates from the Brnoe photographic telescope, at the Harvard . .. 'Observatory, in Arequipa, Peru, have been received in Cambridge. Some, show spectra of stars invisible' to tho naked eye. ■ - ^; 4 J. Clayton, in a comumnication t.o , Nature, refers to careful measurements he has made with sycamore, elm, oak, ash and beech trees, from which he has discovered that they all contract in girth during a frost, j /> VI heat grown in the north of France has from eleven to twenty-six per cent, lebs nitrogenous elements in it than that raised there fifty years ago, ac cording to a' recent report made to, the Academia des Sciences. : — - To prevent the stealing of milk from • cans while in transit on railroads a new patent consists of passing a .screw through one side oTf the can neck, run ning itipto “ a shoulder in the lid, 0 key being ^cessary to operate it and “ to open ttHTcah.- - - A new safety brake for - street T cars consists of a steel rod -held per.pendic v ularly in relation to the car bottom in — - such a manner ^that it can be instantly pressed downward into the ground to aid in stopping the? car at time/i when a - quick stop will prevent accidents. A method of precipitating-zinc in aqueous solution in the,shape of ..dense plates of commercial ‘ ‘ thickness by moftns of electricity has been found at the zinc works at Duisberg, in Ger many? The * proCesa, which, is kept - secret,, - was discovered by= Professor — Dioftenbabb, of Darmstadt. Tho odo- , nomid difficulties in the problem have — - also been solved, as the works are turn* ..... ing out ninety tons of zinc a month and are to b&enlarged. OueuiTst Town In England. The most curious town in England Northwiok. There is not a straight street, nor, in. fact, a straight .. house the place ; every part of it has tho appearance of. having-reoently suffered from the visitation of an earthquake; Northwioh, as everyone knows, is the centre of the salt industry. On nearly all sides of the town are big salt works, with their engines pump ing hundreds of thousands of gallons of brine : every.week. At a depth of some 200 or 300 feet are immense subterro ’ nean lakes of brine, and as the contents of these are pninped and/pumped away the upper ornst of earth is correspondingly weakened, and the result is an occa sional subsidence. These subsidences have a “ pulling ” effect on the nearest buildings; which are drawn “ all ways, ” giving the town an upside down appearance. -^Answers. Stimulant for Troops. _ That soldiers really need .stimulants has been' formally recognized by the War Department, which includes in its new emergency, ration half an qunee of tobacco per-diem. The War iMjpartment Fhhlishes a bnlletin, in which it is declared that “ under the influence of tea, coffee or tobacco, man seems to be brought to a higher efficiency thah without them. They keep up cheerfulness and enable men to endnte fatigue and privations, while deprivation of them may ’ cause depres sion, homesickness, .feebleness, and, indeed, may lead to defeat in battle. Depressed troops do not fight well,and eanuot be kept well in hand. ’ A wise railiU ry leader will see to it. that his. men are not deprived of tobacco, or he will regreUkiff carelessness. ” ^ — New York Journal. .. . Making Clouds and Rain. If,anybody lyouild lite to produce clouds and rain on a smai scale it is easy to do so, according to Professor L. Err era. who describes - the process in Ciel et Terre, He advises that the experiment-be made with a cylindrical- vase of^ Bohemian glass about eight inch os .-Th h e ig ht-fuid five i hoHePTh diameter. It should be tilled half full - of , strong alcohol, about ninety-two per cent, pure, ‘ covered with a porce lain saucer, and warmed in a hot water bath. It must be warmed, for quite a while, so that tjbe liquid, vise and cover may attain a high temperature without bringing the alcohol to the boiling point. ' Then the whole should be removed to a wooden table, taking care not to agitate the fluid, and re sults may-he awaited. . ^ ; The warm liquid will continue to send up ‘ an abundance of alcoholic vapors. In a few minutes the porce lain cover will be so fdr cooled that the vapors nearest to it will begin to condense, and thus very oloarly visible clouds will be formed. Presently these clouds will begin to resolve themselves into tiny droplets of rain, which will fall vertically into the liquid. There will be countless num bers of these raindrops, and thb inter esting spectacle may go on for a half hour. ■' - At first the vapors will rise quite, iip to the porcelain cover, hut as the whole cools the condensation will oc cur at a lower level. Then the^p will . bo a perfectly clear zone above the cloud zone, and nature .will bo exactly '. reproduced, except that in the place of water everything is made of alco hol. The older space above will rep resent the pure sky, below which are tho clouds, condensing into rain, which is returned to the liquid, rep resenting the ocean, from whence it came. Thus the experiment iliuBtrateo'-- in miniature the whole aqueous circu lation of the atmosphere. Bullous Are Modem. The Greeks and Romans knew noth ing of buttons, and though they pre sented themselves-afl ornaments in the fourteenth century, buttonholes were still an undreamed qf possibility. It was not until nearly the middle,of the last oentnry that the manufacture of steel buttons was entered upomat the Soho Works* in Birmingham, J3ng- : laud. Then, on the accession of George HI. the gilt buttons appeared and bdsoame quite the vogue. But it was reserved, for the artisans of our day to make theseniseful fasteners in the'> greatest variety at marvelously low prices, and but of all Sorts of ma- Aerial, even io the seemingly impossi ble potato. - * — ....... ‘ ; Smallest Cliurcli iii England. The parish church of Grove, on the borders of Bedfordshire and Bucking hamshire, but situated rTh-^tliftHattor county, is said to bo the smalles^lids. most curious church in Englan^. Tho parislTcontains under twenty inhabi - 1 tants, and the church will comfortably seat a .few more than, that number. For the year ending Joixe 30, 1896, the net earnings of the 172,369 miles of railway in the United Stated were $368,675,047,.