' fornia.
SUGAR FROM BEETS.
HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN
. AND WHAT IT MAY BECOME.
Some of the Great Difficulties in the Way
.of its Establishment 'in the United
States—The Import Trade 111' German
Beet Sugar.
It is only within the last few months
that the people who refine sugar in this
country have become aware of a new
factor that promises to be very formid‘
able. To eveiy family f101n the At-
lantic to the Pacific this new factor is
of inte1est. 1'01 the reason that it is
within the bounds of possibility that
through it the price of sugar will be
still further reduced. Already it has
had the elfect of lowering slightly
prices at times, though the refiners
and the middlemen are reluctant to ac.
knowledge it. The new factor is the
increasing production of a fine quality
of beet sugar in the West and the
largely increasing importation of the
same from Germany. Not enough has
come over as yet to makemuch differ-
ence, it is true)
The chief difficulties in beet-sugar
manufacturing in this country have
been to find the proper soil for the
growing 1 of sugar beets, and when
such soil was discovered to make con-
t1acts 111th the farmers in that vicin-
ity fo1 a sufficient quantity of that
vegetable.
Only in the Far ‘vVest and on the Paci-
fic Coast up to this time have proper
localities been found. There stand
ready at a moment’s notice to—day hun-
dreds of thousandsof dollars waiting
to establish beet-sugar refineries in the
East as soon as the right soil and sub-
stantial guarantees of crops can be as?
sured.
Eight sugar-beet refineries are run-
ning prosperously in the country to-
day. Two of these are in Nebraska,
two-in Utah, and one is in the Pecos
valley of New Mexico, a newly opened
region that has considerable promise
in it. The remaining three are in Cali-
Of such an excellent quality
is their product that there is no diffi-
culty in selling it near by. Practically
none of it ever reaches New York, and
seldom any of it Chicago, though when
any quantity of it does a1rive in the
Western metropolis it finds a market
easily.
While more beet sugar comes to New
York than to any other city, it is nea1—
ly all the German product. In spite
of the fact that this sugar has to pay
ALEXANDER DUMAS.
[Iis:Practical Jokes Were Often Turned
' Upon Himself.
Aiexandre Dumas, whose life and
death have been laigely commented
upon by the European press, was, it
appears, not all an urbane man. Still
he had his moments of laxity, and on
such occasions he could be jocular,
though. only in a very ponderous way.
Practical jokes tickled his fancy the
most, though why it is difficult to say,
for he himself invariably tumbled into
the trap he had prepared for others.
One of his few friends was Meisson-
ier, the famous painter, whose love of
botany and horticulture was prover-
bial. To him, it is related, came Du-
,1nas one day with the dried row of a.
herring. or, as he termed it, a seed‘
, pod of that extremely rare exotic the
Granifiora aurora borealis digitalis, of
1which he begged Meissonier’s accep-
i tance. The painter was profuse inhis
'thanks, said he had heard of the Au-
rora Borealis before, and promised to
plant the seeds and to tend the young
exotics, when they came up, with all
the care and skill in his power. Dumas
delightedly ran off to his “den” to
chuckle in solitary state; but, alas,
Meissonier was too much for him, after
all, for this joke ended in precisely the
same way as all his others! The seeds
indeed were planted, and the Aurora
Borealis came up; but, when Dumas
called a week later to see how matters
were getting on, the artist took him
to a corner of his garden, and here,
beautifully bedded out'in a circle, were
two dozen red herring with their heads
just peeping from the ground.
The Tables \Vere Turned.
The late professor Blackie used to re-
late with great gusto the following
story. As every one knows, the gen-
ial old professor used to be a pictur-
esque and striking figure in the streets
of Edinburgh. A wiry-framed old pa<
triarch, with strikingly-handsome fea-
tures and long hair that fell in ringlets
about his shoulders, no one, once hav«
ing seen him, could forget him. Pass-
ing one day along one of the principal
Edinburgh streets, he was accosted by
a very dirty little boy with, “Shine
your boots, sir?” The urchin was very
importunate; and the professor, be-
ing impressed by the extreme filthi-
ness of the boy’s face, remarked, “I
you’ll go and wash your face, I’ll give
you a Sixpence.” “A’riche, sir!” was
' the lads reply; and, going to an adja‘
. cent drinking-fountain, he made his
an additional duty because it comes ’ablution. “Well, my lad,’ said the pro-
'fessor, when he returned, “you earned
from a bounty-paying country, it un‘
dersells the refined sugars by a quarter , your money; here it is.”
of a cent a pound at least.
The average person cannot tell the
difference between beet and cane gram
ulated sugar, for the reason that to all
intents and purposes they are the same
to the taste and eye, though the beet
sugar is a little grayer. It is said to
be even cleaner.—New York Tribune,
5. WARNING ON A TOMBSTONE.
The Strange Monument a Kansas W'oman
Set Up Over Her Husband’s Grave.
Out in Oak Hill Cemetery, the fash-
ionable burying ground of Atchison,
this city. a marble shaft towers far
above its neighbors. It is colossal in
size, white as the driven snow, deli:
cate in proportions, exquisite in de-
sign, airy and graceful as a spire of
the Cathedral of Milan when viewed
from far away. It is the observed 01
all those who visit the beautiful ceme-
tery and who tread its flower- lined
and shadowy avenues, and they linger
at the granite base to admire .the deli;
cate carving and ponder upon the
strange and suggestive inscription
chiselled upon its polished surface:
.“At last it biteth like a serpent and
stingeth like an adder.——Proverbs,
xxiii, 22.”
This unusual and unique monument
marks the grave of a once prominent
citizen. He was prominent in busi-
ness. prominent in poliics, prominent
in social affairs. He was the personi-
fication of business integrity, a leader
in public enterprises, the exemplar of
the young men of the community.
- By and by even as some insidious
disease takes possession of the human
body, an appetite for strong drink
took possession of this business man.
this political leader, this social lion,
this model for young men.
His history is simply the old. old
story. He fell from his lofty pedestal,
from his high estate, from heaven to
hell.
The man had lived and was dead
and buried, and the great world, for-
getting his faults aud frailities, re-
membered only his excellences. But
the widow! She remembered—even if
she did not remember the virtues of
. her husband—the cursed cause of ruin.
And one day, by her orders, the impos-
ing monument above his g1ave was
“I dinna
,want it, auld chap,” returned the ur‘
‘chin, with a lordly air; “ye can keep
it and git yer hair cut!”
A Distinguished Guest.
An English actor was a member of a.
company snowbound in the Sierras
while en route from California to the
East. Before their train pulled out of
the drifts they had been reduced to
eating the coarse fare of the railroad
laborers, and got little enough even of
that, so that they were all ravenously
hungry when the train reached ‘a.
small station, at which there was a.
humble restaurant. The Englishman
was the first to find a seat at a table.
“Bring me as quickly as possible,” he
said to the landlord, a burly Western
man, “a porterhouse steak, some devil-
led kidneys, a brace of chops, plenty of
vegetables, and two bottles of Bass
beer.” The landlord stuck; his head
out of the dining-room door and yelled
to somebody in the rear apartment,
“Say, Bill, tell the band to play ‘Rule
Britannia? The Prince of Wales has
come."
Church Choirs.
A curiosity in churches is a Phila- .
delphia suburban church (colored),
which has a white Episcopal priest in
charge. It has eight benches, seating
three persons each, and every requis-
ite to the service.
three feet high furnishes the music.
No bell hangs in the steeple, but a ne-
gro boy about 12 years old beats a tri-
angle in front of the church just be‘
fore service. He is also sexton and re-
ceives $1 per month as salary. The
church was formerly an election booth;
is built of sheet iron, painted gray,
with only one window. It is called
“Chapel of Saint Faith.” It has a
small but enthusiastic membership.—
Phlladelphia Press.
.
An Amusing Error.
Some of the risks attending illustra-
tions in daily newspapers, where the
work of making 11p has to be done in
the small hours of the morning, are 11-
iustrated by what appeared in a Chico;
go newspaper recently. A picture of
the late Cardinal Manning was la-
belled “Frau Kruger, wife of 0011:
Paul,” and accompanied by an enter-
erected, and around it, fiom apex to taining sketch of that excellent lady;
granite base, the scuipto1 had chiselled
from the inanimate ma1ble a snake of:
many coils, whose forked tongue, ew r
protruding, and stony eyes. nevci
closing, are a constant waming to 11.1
who look upon it ant read the stIange i
device upon.'the polished surface. of;
While in another place a picture of
Mrs. Kruger, looking grand and in-
tensely Dutchy. bore
dinal Manning."
The 1' 'vrce of Habit.
\ widower is being married for the
the granite base, that “at last it bitcil. tonrth During the ceremonv'one
. .t' , . J .
Ekena :Erpent £181] flit? 1- «11 ad fof ‘ surpr1sed to hear v10-
er. - . ansas 11.1, 1 9.1. 21011 from a 11101 an in
:11 cm 1hr .h. .
The Effect of Cold.
Little Ike: “Uncle Rastus, does cold
make eberything git littler?”
UnclgRastus: “Yas, it do; cold will
contrac’; don’t you ’member night ’fo’
ias’ Christmas de wood-pile of Parson
Jones dat libs nex to me swunk up in
one night t’ nex’ t’ nothin’?”
Little Ike. “But don' t you ’member,
Uncle Bastus, how dc pile 0’ wood by
de side 0’ de stove, in de cabin, got
heap bigger?" '
Uncle Rastus: “Well, t’was hot in
de room, you little idyotf heat makes
things bigger. You "aiu 1 got de sense
you was born wid."
“WLJ is that lady crying s« bitter-
ly?” he asks of the bystanders.
“Oh, it’s only \Iartha, our cook,” an-
swers one of the bridegroom’ s_ chil-
dren; “she always blubbers when
papa gets married.”
In Luck.
“Is it’true, Whirly, that you can
vou used to spend as a bachelor?”
“Much less.
milling to mention.1“was fortunate
enough to marry old dullion's daugh
wl you ’x'uow’hunetroit Free Press. .
Tunnvnuino
don'tpwant a shine, my lad; but, if,
A melodeon about '
the legend, “Car- '
keep yourself and "wife for less than ,
My. expenses are too
Is OVER
NOW is he IIM
To Subscribe for the
for $1.09 __ja Year _
ha-
Both Pacers Sentto one Address
I
.1.
oAznTTn
A PRACTICAL Joann.
A RICH NEW YORKER wno ,ENJoYs
FOOLING HIS ACQUAIN'I’ANCES.
AHldden Treasure in a Secret,Drawer 0!
a Desk Bought at Auction His Latest—
Kow Ills Bowery Cat Became Famous
at the Cat Show as a.$2,0_09 Beauty.
Brian G. Hughes, the wealthy paper
box manufacturer, is easily the best
practical joker in New York. If there
is any one within the Wide circle of his
acquaintance who has not yet felt this
fact, they should not despair, for
Hughes is in. the same old line.
His latest joke was on the public ad-.
ministrator, and was concealed in a
story of the finding of diamonds, Wes-
tern 'Union stock and title deeds in the
secret drawers of a desk which Mr.
Hughes bought at an auction sale by
the administrator. This public ofl‘i-
cial of course wanted the discovered
articles, and when he found that be-
yond a secret drawer and some re-
ceipted gas bills there was nothing to
the story, he was more anxious to see
Mr. Hughes than to meet the :report-
ers.
Hughes, who is 50 years old and is .
worth a quarter of a million dollars,
has been a joker all his life, and is one
of the last men in the city who would
be suspected of it. He dresses quietly
and faultlessly and speaks with 'a tone
that is a delicious blending of the
drawl and the brogue. He is an excel-
lent business man and an enthusiastic
church goer. His charities are in keep-
ing with his wealth, and, altogether,
he is a model.
His first public achievement in the
line of practical joking was made only
a few years ago. It was at the Cat
Show. The week before the papers
were filled with stories of the wonder-
ful felines. Hughes believed he could
play a joke on the judges as well as on
the public, and determined to do so,
One night, going up the Bowery, he
saw a cat in a window and went: in
and purchased it for :51.
He named it Nicodemus, .fed it well
'for a week and duly entered it. He
caused it to be said that he had paid
$2,000 for it. He tagged its valuation
in the show at $2,500—this‘ Bowery
cat, whose education had never
reached higher than a backyard fence.
But it looked well, and Hughes talked
it up so much that he got its picture
into the papers, and the judges gave
the blue ribbon to the plebian Nico-
demus. Somebody would probably
have bought it for the entered price,
$2,500, but the joke was too good to
keep, and the judges, when they found
that Nicodemus was a Bowery feline,
recalled their verdict and only gave
him second prize.
In 1893, while stopping at the New
Amsterdam Hotel, at Locust Point,
N. J., he got up a walking party and
led them away from any hotels. The
dinner hour found them hungry and
unacquainted in any of the private
houses. Hughes had a plan for get-
ting dinner.
He had heard of a railroad that was
to be built and a man who vowed that
it would never go through his property.
Hughes marched the party thither and
taking out of his pocket a hand steel
tape, a knife and some chalk, he went
upon the man’s ground, marking trees
and making measurements.
The man watched him with amaze-
ment. The rest of the party stood on
the roadside. Hughes marched up to
the man.
“May I go into your hall, sir?”
Hughes asked.
“You may not, sir,” replied the man.
“Very well,” said Hughes, _,“there
will then be nothing left us but to be-
gin cendemnat-ion proceedings. :1 am
making some preliminary surveys for
the new railroad.” "
The man protested, but Hughes, on-
relentingly, said his house was doomed
and pointed to the four men on the
road, three of whom were directors in
the new company. Could there be a
parley over a luncheon? Certainly.
All were invited in, and they ate and)
then they drank. {They drank to the
health of the man and then to his wife,
and then, having learned they had a
family, they drank to their health and
then to the health of each other. All
- promised to do what they. could to
save the house.
As they were going, Hughes went
into the parlor, and, getting out the
tape again, made chalk marks on the
walls, the carpet and the piano. .
“What’s that for?” demanded the
» man.
“Why " replied Hughes, as he pre-
pared to leave, “we want to do the
best we can for you. I was just tak~
ing measurements to see if we couldn’t
arrange it so that the tracks for the
new railroad might' be laid through
your hall and so save your parlor.”
When up at Cliff Farm, in Ellenville,
the past year he and an artist named
Bork, who, according to Hughes, is
himself a good hand at a joke, so judi-
ciously sprinkled the ground in the
rear of the barn with kerosene taken
from the casks in the man’s cellar that
he belivvui he ’ ‘iscove 1‘- an oil
well.
Hugh‘s offers. 1
half interest'in it 1
out a check for $5,0u0 as an earnest of
his good faith, butthe proprietor, who
was told that his well was a. bulcher,
declined. But he treated Hughes and
Rork to the finest applejack in the
Catskills, and then one night sneaked
off to New York. Hughes and Bork
left the next day. When ’1’ ie pros-
pector returned, a drummer .. was
among the guests. To him the story
was told. Hughes’s name was men-
tioned. When the- drummer learned
that the well had not been discovered
before Hughes came, he laughed and
‘ "’l for one-
knew that the hoaxes had been abroad.
_,______.,_
When is a. boat like a heap of spowi
--W:heu it is adrift. . . p _
Saved the fife of Both Heroine and Road-1
or by Chan gin; the Last Chantal-a . [
Alexandre Dumas was writing a
and one day the Marquis de P
called on him. “Dumas,” said he,
“have you composed ‘ the and. of- the
story now being published in the —_.——w?'"
“Of course." “Does the heroine die at
the end?” “013' course-dies of con-
sumption. After such symptoms as I»
have described, how could she live?”
change the catastrophe.” “I cannot ”
“Yes, you must; for on your héroine’ s
life depends my daughter’s” “Your
daughter’s?" “Yes; she has all. the
.which you have described, and watches
mournfully for every numberof your
novel, «readingher own fate in that of
your heroine. Now, if you can make
your heroine live, my daughter,
whose imagination has been—tery deep-
ly impressed, will live too. Come—a
life to save is a temptation—” “Not
to be 1es1sted ” Dumas changed his
last chapter. His heroine recovered,
and was happy. About five years af-
mul'ecu" J “'rjt" .
terw'ards Dumas met the Marquis at a
party. “Ah, Dumas,” he exclaimed,
she owes her life to you. There she is.”
“That fine handsome woman, who
looks like Jeanne d’Arc?” “Yes. She
is married, and 'has four children. ”
“And my novel has just four editions.”
said Dumas; “so we are quits."
CABINET POSSIBILITIES.
Sickles Wants It. ,,
General Daniel ‘E. Sickles, who for-
sook the Democracy last campaign
and did good service for the Republi-
can candidates in the West, is out
spoken as to his wishes for political
preferment.
Y;
can. DANIEL E. SICKLES.
At a recent reception to Gen. F. 'S.
L, G. A. 11., a letter of Gen. Sickles’ was
lead, in which the veteran said.
“You have seen, perhaps, that the
newspapers are providing me with a
variety of offices, which I do not want
and would not take. The only office I
would care to fill is the post. of Gov-
ernor of Cuba, and I hope the vacancy
may soon occur. All this you can say
to whoever it may concern.”
GAIL HAMILTON,
Some Anecdotes of Her Conversational
Gifts—The Minister's Surprise.
It is seldom that a woman is found
who combines intellect, charm of mana
ner , and womanly fascination, but
have been thus universally gifted. On
one occasion, while she was spending
the winte1 in Washington with Mrs.
Blaine, a stiiking instance of this was
shown.
Among the season’s visitors to the
Capital was a Western clergyman o!
more culture, reading and “thought
than knowledge of the world. 'He—de:
sired to make the. most of his holiday
and first sight of the great city. He
wanted to see all there was to be seen,
to hear all there was to be heard, but
most of all did he desire to meet and
have a. word with Gail Hamilton. I!
took him several days to summon up
”his courage, but at last he boldly pre-.
sented himself at the Blaines’ door and
asked for Miss “Hamilton." About
three hdurs later the friend met him
descending the steps of the house, one‘
broad smile of delight and satisfac‘
tion.
“Ah,” exclaimed the' confident, “I
.congratulate you. So you have met
your 'dear Gail Hamilton. I can see,
it in your face.” '
That face fell—grew. remorseful.
"N-no,” .he stammered, “I didn’t
[meet her—she didn’t come down, and,
the fact is, I forgot to ask for her. ”
“Forgot to ask for her!"
“Oh, I sent up my card, of course,
but a lady came down,a Miss Dodge,
such a woman in your life! I suppose
that MiSS Hamilton must have been
out; she didn’t mention her, but she
began to talk to me, and in two min-
utes I forgot what I had go.ne‘for I
man or woman, could knbw so much.
I belieVe we talked on every subject
in the world. and she. knew everything
about every one of the subjects. I was '
never so surprised as when a lot of
people came in and I found how long
serial novel for a. Paris daily journal.
“let me introduce you to my daughter;
If a New Porttollo is Created General
and, my dear fellow, you never SELW‘
never could believe that any person, '
A“ KIND-HEARTS!) NOVELIST. on
“You must make her live. You must." '
Clarkson, commander-in- chief "of the ~
Miss Dodge (Gail Hamilton) seems to 4
\
I had been there, and 7 ant to
come a11‘..y one bit 1 - ‘11 '
you, and, till you spoke, - IL 1
~all about Miss Hamilton. . don’t us-
how!”
‘His astonishme‘ntand delight when
he. found that he had entertained (or
wares, were very pleasant to see.—
New York Tribune.
Mongolian Brides.
shallow basket. By relatives and
friends this is supposed to insure a
been entertained by) his angel una-.
[love she can touch Miss Dodge, any- .
A Chinese bride, when put-ting on her ..
wedding garments, stands in a round
placid, well-rounded life in her new,‘
various symptoms of consumption - '
Norwalk Chronicler